Stuck In The Middle

Stuck In The Middle

Let Us Put An End To This

Twilight made her decision. Her eyes flickered back and forth between the princesses. Her princesses.

"I'm... I'm sorry... but I... can't," she mumbled as tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't choose between you... I love you both... so much..."

Celestia hung her head. "So it is true, then," she murmured sadly, avoiding the crying form of Twilight before her, and resisting every single fibre of her being telling her to hug and kiss her little Sparkle. "You do love us both so dearly, you cannot let either one of us go."

The unicorn sniffed and nodded sullenly.

Luna's eyes welled up as she hung her own head as she resisted similar urges. Her mouth opened to protest, and demand that the unicorn choose one to end their suffering. But nothing would come out. As hard as she tried, she just could not simply tell off the one pony she loved most dearly, and needed right now.

Twilight slumped to the floor and covered up her eyes. "I... I'm sorry. I just... can't..."

The younger princess's fiery temper reared it's ugly head again as she turned to her sister. This is your fault. All of this. We were happy, Twilight and I. Why do you always ruin EVERYTHING?! she silently screeched.

Celestia's eyes drifted over to that of her sister's, seeing the anger and frustration they held within. "Luna," she said coldly. "A word."

Luna begrudgingly nodded her head and turned to follow.

Twilight watched the door slowly close as they both exited the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her lip quivered as anxiety took hold. "So... stupid..." Her eyes became dull and lifeless as utter despondence and resent took hold of her, and she slumped to the ground once more and covered her face up.

Outside the room, Celestia took Luna for a walk through the castle. Emotions ran rampant through them both, mostly anger and bitterness.

Luna fumed as she restrained her dark ego from taking hold again. Her jaw clenched shut as she twisted her neck around and down the corridor to the room which held Twilight. "Where are we going?" she growled.

Celestia flinched and said nothing, merely taking long strides forwards and bristling her wings.

Silence fell upon them as they marched.

~~~

Eventually, they came to a stop outside a large, ornate door.

Luna scowled.

Celestia stared ahead with a steely expression. "Inside," she commanded.

The younger sister obeyed reluctantly, storming past her elder and into the large, dark room. The elder entered after and quietly closed the door and flared her horn up, illuminating the darkness.

"Do you know where we are, Luna?" she asked in a monotonous voice.

Luna looked around, still scowling. "The Royal Archives. Only you or I may enter here."

"Yes. And what is kept in the Archives?"

"The oldest and most sacred of our laws."

"Precisely."

The sisters shared a moment as they stared into each other's eyes. One pair, a magenta colour that revealed nothing of her plans; and the other pair, a teal blue colour that showed only anger and sorrow.

Luna snorted and broke the gaze. "Your point is?" she growled.

Celestia continued to stare at her. "My point," she said calmly, "is that there is a way we can end this. Once and for all. A way you, me... and Twilight can all be happy."

Luna reared up and stomped her hooves. "Do not mention her name!" she yelled, just barely containing Nightmare Moon inside of her. "She has betrayed us! She deserves to-"

"To what, Luna?" Celestia asked in a tantalizingly calm voice. "To be punished? Need we bring back capital punishment for your jealousy? For my foolishness? For her misfortune of being in love with us both?"

"She doesn't love us anymore! She loves you!"

"She loves you too, Luna. You know that."

Luna's face burned red with anger. Her jaw opened and closed of it's own accord as she fought for words. Coherent words that weren't insulting in the slightest. Her eyes teared up as she sunk to the floor, bawling her eyes out.

Celestia looked down with pity and sorrow. "Let it all out," she murmured, fighting back her own tears of anger and resentment.

"I... I..." the crying pony mumbled. "I... hate... you..." she whispered.

The elder's face fell. "I can understand why," she said sadly. "But we are here for a reason. I have an idea that will make us both happy. As well as Twilight. Is it not her who matters most?"

Luna sniffed and said nothing, merely pushing herself away from her sister and huddling herself up on the floor.

Celestia looked up at the ceiling. "The ancient laws..." she murmured as she rose into the air and began inspecting the categories.

Suddenly, Luna thought she had an inkling of what her sister had in mind. "Cel... sister... are you planning... what I think you're planning?" she mumbled.

The elder ignored her and murmured something to herself as she levitated books out. "Counselling... partnerships... marriage... love..."

Luna rose to her hooves, sniffling and wiping tears from her cheeks. "There is a law that prevents what you are trying," she warned, unable to bring herself to actually say her sister's name. Evidently, Celestia picked up on this and looked down with remorse.

"I know. So we'll have to change that. Won't we? We are well within our rights."

"But Twilight could face charges..."

"We own this law, Luna. We can do whatever we want with it."

The elder sister flew down, stack of books nestling in between her wings as she approached her counterpart.

They stared at one another with teary eyes.

Luna nudged forwards and craned her neck ever so slightly forwards, waiting for the response.

Celestia did the same.

Their noses met in a tender gesture as fresh tears formed in their eyes.

"OK. Let's get down to business. We have a lot to cover if we are to do this," Celestia said as they pulled away. Luna nodded and smiled weakly.

They silently shared the books between them and poured their eyes over the information.

~~~

Twilight sat in a panic-stricken state. She'd been shaking ever since the door closed, leaving her alone with her thoughts. What's taking them so long? she wondered frantically. What are they taking so long with anyway?

Her eyes wandered around the room, looking for any indication as to what Celestia planned for her. If anything less than banishment, imprisonment, or banishment then imprisonment in the place she was banished to.

The door creaked open.

"Twilight?"

Luna's abnormally quiet voice called.

"Are you in here?"

"Yes," Twilight squeaked.

The princess's full body came into view as she walked through the doors and approached the unicorn. "Just making sure you hadn't ran again," she chuckled weakly.

Twilight cringed away and looked at the ground. "Are you here to banish me?" she mumbled.

Luna looked down sadly and said nothing.

At the silence Twilight Sparkle began to cry. This is it. The moon. The sun. Tartarus. That would be more fitting. *Tart*arus. she thought.

The younger princess felt her eyes water and bit her lip. Stick to the plan, Luna. "Come with me, my love. I want to show you something," she said, ominously, and placed a hoof on the unicorn's back.

Twilight allowed herself to be taken away with her head hung low.

They walked in silence, save for the filly's weeping and their hoof falls. The corridors were completely empty. No servants. No guards. No witnesses to the deed about to be performed.

"In here," said Luna as she turned into a room.

It was dark. And cold. Twilight shivered as she followed the faint outline of the princess.

"You're both here?" came another voice. Celestia's.

"Yes," Luna replied sternly.

"I want to hear her voice."

Twilight sniffed. "I'm here, p-princess..."

"...Good. Let us put an end to this, then."

The light came on, revealing the last thing Twilight expected.

Pinkie Pie sat, beaming with pride. "Hi Twilight. Glad you could make it, we're gonna have a huge party after this, just you wait!" she giggled.

Twilight blinked and sniffed again. "Pinkie? What are you doing here?"

"Marrying you, of course," said the pink one.

Twilight gaped. "Excuse me?"

"Well, I'm not marrying you, they are. I'm the one doing the ceremony, see. It's weird they call it that. I wonder if there's another name for it?" Pinkie gabbed.

"Ahem. If you would, Miss Pie?" Celestia coughed.

"Oh yeah, right, sorry princess!"

Luna smiled.

Celestia smiled.

Twilight felt her knees wobble and definitely did not smile. Her mouth worked up and down as she attempted to process what was happening. Or going to happen. "Would... somepony... please tell me what's going on?" she squeaked.

"Alright then," Celestia said, still smiling. "Luna and I found an ancient law regarding bigamy. Until recently, it was illegal to have more than one wife or husband in Equestria. But, seen as how you love both of us and can't bear the thought of hurting us, we agreed we would change this law. For you."

"But a problem arose when we took this to the council," Luna spoke up. "Apparently, they needed an example of the proposal before they approved it. As it happens, the Pie family is the leading practitioner of bigamy and fully endorses it. As well as having your friend Miss Pie here be a reverend in the matter," she explained.

Pinkie beamed with pride. "Yep. Great-great-great Grandma Pie had two grandaddies. It's an old thing passed down since the formation of Ponyville. I wonder why they outlawed it, though," she murmured.

Celestia coughed again. "We outlawed it roughly a thousand years ago, after Luna and I... fell out about something so delicate."

Through all of this, Twilight stayed silent.

"Twilight? Are you OK?" asked Luna.

The unicorn blinked once. "So... you don't.. hate me?"

"Of course not," both princesses said.

"But... b-but... but why?"

"Why what?" asked Celestia.

Twilight gaped. "Why don't you hate me? Both of you? I lied and cheated... and... why?"

Luna pawed at the ground sadly. "Truthfully, we don't know. I resent my sister greatly for what has happened, but I am as willing to set things right as she is. Now, Twilight Sparkle, we have something to ask you," she said, lowering her front legs and raising her horn.

Celestia performed the same act.

The unicorn gasped and backed away with wide eyes. Is this really happening?

"Twilight Sparkle," they both said.

Oh... this is happening... it's really happening...

"Will you marry us?"

Oh it just happened.

Sobs racked the filly's body. She sank to her knees with a huge smile on her face and moved forwards, resting her head in between her princesses.

"Yes. I will. And I'll love you both for ever and ever. I do love you both, I do, I do!"

Pinkie cleared her throat, suddenly taking on a business like tone. "In the name of Pie, double booking and Faust, I hereby pronounce you wife, wife and wife. You may kiss the bride. S."

As if overtaken by some force, the princesses pounced their love and lavished her with kisses.

"Reverend" Pie smiled and quietly exited the room. "Better get started on that party, then," she told them with a wink.

Twilight squealed with delight as she embraced her princesses.

She howled their names for the remainder of the day and long into the night.

For there was no other place she'd rather be, than caught between night and day.

The End

Note. This is literally the best I can do. Don't like it if you don't like it, but it's done. Never going back to it. Finito. Thanks for waiting and I appreciate the sh*t you put up with and this story. Now... I go.