Author's Note

Darkest Before the Day takes place after Fuck You, I'm Magic.
This chapter brought to you by Fishsticks as part of the Extra Chapter Challenge.

How do you love a Princess who can't love herself?

[Bonus][Act IV] Darkest Before the Day

You were starting to warm up to Celestia’s hot-and-cold personality. One moment she was begging for you to give it to her and the next, in moments like this, she was more shy than Aphelion when you first met. It’s as if she couldn’t decide if she really wanted this. No, that’s not quite right, she very clearly wanted this. It was more that she couldn’t decide how to feel about wanting this. You really couldn’t blame her either.

“I know you’re nervous,” you reassured her, “I know this feels weird. But it doesn’t have to be.”

“I… What I tried to do to you,” she hesitated, “…and you’re just giving me what I wanted?”

“Of course I am,” you explain, “The world hurt you, I hurt you, and you wanted to get back. That’s understandable. But underneath all that hate and vitriol, you didn’t want to hurt anyone. You wanted the hurt to go away, and I can help with that.”

“But after what I did-”

“Stop focusing on that,” you admonished, “You’re not that mare, no matter how you acted in the moment.”

“Then why are you doing this? How does this benefit you?”

“This isn’t about benefit or reward, Princess. I’m doing this because I want you to be happy, and because Metamora asked me too. I trust her more than you could know.”

“She should be angry too! Both of you should despise me!”

“You’re blowing this out of proportion again,” you warned, “We both know what happened was a mistake, but outside of that… living within your borders is the happiest we’ve ever been.”

“I can’t take credit for that!”

“Sure you can, I take credit for shit all the time. It’s easy,” you chuckle.

“But I don’t…” she sighed, “I haven’t shown you any kindness. Twilight, Luna, even your Changeling amour have been more hospitable than I.”

“You know, you’re a lot like a Queen I met. Green hair, holes in her legs, hides behind an unflinching sense of duty and refuses to let herself have a single personal pleasure. You two would get along great, save for the whole dichotomy between ponies and Changelings.”

“I…”

“Her subjects adore her but she didn’t know how to handle that either. She locked herself away behind a vow to duty, but when she finally let go… She was an entirely different mare. Don’t you want to let go too?”

“I…” she tried again, humbled by being shown her mistakes through another lens, “I’m not the one hiding.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been looking for love my entire life, Anon. Nopony has ever approached me.”

“Have you tried taking the first step.”

“Not until recently.”

“And how did that go for you?”

“Badly. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” you declare, “Would you like to practice instead?”

“Would I… What?”

“Do you like me, Princess?”

“Well I…”

“Do you want me, Princess?”

Her eyes answered your question.

“Make the first move, then.”

“But I…”

“No strings attached, no judgment,” you interrupt, “Just be yourself.”

“You’re on top of me, Anon.”

“Oh, you want to be on top, do you?” you asked, getting back to your feet slowly.

“I uh…” she paused, still lying on the ground, splayed out like a confused starfish.

“I’m just teasing, princess.”

She sprung to her feet with surprising quickness, a glint in her eye that made you apprehensive.

“You always tease,” she mock-pouted, starting to saunter towards you. Your breath caught when you saw the fire in her eyes. She brushed against your side as she walked past you, the feeling of her fur against your skin almost electric, “Who’s more fun to tease, though? Me, or my sister?”

“You know I can’t choose,” you counter as she comes to a halt behind you.

“Of course you can’t choose,” she croons, her breath hot against the small of your back, “because I’m going to decide for you.”

“Fuck,” you swore under your breath. She had really turned up the charm to 11.

“Oh we’ll get there eventually,” she hummed, coming back around on your other side, stopping when she had returned in front of you, now facing away. She flipped her tail out of the way and looked back at you over her shoulder, “But right now I just want you to feel how much I need this.”

You felt yourself instantly become rock hard, a sight that was not lost on your paramour.

“There’s a time and a place for that,” she scolded, “but right now I want to feel those hands. Worship your princess, Anon.”

“Praise the sun,” you giggle quietly to yourself as you move to do as she asked. Immediately you notice how relaxed she is, instantly melting into your touch as you place a hand on either flank.

“Yes, just like that Anon,” Celestia purred, pushing back against you.

“Do you want me to…” you trailed off, letting one hand dip from her flank to brush her inner thigh.

“Yesssss” she hissed, both her voice and the intense warmth between her legs surprising you.

“Fuck, you’re on fire down here. Is this all for me?” you ask, brushing the back of your hand over her plump equine pussy.

“Do you know how much of an honor it is, Anon?” Celestia asked, “To be where you are? To touch what you’re touching? I don’t just bend over for anypony.”

“Thank you, your highness,” you defer, letting one digit sink in between those pink lips to be instantly coated with slick, wet warmth.

“No. Thank you, Anon,” she corrected, “At first I thought I only wanted you because you were out of reach. I just wanted a trophy, bragging rights…”

You added another digit to join the first as you allowed them both to plunge in to the last knuckle.

“But when I found out I could have you,” she paused, pressing back in approval of your affections, “now I only want it more.”

“Is that so?” you ask, rewarding her flattery with more vigorous motion.

“Mhmm…” she squealed, her legs shuddering as your attention hit a new spot within her, “You’re attentive, receptive, just a little bit …spicy. I know why Luna was wild for you from the start. And if you can do this with your hands all the time…”

“Good, huh?”

“You have no idea,” she purred, bucking back against the slow undulation of your hand, “I never dreamed something could feel this wonderful.”

“Well I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. You deserve it.”

You could almost feel her facade crack as you said that.

“No I don’t, Anon,” she disagreed, tensing up as she looked down toward the cold stone under her hooves.

“Not again,” you grumbled, weakly continuing your motions - hoping she wouldn’t stop you.

“Hear me out. Please?” she asked, “I don’t deserve this. I haven’t done a single thing to earn this. I don’t want to pretend this is anything less than a monumental act of kindness.”

“This is a two way street, princess. You’re a beautiful mare and, all joking aside, I am honored that you’re sharing yourself with me. You could have asked anyone for this, but you came to me, trusted me. Just trust me a little bit more when I tell you that you’re worth it.”

“Thank you, Anon,” she sniffled, “I’m sorry for being so emotional.”

“Come on, Celestia, don’t ever apologize for being real,” you smile, returning to your previous pace, “Especially when you’re so adorable.”

“Ah- Adorable?” Celestia asks, clearly affected by your continued attention, “M-Me?”

“Oh god, you have no idea,” you capitulate, “I know a thing or two about adorable mares, what with Em being the gold standard and all…”

“You don’t have to flatter me and put on a show,” Metamora pipes up, an excitement to her voice, “I’m really enjoying watching you two.”

“Fuck, see what I mean?” you point out, gesticulating with your free hand to your beautiful Changeling lover, “Real talk though. You’re definitely in the top three.”

“Top three?” Celestia asked incredulously, “After whom?”

“Well first place is obvious, which puts you in third, right after…” you pause, savoring the suspense, “…your sister.”

“My sister!” Celestia squealed, “I’ll make you eat those words!”

“You can make me eat whatever you’d like. Luna’s still got that whole mysterious girl-next-door kinda vibe…”

“You have some nerve! I should put that mouth to better use,” Celestia threatened. No sooner had you caught her innuendo than you felt the world spin, realizing that you were suddenly about to hit the ground. Right as you were about to impact with cold, hard floor, you felt a gentle aura lower you slowly to rest.

“You didn’t have to throw me on the floor, I would have gladly-”

She wasn’t going to let you finish your sentence. You could only watch in awe as the sun eclipsed your entire view as she introduced you to the blistering inferno between her hindlegs.

“He’ll never admit it, but he really, really likes that,” Metamora confirmed. How could she betray you like that. If Celestia was determined to sit on your face, the least Em could have done would be to stand up for you. But no, the only thing standing up right now was your uncontrollable erection.

“You’ve indulged him similarly?” Celestia asked your traitorous compatriot.

“It’s a very good way to shut him up. Not a very good way to prove a point though,” she paused, watching as you got to work, “he tends to-”

“Aaanon!” Celestia squealed, writhing atop you as your diligence surprised her.

“…do that,” Metamora finished, chuckling.

“H-how do we knock him down a peg?” Celestia asked between rough breaths.

“Oh I have a few ideas, but they involve sharing. Do you mind?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking that?” Celestia asked, “I think you stake a stronger claim to his affections.”

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” she hummed. You heard and then felt her move over the top of you as well, sensing a heat looming above you.

“Take it slow Em, I’m close-” is what you would have said if your voice wasn’t muffled by the princess on top of you. Too bad she didn’t hear that.

With the speed and practiced ease of a lover who wants exactly one thing, Metamora impaled herself on your imposing meat.

With similar speed, you felt yourself approaching that peak, and being powerless to stop it. You’d let Metamora win this one…

“A-Anon!” she cried out in shock as you came inside her. But you weren’t the only one releasing a flood; Metamora’s reaction must have flipped a switch in the other mare atop you as well.

“N-No!” Celestia shuddered as she tried to hold back, but it was useless. She was no more powerful to resist her climax than you were to resist yours.

Metamora held out the longest, finally bearing down on you in the same wonderful way she always did.

After a minute of basking in the afterglow, Celestia dismounted you, giving you just enough time to turn your attention to Metamora as the princess kissed her on the cheek gingerly.

Metamora breathed a heavy sigh: content, happy, exhausted. She collapsed on you, slipping off your softening length.

Celestia gracefully laid down next to you, laying her head on your shoulder.

“Thank you Anon, I had a wonderful time.”

“So did I, princess. But I think I’ve had enough excitement for today,” you admit, deriving an odd comfort from the two mares cuddling up next to you.

“Me too…” Metamora agreed, her eyes fluttering as she wiggled to get closer to you.

“You’ll fuck me properly later, right? Come inside of me and all?” Celestia asked, “I know you’ve already done so much but… I’d like to be bred, like a real mare.”

“Of course, Celestia,” you agreed without hesitation as you drifted off to sleep, “I would love to.”