Marvel Mares

by neorenamon

The first week attending the Court of Princess Celestia was about the most boring duty that Rainbow Thor Odindota could have possibly imagined. She was dismayed at the plethora of minor problems, gripes and issues that Princess Celestia had to deal with on a daily basis. It was much more the Lord Odin the All-Father ever had to put up with. It was surely a humbling experience... that she never wished to suffer from again.

And worst of all, there was no monsters, no gods or any other major threat that she could deal with just to alleviate her boredom. She even felt the return of the Frost Giant-Horses would have be more agreeable than this.

The arrangements in Canterlot Castle were unbearably soft and shiny as well. Everywhere was silk curtains and tapestries. Even the floors were covered with rugs and carpets. While Rainbow had no issues with giving Princess Celestia her proper due, not even the All-Father had a statue dedicated to him in every hall and room. Her bedroom had no weapons, shields or any other warrior's tool mounted upon the walls. She never felt so much out of place.

While the food was plentiful, it was remarkably bland. She would have liked nothing more than properly aged goat cheese on whole grain rye bread. Even the ale tasted watered down compared to Asgardian brews. It was even worse when compared to the beer guzzled by Dwarves. She had sampled food from all the realms of Yggdrasil and only found the only the food of the Dark Changelings to be vile enough never to sample again.

Then there was the clothing that Celestia commanded she wear in court. It was no clothing (or armor) fit for a warrior of her standing. She was not even allowed to wear the metal armor of the Canterlot Guards. As the Odindota, she had never been asked and certainly never forced to dress like a petite mare of... questionable valor. But since Celestia commanded such, she had to obey as she would have obeyed the word of the All-Father. She was sure Loki was spying on her and laughing his head off at the spectacle.

But the worst for her was yet to come. The day when Celestia was closing the Court for the day when she leaned over and sniffed at Rainbow's neck.

"When was the last time you bathed?" she asked.

"When I was lasted rained upon about two moons ago," she replied.

"Well in my castle, you shall bath at least once a week," said the Princess as she wrinkled her nose.

"What madness is this?!"

"It is not madness," she replied, "It is decency."

"Then you are ordering me to do this?!" she asked as she looked away.

"Indeed," she replied, "and one of the Royal Maid shall assist you in this matter to make sure it is done properly."

Rainbow just growled softly as she ground her teeth together.

"If you are willing to approach this with an open mind," she continued, "I'm sure you'll find the Canterlot Royal Bathhouse to be... quite a pleasant stay."

She just replied with a short snort through her nose.

"As soon as Court is adjourned for the day," she added, "We shall retire to the Bathhouse. Dinner can wait until you are properly clean."

Once the Guards had sealed the Royal Hall, Rainbow followed Celestia to the somewhat more private part of Canterlot Castle. While it was considered a public bath, the "public" that came there was limited to the nobility of Canterlot itself. The Princess led her into the mare's dressing room which led into the mare's bathing rooms.

While disrobing, Celestia indicated what sort of bath she wished for the two of them. Even though they were to be in separate baths, she ordered a hot bath with rose oil and rose petals to be liberally added to the water. The thought of it all made Rainbow feel slightly queasy. She also noticed that all of the maids attending them were pegasi, as it seemed they were the most knowledgeable about the proper cleaning of feathered wings.

Then one of the maids each lead Rainbow and the Princess into their own bathing room. Even with the zinc bathtub in the center, the room was still about a good 15 feet across.

"A quick rinse before you enter the tub, mare-lady," she said as she brought over a pail of water.

"I need to be clean to use the tub?!" she asked in dismay.

"Not clean," she replied, "I'm just taking off the coarse filth that would only foul the waters."

"Your customs are surely strange to me," she answered as water was poured over her body from nose to tail. At least the water was cold enough to catch her attention, and that made her feel better.

Then she slipped into the tub. The water was almost buried under rose petals and was far too warm for her tastes.

"Would you enjoy a drink while you bath?" she asked.

"That would serve me well," replied Rainbow.

So she set a small table by the tub with a tall tankard of ale on it. Rainbow took a hold of it and began sipping as the maid began cleaning her wings. Yet something in the ale tasted off, so she only pretending to drink any of it before she set it back down.

"What manner of drink is this?" she asked.

"Oh, we felt that a good honey ale would surely sate you once the Princess mentioned you were from Asgard."

"Oh really?" she replied, "How do you know about Asgard?"

"The Princess," she said awkwardly, "She has been telling the staff about everything you've talked to her about."

Rainbow pretended another sip to taste it again. She knew she had tasted something like it before. Something she hated seemed to lay just beneath the golden fluid's surface. It was more suspicious when the maid stopped washing her wings while they were lathered up. By her warrior's instincts, she suddenly turned about and bit down on the small blade that was surely meant to stab her in the back beneath her left shoulder blade. She ripped the blade from the maid's mouth and spat it out into the wall.

"TELL ME WHY YOU'RE HERE, DARK CHANGELING!" she commanded.

"How did you know?!" she asked in dismay.

"Because I tasted Dark Changeling Ale mixed in with this," she replied, "A drink most vile and used to cover up the fact that the beverage itself is poison!" She growled as she placed her hoof on the edge of the tub, "The last time I was thus poisoned, I was most ill for more than a full moon!"

Suddenly, the Dark Changeling changed back to her true form. "It's a pity you drank any then," she hissed, "I know it wouldn't slay you, but it shall surely prevent you from saving the Princess! Even now she is being kidnapped by my dark sisters!"

So she held out her hoof and called, "Come to me, Mjolnir!" And so did her hammer come to her.

"Blast!" she cursed, "We were sure that locker we secured it in would stop it from coming to you!"

"Then you thought wrong!" She then hurled the mystic mallet at the Dark Changeling knowing a creature from the realm of Svartalfheim was not so easily slain even with a blow from such a mighty hammer. The force of the blow knocked her back into the solid stone wall, cracking it greatly before she slumped into a heap.

She rushed out to hear in the other room, "What?! Has our sister failed to stop the Odindota?! Quickly, we must open the portal to Svartalfheim and get the Princess through before she can stop us!" Don't you just love it when the villains explain things?

Rainbow burst into the room as the unconscious Celesta was being pulled from the tub. They had all changed back to their true forms as they never felt truly comfortable while they appeared as some other race of pony. One of them was beginning a chant in the Dark Tongue. A sure sign she was attempting to cast dark magic.

"Not fast enough, villains!" she called as she slammed the hammer into the floor. The impact created a massive clap of thunder which knocked the Dark Changelings off their feet. The blast was also powerful enough to disrupt the chanting. She also noticed the way the water was sloshing from the tub all over the floor.

So she placed the hammer in her mouth, grabbed the Princess with her forelegs, and once lifted into the air, used a lightning bolt from her hammer to charge the floor and shock the Dark Changelings before they could recover from the thunderclap. The massive charge running through the water was powerful enough to incapacitate them all before the Guards rushed in to check on all the commotion.

"Quickly!" called Rainbow, "Detail all of the Dark Changelings in both rooms! Be sure to shackle them in wrought iron should they use their dark powers to escape from your prison!"

The Guards nodded as they jumped on the unconscious prisoners. But even though she had not actually drank any of the poison, she realized it was still enough to affect her superior Asgardian body. She landed with the Princess just as she collapsed to the floor. Soon the darkness of sleep overtook her...

...

Slowly she awoke to a strange feeling. There was a large pony behind her with her forelegs wrapped about her barrel. It left her wings pinned down against the barrel of the pony behind her.

"Well that was surely an amusing day," whispered the Princess into her ear, "and it seems I owe you my life for your heroism."

"Mare-lady?!" asked Rainbow.

"Well since we were both mildly poisoned," she sighed, "I felt it was my royal duty to make sure that you fully recover. The magic of Equestrian medicine is quite adept at dealing with various types of poisons. Now you should rest. It's still the middle of the night."

"What of the Dark Changelings?!" she asked.

"They are imprisoned with cold iron," replied the Princess, "My best officers shall interrogate them quite well come the dawn."

"I wish to be there for the questioning," she said.

"Very well. It's the least I can do."

"I... uh... can surely sleep in my own bed, mare-lady," said Rainbow on the verge of stammering.

"But how can I show such a powerful warrior as yourself just how grateful I am for your heroics?"

"It's surely not needed..."

"Then think of this... as an order."

"Very well," she sighed.

"I must admit I've never felt muscles as lean and hard as yours ever before."

Rainbow blushed as one of the Princess' hooves rubbed down her washboard abs.

"This... is most awkward," said Rainbow, "I have slept alone all of my life."

"That's not what Frigga said," said the Princess as she whispered in Rainbow's ear. Her breath made the ear twitch.

"I was but a foal then!" protested Rainbow, "That... was different!"

"Then just pretend I am Frigga for one night," she sighed, "and all shall be well."

"As you command," she sighed.

Then the Princess licked the back of her ear.

"The All-Mother surely never did that!"

"That's not what she said," she whispered.

"I was but a foal then!" protested Rainbow again, "That... was different!"

"I must say you are the most fascinating pony I've ever met," she sighed, "but I promise you I won't do anything more than spoon you while you sleep. You have my word. Now rest, mighty warrior."

Rainbow sighed in defeat, but soon she was sleeping softly cradled in the forelegs of Celestia.