Dark Paradise 2: The Twiluna prompt tag collab

Chapters

Making out by GoG ToXiC
Princesses understand by Pearple Prose
To the moon by palaikai
Frailty, thy name is by GoG ToXiC
Waiting for the sunrise by Fuzzyfurvent
Above the clouds by SongCoyote
The gift of socks by Knight of Lycaeus
A special book by Kean
Show your true colors by neokiva
Throw down the gauntlet by Knight of Lycaeus
Dungeons and Dragons by Donraj
Warriors meeting and working together by Donraj
4am by BronyBlazeFire
Right Proper Donnybrook by Fuzzyfurvert
A new day by Knight of Lycaeus
Eye for an eye by hackd
Thats not what I heard by Donraj
Hippos by Donraj

Making out by GoG ToXiC

Author's Note

Making out by GoG ToXiC

Twilight grimaced as she used her magic to bring the shot glass to her lips for what must have been the fourth time that evening, knocking back the liquid patience as though it was second nature. Celestia was right; the alcohol was a good idea. It wasn’t that she regretted offering to acclimatize Luna with modern Equestrian vernacular… She just hadn’t expected Luna to be this out of date.

“And we have been informed by Tia that this ‘hanging out’ is not a new method of execution?”

Twilight nearly spat out her drink. “Execution? Execution’s been outlawed in Equestria since” she couldn’t put her hoof on the number, but she was sure it was a large one. “Since forever!”

Luna stared at her. “Truly?”

Twilight nodded. It made her uncomfortable to even think about… that.

Luna adopted a thoughtful disposition. “Perhaps our ponies feared us not for the night, but for the widespread execution of all who opposed our foreign policy?”

Twilight blinked.

“T’was a joke, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh.” Twilight laughed nervously. “It wasn’t very funny.”

Luna sighed. “Perhaps we should move on, Twilight Sparkle. It appears our sense of humour does us no favours this evening. What of the phrase ‘to make out’? We believe it merely meant ‘to see’, but Tia tells us it has adopted a new meaning? We are… confused, as to what meaning such a simple phrase could develop?”

Yes. The alcohol was definitely a good idea. Slowly, she refilled her empty glass, bringing the drink to her muzzle delicately before slamming it back in a single gulp.

“Twilight? Thou hast adopted a most peculiar crimson hue. Are you unwell?”

I will be in the morning, Twilight didn’t say. “Making out is…” she stumbled on her words slightly, though she was more than happy to attribute the effect to the alcohol in her system. “It’s… umm… It’s hard to describe. It’s when two ponies-”

Luna cut her off. “Perhaps it would be easier if you showed me?”

Twilight didn’t remember Luna being so close before. In fact she was quite certain they hadn’t been muzzle to muzzle before. The lidded eyes were new too, she considered. Of course, Luna’s suggestion certainly made sense. The show don’t tell rule applied to things like this, didn’t it? Twilight could feel her body heating up as Luna held her gaze. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe it was both. Probably both. She probably didn’t have the vocabulary to properly explain it anyway.

Luna leaned forward.

Nope. She definitely didn’t have the vocabulary. Twilight gracelessly pressed her lips against the lunar diarch’s, misjudging the amount of force needed entirely and knocking Luna backwards to the balcony floor, wings splayed out behind her. Twilight paid the jarring impact no heed as she fell into the moon’s open embrace.

Twilight didn’t want to wake up. She could feel the sun beating down upon her, and the splitting headache that always followed a night involving alcohol. Intuition and experience told her that letting the two join forces could only end in disaster. She’d fall back asleep if she could - her dreams had been particularly wonderful and lucid - but the rhythmic breathing of her pony shaped mattress was distracting enough to keep that from being an option. The breath tickling her ear was also rather off putting and-

…

Twilight let one eye creep open.

Twilight closed it again, and ordered her mind to reboot. She confirmed that all higher functions were operating as smoothly as she could reasonably demand of them under the duress of a hangover, and let the eye sneak open again.

Logic dictated that once she’d eliminated all other possibilities, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Wings… Check.

Horn… Check.

Crescent moon emblazoned on flank… Check.

She was reasonably certain Luna hadn’t relapsed, and ‘soulless being of hate eternal’ wasn’t checked off on the mental checklist, so it wasn’t Nightmare moon.

Suddenly the lucid dreams made a great deal more sense.

“Good morning Twilight Sparkle,” a mirthful voice whispered into her ear. Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and she desperately tried to blink away the blinding stream of light doing its best to impale her skull. “I must say, I found last night’s study session to be most rewarding, but I’m ashamed to say I forgot one of your lessons. I believe it was… the last one?” Twilight had regained enough vision that she didn’t miss Luna’s suggestive wink at her. “Perhaps there could be a morning review?”

Twilight blinked. She looked at her mental agenda for the week. Spend the night making out with Princess Luna was checked. Below it, Spend the morning making out with Princess Luna had yet to be accomplished. Twilight nodded and leaned forward.

Princesses understand by Pearple Prose

Author's Note

Pearple Prose

Princesses understand by Pearple Prose

Luna was there waiting for me when I got back.

I think she was hiding when I came in, or maybe I was just in that kind of mood, because I didn't see her until I'd already crawled into bed and began to feel sorry for myself. I heard the curtains rustle as she pulled them closed, then there was silence for a moment while she tiptoed across the room and into my bed. She didn't ask me how it went. She just unfurled her wings and held me tight and didn't say anything at all.

It was exactly what I'd wanted, and I hadn't said a word.

Luna and I were silent for a long while. Maybe I fell asleep, maybe I didn't, but I don't think Luna did. She was just there for my sake, probably.

Eventually, the door creaked open and Celestia wandered in, looking quite sombre but smiling nonetheless. "Good afternoon," she said.

I yawned and sat up. "Hi, Celestia." Luna brushed a wing against my own as she rolled off the bed, allowing me to wrap myself up in the duvet. "Do you need my help with something?"

Celestia shook her head. "Not quite. I was about to ask the same thing of you."

I sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I kinda do. Although, I don't really think there's much you can do about it. It's kind of a personal thing."

Celestia nodded in understanding, but trotted over and sat next to the bed anyway. Luna busied herself with picking stuff up off the floor of my room – it was only a guest room, but it was unofficially officially reserved for me – and stowing it away neatly.

I didn't wait to get asked; I just started talking. "I feel like I'm a bad pony."

Celestia gave me a reproachful look. "Twilight."

"No, I know, just..." I shook my head and started again. "Okay, that was a silly thing to say. Let me just cut to the chase."

Both Luna and Celestia had their eyes fixed on me, then, with concern in their ancient eyes.

"So I went down to the town square this morning, to meet with my parents," I began, dropping the duvet a bit as I sat up slightly straighter. "We were going to have lunch and catch up with each other while I was still in Canterlot. I was really looking forward to it, you know?" They nodded along with the story as I told it. I thought I hadn't told them all this already, but at the same time they seemed to already know everything. "And they were at the cafe already, and we hugged and they made 'wow' noises over my wings and yadda yadda. It was good. It was nice."

"And then?" Luna urged, after I lapsed into a brief silence.

"And then things started getting a little... heated. They were asking me all these questions about my life and I was fine with that, because we hadn't spoken to each other in a while now, right? But then they just started saying things, just a word here and there, a nasty comment about Zecora or Discord maybe... I started getting a bit uncomfortable. And I think they knew that, because they stopped talking much too, and then the whole mood soured and we started arguing over things, stupid things, petty things–" I stopped and took a deep breath. "And then it hit me."

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance, and said nothing.

"I think... I think we're like strangers to one another, you know? I realised that when we were talking, and I just... I made an excuse and I left. Then I came here."

I sighed. "And that's my story. Thoughts?"

There was nothing, for a moment. Then Celestia rubbed my shoulder with a soft hoof. "It's okay, Twilight."

"Is it, though?"

I felt a pair of hooves wrap around my waist. "That's for you to decide, Twilight." Luna was speaking next to my ear – her hot breath made them flick. "You are the Princess of Friendship for a reason."

"I think... I'll think about it." I relaxed back into Luna's arms and hummed. Celestia gave me a reassuring smile before getting to her hooves and slipping out the door without another word.

Luna was silent, too, in the soft darkness of the bedroom. Maybe I'd go home. Maybe I would put it off another day, so I could further enjoy Luna's company.

It didn't really matter what I chose. Princesses always understand one another.

To the moon by palaikai

Author's Note

palaikai

To the moon by palaikai

“If this carries on much longer,” Twilight Sparkle said acidly, using her magic to levitate her golden shoes off of her tired hooves and hurl them across the lobby of the Castle of Friendship in the same motion, “I'm gonna have to talk to Princess Celestia about turning my wings in.” She made her weary way to the throne room and slumped into the first available chair; even the normally-soothing remnants of the Golden Oaks library high overhead, a reminder from her friends of her best times in Ponyville, failed to assuage her irritation.

“You don't mean that,” Spike said; he brought with him a tray with some tea and biscuits on it, and set it on the table in front of Twilight. He was getting quite used to her outbursts now. A little Earl Grey with a dash of honey usually helped her to calm down.

“No, I don't,” Twilight replied, patting Spike on the head as a gesture of gratitude. She let her fatigued head fall on to the table with a soft bonk. “But I do wish I could just take a break from everything,” she added, rubbing the sore spot on her muzzle where she'd bumped it just a little bit too hard.

“You're the one who wanted to do more than smile and wave,” the young dragon said, nudging Twilight's ribs with his pointy elbow.

“All right, you don't need to rub it in!”

Twilight lifted her head up slightly and gazed into the mug of brown liquid, wincing in disgust at the haggard reflection staring back at her; she'd accepted that being one of the Princesses of Equestria came with many responsibilities, and she was happy to carry them out, but Celestia knew they were tiring as heck! Stressful, too. If it wasn't the ponies squabbling with each other over trivial things, it was the yaks throwing a hissy-fit because the straps on their helmets weren't perfect.

And of course, if it wasn't that, it was some kind of cosmic horror that required the Rainbow Power to defeat it.

Yeah, being a princess wasn't like in the fairytales she'd read as a filly. It wasn't all costume balls and pageantry.

The next thing she knew, she was being awoken by shards of moonlight filtering in through the open window. Twilight didn't even recall having fallen asleep. She felt a pang of regret grip her. The work itself is hard enough, but it's made even more difficult when I don't have the time to talk to Luna, let alone spend any meaningful time with her.

Their relationship, such as it was when both were constrained by the burdens of their respective positions, hadn't been planned, but it had been a welcome source of joy for both. Princess Celestia had assigned Twilight Sparkle to catch Luna up on the one thousand years of history she had missed out on while banished to the moon, and it quickly became apparent to the pair that they had a lot in common. Similar interests, similar senses of humour, and a mutual appreciation for fermented grape products. Of course, Twilight hadn't known how much she liked wine until Luna had introduced her to it. The sour, fruity taste was about all that she could remember from that night.

Her mind turned of its own accord to their first kiss; Luna hadn't been in the room they had been given at the time they'd agreed to meet for one of their study sessions, so Twilight – in a slightly panicky frame of mind, it had to be said – had scoured the castle and the surrounding gardens until she'd found her by a glade near one of the many canals flowing through Canterlot. She had been sitting next to a large purple flower whose petals gave off a radiant glow.

It was clear from the way that she was rocking silently that she was crying. Twilight had been hesitant to disturb her, but she couldn't just leave when somepony was in need. Especially not this pony.

“Luna, what's wrong?”

“I … I'm afraid, Twilight.”

“Of what?”

“In my dreams, I still see the remnants of what I had become because of my envy. I … I think that, somewhere deep inside me, Nightmare Moon still lurks, waiting for an opportunity to be free again.”

“Maybe she is, or maybe you're just feeling guilty for what happened? It's perfectly natural that you'd still be ashamed of what happened, but you have to put it behind you. You have to learn to forgive yourself.”

“I don't think I can. I don't deserve forgiveness.”

“Everypony does.”

“Twilight ...”

In that moment, when Luna had turned to face her, her crystal blue eyes filled with tears, an impulse that she'd never felt before seized Twilight. The embrace lasted but a second, but it had left an indelible mark on both ponies.

It was the realization that what had passed between them was something a bit more serious than just an idle fling, but rather it was something special, something permanent.

Twilight stood on the balcony at the top of the castle; the slightly-charred telescope that she had recovered from the terrace of Golden Oaks was set up here and though there was the temptation to do some stargazing, she settled instead for merely enjoying the view of Ponyville at night. The bucolic town was tranquil at the best of times, but picked out in delicate shades of beryl it was positively soporific. Only a few wayward lights courtesy of Ponyville's night owls broke up the sapphire sheen.

She leaned into the cool night air, letting it reinvigorate her cramping muscles, and she resolved never to fall asleep at the table again. Resolved, rather than Promised, because Twilight was loath to make promises that she couldn't keep. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually made it to bed.

A freshly-made cup of tea was there to keep her warm, but Twilight was rather enjoying the breeze drifting down from the glistening, snow-peaked mountains. Oh, Luna, you should be here by my side. The emptiness was impossible to describe; it was like the void that had unknowingly existed in her heart before she'd been introduced to friendship by her fellow Elements of Harmony, only several orders of magnitude worse. She ruminated bitterly on that. If ponies really knew how much love hurt, nopony would ever dare to start a relationship.

Icy clouds of condensation floated high into the sky when Twilight Sparkle let out the world-weary sigh that had been building up inside of her for weeks. She'd damn-near got down on her knees and begged Celestia to allow her to go with Luna on her journey, but to no avail. While the Princess of the Night was off dealing with some crisis on the southern islands, the Princess of Friendship had important diplomatic talks with a potential ally. Talks that any idiot with a half-working brain could've carried out, but no, the delegates would only talk to somepony who had a fancy title.

When the temperature took a sudden dip, Twilight decided to go back inside; trying to catch up on her reading wouldn't be much fun, especially when she was feeling so distracted, but she figured that it might take her mind off things for a couple of hours before sleep. Just as she'd opened the doors, however, a shadow flitted past her field of vision. “What the-?”

She ignited her horn, preparing to take aim at the wraith when it returned, but it appeared to have vanished. Twilight ran to the balcony's edge and surveyed the terrain around the Castle of Friendship: nothing. Okay, there was no shortage of weird phenomena in Equestria, and it was just possible that it was some kind of random flux of magical energy. She briefly contemplated alerting her friends, or at least Spike, but ultimately decided against it. Whatever it was, she was sure that she'd be able to handle it … always assuming that it was dangerous, of course. It was easy to forget that there were plenty of benevolent – if annoying – creatures around, too. Parasprites, to name one.

“Greetings, my love.”

Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd been two steps away from her bed when the voice had come out of the darkness. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” the young alicorn said, breathing heavily and certain that she was about to pass out from the fright she'd just been given. When her rapidly-beating heart finally settled down, she used her magic to ignite some candles, revealing the intruder.

Princess Luna favored Twilight with a sardonic smile. “Still not a fan of pranks?”

“You think?”

“I apologize profusely,” Luna said in a tone that suggested that she wasn't the slightest bit sorry.

Okay, maybe our senses of humour are a BIT different. Twilight found that she couldn't stay mad at Luna for very long however; whether it was because of the adorable pout of her bottom lip when she was trying to get what she wanted or just because she was too tired to be angry, Twilight didn't really care. “What are you doing here? I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you, despite the horseplay, but I thought that you were going to be on the islands for some time yet?”

“Turns out that the locals were overstating things when they called it a crisis,” Luna said with a shrug of her forelegs. “I was able to get away earlier than expected and after briefing my sister, not to mention raising the moon, I came straight here. I thought that you might've been asleep already, but I'm glad that you're not.” The Princess of the Moon's calm voice, gentle demeanor and and sparkling teal eyes gave off a peaceful, calming aura, and Twilight immediately felt herself relaxing as all of her tension melted away into the ether. Perhaps it was some passive application of Luna's dreaming power? She'd have to ask about that one of these days.

“I'm really glad that you're here, Luna,” Twilight said, the words practically tumbling out of her mouth. “I've been so annoyed, so frustrated, with the fact that we can't be together more often. I really wish-”

At some point during her ungainly babbling, Luna had got up off the seat she had been perched on, crossed the room, and placed her muzzle against Twilight's. For a confused half-second, the younger alicorn was still trying to speak, until she realised what was happening. Finally, she closed her eyes, leaned forward and kissed Luna with the passion of a burning sun; Twilight felt something wet brushing against her lips, became aware that it was Luna's tongue, and opened her mouth to receive it. They met, they clashed, they intertwined. When they finally broke apart, panting and flushed, they remained connected by a long string of saliva.

“-that we didn't have so many duties to perform,” Twilight finished, her cheeks burning bright red, the thread of spittle breaking. She noticed that, at some point during the clinch, her wings had sprung up of their own accord.

Luna laughed; it was a quiet, musical chuckle that warmed the very core of Twilight's being. Just like everything else about her, it was beautiful. Suddenly, she stopped and gave Twilight a quite serious look. “Shall we … go to bed?” Her muzzle shaded to a reddish hue.

“Are you … do you want to?” Was this too fast? This is too fast, right? But at the same time, I know I want more of that. Twilight felt a greed stirring in her belly; she'd never desired much more than the pursuit of knowledge before, but now her body cried out for Luna's touch.

The Princess of the Night nodded. She, too, felt the craving deep within. If anything, it was worse for her because of the thousand years of absence from Equestria; her heart ached, her soul yearned, to be close to Twilight Sparkle. Her forelegs snaked around the younger alicorn's waist and she nudged her in the direction of the bed.

Frailty, thy name is by GoG ToXiC

frail…

She is so…

inside…

broken…

frail…

Twilight’s features twisted into a grimace as the stars pulsed in erratic non-sequence, eldritch magics more ancient than Equus itself bombarding her without rest. The waves dispersed harmlessly against her own ethereal shroud, itself conjured in the astral planes and reinforced with the purest of raw magics from the heart of Celestia’s sun, but she could still feel the evil prying at her skin.

frail…

Her mind…

broken…

fail…

YOU WILL

She almost staggered under the weight of the command. Almost. Instead she held her head aloft and glared into the perforated blackness, eyes fixated on the tiniest pinprick of red light, flickering a hundred thousand lifetime’s journeys off in the distance. “No.” Her muzzle did not open, but her thoughts projected power, resonating to the furthest reaches of the great aether. “I will not.”

The stars held no power of their own - not in the true sense of the word. They shaped reality through mortals, attacking minds with subliminal suggestions, deceitful urgings, and insidious ideas, compelling the weak-willed or vulnerable to act out their biddings. Even now their fragmented words and messages grasped at her mind, telepathic claws skittering and searching for the slightest breach in her defenses to be exploited. They would not find it; thousands of lifetimes of experience and research had gone towards making her mind akin to a fortress - impenetrable. It stood as a testament to the effectiveness of the stars’ infectious presence then, that even so the allure of promises and temptations tugged at her will. She wondered briefly if committing her essence fully to the aether had been the right course after all.

Fake…

Your power…

flawed…

unreal…

IN BLOOD

paid for…

Their words shook her, but they did not stop her, and she projected her thoughts outwards once more. “Your words are faker than my wings.” Her tone was acid, and space and time shivered with the stars’ cold rage. “Give her to me, or I will snuff out every. Last. One of you.

LIES!

ours…

She is…

Always…

eternal…

with us…

one…

…

YOU CANNOT HAVE HER

The universe shook violently, as though reality itself was collapsing under the wrath of the stars’ hatred. Twilight grinned. Her will extended, reaching out across the fathomless, infinite depth. Non-corporeal as her grip was, she could still feel the compression of reality as the universe ebbed and flowed about her.

“That’s good,” Twilight said, almost serenely. A distant light winked out and space gave off an almost imperceptible shiver. “To some-” another light flickered out - “what I am about to do might be labelled genocide.” Two more switched off. “I prefer to think of it as cleansing myself.” A whole cluster was stifled. “You claim to be infinite-” a thin slice of space went dark - “But i have spent a thousand hundred lifetimes developing the craft of magic beyond perfection.” A vast swath of twinkling space gave way to blackness. “I have become infinite, and in my game of infinites, you are frail.”

No!

we are…

you cannot…

Eternal……

You-

“And you are infinite no longer.” With a tormented scream, the universe went dark, but for the faint flickering of a distant red light at the furthest edge of reality. Twilight’s gaze had never broken away from it. “Countless more lifetimes it might take me,” she whispered to the malevolent spark, “but I will find her, and I will kill you. And the moon will be slave to the stars no longer.”

The universe shook with insidious laughter. “You will try, and you will die. And I will make her watch. I who has looked upon the universe since before time itself am more than all reality put together. Frailty, thy name is Twilight Sparkle. I need not stars to break you.”

It could’ve been several hours or several years before she responded; time had long since lost its meaning. But when she did, it was with collected and measured confidence. Her eyes had still yet to break from the flickering crimson glow.

“We will see.”

Author's Note

GoG ToXiC

Waiting for the sunrise by Fuzzyfurvent

Author's Note

Fuzzyfurvent

Waiting for the sunrise by Fuzzyfurvent

Luna yawned, her jaw popping loudly. She ruffled her feathers, shifting her weight from one flank to the other on the magically hardened cloudcrete floor. She glanced tiredly toward the east, the glow around her horn growing brighter minisculy. Thousands of leagues above her and the rest of Equus, the Moon slowed its descent a little more.

“How much longer, Twilight? The sunrise is fast approaching and waits for no mare...well, except my sister, but that goes without saying.” Luna smirked at the younger alicorn. Twilight was busy scribbling notes on a piece of parchment, her eye glued to the viewfinder of the Archimedes 12 telescope. She watched Twilight flip the page over blindly in her magic, her quill attacking it with tight typeset-worthy penmanship. “I cannot hold the dawn at bay forever, unless you want a visit from Celestia that badly.”

“Just keep the light pollution down for another minute. This is the only time we’re going to have a perfect line of sight on the Tia-class star beyond the Minos Cluster for the next six months. I have to get these readings.” Twilight frowned, the quill she was directing picking up enough speed to fan her mane away from her neck. “Almost...done…”

Luna nodded to herself, her will tugging the nigh uncountable tons of moon rock back against the planet’s gravity well. The coming sunrise pushed at her metaphysically, and she leaned back into it, her horn glowing brighter with the strain. “Hurry, please. I really don’t want to hold Celestia’s fat Sun back for long. It’s heavy!”

Twilight sighed, but she smiled at Luna’s whiny tone. “Big baby. Gimme...just...there! All done!” She pulled back from the telescope, blinking rapidly. “You can let go now! We’ve. Got. Measurements.” Twilight whistled happily and trotted over to the large central table and spread out her pages of notes.

Luna groaned with relief, her horn flashing one last time as she shoved the Moon back into its proper position. She stretched, arching her back and spreading her wings out before she stumbled over to the couple’s much abused coffeemaker. Luna pulled the pot off the warmer and poured some into a matching set of mugs. She dropped two packets of sugar into Twilight’s dark blue mug and then another four into her own purple mug. “So...what’s it look like?”

Twilight ignored Luna for the moment, her eyes scanning the notes. She arranged the equations in her head, doing rough calculations and comparisons to a similar set of notes from six months earlier. “Well...I think we can confirm that there is and exo-planet orbiting that star...well, one more, at least.”

“That brings the total to…” Luna closed her eyes. “A little over a thousand planets we’ve found, right? And six in that system alone.”

“Yeah. One thousand and thirty planets, to be exact.” Twilight looked up when her mug set itself down on the table in front of her. “Thank you. But...I think we can safely assume this newest one is a rocky planet, and tiny by general comparison to most we’ve found. Might even be the smallest one we’ve found yet.”

The night Princess took a sip of her coffee and took her seat next to her wife, looking over Twilight’s notes. “We’ll have to run all the numbers later to be sure.” She pulled one of the sheets nearer with one hoof. “Is this the orbital distance? If...this is right...then it’s in the habitable zone. Twilight! Do you realize what this means?”

Twilight grinned happily, putting a wing around Luna’s shoulder. She nodded. “Hmmm...a planet that’s within the size range of Equus, potentially in the range of a star like ours where there is liquid water. If the numbers play out, we could be looking at the first planet we’ve ever found that has similar enough conditions to our world to support life as we understand it.”

“Goddess, I’ve never wanted to math so much!” Luna giggled, leaning against the shorter Princess. “This could be a momentous discovery, Twilight!”

“Yeah...but you know what?” Twilight looked up at Luna, her voice growing softer. “The math can wait a while. I think I’d much rather sit outside and watch the sunrise with you.”

Luna smiled, leaning forward to kiss Twilight gently. “I think that can be arranged, my little scientist. Afterward, let us make some dinner.”

“Then a shower.”

“Oh my, yes! Then bed.”

“Who knows, we might even sleep in it?”

“Anything is possible in this universe.”

Above the clouds by SongCoyote

Author's Note

SongCoyote

Above the clouds by SongCoyote

With an exhilarated whoop, Twilight Sparkle flew further up, toward the thick blanket of clouds that hung over most of Equestria. Idly she wondered what Celestia would think when morning came and the view of her Sun was still blocked; the thought startled her, and she felt a hitch in her breath as she realized that, at least this once, she didn't care in the least.

The reason for this cavalier attitude flew behind her, watching her antics with a bemused grin. Luna could easily overtake Twilight if she wished, as the younger alicorn was not a skilled flier, but she was quite content simply to follow.

"Come on!" Twilight called back over her shoulder, unconsciously echoing Luna’s thoughts. "I know you're faster than me!"

"Fly on, Twilight! We are..." Luna sighed and shook her head ruefully. "I am right behind you."

"Alrighty!" The first wisps of cloud were curling around Twilight as she continued to climb, feeling the burn in her wings as she started to disappear into the fluffy bank.

Inside the cloud it was a bit disorienting - everything was a uniform, cold gray, and it seemed for a moment as if she would never find her way out. The pull of gravity helped her keep track, though, and before long she could feel the cloying dampness start to fade as the clouds thinned.

"Almost there...." A frown of concentration creased Twilight’s forehead as she fought for the last few feet of altitude... and then she was through! Threads of cloud clung to her legs as she slowed to a hover, eyes wide at the spectacle above her: the bright Moon surrounded by uncountable stars, the thick layer beneath her keeping any artificial light from interfering with her view.

Her mouth hung open, her mind stunned into uncharacteristic silence. So grand was the spectacle, so pure the sight of the unfettered sky, that she didn't seem to notice Luna flying up beside her, a smile on her face.

"I am pleased you accepted my invitation tonight."

Twilight tore her gaze from the sky and turned it on her favorite princess. "How could I not, especially after..." Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing pink even in the cool night air.

"I am honored that you asked, and have given it much thought." Luna gestured toward a seemingly uninteresting section of the sky. "I believe you will find the answer you seek there."

Turning in the air, Twilight followed the line of Luna's foreleg, blinking as she saw that it led to a set of faint stars. As she watched they seemed to shimmer, almost as if they were forming letters.

Twilight's breath caught. Had Luna altered the span of the stars just to send her a message? Her rapt gaze stayed on the pattern of distant lights as they resolved into a faint outline that soon became a short word.

Y - E - S.

Her squeal of delight as she dove into Luna's hooves might well have reached Canterlot if they hadn't been so high, taking the first steps into a new life together, their hooves above the clouds.

The gift of socks by Knight of Lycaeus

Author's Note

Knight of Lycaeus

The gift of socks by Knight of Lycaeus

Luna snuggled up closely to Twilight and sighed contently, “What a wonderful way for us to spend our anniversary together. Peaceful, quiet, relaxing, and certainly no press hounds to deal with.”

Twilight giggled as she leaned in closer, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. It took some time, but it was well worth it in the end for both of us.”

Luna smiled brightly and brought out a finely wrapped gift, “I do have one more surprise for thee.”

Twilight smiled as she took the gift, “You didn’t have to. Spending time was enough.”

Luna smiled and nudged Twilight. Twilight responded back with an affectionate muzzle before she opened the gift carefully. Lifting up the lid…..

“A tuna fish?” Twilight asked as the fish flopped its way out of the box and fell to the floor with a resounding splat.

“What?” Luna exclaimed. “This is not what I inten-“

“Surprise!” a masculine voice boomed as Discord appeared with a grand flourish. He was decked from horn to tail in a tailored suit complete with top hat. The giveaway of his rather creative outlook was the patterns and colours his suit was splattered in. Stripes, dots, and a myriad of colours gave his outfit a rather strong glare. The sequin on every available space only added to his dazzling figure.

“Discord!” Both Alicorns yelled.

“What?” Discord said as he pulled out a comically long staff with a dazed bird sitting sideways. “Your original gift was boring, dull. I spiced it up!”

“But a fish?” Twilight exclaimed.

The fish in question was no longer a tuna, but was a rainbow salmon. It literally was as it says a salmon in an ever changing rainbow of colours.

“What? Don’t Alicorns and Pegasi enjoy fish?” Discord commented as he began twirling his staff while the bird held on for dear life.

“Where is the gift I bought Twilight?” Luna asked angrily.

“Oh that,” Discord said nonchalantly as he reclined back while his staff caught on fire and the bird having found a new perch on the hat, “follow the fish.”

The fish now a tuna coloured like speckled trout flipped and flopped before leaping out the window. No splat was heard only a massive hole where it had landed.

Both Alicorns sighed and facehoofed at Discord’s over-the-top antics. They had wanted a quiet day, now to find the gift they had to jump down a rabbit hole so to speak.

The first trip down the rabbit hole landed them in the typical broad forest clearing.

Anyway, there was a large statue before them while Ponies in purple and blue danced and chanted around it. The statue was of a comically large horse with massive wings, long as can be horn, and a figure so muscular it was unreal in every sense.

The fish was dancing on the long horn and both Alicorns took wing to grab it. Well they tried; it can be rather difficult to fly while everypony on the ground decides to make a grab for you all while shouting “Our Saviour's Have Come!”

They grabbed onto the fish to land on hard metal. This new world to Twilight and Luna seemed too impossible to believe, machinery leaps and bounds ahead of their own zip and soared overhead, underhoof, and all around really.

The robotic fish flew overhead amid the bustle of the crowd. Both Alicorns looked at each other; while it would not be good to spread the knowledge of magic to this world of technology they needed that fish.

So began a merry chase of teleporting and swimming as they attempted to hurl through the crowds of ships and other flying things. Along the way they managed to start a few new cults dedicated to their wondrous magic and the majesty of the Alicorn form among other things.

Finally their magic managed to each grab half of the fish and they were off down another hole.

They fell out of the hole going up towards the sky, if there was a sky. The place itself wasn't big, but it housed a building and its very obnoxious sign. The giant first letters dwarfed the letters that came after that all Twilight could see was BBBB. Luna was the first to stand although she nearly collapsed again soon after.

"Luna what's wrong?" Twilight asked in concern.

Luna merely pointed to the chalkboard sitting on the restaurant's wall.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: HORSE MEAT ON A BUN

Yes the Meat Does Contain Horse

Twilight blanched at the sign and moved to back away, with Luna doing the same. They both stopped when they hit a soft wall of air. Looking up they saw the fish which had ballooned to Giant Grinning Bluefin Tuna Float and with a loud bang they disappeared.

The next was a quick visit, there was a Pony. The Pony had a cat or rather half a cat. The cat held a struggling striped tuna fish. The Pony and cat did not blink as the fish was stolen away in a loud bang as they went off again.

Another short visit, though not as quick. Before them was a machine stuffing Pony-like things into tin cans quicker than any Pony at home could do by hoof. It was basically a needle in a haystack or rather a fish in a sea of Ponies. The found can smirked at them before enlarging and engulfing the stunned Alicorns.

Before them was a blue circle and an orange circle, beneath them were metal sheets and over them were lasers and other assorted deathtraps. Both circles were marked with the fish.

"Which way?" Twilight asked.

Luna shook her head, "I do not know."

Twilight walked up to the blue and looked trying to see what laid ahead. Beyond the blue was a village much like Ponyville although everyone was singing and dancing no matter what they did.

While Twilight looked into a very musical world, Luna peered into the orange. Beyond the orange was a village not entirely unlike Ponyville. The homes were arranged in neat rows and everyone looked pleasant though some smiles seemed a bit strained.

Twilight sighed and asked, "Musical or forced utopia?"

Luna shuddered, "Neither would be preferable. But at least with the musical, we may be able to keep our heads. I dare not try the other world."

They walked through the blue just as the fish flopped out on the steps of orange.

After quite some time which involved wheeling, rhyming, and much singing all around; really more singing than one ever did even in musicals. They came to the conclusion the fish was not here and after two very over-the-top numbers they came back to the portals.

"Orange?" asked a tired Twilight.

"Orange," Luna agreed.

The utopia was as bad as both feared, with bright smiles all around and not a frown to be found. Every family was the same, one partner who worked and another who did not. Two foals for each, a colt and a filly; with tiny cottage home for all on neat tidy streets.

Oh, and one tapping dancing fish that sang, no, actually it belted out show tunes.

The next world was not the best,
For everyone rhymed without rest.

Yet it was not the worst,
Bad were the rhymes done in burst.

Groups of rhymers drove one mad,
No it did not make the Alicorns glad.

Happy they were when they left,
Before the speech made them deaf.

The pair landed in another forest clearing and without warning, a horse with a boy clad in green thundered past. The boy looked back as though to apologize yet not a sound came from his mouth.

Hanging on the horse was a fish-shaped charm that was grinning broadly at the confused Alicorns who gave chase to another fleeing fish. There were close before the horse and boy disappeared around the corner.

This short trip was no longer short and it would take time before they found the boy, the horse, and the mad fish at a castle.

Sneaking in past the ineffective guards, they grabbed the charm and with a loud raspberry noise they left again.

The fleshy feel of their landing was not reassuring nor was the darkness surrounding them. The flesh was also a greenish colour which only added to the unsettling feeling. Hidden among the thick green flesh was the shimmering tuna who looked smug at its escape.

Twilight prepared to move before a hoof stopped her. Luna motioned for Twilight to look. The flesh they were standing on were tentacles, hundreds of them all in the same greenish colour. They were attached to a face, a massive one at that.

Carefully, the two moved towards the smug fish taking great care not to awaken whatever this was. The fish then squaked loudly to awaken the great beast. Before it awoke, however, they made a final desperate dash for the fish who was unhappy at its capture.

Onto the next world where thankfully for them looked very much like the home they knew. Although there was the curious case of glass tanks on everypony’s back and the thin tubes that ran from the tanks into their mouths and bodies.

Nope this world was not home, but it seemed some mad corporation dominated this world for each tank proclaimed one of its many brands of sweet and sugary drinks.

One rather undead looking Pony was hooked into some brown liquid labelled Dr. Pepper. In the tank was the elusive fish, now a polka-dotted tuna toy.

“Follow that Pony,” Twilight said as she led the way through the crowd. Though by design or sugar, probably sugar all the Ponies seemed to zip on by forcing both of them to teleport again to chase after the fish.

“Why have we not tried to teleport the fish towards us?” Luna yelled as they kept pace with the fleeing fish.

Twilight blinked and turned her teleport spell to the fish and poof the fish appeared in their hooves before a vacuum sucked them up to somewhere new.

Somewhere new it was, the lands were grey and red. That was more or less all the colours with only a few splashes of black to break up the monotony. Again it looked like Equestria although it was one where it seemed like a few guests came, made a mess, and never left afterwards. How rude.

One of the major revealers looked to be a floating mask in colours of red, purple, and yellow. Around it were other figures with horns, fangs, and spikes galore.

Swimming in a bowl of blood red punch was the tuna now turned silver.

Luna shook her head, “Let’s grab this fish and leave.”

Twilight nodded, “Levitate it from the bowl, I rather not know what the punch is made of.”

They lifted the fish over and as it drew near it and leapt from their magical grip and smacked both Alicorns on the head and off they went again.

With a deep sigh Twilight flopped onto the bench of the restaurant the mad fish had taken them to. Luna had also collapsed next to her. Sadly the chaotic fish was nowhere to be found. A thud alerted both of them to something being placed on the table though neither had ordered. The two identical drinks looked sane, though it was all relative after their adventures through time and space. Nestled at the bottom was half a fish token.

Attempts to pour out the drink were pointless as it stuck to the glass, same with lifting out the token.

"Together?" Twilight asked.

Luna nodded, "Agreed."

Both of them took the fizzing drink in their magic and drank.

Twilight winced, "Feels…. like I got hit in the head with a slice of lemon,"

"….wrapped around a gold brick," Luna continued as she massaged her head with a hoof.

The token halves now free of the drink merrily bounced out with solid clinks until they merged forming a small yellow, leech-like fish which split again into two. These tiny fish flew straight into the ears of the two Alicorns and with a loud poof they were gone again.

Across the restaurant was a robot named Marvin who was normally depressed. Seeing Ponies that talked walk into the place was different, though not so much so. There was an air of cheer from the exhausted visitors and he couldn’t help but feel slightly less depressed than usual.

There was a cliff with a rather sheer drop. Thankfully the teleport dumped them on the cliff and not over it. A colourful blanket was laid out with a plain white box with the image of a grinning tuna fish stamped on top.

"This is rather peaceful for one of Discord's preferred antics," Luna commented wearily as they stepped over to the box and blanket.

Twilight laid out on top of the blanket, "I know we should be careful, but…."

Luna laid down to Twilight and sighed, "This is somewhat like how our day was earlier. Calm and peaceful until-"

"We followed the fish-shaped chaos of a mad trickster through however many worlds or time or both to find a lost gift."

"Perhaps we have found it?" Luna asked.

Twilight sighed as she opened up the box, "I hope so."

Inside the box was a pair of socks and not the rather commonly found sheer sort, but warm ones knitted from wool.

Twilight was about to comment about how much she liked the gift before the socks opened wide and began to sing.

"Oh I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts!"

A special book by Kean

Author's Note

Kean

A special book by Kean

Spike the dragon was resting in the center of Canterlot Gardens’ hedge maze. His mother had asked for his assistance and it was one of the few out of the way places he could lay without drawing the gazes of passersby.

Now, Spike had seen many things in his three hundred years of life: Griffins uniting their kingdoms under one banner, Changelings being accepted into Pony society, an evil Emperor getting disintegrated by a piece of chiseled crystal, a parasitic centaur hell bent on ruling the world, even a pony’s mane and tail spontaneously combust in a fit of anger and be none the worse for wear.

Oddly enough, it was that last one that most found unbelievable.

Today he knew he would witness the rare – though, for him it was actually quite common – event of seeing the Mistress of the night, at one point the most feared Alicorn, fleeing her castle tower. Even from this distance the fear in her eyes was quite evident.

Wonder what she did this time…

He had seen this many times; Luna would do something to anger his mother – who, if he was being honest, wasn’t the most stable pony at times – and attempt to apologize. It would ultimately fail and Luna, even with her quite significant power, would flee. It wasn’t a daily occurrence, but for a being as long lived as they, what are months to a few days?

What he had never seen was her teleporting in short hops around Canterlot, expending much more energy than what was required, presumably to saturate the area with magical discharge to throw off his mother’s tracking spell, and she was now flying directly towards him.

He let out the chuckle that had been building in his throat lest he explode. Spike raised his head to face her, but made no move to greet her. After the response to him flying over Canterlot to surprise his mother after his hundred year nap, he decided that a dragon flying to intercept an Alicorn wouldn’t turn out any better. Besides, his mother asked him to stay in the gardens until she woke up.

What kind of dragon would he be if he ignored an order to be lazy?

Luna wasted no time after landing. She teleported to the side of Spike hidden from the castle, forced his wing open, and ducked under it. “Spike, you must hide me!” Her voice was firm and composed, but her composure was betrayed constantly searching eyes and the slight quivering of her legs.

“And what, exactly, did you do this time, mother?” Spike asked, not even bothering to hide the humor in his deep, rumbling voice.

He resisted the urge to scratch his head at his final word. I really need to find new titles for all of them. The tickling sensation of a familiar magic washing over him knocked him out of his pondering. After nearly two hundred years of being around the same magical signature, it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was, not that they were even trying to hide it.

Twilight was performing a magical search throughout all of Canterlot.

Luna, to her credit, began to shake only a little more than she already had been. “I don’t know! We were in bed, reading an old book of Starswill the Bearded’s I acquired from a group of archeologists – an early gift for our anniversary. I called some of his writing and findings inane after realizing it was one of his older works.

“I told Twilight that he was actually a bumbling buffoon when he was younger. She was laughing and I hit the book, off the bed-” Few could ever say they were one to see a dragon visibly pale. Were anypony in the hedge maze that day, they would have seen this suspected impossibility occur.

Luna paused after noticing the grimace on Spike’s face. “What? I was moving it so it would not get damaged, since I intended to-“

“Don’t want to know, mother! What happened to the book?”

“It hit the wall and landed on the floor. That’s when the yelling started, this time. I don’t understand what I did.”

Spike’s grin slowly returned along with the buildup of Twilight’s magic, had Luna not been busy cowering, she likely would have felt it as well. He lowered his head back to the ground, only looking at Luna through one, half-lidded, disinterested eye. He knew how this was going to end.

“Well, your first mistake was not apologizing.” Spike held up a single talon to halt Luna’s interruption

“I’m sure you apologized to her. Now, your second mistake was not finding somewhere to hole up on the other side of the planet until she calms down a bit. Or even Griffonstone. Err, the Griffon Kingdoms. Griffica? Gryphonia? Roam? Whatever they’re calling it these days.

“Your third, –” In one fluid motion, Spike rose up and stepped sideways away from Luna before laying back down and folding his wing back against his body. “– and possibly most damming mistake, was coming to me.

“I’ve spent almost my entire life with Twilight, mother. She knows my magical signature like the back of her hoof. Seriously, I once hid in a room she used to store magic imbued gems. The amount of magical saturation even made my scales itch. But you have no idea how good enchanted gems taste. Especially the ones she used to teleport long distances…

“Anyway, she grabbed me in a teleport, and didn’t bring a single gem with me. She told me she was able to separate my signature from every other gem.” Spike’s grin only became wider along with Luna’s eyes. “Essentially, you chose to hide under the largest, brightest beacon in Canterlot.”

Spike only had a moment to close his eyes before the telltale pop and flash of Twilight’s teleport came with enough force to assault even his senses. At the feeling of warmth and the smell of burning grass, his maw split into a grin. Reopening his eyes, he was met with the sight of his mother holding a large tome, her tail and mane had become what could only be described as a towering inferno.

If a claw pump was feasible at the moment, he’d have a hard time not drawing attention to himself. He settled for allowing his grin to grow, the tips of his fangs poking out.

Gonna eat well tonight…

“Apologize.” Twilight’s voice was cold enough to freeze even the sun.

Luna’s eyes were everywhere but Twilight’s as she did her best to avoid staring into what felt like the fires of Tarterus itself. “I already said-“

“Not to me, the book.” Luna gaped at the tome now floating directly in front of her.

“You expect me to apologize to Starswill? Even if I could go back that far in time, I’d never apologize to that bumbling, arrogant – “

The clearing of Spike’s throat interrupted Luna and seemed to finally cause Twilight to take notice him. He looked at Twilight and sighed. “Mother, you need to forgive mom – no, that’s not gonna work any better – Somehow, she seems to keep forgetting that you’re slightly insane.” He turned his eye to Luna.

“She literally means the book.” Spike raised his large front paw, extended a single claw, and gently tapped an indent in the spine. “You damaged it.”

Luna’s eyes darted back and forth between the book and Twilight, deciding whether she should degrade herself by apologizing to the tome or attempt to face the wrath of the enraged librarian. “Today was going so well, too…”

In an – possibly childish – attempt to save some face, Luna sighed and locked her eyes to Twilight’s. “I’m sorry for damaging the book.”

With that, the flames dissipated, Tarterus’ gates closed, and the sun was able to thaw.

“I forgive you, Luna. I know you didn’t mean to damage it. Now let’s – “

Twilight was interrupted by Spike clearing his throat once again, a frown taking the place of his grin.

“R-right.” Twilight looked at the ground and scraped at it with a hoof. “I’m sorry, too. I overacted. Again…”

“At least the castle doesn’t have any holes in it this time,” Spike noted with a chuckle. Both Luna and Twilight grinned sheepishly.

Twilight turned to Luna, a different kind of fire in eyes. “I can think of another way to apologize to each other…” Her eyes lingered on Luna until what she meant registered. Luna bowed her head quickly before teleporting away.

“Goodbye to you, too, mother,” Spike muttered to himself.

Twilight turned to face their tower, her horn charged with magic. She paused and looked over her shoulder. “Say, Spike…”

“Hmm?”

“Why is Celes- actually, never mind. Enjoy your nap.” With that, Twilight released her spell, vanishing with a muted pop

“I don’t understand how they’ve stayed together even though this keeps happening,” Spike grumbled to himself.

“Oh, let them have their little spats. It’s rare enough that they get any time alone, let alone together,” replied the dragon’s right wing. “Plus, if the gossip of the castle staff is anything to go by, the make-up sex is amazing.”

Spike slowly unfurled the wing Luna hadn’t been under and grimaced at the Alabaster Alicorn that had been curled up, using the curled wing as a hammock to nap in. His mother had asked for his assistance today.

“Mother-” Spike groaned. “You three really need new titles.”

“You could call us by our names.”

“I tried, remember? You and Twilight raised me. After growing up, it just doesn’t seem right to call you anything else when any of you are around.”

“And Luna?” Celestia asked with a smirk.

“Well, she’s married to mother and besides it feeling right, it seemed to make her happy that someone had no problems with her and Twilight-” Spike jostled the wing enough to shake Celestia. “You’re trying to distract me. I know you felt it: That’s twenty five rage shifts in six months. You owe me the crown jewels.”

Celestia chuckled and curled back up in his wing. “Yes, yes, you’ll get your snack, Spike. Now please draw the curtains, would you? We wouldn’t want anypony to think you were kidnapping me… Again.”

Spike sighed and carefully curled his wing against his side.

Note to self: When mother – any mother – asks for assistance, just go back to sleep.

Show your true colors by neokiva

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Throw down the gauntlet by Knight of Lycaeus

Author's Note

Knight of Lycaeus

Throw down the gauntlet by Knight of Lycaeus

"Luna?" Twilight asked as the pair walked down a long stone corridor, "Could you explain why we're here. Almost nopony uses this arena anymore especially after all the sporting events were moved into the newer and larger stadium on the other side of the city."

"Almost nopony, however I know of some that still use this place," Luna said as the corridor led into a broad open space, "It is far too important to merely be torn down."

"From what I've read it hasn't seen regular use for almost a century now except by a few Guards regiments," Twilight commented as she looked around the empty arena.

Luna closed her eyes, "That may be true now, but I still remember when arenas such as these were central to the city, where the citizens would gather and the seats would fill completely and one could hear the roar of the crowd as they watched the spectacle below. I remember seeing the challenges being issued in the traditional way with the throw of a gauntlet by the challenger."

"You would throw a Gauntlet?" Twilight asked confused, "I don't see how throwing a Pony initiates a challenge Luna."

Luna shook her head and with her magic conjured an ethereal image, "This is a gauntlet, the protective armour that covered the entire foreleg and hoof. Although if I must guess its use has fallen out of favour as has the phrase itself."

"I'm not as familiar with some of the finer points of military history, but I haven't seen any Guards or soldier wear anything that looks like that," Twilight answered as she took another look around trying to imagine what Luna had just said about arenas and duels.

"Still confused as to why we are here?" Luna asked with a grin.

"I am, you asked me to come with you and you didn't explain why," Twilight responded.

Luna wrapped a wing around Twilight and in flash of magic teleported to on the higher tiers of seating. "We're here of course to watch a match, a duel in the traditional style. As I have checked the last two remaining Royal Knight Orders both use this arena as the place to host their traditional duels and were very grateful when this place was not torn down."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow, "Not exactly what I had in mind when you decided to whisk me away from Ponyville."

Luna smirked, "Oh? Perhaps you should relax and watch, it may prove interesting and there's more I had planned for today or rather tonight."

Dungeons and Dragons by Donraj

Author's Note

Donraj

Dungeons and Dragons by Donraj

"I still have trouble believing the game dates back to before you were, uh..."

Twilight trailed off and looked abashed. Luna gave her an arch look.

"Before my sister banished me," she said testily. "You need not mince words."

Twilight winced at her words. Luna looked embarrassed.

"Our apologies, Twilight," she said stiffly. "We should not—"

Twilight cut her off with a hug. Luna shut up and awkwardly returned the gesture with her wing. She levitated the rulebook up to her face as she did.

"Now, you say that it is no longer the custom to use convicts as pieces to mark positions in combat?" Luna queried.

"No, it is not," Twilight said dryly.

"Most perplexing!" Luna said. "How then do we adjudicate the damage of our fireballs?"

Twilight sighed.

Warriors meeting and working together by Donraj

Author's Note

Donraj

Warriors meeting and working together by Donraj

"Well met, Captain Shining Armor," Luna said with a nod. "Art thou ready for another foray into the Everfree?"

Shining Armor tried not to shudder at the thought of his last trip into the Everfree Containment Zone. The night of Equestria's other princess's return had been terrifying for everypony involved, much less for those like him who had been right in the thick of it struggling against the terrible power of Nightmare Moon.

And that was probably why she had brought it up, Shining Armor thought as he caught the slight smile on Luna's face. The alicorn might have reconciled with her sister and abandoned her dreams of tyranny, but the months since then had made it clear that the Princess of the Night was an intense pony with a forceful personality and a distinct unwillingness to mince words or dance around uncomfortable subjects. Even with the rare pony like him who had managed to win her respect. Shining Armor kept that in mind as he forced himself to meet her gaze.

"Yes, your Grace," he answered in his impassive officer's voice. "In fact, we've brought in a civilian expert to help with that."

Shining Armor nodded to the smaller purple unicorn behind him. "Meet Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot's top—"

Luna snorted. "You jest." She paused. "Thou art jesting, correct?"

"Hey!" shouted the peeved purple pony in the decidedly not appropriate for fieldwork white lab coat. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Shining Armor saw trouble brewing and leapt to intervene. "Twily—, er, Twilight Sparkle is an expert on magical spell matrices and has done extensive research on the effects of the Everfree—"

Luna was still chuckling. "Yes, yes, that is all very well and good, but this is a task for warriors, not school fillies."

She smirked at Twilight. "We shan't have our attentions divided babysitting an amateur who is sure to panic and lose her head at the first—"

There was a lavender flash and suddenly Twilight Sparkle was staring Luna in the eye from a few inches beneath Luna's chin. Luna flinched.

"I graduated at the top of my class in Practical Abjuration and Applied Evocation," she said crisply. "I am the ONLY pony to successfully subdue a rampaging Ursa and I am fully cognizant of the hazards of the Everfree Death Jungle, including magical predators capable of hunting dragons that did not exist prior to your banishment." Twilight leaned forward, close enough to kiss. "You need me."

There was a long pause before she added, "Princess."

Another lavender flash and Twilight was walking out the door of the temporary command post. Luna turned to watch her go.

Shining Armor hid his smile as the princess tried to process what had just happened. "Satisfied?"

"Verily," Luna said. Her expression turned from stunned to thoughtful.

"Intelligent, passing bold and possessed of a fine pair of flanks," she mused. "Mayhaps I should get to know this Twilight Sparkle. Our bed has been empty for far too long since Our return."

Shining Armor's smile turned brittle.

4am by BronyBlazeFire

That is what the clock said. Well no, It actually said 4:02:23, but that was neither here nor there. Twilight rolled over in her bed. Her mane tangled around her horn and her hooves gripped the sheet. Sleep. It was like a mist in the Everfree forest. It just was there, lingering on the edge of her mind, teasing, taunting, and over all, elusive. She groaned and got up, throwing the blanket off the edge of her mattress. The darkness clung to the corners of her room and seeped along the walls. A magenta glow softly pushed it back as Twilight walked from the grand room dedicated to her in the palace. She walked past Spike’s room. The young adolescent dragon had long since out grown his basket and was now sleeping in a full bed. His tail sags over the edge. Slowly tip-toeing past the slumbering dragon’s room Twilight went off to wander the halls.

The walls were silent as the servants slept. As Twilight neared the library with slow deliberate steps, the sound of aggravated mumbling reached the her ears. Her head peeked into the main room of the grand library. Within was none other than the lithe form of the princess of the night. Her midnight fur reflected the faint indigo light of her magic. She stood by a table laden with books. Quills and papers were stacked neatly to the side and the only thing out of place was the fact Luna was not reading. In fact she was fixated on a lamp. The thing was off, keeping the room in near darkness.

“Luna? What are you doing? Surely the bulb hasn’t died on you.” Twilight stated as she moved to come alongside the other alicorn. Side by side, one could see their differences in stature. Luna had grown since coming back from her banishment. Still not as tall as Celestia, she was still taller than Cadence. Twilight stood evenly with the Princess of the Crystal Empire, and neither had earned their magical manes.

Luna’s blue eyes turn to regard Twilight with both embarrassment and aggravation. “The confounded contraption refuses to put forth even the faintest of a glow. Mine own magic dose more than it and I grow weary of it.”

Twilight giggled.

“Luna, you have been back for how many years and you still do not know how to work a lamp?” The princess of the night sat down on her haunches with a huff. She folded her ears back and frowned.

“When thy lives in the same abode as the Solar princess, one does not need nocturnal lighting as the walls just seem to glow. Besides, there are plenty of windows in the Canterlot library that allow supple amounts of moon light to stimulate mine eyes.” Twilight blinked and looked about, vaguely remembering not needing to get curtains for the windows to protect the book bindings, because there were no windows to cover. She looked back to Luna who was no longer paying any attention to the younger mare. In her magical grasp was a match. The flame’s light seemed harsh in contrast to the princesses’ magical glows. Alarm raced through twilight as she watched the lamp shade took up in flames. “HAZA! I have brought light to the room!” Luna’s glee was evident, thinking she had figured out how to work the lamp.

“Luna!” Twilight’s cry of shock was ignored as Luna went prancing about from lamp to lamp. Each one went up in flames most spectacularly. The night princess was at least mindful enough to move the lamps away from the shelves of dried paper bound in much thicker dried paper on wooden shelves. “Luna!” Twilight cries out again as she went about putting out the fires. The night princess looked at twilight with a raised brow.

“What have I done wrong? Isn’t this how you are supposed to be using these?” Luna asked completely ignorant of her wrongs. Twilight reached up under one of the charred lamp coverings and pulled the chain to turn on the light. Luna watched in rapture as Twilight sighed and left the once quiet library, back to her bed that was calling her name, making a mental note to get new lamp shades. And fire proof the library.

Right Proper Donnybrook by Fuzzyfurvert

Author's Note

Fuzzyfurvert

Right Proper Donnybrook by Fuzzyfurvert

“Come One Come All

To the Donnybrook Fare!

O’er where?

The Donnybrook Fare!

Come One Come All

To the Donnybrook Fare!

A Gryphon Affair

The Donnybrook Fare!

In Griffonstone a-Fair

The Donnybrook Fare!

A-claw! A-paw!

A-wing in th’ Aire!

All are welcome a-Donnybrook Fare!

In Sky o’blue and Fields o’green

Games are had

Food and Fun a plenty!

Make your feathers a-preen’d

Meet Friends a-many!

The Donnybrook Fare!

With Princesses pair

From Moon rise to Sun down

Gather all ‘round

Alicorns most fair!

Eat! Make merry!

Come now Don’t terry!

The Sight a-worthy to Stare!

Come One Come All

To the Donnybrook Fare!”

“Wasn’t the fare outlawed?” Twilight looked up from her book, brows knitting in thought. “Something about riots, right?”

“Indeed!” Princess Luna flashed a brilliant smile, her ink-whetted quill flicking over the parchment held up in her magical grip. “It was an amazing spectacle every year. In truth, it did get out of hoof at times. But Gryphonian liquor does have that effect on me.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be proud of that, Luna.” Twilight stretched her wings out, working some feeling into her back before pushing herself to her hooves. “The gryphons still use ‘donnybrook’ as a slang term to mean any large brawl or angry sort of flock. Now, that part, you should be proud of.”

Twilight shook herself, resettling her coat and feathers while she reshelved her book at the same time. They were in her personal library at her Ponyville castle, going over some of her newest historical acquisitions, when Luna took the sudden interest in writing an archaic Crier’s Bark about a centuries old, defunct fare. “Your iambic verse structure is all over the place, by the way.”

“It is not poetry.” Luna smirked, tilting the parchment slightly to examine her quill work. “It’s marketing. It is meant to evoke curiosity in all who listen.”

“It’ll certainly make anypony that hears it wonder who thought it was a good idea.”

Luna lowered the paper to glare over it at Twilight. “Har har. It has been a long time since I’ve done this. Barking is a lost art.”

“Try telling that to the Diamond Dogs. Some nights I can’t even get a few minutes of sleep before they wake me up over and over again.” Twilight returned Luna’s glare playfully. “Not sure why they do it either. That old wives tale about them howling at the Moon is hogwash, according to science.”

Twilight’s playful glare morphed into an equally playful smirk as she got closer to Luna and took the scroll away from the Princess. “I’m the only one that gets to sing the praises of your moon anyway.”

Twilight looked over Luna’s writing, tracing the flowing calligraphy that the Princess had created on the fly with her eyes. The older stylistic trappings re-enforced the archaic feel of the content, but it was perfectly readable and pleasing to her modern Equestrian sensibilities. When she looked back up, however, Luna’s expression was flat. The Princess’ eyes locked on something in the middle distance rather than the impatient artist waiting for a snarky review of her creation.

Twilight cleared her throat awkwardly. “I am...right? The only one that sings…?”

Luna turned away, her cheeks growing dark under her fur. She mouthed the words, ‘old wives tale’ to herself.

“Wait wait wait! You don’t just get to turn away from that, Luna!” Twilight laughed nervously, pacing in time with Luna’s slow rotation to never leave the Princess’ sight. “Diamond Dogs don’t really howl at the Moon...so you can’t imply that the old saying is from them singing the praises of your...oh c’mon! Stop trying to turn away from me!”

Luna stopped where she was, making eye contact with Twilight for a second before quickly looking away again. She gathered herself, breathing in deeply through her nose before holding up her hooves in defense.

“Look, Twi...I’m not not saying there is a kernel of truth in that saying. But the world was very different in ancient times.”

A new day by Knight of Lycaeus

Author's Note

Knight of Lycaeus

A new day by Knight of Lycaeus

Twilight opened her eyes only to shut them just as quickly. What little she did see was dim yet it seems even the dim light had upset her eyes. Slowly she tried to open them again letting them better adjust to the faint amount of sunlight filtering into the room.

The room's thick deep blue curtains dimmed most of the light of the early sun, but not all of it. Around her she could see a bedroom in dark tones although none of them looked familiar in the dim morning light. This was likely not her room.

It was then that she noticed the warmth next to her.

Okay, now she was completely sure this was definitely not her room.

She turned to see dark blue fur and smiled fondly recalling last night. Last night had been great, a nice and relaxing evening with Luna with no interruptions by Guards, courtiers, or the press. Part of that was likely Celestia running interference and drawing attention elsewhere.

For Luna and Twilight it was a relief, last night had been the first night that she had been able to spend alone with Luna in a while as their duties kept them busy and often led them to distant locales for varying reasons.

Relishing in the peace and quiet of the early morning she decided on a course of action. Rather than rousing Luna to face the new day, she opted instead to close her eyes and snuggle closer to the Lunar Princess. The day could wait a little longer.

Eye for an eye by hackd

Author's Note

hackd

Eye for an eye by hackd

Amongst the soft glow of the royal library’s flickering candles, moonlight drifted in through the windows illuminating a long, oak table where two mares sat. Before them lay a small mountain of the library’s texts composed of all sizes and genres. Twilight sifted through the nearby tomes by hoof and horn, her eyes glancing over the familiar titles. A bored frown articulated her disappointment with the fruitless search.

“Hmm…” she mused while looking up and over to her friend across the table, ears perking with interest, “What are you reading Luna?”

The midnight blue alicorn sat comfortably on her pillow wearing a soft smile. Moonlight danced across her features as she read an open page of her book.

“Oh, just a collection of draconian theories on stellar mythology.” Her smile progressed to a grin, eyes still focused on the page before her, “Did you know that they think- hey!” Luna glanced up to watch as her book was magically ferried away from her and across the table into the hooves of the beaming, lavender unicorn.

“Oooh, I haven’t read that one yet!” Twilight chirped as she magically flipped the book open to the start.

“Twilight,” Luna sighed as she regarded the enthused mare with raised eyebrows, “that was my book.”

“Mhmm,” Twilight murmured while her violet eyes happily tore into the stolen text.

Luna’s ears flicked in annoyance as she continued to peer across the table while she idly traced circles on the smooth tabletop with an ornamented hoof. After a moment she rose from her seat with an amused snort and a sly smile. The lunar princess began to slowly make her way around the long edge of the table, careful not to trip over any of the short piles of books that populated the floor. She soon came up alongside the unicorn who was now fully entranced in the pages of the book that floated before her. With a brief shake of her head, Luna’s eyes glimmered mischievously in the candlelight as she quickly sat down against Twilight, nudging her halfway off her reading pillow.

“Hey,” Twilight called out, her gaze now broken from the alluring text and redirected to the alicorn who was now contentedly leaning against her. “This is my pillow,” Twilight huffed, her eyes initially glancing down at the pillow they now shared and then back up to the princess who was casually looking over the open pages of the book that was still suspended by Twilight’s magic.

“Mhmm” Luna chuckled with a coy smirk. The princess’ eyes were half-lidded as she glanced down to Twilight who was looking expectantly back at her, waiting for an explanation. Luna’s smile grew as she leaned closer to the unicorn.

“An eye for an eye.”

Thats not what I heard by Donraj

Author's Note

Donraj

Thats not what I heard by Donraj

Fleur Dis Lee groaned languidly as the masseuse worked her hooves into the sore spot in the supermodel’s back. “Alright Blueblood, I admit it. I should have tried this spa much sooner.”

Prince Blueblood smirked on the other massage table as a handsome earth pony colt worked his flanks right above the cutie mark. “A proper gentlepony never says ‘I told you so,” he said with a sniff. “So I’ll just point out that you also didn’t believe me when I said Cadance is coming back for a month.”

Fleur cocked an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise?”

The smirk widened. “That’s not what I heard,” Blueblood began. He was cut off by a moan of pleasure as the spa pony reached the spot where his wings had been.

“Oh yes, right there,” he panted.

Fleur rolled her eyes. “You really should just talk to that Fluttershy pony about making Discord give them back, you know.”

Blueblood shuddered. “The one who lives out in the woods with all those dirty animals? No thank you.”

Fleur giggled at her foppish friend. “So go on. What did you hear?”

The smile returned to Blueblood’s face. “There’s going to be another royal wedding. And apparently Auntie Celestia decided that officiating duties should rotate between the princesses.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t have her sister or the new one do it instead of dragging Cadance all the way back to Canterlot for so long,” Fleur commented.

Blueblood’s grin widened. “Who do you think the brides are?”

Hippos by Donraj

Author's Note

Donraj

Hippos by Donraj

Luna rolled her eyes. “Verily Twilight Sparkle, thy loyalty to mine sister is laudable, but tis true! Celestia’s flank is of an abnormal and frankly alarming size.”

Twilight glared at her fellow princess. “She does NOT look like a hippo and I refuse to believe that she is viewed as some sort of sex goddess icon in their culture!” Twilight shouted.

Luna’s expression turned sly. “Woulds't thou care to make a bit of a wager?” she asked.

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed. “No! I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation!”

Luna turned and raised her head haughtily. “Very well then. If thou art...chicken, as they say in the modern vernacular.”

Twilight’s face contorted in anger. She snorted once, like a bull.

“You’re on.”

†

Twilight groaned as she woke up in the royal bed after the third dream from a hippo with a heartfelt appreciation for flanks and pin-up ponies Luna had dragged her through.

“Alright,” she croaked. “You win. Just so long as I never, ever have to see the things you just showed me again.”

Luna inclined her head in a victor’s acknowledgement. “We shall be gracious. Now then, there is the matter of our wager.”

Twilight shook her head groggily to clear out the cobwebs. “Yeah, about that. What the hay does ‘offer no resistance’ mea—!”

Luna rolled over from her side of the bed and straddled Twilight.

Her question cut off with a muffled “Mmpff!” as Luna thrust her tongue into the little pony’s clever mouth in a passionate kiss and pressed her body into full contact with the younger alicorn’s.

“Thou hast no idea how long I have wanted to do this, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna whispered huskily when she broke the kiss.

Twilight decided to offer no resistance.