Two alicorns, one of blue and one of white, sat atop a bench with three evenly spaced cushions covering the surface. The blue alicorn sat on the left and the white alicorn on the right, the middle cushion sat empty and waiting. Both alicorns wore looks of trepidation, thoughts of what the day might bring racing through their minds. Today was to be the first of what they hoped would be many joint court sessions for the three princesses of Equestria. They both worried for the third alicorn who had yet to arrive and how she would fare among the politicians and nobles that would present cases today in court.
Both alicorns turned their heads toward the far end of the throne room as the sound of hooves reached their ears. A set of golden double doors slowly swung open, assisted by a pair of guards, to reveal a smaller purple version of the two alicorns. She trotted to the end of the hall and wrapped the blue alicorn in a chaste hug. “Morning Luna.” She turned to the other alicorn and wrapped her in a more familiar hug. “Morning Celestia.”
Taking the seat between the two they all settled onto their cushions, Celestia taking a moment to fluff her wings and surprise the young purple alicorn by running the tip of her wing in a small circle over her cutie mark. Twilight jumped and glanced at Celestia and the wing was pulled away. “Sorry Twilight.”
Twilight smiled gently. “It’s fine, you're just not used to having three of us up here on the dais.” She settled onto her cushion with a chuckle. “I know that sometimes the wings just get restless and you need to move them a little.”
“Are we ready to begin your highnesses?” A guard at the bottom of the dais stood rigid at attention as he awaited the answer.
Celestia smiled sweetly and Luna sat up straighter, adjusting her crown slightly. “We are ready. Let the assembled ponies know and begin sending in patrons.” She paused for a moment to look at her two co rulers. “If you two are ready that is.” The both smiled and nodded.
Twilight fidgeted a little as the guard trotted off and Celestia bumped her with a wing to get her attention. “It will be fine. Luna and I know what we are doing, just follow our lead.” Twilight nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. Celestia smiled and the both turned to the front of the room as the herald called out.
“Now presenting Prince Blueblood, here on behalf of the Equestrian Society for the betterment of Ponies.” The heralds voice rang out and white unicorn with a blond mane stepped into the room. Luna and Celestia sighed and rolled their eyes as he walked down the hall.
Celestia leaned over and whispered into Twilight’s ear, using a little more air than needed causing Twilight’s ear to flick a little. “I don’t get how he can walk like that, with his nose facing the ceiling.”
Twilight blushed as she felt her mentors lips tickle her ear and the wind from her voice made her ear warmer. She giggled ever so slightly and shifted herself. “I know, I have watched the other nobles do it, how do they do that without running into stuff.”
Luna scoffed under her breath. “If only they would just walk off a cliff or forget the stairs sometimes.”
Celestia and Twilight both opened their mouths to respond but Blueblood reached them and entered a deep bow forcing them to close their mouths and offer their ears. “Your highnesses.” He rose to his hooves and looked at Twilight with a small amount of disdain and Luna with barely concealed contempt. “I am here today to talk about the parks.”
Twilight sighed and Luna raised her hoof. Luna looked down at Blueblood for a moment before she spoke up. “If you are here today to request that the parks be destroyed we do not wish to hear it. You submitted the proper paperwork, repeatedly, and we have made our stance quite clear on the matter.” Celestia smiled as Luna spoke, a bit of pride showing in her eyes as she watched Luna take charge. “And our answer here is the same as it was on the request. The parks are a part of Canterlot and add to it a beauty that we do not wish seen destroyed.”
Blueblood ignored her and turned his attention to Celestia. “I am here to ask that the decision of less modern ponies be reconsidered.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Blueblood, while we appreciate your stance we cannot take away something so precious from the foals.” Blueblood lifted his hoof and opened his mouth but Twilight shook her head. “I do not believe anyone here wishes to hear more on the subject.” She nodded her head to a glowering Luna and blank faced Celestia.
Blueblood lowered himself into a bow. “I understand your highness.” He rose to his hooves. “I will return when I have found a compromise then.” He gave a slight bow and turned away with a the smallest harrumph before trotting back to the doors.
Twilight opened her mouth to speak but froze when she felt Celestia’s lean closer to her. She closed her mouth and settled herself as Celestia spoke near her ear. “Well played Twilight.” Celestia offered Twilight a comforting shoulder bump. “Bringing up the foals like that.” She snickered causing her cheek to rub Twilight’s. “Very few realize Blueblood has a soft spot for them.”
Twilight felt herself blushing a little and tried to move away from Celestia who was a little too close for comfort. Twilight could remember other times they had been close like this but something felt different to her this time. She couldn't place a hoof on what but this closeness felt more. Luna on her other side was shaking her head and smiling to herself which confused Twilight even more, did she know something Twilight didn't. Celestia took the hint and scooted herself a little further from Twilight away while she let out a small yawn, stretching her wings at the same time. The herald began to call a name and Celestia closed her wings in response, running the feather tips down Twilight's back causing her to squeak cutely and quietly, settling into a comfortable position.
“Now announcing Sir Dusty Tome, Head of the Equestrian Librarian association.” A light tan earth pony with a grey and white speckled mane stepped through the door and began the walk across the throne room to the princesses. Twilight smiled, the thought of anything to do with books or libraries excited her.
Dusty Tome lowered himself into a shallow bow before the three princesses. “I am here with a simple request. We have recently lost many workers to the Crystal Empire and the preservation of their books and updating their library system. As such our own preservation and restoration division has found itself short staffed. We don’t have the funds to hire more ponies because technically the others still work for us.” He paused and sighed. “The paperwork would take to long so we were hoping to speed the process by petitioning you directly.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak but Celestia beat her to it. “That sounds easily done, if you would write up a preliminary request for us to review and bring it to the clerks I think we can easily grant your request.”
Dusty Tome smiled and reached back to flip open his saddlebags. “I have one written up just in case.” Before he could pull it out a purple haze surrounded it and pulled it forward.
Twilight popped it open as it reached her and skimmed it. “I think we can work with this Mr. Tomes. We will get back to you in a few days.”
Dusty Tome smiled and bowed low. “Thank you so much.” He rose and trotted out with a spring in his step.
Celestia snickered and Luna covered her mouth with hoof as they watched Twilight skim the paper quickly a few more times before putting it down. Celestia poked Twilight in the shoulder. “Excited about books are we.”
Twilight blushed a little. “Nothing wrong with preserving old books full of knowledge of the ages.”
Celestia shifted herself over and lifted the manuscript again. Resting her cheek against Twilight’s she skimmed over it a few times. “There are other places you can search for old knowledge you know. I myself have lived through much of history and I would gladly give you...extra lessons.”
The purple alicorn went rigid as her mind caught a slight change in tone from her mentor. A subtle heat creeped into her cheeks as she all but shoved the manuscript towards her one time teacher. “Please take the manuscript Celestia, you can read it better if you hold it yourself.” Pushing herself and her cushion towards Luna, Twilight took deep steadying breaths and tried to ignore the amused chuckled from the alabaster goddess.
With a smirk Celestia wiggled herself across her cushion and closer to the slightly panicky alicorn that was running from her as best she could. “But if I sit over there to read it how can I ask you what each part means.” She gave a fake frown causing Twilight to duck her head a little as she turned and coughed.
“There’s no rush, we can read it tomorrow.” She pushed herself against the blue wall that seemed to have arisen next to her trying escape the source of her embarrassment and confusion.
Luna coughed and Celestia sighed then after a moment pulled away allowing Twilight to shift back to her original position. The herald cleared his throat as the doors opened again. “Now announcing General Shield of the Equestrian Royal Guard.”
Luna and Celestia both raised an eyebrow and Twilight took deep breaths trying to steady her rapidly fraying nerves. A black unicorn with a black mane stepped into the throne room and walked briskly to the base of the dais the three goddesses sat and entered a deep bow. “Good morning your majesties.”
Luna smiled. “Good morning to you general. To what do we owe this pleasure.”
He smiled and rose to his hooves. “I wish to start a recruitment campaign.” He stood taller and puffed his chest out. “It is our duty to protect the crown and her kingdom and we are currently understaffed with the new princess. We have had little luck in new recruits so we thought we might start a campaign to catch the eyes of the younger generation.”
Luna tapped her chin and turned to her sister. “Perhaps something like we did back in the days of old.”
Celestia tilted her head and closed her eyes for a second. “Perhaps something a little less...blunt than that.”
Twilight sat between the two with a thoughtful expression while they continued their back and forth for a while. At first her thoughts were wrapped in white but steadily they moved away from that as her thoughts turned to the guard and her brother, She looked down at the general after a few thoughtful moments and the heat had left her cheeks. “Perhaps something like the Wonderbolts recruitment. They are a military unit but do not focus on it. Perhaps if you talked about what it’s like to be a guard rather than all the duties it would seem more appealing to ponies.” The three other ponies paused and turned to Twilight who shrank back a little. “It’s just a thought.”
Celestia smiled and put a leg over Twilight's shoulders and squeezed lightly. “It’s a grand idea. It needs work but it is certainly a grand idea.” She pulled Twilight close in a half hug and nuzzled her cheek. “As one would expect from the pony who mastered a new form of magic.”
Twilight froze and Luna stepped in to help give her a moment to recover. Nodding she looked to the general. “Do you think you could put something together to be looked over in a weeks time?”
“Of course I could.” He smiled warmly at Twilight. “And thank you for the idea.”
Twilight’s face warmed up but not entirely because of the general. Celestia’s hoof had paused to massage the space between her wings for a moment before retracting. The general bowed again and left. Twilight turned to Celestia. “Are you alright?” The white alicorn raised an eyebrow. “You seem more physical than usual.”
Luna turned away and hid a giggle behind her hoof while Celestia leaned forward to put her face close to Twilight's. “No, nothing is wrong. Are you...uncomfortable with the closeness?” Twilight leaned back her face burning from the proximity of her mentors lips to hers while she shook her head slowly from side to side.
The heralds voice rang out but Twilight had checked out at that point, her mind consumed with the thought of lips. She had expected so much from the day but she had not expected Celestia to be acting so strange. There was the touching and the constant movement to close the gap between them. If anything she had read about pegasi culture was accurate...Twilight’s thoughts hiccuped and she looked down to her hooves a small blush spread over her cheeks. There was no way Celestia’s actions were the same as the book describes, really she was an alicorn not a pegasi.
Twilight's eyes closed as her mind swirled round and round, searching for an answer that she could accept. Unconsciously she let out a soft moan as a heavenly feeling washed over her back. All the tenseness she had been gathering was flowing out of her back and dissipating as she felt the strangest but warmest thing she had ever felt caress her back. It was warm like those hot rocks from the spa but it rolled around in several small concentric circles, each a different point of warmth. Two rotated between her wings, another a little further down then a last one near the small of her back. Twilight felt herself drifting as she began to purr quietly and sway her head with the circles. As suddenly as it began it was interrupted by a feathery appendage filling her face and mouth.
Coughing she shook her head and opened her eyes to see them full of the color blue. She looked at Luna whose wings were at full mast and had a deep crimson color in her cheeks. Celestia on left was laughing behind her hoof and the pony in front of them was trying not to stare. Luna coughed a few times and her wings twitched and lowered slowly.
“I am sorry for that my little pony. It would seem somepony nearby was having a very interesting dream a moment ago.” Her eyes flicked to Twilight. “Please continue.”
The pony nodded dumbly as a small blush crossed her muzzle. She cleared her throat and coughed a little. “As I was saying...”
Twilight let her mind drift again, the soothing feeling from between her wings was gone but she still felt calmer. Looking down she noticed a strange white marble sitting between her forelegs on the pillow. She rolled it around under her hoof absentmindedly. She thought it felt surprisingly like the sensation that had put her to sleep. Rolling the marble some more she noticed Celestia’s sun cutie mark on one side and a small bit of crimson worked into her cheeks.
She heard the doors closed and her mind snapped back to the here and now. Looking up she noticed Celestia looking at her from the corner of her eye so she offered a smile which seemed to calm the diarch of the sun down a little. She glanced at Luna who gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry we all tend to zone out during these. Though usually we aren't so vocal while we zone.”
Coughing lightly to cover herself Twilight smiled. “I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me. There was this heavenly sensation on my back that just made the tension bleed away and then...” She trailed off and rolled her hoof in the air for a moment. “Certain things that have happened recently sent my mind to place where it normally does not go.” Twilight eyed the marble below and rolled it some more, letting it remind her of the amazing massage she had had a second ago.
Luna smiled and motioned to the guard. “Send in the next pony please.” The guard nodded and the herald stuck his head outside the door to call to the next pony. When he pulled back in several maids and butlers filed in carrying silver trays and drinks and tables. Luna clapped her hooves. “Yay, lunch time.”
The first bit was a simple salad garnished with a few seeds. Celestia giggled a little and looked at Twilight. “Have you ever sown seeds Twilight?” She popped a seed in her mouth and licked her lips slowly as she rolled the seed around her mouth. “It’s a lot of fun and surprisingly relaxing.”
Twilight smiled as she swallowed. “I haven’t, horticulture is interesting but I don’t have a talent for it. Maybe I should ask Applejack to let me sow some seeds with her.”
Luna choked on a seed and started thumping her chest desperately for moment before she looked at her sister with tears in the corners of her eyes. There was silence for a moment before both broke into a fit of giggle causing Twilight to look at them both confused. “It’s nothing Twilight, don’t worry about it.” Twilight nodded dumbly and turned her attention back to her salad.
Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Celestia wrapped her tongue around her fork and slowly pulled the lettuce leaves off, trailing her tongue along the edge of the tines to get the last bits of dressing. Slowly she turned her head hypnotized to watch as her tongue worked around the fork seeking out bits of seed and dressing still on it before being lowered to the empty.
“Are you okay Twilight?” Celestia’s hoof waved in her face and it lit up like a light as Twilight coughed and turned her head.
“Just fine.” She responded hastily and the maids grabbed the trays and pulled them away.
Celestia smiled and looked to her sister. “Shall we move on to the afternoon patrons?” Luna nodded and they motioned to the herald who began calling names and the parade of ponies continued.
Less than an hour in Twilight felt something again, this time along her feathers. She felt them get shifted and adjusted like a preening but more carefully and something she couldn't describe. The care and attention paid to each feather was slower and softer but more firm at the same time than she was used and it was followed by the feeling of something trailing along the wing bone. It made her close her eyes and sigh. It felt heavenly and it made her tail twitch from side to side slightly. Twilight couldn't think of a time she had ever felt something like this and for some reason she wanted more.
She chanced a peek back at her wing and noticed a faint golden glow around the feather being fixed. Her curiosity piqued she looked over at Celestia and noticed her horn glowing very faintly and then she got an idea. She figured if it was being done to her she might as well do it back, it was only fair after all. Picking up the marble with her magic, keeping the glow to a minimum, she made a few magical copies and slid half of them along the ground and up under the alabaster wing beside her. The other half she slid under the white mare and under other wing.
Celestia jumped slightly but kept her composure as she suddenly felt three bumps travel under each wing and begin to work around the base of her wings. Her magic stuttered and she had to bite her tongue so as not make any sound and luckily Luna picked up the slack. She glanced at Twilight who had a smiled innocently back. Celestia smiled and nodded and continued while Twilight picked up the pace a little.
It wasn't long before the had both shifted closer to each other in an attempt to control their wings as they struggled to rise from their sides, while they held the wings not pressed against each other in a gentle grasp to keep them down. Luna watched the petitioner leave and turned to her two compatriots. “Are you two alright, you seem flushed.”
Twilight bit her lip and then spoke up. “We are...fine. No need to...worry.” Her voice hitched a few times but she managed to speak without sounding to bad and Celestia merely nodded in agreement.
“If you want I can call it for the day.” Luna spoke with concern but the other rulers shook their heads in disagreement so she motioned to the guard to bring in the next one.
Luna was left alone for this one as Twilight rolled her shoulders and made some new marbles that she trailed down the underside of the wing before sliding them under Celestia. Celestia bit her lip but still squeaked a little as the marbles rolled past more sensitive areas and danced around them teasingly.
Not wanting to be beat she mimicked the motions and Twilight ducked her head down as a small moan escaped her lips. The petitioners ears perked and he started look towards them but Luna caught him. “I think we can consider your request if you would please file the proper paperwork on your way out.” The petitioner bowed and quickly trotted away, only slightly confused.
Luna looked over at her friend and her sister and opened her mouth to speak but paused as a strange smell reached her nose. Sniffing a little her brow furrowed. “Are you two sure you're okay.” Her only answer was a tiny moan from both of them that caused the pieces to click into place. She turned crimson and bolted up. She jumped from the bench and glided across the room to the guards and the herald. “I think we should call it for the day.”
The guard raised and eyebrow. “But we aren't even halfway...” He trailed off under Luna’s harsh gaze and nodded. Together they exited and Luna sealed the doors behind them.
Luna looked over the ponies in the atrium. “I am sorry but court for the day has been cancelled. Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia are not feeling well and-”
Luna was cut off by a loud scream from the throne. “OH DEAR CELESTIA!! YYYYEEEESSSSS!!!” Every pegasi in the room suddenly went stiff and the room filled with a resounding pomf sound. The rest of the ponies turned bright red and shuffled nervously from side to side.
Luna coughed lightly and the doors glowed a faint blue color for a moment. “As I was saying. Celestia and Twilight are not feeling up to court today and court has been cancelled.” Nopony argued, a few passed bits to there friends while others grumbled at a lost chance to suck up to the newest crown or get closer to Celestia through her but none argued as they filed out.
Luna turned to the herald. “Please go inform the media relations staff, I think they are in for a long night.” Luna winced as a wave of magic passed over them and the throne room doors shook. “And let the repair crew know the throne room has been subject to a bit of wild magics and might need some repair.”
