Four of Two

by Ariamaki

Rating: mature
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Princess Luna, Comedy, Fluttershy, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Sex, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 119716

Twilight and Fluttershy realize they each love their Princesses much more than platonically...

It's an epiphany that hits Twilight hard, one day: She loves Princess Celestia. Well, she's always loved her, but now she realizes it's a lot more than the love of subject to ruler, or student to teacher. And when it turns out a friend is in similar straits, they both decide to give it a shot. But it won't be easy. So with the help of their friends, and the support of one another, Twilight and Fluttershy do their best to achieve the seemingly impossible: Confessing their love to the rulers of all Equestria. Meanwhile, all their friends have their own relationships to worry about, not to mention their friendship as a group.

It won't be easy.
But it will be worth it.

Published 2012-02-11 14:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-02-18 16:55:35 UTC

Chapter 1- Royal Revelations

"Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle." And with that, Spike sealed off the letter, took a breath, and engulfed it in flames. It flew away on wings of magic, and she closed her eyes and sighed- Writing her letters was always a relief, even though she was no longer on a regimented schedule. Spike headed out the door-- Something about helping Rarity on a project before their appointment. Which was weird, she didn't think Spike and Rarity had anything planned today. Oh well, no worries, she can just head upstairs and let him do his own thing.

Her concentration wandered, and she began daydreaming, thinking about what Princess Celestia might be doing or about how she might receive the latest in a bevy of letters. Distracted as she was, when she hit the top of the stairs, she nearly tripped and went muzzle-first to the floor. She shook herself off with a worried little laugh, but the images stuck in her head. She hadn't had anything like this happen in quite a while, actually... The occasional weird dream, sure! But this was different- She hadn't actually daydreamed like this before, thinking about spending time with Celestia, maybe taking time to stay in Canterlot for a week or so, maybe studying under her private tutelage, perhaps even spending her nights together with her. Late study sessions, the occasional word of encouragement, and then... Hmm. Well. Seems like her brain was trying to prove her wrong today.

Deciding she could use a bit of a distraction, she went to read a bit, a light little adventure fiction she had picked up out of curiosity. This will certainly be enough to keep me occupied... was her original thought, but she didn't even make it through ten pages before she was transposing Celestia in the place of one of the characters, imagining that the comforting speech on the pages was being spoken to her, softly, in that regal voice, and in private...

She stopped reading with a massive blush across her cheeks, a little shiver up her withers making her rub her hind legs together nervously. This was... totally normal! Yeah. She really respected and adored Princess Celestia, is all- Nothing wrong with thinking of somepony like this, all the time, sometime waking up saying their name in a rosy little voice that barely sounded like herself... OK, so maybe it was a bit less adoration and more... Hmm. She had read about this, but she didn't really have any good empirical method of testing it. Except... Oh! This would be easy.

She stood up from her bed, looked into the mirror, and exerted a little bit of magic to change the image to that of her mentor. She looked upwards, into those bright, slightly cold eyes, at that perfect bearing, and tried, as hard as she could, to say those words.

"I... I lo..."

A solid minute of stuttering, blushing, and an oddly comfortable warmth in her haunches later, she was pretty positive that was enough testing. Oh dear. This... She had absolutely no idea how to handle this. She was in love, quite a bit it seemed, with a pony literally hundreds of times older and more powerful than her, with her mentor, the mare who had saved her and her friends time and again, the reason she got to study magic seriously, the reason she met her friends... The most important being in her, no, scratch that, in everypony's lives. And she hadn't the slightest clue what to do about it.

Lost in thought, she jumped in shock at the door downstairs opening, and voices coming in. Spike and... Rarity? And Fluttershy?

...Oh.

Oh horseapples. Spike had meant her appointment with Rarity! Aaaah stop worrying you need to get ready or you're going to be tar... No. Late. Just late. Not the other word.

Ponyville's Day Spa was surprisingly well-frequented given the size of the town, but it never really surprised Twilight- Everypony likes to take some time off and relax, and the prices were easily within even the tightest budget. She had started coming regularly along with Rarity and Fluttershy over the last several months- Her frequent magic practice made horn care especially important, it was good to hang out with her friends, and it was... nice, to be pampered and to relax, to forget, for just a bit, about all the books and assignments and letters to...

Well! Moving on. Fluttershy was demure as always, and Rarity just slightly too poised, as they requested their usual treatments in the usual rooms. She was able to keep her mind off of her silly little incident for most of the day, until they ended up in the soak baths, heavily relaxed and free to talk without worrying about the Spa ponies overhearing anything. Which, of course, means Rarity has to take this opportunity to ask exactly the wrong question, right when she's distracted.

"Twilight darling, I've been wondering... have you met anyone in Ponyville who... strikes your fancy?"

"Well, I definitely have a crush on somepony..."

There was a moment of silence, at which point she facehoofed. "Oh wow I didn't think I said that out loud."

Rarity chuckled and put a hoof up to her mouth in fake shock.
"The endlessly studious Twilight Sparkle has a crush? Oh, Celestia forbid!" She laughs off her joke and shakes her head. "Twilight, that's perfectly understandable. But come now- Spill! It's terrible etiquette to leave somepony hanging after saying something like that!"

And then even Fluttershy joined in on the inquisition.
"I'm, um... I'm actually really curious too, Twilight. If that's alright."

She sunk further into the water, trying to hide from the conversation.
"Uughh... Girls, I am really embarrassed that I even said that."

"Oh, that's quite alright! We'll just guess!"

She had thought she'd gone through some embarrassing things before. The Parasprite aftermath. The incident with, ah... the other word for "late". But sitting in the steamy baths, her friends listing off a wide variety of mares and colts from all over Ponyville, she realized that was nothing by comparison. And of course, even that got topped a minute later when they exhausted their other options...

"Ooh, it wouldn't happen to be Pinkie Pie, would it?"
"Rarity! Are you really asking if it was one of our friends?"
"Well, it certainly hasn't been any of the other ponies we could name!"
"Yeah, and... we named a lot. I mean, we both know a lot of ponies, or, we all do, so..."
"Mmfph. Well, no, it isn't Pinkie."
"Rainbow Dash?"
"Nope."
"Uhm, is it, heh, either of us?"
"Oh! No. I... no."

Rarity rolled her eyes at her and leaned back in the tub.
"Well then, I give up- I'm out of ideas."
She felt so conflicted. She didn't even know if she would ever be able to do anything about this feeling, much less tell other people, but they were her friends, and they wanted to know, so...
Muttering, sinking herself entirely into the water, she said it.

Rarity perked her ears up and tilted her head in confusion.
"Hmm? Oh, did you forget to send your letter earlier?"

"...I wasn't talking about the letter."

"Well then why did you say... her... oh my stars Twlight really?" Rarity practically lept out of the tub, leaning over to look closer, and out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see that Fluttershy was blushing almost as much as she was, for some reason.

"I think so. I... yes. So that's it. I'm just the absolute silliest pony, the most disgraceful student, wanting and hoping and looking... I don't even know if it would be legal, and I'm just a filly and she's the Princess, for... her, sake, I guess. And I don't have the slightest hope in Equ-"
She was cut off by a pair of slim forelegs wrapping around her shoulders-- Rarity, stepping out of her tub, hugging her, gently running one hoof down her mane.

"Shhh. Don't. Don't ever say something so ridiculous. You are my friend, you are the pony who saved all of Equestria twice, if not more, and if absolutely anypony deserves it and is capable of it, my dearest friend, it is you. We're probably the six ponies closest to our rulers, and if I hear you bad-mouthing yourself over something like this again I will be... Well, I'll be very displeased."

She sniffled, laughed, and hugged her friend back. Fluttershy had drifted over at some point, nuzzling up to the two of them quietly, sharing the comfort. Rarity was right. She had her friends. She had done things nopony else would ever be able to think of. She could make this work, or try. And... hey, what's life if you don't take risks, right?

Fluttershy went to speak, squeaked, and then started again.
"Well, uhm, Twilight, I can guarantee you're not the silliest pony in Equestria, haha. Because, I, um..."
Her and Rarity both stared at Fluttershy, waiting for her to finish.
"maybe-I-sorta-like-Luna-and-wanna-see-her-again" came tumbling out of her mouth, all one gigantic word-blob, and when they had both managed to separate it in their heads, Twilight gasped.

"What? But... Nightmare Night, you were so scared..."

"Ah, yeah, about... um, that..."

"Oh! I hadn't gotten to hear the details of this yet- Do go on Fluttershy!"
And so she told the story.

The knock made her react on pure instinct, the same reaction she gave every year.
"GO AWAY, NO CANDY HERE, VISITORS NOT WELCOME ON NIGHTMARE NIGHT!"

But the voice from the door wasn't disappointed foals or angry parents for once. It was familiar.
"Ah-heh-heh... Fluttershy, it's me, Twilight!"

She swung the door open just a tiny crack, only to see her purple unicorn friend, hidden underneath an adorable hat and sporting a rather outsized beard.
"Oh, it is you Twilight!"

She swung the door open the rest of the way to let her friend in. Beside her was a tall, crown-bearing blue alicorn with a mane of starry night.
"Oh, and Nightmare Moon..."

Pause. Rethink. Look again.
"AH, Nightmare Moon!?"
She screamed, slammed the door with all of her strength, and fled like her life depended on it. Because it did. That was Nightmare Moon! The monster, the beast, the thousand-years-banished evil princess they defeated with the Elements, and she was here. Her heart was thumping in her chest so fast she couldn't even think straight, she was almost dizzy, and she barely remembered the scuffle she had with Twilight as she was shoved out the door again, into the face of... No, wait.

It was definitely still her. And Fluttershy was scared witless. But... Nightmare Moon wasn't the same. Slimmer, smaller, more... normal. But still imposing, still royal, and Fluttershy still remembered that fight in the tower, the dangers of the forest, their kidnapped Princess...

A booming voice, pressing her backwards through sheer volume:
"Charmed."
She ran, again.
She was retrieved, again, this time by magic. She fought, she struggled... But no. Again, to face her.
"...Likewise."

She spent the rest of the conversation curled up on the ground, stunned by that massive voice, hardly even knowing what she heard or what she said, and she honestly didn't remember the face-plant into the door. But in the end, the Princess... that is who she is, now, right? In the end, the Princess brought her voice down to normal levels, for a sentence or two, before she grasped Fluttershy in her telekinetic power and embraced her, shaking her almost violently in her enthusiasm.

"Oh, thank thee, dear Fluttershy!"

At that point her mind sort of fogged over, and she didn't really remember anything until after she went inside again, apart from... a chicken?

"Now, see, that's... pretty much exactly how it happened, actually. But that's the point where I left."

Rarity was gaping a bit- She hadn't seen the Princess that night, she had been too busy sleeping off the efforts of sewing several dozen costumes on commission in the weeks before the holiday-- She never celebrated Nightmare Night, she spent far too much time making it happen. So Fluttershy... Hmm.
"But... What then? What did you do after they left?"

That voice was ringing in her ears, as she cracked her joints back into place.
"Oh, thank thee, dear Fluttershy!"
The echo didn't really stop as she went upstairs, drew a bath, and sank into the hot water.
"...thank thee, dear Fluttershy!"
That sentence ran laps through her head as she tried to pin down the feeling under the fear.
"...dear Fluttershy!"
That.

That was what she remembered, under the fear, no, attached to the fear. She had never been quite so afraid in her entire life, even when they fought Nightmare Moon for the first time, even when she was plummeting out of the sky before she got her Mark. And she was starting to realize that... She really didn't mind being scared. Not in that way, anyways. Sure, Nigh... Luna. Princess Luna. Sure, she was scary, but she was... strong. She was the very definition of royalty, of the old world and the old ways, like some kind of walking, shouting time capsule.

And she was beautiful.

Rarity was holding back a dark little laugh as Fluttershy stammered her way through the end of her story, fidgeting and blushing like wildfire.
"I bet you were quite glad you drew a bath, weren't you?"

"Rarity! I... that..."

"Oh ho ho ho, you did! That's fantastic!"

Twilight blinked in confusion. "What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, it's... Nothing. Never you worry your silly little head over it Twilight. We have something much more important to deal with."

Rarity stood, beaming with something like pride, or ambition, and she spoke.
"Well, since I already have somepony in my life, I know what I must do-- I'm going to help you two actually achieve what you're looking for."

Twilight and Fluttershy both stared, aghast. But then they smiled- They had a friend they could trust, someone who already knew all about the royalty and the intrigues of Canterlot's courts. But something was bothering Twilight...

"Wait, Rarity."

"Mmyes?"

"You said you already have somepony you're... involved with, right?"

"Ah." A quick look of panic, smothered expertly, if Twilight hadn't known to look for it. "So I did."

"And earlier, when you were asking me about my crush..."

She watched, trying not to laugh as Rarity crunched the numbers in her head, thinking back and wondering if she had really asked about everypony...
"Why didn't you mention Applejack?"

For a minute, there was no response, until Rarity sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Well... Well blast. I had really been hoping to keep that secret a bit longer."

Chapter 2- Apples and Aspirations

They filed out of the Spa, thanking all the considerate employees as they went. Twilight felt... Refreshed. She had been so worried this morning, but now everything was clear, she had a plan, and she had a friend who wasn't just supportive, but was going through the exact same thing. Their other friend, however, was fretting about letting slip her own status. After all, they were already on the way to Applejack's- Rarity had "plans" there later that evening, which they now knew was just an excuse. Twilight honestly didn't mind though- In her horseshoes, she would have done the same thing. Probably. Not having, ya know, any experience in that.

But back to Rarity's fretting, which she should really be paying more attention to:
"Mmmh, we hadn't really planned on telling anyone yet, but..."

"Oh Rarity, it's alright- I think it's really good!"

"You do?"

"Oh yes! I'd always worried you two might be, uhm, a bit distant, but it turns out..."

Rarity giggled at this, and loosened up her stride considerably.
"Yes, well, I suppose hiding it for this long was a bit of a poor decision all told. But now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I might as well tell you how it happened."

This would be interesting! The most time she had ever spent with those two alone had been the sleepover, and it had been an absolutely troublesome time, they clashed so much. Twilight thought that, maybe if she found out how they overcame their differences, she might get some insight into what she needed to do!

"Well, it all started when we had a terrible argument..."

She was just so red in the face right now! The Earth Pony before her could not have possibly been less cultured or more rude, and right now especially it was getting to her. She, honestly, couldn't even remember what started it, but they had gotten into a bit of a shouting match.

"Oh yeah? Well you aint ever done a day of heavy lifting in your life!"
"Hmph! And you think heavy lifting is the only hard work there is!"
"You spend all your time making frilly dresses and gowns, alone with a cat!"
"You spend all of your time kicking fruit out of trees, just plain alone!"
"You always dress up so dang pretty you'd think you were tryin' to attract folks!"
"And you do so much work that you look as muscular and toned as a colt!"
"You're the most ridiculously pretty fashionista to ever sew a stitch!"
"You're probably the most ruggedly handsome mare I've ever laid eyes on!"
"Sometimes you distract a mare so bad she accident'lly kicks her brother in the ribs!"
"Well your accent... actually... made me forget what I was going to say next."

They both paused, panting, out of breath, fiercely blushing, and probably not because of the argument. Eyes still locked, neither of them really sure what to do, Applejack spoke first.

"Rarity?"
"What do you want?"
"Don't make me come over there and do all the work myself."

They both rushed into the kiss so fast she had been sure, afterwards, she had chipped a tooth.

Twilight and Fluttershy both stopped at that one.
"That was what led to your first kiss?"

"Oh yes! It... Well, part of what I've always liked about Applejack, even as a friend, is how passionate she is. Even when it's not the right time, she won't hold back what she thinks. She is, after all, the very Spirit of Honesty."

Twilight tried to picture herself and Celestia getting into some equivalent of that situation, and stopped immediately when she blushed hard enough to feel it.

"So what about... the stallion of your dreams?"

"Oh, that? Well, I realized something simple. Not only was Blueblood a complete dolt, but... Marrying into power would just be cheap. I can reach the top of Equestria's social ladder on my own power, or I won't reach it at all. And if that means bringing everypony I know up with me, so be it."

She grinned wide and bright, hugging Rarity with one leg before starting to walk again.
"Now that is the Spirit of Generosity we all know and love. Some, apparently, more than others."

"Ahha, heh... Speaking of which, please allow me to break the news to Applejack. We had been putting no small amount of effort into hiding our relationship."

A minute or two later, they had arrived at the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, where they could hear the sounds of fruit being worked over, moved from place to place, and... the occasional rubbery bouncing noise. Huh.

At the barn, Applejack rushed out to greet them, taking a break in between jobs.
"Well howdy there girls! What brings ya out this way?"
Twilight noticed, now that she knew to look, the way Rarity's smile twitched just a hint wider at the sound of Applejack's heavily-accented voice.

"I am dreadfully sorry to say this, Applejack, but it seems that the jig is up."

The other pony smacked herself on the forehead and sighed.
"Aw really? Why'd you have to go and tell'em?"

Rarity made a gesture of mock offense.
"Tell them? Oh no-no-nooo. They figured it out themselves, actually. And since they did, I can feel entirely free to do this."

She stepped forward and planted a gentle kiss on the other mare's cheek, causing her to put a hoof up to that spot with a thoughtful expression.
"Ya know, ah reckon that's the first time anypony else saw that."

"Mmmhmm."

Twilight rolled her eyes and stepped forward, interrupting the couple's locked eyes- No sense in letting things get any more involved in the middle of the barn doors.

"So, Applejack... Why hide it? I'm just curious, honestly."

"Well, ah... Ah didn't want you girls ta think any less of us, gettin' into a relationship and all that when we're all such close friends. It woulda been a mite bit weird."

"Uhm, well, if it's any consolation Applejack, I don't think it's weird. I'm happy for you."

"Me too! You really shouldn't have worried, we're you're friends! We always support you."

They all had a quick hug, a moment of camaraderie, before the sound of bouncing rubber and squeaking wheels drew closer.
"Oh, here comes Big Macintosh!"

And so he did, yoke and harness in use, hauling a large circular trampoline... On which Pinkie Pie was happily bouncing, giggling away, somehow managing to always fall where the trampoline was, even as it moved along. They all ran forwards to greet the new arrivals, Applejack looking a bit angry.

"Pinkie Pie get down from there! You could hurt somepony!"
The other pony just laughed, landing cleanly on all fours on the ground before spontaneously hugging Applejack.

"I'm so glad you two finally spilled it!"

"Wh- Now how in tarnation did you even know? Heck, how'd ya know we told 'em?"

Pinkie just points to her mane, which swayed back and forth for a moment, with no breeze.
"Pinkie-sensed it!"

Applejack suddenly went wide-eyed.
"So that means you told..."

Big Macintosh just shook his head and went to put away the trampoline.
"Oh hay. That... Oh, ah am gonna get such a talkin-to..."

Rarity didn't seem to be listening, already walking over to Applejack's brother.
"Excuse me, Big Macintosh, I hate to be a bother, but since you, ah, already know about our situation, would it be alright if I stayed over at Sweet Apple Acres sometimes?"

"Rarity! You're just gonna make things-"

"Eeyup."

She stopped.
"...Wait what?"

Even Rarity seemed surprise to have gotten approval. Big Macintosh just pulled the long stem out of his mouth and looked at them both.
"Miss Rarity, if you take care of the rest of your life even half as well as you run that boutique of yours, my sister's in good hooves. Speakin' a which..."

He reached over to Applejack, pulled her hat away, and ruffled her mane a bit before putting it back.
"Proud 'a ya, sis."

And for the second time in as many minutes, everyone was smiling and laughing and happily chattering away, while Twilight contemplated how weird it was going to be to write another friendship report so soon after sending one this morning.

"So wait, you and Applejack? Seriously?"
Rainbow Dash had been filled in pretty quickly after she arrived from Cloudsdale with news of a rescheduled storm coming this evening, and was now looking at Rarity in shock.

"Yes, and for quite some time now."

"Well... Dang! Glad to see you two workin' something cool."
She smiled at Dash- Always quick to dismiss something as unimportant or sappy, but when she said she was happy, she meant it. So everyone had been informed, and now she could get down to her real objective for today-- Although first, she'd have to make sure Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie had no idea what they were getting up to. Hmmm... Ah!

"Girls, I hate to break up the celebratory atmosphere, but unfortunately, Twilight, Fluttershy and myself have an engagement tonight- The Spa ponies invited us to a bit of a shindig in Canterlot."

Between the others’ distaste for going to the spa for treatments, and the sour feelings about Canterlot ever since the travesty that was the Gala, it ended up being the perfect excuse- The others all made their muttered excuses and wished them well, and Pinkie suddenly tried to start a spontaneous party to "counter-balance the party they're going to!", and with that, they made good their escape.

Fluttershy gave her an admiring glance.
"That was really quick thinking, Rarity."

"Oh, wait until you see how I'm getting us into the Royal Palace."

"Oooh, that sounds li- you're going to what!?"

They all stepped off and thanked the colts pulling the carriages up and down the mountainside to Canterlot-- It didn't seem to be bustling today, for which Twilight was especially thankful. She had absolutely no idea what Rarity was trying to pull, how she planned to get them inside, or what they were even going to do once they got in! What if they got caught? What if they accidentally snuck into a guard room? What if they... walked... straight up to the gate?

A quick tug on her friend's mane, and a hurried whisper into her ear.
"Yes darling?"

"What will you do!?"

"Well, I do believe I'll get us inside. Just allow me a moment."

And with that, she strutted up to the guards as plain as day, a broad smile on her face. There was a conversation, which somehow started at a bare whisper and managed to get even more quiet as time passed, and the guard suddenly got an extremely nervous look on his face. He went inside, and a bit of time passed. He returned with a stern-looking office-mare, the conversation started up again, and then Rarity went inside, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy alone.

She knew that this couldn't exactly be easy for the easily-frightened pony beside her, so she stood close to her, laid a comforting head on her shoulder. Fluttershy smiled, and they stood that way for a while, until the stern pony came out again, looking fairly confused, with Rarity beside them, wearing the most triumphant little grin.

The cold-eyed clerk cleared her throat and spoke, surprisingly loud.
"Ahem. I am officially pronouncing a scheduled meeting between the Princess Luna of Equestria and the unicorn Rarity of Ponyville, along with guests. The meeting will be in one hour's time, over a light lunch on the Eastern Tower Observatory."

Her jaw dropped as the clerk went back inside and Rarity strutted up.
"I truly hate to gloat, but I did tell you I would manage."

"...Rarity, what did you do?"

"Not very much at all, Twilight! It's just that, ever since the Gala, I've been making some time to do, ahem, 'special orders' for some of the colts and mares here in Canterlot, building up a little portfolio of contacts... And, of course, favors."

Fluttershy giggled and flapped her wings in a fit of energetic glee.
"Oh Rarity, I... thank you! This is going to be so... oh. I... Oh now I'm nervous."

"Don't worry a single feather, Fluttershy- I happen to have a friend nearby who will lend us some outfits for just such an occasion- You'll do beautifully."

Twilight was surprised- Had Rarity been planning to do something like this? Was she just over-prepared? Or was it something in her nature, to be so generous as to do favors for, and receive favors from, the palace guards? No matter the reason, she was glad- They were a bit closer to...
Oh.
"Oh, now I'm nervous."

Velvet seemed like an extremely nice mare, and had outfitted them without much issue at all. And if Twilight noticed a certain... suggestive nature to the outfits on the shelves, or the items in the back, she certainly didn't say anything. After all, it was probably just her over-active imagination. Heh... Hehe.. No, that was definitely a switch, there was a crop, and she could see a bridl- OK, don't focus on that anymore. So what if she happens to supply things like that?

In no time at all, they were walking through the halls of Canterlot Keep, decked to the nines, Rarity all smiles and glamour, Fluttershy quiet but stoic, and Twilight herself... Well, she was honestly a lot less nervous than she had been. They were going to meet Princess Luna, after all, and they'd had a perfectly enjoyable and casual time on Nightmare Night. So this wouldn't be any different- If anything, it would be less formal, because it wasn't even Her night. Or night at all.

There was no reason to worry.

Chapter 3- Meetings and Manipulation

Fluttershy realized she was quickly finding every reason to be worried. These clothes couldn't possibly look good on her, she had no idea what kind of lunch was awaiting them, they were in Canterlot's palace for Celestia's sake, and she was coming, to eat with them, to talk with them, and she still didn't have any idea what Rarity had planned. So she stood, nervously, in the short hallway near the Observatory, and tried not to be too large of a presence in the way- Colts and mares were passing all the time, although the door in front of them had yet to open. Thankfully, nopony was getting too close or bothering them, so she could just sorta hover at this level of slightly frazzled nerves. Maybe she could even calm down, if she got the chance! ...Yeah, that was probably asking for a bit much.

She was almost going to turn around when she felt the presence behind her, and the shadow cast across her, but before she even got the chance, it was too late. Ambushed, taken by surprise, she squeaked as all the air was knocked out of her by an impressively fierce hug. She couldn't feel anything but warm and soft and there were stars everywhere... Oh. And the voice. This was...

"OH DEAR FLUTTERSHY! WE HAD BEEN HOPING TO THANK THOU FOR... YOUR... Ahem. As We were saying, We had been hoping to thank thou for thine lessons! We had no idea that it was thou with whom We had this meeting."
Princess Luna let go of her, and she took in a deep, shuddering breath (and tried to keep her wings under control at the scent of midnight flowers in Luna's mane) to try and calm down. She shrunk back, smiling, and accepted the thanks- or tried, but her voice was completely escaping her. Luckily, her friends were there to back her up.

"Ah, Princess Luna, it's an honor to meet you again- I do apologize for not being there to greet you on Nightmare Night, but I was somewhat occupied."
Rarity stepped forward and bowed, diverting Luna's attention from her own awkward silence.

"Oh, thou art quite the courteous member of court- Rarity, yes? One of those who brought me low upon my return?"
And at this, Rarity got a bit of a nervous look, desperately looking to her and Twilight for help, but then Luna laughed. Fluttershy hadn't heard that before, her laughing, at least not since she was the Nightmare, and... she really wanted to hear it again.

"I kid, I kid. Or I try. It has been a slow adaptation, We must admit. I still find myself taking the Royal voice from time to time... A hard habit to break."

Someone responded to her with a little chuckle.
"Oh, that's perfectly fine Princess. I really like your regal tone."

She was trying to figure out who had said that until she realized it was her and brought a hoof to her mouth in shock. Why did she just say that? Oh this was going to be terrible Luna would get angry and then everything would--

But her fretting was interrupted by that laugh, clear and bright in the air, as Luna gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Thank thee very much, dear Fluttershy. We are glad that even our flaws are appreciated amongst our subjects." She squeaked out some indecipherable reply and then Luna opened the door to the outside of the tower, revealing a beautiful balcony table that overlooked the entire valley below.
"Shall we sit down for a meal and discuss what brought you all here?"

A short visit from the waiter to ask about drinks later, they were all (except for Fluttershy, who still seemed a bit... frazzled) relaxing on the small veranda, Rarity and Luna dominating the conversation-- Which was perfectly reasonable. After all, they had yet to meet, and Rarity was the one with the most experience in matters of royal etiquette, so she knew just what to say, what to ask, and when to listen. So as Rarity and Luna talked, Twilight did her best to make Fluttershy a bit calmer.
"It's alright-- I think you did fine out there!"

The reply took its time in coming.
"Do you... think so?"

"Yeah! She seemed to really like the compliment, and she did give you a hug as a greeting- So at the very least she thinks of you as a friendly pony."

"Oh, that is true. I guess I really was just worrying too much."
Before they could actually talk about anything else, however, the drinks arrived, Rarity had to pause, and Princess Luna asked the question Twilight had been dreading.

"So, what did bring everypony up here to meet with me, and on such short notice?"

Fluttershy looked desperately to Twilight.
She looked desperately to Rarity.
Rarity just smiled-- She was in her element today, after all.
"Oh, I had just been spending some time with my friends, hearing about their meeting with you on, ah, your Night, and in part I admit I had selfishly wanted to meet you myself."

The Princess smiled and waved a hoof dismissively.
"We had actually wished to meet thou as well, to complete the set, as it were, and speak to all those responsible for helping us."

"I did have another motivation, actually, but I had been a bit hesitant to bring it up."

"Speak freely, Rarity of Ponyville- You have asked for, and received, audience, you need not fear our reaction."

"Well... You have been gone from Equestria for ever such a long time, and things have changed, and I had the most dreadful thought- You probably do not have a substantial wardrobe any longer, do you?"

"Ah. We... no. That is very true. Our dear sister kept out affairs and maintained so many of our things, but... cloth is just so perishable."

"Yes, well, fashion is also quite perishable, even if it does move in cycles- And I had been thinking, perhaps you would be interested in my services? To replace what you had, and update what you lost?"

Princess Luna paused, as their food arrived, a spread of various foods, a hot soup and delicate sandwiches, lovely small salads and fresh drinks for each of them. The waiter was utterly unobtrusive, leaving just as quickly as he entered.
"We... I, I think I would like that. I do admit that I was never terribly in tune with modern fashion before I left, and what little skill I had is long gone."

"It is totally understandable, Princess. And while Canterlot may have significant resources, I find it often helps to have the personal touch of a friend working on things."

Luna was silent then. Twilight wasn't quite sure what that expression was, but eventually it gave way to to a tentative smile.
"Art thou saying... Are you saying you want to be friends? Our friends?"

"Well of course! What's in the past is behind us, and you are someone we would love to get to know. Isn't that right, girls?"

"Absolutely!"

Fluttershy's response was a surprisingly loud and excited "Of course!", after which the Princess laughed, sending them all into a little burst of the giggles.

"Thank you. Thank all of you. I think that would be lovely."
Rarity smiled widely and put a hoof across the table for a gentle shake.

"I am glad to hear it! And, if you have a moment, I did have another question... After we eat, of course!"

After the meal was finished, Fluttershy was grinning widely, a slightly dazed look in her eyes and a sort of subtle twinging to her wings. Rarity was pleased, absolutely ecstatic herself-- She had pulled off everything without a single hitch, and if word got around that she was doing business in royal circles... Oh, this was just perfect! And the two of them were heading back to Ponyville ahead of Twilight, since the little favor they asked for from Luna could be acted out without them.

"Rarity, are you sure Twilight will be alright without you?"

"Don't you mean without us?"

"Uhm, no. I'm not sure how much help I would really be."

She sighed and put on hoof on the other mare's shoulder. "Fluttershy, I am absolutely certain that you would be able to support Twilight, but yes, I do believe she'll be fine."

And so they went out, returned their borrowed dresses to The Crop, and headed back to Ponyville. They would greet Twilight on her return later that night, and find out how everything went.

"And? How did everything go!?"
Rarity was a bit over-excited, and Twilight couldn't exactly blame her- They'd left early, and Twilight was just barely getting back to Ponyville in the middle of the night, looking a bit sleepy-eyed.

"Things were very nice. Celestia was a bit surprised to see me, it turns out, but in the end, she was proud of the initiative I took, and she said yes!"
Fluttershy let out a slightly-louder-than-normal cheer, Rarity clapped, and she felt like jumping around doing her Yes Dance, but... Now was not the time, everypony was asleep.

They quickly finished discussing the new developments, set aside some time in their schedules for the inevitable party when Pinkie was informed, and then headed off to their respective homes-- There was a rain shower scheduled in an hour or two, and nopony wanted to be there if it ended up early.

When she made it to the library, the first thing she noticed was the light in the windows. Oh shoot, Spike was home from his business. And waiting up. Which means he was probably worried, which means she was going to get an earful the moment she opened the--

"Twilight Sparkle! And I thought you were supposed to be the one responsible for me!"
Yup. As soon as she opened the door.

"Oh Spike, just let me inside and I can explain. I was on royal business."

That got him to step back in surprise, and do a little fake bow as he ushered her into the room. She stepped inside, and then she kicked the door shut gently, shaking her head from side to side and relaxing her neck- She'd been out and about for quite a while longer than usual.
"Well then, what did keep you up so late?"

"Me, Rarity and Fluttershy had a meeting with Princess Luna, and then I had a private meeting with Princess Celestia."

"R-rarity? Aaw man, that's why she was gone all day! What were you all doing there?"

"We, ah, had a bit of an arrangement to suggest with the Princesses, and it worked out perfectly."

"What was it?"

"You'll see. I'm sure everypony's going to hear about it once Pinkie finds out." She giggled and walked upstairs, leaving her confused little helper to close down for the night-- She had a book to find.

Finally, on a relatively dusty (which is to say, had not been dusted that day) shelf, she found the book she had been looking for. Or, at least, a book, that might be what she was looking for. She hadn't ever heard of it before, but, well... she hadn't really had much time to study relationships and things like that, now had she? It was totally understandable that she was a bit inexperienced in the subject matter, despite her age, because first she was studying magic, and then friendship, and frankly she had been very busy for quite some time. But hopefully this book would be able to help her on that matter-- I mean, just look at it! A very solid black-cloth bound book, subtle, unassuming, with the title printed up the spine in gold ink:

The KaMare Sutra, or The Ways Of Pony Love: Forty-Six Ways For Mares To Come Together.

It was really a nice title, and would obviously show her a variety of methods for asking somepony out on a date, or how to start a relationship, as opposed to anything else.

TIME PASSES...

It was about an hour later, and she had not moved an inch from the spot, still reading, slowly turning pages, her mouth slightly open, her breathing a bit heavy, and that same rushed heat between her legs was back. The book had started out pretty normally, but then she got into the second chapter. And the illustrations. They were... quite detailed, actually, and showed her things she had never thought of before, but now she couldn't really think of anything else. Mares in various positions, standing, sitting, lying-down, doing... things with each other, and even in the artistically-minimalist images, it was clear how much they were enjoying themselves. The accompanying text captions, summarizing the 'action', as it were, got her mind racing, and at this point she was actively rubbing her legs together, gasping a little here and there.

She wasn't entirely sure how to deal with this, but she realized how nice the rubbing sensation was, and the illustrations suggested... a certain solution, which she was envisioning. So she made sure everything was locked down, made her way (shakily) upstairs, and then set the book to levitate above her bed and turn its own pages every once in a while. She rested beneath it, looked up, and adjusted a few pillows. Doing new things always meant you could afford to be methodical, even if that sensation she was feeling made her want to hurry hurry hurry.

She took a calming breath, made sure the door was locked and Spike was sleeping elsewhere, and then spread her legs and looked down at herself. She didn't really pay attention to her own body, especially that bit, when she wasn't actually taking a bath or grooming. Right now, though, the difference from usual was... apparent. Gingerly, she brought a hoof down and made contact with herself, and the shock that ran up her back made her apply more pressure, already gasping a bit. It took a minute or two, but eventually she managed to tear her attention away from herself and look up to the book.

It had progressed into a new chapter, color illustrations... no wait. Pictures, actual photographs, of mares in bed with each other, acting out the rest of the book's illustrations in full color. They were all beautiful, seemed to be excited and happy, and the difference in looking at them was shocking. She kept pushing down on herself, rubbing back and forth, building up a bit of friction, until the book swung open to a new page and she nearly stopped in shock. She ordered it to stop turning, and looked closer. It wasn't her, but... The white coat and horn, a long flowing mane dyed in stripes. It was very clear who it was supposed to be, and the fire inside her just flared to a peak at that.

She'd barely been looking at the picture for any time at all, subconsciously drawing the book closer, when she finally hit a little spot that caused her to thrust her hips up into her own hoof and groan, trying to pretend it was a random sound and not a name she just said. But soon even that illusion was pointless, as she kept coming back to that spot, the picture mere inches from her face, and Celestia's revered name on her lips.

Her climax was loud, messy, and absolutely staggering- She had never felt this way before, and it was simultaneously the most invigorating and exhausting thing. She levitated the book down, set it on the night stand, pulled up the covers, and resolved to clean the sheets in the morning- For now, she was content to sleep on this phenomenal feeling.

She could not wait to tell the girls what she'd figured out.

Chapter 4- Books and Boutiques

The morning after their little trip to the palace, Rarity was woken up by a sharp knocking at her door. She checked the window- It was a truly preposterous hour, so who was at her abode / store's entrance so early? She made sure everything was in place, quickly positioned her mane with a spell, and then checked the door's windows. It was... Twilight Sparkle? With an extremely bright, almost blushing, glow on her face, and a pair of saddlebags. This... Yes, this will end poorly. But she opened the door despite her second thoughts, and her friend practically bounced in, all smiles and shine.

"Twilight, what ever brought you here this early? I myself just woke up!" She closed the door as she spoke, but Twilight didn't come any further inside than she already was.

"Oh Rarity, you will not believe what I figured out last night!"

"Last... last night? But you were here, talking to me and Fluttershy, last night."

"No silly, after that! I went home, and I was looking for books on, erm, romantic advice, and I found this, and then..."

Rarity sort of choked in the back of her throat when Twilight removed the book from her bag. She recognized it full well, having a copy in the cleverly-hidden compartment beneath her bed. And before Twilight could get any further, Rarity absolutely shrieked when a hoof touched her shoulder. She didn’t even have to turn around to recognize her marefriend’s voice.
"Well well, what'cha got there, sugarcube?"

"Ah! Applejack, I, ah, hehe..."

Twilight looked past Rarity to the slightly smug-grinned Applejack.
"But wait, how did you get in here? My back was to the door, and Rarity said she... just... woke... Oooooh. I see." She blushed brightly, kicking one leg back and forth and trying to look innocent.
"I, uhm, hope I didn't interrupt anything..."

"Aw, no worries at all Twilight- We were plum tuckered out this mornin', and sleepin' in. Didn't interrupt a single thang."

"Well that's good! But, as I was saying before you came out, I figured out some pretty incredible stuff about myself, and... From the looks on your faces you already know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Twilight looked at them both, and Rarity couldn't help but blush and nod. Applejack, however, seemed entirely too at ease with this situation. How was she not embarrassed right now? One of their friends had just come to her home at a ridiculous hour of the morning, blushing like a bride and brandishing a book full of badly-behaved bim... Well, no, she was quite sure that all the mares in the photographic segments would be quite nice, should she meet them. But that was beside the point. It was still being shoved in her face by an over-enthusiastic Twilight Sparkle, a most dangerous pony indeed. And to prove her point, only seconds later Twilight brought one forehoof onto the other with a loud clap (or possibly clop, said a rather well-hidden part of her), an idea visibly springing into her mind.
"Oooh, ooh! You girls could probably help me learn about this! It's always nice to learn things from your friends, right?"

Rarity started with shock, and then shook her head.
"Oh Twilight, I... I don't think that would be entirely appropriate, between us."

"Aaah... Well, that's a shame- I'd been hoping I could find someone to show me the ropes. But I suppose I can just study it like always!"

"Show ya the ropes? Well, Rarity here'd be pretty darn good at that- Just the other day, she showed me-"

"Applejack stop right there don't say another word!"
She was blushing head to hoof, shaking from the shock of how close Applejack had gotten to talking about their private life, and banish her if she didn't enjoy that fact. Quite a lot, actually... Hmm. Maybe there was some merit to Twilight's idea... And, truthfully, she had been bringing up similar ideas to Applejack, albeit mostly in jest, for some time. She tapped a hoof against her chin and sighed. "Mmmm... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to, perhaps, get together to educate you on the subject. Although I must insist we find a time when we are all equally free and not liable to be missed- This would be quite the strange situation to be caught in."

Twilight apparently decided that was an appropriate situation to break out the 'Yes Dance' that Rarity had heard so much about from Sweetie Belle. It involved quite a lot of bouncing, and had a rather infectious level of good cheer wrapped up in that one simple word. So Applejack and herself shared a bit of laughter, and a slightly guilty look as they realized just what they had promised Twilight. And the timing could not be any more awkward-- Because in a few hours, they were going to convene the first meeting of... Well, the group didn't have a name yet. But their goal was simple.

They would make sure Twilight and Fluttershy, as their friends, accomplished their dreams. After all, if anypony could do it, it was them.

She strode, confidently (as always) before the arrayed group. All five of her closest friends (and Opalescence, they couldn't simply kick her out, that would be terrible manners) were seated on cushions and chairs around the main the chamber of the Boutique. They were closed early for the day, locked tight, and her and Twilight had, in a fit of fully-justified paranoia, scanned the building for any kind of magical surveillance. What they were discussing wasn't illegal, per se, it was merely... eccentric, and rumors are always problematic, especially in a place as small as Ponyville-- Their initial issues with Zecora taught her that the hard way.

"So, as I am sure you are all won-"

"Rarity, why'd you have to drag us to the Boutique? I was just about to run this wicked new routine, and then Fluttershy, of all ponies, tells me to come down!"

"O-oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you in the middle of anything."

"Nah, it's fine. Just woulda been cool to know earlier."

She facehoofs- This is not the easiest group of ponies to try and have any kind of organized speech for. She regained her composure, sweeping back and forth in her impromptu pacing.
"So, as I was saying, I am sure you are all wondering why you've been brought here."

"Well yeah!"

"Yeppers!"

"I, uhm, well, yes."

"I'm afraid I already know."

"Y'all ain't told me a thang, sugarcube."

"Yes, well, the matter in question is... Delicate. I trust you all implicitly, you are my friends after all, but... If any of the ponies who are involved in the situation in question object, please do so now."
There is silence, and inside, she sighed with relief- She had been so worried that Fluttershy might back down, or Twilight reconsider, and they were already putting plans in motion, there was no turning back- They'd snipped the first few threads, so they had to keep going. She put on her best smile and presented the facts:
"Two of us, out of the group, are currently seeking romantic partners, and I believe we should do our absolute best to help them."

Those who didn't already know seemed a bit confused at first- All this fuss over helping somepony get a colt or a marefriend?- But then they put that kind of thought aside and got into focused mode- It was time to help their friends. Dash looked around the room for a moment before asking a question:
"So, who're the lucky mares? Can't be you or Applejack, and I think I'd know if it was me."

"True. It is, in fact... Well, I'd like them to step forward, actually."

Slowly, but surely, Twilight and Fluttershy got up and walked up next to Rarity. Dash half-sarcastically whistled, and Pinkie Pie started talking about party preparations. Twilight nervously spoke, doing enough stammering for Fluttershy and herself.
"Erm, ah, thank you all for being... so supportive. I'd been really worried that this would end terribly, but with you girls on my side, I know, well, uh, hope, we can succeed!"

"Aw come ahn Twilight, how bad could it be? I mean, it's not like you're tryin' to ask Celestia Herself on a date or nothin'!"

"Hehe, uhm... about that..."

There was the rather specific silence of six ponies not speaking and at least three of them trying to act like they didn't just hear what they know they just heard. Rainbow Dash quickly stood and went to leave, muttering something about an appointment 'not being banished', but Rarity just pinned her tail in place with her magic. Dash chuckled and ruffled her mane in a look of embarrassment. "Haha, I was... just kidding! Yeah. I mean, there's absolutely no way that Fluttershy's pony of interest could be just as ridiculously risky or anything! I mean, the only other option for that would be..."
She stopped and looked at Fluttershy's deep red blush.
"...I spoke too soon, didn't I?"

When Fluttershy nodded, Pinkie Pie bounced onto her hooves and bounded over to hug both her and Twilight.
"Aaaw that's great! You'll be like a matching set! You can go on double dates at the palace and have little theme parties and everything will be awesome!"

Rarity would have sworn she would never appreciate a Pinkie Pie interruption, but that was exactly what they needed to break the mood and calm everypony. Then the inevitable chatter began, and she waited until it was time to restore order.

When things settled down, they discussed the (scant) details-- Much of the actual information were things Twilight and Fluttershy preferred to keep between themselves and Rarity, just for decency's sake. But the general idea-- That the two of them were interested in the Princesses, and hoped to find a way to make their feelings known-- Was put forth. And finally, she could reveal the success of her plans yesterday.

"And the good news is, we already made some progress! However, there is somewhat bad news."

"Eh, give us the good first- The bad can't be that bad."

"Girls, would you care to share it yourselves? I'd hate to take the limelight."

Fluttershy scuffed one hoof across the floor and back, looking away.
"Ah, well, we talked to Princess Luna about maybe, mm, updating her wardrobe, with Rarity, and perhaps, also, spending... time with us, all. As a friend."

"Wait, y'all are serious? So she's gonna be comin' back to Ponyville, regular-like?"

"That was the plan, yes- I had thought it would be of great benefit to the Princess, both to get her out and about more often and to get her into some new clothes after her... long absence."

"Well, sounds cool to me! I still haven't gotten her back for that lightning bolt to the flank!"

"Rainbow, you got pretty much all of us with the exact same trick! I don't really think getting payback is the best idea, or we might get some ideas."

"Haha, oh Twilight, you... Aren't kidding, are you?"

"Let's just say that Pinkie Pie isn't the only one willing to play jokes on you."

"Yeeeah let's head this prank war off at the pass. What's the good news on your side?"

Twilight looked nervous, and Rarity could fully understand- This next bit was part of the bad news, after all.
"Well, I... I asked Princess Celestia if I could begin taking more advanced magic lessons with her, and she said yes. But it means I'm going to be gone on a lot of weekends, or sometimes even longer."
Rarity braced herself for the impact of the others objections, but was pleasantly surprised when what Twilight received instead could best be described as a sudden hug pile.

"That's great! Oh geez, now we can have a double party!"

"We're happy fer ya, Twilight."

"I know you're gonna rock those classes!"

Twilight returned their collective embrace, smiling and, clearly, holding back a bit of a tear-up.
"Thank you all so much for being OK with this."

"So, Rarity... What was the bad news?"

"Mmmh, yes. We... lied to you about going to a party with Aloe and Lotus. We went to Canterlot and had meetings with the Princesses."

"Oh, that? We already knew that."

"I'm so sorry we didn... What?"

"Heh, yeah! Dashie was at the spa the other day get-mff-murr-mmmff~!"
Pinkie Pie suddenly found it very difficult to talk through a muzzle full of Rainbow Dash's hoof, as she fake-laughed nervously and kept making shushing motions-- It was futile, because a few seconds later, she was squirming with actual laughter as Pinkie did her best Gummy impression and started gnawing at the other pony's hoof. Rarity sighed- Well, at least it went over well.

"So, that adjourns the first meeting of... Wait, we don't have a name for this little group effort yet, now do we?"

Rainbow Dash gave her an odd look, dislodging her hoof from Pinkie Pie's mouth.
"Do we really need a name?"

"Whatever do you mean? A name is one of the most imperative parts of-"

"Yeah yeah, listen. It's a bad idea, here's why in four words: Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo."

Rarity took a moment to think about her little sister's escapades, their silly group name, the massively chaotic cries before something inevitably went wrong or got broken.
"...You know what, "less is more" is a very fashionable concept this season, let's forget about the name."
And the meeting, with that, was adjourned.

Chapter 5- Fittings and Flowers

Several days passed during which everypony was rather busy-- Between Pinkie Pie's ambitious little "Twilight and Fluttershy Cheering-On Party", everypony's jobs and housework, and preparations for the first visit from Princess Luna, they had their hooves full and their calanders quite stuffed. But finally, the morning of the first tailoring session arrived. And Fluttershy was...

Well, she was trying to work off stress the best way she knew how, but was also pretty sure this would not really help, not for long. In fact, with her luck, she might just be making the problem worse. But she'd spent most of the past several days thinking about meeting Luna again, and so she was a bit... frustrated. She rarely had ever found this an issue before- Nopony had made her feel that kind of physical attraction. But here she was, thinking about the most infamous (reformed) villain in all of Equestria, and one of the two highest royals period. And thinking about her was driving her to distraction, so she set off to take care of it.

On that note, one of the things she loved the most about living on solid ground was the privacy-- Cloudhomes were nice and all, but even then, it was a bit too easy for a random passing bird, or pegasus, to sneak a peek into your life. Her little burrow-styled home, however, was shaded into a private little glade, on a hillside, and it was quite difficult to peer into anything but the entrance hall-- Which was very good, because right now, she was rocking back and forth across the edge of a pillow, her mane scattered wildly, her breathing heavy. She hadn't even thought about finding some more permanent, specific solution, even though it was pretty obvious that Velvet and her friend might have just the thing, because she would have been mortified. So for now, her hooves, a cushion, and an active imagination would make do.

Or so she had hoped. But actually, she was right. She was just making a rather pressing need even more urgent. She had never been used to getting this aroused- Sure, once or twice when she was just barely a filly, growing up and learning about those things, but... She hadn't peaked like that in years, and it had been like this for a while now. She didn't even know how she was going to compose herself around the Princess at lunch ton...ight...

She bolted off of the bed, the sodden pillow hitting the floor, and looked at the itinerary again. It wasn't tonight. That was the clothes fitting with Rarity! It was lunch, and it was now. She was nearly late- They were having lunch, and a party, a greeting get-together, and she was nearly missing it! OK, no, don't flip out Fluttershy, no rage, just... get a quick clean-up, make sure you don't smell like you're in heat or that you've obviously spent the last forty minutes essentially teasing yourself. Most importantly of all, put your wings down. OK. Calm, cool, collected. You can do this.

You have to do this.

When she arrived, out of breath and smelling of lilacs (she hoped a bit of floral powder would be enough to keep other, um, scents from being noticable), the town square of Ponyville was... normal. Nopony was running around or looking to the sky with fear- Well, one pony was, but Derpy Hooves apologized profusely when she came down to pick up the fallen packages. OK, Fluttershy was, in fact, on time. She was safe.

Her sigh of relief turned into a particularly high-pitched scream when somepony right behind her let out a loud shrieking noise. She practically landed face-first on top of the nearest building, her wings still flapping to try and pull her away.

"Aaaw, I'm sorry Fluttershy! I was just testing out the party blowers!"

Looking down, slowly, ever so slowly, she saw Pinkie Pie bouncing around beneath her, and she laughed, just a little- Such a silly thing to get so worried over. Although Pinkie Pie really should have known better by now. She took a leap down to the ground, flapping her wings ever-so-gently to ease the descent- She'd been practicing, and it showed, which made her happy. Maybe one day she'd be able to fly with... Mmm, let's stop thinking about things like that before it causes another issue.

"That's perfectly fine Pinkie- I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"Nope! I don't mean anything by most things, I think."

They laughed and hugged each other- They hadn't had a chance to talk at all in the past few days, they'd been that busy, but now it was time to greet a new friend, and party. She wasn't always the party type, but Pinkie Pie knew exactly how to throw a party so that everypony involved was happy. Soon enough, while they chatted and caught up, Rarity and Twilight showed up, horns a-glow and packages in tow.

"Hey girls! Sorry about being a bit late, we completely spaced on the decorations and left a box behind."

"But we did remember, around about the town fountain, and doubled-back for it. That would have been quite the silly moment, after all."

"Well hay, let's get it all inside! Do you two need help unpacking it? Or putting it up?"

"Oooh, definitely not. They're sealed packages, and should do a bit of auto-decoration when we lift the lids off. Little trick I'd been reading up on for just such an occasion."

"...Twilight, isn't that just like my Party Cannon?"

"Well, ah, yes, but we don't always have the clearance to fire that thing. Remember Pip's birthday?"

"Oooh, we totally need to have another ceiling party! Although I guess cleaning the rafters was kinda a pain."

Fluttershy laughed along with the others, her heart feeling much less strained already.
"Oh, thank you all for doing all this- I'd been a bit nervous until I saw everypony, and now I feel much better."

The others acted like it was nothing, but they really did make it a lot easier for her to stay calm, and it only got better when she saw Applejack trot in from the far side of town, an entire drawer-filled salescart in tow. There were few ponies who could handle refreshments like the Apple family, that was for sure.

"So, uhm, has anypony seen Rainbow Dash? I figured she would be here first, with the speed and all."

Pinkie Pie replied quickly. "Oh, she just went back to her place to... get something she forgot! Yeah, hehe, she came down without it, then flew back up, as opposed to any other situation that would have led to her coming down to Ponyville! Yup!"

"...Ooook. Sure!"
The voice from above wasn't much of a surprise, but she still jumped a little.

"Pinkie Pie. So. Random."
Rainbow Dash swept down from her cloud perch, kicking it into oblivion on her way down- The entire sky above Ponyville was clear, and she must have ridden the last one down for comfort's sake. It couldn't have been easy to fly with that package on her back.

Soon they were all inside Sugarcube Corner, thanking the Cakes for their hospitality, and then Twilight and Rarity were setting up the automagical decorations in a burst of light and sound. They were quite pretty, a variety of stars and streamers, nothing too much, but enough to be noticed. Rarity had been making another crack at interior decoration after the incident with the bird's nest (singular), and had done a phenomenal job with this set-up. She was relaxed, everypony was there and happy, and it was... A minute. They had one minute before Luna arrived.

She rushed out the door with a little squeak that was supposed to be "Everypony hurry we need to be outside!" but instead was just one long noise. The others did check the clock after she left, or at least came out to check on her, because they all came outside as well. Just in time, too- In the distance, a shimmering bolt of blue was moving towards the town from Canterlot. It got closer, and closer, until it touched a point directly above the town's fountain and stopped. With a silent -POP- of magic dispersing, Princess Luna strode out of the travel spell and glided to the ground before them.

Slowly coming to a stop, she smiled at them all, radiant, and Fluttershy backed up, just a little, so that she wouldn't be too obtrusive. And when the Princess spoke, it wasn't in the Royal Canterlot voice, not even in volume. She actually looked a bit sad.
"Everypony, I have come here today, in part... To apologize. I made a mess of things on Nightmare Night by acting the way I did, and-"
They didn't let her finish. A group hug formed around her more or less instantly, and if Fluttershy was pressing a little bit closer, then nopony noticed. She laughed then, Fluttershy shivering a bit at hearing it, and they headed inside, a ball of chatter and good cheer as the party got underway.

The party had gone splendidly, winding down just around the start of the evening, a few hours before sunset. It was time for Rarity to take Princess Luna and begin doing the dress fitting, although before anypony got out the door, Spike came running into Sugarcube Corner carrying a scroll, that traditional look of post-letter nausea on his face. She'd always wondered if maybe there was some better way to send messages, but it was fast and secure, and he never seemed to mind it that much.

"Twilight! Royal Mail just arrived, courtesy me."

"Really? Well, pop it open, let's hear it!"

"I... can't. The wax won't cut!"
Luna stepped over to the small dragon, who was, for a brief moment, surprised, but she simply looked down at the scroll and then laughed.

"Our sister must have a very personal message in there, Twilight Sparkle- That seal will only open to your horn."

Twilight looked confused as she walked over, but after she slit it open (with a faint hiss of escaping magic), she read it quietly, showing no response. Then, turning to Pinkie Pie, she sighed and began re-rolling the scroll.

"I am so sorry girls. I had wanted to stay for the after party-- Princess Celestia wants me in Canterlot by sundown. Apparently, my new lessons start very early tomorrow morning! Although I can't imagine why, she must have a reason..."

"Rising."

"...What was that, Luna?"

"If We had to guess, thou art being given the chance to see Her Rising of the Sun, personally."
Fluttershy honestly wished that somepony had a camera, because the look on Twilight's face when she heard that was just priceless- Half shock, half blush, all very cute, really.

"Whu... but, the... she's going to show me the real thing? Not just the public version she uses at the Summer Sun Festival, but the actual spell?"

Luna suddenly got a much colder look on her face, and stepped forward, towering above the purple mare.
"We cannot imagine where thou heard such a thing- Back in the High Canterlot days, even suggesting that there was such a ritual would get one jailed."
Twilight gulped, suddenly looking quite small, but then Luna burst out laughing again.
"Oh, do not worry. I am kidding. Mostly. But yes, We would wager that is her intention."

Pinkie Pie slapped one hoof onto the table, going into a fit of giggling and rocking back and forth.
"Wow Twilight, she really got you with that one!"

"W-well, I... Look, it's a totally reasonable thing to worry about!"
Her blush only grew deeper as everyone began joshing her over the little bout of paranoia, and the gathering of everypony's things, those who were leaving at least, got underway.

A few minutes later, Rarity, Luna, and Twilight were preparing to leave-- Spike was staying to join in the afterparty, which would be nice, or so Fluttershy thought. But then Rarity nodded towards her and waved a foreleg, gesturing for her to come along.

"Uhm, Rarity, why are you asking me..."

"Because I need help, silly! Working on someone as important as the Princess, friend or not, is delicate stuff, and I cannot risk making a slip or missing a measurement- I need your help."
Rarity... wanted her... to help fit Luna. For clothing. To help take her measurements and... Oh. Oh dear.

She tried her absolute hardest not to think about that as she followed, quietly, only speaking when they said goodbye to Twilight as she went to signal the royal escorts to Canterlot. Her brain was just overflowing with other thoughts, and it would probably be bad if she said something like "I have the most ridiculous wingboner for you" out loud. Or at all, really- She made effort to avoid being crass, most of the time, even when it really was true. Especially right now, outside in the fresh air, she was finding it tough to actually keep the dang things under control. It did not help that, in the back as she was, she was able to watch Luna walk. Not that she was staring, or anything... It was vaguely hypnotic.

But they made it soon enough, and Rarity opened the door and began her welcoming spiel, showing off the place as quickly as she could. Luna was attentive and interested, and Fluttershy was as well- She hadn't seen all the things Rarity was showing off before, some of it apparently being rarely-used, or possibly even new- She hadn't actually been to the Boutique in a while, apart from the little meeting the other day. Slowly, she started to relax- This shouldn't be too bad!

Rarity was practically dancing her way across the floor of the Boutique, speaking to Luna from over her shoulder while she re-arranged things. The party had gone smashingly, Fluttershy seemed to be holding up nicely, and she herself... Well, she had honestly fallen into a bit of funk after the success at the palace, spending a few melancholy days with Applejack and Sweetie Belle alternately cheering her up. Speaking of which, they'd have to tell their sisters sooner or later... But regardless! She had royalty as both a friend and a customer right now, and that took priority over her own moping.

So now she showed Luna the various dressforms she had around, which had each been tastefully draped with a different outfit, each one emblematic of a modern style. From the simple sheer and sleeveless Saddleton, the somewhat chunkier heavy-duty Cloporino, all the way to the massively ornate Mare de Selle. It was a simple and practiced matter to run down the advantages and flaws of each, and prod the Princess for reactions- She seemed to prefer something slimming, and functional, but capable of taking a beating in harsh weather. For a dangerous moment, Rarity drew a blank, totally unsure of what would work, but her recent brushing-up on ancient Equestrian royal garb with Fluttershy gave her an IDEEEE~AAA!

She spun on the spot, held up a forehoof in the universal sign of "Just a second", and went to walk away, heading into the back rooms of the Boutique.

"I have it! Wait here for just one moment while I get the materials!"

"Certainly. I would like to thank you both, again."

"Oh, think nothing of it, Luna! You are our friend, after all."

And then she left, trying to suppress the grin as she abandoned Fluttershy with the royal mare. Perhaps they would manage to kick things off sooner than anticipated!

She gestured fiercely, trying to get the fashion pony's attention. Rarity! Don't go! Don't... oh. Too late. She was already gone. And now Fluttershy was alone in the room with Luna, given another opportunity to investigate the co-ruler closely. Although really, this was the first time she got a good look, an actual chance to see her clearly without worrying or food or the stress of Nightmare Night to distract her. So she got that look- Peering cautiously, from behind her hair, trying not to be seen.

The first thing to come to mind was tall. Luna was, in all honesty, more than double her size- She just barely came up to the top of the regal mare's legs (and she tried not to think about the implications of that) at best. From there, the eye was drawn to her unique mane and tail, which, even this close, seemed like a single solid flowing thing, as opposed to actual hair. Her coat was clear and soft, her hooves well-shaped, and her wings... Fluttershy felt that she was a good judge of wings, having spent the first major chunk of her life without even seeing ground. These were wings of an almost stunning caliber. And the horn- Longer than normal, sharper at the tip, and seeing a horn at all on the body of a winged pony was still unnerving, but in a good way. It all came together to form a cohesive whole, and she was... looking right at her.

"Is something the matter, dear Fluttershy?"

"No! I mean, no, of course not Princess Luna."

"We did ask that thou call Us by Our name alone. There is no need for honorifics between friends."

"Oh. Um... Thank you, Luna. Heh."

The alicorn smiled at her, and she shook a bit, trying not to be obvious. But it was hard. She'd heard about first-time crushes and all that being hard, but... This was harrowing. She was flustered and her cheeks flushed and her wings just kept twitching and trying to unfurl. To say nothing of that pulsing heat beneath her tail. But she put on a smile and decided to risk small talk.
"I really have been wondering, about, well, your mane and all. How..."

Luna's eyes lit up, and she moved closer.
"Ah! Well, We have always enjoyed demonstrating the nature of it. Would thou... be interested in helping us comb our mane, before the fitting?"

Fluttershy stared, and, once again, found her mouth jumping to conclusions ahead of the rest of her.
"Yesplease."

The mare of the moon levitated a small brush and comb from one of the tables, and passed them to her with a smile. She took a deep breath, grasped the comb in her mouth, and started to work. Luna relaxed as she began to work, but she barely noticed as she tried to figure out just what she was combing. There were... Individual strands, like hair, but at the same time, it was all one flowing mass, reacting to her touch and moving to perfectly intercept the comb, only becoming tame and straight as she stroked. Each brush lead to the mane gaining a brighter glow, a strong luster, and a faint smell somewhere between night-flower blossoms and sharp ozone, like the smell after rain. She resisted the urge to bury her face in that mane, and simply kept working.

It wasn't long before Luna was fidgeting slightly, letting out the occasional soft nicker or whinny. Fluttershy was grinning like a foal, she knew it, because every time she heard those noises her hips twitched a bit and she has to really focus to get back on track. But soon enough, they were in a steady rhythm, Luna turning her head this way or that to let Fluttershy pull the entire mane in one long stroke. That ended abruptly when she hit a certain spot, pressed down too hard, and heard a groan of pain from the mare. She immediately dropped the comb and rushed in front of Luna, her eyes full of worry and her brain full of self-blame.

"Oh! No! I didn't mean to do that I'm sorry are you OK?"
Luna looked at her, eyes half-lidded, and she realized that little moan hadn't been pain- She must have loosened up a sore spot in her shoulders. Fluttershy looked at that expression, all the worry blown out of her mind, and decided it was now or never- She leaned in and kissed the Princess. She had already backed away before she could even process how it felt... but Luna stepped forward and returned another kiss, longer this time, soft and slow, and Fluttershy didn't even bother keeping her wings in check, springing to attention and humming tunelessly, just absorbed in the kiss.

Luna backed away and smiled, brightly.
"It has been quite a while since W... I. Since I have had such affectionate subjects. Thank thee, dear Fluttershy- I feel much better already."
She nodded, unable to say a word, putting away the comb and thinking about what she just did.

What did she just do? thought Rarity, staring from the doorway. She had come back with the first product only to see Fluttershy combing and brushing the Princess' mane, and then kissing her! It was such a forward moment, and from Fluttershy for Celestia's sake, that she didn't believe it happened. But then she saw Luna give a kiss of her own, heard them quietly talk for a moment, and on the inside she cheered. Success! This early! Maybe not a total success, nothing's a given yet, but that was... Mmm. Head inside, calm, casual. Ignore Fluttershy's wings, step around them all smiles...

"Ah! My most sincere apologies for taking so long."

"Think nothing of it. We kept ourselves... occupied."
She pointedly ignored Fluttershy's massive blush and acted as though she had seen nothing. With a flick of her head and a burst of her magic, a dressform slid into place before them all, and she went back into display mode- Time to shine.

"Well, Luna, I had thought I had the material ready to merge on the spot, but silly me, it turns out I had already prepared an example piece! It totally slipped my mind until just now. Would you like to see it?"

Luna looked at her coolly, and then smiled.
"That would be lovely."

Good, good, Rarity thought- With a flourish and a flare of power, she set out the outfit onto the dressform.
"Ta-da!"

Luna stared at the outfit. Sleek, simple, form-fitting, pale brown cloth with thick and tight stitches, a certain aristocratic air about it despite its simplicity, a single cabochan-cut stone at the collar. It was clear from the folds and the shape that it was meant to be made from some other material, but Rarity could find no discussion of the outfit's composition, so she had made an educated guess.
"Where... Where did you find the patten for this?"

Her voice is iron-cold and her eyes are hard. Rarity backs up a bit, showing a nervous grin and trying not to bolt out of instinct.
"Um, well, I... Which is to say we, we, ah... May have been researching. History. And found some sketches and pictures of, ah, your esteemed highness."

"And why, Rarity, did thou decide to re-create an outfit from so long ago? Did thou not question the strange appearance, not wonder at the materials? Did thou not think it may, perhaps, cause Us some painful memories?"

Fluttershy, up to this point deathly quiet, stepped forward.
"Luna, please... We did it for you. We had hoped you would like it, but I'm so sorry that it turned out like this."

The Princess stopped, and her appearance softened, smiling weakly.
"I know. I just... Perhaps we shall discuss this particular outfit another time."
She wrapped a foreleg around each of the other ponies, pulling them close into an embrace before letting go.
"I am very glad to have such wonderful friends as you. Now, shall we move on to the measurements, leave this particular topic behind?"

"Certainly!"

"Yes, please."

Rarity quickly stepped over to the other table, and produced a length of tape-measure. It was time to cover up for that little faux-pas, and begin to really work.

The rest of the fitting passed without incident, with Luna eventually thawing back out, showing them affection-- She seemed to be fairly physical, and hadn't really interpreted those kisses earlier as anything too special. Which was fine with Fluttershy- She would hate to be figured out this early, for Luna to think she was just in love with her image or her position, not with her. Taking things slow was good. And it would be much more bearable, now that she could think back to that hot, rushed press of lip against lip. But for now, Luna was preparing to return to Canterlot, their first evening together coming to a close.

"Do you have to go quite so soon? Um, if that isn't too forward of me to ask."

"I truly do wish I could stay longer, but I am due back at the palace to raise the moon."

She turned to go, and Fluttershy didn't want her to go. It was becoming increasingly common that her mouth ran ahead, saying things she didn't have the nerve for. But this once, it wasn't. So she grit her teeth, stomped a hoof, and said it herself.
"Is there any way I could see it?"

Luna stopped, turning around, eyes wide in shock at the sudden outburst.
"You... wish to see our Rising?"

"I would be honored, Princess."

It was a little bit before she replied, smiling in an inscrutable, slightly sad way.
"And I would be honored to have your audience."

All the time between the party and the coming of night had passed, and now they trotted out onto the high hilltop, the sun just barely beginning to set on the opposite horizon. When Luna stopped, Fluttershy folded her legs under her and sat on the little grassy hillock, while Luna stretched and rolled her neck, visage tall and imperious. This was it. Something unique and old and a part of nature, something nopony had seen in a very long time. The Princess of the Night faced the sky and spoke, as if to nopony in particular, but Fluttershy listened as though every word was just for her.
"My sister's strength is bright, burning, brassy, bold, it encompasses everything, and it is silent- It is too large, too grand, to be loud. But the moon... We are soft, subtle, silver, sublime, shading the edges of things, and we... are song."
And so she closed her eyes and sang.

It was wordless, and deep, like hearing an ocean, the kind of sound you felt. It spread out in little waves, sparks of blue magic lighting up the edges of her horn until it was a full glow of bright sky-blue, tinged with stars. The note shifted, and Fluttershy watched, eyes wide, as the world responded. Butterflies settled onto branches and rested, fireflies rose up from the tall grass, and flowers shut and bloomed in time with the change in pitch, eventually stopping as the day-time flowers closed and those of the night stayed open. Finally, as the sound went away, the first touch of silver-white moon crested the distant edge of the sky, and rose.

She opened her eyes again, and Fluttershy went to stand, but her legs refused- She was totally shaken, and couldn't get up just yet. Luna looked down at her and smiled, but then looked a bit past her, to the flowers. If the look on her face hadn't been so happy, Fluttershy would have sworn that what Luna saw was bothering her, but when she turned around, it was still just those flowers, petals of white and silver with tiny tufts at their base.
"Our... my lilies. The moonlight blossoms. I'd actually forgotten about them."

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw that Luna was crying. She quickly rose, ignoring her own legs' protests, and rushed to Luna's side, nuzzling against her and offering a wing, letting the alicorn rest against her as she cried, sobbing now, looking at the plants that had opened for her.

"I forgot. They were made just for me, they were my favorite, and I was gone so long..."

"Shhh. No, Pr... Luna. You can't blame yourself for that. You had no choice!"

"But We still..."

"That's what happens, to everypony. Time passes and they forget. But you remembered, and that's what matters, right?"

It took every ounce of her courage to flick a wingtip and brush away the tears under one of the other mare's eyes, but when she did, a hint of a smile came back.

"Thank thee, again, dear Fluttershy. I think that was... inevitable, and thy support was exactly what I needed most."

She didn't respond, her wild blush and stammering breath doing that for her. She didn't dare move away, and so they stood together for a while, wing to wing, just barely touching now. She could have fallen asleep on the spot, on her hooves, and been comfortable. But soon enough, the Princess stepped back, her smile brighter, and then she leaned down to pluck one of the blossoms, held between her teeth, and tuck it behind one of Fluttershy's ears. She gasped, feeling the cool breath on her forehead, the touch of a lip against her.

"That's better- We feel that it suits thou to wear such a bloom."

"Mmmh."
Words were escaping her, but Luna smiled at the reply, however little it had been. A short kiss followed, and then another, a flurry of little pecks and nips, both of them just relaxing into the other. She was pretty sure they walked back to Ponyville after that, and Luna left in another blaze of magic, but when she woke up in the morning, her memory was hazy on the details. All it took, though, was one look at the bloom, carefully hung on her bedside mirror, and she... remembered.

A message from the author:

I owe a lot of people a lot of thanks, AND I got a piece of fanart I think you'll all appreciate. For all that and more, this blog post is your friend: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/8716

Coming on Friday morning: Our first Intermission, as we find out why Pinkie was so nervous...

Intermission 1- Pie in the Sky

It had been a bit of a pain getting somepony to cast the Cloudhoof spell on Pinkie Pie for the third time in a month, but they definitely didn't want to attract attention, and while Pinkie Pie disappearing for long stretches of time was normal, Rainbow Dash spending half her time at Sugarcube Corner wouldn't be nearly as easy to explain away. They got it, after parting with a couple of bits, from a rather embarrassed Trixie- Sure, she was a pain sometimes, but Dash found her brashness tolerable now, and she kept a secret like no other... if paid sufficiently.

So now Pinkie Pie was bouncing along on the clouds, and occasionally Dash would dip down just as she landed, and while they were hidden behind the foggy, pillowy white, she'd sneak a kiss. The thought of anypony seeing that made her pulse race, and it was nearly as good as pulling a stunt. She didn't mind their secrecy, in a way, because it meant they got to push the limits of getting caught, and adrenaline rushes, regardless of form, were awesome. Sharing them with the lovely pink mare at her side was even better.

It didn't take them long to make it to her cloudhome, even with Dash slowing down so Pinkie could keep up, and Pinkie slowing down so they could take a quick "breather", which often left her pretty breathless-- She knew the girl hadn't eaten a thing all day, and her tongue still had that warm chocolate flavor, with just a hint of raspberry. She'd be getting a lot more of that taste soon, though, as they went inside, shut the doors, and fell onto each other in a rush.

She hadn't ever been quite this happy since the Sonic Rainboom- The first one, of course. Wow, that might have been the first one ever, come to think of it! Well, she would be thinking of it, if she wasn't so busy admiring the feeling of Dashie's mane under her hooves, or the urgent heat as they kissed, slowly pulling each other towards the bedroom. It was so nice of Dashie to think of using her cloudhome for this, and she even paid for the spell every time, even though she would totally do so herself, but her little blue marefriend just muttered something about "you're not Rarity, ya know", which she found kinda silly- Of course she wasn't, but she could still be generous just because! Of course, all this sorta-kinda-back-flashing -- or was it the other way around? -- was still distracting her from her lover's fantastic plot as she fell back onto the bed, or the adorable little way she sucked in air through her teeth when she got kissed right here.

She might be a bit scatter-brained, sure, but she was diligent, she was uncompromising, and she had one simple goal-- To make everypony happy, to spread smiles and joy, and currently, the best way to do that was running her tongue down a pale blue coat, tugging gently at a rainbow-bright tail, and listening to all those whimpers and gasps. It was rare for Dashie to let her take the lead like this, so she milked it for everything she could get, being as loving and forceful and pleasing, happy-making smile-granting giggling in love with this mare. She never liked singling other ponies out as being closer or more important-- This one time, her sisters tried to make her choose who she liked more, and she nearly had one of her little episodes. But she was willing to make an exception for Dashie, because of the way her heart started stuttering, the way she got so happy her coat started to curl a bit, the way their mouths (and certain other parts, sometimes) fit together just right.

Pinkamena Diane Pie was madly, wildly, head-over-hooves in love with this mare. And it made them both smile, which was always the most important thing. Although at the moment, a moment where she keeps getting distracted and she's starting to wonder if the writer's doing that on purpose, the most important thing is watching as Rainbow Dash, her precious Dashie, groaned and shuddered and came for her, gloriously happy, deliriously wordless, and totally spent... But not for long, 'cuz Dash was a sprinter, and that meant it wasn't too long after the first time before she was ready for a second, and Pinkie was being pushed down onto the bed, and it's probably time for another narrator switch!

Pinkie Pie was like some sort of puzzle, or maze, or riddle. Every time they got physical together, she figured out some new little trick or spot or word that got a reaction, and half the fun was just the sheer joy of discovery. Well, OK, not half, because let's be honest, the girl could do ridiculous things to her, and she would do them in return, give and take, push and pull-- Often literally. And so today, she decided it was time that she paid back that little incident with the Appleloosa dress and the feathers, so she kissed Pinkie fiercely, leaving her stunned for a minute, and then zoomed away from the bed.

She heard a sad little whinny from back there, but she just called back over her shoulder that she'd only be a moment-- She had a surprise. And though it involved a ton of tricks to get, it was a surprise she'd been working on for a long, long while. And owing Rarity a favor or two wouldn't be too bad, right? It took a bit of work to get it on quickly, but she'd practiced with it- Strap here, tug here, goggles go just so, ah dang I feel like Rarity thinking about a piece of clothing this much, hooves go in, aaaand... There.

She stepped back out to see what kind of reception she got.

For the splittiest of split seconds, Pinkie actually thought somepony else had come into the cloud home when they were busy getting busy, but then she saw that (lovely) mane and that (kissable) grin, and she was, for the briefest brief moment, stunned silent. That sleek blue and gold, the perfect little wing-slits and tail-hole, the goggles... Dashie was the spitting image of a Wonderbolt. No, wait, she'd seen all the posters and photos and things, she'd met them- That outfit was the real deal.

She went to say something about it, but was so stunned that she didn't quite make it before she got pounced on by Rainbow Dash, and felt that tight material pressing against her and she shivered a little, not because she was cold, but because that little layer was the only thing separating her and Dashie. Well, you know, we're naked most of the time anyways, but this was different! Because that little teensy bit of separation, that weird little clingy friction, made everything so much better, made her head spin, and then that familiar grin peeked out at her from the costumed mare and she leaned back, sighing in blissful happiness as Rainbow Dash pinned her to the bed and started working her way down in a trail of kisses. She really liked making Dashie happy, but it was always a relief when her turn came around- Pun totally intended.

Soon enough, she was feeling really close, and then Dashie stopped, and backed off for a moment, only to come right back down, tongue lapping in just the right spots, and she giggled and then groaned as she stopped again! It wasn't long before she realized it was a little teasing game, and she was barely able to stand it- She just felt so bubbly and happy and ready to burst inside. And so the next time Dashie tried to back off and let her pleasure decline, she put a hoof on the back of her head and held her in place. There was that lovely little moment of struggling before she bucked her hips up, just once, and Rainbow Dash got the message, lapping and kissing and sucking until she finished, rolling her eyes back and just about cheering.

Pinkie Pie always managed to get her to stop teasing and finish, even against her best wishes. And hey, she actually liked being pinned face-down in her marefriend's plot, just short of breath and the whole world was that soft, slick, scented feeling that took over all her senses. It was heady, it was unique, and she liked it enough that once she finished cleaning up (with her tongue, of course- No sense in taking a break to get a towel), she grabbed Pinkie by one hoof and dragged her towards the back of the cloudhome. They stopped and stalled along the way, trading little kisses and the occasional hard nip, both of them walking unsteadily.

Finally, they made it to the destination she had in mind- The lovely little shaded take-off pad on the back of the home. Right on schedule, an overcast wave, dark clouds ready to rain in another hour or so, rolled past. They were alone, and completely invisible for all the world cared, but they were exposed, and that was what mattered. She leaned out over the railing, almost her whole body off the edge, and kept her wings stable, supporting her whole weight. It just took a quick glance for Pinkie Pie to come up to her, and they embraced, bodies tilting over the edge, only her strength, her wings, keeping them up. The feeling was...

She wanted to say indescribable, but that was a total lie. It was like that hard little sets-your-teeth-on-edge pressure when you're about to climax. It's like that last wall of force you hit before the Rainboom, that little tear in the air when you do a Filly Flash, that thrill. It's a tightness in her chest and her heart and especially between her legs, where Pinkie is leaning her weight down, grinding one leg against her, and she's gasping and trying to keep control and she will, not will try, will, because this girl just brings out the protective side in her. And if they climax, together, where anypony could see them, from the ground looking up, from the sky looking down, well, that was fine. More than fine, actually. The word is awesome.

They had, at best, a half hour left before the spell wore off. She knew that much, and so she made sure they made the most of it. Sitting together, quiet, calm, just slowing down for once- No racing for Dashie, no hopping or cheering for her. It was about the little quiet times like this, too. They might not be the norm, heck, they might only remember to cool their fires once or twice in a week, but when they did, it was the most lovely content feeling, running hooves through each other's manes and sighing, smiling. Always smiling, even when she went to leave, even when Rainbow Dash set her down on the outskirts of Ponyville, even when that streak of blue went back into the sky.

Her smile faded, a little bit, but then got even wider when she thought about tonight's visit from royalty- Even better, from a new friend! Well, sure, they're the same pony, but that doesn't mean you have to pick one reason to be excited- It meant you got to be double excited! So she cantered into town, giggling and humming to herself, so she could go dig out the party blowers and test them out. Oooh, maybe she could even prank someone and test them out at the same time!

It had already been a great day, and it was only getting better.

Chapter 6- Shopping and Sunrise

Walking the streets of Canterlot in the high sunlight of the afternoon was refreshing- She had honestly missed the place, as bustling and arch as it could be. It was still her and Spike's first home, after all. Lots of memories here. A quick swing by Pony Joe's for the requisite order ("The usual?", because Joe still recognized her on sight), a run down to the shop that makes those delightful little smoothies, and then she could stop off at her favorite plaza.

A dozen little benches, a few chairs and tables, all arrayed around a large ornate fountain-- A bit like the central square in Ponyville, come to think of it. Instead of being an open expanse leading to other buildings, however, it was the center of an eight-way intersection, buildings surrounding it on every side, alleyways leading across catty-corners and connecting the paths. It was like the axle on a huge wheel, and she always loved to stay here when she ate out- It was like being at the centre of the district, like the heart of the place. And all the shops were familiar sights- There was the dress shop (she keeps meaning to show it to Rarity), the sweets store (Pinkie Pie would love it), and...

That was new.

A shop, dimly-lit, well-kept though, with the windows (which held no glass- Not boarded up, but the frames filled with solid wood) showing absolutely no products at all. Tasteful black shades kept the lack of real windows from being too obvious, and the door was utterly solid- Not even a peephole. But to to top it all off, there was no sign, no marker, nothing to say what it was. Well, nopony could ever say she wasn't curious, nor could they fault her for wasting food-- She wolfed down the rest of her meal and quickly disposed of the wrappers and papers. A quick jaunt into a nearby restroom to clean her hooves and forelegs- Her own fault for liking such sticky donuts, really- and then she was off to visit the odd little shop.

No bell rang when she entered the front door, but then she realized she was in a little antechamber between the street and the interior- The door in front of her was, just like the front, totally solid. She let the first door close behind her with a click, trying not to be nervous- This was a bit odd. A small shuttered window next to the door opened, and a dark purple unicorn colt looked through it at her.

"Sorry for the wait, madam, but we have to confirm that all ponies entering this establishment are of-age and not magically disguised."

"Oh! That's a pretty interesting precaution, but it makes sense- I suppose you sell some kind of sensitive material?"

"Ahehe, you could say that, you really could... Ms. Sparkle, right?"

She blushed a little- It was odd being recognized by strangers, but between her studies with Celestia, and her escapades with the Elements, it was getting more and more common.

"Yes, that's me."

"Then come on inside- I'd hate to turn away Her personal student."
The door in front of her unlocked, and the window shut. She opened the door and stepped into... ah.

She had absolutely never thought about coming into this kind of place. Honestly. Not even after she finished reading that book the other day. Nope. And now that she was here, it was... daunting. Velvet's shop was mostly outfits, with a small selection of crops and such. But this... No doubts, no questions, this was the kind of store where you need to make sure foals don't see inside. Shelf upon shelf of books akin to the KaMare Sutra (and a few copies of that very book, for good measure), a wide selection of magazines, many of them much more lewd, racks of toys and whips and crops and paddles and gags, simulated sex organs, vibrating toys powered by mechanical parts or stored magic, and all kinds of things she had only ever heard of, if even that. Yes. Heard of. She was not the kind of pony who went home from the Boutique a few days ago and started researching this kind of thing, or looking into mail-order options and discrete custom craftsmen. Nope. Not her.

"Welcome to... OK, well, actually, our shop doesn't have a name, come to think of it- Never really needed it. We get all our business by word-of-mouth. But welcome regardless."

"I can imagine! I mean, ah, hehe... I didn't catch your name, actually."

The stallion offered a hoof, and they shook. He pointed to one side, pointing at his cutie mark-- Two squares of black, arranged in a double-diamond pattern like an eight laid on its side.
"Matte Finish! Creator and purveyor of all varieties of crafted goods, but especially... Well, it should be pretty clear from our stock. My wife's in the back inventorying our specialty items, but she should be out any minute now."

He stepped back to give her a little space, and she breathed a bit easier. He seemed like a very nice colt- A mane of short-cut black hair, and a tail to match, both that ragged short riff that's been popular as of late. His horn seemed quite well-cared for, and he kept himself well-groomed. She sighed in relief- She had been worried that places like this would be... well, seedy, but he seemed like the very picture of a gentlepony.

Slowly, and with some pretty obvious worry on her face, she began to walk the aisles, looking at the things available. She did have an hour or two before her lesson, and a pretty hefty supply of bits. It couldn't hurt to look either way, right? So she browsed the aisles, Matte pleasantly chattering about this or that product behind her, occasionally showing off a particularly 'nice' piece, which, to be utterly honest, she did like the looks of many of them- He seemed to almost unerringly pass over the things she would find odd or too much at the moment, narrowing it down to the one that looked just right, got stuck in her head- Not literally. That would be gross.

It wasn't long before she'd found one or two things that caught her eye. The shop-pony mentioned that they liked to throw together little "combo packs" for beginners and the uninformed, which fit her to a T right now. She just... didn't have experience in this field, even with what she had read (voraciously (obsessively)) over the last few days. So in the end, she went up to the till with a very nice, subtle, bag- Sheer black cloth. Inside was one of the aforementioned combo packs, whose contents she had found... enticing. And it did not hurt in the slightest that a certain item in there had a color scheme that made her blush- Pearl white and metallic gold. She was quickly met at the register by a stunning mare with a pale violet coat and an almost purely white mane, long and worn in a braid. She bowed, shortly, and then stepped past the counter to display her mark- A pair of silver coins, arranged together to make a sort of figure-8 pattern, much like her husband's.

"Nickle 'n' Dime, at your service! I run the shop here with my husband, who you've met. Feel free to just call me Nicky- Everpony does."

"Oh, well thank you Nicky, but, um... There's no need to bow."

"Nonsense! You're the talk of the town, you know? Canterlot may be big, but hearing about your exploits is pretty hard not to do. If anypony deserves a bow, it's you, Ms. Sparkle. And please, accept this complimentary addition from my husband and I."

Nickle slipped an additional box, too fast for Twilight to see what it was, into the bag. Twilight blushed at the compliment, but decided not to argue-- If somepony wanted to pay respects to her, she certainly wouldn't stop them, even if she did worry it might be a bit boastful. And as for gifts... Well, nothing wrong with it.

A few dozen bits and change out from the little purse in her saddlebags, and then that pouch full of books and toys and other things was all hers. She really wanted to try things out, but knew she couldn't risk it before her lesson. So a quick flare of the horn, and she teleported the incriminating evidence home, to the Library, in a private little wooden box under her bed. She figured that she might want to start keeping a diary about these kinds of things, and so she prepared the hiding place ahead of time, knowing Spike would never clean under there. Turning to leave, she stopped when Matte walked up from across the store.

"Oh! Thank you again for all of the recommendations Mr. Finish... Actually, come to think of it, are you any relation to Photo Finish?"

"Eenope. Met her once though. Very high-energy mare, that one."

"Heehee, you've got that right. Well, I'm very glad I found your store, and... I might be back, in the future."

"Ohho! Well, if you ever are? Feel free to recommend us to a friend. Or even better? Bring a friend. It helps ease those first-time worries."

"I... Hmm. I never actually thought about that."

"Either way, have a phenomenal evening Ms. Sparkle."

"Yeah..."

She wandered her way out of the store, deep in thought. Her friends? Out of them, who would be... Well, Rarity or Applejack, quite possibly. She didn't know if either Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash had anypony in their lives, and Fluttershy... was in the same predicament as her. That's it! She could show the place to Fluttershy, maybe find something to help her out on the road to making this crazy plan of theirs work. If all else failed, it would help keep the yellow pegasus calm, or at least relaxed. And then it would be easy to set up inconspicuous trips to Canterlot, which would make it easier to speak to Her, and...

Half-distracted, she didn't even realize that she had managed to wander her way all through Canterlot, to the Royal Palace, right into the front gates (the guards opening the way, expecting her, and the captain remembering her absent-minded wandering habits), and up the stairs to the library. Which was ludicrous- She hadn't been that lost in thought. Had she? Well, either way, she was here now, so she might as well find a way to pass the last... Hour and change she had left.

She cracked her neck and bee-lined to the reference desk, where she could swear she heard the clacking of... an abacus?

It had been educational, that last hour. Sent careening from one librarian to another, receiving such-and-such permission to go see so-and-so, before eventually, almost half of her time used up, she got to where she was going. In front of her, foreboding and dark, was the one place in the library she had never been-- The Red Room. A private library and reading room that existed within the library, in the very walls, cleverly concealed beneath the bulk of staircases and supporting struts. Only those with the most stringent clearances and restrictions could enter. The door creaked, the various seals and spells receding in response to the completely-filled form she held-- A temporary allowance, but she only need a little time. Maybe if she was lucky, Celestia would give her full clearance later.

The smell of grass, vanilla, and smoke filled her nostrils as she stepped in. This place was old, older than some parts of Equestria, she was willing to bet. The normal smell of aging books, lingin and binding glues and aged book-covers, was absent. Instead, the scent was... wild, ancient, and comforting. She had sometimes picked it up on Celestia's mane, during a study session, but never knew why. Now she could place it, and she liked it. She stepped, slowly, from shelf to shelf, looking at the tomes. There was no index in this place- Anypony who could get in was expected to find their own way. And true enough, it was only a scant minute before she found the book. Bound in the same lavender shade as her own coat, it bore the sun, the moon, the earth, and a six-rayed star upon the cover. The title was written cleanly and crisply in jet black:

The Nature of The Planes and The Heavenly Bodies

She settled down at one of the large, plush chairs, cracked the cover, and began to read as fast as she could. Understanding could come later- Right now, she just needed to absorb quite a lot of information in quite a little time. There was nopony there to notice when she levitated a second book into place and began reading it at the same time, nor could anypony see the point where her eyes faded to a pale shade, almost white, and the speed of flipping pages nearly tripled.

The Red Room was graced with a flood of purple and white light as she did what she did best.

When the little timer-spell she had set went off, she closed her eyes, and opened them again- Clear and unchanged, the same color as usual. The two books in front of her were closed, and the air was full of the wild scent of these ancient tomes- They had been read in quite the hurry, after all, fanning the air the whole time. She felt massively refreshed (but knew she would be paying for it later), and somewhat more enlightened. She returned the books, stretched her legs, and stepped outside. As soon as the door shut, the permission slip burst into heatless flame, collapsing into useless dust which collapsed further into nothing at all. Good security, all told. Now she just needed to find the way out to the place Celestia had said they would meet.

It was a long walk, the place in question a balcony placed far upon the Eastern towers, facing the horizon. Getting there wasn't too hard- She was still riding the wave of borrowed power from before, a process she now understood much better- Those tomes had been informative, about many things.

And there she was, standing on the furthest edge, where there was no railing. Tall, regal, her perfect white coat shimmering in the moonlight, her mane flowing of its own accord. Gold and gems adorned her, and Twilight turned her eyes down to try and avoid the quickly-spreading blush. Celestia of Equestria, the Alicorn Princess, the Sun Herself, smiled wide and bent down, nuzzling her charge for a moment.
"Twilight Sparkle! My most faithful student."

"I'm sorry if I’m late, Princess."

"Not in the slightest. In fact, you are a touch early."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Celestia chuckled and shook her head.
"Twilight. You had been apologizing for being late, and now you apologize for being early? You must remember that I trust you, and asked you to come- And on very short notice, at that."

"I... Of course, Princess."

The alicorn mare stretched her wings to their fullest extent, and Twilight shivered for a moment, before a spell caused the entire balcony to be flooded with a gentle heat. Celestia smiled again, and this time she could smile back, nervousness (mostly) banished.

"M... may I ask what my lesson will be?"

"You may."

A moment of silence, and Celestia held back a laugh when Twilight finally got the joke. Hiding a smile, she asked:
"What is my lesson this evening, Princess Celestia?"

"I will be demonstrating to you the Rite of Raising The Sun."

"...Am I really deserving of that honor?"

"Moreso than any other pony I could name, and I can name quite a few."
They both shared a laugh and a smile, and then returned to somber tones- This was big. Important. A step forward on her paths, both the public, surface path of advancing her knowledge of magic, and the private one, in her heart.

"I am ready to watch and learn."

"Very good- For that is precisely what you will be doing."
And on the far horizon, the moon dipped low, and began to drift out of sight.
"Brace yourself well, my faithful student. It begins."

This was it. One of the most complex and potent magical workings in the history of Equestria. The Nature of Planes had said that before the first Alicorn was born, it took thirteen of the world's most powerful unicorns working in perfect concert to perform it. And right now, she was watching one single mare, her entire body bathed in golden light, focusing every inch of her absolutely staggering power into the spell. Twilight could feel the heat of the sun in that light, and see the weight of years on Celestia's brow-- She had been doing this every day for most of recorded history, and she was graceful in her long-practiced expertise, her eyes closed against the light. Somewhere else in Equestria, her sister was performing the opposite rite, bringing low the moon to make way for the sun. And Twilight... She was profaning this beautiful, sacred thing, because the sight of Celestia using that much power left her weak in the knees and hazy in thought- She wanted to bow, to kneel, to submit, to let this golden shining force overtake her and use her, but she absolutely would not dare to break Her concentration.

So she sat, calmly, and absorbed every single iota of the ritual, studied her mentor and ruler as thoroughly as she could have ever hoped to. From the burning light of her power to the pale unbreakable sheen of her coat, from her glorious mane to the flow of the spell itself. And when the rite was finished, the sun fully visible in the East, Twilight simply and without a word swooned into unconsciousness, overwhelmed with information and magic and that burning tingling need. She dreamed of golden flames and an endless flowing mane of many colors.

Chapter 7- Recall and Recommendation

The sun was high in the sky, sloping towards noon, as Fluttershy happily hummed and sang, flitting from place to place. Her patrol of feeding, caring, and checking-up-on all her animal friends didn't actually require her to fly today. And normally, before? She wouldn't have. But ever since she came to the realization about Luna, she had been stretching her wings, flying more often, and even (secretly) carrying heavier weights, such as full feed-bags, as she flew. It was tough, but she was sure training with Rainbow Dash would be even tougher, so she dealt with it. And it really had been nice- She was getting much more work done, faster, than if she had been hoofing it. The downside to all this flying was that it tired her out fast: By the end of her rounds she was starting to feel a bit lethargic. Fluttershy was sure she would build up stamina in time, however, and went inside.

Speaking of time, she had just settled down into her couch, looking at the ancient clock in the corner, when somepony knocked at the front door.
"Oh! Um, come in. It's open."

Twilight stepped inside, looking a bit frazzled- Her hair was messier than usual, and her purple saddlebags in use for a change.
"Good morning, Fluttershy!"

"Hello Twilight. Did your, ah, lesson go well?"

"Actually, that's exactly what I came over to talk about! Well, partially, I mean. I just wanted to compare notes and see how both of us did- You helped Rarity with the clothes-fitting, right?"

She could feel the hot blush on her cheeks in response to the question- Last night was still a bit of a heavenly blur, all flowers and kisses and music and very lewdly-placed tape measures (did that last one actually happen, or had she dreamed again?)
"Yyyes. I did that."

"Oh great! Can we sit down and talk about it?"

She didn't bother responding, simply gesturing for Twilight to join her on the chair opposite the couch. The lavender unicorn sat, grinning up a storm, and shrugged off her bags.
"Alright, so... lemme hear about it!"

"Twilight, I haven't seen you this giddy since you found my old book collection."

"Well, I... OK, so, yes. I am really giddy. I've never really done anything like this before, and having someone to go through it alongside me is really nice."

"Me too. So, yes, the fitting..."

She proceeded to retell the entire story of the previous night- Or tried. Twilight interrupted her when she got to the bit about kissing Luna.
"You what!? But Fluttershy, that..."

"I know. I just felt so... assertive."

"Wasn't that risky? What if she didn't like that, or want that? What if it's against some law or custom or-"

"It was worth the risk... Something I never thought I'd say, hehe."

Twilight seemed to be looking at her with newfound respect, and she wasn't arguing any further, so Fluttershy assumed it was fine to go further in her story.

A little further.
"And she kissed you back? Fluttershy that's wonderful!"

"Yeah. It really was. But..."

"But? What's there to be 'but'ing about?"

"I don't think she really thought of it like that. She's just... very affectionate."

"Oh. I'm sorry to have jumped to that conclusion."

"It's perfectly fine Twilight. She might change her mind in time. Or maybe I’m just worrying, and she really does feel that way, but that would make me worried too, because..."

Twilight held up a hoof and stopped her.
"Right, I understand. Well, moving on?"

And this time, she actually managed to get through a significant chunk of the story without silly interruptions, all the way until...
"REALLY!? So you... we both saw the Risings?"

"Yes. It was... Oh Twilight I can hardly describe it. Although, when she started, she described it..."
So she retold the way Luna had spoken about it, recalling the moment verbatim- She was sure she'd remember those words for her entire life. Twilight looked enraptured as she listened, and Fluttershy bet her wings that the unicorn would have taken notes if she had the tools out.

"...She was right, you know."

"What about?"

"Celestia's Rising. It was everything Luna told you it was. I barely managed to see it all."

"Twilight, what do you mean?"

"I... I admit I had been using a fair bit of magic beforehand, and might have been a bit over-excited, and... It was just so overwhelming that I... may have passed out."

"Ohno are you hurt is everything OK how many hooves am I holding up?"

"No, yes, one. It's perfectly alright, and I should have expected it- It was my own fault for overtaxing myself."

"But..."

"No buts. I'm alright, and, well, afterwards..."

It was only a short dream. It was beautiful, and glorious. The scents and colors, the sounds and especially the heat. She was able to just give up and let go, completely fall into the flow and the ebb of the warm, soft mane and the glorious golden light. Sure, it would have been completely ridiculous to come out and say as much, but she knew what she wanted. And she wanted to give herself to Celestia in every way, if only she knew she could do so without facing that kind, motherly smile and the chill bite of rejection. Celestia...

She cracked one eye open woozily. The mare herself, seated calmly on a small couch, was at her bedside, looking down with concern, her eyes filled with a shining light.
"P...princess?"

"Welcome back, my student. I trust that you are alright?"

"I... I am so sorry."

"Whatever are you apologizing for? It's perfectly reasonable. The fault is mine."

"No!"
She struggled herself into a sitting position in the bed- Infirmary. Probably in the palace. She had been here once or twice before, when a particular spell had backfired or she had simply over-worked herself into a cold or fever.
"Princess, absolutely nothing could possibly be your fault. I simply wasn't prepared."

"Twilight Sparkle, trust me when I say that what happened this evening is entirely my fault. Even if you were prepared, that would have been too much, too fast. I must apologize to you."

The Princess didn't get it. She didn't understand how painful those words were, how much it hurt Twilight to know that she had somehow, in some way, made Celestia sad. She couldn't imagine the alicorn mare crying, but her eyes were shimmering with tears, not yet spilled. Through her own weakness and foalish fool-hardiness, she had worried her. And that was not her...

She tried to keep thinking, to admonish herself further, but then she realized that Celestia had leaned down and, very gently, very quickly, kissed her forehead. She melted. She sunk into the covers and had to completely restrain herself to keep from making an embarrassing sound or two. And when she looked back up, Celestia was smiling, broadly, her face back into that lovely grin that Twilight had always looked up to.

"I am sorry."

"I... If you insist on apologizing, it would be utterly terrible of me not to accept it. So thank you, and... you're forgiven. Even though I have no right to forgive somepony like you."

"Heehee. Oh Twilight- You always know what to say to keep me on track. It's a wonder that I even managed to get by before you were my student. But now you need rest- We will continue our lessons next week, earlier in the evening- Please arrive at the end of the week and be prepared to stay the entire weekend."

Twilight stared.
"The whole thing?"

"Yes. I have a stringent lesson plan in mind, and quite a few activities. We will hit the books... Together."

And if Twilight had thought the gentle, motherly kiss was shocking to her system, had caused an undue and rather insistent heat in her loins, then she practically climaxed at the sound of that. Studying... with Her. It was the most unthinkably amazing thing she had ever heard, and if that made her a massive bookworm... So be it.

Weird or not, she felt that the idea of studying alongside the Princess was hot.

"That... It sounds like it was actually for the best that you fainted."

"I... Huh. Yeah, I guess it was!"
They shared a grin and then started giggling-- The idea was so preposterous that it ended in them laughing until it hurt. But it seems like it had helped, and this helped too-- Twilight relaxed and Fluttershy felt refreshed. And as an added bonus, she managed to move the conversation onto another topic before Twilight asked what happened after the Rising-- She was pretty sure she couldn't bring herself to talk about that. It would just be... Wrong.

"So, did you get to do anything in Canterlot beforehand? You arrived pretty early."

"Oh! Oh wow Fluttershy I almost forgot-- You have to see this."
She pulled out a rather sizable tome from one saddlebag with her telekinesis, and Fluttershy blushed even harder than she had the first time-- She knew that book. Rarity had brought it to the spa one day, blushing like a bride, and shown it to Fluttershy-- It was apparently a copy signed by the author, which was quite a feat given that the book’s creator was anonymous. But apparently, Rarity had done a bit of work for said author (or authors plural, she never did say), and in return, they had slipped her that copy with a nod and a wink.

"Although come to think of it, if I extrapolate from Rarity and Applejack's reactions, you probably already know everything I'm about to say about this book."

"Yyeeess, just a bit."

"Well, darn. I had been figuring as much."

And then the mare blushed, which Fluttershy had to admit was a bit adorable- Her coat made the shade of it an interesting mingling of red and violet, much like the color of her magical aura.
"I sort of... discovered some stuff, biologically, after reading my way through some of this."

"Oh, do you mean you-"

"Yes! That. Which we won't discuss, because I still feel rather silly having just figured it out, especially since the reading I did afterwards suggests I'm more than a few years behind the herd on that one."

"Oh Twilight- That's perfectly OK. I was a bit of a late bloomer for that kind of thing myself."

"This late?"

"No. Definitely not. But later than most."

They laughed again, managing to relax once more.
"Well, I... I found an interesting sort of store in Canterlot, and I actually thought you might be interested in the place. The owner and his wife are both very nice ponies."

"What kind of shop is it?"

And at that, for some reason, Twilight blushed.
"It's... better if you see for yourself."

Twilight had left Fluttershy’s cottage in a bit of a hurry, saying she had forgotten about an appointment. This left Fluttershy to contemplate what her friend had told her, and given her. A shop in Canterlot she might like, and a paper with the address. Well, she had been wanting to spend a day or so relaxing away from Ponyville-- Not that she didn’t love her hometown, it simply had a very high frequency of... Let’s call them shenanigans. Her mind made up, she took the address, packed a light lunch and some money in her saddlebags, and went on her way. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this trip was going to be eventful, but perhaps it was just carry-over optimism from the past few days.
Either way, she was positive she would enjoy herself.

Chapter 8- A Purchase and A Princess

Twilight had seemed so eager about pointing her to the shop she found in Canterlot. Fluttershy was starting to wonder just what the fuss could possibly be about, but that could wait. She was going to enjoy her visit to the capital city first, roam a bit, see the gardens and the parks beforehand. She hadn't been here very often, apart from the Gala (which she tried vainly to repress) and some of their bigger emergencies.

It wasn't long before she realized that, amazing parks or no, she was just too curious. She had to see what kind of store got Twilight so... interested. It could be a magic shop, or even some kind of store for books or astronomical equipment... but she had a feeling it was that kind of little-known shop. Something a little more related to their newest topic of conversation- For example, maybe a little-known shop with no signs, no markers, and no publicly-displayed address. Yes, looking at it from across the street, it seemed like precisely that sort of shop. She...

Well, no sense in lying (after all, it's not as if anypony is going to hear her thoughts or anything). She's been to this kind of shop before, once. It had been a dare during Flight Camp, and she had made it roughly two steps into the door before blushing so hard her neck felt hot and running away. To this day, she remembered what she saw in there quite clearly, and... In retrospect, it was pretty tame. Maybe she'd be able to handle that kind of thing better, now that she has matured and grown. That would be nice.

A SHORT WHILE LATER...

Stuttering.
Stammering.
Shaking.
She hadn't expected everything to be so bright, or vivid, or covered in images. Not to mention the transparent cases on so many of the objects letting her know exactly what was inside, often in graphic detail, with bullet points. The owner looked a bit apologetic, and she couldn't blame him. She was a problem customer, just somepony who shows up and makes everything awkward and...
"You can relax, Ms. Fluttershy. I know how you feel."

The mare who walked out from behind the counter was smiling at her. Not grinning, not mocking, but genuinely happy to see her, and Fluttershy honestly did feel better already. Something about her was simply... calming.
"Matte honey, I'll take care of this one."

"Go right ahead, mon amour."

Fluttershy still felt a bit nervous, but this pony was being very nice, all things considered, and Twilight had said good things about the place. So she braced herself- It was getting easier, lately- and smiled in return.
"H-how do you do?"

"Very well, thank you miss. My name is Nickle- Nickle 'n' Dime. You're Fluttershy, from Ponyville, right?"

"Oh, I... yes. How, um..."

"Do I know you? I make it my business to know everypony, although in your case, it was easier than most- Not only did Twilight Sparkle come in to see us, but you and your friends are... Well, not necessarily famous, but known."

Fluttershy realized that Nickle was right- This shouldn't have been surprising. Still, it was a bit odd, but she shrugged it off- Talking to her was significantly helping to sooth her nerves. She gave the merchandise a second glance as they casually talked, and realized it wasn't nearly as bad as she first thought. Hay, some of it was honestly... tasteful, as Rarity likely would have put it.

A dozen minutes later, give or change, and Fluttershy was really managing to surprise herself today- She had actually, daringly (she was trying so hard, but it was helping so much) made a purchase or two! Nickle helping her every step of the way, of course. Their conversations were warm and friendly, and the advice matched it. Apparently her and Matte were new to Canterlot, and had spent quite some time travelling. It was odd, but Fluttershy was honestly starting to consider this couple to be potential friends. She might have to come up in the future, maybe make an excuse or even just come get new things. Now that she spent the time to really look at them, some of the things on sale were... enticing.

She exchanged her money for the goods, placed them (deep, hidden, wrapped) in the bottom of her saddlebags, and turned back to Nickle, nervously shuffling her hooves.
"So, if, ah, I came back in the future, would..."

"We'd be pleased to see you again! You're a good customer, and seem to be quite the nice mare on top of that."

"Oh, well, thank you..."
The silence went just slightly longer than was comfortable, and then she made a little half-nod half-bow and went out the door. Thankfully, the streets were empty... No wait, that's not entirely true. Rather than empty, everypony was dropped to their knees, bowing in obeisance to somepony.

That little icy clutch of fear in her gut was confirmed when she looked up the street to see the Princess of the Moon, complete with a pair of royal guards. Between Luna's ornamentation, her stunning mane, and her guards’ unique wings, it was an extremely impressive display. Fluttershy went down to her own knees out of instinct, respect, and possibly something more. That, of course, didn't stop her from emitting a squeak of surprise when a horn gently fell on her shoulder.
"P-p-princess Luna!"

"Please, dear Fluttershy. We've asked that thou simply call Us Luna."
She rose to her hooves and made (futile) effort to not nervously look at her saddlebags or the shop behind her.

"It's, ah, fantastic seeing you here!"

"Much thanks, and the same to thee. We... That is to say, I, and my Night Guards, were preparing to take an early lunch. It is such a lovely coincidence to run into thee in Canterlot- Quite some way from home."

"Oh, yes, well, my friend Twilight, you know her, of course, recommended that I come... to this..."
Ohno. She had drawn attention to the shop. And now Luna was looking past her, at the windowless store front. Ohno. Ohnonononono.

The Princess cocked her head to one side, looking a bit confused.
"We do not believe We have ever seen this particular establishment."

Fluttershy let out a forced laugh, which sounded terrible even to herself.
"Well, it isn't even the slightest interesting place, or even any place you should ever consider going into, hahaha, so let's just-"

"Nonsense. We feel that any store that has received thine attention is worthy of Our interest as well. Guards? Please, allow Us this diversion."

First one, and then the other replied-- Voices shockingly deep, expressions stoic.
"No problem Princess."
"Not an issue at all."

And so she was stuck. Nowhere to run. Behind her, a shop that still required great courage for her to go inside, even alone. In front of her, the mare of her dreams... trying to enter said store.
"And would thou join Us? Being familiar with the location, and all."
Doom. There was nothing left but doom.
Horrible, blushing, stammering doom.

It had been quite some time since she had occasion to enter a shop such as this one- Private, secluded. Secretly, behind the royal stance, she was overjoyed that somepony was keeping alive the traditions practiced by the less 'conventional' stores in her own day. But on the outside, she was all cool composure, and possibly a bit of additional affection for Dear Fluttershy. She had been trying to be a bit less obvious, after her retelling of the first night's events to 'Tia led to her getting the most vicious verbal assault since... Well, since the Last Long Night. And perhaps her physicality had been out of line, but... It felt appropriate. And she would likely do it again, if only to spite 'Tia, or see the reaction of the yellow pegasus mare.

The store... No. there was no store yet. Instead, a tiny antechamber, a well-barred door with a sliding shutter window. Ventilation... magical, fairly complex, well-placed. She would remember to seek an inquiry into the builder of this edifice- Strong and unique. The goods inside were masked, skillfully, keeping her from figuring out the contents before the package was open, as it were. Before she could study it further, the shutter slid open, and a unicorn stallion looked through it.
"Ah, good evening. Ages verified, and..."
He stopped.

Ah. So he saw her, or the guards, or perhaps both. Well, she sighed internally, time to endure another round of grovelling. She had thought she missed it, when she went to Ponyville on the Nightmare Night and no single pony responded with the traditional royal greeting. But in retrospect, that was foalish of her- Even back in the day, she had found such things fiddly and tiring. In her absence, she had merely... fixated on them.

And so it was to her absolute surprise when the colt at the door did no such thing, instead grinning impossibly wide and turning to face the inside of the shop.
"Nicky! Shake a leg, someone important's here."

He turned back with a faint... not a blush, really, but a rakish grin that made her imagine one.
"No offense to your esteemed highness, of course- I am not versed in the royal greetings of Equestria."

She could very well get used to such treatment.
"We would not expect thee to be- It is regrettable to say We do not recognize thou, nor thy shop."

"Ah, pay no mind to that- We're new in the area, and so's our little place of business. Care to step in?"

"Gladly- Thank thee for the invitation, Mr...?"

"Finish. Matte Finish, but you can just call me Matte."
Not ever, never, not once in several thousand years, had Luna met a pony whose name she did not know out of Royal Instinct. Which made this... a conundrum. And she enjoyed conundrums. And mysteries, puzzles, riddles, and their ilk. So she let it go without questioning, instead entering the now-open door to... ahha.

It had been just a bit more than one thousand years since she had been inside a shop of this type. Back in those days, she had actually been in such establishments fairly often- Not just in her capacity as a regulatory body for such "nocturnal" endeavors, but for her own interests. Seeing how much the, ah, industry, had changed over the years was not surprising-- Progress, after all, was normal. But still, the transition to such significantly... blatant displays was a bit of a change. And under any average circumstances, she would not be shaken by this.

But right now, she was visiting this particular shop with her (which is to say "her friend" not "her" as in a possession or some sort of established relationship, of course not) Dear Fluttershy. Who was uniquely flustered, blushing, mane slack and completely hiding her face. And this made Luna feel rather eager to take advantage of that wonderful shyness. Going too fast, of course, would be a significant problem, so she could not actually do so, not here, not now, not yet. But she was, of course, making a crisp index of mental images and notes for future ‘perusal’. Let it never be said the Mare of the Moon did not know what she desired.

Examining a row of (relatively tame) phalluses, she began speaking again- More information could never hurt.
"Have thou been in Canterlot for long?"

He fires off a quick telekinesis (grey aura? Hmm- A note to file away) and turns the display to show her a few of the more exotic items on display-- She actually blushes, for the first time since entering.
"A year now, or possibly a bit less. I've never been the best at timekeeping."

"Well then. We would be interested, perhaps, in what thou sold to my fellow customer-"
She stopped when she heard the horrified squeak of the pegasus pony, and realized she had made a terrible error- She hadn't meant she wanted to know what Dear Fluttershy had bought, she had wanted to buy the same thing herself. But it must have sounded like she was the most brash and nosy... Before Fluttershy could turn and run, she raised a hoof without looking, pressing it to her cheek-- It was bold, yes, but she had to take a risk to repair this before things went wrong.

"Mr. Finish, if thou would excuse Us for a spell?"

"Natch."
The owner headed off past them, stepping behind the counter and going far enough away to be out of earshot.

Dear Fluttershy was shaking, and Luna felt awful. She had to explain.
"W... I. I did not mean to press into thy personal matters. That was not at all Our intention."

"But..."

"What We had meant was... Thou know how long We have been gone for. And... I feel like I should treat this like a new experience. Come back fresh, correct? And so I wanted to know what thou had purchased. It was not out of nosiness or anything of the sort... It was because We might consider the same items, or similar."
Waiting for a reaction, Luna attempted not to wince-- In situations like this, her own slides in and out of the Royal We became even more obvious, and grating to her ears.

She saw the mare's eyes soften, and they leaned into each other, sharing a short nuzzle.
"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I just, uhm, it took a lot out of me to even come in here."

"We understand, Dear Fluttershy, and... I am sorry."

"Oh Luna, you... you don't need to apologize to me. I was just being foalish."

"Well then, may We make it up to thee? We had been hoping to visit Ponyville again soon, and... Perhaps We could spend time with thee? Personally?"

The risk paid off-- Her mare friend (with a space, not one word, nope) reacted with gleaming eyes and a bright smile, nodding before she even replied.
"Yes! O-of course! I mean, if that's OK with you, and you're interested, and..."

She laughed, making a respectful bow. She nodded to the shopkeeper, who nodded in return as the two of them went to leave. It was good to know that he was a pony of the sort to understand such situations- Running this kind of shop requires discretion, after all.
"Then it is agreed."

The two of them walked outside, as it was probably for the best for the other mare's nerves to get out into the fresh air. Her guards followed, having never once cracked a smile or said a word. Their discipline was admirable, even if they were... less versed in certain traditions than she would have liked. But that could come later. For now, she had to wish her friend on her way.

"So I'll see you again soon?"

"As soon as We can free ourselves from Our schedule. Should nothing else arise, perhaps this coming weekend?"

"Oh! That sounds fantastic."

They shared a grin, and the pegasus left, head darting this way and that to make sure nopony saw her as she headed back to the flight port overlooking Ponyville. With a sigh, Princess Luna dismissed her Night Guards, telling them to go ahead to the restaurant and make sure their lunch reservations were properly set up. A quick glance up and down the street, a brief magical scan to make absolutely sure nopony could see her. Secure and unseen, she pumped one hoof in the air and giggled with maniacal glee.

"Yesyesyes she said yes!"

However, thinking about Fluttershy had lead to her remembering a somewhat... pressing issue. A moment to regain her composure. Double-check the street again. Step back into the shop. The shutter slid open, followed by the door as Matte looked at her in confusion.
"Welcome... back?"

She smiled at him and looked past him to the merchandise.
"Excuse Us, Mr. Finish. We would like to procure some of thy wares after all..."

Chapter 9- Shows and Studies

After she gave Fluttershy the address, said her goodbyes, and apologized for bursting in so suddenly (not to mention leaving so suddenly), Twilight started trotting back to Ponyville. Today was special- With Fluttershy likely heading to the shop, Pinkie Pie out of town helping the Cakes at a baking competition, and Rainbow Dash on a bit of long-ranging scout duty for the Weather Patrol... Even Spike was set up with the special task of running the library alone, with a promised reward of topaz-lemon cake upon her return. Almost everypony she knew in Ponyville was gone or busy, but Applejack and Rarity were free. And so was she. And nopony in town would know where they all were or were going, which was good, because the other two mares had decided to, as she put it the other week, "show her the ropes". She was excited, the nervous kind and the warm hard-to-walk-straight kind.

She was on the way to the Carousel Boutique to... She had no clue. She didn't have the faintest idea what she was going to do with, or for, or around, the other ponies. She knew what it was about, and she was so so grateful to them. The more she read, the more she realized that what she asked them- To help her study and figure out that- is something you would never ask anypony outside of, like, a committed relationship, or a physician, or somepony like that. But she had done it, out of her ignorance (how she hated that word) on the situation. And they... Were OK with it. They accepted. So she owed them, quite a bit, and didn't want to face the fact that she could very well be heading to her friend's shop to...

She still had no idea.

In a burst of power, she landed inside Carousel Boutique, in a private little curtained area. Rarity had set it up for her arrival, a place to teleport where other ponies would not see the flare. It was very forward-thinking of her, which was one of the things Twilight found she had most in common with the fashionista. However, the other pony certainly had the ability to be spontaneous as well, which is why Twilight was so surprised when the curtain pulled aside to reveal the stage from their little private fashion show the year before. And on it, a well-made and elegant bed easily large enough for three.

She'd be lying if she didn't admit how much that sight excited her. She had avoided contemplating just how serious the other two were about this, and that... It could only mean good things, or at least exciting things, which according to Dash was most good things anyways. For a change, Twilight was inclined to agree. Applejack and Rarity had been sitting at a table, having snacks with what looked like tea, but stood to greet her.

"Twilight! So glad you could make it."

"Shore is a pleasure seein' ya here, Twi. We thought ya might not make it."

"I'm sorry! I just got caught up talking with Fluttershy after I got back and-"

"Don't worry about it dear, Applejack was merely kidding. Wasn't she?"

"Well, just ah' bit."

Rarity gestured over to the stage.
"Well, shall we get comfortable? I imagine this is going to be a fairly long afternoon, and maybe evening."

"Sure! I'll just set my stuff down here- I brought some of my study materials just in case."

"And there's our proof that you are Twilight Sparkle, and not an impostor."
They all shared a laugh as they moved throughout the room, dropping off saddlebags, setting up lighting-- Not the bright focused magic of the last show the stage was used for, but a soft, normal glow- A bit darker than she was used to, actually. But it felt right, and as she was increasingly aware, this kind of thing was less about rote knowledge (although that didn't hurt) and more about feelings.

"What was that about feelin's, sugah?"

"Oh! Ahehe, sorry. Didn't think I said any of that out loud."

"Well, actu'lly, good thang ya did. Because... Twilight, I jus' wanna go over somethin' before we do a single thang, OK?"

"Sure!"

"If either of us... If me or Rarity, do anything you don't like, you tell us to stop that instant, ya hear?"

"Um... I'm not really sure what you could do that would be like that, but alright."

Applejack's voice dropped, not all the way into a whisper, but to a soft and tender voice.
"Well, it's just... You wanted to know more 'bout this, right? So we're, uhm, gonna be treatin' you like we would each other. A bit more of a hooves-on demonstration, if ya catch mah drift."

She burst into a crimson blush as she got the message.
"Oh! Oh. I... would you two really be OK with that?"

"OK? Sugah, I dare say we'd be happier than ya know. Yer a friend, and a right good one."

"And that isn't, um, cheating, or anything like that?"

"Now Twi, how could it be cheatin' if we're doin' it together?"

She thought about it for a moment. Certainly, she had no experience in this field, and was requesting their help. They had experience she did not. And, admittedly, it might have been entirely normal for her to feel this excited about being physically... ‘close’ with two of her closest friends. Yes, sure, it may be mentally or sociologically abnormal. But she lived in Ponyville: What wasn’t?
"Sounds reasonable enough to me."

Applejack nuzzled her neck and then stepped back, giving Rarity room to take her place. The fashion pony looked at her appraisingly, making Twilight feel a bit more nervous, but at the same time... She was kinda comfortable with it. Maybe even liked it a bit.
"Well then, I suppose it would be most advantageous if you were to... show us, what you know so far. A demonstration."

"Hmm?"

"We can't very well just teach a student without knowing how far along they are, could we?"

"That... makes sense, yeah."

"I figured you'd like that analogy. Well then- The floor, or the bed as it were, is yours."

Twilight had heard of stage fright before. She'd even had it, during her entrance exam to Magic School. She was not entirely sure if anypony had ever described the state of "stage arousal". But she could worry about dissertations in pony psychology later. Right now, two of her best friends were watching her with utmost sincerity, and that fact was leaving her dizzy and flushed and eager. Here goes nothing...

They watched in silence as Twilight put on her demonstration for them. Their expressions were unreadable as the lavender mare stroked her own mane and hips, their reactions non-existent as she rutted into the edge of her own hoof. They stood close together, blushing faintly, tails whipping, but apart from this, made no statements or signs. And when the mare climaxed, groaning and hissing out a name (which they studiously ignored) from between clenched teeth, they simply applauded softly, respectfully. They gave Twilight a moment to relax and recover.

But then Rarity simply had to speak up.
"Twilight, dear, is that all?"

"All of...?"

"All that you know so far."

"Oh. Yes. I mean, it's only been a few days, and I... may have had some other subjects occupying my time."
Rarity wasn't entirely sure why Twilight was blushing (apart from the obvious reason), but she nodded regardless.

"Well, I suppose that simply means we have to work extra hard tonight."

Applejack bumped her flank with her own, laughing.
"An' I reckon hard work is exactly why ah'm here, right Rarity?"

"Mmhmm, absolutely."
They shared a kiss, more passionate than she had been expecting, and when she saw Twilight openly staring out of the corner of one eye, she seized up in Applejack's grasp, suddenly hyper-aware of everything the mare made her feel when they kissed. Heat and comfort and that fuzzy tingling sensation, her ankles curling and neck rolling, trying to press herself further inwards.

"Wow. Girls, that was... really beautiful."

"Aw shucks hun', t'aint nothin' special."

"I would argue that you are always special, to me."
It was absolutely worth the slightly saccharine comment to see the farmer blush like that. Revenge for such a fierce kiss, in her way. Applejack shook herself out of it, however, and turned to Twilight.

"So y’all just figured this stuff out a few days ago? Are you sure you're our age?"

"Uh..."

"Applejack! What a rude question to ask a lady. Just because she is... new, doesn't necessarily make her immature. As I said, it just means we'll have to be very... in-depth with our education."

"...Never thought I'd like tha sound a' schoolwork, but Rarity, you make it sound mighty nice."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, darling. Now then..."

She approached Twilight, trying to keep a predatory smirk off her face. This kind of delicious situation was normally limited to the non-reality of her favorite trashy romance novels. But here they were, a pair of marefriends and their mutual close compatriot. And they were going to be doing dirty things, lovely things, to each other, in front of one another. She almost let out a soft whicker at the thought, but decided instead to question their guest.

"What do you want to learn?"

"What do you want to learn?"

The question hit her surprisingly hard. She hadn't even considered narrowing down the possible scope of subjects to cover, one of the most critical things you do before studying anything! Alright, think Twilight, what did you do the last time you forgot to prune the topic-tree, metaphorically speaking, right before an exam? Ah, that's right: Panic. OK, so the time before that... Oh!

"A... bit of everything?"
That was apparently the right answer, or close enough. Rarity stepped onto the bed with one hoof and pulled herself level with Twilight, eyes warm and smile wide. Twilight gulped in nervousness- She hadn't expected so much proximity, so fast, and on a bed... it was a bit much for her. Well, no, actually, she might have been imagining and looking forward to just such a scenario, but the actual reality of it was hitting her rather forcefully. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, as best she could without any practice. A moment passed. Another. Finally, she cracked one eye to see what was going on and saw Rarity looking at her even more nervously.

"Oh! My, ah, apologies..."

"Rarity, it's alright. Is something wrong?"

"I, well, that is to say I... I can't. I just can't bring myself to kiss you."

The words stung at first, but then she realized Rarity didn't mean anything was wrong with her. And this was confirmed when Applejack sighed dramatically and cantered up to them.
"Come on now pretty-pony, don't tell me ya'll can't do it."

"Applejack, you don't understand. It's just... I was raised to think of that as something very important. Something with significance. Especially somepony's first, and I..."

"Well shucks, it's not like I was yer... I was wasn't I?"
Rarity just nodded silently, and Applejack moved next to the bed and nuzzled her gently. They shared a kiss, this one soft and tender, and Twilight smiled. Even in a rough patch, even in the strangest of situations, their bonds were strong.

"Now, mm, Twilight, ah hope ya don't mind, but I think we're gonna skip that part of the lessons."

"No problem in the slightest, girls! I'm pretty sure I can take care of that one myself."
They shared a laugh, and then Applejack and Rarity glanced knowingly at one another.

"Time to begin, my dear?"

"Eeyup."

Twilight really wished, afterwards, that she had been allowed to take notes.

Or pictures.

Bonus- Much Ado About Plot

--THE START--

"Alright, so, one day, a long, long time ago, Princess Celestia was travelling across the land, making sure each of her subjects were succeeding and excelling in some way-- Doing good things. And so she nodded to the farmers as they raised fantastic crops, and smiled at the smiths as they crafted exceptional tools. She softly clapped for the performers, and nodded sagely at the food of the chefs.

But on the edge of one particular town, one pony had not been informed of the Princess' arrival. My great-great-whole-lots-of-greats grandmare was rooting around in an old wooden chest she had been airing out, and may have gotten a bit stuck, face down in the chest. So when she realized from the sound of the crowds that royalty was on the way, she tried her hardest to get out! But all this achieved was wiggling her flank pretty much directly in Celestia's face.

And so Celestia looked at the rump before her, and said the first words she had spoken all visit.
"That... Is a fine plot of land."

And some ponies thought this was a fantastic saying, and began using it themselves. And other ponies thought that it was a bit odd, but Celestia said it, so they followed along to avoid stirring up any trouble that starts with a b and ends with "-anished to the moon". And as time passed, like a lot of phrases do, it broke down into little itty bits and pieces, and eventually just this remained-- Dat plot.

And that's the story of how I got my Cutie Mark!"

Sweetie Belle looked to Scootaloo, who looked to Applebloom, who went to look at somepony else but had run out of Crusaders so she whipped around to look at Sweetie Belle and make it look like she meant to do that the whole time.

"And, uh, why did we thank askin' Pinkie Pie for help on our Hist'ry lesson was a good idea?"

"That... is a really good question."

"Guuh, I told you guys we should have just gone to Rainbow Dash!"

--THE END--

Chapter 10- Sweets and Surety

It had been a busy couple of days- After sending Fluttershy to the shop in Canterlot and having her little 'session' with Rarity and Applejack (an event she still did not know what to think about), Twilight was quickly buried. Literally buried, in books that is: The Library was scheduled (by her) for a complete reshelf and clean-up (by her and Spike). Between her newest discoveries, her relationship woes, and her normal magical practice, the all-important cleanup had completely slipped her mind until it was almost too late. But thankfully, they got it all done in time. Less thankfully, it was now past mid-week and she had barely been out of the tree in days.

So a breath of fresh air seemed about right, and Twilight went out (eyes stinging in the light) and cut quickly across town to Sugarcube Corner. Checking on all of her friends would be good, and getting breakfast would be an added bonus. True enough, she picked a good first location: Not only was Pinkie working the counter today, but Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were sitting together in a corner booth, working their way through...

"Is that a muffin larger than both of your heads put together, girls?"

Rainbow Dash let out a muffled "Mmhmm!" as a reply, while Fluttershy merely nodded and maneuvered another slice of the colossal cake creation onto her plate. Pinkie noticed her entrance, as well as her incredulity at the Brobdingnagian baked-good beast, and bounced over.
"Oh, Twilight! You will not believe the luck I had! It's the luckiest thing since the time when my ears both flopped and my tail twitched back to back, and let me tell you, that was pretty lucky!"

"...And what happened when your ears both flopped and your tail twitched?"

"I actually don't remember! But it was pretty lucky, and so was this! Oh, maybe it was this! Which, you know, still makes it the luckiest thing since then because they happened in order, I mean, of course they did, because if they happened out of order than it wouldn't really be precogwhatsit or whatever you said it was, right?"

Twilight plopped into a chair near her friends' booth, holding back the urge to facehoof.
"Yes, Pinkie, precognition. Just because I don't know how your Pinkie Sense works doesn't mean I stopped studying it. That's another signal combo for the notes then... But before that, what is it you're even talking about?"

"Derpy!"

"Derpy?"

Pinkie looked at her as if she had grown a second horn.
"You know Derpy, Twilight. Mailmare, grey pegasus, really pretty gold eyes?"

"Well, yes, but... What was lucky about Derpy? What happened, Pinkie?"

"Oh! She flew face-first into a basin of my special crumb cake batter. Totally ruined the whole batch."

"And that was 'lucky'?"

"Yuppers! Because then she said something about 'muffins' as she was climbing out and right then she sorta looked like a muffin, and that gave me the idea to cobble together a bunch of old pans into one super-duper muffin pan, and then take my crumb cake batter and make that!" Pinkie pointed to the foal-sized pastry on the table.
"I call it Das Ubermuffin! Feeds four, and if you hollow it out, seats two! Well, kinda snugly, but still, normally muffins don't seat anypony at all so that's really impressive."

"I... I am sure it is, Pinkie. Any chance I can order a normal muffin?"

Rainbow yanked her chair, pulling her over to their booth and sending her wobbling precariously face-first into the muffin. She managed to keep from outright faceplanting it, and... It did smell delicious.
"No need, Twi! Like Pinkie said, this beast feeds four, and I was just gonna get you and either Rarity or AJ over here anyways!"

"Oh! Well... Thank you, Rainbow."
She grasped a spare fork (her friends having even gotten extra place settings ahead of time) in her magic and then apportioned herself some of th... 'Das' Ubermuffin. A few bites later and she polished off her slice and cut another-- Pinkie really could make just about any zany pastry plan work out. Deliciously.
"So what were you going to get us for, other than mutual muffin mastication?"

She laughed when Rainbow blushed, and took a moment to define 'mastication'. The blush managed to become mutual as Rainbow joked that no, Twilight wasn't talking about dirty things in public, she was just using Twilight-sized words that nopony else knew. She really did try to rein in her vocabulary when it wasn't useful, but something about the superbly superior scale of the sweet snack before her just brought out her inner love of big words. Rainbow turned to talk to her again as she tried to figure out an appropriate angle of attack on the snack.
"I was bored yesterday, ya know, weather patrol and all that, sunny day, and I got to thinking: We haven't had a second meeting!"

"Of?"

"You know! The group."

"Oh. Ooooh! And so you were gathering us up for a new one?"

"Naturally! I mean, somepony has to take initiative if we're ever going to get you two slowpokes to-" She tried to keep talking, but Fluttershy suddenly went shock-white and shushed her. Rainbow shook her head.
"Oh come on 'Shy, nopony's in the store but us!"

"Well, yes, but... Should we still really talk about it? In public?"

"Uuugh, you're so paranoid Fluttershy."

Twilight looked at Dash sternly, trying to even contemplate thinking about imagining the concept of somepony hearing about their objectives and goals.
"I for one agree with her- It's risky."

"Bluh, fine. Still, I think we should get everypony together to talk about... 'that', I guess, since you two don't want me just saying it."

Pinkie perked up from behind the counter just as a batch of customers arrived at the door.
"Oh, are you guys talkin' about the Pri-"

The shout came out of both of them at once, without even thinking.
"PINKIE NO!"

Fiascos of public exposure quite narrowly avoided, and tremendous taste-titans toppled (Pinkie switched shifts with Mr. Cake, promising to promptly return in the PM, and then helped them polish off the preposterous pastry) the four of them left Sugarcube Corner for Carousel Boutique. It wasn't a terribly long walk, and they happily chatted about their respective weeks on the way- Although Twilight was avoiding the most important recent events, and Fluttershy was not discussing her evening with Luna either. And it made sense to her: Those were the kind of things that needed to be discussed at the meeting itself, otherwise you just risk retelling the same story three or four times to catch everypony up.

It was a bit of a surprise to find Rarity outside of the Boutique, and somewhat less of a surprise to find Applejack with her. The two of them were currently discussing some massive sheet of blueprints spread across a table, their voices never rising above a whisper. Twilight went to warn them about their approaching flock of friends, but Pinkie beat her to the punch.
"Giiiirls! You missed out on Das Ubermuffin!"

Rarity leapt with a start, landing on all four hooves facing them. The look of relief on her face was noticeable, but quickly replaced with the bemused confusion of somepony talking to Pinkie Pie.
"Das... I'm sorry dear, what?"

Pinkie went to go into her full long-winded explanation, but Dash cut her off and cut to the chase.
"Larger-than-life muffin. Delicious, but now I can barely move. Feeds four, seats two."

Applejack muttered something along the lines of "Seats...?" before sighing and giving up. The farmer took the blueprints from the table, neatly rolled them, and passed them to Rarity. Twilight smiled as the couple shared a kiss- They had been growing more publicly affectionate ever since their relationship was revealed, and it was always nice to see two ponies of such seeming opposites come together. (In more ways than one) thought a lecherous part of her brain, but it was quickly shoved aside.

"Well hay, what brings everypony 'round here?"

Fluttershy scuffed her hoof across the ground and spoke up.
"Well, we... thought we could have a second meeting of our, um, group. Because me and Twilight both have a lot of news. I think."

She nodded, joining the other mare.
"So... Rarity, would it be alright if we met here again? Or is that a problem?"

"Darling I would simply love to host our next gathering, but... It is admittedly a touch messy inside the Boutique. A bit of a rough work-week, I'm sure you understand."

"Of course. Well, actually... You know what? Let's use the library! I just did a big re-organization spree with Spike, so the whole place is spotless."

Everypony nodded at this, and while Rarity and Applejack went inside to stow away their secretive work, the rest of them prepared to head back into town... and Twilight tried to figure out how she'd keep Spike out of their meeting. She always felt bad about excluding him from anything, but this particular event was... delicate. Then again, he had been spending plenty of time with the Crusaders lately, so perhaps she could just give him the day off! They had all their work done, after all, and he had been especially helpful as of late.

Her mind made up, she prepared herself to retell the story of her first lesson, which is to say, the Rising... And to hear all about Fluttershy's trip to Canterlot. Which, come to think of it, she had no idea if anything interesting had happened during it: The other mare had not brought anything up about it, but then again, Fluttershy rarely spoke up without need. They walked the path back to the Library, and Twilight did her best to look inconspicuous... Which was admittedly silly, because she was walking back to her own house. No matter how this turned out in the end, being able to ease up on the paranoia would be nice.

Spike had jumped at the chance to spend time with the Crusaders again- Apparently, the four of them had been working on some kind of project at the Clubhouse. She warned him to be safe and not flame anything unnecessarily- They had gotten a terse letter from Celestia after he used his transporter-flame on a snowball to avoid getting hit during a fast-paced snowball fight last Winter Wrap-Up. Twilight had been furious to find out about that, even if Celestia had been alone at the time of the 'incident', and Spike was, in the end, appropriately apologetic.

So now the six of them were sitting around in the main floor of the library, nursing various drinks and snacks. The others looked expectantly at Fluttershy, and her, waiting to be regaled with the developments since last they met. Fluttershy looked to her, and Twilight nodded, allowing her pegasus friend to go first... Or she would have, if Pinkie hadn't burst out into a gleefully loud cheer.
"Alright! So begins the first official meeting of our group!"

"Pinkie, what makes this any more official than the last time?"

"You're so silly, Dashie- It's because we have a name now!"

Rarity looked at the party pony in confusion.
"Pinkie, we agreed not to name this group, did we not?"

"Uh hu! But then I decided to name it aaanyways!"

They all shared a glance and then braced for impact.
"OK, Pinkie. What's the name?"

"Pink and Purple Ponies Passionately Pursuing Princess Plot!"

They stared.
There was silence.
And then, a clamor.

"Pinkie! Such crude language as part of a name is-"

"I'm not pink."

"Oh come on Pinkie Pie, really? Why's it gotta be so long?"

"I don't think I would really describe it as passionate..."

"My mane is pink."

"Pinkie, Ah don't think you're serious 'bout this... Right?"

"Well, I mean, I suppose it is a pursuit, and..."

"My tail. My tail is also pink."

Finally, with the group settling down, Pinkie's wide grin began slowly collapsing into a faint smile. She laughed nervously. "So, uh, that's a no?"
Five simultaneous nods came in reply, at which she brightened right back up to her normal self. "Oh well! It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing anyway."

If there was one advantage to the massive outburst, it was that, by comparison, their actual conversation was going to be much less draining. With the ice broken, Fluttershy and Twilight finally began to go over the events of the previous weekend- Her first lesson, and Fluttershy's evening with Luna. Rather than talk over one another, Twilight offered to explain her own happenings first: Give Fluttershy some more time to prepare herself. Speaking to a group, even if it was just a group of close friends, could be troublesome.

After the first shocked outburst from Rainbow Dash, she made a moratorium: No outbursts or questions until they were both done. Which seemed easier to maintain, especially because as soon as she was finished, she excused herself to go fetch a drink... And both Rarity and Applejack followed her. Rarity spoke first, once they were alone in the kitchen.
“Twilight, darling, I just... That is to say... Oh, I am simply having the worst time figuring out how to say this.”

“What’s wrong, Rarity?”

“Nothing! I hope. I mean, that’s what we’re wondering. If anything is... wrong, since our little... lesson, the other night.”

Now both of the other ponies were blushing, and Twilight was as well. Admittedly, things had gotten a bit more... intimate than she had initially thought. And certainly that could lead to awkwardness, in theory. But for them? For them...
“Girls, I would never let anything like that come between us. I’m extremely glad you were willing to teach me, and that night... I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I owe you.”

Twilight could see the gladness in their eyes, and happily accepted the sudden hug from Rarity. They talked a bit longer, and she was able to share with them some of her more... extreme feelings about the incident with Celestia. After all, while the others understood her ambition, her goal, she felt like Fluttershy, as well as Applejack and Rarity, were the only ones who understood her reason. It wasn’t just desire, and it wasn’t just lust. If she had still been a student in Canterlot, she might have even shrugged it off as devotion, or the budding of something like friendship.

It was love, not alone, but with all the things that come attendant to it- The passion, the distraction, the urges and the emotions. She barely had the slightest inkling of a hint of knowledge about the subject, but she could already tell. If she wasn’t careful, this was the kind of thing that could burn her out, or tip over into obsession. But she was used to dangerous situations, after all. She had absolute certainty that she could succeed. Back in the main room, she heard Pinkie saying something about a “really pretty flower”, which probably meant Fluttershy was finishing up her end of the story.

She turned with a smile, suddenly much more confident than she had been before.
“Well girls... You’ve heard my half of it, Dash and Pinkie have heard it all... Ready to go make a plan?”

Chapter 11- Inventories and Intimacies

Twilight had finished all of her scheduled work the day before. The Library was in immaculate condition, so Spike had been given the day off to go spend time with the Crusaders. The meeting of their ‘little group’ was finished early-- In the end, they hadn’t managed to come to a clear conclusion. Rarity and Rainbow Dash both thought they should go fast, Applejack and Pinkie thought they should go slow. But at the same time, Rarity thought it could easily come off as too fast, and Dash worried about what would happen if they failed. Meanwhile, Applejack felt that going too slow was worse than too fast, and Pinkie only suggested ‘slow’ because it gave her more time to hold parties and hook them up that way. In the end, it was some kind of ridiculous self-imposed deadlock, so the two of them decided to take everypony’s advice- Go as fast as they were comfortable with, be ready to back down at signs of it backfiring.

But she was distracting herself- The meeting was over already. This was all just pre-amble to keep her nerves down in consideration of the other fact: Everything was clean, everything was orderly, and most importantly, nopony was going to need her. For the rest of the night. So finally, at long last, she could unwrap her spoils. She hadn't even gotten a good look at it all in the shop, especially not the 'bonus' Nickle had thrown in. So she dragged the secret box out from under the bed, undid the seal over the lock, unlocked the lock, undid the seal under the lock, and then opened it.

The sheer black bag stared up at her, and she cleared her throat. She was more nervous now than she had been on the bed in Carousel Boutique, more giddy than she had been since, well, her first time. Which was only a week and change ago but still. She telekinetically opened the bag, and looked inside. Her mind immediately snapped into Inventory Mode-- Whenever she was shown a layout like this, she just had to make an itemized list. This would be much more annoying if it hadn't saved her a lot of trouble on multiple occasions. And if she was not, in fact, Twilight Sparkle.

Inventory Mode Results:

Three (3) pornographic books

--Two (2) appear to be predominantly Mare-Mare content

--The remaining one (1) pamphlet seems to be a guide to effective "clopping".
One (1) bottle "Everfree" Lubricant
One (1) White & Gold... um, "artificial stallionhood"
One (1) Carved oak box, contents unknown.

That bonus item. Hmm. Twilight didn't, honestly, know what to expect from it- They had not charged her so much as a single bit extra, but it looked expensive. Then again, perhaps they were just giving it to her out of kindness. She could understand that sort of motivation. Well, it's now or never- If she's going to get used to some kind of strange new object, best to do it when she's feeling this eager. Pop the lid, and...

Odd. A slipper made of some kind of woven metal fabric, like cloth-of-gold or silverweave, and a crystalline ring, large enough to possibly fit onto her horn. Both the exact same lavender shade as her coat, and... Oooh, a manual! Twilight loved reading manuals, so she immediately snapped it out of the box and began to peruse.

Thank you for ordering a custom-fitted Uni-Ring and matching glove. To utilize this particular device, simply...

She didn't remember ordering it, and in fact, was positive she hadn't-- There simply wouldn't have been time to do so. But given that Mr. Finish made the merchandise himself, perhaps he just forgot to change the message from the normal manual. There was, however, a note in the back (she always skimmed first before reading in depth).

"Compliments of the maker-- Enjoy it! I believe it will be well-suited to a unicorn of your talents."

And it was signed with that double-diamond pattern- His Cutie Mark. Well then! She supposed there was no reason not to try it, at this point. Reading the instructions closely, and following the diagrams, she went to slide the crystal ring onto her horn.

"Please make sure to apply the ring manually, without the use of magic. We suggest help from a partner, or simply 'spearing' it while it is placed on a pillow. Well that's strange, but... OK!"
She had never been one to disregard instructions. She set the ring-- A beveled one, clearly designed to fit snugly on the base of her horn-- onto a pillow and then, feeling a bit silly, slid her horn through it. The feel of cold stone made her shiver- She was already over-sensitive, and even without her magic active, the nerves of her horn had always been a bit quick to respond.

Next, she put the "glove" (Such a weird word!) onto one hoof, and made sure it fit with equal comfort. The manual said to do this without magic as well, so she did it by mouth, making sure not to rip anything- As if she could, given that her touch confirmed the metal’s strength. It was a good fit, and cool to the touch. Peeking at the instructions again, she saw that the actual 'application' was complete. All that remained was...

"Simply telekinetically manipulate the glove and enjoy. That... Alright, after I'm done testing this, I need to figure out how it works. I mean, unless I'm misunderstanding, that shouldn't really do anythhhhaaaah~"

She had been resting her hoof on one hip when she was speaking, and when the magic engulfed it, there was a sensation she had never felt before. Heat, pressure, a faint and gentle vibration, and the slightest tingle, like sparkling electricity. She stopped casting in shock, and the sensations faded along with the aura of magic. With a brief breath to steel herself, she started up again. Running the covered hoof down her coat brought a moan out of her throat, unwilling but entirely welcome, and so she kept going.

She leaned further back in the bed, running her covered hoof across her entire body in slow passes, the others lying lazily at her sides. Cooing and purring, moaning and nickering, even laughing from time to time. The feelings were just... Ooh, she needed to find a way to thank those wonderful ponies. But for now she just luxuriated, focusing all of her attention on that glove, and more importantly, the skin beneath it. Soon she found out that as she changed her focus, the feelings changed too-- She could concentrate the sensation, intensify it, even give it shape and form. Wary, she pushed in more power, and bucked her hips out of reflex- The difference was incredible. She could feel the warm, wet heat on her stifles, and her nipples positively ached. But they could wait a little longer.

Wave after wave of delicious sensation, sparks of electrical force and that reddish-purple glow. She lost herself in it for a time, almost meditating on the feelings beginning to pulse and coil inside her core. She slipped on a patch of overly-straight coat, her hoof careening into one faint swell of a breast, and that was the last straw. When she felt that massive spike of heat, she simply gave up all restraint and drove the covered hoof straight between her hind legs, panting and shaking.

Feeling the glove's power surging against her folds sent her to climax almost instantly, overstimulated nerves screaming, she was screaming, she tried to muffle it but she simply had no ability to do so. If she was perfectly honest, she also had no desire to restrain her cries-- This was phenomenal. She started her normal slow process of bucking, rolling her hips against her hoof, except now her magic was creating these amazing feelings, and her recent orgasm was making her sensitivity unbearable. Her tongue lolled out, and she whimpered, panting, groaning. A second rolling burst of pleasure, and a third right on its heels, shocking her and breaking her spell concentration. It was just as well-- She was not sure she could have taken another dose of that kind of potent pleasure, not right away.

Recovering slowly, she looked down and shook her head. Another set of sheets, as good as gone: No way she could ask Spike to wash this stain out. There was no way she had been expecting to come this much, this fast, and she was even starting to feel a bit woozy. It had never been that big of a problem during her previous, um, "sessions", but she had read that there was frequently a dip in energy 'after', and her own habit of magical over-exertion wasn’t helping. Rather than keep moving, Twilight decided that this was the perfect time for a nap- After all, she did have the entire night to herself. Oh! And maybe she could actually salvage these sheets. No need to hide them from Spike if she was doing the wash herself for a change- He'd think it was weird that she actually did the laundry, but she could pass it off as a "thank you" for being so helpful lately.

So in the end, she slid the ring from her horn gently, and peeled away the glove-- Still crackling with residual magic. Looking closer, she saw the image of a pair of silver discs inside the sock (she still wasn't used to the word "glove")'s lining, and a black double-diamond inside the horn ring. They must have made this together-- Very sweet, in a way, seeing a married couple make such "married" items. They really were an interesting pair. But now was not the time to think about that-- It was time to sleep.

Curtains, closed.
Animals, fed and in their houses.
Angel Bunny, in the time-out cage for biting Scootaloo. Again.
Crusaders (and Spike, oddly), gone.
Meeting, adjourned.
Lights, low.
Candles, lit.
Basement door...

Fluttershy rarely ever used the 'basement' part of her basement, as opposed to the well-travelled root cellar where she kept all of the long-storing food that was too bulky to go in her refrigerator. The basement proper, however, simply contained a guest bed. A guest bed that now bore fresh sheets, a new comforter, and at this moment, two small candelabras. One of them on each bedside table, lit to the full, providing a warm and appealing light. In this light, she could be comfortable. Safe.

So finally, she clambered up on the bed and looked at what she had bought. It was... no, she couldn't really think of it as dirty. But it had certainly been awkward enough. Enough to make her almost flee from Luna, and the shop, when she realized that the Princess might find out just what it was. She looked at it again, not quite lusting, not quite fearful, but entirely worked up, wings stirring the air against her will.

Sleek, yet imposing. Small, on the average, but large enough. A deep midnight blue chased with accents of silver and black. She shivered just looking at it, in Her colors. It was... Well, it was extremely naughty of her. But she had purchased this 'toy' to use it, not to stare at it- Or Stare at it, for that matter. Not as if a dildo could misbehave, but... Alright, she was stalling.

It took a brief minute to activate the small 'enhancement' that came with it-- Stored magic used to anchor it to the head of the bed. Apparently, this made it much easier for earth ponies and pegasii to use it, since they could rut against it. Oh, just thinking the word 'rut' was getting her in a tizzy, tail whipping from side to side. She tried, without success, to rein it in. If Luna were here now, what would she think? Why, she would...

"Dear Fluttershy! What in all of Equestria dost thou think thou art doing?"

"Princess! Ohno! I, um, that is, eeeek."

She shut up with a squeak, blushing furiously, trying to hide the offending device behind her flank. This only pressed it up against her, making her let out a horribly lewd moan. Luna's eyes went wide.

"That is a very risque thing for a mare of thy station to do before royalty."
"Ohmygosh I'm insulting you Princess I never meant to-"
And at that, the Princess of the Night smirked, eyes smoldering with something Fluttershy had never seen outside of her few peeks at adult entertainment.
"Nopony said it was an insult. Just that it was... daring. We wish to see thee continue."

She couldn't speak. There was no way. She just blushed like an inferno, her traitorous body heating up and begging for it. She could feel the pulsing contractions of her other lips, even as the ones on her mouth smacked, dry, in an attempt to reply.

"Would thou keep Us waiting?"
That she would not. So she...

Rutted up against it, already staggeringly wet, and felt it slide deep inside. It was uncomfortable for a moment, but without any real pain. Just... pressure. Delicious pressure, strong and firm and absolutely unyielding, inside of her. She moaned now, for real, slowly staggering back, face buried in the blankets as her knees scooted her further back. Moments later, she hilted on it, gasping and keening, and slowly rose up. Her forelegs curled under her, her mane a disheveled mess, her wings beating faster than she thought possible. Her hind legs, already spread to accept the intrusive force, began to rise, putting her face even further into the bed. And now she could relax.

Well, not really relax, but let herself calm down, becoming accustomed to the presence. It didn't take long, and then she moved. That alone almost brought out more embarrassing sounds, the first stretch leaving an absurdly enjoyable emptiness. She bucked back against it, and whined, leaned forwards and groaned. It became a steady rhythm, her hips pulsing, her wings having given up entirely and gone utterly straight. She kept up the pace, just loving the moment. If only... oh, if Luna were here. She'd already imagined it, and even in her own head, even in her own bed, even while doing something so lewd, she couldn't bring herself to think about Luna actually being there during the act. So she made do with the toy, and her hopes.

"Luna..."
The name left her lips almost entirely without her volition, and she could practically feel it, see it, see Her. Bearing down from above, pressing her into the sheets and the mattress beneath her. A mane of stars and smoky night sky filled her vision, and the tentative bites and nibbles of royal teeth sent her ears twitching. It was all fake, a vision, her imagination, but it was glorious all the same, and she could only hope the reality would care for her even half as much. The toy slid deep again, and again, and a third time, pushing her up onto the brink. The name came out more like a prayer or a devotion now, constant and fervent, on the off-chance that somewhere in Equestria the Princess herself could hear it. And that thought, of Luna finding out, seeing her in this state, putting her in this state...

She finished with gusto, her entire body shaking, ears folded down and mouth open in a silent shout. Sliding face-first down the bed, legs exhausted, wings folding, she let out a weak laugh at the feeling of the toy completely exiting. That was... Mmmh. She didn't have words. Didn't really need them either. Now was just time to relax, rest on her laurels and take a brief break before resuming her daily work.

It had been a long day fulfilling duties or completing pieces of necessary work. One piece of work consumed her time, only to be finished and then replaced almost immediately. Finally, she had shifted the moon into position, set it spinning on the Wheel, and she could relax. With everything done, and a rare night free, she was able to head to her private bedchambers, dismiss the guards, and finally lean back in the bed and examine her new purchases. And after that, she could start dreaming about... The door slamming open to reveal an immaculate white grin and a mane that flowed like hers. No, that was not the dream, merely the harsh reality: Her intrusive older sister had barged in without a single word, ogling her salaciously. She replied to the interruption with a dirty glare.

"'Tia! What did We just say yesterday about Our privacy?"

They had no real need for royal practices or masks in private- They were a pair of sisters like any other, when alone. It provided a much-needed relief from the stresses of daily work, even if their informal nature and constant jibes led to some friction. But it was the friction expected of siblings.

Celestia chuckled and pretended to ponder Luna’s question.
"Well, little sister, I do believe you said... nothing I was unable to ignore."

She groaned and rolled her eyes before thinking about hiding her purchase- Not that it would have mattered if she had. There was nothing suited to penetrating lies, concealment, or falsehood quite like the light of the Sun.

Celestia plopped down next to her, relaxing and nuzzling up to her younger sister- Nudging the bag’s contents onto the bed in the process. She looked down at the variety, eyes darting from one toy to the next. Luna sighed in exasperation- She knew precisely what reaction this would be getting.
"Speaking of privacy, I cannot believe you went toy shopping without me, Luna! You know how badly The Collection has been in need of expansion."

As expected. Luna shook her head and decided to explain.
"Yes, well, We ran into a friend who was visiting Canterlot, and..."

Telling the story of the day's events would help get her mind off of things. And plus, there was a chance she could get Celestia to join her at the nameless shop. They hadn't, it was true, gone on such a shopping escapade since... Well, since before the incident. And to be blunt, she had missed it. Her sister may be the most regal pony in Equestria, but behind closed doors, they were still sisters, almost as if nothing had changed. And if she had to put up with the occasional prank or rude intrusion, in return for that comfort? So be it.

Chapter 12- Worries and Wayfarers

It was a Friday morning, and The Library of Ponyville was, for a change, full of noise and clamor. Twilight Sparkle was pacing her route around the shelves far faster than she normally would, practically galloping. As she packed away books and quills and such, Spike sat back, still curious what got her so worked up.

"So it's just... studying, but back in Canterlot?"

"You don't get it Spike. It's private, personal lessons-- From Celestia!"

"But you had lessons alone with her all the time."

"Yes, but now I... Um, that is to say, now I'm going to be studying with her. Before, she was just teaching lessons or testing me. Apparently this time we're going to be studying side-by-side."

"Well, I still don't get what the fuss is all about."

Twilight just sighed and continued her staggering run, checking shelf after shelf, packing the occasional tome, even sometimes unpacking a book or two. Eventually, he gave up on his watching and went to make a light breakfast-- Pinkie, being Pinkie, insisted on a goodbye party, even if Twilight was only going away for a weekend. Something snappy and fast, maybe daisies and some vinegar dip, give her plenty of pep to see her through the trip. He knew it wasn't that far, but he always felt the trip could get a bit boring, personally. Twilight usually read while flying.

Before he made it into the kitchen, he felt that stupid tingle-tickle on the back of his throat. A letter was incoming, and a moment later, he belched out a scroll in a cloud of green smoke and flame.
"Twilight! Letter!"

"What? Now? Oh no oh no..."
She rushed over and tore into the letter with unusual speed, her eyes wide. This was really starting to bother him-- He had no clue why she was letting this little trip stress her out so much. And what really got to him was the way her face went totally white after she read what was in the scroll.

"...I. Oh. I think I need to go, Spike. Apparently the Princess needs me to bring formal attire for an event during the weekend."

"Oh wow. I didn't think there was anything big- Did I forget a holiday? Hearts and Hooves isn’t for another week and change, right?"

"Yeah. I don't think we missed anything. I suppose it's just some kind of event at the Castle."

He grinned- That sounded like something less stressful than... whatever had her so worked up.
"Well hey, maybe you can relax during that! Take a break from the studying. But I'm gonna go make breakfast, OK?"

There was no response.
"...Twilight?"

The door was already swinging on its hinges, and there was a familiar purple blur streaking towards Carousel Boutique. Spike sighed, shook his head, and went back to making breakfast-- No matter how stressed she was, she still had to eat. Sometimes, he really did wonder which of them was the one taking care of the other... Sometimes.

"I'm sorry dear, I must have heard you wrong- You said this weekend? As in, later this evening this weekend?"

Twilight resisted the urge to tug at her mane in frustration.
"Yes! This weekend! Princess Celestia sent a letter just a few minutes ago telling me I'd need to bring 'formal attire' for some kind of event and I don't know what to bring or how to pack it or-"
A hoof to the lips, gentle, stopped her rambling.

"Twilight. Darling. There is no problem here. If anypony can solve a last-minute need for formal-wear, it's me, non?"

She nodded- She knew better than to try and talk around Rarity's hoof. Funny to learn someone who did all that work with their bare hooves could be so ticklish. And thinking back to that night made her blush, which Rarity interpreted as something else.
"Oh, don't fret in the slightest. I have the perfect idea, one fitting to your ideals of dress."

And with that, she fled into the back room, leaving Twilight to sit and wonder just how poorly this was going to go. Certainly, the dress Rarity made her for the birthday party had been fantastic- Even if it had a feeling of 'incompleteness', Twilight felt much more comfortable in that sleek ensemble than she would have in any normal Rarity dress. She couldn't hinge on Rarity making the same decision twice, even if Rarity was working towards the kind of ‘ideal’ that she might actually wear.

"Ta-da!"
She swiveled around to look at what Rarity had brought in, and it... was...

"Rarity that's perfect! It's so sleek, so simple, it doesn't have any unnecessary frills or anything. It's... It's really suited to me."

"Well of course it is- I admit that sometimes I get a bit overzealous, when it comes to designing for my friends. But I know how important making a good impression on Celestia is for you right now, so I decided to rein in my instincts and go for something... minimalist."

Twilight grasped the fabric in her magic grip- It was a sheer black piece, lavender highlights, a very tasteful gold necklace with quartz and amethyst arranged in the shape of her Cutie Mark. She wasn't seeing it on a dressform, so she had no idea how it would really look, but she could tell it would be beautiful. In a way, it reminded her of a darker version of the wonderful sundress she received on her birthday- None of the normal frills and bangles of a Rarity design, just as she had hoped.

"Thank you. I... I will be paying for this one, you understand."

"Dear, as my friend I could not possibly cha-"

She interrupted-- No sense in letting Rarity go overboard with generosity again.
"It would feel wrong to just take this one. I'm paying whether you like it or not. Although... If you think about it, it might make more sense, in this case, for me to just -rent- it from you. I don't know how often I'd have the chance to use it."

"Twilight! Of course you'll want to keep the dress- It's what you'll be wearing for your first date with Celestia!"

She blushed fiercely, trying to come up with a rebuttal.
"But, I... It's not really a date, it's just a formal function, and..."

Rarity smiled at her, trotted over, and gently pushed the dress into one of Twilight's saddlebags.
"How about this: When you get back next week, you will tell me whether you want to keep it or not. We can discuss payment then, either way."

"I... Sure. OK, yes, let's do that."

She already felt much better-- She had the dress, she was prepared (if a bit shaken) and ready to get on a carriage and head to Canterlot. There was some rough weather planned, so she'd have to stop over at one of the Flight Stations, but all in all, it would likely be an easy trip. She could finally relax.

Fluttershy was currently as high-strung and nervous as she had ever been, and considering she had once fallen over a mile as a filly, that was pretty tense. But she had a good reason: Royal Canterlot Guards. Two of them. At her house- And this time, they weren't looking for a missing pet. In fact, this time, she had no idea why they were there, and that only made it worse. And to make matters so muchworse, they were the same guards from the other day-- The pair of Night Guards who had seen her at that store. Her heart pounding in her chest, shaky on her hooves, she darted her eyes back and forth between them.

"I... can... Can I help you?"

They nodded as one, and the left of them- Slightly taller, his hair a bit thinner- spoke.
"Fluttershy of Ponyville?"

"Eep. I mean, um, yes."

He smiled then- It was disarming, strange to see coming from such a somberly-garbed stallion.
"Well. We have come from Canterlot to inform you that Princess Luna is coming to Ponyville and staying the full duration of this weekend. As one of her friends, it seemed reasonable that you would want to be told ahead of time. Please prepare yourself for a visit, likely as soon as this evening."

And without giving her a chance to reply, they turned as one and left. Fluttershy stared at them as they went, mouth slightly open. She had totally let Luna’s suggested date slip her mind, had even forgotten it was the weekend already. And if Luna was coming... Her mind flashed to the guest bed downstairs, and the various accessories on and around it, and she rushed inside so fast that the door was pulled shut by the vacuum.

Two of Canterlot’s finest pegasii, pegasus stallions from impeccable “purebred” lines, pulled the golden chariot to a stop inside the large waystation- They would be taking a break, and a new passenger. Their current charge woke up with a start at the sudden lack of movement, blinking sleep out of her eyes.

“Oh! Thank you both for the fantastic ride- I almost never manage to sleep while flying.”
She placed their payment, and a few extra bits, into the receptacle on the back of the chariot’s frontplate. They nickered their thanks, and the unicorn mare moved on.

Now, how long is it before my transfer onto... Oh, half an hour. Well, I -suppose- I could find it in me to nap again...
Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by a gentle tapping on her flank- Cold metal, not a soft hoof. She turned her head to see that Princess Luna was right behind her, smiling broadly.

“Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle- How is Our sister’s most favored student?”
Luna stepped back when Twilight wrapped her neck in a quick hug, beaming at the royal alicorn.

“Princess Luna! I had no idea you’d be here at the Flight Station... I’m doing quite well. I’m actually going to Canterlot, to spend the weekend with your sister.”

The Princess smiled.
“Yes, so We had heard. Our dear sister told us to make Ourself scarce for a few days, and so We decided to make an impromptu visit to Ponyville. I suppose the two of us are trading places, hmm?”

It was a strange thought, trading places with a Princess, and for a split second, Twilight imagined herself in similar garb as Luna or Celestia- Strong horseshoes of dusky rose steel, a crown and necklace of the same, all bearing a six-ray star... She snapped out of the vision.
“Ah... Oh! Do you have a place to stay during the trip? If you need to, feel free to, well, literally trade places with me-- Spike would be -glad- to accommodate royalty for the weekend!”

“We... do not think so. But the offer is gladly welcomed- We will be attempting, however, to find placement with thine... or, our, as it may be, friends.”

This might actually be an opportunity to help Fluttershy out... Let’s go for it, Twilight!
“That makes sense. Hmm... Have you considered staying with Fluttershy? I know she often has the Cutie Mark Crusaders stay over at her home.”

Shockingly, Luna reacted to this with a blush- It was unexpected, but somehow fitting, on her face. She turned her head to the side as she replied, her nervousness slipping the Royal We into her sentences with increasing frequency.
“Oh. I. That is... I had been hoping to do such. Dear Fluttershy has done much to lift Our spirits since we met on Nightmare Night- Motivating Us, We suppose. We were interested in “returning the favor”, if possible.”

There were practically audible quotes around the somewhat modern turn of phrase-- Modern, at least, relative to the speaker. Twilight was only slightly surprised to hear that Luna had been interested in spending personal time with Fluttershy- From what she could tell, they had gotten along well and quickly (that first night aside), which was exactly what they had been angling for.

“Well then! I guess you should probably check with her first- And remember, the Library is open to you if you need it, even if not to spend the night- I’m sure we don’t have Canterlot’s variety, but I have some personal astronomy texts that you, er, might enjoy.”

“Thank you Twilight Sparkle- that sounds wonderful. But We must ask thou a favor, in return.”

“Go right ahead- anything you need, Luna.”

The alicorn’s gaze grew a bit dark, and she leaned in close and conspiratorially, speaking in (relative) low whispers.
“Our sister... That is to say, Celestia... She grows lonesome at night. I do not know if it is a new development since my return, or if she has been this way for longer, but... As I will not be there, I would ask that you spend as much time with her as you can, especially in the long evenings.”

Twilight blushed at the unintentional (she hoped) implications of that, but nodded, her mind now filled with images of her “comforting” Celestia, easing her loneliness... The very idea that she could do something so important for a mare of such stature shook her.
“I promise- Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Luna looked at her quizzically, and then burst out laughing.
“Ah... Allow Us to guess. Pinkie Pie is responsible for that particular oath, is she not?”

“Ehhehe- Got it in one.”

They smiled, and then cocked their heads in opposite directions- Each was being approached by one of the coach-bearer pegasii. They spoke in almost eerie unison:
“Your coach arrived early, madam- Please, this way.”
Luna rolled her eyes at the display, apparently used to their regimented behavior, and the two of them nodded to each other. Twilight made a small bow, Luna leaned forward and nuzzled her for a moment, and they went their separate ways without saying anything further. After all, friends don’t always need words to say goodbye.

Chapter 13- Arrangements and Arrivals

The Mare of the Sun, The Ruler of Days, Princess Celestia of Equestria is tired. She is tired of, to a very small extent, all of her titles. But more importantly, she is tired of organizing. Preparing for a visit from her most favored pupil was new- She was used to Twilight living in Canterlot, not Ponyville, and they had not truly spent much time together since that change. She... regretted it, as good for Twilight as it was, and as necessary for Equestria as it was. Losing one of the few ponies close to her hurt. Oh, there were ponies of all kinds and colors and ages and types for her to spend time with. But at the absolute worst end, they were fearful or hateful like the dignitaries and the politicians. And even at the best, they were grudgingly respectful- Her closest friend was the Captain of her Guard, who frequently spent time during his shifts speaking with her. But even that relationship was strained and...

She hated to admit it, but one of the greatest flaws of her power, of her nature, was the sheer fragility of relationships. She maintained her perfect, only slightly-false royal persona, walking on eggshells, and nothing was wrong. But at the same time, she could not truly become close to anypony that way- The myth was far larger than the mare. It had been years since she had a confidant, decades since she had a true friend, and hundreds of years since she had a lover- In any permanent sense, least-ways. Her sister's return, glorious and joyful as it was, could not provide a true friend-- They were siblings, for all the good and all the bad that implies. But Twilight...

Another book slid into place on the reading table, and she smiled for a moment: Pride in work well-done. The study area for the weekend was nearly complete, and she had absolutely refused anypony else's help- If she was going to spend personal time with her pupil, she would make it as personal as possible. Because of all the ponies in Equestria, she could honestly say that few of them treated her the way she wished to be treated. Twilight was her loving and obedient student, somepony who looked at her with awe and respect, but also knew she was still a mare, alicorn nature and royal status regardless. And Fluttershy was one of the few ponies with the bravery required to stand up to her, to take her own pet out of her care because she felt it was ill, or to make an emotional advance towards her sister. Speaking of which...

Her sister's brash actions, actually kissing the young pegasus in return, had admittedly made her a bit angry. Of all the times for Luna to finally show her nature as the rebellious younger child... No. That is a lie. Luna did nothing of the sort- She simply acted as anypony would have. The problem was with Celestia herself. She was... Not necessarily jealous, but possibly aware that despite her long absence, Luna might be leaving her behind, making progress in ways she had long ago forsaken for the sake of running the whole of Equestria alone. But now. Now they both ruled, together, as it had always been intended, and the two of them could use this fact. Each of them was under far less stress than either would be alone. She could actually do things for herself again.

And thus, when her pupil came into the throne room, nervously asking for more advanced and personal lessons, the teacher in Celestia leapt for joy, the magic theorist inside of her cried out in glorious jubilation, and the part of her... The part of her that, like Twilight Sparkle herself once did, yearned, without quite knowing it, for companionship? That part was still celebrating. Celestia, the alicorn mare, the Day-Bringer, Princess and Co-Ruler of Equestria, finally had somepony with the potential to be more. To be a peer, a companion, a friend. Certainly, she thought of Twilight as one of the most important ponies in her life. But now... Now she finally had enough freedom in her own life to express it.

------SCENE BREAK DISRUPTED

Speaking of expressing things, Celestia wonders if the author isn't possibly using her lack of any present relationships as a veiled insult. Not to mention playing up her easily-distracted free-associating nature, amongst other offenses... As such, she would like to know how he feels about long-term placement on a celestial object somewhere. She has heard the moon is quite tolerable this time of year.

...

The author, in return, would like to excuse himself to go narrate for somepony else. Quickly.

Wings beat in time with the sound of the rain in the far distance-- A storm, but not one coming to Ponyville. Which was good. No rain today. Nothing wrong today. Despite how much she was worrying about the weekend, Fluttershy felt... Good. She was flying, steadily and happily. Not far off the ground, sure, but flying regardless. She wanted to make sure that everything was right for when Luna came, and... She didn't know how. But she knew somepony, several someponies, who would. So to town she flew, quick as an arrow, a strangely calm smile on her face. She was having her emotional freakout about how abrupt this was inside- On the outside, she was getting things done. It just felt like the right way to handle it, somehow.

Her first stop was at Carousel Boutique. She knew how much she and Twilight had been relying on Rarity lately, but she also knew that her spa partner, to some extent, craved that kind of work and stress. Sure, she had limits. Everypony did. But Fluttershy knew, from their time together, how much was too much, and was careful to never rely on her friend even close to that amount. But this... This was one Rarity would want to be involved in regardless of stress.

She knocked, gently, once. The reply came instantly: the door swinging open on the hinges. No lights on inside, no Rarity in sight. Fluttershy stepped partway inside and called out.
"Um, is... is everything alright, Rarity?"

A sudden clamor as her unicorn friend came bolting up the stairs from the basement, her mane and tail immaculate, coat sleek, eyes bright. Rarity reached forward, embraced Fluttershy quickly, and then backed away smiling.
"Oh! Fluttershy, dear, I am so sorry I wasn't at the door when you came but I had an idea and I simply had to start working on it right away. But it's alright for now- I got the base down, it's all set and ready for the next run up. What can I do for you?"

Fluttershy was used to seeing Rarity on her "high energy" days, so she didn't flinch in front of the exuberant speech. Instead, she did what Rarity had said was best to do in this situation: Just be normal.
"Well, I got news today."

"News? What sort? Good, bad? Don't tell me it was bad."

"Oh no, no! It was very good. Really good, actually. It seems that, uhm... Luna is coming."

Rarity instantly deflated a bit, suddenly looking a touch scared.
"The Princess? How soon? Is my mane alright?"

She nodded, looking at her friend's lovely hair, her poise even in a moment of stress. Fluttershy only wished she could be half as impressive on her good days, much less her bad.
"Rarity, you look fine. Fantastic, even. I came... because I want to be prepared. To, um... impress her, that is."

The fashionista quirked her head to one side, tapped her forehoof on her chin, and then positively beamed a smile at her.
"Fluttershy, I have just the idea! Now here's what we're going to do: We head down to Sugarcube Corner..."

And from there, the two of them plotted.

Twilight plotted her course through Canterlot in her head. It was about fifteen minutes to touchdown, and she was going to make it to the palace as quickly as possible- She only.had this one weekend with Celestia (for now, of course (she squelched that thought, worrying she might jinx herself (a thought which was also quashed for being absurdly paranoid and mildly unscientific))) and she wanted to waste none of it. So she could simply dart up to this building, ask kindly to use their side exit, and...

Oh! We're landing. Time to put this into motion...
In a way, she was surprised to find herself as energetic and dedicated to the task as she was- Normally, something like going through the city would be a simple, meandering trip. But her new-found motivation vis-a-vis spending time with her mentor pushed her onward. So she dashed up the streets, saddlebags quite full (although not too full, as apparently Celestia had kept her old rooms intact) and eyes bright. This was a wonderful start to what was sure to be a wonderful weekend.

When she arrived in her old home and study, she let her bags drop with a massive sigh of relief. All the shelves were just as she had left them- It had been a it of a rush as she packed to head to Ponyville, and a second rush when she came back to get all of her things to move in permanently. But still, this felt like... if not home, then certainly something close. Now she just had to head up to the palace and see-

"Twilight Sparkle, my favorite student!"

Twilight turned around, slowly, to find that Celestia was here, already, waiting, leaning against the massive hourglass and reading through an equally-massive tome on spell theory. Twilight sputtered, nickered, blushed, and finally settled on bowing quickly and waiting for a response. There was the gentle sound of hooves as Celestia approached and laid herself against Twilight, neck curling around her in a short embrace.
"Welcome back. I'm very glad you made it promptly, and seemingly in good shape."

Twilight stepped back and looked at her ruler with concern.
"I... didn't know you'd be waiting for me. I'm sorry if I kept you away from something important-"

"Nonsense. As I said, we would be studying together during this weekend. I've chosen to spend this time with you as much as possible- right now, your education, and being with you, is the “something important” that nopony will keep me away from. Alright?"

"I... Thank you, Princess Celestia."

At that, the alicorn smiled, a twinkle of something (humor?) in her eyes.
"No need to stand on such formality, Twilight- Feel free to refer to me without the title, during times like this."

While Twilight had prepared herself for a lot of potential events on this weekend, being told that was not one of them. She whipped her head up to look at Celestia, who was still smiling.
"But. I. But you..."

Celestia seemed to understand without even letting her student finish, simply .
"Twilight, it's perfectly fine."

Now that stopped her in her tracks. Pri... Celestia had almost never referred to her as anything but her full name, and the change was... Nice. She smiled back, looking at the tome still floating in her teacher's magical grasp. It was one she had never quite gotten around to- A bit beyond her level, at the time, but now the contents were tempting her.
"Alright then... Celestia. May I ask when we're starting our studies?"

"Oh, I was thinking... Now?"
They shared a laugh, and the Princess- No, her mentor. Her mentor opened the book, and they began to read, shoulder to shoulder.

Luna had insisted to her sister that she had no need for a carriage to Ponyville- She had magically transported there before, she was the Lunar Princess and thus had a private carriage, she had her own set of wings, you know? But no, Celestia told her that it was better to take a normal chariot- After all, it was an opportunity to spend time with her subjects. And truthfully, she did run into Twilight Sparkle at the waystation, which was... Hmm. Celestia likely did not plan that, but it was never wise to exclude that possibility where 'Tia was involved.

Regardless of her worries, she had a much more pressing bit of work at hand- Ponyville, and the discovery thereof. She had spent time here before, certainly, but had no opportunities to truly study the place, as she often did in a new location. The village was newer than her... departure. So she trotted her way to the center of the Town Square, and into the city hall-- A lovely and quite sizable building, suitable for ceremonies but at the same time containing many offices. The stallion working at the front counter bowed, and she sighed. It would be one of those days.

Thankfully, she managed to calm the clerk before he got too far into the various shows of fear and / or adoration that made up the average pony's behavior around royalty. Subsequently, he was quite the passable guide, showing her the layout and pointing out places of interest. And while it was not a perfect tour (in fact, quite sparse... she would need a better guide later), it was not long before she saw her destination. Sugarcube Corner was a renowned bakery, that much was for sure, but she couldn't risk involving Fluttershy's friends if she wanted to make this a surprise. So instead, she trotted up to the small and unsuspecting house she was told contained a particularly skilled confectioner.

She knocked, gently, and was surprised when the door was opened immediately by a green unicorn who... Did not, in any way, bow or shrink or even look surprised. Her Royal Instinct informed her that this was one of the ponies she was looking for, but she asked regardless:
"Excuse Us, but is this the home of... Lyra the unicorn and Bon-Bon the earth pony?"

The unicorn shrugged and looked over her shoulder to yell into the house.
"Bon! Royalty here to see you!"
And she turned back, grinning, no particular fear or devotion or even respect in her eyes.
"Pleased to meetcha! Name's Lyra."

Luna grinned just as wide and stepped in next to the mare, pulling the door shut with her magic. Friends, interesting events and locales, ponies who didn't treat her like a goddess or a monster-- She was really beginning to like this 'quiet village'.

Intermission / Bonus- A Beautiful Shot

For those who like to keep their timelines all un-time-tangled, this happens a few weeks before all the other stuff you saw, like, even before Chapter 1! It’s kinda like a flashback, and I love flashbacks. I wasn’t even here for this one, so that makes it better! I think. ...What? Oh! Well, uh, apparently I’m supposed to get on with it, so here ya go:

Applejack had expected this to be a relatively dull, if nice, weekend away from the farm. Certainly, she’d miss the family like she always did on a trip, but it was a short one this time- Just out to the nearest stadium for a one-event showing at the rodeo, then home again. That was what she expected, until her marefriend did something a mite suspicious: Rarity had joined her at the train station with an unfamiliar pair of saddlebags.

“Oh well darling, it is such a lovely coincidence you are heading out that way! I actually have business in Dodge at the same time. Funny, isn’t it?”

“...Eeyeah, just a bit.”
And while she had tried to find out what exactly Rarity’s business was, there was no luck. In the end, they made it to the desert town before she could get a straight answer. Even after they hopped out of the train and hoofed it the rest of the way, nothing. Finally, Applejack slowed down as they approached the large stadium-like building, shaking away bad memories from her last trip out to an event like this.
“Um, Rare, this is mah stop- The rodeo’s bein’ held here.”

“I know, darling!”

She looked in confusion. It wouldn’t be like Rarity to simply follow her into the competitor’s section, or to wait outside in the ‘dreadful’ dust.
“So... aren’t ya gonna head back to the room, or out to the stands?”

Her marefriend smiled and walked past her towards the gates.
“And how in Equestria would I make it in time for my event if I did that?”

“Yer what!?”

They were relaxing in the locker rooms, Rarity still carrying the pair of deep and oddly-rugged saddlebags, Applejack finally making her crack. The unicorn sighed, looking around to make sure they were not being scrutinized by the other competitors.
“Well, Applejack, I just... I trust you. Completely, implicitly, with my life. But I simply worry how our dear friends would react to see my... choice in recreation. Fluttershy and Spike especially, I fear, would be quite upset with me.”

She snorted in derision.
“Can’t possibly be that bad.”

Rarity shrugged, rolling her shoulders (at least partially as an excuse to subtly lean into her, pressing their coats together for a moment) and sighing.
“I may participate in a past-time of royalty, but I don’t believe it is viewed as particularly savory, especially in the modern day. Just... trust me on this one, dear.”

Applejack didn’t have much response other than to sigh and prepare her lasso- She’d be ropin’ this weekend, and that meant she needed to rest up. And apparently, Rarity’s ‘event’ was before that-- So she could get ready and then hit the stands.

After the first hour or so of the basic events passed by without any fuss, Applejack was sure this had to be it: The announcer had cleared the fields and announced an exhibition from a well-renowned unicorn. Sure as sugar, it was Rarity who stepped out. AJ watched from the stands, her eyes fixed on the spectacle below.

The vast and mostly empty circle of the rodeo grounds held only two things at the moment. On one far edge, a single bale of hay, minuscule from her view in the stands, with a target on the side. On the opposite edge, her refined and elegant marefriend stood in a small fenced-off area with her mane tied up away from her face. A burst of telekinetic power, and the flap of one saddlebag lifted to reveal... An arrow. A single straight shaft of polished white wood, pale purple feathers for fletching and a tip that Applejack would bet bits was a gem of some kind. It was just as beautiful as she’d expect of Rarity, and...

And then it rose in a haze of strong light, carried up level with Rarity’s shoulder. The familiar cloud of power around it began to grow more dense, eventually making a flat diamond-shaped plane with the bolt transfixed in the center. Rarity was visibly strained with the effort of the spell as the plane deformed, slowly pulling backwards and becoming even more... Opaque. In seconds, it was almost like a solid presence in the air, an actual bow made from nothing at all. Applejack only realized she was holding her breath when she exhaled at the same time Rarity did, watching the shot fly with staggering speed and hit... Dead center.

It was followed by a second. And a third. Each and every shot split the previous one with what she had thought was impossible accuracy, elegance, and grace. And when the display was finished, Rarity looked up into the stands, found her in an instant, and simply smiled. They locked eyes. Applejack drew a deep and shuddering breath.

She was in love all over again.

And as for why Rarity was so afraid to show off her hobby, or when she’ll explain herself to Applejack, or to us... Well, I suppose you and AJ are both waiting, now! It’ll come up in time, promise!

And the author-person tells me we need to thank the creator of this super-pretty comic for inspiring this, before we go:
http://explosivegent.deviantart.com/art/Time-Off-Threading-the-Arrow-255927653
Byyye~!

--Pinkie

Chapter 14- Studies and Shops

Several hours had passed in a sort of papery haze, books being quickly read, discussed, dissected, and discarded. Celestia was... Twilight couldn't really describe it. She'd often thought about the traits of an ideal study partner, but she never thought she would actually find such a perfect pony. And yet it turns out her mentor fit the ideal to a T, being just as voracious as Twilight, equally as incisive, and twice as quick to comprehend. Working as a pair, they managed to slam together a new theoretical kind of partial teleportation and sending that could lead to... Well, alright, they had no idea what it might lead to, but that was half the fun!

However, right as she put the finishing stroke on her latest note (a teleportation spell modified to only send your image), Twilight heard a bit of a rumbling, and realized that she hadn't eaten since the (admittedly nice) breakfast Spike made for her. She looked towards Celestia, who smiled, only to be caught by surprise due to her own stomach's complaint. They burst out laughing, leaned on each other, and packed up their notes. Today was her first time studying with Celestia, but even when they had been purely mentor and student, as opposed to researching together, they had a regular practice.

Celestia turned towards her and nodded.
"Lunch break?"

Twilight smiled and (gently) dropped her books onto the desk they had been working at.
"Lunch break."

Twilight had learned over the years that it was much easier to head out into the town and get meals on their own time, compared to dealing with the castle cooks. Certainly, they were all wonderful and skilled ponies, masters of their craft. But... They had certain expectations, both of royalty and royalty's students, and sometimes you just really need some donuts, and quickly. So they broke out into the fresh air of the courtyard, having a conversation whose contents didn't matter, even to them. It was just nice to decompress the brain after such a long study session.

Lunch at Pony Joe's was pleasant, even if some of the patrons were surprised to see Celestia in the building, and then downright dumbstruck to see her pleasantly chatting about ‘thaumic resonance’ or something of the sort with a mare easily one percent her age. But Twilight didn't mind, and Celestia definitely did not. They were simply comfortable again, in each other's company. It had been, they both agreed, far too long. And apparently, that gave Celestia an idea, for she quickly turned towards Twilight, eyes shining with an unfamiliar expression:
"Twilight, I had something we might want to do before we go back..."

She looked up from her fifth cruller, wiping away a crumb absent-mindedly, already back into her old student habits.
"Yes, Pr... Celestia?"

"Well, there is apparently a shop near here that my sister has just been raving about, and I figured it would do us good on our break to take a look."

"Oh, you don't say?"

Her teacher / study partner / mentor smiled at her, the grin faintly... unsettling.
"Yes- She said that she encountered Fluttershy there, who had been visiting on your suggestion."

Twilight was positive that if she could see her own face, it would be paler than Celestia's coat.
"...Oh. You... don't... say..."

A bit over two hours later, Luna left the humble (and rather nice) abode of the two mares, a fairly large box in one saddlebag. She hadn't ever considered the kind of creation that Bon-Bon had shown her, but in the end, it really did seem wonderful. In... In the past, she remembered similar dishes and confections, made with delicate care to be the centerpieces of entire feasts. To see that such arts and practices still lived on, as it always did, made her smile wide and her pace quicken. She had a reputation to maintain and / or rebuild, and having a pleasant and shining demeanor seemed to help.

So she walked, and thought. It had been a few days since her last encounter with Dear Fluttershy (a nickname which had stuck with both alarming speed and surprising strength), and she had spent a fair bit of that time, in the back of her head, parsing the events. So much had been lost in the transition from Nightmare to the Banished Princess to the Nightmare and back to herself-- She still remembered, with a sort of wistful regret, how strange her first visit to Ponyville had been. It was preposterous: She had honestly, legitimately forgotten what fun was. Simply disgraceful. But one of the most painful things she had lost was her... grasp, she supposed, on normalcy and reality.

That anchor was found again on Nightmare Night, in the form of a kind and honest and loyal group of friends, generous with their laughter, and brimming with the magic of friendship. They helped her re-acclimate to the world, especially the one who, at first glance, did so very little. But however she did it, Dear Fluttershy had brought her voice down into registers that did not crack stone, brought her behavior back in line with what was required of her. Certainly, she did not mean to do such- She had clearly been scared, horribly so. Intentions, of course, don't change the results, and no matter what, if anything, she had meant to do, she had done quite a lot.

Luna would not admit it to Celestia (barring some variety of torture or possibly a tickle fight), but she felt quite fond of the pegasus mare. Was it emotional, or purely physical? That, she could not even answer herself yet- She had always had difficulty separating the two, and her 'absence' likely ruined what little insight on the issue she once possessed. Then again, such insight wasn't always necessary- Love could bloom quite nicely without physical action, and physical action, to put it delicately, did not somehow pre-require love. So regardless of what her feelings actually were, she was content to find out slowly, over time... Or right away, tonight.

Either one really. After all, she was the Princess of the Night, and night was tailor-made for surprises... Amongst other things.

Twilight believed that she now had an inkling of a spot of a tiny, bare, unspeakably small taste of how Fluttershy must have felt when Luna discovered 'the shop'. And she didn't want that feeling to last much longer, because she might well die of it-- Her nerves were twinging, her eyes twitching, ears flopping, her body far far too warm, and her stomach managing an incredibly athletic series of pirouettes off of itself. Celestia, however, didn't seem to notice her immense discomfort, instead happily walking down the city streets, en route to the store where Twilight would be so embarrassed and mortified and ashamed that she would explode.
"Princess-"

Her mentor shook her head
"Twilight. I told you- At times like this, there is no need for titles between us. Celestia, please."

"Alright. Celestia please don't take me to that store."

The Princess burst out laughing at that, stopping for just a moment... And then resuming her full-tilt pace towards the shop of Twilight's horrors.
"Oh Twilight! I didn't expect a joke from you. But in all seriousness, if my sister is right, this is precisely the kind of store that I would enjoy."

"Look, P- Celestia, I don't think that this sho... Wait what?"
She broke off mid-sentence and stared at the alicorn mare, who just smiled again.

"Well of course. Twilight, as my most faithful student you know how old I am, and my life cannot be solely 'proper' behavior and courtly life. I've been around that particular block of life more times than you could count."

"...I can count to some very high numbers."

"I know."

And with that, neither of them said another word until they arrived, although Twilight's mind was full of... Well, things that we won't be discussing right now, for decency's sake. Let's just say her blush had an entirely new reason for being.

When she answered the door, Fluttershy hadn't expected it to be anypony but Luna. And she was right- Luna, standing before her with a (nervous?) smile and a rather fetching saddlebag. She grounded herself, took a deep breath, and smiled.
"Hello!"
She had actually managed to say it without having any of her little moments, or even stuttering! And Luna was smiling back at her, and stretching out a forehoof to shake... Or so she thought, but it quickly became an embrace, and she stiffened, her face buried in the Princess' mane.

"Dear Fluttershy! We are quite glad to see thee- We had... A request, actually, before We come in."

"Oh! I... yes, please, go ahead."

Luna backed away and scuffed her hoof on the ground, resembling Fluttershy herself for a moment.
"Could We... That is to say, is there any way We could impose upon thy hospitality? We have neglected to locate a place to stay during our visit, and We... Feel closest to thee, out of all our new friends."

What. What. Was she really... Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh very much dear. She absolutely couldn't. She had no self-control, she slept like a slob of a pony, she...
"Of course, Luna! I would never turn you away."
...was already saying yes. Of course. Because today of all days her mouth had to decide to rush ahead of the rest of her. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd be able to make it through an entire weekend without any issues or little 'moments'... But in for a bit, in for the whole pouch...
"And... I feel close to you too. If, you know, that's not too forward of me to say."

And at that, Luna went from apprehensive and worried to bright and joyous, eyes shining. Fluttershy almost never seen anypony change their expression that fast, but somehow that suited Luna. Mercurial was the word that came to her mind.

"Thank thee! We... I am very grateful, and hopefully will not impose too much."

"Oh, I don't think you could impose on me at all."

Certainly, that was not a sentence that could be take too far out of context... She hoped. She really, really hoped. Come to think of it, maybe she wanted... No, no. That would be completely unlike her... Actually, maybe she really did want Luna to mis-interpret that. Ah- Not being able to make up her mind. That was like her. Setting her worries aside, she welcomed the Princess into her home.

Much to her surprise (something she rarely experienced), Celestia found that the shop did, in fact, exist. There had been a time when she presumed her sister had simply made up the story- After all, it was somewhat preposterous. Twilight, in a sex shop? And suggesting it to Fluttershy of all ponies? The idea, on the surface, was ludicrous. But the exacting description was quite correct-- Black, small, unassuming, unlabelled, unmarked, and without any windows. Certainly a private place of business, and if she read the spells right (and she always did) they were properly tagged and licensed as a Night Shop- Private operation, discreet services, policed by her sister's half of the government. And yet she had never once heard of the place, or the owners. Stranger and stranger- Not that she minded strange. It was such a rarity (Hah!) to find something that qualified as an oddity to her after a life as long as the one she lived.

Even stranger still was the reaction of her student-- Calm, composed, eyes shut... No, wait, that isn't strange. It's just the resignation of somepony facing their doom. Well, bother- She had honestly expected Twilight to understand that all of this ribbing was in good fun. Although, to be entirely honest, she was... curious about Twilight's development. The mare had been like a daughter to her, the closest thing she could have to an apprentice without planning on giving up her station- For apprentices, by nature, one day become masters in their own right. And it was the natural response of any mentor to be curious about their apprentice, any mother to be interested in her daughter. This in no way justified the (rare) rumors amongst the court that Celestia of the Sun had a predilection for younger ponies- Although older ponies would certainly be impossible, in reference to herself.

Setting those rumors aside for a time, Celestia decided to try and assuage her student's fear.
"Twilight..."
Before she could finish, however, she was interrupted by a chuckle from the unicorn beside her.

"Oh Princess, I don't... I don't even know why I was so worried. I mean, you've seen all kinds of ridiculous things before, right? Especially related to me- You saw all my magical accidents when I was training, you were there when I first tried to fix a damaged book by hoof... Nothing could really surpass all those 'growing up' moments, right? There's no way I could embarrass myself more than I did then. So I guess I was just nervous for... nervousness' sake. Just because it seemed like something to be nervous about."

It was very likely that her student's little spiel had been meant to convince herself just as much as it was Celestia... Which is why she didn't mind. It was true: She would never think any less or differently of Twilight just because of something like this. That road had been travelled before, in the past, and she was under no illusions of it being anything but folly- Everypony is who they are, and if it brings no harm to others, then their choices are their own. Attempting to subject one's own personal rules onto a broad population... Rarely ended well. But even more important than the moral implications was the simple fact that she missed Twilight. They rarely spent time together, and what little of it they had was taken up with hogwash like the Gala. This would be different-- This weekend, these advanced lessons. She would make sure to enjoy herself, and to bring Twilight joy as well.

"Very well said, my pupil- I think you've discovered a rather important lesson just now. But you have forgotten one thing."

Twilight looked worried for a moment.
"What was that, Princess?"

She grinned, lips rising into a massive smirk the likes of which she rarely ever showed.
"Just because you were nervous over nothing doesn't mean you were wrong to be worried."

She stepped into the door, and waited for her prize student to put two and two together. Celestia had to exert strict self-control to not laugh out loud when the gasp of horrified realization came. After all, just because Twilight could not be embarrassed over her own behavior did not mean she was free from being embarrassed by Celestia's.

And Celestia had not cut loose in quite some time.

Chapter 15- Lascivious and Loving

This was going to end badly. She could feel it in her bones. Her bones which didn't seem to like supporting her right now- She was shaking, hiding it as best she could. That basically meant being as quiet and unassuming as possible. Picture that in contrast to Celestia, striding with her confident and radiant (beauty) poise, her (flank) legs stepping in time with the movement of (Twilight's heart) the clocks on the street. Celestia, her mentor and guide, was walking ahead of her into a store that was almost tailor-made to create embarrassing or awkward situations. Twilight had heard Luna call her sister a prankster during the party, but never quite believed it... until now. Now she believed it all too much and was preparing herself for the worst. Not to mention, she had absolutely no idea how the shopkeeper would respond to royalty to begin with, much less royalty in this kind of mood.

It was a (minor) relief when they stepped into the small antechamber and the front door closed behind them without any incidents. She really shouldn't be this worried about something going wrong in the first four seconds, but, well... She knew Pinkie Pie. So her estimate of "time to disaster" was a bit on the paranoid side (which she preferred to think of as 'cautious'). And speaking of paranoid, she needed to find something else to fixate on or else she would have a T-word level breakdown. OK Twilight, you're going into a store. Just think about what they sell. All of those toys, and devices... all that art... those books... Alright maybe that was the wrong train of thought to be riding. (Mmmh) Ah, so, no talk of 'riding' either. Just... calm. Concentrate. You're Her student, you can do this. Probably.

The little eye-height door-- Alright, well, eye-height for her, maybe-- slid open and a sliver of a blue unicorn became visible on the other side.
"Good afternoon, and welcome to our shop! We just need to make a quick confirmation check that you aren't magically disguised or underage."

Celestia cleared her throat meaningfully, only to start with surprise when Matte laughed in reply.
"Yes, even you milady. Can never be too cautious."

"But you do know that it's very difficult to disguise oneself as an alicorn, correct?"

"Yes ma'am. But difficult doesn't mean impossible, just like impossible doesn't necessarily mean difficult. There are ways, I have been told. Anyway, you both check out clean-- Come on in!"

If Twilight had heard anypony else taking that kind of casual tone with her mentor, she would have been worried for them. But... Celestia laughed, really laughed in response, stepping inside ahead of her when the door opened. So instead of getting mad or scared, she smiled as well (forced, so forced, so nervous) and stepped inside.

She had honestly expected her second time inside of this shop to be easier. That was before she realized she would be coming inside with Celestia, thus giving every single item a new... context. Before, they had simply been intriguing toys and tools for use in solo experimentation. Now? Now she was picturing exactly how that black harness would slide onto her teacher’s flank, how that particular piece could be used on her, and she was blushing fiercely enough to singe her coat. It only got worse the more things she saw, and when her eyes flitted onto the racks of magazines and books, it got so much worse.

That was the point when she realized it had been about five seconds, and that she was not going to survive an entire visit. During her little blush-induced stupor, Celestia had already entered the store proper, eyeing the merchandise (and, thankfully, not the proprieter) with her usual regal poise. She looked from one shelf to another with a discerning gaze, eventually looking to Matte.

“Do you have anything in the way of, ahem, ‘plot devices’?”

Matte pointed her towards a particular section, and she went that way, Twilight following in confusion.
“Um, Princess, not to be a bother, but... Why would this kind of store have a literary trope in stock?”

“Oh Twilight, I don’t mean that kind of plot device. I mean the kind you use for filling plotholes.”

Twilight was still baffled. Well, she was baffled, until Celestia turned around with a particularly massive jet-black anal plug in her magical grasp, showing the sex toy to her student. Twilight’s brain had just barely managed to wrap itself around the idea that that was hypothetically capable of going inside of her, when Celestia spoke.

“Any thoughts on this specific model, my student?”

“I... Buh...”

“I’ll take that as an “It’s perfect”, then.”

She couldn’t object, because Celestia was already wheeling around with surprising speed, turning on her back hooves alone to face a different display. She perused the... um, false genitalia (She was still too flustered to even think the word ‘dildo’, much less whatever name the female equivalent had) with a look of intent studiousness on her face, the same kind of serious glare she had been earlier giving a rough-to-translate segment of a spellbook. Finally, she looked at the last of them and turned to Matte.

“Any personal suggestions?”

To his credit, Matte just smiled and nodded towards a separate shelf. Twilight turned to look and then went entirely stone cold. This was it. The moment that would end her sanity. Because on that shelf?

On that shelf, there were what seemed to be both kinds of ‘implement’, which is to say, false... um... parts. Female and male parts colored and modelled after specific ponies. Famous ones. Like, perhaps, both of the current customers? Oh yes, she was quite positive she saw the lavender shade of her own coat on one package; at the same time Celestia leaned forward and looked down at a white and gold one, with trimmings the color of an aurora. Her face scrunched up, and she turned to Twilight, who, in turn, prepared her final words.

“Princess, I-”

“Could they have at least asked for reference? This bears no resemblance to me! In all seriousness, just look at this!”
She levitated the package into Twilight’s face, who was struck by the simultaneous urge to back away in slight creeped-out-ed-ness and, at the same time, lean forward and do something unspeakably lewd herself. Stuck between the two options, she simply stammered and blushed and shook a little. Celestia shook her head again and put that one down with a sigh. Twilight watched in horror as her eyes flitted across the next row down, which she was entirely sure had a parodic label that was, in some way, a play on the title “Elements of Harmony”. She didn’t dare look, but it just felt like what would be done in that situation.

And she did not, in any way, walk over to inspect the one bearing her colors and mark. No. Nor did she shake her head sadly and agree with Celestia in regards to deplorable inaccuracy: That would be ridiculous, in the circumstances. So after they failed to share a glance and a chuckle, Twilight went back to panicking. Celestia went back to the shelves, now asking Matte several questions that Twilight did her absolute best to block out (while her subconscious took copious notes). Eventually, the shop-pony yelled back past the counter, to his wife:
“Mon amour, I could use a hand out here!”

“Coming right out, Matte.”

“If the two of you do not mind, I’m going to step into the back for a bit. You both seem like very trustworthy ponies, so I don’t have to worry, right?”

Celestia looked at him in confusion.
“...Haven’t you already had my student as a customer?”

“Actually, I can neither confirm nor deny that- We have an extremely strict privacy policy, Princess. So unless a prior customer was to reveal that fact themselves, or we were called on to aid in a criminal investigation, I could have had both of you as customers, and would never say a word.”

“That... Is actually quite wise of you. I approve.”

The following moment was one of awkward silence before Twilight spoke up.
“Yes. For the record, yes, I have been here before, and she already knows that.”

Matte smiled and started walking away.
“Then I can confirm that I trust both of you. Nickle will be out momentarily.”
And with that, he was gone, leaving Twilight and Celestia. Alone. In a shop full of... Oh dear.

“So, Twilight...”

The sound that left Twilight’s lips was most definitely not any kind of word, nor even intelligible or reproducible. It did, however, lead to Celestia bursting out into laughter, bright and calming. She walked close and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“Be calm, my student. If you do not want me to continue making my little jokes and jibes, all you must do is ask.”

“I... no. Just because all of this is new to me, doesn’t give me an excuse to back down from it. And plus, like you said, I’ve been here before. So go right ahead, Celestia: Do your worst.”
It took her a moment to realize what she had just said, and another to parse the horrifyingly wide grin on the Princess’ face. But despite that, she did not retract her statement- After all, if she couldn’t handle this, how could she ever even dream of a real relationship with her? How bad could it possibly be?

They walked into the house, Fluttershy’s eyes cast to the floor as they reached the foyer. She offered to take Luna’s saddlebags, but the Princess simply shook her head and began to walk downstairs. Oh. Oh! She had to beat Luna downstairs but there was no room so she was going to beat her there and...

“...May I ask what has occurred in thy basement?”

Fluttershy leapt down the stairs, flaring her wings to slow down- A trick she would have been hard-pressed to pull off, two weeks ago- and landed right behind Luna. Before them was a cleanly-lit room, open space filled with a table, a couch, streamers, balloons... There was a covered platter of snacks, drinks, and all sorts of things. It looked like... Well, it looked like Hurricane Pinkie-Pie had just swept in and redecorated.
“A... well, I... MaybeItalkedtomyfriendsandtheysaidIshouldhaveaparty.”

Luna quirked her head to one side and, miraculously, figured out what she had ‘said’.
“A party? Whatever for?”

She scuffed one forehoof back and forth along the carpet, trying to look away but failing.
“...You. Visiting and everything. They thought that, um. It might help if we could ‘mingle’.”

"...I do apologize, dear Fluttershy, but is that term not meant for interacting with a... group? As opposed to just the two of us?"

"Well, yes. But... I'm, you know... shy."

At that, Luna smiled at her, and backed up to the couch before plopping down onto the cushions, curling her legs beneath her.
“In that case, I see merit in this idea. I am, as they say, “game”- What would you like to talk about?”

If she weren’t so breathless, she would sigh with relief. As it is, she decided to be a bit bold and join Luna on the couch, sitting next to her and nuzzling the snack tray open to retrieve a plate.
And they began to talk.

Twilight had known it was going to be bad.
She had not, however, known how bad.
How bad?

Whispering.

That’s all she was doing. Celestia was simply whispering. Nothing more.
But she was doing it right next to Twilight, her body shockingly close, her words breathy, each one sending her ears twitching out of reflex. And the things she was saying... Twilight didn’t know whether to melt, cry, come, or possibly all three. Her self-control and desire to not ruin a potential relationship-- Not to mention the vastly-more-important relationship of student and teacher they already held-- was barely sufficient to stop her. So she held up under the assault, listening very closely, her brain doing a solid imitation of a recorder, picking up every hushed word and imitated moan for later ‘use’.

Finally, the torrid torrent of speech was cut off by Nickle’n’Dime, the store’s other proprietor, stepping out of the back and across the counter with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Princess Celestia, welcome to our establishment! And welcome back, Ms. Sparkle-- I’m glad to see you back so soon.”

“Thank you very much- I’m glad to be here, having heard quite a bit about it from my sister.”

“Yes, um... thank you.”
Twilight would have answered more clearly, but was still entirely too flustered for that. Instead, she began, slowly, to look around the rest of the store herself, finally relaxing enough to actually peruse the goods. The stock had not changed much since her last visit, but was either changed enough, or subtly re-arranged, to make it seem fresh and new like the first time. There was even a bookshelf she hadn’t noticed before, headlined with several copies of a rather dignified-looking tome on the history of sex in Equestria. She decided to give it a look-over, levitating it over while Nickle and Celestia conversed.

She was enjoying her read-through, studying each section in turn. It was well-written, with an author’s name she actually didn’t recognize (a rare occurrence indeed), and a series of intriguing illustrations. Art from all of the pony cultures across Equestria and its history, everything from woodcuts to murals... ‘Oh, a section on Canterlot court traditions!’ A minute later, the book fell out of her grasp and slammed onto the floor, prompting Celestia to turn towards her student in concern. The mare seemed confused at Twilight’s slack-jawed horror.
“Twilight? What’s the matter?”

“P-p-page... seventy-six.”

Celestia looked at the book, and frowned. She looked at the title, and groaned in exasperation. She opened the book to the page in question and apparently confirmed her fear. The alicorn turned to Twilight and put on her best comforting expression.
“Now, Twilight, being that I am the Princess of the Sun, there are certain... associations. And perhaps I was asked to be present in a few... images.”

“So that's you. That's a painting which you, really and truly, posed for.”
The Princess pursed her lips and nodded.

Twilight decided it was time to stop looking through the merchandise before she gave herself a heart attack... Although not until after she got another good look at page seventy-six.

What felt like hours flew by like minutes, the two of them locked in rapt conversation, not over-excited, but simply... Quiet, mutually enjoying each other’s presence. They spoke of their pasts, and their pastimes, and their friends and family-- Luna having more of the latter than the former after her absence, an imbalance reversed when the six of them befriended her. Fluttershy felt much closer to Luna, and even felt... Brave. Well, maybe not brave, but bold. Willing to take a risk. So when the conversation hit a particular lull, she turned to speak to Luna once more.

“Um. Well. Luna, I-”
“Dear Fluttershy, there’s...”

They both paused, stared at one another, and then went into a fit of giggles. The laughter kept going, both of them shaking and holding their guts, until they finally slid back into their seats, much closer than when they had started. She stared at Luna, only an inch away now.

“W...were you going to say...”
“I think so. Yes, We were. And you...”
“Mmhmm.”

They could have said something, then. It seemed better, in the moment, to opt for a kiss, deeper than their previous efforts, and with more passion behind it- They cared for each other, mutually, and reveling in that fact was enough to make speech unneeded and unwanted. They only broke their kiss long enough to smile, eyes damp, at one another. Another kiss began immediately, and another, and another. Hooves wrapped around necks, bodies drew close, and the snack table was bumped away in a seemingly-impatient burst of telekinesis. They stayed together in that way for longer than either of them cared to guess. Or care, for that matter- They had, they were both entirely sure, nothing better to do. Nopony they would rather be with.

It was a very good thing to be sure of.

Chapter 16- Spells and 'Sleep'

They had bid their farewells, thanked Matte and Nickle, and began the walk back. Twilight thought she would have felt worse than she did the time that Dash tried to make her exercise... With a professional sports routine. Her legs and flank had been sore for a week after that. But right now? She just felt drained, and not necessarily in a bad way. It had been a terrifying and exhausting hour, but... it had been worth it. She was surprised to hear herself say it, but it had absolutely been worth it. She had not been with Celestia casually in so long, and even if it was strange, it was also... fun, in a way. And they had gotten smoothies afterwards, happily sipping away at their drinks as they returned to her old home.

When the door opened, she leaned in and shouted for her assistant to come down.
"Spiiike! Come on down here and... bring... Oh. Right. Wrong house."

Celestia laughed, thinking that she was making another joke, but... She really had forgotten for a moment. Forgotten about her move out to Ponyville, gotten distracted, nostalgic... She had thought it was the old days. But it was easy to remember all of her friends, their adventures, her new life... And now, she had the best of both worlds, because Celestia was setting up the books again, preparing for another marathon reading session. When she saw the gigantic pile of tomes they had to work through, Twilight got an idea.
"Actually, Celestia, I had a suggestion for the rest of our study session."

It seemed like she piqued Celestia's interest, because she had the alicorn's full attention as she moved to the bookstand and set up two tomes. A moment later, she settled into her meditative posture and re-activated the spell she last used in The Red Room. The books opened beneath her influence, lifted in her telekinetic aura, and the pages began to turn. Slowly at first, then faster, the books began to stream information directly into her mind, being “read” in only the loosest sense. She heard Celestia gasp, and then... laugh?

Pause the spell. Turn. Look. Beside her...

Beside her, Celestia hoisted a half-dozen books in her own magical aura, needing no book-stand, the telltale swirls of the very same spell roiling in her mane and across her coat. Twilight couldn't help but gape to see her mentor wring so much power out of what she had thought was a long-lost spell. It had taken her two months of research to resurrect it from the bare dregs she found in the history books... Books Celestia predated, come to think of it. Her teacher paused the spell and turned to face her with a half-smile.
"And where precisely, my favorite student, did you learn that one?"

"I, uh... Remade it. I read about it in a book on obscure Unicorn history, and I had the weirdest thought."

"Hmm?"

Twilight blushed, thinking back on that day.
"It felt... Wrong. For a spell like that to be lost. Just because nopony with the right talent was around in time to receive it, something so unique was gone for good? So I decided to right that wrong, I guess. Sounds... kinda silly, in retrospect."

Celestia shook her head and smiled.
"Not at all. It sounds like you precisely, and that is one of the highest compliments I know. I will caution you, however, as it can put a fair bit of strain on the user."

"Ehehe... Which would explain why I fainted the other day."

"Ohho! Taking a chance to study while you were at the castle? Well... Seeing as you did not get to truly view my Rising then, would you like to see it again?"

She gulped nervously before replying, making sure not to show any untoward response.
"Absolutely. But... Don't we have studying to do first?"

Celestia laughed again, and turned back to her half-dozen tomes.
"That we do. So let me show you a trick."

Golden light leaked out of Celestia’s spell towards her lectern, grasping the pair of books she had been using. All eight rose into a configuration, Twilight's own spell dim behind Celestia's power... But still present. She got the gist of what Celestia was trying, re-igniting the spell and spreading her own telekinetic power to cover all the books. And when she turned the spell back on, the eight books blurred, moving faster than her eyes could see, knowledge unfettered being withdrawn by two spells at once now. Only seconds later, one of the books was completed, shelved, and replaced. Twilight barely noticed, her eyes beginning to glaze white, her magic mingling with her teacher's.

The library was filled with lights and a cacophony of rippling pages long through the afternoon and deep into the night.

Somehow, during the initial bout of passionate kisses, Fluttershy ended up pinned to the couch, her wings spread full and her muzzle thoroughly occupied. Everything was spinning, and Luna was leaning down into her, pressed against her. The way their coats slipped together, their lips locked, Luna's hooves embracing her... She shivered, shook, and sang. She would have tried, at least, if her muzzle wasn't occupied, as previously mentioned. She made do with fighting back, kiss for kiss, trying to meet the ancient alicorn's prowess. It was possible, but just barely, to get enough of a surprised reaction to lift herself from the couch. She wrapped her forelegs around Luna's neck and pulled her back down, giggling.

Rather than start another series of kisses, however, Luna looked at her, eyes half-lidded and a faint smile on her face.
"Dear..."
She didn't finish with words. Instead, Fluttershy felt a hoof roaming down the side of her body, tickling at her ribs and teasing a path to her flank. She blushed, apple-red, but the Princess did not stop until she reached her target. It was hard holding back the gasp, but she managed... until the hoof actually pressed down on one cutie mark, the pressure sending a dizzying wave of heat through her. She moaned at that, completely abandoning her shame, and Luna just laughed, nuzzling her neck.
"If thou hast no objections..."

Her voice almost didn't come out, but she said it, just barely:
"...please."

Her lover heard, and responded- Nuzzling turned into short nips and licks, kisses against her throat. If she could do the same in return she would, but the feelings left her paralyzed. So she leaned back, cooing and groaning as Luna pushed and stroked against her flank, always skating just around the edge of her cutie mark. One attempt to buck her hips and get Luna to touch the mark directly again got her a playful swat on the behind, so she just relaxed and gave in again. And now Luna bit, applying hard pressure that made her whole back seize. Immediately after, however, she felt muscles loosen- It was like a massage point, she realized, it was the same kind of thing she did for work-weary animals. But the way Luna did it turned a normal therapeutic act into something erotically-charged and unspeakably arousing.

More bites, pressure and location varying from the lightest nibble at a point below her ear all the way to a particularly harsh strike directly on her collarbone. She responded where she could, getting up the will and volition to kiss Luna's cheek or brow when they came into view. At one point, her lips strayed to Luna's horn, and this caused the other mare’s hoof to careen right back onto Fluttershy's cutie mark. They both moaned, and then the kisses started again, Fluttershy feeling impossibly small beneath Luna- She certainly was the smaller of them, but it felt like a hundred-fold difference, instead of the mere doubling in reality. She was beneath the infinite night sky, and it was caressing her, wrapping her in heat and softness. All she could do was make little forays into reciprocation, and deepen the kiss. Tongues flicked against each other, they both shuddered. Hooves ran through manes and down sides, both of them shaking. Finally, one soft pad of a hoof met her cutie mark again, and she broke from the kiss to lick, in one long drag, up Luna's horn. There was blue light, and her mind went white, and the two of them collapsed.

Luna was curled up beside her, and she was stretched as far as she could, making plenty of contact between their coats. They were both breathing heavily, coming back down, peppered with the occasional soft giggle or murmured word. When she finally regained enough concentration to lean up, Luna was curled even more tightly around her, and both of their wings had folded back into place. She kissed Luna's cheek, and looked at her again. Afterwards, she somehow managed to be even more beautiful- Something about the knowledge that Fluttershy, silly shy old Fluttershy, had brought the Princess of the Moon to such a state. It was... invigorating, and relaxing, and she wanted to feel it again. Luna looked down at her, and she blushed.

"Dear-"

"Um. Luna, may I ask a favor?"

"Absolutely."

"It is lovely and all, and it makes me feel really happy, but... It must be a bother to always call me 'Dear Fluttershy'. If it's easier for you, you don't always have to say the whole thing like that."

Luna looked at her quizzically, and seemed to be thinking back.
"...We suppose We have actually been saying it every time, have We not?"
Her embarrassment at this fact apparently made her slip partway back into the Royal Speech.

"Yes. But it really is nice, and I... I like hearing it."

"Hmm, well. If that is the case, I think I could reserve the title for special occasions. If you insist.'

"I'm... not really the insisting type."

Luna tweaked her muzzle with a hoof, laughing as she rose from the couch to stand again.
"'Twas a joke, Dear Fluttershy."

"Mmmh. Are you leaving?"

"Of course not! Our party has only just begun. I merely felt the bed may be of more comfort."

Her eyes went wide as she realized the implication.
"Oh my."

Over forty books had been comprehensively drained, ranging from the very thin first tome to the rather bulky final. Replaced on the shelves, both Princess and Element relaxed on the floor, the knowledge stirring in their brains- It was dormant and inaccessible for now, but would slowly leech into their thoughts over the next day or two. The spell allowed you to garner knowledge very quickly, but absorb it only at a speed you could handle: An elegant solution, Twilight felt. Celestia turned towards her and spoke, slow and relaxed, like somepony just waking.
"Would you like to hear about the first time I saw the spell being used?"

"Absolutely! I've really had an interest in it, and spells like it, since I found the book, but... The historical account only said it was used sometime around the time of The Last Long Night."

"Yes, well... One of Luna's personal guard at the time had been a rather unique stallion- A saboteur and spy for Canterlot's police forces."

"Oh. Oh my! So this was..."

"Yes- A spell for stealing information. Break into the lairs of criminal groups, read everything in minutes, and escape to share it all. The enemy would find nothing physically missing, and the intruder was not there long enough to read much of their documents... or so they thought."

"Then how did you learn it?"

Celestia winced.
"Well, he... He distrusted me, and even after the battle and Luna's banishment, he felt I had somehow spurred her transformation. So he was in my study, using it on my private journals."

"Um... I seem to remember those journals being really well-guarded, magically speaking."

They both paused for a moment, thinking back to her foalish efforts to read a lesson plan ahead of time. It had ended in tears, hugs, and a lesson learned the hard way.

"Yes, well... They were, even then. And so when I came in and saw him using the spell, I explained everything. I showed him my real journals, the ones full of my fears about Luna's increasing bitterness over the supposed negligence of her nights. And later, when he found out just how much banishing Luna hurt me, emotionally... I offered him a promotion, to the keeper of the Royal Libraries, if he would teach me the spell."

"And?"

"And so the first Keeper of Tomes was given his position and title, and his name affixed to the main wing of Canterlot's Royal Library-- Where it remains."

Twilight gasped.
"So wait. You've been talking about Silver Gaze? The Keeper? The very first one?"

"Yes, Twilight. He felt, in the end, that Luna in her right mind would have wanted knowledge kept safe and spread under a watchful eye... Like his. Unfortunately, he never had an apprentice, nor did he keep tomes of his own. So until just recently, I was the only pony left in Equestria who knew that particular spell- Then Luna returned. And now, it seems, there is a third."

"Oh Princess, I... I didn't realize. If you want me to stop using it, I will-"

Her voice was suddenly strict and measured as she replied.
"Absolutely not. You... you were right to think that its loss was wrong. Righting those wrongs is a noble task, and I would never imagine to limit your actions, unless it was an issue of safety."

Twilight nodded, and Celestia relaxed. They both remained in their places on the main library floor, Celestia mulling over something inscrutable and Twilight trying to imagine Silver Gaze, hero to librarians and unicorns with a love of information all across Equestria, in such dangerous situations as field police-work. How different, she wondered, was the history of Equestria told first-hoof? Celestia knows so much, has known so many... has lost so many. A sobering thought. Her contemplation was broken when Celestia stood. The alicorn turned towards her, making a slight bow as she spoke.
"Well Twilight, I do believe I should head to the Castle- You'll need some sleep if you wish to be up in time for the Rising."

Before she could turn to go, Twilight remembered Luna's request from the waystation and sprung up, trotting ahead of her teacher.
"Celestia, I-"

"Hmm?"

"I. That is, I was wondering... Celestia, would you stay? Stay the night?"

She knew she was blushing beyond belief, and Celestia seemed honestly shocked.
"What brought about this question?"

Twilight scrambled for a reason.
"Well, in Ponyville, I... I had my first slumber party. And I realized, the way I had been studying without end or interruption in Canterlot, I never had one here. It would be terrible to deny such a nice home the chance to host something like that, right?"

The Princess chuckled and took a step backwards, away from the door.
"I suppose that's reason enough for me. Certainly, Twilight- Let's go get some rest."

On the inside, she sighed with relief. She could fulfill her obligation now... And having a chance to sleep beside Celestia certainly did not hurt. Preparations were made quickly, the bed- which had always been pointlessly large when she lived here alone with Spike- rearranged for two. They bedded down swiftly, and after her exertion in combined spellcraft earlier, and the stress of the shop trip, Twilight fell asleep almost instantly.

They had gotten into the bed, sitting up across from each other. There was a brief moment of silence- Not awkward, but comfortable. She spoke first, taking the initiative for what felt like the first time.
"Luna, s-since you, um, did so much for me, I want to..."

Luna smiled and replied- Not by speaking, but by leaning down, lying prone on the bed, letting her wings relax and her head fall onto the pillow. Nervously, Fluttershy began to rub her hooves across Luna's back, feeling the tight coil of muscle under her coat, relishing the heat and...

And then her clock went off, sounding five times sharply. They both groaned, and then laughed- They could always get back to business after the little interruption. It's not like they had anywhere to...

"Fluttershy?"

"Eep! I mean, um, yes?"

"It seems to have utterly slipped my mind, and thine, but would it not be best to visit Rarity's shop before closing, to see the progress of her work?"

They both looked at the clock, and then looked back to each other. The new couple shared a wicked grin, and Fluttershy put her hooves back down on each side of Luna’s spine. A kiss, and then separation.
"Tomorrow?"

Luna nodded.
"Tomorrow."

Look at that...
Would you look at that?
We're throwing off sparks...

Hours had passed, and beside her in the bed, her student rested. She could not follow suit, her body restless and perfected: sleep was a formality, and one that said body rarely allowed her. But next to her, right beside her hooves, a mare slept. Her coat shone in the light, her horn launching off the occasional errant spark-- Dreams of magic, it seemed. She hadn't seen such a sight in a long time, and it stirred feelings... Feelings which her body gladly allowed her, but her station, or more accurately, her station and her past forbid her. So instead of attempting sleep, or giving in to her impulses, she just lay next to Twilight Sparkle, her most favored of students, and rested. Her neck stretched across the younger mare's, and they nuzzled together- One asleep, one very much not.

She only wished it could be this way more often.

What will I do,
when I don't have you,
to hold onto in the dark?

Chapter 17, OR, A Day in the Sun 1- Hatching a Plan

Twilight Sparkle woke up from her dream. It was something beautiful, calculated and salient and entirely ephemeral- She always resorted to the stranger half of her vocabulary when she hit on something odd. This dream was unlike any other she had experienced before, and it told her one simple thing: Exactly what to do. Not prophecy, or anything like that. It was just... An extremely precise and sensible plan of action. Like she had dreamed out this day in advance. Celestia stood beside the bed, and she smiled up at the Princess.
"Good morning."

"Mmh. We did not get very much sleep, in the end."

"Well, I'm prepared to see the Rising- We could always get some more rest later, right?"

Celestia nodded, and they went out onto the balcony together. The Mare of the Sun closed her eyes and began the spell, and this time, Twilight watched with her newfound knowledge. It was still precisely as beautiful and stunning, but now, she understood it more. The delicate touch of each thread in the spell, the twisting light, all provided a clearer picture. It was still intense, and she still felt faint, but she didn't. Faint, that is. She watched, and smiled, and basked in the glow of the newly-risen sun. Saturday morning’s sun, to be specific. She would return to Ponyville in a day and change. And that meant her plan had to start sooner than later. It was a rush, but... It would work. She could feel it.

"Celestia?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"I... I wanted to thank you for these new lessons, and so I had a surprise planned. Buuut it’s going to take some time. May I be excused for a short while?"

"Of course! Although you don't really need to get me anything."

"I can get somepony a gift just for the sake of it, right?"

"Right."

Celestia chuckled as Twilight went running out of the building. If only she knew how urgent the plan was-- She'd barely have time to get it done, even if she pushed it. Her mental checklist (no time to make a paper one) unfolded and she went down the rows as she worked.

Step 1: Celestia Can't See This: Go somewhere else for a while.

Well, that one was already taken care of- It was simple. The same could not be said for the third step. She quickly trotted away from the castle, putting as much distance between the structure and herself as possible-- She knew Celestia would never spy on her, but it was entirely possible she might accidentally find Twilight during a routine sweep of magical scanning, or looking out from her balcony, or some such thing. Better safe than sorry.

Step 2: The Paranoid Win the Race: Find a magically-shielded building to do Step 3 in.

Again, simple enough in practice. They had just spent most of the afternoon in just such a place, yesterday-- Matte and Nickle’s shop. The owners seemed nice, so she’d ask their help.

“Somewhere private to ‘cast a spell’, huh? Yeah, feel free-- My office is over this way.”

Matte quickly moved towards a plain section of wall, putting himself between Twilight and it. She couldn’t see what he did, but the door-- Because that is what it actually was-- swung open and admitted her. It was a cozy little office, although something about it seemed... Sterile. Almost like a fake, or a decoy. Well, she wouldn’t be surprised if he kept a “public” office for the general populace to see, and did his actual work elsewhere. She sometimes did the same- It was just silly how much of a mess she could make during a really crazy study session.

Step 3: Putting Education to Practice: Use newest spell in repertoire.

This was the hard part. She had only just learned it yesterday, practiced it precisely zero times, and it was a doozy. Thankfully, not only was the target location familiar to her, but she teleported so often that this somewhat-similar spell should be a breeze. Concentrate, find the image, tug the threads... Draw the aura over yourself and then POOF. Well, more of a kerzap really, relatively quiet and more electrical than smoky. But that’s just sound-effect semantics.

The end result was precisely what she hoped for-- Spike screaming in terror as what looked for all Equestria like Twilight’s ghost popped up in front of him. Wait, no, that wasn’t her goal. But at least she knows the spell worked.
“Spike, calm down! This is just a projection.”

He sputtered for a moment, looking at the scrolls he had scattered in his shock. Then he sighed.
“Wuh- buh- ...Oh. Oh, trying out some fancy new spell?”

She grinned with pride. Two-way communication spell: Success!
“Of course! Now Spike: Take a letter.”

Step 4: Same Schtick, Different Day: Dictate an off-schedule letter to Spike.

She gets to the end of the letter, the last line, when Spike suddenly has a massive freakout, apparently choking on the amethyst sucker he had been eating.
“You what?”

“Spike, now is not the time to question what I’m telling you to write. Yes, I do, and you just need to write that down. We can talk about this later.”

He groaned-- This was clearly going to be one of those days.
“Well, don’t blame me if you get banished to some random corner of the world, alright?”

“Promise.”

Step 5: Timed Release for Maximum Effect: Have Spike send the letter in about an hour.

“Why not now?”

“What did I just say about questions?”

“Siiigh... Yes, ma’am.”

With that, she lets the projection collapse-- No more need for it. Spike has the letter, sealed and ready. Now she just needs to hope the timing on the next bit is perfect. But for that, she has to take matters into her own hooves...

Step 6: Sometimes You Just Need Donuts: Fetch breakfast for two before going back.

Relying on the Canterlot court chefs was risky business-- they were amazingly good at what they did. And that was the problem- Have you ever tried to get a meal from a perfectionist? It takes hours! Hence why Celestia and her tended to just sneak out to Pony Joe’s when they were in a rush.

Pick up the usual order, pay, tip, run.

Step 7: Weekend at Celestia’s: Get back and have a totally normal, casual breakfast.

Her teacher looked up from a book, muzzle wrinkled in confusion at Twilight's swift return.
“Twilight! I didn’t expect you to come back with food. Was this the surprise?”

She giggled and tried to hide her fear.
“Eheh- Nope. I figured we could use a meal after yesterday. The surprise will be later.”

Celestia just nodded sagely in response, and the two of them sat down to eat.

Step 8: Ohdear Ohdear Ohdear Ohdear: Manage to hide an epic-level freakout over how easily this could go wrong.

Check... She hoped.

Step 9: The Weight of Waiting: Wait for the other horseshoe to drop.

Well, since it’s just a one-objective plan, it’s kinda the only horseshoe to drop, but... Semantics again. OK Twilight: You can do this. Well, Spike can do this. Right? He definitely won’t mess this up. And she wouldn't either. She just needed to relax and wait for...

A green curl of smoke floated in through the window, just as they were finishing up. Celestia turned towards her with a look of confusion, and then laughed.
“I don’t know how you arranged it, but I’m interested to see what you’ve sent me.”

Here it is. Make or break.

There was a burst of green flame as she polished off the last cruller, and she heard Twilight sigh in relief. Ah ha-- the surprise was a scroll... from... Ponyville. Hmmph.
“I don’t know how you arranged it, but I’m interested to see what you’ve sent me.”

Twilight didn’t respond, looking extremely nervous for reasons she couldn’t place. Well, it was reasonable enough- There were plenty of horror stories about royalty responding poorly to a gift that was perceived as insulting or demeaning. But she was not that kind of royal, and even if she were, had a particularly lenient soft spot for her protege. She opened the letter and began to read.

Dearest Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that, sometimes, a pony you admire, respect, and truly care for isn't your friend. Sometimes, they're more than that, they matter to you in a deeper, more special way. And I also learned that sometimes, in friendship, and all of life, you have to take risks. And if you fail... You just brush yourself off, stand up, and trot along to the future. You can't stop just because it might be a mistake, you just have to risk it. Life goes on. And friendship endures.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S. - I am in love with you.

She leaned back in her throne, smiling.
“Well, it’s good to see my favorite student has-”
She re-read the end of the letter. She paused. She stopped.
The scroll unfolded a tiny bit further, revealing more text.

P.P.S. - I told you I was taking a risk, didn’t I?

For the first time in possibly hundreds of years, Princess Celestia had nothing to say.

Celestia wasn’t saying anything. Oh no oh no. She was not saying a word. She didn’t look at Twilight, she didn’t speak, she didn’t move. This was the end. She had managed to disrespect Celestia so thoroughly that she was going to be banished, or worse. And even if she wasn’t, she could already hear the gentle voice, the cold sting of rejection, the almost motherly way in which her mentor would shut her down before she could even-

“Twilight.”

She couldn’t open her mouth, so she made what she hoped was an affirmative-sounding noise.
“Mmf?”

The expression on Celestia’s face was unreadable, but her voice actually faltered for a moment.
“Is... Is what you said in this postscript sincere? Do you mean it?”

For a minute, she couldn’t respond. She didn’t dare. But Celestia was looking at her in a way she’d never seen before, and eventually, Twilight caved.
“Yes. Absolutely, yes, without any que-”

She was interrupted by the sound of a letter hitting the floor and her vision filling with white. She felt, but couldn’t believe she felt, two strong forelegs wrap around her. There was heat, almost unbearable, searing every inch of her, and it was amazing. Celestia leaned back, looked down, and with a very slow and cautious motion, kissed her. Just once. It could have been the only one, ever, and Twilight would have been happy with it. She fell forward into her mentor’s embrace, not entirely sure what was happening, not quite able to believe it. Celestia nuzzled her and spoke.
“Twilight... Nopony has given me that particular gift in quite a long time. And I promise you, I will cherish it. But for now... let’s catch up on our sleep. When we wake, we can... discuss this. And what comes of it.”

Twilight didn’t answer. She just curled up on the ground and made room for Celestia to lie next to her, bodies pressed together. They fell asleep quickly, almost instantly, and if anypony came into the throne room to see them wrapped around one another, they never said a thing about it.

Twilight Sparkle was waking up slowly, fitfully, dreaming of Celestia again. Her blanket kept twitching and moving in waves- Spike must be trying to wake her up. So with a yawn and a stretch, she... Why did her leg hit somepony? And why had her blanket been replaced with a mane of... many... colors...

Oh.

Oh yes.

She remembered. She was curled up against Princess Celestia, sleeping softly with her in the throne room of the Canterlot Royal Palace. Her lips still tingled a bit from that first, tentative kiss, and her cheeks were so flushed she was honestly overheating. But that was alright, because everything was amazing forever. She could really have happily never done another thing, just stayed here without moving again. She was certain she looked ridiculous, her bed-mane was always atrocious. Celestia, on the other hand, looked nothing but radiant, shining, and beautiful. The Princess stood, and Twilight followed. Celestia turned, eyes closed, and Twilight listened raptly.

“Twilight, before anything else, I think we need to realize-”

“Celestia, don’t worry. I... I understand. I know that we’ll have to be secretive, and limit our time together to our breaks in these weekend lessons. I figured as much coming into this.”

Celestia looked at her as if she had sprouted a third eye or a second horn.
“What? Whatever made you think that?”

“Well, you’re Princess Celestia, and-”

Her mentor laughed.
“Twilight. I plan to be nothing but entirely committed to this relationship. Yes, I have royal duties, but Luna and I have gone out of our way to make sure Equestria can run just fine without either of us, much less both. And where secrecy is concerned... I spend every waking hour of every single day doing everything I can to help this country. If somepony chooses to question my taste in romantic partners, that’s their business. And my taste in romantic partners? Is none of theirs. So I don’t personally feel any need for privacy, beyond the ‘plain old decency’ kind of privacy. I would never hide my love for somepony, especially not you.”

Twilight didn’t really have a response. She could barely even process that Celestia was using terms like romance in relation to her, much less the idea that they might actually be able to go on dates or even kiss in public or... Oh. This was going to be a lot of getting used to. In a good way. Probably.

“But-”

“No buts, young miss... Well, that sounded entirely too much like a ‘teacher’ statement, but you know what I intend by it.”
That broke the ice, the rigid and formal air of the moment shattering to reveal that, on the whole, very little had changed. She loved Celestia, Celestia knew and accepted this, and it seemed like... She had succeeded. She had done it.

“...Celestia?”

“Yes?”

“May I be excused for just a moment?”

“I see no reason why not.”

And thus, verily, did a Yes Dance occur of such joy and volume that it went down in the history books.

“...Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes...”

Celestia finally stopped laughing and brought out a hoof, gently placing it on Twilight’s chest to stop her hopping.
“Are you quite finished?”

“Aheheheh... Yes.”

“Then I do believe it’s time for us to get ready.”

Twilight looked at her quizzically.
“Ready for what? More studying? More, um... romantic things? Did I forget something?”

“My letter?”

“Your... Oh! Oh shoot! I totally forgot! There’s a formal... a formal... You know, I don’t think you ever told me exactly what it was.”

Her mentor (friend? lover? study-buddy-with-benefits? Twilight had no clue what title to use anymore) walked over to a table and removed a large letter from the table-- What looked to be a royal address, a message sent from the palace to many other cities and locales within Equestria and beyond.
“It is, actually, a formal party for the various senators, contacts, ambassadors, and so forth that serve Equestria from abroad-- As well as any date they choose to bring.”

“D-date?”

Celestia shifted her glance from side to side, seemingly a bit nervous now that the topic was breeched.
“Well, yes. We are closing in on Hearts and Hooves, after all, and I would have felt rather silly appearing alone- But as the host, I couldn’t back out. I had originally planned to bring you as my date, both as a sign of our close mentor-student relationship, and maybe to use it as an opportunity to mess about a bit, tease you like at the shop yesterday. Now, however, I can bring you as my date truthfully, with everything that implies.”

Twilight had no clue what that implied, but from the look in Celestia’s eyes, she was going to find it very enjoyable. She thought for a moment- If she had been told a month ago that Celestia was planning on bringing her to an event purely to tease her, she might have been confused, even hurt. But now she realized that Luna was right: The Princess of the Sun was a joker at heart, even if she did have the bearing of a royal goddess and the image of something even greater. As fun as that ‘teasing’ the previous day had been, she was willing to bet that actually being Celestia’s date was bett... wait.

“Wait. When you say “truthfully”, does that mean publicly, as well? IE, are you going to be...”

“Going to be what? Announcing you? Hanging off of you? Feeding you hors d'oeuvres?”

Twilight blushed.
“I hope you don’t mean physically hanging off of me. I’m not that strong... OH GOSH! Well, that is, I mean... Not that you’re too heavy! Or even heavy at all! It’s more an issue of scale... Gah, now I made it sound like you’re too big! I... oh I really put my hoof in my mouth. All four, even.”

Before she could beat herself up for managing to botch a relationship in what was likely a record time, Celestia laughed and walked over, gently nuzzling her before backing away to look into her eyes.
“Twilight. Don’t assume that I would take offense to something like that, and remember: I’ve been around a long time. There have been more awkward conversations in my lifespan than most ponies have conversations period.”

“...Alright. But, um, you didn’t mean physically, right? It was more in the “on your every word” sense?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Twilight had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Celestia turned towards her again.
“Speaking of not deciding, you have chosen your attire, correct?”

“Oh yes! Rarity picked something out for me.”

“Well then! Shall we go get you dressed?”

“...We?”

“Twilight, I don’t have any preparations of my own to do- It is traditional for me to wear my regalia alone at such functions. Did you honestly think I would leave you to your own devices? I know how boring getting ready for things like this can be. Allow me to help!”

On second thought, Twilight had a feeling it was either going to be a very long night or she was not actually going to survive to even get to the party. A toss-up at this point, honestly.

Chapter 18, OR, A Day in the Sun 2- Exposure

Twilight Sparkle tried not to be an angry pony. Oh, sure, she had her outbursts. Maybe one Pinkie Moment too many. Maybe a burnt book, or a ‘friendship problem’, or even ponies disregarding her concerns about tar... never mind. She really did try her best to avoid getting mad. But when she finally looked closely at the dress Rarity gave her for the weekend, she had a sudden flash of just how angry she could get. A sort of hypothetical anger zenith, some pure paragon of flaming rage. Well, let’s be more accurate. What made her angry was just how little dress there was.

“I can not BELIEVE the nerve of that mare!”

“Twilight...”

“Does she really want me to wear this to a royal function?”

“Twilight...”

“She expects me to squeeze into this thing like some kind of two-bit red-light hitching-post whors-”

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

She immediately went flat to the ground, knees bent, hindquarters in the air, head bowed as low as physically possible. It was half-instinct, half-reflex, and entirely unconscious.
“ohno I’m sorry I didn’t...”

Celestia looked at her with... Well, Twilight had no idea. She couldn’t see Celestia, what with her head being so low. But regardless, I am sure Celestia looked on her with some emotion.
“Twilight. Calm down. It’s perfectly fine to be a bit upset at the surprise, but that may have been an over-reaction..”

“But I’m... I’m going with you. I can’t make you look bad. I’d feel horrible.”

“If anything, Twilight, you will be doing quite the opposite. I’ve seen far more risque fashions in my court before, and on mares and colts younger than you, for that matter.”

Twilight rose, slowly, not quite sure what to say. Celestia was looking at her with concern, genuine and warm, and just like that, she managed to relax, the tension leaving her in a single gust.
“...Alright. I suppose I’ve just been bottling up my reactions lately, and I probably... Overdid it a bit.”

Celestia smiled.
“We all have our little moments. Self-control can be quite taxing- Even with centuries of practice.”

They shared a laugh over that one, and Twilight managed to calm down, bit by bit. She was still wary, of course, but she was no longer mad. That didn’t change the fact that a certain fashion-pony was going to be hearing a lot of angry ranting Twilight. All of the angry ranting Twilight, in fact: The whole bundle. But that could wait. First, it seemed like she had to survive a date. A first date. A first date with her marefriend. A first date with her marefriend who is also her ruler and the pony responsible for THE SUN ITSELF.

Maybe nervousness is better than anger, now that she thought about it. Abject terror is acceptable as well.

Strangely enough, Twilight had never actually seen the Royal Baths before-- She had her own rather nice accommodations in the observatory, and never had any reason to use those at the castle. But seeing them now, she regretted that fact. It was...

Celestia stepped up the stairs next to her.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Words had, for a moment, left her.
“Mmhmm.”

A chamber some hundred or more feet on every side, enclosed in a dome of pure crystalline glass without a single seam or rivet. There was no way to see inside, of course- Between the smokey tinting of the glass and the defensive spells on the castle as a whole. But the result was a bathing chamber from which one could see the entire Everfree Forest, much of Ponyville, and a fair chunk of the surrounding countryside. The actual baths themselves were equally preposterous, in both quality and scale. Four individual pools, each large enough to contain a dozen ponies or more, surrounded with faucets and baskets and towels. A single small door on the far wall allowed attendants to come and go without issue, and the bathers themselves entered from below, coming up from a massive staircase that exited on the dry tiles at the center of all four baths.

“Are we... Are we going to be alone, here?”

Celestia chuckled and nodded, stepping forward and nudging Twilight towards one of the baths.
“I do believe so. What that means is entirely up to you, of course.”

She blushed and dipped one hoof into the water, finding it perfect- Deliciously warm, perhaps just a little too hot, but that was how she liked it. Although with the way Celestia was speaking, and how close she stood, a very brisk cold bath might have been more... helpful. As she descended into the water, the difference in size between Celestia and herself grew more apparent. With every step, it seemed like she went from being half the princess’ size to a bit smaller, and a bit more... By the time her mane hit the water she felt absolutely minuscule, completely dwarfed by the heat of the baths and the sheer presence at her back. And if that made her want to plunge into the water face-first and stick her hind legs in the air, presenting herself to the alicorn... Well, her self-control stood the test. Barely.

Celestia followed her in, eventually coming to rest just next to her, sliding onto one of the stone benches within the water. A flurry of telekinesis, too quick for her to see, and a dozen different oils, fragrances, and flakes hit the water, suddenly filling her nose with scents of spring and nature and... She breathed deep and sighed. It was going to be absolutely painful to go back to Ponyville and her simple tub... But then again, now she didn’t have to actually consider getting mad at Rarity. She could just tell her about these baths, and watch the look on her face when she realized she may not ever get the chance to use them. That would be payback enough, most definitely.

But that could wait- For now, she relaxed and reached over to grab a scrubbing loofa with her magic... only to have it snatched from her grasp.
“Ah-ah-ah! As my guest, it is my duty, and pleasure, to take care of that for you.”

“But Princess, I-!”

“What did I say about titles?”

“Mmmh... Alright, Celestia. Thank you, in that case. It’s an honor.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

As revered and holy as Celestia was, Twilight wanted to call that a lie. Because after a minute or two under the gentle ministrations of a half-dozen scrub brushes, loofas, and combs, Twilight had enough ‘pleasure’ to last her weeks. Even though it was just an entirely normal bath, nothing sexual involved, she found herself panting from time to time, her tail lifting to the side out of reflex. She was almost more disheveled than when she started, or so she felt-- Her legs were straining in the water, trying to rut against a presence that wasn’t there. It felt terribly dirty, and at the same time right. Celestia, for her part, was simply humming and happily working on her student’s mane.

Twilight decided to ignore her traitorous body’s heated twinges, and began to hum along with the Princess. It was a fairly simple piece, repetitive in a sort of looping, wavy way. It was certainly the kind of tune that got stuck in your head easily, and... Mmmh. She almost lost the beat when the heat between her hind legs got even stronger. Celestia was focusing on her tune, moving up an octave to match Twilight, which was good-- Twilight was sure that if her mentor looked down, she would have something to say about it. But now, she didn’t know if it would be something encouraging... And how she would react if it was.

The bath continued for a bit longer until she finally, begrudgingly, came to a resolution. It felt wrong, but she couldn’t deny what she was feeling. Her senses came to a single conclusion.
“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”

Celestia broke out of her song... And confirming Twilight’s suspicions, the rushed heat of her ‘agitation’ began to abate immediately.
“I’m sorry?”

“I almost didn’t notice it at first, but... I’ve been feeling strange ever since we got in... Or, more accurately, since you started humming. And I think you might have been doing it on purpose.”

Surprising her, Celestia responded with a broad grin, leaning down to kiss Twilight’s forehead.
“Very good catch, my prize pupil- I will admit, I was tempted to be more obvious. But I can assure you not all of that was my doing.”

Twilight couldn’t help but agree-- Certainly the sense of direct stimulation were gone, but her feelings towards her mentor weren’t exactly anything new or recent. She’d been feeling rather ‘eager’ ever since they woke up that morning.
“...And I can assure you I didn’t mind in the slightest.”

Celestia stared for a second before breaking into laughter.
“Aaaah, Twilight. I... I’m truly glad you wrote me that letter. This seems like the beginning of something I’ve been looking for- Somepony who can actually keep up with me... In all regards.”

At first, she took that statement literally, and blushed. But then she thought back to the bath itself...
“Wait, do you mean that I was doing that to you as wel-”

Celestia nodded, a faint blush of her own appearing- Twilight had never seen the Princess express herself like that, and found it to be one of the loveliest sights she had ever been treated to.
“And quite well, given that you did it accidentally. I’ll have to teach you that more directly sometime soon... Along with some other things.”
She winked, and Twilight ducked her head under the water, glubbing out an inaudible reply.

Something was tugging at Twilight. Well, alright, there was a brush going through her coat. That was certainly part of it. But something was pulling at the back of her head. Alright, yeah, there was the comb in her mane. Again, not the actual issue here. There was a thought nagging her...

“Celestia?”

The Princess paused in her multi-tasking of brushing, combing, and handling a second comb at Twilight’s tail- She had insisted, saying she missed doing this kind of work for somepony else.
“Yes?”

“You said that when I hummed that tune earlier, it, um... affected you.”

“That it did.”

She scrunched up her face in confusion, trying not to sound as baffled as she was.
“How? I thought magic required focus and intent, that it was always conscious. But I was just humming that tune- I wasn’t focusing on anything, and I had no special intent.”

“Well, those aren’t mutually exclusive facts.”

Neither one of them spoke for a while. Celestia often posed riddles like that one in their studies- Twilight would ask a question and lay out the facts as she understood them, Celestia would point out an error, and allow Twilight to logically deduce the truth. She had missed this old practice, and trying to resume it with Spike and her various friends in Ponyville had been a total strike-out. And while this one took her longer than most (nearly a minute and change) she came to a conclusion.

“But I was focusing on the tune, and I had some amount of intention, or at least idle thoughts, in regards to... those feelings. So that means... the song itself is magic. Thus, by consciously singing it, I was casting a spell?”

Her mentor took that opportunity to lean down and kiss her, leaving her dazed for a moment.
“Very good, Twilight! It’s not terribly common, nor something all unicorns can do, but there are spells that come in such forms- Poems, tunes, moving in certain ways, that sort of thing. Luna and I often find them to be very practical, and we enjoy discovering and using them quite a bit.”

“But... my special talent isn’t with any of those things. I’m not a singer or a poet or a... I don’t know what a special talent for the third one would be.”

Celestia ran the comb through a particularly troubled tangle of tail, pausing to rub her cheek against Twilight’s when she heard the wince that resulted. Twilight, for her part, blushed hotter than she already was from the kiss.
“Mmh. A martial artist, or a sculptor. An athlete? I suppose anything like that, really. But not only are you entirely capable of it, you have two reasons for it.”

“My special talent being magic itself... and the Element.”

“Yes, to both. You’re a very gifted unicorn, Twilight. And a very thorough one, I might add- Some great talents, like Starswirl the Bearded, were quite broad-based. Others, such as Silver Gaze, were specialists. You could choose to go either way, or even walk a middle path.”

“I... Am I really that great?”

The combs and the brush stopped, and Celestia stepped forward to look at her. Her eyes were arresting, their bright magenta softened by the room’s light. Twilight wanted to back up, or move forward, and could not make the decision, so she just looked into her marefriend’s eyes.
“Twilight... I chose you. For many reasons- And that is one of them.”

“Celestia?”

“Yes?”

“...May I kiss you?”

“You don’t have to ask.”

They took their time getting ready at that point. No sense in rushing, after all.

Chapter 19, OR, A Day in the Sun 3- Coterie

Time to meet her fate. Well, she’d met it earlier, and nearly burst into flames with her rage at it. Rarity was still on her angry-list, that hadn’t changed. She had to admit, however, it was a nice dress. Just not what she had been expecting. Then again, she hadn’t been expecting Princess Celestia to be helping her into it, either, and that was currently a much more pressing issue. Twilight did her best to keep her tail low, covering herself- After an entire day of on-and-off teasing, assorted kisses, the incident in the baths... She was in a state that she really didn’t want Celestia to see right now... If only because taking care of it would make them late.

“Twilight...”

For a moment, she thought somepony else was in the room, because Celestia was speaking so softly. She did turn, and was surprised to see her mentor’s grim expression.

“What’s wrong? Did I... Did I do something?”

“Nothing of the sort. I simply want to have a serious discussion before we do anything else, and before the party.”

Relief flooded Twilight- It wasn’t a problem. Just a conversation.
A really, really serious conversation.
A conversation serious enough to bring pause to Celestia.
...OK, maybe it was a problem after all.
“Better to get it out of the way quickly, right? I’m all ears!”

Celestia had stopped fussing with the dress, instead moving to stand before Twilight. With a sigh, she lowered herself, knees bending to bring their faces level. The difference in size was still intimidating, but in a way Twilight honestly enjoyed. She felt... sheltered. Protected.
“I want to make sure that you understand: This relationship may not be easy. Few of them are, but this in particular... You may be thrust into the public eye, scrutinized by the media, lambasted by those who find it strange... Your own friends and fellow villagers may view you in a different light. There might even be danger. And so I have to be positive that you are willing to deal with all of that. I will support you in every way I can, but I cannot guarantee things will be perfect.”

It may have been the wrong time, but Twilight felt like the moment was ripe for a chance, ever-so-rare, to actually appear wise to her mentor. She always felt like a child walking in the hoofprints of giants, but she was growing, and getting better- And she had to improve in every walk of life, not just magic. She’d learned that, and so many other things.
“Could anypony, really? Nothing’s perfect, Princess. But we can try our hardest. And I know I will- And I understand there might be issues, but.. You said it yourself earlier. What we do is no business of theirs, and those who object will have to find their way through the tough and fearsome maze around me.”

Celestia, for her credit, smiled knowingly but kept up with the conceit. Sometimes you just had to let a really good speech get a head of steam.
“Maze?”

“My friends. My family. You, your sister, Pony Joe, the Cakes... Everypony I know is somepony I trust, so much. And they return that trust. If there’s any chance that trouble will start, then whatever starts that trouble... Well, it’s going to have a nasty time of it.”

Celestia rose, still smiling, looking in her eyes.
“So you’re saying you’re prepared.”

Twilight looked back, her own grin so wide it was trying to spill over into her mane.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

With a chuckle, her mentor walked back behind her, returning to work on the dress... Or so she thought, until she felt the gentle pressure of a hoof against the slick inside of her leg. She noticed.

“If I didn’t know you any better, I would have said that last line was an innuendo- You certainly are quite ‘ready’.”

“Princess I can explain, it’s just that-”

“I never said that was a bad thing, Twilight. Although you did just use my title again- I wonder if there should be some sort of punishment for that?”

She put the blame on the books she had been reading lately for where her mind went at the word “punishment”. That was absolutely the case, and she did not in any way find that subject innately interesting or captivating. Eenope. Of course, when she went to answer, all that came out was a whimper- These feelings were so new, and so intense, that even the slightest bit of pent-up agitation was making her shake like a nervous schoolfilly on stage. She was blushing to the tips of her ears, and her tail, the traitor, was reflexively trying to move away and uncover her.

“Mmmh. That can wait. In fact, speaking of waiting... I have an idea.”

The last time she had heard somepony say “idea” in that tone of voice, Pinkie Pie had been preparing a prank whose aftermath included at least seventeen feet of silly string, a house covered in streamers, and the Flower Sisters all fainting twice. Her original estimation of this being a “long night” suddenly ratcheted up to “endless delicious torture.”

Later, Twilight was positive that Celestia said everything in the plan in one long, breathless moment, directly into her ear. It certainly felt that way. Dutifully, she did her best to remember as much of it as she could, despite the night as a whole being somewhat... fuzzy, starting around then.

“Although I have much more practice in hiding it, you can trust that I am precisely as ‘ready’, and just as anxious about it. My last dalliance was... some time ago. So with both of us in such an agitated state, and no time to solve the problem, I propose this: We do nothing. We attend the party as if nothing was wrong. And when one of us can no longer hold out, we simply tell the other “I’m going out for some fresh air.” We meet in the gardens, and we take care of the problem at our leisure- Once the event is in full swing, we won’t be missed if we disappear for an hour. Or two.”

Twilight answered in a daze, a grin already building.
“That sounds... really well-planned. Just, um, out of curiosity, have you...”

“Done this before? Twilight, I have spent thousands of years attending cabinet meetings and political summits. I have to handle my boredom somehow.”

“Mmh. Oh. Well then... I think you have yourself a deal, Celestia.”

It had been a risk to use such an informal statement, and such a confident tone, but it paid off- Her teacher responded with a laugh and a kiss, and they returned to the mundanities of preparing for what Twilight was now positive had the potential to be the Best Night... Nevermind. That phrase kinda lost meaning a while ago.

Taking a second look at the dress in the mirror, it wasn’t nearly as bad as she had first thought. True, it was... risque. It clung tight to her, every inch soft black velvet chased with bars and piping of lavender silk. It rose to the sides of her neck, but plunged low to give the necklace a showplace: A gold choker studded in quartz and amethyst, the finished design a perfect mirror of her Cutie Mark. What bothered her, however, was how high the outfit rode on her flank, and how the curves and sweeps of the design went out of their way to accentuate... No, to display her Mark. Yes, it was visible all the time. But right now? It was having attention drawn to it, and somehow that was much, much worse. Or better. Her head was arguing with her v... Well, suffice to say, an argument was going on.
“Twilight?”

She spun around to face the Princess and gasped. Celestia had apparently lied to her about attending this event in her regalia alone- Either that, or decided to use it as a chance to counter Twilight’s surprise letter with a surprise of her own. Diaphanous white silk and lace covered Celestia’s back, a sheer and simple saddle that didn’t encumber her wings. It reached her tail and stopped dead, never once dropping down- It was ‘merely’ a plain saddle rather than a dress, but somehow, it just made her look even better on the whole. It had never occurred to her before that she might enjoy fashion, but if Celestia was modelling it...
“Twilight, are you alright?”

A blush rushed across her cheeks as she realized she was staring.
“Very good! I mean, yes. I mean, yeah... Guh. Yes, I am alright. Just a bit stunned. You look... Fantastic.”

“Why thank you. And I am not the only one, it seems.”

“Oh! Has somepony arrived already?”

Celestia gave her a deadpan stare.
“Twilight, I meant you.”

“...Oh.”

While she was hurrying to beat herself up for her mistake, Celestia stepped forward, suddenly looming terribly close, her face fixed in a grin. The white mare leaned down, very slowly, until she was looking Twilight level in the eyes. She gulped and didn’t even once consider backing away.
“Speaking of arrivals... We have a bit of time.”

Her legs shaking, she tried not to let her voice betray her thoughts.
“And, uhm... what will we do with that time?”

“Mmmh. I believe that’s up to you.”

Her mind went blank. Not blank with lack of ideas, mind you- the kind of blank you get when you’re too wrapped up in a moment. She had leaned forward and kissed Celestia without a word, and now they were pressed together tightly, lips barely moving. She whimpered at the heat of her teacher’s touch, and when Celestia pressed forward, she gladly fell back, sinking to her haunches as Celestia loomed over her once again. This time, she couldn’t imagine how they looked, and she couldn’t even try- Her thoughts were fuzzy, her clarity... No. Clarity was what she had far too much of. Her senses were utterly filled with the heat and pressure and the scent of it all, the brush of a foreleg against her neck. She went to reciprocate and fumbled, pushing a hoof too-hard into her love’s chest. A mumbled apology tried to make its way through the kiss, but Celestia just laughed and embraced her. Minutes might have passed like this, the kiss never deepening, but somehow the passion still managed to show through, fires stoked to a peak.

Finally, they pulled away from one another, Celestia’s cheeks just barely flushed, Twilight letting out a low whine. Her already-urgent need was now teasing at her more than ever, and if anypony were to see her stifles, they would likely find a slick mess. If she had no sense of decorum, she might have begged then. But as it was, her mentor leaned in again, put her mouth against her ear... And licked up the length, one long stroke of her tongue, impossibly hot. Twilight moaned and fell forward, shaking.
“Remember, all you need to do is say ‘I need some fresh air.’ and go to the gardens.”

An idea struck her then. Dangerous, maybe. Worth it?
“...But what if you say it first?”

The look on Celestia’s face showed that it had absolutely been worth it.
“Dear, I hope that is not a challenge... Possibly for both of our sakes.”

“Then let’s say that it is not, in fact, a challenge.”

“Which is a lie, mmyes?”

“Absolutely.”

They both laughed, rising to their hooves and unsteadily (to her shock, Twilight noticed that even Celestia faltered a bit as she stood) walking towards the door to the main hall. Her... date. Her date turned to her with a smile before opening the doors.
“I do imagine everypony is waiting.”

“What.”

“Oh, did I not tell you? This door leads out onto the ballroom stage. We’re going out so I can make my speech! In front of everypony.”

A picture of her face at that moment would have been the very definition of “dawning horror”.
“...This is payback for me making it a challenge, isn’t it?”

Celestia winked.
“Well, let’s not go that far... Even if it is.”

Twilight shook her head in amazement, braced herself, and opened the door. The moment her power faded from the knob, she saw Celestia’s magic burst into life, the gigantic set of curtains before them opened, and the couple stepped out.

Tonight. A plan she had set in motion the day after her sister’s return, come to fruition. A completely unexpected confession from her most trusted of students had led to... She had originally planned for this event to almost be a monument to her singular nature, to her long-standing lack of any true relationship. As it now stood, it would be the debut of the first pony she had truly loved in a long, long time. And with any luck, the beginning of a new tradition or two... An audience of a hundred or more, the room full of couples (and scattered triads here and there), earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasii alike. Every one of them part of her System, her government, every one of them serving Equestria, directly or not. This room full of couples looked up with interest as they strode forward, as the curtains spread. And let it not be said that there was no surprise: She saw those who murmured and began to speak when she came out with somepony at her side. But explaining that would come later. First?

She must tell them all why they are here.

The faint -pop- of a voice-amplifying spell as Celestia reached center-front on the stage. A pause as she looked across the audience, and it dawned on Twilight just how many ponies were watching. Many of their gazes were directed right at her. But she couldn’t focus on that: Celestia’s speech had begun.

“Welcome, one and all! I wish to greet you, my fellows, citizen and visitor alike... And I wish to tell you that I understand. I understand the difficulties of living a life as part of the government, what it takes to keep Equestria and her neighbors functioning. It often means long months, or years, away from your home. Months and years without sight of your loved ones, your children, your family and friends. And so, beginning this year- In fact, beginning tonight, I wish to hold celebrations meant not just for those who help this world so much, but those who help them. And given the season, I felt it appropriate that the first of these festivities be one of love, and lovers. One day, this practice may spread far and wide, join up with the holidays themselves to be true festivals. But for now, it is a private celebration, for those who are separated from their loves by their service. So welcome, one and all, to the first Coterie of Hearts!”

Applause rolled across the stage in massive booming waves, and Twilight felt her eyes tear up a bit as she looked at her teacher. Celestia looked down to her, smile bright. They shared the glance for but a moment before it turned into a quick glare- Their eyes narrowed. She could almost imagine she heard the Princess in her head:

“If it’s a challenge, there’s a wager.”

In and out of her head, Twilight grinned.
“We can figure that out after you say it.”

And maybe the Princess -did- speak to her inside her mind, or at least heard her reply-- The look of shock on her face was palpable, yet followed with a grin even bigger than Twilight’s. She gulped back fear.
“It. Is. On.”

Chapter 20, OR, A Day in the Sun 4- Break

A massive table just beneath the stage was set with a dozen settings, and then one further- Celestia and a dozen guests of honor. The other tables were not far, and Twilight looked at the odd shape of the table for a moment before nodding in pleasure. A gigantic ellipse: Anypony in the ballroom could come up to the head table and speak without taking up room or disrupting anypony. Very nice, and she had no doubt it was Celestia’s idea. Speaking of which...

Her nervousness could not be tracked on any chart. Celestia was seated next to her, a very nice-seeming and vaguely familiar gentlepony to her opposite side. An entire room full of ponies were seated as well, and regardless of where they sat, she could feel their stares. Even with her lower half covered by a table she still felt acutely embarrassed, and would not be surprised if her cheeks were entirely red- Not just blushing, but blushing so hard her coat ceased to matter. And it got even worse when she nearly jumped out of her seat in shock at a voice next to her.

“My word... Twilight Sparkle?”

The pony next to her had a very well-kept blue mane, an alabaster-white coat, and a monocle. He looked extremely familiar... and then she remembered him.
“Oh! You’re Fancy Pants, right? I met you a while back in...”
And then she remembered how she had been acting at that party. Certainly, he had been the one to stand up for their group, and sure, it was her own birthday, but... She had quickly learned, after that day, to never even hypothetically consider dancing. And here was one of the few who had seen her do it. Her blush quickly shifted from one of awkward arousal to way more awkward embarrassment.

“Here in Canterlot, yes! I realized after the event why you had all seemed so familiar- It was absolutely ridiculous of us not to recognize you and your friends. I have actually been hoping to see you all again sometime- What brings you here tonight?”

“Oh, well, I’m here with Princess Celestia.”

“Ah, yes! I had heard you were her pupil. And a very skilled one, at that.”

“Why thank you! But... I’m not here as her student. I’m here, uhm, with her.”

She could have sworn she heard a record scratch... Even though the music was being played live on the stage behind her. Fancy Pants stared, and she was positive everypony who heard did the same. She looked from side to side nervously until the silence was broken by a heavily-accented voice.
“And are you skilled at that, as well?”
From behind Fancy, his guest-- Another white pony, a mare of stunning beauty-- had spoken. The tension was shattered, some ponies laughing, Twilight blushing furiously, and Fancy shooting a look at his apparent marefriend.

“Now Fleur! That was entirely out of line. My apologies, Ms. Sparkle: My dear Fleur is known for her rather abrupt wit.”

She laughed at that, relaxing. While the other reason for her constant blush wasn’t gone, the nerves were receding bit by bit. Here was somepony mildly familiar she could converse with, pass away the time for a bit.
“It’s no problem. And it was pretty funny. But... Well, yes, I am here as Celestia’s date.”

He seemed to re-appraise her, eventually smiling and nodding at some private conclusion.
“Well then! I am quite glad to see her bringing somepony to this event- There had been some talk around town that she would seem quite alone at an event with such a concept behind it. But apparently we were all in the wrong.”

“We... That is to say, it...”

Celestia leaned against her, speaking over her shoulder to Fancy. Twilight couldn’t help but lean back into the Princess’ warm coat as she spoke, feeling the thrum of her voice vibrating through her.
“It is a very recent development, Fancy Pants. But I assure you, not one of desperation, as some will likely be saying. I have hosted events like this without a ‘companion’ for hundreds of years, after all.”

Twilight went stock still when she heard that. Hundreds... No wonder everypony reacted like that. Was she really, truly the first one the Princess had been with in all that time? How much differently would everypony act because of that fact, not to mention everything else about them?

Thankfully, her worries were cut off by the arrival of food-- Gently levitated to each individual, an opening dish that surprised her: She had heard from Applejack and Rarity both, after all, that meals in high society were often sparse. But here was a thick and vibrant stew, a bright red in the pale green bowls. As the servers and sommeliers came around with drinks and various spirits, she followed Celestia’s lead: Rose water. Cold, refreshing, bright, and most importantly, not likely to lead her down the road of intoxication. Given the standing challenge, that would have been the same as giving up.

The soup was delicious, and quickly followed with other courses- Some heavy, some light. Startlingly fragile sculptures of crystalline sugar and flower petals were followed with braised eggplants in rich sauces. Everything from bright and refreshing wood sorrel bouquets to finely-chopped and iced walnuts... She paused. Reviewed. Her mind traced back across everything that had been served so far, and everything she saw at other tables. It only took some mental calculation, and a few quotes from Super Naturals and the KaMare Sutra to realize the truth:
Every single ingredient she could recognize was, to some extent, an aphrodisiac. Some of them chemically, some of them only in romantic imagery and concept, but the intent was undeniable. A moment later, Celestia traded a sultry glance with her, and she realized this was, if not intentionally a test, then it certainly was one now.

Twilight spent the next little while matching her teacher dish for dish, never once turning down an offered piece of food. The two of them ended their meals with wide, slightly shaky grins and deep-seated blushes.

During the meal, the music had been purely a soft and unobtrusive classical piece, performed by a group of mares and stallions she recognized from the Grand Galloping Gala. Their work was fantastic, and occasionally a particularly stirring piece led to her leaning towards Celestia. They shared the occasional kiss, stars bursting in her head, and the occasional nuzzle, heat burning in her haunches. But then the final dishes were cleared away and the music shifted, subtly: A strong and pulsing tempo began to build behind the light strings. The occasional sound of percussion joined in with the piano, and an unmistakable electronic pitch began to weave in. The change was slow and she couldn’t quite track where the original piece ended and the new one began. On stage, behind the cellist, a white mare with a shockingly-bright blue-on-blue mane was now visible behind a pair of turntables. She recognized her as well-- She had been the DJ for their failed fashion show the previous year, and was one of Rainbow Dash (and oddly, Pinkie)’s favorite musicians.

The other musicians began to leave the stage one at a time, leaving behind the DJ and the cellist- A brown-coated mare with a serious look and wise eyes. The music, as well, left until only the sharp and high notes of the cello and the thump and slide of the electronic instruments were left. It was still subtle, and elegant, but there was a kind of energy behind it now, something undefinable and beautiful at the same time. The two musical mares locked eyes and smiled at one another before returning to their work. Twilight saw tables in the ballroom being pulled aside by magic, mares and stallions beginning to mingle on the outskirts of what was now, very obviously, a dance floor. She caught Fancy Pants looking in her direction nervously, and she looked to Celestia.

“I... think I would rather talk with the guests than dance tonight.”

“And I could not agree with you more- I was never the dancer of my family.”

They smiled, and laughed, and Fancy Pants sighed in relief. The two of them left the table then, separating with a wink and a nod, and began to roam.

She was far, far too long out of practice, and entirely too... enthusiastic? Well, that should not be a fault, honestly, especially given her previous mistakes. But said enthusiasm was still at the root of her current problem-- A problem located a scant few inches beneath the root of her tail. Of course, her mind and her heart were equally inflamed, but neither of them was currently engaged in a contest of endurance with a vibrant and inexperienced young mare whose visage...

Celestia shook her head and moved away from that train of thought. Focusing on Twilight, her coat or her mane or her plot... Back on track. Focusing on Twilight in general would only spell a loss. Her long absence from the romantic scene had left her with a bit of a hair-trigger, it seemed. Maintaining a normal conversation with the perfectly nice mare in front of her-- An ambassador to the Griffons, if she remembered correctly (and she always did)-- was nearly impossible with the purple mare dancing in her mind. Not literally dancing- She had heard far too many whispered horror stories, and read a rather depressing letter when Twilight had realized she had four left hooves. Not that there was any problem with that-- It had been thousands of years, and Luna could still dance circles around her older sister.

Speaking of dancing, she saw several couples coming together in close embraces, some on all fours and others standing on their hind legs. They moved to the music, which in her experience was easier said than done- Especially to such an eclectic beat as this. But their enthusiasm in many cases made up for their difficulties, and she occasionally stopped between discussions to simply pony-watch for a while. Her eyes kept wandering back to a particularly amorous couple, eventually following the two of them as they left the ballroom. She had gone out of her way to set up private bedrooms for each of the groups who arrived, for just such a situation- It was good to see them getting use.

Eventually she ran out of guests she had not at least held a brief conversation with, and reached the back of the room, where Twilight was just arriving from the other side. They met with a brief kiss, and smiled as they separated.
“And how are you enjoying yourself?”

“Quite a bit, Celestia! I’ve met some fascinating ponies, quite a few scholars and history experts. How are you... holding up?”

Twilight’s ability to be surprisingly daring kept her guessing, and this was a moment that got an honest laugh from her.
“Mmmh, I think I can continue to hold out for quite some time. And you?”
She followed up her question by leaning in and gently kissing and nibbling along the edge of Twilight’s ear, pleased to hear the low groan that it brought out.

“Aaah... I... I’ve still got some will left to restrain myself with, as well.”
Twilight looked a bit sheepish as she backed away, a question clearly waiting to be asked. Celestia nodded to her, implicitly asking her to go on.
“But... Aren’t we going a bit fast? Not that I mind! I just... I’m new to this.”

“I know. And I am certainly freshly returned to the field myself. When it comes to speed... Well, I have two responses, I suppose.”

“I’m all ears-eep!”
She couldn’t help herself- The phrase was obvious bait for another ear-nibbling, which interrupted Twilight quite nicely. She chuckled and relented.

“Twilight, we are both adult mares. There’s nothing wrong with how fast or slow we choose to pace ourselves- And if you have a problem with it, you need only to tell me. And if I, for some reason, were to have a problem, I would tell you. But the second point... I love you, Twilight. And I have for a long time. Maybe not a physical romantic love, but we have known each other for a long time- Student and teacher, even as friends and study companions. Just because the kind of love has changed does not mean we’re suddenly a “new” couple. We’ve been together most of your life.”

She winced at the blatant harshness of the final words, but she had said it before she could think about changing to something less... bleak. But Twilight was smiling, a tear shining at the corner of one eye as she leaned in to kiss her again. They took their time with this one, moving closer as they did. Eventually they separated, both short of breath, her wings almost managing to leave her strict control.
“Thank you, Celestia. And I... I am definitely alright with the speed we’re going at.”

“Does that mean you’re calling it in, giving up on the challenge?”

“Nope! I just wanted to make sure ahead of time. Still waiting on you.”
Twilight winked at that, and Celestia stifled a laugh. Her student was clearly trying her hardest, and even when it was forced or awkward, it was still endearing. They walked off to opposite sections of the ballroom again, taking a chance to cool down. She would not lose... although at this rate, her confidence in that statement was slipping. Watching Twilight walk away certainly had not helped any- She would have to find an opportunity to thank Rarity for her choice in dresses.

It had been almost a half of an hour since her last conversation with Celestia, and Twilight was at her wit’s end. Conversations about the most stiflingly mundane topics she could imagine, no help. Riveting discourse on the cultures of the world, counterproductive. Watching other couples dance, kiss, embrace, and leave for their rooms? Left her mind and heart racing. So now she was slowly trudging across the dance floor, walking awkwardly so as not to expose herself in any way, prepared to concede. Celestia was talking to Fancy Pants, the two of them speaking animatedly, and her teacher clearly in control of her desires. Twilight was, after all, the novice of them, and should never have expected to win in a battle of endurance.

She raised a hoof to get Celestia’s attention, and then heard the actual discussion.
“Well, it will be a shame to have you go, Princess- It is always a phenomenal conversation when you are involved.”

“Yes, well... I do believe I need to go to the gardens. Get some fresh air.”

What?

“...After all, it’s been a long evening, and I haven’t, ahem, stretched my wings in quite a bit.”

“Not enough clearance in here, eh?”

The two of them shared a laugh, and Fancy trotted off, Celestia turning back to Twilight with a smile. But above her grin, her eyes looked almost desperately desirous, and she nodded, just once, before walking towards the side door of the ballroom. Stunned silent, Twilight followed her, heart full of joy and brain full of fu... Distractions. Yes, distractions.

Chapter 21, OR, A Day in the Sun 5- Climax

They had made their way, completely silent, to one of the statuary-filled clearings on the edge of the garden. An empty alcove in on low wall was surrounded by bushes, clearly meant to hold a statue or image of some kind. Celestia slowed, letting Twilight pass her, and then said the first words since they had left.
“Twilight... If what I do is too rough, please stop me.”

“Pr... Celestia, how could-”
She went to reply, but all opportunity left her as a pair of hooves pushed her up onto her hind legs and pinned her against the wall. She moaned into the sudden fierce kiss, completely engulfed and overpowered and loving every minute of it. Celestia was frantic above her, and she was just as needy herself, her hooves struggling to keep up with her mentor’s speed. Eventually they pulled apart, gasping huge lungfuls of air, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Nnnh. That... Was just right. Not too rough. I don’t think, anyway.”

“Good. So, where do you think we should go to get... sufficient privacy?”

A wicked thought came up in her mind, and if she had asked herself several months ago about the concept, would have gotten only blushes and stammering embarrassment as an answer. But now, it seemed both reasonable and appropriate.
“...Right here?”

Celestia stared, and then looked from side to side. Twilight followed her gaze to confirm- A long path going both ways, the thick trees of the central garden at her back, a wall behind Twilight. Bushes to either side of her, and an alcove precisely sized to fit a pony like herself.
“And what gave you that idea, my faithful student?”

“I, uhm, I don’t think I could make it back to our room. Or any room, really. I was just going to give up when I walked up to you in the ballroom.”

“Ahha. I... To be entirely frank, I think I could have held out longer... Had I used my magic. But it would have been an unfair advantage to use tricks that I know full-well you don’t have on your side. And so my sadly long-rested and already rather... strong, let’s say, libido won out.”

“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I would have accepted my defeat.”

“Mmyes, but I am not entirely sure I would have accepted it. Maybe, Twilight, I wanted to lose.”

With that, Celestia leaned into her again, and this time Twilight could try to respond in kind-- Her hooves wrapping around Celestia’s back, leaning against the wall to take the pressure off her hind legs. She felt heat and pressure at her lips and gasped, letting her lover’s tongue meet her own. It was an entirely different kind of intensity, and while she tried in vain to do the same in kind, her quaking desire just left her too frazzled. She would have to find the time to get better at that in the future-- For now, she wanted to make Celestia happy.

“I...”

Celestia broke away, looking down at her with a smile.
“Yes?”

She mumbled out a reply that even she couldn’t hear properly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Princess!”

“What’s the matter, Twilight? I did concede after all- The least you could do now is tell me, firmly, what it is you want to say.”

She looked down at her chest and muttered again, and Celestia prodded her once more. Finally, she gave up and simply said it, plainly and clearly- Even knowing nopony could hear didn’t make it any easier.
“I want to... please you. Here. Now.”

Celestia leaned in to kiss her, just once, gently. When they pulled apart, her teacher turned away to face the treeline, her tail hovering just in front of Twilight’s face. She couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized by the colors, suddenly noticing the strong and sharp scent of arousal before her. It was... stronger than her own, or Applejack’s or Rarity’s. It was a beautiful scent, but one that was overwhelming her already. Without question, it was a mature mare in front of her... And she hoped she was ready to please her.

Back against the wall, Celestia tried to relax. She succeeded, of course, but there was effort involved- Nopony had been that close behind her in... some time. She could practically feel Twilight’s gaze on her rump, and her tail began to twitch and flow in response. It would be entirely unbecoming of her to simply flip her tail up and reveal herself in an instant... So that’s precisely what she did. The lack of decorum was absolutely worth the gasp she heard, and a moment later she got to respond with her own gasp when a soft, tentative hoof pressed into her stifles, sliding up and down against her coat. Her perception narrowed, her focus on this moment- Nopony would be coming down this path, so there was no real need to pay attention to extraneous things like the outside world. Only Twilight, right now.

Celestia closed her eyes and completely let herself go, slumping forward slightly, legs dropping from their normal refined arch into the slouch of somepony exhausted after a day of work. Her tail was off to one side, flowing gently against the greenery, and her student... Her student was gently, carefully, slowly exploring her. It was agonizing, in all of the best ways, and if she had been sure it wouldn’t come off harsh, she would have told the mare to speed up. But... In a way, she deserved this cautious treatment, this slow-roll to her actual release. After all, she did concede... And thinking about what Twilight might do with her ‘prize’ led another shiver up her spine.

It wasn’t long before Twilight was finally making contact, occasionally murmuring something to herself as her hoof pressed against Celestia’s lips. She groaned and tried not to buck against the pressure. It was certainly not unfamiliar, but she was used to these hooves embracing her, or clapping in joy after a well-taught lesson. To feel them so intimately was entrancing, and the pressure only got stronger. Moments later Twilight was slipping inside, finally applying force where it was needed most, although... It was entirely unlike Celestia to leave a partner without reciprocation, but she couldn’t... Oh!

“Twilight...”

“Ah! Celestia, did... Did I do something wrong?”

“Absolutely not. It’s wonderful, I just... I hate to leave you out in the cold, so to speak.”

“Princess, it’s fine- I can wait my turn.”

“And what if I said you didn’t have to?”

Rather than wait for a response, she simply acted.

Twilight was going to respond, but then her world went dark. Not dark, actually, but... Secluded. She was suddenly covered from head to haunch in a blanket of warmth and faint light- Celestia’s tail, already the size of her, was now draped across her entire body, shielding her from the sky. There had never been a point where she could honestly say she felt so... Embraced. Engulfed, shrouded, covered, wrapped up. Whatever word she tried to put to it seemed insufficient.
“Celestia, it’s... beautiful!”

“Funny, that: I haven’t even started.”

“Whu-“
She was interrupted by the sensation of faint stroking and tickling at the base of her tail. Dozens of individual sensations, touches and pokes and prods and strokes, all moving across her coat separately. Twilight had never even thought about a unicorn, or alicorn in this case, using their mane and tail like this. And when the gentle sensations got stronger, she got the message and got back to work, her hoof working slowly- Her teacher may be experienced, but that did not make her any less nervous about causing discomfort. Concentration was lost once again when the first few tendrils of hazy feelings reached beneath her tail, but she eventually went back with gusto. And when a single thin wave of pressure passed her lips and began to trace inwards, she held back a moan and leaned forward. Her entire body was surrounded in Celestia’s warmth, no sense in leaving her muzzle out.

While Celestia had not actually used her prehensile control of tail and mane in quite some time, it was an easy method to get back into- Her tail sweeping across her student’s lovely body, transmitting every sensation as if it were her own hooves’ touch. Admittedly, she did nearly lose control when Twilight first began to lick, holding back a gasp and gently bucking her lover’s face. They worked out a rhythm, at that point- Twilight would lick and stroke in time with her thrusts and the ministration of her tail. Lost in the pleasure at that point, she almost didn’t notice somepony coming down the path. Emphasis on almost. A message was quickly sent towards her student, the two-way communication spell kicking back in.

Twilight, somepony is coming.

I know, Princess.

She groaned at the terrible pun, Twilight’s gleeful little laugh coming across even in telepathy.
No, I mean on the path. We need to stop.

Oh!

A pause. Longer than she had hoped for, with no sign of Twilight actually letting up.
...Can I have my prize for winning our wager? Now?

...You aren’t.

Celestia, as my reward, I would like permission to not stop. And I don’t want you to, either.

On the outside, she sighed, as if her student’s choice exasperated her. But on the inside, she was gleeful- She had hoped Twilight would have some leaning towards her own personal level of... shall we say, deviance? Receiving confirmation of this fact was absolutely worth the awkwardness or embarrassment of this next conversation.

Very well- I would hate to disrupt you when you’re in such a, -ooh-, groove.

They shared a laugh, followed by a bit of gasping between them, as Twilight huddled further under her tail and Celestia did her best to compose herself. At first, she did not recognize the unicorn walking towards her- And that alone was enough to confirm their identity.

“Mr. Finish! What a surprise to see you this evening.”

“Well hello there, madam. I had just been taking a break from the monthly Consortium of Night Shop owners-- Nickle’s still there, of course, but I needed the fresh air..”

Behind her, an extremely eager young mare was doing her best to make her squirm, shiver, or outright break. Celestia smiled, her concentration honed to a blade’s edge as she carried out the conversation as if nothing was wrong. No sir, nopony approaching a chain of delicious orgasms here.

“As did I. I will admit, I had not realized they were holding regular Consortiums again- How has it been?”

“About as boring as any other bureaucratic shindig, with the marginal bonus of everyb... everypony being involved in something weird. Or at least ‘adult’, if that’s the better word for it. Makes for good side conversations.”

“Mmh, I would imagine. I know I personally prefer spending time with the more... Unique merchants, when it comes to mmh meetings.”

If the shop-owner had noticed anything odd about her sudden groan, he said nothing of it. Instead, he began engaging her in small talk- Banal, entirely uncomplicated, easy to follow. At least, it would normally be easy to follow, save for the presence of an extremely eager tongue lapping at her insides, an equally-loving pair of lips tugging and pulling at her. A moment of iron concentration to keep her face straight (pay no attention to the mare behind the plothole), and she replied.

“I do apologize, but the event I am hosting has left quite a bit on my... mind. You were saying?”

“Ah, no worries- I was just askin’ if you were planning to make visits to the shop regularly- We can accommodate planned visits, if you’re interested in special orders ‘n such.”

“Well, I do believe I will have to ask a certain somepony about that- It would be nng silly of me to go without them, after today.”

“Ah, so it is true that you’re teachin’ the girl more horn tech than just magic, wink wink?”

She would have responded with some kind of affront or possibly offense, only slightly false, but Twilight seemed to realize she was being spoken of. The sudden uptick in speed caused Celestia’s eyes to widen and her breath to stop short, her first (and at this rate certainly not last) climax of the evening... With somepony watching. There would most definitely be some kind of punishment arranged for this in time, but right now, Matte was just giving her a salacious grin and not budging.

“I... Well, yes, if you wish to put it that way. She made a rather lovely confession to me, and I accepted, earlier today. Yesterday’s visit was merely a well-timed fluke.”

“What is it with flounders and good timing?”

She deadpanned at him until the joke clicked in the back of her head, and she laughed out loud. It was an atrocious pun, but still, he seemed to have not caught on to her perverted predicament yet, so she could forgive bad humor.
“Mmmmh, I think it’s an issue of upbringing.”

“Oof, speakin’ a timing, I’ve got to dash- I’ll likely see ya later, neigh?”

“Of course.”

Matte Finish bowed and went to walk away, and she sighed with relief.
“Have a good evening, Princess! And you too, Ms. Sparkle.”

If she had not been in the grip of another orgasm, at least in part due to being caught, she was positive it would have been quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

After a fair bit of clean-up, straightening of outfits and generation of alibis, they had begun the walk back to the ballroom. Celestia looked at her student with dawning worry, having realized something as they walked. It was a silly thought, but she had to confirm it.
“Twilight...”

“Mmh... Yes, Princess?”

She blushed, looking away from the younger mare. This was a rather odd question to spring, after all.
“Did I not... Did I fail to please you?”

Twilight spun around and turned to her, looking both confused and worried in equal measure.
“What!? No! I... you pleased me. A lot. Wow, did you ever... Hehe.”
She trailed off into blushing reminiscence.

“Oh. I simply, well, I worried- I barely noticed any reactions from you during that little... conversation.”

And at this Twilight blushed, stopping in her tracks and looking around to make sure nopony could hear her.
“Weell, see... You were pleasing me a lot, like I said, but I thought it would, um... be rude. To shout into your, uhm, rear. So I restrained myself.”

Inwardly, a sigh of relief. Outwardly, a brilliant smile with just a hint of what the various Equestrian tabloids (anonymously-authored, for the safety of said authors) had a tendency to call her ‘trollface’.
“Dear, you do not ever have to worry yourself about restraint. I believe my history has left me quite impossible to either offend or unsettle. So next time... Shout all you want.”
She finished with a wink, and for her part, Twilight simply blushed even more deeply, following her again- More closely now. Celestia whipped her tail over Twilight’s back, and pulled her close. The two of them, hip to hip, made their way back towards the Coterie. With any luck, the closing ceremonies would take mere minutes (the ballroom being nearly empty by now) and they could abscond to one bedroom or another to get rest... Or possibly more active forms of leisure.

It was shaping up to be a wonderful weekend, indeed.

Intermission 3- Taken Notes

Some have been wondering what exactly took place during Twilight’s ‘lesson’ with Rarity and Applejack.

Wonder no longer.

Rarity was stunned. This... This was ludicrous. She never thought one of her silly fillyhood fantasies would be coming true, or in such a strange way. But here she was, lying in bed with one of her closest friends, her marefriend nearby, the three of them about to interact in some very lovely ways. Rarity hadn’t thought of Twilight as somepony willing to do these sorts of things, but now... Now she couldn’t help but look at the lavender mare with a newfound sort of respect, the kind mingled with deep-seated lust... Which is to say, the same way she respected nearly everypony. Applejack, for her part, had defused the silly little snafu Rarity had managed to get them in, and now the mood was relaxed, their student attentive.

Twilight said something she didn’t quite catch, still reeling from the strangeness of the near-kiss. But she got the sentiment, and the three of them shared a laugh. Applejack looked at her, eyes positively smoldering, and she looked back with unabashed desire.

"Time to begin, my dear?"

"Eeyup."

Hearing the farm-mare go out of her way to emulate that massive brother of hers left Rarity stunned for a moment, and she was caught off-guard by the kiss that followed. Not one to be out-done, however, she quickly regained control, her hooves sliding down strong muscled sides, tweaking and teasing all of Applejack’s weak spots. She could almost hear Twilight’s eyes widen when she leaned one hoof in between her lover’s hind legs. The thought that she was being watched as she did this was leaving her dizzy and eager, muscles flexing and tail already far out of the way. The favor was returned, and she groaned and hissed into the kiss. Finally, she broke away, with a slight whine of disappointment. But this was a lesson, and that meant educating their student.

“Now, Twilight, what you have to understand is that a mare is, well... Not necessarily ooh delicate, but mmh darling, stop! sensitive. I... Mmmh, please excuse me, I think I have to discipline my assistant.”

“Now why’m ah the ass-”

None of that- Backtalk ruined the mood. Rarity smothered it with a kiss, leaning in to pressure her lover beneath her. Applejack groaned, and then let out her own little whimper when Rarity began to toy with her. It was pleasurable, but their student wouldn’t actually be able to make out much... Ideeea~!

She sprung away, standing for a moment to straighten her mane. Applejack, for her part, just leaned back into the pillows.
“Switch places with me, darling- I think Twilight needs to be able to see this next part.”

The mare obliged, and Rarity settled in herself. It was even more comfortable than her normal bed, a feat she had figured impossible. With absolutely no shame or hesitation, she leaned back, facing up and out, and let her hind legs fall splayed. She was completely on display, utterly exposed, and it was making her throb. She couldn’t even concentrate anymore, but thankfully, her dear and courteous lover picked up the slack while she whimpered and bucked her hips.

“Now, Twi, like Rarity was sayin’- You’ve gotta know your way around the place. First time, second time? No guarantee they’ll be grand, if’n ya get my drift. But that’s why you should learn how to do it, so at least ya’ll figure it out faster.”

She couldn’t see, she didn’t dare look down, because then she might see the rapt attention their pupil was paying, and that might well finish her off on the spot. Instead she focused on the sensation- The soft edge of one hoof, pressing down against her stifles, teasing her. Applejack always worked on her with the same diligent attention she paid her fields and fruit, and it was clear in the results- Even a minute or less led to Rarity’s breath growing ragged and her coat completely matted with pleasure. Agonizingly slowly, her love moved higher, closer, deeper, firm pressure making her want to buck and beg to be taken.

She didn’t have a chance to, however, because finally a hoof made direct contact, pressing against her lips and making her gasp. She thought she heard a second gasp echoed from Twilight, but at this point, her senses were as good as useless. Applejack, it seemed, was impatient, moving faster, laying the entire pad of her soft and pliable hoof flat. Oh no, she’s not going to- And then everything went blank. She threw her head back and moaned with abandon as the athletic pony shook her foreleg, sending the most delicious slow vibrations straight into her core. It was too early for her first climax, but restraint seemed pointless this evening. Her face, she was sure, must have been the most slovenly thing, tongue lolling, panting, her entire body shaking with each breath.

“And that’s how ya do thangs.”

Unnoticed on the bed, Rarity nodded, weakly, in confirmation.

“So, ah... ‘D’you wanna try?”

Applejack leaned down and kissed her as she rose. It helped immensely, taking the edge off of her almost too-strong orgasm-- A phrase she hoped never came true. She stood aside and allowed Applejack to take her place amongst the pillows, while Twilight, nervously, stepped up to begin. No kiss was shared, but both of them were considerably, and obviously, already aroused. Speaking of which...

It would be a shame to waste this kind of opportunity... She thought to herself. So she walked behind Twilight and nudged her tail aside- It took almost no effort, the mare’s distraction making it completely unnoticed. Her friend was beautiful, she had always known that, and seeing her like this did nothing to dissuade her conviction. Twilight was certainly less active than Applejack, her hind legs curving up with the slightest trace of muscle to frame her loveliness. On the other side of the unicorn, Applejack seemed to be guiding Twilight through the basics. I think I’ll simply unwind for a while and watch... from this angle, of course.

After a few minutes, however, Applejack’s slowly-wavering voice was starting to drive her arousal back up, not to mention the delicious view of Twilight’s posterior. Speaking of deliciousness...
“Lesson two, Ms. Sparkle, is to keep it up while distracted.”
With no further warning than that, she plunged face-first into her prize, leading with a single long lick from top to bottom. The difference in taste, texture, temperature, and everything from what she was accustomed to made her wet, and hearing Twilight’s shocked whinny melt into a moan made it even better. She kept licking and kissing, working over the studious mare as if she herself was studying. A gentle prod, pushing her tongue just past the lips, flicking up to make the unicorn before her shake. Applejack, for her part, was not surprised- Instead, she began reprimanding Twilight each time she became distracted or faltered.

They stayed like this for a time, Rarity lapping and drinking at the velvety lips of one of her closest friends, Applejack bucking against the same mare’s unpracticed hoof. She could feel muscles tighten and hear the groan as Twilight approached her peak, so she leaned down and prepared. Just as the lovely sound reached a high note, she began flicking her tongue rapidly across her nub, and then opened her mouth wide. She was repaid for her attention in spades, a sudden flood of heat and subtle tastes across her tongue, her muzzle soaked and even her chest catching an errant splash. It was quite hard to determine if she had ever been more aroused, apart from her tentative first time with Applejack.

With Twilight panting and slumped onto the pillows, she walked forward to kiss Applejack- They shared Twilight’s taste, and whether her lover’s wide eyes indicated surprise or enjoyment, she was pleased either way. Melodramatically, she flopped onto the cushions at the head of the bed, next to her gracious marefriend.
“Oh woe is me! I spent such attention on our student, but I am afraid she couldn’t exactly see what I was doing. Whatsoever shall we do?”

“Well sugahcube, I figure I’m at least as good at that as you are- So how ‘bout you lean back and let me show her another new trick?”

“With pleasure.”

Her second orgasm came shockingly fast, with her third right on the heels. Knowing full-well that she was being watched and heard, a tongue buried between her lower lips, made her want to weep. It was just barely possible to keep her grip, to stop her voice from coming out in massive glorious shouts. She wanted to be seen and heard by everypony, and she wanted to be taken... But she had to show courtesy to their guest, and her privacy. So instead, she rode out the long and languid licks with her teeth clenched, her forehooves laced behind Applejack’s head, her breath coming in rapid bursts. Finally, just as she heard Twilight’s own cry, she was battered into submission by a fourth body-quaking climax.

From the sound of it, seconds later Twilight fell into her own throes, having handled herself as she watched, eyes riveted to the scene. The three of them collapsed on the bed together. In a more ‘average’ state of mind, Rarity might have been astonished and appalled at the mess. But right now, in the moment, she felt nothing but pride and an overpowering urge to sleep. They could confront clean-up in the morning, or at least when they woke.

Twilight, however, did not seem to have sleep on her mind.
“Girls?”

“Mmh?”

“Thank you both. I... I actually feel ready, and even if this lesson didn’t help, in the end... I’m glad we had the chance to do this, strange as that sounds.”

“Nah, Twilight, Ah know ‘xactly whatcha mean. And Ah’m purty pleased too. Rarity?”

“Having the opportunity to teach this lesson has been a long-standing dream, my dear. Fulfilling it was tiring but grand work.”

The three of them giggled, and then the aforementioned exhaustion hit them all in what felt like a synchronized wave. It was only minutes before they fell asleep, cuddled together on the bed. Never before had she felt quite so close or connected with her lover as right now, drifting into dreams.

Chapter 22, OR, The Moon Fell in Love 1- Daydreaming

It wasn’t until Saturday morning, around breakfast time, that Fluttershy finally managed to decompress all the events of the previous night in her head. On the table between them was the gift Luna had brought-- A trio of scale-modelled chocolate sculptures, each one of them an easily two-inch thick shell around a delicious core. Ponyville’s library, a turret of the Canterlot castle tower, and, to her delighted surprise, the hill and face of her own home- That one being filled to the brim with a swirl of yellow and pink fondant. She had laughed when they chipped open the front door with a spoon, and now the two of them were happily making their way through the house- The others would be saved for later.

As Luna studiously chiseled away at a window, a look of intense concentration on her face, Fluttershy thought back to last night, She had...

She had never been able to do anything quite like this before. Something about the situation, or the subject, or both, was guiding her hooves. Glide down the spine, press tight above the hips, sweep back up the ribs. Careful on the wings, delicate strokes- No oil, no need for this low-intensity work. Pressure was light, but firm enough that she could feel the regal silkiness of Luna’s coat beneath her own soft hooves. It was delightful, amazing, stellar, and so arousing she almost began bucking against Luna’s hind legs, which were currently pinned beneath her. Thankfully, her self-control held out.

Luna unfurled one wing to its full span, and dutifully, Fluttershy began to preen- Delicate touch at first, then firmer. The feathers realigned under the press of her hoof and the tug of her mouth, each pass leading the Princess to shiver with what she hoped was delight. Soon enough, that was confirmed- After a particularly tough spot, Luna groaned, collapsing into mixed laughter and moans as the muscle smoothed out. She hadn’t ever had anypony to be intimate with before this, but Fluttershy was finding that it wasn’t all that different from a normal massage-- You focus on what feels good for the individual, keep them safe and warm and comforted.

A few minutes passed on the first wing, before she moved to the second. This went faster, as she was accustomed to the layout now- She had never really worked on a fellow pegasus before, outside of caring for her own wings. It was gratifying, but her curiosity wasn’t letting her be satisfied just yet. She was curious about the one thing a pegasus did not have, but Luna most definitely did. Her earlier tentative explorations had proven pretty fruitful, if the display of affection had been any measure, so she decided to try again. She scooted up Luna’s back, now sitting just behind her wings, and began to work on her scalp.

Firm pressure, smooth but insistent. Don’t let the mane get snarled, try to straighten it where you can. Listen for the little purrs and contented moans, find the right spots and give them what they need. If making love was anything like this, Fluttershy was suddenly uncharacteristically confident. This, she could do. And apparently, do well. Ready to stop at the first sign of objection, she brought her strokes closer to Luna’s horn, touching at the base as lightly as she could. There was no immediate response, so she continued her massage as normal. But again and again, time after time, she moved back to the base of the horn, until finally Luna turned her head just slightly, making more contact. Now that it was clearly desired, Fluttershy risked more- Running one hoof up the side, marvelling at the texture: Velvet-smooth, while at the same time cold and solid like crystal. There was warmth, beneath the surface, and her touch seemed to bring it out. So she continued to work, bringing up her other hoof, delicately stroking the horn between them.

Minutes passed. Maybe hours. She couldn’t really tell, delirious as she was with her own excitement. But as time passed, coronas of blue light began to spring up- First delicate threads, and then full auras, and finally the occasional errant spark. It was a wondrous sight, and at this, she finally decided to take a very big risk: She leaned forward and kissed Luna’s head, just at the base of her horn. The mare sighed beneath her, and so she kissed again, a bit higher. Trailing her way up the spiral, trying to discern the taste of the magic- It was solid on her tongue, but it effervesced away in moments, leaving behind the slight tang of ozone and something fresh, bright and lovely. Her hooves, no longer needed here, returned to Luna’s shoulders, working on the muscles there, stroking their way up to the alicorn’s neck. Almost against her own will, she had started to rock her hips against Luna’s coat- Shameful, but she still did it. Or at least, she thought it was shameful, until Luna rose onto her knees, just slightly, bringing the contact between them even closer. She gasped, blushed, and kept kissing and, occasionally, licking.

Soon they had built a rhythm, Fluttershy gliding her hooves around Luna’s neck and shoulders, rocking her hips down onto the other mare’s back. In return, Luna would tilt her horn to better meet Fluttershy’s lips, and sway her back to reciprocate. They were both close, she could feel it- Even with this being the first time she had been this close to another, there was no mistaking the heavy shake of Luna’s body, or the speed at which power crackled on her horn. And she... She was soaked, desperately hoping it wasn’t bad for Luna’s coat, but totally unwilling to stop and check. She had, once, heard somepony telling a friend at Sugarcube Corner about something he had done for his unicorn coltfriend. At the time, she had just blushed and kept walking, very quickly, but she still remembered it. So she waited, breath ragged, until she was just on the peak. Luna was approaching that point along with her, and Fluttershy, hoping that nothing went wrong, pursed her lips around the tip of Luna’s horn. There was a gasp beneath her, and when she slid down just a bit, her tongue touching the very edge, the gasp turned into a groan and her world was full of heat and electricity and bright, vibrant blue. She shuddered, reaching her own finish moments later, and leaned back.

She fell off of Luna’s back, collapsing on the bed next to her. She barely had the willpower to move any more, but took her time to curl up next to her lover. She was met with the same, Luna curling up against her, and they were face to face again.
“Thank thee, my Dearest.”

“L-likewise, Luna.”

She fell asleep with the taste of jasmine on her tongue.

Meanwhile, in the present, Luna asked her why she was blushing so much.

Breakfast finished, they cleaned up their various plates and utensils, standing side by side at the sinks, quietly working away. Normally, Fluttershy found such chores to be somewhat boring, or even a bit dreaded, but right now, it was a calm and peaceful way to spend time with Luna. She hadn’t expected the Princess to insist on helping, but she was just so... enthusiastic about it. Hearing that tone, seeing the shine in her eyes, led to her asking why Luna was so gung-ho to clean.
“We... That is to say, I. I do not frequently get the opportunity to do anything for myself. Living in the castle, as royalty and among royalty, means being served and cared for... Often whether I want it or not. But I miss the simple things, and enjoy working with my own two hooves.”

“Oh! Well, if you ever want to chip in like this, just let me know: I’d be glad of the extra help.”
Luna smiled at her, and she smiled back. They returned to their task, getting it done faster together. Maybe if it was like this more often, Fluttershy might actually look forward to this kind of work...

But thankfully, work was short-lived, and after they finished, the two of them relaxed in the living room, Fluttershy giving Luna a sort of lackadaisical tour, pointing out the various antiques and knick-knacks. And while Luna seemed extremely interested, both of them were starting to feel the urge to get some sun and breeze, and they could see the anxiousness in each other’s eyes.

“Luna, would... Would you like to do something, today, before we visit Rarity?”

“Certainly! Do you have something in mind?”

“Mmmh, no. But I guess we could go walking and see what strikes our fancy, right?”

Luna nodded, and her smile brightened in response. It didn’t take long for the two of them to prepare themselves, make sure everything was well-set in the house (including, of course, the animals) and then heading out across the path to Whitetail Woods. A very short gallop got them there, Fluttershy hanging slightly behind Luna and listening as the (much) older mare spoke of the forest’s history.

“We had not been out in this direction in quite some time, even before our... departure. But it really does remain one of the nicest forests in Equestria. Oftentimes a young couple or two could be found along this road, resting or hiding their affections in the shadows... I approved, of course, as it was well within my domain that lovers should have their dalliances, although I understand that is somewhat less public in the current era.”

“Well, yes, at least, I think so. I don’t... you know, have much, um, experience. In that field.”

Luna chuckled.
“Do not let it bother thee, Dear Fluttershy- You are young, after all! And if there is anypony who could show thee thine way in the wild paths of romance, it would be myself... Not that I am bragging. Am I?”

“Oh, not at all! I would love to learn more from you... If that’s not too forward.”

They stopped for a moment, sharing a kiss and a nuzzle before continuing down the path. Luna had apparently been bumped onto a tangent by this, because she started to discuss her own history.

“There had been, in fact, a time when this place was part of the Everfree! After all, it would not be cleared until... around the time I left, and your wonderful village of Ponyville wouldn’t be built for quite a time after that. Oh! Speaking of such, it had been Our hope that We could spend time with Bon-Bon, the confectioner, and her marefriend Lyra, today. It was Lyra’s idea for me to gift thee with the candy buildings, and Bon-Bon’s skill to make them. It would be proper to thank them, yes?”

“I- I think so, anyways. I honestly just like thanking everypony anyways, even for little things.”

“Mmmh, a trait befitting... Guh, I am doing it again!”

She spun around quickly, looking to Luna and seeing her grimace. Was she hurt?
“What’s wrong?”

“It seems I owe thee my apologies once more. It has always been difficult for me to maintain a... consistent track of topics for too long.”

“Oh, you were just worried about your train of thought?”

Luna looked at her, trying to figure something out.
“...Train? Well, regardless, yes: It has been a bad habit of mine that I have had the worst time breaking.”

“Luna, I don’t mind it. It’s actually nice- Someponies just drone on and on and never change the subject. This is... refreshing. I’d rather have a variety like you or Pinkie Pie, or any of our friends really, than a one-track mind like... Well, I won’t name any examples. It would be mean of me.”

Their trail had lead them towards a clearing, a particularly beautiful sunbeam slanting down onto one tree’s side. Luna stopped near it, and when she caught up, suddenly snatched her up in an embrace.
“Thank thee... Fluttershy. It has been some time, and I often worry my idiosyncrasies might... disassociate me again. Make me distant, or strange, to other ponies.”

“Well, I certainly don’t think you’re strange. And you’re really not distant...”
She blushed when she realized the accidental innuendo, but Luna just smirked and leaned in closer, pushing her gently to rest against the tree. The kiss started quickly, the two of them melting together once more. And then it became more, faster than she had expected- A peppering of kisses down her neck, a hoof gently stroking at her ribs, her wings spread flush against the tree. Fluttershy moaned into another kiss as she felt the beginning of a gliding stroke across her wings. She could have stayed like this, letting Luna please her, all afternoon.

Unfortunately...

“Hey! Get your hooves off of Fluttershy!”

“Yeah! Nopony gets ta keep our friend all cooped up all day and then pin her to a tree! T’aint right!”

“Um, girls...”

With a rustle and a spring, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had burst out of the nearby foliage, surprising Fluttershy half to death and making Luna stare for a moment. However, none of the fillies actually noticed. Their passionate meeting may have been interrupted, but the actual interrupters didn’t pay much attention to Fluttershy nor Luna.

“C’mon Sweetie Belle, just look! There’s gotta be somethin’ weird going on here.”

“What wer’ they doin’ anyways?”

“Girls... Look closer.”

It took a few more moments before Sweetie finally convinced the rest of the Crusaders to actually pay attention, as opposed to conclusion-jumping. A moment later, it seemed to click in their heads just what, or who they were seeing. Sweetie immediately bowed with surprising grace- Likely having learned a proper curtsy from Rarity. Scootaloo did the same, although it was more of a fast coltish bow than Sweetie’s display. Applebloom, however, went pale.

“Aw no. We just yelled at a Princess. Ah’m so gonna get ban-”

“Shhh! Don’t say the b-word around her!”

Sweetie facehoofed and walked closer to them, face full of apology.
“I’m really sorry, you two- We saw that Fluttershy was in her house aaalll day and we got sorta worried, and... Well, one thing led to another. But it’s alright! I know what you were doing.”

Fluttershy’s blush went supernova.
“You d-do!? But, um, Sweetie, you’re...”

“Hey! Just because I’m not a pegasus doesn’t mean I don’t know what that was.”

“Ms. Belle, art thou not somewhat young to know about... Wait, what would pegasi have to do with it?”

Sweetie looked at them in confusion.
“You were preening her wings, right?”

They exchanged a glance and a subtle nod.
“Yes, of course! Just preening. Not a single thing else.”

“Mmhmm, just getting my wings, um, adjusted! See? All better.”

Thankfully, the young mares could not read the nervous expression they both bore, and shrugged it off. Eventually the Crusaders headed off into the woods again, moving back towards town and bickering the whole time- Friendly, but bickering nonetheless. Finally, Fluttershy exhaled and slumped down.
“Being caught like that was terrifying.”

“And was that all it was, my dear?”

She hadn’t thought her blush could get any hotter, but she was quickly proven wrong there. Fluttershy chided Luna for the suggestion, and they laughed, eventually getting back to their hooves and brushing themselves off. Their meandering walk began to lead them back towards Ponyville, and when the town became visible over the hill, Fluttershy turned to Luna.

“So, um... Since that didn’t turn out quite as planned, do you have something else in mind?”

“Well, I am still interested in thanking Lyra and Bon-Bon. Perhaps we could provide some kind of gift?”

She thought about this for a moment, and then was struck with an idea.
“Oh, come with me! I know just the thing.”

Chapter 23, OR, The Moon Fell in Love 2- Understanding

Their winding path back to her home was a pleasant walk, made even more pleasing by the occasional stolen kiss or tender nuzzle. Luna already felt immaculately... comfortable with Fluttershy, and was happy that it seemed to be a mutual state. She was not entirely positive what Fluttershy had planned to show their appreciation to Lyra and Bon-Bon, but she was sure it would be entirely appropriate. Upon their arrival, however, she realized there was a presence waiting on the doormat for them. A small white rabbit, eyes surprisingly cunning, radiating an aura that could only be described as ‘casual cruelty given flesh’. She looked at the beast coolly, and it looked back with a feeling somewhat like Lyra’s expression from the other day... No, not really, now that she thought about it. That had been casual disrespect, more of a friendly equality than anything else. This was just... distaste and hate.

However, Fluttershy seemed to either not notice, or not mind, as she simply picked the creature up by his scruff and pushed her way inside, muttering something to the animals as she walked. Luna followed, again enjoying the radiance of the home- Extremely plain, but also comforting in its way. It reminded her of... Well, she would think more on that when the time came for her discussion with the Mayor, or what came after. For now, it seemed that her marefriend (a term she had not been able to apply to anypony in... too long) was moving from cupboard to cupboard quickly, the rabbit staring all the while. Luna could not place a reason for the sheer animosity the animal was showing, even at rest.

Before she could really spend much time contemplating it, Fluttershy had called her into the kitchen, and she gladly stepped inside. It seemed like she had been gathering nuts and various herbs, along with a container of golden oil. She nodded to the bunny, and to Luna, before setting up her bowls.
“So, what I wanted to do was make something like, I don’t know... I like preserves, and butters, and spreads. Things like that- They make nice gifts, they’re delicious, they keep for a long time, and everypony, or, well, most ponies, enjoy them... Angel Bunny, please stop looking at me like that.”

No response from the (ironically named) lapin, just another long glare. Fluttershy sighed and continued into her description, and Luna nodded along- It was a good plan, really. She herself often enjoyed treats of such a kind, along with wines and other long-lasting foods. Her nocturnal and timeless nature, and her association with winter, likely had some influence on that. In the end, she had realized, part of it was simply just... her. Luna would have continued thinking, but Angel seemed to have no patience for any of this, as he (she presumed the gender) began stomping on the table, apparently impatient.

“Really, Angel Bunny, please don’t behave like that in front of Luna. You’re simply going to have to get used to her being around, hopefully a lot...”

She giggled, but her pet was not nearly as amused. Instead, he snatched one of the larger walnuts from her bowl and, before his owner could react, kicked it, launching it straight at Luna like a sling bullet. Her reaction to having a projectile hurtling her way was instant and purely instinctual- It did not travel more than a foot before a whip-crack fast cloud of blue light dismantled it into dust, which quickly lost momentum and fell to the floor. Fluttershy stared at Luna, who grinned sheepishly- She had not been planning to show such a display, not anytime soon. And Luna turned away to look at Angel Bunny, who stared back at her in defiance... And then cringed backwards.

Fluttershy was looking down at the rabbit with an intensity Luna could barely describe, one that felt achingly familiar. Her eyes wide, her limbs shaking, she continued to stare (no, it would be Stare, would it not?) at the beast until it cowered and fell, eventually huddling into a tiny heap, collapsing without ever manging to break eye contact.
“NO. That is not a good bunny. That will not ever EVER be OK in this house. Are we clear, mister?”

For a split-second, Luna thought the silly thing was actually going to disagree- And maybe it was. But the sheer force of the pegasus’ gaze made him fall back again, finally closing his eyes and rapidly nodding his head. Fluttershy let out a long breath and backed down herself, seeming to return to her normal posture. Luna looked at her with a respectful gaze, but it seemed Fluttershy didn’t realize it- She immediately startled as if she had been slapped and fell before Luna.
“Oh! I am so sorry you had to see that, it’s just that, well, sometimes, Angel Bunny can be a bit... Um, well, forceful, and kinda possessive, and certainly a bit of a meanie, but... He didn’t mean it! And I didn’t mean to do that. I-”

She did not let her marefriend continue- Luna cut Fluttershy’s apology off with a gentle kiss. They separated quickly, but it seemed to have helped calm her. Luna sighed, and chuckled.
“It’s alright, dear. We... Did not expect to see that, certainly, but it was entirely fine. Do not be so quick to assume Us offended.”

“It was, um, really alright?”

“More than alright. That was behavior deserving of punishment, and thou were swift and unyielding. If anything, it was impressive.”

“R-really?”

She nodded, stepping closer once more to embrace her- This had obviously been stressful for the high-strung girl. So she held Fluttershy close and simply relaxed with her, breathing with cautious attention until she could feel the pegasus mare’s breath sync up with her own. When they pulled away they were both smiling, and the air was filled with a much more pleasant mood. Without a word, Luna picked Angel up by his scruff and unceremoniously carried him into the living room, while Fluttershy went back to her stores of nuts, contemplating what to make.

Positive she had left earshot, the Princess of the Night looked down at the still-shaken rabbit and spoke, softly.
“She has been doing that for quite some time, hmm? When you act out of line?”

At first, no response. But her patience could best be described as either “glacial” or “millennial”, so waiting a few scant minutes for a reply was nothing at all. The reply did come, in time: A nod, wary and reserved. She smiled, every one of her teeth exposed- Despite her mostly-herbivorous physiology, this was more than frightening enough when staring at someone who qualifies as bite-sized.
“Well then. I hope she sees no need to use it on you again, but... If you were to try and assault her like you did me?”

Her grin was gone in an instant, eyes cold as ice, and Angel Bunny was likely surprised to find his back pressed against the couch entirely against his own will, instinctual urges to flee kicking in his head.
“I would not be nearly so kind.”

And so they reached an understanding.

Barely an hour had passed, and Fluttershy had already put together what she felt was a nice array of thanking-gifts. Jars filled with fruit preserves and creamy nut spreads, centered around a lovely bouquet, all in a rather nice woven basket. When Luna asked her, she explained that the preserves and the basket were made by a good friend, and she always made sure to buy a few jars when the time came. She usually had them as part of her breakfast, but she was more than glad to part with a jar or two to thank a friend like Bon-Bon-- Even moreso considering how lovely the chocolate buildings had been. Neither of them had eaten lunch yet, and it was tempting to dive right back into the sweet structures, but eventually they managed to decide against it.

Instead they started the walk back into town, heading away from Whitetail Woods and leaving the cottage behind. Angel Bunny was uncharacteristically kind, making sure to keep a very good watch on the other animals- Maybe he had a change of heart! That would be... nice. He was a consistent hoof-full that she could only reliably keep in line with the Stare, and even that was only a recent development. Her worries about troublesome pet care were cut off by the sound of her own stomach rumbling, and then Luna’s responding in only a moment. Their pace was interrupted by the burst of laughter that followed, and a question struck her.

“Oh, um, Luna... Do you know of any places to eat in Ponyville that you might like?”

“No- In fact, I had been hoping that... That I could ask thee to give me a tour of the town. I wish to learn more about it, as I... may be spending a large amount of time here.”

Fluttershy blushed at the implication, secretly cheering inside. A tour... She could definitely do that.
“Well then! Let’s start out with places to eat, figure out where we want to go, and move from there.”

Their path took them all across the market, from shop to shop-- Sugarcube Corner was skipped, as they both knew it quite well (and had more than enough sweets that morning) and eventually, they found a perfect place. Luna seemed a bit nostalgic when she first saw the street vendor’s cart, and lapsed back into the Royal Voice a few times during their transaction. If anything, Fluttershy found it adorable, and gladly got to work splitting their meal. It had been so long since she came out this way for lunch that she had forgotten just how nice a spicy wrap with daffodils and sorrel could be, or how good the hay fries were in town. Luna...

“So thou say these are, in truth, hay? Their appearance is certainly more... crispy than I am used to.”

“Oh yes! I think they fry them, or maybe bake them in a kind of coating... I was never very good with that kind of food, but I always like them.”

Dubiously, the Princess withdrew a single thick fry from the gigantic paper cone, swished the tip in some sauce, and took a bite... And then finished the fry in another bite. A second and a third hit the mustard dip, and soon they were happily walking down the street, ponies unabashedly staring as the Princess of the Moon greedily vacuumed up an entire two-pony serving of fries on her own. Fluttershy was more than happy to stick to her wraps, occasionally nabbing a fry between Luna’s rapid-fire bursts of eating. They finished off the entire meal within minutes, freeing up her mouth so she could actually be a good tour guide for her marefriend. She cleared her throat and gestured towards the gigantic tree near town square with one wing.

“Well, first off there’s the Library, that’s where Twilight lives and works, of course. And, um, before she came it was kinda community-run, and I heard that way back in the day...”

“...And that’s why Sugarcube Corner has that funny little tower where Pinkie’s room is! Uhm. I hope that was all interesting. Was it alright?”

They had passed much of the afternoon taking a slow and meandering walk around Ponyville. Luna made sure to pay attention to everything Fluttershy said- And there was quite a lot to pay attention to. The mare seemed to have a love of history that was very fitting, given her rustic home and antique furnishings. The entire town’s lifespan, admittedly short even compared to other cities, much less her own, was now firmly entrenched in her mind. It was sobering, in a way, to remember that entire cities and towns and family lines had risen and fallen in her absence... And then she remembered she should probably respond to Fluttershy.

“Very. I found it enlightening, and helpful- I doubt I will forget where a single location is, thanks to thee.”
She nuzzled up to her marefriend, making her blush at the public affection. In the back of her head, she backtracked across the various landmarks and buildings, until she remembered her objective.
“Ah! Dear Fluttershy, I had a question, if thou wish.”

“Oh, yes?”

“There has been a bit of a... plan, in my head. An idea I had not long after my return. And I wished to work on it soon, but I would need to speak to Mayor Mare here first. Do you happen to know of a way to contact her without... abusing my station, as it were?”

“Oooh, is this a secret plan?”

She chuckled.
“Not necessarily. I just feel it would be a poor fir... seco... third impression. My first two were bad enough.”

They were both silent at that, memories going back to Nightmare Night, and... the other night, which shall remain nameless. No matter how much good came from that second meeting, their first encounter was one Luna dwelled on as little as possible. Which is not to say she was ever allowed to forget it- Her dreams made very sure of that. Eventually her reverie was shaken by Fluttershy nudging her side and gesturing.

“Well, you could ask her now.”

Looking to one side, Luna realized that the Mayor was actually walking right past them at that very moment. She resisted the urge to facehoof at the timing, instead looking back to Fluttershy.
“Would it be much of an issue if I asked thee to go ahead to Lyra and Bon-Bon’s home? I may be held up for a small time.”

“It’s no problem at all Luna! You know where it is, right?”

“Mmh, yes. Not terribly hard to miss, to be honest.”

“Good. Well...”

There was a moment of awkward silence while the two of them looked from side to side, neither quite sure what to do or say. They were not parting for long, but still, it would be their first parting since the other night. She was taken by surprise when Fluttershy leaned up and kissed her on the cheek, quickly, before darting away with an enormous blush.
“I’ll, um... be waiting. For you.”

“Then I will make haste... for you.”

Chapter 24, OR, The Moon Fell in Love 3- Displaying

It was a quick walk to the home shared by Lyra and Bon-Bon-- One of the town’s most publicly affectionate couples, renowned just as much for their inseparable nature as their respective talents. And sure enough, one couldn’t even get within a block without smelling the sharp sweet and bitter notes of chocolate and caramel, or hearing the gentle thrum of the lyre. Today, the string music was accompanied by the faint percussion and occasional rustles of a backing track- Lyra must have gotten that new record player she had been saving up for. Fluttershy had barely gotten close enough to see the record-player’s massive brass horn before Lyra had whipped around to see who was coming. She burst into a grin, immediately stopping the music.

“Flutters! Just the mare I was wanting to see- Come here!”

Confused, she did so, walking closer and looking from side to side, suddenly a bit self-conscious.
“Yes?”

The unicorn propped her instrument against the wall before plopping back onto the porch’s rocking-chair, sitting in her usual odd posture. Her smile turned devious, almost conspiratorial, as she looked Fluttershy right in the eye.
“So, me and Bon had a bet going... Didja?”

“Did I... what?”

“Well... you know!”

“Lyra, I’m afraid I really don’t.”

Lyra began waggling her eyebrows and making a series of crude gestures with her hooves.
“Didja screw? You and the Princess, up all night, makin’ sweet music? Get yourself some of that gentle (or not so gentle, I wouldn’t judge) alicorn lovin’? Slip her the ol’ wing-ding? Eh, eh?”

Fluttershy was very glad she was standing on the dirt road, because her blush was so hot the wooden porch would probably have burst into flames. Lyra was just grinning and chuckling, her question apparently answered, while Bon-Bon ducked her head out the window.
“There was no such bet, Fluttershy! I would never pry into your affairs like that.”
She punctuated her sentence with a nice forceful backhoof to the side of Lyra’s head, which only made her laugh harder. The earth pony mare sighed and then leaned back inside, popping open the door.

“Come on in, Fluttershy- Don’t mind my atrocious marefriend.”

“Awww honey-buns, ya know you love it when I talk dirty!”

There was a soft -splut- as a perfectly-fired maraschino cherry got launched through the window, dodged equally-well by Lyra. From inside, Bon-Bon could be heard sighing audibly, while Lyra finally stopped laughing and started packing up her musical equipment.

“Eh, if she were really mad she’d aim better. Comin’ inside?”

Fluttershy didn’t have the words to form any kind of response, so she simply followed her inside without speaking, wondering whether or not this “thank you” visit was ill-timed, ill-conceived, or both. She could only imagine how Luna was going to react to this kind of treatment...

“And so that’s when Da’ said “You thought that was bad, you should’a seen the mare!””

Bon-Bon groaned deeply into her hooves, hiding her shame as her marefriend finished another salacious joke. Fluttershy was practically burrowed into the cushions of their loveseat, flushed with embarrassment, and the Princess? The Princess was laughing loudly enough to bring the occasional rivulet of dust from the rafters, forelegs clutching her sides, rolling back and forth across the carpet. Eventually their royal guest calmed herself, wheezing out a few last chuckles and lifting up onto her hooves again. Apparently realizing the kind of scene she was making, Luna settled into her chair, attempting to keep a straight face and proper decorum... Only to crack up again when Lyra repeated one of the gestures from her gag. Bon-Bon’s marefriend turned to her with a huge smile.
“See, Bon? I told you somepony would find my Dad’s stories funny.”

“Using a word like ‘stories’ implies there’s a hint of truth to those terrible old jokes.”

“Pfft, denier. My old Pa wouldn’t even know how to tell a lie... Unless it was really really funny.”

She shook her head again and looked out the window at the sun- Four or five o’clock at best. This was going to be a long visit...

She had not had such an opportunity to let herself loose and truly laugh in some time. Certainly, the parties with Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and her other friends were enjoyable, but Lyra was simply slinging jokes without provocation or cessation, and it was allowing her to really enjoy each one fully, as an audience, instead of as a friend. Luna almost did not notice when Bon-Bon thanked them (again) for the gifts and went to put them into the pantry. As soon as she left, however, Lyra got up and darted her eyes from side to side, leaning forward to whisper to them.
“Wanna see something great?”

“Surely!”

“Why are we whispering?”

Lyra winced.
“Bon... Isn’t a fan of my collection.”

Luna’s eyes boggled for a moment. If this was anything like her sister’s Collection, then... No, even a pony as ‘open’ as Lyra wouldn’t be showing off that kind of assemblage on a simple social visit. It was likely just some kind of interest or hobby that her marefriend felt was childish, or odd. Mayhaps she was a model maker, a stamp-keeper, or some similar thing. Oh! Perhaps paraphernalia of entertainment products outside of her demographic, or-

Lyra pulled aside a curtain in one corner of the living room, revealing a double-wide bookcase covered from top to toe with objects. Some books, yes, but also globes and pictures and anatomical models, jars and cases and more. Yellowing article clippings were pinned to the sides, binders likely full of the same rested on top. One shelf was even solely devoted to children’s toys and books, despite their obvious simplicity they still had the same focus. Every single surface was covered, and the entire thing was devoted to that one subject. One subject which Luna had almost managed to pretend wasn’t going to come back and bite her in the temporally-displaced plot.

“This... Is my collection of information on humans.”

Luna swore under her breath.

Fluttershy was only paying half-hearted attention to Lyra’s collection, and the accompanying speech. Which is not to say it was boring- She found the entire concept very interesting herself, and Lyra’s enthusiasm was infectious. But it was far more intriguing to watch Luna’s reaction to the whole thing: With every passing sentence, she got a bit more grim. Each artifact displayed, each toy activated, led to her frown growing to an almost depressing scale. Eventually, Lyra managed to catch on, slowing down in the middle of winding up a human construction worker toy- It dropped to the shelf and began walking across, occasionally emitting a strange wolf-like whistle.

“Uh, Princess... Is something the matter?”

Luna winced.
“You’re going to ask, aren’t you?”

Lyra looked to Fluttershy, but all she could do was shake her head- She didn’t have any more idea what was going on than Lyra herself did. This was all new to her. Her marefriend groaned and began pacing as she spoke, punctuating each point with a short stomp or a toss of her starry mane.
“They always ask. Everypony, without fail, when the topic of humans come up...”

She began a humorously archaic impersonation of a little filly, voice shrill and adorable.
“Oh Princess! Thou hast been around so dreadfully long, would thou know of these hu-mans?”

Another whip of her mane, a rough snort, and her pacing started over, going the other way.
“And every time, their disappointment when I refuse them is just.. palpable!”

Lyra looked nervously to the side.
“Um, Princess...”

She picked up speed, and volume, as her rant continued to barrel onwards.
“Time after time, year after year, even now, no, in fact, not just now: The first time was the very week I returned! Incessant, unceasing...”

Fluttershy cleared her throat, just a little.
“Luna...”

This time, her hooves were almost sparking, despite the wooden tiles of the floor. Her voice was even rising closer to Royal Canterlot registers...
“And it would not be even half so bad if t’were not for the fact that-“

Finally, Fluttershy decided to assert herself a bit, leaping in front of the pacing (practically charging) alicorn.
“Luna!”

She stopped, looking around as if just now becoming aware of where she was.
“Oh. Oh! We... we ranted, did we not?”

“Mmhmm.”

Luna groaned and sat down hard, putting her head in her hooves.
“Our sincerest apologies. We... it is just a stressful subject.”

Their host backed away, putting up her forehooves in surrender.
“Well hey, if it’s any help, I wasn’t going to ask.”

That seemed to mollify Luna, and she relaxed visibly.
“...Thank thee, friend Lyra.”

A wicked grin crossed the unicorn’s face.
“Although if we’re on the subject anyways...”

Fluttershy gasped.
“Lyra!”

“Kidding! Kidding. ...mostly.”

She felt a Stare coming on.
“What was that?”

Lyra backed off instantly, shaking her head.
“Nothing!”

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn for a wicked, if content, smile.
Better.

Things had managed to calm down after that, Lyra giving the rest of her speech and tour without interruption or worry- In fact, Luna even seemed interested now, instead of mildly angry and worried. Fluttershy herself, however, had fled not once, but twice- Both times, however, Bon-Bon just laughed and insisted that the skull and the skeletal hand were plaster, not real bone. And while it didn’t help her nerves much, it was enough to get her back out into the living room just in time to catch another one of Lyra’s lewd jokes, this one aided by a human anatomical diagram. She had not heard most of it, but came back in time to catch a few rough poking gestures and got the gist. Luna burst out laughing again, and the two of them continued to chatter for a while until they noticed Fluttershy’s return.

“Oh! Welcome back. Uh, sorry about...”

“No, it’s no worry, Lyra. I just... don’t do well with deceased things. Or pictures of them. Or talking about them.”

Lyra made a strange gesture with her hoof- “It’s supposed to be a thumbs up!”- before re-shelving the charts, finally pulling the curtain (literally) on that strange aspect of their visit. Luna trotted over and caught her in a one-legged hug, and she gladly let herself be pulled back towards the couch. With almost impeccable timing (she probably knew just how long it took Lyra to go over her oddities) Bon-Bon exited the kitchen, joining her lover on the couch opposite them. There was a moment of silence, not exactly awkward, as they all quickly scrambled for a conversation topic.

They were, in the end, beaten to the punch by Luna’s stomach, which growled loudly enough that they all heard it. The Princess chuckled nervously, and Fluttershy blushed, but their hosts... Bon-Bon seemed to be pretending not to hear it, and Lyra eventually lost control and burst into full gales of laughter.
“Ah! Oh wow... Yeah, we have kept you guys a while, haven’t we?”

“Well, our lunch was... fairly light. And my body often begs more food than I hope, if one understands...”

“I getcha. Gotta keep that smokin’ royal figure if you wanna keep catchin’ mares like Fluttershy, eh?”

This time it was Luna’s turn to blush, completely without response. Lyra did, however, look a bit pensive, eventually turning her head aside and breaking eye contact. Her question surprised Fluttershy:
“Uh, Lu-... Princess. I’m not being too informal, right? It’s not an issue?”

“Neigh. We wish more ponies were like thee, Lyra of Ponyville. It is both refreshing and welcome.”

“Sweet! Glad to hear it. I’ll keep bein’ me then, all open-minded and open-eared.”

Bon-Bon nudged her in the side.
“Open-mouthed too, most of the time.”

They all shared a laugh at that, and Luna stood from the couch. Unsure if they were leaving just yet, Fluttershy stayed where she was, averting her eyes (with great effort) from Luna’s posterior.
“Well then. In return for thy... Open-minded camaraderie, I will give a boon to thee.”

Lyra seemed intrigued, but Bon-Bon looked nervously around, as if dreading what she would hear. Fluttershy could understand such paranoia- With somepony as intimidating and ancient as Luna, there was really no guarantee that a ‘boon’ would actually be a good thing. Especially given how ‘unorthodox’ Lyra’s behavior had been. But Fluttershy trusted her Princess, and hoped Bon-Bon would too, in time.
“Princess, you really don’t have to-”

Lyra laughed and waved a hoof dismissively.
“Honey, let it go. I doubt she’s lyin’ or trying to do something sketchy. Seems like a nice mare to me, after all- Would she be with Fluttershy, otherwise?”

That seemed to calm her marefriend, and so Lyra turned back to face the Princess of the Night. For her part, Fluttershy sat aside quietly, wondering at what would happen. Trust or not, she still wasn’t positive what Luna meant.

“This coming Sun’s Day, which is to say, tomorrow... We will be holding a speech here in Ponyville before We depart, that evening. Bring your lyre to this speech, and afterwards, a lesson will be taught to you.”

Unsurprisingly, Lyra bristled a bit at this.
“Are you... sayin’ you think I need to get better? That I don’t play well?”

“Oh! My apologies. That... No, that was not Our intention. What We meant to say was that thy skill is suited to something... long-missing. There are secrets to music, and magic... That is to say, to the music of magic and the magic of music... Which were almost lost in my absence. I had been hoping to share some of them with ponies of great talent, like thee.”

Her formerly angry expression faded, to be replaced with a wide smile, turning to Bon-Bon with her eyes bright.
“Bon! Didja hear that?”

Bon-Bon turned to her marefriend, and then to the Princess.
“I did. I’m proud, Lyra. And Princess... Thank you.”

Luna smiled at the couple as they embraced.
“Think nothing of it. ‘Tis only natural. Although to thee, Ms. Bon-Bon, I am afraid I have little reward of such significance to offer.”

“Aaaw, don’t worry about that- You already did!”

The Princess looked at her in puzzlement before she continued.
“Your gift, er, boon to Lyra made her happy, and... Well, making her happy is reward enough for me.”
Bon-Bon blushed and leaned in closer to Lyra after explaining herself.

Even if she had not been directly involved in the conversation, Fluttershy couldn’t hold back a soft coo at the adorable love the two shared. She had always noticed them around town as a well-matched couple, but seeing it in action was another story entirely. ‘Will anypony see me and Luna the same way?’, she thought, musing on their relationship and how it might be received... Once she told anypony. Sure, Lyra had sussed it out, but others might not be so fast, and breaking the news of success to her friends would likely have to wait a bit...

Chapter 25, OR, The Moon Fell in Love 4- Drinking

As they walked further into town square, Luna sighed deeply. Fluttershy stepped closer, offering a wing which was quickly accepted, the larger mare twining one of her own wingtips with hers. They walked like this for a bit before Luna spoke.

“I would have been able to say more, about Lyra’s... interest. But I couldn’t bear to do so. Nor am I, ah, necessarily able.”

She was confused, and made that clear to Luna.
“Um, dear? What do you mean?”

“Well, it is simply that... Regardless of the veracity of her ‘histories’, or the lack of it, I doubt that an encounter with a human is likely for anypony. If they are not mythical, then they are long absent from Equestria, and I refuse to comment one way or another... As I feel I made abundantly clear earlier. And my lack of ability to say so is simply a matter of Canterlot policy- What information there is on humans, be it for or against their existence, is classified.”

Fluttershy nodded sagely, an idea forming in her head.
“Gotcha. So they do exist, but Lyra probably won’t ever meet one.”

Luna reared up in shock, eyes wide.
“I never said that! How did thou... Wait. Waaaait. I know this particular gambit. Thine intent was to force me to reveal the truth through my reaction by pretending to know the truth.”

She couldn’t keep her straight face, a grin slowly breaking out.
“Mmhmm. And?”

“...And that’s precisely what happened. Well played, my dear.”

They shared a laugh and kept walking- Although now Fluttershy was curious just how real humans were.

In Canterlot, the owner of an unmarked shop realized somepony or somebody was talking about him... And rolled over and got back to sleep. Nicky said there weren’t any emergencies until next week, after all.
Although how a visit from a single couple could qualify as an ‘emergency’ was beyond him.

And in Ponyville, I totally realized somebody or somepony who owns an unmarked shop in Canterlot was thinking about meeee~! Which, you know, happens a lot- I plan so many parties and pull so many pranks and push so much pastry that simply everypony ends up talking about me all the time! Not to mention all you people on the other side of The Wall talk about me so often! I even heard some of you call me “best pony”, which I think is super-duper nice, even though Dashie is really great, and Rarity is swell, and-

Quit breakin’ the Wall, Pinkie. We aren’t budgeted to repair it this often.

But I-

No buts. No butts either! And certainly no plots. I won’t be distracted.

Well... Shoot. Bye everypony! I’m sure I’ll show up again soon.

“And thus we are left without any concrete dinner plans.”

“Yeah... Although I keep getting the feeling we’re forgetting something.”

The two of them mused on it as they walked. They had made it across most of Ponyville, occasionally brushing wings or simply glancing at one another. Now that they had a problem to consider, they walked separately, although still close. Fluttershy cheered up as she came to a conclusion.
“Well, I don’t think we did, after all! I mean, we had breakfast, and lunch. We took care of the animals’ needs for the day. We visited Rarity about the dress, thanked Lyra and Bon-Bon...”

“No we did not.”

“What? But we just left their-”

Luna stopped walking.
“No, I mean... We did not go to Rarity’s.”

Oh. So they hadn’t. And now the sun was setting and it was late in the day, their odds of getting in at a normal time completely shot. They looked at each other, suddenly realizing just how late it was, and how unlikely they were to make it in time.
“Run?”

“Gladly.”

They made it to Carousel Boutique only minutes later, although even that was well over an hour after the shop’s closing time. With any luck, Rarity would make an exception for a friend, or royalty, or a royal friend, or... Or she would be walking out of the Boutique’s side door with Applejack. That would also work. Before Fluttershy could say anything, they were spotted, and Rarity rushed up to them, AJ moving a bit more leisurely.
“Oh, Fluttershy darling! And Luna as well! What a surprise!”

“Howdy y’all- I’d heard ya were in Ponyville this weekend, Your Highness.”

Luna nodded at them in response, quickly embracing them both in a massive hug. Rarity tittered and Applejack chuckled, but they both seemed glad of it- Their new friend did not have many opportunities to spend time with them, after all. Some over-enthusiasm could be expected.
“And how art thee and thine?”

“Well, I had just asked dear Applejack to join me for a simple dinner, a night out... Oh! That would be perfect.”

Applejack looked befuddled as Rarity rubbed her hooves together.
“What would, Rare?”

“Why don’t the two of you join us? We can all go to dinner together!”

Luna seemed extremely pleased with this idea, rising up to her hind legs and clapping her hooves with excitement.
“Oh yes! We can have one of the “double dates” of which I have heard tell!”

There was silence. Fluttershy shrank down, trying to present as small a profile as possible. It was Rarity who spoke first, clearly trying to be delicate.
“A... double date?”

“Did I... Did I not use the term correctly? For two couples going on a venture, such as dinner, together?”

“Well, no, that’s the right phrase. But... does this mean the two of you are a couple?”

For just a second, Luna seemed offended, wondering why somepony would question the integrity of her relationship... And then she realized that nopony in this conversation actually knew about that relationship. Well, not until now. And their sudden knowledge was entirely her fault. She scuffed her hoof across the ground, looking around innocently.
“Ahehe... So, I suppose that revelation has been brought about early?”

Fluttershy nodded, still not entirely sure how she should be feeling. She definitely hadn’t been planning to hide their relationship or anything, but having it revealed so suddenly was definitely... stressful. But it turns out she didn’t have much reason to be worried: Rarity and Applejack were immediately congratulatory, not questioning or anything like that. She really should have expected that, come to think of it: There was no real reason for her friends to be judgemental. For that matter, they were helping her get into this relationship! So she relaxed, and calmly sat back as the others discussed dinner plans- She was fine with anything they chose, and had no real reason to butt into the conversation. It wrapped up pretty quickly, of course- Rarity and Applejack had already made their plans.

“Well then, are we ready to go?”

“Ah’m certainly still hungry.”

“As are we- A light lunch made sense at the time, but may have been ill-thought in retrospect.”

Fluttershy smiled.
“Well, at least we learned you like hay fries, right?”

Rarity seemed shocked at this.
“Fluttershy! Did you really subject Princess Luna to such... common food?”

“‘Twas no subjugation at all, Rarity- We have always enjoyed such fare, especially given Our jurisdiction.”

“Your...?”

“Back before my absence, street vendors and travelling salesponies fell under my claim, especially those which operated in the shadow of the night.”

“Really? That’s fascinating!”

Luna put a wing around Fluttershy, and she squeaked a little before leaning into her marefriend and walking alongside her. Their conversation roamed from topic to topic as they got on their way towards dinner, Luna occasionally slipping into her Royal voice. Even though it was loud, there was something about being pressed close to her when she used it... It felt nice. She felt really, truly stress-free and happy tonight- The weekend was quickly turning into one of the best in a long time. Now she just had to hope that dinner lived up to the precedent.

It was a lovely restaurant, one that Fluttershy had been to before. The family who ran the place were all extremely nice ponies, and even most of the wait-staff were part of the clan. The end result was an extremely tight-knit and well-run place with a happy atmosphere, efficient and pleasant at the same time. The reception the Princess got was, as usual, a bit overblown, but Luna quickly convinced them she was simply here for a quiet and normal dinner amongst friends. They ended up with a lovely table in a corner booth, the four of them seated in pairs around it- Luna on one outside, Applejack on the other. She was glad to sit beside her marefriend, and almost as happy to be sitting next to Rarity: They had a tendency to split off into their own little conversations when they went out like this.

And today seemed to be no exception, since Rarity leaned in almost immediately, voice dropped to a whisper.
“Darling, I simply must congratulate you! Such success, so quick!”

She smiled- It was a good reminder. This situation which had been worrying her so heavily was already resolved, and with the best possible result!
“Oh, well, thank you Rarity. Your advice was a big help- The party went great.”

“I imagine it did. And how was the... ‘afterparty’?”
The unicorn followed up her dry innuendo with a wink, and Fluttershy blushed. Was Rarity really asking about that? She... Oh dear.

“Well, if you... If you really want to know about that kind of thing, you have to ask Luna, not me.”
That should keep her off the topic: No matter how badly Rarity wants to know, it can’t possibly outweigh her need to be appropriately behaved around royalty. And sure enough, she dropped the subject with a slight pout. Admittedly, Fluttershy almost wanted to tell her- If she would trust anypony with that kind of story, it would certainly be her spa partner. Oh! Maybe she could tell her on their next trip. They could share tales of their respective interactions, and maybe she could get some advice on how to be more... daring. Luna brought out from her a surprisingly strong urge to try new things, she was quickly learning.

Before she could follow that train of thought much further, their waitress- A lovely young earth pony, dark coat and blonde mane- came by. She stopped at their table, bowed slightly, and perked up.
“Evening! We’re so happy to have you all here tonight- I’m sure you’d all like something to drink?”

Rarity looked distraught for a moment.
“Oh! I had not even thought about that. My apologies- Get the rest of the table first, if you would be so kind.”

“I’d feel right silly orderin’ anything but Apple Family Aged Cider tonight.”

Luna looked at the mare, clearly putting out extra effort to stick to a modern ‘normal’ voice.
“And what would you suggest, miss? I am afraid I do not know of thy selection.”

“Oh, we keep all sorts of drinks on hand! I’m sure we have nearly anything Your Majesty could ask of us.”

“Really. So there would be no confusion if I would ask about... Liquidus Sky, perhaps?”

The waitress paused for a second.
“Liq... You know, funny thing? You asked the right mare: I don’t know if the restaurant keeps it on hand, but my Gran-Pappy, the owner, makes it himself! I always thought it had such a funny name. Want me to go get a bottle?”

Luna seemed shocked to actually be caught out with an affirmative answer. Nostalgia moved across her face, and she nodded.
“We... yes. Please, do.”

Rarity looked at the Princess, quirking her head to the side.
“I do confess I have never heard of this drink. Is it something common in Canterlot?”

“Not quite. It’s a bit of a royal favorite, I suppose- A tradition, as it were.”

“Really? Oh my! May I... Ah, try some?”

“Of course! I am always disposed to share with my friends, after all. Although I do warn thee: It is a stronger drink than most ponies expect, even if we get a very young specimen.”

“Oh Luna, there is no need to worry about that- I can drink with the best of them, I assure you. Well, then I suppose that settles my confusion: I will have what she is having.”

“And I’ll just, um, take some mulled tea, whatever’s on hand. I don’t want to get too tipsy tonight.”

The waitress nodded and trotted off, heading away to fulfill their orders. They made small talk, Rarity clearly curious about the drink she was about to sample, Luna just as clearly excited for it. Fluttershy wasn’t curious about it herself, might have even liked to try it, but her tolerance for hard beverages was... notoriously low. Pinkie had spiked the punch at one particularly memorable party... No wait, that’s a lie. It was memorable for everypony but Fluttershy- It is quite hard for something to be memorable when you black out during it. Apparently she had been quite the dancer that evening, wearing herself out so much that Rainbow Dash had to help her home. Ever since, she had steered clear of more than a simple glass or two.

It wasn’t long before their waitress returned with her tea, Applejack’s cider, and... The drink Luna had requested. It couldn’t possibly be anything else- A squat green stone bottle, small and rounded, studded here and there with a small gem. Even the cap was a piece of stone, settled over the neck of the bottle and secured with a strong-looking system of wire hinges. On the side facing them, one single stone was completely transparent and apparently went all the way through the wall of the bottle-- Light came through another stone on the other side, showing the liquid inside was clear. Luna licked her lips as she looked at it, and turned to the waitress again. She was so swept up in nostalgia that she lapsed completely into the Royal We, although her volume stayed under control.

“May We... request that the brew’s legitimacy be proven?”

Dutifully, as if following some old time-honored ritual (likely the case, come to think of it) the waitress retrieved a small pewter spoon from her apron, just barely tilting the squat bottle above it. A single drop-- syrupy and crystal-clear-- hit the metal and began to slowly crawl down the back of the spoon’s bowl. The slightest semi-drop of it slipped down past the lip... and continued to crawl upwards, moving along the inside of the spoon as if drawn by a magnet. Luna was smiling broadly, and clapped her hooves.

“Aaaah, so it is the real thing. Thank thee, quite dearly- It is grand to see traditions upheld.”

“Oh, I’m sure Gran-pappy will just be tickled pink to hear somepony ordered it- We have plenty. He makes a bottle-”

“Every four months, neigh?”

“Mmhmm. Says it’s part of the magic.”

The Princess nodded.
“I would like to speak to him, one day. But for now, we will take this bottle, and possibly more, if we finish the first.”

The server nodded, leaving behind their drinks and heading off to her other tables. Rarity looked at the bottle with apprehension, clearly thinking back to the way the drink defied gravity just a minute ago.
“So you say... this is a traditional royal beverage?”

“Oh yes! Admittedly, We rarely partook of it outside of rituals and holidays, but our sister swears by it. It’s quite the intriguing drink. In fact, one must even drink it a certain way... Watch.”
Luna took the strange little cask in her magical grasp and tilted some out-- Straight into the cap, which Fluttershy could now tell was a tiny stone cup. With a refined air, she lifted the cap to her lips and then pulled the entire draught in one motion- A sort of shot, really. She let out a deep and contented exhalation, then passed the bottle and cap to Rarity.
“Attempt to drink it any slower and it will return itself to the glass. Would thee like to try?”

She seemed unsure, and Fluttershy couldn’t blame her- It wasn’t exactly what the unicorn would normally call “refined”, after all. But if it was a royal tradition, she was willing to bet...

“Well then... Down the hatch!”
Yup. Rarity followed suit, copying Luna’s motions precisely, slamming the small drink away with the practiced grace of one who drank frequently- Or simply somepony good at mimicking such social actions. Her muzzle contorted in a grimace for a split second, before it smoothed out into a surprisingly happy grin. Fluttershy could already smell the drink on the air- It had a sharp scent, reminiscent of lemons mixed with something sweet, like spun sugar.
“That... Is actually quite good!”

“Huzzah! Then let us continue to share. Would either of thee care to join us?”

“Eenope. I’m fine with mah cider.”

“And I, um, don’t think I’ll drink tonight. Thank you though.”

Luna shrugged.
“Whatever suits thee, my dear. Pass the cask, then, fair Rarity, and we shall continue our drinks!”

Rarity giggled at the intentional overblown tone of the request, following suit... But not until she had snuck another capful of her own. Fluttershy sighed and leaned back- This was shaping up to be an interesting meal.

It was interesting to see Luna once she had gotten well into her cups. Not really drunk, per se, but certainly influenced. Her voice actually got softer as time passed, and faster too. She spoke quickly and animatedly, hooves waving and head turning as she described one thing or another, the fashionista mare simply nodding in response, slugging back her own drinks. Luna grinned at some internal thought, leaning close to Fluttershy. She leaned towards her, thinking that her marefriend was going to whisper something to her, but then blushed as a wing wrapped around her instead. Then the Princess unabashedly leaned most of her weight into her as she continued to speak with Rarity. Applejack was clearly in the same boat, having been telekinetically pinned to Rarity’s side since somewhere around the fourth glass of wine to cross the table.

Rarity was clearly more inebriated, although she held true to her word, taking it like a professional. Admittedly, she occasionally wriggled up against Applejack, sighing and giggling, and after the sixth cap she began to aimlessly play with her silverware as she spoke. The Princess and Rarity’s topics had been winding around for some time now, and eventually landed right where Fluttershy didn’t want it to.
“Well, I know it’s a new relationship and all, but, since I didn’t get an answer from Fluttershy earlier... How goes it, physically?”

Applejack did a spit-take into her glass.
“Rare!”

Rarity, for her part, managed to almost look offended at the idea she had said something wrong.
“What? Luna did say to treat this as a conversation, and a dinner, between friends. And that is the sort of thing I discuss with friends, once the drink flows this freely.”

“Aaah, something we have in common. I approve!”
Luna realized her last line had been a bit loud when the other diners looked towards her in mixed fear and confusion. She put a hoof to her mouth, tittered, and returned to speaking quietly (for her).
“I admit that I have few others with whom I could speak about that candidly, apart from my dear sister of course.”

“Ohho! So the two of you...?”

“Oh, yes! We have kept nothing from each other over the long years. It would have been quite hard to try, frankly.”

Applejack still had a frown on her face, sipping at her cider.
“Well, as glad as I am to hear you an’ Princess Celestia share that kinda thing, ah still think it was rude fer Rarity to ask that.”

“Darling, Fluttershy did say to ask Luna if I was curious about ‘that kind of thing’.”

Oof. Well, her one attempt at keeping her private life private was dashed, and... Fluttershy didn’t actually mind much. Sure, she was far too nervous to discuss it herself, but if Luna wanted to talk about it, she didn’t see anything wrong about that. She wasn’t ashamed of their love, or their love-making, as it were.

“It would be quite unkind of me to go into too much detail- We are eating, after all. But suffice it to say that my Dear Fluttershy is a most accommodating and gentle mare.”

“I simply couldn’t imagine her being anything else.”
That seemed to help crack the tension, the four of them sharing a laugh. Soon enough (thank mercy for drunken rambling), the conversation had rolled across to another topic: Canterlot traditions, or what Luna knew of them. Fluttershy perked her ears up, always interested in another bit of history, even moreso now than before.

“So you say this drink is a royal standby?”

“Very- It is, or was, almost as clearly associated with alicorns as our Regalia.”

“Really... May I ask why?”

Luna pondered for a moment, tapping one hoof under her chin.
“As the drink ages, it becomes more apparent. This is quite a fresh bottle, so it is not as obvious, but it is a drink that requires the co-operation of all the spectrum of ponykind. The base and core of it, alcohol of unsurpassed purity and flavor, comes from earth ponies. It is then spiced and enhanced with weather materials and stimulating products the pegasi produce. And finally, bound and ‘improved’ with unicorn magic.”

Fluttershy hadn’t expected Rarity to be so enthralled with the topic, but apparently it had caught on her- Or she was just enjoying the drink so much that she wanted to know more about it.
“That sounds amazing- What changes with age, then?”

“All the components become stronger- Almost dangerously so. Legend has it- a legend I am willing to bet my sister perpetuated on purpose- that a fully-aged bottle is something only an alicorn could drink without being affected in many ways. Inebriation would be the least of somepony else’s worries.”

If there was anything drunken Rarity was known for, it was not consistency- She seemed to change tack immediately, jumping back a bit in the conversation.
“You did mention your beautiful Regalia earlier- I have always been curious about it.”

“Mmmh, well, not much is publicly known about it- We imagine there are secrets to them that nopony but I or Celestia knows, especially after... all this time.”

“Do tell!”

“Well, of the “true” royal Regalia... I am wearing just a bit over half.”

Rarity mused on this for a moment, counting off in her head.
“Shoes, crown, collar... Six. So another four or five pieces, then?”

Luna smiled- She was clearly feeling playful, and decided to make it a game. Fluttershy just watched with fascination, occasionally snuggling closer to Luna. She had to admit that now she was curious herself.
“Ah, but the number is only half the issue, neigh? Location, location, location...”

Now the fashion pony was thinking this over in earnest, visibly tracking the logistics in her head.
“I thought I had noticed before, but I wasn’t sure... Your ears are pierced, are they not? Or were.”

“Very astute, my little pony! Three remain.”

A short cry of triumph before confusion set in again.
“Wahaha! So, five then... But only one on each ear? Well, I suppose one could be a tail ring, one could be a piece of armor or a crest of some kind... But you’re shaking your head, so I’m on the wrong track, aren’t I?”

“True. The rest have a more... situational purpose. Appropriate to one of our other recent conversational topics, perhaps?”

“Recent... Hmm. Obviously nothing to do with the drink, but before that, we were talking about se... Oh. Oh. So they have... romantic purposes?”

“Mmh. Another hint, then: They are all piercings.”

“Really? But... Where else would... you...”
Rarity went silent, and Luna blushed faintly, nodding. Applejack shook her head in amazement. Fluttershy was... well, to say she was confused would be a lie. She understood full-well what was being implied and discussed, she simply couldn’t believe it. Luna was saying that she had piercings that went... there. And there and there, apparently. Across the table Rarity gulped back what seemed like fear, sobered by the idea.
“So you... in your... Oh sweet mercy didn’t that hurt?”

And at that, the Princess of the Night leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin, licking her lips.
“Yes.”

If the topic of the conversation hadn’t already fried half of her brain, Fluttershy would likely have collapsed in shock at Rarity’s reaction: A whimper, needful and short, followed by a massive quiver, shaking from her hooves to her mane. The mare looked positively stunned, bolt-still and shivering at the idea. She turned to Applejack, a smile just barely starting to form.
“Dearest...”

Applejack looked like she just barely stopped herself from spitting.
“Buck no.”

“But AJ~”

“Don’t you dare AJ me, Rare. You’re talkin’ about puttin’ cold steel right through your-”

Rarity held up a hoof, still maintaining some semblance of public manners.
“We can discuss logistics later. But I am simply asking for your input: You know you aren’t going to stop me.”

Applejack sighed, looking from her marefriend to their royal companion.
“If somethin’ goes wrong, I blame y’all, ya hear?”

“There is nothing to fear, friend- I assure you that, performed properly, there is no chance of harm.”

“But you said-”

Luna barked out a short laugh.
“No harm. As I am sure you two know quite intimately, pain is not always harm, nor vice versa.”

And at that, their conversation coasted to a dead stop. Rarity was positively buzzing with an almost manic energy, Applejack still occasionally shaking her head in wonder. Luna had a brighter grin than she had shown yet all day, and Fluttershy... Was very worryingly fixated on the idea of Luna’s other regalia, and how it might look, or even feel, when Luna wore it...

Maybe she’d have to ask about that, in the future.

Chapter 26, OR, The Moon Fell in Love 5- Educating

The rest of the meal had been uneventful: Rarity had continued to glaze over in contemplation of this newfound idea, Applejack still shot her the occasional blame-filled look for giving Rarity the idea, and Fluttershy simply held close to her, nuzzling her chest from time to time. The bottle of Sky had long-since been finished, and she requested a second, somewhat older vintage, to take with her. In the future, perhaps she could see if the grandfather in question had any bottles of the truly old brew... She had missed it more than she thought. Mayhaps it was just a reminder of the bygone times, or of what she shared with her sister... Regardless, she was glad to have it back.

And speaking of backs, Rarity was placed unceremoniously upon Applejack’s back, having finally suffered the toll of a dozen caps full of Sky- She was, to use the modern vernacular, ‘blotto’. If the bottle had been any older, she would likely still be on her feet, practically incandescent with energy and roiling with a lusty heat. Applejack may be in for a surprise when she returned her marefriend home...

And speaking of marefriends’ homes, she was now returning her dear Fluttershy to hers. Returning with her, in fact- It was time for her love to sleep, and her to rest as well. While she normally chose a nocturnal schedule, like Celestia she was adaptable enough to stay awake for months or years on end, resting at any time of day without true sleep. Of course, she was currently not interested in rest- Discussions of lovemaking and her ‘other’ Regalia had left her in a bit of a mood, and Fluttershy clearly noticed. While her marefriend was normally very reserved, or so she had felt so far, there was a notable affectionate sway in her walk now.

“Love?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Would thou care to... retire, to the house? Perhaps to the bedroom?”

The pegasus blushed, wings fluttering for a moment.
“I would really like that. I had a... question.”

One could not blame her curiosity for being piqued at that moment- What sort of question? They had already been intimate. Could it be that she had... a request? Some kind of action or activity for which she held a heretofore untold attraction? Oooh, the potential was... Well, it was making her think like her sister. No need to immediately presume the most perverse potential from somepony in a position like this. But regardless, they sped up, reaching the house quickly. The door shut behind them, and Fluttershy turned to her, leading with a kiss and the element of surprise. She gladly pushed into it, tongue flicking out to taste the remnants of the deep and fruity tea she had been drinking. Hopefully, her own breath was not redolent with the Sky- Fluttershy had brought up her low tolerance for drink earlier.

“...Luna, do you have that bottle of the drink from the restaurant?”

But she had just been thinking...
“Art thou sure about thy wish to try it?”

“Well, um, I... I really want to ask you that question, but I wanna work up the nerve, and I don’t know if I can do it on my own, so... Yeah. A drink wouldn’t hurt. Just the one though! I don’t wanna end up getting dragged home like Rarity did, although we already are home, and you would be able to use magic, and...”
Luna put a hoof to her lover’s lips, silencing her. Fluttershy lowered her head.
“I’m stalling, aren’t I?”

“Just a touch.”

They shared a laugh, and she undid the top of the bottle. A carefully-measured shot, this particular one a startling mix of pink and blue, tinged yellow where it met the stone.

“Oh my! It doesn’t look like the same drink at all.”

“Well, I requested a somewhat... Older vintage. Not too old, I assure you. But perhaps We know of a better way for thee to take this drink.”

She nodded to Fluttershy before slipping the cup to her own lips. She drank quick, and deep, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the taste. Morning Sky was stronger, and tasted the same- Bright lemon began to give way to startlingly potent blueberries, a faint and distant echo of rose petals behind them both. Leaning forward, she nodded to Fluttershy, who realized what to do. They kissed again, their heated breath mingling across the pool of bitter drink. She tilted her muzzle forward, sending most, but not all, to her lover’s mouth. She could feel the gasp when it hit her tongue, and broke the kiss to let Fluttershy truly appreciate the beverage.

Her eyes still starry and dazed from their embrace, it took her love a moment to process what had gone on, and another to swallow the share of drink. Almost immediately Fluttershy’s face brightened, her smile becoming somewhat more sultry. If she truly processed her alcohol that quickly, Luna was impressed- But more likely than not, it was the sensation of a drink she needed, that one little push to being able to say her peace. Which she did:

“Luna, I want... I want to pleasure you. I’ve, um, never done it with a mare before, or anypony actually, and... I want to learn how to do it right, right away. I would feel so bad if I didn’t do well in the future, so... Can you teach me?”

Her own smile grew seductive, and her wings flared open into full attention-grabbing span, all the better to get an appropriate reaction. Teaching was not her strong suit, such was more her sister’s path. But given the circumstances, and the mare in question...
“With pleasure.”

“I hope so!”

They laughed, and Fluttershy led her up the stairs- To the real bedroom, this time. Luna would have been lying if she said she was not excited, for a multitude of reasons. With any luck, Fluttershy would be a quick learner... And if not, this was the definition of ‘education’ that meant going slow had benefits all its own.

Fluttershy had a very intimate understanding of what it meant to be nervous. She felt it near-constantly- When she was caring for a particularly recalcitrant animal, when she had to go out in public, when she was forced to model. The time that she faced down a dragon (or a cockatrice, or Discord, or Nightmare... Nevermind) or the time she dealt with Gilda. Nervousness was part and parcel with her very being at this point, and she was immaculately... Comfortable with it, if something like that was actually possible. But this particular brand of nervousness? The kind where, underneath the jitters and the jumpiness and the flitting eyes, she found an intense heat in her core? That kind was new. It was, dare she say it, exciting.

Of course, part of that excitement could easily be attributed to the shockingly-strong alcohol already coursing through her. Or the Princess of the Moon lying demurely on her bed, tail occasionally whisking aside just a bare inch to reveal her private places and a faint whiff of her scent. It was heady and deep and intoxicating, even from here. She nickered, leaned in, and did her best to smile seductively. It probably came off as creepy or off-putting, but you know what? She wasn’t worried for once. Again, maybe the mare, maybe the booze, maybe the situation. But she felt ready. And so she...

She had no idea what to do now.

…

Aaah, there’s the good old-fashioned panic. Always comes back when you (don’t) need it most. She shook her head and looked to Luna, trying her best not to have a pleading expression.
“I, um...”

Luna looked over her shoulder- Fluttershy could tell that if they were face to face, she would be getting nuzzled at this very moment. The look in her eyes was more than enough comfort, however.
“Be calm, love. Instruction was thy wish, neigh?”

“Yes. I really want to do this right. I just... I really don’t know how to start.”

“Well, under normal circumstances, a kiss or an embrace. Perhaps several. Of each. But we are both quite close tonight, so let us move directly to the critical portion. Come closer, dear.”

She stepped forward, timidly, making her way to the edge of the bed and pulling herself up with one hoof. This close she could feel Luna’s body heat- Not oppressive, almost not present at all. It was more like the cool pressure of a spring night coming in the window than it was a normal pony’s presence. She moved closer, and Luna smiled.
“Good. So... Hast thou groomed another before? Our previous encounter notwithstanding.”

Fluttershy thought back to her days in Flight Camp.
“Um. Rainbow Dash, once. She had a hard day at practice, and we had just learned how to preen properly, but... I didn’t do much more than the basics, and it was all on her wings.”

“Then start there, love, and let us see what we have to work with.”

Nerves jangled as she moved closer, pressing her side against Luna’s. Their size difference paradoxically made this easier- Her muzzle was level with the Princess’ wings to begin with, so there was no need to bend down or lean from above. Carefully, slowly, she moved her lips across the folded surface of the wing on her side. It was delicate work, and slow, given that her single instance of practice was years and years ago, and on a pony her own size to boot. But sure enough, she got back into the swing of things after a bit, using her lips and teeth to tug at the feathers and re-align each one. Soon she could put a little more force to use, applying pressure to the muscles beneath. Her marefriend responded to the first bit of pressure with a lovely groan, so she kept going.

A few minutes passed this way, interrupted for a moment by Luna unfurling her wing to give her better access, and then again as she switched sides. Her climb across Luna’s back to reach the other wing left her embarrassingly aware of how much this little bit of physical activity was already exciting her. The moment her legs stretched wide to pass over the alicorn mare left a twinge rocking up her back, and she blushed fiercely despite nopony being able to see her. The right wing went faster now that she was in the groove, and soon Luna was happily humming as she worked, flank bobbing to an unheard beat.

“Does it all feel, uhm... Correct?”

“Yes- Very much so. I believe now would be a good time for a kiss.”

It wouldn’t have been entirely wrong to say Fluttershy took that as an order- She moved forward quickly and kissed passionately, her tongue darting out almost immediately. If Luna was surprised, she certainly couldn’t see it- Her eyes were closed, focusing on the beautiful taste where they met. A needful whine built up in the back of her throat, but she bit it back and kept her lips and tongue moving, humming her own little tune into the Princess’ mouth. They parted slowly, lingering pecks and nips, both of them panting from time to time. She looked into Luna’s eyes.
“Next?”

“Mmmh. If this were not a lesson, I would say to do that again... and again... But for now, it may be prudent for me to stand.”

Luna did- Walking off of the bed, graceful as ever, she turned her tail back to face Fluttershy, flicking it once. She got a tantalizing view of what lie beneath, and another head-fuzzing hint of that musk- Stronger now. She gulped and stepped forward, tamping down her ever-present nervousness with a healthy dose of arousal and a little touch of willpower. Before she could get too close, however, Luna cleared her throat.
“As much as I would love thee to jump straight into things, for now start lower, or higher- The legs, or the flank. It is best to create preamble so as to make the anticipation grow... As well as other things, t’were a stallion involved.”

Welp, there goes her blush record, shattered in no time. She decided to start low- Again, a decision more or less made for her by their respective differences in size. Luna was not wearing her Regalia (not even the special bits) at the moment, so Fluttershy could clearly reach the curve where her hooves met the rest of her foreleg. Unsure, cautious, she gently kissed around the base of Luna’s hooves, eliciting a short giggle. She moved higher, and went a little further, short little nips and tugs with her teeth. The Princess’ coat was immaculate, and her skin hotter than it had been before- Or was it just how close she was, or her own ‘heat’? Regardless, it made her dizzy, in a good way, so she kept going. A nuzzle against her hock and then the trail of kisses moved up her thighs, reaching higher and higher and-

“Mmh! Ah. Let us... stop there. For a moment.”

She did her best to hide her disappointment, looking obediently past Luna’s (gorgeous) flank to make eye contact.
“What, um... next?”

“Let us continue to be motivated first and foremost by the educational aspect- Do what you did not before, which is to say, start from my flank this time. I would not mind thee applying more... force, there.”

She nodded, realizing that this would put her mouth within striking distance of Luna’s cutie mark. She could seize that opportunity when she got to it, however: Right now, she should start slow. Kiss her flank, just at the barrel, move back and up a little, even if you have to stretch and flutter to reach... Mmh. Luna said to use more force, so, maybe she could risk a little nibble? That struck her as entirely reasonable, and she did- She got a positively lovely growl of support in response, her marefriend relaxing and lowering herself slightly. That made reaching her entire flank a much easier task, so she roamed around, never quite hitting the cutie mark- Fluttershy wanted to save that for last. Well, second-to-last.

Eventually, she was running out of coat to cover, and had to go for it. It was certainly faster than she had expected- It was easy to forget just how huge Luna’s cutie mark was, a nebulous cloud of darkness spilling across most of her flank, a perfect crescent moon suspended in the core. Nervous, flushed and eager, her own hind legs rubbing together, she leaned in...

“Oh! Oh Fluttershy, please... Again.”

She took the encouragement to heart and kissed the edge of the mark again, nibbling a path around the outside. There was a tiny gap in the shadows where Luna’s normal coat peeked through, and she took the chance to bite a little harder there- Luna outright moaned at that, and she tittered with pleasure before moving on. Gentle kisses mixed with soft nibbles and outright hard bites, all across the surface, until she reached the moon itself. There was really only one option here- She couldn’t think of anything else. So Fluttershy put her tongue out and ran it across the entire length of the curve, pressing close. It was a good thing she did- Luna shivered and bucked, nearly breaking her contact. And it was just so silken and smooth and it felt right under her tongue... She didn’t want to break away until she had to.

But she did, just long enough to jump to the other flank. Luna’s shocked gasp when her tongue lashed out right away was matched a second later when Fluttershy decided to use her hoof to massage the poor mark she had left in the cold. It was a bit of a stretch to lean across her backside like this, but it let Luna coil her tail around her neck, nuzzling her and enrobing her in the cool softness of her hair. Those gasps turned into labored panting and deep shuddery breaths soon enough, and Fluttershy broke away, despite her reluctance.

“So, should I...”

Luna didn’t answer. Well, not with words. Instead, she pulled herself to the side with one step and flicked her tail up once more- This time, however, it settled around Fluttershy’s neck and shoulders, leaving her totally covered. It was a delicious cool sensation, and her nose... Oh. Oh dear. She had thought the scent of her lover’s musk was strong enough to make her worry before. But now... Now she could hardly think or concentrate, the scent was wrapping all around her, and oh mercy the heat, the air was humid and right in front of her... She wanted to lean in and let her mouth fall open and just let things work themselves out.

She gave in to that instinct.

It was apparently a good idea, if Luna’s reaction was anything to go by.

At first she had thought her marefriend an atrocious tease to leave her in such a state. But now, the eager young pegasus buried face-first in her marehood, she was positive Fluttershy was anything but a tease. Her hooves were stamping with nervous energy, her thighs and coat already slick, the entire room redolant with the smell of arousal- Not all of it hers, either. Occasionally she found the breath and consciousness needed to coo out a brief direction, leading her love this way or that. After a few minutes she felt ready to guide Fluttershy all the way down to her clitoris, and the first time that received attention she nearly fell on the spot. One could call her a natural talent, at this rate. But then the lovely wet heat caressing her folds was gone, and she could feel Fluttershy backing out of her tail.

“Um, Luna...”

Ahha. Apparently the talent had a suggestion.

Oh. Oh sweet (literally) Princesses the taste. She had never really thought about it before, never thought to try in relation to herself, but... Her entire face was damp with Luna’s flavor, her mouth filled, her tongue coated. She was going to remember this taste for as long as it was possible, and... Oh. Now Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure she could ever look at Luna the same way- Not knowing this. Whether or not it was normal to feel this way about your lover’s juices, she didn’t know and didn’t care. But right now, she had something slightly more romantic managing (barely) to make it to the forefront of her mind.

“Um, Luna...”

Her marefriend looked back, eyes slightly wild. Her voice was strained as she replied.
“Yes, milove?”

“I wanted to try... something else. Can you, um...”

She explained herself, and Luna nodded. They changed their positions, and she looked at the new situation. Now Luna was on her back, hooves up, in Fluttershy’s bed. Fluttershy herself was positioned at the tail-end of the bed, looking down on her lover as she bashfully covered her sex with the starry cloak of her tail. She leaned down and nudged it aside, gently nipping at one of Luna’s breasts as she did. The squeak she heard was almost like one of her own, and she couldn’t help but laugh. But then they locked eyes.
“This way... This way I can see you. As I, um... Yeah.”

“Oh Fluttershy... Go on. Let us finish thy lesson.”

She got back to studying. With any luck, there would be some kind of ‘joint session’ after this- The other reason she asked for the position change was that now she could free up a hoof to work furiously between her own hind legs, barely managing to sate the burning heat in her loins. And every time she lapped her tongue across those sweet lips again, the flavor only made it stronger. But she could hold on. She could be strong. It was her duty as Luna’s marefriend to make her come like this. And if that meant she had to wait for her own release... Well, she could stand it.

Probably.

A broad swipe of the tongue passed over her, and she groaned. A hoof pressed against her entrance, and she shivered. Teeth chasing around her nipples, only to dart down and take the barest brush of her nub, left her crying out for more. But she would be an irresponsible lover if she left Fluttershy untended this entire time. The lesson was complete, and now they could move on.
“Fluttershy, dear, stop so that we may be together.”

The pegasus shook her head (sending a ridiculously strong bolt of pleasure through her) and continued to lap and suck and kiss. Luna groaned and bit her lip, trying not to buck. Her voice was restrained, albeit barely, and her strength was suppressed, again just barely. She tried again.
“Darling...”

This time Fluttershy responded by pursing her lips around one nipple and pulling, leaning back and making her eyes go wide. Her hips floated off the bed, bucking against thin air... Only for thin air be replaced again by that insatiable mouth. Her jaw went slack and she started to lose control of her voice.
“Fluttershy! We must really... nnngh...”

Two slender forelegs wrapped around her own thighs, pinning her in place and letting her marefriend get even deeper, tongue darting into her depths. She was beginning to shake from head to hoof, and when the mare’s nose began to rub back and forth across her hood, she was almost entirely gone.
“Oh nevermind. Please, please finish me.”

At that, Fluttershy looked up, never once breaking the contact of her lips or tongue. Their eyes met, and the (until now) inexperienced girl proceeded to let loose with gusto, applying everything she had learned thus far without ever once looking away. Luna’s cries, up until now restrained, came out into a shout, massive and quaking as she reached down and ran her hooves through Fluttershy’s mane, bucking her hips against that loving and endlessly caring mouth. Her climax rolled into a second, unceasing and just as strong as the first, until finally she managed to calm herself, Fluttershy cleaning up and slowly cooling down.

“Oh sweet mercy... That... That...”

“That was the, um... Royal Canterlot Bedroom Voice?”

And now it was her turn to compete in Equestria’s Most Blushing competition, realizing that if anypony in Ponyville had been asleep at this hour, they certainly were not now. She tried to think back and figure out if she had actually cried her lover’s name, or just a guttural sound of release... But then Fluttershy was climbing up the bed towards her, and she realized she had a favor to return.

Chapter 27- Confessions and Coffee

Twilight had been roused from Celestia’s bed by the knocking at their door, the arrival of doom. Celestia was at the dresser, head in her hooves. The two of them were awake, barely, the morning light casting down through one window. It had been a glorious night, and a wonderful weekend, but the time had finally come. Whether they liked it or not, they had to bite the bullet, take the reins, and accept their fate. The end of an era was upon them. Twilight looked to her mentor nervously, tearfully, before turning back to their captor at the door. The pale brown earth pony stallion looked at them expectantly. She sighed.

“Yes, Chef Toque, you can make us a Full Canterlot Breakfast. We’ll... wait.”

As the head cook of the Canterlot Castle’s Day Squad joyously left, practically clicking his hooves in celebration, they both sighed together this time. This exact circumstance had been a regular occurrence when Twilight still lived and studied in Canterlot, and they had been hoping to avoid it for as long as possible.
“We’re not getting a bite to eat before noon, are we?”

“If we’re lucky.”

There was a smile on her face, she was sure of it, when she leaned into Celestia and began nibbling at her coat.
“And does that give you any... ideas, for how to pass the time?”

“Why Twilight! Did you not get enough last night?”

Corny? Yeah. But she was going to say it anyways.
“I really don’t think I could ever get enough of you.”

Celestia kissed her, and she melted into it, falling back onto the bed without a second thought.
“Mmmh- A mare after my own heart... Well, a mare who has it. Same difference, really.”

The long and arduous wait to breakfast ended up being a lot easier to bear for once.

Surprisingly, they didn’t have much time to wait, or even to fool about- The chef returned quickly (knocking on the door, thankfully) and they went to the large dining room. Admittedly, it was... curious. Celestia had never known her chefs to be anything but sticklers for perfection, and so being called out so quickly was strange. She only hoped it wasn’t something silly like...

Oh. Well. That answers that.

“We thought that, rather than to make you wait, we would provide a coffee course to start the morning just right! That way, you need not dally in that dreary room- No offense, your majesty- and may instead wake up in the loveliness of our Great Hall.”

She forced a smile- It was entirely well-meaning, even if the somewhat scatter-brained cook had managed to accidentally insult her personal chambers. It was always her default to let that kind of mistake slide, given how high-stress his job was.
“Thank you, Crème Toque- We’ll be sure to enjoy it.”

Celestia sat down on the long lounge-style couch they had brought to the table, Twilight curling in beneath her. The each levitated a cup of bitter brew and took their first sips. It was admittedly refreshing, and after a few minutes of simply relaxing and warming up with the fresh drinks, an idea struck her.
“Twilight-”

Before she could get much further, her student interrupted, suddenly looking extremely worried.
“Oh Celestia, I... There’s something I need to tell you. Before it becomes an issue.”

“Is something wrong, my little pony?”

“Nnnot exactly. At least, I hope not. Um, if I did something kinda weird, you’d forgive me, right?”

She smiled and nuzzled her protege. Twilight could always find a reason to be paranoid.
“Of course I would. I’m listening, if you want to tell me about it.“

It took a minute. And then another. Finally, however, Twilight managed to say what was on her mind, admittedly all in one long and extremely squeaky exhale.
“Ikindasortahadsexwithtwoofmyfriends.”

“...What.”

Breakfast would have been a wonderful way to start the day. She could sit down with a lovely glass of juice, perhaps a touch of coffee, watch as her enthusiastic and adorable love made food... But no. That was not to be. Instead, she was aroused from her slumber far too early by a disjointed knock on the door, several rapid bangs followed by a long pause and another knock. Luna shook the slumber from her eyes and rose, gently kissing Fluttershy’s brow- The other mare was either too tired or too affected by last night’s little drink to have woken so easily. Instead, the Princess took it upon herself to answer the door.

“Hello, may We-”

“Hey Fluttershy! I’m here... to... Oh, hey, you’re not Fluttershy at all.”

Luna blinked in confusion. Standing before her was a grey mare with a blonde mane and tail, eyes bright gold and... Entirely displaced. One pointed up and to the left, the other down-right, although she (Derpy Hooves, according to her Royal Instinct) seemed to be splitting the difference and managed to look straight forward. Her wings flapped nervously as she realized she wasn’t talking to the house’s owner after all.
“Uh, is Fluttershy home? I could have sworn this was her house, anyways. Oh, I just don’t know wha-”

“This is, indeed, her home. We are her... guest. Would thee like Us to wake her up?”

A nuzzle at her side revealed there was no need-- Apparently the conversation had been enough to get Fluttershy out of bed and to the door. She looked past Luna and then smiled.
“Oh, hello Derpy. What brings you here so early? Actually, wait- Would you like to come in? I’m sure you haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Aaaw, thanks! Sure!”
The grey pegasus stepped in... Well, tried. She narrowly avoided the doorframe only to not-quite trip on the welcome mat, gently colliding with Luna. Fluttershy gasped in shock, but Luna merely shook her head and backed up, letting the girl come in the rest of the way.

“It will be quite pleasant to have a guest for our meal.”

They gathered in the kitchen not long after, Fluttershy already buzzing around from counter to cupboard and back, occasionally fetching something from the refrigerator as well. For her part, Luna just sat back and let her work, content to notice that Angel Bunny was not in anypony’s hair at the moment. Their wall-eyed guest looked at her in vague confusion, as if she almost but not quite recognized her.
“I don’t think I’ve met you before, miss! I’m Derpy Hooves, one of the mailmares here in town.”

This early in the day, she often had the most trouble restraining her Royal We, but put a little effort into it. It got easier as she woke up fully, and practice was, of course, helping.
“And W... I am Princess Luna.”

Luna winced, waiting for the gasp of recognition or shock-- Or horror if their guest remembered how she had ran muzzle-first into royalty not two minutes ago. It never came, however. Instead, she was surprised to find that Derpy had leaned across the table to embrace her, pulling out of the hug with a huge smile.
“Oh wow! I’ve been meaning to meet you and thank you for a while now!”

“I’m... sorry?”

“Well, so, my daughter Dinky has a friend at her school, and um, around town I guess, and his name is Pipsqueak, and ever since Nightmare Night he’s always been talking about you and drawing pictures and things and it always makes Dinky happy and when she’s happy I’m happy and so I had been meaning to thank you because my daughter thinks you’re really neat!”

She blinked a few times, waiting for Derpy to take a breath or two.
“Well then. I... You are quite welcome. I admit, it had nearly slipped my mind, but... I suppose I should have considered visiting the foals again. In the end, they were rather receptive to my visit.”

“Oh, that would just be super! And anyways, I’m here for you. Or, uh, because of you? Sorta.”

That explained it. Early in the day, outskirts of town, a delivery mare...
“Here to bring a message from Mayor Mare? About a meeting tonight, perhaps?”

“Wow, how’d you guess! Princess Luna is going to be... Oh. Right. That’s you. Hehehe.”
They all laughed then, and Fluttershy finally settled down at the table, breakfast in hoof. Now that Derpy’s reason for coming was out of the way, they could relax and enjoy their food. Luna wondered if her sister’s morning meal was going as well...

The entire time that Twilight was explaining herself, Celestia merely sat gently beside her, listening to the descriptions. And certainly, those descriptions got a bit more detailed than she may have initially asked. Risque, even. But it was good to know that Twilight’s friends had healthy bedroom lives of their own... Even if they did involve her prize pupil coming to recieve lessons with which to suitably please her. It was, if anything, flattering that Twilight would go to such lengths. So when she finished her speech, Celestia merely smiled and kissed her cheek.
“Well then. Thank you very much for telling me, and do not worry- There is nothing wrong.”

Twilight blinked.
“So you don’t have any problem with me having done... those sorts of things... with my friends?”

“It would be utterly hypocritical of me to do so- After all, this is not my first relationship, and in fact, Rarity... Well, it wasn’t really that, but I will say something took place between us. Accidentally, of course.”

“What?”

She sighed. This was going to be a long one. Hopefully not, actually, but she could be a pessimist as needed.
“Do you remember when she stayed in the private suite here in Canterlot?”

“Oh yes! It was right around my birthday, after all. Hard to forget.”

“Well, she was extremely grateful, you see, and so she...”

Twilight leaned forward, rapt with attention.
“Yes?”

“She kissed my hooves. Quite a bit. Meant nothing of it, apart from gratitude, but... Well, yes.”

She had hoped Twilight would be confused, maybe even taken aback, but instead her student’s eyes lit up with a sudden realization. Perhaps she was learning too quickly.
“So you’re saying that’s one of your, um...”

Celestia did her best to be nonchalant.
“Weak spots? I suppose.”

A poor choice in words- Twilight had not even given her a chance to react when she swept the fork out of Celestia’s hoof and put that hoof up to her lips. Celestia groaned with exasperation- Quickly followed by the other kind of groan as Twilight pursed her lips against it, looking up her foreleg with the most adorable innocent eyes.
“Like this?”

She didn’t dare look down. Looking Twilight in the eyes right now would be... dangerous. At the very least it would make a mess of breakfast. Possibly result in a need for a new table.
“Mmhmm.”

A few quick smacks of Twilight’s lips, tiny little kisses fluttering around her ankle. In retrospect, Rarity had been merely kissing there, or on her regalia- There had been no exposed hoof. Hopefully, Twilight wouldn’t think to nngh... Her thoughts trailed off into fuzzy streams of broken focus as one lip trailed across the edge of her hoof. She scooted back and forth in her chair, trying not to press herself against the hard, unyielding no, stop, you need to focus. She kept her cool a bit longer, still averting her gaze from that of her lovely pupil...

And then Twilight took the tip of one hoof entirely in her mouth.

Luna perked up her hears.
“Did anypony else just hear something?”

“Nope ma’am!”

“I don’t think so, Luna- What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just... Cannot shake the feeling something momentous just happened.”

The table managed to survive their passion. The floor as well. And the door was locked, so Celestia had no worries about being interrupted. But eventually, both Twilight and herself realized they should probably compose themselves and let the cooks actually bring in their meal. A quick flurry of red and gold magic cleaned up the “situation” and cleared the air, allowing them to unlock the door safely. Crème Toque came in, all smiles and slightly-bewildered good cheer as they laid out the first course. They both prepared to dig in, quickly dismissing the chefs with a flurry of thanks and apologies for “forgetting” the lock.

Once they had started, however, she realized she was legitimately worried about something.
“Twilight... I hope you don’t think of me as being somewhat...”

She trailed off, and her student looked up in confusion.
“Celestia?”

“What I mean is... I haven’t been coming off as somewhat, ah... sex-crazed, have I?”

“Oh! Ahehe, actually? I was going to ask the same thing about me. I just... I don’t think so, if that counts for anything. It’s my first relationship, and a new one for both of us. So it’s totally normal for us to be a little eager, right?”

“Very true, my stu... Hmm. That’s going to be a tough habit to break. We may need new nicknames.”

Twilight tapped her chin with one hoof, pausing only to levitate a small sandwich over.
“Mmmh. Probably something to think about for the future. But until then... What will we do with my last day in Canterlot this weekend?”

She would have answered, if it were not for the massive -POP- of something appearing in mid-air behind her, or the sudden blue flicker of a spell she had not seen in ages.

Intermission 4- Pie in the Sky 2: Pie Hard

The bell above the entrance to Sugarcube Corner ring-a-ling-ding'd its way into the store and then back out, shook by the entrance of none other than Pinkie’s most favorite of favorite ponies. Rainbow Dash practically leapt inside, rushing forwards towards the counter. She looked up with her biggest, bestest smile. Even if nopony knew about their relationship, she could still be nice to her marefriend.

"Rainbow Dash! What brings you-"

All the color went out of her coat, and a little curl out of her mane, when Dashie kissed her. It was passionate, sure, and she returned it with equal passion. But as Dash pulled away, Pinkie knew she must have looked horrible- Her mane already felt a bit limp, and her tail was about to hit the floor. Dash frowned and kissed her again, just a nip on her collarbone. This did little to cheer her up.
"Pinkie, what's wrong? It's not like there are any customers."

Her voice had a hard little edge on it as she gestured towards the door.
"Well, no, there aren't any customers, but you didn't look that hard, did you?"

Dash turned, and she saw what Pinkie had known about the entire time: The Cakes were sitting at a table, where they had been doing bills and filling out paperwork over a nice light lunch Pinkie whipped up. Now they were staring, jaws slack. Mrs. Cake dropped her teacup, which was thankfully only an inch off of the saucer. Pinkie knew how they felt.

"Ah-heh. Well, isn't that just a funny little ohlookatthetimegottafly!"

Dash tried to abscond, but was stopped dead in mid-air by the hoof pinning her tail to the floor. Pinkie glared at her, and Dash sighed.
"I really wish everypony would stop doing that."

She put on her sweetest of smiles, only slightly fake, because as bad as this was she could never be too mad at the pegasus.
"The staring, or pinning your tail to things when you try to escape?"

"Bitta both. The staring is fine if I'm actually doing something, goes double if it's something cool. But seriously Pinks, I gotta get out of here-- You know how bad I am at this kinda thing! "

"Yeah, and that's why you're doing it right now, before you make excuses."

Dash looked over at the Cakes, sweating bullets.
"They can probably hear us from there!"

"Doesn't mean we can't be proper about it. I know a bit about acting normal, appearances aside."

That seemed to break the tension a bit, and Dash sighed, giving in. They walked over to the table where both Cakes sat, although right now they were still rather shaken, and looking at their employee-daughter-babysitter-friend-type-pony with a strange look. Stranger than usual. OK, stranger than good days. Alright, fine, they were staring at her with exactly the same strange look they used when she had to explain away seven bags of missing flour that had shown up in the week after her first time babysitting in, varyingly, the drains, the baby's changing station, the puppet theater, and the carpet. And frankly, it was the same strange look they gave her all the times she did silly things. So she figured this wouldn't be too different.

"Um, so, Cup and Carrot? This is Rainbow Dash- You know Rainbow Dash. Of course you do! Hahaha, what was I thinking? Well, uhm... She's my marefriend."

They looked at her.

She looked at them.

Cup Cake coughed.
"Is... is that all, dear? No particular explanation or excuses or arguments? No song? Not even a story of how you met?"

She scoffed and waved a hoof at them. Already, she could feel her mane returning to its usual frizz.
"Oh, pfft, that's all the boring stuff. I just figured you'd want the creamy nougat center of truth."

Somehow, both Cakes and Rainbow Dash managed to pull off the exceedingly dangerous and fabled 3x Facehoof Combo, sighing in exasperation at exactly the same time to boot. Why do they say to boot, anyways? What even is a boot? Such a weird word for such a simple thing like “really awesome shoes”.

And so she trailed off into thought, per usual, and time passed...

Rainbow Dash was a bit worried. Sure, she hadn’t meant to botch this, and she didn’t really make mistakes so much as the occasional goof or oversight... But still. She was worried about how Pinkie was reacting to it all. It had been over an hour since they talked to the Cakes, who had taken things pretty well, all told. Despite that, Dash was still concerned that Pinkie might be frustrated, or sad, and just hiding it. So she made a decision she had been banking on for a long time. Dash turned to her marefriend, took her by the hooves, and looked her in the eye.
“Pinkie... I wanna tell everypony.”

Pinkie smiled and stepped back, clearly thinking.
“Oh, it’s no problem Dash! Hey, I mean the Cakes were going to find out eventu-you what?”

Dash scuffed her hoof from side to side, doing a wonderful Fluttershy impersonation.
“Y-yeah.”

“But... Dashie, you were the one who was so sure we had to hide it!”

She sighed and plopped onto her haunches, head in her hooves.
“I know! But... Guh, I’m just sick and tired of it. I wanna be able to hold you in public. I want to be able to get off work early on your birthday and surprise you, or just kiss you at lunch with everypony watching. Hearts and Hooves is coming up for that matter, and we’ve never spent one together! So let’s-”

Before she could finish, Pinkie had cut her off with a fearsome tackle-hug, eventually skidding their bodies into one corner. The earth pony grinned down at her, eyes shining, smile wider than Dash had seen in a long time.
“You mean it?”

“Of course! Pinkie, I-”
Interrupted, again, but this time by a kiss so strong it knocked the air out of her completely. By the end of it she was a panting, shaking wreck, her hips rolling out of instinct. Pinkie barely seemed to have much more control, breathing heavy and mane frizzing out.

“Tonight. No, sooner. Right after this, we tell everypony. But right now?”

“Bedroom?”

“Bedroom.”

Chapter 28- Portals and Propositions

Breakfast had gone well, and Derpy had left almost immediately- Apparently, even if she was only one of the three messengers spreading the news of Luna’s announcement, that meant a fair bit of work. Fluttershy helped her clean, insisting (“Even though I cooked, I still want to help take care of the dishes.”) despite her protests. With that out of the way, neither of them had anything specific to deal with unti... Wait.

“Fluttershy, I had been meaning to ask thee a question: Has my visit been... harming thy work?”

“Oh, not at all! I mean, I was prepared for it, and it’s... um, not really a high-impact job or anything. I don’t exactly have a wing-breaking amount of work on my plate, you know?”

“Mmh. I’m glad- It would make me feel dreadful to have imposed.”

“No problem! Although...”
For whatever reason, she blushed before continuing.
“Would you, uh, like to help? Today, I mean? I have a few heavy things to get done before lunch, so...”

Luna clapped her hooves, grimacing when Fluttershy recoiled from the vast sound. She really did have to keep that under better control.
“Gladly! We... Um. Yes, that sounds lovely.”

Luna had not worked with animals (apart from her scuffle with a certain rabbit the other day) in quite some time, but she got back into the swing of it quickly. And when her Royal Voice escaped her out of frustration or habit, Fluttershy was always there to bring the more skittish animals back to their homes and pens. Eight hooves and four wings were certainly faster than half that amount, and a horn completely changed the equation- Fluttershy’s morning of work was reduced to a forty-five minute flurry of activity, the two of them happily chatting as they worked.

If there was one bit of frustration, it was a single recalcitrant robin which refused to leave its nest. Fluttershy explained, softly, that it had to spend some time away or the baby birds would never be independent. However, the stubborn animal didn’t move. Fluttershy continued to cajole it, until eventually Luna became exasperated and used her Voice. The sheer volume sent the bird flying, and it shot her a confused expression before flying away. She apologized to Fluttershy, but the pegasus mare thought nothing of it- Sometimes force was necessary, she said.

Afterwards, both of them a bit labored from the speed (they had just gotten so wrapped up in the project), they paused for a drink. The lemonade was refreshing, but her eyes kept glancing back to the bottle of Morning Sky. She was most definitely forgetting something, but what? There was no reason to partake this early, and the only other thing she could use it for was...

“Oh!”

Fluttershy startled, dropping her glass and catching it just before it hit the table.
“Are you alright!?”

“Oh... My apologies. But yes, very much so! I have just recalled something.”

“Did you have something to do today? Did I make you late?”

She shook her head, pausing to stretch a wing across the table and embrace her marefriend.
“Nothing of the sort. Do not worry so much, my dear. I simply remembered a spell I used to favor... Would you like to check in on my sister, and our friend Twilight?”

It didn’t take long for the spell to be ready- Somewhat more ritualistic than normal Unicorn magic, it was still simple. A single strand of her transcendental mane, plucked and then knotted into a loop, and then a drop of Sky, stretched across it to form a liquid portal. The resulting disc of shimmering colors slowly began to turn frosted blue at the edges, absorbing power from the hair. Fluttershy looked at it curiously as Luna suspended it in mid-air with her magic.

“So this is going to let us talk to them?”

“And see them! We will admit, it is not common magic, and really only Celestia and I are regularly able to maintain it for long- Even somepony like Twilight could only get a brief message out using it.”

“Well, I’m excited anyways! It sounds really neat.”

“Neat indeed. Now I simply need to breath the spell across it, and...”

-POP-

Twilight stared at the portal in confusion. On the other side of the three-foot-tall disc of light, Fluttershy and Luna were visible- Fluttershy almost entirely hidden behind the Princess, Luna waving vigorously. The image was cloudy, but it was still obvious who was there. Celestia sighed and turned to her.
“I had wondered when she would remember how to do that.”

“Is that... a two-way spell? Can they see us right now? Is my mane alright? Can they hear me?”

“Twilight. Calm. Yes, it’s two-way, but not until I complete it. We made sure to make it as such after we interrupted each other in... indelicate situations, one time too often.”

“Gotcha. Well... Oh wow Princess, this is really intriguing! You need to show me the theory behind this one afterwards, alright?“

A chuckle- Not so much had changed that Twilight wouldn’t be curious about a new spell.
“Gladly, love... Mmmh, that brings a point- Are you alright with your friend knowing about... us?”

“Yes. She was a big help in me getting the motivation to confess at all, so... Yeah, she already knows, more or less.”
On the other side of the portal, Luna’s enthusiasm was flagging visibly, her waving slowing with time. Twilight pointed this out.
“Let’s not keep her waiting much longer, alright?”

Celestia tapped the side of the ring with one hoof, and the image sprung into clarity, Luna and Fluttershy’s voices become audible.

“Are you sure it worked, Luna? Not that I think it wouldn’t work, or anything, just...”

“Hmm. I suppose it might have-”

Celestia grinned wide, shouting into the portal, leaning far too close (or so Twilight assumed) for good measure.
“HEY LUNA! HOW’S IT GOING OVER THERE?”

Twilight’s assumption was confirmed when Luna fell backwards, barreling over Fluttershy. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle as they righted themselves, and Luna shot a dirty look across the spell’s surface.
“Dear Sister, please cease these shenanigans. We know full well thou understand the mechanics of this spell. Speak normally-- Even I am restraining my volume.”

“Oh, Luna. I’m sorry, but I just had to. Quite worth the reaction.”
She paused for a moment, winking at Fluttershy across the portal- The pegasus blushed in response, hiding further behind Luna once more.
“How are things, with you?”

Luna’s glare softened, and she smiled- Twilight hadn’t seen her smile like that at all, even at the height of Nightmare Night’s festivities.
“Phenomenal. Glorious, even. But I called on a business note- We can catch up later.”

“Oh? Do tell!”

Luna scuffed a hoof, looking to Fluttershy for a moment, who looked back in confused support before peeking through the communication-portal. Twilight waved at her when she looked up, and got a confusingly garbled response. They tried to speak without saying anything, but instead just managed to make it clear how much they needed to talk. Over their hurried gestures and inexplicable attempts at signalling, they could hear the conversation continue.
“Well, I had already told thee of my plans, and the time seemed right. And so the thought came to me that I might make the proposal-”

“Tonight? Around midnight, perhaps?”

“...Hast thou been watching me, Sister?”

“No Luna. It’s just that... We’ve both always been a bit theatrical, and giving a big speech like that when Sunday becomes Monday, when the sun gives way to the moon? Very ‘you’.”

“Mmhmm. I... I will admit that I miss the way the sun used to ‘give way’ to the moon.”

Twilight’s brain tried to process that sentence, and Celestia’s matching blush. She could see her confusion mirrored by Fluttershy on the other side.
“Oh you. We can discuss things of that sort later. For now... Yes, I agree. Twilight and I will be making our way to Ponyville and will arrive in time for a late lunch. Does that sound agreeable?”

“Very.”

The portal closed with an almost ominous -CLACK-, a thick spiral of pinkish-black smoke taking the cerulean disc’s place. Celestia turned to her, smiling.
“And I suppose our plans for your “last day in Canterlot” were just made for us.”

Her neurons were still a bit frazzled, but she managed to nod in agreement.

-CLACK-

As she turned away from the now-closed portal, there was a lingering question in the back of her mind. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now her curiosity was piqued.
"Dear Fluttershy, I did have one question, regarding thine work earlier..."

"Oh dear! Did I do something wrong? I would hate to have been making some kind of mistake all this time."

Luna chuckled and put a hoof on her marefriend's shoulder.
"Calm, dearest. There is nopony who would be able to correct thee in thy field of expertise, least of all me."

"Oh, alright. Um, sorry about the conclusion-jumping."

"It is not a problem. What We had been wondering was about the disobedient animals. Why did thou not simply Stare them into submission?"

At that question, Fluttershy actually got quite embarrassed, looking from side to side. Her blush got stronger as she replied.
"Well, I... I can't actually control it. It just sort of crops up from time to time, I suppose."
Luna's bafflement must have been clear on her face, because Fluttershy seemed almost concerned. She stepped forward, and looked up at Luna.
"Is... is that a problem?"

"What? No! I merely tho... Dost thou know much about it? We must admit it is not a common talent, or was not in Our day."

"I don't think it is now, either- The only other pony I can ever think of that did it was my mom. She never had to use it on me, mind you. I was always the very model of good behavior."

They laughed, but Luna grew serious quickly.
"Well, in that case, We think We might take it upon Ourselves... Wait, allow me to restart that with less Royal We: Today's been a rough one for that. I think I would like to help thee learn more about it. It has always been a subject near and dear to me, since I have a similar skill."

"You do?"

"What, did you think everypony could speak in a Voice loud enough to crack stone and blow the limbs from trees? It is, if not the same talent, then certainly a related one."

"Oh. Oh my. I never thought my Stare was anything all that special!"

Although it was normally more her sister's area of expertise, she felt comfortable being 'sappy' at the moment. She leaned close and nuzzled Fluttershy, leaving a trail of light nibbles behind her ears.
"Everything about thee is special, my dear."

The only response she got was a beautiful laugh, and the two of them curled up against one another. Luna mused over the day's schedule as she held her lover. Soon, her sister would be coming from Canterlot, student in tow, and then she could set her plan in motion. Tonight would be a grand spectacle indeed.

Twilight paced around the room as Celestia watched. She admittedly didn’t have much reason to be worried- Her mentor of course had an appropriate plan. But still, it bothered her...
“How are we going to get back to Ponyville that quickly? Even the fastest carriages won’t take us very far in time, and I can’t teleport that distance...”

“Can’t you?”

She looked at Celestia, confused.
“What?”

“Twilight, don’t tell me you already forgot what we’ve been learning all weekend. If I guessed correctly, you used the “psuedo-teleportation” we developed to get Spike to send the confession letter, right?”

“Aaaw, I thought it was such a good trick.”

Her marefriend / teacher smiled and kissed her. Twilight leaned into it, just a little- It would be a problem if they got sidetracked, given how tight the timetable was.
“It was- After all, I only just figured it out now. But if you managed to make that spell from theory into truth in just a day’s time, who’s to say you can’t learn my personal long-range teleportation spell just as quickly?”

“Princess... I would be hugely honored. I am especially glad that, well... That you think I have the stamina to do that.”

A week ago, the kind of massive reverberating laugh she heard from Celestia just now would have frozen her heart and made her question the sanity of the world. Now, she recognized it as a laugh, not cruel or mad, but overpowering, and more importantly seductive, and it made a shiver run down her entire body, horn to hoof.
“Trust me Twilight, I have no doubts in your ‘stamina’- But that won’t be an issue today. I was thinking we could cast it... together.”

Twilight stared. She was trying to think if Celestia meant that... And from the look of things, it seemed she did. Her teacher, her ruler, Princess bucking Celestia (Twilight immediately admonished herself for thinking of her marefriend like that), was blushing, white cheeks turned red as apples. Her mentor was suggesting that they... that they... Oh. Her thoughts went back to one of her most important studies, suddenly desperate to make the topic less immediate, more... academic. And so she flashed back to her thesis, to the paper that had given her so much trouble, to the topic of doing... that.

Chapter 29- Dissertations and Decisions

An Dissertation Upon the Natures of Magical Contact, Exposure, and Primality

Herein Composed by Starswirl, the Bearded, the year (DATA LOST)

Recomplied and translated for the modern reader by Twilight Sparkle.

What anypony may say or believe about magic is one thing. What another, is another. But without fail or fallacy, without flaw or fracture, is the truth that magic is, and is solely what it is. That is to say, the manner of magic (separate in conception from the Magic of Manners as written by the scholar Forked Branch in Y (DATA LOST)) is to be itself, and solely itself, a thing which no one pony may understand of their own volition. Magic is only understood by one route: Magic itself.

Magic is a force of change imposed on the world. We are not, currently, speaking of the innate magic of all things in the world, nor of the admittedly potent natural magic of True Ponies* or Pegasi. Unicorn Magic, which is to say, capital M spellcasting Magic, is a very different thing. It is not innate, although the capacity for it is. Magic is a learned force, which is why I caution my fellow unicorns to never think themselves superior to other ponies- Earth Ponies*** can commune with the world itself and survive ghastly harm, Pegasi can alter weather and touch the very stuff of life, rainwater and mist and rainbow and storm. Unicorns can do many things, and can even do those, after a fashion, but it must be learned and trained.

At the same time, this is not to be seen as a flaw. Cast Magic is a thing unique, and a thing innate. It reaches out and touches the world from every side, within and without. As such, exposure to it can be an experience unlike any other. Witnessing Magic is awesome** to all, Unicorn, Earth Pony*** and Pegasus alike. To use a spell in quick succession with a fellow Unicorn invites an array of unique sensations, and magical senses are a field all their own. But further than that, Magic is, in a way, intimacy.

While it is frequently considered common courtesy to wait for a fellow Unicorn to release an item from their grasp before taking it for oneself, one must remember the reason- To mingle your grasp upon an object in this fashion is a sensory feast for both parties, and not always one willingly entered into. I will, however, advise that it can be quite intriguing recreationally, to take a fellow Unicorn, an object of your choice, and... (DATA REDACTED FOR DECENCY)^

Casting Magic alongside a fellow Unicorn, even on the same object, is also very intimate, but not nearly as intense. Even now, a wide variety of spells can allow for two Unicorns, or more, to participate and use their power for one purpose. However, what I speak of next is not that, but an act far more personal.

When two Unicorns cast Magic together, truly unite to cast a spell as one... It is literal. Keep that first and foremost in your mind: It is as close to true lovemaking as any act of intimacy could possibly be, if not closer. It is the utter union of your most potent sensory tool, your magic, with another. Joined on a level that close, it is likely both parties will be changed without recourse or return to their prior way of life. Changes in personality, in emotion, in magical prowess or even one’s physical composition... Nearly anything is possible. That is not, mind you, to say I advise against it. Rather, I advise it be an action taken with caution and forethought unless the utmost state of emergency occurs. And regardless... I wish those who make the attempt luck. The change is almost always for the better, if one occurs, although it might not seem so initially.

~Starswirl

ANNOTATIONS AND POSTSCRIPT

*-- A note from Twilight Sparkle: This term, which initially confused me, seems to be a very old and respectful term for Earth Ponies, implying that they are an initial root from which the modern pony lines all branched. Whether this is accurate or not is beside the point, and it will be kept in the translation when used- Which is strangely inconsistent.***

**-- A note from Twilight Sparkle: Modern ponies would likely find this statement anachronistic until informed that, originally, the term meant “awe-inspiring”. I kept it because... Well, alright, I partially kept it because picturing Starswirl saying “awesome” makes me giggle. But it was also for accuracy!

***-- See?

^-- ...Alright, I couldn’t just outright erase it. But I’ll hide it in this footnote so the squeamish can avoid it.
...then the two of you may languish together. The submissive partner of the coupling, at least for the purposes of this encounter, should first grasp the object tightly, exerting more force than usual. Their dominant pair may then envelop the object, and thus their lover’s very magical essence, themselves. At this point, the two of you may struggle to your heart’s content, as well as the content of any other organs, fluxing your forces together valiantly and even comingling. While it can be quite thrilling to be the victor, there is an equal yet unique joy in allowing your power to be subsumed and pressed low...
The text continues as normal from here, although my academic mind insists that I note the shaky hornwriting of the next paragraph or so.

P.S.- My personal feelings on the topics contained herein are irrelevant, and so I made sure to keep them utterly removed. All language was kept strictly as it was in the original documentation- Positivity, negativity, uncertainty, and vague aura of eroticism all firmly intact. Starswirl was an immensely important part of Unicorn culture, and a unique stallion- That’s why I took it upon myself to recompile and rewrite his works for the modern reader as my final project. May all who read this in the future be so lucky as to have a life filled with magic of all kinds.

~Twilight Sparkle

“...No.”

“Well, all we need to do is... I’m sorry, what?”

Celestia looked at her, and Twilight blushed. She couldn’t help it, given her affections, the subject matter, or the situation. But regardless of all that, no matter how loyal or dedicated she was to the Princess, she just...
“Celestia, I love you. But I think that it might be a little soon for... that.”

Her mentor pursed her lips.
“Starswirl’s writings on the subject, hmm?”

“Well... yes! I mean, everypony who I’ve ever seen discuss it says that it’s a totally unique, utterly personal, massively transformative event. I don’t... Do you want to know the truth?”

“Please.”

“I don’t want to waste it on something like this, just some quick one-off spell to take us home. Teleportation doesn’t really have any long-term meaning... I want to do it, I really do, but I want it to be special. Some spell that lasts, something permanent, something that’s about us. Then I’ll be ready.”

Celestia’s faint frown softened, and she leaned close, embracing Twilight and letting out a sigh- Mostly in jest, or so Twilight hoped.
“Alright. I... I understand. More than anypony, I am willing to wager. So we’ll teleport back, but not... ‘together’. Does that sound good to you?”

“No. That sounds lovely.”

Her loving teacher smiled, and they separated for a time. Twilight was already running down spell calculations in her head, and Celestia began explaining the method behind her teleport. It was a relatively... simple spell, now that she really looked at it. The trick was the sheer brute power required to push it through, which made sense for a Princess... or a budding Element of Magic. Once they got the basics of it down, she was struck with a realization.

“Celestia... if you can teach me this, could you maybe show me how to do that two-way communication spell? It’s still kinda running around in the back of my mind.”

Her heart sunk a little when Celestia shook her head, mane flowing.
“Not... precisely. You don’t have the ingredients necessary for it.”

“Oh, so it’s ritualistic? Well, maybe I could find them...”

“Doubtful. One is a strand from a transcendental mane, like mine or Luna’s.”

She looked at Celestia’s hair with a bit of wonderment. She had always known how unique it was, a sign of her power and dominance of the Sun, but had not considered that it might be potent in its own right. And that very same mane had been, quite recently... She bit her lip.
“And the other?”

“A beverage uncommon in the modern day, called Liquidus Sky.”

“Wait, really? Then I guess it’s funny we were talking about Starswirl... I’ll be right back!”

Celestia facehoofed as Twilight teleported away. She already remembered the piece Twilight was likely fetching- It was quite hard to forget. Out of all of Starswirl’s writings, that one might have given her protege the most trouble, in the end- The subject matter covered, after all, was rather... intense. When Twilight returned, Celestia would calmly get her to put the folio away and then the two of them could discuss it later- As it was, they had preparations to do for their travel... Such as sending back Twilight’s luggage.

After a short saccharin conversation, with an admittedly slightly excessive bit of cuddling, they got back on track. Fluttershy’s curiosity, as rare as it was, had been piqued. So she got Luna to open up about this new subject, wondering just how much she might find out about herself in the process.

“So you said that things like, um, the Stare... Not common, right?”

“Mmh, no. Sometimes they occur randomly, without any rhyme or reason. Sometimes tied to one’s special talent. Other times, it’s part of a family lineage. Did thou say thy mother was capable of it?”

Fluttershy went a bit pale.
“Is. Definitely still is. Dad managed to do something really boneheaded at a family dinner last year, and... Still going strong.”

They shared a quick laugh over that, but Luna quickly returned to a serious presence.
“Well, yes. In the time before I left, these talents were... How do I put this? Each individual one was rare, but there were so many different kinds as to make them numerous. Given that thou had no idea as to thy Stare’s nature, I am... willing to bet that some of them have died out, or become as legend.”

She wasn’t entirely sure why, but the idea saddened Fluttershy. Maybe it was her love of history, or the look in Luna’s eyes when she brought it up, but... It seemed sorrowful. Time passes, whether you’re there or not, and then things you took for granted are lost. It was a pretty trite concept considering how many romances she tended to read, but having it brought to her attention as a real thing, and about something more important, was... it felt cold. Fluttershy didn’t have a better way to describe it.

“Darling?”

With a start, she realized Luna had continued speaking.
“Oh! Oh I am so sorry Luna, I... zoned out.”
Despite her embarrassment, her marefriend did not seem to mind, merely smiling and repeating herself.

“As We had been saying... Many of those unique skills were likely lost. But, if We know Equestria, not for good. They’ll return in their time, as needed, or as relevant.”

“So you’re saying that it’s... relevant? To me, somehow?”

Luna looked like she had never considered that implication of her sentence.
“Oh. Hmm. I... Yes, I do believe so. Even if thou does not have the greatest hold on it yet, it is something entirely suited to you. It fits, as it were.”

Being told something so nice by such a wonderful mare still made her blush, even considering the very much more... intense things they had said to one another this weekend.
“So if I wanted to get, uhm, a better hold?”

Thankfully, no implications were taken, Luna merely musing.
“I have had more than enough experience with my own little trick, and those of others... I suppose if it was thy wish, I could educate thee on the matter. It may give us another pleasant way to pass the time, apart from the obvious.”

She blushed, tail flicking for a moment before she got it under control.
“That sounds... nice.”

“Mmh. And speaking of both nice and obvious, I am willing to place bets that my dear sister has already returned to Ponyville. Shall we track her down?”

Fluttershy nodded, and the two of them headed out together.

Warm orange light flooded the bedroom on the top floor of Ponyville’s library, mingled red and gold casting a series of flickering shadows. Without any particular fanfare, a pair of saddlebags appeared by the desk. A second crackle, and a third, these sounds growing into a cacophony until two equine figures appeared- One quite large, the other more mundane. Celestia of Equestria and her prize pupil arrived, landing on the bed one after another. Twilight was straddling her teacher, already blushing within moments of impact.

“Ah, so I didn’t remember to rotate the coordinates again so we land next to each other... I’ll remember that.”

Celestia looked up at her.
“Are you sure that wasn’t an intentional mistake, my student?”

Twilight laughed, dismissing the question. Instead, she traced the tip of one hoof lazily across her lover’s chest, scuffing the alabaster coat and giggling.
“Mmmaybe. Is that going to cost me some points?”

“Well, no... But I will be, ahem, ‘keeping you behind’.”
She said this with a sly grin, and Twilight knew precisely what was implied. She leaned down, Celestia stretched up, and their lips met passionately. The excitement of accomplishing such a unique and difficult spell, not to mention one so heavily aligned to her teacher, already had her tense and humming in the back of her head. But now she was in her bed, with Celestia, and it was everything she had (in a hidden bit of her mind) dreamed of since she was just a filly. Such forceful love, passionate and fierce, that her mind was reeling from it. Even if it wasn’t the first time, it still excited her to no end. Well, alright, it excited her to a very certain end, which is why she snaked a hoof down Celestia’s chest, pressing down to...

“Hey Twilight, welcome hooOOOHH WOW! Um. Sorry! Bye!”
Spike burst in, saw them, and burst out again. In total, it took about two seconds, but the shock probably took years off of her life. Twilight fell to the side of the bed, shaking with the nervous adrenaline of a filly whose hoof had just been caught in the hone- cookie jar. Heart hammering in her chest, she looked to Celestia, who was very obviously suppressing a laugh.

“Well... I was going to have to explain it to him soon anyways. He did send the letter.”

“Shall I freshen up while you go sort things out? I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Her reply was simply to kiss Celestia’s cheek and then dart out the door, turning to wink before she closed it. She had seriously not been expecting the need to explain things to Spike this soon, and it was a bit worrying how he might react... But it would be fine. Spike was growing up, becoming a serious little man in his own way, and she knew he would react well.

In fact, when she made it down the stairs, he was already working hard on setting out lunch- Three settings, she noticed. Given their forthcoming meeting with Luna and Fluttershy, she’d have to let him know to expand that by a few...
“Spike?”

Her dragon assistant turned around with a smirk.
“Oh hey there lovebird! Lovepony? Whatever. Made it back OK?”

She took the joke in stride.
“Yes. And... yes. To the other part. And what you asked earlier, when I had you write the letter. Yes to all of those things.”

Spike whistled.
“Well, it looks like she accepted.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Wow... Well, hey, I guess if you managed to make it with Celestia after all this time, maybe me and Rarity have a chance, huh?”

She tried to hide the sorrow in her voice. It was terrible timing that he brought this up now, but she had to tell him the truth. Lying would only make bigger problems down the road.
“Spike, I...”

He didn’t buy it for a second.
“Lemme guess. She already has somepony like that?”

“...Well, we had been meaning to tell you, but didn’t quite find the right time, and...”

“Good!”

“Now Spike. There’s no reason to be petty about this.”

“Who’s being petty? I’m serious here! It’s good that she has somepony.”

“R-really? You’re alright with it?”

He paced a little as he spoke, but the look on his face wasn’t sad. In fact, he almost seemed slightly... relieved?
“I’ll admit it was a bit silly of me. I mean, we aren’t exactly compatible, yaknow? And I probably shouldn’t fixate so much on one pony without ever even confessing to them properly. So it’s for the best, right? I’ve kinda been thinking on this for a while, and now I guess it’s settled.”

“That... that is extremely mature of you, Spike. I’m glad you came to that decision.”
She swept her assistant into a hug, which he quickly wriggled out of- But not before subtly leaning into her shoulder.

“Thanks, Twilight. Now don’t leave Her Royal Marefriend-ness waiting up there, get going!”

He stuck his tongue out at her, and she laughed back. Never once had she expected Spike to get over his infatuation so easily. The only reason she could see was... Had he found somepony? And he wasn’t telling her? ...He really was growing up! She’d have to see about getting him his own room sooner than planned.

“Oh, and we might have guests soon, so do up two more place-settings.”

“I’m making breakfast for five? I am getting paid extra, right? Especially if one of them is royalty.”

“Two of them.”

He deadpanned at her.
“Nightm- Er, uh, Luna’s coming too? So yeah, seriously, bonus for hazard pay at least?”

She nodded- Apart from covering his room and board, she often gave him a little weekly paycheck of sorts. Twilight frequently treated him like a younger sibling, but being a live-in assistant was hard work, and she often took advantage of that hard work. But never let it be said that she didn’t repay him in equal measure.
“I’ve actually got a real big bonus planned for you- But we can talk about it later.”

“Wow, a big bonus, huh? I wonder... Another fire ruby would be awesome. Or maybe even some diamond dust, so good on hay fries...”

While her dragon friend contemplated the possible results of his work, Twilight chuckled and headed upstairs. With any luck, Luna had noticed their arrival- She doubted her magical sense was more refined than that of royalty, and that teleport spell was like the posterpony of “big obvious magic”. So by her calculations, Luna would be arriving...

A knock came on the door, and she smiled as Spike went to answer it. Right on time.

Chapter 30- Meals and Marefriends

Fluttershy nervously fluffed her wings as they stood outside. She had been expecting a long wait, but their arrival at the library was met rather quickly by Spike; Luna only had to knock once, and he was right there. Fluttershy had only rarely seen him blushing before, but it was apparent through his scales that something embarrassing had just happened. Luna did not seem to notice, however, as she simply leaned down with a smile.
“Hello, young dragon! Spike, correct?”

“Yup! Good to see you again, Princess Luna.”

“Am I to presume that our sister has come to visit?”

The shift in his expression was subtle, but Fluttershy caught it: Now the potential source of the blush was narrowed down.
“Yees. She’s definitely here- Want me to get her?”

“That would be lovely.”

Twilight’s voice, sounding slightly labored, came from up the stairs.
“Actually Spike, let them in! We can sit down and have lunch together, remember?”

“Oh dang I left the alfalfa cakes in the oven! Gotta go, come on in!”
He quickly spun and rushed back to the kitchen, Luna chuckling. They stepped inside the library, Fluttershy immediately feeling at home- Going from her hillside home to Twilight’s tree-forged place of residence / business was not as huge of a change as, oh say, going to Rainbow Dash’s place. Pegasus or not, she still wasn’t terribly comfortable in cloud structures. The smell from the kitchen, for example, was far earthier than she would expect back home, family-home as opposed to her-own-home. Something about the environment...

She realized that in her reminiscence she had been left behind as Luna trotted into the Library, apparently here for the first time. Luna perused the shelves with a critical eye, stopping here and there to look over a particular shelf. At one point she paused and simply stared at what Fluttershy presumed was just a section of wall... But when she looked at it from just the right angle, she felt a bit of a strain in her eyes and suddenly noticed there was a seam disguised as part of the grain in the wood. Luna must have seen it as well, or even used magic to look past it, and inspect the contents. Apparently what she saw satisfied her, as she turned to Fluttershy and grinned.
“A very lovely library for a town such as this. I approve of Ms. Sparkle’s choice in domicile.”

Before Fluttershy could say anything one way or the other, ‘Ms. Sparkle’ herself replied.
“Why thank you, Princess- I know how much pride you put in Canterlot’s libraries, so it’s very pleasing to hear that from you of all ponies.”
The unicorn was coming down the stairs, Princess Celestia walking behind her. Even having spent the entire weekend in some very delicate situations with Luna, it was still an amazing pressure for Fluttershy to be in the room with both of their rulers. Her first instinct was to back down and let them speak without her, but a sudden brush of Luna’s wing was there to snap her back.

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, both for the welcome into thy home and for treating my sister so well over the weekend. It is truly spoken that I have not seen her so relaxed since my return.”

Her courage bolstered, and the conversation at a lull, Fluttershy interjected.
“It’s really good to see you Twilight- And you, of course, Princess! I’m... I suppose you already know about me and, um...”

Celestia, Princess of the Sun, smiled at her as if she were a friend or an equal- A wide, friendly, completely open grin.
“Yes. And I am very pleased for both of you... Speaking of which, I imagine you and Twilight have quite a lot to catch each other up on, while Luna and I discuss this evening’s announcement. Shall we separate for now and return to take lunch together?”

They all agreed, and while the Princesses headed off elsewhere into the library, Twilight and Fluttershy were both left standing in the main room, suddenly looking much less composed. They traded glances, making one last attempt to get their weekends across without speaking. That turned out to be futile, so instead they burst out into veritable verbal waterfalls.

“So you-”

“Did the two of you-”

They paused. Talking over one another would only draw this out. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, but they clearly had a lot to go over.
“Should I, um, go first?”

“Yes, please do. I am all ea... I’m listening.”
For some reason saying that phrase made Twilight blush, but Fluttershy just shrugged it off. With a deep breath, she got started.

At this point, Spike was used to cooking. He didn’t just do it because he owed it to Twilight, for her care, for raising him, or for being his family. He didn’t do it for the paycheck, nice as the gemstones were. He did it because he legitimately enjoyed it. It was fun, simple, controlled- He could take all the individual pieces and shape them however he wanted, arbiter of spices and controller of heat. Not to mention he got to relax, chilling out by the stove and listening to the library, and all the sounds of Ponyville outside.

Today, however, he was just listening to two particular sounds of Ponyville- Twilight and Fluttershy. Apparently the Princesses (on reflex, he made sure to put a bit of extra effort into the meal, minding their guests) had gone elsewhere, so now the two were free to catch up. He hadn’t even had much chance to speak with Twilight himself- Apart from, well, when he walked in on her. It was pretty clear they hadn’t been doing that, but wow were they close... Closest thing he had to a family or not, that image was going to be sticking in his head for a long time... like it or not.

And speaking of images, he could picture the pair of them bouncing around as they spoke. Their actual conversation was totally audible, so it wasn’t even very hard...

“Oh Fluttershy I still can’t quite believe this is really happening!” Said Twilight, as she probably danced back and forth on her hooves like she does when a new order of booksleeves comes in.

“Me neither Twilight, this is all so... exciting.” Fluttershy whispered as she... gee, um... Did whatever Fluttershys do when they’re excited? Cared for animals?

“OK, so maybe I’m not that good at picturing what they’re doing...”
He shrugged and went back to his work on the soup, only keeping his ears out for anything particularly interesting. Over the minutes that passed, he caught a few lines here and there, although he did try to ignore anything dirty. The very idea of Twilight talking about that kind of thing at all, much less doing that kind of thing, was not something he could process easily. But he probably let some slip through here and there- It wasn’t like he had any experience to go off of for telling mundane lovey-dovey stuff from that.

“So the two of you spent most of the weekend inside?”

“Well, yes... After the party, and oh do I owe Pinkie and Rarity for that, we just...”

“You just...?”

“Um. You know.”

“Oh! Oh. Oh wow. We, uh, should probably share, um, notes on that subject...”

Yeah, that was definitely Twilight Sparkle. Talking about her brand-new relationship, and her friend’s brand-new relationship, and her first instinct is to compare notes. He would have shaken his head dismissively, maybe laughed, but Spike knew full-well those notes of hers were often really, really useful. Of course, what could they be sharing notes about? Fluttershy and Luna stayed inside and did... what? A minute or so later, his entire face went cherry-red as he got the gist of it, and put all of his effort into cooking, blocking the image out of his head.

No more eavesdropping. Never works out.

Unfortunately for the always-inquisitive Twilight Sparkle, she wouldn’t be taking notes on her friend’s love life, or sharing notes on her own, just yet. The reason being? Before she could, their respective love lives walked down the stairs, smiling at them, and one another. Celestia walked over to her, and Luna to Fluttershy, apparently having agreed on something before coming out.

“Well, it has been phenomenal visiting, and will hopefully continue to be later, but...”

“Oh, Luna, are you leaving?”

The mare of the moon frowned.
“Unfortunately- Many, many plans to make, and in little time. Thou art welcome to join us, of course, but we imagined the two of thee would wish to catch up with thy friends over lunch.”

Twilight was a bit confused.
“Well that’s a shame, we had Spike make enough for... Wait, our friends? Plural? What do you-”
A brief flash of rainbow light from outside, and a knocking, answered her question.
“How did they...”

Celestia leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I suppose you will have to ask them yourself, dear- We will come meet you all later tonight, before the announcement, alright?”

“Sure! I hope the planning goes as, um, planned. And, also...”
It was a bit daring, but this entire weekend had been pretty daring, so she went with it- Quickly, Twilight leaned up and nipped Celestia’s ear.
“I love you.”

The results were almost more than she could have hoped for- Celestia actually blushed again, mouthing the words to herself as if hearing them for the first time.
“I love you as well, Twilight... Although don’t think you’re getting away scot-free just because I have business. You will get yours later.”

She couldn’t help but giggle.
“Yes ma’am!”

Luna and Fluttershy had already wished one another farewell while they were speaking, so Twilight moved to the door. In one swift motion, she popped it open, levitated her friends in, and levitated the Princesses out. Unfortunately, she was just a bit too slow, because Celestia managed to say those dreaded words before the door closed again.
“Pinkie Pie... Please arrange a party for the whole town. By tonight. Thanks!”

And then the door shut, and the five of them stared, slightly worried, at the party pony. She was sitting on the floor, perfectly still, and not a single one of them could guess what was going through her head.

Before the door had opened and she got whisked up in the shiny cloud of Twilight’s magic, Pinkie had been in a conversation. So it took a little while for the Princess’s message to make it onto her train of thought, or to the front of her train of thought... Why did everypony call it a train anyways? Did they call it that before they had trains? Which came first, the big metal machine or the fizzy crackly brain-bits? Either way, it took its sweet time moving up the... Conga line! Conga lines are a way better copacetic metaphor for the equine thought process, especially hers! OK, so, conga line of thought. Currently headed by the shiny new car (Pinkie was not terribly good at the whole "copacetic metaphor" thing) “Conga Lines and How I Think Like Them”, followed by “Really Sorta Awkward Conversation with AJ and Rarity while I Try Not To Spill About Me and Dashie” and the coupled-car “Wow Me and Dashie Never Did Finish Making Out Earlier”, with “The Princess Just Asked Me To Plan a Town-Wide Party” taking up the back.

Any minute now, that final, most important car will make it a bit further forward, and she might actually react to it. But until such a time, she was instead fixated on the idea of how passing the lampshade-hat around a conga line could represent the process of creating long-term memories. Such was the life of a Pinkie.

After a brief moment, and a quiet -POIK- noise, Pinkie simply got up and started walking to the kitchen, yammering to Spike about the smell of his alfalfa cakes. Everypony else shrugged, muttering something to the tune of “Pinkie...” at the same time. However, Twilight was still (as ever) curious, in this case about why her friends suddenly showed up.
“So what brought you all here all of a sudden?”

The answer came from Rarity, in the end.
“Well darling, Applejack and I were simply heading into town for a bit to see if anypony else had gotten the message about tonight’s meeting, when we ran into Rainbow and Pinkie doing precisely the same thing. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s when I was... Well, almost overwhelmed by the sense of somepony teleporting in a very strange way.”

Twilight blushed.
“Aheh...”

“Yes, I thought as much. Well, we gave you sufficient time to relax, get decent, unpack and such, and then came to visit and see how your weekend was!”

“Rarity, why would you assume I wasn’t decent?”

“Well, tell us how your weekend went, and we can find out!”
She made the rather pointed statement with a wink, and Twilight could feel the blush all the way to the edge of her neck. Applejack was laughing up a storm and Dash doing the same beside her. Fluttershy, in a similar boat as her, was just quietly radiating enough blush-heat to boil water.

Before Twilight could actually make good on explaining, Spike leaned out of the kitchen.
“Good thing I made enough for leftovers, if we’re actually having seven eating- Food’s on, everypony!”

And the questions were, mercifully, whisked away in the stampede to make it to the kitchen. If they had learned anything over the last few years, it was that Spike was becoming a better cook with every passing day. Pinkie may be the undisputed master of baked goods (and bads), but nopony in Ponyville was quite the cook Spike was becoming. Twilight half-considered ribbing him a bit about how he might even get a cooking cutie-mark, but the last time somepony made a joke about him not being very dragon-like... Well, a lot of ponies wondered if Ace was ever going to be able to grow his eyebrows back.

At first, she had expected their conversation to take place during the meal. In retrospect, that was silly, because not only had Spike made alfalfa cakes, but the spicy tortilla-and-bean soup she had found in that Neighxican recipe book. So instead, everypony ate quickly, quietly, and most of all very happily. Finally, Dash and AJ kicked back from the table simultaneously, both groaning and patting full stomachs. Pinkie finished a moment later, then Fluttershy and herself. Rarity, as always, ate daintily, but still finished only a minute or so later, her bowl immaculately clean.

Before any kind of conversation could get started, Dash lifted a hoof.
“OK, so, I kinda have a big announcement, and... Might as well make it now.”

Everypony at the table (except Pinkie, she noted) looked on curiously. Dash exhaled slowly, and took a moment before making her ‘big announcement’.
“Pinkie Pie and I are marefriends.”

Silence. Complete and utter silence. Twilight could see the strain on Dash’s face as she waited to see her friends’ reactions, and even Pinkie looked a touch nervous. Eventually, it was Rarity who spoke up.
“Yes, and?”

If she had been expecting any kind of response, it wasn’t that- Dash looked like she was about to cry.
“And what? That’s it! The whole thing! And you all...”

Applejack looked at her in confusion.
“And we all already knew that. So seriously, what’s the rest of y’all’s ‘big announcement’?”

“You... what!?”

“Darling! Did you really think we didn’t... After all those late nights with you pushing your cloud surreptitiously closer to Sugarcube Corner?”

“Or the time ah found you sleepin’ in a tree with some pink mane stuck ‘tween your teeth?”

“And it’s not like that cloud-walking spell is subtle or anything, you track residue everywhere...”

“And, um, I honestly just saw you two kissing in the woods sometimes. And heard.”

Dash stared at them all, deadpan.
“So... Not a problem or anything?”

“Well, if it had been, we certainly would have told you as much quite some time ago!”

“Right. Awesome. Wow does it help to have that off my chest. I mean, jeez-”

“OHMIGOSH I NEED TO GO GET THE PARTY FAVORS READY! And the cake and the punch and the decorations and aaaaah~!”
Apparently, Celestia’s request had just made it to the periphery of her attention, because Pinkie shot into the air and then out the door- Never once touching anything in between to reset her momentum. Twilight noted this brutalization of the laws of physics with the same casual attention she gave it every time. At this point, regardless of her studies into the matter, the entire issue was chalked up to “It’s Pinkie” and shelved. Rainbow Dash just started laughing, occasionally pounding the table as she caught her breath.

“Ahahaha dang that... Yeah, that’s my Pinkie alright.”

“Aaaw, your Pinkie? Cute.”

“Oh can it AJ- It’s not like everypony isn’t sick of hearing you get all lovey-dovey over ‘your’ Marshmallow.”

Regrettably, Twilight hadn’t heard that particular nickname before, and couldn’t help but laugh a little, which earned her a dirty look from both of the arguing ponies. Once they stopped looking at her, AJ and Dash were staring one another down from across the table, and the metaphorical sparks in the air were almost dense enough to qualify as literal ones.

“Were those fightin’ words, ‘Dashie’?”

“Depends- I wanted to work up a sweat anyways, ‘Sugarcube’.”

“Five minutes. The tennis court. No wings, no lasso.”

They spat in their hooves, shook on it, and raced out the door- Never once breaking eye contact, despite how very narrow the library’s kitchen door was. Rarity simply sighed and facehoofed.
“I love her dearly but she simply can not turn down a challenge, especially not one to her honor like that... Well, if she loses, I’ll be there to help ‘tend’ her wounds. And speaking of tending...”

Nervously, Twilight realized that she hadn’t seen Spike since he took away everypony’s dishes, and that she and Fluttershy were now alone with Rarity. Trapped with Rarity. Trapped in a small room with Ponyville’s fifth-most notorious gossip hound, whose eyes now burned with a very particular hunger.
“Speaking of tending, given that there is apparently such an important meeting tonight... Why don’t the three of us go to the spa early this week, get ourselves tended to, and you two can tell me everything?”

If she hadn’t been looking for a chance to do just that with Fluttershy anyways, Twilight would have been nervous. Instead, she was absurdly nervous, because the emphasis on ‘everything’ made her realize just how much, and just how dirty, the ‘everything’ she had to spill was. But did she think there was the slightest chance Rarity would let them escape without a full recap?

She sighed.
“I’ll go get my bits.”

Chapter 31- Spas and Spars

Their trip to the Ponyville Day Spa had been, as always, exhaustive- Which was not to say exhausting. Twilight was very refreshed, and it was clear both Rarity and Fluttershy felt the same. And after a battery of baths, a cavalcade of care, and layer upon layer of luxury, Twilight and her friends finally reached the baths. It had become a bit of a tradition between them that this was 'gossip time', since they had most of an hour (if not more) free from any excessive attention from Aloe or Lotus. The privacy, combined with the extreme relaxation and the wafting steam, made it very easy for Twilight to cut loose. She didn't feel nearly as nervous now, considering the things she had done with Rarity, and, well... Fluttershy being Fluttershy. After all, her pegasus friend was in the exact same boat as her, having done amazing things with one of the Celestial Diarchs over the past few days. And now they would share their stories...

"I'm all ears now, darling."

...Whether they liked it or not. Twilight quickly struggled to think of a way to delay her retelling and settled on the only obvious option.
"Hey Fluttershy! Why don't, uh... you go first?"

"Oh I would love to Twilight, but Rarity was involved in so much of my weekend, and neither of us had anything to do with yours, so I think you should start."
Twilight could almost swear she saw a devious glint in Fluttershy's eyes, but... No. She was just being paranoid again. Right?
"We could even trade back and forth... If you want to, that is."

She took her salvation where she could find it.
"That sounds great! Yeah. Trading. So... I start."

A few moments of silence ticked down. Rarity looked at her with thinly-veiled impatience.
"Do you now, darling?"

"Aheh! Yeah. Just let me... OK, yes. So it all started..."

Fluttershy was a lot more curious than she wanted to let on. Twilight's weekend had been spent, after all, in Canterlot, not silly (but wonderful) old Ponyville. Just the trip itself would be enough to pique her interest, but the events with Celestia added onto that? Now she wanted to know, and quickly. Sure, maybe it hadn't been the nicest thing of her to goad Twilight into going first, but she really did mean it. They could trade off! Admittedly, she might make her turns very tiny... No. She'd do what was fair. Even if it made her very nervous, and more than a little warm. And part of being fair, in the circumstances, was listening- So she stopped overthinking and let Twilight tell her story.

"Alright, so, I left Ponyville and went to the waystation... It's not a terribly long trip, but I wanted to take a flight carriage so I had more time... With her, you know?"

"Well, naturally- I know how it feels, when you only have a limited chance to be with your lover."

"Hey! It's not as if me and her were already... that is to say, I was just being hopeful. And that hopefulness actually turned out to be appropriate, because I met somepony who was willing to help..."

Fluttershy perked her ears up at this. She had gotten some rather wonderful help from Pinkie and Rarity herself, and it turns out Twilight had somepony helping her as well? Maybe it was a sign that their relationships were fated to succeed in some way. And now her curiosity was getting even stronger.
"Really? Was it anypony we know?"

Twilight chuckled behind her hoof.
"Well, I'd certainly say so... You're apparently dating her, after all!"

She hid her shock behind a half-hearted attempt to reach for a loofah. W-what!?
"I-It was Luna?"

Twilight nodded, leaning back in the tub and reminiscing.
"Yup. She was on her way here- To see you. And she gave me some important advice... More like she asked a favor of me... It was complicated. But it ended up being a lot like advice. I guess I'll explain it when I get there, if it's... relevant."

Clearly she didn't see the confused expressions Fluttershy and Rarity were shooting her, and one another, because she kept going.
"So I made it into Canterlot, no issues, and Celestia was waiting for me, and oh girls it was just perfect."

Rarity leaned forward, eyes bright.
"Was it romantic?"

"Mmhmm."

Fluttershy found herself surprised again- Had it been a mutual confession, like in the romance novels which she certainly never borrowed from Rarity?
"Was it... intimate?"

"Oh yes."

"Well tell us darling!"

Twilight took a deep breath.
"Stroud's Dimensional Codex and Planar Guide."
They both deadpanned at her. She looked around in confusion.
"What? Well, I mean, it wasn't intended as romantic, but it was certainly very private, very close study, and we..."

At that point Twilight couldn't keep a straight face any longer, and burst out laughing.
"Oh you two. It's not like we just suddenly met and then did it or anything. Our weekend started out with a lovely study session over some very complex magic theory. It's not like your weekend started out absurdly fast or anything, right Fluttershy?"

She didn't say a word. Instead, she opted to hide behind her bangs. Twilight stared.
"Right, Fluttershy?"

"I, um... Guess that makes it my turn."

On the tennis courts of Ponyville, there was currently a drag-out bare-hoof brawl. Two mares were fighting fast and brutal, attack after attack coming without cessation. Neither the pegasus nor the earth pony showed any sign of stopping, and the staff didn't plan on stepping in any time soon (even if they could have seen inside the walls of the enclosed private court, which they could not). After all, those two had the space rented out for another hour and a half, and this much violence was about average for them.

Hoof slammed into hoof, both of them moving faster than normal. Well, not Dash- She was moving faster than she did on a bad day, and even then that was only relative to being on the ground. ...Not that she could have told you she was on the ground right now- a fight like this always made her feel like she was flying. But instead of her wings, it was her legs lashing out and shaping the air, blow after blow. It also made her thoughts erratic, too busy concentrating on the interplay of the fight. And despite all this, despite her speed, she hit a solid block every time, no sweet impact of hoof on barrel, or even a decent leg shot. No matter how often she and AJ sparred, the winner didn't really come down to blows. Both of them had long ago learned how to block the other without any real consequence, so eventually, the fight came down to what it always did...

A tail wrapped around her rear leg and Applejack tried to slam her down to the ground. Calm, relax, exhale on purpose- Don't let her knock your wind out, just take the hit. The impact was softened, and Dash had enough composure to flip forward and pin Applejack. In the end, her position on the floor just gave her more leverage. Then they started wrestling in earnest, joints locking and teeth digging into manes and tails- Never too hard, just enough to get an angle and apply a little genuine pressure. Their fights got rough, yeah, but she wouldn't have it any other way- Applejack and her (awesome) self were too competitive for some soft-hoof tail-flicking sissy fight.

Another turnabout, and another, as they struggled on the open expanse of the tennis court. Ponies seeing the two of them rent a court to fight was normal by now- The only other good place in town to have a good fight had been closed for a while. Something about her little ‘karate training’ session with Applebloom causing too much property damage... Ah well. Distracted as she was by the train of thought, Dash ended up on her back again, hind legs spread around the other pony. One quick flex and she was pulling Applejack down with her. There was no way she was going to let this one end in another draw- Not after that mutual verbal beatdown earlier. So she leaned up, swung her muzzle to the side, and then dragged her teeth hard down the side of Applejack's neck. With any luck, that would get her to ease up out of shock and Dash could...

"Ow! Consarnit, rake, rake!"

Or maybe she would stop fighting, out of sheer confusion, pulling away from a suddenly-blushing Applejack. Dash had a little idea of why Applejack just randomly said that, but couldn't quite believe her ears. So she fell backwards and looked over at her sparring partner.
"And, uh, what was that all about?"

Applejack's face scrunched up in the closest thing she had to a poker face, which was to say, a "blatantly-trying-to-fib" face.
"Just... um... something me and Rarity use. Kinda like sayin' 'uncle' when you're gettin' whupped..."

Dash put two and two together about as fast as she did everything.
"...Yeah, only kinky."
Bingo! The farm-pony blushed about as red as her cutie mark, and Dash fell over laughing. This... This was too good.
"So you're telling me..."

"Shut up, Dash."

"That Rarity..."

"Shut up, Dash."

"Rarity, Ms. Pony Prim and Proper..."

"Shut up, Rainbow Dash."

"Actually hurts you so bad in the bedroom..."

"I swear to Celestia, Rainbow!"

"That you of all ponies need a safeword?"

Defeated, Applejack hung her head. Dash expected her to laugh, but this seemed to actually be a serious issue, to the point where Applejack plopped down next to her on the ground before she spoke.
"Look, Rainbow... It's not necessarily about hurtin', ya understand? We just... We do a lot of things. Varied things, maybe even weird things. And neither of us wants the other one sufferin', or not havin' a good time, so... We wanna make sure we can call a stop if we have to. Or even just pause things to catch our breath. Yaknow?"

She didn't know, actually. Dash had never thought about it that way. As far as she had ever known or thought, safewords were how you chickened out when things got too rough. But now that she was thinking about it, having one really didn't seem like the worst idea in Equestria... After all, between Pinkie and herself, the odds were in favor of one of them crossing the other's boundaries some day. And would it really hurt if they had some way to actually tell each other that, in the heat of the moment, before it got problematic? Maybe she'd bring it up later...
"Oh. Um... Sorry for making it out to be a bad thing, AJ."

"S'no problem Dash- I know 'taint exactly normal. But I'm glad ya understand."

"Of course! What are friends for?"

"Other than blowin' off steam by wailin' on 'em for a while?"

"Yeah, other than that obvious stuff."

All hints of the previous tension, or even the stress of their fight, were gone. They laughed, helped one another off the ground, and went to grab some snacks. Round Two would be a fun one for sure, at this rate...

Twilight couldn't help but stare. Was... Was Fluttershy saying that she and Luna had just gone right to it? Like... That? Just suddenly jumped on one another and started rutting like mad? She was very glad for the hot bath all around her now, because thinking about the situation was making her react fast. And that made her think about her own situation, which made her more aroused, and the whole thing spiraled up from there. Or maybe spiraled down, pressing in with a wave of tight heat before OK get off that train of thought, because you certainly can't get off the -other- way right now.

"Well, I had been very nervous about how things were going to go, so... I went to Rarity for advice. And Rarity, I really do owe you: it was perfect."

"What did she suggest?"

Rarity herself responded.
"A party- Planned by Pinkie and myself. After all, Fluttershy always seems to open up in that kind of situation, so..."

"A party... just for two ponies?"

Fluttershy was blushing.
"Mmh. Silly, but... It really worked. Luna arrived, and the party let us really unwind and get to know each other. I learned so much about her, what she likes and how she feels about being back... There's still a lot for me to learn, but I guess I'll have time, hehe."

"So the two of you talked through the whole party."

"...Almost. But then we got to some quiet point, and I worked up the courage to confess how I felt... And we talked over each other."

Rarity visibly winced at the poor timing.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry."

"Uhm, well, don't be... Because, well..."

"Yeeess?"

Fluttershy's response was so quiet that even in this placid room, neither of them heard it. Twilight nudged her with a slight puff of magic, goading her to continue.
"What was that, Fluttershy?"

"She was mumblemumble."

"...Did you just actually say 'mumble'?"

Twilight didn't press any further, just waiting for the pegasus mare to relax and get comfortable saying this next bit. Obviously, it had to be something major. Had Luna revealed some major secret of the Royal Sisters? Maybe she had discussed this mysterious "plan" that was taking place tonight? Or...

"She was trying to confess the exact same thing."

She WHAT!?

Chapter 32- Bonds and Brawls

There had been a little break in Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s fight, but it didn’t last terribly long. Snacks snacked-upon and drinks drank (and what nice drinks they were- The Flower Sisters always made perfect rose water), they started Round Two. To her own dismay, Applejack almost let Round Two end as soon as it began- Dash sprang onto her fast, skipping the normal pre-fight brawl and going straight to a grapple. And while Applejack had much better tail control, that was a dang hard thing to leverage when a feisty pegasus had her stuck already. She tried to push back, swinging around and up... But that just got her between Dash and the wall. Today just wasn't her day.

She shouldn't have been terribly surprised when, having pinned her to a wall, Rainbow Dash started nuzzling her neck. Each little press and nudge made Applejack shiver. Their blood always ran so hot during these spars, and in the past, it had gotten a little... heavy. Never that far, but she always had a feeling it could have gone 'there', if she had pushed it. Dash laughed- Apparently happy about her second straight win of the day, even though it still wasn't over yet. But... Was she really laughing about that? Or was it about how they were pressed together right now?
"Remember earlier, the whole thing with 'that' word?"

Applejack did her best to play dumb, even as Rainbow Dash dug her teeth in, nibbling along her coat.
"W-what about 'that' word?"

"C'mon AJ... I wanna make you say it again... Or maybe I don't. Maybe I don't want to stop."
Dash punctuated each statement with another little nip, chuckling into her skin as she went.

"Oooh..."
She groaned, trying not to arch her neck harder against those teeth. So much rough pressure against her body, that inferno-hot athletic body pressing down onto her... It was so different from her sweet marshmallow lover, Rarity's soft body and cool skin. The contrast was making it harder to resist than she expected. On top of that, she realized she didn't actually want to resist... And to be totally honest, she didn't have to resist. This very issue had come up in theory, and Rarity had said... Well, a lot of things.

It had been a long week on the farm- Cider season. Nothing managed to affect her more than their toughest, most business-oriented make-or-break segment of the year. Applejack was not just sore on every inch of her body, but her mind and spirit were wound just as tight. Stress upon stress, worries and issues. Ponies never said a bad word about their cider, but the Apple family still managed to fret over the success of their number-one product. And so she lay here in Carousel Boutique, waiting for her wonderful, accommodating lover take care of it all. These days, Rarity had shown her a rather... unorthodox way to relax. But boy howdy did it ever work.

She winced as the first ropes dug in a little tight, crossing her barrel and moving up around her joints. Rarity adjusted her pace, putting a gentle touch into her magic and soothing the slight abrasion of the bindings. It always felt strangely comforting to float, suspended in Rarity's power as the thick cords spiraled around. It wasn't as relaxing as what was coming, but still... it helped. Her eyes followed the path of each loop as they tightened, pushing her coat into her skin in just the right way. Even working with ropes as often as she did, it utterly fascinated her how her unicorn marefriend could make such intricate knots, so fast.

And it was even faster than usual- not five minutes before she was trussed like a prize pig, her whole body bound and compressed. She was already panting, haunches hot and tongue lolling out. Even her mane and tail got involved, linked to one another behind her back, lifting her hair completely out of her face and indecently revealing her marehood. Once, Rarity had threatened to open shop and leave her like this, use her as a conversation piece with her most discerning high-class customers... Especially the stallions. And Applejack's reaction had been strong, although half-frightened. She was still thinking of a way to get her back for that...

"And how are you feeling, lover?"

"Hot. Tight. Real sore, but gettin' better."

"Veeeerry good. And now that I have you as a, well, captive audience... I want to discuss something."

Her eyes flicked around nervously.
"I'm not gunna have to call a safety and stop y'all, am I?"

Rarity tutted.
"I hope not, darling. I just believe that this is the kind of issue you would... run from, if you could."

"You think I would run from somethin' like that?"

"Applejack, I seem to remember a time where you bolted clear to Dodge Junction because you couldn't face some minor failure."

"Now come on..."

"Or the time you hid in the coat closet for over an hour because you saw a wedding dress on one of my dressforms and leapt to staggering conclusions..."

She didn't have a response for that one.

"Oooh, or what about the time Mayor Mare almost caught us in flagrante and you bucked a hole in my wall?"

"Alright, alright! So maybe ah've got some... avoidance issues. But now you've got me well and rightly trapped."
She struggled a little against her bonds, realizing that any attempt to move her forelegs caused her tail to shift up even higher. A groan escaped her lips.
"Oh mercy do you ever."

"Mmmh. Don't remind me, or I might get sidetracked and work you over before we even get the chance to talk. That's not your goal, is it?"

She knew better than to lie. As if she ever would to begin with, of course.
"No ma'am."

Rarity took her time continuing, and there wasn't a single thing that Applejack could do about it. Bound up and tied down like this, she wasn't able to act, or move, or do anything. And that was precisely why it made her feel so good. After weeks of stress, constantly working despite everypony insisting she relax, now she had no choice but to sit idly by, her body completely enshrouded in rope and magic. Twilight probably would have called it a 'paradox', the way being stretched and exposed made her feel so loose and safe. She just called it a wonderful feeling.

"Dear... Have you ever done anything with Rainbow Dash?"

Her blood went cold, but just a little- She had nothing to hide. Sure, their rivalry always had some, well, 'undertones', but... It wasn't like that. Not even once, not even the times she thought it would have been mighty nice to get a taste of those feathers...
"What? No! I... never. Not even before 'us', and sure as heck not now."

"Ahha. Well... Applejack?"

She wasn't entirely sure what she was about to hear, but it was easy (enough) to relax in her bonds and let Rarity continue.
"Yes, Marshmallow?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"Ah know. You've said the past is-"

"No. I don't mean the past. I mean... now. I wouldn't mind."

That was not what she had been expecting to hear. And nopony could blame her for being a touch skeptical.
"Really."

To her credit, Rarity didn't get defensive.
"Really. I... I think that you should be able, if you choose, to exercise some... freedom. As long as nopony takes your love from me, I don't mind if your body, ah... wanders."

"And is there a partic'lar reason for this... revelation?"

And even further points went to her marefriend: She was circling around behind Applejack, occasionally stroking her with a hoof, but never once showing her face. During a conversation this strange, even Rarity had to have been blushing.
"Not only do I worry about how rarely we get to 'interact' without attracting attention, I... I will admit some fantasies. Coming home to you, closing in for a kiss and seeing lipstick on your fur... Tasting another mare on your lips. Oh, or even a stallion's flavor. The idea that you had somepony else, and still came back to me... I like it, quite a bit."

She thought about it for a while. The perfect way these bonds dug into her, peeling away weeks of stress and exhaustion. The loving touches of a mare who she adored. The concept of turning around and bucking somepony else, then coming back to this sweet comfort. And most temptingly of them all, the thought of resolving things with Dash after all those struggles and tense arguments and near-miss nuzzles and wrestling matches...
"Ya know Rare, I think I might like that myself."

Applejack's attention snapped back to reality as Dash took a long lingering lick up her neck, ruffling her coat and dragging a gasp out of her. The enclosed rental court meant nopony could easily see them, but still she struggled. Even with her marefriend's explicit permission, this was a bit fast, and...

"P-pinkie."

Dash lifted her head, looking at her in confusion.
"What?"

"Is she alright with all this?"

"Pfft, yeah. What, you think she wouldn't be? Naw, we had that talk a while ago. It was actually pretty impressive the way she covered it: Got all philosophical, something like "We love each other absolutely, but sometimes we lust other ponies, and that's OK", although she said it more..."

"More Pinkie-like?"

Dash burst out laughing.
"Yeah, that's the ticket. Now, lemme take my winnings here..."

One pale blue hoof slipped down her coat, but Applejack stopped it. She glared at her pegasus friend and pushed back fiercely, throwing the surprised mare to the ground.
"Winnings? Now sugar, did you really think Round Two was over?"
With that, she lunged, an equal mix of bloodlust and just plain old-fashioned lust lust boling through her. Years of pent-up aggression, fight after fight, snide comments, jokes, hot summer evenings, the Running of the Leaves... It was all coming to a head now, and she wasn't going to let it turn into some kind of sappy emotional moment. She'd save that for Rare. With Rainbow Dash? It couldn't go any other way but the hard one.

Retelling Luna's confession was almost as emotionally moving as it had been when it first happened. Fluttershy was trying to flex her wings in agitation, but the water made it more like a languid stretch... And all that did was remind her of the matter at hoof. Twilight was looking at her agape, even Rarity seemed surprised. She definitely couldn't blame either of them.

"So, um, yes. She was trying to confess to me, I was trying to confess to her, and then we, uhm, rather than tell each other... We kissed. A lot."

Twilight looked at her with bright eyes, leaning out of the tub once again.
"And?"

"Aaand it's your turn."

The unicorn's happy bright expression immediately turned into a pout.
"Well... OK. I suppose my next bit is pretty interesting, so..."

She slowly relaxed as Twilight described the rest of their studies, their trip into town, and the lunch they had. It was all very interesting- Finding out that Celestia wanted the two of them to be on a title-free first-name basis was... Well, Fluttershy honestly thought they had already been like that. But it was new, and apparently a very major deal for Twilight- And she could understand. Despite Luna's recent arrival (re-arrival?) in Equestria, it still felt right to call her Princess. Because of that, speaking to her without a royal title was a bit stressful. In a way, however, it made the bond of their relationship even stronger.

"So after lunch, she took me to a little shop nearby..."

Oh dear. She couldn't possibly mean...

"A little shop that she, heh, heard about from Luna of all ponies..."

Ohno. Was Twilight really saying that Celestia had her go... there?

Twilight nodded at her.
"And yeah, that was exactly how I felt when I realized it was Matte and Nickle's place."

Up until Twilight pointed it out, Fluttershy did not realize she had been instinctively hiding herself, sinking down into the water until only her lashes and mane were visible. The very thought of being taken to that store by somepony you loved and respected made her mortified. What must it have been like to actually have it happen? Although she supposed she had a bit of an idea, given the way she accidentally ran into Luna on her way out of the place...

It was clear that Rarity was interested in this bit, perhaps more than anything else this far.
"Yes... Mr. Finish and Ms. Dime, correct?"

"That's them! And they were actually very accommodating of us- Matte was a bit of a joker, but so was Celestia."

"Really? I can't picture our regal Princess being so... jocular."

"Well, let me put it this way. Just about the first thing she did was ask to be directed to the 'plot devices'."

She was confused, but apparently Rarity got the joke, blushing deep red and tittering with laughter. Plot device... Well, um, other ponies sometimes call -that- a plot, so... Oh. She got the joke, and joined Rarity in furious blushing. Twilight was just as red as them, but she kept going.

"And, well, it... Uugh, it was so frustrating. But in a good way! She... she kept teasing me."

Rarity looked at her in shock, although despite looking affronted, she was clearly... approving? It was a strange mix of emotions in her expression, one that Fluttershy couldn’t quite place.
"In public? Darling, that..."

"No, not that kind of teasing. That, uh, that was later. And in public."

What had been a fairly embarrassing story suddenly turned right around and caught her interest again.
“R-really? The two of you...”

Twilight groaned, putting a hoof to her forehead.
“Look, it... It makes sense in context, alright? Just let me get there.”

They obliged, allowing Twilght to return to her story. They apparently hadn’t spent that much time in the shop, or made any purchases, but what they had seen was a display of sex toys. Very particular ones, which Twilight described with much blushing and misdirection...
“Modelled after moi? After all of us?”

“MMhmm. Mare and stallion, mind you.”

It was fairly obvious to Fluttershy that this idea enticed Rarity. And she herself... Didn’t really know how to feel. It’s not as if the creators (It wasn’t Mr. and Mrs. Finish themselves, right? They were such nice ponies...) could possibly have gotten accurate models of them. Or... could they? I WARNED Photo Finish that some of those outfits were a bit too revealing, but noo, covering up would have ruined ‘ze magicks’, and so here I am, worrying whether or not anypony with a pouchful of bits could get a replica of my... and then they’d use it, and... Oh dear. She had to blow off some steam and change topics, hopefully at the same time, or the mere thought of all this was going to drive her up the wall.

“Um, Twilight, you said your visit didn’t go much longer than that, right?”

“Yeah... Why?”

She smiled nervously.
“Well, I figured I should... get on with my turn. I kind of left the two of you hanging, after all.”

Fluttershy gave them both a moment to recall exactly where she had left off- Right on the cusp of her and Luna’s passionate makeout session. Twilight nodded her assent, and she sighed in relief. I can worry about prosthetic plots later. Now I just have to divulge the intimate details of my first time with a royal deity.

...Maybe I didn’t think this whole thing through.

Intermission 5- Wrestling with Emotion

Hot and heavy, completely unforgiving and far too large. Celestia’s sun beat down on the hard red clay of the public tennis court, leaving everypony darting for shade. The private players, who were all paying for their privilege, didn’t have to worry about that in quite the same way- after all, what’s privacy in a society that’s one-third fliers without a roof? No, they just had to worry about the fact that each of those little tennis courts, so neatly walled and roofed, were hot-boxes. Radiating heat from every surface, even below, made them easy to mistake for some mad hybrid of sport field and sauna. But that was also part of the point.

Thick redwood walls run through with water channels, kept circulating with pumps, did their best to cool it all down. Corrugated metal roofs kept the sun out, but were lifted just enough to let air circulate. The end result was inevitably hotter than any reasonable pony would prefer, during deep summer or high noon- cooling could only do so much. But right now, on Court #3, the ponies inside could not possibly care less. Hay, they couldn’t even tell. They were too busy fightin’ and f... other things.

At this point, the first half of the equation was dying down. They couldn’t spend all their energy fighting, or what came next would just be sweaty, slow, and disappointing. So what had been blazingly-fast kicks and feints quickly drew closer together again, blows slowing, legs wrapping as they started to grapple. For a moment, it seemed like Rainbow Dash had a good edge on her partner... But then the farmpony dug one hoof into the base of her wing, hard, and her knees gave way.

She had the pegasus on the ropes now- Well, the clay. Ropes were more for her actual marefriend, or for herself... No! Stop getting distracted and get back in the game, AJ. And avoiding distraction was quickly becoming necessity: Even as she got a grip around Dash’s barrel, she felt teeth digging into her ponytail mane. Leaning forward, she tried to pin Rainbow to the ground, but was swung sideways when the pegasus jerked her head and tugged. The sudden hair-pulling left her seeing stars, and not just from the pain... Rarity usually did that to get her attention, when she was too busy being face-down in plot to notice anything else.

Again, distraction wasn’t paying out- She was losing her grip. And rather than outright lose the whole contest, she decided to play a trump a little early. She kicked out with both hind legs, letting herself drop... And forcing Rainbow to come with her. They both hit hard, landing on their sides, but Applejack was the one in control, forelegs firmly planted around the pegasus mare’s sides. Her words came out slowly, she was short of breath from the struggle (and other things...)
“Ya give?”

Rainbow spat out the mane in her mouth, quirking her head as though she didn’t hear.

“I said do ya giMMPH!”
She never got to finish repeating herself, as Rainbow Dash yanked her down again and pulled her into a fierce kiss, all teeth and tongues and pressure. Every time a little nip or a bite landed on her lips, she groaned and lost a bit more control. But even with that, she would not be beaten. One forehoof slipped down, tracing across Dash’s ribs just to float away a moment later... Without warning, she brought it down hard, a massive cracking -SLAP- against the lightning-bolt cutie mark. Dash stiffened under her, eyes going out of alignment for a moment as she groaned in appreciation.

Another strike, this one higher up. She got bit for that one, but it just made her next hit all the harder-- This time right on her toned little flank. Thanks to the angle, Dash couldn’t even try to move her own hooves to reciprocate, so Applejack was winning. Well, truth be told, she wasn’t sure this was even a competition anymore, but she’d never let that slip. All she had to do now was aaah...

There had been some kind of thought in her head, but it was totally lost when she felt the hard bony knee rutting between her hind legs, Dash kicking up and rubbing as best she could from her position. All these interruptions were making it hard to do anything... Maybe she’d strike back and get Dash’s wings.

...Wings. Why hasn’t she been using her... Oh buck.

All it was gonna take was a little distraction and then one good double-pump. Let her think you’re too distracted with your marks (Ha, as if- Pinkie practically never takes her hooves off the dang things!) and then get the upper hoof... There! She lunged, pushing up with both wings, sending them both a foot or so into the air. Not very far at all... For an earth pony. But for a pegasus? More than enough time to crack her wings back, let out a puff of wind and send them both gliding through the air. And since she was the one with some air control, all she had to do was twist before they touched down... When they landed, Applejack was still on top, but they weren’t muzzle-to-muzzle any longer. Instead, she had Applejack’s face firmly pinned between her knees, and she was staring at the root of the farmer’s tail. Now she could really get to work.

But of course she couldn’t just give her what she wanted, not right away. That would take the whole point out of it! So instead, she started biting, nipping, and tugging. First her flanks, then all the way down her legs, and back up. Once or twice she’d stray real close, the sharp scent of musk making her dizzy and horny and hot, but wouldn’t touch. Good thing, too- Applejack was being just as much of a tease, constantly breathing out and letting her nose get right next to it... And then she’d back off. This teasing was going to last for a while if either of them had anything to say about it. Or it was going to, but eventually she got a hint even her famous stubborn nature couldn’t ignore.

Applejack was... wow. Wow. She could only imagine her own business was a slick mess back there, but this... She hadn’t even touched the other mare there, not once, but every few moments there was a little plip as a drop of liquid hit her face. And she had thought Pinkie got wet, this was another category entirely. And she was not one to turn down that kind of offer. She licked her muzzle clean (Oh sweet Princesses she tastes like cider how is that even possible) and dove in. The taste was only stronger as she got down to her task, lapping across her several times. Each one made the girl above her shudder and shake, and she felt, not heard, some kind of whisper against her flank... And then, finally, AJ returned the favor.

Given the huge fuss Pinkie had kicked up in Cloudsdale about the flavor of rainbows, Applejack half-expected an almost mouth-searing heat. And while the pegasus plot she was currently nuzzling was quite hot as far as temperature went, the taste... She’d be lying if she said it was better than Rarity’s, at least to her. Where that was a refined, almost crisply clean taste, almonds and honey and musky spice, this was vigorous and dirty, all bitter salt-sweat and a nearly masculine musk. Not to say it was bad, but... Not to her tastes. But that didn’t make her any less eager, so she went at it with gusto, fervently licking and kissing along those private little lips.

Rainbow may have started things, but she was going to bring them to a ‘finish’ if there was any justice in this world. Dash was an athlete... But she was a farmer. And that meant stamina. Their first night, Rarity had taken nearly a full hour just to bring her off the first time, although it got quicker as more and more of her weak spots and little kinks revealed themselves. Even for a first time, where she didn’t know Dash’s body at all, it didn’t take a lot of guesswork... She clamped her forelegs around the other mare’s hips and dug in, tongue lashing once, twice before pushing, snaking in and caressing her from the inside.

She expected that to get a fast reaction. She didn’t expect Dash to nearly crush her, knees clenching as she squealed and came. Applejack felt her howling right on her own sex, and mercy was that a nice feeling. Not nice enough to finish her, oh no- If that was the case, she’d practically be going off every minute with Rare. Mah girl’s a loud one... But she should be paying attention to the task at hoof, not the one waiting back home... Or, uh, at the Spa, if she remembered the time right. A soft moan got pulled out from her as Dash started nibbling, the devious little thing. After all this buildup, she was close, and it only took another minute or two to push her over.

If they hadn’t already fallen onto their sides in all the commotion, she would have collapsed, panting and grinning. As it was, she just curled up. Give her legs some time to recover, and she could get up and stretch, really feel it, and that would be wonderful. Beside her, Dash seemed to have the exact same idea.
“So, looks like ah did win this one.”

Rainbow Dash blew a strand of mane out of her face.
“What, no way! I finished way before you.”

“...Aint’ that kinda race usually the other way ‘round?”

“I dunno, maybe? I guess we could do a rematch... Still got like half an hour on the court.”

She stuck her hoof out, and bumped it with the pegasus mare’s.
“You’re on.”

Chapter 33- Trysts and Traditions

In the streets of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was very clearly in Party Mode. It wasn't exactly easy to describe the things that happened to Pinkie when she was in full-blown Party Mode. Even other ponies who saw it happen weren't quite able to put it into words... Well, except for Twilight, of course- It was hard to find any situation that she hadn't at least read something about. Once, Twilight had compared Pinkie's party-preparation performance to an ancient Pegasus-tribe war technique; one where they entered an altered state of mind before combat. She hadn't gone into a lot of detail, other than saying it made them very dangerous, very fast, and gave them almost endless stamina. To Pinkie, that had sounded like any given Friday night.

Even though it wasn't Friday, she had a much bigger reason to hold a party right now (even though that was sort of hard to imagine). Princess Celestia herself had told Pinkie to arrange a party. And not just ANY party- Although any party mandated by a Princess was a pretty incredible one. But a party for the entirety of Ponyville. That wasn't just huge, that was nearly unprecedented. Well, nearly unprecedented this month. She was Pinkie Pie, after all, so town-wide parties weren't a total mystery. But this wasn't just any town-wide Pinkie Pie party, it was a town-wide Pinkie Pie party especially for the aftermath of Luna's big secret plan.

Now, some ponies who witnessed her gleeful bouncing path across Ponyville might wonder why she was so excited. And anypony who saw her actual plans and choice in decorations might be even more confused. After all, she didn't have any better of an idea what the Mare of the Moon was planning than anypony else... Right?

Well, no, actually, I totally do!

...I had been speaking rhetorically, Pinkie.

Oh! Well, I don't see what the art of public discourse has to do with anything!

I had also been narrating. You know, that thing you aren't supposed to interrupt me in the middle of? And what do you mean you know?

Pink-

-ie sensed it, right, right. Why is it that precise, anyways?

Dunno! But it does mean I know that Luna is planning to-

"AHEM."

Pinkie Pie spun around and looked at the door. Princess Luna had just walked in, interrupting her attempts to fracture the stability of the narrative fabric. Whether it was intentional or not wasn't entirely clear, but regardless, there was strict Sugarcube Corner protocol for when royalty came to visit.

"Oh, greetings Your Royal Majesty! Can I get you some tea so you can trick me into pouring waaaay too much of it?"
She chuckled under her breath at Luna's confused expression. She never ever ever let the Cakes live down that day, even when they weren't around-- Especially when they weren't around! It had been so cool to learn that Celestia understood the value of a good prank. And plus, she got to see a phoenix! Well, sure, it was a bit ugly at first, but then it went all fwooosh and it was so shiny and awesome and-

"...Ahem?"

"Oh! Right! Sorry about that, I got distracted by... Um, me."

"Fully understandable, dear Pinkie. And no, the tea will not be necessary. We merely wished to let thee know a bit about the nature of tonight's plan, so that thine party may be suit...able..."
The Princess of the Lunar Seat finally began to look at the decorations lying on the tables, wrinkling her nose in a brief expression of surprise. She was visibly just realizing that all the decorations were already exactly the right kind, complete with a banner. A banner naming and describing the very event she had made quite positive to tell nopony but her sister about.

"...Ahha. Well, that makes things simpler. And thou shalt not tell anypony, yes?"

It would be completely unthinkable to deny a request from a Princess, especially if she was about to hold a big impressive town-wide superparty on her behalf.
"Pinkie Promise!"

"That would be the one with the cupcake, correct?"

"Yuppers!"

"Then my secret is safe in good hooves. And now that said safety is confirmed..."
The blue alicorn leaned in close to her, voice dropping to a (sort of) whisper.
"...Dost thou have any of these "dough nuts", which I have heard tale of, available for sale?"

Pinkie grinned wide enough to just about split her lips. Without looking away, her hooves dropped down to the glass-fronted counter, sliding out a tray of glazed crullers. Moments like these were what made every day worthwhile.
"Princess, let me introduce you to my flaky little friends..."

Even given how embarrassing it had all been in context, Twilight had never imagined how much talking about that trip to 'the shop' would affect her. She had spent most of the conversation flushed and flustered, and even now was still blushing. And now it was time for Fluttershy to talk about her and Luna's... very first time. The two of them had gone about things a fair bit faster than she had with Celestia, but then again, they had already kissed before, and... No, Twilight, just listen to Fluttershy's story first. You can question the developmental speeds of relationships later.

Her pegasus friend was slow to restart, and frankly Twilight couldn't blame her. She almost felt a bit better, now, about how far in the story her own "first time" would be. Yes, it had been nerve-wracking at the time, but now it meant she could avoid discussing it until she was good and ready.

"We... oh... Kept kissing, and it got more, um, passionate, and she..."
Fluttershy went quiet.

"Yes dear?"

"She... touched. Um, touched me."

Rarity held back a laugh.
"Well, I would hope so!"

Her friend began blushing, and her response only came as a whisper.
"No! I mean she touched my... flank. Especially... there."

She tapped her chin, thinking it over.
"Your tailhole?"

"No! It was my..."

Rarity leaned forward, eyes bright.
"Your marehood?"

"No... Not that quickly...My, um..."

She didn't continue, leaving the two of them to draw conclusions. Thankfully, the process of elimination was in their favor, since the only option left was....
"Ooooh! She was pressing on your cutie mark, wasn't she!"

All Fluttershy did was squeak and then nod, head bobbing quickly. But even that level of embarrassment couldn't hide her smile.
"It wasn't anything like doing it for myself, and I... Well, I've always been really sensitive... there."

Naturally, a statement like that just made Twilight more curious.
"Did you... you know, finish quickly?"

"Twilight! That is quite the assumption, thinking that she even climaxed at all from something as simple as a little mark-play. Although I suppose it must have been fairly intense, being a first time, and with a Princess..."

The longer Rarity talked, the more Fluttershy blushed, until eventually she started nodding.
"Yes. I... I got there, fast. But before I did, she was... Oh girls she was leaning over me and her mane was everywhere and she was so pretty... And her horn was right there, so I sorta leaned up and... licked. And we finished together."

They had been listening, but neither one of them could possibly respond. Twilight couldn't speak, utterly stunned, and Rarity was blushing blood-red and ducking down under the water as far as she could without ruining her mane. The pegasus, not having a horn of her own, much less any real connection to unicorn culture, just looked at them in confusion.
"Um... Girls? Was it something I said?"

The question broke her out of her shocked silence.
"Fluttershy! Do you... Do you even realize what you did?"

The other mare was clearly still baffled.
“I, uh... I did something that made her very happy?”

She facehoofed. Explaining the social intricacies of that would take far too long, so...
“Just, uh, go on. Forget we said anything.”

“Well, alright...”

Twilight did her best to relax as her friend went on with the retelling. It would have been a lie to say she wasn’t interested, but her attention wouldn’t hold... After all, Fluttershy clearly had no idea what her little show of affection had been, where a unicorn was concerned. It certainly wasn’t the same as casting a unified spell, but it was probably the closest any non-unicorn could get: An act of immense intimacy, usually used to imply that the giver was interested in a serious relationship. Of the long-term variety. Or, to be more accurate, the longest-term variety. And so now she was trying to imagine the ancient ultra-traditionalist Luna reacting to that. Apparently she hadn’t done or said anything at the time, but what if tonight’s announcement was going to involve it? Did Luna think Fluttershy meant that she was... Ugh, this entire thing is so frustrating!

“And so, when I was finishing the, um... I guess massage isn’t really the word for it. But at the end, I, uhm, oh dear...”

Rarity blanched.
“You did that again?”

“Maybe a bit... more than that?”

They stared at her incredulously. She coughed.
“Well, it was right there, and I had already been, well, licking again...”

The two of them blushed, but their friend was still oblivious. Rarity reached out of the spa to get a drink to steady herself, lifting an elegant glass in her magic.
“And so I might have, well... Taken it into my... mouth.”

There was the sound of glass shattering. Rarity spluttered and began cleaning the mess she had created, while Twilight couldn’t take it any longer-- She had to explain just what this meant. At the very least, so they could be prepared to let Luna down gently, or maybe not, or... Whatever Fluttershy planned to do because of this whole fiasco. So she explained, slowly and carefully, just what that kind of oral horn-play meant, to a unicorn. All of the ancient traditions that had built up around the act, and the way it signified a major bond and commitment. How it wasn’t really a far stretch from that to a proposal of marriage, and how doing it for anypony less than the one you absolutely loved was more or less impossible to imagine. As she kept going, Fluttershy’s eyes grew wider after every line. When she finished, the pegasus mare sat back in the soaking tub, looking completely dumbfounded. There was a moment of silence.

“I did WHAT!?”

Luna leaned across the table in Sugarcube Corner, completely disheveled. At this point, she had discarded parts of her Regalia, let her mane flow loose and free, and sprawled halfway across the booth. Absolutely lewd sounds, smacking and slurping and suckling, came from her muzzle. Gingerly, paying utmost attention, she ran her tongue across the delicate hole in front of her, flicking across the surface to gather up more of the indescribable taste. At this rate, she couldn't tell which was stronger: The gaping empty need deep inside of her, or the sense of incredible fullness. This entire affair was sinful, abnormally unlike royalty, and so very very new to her. Finally, she was overwhelmed. Luna gave up, breaking away with a gasp. The deed was done, and she only had one thing to say to Pinkie Pie.

She looked up at the baker, mouth covered in crumbs, an entire plate of crullers lying decimated before her royal presence.
"May we... have another donut, please?"

"Sure thing, Princess! Do you wanna try cream-filled next?"

For reasons she didn't quite understand, Luna blushed, but nodded her consent regardless.

Chapter 34- Plans and Preparations

Calm. Calm down and breathe. Just... relax. That’s what the spa is for, right?
Fluttershy was trying to give herself a little internal pep-talk, now that it was revealed that her simple act of kindness and affection had implied... Well, no. Frankly, a lot of the things she had been doing implied that maybe she was sort of coming on a little bit strong... But that extent of things was never her intention. She was just... very kind, and loving, and Luna was so strong and accepting and warm and... Sidetracked. Right. That’s a little too relaxed, Ms. “Stuck Royalty’s Horn Down Her Throat”. Well, not that much of it, although she was sure that it wouldn’t be too hard if she tried, and might actually be kinda nice GAH I am sidetracking again. OK. Just... really stop and think things through.

Her friends were staring at her with worried expressions, and she decided that she could be a silly worry-pony later. Right now, it was being totally unfair to Twilight that she was hogging their limited time with so much drama.
“I think I’m alright, girls. I’ll figure out what to do later, when I can talk to Luna about it. For now, let’s just... get back to our stories.”

Twilight nodded.
“I’m glad you’re being rational and calm about it, Fluttershy.”

On the inside, she was screaming so loudly that her ears hurt.
“O-of course! No sense in worrying, right?”
Another scream within.

The studious unicorn got up out of her bath for a moment, stretching and looking at the ceiling. Fluttershy had seen this once or twice before- When she got really excited retelling a story, or discussing trade embargoes with the Western Badlands, or whatever the topic of the day was, she needed... pacing space.

“So, that night, we had gone through that super-tiring day together and studied and then I ended up... Oh! Oh wow I almost forgot to tell you two the most important part!”

Rarity looked up from the glass she had just finished cleaning off the floor.
“Yes, darling?”

“Well, Luna-”
Twilight winced and paused, but she didn’t mind.

“It would be very silly if we couldn’t even talk about Luna. Like I said- I’ll figure it out... later. Keep going, Twilight- What was so important?”

“Luna had told me, and I don’t know for sure how true it is, but... She said that Celestia got lonely at night. Something to do with her absence after Celestia banished her. So she told me to keep her company, if I could. And I...”

The unicorn paused, blushing and fidgeting, but was quick to continue. From where she was sitting, it seemed like Twilight paced so much for just that reason- She could burn off her nervous energy by walking, and just concentrate on the discussion at hoof. Maybe I should try that someday...

“I asked Celestia to sleep with me.”

“WAHAWHAT?“

It took that massive outburst for Twilight to realize what she had said.
“No! Not... Oh jeez. Not sleep with me, like... I said it would be like a sleepover. Because I had never had one at the old library.”

“Oh. Oh darling you nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, Rarity. All we did... then... was sleep. And I had a dream.”

“About her, I wager?”

“Yeeess? Sort of. I had a dream of how I was going to tell her. And in the morning, when I woke up, I did it.”

Fluttershy listened intently as Twilight described her plan, all the way from getting away with an excuse of “preparing a gift”, to using her new spell to get in touch with Spike, and finally to the arrival of the letter as they ate breakfast. The longer she spent describing the plan, the more manic and far-ranging her pacing was, until by the end she had lapped the entire room several times. And then she stopped dead, apparently trying for a dramatic pose but instead looking vaguely paranoid, head peering back at them as she stood in the room’s center.

“And you know what happened, girls?”

They nodded to one another, having long-ago learned to act in concert. You don’t spend several years going to the spa every single week without becoming close. So they replied at the same time.
“She said yes?”

“She said y... Aaaw.”

All of them burst out laughing, the residual tension from the earlier conversation all gone. Now they could actually relax again, really relax, not just flee into little stress-borne fantasies about walking at Luna’s side to the stage during the announcement tonight and tilting her head down and kissing her in front of the entire Fluttershy get a grip this is NOT the time. She cleared her throat, looking back to Twilight, desperate for a distraction.

“Well, that was... that was more than enough for me. She embraced me, we kissed, and we laid back down to get some more sleep- She said we would talk about it on waking.”

“I hope that you did- That would be a terrible time to leave things uncertain!”

“Oh, we really did. And it turns out, well, a lot of my fears were unfounded...”

Fluttershy chuckled.
“Aren’t they usually? I mean, I know I get scared very easily, but paranoia has always been sort of your ‘thing’.”

Twilight looked at her quizzically. Apparently that had been enough to interrupt her retelling.
“My ‘thing’? How is it my ‘thing’?”

Now she was nervous, but she kept going.
“Well, um, Applejack never lets herself accept help, Dash is always really bleak about things behind her optimism, Pinkie gets all... dark... I get scared by my own shadow, Rarity can be kind of melodramatic (“I... don’t actually have an objection to that”) and you... get paranoid. We all have our own little quirks.”

Her friend looked around, tapping her chin with her hoof in thought.
“I guess you’re right! Huh, I never thought of it like that. Well... Yes. I had figured that our relationship would be limited to things like weekend study retreats, small vacations, little things. After all, she’s Celestia.”

“But you were wrong?”

“Yes! I was wrong! ...And for once, I was happy to have been wrong. She said she would be totally committed, and I wouldn’t have to worry about hiding it or anything, and oh girls it just made me so glad to hear that.”

They shared congratulations with her, both equally happy for their friend- It was so rewarding to realize things had turned out perfectly for everypony.
“And then she revealed her horrible, terrifying plan.”

...Maybe not so perfect? But before she could question it, Twilight turned back to her with a big grin.
“Your turn now!”

“...Is that really the kind of cliffhanger you are going to give us, Twilight dearest? And are you even serious about that bit?”

“Maybe, maybe not. But Fluttershy did it to me like twice now, and turnabout is fair play.”

Rarity didn’t object, and so now she was on the spot. Well... buck.

It had been quite some time since Celestia had been this impressed with her sister. Which is not to say that she disrespected Luna, but simply that her return from... elsewhere... had required a long bit of acclimation. But now she was back in her groove and creating arcane and inscrutable plans which nopony could understand from looking at anything but the entire picture... Needless to say, that may have been a familial trait they shared. And so she was applying her own practice to helping out, getting this plan running smoothly before the evening's public announcement. The perfectly-written checklist Luna had so kindly sent said that the next step was...

18- Finish Overseeing Stage Preparations at Roughly 4 pm

19- Go To The Southern Outskirts of Ponyville and Wait For Five Minutes

...Well. Apparently her dear sister had decided to either mess around with time-influencing magic again, or just knew how much Twilight's love for schedules came from Celestia's own habits. Something about spending an entire millennium handling the cycle of day and night, working both beats as it were... The experience left her with a sometimes-regrettable focus on chronology and precision. And so here she was, waiting on the edge of the small city, looking for... What? Why did Luna have her out here? Their alicorn magic, ancient knowledge, and skilled understanding of pony nature may have made it seem like they could automatically see the future; or at least made it seem that way to some ponies. But the truth, plain and simple, was that they could do no such thing.

Not exactly. That is not to say they didn't have ways of knowing what was coming, or estimating the results of an event. After all, history tends to repeat in both large and small ways, and when you have lived millennia, you have seen enough repetitions to make few things seem truly new. And those self-same millennia lent a wide pool of lost or supposedly-forbidden knowledge, including spells that could... Well, suffice to say she had the problem well in hand, if it ever became a problem. All of this without any mentions of 'outside' sources of information, which she would never abuse or even, frankly, be willing to refer to. Too risky, too ridiculous...

Her quickly rail-changing train of thought was slowed to a halt as a loud crack and a flare of black-purple light came from a stand of trees nearby. Ah, the wait is over it seems. She did not hide- There was no need for the Royal Sun to do anything so crass. Instead, Celestia merely stood still and allowed the sunlight to pass over and through her. It would take an absurdly incisive pony to notice her, with their sight denied, but it was possible. An Earth Pony could feel her disturbing the ground, a Pegasus could sense the static in her mane, a Unicorn would detect her magical field. And anypony could still smell or hear her. So would this mysterious visitor find her? And how?

"Hey Celestia! 'Sup?"
Matte Finish stepped out of the bush, smiling wide and bright. Or they could simply ignore my invisibility entirely. That also works. His wife- Nickle 'n' Dime, if she remembered correctly (And what a strange concept that was, having to actually remember somepony's name) came out immediately after. She shrugged, letting the light strike her once more. No sense in keeping up a useless disguise, after all.

"Apparently not much, apart from your sudden arrival."

"Which you were somehow prepared for. And in Ponyville for."

Celestia smiled at him- If they were going to play it that way, so be it.
"Yes, well, I'm just here to help prepare for the announcement."

Matte nudged Nickle and the two of them began to walk as they talked. Celestia followed suit, staying just ahead of them.
"Ah, right- Your sister's big speech tonight?"

"I did not say it was tonight, nor that Luna was involved."

"Nope, you certainly didn't."

She stared at him. He looked back, rakish grin unmoving. Eventually, she started to chuckle. Maybe a little verbal spar would be refreshing.
"Mmh, no. And yet you knew. I'm going to take a leap of logic here and presume you haven't been spying on me."

He looked at her with mock offense.
"Me, not spying? Well... you'd be right."

"And it's fairly reasonable to presume you're not ponies at all, are you?"

Neither of them so much as blinked or slowed, simply continuing to walk with her.
"We're definitely pony shaped."

Again, she couldn't suppress laughter- It was amazing how quickly he moved from being cagey and dismissive to outright admitting things like that.
"Many things are, but not all of them are actually what they seem. Would you give me a straight answer if I asked what you actually were, or where you came from?"

"I dunno- Would you give me a real answer if I asked the same?"

"...Point taken. Well then, perhaps you could tell me how you do the things you do? Creating impossibly precise devices with no moving parts, performing long-lost acts of artifice..."

"You ever hear that phrase 'All the world's a stage'? Well, I like to think of life as a game... I'm just working with the bugs."

That was excuse enough to grace him with a real smile- She hadn't expected that much information.
"Human, then. From Earth."

Matte stopped, although Nickle never once broke stride. Eventually he huffed, sounding slightly disappointed, and caught up to them.
"OK, ya stumped me there. Mon amor, how'd she figure that one out?"

His wife patted him on the shoulder with one hoof.
"You said bugs, Mat. Around here, where the only games are sports and board games, you'd have said you were cheating, or maybe exploiting loopholes. But bugs means programing, which means computers, which means science, which means..."

"Right. Gotcha. Oh well, it's not like I'd been hiding it that much."
Regardless of his apparent indifference, he still pouted a bit. Celestia wondered just how many layers deep he was currently acting- Was that an accidental slip at all? Was he even dejected by this turn of events? His acting was solid, and his wife was even more enigmatic, with as little as she spoke. The Princess was almost tempted to slow down the passage of the afternoon, let them have a long conversation before she was inevitably pulled back to her duties. On that note, what even was her next objective? She looked down at the scroll...

20- Have a Pleasant Conversation with Thine Guests, and Take Thy Time

21- P.S.-- Thank thee dearly, my sister. After that point, go ahead and relax, take a break- Consider it an enforced miniature vacation. The rest of this scroll will be random gibberish prefaced with numbers to make thee think there are other objectives.

22- Kumquat. Aardvark. Lavender. Patchouli. Knowledge.

23- Layer. Cake. Dedication. Procrastination. Select...

It went on like that for another half of a scroll. She facehoofed, and turned back to the couple.

"Ahem... As we were saying?"

PLOT-CRITICAL AUTHOR'S NOTE

1- In not-so critical news, 4o2 just passed 100,000 words published!
2- In VERY critical news, go read this fic as soon as you get the chance- It is part of 4o2, and VERY relevant to all your interests.

Chapter 35- Fillies and Foolishness

As much as pacing had made her retelling easier, Twilight found that the concentration technique was actually counterproductive to listening, so she plopped her plot back into the baths. Fluttershy had covered everything about her night, the last time she had a turn, so... Ooh, she was actually ahead, chronologically! That meant whatever Fluttershy discussed now would have been concurrent to her plan and its execution, and thus her message with Spike. It always made Twilight a bit more comfortable to have a concrete timeline of things- Same with all of her various lists and schedules. Order and rationality meant coherency and comprehension. Proper timing was proper execution was proper living... Or so she had been taught.

But of course, she was just getting off track again- It was Fluttershy’s time to shine. And shine she did. Or, well... Fluster. Look around nervously. Traditional public-speaking Fluttershy, in other words, but still... She hadn’t been that nervous talking about doing that to Luna’s horn. So why now?
“Well, we, um... Had a very nice breakfast. Luna had gone to Bon-Bon the day before, and she got, well... Sculptures.”

Rarity perked up and reached into her saddlebag with a tendril of magic.
“Oh! I know those sculptures... I believe Sweetie Belle got me one of the Boutique for my birthday last year. I have a picture around here somewhere...”

Shockingly, Fluttershy managed to look even more nervous.
“Oh, Sweetie Belle. Yes... Well, the sculptures were very nice, and delicious. And after breakfast, we went for a walk in Whitetail Woods. After all, it was such a beautiful day yesterday... Hee, Twilight, do you think Celestia’s mood had anything to do with that?”

It was her turn, now, to blush.
“W-what? I mean, um, if it was, then every time we... Oh dear. I might have to keep an eye on meteorological effects when we’re... OK, you know what? I think you’re just trying to stall again.”

The pegasus pouted, but she would have none of it- Turns were meant to go in relatively even spacing, fair was fair and all that. Fluttershy sighed.
“So... our walk. It ended at a clearing in the woods, where we might have gotten a bit... frisky. Except there was an, um... interruption.”

She paused, looking between the two of them.
“And then we cleared up the interruption and went home-”

“Waaaaait one second young mare!”

“...I’m a week older than you, Rarity.”

“Shush darling, I’m scolding you. Do you really think you can just say you got “interrupted” and then jump straight past it! That’s what wonderful delicious drama is made from! So who was it? Or what? After all, you weren’t far from the Everfree...”

The response they got was barely loud enough to qualify as a mumble. Twilight was sure that something like that had been the origin of the first single decibel measurement.

“I couldn’t make out what you said Fluttershy. Do speak up, please.”

Stubbornly, Fluttershy seemed to get even more quiet, speaking on some kind of subsonic level only truly audible to her own vocal chords. Twilight stifled a laugh- How bad could it have been?

“Pleeease, dear?”

Finally, she caved in and told them.
“Well, it was the... the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

Despite the occasional curl of steam still rising out of her bath, Twilight felt the temperature of the room drop hard. Rarity stared daggers at their mutual friend.
“My baby sister saw you doing what!?”

If there was one thing Spike hadn’t been expecting to deal with that day, it was a face full of pony. But here he was at the bottom of a hill in Ponyville, rump sore from a direct crash with Scootaloo’s scooter. Well, alright: The Crusaders were at the bottom of the hill, and he was at the bottom of the Crusaders, currently being crushed by so much filly it was silly.
“Sweetie Belle, can you please get off of me?”

Well, that’s what he tried to say, but it came out more like “Swwmmfbefjfff” and then trailed off. Sometimes, being friends with these three almost seemed like more trouble than it was worth... But he knew that was just the recent injury talking. Eventually, they all did manage to pull themselves off of him, cleaning the tree sap (where did that even come from?) out of their fur as they went.

Applebloom was the first one to apologize.
“Ah’m sorry Spike, we just sorta... Lost control.”

“Yeah we did! And it was all thanks to you pointing out your coltfriend like it was some huge emergency! Maybe next time, you could shout right next to my ear even louder!”

The young farmpony blushed.
“Hay! I wasn’t that loud, and fer the last time, Spike is not my coltfriend!”

Sweetie Belle leaned in and made a ridiculous expression at her, probably meant to be the look of somepony in love.
“Aaaww, really? So why do the two of you spend so much time together, hmmm?”

Her and Scootaloo started giggling, while their third friend was left sputtering. Spike just sighed and put a claw on her back.
“Eh, don’t let ‘em get to you- They’re just fooling around, right?”

“Ah know, ah know- I keep tryin’ to get ‘em back the same way, but they don’t have anypony I can make jokes about.”

That got the other fillies to stop laughing, suddenly both looking a bit hurt and... embarassed?
“Hey! Low blow.”

“Yeah Apple Bloom, we’re just messing with you two. We’re all friends, so of course we hang out a lot.”
Sweetie Belle had already gotten to work getting the scooter set back up as she talked, with a little help from all of them. For once, it wasn’t too banged-up from the sudden stop. Spike remembered the time they had ran full-force into him while he was trying to send a letter to Celestia... It took about a week for them to get that wheel mailed back from the palace.

“So, why are you three in such a hurry anyways?”

“We weren’t! Just sorta heading around Ponyville, looking for something new to try out so we can earn our Cutie Marks, and then your marefriend got all shouty at the side of my head.”

Rather than actually respond, he just shook his head and finished helping them put the scooter up. Lately, it had seemed like the jokes were coming faster than ever, but he couldn’t really blame them. It was coming close to summer, and apparently there was an unspoken expectation that when school started again in the fall, most of the class would already have some special somepony, or just a fun story from the vacation. He didn’t envy them that... Well, that was a lie. Sometimes he really did wish he went to school with them, or anypony really. Twilight was an amazing tutor, but he had to get all of his social stuff on his free time, rather than have classmates.

Sweetie Belle broke him out of his thoughts by shaking his shoulder vigorously.
“Oh hey, that’s right! Do you wanna come join us for a picnic later? Or now?”

“Eh, I dunno- I wanted to go see if I could find out from Luna what this whole “thing” tonight is.”

Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively.
“Pfft, Pinkie’s already trying that- She told us not to bother.”

“R-really? Well...”

Unfortunately for his willpower, Sweetie Belle brought out the big guns.
“...Rarity let me take some of her leftover sapphires...”

And just like that, before he even knew it, they were on the far side of Ponyville, parked under a shade tree and snacking down. The girls all had sandwiches and bags of sugared flower-petals, and he had a nice fistful of sapphires with a little emerald dust. Sure, he’d had other plans, but... Good gemstones don’t just walk into your mouth, yaknow?

By the time he had finished, the girls were nearly done as well. Spike dusted his claws off and looked around. This was... Nice. Nice and comfortable, like all his days with the Crusaders were. It had taken some getting used to all their in-jokes and antics, but their burning desire to get their cutie marks reminded him of how he sometimes felt about his dragon nature. They were all looking for something sorta mysterious, distant, and hard to sum up. But they’d all get there eventually. So now it was just waiting, and enjoying the wait.

Sweetie Belle suddenly started walking away from them, shooting a look back over her shoulder.
“Hey Scootaloo! Come with me for a bit, OK? It’s about that ‘plan’ we had.”

The pegasus looked at her in confusion for a second, then perked up.
“Oh! Right. Hey, Apple Bloom, Spike? Don’t follow us. We’re totally planning a surprise for a bunch of ponies, and that includes you, so no spoiling it. Got it?”

He shrugged-- No scales off his back.
“Sure.”

“Yeah, sure. Have fun yew two!”

Apple Bloom stuck her tongue out at her friends, and they all laughed before the others trotted off, deeper into the woods. And now the two of them were alone. For the first time all day. Apple Bloom looked over at him, scuffing her hoof along the ground shyly.
“Ah...are they definitely gone?”

He cleared his own throat nervously, darting his eyes across the field. He didn’t see anypony else around either.
“I...I think so.”

With a sigh, Apple Bloom leaned close to him, and Spike reached over...

Fluttershy was cowering before the wrath of Rarity. Normally a composed and demure unicorn, it was a bit of a known factor in Ponyville that one did not ever under any circumstances threaten or even make the slightest untoward suggestion in relation to her “baby sister”. Sweetie Belle never complained about the treatment, but Twilight remembered how Shining could get about her, back in the day... It wouldn’t be a huge stretch to call it smothering. But then again, his special talent was protection, so... She forgave him even if, in retrospect, she wondered how much it contributed to her sheltered unsociable teen years. Twilight had spent so long distracted, however, that it seemed like Rarity’s tirade was finally running out of steam.

“Do you have any idea just how much seeing that kind of thing can damage a foal? I mean, she isn’t really a foal, but... I... Oh Fluttershy, don’t cry. I simply get... You know. The way you would feel if somepony threatened your animals.”

The pegasus mare nodded, sniffling as she recomposed herself.
“Yes, I understand. In fact, after that... Well, first, I do have to let you know that we had just been kissing. And Sweetie Belle clearly didn’t know what we were doing- She thought I was preening Luna!”

At that, Rarity smiled.
“Heh. Well, you do seem to be the type to care for those close to you. Although I’ve never seen you and Rainbow Dash...”

Fluttershy was back to radiant blushing.
“No! Never. I mean... It’s a bit, um... Like the horn thing. Not so drastic, but it’s an... an intimate thing. Familial, or for... close lovers.”

“Ah. My apologies for the implication about the two of you.”

“It’s not a problem Rarity. But since you mentioned threatening my animals...”
Fluttershy then went on to explain how Luna had managed to completely reduce Angel Bunny into a quivering mess of neurotic hopping (a state Twilight felt he justly deserved, from what she had seen) madness. She had never questioned the Princess as to how, but none of them needed to ask why- They had all seen the terror that little creature could inflict.

“And, well, after that we went to visit Lyra and Bon-Bon, on the way I got Luna to try hay fries for the first time, and...”

Twilight looked at her.
“Hay fries? Really?”

“Well, that marketplace stall does such good ones, and she really enjoyed them. I got a two-pony cone, and she just sorta... finished it all herself! I mean, I still had my own food, so I didn’t mind, but it was really... cute.”

Twilight smiled at her blushing recital of the Princess’ first encounter with the new food. It sounded nice, and privately, she wondered if there was any kind of experience she could show Celestia like that... Something that even in her long, long life, she had never tried before. Maybe that would be a nice goal.

“Well, our time at Lyra and Bon-Bon’s place was rather... eventful. So Twilight, would you like to go again?”

For once, she wasn’t nervous about her turn! This one would be relatively easy. After all, it was just about how Princess Celestia near-constantly teased and played with her over the course of five long agonizing hours in which she was (if her lust-hazed memories were correct) dressed, stripped, bathed, dressed again... Beneath the water of the tub, she unconsciously rubbed her hind legs together.

In a clearing outside of Whitetail Woods, not far from Ponyville, a pony and a dragon could be found. Not easily- They were well hidden, quite hard to spot. But that’s where they were, and Apple Bloom was content to stay there for quite a while She let out a happy little sigh of appreciation and leaned back against the tree. Every once in a while, she’d open her eyes to make sure they weren’t going to be caught, but the rest of the time, she was too busy enjoying this new feeling. Because while ponies could certainly do a lot of things, there was one feature they were really missing...

“Ah keep sayin’ it, but ah really like yer claws, Spike.”

He continued to dutifully skritch behind her ears, occasionally running those claws down her back. Even though she didn’t do near as much work as her brother and sister on the farm, she still got sore. And this made all the difference in Equestria after a long day of chores and Crusading and dealing with Sweetie and Scootaloo’s teasing... Even if it was, in a way, the source of it. Sure, the two of them had been getting pretty close lately, but it wasn’t like they were actually kissin’ or anythin’. That was a step she hadn’t even thought about (and certainly never daydreamed of in class, nope) until now. But the longer they stayed in the field like this, the more it seemed like a kinda sorta good idea...

“Hey, do you wanna go check up on those two?”

She paused her previous naughty (by her standards) thought.
“W-what? But we said...”

“What we agreed to was not spoiling the surprise. You can’t really spoil yourself, right? So we just don’t tell anypony else, and boom! Problem solved.”

Honestly, she had been looking for an excuse to do exactly that anyways, so she jumped to her hooves, nodding.
“Hop on!”

It was his turn to pause and look confused.
“Um...”

“Hey, Ah’m faster than you Spike, and they probably went purty far- So get on mah back.”

He didn’t say anything to her, and she didn’t say anything back. It felt like it would be too easy to ruin the moment, to scare him off. But really, she just liked being close to him. It felt comfortable, and made her happy. So when he finally did it, jumping up and putting one claw into her mane, she whinnied a bit under her breath. Heavy, but not too heavy... Comfortable. Like carrying an apple-barrel back home.

“Giddy-up, little pony!”

She rolled her eyes, but did it anyways.
“Very funny.”

Spike was a little nervous about this. What if they got seen first? The two fillies would see him brazenly riding on Apple Bloom, and that would be the end of his dignity, or at least ability to deflect their jokes. He really did like her, and wondered why they made so many jokes about them... It felt like if Twilight was here, she would have said something about “deflection issues”. After all, he’d had a creeping suspicion lately, and the two of them sneaking off into the woods only made it stronger.

Apple Bloom looked back at him.
“Make sure to keep real quiet Spike- We’re here.”

When they first rounded the corner of the clearing, they saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo very close to one another. They were standing under the shade of a large tree, neither of them facing where Apple Bloom and Spike had come in from. Just in case, they backed away and listened from a distance. The conversation seemed... weird. Did their brash, fast-paced friend actually sound scared?
“Sweetie, I’m not so sure about this.”

They could hear their unicorn friend talking to her, voice soft.
“What’s wrong, Scootaloo?”

“I dunno, it just... sorta... seems kinda...”
Whatever she said next was lost to her ever-increasing mumbling. Curiosity got the better of their caution, so the two of them leaned out, Spike standing on Apple Bloom’s back to get a better view. What they saw was Sweetie Belle leaning over Scootaloo, who had sat down in the crook of the tree. Every so often, Scootaloo shot a nervous glance from side to side.

“Well, yeah! But... that’s alright, right? Because you said...”

This time the pegasus got a little angry, or so it sounded.
“I know what I said! So... yes. Yeah. Before I, uh, chicken out. And no chicken jokes!”

The other mare giggled at that, and leaned closer. Spike had a feeling he knew what was coming, so he quickly hopped off of Apple Bloom’s back. It would be pretty dangerous to be standing on top of her when she got the sudden shock of seeing...

Apple Bloom’s voice rang out through the entire field as she reared back in surprise.
“Did yew two just kiss!?”

Spike shook his head and dove for cover before the argument broke out. Called it.

Chapter 36- Answers and Avoidance

For a little bit, Fluttershy had thought that she had just seen one of the angriest ponies possible. Rarity’s protective streak was miraculous and well-renowned, especially when it involved her little sister. And Fluttershy had, admittedly, almost exposed that very same filly to some very frank and sexual activity. She had thought that was as angry as one pony could get.

But then Twilight described the dress Rarity had given her. What started as a fairly normal description eventually became a condemnation. That then led down several twisted paths until finally the purple unicorn was shouting at their mutual friend full-force, asking why she thought it would be OK to trick her into dressing like that before royalty. Fluttershy was surely imagining the slight sparks of red and white flame she saw along the unicorn’s mane and coat as the screaming escalated. Finally, slowly, carefully, Rarity tried to explain her stance on the issue. The emphasis is on tried, because as soon as the word “seductive nature” left her lips, the yelling started again. At that point, Fluttershy was getting a little tired of it all.

“Um girls... I know that must have been very hard for you to deal with, Twilight, but... Don’t you think we’re taking a bit too much time?”

The other mare paused, in the middle of swinging a loofah through the air for dramatic impact.
“I... Alright. Yeah. And... Rarity?”

The fashionista was uncharacteristically quiet, looking a bit depressed. Obviously she hadn’t meant for her creation to be quite so... impactful.
“Yes, dear?”

“The, uh, the dress wasn’t a problem. Celestia loved it. I just... Over-reacted. I kinda had to vent.”

A bit of color returned to Rarity’s cheeks.
“Thank you, thank you very much. I... should have told you.”

The atmosphere calmed after that, albeit rather slowly. Fluttershy was just relieved that all the angry shouting had died down. Now she could really concentrate on all of the angry shouting inside of her head, as various parts of her brain tried to figure out what to do about the situation with Luna. She had tried to put off contemplating it, but it just was too difficult in the end. Eventually, with an effort of supreme will, she threw aside that particular burden and paid attention. Twilight was... describing some rather racy things, actually. Could that really be right?

“T-twilight? Did she really... Tease you that much?”

“Oh yes. I mean, by the time the actual party rolled around, we made a contest of it.”

Rarity looked over, tapping her hoof thoughtfully on the side of the tub.
“A... contest, you say. How did that work?”

“Well...”

The way Twilight described it made it seem like she had been hoping for something like this all her life. And for all Fluttershy knew, maybe she had. Loving somepony, being close to them for that long, could probably make you interested in some rather unique things. For example, a sort of inverse-race to see who could avoid their desires the longest in a huge public hall full of other ponies in which you were likely the centerpiece of half the conversations. The mere thought of that much attention, sexually-charged or not, was enough to make her whimper in fear. No, she’d probably keep her interests a bit more private and secluded, although even the inside of her own home wasn’t that private, with all the animals...

Fluttershy struggled to grasp onto the conversation again to keep that thought from sinking in.
“Um! So, well... Who won?”

“Darling! Are you really going to pressure her to tell us the details that quickly? We haven’t heard a thing about the party itself, which is simply criminal- It sounds like a lovely affair.”

Twilight shook her head.
“Um, well, it probably was. But considering the competition between us, the whole ‘newness’ of the relationship, and the food... Oh, yes I almost forgot: Given that it was a Hearts and Hooves celebration for couples and romantic groups who rarely got to be together, nearly every dish was... effective. In that manner.”

“Y-you mean...”

The unicorn was blushing deeply as she continued, refusing to make eye contact.
“It made the contest really interesting, and everything else pretty hard to remember. I know that Fancy Pants and Fleur were there, and they asked me to say hello to you-”

Rarity interrupted her friend’s message with a joyful squeal, which startled them both.
“...Ah, my apologies. You were saying?”

“And... I won. Fluttershy, your turn.”

At this point, it was almost jarring how quickly they moved from one topic to another, but she couldn’t really blame Twilight- After all, there was very little weekend left to describe, and if the contest had ended (whether it was Twilight's victory or not), then it meant they... Well, yes. It would be lying if Fluttershy said she hadn’t been looking forward to that bit, but to get there, she had to go through the trip with Lyra and Bon-Bon... Oh! If I’m going to tell her about that trip, then I can finally find out some more about ‘that’ subject!

She brushed her wing casually, pretending to remove some dust (despite her wings being totally submerged in water).
“Twilight, what do you know about... Humans?”

Matte sneezed, rubbing his nose vigorously with one forehoof. Their walk had detoured around Ponyville, slowly spiraling in towards the town as indirectly as possible. It was an old trick Celestia had picked up back before the Equestrian Age really began- Nopony could honestly accuse you of going off-track if you were simply taking the most ludicrous and overblown track possible, which nine times out of ten was a wide, but narrowing, circle. Cheap yet still effective, traits she considered a virtue in nearly every aspect of her life. And while it was significantly less circuitous, Celestia had a conversational method that was just as cheap and effective, relatively speaking: Simply asking for answers.

“Well then, before we get to the town, I would like to know: What is it, precisely, that you want?”

Nickel quirked an eyebrow.
“Want? From what, or who?”

“You are a pair of humans, in Equestria. You must be here for a reason. And my experiences with your kind in the past don't leave me terribly certain of the reason itself.”

“...No comment?”

She chuckled- At this point, such a transparent dodge was nothing more but an invitation for further probing. (A sentence whose innuendo barely even registered in her head)
“Not going to fly. Try again, hmm?”

“You want the long version, or the short?”

“Let’s start short.”

Matte cleared his throat, obviously preparing for a fairly long statement.
“We wanted the hell out. End of story.”

Her deadpan expression got a chuckle out of him, although she didn’t find the situation all that funny.
“...Let’s try longer, please.”

“Pfft, worth a shot. OK, so... That’s really all there is to say. We come from a place that was pretty bad- You say you’ve dealt with humans before, but I doubt they were as bad as what we ran from. Eh, no, 'ran' is a strong word... Cut ties with. Yeah, better. Well, with ties cut and distance drawn, now we just want to... relax. We’re not here to cause problems, we don’t want anything. We’re just interested in living our lives and making things that make people happy.”

“And selling those things, love.”

He leaned over and kissed his wife’s cheek.
“Of course, dear.”

It didn’t sound like a lie to her well-trained ear or her innate magic... which was a surprise in and of itself. Celestia had expected something a bit more... Intense. Normally when a human arrived, it would be related to some massive ‘incident’, like war or resource exploitation or magical abuse. And in the extreme cases, she would make sure they neither harmed her ponies nor ever went back. But these two simply... Wanted an escape, apparently. Which left a rather pressing question in and of itself...
“Then why tell me about your nature at all?”

“You’re the Sun, a godlike deific ruler with powers far beyond those of normal citizens of your world. Traditionally? That means you see through lies pretty easily. So we figured it would be easier to cut to the chase rather than get found out.”

“Mmmh. And those are your only intentions?”

Matte made an intentionally shifty-eyed glance (which reminded her of a certain Apple family pony attempting to tell a lie), although his expression managed a layer of sarcasm behind the fake nerves.
“Eh, just making the world a better place. You probably already noticed some of the things we brought over, right?”

Celestia paused for a (very brief) moment of thought, conveniently letting a pony from town pass without hearing their conversation. Another long-cultivated skill, the ability to stop and start seamlessly like that.
“I had assumed the sudden leap in technology at Canterlot University was the work of a prodigy, as opposed to outside influence... A foolish assumption, neigh?”

“Bingo. Not a problem, we hope.”

“It was inevitable regardless. Such things have come and gone from Equestria before... Although they may last a fair bit longer this time, especially if anypony gets the bright idea to let Twilight get her hooves on a real computer.”

The three of them stopped to consider that notion, shared a simultaneous moment of pure horror, and continued on. She could worry about her student / lover’s frighteningly keen intellect later. Preferably a later measured in years.

“In that case... One last question.”

Nickel looked a bit concerned, but Matte waved it off with one hoof.
“Shoot.”

“The entities you... ‘cut ties’ with. What if they come back for you? I would be very displeased if my citizens were brought into danger by your poor choice in vacation homes and escape locations.”

“Odds are low, Your Royal Sunbutt. We mean the kind of tie cutting that involves cutting other things as well. Like any way back.”

She let the ridiculous nickname slide- Given their integral role in her newfound relationship, it would be rather harsh to vaporize him for that... Not that she had ever contemplated turning a lick of solar flame onto ponies who said things about her (completely average-sized, by scale) flank behind her back.
“I had assumed you were going to say something about cutting them.”

“Wouldn’t have stuck, trust me. Did the next best thing tho’. But that’s the past, behind us and buried in various quantities of ex-mountain. That answer your questions?”

Ah. So I’m not the only one who tends to trap her foes in massive piles of stone and rock. Defined less by our differences, and all that.
“Quite nicely. And now... I think if we continue to take this particular circuit path, we are not going to reach Ponyville before the season changes, much less nightfall. Shall we meet again at the announcement?”

“Gladly.”

It had been a bit of an effort not to ask why Nickel was so quiet, or what the precise impetus that drove them here was, but... Frankly, she would allow them their privacy. Until it had any bearing on current events, such as the upcoming announcement, Celestia would not question them. Of course, given the amount of magical power Luna’s plan would require, a unique pair like that might not be bad to keep on retainer... But she could think about allocating ponypower (manpower, in this case) later. Currently, her sister’s orders had been to enjoy her free time, and she fully intended to do so.

Given that she was in Ponyville, that meant her first stop was... Sugarcube Corner.

“...And so in the end, humans are this weird anomaly. Which is to say, even though we don’t have any solid evidence, be it physical or historical, for their existence... The actual lack of evidence is very strange, almost blatantly doctored. So I guess on the whole, I know more than most, but still not that much. I do know that the topic of humans always makes a lot of ponies get a bit weird though. That, and Celestia usually laughed for like five or six minutes straight whenever I brought up the subject, so... There’s that.”

Twilight finished her ten-minute speech with a broad smile.
“Why did you ask, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes- She had expected a bit of a long-winded answer, but nothing quite that bad. Well, not bad- It had been enjoyable. But certainly rough to sit through.
“Me and Luna’s next stop had been to visit Lyra and Bon-Bon’s house, and... Well, yes. I think that says everything that needs to be said.”

Both Rarity and Twilight winced, but she was quick to backpedal.
“Oh, no, it was very nice! I just... Luna was all mysterious and such afterwards, so I wanted to check and get your perspective on the issue.”

“Ah. Now you have it, I suppose! Did the visit go well apart from that?”

“Mmh. Nothing too exciting, but yes. And then we... Actually, I wonder if Rarity might want to cover this bit.”

For a moment her friend was confused, but then it became clear that she remembered. Given how much Rarity had drank that evening, Fluttershy hadn’t been sure she would.
“Of course darling! Well, Twilight, you see...”

Perhaps it was just how long they were spending in the baths (it felt like they had been in here for over a month!) but Fluttershy found it easy to drift off into a relaxed stupor as Rarity summed up their meal. For her, it had been a bit embarrassing, all told. The unicorn mare obviously had far more experience with drinking, even if not something quite so potent or unique. And Twilight even seemed to recognize the drink, suddenly laughing and nodding along when Rarity described its... effects. That was around the point she realized Rarity was going to bring up Luna’s... modifications, and it would fall on her to ask Twilight if she already knew about them... Or warn her if she didn’t.

“Um, Twilight, that reminds me. During that dinner, we found out that Luna has some, ah... She’s had some work done. Down there. Do you know if Celestia...”

The scholar quirked her head to one side, and then smiled.
“Oh, you mean the extended Regalia! Yeah, of course she does. She didn’t have it in on the weekend, but I know all about it.”

Rarity sputtered away another glass of her beverage.
“W-what?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I’ve done extensive research work on Equestrian artifice, especially the nature of magical materials like orichalcum, and a lot of the more, um, traditional art out there... depicts the whole thing.”

“...Really now?”

Twilight laughed and put a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder as she got out of the tub.
“I’ll show you later, if you insist. But for now, we’ve been soaking forever. Let’s get out and dry off, alright?”

Rarity narrowed her eyes at the other unicorn.
“Waaaait. You’re trying to get out of summarizing the best part!”

An attempt at an innocent look from the well-read mare. But no matter how much she read about deception, she wasn’t terribly good at it.
“What? No! What best part?”

“Twilight. Are you legitimately telling me that you and Celestia went through that entire evening without... Well, you know? Or Fluttershy! Luna had more than enough of that lovely Sky beverage, she must have ravished you. Or vice versa! I demand the details, darlings!”

Fluttershy looked to Twilight. Twilight looked back to her. As one, they nodded, left their tubs... And proceeded to dry off and get ready to leave without saying a word. Their friend joined them, crying out in anguish and begging to hear the stories. With any luck, their resolve would hold and they could actually deny her requests. Just in case, however, they both started to hurry the process along with their wings and magic.

“But. But! Oh, this is the worst possible... Please?”

“No!”

Fluttershy paused.
“If, um, of course, that’s OK with you...”

Chapter 37- Defenses and Declarations

Spike really did have to make sure he thanked Twilight at some point. She had brought up this method of conflict resolution a while back (as a joke, but he didn’t know that) and it was going to work perfectly. It had to work perfectly, or he would have the Cutie Mark Crusaders throwing eight kinds of fit all over the inside of his house.

“So, ah, Spike, why are we goin’ to the Library again?”

Scootaloo looked over with a smirk.
“And why are you still riding on Apple Bloom’s back?”

The mare beneath him blushed, and he sputtered out a response.
“It’s comfortable! And you all know I’m lazy. Right?”

Apparently that was enough to distract them, for which he was thankful. To get them away from the topic, he explained, again, exactly why they were heading there.
“OK so, everypony is always quiet inside of the library, right? Nice and calm. And that’s not just because the librarian tells them to be quiet- Libraries are innately quiet. It’s like, part of their nature or something. So if we go to the library, not only do we have books and stuff to reference, and chairs and snacks and all that, but it’s calmer. Categorically quieter!”

Sweetie Belle, of all of them, looked unsure at his half-baked explanation, but they all kept trotting on anyways, so he took that as a good sign. After all, when they had still been in the woods...

“Aw come on! Yew two wouldn’t get off of mah case just becauz me and Spike got a -little- close lately, and then we find you making out!”

“It wasn’t making out! Just one kiss, I swear that’s all it was!”

Off to the side, Sweetie looked a bit hurt by the denial, and Scootaloo started to backpedal faster than she had ever pedaled her scooter.
“Well, uh, I mean... That’s all it was -at that time-. Like, we had just gotten started!”

Apple Bloom stomped.
“And that’s better!?”

Scootaloo thought back to the recent kiss and then broke out in a wide grin.
“Yeah!”

If he wanted to fix this argument, Spike had to come up with something fast. Some way to make them all quiet, a calm setting where he could defuse things. And if older mares were any indication (even if those arguments were more about his failing to dust on time) then he could defuse things with food. Quiet, a kitchen, calm setting... Oh!

...And that led them back into town and to the Library, where he quickly let them all inside. A sigh of relief escaped. OK, now we’re in a nice calm environment. I can finally relax and...

His optimistic thoughts were interrupted as he slammed into the floor, thrown off of Applebloom as all of the Crusaders began quickly rushing around the Library’s ground floor. Apparently when he wasn’t paying attention, one of them had suggested they try to get “Stealth Librarian” Cutie Marks, so now they were trying-- emphasis on trying-- to work on that. Given that they barely knew what being a librarian entailed, much less a so-called ‘stealth’ one (Scootaloo apparently thought it involved ninja garb), their progress was the same as any other cutie mark attempt: Loud, riotous, chaotic, and completely counter-productive.

None of that was going to change unless Spike stepped in. So he leaned forward and... Tapped Apple Bloom on the shoulder with one claw. She immediately stopped and spun, recognizing the sensation of that pointy impact.
“Yeah?”

“Maybe we should actually do what we were planning on doing, huh? Sitting down and discussing this whole thing.”

“R-right, yeah, sure!”

Eventually they got Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to stop as well, putting the ninja costume back where it belonged. Characteristically, he never questioned why Twilight owned a ninja costume. With that bit of organization finished, they all sat down.

Silently.

None of them seemed willing to make the first statement, and so they were all dead quiet (See, the library works! said an over-enthusiastic bit of his brain) and simply sat there. This calm albeit unproductive status quo lasted all of two minutes before a bored Scootaloo rushed to her hooves and began nosing (literally) around the shelves.

“Uuugh, Twilight has to keep something cool around here! I’d even go for a board game at this point.”

Spike didn’t realize exactly which shelves she was investigating until it was too late. She nuzzled the panel hidden in the woodwork next to the basement laboratory entrance. With a rough crackle, the magical battery stored in the wall hummed to life and Twilight’s recorded voice came out.

“Hello! Is that me?”

Scootaloo stared at it, and Spike began backing away in fear for the second time that day.
“Uh, what?”

“I apologize, potential-me, but ”Uh, what?” is not a recognized passphrase. Please let Spike know to reload the tree sap in Reservoir #19 later. Deploying defensive spray!”

A clear sheet slammed down in front of every bookshelf, the table rotated into the floor, and then... the nozzles.

“Not again.”

It had been, roughly speaking, one thousand and two years, six months and seventeen days since she had lost her sister. In the time before that, she had seen Luna of the Moon in quite a few preposterous situations, as well as some amazing ones. Nothing allowed one to get up to mischief quite like being the embodied spirit of the night itself, after all. But currently, this was only the... Seventh time, if she remembered correctly, that she had seen her sister like this.

Dazed. Exhausted. Fulfilled. Lying prostrate on her back with a contented smile, her entire muzzle covered in thick, ropey strings of yellow-white fluid.

Celestia smiled and poked her sister.
“Enjoying the custard, hmm?”

Luna rolled over with a groan and got slowly to her hooves.
“The next time thou sets eyes upon Pinkie Pie, please inform her that it would be prudent to reject her latest idea.”

“...And what was her latest idea?”

The party pony herself popped from behind the counter, peerless smile at the ready.
“Oh, I figured that those boring old Trotston Creme donuts needed a little improvement so I thought it would be really fun if I took some of the seltzer and the old machines in the back and pressurized them so I could get more yummy cream, or, uh, creme, in every one! And it totally worked~!”

The pastry-stuffed Princess shot her a foul glance.
“Except for the part where it exploded upon my muzzle, stunning me long enough that my dear sister came in to see me in a state of culinary distress.”

“Well, duh! It would be the first in my new line of Pranking Pastries! Just imagine the possibilities! Potentially paralyzed ponies perplexed by bang-backed baked goods! Lovely and lively living quarters suddenly serenaded by singing strudel!”

The three of them stopped to contemplate that for a moment.

“And, out of sheer curiosity, Ms. Pie, how much would it be to make sure that never comes to pass?”

“Mmmmh I dunno, it does seem like a good idea...”

Celestia shook her head.
“What about the price to make sure that you at least keep them within the boundaries of the law?”

Pinkie’s eyes went wide for a moment.
“Um... Local law, Canterlot law, or those physical ones?”

Luna, not yet used to Pinkie’s more ludicrous shenanery, coughed.
“Dost thou mean physics?”

“Yeah, those ones! I keep getting angry letters from Twilight every time I so much as think of baking Cakethulhu again, although I don’t even tell her ahead of time, so... Wait, I’m getting off track!”

“Let’s just say all three of them, then.”

A minute passed, and then another, before Pinkie answered.
“A brand new holiday named after me, a biiiig bakery in the middle of Canterlot Castle, like a sort of bakery-keep hybrid (or ‘keepery’), a tub of confectioner's sugar I could swim in... And a pony!”

Luna went slightly cross-eyed.
“But we are po-”

“Let’s settle on monetary compensation, please.”

The baker didn’t even skip a beat.
“Tough bargain there, Princess... Five hundred bits!”

Again, her sister spluttered.
“F-five hundred? But if the law was broken, it would be a simple matter to arrest you, and no amount of bits would help you then. Shouldn’t the law alone...”

“Luna, don’t worry about it. Pinkie Pie going through with this idea unrestricted would not be the first time something has gone catastrophically wrong in Ponyville... involving a baking oven... this season. I would much rather pay to keep her baking within the bounds of sanity than have to clean up afterwards, or miss out on what she does make.”

She levitated a rather conveniently-appearing pouch of bits over to the baker, who didn’t even count it (although she did bite the pouch, apparently finding its authenticity as fabric to be to her liking) before tossing it over her shoulder, where it never quite managed to pass her mane and hit the ground. Nonetheless, it vanished.
“Done deal! Oooh, speaking of done, I think the girls are getting out of the spa in a minute or two- Want to go meet up with them? I mean, I have to anyways, but your Royal Highnesses are totally invited too!”

Instead of risking a continued conversation by responding, Celestia just nodded and headed for the door. Luna followed, and Pinkie bounced past them humming. Her little sister looked at the baker with a mingled appearance of fear and respect.

“So, I had presumed from Twilight’s letters and our past meetings that she was quite unique, but... Always like this?”

“Very much so, yes.”

As she cleaned the custard off of her face, a grin broke out beneath.
“...This town simply keeps getting better.”

Twilight Sparkle felt... refreshed. Renewed. Her weekend had been amazing, albeit the kind of stressful that was fun and exhausting all at once, and now she was finally unwinding. Just... in time... to get wound up for the night’s announcement all over again. Well, she couldn’t fault the timing: Generally, any given week in Ponyville involved falling plot-first out of one adventure and into the next. And the less often those adventures involved the (often fun in their own way) mundanities of running the town library, the better. She felt horrible every time she thought about it, but something about finding the magic of friendship had made her realize that sometimes her favorite boring activities were... legitimately boring.

Right now she didn’t have to worry about that though- After all, she could see some Very Important Ponies coming down the road. No, actually, the most important ponies. Not only were Pinkie Pie and Princess Luna chatting happily as they came down the road, but Celestia walked beside them, and it seemed like her smile was meant solely for Twilight. She shivered a little, trying to see if Fluttershy was reacting the same... Oh. She was hiding behind Rarity. Yeah, same reaction.

And from another street, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were coming at the same time, either dumb luck, Pinkie Sense, or planning she wasn’t involved with (and hopefully it wasn’t that, everypony knew how much she loved planning) bringing their entire group together at once. Whatever caused it, they were still reuniting, and certainly going to spend a nice lengthy conversation together. Oh! Maybe she could even recap the events of her weekend again. Not as thoroughly, of course, Celestia forbid (ha!) that she spill those kinds of details publicly, much less the details she refused to share. No, it was just going to be a deep, involved discourse between friends that, if written, could take paragraphs, pages, chapters to compile--

Before her semi-literary fantasy could come true, however, cold harsh reality got in the way. Dash swooped Pinkie up into her forehooves without so much as a word to anypony else, dragging the giggling mare off at speeds just shy of ruining a nearby thatched roof. Meanwhile, Applejack had whispered something to Rarity, something apparently unbelievable.

“You. Did. Not.”

“Wanna bet, Marshmallow?”
With that, (and a smirk) Applejack kissed her marefriend passionately, practically putting her tongue in the other mare’s throat (in public! (in front of me! (in front of Celestia!))) until the unicorn was like putty in her hooves.

“W... was that...”

“Mmmhmm. Ya tasted exactly what ya think ya tasted.”

Rarity looked around helplessly for a moment, and then broke into a massive grin.
“Girls, I believe I will see you all later. Princesses, my sincere apologies for my swift departure. Applejack?”

“Ayup?”

“Boutique. Bedroom. Now.”

And just like that, the other couples had fled into the distance, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy alone with their royal relationships. She looked around nervously, her plans of a massive and spontaneous reunion snuffed like so much excess candlewick.

“Ahehe... Hey! Hi. Again.”

If she had not just gotten a hooficure, she certainly would have smacked herself in the forehead hard enough to leave a dent. Back to the flustered foal stage of your relationship again, hmm Ms. Sparkle?

OK, look, I am not going to take sass from an imaginary-

Ah-ah!

Rrrrgh... I am not going to take sass from an ‘entirely real mental construct’ that I use to bounce ideas off of and occasionally berate myself, NOT right now. Are we clear... Er, um, are me clear?

That is simply atrocious grammar.

Look, talking to yourself is exempt from the rules of normal linguistics, it says so right in Strop’s Guide to Et--

“...Twilight, dear?”

Outside conversations. Right.
“Oh! I was totally listening... Not gonna buy it, are you?”

The smile Celestia gave her was one she had gotten accustomed to after long daydreaming sessions.
“Afraid not. But I fully understand. As I had been saying, do you have any preparations to get out of the way before tonight’s event? If not, Luna and I were hoping to spend some time... speaking with the two of you.”

Speaking. That... No, not going down that road of self doubt again. When she says speaking, she means speaking. There’s precedent for that! And plus, she’d be with Fluttershy as well, and Luna, her own sister! She couldn’t possibly be using the term euphemistically, which meant she either had a serious discussion planned or literally just wanted to talk. And serious discussions...

I thought you just said you weren’t going down that road again?

Hush.

In a bit less than a dozen minutes, they had moved across town to the front doors of Ponyville Library, in which Twilight was vaguely sure she heard the sounds of running water. Which probably meant Spike was home, taking a bath from whatever mischief the Crusaders had gotten... him...

The door swung open noiselessly on its hinges, revealing her precious library in full Lockdown Mode. The floors and protective pyreglass sheets were coated, nay, festooned with tree sap. The only open door in the entire mess was the one leading upstairs to the bathroom, where she heard several voices underneath the splashing of water. Celestia looked around at the mess with an expression verging on surprise (but never quite making it) while Luna seemed to be looking upstairs through the floor, chuckling. Fluttershy, for her part, seemed to be asking a question.

“Hmm? What? Sorry, got sort of distracted by... this.”

“Twilight, is the Library hurt? There’s blo... sap. Sap everywhere!”

She laughed- Just like Fluttershy to worry after the health status of a plant.
“Nono, it’s fine! I just installed some security systems that spray the intruder down with... various fluids. Tree sap, for extremely minor situations, although not the least minor- Then it just sprays water. I guess Spike must have accidentally set it off! So I’m just going to head upstairs and reprimand him and hopefully nopony will follow me, OK?”

Before any of them could respond she was already dashing upstairs, wondering just what horrors were taking place. Multiple voices in the bathroom could only mean a very limited number of things, and while the most paranoid aspect of her wondered if Spike had managed to get captured by home invaders who were now bathing him (Paranoia, please stay out of the salt licks) the rest of her had a much more rational fear. After all, Spike had been spending a lot of time with the Crusaders lately. Perhaps too much time? Maybe. And given that he had been going through his (slow) natural growth spurts (not as natural as the ones his greed egged on, Twilight, you’re holding him back...) and the girls were maturing as well... No. That couldn’t be. The level of coincidence would be staggering.

Trepidatious (even in a panic you use such awesome words (thanks, me!) no problem) and nervous, she flung open the bathroom door to reveal precisely what she feared...

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, sitting contentedly in the basin of the tub as Spike combed thick gobs of tree sap out of their manes and coats with the aid of the running water. He turned his head as Twilight fell into the door a bit, off-balance from shock.

“Hey Twilight! Scootaloo accidentally tripped the tree sap nozzles, and wanted to apologize about it. Isn’t that right?”

A nervous laugh as the pegasus filly rubbed the back of her head.
“Ehehe... Sorry, Ms. Sparkle.”

She smiled, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. Nothing untoward was going on, it was simply her paranoid side getting the best of her once again.
“It’s perfectly fine. Now girls, I’m having a few guests downstairs, so please don’t be too loud or disruptive, alright? We’ll be done before the meeting tonight... Oh! And if you didn’t yet, make sure you get permission to stay up for it!”

Apparently the three of them already had, and Spike had even taken a nap during their picnic so he could stay awake. Content that everything was fine, she turned around, shut the door, and trotted back downstairs to explain everything to her mentor/lover... And clean up the remaining sap, come to think of it.

“Well, glad that turned out alright! I mean, it could have-”

“Spike?”

He looked back to the Crusaders-- Specifically, to Apple Bloom, who had turned to face him.
“Hmm-MMMPPH!!!?!”

He was interrupted in the middle of his sentence because, instead of the open air he expected to be talking into, there was rather a large amount of pony. Apple Bloom kissed him with passion and a lack of experience equaled only by his own. He fell backwards, unable to see what Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were doing past the farmpony’s wet mane... But he could guess.

Chapter 38- Tongues and Travel

When Twilight made it all the way back down the stairs, she wasn’t terribly surprised to see that Fluttershy had yet to set hoof in the syrupy mess all over the library interior. Luna was remaining outside with her, having a pleasant conversation with the nervous pegasus. And much closer to hoof, Celestia was lazily hovering through the air of the library, looking over Twilight’s defensive systems. Every ward and trigger had been laid bare by gentle yet powerful magic, allowing the alicorn full access to everything inside.

“Very precise work here, my student... I think I have a sufficient view of the situation that we can clean up without damaging your system.”

“I... Really, Princess? Normally, I just clean it all manually, or make whoever set it off do it as punishment.”

A brief hum of thought from her mentor.
“Yes, I believe so. Come, let us discuss the idea before we set it in motion- Better overprepared than under, in this sort of situation.”

The next few minutes passed in a nigh-incomprehensible (to outsiders) blur of discussions on magical theory and application, at which point they nodded to one another.
“Well, now that we have the theory hammered out, let's get to work! How about you create the framework, and then I'll power it?”

“Sounds good, Pri-... Celestia.”

A moment of concentration, power lighting from one point to the next. With the gentlest touch, she probed out to make sure their work would not interfere with the delicate intricacy of her warding system. Its safety assured, Twilight began to pour out energy, layering fierce calculations atop rapid guesswork and her almost intimate knowledge of her home, quickly wrapping every inch of the room in a tight lattice of radiant purple light. Slowly, the bulk of the magic faded out of the entire network until all that was left was a massive web of filaments, conduits waiting for power.

And power they received, poured out from one of the most potent vessels in Equestria. Celestia concentrated alongside her, taking her spell and putting it to use-- The sun’s very heat licked out from the minuscule wires, causing the sap across every surface to dry, crack, and then break into powder as the process continued. By the time they were finished all that was left was a miniature desert made of powdered resin, which was quickly whisked up, gathered, and sealed into a small jar (no sense in wasting resin without reason). The steam withdrawn from it all was ushered out the windows, and finally the protective sheets over the bookshelves could be removed.

“Thank you! That would normally have taken hours to get rid of.”

Celestia smiled as she gestured to her sister, bringing the other ponies inside.
“Yes, well, we barely have hours before the announcement this evening... And I do believe you are missing a rather crucial element, are you not Luna?”

The Lunar diarch stopped, looking between Fluttershy, Twilight, and her fellow ruler.
“I... I do not think so? We have quite clearly made all arrangements without fail, gathering to our side many important ponies, all required permits, and the decorations as well as a feast... Not one thing has been forgotten!”

“Ah, yes, and you had your assistant to remind you of all these things, did you not?”

“Of course not sister! My dear assistant is... still in... Canter... oh. Well, blast.”

It was extremely unnerving, for Fluttershy at least, to see Luna so flustered. Celestia was just grinning as her sister ran around frantically, and Twilight seemed a bit confused. Fluttershy on the other hand... She didn’t like seeing such a strong and confident pony acting as worried as a... Well, as worried as a Fluttershy. The only time it was normal for her to see that kind of nervous half-sad half-angry expression was when she was looking in a mirror. Seeing it on Luna’s face hurt a bit. She wanted to be helpful, but what could she really do? This assistant, whoever they were, was all the way in Canterlot. Hopefully, they could just do without...

“Well then, I will be off! My return shall be swift, so do not fret over my absence.”

Fluttershy frowned. Yes, well, it was totally to be expected that...
“Wait, what?”

Luna looked at her with a smile, her nervous expression from before gone as if it had never been.
“Yes, we’ll be back... Before the tenth hour, I believe. Plenty of time!”

“...Um, Luna, you’re talking about going to Canterlot. And back. In three hours?”

Her lover was looking somewhat incredulous now.
“Yes. Why?”

Before she could question the sanity of the situation, Twilight jumped in to do it for her.
“No offense Princess, but that’s ridiculous! Taking a train from here to Canterlot would practically be an overnight trip! And flying... Well, I don’t doubt that you are extremely fast, but if you have to arrive, get this ‘assistant’, and come back with them in tow, I just don’t see how it could be possible! You’d have to be travelling through something other than normal space... Wait. Waaait.”

Celestia finally let loose laughing as Luna chuckled, both of them turning to head out the door.
“Well, my faithful student, you got it right on the nose. We try not to let it be too well-known to the public, but the two of us have... Other avenues of travel at our disposal. Would you care to watch?”

Fluttershy was only half-listening to the conversation, thinking about what Luna could possibly be doing. If she wasn’t flying through “normal space”, like Twilight said, she would be... What? Was it dangerous? Was it scary? She had no idea where the pony she loved was about to go, or how, and it seemed ridiculous to just let her go like that, sitting here like an easily-frightened lump on a log. So she put a hoof out to stop the Lunar Princess, looking at her with an obvious question in her eyes.
“L-Luna, can I... go with you?”

“Dear Fluttershy, why would thou wish to do that?”

She scuffed a hoof across the threshold of the door, trying to make eye contact but failing.
“Well... It sounds lonely. Travelling in some special way only you know how, there’s probably not much company, right? So I could go with you, if that’s alright. With you.”

“Certainly! I had not considered it before, but I would treasure thy company as I travel.”

Her confidence about being helpful during the trip slowly waned as Luna looked up to the sky, seemingly staring straight at the sun. There was silence for a moment or two, and at the same time Celestia was leading Twilight back into the library.

When Luna spoke again, it was soft, reserved. It reminded her of the night she saw Luna’s moonrise first-hoof.
“The stars are... always there. Everypony is blinded to their presence in the day, for they are far outshone by the sun. But when one has the knowledge, it is simple enough to look past the sun, to see them glittering in the grandest distance. And with their grace, we will fly. Are you ready, my dear?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then take my hoof.”

Tentatively, carefully, holding her breath, she reached out and placed her hoof on Luna’s. There was a moment of disorientation, and then it felt like the ground, the air, like everything was melting away from them. Moments later, Luna took off, and she followed out of instinct. There was a blur, a faint hum on the edge of hearing... And then they were gone.

Her sister’s departure was no surprise to her- After all, Celestia had seen her do it thousands of times, had been there the day she finally developed the technique. Her own method was similar enough that they had travelled together from time to time. Even then, they were always separated by...

“Princess? Can I...”

“Twilight. Please.”

Her loving student looked confused for a moment, and then blushed as the issue hit her.
“...Celestia. Can I ask what exactly that was? I’ve never seen magic quite like it before!”

“That was because it was not magic at all, Twilight. It was something... more primal, I suppose one could say. More innate. It only makes sense, now that I think of it, that I show you how it was done.”

Every exhaustive minute of planning for this day was swept into irrelevancy when she saw that spark in Twilight’s eye. There was nothing more pleasing to see than the mare’s love for learning, her lust for knowledge, her insatiable... curiosity.

“R-really? Yes! I mean, yes, please, do!”

With a harsh -snap- she spread her right wing to its full length, and looked into the sky. It was easy to fall back into the old forms, to let her concentration drift as she recited the theory. In her heart, it was still that first day, millenia ago, when she codified the idea and made her first jaunt across the space only she could touch.

“The sun shines down on me. It shines down on all things, at all times. The moon, after all, merely reflects the light of the sun- Although that does not make it a lesser thing, for that reflected light must guard the night alone. But either way, the sun shines down... And I look up. I see the sun, I know the sun, I feel its light and warmth. Moreso than any other pony, I am close to it... And if I need to be, I can get closer.”

Celestia paused to let Twilight soak it all in, and then bent her wing back towards the mare.
“Twilight, hold on tightly.”

She felt the hoof, tentative on her feathers, and then another. Twilight wrapped her forelegs completely around Celestia’s wing, and from there climbed up to her back. She sat down, muzzle near her mane, the closeness making them both shiver. A quick check to make sure that Twilight was properly positioned, and then Celestia was ready. Following suit with her sister, she tensed, focused, and leapt.

In something that felt paradoxical, it was just like she had never left... Even the very first time. Strange how one could feel that way about a place they had never been to in the first place, but it was true. ...As true as anything could be, in this world between worlds. The golden light shone not from the sky, but from every direction at once instead of ‘just’ from her Sun. Her hooves skimmed the edges of tall wild grass, always just far enough away that she could never manage to identify them. The environment, all hills and valleys, stretched on forever, sky full of brightness and a wind that was hot without being stifling. Everything had a bright scent she had (eventually) learned that other ponies associated with her mane. Distinct, like spring and summer condensed and focused, but never strong enough to distract from the task at hand.

She could see a good landing spot on the horizon, even though they had only taken off a few seconds ago. After all, a few seconds didn’t mean the same thing here. Travelling much longer would be... problematic. She squinted down the path, a clear-cut line amongst the otherwise lush fields. The sun was setting- Perpetually, that is. Celestia could hear a breath of (she assumed) stunned awe behind her, and she smiled.

“Perhaps we will come back again some time. But for now... These, Twilight, are the solar plains.”

~~~~~

~~~~~

Focusing her will once more, Celestia attempted to dive downwards, touching down in the infinitely-tall and yet infinitely-short grasses. Even though her hooves never went any deeper than the tips of the stalks, a moment later, the light faded and she found firm land beneath her. Ten seconds of flight meant they were roughly... Mmmh, a mile outside of Ponyville, give or take. Nothing too taxing to fly back manually.

“So, what did you think Twilight?”

No response, although she noticed that the unicorn was rocking against her back. Was she nervous, frightened? This might have been a mistake...

Celestia turned her head to face her lover.
“Twili-”

Her question was cut off as her student bore down on her, a sudden burst of motion catching her completely off-guard as Twilight lunged. They hit the ground a second later, Twilight’s kiss hot with fury and an insatiable fervor.

They were back in normal space and time and air and light but she didn’t care she couldn’t care, because Celestia was right there and wasn’t being tended to at every moment and that just wouldn’t do. She leapt, pressed forward, pressed herself on and around the mare she loved, adored, followed... The heat and the smell and the light were still all around her, it was as if she hadn’t left at all, that same rough buzzing through her mind and the taut nervous energy in her muscles. She kissed with every ounce of effort she had, could feel her magic crackling and snapping off of her horn with every furious lick and each loving thrust of her hips. There was something slight on the edge of her perception, maybe somepony saying something, but that wasn’t important. Twilight kept lunging and loving and living, everything so vibrant and sharp and wet and-

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!”

A sudden cold snap fell over her, everything growing terribly still for a moment. The golden haze in her head receded, and Celestia was looking at her. She looked frazzled, and if she had a hair out of place, Twilight could only imagine how she herself looked. Her teacher / lover wasn’t angry or sad, which, considering everything she had just done, was impressive. Instead, she looked at her with a faint smile, the kind you put on when you aren’t sure how badly you just bucked up.

“Twilight... I apologize. Are you alright?”

Words were trying to leave her mouth, but she was finding it a little difficult to speak. In the back of her mind, she realized she had split one corner of her lip with how vigorously she had kissed the Princess.
“Y-yeah. I think so. I just... Wow. Wow. Did you...”

“No! I mean, no. No, that was just... I will explain later, when we have time and access to some good books. Suffice to say, there can be some unexpected side-effects of travelling on those plains.”

Her full attention was, as always, on what Celestia was saying. But also as always, a piece of her brain was running calculations and adding up details in the background, her personal ‘backburner’ for the exclusive cooking of ideas.
“Over them.”

“I’m sorry?”

Twilight snapped back to the conversation with a jolt.
“What? Oh! Hahaha, sorry about that. I just got a little sidetracked. I’m so sorry if I acted... badly. A second ago.”

Celestia was looking at her with a dour little grin, and walked closer.
“Twilight, love?”

“Yeah?”

The kiss was sudden and unexpected, and managed to carry a portion of that earlier insane mindless passion that had been rolling through her just a minute ago.
“Never apologize for that.”

She smiled at her teacher, nodded, and the two of them began the walk back to Ponyville. It probably wouldn’t take too much convincing to get Celestia to take her back through the plains on the way back, maybe land directly in the bedroom... No, save it. There is such a thing as over-indulgence. Plus, Spike and the Crusaders are probably still in the house! Hopefully not still in the bath- After that, I certainly need to use it.

Her sudden apple-red blush went unnoticed, or at least not commented on, as they trotted back.

Authorial Note: Credit for the picture used in this chapter belongs to John Avon, and reproduction rights for said picture belong to Wizards of the Coast.

Chapter 39- Excitement and Encounters

His first thought was of apples. That probably wasn’t very surprising- Apple Bloom and all that. But it was more than just her name, or some silly thought about how her lips tasted (which was actually just like slightly-sweeter-than-normal skin. Not bad, but not appley) or anything. No, it was that she felt like it, reminded him of apples. Firm, unyielding, soft skin and coat hiding something stronger. The sheer heat of it was incredible, although maybe that was just his lizard-like nature or something... Then again, he could breathe fire. Was he warm? Was he cold? He didn’t actually have a frame of reference for that, so he got a bit paranoid... But then Apple Bloom made a soft little sigh into the kiss and he realized she was enjoying it, so who cared what temperature he was.

For just a second, he thought the kiss was about to get a lot different, because she started to open her mouth a little against his and lean forward, but then there was a sudden yelp as she collapsed, falling face-first and knocking them both to the floor.

“Scootaloo, what are yew doing?”

The pegasus looked down at the two of them, having just bucked Apple Bloom’s legs out from under her. Off to one side, Sweetie Belle had a dopey smile and a dazed appearance as she hummed and cleaned up the tub.
“Stopping all this crazy mushy stuff right here! I mean...”

She looked back over her shoulder at Sweetie. Spike couldn’t see, but he could tell the filly was smiling when she did so.
“OK, yeah, it’s not that bad after all, but should we really be doing this kind of thing in front of each other?”

“Ah don’t see why not.”

“It’s just weird, OK! I mean, Dad always-”

She went quiet. The entire room went very, very quiet. Scootaloo suddenly started blushing and made to bolt for the door. Spike had the presence of mind to stop her, because he knew this was going to be an issue and he wanted to get it over with.
“...Scootaloo, you pretty much never talk about your family. Why bring it up now?”

The filly rolled her eyes at him and tried to muscle past, but he knew from experience (with a caffeine-deprived Twilight) exactly how to keep anypony from getting through any door in this library. The frame was just wide enough for him to dig a claw into each side, and for once, the pony trying to get through wasn’t even any bigger than him.

“Look, I just... It’s something silly, nothing else.”

Sweetie had finally broken out of her daze and trotted over, looking a bit concerned now.
“Are you totally-”

“Nothing. Else.”

Clearly, the little unicorn had learned something from her older sister, because she immediately shot Scootaloo a cold look and said one of the most dread phrases that could be summoned in any relationship.
“Explain that ‘nothing’ or no more smooches.”

“...Ever?”

“...OK, maybe like a week. I think? It is really fun...”

“Guh, fine! Fine. Let’s just... Let’s get out before Twilight and her guests get back, this is going to be embarrassing and silly enough without other ponies around.”

Satisfied, Sweetie went back to being all smiles and cheer, even leaning in to kiss the other mare (Are they marefriends now? Is that how it works? Are me and Apple Bloom...) before they all filed out the door. Even though he had just gotten to know her pretty recently, Spike knew that hearing anything at all about Scootaloo’s family was a rare thing for anypony, even the other Crusaders. So while he could have made an excuse and hung back at the library, there was no way he would miss this.

Fluttershy had her eyes closed as they took off, but a few moments later she could feel the environment shift... There was pressure, but it was the comfortable dense feeling of swimming in a cool lake on a brutally hot day. She could breathe freely (especially given that she normally breathed a constant haze of dander, pollen, and animal pheromones) and there was a faint tingling at her feathers. Luna was travelling casually, slow powerful strokes of her wings pushing them forward. After several more seconds had passed, she finally had the courage to open her eyes and look...

An endless field of grey and black stone, smoother than any she had ever seen before. The air, if she could call it that, was crisp and cool against her skin as she looked out, up, and around. There seemed to be a surface above them, but this was not water, and that light was too diffuse, too silvery, to be coming from the sun. They were...

“Welcome, love, to the space behind the stars. I call it the Lunar Abyss.”

“A-abyss? That isn’t a terribly nice word...”

Luna chuckled.
“No, but it isn’t a terribly nice place. Well, neigh, I speak mistruth-- It is neither nice nor cruel. It simply is, unyielding and endless. It can’t be cruel any more than wind can be cruel, cannot be nice any more than a hill could be.”

“So it’s all... natural?”

“For given ways of thinking about nature, I suppose. It’s an extension of the power that lies within each night. If I made the right motions, we could fly from here directly into dreams, but that would involve leaving this place. Instead, we carry on to Canterlot.”

Fluttershy continued to look around in wonder, any moment expecting a school of fish or a massive wave of kelp to pop into view. They never did, however- There seemed to be no other things, living or not, in this place.
“How is this going to get us there? If, um, that’s not a problem for me to ask.”

“It is never a problem for you to ask, dearest. This place... It is not part of normal time, or regular space. It is, I suppose, the conduit between myself and my domain. Travel here can take much, much less time without actually being faster, you see.”

Something about the entire concept tickled a spot in the back of Fluttershy’s mind, but she shoved that aside to focus on Luna. It was a beautiful place, although she was getting rather distracted by the fact that she was riding Luna. She hadn’t really ridden on another pony like this in a long time, and certainly not a pony she had been intimate with. It was... weirdly comforting.

“So, um, you said I could ask questions and it wasn’t a problem right?”

There was a little sigh, but Luna’s patience with her seemed to be without limit.
“Of course.”

“I’ve, um, never heard anything about you having an assistant. Who is this pony we’re going to meet, and pick up?”

“Ah! Well, ‘tis quite the humorous tale! I could regale ye as we travelled, if thou wish.”

“Oh, please! That would be... Really nice.”

Luna looked across the (seemingly) featureless trenches, adjusted her course slightly, and cleared her throat.
“To begin with, there is an ancient hereditary post within the Canterlot government...”

“...And that’s why one of my Dads is pretty much never ever home. Which, yaknow, kinda bites, but... He always sends letters, and talks to us using this spell he can do, so it’s not that bad. And he comes back home on holidays... usually!”

Scootaloo had been explaining the situation with her parents as they walked, heading in a direction that Spike was pretty sure didn’t lead back to the clubhouse, but he wasn’t sure where it did lead, so he just figured she knew where they were going. Sweetie Belle had gotten a little teary-eyed during the story, and Apple Bloom was quiet, although she did still lean closer every time his claws grazed against her coat. He just couldn’t help it-- She was soft!

Sweetie perked up as she realized something, suddenly looking a lot more cheerful.
“Oh, so your Dad’s a unicorn?”

Apparently that wasn’t something Scootaloo had wanted to bring up, because she winced.
“Yeah, they... they both are.”

Nobody said anything, and Scootaloo walked faster, apparently embarrassed by that somehow.

“...And?”

The pegasus spun on the spot, completely stopping with her wings flaring.
“AND? Come on, do you not get it? They are both unicorns, and I am a pegasus! Why do you think I’m still a blank flank who can’t even fly a little at this age? It’s just the most completely uncool...”

She plopped down in the middle of the path, heaving a huge sigh. Sweetie Belle drew closer, and even Apple Bloom was moving in to comfort her, but Spike waved them both away- If there was one thing he had learned about the filly, it was that she didn’t like being coddled.
“...But it’s not even their fault. I can’t blame them- They do everything. They are so cool about everything. Always so happy to hear about my day, asking me stuff like...”

“Hey there Scoot, how’s the week treating you?”

She perked up, smacking one hoof into the other.
“Yeah, exactly like that! Hey, that was actually a really good impression. I thought none of you... knew...”

Scootaloo turned around and looked a bit further up the path. She blushed, and buried her face in the dirt with a loud sigh.
“...Hey Dad.”

“Hello, Mr. Starfall!”
As they made the last leg of their trip through the Lunar Abyss, Luna had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Fluttershy already knew her assistant. Of course, she had always known that he was technically a citizen of Ponyville, but given his long absences and the obscure location of his home, it was interesting to see that anypony from the town proper knew him well.

The gray-coated unicorn smiled and got up from his bedside, levitating his packed luggage up from beside him. As always, Luna was a bit surprised to see somepony like him having come from a rural town like Ponyville-- Rather than the modest muscle of one who lived off the land, he had an almost mare-like frame, while his light-brown mane was worn short, giving a clear view of his blue eyes as he took in the unexpected extra visitor.

“Oh, Miss Fluttershy! It’s a... pleasant surprise to see you. Good evening, Princess - can I take it that your visit was, ah, satisfactory?”
Starfall shuffled back and forth from his front to back hooves as he spoke. To somepony who did not know him extremely well, it would seem like he was having trouble balancing his luggage within his magic. To Luna, however, it was clear that he was trying to be subtle. Given the unusual way he had gained his station, he still had the occasional nervous tic when her royal presence was involved. ...None of which had anything to do with how she had confided in him her interests regarding the pegasus she had just brought home. No. Of course not.

Rather than leave him in a state of further confusion or worry, she decided to be blunt. A quick flap of one wing, which settled around Fluttershy’s hips comfortably, preceded her reply.
“Very much so! Thou art prepared, and I apologize for any delay in retrieving you. As thou can see, I was quite... Preoccupied.”

Fluttershy, pressed against her, was blushing as she looked back and forth between Luna and the unicorn. It was a good sign, however, that she wasn’t pulling away.

Starfall blinked a couple of times. “Oh! Sorry Princess, I had - I mean, I assumed that I would follow you to Ponyville by train or chariot.”

“...Ah. Right. I... We shall be perfectly honest and state that we did not think to do such.”

What could have been a tense moment was broken up by their shared laughter at the ridiculous situation- Royalty travelling such a distance to fetch her servant, rather than the other way around. And all because she had been too focused on the mare beside her to come up with a better plan... All in all, a worthwhile distraction.

“Um, Luna, Mr. Starfall...”

The unicorn frowned a little, picking his words carefully. “Miss Fluttershy, please, you can simply call me Starfall.”

She seemed surprised at that, but nodded with a quiet understanding smile.
“Alright, Starfall. But in return, you call me Fluttershy. Just Fluttershy. OK?”

“Uh, that’s very-” he began, shooting a quick look at Luna-- and catching her subtle nod-- before returning his gaze to her, “very kind of you, Fluttershy.”

She was happy to see her personal aide and her (lover? is that too presumptuous? neigh, we have already...) companion getting along so well, but they had obligations to attend to. And even travelling the Abyss, carrying that much extra weight would extend the time they took.
“Art thou both prepared to travel back to Ponyville?”

A nod from Starfall, and a nuzzle from Fluttershy, told her it was a good time.

“Well then... Once more we shall go. Hold tightly, and do not lose sight of thine luggage.”
A blink, a stretch, and the smell-feel of frozen air above the balcony, and they were gone.

It had been nearly two years since the Crusaders first met, if not a little longer, and in all that time, Sweetie Belle had never, ever, not even once heard Scootaloo talk about her parents. To suddenly go from that being the norm, to having one of those parents right in front of her, was really surprising. To top it off, she had just spent a pretty big chunk of the day making out with Scootaloo, which meant she had been making out with this stallion’s daughter. And Rarity had once told her...

“Now Sweetie Belle, darling, I fully understand if you don’t yet have anypony you find... interesting in that way. BUT...”

She groaned and tried to keep her head from falling on her hooves. Rarity had spent like a whole -hour- talking to her about all sorts of grown up stuff because, “Mother and Father certainly would never have the nerve to do so”, and now she was talking about relationships. It was just like Rarity to do that, but... What her big sister didn’t know was that Sweetie did have somepony she liked. So she subtly (she thought) started to pay more attention. Anyways, she already knew all about the -other- stuff, the adult stuff, from the magazines Scootaloo “hid” (very poorly) in the Clubhouse.

“...Sweetie, you have to realize one of the most important things when you care for another pony...”

“How you treat them?”

Rarity paused, looking at her sister.
“N... Well, yes. But what I had meant was-”

“If they really like you back?”

“...Yes. BUT, if you will stop interrupting with perfectly good and reasonable points, the most important thing is their -parents-.”

She looked at Rarity in confusion, her voice cracking (like it always did).
“Their parents? What about them?”

And now there was a sort of fire in Rarity’s eyes, a passion as she spoke on the subject, pacing across the Boutique’s upper floors.
“Their parents are the ones, especially at your age darling, with ALL of the control! Oh yes, the two of you may be in love, quite deeply so... But who sets the curfews?”

“Their parents.”

“And who makes sure they have the bits to go out and do nice things in their free time?”

“...Their parents.”

“And who, dear sister, decides if they are even allowed to go out at all?”

This time she didn’t even answer, just looking grimly at her hooves. Sweetie had never thought of this angle before, but now that it was in front of her, it seemed so obvious. If she ever had any hope of being with Scoo... anypony, she’d have to be approved of by her... their parents. And if she didn’t know the first thing about them, then...

“And most important, most worrisome of all, is the father.”

“W-why?”

“Well, admittedly not every filly or colt will even -have- a father, but one of their parents will certainly take up the role I’m speaking of...”

Now she was almost over-eager, but didn’t care to hide it any longer.
“What’s that!?”

“Obstructionist. Over-protective. The one who has all the power, who calls all the shots, and who cares for little else in the world than protecting their little filly or properly raising their young colt. Be very careful with the father of somepony you care for, Sweetie dear- They are the greatest of risks.”

If she had been thinking a little more clearly, she might have asked Rarity to elaborate, to explain. She may have even asked if her sister had -personal- experience with this topic. But as it was, she went away with her head buzzing with plans, ideas for if (WHEN) the day ever came. If Scootaloo’s father ever came up to her and started asking questions...

Finally, at last, that very obstacle was before her. And her worries and imagined terrors, the worst possible things, had not come true. She had pictured a terrible swift warlike pegasus with a fierce passion to protect his little girl, or a massive goliath of an earth pony with all kinds of family traditions, or even some wizened and scholarly unicorn with a book full of reasons she simply could not date his daughter.

Instead, it seemed she had gotten the worst parts of all three. A deep brown mane prematurely streaked with grey was split by an abnormally long and sharp horn that cast a shadow over steely eyes. His coat was rough and dust-pocked, a paler orange-brown than his mane, covered with a vest she was very sure hadn’t come from the Boutique. Said vest was a rugged, battered green and grey piece, covered in pockets and loops, and she could swear she saw blades sticking out from some of them. He was muscular, not huge but strong, and his tail had the rough jagged cut of somepony used to risky, dangerous work. If there had ever been a potentially horrible roadblock on the way to her becoming Scootaloo’s fillyfriend, this was it.

“H-hello sir!”

This couldn’t end well.

"Chapter" 39.1 -- Requests and Responses

FAIR WARNING:

The following events are non-canonical and entirely ignore the fourth wall**. The author himself, as an entity, will be present and speaking**. Characters will be fully aware of the entire depth and breadth of the story they exist in, and the meta-context thereof. Conversations and events will not always be written in the format you are used to. These are all, to some extent, valid reasons for some of you to not want to read the content from here onwards before Chapter 40. However, information relevant to the story will be revealed here. And some of these answers will be as large as entire chapters, with all the content you'd expect. As such, you skip this content at risk of your own confusion or disappointment. Also, while the events are non-canonical, every answer* will be entirely truthful, and some of them will basically be canon short stories.

*- As per the agreement, one answer to one question (not necessarily in this chapter, just period) will be a lie. I will not reveal what answer or what question until after it has already been patently proven false in the main story. Feel free to guess and even ask questions in the comments.

**- Those of you familiar with terms like ‘Taiga Dojo’, ‘Omake’, or ‘Deadpool’ have a very good idea what you’re in for. The rest... Just trust me.

Oh, and there's going to be sex. Just in case you forgot what fic you're in.

I promise to do my best to make all of this funny, relevant, in-character (as much as it can be), and informative. This will not be a waste, and it is not filler. But the issues above still stand. If none of them deter you, then please, come on in. Make yourself comfortable, and welcome to the Four of Two Question and Answer Chapters!

Four of Two “Chapter” 39.1 -- Requests and Responses

We start our story inside the headspace of one writer, pseudonym Ariamaki...

Oooh, cobwebs!

...Cute. Really, just friggin' adorable.

Aaaw, no need to be a Mr. Grumpypants about it!

No, seriously, that -was- cute. By your very nature as Pink Pone, everything you do is cute. It’s categorical. And you can drop the OOC speak here-- Everypony’s going to be labelled from here on out to avoid confusion.

Pinkie: “Is it really that confusing when it’s just us two?”

Ariamaki: “It’s about to be a lot more than that... But I suppose I can try it your way for now. My way. A way. Whatever.”

Pinkie was trying not to laugh at my stumbling, but she herself knows how much of a pain it was to be out of the groove. Why, pretty much anypony (anybody?) does, especially in such a high-tension world as baking, or even worse, party throwing.

“You know, every time that term comes up, I honestly think about you just chucking a party at somebody, like, literally throwing a condensed party.”

Pinkie rolls her eyes.
“I could never get a decent pitch with condensed party, it's too hard to hold in one hoof. That’s what the cannon’s for!”

“Point. Ridiculous, yet entirely valid, point. Well, if we’re going to be sticking with descriptive text, let's switch our tense..."

I said, now in the past tense.

"Much better! Now there's no point in delaying... Bring on the first batch!”

Ponies of just about every shape and size began filing into the poorly-defined space. As they each entered, substance started to coalesce, creating an environment where they could all find themselves comfortable. A massive pale alicorn was first to arrive, and solid well-hewn wooden walls formed behind her as she moved. Only a moment later, a blue pegasus burst in through the suddenly-existent doorway, and a skylight took shape above. A well-appointed unicorn and his mate came next, and with them the ceiling and lights came into place. Two earth ponies followed after, nuzzling each other as they walked, and a fireplace and carpeting manifested. Finally, a young filly and a 'baby' dragon walked in, at which point all of the little touches and accents, from bookshelves to faint spirals of dust in the air, fell into place.

"Well, looks like the place shaped up rather well! So, we've got our first batch of characters to say their two bits: Want to introduce yourselves, so we can get a little roster up?"

"Princess Celestia, as should be fairly obvious... Although your description of me was rather sparse, wasn't it? Not to mention the blatant joke about my weight."

"Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus around, future Wonderbolt, and generally awesome filly!"

"Fancy Pants, of Canterlot, accompanying Fleur de Lis."

"Uhm... Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I didn't expect a formal introduction!"

"I'm Sweetie Belle! I really like your... mane?"

"I think it's called 'hair' when it's not on a pony. Oh, and I'm Spike, the dragon."

The author was pleased with this: His headspace was properly arranged, his first guests were all present and accounted for... The questions, then, could begin. Introductions weren't necessary, since everypony knew of each other, thanks to the rules...

Sweetie Belle wrinkled her muzzle.
"Rules?"

"Yup! Got 'em all right here."

"And did you actually remind the audience what they are?"

I blinked once, twice, and then grinned sheepishly.
"...Without further ado, a recap of the rules!"

1- Every character temporarily knows they are in a story, knows all details of it, and knows enough about canon and fanon to answer questions without issue. In other words, they all have even less of a Fourth Wall than your average everyday Pinkie Pie.
2- Every character must tell the absolute truth as they know and understand it in response to questions during this session.
3- Onecharacter will lie in response to a question. This is the only breach of Rule 2. Only one character, in only one chapter, and only to one question.
4- Every character will answer at least one question, some will answer more.
5- All reader questions will be posted, unedited in any way, in quote blocks to clearly mark where questions and answers begin and end.

I shook my head and quickly burned the information onto a large plaque, which settled into position over the fireplace.
"Everypony clear on that then?"

Each and every pony (and dragon) present nodded, taking one last look over the new addition to the room. They all seemed fairly eager to get to business, and I couldn’t blame them: Even a fairly patient audience would have gotten a bit tired of my delays by now, and the actual characters are not known to be half as charitable.

“Given how badly these chapters are going to bruise and batter the Fourth Wall to begin with, how about we get you out of the way first, Pinkie?”

“Okie Dokie~!”

The mercilessly fluffy bundle of pink bounced her way to the fireside, and I whipped a question out of thin air. Reading it aloud would have worked, but I already talk too much as it is, so let’s try this...

Have they put a revolving door in the fourth wall for you yet?
-Archlyn

“Oooh, I like the frame! Very meta-textual.”

“Thanks. Got an answer for the nice person and / or people?”

“Of course!”

Pinkie looked the question over, occasionally sticking her tongue out and making faint hmmming noises, despite it being all of thirteen words. Eventually, she nodded sagely and turned to face the lack-of-camera.

“Silly, you don't put doors in walls! They go in doorframes, and the Fourth Wall doesn't have any of those. It has cracks and holes and gaps and fenestrations and screens and sockets and panes and drains and portals and openings and windows and hiding places and fractures and blinds and sliding apertures and... Um. What was the question again? Oh, right! Nope, "they" don't make any special exceptions for me. There isn't really any need to, since I just end up doing whatever anyways.”

Nopony responded to this, which shouldn’t be terribly surprising: Pinkie being Pinkie, in response to a question about how Pinkie Pinkies? Nothing unusual about that. Or, to be more accurate, nothing unusual for Pinkie. And now ‘Pinkie’ no longer looks like a word.

“If I’m not a word anymore, does that mean I’m done?”

“Yes... Sort of. Feel free to stick around, we could always use a peanut gallery for this sort of thing.”

“B-but I left my peanut costume at home!”

“...I’m sure you’ll manage to get by without it.”

Glad to have the (hopefully) most disruptive pony of the evening out of the way, I turned back to the rest of the group.
“And next?”

Princess Celestia stepped forward, carefully unfolding herself to her full height as she rose from the floor.
“I suppose after that, I should attempt to bring some normalcy to the situation, hm?”

“You are a six-foot tall pastel horse who is talking to an author who is writing this conversation. Normalcy does not even get within our area code.”

“Point. But I am still going next, yes?”

“As long as you don’t end your next line with a question mark.”

“Whatever could you... I mean... Yes, alright.”

Reveling in my relatively small victory, I decide to start with a softball question. I have plenty to choose from, after all: The audience seems to be Celestia’s biggest fans who aren’t purple and horn...ed.

What's your favorite kink?
-GrayFox2510

“Ooooh, saucy one~!”

Rainbow Dash tried, futilely, to push her marefriend back down out of view.
“Pinkie, come on, you can’t just yell stuff like that about Celestia! What if somepony...”

“Aw come on Dashy, Mr. Author-person already said this whole thing isn’t canonical. We can do or say anything and it won’t apply to the real story!”

“...Anything?”

Celestia cleared her throat, interrupting whatever schemes may have almost happened.

“Well then. If I can actually get an opportunity to answer my first question, so that we can be done with this sometime in the millenium... It varies with time and the tides, not to mention my mood. If one thing were to dominate, it would be... Just that. Dominance and submission, although not necessarily in the BDSM sense. Rather, powerplay and force of presence, one partner rising high and bringing the other low. It's... A universal background theme, I've found, for most couples. These days, a close second would be Twilight's beautiful plot, of course. Then again, that’s more of a fetish, if we’re being technical... It's all semantics in the end, I suppose. And please, refrain from any jokes about things that sound like semantics and go "in the end". It has been done before.”

“...Alright! Well then, let’s move forward.”

“Let’s.”

When was the first time you realized you loved Twilight?
-Hellpony

"Long ago and far away."

"..."

"...Next question please.”

What is the one thing in all your long life that you've never experienced but would really like to?
-Archlyn

“Hah! Well... I have heard that there is this mythical thing called "a moment's peace". I would truly enjoy the ability to see one of these, and maybe even... "relax".”

Everypony looked at her for a moment, rather worried about their ruler’s mental state, given both this answer and the last one. Eventually, Celestia laughed, breaking the tension and giving us all a chance to breathe again.

“I kid. In all seriousness, while there are many things I have not done, I try as much as possible not to focus on the specifics. After all, one of the vanishing rarities in my life is surprise and the unexpected. So when something I have never had the joy of experiencing before does come by, I wish to be surprised by it.”

“Seems like a sensible response to me. Looks like we’ve got one last one for you here.”

“Go right ahead.”

What's your opinion on orgies involving yourself, your sister, both of your
lovers and the four best friends of said lovers?
-Keeper of Jericho

“...Mmmh, I wonder if somebody is asking about my peculiar past, or the potential present? In either case, I am not automatically against the idea, but it would take a fairly exceptional situation to make it happen. So, as with nearly everything else, my mind is open. And I shall say no more on the matter.”

Celestia made a faint bow towards you, the audience, wherever you feel appropriately located (don’t ask how she managed to bow in several directions at once, my eyes still hurt a bit) and returned to her original seat.

“Next up... Eh, we’ve been getting a lot of the story’s heavy hitters. Pony Joe, come on up!”

The gruff unicorn obliged, nodding to the Princess and, interestingly, Fancy Pants as he passed them.
“Eh, how’s it going?”

“Well enough. You?”

“Been better, been worse.”

A brief silence.
“...Want to actually answer your question?”

“Sure!”

Ever play horseshoes on Twilight's horn with donuts when she crashed from a midnight study session? Midnight Donuts can't be sold, and she'd be sleeping right there, I understand that might cause some... Overwhelming urges.
-MrNumbers

“Hah! No, not Twilight Sparkle. But she and I definitely had some fun moments when Spike crashed out in the middle of one of her study runs. Ya know, he fell asleep with his tail stickin' in the air? -Way- better target than a horn! I hear he even got in the habit of sleeping curled up after the time we used powdered donuts and the coating got stuck in his scales or somethin'.”

Spike gasped from across the room.
“Hey! You and Twilight told me a tray of donuts fell and got all that sugar in my scales! I had to spend a whole day cleaning it out, and it still itched for a week!”

“Ahehehe... Oops. Good thing nopony’s gonna remember this at all, eh?”

I sighed and sent Joe back to...
“Nah, I’m good. Not too interested in everypony else’s answers. You mind if I ditch early?”

“...Sure, I guess. Go ahead.”

And with that, we were down to nine ponies, several of whom had already answered. Of course, this was only one batch... Oh, and Spike still looked angry. Seemed wise to take him next, rather than let him keep stewing.
“Come on over, Spike. You got a pretty decent number, even after trimming the chaff.”

“Really? Cool!”

Sugar scales forgotten, he waddled his way up to the fire and sat down again.
“So, whadda we got? Anything juicy?”

Have you ever tried different applications of your dragon fire ability? Like instead of sending a letter, could you try to send larger objects or ponies?
-AlaskaIsCold

“Oooh, Twilight and Celestia always told me I'm never supposed to even try and use it on a pony on purpose. So nope, no ponies! Larger objects... You know, I've never tried it? I guess it might work. I've sent some real big letters before, even a book once, but mostly that’s all paper stuff. I guess I could try to convince Twilight to let me try it out if I describe it as "SCIENCE!" and suggest some kinda application for it.”

“...SCIENCE!, eh?”

“You know how she gets,” Spike deadpaned.

“True enough. You actually have another one, come to think of it...”

Do you find it odd or disconcerting that your adoptive mother/sister is romantically involved with your other adoptive mother?
-Mister Morden

“‘Mister’, I am a dragon who lives among ponies and watches the town he lives in get invaded, blown up, literally eaten, magically used and abused, or otherwise targeted by some sort of crazy on, like, a weekly basis or something. I deal with the Cutie Mark Crusaders just about every day, and I have grown three hundred feet tall multiple times. If I found something as basic as a loving relationship strange, I think I'd qualify for the silly stable.”

The little dragon paused for a moment, visibly thinking.
“Anyways, I'm glad they're together-- They always both acted like something was missing, and this might be it.”

“Aaww, adorable. Thanks Spike- Are you going to stay around, or is Pony Joe just the first deserter among many?”

“Hahahaha, nice pun!”

“...Deserter. Desserter. I see what I accidentally did there. But seriously, you sticking?”

Spike plopped back down by the fireplace, letting out a quick puff of his green flame to mix with the red and orange of the logs.
“Sure! I actually know most of these ponies, so I wanna stay.”

I took a look over the remainder. Only five ponies left today, which meant six... Oh! Right.

“Actually, real quick? There was a question for me. Kinda what led to this entire digression in the first place.”

Dash wrinkled her nose, clearly annoyed at being left for later once again.
“Is that even allowed? I thought this whole thing was for characters!”

“Yeah, funny thing about that. Pinkie Pie and Celestia have both directly addressed me and spoken with me, so to speak, in-character. Thanks to that, I’m stuck abiding by the same rules as you all. So without further ado, lemme get it out of the way so you can go next:”

Considering that Spike is of a different species, and everypony else in this story is in a gay relationship, is Equestria running the risk of underpopulation, and if so, will Celestia have to resort to forced breeding?
-Jake Roberts

“Nope! Consider the following:”

I quickly pulled out an easel and chart, slapping them into place for all to see.

1- This story is a ludicrously small and unique sample size.
2- While pony gestation periods are longer, their births are much safer.
3- Plain vanilla M+F sex and pregnancy is not the only way, even in Equestria.
4- Earth manages to be overpopulated even with a high non-breeding rate.

“So if you think about it that way, it’s pretty clear that Equestria has little, if anything, to worry about when it comes to a lack of breeding.”

The easel and chart got evaporated back into the Wake-esque creative aether, and I gestured to the only pegasus in the room.
“Dash? You’re up.”

“Aaaww yes! How many awesome questions did I get? I mean, Spike has barely been in the story-”

She turned to the dragon quickly.
“No offense, right?”

“No problem!”

“Yeah, so, he still got two after you got rid of some lame ones. So I must have like a jillion! Or two jillion!”

I didn’t even have to look back to the sheet to confirm.
“One.”

“One jillion?”

“One question.”

She stared, poking the question list incredulously with a hoof.
“How many of those things did you throw out?”

“Pretty much none. You only have the one to answer.”

“...Oh. Alright.”

Do you have any idea where Pinkie is hiding her party cannons?
-Mister Morden

“If I knew where Pinkie kept half of her shenanigans, I'd be one rich mare. Like, I swear, she turned to me in the middle of a bit of funtime the other day and pulled out a strap-on from thin air. Not from a different cloud either, she just sorta reached her hoof off to one side, just outside of my view, and then came back with it. I looked, afterwards? She had just reached off the side of the cloud. There was, trust me, nothing there. Mare confuses me sometimes, but that's half the fun, yaknow?”

“Aaw Dashie, you know you could just ask. Plus, I keep those everywhere, in case of-”

“Pinkie? I’m fine not knowing, and I am super-fine not knowing what sort of emergency would require you to dip into some kinda dildo stash.”

Dash’s marefriend drooped a little before Dash flew back over to the gallery, wrapping a wing around her.
“But hay, maybe one of these days I’ll give you an emergency for them, hmm?”

Pinkie Pie chuckled and swatted the other mare on the shoulder, back to her normal level of vibrancy in an instant.

"Well, that's handled. List is shrinking all the time, and... Hey, Sweetie Belle!"

The little filly quickly bounced up out of her seat and trotted over. I didn't feel great about making her wait so long, given how energetic fillies like her could be, but I had a good reason.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Question Answerer, Yay! Oh, but, wait... The other Crusaders aren't here."

"Heh, don't worry- They'll be in the other chapters. I wanted to spread the three of you out a bit, provide some structure to this whole deal."

"Well, OK. That does make sense- Plus, I doubt Scootaloo would actually sit still that long."

I took another look through the questions to confirm the situation, avoiding the chance to make an obvious joke about Scootaloo not having any choice.
"You, Sweetie, have a special question!"

She gasped, eyes going wide.
"Really!? What's so special about it? Is it super-long? Or short? I would try to give a short answer, but I doubt that anypony is going to beat Celestia, I mean hers was only like five words long, and super-mysterious, so-"

"Nope, nothing to do with length. It's who the question is from, and where."

"Umm... I'm not supposed to guess, am I?"

"Not unless you want to."

She nodded, happily, and waited for me to explain.

"You've got our first CELEBRITY GUEST QUESTION! Every chapter, give or take, a fellow well-known author will drop in with a question for somepony. Today is a good friend of mine, I've actually known them longer than I've been writing this. With no further ado:"

“Have you ever accidentally stumbled upon Rarity and Applejack getting a little too cozy?”
--carcinoGeneticist, author of Feels Like The First Time and Purely Scientific Interest

Sweetie Belle thought about this for a moment. And then a moment longer. After a while, Rainbow Dash looked uncomfortable with how long this was taking, and even I was about to interrupt. Finally, the unicorn filly answered, all in one long speech.

"Too cozy? Is there such a thing as too cozy? I mean, being comfortable is one of my favorite things. So how would too cozy... Oh! I think I get it! There was this one time that I saw them and they were really close, and looked pretty comfy. Like, I was awake in the middle of the night because I had to go to the bathroom, and when I was walking through the hall, Rarity's door was open a crack... And I saw Rarity lying on top of Applejack! They were both in Rarity's bed, and it sorta looked like Applejack's hooves were attached to the bedposts somehow. They were pressed real close together, and sorta rocking back and forth, making these super-cute sighing noises. That's probably what you meant! Yeah, I've stumbled onto that sort of thing once or twice. A week."

Silence ruled the room before Pinkie started chuckling, and shortly after that, everypony was laughing. It took a minute before I got them all calmed back down, and Sweetie happily bounced back to her spot in the semi-circle of ponies (and singular dragon).

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing for Rarity and Applejack's reputations that none of you are going to remember this entire incident. And speaking of reputations, let's just segue to... Fancy Pants! It's a tenuous connection, but hey."

"Trust me good sir, I have been introduced by more spurious statements than that. You will be surprised what the Master of Ceremonies will stoop to for the sake of keeping on a theme."

"Point. Shall we just move on, then?"

"Let's."

My most important question of all goes to you:
WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU WEAR PANTS?!
-MrNumbers

"Wouldn’t that be a bit... I don’t know, on the nose? You do not see Twilight Sparkle walking around covered in glitter, or 'Flutter'shy constantly buzzing her wings. Just because my name includes an article of clothing does not mean I am beholden to said article."

There's a short pause.
"...Also if you must know, they chafe my stallionhood something fierce."

"Welp moving on from that quickly!"

Would you prefer deep-sea diving or sky diving?
-Keeper of Jericho

"...Truthfully? To be brutally honest, I would much prefer to keep all my hooves planted firmly on the ground. Water and I do not work well together, and flight is meant for pegasi. No, I believe I am quite confident saying neither..."

I interrupted him with a quick whisper.

"What? What do you mean that's not a legitimate... Urgh. Fine. If forced, I would choose deep-sea diving, as it takes much less time and would involve having a full group of other ponies on hoof in case something went wrong. Are you happy now?"

I leaned over to him once again.
"No."

"W-what?"

"No, I'm not happy now. You own an airship. Exactly how are we supposed to believe you don't deal well with heights?"

"Yes, well... I am inside, technically, on that. Not exposed at all. These 'people' are asking about falling freely through the air itself, directly. Huge difference."

"...If you insist. Next up is... Hmm. On the one hand, if I take Fleur next, it'll be two couples back to back with no switching. But if I take Mr. Cake next, it'll end with two mares back to back."

Mrs. Cake looked at me with confusion.
"Is taking my question next not an option, dearie?"

"Nope! Can't really explain why, but... You're last. Just trust me."

"Oh... Alright. Well, handle my husband's question next- I'm curious, and it's the least you could do since you're making me wait so long, hmmm?"

I chuckled and grabbed Mr. Cake's question out of the list. The lanky stallion made his way over, still wearing his perpetually-present work uniform.

“Well, hopefully nobody asked any sensitive questions. You wouldn’t imagine how many people ask something about the twins...”

I made a very pointed glance off to the side.

“...Can it at least be a normal question about our children?”

“Yeah, sure I can hack that. As such:”

Are there any plans for the baby Cakes to ever get another brother or sister, or are the both of you satisfied with just two children?
-Keeper of Jericho

Mr. Cake was trying, very hard, to stare deadpan at the questioner. I presume he managed to pull it off, but since he was really just sort of glaring at them by proxy via me... Yeah, consider yourself glared at.

“...Another. Another? Hahahahahaha. HAHAHHAHAHA. Yeah, no, we are... Quite satisfied with "just" two. Thanks for asking.”

He paused and shook a hoof through the air, massaging his temple as he spoke.
“But don't take that the wrong way: Pumpkin and Pound are the greatest things to ever happen to us since... Well, since Pinkie came along to Ponyville. I can't even imagine my life without our little family anymore.”

There was a squeal of joy from back out in the audience as Pinkie lasso’d him back with one impossibly-long leg and roped him and his wife into a hug. Everypony gave a little ‘aww’ to the touching display, and I set aside the card, leaving only two.

“Well, that leaves two. Fleur, would you be so kind?”

“Absolutely! Must I rise, however? I am rather comfortable.”

“Feel free to just answer from your seat, in that case. I imagine this one would be an easy one for you...”

What is the kinkiest thing you haven't done yet that you absolutely still want to do?
-Keeper of Jericho

“Ooh, a decision most tough! Well, I have been quite the adventurous filly, and then an even more adventurous mare. The result is that I have done quite the many things. Something I have not done, but truly want to... Choking. I have never done anything that cuts off my breathing. I have dreamed it, but never acted: It's risky, much chance to leave marks, hard to convince a stallion to try, but what they say about it... Mmmh. You have given me an idea for one weekend.”

There was, appropriately, a choked gasp from Fleur’s side as Fancy Pants realized exactly what she suggested. They have an extremely hushed conversation before, reluctantly, gesturing for me to move on with the questions.

“I... Alright. Well then, the grand finale of our first Q&A chapter! Mrs. Cake, come on up... And prepare a seat. You’re probably going to be up here for a while.”

She seemed reluctant, but trotted over regardless.
“So I just... want there to be a couch here, and one appears?”

“Pretty much. Benefits of being a fictional entity in a world shaped by writing, yaknow?”

Her eyes closed for a moment, and then her legs suddenly curled up with the rising cushions of a fairly nice-looking chaise lounge.
“Oh! Very nice indeed. So, a question for me?”

“Questions plural, in fact. Number one:”

What is Mr. Cake's most pleasant personality trait?
-Keeper of Jericho

“Well... On the one hoof, he's a bit paranoid and jumpy at times, and he barely eats some days. And most wouldn’t think of that as ‘positive’, but it’s still endearing. On the blatantly positive side: he has a biting wit when the mood strikes, takes care of his family with everything he can, and his work ethic is second to none. He's also very... Open. In all ways. To pick just one of the good sides, or even the bad ones... I'd have to say his most pleasant trait is the entire package- Any one thing wouldn't be quite right, like all the ingredients of a pastry eaten on their own uncooked. It's the whole that I love.”

“Extremely cute. I approve!”

“Thank you, dearie. But didn’t you say questions... Plural?”

“Mmmh. In fact, our final question of the day is for you!”

Do you honestly expect us to buy Mr. Cake’s story about the twins? What really happened? Who’s the real father?
-Many, many different readers

“...The answer has to be totally truthful, right?”

“Unless you’re the single pre-designated liar, and I wouldn’t be such a heel as to make the lie be to this, one of the most-asked questions in the fandom. So for all intents and purposes... yes. They’re getting the truth.”

“Oh... Oh, dear.”

NEXT CHAPTER:

THE ANSWER*

*- And by The Answer, I do mean you’re all going to be getting a glance at the actual conception. I promised sex scenes back at the start, didn’t I?**

**- And don’t think I’m going to short-shrift you guys either. It’s next chapter not for the sake of a cliffhanger, but because it is that friggin long.