Archmage Chapter 12 - “Love and Liabilities Part 1”

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Twilight’s hoof shook as she steadily lifted the cover of the old book. Just as she thought, it had been preserved with magic… She could feel the texture of the spell that kept it in it’s condition, that slowed the aging process on the yellowed and dry pages. If it weren’t for that spell, this book would have crumbled to dust long, long ago…

This spell was thousands of years old, which meant the book it protected was as well. If this was the book that she thought it was, then her becoming the Archmage had been foretold long, long before she had ever been alive. She felt something else there, too… The remainders of another spell. Something else had been cast on this book.

“A memory loss spell.” Twilight breathed.

“That’s what we suspect, yes.” Celestia nodded. “Whatever shield this book lay behind, it made everypony forget of it’s existence as long as it was behind that shield. This was powerful magic. It affected everypony who had ever studied this book of prophecy. Even Luna and I.

“That’s… That’s impossible. My father was a skilled unicorn, but he… He couldn’t have accomplished that.”

“We’re still speculating, Twilight. Since we only received this last night… But we believe Nocturnal Glow might have been the one to cast it.” At Celestia’s explanation, Twilight blinked.

“Nocturnal Glow?”

“Yes… There was a period of time when both Orion and Glimmer studied under Nocturnal Glow. He was the one who gave them their house. It would make sense that he was the one to cast the spell and lock it away within their own library. He would have told them, of course… Which would make the magic null and void against them.” Celestia rubbed her bridge of her nose with a sigh. “Why he didn’t tell us that he took it, I’ll never know… Damn that pony for his secrets. Makes me wonder what else he kept from us.”

“Please,” Luna said quietly. “Let’s not talk about him in such a fashion… Nocturnal Glow was a great pony, and he did many great things for Equestria. I think he can be forgiven for this one small mistake.” She shot a glance at Twilight, and when she spoke the word ‘forgiven,’ Twilight felt something in her chest. A slight… Twinge. Of something. Regret, maybe. Or perhaps sadness. But whatever it was, it faded away, leaving behind a cold, stone feeling that Twilight was so familiar with recently.

“Well either way. We now have the book,” Celestia pointed to it again. “It doesn’t matter where it went, only that we have it, and what it means to us now.”

“What does it mean to us now?” Twilight asked, still looking at the book. It felt so ominous, strange and mysterious. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what secrets lay inside. What did it all mean to her?

“Find out,” Celestia said quietly. “Open the book, and discover for yourself.”

Twilight swallowed, and slowly, carefully opened the cover. The text was ancient, and very convoluted. As with all prophecy, it went on describing long, intricate chains of events. Genealogy and history, families and lines of heirs and successors to titles and positions… It even went so far as to describe the weather, and how it reflected the mood of one particular pony or another… Twilight kept reading until she reached cutie marks she was familiar with. Prophecy sometimes mentioned names, but mostly stayed with vague descriptions, or at most a pony’s cutie mark. She recognized these descriptions mostly from family photographs. The first she realized were her grandparent’s, and her father and mother’s shortly after it.

’Let it be foretold that the pony whose cutie mark is a moon within a moon shall marry a pony whose mark is that of three grey stars. From their bond, they will birth the Archmage.’ Twilight furrowed her brow. The book was talking about her now. The description of the cutie marks matched her father and her mother. It went on to explain the difference between her and Shining Armor, but after that, the text seemed to refer to her as ‘Archmage.’ It got a little confusing at that point… Twilight knew the reason was because Nocturnal Glow had named her to be the Archmage before he had died. The text still referred to Nocturnal Glow as Archmage, as well as her. One such passage had her confused.

’The Archmage will be told by the Sun and Moon of her duty, and outside of the Archmage’s resting place, will come to the realization of her destiny. Henceforth, the Archmage proceeds to begin the Resting ceremony, and will carry the Archmage in front of the Sun and Moon. The Archmage’s display of power at putting the Archmage to rest will concern the Council, but bolster the hopes of the ponies subject to the Sun and the Moon. A new constellation will fill the sky with it’s light, bathing the Archmage with the Archmage’s blessing, and the secrets of an age will come to bear.

Twilight blinked at that last part. She looked up at Celestia and Luna with a concerned expression. “Princesses, did you notice this part about the secrets of an age?” She asked. Both Celestia and Luna looked confused as they circled the table, both standing on either side of Twilight. “Here,” She pointed at the passage. “Where it says ‘A new constellation will fill the sky with it’s light, bathing the Archmage with the Archmage’s blessing, and the secrets of an age will come to bear.’ What does that mean?”

“That’s so strange…” Celestia muttered. “This passage wasn’t here before.”

“What?”

“Luna, was it not?”

“No… Most definitely not. This is new, Twilight.” Luna whispered softly. “And so is this, here…” She pointed to a portion of the text a little later on. “This is so strange…” Twilight thought for a few long moments about what could have caused the text to suddenly appear. With a flash of understanding, it came to her.

“This is a contact web. This book has been enchanted. There are parts of the text that were hidden until I touched it...”

“No… Is it?”

“It has to be…” Twilight nodded to herself, swallowing. “There’s no other way. That had to be my father’s doing… There’s no way Nocturnal Glow could have tailored it to me.”

“Well…” Celestia murmured. “It appears our subjects might not be as happy with us as we originally thought… Both Nocturnal Glow and Orion have been keeping secrets from us.” Celestia stood and walked away, heaving a sigh. “There’s only one reason Orion would have cast a contact web on the book, Twilight. Both Luna and I have touched the book since Shining Armor delivered it, so it wasn’t tailored to us. But it was tailored to you.”

“Wh… What does that mean!?” Twilight demanded.

“It means,” Luna picked up, joining her sister at the opposite side of the table. “There are certain passages of text in this book that both Nocturnal Glow and your father only intended for you to read.” She shared a look with Celestia. “Not either of us.” Twilight looked between the book, then back to Celestia and Luna, and back down to the book. She shot them both an angry scowl and continued to read…

From then on out, Twilight realized that the book was almost solely dedicated to her and her lifestyle as Archmage. It went into very deep detail about her daily life for the next hundred pages or so. From her daily routine of waking and assisting with the sun and the moon, on to studying new forms of magic, and all the way up until she fell asleep after setting the sun and raising the moon once more. Some of the details were frighteningly accurate…

Celestia and Luna stood by silently, not saying anything, content to merely watch Twilight read. In fact, they didn’t make any noise whatsoever… At a certain point, Twilight couldn’t stand it. She had just caught up to current events when she looked up from the book. “Is there… Something else you two have to do?” She snapped.

“Truth be told, Twilight, we need to discuss this and the importance of it with you.” Luna said quietly. “How far are you?” Twilight glanced back down at the text.

’In a meeting with the Sun and Moon, the Archmage will discover the words of this prophecy, and her decision will impact-‘

“Right now.” Twilight said, her heart hammering as she tore her gaze away from the book mid-sentence. “This… This very second.”

“Okay. Good.” Celestia appeared to breathe a sigh of relief, her hoof raising to lay over her own heart. “It mentions a decision. Do you know what that decision is?” Twilight thought for a few long moments, about prophecy and the way it was handled.

“I think so… My decision is whether or not I continue reading.”

“Precisely.” Luna nodded, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “This is a very tricky prophecy… More so now that portions of the text have been revealed to you that Celestia and I don’t know of… Twilight, it’s your decision to continue reading, to learn of your future, or keep it a mystery.”

“You know better than I how prophecy works, Princess,” Twilight said patronizingly, closing the book. “If I learn of my own future, I may impact it. Directly or otherwise. And if the written prophecy doesn’t come to pass, then-“

“It’s a fractured prophecy, Twilight.” Celestia said gently. “And the split pivots on your knowledge of the text.”

“It’s a fractured prophecy?” Twilight frowned. These were the most dangerous and difficult to decipher. “I… That’s not good.”

“No, it most certainly is not… So the question is, do you read on to discover your fate, and lock it in one path? Or do you keep yourself in the dark, and boldly step into the future on your own?” Luna’s words impacted Twilight, each one making her heart hammer faster. She could continue reading, learn the secrets of the book and choose one path. Or she could forgo reading, and forge her own destiny, and in doing so lock herself to the other path of prophecy.

Walk blindly down one road, or know the twists and turns of another.

Without another word, Twilight stood, turned, and left the room.

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“So she’s chosen free will…”

“The question is, which fork did Twilight just choose?” Luna nodded to the book, her expression a mix of seriousness and concern.

“Well… She’s initiated the contact web. The mysteries of the hidden text are now revealed to us… Let’s read, shall we?” Celestia and Luna slowly opened the book and read through it together, commenting on changes in the text, additions or modifications to passages that previously had been hidden from their view. At a certain point, though, both princesses froze.

“Celestia,” Luna said quietly. “The text… It’s gone.”

“Relax, Luna.” The elder sister replied. “It just means Twilight has locked us on one fork… Let’s find out which one.” Previously, both sisters knew both forks. They knew the result of Twilight’s decision, or at least the major part of it. Now, though, one of the forks had been obliterated from the text. As with prophecy, once it came to pass, it vanished. Or in this case, once a decision had been made. Twilight’s decision was to remain in the dark about her future. To use free will and personal choices to make her own destiny, rather than know what lay ahead of her, and act accordingly. That meant that the prophecy pertaining to her knowing the contents of the book never happened, and never would. It had vanished, never to occur.

When the book was finished, and the last words read by both princesses, they sat in silence for a long, long time.

“Well,” Celestia finally said. “That was new…”

“The contact web must have been concealing that little tidbit of information…” Luna said quietly. It was clear from her tone that the new development was weighing heavily on her mind. It was for both princesses, it seemed. “But what does it mean?”

“Well, for one thing… Twilight has chosen the path of free will.” Celestia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose once more. “We cannot interfere with her. No matter what. Doing so would cause the prophecy to fail, and you know what happens then…”

“Right,” Luna muttered quietly. “But… But, what do we do?” Luna sounded so confused and exasperated; she was at her wit’s end.

“Like I said… We don’t interfere. We let Twilight live her life as she sees fit… Prophecy has a way of working through free will, so we have to trust Twilight to make the right decisions and walk her own path... Just because we know how it’s going to happen, doesn’t mean Twilight’s decisions will mirror that. We cannot interfere, not ever.”

“But…”

“But nothing, Luna… Look, if there’s one thing that we have to change about the way we act towards Twilight…” Celestia shook her head slowly, looking at the door Twilight had exited through. Luna followed Celestia’s gaze to the closed door.

“We shouldn’t treat her as just a subject anymore...”

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“Twily!” Shining Armor’s voice made Twilight stop and raise her head, blinking as she watched her brother walk down a side hall towards her. “I’ve been looking for you.” He was smiling. Shining Armor, who had just retired, was smiling at Twilight. His smile wilted though when he saw her withering glare.

“You retired and didn’t tell me?” She grumbled, continuing her walk.

“I just found the time!” Shining Armor fell into step beside her, looking down at his sister with a concerned look. “Retirement is kind of a big deal around here. I had papers to sign, and the matter of my duties to allocate.”

“You could have picked someone other than Bastion. I need him, Shining.” Twilight continued. “If I’m going to be Archmage, I need to learn about the shields in and around Canterlot. Primarily the ones in the caverns. I can’t learn from Bastion if he’s busy commanding the guard.” She sighed and shook her head. “I guess I’ll just have to wait, then.”

“Hey,” Shining nudged her neck playfully. “Listen to what I have to say, will you?” The look she gave him said ‘piss off,’ but he continued anyways. “There are other duties for you to learn about, Twily. And other branches of magic for you to study. Like the magic of love.” The mention of the word made her perk up just a little.

“I’m listening.”

“Cadance is too busy in the north to come visit and teach you about love. Heck, she barely made it down here for the funeral…” Cadence had a government of her own to run; for her to abandon her duties to come to Canterlot for the funeral of her husband’s parents was probably very difficult to accomplish. Not to mention maybe a little selfish.

“So, now that I’ve retired,” Shining Armor continued, snapping her out of her reverie. “I can help out more in the north, which should free Cadance up, if only a little. But that little bit might just be enough that she can, oh, I don’t know… Take on a student?” Twilight perked up immediately, looking up at her brother with wide eyes.

“R-really?”

“You’d have to come back with me, but yeah. I don’t see why not. I mean, who else is going to teach you about true love?” Shining Armor chuckled. “Somepony around here? Fat chance. I’m leaving soon, so go pack your bags.” Twilight felt torn. Go North with her brother to study the magic of love, or remain in Canterlot and try to force Bastion to teach her about the shields, and try to learn the magic of love from somepony else. Twilight mulled the decision over and over in her mind, thinking hard about the implications of both.

“I’ll pack my bags now.”

With a gleeful smile, Twilight galloped away down the hall, running to her room as fast as she could. Halfway there, though, Twilight was struck with a sudden realization. Somepony had to cover her helping with the sun and the moon. She needed to talk to Golden Crest and Harbinger immediately.

“Guard!” She spotted a pegasus standing at the entrance to a court room nearby. “Golden Crest or Harbinger. Do you know them?”

“Yes, Archmage.” The guard nodded with a helpful smile.

“Do you know where either of them are located?”

“Harbinger’s quarters are in the western wing, fourth floor. Golden Crest just passed by not a minute ago. He appeared busy.” The guard lowered his spear to a side hallway. “That way.”

“Thank you!” Twilight teleported down the length of the hallway, catching the tail end of Golden Crest’s backside turning a corner. Twilight immediately teleported down to the fork. “Crest!”

“Shit!” Golden Crest gasped and threw the papers he had in his telekinetic hold, scattering them about the hall. “Archmage! You scared me!” He gasped, laying a hoof over his heart.

“Sorry. I have a favor to ask.” Twilight helped him gather the papers, stacking them in the proper order with hardly a thought.

“Sure. Anything.”

“I need you and Harbinger to cover me while I go to the crystal kingdom. Can you?” Crest blinked at her for a few moments, his expression slightly dumbfounded.

“Eer… I know that I can agree to this, but I cannot speak for Harbinger… I know he’s nearby. Would you like to go speak with him?”

“Together, if we could. Please, this is important to me.” Twilight hoped Harbinger would agree. Not just because Twilight needed to learn the magic of love, but because she felt like she simply needed to get away from Canterlot for a while. The stress, the pain, the emotional duress… Twilight needed a break. Even if it was to go study some more.

Golden Crest led Twilight into a separate library, where, sure enough, Harbinger was reading a book intently. He looked up as they approached, and Twilight thought she could see the ghost of a smile on his lips before he spotted her.

“Archmage,” He closed the book, grunting at her. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Truth be told, I have a favor to ask.” Twilight sat down opposite Harbinger, flicking her tail. “I would request you and Golden Crest cover me with assisting Celestia and Luna raise and lower the sun and moon.”

“What for?”

“I need to travel to the Crystal Kingdom. Princess Cadance will be teaching me the magic of love. I’ll only be gone two days.” Harbinger and Crest looked at one another for a few long moments before Harbinger heaved a sigh.

“Very well… I agree. Two mornings, two nights. That’s all.” Twilight bowed her head, a small smile on her lips.

“Thank you. Both of you.” She disappeared in a flash. She had bags to pack.

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Twilight sat opposite Shining Armor in the rattling train car, mentally preparing herself for the talk she knew had to happen.

“How are you holding up?” Shining asked first. Twilight sighed and took a moment to reflect on the past few weeks.

“I’m not, Shining…” She said quietly, her voice shaking. “It’s not just mom and dad, either… There’s been some other stuff going on.”

“Like?”

“Well…” She could trust him, right? Of course. Shining was her brother, he wouldn’t betray her trust. “I… To learn the magic of darkness, I had to lose my virginity to somepony, and it was Luna. I felt like I was falling in love with her, but she became distant and mysterious, which hurt me and I took it a lot more personally than I probably should have and I really just wanted to talk to her, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found, and then she told me at the funeral that it was because she was afraid of falling in love because the last pony she fell in love with hurt her really badly but this was at the same time as the funeral and I was already feeling bad so I took it out on her harder than I really should have, so we finally got to talk but then she told me that she knew about mom and dad before they passed and I snapped and told her I was done and now I just don’t. Fucking. Know.”

It all rushed out as fast as she could blurt it, a single long-winded exhalation of emotion and frustration that ended in three pronounced words and another breakdown. Shining slid into the bench beside her, looping a foreleg over her shoulders and holding her close as she wept for what felt like the millionth time since she had left Ponyville. She sobbed and shook into Shining’s hold, though it didn’t do anything for her. It seemed crying never did anymore. If anything, it just made her more frustrated that she couldn’t control her emotions anymore.

“You done?” Shining asked when she finally brought herself under control, sniffling and wiping her nose pathetically.

“Yeah,” She groaned, wiping her eyes next.

“Okay. Now here’s my input on all that:” He moved back to his own seat and leaned in to her, his expression serious. “You had sex with Luna?” Twilight blinked twice before the blush came to bear on her cheeks.

“Well, yeah…”

“You lucky little minx!” He punched her shoulder playfully, laughing as he sat back in his own chair.

“Ow! Wait, what? Why are you congratulating me?!” Twilight rubbed the spot, looking both confused and offended.

“Think about it, Twily. Luna is a princess. If she’s going to risk all of that poise and grace on one night of lovemaking with you, well, you should be honored.” He chuckled, shaking his head. Twilight blinked again, thinking hard on it… He struck a chord on more levels than one. Not only was Luna a princess, whose personal life was of great interest to the public, but she was emotionally hurt thanks to a past lover. For her to even open up to Twilight at all was incredible, let alone make love to her.

“But… There was this whole period of time where we were talking about how I can’t learn shadow magic until I lose my virginity…”

“True,” Shining Armor mused, rubbing his chin. “Important as it might have been for you to learn, though, imagine how it impacted Luna. I mean, she’s… Well, she’s a princess. Cadance and I are going through the same thing right now… It’s tough for them, Twilight. They live to be thousands of years old. They see countless ponies in their lifetimes, many of them are only alive for a fraction of their very own. Do you really want to love somepony so profoundly, only to lose them in what seems like the blink of an eye?” Twilight saw the wisdom in his words… Like it or not, Twilight’s time on Equestria was finite. There would come a day when she would die, and if Luna cared for her so intensely, what would that mean to her? How well would she recover? Could she even recover at all? Despite their long lifespans, the princesses were still ponies through and through. The laughed, cried, lived and loved just like anypony else…

“I hadn’t thought of it that way…” Twilight muttered. “How are you and Cadance doing with that?” Shining Armor smiled at her, leaning back in his seat a little more.

“Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Twilight considered his words very seriously for a long time. She stared blankly out of the window as they began to leave the mountains around Canterlot and make their way into the northern plains… Only when the fields began to gather a light dusting of snow that steadily deepened into drifts did Shining speak again.

“Did I tell you you’re going to be an aunt?” Twilight rose out of her reverie with a dumbfounded look on her face. She looked at Shining’s stupid grin for the longest time before a smile mirroring his own spread across her face.

“Cadance is…?”

“We expect our first foal in six months.”

“Ohmigosh!” Twilight bounded out of her seat and embraced Shining with a happy laugh, nuzzling into his mane as he held her tight. “That’s incredible! I mean, how? I… It’s personal, I know, but I just have to ask! I thought reproduction between alicorns and regular ponies was… Well, impossible?”

“Well, it took some doing…” Shining chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “But I don’t know if Cadance would want me sharing the details… You know, personal preference and all that…”

“Oh. Right.” Twilight’s expression fell, but only for a moment. “Still! That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you two!” Despite the depressive mood Twilight had been in, she felt happiness bubble over, filling her chest with a warm sense of glee she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. “Oh, I can’t WAIT to see her now!” She squirmed in her seat, looking out of the window once more. It was winter in the north, so the vast green plains surrounding the crystal kingdom were covered in snow. Though, over the next rise in the terrain, Twilight could see the glimmering tip of the capitol, the magnificent tower of crystal that marked the center of the kingdom that Shining Armor and Cadance ruled together.

“You know, she’s fairly open about that stuff… And if it means advancing the understanding, I’m sure she’d be willing to answer a few questions on the matter.”

“Do you think?” Twilight asked quietly, looking up at Shining with big eyes. “It’s not even documented in history! The only alicorns we know of are Cadance, Celestia, and Luna… In a study about two thousand years ago, Celestia admitted that not even she knew if it was possible to reproduce, and she couldn’t remember how she and Luna came to be. This is a very important development in Equestrian history!”

“Easy, there, Twily.” Shining Armor chuckled. “My wife is an expecting mother, not a test subject.”

“Right.” Twilight blushed, though she couldn’t help the thrill of discovery, and the happiness of hearing the good news as the feelings mixed within her to take over the oppressive mantle of depression she had been suffering under. “STILL, though… I can’t wait to get there!”

“About another half hour or so,” Shining nodded out of the window at the tall spire of crystal steadily drawing nearer over the snow-covered ground. “I wanted to ask, though… Were Celestia and Luna okay with you leaving?” That put a damper on Twilight’s mood. She had been torn about leaving Canterlot. But in her heart, Twilight knew she had to take a break. Harbinger and Crest had reluctantly agreed to resume her duties, and she assured them she would return shortly.

“I’m only able to stay for two days,” Twilight said quietly. “I think any longer, and that would be pressing my luck… So for two days, I need to study as much as I can…”

“The magic of love isn’t very complex, Twilight. And for somepony who could master the shadow in, what, a month? Two? I think you’ll do just fine.” Shining nudged her gently, the small gesture assuring Twilight even more.

“Yeah… I think I’ll be fine. I just… Ugh, I needed to get away. If only for a while, I just… I just needed to get away from them. The pressure. The princesses…”

“I understand.” Shining nodded again, looking out of the window. “But just two days?”

“That’s all I can afford.” Twilight muttered quietly. “I mean, there are still eighteen ponies doing my job right now… Harbinger and Golden Crest make it twenty for the next two days. I can’t stay away any longer…”

“If you say so. I just think you’re over-working yourself. Trust me, as a career guard pony, I know what it’s like.”

“Right…” Twilight sighed. “You don’t think I’m…?”

“Maybe a little.” Shining nodded. “But this break should do you well. I don’t think anypony will hold it against you. I mean, look at history. Every Archmage in the history of Equestria was a student of the Archmage before them. Not to mention every one of them aside from Nocturnal Glow took at least a month to assume all their duties properly. Some of them took as many as three or four.”

“Really?” Twilight perked up. “Where’d you learn that from?” Shining shrugged.

“When I heard you had been named Archmage, I did some research… There are some books in the crystal kingdom’s library on the subject. One of them was a log of the board meetings that the stand-in for the Archmage attended in their place… It isn’t much to go off of, but you can roughly map the time it took for each Archmage to assume their duties fully. One of them, Ephemeros I think his name was, took five months before he was ready to tend to the shields in the caverns.” He leaned forward, speaking very pointedly to her then. “Just because Nocturnal Glow took less than a month doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Hmm…” Twilight looked out of the window at the rolling terrain. “Perhaps…” She thought about how long it had already been since she was named Archmage, and the circumstances behind it. She hardly even knew Nocturnal Glow, and certainly hadn’t studied under him. In fact, she hadn’t studied much outside of Celestia’s teachings about friendship and the light. That, coupled with her young age, Twilight could understand why she was taking so long to assume her duties. But still… There had to be a point somewhere that she took over. Sooner rather than later, she hoped.

“We’re here.” Shining Armor nudged her knee, snapping her out of her thoughts once again. Sure enough, the train platform closest to the kingdom sat outside of the opposite window. Together, she and Shining Armor unloaded their slight amount of luggage and readied themselves for the short hike into the kingdom.

Since it’s reappearance five years ago, the kingdom had expanded slightly. But the railroad that ran to the north hadn’t changed to adapt it just yet. There were plans in place to make a branch close to the current junction that ran right past the kingdom, and would allow for easy transportation, but the winter weather had halted those for the second year in a row. For now, Twilight and Shining Armor hoofed it through the thin layer of snow towards the grand, shining tower that wasn’t too far away.

Before long, they started passing magnificent homes and other crystal ponies. Now and then, the sun would break through the clouds and bathe a portion of the kingdom in a shaft of brilliant light, which made all the ponies and homes caught in the ray glimmer and shine beautifully. Twilight had only visited twice since the first time, but each visit had taken her breath away. Such a beautiful and magnificent place…

Still, they were here for business. They made a bee-line for the tall tower at the middle, which was the de-facto home of Cadance and Shining Armor. Once they arrived, Cadance was waiting for them, and upon seeing Twilight, the two immediately rushed forward to greet each other in their unique style. After their little dance, Twilight threw her hooves around Cadance’s neck, hugging her tight.

“I missed you so much!” Twilight felt tears of joy well over at the meaningful embrace.

“I’m glad to see you’re not so grim-and-dour.” Cadance teased. “During the whole funeral ordeal, I only ever saw you smile once.” She kissed Twilight’s cheek with a happy grin. “I’m glad to see you happy again, Twilight. Come on, let’s get you settled in.” They chatted about nonsensical things, mostly how beautiful the kingdom was, how the snow made everything seem to glimmer and shine even more. Only after they had deposited Twilight’s bags in the guest room and retired to a nearby lounge for tea did they finally discuss anything important.

“I’m sorry, Cadance, but I have to ask… How were you able to get pregnant?”

“Aah. I figured you’d want to ask. Well, as it turns out, it isn’t impossible.” Cadance smiled and scooted a little closer to Shining Armor before explaining. “I still produce eggs, and Shining of course has sperm… But the magic involved in the procreation process is more often than not interfered with. More so since he’s a unicorn. Surprisingly enough, though, it just comes down to repetition.” Twilight furrowed her brow.

“Lots of sex?”

“Lots.” Shining and Cadance shared a look, one that Twilight fought to keep from gagging at. It was warm, passionate, and loving… But at the same time laced with hidden meaning and, unless she was mistaken, desire. Still though, there was something about the way they smiled at one another. It seemed ideal.

“As I was saying,” Cadance cleared her throat and continued. “It just takes time. There were several moments when the timing was just right. My magic didn’t interfere with his, and I happened to be… Ahem. Fertile. It seems like it’s a random effect, and hinges on quite a few things that are difficult to pin down. Diet, energy, even the specific time of the night. We tried many different things-“

“And positions.”

“Yes, and positions. So I can’t tell you exactly what it was… But one time we got it right. I mean, if this is for science, I can give you a window…”

“I’m not sure… I want to know the specifics about my brother and my foalsitter’s lovemaking tactics.” Twilight laughed with them for a few moments, everyone feeling happy and warm. “But at the same time, this IS the first time in recorded history that anything like this has happened… If you’d be willing to write them down, perhaps?”

“Certainly.” Cadance smiled warmly at Twilight. “But enough about us. Tell me about you! Archmage, eh?” Cadance looked expectantly at Twilight, but her smile faded when she saw how her question impacted her little sister. “Not good?”

“You could say that…” Twilight mumbled softly. “It’s just… Ugh, there’s so much stress and pressure and… And expectations. Nopony has said anything, but I know they’re thinking it.” She sighed, drooping her head. “I can see it in their eyes… When I asked Harbinger and Crest to cover me for two days, you should have seen the look I got. I mean, from Harbinger, I can understand. He’s kind of abrasive… But Golden Crest? I… I never expected HIM to look so… Upset.” Twilight sighed and hung her head, remembering that even without Golden Crest and Harbinger, there were still other ponies counting on her. Like Bastion, and all of the council members that sat in for her position on board meetings and committees.

“That sounds awful, Twilight.” Cadance said softly. “I remember Golden Crest, he was always very kind and helpful… And Harbinger had his own rough brand of friendship, if I remember correctly.”

“Harbinger’s an asshole, but he’s a nice kind of asshole. The kind you can count on to be rude when you need it.” Shining Armor muttered. “Now it sounds like he’s just plain rude…”

“It isn’t just them, though,” Twilight said softly. “Your retirement has got Bastion tied up, so I can’t get much help from him, and I don’t even know all of the boards I need to sit in on… There’s just so much for me to take care of, and everypony I meet tells me I’m not ready to accept their positions just yet.” Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I just need a break to refresh.”

“I understand.” Cadance nodded with a warm smile, reaching a hoof out to rest on Twilight’s. “Rest up, see the sights, and I’ll teach you what I can about the magic of love. I’m sure you’ll be able to pick it up quickly.” Twilight smiled at her warmly, feeling calm and relaxed in the two ponies’ presence. After that discussion, though, they continued talking about nonsensical things. Mostly Cadance’s pregnancy, and what plans they had for the foal. Since it was a mystery whether or not it would be a pegasus, unicorn, earth pony, or even another alicorn, they were going to hold off on naming it. Cadance seemed to bubble with emotion, and each time she looked at Shining, it was with such a warm and kind smile that Twilight felt her heart nearly melt.

Cadance and Shining Armor were always a happy couple. Each time Twilight had seen them, they were affectionate and warm, always close to one another and not afraid to show their love. But now, when the matter of pregnancy was on the table, Twilight realized that they were perfect for one another. These were two ponies that, together, could tackle any problem this crazy life could throw at them. Not only that, but they could bring a new life into this world, protect it and nurture it, help it flourish and grow. In that moment, Twilight realized that they were destined to be together.

“Twilight? Are you crying?”

------------

The next day dawned bright and clear, with the sun shining across the entire crystal kingdom, making the entire land sparkle brilliantly. Twilight took a long time to stand on the balcony of her guest room, looking out at all of the beautiful lights and shining ponies going about their day below. This place was so beautiful in all aspects. She thought the glimmering lights would be troublesome after a while, but the pretty sparkles never seemed to wear on her eyes or get annoying. She could stare at them for hours…

Nevertheless, she was here to study first and foremost. She met Cadance at the massive library, smiling at her sister-in-law. “Sleep well?” Cadance asked with a soft smile, her horn glowing as she began to pull several books off of the shelf.

“Amazing, thank you.” Twilight nuzzled Cadance close for a moment before looking down at the small stack of books Cadance had gathered for them. Many of them had frilly, pink-lettered titles with looping cursive print or ridiculous emblems on the front. She furrowed her brow at them. How could such silly books relate to powerful magic? Twilight had seen herself the power Cadance and Shining Armor commanded. Twice. These books made her suspicious.

“Good. We have quite a bit of ground to cover, but Tia tells me you’re a fast study. Shall we?”

“Try to keep up,” Twilight teased, picking up the first volume. Cadance laughed and stood at Twilight’s side as they began.

As it turned out, the magic of love drew on many different schools of magic, combining them all into one unique power capable of great things. From the shadow, it drew the magic needed for conception, which was why ponies were only able to become pregnant if they made love during the night time. From the light, the strength of the bonds between two ponies in love. Unshakable and infallible, the day lent love the strength needed for two ponies to face the harsh world together. From nature, love took it’s nurturing and caring tendencies, particularly the desire to see the pony you loved grow and flourish.

There were parts of magic, though, that Twilight was surprised to learn were incorporated into love. Fear, for instance, was a rather large part of it… To love somepony, you had to be afraid to lose them. Afraid of hurting them. Anger, too… Twilight was surprised to learn that being angry at the pony you loved was not only acceptable, but encouraged. Conflict made couples stronger. Arguments were a healthy and normal part of any relationship. When Twilight asked why, Cadance had replied with ‘Because the make-up sex is fantastic.’

More than that, though, was the fact that it made the bond between the two stronger. Like how broken bones would go through ossification and become stronger. That, and ponies who loved one another could make it through anything, even nasty arguments. Cadance had given Twilight a few examples with her and Shining, and they all made sense to her…

In fact, all of the things Twilight was learning could be applied to her feelings for Luna. She was afraid to lose the princess, even though she was angry at her for what she had done. Twilight didn’t want to lose what she had with Luna. At the same time, she didn’t want to hurt Luna when she died. She was scared to let Luna get too attached that her death would trigger another episode similar to what she had suffered with Nightshade. It was a different kind of pain, but still frightening. That Luna could get so attached to her that her death could make her act so irrationally.

“Twilight?” Cadance asked quietly, bringing Twilight out of another self-imposed reverie. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. Fine.” Twilight shook her head to clear the thoughts of Luna, but found she couldn’t shake it. Luna, and the way Twilight felt towards her, stayed firmly in her mind.

“You don’t look it.”

“Ugh,” Twilight sagged. “You know me too well.”

“I’ve known you since you were a foal, reading you has become easy.” Cadance smiled and nuzzled Twilight affectionately, which drew another smile from her. “Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“It’s this,” Twilight waved a hoof over the books spread open before them. “Love.”

“Do you love somepony?” Cadance asked. Twilight realized that she hadn’t told Cadance about her experience with Luna.

“Yes. No… I don’t know.” Twilight sagged, still struggling with her rampant thoughts.

“Well, first things first, tell me who it is.” Cadance chuckled, settling on her haunches opposite Twilight. Twilight slowly lifted her head, staring into Cadance’s eyes as her lips quivered and worked with the single name.

“L-Luna.” Cadance blinked at her, the sudden silence between them stretching well into the realm of uncomfortable. After a long time and much thought, though, Cadance smiled wide.

“That’s amazing, Twilight.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm. Trust me, I’ve known Luna for a very, very long time. I knew her back when she was seeing Nightshade, and I was one of the few she confided in about him.” Cadance’s expression darkened slightly. “I was the one to stop her attacking him…” Cadance shook her head, snapping out of it. “But that’s besides the point. Nightshade fell out of love with Luna. You’re falling into love with her. The problem between the two of them was that Nightshade didn’t return Luna’s feelings. So if you feel the same way about her that she does about you, then everything should be alright.

“Twilight, you’re a perfect match for her. Intelligent, beautiful, mysterious… There’s as much to discover about you as there is about the night Luna embodies so well. I can tell, Twilight. You would make a very, very good mate for Luna. Perfect, dare I say…” Cadance’s smile wilted when she saw the troubled expression on Twilight’s face, though. “Not what you wanted to hear?” Twilight shook her head. Cadance had to have picked up on it, though… Steadily, she leaned in, lifting Twilight’s gaze to her own. “Twilight…” She spoke softly. “What happened?”

She shared everything. From Luna’s words after the ceremony all the way up to the day before she left. All the pain and misery, the hurt and the depression… Cadance shed a few tears of her own, particularly at the part where Twilight re-visited her parents dying. For the first time, she shared what had happened in the graveyard as well. How she had opened herself to the night, and nearly made the same grave mistake that Luna herself made so long ago… When it was all over, Cadance’s eyes shone with her tears, and she gently drew Twilight into a warm embrace.

“Twilight, I… I have no words for you.” Cadance said softly, both of them shaking. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that…”

“It’s fine,” Twilight sniffled as she pulled away, wiping away a stray tear. She honestly didn’t think she had any left to cry at that point. “I just… I don’t know anymore.”

“Well,” Cadance wiped her own eyes with a soft, nervous chuckle. “Remember what I said about anger… It can help a relationship just as much as it hurts it.” Cadance leaned in close to Twilight, her sad smile reaching Twilight at her heart of hearts, making it beat faster in her chest. “The question you have to ask yourself is this, Twilight…”

Cadance laid her hoof directly over Twilight’s heart, smiling as she spoke in a soft whisper.

“Are you ready to forgive Luna?”