A Snowy Retreat (Elderflower, PM to join)

[Hippo]

Luna giggled out loud as Fire Heart pounced on her for a hug. The Lunar pony only needed to make sure the pony's horn didn't cause any uncontrollable hazard to her or anything else in the room. She hugged with her, even though Luna was practically carrying Fire Heart on three legs at this point. After the student was done with her squeal, Luna replied. "Heh, I'm glad that you thought it was that magical." Luna carried Fire Heart to her bed and set her down in it. "But whats magical is only magical when you let it become great. I think you'd be surprised to see how amazing things in your life can get once you throw in a little enthusiasm with it." Luna winked and started walking towards the door. "Goodnight. Maybe the magic will continue in your dreams." Luna's horn lit up and zapped quickly at the ceiling. The room's ceiling revealed several spots of light that gave a starry night illusion. They would stay there until morning.

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[Lux]

Like a mother carrying her foal, Fire Heart felt Luna literally lift her up and place her gently in bed. While normally she minded being treated like a little filly, this time though things were different. It wasn't that the Princess was taking care of her that mattered but the love she felt from her, the same she experienced being with a best friend or with her parents. With the last word of advice that stuck in the red unicorn's mind and her safely in bed, Luna bid her goodnight but not before doing one more amazing thing in turning the ceiling of the room into a starry display.

"Goodnight, Princess," Fire Heart said with a yawn as she pulled the covers up to her head and lying on her back looked up at the magical stars. Soon she drifted off to sleep, the memories of this snowy retreat and the joy she had meeting Ice Storm and Princess Luna still in her mind. It would truly be a night that she wasn't about to forget for a while.

Exit Fire Heart into dreams. Thanks for the fun RP!

[IceStorm]

the feeling in Ice Storms stomach began to get worse and worse as they began to walk towards the rooms where they would be staying for the night. She felt even worse when she heard Fire ask if she needed to go somewhere else, noticing her own distress. She could detect a small hint of sadness in the other unicorn which made her feel even more worse. She hoped that she didn't make the other unicorn feel bad because of needing to talk to Luna, or thought that she was the reason that she needed to talk to her. Fire Was amazing! and she was already a good friend to have around. A friend that she would need to make sure that she got back with again. Without warning though, the other unicorn wrapped Ice in a hug, and after recovering from being caught off guard, she returned the hug as well before she went into her room with the princess.

She did giggle a small bit when Fire jumped into a hug with the princess, and much to Ice's disbelief, the princess simply returned the hug and carried Fire over to the bed and tucked her in before saying a few things that she couldn't really hear enough of to understand being so far away. She waited patiently outside of Fire's room while she waited for the Princess to return to her. Her anxiety building once more for what she was going to have to tell the princess any moment now. She only hoped the princess would be kind and forgiving about the situation, though so far, she'd give her no reason to think that she would be anything else.

[Hippo]

Luna snapped softly the bedroom door closed, and turned into the dark hallway to see the blue unicorn with a anxious expression on her face. Luna wasn't sure exactly why she would feel this way, but it proved to be puzzling for the princess, as she had some important things to discussion shortly with her before she went to sleep. Luna's over emphasis of things she sees and the desire to constantly be on top of whatever was in front of her got the best of her, and while a steward would politely suggest waiting until morning in this situation, Luna would have no time to store the haste.

"Why so glum? Come, let's go to your room now." Luna started walking down the hallway, pacing herself to allow the unicorn to step along side with her. "Grace me, Ice Storm. What is your favorite thing about being a student at the school?" Luna asked openly as they walked down several tiers of hallways, each of them changing shape with the size of its rooms and the prestige of the building. The width of the hallway seemed directly proportionate to the importance of the rooms it led to.

After Ice Storm answered, a night guard pony started walking down the hallway towards the two. When Luna kept approaching with a pensive smile, the batpony bowed in respect. After Luna passed the pony, the pony stood back up and continued his patrol, but only after a glare at Ice Storm to fulfill his competence in looking for suspicious activity.

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[IceStorm]

Ice heard the princess ask her why she was so glum all of sudden. She blushed a bit more as the princess closed the door to Fire's room and started leading her to hers. "If it's okay... I'd like to discuss that once we're in my room, and not within earshot of other ponies. The... issue I wish to discuss is... quite embarrassing," she replied to the princess as they started making their way up a few stairs. All the while Ice was a bit nervous of the ensuing conversation that was going to have to happen. She couldn't just not tell the princess and have her find out the hard way. When she asked about what she like about being a student of the academy, Ice thought for a few moments.

"My favorite thing from when I was at the academy was when I was working on my Ice magic. My other magics aren't very good, but some of the instructors there said that my affinity for Ice magic is unusually high. I still think it can be refined even more, as every once in a while when I'm running my shop I'll notice that she snow in my snow cones isn't quite right by the end of the day. I've been thinking about re-entering the academy, but I don't know if I'm too old to be accepted into it, or if there is an advanced academy that I have to attend for ponies that have graduated the base academy," she replied as they passed by one of the night guards. The glare he gave her made her a bit nervous and made her blush a bit, but it faded as he walked by. He was obviously just doing his job.

Ice took a moment to look at her surroundings though as she noticed the area getting much larger, and each hallway they walked through was getting larger as well as the rooms around it. It seemed that the exterior of the rooms were starting to look a bit more prestigious. This was starting to make Ice wonder where Luna was taking her, but remained silent on the issue. The princess obviously had something in mind, and she'd find out what it was soon enough.

[Hippo]

"You know, my little pony, it seems you have already found your niche. Many of the best unicorns find themselves talented in just one thing. Only powers granted to those destined for princesshood can master several elements of magic. The school will attempt to teach you, and maybe you'll fail the tests of magic you're not good at. That's fine. What we look for in a good magic student is a pony who can allow themselves to excel greatly at the things they are good at. I'm sure you have had some embarrassing moments where you felt worthless because you were being asked to succeed in an area you were meant to fail in. That isn't what you're embarrassed about is it? Because if it is, I assure you there is nothing to worry about."

Before Ice Storm could answer, Luna had finished leading the pony to her room. She pushed the door open gallantly. The room was large, each end of the room acting as it's own section of a luxurious suite in the castle. It looked like it was a room for a royal residence at the castle, including all the necessary grooming, dressing, and study areas in extra abundance included with the full size bed that looked softer than the most exotic fabrics in the world. "Ice Storm, this is your room." Luna walked over to the one of the windows and cracked it open. "See if even is located on the side of the building that is facing the wind in case you want in nice and cold in your room." Luna winked, assuming the blue unicorn preferred it colder inside.

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[IceStorm]

When Luna spoke about she might have already found her niche, Ice wondered what she meant. She continued in saying that most unicorns are only good with one type of magic, and struggle with anything else, stating that perhaps the reasoning she was embarrassed was because of possibly failing in something she was meant to fail in. Those words, she knew were meant towards the magic that the conversation was about, but it almost seemed to describe her situation perfectly otherwise. No pony's ever been able to pinpoint the source of the issue and thus they've never been able to fix it. Ice knew what Luna meant though and she was getting ready to respond until Luna said that they were at the room and she opened up.

When she opened it up. Ice Storm was frozen in her hooves. The room was... far beyond anything that she would have ever thought that she'd be staying in. Even more so because of the fact that the room that Fire got was, albeit still very nice, was nothing like this. This room looked as if it was almost meant for royalty, or somepony that was extremely important that needed to stay at the castle. A pony that she knew that she wasn't. Then she saw the bed, and almost instantly tears began to form in her eyes. Everything in this room was so perfect, and the bed looked so expensive that she was afraid to sleep here knowing what happened on a nightly basis. "Oh Princess, this room... is beyond anything I could have imagined. Everything in here looks fit for Royalty. Which... makes what I've been needing to tell you all the more worse..." Ice storm said with a blush. "Remember when we were speaking earlier about my parents, and I said I developed a fillyhood issue that I never outgrew? Here's a hint, it happens every night, and it's the only thing I dislike about the evenings because it happens after I fall asleep..." she spoke. "Princess... I..." she started hanging her head in shame. "I still wet the bed..." Ice said almost in a mumble and a slight whimper.

[Hippo]

Luna was waiting to see the immediate reaction from Ice Storm at the size and design of the room, and giggled to herself when she saw Ice was taken back by it. But Ice Storm still seemed troubled. Why? Even after a retort from Luna explaining how proud Ice Storm should be of herself and that she is going to be very effective in life to herself and others, the blue pony still seemed down about something. But what?

Oh no. Was this pony a liar? Was she not who she said she was? Had she taken Luna for a ride? What if Ice Storm was here to spy on the Princess and her purpose was only to serve Celestia who was playing a huge trick on her sister!? Maybe this pony was a secret agent who was gathering secrets for a pony faction who wanted to overthrow the Canterlot government. As Luna struck herself among a few seconds of fear of these possibilities as Ice Storm started what seemed to be a confession, she lingered on her words, her mouth open, and ready for the bad news.

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"I still wet the bed..."

Luna sighed a relief. "Oh. Is that all?" Luna smiled. "For a second there I thought you were going to tell me you were lying about who you are or something. If you had told me you were in on a ruse with my sister, I probably would have believed you." Luna giggled and sat halfway reclining on the bed, which was adorned with its own curtain. "Wetting the bed, huh? That's not a big deal. Embarrassing, sure, but I'm willing to gather you would have done something about it if you had the chance, am I correct? Maybe you just need time to readjust."

"I have one more thing I need to discuss with you before I tend to my night." Luna stood back up and walked over to Ice Storm, looking down from her Princess posture. "You know, I value my stewardesses here at the castle. The overnight guards and I rely on the organization of things that a Princess simply does not have time for. These stewards are the ponies that help me with tasks and also aide me in experiments related to the dreamscape, a very important task at hoof that I don't take lightly." Luna motioned Ice Storm to follow her to a wooden door on one end of the room. "I want you to meet my new stewardess. She's in this room right now. Go ahead and open it and say hi."

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((Spoiler for what lies on the other side of the door.))

It's a closet with a full body mirror.

[IceStorm]

Ice Storm stood in the room almost awestruck when the princess responded to her. That's it? she thought to herself as the princess continued, stating that while it was indeed embarrassing, but she was sure that she would have done something about it if she had the chance. "Actually, I've been to many doctors and been to many specialists, and so far I haven't been able to get any answers. The only thing I've been able to do about it at all was to wear," she blushed a bit, "a protective garment at night to keep from getting everything else wet. The reason that I've been so nervous tonight since the mentioning of sleeping was because... I didn't bring any... I completely forgot about the blizzard tonight and I was just going to sleep in the park under the moon. Nothing to make a mess on," she admitted to the princess. "That being said, I don't suppose you have any royal doctors that might be able to do something about it? I would presume the doctors that tend to Royalty would be only the best of the best and can fix almost any issue," she assumed.

The princess then started talking about how she cared for all of her Stewardesses here at the castle. Instantly, Ice was puzzled as to why she would have started talking about the topic. She said that the overnight guards and herself relied on the organization of things that they just simply didn't have time for. The stewardess were the ponies that helped her with tasks and helped her with experimentations with her dreamscape. A task that she didn't take lightly. Ice Storm was still confused though, as to what could have enticed the princess into speaking about such a thing, even when the princess lead her over to a double door stating that her new stewardess was on the other side. Ice didn't fully comprehend the situation, however she felt obliged to go ahead and open the doors hoping that she wouldn't be intruding on anypony.

When she opened the doors though, Ice was immediately thrown back again. On the other side of the door, was a full body mirror, and she was looking at a reflection of herself. Wait... she thought as she continued to look in the mirror. Luna said that her new stewardess was in this room, but the mirror was the only thing here. Then something clicked, and it became instantly clear. The reason that Luna was talking about everything and the reason that she lead her over here was because she was to become Luna's new Stewardess. Ice's heart jumped as she felt a wave of emotions coming over her ranging from extreme happiness and a bit intimidation as she looked back towards the princess with watery tears threatening to fall any second from the amount of joy that was coursing through her. An emotion that, she had not felt often enough. Without any warning she embraced Luna in one of the tightest hugs that she could. "I, am..." she started, at a complete loss for words. "I... don't really know what else to say but thank you. It's... beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of," she smiled to the princess.

[Hippo]

As Ice Storm hugged Luna in great thankfulness, Luna was stunned by the pony's ability to pounce, but then fell her eyes warmly as she realized what it obviously meant to the pony to be given such an opportunity. Luna was more than happy to do it, too. "Yes, yes. All night you've had that look in your eye for an opportunity like this, and since my previous helper left on retirement, I felt it fitting that someone with aspiration for higher things but felt banished by their circumstance could come into this palace with the same integrity and inspiration to make things better. You're a lot like me more than you know."

Luna complimented Ice Storm's gratitude with a clever change of subject. "And speaking of dreams, I ought to attend to mine, as well as you yours." Luna carefully dropped Ice Storm in the bed using her levitation magic and then using it again, brought out of a drawer a large blanket. "Here, you can used this blanket to keep your bed as dry as possible. If you make a mess, it's no big deal. If any of the cleaners or guards decide to break wind of your little secret I'll be sure to give them the proper adjustment." Luna blinked playfully not oblivious to how adorable her wrath is to a pony who would witness it as a spectator. "And yes, we'll set you up with the proper experts to see if we can't improve the situation. I can imagine it makes you feel helpless and out of control, but I assure you that when you overcome the problem, that your experience of conquering it will be such a victory that you will willingly tell others about how you achieved it."

"Ice Storm, is there anything else you need before I send you off to your dreams?"

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[IceStorm]

Ice listened to the princess when she told her that she was a lot more like her than she realized, and that she could see in her eyes that she was looking for some sort of opportunity all night. Ice blushed a bit. She was honestly just happy to get to meet the pony, and the princess that she had admired. Everything was beyond anything that she could have hoped to expected. Though, that doesn't mean that a part of her deep down inside of her wasn't hoping for something like this, and it would make sense that the princess would be able to see that. It was always said that the eyes of a pony was the quickest way to determine both their state of mind, intentions, and emotional status, and they almost never lie. The were the portal to the very being of the pony. She did give a soft smile as Luna placed her in the bed, which, was the most comfortable thing she had ever laid on, as she said that she needed to attend her dreamworld, including her own. This made Ice blush a bit more but she nodded as the princess handed her an old blanket saying that it should help keep the bed dry and if she should happen to make a mess, then it wasn't an issue, and if anypony gave her flack about it, or told anypony else, she would give them the proper adjustment. Ice couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the comment.

Ice's smiled continued though when the princess said that she would arrange for her to see one of the royal specialists on the matter. She acknowledged that the issue right now made her feel helpless and out of control, but added that when she overcame it, it would be something that she would be able to be proud of. The words couldn't hold anymore truth, especially since of how long she's been dealing with the issue. Ice wrapped the blanked around her hind quarters as many times as she could to attempt to keep everything as dry as possible and when the princess asked if she needed anything else, she shook her hand. "I couldn't possibly think of anything. You've already given me more than I had ever hoped for," she smiled at the princess as she slank back into the bed, and for the first time, in a long time, she didn't fear falling asleep.

[Hippo]

Luna smiled and gave a slow wink. "Then I'll probably see you again in the morning. Don't forget to dream." Luna grabbed the doorknob with her magic and started walking out of the bedroom. "Goodnight Ice Storm." Luna cleared the doorway and softly snapped it shut, the echo of the door closing resonating through the hallways which were empty at the moment.

It had been a cold night outside, and for Luna, the night was just beginning. She would have to attend to her regular routines, researching and writing letters until morning when her sister would tag the sun to begin yet another day in which the pegasi would try and tame this out of control snow storm. Inside, however, Luna had beat her sister. She felt the comparison almost literal, as she helped an Ice Storm gain control of herself and point her in the right direction. Sure, the message had only begun and there was much progress to be made, but it was all downhill from here for Luna. The biggest challenge now was probably to try and get her new stewardess on the night cycle, something she may have to force on her newest employee.

For centuries, ponies had always pondered the tension that might exist between Luna and her older sister Celestia. Surely, siblings of such great power would have epic feuds, right? Luna hadn't even entertained such a thought, but she knew that her sister and she were definitely a beautiful tension of opposites running away from each while being close by family bond, and though sometimes there might be a delay, nothing can ever destroy that bond.

Today, another tension was built, for when you put two opposites together you cancel their productivity. When fire meets ice it causes the ice to melt, but that melted ice would then extinguish the flame, providing yet again another struggle. Tonight the struggle was beautiful, for when it occurred Luna saw two young ponies come together harmoniously, and she was sure it only help their personal growth. Fire Heart's presence probably helped Luna melt away Ice Storm's fears and worries, and in turn, Ice Storm melted Fire's heart, providing a tale in the future when she grows older to tell her friends and family that she knows who Ice Storm is and that she played games with her and Princess Luna.

What was learned today is that it's never about breaking the ice with ponies that you learn to know who they are, but when you melt that ice away, you end up meeting somepony you've never imagined ever existed. And that reverence has the ability to outshine the status of a princess, for it is only when you melt away the fears, the regret, the pain, the scars, that you start to see the pony of powerful personality that you would have never seen otherwise or since. A Princess like Luna who struggled with identity possession in her past fully understands this. And she could never ask to meet the ponies of her choosing in any other way.

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