Three weeks had gone by since Twilight made her decision, three weeks since their relationship was “official”, so to speak.

On this particular day, Twilight was now at Ponyville Station, heading out to Canterlot for the weekend. Going along with her was Spike and Fluttershy, the latter of which had promised Discord that she'd go visit. The only downside was that it was winter and most of the animals had either left or were hibernating, which made a visit to the Canterlot Gardens pointless. Fluttershy didn't mind though, she was planning to scope out the city's newly built arboretum, which had a pen for butterflies.

The rest of their friends had come to see them off, along with Ascentia, who had decided to do the same. This surprised Twilight, as they usually tended to share their own partings separately. But today, Ascentia had walked with all of them to the station, and was now with them on the platform. Surprising as it was, she felt pretty happy.

Twilight happily said her farewells to her friends, as did Spike, with a lot of hugs and ad-libbed “Have a good trip!” well wishes. Fluttershy did the same, with a very excited Rarity persuading her to take some time at the Canterlot Spa.

At the corner of her eye, Twilight smiled at the adorable sight of a nervous Rainbow Dash looking around the platform. She was even rubbing her legs together in an anxious manner in doing so. When she deemed the coast clear, Rainbow leaned in to Fluttershy and happily nuzzled noses with her. Three weeks since they'd been officially marefriends, and Rainbow was still a little tentative of being affectionate in public.

Twilight inwardly smirked as she knew very well that things were different behind closed doors. Or if she had a few drinks. If she thought Fluttershy was an affectionate drunk, Rainbow Dash took the cake.

“Are you going to say your goodbye, or are you going lose yourself in your thoughts, therefore missing your train?” Ascentia's question broke Twilight out of her reverie.

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” Twilight shook her head, facing the Val'Kyr then. “So, I guess I'll see you when we get back?”

Ascentia nodded, petting her mane and then kissing her on the forehead. “Have a good weekend, Twilight. I assume you're going to inform Celestia of us, aren't you?”

The unicorn smiled. “Yeah, I'm not going to keep secrets from her, especially not about this. I know it won't change anything, but I'm not expecting it to. It's just the honest truth about what's going on, nothing more.” Twilight shook her head, looking to the train then. “I guess I'd better go. Fluttershy and Spike just got on... Oh, what's another second?” She nuzzled the woman's cheek with her own, and then turned to go.

Looking back over her shoulder, she could see Ascentia wave once. Smiling, she waved back, also once, then boarded the train.

'It's kind of nice... Girlfriend, lover... It's pretty surreal!'

In her old room, Twilight unpacked her luggage, while Spike did the same. Fluttershy was next door in her own suite, getting settled in, and likely going to get a surprise entrance by her chaotic friend.

“Um, Twilight?” Spike suddenly said, coming at her side.

“Yes?” Twilight glanced over at him.

Spike paused for a moment, twiddling his fingers. “Are you really sure about all this? What if Princess Celestia get upset about it?”

“Well... I can't control how she's going to react, Spike. How she feels is up to her, and there's nothing I can do about that.” Twilight said, sitting down in front of him. “But what I am going to do is be honest with her about what's going on. I've made my reports, you know that, but I haven't said much else about it. I wanted to tell her in person, which is what I'm going to do. I can take responsibility for my own actions and my decisions, Spike. I just hope she'll understand that.”

“What if she doesn't?” Spike guessed.

The unicorn shrugged, giving a light sigh. “I really don't know. I guess I'll just have to cross that bridge when I get there.” She then smiled, giving him a little hug. “But it'll be okay, because at least I still have all of you, and I know she won't hold it against me.”

Smiling a bit more, Spike hugged her back. “Yeah! We've still got your back, Twilight, and I definitely do, too!”

“Thanks, Spike. I'm always glad to know I have you guys to count on.” Twilight smiled warmly at her assistant. “And you know, I don't say this often enough, but I really love you, Spike. I do.”

“I love you too, Twilight.” The baby dragon nuzzled into her chest affectionately. “Whatever you do, you know I'm right there behind you!”

“Heh, I'd rather you be right by my side, my number one dragon!” Twilight nuzzled his head. A warming feeling entered her heart, feeling so much more confident and ready for all of this. “So, before we get down to this, why don't we go get Fluttershy, and we'll go get some donuts?”

This made Spike grin widely at the suggestion, before he hurried off to the door. Laughing, Twilight followed after him.

'I don't know how Princess Celestia is going to feel about this...but that doesn't mean I'm going to back out or let the unknown scare me off. I'm going to be a mare and just come out with it! But for now, let's just go get some donuts!'

At Donut Joe's place, Twilight munched on some donuts and drank hot chocolate alongside Spike and Fluttershy. Canterlot's weather, though filled with a lot of snow, was fairly mild and made it a great day for outdoor winter fun. Or at least as much fun that could've been had in a town of high society. But when all they needed was a scarf, maybe hoof mittens, they were good to go.

“Do either of you want to come with me to the arboretum?” Fluttershy asked, finishing another donut. “I thought I'd go after we're done here.”

Spike nodded, his mouth full of food. “Yeah, sure, I'll come along!”

“I can't, but maybe some other time. I have to go see Princess Celestia after we leave, and then I have to meet Shining Armor and Cadance when they get here.” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Then we're going to go to my parents' place for dinner.”

“Oh... Well all right, I'll drop Spike off at your parents' place when we're done, then.” Fluttershy looked disappointed, but she smiled with understanding. “That's right, you do have a lot to tell them by now, don't you?”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Twilight nodded. “But how about we go to the spa together tomorrow? I know you've only been there once with Rarity, but they had it renovated last year.”

Fluttershy smiled at the thought, nodding before she took another sip of her hot chocolate. “All right, awesome!” She cheered loudly. Realizing what she'd done, she blushed and hunched in her seat. “I-I mean...that sounds good.”

Spike and Twilight glanced at each other before stifling laughter. It was hard not to find the display of loud excitement from Fluttershy of all ponies quite hilarious.

Fluttershy then smiled, sitting back up. “Oh, what am I saying? I've done louder. That was nothing.”

“You're finally learning, Fluttershy.” Twilight giggled, patting her shoulder. “So, what are you and Discord going to do while we're here?”

“Well, he said in his letter that he has some surprises in store for me, actually. I'm not sure what they are, he didn't say, but I do have a feeling that they'll be...well, chaotic.” Fluttershy giggled. “I also brought some things for him, so it was good timing that we came here this weekend.”

“Are you going to be okay for dinner?”

“Absolutely, Discord and I usually have dinner on occasions like this, anyway.”

Spike spoke up then. “Is it true that Discord has a thing for Princess Celestia?”

Fluttershy gave a laugh at that, nodding. “Yes, he does! And he doesn't care who knows it.”

“I knew it!” Twilight slapped her hoof on the table, snickering. “I owe Ascentia ten bits now.”

“Speaking of her, um... are you going to tell Princess Celestia about your...well, relationship with her?” The creamy yellow pegasus asked curiously.

Nodding, Twilight finished her hot chocolate. “Yes, I'm going to tell her. That's part of why I wanted to come here, so I could tell her about it. I'm not sure how she'll react-but it's a chance I have to take.”

“I see...” Fluttershy said with understanding. “Well, Twilight, I do hope it'll go well for you.”

Smiling, the lavender mare touched her friend's shoulder affectionately in thanks. “I hope so, Fluttershy. But don't worry about me, I'll handle it however I need to. On the interm, have you told Discord yet, about you and Rainbow being a couple?”

Shaking her head, Fluttershy blushed and giggled. “Oh, not yet. I will be, though. But I don't think he'll be surprised by it, either.”

“All things considered, probably not.” Twilight agreed, hiding a smile behind her hoof.

“He tried to give me a selection of lingerie when he found out that Rainbow and I were-” Fluttershy cut herself off, realizing what she was saying and that Spike was still there.

Looking up from his mug, the small dragon gave her a look. “Oh come on, this again? You know, I wish you guys would stop doing that. It's not like I don't know about these kinds of things! And besides, I already knew about you and Rainbow Dash.”

Eyes wide, Fluttershy squeaked and shrank back in her seat. Twilight tried not to laugh, while she too was curious about how Spike knew about that particular factor.

“H-H-How did you-” Fluttershy began.

Spike rolled his eyes, placing his mug down. “I saw you two making out in White Tail woods. I knew something was going on! I just didn't say anything because I didn't want to embarrass you.”

“Yeah...I kind of knew about it, too...” Twilight admitted sheepishly, waving her hoof lightly. “I caught you two in bed by accident one time. But I left before either of you noticed me.”

An embarrassed squeak escaped the shy pony as she hid her face behind her mane, looking away from both of them.

“W-W-Who else knew?!” Fluttershy managed.

Spike and Twilight yet again exchanged glances before shrugging a little.

“I don't know if Applejack, Pinkie or Rarity knew all along. You'd have to ask them.” Spike said truthfully.

Twilight nodded, patting Fluttershy's shoulder. “We're sorry, we didn't meant to embarrass you, Fluttershy.”

The blushy pegasus took a few breaths, sitting herself up straight in her seat. She mumbled something dismissive, distracting herself by eating a donut.

“Hey, what about Rainbow joining the Wonderbolts?” Spike suddenly said, curious.

Fluttershy looked as if she were about to choke on her bite. Twilight was even taken off guard by the question. She had nearly forgotten the key factor in Rainbow's goals, joining the Wonderbolts. While she had passed at the Wonderbolt Academy with flying colours, she had quit the dream for a while. Just on the backburner. But for the past year or so, Rainbow had barely even mentioned the Wonderbolts.

“I-I...I didn't think of that...” Fluttershy squeaked, looking alarmed. “That's right...she'll still want to join them someday.”

“...Are you worried about that?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“...No...” Fluttershy resolved, shaking her head. “No, I'm not. I think...I think it's going to be okay. She won't abandon us forever...she'll just be traveling with them when they need to perform across Equestria and even beyond. They don't perform during winter, they have vacation time, and also time between performances. And I wouldn't want to hold her back from her dream. But just because we're together dosen't mean she has to give it up. I wouldn't want her to do that. I support her completely, and I'll wait while she's gone. Part of a good relationship is trust. And I trust her... It'll just um...take some adjusting on our parts. But I love her, and I want her to be happy. I'm willing to take the chance.”

The lavender unicorn smiled, giggling a bit. “Awwwww... You're sweet to say that, Fluttershy. I think she'll be thrilled to know you're supporting her in this! I guess...well, who's to say she can't be a Wonderbolt and be in a relationship with you, too?”

“Yeah! You guys can work that out!” Spike chimed in. “And Twilight has Ascentia, who has to travel to different worlds for her job! At least Rainbow's still going to be here in Equestria!”

Considering that, Fluttershy smiled, nodding in agreement. “You're right. If you two can work that out... I think Rainbow and I can work it out, too.”

“I think we both can. To working it out!” Twilight smiled, raising her empty mug with her magic.

“To working it out!” Spike raised his mug.

“Yes! Hear hear!” Fluttershy raised her mug as well.

They clacked mugs, sealing the toast.

Later that afternoon, Twilight returned to the palace and headed to find her teacher. Considering the timing, she was certain that Princess Celestia had just finished with her Day Court sessions for this portion of the day. It was likely that she had retired to her study by now. Sure enough, according to the guards, that was where she had gone the last time they'd seen her.

Twilight headed to Celestia's private study, knocking on the door.

“Yes, who is it?” Celestia's voice sounded from the other side.

“It's Twilight, Princess. Can I come in? I wanted to talk to you.”

An aura of magic surrounded one of the doors before opening. The Royal Alicorn sat at her desk, a bunch of papers piled neatly into two piles on either side of one that lay between them. She smiled warmly at Twilight as she entered, the door closing behind her.

“Hello, Twilight. I had heard of your arrival with Spike and Fluttershy. How are you?” Celestia smiled, inviting her to come and sit.

Beaming, Twilight trotted over to her mentor and nuzzled her leg. “I'm all right, how are you doing?”

“Oh...you know, attending to my duties, as usual,” she said, indicating to the papers on her desk. “But that's just what I have to do. However, I see you must be here for more than that, aren't you?”

“Yeah...” Twilight murmured, leaning against her. “I just... I have to tell you something, but I really don't know how to say it.”

“Hmm? Well, what's troubling you?” Celestia set down her quill, looking at her with concern.

Hesitating, Twilight felt as if her resolve was slowly depleting. But she couldn't turn back now, and she wasn't going to. Avoiding the inevitable would only lead to a much bigger problem than it would have to be. She shivered at the thought of that, and knew that it was better to just get it all out. This was her teacher, her surrogate mother. She needed her.

“Princess.... I just... I wanted you to know about something important. And I...I know how you might feel about it, but I hope you'll hear me out. If it upsets you, I'm sorry if it-”

Celestia smiled, placing a hoof on her lips. “Twilight, my faithful student, there's nothing that you can tell me that I will not listen to you about. Now, take a deep breath, and tell me what's on your mind.”

Doing as she was told, Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. It was now or never, and time to just take the plunge. “Princess... I'm in a relationship, a more...romantic relationship, with Ascentia. I... well, you see, I found out a few months ago that she had feelings for me. The Val'Kyr, you see, they have this bonding custom about selecting a mate. I was told under the impression that it was a romantic thing, that they mate for life and are truly serious about that. It's only half true, since it doesn't require love, but it's more of a lifelong devotion. Like a guardian angel... Or so I heard, anyway. But Ascentia trusted me with her sword...as a symbol of having chosen me as her mate. I-I...well, I really...feel something for her, and I wanted to give her a chance. I know you pretty much...loathe her and everything, but I just...I wanted you to know.”

Closing her eyes, the unicorn flinched as she waited for the onslaught to come. She wasn't sure what, but she expected the worst. Nothing came. No sound, no sign of movement, nothing of any sort. Celestia didn't even say anything. What was happening? What was going to happen? Did she have a reason to be afraid? Or was she just going to end up overreacting again?

“Twilight?” Celestia's gentle voice sounded in her ears. “Twilight, is something wrong?”

Looking up, Twilight met the gentle smile of her teacher, something she wasn't quite expecting. “I...Princess, you're...you're not mad?”

The alicorn shook her head. “Of course I'm not mad, Twilight. Why would I be? How I feel toward Ascentia and her kind are completely irrelevant in this case. I would never let my personal feelings get in the way of my subjects, or my faithful student. You know very well what I have taught you when it comes to most occupations, don't you?”

“Yes,” Twilight nodded. “It's that you always have to put your personal feelings aside and act with logical judgement, for the sake of the job and not yourself. It's why surgeons don't operate on family members or why psychologists don't see patients who are their family or friends.”

“That is exactly true. You are my student, Twilight, and the daughter I never had.” Celestia nuzzled her sweetly. “I want you to be happy, and if she is who makes you happy, then I see nothing wrong with that. While I cannot lie and say that I'm not worried about you going into this, I will not let it blind my judgement. You're a grown mare, Twilight. You have come a long way over the years, and you have learned so much. You can make your own decisions, and I trust you. How I feel is irrelevant and should not affect your decisions. I wouldn't let my personal feelings get in the way of your life.”

“...I...I see what you're saying...” Twilight hugged her warmly, feeling immensely relieved and grateful. “But I value your opinion a lot, Princess... I guess...I guess I just wanted you to understand.”

Hugging her in return, Celestia nuzzled her sweetly. “I see exactly what you're trying to say.” She pulled back, giving a bit of a playful look. “Now...will you indulge me for a moment?”

Puzzled, Twilight looked at her teacher weirdly, but nodded.

With her magic, the Sun Princess brought forth a quill and a roll of parchment, which she then began to write on. Even more surprising, was when she began to dictate what she was writing.

“To my dearest Twilight, my faithful student. I have learned a very important lesson for myself, as well. Sometimes, somepony you care about may get themselves into a situation that you feel concerned about. But when you trust them and their decisions, the best that you can do is to support them. Even if you don't agree with their decision. In turn, let them know that they can trust you, and to trust that you will be there for them if they do need it.

Don't try to sway their decision, but you can still let your concerns be known, so that they may at least understand where you're coming from. In the long run, it is best to trust that they know what they're doing and will make it through just fine. If worse comes to worse, that is when you can help, so long as they are willing to accept it.

Twilight Sparkle, you are free to make your own decisions, and I will support you in any way that I can. As long as you're happy.

Your mentor and friend, Princess Celestia.”

Finished with the letter, Celestia smiled, rolled it up, and levitated it to her. With a bright smile, Twilight felt tears come to her eyes as she hugged the alicorn. All of her anxiety of how her teacher would feel about this just dissipated. It was everything she could ever have hoped for and just the greatest feeling.

Further adding to the moment was that Princess Celestia even wrote a letter to her. While not necessary, Twilight could understand the gesture. And it meant so much.

“Thank you, Princess... Thank you so much,” she murmured, feeling tears falling down her face.

“You're very welcome, my dear Twilight,” Celestia smiled, returning the embrace.

'She's right...she really is right. I am a grown mare. I can make my own choices, and I can decide for myself who's worthy of my love. No matter what.'

The moment the train pulled up to Canterlot Station, Twilight already felt the tingles of excitement. Her eyes were trained on the windows, trying to spot the familiar heads of her brother and sister-in-law. Tapping her hooves impatiently along the ground, she tried to sit still, despite how excited she was to see them.

Moments later, Shining Armor emerged, making sure Cadance came out safely as well. Her stomach was now quite enlarged, what with being nearly seven months pregnant at this point. Grinning widely, Twilight trotted over to greet them.

“Shining, Cadance! There you are!” Twilight called out.

Shining Armor noticed her, as did Cadance, and they both grinned. “Twiley!” He exclaimed, flagging her over. “Glad you made it, sis!”

“Me too!” Twilight hugged her brother tightly, savouring the contact. She turned to Cadance then, nuzzling her. “Hey, Mom-to-be!”

“Oh, Twilight!” Cadance smiled, a tired but still very happy smile, before she drew the unicorn into a hug.

She then pulled back a bit, carefully doing the little dance before Twilight could assure her that she didn't have to. But there was no stopping Cadance, she could see. If being stuck in the caves beneath Canterlot didn't stop her, there was no way her pregnant belly was going to. Twilight just smiled and joined in with her.

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

Laughing, the three of them gathered the luggage before they headed out of the station. Making small talk along the way, Twilight remembered something she'd seen earlier that day.

“By the way, Cadance, you'll never believe what the Canterlot Theatre is performing this week!”

Cadance's purple eyes lit up almost immediately. “No way! It wouldn't happen to be-”

“South Ponycific!” Twilight finished for her, beaming. “The first play you and Princess Celestia took us to!”

“Who could forget that?” Shining Armor chuckled, shaking his head. “You two wouldn't stop talking about it for days!”

Cadanace giggled, shaking her head. “Hey, it's a good show! I don't know about you, but we're going to see it.”

“Yes!” Twilight bounced on the spot, then caught up to them. “Next week they're going to perform The Sound of Music, but I won't be in town by then.”

“Aww...” Cadance pouted, then laughed tiredly. “That's too bad. But there's always next time, right?”

“Yeah, next time,” Twilight agreed. 'You'll be a mother by then and won't have as much time...but there'll always be a next time. Even if that next time won't come so soon. But that happens, doesn't it? I guess when things change, you realize just how much you miss what you had before. When you didn't have to worry about not seeing your loved ones very often.'

After getting settled in, Twilight went with Cadance to the Canterlot Theatre for the play. It really was just the thing to get her mind off things and really just enjoy the weekend with her family. She no longer felt worried and anxious for things to come, not in the same way that she did in the past. The fear of the unknown would always remain, but it took overcoming that fear to truly face the future.

Living in the present wasn't always easy when worrying for the future, that much Twilight knew. But it was true that it helped to sometimes just let things happen and cross the bridges when upon arriving to them.

Now, she just simply enjoyed a classic musical with her beloved sister-in-law, feeling completely relaxed and content. Better than she had felt in quite some time.

After the play, they returned to visit with her parents. Shining Armor and Spike were already there, partaking in visiting with her mother and mother. According to Spike, Fluttershy had dropped him off as she'd promised, and had left to find Discord, saying that she would be back at the palace that evening.

During dinner, Twilight made small talk with her parents, while it was mostly Cadance who kept up conversation with them. Considering that they were soon going to be grandparents, Twilight couldn't blame them for being excited about the upcoming birth of the foal. Spike excitedly relayed some stories to Shining Armor, who in turn listened and make some comments about them, to which they would sometimes erupt into laughter.

Twilight looked among her parents, to Cadance, to Spike, to Shining Armor, all around the table. A lot of things in her life had changed dramatically since she first moved to Ponyville. So much had happened to her and around her, things she still to this day couldn't ever have imagined living without. Within that, something even grander had come to be.

A blessing, yet a curse. Something she still wasn't sure of.

But, there was still factor in making the best of it. Twilight knew that much, and she felt all the better for it and more prepared.

For a moment, she envisioned that future. Thanksgiving would definitely be an interesting occasion. Seeing Ascentia sitting with them like this was a bit of a funny image.

'Yet... I doubt that'll ever happen.' Twilight thought, quietly eating her food. 'I mean, she has sat with my friends and I during our little get-together events if she was around for them... But for a family gathering? Would she even be like family to the rest of us? I don't even know... I'd hate to spend family occasions without her with us, but I also can't force a situation to happen. ...Maybe it won't, and maybe it shouldn't. But I guess it's a nice thought, anyway.'

After dinner, Twilight helped Spike and Shining Armor with the dishes. Cadance sat by, supervising (and playfully giving them orders), while her parents had gone out to buy a cake and some pie for dessert.

“So, is it really true, Twiley?” Shining Armor spoke up, curious.

Twilight looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean? Is what true?”

“That you're now in a relationship with Ascentia?” Shining Armor grinned.

“What?!” Twilight felt a shiver of surprise, before turning to a guilty-looking Spike. “You told him?! I was going to do that!”

“Heh heh...sorry, Twilight! I didn't mean to! It slipped out!” Spike grinned sheepishly.

Cadance looked surprised for a brief moment, then giggled. “Well, looks like we were right, after all! That's fantastic, Twilight!”

Turning pink, the lavender unicorn busied herself by washing some more dishes. “Y-Yeah...sure.”

“Aw come on, sis, don't be embarrassed. You know we'll support you all the way!” Shining Armor assured her, patting her back.

“Exactly,” Cadance agreed kindly, smiling. “If that's what makes you happy, then that's great. You know I said before that we trust you, right? So, I think we can all agree that you're making the right choice for yourself.”

“Twilight knows what she's doing.” Spike agreed, placing a couple other dishes into the sink.

“...Well, I hope so. But I have a good feeling I am.” Twilight smiled a little to herself, passing the newly washed dishes to her brother so that he could dry them. “I wanted to give her a chance and I knew I wanted to. So, I went for it.”

Chuckling, Shining Armor nudged her slightly. “Looks like you know how it feels to be in my situation, huh, sis?”

Twilight playfully stuck her tongue out at him. “Very funny!”

Spike began to laugh, Cadance laughed, and then Shining Armor laughed too. Pretty soon, Twilight felt herself beginning to laugh, too. Their levity lasted on, even when her parents came back in, wondering what was going on. It didn't even bother Twilight any further, as she felt a lot better than ever. Things really were going to be okay.

Looking all around her, Twilight saw nothing. The horizon far ahead was nothing but an endless oceanscape. No land in sight. All she could see at the moment was that the light was fading, as the hour of twilight was upon the environment. A glowing, bright yellow sun surrounded by a reddened sky descended. It dipped, slowly, toward the water, as if sinking into it. The sky was purple, a deep orange, with darkened orange clouds, slowly moving on their own.

Below her hooves was rough wood, which she now saw was a boat. A small boat, moving on its own accord somehow. There was a sail, despite that she felt no wind.

“Where am I? What is this place?” Twilight looked all around her, trying to find some answers.

Her eyes caught sight of a palm tree, which was sitting alone on a small, tiny island in the middle of the water. Further ahead, beyond the island, was a raft. On the raft were pony forms, which at first, she couldn't make out. But as the boat neared the island, she could see the shapes of her friends. They were stranded on the raft, from what she could tell, and were calling to her.

“There she is! Twilight!”

“Twilight, over here!”

“Come on, Twilight!”

“Come here! Quick!”

Before Twilight could gather her bearings as the boat docked on the island, she paused. Humming. Someone or somepony was humming. But there was something about the voice she vaguely recognized. But how?

She stepped onto the island, slowly, looking out toward her friends. By now, she could hear them calling for help, urging her to come out there, urging her to help them. But the other voice, the humming, didn't cease. In fact, it only grew louder, stronger. Whatever it was, it was close.

“Twilight! Twilight, help us out here, will ya?!”

“Darling, do help us!”

“TWILIGHT! Come on! Hurry!”

Twilight blinked, unsure of what to do, or what to say. She felt as if she had no control over her actions. Her mind was reeling, telling her to go out there and help her friends. But the strange voice, the singing, was captivating her. Whatever it was, she had to find it. The voice was humming a very familiar tune, even.

Turning around, to her shock, a form appeared right out of nowhere, right against the palm tree. It was a woman, a human woman, and the source of the tuned humming. The woman stood tall, wearing flowing, pure white robes, which danced in the wind. Along with the robes was a long, silk, sheer white scarf that wove like a ribbon in the breeze. Her hair was long, deep red, dancing along with the bell-like fabric of her robes. She was no longer simply humming, then. She was singing.

“Bali Ha'i may call you,
Any night, any day”

Twilight could hear the voices of her friends yelling, telling her to stop, not to give in. But she couldn't tear her gaze away from the captivating woman. There was something about her voice, which sounded completely unlike one she knew...and yet, almost vaguely similar. It was angelic, deep, soft, but strong. No, it wasn't her voice... It couldn't have been.

“Twilight! Twilight, come on!”

“Please! Come on! Don't do this!”

“Twilight! Twilight I demand you stop this!”

“Don't let this happen! Stop it!”

“Twilight!”

“Stop it, Twilight! Stop, please!”

The unicorn looked from the captivating Goddess of a woman to her friends, unsure of what to do. She yet again felt as if she had no control over her body, like some kind of unseen force was keeping her there. Her eyes drifted back to the white-robed siren, who now held her hand out to her.

“In your heart, you'll hear it call you:
"Come away...Come away”

“Oh no, this isn't good!”

“Twilight, don't listen to her!”

“Fight it, Twilight! Fight it! Come on!”

“Please stop this!”

“Twilight! Twilight!”

Twilight now could see her face, shocked to see that it was...no. The scars were completely missing, and even the once atrophied eyes were now lively, though she couldn't tell what colour they were.

But there was no mistaking it, either. The woman in white, the singing Goddess, was Ascentia. Without her scars, with a new wardrobe, and a strangely in-tune singing voice.

“Ascentia...” Twilight uttered, taking a step toward her.

“TWILIGHT!!! TWILIGHT, HELP US!!”

“STOP IT! TWILIGHT!!”

“HELP US!”

“TWILIGHT!”

“TWILIGHT STOP!”

A smile stretched on Ascentia's red lips, captivating Twilight further. Swallowing hard, Twilight stepped forward, taking one last glance over her shoulder at her friends. She kept telling herself to move, to get away from there and help her friends. But there was no response. Nothing was stopping her. Nothing was breaking this spell.

“Bali Ha'i will whisper
On the wind of the sea:
“'Here am I, your special island!
Come to me, come to me!'”

“Don't do it, Twilight!”

“Twilight! Twilight! No!”

The lavender unicorn stepped closer to her, placing her hoof into her outstretched hand. Still singing to her, Ascentia knelt down before her at her level, coming closer. Her other hand came up, stroking her cheek gently. Now captivated, unable to break free from the spell this siren Goddess had upon her, Twilight felt weakened. Yet, rejuvenated as the warmth and sweet feelings of love coursed over her.

“Bali Ha'i,
Bali Ha'i,
Bali Ha'i!”

Ascentia leaned closer to her, which Twilight found herself responding to as she leaned in close as well. Their lips were just barely inches away, the bellowing white silk scarf danced around before it wrapped around them in a cocoon. She could hear the cries of her friends, deep inside she wanted to help them, go to them. But nothing could tear her away from this. No matter how much she felt otherwise.

Yelping in fright, Twilight jerked awake and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. She jerked her gaze about, taking in her surroundings just to make sure. Sure enough, she was in her old bedroom, in Canterlot palace. It had just been a dream. A crazy dream.

'What....what WAS that? I-I don't get it...! Ascentia doesn't look like that...she doesn't sing-at least I don't think she does, I never heard her...but why?! Why did I envision her like that?!' Twilight thought, holding her head in her hooves. 'Okay... I can argue that because I'd seen South Ponycific that the song was incorporated into my head, and mixing her voice with the original singer's voice... But why did it show that I was conflicted and trapped? Having to choose between rescuing my friends and her? ...That doesn't make any sense! Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy can fly, they'd have been able to at least go look for help or get them to safety! Rarity may no be adept with magic like I am, but she's more than capable of making her own magic useful!'

Her mind reeled as she fell back on her bed, staring up at the canopy covering.

“So what was it?” She asked out loud to herself. “Why did I dream that? Would I really have to choose? ...No, how could I? She's not making me choose, she never has. She's not like that! I know I'd never abandon my friends if they needed my help... And why would I let myself be captivated like that? I'm not easily willed by a siren's charms! So what was that? Why did I dream it? What does it mean?! What does it mean?!”

The more Twilight thought about it, the more she managed to relax, she had a thought come to mind.

“...Maybe it means nothing. Dreams aren't supposed to make sense. They draw instances from our subconscious, surface thinking, memories, and creates all these visions... Maybe it was just all of that. I'm overreacting...again.” Twilight sighed, sitting up.

“Wouldn't be the first time!”

Twilight squealed in fright, turning around and seeing Discord sitting on the sill of her open window, grinning widely.

“Discord?! What the hay are you doing here?!” Twilight yelped, gathering her bearings.

“What am I not doing here?” Discord snickered, snapping his eagle claw and appearing next to her bed. “You can't honestly think I was able to resist the very hilarious sound of Twilight Sparkle yelling out like an animal?”

“What do you want, anyway?” The unicorn pouted, looking away from him.

“Oh, I simply couldn't help but overhear the very juicy detail of you having a dream about Ascentia! Oh my!” Discord laughed, floating in midair next to her bed.

Twilight gave him a deadpan looked. “I've had dreams about her before. It's not like I can control what I dream about, you know. It doesn't mean anything!”

“So you realized that before or after you pretty much had a mini panic attack about it?” He said, grinning devilishly.

“Whatever. The point is that it just caught me off guard a little bit, okay? I'm fine now, I just needed to wake up and get over it. It was nothing.”

Discord snickered, poking her side with his lion paw. “Really? And dreaming about your own girlfriend is nothing?”

“That's not what I meant!” She protested, crossing her forelegs. “She didn't even look like herself in my dream! My dream just...fabricated her into something she's not! What do you think that says about me?!”

“That your dream just has a way of messing with reality?” He offered, winking.

Twilight blinked, knowing he was right. She had no idea how he did it, but he just had a strange way of driving points home. All while trying to mess with ponies about it. “...Yeah, that's true.”

Chuckling with glee, the draconnequus appeared at the foot of her bed, swishing his tail about like a cat. “Much as the same way that I myself can bend reality!” Snapping his claw, the entire room turned into a floating aquarium, surrounded by undersea creatures.

Not at all fazed, the unicorn rolled her eyes. “Believe me, Discord, I know.”

“And you're no fun.” Discord pouted, snapping his claw and bringing the room back to normal.

Sighing, Twilight looked about her room once again, and faced the ever persistent spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. “Discord...do you really think that my dream didn't mean a thing? That I'm overthinking it?”

“As I'm sure you know, everypony tends to try to look deep into how dreams work and why we have them. But when you get down to it, it's just as you said, my dear! It's all just our thoughts, our subconscious and memories surfacing and spiralling out of control, since our brains still work even while we sleep,” he said, slithering around her bed, and appearing next to her again.

“And they do make symbolic visions...which I guess just translates to how you're feeling, if nothing else.” Twilight said thoughtfully. “But what if something like that happens? What if I do have to choose between her and my friends? What if I make the wrong choice? What if that-”

“Why are you worried about something that didn't happen yet? Live in the moment, my dear!” Discord picked her up like a toy, bouncing her in his paw. “I mean really, you worry too much about what consequences will bring when they're not even set to begin with.”

“Put me down!” Twilight ordered, annoyed.

He didn't let up, ignoring her. “Honestly, you need to relax. Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud now, Twilight Sparkle! Seriously, has she ever done that to you?”

“No...”

“Do you think she would?”

“No...”

“So what's the problem?”

“I don't know!”

Discord just smiled. “You see?”

“....Yeah, I think so.” Twilight settled then, sighing. “I do love her and all, but I don't know if I'd be able to choose her over my friends.”

Rolling his reddened eyes, Discord sighed and placed her down on her bed. “Until she expects you to do that, settle down already.”

Seeing he was right, Twilight settled on her bed and lay down on her stomach. She knew this all too well, and yet again needed someone else to tell her so? This was not going well.

“How can I be a good girlfriend to her if I don't stop worrying?”

“Hmm....” Discord tapped his chin, and then grinned widely. “You can always find ways to relax!”

Twilight considered it. But before she could ask anything further, the draconnequus waved and then left her room through the window. Left alone in the dark of the night, she sighed, falling back onto her bed.

'I need to stop overthinking all of this and just go with it. Well...fine. Then that's what I'll try to do!'

The weekend had gone by fairly quickly, as well as pleasantly. Twilight thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family, and even just getting some time away from home. But what made it even better was the resolutions she had. Her relationship was revealed to the ponies she loved and trusted most, to which they expressed their support. It was a great feeling, knowing that they at least tried to understand that she was happy with her decision.

Fluttershy had a good time too, from what Twilight could tell, as did Spike. They made the most of their little weekend away to Canterlot, and had their fun. She was thrilled, seeing now that their little trip was worth it all.

So fairly late in the morning on Monday, they arrived back in Ponyville by train. As they pulled up to the platform, the unicorn caught sight of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, along with Ascentia. Where Rarity and Applejack were, she wasn't sure, but assumed they might have just been too busy. That didn't matter though, she certainly didn't expect all of them to be there every time she left or came back from a train trip.

Once the train came to a stop, with the passengers disembarking, Twilight took Spike onto her back, carrying their luggage with her magic. Fluttershy followed behind her, taking her own saddlebags.

Coming out onto the platform, Twilight was greeted by an ever-enthusiastic Pinkie, who hugged her and Spike tightly.

“Helloooooo Twilight, Spikester and Fluttershy!” She squealed happily. “Now that you're home, it'll be time for your welcome-back party!”

“Maybe later, Pinkie...” Twilight chuckled, patting the earth pony affectionately.

“I know I could go for a party!” Spike grinned, licking his lips.

Twilight giggled, then looked over to her right side as Fluttershy was then brought into a hug by a very happy Rainbow Dash.

“Fluttershy!” The cyan pegasus exclaimed, smiling excitedly. “You're back! I missed you!” Realizing that other ponies were around, she blushed and then pulled back. “Uh... I mean, it's great to have you back, pal. Welcome home.”

Fluttershy on the other hoof didn't look the least bit fooled. She just giggled, blushing a bit. “Oh, Rainbow...”

Chuckling to herself, Twilight all but nearly pounced at the Val'Kyr as she greeted her, standing on her hind legs and wrapping her forelegs around her waist.

“Missed me more than life itself?” Twilight teased, batting her eyelashes playfully.

Ascentia smirked slightly as she returned the embrace. “I thought I would suffer at your absence.”

Twilight giggled, sticking her tongue out. “Cute.”

“Hey, uh...” Rainbow spoke up then, clearing her throat. “Hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna take Fluttershy home. She uh, has a lot to do at her place, making sure Angel's okay, and stuff. You know-bye!”

“Bye, see you-oh!” Fluttershy didn't get to finish her sentence as Rainbow picked her up, like a bride, and flew off.

They all stared off after the retreating pegasi for a moment or two. The silence was then broken by a confused Pinkie Pie, who had since taken Spike onto her back.

“Uh...wasn't Dashie house-sitting for Flutters during the weekend?” She wondered out loud, wide-eyed.

Ascentia just smirked knowingly. “Why don't we follow their example, Pinkie Pie?”

Seeming to catch on, the pink earth pony nodded with a wink. “You got it, 'scentia! Bye!”

“See ya, Twilight!” Spike called as Pinkie left the station as well.

Twilight smiled, waving after them, and then turning to her lover. “Well, I guess we should be going, too.”

“Indeed,” Ascentia took one of Twilight's bags in her hand. “Let's go.”

Arriving back at the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight fell back onto her bed as she relaxed. It felt like ages since she'd been sleeping in her own bed, and felt so refreshing, despite that it only had been for a weekend. She smiled, closing her eyes and letting her body just melt against the comfy mattress and covers.

The weight shifted and sunk as she felt Ascentia sitting beside her, poking her stomach.

“Eee!” Twilight barricaded her stomach with her legs, pouting. “No pokey!”

“...No pokey? What are you, five?” Ascentia's lips stretched into an amused smile.

“Stop it...” The unicorn's pout became more pronounced.

The woman chuckled, patting her mane. “So, did you have fun?”

Relieved at the change in topic, Twilight nodded as she sat up. “Yeah! It was pretty nice to see everypony again, and I even got to see an old play from when I was a filly! Cadance is getting bigger, and even then she still keeps going! I felt the baby kick! That was amazing!” She giggled, hugging herself. “Discord's off his rocker, as usual...but I guess he wouldn't be him if he wasn't.”

“I'm sure,” Ascentia agreed, shaking her head.

“Mm-hmm...” Twilight murmured, leaning against her now. “And I told Princess Celestia about us.”

“I see, and how did she take it?”

“Well, she was actually really understanding about it! As much as she didn't exactly...agree with my choice in a girlfriend, she still supported me. She even wrote me her own letter, see?” Twilight levitated the letter out of her saddlebags, bringing it over for the woman to see.

Ascentia took hold of it, reading over the parchment. “And here I thought she would attempt to hunt me down and try to kill me.”

Ignoring that, Twilight put the letter onto her dresser, so that she would remember to store it in a special place. “So, what about you? How was your weekend?”

“It was alright. I had gone by the Val'Kyr Capital yesterday, for the usual protocols. Aside from that, I found the entertaining spectacle of Rainbow Dash against Fluttershy's rabbit,” Ascentia said.

“Ohhh, yeah. Angel never really forgave Rainbow for rejecting Fluttershy...” Twilight laughed a bit, shaking her head. “Then again, he also can't stand anypony trying to date Fluttershy, either.”

“Ah, that explains it,” Ascentia said, running her hand along her back.

Giggling, Twilight relaxed more against her, closing her eyes a bit. Images of the dream had now come back to her, as if reminding her of something she should say. She hesitated, feeling uncertain about that.

'It was just a dream. Why do I need to tell her about that? It's not a big deal. ...Well, then telling her won't be a big deal, either. So what's the problem? ...Yeah, once again, I don't know. Oh well, I'll tell her anyway. She'll probably just think it's a silly little story.'

“I had a weird dream about you the other night,” Twilight said offhandedly.

Ascentia ceased her stroking, looking down at her. “You did?”

“Yeah...it made no sense, either.”

Twilight explained the dream, or at least, as much as she could remember of it. She knew some of the vivid details, while other elements were lost on her. But the gist of it remained, stranded on a little island in the middle of the ocean, ignoring the cries of her friends, with Ascentia looking like some Goddess. The more she spoke about it, the more thoughtful Ascentia looked, yet amused.

“You must have imagined me before I had my injuries,” she pointed out.

“...I guess...” Twilight shrugged a little. “I mean, even your eyes were...well, they weren't atrophied. ...Can you even sing at all?”

Ascentia smiled, shaking her head. “No. Certainly not in a way that would be considered siren-like, as you described.”

“Oh. Then I guess my mind was combining different voices into one, mixed with your own...” The unicorn surmized. “Kind of like the way the brain can't make up faces when you dream. ....But I don't get it. I never have seen you without your scars, let alone any other female Val'Kyr...”

“No, I don't believe you have, have you?” Ascentia said thoughtfully. She paused, considering something. Then she held out her hands, in which a fairly book appeared. Across the page was silver writing that Twilight couldn't read, and given that the pages appeared to be plasticized, it wasn't any reading material.

“What's that?” She asked.

“A photo album,” the woman replied, opening it up on her lap. At the weird look Twilight gave her, she shrugged. “What? We preserve memories, too.”

“Can't argue with that.” Twilight conceded.

Turning a few pages, Twilight observed the array of photos. Some of Val'Kyr she didn't recognize, a few of a young little girl she presumed to be a younger Ascentia, and a few of Lord Ryder. Among them was another woman Twilight didn't recognize, but given her robes, guessed that she had to be important.

Ascentia finally stopped on a page, displaying a few photos of herself. They were simple shots, a few of them macro, while a couple more were taken a few feet away. Twilight gaped. All of them featured Ascentia without her scars and atrophied eyes. Neither of them were meant to be remotely sexy or seductive, and yet were still managing to affect her. One in particular showed a clear look of her face, completely unmarred.

“....Wow.” Was all Twilight could muster.

Chuckling, the woman ruffled her mane. “You like what you see, don't you?”

Twilight couldn't tear her gaze away from the photos. She was practically in shock at this point, unable to believe what she was seeing! Had her mouth hung any further, she could swear she would be drooling. Either way, she was amazed at how amazingly pretty Ascentia looked without the scars. Given her more youthful looks, Twilight surmised that she had to be a lot younger in her earlier years, while right now she certainly had aged, even without the scars.

“Sweet Celestia.... You're-!” Twilight uttered, her voice cracking. “You....you were gorgeous! Wow! You...wow!”

“Oh, Twilight.” Ascentia smiled, pinching her cheeks. “You're adorable.”

“I-I can't...well you....I mean, wow! You're so pretty!” Twilight squeaked, blushing immensely. “...How old were you, then?”

Looking at the photo, Ascentia shrugged mildly. “I couldn't say for sure. Possibly around twenty-two or twenty-three.”

“Oh...” The unicorn murmured, daring another glance at the photos. She stared, captivated, for at least a minute or two. Looking back up, she looked into the scarred, injured face of her lover. A smile overcame her own lips as she reached up, touching her cheek with a forehoof. “You know, you're still beautiful in there. Just differently than before.”

“You don't have to flatter me. I know I look aged and oldered with these scars.”

“I'm not. I'm being honest. Besides, what kind of shallow pony would I be if I was that bothered with how you looked? If you ask me, they're like the scars on the rest of you. Fascinating, and telling me a story.” Twilight kissed a few scars on her cheek. “I don't care about that. I care about you... I love you.” She placed a hoof over the Val'Kyr's heart.

Taking hold of her hoof, lowering it from her face, but squeezing it, Ascentia smiled. “And I love you, Twilight.”

Using her magic to place the album aside, Twilight wasted no time in pouncing. She threw her forelegs around Ascentia's neck, kissing her deeply. The woman returned it immediately, bringing her arms around her smaller form. It lasted for some time, leaving them breathless as their tongues dueled, tensions rising.

Falling back onto her bed, Twilight used her magic to hastily remove Ascentia's robes, along with her armour. The woman made no protest, despite her light stiffening, but overall allowed it. Twilight could tell it would still be some time before she would be completely used to it, but that was understandable, she wasn't about to rush it any further than she had to.

“Mon amour...” Twilight purred, licking her tongue along Ascentia's collarbone.

“...French? Really?” Ascentia's deadpan tone sounded.

Giggling, Twilight nuzzled her chest. “You learn a thing or two when you grow up in Canterlot, ma cheri...”

“...Why are you so cute?”

“Hee...”

The two fell into an embrace as Twilight flipped them over, ready to work her magic. A sense of peace rolled over her, with nothing to fear in the future, but to just move forward and live in the present. She didn't feel worried, or even scared, but more intrigued as to what the future would hold.

Pleasure washed over her as Twilight relaxed, descending into the ecstasy. Her mind was slowly shutting down, but she could make one last coherent thought.

'Everything's going to be all right.'

THE END

Author's Notes:

For any of you who watched 3rd Rock from the Sun, then you'll know that Twilight's dream sequence is in fact lifted from a portion of Tommy's dream sequence in the season two finale "A Nightmare On Dick Street Part 2". I'm not sure why I implemented it here, but it just felt like an interesting tactic to go into.

Also, the song lyrics you hear in the dream sequences actually comes from Rogers and Hammerstein's musical classic, South Pacific, which is why it was included as a mention right here in the story.

Yet it still showcases that dreams are not meant to be taken seriously. They can reflect our subconscious and they can symbolize what we're thinking and feeling, but at the same time, they're dreams. Like daydreams are.

So! This is the final chapter. All that's left is the epilogue! I hope y'all enjoyed this and I thank you for reading. :)