All These Truths We Deny

An entire southern wall of the mansion was taken up by a single slab of curved glass two stories high. Mary had never in her life seen the like. It reflected the bright lights from the party inside with an odd distortion, turning the chandeliers in the main room into twisted shapes of illuminated gold.

But out there, countless glittering stars met ferocious waves, mating the clockwork night sky with an unpredictable sea. It was a hell of a sight, and as Mary gazed out into the surf, close enough that she could almost reach through the glass and touch the breakers, she tried to remember the feeling of the moment. It was good to fill your heart with peace, before fouler emotions could take root.

Mary could scarcely guess what — or who — was in Governor Gunawan’s heart as she beheld the same natural wonder from a few feet away, glass in hand as always. Permata's shapely tits strained the material of her barely-buttoned dress shirt, while that tight brown skirt perfectly emphasized her enormous, rounded ass. For Mary, it was an equally compelling view, and she tried to consider how much cock — or cunt, if she swung that way — the woman was getting on the regular. Permata gave off the aura of a person with some experience…but then, that could be a performance, too. It could be hard to tell with these types.

“Do you have anything like this where you’re from, Sun Princess?” Permata's voice was low, but it easily carried to the nearby dignitaries who thought they were being surreptitious, with their fake, muted conversations. “Are the seas and firmament the same in your world?”

“They are similar,” Celestia said from Permata's other side, a little ways away. Her attention was focused more on the governor than the landscape, however, and she didn’t try to hide it. “We have a moon, and tides, the same as here. There are also planets and stars in Canterlot’s skies, but they are all different. There is no ringed Saturn, or stormy Jupiter. Neither would you find any familiar constellations, I’m afraid. It took me a while to get used to it.”

“Oh, but that sounds like a dream.” Permata's wistful tone actually sounded authentic. “To see the cosmology of another world…it’d be like stepping into one of the science fiction books I used to read as a child. The ones with four moons on the cover, and two suns, and galaxies sprinkled across rainbow-hued heavens. Mary knows what I mean, surely.”

The doctor nodded, although her main point of reference was a youthful fixation on Gorean subculture. She probably still had a collar somewhere.

“Ain’t that different.” Applejack was, as usual, a few paces behind Permata. She kept a keen eye on everyone in the vicinity. “Sea’s just salty water. Star’s just a big ol’ ball o’ fire. Ain’t much to it.”

“Hm. Well, I didn’t hire you for your romantic spirit,” Permata said with a laugh. “Still…don’t you miss it? Don’t you ever dream of going back, and getting away from all this? You’re not bound to Earth, like I am. You have that freedom.”

Applejack shook her head. “Ah’m usin’ that freedom ta choose who ah work for, and that’s you. It ain’t about the where — in fact, I ain’t all that keen on Canterlot as a whole. We had a deal, and I intend to keep up my end. Not much else to it.”

Mary arched an eyebrow. That was interesting.

Permata let a gentle smile touch her lips. “I’m not hearing sour grapes after the Princess tossed you around like a rag doll, am I? Although it seems like you both went a little overboard.”

Applejack sheepishly adjusted her hat as she averted her eyes. “Ah’ll admit I did get caught up in the moment there. Thing is, ya kinda hafta go overboard when yer goin’ against Celestia. I got like ten different plans in case she starts throwin’ weight around, and seven of ‘em are just ways to get you outta Dodge ‘fore she pops you like a balloon.”

“My word.” Permata put a hand to her throat in affected shock. “What about the other three plans?”

“Me and the crew puttin’ ourselves in harm’s way. Probably wouldn’t work out too well for us in the end, but it’d buy ya some time.”

“You didn’t seem to care much about putting the people around you in harm’s way,” Mary said, taken aback by Permata and her assistant’s cavalier attitudes. The governor had obviously been briefed on the earlier incident, but she didn’t seem at all worried about violence erupting at a state function. “What if Celestia had called your bluff?”

“It wasn’t a bluff,” Applejack said, and the certainty in the statement gave Mary a chill. “But I figured she wouldn’t do nothin’ too untoward. If she really wanted ta hurt me, she’d ‘a done it. As usual, Celestia was just tryin’ ta make a point.”

“Don’t you worry about our esteemed dignitaries, Doctor.” Permata waved a dismissive hand at the partygoers, none of whom seemed particularly put out by the sight of guns or magic. “A little danger adds flavor. Intrigue. They’ll have a lot to talk about when they debrief in their home countries after this night.” She took a healthy sip of her bubbly. “I have no doubt about that.”

Governor Gunawan went silent for a while, then she tapped her glass, making the crystal ring out and drawing the full attention of those around them. “Now come, Princess. We both know this isn’t a courtesy call. You’ve graced our little island with your presence for a reason, so let’s hear it. And if there’s something I can do that is within my power, I shall…for the right price. We both know how this works.”

“Naturally.” Celestia made a broad gesture with her horn at the crowd of onlookers. “Are we going to have our discussion here, though? I would have liked some privacy, if possible.”

“We shall have it out right here, in front of the world.” Permata spoke without hesitation. “Unless you have something to hide…?”

“Not at all,” Celestia said smoothly. Mary wasn’t surprised, either. They’d actually come up with multiple opening gambits, depending on their reception and how much secrecy they could keep. So far, nothing had been outside of expectations.

Aside from Applejack.

The Princess let a pulse of magic flow into her horn, causing a subtle but noticeable glow. “Then allow me to begin, Madame Governor. First, let me explain that Canterlot is a world of magic. Ponies and many other creatures can use it. There are objects that are imbued with it, and entire locations are overrun with it. It’s embedded in our music, our literature, and our history. Magic is everywhere in Canterlot, to the point that we often take it for granted.”

The glow of her horn faded. “Here on Earth, however, magic has never existed. We don’t know why, but the fundamental energy that causes mystical phenomena is simply…absent. For us, it’s like going to another planet and finding that iron doesn’t exist. That’s just the way our worlds diverged in their evolution. Or so we thought.”

Celestia’s horn glowed white again, in a different pattern and frequency. She took a step toward Permata. “Please hold out your hand, Madame Governor.”

Applejack stirred. “Rather not let ya do that. Whatever you got needs ta be cleared-”

Permata extended her palm. “It’s all right, girl. Trust must begin somewhere.”

The pony frowned, but said nothing further.

With a flash, a lime-sized fruit appeared in Permata's hand. It was deep green and wrinkly, and Mary could smell the citrus essence even from where she stood.

Celestia stepped back again. “Do you recognize that, Madame Governor?”

Permata brought the fruit to her nose, inhaling the fresh scent with pleasure. “I should. Bergamot is one of our more popular exports, though the general public probably doesn’t realize it. Of course, those in the know understand that the Balinese strains are some of the world’s best. I highly recommend it in tea, for relaxation.”

“I shall keep that in mind.” Celestia pointed with her now quiescent horn at the fresh produce. “In point of fact, the bergamot from Bali are quite special, though not in the way you might think.”

Governor Gunawan gave the Princess a questioning look. “Go on.”

Mary took a deep breath. Time for the double team. She slipped into the conversation, just as practiced.

“These fruits contain magic,” the doctor said. “Not much — trace amounts, really. You could eat a bushel every day for a year and only have a stomachache to show for it. Still, the magic is there, and it’s measurable to an alicorn like the Princess. It shouldn’t be.”

“Exactly so,” Celestia said. “Strangely enough, we have a similar fruit in Canterlot. Same size and shape, same color and aroma and use cases. We call it gamot, and it does not contain magic…not a scintilla. It’s utterly inert, mystically speaking.”

Permata didn’t hide her surprise. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“You’d be surprised how many coincidences there are between our worlds,” Mary said with a chuckle. “But yes, that’s a little much to dismiss out of hand. It’s like the two switched places somewhere along the way. We don’t know how or why, or when it happened. That’s why we need your help.”

“The unexpected existence of magic on Earth cannot be ignored, Madame Governor.” Celestia’s tone was suitably grave. “I’d like your permission to do research here in Bali. There may be something deeper causing this…perhaps something in the environment, or even in the land itself. The testing will not be invasive, I promise you, but there’s no time frame and no criteria for success or failure. We’ll be there however long it takes to find a meaningful answer. Once again, I ask for your trust.”

Permata turned the bergamot over in her fingers as she considered Celestia’s plea. Mary was a little surprised her reply was taking this much thought; the leaders of most other countries would’ve said “yes” before the alicorn had finished the first sentence. Having a magical alien princess in one’s debt should be worth any price.

Governor Gunawan turned to her legendary assistant. “What do you think, girl? Should we let the Sun Princess have her way in our backyard?”

Applejack scratched under her hat with a hoof. “She ain’t lyin’ ‘bout the magic thing. Ah’d say that surely needs ta be looked into, one way or tha other. We’ll need ta work out some protocols, get a security detail going…” Her voice trailed off as the practical needs of the agreement filled her head.

Then she looked at Celestia again. “Y’know, ol’ Twi’s s’posed ta be rottin’ in the dungeons, but I hear she’s been takin’ off to do some investigation of her own. Is she gonna be involved in this thang?”

Mary grit her teeth. Now came the sticking point.

Celestia did not hesitate. “Yes, she is. Twilight was instrumental in the discovery of the phenomenon, and I believe her skills will be necessary to tease apart this puzzle. I do hope that won’t be a deal-breaker.”

Applejack only rubbed her eyes wearily with the back of a hoof, leaving Permata to state the obvious. “Let me see if I understand all this correctly, Princess. You, the ruler of a country, want to set up an independent research facility on another’s sovereign land in order to solve an unprecedented magical mystery, one that could have completely unknown repercussions. This study will have no set duration, or even a concrete goal.”

Permata began to pace, moving back and forth in front of the wide window.

“And one of the major figures in this research is a pony who, only a few months ago, tried to destroy all of humanity. This individual, instead of facing the consequences of her crimes, is apparently taking her imprisonment as a suggestion instead of a sentence, and is conducting her own probe into the issue…without oversight, and with the full authorization of the one who stopped her.”

Permata finished pacing as she met Celestia’s relaxed gaze with her own. “Is that about the size of it, Princess? Did I miss anything?”

Celestia shook her head. “You are mostly correct, aside from Twilight having no oversight. I’m not peeking over her shoulder, but she does report her findings to me, regularly.”

“Well, that’s all right then.” Permata finished her drink before waving over a waiter to take her glass and the bergamot. Sending away the bemused attendant, the governor leaned against the glass wall and crossed her arms under her ample breasts, making the dusky acres of flesh even more prominent as she faced Celestia.

“Speaking of oversight…will I be appraised of your discoveries? I’m not sure how much the existence of magic will affect this country, but I’d like to at least know what’s going on.”

“On a need to know basis only,” Celestia said with a regretful shrug. “Even this level of magic could be extremely dangerous, depending on our findings. We can’t be too careful.”

“So I wouldn’t even have full administration in my own territory?”

“Think of it like an embassy,” Mary added. “You’ll always have the right to kick us out if you don’t like what we’re doing.”

“I should hope so.” Permata gave Mary a small smile. “Is this working out the way you two practiced it so far?”

Mary laughed. “Pretty much, yeah.” And now, you say-

“How could I possibly trust Twilight after what she did?” Right on cue. Permata looked at Mary and Celestia in turn, as if she was being set up for a prank. “How could you trust her?”

“Twilight and I have a special understanding,” Celestia said with perfect smoothness. “We’ve known each other for many years, you see. Our conflict was based on a tragic circumstance, the memory of which we’ve been slowly but surely working our way through together. Now, I fully intend for Twilight to serve her entire sentence, in time. But right now, we need her help as one of the most talented alicorns in Canterlot history. I trust her completely, Madame Governor, and I do not give my trust lightly.”

“But after all that, it’s still Twi we’re talkin’ ‘bout. We all know she plays the long game.”

Applejack’s presence put Mary on edge. The legendary pony was not a part of their plans, and now her scowl was like a thundercloud. “Mistress, ah know we went over all this, but ah want ya ta reconsider-”

“Your objection is noted,” Permata snapped.

Applejack went silent, but her scowl deepened.

Permata closed her eyes for a good minute. Then she gave a sharp nod, as if coming to a decision, before focusing once again on an expectant Celestia.

“If I do this for you, I want equal compensation.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Celestia said crisply. “We have a certain sum set aside for our budget-”

“No,” Permata said, cutting the Princess short. “I’m not talking about money.”

That would’ve been too easy. Celestia, as always, was unperturbed.

“A service, then.”

“Yes. A service. Something like that.” She crossed the short distance to the Princess, then she ran her hand through Celestia’s flowing mane, watching the rainbow locks float and swirl around her fingers. “Magnificent. Simply divine.”

Celestia let her expression slip into wide-eyed surprise. “Madame Governor…that’s rather familiar, isn’t it? I’d like to keep these negotiations professional, if it’s all the same to you.”

Despite her objections, she made no move to stop the wandering hand, which moved to her strong neck and withers. Astonished murmurs were already starting up in the crowd, but Permata ignored the noise as she caressed her royal guest.

“Your beauty is incomparable, Sun Princess. I’m sure you know that. You use yourself as a prize to get what you want…a prize that will never be awarded. And that usually doesn’t matter. Even the emptiest promises become tangible dreams, for those you wish to take from.”

Permata's voice was heated. “I don’t want any empty promises, Princess. I want something real, something true. You’re going to give it to me, and then we’ll talk about what you want from my land.”

Mary held herself still in an attempt to keep the thin flame of jealousy in her breast from rising any higher. This was all a game. The prize was of incalculable value, but it was a game all the same, and everyone had to play with the stakes available to them. The doctor kept these thoughts running through her head, around and around, until she could almost believe them.

The ragged gnawing at her bottom lip was a purely nervous reaction. Purely.

Celestia’s flat gaze followed Permata's movements upon her hide. “I’m not sure I understand, Madame Governor. I have many powers, but mind reading is not yet among them. You’ll have to be more explicit about what you ask of me.”

Permata chuckled as she sidled past Celestia, moving toward the center of the enormous living room. She made a beckoning gesture with a finger she walked, swinging her hips in a way that would’ve fit a bordello more than a government building. “Come. The three of you. Follow me. And, someone…turn up the music.”

The watching crowd parted like the Red Sea before Permata, and they murmured among themselves, sensing there was something interesting going on. Applejack, as always, followed the Governor a few steps behind. Celestia was next, her ageless expression betraying not a hint of what she was thinking. Mary brought up the rear, her conflicting emotions plain on her face as curiosity and excitement warred with apprehension.

It had already been a hell of a night, and it was just getting started.

Governor Gunawan’s long, thick braid of brown hair reached to the small of her back, and it swung like a hypnotic metronome with the slightest movement of the woman’s head. Permata didn’t even glance backward as, without breaking stride, she reached up and pulled a clip free from the depths of the woven locks. They came apart like magic into a shimmering wave of silky copper, and she ran her fingers lustily through the newly freed hair, humming to herself at the luxurious feeling.

Permata's hands soon roamed to the back of the stylish black corset around her waist. One by one, she unbuckled the silver clasps, freeing the fine leather straps in turn until all three hung loose. Slowly — everything was done with careful precision — she stripped the corset off her body, dropping it in her wake without a further thought. Her white, near-transparent shirt hung loose and open, almost exposing to the world the massive, dark-capped breasts which barely sagged, even without support.

The questioning murmurs grew much louder, occasionally breaking into protesting shouts. It seemed that this was not a scheduled part of the night’s festivities.

“Y’all hush!” Applejack roared, and the voices lowered to a background rumble. Her face was a mask of stone, but she took no other action.

Permata stretched as she walked, enjoying the taste of freedom. “Did you know,” she said in a conversational tone, “that I’ve had three attempts on my life since being elected?”

Celestia hesitated before responding, nonplussed but doing a good job at hiding it. “I knew about the first one. After a labor speech, they found a bomb in your podium that didn’t go off. That was a close one. I had no idea about the others.”

“The only reason I’m still alive is through pure luck,” Permata said. A series of pops could be heard as she undid the buttons on her tight brown skirt, and she peeled the garment away as casually as she would in her own bedroom. The long shirt did little to hide her wide, round buttocks, and her lacy white panties were all but hidden in the acres of flesh that jiggled with every step.

It was as perfect an ass as Mary had ever seen, and despite herself, a familiar heat began to burn in her cunt. Permata certainly knew how to make a statement.

But what was she trying to say?

The governor tossed the skirt over her shoulder. “Soon after that incident, my girl Applejack established contact. We’re about as different as chalk and cheese, but strangely enough, we hit it off. She’s the reason you didn’t hear about the other two attempts. My girl is very thorough, and she does her job with discretion.”

Celestia’s gaze was fixed on Permata's big, honey-tanned ass. She didn’t try to hide her keen interest. “It seems like you’re giving up on discretion, Madame Governor. Last I heard, there were rather stringent laws about obscenity in this country, though Bali is a bit more lenient. You’re not setting a very good example at the moment.”

“I didn’t become what I am to set an example.” Permata's voice was sharp as she slipped off her shirt, at last freeing her chest to the leering eyes of everyone watching, while her thumb-sized nipples hardened in the night air. She was now clad in only heels and panties, and Mary was struck by how curvy and inviting every inch of her body was. She was a walking fertility idol, her softness and eroticism normally hidden underneath a veneer of fashion-forward severity…but now she’d torn away that facade herself, piece by piece, revealing something raw and primal.

The doctor could feel herself drooling with every step the group took. She wanted nothing more than to insert her tongue between those wide ass cheeks, or to warm her ears with those majestic tits, while Permata's long brown hair tickled her skin. Powerful, gorgeous women getting down and dirty had become a particular attraction for Mary since meeting Celestia, and this was a dream scenario.

But…here? Now? In Indonesia?

Sensing Mary’s thoughts, Permata caressed her own thick rear, glancing back at the doctor and the Princess with a devastating pout as she enjoyed the contours of her backside. “I also didn’t get to my position by following examples. You see, I’ve always been a creature of sensation. Of pleasure. As much as I love my country and its people, that’s a part of myself that I will never give up. Many have called that selfish. Irresponsible. Even…pornographic. I’ve been threatened and shamed by elements within and without for being the way I am, and so I’ve always held back before. I set limits upon myself, afraid to take things too far and lose whatever support I’ve managed to accumulate.”

Permata lifted her dusky tits, as if feeling their size and heft for the first time. “No more. I’m done with limits. I’m going to show this country, and the world, exactly what pornography means. This is my revelation of truth, dear guests. I’ve brought you here — you, and all these others from across the globe — so that you may bear witness.”

The tiny peregrination was approaching the center of the living room, where soft gray couches set in a circle for easy conversation were hastily evacuated at a glance from the governor. Taking one of the plush love seats for herself, she draped across it like a woman in a painting, completely at ease in the midst of the surreal situation. Mary took a seat opposite the Governor, while Celestia went to her knees on the floor beside the doctor. Right now, they were both caught in the flow of the moment, but that held its own excitement. And technically, this was still a negotiation.

“You’ve never done anything like this before.” Celestia’s voice might have held an extra note of huskiness, but Mary couldn’t quite tell for sure. “Pushing the envelope in public is risky, even for you. Where’s all this confidence coming from?”

Permata nodded her head toward Applejack, who’d taken her post next to the couch and was wearing a look that could make kittens cry. The governor chuckled at her assistant’s obvious disquiet.

“It’s her. No matter her history, Applejack will always be a hero to me. God, she’s been saving my life for years now. She’s my whole reason for taking action, and not only because she makes me feel safe.”

Applejack’s expression softened, but the pony set her gaze into the far distance as Permata spoke. “My girl loves truth. She binds herself by it, and judges others by their sincerity. When we first met, I was much closer to one of these sad, clinging state actors, desperately trying to hold onto power. She showed me that honesty is not something to be scoffed at. It’s not a quality only for fools, to be taken advantage of at the first opportunity.”

Permata moaned as she stretched, raising her arms over her head and making her soft parts jiggle like jelly. “No. Truth is freedom. It unshackles us. There’s no need for me to hide anymore, Princess. I refuse to do it. At last, I shall become the harlot I was always meant to be.”

The governor's lidded eyes stared at Celestia in direct invitation. “You can do the same, if you dare. Be free with me, Sun Princess.”

Celestia kept her expression carefully neutral, but Mary could’ve drowned in the alicorn’s stillness. “I’m still confused, Madame Governor. As royalty, I may be somewhat less free than others, but I am content with what I have.”

“And what do you got?” Applejack forcefully interjected herself into the conversation. “Let’s count ‘em up.”

The pony clopped her front hooves together. “First, we got an Irish reporter ya fucked up so bad, ya hadda go inta her dreams to put her back together.”

Clop, clop. “Then, ya got a jailbait college student who thinks yer God, Buddha an’ Krishna all at once. Jim Jones woulda been impressed.”

Clop, clop, clop. “And let’s not forget the right shameless, horse-obsessed doctor who got her claws into ya good an’ tight.” Applejack waved a hoof at Mary. “What is it wit’ you an’ human women? Is that an alicorn thang, or jest yer fetish?”

“A little bit of both,” Mary almost said. She could hear the voices surrounding them take on a more incredulous tone, and she could see phones being hurriedly unlocked…pictures and video taken…furtive calls made. The doctor’s immediate instinct was to wonder who’d leaked their sordid activities, but that was a question for later. All that mattered was that Applejack — and by extension, Governor Gunawan — knew everything.

Celestia was resolute. “I thought this was a conversation in good faith, Applejack. Is this another part of your mistress’s plan? To wheedle an old friend into bringing up rumors and jealous innuendoes in a bid for leverage?”

The governor swung her legs to the floor as she laughed breezily. “My God. I never thought I’d come across anyone with a better poker face than myself.” Permata bounced to her feet, and Mary was once again treated to the delightful sight of those matronly curves in motion as she sauntered over to Celestia.

With a shocking boldness, Permata went to Celestia’s flank, caressing the Princess’ sunburst insignia. “Ah, there it is. The sun! Revelation and danger…life, warmth and death, all rolled into one. It has a lot of meanings in our world, Princess. Mainly, it shows us truth.”

She moved behind Celestia’s wide rear and to the alicorn’s other side, teasingly stroking the long, rainbow tail that yet hid other pleasures. “If I may be so bold…you’re not living up to your cutie mark. I’m going to bring your secrets into the light, kicking and screaming. If you’re lucky.” Permata laughed again.

Celestia wasn’t feeling the humor. “Now you threaten me with blackmail? What kind of-”

“Blackmail?” Permata put a hand to her throat in dramatic fashion. “How could I ever do such a thing? What would I even use? It’s not like I have high resolution footage of your trysts from every conceivable angle. I certainly don’t have copies ready to send to every nation on Earth.”

Permata brought her full lips to Celestia’s ear, speaking only loud enough for the the Princess and Mary to catch the sound. “And I absolutely, positively don’t have a trustworthy alien pony ready to speak on the record about what really happened between you and your Faithful Student. No, not at all.”