Twilight scrambled off of Ascentia as quickly as she could, hopelessly trying to pretend that the Princess hadn't seen anything. It was pointless, however. There wasn't much someone could say to deflect the fact that she had just told a Val'Kyr to shut up and buck her.

Ascentia was slowly getting to her feet, staring down Luna. She was far more calm than Twilight, though Twilight had to admit this was most likely due to Ascentia being taller, older and stronger than Luna and Celestia combined. Still, that did not stop Luna from pulling an air of intimidation upon her.

“Princess, I-”

“Silence, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna snapped, before pointing to Ascentia, “Outlander. Come with me.”

Ascentia obliged, and followed Luna out of the library and outside into town. They walked a few miles to the edge of the Everfree Forest, where it was unlikely they would be heard. It was only then that Luna rounded on her.

“Explain yourself.”

“I do not see what needs explaining,” Ascentia replied.

“Do not play coy with me,” Luna snapped, “It was clear from what I saw that you and Twilight Sparkle are sexually involved with one another!”

“So I must ask, what needs to be explained to you?”

“So what is this?” Luna asked, snarling every word, “Are the two of you merely toying with one another, or is she your mate?”

“She is not toying with me at all,” Ascentia replied, “I am the one servicing her.”

“Answer the question, Outlander!”

Ascentia turned away from Luna and watched as the sun hung high over Ponyville. She breathed a deep sigh.

“As far as Twilight is concerned, we are merely enjoying eachother's company,” Ascentia explained, “That is how she sees it.”

“And what about you?” Luna asked.

“...The Val'Kyr do not have such relationships,” Ascentia replied, “When we mate with another, it is not simply for physical stimuli. We treat the act of mating with respect, not as a casual interaction on par with a handshake.”

Luna was about to respond before Ascentia took the turn to round on her.

“If that is too technical for you, allow me to put it in terms your self-important mind would understand,” Ascentia snarled, “I play along with Twilight's childish 'casual mating' concept. But if she would have it, I would take her as my mate. However I will not approach her with such an idea. She holds me in too high an esteem. I captivate her simply by being an otherworldly creature, and she is fascinated by my kind. She would feel pressured or even obligated to accept, and I am not so selfish as to take advantage of that power.”

Ascentia grabbed Luna by the neck and pushed her against a tree.

“So if you are here to accuse me of something or if you dare threaten me,” she snarled, “Then Equestria will quickly be short one third of it's population of Alicorns. As I told you before, rulers are a dime a dozen.”

Ascentia dropped Luna and turned to leave.

And that was when Luna made it worse.

“So, too scarred and disfigured to find one of your own kind? Have nothing of merit to woo a Val'Kyr so you have to fuck a unicorn?”

Ascentia whipped around and slammed her fist into the side of Luna's skull, knocking her clean off her hooves, bleeding from the side of her head. Bending down, she grabbed the Princess by her horn.

“Well, there was the time I slaughtered your entire race,” she sneered, “That was fun.”

She dropped Luna back to the ground and stood up to leave. She let a wide smile crack across her face. Knocking Luna out cold had felt so good.

In her room, Twilight was furiously packing her things. Spike, having been in hiding, was watching her with stunned curiosity. On her bedside table was a letter, scrawled in intricate writing.

“Twilight, where are you going?” Spike asked, feeling worried. “Is something going on? I found Princess Luna outside, she looked like she was knocked out.”

“...It's complicated, Spike. But we're going to Canterlot for a while. The letter was from Cadance, and she wanted to know if we'd go visit. She and Shining Armor came in from the Crystal Empire.” Twilight responded stonily. “I think we need to get away for a while. Want to come?”

The baby dragon nodded, going off to pack his own bag. Twilight finished packing her own, along with retrieving her bag of bits. A shadow fell over her, which made her tense for a brief moment.

“...I'm going to Canterlot for a while. I hope that's okay with you.” The unicorn murmured, not even turning around.

A hand squeezed over her shoulder. “You don't need my permission, Twilight. You know you do have your own life.”

“...I need some time to get away. And to explain why Princess Luna was injured.”

“She had it coming, and had provoked it.”

Twilight felt her anger rising, then snapped in half like a potato chip. Something in her just boiled, unable to hold her back.

“Doing WHAT?! Saying something you didn't like hearing?! Okay, even if it was hurtful, that doesn't give you the right to harm somepony! I know fighting and self-defense can help and is necessary, but you don't just go and inflict pain or death on someone when they say something you don't like!” Twilight yelled, tears in her eyes.

Wide-eyed, the Val'Kyr said nothing.

“I don't know what Princess Luna said to you, and if it was something that was insensitive and hurtful to you, then okay, you have the right to be upset and put her in her place. But you don't go around hurting others! That's not how we do things! You may be your own woman and you follow different sets of guidelines than I or anyopony else does, but you're in Equestria now! You don't just get a free pass to inflict violence on somepony just because they say or do things you don't like! No, not even you! That's like if I went to a random Val'Kyr and kicked him just because he ate meat!”

“Now, Twilight, please understand that I-”

“No! If you're going to justify it, don't!”

Ascentia closed her mouth, saying nothing more.

“...You know I love you.” Twilight said softly, not looking at her. “...But don't do that. Please, I don't want anypony or you getting hurt. It's not worth it. I just...don't want anything bad to happen. I just want us to live our lives together. Is that too much to ask? ...Don't answer that, of course it is. Peace and harmony is so unrealistic, isn't it? Well, excuse me for hoping for the best.”

The woman sighed, her expression unreadable. “...Twilight, I understand you're angry. And I will not try to justify my actions, there is no excuse. All I can say is that I am very sorry to have hurt you.”

Twilight said nothing and brought her saddlebags onto her back. “Spike and I will be gone for at least a week, maybe two. I'd like to be alone for a while. ...I'll write you a letter when I'm coming back, or if there's an emergency.”

“Of course.” Ascentia nodded, stepping aside, despite that she wasn't blocking the doorway. “Take all the time you need, and have fun.”

Nodding, the unicorn mumbled a thank-you before heading to the door. Spike soon followed, giving Ascentia a confused look.

Finishing the letter, Twilight nodded to Spike, who immediately blew fire onto it. The deed now done, the unicorn stared out the window of the train as the landscape rolled by.

All she could feel was conflicting emotions. On one hoof, she was angry, and wanted to stay angry. But then on the other hoof, she just couldn't stay angry, and knew that there was still good in all of this. It wasn't as if they were never going to speak again. Twilight just wanted to get away for a little while and have some space. Even if the terms they'd left on weren't exactly the best, either.

'I can't believe she did that! Knocking her skull like that! It's a good thing she didn't die from it! Ugh... Princess Celestia won't be too happy with this... Okay, so maybe what Princess Luna said may have been out of line. Maybe it was, and maybe Ascentia DID have a right to be angry. But to do THAT? I can't just let that slide, no matter how much I care about her. As powerful as she is, she better learn the consequences of her actions! ...Jeez, I sound like a parent scolding their child for breaking a vase.'

“...Twilight? Are you and Ascentia having a fight?” Spike asked in a small, worried voice.

Looking down at her friend and assistant, she brought her foreleg around him in a hug. “No. She just...did something wrong, and I wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily. We just need some time apart. I know I do, I have a lot to think about.”

“Okay.” Spike nodded, hugging her back. “At least you'll have a chance to work it all out, right?”

“Of course we will. We're both adults, and we're going to sit down and talk about everything when we get back.” The unicorn promised, smiling slightly. “These things happen, Spike. Even the best of friends fight sometimes, or get into tough spots.”

“You're telling me,” he agreed, shaking his head, “and it sucks. But at least we all work it out in the end.”

“...Yeah...we do.” Twilight murmured, looking out the window again. 'I guess I just hope it won't be changing things for the worse between us.'

Soon, they arrived in Canterlot, and were picked up by members of the Royal Guard, who escorted them to the palace. Twilight felt a wave of relief overtake her as she walked along their hometown, seeing all the familiar landmarks and buildings all around. Spike rode on her back, fairly quiet, but occasionally making small talk. Twilight understood, she too didn't have much else to say.

Despite that, she was looking forward to spending some time around the city, and with her family, so that was definitely a plus.

Upon arriving at the palace, they were situated with their luggage placed in Twilight's old room. Spike headed off to get some donuts at their favourite donut shop, while the unicorn decided to go and visit with her teacher.

As Twilight closed in on the throne room, she could hear a loud, deep voice speaking sternly through the door.

"...Do with your own people what you must, Celestia. But do not take up my limited time over what is nothing more than a random argument. Unarmed assault is hardly the worst thing in the world, and even less so when it is provoked. Should Ascentia had destroyed a city or slaughtered anyone, that would be cause to alert the Capital. But this is nothing more than petty squabbling, and these two are not children. They do not need Mommy and Daddy called in to set things right!"

The door opened and a tall man clad in black robes and armor strode into the hall. Lord Ryder stopped to bow politely to Twilight, before striding out the door and vanishing on the spot.

“....What just happened?” Twilight blinked, looking around her.

Looking up from some paperwork, Celestia smiled a little bit at her student. “I'm sure you know.”

“...Yeah...” The unicorn slowly approached her mentor, sitting down in front of the throne. “...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for THAT to happen.”

“Don't be.” Celestia assured her. “You did the right thing in informing me of a problem going on. And I'm sure you worried that your own healing capabilities wouldn't have been enough to help.”

Twilight nodded, “That was part of it, too. I did what I could, but I knew you were a lot more capable of it. Will she be all right?”

“Absolutely. She's in her room, her condition is stable, and will wake up very soon. I admit, I was hasty, and I had reacted out of anger, for the harm upon my sister and my...bias toward your friend.” The alicorn looked to Twilight with remorse. “Looking upon what Lord Ryder had said, he is right. This was no cause for alarm whatsoever.”

“Yeah, that was a bit much. But I guess I can't blame you for being cautious. Even I really snapped at her...” Twilight sighed, nuzzling against's Celestia's leg. “I think I shouldn't have.”

“Do you know further about what happened?”

“No. She didn't say. I don't even know what Princess Luna said, either. And I'm sure she had a good reason to be angry, since I know she wouldn't attack someone for no good reason. But I guess I overreacted about it.” Twilight murmured, shaking her head.

“Considering her ability and skill, I'm sure even you would feel cautious about it.”

“I am, I usually try to keep on guard about it. But I know that she'd never hurt me.”

Celestia gave a slow nod, nuzzling her student. “Even though I do not completely trust her, I do feel that as well. I trust your judgement, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. “I'll talk to her all about it when I get back. We're going to work this out.”

“I believe you, my faithful student. Now, I have some work to do, but I will be free later this evening. Why don't you go and see Shining Armor and Cadance? They're in the garden, and they've been eager to see you.”

Smiling a bit, Twilight nuzzled her teacher before heading out.

“I guess even Princesses make mistakes, don't they?” Despite that it was said as a quip, Twilight knew that was very humbling.

Undeterred, the royal alicorn giggled. “You're absolutely right, my dear Twilight. Mistakes that of which I do regret, but will never stop learning from. One does not achieve wisdom from remaining alive, after all.”

Relieved, the unicorn left the throne room and headed out into the courtyard.

As Twilight wandered around, she came upon the sight of her brother and sister-in-law strolling along the garden. Eager, she smiled and crossed over to them, pretty much putting aside all her troubles for now.

“Shiny! Cadance!” Twilight called out, giggling at the use of the childish nickname she'd used on her brother when they were young.

Turning, the alicorn and stallion saw her coming, both of them breaking out into smiles.

“Twiley!” Shining Armor exclaimed, meeting his sister halfway and hugging her. “It's great to see you!”

Happily hugging her bother, Twilight grinned all the more as the wave of familial comfort washed over her. This definitely was just what she needed, a little time away from it all and to spend time with her family.

“Great to see you too, Shining!” Twilight beamed, nuzzling her brother, and then turning to her sister-in-law/former foalsitter.

The two smiled in their own little language, and that was the cue. Getting into position, Twilight faced Cadance as the two grinned. Without missing a beat, they got into their cute little secret dance.

“Sunshine, sunshine
Ladybugs awake
Clap your hooves
And do a little shake!”

Laughing, they shared a hug. A warming feeling coursed over the unicorn all over again, easing her troubles and mind. Everything was going to be all right. There was nothing she couldn't do.

“I am so glad you came, Twilight!” Cadance said, pulling back and smiling at her former charge. “It's been a while, we missed you!”

“Aww, and I missed you guys, too!” Twilight then turned her attention to the young alicorn's still flat stomach. “Hi there, fetus! I know you're not developed and still can't hear me, but you sure are lucky to have Cadance being your mommy!”

“And I myself being her daddy?” Shining Armor teased, nudging Twilight.

Sticking out her tongue playfully, Twilight grinned. “That's debatable! ...Wait, she? You already know the baby's sex?”

Laughing, Cadance shook her head. “No, not at all. It's just a guess. We won't know for another few months. But I am going in tomorrow morning to get a checkup from the doctor, since I also have a file with the Canterlot Health division. I'm going to the University for it while I'm here in town. Would you like to come with me?”

“Of course!” Twilight nodded, eager at the thought of studying this closer. “I'll defnitely come along. Oh, by the way, how long will you guys be in town?”

Shining Armor thought for a moment before responding. “Probably about two weeks or so, since I still have my duties as part of the Royal Guard here. Cadance will probably have to go back and forth for a while.”

“Yeah, but aside from that, I'll be here for a while, too.” Cadance nodded. “And if it means I can spend some time with you, that'll make it even better!”

Smiling brightly, Twilight couldn't help but clap her hooves like an excited filly. “That's great! I'll be here for a while, and I can't wait to spend some time with you two! We have so much to catch up on!”

The Crystal Empire Princess nodded eagerly, both she and Twilight letting out girlish squeals. Shining Armor rolled his eyes good-naturedly, smiling fondly at the two important mares in his life.

“Well ladies, I have to get back to my position for now.” Shining Armor said, placing his helmet on and giving his wife a quick kiss. “I'll see you both at dinner time!”

“All right, honey.” Cadance nuzzled him sweetly. “You take care and have a good day.”

“See you later, Shiny!” Twilight hugged her brother again.

Chuckling, the white unicorn hugged her back. “And I'll see you later too, Twiley.”

Waving him off as the Captain of the Royal Guard retreated, Cadance and Twilight headed on back to the palace.

In Twilight's room, the two were laying over her bed together, with magazines and books strewn about as they chatted about whatever was on their minds. Lucky for the unicorn, there weren't any questions regarding what was going on with her life at the moment, which was a relief. However, she knew all too well that there would eventually be the “catch up” talk.

“So Twilight, tell me! How are things back in Ponyville?” Cadance queried curiosuly.

'Well, let's see. Two of my best friends are having a friends with benefits affair. One of which is in love with the other in a possible unrequited crush, I might add. I feel worried about them and what they'll end up doing. I'm confused as all Tartarus about what I feel for one of my friends, or even how I feel about relationships at all. Oh, and that friend I'm thinking of injured Princess Luna, and I overreacted and got angry at her. Now we're not even talking and I feel like everything is going to explode!'

But Twilight didn't say that. Instead, she looked to her sister-in-law, giving a little sigh. “Everything is pretty much okay, overall. Not much I can say, everything's fine.”

Cadance, however, wasn't buying it. “Are you okay? You look a little upset. In fact, you didn't even answer me for nearly a minute. Is everything all right, Twilight?”

“No. No, everything isn't all right.” Twilight blurted before her brain and mouth could catch up to each other.

This alarmed the pink alicorn as she scooted closer, placing a hoof over her back. “Oh...what's going on? Please, you can tell me anything.”

Looking up into the concerned, loving eyes of her former foalsitter, all Twilight could feel was her heart crumbling. She felt like crying, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she rose herself up a little and held open her forelegs.

“Cadance...” She said in a small voice, feeling like a filly again. “Hold me, please...”

With a warm, understanding smile, Cadance nodded and pulled her into a gentle hug. Twilight snuggled into her, reliving many memories of when she was little and used to turn to Cadance when she needed somepony to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. Right now was one of those times. A moment she let herself be vulnerable, to somepony who understood and would be there. Cadance's familiar sweet, floral scent of lilacs and lavender filled her nose, comforting her all the more. This combined with her tangy perfume only further added to the comfor the unicorn desired.

After some time, Twilight spilled the beans on everything she could, not holding anything back. Despite the looks of mild shock, Cadance didn't interrupt her or say anything aside from a brief comment when Twilight paused, and listened. When Twilight finished, she had tears in her eyes, her body trembling.

“I can see why you got upset, Twilight. You don't have to be ashamed about it.”

“But...I didn't even let her talk or get her side of things. I didn't even ask what set her off, what Princess Luna said!” Twilight shook her head, looking down at the bedcovers. “I've been a terrible friend to her.”

“Twilight...you were angry, you were worried, and in some ways, you had the right to be.” Cadance assured. “I guess you should've listened to what she had to say, but it's understandable that you weren't ready to hear it. Don't even worry. You two just need to talk to each other about it.”

“I-I know...and I will. I just... I feel bad. I left pretty much letting her know I was angry and didn't want to see her.”

“You need your space. Who doesn't? We all need our space from everypony and time to think things through on our own. I think she understands that.”

Twilight sighed, snuggling into her sister-in-law. “Sometimes... I'm scared about what she can do. Sometimes I'm living in uncertainty... But then she makes me remember that I don't have to be scared. Then this happens. I just... I don't want anyone to get hurt. ...What kind of friend am I?”

Cadance stroked her mane gently in comfort. “You're just being cautious. There's nothing wrong with that. It's good to be on guard when someone is very capable of...well, certain things. But you don't let it control your life, do you?”

“No...”

“You've let her get this close to you, as close as two ponies-beings, can ever get. That doesn't spell scared of her. That means you trust her.”

“I do trust her. I just wish I trusted her completely.” Twilight mumbled.

“It's like I said, you're just being cautious, because you don't want to let your guard down in case something happens. But you have done nothing but stand up for her when my aunts don't exactly....think highly of her. They trust you on this, and I trust you on this, too. Shining and I both trust you. You trust in her, and we trust in you.” Cadance told her, smiling warmly.

Smiling a bid sadly, the unicorn nodded a little. “I-I guess you're right.”

“Well, now it's your turn to trust me. Believe me, I've been through situations in where I was fighting with my friends over stupid or big things. We all said and did things we regret.” The alicorn said, shaking her head at memories. “But in the end, we all cared about each other and worked it out. You two will do the same if your friendship, or whatever relationship you have, is worth fighting for. Besides, everyone fights sometimes. Even Shining and I have our arguments and disagreements. But we love each other, and our love is worth fighting for. We become stronger for it as we overcome these hard times. I know you can, too.”

Wiping her eyes, Twilight smiled a little more. “You're right, Cadance. I have arguments with my friends sometimes, too. And we just...give each other space and try to work it out. It's not always easy, sometimes I don't know what to do, but...I try.”

“And that's all you can do here, too. To try your best. Talk to each other. Do what you can.” Cadance nuzzled her encouragingly.

Grateful for her former foalsitter's help, Twilight felt herself giggle as she hugged Cadance once more.

“Thanks, Cadance. You're the best. I really needed that.”

“Awww, you're welcome, Twilight. You know I'm always glad to help you out.”

The two embraced warmly as Twilight felt a lot better. Not only in confiding with somepony she trusted so much, but in managing to feel a lot better about the situation. At least now, she could enjoy her time in Canterlot a lot better, with her family, and be able to head back home to Ponyville with a clear head.

She just had one more thing to take care of.

Around the nightime, when she knew Luna was up to raise the moon (it was reported she felt better), she went to join the Night Princess out on the balcony adjoining her room. Sure enough, the dark alicorn was raising the moon just as she came outside.

“...Princess Luna?”

Not answering for a moment, Luna barely glanced at her as she then finished her task. “Twilight Sparkle. I know why you're here. Please, sit. I will tell you what happened.”

“...Princess, I...I don't...want to pick sides here. I just...I want to know your side of it, too.”

Luna nodded, turning to her then. “And I will tell you exactly what you would like to know, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Okay.” Twilight took a deep breath, calming herself. “What did you say to Ascentia to make her angry?”

Lowering her head slightly, the midgight blue mare didn't respond for a few moments. Her gaze was unreadable, but it was clear that she didn't look proud of what she had said.

“I had hit a nerve. I had not only insulted her, but had insulted her...abilities in seeking out a mate. I had used...the very situation you were in with her as a weapon. I do not pretend that I was proud of that, Twilight Sparkle.”

Shocked, Twilight couldn't believe what she had heard. Something she herself knew was that you did not use a Val'Kyr's mate as a weapon for insult. That mistake had been done by their enemies since the beginning, and not something you wanted to attempt. Now she could see why Ascentia had gotten mad, to the point that she inflicted pain upon the perpetrator.

“Princess...why?! Why did you say that?!” Twilight near-yelled. “And thanks to that, I got angry and made her feel like garbage! Just when she was... Why! Do you realize what you'd done?!”

Not at all flinching, Luna faced her with a calm, yet sad look. “I do now. While I do not care for how the Outlander feels, it was wrong of me to say such a thing. I was callous, out of line, all due to my poor judgement, overprotectiveness, and anger. I let it cloud my reasoning, something I, as a Princess, should know better than to do. For all of that, Twilight Sparkle, I sincerely apologize for my actions. In a way, I deserved that. I...know how it feels to defend the honour of somepony I care deeply for, namely my mate.” She sighed, looking off to the starry sky. “And I had done the very thing I penalized low scum for.”

“....Yeah...” Twilight sighed, unable to feel angry then. “Princess, I'm really not the one you should apologize to. But, we all make mistakes.... I just wish you wouldn't do that. I'm fine. I'm a grown mare, and I can take care of myself. What happened between Ascentia and I was completely mutual. In fact, it was all my idea. She didn't have to do anything. It had nothing to do with you, Princess Celestia, my friends, or anypony else.”

“As I heard, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna murmured, facing her once more. “It does not change what I had done, and I shall atone for my actions.”

Softening a bit more, Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Princess...I'm sorry for what she'd done to you. It was for that reason that I was angry. While I understand that she is justified in feeling angry for what you said...I think she went a little too far.”

A humourless laugh escaped the midnight blue alicorn. “I deserved it, whether or not you believe it.”

“You just made a bad judgement call because you were worried, Princess. I can't exactly blame you for that. I've been through bad judgement calls myself. But...like any other mistake, I learned from them. And I know you can, too.”

“...You are far too kind, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna smiled ever slightly. “Thank you. Though I do not deserve your kind words.”

“Of course you do, Princess. You both do. What you both did...well, neither of you are blameless, that's for sure. But I also know that neither of you deserve to be demonized for your actions. ...Yeah, maybe I was a little harsher on her, more than I should have been, but now that I know the truth on both sides, I have a much better understanding on how to make things work.”

Quiet for a few moments, the Princess of the night leaned down and nuzzled the unicorn affectionately. “I may never truly see eye to eye with the Outlander, Twilight Sparkle, but I shall concede and apologize for my actions. Be it as it may, even she did not deserve such a callous remark.”

“I think that would be a good idea.” Twilight agreed, nuzzling her back. “I'm not asking you all to be friends, I know and Princess Celestia won't do that. And that's fine. I just want you all to be civil, that's all. Is it...really too much to ask?”

Luna smiled. “Not for your sake.”

Relieved, Twilight hugged her. A surprised Luna stiffened a bit, but then returned it all the same.

“Princess...why were you in town, anyway?”

“I had merely come to see you and then I saw...what I had seen.” Luna murmured, shaking her head. “It had been a while since I'd seen you, Twilight Sparkle. I knew Cadance had sent you a summons of her own, and I had wanted to 'drop by' as many say.”

“Oh,” Twilight realized, and smiled a bit.

“In that sense, I am also sorry for interrupting something private. Be it as it may, of course.”

“It's okay. I've had experience in walking in on something I shouldn't have seen.”

The two shared a look, then smiled as they looked back up at the star-studded sky.

The next morning, having slept a lot better than expected, Twilight was already enjoying herself a lot more. She felt less tense, less uneasy, and a lot more relaxed since she'd arrived the day before. By the looks of things, the return to Ponyville was hopefully going to be proven fruitful. She had a clearer understanding of the situation, an idea to confront it, and hopefully, make things up with Ascentia, too.

That part was easier said than done.

'To be fair...' Twilight thought, looking from her book up to the sunny sky from her spot on the balcony adjacent to her old bedroom. 'We've had our arguments and disagreements before. Sometimes, they were my fault, and Ascentia needed space from me. ...But she always came back. It never lasted long. ...I guess this won't, either. At least, I hope so. But she did feel bad for hurting me, so I guess that's it, too.'

She sighed, looking back down at her book. At least now, she could relax during the rest of her stay in Canterlot. That was what mattered for now.

All of a sudden, appendages covered her eyes, obscuring her vision with darkness. Twilight tensed for a moment, trying to make sense of what had happened. At least, until she heard an all-too familiar chuckle.

“Guess whooooo!” The voice drawled.

Twilight rolled her eyes, relaxing then. “Hi, Discord.”

“The one and only!” Discord pulled his paws away and chuckled, coming around to her front. “Did you miss me, Twilight Sparkle? I sure missed you.”

“About as much as I'd miss having a cold,” Twilight responded, trying not to smile.

Undeterred, the draconnequs laughed with glee, clapping. “Oh, you sure get me every time!”

“Right. So, what are you doing, anyway? Going to Ponyville to see Fluttershy?”

“Oh, right on the nose, aren't you? Guiltyyyy!” Discord drawled, snickering. “As a matter of fact, my good friend Fluttershy invited me for tea! Isn't she the sweetest? So of course I couldn't turn down such an invitation! And who's to say a little bit of oh, you know, chaos wouldn't help her day along?”

The unicorn shrugged a bit, looking down at her book. “Whatever you say, Discord. Just don't go too far. You know how Fluttershy is.”

Rolling his eyes, Discord floated in midair beside her, reclining. “Tut tut now, there isn't a thing I would do to upset or hurt my good friend! Do you take me for a heartless whelp?”

Before she could answer, her lips were formed into a zipper, closing up. Rolling her eyes, she deactivated the spell, casting a look to the laughing chaos master.

“Real funny.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “When are you heading out?”

“Eager to get rid of me already?” Discord said in mock-hurt. “Well, aren't you a cold fish.”

“I'm just asking.”

“Fine fine then, I'm heading off in T-minus...” A pocket watch appeared in his eagle claw. “Ten minutes and twelve seconds!”

Twilight blinked at this, but then shrugged, taking it. She closed her book, biting her lip for a moment. Coming to a thought, she faced him.

“Discord...just out of curiosity...does Fluttershy ever talk to you about certain things? You know...such as personal matters?” Twilight queried.

Snapping his claws, he disappeared and reappearred beside her, grinning widely. “Oh, you mean like how she's madly in love with Rainbow Dash?”

“...You knew?”

Laughing, Discord picked her up into his lion paw, holding her like a toy. “You sure can be daft, Twilight! Anypony could see that Fluttershy has it bad for her precious 'Dashie'! You remember when you all first had me reformed, and we had that dinner party? Ah, such fun that was!”

“Well, yeah. What about it?” Despite how annoyed she was at being man-handled, Twilight decided not to make a fuss about it.

“Well, my dear, I could tell instantly that there was something between them!” Discord exclaimed, holding Twilight with his lion paw, and spreading his other arm out for emphasis along the horizon. “But I think that the 'Dashie' sold it for me, you see. After that, I checked the signs! The way Fluttershy speaks about her, all the photos she has in her house, and need I say that her diary is so full of saucy-”

“You read her diary?!”

“Oops! I possibly shouldn't have said that!”

“Come on, that's just invasion of privacy!” Twilight scolded.

Giggling, Discord set her down onto a magically drawn up fainting couch. “Regardless of that, it's true that I knew for some time! She's even let it slip, and oh, did I let her know it! The look on her face! You should've seen it! Priceless!”

“Right....” Twilight coughed into her hoof. “Well, what about Rainbow Dash? Do you think she loves her back?”

Thinking for a moment, the Spirit of Chaos gave a shrug. “Beats me! That Rainbow Dash is harder to read than boring books! Unlike a few of you... Why, even you're one of the easiest ponies to read! Ho ho!”

“So I've been told,” the unicorn muttered sourly. “Anyway... Just, can you make sure she's okay? Fluttershy admitted to Rarity and I that she loves Rainbow, and the thing is, I'm just... I don't want her to be sad. You see, they've been-”

“Friends with benefits?” Discord snickered. “Diary, remember?”

“Oh, so you DIDN'T spy on them?”

“Me? Spy? Please! Though I am the expert of chaos and have some delicious fun, even I have standards, Twilight Sparkle.” He said, turning away and crossing his arms.

“Right...” Twilight sighed with relief. “Well, Rainbow...kind of admitted that she doesn't feel that way about her. And I don't know if she-”

“-is lying, in denial, or just not realizing her own feelings?” Discord finished for her, grinning.

Groaning, she nodded. “Yes. That's what I mean. Like you said, she is hard to read. Even I couldn't tell. I mean, I know she cares about Fluttershy a lot, and they've been best friends since fillyhood. But beyond that, I have no idea.”

“Hmmm...a bit like your own dilemma, I take it?”

Oh no.

“How did you know about that?” Twilight demanded, her gaze snapping to the draconnequus.

“I heard it from Celestia, of course!” Discord chuckled, winking at her. “And let's just say I have my ear to the ground when it comes to my favourite ponies!”

Groaning, the unicorn facehoofed. “You're impossible!”

“Won't you answer my question, my dear Twilight?” He said, now coming up close and batting his eyes, with fake long lashes produced.

Rolling her own eyes, Twilight fell back onto the fainting couch. “Fine, maybe it is! I just don't know what to do!”

“Go on.” Discord was now sitting near, on a chair, wearing a suit and glasses, and holding a notepad and pen.

“I don't even know if Ascentia will talk to me again. I kind of left letting her know I wasn't pleased. I know she said that I could take all the time I needed, but what if she just said that under a false pretense? So that I wouldn't suspect that she's leaving? What if she never comes back? What if she really doesn't want to see me again, and thinks that her presence really does cause trouble?”

“Aha! I have a diagnosis!” Discord declared, grinning at her. “You're thinking too hard, worrying too hard. A common condition known as over-thinking it.”

“Ugh!” The unicorn threw a foreleg over her eyes. “I am always over-thinking things! To the point that I can't sleep at night and feel the worry inside eating at me.”

“Hmmm... You could try just relaxing and letting things happen?” Discord suggested. “You know, not acting like a worrywart?”

“...To cross that bridge when I get there.” Twilight concluded.

“Finally she gets it!” Giggled the draconnequus, clapping delightedly. He then produced a much bigger pocket watch. “You still have four minutes!”

“To be honest, I don't know how I even feel about her. I mean, I know I love her a lot, and she's a very good friend to me. But beyond that, I don't know if what I feel is platonic or romantic.” Twilight removed her foreleg, placing them along her stomach as she stared up at the cloudy sky. “I've never really been in love before, so I don't even really know how it feels. I mean, I guess it's like friendship, only different. We're friends with benefits... That's all I know.”

“Ooh ooh! And if she felt that way about you?”

“...I don't know how I'd feel. Flattered, yeah, and I'd accept them with no problem. But returning them... I don't know. I wouldn't want to lead her on or lie to her, but I wouldn't want to hurt her.”

“Ah yes, the typical dilemma!” Discord chortled. “You'll have to figure it for yourself, my dear! Even I can't tell you for you!”

Sighing, Twilight knew he had a point. “Yeah, I guess you're right. I really should try to figure it out myself. ...And then, well, go from there.”

“How splendid!” Discord snapped his claw, making the therapeutic objects around them disappear. “Splendid session today, Twilight Sparkle! Do come back next week at our regularly scheduled sessions!”

“Very funny.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “But I guess I have to thank you for listening. It did help a bit.”

“What can I say? I'm just a genius!” Discord grinned, floating above her. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have tea time with Fluttershy in less than three minutes. Can't be late! Or, can I?”

“Fine, fine. But look, like I said, just make sure she's okay. That's all I'm asking.”

“I give my word as the Spirit of Chaos!”

Discord winked, and then snapped his claw, disappearing from sight. Shaking her head, Twilight took her book and continued to read. She had a lot to think about, but at least some instances were resolved. Whether or not things would go uphill or downhill still remained a mystery to her.

But then again, that was just the way time worked, wasn't it?

Author's Notes:

Well, out of all the stories I have, this one contains the first time I have ever published a story with Cadance, Shining Armor and Discord involved. So, quite a few firsts in this story, isn't there? XD That was all pretty fun to write. Especially Discord, who is awesomeness of awesome. And I really like the friendship he has with Fluttershy, I'll definitely be writing that a lot more. :P

So, what came about here was a rift. But, not in the typical romantic comedy kind of way, and I am SO glad for that. It's not the typical third-act breakup or anything, which I'm glad to have avoided. :D Yay!