Cuori Intrecciati

The grass brushed against Celestia’s coat, tickling her side as she shifted to get more comfortable. Sounds from the party and other ponies navigating the maze filtered through the hedgerows, providing a serine sort of white noise. Constant but dull, it never drew attention to itself, almost calming in its way.

A small yawn escaped her lips as Celestia clutched her little sister as though fearing she would vanish if given the chance. It was silly; she knew that. It was also more than a little unfair to Luna. Even two years later, and she could not fully shake that old panic. The days she awoke before Luna returned…

If Luna minded, or even realized, she made no indication. More often than not, she appeared to relish Celestia's desperate hold, squirming into it as best she could. Currently, her forelegs rested on Celestia's shoulders, her nose buried in the hollow of Celestia's neck as she curled into her big sister's embrace.

With her wings and legs wound entirely around her sister, Celestia let her chin rest atop Luna’s head, another yawn slipping from her lips. Her extra organ still weighed between her hindlegs, laying limp and retracted between her thighs. Neither of them had had the presence of mind to do anything about it yet, nor the sticky mess coating both their loins.

That last position had worn her out. It would have been easier if the table had been a few inches taller, or if Luna had been on top. Easier did not necessarily mean better, though. She wouldn't trade staring down at her little sister like that for the world. Nose-to-nose as she slipped inside Luna, her legs and wings splayed wide. Their gaze only broke when Luna arched her back, head falling back as she came for the third time that night, Celestia only a moment behind.

Luna shifted into a marginally better position. Once she'd resettled, her tongue slipped out, licking at the sweat in Celestia's coat.

"We should… " Celestia trailed off when she realized just what she was about to say.

"Are you planning on carrying me all night?” Luna asked, humor tinting her voice. “I am not certain I can walk."

Celestia scoffed. "As though you were the one who had to crouch while thrusting. My hindlegs are going to be jelly for the next week."

"Fie! Taking that leviathan between your thighs was no mean feat."

"First of all,” Celestia started with a playful growl, “you created it.” She nipped the tip of Luna’s ear, making her twitch. “Secondly, you voiced no complaint before now."

"As long as it comes from you, I never shall," Luna said, chuckling and nuzzling her once more. For a few more seconds, silence reigned. Then Luna tensed. “Tia, why is my moon… off?”

Celestia cracked open her eye, scanning the sky until she spotted the moon amongst the stars. To the untrained eye, it appeared as it always did, but to a pony responsible for shepherding it across the sky, the discrepancy was plain. It was off by a full two degrees toward the sole exit of the courtyard they occupied.

Shifting her wing, she stroked the side of Luna’s neck, running its feathers through the mess of Luna’s mane. “I was wondering if you would notice.”

Luna relaxed at Celestia’s words. “That does not answer my question.”

“Did you not read the maze’s riddle?” Anticipating her sister’s exasperation, she recited, “‘To find my heart, I must follow it.’”

A few seconds passed in silence before Luna pulled back, pushing her hooves into Celestia’s chest until they had enough space to meet each other’s eyes. “You, my dear sister, are hopeless.”

“What need have I for hope when I already have you?”

Rolling her eyes, Luna pushed Celestia’s grinning muzzle aside and started to pull away. Celestia did not let her go easily, delaying her escape with a barrage of nips, kisses, and tickles. She never went beyond that, however, never forced her sister to stay. When the needle of panic pricked the back of her mind, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she focused on Luna's flanks and the slight limp in her gait as she retrieved her dress, cast aside at some point Celestia could only faintly recall.

From that angle, she got a full view of Luna’s pussy in all its cum-slicked glory, a stringy glob falling to the ground as she watched. The sight stirred both her nethers and other, less welcome feelings.

It was instantly recognizable. After living with it for the better part of a millennia, she was not likely to forget that sense of wrongness edging toward disgust. She’d thought it left behind, like a dungeon from which Luna had rescued her.

The cause was plainly obvious, staining Luna’s thighs with streaks of white. She’d mounted and ridden her little sister, left her with seed dribbling out of her sore backside. Why it compelled her to feel that way, however, was more obfuscated. It vexed Celestia to find the taboo somehow greater now than it had always been, that she had somehow violated her precious little sister, rather than expanded the ways in which they could enjoy each other.

The experience had been amazing, slipping inside Luna and feeling her squeeze tightly around her cock, urging her deeper. She’d given herself so readily that it had left Celestia in an intoxicated haze of passion and lust.

Watching Luna helped bury her worries, the way she continued on without a hint of them, almost prancing despite her obvious soreness. She wore the same happy little smile she always did after they had sex. Seeing that smile, and knowing she’d put it there, was something Celestia treasured far more than any physical intimacy they shared. As long as Luna was happy, Celestia had no qualms about swallowing her own uncertainties to preserve that.

With her dress held before her, Luna turned it this way and that, inspecting it for stains, grass and otherwise. After a satisfied nod, she glanced back and let the corner of her lip curl when she noticed Celestia’s eyes. She spread her hindlegs a little wider.

“Would you like to do the honors?”

“Hmmm?” Celestia’s eyes traveled along Luna’s flanks to her eyes, then back down when she hiked up her tail, better displaying the mess beneath it. “Oh.”

Celestia’s aura reached out, gently enveloping Luna’s hindquarters in its golden glow. Her magic went to work, carefully pulling the mixture of fluids from Luna’s fur, sending a shiver up her spine and down her tail. In seconds, it was over, with not a trace of their dalliance left to be seen.

Luna pouted as she slipped her dress back on, smoothing out the wrinkles with magic. “‘Tisn’t quite what I had in mind, but I suppose it suffices.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “If our goal is to return to the party, I doubt using my tongue would have produced desirable results.”

Luna trotted back, lowering her head to Celestia’s level. “That, my Love, is entirely subjective.”

“It is not a fair argument if you keep changing sides.”

Luna smiled enigmatically and pecked her nose. “I shall be sad to see it go. ’Twas quite fun… once you figured out its proper use.”

Celestia’s attempt at a rebuttal was cut off by Luna’s magic. The spell was no more comfortable in reverse, causing her to twitch and writhe and moan. Her situation was not helped by the simultaneous casting of the cleaning spell. When it was over, however, she didn't repress her sigh of relief at the return of her marehood.

"I could not imagine living with one of those."

"I did not find it so uncomfortable when I was practicing." A predatory grin pulled at Luna’s lips a moment later. “In truth, I had intended for our roles to be reversed.” Leaning in, she kissed Celestia, tongue tasting her lips. “And I greatly anticipate my turn mounting you."

Celestia hummed lazily, letting her eyelids close. She listened as the orchestra changed compositions, though it was too muffled to pick beyond being light and airy. “That sounds nice.”

Hoof steps moved to stand behind her, Luna’s nose nudging at her back, urging her to stand like she was a newborn foal. “Come, Sister. We have a party to host, and our absence has certainly been noted.”

Celestia nickered, making no effort to rise. When, exactly, they’d curled up on the grass, she was uncertain. But she had not been entirely joking about trusting her legs to hold her weight. The burning may have subsided, but they ached in ways Celestia had not experienced in a long time.

“When did I become the responsible one?” Luna groused. The pressure on her back redoubled, Luna’s nose working its way under in an attempt to force Celestia up. Only when the ground beneath her hooves began to slide did Luna finally give up with a loud snort. “I did not wish to say anything earlier, but Mother’s mane, you are heavy.”

“An onus I bear gladly to ensure my love remains attracted to me.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Truly, ‘tis time we returned to the party, Sister.”

Groaning with the effort, Celestia finally acquiesced and forced herself to rise. Her legs protested the motion with tight aches and a bit of trembling, but they held nonetheless. She arched her back, wings flaring wide as she stretched every muscle and joint, mouth yawning wide. Three separate vertebrae and her left hip popped, eliciting a happy coo from her lips.

“I suppose,” Celestia said at length. When a quick glance around produced no sign of her own dress, she added, “First, we need to find my dress,” reaching out to her sister, she ran a wing through Luna’s mane, the aetheric locks free and unbound, “and you need to fix your mane.”

—————————————

Twilight only half listened as Rarity and Fancypants discussed business. Though, perhaps she should have paid more attention.

They’d taken up residence at a random table so all three could sit together as they talked. All the accouterments had been pushed aside to make room for a spread of napkins now covered in small sketches and writing.

Rarity was pitching her vision for the upcoming spring line to Fancypants in the hopes of getting his backing, mostly in the form of contacts and ad space. The situation had seemed odd to Twilight at first, but the more she overheard the more she understood. His entire business, and all the ponies he employed, relied on his reputation, so he couldn’t risk it unduly by putting his name behind something that he was not certain of. It was no great leap to conclude that, as a princess, she would have to do much the same.

The orchestra had ceased playing some time ago, the musicians finishing the last of their clean up before departing. Many of the guests had left as well, though a sizeable group was gathered around the Baron as he paced back and forth across the stage. They all sat in a tight semi-circle with a number of the braziers gathered to add a bit of warmth and light, entranced by his most recent tale of high—ly improbable—adventure. Fleur was there, and Twilight had considered joining them, it but seemed like too much effort.

After fleeing the maze, she hadn’t felt like doing much of anything. She’d sought Rarity out right away and almost told her everything she’d seen and heard. It’d only taken a moment’s thought to realize that doing so might not be the best idea, given Rarity’s penitent for gossip. Instead, Twilight put to use one of Princess Celestia’s lessons on ‘How to tell the truth’, and said only that she’d not been able to locate them.

From there, the night seemed to drag, even more so once the music stopped.

Twilight’s thoughts were torn, half convinced that there was no reason to stay any longer, the other half still hopeful for Luna’s return. In the end, the only reason she remained was Rarity. They had arrived together and she didn’t feel comfortable leaving without her. Asking her to leave was no more viable an option. She was still enjoying what remained of the party after all, and even conducting some business too. It wouldn’t be fair for Twilight to ask her to abandon that.

Any other night and she wouldn’t have noticed the shadow fall over her, but the fresh scent of lavender and thyme was unmistakable.

“Luna!” Twilight sprang from her seat, spinning around to face the elder princess.

A smile sparkled on Luna’s muzzle. “Twilight Sparkle, I am glad to see that you have yet to depart. It had concerned me that the opposite would be the case.”

“Oh, no, I…” Twilight trailed off and glanced away when she realized just how clingy her next words would have been. With a mare like Luna, she was certain that that was the worst thing she could do. Rather than rethink her words, she grasped onto the first thing she noticed. “Where is Princess Celestia?”

A sly smile curved Luna’s lips, leaning in to whisper, “Ah, we had something of an event in the maze and her gown was thoroughly damaged. She felt it better to retire than create a scene by returning under a different guise.”

“How dreadful," Rarity chimed in, moving to stand at Twilight’s side. "I do hope it isn’t too bad, her dress was simply marvelous.”

“Alas, ‘twas beyond all hope of repair, even for one with your exemplary talents.”

"Are you certain, I could—"

Luna cut her off with a sharp shake of her head, though her smile remained unchanged. "'Twas a complete loss, I assure you."

"Oh," Rarity said with a heavy sigh. "That really is too bad." Twilight expected that to be the end of it. So it caught her a bit off guard when Rarity spoke up once more, her voice sickly sweet, "Oh, Twilight, wasn't there something you wished to ask the Princess?"

"I… What?"

"Yes, I believe… oh that's right. You wanted to know if the Princess would like to join you for a walk, perhaps through the gardens. Isn't that right?"

"I did?" Twilight asked, only to receive a stealthy jab from Rarity's elbow. Staring at her in confusion, it took Twilight a full second to decipher the meaning behind the assault and subsequent eye and ear ticks. Quickly facing Luna once more, she said, "I mean, yes. Yes, I did want to ask you that."

“A chance to stretch my legs would be most agreeable.” Without further delay, Luna turned and began walking toward the gardens.

Twilight gave Rarity a look somewhere between elation and crippling uncertainty. Rarity, on the other hoof, was all giddy smiles, waving a hoof to shoo her along. Steeling herself, Twilight turned to see Luna a few paces away, looking back over her shoulder with an expectant tilt to her head and ears.

She jumped forward, hurrying to Luna’s side.

“So… have you been enjoying your birthday?” Twilight asked once they were out of earshot.

“Quite so, Twilight Sparkle. Much more exciting than I had feared. The music and style of dancing is far more energetic than they were a thousand years ago.”

“Oh? What was music like back then?” Twilight asked, scholastic curiosity overpowering her trepidation. "Very little has survived from that era…"

Luna answered, and Twilight listened. She wished she could ‘hang of her every word’ as always seemed to happen in books. Instead, the longer they spoke, the more difficulty she had corralling her attention. Before long, Twilight was spending most of her energy just trying to relax. It was a futile effort. Walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Luna was like a dream come true and she had trouble thinking of anything else.

The occasional shoulder brush didn’t help matters.

“For instance,” Luna was saying as Twilight struggled to figure out the current topic after one such touch, “the amniomorphic spell was only discovered when Starswirl the Bearded unintentionally transformed his pet rock into a cactus.”

Halfway through her nod, Twilight stopped. “Starswirl had a pet rock?”

Luna grinned at her. “Prickles was a far less ironic name after.”

“This isn’t like what you said about coins, is it?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowed.

“Mayhaps, but how would you be able to tell?”

Before Twilight could protest, Luna broke off, leading them to a secluded lawn that she hadn’t noticed prior. With a dextrous roll reminiscent of Rainbow Dash, Luna dropped to the grass, paying no mind to the stains that were sure to now mar her dress. Laying on her back, she stretched her legs up into the air before letting them curl back to her chest. Twilight just watched until Luna glanced her way and motioned for her to join.

She didn’t try to match Luna’s acrobatics, instead kneeling down beside her before flopping unceremoniously to her back.

“I am curious, Twilight Sparkle. What was it like under my sister’s tutelage?”

Twilight had to pause for a few seconds to collect her thoughts. “It was… the best thing that could have happened to me." It only took a moment for her to notice the redundant nature of that answer. "I mean, even without all the obvious benefits.

"My school teachers tried their best, but with the other students… they just didn’t seem to know what to do with me half the time. I just didn’t fit into a normal classroom. I’d read the whole text book within the first two weeks, then doodle spell matrices until it was time to do homework or take a test. Class was just boring most of the time.

“When Princess Celestia took over, everything got so much better. We only had class twice a week, because of her schedule, but she knew that the last thing I needed was instruction. All she would do was point me toward something and let me work it out on my own. She challenged me to teach myself and gave me everything I needed to do it.”

“That is Tia all over,” Luna said wistfully. "'Give them the tools, and they will build it themselves.'” She hummed softly, then added, “She also once said, ‘An enemy is naught but an ally thou hast to trick.’ Did you know she broke the First Griffon Empire with a single sentence?”

“No… I thought that was a civil war?”

Luna sighed. “Forsooth, though 'twas not her intent. His Eminence desired our lands, which we were ill-prepared to defend. Her desire was only to spark a contest for the throne, believing one of his warlords would demand a rite of combat and defeat him. She did not fully comprehend how they would react.”

“What did she say?”

“All of five words… ‘Doth he not look tired?’ Two weeks later, three warlords had gathered their banners in a bid for the Aerie and the throne.”

Twilight bit her lip in the silence that followed. For the first time since Luna’s reemergence at the party, Twilight’s thoughts were not focused exclusively on her. Talking about Princess Celestia served to remind her of their last encounter, and the worries that had come from it. “She isn’t mad at me, is she?”

Luna’s head turned toward her, “What would make you think such a thing?”

Twilight shrugged, still staring up at the stars, ears twitching. “It’s just… you and I have been spending a lot of time together, while I almost never see her anymore. Then, when the two of you left… she seemed… annoyed.”

“Fear not, Twilight Sparkle. My sister is no less fond of you than she has ever been. You are all but family to her, and she could not be happier that you and I have grown so close.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, turning to face Luna and realizing just how close they really were.

“Verily. Were it otherwise, she would leave no room for doubt.”

Twilight didn't so much hear her words as read her lips, soft and moist and curving into a reassuring smile. She was so close, their noses mere inches apart. Her heart galloped in her chest as she realized what she was thinking.

It was the perfect moment, laying side-by-side under the Moon and stars. She was laying there, watching and waiting for Twilight to act, giving her the chance to overcome her trepidations and prove that she was worthy. All she had to do was lean closer, just a little bend of her neck and…

Her eyes slid closed as the delicate velvet of their lips met for the first time. Magic sparked at the contact, cascading in a shiver that danced all the way from the tip of her nose to her dock, making her tail flick. She moved her lips around Luna’s, tasting her and searching for that perfect seal she’d read about.

It may have lasted a second, or an hour for all she could tell. But when it finally ended, she was breathless.

—————————————

When Twilight’s lips first touched hers, they stole the thoughts from Luna’s mind. Plush velvet graced her lips, soft and tentative and desperate. Her confusion didn’t last long, coming and going in the space of a heart beat, only to be replaced with panic and uncertainty. It took all the control she could muster not to jump away, instead carefully pulling back and using a gentle hoof on Twilight’s chest to keep her at bay.

Twilight’s eyes opened as they broke apart, staring into hers and carrying so much more than Luna had ever noticed before. Her mouth opened, but closed without having voiced a word. Failing a second time, she wilted under Twilight’s hopeful gaze, twisting away and rising to her hooves.

She could feel Twilight’s eyes follower her up, and for the first time that night, Luna regretted her choice in dress. “You’re so beau—”

“Twilight…” Luna cut her off, only to falter. Taking a deep breath, she tried to mimic her sister’s calm and soothing voice. When she looked toward Twilight once more, the attempt proved futile. “I… I am flattered, but…”

Twilight’s entire body seemed to slump at that last syllable, all the energy seemingly sucked out of her in a single breath. Her smile fell, her ears drooped, and her eyes started glistening in the moonlight. “But you don’t…”

Luna shook her head, her own eyes falling to her hooves. Only to then force herself to witness the wretched expression twisting Twilight’s muzzle. “I am sorry.”

Sniffling, Twilight picked herself up on shaky legs and used a fetlock to scrub away the first of her tears before they could fall. “I… I understand. It was silly to think you would be attracted to a filly like me.”

Something about those words, or perhaps the way she said them, wormed in Luna’s ears. “Neigh. Speak not such folly.” She stepped closer, lifting a hoof to comfort her, but stopped short and let if fall. “You are a beautiful mare, Twilight Sparkle, with a sharp mind and no lack of skill. To be the target of your affections is most flattering.”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said with surprising authority in the face of sniffing back a sob. After another deep breath and a few more tears wiped away, she continued, “I’m just going to go.”

Luna jumped to stop Twilight’s escape, interposing herself to block the exit. “‘Tis not ‘fine!’ Thou art my friend. I take no joy in seeing thee in pain, less so when 'tis myself the cause.” Taking a deep breath, and control of her speech, she continued, “Were the situation different, I would be… I am honored that you would court me, but it can not be.”

“Why not?” Twilight cried out, her voice harsh and broken. “If that is true, then… then why not?”

“‘Tis the truth. I could have grown to return your affections with time.” She shook her head. “But…”

Once more, Luna faltered. She had no desire to lie to Twilight, but the full truth was not an option. Now was neither the time or the place, if such a thing existed. Too much said was dangerous, but too little was no less so. Leaving Twilight with a question would only prompt her to find an answer. Not for the first time, Luna wished she had her sister’s way with words. Celestia would know where that line was and walk it with ease.

“I… am spoken for.” Luna grimaced as the words left her mouth. Of all that she could have said, those words were perhaps the most foalish.

For a few precious seconds, Twilight’s face was a study of shock instead of pain, disbelief writing itself across her muzzle. “What? Who? Why is this the first I’ve heard of it?”

“None were meant to know!” Luna retorted, her anger at herself bubbling out. She bit her tongue at once, but the damage was already done. Twilight had flinched back, fear mingling with the tears in her eyes. “I am sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t… Please do not ask for more. ‘Twould be better you forget I spoke at all.”

Twilight took a moment to digest it all, only to shake her head, sniffing once more. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but the evidence—” She choked back a sob. Falling back a step, she shook her head, casting her tears into the wind. “I should have known I wasn’t…”

The flash of purple magic caught Luna off guard. By the time her eyes cleared, she was alone, staring at the empty space Twilight had so recently occupied.

She almost called out after her, but stopped.

Gritting her teeth, she stalked up to the nearest tree, an ancient gnarled thing with bark like stone and branches thick as her own barrel. Spinning on her forehooves, she lashed out. Her scream broke the night, drowning out the thunderclap of her rear hooves rending the great trunk.