Who Rules?: Travels and Travesties

by Nom_deCheval

Rating: mature
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Comedy, Sex, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Sad, Princess Luna, Original Character
Length: 71562

Luna and Celestia on the road, which means another princess takes over Canterlot.

The fourth book in the Who Rules? Saga.

Luna and Celestia have decided to take a trip to get away from it all. Which means another princess is going to have to step up and take the reigns in Canterlot. Surely, nothing bad could happen while they were gone. Either to them or to Canterlot. (Hint: It happens to both groups.)

WARNING: This story contains graphic depictions of sex and powerplay. If you are offended by those things, do not read this.

You might also want to read the three previous Who Rules? stories to understand everything that is happening.

Published 2012-09-23 02:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-16 16:52:31 UTC

Chapter One

Who Rules: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter One

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza walked briskly down the hallway, her head forward, her eyes focused ahead. Any casual viewer might have thought that she was late for a meeting or another obligation, but the truth was much simpler.

She didn’t want to be stopped.

It was inevitable recently. If she paused, even for a moment, somepony would trot up to her and start talking to her about the current climate in Canterlot. She didn’t want to have to go over it again and again. The ponies of Equestria were going to have to make up their own minds, regardless of what she said. And it’s not like any comments that she made changed ponies opinions, anyway.

So, she walked directly. She did her best not to look angry, and she tried not to break into a trot. If she was running it would bring unwanted attention. If she was angry it would bring rumor. But if she walked quickly and concisely, she would be several steps past any casual onlookers before they realized who just passed them. It was a sound, thoughtful plan.

Of course, no plan is perfect.

“Princess!” The guard rushed up to her side, bearing a scroll with him. “Forgive me, princess, but I was told this was a most urgent matter.”

She stopped. She wasn’t happy about it, but she stopped. The guard was doing his duty, and she couldn’t ignore that. Smiling, she looked the guard in the eye. “Oh, no worries. I’m glad you were able to catch up with me. What is this?” Her magic took hold of the scroll and levitated it over to her.

“It’s from your aunts. They gave it to me personally, with the direct order that I hoof-deliver it immediately.”

“Well, you’ve done so,” she smiled warmly, ready to turn and dash off, “now if you’ll excuse me, I have to--”

“Princess!” The shrill voice caused Cadance to wince. “Princess! I have been looking for you all day!”

“Ah, Madame Harridan,” Cadance turned to see the grey mare walking up towards her, determination on her face. “I thought we concluded our conversation yesterday.”

“By no means was it concluded!” The mare walked up, her face contorted into a harsh expression. Anypony looking at the mare would think that she was far older than her actual age, but her strict appearance tended to add years. Her black mane was pulled up tight into a long bun that ran down the back of her neck, and the chained glasses on her face were years out of style. And it always struck everypony as odd that she always wore clothing from neckline to tail. “Until you have heard me through on this matter, it cannot be concluded!”

“Ah, of course, well,” Cadance paused long enough to figure out her next words, “I’m afraid that we can’t continue our conversation at this very moment, as I have been summoned to royal duty. You do understand, I hope?”

“Well, if you have been summoned, then you have to walk, and we can speak while we walk,” Harridan stated as if it were a given this would happen.

“What a natural solution...” Cadance turned and resumed her swift pace, hoping it might prove too much for the other mare. No such luck.

“Now, as I was saying to you,” Harridan began, “as the next in line for the throne, you must be the one to step up and take action.”

Cadance sighed. “And as I explained, madame, I am not the next in line for the throne. Celestia sits on the throne of Equestria, with Luna as her second. I am simply a young princess of Equestria, and highly unlikely to ever have a position of power here.”

“But--but you cannot! We simply must have you here so that when those two--” She didn’t finish her sentence, letting it hang in the air long enough that Cadance turned and looked at her.

“Those two what? Those two alicorns? Those two goddesses of the sun and moon? Those two kind and caring rulers?” She asked back to the grey mare.

“You know what I am talking about,” she replied with a huff.

“Sadly, I do. I am forced to talk to you or somepony else about it every single day, and as I’ve said each and every time: what difference does it make?”

“It makes a world of difference! We have to set an example for all of the ponies of the land. They look up to these princesses, and it is wrong for them to see them behaving in such a depraved manner!”

Cadance stopped in the hall. She stared at the other mare, her head shaking slowly back and forth. “You do realize that I am an alicorn as well? The niece to both Celestia and Luna in fact. And while I might not be a cosmic representative like they are, I am the embodiment of love. You know that, right?”

“Well of course I do. That’s why I came to you to help--” This time it was Cadance cutting her off that stopped her speaking.

“Then you should understand that I do have a bit of a sense for love and related emotions. That I can actually see them like you would see a flower or a painting. Those emotions have shape and color to me. And I might not have quite the age and experience of my aunts, but I am still a bit older than you are, and have a good share of seeing what love is and what it means to people.”

“I do,” Harridan replied. “And it is your true and pure love for Shining Armor--that kind and noble stallion--that saved our kingdom when those horrible changelings invaded. It is that kind of love that we need to set as an example for the foals of Equestria, and not what your aunts are professing.”

“They aren’t ‘professing’ anything. They are in love,” Cadance answered. “And it is as pure and true a love as I have ever seen. They love each other the exact same way that my husband and I do.”

“But you and your husband are natural,” she replied. “Those two are not only two mares, but sisters as well! How can that be considered natural and wholesome?”

“Who cares if they are both mares? Mares outnumber stallions in this world almost five to one. The sister thing, well that...is a little more complicated,” Cadance replied with a wince. “You have to look past that. Realize that they are two immortal and eternal beings who have found each other after millennium together. It’s really rather beautiful.”

Smiling at the other mare, Cadance could only think of the beauty of her aunt’s love. She knew that if she explained it the right way, everypony would understand.

“No,” Harridan replied. “It’s you who needs to understand that the princesses need to stop this immediately. If they truly care about Equestria, they will cease this or step down from the throne. And you are the pony who can do this.”

Cadance took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “No, I can’t.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear you say that, but understand that my compatriots and I will not stop until Celestia and Luna have recanted their ways or stepped aside and allowed you to take the throne,” the mare stated. “And I will continue to address you on this matter regularly, until I get my point across.”

“And I’ll return the favor,” Cadance said with a smile. “And now, if you will excuse me, I really do need to go see my aunts about some very important business.”

“Good day, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I will speak with you about this again tomorrow,” Harridan said with a slight bow.

“Yes, I’m sure you will,” Cadance sighed.

* * * * * * * *

“...and therefore you understand why I will be unavailable to you for the next two or three weeks.” Celestia’s voice was soft as she looked down and read aloud the note she had just completed. “I have the utmost faith in your ability to use this time to grow and advance your learning and studies. Upon my return, I will expect a complete report on what you have learned and accomplished during my absence. Signed, Princess CelestiaaaaAAAHHHHH!”

Her voice rose sharply as teeth bit down on her neck. She rolled her head back and pulled away from the assailant, turning to look her in the face.

“Luna! Fangs! We’ve talked about this,” Celestia chided. “Since your latest transformation you seem to have kept a couple of Nightmare Moon’s more pointy physical aspects.”

“Oh, do not lie,Tia,” Luna smiled buoyantly. “You love it and you know it.”

She did, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Besides, we have work to do before our departure. We have to make sure everything is in place.”

“No,” Luna corrected, “that is a task only for you, as I have completed my responsibilities. I barely have anything to take care of thanks to our subjects current opinion of me anyway, so it took me less than an hour. And now I’m ready for the fun to begin.” She smiled, showing her fangs playfully.

“Aren’t you afraid that you are going to scare our subjects with that kind of display?” Celestia asked.

“There are no other ponies in our presence now, just you,” Luna answered. “You aren’t scared are you?”

“Of course not,” Celestia lied--somewhat. She wasn’t scared of Luna, but more frightened for her. There was still a very real fear in Celestia’s heart that the Nightmare Moon side of her would show control and start to drive Luna down a dark path. And with her immortality now gone--given in exchange for saving the life of The Great and Powerful Trixie--that sort of thing could lead to a very short existence.

“Ooooh, it sounds as though a challenge has been presented.” Luna stepped towards her sister, who instinctively backed away from the predatory approach the black mare was taking. “How to make my slave afraid of me.”

“Luna! I have work to do!” Celestia protested.

“What work?” Luna asked. “You’ve left a dozen parchments for various ponies, giving them clear--probably far too clear--instructions. You made sure that all immediate concerns of state were handled before today, and guaranteed that no new ones were presented until next week. So, what task is left for you to perform?”

Luna inched forward, pressing towards Celestia with hunger in her eyes.

“I--I need to pack,” Celestia answered.

“No packing. We decided to take nothing with us, remember?”

“Yes, I remember, but I was thinking--”

“You were thinking of ways to convince me to leave you alone.” Luna’s eyes flashed with lust. “Not very nice. It might lead to punishment, slave.”

Celestia swallowed, her lips smacking in silence as the thought ran through her head. The temptation grew as her mind wrapped around Luna’s new attitude, and she wondered once more just how much of Nightmare Moon was left inside her sister.

“Luna, I--”

“Ah! You will address me as Mistress, slave,” Luna corrected, as she grew ever closer to the white alicorn.

Celestia took a deep breath and hardened her gaze. “LUNA, this is not the right moment. We will have plenty of time for that soon. And trust me, it is not easy for me to say no to you right now.”

Stopping with less than a breath separating her and Celestia, the midnight mare’s eyes locked with her sister’s. Her eyes became all but lost in the slits that remained as she bore down with her vision. Finally, she acted, her tongue darting out in a display of pure maturity as she turned and walked away. “You are no fun, sister!”

“Yes, I am! I just know when to show restraint,” Celestia laughed in relief.

“But this is the utmost pinnacle of boring!” With an audible thud, Luna dropped her rump to the ground. “When do we get to leave?”

“I told you, there are a few more details to handle, and then we will be off. I promise,” Celestia said reassuringly.

“I could have forced myself on you, you know,” Luna smiled. “I am bigger than you now.”

“Not really,” Celestia answered.

“I am! By at least a half-a-hoof!”

“No, I meant you couldn’t force yourself on me,” Celestia corrected. “Not if I really didn’t want to. You are physically capable I’m sure, but you would never do it if I was actually against it. That’s why I trust you so completely. You understand me and would never do anything to hurt me.”

The two sisters reflected each other’s smiles, their shared expressions warming each other across the distance.

“I love you, Tia,” Luna said softly.

“I know, and I love you,” she replied.

“Am...I here at a bad time?” Cadance asked from the doorway, looking in somewhat sheepishly. “I can come back.”

“I wish...” Luna muttered.

“No, of course not, Cadance. Come in, please. You were one of the last things on my agenda for the day,” Celestia stepped towards her niece. “And how is your day going?”

“It’s been... Let’s call it the latest in a series,” she smiled in response, stepping into the room.

Celestia nodded slowly. “I know that things haven’t been easy on you lately, dear Cadance, which makes this next part that much more difficult.”

“Difficult? What do you mean ‘difficult?’” Cadance stopped suddenly. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

“No, no! Nothing is wrong,” Celestia said. “We just have a situation to discuss that directly pertains to you and your role here in Canterlot.”

“I don’t understand,” Cadance said slowly. “Have I made you angry?”

“Oh for stars sake!” Luna stood up and walked over to her niece. “We’re leaving. Going away. And that leaves you in charge,” she stated bluntly.

“Well, I was trying to be a little less blunt, Luna,” Celestia said.

“Wait, going away? You’re leaving?” Her head swiveled between her two aunts in rapid succession. “You can’t leave us! Equestria needs you. You’re so important to all the ponies.”

“See, this is what I was trying to avoid,” Celestia said to Luna before turning back to Cadance. “No, dear, what we mean is that we are going to go on vacation. Take a couple of weeks for ourselves.”

“Oh!” Cadance relaxed visibly. “Oh, that’s different. That’s a good thing. Actually, that’s a wonderful thing. The stress that the two of you have been under lately, what with the scanda--” She caught herself, not finishing the word, let alone the sentence.

“It’s all right, dear,” Celestia said. “You can talk about it. Luna and I know what is being said by some ponies.”

“Well, I know that you do, it’s just that I don’t want to make it any worse. I know how you two feel about each other--and you know that I do--so the only thing that bothers me is how some ponies are treating you.”

“This sort of thing isn’t easy for everypony to accept. We know that. But we love all of our subjects, and know that they will come to see the truth in time,” Celestia stated in a very understanding tone.

“You’re right, though,” Luna broke in. “The reason we are going is to get away from the scrutiny for a while. Spend some time together without worrying about the looks and the comments.”

Cadance nodded in support. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll watch things here and if anything important comes up, I’ll contact you immediately.”

“Um...no.” Celestia winced a little as she spoke. “No, you won’t. You see, we’re not going to tell you where we’re going. And we’re going to put up spells that hide us from detection while we’re gone. This is a true vacation.”

Her eyes blinked as the words echoed in Cadance’s mind. “Wait, are you telling me that I am actually going to be in charge? Of Equestria?!”

“Think of it as practice for the future, dear,” Celestia stated, wrapping a wing over the smaller unicorn. “You may have to rule a kingdom of your own some day.”

“But all of Equestria? I’m not ready for that!” Cadance protested.

“You are,” Celestia reassured her, “but I do realize that you will want some help. So, I’ve asked Twilight Sparkle to come to Canterlot to be your aide.”

“Twilight?” The young alicorn poised curiously.

“Yes, she might be young, but she is already capable well beyond her years. And she has spent some time with both Luna and myself, so--like you--she does understand how things go in court. Use her counsel.”

“I used to foalsit her, you know,” Cadance said.

“I do. And I’ve left a note for her, explaining the entire situation. I want you to give it to her when she arrives here later.” Her horn lighting up, Celestia levitated a sealed scroll up from her desk and placed it between herself and Cadance.

“Me? Why don’t you just explain it to her in person?”

“Because we won’t be here,” Luna stated as she walked to the window, opening it and peering outside.

“You’re leaving so soon?” Cadance’s eyes shot wide.

“Yes, we are. We both thought it best to not allow too much time between this announcement and our departure. No time for complications to set in--such as Twilight arriving and us having to explain the situation.”

“I’m sorry?” Cadance asked in confusion.

“Twilight is a wonderful mare, and amazingly capable, but...” Celestia rocked her head from side-to-side as her voice trailed off.

“But she tends to over-react to situations,” Luna finished. “She finds something that causes alarm on a regular basis.” The night princess moved away from the window, her own horn coming to life as she lifted her crown from her head and her chest piece from her body, moving them to a nearby dresser.

“Don’t you think that is over reacting, yourself?” Cadance asked.

“Sadly, no,” Celestia said. “I love Twilight dearly, but if I were to talk to her, she would either plead me to stay and I would, or she would have a breakdown of some sort and I would feel obligated to stay. Or she might even try to go with us, which would defeat the point of Luna and I being truly alone together for a while.”

“I hate to say it, but I see your point,” Cadance agreed.

“Excellent. One more task is completed!” Luna exclaimed as she shed her shoes and placed them on the dresser.

“What are you doing, Luna?” Cadance asked.

“We are not going to be princesses on this trip. Simply two mares,” she said with a smile.

“We will still handle our heavenly responsibilities,” Celestia stated. “I will raise the sun and Luna the moon and stars. That is our solemn duty, and not something we can forsake.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Cadance said with a laugh. “I don’t think that I could have handled those tasks myself. But I do think that the two of you are going to have trouble passing as just two mares. The horn and wing combination is a dead giveaway.”

“You are forgetting that I am a mistress of illusion. No pony will see us as who we truly are unless we wish it,” Luna explained, rising to walk around the room with no adornment. “It should be very liberating. What else is left, Tia?”

“Just one thing.” Her horn glowed once more, though there was no other obvious instant effect. The sun goddess then moved over to her own dresser and removed her crown, placing it gently in front of the mirror resting on the dresser. She looked at herself momentarily, taking in the image reflected without the familiar icon, and she smiled. Wordlessly, she proceeded to remove her chest harness and shoes, placing them with care on the dresser next to the crown.

Just as Celestia finished, the door to her chamber burst open, with over a dozen guards and two personal aides rushing into the room. Cadance jumped with a start, spinning around to see the familiar face of her husband, the Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor, at the front of the pack.

“Cadance?” he directed towards his wife, and then looking between the two princesses he continued. “Your Majesty, forgive me. We received an urgent call from you and assumed there was trouble. We didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You haven’t,” Celestia stated calmly, smiling at the loyal guard. “I did send out an urgent call, but not because of difficulty. I appreciate your enthusiasm, though. Luna and I wanted to inform you that we are both taking a temporary leave of absence. For the next two weeks or so, until the time of our return, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will act in our stead. She is to hold full authority over the rule and decisions regarding all of Equestria. Is that clear?”

The gathered stallions looked at each other and slowly began to nod, first to each other, and then to the princesses.

“Excellent,” Celestia moved over to stand beside Luna. “Then we are leaving. I’m sure that everything will be fine, and we’ll be back before you know it.”

“Or maybe even before you want us back,” Luna added.

“Princess,” Celestia addressed Cadance, “you are in charge. I have complete faith in your ability.”

“Good luck,” Luna added as her horn flared to life, a shroud of midnight blue energy enveloping both her and her sister. Before anyone could realize what was happening, they were gone, vanished from the spot, leaving several ponies staring blankly ahead.

It was Shining Armor who broke the silence.

“So,” he turned to his wife, “you’re the ruler of Equestria?”

Cadance smiled back at him. “Looks like it.”

* * * * * * * *

Twilight stepped off the train, a huge smile on her face. It had been far too long since Princess Celestia had invited her to the castle. Especially in a time when there wasn’t a huge crisis or similar oddity happening. She was really looking forward to seeing her. And Luna.

Her relationship with both of them had changed so much in the past few months. They had become so much closer. So much more intimate--in every sense. But the physical closeness only opened up their emotional ties. They shared everything now. Twilight could trust the princess with anything, and Celestia completely trusted her.

She cantered along the platform, her smile beaming from ear to ear as she traveled without a care in the world. It was going to be so great to spend time with Celestia once again.

* * * * * * * *

“She took it that hard?” Shining Armor asked his wife.

“It wasn’t pretty. I felt bad for her, but Celestia was worried that she would overreact. And I guess trying to figure out a way to teleport both of my aunts back to Canterlot so she could talk to them was overreacting a little. Glad I was able to talk her out of it--though I doubt she would have succeeded. Still, she’s done so much for both of us. I hated seeing her break down like that,” Cadance explained.

They were lying on their bed, spooning together in the fading light of the sun. They watched the flickering light together, spending a few minutes alone and away from duty.

“I feel like I should have been there. She is my sister,” he said.

“Celestia wanted me to do it, so I’m sure there was a reason,” she replied. “And I doubt you being there would have helped prevent Twilight from being convinced that both Celestia and Luna were kidnapped by some unrevealed assailant and that’s why they disappeared.”

“But I still should have helped,” he said.

“No. No, if I can’t handle one unicorn--no matter how powerful she is--then I shouldn’t be ruling Equestria.”

“Heh.” Shining Armor laughed.

“What? Are you laughing at me? Or just the idea that I currently rule Equestria?” she shot back with a smile.

“No, no! I like the idea of you ruling Equestria. It’s just...” His voice trailed off with a tone of uncertainty.

“What?” She cocked her head back, looking over her shoulder at her husband.

“Well, it’s just... Did I ever tell you why I became a guard?” he asked.

“No, actually, you haven’t.”

“Okay--and don’t get mad--I did it...to be closer to Celestia,” he said with some hesitance.

“Closer to Celestia? What do you... Wait a second. Are you telling me that you had a crush on my aunt?” Cadance chuckled.

“Hey, it’s not like she is unattractive! What stallion doesn’t have a crush on her at one point or another?” he defended. “And mine was kinda personal. I saw her at the Summer Sun Celebration. I took Twilly there one year, and I saw her raising the sun. It was the most majestic thing I ever saw, and, well, I kinda got a crush on her. Bad, actually.”

“And you became a guard over that?” she asked.

“Yeah. Kinda dumb, I know. It took me forever to get through the ranks high enough where I saw her any more than I would have just as a civilian,” he said, mocking himself. “Still, it did have one other side effect. I got to meet you.”

“You got to meet me because I was foalsitting your sister!” she countered.

“Yeah, but it was because of Celestia teaching Twilly that you starting sitting for her,” he argued playfully.

“And what in harmony’s name does that have to do with you?” she asked.

“Well, I am her brother!” He laughed hard, knowing how ridiculous his argument had become.

“Right...” Cadance paused for a moment, thinking before continuing. “So, what was it about Celestia that got you worked up?”

“Worked up? I said I had a crush,” he explained.

“Yeah, but if you had a crush, that means you did more than just hink of her as a great leader. You thought about her sexually. And don’t lie! You know you did.” Her voice was calm and reassuring, without a hint of anger or jealousy.

“Well...” He couldn’t bring himself to talk yet.

“Was it her mane? Her face? Her flank? The spread of her wings? What?” Cadance was having too much fun putting her husband in this situation. She wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

“It...it was her... Okay, you promise you aren’t going to get mad?” he asked, fear slightly creeping into his voice.

“I’m not going to get mad! I promise,” she reassured him. “Tell me.”

“Okay. It was...her power,” he winced as he spoke.

“The fact that she could raise the sun?” Cadance asked.

“No. Well, kinda, yes, but more the way that she just...ruled. The way that everypony stood there and she looked at them as the unquestioned ruler of all of them. That level of absolute control that she had over everything. The fact that she was the Princess of Equestria.”

“A princess. I’m a Princess of Equestria, too,” Cadance said. “Wait a second. You didn’t marry me because I’m a princess, did you? You little gold digger!”

“No! I married you because I love you!” Cadance already knew that, but it was always lovely to hear. “I did kind of ask you out because of that, though...”

“What?!” She spun her head back, a shocked smile on her face. “You’re kidding me!”

“I told you that I like that. I really didn’t think that you were going to be interested in me. Not long term, anyway. I was just hoping to...”

“To what? Get some princess tail?” She laughed. He didn’t. “Oh no! You really were hoping for that! You dog!”

“Can you blame me? You’re hot! You’re the sexiest mare I’ve ever known! How could I not want that?” he explained defensively.

“The hottest, eh? What about Celestia? How many times did you go home and clop off thinking about her, huh?” She played with him, poking him while he was off balance.

“What?! What kind of question is that?” His eyes were huge and twitching.

“Uh-huh. I bet you did it more thinking about her than you ever did thinking about me,” she turned her head back, mocking a pout. He couldn’t see the smile on her face. “I’m just a lowly princess. Not even a celestial alicorn, just a primal one. I don’t have the power that you really want...”

“Honey, you know that doesn’t matter. I love you,” he said, earnestly.

“Wait a second,” her voice trailed off, “that’s not true. Not right now, anyway. I DO have that kind of power. I’m the ruler of Equestria. You’re the captain of MY guard right now.”

“Well, I guess that’s true,” he stated.

“There is no guessing about it. I am THE Princess of Equestria right now, and you are my servant. It’s as simple as that,” she explained. “And unless you have snuck your sword into bed and are pushing it against my back, I think that you like this concept.”

It was true. Shining Armor couldn’t prevent his body from reacting to his wife’s taunts. His erection was pressing against her lower back, despite his best efforts to angle it away.

“I can’t help it,” he admitted. “And it’s not like I wasn’t wanting you before you started in on this.”

“Well, Captain, I think that you need to show your princess just how far you are willing to go to serve her,” Cadance smiled, wiggling her flank against her husband.

“Oh, I’ll show you just what I’m willing to do,” he started to adjust himself, moving his hips down lower, when he was interrupted.

“Ah! Captain, I didn’t ask what you were willing to do to pleasure yourself, I want to know what you are willing to do to serve ME,” her voice was strict, but light.

“Oh, of course my princess,” he played along, “what would you require of the Captain of your Guard?”

“Well,” she pulled away and turned around to come face-to-face with him, “you’ve already saluted, so that’s taken care of.” Her eyes glanced between his legs. “So, at this point, I feel you should pay homage to the ruler of Equestria. If you don’t make me happy, I do have the power to have your rank removed from you--or worse.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he said, adjusting his position on the bed, “please allow me to show you due respect.”

He slid down her body, moving his head in to brush against her belly as he lowered himself down the bed. The dim light of the setting sun was casting the color of burning coals over the pale pink of Cadance’s coat as well as his own white hair, adding an exotic look to the mare as he stared down her body, working his way between her rear legs.

Peppering kisses along her body, he let his mouth trail slowly over her chest and stomach, and then began to kiss along her inner thigh before working his way down. He could smell her arousal before he looked at his destination. Her lips were engorged and swollen, already parted slightly, showing her arousal. He smiled, lowering his head down and placing a series of kisses along the outer area of her pubic mound.

A low moan carried through her body, landing on his ears and giving Shining Armor the signal to move ahead. With a gentle touch, he let his lips drag across the opening of her vagina as he moved to the other side to continue his regiment of kisses. Bringing his hooves up, he moved them to the outside of her thighs, caressing them gently as he brought his mouth down in a full kiss upon her nether lips.

Cadance responded by parting her legs more, beckoning him to continue, which he did in earnest. Letting his tongue slip from his mouth, Shining Armor began to lick at his wife’s pussy, gently pushing the lips apart as he pressed his tongue further. The sweet, pungent flavor hit him, bringing a smile to his lips for the briefest of moments before they began their work again.

Letting his tongue play up and down the wet opening of Cadance’s marehood, he opened and closed his lips, taking in small amounts of flesh with each toothless nibble. The groans of pleasure continued to fill the room as he puckered his lips around the growing bud hidden under the hood of Cadance’s pussy. Sucking lightly, he let the broad part of his tongue massage the clit, bringing it to a rigid point.

Letting his upper lip take over, Shining Armor took his tongue from the clit and pushed it deep into his wife’s cunt. A sharp intake of air only spurred him on, as he began to push his whole muzzle back and forth against her pussy, fucking her with his mouth. The tongue plunging into her depths with both the force of his motion and the extension of his tongue as he moved. His upper lip was aimed carefully, so that it impacted against the hardened clit with every descent.

She didn’t last very long. A sudden rapid breath signaled Shining Armor, and he brought his mouth once more to the focus of her clit, where he sucked it in with a little more force than before, letting his tongue flick back and forth across the tip. Cadance’s hips thrust up, pressing against him as she came. A deep moan of pleasure filled the room as her orgasm carried for a few moments, as he continued to assault her clit with resounding passion. Finally, her hips relaxed and he pulled his mouth free from her sex.

Shifting back, he pushed himself up to look face-to-face with his wife, expecting the content and happy mare that he had come to know. He was pleasantly surprised to discover a serious and attentive pair of eyes staring back at him.

“Do you think that you are finished, Captain?” she asked, staying in character. “An alicorn such as myself deserves--no, rather expects--far more than just that.”

“And what exactly do you want, princess?” he asked.

“What I NEED, Captain, is for you to be prepared to give me your all. Is that clear?”

“Oh yes, Your Majesty. I will be happy to do all that I can,” he answered with a smile.

“Very well then,” she looked him up and down, “I want you to stand above me.”

“I beg your pardon?” he asked in confusion.

“Captain! Don’t argue! Stand up and present your cock!” she chided.

“Oh! Well, of course, Your Majesty,” he finally understood.

Bringing himself to his hooves, he moved carefully, standing above his love, his increasingly erect penis dangling down above her head. From her viewpoint, Cadance saw her husband’s member waiting above her for attention, and had to hold herself back before taking action.

First, she brought a hoof up, letting it barely brush against the shaft of the cock, causing enough of a sensation for her to see the whole length twitch, bringing a smile to her face. She knew that he couldn’t see it, though, as the angle kept her hidden from his view. Which was perfect for what she did next.

With a single smooth motion, Cadance took the head of his dick into her mouth and effortlessly swallowed it, pushing her lips down the entire length of his shaft, plunging the tip down the back of her throat. She held it there for a moment, letting the undulations of her esophagus massage the sensitive organ before pulling it most of the way out--and then repeating the exact same action.

Shining Armor knew what a talented mouth his wife possessed. Many times in the past he had experienced her cocksucking skill, but somehow the angle and the fact that he couldn’t see her at all added to the sensation. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he felt it completely. It felt as though her mouth was pulling his cock in two separate directions simultaneously. Both the thrust and the draw were happening together, along with a vibrating sensation that he couldn’t even begin to explain. He didn’t think his dick had ever been this hard before.

And just like that, it was over. She pulled her mouth free and pushed him backwards, turning herself over and thrusting her flank in the air.

“Rut me, Captain!” she ordered. “Fuck me like I was in the prime of heat!”

“Yes, ma’am!” He didn’t need to be told twice. He straddled his wife, placing his forelegs just beyond her wings, which stood fully erect from her arousal, giving him a little more leverage as he pushed forward.

The head of his cock found her opening instantly, and he took a moment to let it brush against the wet flesh, priming both organs for penetration. He took his time, pressing slowly against the opening of her pussy until he felt it open to accept him--and then he buried himself to the hilt.

“Yessss!” Cadance hissed, feeling her husband penetrate her fully. “Fuck me!”

Shining Armor began to piston his dick inside her, letting his weight push down on her back as he pulled her against him by her wings. The wet sound of his flesh slapping against her ass was almost enough to drown out her own cries of passion. Every time he pulled against her wings, her cry became a little more sharp, as the intense erogenous zone was stimulated by her stallion.

His tempo increased, as he began slamming into Cadance with unbridled lust. The pretense of a refined colt, a Captain of the royal guard, fled as he became a wild animal. He could feel his wife’s pussy contracting against his thrusting cock with every penetration. His grunts turned to snorting, as his nostrils flared open, a bit of foam showing at the corners of his mouth.

“Goddess, Cadance, I’m so close,” he snorted.

“Celestia!” she cried. “Call me Celestia!”

“I--I don’t...” A growl came from him as he pushed into her one last time. A primal snarl escaped his mouth as a stream of cum shot deep into Cadance. That was the final sensation she needed, and her pussy clamped down tightly on his cock as she came with him. She felt each spurt of his semen filling her, coating the inside of her cunt with warm goo. He held against her, his hips twitching slightly as his cock finished its mission.

Slowly, he pulled away from her, and when his dick fell free, he collapsed on the bed beside her. She quickly followed suit, wrapping a wing around him as she brought her hooves to his chest.

“That was wonderful,” she said softly.

“Oh yeah,” he answered breathlessly, “though you almost derailed me with that Celestia thing.”

She laughed. “I thought you wanted to fuck her?”

“I didn’t say that!” he protested. “I said I had a crush on her.”

“Which means you wanted to fuck her,” she countered. “It’s okay, I’m not bothered by it. I think it’s kind of sexy, in a cute way.”

“Well, maybe at one point, but not anymore,” he explained.

“Ooh. I don’t think my aunt would want to hear that you outgrew her,” she playfully stated.

“No, no. I thought she was sexy until...” He stopped himself, not wanting to finish his sentence.

“Until what?” She looked up at him, a smile still on her face, but curiosity filling her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re all the mare that I will ever want or need,” he brought his muzzle down and kissed her, which was happily reciprocated.

But his effort failed in its primary goal. “No, seriously, what made you lose interest in Celestia?”

“I... It’s nothing. Just...nothing,” he hemmed, hoping she would back down, but knowing better in his heart.

“Shining, tell me. What’s wrong?” she coaxed.

“Well, it’s.. Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s her relationship with Luna. It’s kind of a turn-off,” he said bluntly.

“What? Because they’re both mares?” she asked.

“No way! That would be amazingly sexy. You know that I think that. Heck, I love knowing that you’ve had sex with mares in the past. It’s hot,” he said quickly. “It’s...the whole sister thing. That’s kind of gross.”

Cadance blinked. “Gross? Don’t you think that’s a little strong?”

“Well, no. It is gross. They’re sisters, for crying out loud,” he protested.

“It’s not that simple. They’re both immortal. They’re both goddesses. They have limited options,” Cadance explained.

“You’re an alicorn, too, and a goddess, right? And you didn’t hook up with a family member,” he countered.

“Again, it’s not the same,” she said, trying to stay calm, “both Celestia and Luna are cosmic entities. They work on a power level that is way beyond me. And, still, I did the exact same thing they did: I chose to be with the pony that I love.”

“But Cadance, I love Twilly, but I’m not going to marry her--or even have sex with her. That’s just...gross,” his voice sounded like he was smelling rotting food as he spoke. “A lot of the guards feel that way.”

“I don’t believe it,” she shook her head. “I just don’t believe it. Are you saying you are encouraging dissension in the ranks?” she asked.

“Of course not!” he said defensively. “I would lay down my life for either Celestia or Luna. I have a sworn duty to that effect. And if any of my guards wouldn’t do the same, they would be dismissed. This is about personal matters, not duty.”

“Personal matters? So, what you’re saying is that if you had a choice you wouldn’t do it, then?” her voice grew an edge as she spoke.

“You’re twisting my words, dear,” he said, a bit of edge creeping into his voice as well. “I never said anything like that.”

“Sure you did,” she replied quickly. “You said--very plainly--that you protect them from duty, but didn’t like them personally. What did I miss?”

“Okay, okay, this is getting out of hoof. We just had a wonderful moment together, and I don’t--”

“No, I’m sure you don’t!” she interrupted and rolled out of bed away from her husband. “You know, earlier today I had to listen to a narrow minded mare that not only thought that what my aunts feel is wrong, but that they should be removed from power because of it. Now I find out that my own husband feels pretty much the same.”

She walked over to the door to their chamber, determination defining every step along the way.

“Where are you going?” Shining Armor asked.

“To spend the night alone,” she answered. “I’ll let you know when I need your services again, Captain.”

She slammed the door behind her as she left.

* * * * * * * *

“Are you sure this is a good idea, sister?” Luna asked as they walked down the street, dozens of ponies passing by them casually.

“Absolutely. This is the best possible place for us to vacation,” Celestia answered.

No pony gave either one a second glance, except for the occasional seductive smile from a passing stallion. But without any acknowledgement from either mare, they just kept on walking.

“But, Las Pegasus? Surely there is a more refined place that we could visit. Prance perhaps? Or Roam, even?” Luna suggested.

“Trust me, sister, this is ideal. No pony will even think about us being here. This is where all ponies come to play,” she reassured her. “We will be pretty much invisible as goddesses.”

“We’re not invisible, though pony is going to recognize us wherever we go,” Luna clarified. “I have an illusion in place that has changed our appearance completely. Both of us are simple unicorns out together. Though our colors remain the same--with a more terrestrial mane, mind you.”

“I have no doubt that we blend in, Luna, but I don’t want to just go unnoticed. I want to be able to be a part of this place. To enjoy myself the way that any other pony would,” Celestia stated happily.

“Oh, you mean by doing things like watching her?” Luna nodded towards a street performer off to one side of the walkway. The bright, flashing lights of the strip disguised her color slightly, but even with the flares of blue and red, you could tell that the pony in question had a very pale pink coat. Fake wings rested on her back while what appeared to be a genuine horn sat on her head, right next to a rather gaudy and ostentatious crown.

“Oh, my hair looks beautiful!” she announced to the gathered crowd, who laughed as she spoke. “I love to make new friends!”

The pair of princesses stopped and looked at the actress as she went through her routine. Luna smiled, mostly because she saw how wide-eyed her sister became watching the ordeal.

“I’m a princess! Are you a princess too?” the false Celestia asked. “I am Princess Celestia! Let’s fly to the castle! I will light the way!”

“Please tell me that I don’t talk like that,” Celestia pleaded to her sister. “And you would think that she could at least dye her coat white. Pink? That’s more of Cadance’s look. And I do not speak in such a...vapid manner. This is insulting.”

Luna laughed, enjoying her sister’s moment of uncomfortable fame. “Don’t worry, you sound nothing like that. It’s just a good thing that--” Her words cut off as a dark grey pony stepped up alongside the pink one, a fake horn attached to her head to go with a real pair of wings.

“And if thou would likes to see-est our two-pony show, you hast but to visit the Crazy Horse Saloon, just off the strip. The hottest mares in all of Las Pegasus, performing for your pleasure,” she said in a very bad impression of the night princess. “Come and witness-est mine sister and me as we do all of the naughty things that thou hast heard rumored.” She let her tongue go out and lick across her teeth, which were capped with obviously fake fangs. “On stage. Twice nightly.”

A whoop of excitement rose up from the stallions in the crowd. And from a fair share of the mares, as well.

“I’m going to flay them alive,” Luna said calmly.

“Easy sister,” Celestia held back a chuckle. “They’re just trying to make a living. Even if it is at our expense.”

“It’s bad enough to get that sort of thing in Canterlot, Tia! But we’re on vacation. Why do we have to put up with it here?” Her voice was not that of a happy pony.

“Listen to them,” Celestia spoke softly. “They aren’t attacking us. They’re having fun. Some of them even sound excited.”

“Excited by the taboo of it,” Luna said spitefully. “Not even by the fact that the grey one has a nice flank.”

Celestia turned, one eyebrow raised at her sister.

“What? She does. It’s just an observation,” Luna said.

“Hmmmph,” Celestia snorted. “Not as nice as the pink mare’s.”

“You wish,” Luna replied.

“Maybe we should visit this Crazy Horse Saloon. You know, just to get a better measure for arguments sake,” Celestia suggested.

Luna turned toward her sister, a slight look of disbelief on her face. “Get you out of the castle and you change.”

Celestia smiled. “Come on, we have reservations for a suite at the Whynny.”

“A suite? Still living in style, eh?” Luna stepped in alongside her sister as they made their way down the strip.

It was a short walk to their destination, with plenty of pony-watching to keep them entertained along the way. The door to the hotel was held for them as they stepped inside the luxurious and well-appointed lobby. Celestia stepped up to the desk.

“Good evening, ladies. Welcome to the Whynny. How can I help you today?” the mare behind the desk asked pleasantly.

“Yes, we have a reservation. Under the name Morning Blaze,” she said.

“Okay, let me look that up,” the clerk went through the registry, searching for the name. “Ah, yes, here we are. A deluxe suite. It says here that you will be staying for eight nights, is that correct?”

“That’s right,” Celestia answered.

“Eight nights? I thought we were giving ourselves two weeks?” Luna asked.

“Yes. But I thought that five nights in Prance would be nice, too,” Celestia answered.

Luna blinked, staring at Celestia. Finally she bent over and kissed her sister on the cheek. “I love you,” she said softly. “You’re going to get a special reward for that tonight.”

“And how many keys will you need?” the clerk asked.

“Two, please,” she answered.

“All right, and what name is the second key under?”

“Lulamoon,” Luna answered. “Ebon Lulamoon.”

“Oh, are your related to our own Lulamoon?” The clerk gestured over to a large poster that hung in the lobby, advertising a show by The Great and Powerful Trixie. It displayed the familiar mare in a dynamic costume, far more elaborate than anything she had worn before, rearing up while a rain of light fell down behind her. “As a special consideration, we do have some seats set aside for guests who stay in one of our suites. Her show has been sold out since its debut, you know.”

“I’ve heard,” Luna answered. “And yes, I would rather like to see her show. She doesn’t know that I’m in town, and I don’t want to bother her, so I was hoping to get tickets.”

“Well then, I’ll be sure to have a pair of seats set aside for tomorrow’s show. Does that work for you?”

“That works fine,” Celestia answered, levitating the keys out of the clerk’s hoof. “You’ve been very helpful.”

“Enjoy your stay at the Whynny,” she said to the sister’s as they departed the desk.

The sisters walked over towards the elevators, the din of the casino echoing through the area and drawing their attention with enticing sounds of bells and chimes.

“I think that I might want to actually try gambling at this place, Luna,” Celestia said. “It would be nice to wager something without our friends being involved. And it’s not like you or I ever spend all of the bits that we earn.”

“Later,” Luna said. “We need to get to the room first.”

“Why?” Celestia asked.

“Haven’t you heard? We have a special two-pony show to put on. Private performance,” Luna growled suggestively.

“Oh. Oh yes.” Celestia stepped onto the elevator with joy, her sister right behind.

* * * * * * * *

The brown liquid went down her throat with a familiar burning sensation. Even knowing it was coming, it took a moment for her to recover and get her breathing to come back to normal. Cadance wasn’t much of a drinker.

She was at least grateful that she had a place to go. With Celestia gone and her now the official ruler of Equestria, she had access to her aunt’s quarters. As well as the liberties that went along with it. Such as having a guard fetch a couple of bottles of brandy from the royal distillery.

A sudden knock at the door surprised the princess, as did her reaction to it. “What? What do you want?”

The door creaked open and a familiar purple unicorn stuck her head inside. “Um, Cadance? Is everything okay?”

“Oh, hi Twilight,” Cadance answered softly. “Sorry. I’m just...a little on edge.”

Stepping inside, Twilight used her magic to close the door behind her. “I kind of thought that might be the case. I went looking for you and Shining Armor in your room, but the guards told me that neither of you were there. And that you sort of stormed off and came up here to Celestia’s room. I thought I might come and see if you needed to talk or something.”

“Heh. Celestia is always the wise one, isn’t she?” Cadance said.

“What? I don’t get it,” Twilight answered. “I mean, yes, she is wonderfully wise, but--I don’t get it.”

“Just something she said to me about you earlier,” she answered. “And actually, it would be great to talk. Especially to somepony who I think will really understand.”

Twilight trotted over to the princess and sat down on the other side of the small table where Cadance waited, a smile and cheery attitude plastered on her face. “I’m all ears!”

Cadance poured herself another snifter of brandy, and then looked over at Twilight. “Would you like some?”

The unicorn eyed the liquid suspiciously. “Um, what is it? Is that alcohol?”

“Yep!” Cadance took a small swig from her glass. “Brandy. Good brandy.”

“And why are you drinking it?” Twilight asked.

“Because I’m mad at my husband!” Cadance smiled and took another swig. “Your brother.”

“And how’s that going to help?”

“It’s not. Not one bit,” Cadance stated. “And I’m not really a drinker, so it’s probably going straight to my head, but that works just fine after the day I’ve had.”

“I can imagine,” Twilight said.

“You know, I think you can,” Cadance answered. “You’ve been through so much in the past couple of years that I’m surprised you don’t own a liquor store.”

“Well, Applejack has some cider that I’ve tried a few times. It was pretty good, actually,” she eyed the bottle with curiosity. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try it...”

Cadance didn’t wait for any further encouragement. Pouring a second glass, she levitated it over to her companion who took it from her with her own magic. Twilight brought the bell-shaped glass up to her muzzle and took a sniff of the fragrant fluid. She recoiled slightly, looking over at the pink alicorn.

“Just a sip. Don’t drink it all down,” Cadance suggested.

Raising the glass once more, Twilight brought it to her lips and let a small amount of the contents drain into her mouth. She swallowed it quickly, and just as quickly began to cough.

“Easy,” Cadance laughed. “Take it easy. It’s a bit strong, I know.”

“How...how can you drink that stuff?” Twilight asked in broken breaths.

“Hold on,” Cadance said as she levitated over a bucket of ice containing a separate bottle of the fine liquor. “Try this one.”

She emptied the previous contents into her snifter, and poured the chilled brandy into the glass and gave it back over to Twilight, whose eyes betrayed just a hint of hesitance. But curiosity won her over again and she took the chilled liquid from her friend and brought the glass to her lips once more. This time she didn’t cough.

“That was much better,” she said in surprise.

“Chilling it takes some of the edge off, but you lose a bit of flavor,” Cadance said, realizing that she knew more about this than she wanted to admit, even if she didn’t partake frequently. Years of experience add up.

“I like this. It has a rich flavor, without the burning,” Twilight said after another sip.

“Cheers,” Cadance raised her own glass up and brought it over, a chime indicating the two pieces of fine glasswear--if the tone was any indication--had touched.

Both ponies took another drink. And then another. And it kept going until their respective bottles of brandy were surprisingly low.

“...and so Zhecora and I hooked up. I mean, it was just for a bit. Not a money bit, but a time bit,” Twilight clarified. “But she’s back in the Everfree Forest, now tha...now that we helped her find a new tree. House. A tree house. Like I have, actually. But without the books.”

“And you two would make for a cute couple!” Cadance insisted. “And a smart one. Nopony would get a riddle past you two!”

“Zhecora thinks that Luna still is Nightmare Moon. Which ish totally silly, right? I mean, she’s not, right? You can tell, can’t you?” Twilight’s words came out in with far less edge than normal.

“Oh, I don’t know. What difference does it make? She loves Celeshia. Nightmare Luna thinks that Celeshia is the best pony in the whole world! Who doesn’t? I mean, she’s big and white, and she controls the sun! What’s not to love? Your brother used to loves her! At least he thought about loving her,” Cadance stated.

The ponies had moved over to Celestia’s bed, looking out the window at the night sky, talking about whatever came to mind. Mostly it had been about relationships. And at some point, they had put on the crowns left behind by both Luna and Celestia. Cadance wore Celestia’s--as well as her own--and Twilight had Luna’s on her own head.

“Y’know--y’know, I kinda,” Twilight looked around to make sure that no pony else was listening, which had to be the case since they were alone, “I kinda had sex with them.” She nodded knowingly.

“Ha! I knew it!” Cadance shifted in the bed, rising up on her front hooves to get a better look at Twilight. “They never told me, but I could tell by the way that they talked about you.”

“Really? I thought they were waaaaay past that now,” Twilight said, smiling. “But it did seem that they both wanted me to choose one of them instead of the other. But I don’t wanna. They’re both so pretty.”

“Yeah. My aunts are hot,” Cadance said. She furrowed her brow as her face turned to a frown. “I just wish that everypony knew them like we do. Well, hey, I don’t KNOW them like you do!” she laughed. “But no, seriously, they love each other soooooo much. And all anypony sees is that it’s two sisters. Not two mares in love. I wish I could fix that.”

Twilight frowned with her friend, staring at her for a moment. Then her eyes grew huge and her mouth hung open. “Wait! Wait! Cadance, you totally can! You totally CAN fix that!”

“I’m trying,” she answered, “but nopony wants to lissen to me.”

“No, no, no! You totally can make them see how much they love each other, right? Right?!” Twilight pushed the alicorn’s shoulder as though to make her point more clear.

“I don’t follow you,” Cadance answered.

“Well, you are the goddess of love, right? So, you can show everypony how they feel!” Twilight explained.

Cadance stared at her and then the very dim light of recognition shone in her eyes. “Oh! Oh, hey, you’re right! I can do that! I can really do that!”

Shifting on the bed, Cadance moved herself to the edge and slowly put her hooves onto the floor. She could swear that the floor was uneven and briefly wondered why Celestia didn’t get that fixed. She started walking, not exactly directly, to the window they were staring out.

“What’re you doing?” Twilight asked, rising up to a sitting position.

“What you said! I’m gonna let everypony else in Canterlot know the kind of love Celestia and Luna feel. They’re gonna get a full dose of it!” Cadance smiled back at her friend.

“Oh! Okay, that sounds like a good idea,” Twilight advised poorly.

Cadance turned back around to the window, her face screwing into a dreadfully serious expression. She concentrated, a pink glow starting to shine in her eyes. It grew until the light was bright enough to cast the room in a brilliant shade.

“Ooooooooh,” Twilight elicited, watching the magic performance. “Here, let me help!”

The purple unicorn staggered out of bed and over to Cadance, bringing her horn over near the other mare’s. A brilliant lavender ignited on the tip of Twlight’s spire, as she brought it into contact with Cadance’s own horn. Immediately, a huge flash of purple and pink light spiraled up and away from the two mares and into the night sky above Canterlot.

A gigantic magenta heart formed above the city, casting the whole of the populous into its glow. The construct wavered for a moment, and then exploded in a fireworks display of magical energy. Billions of drops of lilac magic rained down upon Canterlot, covering the streets and passing into the buildings. Twilight and Cadance watched as their own room was filled with the magical material, harmlessly cascading down through the air, passing through the furniture and objects decorating the room, and even through the two of them.

In only a few seconds it was over, and two giggling mares, leaning heavily against each other, moved back over to the bed. They collapsed onto it in a heap, each one falling over the other as the bed softened their fall. It took almost a minute for them to stop laughing.

“You--you know, I can totally see it,” Cadance said.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“What my aunts see in you,” she replied.

“You’re just saying that!” Twilight protested weakly.

“No, no! I mean it. You’re really, really cute!” Cadance stared over at the unicorn sharing the bed with her, their eyes locking.

Slowly, Cadance leaned in and kissed Twilight on the lips.

...to be continued.

Chapter Two

Who Rules?: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Two

“Good morning, sister.”

Celestia’s eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings as she awoke. Standing above her, looking down with a smile was Luna. She had inevitably been up all night, as usual. Even on vacation primal natures cannot be ignored.

“Good morning,” Celestia replied, her mouth curling into a smile naturally. “How are you?”

“I am well, sister. Did you sleep in peace?”

“After last night?” Celestia laughed. “I think I could have slept through another Changeling invasion. You were magnificent, Mistress.”

“You inspire me,” Luna responded. “And you performed exceedingly well yourself. I actually took a brief nap with you.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stay up.”

“Don’t be. I put that time to good use,” Luna answered.

Celestia pulled herself up in the bed, gaining her orientation once again. They had only checked into the room last night, and she wasn’t completely familiar with it yet. The bed was large--though not as large as the one she and Luna normally shared--and rested before a large window that opened on the Las Pegasus strip. A separate room contained a couch and table, and even a small library of books. The colors in the bedroom were rich and dark, filled with lush reds and deep browns, while the sitting room was filled more with tans and lighter browns.

“Good use? What did you do?” Luna sat next to her in bed, a book levitating in front of her. She was reading without a single light source helping. Being the goddess of the night had its privileges.

“I have been studying,” she answered. “This hotel is kind enough to provide volumes explaining the best and most appropriate ways to win at the gambling tables. You said that you wanted to give them a try, so I thought proper preparation was a wise choice.”

Celestia shook her head with a smile, and then reached over and gently kissed her sister. “I’m sure they are giving you the best advice.”

“Actually, I am surprised. They tell me rather plainly that the odds are clearly in their favor. And what we could do as a patron to best try to compete against them.” Luna looked at Celestia with some confusion. “It is not wise to tell somepony that they are going to lose before they even try.”

“Well, no, I guess not,” Celestia agreed, “but this is a different situation. Everypony who comes here seems to think that they are the one who is going to beat the system.”

Luna put the book on the side table. “How foalish. Everypony loses eventually.”

“I suppose so,” Celestia said, “but I don’t really want to talk about that.”

“What do you want to talk about, then?” Luna raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Celestia laughed softly. “You know what I want to talk about. Don’t make me beg for it.”

“Maybe I want you to,” Luna replied.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia answered the dark alicorn. “Fine. Please, I beg of you, Mistress, may we take the time to...get some breakfast?”

Luna smiled. “Of course, but not until you have performed your morning duty. The night is almost at an end. The sun must rise.”

“I know,” Celestia answered playfully. “It has always been my duty. I never get to sleep in.”

“I gave you that chance once,” Luna stated. “You didn’t seem too happy with the idea of eternal night.”

Crawling out of bed, Celestia moved over to the window, staring out east. She wanted to laugh, but she was somewhat afraid that Luna wasn’t joking. “Your night is beautiful, Luna. I’ve always thought that.”

“I know. I just wish that others appreciated it as much,” she said.

“Well, you need to look out on this town,” Celestia said. “Come. See what I see.”

Rising from the bed, Luna moved to join her sister at the window. The lights from the strip still shone brightly, drowning out the illumination from the stars that twinkled in the dark of the heavens.

“Are you taunting me, Tia?” she asked.

“No, I’m not,” Celestia stated. “Look at them. There are hundreds of ponies walking the streets, in the middle of the night.”

“Because it is lit up like the day,” Luna stated. “They don’t care about the night at all.”

“Not true! Look at them. Playing and laughing. Some of them involved in, shall we say, romantic moments. All of them living in the moment.” She turned and looked at her sister. “This isn’t something that happens during the day. THIS is the gift that you bring the ponies of Equestria. The night is a special time when they let down their guard and share moments that are hidden from the light of the sun.”

She brought her forehoof up to gently turn her sister to face directly at her, their eyes contacting deeply.

“It’s beautiful,” Celestia said.

Luna brought her head forward, resting her muzzle nose-to-nose against her sister’s, letting her black horn rub gently alongside the alabaster one. “You’re so kind, always looking out for me--even in the most extreme cases,” Luna said. “You see the good in everypony.”

“I see the potential in everypony,” Celestia corrected. “The good is entirely up to them.”

Luna paused, looking over at the other alicorn. “Why? Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” Celestia asked, fearfully.

“Let me live,” Luna elaborated. “When I turned against you and began what can only be called a reign of terror on the land, you fought not to destroy me, but to redeem me. And when that failed, you banished me. Killing me would have been so much easier.”

“Easier isn’t better,” Celestia answered. “I did what I thought was best. For you, for me, and for the future.”

“But you didn’t know,” the dark mare replied.

“No pony knows, Luna. We are goddesses, but we are not omniscient. I trusted my instincts--and my feelings.”

“And what are your instincts telling you right now, oh wise Celestia?”

She smiled. “That for perhaps the first time in my life, I am truly happy. That I have finally found the one thing that was missing from my life, and it was always so close by.”

“You weren’t alone in that, Tia,” Luna said. “I never noticed what I saw every day, either. The moon watches the sun all night long, sister. That is where it gets the light.”

Celestia pulled back, her horn scraping along her sister’s in a gentle, sensual stroke. “I should raise the sun.”

“Yes, you should,” Luna stated. “I have a full day’s events planned for the two of us, and unless you get to work, they can’t happen. Now, step lively, mare! I have things to attend to!”

“Yes, Mistress,” Celestia answered, still unable to break her smile. “Whatever makes you happy.” In fact, she wanted everypony to be happy today, so along with the sunrise came a sensation for those that woke to see it of a warm, pleasant evening.

* * * * * * *

Cadance opened her mouth again and again, each time hoping it would somehow dislodge the moss that seemed to have grown over her teeth and tongue overnight. She kept her eyes closed, feeling the sunlight burning through them, afraid to open them up and see the sun sitting on the horizon like Celestia’s cosmic flashlight, shining down in judgment.

Reluctantly, she let her eyes pry apart a crack, and a hissing intake of air was her reaction. The sunlight burned her retinas harmlessly, but nonetheless painfully. She wanted to move, but the rest of her body was still objecting to the notion, apparently upset by the treatment it received the night prior.

She stretched out her left forehoof, feeling the flesh beneath it give way as she extended it. Suddenly realizing that it wasn’t her own flesh, Cadance fully opened one eye, looking down at the purple unicorn that was spooned against her body. Twilight Sparkle lay there in blissful slumber, even as both of Cadance’s eyes bugged out of her head looking at the mare.

The younger mare shifted, pressing herself against Cadance with a slight sleepy moan. Cadance could feel Twilight’s flank pressing against her groin and her mind began to race backwards.

She didn’t mean to push away from Twilight quite so forcefully, but the sudden shock of the moment startled her deeply. She leapt from the bed, landing on her hooves even as Twilight sprang awake with a start. Twilight’s head spun around, trying to help her gain her bearings in the situation. With about five stops before, her eyes finally locked onto Cadance, standing at the side of the bed with a stunned expression.

“Hi!” Cadance said a bit too loudly.

“Hi.” Twilight found her eyes wanting to close again and resume sleeping, but something about the mare standing next to her bed made her stay awake. And then she looked at the bed. Celestia’s bed, not her bed. And then over at Cadance. And then back at the bed.

She jumped out of the bed on the opposite side from Cadance, her heart racing and her eyes wild.

“Last night,” Cadance began, “we drank a lot.”

“I know!” Twilight responded.

“And we kissed,” she continued.

“I know!” Twilight confirmed.

“Did we do anything else?” Cadance asked anxiously.

“I DON’T KNOW!” Twilight said in a near panic.

To describe the silence that immediately followed as awkward does no real service to the level of discomfort that both mares were feeling. Neither of them turned and looked away, fearing that to do so would not just insult the other one, but possibly create some hitherto unknown magic that would turn your greatest fear into stark reality.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Cadance said, sounding far more clumsy than she meant.

“Don’t mean what?” Twilight asked, trying not to sound defensive.

“That, you know, you aren’t... That you aren’t worth...” she rolled her eyes and shook her head awkwardly. “I’m married to your brother.”

“Uh-huh. I know,” Twilight responded. “I was at the wedding.”

“Right,” Cadance said. “So...”

“So, we never speak of this to anyone,” Twilight suggested. “Ever.”

“Good idea,” Cadance agreed. “Besides, it’s not like we did anything, right?”

“Right. I just have a warm, pleasant feeling from last night for no reason whatsoever.”

“Yeah, me too. Totally natural,” Cadance stated.

Twilight nodded and stood there, forcing a smile--for all of seven seconds. “MY BROTHER IS GOING TO KILL ME!” she screamed in full panic.

“No he’s not!” Cadance rushed over to her. “He’s not going to do anything, because we aren’t going to tell him!”

“Oh, that’s a great idea! Don’t tell your husband what happened. That’s not gonna come back and bite you on the flank!”

“Okay, okay! Good point,” she agreed. “So, then we have to figure out what happened last night. Until then, we shouldn’t talk to Shining Armor. Just...avoid him.”

“Right. Which means he’s going to be everywhere we try to go,” Twilight stated.

“Well, then, just go where he doesn’t go,” Cadance suggested. “And if he does go there, try not to talk to him. Not until we can get this worked out.”

“Oh yeah, that should be great.” Her mind raced through the inevitable meeting, which she acted out for Cadance’s understanding. “‘Hi Twiley.’ ‘Hi, BBBFF! I totally didn’t have sex with Cadance last night! How was your day?’”

“Okay, look, we didn’t have sex last night!” Cadance said.

“Didn’t we? DIDN’T WE?!” Twilight’s face went into full crazy distortion.

“No! I would totally remember having sex with a mare like you! And I don’t, so we didn’t!” Cadance insisted.

Twilight blinked. “A mare like me? What do you mean?”

“I mean...I don’t know what I mean! Stop reading things into what I say. Just relax, okay. It’s a new day, and we have things to do. Places to go,” Cadance explained. “Away from each other so that no pony thinks something odd happened last night.”

“But we’re SUPPOSED to be seen together. I’m supposed to be advising you or something, remember?”

“That’s not for two more days. Celestia arranged for us to have a couple of days to get ready for all of the pressure that is coming.”

“COMING?! You don’t think that this is pressure?” Twilight’s eyes twitched uncontrollably.

Cadance brought her hooves up to hold Twilight’s face, looking into it with calm reserve. “Twilight, relax. Look into my eyes. Everything is okay.”

Staring up into Cadance’s eyes, Twilight took a deep breath and answered calmly, “I think this is what got us into trouble in the first place.”

Dropping her hooves immediately, Cadance stepped back with a broken smile. “Good point! Okay, well, then let’s just go with plan-A. You go out and do something very natural--that is far away from your brother--and I’ll do the same. In a few hours, we won’t even remember that this ever happened.”

“Or worse,” Twilight answered, “we’ll remember EVERYTHING that happened!”

“Look, Twilight, just go out there and spend some time in the city,” Cadance’s voice was still level and even. “I mean, come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Somewhere, somepony felt the universe shudder at that question.

* * * * * * *

“I think that I am beginning to understand the mechanics of this game,” Luna said, looking down at the table. “The book made it seem so clear, but once you are here, there are so many options that it can seem somewhat overwhelming. I believe that is their goal, for you to feel overwhelmed and get caught up with the higher odd bets, thinking irrationally rather than simply playing the odds that favor you.”

“But that’s where the fun is!” Celestia stared down with wide eyes, putting a stack of chips on one of the more questionable wagers. A dozen other ponies put their chips down at the same time, waiting for the action to begin.

“Sister, this is exactly my point. You are ignoring the more reliable bet to put money on a foal’s wager,” she said, urging Celestia to reconsider.

“Shhhh. The dice are rolling,” Celestia’s smile was unnaturally large as she watched the two cubes tumble across the felt. Each twist told her of a new possibility of victory. Of celebration. Of jubilation.

When the dice finally stopped, two-thirds of the ponies gathered yelled in joy, while the remainder lamented their choices. And Celestia fell somewhere in the middle. “That was exhilarating!”

“I warned you that you would lose,” Luna chastised.

“Hey, lady, leave the mare alone,” a nearby stallion offered, “you’re killing her buzz.”

“Yes,” Celestia joked, “you are killing my ‘buzz.’ Why not join in?”

Luna looked at Celestia with a wry expression. “Because, I do not like to lose.”

“But you DO like to win. I know that for a fact. And you have always been willing to take chances before,” Celestia offered.

“Oh, I would say that I am still the more bold of us,” Luna responded. “I just prefer to be bold in ways that will not lead to my frustration.”

“Gambling isn’t frustration,” Celestia said, “it’s fun! Lighten up.”

“I do like to gamble, but only when the stakes mean something. Neither of us needs money, so this really does not provide me with a thrill of excitement.” Luna answered. “And I am truly not ruining the ‘buzz’ for you, either.”

“What’s worth gambling for then?” Celestia asked.

“Ah! Now that is a good question. Let me think...” She brought her hoof to her chin and rubbed it gently, the visceral action providing a stable point to form her thoughts. It only took her a moment to answer. “I have it!”

She looked over at Celestia, who studied her back with intense curiosity.

“Let’s get married,” Luna said with a smile.

Celestia’s head shot back with a start, the color of her eyes shrinking so small that it seemed her eyes were as white as her coat. The din of the room--a cacophony of bells, chimes and conversation--made her uncertain of her own ears. “I...we...what?”

“Let’s get married. Today. Right now, in fact,” Luna suggested.

“And...how is that gambling?” Celestia asked, still reeling.

“Are you jesting? Two beings joining together, swearing loyalty to each for the rest of their lives--it is the ultimate wager. And the ultimate stakes,” Luna suggested.

“Y-you’re serious,” Celestia answered.

“Completely,” Luna said as she lowered herself down on one knee. “I am asking you, Celestia, Goddess of the Sun, if you would take my hoof in marriage?”

A crowd of ponies, not hearing the words but seeing the gesture, began to form, watching the proceedings.

“That’s a big step...” Celestia felt the moisture in her eyes growing.

“Big step? We have lived together for thousands of years--minus the past millennia or so--and I think we know each other fairly well.”

“But we’ve only been involved for a few months. And publicly for far less than that.”

“So? Does that change your feelings for me? Or mine for you?”

“How long have you planned this?” Celestia asked.

“I did not plan it. I do not have rings or a direct course of action, just a feeling that I am willing to move on right this minute. And you still haven’t answered my question: will you marry me?”

Luna looked up at the white mare, the two of them seeing each other as they truly appeared, while the crowd that had surrounded them only saw two unicorns that were acting out the same scene. A hoof-full saw what was happening and passed by without a care, and a few left angry or in disgust by the thought of two mares acting like this in public, one pale gray mare kept her distance while watching with an intense interest, but the vast majority of the ponies waited anxiously, trying to overhear the answer but trusting their eyes to tell them the truth, words or not.

“Of course I will marry you.” A single tear broke from the corner of Celestia’s eye and raced down her cheek, falling down to the floor even as the mare lowered her muzzle down to place a kiss on the cheek of her new fiancee.

A cheer erupted from the crowd, as tears, applause, and laughter created a brief respite from the normal distractions offered by the casino. The two sisters turned with surprise, oblivious to the group that had been watching them, their faces tinting red as they both broke into a laughing smile.

Luna rose to her hooves, embracing Celestia briefly as they wordlessly decided to move away from this spot, trying to take the attention away from themselves for the moment. Before they could make it past the whole crowd, a middle-aged mare looked at both of them and spoke, “Celestia bless both of you. That was so romantic.”

Pausing for a moment, Luna looked at the mare. “I would not be a bit surprised if she did just that. Thank you.”

Leaning their necks against each other, the mares made their way to the doors of the hotel, and out into the daylight.

* * * * * * *

This trip had been planned for days. Well before Cadance was told that she was going to be in charge and definitely before the mess with Shining Armor started up. Which is what made this perfect and natural. And besides, these two were supposed to be amazing.

Arranging for Aloe and Lotus Blossom to come to Canterlot and set up a temporary version of their famous Ponyville spa wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t particularly challenging, either. They hated the idea of being away from their own place for a few days, but loved the idea that they would gain some powerful and wealthy clients. If they could win the favor of some of Canterlot’s finest, their reputation would shoot up, and their business would soar.

And with all the stress that was added to her in the past twenty-four hours, Cadance felt that she desperately needed this short pampering time. As she walked--with that same determined quickness that had become her norm--she was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by nothing but smiles of the people on the streets. Some even spoke in very kind and gentle tones. And it was always nice to see so many couples out enjoying the day, walking next to each other with obvious affection glowing between them.

By the time she actually reached the building, Cadance was already smiling, the mood of her surroundings warming her sour demeanor. A melodic chime signaled her arrival as she stepped inside the door of the unmarked building, the smell of patchouli and sandalwood instantly filling her nostrils.

“Good day. Welcome to our spa, princess,” a pink pony said with an accent as she stepped into the room. “We have already prepared for your arrival.”

“Thank you,” Cadance reviewed her memory of the very similar sisters in her head, “Aloe, correct?”

“Indeed,” she answered. “And I hope that you have had a pleasant day so far.”

“Well, let’s just say I’m glad to be here,” Cadance laughed.

“Then we won’t delay. Is there anything that I can get you to drink?”

“Oh no. Maybe some water later, but I had a bad bout with brandy last night, thanks to some stress with my husband,” she told the spa pony, waving her hoof in refusal.

“You say you drank brandy? But you’re a fine girl. What a good wife you have been!” Aloe said.

Cadance shook her head. “No. We’re not going there. Let’s just go on with the whole treatment, shall we?”

“Of course, please, walk this way,” the earth pony stepped through the same doorway she entered through, waiting for the princess to catch up. As she passed by, Cadance swore she heard a moan of approval come from the mare, but paid it little heed. If anything, it was a compliment.

The spa pony led her down the hallway to an open door, where Cadance stepped inside. “Oh, my. This is lovely,” Cadance said out loud as she saw the soft, inviting space. At least two dozen candles gave the room a soft flickering light that glowed a yellowish red on the deep tan walls. A massage table with soft blankets draped over it was sitting in the center of the space, a small table standing beside it with several differently colored bottles resting on it.

“I’m glad you like. Please, remove your crown and other attire and place it on the table in the corner and then lie face down on the bed. My sister and I will be in very shortly to begin your massage,” Cadance nodded in agreement, even as she noticed that Aloe’s eyes were roaming all over her body. Very flattering, indeed.

Doing as instructed, Cadance placed her crown, her harness and her shoes on the table, and then leisurely stretched out all her legs and her wings, in some anticipation of the coming massage. She crawled onto the table, noting how surprisingly comfortable it was for something that appeared hard and unforgiving. She quickly found herself relaxing in place, even as the door reopened and the two sisters came into the room.

Without a word they went right to work. One of them walked over to a music box and opened it, the gentle harp-like tones filling the room, while the other placed a small bowl of hot water on the table and immediately placed the bottles of oil inside it to warm. Cadance wasn’t really sure which did which, as she was trying to let them go about their business without stares from the client.

Soon enough, she felt a pair of hooves touching her on the back, just below her wings. Cadance spread out her wings, letting them fall to her side so that the masseuse had better access. Warm oil fell onto her back, making her smile. The combination of the warm fluid and the gentle pressure felt wonderful.

“This is apricot kernel oil,” one of the mares stated, Cadance thought it was Lotus Blossom. “In addition to helping with the massage, it will strengthen your coat and give it a healthy shine.”

“Though your coat is already very lovely,” the other one said.

“Thank you,” Cadance replied, taking it as a compliment.

Soon, two pairs of hooves were working on her back, one pair rubbing up near her wings while the other moved lower towards her flank. Cadance shuddered reflexively as the base of her wings suddenly began to be stimulated.

“Woah!” she exclaimed softly. “Not that it doesn’t feel good, but be careful. That is a rather sensitive area.”

“We will be very, very careful,” one of the spa sisters said, she thought it was Aloe.

“Oh yes, very careful indeed,” the other assured, even as a pair of hooves began to work their way sensuously down her flank to massage her cutie mark.

The touch of the two mares was having a physical reaction in the princess. She could feel her heart beating and a dampness growing between her legs. “Uh, ladies, that’s a little close to being...you know?” Her voice was not as emphatic as her words.

“Trust us, we are professionals,” they said in unison.

“Right now, it’s sure not feeling like--” Cadance cut herself off, as a pair of hooves moved up her wing shafts, stroking them with the same gentle pressure that she had felt on her back. And more, another hoof had moved over her tail and was running down the inside of her leg. “Um...woah. Okay, this is very...nice...but I’m not sure that I--”

She cut herself off as she raised her head up to look behind her at the two spa ponies, trying to gauge the moment, only to discover that the sisters were not exactly paying as much attention to her as she first thought. At the moment, they were paying a great deal of attention to each other, their muzzles close together as their tongues played across the slight opening, dancing with each other in the flickering light of the candles.

“Maaaaaybe I should leave you ladies alone,” Cadance suggested as she started to scoot forward on the table.

“No!” Aloe stated, freeing herself from the kiss. “We want you to stay.”

“Yes, please,” Lotus Blossum pleaded, “we have many techniques that we don’t get to practice very often.”

“Yes,” Aloe continued, “and we thought that you would be the perfect client to share them with, considering.”

She waited for a moment, hoping for some clarification before Cadance replied herself, “Considering what?”

“Your appreciation of love, of course,” Aloe said, her hooves moving along the alicorn’s wings.

“We normally aren’t so bold, so we hope you will forgive us,” Lotus Blossom stated. “But since we woke up this morning, we’ve been so anxious. So...excited.” The mare’s hoof moved up between the princess’ thighs, stroking her most sensitive zone.

Cadance’s eyes shot wide as her body lurched forward, almost launching her off the table. “Well, I don’t mean to seem ungrateful,” she scrambled onto her hooves, backing away from the two sisters, “but I do have some other things that I should be attending to, now that I think on it. And besides, you two seem like a lovely couple--who are totally surrounded by the oddest aura right now.”

“But we need a third to practice our art,” Aloe insisted.

“Yes, please, we promise that you will feel pleasure,” Lotus Blossom said.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that for one moment. You ladies sure seemed to know the right places to touch, it’s just that--well, it was a little sudden, don’t you think?” Cadance lifted her crown and gear up off the table, willing to put it on later if needed.

“We’re so sorry!” Lotus said.

“Yes, it’s just that we can’t seem to control ourselves today,” Aloe explained.

“Oh, I can totally tell,” Cadance answered. “Why don’t you practice on each other? Maybe I can come back a little later once you’ve gotten all warmed up.”

“But we want to make you happy,” Aloe suggested.

“Please, give us a chance,” Lotus pleaded.

Candance had her flank against the wall, both literally and figuratively. The sisters had moved her into an awkward spot, far from the doorway on the other side of the room. She had to think of something, and fast.

“Well, you know what might get me totally in the mood?” She looked at the two mares, and stepped forward, as though moving to join them. “Watching you two. I am totally into that whole voyeurism thing. Watching two mares as sexy as you would be soooooo hot.”

“Oh,” Aloe smiled, “so you like to watch?”

“Oh yeah!” Cadance wasn’t really lying. She did enjoy watching two ponies in the act of love, but at the moment enjoying it was the farthest thing from her mind. “That would make me so happy right now, I can’t even explain it.”

“Really?” Lotus said, letting her accent take on a sultry tone. She moved over to her sister, and moved her muzzle up to caress against the pink coat of her sibling. Aloe turned and brought her muzzle up against the Lotus’ once again, and this time their lips met fully, pressing against each other in a passionate moment.

Lotus Blossom controlled the moment with her sister, moving her back towards the massage table. The pink mare fell against the side of the table, even as her sister’s hooves moved up along her body, lifting her up so that she could slide onto the table completely.

“Oh yeah,” Cadance said, shifting over to the side of the table, “I like where this is going.”

Aloe let out a gasp as Lotus began to kiss down the body of her sister, working her way across her chest and onto her stomach, her lips teasing and teeth nibbling all along the way.

“That is so hot,” Cadance informed the pair as she moved over to the doorway, carefully keeping herself facing the two mares. “Just like that.”

Lotus moved her head down to her sister’s sex, taking in the full aroma of her essence before lowering her mouth down to her marehood. Aloe’s eyes closed as her head rolled back, Lotus Blossom working her own special treatment out there on the table.

“Just like that,” Cadance repeated. “Now, don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

She backed out the doorway, and then turned to rush down the hallway, her wings providing just enough lift so that her hooves barely touched the ground, making her escape almost silent.

Her magic held the bell on the entrance door to the side as she stepped out onto the streets of Canterlot once more. It wasn’t until she was a full building away that she allowed herself to slow down, or really even breathe normally. Taking a moment, she stopped, a deep exhalation showing the effect that her relaxing massage created and started to put on her outfit.

“Are you all right, princess?” a kind voice asked. Bringing her head up, Cadance was presented with a unicorn member of the Royal Guard, dressed in full regalia with a concerned expression on his face.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she answered with a smile. “I was just...taken off guard.”

“I see,” he replied. “Well, if it would be any help,” he paused, raising an single eyebrow into an arch, “I know another guard you could help ‘take off.’”

From the way that Cadance’s jaw fell open, you would have suspected something was trying to come out. Whether it was words, a bolt of electricity, or even a small herd of penguins was quite unclear, but the size that her mouth achieved seemed capable of far more than the shocked silence that accompanied it.

On the other hoof, the sharp giggle that came from the nearby shop certainly caught Cadance’s ear, and her eyes traveled over to see a couple pressing up against the counter, with the stallion behind the mare looking far more amorous than is normally found in a candy store. A quick jerk of her head revealed another pair of ponies that were lying on the ground next to their table--well, she assumed it was their table anyway--at a casual bistro. The ponies’ lips were fully locked and they seemed very oblivious of everypony around them.

“Oh crap,” Cadance said softly.

The guard moved a step closer. “Are you sure I can’t help, princess? I’ve been told that I can be very...comforting.”

“YEP! Very sure!” Cadance’s wings unfurled as she sprung up into the air, giving herself a bit of a launch. “Gotta fly. See! Got wings and everything. So...bye!”

Flying up and away from the guard, Cadance scanned the ground below. Dozens or more couples--and sometimes more than couples--were very active all around the area. Very active.

“Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap,” Cadance repeated her new mantra as she flew back towards Celestia’s quarters, a slight tinge of panic on her face. “I gotta find Twilight.”

* * * * * * *

“Ah wanna thank both of you fine ladies for comin’ here today,” the stallion was dressed in a rhinestone bodysuit, his mane coiffured within an inch of its life, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. “It’s always a pleasure to see two such fine lookin’ mares here in my chambers.”

The chambers were, in reality, a small wedding chapel, decorated in the most delightful combination of blue and red. If, by delightful, you meant gaudy and loud. And that over-the-top display was part of what gave the chapel its character. That and the stallion in front of the two goddess-mares who stood in a room that couldn’t hold any guests if it wanted to, it was so small.

“Well, I want to thank you for seeing us so quickly,” Celestia said to the stallion, “my marefriend and I are very anxious to get this done.”

“Fiancee,” Luna corrected. “True, it might only be for a bit of one day, but I feel I deserve to be called fiancee a few times while I still can.”

“Well, hold it right there, darlins,” the stallion paused the conversation, “before we go on to the next stage, I feel it’s part of my duty as a registered representative of love, to cover this whole marriage situation. So, let’s talk about this whole fiancee business, all right?”

“What fiancee business?” Luna protested defiantly. “Are you telling me that I cannot be called fiancee by this mare? Are you against two mares being wed?”

“Ah never said that, missy, so don’t get yer britches all worked up into a bunch. The only requirement in my book for two of anypony gettin’ married is that they love each other and understand the commitment they’re about to make,” the stallion stated. “Ah don’t care if you’re two mares, two stallions, or a pony and a rock, all that matters to me is the feeling behind it, ya hear?”

“We do,” Celestia put her hoof up onto Luna’s shoulder, hoping to calm her sister down so the stallion could speak. “What was it you wanted to say?” Luna bristled momentarily, but calmed under her sister’s touch.

“Well, you two was sayin’ that you have only been able to call yourselves ‘fiancee’ for a bit of the day, which is tellin’ me that you most likely decided to get hitched a little earlier today. That right?”

“It is,” Celestia answered.

“Well, now that brings up a couple of concerns for me,” he said. “Namely, that the two of you might be rushing into something before you’ve really thought things through. That you haven’t given the proper time and care into considering what marriage really means.”

“And what does it mean?” Luna asks. “If you would be willing to share your wisdom.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, the stallion answered, “I’ve had my share of experience, ma’am. Both seeing what happens inside and outside of a marriage. Had two of them of my own, and brought together one-thousand nine-hundred and six other couples in my time. So, the first thing that I want to ask you two ladies: what is everypony else gonna think?”

“Wait, what?” Luna said in surprise.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow you,” Celestia answered.

“Well, just about everypony has friends that see the couple together, and I’m guessing that you two are about the same. That sound about right?” The two mares nodded. “Well, those ponies get to see things from another perspective. They get to see what the two of you are like from the outside. The two of you are gonna be blinded by your feelings, not really seeing the flaws and bumps that might be there down the road. You understand where I’m going?”

“I do,” Celestia said with a smile. “And I have to say that we are fully aware of each others faults and flaws. In fact, I would say that we’ve had more direct dealings with them than probably any other couple that you’ve met.”

“Yes, and I will add that our friends--our true friends--approve of our relationship and are happy for us,” Luna added.

“But are they gonna be happy to see you two ladies married? It ain’t the same as just bein’ together. If you get yourselves hitched, it means that you’ve put it out there for everypony. Are you prepared to be judged by the populous as a whole?”

Celestia and Luna slowly turned and looked at each other. At first, there was only a small smirk on Celestia’s lips, but it quickly moved to her sister, who snickered. And then giggled. Which made Celestia giggle until she softly laughed. And then Luna laughed. And then they fell against each other in full on convulsions.

“Sir,” Celestia paused long enough to speak, “may I ask you how private you keep these ceremonies?”

“Well, I have to report all marriages to the Royal Registry, but other than that...well, I have a reason to respect secrets myself.”

Celestia turned to her sister. “Let him see.”

“What?” she responded, still giggling.

“Let him see the truth,” she clarified.

“Are you sure? I thought we were traveling in secret,” Luna stated.

“We are, but this is a special occasion.”

“If you say so...” Luna’s horn glowed midnight blue, and the world around them shimmered.

Light shined into the small chapel through a window that was placed above the podium where the stallion performed his ceremony. At first, he thought what he was seeing was a trick of the sunlight. So much so actually that he lowered his sunglasses down his muzzle, looking over them with his blue eyes. What he saw caused him to raise a single eyebrow in shock.

“Your Majesty!” He fell to one knee, lowering his head in respect.

“Rise good sir,” Celestia commanded, both she and her sister now standing before him in their full glory. “I will not have you standing on ceremony at a time like this.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. That’s very kind of you,” he said as he rose. “And let me say how honored I am to have you here in my humble chapel. And that goes for you too, Your Highness,” he directed at Luna.

“I should say so,” Luna retorted.

“Luna!” Celestia shot back at her sister. “We are guests here. Show a degree of respect yourself.”

Luna responded with a snort and a half-hearted nod towards the stallion.

“I truly did not mean any disrespect, Your Highness,” the stallion stated, his tone wavering as he spoke to the night goddess, “but...well, my question still holds. Are you prepared to face what the people of Equestria are gonna say if you two tie the knot?”

“I...” Celestia hesitated.

“What they think does not matter!” Luna interjected. “They will learn to accept our love!”

“While I agree that is true in part, Luna, he has a point,” Celestia replied. “Tell me, sir, what do you think of the idea?”

He paused a moment, considering his words, turning to one side to think before turning back to look at the two sisters.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” he began. “I think that if you two love each other enough to come here, to my little place, and show me the truth, then you deserve to get married. It woulda been easy for the likes of you two to have some highfalutin ceremony that didn’t ever come down to the common pony. But you didn’t. You’re right here where nineteen-hundred other couples stood wanting the same thing that you are, and in my mind that makes you just like them.”

He smiled at the two mares, his rakish looks charming the pair. “I would be proud to marry the both of you here today...assuming that it’s legal to marry two sisters.”

“You have to have special dispensation from the crown, and I can promise that will happen. At least in this one case,” Celestia answered. “Oh, and if it is any help, all of our closest friends support the both of us.”

“I don’t doubt that for a minute, ma’am,” he said. “And I gotta say, I wasn’t so sure about you two until I met you and talked to you, but now that I see for myself, well, I feel good about it.”

“Thank you,” Celestia said.

“No, ma’am, thank you. Thank you very much.”

* * * * * * *

Books. If there was one thing that helped calm Twilight down, it was books. It was also one of her brother’s biggest banes. Which made the trip to the library her first and best option. At least in her mind. She would feel safe, and there was no way he was going to come wandering in here.

Fortunately, she knew the Canterlot Royal Library like the back of her hoof, and it only took a few minutes to find a few volumes that she had been meaning to read. And with them sitting next to her, she was ready to dive in and lose herself in the printed word.

If only she could get a little peace and quiet. “Excuse me! But this IS a library. Can you keep it down?”

She hadn’t seen the noisy pair, but she had certainly heard them since she first got there. Giggles, laughs, and just-slight-too-loud conversations kept echoing through the room, distracting Twilight just enough so that she was having trouble focusing on the books.

Instead, her mind kept wandering back to the previous night. Thinking about what happened--or maybe didn’t happen. That was the problem, she still didn’t know. And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know. She was hoping that nothing happened at all. That it was just a simple kiss and nothing else. That she was innocent of any wrongdoing. She didn’t want anything happening like that when she couldn’t control what was going on.

Her eyes popped wide. That sounded wrong in her head. Like she wanted something to happen with Cadance when she was in control. When both of them knew what was happening and went through with it. That would be a real nightmare. She was already worried about what to say to her brother for what might have been. Imagine what she would say to him if she did things on purpose. How could she respond?

“Hi Twiley,” Shining Armor said.

“Oh, hey BBBFF,” she replied automatically. And then her whole system locked up. Her eyes froze, her body became statue-like, and her thought process seized up. There was her brother, right in front of her.

“I thought I might find you near books,” he said. “It’s always been your home away from home.”

Twilight could say nothing. She remained in a near-catatonic state her eyes watching as her brother paced back and forth, nervously talking to her.

“I don’t know if she told you, but Cadance and I kinda--well, we had an argument. And I know that you and she are kinda close, so I was wondering if maybe she had a chance to talk to you. I was wanting to see her, and I don’t know where she ended up.”

Her eyes wandered back and forth, following him as he strode before her, speaking with her about his wife.

“I mean, I know that I should give her space, and I’m really trying to do that, but I get so worried that I’ve done something that she just won’t be able to forgive. I’m a little scared, you know?” he confided. “So, have you seen her lately?”

She sat there, seeing every possible outcome of what was about to happen. All of them involved her being ostracized by her family and friends, or possibly simply being sent away to live with a new family until she could learn to behave properly as a lesson. Of course, that all hinged on him finding out about what had--or possibly hadn’t--happened between her and Cadance. So, above all else, she needed to remain calm.

“Twiley?” he asked after she hadn’t responded for a full minute. “Are you okay?”

“FINE!” she screamed, causing him to jump backwards. “COULDN’T BE BETTER!”

“You, um, seem a little tense,” he answered, stepping forward again.

“NO! Uh, I mean...no. No, I’m fine,” she nodded repeatedly and quickly. “How are you?”

“I just kinda covered that,” he answered. “Remember? I was hoping you had seen Cadance. Have you?”

“Seen Cadance? Um, sure, I’ve seen her. Lots of times. There’s nothing unusual about me seeing Cadance. We’re good friends. We like to see each other.” Her eyes bugged. “I mean, not see-see. But just see. Not that we have seen each other. Or anything like that.”

“You’re...kinda not making any sense, sis,” Shining Armor said, raising an eyebrow. “Are you hiding something? This is sort of how you act when you’re about ready to freak out.”

“No!” She popped up from her chair and took a few steps backwards. “I’m not hiding anything! Nothing at all! I’m not a hider. All out in the open with old Twilight!”

Shining Armor moved around the table, a softness in his eyes as he looked at his sister. “It’s okay, Twilight. I’m not asking you to betray a trust that you have with Cadance. If she asked you not to tell me where she was, I understand.” Her eyes softened as his words soothed her fears. “Just...well, just tell her that I’m sorry, and I would really love to see her.”

Twilight turned away, not wanting to look her brother in the face as she spoke. “I...I will. And I’m sorry, I just...” she fumbled for the right words. “It’s complicated, okay.”

She turned back around to see her brother smiling at her. She smiled back, reflexively.

“Wow,” he said gently.

“Wow? What wow?” Twilight asked, cocking her head a couple of degrees to one side.

“Just...wow. I’ve never noticed how beautiful you grew up to be,” he said.

“Thanks, BBBFF,” she said in reply.

“It’s really sexy,” he said.

“Um...thanks,” she replied with a little less certainty.

“No, I mean it. You’re beautiful,” he said, stepping towards her. Raising one eyebrow, she stepped back to meet his every advance. “Your mane, your eyes, your body--especially your flank--it’s really amazing. I don’t know why I never noticed this before.”

“I do!” Twilight answered with a shout. “You’re my brother! You’re not supposed to notice stuff like that! So...stop noticing stuff like that!”

“I didn’t notice it until you looked away. Something about the way the light hit your face and the innocence of it, it was just breathtaking,” he explained with ardor.

“Okay, we’re getting a little close to creepy stuff here,” Twilight said. “Let’s step back away from this.”

“Sure, sure. No, I agree completely. I’m just saying that, well, if you weren’t my sister...” his face turned into a smirk.

“Ewwwwww!” her face scrunched up into disgust.

“What? I’m just saying,” he said with an implied thought behind the statement. “It’s not like it’s a horrible crime to think about those things, right? I mean...not unless you were thinking about them, too?”

“EWWWWWW!” Twilight screeched.

“Okay, okay. Calm down,” Shining Armor said with a smile.

“Well, you just can’t come in here and say stuff like that. I mean, this is a library.” Twilight turned her head to make sure that no pony was staring at them, and almost dropped her jaw with what she saw.

Moving away from her brother had given her a new perspective on the room, literally, and she could see between the shelves at the back of the library. Directly, she could see a couple that was taking that space and putting it to very personal use.

A large, black stallion earth pony was mounted onto a pale green mare unicorn, pounding away for all that he was worth. She was taking it, her head down and her rump in the air, pressing back against him as he thrust deep into her. Both of them were lost in the moment, she tossing her head wildly, while he pulled back on her mane with one hoof.

The noisy couple was now revealed.

“Gah!” Twilight exclaimed, pulling her head back in shock.

“What?” Shining Armor rushed to her side, ready to defend her from any harm. He stopped upon seeing the assaulting image, his demeanor softening and a slight chuckle coming from his throat. “I wouldn’t worry, Twiley. I don’t think that they’re interested in you right now.”

She spun around to stare at her brother. “Of course not! But...but...look at them! Their doing it right here in the library! The LIBRARY! That’s wrong! And I’m pretty sure illegal.”

“Oh, it’s not a serious violation,” he stated calmly, still staring at the couple. “And besides, don’t you find it a little...inspirational?”

Twilight turned back to the couple. The stallion had lowered his head down and was biting her ear as her horn dug into his cheek, his hips still working her like a piston.

“Uh, no.” Twilight turned to look at her brother again, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face. Which was proving to be exceedingly difficult at the moment, since a large, throbbing organ kept showing up in the periphery of her vision. “Definitely no!”

“Oh, come on,” he said in a sly voice, “don’t you find it sexy to see two ponies getting it on like that? It sure gets me worked up.”

It may not have been physically possible for the whites of Twilight’s eyes to become larger, nor for her pupils to become smaller, but that didn’t prevent her body from trying make that happen. Unfortunately, her eyes were also unable to keep from finally looking down directly between her brother’s legs and seeing a raging hard penis standing at full attention. Pulsing and seeming to point at her directly with a very clear intent, Twilight thought for a moment that the penis was smiling at her, which was bad enough, but the moment that she swore she saw it wink at her was a bit too much.

“WAAAAAAAHHH!” The echo of Twilight’s scream was left in the aftermath of the implosion of air indicative of her successfully teleporting away from the scene.

* * * * * * *

“She is truly amazing.” Luna sat in her seat, staring up at the stage where a very familiar show pony was performing for a packed house. Hundreds of ponies sat in amazement as the show continued, with amazing feats of levitation and seemingly impossible displays of magic cascading among a razor sharp light show and a half dozen dancing mares.

“Well, of course she is,” Celestia leaned over and whispered, “I would think you would know that. She was your student, after all.”

“Hmm?” Luna seemed confused. “Oh! Oh, yes, Trixie is very talented.”

Celestia turned to look at her sister, and then followed her gaze back to the stage. “And you aren’t paying a bit of attention to Trixie right now, are you?”

“What?!” Luna spun and looked at Celestia with the expression of a filly with her hoof in the cookie jar. “I--I was just watching the show!”

“Uh-huh. If by ‘show’ you mean that dancer up there,” Celestia spoke with a faux tone of condemnation. “You would rather look at her than your own wife. And we’ve only been married for a few hours. Tsk, tsk.”

“Well,” Luna caught on quickly, answering with a smile, “can you blame me? She is very young and vibrant, and you are thousands of years old. Far past your prime, I would think. I prefer mares who are still young and able to keep up with me.”

“Oh, is that it? Well, I suppose I should tell you that you are likely to get in trouble with your friends, then. She is Applejack’s cousin, after all,” Celestia explained, nodding towards the dancer in question.

“You jest!” Luna sputtered. “That dancer cannot be a relation to that farm-pony. She is so elegant and graceful. And her beauty would give Fleur a pause.”

“She is quite the looker, isn’t she?” Celestia turned and took in the view, watching as the dancer spun and kicked her way across the stage, all set to the driving music and magical show going on around her. “Apple Bottom.”

“Foresooth!” Luna agreed, turning to look at the dancer’s flank as she turned on stage.

“No, no. That’s her name. Apple Bottom. If I recall correctly, that is,” Celestia explained.

“And a more appropriate name a pony has never had,” Luna stated. She turned and looked at her new wife, staring directly into her eyes. Magenta and teal met, and no other pony existed in all of Equestria for that one moment. “Unless it is Celestia, because if there was ever a slice of heaven given to this world, it is you.”

The edge of Celestia’s eyes fought to hold back the water that gathered there as the words sunk into her ears. “Luna, I--I’ve never heard you speak like that.”

“I have never been married before today,” she answered. “But I have always felt that way about you, even before our current relationship. But now I see you in a new light, from new eyes in many, many ways, and I find that my love for you is at a level I could never have predicted.”

“That’s true of both of us,” Celestia blinked back tears, “and something that will be true for the rest of our lives.”

“But tonight is the first night of our new lives, and one that I intend to see through to the fullest,” Luna added.

“Well, we’re doing that. You wanted to come see Trixie perform--and she is very entertaining, I must say--and then we are going to pay her a surprise visit afterwards, before moving on to whatever we decide after that,” Celestia stated.

“No.” The reply was direct and terse, with a tone that Celestia had come to recognize.

“What?” Even still, she was a bit surprised. “But this is what you wanted--”

“Wanted,” she interrupted. “Past tense. It is not what your Mistress is wanting.”

Celestia smiled, even as her eyes shot back and forth to see if anypony overheard her words. “Well, what is it that you desire, Mistress?”

“First, I desire that you address me--for this one night--as either Luna or Wife, is that clear?” Her eyes stared directly into those of her sister.

“Yes, My Wife,” Celestia smiled.

“And secondly, when this performance is finished, I shall to take you back to our room for the most intense night of pleasure that we have ever experienced together. That is what I desire.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, lost together in bliss. The stars and sun mingling in a shared glance to create a perfect universe. The music pounded through the arena, but the two of them could only hear their mutual heartbeat--until Luna spoke aloud.

“But I also want to stare at that mare’s ass some more,” she said with a huge smile.

“Of course you do,” Celestia answered dryly.

“You are fortunate that we are on our honeymoon, Tia, or else we might need a slightly bigger bed for activities tonight,” Luna replied, staring up at the stage.

“Oh, like you could score a mare like her,” Celestia teased.

Luna turned her head slightly, just enough to see her sister out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, you shall pay for that slight, wife.”

On stage, a blue mare stood at the center of the stage, fireworks exploding on both sides while dancers posed perfectly behind her. “Trixie thanks you! You are an excellent crowd. And I also want you to know that the best is yet to come!”

* * * * * * *

Cadance paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to stare out the window to make sure that no crowds carrying implements of destruction and farming were forming outside the castle gates. Or worse, that a crowd was forming outside the gates carrying implements of sexual pleasure--and farming.

There was almost no light in the room. The sun had set and Cadance kept only one candle lit, trying to minimize what other ponies would see if they glanced up at the royal bedchambers.

She glanced over at the door to the chamber. Celestia’s room was one of the most secure places in all of Canterlot, meant to be a defensive position should the need ever arise. Thankfully, it never had, at least not for her aunt. She thought it was a good idea to put the security locks in place for now, though, making her locked inside from any normal avenue. She did leave a couple ways open just for her own mindset. The first was the windows, so she could fly out if desperately needed.

An implosion of air spun her head to the side, seeing a lavender unicorn materialize next to the large bed. That was the other way in: teleportation.

“Cadance!” Twilight ran over towards the mare, a wild, desperate expression on her face.

“Twilight!” She moved to meet her halfway, a look of relief coming over the alicorn.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. I was in the library, and--” Twilight began.

“I know! I know! It’s happening all over the place!” she finished for her.

Twilight twisted her head curiously, one eye closing halfway as she stared at the princess. “Um...really?”

“Oh yes, it happened to me at the spa,” Cadance explained.

“Well, I can understand it happening to you, but...at the spa? When?” she asked.

“Oh, it was early this afternoon. I was given quite a show, actually,” Cadance said.

“Yeah, well, I think I got too much of that show, myself,” Twilight said nervously.

Cadance laughed. “I try not to judge, myself. Before the wedding, I might even have been tempted to jump in and join them,” Cadance said.

“Them? Wait, what?” Twilight’s mane started to fray as her brain tried to wrap around what was happening.

“Yes, you know the twins from the Ponyville spa? Aloe and Lotus Blossom? They were there and, well, they got more than a little frisky, so I had to back off and let them have their fun together without me,” she explained.

“WITH MY BROTHER?!” Twilight’s eyes suddenly crossed, trying to imagine the scene that she thought was being described.

“What? No. Shining Armor? What makes you think that he was there?” Cadance’s face twisted up as she stared at her friend.

“Because that’s what we’re talking about! My brother has become sex crazed!” Twilight shouted.

“Oh no! I mean, of course he has, I just hadn’t thought about that. I just didn’t--wait a second, are you saying that you had an...encounter with Shining Armor?” Cadance asked as the conversation sank in.

“Oh yeah!” Twilight said. “He was hitting on me pretty hard.” Her face went pale. “I want to rephrase that if I could.”

“Why do--oh. Oh no,” Cadance said with a gasp.

“Oh yes,” Twilight answered demurely, unable to meet the other mare’s eyes. “Right there. Out in the open. Just...standing up.”

“Oh, Twilight,” the alicorn moved over and wrapped her wing over the unicorn in sympathy. “It’s okay, he can’t help it right now.”

Twilight’s whole body shuddered. “Well, you said that he was at the spa--doing that--while you watched.”

“No! No, not at all. I haven’t seen Shining Armor since yesterday. The twins were hitting on me, and then just took matters into their own hooves while I got away.”

The words of her brother came back to the unicorn as she listened to Cadance’s explanation. “Wait, he came to the library looking for you. You’re right! He hadn’t seen you.”

“Well, yeah, I just said that,” Cadance assured.

“So why the HAY was he all...and stuff? And with me?!” Twilight’s expression became more rigid, though her eyes were still different sizes.

“Um, I think,” Cadance slowly looked around the room, and then brought her face back to look at Twilight directly, keeping one eye closed. “that might be our fault.”

“Our fault? I didn’t hit on my brother!” she protested.

“No, no, not that way. I mean...well, come here.” Cadance walked over the window, looking down at the street below, Twilight right by her side. “Look. Look down there.”

Twilight stared out the window, her mind still racing around what happened with her brother a few hours earlier. “What? It’s the street.”

“No. Look at the ponies.” Cadance pointed out the window towards a couple in an alleyway.

“Okay, so I’m--” Twilight’s voice stopped. It didn’t trail off or sudden redirect itself. It stopped. As though all sound had been removed from her by the unseen hoof of a goddess.

“Twilight?” Cadance asked softly.

She didn’t answer. Her eyes watched as the two ponies copulated in the middle of the street. No regard to what anypony else would say or do. Then her eyes shifted to another corner, where three ponies were in the earliest stages of amorous action. And then she saw another couple. And another. And then a small gathering of at least four ponies, but she wasn’t sure of the exact number because that was when she slowly started to back away from the window.

“Twilight?” Cadance asked a little more forcefully this time.

“SWEET HEAVENLY CELESTIA! Has everypony in town gone sex crazy?!” Her eyes were unblinking and unfocused.

Cadance ran over to her, grabbing her by the withers and holding her in place as she stared into her eyes. “Deep breaths! Slow, deep breaths. Everything is okay.”

“IT IS?!” Foam started to form at the corner of Twilight’s mouth, her body only minutes away from complete shutdown. “I don’t see what makes that okay. What has gotten into those ponies?!”

“Um...I afraid I know the answer to that,” Cadance answered warily. “It’s...us.”

Twilight finally blinked, many times in fast succession. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“It’s us. We did this,” Cadance answered softly.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure as heck didn’t start telling ponies to get busy with everypony in public!”

“No, we didn’t, but we did sort of set this off,” Cadance explained, letting go of Twilight’s shoulders to step back.

“HOW?!” Twilight was still in a bit of shock.

“Do you remember last night?” Cadance asked.

Twilight’s head started shaking vigorously. “No! No, that’s the problem, remember? You and I...I mean we...NO! I don’t remember!”

“Okay, not...that part,” Cadance said, taking a deep breath. “Right before we kissed. We were in bed, and we were talking about Celestia and Luna. Do you remember that?”

Twilight’s eyes started dashing about wildly, looking for a hidden memory to latch onto. “Wait. Wait a minute. I--I do remember that. You went to the window and you cast a spell--no, you started to cast a spell, and decided to help you.”

“Right!” Cadance affirmed. “And we wanted everypony in town to love each other.”

“And they are,” Twilight understood. “They are loving the hay out of each other. Everywhere.”

“Exactly,” Cadance nodded.

“Wait, why aren’t we having that problem?” Twilight’s mind went immediately into analytical mode.

“I don’t know. Do you remember the details of the spell?” Cadance asked.

“Uh...no. I don’t even remember what I did to help out. I’m sure it was an assistance spell. Something that gave you a bit of my magic, but...maybe not. I might have tried to layer my own spell on top of yours. Do you remember what you cast?”

“Nope. Which puts us in a bit of a bind,” Cadance said. “So, I think we might have to layer even MORE magic on top of it, since we don’t know what it is right now.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!” Twilight mocked.

“Do you have a better suggestion?” Cadance said firmly, stepping up to the smaller unicorn.

Twilight backed off a little, startled by the sudden aggressive action from the normally passive alicorn.

“I’m sorry!” Cadance immediately softened. “I just...this is my first time being in charge, and I’m already screwing up.”

Twilight stepped up to her friend, placing a hoof just above her wing to comfort her. “It’s okay. You’re doing the best that you can. And, well, I don’t think anypony expected something like this to happen.”

Cadance smiled, her body visibly relaxing. “Thanks. That means a lot.” She bent over and nuzzled her friend’s neck in thanks. She paused there a moment, enjoying the closeness of the lavender mare, and Twilight let her, enjoying the feeling of her warm breath on her neck. The moment lingered, the two mares relaxing for the moment. Maybe lingering a bit too long.

“Uh...” Twilight didn’t move away, but she kind of pulled her head to the side. “Not that I’m complaining, but we don’t want to get in trouble here. Again. Maybe.”

“Oh! Right!” Cadance pulled her head back quickly, her cheeks slightly more pink than usual.

“So, what kind of spell did you have in mind?” Twilight asked, quickly changing the mood.

“Okay, hear me out,” Cadance said, pulling her head back to give a speech. “Right now the ‘mood’ that is hitting all these ponies has no direction. It’s just going around causing havoc in the streets. And businesses. And...well, everywhere. So, I think the first order of business is to redirect that emotion.”

“Sounds logical. Where should we direct it?” Twilight asked, her mind in full magic geek mode.

“Okay, here’s the tricky part,” she hesitated. “I think we should direct it towards us.”

Twilight’s eyes bugged out again, her mouth opening but no sound coming out.

“Wait, wait! There’s a reason,” Cadance put up a hoof, trying to stop any oncoming panic attack. “Like I said, hear me out. If we direct all of that emotion towards the two of us, we can prevent anything too bad from happening to innocent ponies. And, we have complete control over who sees us and what can happen. This is Celestia’s room. Her haven. There isn’t a more secure room in Equestria than this place. We direct all of the attention to us, and then lock ourselves in here where no pony can get to us until the spell passes. We’d be totally safe.”

“Until the spell passes?” Twilight asked, narrowly avoiding any emotional breakdown. “And when does that happen?”

“That’s the other thing we add on. We make another alteration to the spell that causes it to be burned out by sunlight. We can’t directly burn it out ourselves, but if we use the magic of the daylight, we can cause the spell to decay in the light of the sun. One sunny day, and we’re good to go! Everything is fixed, and no pony gets hurt.” Cadance’s eyes were filled with confident desperation. She knew this was the one crazy idea that just might work.

Twilight’s mind went into overdrive. She ran the concept through her head again and again, trying to figure out a simpler, better way to remove such powerful magic, but without either Celestia or Luna here, there was no pony powerful enough to do anything to this spell. It really was up to her and Cadance, and, as much as she didn’t like it, the alicorn’s idea made sense.

“I--okay,” Twilight answered. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but, okay. Let’s give it a try.”

“Oh, thank you!” Cadance hugged the pony tightly. “This is going to work. I just know it!”

“I hope so,” Twilight answered from the hug. She pushed herself away from the alicorn and nodded. “Let’s get to work.”

* * * * * * *

“Stand still, mare. Eyes down, tail up.” Luna’s tone was strict and commanding. She circled Celestia, who did as she was told, inspecting the royal alicorn with a dutiful eye. Floating beside Luna was a long buggy whip, black with a silver handle.

“Legs wider,” Luna demanded from behind the goddess, who immediately obeyed. She couldn’t see her sister’s face, but the night goddess grew a wide smile. “Very good, mare.”

She stayed there, staring at the gap between her sister’s legs. A sheen of fluid glistening as it ran down Celestia’s thigh, with Luna watching her sister’s legs tremble. The normally proud and strong alicorn was weak with desire, which only made Luna’s own lust grow.

“This is what shall happen,” she spoke in a cold, authoritative tone. “First, thou art going to pleasure us, as we direct you. Any hesitation or variance from our commands will lead to immediate discipline. Then--IF thou performs at an acceptable level--we shall...consider thy reward. Is that clear?”

“Yes, My Wife,” Celestia’s voice wavered, her breath already coming in ragged gasps.

“Excellent,” Luna began to circle the standing alicorn once more, stopping briefly beside her. The buggy whip moved under the left wing of the white goddess, pushing it up. “Keep thy wings straight, mare. We like to see them fully erect and pointing to the sky, understood?”

“Yes, My Wife. I will try,” she answered.

“Try?” Luna’s voice trailed off, her head turning towards the lowered muzzle of her sister. “Try has no part of what we told you, mare. Thou shalt DO what we say!” A whistle of air set the tone before the crack of the whip struck Celestia on the flank. The sound echoed off the wall of the room even as the sun goddess suppressed a whimper.

Luna walked around to the front of the mare, and, using the whip, brought the submissive mare’s face up, allowing her to stare down into Celestia’s eyes. “Thou belongs to us. Thou art ours to do with as we please. Bound by thy word and ours. Do not disappoint us, mare, and thou shalt find that we can be a very kind Goddess.”

“Y-yes, My Wife,” Celestia answered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and desire that drove Luna’s lust.

“Excellent.” She smiled and turned away from her sister. “Thou may kiss our flank in gratitude.”

An alabaster neck stretched out, placing soft lips upon the coat of Luna’s flank, just beside her cutie mark. She pressed hard enough to make sure Luna knew she was there, but hoped it wasn’t too hard. She wanted--no, needed to please her.

“Again,” Luna directed with a purr. “Thou dost that well.”

Celestia let a small smile slip onto her lips as they pressed once again against the dark goddess’ flesh. She let her kisses roam, spreading further apart and more frequent than the single acknowledgement from before. Soon, they had moved around to the back of Luna’s flank, near the tail. She gingerly kissed the zone, moving down slightly in hopes of getting a positive reaction.

“Mmmmm,” Luna moaned, lifting her tail up and to the side. “Proceed.”

Her marehood was exposed for Celestia to see, engorged and dripping with libidinous juices. She darted her tongue out to grab a drop of nectar that escaped and was falling to the ground, thankful that the precious fluid did not go to waste. Without delay she followed up, licking up the slit of flesh, pushing the lips farther apart than the lust already had done. A full taste of Luna’s sex filled her mouth, causing her own body to shiver in delight, her own marehood responding with ardor and a wanting desire. Luna, in turn, responded with a guttural growl, showing that she too wanted this as much as Celestia.

“Get thy muzzle in there!” Luna grasped Celestia’s head with her magic, pressing it against her sex with some degree of force, covering her mouth and nose. Cut off from air, Celestia did the only thing that she could, and extended her tongue to the fullest, intent on ravishing the cunt that encased her airways.

The soft gentle touch was gone, replaced by a combination of magical force pressing Celestia’s face into Luna’s sex, and Celestia’s tongue trying to free herself by causing Luna to climax.

Shoving her tongue as deep as it could go into her sister’s pussy, Celestia swirled it around, lashing out against the walls of the orifice, while letting her lower lip trail down to brush against the hardened clit that jutted out from the hood at the top of the labia. She could feel the dark mare start to shudder with each thrust of her tongue, and knew that she wouldn’t last very long, but would she last longer than Celestia’s need for air? The sun goddess did not want to pull away, the desire to show her sister-wife that the compulsion to please her was stronger than any need for breath. But she could feel the burning starting at the back of her mind, that primal instinct to fight for survival. She wanted to beat it back, so she concentrated with more intensity on bringing the mare to orgasm.

Luna was fighting to hold off her climax. She was already excited before Celestia had touched her, and had no intention of letting her perform on her so immediately, but the touch of her lips was intoxicating. And now she wanted to hold onto the feeling that was growing inside her, but she knew it was a losing battle. Soon enough she was going to explode, but not before Celestia had to pull away for breath. This was a battle of wills, and one that she had no intention of losing.

She could feel the walls of her sister’s pussy clasping against her tongue as Celestia thrust in and out as fast and hard as she could manage without actually moving her head. Fighting against the burning in her lungs, she pushed down the need to actually breathe, instead choosing to sustain herself on the taste and texture of her sister-wife’s marehood. Flickers of light began to appear in the corners of Celestia’s vision, even as Luna’s breathing began to become a hoarse cascade of gulps of air.

Celestia pulled her head back, gasping in a huge breath of air just as a torrent burst forth from Luna’s sex, covering the both the sun goddess’ face and the night goddess’ legs, as well as creating a mess on the floor. Her lungs greedily took in the air even as her tongue tried desperately to catch the second and third burst of fluid that splashed out onto her face from her sister’s pulsing cunt.

Both sisters stood there, panting and regaining strength. It was Luna who turned and spoke first. “Thou lost.”

“I’m sorry, My Wife, but you are mistaken,” Celestia answered. “I was released from your grip as you began to cum.”

“No, thou escaped our grasp, and our orgasm was lessened because thou didst not complete thine duty,” Luna countered.

“I do not--”

“Is that our cum on thine face, whorse?” Luna spun around, her strength coming back to her quickly. “And art thou arguing with thine Mistress?”

Celestia’s eyes trembled. “No, My Wife! I wasn’t trying to--”

“Thou were! Thou art a disrespectful mare, and deserve to be disciplined.” She moved up on Celestia, forcing the white alicorn to fall back onto her haunches. “And that is our cum. So, thou wast not attached to our cunt when we came.” She glanced at the ground, one eyebrow raising. “And thou even failed to catch all that fell out of us.”

“I tried to get it all, but there was just so much,” Celestia said softly.

“A gift that thou squandered. We gave thou that much and thou chose to let it go to waste,” Luna’s tone was hard and sharp. “We had considered letting thou choose the method in which we would pleasure thee as a wedding gift, but now we’re not even sure that we shouldn’t just let thou wait another day.”

“No!” Celestia pleaded, dropping down to Luna’s hooves, kissing them fervently. “I beg you, My Wife, please let me make it up to you. I want pleasure from you so very much.”

“Of course thou dost,” Luna said dryly, “but that doesn’t mean thou deserve it.”

“What can I do to prove my worth to you?” Celestia begged.

Luna paused, staring down at her sister-wife licking her hooves, pushing down the smile that so wanted to burst out. “Stand up!” she commanded.

Instantly, Celestia rose to her hooves, careful to keep her head lower than Luna’s. The dark mare stared at her, and then brought her hoof up, raising the sun goddess’ face up slightly. Luna let her tongue come out and lick across Celestia’s face, tasting her own cum on the coat of her sister.

“Sweet,” she said with a smirk. “We think that, since thou disappointed us so, we should simply allow ourselves to use thee as a toy for our gratification once again. If thou get some form of pleasure from it--which thou should, since it is coming from us--then that is thine own responsibility. Open your mouth.”

Celestia obeyed, letting her lips part and tongue fall slightly out of her mouth to demonstrate complete access. A black bridle with silver spikes and bit appeared in Luna’s hooves. “Thou will wear this,” she instructed, as she started to strap it to her sister’s muzzle. “It isn’t the most comfortable of things, but if thou had been more respectful than thou wouldn’t need it. So, the blame for this lies only with thine self.”

Whimpering slightly, Celestia allowed the black leather to surround her face, a special ring to go over her horn to position it, and the cold metal to invade her mouth. She had never worn such a thing before, and found that her tongue was having trouble moving around the piece that pushed against her mouth. Luna tightened the straps down, locking the device firmly in place.

“There, now thou look like a proper slave,” Luna stated. “Stay still.”

The dark mare paced around Celestia once again, stopping behind her sister and remaining silent for a moment. “Lift your tail. We do not want it blocking us,” Luna said coldly, and Celestia did as she was told.

The weight of the bridle changed, and Celestia glanced down to see reins appear, attached to the bit in her mouth. Before she could even respond, something bound her wings together, and she clearly got an image in her mind of black leather-like straps surrounding them, locking them in place. And at that same moment, Luna mounted her sister from behind, bringing her head up to rest beside her sister’s ear.

“Now, whorse, we once told thou that we were saving a certain plaything about thee for special occasions. And what is more special than our wedding night?”

Celestia’s eyes shot wide in recognition of what was being said. “No! Tha’ wash Nighmare Moon! Nah you!” The mare’s words were slurred by the bit that played in her mouth.

“We ARE Nightmare Moon, whorse! Do not EVER forget that! Every time we feel thou beneath us, we revel in our power. We enjoy knowing that mighty Celestia has succumbed to her greatest enemy willingly, nay, lovingly!” The horse cock that Luna had grown from her clitoris positioned itself at the tailhole of Celestia, pausing there as she waited for effect. Celestia could feel a cool, slick liquid suddenly covering her ass. “We don’t want a rough ride, now do we?”

“Be--be gentle,” Celestia begged.

“We shall be whatever we desire,” Luna whispered into her sister’s ear. “And this is just the start. We have something new that we wish to try tonight.”

“Wha-wha-aaaaaaah!” Celestia couldn’t form words as Luna pushed her massive cock into her ass slowly, guiding it in inch by inch to let the lubricant spread across both herself and her sister’s passage. It took a full minute before the organ seated itself, Luna’s hips finally resting up against her sister-wife’s flank.

“We are going to fuck you, wife,” Luna growled, pulling back on the bridle, causing Celestia’s head to tilt straight back towards her. “First slowly, and then harder than thou hast ever been fucked in your very, very long life. And before we cum, thou will be screaming our name in ecstasy. We promise thee that.”

She pulled her cock out of Celestia’s ass slightly, and then gently pushed forward again, making sure that there was enough slickness to easily accommodate the motion. It moved smoothly and easily, encouraging the dark mare to pull out further, and push in harder than before. Each time she moved, Celestia moaned, first in some discomfort, but increasingly in passion as the experience changed sensations.

Soon, Luna had built up a rhythm, driving the milk-white mare forward with each and every thrust of her powerful hips, even as she pulled her head back each time on the reins. Celestia soon began to counter the motion, pressing back against the thrusts as Luna moved forward, meeting the tempo with one of her own. Her body was trembling and the low sounds from her throat were nothing but pure pleasure.

“Thou likes this, mare? This is nothing. We have something that will show you a pleasure you have never felt before,” Luna’s voice was calm and level as she spoke. “Now...”

Something prodded against Celestia’s sex. Luna’s magically grown penis was still driving into her ass, but something was now slapping up against the outside of her pussy--and it felt to her like another cock.

“Wha? How are you doin’ this?” Celestia asked.

“Are we not the mistress of transformation? Is there anything that lies beyond our will, mare?” Luna chided.

“Nay, My Wife,” Celestia spoke as clearly as she could, the drool filling the corners of her mouth and slavering down her cheeks as Luna rode her. Her tone wasn’t as unclear as her words. She craved what was about to happen.

“Then thou should not be surprised that we have more than one cock to fill thine holes,” Luna said as she pulled almost completely out of her sister’s ass. Her second cock pulsed up as Luna’s excitement rose, causing it to throb against the opening to Celestia’s cunt. She moved it back and forth, slicking it up against the juices that streamed from her sex. And then she felt it pierce the outer lips and she paused, a huge smile growing on her face, and then pushed forward with all her might, plunging into Celestia’s depths.

“Yesssss,” Luna hissed, yanking back on Celestia’s reins, reveling in the moment.

Celestia’s eyes rolled back into her head, as her sister’s twin cocks attacked her ass and pussy simultaneously. A deep guttural sound gargled out of her mouth, not even attempting to approximate words. Luna felt Celestia go weak beneath her as the lust overpowered her strength--which only made her drive into the mare harder and faster than ever.

Everything became a blur to Celestia. Each thrust sent her further and further down a path that was new to her. Her muscles contracted and relaxed against both of Luna’s cocks, even as she could feel them rubbing against each other through her vaginal wall. Her mental pleasure threshold was beyond its limits, and she had no desire to see it stop, but her body had other ideas.

“LUUUUUUNNNAAA!” She reared her head back, thrashing it about as she came.

“Yes! Yes! Scream our name!” Luna’s own passion peaked, causing her to violently thrust against her sister-wife with new found authority. The heavy contractions of Celestia’s internal muscles worked their magic on the twin cocks, and soon enough, Luna wasn’t able to stop herself from filling both of her sister’s holes with magical cum. Each spurt was accompanied by a short, sharp thrust as she fought to keep the sensation going, even as Celestia’s ass and cunt milked the cum from both penises.

Luna collapsed in a heap, landing on her sister’s back, forcing the mare to the ground. Both of them waited a moment, their breath labored and deep, their coats matted with sweat. Reaching forward, Luna kissed Celestia on the cheek, just as she dismissed the magical bridle, bit and bindings on her wings.

Turning around to look at her directly, tears of joy streamed from Celestia’s eyes, her smile not allowing any confusion from her sister. Luna slipped from atop the mare, moving to lie next to her directly.

“Are you all right?” Luna asked, still wanting to make sure. “I did not hurt you, did I? I listened for your safeword, but no sound you made approximated it in the least.”

Celestia shook her head, the smile the only words that she could speak.

“I thought it might be interesting to try something special tonight,” Luna said, her breath slowly going back to normal.

The only response was a sharp nod from the sun goddess.

Luna stared for a moment, waiting for Celestia to say something. And eventually, she did.

“I love you.”

“And I love you,” Luna answered softly. “Do you need to rest?”

Celestia nodded, her body completely drained of strength. She closed her eyes and curled up against her dark sister.

The shadows of the light played along the white mare’s body, but to a pony who embodied the essence of night she seemed to be fully lit by the brightest of beacons. Luna watched as Celestia’s breathing eased and then her chest began to rise and fall with perfect regularity as the depths of sleep took over for her. She brought a single hoof up to trail it along her mane, now resting lightly on the ground, the magic that kept it in motion also sleeping. She twisted her head, letting this moment sink into her memory, making sure that nothing could ever change it or remove it from her being.

“You can come out now,” Luna said gently, just loud enough to not disturb the sleep of her beloved.

A pale gray mare with a black mane stepped out of the shadows. “You knew?”

Luna nodded. “I saw you this morning, and...I knew. Thank you for letting us have the rest of this day.”

“You’re welcome,” the pony stepped forward. She was surprisingly slight for an earth pony, with a cutie mark of a black ankh on her flank, and she spoke with a slight accent. “I’m a bit of a sucker for a romance.”

“Even a short one,” Luna said.

“Aw, don’t look at it that way. You’ve both been alive for so very long now, I would think that finding a happiness like this would make all that time worthwhile,” she stopped moving and stared down at Luna, who still let her hoof run through Celestia’s mane.

“Yes, but it is that depth of time that makes this seem so short. So much wasted time,” Luna’s voice trailed off. “I’ve done so much to hurt her.”

“True,” the pony answered, “but you’ve done far more to make her feel special. And that’s what’s going to stick with her.”

“I wanted more time,” Luna said.

“You got a lifetime,” the pony stated.

She raised her head up, looking at the gray pony. She seemed so young and vibrant. “Why? Why now? Why is it over now?”

“Don’t ask me,” she said. “I really don’t make those rules. You know that. But I can tell you that mortal ponies aren’t made to survive the transformations that you’ve put yourself through. You lost your immortality and, well, that’s life.”

There was a long silence as Luna considered the pony’s words. With a deep breath and a resolve in her voice she broke the silence. “Should we go?”

“What? You don’t want to wake her up and say goodbye?” the pony asked.

“I do, but...I fear that she will be quite angry with you,” she explained.

“Oh pish-posh! Like one angry pony isn’t something that I’ve seen before!” she smiled reassuringly.

Luna smiled back. “This is no angry pony. We speak of an angry Goddess of the Sun. The most powerful being in the world.”

“Okay, yeah there’s that, but it still doesn’t change anything. And like I said, I’m a sucker for romance.”

The figure below her was still sleeping peacefully. She tried to imagine that the roles were reversed. Would she want Celestia to be gone without a goodbye? She knew the answer before she even asked herself, but she still hesitated. The pain that she had caused her sister was already so great, and she didn’t want to add to that even slightly. Still, there was no doubt what she needed to do.

“Tia,” Luna gently prodded her sister. “Tia, wake up.”

Blinking her eyes slowly, the alicorn stared up at her sister. “Hmmm? What is it?” she asked sleepily.

“I want to say goodbye,” Luna stated bluntly.

The words sunk in, and Celestia sat up with a shock. She stared at Luna, her eyes darting all around her body and face, looking for an answer that might reveal itself before she spoke. “Leave? What do you mean ‘leave?’ Where are you going? Did I do something?”

“No! No, you did nothing. I want to stay here forever, but...I do not have that choice,” Luna said, reaching forward and touching her lover’s face.

“What do you mean? Luna, what are you talking about?” her voice strained to find something.

“It is my time,” Luna said simply. “I have to go.”

“Time? What do you--” The gray mare in the room was suddenly obvious to Celestia. In a flash she was standing between her and Luna, her wings spread out to their fullest, her head down, horn ablaze with power, and an expression that could melt stone on her face. “Get. Out.”

“I can’t do that,” the pale pony stated. “She’s right. It’s her time.”

“She doesn’t have a time. And I will see you destroyed before I see you take her. I won’t warn you again. Leave now, or face my wrath,” Celestia’s voice shattered the air with its tone.

“Celestia, don’t be like this,” Death pleaded. “It’s really nothing that can be stopped.”

“We shall see, Death. We shall see.” Her horn flashed, a blaze of blinding white power incinerating everything in front of her, centering on the pale pony. When the light dimmed, the room was reduced to a char, it’s contents destroyed and smoldering. And Death remained unfazed.

“Told you,” she said with chagrin. “Instead of being angry, why don’t you spend these last few moments with her instead of fighting me.”

“You will NOT get to her. These are NOT our last moments! I will--”

The single touch of a hoof stopped her words. Celestia turned to see Luna smiling at her, her hoof resting on her withers, shaking her head slowly. “No. It is my time, Tia. She is right. I want this moment to be something good. Not something dark and regretful. There has been too much of that between us in the past.”

“Luna, no! I can’t lose you. I just found you! We just...we just got married.” Tears fell unbidden from Celestia’s eyes. No sounds of sobbing or sniffling came with them, just an honest expression of the moment.

“I know. I know.” Her hoof came up to her sister’s face, brushing away the sadness. “And I know that I will always remember this day, and the feeling that I have for you right now, no matter where I go.”

“You can’t leave me. Not now!” Celestia begged.

Luna smiled. “Would it help if I told you that I was plotting the best way to usurp your throne?”

Celestia shook her head. “You’re lying.”

“I am not, actually. I have been working on a way to dethrone you,” she answered. “Now, I was never going to actually DO it, but I was was figuring out the best way to make it happen.”

“Wh-what am I going to do without you?” Celestia asked.

“Keep your throne for one thing,” she announced, hoping to lighten the mood. “And you shall have to find a new arch-enemy. I recommend the changeling. I do not like her, and hope that you crush her like the bug she is.”

“Luna, be serious!” Celestia snapped. “You’re acting like this is nothing.”

Lowering her head, Luna tapped her horn against her sister’s, feeling the spark that arced out between them in her soul. “No, Tia, this is everything. This moment is the whole of our lives. The remainder of our being. What you will carry with you of me for the rest of your days.” She bent up, bringing her lips to Celestia’s, letting them linger for longer than a moment.

“And this is goodbye,” Luna said as she pulled back. “Close your eyes.”

“No! No, I don’t want--”

“Tia. Please, close your eyes. It is better this way,” Luna stated softly.

“I love you,” Celestia poured her being into those three words.

“And I love you,” Luna countered with equal feeling.

“I won’t say goodbye, Luna. This isn’t goodbye,” Celestia said, “but I will do as you ask.”

With painful slowness, the sun goddess lowered her eyelids, letting the image of Luna slowly set from her view. She stood there silently, her breath shallow and desperate, waiting to hear another word from her beloved. She waited what seemed to be a number of eternities before her patience could hold no more.

“Luna?” she asked softly.

“She’s gone,” the pale pony answered.

Her eyes burst open, scanning the room, and finding no sign of her sister. “Where--where is her...where is she?”

“It doesn’t work that way. There is no body,” Death explained. “She was a being of primal force. The essence of the night. What body could be left from that?”

Celestia nodded, falling back onto her haunches, her strength leaving her completely. The pale pony moved over to sit beside her.

“It’s going to be okay,” Death offered. “I mean, it’s not ideal, I know, but this is the sort of thing that mortal ponies deal with all the time.”

“We are not mortal ponies. I have become accustomed to you taking them from my life, but...this is different,” Celestia’s voice cracked.

“You made a mess of this room,” the pale pony stated, staring forward. “This is gonna cost you.”

“I don’t care. I don’t even know if I will ever leave this room. What is the point?” she replied.

The pale pony nodded. “Yeah, staying in a burnt out shell of a room sounds like a good future to me, too.”

“Do not mock me, Death. I may not be able to destroy you, but I am still not to be trifled with,” Celestia turned to look at the other pony in the room.

“I know. Just trying to lighten the mood,” she explained with a smile.

Celestia turned her head back to the ground, watching her tears fall one-by-one. “At least she’ll know peace in Elysium.”

“Uh...yeah. Or not,” Death answered carefully.

“What do you mean?” Celestia turned to face her again.

“Nightmare Moon was never going to make it into Elysium, Celestia. That’s not where she went,” she explained.

“What?” Celestia stood up with a start. “Are you telling me that she is in--”

“Tartarus. Yeah,” Death said plainly.

Her eyes lit up as Celestia stared at the incarnation of finality. Her neck straightened and her body rose to it’s full height. “Not for long.”

“Uh, that doesn’t sound so good,” the pale pony responded.

“I may not have been able to prevent her death, but I can prevent her torment. I will free her from Tartarus. By all that is holy, I swear she shall be saved,” Celestia’s horn lit up, signaling her binding oath.

“Okay, I know that’s not good.” Death stood up, dwarfed by the large alicorn. “Look, you can’t do it. What are you going to do? Drag her out of there and back into the land of the living? You won’t have time for that. Luna has to be here to serve as the avatar of the moon, or she will be replaced. At the next moonrise a new incarnation of the night will come into being. You will have a new sister. You know that.”

“It won’t be Luna. I want Luna back. I will not know that she is suffering.” Celestia turned and walked towards the window, Death right beside her.

“But the journey into Tartarus is long and difficult, as you know. You could never get there and out with her before the next moonrise,” the pale pony explained.

“You are wrong. I have more than enough time,” Celestia turned towards the pony and smiled. “Especially since I have no intention of raising the sun until I get her back.”

“Yeah, like nothing could go wrong there,” Death chided.

“I am the goddess of the sun. If I say that it doesn’t rise, then it will not,” Celestia said. She turned back to the window, and her horn once again came to life, a blinding light shooting out into the Las Pegasus sky as the window and wall in front of her was burned into ash.

“You know she’s not going to let her go easily,” Death stated.

“I do,” a somber tone echoed at the back of Celestia’s words. “But I will not let that stop me. Goodbye, Death. Pray that we do not meet again.”

Leaping from the hole, she took to wing, with hundreds of gathered ponies staring up with words of awe and wonder as their living goddess flew out into the night sky. Death watched her move towards the horizon, finally becoming a dot in the distance, no different from any other star in the night sky.

“Well,” Death said to herself, “that went even better than planned.”

* * * * * * *

Cadance and Twilight stared out of the window, watching the horizon with eager anticipation. It took them hours to cast the spell, moving the focus of the previous spell onto themselves and setting up the spell’s end, and they were both exhausted from the effort. But once finished, they were able to put all the seals and locks into place, securing them in Celestia’s personal fortress. No pony could get to them and no pony knew where they were. Now all they had to do was wait for the day to come and go. They sat in silence, as they had for some time, watching for daybreak.

It was already an hour past the point of sunrise. Or at least when the sun was supposed to rise, and the night showed no signs of changing. The stars were firm in their place in the heavens.

“Well,” Cadance stated with a sigh, “that’s not good.”

Twilight turned to look at the princess, her mane frazzled and frayed. “GEE? YA THINK?!”

...to be continued.

Chapter Three

Who Rules: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Three

Celestia looked at that gates of Tartarus, her eyes fixed on that destination. Between her and her goal was a large three-headed dog, whose heads were down low, dripping with drool and showing his teeth, a faint growl-like sound coming from the depths of his being as he put his forepaws out, and raised his butt into the air.

“Cerberus,” Celestia said slowly and softly, “I am very sorry, but I do NOT have time to play.”

At the sound of the goddess’ voice, the beast yelped, jumping in the air and spinning around once before resuming the same position as before, his tail wagging furiously.

“Yes, yes, I know, it has been a long time since we played, but I have been very busy, and I am on something of a limited schedule at the moment,” Celestia answered with a heavy sigh. She was holding back the dawn, extending her time limit to rescue her beloved sister from the depths of this literal hell before her, but she knew that once she set hoof in Tartarus, her timeline became a much more fragile thing. Her current proximity might have already started that clock.

The three heads of the dog-beast whimpered, and Celestia stepped forward, rubbing the weary animal behind the ears on its center head. Cerberus immediately responded with enthusiasm, as his right head began to lick Celestia’s side, covering her pristine coat with a heavy layer of dog spit. Despite wanting to be through this as quickly as possible, Celestia could not repress a laugh.

“Oh ho ho ho. Does anypony come and play with you? Are you just left here alone all the time?” The beast’s answer was a more energetic tongue bath, almost knocking the alicorn to the side. “I will take that as a no.”

Raising her other hoof up, Celestia grabbed both sides of the massive head of the beast, staring him directly in the eyes. “I promise when this is done I will come back and we will play. Do you like that? Do you? Do you?”

Pulling away from Celestia’s grasp, Cerberus bounded around the room, at one point sliding out of control and falling into the massive brass gate that locked the denizens of Tartarus inside--and the vast majority of others outside. He finally ran back in front of the alicorn, dropping down onto the ground and looking up--very slightly due to the size of his head--at her and barking cheerfully. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Celestia said with a smile.

She stepped towards the gate, the magical glow of her horn casting a golden shadow on the reddish metal. The hinges hesitated, uncertain as to their use from neglect, and with a mournful wail, finally grinding as the door swung open.

Celestia stepped to the doorway, staring inside. Her eyes turned to steel as she set herself against the coming path, and stepped through into the waiting realm. There was no hesitation as the gate slammed shut behind her.

Not sharing her sister’s gift to see in absolute darkness, Celestia had to rely upon her own means. With a thought, her horn glowed as bright as the star she represented, sending shadows scurrying away to hide behind rocks and walls. Immediately she walked down the path, hoof steps finding their way with certainty.

The way was twisting and long, delving deep outside her own world and into the land with little light and no warmth. With every hoof fall, she could feel the cold grow around her, becoming far more frigid than any mountaintop in the north of Equestria.

She moved on, ignoring the screams from the ground as she placed her hooves and the screams of something that withered in the light of her magic. Soon--if time was working correctly--she found her next destination.

A river so wide that it seemed to be a sea, with water that burned a black flame that provided no heat, coming up from water the color of blood. On its shore stood a steady line of ponies, each clad in brass armor, all of them staring at the goddess-mare with black, empty eye sockets.

“Stand down, guardians,” Celestia spoke calmly. “I am not your duty. Your burden does not come into play with me.”

A single stallion stepped forward, his legs moving with a broken step as they cracked under the pressure of his own weight. “No mortal pony may cross the river Phlegethon. Such is our task, and we shall not forsake honor again.”

Celestia knew of these ponies. The fallen who betrayed their charge, allowing death to follow in their cowardice. It was not from their deeds that they ended up here, but from their lack of them. It was from the weight of their own sins that they were not able to rise into Elysium, and until they could forgive themselves, they would know no rest.

“Who are you?” she asked the guardian.

“Nessus. I lead this battalion,” he answered.

“Then know that I am no mortal pony. I am Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria. Immortal incarnation of light and all that goes with it. I shall pass here this day,” Celestia’s body glowed with the light of her power, driving her words into the pony.

“I know who you are,” he answered, “but you do not rule this land. We answer to another.” He stood his ground, staring at Celestia, who in turn took another step forward, her wings flaring out as she prepared herself. His words stopped her. “But you are correct. You are no mortal pony. You shall have passage across.”

The river of blood boiled, the flames parting as a churning grew beneath them. A great wooden ship pushed its way up from the depths, crashing through the surface as the fire tried in vain to catch hold to it. The blood was pushed aside and pushed back against the hull as it took seat on the surface of the river.

“I shall ferry you across,” Nessus said.

There was a slight hesitation before Celestia answered. “Thank you,” she said, stepping towards the ship, and moving up the gangplank onto its deck. The wood of the ship was stained red, and she could feel the faint sticky sensation under her hooves as she walked. She ignored it.

“The trip is not long, but if you do not know the way, it is eternal,” Nessus said as he launched the ship from shore. “This river is filled with lost souls who tried to cross on their own.”

“I know the way. It has been a long time, but I’m sure the path has remained the same,” Celestia answered.

The dead pony turned to the goddess. “Yes, I had heard you had visited in the past. The distant past,” he said.

She didn’t answer. Standing at the bow of the ship, she watched and waited, looking for signs of the shore to peak on the horizon. Wails of anguish rose up from the blood water below, and it took all of her courage to not look down to see the faces of the ponies that cried out in lamentation. Too many voices, too much suffering, for her to see the faces that went with them.

Her eyes focused on the horizon, she soon was able to spy the great brass tower that sat at the center of great city of Tartarus, Dis. Three brass walls surrounded the city, each one progressively taller than the last. It was the sole location of solace from the tortures that the world itself presented, but also was the home to the most callous of all criminals and where the greatest of all punishment occurred.

Her lungs filled with the foul air of the land as she braced herself for what she knew would be the truth. Luna would be in that city somewhere. It was only a matter of finding her, freeing her, and returning to Equestria. Just that simple.

The ship slowed, coming to a full stop as it slid into the soft shoreline of the lands of the land of the damned. “You have arrived. Take care to watch yourself, the laws of Tartarus are very different from those of your home.”

“I know, Nessus. I know all too well,” she said as she bowed to the dead pony. “Thank you for your aid. May you find peace.”

“And may you find what you are looking for,” he answered. “And may that you are able to leave in peace.”

“We shall see, warrior. Goodbye.” Celestia’s wings spread wide as she leapt into the air, letting her ride the weak atmosphere to the shore without her hooves stepping into the foul waters of the river of blood. Four hooves came down in soft succession, each padding quietly against the barren earth of the land.

With each hoof fall, Celestia’s eyes took in more and more of the city, the walls lined with dozens of guards in rotting armor of brass. She could feel eyes watching her, even though the guards on the wall were like Nessus and his contingent of blind warriors, empty sockets sitting on either side of their head. When she finally turned her attention to the grand gate, she found the eyes that stared at her.

Standing on the gate was a huge, bat-winged pony with a blood-red coat. A pair of horns twisted off of her head, spilling back towards her neck and the tattered black mane that hung loosely down her neck. A long, serpentine tail with a broad point waved behind her smoothly. Her face was hidden from view, covered in a black mask of sewn leather, brass studs lining either side of her muzzle to look like an obscene grin. Her eyes were visible though, and Celestia felt the chill strike through her as their eyes met.

The alicorn did not hesitate, nor falter in her step as she moved towards the gate, choosing to meet the stare of this mare. The figure on the gate did not move, save for her eyes that tracked Celestia’s every step, following her until she walked beneath the great arch and to the gate proper of Dis. Two guards stood, waiting for the white alicorn to approach, and then stepped into her path.

“Stand aside,” Celestia spoke in a commanding tone. “My business lies inside.”

“No living pony is allowed inside these gates,” a guard answered, his voice rasping against dried vocal chords.

“I will not ask again, so listen this time: stand aside.” Celestia’s front hoof scratched at the surface of the road--such as it was--ready to act.

“Guards!” The voice Celestia feared--but knew--that she would hear spoke clearly, the two figures at the gates responding immediately to their mistress’ words. “You will treat this pony with the respect that she deserves! You heard her: stand aside.”

An ombre colored horse stepped into view, her color ranging from deep purple on her back to mild grey at her hooves, with a mane that flowed in the stale air like oil on water, shimmering red and blue. Brass shoes and harness shined in the dim light that pervaded the land, and a crown of five brass spires rose from her head around her spiraled horn. Great wings of such a soft grey that they seemed almost ghost-like grew from her back, while her eyes of shining silver smiled at the arriving visitor. She trotted past the guards, stepping up to look Celestia in the eye, standing equally as tall.

“Selene,” Celestia said with a cold tone.

The other alicorn’s jaw dropped open, her eyes fluttering in mock surprise. “Celestia! Now, is that any way to greet me after such a long, long time? Especially since I just came to help you.”

The stale air of Tartarus once again filled Celestia’s lungs as she took in enough air to reluctantly reply. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to seem rude. It is good to see you again...sister.”

* * * * * * *

“Relax, Twilight,” Cadance said again. She hadn’t been counting the number of times those words had come out of her mouth in the current conversation, but she was reasonably sure that it would have been some sort of record for most times trying to reassure a pony that the end of the world wasn’t, in fact, nigh.

“But don’t you see?” Twilight began for the sixteenth time--she had been counting--to explain it to Cadance. “Zecora was right! Luna was really Nightmare Moon all along, and she lured Celestia away from Canterlot so that she could ambush her, capture her--or worse!--and then make it so that the night lasted forever! We’ve got to go save her! The princess could be dead!”

It amazed Cadance how large Twilight’s eyes could get. “I promise you Twilight, Celestia is fine.”

“IS SHE? IS SHE?!” Twilight was inches from Cadance’s face in a flash--literally, as she teleported in front of the pony. “How do you know?”

“Because,” Cadance began, taking a step backwards to re-establish personal space, “if Celestia died, Nightmare Moon couldn’t keep the night going forever.”

“Huh?” Twilight’s head twisted. “I don’t follow.”

“Let me explain then. When a celestial alicorn--like Luna or Celestia--die, the energy of the universe creates a new version of them to take their place. And no pony can stop it, because the energy that the alicorn would normally control--like the sun--takes over and rises on time, bringing the new alicorn to life with it.” Cadance looked at Twilight, hoping for understanding.

“I’m not sure I understand,” she replied.

“Okay,” Cadance took a deep breath. “Let’s say that Celestia did get killed by Nightmare Moon. Because she has no power over the sun normally, she could not prevent the sun from rising the next morning, because the universe was bringing a new celestial alicorn into existence with it.”

Twilight nodded. “But...what if she killed Celestia during the day?”

“Well, I suppose she could keep a new alicorn from arriving by not having the moon rise, keeping the sun up so that it couldn’t rise the next day and bring a new goddess with it, but...that kind of defeats the whole ‘endless night’ concept, doesn’t it?”

“True...” Twilight pondered the princess’ words for a moment, letting them knock a few questions off the shelves in her mind. “So, are you saying that Celestia and Luna weren’t born like we were? That they just sort of--came into being?”

“Basically, yes,” Cadance said, grateful that Twilight was grasping the concept.

“So how are they sisters?” she asked.

“Conceptually. The sun and the moon are sisters in the heavens, so Celestia and Luna are sisters in Equestria,” Cadance said.

“So, they aren’t real sisters,” Twilight repeated.

“They are if you ask them. They just don’t share any common parentage. Or any parents, actually,” Cadance explained.

“Wait,” Twilight’s eyes grew once more, “are you saying that you don’t have parents either? That you just...appeared?”

“No, I’m not. I’m not a celestial alicorn. I was born from living parents just like you were. And I’m not immortal like they are, either. Just...long lived.”

“How long?” Twilight stared up and down at Cadance, trying to remember if the pony looked any different now than she did when they first met.

“Long. Let’s not get into that, okay?” The alicorn’s wings popped out a bit, her feathers ruffling out.

“What about Shining Armor? Are you going to... I mean, is he going to...” Twilight couldn’t finish the question.

“Let’s deal with the matter at hoof, okay? We have a night that is still going, and a bit of a problem of our own, remember?” Cadance’s cheerful demeanor came back quickly.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten!” Twilight’s panic came back just as quickly. “We’re stuck in here until the sun rises, and Celestia knows when that will happen! Wait, she does, actually.”

“That’s right. But, unfortunately, there is a whole nation of ponies that are probably starting to get just as nervous as you are right now. And since I’m in charge, they’re going to be looking to me for guidance.” Cadance paced back and forth slowly, her head down as she concentrated on the right solution.

“True, but, they are also wanting something else from you right now. And me. And both of us,” Twilight reminded her by slapping her own flank with her hoof. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with you aunts!”

“I know, I know,” Cadance replied as she paced. “But we have to go out there. We have to think of the ponies.”

“Sure, cause I’m pretty sure they’re thinking about us right now!” Twilight began pacing back and forth opposite from Cadance, matching her step for step.

“Not all of them, just the one’s that know us. Or of us,” she said.

“Which is just about everypony, thanks to what you did with the changelings and what the girls and I did with both Nightmare Moon and Discord,” Twilight retorted.

“Good point.” Cadance passed Twilight.

“So, we’ve got to do something to get rid of this spell.” Twilight passed Cadance.

“Which we already did. There’s just been a wrinkle added to the whole thing.” Cadance and Twilight passed each other.

“A wrinkle? That’s putting it mildly. This is more like a deep fold or a pleat. We’re waiting for the sun to come up and we don’t even know why it isn’t!” Twilight turned to come towards Cadance.

“Right, which means that we can solve both problems--calming the populace and getting rid of the spell with one action.” Cadance turned towards Twilight.

“We have to raise the sun!” They said in unison.

“I mean, sure, why not? Unicorns used to do it back before Equestria was formed, so why can’t we do it now, right?” Twilight beamed as she stepped towards Cadance.

“Exactly! Which means that you and I should be able to do it ourselves, thus creating the final component of our spell!” Cadance said, stepping up to meet Twilight.

Twilight opened her mouth, and then paused. “Wait a second. If what you said about Celestia and Luna are true, why did unicorns used to have to raise the sun? Weren’t they already created? Why didn’t Celestia do it back then?”

“Long story,” Cadance said. “Maybe another time.”

“I would love to take the time to listen to the story. I like stories. You used to tell me stories all the time,” Twilight answered.

“Then we should definitely do it. Spend some time together...telling stories,” Cadance answered.

“Right.” She and Cadance were standing close to each other, staring into each other’s eyes for far longer than either of them realized. “Um, is it getting hot in here?”

“Oh yeah,” Cadance replied huskily.

“Yeah.” Twilight felt her heart skip a beat.

“You know, you are a really smart pony,” Cadance said.

“Thanks. I’ve had a crush on you since I was a foal,” she replied.

“What?” Cadance shook her head, stepping backwards. “Wait, what? You had a what on who? I...I think that the spell might be starting to effect us.”

“Oh gosh! Oh gosh! I...I...” Twilight stammered. “Yes! The spell! That’s what caused that. Totally!”

“Which makes it even more important that we raise the sun,” Cadance said, turning to look out the window.

“I agree!” Twilight stepped backwards and looked out a different window.

“Right,” Cadance nodded to what should be the morning’s night sky. “So, do YOU know how to raise the sun?”

“I was kinda hoping you did,” Twilight answered, also nodding. “You’re the alicorn after all.”

“True, but you’re the magic expert,” she replied.

They turned to look at each other once more, remaining at their respective windows.

“So what now?” Cadance asked.

“Well, if there is any record of how it was done before Equestria was formed, it would be kept in the Royal Archive of Magical Documentation,” Twilight stated.

“That building is all the way across Canterlot,” Cadance reminded her.

“Yeah. I know,” Twilight slowly stepped away from her window, walking to stand beside Cadance. “I could teleport there by myself, but it’s too far to take you with me.”

“But you would need me, especially if something bad happened. We need to stick together,” Cadance found herself looking into the unicorn’s eyes once more.

“Yeah. I totally need you.” Twilight couldn’t break her look from the alicorn.

They stared with great conviction, lost in the moment. Which was probably why they didn’t hear the other mare approach.

“That looks like it’s headed for fun. Can I join in?” she asked.

Both Twilight and Cadance spun at the words, shocked back into the moment by the unexpected statement. Standing in the room with them was a tall, lean unicorn with a long, pink mane and violet eyes that sat half-lidded as she stared hungrily at the other two mares.

“Fleur de Lis?” Cadance responded in shock. “What are you--wait a second, forget what--HOW did you get in here?”

The white mare smiled mischievously.

* * * * * * *

There is no sun in Tartarus. Nor a moon. Nor day or night. Unlike the pitch black of the path down, the sky above the damned remains a constant grey, the color of the end of a long day of dismal clouds that threaten rain but deliver nothing. The ground is black and grey, with no grass or growth of any kind. A barren landscape in the truest sense. The only colors that break the palate are those of blood and fire--and brass.

The city of brass is the only sign of civilization, and it is more a sign of a prison or fortress. No opulence. No culture. Walls and more walls. And a great tower to lord over it all. And in the middle of those walls, under the grey skies, Celestia sat at a huge stone table.

“You will have to forgive the selection, but we are not blessed with the variety of choices that you have in Equestria.” Selene sat across from the sun goddess, her expression one of overblown regret. “Still, I feel we must do our best to welcome one of our very rare visitors. And one of such high station at that!”

“You’re very kind, Selene,” Celestia answered, her smile a much more practiced genuine.

“Oh please! It is the least I can do for my sister,” she answered.

Celestia looked at the selection on the table. Various lichens and mushrooms littered the arrangement. She recognized most of the mushrooms, but not all. Inevitably some must have been native to Tartarus alone.

“I do hope you enjoy the meal. My servants are just dying to know what you think,” Selene mocked.

“It is an interesting arrangement of choices. I’m afraid I do not know some of these mushrooms. Where do you gather them from?”

Selene’s hoof pointed out at the long, black mushrooms with a thick stalk and almost no cap. “Those are whisper stalks, they grow on the side of basalt formations, leaching their color from that stone. And those,” she pointed to red, broad-capped mushrooms with very short stalks, “are flame spots, which can be found only near sulfur deposits; it gives them a sharp, exotic flavor. But my favorites are the restful lamentation.” She gestured finally to a flat, white mushroom that seemed to grow in layers upon itself.

Eying them all carefully, Celestia lingered on the last one for a moment, waiting for the mare to continue. “And where do you harvest them?” she finally asked.

“They are special,” she said with smile, “they only grow on the bodies of those that were sent here for the sin of sloth. They are too damned slow to move, and the mushrooms grow right out of their body. It’s said that harvesting them is excruciatingly painful.”

Celestia stared across the table at the other pony. Her expression went from practiced smile to expressionless. “Are you trying to shock me, Selene? I thought better than that of you.”

The ombre alicorn shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m describing what life is like here. LIFE. There isn’t very much of it here, Celestia. This is the land of the dead, after all, and the small bit of life that does live here has to find ways to survive.”

“Of course,” Celestia answered calmly, “and I have no doubt that it is a difficult task to live here, but I am disappointed by the theatrics.”

“Theatrics?” she laughed. “You think THIS is theatrics? You know so very little of Tartarus, dear sister.”

The conversation was rapidly descending into a place that Celestia felt best avoided. Glancing around, her eyes once again found the mare with the leather hood. She stood atop the great tower, staring down at the pair of alicorns, her tail twitching rapidly.

“Who is she?” Celestia asked, giving a quick nod to the odd pony. “I have never seen her kind before.”

The other mare turned her head, following Celestia’s eyes, and let out a small snicker when she saw the target of her sister’s curiosity. “Ah, that is Tisiphone,” she turned back to Celestia, who brought her head around to meet her gaze. “She is one of the erinyes. As well as my dearest companion.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, prompting Selene to continue.

“My predecessor was not the kind soul that I am,” she began, her voice becoming somewhat wistful. “And he kept a tight rein on all those in his command. Controlling. Even abusive. And he relished in the pain he could bring.

“When I took control, I found Tisiphone chained to a wall in a secret chamber behind his personal quarters. It seems he took a liking to her, and so she became the target of his affections--as well as everything else. She was kept prisoner. Hidden away from all eyes. I didn’t find her for almost a full century after I assumed the throne, trapped and chained in her own private cell. I found her broken, in more ways than one, and nursed her back to health. We took a...liking to each other. Since then, she has never left my side.”

Her eyes softened as Celestia listened to the words, her reply broke the chill that she had placed on herself. “That is noble. And kind. But tell me, what is an erinyes? I do not know them. Is that why she wears a mask? Is it a part of her culture?”

Shaking her head, Selene let her smile twist. “No. She wears the mask because her face has been scarred and twisted into a horrific shadow of what it once was. She was beautiful once, but my predecessor wanted the vision of that beauty to be his alone, so he committed it to memory and erased it from her. He even stole her tongue, wanting her voice to be his memory alone, but she can still speak--to an extent. She claims that he says he only ever saw her beauty when he looked at her afterwards, but knowing how twisted his mind was, who knows?”

“How horrific. She must be so grateful that you came along,” Celestia replied, her focus on the story of the abused mare.

“Yes and no,” Selene sighed. “You see, she is forever bound to me now, feeling that I was her salvation. But to answer your question from earlier, the erinyes are spirits of punishment, each one focusing on their own unique domain.”

Celestia waited, expecting more description from Selene. She finally spoke again to satisfy her curiosity. “And what is the domain of Tisiphone?”

The ombre pony let her expression stay even as she spoke, “Betrayal and vengeance. We have that nature in common. It’s what drew us together. And what keeps her so close and so distant to me. She did not get the chance for her vengeance on the stallion who ruined her life and took her face, but cannot betray the one who saved her. She is forever torn, but would do anything to protect me.” Selene leveled her eyes at Celestia, the cold light of the world turning away from them for that moment. “Anything, sister.”

“And so she watches me,” Celestia replied, the compassion a razor in her voice. “She is protecting you--of sorts.”

“She is merely cautious,” Selene’s voice became the echo of kindness again. “Who knows what such a powerful being such as yourself would do here if left unchecked? Oh, and that reminds me: what ARE you doing here, dear sister?”

“You know very well why I am here, Selene,” Celestia answered bluntly.

“Yes, but humor me. I want to hear it come from your mouth,” Selene stated.

Celestia paused, staring across the cold table in front of them. She raised her head up and spoke clearly, “I have come for Luna. I wish to set her free.”

“Yes. Yes, of course you have.” Selene’s smile dimmed the light of the air. “And we will talk at length about her situation...after we eat. You wouldn’t want this food to go to waste, would you? It is a rare commodity in Tartarus.”

Taking a deep breath, Celestia nodded once. “Of course. And again, you are too kind to bring it out for me, sister.”

“Oh, think nothing of it,” Selene’s horn came to life, a deep purple glow raising a chalice to her mouth. “A toast! To sisters reunited!”

Four heartbeats passed before Celestia brought her own goblet to her muzzle. “To sisters reunited.”

They both drank deeply as Tisiphone began to pace back and forth on the tower above them.

* * * * * * *

It is always a bit disconcerting when an impregnable fortress is impregnated. Especially if you are the ones that are inside the impregnable fortress, and the impregnation was done by somepony who is best known for being nothing more than very, very attractive. It takes away a lot of the mystique about the word impregnable.

Or adds a lot of mystique to the attractive pony.

“You haven’t answered my question, Fleur,” Cadance moved around the bed, doing her best to keep the white mare on the opposite side from her. “How did you get in here?”

“Why are you so interested in that?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth between the alicorn and Twilight Sparkle. For her part, Twilight was staying behind Cadance, hunkered down low ready for action, adding another level of defense against the aggressive mare that invaded the room.

“Because no pony is supposed to be able to get in here!” Cadance answered.

“Oh, that,” Fleur made a leap across the bed, clearing it easily. Cadance shrieked and Twilight reacted, teleporting both of them back to where Fleur was previously standing.

“Slippery little minxes, aren’t you?” Fleur’s eyes were wild, and a bit of drool seeped out of the side of her mouth. “That’s okay, the chase just adds to the excitement.”

“I don’t think this is going well,” Twilight said nervously.

“It’s not going bad, though,” Cadance replied, shifting her weight as Fleur seemed to tense for another action. “I mean, she doesn’t want to hurt us.”

“Hurt you? Absolutely not!” Fleur insisted. “I mean, unless you mares are into that.”

“NO!” they shouted in unison.

“Oh good. I really prefer a happy scene.” She dashed to her right, trying to sprint around to meet the other ponies, but they ran the opposite way, keeping the gap between them consistent. Before they had time to recover, Fleur turned course and ran back the other way, causing the pair of mares to skid to a halt and run the other way. Seeing an opportunity, the white unicorn leapt again across the bed, positioning herself directly in front of the running duo. She reached out, looking to catch them both in an embrace--just as Twilight teleported them again.

“Damn! Almost got you!” Fleur grinned madly.

Cadance turned just enough to see Twilight out of the corner of her eye. Labored breathing was just beginning to show from both the physical and magical exertion she was putting herself through.

“No chasing, Fleur,” Cadance said. “Let’s stop this.”

“I agree. Join me on the bed,” she responded, her eyebrows dancing playfully.

“Why don’t we start with something a bit simpler. Like answering my question. I AM the Princess of Equestria at the moment, after all,” Cadance decided to try a different approach.

“Very true, Your Highness,” Fleur answered, “which is why I came here in the first place.”

“Wait,” Cadance raised up her head slightly, “what difference does that make?”

“It’s my job,” she answered. “I’m here to protect the princess.”

“Hold on. Hold on. What?” Cadance asked.

Twilight raised herself up, just as confused. “Protect the princess? From what? A bad mane day?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Fleur said, stalking around the bed again. Cadance and Twilight kept their position from her. “Okay, let’s pretend for a second that I’m not just a pretty face, okay? That maybe, just maybe, my relationship with Fancy Pants is there to make sure that I stay close to the castle. And that my real job is to watch over the princess--well, both of them, actually--to make sure that there is no covert action being taken against them.”

Cadance opened her mouth for a full second before she spoke. “Are you telling us that...you’re a spy?”

“No! A spy does that to OTHER kingdoms. I’m special security. Ex-spy, actually. And it’s my job to guard your body. So bring that body over here!” Fleur suggested.

“Okay, hold on.” Twilight was shaking her head in confusion. “You mean to tell me that you are some sort of special bodyguard for Princess Celestia?”

“That’s a simple explanation, but...yes,” Fleur answered, slinking a little to the right.

“But I lived here for years. And I was the princess’ personal student. I knew everything that was going on--and lately I mean EVERYTHING. So why have I never heard about this?” Twilight was borderline apoplectic at this revelation.

“Because I’m good. Very, very good, actually. I learned from the best. You ever hear of Hata Marey?” she asked.

“The seductress spy? Everypony has heard of her,” Cadance replied knowingly.

“She was an amateur,” Fleur said. “I’m the real deal.”

“Why do you say that?” Twilight asked.

“Because she got...caught!” Fleur made another leap for them, but this time Twilight was prepared. She caught the mare in mid leap and help her aloft over the bed.

Fleur’s eyes shot wide and her grin grew larger. “Ooh, kinky. I like the whole ‘helpless mare’ bit.”

“That’s not what I’m doing!” Twilight defended.

“Actually, it kind of is,” Cadance whispered back to her, and then turned back to the suspended mare. “But more importantly, you are now going to tell us exactly how you got in here.”

Fleur de Lis giggled slightly, causing Twilight’s expression to drop. “What are you laughing at?”

“Well, you two aren’t exactly intimidating,” she answered. “And besides, I know that neither of you would hurt me. So, it’s just a matter of running a little magical interference against you until you get too tired to hold me up, and then you’ll be easy to catch.”

“Oh, this is getting ridiculous,” Cadance let out an exasperated sigh. “What do we have to do to get you to talk to us?”

The suspended unicorn turned her head slightly, and Twilight could see one eyebrow cock up high on her forehead. “A trade, eh? Interesting...”

“Cadance, what are you doing?” Twilight whispered.

“We’ve got to do something, Twilight. And she might be able to help us,” she answered, before turning back to Fleur. “Right. A trade. What do you propose? And remember, we’ve got you captured!”

“Oh, I know,” she purred. “I feel so helpless. So, why don’t we start with something simple. I’ll tell you how I got in if...the two of you kiss.”

The pupils of both mare’s eyes shrank to dots. They threw a quick glance at each other for a split second and then turned right back to the suspended mare.

“Oh, now I REALLY want to see it,” Fleur responded to them.

“I don’t...that’s not a good idea,” Twilight stated.

“What else can we do?” Cadance asked.

Fleur grinned suggestively.

“NO! I did NOT mean it that way!” Cadance responded.

Fleur frowned. “Darn, and I was so getting ready to tell you everything that I knew. Now I guess you’ll never know.”

“If you are so ready, then tell us. We really need to know,” Cadance urged.

“And I really need to see you two kiss,” she responded.

“No. And it’s not the same. What we need to do is for the whole of Canterlot,” Cadance explained, her voice deep with consideration.

“Oooh. Say ‘hole’ again,” Fleur twisted the words around.

“Oh for goodness sake!” Twilight shouted. She reached forward, grabbed Cadance by the muzzle and planted a big, wet kiss right on her mouth. “There! Now tell us how you got in here!”

Cadance blinked several times at Twilight’s rather aggressive action.

“Not that kind of kiss!” Fleur said. “I meant a REAL kiss.”

“You didn’t say that, so fess up!” Twilight insisted.

“Oh, fine then: I walked,” she answered.

“Hey! That’s not fair. That doesn’t tell us how--”

“And that wasn’t a real kiss!” Fleur broke in on Twilight, not letting her finish.

“Uh,” Cadance stopped blinking long enough to make a statement, “it’s okay, Twilight. I mean, this is important. You can...you can kiss me again.”

“Cadance, I’m not sure that--” Twilight wasn’t able to finish her words, as Cadance brought her lips over to kiss the unicorn. This time, the kiss lingered. Their lips pulled on each other, trying to pry the other pair apart to gain access beyond. A tongue came out and danced across a pair of lips, not quite passing beyond because it was met by another tongue that played with its tip at the entrance to the other mare’s mouth.

“Now that is more like it,” Fleur whispered into Cadance’s ear.

“What?” Twilight pulled back, surprised to see the unicorn standing on the ground. “How did you--”

“You were distracted,” Fleur explained, interrupting her. Twilight was getting a little tired of not being able to finish her sentences. “But in a good way.”

Fleur’s horn lit up, using her magic to gently urge Cadance’s muzzle to turn towards her own. She brought her lips up, brushing them against the alicorn’s. Cadance could feel Fleur’s lips move against her own as the mare whispered to her, “Relax. You’re perfectly safe with me.”

“I shouldn’t be--” Cadance began, but never finished.

“You should lie back and let me take things from here.” Fleur pushed the mare back onto the bed, without any strong resistance. “I promise to give you everything that you’re looking for.”

“The information?” Cadance asked.

“Sure. Why not?” Fleur pushed her further onto the bed, climbing up after her.

“Uh, Cadance?...” Twilight’s tone asked the question more than the words.

“It’s okay, Twilight. If this gets us what we need to get out of here, then--” Fleur moved up and kissed the princess, stopping her in mid-sentence.

It was a short kiss, but to the point. “Less talk. More sex,” Fleur stated, as she began to kiss her way down Cadance’s chest and stomach.

“What should I do?” Twilight’s concern over Cadance’s well-being was taking over.

“You should...ohhhh...should go and...wow, she’s good...you should go and...” Cadance’s head lolled back as Fleur’s head buried itself between her hindquarters. She could feel the mare’s tongue circling in some odd, unknown-to-her method.

“Do what?” Twilight urged.

“Her,” Cadance moaned. “Do her.”

Twilight’s eyes became beacons of white with almost imperceptible dots of black. “What now?”

“She...she’s really wanting...both of us,” Cadance forced herself to talk through the experience. Not an easy task. “So she...needs to...be...ohhhhh...”

Cadance’s voice trailed off as she closed her eyes. Twilight turned to look down at the cause, and saw Fleur ravenously devouring Cadance’s marehood. She had never seen anything quite so...primal. Even the times that she was witness to Celestia and Luna’s passionate activities, they had a sense of design to them. Whatever was going on with Fleur right now, it was of a far more base nature.

And Twilight was getting amazingly turned on by it.

Licking her lips, Twilight slid down Cadance’s body, getting a closer view of the action. Fleur was moving her tongue faster than Twilight thought possible, and despite her first impression, it wasn’t entirely without pattern. It looked to her as though Fleur’s tongue was was both twisting itself in circles and rolling around the outside of Cadance’s pussy in a large arcing motion.

She sat there, staring at the mare as she pleasured Cadance. Not sure what to do, she opened her mouth to speak, but only a gasp of amazement escaped. Fleur’s eyes opened, and met Twilight’s. The white unicorn smiled up at her, or at least that’s what Twilight thought. Fleur’s mouth never separated from Cadance’s sex, her tongue still working its own brand of magic, but the curl on her lips seemed to say that she was smiling.

“Twi...light...” Cadance forced herself to speak, “you’ve got...to...”

“Right,” Twilight whispered, her eyes still looking at Fleur. She moved, sliding to the floor and stepping behind the protruding body of the model--or actually, spy, she realized--mare.

Fleur’s flank was even better than she remembered. It wasn’t as full or shapely as Zecora’s, or as seemingly perfect as either princess,’ but it had a beautiful, athletic shape to it. And her tail was flicking back and forth, exposing her marehood for Twilight to see. The shade of pink amazed Twilight. It was so soft that it almost blended in with Fleur’s coat. But it was also so full and engorged that there was no way it could be overlooked, and she was obviously pushing her flank backwards towards Twilight.

She didn’t need any more urging. Twilight moved her face forward, planting a kiss on the right rear cheek of the white unicorn. And then another. And another, each one moving closer to her ultimate goal. By the time her mouth brushed against Fleur’s nether lips in the most intimate of kisses, the mare was so excited that she momentarily forgot what she was doing to Cadance. Which was all the opportunity that the alicorn needed.

In a flash, Cadance’s hooves wrapped around Fleur’s horn, and began to pull against it, caressing it upwards. She could feel her own administrations at work as each stroke on her horn also pressed the mare’s muzzle directly against Cadance’s sex. Pulling one hoof up, she spit on it, making it easier to slide along the striated ridges.

At the same time, Twilight dove into her task. Her tongue plunging deep into Fleur’s cunt with driving rhythm, pulling out in time to lick up and down the slit, taking special care to tease the clit before driving back into the waiting hole.

Fleur was suddenly lost in an erotic overload. Her brain was unable to keep up with anything that was happening to her as both ends of her body were assaulted simultaneously. So, she let her training take over.

As an elite member of the Pony Intelligence Echelon--or P.I.E. as it was more commonly known--Fleur had been trained in the arts of both seduction and sexual pleasure. And she excelled at her training, as Cadance had both already discovered and was finding out again.

Fleur’s tongue was rolling around Cadance’s clit, pausing only to let the mare take the nub into her mouth with a slight nibble, barely raking her teeth over its sensitive surface. It was driving Cadance wild with arousal.

To counter, Cadance was twisting her hoof around Fleur’s horn, letting it roam down the full length of it, before bringing it to the tip and rolling it around the head of her horn, teasing the tip.

Each mare fought to bring the other to orgasm, pushing the other to go over the edge before they reached their own peak. It would have been very close, had it not been for the actions of a certain lavender unicorn.

Twilight’s experience was far less than either of the other two mares in the room, but she did have the advantage of that limited experience being, in part, with two ancient goddesses of celestial power. Letting instinct guide her, Twilight kept her tongue working the outside of Fleur’s pussy, tugging and pulling on her lips while still dancing across the clit that seemed to be getting harder and harder with every passing second.

The gentle teasing of Twilight on her marehood and Cadance on her horn was too much. Fleur’s breathing became ragged and quick, and finally held as she sat on the brink of ecstasy. And then she exploded.

Both Cadance and Twilight were greeted with a welcome rush of orgasmic evidence, as Fleur’s pussy and horn released their cum. Twilight’s mouth was awash as Fleur’s cunt drenched her. She took in as much as her mouth could manage, but it overflowed and ran down her chin and cheeks, staining the bed sheets below.

Cadance was welcomed with a similar display, as a gush of magical ejaculate coated her body, creating a tingling sensation that also sent her over the edge. The force of the horngasm kept striking Cadance, as she released herself onto Fleur’s muzzle, the surprised mare doing her best to fight through her own double-orgasm to let her tongue try to enhance Cadance’s pleasure.

Eventually, Fleur’s strength left her, and she collapsed on top of the alicorn princess. Cadance let her hooves move through Fleur’s mane, as she saw Twilight stand up from behind the unicorn, her right hoof wiping across her mouth.

It was time to press the advantage. Shifting around on the bed, Cadance moved to be muzzle-to-muzzle with Fleur. Her tongue snaked out, licking across the white mare’s face, tasting her own juices imbedded in the coat. Twilight watched on, her eyes growing increasingly wider.

“That was so good,” Cadance whisper in a purr. “So good. I imagine that you get to do this all the time with Celestia, don’t you? Since you can get in here whenever you want.”

“Hmmm?” Fleur was still recovering from the intense double orgasm. “No. No, I’ve never been with the princess.” She looked up at Cadance. “Well, THAT princess, anyway.”

“Oh really? What a waste of your skills. And she could sneak you in so easily. At least, I think she could. How did you get in here, again?” Cadance let her tongue drag across the mare’s muzzle once more.

“The secret passage.” Fleur let her head move back with the pull of the tongue, her smile growing wider alongside it.

“Secret passage?” Cadance asked, nibbling on Fleur’s ear. “How clever. I didn’t even know there was one in the castle.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Only Celestia, Luna, myself and one other know about it,” Fleur said. “For security reasons.”

“That makes sense, I suppose. That way you get access to anywhere in the castle. A spy’s dream.” Cadance replied, her mouth layering kisses along the mare’s neck.

“No, THIS is a spy’s dream,” Fleur stated seductively.

“I’m surprised the door didn’t lock when I activated the room’s security, though.” Cadance was kissing the underside of her neck and up along her chin.

“It’s magic. You have to be a unicorn--or alicorn--to open it. And know the key. It’s always secured, actually,” she sighed in response.

Bringing her hooves up, Cadance stroked along the neck until she held Fleur’s muzzle, and brought her lips over to brush against the mare’s, tickling them with her words. “Clever. Where is this door? And what is the key?”

“It’s the mirror along the north wall. The big one that is half hidden in the curtains. But I can’t tell you the key. That’s only--” Fleur never got a chance to finish. Cadance pressed her lips firmly against the mare’s, her tongue now invading the other’s mouth.

“You have to,” Cadance said somewhat forcefully as she pulled away, “I am the ruler of Equestria. It is your duty to obey me.”

“No, no,” Fleur laughed. “I mean, I can’t tell you because it can only be exchanged magically.”

“Well, let’s see what we can do, then.” Cadance shifted her head up, bringing the base of her horn into direct contact with the base of Fleur’s. A pleasant scraping sound was barely audible as she moved from base to tip, until the points of each horn were the only things touching. “Give it to me,” she moaned.

A spark arced out, tracing down Fleur’s horn, traveling along the spiral ridge and then reflecting back up until it crossed over to Cadance’s, racing down her horn and branching apart until is completely enveloped it, and then finally seemingly burrowing into the magical channel. Cadance gasped.

“Powerful, huh?” Fleur whispered.

“But exactly what I was hoping for,” Cadance kissed the mare once more.

“Well, now that we have that out of the way, why don’t we try for a second coming--so to speak,” Fleur suggested.

Cadance shook her head. “No. Twilight and I have to go. We have an important task to accomplish.”

“Okay, well, we can play a little along the way, then,” Fleur moved to stand, but Cadance pushed her back down.

“Oh no! I want you right here when we get back,” she said with a smile. “I need this room secure.”

Fleur started to protest, but staring into Cadance’s eyes, she found her impossible to refuse. “Stay safe. This party is far from finished.”

Rising up, Fleur brought her mouth to Cadance’s once more, pressing into a kiss that exposed all of her feelings in a single moment. The alicorn pulled back, smiling. She looked over at her friend, and found Twilight standing there almost catatonic, her mouth gaping open and a small string of drool dragging its way out of her mouth.

Cadance rushed over to her...subtly. “Twilight? Twilight are you okay?” she whispered.

“I--I don’t...wow,” she answered. “I thought she was the seductress super spy.”

Cadance laughed. “Well, I AM a goddess of love. I do know a thing or two myself.”

“I’ll say,” Twilight barely spoke.

“We need to go,” Cadance urged her away, stopping after only a few steps. She turned back to Fleur. “Wait, you said that there was another pony that knew about the secret passage. Who?”

Lying on her side, her head propped up on a single hoof, Fleur was watching the two mare’s walk away. “Hmmm? Oh, yes. That would be the Captain of the Guard.”

Cadance froze. Twilight spoke.

“Captain of the Guard? As in my BROTHER, the Captain of the Guard?” She turned back to look at Cadance. “You’re right,” she said, “we do need to go. Now.”

They trotted towards the mirror with a little more urgency.

* * * * * * *

The goblet floated over to Celestia, who took it with her own magic. She breathed in its odor. “And what is this called again?”

“Sanguine,” Selene answered. “Think of it as an after-dinner drink. Of sorts.”

“It has a most...unusual smell to it. What is it made from?” Celestia asked.

Selene took a deep drink, the corners of her mouth curling up around her own goblet. She pulled it away, licking her lips. “Better to just drink and not ask questions. Though I did find it to be a bit of an acquired taste,” she stated.

Celestia looked down, swirled the liquid in the goblet, and stared at the stain that it left on the side of the metal. “So, let’s talk about Luna,” she said, placing the goblet on the table near her.

“Ah, yes. Luna.” Selene took another drink. “Do understand that we don’t call her that around here.”

A single eyebrow arched up on Celestia’s face.

“Nightmare Moon. She has a much more infamous name here,” Selene explained.

“Then you have her mis-named. She is Luna.” Celestia raised her head up, looking across her muzzle at the other alicorn.

“Oh, I know who she is. But I’m not sure that you do.” Selene moved to sit on a large chair that sat at one end of the spartanly decorated room. Stone walls were peppered with brass decorations. Heavenly bodies--the sun, moon, and stars--were all represented in metal on the walls. The goblets they drank from were brass as well. The only color in the room was a deep red, which tinted the upholstery of both the large chair that Selene occupied and the smaller one upon which Celestia rested a few feet away. Brass tables sat beside both chairs, one of them holding a full goblet of liquid.

“I know her better than anypony,” Celestia stated.

“The pony you call Luna is responsible for many atrocities. Some of which you are totally unaware of, you realize,” Selene stated, sitting forward in her chair.

“That was Nightmare Moon, not Luna.”

“Ah. Well, there is where the problem lies. There is no difference between the two. They share a common fate,” Selene stated.

“Luna is innocent. She is the one who stopped Nightmare Moon the last time she... She stopped Nightmare Moon and saved all of Equestria,” Celestia urged.

“So sad,” Selene stated, stretching out her wings. “No matter what you say, it doesn’t change anything.”

“I am here to free her, Lena,” Celestia stated calmly. “I want her brought to me.”

The mood around the ombre alicorn altered, as though no air was allowed to move in the room. “Lena? It’s been millennia since anypony has called me that. I wonder why?” She turned her head to look for the answer. “Oh yes, I remember now...”

Her eyes lit inside, and the air suddenly moved completely, swirling around the room in a torrent. “It’s because you were the only one who ever used that name!”

“I did not mean to...” Celestia’s voice trailed off, dying softly.

“What? Abandon me? Of course not. You had your life, and I had--well, I had this, didn’t I?” Selene’s words dripped from her mouth.

“That was your own doing, and you know it,” she replied, her voice strong again.

“But what did you do to help me? What?!” She rose from her chair and moved to loom over the sun goddess.

“There was nothing I could do. You know that,” Celestia answered.

“But did you even try?!” The rage of thousands of years carried themselves in those five words. And the silence that followed spoke volumes.

“I want to see Luna,” Celestia repeated. “I am taking her back.”

Staring down at Celestia, Selene’s head jerked back slightly. And then again, as her lip curled up on one side. Finally, the faint sound of laughter came echoing from her throat as she turned and walked back to her chair. Her back to Celestia, her cutie mark--a silver orb surrounded by a blue glow--fully in view, she ruffled her wings out, and then turned and gracefully sat once more.

“And what about the others?” Selene asked.

“Others? What others?” Celestia responded.

“Why, all the other souls of ponies that are here. The ones whose sisters sit at home, praying for their salvation. Hoping for them to find peace. You are going to see them as well, aren’t you?” Selene’s voice carried more than a slight mocking tone.

“That is different,” Celestia stated. “They are here for a reason.”

“And so is your Luna,” Selene growled. “And every sister thinks that their loved one is here unjustly. But they aren’t are they? They all have to stay, and so does your Luna. She is like any other sister. And besides, I seem to recall you leaving another sister here in the past.”

Celestia paused, taking in a deep breath. A count of ten went through her head before she spoke again. “Luna is not just my sister. She is more than that to me.”

“More than--” Selene stopped herself. “Oh. Oh my. I see. Interesting.” She shook her head, staring at the ground for a moment, and then pulled her eyes back up to look at Celestia. “Well, there are FAR more lovers in Tartarus than there are sisters. That ups the list, doesn’t it?”

“I would have thought that you would understand my feelings,” Celestia said with purpose.

“Do NOT speak that way! I do not give you permission to do so!” Selene rose up once again, turning to pace back and forth across the stone floor, her hoof steps echoing off the hard walls. “I rule here, Celesti--no,” she turned and looked at her sister, “CELLY. If we are going to be that familiar once again.”

“I understand what you did, Lena,” there was no anger in Celestia’s voice, “and I would have done anything to save you, but...I couldn’t. The sun had already risen. I couldn’t stop what happened.”

“You could have tried,” she answered, her voice fighting to stay level, her eyes focused on the ground once again.

The was a long pause before Celestia spoke. “I did,” she said. “I tried, but I didn’t have the power. I couldn’t hold back what was coming.”

Selene turned towards Celestia. “Why didn’t you try to free me?”

“To what end?” Celestia voice asked with passion. “To remind you what you lost? I couldn’t take you from this place because of YOUR actions, sister. You set your fate. I came to visit those few times, happy to come down here and see you, but I couldn’t continue. Each visit only reminded you of what was outside this place. I could see the resentment growing in you every time I journeyed here. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“So you left me to rot,” her voice froze in the air. “Left me among the damned.”

“You put yourself here, Lena. I simply did not wish to make it worse,” Celestia answered, rising from her chair to walk to stand beside her sister. “Now please, I beg of you, let me see Luna.”

There was no answer.

“I love her, Lena. Please,” Celestia pleaded.

With great deliberation, Selene raised her head up to stare Celestia directly in the eye. A smile slowly grew on her face, one without any warmth or compassion. “You can’t,” she finally said, “she’s in The Pit.”

Any color that was normally in Celestia’s face went away. “What?”

“What would you expect for Nightmare Moon? She is the worst of the worst,” Selene answered, straightening up and ruffling her wings once again.

“But, Luna is--” Celestia never finished.

“Luna is Nightmare Moon. And Nightmare Moon is Luna. They share the same fate,” Selene walked away from Celestia, moving towards the door. “You know the way out, Celestia. Now excuse me, I have work to do. Tartarus does not run itself.”

She exited, leaving Celestia alone with her thoughts.

* * * * * * *

At one of the squares near the castle in Canterlot, a gathering of ponies was standing and listening to a mare giving an impassioned speech.

“It is a sign. A sign to bring us together and put us in motion.” The crowd muttered an unintelligible response. “For too long, we have thought we were living in the light, but now we see that we are truly living in darkness!”

She paced back and forth, staring out at the crowd, looking for sympathetic eyes.

“Our princesses have gone down a dark path, and brought that darkness down upon us all. There is no sun. There is no light. Not so long as these princesses rule over us. The universe itself has given us a message!”

A few of the ponies were nodding, some even vocalized their agreement.

“But we are not left without hope. We are not left alone in the darkness. No, there is one pony that can lead us to a new light. A pony that can take us to a new dawn. A pony that, by her very nature, can show us only love!”

The shouts increased. More of the ponies were nodding along with her words.

“The old princesses are gone, and they have left us in the dark. Celestia and Luna have gone down a dark path, and I ask you fillies and gentlecolts, are you willing to go there with them? I say neigh! I say that we turn to the one pony whose love has already saved us once, and can be the guide that we need to lead us to a brighter future! My fellow ponies, we need Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!”

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and several of them were almost drooling at the thought of their new princess.

“Now, we must go and find her! We will go to the castle in peace, but if we meet resistance, we must be prepared to fight for what we think is right! We must find the princess, and help her ascend to her rightful place on the throne of Equestria forevermore!”

The crowd had grown to hundreds of ponies, each of them obsessed with the idea of finding their new princess and helping her--in any way that they could. And Harridan watched them march towards the castle, a smile washing over her muzzle as her dreams of a just and proper princess seemed finally to be on the verge of reality. She fell right in step with them, ready to face the future.

And in a secret passage that ran through Canterlot Castle, Twilight Sparkle saw the body of the pony in front of her shudder suddenly and violently.

“Cadance? Are you okay?” the concern in her voice clear and genuine.

“I--I think so,” she answered, a slight shake in her voice. “I just had one of those weird feelings. You know, the type you get when something horrible has happened and you don’t know about it yet, but it somehow involves you directly and will most likely come back to bite you in unexpected ways.”

Twilight blinked. “Um...that’s a pretty specific feeling.”

Cadance turned around and looked at Twilight. “Hah. I guess. Probably just my imagination.”

They nodded and walked further down the passage.

* * * * * * *

The vast majority of Tartarus is inhabited by the souls of the cursed. Ponies whose lives, in one way or another, kept them from going to the fields of Elysium, a paradise where ponies played and laughed in a perfect world of grass and rolling hills. The world of Tartarus was very different. A barren wasteland kept in constant twilight, with no life visible in any obvious location.

The cursed ponies were made to wander, always seeking a better existence, and hoping to find some sign of hope. Wanting to find something to give them meaning, but never actually discovering anything to improve their endless malaise and misery.

But they are not the only inhabitants of Tartarus. There is a special section of that underworld that is kept for those ponies of particular renown . Whose deeds placed them as feared and reviled by anypony that encountered them. Their nature summed up in a single word by the whispers of the living: evil.

For those ponies, there is The Pit.

The great brass tower at the center of Dis is not a decoration or a statement of power. And it is not the home to the ruler of the land. It is the gateway to a special place of torture for ponies who have been deemed beyond redemption. Unique tortures, each specifically crafted to an individual await the inhabitants of a bottomless hell that is called The Pit.

A grand spiral staircase works its way down the interior wall of The Pit, passing by countless cells that contain ponies suffering their unique torment. It is said that any mortal pony who ventures inside its walls would go mad in a few seconds from the visions of pain and the cries of the prisoners.

But Celestia is not a mortal pony. Each step took her lower inside the tower and into the bowels of Tartarus. She wanted to turn away. To not look at the ponies who were suffering in this place, but to look away was to chance missing the one pony she sought. So she saw it all.

An arsonist whose flesh was always on fire, and the water always out of reach. A glutton being fed a constant onslaught of food. A mare who drowned her own foals fighting to keep her muzzle above the waves, with the weight of her dead children pulling her down. A serial killer is made to experience every pony’s death as it happens. And countless others.

Her heart wanted to break, and her spirit tried to crack, but she would not let them. The only thing that kept her going was the phrase going through her head over and over: she was not going to leave Tartarus alone. She could not save everypony, but she was determined to save one.

She had no idea how long she walked, or how many souls witnessed, or screams of mercy heard. It was one step after another. One more tear down her cheek with every step.

And then she was there. She looked inside the cell, seeing the pony she came to find standing in a sea of sand, her feet unable to grasp the ground as she fought to remain upright, looking clumsy and weak. From what seemed to be everywhere, the sun rained down on her, burning into her flesh. For her, the sun would never set.

“Luna?” Celestia’s voice cracked as she raised her hoof, reaching out towards the pony, tears now streaming down her face. She made a move to step into the cell, but was stopped by a single voice.

A sound that echoed a gargling of razors and ice called to her from behind. “Suuunnnn Brrrrrinnnngggerrrr...”

She turned her head slowly, her tears drying up as she faced the owner of the voice. Hovering in the air behind the grand spiral staircase, her huge wings beating with a remarkable silence, was a pony of dark red wearing a mask of other being’s flesh, a twisted smile permanently crafted onto it. Her tail lashed back and forth anxiously.

Celestia turned fully to face Tisiphone, her jaw squaring and setting firmly. She tamped the ground with her hoof, and readied herself for what was to come.

...to be continued.

Chapter Four

Who Rules: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Four

A Very Long Time Ago...

“Lena? Any news?” Celestia walked into the room searching for her sister. She had been far too quiet for far too long.

“No, Celly, and I won’t lie, I’m worried.” She sat at her window, staring out into the night. Dawn was coming soon, and Celestia woke to perform her duty accordingly. But her first thought was not about the sun, but about the moon.

“He’s a very capable stallion. You know that,” Celestia said, walking to sit beside her sister at the window. She extended her wing, wrapping it around the ombre pony, pulling her closer.

They stared out the window, not truly looking at anything as much as looking for something. A sign. An indication of a pony’s return home. The stars were bright, and the moon full, providing all the illumination any normal pony would need to see through the night. For Selene it was as bright as noonday.

“If he...doesn’t return...I’m not sure what I’ll do,” Selene finally said, her head finding warmth against her sister’s body.

“That isn’t something to worry about,” Celestia nuzzled the back of her sister’s neck, “because he will be back.”

Selene shook her head, not taking it from Celestia’s coat. “I don’t know why I let him go. Why didn’t I stop him?”

Celestia laughed. “Oh, ho ho ho. You say that like you could have stopped him. Neither of us could have stood up to him even for a moment about this.”

“Then I should have at least gone with him,” she countered.

“In your condition? As if he or I was going to allow that.” Celestia’s wing brushed over Selene’s massively enlarged stomach. “And we knew that this investigation could take weeks. It isn’t a simple matter.”

“I know, I know. I just worry,” Selene stated, resting against her sister. “Why did this have to happen now?”

“We are goddesses, sister, but not all-knowing. Endymion promised the ponies that when he came to share your life, he would still be there if they needed him. And they needed him now. It was his duty to go,” her soft voice carried the charm of the words.

“It is his duty to be here for his wife and future child,” the goddess replied.

“He will be when this task is done,” Celestia eased. “He was their champion, though. He inspired the ponies, so in this moment of fear they came to him. And in turn, he came to me to be with you until he returned.”

Selene looked to her sister, the tears running down her cheeks barely changed direction from the up-curve of her lip. “I’m glad you’re here, Celly. Honestly. But I would trade you for Endymion in a hoof-beat.”

“I would be very upset if that wasn’t the case.” The sun goddess’ wing hung over the other pony’s body as her voice softened further. “Do you think I could convince you to get some sleep? I’m about to raise the sun.”

“I will try. No promises. The bed feels very empty without him there,” she answered. “And...could you lower the moon for me? I’m feeling a little weak this morning.”

“Of course, sister. I would be happy to.” Her smile brought light before the dawn as she stood and folded her wing to her side. “Now go on to your bed. I will come in to check on you shortly.”

Selene stood awkwardly and gingerly made her way towards the chamber door. She looked over her shoulder before she exited. “What would I do without you, Celly?”

“Well,” Celestia answered, “fortunately neither of us will ever have to find out.”

* * * * * * *

“Sit down!” Celestia said firmly.

“No,” Selene answered, strapping armor to her chest.

“That was not a request!” her tone remained direct and commanding.

“And you are not the ruler of this land!” She pulled the strap tight to her, making sure the armor was firmly in place. “We control the moon and sun, sister, nothing more.”

“Then let me phrase it another way,” Celestia stepped in front of her sister, “you will have to get past me before you leave.”

The room was dark. The cold night air rushed in through the columns of the wall-less chamber, open to the night sky to allow the goddess of the night a chance to commune with her namesake. Selene stood at one end, her armor and weapons suddenly being moved from decoration to adorned. Celestia stood before her, no armor or weapons, but her wings spread wide and her head held high in a show of defiance.

“I have no wish to battle you, sister,” Selene answered somberly.

“Nor I, you,” she replied. “But I fear you shall leave me no other recourse. I cannot let you do this.”

“Do what? Go after my mate?” Selene moved up, staring her sister directly in the eye, neither mare willing to give ground. “I’ve been waiting for months for word on him, and now that I have news, you want to stop me?”

“I want you to make the right decision!” Celestia shouted back.

“And who gets to make that decision? Me or you? Is my judgment suddenly that much less than yours?” Selene turned to put on her war shoes.

“Yes,” Celestia said bluntly. “You are blinded right now. Your judgment is impaired.”

“Do not confuse my passion with blindness!” Selene spun around, her barbed war-spear suddenly hovering beside her in the grip of her magic. “I would move the world to find him again! This is nothing!”

Celestia stood there, unmoving, her eyes focused on her sister. Her reply came with a clear, calm voice. “And what of her? What about the one you leave behind?”

“She...” Selene turned away once more, her eyes finding her war helm and pulling it to her head. “...she will be here when I return.”

The sun goddess shook her head, her front hoof gently tapping on the ground. “This is what I am talking about. You leave behind the one pony who truly needs you right now to rush off to pursue a rumor.”

“The only rumor that I’ve gotten about him,” Selene answered, lowering the helm down onto her head. “I will go and find out the truth.”

“I was hoping that she would have removed this darkness from you,” Celestiia said, her voice finally softening.

“It is my nature, Celly. You know that.” She turned, now fully clad in war armor, stars shining in its brilliant ebon surface. The barbed spear of the night floating beside her in the cold air. “I will find him alive, or have my revenge. Now, stand aside.”

Celestia stood before her sister, her white coat breaking the impenetrable color of the darkness. “I am more powerful than you,” she said with certainty.

“Yes, and I am the more vicious.” Selene’s eyes bit into her sister’s flesh. “Stand. Aside.”

The moment hung in the air, neither mare moving. A faint dim of light began to glow on the horn of both sisters as they prepared for what was to come next.

“I stand against this,” Celestia said as she turned and moved to the far side of the chamber. “Something bad will come of your actions, I can sense it.”

“The only bad will come to the pony that has captured Endymion,” Selene stepped past her sister to the edge of the chamber.

“And what if he hasn’t been captured, Lena? What then?” Celestia asked, stepping in behind her sister.

She turned her head, not fully looking behind herself. “Then they will truly know what darkness the night holds.”

“Do not lose yourself, sister,” Celestia pleaded.

She paused. “Look after her, Celly. Until I make it back, I need you to take care of her.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Craning her head back, a glow of white shone out from the star-encrusted helm. “I will return. I will.”

Celestia only nodded, a forced smile the only thing her lips able to form.

Without another word, Selene’s wings carried her out into the night to find her beloved.

* * * * * * *

The road to Tartarus never changes. Its pavement remains the same as the first moment of its existence.

The guardian at the gate proved to be little challenge to Selene. A two-headed dog, despite its size, was little threat to an enraged goddess. Perhaps if it had three heads it might have been more dangerous, but that was the concern of the pony who would have to replace the poor beast.

The burning river was little more hinderance. The ferryman was easily convinced to carry her across to the city that waited on the far shore. A simple bribe was all he asked for, though money surely carried no weight in this forsaken realm. She could hear the wails of the tormented crying up from the blood-red waves, but they could not pierce her heart or deter her from her goal. Not now.

So she stood before the towering brass doors of the city, staring at the ponies on the wall who stared back at her, their blank eyes and dead faces somehow seeming colder at her audacity as she cried out. “Come face me if you dare, coward! Come out of your fortress or I shall tear these doors from the hinges and drag you out by force!”

A long moment passed before the hinges creaked out a response. Stepping through the doors came a black pony. His coat, eyes, mane and attitude were all the exact same shade, and the shadows seemed to move with his every step. “My, my,” he said smoothly, his voice a loud whisper in the darkness, “such drama. The living always seem to be filled with it.”

“You are Asphodel?” Selene asked.

“I have been called such. Would you do me the privilege of sharing your name with me?” He closed the distance between himself and Selene slowly, with his gait matching the tone of his words.

“I am Selene, and you have something--somepony--that I want.” The chill in her voice almost sliced flesh.

“Oh, do I? Well, I was wondering why a goddess saw fit to bring herself into my realm,” he said, the light sliding around his body, as though afraid to touch it.

“So you do know who I am,” she answered, “then you should also know who I have come for.”

“Actually, no. I knew you were a goddess by your appearance, but I had no idea who you were. The only beings that interest me are the ones that appear in my realm. The ones whose history brings them to me for the rest of eternity. You’re alive, so...I have no interest in you.”

Selene’s eyes narrowed. “Nonetheless, you will bring me the pony I am here for, or suffer the consequences.”

This gave Asphodel pause. His solid black eyes seemed to focus on Selene, taking in a measure of her words and her worth. “Consequences? What do you know of consequences?” he laughed.

“I know that your life hangs in the balance if you do not listen to me.” There was a hint of anger and a promise of violence behind her words.

“Child, do not begin to threaten me. The rules of your world do not apply here, and your actions would have repercussions far beyond what you realize. Turn away and go home. Forget whomever you have come here seeking.” He stopped near Selene, no emotion showing on his face.

Between them Selene’s spear hung in the void, waiting for a command from its mistress. Moonlight glittered on the edge of its point, casting the light of its mistress across the face of the Lord of Tartarus.

“The Spear of the Night can pierce anything. Nothing is beyond its ability. So if you think yourself safe, think again,” Selene promised.

“Really? That’s very interesting,” Asphodel looked to the point of the spear, his lips curling up. “I would have to have that proven to me, though. Nonetheless, you have wasted both of our time. You need to go home and forget this pony.”

The spear pierced into his flesh, only deep enough to weight her words. “You obviously have never been in love. Now, show me Endymion.”

The guards on the walls didn’t move. They stood silently, watching the events unfold below them.

If the spear was causing him any pain, he didn’t show it. Selene’s magic held it in the air, its tip pressing into him, though no blood seemed to escape. He laughed again. “No. That is something that will not happen.”

“Do it or I will destroy you!” Selene screamed, her muzzle now directly before his.

“Oh that would be rich,” he said. “Is your love for this stallion so great that you would be willing to sacrifice so much?”

“Are you willing to take that chance?” The stars shifted with her words, as the spear tip pressed deeper into the black stallion.

He pushed back against the spear, driving it into him further. “Absolutely.”

“You’re mad,” she declared.

“Says the goddess who is willing to forsake everything for...love? No. No, not love. FIRST love. That’s the only thing that can drive somepony to utter madness,” he responded.

“Not first love,” she corrected, “true love. There is nothing more precious or powerful than that.”

“Then why are you using a spear?” he mocked.

“Would you rather I use my hooves to tear you limb from limb? Stop stalling. Where is Endymion?” she insisted.

“No. What I do propose is a little test. If you pass, then you get what you are looking for, but if not...well, then I get what I’m looking forward to,” he sneered.

“I won’t play your games,” she replied.

“Oh, but you will. You will or you will never find out the truth about your...true love.” His voice carried an even mixture of contempt and amusement.

She paused, her magic holding a firm grip on her war spear. She could sense the life force of the being radiating through her spear, there for her taking. His last breath, his final heartbeat, was hers, but the knowledge she sought was his. She yanked the spear back, its barbs ripping out his flesh as she did.

“What is your test, monster?” she spat.

“Oh joy, you’re going to play,” he smiled, stepping back and pacing in front of the mare. “Well, let me think. What would be the best possible test for you to...” He stopped and smiled, adding to the darkness of his visage. “One question. Answer it correctly and you win. Answer it incorrectly and...”

“And what, monster?” she urged.

“Incorrect and I get what I want,” he said luridly.

“I will not stoop to your barbaric level!” Selene stepped up, once again putting her muzzle to his and burning her eyes through him. “Play this game carefully.”

“Oh you will. I promise it,” he answered. “But then, what will it matter if you can answer my question?”

“And I’m supposed to know the answer to every question? For all I know you could ask me the name of your favorite pet. This is not a fair test,” she stated.

He nodded slowly. “True, I could do that, but where is the sport? No, this would be a question that you should be able to answer easily. One about your beloved pony, in fact. Or do you not know your...true love...well enough to answer one question about him?”

Selene stared at him, her whole body hesitating. “He...he is my true love.”

“Of course he is,” he stated smugly. “And that means you know everything about him, naturally.”

“I do.” Selene stood proud, her poise and demeanor belying what lay inside.

“Then, you agree?” Asphodel’s eyes glinted a light in their blackness as he stared into the mare.

“I do.” She was committed. Of her own free will, she agreed to the outcome of what happened next. “Ask your question.”

He smiled, stepping back and looking around at the great city of brass. “A magnificent city, don’t you think? Well, I suppose you can’t answer that. You haven’t even been inside the walls, yet.”

“I don’t care about your city. I’m just here for one pony. Ask me your question,” she pressed.

“But you should care. You need to care. If you don’t appreciate the things that are around you, then you will never be able to enjoy life--or whatever follows it,” he stated.

“My life doesn’t involve this place,” she answered.

“And yet here you are. Standing at the gateway to the city, ready to take whatever steps have been set out before you. Ready to burst through and force your will upon anypony who stands in your way. How noble.” With every word, his tone sank.

“Ask your question!” Selene raged.

Asphodel nodded, letting the moment linger. “Very well. You only have to answer this one question: why is your true love here?”

Her mouth hung open, and the words that followed were a stammer. “Wh-what? What do you mean?”

“Your love. Endymion. What was it that led him to be here in my realm?” He spoke with supreme confidence and calm. “It’s a simple question, really. Every pony that ends up in my realm does so because of some action. Some reason that put them here. What was his? What did he do to find himself a dweller of Tartarus?”

“You...you will have to explain further before I can answer correctly,” she stated, a dark light shining in the back of her eye.

“Oh, not a problem,” he said in a whisper that was clear and strong. “For example, a pony arrived here today that had spent his life seducing as many mares as he could, using them for his own pleasure. He had a wife who knew nothing of it, and foals by seven different mares. He paid them no attention and made excuses with each and every one, always keeping them off balance. And then, oddly enough, he lost his own balance while repairing a roof and broke his neck when he slipped and fell. Poor pony should have asked a pegasus for help, but then again, it’s probably best for everypony that he didn’t.”

“A fascinating tale, but it doesn’t answer my question,” Selene volleyed back to him.

“Oh, but it does. You see, this pony kept secrets that--after his poor, unfortunate demise--led him here. Now he is my guest for all of eternity. No pony will seek him out, because they are all starting to realize just what kind of stallion he truly was.”

“I do not like the implication of what you are saying,” Selene said, her lips curling back.

“Implication? I don’t recall implying anything. Perhaps you’re just reading into the matter.” His smile was the same shade as his coat. “But it does make a direct point. The stallion in question kept secrets that led him here. I just need you to tell me the secret of your stallion. What it was that drove him into my realm.”

She stood there, her eye twitching in the grey light.

“And do remember: you only get one answer, so choose wisely.” He slinked around the area, his own body sliding between the shadows with every step.

Images raced through her mind. Thoughts and words from conversations with her beloved. Secrets he had told only her. Revelations that came about in the most private of moments. Those words that passed between them in the light of the moon. A memory flooded over her. Her gaze focused on the ground as she spoke.

“Th--there was a young colt, a foal really, who he was playing with one day. They were rough-housing, just being colts, and things went a bit too far. He stood up on his hind legs, lashing out with both forehooves, striking the colt in the head, accidentally. The young stallion staggered back and fell, striking his head on a rock--and didn’t get up. Endymion raced off, trying to find a mature pony to help him, and by the time he did the other colt had been lying there for minutes. He survived, but he was never really the same. He was dark and carried an aura about him from that day on.”

She looked up at Asphodel, her eyes misting. “It haunted him after that. Knowing that he had changed the life of another pony like that. Realizing that he may have turned him down a dark road. It was the one shadow in his shining life. And I am stunned that such a thing would have put him here.”

Asphodel stopped walking. A long pause waited for him to speak once again, and when he did his words were sharp. “He told you everything about him, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” she answered, her head lifting up as she spoke. “We had no secrets.”

“True love,” all traces of compassion dropped away as he spoke. “I hate true love. There is no room for it here.”

“Keep to your word, monster. Bring him to me,” she demanded.

“My word?” he asked in confusion. “Oh, no. It’s not my word that will need to be in question. It’s yours.”

“Wh--what?” her voice dropped.

“You answered incorrectly,” he said. “You lose.”

“That’s not possible! I know everything about him. That was the only dark moment in his life!” The pony before her began to chuckle at her words, moving to stand directly in front of the great brass doors once again.

“No doubt. And it sounds tragic. The poor foal must have eaten away at his own soul all his life,” he replied, shaking his head in mock sympathy. “But it isn’t enough to get him here.”

“Then what did!” Selene yelled, moving to stand in his face in an instant.

“Nothing.” His voice was dry and cold.

“N--nothing? What do you mean, nothing?” she demanded.

“I mean nothing. He isn’t here,” he laughed.

Cool silver eyes turned dark red with anger, as the dark side of the moon revealed itself. Her horn lit with magic, grasping him by the throat and lifting him onto his rear legs, her spear pushing against his chest.

“You LIED to me!” The brass walls shuddered against the sound of her voice.

“Wh--when?” he choked out, smiling. “You...assumed that...he was here. I simply...didn’t say...otherwise.” His forehooves pulled at the magic, trying to free himself.

“Nevertheless, it was a trick! You could have told me from the beginning and I would have been done and gone, but you chose to deceive me,” she growled. “I was wrong to call you a monster. You are far, far worse than that.”

“And you...owe me,” he gasped from his magic noose.

“I will not stoop to your level,” she turned and began to walk away, dropping him to the ground like discarded garbage. “Be happy I leave here with you still alive.”

“Oh, so...the goddess is a...liar?” He rubbed his throat as he regained his footing. “So, it won’t matter what rumors I spread...of her being a common whorse.”

Selene stopped. She didn’t turn or move for a full eight seconds, and during that time Asphodel stepped closer to the waiting predator.

“You see, either way this is handled has the exact same outcome,” he said, “with the world knowing that the Goddess of the Moon is a slut that will do anything that is asked of her. A leg-spreading, dick-lapping whorse that is open and willing for any pony to use as they see fit.”

She turned, staring back at the noir stallion, her eyes pools of white moonlight that reflected her rage. “How...DARE...you!” She stepped towards him, with him not giving any ground as she did. “It is my faithfulness that brings me here. Your words carry no weight against my reputation.”

“What reputation? The ponies of the world sleep through your night, giving you no heed. It’s easy for people to believe anything about something they know nothing about. By tomorrow night they would wonder if they should stay awake hoping to get a quick rut in before they sleep.”

Her teeth bared, Selene hissed out her next words. “One. More. Word. I truly advise that you stay quiet, Asphodel.”

“Tell me,” his smile glimmered in the light from her eyes, “how do you like it when a stallion ruts you from behind? Do you whimper and moan? Or are you more of a screamer? I would hate to spread lies about you.”

The sound of her scream echoed off the metal walls of the city of Dis. A guttural cry of rage that echoed in the souls that lined the walls, each understanding what it was to lose themselves in a moment of anger.

One end of her battle spear was sticking out of Asphodel’s throat, while the other end had pierced his hindquarters and drove itself into the ground, pinning him in place. Black blood oozed out of him and ran along the spear, staining the ground in a growing circle.

Selene looked down at him, her chin still high in the stillness of the realm. No remorse shone in her face as the moonlit power faded to restore her normal silver eyes. But there was a hint of surprise as she heard the dying stallion’s laughter.

“You...you are a perfect player,” Asphodel coughed. “Thank you for...your kindness. It’s something that we...don’t get here.”

“What are you talking about now, fool?” her anger still carried her words.

“You will know. Soon enough, you will know,” he laughed. “The sun has risen over the world, Selene. Can’t you feel it? My...my time is done. Thank you. It has truly been...hell. May your...rule be...bet...ter...”

A rattle of breath shuddered through him as his body withered. Falling limp on the spear, it soon began to fall brittle and break off in pieces to the ground. Dust exploded on the spot where they landed, a non-existent wind carrying the debris off to another place of being as Selene watched. Her skin shivered as the wind touched her body, striking through to her core. Her eyes opened wide and her lip curled backwards with each passing piece of death.

The great brass doors cried out as they opened, their groans of agony now clear in Selene’s ears. A single pony, dressed in scraps of black metal and mildewed leather walked out, each hoof-fall rattling more than the outfit he wore.

“Greetings, mistress,” his voice was hollow and dry. “I am Tityus, and I will aid you in your transition.”

Her neck snapped backwards as Selene pulled her head away in surprise. “Transition? What transition?”

“To the throne of Tartarus,” he said plainly.

“The throne of...” her words trailed off. “I do not have time for this. Find another for your throne. I am leaving this place.” She spun away, only to be frozen by his next statement.

“You cannot. You are no longer among the living, mistress. You cannot venture beyond this realm by your own power.”

“Wh--what are you talking about?” Deep inside her body, she could already feel something.

“The throne of Tartarus is only gained by violence. By killing Asphodel, you have taken his place. You are now our queen and lord of the damned,” he explained, bowing his head.

“No.” Her voice cracked above a whisper. “No! I am Selene, Goddess of the Night! I am not the ruler of this accursed place!”

“Goddess of the Night no longer,” he stated, bringing his head back up to look into the eyes of his new mistress. “That duty will now fall to another, just as Asphodel’s duty has now fallen to you.”

“No! He--he did this on purpose! He prodded me to kill him!” She spun around, looking for the pony that did this to her, expecting to see his laughing face once more. “Why? Why would he do this?!”

“Because, mistress, he was cruel, and you carried with you the one thing that he hated the most: love.”

She shook her head roughly, denying everything she heard. “No! No, I’m leaving! This is not where I’m meant to be!” Her wings spread in the dim grey light, blending in with the muted sky as she took to the air. She did not hear him speak after her.

“And even the ruler of this accursed place longs for oblivion after a time...”

Her flight was not direct, nor was it even. She flew above the burning sea of blood, heading towards what she remembered the path that brought her here. More than once she changed course, convinced that she was off track, correcting for mistakes that she hadn’t made. A goddess does not stay lost forever, no matter how confused she may be, and eventually she saw the path to the gate that brought her down from the land of the living.

Her hooves met the path without a pause as she flew down to land, never hesitating for a moment as she ran up the passage towards the gate that kept everypony out. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she forced herself to run without rest, until the sparkling of a warm light danced on the horizon of her vision.

The sunlight glowed on the brass gates, giving them the color of a perfect sunset. The most perfect time of day. The moment when her power came to life and her duty ruled the sky. She could feel the tears stain her cheeks as she smiled at that welcoming light, anxious to bathe in the full light of the moon shortly.

And then she stopped.

Her mind raced, telling her hooves to step forward. The gate was right before her, and beyond that was her world and her life. And Endymion. Somewhere out there was her true love.

So why did her body not obey? Why couldn’t she take the next step towards the outside? The gates stood there, mocking her. The doorway to the outside world only a few steps away, and yet too far to reach. The weight of her burden brought her down, and she collapsed to her knees.

The gate. The damnable gate. It wasn’t there to keep living ponies out--after all, what sane pony would willingly walk into hell--it was there to keep the dead ponies inside. To keep all the inhabitants of Tartarus inside.

To keep her inside.

Selene had no idea how long she sat there. Measured in tears it was an ocean. Measured it minutes it was a lifetime. But for others, it was long enough for another pony to catch up to her and speak once more.

“We must get you back to Dis, mistress,” Tityus stated, no words of solace accompanying them. “It is time for you to assume your duty. I will aid you.”

Her head slowly turned to look into the empty holes where eyes should rest. Her own eyes burned with a dimming light. “Aid me? I am damned now. What aid can you give? I know what hell is already.” She stood, her wings fluttering out as she sought to clean herself of the stench of this land.

“Take me to my throne.”

* * * * * * *

“Sister?” Celestia’s voice was as calm and reassuring as ever, but all Selene could hear in it was a combination of fear, distrust, and boasting. Her life was so strong among all the dead. “Ah, I thought I might find you here.”

Celestia walked into Selene’s personal chamber, a smile growing on her face with every hoofstep. There was no color in the room except for grey and brass. Stone walls and brass decorations. Even the chairs were covered in grey fabric. Which is why she brought the box with her, floating behind her, carried by magic.

“Hello, Celly,” Selene sat in her grand chair, her hooves raking up and down its arms. As her sister stepped into the room, Selene’s wings ruffled out for just a moment.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long, Lena,” Celestia said as she moved over to greet her sister directly. She reached out and placed her muzzle next to the other mare’s, kissing her on one cheek. “There’s just been a bit of adjustment to handle back home.”

“Adjustment. Yes, I’m sure. How is the stripling doing?” Selene asked, her voice flat.

“Luna,” Celestia answered. “Her name is Luna. And she’s doing very well. She has the most curious of behaviors. She is much more aloof than you, but shares your inquisitiveness and passion. Though she is also a little dark at times. And she has an odd tendency to speak very loudly. Just the other day she...”

“What is that behind you?” Selene interrupted.

Her face suddenly beaming, Celestia brought the box around in front of her. “A present. I’ve noticed how...little color there is here, and thought I might be able to help.” She set the box down in front of Selene, who eyed it suspiciously.

“I don’t think a little color would help,” her voice stayed flat.

“Well, give it a try. You never know, it might actually...brighten things up,” Celestia stepped back a bit, giving her sister some room. After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded towards it with a face filled with hope.

Taking a deep breath, Selene let her face turn up towards her sister. “I’m sorry, Celly. Of course.” She forced a smile, as her magic moved the lid from the box. Instantly, a kaleidoscope of color filled the room, light spilling out from the top of the container. Selene winced at the sudden intrusion of the alien-seeming brightness.

“Wh--what is that?” she asked, turning her head to one side.

“I don’t have a name for it,” Celestia answered raising the item from the box. A gem that seemed at once to be every color imaginable glittered in the air. Rays of every hue splashed around the room, creating a cacophony of color everywhere. “I enchanted a gem to absorb the sunlight, and charged it with a full day’s color. To be honest, it didn’t seem quite so bright back home. But I can tone it down, I think. If not with this one, then with a new one. Do you like it?”

“Get it out of here!” Selene brought a hoof up to shade herself from the glowing gem.

“Oh, I’m sorry! The light really is hurting you, isn’t it?” Celestia quickly lowered the gem back into the box, shutting the lid. “I will definitely tone down the intensity. I’ll try to do it during my visit today so you can use this one, but if not I’ll bring one back--”

“I don’t want it,” she interrupted. “I don’t want it anywhere near Tartarus, and especially nowhere near me!”

“I--I’m sorry,” Celestia whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Lena. I just thought it might be nice to add some color into your world.”

“This world isn’t meant for color! And none should be brought here!” She stood from her chair and quickly trotted to the far side of the room, throwing open a shutter that hid the room from the outside. “This is a place for the damned, Celly! Not a place for the homesick. Do you see what this is? Do you? It’s a never-ending sea of despair. And I’m the pony at the center of it all.”

Celestia walked over to her sister, keeping her head up and her eyes bright. “Just because you are at its center doesn’t mean you can’t be above it. You are not damned, Lena. You are just...” Her words trailed off as the term she sought eluded her grasp.

“Trapped?” Selene finished for her.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Celestia answered.

“No, you weren’t. But what about freeing me? Have you had any luck with that? What about my future?”

“I still don’t know. I haven’t had any luck finding any spell that would free you from here.”

“Because there is none!” Selene screamed, causing Celestia to turn her head slightly away. “I AM damned. Damned to be here until time runs out, the master of a place filled with the most horrible ponies that have ever lived. And what’s more, it is my responsibility to make sure that they suffer. Suffer! And you want to bring me a pretty light.” Her wings ruffled out and then folded against her body once more.

“I wanted to bring you something to cheer you up,” Celestia said soothingly. “Remind you of who you truly are and your home.”

“Who I truly am? I am no pony! I have nothing outside of this realm. Your precious Luna took my place, remember?” she spat.

“She did not take your place. She took your duty. You are still yourself, Lena, and if you forget that, then you will lose yourself to this place. I can’t pretend to know what you are going through, but I do know you,” she gently wrapped a wing around her sister. “You are the definition of love. All you have ever done is out of love.”

“And see where it has gotten me? No. No, I can’t be that pony any longer, Celly. I have a new role to play. A new duty. And love has nothing to do with it.” Her words froze in the air.

“Don’t say such things, Lena. This place is getting to you. Please, let me help you to stay who you are,” Celestia pleaded, resting her muzzle against her sister’s neck.

“Celly,” she pressed away, causing Celestia to raise her head up to look at her directly, “I know who I am. It’s you who are having trouble realizing it.”

“You’re angry,” Celestia stated.

“No, I’m furious. And I think I have the right to be. At least for a few years,” she countered.

There was a long silence as they both stood there waiting for the other to speak. The weight of the moment hung between them, neither of them wanting to say anything to make it press down harder.

“I should go,” Celestia said softly.

“You don’t have to,” Lena said instantly.

“I think I do,” she answered.

“H--how is...she?” Lena asked.

“Good. She is very good. I’ll see to that, I promise,” Celestia stated, raising her head higher as she did, a glow of magic binding her word.

“Don’t ever let her know of this place. Of me. I don’t want her to know,” Lena stated.

“I understand,” Celestia answered.

“You don’t. I don’t want her worrying about me. Thinking about me here. Trying to come here herself,” Selene pleaded. And then her tone changed. “And if she does find out, I CAN make your life hell, Celly,” Selene growled.

“A threat?” She blinked multiple times. “Why? I--I don’t understand.”

“Just don’t do it,” Selene’s voice stayed on edge.

“I won’t,” Celestia turned and walked towards the door, her magic picking up the package she brought with her. She paused at the doorway, turning to look at her sister once again. “I love you, Lena.”

“Yes. I know, Celly.”

Celestia turned and walked out the door, without a second look back.

* * * * * * *

The door creaked loudly as the mechanism fought against itself, light spilling into the room from the many candles outside.

“What is this?” Selene’s voice intruded into the chamber only moments after the light. A purple-grey glow of magic surrounded the door, pressing it open and into the room. The silhouette of the alicorn stood in the doorway, her formidable eyes piercing into the darkness. She stepped inside the large compartment, seeing the neglected furnishings and decorations lining the walls. “A secret chamber? Asphodel, what did you do in here?”

A gurgling sound came from the far corner of the room, causing Selene to turn her attention to that location. A shadow moved, barely, pushing itself further away from the light. She stepped towards the sound and the movement, willing her horn to once again come to life. The deep night colored glow was far more light than the former night goddess needed to see anything. Even the unexpected.

A frail, emaciated pony lie on the ground, covered with a ratty blanket. Two black horns curled away from her a matted, mangey red coat, while a pair of black eyes stared up in a mix of rage and terror, but lacking the strength to do anything but stare.

“What--or rather, who are you?” Selene’s voice softened as she lowered herself down to the level of the weakened mare. And that’s when she got a good look at her face.

Dozens of scars crossed over the flesh. Deep cuts moving back and forth, and not given the opportunity to heal properly. Defying the repulsion response, Selene kept her eyes locked on the mare, the disfiguration creeping into her vision.

“I don’t know you. Is this your punishment? Beaten and scarred, left for dead? To be locked away from everything?”

The black eyes burned with hatred, but the only sound that came from the pony-creature was another rough gurgling noise. She lifted her head up for a moment, but only just and only for a moment, before gravity proved too difficult a foe and she dropped it once more.

“What is your name?” Selene asked. She waited, but silence was her only answer. “Very well, I command you: tell me your name.”

The frail creature stared up, but no words came out. The gurgling rose again, this time much closer to a growl.

“I am Selene, High Lady of Tartarus, and you will tell me who you are so that I can know your punishment,” Selene’s voice was becoming increasingly firm.

“Aaasssphhodellll...” The first identifiable noise that came from the creature chilled Selene to the core. The sound of her voice was unnatural and coarse, but the tone of the word was clear. Never had she heard such pure hatred in her life.

“What of him? He is no more. I disposed him and thus took his place.” Her own ears couldn’t hear the tone that so closely echoed the other mare.

The creature moved, shifting again, and the ratty blanket moved, opening up and flaring out as the mare’s wings revealed themselves. Leathery flaps of flesh with holes worn through them from either abuse or misuse. Her head rose up again, and she opened her mouth, revealing long, pointed teeth lining her mouth. Snarling, it appeared as though she was trying to stand, though her body was still betraying her.

Selene stepped back, taking in the whole of this creature. “You are no mortal pony. Nor are you anything that I have ever seen before. You are not a soul here for torture, are you?”

A tail moved behind the mare, a long, sinewy appendage capped with a pointed tip tenuously trying to curl up and provide balance for her to rise. No amount of aid could make up for centuries of weakness and her legs failed her, but her movement revealed a brass chain that bound her rear legs to the wall.

“I have been ruler here for over a century now, and I am still discovering secrets that were left behind. None so mysterious as you, though,” Selene said softly. She lowered herself down once again, looking over to the mare. “Again I ask, what is your name?”

The mare opened her mouth, baring her teeth once more, and allowing Selene a view into her mouth. The scars on her face were only the beginning. A mangled tongue tried to move inside her mouth, perhaps to form words or perhaps to lash out, but all that came out was a violent hiss of air.

“What was done to you?” Selene pondered aloud. “And why?”

She stood back up and stared down at the creature. The mare’s wings fell back down around her, covering her body in an enveloping sheathe. A blanket of protection. A last bastion of defense.

“I want to know more about you. Rise.” Selene’s horn glowed, and a layer of pre-dawn magic cascaded over the mare, sinking into her body like soil desperate for rain. The mare moved her head, this time raising it high as the shared energy filled her. Her wings unfurled once again, stretching out to their formidable length. Moving one leg forward, the claw-like hoof grasped the ground as she pushed against the floor. The creaking sound was either her leg or the ground, both of them seemed ready to crack. After a moment, she rose, standing to her full height at last. Selene looked up into her eyes. After a moment, the alicorn summoned the magic to shatter the chain binding the creature’s leg.

“Come with me. I will not hurt you, but I will get you food and do my best to heal you,” Selene offered.

“Aaasssphhodellll...” the creature said for a second time.

“I told you, he is dead. I killed him. He cannot harm you,” Selene explained, her voice steely.

From the depth of her being, the creature let out a growl. Tapping into primal hatred she spoke volumes with a single sound. Selene stared at her, their eyes locking in a mutual sensation.

“If you like, when you are stronger, you are welcome to raze this place to its foundation, but that is the best that I can offer,” Selene stated. “But you are going to want to be stronger first. The magic I gave you won’t last long.”

Turning and stepping towards the door, Selene paused to look over her shoulder. “Coming?”

Weak legs moved forward, defiantly carrying the mare forward towards the light piercing into the chamber. One claw after another she found her way towards the exit. And for the first time in more than a hundred years, the creature took a step outside her room.

* * * * * * *

She didn’t hear her come into the room. It was amazing how quiet she could be, actually, especially considering her size. But even if she wasn’t so stealthy, Selene might not have noticed. She was lost in her own thoughts and tears.

It didn’t happen as often as it used to, but every now and then memories of her former life took over, and she found herself going through a gamut of emotion. Joyful, regretful, resentful, angry, bitter, jealous, and always, ultimately, sadness.

But never had anypony walked in on her during one of those moments. Until now.

Tisiphone stood there, staring down at her in confusion. She watched the tears run down Selene’s face, wondering how they came into being. A grumble rose inside her unbidden.

Selene whirled, her face snapping around to stare at Tisiphone. Her eyes darted about, searching for something to give her stability. She stood quickly, her wings fluttering out to her side as she ruffled her feathers. “I--I did not hear you.” Her words were strained in control.

Reaching a clawed hoof up, Tisiphone brushed it against Selene’s cheek, feeling the damp coat. The alicorn pulled her head away, and then turned her eyes back to look at the other mare.

All Selene could see was confusion in the eyes of the mare. She shook her head, clearing her senses and attempting to remove any stray tears that were still trying to fight their way out. And Tisiphone remained baffled, her eyes searching for answers.

“Is--is there something I can help you with?” Selene stayed stoic, professional. “Are you feeling all right? You’re still weak, I know. It will take time to fully recover your strength. You’re doing amazing considering how short a time you’ve been free.”

The red mare-creature reached her hoof-claw up again, touching the damp coat on Selene’s cheek.

“Don’t,” Selene whispered. “Please, don’t.”

Tisiphone’s head turned slightly, considering the request. With force of will and determination, she croaked out a gravelly question, “whhhhyy?”

“Because. Isn’t that enough reason?” Selene tried to force her words past the other mare. “I don’t want you reminding me.”

Tisiphone shook her head. And gestured to her own cheek, raising her hoof in confusion.

“Why...is that happening? Do--do you not understand crying?” Selene asked softly.

Tisiphone shook her head. She looked to the alicorn for answers.

Selene opened her mouth to protest--to send this intruder away--but there was a genuine look of innocence that prevented it.

“Ponies cry,” she took a deep breath, “because they are sad.”

Selene turned her head away, fearing the admission would begin a new event. Tisiphone followed her around, trying to again look into the mare’s eyes. She couldn’t meet her gaze, as the alicorn looked down when she saw the other mare approach.

“I feel sad, Tisiphone. I’m sad and so I’m crying. It’s that simple,” she whispered to the ground.

“Whhhhyy?” she asked again.

“Wh--why am I sad?” She looked up, only for a moment, briefly looking the mare in the eye. “I--I don’t think that--”

A red claw-hoof moved beneath Selene’s chin, raising her muzzle up. Tisiphone looked straight into her eye. “Whhhhyy?” she asked yet again.

“B--because I--I’m alone,” she choked out. “My life used to be filled with love and life, and n--now I...” She couldn’t say anything else. Pulling away, she turned again. “I--I think you should leave.”

The voice came from behind Selene, resolute and authoritative, despite the distortion. “Noooo.”

She turned, and Tisiphone stood there, her head high and her demeanor strong. “Yooou...saave...mmeee...” she croaked out. “Nooottt...leaaave.”

“Why not?” Selene kept her voice strong. “Everypony else has. Endymion disappeared, and none of my efforts could find him. And Celestia--my own sister--abandoned me. She taunted me and left me here. My own sister!”

Her voice became louder than she intended, and she stepped back in realization. “Cel--Celestia was the pony I thought would always be there for me, and now she isn’t. Sh--she’s moved on past me. To this...Luna. She left me. My sister. MY OWN SISTER!”

Tears streamed freely. Selene could no longer control her emotion, letting it rush out in a torrent. Tisiphone stepped up to stand right in front of her, looking down into Selene’s silver eyes. “Nooottt...leaaave.”

“Why?” Selene asked. “Why would she do that? She is my sister. She is supposed to love me. To care for me.”

The erinyes leaned in, putting her muzzle beside the alicorn’s ear. “Cccaarre...forrr...yoouu.”

“What are you--” Selene’s words were cut off when Tisiphone kissed her on the lips. The harsh, scarred flesh of the erinyes felt rough on Selene’s softer skin. Pulling back in shock, Selene’s eyes shot wide, the silver color shining in the dim light with moisture.

“Ti--Tisiphone,” her wings ruffled out with a flutter, “I’m not sure that...that...”

Her protests fell off as the large red mare stepped up again, a feral growl growing in her throat. “Maaake...yoouu...haaaappyy.”

Again she bent down and kissed the mare on the lips, only this time Selene did not pull away. She held the kiss, feeling the lips play across each other. The alicorn let her tongue slide out of her mouth, pressing its way into the other mare’s orifice.

This time it was Tisiphone who jerked her head backwards, snarling.

“What’s wrong?” Selene asked. “What did I--” Her mouth fell open. “Oh. Your tongue. I’m sorry. I--I forgot.” She closed the distance between herself and the erinyes. “I--I don’t want to scare you off.”

Tisiphone lowered her head, snarling softly. “Nooottt...leaaave.”

Raising her head up slightly, Selene brought her lips up to the larger red mare’s, brushing against them with her own. Instantly, Tisiphone pushed back, pulling on the alicorn’s lips with hers. She shifted her tact, moving along Selene’s muzzle, kissing up to her ear. When she reached that spot, she bared her teeth and bit down softly.

The sharp, pointed teeth elicited a gasp from Selene, which was all the encouragement that Tisiphone was wanting. She shifted to the side, giving her a new perspective on the ombre mare. Her long tail snaked around behind her, moving in and sliding up along Selene’s inner thigh.

“I--I don’t know about--” Selene was cut off by Tisiphone rearing up and placing her foreclaws on the alicorn’s withers, pressing downwards. Selene went to her knees, not from the suggestion, but because she had no other choice.

“How strong are you?” she glanced up at the mare, who had wrapped her tail around the upper thigh of the alicorn to make sure her hindquarters stayed in the air. “You should still be recovering.”

A gurgle resonated deep inside the body of the erinyes. She removed her tail from the mare’s thigh and replaced it with her foreclaw. With no hesitation she pushed the rear legs apart, causing Selene to gasp once more.

“I’m not...submissive. I d--don’t--” Tisiphone grabbed the mare’s tail and pulled it up, exposing Selene’s marehood. A sheen had formed on the outside of her nether lips, much to her own surprise. A whip of Tisiphone’s tail across her flank surprised Selene even more, causing her to gasp loudly. Her wings shot out, fluttering wide, her feathers splaying to their fullest.

Moving directly behind Selene, Tisiphone brought her body up and over the mare, taking a claw-full of wing in either forehoof, giving her leverage. She brought her head up between the wings and snarled down at the mare beneath her. “Plllleasssuuuurre...yoooouu.”

Selene twisted her head back and forth, trying to turn around to get a good view of exactly what was happening. Her body was reacting, strongly, to the advances of this creature, even though her mind was still reeling.

Sliding her tail between her own legs, Tisiphone curled the spade-end of her tail into a tight ball, forming a broad head on the end of it. She explored forward, feeling out until the end of it pressed against the slit that waited between Selene’s legs. The organ responded to the pressure, and lips parted, allowing easy access to the inside of the alicorn’s marehood.

“B--be gentle,” Selene moaned, her voice wavering.

A dark snarl answered, as the tail-tip pressed inside Selene’s sex, exploring the inner depths of the mare. She pushed deep until she felt the tail was buried enough from the moans that were building beneath her, and then Tisiphone pressed her tail tight against herself, impacting against her own now very damp sex.

She paused, holding the moment until the timing was perfect. A single word insured her that it was. “P--please,” Selene whimpered.

Shifting her weight backwards, Tisiphone slid almost completely out of Selene’s sex, and then pulling herself on the alicorn’s wings, she slammed back into her depths, the motion and sensation flowing back along the length of her tail to reverberate against her own clitoris.

The thrusting began. Pistoning in and out of Selene’s dripping cunt, Tisiphone’s tail flexed and turned, providing a sensation unlike anything the alicorn had ever known. Quickly, Selene’s breath became a ragged exaggeration of its normal tempo, and she was pressing herself back against the faux-cock the mare was fucking her with, trying to keep in rhythm.

Every moment became a new crescendo. Every thrust bringing more of a smile to the alicorn below, and a sense of being to the erinyes above. And it only increased when Selene began to respond vocally.

“Yes! By the stars, yes! Keep doing that! Just like that!” she pleaded, encouraging her unexpected partner. And Tisiphone responded with another surprise.

Bending fully forward, Tisiphone sank her fangs into the neck of the mare beneath her. Selene shrieked, her tone a clear mixture of shock, pain, and pleasure. The bite wasn’t deep, just enough to pierce the flesh and add another level to the moment.

At the moment of the bite, Selene’s pussy clamped down on the tail-cock inside her. Her body trembled for a moment, and then began convulsing as she came. Tisiphone didn’t even slow down. Her thrusts kept pace, pushing into the pulsing pussy. Tisiphone was on the edge, but her focus had nothing to do with herself. All she wanted was to make the pony beneath her plunge over the cliff of ecstasy.

And that was exactly what happened. Selene began screaming. No names. No words. Just raw primal screams of passion as her body released a century’s worth of tension. Was it seconds, minutes, or hours that passed? Selene wasn’t sure, and she truly didn’t care.

Eventually, Tisiphone stopped her sexual assault, pulling her tail free from the sopping sex, and releasing her hoof-fulls of wing. Selene had no strength left and collapsed in a heap, falling out of the erinyes grasp. Her coat was damp with sweat, and her legs were too weak to stand.

Tisiphone stood over her, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths. She was still on edge, but had made a point to hold herself back through the whole ordeal. She would get her pleasure another time. Another day. This was about pleasing this mare. Her mare.

“Th--thank you,” Selene whispered, her eyes half-lidded as she looked up at the red mare. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

She curled up on the floor, letting her wings gently lay down on her side, relaxed. Her eyes shut as she purred out her words. “Don’t leave. Please, just...stay with me here.”

Tisiphone froze. She stood there above the pony staring down. Her job was done, but she was asked to stay. What was she supposed to do? Awkwardly, she lowered her body to the ground, and tried to shift herself so she was lying beside the resting mare. Her claw-hooves moved to sit on Selene’s withers, resting them there carefully above her wings. Selene shivered and instinctually Tisiphone extended her wing to wrap it around her, hoping to warm her body.

She recoiled slightly when Selene pressed back against her, but after a moment she relaxed into her, allowing herself to enjoy the shared warmth. When Selene began to twitch again, Tisiphone looked for a reason. She was warm and she was being careful to not pinch or pierce her in any way. What was causing the spasm?

And then she heard her words.

“C-Celly, no!” Selene mumbled in her sleep. “No, don’t. Please, please come back. Celestia, don’t go...don’t go...”

Selene twitched and tears rolled down her face. She was having a nightmare. The peace that she hoped to bring her only lasted a few minutes, and now she was already back in the same place.

Tisiphone’s lip curled back. She did not like to fail, and she knew exactly what was wrong. “Suuunnnn Brrrrrinnnngggerrrr...”

Sparks arced from Tisiphone’s black eyes as she focused on what to do about the sun goddess.

* * * * * * *

Now...

Selene walked the grounds of Dis, her eyes scouring the denizens around her. Each and every pony sent here was meant to be here. It was her job to know that and to know them. To understand what had to be done.

The guards bowed their heads as she walked past, knowing it was not their place to look her in the eye. She smiled. In her mind, there was only one in all of Tartarus that had earned the right to look her in the eye. She stole a glance up, expecting to find that pony on the wall looking down at her. Watching her.

Tisiphone wasn’t there.

She scanned the area, looking around the walls and onto the great tower, searching for the red mare, and finding no pony. Where was she? What could cause her to abandon her post?

Selene knew the answer. Since her arrival, Tisiphone had been focused on Celestia. She had kept a close eye on her sister and all of her movements. But Celestia was gone. She sent her home.

No. No, of course she wasn’t gone. That was foolish to even think. It had been a very long time, but even thousands of years ago Celestia was too strong-willed to simply walk away from something like this. Tisiphone was watching Celestia even now.

“Where have you gotten to, dear sister?” Selene mused aloud.

A deep, echoing thrum echoed through the city. Everypony looked to each other in wonder and confusion--except for Selene, who waited patiently. A second time the reverberating sound of a deep bass echo filled the air, causing the guards to raise their spears and turn their heads to the sky. The third time the sound appeared it was accompanied by a visual aid.

The wall of the great tower burst open, two figures exploding through the brass, causing huge shards of metal to rain down from the sky. Two huge ponies, locked together in a physical struggle, tumbled through the air, their massive wings striving to gain them enough stability for a safe landing.

It didn’t work. The ground trembled from the force of the impact, knocking guards to the ground and causing countless items to fall from their resting place.

Selene stood there and smiled. “Ah, so that’s where you are,” she said to herself. “Or rather, were.”

Without another word, Selene’s wings carried her into the dim sky to find her sister.

...to be continued.

Chapter Five

Who Rules: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Five

“Did you say something?” Twilight broke the long silence between she and Cadance.

“Hmm? No. No, I didn’t say anything. I was just marveling at how long these corridors seem to go on,” she replied.

“I know. It feels like we’ve been walking forever,” Twilight said, “and I would swear that we hadn’t said anything in--well, forever.”

“Forever is a very long time, Twilight,” Cadance laughed. “But even so, I wouldn’t worry about it. I think we’re at the end.”

“We are?” Twilight pushed alongside Cadance to try and look ahead of her. The narrow stone corridor was a very tight fit for two ponies, especially when one was an alicorn. Twilight found her flank wedged up against the other mare’s. “I--uh--I can’t really see that far.”

“Um, well, it’s not much to see, actually,” Cadance answered, trying to un-wedge her posterior from the situation. “The corridor comes to an end, with what I assume to be a door.”

“Yeah, but--excuse me--but can you see where it leads?” Twilight’s rump pushed hard against Cadance as she tried to back up.

“Well, no,” Cadance had tried to move backwards, too, making the situation worse. “I was hoping to find a small peep-hole though, so maybe we could--”

Cadance cut herself off. Twilight was wriggling in an attempt to free herself, and had somehow managed to twist her body just right so that she was lodged completely against Cadance, now fully pressed against her body.

“Okay, stop!” Cadance proclaimed. “This is silly. Just stand still and I will move back. Don’t move, okay?”

“Hey, don’t blame me!” Twilight argued. “It’s not my fault that these halls are narrow.”

“No, but it is your fault you’ve got such a wide flank,” Cadance teased.

“A-are you saying I’m fat?” Twilight’s voice was crushed.

“No! No, not at all. You’ve got a great flank. It’s a beautiful, round, sexy flank. Not like mine. Mine’s just a narrow, flat one. You’ve got great curves and--” Cadance cut herself off again, shaking her head. “This isn’t a good conversation to have. Just...hold still.”

The alicorn pressed backwards, trying to slide past Twilight to free up space. Both mare’s bodies slid against the other one, creating a variety of friction. The result of that friction was a suddenly extruding wing from Cadance.

“Ow!” the princess blurted out. “Ow, ow, ow.”

“What is it? Are you okay?” Twilight turned her head, finding it suddenly right next to Cadance’s muzzle, and accidentally put her lips on the mare’s cheek.

“I’m...uh, I’m fine,” Cadance said, turning her head so that she was facing towards Twilight. The narrow confines and the odd predicament placed them face-to-face, their lips barely separated. “It’s just...an awkward response. But, um, it does have me kind of...stuck.”

“Oh,” Twilight said, her voice throaty and soft. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. Not directly,” Cadance said gently. Twilight could feel the heat of Cadance’s breath blowing against her face as the alicorn spoke. She could also feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

They stared at each other, neither moving--mostly because they couldn’t. Finally, Cadance spoke again. “Twilight?”

“Yes?” the mare answered with longing in that single word.

“Can you...” Cadance turned her head slightly.

“Yes?” Twilight moved her mouth even closer to the princess, ready to remove the gap completely, closing her eyes slowly.

“Can you go ahead and teleport about three feet ahead?” Cadance asked. “You know, to get us out of this situation.”

Twilight’s eyes popped back open.

“Oh! Oh, yes. Yes, I can totally do that!” She laughed, its tone just off. “Ha! I really should have thought of that myself. Ha ha ha.”

A purple flash of light and an implosion of air later, Twilight was standing three feet forward, facing away from Cadance. She winced and started muttering silently, chastising herself. Her face was now burning crimson, and she was grateful that the princess couldn’t see it from where she stood.

Cadance, on the other hoof, now had a very clear view of Twilight’s flank. Her cheeks turned red, too--and her wings were pointing straight up. She licked her lips unconsciously, and then was suddenly grateful that Twilight was facing away from her and couldn’t see what she did.

“So, there seems to be a door up here,” Twilight stated stiffly.

“Right. I mentioned that a minute ago,” Cadance replied with equal stiffness.

“So...now what?” Twilight asked, still stiffly, but in genuine wonder.

“Well, obviously we’re going to have to go through it. From what Fleur implied, it should take us outside the castle, and somewhere into Canterlot,” Cadance explained.

“But where?” Twilight turned her head back finally, her cheeks still flush but rapidly returning to normal.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been here before either,” Cadance smiled, calming Twilight somewhat.

“So, do we just open it up? What if there is somepony outside?” Twilight turned back to the door, looking at it curiously.

“I can’t imagine that my aunts would create a secret passage that doesn’t have a hidden secret exit. What’s the point?” Cadance, too, focused on the door rather than the shapely pony immediately in front of her.

“But, if we are wrong, and we open it, and there is somepony outside, then they’ll know about the secret passage! And if they know, it isn’t a secret anymore! And what if they tell somepony? That would create an avalanche of ponies knowing about the passage making it totally NOT secret at all! And when Celestia finds out about that, she’ll know it was my fault, and then I’ll--”

A hoof placed on Twilight’s flank stopped her rant.

“Twilight, it’s okay. No pony is going to do anything to you. Celestia is far too wise to make a secret passage that somepony is going to find accidentally,” Cadance reassured her. “Just go ahead and open the door.”

“But--”

“Twilight. Open the door,” Cadance’s voice was calm, but firm. The tone gave Twilight another shiver through her body.

“But I can’t see a handle,” Twilight said.

“Then find it,” Cadance urged.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight brought her hoof up, searching for something that might open the door. She gently raised the light in the area by causing her horn to glow a little brighter. She brushed her hoof up and down the doorway, hoping to find a special latch or lever.

“Maybe it opens by magic?” Twilight suggested.

“That’s possible,” Cadance stated. “The mirror worked that way. See if you can’t use a bit of magic to open it up.”

“If it was a similar spell to what made the mirror work, then...” Twilight’s face tightened. Even from her vantage-point, Cadance could see her running through the possible spells and combinations that might unlock the doorway. She smiled, impressed with the mare’s natural skills.

A beam of magic burst forth from Twilight, striking the stone jamb surrounding the stone. From where it hit is quickly scattered around the rock, dancing in and around each crevice of the stonework. A click caught both of their attentions, as the doorway went from solid stone to a shimmering pool of magic on the wall. A golden glow filled the area, reflecting the magic’s origin.

“I think you found it,” Cadance smiled.

“Wow! I just took the spell from the room and sort of inverted it, looking for a way to open a passage out of the corridor. At first I was going to use the same magic, but I realized that would be kind of silly, since it obviously was an interior passage spell, and this is--in theory at least--and exterior exit. So I just--”

“Twilight!” Cadance blurted, her tone and face obviously amused. “Just...step through, okay?”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry,” Twilight smiled awkwardly behind her and then turned and took a big step through the passageway.

From Cadance’s point of view it was simple. One moment Twilight was there, and the next she wasn’t. It was a bit like the teleportation spell, but without the added dramatic effect.

She stood there for a moment, wondering if Twilight really did use the proper spell. If not, it was entirely possible that she had just encouraged the unicorn to step through a portal that led to someplace horrible. Maybe even as bad as Tartarus!

“Don’t be silly, Cadance,” she said to herself out loud. “What in love’s name would Aunt Celestia be doing with a portal to Tartarus.”

She laughed as she stepped through the doorway.

The disorientation was great enough that Cadance didn’t see the figure that tackled her. She fell to the ground with a loud grunt, a heavy weight pinning her there as something covered her mouth. She struggled, twisting her head to try to free it from whatever was over it, but it was on there tight.

Just as she was about to unleash a magical retaliation, her vision cleared up and she saw Twilight Sparkle on top of her, forcing a magical gag over her mouth. Suddenly it didn’t seem quite so bad.

“Shhh,” Twilight said, looking over her shoulder. “We need to be very quiet.”

Looking back, Twilight saw understanding in Cadance’s expression and removed the magical gag. “Twilight,” Cadance whispered loudly, “what is going on? Why did you tackle me like that?”

“Look over there,” Twilight stood up from Cadance, moving to stand alongside the wall to avoid notice. She briefly gestured ahead.

Cadance stood up, quickly looking around to get her bearings. She recognized several of the shops and buildings in the area. They were outside the wall of the castle, near the west gate. She cantered up alongside Twilight and peered ahead.

A large crowd of ponies was standing in front of the gate, wielding various farm implements and torches. Cadance had no idea where they got the farm implements. Canterlot was more of an industrial town, and not a rural farming community. Sure, there were a few gardens that some ponies kept, but hardly enough to warrant that many farming tools. And the ponies were dressed in Canterlot style, so it didn’t seem likely that they had come into town from a more agrarian area. The torches she could understand, even if they did seem a little unnecessary. But at least it wasn’t a host of ponies with implements of sexual pleasure--and farming.

“They don’t seem happy,” Twilight stated, getting to the more important aspect of the gathering.

“What are they doing?” Cadance asked, trying to see details.

“I’m not sure. But it is pretty clear that they are trying to get inside the gates of the castle, by any means necessary,” Twilight said.

“Well, I hate to say this, but we can’t worry about that right now. If we don’t raise the sun, this whole town is going to go absolutely sex crazed. And we REALLY don’t want that to happen,” Cadance said. She moved forward to stand on the corner of the building, staring down towards the crowd. Her body right up against the front of the, fortunately, closed store.

“Right,” Twilight nodded in agreement, “if we stick to the side streets, we should be able to sneak over to the Archives in only a few minutes. Assuming we don’t run into anypony. But then, I suppose between the two of us we can wrestle them down long enough for me to use my magic to tie them up and gag them so they won’t draw attention to us.”

The description, along with the very recent first-hoof experience of Twilight doing that exact thing caused another involuntary response in Cadance. Her wings popped straight up.

A loud metallic, melodic sound rose from above Cadance. Just loud enough to be heard by the stragglers at the back of the crowd. The stragglers turned to look at the two mares just as Twlight and Cadance glanced up to see a large string of decorative items hanging in front of “Harmony Zephyr’s Wind Chime Emporium.”

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me...” Cadance said in disbelief.

“THERE THEY ARE!!” The loud outburst drew the attention of the rest of the group storming the gates of the castle. Everypony in front of said gates turned and saw Cadance and Twilight Sparkle, standing alone and nearby.

Cadance turned to Twilight and spoke clearly and plainly, “Twilight, this would be a good time to run.”

Breaking into an instant gallop, Cadance swore that she heard a single guitar chord chime behind her and a song break out as she and her friend fled from the screaming affections of the crowd that was now chasing them through the heart of Canterlot.

* * * * * * *

Celestia heard the wings beating and the hooves touching ground somewhere above and behind her, but all she could see was the pitch black eyes staring down at her from behind a leather mask. And all she felt were claws digging into the flesh around her throat.

The combined impact of her and her assailant left a crater some twenty feet across, and a few feet deep, with her lying at the center of it on her back. Her own hooves wrestled with the single clawed leg that was seemingly trying to crush her windpipe.

The guards and others who were in the area when the pair landed had scattered. Whether from fear or concussive impact wasn’t clear, but neither them nor their reason for not being present was a concern for Celestia at this moment. She was far more concerned for the mare standing above her.

“Strong, isn’t she?” Selene’s voice spoke clearly from the edge of the crater. “In fact, I would say that she is easily the strongest pony I’ve ever encountered. Would you agree, Celly?”

The answer was slow in coming, and raspy when it finally was able to escape her throat. “I’m trying...not to hurt her.”

Selene raised an eyebrow, laughing. “Hurt her? Sister, dear, Tisiphone spent years being tortured by one of the most cruel beings to ever live, and then kept herself alive out of spite. I’m not sure that you COULD do anything to hurt her.”

“Then...dear sister...you do not remember me,” Celestia’s voice was ragged as her horn came to life. Blinding white energy erupted, causing Selene to jerk her head to the side. When she turned back, she saw Celestia rising to her hooves--alone--gently rubbing her throat where a trickle of blood worked its way down. She scanned the skies, and saw the figure of Tisiphone quickly descending from the skies once more.

Celestia saw her, too. Another flash of light erected a shield of pure sunlight between them, as the sun goddess braced herself for impact. The huge figure slammed into the shield, pushing it back towards the alicorn, cracking the magical guard upon impact. The red mare reared up, and the shield broke into fragments as her powerful forelegs pushed past it.

Allowing no recovery, Celestia lowered her head and thrust forward, her horn aimed at the mare’s chest. Her head jerked to the side, a powerful claw slamming against her muzzle before even nearing it’s destination. Her body followed suit, shocked by the force of the impact, as she staggered to her left. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw just enough to throw up a wing, deflecting the next attack while sending feathers flying.

Spinning, Celestia bucked backwards with her hind legs. She could feel her hooves sink into the other pony’s chest, and hear the breath pushed out of her from the impact. Without pause, she whirled her head, unleashing another magical blast. The huge red mare lowered her head, prepared for the assault this time. A shield of magic seemed to form around her horns, and magical sparks streamed past her, scorching the ground as they struck the already morbid landscape.

Turning to face her foe, Celestia redoubled her efforts, the magical energy pouring from her horn too blinding to look at directly. The figure in the midst of the outpouring of power became a blur. A shadowy figure moving against the light--but it was moving.

With painstaking slowness, every moment showed another inch that the figure moved closer to Celestia. The sun princess strained, a shimmer of sweat appearing on her coat. Once again, Selene was forced to turn her head to the side, her long-standing reign in darkness not allowing her to look directly at something so bright.

The sounds that followed were terrifying to Selene. A roar of power, followed by the crack of bone, and a deadened thud. The light was gone, and she turned back to look once more upon the scene.

Fangs were deep in Celestia’s shoulder, with claws pulling back on her wings. The princess lay on the ground, the red mare on top of her, pinning her down. Celestia’s chest labored as she fought to regain her own strength.

Selene smiled. “I might suggest that this is a good time for you to surrender, Celly,” she said confidently.

“I...cannot. I will not!” she countered, her eyes still aflame with passion and determination.

“And if you do not, Tisiphone is likely to tear your wings off,” Selene explained. In response, the great mare growled, and pulled harder on the alicorn’s wings. Celestia winced, no sound coming from her lips.

“Please, Celly, it would be so sad to see serious harm come to you. Yield. There is no dishonor in it,” Selene said, a tone of satisfaction creeping into her voice.

“Not so long as Luna remains captive!” she spit back, her defiance belaying the prone condition of her body.

“She is not captured, Celly,” Selene said simply, “she is dead. This is her fate. It was what she wrought in life.”

“She was not given the chance to make amends for it! She was willing to sacrifice everything she was to save me!” Celestia’s eyes turned to Selene. “Do you truly think that I will do no less for her?”

“I think you are far too wise to not consider the fate of those other ponies who depend on you. I think you are far too understanding to let her sacrifice be in vain,” Selene said, her voice suddenly chilling. “And I think that you know you are beaten. Surrender. I will not offer this another time.”

“And I will not--” she never finished her sentence.

The red mare sank her teeth deeply into Celestia’s neck, and a sharp cracking noise was heard from her right shoulder as her wing fell limp to her side. Celestia’s eyes flared, and her pupils shrank to dots as the pain rushed through her.

“Tisiphone,” Selene said calmly, “that’s enough for now. Give her a moment.”

There was a pause, but only just, and then the red mare removed her teeth and stood back from the fallen princess. She stared down at the mare, her lips stained with royal blood as Celestia struggled to regain her hooves.

Celestia’s porcelain coat ran red down her neck and onto her chest. Her right wing hung motionless, feathers dragging in the dirt. Slowly, Celestia raised up her head, her eyes back to their normal appearance, her face twisted in a pain-induced look of strength. She glanced at the red mare, and then over to Selene who had not moved from her spot at the edge of the crater. Several of the guards had joined their mistress, staring over the edge towards the princess, their resolve strengthened by her attitude.

“You will leave, Celly. This time for certain. And you will not return here unless invited, unless you wish to face the most serious of reprisals,” Selene’s voice was ice.

“And you would do this to me?” Celestia’s voice wavered, despite her best effort. “Defy your own sister the only true love she has ever found?”

Selene stared down, raising her head up and pulling her lips back. “True love has no place here. I learned that long ago.”

“No, Lena,” Celestia said calmly, “you just forgot about it.”

“Tisiphone,” Selene said slowly, “escort my sister out of this place. If she even looks as though she is going to try to defy my command, I want you to rip her to shreds. Is that clear?”

Moving up to stand next to Celestia, the red mare let a growl and glare at the sun princess be her only answer.

“Very good.” Selene turned away, her wings fluttering out to her side briefly. She half turned her head back when she spoke again. “Good-bye, Celly. I hope that you are able to forget both these events and what brought you here. You will be better off if you do.”

“I will never forget what you have done,” Celestia responded.

“Your choice. Nonetheless, you are to leave here. Tisiphone?” Selene turned her head back around, but heard a soft grunt as Celestia was physically urged to begin her trek out of Tartarus.

Selene never looked back. She walked on into the courtyard, surveying her subjects. She looked up at the hole in the side of the tower, shaking her head.

“You there! Organize a detail. I want this crater filled in immediately. And gather all of the brass fragments from the tower. We need to get it re-smithed and restored.” The guard nodded, his bones creaking as he rushed off to obey his mistress’ commands.

Selene stood there, staring up at the gaping hole in the tower. “Such strength. I don’t know how you are able to endure such things, Tisiphone. It’s amazing what you are able to do when you are enraged. And it’s a miracle that you didn’t destroy Celestia when you drove her through that wall.”

Once again she started to walk across the courtyard, looking at the guards now rushing to pick up the fallen pieces of brass that lay scattered. She took several steps before slowing, and then finally stopping. Her head raised itself back up to stare at the hole in the tower.

“A miracle...” her voice trailed off as her eyes narrowed to slits.

* * * * * * *

Sitting on a park bench reading a paper, Twilight Sparkle hid herself as best as possible as a large group of ponies raced past her in hot pursuit of, well, her. Or in this case, a magical illusion that looked exactly like her and Cadance, running for dear life. Slowly she lowered the paper, and looked over at the mare sitting next to her. Cadance lowered her own paper and looked back.

“Did it work?” Cadance asked.

“So far. Well, for that group anyway. Let’s go!” Twilight jumped up and waited for Cadance to stand before taking off running down another side street, hoping to find no pony there waiting for them and ready to begin the chase anew, Cadance right on her heels.

Of course, they weren’t that lucky.

Running back the way they came, Cadance--now followed by Twilight--did her best to find the avenue most likely to help them escape the throngs of ponies that were chasing them. Unfortunately, avenues were the problem. Every street in front of them was a major road with clear and open views.

“Misdirection spell?” Cadance shouted back to Twilight.

“That’s what I just did! I don’t think we’ll be so luck a second time!” She answered. A quick glance over her shoulder at the galloping group caused her to reconsider, but only for a moment. “Maybe a force field?”

“To what end? So we can watch them pressing against the shell until they get ahold of us?” Cadance shouted. “No, we need to find a way to lose every one of these ponies somehow!”

Twilight looked over her shoulder again, and then turned back to Cadance. “Um, just how many ponies do you think are actually chasing us?”

The princess glanced back briefly, and then thought for a moment. “Can’t be more than, oh, about a fifth of the city.”

A twitch developed in Twilight’s right eye suddenly. “A...FIFTH...of the city. The WHOLE city?!”

“Yeah, that looked about right,” Cadance said. “I’m sure there are plenty of ponies that haven’t realized we’re out here to chase, yet.”

“Wait, are you suggesting that there might be MORE that show up?!” The twitch became visibly worse.

“It’s possible,” Cadance said, “but I’m hoping that we figure something out before then.”

A quick glance to the left caused a twinkle in Cadance’s eye. “Quick! In here!”

“Right!” Twilight replied.

“No! To the left!” Cadance clarified, pushing her way through the door. Twilight followed with only a small grumble.

The doors to the Canterlot Whinny Garden Theater are small, and only allow for a couple of ponies to enter at a time. While that was no issue for the two ponies in the lead, it became a much more pressing matter for the throngs of ponies that were trying to follow them inside.

Still, their determination was stronger than the architecture, and they pushed inside, forcing their way into the theater itself. A murmur built among them as they entered, all the seats were empty, a massive red curtain concealing the stage, and there was no sign of anypony--especially not Cadance or Twilight--anywhere inside. The continued flow of ponies from the entrance pushed the whole of them deeper inside until the whole auditorium was filled, and that was when the voice spoke up.

“Mares and gentlecolts!” Magical amplification spread the mare’s voice--which sounded something like Cadance--through the room. “Prepare your senses for a journey to the outside of your reality. A trip to the unknown parts of your imagination. An expedition to the exotic and the erotic. Prepare yourself for...”

The huge red curtain flew open, moving quicker than it should from its size and apparent weight, coiling upwards into the rafters above the stage. Standing on the stage were two ponies--two very familiar ponies to everypony in the room--wearing tight-fitting costumes with brilliant colors painted softly onto them in cascading patterns. Inviting blue lights shone up behind them, washing the background in a watery landscape. They both raised up a single hoof, and then dropped it down, bringing themselves almost totally against the floor of the stage.

“Cirque du Ponei!”

The crowd of ponies in the theater paused, staring up at the events unfolding. It was an odd hesitation, filled with curiosity and desire--and just a touch of anxiousness.

“This is never going to work,” Twilight whispered.

“Just go with it,” Cadance whispered back. “If it doesn’t, we can always start running again.”

Music started up. Soft and ethereal, it filled the arena, surrounding the ponies and helping to entrance them. On stage, Cadance and Twilight stood and moved around each other, their eyes locked on one another as they stepped carefully and precisely. The ponies in the crowd watched, waiting to see what these two were going to do. Slowly, they began to make their way to the seats.

“I have no idea what we’re doing,” Twilight whispered again.

“Follow my lead,” Cadance said.

“That’s what I’ve been doing!” she answered in a slightly louder whisper. “And don’t do anything too dramatic. I’m not the most graceful of ponies.”

“Can you dance?” Cadance asked.

“No!” Twilight answered. “I’ve been told that very plainly.”

“Oh.” Cadance considered options as they circled each other, their legs stepping high in a prance, the circle between them tightening. “Well then, let me do all the work. You just...let me do all the work.”

Cadance moved up alongside Twilight, stepping in rhythm with her, the pair prancing around in a very tight circle. With careful grace, Cadance raised her wings, bringing them up above them, even as she lowered her horn until the tip of it touched against the very point of Twilight’s horn.

An electric charge ran through Twilight, which was felt by the crowd watching them perform. More than one pony in the audience felt a lump growing in their throat, and a good number licked their lips at the display.

Twilight stopped, standing still in the middle of the stage as Cadance continued to step around her, keeping their horns connected at the point of the spire. In what seemed to be an impossible act, Cadance began to lift herself off the ground, her wings carrying her with a minimal amount of movement. And still, she kept the horns connected.

A gasp escaped the crowd as a whole as Cadance spun upwards, leaving her head down. To everypony observing the show, it almost appeared as though Twilight was balancing the alicorn on the tip of her horn.

“Hold tight,” Cadance whispered down.

“What? What do you--” Twilight’s voice was cut short as all her breath was taken away by the princess’ next action. Using magic to grip her horn, Cadance pulled Twilight up into the air, her wings now flapping out at their full width.

Staring into each other’s eyes, Cadance could feel Twilight’s body through the physical connection they shared. Twilight’s racing heart throbbed over to Cadance, and she felt her pulse step up to meet it.

The tension in the audience was growing, as they felt the energy growing between the performers. A voyeuristic quality began to take over in them, and their own breath and pulse picked up.

With a deep breath, Cadance focused herself. This wasn’t going to be easy, but if it worked, it would be worth it. Suddenly, Cadance began to spin the pair around, keeping Twilight at the center of the spin. Again, to the crowd it appeared that Twilight was holding onto the mare and twirling her around, but the unicorn knew the truth. She was in shock at Cadance’s ability. And when she began to corkscrew herself around Twilight’s horn, a small moan exited the mare’s lips.

Cadance let the magical hold on Twilight’s horn slip intentionally, letting her drop down dramatically. Just when it seemed that she was going to fall, Cadance spun about and grasped Twilight with her forelegs, holding her tightly to her chest as she did a deep dive across the stage and then banked back across the other way. Looking down into Twilight’s eyes, she felt her breath quicken. She rationalized it away as physical exertion.

The crowd began to shift nervously in their seats, some of them rubbing their chests with their own hooves. And a few rubbing a little lower.

Extending her forelegs, Cadance held onto Twilight’s hooves tightly, letting her body begin to swing once more, this time in a more pendulous motion. “Grab my rear legs with your magic,” Cadance whispered.

“I--I...okay,” Twilight stammered out.

Magic wrapped around the alicorn’s rear legs, and when she felt a tight hold, Cadance dropped her grip on Twilight. She dropped fast, but was able to stop her fall by not allowing the grip to go any further down. With the mare hanging beneath her, Cadance pulled up into a high hover above the middle of the stage, and with one quick turn of her hindlegs sent Twilight into a spin.

The crowd watched in awe as Twilight spun around faster and faster, her body closed up tight in a twirl. Sparks were flying from Twilight, a show created by a magical aura pouring down off of Cadance’s body and being thrown off of the pony below her. Ponies were now looking to the audience members sitting next to them and began to share in mutual affections, mostly just touching with hooves--but a few were more bold.

Twilight, in the meantime, was reasonably sure she was going to die. A firm mix of complete terror and total excitement overwhelmed her. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t. Her mind just wasn’t able to comprehend whether it was supposed to be one of fear or passion. A warmth had spread through her body, culminating between her legs.

And then she stopped. Suddenly and quickly, the spinning ended, and she and Cadance were staring out into the audience. The audience was paying them little attention at this point, and was closer to resembling an impromptu orgy.

“Hold tight,” Cadance whispered and flew straight up, weaving through catwalks and lights, finally exiting the building through a skylight above and into the dark sky. Just as she was about to leave she announced one last thing.

“And up next: The Blue Mare Group,” hoping that would make their departure seem like a part of the show. If any pony there still realized it was a show.

“Th--that was...amazing,” Twilight gasped.

“You did great,” Cadance answered, lowering the other mare to the rooftop. “Especially considering the circumstances.”

“You mean me not being athletic at all?” Twilight asked, her breath still ragged from the experience.

“Actually I was talking about how much ambient love energy I was throwing out to try to get them to react the way that they did,” Cadance explained, landing next to her companion. “It’s amazing you didn’t notice.”

Twilight swallowed hard. “Notice? Hahahaha! Nope! Not me! Didn’t notice anything like that at all!” Her eye twitched again.

Cadance stepped up and looked at Twilight closely. “Twilight, are you okay?” she asked.

The moment stood still. Twilight stared back at her, a thousand and one thoughts racing through her mind. Her body was helping about nine-tenths of those thoughts move along one particular path, and before she knew it, the mind had given in to the body.

Twilight lunged forward and kissed Cadance deeply.

* * * * * * *

“Admit it,” Celestia said in a low voice, “you enjoyed that a little too much.”

The red mare was walking beside her, just as she had since they had left Selene’s presence. A deep growl grew in her belly, echoing through her throat.

“How long has a part of you wanted to sink your fangs into me that deeply? To actually taste my flesh?” Celestia’s voice stayed low and even. “And it hurts, by the way. Then again, I think you already knew that part.”

A throaty chuckle emanated from the large red mare, who kept her eyes forward.

“Well, we are almost to our destination,” Celestia stated. “The gate isn’t that far ahead now.”

“And you shall not near it,” a voice called from behind them. Celestia and her companion turned to see Selene standing on the path, a smile on her face. “I forbid you from leaving this place.”

“Forbid me?” Celestia spoke up, anger swelling in her tone. “You just commanded me to leave and never return! Make up your mind, sister!”

Selene took several steps forward, the smile on her face steady and collected. Eventually she stood directly in front of Celestia. “I wasn’t talking to you,” she stated gently. She turned to face the red mare. “And you can drop the disguise.”

“What are you talking about, Lena?” Celestia stepped up, bringing herself muzzle to muzzle with her sister. “I understand you treating me this way, but why treat--”

“Enough!” Selene interrupted. “Don’t take me for a fool, Celly! I went into the tower. I saw the truth.”

“Well,” the red mare stated, “it was a good try.” Her form shimmered, shifted, and suddenly transformed into the regal form of a black alicorn.

“Luna, no!” Celestia turned, her eyes pleading. “We were so close.”

“Close or not, it doesn’t matter, Tia. If she denies it, I cannot leave,” Luna stated, looking at her beloved sister.

“She knows her place, Celestia. It’s disappointing that you do not,” Selene stated.

“Do not think that of our sister,” Luna said, leveling her eyes at Selene. “I know from personal experience how foolish it is to underestimate her.”

“Yes. OUR sister,” the words rumbled from her mouth. “I don’t believe that we’ve ever been properly introduced. I am Selene, Ruler of Tartarus and Mistress of the Damned. And FORMER Goddess of the Night--your predecessor. And of course, I know who you are.”

“I am Luna, Goddess of the Night and Princess of--”

“Wrong!” Selene stepped over, looking Luna in the eye. “You are Nightmare Moon, prisoner of Tartarus and under my rule. Is that clear?”

Celestia interposed herself between her two sisters. “Lena, show her respect or so help me...”

“What?” Selene spun her head to stare at Celestia. “What will you do? Invade my home and try to steal her from my good graces? Oh, I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, dear sister. You cannot take this prize from me. She must be given, and I’m sorry, but it just isn’t a giving atmosphere around this place.”

“You did give permission,” Celestia stated calmly. “You told her to accompany me out of this place.”

“Oh, but I didn’t know who she really was at that time, did I?” Selene barked back. “Which reminds me, how did you defeat Tisiphone so easily and switch places with her and Luna?”

Celestia stifled a laugh. “I didn’t.”

Selene waited a moment before resonding. “That’s not an answer. She was in Luna’s cell--disguised, but still her--while the two of you were out here. I assume it happened after your battle with her.”

“No. No, not at all. That fight was with Luna,” Celestia stated.

“And it was a good fight!” Luna added.

Celestia glance towards her beloved for a moment with a slight roll to her eyes before addressing Selene again. “Tisiphone was in Luna’s cell the whole time.”

“The two of you looked like you were ready to kill each other!” Selene said in shock. “How did you fake that?”

“We didn’t,” Luna said. “We knew you would see through a fake fight, so we battled in earnest.”

“It wasn’t the first time,” Celestia added. “Though I did tell you I was holding back because I didn’t want to hurt her.”

“You drew your own sister’s blood, and broke her wing? I am impressed with your commitment,” Selene smiled.

“It was rather enjoyable, actually,” Luna stated.

“I knew it,” Celestia stated under her breath. “But as to my wing...” Her horn came to life, a glow surrounding the wing that hung loosely at her side. With a loud pop, the wing began to move once more. “It wasn’t broken. Just dislocated.”

“You still haven’t told me how you defeated Tisiphone,” Selene countered.

“Oh, I didn’t. We didn’t fight at all,” Celestia said. “It turns out that she is a very wise and observant creature. She could sense the pain that I was causing you--much in the same way that I did when I stopped coming here--and wanted me gone from this place. She also knew that a battle wouldn’t garner that result, even if she were able to defeat me. So, she suggested that she and Luna switch places so that we could escape together.”

“She betrayed me...” Selene whispered in disbelief.

“Not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. She loves you very much, Lena, though I don’t believe she understands fully what that means yet. All she wants is your happiness,” Celestia explained.

Her wings fluttered out to her side briefly as Selene squared her jaw, staring over at her sister and Luna, her eyes flat and cold. “Perhaps. But she failed in this, didn’t she?”

“Where is she, by the way?” Luna asked.

“She refused to come,” Selene’s eyes glimmered in the pale light, “and now I know why.”

“Do not be harsh with her, Lena,” Celestia urged, her own eyes softening. “She only did what she thought was right.”

“Well, I’m glad that you are here to support her. That’s one of us that you are happy to help, at least.”

“You know that isn’t true! I only want the best for you!” Stepping up, Celestia found it difficult to stand all the way beside Selene.

“You aren’t going to leave without that monster, are you?” A short nod of the head towards Luna indicating the monster in question.

“Don’t call her that,” Celestia said in a controlled tone.

“No, it’s somewhat appropriate,” Luna chimed in, “at least in part. I take no offense.”

“But I do!” Celestia turned to Luna. “And you aren’t helping!”

Luna smiled.

“But you are right, Lena,” Celestia turned back to her other sister. “I won’t leave here without her.”

“Well, that only leaves two options then, doesn’t it?” she said, raising her head up to look down at Celestia. “Either she goes out with you--or you stay here forever.”

“I have no intentions on staying,” Celestia stated.

“Neither did I when I first came here.” Turning, Selene started to walk past the pair, leaving them behind. She looked over her shoulder without stopping. “Coming?”

A quick glance between them and the alicorn couple followed. “I thought you wanted us nowhere near the gate?” Celestia asked.

The clip-clop of their hooves on the stone echoed past their ears, timing their steps and measuring the time. “Oh, I don’t. Well, I don’t want HER being there, but as she explained, she can’t leave without my permission. Still, I think that it is the best place for me to explain what is going to happen.”

“What do you mean by that?” The sun goddess kept pace, staying beside her wife as she walked, allowing her wing to stretch out and fall over Luna’s back--a slight wince of pain as the injured appendage flexed. Luna rubbed her head back against it lovingly.

“There seems to be a tradition in this place,” Selene stated as she walked. “You want something, and the ruler of Tartarus opposes the idea. So, a wager is set. A simple goal to be established, with the winner getting what they want.”

“A wager?” Luna said softly. “Those always go so well for us...”

“Shush!” Celestia responded first to Luna, and then directed her comments to her other sister. “And how is this fair? You could easily set a goal that I could never accomplish. Something that ensures my failure.”

Selene laughed, shaking her head. “And some things never change, it seems.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “No. No, this will be something that you can easily do--or at least, should be able to do with little trouble.”

“And if I do this task, you will release Luna? You will allow her to go?” Celestia asked.

“If you do this one thing, then I shall not hinder her from leaving Tartarus. You have my word,” Selene stated.

“Tia, do not do this,” Luna said, her voice hesitating. “There is more to this than she is letting on.”

“I trust her word, Luna,” Celestia stated. “Lena is many things, but she is not a liar. If she says she will let you go, then she means it.”

“But what if you do not succeed? What will happen to you then?” Luna asked.

“Oh, that’s simple,” Selene said as they reached the top of the pathway. “If Celestia fails in her task, then the both of you will stay here in Tartarus with me.” She turned and looked at them, the gate visible in the distance behind her. “Forever.”

“No,” Luna stated, stepping up in front of Celestia, her wings flared out and her mane flowing out in a display of size. “I will not allow it. She has done nothing to warrant that.”

“That is my decision,” Celestia said, resting a hoof on her wife’s withers. “And I have already made it.” She turned to Selene. “I agree. Give me your task, Lena.”

“Excellent.” Selene smiled.

* * * * * * *

Their lips lingered together. Cadance closed her eyes reflexively, feeling the softness of Twilight’s lips pressed against her own. It was inviting and welcome.

And not what she needed to be doing.

She pushed back, pressing the other mare away from her. “Twilight, no,” she said softly. “No, we can’t.”

“But why not?” Twilight looked up at Cadance, her eyes shimmering in the moonlight. “We both want it. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

“Th-that’s the magic talking, Twilight.” It was so hard to not agree. To not throw herself at the lovely mare in front of her. “It’s so strong right now that we--that you can’t resist it, but you have to.”

“It’s not the magic,” Twilight insisted, stepping towards the other mare. Cadance took a step back for every one that the other mare stepped forward. “I felt this before the spell, I just always ignored it.”

“Well, keep ignoring it! It’s good for us to ignore some of this stuff, you know!” Cadance got a little wild eyed.

“Why?” Twilight asked.

Shaking her head very slightly, Cadance’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly. “Up! Look up!” Twilight did as she was instructed. “No sun, remember? Supposed to be a sun up there. We’ve got to go and find one.”

“Find one?” Twilight looked back down at Cadance.

“You know what I mean! There are millions of ponies that are counting on us, even if they don’t know it! Heck, there are thousands of ponies here in Canterlot that are going to be thrilled for us to succeed--including us--once we do this.”

Twilight nodded, her expression blank. “Right. Right, I can do this. It--it’s just so hard.” She looked up at Cadance. “And I don’t mean that in a double entendre sort of way.”

“Tell me about it. I’m all about the love, and denying it is something that goes very much against my nature, even if it’s--” she stopped herself. “Even if it’s something that we caused.”

Nodding, Twilight looked off into the distance, scanning and finally focusing on a single building. “Cadance?”

“Yes?”

“I can see the archive!” Twilight said, a smile growing on her face.

“Well, that’s great, but we still have to get there,” she replied.

“No, you don’t understand. I can SEE the archive. That means that I can teleport us there safely. We’re basically just one step away from our destination,” Twilight turned, her eyes dancing.

Blinking several times, Cadance stammered, “wh--what are we waiting for? This is it, Twilight! We’re gonna make it! Let’s go!”

“Right!” And with a pop and a purple flash, they were gone.

* * * * * * *

Despite the chaos around him and his own compulsion to serve the city, Shining Armor’s first thought was about his wife--and in this case, his princess. She had been missing for some time, and he was determined to find her and make sure she was safe.

And then rut her like there was no tomorrow.

Sure, he thought that all the time, but today it seemed like it was all he could think about. Normally, he considered it a nice bit of escapism from the tedium of the day, but today it was an amazing distraction. It seemed that every thought was of his wife, the way she smiled, the shape of her wing, the curve of her flank...and that special way that she could twist her tongue.

He kept seeing her smile as she dropped down to her knees and brought her hoof up under his barrel, working it down his chest and between his legs, her ministrations coaxing his shaft from its sheathe. Slowly, she would lower herself down, putting her mouth beneath him and extending her tongue, teasing the flesh on the inner side of his thigh and working her way up until he could feel that talented muscle working on his scrotum. Then she would begin to lick the length of his growing arousal, avoiding the head of his rock-hard member. He could sense himself throbbing, bobbing up against the underside of his belly as he stood stock-still, wanting to thrust forward, but knowing that she hadn’t wrapped her lips around him yet, so it would be a pointless task.

With a giggle she started kissing up and down the length, only to be joined by a second talented mouth. Two sets of lips and two tongues, each working their way up and down his package. He could feel their tongues moving across his flesh to the point where they would tangle against each other, performing an erotic ballet across his tool. In unison they pushed him back until he was lying down, facing up and giving them complete access to him and his sex. Finally, they moved to the head of his cock, licking all around it as a pair, and then in one warm, soft motion he felt it engulfed inside a mouth, disappearing all the way down until the lips were brushing up against his scrotum. Pulling back, the lips began to bob up and down on his dick, doing their best to coax his release. He dared a glance down, his arousal growing at the thought of watching the act as well as feeling it, and saw Twilight’s muzzle devouring every inch of his aching piece.

“GAH!!” Shining Armor screamed out loud. “What in Celestia’s name?! Get a grip on yourself, man!” He shook himself back to reality, suddenly realizing that he had stopped walking and was standing in the middle of the street, only a few feet away from his destination. “What am I thinking?” he mumbled. “That’s my sister! What they hay is she doing in my fantasies today? That’s just...”

His mind pictured her face, a smile in her eyes as she lowered herself back down his shaft, Cadance beside her licking the side of his sister’s face...

“OKAY!” he shouted again. “I think I need to distract myself--even if I am actually looking for my sister right now. Actually, ESPECIALLY because of that!”

Cadance was one of Twilight’s best friends, not to mention her royal advisor in Celestia and Luna’s absence, and he got the impression earlier that she was keeping something from him at the library. He was convinced that she knew where his wife was, and finding her was usually pretty easy. She wasn’t at the library or in her room, which left the archives as the next logical step. If there was anything that Twilight enjoyed, it was the company of an old book. She loved reading. And if she wasn’t there, then he would move on to the next step.

What else did she enjoy? She liked sweets, but wasn’t obsessed with them--not like the princess. She wasn’t much into sports or athletics. She didn’t really drink, so bars were out. Unless she was trying to pick up a stallion--or a mare--he always thought she was pretty open minded. Maybe very open minded. And she really did have a nice flank. Maybe he could convince her to be experimental? Go back to his and Cadance’s chambers where the three of them could--

“Ahhh!” He slapped himself across the muzzle. He shook his head and then, just for safe measure, slapped himself across the muzzle again. “Get ahold of yourself! You are the Captain of the Royal Equestrian Guard! Concentrate on duty!”

Taking a deep breath and holding his head high, Shining Armor marched up the stairs towards the archive doors. His horn glowed, igniting the unlocking spell that he and a hoof-full of the guards knew, and stepped inside the room.

Just in time to see a purple explosion of magic and the arrival of two mares, their flanks pointed directly at his face. He recognized both of them immediately, despite their odd, colorful attire.

“Cady!” The stallion rushed up, pressing against his wife and kissing her deeply on the mouth. There was a moment of surprise and hesitation, followed by a warm accepting mouth that invited him to continue--until hooves pushed him away.

“Shiney! What are you doing here?” Cadance asked in a panic.

“I was looking for you! I was so worried about you,” he answered, moving in to kiss her again.

“Oh! Well, thanks!” she stepped back, hoping to keep him from getting started in something that he wouldn’t be able to stop at the moment. “So, you found me. I’m good. Why not head back to the castle? I’ll be right along!”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, his eyes roaming all over her body. “I just--wow, you look great. What are you wearing?”

“No she doesn’t!” Twilight said from behind him. “She had a really bad night with her...” she looked at Cadance, scanning up and down. “Her mane! Totally bad mane day! We came here to find a book about ancient mane secrets to fix it!”

“Yes!” Cadance corroborated. “That works! I mean, yes, a book to fix my mane! I’m totally embarrassed by it right now and don’t want you to see it! These outfits are to...to...disguise my embarrassment! That’s it! So...bye!”

She smiled. Twilight smiled. Both were crooked and strained.

“What are you talking about?” Shining Armor asked, staring at his wife. “You look amazing! Both of you, do. Your mane is more beautiful than ever. And those skin-tight outfits really show off all of your curves. Very soft, sensual curves.” His head turned as he spoke to his sister, “What are you two keeping...from...”

The words just drained away as he turned to look directly at Twilight.

“Uh, BBBFF? What’s wrong? You’ve got a strange look on your--mmmff!”

Twilight’s eyes became the size of saucers as Shining Armor kissed her. His tongue pushed into her mouth, and did it rather easily since her jaw went slack in surprise and shock. She stood there, her body and mind arguing about the single best way to completely lose touch will all sense of reason.

“Oh crap,” Cadance announced in a massive understatement of the moment.

* * * * * * *

“Do you remember the time we used to spend together?” Selene asked. “What we did? How you would comfort me?”

“Of course I do, Lena,” Celestia answered, her voice melting into a distant time.

“Do the two of you still visit our old home? I understand you have a castle in your new kingdom, but...is it still there?” Her voice was winsome and light.

“It has been many, many years, Lena,” Celestia stated. “When the ponies accepted us we moved into one castle, and then--” she paused. “Events made it necessary to build another one. The last time I was there it was scarcely recognizable.”

“Of course,” Selene said softly. “Time has a way of eroding all things, doesn’t it?” She took a deep breath and smiled. “Even memories. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a particular fondness for them, does it?”

“Lena, I have only fond memories of our days together,” Celestia stepped forward. “And I always will.”

“Old memories. I think that it’s time for new ones, don’t you?” she responded.

“You prattle and dance around your intentions, mare,” Luna interjected. “Stop and speak your task!”

“Luna!” Celestia chided her wife. “Please?”

“No, no,” Selene growled. “She’s right. I don’t think it’s fair to keep you in the dark, Celly. Or any of us for that matter, actually.”

“Very well then,” Celestia pushed out her chest and raised her head and wings, preparing herself, “go ahead and speak your task.”

Selene laughed. “I already did, dear sister. You said that we have fond, old memories of our days together. I want new ones. Well, a single new one, that is.”

“A new memory?” Celestia asked.

“Not just a memory, but a memory of a day together. Sunrise to sunset, Celly. You and I, together again, watching the sunset,” her voice turned grey. “Don’t you think it will be wonderful?”

The milky color of Celestia’s coat did not match the paleness of her face as all color drained from it.

“B--but we cannot,” she stated. “If the sun sets, then Luna--”

“When the sun sets,” Selene interrupted her sister, “then a new Goddess of the Night will be born, and Nightmare Moon will no longer be an entity of the stars and must remain out of Equestria for all time. But if we do not witness another sunset together, then the both of you will have to remain here under my rule...”

Selene smiled, her teeth glowing in the darkness.

“...forever.”

...to be concluded

Chapter Six

Who Rules: Travels and Travesties

by Nom deCheval

Chapter Six

“Betrayal! Cursed, cursed betrayal!”

The words burst through the room, striking every ear with defined resonance. Cadance’s head spun around first, followed quickly by her husband. Twilight just stood there, her mouth hanging open, a trail of saliva hanging loosely from it.

In the doorway to the Royal Archive stood an earth pony mare, grey coat with a black mane pulled tight into a long bun. Strict, black clothes covered her from neck to tail, while a pair of out-of-fashion glasses sat on her nose, a chain connecting them around her neck.

“I had thought you a kind and noble stallion!” Harridan said, stepping fully into the room. “But this? This is beyond reprehensible! Not only cheating on your wife! Not only doing it before her very eyes! But cheating on her with YOUR OWN SISTER?!”

The glaze on Shining Armor’s eyes was thinning, and the realization of what he did was starting to hit him. “I..I...”

“You are a scoundrel and a rake! You are no better than common street trash, and CERTAINLY not worthy of the affections of our purest, most kind princess!” Harridan yelled, stepping into the room.

“Madame Harridan, you--” Cadance was cut off by the ranting mare, who held up a single hoof to her face.

“No need to thank me, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! I have been searching for you all night! I am glad that I was able to save you from this...this...”

“...stallion?” Shining Armor offered weakly.

“MONSTER!!” Harridan shouted. “This beautiful, loving creature is going to guide us to a new age! A new era of peace and love in true and proper ways! I had thought that you were the right stallion to stand by her side, but seeing this horrific display makes it clear that you should be removed from her presence immediately!”

“I--I didn’t mean to...” he stammered back, thinking on his actions. He looked over to his sister. His sister didn’t look at him--she was just standing there drooling, actually. “I don’t know what came over me. I--I’ve never, EVER, thought of doing anything like that!”

“The defense of the perverted!” Harridan snapped back, her head pulling back sharply with her words. “You lack the strength and commitment to keep yourself in check! It takes willpower and clarity to know your place and position!”

“But I’ve always--” Shining Armor was cut off again by the lecturing mare.

“Not always! If it was always then I would not have walked in upon this scene! I’m surprised that your poor, loving wife didn’t break down into a ball of tears!” Turning towards the princess, Harridan calmed her tone--while she could speak. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m...here...”

Love is the greatest emotion. It powers songs, stories, feats, and marvels. It rises others up to heights that they never thought they would see. It brings the downtrodden up and out of their depths. It is the thing that every pony, everywhere, longs to experience.

And when it’s avatar is angry, there isn’t a scarier thing in the universe.

A glow of red energy pulsed around Cadance, her eyes were pools of solid crimson and she seemed to be standing about a foot taller than normal. Her head was high as she stared down her muzzle at the ponies in front of her, seeming to judge them all without hesitation. Harridan froze, her body no longer willing to listen to any commands that she could issue. Shining Armor blinked and swallowed, witnessing a side of his wife that he had never seen--or even considered. Twilight remained virtually catatonic, drool easing from the side of her mouth.

“THAT! IS! ENOUGH!!” Cadance slammed a hoof down, sending a shockwave through the building. Every door and window in the place slammed shut, firmly locked in place. The ponies inside recoiled and gasped as the wave struck them. Twilight Sparkle felt the jolt of energy, and was brought back to the world of the living--even though she was never dead.

“What? Who? When? Where?” Twilight spun her head back and forth quickly, her senses trying to catch up. And then she saw Cadance. “Oh...”

“I have been patient,” the Goddess of Love stated as she stepped forward. Everypony stepped back awkwardly, giving her plenty of room. “I think I have been amazingly patient these past couple of days, actually. In that time I have been put in an unwanted position of power by my aunts, insulted by my husband, quite possibly had sex with my sister-in-law...”

Shining Armor turned to look at Twilight, his eyes huge. Hers shrunk down to dots as she let out a faint, “eeep.”

“...accidentally set off a spell that turned on all of the city, had to talk my way out of a threesome with two hot mares, avoid the latent come-ons of the royal guards...”

With every step, she turned to look at the other ponies. Every statement brought a new pair of eyes into her gaze.

“...most DEFINITELY had sex with a beautiful spy--though only to try and save everypony here-- and then had to figure my way through a maze of tunnels, had to fight off a throng of ponies chasing us--twice!--once while performing an erotic ballet with previously mentioned sister-in-law, had to suppress the growing desire to DEFINITELY have sex with twice-mentioned sister-in-law, and then watch as my husband first tried to molest me and then his own sister!” She took a breath to catch up with herself. “I am NOT going to listen to you stand there and belittle him, me, or anypony in Canterlot for that matter! I am officially in a BAD MOOD!”

Spinning her head suddenly to face her friend, Cadance barked out orders. “Twilight! Force field around the building! NOW!”

The unicorn’s horn sprung to life before she told it to, sealing the building from outsiders. “Yes, ma’am,” she said softly.

“Now, Shining Armor,” she turned to her husband, “I want you to know that I will never do anything to hurt you. You are the love of my life and there is nothing that is more important to me than our marriage. But understand that I have my limits! And I’m about at the end of my rope right now, okay? I spent a couple hundred years being the Goddess of Love before you were born, so I’ve seen and been with my share of ponies--both stallions and mares. Just understand one thing: you are the first pony that I have ever loved, but I need you to be a little understanding of my position. Love is love to me! It doesn’t matter who or what or where, it’s LOVE.”

Turning to the next pony in line, she continued. “Twilight! You are a hot little mare! And if things were different, I would totally be all over you--but they aren’t. I know a lot of what is going on right now--in so many ways--is our fault, but that only helped to bring out what was already there. You want me. I want you. It isn’t going to happen, okay? Don’t be sad, because under different circumstances... But I love your brother. Deeply and truly. I don’t want to betray that with his sister, okay?”

One last pony to address. “Madame Harridan,” she turned to the other mare, “if it is the last thing I do, I’m going to make it perfectly clear to you that my aunts rule this country, and I am just a shadow of a fill-in for what they can do! They have wisdom and power and control WAAAAY beyond anything that I am capable of! And what’s more, they are in LOVE! So, I want you to stop following me around, sniffing up my butt, trying to get me to usurp the throne--that I have NO interest in, by the way--just so...so...” She stared down at the mare whose breath was visibly heavy.

“Oh sweet Celestia,” Cadance mumbled, “you’ve never been this turned on in your life, have you?”

“NO!” Harridan shouted, ripping her clothes off of her body in a single amazingly dramatic motion. Her grey coat shimmered in the dim light, a wash of sweat covering her completely. Under her belly, a pair of piercings on her nipples gave way to chains that followed under to her groin where they synced up with a row of piercings along the outer lips of her marehood. A glance at her flank revealed a cutie mark of a chain crossed over by a bullwhip. She fell to the ground, pressing her face down and holding her plot high in the air. “I’m a bad mare! Wicked and naughty! I deserve to be punished!”

Bringing her hoof up to her face, Cadance slowly rubbed her eyes. “Yes. Of course you are.”

“Y--you want to have sex with Twilly?” Shining Armor asked softly, his eyes still fixated on his wife.

Turning to look at her husband, Cadance’s mouth opened, suddenly aware of everything that she just said. “Shiney, I--”

“That is sooo hot,” he said before she could finish.

“Uh...what now?” Cadance asked, her voice sounding like she was just slammed with a frying pan in the face.

“You and a mare is hot enough,” he said, “but you and my sister? Wow.” His eyes glazed over again.

“Oooo-kay,” Cadance let out slowly, “I think this one will probably get chalked up to magic influence. Still...” She turned to look at Twilight, whose mane had several odd spikes staring to appear in it as her face contorted slightly. “Twilight! TWILIGHT!”

The unicorn turned to Cadance, who slapped her across the muzzle--politely. “Snap out of it! I need you!”

“Yeah! That’s what you and my brother were just talking about!” she stated in a rush.

“No! Look!” She took her hooves and turned Twilight’s face towards Madame Harridan. “I need you to take care of her! And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about! My aunts aren’t as good as keeping that kind of secret from me as they would like.”

“But...but...” Twilight stammered.

“Twilight,” Cadance’s voice softened, finding its target, “I need you to help me. We’ve got to take care of these two or we won’t be able to finish our task, okay? Can you do that?”

“I...I...” Twilight looked up into Cadance’s eyes, now back to their normal shade of purple. She smiled down, and Twilight couldn’t help but reciprocate. “Yes. I can do that.”

“Good.” She turned to Harridan. her expression suddenly ice cold. “Bitch! Get your ass over here!” The earth pony scrambled along the ground to lie at Cadance’s hooves. “You aren’t worthy of my attention, so I’m giving you to Twilight to be punished. If--and I do mean if--you listen to her and obey her without question, I might consider you worthy of being in my presence? Is that clear?”

“Yes!” Harridan answered quickly.

“Yes what?” Cadance shouted down at her.

“Yes, Mistress!” she immediately replied.

“I am your Goddess, not your Mistress! You will address me as such! You may refer to Twilight as Mistress, understood?” Cadance put some acid in her tone.

“Yes, Goddess! I’m sorry, Goddess!” Harridan answered.

Turning back to Twilight, Cadance smiled warmly. “See, it’s all in the approach,” she whispered. “Have fun.”

“Wait!” Twilight paused. “Where are you going?”

“Me?” Cadance took another step away. “I’m going to go tame my husband.”

“You’re going to what?” Twilight asked. “Wait...here? In front of me?!”

Cadance looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Yep.”

* * * * * * *

Stepping foot back onto the mainland of Tartarus, Celestia heard both her sisters hooves walking behind her. She kept her eyes forward, scanning for her target.

“The sun is back the way we came, Celly,” Selene stated with a mocking laughter in her voice. “Or have you given up already? Do you want me to find you a nice place to live? Well, such as it is, anyway.”

Luna stepped up beside her wife. “Why are you not destroying her?” she whispered rather loudly. “That wench is clearly a lying, manipulative, deceitful, dishonest, horrible--”

“I CAN hear you,” Selene interjected.

Luna turned around and smiled at her. “I know.”

Celestia continued her trek forward, her eyes scanning the skies and the horizon, looking for the one missing component.

“I know that I did not put a time limit on this task, Celly, but I don’t have infinite patience. And I am still waiting for an answer,” Selene baited.

“I have an answer to give to you,” Luna mumbled.

“Yes, but I was hoping for something that wasn’t monosyllabic,” Selene countered with a bat of her eyelashes.

Luna whirled about, her body tensed and primed.

“Ah-ah! You can’t attack me, Nightmare Moon. You are under my total command, remember?” Selene mocked.

“Oh, I do so remember. If only I was given the opportunity to show you how much I remember...” her threat trailed off.

“Oh please, do go on,” Selene urged. “I ever so love to hear the guilty suffer during their time here.”

“Oh, is that why you prattle so much? So that you can hear yourself? If you are willing to damn an innocent like Celestia, you are no better than the worst ponies here.” Luna tamped at the ground, her anger swelling without an outlet.

“You’re wrong. I am better than the worst here. I’m better than you,” Selene chided.

“Why you worthless speck of filth, I will--” Luna snorted out, cut short by her sister.

“Enough,” Celestia said calmly, her eyes still forward. “None of that is helping anything. And do not worry, Lena, you will have my answer soon enough.”

“What are you waiting for?” she asked.

“The missing piece of our puzzle,” she faintly stated, her eyes still working the grey and barren landscape. “Ah...and there she is.”

Descending from the sky on great bat-like wings, the red figure of a mare glided down, heading straight for the trio.

“Tisiphone?” Selene asked. “Whatever does she have to do with this?”

“In good time, sister. In good time,” Celestia took a breath and relaxed.

“Are you going to get her to kill Selene?” The tone in Luna’s voice reflected her outer demeanor.

“No pony dies today, Luna.” With a gentle motion, Celestia’s white brushed against Luna’s black, each feeling the warmth of the other on their cheek. “And some will get to live.”

“That has yet to be decided, Celly,” Selene let the words hang in the air.

“It will be,” Celestia looked over at her sister, “one way or another. And unless I am very mistaken--which I don’t believe I am--I will be leaving here with Luna very shortly.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” Selene asked, her wings fluttering out to her side.

“With her help.” Celestia nodded back to the figure that was landing behind them. The huge red mare stalked forward, her eyes fixated on both Celestia and Luna as she passed them to stand beside Selene, her wings flared out in a protective gesture.

“Perfect,” the smile grew on Celestia’s face. “It is good to see you well, Tisiphone. I know that you hoped I would be gone by now, but there have been...complications.”

A gurgling growl grew from the erinyes’ throat.

“Don’t worry, I still intend to leave, and leave you here in peace.” Celestia stood next to Luna, stretching out her wings--somewhat painfully--to mirror the large red mare’s action. “And I intend to leave her with my wife.”

“Wife?” Selene blurted out. “You married her?”

“In Las Pegasus,” Luna stated. “In a very private ceremony.”

“Of course,” Selene responded. “I’m sure it would be hard to invite all your friends. Nightmare Moon has so many friends, after all.”

“Tisiphone,” Celestia said loudly, stopping any further escalation, “I need a favor from you. If this works, then you will be rid of me, I promise.”

Raising her head up a gurgling noise came from the mare. Celestia understood it as clearly as any words ever spoken.

“Simple, you have to do the one thing that you excel at,” she explained. “You have to protect her.”

A light grew inside Celestia, illuminating the ground in an intense glow.

“What are you--” Selene cut herself off as she raised a hoof to block the intense shine that was emanating from her sister. Tisiphone threw her wings up and around the mare, shielding her from a radiance too strong to look at directly.

“Tia, you aren’t...” Luna’s voice was wavering.

The world went white.

* * * * * * *

“Mistress?...” a desperate sounding voice called up from below.

“Just a second!” Twilight snapped back at the mewling mare. “I’m trying to not have a breakdown here!”

“Twilight, attend to your package,” Cadance said calmly, her rage passed.

“It’s not my package I’m worried about! It’s my brother’s!” Twilight blinked, and her eyes became dots. “Can I re-phrase that, please?”

“Oh, you can phrase it anyway that you want,” Cadance stated, “but it’s not going to change anything. We both have a duty to perform, and we’re both going to do it. Right here. Right now.”

“Uh...couldn’t you go into the next room?” Twilight could feel a series of kisses start to pepper her hooves.

“I doubt it, but let’s check,” Cadance said as she turned to her husband. “Shiney, do you want to go into the next room for a bit of fun?” she asked seductively.

“Um...well, I...I kind of want to stay here, hon,” he was splitting his time between staring at Cadance and at Twilight’s hooves and the action going on there.

“That’s what I thought,” she said, turning back to Twilight. “See.”

“Okay, fine,” Twilight responded, looking down at Harridan. “Okay, we’re gonna take this into the next room!”

“Oh, please, please, Mistress, no! No, I must be here to please my Goddess! To let her know how good and faithful I can be! I must stay here! I must, I beg you!” Harridan pleaded.

Twilight looked down and let out a deep sigh. “And I suppose if I ordered you to go there, you would still sneak back in here, right?”

“I--I cannot disobey you, Mistress, but I must be near my Goddess tonight! She is Canterlot’s only hope, and I must please her!”

“And besides,” Cadance said, stepping up beside Shining Armor and running a wing along his back, “we still need to stick together. We’re too close to have something stop us.”

“I am going to need so much therapy after this...” Twilight could feel the mare’s tongue working across her fetlock.

“No, Twilight,” Cadance said, turning back to look directly at the mare, her other wing now gracing the underside of her husband’s body. “This is the therapy. We need this, too. Concentrate on me. Work her, but concentrate on me.”

Looking down, Twilight saw the mare wriggling beneath her. Her mind flashed back to the image of Celestia on the floor, her mouth on Luna’s hooves. “Take off your glasses,” she said, a slight tone of authority to her voice. Immediately, the glasses went skidding across the floor far away from the pair. “And undo your mane. I want to see what you look like.”

A single pull released the mane, tied up tightly but with great care. The locks fell to the side of the grey mare as she shook them loose, cascading down her neck with a single shock of hair crossing over her face and hiding her eyes. Suddenly, the mare that looked old lost a good many years in appearance.

“Better,” Twilight said honestly.

“Thank you, Mistress,” she answered. “I’m glad that I pleased you.”

“Yes, you did,” she answered. Her vision shifted, moving over to Cadance, trying to keep that connection alive.

Walking around her husband, Cadance’s wings never left his body. Dragging and teasing, scraping around every inch of his body. “Are you watching her?” Cadance whispered to him. “Do you see Twilight taking command of the situation? She’s going to use that pony. Make her a toy.” The feathers reached far beneath the stallion’s underside, pulling a gasp from his mouth. “But your task is very different.” Her magic went out and grasped his muzzle, turning him to face her. “You have to please me--and I’m not easy to make happy.”

“Cady, I--” he began.

“Shush! Don’t speak unless I tell you to,” she instructed. “You just do what I tell you to do, understood?” Emphatically, his head bobbed in affirmative.

“Good. The first thing you have to do is make sure your cock is hard. Can you do that? Or do I have to do that for you?” she asked, her tone very imperious.

“No. No, it’s hard,” he answered, his voice almost getting lost in his throat.

“But is it hard enough?” she asked. “Let me check.”

Her horn flashed again, and he felt a firm grip surround his member--and then slowly begin to move back and forth.

“I think you can do better than that,” she whispered into his ear, her breath causing him to swallow the tension back down his throat. “Watch your sister. Watch what she is doing with that mare.”

Twilight kept her eyes on Cadance, hearing what she could of her tone, and feeling the warmth grow in her loins. She glance back down at the mare beneath her, who had gone back to kissing Twilight’s hooves.

“Did I tell you to do that?” Twilight asked instinctively.

“N--no, Mistress,” she answered, pulling her head back sharply.

“Then why did you do it?” Walking forward a step, she moved ahead of Harridan.

“I--I’m sorry, Mistress. I thought you might enjoy it,” she whimpered.

“You--you aren’t here to think. You’re here to do what I tell you!” Twilight tried to sound stern. “Stand up!”

A picture of a long rod came into Twilight’s mind, and magic focused it into a facsimile of reality. “Kiss my cutie mark!” she commanded, and the mare obeyed without pause.

Just as her lips fell down upon the side of Twilight’s flank, a short, sharp crack announced the arrival of the magical construct. The sudden outcry from Harridan only gave her a moment’s pause, and seemingly pressed her interest in showing affection to the unicorn’s cutie mark.

Twilight was amazed. She saw Luna do that to Celestia, but didn’t understand why--until now. There was a rush of adrenaline coursing through her, and the mare she struck not only seemed okay with her action, but aroused by it.

“Take your tongue and...and trace my cutie mark,” she instructed, “and don’t mess up. Keep it right on the cutie mark.”

Warm and wet lines melted into her coat as the mare followed directions. Her tongue jolted when the rod struck again, but she dared not pull her it free. A moan pushed out of her throat on the third strike, her tongue slowing but not stopping on it’s journey.

Stealing a glance between Harridan’s legs, Twilight spied something else warm and wet tracing along the coat of her inner thigh. She turned to look back at Cadance in amazement, and was instantly struck by the purple fire burning in the alicorn’s eyes.

Cadance’s magic was still working on her husband’s shaft. It was harder than she had ever seen it before, but that wasn’t slowing her down. “I want this cock to be able to withstand anything, is that clear?” she whispered again.

“Uh-huh,” was all he could manage to say.

“Your sister has an amazing body, don’t you think? I was staring at her plot earlier, taking in all of its curves. I wanted to bury my face in there and just drink her up,” Cadance suggested, and felt an immediate response in her husband’s dick, drawing a smile on her face.

“All I could think about was my tongue invading the soft folds of her marehood, licking and tasting everything that she had to offer.” Cadance moved her hoof up the back of Shining Armor’s withers, stroking up his mane while her magic stroked him below. “Do you want to see that? Do you want to see Twilight eaten out by a hot sexy mare?”

“Uh-huh.” His brain was operating on a base level.

“Well, the only way that is going to happen is if she makes that other mare do it. I think she will. I think she’s a natural. What do you think?” she asked, her teeth latching onto his ear after her words.

“Uh-huh.” He was stuck in automatic mode, though each time the words came out they were a little more emphatic.

Twilight brought the rod down again, wincing a little as it struck the mare’s plot. A visible shiver ran through Harridan and teeth came out, nipping at Twilight’s flesh.

“Ouch!” she reflexed. “You bit me! Do NOT bite me!” The rod came down hard to emphasize her point. “If you aren’t gentle with me, then I will...I’ll stop! I won’t do ANYTHING to you. Understood?”

“Yes, Mistress. I’m sorry, Mistress, it won’t happen again!” Harridan groveled, her mouth once again kissing Twilight’s hooves.

“And stop doing that!” Twilight commanded, her face wrenched up in frustration. “If I wanted my hooves licked, I would tell you to do it!” The rod struck once more. “What do I have to do to get you to behave?”

“I will behave, Mistress! I’m so sorry!” the mare pleaded from the ground. “I will do anything for you!”

Looking down into her eyes, Twilight could tell that she meant every word. No matter what Twilight asked her to do next, Madame Harridan would obey without question. Twilight’s sex flinched at the thought. A mare totally under her control.

“Touch yourself,” Twilight said off-hoof. Immediately the mare moved her hooves between her legs, stroking her dripping wet pussy. “Don’t cum, but play with yourself.”

“Y--yes, Mistress,” she answered. Since she was lying on her belly, with her leg and hoof underneath her, Twilight couldn’t see exactly what the mare was doing, only get a sense of her response. “Turn over. I want to watch.”

Shifting her weight, Harridan rolled onto her back without her hoof once leaving her sex. For the first time Twilight got a clear view of the piercings and chain. Every motion of her hoof chimed a small metallic tone as they moved in time with her actions.

Staring down, Twilight dismissed the rod, and concentrated her magic on the piercings and chain. Fine tendrils of magic wrapped around the chain, securing themselves in the links of metal. And then she pulled.

A loud moan burst from Harridan, her hoof redoubling its efforts on her marehood. With a single motion she slid her hoof inside her cunt, much to Twilight’s disbelief. Wide-eyed, she turned to look at Cadance.

“I want a closer look,” the alicorn stated, stepping towards Twilight, a firm magic gripping her husband’s cock to pull him along. Cadance stopped them before they reached the mare, turning to her husband. “You are not to cum until I tell you to, understood?”

There weren’t any words left. He simply nodded profoundly.

Walking up to Twilight, Cadance looked her directly in the eye as she spoke, “These two are going to burst very soon, but I think we deserve something, too, don’t you? Why don’t you sit down?”

“What? And just watch?” Twilight asked.

“No, no. On her face,” Cadance gently pushed the mare backwards, bringing Twilight’s sex in line with Harridan’s open mouth. Without urging or instruction, Harridan brought her tongue out and began to lick along the length of Twilight’s gaping slit. A sharp gasp expressed Twilight’s feeling about this action.

Lowering her head and shifting her tail to the side, Cadance turned back towards her husband, who just stared for a moment. “What? Do you need instructions?”

His lips curled up as he shook his head, raising his body up and setting it down on Cadance’s back. With practiced precision he lined himself up and buried his shaft to the hilt.

“Oooh, yes,” Cadance hissed. “That’s what I wanted.”

Twilight gulped, watching this beautiful mare, inches away from her, being rutted by her own brother. Her sex dripped down, falling onto the tongue of the mare beneath her. She lowered herself further, allowing Harridan to bury her muzzle into Twilight’s cunt.

Cadance pushed back, opening herself to her husband’s firm thrusts. His rod impaled her, her tender flesh squeezing against it, trying to milk its contents from him. He pumped hard, slamming in and out of her with driving passion. Her lower lip was clenched between her teeth as her eyes fluttered with the motion.

“Harder,” Twilight said, and then directed the words beneath her. “Lick me harder, um...slave. I’ve decided that...I want you to cum, BUT not until you make me cum! Got it?”

“Yes, Mistress! It will...be my...pleasure,” Harridan answered when her tongue was available, her voice slightly muffled. In response, Twilight yanked harder on the chain and attached piercings, a groan tickling her clit even more.

“Twilight,” Cadance’s voice was soft and seductive, and Twilight glanced up to meet dark, half-lidded eyes, “lean over here. Bring your horn closer to me.”

“My...horn?” Twilight’s breathing was becoming labored, and she could hear Harridan’s hoof as it worked its way into the mare’s pussy.

“Yes. Please.” Only when Twilight saw Celestia in the throws of pleasure did anything ever look as beautiful to her. And only when Luna was directing her when she was in Celestia’s body did she ever experience a mare quite as sexy.

“I...okay.” Twilight lowered her head, bringing her horn down near Cadance’s mouth--only to have it pushed away. Blinking in shock, Twilight saw the alicorn stretch her own neck, placing her horn next to the unicorn’s. Sharp magic lit up, cascading over Twilight’s horn.

“Match me,” Cadance said. “You can do it...I know.” With every thrust behind the other mare, Twilight felt the flutes of Cadance’s horn rubbing against her own. Her pussy flooded in arousal, and Harridan worked to lick up every drop.

Purple magic ignited, tempered by the light blue from Cadance’s horn as the two aura’s mingled. Instantly, Twilight felt a new sensation--she felt Cadance. She felt everything that Cadance was experiencing, and could tell that she shared all of her sensations as well.

The two horns pressed against each other, sliding back and forth as both mares moved with their respective lovers. Cadance could feel Harridan’s tongue working magic on Twilight’s clit. Alternating between licking, sucking, and a combination of the two, she imagined the sensitive nub must be rock hard.

Twilight knew that her brother’s cock was hard. She could feel it sinking to the depths of Cadance’s pussy, each stroke being matched by a tight contraction. She could feel his breath on the back of Cadance’s neck, and his teeth as they bit down next to her mane.

And both felt their own sensations. One mare’s became the other’s, and the line between them began to blur. Their bodies became as one, each riding out the other’s wave of erotic euphoria.

“Yes! Suck that pussy! I want every drop swallowed!” one of them yelled at Harridan.

“Get that cock in there! Rut me! Rut me hard!” the other one shouted to Shining Armor.

And very shortly after that, they both screamed. Simultaneously, the two mares reached their plateau, their cunts squeezing tight and flooding their lovers with cum.

Harridan swallowed as fast as she could, her mouth drinking in the fluid as though it were precious nectar. And with the release into her mouth, she finally allowed herself to cum as well, her hips bucking up wildly as she drove her hoof as deep as she could into her marehood.

And with a deep rumble, Shining Armor released his seed into Cadance. He continued to fuck her, feeling a little more cum shoot out of him with every thrust. Spasms of pleasure rocked through him with every small burst.

And the two mares--Twilight and Cadance--sat there, experiencing every moment of it together. Wordlessly, they felt each other’s peak of pleasure, and the final throws of sexual climax. Their bodies grew limp, and their horns slid down, the spiraled ridges riding against each other until they were both free and their sensations were uniquely their own once more.

Feeling the body go limp beneath her, Twilight quickly jumped off the mare, fearing she had cut off her breathing and hurt her. A check confirmed that she was fine, just collapsed and unconscious from the orgasm. Twilight joined her, collapsing on the ground nearby.

Shining Armor slid off of his wife, falling over onto his side. He took a single deep breath and then his whole body went slack as he faded off into sleep himself.

“A-are you okay?” Cadance asked, slowly rising to her hooves.

“I have no idea,” Twilight answered, her breath still labored. “And I’m not sure I care.”

“C’mon,” Cadance walked over to her, offer a hoof to help her stand. “We still have a job to do.”

Nodding, Twilight took the mare’s hoof, rising up to meet her--face-to-face. “Uh, that was...nice,” she said.

“Yeah, I think so, too.” Cadance smiled and took a step back. “Let’s get going.”

“Okay, sure.” Twilight thought for a moment before continuing. “I used a similar spell once before, but...it was kind of one way. How did you do that?”

“I didn’t,” Cadance answered. “We did. That’s not the type of thing that can happen without co-operation.”

“I’ve never felt anything so intense,” Twilight admitted. “Do you and Shining Armor do that?”

The alicorn shook her head. “No. I don’t think that he would be comfortable feeling what a mare feels. I don’t mind feeling what a stallion feels, though.” she smiled playfully, “it’s kind of fun, really.”

“Y--you’ve done that with other stallions before?” Twilight’s voice fell.

“And other mares. I’ve been involved with others before I met your brother, Twilight,” she admitted.

“Oh yeah, you just told us all that. I just never really thought about it,” Twilight stated.

“Shiney knows. He’s okay with it. Great with it, actually. It’s because of the love that we share,” she explained. She turned and began to walk the hallway, heading towards the central archive. She turned and looked over her shoulder as she walked, “But that was the best one I’ve ever had.”

Twilight blinked. “Um...me too.”

“I thought that was your first time doing that?” Cadance asked.

“Ha! Uh, yeah! Um...but it was the best one, too! It would have to be, right?” Her smile was awkward at best. Cadance’s in response wasn’t.

“Do you know where we go next?” Cadance asked.

“I’m scared to know...” Twilight trailed off.

“Why? I thought you knew this library pretty well,” she replied.

“Oh! The book! Yes! I do know that!” Twilight ran forward to take the point, hoping to hide the red on her cheeks. “At least I know where it should be. In theory, that is. The ancient history wing should contain all of the ancient texts on practical magic. And while this isn’t really practical today, it was still a commonly used ritual back before Celestia began to raise the sun.”

“I hope it works,” Cadance stated.

“It should. Assuming, of course, that they really document the actual magic of the spell and not just the period under which it was used,” Twilight expressed her concern.

The Royal Archive is a huge, circular building, with a single, long hallway wrapping around the central part of the building, four separate corridors linking the main hall to the central archive. On both sides of the main hallway were smaller chambers, containing offices, storage, and other archives meant to hold more private books from the populace as a whole. But there was one archive that held the most precious of spells for the kingdom, and it rested at the very core of the building, inside the central archive. And that was Twilight’s destination.

“I don’t know how to get into the core archive,” Twilight expressed her thought verbally.

“I might be able to do that,” Cadance said. “I do have authority right now, so hopefully my magic will do it.”

“Yeah, like the way Celestia told you about Fleur and the secret passage?” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Think positive!” Cadance suggested.

They ran as one, turning into the corridor that took them into the central archive, and immediately they could see the spire. Tall and omnipresent in the core of the building, it rose up to the ceiling, appearing as a primary point of the structure. And indeed it was, but that was just one of it’s purposes. The ornate tapestries that covered it also served as another means of documenting important times and dates in the history of Equestria. Dozens upon dozens of fabric illustrations encircled the massive column, covering the diameter of the ten-meter-wide structure. It stretched up the twenty meters to the domed ceiling, providing a focal point for the shelves on the main floor and the balconies that lined the outside of the room.

And there was, of course, a door. Most ponies that came into the archive knew that there was a room inside the column, but very, very few had ever entered. Twilight had been inside once, when her mentor had given her a guided tour of the building. She was told that the most sensitive and valued magical spells were enshrined inside, and that it was off limits without special permission.

“Cadance?” Twilight asked, running straight towards the column. “Uh...this might sound a bit odd, but... Can I get your permission to enter the central tower archive?”

“What? Why would you need--” Cadance started.

“Can you just say yes?!” Twilight insisted.

“Yes! Yes, you have permission,” Cadance replied.

“Whew!” Relief washed over the unicorn. She glanced up at the tapestries, looking for a particular one. “There!” she shouted, her hoof pointing up at the artwork she had in mind.

Following Twilight’s indication, Cadance looked up at an ornate piece woven in gold and purple fabrics. A dozen unicorns stood assembled, their horns pointing in towards each other in a great circle. Behind them graphic representations of both sun and moon played along the horizon, each equally a part of the landscape. The colors merged and played off one another, creating a warmth in cold fabric.

“The ritual?” Cadance asked.

“Yep. But one thing bothers me,” Twilight said.

“What’s that?” Cadance asked, both ponies now very close to the spire.

“The number of unicorns. There are only two of us, and there are twelve of them. If that’s accurate, we might not be able to do this,” she explained.

They ran to the doorway and stopped. Cadance took a deep breath and focused for a moment. “Well, we won’t know until we try.”

A spell played across Cadance’s horn, the blue light echoed in the lock resting inside the door. For a moment, nothing happened, and Twilight felt her anxiety begin to rise, quelled suddenly by a clicking sound and the door moving ajar.

“Okay!” Twilight said. “First part done. Now to find the right spell!”

“How are you going to do that?” Cadance asked.

Smiling at her friend, Twilight’s eye glimmered. “This is a library, right? Well, I’m a librarian! I can do this!”

The door swung open, lights igniting automatically with the ingrained magic of the spire, showing four levels of shelving running up the inside of the spire, reaching towards the simple ceiling.

“Uh...okay,” Cadance said looking at the impressive collection. “But, how long is it going to take?”

“As long as it takes!” Twilight said enthusiastically. “And the sooner we start, the less time!”

“We? I thought you were going to do this?” Cadance asked.

“I am--with your help.” Twilight smiled. “Hopefully, this library is organized by one of three basic systems: alphabetical, by date, or by subject matter. And if I remember correctly, it’s a little bit of all three. So that means we have to first find the right time frame for this spell. That would put it back in the earliest parts of the library, before the founding of Equestria and in the time of pony-pre-history. At least in theory.”

“So, top or bottom?” Cadance asked.

“Top! Let’s go!” An implosion of magic later Twilight had transported both mares to the upper balcony. “You start left and I’ll go right. Look for anything about raising the sun!”

The two mares went straight to work. They scanned quickly, taking in titles and names, pulling anything that looked like it had a chance of being the desired treasure. Creaking spines and cracking pages echoed across the empty space of the tower, followed by muttering and covers shutting for the most part.

“Here’s one on raising the moon by somepony named Selene,” Cadance said. “Would that work?”

“No! Different part of the heavens. We need the sun, and--wait! I think this is it!” Twilight spun around, a huge book floating in front of her. Cadance rushed over to her side as the unicorn placed the volume down on a reading table. The cover of the book looked very similar to the tapestry on the outside of the tower. A circle of unicorns, their horns pointing inwards towards each other, but this version had a representation of the sun in the middle of the circle. Twilight opened it up and started to read.

“The Tome of Aubade Heavens,” she began. “My ancient Equestrian is a little rusty, but I think that it states that--” Twilight froze, jerking her head to look at Cadance. “Oh no! It’s what I feared! You have to have a circle of at least nine ponies to do this! That leaves us seven short! What do we do?!”

Smiling, Cadance nodded comfortably. “In that case, we prove them wrong, Twilight.”

“Prove them wrong?! This isn’t a levitation spell! This is raising the whole sun!” she blurted.

“Which is just another form of levitation. We can do this,” she smiled reassuringly. “You are the most talented unicorn I’ve ever known. Look what we did to this whole city when we were drunk and not even trying. We can do this, okay?”

Twilight looked into Cadance’s eyes, and the panic that should have swept over her in that moment simply...didn’t. Her heart beat faster, but her demeanor was calm and assured. She felt like she could do anything, just so long as Cadance was with her.

“O--okay,” Twilight said.

“Good. Then tell me how this is done, and we’ll get to work.”

And that’s what they did.

* * * * * * *

The light faded.

First Luna regained her vision. Then Tisiphone. And finally Selene’s eyes focused once more on the landscape.

“Thank the stars!” Luna’s voice was filled with relief. “I was afraid you were bringing another shard down.”

“No, Luna,” Celestia said as placid as a lake at dawn, “that was another me. I would never do such a thing. That could wreck untold havoc. I’m surprised you even thought me capable.”

“As I told Selene,” she explained, “I have learned to never underestimate you, my love.”

“What...is this?” Selene’s voice faltered as she took in her surroundings.

Three of the ponies took a slow look around, wondering at their odd situation. They stood amidst a veritable sea of boxes. Some stacked, some not, all of the same approximate size and shape, and each one decorated with various colors and inlays. They stretched out in all directions for hundreds of meters.

“Don’t you recognize them, Lena?” Celestia asked, her face hopeful.

“Should I?” she responded, staring back indifferently.

A deep sigh escaped the sun goddess. “I suppose not. Still, I made them for you, and now I want to give them as gifts.”

“Made them for me?” Selene asked.

“Tia,” Luna broke in, “what are these things?”

“A very long time ago, shortly after you were born, Luna, I made a gift for my other sister,” she explained and then turned to Selene. “I brought it to you on my last visit. Surely, you remember that?”

“That...ball of light?” she asked.

“If you want to call it that, yes. But not just light--sunlight. I wanted to bring you the light of a day, to help brighten your life. But I discovered that you were too dark to accept it. It crushed me, Lena.” A light grew inside Celestia. “But I never lost hope.”

Walking over to a box, Celestia levitated one up, holding it in front of her. “You asked me when I got here why I never came back. I did. So many times I did. Every month, at least once. Cerberus and I became good friends, in fact--because I never went any farther. I stood at the gate, staring at it, carrying a present for you that I had just made.” Celestia looked around at the vast number of boxes around them. “There are over twenty-five-thousand presents here for you, Lena. Twenty-five-thousand days of sunlight--sunrise to sunset. Each one left at your doorstep, hidden from view.”

She looked directly at Selene, her face becoming stoic. “Until today. Until now. You asked me to give you a sunset? Well, I think that I can do that.” Her horn glowed, and the thousands of boxes began to move. “I can give you the light of twenty-five-thousand sunsets.”

A single box lid opened, light pouring out of it and into the grey light of Tartarus. A growl rumbled from deep in Tisiphone as she stepped in front of Selene. Slowly, a ball of sun rose from that one box, rays of light pouring out over the landscape, washing color onto something that hadn’t seen it in the entirety of its existence.

And then another box opened. And another. And a dozen more. Then a hundred, a thousand, and finally, all of them. Gradually they all rose into the sky, each following the first orb as it reached for the zenith of the Tartarus sky.

Selene cowered behind Tisiphone’s outspread wings, hiding from the light of the day. The shadow of the massive mare stretched out as the balls rose into the sky, slowly narrowing as they gathered together high in the dome above them.

Across all of Tartarus eyes turned skyward. Figures stepped out of dim shadow to stare up at a sight they never thought they would see again. Color flushed over skin, revealing hues never before noticed. Mouths opened, lips curling up as warmth spread over a place so cold, seeing the sight that no pony expected. And something grew inside them.

Slowly, the huge ball of light began to move across the sky. Every pony in Tartarus found their eyes staring up into the heavens above hell. Every pony save one.

“Lena!” Celestia’s voice charged through the distance, striking her sister who hid behind her protector, her eyes cast downward. “Selene! Look at me!”

Eyes shifted, painfully glancing over at the sun goddess.

“Now, look west! And watch,” Celestia commanded, ignoring the posturing erinyes interposing herself between the pair.

The newborn sun covered the sky, passing through air unused to such a visitor. Venturing out over the red sea beneath it, the light from it penetrated down, striking the ponies lying beneath the surface, causing their eyes to open in a way they hadn’t since their arrival.

The journey changed, the course of the sun arcing down towards the horizon of the sea of blood. Celestia moved to stand nearer to Selene, glancing to make sure that her sister was still watching the event.

Warm colors spread out over the world, oranges and reds, purples and yellows. Ponies looked around, seeing their companions in a very literal new light. Smiles spread and conversations started.

“The warmth of the day ending, Lena,” Celestia said to her sister. “Shared with you one last time,” she turned to look at her, “just as you wished.”

The newborn Tartarus sun settled into the distant sea, disappearing slowly from view as the populous of the land watched--including its ruler. As well as her guardian and protector.

As the grey of the land settled back into place, the light changed, but the mood did not. There was something new in this land.

Leaning over, Luna kissed her wife on the cheek. “That was beautiful.”

Celestia blushed. “Thank you.”

Together, the two alicorns turned to look at the figure of Selene, her face once again turned to the ground. Tisiphone’s wings and form moved, the intense need to shield the mare fading from the erinyes.

“I hate you.” The voice was barely more than a whisper, but it was clear as the sheen of ice on a winter’s morn. “Why do you do this to me? I hate you.”

“Lena, I--” No other word made it out of Celestia’s mouth before a primal scream and blast of power both erupted from Selene. Reflexively, Celestia threw a shield between her and her attacker, but it was too late to completely stop the unexpected attack, and the sun goddess went tumbling violently.

Rushing in front of her wife, Luna reared back, ready to attack as Selene raced forward. And when the ruler of Tartarus got to her, Luna did everything she could--nothing. Her mind commanded her to attack--to defend Celestia with everything she could--but her body would not obey. The incarcerated of Tartarus cannot attack its ruler. She could do nothing as Selene rushed past her on the path to once again attack Celestia.

Another mare did not have Luna’s limitation.

A wall of red fell between Selene and Celestia, stopping the maddened mare cold. A snort of anger and a pawing hoof began Selene’s conversation. “Move.”

Tisiphone only shifted so that she was facing Selene directly.

“I told you to stand aside!” she shouted, her eyes flaring. “I am going to destroy that deceitful mare!”

Tisiphone shook her head slowly, her gravelly voice creaking out a single word. “Noooo.”

“DO NOT DEFY ME!!” Tears began to form in Selene’s eyes. “I am going battle her, damn it!”

The response was the same: a slow shake of the head and a single word. “Noooo.”

Selene screamed, loosing an outburst of power that struck Tisiphone squarely. The huge red mare lowered her head, dug in her claws, and withstood the assault.

“WHY?!!” Selene’s voice sounded raw as she wailed, her eyes now streaming tears down her face. “I HAVE TO! SHE HAS TO!! If--if she doesn’t then she can’t...kill me. Please, Tisiphone,” Selene’s words turned to open sobs, “please. L--let her kill me. I w--want to d--die. I want to die.”

“Noooo,” Tisiphone’s wings wrapped around Selene once again, cradling the mare as she collapsed to the ground weeping. “I...waaaant...yooouuu...toooo liiive.”

Looking up into cold black eyes, Selene suddenly saw nothing but warmth. Her front legs flung around the mare’s neck, her face buried into her shoulder as she wept, her tears soaking the red coat of the erinyes.

“Lena?” Celestia had found her footing and moved to stand beside the pair. “I--I don’t understand. Why?”

Deep, ragged breaths slowed Selene’s reponse. She turned to look at her sister, her eyes once again growing dark. “Th--the dead ca--cannot kill me, Celly. Th--they cannot even tr--try.” Her sobs fought against her. “O--only the li--living can. O--only y--you can.”

“But why do you want to die?” Celestia asked.

“Wh--why?” she asked, her face wrenching in confusion. “I rule in hell, Celly. I live among the damned. Why would I want to live?”

“Because you are loved,” she explained.

“If you truly love me, you would kill me,” Selene answered.

Celestia shook her head. “I wasn’t speaking about myself, Lena.” The sun goddess looked over to the red mare, her body and wings hovering over the fallen mare. Tisiphone stared back at Celestia and let out a primal growl.

“But I’ve only ever known one love, and he--he’s gone. I don’t know what became of him,” Selene explained.

“You’ve known love for a very long time from what I see,” Celestia answered. “You’ve just been holding on to pain and anger so hard that you didn’t allow yourself to realize it.”

Looking up, Selene saw the hooded face of Tisiphone standing above her. She was firm and strong, defending her from any enemies that might dare attack--as well as protecting her from herself. Gently she raised a hoof, touching the fleshy mask that hid the mare’s deep physical scars. Tisiphone’s head moved at the touch, shifting to look down at her friend and ruler. With care, Selene rose her neck up and brought her mouth into contact with the other mare’s, tenderly embracing lips.

Smiling, Celestia turned to her other sister. “Come, Luna. I think it’s finally time for us to leave this place together.”

Luna didn’t move. She stared at the couple in front of her thoughtfully. “No,” she answered.

“Wh-what?” Celestia fumbled over the single word.

“Not yet, Tia,” she turned to look at her wife. “Don’t worry, we will go in a moment. I am not giving you up that easily, but I want a word with...with my sister first.”

Hearing this, Selene broke her kiss and turned to look at Luna, her eyes narrowing. “What do you want with me?” her tone mingled confusion and defensiveness.

Stepping up beside the couple, Luna waited until Selene had regained her hooves. The Mare of Tartarus’ face was still disheveled from her emotional outburst, but she defied that appearance in her demeanor.

“You and I have much in common,” Luna stated. “And it occurs to me that we are as much sisters as you and my wife. And like you, I understand what it is to live in darkness--and to fear losing that which you love the most.”

“What are you getting at, Nightmare?” Selene asked.

“Simply this: I offer you something freely, no compensation asked. I will do two things for you. First, I will find this former love of yours, or find what happened to him. You are in no position to do it yourself, so I will do this for you,” Luna stated calmly.

“Y--you would do that?” Selene asked.

“I will do that. You have my word,” Luna stated. “Secondly, I offer you this: once a year I shall come to Tartarus and rule in your stead for one week while you do whatever it is you wish. A vacation of sorts from your duty.”

Selene blinked. “I--I...what? Why would you do such a thing?”

There was a slight laugh behind Luna’s answer. “Because, you are right. I belong here. At least a part of me does. And you...well, it seems that you could use a break now and then.”

“This is a very unpleasant duty. You do understand what you would be responsible to do?” Selene asked.

“Of course I do!” Luna answered, her face growing wide into a smile. “I look forward to the challenge of it. You do remember who you are talking to? Besides, perhaps it will be a good release for me as well.”

“I--I don’t know what to say. You are treating me with far more kindness than I would have thought possible, Nightmare,” Selene answered. “And I don’t understand why.”

“It was something that you said,” Luna replies. “That is all I shall say.”

“I don’t know how to repay you,” Selene stated.

“You already have,” Luna said calmly. “You have given me back my true love. There is nothing more that I want.”

“Then go with her, Nigh...Luna.” Selene raised her head up, holding it high. “And you may return one year from now to fulfill your promise.” She turned to look at Celestia, her wings ruffling out to her side briefly. “Tell me, Celly, is...she...doing well?”

Celestia lowered her head. “She was not immortal, Lena. She passed to beyond long ago.”

“I...see. And that is another thing that is taken from me,” Selene stated.

“Not entirely,” Celestia explained. “She had children. And they have had children. You have a great-grand-daughter that you would be proud to know, Lena. I’m proud to know her.”

“You see her?” Lena asked.

“Yes. She is a special child, Lena. Born of great love,” Celestia said.

“Does she know about me?” she asked.

“No,” her sister answered. “I thought you wanted it that way.”

“I...I do. I don’t want her to know me like this. But, if you could, show her love for me?” Selene stated. “And you...are also best kept far from this place. The part of my life that was shared with you is over, Celly, and I do not wish you to return.”

“But I was hoping that--” she didn’t finish her sentence.

“Then you were hoping in vain. I forgive you, but...” she thought for a moment. “If I change my mind, I can always let our sister tell you otherwise. Your time here is done. Go.”

The argument hung in Celestia’s mind. The desire to fight for her sister’s affection once more. The need to know that she could do more to help. The selfishness of thinking that it was something she could fix. Eventually she narrowed that argument down to a single statement.

“Goodbye. I hope that your are happy. I love you, Lena.”

Selene nodded, and Celestia turned, deciding not to take a second look back. Until Selene said one more thing, “And I love you, too, Celly.”

Celestia turned her head and smiled. There was a place for hope in Tartarus after all.

As she turned her head back, her view came upon that of Luna standing beside her. A smile spread across both ponies. Their walk turned to a trot, which became a gallop, and finally transferred to the air as they sped across the blood sea towards the gate of Tartarus.

There was no hesitance, and no need for secrets this time. They ran up the passageway, their hearts racing all the way to the brass gates that enclosed Tartarus. Celestia stopped, turning to Luna who matched her sister’s gait. “What are you waiting for? We are there.”

“You go first,” Celestia said. “I want to make sure you can leave before I do. I won’t lose you, Luna.”

Stepping over, Luna kissed her wife softly. “You never shall.”

Luna walked to the gates of Tartarus, opened them, and stepped through into Equestria. Without pause, Celestia galloped right behind her--and was immediately assaulted by a trio of giant tongues.

“Cerberus!” Celestia gasped, trying to fight off the affectionate attack. “Please, I--I don’t have time. We’re trying to... OH FINE!”

A flash of white light revealed an old, gigantic ball with more scuffs and scrapes on it than could be easily counted. Celestia held the ball in the air, her magic supporting it as it wiggled back and forth. Cerberus fell down on his front legs, his paws extended as he stared up. A nigh-deafening bark filled the cavern as it came from the trio of heads. “You ready? Are you? Okay...go get the ball!” Celestia shot the ball like a falling star into the back of the cavern, far away from Luna and herself. The massive three-headed dog pursued it with a loud yelp.

“That hound truly seems to like you,” Luna giggled.

“Too much time spent here. Let’s hurry!” Celestia said to Luna as she raced towards the exit.

“Are you not going to wait for his return?” Luna asked.

“No! If we do we’ll be here all week,” Celestia explained.

They exited the cave, the night sky spread out above them. Luna stopped still, her eyes staring up into the stars. Lost in the heavens.

“Luna?” Celestia stared at her sister’s disorientation.

“I...I thought I would never see them again,” Luna whispered. “Never feel them again.”

Moving to her sister, Celestia nuzzled her neck gently. “Of course you were going to. They are your stars, my love. I was just keeping them safe until your return.”

“They...feel odd.” She turned to look at her sister. “What did you do, Celly?”

Celestia blinked. “Celly?”

“I’m trying it on,” Luna smiled.

“And?”

“It doesn’t feel natural. I like Tia better.” Luna smiled. “But you haven’t answered my question.”

“Oh, that...” Celestia glanced around nervously. “I sort of...kept the night going.”

Luna’s eyes grew huge. “You brought about eternal night? YOU?!”

“Not eternal! Just...extended,” Celestia argued.

Luna’s laughter filled the sky.

“Fine, laugh all you like, but I would do it again for you!” Celestia smirked.

“Oh, then you don’t mind if we keep it going?” Luna suggested, her eyes slightly watered as she fought to stop giggling. “I’ve always like this idea, you know.”

“No!” Celestia answered emphatically. “I don’t even want to think about what has happened during this. We already have enough things to explain. Keeping this going is a bad idea. I’m going to end it right now.”

“Oh fine!” Luna said. “You are probably right, though. I can only imagine that Twilight Sparkle has entered into a state of complete panic over the situation.”

* * * * * * *

Twilight Sparkle was desperately trying to not enter a state of complete panic.

For the past hour she and Cadance had been hiding out on the top of the Royal Archive, doing their best to re-enact the spell they found in the ancient texts describing how unicorns used to raise the sun.

So far, nothing was happening.

“I told you!” Twilight’s voice was edgy. “I told you we needed nine unicorns! Or a dozen to make sure! Even with an alicorn, we are still several unicorns short! I’m not able to be more than one unicorn, and I don’t have a clue how many unicorns an alicorn makes up! If I had time and were able to put a control into the experiment, I’m sure that I could assess the alicorn/unicorn ratio, but we just threw ourselves into this without--”

“TWILIGHT!” Cadance yelled at her--again--trying to keep the unicorn on task. “We can do this. YOU can do this. We have to, okay? Let’s just try one more time, maybe with you taking the lead this time.”

“Me? But we decided that you should do that! You can channel way more magic than I can, so how is that going to--”

“Twilight!” Cadance used a softer tone this time. “Relax. It won’t hurt to try. We have nothing to lose.” The alicorn looked down at Twilight and smiled. “I trust you on this.”

“Okay,” Twilight answered weakly, “but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it.”

Cadance nodded reassuringly. “You start, then I’ll join in.”

“Right!” With a heavy breath, Twilight began the ritual they had studied, concentrating her magic towards the heavens. She felt Cadance’s magic come in and mingle with hers as she tried her best to find the sun and urge it over the horizon. She kept her eyes closed tight, picturing the morning as it would come up every day. She wanted nothing special, just a typical morning bereft of night--and bereft of thousands of ponies hoping to find her and ravish her sexually.

Okay, so maybe she wanted ONE thing that was special.

The ritual was complicated, and something she had never done before, so making sure that it was correct wasn’t easy. She ran through the steps in her mind over and over, trying to get them perfect. She was doing her best to concentrate, which she thought would be far easier if that stupid light was shining in her face.

“Wait...light?” Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the horizon. Rays of light were spearing through the darkness, showering the land with warmth and color. “Th--the sun. It’s--”

“DAWN!” Cadance yelled. “You did it, Twilight! You did it!”

“We did it!” Twilight said, spinning to look at Cadance. “I didn’t even think I was doing it right, but we did it! We really did!”

Cadance pulled Twilight up to her in a tight hug, holding the pony close. Twilight wrapped her legs around the other mare, overcome with the moment. Pulling back slightly, Twilight moved her head and kissed Cadance directly on the mouth.

A tongue moved past lips, and eventually found itself dancing with another of its kind inside a foreign mouth. The lips pulled and teased each other while the tongues played, pushing back and forth between mouths as the kiss lingered on. Time seemed lost for a moment as the warmth of the sun began to wash over the two mares.

A pair of hooves pushed back the other mare.

“No,” Cadance said, lowering her head. “No, Twilight. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” she asked.

“This can’t happen,” she said.” I’m married to your brother. I already told you that.”

“But I love you!” Twilight left her heart bare. “And don’t tell me it’s any sort of spell, because it isn’t!”

Cadance took a step backwards, her head slowly nodding. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

“Then what’s wrong?” the unicorn’s voice was cracking, her emotions swelling.

“Your brother loves me, too. And I love him.” Cadance turned and started to walk away, slowly moving towards the edge of the roof.

“Wait!” Twilight begged, her mind searching for an excuse. “Wh--what do we do about the end of the day? We’ll need to get to be together again to lower the sun and raise the moon!”

“Perhaps,” Cadance said, not turning her head. “But we’ll wait and see what happens. Maybe what we did will spark Celestia into action. Time will tell.”

Her mind raced, and Twilight’s worst fears fought their way out, surfacing in her next broken, ragged words, “Y--you d--don’t love me, do you?”

Stopping on the edge of the roof, Cadance paused. Her wings unfurled, spreading out to her side. She turned back to look at Twilight, her voice suddenly very unsteady. “I never said that.”

A single leap and Cadance was airborn, winging her way towards the castle. Twilight sat down on the roof, her cheeks glistening in the morning light like dew.

* * * * * * *

Sitting at the desk, Cadance felt like she had been staring at the same paperwork for days. In reality, she had just been staring at remarkably similar paperwork for days, but it was actually different. She shuffled the papers back and forth, desperately hoping that they would provide her another days distraction. Or burst into a giant fireball. Either one was acceptable.

“I think that I will find every pony that advocates bureaucracy and make them fall in love with a toaster,” she mumbled. “IF they are polite to me.”

“That is a terribly cranky statement coming from the goddess of love.” The voice startled Cadance, causing her to jump and knock over a small jar of ink on the table, spilling across the whole stack of papers. Her magic reacted, grabbing the inkwell, and doing her very best to contain the spill, even as she turned towards the unexpected visitor.

A large white alicorn and a slightly larger black alicorn were in the room with her.

“Aunties!” She leapt from the table, forgetting the issue with the ink and the paper, sprinting to almost tackle them in a single hug.

“That was certainly a spirited welcome,” Celestia said, laughing.

Cadance pulled her head back, staring into the larger alicorn’s face directly. “You are NOT allowed to leave here, ever again!”

Luna laughed deeply. “Well, pardon us, niece, for wanting to share time together.”

“Time is one thing!” Cadance pulled herself back, trying to regain her composure. “But this is quite another. What happened with the sun? You keep it gone for a couple of days and then everything goes right back to normal? If Twilight and I hadn’t...” Her words trailed off.

“What about you and Twilight?” Celestia asked. “Where is she, anyway? I expected to find her with you.”

“She’s...around. She’s been helping out as needed. We’ve mostly been working on separate tasks,” Cadance explained.

“Well, then I do not see an issue,” Luna stated. “And besides, Celestia and I decided that we still wanted to enjoy the rest of our honeymoon after--”

“VACATION!” Celestia interrupted, screwing an awkward smile onto her face. “She meant vacation. The rest of our vacation.”

“No, Tia,” Luna bent over and kissed her wife on the cheek, “I meant honeymoon. I will not be keeping secrets about us any longer.”

Cadance’s eyes danced back and forth between her two aunts. Her jaw opened and shut repeatedly. “Honeymoon? The two of you got married?!”

Luna stood tall and looked down at Celestia, one eyebrow raised. Celestia took a deep breath and slowly answered. “Yes. Luna and I are now wed.”

“Th-that’s...” Cadance stood there in shock, “INCREDIBLE!” She leapt forward, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia’s neck. “I am so happy for the two of you! Oh, I wish I had been there, though. Where did you do it? Was it beautiful? Did you have fun? What did you wear? Are there pictures?”

“Calm down, calm down,” Celestia laughed. “There isn’t much to say. It was a small ceremony, with just Luna and myself.”

“Well, then we need to have another one! One where everypony can show up and enjoy it!” Cadance insisted, dropping from Celestia’s neck to immediately switch to Luna--who recoiled slightly from the intense hug.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Luna said, gently pushing Cadance away. “Our subjects are not overwhelmingly happy with Tia and my relationship.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that too much,” Cadance smiled. “They’ve had a bit of a...change of heart while you were away.”

“Oh really? Do you want to tell me what caused that?” Celestia asked, her eyebrow raised.

“Do you want to tell me why the sun didn’t come up for two days?” Cadance countered.

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither of them willing to blink.

“Well,” Celestia perked up with a smile, “it is good to be home! It’s always nice to sleep in your own bed after a long trip.”

“Yes, I was very disappointed in the beds in Prance,” Luna stated. “How do they sleep in those?”

“Prance?” A twinkle of light shined in Cadance’s eyes. “That is soooo romantic.”

“Actually, it really was,” Celestia responded, “and it was Luna’s idea.”

Turning to look at the ebon alicorn, Cadance smiled knowingly. “Soooo romantic.”

A furrowed brow from Luna was her only answer to Cadance. “Well, I want to bathe,” she addressed Celestia, “and I could use some help with that. Meet me in the bath in ten minutes.”

“Yes, Luna,” Celestia answered with a faint laugh.

Stepping over, Luna kissed Celestia on the cheek, and then looked to Cadance. “Thank you for watching over Canterlot, niece. We are appreciative.”

“You’re welcome,” she answered.

Turning, Luna stalked to the chamber doors, opening them with her magic as she stepped out into the hallway. Instant mutters and clamors of guards rushing up to greet their princess were heard echoing in the hallway.

“You two are so cute,” Cadance said happily to Celestia.

“Yes, I think so, too,” she agreed. Looking down at her niece, Celestia bent down and kissed the mare on the forehead. The goddess of love could feel the affection flowing freely from that one moment.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Just a promise I made to...a friend,” she answered.

“A friend? Who?” Cadance asked.

“No pony you know.” Celestia walked over to the desk, looking at the ink covered papers. “Hmmm. Interesting way to handle the situation. I should have thought of that.”

“Sorry,” Cadance offered. “I don’t know how you deal with all of this, auntie. It’s just so...”

“Yes, I know,” Celestia replied. “But don’t worry, you’re off the hook.” She looked over at her niece. “I can take it from here.”

“Are you sure? You don’t need me to update you on anything?” Cadance asked, already stepping sideways towards the door.

“Go. You’re free.” Celestia didn’t even look as she answered, her magic already shifting through the loose papers on her desk.

Cadance’s voice came from several steps down the hall when she answered. “Thank you, auntie! I love you!”

Taking a deep breath, Celestia stacked the paper carefully, clearing the ink-stained pages to one side and cleaning the spilled liquid from her desk with a simple spell. She made a quick note to draft a special check from the royal coffers to cover any damage that she incurred while in Las Pegasus. It joined the rest of the notices, proclamations, and other paperwork that was part of her everyday life. She would come back to them soon enough, but for right now she had to go and join Luna in the bath. And she knew better than to be late.

“It’s good to be home,” she said as she walked out into the hall.

* * * * * * *

Epilogue One

Twilight stared out into the darkness of the night, her hooves resting on the railing of the balcony. Shrouded in darkness, her expression remained hidden from everypony except herself. Her chest swelled out as it filled with air, and then exited with a heavy sigh.

“Twilly?” The voice sent a shock through her system. Shaking her head clear, she turned around quickly, a smile screwing onto her face.

“Shining Armor! Wow, I’m sorry I haven’t seen you lately. I’ve just been so busy with all of the things going on, I didn’t have a chance to catch up!” Her voice was enthusiastic and her expression light. It was a good lie.

“Yeah,” he responded. “Yeah, me too.” He walked up to stand beside his sister, the tension palpable in the air. “How much longer are you staying here in Canterlot?”

“I--I’m going home tomorrow,” she said. “So, I guess my work here is done.”

“Good,” he said. His eyes grew huge and he stammered a continuation. “I--I mean good that you get to go home. That’s what I meant.”

“Yeah,” Twilight answered, maintaining her smile. “Yeah, that’s how I took that.”

They stood there in silence. Both of them wondering who was going to break first.

“Twilly, I...I want to apologize,” he began.

“Apologize?” Twilight was struck. “For what?”

“For...for what happened. At the Royal Archive. When I...you know.”

“Oh. That.” Twilight was immediately shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it. You were under a spell and you couldn’t help yourself. I’m just glad that it didn’t go any further.”

“Oh sweet Celestia, yes! That would have been a nightmare!” he exclaimed.

“Definitely!” she agreed. “In fact, I’m not ruling out nightmares about it.”

The silence returned, with something still hanging in the air.

“Uh, and one other thing,” Shining Armor’s voice was fragile.

“What?” Twilight swallowed back her fear, hoping it would help.

“Cadance told me what happened. On the rooftop, I mean. With the two of you,” he admitted.

Twilight took a step away from him, her eyes glistening.

“She said that you told her that you love her,” he stated. “Is that true?”

Tears would have been a relief at that moment. A breakdown would have been a comfort. Instead she simply stood there, nodding back at her brother.

“I see.” He lowered his head. “She told me how she feels about you, too.”

“S--she did?” her voice cracked.

“She’s my wife, Twilight. I love her more than I can explain.” He lifted his eyes to look at his sister. “So I understand. She’s hard not to love. It’s just her nature. But getting her to feel that way is something else. It’s...magical.”

“I didn’t mean to--” Twilight began.

“I know,” he interrupted. “I know, really. But as long as you’re here it becomes a problem. She’s conflicted, Twilight, and I don’t want her that way. I want her happy.”

“I’ve tried to stay away!” Twilight broke, her tears flowing. “Do you know how hard I’ve tried to stay away from her!”

“I know how much I’m asking you to stay away from her,” he replied, his voice hardening. “Don’t do this to her. Go home. Stay home. Stay away.”

“How can you be this mean to me?!” Twilight cried openly.

“This isn’t about you!” he shouted. “This is about Cadance!”

“Is it? Or is it about what YOU want for Cadance? What if she wants me to stay?!” she answered.

And the silence returned. The two ponies stared at each other, something suddenly standing between them that they never saw before.

“Go home, Twilight. Don’t do this to her. To us,” Shining Armor’s voice was cold and ruthless.

“You’re jealous!” she yelled. “You’re afraid that she’ll choose me over you!”

“No,” he answered. “I’m afraid what it will do to her if we force her to choose. Go. Home.”

Without another word, Shining Armor turned and walked off the balcony, pausing for a brief moment at the doorway and then continuing on beyond view.

Twilight’s legs gave out and she crumpled into a ball, faint sobs carrying off into the cold night.

* * * * * * *

Epilogue Two

Sitting on her balcony, Cadance let out a deep sigh. She wondered for a moment if it was one of stress or relief? Both seemed appropriate at the moment to her, but she wasn’t sure which one was the more prevalent.

“Excuse me, Princess?” The voice was hesitant and unsure as it spoke.

Calmly turning around, Cadance saw a prim and proper mare standing there, shifting uncomfortably.

“Madame Harridan,” she said calmly. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was...I was wanting to come and...and speak with you.” She took a few tentative steps onto the balcony.

“It seems you already are,” Cadance smiled.

“Well, I was wanting to...apologize for my behavior. It was wrong of me to badger you the way I was doing regarding your aunts and your position in Canterlot,” she stood as tall as she could as she spoke.

“Well, I appreciate your apology. I’m sure that wasn’t easy for you,” Cadance answered.

“Thank you,” she said, still shifting from hoof to hoof. “And, of course, there is...that other matter.”

“What other matter?” Cadance played.

“The...other matter. Regarding my...personal issues,” she said.

“You mean your kinky nature?” she asked bluntly.

The grey mare’s face flushed instantly. “I...well, I wouldn’t phrase it quite that way.”

“You should,” Cadance suggested. “You should embrace it, actually. There’s nothing wrong with it, Harridan. The only problem you have is with yourself. If you come to terms with that, I don’t think that you will have any problems with the ponies you see around you. Your projecting your discomfort outwardly. If you are happy inside, it will shine out from you.”

Becoming instantly apoplectic, Harridan shook like a leaf. “I...wh...well...th-that is totally inappropriate! Y--you should be ashamed of that line of thought, Princess!”

“There is very little that I’m ashamed of, Madame. It’s just part of my nature,” she explained. “And I meant every word I said.”

“Well, surely you understand my position,” she fought to restore her composure. “If this news were to get out--”

“Then you might be attacked by somepony with a limited point of view?” Cadance interrupted.

Opening her mouth, Harridan found that no words were coming out. She stood there looking like a fish waiting for bait to crawl into its mouth.

“Is there a problem, Madame?” Cadance asked.

“I believe that I should leave,” she said softly.

“Ah!” Cadance held up a single hoof. “Is that any way to say goodbye to me?”

Harridan stared at the hoof hanging in the air, her body trembling. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead, her mouth opened as she tried to take in more air.

Suddenly, she rushed over and fell to her knees, her hooves coming up to grasp Cadance’s outstretched hoof. Kisses peppered it liberally as she gushed. “Thank you, Goddess. You are too kind to me, Goddess!”

“Much better,” Cadance said with a smile. “You may leave me now.”

“Thank you, Goddess,” Harridan said, bowing down and slowly working her way backwards away from Cadance. “Please call me if I can do anything to please you, Goddess. I beg of you.”

“You may go, Harridan,” Cadance repeated. “And don’t make me say it again.”

“Yes, Goddess!” And with that she disappeared through the doorway.

Cadance smiled, shaking her head. “Poor mare,” she said to herself.

She turned back to stare out into the night sky, pondering what was to come next for her life.

* * * * * * *

Epilogue Three

“Yes. This works nicely.” Luna sounded satisfied as she stared up into the night. She always critiqued her own work, every night, making sure that what she had done met with her own personal standards. “Not my best work, but certainly acceptable.”

She turned to a patch of nearby shadow and spoke again. “Don’t you agree?”

After a moment, the figure of a pale pony stepped out of the darkness to stand near the lunar goddess.

“You know, most ponies don’t notice me at all. That makes twice for you,” Death stated.

“Well, we do have a previous relationship, you and I,” Luna stated. “But I am curious, why are you here now?”

“I can’t just come for a visit?” the pale pony asked.

Turning to face her directly, Luna dropped her head slightly and closed one eye halfway, her lips pulling back tightly in a scowl.

“Well, it has been a while, I suppose,” she said. “And you are involved with your sister now, and not me.”

“Our relationship was never meant to last,” Luna stated. “Not to say that I didn’t enjoy it at the time.”

“So, no chance to reignite old flames?” the pale pony asked.

Laughing, Luna answered, “No. When I courted Death before, I was far darker than I am now. I may still have dark desires, but I am not the fiend that I once was. I love Celestia--truly--and will be with her as long as my life holds out.”

“Yes, well, about that,” Death began. “You see, you’ve already died, Luna. You’re life is over--and this is something else. I can’t take it from you a second time.”

“What are you saying?” Luna turned to her, a look of curious distrust on her face.

“You mean besides the fact that you and I can be intimate without fear of repercussions on you?” Death waggled her eyebrows. Luna lowered hers. “Yeah, I figured as much...” She took a breath and smiled before continuing.

“You are immortal. Truly immortal. You cannot die, Luna. I didn’t like the idea of you being gone, so I sent Celestia after you. Call me a hopeless romantic. Call it a wedding present,” Death explained. “But it does come at a cost. You will outlive Celestia. You will even outlive me.”

“Is that possible?” Luna asked.

“Ask me that again some day,” the pale pony answered.

“I didn’t think that I was going to see you again,” Luna stated, turning to look back up at her stars. “You said you couldn’t take my life.”

“Everypony sees me. You’ll just get to do it more than most,” Death stated.

“What is that--” Luna stopped herself as she turned back, because there was no pony there. Death was gone.

She turned back to the night sky. “Immortal again, eh? That does open up some options.”

Luna smiled thinking about the future.

THE END