Chapters

Working Mares
Stolen Moments
Minimum Safety Distance
The Love That Makes Undaunted The Final Sacrifice
Confrontation
To Stare At The Sun, And To Not Blink
The Faithful Student
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
Legacies
Another Day In The War Room
The Calm Before The Storm
Obligatory Changeling Invasion

Working Mares
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Red Strings, White Chains

Working Mares

"Is it too late to cancel the wedding and elope to Las Pegasus?"

Celestia looked up from the papers on her desk. "It would be somewhat inconvenient given the preparations already made, but for you, my love, I would shed all decorum and fly you away on my own wings to Honey Heart's Chapel of Love tonight."

Her lips curled up into a small smirk as she rose up from her chair and stalked over towards her bride-to-be. "As long as you don't mind being married by a mare dressed up as Elkvis while I don my most fabulous dress from the era of disco."

Rarity rolled her eyes, but embraced Celestia all the same in an affectionate hug that could only be shared in private. "Hmm, I'm almost tempted to give in to your unfortunately-dated sense of fashion."

Celestia stiffened and quirked an eyebrow as she released Rarity, already lamenting the lack of closeness with the other mare. "Oh? It must be quite serious this time if you don't have a witty repartee at the ready to insult my beautiful ensembles." She kept her tone light, but with an undercurrent of seriousness that told Rarity she was here to listen to her troubles.

A tired sigh slipped out from between Rarity's lips as she trotted over towards a couch and laid down dramatically. "Some loose lips have slipped out the secret that I'm making a dress for Fleur to wear to the wedding, and now I'm absolutely swamped with commission requests from ponies whom I simply cannot reply to with template rejections."

She shot a playful glare with no heat at Celestia. "You know, when I married you for your money, I didn't think I'd actually have to work for it. I must say, I feel very much cheated at the moment."

Celestia snorted. "As I recall, every bit from that commission is going to charity." She settled down next to Rarity on the couch, draping a wing over the smaller pony. "And if you ever thought becoming a princess would allow you to live a life of idle leisure, then I'd say you should have spent more time with Twilight."

"Twilight hardly counts," Rarity retorted. "That mare is physically incapable of not trying to be as helpful as possible."

"And you aren't?" There was still so much work to be done, and Celestia knew she would regret taking this break later, but for now, all she cared about was teasing the sweet little mare she had pressed to her side. "I've had Raven studying you as a case study in time management. If I could do as much as you seem to, I could finally get rid of the parliament and reinstate the absolute monarchy."

"I daresay that parliament is the reason we only ever seem to have stolen moments together." Rarity pressed a small kiss against Celestia's belly. "Though, they do serve the vital purpose of preventing you from spending Equestria's treasury on tea and pastries."

"Ah, necessary evils — the foundation of all politics." Celestia sighed dramatically in the way she had learned from Rarity, masking the genuine melancholy in her voice.

Rarity was far too astute to miss the sincerity in Celestia's tone, however. She frowned, looking up at Celestia in concern. "My love, what's wrong?"

Celestia knew better than to prevaricate. "The Sultan of Saddle Arabia and the Duchess of Maretonia are fighting over that one island between their two nations again."

A wince from Rarity. "And we've invited them both to the wedding, haven't we?"

"Both of them are saying that they won't attend if the other is going to be there." Celestia hung her head in shame. "I don't think I'll be able to sort this out in time, which means I'll need to finesse one of them into turning down the invitation."

"I have no doubt that you'll leave both of them feeling as if they won a minor victory."

"Of course. I just wish it hadn't been necessary." A sad smile formed on Celestia's muzzle. "I'm quite fond of the both of them, and was looking forward to exchanging pleasantries at the wedding."

She paused, taking a moment to break through her hesitation. "And I suppose this incident is just another reminder of just how complex our wedding is going to be."

"It's a Royal Wedding," Rarity said simply. "If there isn't at least one media scandal and one international incident before the end of this, I'd be shocked."

"I know. I warned Cadance of the same thing when she was engaged to Shining Armor. It's just..." Again, Celestia hesitated, then shook her head. "It's silly."

"You can be silly around me." A teasing smile played on Rarity's lips. "I promise I won't laugh unless you need me to."

"Very well." She was right. This was why Celestia was marrying her. "You're not the only one who's had some... fanciful notions regarding romance. It's one of the few indulgences I allowed myself. I never thought I'd ever find love like this, would ever fall so hard for somepony that I would end up wanting to marry them.

"So I let myself dream. Let myself imagine having the perfect, storybook wedding. A pure ritual of love that would confirm my union with my true love, witnessed and celebrated by all my friends and family. Everyone I cared for put down their differences and came together to congratulate us on our marriage, to tease and cry and praise."

"And now that you have what you thought you could only dream of, reality is being quite the pest, yes?" The snide tone in Rarity's voice wasn't mocking, just understanding.

"Dealing with the press is less the subject of an idle fancy, and more the topic du jour in the war room," Celestia remarked dryly. "As naive as it is, part of me had hoped that I would be spending more time picking out flower arrangements with my beautiful bride-to-be than sorting out international geopolitics."

There was no judgment in Rarity's eyes, and Celestia loved her for it. "I have some experience with dreams turning into nightmares," she said, lips quirking up in a small smirk. "It's ironic, I think, that our wildest dreams can hurt us so deeply. Perhaps it's simply the price of ambition."

Celestia snorted. "I thought having to rule Equestria alone for a thousand years was punishment enough for my aspirations."

"No rest for the wicked, as they say," Rarity replied airily before she frowned again. "I'm sorry you couldn't have your perfect wedding, my love. But we can still have our wedding, and hopefully it will be enough. After all, it will involve moi as the bride, and surely that is better than any fantasy you might have had."

A genuine smile found its way onto Celestia's muzzle. "Of course," she replied smoothly. "So many things have exceeded my wildest expectations, thanks to you. I had always mourned the fact that my beloved sister and mentor would never get to see me walk down that aisle, but thanks to you and your friends, Luna and Star Swirl — along with the other Pillars — will be there to see us profess our love to the world."

At this point, Celestia couldn't hold back. She bent down and captured Rarity's muzzle in a kiss, delighting in the mare who had given her more hope in her heart than she'd held for a thousand years.

"All in a day's work," Rarity replied breathlessly as they pulled apart. "I was just doing what had to be done, just like how you'll do whatever it takes to keep Equestria safe and prosperous." She wriggled herself out of Celestia's embrace, leaving behind an empty void in her heart. "Neither of us are prone to idle hooves, after all."

"We certainly are not." Celestia looked over at the stack of papers on her desk. "I suppose I should be returning to these papers. After all, I do work for a living, my love."

"You certainly do." Rarity placed a quick, chaste kiss on Celestia's lips before walking towards the door. "And I simply must finish this commission for Fleur today if I'm to have any hope of staying on schedule for the wedding. I'll see you at dinner?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Celestia replied. "Take care, my love, and let me know if I need to find my disco suit."

"That won't be necessary." Rarity shot Celestia a final smirk before leaving, her eyes glittering with mischief. "I doubt you could figure out where I hid it anyways."

"Wait, you did what?" But Rarity was already gone, leaving Celestia alone with her work and a lighter heart. Even as she read through pages and pages of tedious reports while mourning the loss of that fabulous outfit, a smile crept its way onto her muzzle. No, she wasn't going to have the wedding of her dreams, but dreams were more her sister's domain, anyways.

After all, she was going to marry a working mare, and she had no doubts that their wedding was going to be exactly what they needed.

Stolen Moments
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Red Strings, White Chains

Stolen Moments

"...and after your dinner with the Duke of Trottingham, you need to make an appearance at the Sunset Soirée being hosted by Lady Golden Wish in honour of your engagement — just a quick hello-and-goodbye, no need to stay — before we have the meeting with the delegation from Saddle Arabia. And you still need to approve the budget for increased security at the wedding after the incident with the Dragonlord."

"So, just another ordinary day, then?" Celestia's lips quirked up in a resigned smile as she trotted briskly down the hallway.

"Quite." Raven Inkwell's expression never changed, her professionalism shining through even in the face of all the insanity that had beset them. "Prince Blueblood has also requested another audience with you at his earliest convenience."

"His earliest convenience?" Celestia asked as they reached the restricted part of the Castle and she allowed her posture to sag slightly now that she was out of public view.

"Those are the words he used." It really was a gift how Raven was able to inject so much disdain in her tone without ever losing her detached air.

"I see. Well, I'm sure you can find a time that will fit his very busy schedule. Perhaps before one of my meetings with Luna so I have somepony to... commiserate with, afterwards." Celestia grimaced. Blueblood was one of the few subjects she still preferred to vent to her sister about rather than her fiancée. It was a weakness in their relationship that they would have to address one day. "And please make sure the budget gets delivered to my desk by tonight. You know how forgetful Silver Heart can be."

"Of course, Princess." Raven made another note on her clipboard, her pace never slowing down. The mare had walking on three legs down to an art form.

Celestia took another look at her personal assistant, and noticed the lean muscles of her legs shifting as they trotted towards the private meeting rooms. Ever since Celestia's engagement to Rarity had been announced, Raven had lost quite a bit of weight and developed a more toned physique. It was good to see the mare's physical health improving, but Celestia regretted the circumstances that had led to it.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," she said. The two of them were long past propriety, and Celestia had no qualms about being frank towards Raven. "A thousand years with no Royal Weddings, and suddenly you have to wrestle with two of them in your tenure."

That made Raven pause. "Princess," she said, staring Celestia right in the eyes. "Do you remember the day I first came to work for you?"

"Of course," Celestia replied. "You were very... dedicated to doing your profession proud. I admired the passion and conviction with which you swore your oath to the Crown."

"And do you remember what you told me after I pledged to give up my life in service of Equestria?"

"I was rather taken aback at the severity of your pledge, but I believe I told you that Equestria was its ponies, and that only by living a happy and fulfilling life could you truly serve the nation." Celestia paused. "I suppose this is where you tell me that I need to do the same?"

"That's also a very good point, but I was actually thinking of what you said about not wanting a servant, but a friend." Raven smiled, a rare display of emotion that was as beautiful as it was genuine. "I'm your friend, Princess, and friends enjoy seeing their friends happy. Helping you navigate the chaos of this wedding is stressful, yes, but it's also one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

"You are more than Equestria's ruler. You are beloved throughout the land, and seeing you happy makes all of us happy, makes all of us feel like we finally have a chance to pay back the thousands of years of service you have given us. So please, don't trouble yourself with how much trouble you're causing me — but if you could speak to the Diamond Dog ambassador about not trying to tunnel through the floors to get to a meeting faster, it would be appreciated."

"I'll convey your wishes next time I see Rufus," Celestia replied automatically, her mind whirling with Raven's heartfelt words. "And... thank you, my friend. For being a good friend, and for serving Equestria alongside me all these years."

Raven's cheeks were flushed, reflecting the heat Celestia was feeling herself. "Truly, it was my pleasure," she muttered back before schooling her features behind a blank mask once again. "Now, your next meeting is with Princess Twilight Sparkle, to discuss the logistics of the wedding." Raven flipped through her clipboard. "Hmm... odd, but there doesn't seem to be an agenda for today. Perhaps it got lost in the mail?"

"No matter," Celestia replied. "I'm certain Twilight will have an extra copy or three for me to peruse."

They reached the meeting room, and Raven returned her clipboard to her saddlebag. "Enjoy your meeting, Princess," she said politely. "I'll make sure Silver Heart has the budget ready."

"Thank you, Raven." There was nothing more that needed to be said. Raven left, and Celestia pushed open the door, preparing herself for another round of excruciating planning. As much as she enjoyed the company of her former student, Twilight could be... exacting at the best of times. And this wedding had pushed her organizational instincts into overdrive.

Instead of facing an anxious alicorn, however, Celestia was greeted by the sight of the only pony she would rather have been meeting with.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." Rarity gave a curtsy that was just high enough to be teasing rather than obsequious. "I'm afraid there's been a slight change of plans. Your former student thought it would be best if instead of discussing seating arrangements with you for the third time, you and I should get some practice in for our wedding night."

As Rarity smouldered her way to Celestia, it took all of the princess' willpower to maintain the flat expression on her face. "Twilight absolutely did not say that."

Rarity pouted as she stopped swaying her hips. "Actually, she did say those exact words." A giggle escaped from her lips. "Apparently, Rainbow and Pinkie Pie have been coaching her in the art of bawdy jesting."

"Oh my." Celestia had to press a hoof over her own muzzle to hide her smile. "That must have been quite the sight to bear witness to."

"She turned the most delightful shade of crimson after she realized what she was fully implying." Rarity wrapped her hooves around Celestia, slowly stroking her withers as she whispered the next words in her ear. "I still hope to elicit that same colour from you one day, my love."

"You are getting there, my little diamond. And I rue the day you finally reduce me to such a state." Celestia gently nuzzled Rarity. "I suppose Twilight still isn't able to accept the fact that I am a mare with the needs and desires of one?"

"She's stopped flinching whenever we kiss, so I would say that we're making progress." Rarity punctuated the statement with a quick peck on Celestia's cheek. "But I'm afraid you will always be many things to her, all of which make those types of thoughts... discomforting, to say the least."

Celestia sighed. "I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it. I did help raise her, after all." Now it was her turn to kiss Rarity, with significantly more passion — and tongue. "So, she arranged a little tryst for us, then?"

"Indeed." They slowly moved their way over to one of the plush couches, their hooves never ceasing in roaming each others' bodies. "I'm afraid I've been rather melancholy for the past week, ever since our last meeting. I never thought that getting engaged to you would result in us having less time to spend together."

"It's been difficult for me as well," Celestia admitted. "But I take comfort in knowing that we'll soon be seeing each other much more often."

"True." Rarity began tracing patterns across Celestia's barrel, a sure sign of her unease. "I'm beginning to pack my things for the move, with Sweetie's... assistance. It will be marvelous to live under the same roof as you, even if we cannot yet share the same bed officially. And I've almost finished finalizing the sale of Carousel, so that will free up much of my schedule."

Before Celestia could say anything, Rarity held up a hoof to silence her. "I don't wish to speak of it right now," she said. "There will be time enough for me to make peace with my decision in the weeks to come. For now, I simply wish to enjoy a secret liaison with my paramour."

"As you wish, dear." It still tugged at Celestia's heart when she thought of what Rarity would be giving up to marry her, but she had learned in her long life not to dwell on regrets, and to instead live in the present. "I've missed you so much," she said, pressing her lips against Rarity's mane and breathing in the clean, pure scent of her.

"I've missed you too." Rarity leaned into Celestia's caress, and for a few moments, they simply enjoyed the shared warmth of their love. Then, Rarity spoke. "I do wish that I didn't have to take away your time with Twilight to have this little rendezvous, though."

"As much as I enjoy my time with her, I can't say I'm too disappointed that my fiancée was here to greet me instead." The reminder that they didn't have all afternoon spurred Celestia on as she began to slowly nuzzle Rarity's neck.

To her surprise and concern, Rarity didn't nuzzle her back, but stiffened instead, turning away from Celestia. Celestia pulled back, giving her some space. "What's wrong, my love?"

Rarity shook her head. "It's nothing, really. I just can't stop thinking about how much Twilight loves spending time with you. This really does feel like a stolen moment we have together, taken from somepony we both hold dear in our hearts."

It still surprised Celestia how often her thoughts seemed to be in sync with her lover's. She placed a hoof under Rarity's chin and tilted her head so that she could see Celestia's smile. "You have such a compassionate and generous heart." Overwhelmed by the emotions filling her, she pressed a kiss against Rarity's lips. "It is truly humbling, at times.

"But Twilight is a grown mare, one who loves us both as much as we love her. We should never take that love for granted, but neither should we deny her the chance to express it. As I've been reminded today, our friends are happy to help us, and when the time comes for them, there is no question as to whether we will be there to help them in turn."

The tension flooded away from Rarity, and she leaned back into Celestia in a gesture that the princess had come to treasure, an expression of trust and contentment that she knew was rare for the seamstress. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I suppose, as the Element of Generosity, it's important for me to be gracious in receiving as well as giving." The smile that crossed her lips warmed Celestia's heart with how satisfied it was. "These moments aren't stolen, are they? They're gifts given to us by those we love."

"In my many years, I've found time to be the greatest gift of all." Celestia banished the dark thoughts before they could form. As an immortal, it was important for her to live in the present. "We should cherish this moment, and ensure that Twilight Sparkle will regret asking you what we did in her absence."

Her words had the desired effect as Rarity shot Celestia a glare with no heat. "You're terrible, Your Majesty!" she chided, pushing her away. "What would your subjects say if they knew you said such things behind closed doors?"

"If what Luna has told me of their dreams is any indication, a petition would likely be started to have our bedroom included in the palace tours."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible." Sprawling herself against Celestia, she cupped her muzzle with a hoof. "Did I really come all the way from Ponyville just to listen to your crude remarks about our love life?"

"If you wish, my love, we could find better uses for our lips." Celestia held back, waiting for Rarity to make the next move. The anticipation was delicious, and she savoured every moment of it as she watched the fires of lust burn in Rarity's eyes.

"I suppose it falls to me to silence you, Your Majesty." With that, Rarity leaned forwards, and all thoughts of duty and plans faded away as Celestia lost herself in her lover's embrace. For now, all that mattered was making the most out of this moment that they had not stolen from their friend, but received as a gift.

And tomorrow, Celestia would find a way to repay Twilight's generosity, and so would Harmony continue to flourish throughout Equestria, given life by the ponies who shared in her bounty.

Minimum Safety Distance
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Red Strings, White Chains

Minimum Safety Distance

"I'm sorry, but if you can't be reasonable about this, then I'm going to have to make an executive decision here."

"You don't have the authority to do that, Twilight!"

"I'm the wedding planner. Rarity and Princess Celestia gave me the authority I need to overrule you."

"And I'm the Princess of Love. Weddings are a core aspect of my domain, and I'm not going to let the Princess of Friendship ruin their special day just because she thinks she knows better than the pony who's actually qualified!"

"Excuse me? Which one of us ascended by finishing Star Swirl's last spell?"

"I hardly think that counts as a proper qualification..."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash watched from across the table as the two princesses continued to bicker. The four of them had repurposed the War Room for their wedding planning discussion, with the expectation that battle plans would eventually have to be drawn to deal with whatever showed up to the wedding. It seemed, however, that the battle between titans was happening a little ahead of schedule.

"Do you think we ought to say something?" Applejack whispered to Rainbow, her body stiff as a board as she tried not to make any movements that would attract their attention.

"And miss out on a fight between Twilight and Princess Lovey-Dovey? No way!"

"Rainbow Dash!"

"What? You can't tell me it wouldn't be totally awesome to see a flying laser fight in here. I already missed out on the Nightmare Moon one when Twi took that weird flashback potion."

"I can't believe you, sometimes. We gotta do something!"

"Yeah, good luck with that. I'm not stupid enough to jump into a wedding fight between those two. Now, quiet down so I can hear them better."

Applejack grumbled but did as Dash demanded, focusing her attention on the pair of alicorns and seeing if things would actually go pear-shaped like Dash was saying.

"...and you have no jurisdiction here in Canterlot!"

"Neither do you, Princess of the Crystal Empire. This is a direct violation of the sovereignty of our nation!"

"The Power of Love transcends geopolitical boundaries. You should know that better than anypony, given the scope of your Friendship Missions."

"Except that there's already an expert on wedding planning here who doesn't appreciate external interference."

"Are you really going to turn this into a matter of international politics, Twilight?"

"I don't want to, but if you force the issue..."

Applejack nudged Rainbow. "Now do you think we oughta get the rest of the girls in here to settle them down?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Sure. Oh, and if you see Pinkie, tell her to grab some popcorn."

"Unbelievable," Applejack muttered. She made sure not to make a sound as she slid out of her chair and crept over towards the exit, though at this point she was pretty sure they'd been forgotten by the two princesses.

She never made it out, though, as the one stallion who might've had any hope of preventing another war between Equestria and the Empire walked into the room with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Sorry I'm late," Shining Armor said. "I got held up by security..." He paused as his eyes settled on the sight of his wife and sister locked in a battle of wills.

"Thank Celestia you're here." Applejack's relief was palpable as she grabbed Shining Armor and dragged him over to where Rainbow Dash was sitting. "They've been going at it like hammer and tongs for half an hour. You gotta do something!"

Shining's eyes widened. "What are they arguing about?"

"Something about the flower arrangements." Dash rolled her eyes as she spoke. "I thought it was a pretty dumb thing to fight over, but then they started talking about magic and now they're fighting over politics or something."

"Oh dear." Shining shot another glance over at the bickering alicorns.

"...This is their special day, and I'm not going to let you ruin it with your outdated notions about love, you shut-in bookworm!"

"And I'm not going to let you risk the most important wedding in history on a wild hunch, you deranged madmare!"

"It's not a hunch, it's a calculated risk!"

"In that case, you need to retake introductory thaumogeometry, because your calculations must be over an order of magnitude off if you think this is even a remotely good idea."

"Don't you dare question my math. I've had just as much of an education as you have, and I managed to get a coltfriend at the same time."

"Well obviously, you should have spent less effort seducing my brother and more effort learning about platonic configurations."

Shining grabbed Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "We need to get out now," he hissed, dragging them over towards the exit.

"Hey, what gives!" Dash glared at Shining as he closed the door before their disappearance was noted. "Things were just about to get good! I wanted to see an alicorn fight!"

Shining shook his head. "Believe me, that wasn't going to happen — Twilight and Cadance aren't the type to get physical during an argument. I'm more worried about what happens after they make up."

"Why, what're they gonna do?" The haunted look in Shining's eyes was enough to give Dash pause.

"There's a reason Cadance and Twilight got along so well when she was foalsitting her," Shining whispered. "They're both scientists, and you really don't want to be around when they realize they should solve their differences with experimental trials."

A shiver ran through Shining's coat, and Rainbow felt an echoing chill in kind. Shooting a glance at Applejack, she saw the country mare similarly affected. "Maybe we should find somewhere else to be."

"That would probably be a good idea." As they walked away from the muffled sounds of what was apparently not going to be the start of the next Great War, Shining's expression lightened up. "You know, I don't get to spend much time with Twily's friends. How about we grab a drink somewhere? My sister told me that you two have good taste in booze."

"Sure." An evil grin graced Dash's muzzle, matching the thoughts brewing in her head. "How about we head over to the Iron Trough?"

Shining's eyes widened. "How'd you even know—?"

"I'm a Bolt, remember?" Dash puffed up with pride. "Can't be a Bolt without having a drink there."

"Fair enough." The prince's eyes cut over towards Applejack. "You sure it's safe for her?"

"Safe?" Applejack raised an eyebrow as she shot both of them a suspicious glare. "Just what kinda place are we wetting our muzzles at?"

"It'll be fine." Dash waved off their concern with a hoof. "AJ knows how to handle herself in a fight."

"I'm still not sure if it's a good idea. Twily won't like it if you get hurt."

"Sounds like somepony's chicken." Dash walked away, preparing to go in for the kill. "Not really surprising, coming from a Guard."

"What did you say?" There we go. Now Shining was mad.

"You heard me. AJ and I are gonna grab a drink at the Trough. Lemme know if you find a pair and wanna come with. I figure the Armory's gotta have at least one somewhere that you guys pass around."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Applejack asked as she followed behind Dash. "If this place is enough to give the old Captain of the Guard the creeps, I dunno if we should be going there."

"Applejack, we've spent the past three days listening to Twilight and Princess Cadance talk about flowers, streamers, and seating arrangements. Tell me you don't want to buck someone through a wall right now."

There was a good ten seconds of silence as Applejack thought about the question before a look of grim determination settled on her face. "If this goes pear-shaped I'm throwing you at whatever tries to kill us and running."

"Great. Let's go."

"Wait!" The pair stopped as Shining Armor caught up to them. "I'll never hear the end of it if you two get into trouble."

Dash snorted. "Whatever makes you feel better about yourself. Let's go before they make up and want us back in to talk about whether roses or tulips are better for the bouquet."

"This sucks," Rainbow grumbled as she sipped at whatever sour mush they called cider here.

On her left, Shining radiated smugness he brought his own mug of ale to his lips. "Next time, maybe you'll want to pick somewhere with better drinks."

"Shut it." Rainbow pointed an accusing hoof at him. "This is all your fault."

"I take it this usually doesn't happen?" On her other side, Applejack was nursing her own drink and glancing around at the hardened guests all giving them a wide berth, mares and stallions who looked like they'd been in more fights than showers their whole lives not even daring to look their way.

"Nope." Rainbow slammed her mug down on the stained and cracked table, uncaring as to whether she'd be the straw that finally broke it. "Normally we'd have somepony slamming a chair into somepony else for spilling their drink by now, but I guess everypony's too scared to do anything around Prince Shining Armor."

The prince in question raised up his hooves defensively. "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you. Last time I was here I was just a lieutenant, and we managed to put that dent in the wall over there." He nodded towards a very pony-shaped recession in the wood behind the counter.

"And you haven't been back since then?" Dash smirked. "What, you got scared or something?"

"Nah, after that I started dating Cadance. Couldn't afford to get arrested for bar fighting and cause a scandal, you know."

"But that's okay now?" Applejack asked, leaning into their conversation. "Even though you're a prince and all?"

Shining smiled. "That's one of the things your friend Rarity is going to have to learn about being royalty. When and where you can cut loose a little without having to worry about the scandal. Everypony's eyes are glued so hard to this wedding that I could probably punch Blueblood in the muzzle during court and it'd barely make the second page of the Canterlot Gazette."

"Pfft." The cider burned as it went down the wrong hole, but Dash kept up her smile. "So what do you plan to do while you're here in Canterlot with the reporters all chasing after your wife instead of you?"

A shrug as Shining continued to scan the room for possible threats. "Nothing exciting, if I can help it. I just wanna spend some quality time with Flurry and see if Spike's up for some Ogres-and-Oubliettes."

"You play OnO?" Of all the things she'd expected Shining Armor to say, this was definitely at the bottom of the list.

"Yeah, I was the one who introduced it to Spike. You've watched him play?"

"Watched him? I'm rocking a level eight rogue in his campaign right now!"

"Woah." The awe on Shining's expression perfectly matched Dash's current feelings. "What build are you using? I'm playing around with an earth pony dual short sword build right now, with Alert because we're running a module with tons of ambushes and the inititative bonus is good for proccing Sneak Attack. Might be dipping into warblade for Iron Heart Surge, too, depending on what kinda status effects we run into." With each sentence, he leaned forward towards Dash, his eyes lighting up in the darkness of the bar.

"Um..." Rainbow had forgotten that Twilight's brother was a massive egghead. She wracked her brain to see what she could dig up from her character sheet. "I'm playing a pegasus with that feat that makes you move faster and the one that lets you dodge stuff."

There was a light chuckle from Shining as he pulled himself back. "I guess you're more into the roleplaying side, huh?"

"Yeah." Dash gave him a sheepish smile. "I usually just let Spike do the character sheet stuff for me. All those numbers and tables aren't really my style — I like punching evil wizards and rescuing ponies from certain doom."

"To each their own, I guess." A conspiratorial wink from Shining. "If you want to really push your character to the limit, go ask Twilight to design a character for you."

"Oh man." That idea hadn't occurred to her before, but now that Shining had mentioned it, Dash could imagine what leaving the bookish princess with a pile of OnO books could accomplish. "I'd be, like, flying across Equestria in less than a minute."

"Pretty much. Twily was always more into the character creation than actually playing the game, but I managed to wreck some campaigns with her designs and tactical planning."

"Hah!" Maybe it was the alcohol, but Dash found the idea of Shining getting combat advice from Twilight absolutely hilarious, and she simply allowed herself to laugh from the heart for a few moments. "Maybe I'll hit her up next time. You should join us too if you're ever in town — you haven't lived until you've played a session with Discord."

"Discord, the Lord of Chaos?" It was hard to fault Shining for his disbelief, and Dash smiled in anticipation of blowing his mind.

"Yeah, he and Applejack's brother are in our campaign." She leaned in closer to make sure she had Shining's attention. "And Discord can actually bring the game to life. Like, you can actually be your character and fight the bad guys in some kind of pocket dimension."

"Woah." He paused. "I guess that's more Live-Action Role Play than Tabletop Gaming, but, woah. I'll definitely make sure to let Spike know next time I'm in Ponyville. Wouldn't want to miss that."

"I'll show you around town." Again, it might've been the terrible cider talking, but Shining seemed cool, and having a former Captain of the Guard as a hangout buddy seemed pretty swell.

"Thanks." Shining glanced around the room, where the normally rough-and-tumble patrons were still on their best behaviour. "Looks like you're not gonna get any excitement here. How about I show you two around town? We've still got a few hours before it's safe to go back to the Castle."

"No offense, but I've already seen this city plenty of times," Applejack said. "It's a bit too frou-frou for my tastes."

"Nah, I don't mean Upper Canterlot. I figured you might want to check up the Lower Districts." Shining shrugged. "It's not as fancy as the area around the Castle, but it's the machinery that makes the politics possible. After all, you still need ponies to build those fancy houses and handle distributing the food shipments and a million other things that make the city work."

A fond look crossed his face as he stared at the ceiling. "It was something they drilled into us during training. Upper Canterlot might have all the High Value Assets, but if you really wanted to strike at the heart of the city and cripple it, you'd go for Lower Canterlot. I got to do a lot of patrols in both places, and let me tell you, the ponies down there are a lot nicer than the ones at the top."

Applejack let out a soft whistle. "Well, that sure does sound more like my wheelhouse."

Shining Armor stood up. "If we hurry, I can take you to Sweet Tooth's dessert shop. He makes the best blueberry pies."

"Now you're talking. Lead the way, sugarcube." The two mares stood up and followed Shining out the bar, parting the crowd like a hot knife through butter.

"Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've had one of Sweet Tooth's—" Shining never got to finish his sentence, as the ground suddenly shook in sync with screams of terror coming from outside.

There was no need for words — Shining, Rainbow, and Applejack all rushed out with sober determination. By the time they reached the streets, ponies were already running en-masse away from the city's center.

"What's going on here?" Applejack asked as they glanced around for the source of the panic.

"There's a giant flower monster attacking the city!" A mare helpfully screamed as she ran past them.

The trio shared a knowing glance right before a deafening roar signalled the arrival of a monstrous mass of leaves and petals in the distance, a dozen pony-sized flowers snapping at the air like a pack of rabid dogs.

A moment later, a pair of familiar alicorns flew onto the scene, shouting at each other even as they peppered the plant with magical blasts.

"So an inverted pentagram doesn't have enough negative feedback to prevent an Amalgamation from happening! This is a good data point!"

"Can we maybe get rid of this monster first before doing a post-mortem, Twilight?"

"Oh, right! We need to lead it over towards the mountainside to minimize the damage it can do!"

"Well, we've certainly got its attention — woah!"

"Cadance!"

"I'm fine! Just a close call. Alright, let's lure it towards the North District!"

Shining turned to face Rainbow. "You wanted a fight, right? Well, I think you're about to get your wish."

"Enough yapping." Rainbow had already taken to the air, her wings beating powerfully against the wind. "Let's kick some plant butt!" And so, three friends set off to face off against the latest wedding-related threat against the city, basking in the change of pace that this historic event had graced them with.

The Love That Makes Undaunted The Final Sacrifice
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Red Strings, White Chains

The Love That Makes Undaunted The Final Sacrifice

"Rarity? Is that you?"

In any other circumstance, Celestia would have laughed at the image of her beloved looking like a child caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. Rarity slowly turned her head to face Celestia, wearing the most plastic smile she'd ever seen on the mare. "Celestia! Fancy seeing you here!" She let out a nervous laugh.

"When somepony triggers the wards I've set up around the Forbidden Archives, I tend to take notice," Celestia said bluntly.

"And here I thought you trusted me enough to de-attune your wards against me." Rarity's faux-jovial tone was grating to Celestia, and she decided it was time to put her hoof down.

"I was going to, but it seemed like a low-priority task for me to attend to," she said. "Fortunately, things worked out and my misplaced trust didn't have the chance to bite me in the flank." She made sure to rise to her full height, putting on the mantle of the Sun Princess to hide the pain in her heart. "I expected better of you."

"Please, my love, I can explain." It hurt to see the fear in Rarity's eyes as she backed away, the book she was reading still floating in her grasp.

"Explain why I just found you in the Dark Magic sections of the Archives reading up on immortality spells?" A flicker of hope sparked in Celestia's heart. "Are you being coerced into this? In somepony blackmailing you into stealing that book?" If that were the case, then heads would roll, but at least Celestia would know that her love had been true.

Her heart sank just as quickly as it had risen when Rarity shook her head. "I'm afraid not, dear. I'm quite the independent mare in this endeavour, though I do have Twilight to thank for telling me where I needed to go. She had no idea what I was going to do, of course."

"Of course," Celestia repeated hollowly. "Why would she ever suspect that one of her closest friends was going to do something so selfish?" She could feel the vile magic emanating from that book, and it sickened her. "You know the price of those spells — we've talked about this before."

"I'm aware of the reasons why these spells are restricted, yes," Rarity said. She paled as she glanced at the book. "Though, I'll admit that getting that information from the source was a rather... enlightening experience."

Celestia snorted. "And do you still plan on casting them?"

"I—" Rarity hesitated, and then her eyes met Celestia's and her voice grew firm. "Yes. Yes, I am."

"I thought you had made peace with your mortality." They'd talked about this multiple times, and Rarity had assured her that she wasn't jealous of Celestia's agelessness.

"I thought I had as well," Rarity replied. "And then I saw your face when I came back from the fight against Sleipnir, when you thought we had perished. That moment before you recognized me will stay with me forever, I think."

This was not where she had expected the conversation to go. Celestia still remembered that horrible, horrible time when she thought Rarity had been lost to that great beast, was expecting to have to receive condolences for losing her love in the line of duty. It was something she tried not to dwell on, but she'd be lying if she said it hadn't left its mark.

Rarity continued to speak, ignoring the pain that must have been showing in Celestia's eyes. "I realized then that while I had accepted that my time on this world was limited, the thought of the pain my passing would cause you was too much to bear." Her voice softened, and her eyes began to tear up. "I wanted to protect you from that pain. You know I would never cause you pain if I could prevent it."

That was... much more in line with Rarity. Celestia was relieved that her fiancée hadn't become corrupted by greed and desire for longevity, but she was still disappointed in her lack of understanding of her own Element. "Rarity, while I appreciate the sentiment, I am not a child who needs to be protected from the harsh realities of life. And furthermore, you know those spells exact a terrible price on the world. True Generosity does not sacrifice the well-being of others for the sake of, well, Nepotism."

At this, Rarity actually looked offended, of all things. "Celestia, please, I think I know at least the basics of what generosity means." She floated over the open book to her. "This is the spell I was looking for."

Celestia grabbed the book, ignoring the slimy darkness that seeped into her soul at holding it with her magic. She looked at the spell written on the page before her, and disappointment quickly turned to horror. "Of all the despicable spells in this book, this is far and away the worst," she whispered. "The others all demand a price paid in blood and life, but this... this spell traps a pony's soul inside a focus. It is the darkest of magics known to ponykind."

She raised an eyebrow as she scanned the spell's details. "This is an imprisonment spell," she noted, confused. "It doesn't grant immortality."

Rarity smirked weakly. "Doesn't it?" Her voice was strained even as she attempted to keep her playful tone.

The gears clicked in Celestia's mind, and she immediately slammed the book shut, as if closing it would also wipe the spell from existence. "No," she said, more of a plea than a command. "You mustn't. I won't let you do this."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "You make it sound as if I'm going to cast this spell today," she said. "I'm only preparing myself for the hopefully very-distant future, after I've hopefully taken the world by storm and lived a long and fulfilling life by your side."

"This spell was designed by the worst ponies who ever lived to torment their enemies for all eternity." Celestia held back a shudder as she seriously considered just burning the book on the spot. "You would be trapped in some rock, bound to the whims of whomever possessed the focus."

"First of all, I doubt I would use just any rock as a focus." That damnably casual air about Rarity was both infuriating and soothing, and Celestia was completely ill-equipped to deal with it. "I was thinking a sufficiently large diamond, fit to dazzle the crowds. Something akin to my cutie mark, perhaps, for the symbolism. It would, of course, be set in a proper piece of jewelry — I have some ideas about what types of aesthetics would be both timeless and enhance the beauty of a diamond such as myself."

She could not possibly be going into Designer Mode at a time like this. "Rarity!" Celestia snapped, settling on annoyance as her emotional state, with a healthy serving of panic on the side. "This is not a joking matter!"

Her words immediately sobered up the mare. "You're right," Rarity said, her eyes drifting downwards and away from Celestia's. "But this is the only spell that will allow me to stay with you forever that doesn't require sacrificing a life — or many — for it."

"It does require a sacrifice," Celestia pointed out. "Yours."

"As I said, I don't plan on casting this spell tomorrow." A distant, melancholic smile played on Rarity's lips, her eyes staring off into the distance. "I don't think I'll have much of a life left to lose by that point."

"You wouldn't be able to pass on from this world." Surely, she could make Rarity see sense on this matter. "So long as the spell is active and focus is intact, you'll be trapped in this realm, deprived of your final reward. You are far too good a mare for that to happen."

"It won't be much of an eternal reward if you aren't there." Rarity took a step towards Celestia, hesitant.

"Rarity..." It was all too much. Celestia had thought she had known the depths of her lover's generosity, but to be willing to give up the peace of her final repose for her — how could she not have fallen in love with this incredible mare?

They embraced, Celestia being careful to slide the book back onto the shelf with her magic, relief washing over her at not having to touch that blasted thing anymore. "I'm sorry I went behind your back," Rarity murmured. "But I knew you wouldn't approve."

"I still don't." This wasn't an argument Celestia could win by appealing to what Rarity would lose. She needed a different tactic. "If you locked yourself within a necklace for all eternity, I would be right beside you in whatever vault I built for you. I wouldn't ever be able to bring myself to leave, wouldn't ever be able to move on because I couldn't risk losing whatever your soul was trapped in."

She pulled back for a moment to give Rarity a kiss. "And I wouldn't ever want to do anything besides showing you how much I loved you. You'd be damning the whole country by not allowing me to mourn you."

"Hmm." Rarity's eyes were troubled, a storm raging within her as she battled her desire to see Celestia happy with her duty to her country. "I suppose you have a point. We must all make sacrifices sometimes, and it wouldn't be right for me to take that away from you."

"Perhaps one day, we'll discover the secret of ascension and you'll be able to experience Eternity with me," Celestia said. "But for now, let's not dwell on the future. We may be called to sacrifice much in the years to come, and I know I won't be able to stop you should that day come when I have to lose you, but we can enjoy today while we still can."

"Today, then." Rarity said breathlessly before leaning in for another kiss. "Will you come with me to apologize to Twilight? I'm afraid I abused her trust quite badly to figure out how to get here."

"I'm interested in what you did to get past all the other security," Celestia said. "As I said, I hadn't gotten around to giving you authorization for the Restricted Sections yet."

"Your former student spent a lot of time determining the fastest way to get to whatever books she wanted to read without having to waste time at security checkpoints," Rarity replied with a much more genuine smile. "I don't think the poor dear even realized that she had given me a plan for infiltrating the palace when I met with her for tea last week."

"Perhaps I should consider promoting you to Spymaster," Celestia commented as they headed towards the exit, where the guards would no doubt be very surprised to see them walk out.

"Only if I'm allowed to wear a proper hooded cloak for the position," Rarity replied, leaning into Celestia and rubbing against her.

"We can negotiate that." Celestia nuzzled the mare who was going to be her wife, and the world was swept away under a wave of love. "I'm sure I can make a generous offer worthy of you."

Confrontation
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Red Strings, White Chains

Confrontation

"Rarity! At last, we see each other plain!"

And here she had hoped to make it to the wedding without hearing that voice. "Wishful thinking," Rarity muttered to herself before turning to face her old obsession with a practiced smile. "Prince Blueblood! Fancy meeting you here! I thought you were in Trottingham on official business." She definitely hadn't expected him to appear in the Royal Tailor's quarters.

"I've been allowed to return to Canterlot for a few days to make arrangements for my departure to the Zebra lands." Blueblood spoke with his usual refined swagger, but Rarity sensed a strained undercurrent to it, and suspected he was being as false to her as she was to him. "While I waited for my servants to finish packing my belongings, I thought I would make a short trip to the servants' quarters to find you and congratulate you on your victory."

"My victory? Whatever do you mean?" Her interactions with the prince had been few and far between, thankfully, but she'd never known him to be cryptic before.

"I'm referring to your pending nuptials, of course," Blueblood sneered. "You've climbed to the very top of the social ladder, and stopped everypony from pulling you back down. I must admit, I severely underestimated you. I did not expect you to so completely defeat my efforts at preventing this unholy union."

"Huh?" There had been attempts by him to stop her wedding? She hadn't even spoken to him since before the proposal!

"Come now, there's no need to play coy anymore. After all, you've already bested me quite soundly, and in a few days I'll be too far away to act against you." Frustration and anger tinged Blueblood's voice, and Rarity could see his teeth clenching as he continued to speak. "I only ask that you be gracious in victory, and that you not abuse my aunt's affection to greatly in the coming years."

Rarity stiffened. "I would never!" she said, affronted. "Celestia's happiness is my highest priority, not that it's any of your business." She didn't have to defend herself against this... this lout, but Rarity couldn't let such an accusation go unaddressed.

Blueblood snorted. "Please, don't insult my intelligence. We both know who you really are, and why you decided to pursue my aunt. Going after the affections of Princess Celestia was a bold strategy, but it's paid off in spades for you, hasn't it?"

"You think I'm marrying Celestia for her money?" Rarity barely stopped herself from screeching the words, and she had to remind herself that being Celestia's fiancée did not put her above the law before she did something stupid.

"Money, status, power. All the things you wanted from me once upon a time." The look he gave her was one Rarity had seen plenty of times from the nobles who thought she was beneath them, but never had she seen that much disdain in a single glare. "I might have seen through your pathetic attempts to seduce me and ascended the social ladder, but I suppose my aunt's status makes her less... experienced with dealing with such matters."

Rarity's jaw dropped. "Is this seriously about the Grand Galloping Gala?" That had been years ago! "And it's not like you have any room to talk after how abominably you acted towards me." Though, if she had still been smitten with him, she would never had fallen for Celestia, so she supposed all was well that ended well.

"Do you really think I didn't see through your facade as soon as you approached me?" Blueblood scoffed. "Please, I've been driving away gold-diggers since I was a colt."

"Is that what you thought I was?" Rarity strode up to Blueblood, her vision turning red with suppressed rage. "I admit I shouldn't have fancied you. But I never wanted you for your money or your position."

"Oh please, do you actually think—"

"I spent my whole life dreaming about the perfect stallion." Rarity didn't give Blueblood a chance to speak as she continued advancing towards him, years of tension building up like a coiled spring her voice turned low and dangerous. "He would be cultured, kind, the perfect gentlestallion. I'd be treated like a lady, and not because I was showered with gifts, but because he would be chivalrous and generous in giving me his love."

Another step forward. Rarity was practically hissing at him now. "I grew up with stories of gallant princes treating mares with respect and love, and being the model of a perfect gentlestallion. That was what I fell in love with, and I got it into my silly little head that as a prince, you would be noble in character too."

Rarity widened her stance and straightened her spine. Dating Celestia had taught her how to make her presence imposing in the presence of a taller pony, and she was bringing all of her experience to bear right now on this royal brat. "I was sorely mistaken, as I found out during the Gala. Being noble isn't something that a pony is born with — it's something they earn. My best friend earned her princesshood by being one of the best mares I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

A nearly feral grin danced on her lips. "And then I had the pleasure of a private meeting with a mare who showed me what it meant to embody all the ideals of Royalty. She was everything I had dreamed of and more, and I fell in love with her just like so many other ponies have before."

She stared Blueblood straight in the eyes as she spoke, pouring every inch of her conviction into her words. "Celestia's love is the greatest treasure I have ever been given. And I spend every day wondering how I could possibly be worthy of it. So believe me when I say that marrying Celestia isn't climbing the social ladder to me.

"It's taking on the greatest responsibility that I've gladly embraced."

She stepped back to give Blueblood a chance to breathe, delighting in the uncertainty warring on his face. Finally, he put on a mask of doubt and narrowed his eyes at her. "If your love is so pure, then why have you spent these past few months playing games to keep me from my aunt?"

"Darling, honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about." He'd been bringing up some kind of dastardly plan she'd been plotting against him, and she still was no closer to figuring out why he thought she had personally targeted him for... something. "I've barely even thought about you since my engagement."

"A likely story," Blueblood replied. "I tried to warn my aunt about you, and the next day I find that not only can I not get an audience with her, but I've been placed on an urgent diplomatic mission to Trottingham. I try for months to contact her only to get her servants replying to my letters as if I was a commoner, and all my contacts in Canterlot couldn't get an audience with her either."

He took a step towards her, his earlier anger returning in his gait. "And now, I'm being shipped off to the Zebra lands right before your wedding. By the time I can send a message back to Canterlot, the wedding will be over. Awfully convenient, isn't it?"

"I swear, I didn't know about any of this." A flicker of memory returned to her, and Rarity's heart sank. "When did you get sent off to Trottingham?"

"I received the 'request' four months ago today."

"Oh dear." Rarity remembered that day. Celestia had promised to protect her from all threats, both physical and... "I can't believe she didn't tell me about this." She returned her attention to Blueblood. "I'm afraid I'm not quite so devious as you think I am. It seems Celestia has been trying to defend me from your campaign without even informing me." They were going to have to have a talk about this, after. Rarity did not want to be put in this position again, and Celestia should have been able to trust her with this.

"That is... very much like her," Blueblood admitted. "And you really didn't seem like the kind of mare who was capable of playing such games at a level that could match me."

"How very humble of you," Rarity commented dryly.

Blueblood ignored her. "Regardless, I still don't approve of your union. You are going to be in possession of much more power than you deserve."

"Fortunate for us that we don't need your blessing," Rarity retorted. "And I know very well the responsibilities that I'll be taking on."

"It would be for the best of the nation if you simply concerned yourself with looking pretty and keeping your mouth shut," Blueblood snapped. "This diversion of my aunt's has already cost me far more than I care to think about."

"And now which of us is thinking in terms of material wealth?" Rarity sniped back.

"Do you think I care about money?" Blueblood scoffed. "Please, the only currency that matters in Canterlot is influence. I was just about to get Lord Wind Caller to donate his private observatory for the third day of this year's Winter Moon Festival Fundraiser, and now it's taken too many of my favors to simply maintain my relationship with him."

"Oh, that." Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. "I already convinced him to lend us the venue and provide some of his staff for the event. Lady Weather Wax has proven to be a much tougher nut to crack with regards to the fourth day."

"Lady Wax has a soft spot for ancient tomes of magic," Blueblood replied with equal dismissiveness. "Just promise her some special visitation privileges for the Royal Archives and she should fold quite quickly." A pause. "And why are you in charge of the WMFF?"

"I saw that nopony was making any arrangements for it so I asked Raven to bring me on board." Another pause, this time from Rarity. "She never mentioned your involvement. I take it your... ah... sabbatical was the reason why things had stagnated?"

"Quite." The silences between them were quickly becoming awkward. "I suppose I should be grateful that somepony is ensuring that the charities of this city are not suffering in my absence. But how the devil did you get Wind Caller to give in so quickly? I've been working on him since last year."

"As it turns out, he's quite the fashion-forward pony, and I simply gave him a first look at this year's Fall Line from Carousel." It was hard to keep the pride from her voice, even if Rarity wasn't entirely sure if Wind Caller's interest wasn't because this would be Rarity's last line as Carousel's owner.

"Hmmph, so you aren't completely useless." Technically, that was the nicest thing Blueblood had said to her since this conversation began, a thought which made Rarity wonder once again why she wasn't walking away. "I'll just have to hope you don't make a complete muck of things."

"Thank you so much for your vote of confidence." If looks could kill... well, they'd both have been long dead already.

"Hmph, if you're taking over for the Winter Moon Festival, then that must mean the fundraisers for Hearth's Warming, Hearts and Hooves Day, Autumn Equinox, Star Swirl Day, and Nightmare Night are all languishing."

Rarity boogled. "All of those were your projects?"

"My aunt must have very much wanted me out of Canterlot." Beneath his casual swagger, Rarity heard real hurt in his voice. "I hope you treat her very well, Miss Rarity. She deserves happiness, but she would never forgive herself if Canterlot suffered for it."

The snide response was on the tip of Rarity's tongue, but she held it back. She could tell Blueblood was being genuine, and despite how... distasteful a stallion he was, Rarity finally understood how he must have seen her courtship with his aunt.

Blueblood truly, honestly, cared about Celestia, and when Rarity — a mare who had unwisely pursued him — had won her heart, he must have feared that her feelings towards her were as ill-advised as those she had once held for him.

And when he had approached his beloved aunt about it — likely in the worst and rudest possible way, given his disposition — and gotten sent away, what else would he have thought except that Rarity had her under her spell for some nefarious reason?

And if he was truly busying himself with so many charitable projects, then surely he couldn't be that bad of a pony, despite Rarity's experiences with him. He didn't act anything like a prince was supposed to, but that didn't mean he couldn't be generous as well.

"I've been trying to keep those events on track, but between my own responsibilities with Carousel and planning for the wedding, I've been stretched far too thin, and there's nopony else with enough influence and time who can take over." Rarity hesitated, and then internally cursed Twilight for what she was about to do. That accursed Princess of Friendship and her infectiously friendly way.

"If you aren't really needed in the Zebra Lands, I'm sure I could talk Celestia into letting you stay here and resume your previous duties."

Blueblood's eyes narrowed in immediate suspicion. "And your price?"

Rarity shot him a slightly-less-false smile. "Help me learn the lay of the land, as it were. I think, together, we could do a lot more good for Equestria than if we were working against each other. You obviously have much more experience with the charity scene than I was aware of, and I will have a significant amount of political capital once I marry Celestia. I could never forgive myself if I didn't use it to help others as much as I could."

She extended a hoof towards the wary stallion. "I'm not asking for us to be friends. Just... allies."

"Allies." Blueblood looked at the outstretched hoof like it was a snake about to bite him. "I suppose I could consider it."

"And you'll be invited to the wedding too, of course." Whatever Rarity thought of him, she wasn't going to keep him from attending his aunt's special day. "I'm thinking of running some events in the days leading up to the event to raise money for charity, and I think your expertise would be most appreciated."

"Talk is cheap," Blueblood said. He hesitated for a moment, and Rarity was worried he'd reject her offer. "But politics has made for stranger bedfellows, and sacrifices must be made for the greater good." He grasped her hoof, and both of them wanted to immediately let go, but they held firm long enough to shake on their new alliance.

"Well, this has been an unexpected encounter," Rarity said when they thankfully let go and returned to their previous aloofness. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a long talk with my fiancée about keeping secrets."

"And I have to inform my staff that I will not be departing as planned." Blueblood's demeanor was pure business now. "Shall I tell my secretary to pencil you in for a meeting sometime tomorrow?"

"I'm free at lunch," Rarity replied. "Send a message to Celestia's quarters if you can make it."

"Very well. Good day, Miss Rarity." He almost sounded like he meant it this time.

"And to you as well, Prince Blueblood." Rarity almost meant it too.

As Blueblood trotted away, Rarity allowed her smile to finally falter. This had not been how she'd expected her morning to go, but Rarity couldn't say it hadn't been productive. She now had a fiancée to dress down and a new potential ally in her charitable endeavours throughout Equestria. Truly, politics did make for strange bedfellows, as Blueblood had said.

And now, she had to go speak to her actual bedfellow about honesty and being open. It seemed her life was fated to be one of confrontations.

She wouldn't have had it any other way.

To Stare At The Sun, And To Not Blink
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Red Strings, White Chains

To Stare At The Sun, And To Not Blink

"No."

Rarity looked up from the suitcase she was packing. "I'm sorry?" she asked her fiancée, who was currently doing her best Imposing Regal Pose.

"It's too dangerous," Celestia said, looming over her. "The lands beyond the Forbidden Jungle are rarely visited by Equestrians for a reason, and we know little of what lies beyond. My last visit was over a millennium ago, when Luna and I did battle against Sleipnir the Godsteed, and since then the creatures living there have been hostile to ponies."

"That must be the reason why the Map is sending all six of us for this mission." The dress refused to fit, so Rarity dragged out another trunk from the closet. "It's been quite a while since it's done that."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Celestia demanded. "You would all be risking your lives if you blindly went where the Map dictated."

"I'm well aware, my love." It was hard to concentrate on packing, so Rarity focused her full attention on her lover. "But we wouldn't have been sent there without good reason. And Twilight's been doing quite a lot of research ever since we received the summons; I trust that she will have us prepared for whatever trials may face us."

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be enough to placate Celestia. "I trust Twilight more than she can imagine, but it's impossible to prepare for every possibility. Who knows what could happen to you out there?"

Rarity could do nothing else but shrug. "That's a risk that we shall have to take," she said simply.

"No," Celestia repeated as she shook her head. "You cannot travel to the southern lands."

At those words, the temperature in the room plunged as icy tension filled the air. "Oh?" Rarity raised an eyebrow and spoke in a casual tone that was laced with chilled steel. "I wasn't aware that there was anything stopping me from doing so."

"I had assumed that your own sense of self-preservation would hold you back, but it appears I was mistaken," Celestia retorted. "Clearly you cannot be trusted to look after your own interests."

Rather than argue the point, Rarity kept her tone cool. "And what do you intend to do about that, Your Majesty?" Challenge laced her words, daring Celestia to push back.

For a moment, Rarity saw the idea flash in Celestia's eyes, saw that she was seriously considering doing what both of them knew would shatter their relationship irreparably, would violate the trust that Rarity had given Celestia along with her heart.

And then horror flashed in those same beautiful eyes as realization dawned on her, and Rarity felt her own heart ache at the pain she had caused.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, and then shared a quiet giggle at the timing. The tension melted away, though a sombre weight still lingered between them.

"I shouldn't have tried to goad you," Rarity said softly, bowing her head in contrition.

"And I didn't treat you with the respect you deserve," Celestia said back, nuzzling her on the cheek. "Will you forgive a foolish old mare who's grown far too comfortable wearing the weight of a crown?"

Rarity leaned into Celestia as they rubbed their cheeks together affectionately. "Only if you forgive a silly, petty mare who failed to consider her partner's feelings."

Warmth filled Rarity's heart as they allowed themselves to share a quiet, intimate moment together, with nothing but the sounds of their beating hearts to fill the silence.

When the fleeting sense of peace passed, they separated, their expressions turning serious once again. Rarity was the first to speak. "As lovely as this is, our previous impasse still remains."

Celestia sighed. "I can't— won't— force you not to leave," she said. "No matter how much I want to tie you to the bed until this crisis has passed."

"A tempting offer," Rarity teased, "but I'm afraid I must decline. Perhaps after my return?" When Celestia didn't smile back, she dropped the attempt at levity. "I know you would never abuse your position in that way. But if you truly believe me to be an equal, you must allow me the same freedom to fight for Equestria that you grant yourself. And it's not as if this is the first time we've had to risk our lives."

"The other times, you weren't carrying my heart off to battle as well," Celestia replied. "And you know I worried so much about all of you whenever a crisis struck our nation, especially Twilight. But now, I don't know if I have the strength to let you do what is right."

"Oh, Celestia." Love welled up deep inside Rarity as she reached out to stroke her lover's cheek. "I fear that may be our lot in life. You know better than most that to deserve the crown means to be willing to sacrifice for it."

"It occurs to me," Celestia said dryly, "that I wouldn't have this problem if I had picked somepony to love that was less deserving of the title of consort. But I had to go ahead and fall for a warrior who exemplifies selflessness itself."

Rarity raised a hoof against her head in a dramatic swooning gesture. "Truly, it is a tragedy to love such an outstanding beauty as myself!"

"I've had enough tragedy to last several lifetimes, thank you very much." Celestia retorted. Her expression softened until Rarity could see her emotions laid bare in her eyes. "I'm scared, Rarity. I'm not accustomed to being scared, and the recent years have not accustomed to it yet, unfortunately."

"I daresay we'll both have plenty more practice in the years to come." Rarity wrapped her forelegs around Celestia. "We both have our duties, and I would be ashamed to call myself a princess-consort if I wasn't ready to do everything required of me to defend Harmony. As for you, my love, don't think I'm not aware that you've been caught up in most of the conflicts the Elements have been involved in. I worry about you too at times, but I understand that the mare I'm about to marry must always think of others first."

"You've clearly thought about this far more than I have." With a solemn shake of her head, Celestia asked, "Will you at least promise to come back safely to your fiancée?"

It was Rarity's turn to shake her head. "I can't promise that I won't do anything foolhardy, or that I won't do whatever I have to in order to save lives, but I swear to you that I have no intention of throwing my life away without a very good reason. After all, I have someone waiting for me at home now, hmm?"

She leaned in for a kiss, and Celestia reciprocated. Their worries didn't melt away as their lips joined together, but for this moment, they felt a little farther away, and that was enough for now.

"Very well, I shall pine appropriately for your return, as befits a princess when her champion rides off to battle." A thoughtful look crossed Celestia's muzzle. "Would you mind if I borrowed your fainting couch so I could swoon appropriately at the thought of how dashing you are?"

"What's mine is yours, my love," Rarity replied.

"And the same goes for you," Celestia said, "and that includes my staff. Will you not take a few of the Royal Guards with you? I know Twilight will refuse my offers, and I would hate to see her undefended."

"You play dirty, Your Majesty." The glare Rarity shot her fiancée lacked any heat— they both knew how the game went. "Using our mutual love of Twilight against me. I have no choice but to yield to your demands."

"The sole princess of Equestria cannot afford to do anything less than to play to win," Celestia replied. She pressed a kiss against Rarity's forehead, right beneath her horn. "Be safe. Please."

The raw fear in her tone undid Rarity. "I swear," Rarity whispered, feeling the vow settled into her soul, "I shall do all I can to return to you."

"Then I will wish you best of luck in your adventures to the South, and if you do run into Sleipnir again, I will trust that you shall find a way to defeat him, just as you and your friends have overcome all of your previous trials."

"Thank you, dear." Rarity stood up and returned to her packing, opening up the next trunk and filling it with clothes. "Your faith truly does mean a lot to me."

"You have earned it many times over," Celestia replied. "Now then, do you need any help with packing?"

The Faithful Student
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Red Strings, White Chains

The Faithful Student

The stars were beautiful tonight, Twilight thought as she downed her glass of cider. Luna had outdone herself, and she could have lost herself in the tapestry above her for hours on end.

Anything to ignore the sounds of the party still going on inside of Carousel Boutique.

"Hello, my faithful student."

Twilight sighed. Guess it didn't matter if she excused herself. She turned to face the mare who had ruled Equestria by herself for a thousand years. "You haven't called me that in a long time, Celestia," she said, hating how cool and detached she sounded to this mare that she loved so much. "Not since my coronation all those years ago."

"You haven't been my student for a very long time," Celestia replied, her voice ever serene. "But, something tells me that you aren't seeing me as your fellow co-ruler right now, are you?"

The princess always did have a way of seeing through her. Twilight wondered when she would eventually gain that ability for herself. "You're Princess Celestia," she said simply. "I don't think I can ever forget that."

Celestia sighed. "I know. I'm aware that I spent many years as your teacher, and it'll take more than you referring to me without my title in private to change that."

"I'm sorry." The words were hollow, but they were all Twilight could offer. "I shouldn't have pulled you away from your own engagement party." She barely suppressed a wince at those words. "Congratulations, by the way. I said that before, but I'm really happy for both of you."

"Of that, I have no doubts." There was a rustle of leaves as Celestia settled down next to her. She smiled at her, with that knowing smile she used so often as a teacher. "But there's more to it, isn't there? That's why you excused yourself just now."

"It's silly." Another cheer sounded off from the Boutique. "Really, you don't have to have to be here. I'm fine."

"Twilight, your feelings are valid, and I'd rather help a friend in need than party knowing that some I care for is hurting." Celestia paused. "You do know that I'm quite good at reading ponies, yes? And that you are somewhat of an open book?"

"Funny, Rarity says the same thing." Twilight tried to laugh, but it came out sounding weak and fake even to herself. "You're both very perceptive ponies."

"That we are," Celestia replied. "Which is why both of us have noticed the way you always dance around the topic of our relationship." She frowned. "Is it really so hard to believe that I could fall in love some day?"

"It's not that." This time, Twilight's chuckle was a little more genuine, if dark. "You— Princess Celestia, you were my teacher for over a decade. I looked up to you, worshipped you, during that time. And even if I have a healthier attitude towards you now, you can't deny that you aren't just another pony. You were the sole ruler of Equestria for a thousand years. In a symbolic way, you are Equestria."

Her shoulders sagged. "And Rarity... isn't."

At that, Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that you don't think Rarity is good enough for me?" Despite her attempt to keep her tone friendly, Twilight felt an undercurrent of danger in her voice, and knew she had to pick her words carefully.

"No, I think she is," she replied, and that was the truth. "That's the problem."

"I don't think I follow, my former student." Celestia smirked. "You've always had a quicker mind than I."

"Rarity is an amazing mare," Twilight said, trying to put her concerns into words. "She's refined and graceful and understands how to manoeuvre around the aristocracy and politicians to get what she wants. Her understanding of the workings of Canterlot is better than mine. And she's a pony who rightfully earned the Element of Generosity."

"I have noticed all these things," Celestia replied dryly. "I did fall in love with her for a reason."

"Right." Twilight stared up into Celestia's eyes as she spoke. "And now, the most generous mare in Equestria, the one who would give up anything for those she cares for, is going to be marrying Equestria herself."

Celestia's eyes widened for just a moment before she composed herself. "Rarity and I are not the only ones who are perceptive," she muttered. "I didn't think anyone else besides us two would connect the dots."

"You've sacrificed everything for your ponies," Twilight said. "And I know Rarity would do the same in a heartbeat. That's why I'm worried."

For a moment, Celestia didn't say anything. Then, she smiled warmly. "You care very much for both of us, don't you, Twilight?"

"I do," Twilight replied. "Both of you are so important to me, and I know you're really good for each other, but part of me can't help but imagine worst-case scenarios." A sheepish grin played on her lips. "You know how I can get."

"I may have had some experience," Celestia teased. "I cannot promise you that all will be well, Twilight. But, to be honest, our marriage hardly changes the risks. After all, how many times have the six of you risked your very lives for us? As much as you praise Rarity's selflessness, I know that you would not hesitate to give all that you can for Equestria. That's what makes you a good princess."

A blush warmed Twilight's cheeks at the praise. "I guess I never even considered how dangerous it was to be a Bearer. Still, that's a different kind of risk, isn't it?"

"I suppose, but Rarity is a smart mare, and she understands that the best way for her to serve Equestria is to live a happy, fulfilling life, so that she can continue to do what she does best for a very long time." There was a scream coming from the boutique, followed by laughter. "And she has the five of you to ensure that neither of us burn each other out, no?"

"I hope so." The words slipped out before Twilight could stop them.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Change is a natural part of life, Twilight. And while it's also natural to fear it, we must not let our fears control us."

"I know that." Twilight glanced back at the boutique. "But theory is hard to put into practice sometimes." She reached out to nuzzle Celestia. "I'll try my best to get over it, though. For all of our sakes."

"There is no doubt in my mind that you will prevail." Celestia returned the nuzzle, and Twilight took a few moments to be a student comforted by her teacher once again. "Now, shall we get back to the festivities?"

"Yes." Twilight was ready to face the future now. No matter what it might hold.

As they made their way back to the boutique, Celesta asked, "So, how long do you think it will take until you become comfortable with the idea of your former mentor being physically intimate with one of your friends?"

Twilight nearly tripped over her hooves, stumbling forwards as she turned to glare at her friend. "Princess!" she choked out, her cheeks burning.

Celestia chuckled. "Ah, perhaps another day, then."

Something Old
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Red Strings, White Chains

Something Old

"Hmm... no, no, most definitely not, no..."

Rarity groaned as she tossed aside the stack of sketches. "Oh, why must art be suffering?"

From across the room, Celestia looked up. "Is something the matter, my love? You've been more vocal than usual today about your displeasure."

"Oh, it's just horrid!" With a dramatic sigh, Rarity turned away from her sketching table to face her fiancée. "My muse has left me, Celestia!" She floated up one of the sketches. "I need a necklace to act as a centrepiece of my reception dress, but I haven't been able to create an acceptable design." She gestured at the pile of crumpled papers in the wastebasket.

"Hmm." Celestia stared at the sketch, her eyebrows furrowing until she stood up. "Oh, I think I might have something for this. You're going for a true Classical style, yes?"

Rarity nodded. "I thought I would go with something traditional, to match the decor of the dining hall."

"A fine idea." Celestia trotted over towards her closet, and Rarity heard the sound of her rummaging in her drawers. "Ah, here we go!" She trotted out with a satisfied grin, holding a diamond necklace in her magic.

Rarity took a moment to study it before her eyes widened. "Oh, this is perfect!" she exclaimed, grinning widely. "Yes, the platinum chain blends well into the neckline, and the sapphire in the center contrasts well with the rest of the dress to draw the eye, The gilding is exactly what I needed to complement the style of the dress." She grabbed the necklace excitedly and turned it over to better see the expert craftsmanship from every angle. "This is very authentic to the Classical Era," she noted approvingly.

"I should hope so, considering it was once Princess Platinum's," Celestia said dryly.

Rarity froze, nearly dropping the necklace in shock. "Princess Platinum gave this to you? The founder herself?"

"No," Celestia replied. "I won it from her, fair and square. Though, it was rather foolish of her to challenge an alicorn to a drinking competition. She put up an admirable fight, but she was no match for my Earth Pony metabolism. Also, she was already drunk when she suggested the contest. I offered to strike our wager from the lists afterwards, but she was quite insistent on honouring it, and gave me that necklace as her forfeit."

The words washed over Rarity as her eyes were locked on the jewelry, the world seeming distant to her as she drowned in her own thoughts. "I see," she heard herself say.

"Is something wrong, Rarity?" A hoof on her shoulder brought her back into reality as she stared up at ancient eyes who had seen so very much.

"It's nothing," Rarity said reflexively, then caught herself as Celestia's eyes narrowed. "I simply... forget, sometimes, that the mare I've fallen in love with is, ah, quite a bit older than myself."

At that, Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Are you calling me old?"

"Not exactly." Rarity paused. "I mean to say that you're ageless, immortal, and have witnessed more centuries and I have years." She smiled. "And sometimes, when I remember this, I marvel at how you chose me over all others."

Celestia smiled back. "I've seen empires rise and fall. I've been in the company of those that history and legends would call the greatest, wisest, most beautiful, and most skilled. But none of them ever captured my heart as you have. Never forget that you are special, Rarity."

"With somepony like you in my life, how could I?" Rarity leaned in for a quick nuzzle. "Though, it's hard for a mere mortal such as myself to wrap her head around just how special I am."

"Well, I'll be here to remind you," Celestia promised. "Always."

Something New
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Red Strings, White Chains

Something New

"So, you and Rarity, huh?"

Celestia took a sip from her teacup. "That is what it says on the wedding invitations, yes."

"Huh." Sunset Shimmer stared into her own mug of coffee. "I'm not really sure how I feel about that. Honestly, I guess part of me is still trying to wrap my head around you falling in love in the first place."

"Mmm, Twilight had similar issues at first as well. She also has difficulties imagining me as a flesh and blood mare with carnal desires towards one of her best friends."

It was a very good thing that Sunset hadn't been actively drinking from her mug, or else she likely would have choked to death on the spot. On the other hand, maybe that would have been better than having to look her former mentor in the eye after that comment. "Celestia!" she managed to shout, her eyes bulging out in shock. "What the buck?"

Mirth danced in Celestia's eyes as her lips twitched. "I'm sorry, Sunset, but I've been dying to do something like that for quite some time, and I'm afraid it would be far too mean to pull this stunt on Twilight." She winked. "You were always far less reverent with me."

"Yeah, well, it's one thing to be the only one willing to call you out on your shit sometimes, and another to have my old teacher talking about having the hots for this world's version of my girlfriend." Boy, did she wish someone had spiked her mug before this meeting. Sunset really didn't need or want to be sober right now. "I wonder if it'll ever not be awkward."

"While the existence of parallel universes has been known for quite some time, this is the first time I can recall where there were any significant interactions between two worlds," Celestia replied. "As such, I'm afraid we're breaking new ground in terms of social perceptions."

"At least I'm used to being a trailblazer," Sunset muttered. "First pony to make a life in the human world, first pony to date a human, and now this."

"You have done much to be proud of, Sunset." Even after all these years, those words from Celestia sent a thrill of joy coursing through Sunset's heart. Which was honestly kind of sad, but old habits died hard, she supposed. "You've discovered the magic of friendship is a world without magic, and from what Twilight's told me, you've been doing a wonderful job in spreading that magic in your political career."

Sunset shrugged. "I had help. Turn out dating a world-famous fashion designer and having a soccer superstar as a friend makes fundraising for campaign funds a lot easier."

"When you were my student, you would never have had the humility to ask for help like that," Celestia said. "Truly, you have grown so much in your time away from me. In addition to having wonderful tastes in partners."

This time, Sunset was ready for the teasing. "I could say the same for you, Princess. Though, I have to wonder. I get why you fell in love with Rarity — if she's anything like my Rarity, then she's probably the most amazing mare in this world — but how did you get her to agree to marry you? You're just a princess of Equestria with a cake addiction and centuries of experience ruling a nation."

"I wonder the same thing most days." Celestia hid her smile behind her teacup. "I can only try to make up for my obvious manipulation by attempting to make her happy for the rest of her life."

"I'll toast to that." Sunset raised up her mug. "To making our Rarities happy."

"To the transformative power of love." There was a soft clink as teacup tapped against mug. "I wonder how our better halves are doing. My fiancée was particularly excited about your visit."

"Yeah, Rarity's been going crazy about the idea of helping design a dress for another version of herself. She hasn't stopped talking about it ever since you sent the invitations." Sunset smiled. "We'll probably have to pry them apart with a crowbar at the end of the weekend."

"I am very much looking forward to seeing the dress on the wedding day," Celestia mused. "I have absolutely no doubts that it will be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"Bold words for someone who was around when the Pillar of Beauty was at her most active."

"I have much faith in my fiancée's abilities, in many things." There was a flash of magic as Celestia summoned up a folder. "Speaking of which, she's also become something of a political advocate since our engagement, as would be expected from a consort."

"Yeah, I can see that," Sunset said. "Not like I don't talk policy with my girlfriend a lot of the times."

"Mmm." Celestia set down the folder on the table. "My Rarity has also been reading the reports you've been sending me."

"Oh?" Curiosity piqued, Sunset set down her mug and devoted her full attention to her former teacher.

"I know I've always been a little... set in my ways." A wry smile graced Celestia's lips. "I suppose that's the curse of immortality, to be resistant to change because that might mean admitting that you've been wrong for a very, very long time."

Sunset chuckled. "Heh, guess I'm not the only person who's changed since we were student and teacher. You would never have said that back in the day."

"These past few decades have been... a humbling experience, in many ways."

"I can imagine, considering the stories Twilight's been telling me." Mischief gleamed in her eyes as Sunset spoke. "Problem with living forever is that you can't just put off your problems for a thousand years and expect someone else to deal with it."

"In my case, that seems to have worked out well enough," Celestia teased. "I've gotten some wonderful companions out of my gambit."

"Guess I can't fault you there," Sunset replied. "If it weren't for the Elements finding new bearers, we'd both probably be single right now. And I might still be evil, which is also bad, I guess."

"And I would not have had someone to explain to me that change can be a good thing, that Equestria has remained isolated from a potential source of advancement for far too long."

Now she had Sunset's complete attention. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

At Celestia's nod, Sunset felt a sense of gravity in her heart, a certainty that something very momentous was about to happen that would be recorded in the history books as the beginning of a new era. After all the times Celestia had rejected her suggestions, she'd lost hope of this day ever coming.

"Before you begin celebrating," Celestia said after a moment, breaking Sunset out of her reverie, "you should know that I don't intend on turning Equestria into a technocracy where artificers can work unfettered to transform our nation."

She set her teacup down and met Sunset's stare with one of equal gravity. "The reservations I have before are still present, and while Rarity has convinced me that the risk of First Contact is well worth the potential reward, that does not mean I wish to grant unfettered access between our worlds."

"Of course." Sunset's heart was pounding in her chest now. She hadn't expected to be part of something this big when she'd first arrived. In comparison, a royal wedding seemed like a sideshow.

"In order to ensure the best possible outcome for both sides, we would need to enlist the aid of someone who has walked in both worlds and possesses a deep understanding of what each can offer the other, as well as what dangers they might present." The whole world seemed to disappear as Celestia captured Sunset's attention entirely with her presence. "Rarity has informed me that her counterpart was dating someone who might fit that description."

"What do you want from me, exactly?" There was no time for beating around the bush or any signs of hesitation — Sunset knew she needed to prove herself here.

"If we decide to make contact with the rulers of the human world, Equestria will be sending their diplomatic team over to negotiate the exchange of knowledge and goods. There will be much distrust from both sides, and having a couple that consists of a human and pony will go a long way towards assuaging some of those misgivings." Celestia pushed the folder towards her. "I would employ you as an advisor on the Equestrian side, to aid the negotiating team in determining if they are being treated fairly. Given her skills in politics, I assume that your Rarity should be able to manoeuvre herself into a similar position on the human's side."

Sunset picked up the documents in front of her and skimmed them. The first was a contract that would make her an official employee of the Crown, with a lot of legalese about what that would entail. The remaining papers were simply information about the proposed initiatives to contact the other world. "I'd have to step down from my current job to take on this position," she said absently as she flipped through the papers.

"You will be adequately compensated for your service," Celestia replied. "Though I doubt that matters to you."

"Well, it matters a little, but honestly, Rarity makes enough for the both of us anyways." Sunset gathered up the documents back into the folder. "I'd have to go over these more carefully later, of course, and discuss with Rarity, but I'm pretty sure I know what my answer will be." She stood up and held out a hoof, smiling. "I can't wait to work with you again, princess. Hopefully this time it won't end in another trip to the Forbidden Archives."

Celestia shook the outstretched hoof, and two worlds were changed forever. "We've recently improved our security after a... minor incident a few weeks ago, so you might not find it so easy to break in."

Sunset's smile turned to a smirk. "That sounds like a fun story."

"It was an interesting experience, to say the least." They returned to their seats and their drinks. For a moment, there was peaceful silence as they both contemplated the ramifications of their agreement. Then, Celestia casually said, "You know, it occurs to me that an interdimensional marriage between a human and a pony would do much good in establishing trust in our negotiations."

This time, Sunset did actually choke on her drink, sputtering as she slammed her hoof against her chest in an attempt to clear it of liquid. She glared up at Celestia's serene smile. "You were waiting for that," she choked out accusingly, still trying to catch her breath. "I'd forgotten how childish you could be."

"It's rare that I can find someone who doesn't revere me so that I can tease them safely," Celestia replied. "That is one of the reasons why I so cherish Rarity."

"Fair enough, I guess." The last of the coffee gone from her lungs, Sunset sat up straight once again. "Must be hard to find someone willing to put up with your table manners in private."

Celestia took the teasing in stride. "Rarity is a very understanding mare."

"Uh huh." Sunset paused. "You might have a point though. About the marriage thing. I... uhh..." She trailed off, finding it difficult to say the words aloud. Somehow, this was more terrifying than standing at the precipice of a new age.

"Do you have a ring yet?" Celestia asked, cutting through Sunset's hesitation.

"Yeah," Sunset admitted. "I hid it back in our apartment on the other side of the mirror. With all this wedding talk lately Rarity's been dropping some hints about wanting to take the next step, so I'll probably propose after you and your Rarity tie the knot." She smirked. "Wouldn't want to overshadow you by doing it now."

"Careful, young lady, or you might find yourself put on the spot during the reception," Celestia replied with her own smirk. "I could very well tell all of Equestria that you had a very special announcement to make during the speeches."

"Oh, you want me to reveal what really happened during the 990th Summer Sun Celebration, and why you were an hour late to raise the run?" Sunset asked, blinking innocently.

"Touché," Celestia murmured. "Sill, if there is any help you need in making your proposal what you desire it to be, please don't hesitate to reach out."

"I won't," Sunset promised. "And thank you. For everything. I don't think I've ever said it before, but despite how it ended, I don't regret being your student."

"And I treasure the time I spent as your teacher," Celestia replied.

There was a moment of silence, and then Sunset stood up again. "I think this is the part where we hug."

"Agreed."

As they embraced, Sunset let herself sink back into familiarity. Something within her finally felt fulfilled, something that she hadn't even known she'd been missing. She loved Rarity, of course, and had made a home for herself on the other side of the mirror, but finding a place here in Equestria that didn't take away from everything she had done in the human world finally allowed her to make peace with the two halves of her identity.

"So, we should probably check on Rarity and Rarity," Sunset said as they pulled apart. "Especially if we're going to be discussing more politics. It'll be easier than explaining everything twice."

"Very well."

Before either of them could make a move towards the exit, the doors crashed open to reveal two nearly-identical mares.

"Sunset!" the younger Rarity shouted. "Why didn't you tell me what magic could do to fabrics! Have you seen the flameweave cloth that Rarity has been using in her latest line? It's simply divine!"

"Celestia!" the future princess-consort called out at around the same time. "With the other world's capabilities in mass production, we could provide every designer in Equestria with enchanted silks! Can you imagine the artistic renaissance that would come from that? Also, I simply must find some way to accent my dress with some of these synthetic fabrics from the other world!"

Sunset and Celestia shared a knowing look, smiling at one another before returning their attentions to the mares who had changed their lives, and who would change the world.

The future was going to be very bright indeed.

Something Borrowed
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Red Strings, White Chains

Something Borrowed

One of the advantages of dating Princess Celestia was that it was always socially acceptable to stare at her.

It didn't matter what else might be happening in the room, or how powerful the noble currently speaking might be, Princess Celestia was eternally the Most Important Pony Present. As such, paying attention to her instead of whatever was supposed to be the purpose of a gathering would never be frowned upon.

Which was good, because without being able to gaze upon her fiancée's lovely visage, Day Court would have been even more insufferable.

As much as Rarity enjoyed politicking, she had to admit that many of the petitions brought before the Princess were simply not interesting. While there was the occasional high-profile, high-tension case that appeared, the vast majority had been filtered out by the various courts and administrators to the point where only the requests that everyone was sure would be granted made it to the throne room.

Thus, it was mostly going through the motions of some noble or commoner explaining their situation to Celestia, who had already been given a summary of the details beforehand to base her decision. This was little more than theatre, and while Rarity always appreciated good acting, it got rather dull after the sixth hour, especially when she was expected to remain poised and proper for the entire duration as a special guest of the princess.

After their marriage, she would likely hold her own court, and she hoped it would be more interesting than this, but for now, it was important that she learn what she could from the few interesting visitors who stopped by to ask Celestia for something or other.

At least the stream of well-wishers trying to curry favour with gifts had petered out to only one or two per session. When their engagement had first been announced, Rarity had spent most of her court sessions thanking various nobles and trying to puzzle out what they might ask of her in the future, which was much less enjoyable than watching her beloved comport herself with royal grace.

"Very well, Lady Wish," Celestia said, in her usual tone of gentle authority. "You shall be afforded the funds necessary to begin the charitable initiatives you have proposed. Equestria thanks you for fulfilling your duty to her people."

Lady Golden Wish bowed. "It is my pleasure, Your Majesty." With that, she made her leave, giving the princess a moment of rest.

But only a moment, as Celestia quickly called out, "Next!"

There was the sound of commotion from outside, rumbled whispers and murmurs along with a great deal of shuffling and even a few shouts. Rarity and Celestia shared a confused look as they waited, a secret smile between them at the prospect of something interesting happening to break the monotony of this routine.

The door opened, and the herald stepped in. "Announcing Lady Fluttershy of Ponyville!"

With her centuries of experience, the only signs of surprise on Celestia's expression was a raised eyebrow. Meanwhile, Rarity had to quickly close her mouth and affect a neutral expression as her mind raced to try and figure out what her shy friend was doing at Day Court.

Unfortunately, her jaw dropped yet again when Fluttershy actually entered. She was wearing a formal gown that Rarity recognized as one she'd designed for her to wear at a ball last year, a delicate green thing with a modest amount of ruffles but an otherwise simple design. However, someone had also tastefully woven in an assortment of flowers into the gown, which paired well with the floral crown she wore that seemed to be made of tree branches. An odd choice of accessory, to be sure, but not as odd as her entourage.

A veritable menagerie of creatures surrounded the mare as she slowly trotted into the throne room. A cloud of birds of all colours of the rainbow slowly circled around her head, while a pack of badgers, raccoons, and what appeared to be a small hyena trailed in behind her. On either side of Fluttershy were too many varieties of animals to count, though Rarity managed to pick out several felines, canines, and at least one monkey.

Fluttershy glanced around the room, and the moment she saw all eyes on her, she shrunk in on herself and began backing up. A firm tug on her mane from Angel Bunny (who was riding on her back), as well as a few of the creatures pushing her forwards with their paws, seemed to be enough to get her to continue moving forwards, and eventually, she seemed to find her courage once again as her steps become more confident.

By the time she reached the throne room, she was holding her head up high and proud, even though Rarity could see that she was trembling. The birds surrounding her all fluttered down to the ground in a ring around the other animals, looking very serious about the whole matter. It was almost comical enough to make Rarity laugh.

Fluttershy curtsied politely, a fact that did not go unnoticed by anypony in the room. Rarity knew that Fluttershy was well-versed enough in court behaviour to understand that, as a citizen of Equestria, she should be bowing to the Princess. A curtsy such as hers— even if it was rather deep— was reserved for a head-of-state of another nation.

It was not like Fluttershy to try to make a statement like this, but then again, this whole situation was most unusual.

Finally, Fluttershy spoke, her voice soft and timid. "Umm, hello, Princess Celestia."

Celestia smiled warmly back. "Hello, Lady Fluttershy. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Oh, well, you see..." Fluttershy glanced around, and the animals surrounding her chittered, chirped, chattered, and a bunch of other verbs that Rarity couldn't recall but likely started with "ch." Whatever they said to her seemed to have some kind of fortifying effect, as her voice grew slightly louder and her stammer faded. "I'm here on behalf of the animals of Equestria."

"The animals of Equestria?" Again, Celestia's expression was impassive, but Rarity could sense the humour in her words. She was amused at this diversion, and Rarity couldn't really blame her, after all the tedium of the past several hours.

Fluttershy nodded. "They've made me the temporary..." She paused. "I don't think we ponies have a word for it but I speak for all the creatures in Equestria right now who do not have a voice of their own."

Celestia shot a glance at Rarity, a silent question in her eyes. Is she serious? Do we need to take this seriously?

Rarity could only stare helplessly back, giving the slightest nod. I do not know, my love, but Fluttershy is not one to exaggerate. Best not take the risk of angering all the beasts in the land.

A slight tilt of Celestia's head let Rarity know her message was acknowledged as the princess returned her attention to the newly-minted Queen of Beasts. "Very well, then. What business do you have with us, Lady Fluttershy?" she asked with all the proper respect of a princess to the queen of another nation.

Fluttershy motioned to Angel, who pulled a scroll out and handed it over to her. "I'm here to convey the..." A blush formed on her cheeks as she stopped speaking again until Angel tugged on her hair again. "Okay, so can I start by saying that this is my best attempt at translating from a lot of different types of animal speech, so some of the wording might be... odd? Sorry about that."

"We are no strangers to language barriers here," Celestia said kindly.

Fluttershy nodded and then returned her attention to the scroll. "The, uhh, beasts of Equestria would like to express their happiness that you have finally found a mate, and hope that you have... that you have many offspring who survive the winter!" She said the last few words in a rush before blushing and trying to hide behind her long pink mane.

There was a moment of silence as everypony struggled to process those words. Finally, Rarity stepped forward, taking advantage of the fact that since Fluttershy's statement was also addressed to her, she had the right to speak. "Please extend our gratitude to the creatures of Equestria who sent you for their well-wishes, and our appreciation for all that they do in maintaining the ecosystems of our land."

Angel patted Fluttershy's back and squeaked something into her ear. Fluttershy perked up at that again. "Oh, right, we also wanted to present to you a gift for the mating ceremony— err, wedding!" She turned her head back and called out, "Harry, can you bring the wedding gift, please?"

There was wore shouting and screaming from the outside, and then a familiar bear walked into the room, standing on his back legs and towering over all the ponies present. The nobles all backed away in fear, a couple of them tripping over and falling to the ground as they stared wide-eyed at the large predator.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Rarity simply smiled at the sight of the bear that they'd both shared tea with before in Fluttershy's company. Neither of them flinched as he approached the throne, and Celestia motioned to the guards to lower their weapons. A plain wooden chest was held in his claws, which Rarity recognized as being from Fluttershy's bedroom. She supposed that the beasts of Equestria didn't quite have the means to purchase something more ostentatious.

"Thank you, Harry," Celestia said as he placed the chest on the floor. Using her magic, she opened it up to reveal a small pillow— also from Fluttershy's bedroom— and what appeared to be a garter resting atop it.

Rarity bit back a wince at the sight of it. The craftsmanship of the piece was... shoddy, at best. Ambers and pearls of different shapes and sizes were woven haphazardly into a strangely-patterned cloth band that didn't seem to match any style Rarity was familiar with. The quality of the cloth seemed incredibly smooth and high-quality, even if it was in a rather dull off-white colour and Rarity couldn't identify the material it was made from, but the edges were lumpy and uneven.

And then she looked into Fluttershy's eyes, and saw pride in them. "This was created by the creatures of Equestria, from the bounties of Nature. Pearls given up gladly by clams who are very happy at your union, amber containing the smallest creatures who passed before their time, and silk woven by spiders who understand the beauty of the wild."

"It's wonderful," Celestia said, and Rarity could hear the raw sincerity in her words. "This is truly a unique and precious gift we have been blessed with."

"You've done so much to create a land where creatures of all kind can live in Harmony," Fluttershy said. "And it's more than just the speaking creatures who are grateful for it. This is a token of thanks from my animal friends for all your preservation efforts. And it's also a reminder."

At those words, her gaze hardened, the steel that was hidden within her soul coming out as she spoke in a firm voice. "Equestria was founded on land that did not originally belong to ponies. A pact was made when you tamed the beasts of Equestria. Remember your duty to them, now and always."

"We will," Celestia promised. "Equestria is a land of Harmony for all living creatures, and we hold that principle in highest regard."

Fluttershy nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, princess." It was at that point that she glanced around the room, and seemed to realize that she was the center of attention, all the nobles gawking at her in open shock. "I'm... just going to leave now, if it pleases you," she squeaked out, shrinking in on herself again.

"That's fine, Lady Fluttershy," Celestia said kindly. "Thank you for bringing us this gift, and for acting as a voice for those who cannot speak to us."

With that, Fluttershy quickly backed out of the room, followed by her unusual entourage. Harry gave a quick bow before making his exit and leaving the room occupied solely by ponies once again.

The nobles all let out the collective breath they had been holding, and even Rarity felt some of the tension leave her own body. Still, a lingering sadness tugged at her heart as Celestia announced the end of Day Court and followed behind her fiancée as they made their own exit through the back of the throne room.

"Do you think she could be a threat?" Celestia asked, skipping over all preamble.

Rarity appreciated the candor, even if the question hurt to think about. "I think," she said slowly, "that taking any action against dear Fluttershy would be a very stupid idea, for a number of reasons." The implied warning hung in her tone like a dagger between them.

"I wasn't considering that," Celestia replied smoothly. "But she's introduced a new player into the political game, one that is possibly more unpredictable than Discord himself. If Fluttershy comes to us with demands from her new constituents, how seriously should I take them?"

"Fluttershy would never make a demand for herself," Rarity said. "If she comes to us again, it will be as a mediator. She's not a threat. On the contrary, this is an opportunity to learn about possible tiffs between us and the natural world before we stick our hoof into a problem."

"Very well." They had made their way to Celestia's personal sitting room by now, and Celestia poured out a glass of water for each of them. "This wedding is going to change more than I realized, it seems."

"Not to worry," Rarity replied as she took a sip of water. "You have me to help see you through this storm."

Celestia smiled. "That I do." She raised her glass. "To living on borrowed land."

Rarity clinked her glass against hers. "To a new age of Harmony, for all creatures."

Something Blue
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Red Strings, White Chains

Something Blue

"Hail, fair Rarity!"

Rarity turned to see a familiar blue alicorn walking towards her. "Luna!" She gave her a polite nod of acknowledgement and a smile. "How lovely to see you!"

"Aye." Luna gestured towards a pair of couches next to her. "I regret that I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with you since your engagement to my sister. Alas, my duties and mine unusual schedule have kept me from this task. Will you share a drink with me?"

There was something Rarity needed to do, but it could wait. "Certainly."

They sat down, and Luna poured out a glass of amber liquid for each of them. "I had not realized that your relationship had become so intimate as to warrant marriage. The passage of time is peculiar to those of us who are eternal."

"So I've gathered," Rarity said, taking a glass with her magic.

"Under normal circumstances, this would be where I test your worthiness to stand by my sister's side," Luna commented as she took her own drink. "I have a duty to Equestria, you understand, and must ensure that it is protected at all times. Love is a powerful and dangerous force, especially when an alicorn is involved, and a princess' consort could do much harm with the power granted unto her."

"I see." A tension filled the room, and Rarity studied the lunar princess for clues as to her next move. "Are we to battle with steel or wits, then? Because if it is the former, I must admit I'm quite rusty with a blade, but I shall do my best to not embarrass myself."

Luna snorted. "My sister does not need a warrior to protect her from physical threats."

"I suppose not," Rarity murmurred. "A shame. There's something quite thrilling about dueling another pony for the sake of love, even if I'd rather be the one being dueled over."

"There are many qualities that a consort must possess," Luna said. "True love, certes, but that is not always enough. A selfish lover who places her relationship above duty could lead to ruin for Equestria. A generous heart and a willingness to sacrifice oneself for others is required as well." She smirked at Rarity, and the tension melted away. "I doubt I have need to examine these virtues in you."

Rarity toyed with the purple gem around her necklace, the Element of Generosity itself that she earned so many years ago. "I do believe they've been plenty tested before, yes."

"Quite," Luna replied. "As I have no desire to be struck by the power of the Elements once again, I shall instead congratulate you on your impending nuptials." It was always difficult to read Luna's emotions, especially when she always used such formal language, but Rarity could feel the respect coming from her words, and appreciated them.

"Thank you," she said, then smiled. "So, is testing the virtues of mortals a hobby that runs in the family, then?"

Luna shrugged. "Celestia loves her little games, and as Mistress of Dreams, I have provided intelligence to her that has turned the tides of wars in the past. After all, what better place to learn what truly lurks within a pony's heart than a realm of her own creation?"

A shiver coursed down Rarity's spine as she absently swirled the liquid in her glass around. "That's rather... disconcerting," she said softly.

"Only if you are an enemy of Equestria," Luna replied. "We have strict laws that prevent me from using a pony's dreams against them in peacetime, and even in war, there are moral limits to what I will do. For now, I am content to spend time with my future sister-in-law, and converse with her as if it were the waking world."

Rarity stiffened at that. "Excuse me?"

Luna chuckled. "Do you recall how you came to be here?"

"Well, I had some rather important business in the throne room. I was supposed to be..." Rarity paused, struggling to recall why she had been headed there. Then, something else occurred to her. "I'm not entirely certain how I came to be here either."

She glanced around the room, and found that she was in a room decorated like one of the palace's sitting rooms, but situated right in the hallway leading to the throne room. The landscape outside the windows were all wrong, too, flickering between moonlit meadows and city skylines with no sense of continuity.

"Oh," Rarity finally said, turning back to face Luna. "This is a dream, then."

Luna nodded. "You are a very busy mare, and I did not wish to take more time out of your day, when I could simply visit you at night so that you would have no other engagements."

"I appreciate the efficiency," Rarity replied, "though, know that I will always make time for you, Luna. I know we haven't had many chances to spend time together when Equestria wasn't in danger, but I do consider you a friend, and we shall be family whenever this blasted wedding actually happens."

"Thank you," Luna said politely. "So, I take it that arrangements have been going poorly?"

"They're going about as well as can be expected when one of the brides is Princess Celestia herself." Rarity concentrated in her cup before sipping from it, willing the taste to alter. Ah, perfect, she did so love this vintage of red. "The dream of a royal wedding is much more pleasant than the reality, I must say."

"Such is the nature of dreams." The landscape outside one of the windows twisted as Luna spoke, turning from a bright sunny meadow to a sinister-looking forest that glowed with malice. "And yet, dreams are constrained by the limits of our imaginations."

A soft smile played on Rarity's lips. "It's true. I wouldn't give up what I had now for my dream wedding. Being with Celestia has made me far happier than I would have thought possible."

An answering smile from Luna. "I am truly happy for the two of you. My sister deserves all the happiness in the world for all she has done."

"I couldn't agree more." Rarity took another sip of her wine, hiding her smile behind the glass. "And you deserve it as well. I hope to one day meet the pony who steals your heart."

Luna did not have her sister's talent for concealing her feelings, and a blush coloured her cheeks as she turned away. "Unfortunately, the chances of two immortals finding love in the same century are astronomical at best."

Celestia really was the better liar. Rarity's smile turned predatory as she spoke. "Ah, but are you not the princess of the stars? Surely such odds are foal's play for you, especially if a pony has already caught your eye."

Luna let out a gasp at that. "How did you know?" she demanded, sounding panicked at having her secret revealed.

Rarity waved off her concern with a hoof. "I wasn't sure until you just played your hoof, darling. No worries, your secret is safe with me. Whomever they are, I'm sure they're wonderful, and perhaps I'll even be able to stop Celestia from performing her own tests of character on them."

That got a snort from Luna. "It is too late for that. Celestia has been testing her for a very long time."

Now it was Rarity's turn to gasp. "Oh, stars, surely it's not...?" She grinned. "Does Twilight Sparkle know you have feelings for her?"

"Nay!" Luna hastily replied. "Please do not tell her!"

"I won't," Rarity promised. "But if I may ask, why haven't you confessed to her yet?"

"Because she is Twilight Sparkle," Luna said simply. "One such as her deserves a much more worthy partner."

Rarity set down her glass and turned her full attention to Luna. "If I thought that way, I would never have ended up engaged to Celestia. Also, you are a princess of Equestria, though I know Twilight doesn't care for such titles. But she does care about what lurks within a pony's heart and mind, and I can't imagine she wouldn't find a pony who has spent her immortal life studying secret magic and defending the dream realm without any thanks unworthy of her romantic interests."

"Do you truly believe that?" Hope glimmered in Luna's eyes.

"I do," Rarity replied sincerely. "And I would love nothing more than to help you explore your feelings with Twilight. Have you considered asking her if she needs help with planning the wedding? Doubtless your expertise in the arcane will be invaluable, given the number of odd magical logistics that a royal wedding seems to attract."

Luna placed a hoof on her chin. "Hmm, I suppose I could offer my services in strengthening the wards against the Night Terrors. With so many creatures of great power converging for the ceremonies, there is no doubt that they will attempt to attack at some point through the Veil of Dreams."

Rarity very deliberately did not think too hard about that statement, and kept her smile light and cheerful. "That's the spirit! No matter how this turns out, I don't doubt that you won't regret growing closer to Twilight. She's a remarkable mare."

"That she is. Thank you, Rarity, for your support." Luna bowed her head. "I am unused to the ways of modern courtship."

"It's no trouble at all, and really, I'll be the one benefiting from you helping Twilight with the wedding."

"It would be my honour to make the celebration of your union with Celestia the greatest it can be," Luna said, standing up. "Welcome to our family, sister mine."

Tears welled up in Rarity's eyes. "Oh, Luna," she whispered, standing up herself and walking over to hug her new family member. "Thank you so much. It means the world to me that you approve of us."

"I can think of no better partner for Celestia." Luna's head cocked to one side as she stared at something behind Rarity. "Ah, I believe it is almost time for you to wake." Her horn glowed. "I would leave you with a gift before we part."

With a flash of magic, a sapphire necklace appeared in front of her, the central gem glowing with arcane energy. "This jewel contains a sliver of my power," Luna explained as she floated it over towards Rarity. "If you wear it in your sleep, its magic will grant you lucidity during any nightmares you might encounter, and allow you the ability to transform it into a dream of your choosing. With the stress of your upcoming nuptials, I don't doubt you'll have need of this."

Rarity took the necklace reverently in her hooves. "Oh my, this is a beautiful accessory," she commented as she put it on. "And I will certainly make plenty use of it. Thank you, Luna. I hope to see you again soon, here or in the waking world."

"I have my duties, but I will find time to spend with my new sister." Luna winked. "After all, I have plenty of embarrassing stories to share from when my sister and I were young, and I am sure you would make good use of that knowledge."

"I look forward to hearing all of them." With that, Rarity felt the world begin to fade, and a moment later, she opened her eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the window, directly onto her face, and she blinked away the offending light. She was lying in Celestia's bed, alone, which was usual for when she slept over at the palace. After all, Celestia had to wake early to raise the Sun.

Making a mental note to find her and wish her a good morning before going on with her day, Rarity's hoof instinctively pressed against her chest, and she was somewhat surprised to find something hanging around her neck. She bent her head down and saw the familiar glint of the sapphire necklace in her hooves.

So, it had all been a dream, but that hadn't made it any less real. Rarity smiled as she climbed out of bed and placed the necklace in her saddlebags, ready to face the day with the knowledge that she was accepted by the Night.

Legacies
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Red Strings, White Chains

Legacies

Turquoise magic swirled around the quill as it was lifted into the air.

"When was the last time you had to act as witness to a signature?" Rarity asked conversationally, trying not to think too hard about the document in front of her. "I can't imagine you get requested to do so very often."

"I believe it was at Shining and Cadance's wedding, coincidentally enough," Celestia replied. "Had Twilight not intervened during the first ceremony, it would have been quite awkward to explain that I had borne false witness and failed to confirm the identities of the signatories." Rarity could feel her fiancée's eyes on her as she spoke, but couldn't bring herself to look up.

The quill didn't tremble as she dipped it into the inkwell. "Well, if you wish to verify that I am indeed your beloved, I would be more than happy to recount your most embarrassing moments."

"I don't think that will be necessary." Their voices were light and teasing and sounded false to both of them.

A drop of ink splattered onto the table as Rarity let the quill hover above the document. "Wonderful, then we can proceed."

The quill didn't move.

"Rarity," Celestia said, and the concern in her voice galled Rarity.

"I'm fine," Rarity replied, a little more shortly than she intended. She forced a smile on her face, and hoped it didn't look like a rictus grin. "It's all done, anyways. This is merely a formality."

"You don't have to do this." The kindness in Celestia's voice was grating, even though it was sincere. "We can find some other way to—"

"No!" Rarity snapped. "Don't." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we already decided this is for the best. A consort of a princess cannot engage in trade without introducing far too many conflicts of interest. There's no point in second-guessing myself now."

She channeled the last of her angry energy into action, pressing down on the paper harder than necessary but still signing her name on the contract. "It's done. Carousel Boutique now belongs entirely to Coco Pommel and Sassy Saddles."

Amazingly, she managed to hold herself together as she floated the contract over to Celestia to sign as the witness. Without any fanfare, Celestia took the quill from Rarity and filled in her own signature with a perfunctory swish.

And that was that.

The document was placed back on Celestia's writing desk, and Rarity couldn't drag her attention away from it. It seemed wrong for something so mundane-looking to have had such a devastating effect on her, a defiance of all conventions and respect for dramatic flair which offended Rarity's sensibilities.

A warm hoof touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she heard Celestia say.

"It's quite alright," Rarity replied, feeling tears begin to well in her eyes. "It had to be done. This is a small price to pay for a lifetime of h-happiness with y-you." She almost made it to the end before her heart finally broke and she collapsed against Celestia.

Soft feathers surrounded her as Celestia enveloped her with her wings, nuzzling the top of her head as Rarity cried freely. "It is no small price, my love. I know how much Carousel meant to you, and there is no shame in mourning your loss."

"T-Thank you," Rarity sobbed out, pressing herself deeper into her lover's embrace.

There were a great many reasons why Rarity loved Celestia with all her heart. Right now, all that mattered, though, was that her other half knew the value of silent comfort, knew how to ease Rarity's soul even as she gave her an outlet to indulge in her sorrow. It hurt to cry, to allow herself to feel the full extent of her grief, but both of them knew that Rarity would be stronger for it afterwards.

And so, for the next few minutes, Rarity cried and cried and cried as Celestia softly stroked her mane and said nothing, which was exactly what Rarity needed. Her warmth and divine presence anchored Rarity, and reminded her of what she had made this sacrifice for.

Eventually, the pain began to subside, and Rarity carefully pulled away from Celestia, already regretting the separation. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the powder room," she said, a hollow calmness in her voice. "I must look frightful right now."

Celestia rolled her eyes playfully. "You are beautiful as always, Rarity. But if there is something I can get you, only say the word."

Rarity shook her head. "If you could stay with me for a while longer, please. I need to remind myself of why I made the decision to sell Carousel."

"Very well." Celestia shifted over towards her again, lightly pressing their bodies together.

"It's not all bad," Rarity said, putting on a brave smile. "At least I won't ever have to worry about dealing with quarrelsome clients ever again. Though, I'm sure that dealing with the politics of Canterlot will have me wishing for those halcyon days soon enough."

That got a soft chuckle from Celestia. "Still, you can live every artist's dream of creating beauty unfettered by the demands of others or trifles such as market research."

"That is quite the silver lining," Rarity admitted.

"I've found that life is often a sequence of finding silver linings in a sea of clouds."

"When I was a filly, I believed that a princess such as yourself could burn away all the clouds in her life." A wistful sigh slipped from between Rarity's lips. "Oh, to be young and foolish and foolishly in love again."

"Well, at least you still have that last one," Celestia quipped.

"I suppose I do. Only the type of romantic fool found in stories would give up their life's work for love." The bitterness in Rarity's voice made them both wince.

Celestia's reaction was immediate, her wing once again softly stroking Rarity's back. "I truly am sorry," she said. "If there was any other way..."

"We consulted with so many ponies," Rarity replied firmly. "Even Twilight agreed that I couldn't be allowed to continue selling dresses, and turning it into a charitable organization would still present a conflict of interest when it came to funding."

"I will do everything I can to ensure you do not regret this decision," Celestia promised.

"I know." Rarity smiled, and this time, it was a little more genuine. "There is no doubt in my mind that you will make me the happiest mare in the world."

At that, they lapsed back into calm silence. Both of them had so much to do, so many duties that didn't care if a little slice of Rarity's world was ending, but they were going to steal this moment for themselves regardless, to mourn.

Finally, Rarity spoke. "Do you ever think about your legacy?" she asked, feeling a little silly at the question, considering whom she was asking it to.

To her credit, Celestia seemed to take the question seriously, waiting a moment before giving her answer. "I do not believe so," she said. "Not as mortals do, at least. While everything ends eventually, it is impossible for me to predict what the world will be like when my time comes to move on, and thus, impossible to think about how I might be remembered."

Her eyes glittered with distance, and Rarity recognized the look as one Celestia wore when lost in the past. "And yet, I have struggled with how the decisions of my distant past have been remembered. In a way, my actions have their own legacies, and some still fill me with shame to dwell on, especially when I am praised for them. Take the Summer Sun Celebration, for example. Imagine a celebration of your greatest failure, lauded as a victory as ponies parade you about the city in remembrance of when you struck down your own sister."

She shook her head, and her gaze fell on Rarity once again. "I've found it better to consider the consequences of my actions rather than their memory. Doing good is far more important than being remembered for doing good."

Rarity smirked. "Unfortunately, not all of us can be so selfless. Us mortals have a pesky habit of desiring some little bit of immortality through being remembered." Her chest constricted once again. "That was what Carousel Boutique was supposed to be; something to put in the history books, to remember me by forever. But now, I can hardly in good conscience use my influence to ensure my own designs gain eternal fame."

"I have no doubts that you will find some other way to leave your mark on history," Celestia replied, leaning over to press a soft kiss against her shoulder.

"If nothing else, I will at least be remembered as the mare who won your heart," Rarity quipped. "It's not the way I wanted to be remembered, but I can't deny that it's an achievement unlike anything the world has seen before."

"'Conqueror of the Unconquered Sun' is quite the epithet to be remembered by," Celestia agreed. "As is 'Element of Generosity'."

"There is that, I suppose." Rarity turned her head to nuzzle Celestia, uncaring that she was staining her beloved's fur with her tears. "I love you," she whispered, because she did, and that was what made her sacrifice worth it, in the end.

"I love you too," Celestia replied, before they lapsed into silence again.

Some time later, Rarity glanced up at the clock and winced. "Oh dear, I believe your meeting with the Zebrican ambassador begins in ten minutes."

Celestia sighed. "I cannot afford to cancel that one, not when we're so close to finalizing our trade agreement." She shot a concerned glance at Rarity. "Will you be okay here, my love?"

Rarity nodded. "I have plenty of work to keep myself occupied. The charity auction next week is expecting a pair of dresses from me by tomorrow, and I still have to make some final adjustments before sending them over. There's also Twilight's weekly status report on the wedding preparations to review, and a dozen other administrative matters I must attend to."

"Very well, then." Celestia leaned down, and they shared a brief but passionate kiss. "Until tonight, dear."

"I'll see you soon, darling." With that, Rarity was left alone in the bedroom. She took a few moments to blink away some more tears before making her way over to the powder room to clean herself up. She had much to do today, and there would be time enough to process the rest of her feelings later.

For now, she had a legacy to earn, one way or another.

Another Day In The War Room
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Red Strings, White Chains

Another Day In The War Room

"Sergeant Lance, report!"

The armoured pony snapped off a salute. "Princess Twilight, the cave network within the Canterhorn has been completely warded according to the specifications given here." He floated over a scroll, which Twilight scanned to ensure it was her original copy without any alterations. "If anycreature tries to use them to stage an invasion, we should be alerted this time."

Twilight gave an approving nod. "Good." She picked up her quill and began penning another set of orders. "Make sure a patrol is set up to ensure that each of them is checked on average once every three days. Ideally, we would increase the frequency of inspection as the wedding date gets closer, but I understand that we'll be stretched thin as it is. Tell Captain Bulwark that I want to schedule a meeting with him tomorrow at three in the afternoon to discuss guard allocations. Dismissed."

Sergeant Lance nodded, taking the scroll and galloping off out the large double doors at the opposite end of the room.

Magic picked up the mug of coffee that was Twilight's constant companion, and she downed another gulp of the life-giving liquid before turning towards one of the clerical staff in the room who was monitoring their inbox. "Quill, any updates about the interior decoration? We were supposed to have a preliminary list of required materials by now."

Quill scanned through his list of papers. "It looks like Lady Rarity wanted to make some alterations to the theme, and negotiations between her and the Chief Interior Decorator have reached an impasse."

Twilight's hoof rubbed against her temple. "We need that list to finalize the budget." She turned her attention to her Number One Assistant, who was furiously taking notes and trying to keep a record of everything that was happening. "Spike, add a new item to the list. We need to get someone from the diplomatic services to act as mediator and settle this dispute as fast as possible." She'd do it herself, but she was busy enough already and it was easier to leave things to the professionals sometimes.

Before she could move on to the next item, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Twilight shouted, and a moment later, a pegasus wearing the uniform of the Canterlot Weather Department flew in.

"Your Majesty," she said, taking a bow. "I've got a message from the Weather Council. The schedule you've proposed has been approved and will be distributed in the coming days."

"Thank you," Twilight replied. "Please convey my gratitude to the Council." The pegasus nodded before flying off again, and she muttered to herself. "Finally." It had taken weeks of back-and-forth for them to agree, but at least it was done now.

With that interruption complete, Twilight allowed her attention to drift back to the multitude of papers before her. She'd commandeered the main table of the War Room as her own personal desk, and was making good use of all the space that would normally be given to fifty different ponies.

Various other staff were also busy adding or removing papers from it and bringing their own from their own desks, in a well-oiled machine that Twilight thought of with pride as her own baby. She knew every connection, every job assigned to those under her command, and made sure that they all operated at maximum efficiency, despite the numerous setbacks and politicking that was happening around their planning.

A few minutes of signing forms and drafting letters later, the door opened again to reveal a light gray unicorn with a clipboard. Twilight smiled at her. "Raven!" she called out, waving. "It's good to see you!"

The normally-consummate professional smiled back. "It's great to see you too, Princess Twilight." She gave a perfunctory bow before making her way around the giant table, past the clerical staff rushing about like ants in perfect, frenzied harmony. "I have today's précis ready for you."

She grabbed one of the papers from her clipboard and floated it over to Twilight. Twilight grabbed it and, as she skimmed, asked, "Anything in particular I need to watch out for?"

"Celestia's in one of her moods again." They both grimaced at that. "She's requested that Rose Petal and Amber Gleam work together to design the flower arrangements for the wedding, despite the fact that everypony in the city knows that they haven't been on speaking terms in years."

Twilight sighed. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing and that the two of them will eventually work out their differences, but for now, I'll just edit the schedule to include a predicted delay of a week, and work out a contingency plan in case they don't pull through."

Raven nodded. "I've included a list of alternative florists who should be able to work on short notice in the weekly report. In addition, there will also be an updated seating chart since the Duchess of Trottingham just personally informed Princess Celestia that she will be able to attend the wedding, despite her earlier statements to the contrary."

"I'll review it, but I'm sure it'll be fine." After all, if there was anyone Twilight trusted when it came to matters of planning, it was Celestia's personal assistant. "Anything else?"

"Nothing of particular note," Raven replied. "If that is all, I'll leave you to your work."

"I don't suppose I can convince you to appoint a temporary replacement and help me out here, huh?" Twilight asked wryly, not for the first time since this madness had started.

Raven snorted. "Princess, I think I'd rather take over your world-saving duties instead. At least my death would be quick, and likely less painful."

"Fair enough. Have fun with Celestia." Twilight watched her leave the war room just as an Earth Pony burst in, wide-eyed.

"Your majesty!" he declared, panting. "Terrible news! Confetti Spray just pulled out from planning the celebratory party for the fillies and colts!"

Panic swelled in Twilight's heart for a moment before she forced herself to push it down. "Thank you for bringing me this information," she said, putting on her Calm Princess Facade. "I'll make sure everything is sorted out."

Sensing the dismissal in her tone, he quickly galloped out, and as soon as the doors closed, Twilight cleared her throat and called out, "Pinkie Pie! I need you!"

One of these days, Twilight was going to figure out which holes in the castle security Pinkie was exploiting in order to be able to pop her head out of the closet on Twilight's left without alerting any of the guards. For now, though, she was going to take full advantage of her friend's easy accessibility.

"What's up, Twilight?" The pink party pony said as she pronked over towards her.

"Confetti Spray just pulled out from the wedding," Twilight explained.

Pinkie gasped. "But what about the party for all the fillies and colts? They're not going to wanna attend the stuffy ceremonies and receptions!"

"They're also too unpredictable," Twilight said. "We need to minimize the risk they pose by keeping them entertained. I know you're busy with all your other duties, but do you think Cheese Sandwich might have some time to take over?"

"Oh, he left yesterday," Pinkie replied.

Twilight's head tilted in confusion. "He what? Wasn't he helping you with the party planning?"

Pinkie shrugged. "His Cheesy sense was tingling and he had to go where The Party needed him. Don't worry, he'll be back for the wedding." She reached into her mane and pulled out what looked like a birthday card, handing it over to Twilight. "Here's the note he left behind. You should probably read it."

"'Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East.'" Twilight frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"All will be revealed in good time," Pinkie said with her Mysterious Fortune Teller voice, waving her forelegs in the air. "Right now, though, we've got a party to plan!"

"Right, yes." Twilight shook her head, focusing her attention back to the problem at hand. "If Cheese isn't available, we'll need to figure out a possible list of candidates and how to evaluate them. Do you have, like, some kind of Party Planner Association that you could contact?"

"We don't convene the Ministers of Fun for something small like this," Pinkie said gravely, with such seriousness that Twilight felt her own heart skip a beat. Then, she smiled, and everything was sunshine and rainbows again. "But we don't need it! Because I have a list of every party planner in Equestria, their availabilities, and the kinds of parties they specialize in!"

"I see." Best not question it, for everypony's sake. "Well, I'll trust you to recommend someone to me, if you don't mind." Normally she'd demand a thorough argument back with evidence and references, but this was Pinkie Pie. Her word was all the evidence Twilight needed.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie snapped off a crisp salute, before pulling out a cupcake and giving it Twilight. "I gotta go check on the cakes in the oven, but here. You need to remember to eat more."

"Thanks, Pinkie." With that, Pinkie returned to the closet, which Twilight knew for a fact didn't lead anywhere, but she didn't see her again, so Twilight also didn't question that.

With that diversion dealt with, Twilight picked up the nearest stack of papers and began reviewing and signing the forms she needed, as well as making notes of which ones needed alterations. She managed to get several uninterrupted minutes of blessed productivity before someone else knocked on the door.

"Come in," Twilight called out, hoping that this next complication could be handled quickly.

"Hello, Twilight, I see you're busy as always," a kind, gentle voice said as the door opened to reveal the reason why the entire war room had to have been commandeered.

"Celestia." Twilight put down her quill. "Have you looked over the treaty amendments I proposed to send to the Minotaurs?"

The High Princess nodded. "The provisions will allow their delegates to attend the wedding, while also opening up further talks that may be fruitful in the future, without either side really having to give up anything of worth. A masterful work of statecraft, Twilight, and I'm sure the Minotaurs will accept."

Even after all these years, Twilight couldn't help but blush at the praise. "Thanks. I still need you to sign off on it though, since I don't have the authority to engage in that level of diplomatic alteration."

"I'll be sure to do so as soon as possible," Celestia replied. "Though, that does relate to the purpose of my visit."

"Oh?" Twilight's head tilted in curiosity. "Did another one of the foreign invitees RSVP?"

"None that I know of." The serene smile faded away as Celestia's expression grew serious. "I am here to both thank you and to ask you to indulge an old mare's selfishness."

Twilight gasped. "Celestia! You are the least selfish pony I've ever met." Her indignation was only tempered by the fact that the pony maligning Celestia was in fact the princess herself. "You've given everything for Equestria, and we're happy to make your special day with Rarity as perfect as we possibly can."

"And you've done a marvellous job." A flash of magic sizzled through the air as Celestia summoned up a folder and placed it down in front of Twilight. "Since your coronation, you have worked diligently to ensure that Rarity and my special day does not come at the cost of the ponies of Equestria, and in doing so, have demonstrated extraordinary legal, administrative, and leadership skills."

"I... I'm touched," Twilight said eventually. The floor of complements had set her off-kilter, and it took her a moment to compose herself again and calm her racing heart. "I've been studying hard to learn all the skills I need to keep things running smoothly."

"Those are the same skills required of a princess," Celestia replied. "You've proven yourself more than capable of ruling, time and time again, and so I'm going to ask you for one more request: to take on the position of High Princess so that Rarity and I can have more time to spend with one another."

The entire room fell silent as Twilight stared wide-eyed at one of the two High Princesses of Equestria. Celestia and Luna were the diarchs of Equestria, outranking everyone else in the kingdom except each other. That had been why Twilight still needed one of them to sign off on certain edicts, for she had not yet earned that title.

Until now.

"I'm not—" Of course, Twilight's first reaction was to reject the promotion, to claim that she wasn't worthy of being an equal to her former mentor. How could she ever stand as tall as the Sun itself, shine as bright as the brightest star? No one who wasn't impossibly old and wise was capable of it.

Except, that wasn't quite true, was it?

Another had also been elevated far above what any mortal could dream of. And if Rarity could claim the heart of the solar princess for herself, to believe herself worthy of that which was reserved for the Ancients, then what was holding Twilight back but her own doubts?

She looked about the room, seeing the tired smiles of those who had served Equestria dutifully. The confidence in her that their gazes conveyed was staggering, and it was clear that they believed in her. And, in the end, Twilight believed in herself as well, or else she would never have been able to run as tight a ship as she had.

"I would be honoured." Twilight gave Celestia a very formal bow. "Thank you for believing in me."

Celestia mirrored the gesture. "Thank you for being worthy of that belief." She flipped open the folder to reveal a small stack of documents. "Raven has already prepared the forms and edicts we will need to make the title official, and Luna has also given her approval. You simply need to review them and sign. We can discuss the coronation after the wedding."

Twilight nodded, picking up the quill as she scanned the papers. "This looks all in order." Before she could second-guess herself, she signed her name, a great weight settling into her heart as she watched the ink dry. The weight of the responsibility of an entire nation.

"Congratulations, High Princess Twilight Sparkle." The words felt so odd coming from Celestia. "You now have all of my authority, which should make the logistics of the wedding preparations much easier."

Twilight nodded. "There may be some complications from my ascension that we haven't foreseen, but I'm sure I can solve them."

"Of that, I have no doubts." Celestia's smile returned, as radiant as always. "I have lived through so many centuries, seen civilizations rise and fall, and yet, I have ever experienced an age of Change quite like this one. I'm enjoying it very much."

Twilight smiled back and nodded. She was exhausted, and beyond stressed about the million things that could go wrong with the wedding, but she has also never felt so fulfilled, as she worked to spread the magic of Harmony across the world while planning the greatest tribute to love in all of history. "I can't wait to see what we all can do in the future."

Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, the door slammed open again, revealing a wide-eyed maid. "A swarm of parasprites got into the pantry! Help, please!"

Twilight charged up a teleportation spell on her horn. "Which pantry?"

"T-Third floor, second from the back," the maid replied, still panicked.

Twilight nodded and turned to Celestia. "Should I—?" She stopped herself in the middle of the question. She was a High Princess now. "I'm going to hold off the swarm for as long as I can. Quiver, send the alert to the POLKA Team."

"I shall prepare evacuation protocols from here," Celestia said. "Good luck, High Princess."

Twilight met Celestia's warm gaze unflinchingly. "Thank you, High Princess." And with that, she vanished, ready to take on yet another crisis. There was no time to bask or worry about her new status; this was just another day in Canterlot, and there was always work to do.

The Calm Before The Storm
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Red Strings, White Chains

The Calm Before The Storm

The airship loomed above them.

"Last chance," Celestia remarked. "This is your last chance to back out of the wedding before the circus really starts."

Rarity snorted, pressing herself against her fiancée until their bodies were touching as they stood side-by-side. "The romantic in me wants to say that it was too late from the moment I looked into your eyes and lost myself in them, but more practically, we both know that I was committed the moment we announced our relationship to the world. Can you imagine the scandal if we called it off now?"

Celestia chuckled. "It would provide decades of entertainment, it's true."

"I'd be ruined," Rarity said. "Persona non grata everywhere I went for the rest of my days."

"You'd be surprised." Leaning down, Celestia nuzzled her beloved. "Lots of ponies would look up to the bad girl who dared to say no to the High Princess."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "I tell you no all the time, darling. For example, when you suggested last week that Equestria's currency should be pegged to the 'cake standard'."

"You just can't understand my genius," Celestia complained, giving her an exaggerated swoon.

"I understand full well your obsession with pastries," Rarity shot back, a smile playing at her own lips. "Regardless, the time for doubts has passed, I daresay. Even if I haven't said my vows yet, it is already 'til death do us part."

"Given the coming insanity, that may be sooner than we both wish," Celestia said dryly. The airship was beginning to descend, guided by a pony at the docks waving a series of flags at it.

"Oh, no you don't," Rarity warned. "If I'm to be committed to this endeavour, then you shall be as well. Besides, I'm reasonably certain that Twilight has a plan to bring either or both of us back from the dead should the need arise."

"She is showing a worrying dedication to seeing this wedding through." There was pride in Celestia's voice as she spoke. "I chose well in making her a high princess."

"That you did," Rarity agreed. "I have no doubts that she will help you lead Equestria into an even brighter future. Assuming the next few weeks don't result in the entire nation burning to the ground."

Celestia shrugged. "Equestria will endure, as it always has, and grow from this experience. I still hope that one day there will be no need for princesses."

"Well, I shall always need you, Your Majesty." Rarity pressed a kiss against Celestia's cheek.

Finally, the ship was docked, and ponies rushed to and fro, getting ready to welcome the visitors. "It's showtime," Celestia said, adjusting her posture until she was the regal High Princess once again.

The main door opened up, and the first guest walked down the ramp. "Greetings, your serene highness," Celestia said, bowing politely. "Equestria welcomes you to— excuse me, you're not the king of the zebras, are you?" The recited greeting died on Celestia's lips as she saw a bipedal avian with an eyepatch step onto the dock. She was wielding a cutlass and scowling at her surroundings, clearly scanning for signs of danger.

"Captain Caelano!" Rarity stepped forward, tamping down her panic at a pirate standing in front of Equestria royalty in the place of Zebrican royalty. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Rarity?" Caelano relaxed somewhat at the familiar face, a cautious smile on her expression. "Heh, long time no see. How're you doing? Are you here for the bigwig wedding too?"

Rarity chuckled. "I should hope so. After all, I am one of the brides."

Caelano's eyes widened. "Wait, you're the one marrying the big pony princess?"

"I am," Rarity replied. "And my fiancée and I were supposed to be greeting the king of the Zebras here. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, would you?" Silently, she prayed that the answer wasn't "being held for ransom" or "thrown overboard after we stole this ship." If it was, then there would be plenty of other awkward questions to answer.

Caelano winced. "About that. So, our crew was actually hired by the king of the reindeer to ferry them and their entourage here for the wedding since they don't really have an air force up there."

"The reindeer," Rarity said slowly. "Aren't they at war with the zebras?" A sinking feeling settled into her gut.

"Yup," Caelano replied cheerfully. "So anyways, guess whose airship we ran into during our escort mission?"

"Oh no." Rarity braced herself for the worst.

"Yeah, we're pirates at the end of the day, so when our employer tells us to board and plunder, we do it." Caelano shrugged. "The zebras had no idea what hit 'em, and we managed to take the whole ship with no casualties."

"Oh dear." This was going to be a nightmare to untangle.

"Yup, so once we've got the Zebra King trussed up, the Reindeer King comes over to the usual gloating thing, and, uhh, not really sure what happened from there, but one thing led to another and now the countries are at peace and the two of them haven't left the royal suite in three days." Caelano awkwardly scraped her peg leg against the ground. "From the sounds coming out, you might have to wait a bit until you can do your greeting thing."

Celestia and Rarity stared at her in shocked silence for a few painfully long seconds. Then, Celestia smiled. "That is wonderful news. Thank you, Captain, for helping to broker a peace between these two nations, no matter how unusual the circumstances may have been."

"Uhh, you're welcome?" Caelano still looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Rarity couldn't blame her. "Anyways, I'm still waiting until we can get paid, so do you mind if I hang out around here for a bit? I promise I won't steal anything, and a royal wedding seems like it'd be cool to see,"

"I'm sure we can find some place in the city for you to stay," Celestia said. "Welcome to Canterlot, Captain Caelano. Raven, please see to it that the captain's crew is settled in."

As Raven nodded and led Caelano off the dock to discuss logistics, Celestia turned to Rarity, her smile becoming wry. "Still intent on staying by my side through this madness?" she asked, playfully nudging Rarity. "Not every situation will resolve itself so cleanly."

Rarity nudged her back, then nuzzled her for good measure. "There's no place I'd rather be, darling. Let's wrestle this storm of chaos into submission together."

Obligatory Changeling Invasion
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Red Strings, White Chains

Obligatory Changeling Invasion

Thorax, King of the Reformed Changeling Hive, was sipping at his tea — and enjoying the love and care put into brewing it — in his guest suite when the door burst open with enough force to shake its hinges.

"This has gone on for long enough!"

A white-coated unicorn stormed into the room, reeking of exasperation, followed behind by an equally-white alicorn. Thorax's heart lodged itself in his throat. "R-Rarity!" he spluttered, after shifting his heart back down where it was supposed to be. "Is something the matter?"

"Is something the matter, he asks!" Rarity stomped a hoof on the ground, sending out a wave of anger. "We have had quite enough of your subjects' crass attempts at exploiting our impending nuptials. Isn't that right, darling?" She inclined her head at her partner, clearly expecting agreement.

"Of course, dear," her fiancée replied.

A strong leader like Ember would've admitted everything right then, and dealt with the consequences. "D-Did my hive do something wrong?" Thorax was not a strong leader. At least, not in the face of such a level of bridal wrath.

Rarity's glare softened for a moment. "Thorax, dear, you are the leader of a nation," she said, rolling her eyes. "You simply must learn to lie better. For heaven's sakes, you're the King of the Changelings!"

"I'm sorry," Thorax hung his head in shame. "I've never been a very good changeling."

Pity flowed out from Rarity, sickly sweet and cloying. "Nonsense. You defeated Queen Chrysalis, brought peace between our peoples, and you've kept the hive fed better than your former ruler ever could, haven't you?"

"I— I suppose." Thorax tasted the air again. Rarity really did mean those words, pity aside. At least, there was admiration in there somewhere.

"You'll be a great leader one day." Warmth suffused her tone and emotions. "You just need some lessons in... statecraft, shall we say. Isn't that right, Celestia?"

"Yes, dear."

"See," Rarity said, "Princess Celestia agrees with me, and you know she's wiser than both of us combined."

"I guess you're right." Thorax smiled as Rarity's confidence suffused him. "Maybe I should spend more time with Ember." He still couldn't quite believe that he'd made friends with the Dragonlord, but if anyone could help him be a stronger leader, it was her.

The gleam that sparkled in Rarity's eye in response was just a little unnerving. "She would be a wonderful choice for learning assertiveness." A pause. "Though, you may wish to consult someone with a more... delicate touch when it comes to politics. I think Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis would be happy to make some new connections, and to help you in return. They're honest ponies, too, and as long we help make the introductions all should be well."

"Thanks, Rarity. I owe you one."

"It's my pleasure, darling." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Though, if you truly wish to repay me, I would kindly suggest that you please bring your subjects in line before we are forced to take matters into our own hooves."

"Oh... right." Thorax's heart sank again. Metaphorically, this time. "I'm really sorry about that. They don't mean any harm."

"Regardless, it is very disturbing to realize that the stolen moment I've been sharing with my beloved is actually a gourmet dining experience for one of your changelings. Shining Armour reacted particularly poorly when he caught 'Celestia' and I together, only for the changeling to reveal herself in front of him in a panic."

"I swear, we're not trying to invade this time!" Thorax said hastily, waving his hooves in a vaguely placating gesture. "It's just... your love is so rich." Thorax forced himself not to sense the love between Rarity and Celestia, lest he become even more unnerved. "It's like really strong wine, and it's triggering our natural... instincts."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Instincts?"

"Changelings have a natural predatory instinct to transform into beloved ponies and try to feed off their loved ones. It's particularly overwhelming around couples with a strong connection." Once again, Thorax could feel the tug in his mind, but months of living in the Crystal Empire and being around Shining Armour and Princess Cadance had helped him develop a resistance. "The love you share with Princess Celestia is so pure, so deep, and the less experienced changelings are having trouble controlling themselves. It's just so beautiful."

That set Rarity aback, her eyes widening and her cheeks reddening in response. "Well, I'm very flattered," she said, flustered. "But regardless, it simply is not acceptable for your changelings to be taking on the form of a Princess or future Princess-Consort of Equestria. If any other nation had done something like this, it would be an international incident. Isn't that right, Celestia?"

"Yes, an international incident," her fiancée murmured. "We can't afford to have one of those."

"I understand." Thorax sighed. "I'll tell my changelings to back off, and make sure the younger ones stay away from the city until after the wedding."

"Thank you." Rarity gave Thorax a polite nod of the head. "Now then, if you'll excuse us, we still have a few minutes before duty calls us once again, and we'd like to spend that time together."

Rarity shot her partner a smoldering glance, and Thorax's tongue flicked out as an instinctual hiss escaped from his lips.

Both lovers stopped and turned to stare at him, and Thorax wished very dearly that he was back in the hive where a convenient hole could open up beneath him and swallow him whole. "S-Sorry!" he squeaked out, heat suffusing his cheeks. "I just — your love is just so tasty." Thorax barely kept his tongue from flicking out again.

"Oh dear." There was the pity again, clearing Thorax's mind with its cloyingness. "Is it really that bad?"

"You have no idea." This was bad. Would Rarity even allow them to attend the wedding? "Just being around you two is... fulfilling."

"Really?" A calculating glint shimmered in Rarity's eyes. "Hmm... perhaps we can come to some sort of compromise, then." She turned to face her lover. "Celestia, you've been thinking about how to integrate the changelings into Equestrian society, yes? Perhaps we could use their services in covering our staffing shortages as a result of the wedding, with the appropriate compensation, of course. I daresay they would be very motivated to ensure that the wedding is a success."

"That would be incredible." With the advances they'd made in sharing love to make it last longer, a wedding like this would keep them fed for years. "I can't thank you enough, Rarity."

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to call in the favour one day, darling," Rarity replied with a smirk. "This is politics, after all."

"Of course." He still had a lot to learn about being a ruler, but Thorax knew enough not to say anything more and reveal just how big this deal would be for the Hive. "You can count on us as an ally of Equestria."

Rarity smiled. "They say politics makes for strange bedfellows, but I'd appreciate if it wasn't quite so literal."

"I'll make arrangements so that the changelings working with you are better at controlling their instincts."

"Good." Steel flashed in Rarity's eyes. "Because as part of the castle staff, your changelings will be subject to Equestrian laws. And the next time one of them tries to impersonate one of us, we will have to make an example of them."

"A-An example?"

Rarity's eyes narrowed as she turned to her companion, whose eyes had widened in fear as she'd spoken. "Oh, for Harmony's sake," the unicorn said through gritted teeth. "You're not Celestia, are you?"

There was an awkward silence as Thorax felt his whole world crashing down. They had been so close to navigating this minefield without making Rarity suspicious, and now everything they worked for was going to fall apart.

The silence was enough of an answer for Rarity. "You know, I did wonder why you had been so quiet. It's not like Celestia to let me take complete control of a political opportunity." She sighed. "You might as well show your true self."

There was another hesitation, and then "Celestia" bowed her head, green flames consuming her body and leaving behind a small, bluish changeling. One who was very familiar to Rarity.

"Ocellus," Rarity said flatly, and the young culprit deflated. "I'm very disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry, Professor Rarity! I didn't mean to cause any trouble! I just... your love is just so..." Ocellus trailed off, looking away from Rarity.

"I am not going to even begin to think about the implications of one of my former students pretending to be my fiancée." Rarity said. "I would like to sleep somewhat soundly tonight, thank you."

"I'm sorry," Ocellus repeated. "This— This isn't going to cause an international incident, right? I don't want to be responsible for a war between Equestria and the Hive!"

"I suppose I can deal with this indiscretion... discreetly," Rarity said, much to Thorax's relief. "I'll be letting Twilight know about this, of course. I know her Teacher's College doesn't have detention, but I'm sure she'll figure something out that won't make it to the press."

"Yes, Professor Rarity," Ocellus said meekly.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find the real Princess Celestia and inform her about... all of this." Rarity made a vague gesture with her hoof towards the whole room. "Have a nice day, Thorax. Ocellus, you had better be back at the school by the time I return to Ponyville."

With that, Rarity trotted out of the room, leaving Thorax and Ocellus to stare at each other in more awkward silence. "So... that worked out, right?" Ocellus shot Thorax a nervous smile as she scuffed her hooves against the floor.

"Somehow, yeah." Thorax's eyes narrowed. "It almost didn't, though."

"I'm sorry." Ocellus looked so guilty that Thorax couldn't help but bring her into a hug.

"It's okay," he said, awkwardly patting her on the head. "Everything's going to work out. I just need to talk to Princess Celestia and work out the details of this deal."

Ocellus stiffened. "Umm... I saw Spines hiding outside before I came in here. Should we...?"

"Oh no." Thorax ran towards the door, just in time to hear Rarity's deafening shout.

"Again? Does Thorax have no control over his Hive? I ought to send you to the dungeons right now!"

Sorting this out was going to be... unpleasant, but Thorax still couldn't help but feel hopeful for the future. Rarity and Celestia's wedding was going to create so many new opportunities for the Hive, and Thorax could see a bright new world of peace and prosperity for both nations.

"Just you wait until I tell Celestia about this!"

Assuming they could avoid a declaration of war.

Thorax ran faster.