Alicorn Nature

Chapters

A Royal Wedding
Honeymoon
Instinct
Diet
Preening
Once a Month
Protective
Metabolism
Aunts
Anniversary

A Royal Wedding

Rainbow giggled giddily as she looked at herself in the mirror. Rarity actually made a dress she was happy to wear. It looked nice on her, accenting her perfectly. Her dress was a light purple, the same shade as Twilight's coat. Rarity called the color lavender, but it looked like a light purple to her.

Her mane and tail were brushed and had a slight sheen to them, reflecting the sunlight and giving her a slightly majestic appearance. She didn't realize how nice it was. She considered doing it more often, it felt nice. But at the same time, it had taken hours upon hours to get her to look this way, and she didn't think it was worth it, no matter how nice she looked and felt.

And standing still for that long? That was torture.

She fluttered her well-groomed wings at her sides. Her feathers were clean and pristine. They were perfect, yet somehow she knew they wouldn't match Twilight's beauty, nor come anywhere near as close to being half as beautiful as Twilight would look.

Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought of Twilight. The beautiful mare, the alicorn princess... Twilight would be hers in just a few hours. She felt like she was going to explode from excitement. She didn't think she'd last these last few hours without seeing Twilight once. Of course, if she wanted to see Twilight, nopony was going to stop her.

Already she could picture her alicorn's beautiful purple eyes, so vast and deep, staring back into hers. The most beautiful smile in all of Equestria, all directed at her.

A knock on the door caused her to blink as the thought faded away. She huffed a little and fluffed her wings. "Yeah?" she called. She turned around as the door opened, and a unicorn walked in. Rainbow didn't recognize her.

The unicorn smiled, but the smile looked wrong. "Rainbow Dash?" she asked.

Rainbow noded. "Yes?"

There was a green whoosh surrounding the unicorn, and the disguise melted away. The tall, black carapace of Queen Chrysalis was unmistakable, and the laugh echoed through the room. "Mmm... I can already taste your love... and it's delicious..."

Rainbow jumped around as soon as she stopped gawking. "Chrysalis!?"

"Mmm, yes," Chrysalis replied. She sauntered on into the room, heading towards Rainbow's side. She looked exuberant and there was an insane glint in her eye. "You know, I couldn't truly decide which of you to go after... you both have so much love. In the end, though, I decided that you would be the easier target. After all, you're just a pegasus, and your beloved Twilight... well, she's the bigger threat. I'll replace you, and then my swarm will disable her... it will be... oh so easy once you're out of the way..."

Rainbow frowned. "Okay, seriously... why do you think it'll be easier to disable Twilight once I'm out of the way?"

Chrysalis paused and blinked. "What do you mean? Without you, she'll be heartbroken! She won't be able to help stop us! And with your love and her love, I'll be unstoppable!"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Do you have any idea how mad Twilight will be when she finds out?"

"She's not going to find out," Chrysalis retorted. "Not until it's too late to stop us!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Chryssie, we know how this went last time, and it didn't go too well for you, now did it?"

Chrysalis glared and hissed at Rainbow. "Silence!" she ordered. She lit her horn and pointed her head down at the pegasus.

There was a violent crack in the air and a blinding burst of magenta light. Rainbow smirked. A cold, calculated voice greeted the Changeling Queen. "Chrysalis."

Chrysalis jumped around to face the new arrival. Twilight wore a loose fitting light blue dress, the same shade as Rainbow's coat. The hem was like a rainbow, and her mane and tail seemed to shimmer in the light. Or maybe it was from the magic she was wielding.

Rainbow could practically see stars in her mane, which seemed to flow with magic.

Yes, her mane was definitely shimmering from her magic.

Chrysalis did a double take.

Twilight wasn't having any of it. She grabbed the changeling in her magic. Her grip was enough to make Chrysalis squeak. Twilight tilted her head to the side, then threw Chrysalis at a wall. She turned to follow her with her horn, then when Chrysalis impacted the wall, an explosion of magenta magic followed.

The pillar of magic slammed into Chrysalis and shot her through the wall, sending her flying off into the distance even faster than the first time. Twilight huffed and squinted. Outside, she could see dark clouds of changeling carapace. She flared her wings, then used her magic to make them disappear.

After a few seconds, Twilight smiled and turned back to Rainbow.

"Hey," Rainbow greeted nonchalantly.

Twilight sauntered over to Rainbow, then embraced her and nuzzled her before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Sorry about that. I would have been here quicker but Rarity-"

The door opened. "TWILIGHT GET BACK IN HERE!" Rarity shrieked.

Twilight giggled a little. "I'll see you later!" she said. She turned, then skipped over to the doorway, her tail flicking eagerly in her wake.

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!" Rarity chastized. "And what happened to the wall?"

"Oh, just taking care of something..." Twilight trailed off.

Honeymoon

Twilight pushed open the double doors with her magic, revealing a large room fit for a princess. Rainbow came to a stop beside her and looked over the room. The walls were marble, inlaid with golden swirls, looking like she pictured Princess Celestia's room. A large mahogany bookshelf dominated the entire left wall, filled with thick volumes of books. Directly across from the entrance was another closed door, leading to a balcony overlooking Canterlot and most of Equestria's heartland.

On the left side of the room, against the wall, there was a large, alicorn-sized bed. The bed was large enough that Princess Celestia, Twilight, and Luna could all have fit on it with plenty of room to spare. The bedsheets were a deep red color, and they caught the moonlight just right, making them shine ever so slightly in the soft lighting coming in through the window. The bed had a frame around it with thin, light-blue curtains, which were all pulled back. A simple nightstand was to the left side of the bed. It didn't have an alarm or a lamp. On the far side of the bed, there was a dresser made of the same mahogany as the bookshelf.

Twilight smiled in delight. Her wings fluttered in anticipation at her sides. She cast a glance back at the door, then took a couple steps inside. Rainbow looked over at her and grinned. The alicorn looked beautiful in the dress she wore, the same one which she wore earlier that day. The loose-fitting blue dress accented her perfectly in Rainbow's eyes, flowing gracefully down her body and lightly hugging her form, hiding her tail, and enhancing her beauty. Twilight's tail swayed a little behind her, hidden by the light-blue fabric.

Rainbow swallowed and took another step inside. Twilight immediately turned to face her and looked down at her. Rainbow looked up at Twilight as the tall alicorn looked at her intently, her gaze trailing along her muzzle and face, down her sides to her wings. After a moment, Twilight's eyes darted up. With barely any delay, the doors snapped shut and the lock clicked. Twilight took a step towards Rainbow, then leaned down. Rainbow leaned forward and met Twilight's lips with her own. She shivered in delight and let out a soft moan as Twilight's tongue teasingly slid over her lips. She parted her mouth slightly, only for Twilight to pull back. She frowned and pinned her ears back, pouting.

Twilight smirked. "Mmm... not yet..." she cooed. She swiftly leaned back down and nudged Rainbow's muzzle aside, then pressed her lips against Rainbow's delicate neck. The pegasus shuddered at the touch, and Twilight simply kissed her. She could feel Rainbow's heart beating fast and hard through the pulsing in her neck. She slid her head down a little, pressing her nose against Rainbow, then inhaled deeply of her scent. A moment later, she gave Rainbow a quick lick up her neck. Rainbow held her head limply aside but watched her closely. Twilight smiled at Rainbow, only for the moment to be broken by a sharp crack of magic.

Twilight slowly closed her eyes and reluctantly pulled her head back up, her chest expanding in size as she filled her lungs. Her smile disappeared completely.

"Ah, there you are Twilight," Luna greeted in a calm voice. "Rainbow," she acknowledged.

Twilight's tail flicked behind her in annoyance. She turned around and looked at the smaller alicorn who stood near the end of the bed. Luna's expression was soft and calm, and completely oblivious. "Luna..." she greeted, barely restraining the annoyance in her voice, though it still managed to seep out.

Luna's lips twitched down into a frown, but then returned to normalcy. "I was hoping to have a word with you two before you retired for the night," Luna replied leisurely. "Celestia wanted me to discuss matters of Rainbow's coronation as soon as possible, and given that the day's festivities have drawn to a close, I assumed you two would be available," she stated, somehow managing to keep her voice entirely even and normal.

Twilight's left eye twitched. "On our wedding night?" she asked in an accusatory voice.

Luna nodded calmly and her frown returned. "Of course," she answered. "Since you two are married, Rainbow is now an Equestrian Princess. We need to discuss matters of her formal coronation. The event will likely take place within a month's time, and then it will be official."

"Luna... on our wedding night?" Twilight asked again in disbelief.

Luna hesitated but nodded calmly yet again. "Of course... With as festive as the day has been for you two, I understand that you would like rest, but these are important matters," she affirmed.

The section of Twilight's dress covering her tail lifted up, then flicked almost like a whip in agitation. "Luna, have you ever heard of a honeymoon?" she asked, her voice filled with agitation.

Luna tilted her head to the side for a moment. "I do not believe I have," she stated. "What is that?" she asked curiously.

"What you're interrupting," Twilight deadpanned.

Luna blinked. "I do not understand? You two are retiring for the day, are you not?" she asked.

Twilight huffed. "We just got married, what do you think?"

Luna's brow creased. "I... would assume that you're retiring. It is nighttime, and it has been a long day for both of you given the celebration and festivities..." she said at length.

"What else do ponies do at night, other than sleeping?" Twilight demanded.

Luna studied Twilight for a moment, then her gaze drifted over to Rainbow. Her eyes glanced over the pegasus, taking in her darkened form before settling on her slick, damp neck where Twilight had licked her. Rainbow's tail twitched in agitation behind her. Luna shifted her weight, then her expression blanked. Twilight's tail flicked again. A small, red blush grew upon her cheeks.

Twilight glared at Luna.

"I-I... will take my leave, now," Luna affirmed, nodding to herself quickly. She stepped back and lit her horn. "I shall return in the morning and-"

"Luna. Think about it. Does that actually sound like a good idea?" Twilight queried, still glaring at the smaller alicorn.

Luna shifted her weight on her hooves and fluffed her wings. "I... believe that this matter can wait... at least for a couple of days," she said hastily.

Twilight's glare faded and her lips pulled up into a happy smile. "Good," she stated. The smile faded into a cold, icy gaze. "Now leave before I tell Cadance about this."

Luna's cheeks paled, the blush immediately fading. Even her mane seemed to turn white and icy in response to Twilight's threat. "O-of course, Twilight... Rainbow," she said with a nod of her head. "Please enjoy the rest of your evening," she added hastily before teleporting away.

Twilight closed her eyes, then groaned.

Rainbow stepped closer to Twilight, then rubbed up against her.

Twilight smiled instinctively at the touch, then opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow. In a flurry of her magenta magic, Rainbow was laid down on her back on the bed and Twilight sauntered over to her. A magenta glow enveloped the walls, sealing the room off from the rest of the castle. "These dresses are nice... but they're not that comfortable..." she trailed off. "And your coat is so much nicer..."

Rainbow grinned.

Author's Note

It's been a while since I've published a chapter for this story.

I kind of forgot that this story existed...

So here, have another chapter! I still have more ideas yet for this story. I had written most of this chapter a while back, but I didn't like how it turned out, so today I sat down and rewrote it but kept most of it the same to make it better. It's now more to the point. I also think it's better now.

Enjoy!

Instinct

Rainbow groaned as the ground slammed into her, causing her flight to come to an abrupt end. She blinked open her eyes and felt her world spinning. She tried to focus on the two, no, three trees nearby, but all three of them were blurry and moving. She squinted and groaned again.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called.

"Twi... ugh..." she groaned. She took a deep breath, then slid her right foreleg out from under her and pushed up against the ground, only to feel a sharp pain in her leg, immediately making her wince and inhale sharply. Her foreleg throbbed in pain, and she could feel her heartbeat pulsating through her injured leg. She carefully nudged her left forehoof out, then pushed against the ground and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Her vision was filled with a familiar shade of lavender, wearing a worried expression. Twilight's eyes shot all over her expression and body, never staying focused on one spot for more than a single instant. "Are you okay?" the alicorn hastily asked.

Rainbow groaned and licked her lips. She could feel a spot on her lip ripped, and it burned as her tongue swiped over it. She groaned internally at the taste of blood. "Yeah... my leg..." she replied. She closed her eyes and tensed up, then hesitantly lifted her right foreleg and held it close to her body. It continued to throb but didn't hurt like before.

"Let me see," Twilight demanded. "Lay down."

Rainbow slowly shook her head. "Twilight, I'll-"

Twilight picked Rainbow up in her magic, gently turned her upside down, then carefully laid her down on her back. Twilight hastily walked over to Rainbow's right side, then sat down on her haunches. "You're a mess..." she muttered, looking over the cuts, dirt, and twigs filling Rainbow's coat and tangling her mane and tail. She carefully took Rainbow's foreleg in her hooves and supported its weight with her magic, then ran her forehooves over the length, making sure nothing was broken.

Rainbow stayed silent and watched Twilight. She could have sworn Celestia knew what was happening, since the sun was directly behind Twilight's head, blocking it from view, and casting a shadow on her own head. She grinned at the effect it had on Twilight, making her appear to glow, with her fur almost sparkling in the light. "Twi, you're beautiful."

Twilight paused and glanced away from Rainbow's leg to stare at Rainbow. "How hard did you hit your head?"

Rainbow groaned and rolled her eyes. "Really? That's what you're going to ask? What, I can't just call my mare beautiful?"

"Well, no, you can call me beautiful anytime, Rainbow, but-"

"Then let me enjoy this," Rainbow groaned.

Twilight sighed. "Does this hurt?" she asked, pressing her forehoof against Rainbow's upper foreleg.

Rainbow inhaled sharply, tensed up, and tried to jerk her foreleg away, only to pull against Twilight's magic, which held it firmly in place. She clenched her jaw shut.

"Sorry!" Twilight squeaked, immediately jerking her forehoof back.

"It's. Fine," Rainbow answered, still seething with pain.

Twilight hastily leaned down and nuzzled Rainbow's foreleg, avoiding touching Rainbow's injury. "I think you pulled a muscle," she commented.

Rainbow groaned, then rolled her head over limply to look at Twilight. "Please tell me you can heal it. Please?" she pleaded.

Twilight smiled warily. "Well... not immediately, but I can make it heal faster. And I can numb the pain," she answered.

Rainbow hastily nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to go to the hospital... again."

Twilight snorted and smiled. "Well, I think you're probably fine other than the pulled muscle, then." She used her magic on Rainbow's foreleg, causing the pegasus to feel a tingling warmth which gradually caused the pain to fade away. After several second, Twilight laid Rainbow's forelegs back down on her body. "Well, aside from being a mess..." she trailed off.

Rainbow squinted at Twilight. "Twilight. Don't you dare..."

Twilight ignored her, then leaned down and nudged Rainbow with her muzzle, rolling her over onto her stomach.

Rainbow closed her eyes and groaned. "Twilight!" she pleaded.

Twilight continued to ignore her and leaned down, opening her mouth wide, then grabbing Rainbow by the back of her neck. She lightly bit down on her, then lifted her up off of the ground. Rainbow huffed as she hung from Twilight's mouth by her neck. Twilight idly looked around for a few seconds, then teleported both of them back to her bedroom in the castle.

"Of course this is what I get for my marefriend being an alicorn as big as Princess Celestia," Rainbow muttered sarcastically. She could almost feel Twilight squint, and she could almost hear her shouting 'I heard that!' She winced and shifted her weight a little. "Sorry..." she apologized.

Twilight headed for the bathroom at a casual pace, and her walk almost had a little skip to it as she held Rainbow high. "You enjoy this way too much," Rainbow stated.

Twilight snorted. She closed the door behind her, then used her magic to start a bath, letting the water run out of the tub as it warmed up. She sat Rainbow down on the floor, then levitated a brush over and started pulling out twigs while running the brush through Rainbow's mane. Rainbow groaned and pressed her head into the floor.

"Maybe I do enjoy carrying you around like that too much," Twilight admitted. "But I don't get to do it that often." Rainbow snorted, then sighed. Twilight tilted her head, then sat down beside Rainbow and wrapped her large wing around her, pulling her close and hiding her body from sight. She hummed softly as she continued brushing her mane and pulling skillfully twigs out while avoiding pulling Rainbow's mane.

Eventually, Twilight used her magic to plug the drain in the tub so it would fill. By the time it was ready, all of the twigs were out of Rainbow's mane and tail, and both had been straightened to make the next part easier. She lifted her wing up from Rainbow, then leaned over and grabbed her by the neck again and lifted her up. She casually walked over to the bathtub, then lowered Rainbow into the warm water. Rainbow, for her part, stayed silent and didn't resist.

After Twilight released her, she nuzzled her pegasus, then kissed her on the cheek. Rainbow smiled at Twilight.

Diet

Rainbow licked her lips as Twilight deposited a steaming hot dish of cheesy pasta in front of her, and she smiled eagerly. Twilight smiled at Rainbow and giggled a little as the pegasus grabbed the utensils with her wings and started ravenously devouring the pasta. "You act like you haven't eaten in days, Rainbow," she noted.

Rainbow paused and watched Twilight walk over to take a seat beside her while she chewed up the pasta in her mouth. She licked her lips after swallowing and savored the taste of the cheese coating her lips. "You're just a really good cook, Twi," she complimented. "I don't know anypony who can make pasta half as good as you can."

Twilight smiled sweetly at her pegasus, then looked down at the platter she set down for herself. She lifted the lid off, then closed her eyes and inhaled as the aroma wafted through the airs and filled her with the most divine scent she could smell. She opened her eyes and stared intently down at her meal, a predatory gleam in her eyes, licking her lips and levitating a fork and knife over with cold, calculated motions.

Rainbow shifted her weight in her chair as she eyed the slab of cooked meat on Twilight's plate. She ignored it as best she could, but the smell still wafted over to her, making her want to gag. Her nose scrunched up a little and despite her best attempts to ignore it, it made her stomach churn in revulsion. She averted her gaze from it, then leaned down to her pasta and started eating it without her utensils.

"Oh, come on, Rainbow, it's not that bad," Twilight commented.

Rainbow glanced over at Twilight just in time to see her methodically stick the fork into the slab of meat, then cleanly slide the knife through it, cutting off a small piece. Twilight flashed Rainbow a mischievous grin as she levitated the fork up, then slid the meat off into her mouth. She closed her eyes and moaned as she chewed it up thoroughly. Rainbow fidgeted again. "Yeah, yeah, I know you need to eat meat to live... it's... just... well... I mean..."

"You're just not all that comfortable with it yet," Twilight surmised.

Rainbow lifted her head up and smiled sheepishly at Twilight. "It doesn't bother me that much that you do have to eat meat, it's just... ugh... the smell."

Twilight squinted at Rainbow. "You say this stinks, I say this smells, and tastes, amazing."

"Yeah, but you're an alicorn," Rainbow commented dryly.

Twilight stuck her tongue out at Rainbow playfully. Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes. "Just make sure you brush your teeth after this, okay?" she asked. She picked up her fork again, then stabbed some of the pasta and brought it up to her mouth.

"Oh, don't worry," Twilight replied dismissively, turning her attention back to her food. She cut off another slice and devoured it with the same eagerness as the first piece, showing no signs of slowing. "Mmm..."

Rainbow shook her head and continued eating. Eventually, they finished their meals. Rainbow took a deep breath and moaned a little. "Twi, you're really good at fixing pasta. Like, really good. Have I told you that before?"

Twilight giggled, then leaned over and gently brushed her muzzle along Rainbow's shoulder. "Yes, Rainbow. You tell me that every time I fix pasta," she said in a sweet, kind voice. Rainbow smiled at her, then shifted her weight and leaned over to return Twilight's nuzzle. The pair gently brushed their muzzles against one another in slow, affectionate strokes.

Twilight smiled deviously, then hastily pulled back. Rainbow paused in surprise, then her eyes widened as Twilight's lips met hers. "Mmpf?"

Twilight giggled and then ran her tongue over Rainbow's lips before pulling back. Rainbow waited a second before licking her lips to taste Twilight, only to gag and cough as from the taste of meat lingering on her lips. Twilight laughed. "Twilight!" Rainbow groaned, gagging exaggeratedly. She stuck out her tongue and tried to spit the taste out. "Ugh..." she groaned. "I told you to brush your teeth! Thanks for that," she muttered.

Twilight levitated up a napkin to clean off Rainbow's lips, then she used her own napkin to wipe her own lips. "You still love me," Twilight stated matter-of-factly, sticking her tongue out at Rainbow.

Rainbow grinned at her. "Yeah, I do," she acknowledged.

Twilight smiled softly, then leaned over to Rainbow and planted a quick peck on her cheek. As soon as she pecked Rainbow, she pulled away and hopped out of her chair, her magic swiftly gathering up everything to clean up from eating.

"Hey, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, watching the alicorn head for the kitchen.

Twilight stopped and looked back at her. "Yes?"

"When did you get so devious?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight flashed Rainbow a playful, knowing smile. "When we got together, Dashie," she replied in a sweet, smooth voice, sending shivers down Rainbow's spine. She licked her lips again, then disappeared into the kitchen.

Rainbow nodded to herself after Twilight left. "Yeah, I thought so..." she mused.

Preening

Rainbow grunted as she plucked a broken feather out of her wing, feeling a tinge of pain as she tugged the shaft out of herself. She ruffled her wings and spat the feather out of her mouth. She watched the broken feather for a second, then returned her gaze to her left wing and looked it over. Despite the broken feather she pulled being removed, she knew she was only just getting started.

It had been so, so long since she had preened. Far, far too long, and now she was paying for it. She could not spot a single feather properly aligned- some were twisted, while some just weren't straight. Compared to how her feathers were supposed to be aligned, she could feel how each feather was improperly aligned, and it nagged at her mind, constantly telling her just how bad of a shape her wings were in.

She clenched her jaw, then sighed and pulled her wing forward. She reached back with her muzzle, then nipped on some of the long primaries near the base of her wing. She nudged her muzzle around until one of the feathers slipped into her mouth, then she reached back to the base, taking the entire feather inside her muzzle. She thought for a moment, then with a quick series of nudges and twitches, she realigned it. She pressed her tongue to the shaft of the feather, then pulled her head back, running her tongue along the feather's length, slicking it back and cleaning it. She repeated the process again, going over the feather with her tongue, but this time on the top rather than bottom.

She grimaced. One feather in pristine condition, slicked back and smooth, out of dozens, if not hundreds of feathers, which were all disarrayed. "This is going to take forever..." she muttered hopelessly.

She sighed in defeat, then leaned back and grabbed the next feather with her mouth, then started nudging it into alignment. She stopped as she heard the door open. She blinked, then glanced towards the doorway.

Twilight looked at her quizzically.

Rainbow slowly pulled her head back, slicking back her feather with her tongue. "Uh, hi," she greeted.

"I think this is the first time I've walked in on you preening," Twilight noted.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Hey, just because I don't like to brush my mane doesn't mean that I don't preen, okay? I take good care of my wings!"

Twilight smiled playfully, then walked into the bedroom and closed the door with her magic. "I know you do, but you did kind of let them become a mess lately."

Rainbow winced and shifted her weight. "Yeah... ugh... make sure I don't do that again. Please, Twi... this is going to take forever..." her ears pinned back, and her expression filled with dread at the prospect.

"Well, maybe I can help you?" Twilight offered, smiling gently. She casually approached the bed, then hopped up onto it, making the entire bed shift from her weight. The impression she left was almost large enough to make Rainbow roll into it, but as it was, the pegasus leaned towards her.

Rainbow smiled sheepishly but didn't object. She shifted her weight, then laid her wings out on the bed and laid her head down. Twilight walked over, then laid down beside her, folding her forehooves under her chest. She leaned down, then took one of Rainbow's broken feathers in her muzzle. She jerked her head to the side, then tugged her head back. Rainbow tensed up and squeaked as Twilight plucked the broken feather from her wing.

Twilight levitate the feather out of her mouth and giggled a little, then she leaned back down and took an unbroken feather in her mouth. She twitched her head around a few times and realigned the feather, then she quickly ran her tongue down the shaft, top and bottom. Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed.

Over the next half hour, Twilight lovingly cared for her pegasus, preening her and cleaning her feathers. When she finished, she leaned down to Rainbow and nuzzled into her mane, then she opened her mouth and started licking the pegasus. "Twilight!" Rainbow groaned, folding her wings and trying to scurry away, only for Twilight to grab Rainbow and pull herself closer.

Twilight paused for a moment, then nudged Rainbow's head and pinned it to the bed. She flashed Rainbow a smile, and Rainbow just sort of stared at the wall indignantly. Twilight giggled, then started lapping at Rainbow's neck with long, loving strokes, gradually slicking back her fur and tinting it a darker shade of blue from her saliva.

"Gee, thanks," Rainbow muttered. "I already took a shower, you know. I don't need a bath again."

Twilight pressed her nose against Rainbow's neck, then slowly rubbed it up and down. "You know you love me," she replied, then resumed licking her.

"Yeah, and it's a good thing too," Rainbow muttered.

Twilight snorted, then pulled back and nipped at her ear, making Rainbow squeak. She ran her tongue down to the base, then dragged it back as she lifted her head up, slicking back Rainbow's coat.

Once a Month

"Twilight! I'm home!" Rainbow called out, grinning happily as she trotted into the lobby of Twilight's crystal castle. She bucked the door closed with her hind leg and eagerly looked around, scrutinizing the dark blues and greens which composed the interior, searching for a much more inviting color to welcome her home. "Twilight!" she called out again.

A crack of magic broke the stillness. "Oooh! Rainbow! I'm so glad you're home!" Twilight squeed, her eyes lighting up with joy, sparkling and glistening with tears of joy in her eyes.

Rainbow smiled at Twilight. "Hey, Twilight," she greeted.

Twilight leaped at Rainbow. The pegasus didn't have time to react before Twilight landed in front of her, sat down on her haunches, then grabbed her and wrapped her forelegs around her body in a bone-crushing grip, deflating Rainbow's lungs and making her wheeze. "Oh, I missed you so much! I was starting to get worried that you won't going to come back because you were gone for so long and since I was starting to get worried I was almost convinced to go after you but I'm glad I didn't since you came back!"

"T-Twi..." Rainbow groaned, struggling against Twilight's mighty alicorn strength. "I-I missed you t-too, but t-too t-tight..." she wheezed.

Twilight squeaked and released Rainbow. "I-I'm sorry! I-I just- I'm happy you're home!"

Rainbow panted and clutched her chest with one of her forehooves. She chuckled a little and looked up at Twilight. "Y-yeah, I can tell... uh... Twilight... I was only gone for a couple hours..."

Twilight shifted her weight nervously. "I-I know that, but still! Something could have happened! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?" She stood up, easily standing twice as tall as her mate. "Something could have happened to you! What if a manticore had struck and you were injured!? What if a building collapsed on top of you!? What if a manticore attacked and made a building collapse on you and then-"

"Twilight!" Rainbow huffed. "I'm fine. Okay?"

Twilight stared at Rainbow, her wings constantly shifting, and her legs fidgeting nonstop. Her tail flicked nervously behind her. The two watched each other for several seconds. Twilight shot over to Rainbow, then sat down and started rubbing her head all over Rainbow's neck, head, and body, brushing their fur together. "Oh, I'm so so so soooo happy you're home! I was s-so worried..." she trailed off, cooing as she continued rubbing up against Rainbow, almost desperately, yearning and longing to feel Rainbow's coat against her entire body.

Rainbow sighed, suppressing a groan, and wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn that was more than twice her size. "It's that time of the month again, isn't it..." she muttered.

Twilight slowed to a stop and pulled back, smiling nervously.

Rainbow grinned a little. "C'mere, Twi..."

Twilight smiled happily, then resumed vigorously rubbing her head up against Rainbow's body, leaning into her and dragging her mane across her neck. Rainbow leaned into her, holding her and returning the nuzzle. After a few seconds, Twilight shifted her weight, then squirmed out of Rainbow's grip. "Twi-?"

Twilight stood up, then started circling Rainbow, rubbing her body against Rainbow's body as best she could, given their height difference. Twilight closed her eyes and cooed in delight as their fur brushed together. Every pass around one of Rainbow's shoulders, she paused briefly to rub up against her more thoroughly.

Rainbow groggily opened the door to the bathroom, then looked out across the dark bedroom. Glancing towards the window, she saw Luna's moon casting soft moonlight upon all of Equestria. A few of the rays of moonlight came through the window to strike Twilight's form, making her soft, delicate, albeit much larger body a stunning image of beauty.

Twilight whimpered. "R-Rainbow!?" she called, pleading.

Immediately, the drowsiness vanished from Rainbow's body. "Twilight?" she called.

"Rainbow!" Twilight called again, a single sob escaping her lips as she whimpered. Twilight struggled against the blankets to sit up, and she shook almost violently as she searched the room for the source of Rainbow's voice. "Rainboooowwww!" she whimpered pleadingly.

Rainbow hastily strode across the room from the bathroom. "Twilight, it's okay, I'm here!" she called. Twilight's gaze shot towards her. Within seconds, Twilight's hooves flailed about as she leaped out of the bed and all but tackled Rainbow to the floor, pinning her. Rainbow struggled a bit and freed her forelegs from under the large, sobbing alicorn. She quickly wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and held her comfortingly, her ears pinning back. She groaned a bit as she exerted herself into trying to pull Twilight further up on her body. "T-Twilight, what's wrong?"

"Y-you weren't th-th-there!" Twilight cried out hysterically, her chest shuddering and heaving with each breath as she hyperventilated. "I-I wo-woke up and y-you weren't there!" she cried out in a high-pitched voice filled with fear. A pained whimper escaped her lips and she buried her head in Rainbow's body, laying her horn on the pegasus' neck and shoulder. "I-I was s-so scared that something had happened to you! Y-you weren't there!" she cried again, her tears soaking Rainbow's chest.

"Hey, it's okay, Twilight..." Rainbow comforted. She embraced Twilight's head and held her close to her chest. She extended her wings and wrapped them around Twilight, embracing her protectingly and comfortingly, then she started stroking Twilight's mane with her right forehoof, slowly brushing the alicorn's mane to comfort her. Twilight continued to sob hysterically, her entire body shaking and shivering, although it helped calm her. "I'm okay, alright? I was just in the bathroom for not even five minutes..." she said softly, trying not to groan at the emotional alicorn.

"B-but you weren't there! An-and you di-di-didn't t-tell m-me!" Twilight wheezed out.

"Shh... just calm down..." Rainbow comforted. "I didn't want to wake you..." she trailed off. Twilight whimpered. Rainbow squeezed Twilight, then leaned down and nuzzled her head. "It's okay..." she coaxed.

After several minutes of coaxing, Twilight's breathing and cries calmed down. "Hey... you feeling better?"

Twilight hesitantly nodded, then reluctantly lifted her head up from Rainbow's body. She swallowed and smiled weakly down at her pegasus.

Rainbow smiled reassuringly, then used her feathers to wipe the tears away from the corner's of Twilight's eyes, making Twilight's smile grow into limitless happiness. "Hey, why don't we go back to bed now, alright?" she asked.

"O-okay..." Twilight said softly. She glanced down, then hesitantly stood up, releasing the pegasus from her grip. She swallowed again and licked her lips as Rainbow slowly stood back up. "P-promise not to leave me again?"

Rainbow groaned internally but put on a smile for Twilight. "Yeah, Twilight. I'll never leave you," she promised softly.

Twilight beamed at her, then leaned over and rubbed her muzzle against Rainbow's neck. Rainbow sighed softly and leaned into Twilight's nuzzle. After several seconds, Twilight reluctantly pulled away, then teleported both of them into the bed. Without giving Rainbow any time to react, Twilight wrapped her limbs around Rainbow, cocooning her against her body and snuggling up with her as she held her close. Twilight nuzzled Rainbow's mane, then used her head to pin Rainbow's head against her chest. Rainbow fidgeted in Twilight's embrace, then managed to roll over and press her back up against Twilight's soft, warm and inviting body.

Both of them sighed contently as they drifted back to sleep.

Protective

Rainbow groaned softly and fidgeted on her hooves. Waiting wasn't something she liked- she was a pegasus, but more than that, she was the fastest pony in Equestria. Waiting or going slow weren't things she was familiar with. They were antithesis to her, and so waiting left her bored beyond belief. She fluttered her wings and cast a longing glance towards one of the windows in the room.

Of course, the windows were closed, and couldn't be opened, so she had no choice but to stand there. She couldn't just bolt for the window to escape the room's confines. Besides, she was 'needed' there, or at least that's what Twilight said. She looked over at Twilight, who was standing beside her, waiting patiently with a happy smile.

She looked over at Celestia and Luna. Both of them stood calmly, waiting for the arrival of some prince or another from the Griffon Empire.

Rainbow sighed, then huffed to suppress a groan.

"Rainbow, just relax. This won't take that long. He should be here any minute," Twilight comforted.

Rainbow glanced back at Twilight and squinted at her. "Yeah, right. 'Won't take that long,'" she snorted. "Twi, we've been waiting here for half an hour! And This was supposed to start like twenty minutes ago!"

"We would be bad hosts, were we not to wait for him," Luna commented calmly.

Rainbow looked over at Luna and opened her mouth, only to stop as her ears perked up at the sound of the door opening. She looked back towards the door and wanted to jump for joy and let out an eager cry of relief, but she kept herself in check.

Three griffons calmly walked into the room. The two at the sides were clad in gray steel armor, with the shoulder pieces emblazoned with their rank insignias. Honor guards. So, completely useless then. Their chest piece had the mark of the griffon empire- a griffon reared up holding a sword in one claw, and a bag of bits in the other. Personally, Rainbow found that to be in bad taste, but it was quite accurate.

The griffon in the middle, however, lead the group. He wore a smile on his beak, or at least as much of a smile as a beak could hold, and he carried himself with dignity. It wasn't prideful, but it wasn't all that humble either. He was adorned with a loose fitting, regal red robe over his body. His feathers were pristine and well groomed, and his build was quite masculine and strong. The robe was attached around his neck by an ornamental golden latch.

What drew most of Rainbow's attention, however, was the fact that the griffon seemed to ignore the alicorns beside her and focus solely on her. His large eyes trailed over her head, then chest, and her body, before settling on her wings. Rainbow wasn't the only one to notice it, either. Twilight's wings fidgeted at her sides.

"Prince Galewing," Celestia acknowledged, inclining her head respectfully.

The prince paused, then took a second to recompose himself. He smiled at Celestia and bowed ever so slightly. "Princess Celestia. It is good to see you again," he acknowledged. After a few seconds, his gaze turned back to Rainbow, but he didn't acknowledge her. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. There was a slight logistics breakdown which I had to deal with. I hope my latency hasn't caused any harm," he spoke in a calm, friendly tone.

Celestia nodded. "It's quite alright, Prince Galewing."

The prince reluctantly broke his gaze away from Rainbow and looked back at Celestia. "Perhaps we can make these discussions quick, then?" he asked. "I mean no disrespect, of course, but we should be able to come to an agreement without much discussion taking place."

"Of course," Celestia replied courteously. "I believe the message you sent was an inquiry into doubling the trade of apples to the Griffon Empire?" she asked.

The prince nodded. "Yes. We're willing to negotiate on price if our current price per shipment is inadequate for the large volume increase," he offered.

Luna nodded. "It should not be necessary. Equestria has had a good year for apples, and we have a surplus."

"Then we will stick with current levels per shipment?" Prince Galewing asked.

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I believe that would be fair."

Prince Galewing smiled, then glanced back at his robe and pulled a scroll out from under his wing, then he presented it to Celestia. Celestia smiled and levitated the scroll over, then read it over and nodded. She levitated it over to Luna, who read it and then nodded in agreement. Twilight took the scroll in her magic, then held it in front of herself and Rainbow to read.

It was all beyond Rainbow. "Why am I even here?" she whispered.

"It's important. The Griffons have been our allies, and traditionally, all of us meet with their crown prince," Twilight replied quietly.

Rainbow frowned and glanced at Twilight. Instead of finding her salivating at reading the document, she was staring at the prince. Rainbow glanced at the prince to find him staring at her. She shifted her weight. Twilight's nostrils flared slightly.

"This is a waste of time..." Rainbow muttered.

Twilight nodded. "Yes, it should be fine," she said, agreeing with the other princesses.

Celestia levitated the scroll back over to herself, teleported a quill, then signed her name on it before passing it over to Luna and then to Twilight, who signed for both Rainbow and herself. Celestia levitated the scroll back over to the prince, who then dipped his talon in an inkwell and signed the scroll where his signature was needed.

"I believe everything is in order. I will have my father sign it and it will go into effect. As always, it has been a pleasure to meet with all of you," the prince said.

Rainbow blinked. "Seriously? That's it? We waited for half an hour for something that didn't even take five minutes!?" she whispered to Twilight.

Twilight ignored her.

Rainbow squinted at Twilight, then looked back at the prince. He looked to be sizing her up. "And... you are?" he inquired.

Rainbow felt a bit self-conscious. It wasn't often that ponies, or in this case, griffons, asked who she was. She did kind of draw attention to herself, and she stuck out the most of all of the ponies there. She was the shortest, and the sole pegasus. "Uh, Princess Rainbow Dash?" she offered.

The prince looked at her thoughtfully. "I was unaware there were Equestrian princesses who weren't alicorns..." he trailed off and then took a step forward. "And may I say, your beauty is unmatched by any pony I have ever seen..." he said in a soft, delicate tone. Rainbow fidgeted, and Twilight fluttered her wings at her sides almost aggressively. "Perhaps you would care to join me for dinner? Say... tonight around eight? The Griffon Embassy?"

Twilight fidgeted her hooves and stood rigidly and tensed. Rainbow glanced at her, then smiled to herself and suppressed a snicker. 'Oh, Twilight... what's the matter?' she thought, knowing exactly what was running through her head.

Rainbow thought about it for a moment. "I dunno," she replied. "I've never had Griffon food before. What's it like?"

The prince tilted his head in thought for a moment. "It is... somewhat on the spicy side, compared to Equestrian food. We use a great deal more spices to flavor our foods. It is something of a personal taste shared among our kind," he explained.

"Spicy? That sounds nice," Rainbow replied. Twilight's wings fidgeted slightly at her sides. "Can Twilight come?" she asked.

The prince squinted ever so slightly, almost unnoticeable. Any other pony would have missed it. "I would prefer it be... private. Just the two of us. A good dinner, maybe some wine, and perhaps some... entertainment afterward?" he offered with an enticing smile.

Rainbow smiled a bit. "Hmm... that does sound kinda nice."

"Perhaps I could-"

Twilight's wings flared out, and her rigidness burned away. She glared at the prince. "YOU CAN'T HAVE HER SHE'S MINE!" she yelled.

The prince let out a squawk and jumped back. Twilight's body trembled and her tail flicked behind her. She quickly stepped over Rainbow to stand over her, then she spread her wings and enveloped Rainbow, sheltering her from the prince's sight.

Rainbow broke out into laughter.

"I-I see," the prince replied, sounding taken aback and slightly indignant. "I-I didn't know you were together!" he called. "I-I just-"

"Just what!?" Twilight demanded. "Thought you could take her from me!? No!"

"Twi, seriously, cool it," Rainbow said.

"No!" Twilight retorted. She leaned down and stared at Rainbow under her. "He was trying to steal you from me!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes at Twilight, still grinning. "So, why am I here again?" she asked.

Twilight blinked, then opened her mouth to say something, only to stumble for words.

Celestia giggled softly. "Well, Prince, I believe that is all we need to discuss today. I look forward to seeing you again next time, but perhaps you should try to avoid hitting on Twilight's wife."

"I-I I didn't..." the prince stuttered. He fidgeted and held his wings tight to his body. "M-my apologies, I-I just thought that..." he trailed off, then stood a bit rigidly. "G-good day, princesses," he said, then turned and somewhat hastily retreated. The two honor guards silently fell in sync behind him, neither of them saying a word nor making a sound.

Rainbow looked around and smiled a little. The atmosphere of the restaurant was a little too upper class for her tastes, but it was still nice. It was quiet, although there were a few calm conversations in the background. The booths were comfortable to sit in, the tables were fairly ornate, made from some kind of wood and decorated with golden swirls. The plates were made out of crystal and made the table below them shimmer from the refracted light passing through the clear crystal.

The food was great, though. Even if the place was a little too extravagant, the food was worth it. It was satisfying and fresh. The salad tasted like it had been freshly picked and prepared right when they ordered, and the onion soup was some of the best soup she'd ever had. She took a deep breath and leaned back, letting out a soft, content moan. "This was great, Twi..." she sighed.

Twilight smiled happily at her. She lifted her glass of red wine, then took a small sip before setting it back on the table. She levitated her napkin up, then dabbed her lips dry with it before setting it aside. "I'm glad you enjoyed this. We should do this more often. It's nice," she replied.

Rainbow nodded in agreement, then looked around idly. The restaurant was by no means packed. There were only a few tables nearby which had anypony occupying them. She mostly glossed over the ponies, all of them looked like high-maintenance, upper-class nobles. The mares wore expensive looking dresses, and the stallions wore tuxedos. Her gaze might have lingered on one or two stallions a little too long if the way Twilight was staring at her was any indication.

Rainbow shifted her weight a bit and glanced back at Twilight, then sat up straighter. She took a deep breath and then swept her gaze around again. It was the part of eating out that she hated the most. Waiting for the waiter to bring the bill. It sucked.

Her gaze passed over a couple of stallions donned in formal attire. One of them seemed to notice and look over at her. She ignored it and continued looking around. After a couple of seconds, she glanced back at them. The one stallion was still looking at her, and he licked his lips. He looked away from Rainbow, then leaned over to the other stallion and whispered something to him. A moment later, the second stallion glanced over towards her.

Rainbow shifted her weight and looked back at Twilight. "So... how was the summit?"

Twilight smiled and nodded. "It was good. There weren't really any major problems for us to address. The biggest problem was actually finding important matters to talk about. For the most part, we ended up just catching up with Cadance."

"How's she doing?" Rainbow asked.

"Ladies," a gentle, silken voice greeted.

Both mares looked away from each other to see the first stallion standing beside the table, wearing a gentle, almost sly smile on his lips.

Twilight stared at him, her smile fading. The stallion didn't pay her any attention. Rainbow fidgeted a bit. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Would you be interested in joining my friend and I for a drink afterward?" he asked. "I have some Zebran Ale back at my mansion..." he trailed off. If anything, his smile grew, thinking he had won.

"Both of us, or..?" Rainbow asked, casually turning her head to look at Twilight. Twilight glared at the stallion and fidgeted in her spot. She sat with her muscles tensed and sat straight up, easily sitting with her head far above the stallion's eye level, even with him standing.

"Just you," he specified. "You look lovely, but my friend would be willing to entertain your friend," he added.

"Leave," Twilight growled.

The stallion frowned and sent a glare over at Twilight. "Excuse me?"

"I said leave," Twilight repeated. "She's with me."

"Maybe she doesn't-" the stallion stopped mid-sentence as soon as he noticed Twilight's wings fluttering at her sides. "P-Princess!? I-I'm sorry to bother you, I-I didn't-"

"Okay, Twilight, seriously, how the heck is it that nopony notices that you're an alicorn?" Rainbow asked, dumbfounded.

The stallion stumbled for words, and Twilight slid out of her seat, then stood up. She stared down at the stallion with a fierce gaze. "If you ever look at her again-"

"Twi, don't you think that's a bit much?" Rainbow asked.

"-I'll send you to Tartarus!" Twilight threatened.

The unicorn stallion noble winced and squeaked, then tucked his tail in between his legs and hastily retreated back to his table. He nearly tripped as he stumbled back into his seat. His friend acted as if nothing had happened.

Twilight huffed.

"Here's the bill-" the waiter paused midstride as Twilight's head whipped around and glared at him. Unfortunately for him, she caught him looking at Rainbow, rather than her. Twilight jumped around and flared her wings out. "-I'll just leave this here!" he squeaked, dropping the tray and then dashing off.

Rainbow sighed and scooted the plate away from her, then hit her head on the table. "And this is why we can't do nice things like this," she muttered.

Metabolism

"Whew! Ah reckon it's been a while since we've all just hung out like this," Applejack commented.

Twilight nodded in agreement and sighed. "This is nice, girls," she agreed. "I've missed our picnics. Life's just not the same without them..."

Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes.

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow. She spread her right wing out, then laid it over Rainbow's body and then pulled Rainbow close up against her side. Everypony looked at the two of them and smiled. Rainbow groaned and buried her head in the blanket. "Twilight. How many times am I going to have to tell you not around the girls?"

Twilight simply giggled, then leaned over and nuzzled her small pegasus before pressing her muzzle against Rainbow's head, nudging her back and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You know you love this," she said softly.

Rainbow huffed indignantly.

"That wasn't a no," Twilight said in a singsong voice.

Rainbow groaned, then leaned into Twilight. "You're just too lovable..." she relented.

"You two really are quite cute together, dear..." Rarity said softly, a gentle smile across her lips. "Your coats go so well together, almost like you were made to be a couple."

"You um... compliment each other well," Fluttershy added.

"So when are you going to have foals!?" Pinkie asked excitedly, grinning from ear to ear at the two.

Both mares tensed up and stared at her. Rainbow looked bewildered, and Twilight seemed stunned.

"Pinkie!" Rarity hissed. "That's rude to ask that. I'm sure that-"

"Moving on!" Twilight exclaimed, forcing a laugh and smiling a faked smile. "Hahaha!" She looked over at Applejack, then tilted her head and leaned forward. "Applejack, didn't you bring cider?"

Applejack took a deep breath and nodded. "Ah sure did," she replied.

Rainbow perked up immediately and stood up. Her tongue flopped out of her mouth. "Cider!?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, then folded her wing and sat up.

Applejack smirked. "Yeap. I'm surprised you didn't notice before now."

Rainbow looked at Applejack curiously. "Huh?"

Applejack stood up, then walked around to the other side of the tree. There was a blanket covering a stack of barrels which had gone unnoticed. Applejack bit down on the blanket, then back up and pulled it off, revealing three kegs of the delightful cider.

Rainbow's eyes glistened in joy at the sight, and she let out an excited, girlish squeal and ran in place as Applejack brought one of the kegs around. "Ah know how much you like this stuff, so... I brought extra. And one of them is a gift for ya."

"Thank you, Applejack... that wasn't necessary though," Twilight replied.

Rainbow glared at Twilight. "Wasn't necessary!? Of course, it was necessary!"

Twilight shook her head and sighed.

Applejack rolled a keg around, then stood it up and stuck a tap into it. She grabbed a couple mugs from the picnic basket, then filled them and distributed them to Twilight and Rainbow before giving herself a mug. "This one's the kind y'all like. The other one's for them," she said, nodding her head towards Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy.

"Ah," Rarity replied.

Rainbow grabbed her mug, then chugged it down. She sat down on her haunches and let out a pleased moan. "So good..."

Twilight slowly sipped her mug and smiled a little. "I've missed this," she stated. "It's nice..."

Rainbow looked over at Twilight and grinned. "I bet I can outdrink you!"

"Uhh, Rainbow, I don't think that's a good idea," Applejack cautioned.

Twilight slowly turned her head to look at Rainbow. She simply raised an eyebrow at Rainbow's challenge. Rainbow met her gaze with determination.

"Rainbow, dear... Twilight's... ah, more than twice as... Well, she's..." Rarity trailed off, squinting as she searched for the right way to word it. It didn't escape her notice that Twilight glanced at her and squinted. Rarity smiled a little and bobbed her head. "Well, she's Princess Celestia's size, now," she relented. Twilight's squint disappeared.

"Come on, Twilight!" Rainbow challenged.

"Rainbow," Twilight cautioned. "You're not going to win."

Rainbow snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. No offense Twilight, but you're a lightweight when it comes to this. Me and Applejack here, well, we're used to this."

Twilight smirked a little. "Oh?" she asked. "So, you're saying that I can't beat you at this?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'd bet my wings I could beat you. I don't care if you're as tall as Princess Celestia!" Rainbow replied.

"Rainbow..." Rarity trailed off, grimacing.

Twilight tilted her head and hummed. "If I win?" she asked.

Rainbow blinked. "Yeah, okay. Fine. IF you win, then... I'll help you with paperwork for a day."

"Two days," Twilight replied.

Rainbow squinted at her, then relented and agreed. "And when I win-"

"If," Twilight corrected.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "If I win, then you have to go flying with me whenever I go flying for a week. And keep up with me."

Twilight sat up straighter. "Okay..." she replied. She swallowed, then looked back at her mug. A second passed, then she downed it and set it down.

Rainbow grinned.

"Owwwwwww..." Rainbow groaned softly.

Twilight glanced at the pegasus stirring in bed.

"Twiiii...." Rainbow whimpered. She clenched her eyes closed and slowly rolled over away from the window. "Turn off the light... please... it hurts..."

Twilight snorted, smiled, and rolled her eyes. "Rainbow, that's the sun. It's morning. You need to get up."

"No..." Rainbow complained. "Turn it offfffff please..."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, then walked over to Rainbow. She tilted her head a little, then sighed. She gently got up into the bed, then laid down beside Rainbow. She laid a wing over her pegasus, sheltering her.

"Mmm... that's nice... but... please get rid of the sun..." Rainbow mumbled.

Twilight rolled over, then pulled Rainbow up against her. She nuzzled her affectionately. "Rainbow, I'm not going to ask Celestia to lower the sun just for you. And I'm not going to try that again after what happened last time..." she trailed off and a shiver raced down her spine.

"Please... for me, Twi?" Rainbow pleaded.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. After a moment, she lit her horn, then she created an opaque barrier around the window. Immediately, the room darkened.

Rainbow sighed. "Thanks, Twi... you're the best."

Twilight leaned over to Rainbow and kissed her on the forehead. Rainbow smiled. "Now will you please tell me why exactly you thought you could beat me?"

Rainbow groaned. "I... forgot about your met... meta.... meta whatever it is."

"Metabolism," Twilight corrected. "Cider doesn't affect me because of that," she said sweetly, smiling deviously.

"You cheated..." Rainbow mumbled.

"Mmm..." Twilight trailed off and bobbed her head. "I suppose I kind of did..." she relented. "You still should have known better."

Rainbow groaned.

"Shh, it'll be okay," Twilight cooed. She snuggled up against Rainbow and embraced her protectively. She used her magic and cast a spell to help Rainbow recover.

Rainbow sighed and slowly, gradually rolled over to face Twilight, then she nestled into the large alicorn's embrace, hoping it would make the throbbing pain in her head disappear.

Aunts

Twilight's eyes lit up in excitement, and her hooves rapidly clicked against the crystalline floor beneath her hooves as she danced in place, letting out an adorable squeal. "Cadance!"

Standing just outside of the door stood Princess Cadance, Twilight's sister-in-law, and Princess of Love, who held Flurry Heart, Twilight's niece, against her chest with a forehoof. Standing beside her stood Shining Armor, Twilight's brother and Cadance's husband. He smiled at the sight of his sister, then peered into the castle and looked at Rainbow Dash. He just spaced out while Cadance let out a good-natured, yet tired chuckle. "Hello, Twilight," she greeted.

Flurry Heart cooed and giggled, then in a flash of Flurry's pink magic, she teleported out of Cadance's grip, much to her mother's bewilderment. But of course, Flurry Heart was okay. She appeared in a pop right in front of Twilight, who had been expecting her appearance. Twilight cradled Flurry in her magic and pulled her into her chest, then leaned down, cooing and cuddling her niece. The two of them giggled and nuzzled each other affectionately.

Rainbow felt a wave of jealously washing over her. How dare Flurry Heart steal her wife's affection!

Flurry Heart, of course, ignored her indignation and continued to coo and cuddle and nuzzle Twilight.

"Thanks for watching Flurry Heart for us today, Twilight," Cadance said.

Twilight mostly ignored her and continued giggling and nuzzling Flurry. "Yeah, you're welcome," was her reply.

Cadance and Shining shared a glance, then in sync, they levitated an assortment of items on inside- diapers, wipes, towels, milk, foal food, more diapers, and, of course, Whammy. "Well... this should be everything you need! Haha...ha..." Shining chuckled nervously.

Rainbow caught Cadance giving him a predatory look. It sent shivers down her spine since she knew exactly what that look meant- Twilight had looked at her that way before. Her tail twitched at the memory.

She felt sorry for him.

"Of course! No problem," Twilight replied without looking away from Flurry. Flurry hugged her muzzle and held onto her as she lifted her head up, and both of them giggled.

Cadance and Shining turned and went on their way, Cadance brushing up against Shining's body in a way that Rainbow knew was purposefully marking her mate. The door closed, leaving her and Twilight, and of course, the youngest alicorn.

Flurry Heart looked at her and cooed. After a moment, she leaped from Twilight's muzzle and grabbed a hold of Rainbow's neck, then started nuzzling her chest affectionately.

Rainbow grinned awkwardly, smiling far too widely. After all, she knew exactly what this... this thing was capable of! The memory of the shattered Crystal Heart played through her mind, and she gulped. Hesitantly, she reached a forehoof up and cradled the young filly against her chest.

Flurry murmured softly and nestled up against her.

"Aww..." Twilight cooed, her head tilting to the side as she smiled sweetly. Ignoring Rainbow, she leaned in, closed her eyes, and rubbed her nose against Flurry's body.

Rainbow silently fumed. It was the same every time- Twilight would ignore her and focus all of her love and attention on Flurry Heart.

Cadance truly was sadistic.

Hesitantly, she tilted her head down and gave Flurry a nuzzle, eliciting a soft, cute coo from her and making her nestle deeper into her fluffy chest. For some reason, Flurry Heart really liked her. And Twilight, too. She loved her aunts, and the rest of the girls, too.

Though Flurry annoyed her at times- stealing Twilight's love wasn't okay in her book- Rainbow still found Flurry Heart precious. Most of the time. She was cute and sweet and loving. Which was good, because when she wasn't cute and sweet and loving, well, Flurry Heart was a baby alicorn. Her magic was still mostly uncontrolled. How Cadance and Shining managed to keep her from ushering in the apocalypse on a daily basis eluded her.

But it seemed this wasn't going to be one of those days where there was going to be immense collateral damage- Flurry's chest calmly rose and fell with her gentle breathing.

"She's so precious when she's sleeping," Twilight cooed, still tenderly nuzzling her. With a great deal of reluctance and a heavy-hearted sigh, she pulled her head back. Longingly, she stared at Flurry.

Rainbow lifted her head back up and nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." she said tentatively.

Flurry screamed. Rainbow clutched her ears with her hooves, but it didn't help at all. The sound was just too piercing. If Flurry kept this tantrum up, the entire castle would shatter.

Looking back at the shattered remains of the Cutie Map was proof enough of that.

Twilight just stood there, her chest inflating much larger than she thought possible as she hyperventilated.

Twilight wasn't going to be able to help her. She needed to figure out how to solve this calamity before Flurry Heart brought the castle down around them.

A pause in Flurry's scream. She bolted at the alicorn.

Flurry's face was red, and green mashed peas were splattered against the walls and floor absolutely everywhere. Even Whammy was a casualty of the war that had raged on.

Before she came anywhere near close to reaching Flurry, the alicorn disappeared in a crack of magic.

Rainbow's eyes widened in fear as the filly teleported away. How the baby was able to do that made her want to scream in frustration. Even if she was an alicorn, it made no sense! Teleportation was supposed to be such a complex spell! Of course she never really understood Twilight's explanations.

Flurry landed on her withers. Rainbow squeaked, then felt Flurry grab her mane with her magic and pull hard. Her head was jerked up toward the ceiling, and with that, her flight path changed, looping upward.

Another swift tug that made her wince in pain, and she found herself careening towards the right, turning until she faced Twilight. And then Flurry stopped pulling on her mane. But by this time, there wasn't enough time for her to correct. Flurry teleported again, but there was nothing she could do.

'At least Twilight will break my fall,' she mused. A moment later, she outstretched her legs and spread them just so. When she inevitable collided with her wife, she pushed her over and landed on top of her with a grunt coming from both of them, and immediately hugged her.

Their muzzles came within an inch from each other, and the impact broke Twilight from her stupor. For a moment, neither of them said anything as Rainbow laid on top of her. Slowly and silently, Twilight cocked her head to the side questioningly.

Flurry broke out into happy giggles.

Both of them turned to look at her.

Flurry really was such a sweet, innocent filly. At least until she wasn't.

Rainbow was eternally thankful they had agreed never to have foals. That didn't stop Pinkie Pie from teasing them about it, though.

Twilight took a deep breath, then sighed. She looked back up at Rainbow, then grabbed her head in her magic and forced their lips together. Rainbow's wings shot out in surprise and she moaned into the kiss.

Flurry made a gagging sound, followed by a "Bleh!"

Rainbow felt Twilight smile at that, then Twilight broke the kiss. Twilight's forehoof came up and stroked her face. "I think... once Flurry's gone- and the map is fixed- we need a vacation."

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. "Yeah, we do. Hey, our anniversary is coming up soon..." she trailed off, smiling.

Twilight hummed softly. "I think that sounds... wonderful."

Rainbow shivered at the promise in her voice.

Flurry huffed indignantly and threw one of the few remaining glass bottles of peas at the crystal wall, where it shattered.

Anniversary

Twilight grinned down at Rainbow, her teeth showing as she beamed at the pegasus pinned beneath her. Rainbow smiled nervously up at her and fidgeted below her. Twilight tilted her head slightly, then lit her horn. In an instant, her aura gripped Rainbow's body, solving the problem of her unwanted freedom.

"S-so..." Rainbow stuttered.

Twilight hummed softly, then leaned down and started rubbing her muzzle all over Rainbow's muzzle, almost aggressively rubbing their coats together. Eventually, she stopped to give her pegasus a quick kiss on the nose, drawing a grin from Rainbow.

Twilight's ears perked up as a slight vibration shook the room. She frowned and lifted her head up, her ears swiveling around as she searched for the source of the disturbance.

A quick kiss on her neck from Rainbow broke her search. Twilight exhaled quickly, then leaned down and used her muzzle to nudge Rainbow's head aside. Rainbow practically purred at the nudge, then gasped as Twilight leaned down and nibbled on her neck.

After she finished nibbling, Twilight ran her nose up along Rainbow's neck, up to her jawline, and ran her tongue over her pegasus's coat. She lifted her head back up and grinned, then slowly leaned back down.

Her ears swiveled again as another faint vibration rocked the room. She paused and lifted her head back up, then looked around.

"Twi..." Rainbow groaned.

Twilight glanced back down at Rainbow with a grimace. "Sorry, I keep thinking I feel the room shaking for some reason," she replied.

Rainbow huffed. "It's your imagination," she retorted. She shifted beneath Twilight again, only serving to make the alicorn's magic grip her more firmly so she couldn't escape.

Twilight slowly looked back at her, then nuzzled her neck again before planting a series of quick, delicate kisses down her neck. "Did you enjoy today?" she asked when she finished.

"Y-yeah... it was great..." Rainbow replied.

Twilight leaned back down and nipped at Rainbow's neck. "And dinner?" she asked.

"How did you find that restaurant?" Rainbow all but begged.

Twilight giggled a little, then calmly placed a forehoof on Rainbow's chest and started rubbing her hoof in short circles, ever so gently tracing her hoof through Rainbow's coat. "Rarity suggested it," she answered.

"Well it was great... we should go there again," Rainbow replied.

"Mmm... we can," Twilight replied. She took a deep breath, then shifted her weight to the left and slid her hind right leg out from under Rainbow's body. She lifted it up slightly, then paused as another vibration shook the room. She scowled at the disruption and placed her leg back on the soft bedsheets.

Twilight looked around again, her ears flicking slightly as she searched for any source of the disruption.

"Twilight," Rainbow groaned. "Stop worrying so much... it's our anniversary! Relax... enjoy it... enjoy this..." she said in a sultry tone.

Twilight's ears perked up again and her head lifted up eagerly. She licked her lips quickly, then looked back down at Rainbow. She leaned down and nipped at her neck again, drawing a quick gasp from the pegasus. She carefully slid her hind leg up in between her body and Rainbow's body, then she scooted it to the right, forcing Rainbow's left hind leg aside, then easily pinning her leg against the bed.

The wine glasses on the nightstand let out a series of short, high-pitched clinking sounds as they shook from the vibration. The bed rocked slightly beneath them. Twilight closed her eyes and groaned. "I can't focus with... whatever... that is."

Rainbow huffed and tried to fold her forelegs at her chest, only for Twilight's magic to press her forelegs down into the bed.

More clinking emanated from the glasses. Twilight's head whipped around to stare at them. The reddish liquid held in the glasses rippled from the vibrations.

Another vibration rocked the room, more prominent than the ones before.

"Okay, I felt that," Rainbow muttered.

Twilight groaned, then leaned down and buried her head in Rainbow's neck. "Should we just try to ignore that?"

"Shouldn't your magic sound dampening spell be... I dunno... dampening that?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight lifted her head up, then blinked. "...it is," she answered flatly.

Another vibration shook the room.

Rainbow shifted beneath Twilight, and for once, Twilight didn't stop her. "Should we be worried about that then?"

"No, I'm sure whatever it is isn't really anything we need to be concerned about... although it is... or perhaps I should say has already ruined tonight..." Twilight muttered back.

"Well-"

The outside wall of the room exploded, spraying splinters and drywall everywhere. "PRINCESS TWILI--" a voice roared, suddenly coming to a stop as the debris cleared.

Lord Tirek, the size of a small apartment complex, stared at the large alicorn laying atop the smaller pegasus in confusion.

Twilight closed her eyes and groaned, then calmly turned her head to face the demon. "Do you MIND?" she growled, glaring at the centaur with a gaze as intense as the sun.

"Wh... what? Is this meant to be hu-"

"IT'S OUR ANNIVERSARY!" Twilight shouted back.

"What is this!?" Tirek demanded.

Twilight's wings shot out in annoyance. "I THOUGHT WE DEALT WITH YOU LAST TIME," she screamed in frustration.

Lord Tirek smiled smugly and stretched his colossal arms out wide. "Did you truly think Tartarus would hold ME!?" he demanded.

Twilight squinted at him in disbelief.

"So uh... what happened to Celestia and Luna?" Rainbow asked casually.

Lord Tirek blinked, then looked at the small, helpless pegasus buried beneath Twilight's large, enveloping alicorn body.

The alicorn puffed out her chest in response, and her muzzle scrunched up in anger. In a flourish of magic, Twilight teleported herself so that she was standing on the bed in between the two of them. Her outstretched wings blocked Rainbow from Tirek's gaze.

Tirek's gaze focused back on Twilight, and a mass of orange and red magic burned to life in between his horns.

"What did you do with Celestia and Luna?" Twilight demanded in a calm, calculated voice.

"Oh, I haven't touched the princesses yet..." Tirek gloated.

"Wonderful," Twilight spat. "So whose magic did you steal this time? Because there's no way in Tartarus you had anywhere near enough time to take as much magic as last time..." she trailed off and squinted. "How long have you been out, anyway? And why haven't you gone after the princesses?"

"Your niece, sister-in-law, and brother, of course!" Tirek roared, then laughed. His laugh shook the room. "But don't worry! The princesses magic will be mine soon enough..."

Twilight's lips twitched down. "You... stole... my niece's magic..?"

Tirek grinned wildly. "It was easy... like... taking candy... from a baby..." he drawled.

Twilight's right eye twitched.

"And now... Princess... I will take your magic and then destroy Equestria!" Tirek roared. The ball of magic churning between his horns elongated then shot towards Twilight and Rainbow.

In a flourish of magenta, Twilight teleported Rainbow and herself out of the path of the beam. The beam of magic tore through where they had been, burning a hole through the bed before exploding it, along with everything else it touched. The beam tore through the hotel, leaving a sizable hole in its wake that Celestia, Luna, and Twilight could have walked through side by side. A few bewildered stallions and mares peeked out from behind the walls and looked at the source of the assault.

One look was all it took for them to duck back for cover.

Rainbow flared her wings out and grunted as she landed on the roof of the former five-star hotel.

A flash of magenta in front of Tirek blinded him long enough for Twilight to swivel around, then slam her hind hoof right into Tirek's nose.

The centaur's head jerked back and he let out a scream of pain and rage. He swatted at Twilight, only for the alicorn to teleport out of the way. He grabbed and then held his nose to protect himself and recover from the stinging kick.

A moment later, a high-pitched squeak escaped his lips, and the blood drained from his face, leaving him pale. His hind legs crossed and he fell to the ground groaning in pain.

Another flash of magic, this time from in front of him, signaled the alicorn's reappearance. Tirek roared in rage and let loose his magic at her.

Twilight growled back at him and matched his magic with her own pinkish-magenta magic.

The column of Twilight's magic enveloped Tirek's beam, easily overwhelming it and surging towards the ball of magic in between his horn. As soon as Twilight's magic slammed into the orb, the magic dispersed. A moment later, another colossal pillar of magic slammed into Tirek's forehead. His body whipped back as he was thrown across the street into another building.

Twilight landed and flared her wings out, then casually approached the unconscious Tirek. Her muzzle scrunched up again, and with a quick bolt of magic, the centaur-demon shrank in size to a weak, sickly form smaller than Rainbow. A second later, he disappeared in a flash of magenta.

Twilight huffed and swatted her wings down, then teleported herself and Rainbow back into their destroyed room.

Rainbow tilted her head and looked at Twilight. The alicorn was visibly upset by the momentary distraction getting in between them. "So... what now?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then stepped over to Rainbow. With a quick whisk of magic, she forced Rainbow down to the floor and onto her back. She pressed her lips to Rainbow's, drawing a surprised and pleasured moan from her. She pressed into her lips and forced Rainbow's head down to the floor.

Author's Note

At this rate, this story is going to end up needing another tag.