A Revolution [ In Love ]

--- Act Five - Chapter Eleven --- By Royal Decree...

Be warned: THIS IS A LONG ASS CHAPTER. 2 PARTS.

^_~

--

Applejack woke to a glimmer of light rebounding into her eyes from a nearby window, and an obnoxiously loud horn, playing an obnoxiously loud tune, over an obnoxiously large PA system.

She saw a speck of cyan between the sheets, and a cyan wing sticking off the side of the bed.

Applejack was lying on her side, sideways in the bed. Pulling the sheet off of Dash's face, she discovered she was as well. Dash was also snoring. Obnoxiously.

Applejack grinned at the sight. Dash was on her fromt, head leaning back, mouth open, tongue lolling out, chest heaving with each breath. She looked lazy. Lazy, but cute.

She shifted closer to her under the covers, gently pulling Dash's wing over her, as she snuggled closer to her warm body.

She felt so... Girly, but so romantic.

It was surreal to her. Two small-town ponies like them paired up and shoved into royal housing!

But why precisely did Celestia invite them to stay? Was it hospitality...? Or is there something fishy going on here...?

She pondered, but ultimately postponed the thought for another time. For now, she ignored the wake up call of the horn, and drifted into a content sleep.

--

Dash awoke, and she looked beside her. She half expected to wake up in her bed, the whole ordeal a big dream. It would make more sense than reality.

But seeing applejack with the sheets and blankets strewn about them confirmed their actions, and that they were real.

' Man... Did we... Last night...? ' Dash tried to recall the previous day and night. It was all so blurry. Why was she here again? Celestia and Luna invited her and Applejack for something, right...

She also ran a hoof down herself beneath the sheets, and her suspicions were confirmed.

" Oh hay. We did... Twice now... Wow... " Dash smiled at herself. " I guess it's not just the stallions that just can't stay away, heh.

Dash pulled the sheets back over her, and rolled onto her front, wing sticking out slightly.

She nudged slowly towards Applejack, but felt her stirring. Quickly, she laid back, and began to pretend snoring.

She die indeed feel Applejack shift about, and then a blaring horn sound echoed inside of her head. Nonetheless, she remained still.

Slowly, ever so slowly did Applejack move towards her. She felt her slip beside herself, and her wing was moved from between them. Dash felt Applejack beneath her wing, and brushing up against her, balling up in a cute bundle.

Dash cracked an eye open, and Applejack's head was only visible, eyes closed, mane in disarray. And she still looked beautiful.

She felt Applejack's breathing begin to soften, and assumed she was asleep.

She lowered her head onto Applejack's, inhaling her scent of lilac soaps, and old labor. No matter how much washing you do, your lifestyle will always be reflected by your smell, in some way.

Dash smiled, as she snuggled closer to Applejack, too dumb with content to care about the blaring horn in the P.A. system.

--

Celestia turned over in her bed, dreading the wake up call that was going to blare any moment...

And blare it did.

The tune that was her first noise every morning failed to wake her. Not from sleep, but from waking, from thought.

It wasn't keeping the two here, she was used to guests. It was what happened between them. It was still mind-blowing. It was a complete accident they were placed in the observation room, it really was, but it still happened.

The observation room, as the guards called it, was a room with a large, one way view, enchanted glass wall that looked like a mirror from the other side.

On the other side of the glass was a small, dark room, with nothing but a table, some chairs, and the window. There was also the back of a bookcase that was the entrance.

The bookcase was the only way in or out of the room short of blowing a hole in the brick walls.

Celestia had been there through the night... Watching... Everything.

She felt tainted, like her royal status was that of the lowest criminal. She felt so... Perverted.

They were just kids in comparison to the populous, weren't they? How could such an unchanging society as this accept something so different? They'll be torn apart by those who don't wish to change...

Celestia, at that moment, took a vow to protect the two however she could. Wether to help them, or for her own selfishness, it was uncertain, but one thing she did know. She needed to understand more, and she couldn't watch them throughout every day and night, not with her duties.

' Perhaps I can ask Luna... '

With new resolve, Celestia found the motivation to get out of bed, and start the day, beginning with her first and foremost; the sun.

Walking to her balcony windows, she unlatched it and walked outside into the cool twilight air, it woke her senses daily.

She stared eastward unto the horizon, focusing on the magic required for the task. Almost second-naturedly, the magic rushed through her being, and was focused through the horn.

She focused on the celestial body that was to begin it's pass over the world, the Sun.

With relative ease, she took hold of it, and infused it with magical properties, enhancing it's output of light, and powering it long enough to make a full revolution around the planet.

After several minutes of supplying it with magic, Celestia sank to the floor, resting.

When her energy returned to her, she sought Luna. With several guards looking, one reported her arriving from the south. Celestia was there to greet her return, waiting on the front steps of the courtyard as Luna hovered to the ground in front of her.

" Hello, Cel, thou hast- you were... Looking for me? " Luna corrected. She was still working on her vocabulary for this century.

Luna smiled somewhat subconsciously at her sister's speech impedimacy.

" Yes, if I may ask, where precisely were you? The only places of interest south are Ponyville and the Everfree forest. "

Luna opened her mouth, but stopped herself before blurting the story out in front of several of the royal guard.

" May I request a more... Private conversation? " She asked, turning around and beginning to walk back to the courtyard.

Celestia dismissed the presence of the guards with a simple nod, resolving to trail Luna across the landscape.

-- Pt. 2

A few minutes passed as the two walked alongside each other.

" First, I wish for you to tell me, why hast- why have you sought my audience in any matter? " Luna asked, not breaking stride.

" I have a favor of sorts to ask of you. Our guests Ms. Applejack and Ms. Dash have a somewhat... You do recall the relationship the five mares in Ponyville share with Twilight, do you not? " She asked, pausing before continuing.

" It would seem that these two have a somewhat more... Intimate relationship. I've seen nothing of the sorts before, I wish to study them and learn from it. I have duties to attend to throughout the day, as you do at night. I wish to ask you to take them places, record what they do when exposed to different elements alone and together, and relay it to me.

Can I ask this of you? "

Luna stopped walking, and let the information sink in.

" I believe... You should know where I went the previous night... Your student, Twilight Sparkle... " Luna looked to Celestia, who stared intently upon her sister, a light frown creeping across her features.

" Proceed. " Celestia bid.

Luna couldn't meet the gaze set upon her, and chose instead to admire the ground's features.

" You do know that I wish no harm upon you nor your emotions, dear sister, do you not? " Luna asked.

" I do. "

" I'm not sure how to say this... I don't want you to think less of either of us, but- "

Celestia reached wits end.

" Luna, Twilight is like a daughter to me. As such, I demand you tell me whatever information you have regarding her that seems so crucial this instant! " Celestia's gaze bore daggers, and seemed to cut through Luna all over.

" I wished to repay my debt to her for freeing me. And I did, but... "

There was a long silence that dominated the scene, and a realization dawned upon Celestia why this was so relevant to what she had said. And why Luna was so hesitant to say it.

" You mean to tell me... "

Luna nodded, there was nothing to be said, except the small "Sorry... " she uttered under a breath.

Celestia felt she should feel enraged, betrayed, some concoction of the two, but couldn't find herself to be so. Luna scratched at the ground with her hoof, awaiting a response.

" So they're not the only ones... " Celestia muttered.

Luna perked her ears. " The only ones of what nature? "

Celestia focused a moment, channeling her long dormant magics.

Within her mind's eye, she could feel the auras of life around the world. Everything with a pulse was under her sight. Searching deep beneath the surfaces and appearances of everything, she found their emotions and felt those feelings.

She lay down, bowing her head, and materialized her thoughts, creating a projection of montaged scenes. Most of them were mares. There were about seventeen distinguishable ponies around her, and Luna stared in surprise at Celestia's ability.

Reality in other places was literally being shown to them as it happened. She could see... Some that she remembered.

A white one with blue hair and purple glasses... With a grey one with black hair.

Another pair, one with orange coat blonde mane, one with white coat purple mane.

" Sister... " Luna said softly, drawing Celestia's attention to the projected image of the two.

Celestia looked, and she uttered a sound under her breath that resembled a gasp.

" Why, that's the mare Ms. Dash is currently staying with...! And that, I believe, is another of Twilight's friends... The dressmaker, Rarity. "

The two looked at each other.

" I suppose I should explain all this. Because we see it, does not mean it happened recently. I cannot limit the power to a specific time period, albeit an era, or possibly a century. That makes something this vast a subject too broad for my capabilities. Also, I cannot control what we see, only certain moments of time, imprinted in the cosmos. " She explained.

Luna took a step closer, phasing a hoof through the illusion that was a display of her sister's extreme power.

" You make a trick of being, seem simple enough to do... I knew nothing of the art... " Luna was still intrigued more in the art of the illusion than it's message.

" Resuming our topic, I explained this because this may not have happened recently. The only way to truly tell is appearance. You can see they obviously have met, and have received their marks. What you don't pay attention to is the length of their hair, the accent in the tone of skin, etcetera. " Celestia continued.

" So we gather it was somewhat recent, but from memory Ms. Applejack's mane has grown at least a month's worth from that point. Her coat has also gained much tone from harvesting under the sun this season. So yes, this is very strange, but unless There has been more to this, the relationship is over. "

A silence hung in the air as Luna processed the information presented to her.

" So... The two inside are...? Oh how confounding this situation is... " Luna shook her head in bewilderment.

" I wish only of you to relay any actions by them to me that you may notice when on or off your duties. I must attend to my own during the day, as you do the night. " Celestia paused a moment, as if to let it sink in.

" Luna..." Celestia looked at the sun she had risen only minutes ago. " I love you. I trust you. And I wouldn't trust anyone else with this duty. I just hope that you feel ready for such an obligation..."

Hesitantly, Celestia stepped beside her sister, hovering awning over her being in protection, and nuzzled the side of her head.

" You could not begin to comprehend what your absence has done to me, sister... I hope we can still be a family... "

The words took Luna by surprise. She looked up at her senior, and saw the sadness reddening her eyes.

" Sister... " Luna said softly. " You're... Crying...? "

Celestia sat, ushering Luna to do the same, which she did.

" Luna... You haven't yet found somepony else to match your desires... Have you? "

Luna thought. " I... No, I have not... Why do you ask? "

Celestia chuckled. " One day, Luna, you will know how I feel about you. Perhaps you will have a child. In either and any case, I feel obligated to protect you. This whole ordeal with mares mating together, showing so much compassion for one another, it makes me reflect on my own actions... "

Luna was taken aback by all of it.

" Cel, thou- you had to do everything you did, I do not wish to blame you for anything! I know it had to happen... And you have no obligation to protect me. That was mother and father's job... "

At the mention of their parents, they fell silent.

" I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that... I know you and Twilight Sp- "

" It's quite allright. Let us not speak of it. " Celestia said softly, closing her eyes.

Luna lay down and leaned against Celestia's thigh, sighing in defeat and tiredness.

Celestia withdrew the magical projections around them, feeling somewhat drained for prolonging the spell, and lay with Luna.

She saw a guard fly overhead, looking down curiously. Celestia dismissed him quickly and silently, and rested with Luna.

No words were spoken, but both knew the other's thoughts.

Night and Light. Their parents...

--

End chapter 11