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Pearl couldn't sleep. Her sleep schedule had been completely shot by the summer night celebration just past, and her twenty-fifth birthday just before (or, as dad called it, eight and three quarters). It didn't help that her big test was tomorrow, and she had no idea what was going to be on it, or what it was about at all. Mom and Dad had tried to hide their anxiety, but it had been as plain as anything.

Pearl lifted her head and looked out at the busy sky. The half moon was low on the horizon, drawing her, calling. She felt the urge to jump out the window and run after it. But of course that would wake up Ruby, and it would bother mom and dad. She didn't have wings like a pegasus, so she shouldn't be jumping out of second-story windows. She could, though - she just knew it.

And of course the moon was not something she could just run to.

Until tomorrow, when she'd meet her. And the sun.

It was going to be a big test.

She put her head down and resolved to get to sleep like a big filly, but before she could count to a hundred she overheard the creaks of mom and dad making love. Of all the nights! I suppose they can't sleep either, but really!

She slipped out of bed and padded her way across the house, ready to remind them that tomorrow was a busy day. As usual, she imagined horrors. The home was transformed into a dripping dungeon. The moonlight was transformed into the flicker of torches; the rustle of leaves in the trees became the shifting of chains. It made things a bit more exciting than simply crossing the house in the dark.

When she reached their room, though, she couldn't stop them.

She'd never actually seen them doing it before; she'd just known what they were doing. They were lying on their sides, facing each other. From her vantage beyond the foot of the bed, Pearl had a very clear view of dad's hand reaching under mom's awkwardly upstretched leg and stroking her vulva. The bed's creaking was of course synchronized to her writhing.

Then he slid closer, onto her lower leg. Pearl could predict his motions as he slid into her. It was mesmerizing - a bit of déja vu, as dad called it. For her, it usually felt more like she was about to work something out - and she often did.

Mom rolled on top of dad, and her tail flopped down to cover the point of entry.

Pearl watched for another minute, trying to remember.

Dad said, "Not working..."

Mom said, "Distracted?"

"Yeah. Thanks for trying to take my mind off it, but..."

"No. No backing out now. Then we'll never get to sleep."

Pearl backed away, wondering how she could have ever known about that. It didn't bother her that she knew her strength far beyond how she'd tested it - who didn't have a feel for their strength? Or arithmetic - some folks are smart... or magic - that, she'd just had, as long as she could remember even though she'd never cast the vast bulk of her spells, and even those she had, she used only sparingly, since her reserve of magic recovered pitifully slowly. But this... how could she know this?

She needed to get away to think clearly. She went downstairs and slipped out the front door.

The grass was cool between her toes, and the dew was coming. The moon was sinking down in the west, and soon would be gone. She couldn't let that happen - she started running, chasing it, with an urgency she didn't usually feel. Alone, in the dark, she let loose. Instead of running a little faster than her classmates, she practically flew. She didn't want to go out of her way for the bridges, so she vaulted the stream. Her hair streamed out behind her almost straight, and her feet moved so fast they took on speed-hardening that normally only pegasi could bring about.

She slowed as she approached the Everfree Forest. Running hadn't helped her think so much as she'd hoped. Turning slightly southward, she loped past Fluttershy's house and uphill to Sweet Apple Acres.

To her surprise, the light was on downstairs. She smoothly slowed to a stop at the door and knocked.

A few seconds later, Applejack opened it quickly. She blinked and exclaimed, "Pearl!?" Then, more calmly, "What's wrong, Pearl? Come in..."

Pearl suddenly felt wary. Even... suspicious? She shrugged it off - this was aunt Applejack. Once she was safely sitting on the kitchen counter, she carefully said, "I... walked in on mom and dad."

Applejack laughed. "Oh yeah, that happens sometimes. A bit of a shock?"

Pearl felt a flood of relief. "Yeah. Like, why does this totally new thing seem so completely familiar?"

Applejack's laugh died. "Umm. Well, that's not exactly how it happened with me."

An awkward silence fell. Applejack asked, "So, do you need a little explanation?"

"No, I know how it goes. Thanks."

Applejack turned away, saying, "Cider?"

"Sure." Pearl twiddled with the mug. "What's keeping you up?"

Applejack sighed. "Elements business coming up tomorrow. Bothering me. It's one of those rare ones we can see comin'. Maybe it'll be nothing. Sure hope it is!"

Pearl loved hearing about the elements. They were only pulled out for major emergencies, and major emergencies meant excitement. "And if there's a problem, you'll blast 'em, like Discord?"

Applejack took a deep swig of cider in a big hurry. "Oh I hope not. Maybe make 'em remember something important, like general Chere."

That was a boring story, not like Rainbow Dash's super-fakeout. "So, who is it? What is it?"

"Don't know, pumpkin. That's the problem. Come on. Let's get you home. I'm sure they're done by now."

Pearl followed her out, put her hand on Applejack's neck as they walked along. Pearl felt her third and fourth cervical vertebrae. A story occurred to her: a secretly rebellious duke, a feather bed, a vigorous fuck, and then, right there between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. No one could carry tales of where she had disposed of her virginity.

That wasn't a particularly happy story to think up, and having her hand on auntie's neck kept it in mind, so she pulled her hand back.

"Something wrong there, pumpkin? You kinda tensed for a moment."

"Oh, just a scary thought."

At home once again, she slipped back in without waking anyone. As predicted, her parents were again still. She went back up to bed, pet Ruby once on her neck, and, no longer bothered, went to sleep.

Breakfast was a rush as everyone had woken late (no surprise there). They dashed out the door and caught the train just as it was leaving. Neither Pearl nor Ruby had ever been on a train before. Dad did one of his incomprehensible in-group jokes with himself as the sole group member: "Now we've got Ruby on rails! Heh... never mind."

Ruby was antsy, hopping with her front hoof-hands, so Pearl asked, "Mom, dad? Can we go exploring?"

Mom admonished, "There's plenty to see here. And we don't want to bother the other passengers, do we?"

"Aunt Applejack said they were going on elements business today. That means they're going to Canterlot today too! Probably on this train!"

"Well, in that case, do you think it would be a good idea to bother them?"

"No, mother." Pearl settled by the window and stared out. It was a new feeling to be moving so quickly, and especially as they approached the mountains, but her nervous energy exceeded even Ruby's. She wanted to jump out and race the train. But even she realized that she couldn't - not quite. Maybe when she was bigger.

Dad, sitting at her left, took her hand. "Nervous?"

"Yeah. Did you have to be tested like this?"

He sighed. "Not just like this. But yes, I was tested. Sorely." He swallowed. "And I passed. And you'll pass, and we'll see what wonderful new opportunities open up, won't we?"

"You mean... I could end up going to study magic like Twilight Sparkle did?"

"Maybe so. I guess we'd have to move back to Canterlot."

"No need to uproot the whole family. I'd be all right on my own. I'd come home often, don't worry. The train looks fun."

He laughed. "Gone at nine. At this rate we'll be empty-nesters in no time." And yet, the laugh was strained.

Then he picked up her right hand and put it to his chest, above his heart.

Pearl blinked. That had been something he'd come up with when she'd been worried about Ruby taking her place (and with Mom, she kind of did), and later when she was teased in school for being a foundling: their matching scars. Hers on the tips of her fingers, his across his heart. They hadn't done it lately; there'd been no need.

Dad whispered, "Remember."

"Of course I remember - we match."

Arriving in Canterlot, they bustled off to the palace. And then, waited. Pearl wandered within the area they were permitted, looking at the stained glass windows. All sorts of monsters being defeated.

Dad spoke eagerly with some ponies - he'd used to work with them, she overheard. She stood through two rounds of oh-how-you've-grown and I-knew-you-when-you-were-this-big. Ruby was sent to play with the other children of palace workers.

Then a light shone through the room: Celestia had arrived.

Dad bowed deeply, and mom supplicated, but Pearl just stared. Such power, and grace. She didn't even notice when her parents rose.

Celestia came close, sniffed lightly, tasting the air. Then, with a smile, she said, "Welcome back to Canterlot, Pearl. What do you think so far?"

Pearl looked back. Father was holding a hand over his heart, and hugging mom with the other. Parents can be so over-dramatic sometimes.

She turned back to the princess. "It's beautiful. And nifty."

Celestia nodded towards the window they were in front of. "Which is your favorite?"

Pearl looked up and down the row. "That one is... Well, it's not prettiest."

"It's certainly the most striking, yes. The defeat of Sombra and the banishment of the crystal empire. Very sad. But keep looking."

Pearl walked with her. They came to one with a human, who seemed to be exploding in gray flame. In front of - or perhaps in? - the belly was a baby.

She pointed. "What happened there?"

"The elements of harmony reduced her to a baby."

"Oh wow. What did you do?"

"What would you?"

"Raise her. Keep a close eye on her, in case..." In case you need to blast her again. My aunts are the bearers of the elements of harmony. And they are on elements business today. The day of my test.

She laughed. I'm Jadis! The last queen of Charn, empress, dragonlord, torturer, slaver, murderer of around three billion in various worlds and times!

As the memories flooded her, she could not stop laughing. Her sides burned. The absurdity of her last eight years, in the context of the previous hundred and forty, could not be overstated. It was all one cruel joke, teasing her like this and then closing the trap around her, ending it all. Celestia was already using intense magic, glowing all over.

A vision of how she could attempt escape flashed - Suckerpunch Celestia, Quick-Haste-Warp, appear on the road outside the gates, Quick-Shell-Merton for the guards. No, I'm not strong enough to survive that, even with shell - and Merton might be defense-piercing anyway. I never tested that. So, punch Celestia, leap through the window, snag one of the banners...no, Warp would be better even so. I can deal with guards on the road better than a palace-full.

Her situation updated - she was being grappled by 'dad'. He was so little of a threat she didn't even waste important thinking-time on fighting back, instead focusing on alternate escape plans.Quick-Invis-Warp. Right. That's it. I'll have the worm with me on the other end of the warp, but... stop. They'd have the road covered by the elements, and Twilight Sparkle can see through invisibility. They have Celestia, and presumably Luna, and possibly others, here. So, no warp. And they haven't seriously hit me yet. I need to understand why.

Her laughing slowed, and she looked up into mom's face from where dad cradled her, as they sang:

"...and when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'twill be in the valley of love and delight."

They're still hoping I'm Pearl. I can work with this.

"When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed."

What can I do with it? Well, I can walk out of here safely, for one thing. Immediate threat resolved. Wasn't that easy? But in the longer term, I've got to... what? What is it I have to do?

"To turn, turn, will be our delight till by turning, turning, we come round right."

I was mad because I thought they were teasing me with these years of unaccustomed happiness before snatching it away. But they don't want that. It's not a trick. Omar the worm treasures the scars I gave him because they're part of me too. You can't fake that.

A hiccup. What do I get if I set out on my own? I've ruled empires, but being forced to go back to ruling empires was what made me freak out!

A deep breath. "I now have one hundred and forty years of experience in doing it all wrong."

Celestia dimmed to her background level of radiance.

Turning her face up to dad, Pearl smirked. "I love you, worm." Finger by finger, she reached up and matched with him.