"Then Tommy put on her most innocent smile, and said, 'Of course I didn't eat the cookies! I was just practicing using magic to make things disappear!'?"

"Oh dear…" Pippi held a hoof up to her mouth to conceal her smile. "I suppose it's better than blaming it on Spike, at least."

Tommy laughed. "Thankfully, Twilly adores Spike and would never blame him for something she did. Shiny on the other hoof…"

"Sibling rivalry?"

"Occasionally, although they're not too bad. Really, nopony could ask for more well behaved kids. But Twily is dead set on protecting her baby brother, whereas her older brother can look out for himself."

Pippi chuckled. "She's still young. They seem very close, judging from how she talks about him, and siblings often grow closer as they grow older. I'm certain Tommy is right when she says he'll be her 'best friend forever'."

"Of course. They really are very close, teasing and all." Tommy paused to take a sip of tea before returning to her story. "Anyway, I told Twily that unless she could magically make the cookies reappear, then I would have to assume she'd eaten them after all, and would therefore have had her fill of dessert for the month."

Pippi grinned as she finally got her answer. She had asked Tommy if she knew why Tommy had been looking for a way to magically make cookies appear out of thin air. "Ah, that explains it then."

When they first started taking tea together, Tommy had been exceptionally nervous. Princess Pippi was, well, Princess Pippi. She was in a class of her own, the sole ruler of Equestria. But their world's had connected on the day Tommy got her cutie mark, and so of course they wanted to get to know one another better. Tommy and Annika had both met with her and they both found there was nothing to be concerned about. Pippi was charming, easily putting to rest any concerns they had about her title.

Annika's and Pippi's schedules rarely synced up, given the different hours they worked. They made a point of having their daughter's teacher over for dinner at least once a month, but the early morning teatime proved too much for him. So once a week while her husband was sleeping in through the morning, Tommy would head to the castle to meet with Pippi before the princess started her busy day, talking over tea in her solar.

As time went on, Tommy felt silly for ever being worried to spend time with Pippi. Even aside from their mutual interest in Tommy's future, the two of them got along wonderfully. Few ponies made her feel as comfortable, and, she suspected, the same could be said about her own effect on Pippi. She dropped her guard whenever the two of them were together, barely resembling the stoic ruler she was at other times.

"You know," Tommy said slyly, "magic or not, I could believe Twily learned how to make those cookies disappear from somepony close to her. I only know one pony with a large enough sweet tooth to devour a whole cookie jar, after all."

Pippi froze in place with her fork sticking out of her mouth. It had moments ago held the last piece of her second slice of cake. Blushing slightly, Pippi pulled the fork out of her mouth, set it on her now empty plate, politely chewed and swallowed her food, and then replied. "My dear Tommy, I'm sure I have no idea of whom you're implying. But if I did, I would have to remind you that she certainly wouldn't spoil your daughter with sweets."

"Really?" Tommy asked doubtfully.

"Well, maybe I've spoiled her just a little."

They both laughed as Pippi set her empty teacup and plate aside. Tommy took her cue to finish the last of hers, as well. No matter how much they enjoyed their weekly chats, Pippi did have a job to do. Tommy didn't envy her; it couldn't be easy to have so much on her shoulders. But Pippi never once let on even the smallest amount of weariness, always shining brightly despite the pressure. It amazed Tommy, who was feeling her years at forty-four. Then again, Pippi did many things that amazed her.

Once Tommy finished her tea, they rose from their seats. She smiled even though she was a little sad to see their meeting come to an end. "Thank you, as always, for the tea and the company."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Tommy," Pippi said with a smile of her own.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Come on now, how many times have I asked you to just call me Tommy?"

"Yes, of course. My apologies." Pippi led them to the door, where they lingered a moment. Once they were through the door Pippi would go back to being the Solar Princess.

"I'll forgive you, but just this once." To prove her point of how silly it was for Pippi to use her title, she added, "So then, Cellie, same time and place next week?"

Tommy wasn't sure where she'd picked up the name Cellie from. She didn't think she made it up, yet few ponies would ever use such a formal nickname for their princess. But regardless of where it came from, it always made Pippi smile, just as it did this time. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it already."

Pippi encased the door handle with her magic, but stopped short of opening it. She turned to Tommy with a strange expression. "Actually, perhaps…"

The tone of her voice caused Tommy's ears to droop. "Too busy next week?"

Pippi shook her head and her bright smile returned to its usual warmth. "Oh, it's nothing like that. I was just wondering if you might be free tomorrow evening?"

And just like that, Tommy perked up as her spirits lifted. "Oh, I think I could squeeze you in. What's the occasion?"

"I've been invited to watch the opening performance of 'The Importance of Being Honest'. I know it's short notice, but I would be delighted if you would come as my guest. And, of course, the invitation extends to Annika as well."

An evening out with just Annika and Pippi sounded perfect, but it was too good to be true. "Annika's working tomorrow night, I'm afraid." She didn't need to ask to know that he would pass on the play. He'd recently been promoted to senior astrologist, and he took his new position far too seriously to miss work on such short notice. Still, there was no need to let it get to her. The evening was sure to still be memorable. "I guess it will just be the two of us. I just hope Shiny doesn't mind."

"If he has other plans already, then I think I know just the foal sitter to call." Pippi finally opened the door and they walked out into the hall. Two guards immediately stepped to her side.

Undeterred by their presence, Tommy still hugged her friend before parting ways. "So long as they don't have plans together, that is."

"Ah, young love." After returning her hug, Pippi took a step towards her public meeting hall, the opposite direction from where Tommy would be going. "You'll work something out, I'm sure. If anypony can coordinate a family, it's you."

After waving goodbye, Tommy set off for her house. She smiled merrily and greeted ponies as she went. She had been hoping to see 'The Importance of Being Honest' and would be seeing it in wonderful company, it seemed.

It was just a shame Annika probably wouldn't be joining them. Of course, they would still have their monthly family dinner to look forward to, but the idea of a date with both of the ponies she lo–

Tommy stopped in her place and shook her head. That wasn't right. She was going to watch a play with a good friend, then she'd return home to her husband. Her husband that she loved with all her heart, the only pony she loved. Yes, that was how it was supposed to be.

Her good mood faltered a bit, but it was nothing new to her. Unwanted thoughts like that had plagued her for years, and she knew how to handle them. She just had to not think about it. Shoving the thought as far from her mind as she could, Tommy soon found herself back in high spirits.

The years had been kind to Tommy and Annika. Sure, they each had gained some grey hairs and a few wrinkles, but those were just signs of the many years they'd lived to the fullest with their family. Much more important than any physical changes brought on by their years, that family only grew larger. They had watched as their children grew, and no parent could ever be more proud than they were. Meanwhile, the two of them remained as close as ever, managing to avoid any kind of marital rut by making time for one another and communicating openly.

Eventually, that included the one secret Tommy thought she would take to her grave: her feelings towards other ponies. Annika was initially weary of the revelation, but once he came around it changed her world. The self-doubt that had followed all thirty-one years of her marriage wasn't gone overnight, but the fact that her husband was still standing by her and helping her through it meant more to her than words could express.

Little by little, it became normalized. They slowly began talking about Tommy's feelings more and more, with both of them finding it less awkward as time went by. Still, it seemed there were some questions that would take her by surprise.

"So, is there anypony you've got your eye on now?" Annika asked her after dinner one evening while they were washing dishes.

Although she was a bit taken aback by the question, Tommy wouldn't let herself be caught off guard so easily. "Now that you mention it, there is somepony, yes."

"Oh? And who might that be?" Annika's tone was casual, but he proved unable to keep the smile from playing at the corner of his lips.

Tommy smirked. "You might have heard about him. He's retired now, but he used to be quite the hotshot back in the day."

Annika's open grin showed that he caught on, but he still played along. "Ah, an older stallion. Good thinking. Somepony who knows what he's doing with himself."

"Oh no," Tommy said, shaking her head. "He's completely hopeless. But what can I say? He's quite the looker."

"Hmm, I see." Annika set down the plate he had been scrubbing and moved closer to her. "Think he's the real deal?"

"Hmm…" Tommy tapped her chin, then smiled and nuzzled against him. "Yeah, I think he's a keeper."

Annika kissed her and leaned his head against hers. "He's a very lucky stallion."

"And I'm a very lucky mare," Tommy added.

She had hoped that would be enough to distract him from his original question, but she had no such luck. "So then, is there anypony besides your husband you've got a thing for these days?"

"I, uh, th-that is, I…" Tommy blushed and grinned sheepishly. "I love you?"

"And I love you, too." Annika seemed to enjoy the fact that he was still finding ways to turn his wife into a stammering mess, even after so many years. "So are you going to tell me who the lucky stallion is?"

Tommy stepped away towards the dishes. "We really ought to get these done!"

Laughing, Annika gently guided her away. "The dishes can wait, honey."

They sat down side by side at the kitchen table. Annika placed his hoof on top of Tommy's. "I certainly hope you're not going to make me guess."

"I… You don't want to hear about this," Tommy said. She frowned and wouldn't look into her husband's eyes. "Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. I love you, and nothing is going to change."

"You're right about that part," Annika said, his tone remaining positive as if nothing was strange about their conversation. "Nothing will ever change what we have. And that includes how you feel towards this other stallion."

Tommy was uncertain. She was happy with her life, and didn't want to risk changing anything. But Annika's soothing voice quieted the worst of her worries, so she decided to open up, at least a little. "It's… well, she's a mare for one thing."

"A mare?" Only a moment's surprise before he returned to an encouraging smile. "So is she somepony I know?"

At least he was okay with that part. Really, that wasn't too surprising, though. No, the real test was yet to come. "You do, but she's, well… it's a bit strange."

"Hmm, well let's see. A bit strange…" He grinned and arched an eyebrow. "Tell me it's not one of Tommy's friends, or something like that."

That managed to get her to laugh a little. "No, nothing like that. It's, well… It's Princess Pippi."

"Huh." Annika seemed to consider it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess that's not too surprising."

"What?" Tommy shook her head in disbelief. "How is that not too surprising?"

"Well, it would explain all those early morning trips for tea. You always hated being up in the mornings."

Tommy blushed, but turned to look at Annika properly anyway. It was important he understand she was being sincere. "We really were just having tea."

"I know." Annika wore an easy smile as he used his magic to pull his wife's chair closer. He removed his hoof from hers and placed it around her shoulders instead. "I just always wondered how you came back so peppy every time. Now I know."

Tommy didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. She leaned against Annika and smiled to herself.

Annika eventually broke the silence. "After all these years, then. Guess it must be the real thing."

Her first instinct was to deny it. Tommy's love for her husband was real, not how she felt for anypony else. But that was the old way of thinking, the way that made her feel guilty for something she had no control over. "Maybe. But, well, we aren't as close as we used to be, you know."

Annika wrapped both forelegs around Tommy and kissed her forehead. "Maybe it's time to finally talk to her."

Tommy just rolled her eyes. "It's not like we haven't talked in years. We still keep in touch and get along just fine, dear."

"That's not what I meant. Maybe it's time to finally tell her how you feel."

Tommy laughed. There was no way that was happening. "I'm not exactly in a hurry to complicate a friendship. Besides, what good could come from telling her? Best case scenario is that she won't mind one way or another and we'll continue as normal."

"Really? If you say so, but I remember whenever I told somepony I loved them, I was usually hoping to get a date out of it."

"What?" Tommy sat upright and turned to face Annika again. He was just smiling reassuringly. "Nighty, we talked about that. You're the pony I want to spend my life with, no matter what."

"Well, I certainly didn't mean you should leave me to date her." Annika nudged her playfully.

Between the two of them, he seemed to be taking the idea of his wife dating somepony else a lot better than she was. "I don't know. Even if she'd want to date another mare, I don't think Pippi is interested in dating somepony so… old."

"You know, she's pretty old herself."

"It's different with her. She's more like… eternally young."

"All I'm saying is you won't know if you don't ask."

Finally giving into his positivity, Tommy broke into a smile. "You make it sound so easy! This is Princess Pippi we're talking about, remember?"

Annika nodded. "I know what you mean. I can remember the last time I had to tell somepony I loved her. Somepony so amazing in every way that she couldn't possibly want to be with somepony like me."

"And as I recall, she turned you down."

"Only at first. And now where would we be if I hadn't taken the chance?"

Tommy resumed resting on Annika. "I don't even want to think about it."

It was innocent enough. Tommy wrote to Pippi, suggesting they meet up for tea, just like old times. She thought Pippi would probably be far too busy, certainly not able to do anything in the immediate future, but her response came quickly and left Tommy smiling the whole day.

'That sounds like a lovely idea. The usual time and place?'

Simple and to the point, yet even the small note made Tommy feel like a giddy school filly again. She was initially unsure if she would actually confess her feelings, but enough encouragement from Annika had made up her mind.

Since she was going through with it, she decided she might as well do it properly. So on the way to the castle, she stopped to pick up a bouquet of flowers. Yellow and red marigolds, the flowers of her sun.

Walking through the castle brought back memories, reminding her of the times she would walk it every week. Those days were now more than a decade behind her, though she could remember them clearly.

Even while she was still Tommy's teacher, Pippi had grown more distant from Tommy. It was nopony's fault, of course. Pippi was a princess, she had many royal duties that weighed on her time. But as she walked the familiar path, Tommy realized that she could have done more to keep in touch. At the time it had felt like some distance wouldn't be the worst thing, although she scarcely wanted it. Her feelings for Pippi were growing to be overwhelming, to the point where she could no longer ignore them. True, Tommy never outright did anything to put distance between them, but she also hadn't done anything to pull them closer together again once she noticed it was growing.

As she walked down the final hallway leading to Pippi's solar, Tommy found that all her worries had dissolved into excitement. She wasn't even face to face with Pippi yet, and still she was feeling the peace that always came with being around her friend. She stopped just outside of the door to make sure her mane and tail were perfectly in place. She had considered trying to dye the grey out, but decided against it. She was a fifty-six years old grandmother, and if there was ever going to be anything in between Pippi and herself then she would just have to accept her age as part of it.

Content with her appearance, Tommy knocked on the door. "Come in," Pippi called through it. Tommy did what she could to contain her excitement as she opened the door, though she needn't have bothered. Pippi's smile lit up the room as she entered, making her look every bit as excited as Tommy was.

"It's so good to see you again, Mrs. Tommy. It's been far too long since…" Pippi stopped short as she saw the bouquet.

"Honestly now, Cellie, you ought to know better by now. Tommy will do just fine. And you're right, we really should have gotten together like this sooner." Tommy walked the rest of the distance to the blushing mare and presented the flowers. "I saw these on the way here and thought of you."

Pippi recomposed herself, although her blush didn't entirely vanish. "Thank you, they're lovely." She levitated over a vase and placed the flowers in it, setting it down on the table that held their tea. Pippi took her seat and Tommy sat across from her.

"I was delighted to receive your letter," Pippi said as she poured their tea, sweetening both with honey. "I've missed our meetings."

"Me too." Tommy took a sip of her tea. All these years later and Pippi still remembered exactly how she liked it.

"So what's new these days?"

"Oh, I think you can guess my answer to that."

They grinned at each other and answered together. "Flurry Heart."

Both mares laughed. After, Tommy recounted what happened on their latest trip to the Crystal Empire, taking the chance to dote on her darling growing granddaughter. They shared stories about Cadance's and Shining's younger years, and spoke of their bright future together.

Although the topic of the conversation was new, the feeling behind it wasn't. Tommy hadn't realized how much she'd missed their meetings, and the way she felt when she was with Pippi. It wasn't dissimilar to how she felt when she was with Annika, but it was still unique. And in some ways, the feeling was better than ever. She no longer had the measure of guilt holding her back from enjoying the other mare's company to the fullest, and she took the time to notice every smile. Had Pippi always smiled so much when they were together before? Had Tommy?

Any lingering doubt was lost in that smile. She no longer even worried about Pippi's answer; Tommy would have been content to just be around that smile. But it warmed her heart and made her feel young again, and she wasn't just going to let it slip past her again without at least taking the chance at something more.

"Cellie…" Tommy blushed and looked down. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Oh? Something good, I hope?"

Tommy gently chided herself for acting like a silly lovestruck filly and looked up into Pippi's eyes like a silly lovestruck mare. She took just a few seconds to let that sense of peace once again wash over her. "I… yes, it is. I… well, I love you."

Pippi's smile fell into disbelief. "You… what do you mean?" she asked, although her blush suggested she knew exactly what Tommy had meant.

"I love you," Tommy repeated. She let the confession work it's way across her whole face, breaking into a radiant smile. "I've been in love with you for years."

"I see," Pippi said. "I have to say, this is… unexpected."

Although Tommy had resolved to accept any answer, it seemed that didn't work so well in practice. Pippi sounded so dispassionate, so much like her formal princess persona. She sounded nothing like the Cellie that Tommy had grown to love.

"Yes, I…" Tommy tried to find it, that inner peace that had allowed her to confess in the first place. With that, she could say anything. Explain herself, so that Pippi would know that no matter whether she returned the feelings or not it was still okay. "I thought it was past time to tell you."

Finally, Pippi's smile returned, although it was not her usual one. Or rather, it was her usual smile, but not the one normally showed to Tommy. "Tommy, I'm flattered. But you're a married mare, not to mention the mother of my student and mother-in-law of my niece. I'm sorry, but this just couldn't work."

Tommy nodded solemnly. "Yes, of course. I understand, I… I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

"There's no need to apologize."

There was a moment of awkward silence where neither pony knew what to say. A few times Tommy looked up to explain herself better, but the words always caught in her throat when she saw Pippi avoiding her eyes.

It seemed there was nothing else for them to talk about. Tommy quickly finished her tea, which she no longer particularly wanted, and stood up. "I should go." She tried to reclaim her friendly smile, to at least end their time together on a positive note. "You have a busy day ahead of you, I'm sure."

It took a moment for Pippi to answer her. Tommy half hoped that Pippi would stop her, insist that they still had time to enjoy one another's company, but she knew it was too much to wish for. "Yes, I suppose I do. Thank you for coming by, it was nice."

Tommy walked to the door. She turned to ask Pippi if they could meet again the same time next week. She couldn't manage the words. "Thank you for the tea and the company, as always."

Pippi did not stop her as she walked out the door, nor did she stand to offer a hug before they split ways. Tommy closed the door behind her and shuffled down the hall, head hung low.

Annika wouldn't be joining them. The thought had resounded in Pippi's head throughout the day. His attendance had been the one saving grace to the arrangement, and Pippi had simply not thought to find out his schedule ahead of time.

So then, that left her with the question of what to do next. Surely it wasn't so complicated as she made it seem? Tommy was a dear friend, and the two of them could go to a play together as such. So what if Pippi happened to know that Tommy had been wanting to see this particular play? And so what if Pippi had gone out of her way to tell the play's producer how much she was interested in it, knowing that he would invite her to watch it? That was within the bounds of acceptable friend behavior. It wasn't like she hoped Tommy would have a change of heart and leave her husband. Nothing could be further from the truth; Pippi absolutely did not want to complicate her friend's marriage in any way.

No, she only wanted to watch a play with Tommy. There was nothing unacceptable about that. They would meet up, talk about how it was a shame Annika had to work, and share some jokes on the ride to the theater. They would take their seats in the secluded private section of the theater, sitting side by side, just the two of them. Alone with no prying eyes, Pippi would be free to be herself, as she always was around Tommy. They would chat amiably until the lights dimmed, then the play would start. Pippi might steal a few glances at the beautiful mare by her side, and perhaps they would find their eyes meeting. Rather than be embarrassed, they would both smile at one another, and Pippi might drape her wing along Tommy's back. As a friend might do, of course. Perhaps Tommy would even lean against her, and Pippi would wrap both forelegs around her, just to be sure she was comfortable. They would watch the performance in a state of bliss, and before the night was over they would turn to one another again, casting dreamy looks as they slowly brought their faces closer together, until –

'Until I learn to stop fantasizing like a child,' Pippi scolded herself. Tommy was the mother of her faithful student, for goodness' sake!

If only young Tommy were a little older. Surely Tommy's daughter would serve as well as her husband for making sure Pippi stayed on her best behavior, and Tommy would likely be thrilled with the chance to spend time with her mother and her teacher. But 'The Importance of Being Honest' was a romantic comedy, and Tommy was still too young to be interested in romance. Meanwhile, Cadance had told her that she and Shining Armor had agreed to watch Tommy together, leaving her at a loss for whom else to invite.

Unfortunately, it seemed there was only one decent thing to do. Pippi finished her work early and made her way through the town. She could at least deliver the news herself.

Tommy and her family lived in a large manor home, fairly close to the castle. Pippi opted to fly, not wishing to be surrounded by guards or stopped on the streets by her little ponies. She was familiar with the way, having spent a fair few dinners with the family.

Pippi knocked on the door and was greeted by Tommy Sparkle. "Princess! I didn't know you were coming over for dinner tonight!"

Seeing her student's enthusiasm always put a smile on Pippi's face. "Greetings, Tommy. I wish that were the case, but I'm afraid I'm just here to have a word with your mother. Is she available?"

"Oh." Tommy's ears drooped at the news, but she quickly bounced back. "She's home. Come wait inside, I'll go get her."

Pippi followed her student inside. She had to smile again as the little unicorn ran up the stairs yelling, "Mom! The princess is here to see you!"

Although she knew she'd be welcome to sit in the living room while she waited, Pippi stayed by the door. She only had to deliver a small message then she'd be on her way, she would be fine where she was.

It wasn't long before Tommy came down to greet her, Tommy following eagerly behind her. "Hello, Princess. This is quite the surprise, I hope everything is alright."

At least with Tommy around, Tommy was less likely to call her 'Cellie'. Not that Pippi disliked the name – far from it, while she had no idea what possessed Tommy to latch on to the name, hearing it never failed to warm her heart – but it would make it harder to resist the chance to spend an evening together. "Greetings, Mrs. Tommy. It's about tomorrow. I fear something's come up and I won't be able to make the performance."

Tommy frowned towards the floor. "Oh, I see…"

"Of course, you're still more than welcome to attend without me. I'd hate for you to miss it on my account."

Tommy smiled, but it didn't feel authentic. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, although it's completely understandable."

"Again, my apologies." Pippi bowed her head, then turned to leave. "Well, I suppose I'll get out of your hair. I'm sure you're plenty busy with dinner plans."

"You could stay," Tommy answered quickly. Pippi turned back to see her blushing a bit. "If you're not too busy, of course."

"Thank you, Mrs. Tommy, but I'd hate to impose."

Tommy smirked, bringing herself to a more natural expression. "It's no imposition at all. But if you are staying, you will have to call me Tommy."

Adding the 'Mrs.' was Pippi's way of constantly reminding herself that Tommy was married, and she was always loathe to drop it. Still, she did always take some guilty pleasure in being told to drop it. A reminder that the two of them were close enough that she need not keep up her professional composure.

"Well, I suppose I –"

"Please stay for dinner, Princess," Tommy said, stepping out from behind her mother's legs. She beamed up at Pippi. "Dad's making lasagna!"

Pippi smiled at her student. "How could I refuse that? If you're sure it's no trouble, I'll stay."

"It's no trouble at all." Tommy's smiled suggested she was almost as happy as her daughter, although she contained it much better. "Twily, why don't you and the princess wait in the living room while I tell your father we have one more for dinner?"

"Okay!" Tommy excitedly led the way, while Pippi did all she could to not feel guilty for accepting.

Twelve years later, and Pippi was still remembering that day, as well as a host of others. It hadn't been particularly exceptional; they had a nice dinner, with nothing out of the ordinary. But it still played out in Pippi's mind from time to time, the day she began to consider if she ought to put some distance between herself and Tommy.

Eventually, she did, although it was only out of precaution. The two of them had never had a single close call. No overly long touches, not one near kiss, not even so much as any subtle flirting. Aside from perhaps a few long lingering glances, they had always behaved exactly as they should. Indeed, Pippi had never thought her feelings towards Tommy were reciprocated.

But it seemed they were. So many years of never saying anything, but now she did. What could have brought about the change of heart? The scene from earlier that day played over in her mind, from the warmth and excitement Tommy showed when she first revealed her feelings to the cold detachment when Pippi had shunned them.

Progress through her day was slow and tedious; Pippi was left with little motivation to meet with ponies. But the day passed as they always do, and Pippi knew she had another meeting before she could retire. Although she wished she could ignore the problem and have it undo itself, that would not happen. No, she needed to do something about it, though she knew not what. Fortunately, there was somepony who might.

Deciding she had done as much work as she could for the day, Pippi put away her things. She meticulously made sure every paper and quill was in its proper place, only rising from her seat once she could stall no longer. She walked slowly, questioning her decision with every step towards the astronomy wing. Once she reached her destination, she would have to confess things she had never wanted to be spoken aloud.

"Well, you do like to take your time, don't you?"

Pippi stopped in place. She had rounded a corner and come face to face with Anna, much sooner than she had expected. "Anna? How did you know I was coming?"

Anna smiled and led them towards her room, progressing much faster than Pippi had been by herself. "Dear sister, you have done nothing but mope around all day. I certainly hoped you were coming to see me, for it is painfully obvious something is weighing on your mind."

Anna was without a doubt the most perceptive pony Pippi had ever met. It always irritated her that she was never allowed to mope around in her own time with her sister present. And she wouldn't trade it for the world. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna didn't inquire about the problem as they walked. Only when they were in the privacy of her room, sitting comfortably across from one another with the door shut behind them, did she ask for more. "What is troubling you, Tia?"

Pippi hesitated for a moment. She had come to Anna with the express intent of explaining the full situation, yet actually doing so proved difficult. "Tommy came to visit me today."

Anna's eyes widened as her mouth fell open a bit. "You don't mean to say something is wrong in her family, do you?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Pippi answered quickly. "Everypony is doing well. I would have come to you immediately otherwise."

Relief flashed across Anna's face. "I should certainly hope so." Between Pippi teaching Tommy, Anna working with Annika, and Cadance marrying Shining Armor, there were few ponies so connected to the royal sisters as Tommy's family was. "What, then, did you and Tommy speak of?"

"Well, she… she told me that she loves me."

"Ah." Anna understood half of the problem immediately, as Pippi expected she might. "And the ever stalwart Princess Pippi is having difficulty fathoming why a married mare might feel that way."

Pippi wished Anna wouldn't refer to her like that, although she wasn't exactly wrong. "I understand that some ponies are attracted to multiple ponies."

"But you think it is unbecoming for a married mare to feel that way?"

Pippi couldn't find an answer.

"Oh, Tia…" Anna shook her head and smiled sadly. "There is no helping who we love. Tommy is a good pony, it does not lessen her to feel how she does."

"Tommy is a good pony," Pippi repeated softly. "I would never think less of her."

Anna stared at her for a moment before answering. "Oh my word, you love her back."

Pippi could not bring herself to confirm, but her blush did an adequate job of that anyway.

Anna broke into an excited grin. "Tia, this is wonderful news!"

Pippi glanced at her sharply. "She is still married. I will do nothing to get in the way of that."

"Come now, sister. Tommy has never given us any reason to doubt her faithfulness to her husband. I suspect he knows full well how she feels and has approved of it." Anna considered her for a moment. "What, exactly, would you like to do from here?"

Pippi paused for a moment. "I am afraid of complicating things with her and Annika. Even if he is okay with it in concept, actually seeing his wife with another pony might prove another thing entirely."

"You can not know until you try, and you have never been one to give up because something might fail. Again, what would you like to do?"

Pippi turned away, not willing to meet Anna's gaze. "It would be a scandal. The princess with a married mare, and the mother of her student at that? Ponies would be outraged."

"I am certain that Tommy Sparkle and the rest of their family would be thrilled to find the two of you bringing happiness to one another. I am also certain that nopony else's opinion matters. Tia, what would you like to do?"

Pippi bowed her head and sunk her shoulders. She answered with a quiet voice. "I have always been content with our friendship being what it has always been. I do not need more than that."

Even turned away, Pippi could practically feel Anna's gaze on her. Her voice lacked all softness as she spoke. "I am not concerned with what you feel is appropriate, nor what you would be content with accepting. This is not a question you can avoid, even if you do not answer it to me. Pippi, what is it that you want to do?"

"I want to go see her!" Pippi lifted her head as her voice became desperate, years of repressed emotion finding its way out. "I want to apologize for turning her away. I want to tell her that I love her, that nothing could make me happier than to be with her."

Anna smiled and rose from her seat, walking across the room to sit beside Pippi. "So then, sister," Anna said gently, "are we so bound in our roles as princesses that we are denied the beauty that is to love and be loved?"

Pippi let her head rest on Anna's shoulder. "I wouldn't know what to say," she said meekly.

Anna nudged her playfully. "Come now, you have been married before. Surely this is nothing?"

Slowly, Anna's playfulness made Pippi feel a little better. "Political marriages. And of course, I did grow to love each of them, but this is… different."

Anna shook her head. "Poor Tia… You have never had to make the first move before, and now you've rejected Tommy's attempt to go first."

"You're talking as if I've decided to pursue something with her."

"Very well then," Anna said, rising from her seat, "do what you feel is best when the time comes. But in the meanwhile, I think you'll agree that an apology is in order."

"Yes, I suppose that much is true." Pippi rose as well, then smiled at her sister. "Thank you, Anna. I don't know how I ever got by without you."

"Nor do I," Anna said playfully. "But that is a question for another time. Now it seems you are needed elsewhere."

Pippi looked at her quizzically. "Well, I didn't mean I was going right now. It's a bit late to show up unannounced, Anna."

"Nonsense, the two of them are often up well into the night." Anna's smile grew wider. "In fact, Tommy could probably show you some of the night's appeal."

"I already value your night heavily, you know that. Few things can compare to the beauty of the stars."

"I'm talking about the night that can be enjoyed outside of the castle. Canterlot has grown into a city that never sleeps, and I do not think you have experienced the nightlife here one single time. I think I shall like you being in this relationship, Tia."

"I still haven't decided on anything."

"Continuing to say as much will not make it true."

Realizing that she was beaten, Pippi just turned away. "You're hopeless, you know. But you are right about apologizing, and it would be better to get it underway."

"Never fear, sister. If you have not returned by the morning I shall inform the guard to not be alarmed."

Pippi left the room grumbling while Anna made jokes at her expense. Only when she had left her sister behind did Pippi smile again. She really did not know how she had ever managed without her.

She managed the path out of the castle with much more ease. Although talking with Tommy would be much more daunting than talking with Anna had been, it was in some ways easier. She had told one pony how she felt, telling another wouldn't be so hard.

It had been years since Pippi had regularly visited Tommy's house for family dinners with her pupil, but the way still felt familiar. As usual, she chose to fly to avoid meeting with other ponies. Not that she could have chosen otherwise; Anna was already raising the moon, and Pippi felt that her visit would be late enough already.

The cover of night made certain that nopony saw Pippi along her way, and she touched down in front of Tommy's house without issue. She took a moment to catch her breath, telling herself that it was only the flight that left her winded.

After a moment more than was really necessary, Pippi approached the door. She reached up a hoof, hesitated a moment, then finally managed to knock. It was quieter than perhaps was appropriate, and she was left worried that nopony would hear.

But somepony did, as the door opened to reveal Annika. For a moment both ponies just stared at one another; he wore a puzzled expression, while she had a sheepish one. Annika spoke up first. "Princess, what a surprise. Is, uh, everything alright?"

"Yes, I…" Pippi had no idea what to say. She had come to talk to Tommy, but she felt strange asking for her. 'Is your wife in? I'd like to confess my love to her.' No, that obviously wouldn't do. But neither would waiting to talk with Tommy. Sooner or later, Pippi and Annika would have to talk about everything. It would be better for all involved parties if they spoke sooner. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you if I could have a moment."

Annika stepped out of the house and walked to the edge of the porch. She had been hoping that he would invite her inside, and she found it worrying. But when he spoke, there was no malice in his voice. "I take it this is about Tommy?

Pippi hesitated a moment. As she told Anna, she would do nothing to hurt their marriage, and was weary of doing so by accident. "Yes, it is."

When he turned to face her, Annika was actually smiling. It did a lot to put Pippi's fears to rest. "I'm sure that must have been quite shocking for you."

"It was." Pippi could not match his smile, still too concerned with saying the wrong thing. "I imagine it must have been for you, too."

"Maybe a little, but probably not as much as you would think." He let out a chuckle, which assured Pippi she was the only one who felt strange about the situation. "To tell the truth, I always kind of thought she was interested in mares. And working from there, I probably could have figured out which mare she might be most interested in."

It was nice to know he didn't seem to direct any ill will to her, but it did nothing to stop her from blushing. She stared at his hooves as she spoke. "I see you're taking it quite well."

"You say that as if this is a bad thing." Annika fixed his gaze on her face, so it was all Pippi could do to make eye contact. Before, he had been smiling wide to put her at ease, or show his amusement. Now, his smile was much softer, and she could see exactly how genuinely happy he was, plain as day. "She really is an amazing mare."

Although she was still embarrassed and felt out of place, Pippi smiled as well. "She is."

Grinning wide again, Annika winked. "Something tells me you didn't come here to talk to me about this, though."

"Well, no." Pippi's smile faltered. If there was something that would cause problems, this was it. "I came to apologize, and to, well, assuming you were okay with it, I was hoping to, er…"

Annika placed a hoof on her shoulder. "You know, she loves seeing Canterlot by moonlight."

Without another word, Annika stood up. He walked over to the door and held it open for Pippi, who went through it with her eyes fixed on the ground.

"PL?"

Pippi stopped in where she was standing, suddenly realizing why Annika had opted to step outside to talk. She lifted her head to see Tommy sitting on a couch in the living room. Suddenly, she had no idea of what to say. The flight from the castle may have left her winded, but the mare sitting before her left her breathless.

"I'll give you two some time to talk," Annika said as he stepped inside. He left for another room as both mares continued to blush at one another awkwardly.

Eventually, Pippi took a step forward. "I'm sorry for how I let things end earlier."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm sorry for just laying that on you. It was a bit sudden."

Pippi shook her head and took another step closer. "There's no need to apologize, you did nothing wrong."

Tommy smiled as she gestured towards a seat across from her. "Would you like to stay and chat for a while?"

Pippi looked at the seat she had been offered. She knew it was only polite to accept, but she didn't want to sit there. Ignoring her fears at being too forward, she sat down on the couch next to Tommy instead. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Clearly, Tommy also wasn't concerned about Pippi being too forward. After a moment's surprise, Tommy's smile was warm enough to put the remainder of Pippi's concerns to rest. "I don't know what I was thinking, really. I knew you wouldn't be interested in anything like that."

"No? And why's that?"

Tommy looked at her quizzically, as if the answer was obvious. "Well, I'm a mare for one."

Pippi returned the same look. "I've never told you I've had a wife before? I could have sworn that I did."

"No, I can say with certainty that you did not." Tommy grinned at the news. She always loved teasing Pippi about her love life, or lack thereof. "But besides that, I'm a married mare."

"Yes, that is quite different from what I'm used to," Pippi admitted. "But surely that's no reason to not make the attempt. So long as Annika is okay with it, there was no harm in asking, after all."

"And I'm a grandmother. You could easily get somepony half my age."

"I am positive you know I'm a good deal older than you," Pippi said playfully. "To tell the truth, I've never been interested in younger ponies."

With every reminder of why they could work, Tommy grew more cheerful. She also closed the small gap between them little by little, so that they were almost touching.

"Well then," Tommy said, "I'm relieved that this whole business isn't going to cause any more problems between us."

"Yes, indeed. In fact…" Why had she thought the hard part had been telling Anna? Pippi could relive that moment a hundred times over and still would not be prepared to say another word to Tommy.

"PL?" Tommy leaned closer to her.

Prepared or not, the time had come. Pippi leaned in as well, putting them shoulder to shoulder. "I… I'm sorry, I was too surprised to think earlier. Now that I have, well… the truth is that I've always…"

Despite her babbling, Tommy understood. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. Pippi did the same, wrapping her wing around Tommy as their lips met.

"I love you, Tommy."

"I love you too, Cellie."

The sound of somepony clapping snapped the two of them apart. They each found themselves on opposite ends of the couch, blushing and not looking at one another.

Annika approached his wife, who was staring resolutely elsewhere. He kissed her on the forehead. "Okay, I'm getting out of your hair for real this time. Love you, honey."

He began walking towards the stairs when Tommy grabbed his tail in her magic to stop him. She left the couch to stand beside him, wrapping her hooves around him once she did. "I love you too, dear."

Annika returned her hug. "Alright, alright. You two are probably gonna have a lot to talk about, so I'll be upstairs if you need me." He pulled away and climbed the stairs, but stopped at the top. "Oh, and Princess?"

"Yes?" Pippi found herself worried again.

"Don't come back here too early."

Again, both mares blushed furiously. They heard his laughter distantly until the sound of a door closing cut it off.

"I'm sorry, that must have been awkward," Tommy said as if she wasn't feeling just as awkward herself.

"It's quite alright." Pippi had no problem with being the source of Annika's amusement. She stood up and walked over to Tommy. "So, my sister tells me there's a lot to see in Canterlot at night."

Tommy blinked at her. "You mean you've never been through your own city after sunset?"

Pippi grinned sheepishly. "No, I've never had the pleasure. Perhaps you could show me?"

"Of course!" Tommy grinned as she led them to the door. "There's plenty to do. There are shops and restaurants that are open all night, art galleries, moonlit gardens, the list goes on."

"What about theaters?"

"Of course." Tommy nodded. "Fancy seeing a play?"

Pippi smiled, draping a wing over Tommy as they walked through the front yard. "I do believe I owe you a play. It's twelve years overdue, but better late than never, right?"

Tommy nuzzled against her. "It'll be just like old times."

"No. It'll be even better."