Chapter Fourteen: In the Shadows of Giants

The royal baths hadn’t changed a bit since Twilight had last stayed at the palace. They were more like a small communal bath for ten ponies than one for a pair of alicorns; as Twilight was becoming increasingly aware, Celestia was at least a head taller than her, and half again as long. It made sense that such a tall, leggy beauty would need a wide, deep bath to wash her wings in. Not that Twilight paid attention to things like that, of course. Sinking down amidst strawberry scented bubbles, she sighed in ecstasy, her hair writhing in the warm water like a dark cloud. Terminus? You’ve been awfully quiet…

“I suppose I have, dear one. Your previous mix of emotions was difficult to process in my present state of mind, so I simply stayed silent and allowed them to accumulate in my pattern buffer. Now that I have cleared the backlog, I am once again functioning within reasonable parameters.”

She smiled as Celestia sank into the bath from the other side, her long rainbow mane trailing through the water. “You know, the court will become a pit of hysteria when they find out you shared my bed, dearest. I am sure the idea that I may never carry an heiress of my own would be absolutely terrifying to the ladyship and gentry. It's practically the same every generation.”

Twilight frowned. You know… I’ve never tried to picture Celestia pregnant. Somehow it just doesn’t seem right. “Could you, though? I mean, given that you’re… the sun and everything?”

Celestia’s eyes widened, her cheeks darkening slightly as she seemingly examined the question from a large number of possible angles. It was an expression Twilight was quickly coming to find more and more appealing. “I suppose it would be possible, yes, although such a foal would be mortal, barring some freak occurrence.” Her face fell, and she regarded Twilight wearily, “I have… not had good luck with my children, Twilight.”

She has children?! “I’ve… never heard of any child of Celestia. You said it yourself; the noblemares would go crazy if they found even one...” she said cautiously, paddling aimlessly in the warm water.

“It was a long time ago, my little pony. Aeons before the founding of the three tribes. Long before ponies ever walked the plains of Equus, in fact. It was a lonely place, and we shaped it how we pleased, producing great wonders only to tear them down the next moment,” the alicorn said wistfully, her eyes shining in the clean light of the weather lamps. “Time stretched out before us, offering infinite promise, and we sought to create something more permanent, that would stand the test of time like we had. In our folly, Luna and I coupled,” Celestia said, noting Twilight’s quiet gasp. “Don’t think of it as sex, Twilight. It was… more and less than that word implies. In any case, I brought forth a child, although the process was exhausting for me. Ignis, the first Elemental.”

Resting back against the bath’s hoof-rails, Twilight frowned. I don’t like the direction this is going… “I-If you don’t want to tell me…”

Celestia shot her a grateful smile, “It was a long time ago, Twilight… I have made my peace with it. Ignis possessed a spark, much like myself, and we celebrated our success. For a time, all was well and the three of us prospered, however Ignis felt it should create offspring. It… fragmented, becoming four new beings. Have you ever seen the original map of Equestria, down in the archives?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and she hastily covered her mouth with one hoof. “The one that you penned? Why?” She blinked. Four… cardinal directions? Maybe? “The compass?”

“Very good, my little Twilight. Yes… I felt they should be remembered in some small way, even if nopony would understand their significance. In what seemed like no time at all, they had formed their own small tribes upon Equus. I remember stepping into the court of Zephyrus… how small it seemed, compared to my own works, but also how much more permanent it was for that smallness.” Celestia sighed, shaking her head. Twilight paddled closer, clasping her hooves around Celestia’s waist. The alicorn smiled softly, running a hoof along Twilight’s jaw before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “Thank you, my faithful Twilight.”

“W-what happened to them, though?” Twilight asked, carefully watching her mentor’s face.

“Unfortunately, Luna grew jealous of my sway with our creations. Boreas, who prefered Luna’s philosophies from the start, took matters into his own hands, assassinating Notus the Stormlord and taking up the spark of Notus for himself, hoping to earn her favour. I spoke with Luna at length, but neither of us could agree on how to manage the remaining creations. Notus was dead, his tribe scattered, while Zephyrus and Eurus planned to strike down Boreas in revenge. War seemed inevitable, and I’m ashamed to say neither of us was mature enough to handle the situation. We… we divided Equus between each other, and retreated to our own domains, leaving them to settle the matter between themselves. It was a dark day, that separation. I still hear their battle cries, sometimes. My children fighting even as the mountains turned to slag under my unmoving sun. Too many regrets, Twilight. Maybe if I’d reached out to them, then… I don’t know.” The alicorn gulped, trembling faintly. “I didn’t want to hurt Luna. She was always what mattered, even back then.”

Twilight frowned, resting her cheek against the wet fur of Celestia’s neck as the two cuddled against the side of the bath. “Why do you let it continue? She hurts you so much…”

Pink eyes somber and impossibly old, Celestia shrugged, looking away. “Because there is so much more, Twilight. The lengths of time are extremely difficult to convey to you meaningfully. She has been with me since we came into being, when the stars were young. And somehow, our separations never get any easier… this time particularly so. It is simply difficult to imagine life without her, Twilight.”

When the stars were young… but that’s… sun! She released her death grip on Celestia’s waist, holding the mare at foreleg’s length, staring at the perfect specimen of immortality before her. “You’re… older than Equus? Really?”

Celestia’s mouth quirked, her mane enfolding Twilight gently under the water. Twilight shivered, melting under the touch of the silky warmth. “There was a time, yes, before we lived here. Our domains were not so confining. We were forces of nature, with barely a sense of self, so you must be aware that my memories of those times are… less comprehensive than they could be. Do you understand now, why I was reluctant to allow you to grow closer to me, my little Twilight? I am not merely an old archon of ponykind.”

“What about the account of Commander Hurricane? Didn’t the unicorns raise the sun before you ruled?”

Celestia gently cupped cupped Twilight’s cheek, running a hoof through her curly fringe, spreading tingling warmth up through her horn. “I am sorry, my little pony. They… claimed to be able to do so, for a time. What would become the three tribes were actually the fourth race of ponies to settle on Equus, and to them, the sun and moon were objects of awe and fear. The unicorns used this to their advantage, at least until we appeared to them. A direct intervention at my sister’s behest, in order to take a more active role in the shaping of your race. I never intended to grow attached to your… our kind.”

Twilight shivered, grasping the hoof rails on the sides of the bath to keep afloat. “Thank you for making that exception with me, then. ”

The alicorn chuckled, her eyes shining with warmth as she gently hugged Twilight to her. “I did not intend that either, my little pony, but you did not allow me to remain indifferent. It almost reminds me of my old apprentice, actually…”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she reached for a glass bottle of liquid soap with a tendril of magic. You never spoke of him, princess. “Silvermoon the Bronzehorned?”

Raising her eyebrows, Celestia laughed softly. “You have done your reading, haven’t you? Of course you have. No, my little pony, I refer to Star Swirl the Bearded. He was… special to me, though not as you are. I was quite different five thousand years ago, and much more aloof. Still, he wormed his way into my good graces all the same, and we made much magic together.”

A chill passed through Twilight, despite the tingling warmth from Celestia’s soft fur.

‘The hoof of our sister is long,’ Lady Luna said… Star Swirl, you too? I have an entire shelf devoted your translated works, but how much did you actually make yourself?

“But… how much did he actually make by himself?” she asked hesitantly, dreading the answer. Celestia bit her lip, squeezing Twilight in her hooves and wiggling in the warm water.

“I see that my sister’s words have disturbed you… in truth, he wrote less than I am comfortable with. A failing of the ‘classical’ generation. Brilliant, my dear Twilight, but far too lazy for their own good. He was driven in seeking out my tutelage, but I’m afraid little came from it beyond our friendship,” Celestia said, her eyes staring unseeing into the steaming water.

“H-how did you…?” Twilight murmured, lathering her hooves clumsily.

“You got that adorably perplexed look that means you are dealing with a complex problem, and due to the subject matter it wasn’t too difficult to extrapolate on it,” the alicorn said, grinning cheekily and nuzzling Twilight’s ears. “Much simpler than reading your mind, after all.”

She gaped, hooves frozen as she prepared to soap up Celestia’s slender chest. As distracting as the scenery is… what!? “Y-y-you can do that!?”

Celestia sighed, taking Twilight’s soapy hooves in her own, her face grave. “I will not lie to you, dearest Twilight. Of course I could peer into your thoughts. It isn’t much different from walking a dreaming mind, after all, and my sister has done that for hundreds of years. I would, of course, require your permission now, Terminus.”

A playful laugh. “As if I would risk antagonising you, Lady Celestia.”

The princess blushed, leaning forward to rest her cheek on Twilight’s. “Yes… well, my point was that this wouldn’t be something I’d do lightly,” she said, running little kisses along Twilight’s jaw as the unicorn shifted restlessly. Twilight’s mind raced, though Celestia’s attentions were becoming increasingly distracting. So she could… oh dear. That’s a complete invasion of privacy… if my mind isn’t safe, where is?

“That’s… I can’t say that’s not extremely unsettling, Celestia. Oh, sun, would you stop that a minute?!” Celestia froze mid-nibble, shrinking away from her. The fear in those pink eyes felt like a leaden weight in Twilight’s belly, and she sighed, rubbing her forehead, allowing the soap on her hooves to dissolve into the bathwater. “No, no… I just… I’m trying freak out for a moment, and it’s difficult when you’re being, uhm… distracting like that. Of course, you could probably just zap me and make me come my brains out again, and suddenly I wouldn’t care anymore, but… please don’t do that, because that would make it really hard to trust you. Even if I’d love it. Agh, do you have any idea how confused I am right now!?” Twilight snapped, her hair whipping out of the water, coiling into large swirling disks as if seeking stability itself. Celestia pressed herself back against the hoof rail, hiding behind her mane, and Twilight’s eyes stung as she heard the weak little mantra the alicorn was muttering.

“Not you… please, don’t go…” Celestia murmured, her ears wilting. “Not you too. Please. I couldn’t bear it.” She reached out a hoof, and Twilight froze, unsure of what to do for a split second. With a gasp, she took the offered hoof and Celestia’s eyes slid shut, tears trickling down her chin. “Twilight, please… my dearest student. I wouldn’t… it was a joke in poor taste. Trust that I wouldn’t… do that to you. P-p-please…”

She’d never seen Celestia look quite so small, crammed into the corner of the bath, bedraggled and fighting back tears. She sighed, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia’s neck, holding the damp mare close. It was slightly difficult, given how much smaller she was than the princess, but her heart melted when she felt Celestia’s head resting against her shoulder. The alicorn was shaking like a leaf, all pretense of bravado lost to what Twilight could only guess was absolute terror. She took a deep breath. Okay, note to self. Acquire more reliable defense against mental intrusions. ASAP.

“Celestia… I could never leave you. You scared me, that’s all... I’m not going anywhere, shh…”

The role reversal made her stomach flip-flop, but she comforted Celestia as best she could. It scared her how fragile the princess really was, behind all the masks. With a start, an idea struck her, and she grabbed a shampoo bottle. I always loved it when she would wash my hair, back when I was a filly. Though… maybe two bottles… oh sun, we both have so much hair now!

“All right, how about I sit on the side just here, and wash your mane? It could be just like old times!”

Rubbing reddened eyes, Celestia managed a skeptical glance, “Are you sure that wouldn’t be… odd, now, Twilight?”

“What do you mean?”

The princess smiled weakly. “Simply that such rituals are for young fillies, are they not? Would that not be slightly creepy for you?”

Of all the… Twilight shot Celestia a very serious look. “If I was worried about the age difference, I wouldn’t be here with you. Anypony who… was interested in you for you would have to come to terms with it.”

Tilting her head, Celestia seemed to consider the matter for a scant moment, before smiling beatifically. “Thank you, my little Twilight, I would like that very much.”

Twilight shifted around on her haunches until she sat upright in one of the pony-sized indents in the bath wall, designed so that one could lounge on the side of the bath in the shallower water. Celestia sat beside her, in the deeper water, her back to Twilight as her mane curled out around the pair of them, shimmering and undulating. Celestia sighed, leaning into Twilight’s firm touch as she somewhat hesitantly began to massage the shampoo into the alicorn’s long mane. Does she keep the entirety of Vanhoover employed making her hair products? I mean, I never really thought about it, but… it must be twice as long as I am!

Celestia leaned back, resting her head gently on Twilight’s lap, her soapy mane wrapping slickly around the unicorn’s haunches. Twilight squirmed, images the things Celestia could probably do with that hair forming unbidden in her mind, warm tingles shooting through her. I will not molest my sexy, emotionally vulnerable mentor. I will not. She probably doesn’t even mean to do that…

“Something on your mind, Twilight?”

Oh sun, what do I say to that? ‘I want your hair inside me’ isn’t exactly appropriate… random subject, go! “Star Swirl’s journal!”

Celestia turned slightly in her lap, throwing her a quizzical look. “What of it, my little pony?”

She blushed, looking away. “I, uhm… heard from a reliable source that you worked on something extra special with him.”

Celestia frowned, a lock of hair slipping between Twilight’s legs and coiling around the dock of her tail. It was a surprisingly intimate movement, and Twilight let out a little squeak. Ah! But she has no problem molesting me!

“And what, pray tell, did this reliable source tell you of the book?”

Twilight wriggled as the warm, wet hair played over her tail, so close to her slit, but far enough to be unbearable. “Th-that it c-could make me an alicorn, like you!” she gasped out.

Chuckling, Celestia nuzzled the curve of Twilight’s belly, the ticklish sensation making her giggle. “Well, I don’t know about that, but he did helpdevise a spell that might, just possibly, grant a unicorn the powers of a pegasus using unicorn magic. It was… not exactly stable, due to the complex interactions between the pegasus and the unicorn magics.”

“So… what would happen if somepony used it? Hypothetically speaking, of course,” Twilight said, fiddling with the end of Celestia’s long mane, letting the wavy strands play over her hooves.

“Oh, a few interesting effects, none of them reliable. You might perhaps gain the pegasus weather control powers, or a nice set of wings. Or, you might end up very sick indeed. It’s all a gamble, really.”

The princess smiled enigmatically, and Twilight felt a single lock of hair curl up from around her tail. She cried out, biting down on the tip of her hoof as the hair coiled wetly around her clit, gently brushing back and forth against it.

“This was what you really wanted, wasn’t it, Twilight?” Celestia said, carefully watching as she writhed, trying to grind against the soft pressure but helpless as the slick hair parted her lips, slipping inside.

“Ah… ah! Y-yes, princess!”

“That’s too bad then, isn’t it?”

She had barely a second to dodge as Celestia dived under the water, sending up a wave of water that nearly swamped her. The alicorn surfaced, laughing and shaking out her dripping rainbow mane. Twilight spat out a mouthful of water, shivering. She felt painfully empty, the wet tiles teasing her as she shifted uncomfortably.

“Sun, why would you do that?” she said plaintively.

Celestia gave her a cheeky grin, placing her hooves on Twilight’s hips and pulling her closer. Twilight squeaked, flopping onto her back in the hoof deep water. “Because,” Celestia breathed, “I want you to be honest with me, my little pony. Tell me, what do you desire?”

“M-more…” she murmured, curling her back legs around Celestia’s rump, wanting the alicorn closer, over her, in her.

“More what, Twilight? Speak clearly, now,” Celestia said softly. I-I want… I want…

“I want you to fuck me!” somepony said. Twilight clapped a hoof over her mouth. Oh sun… what did I just say? The princess leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on the tip of her horn.

“The bedroom then, dearest Twilight. I’ll be waiting…” she said, laughing softly, before effortlessly spinning away from the unicorn, disappearing mid-twirl, waves of water splashing over the edges of the bath. Twilight gasped, first in shock, then in utter frustration. Sun… why is she such a tease? Wrapping magic around herself, she focused on the dimensions of Celestia’s bedchamber, disappearing with a whisper of displaced air.

~~~

As soon as she was aware of her surroundings, she found herself on her back, a warm tongue playing over the length of her horn. Her eyes crossed, and she let out a little whimper, looking up at her assailant.

O-oh my. Celestia’s warm weight pressed down on her, gentle but insistent. The alicorn leaned forward, searing lips gently pulling and sucking at her own, and she let out a little whine, teasing Celestia’s warm tongue as it slipped into her mouth. She’s never really used her size around me before... the unfamiliar weight on her belly made her head spin, and she could feel her pussy drip with anticipation. It’s… kind of sexy, actually. She jumped, gasping as she felt a warm curl of wet hair slip up between her legs, slipping inside.

“A-ah! No, no… don’t tease me…” she whispered, panting as the strand of hair squirmed inside her, a second flicking against her clit. Through supreme effort of will, she leaned forward as Celestia kissed her jaw, taking the tip of the polished white horn into her mouth. The princess gasped, practically collapsing on top of her, the horn slipping from her lips, although she kept enough control to clasp her hooves around the beautiful alicorn’s neck, flicking her tongue over the base of Celestia’s horn. One moment Celestia had been teasing her to madness, and the next she found the alicorn trembling in her grasp, helpless as she licked up and down.

“Mmh, Twilight!” Celestia murmured, her eyes glazed as her hair weakly pressed against Twilight’s sensitive button. Twilight groaned, almost biting the horn as Celestia’s hair thrust into her, more and more slipping inside, tingling warmth building as her head went white.

“Oh sun!” she cried, her pussy spasming around the mass of slick hair as she gasped for breath, licking lazily around the base of Celestia’s horn. It was somehow even better than last time, even if it hadn’t utterly consumed her. Soft pink eyes settled on her own, burning with lust, but underneath it she couldn’t help but notice Celestia seemed almost confused. It’s like… she can’t understand what went wrong.

She could taste magic, bright and sharp, tingling against her tongue, as a sparkling sheen of golden light formed. It hurt, but she couldn’t just stop, not with Celestia looking so enraptured, shuddering with pleasure and grinding against Twilight’s leg. I’m not going to be a tease like you. She smirked faintly as she once again took the tip of Celestia’s horn into her mouth, ignoring the stinging heat, and swirling her tongue around it. She felt the surge before she saw the signs, jerking her head back instinctively. Oops.

With a low wail, Celestia’s back arched, and Twilight brought her hooves up over her face. She saw the sunburst through her eyelids, sending black spots dancing across her vision. Her face and forelegs took the brunt of it, stinging with a bad case of instant sunburn, bringing tears to her eyes. With a soft sigh, Celestia lay still, resting her chin on Twilight’s shoulder, breathing heavily. The warm weight was almost suffocating, but hesitantly she wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn’s chest, cuddling her close.

“I… I had no idea that this body was quite so sensitive,” Celestia murmured almost drunkenly. Twilight gave a little groan, her mouth raw. ...ow. Um… oh dear. I’m not sure how well I can talk right now.

“Oh, goodness, I’m sorry Twilight… are you okay, my little pony?” Celestia said softly, rolling off Twilight to lay to the side. She gave a rasping cough, smiling weakly.

“I… ah! I think so, Celestia,” she said, the sentence interrupted by a little squeak of pain. Ow… owowow… okay, talking is a bad idea right now.

“I hate to interrupt, but what dearest Twilight is attempting to say is ‘I am suffering from multiple burns, please take me to a healer.’” Terminus interjected. Twilight’s horn lit as she focused on a basic healing spell, little more than a magical painkilling technique, her face growing numb as she focused the magic. Celestia’s face fell, and she reached out a hoof, only hesitate as she saw the reddening patches on Twilight’s coat.

“Yes… yes, that is perhaps a good idea. I’m sorry, Twilight, I couldn’t help myself. Not when you were… um…” she blushed, eyes shifting away guiltily.

“Th-that’s okay. I wanted you to feel good.”
The alicorn smiled dazedly. “No complaints, dearest.”

Couldn’t you just… fix the burns? You’re very good at modifying living things, aren’t you?

The voice came back almost surprised. “Why yes, I suppose I am, dear one. Very well, although you may feel somewhat tired after this. You may wish to move to a safer distance, Lady Celestia.”

The alicorn lazily rolled over, stopping at the edge of the bed, watching Twilight intently. I consign control to Terminus. Immediately, the pain fell away, a comfortable numbness spreading through her. The world came alive with a riot of colours, although Celestia’s brilliance was blinding before Terminus averted her eyes from the second sun.

“Pay close attention, dear one.”

Magic poured through into the spark, without focusing on any particular point. No… the point is inside me. She could feel the focus of the spark shifting slowly across the surface of her face, the flesh shivering and rearranging in a most unsettling way. Magic infiltrated the skin, performing hundreds of minute transmutations.

“This technique may be used in many other ways, such as partial transformations of the avatar. Much more efficient than forming a new limb from nothing.”

I… I see. She refrained from commenting on the impossibility of such a spell. She’d seen transformation spells, but they were usually incredibly specific, such as a spell to transmute the target, or a portion of the target’s mass into an orange. A soft snort from Celestia, and Terminus flicked her eyes back toward the other mare. The flesh of Celestia’s forehoof rippled, becoming a white-scaled claw, like that of a dragon. Clenching her newly formed fist, she let the transmutation end, reforming the hoof.

“Useful indeed, honoured guest. I suppose my student should learn such things, if your presence here is to become the norm. I feel I must warn you of the others that lurk in the shadows of our domains. I will shelter you should they prove hostile, if only for Twilight’s sake.”

The air in the bedroom seemed to chill, Twilight catching a flash of rage tempered with fear. “I see. Thank you for the warning, Lady Celestia. I shall endeavour to keep your subjects out of the crossfire,” the voice said coldly with her own mouth. The skin of her forelegs rippled, reforming in seconds, and a moment later the glow of the mage eye faded, the startling clarity of vision returning to normal. A wave of exhaustion slammed into her, and she sank down in the bed, resting her head on her newly healed hooves. Thank you…

Twilight felt her body gently rolled, until she laid comfortably on her back. Celestia moved up, nuzzling Twilight’s cheek gently. “I am very sorry, my little pony. I… I did not mean to…”

“It’s alright.” Twilight yawned again, wriggling her back against the soft, silken sheets. “M’all better now.” She smiled a lazy smile up at her mentor, eyes half-lidded. Celestia’s own eyes softened, and she dipped her head down to catch Twilight’s lips for a bare moment.

“Tell you what. Just lay back, and let me make it up to you, okay?” The glint in Celestia’s eyes made Twilight shiver involuntarily, and she grinned and nodded her consent.

Her hooves grasped the bedsheets, the slippery fabric rubbing the sensitive frogs of her hooves. She gasped as Celestia nipped at her neck, hot breath washing down her body as she moved even lower. Twilight whimpered, moving to grasp the ethereal, rainbow mane as it flowed over her body.

She chanced a glance down, catching Celestia’s soft rose eyes with her own. Heat flooded her body at the look in her mentor’s eyes, and she bit her lip, letting her head thump back on the bed. “Y-You tease…”

A tinkling giggle met her words, and she felt a soft flick of tongue over her sensitive mound. Moaning, she raised her hips involuntarily as Celestia’s hooves stroked over her cutie marks. A sudden heat and wetness enveloped her clitoris, and a little gasp escaped her. “Mmm… right there…”

Long strands of Celestia’s hair moved up, washing over her body and prodding at her most sensitive areas. As Celestia continued to tongue her clitoris, her mane twisted around Twilight’s nipples, and she yelped. It trailed off to a moan as Celestia eased up, tongue working ever more furiously at the unicorn’s nub.

Twilight squirmed, the roiling heat in her belly growing with each little flick of tongue or hair. It rose higher, to her chest, and she gasped. “Nearly… oh… nearly there…”

Cold air hit her nethers suddenly as Celestia removed her face from Twilight’s pussy, a little smile on her face. “I want to make you feel very good, my little Twilight. I cannot do that so quickly.” Twilight gave a little growl of frustration, tugging still at the strands of mane playing across her body.

Heat rushed over her vulva again, and a wet tongue parted her lower lips. She shivered, bucking slightly on the tongue as it wound its way into her pussy. She moaned, walls constricting around the intruder, growing wetter by the moment. Celestia hummed against her pussy, lips fully around Twilight’s lower ones as she lapped at the inside of her cunt. The heat built again, this time more insistent, and spiked harder when Celestia ran her tongue suddenly up her vulva to her clitoris again.

Twilight’s hair writhed, shooting down to twine with Celestia’s and pull the alicorn ever closer. Several of the strands shot over Celestia, stroking at the sun cutie marks on the princess’ flanks. Celestia gasped, raising her ass slightly before going back to her ministrations. Twilight bucked upwards, finding Celestia’s mouth and moaning as her clitoris was once more enveloped.

Black hair wound even further back, coming to rest at Celestia’s entrances. She shivered, still keeping her attention on Twilight as the tendrils eased into her pussy and ass simultaneously. She moaned against Twilight’s clit, and the unicorn bucked again, the heat in her abdomen becoming nigh unbearable as her nethers began to tingle.

The tentacles plunged even deeper into Celestia, and she bucked back against them. Twilight grasped her hair firmly, pulling her back down to her needy pussy. Celestia attacked it with a vengeance, the vibrations of her moans drawing identical moans from Twilight as she peaked.

Cum flowed over the princess’ tongue, Twilight’s spasming walls pushing ever more out. After a moment of hesitation, Celestia lapped it up greedily, sucking at Twilight’s entrance. Sleepiness overcame the unicorn, and with a last effort of will, she plunged the tentacles as deep as they would go inside of her mentor. Celestia cried out, slick walls clenching around the hair as her own orgasm hit, coating the ends of the hair in her juices.

Both ponies flopped down, breathing heavily, and Twilight sighed contentedly. A warm glow seemed to fill her, spreading out from her heart to all of her limbs. Celestia slid up beside her, brushing Twilight’s damp mane from her face. “I hope you accept my apology, dearest Twilight.”

Twilight’s eyebrows rose into her hairline. She made a show of thinking about it, hoof lazily tapping her chin. “Well… I guess so.” She smirked, winking at Celestia as she curled up even closer.

She let out a little yawn as Celestia bundled her up in her hooves, almost like one might hold a filly. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll keep you safe, dearest,” the alicorn murmured, nuzzling her. Her eyes widened. Safe from what, though? She shuddered, cuddling into Celestia’s smooth fur.

“G-goodnight, Celestia.”

“Goodnight, Twilight.”

~~~

Clad in a spell of silence, she stole into the bedroom of the Element of Honesty. Parting the four-poster’s curtains with her horn, Celestia took a moment to examine the sleeping mare for any signs of adverse effects. Aura stable, physically healthy, hat reads… life signs? The orange mare’s hat had remained glued to her scalp even through the transfer from Ponyville, and she took a moment to examine the thing closely. A simple felt construction, although it seemed to have absorbed some of the intrinsic earth pony magic within the mare, gaining supernatural stubbornness. She hummed quietly. Enveloped in her magical field… it’s actually become part of her body, magically speaking. Practically indestructible by normal means. She must hold it very dear to her. A touch of her horn removed the sleep spell, and Applejack’s eyes immediately snapped open and she sprang off the bed, dropping into a low stance as her eyes darted around the room.

“P-princess Celestia!? Where am I?”

She held up a hoof, “Peace, Applejack. You are in Canterlot, along with the rest of your friends, after an incident in Ponyville. You are safe.”

Applejack blushed, rubbing her neck sheepishly as she straightened up. “Sorry your highness, I’ve just been havin’ the darndest luck lately. Oh my gosh, Twilight never came back… did’ya find her, Princess?”

She smiled gently. She came to me, actually. She almost hugged herself, savouring the warm fuzzy feeling, but kept her mask intact. “Of course. She actually alerted me to the issue, although by that point things were far out of hoof. She was successful in eliminating the threat of one ‘Night Slash’, however.”

Applejack winced, rubbing her face. “Please don’t say that name. I-I mean, not that I can tell you what to do, b-but… I’d rather not remember the way I fawned around him, and I reckon the others might just feel the same. What about Fluttershy? They were thick as thieves for a few days, those two.”

She sighed, her cheerful mood effectively burst. I wish I could do more. Maybe if I… no, it would be easier to clone her than to fix the scarring. And by that point, they wouldn’t accept a ‘new’ Fluttershy. Applejack’s face fell, seemingly managing to read her even through her royal demeanor. “I’m sorry. She is safe now, however it may be wise to be gentle with her. I have done what I can, but she will need the love and support of her friends more than anything.”

“R-right. You can count on me, yer Highness!”

Celestia smiled, laughing a tinkly little chuckle. She felt like a fraud. What good is power when you’re never where you’re really needed? Perhaps if I were to extend the wards to Ponyville… Oh, this wouldn’t be a problem if I could count on Luna’s vigil… After all, the creature had been very wary during the day, and splitting her consciousness enough to pay attention to every creature’s aura under the sun would be exhausting, even for her. “Thank you, Applejack. I must go wake the others, however breakfast will be provided for you in the dining hall one floor down. Good luck.”

With that done, she proceeded down the hall, waking each pony in turn. Rainbow Dash was initially irritable, but mollified by the offering of free food. Rarity was surprisingly passive about the entire thing, taking a moment to ask if Twilight would be with them, before going on her way. As much as she enjoyed Pinkie’s antics, she found the mare’s incessant cheerfulness and convoluted aura to be tiresome. She had managed to barter Pinkie down to one party, delivered in the middle of evening court, as a way to break the sheer monotony. Finally, and with some trepidation, she reached out with her magic, gently tapping Fluttershy awake. Shrinking back, Fluttershy stared at her, eyes wide, before settling completely still.

“Y-your Highness,” she said quietly, bowing her head.

“Do not fear, Fluttershy. I have momentarily relocated you to the palace. You are safe, now,” Celestia murmured as reassuringly as she could. Imagine if it were Twilight. What would I say? Her eyes stung, and she was forced to look away. On second thoughts...

“I see,” Fluttershy replied, her eyes glazed and distant. “I-is Twilight here?” she asked suddenly, her eyes snapping up to meet Celestia’s. The princess gave a gentle smile.

“Of course, my little pony. She, and all your friends, are most likely making their way to breakfast as we speak.”

The little pegasus seemed to curl in on herself, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she took a deep breath, letting out a little sob. “O-okay, I’ll… uhm, I’ll come down in a minute, y-your Highness.”

Celestia bowed her head solemnly. “If you are comfortable with this, then I will see you in the dining suite. Be safe, Fluttershy.” She took a step forward, reappearing seamlessly in her own bedchambers. The balcony curtains allowed the chill of morning to enter, and she took a moment to enjoy the sound of Canterlot’s birds making their morning tribute. A soft voice bit off its previous conversation, offering a greeting, and she whispered a careful response to the voidling, not wanting to disturb her student. Twilight sat on the rich silk bedclothes, a section of silken scroll hovering before her. The material was quite expensive in western Equestria, due to the need to ship the material over from Neighpon. Odd that she’d be reading something so antiquated… I didn’t think many records survived of the times before paper. She recognised that perplexed scowl, and moved closer, nuzzling the unicorn’s ears. She did hug herself then, simply pleased with the closeness, and the sheer warmth she felt in Twilight’s company.

“Problems, Twilight?” she whispered, looking over the top of Twilight’s obstructive curtain of hair. She recognised the writing style immediately, and bit her lip. Luna, then… that explains the silk. She reached out, hugging the unicorn to her tightly. Twilight gave a little squeak as she was suddenly pulled backward, but nestled into Celestia’s chest gratefully.

“Oof! C-careful,” Twilight said, her cool body almost completely enfolded by the larger alicorn spooning against her. Celestia felt her cheeks heat at that unconscious admonishment, and immediately loosened her grip. “Oh, Sun… I’m so sorry, Princess, I didn’t m-mean to—”

Celestia kissed one of the perky purple ears, a little thrill racing through her at the ability to do so freely. “Quite all right, my dearest pony. If I make you uncomfortable, I expect you to be honest in telling me so, so I’m quite pleased that you’re already ahead of schedule.”

Ducking her head, Twilight acknowledged the praise with pink cheeks, before shifting her attention back to the scroll. “I’m having difficulty with this, though. I know it’s middle-Equestrian, but it’s in some sort of odd dialect, and written on silk like this the hoofwriting is… strange. I think it’s from Lady Luna, though.”

Celestia felt a weight settle gently in her gut as her eyes scanned down the missive, yet another small reminder of the separation. “She wishes to speak with Terminus in three days time, at nine o’clock. She acknowledges your presence as a necessity, and extends the invitation to you as well.”

She felt Twilight tense, and hugged the little unicorn closer. “Whatever you need, I will provide. What’s on your mind?”

“I-I… I just… I still don’t know what to do. She’s so much older, and so hopeless that I just don’t know how to help her. It’s no use being a good friend to her when she can barely accept me as a sapient being!”

Twilight twisted, turning to face her. “And I can’t let you down. You know that, Celestia. So I need to do my best.”

Thinking it over, Celestia made a soft humming noise. “You always do, Twilight. And what of your plans, Terminus? You are awfully quiet as of late.”

“I suspect that the lady Luna wishes to continue our debate on the role of Beings in relation to mortals. I do not plan to disappoint her. In addition, I fully endorse Twilight’s plans to reach Luna through her stomach. From shared memories, it is clear that Pinkie Pie is an exceptional cook.”

Twilight blushed fiercely, wiggling uncomfortably on the red silk. “Terminus! That’s… that was a silly idea, Princess, don’t pay attention to her.”

Celestia shrugged, smiling and fluttering kisses over Twilight’s cheek, eliciting a yelp. Too cute, my faithful Twilight. “It isn’t as terrible an idea as you suggest, actually. She has never accepted offered meals from the palace kitchens, to the chagrin of the cooks, but a creation of Pinkie Pie’s might be enough to tempt her. Why, I remember the first time I actually tried eating… year four-fifty-two. I think I spent the week after bingeing on cakes,” she whispered against Twilight’s ear, giving it a small peck. She felt a little shiver run through Twilight as she rested her chin against her student’s cheek, though Twilight quickly gave way to giggles.

“I can’t say I can picture you being fat, Celestia,” Twilight murmured, smiling fondly, her icy aura tingling deliciously against Celestia’s teats. I wish she would shift a little lower… no, no, be serious. I could break her if I’m not careful. Still, she couldn’t help a little purr at the thought.

“I suspect the royal rump has never been so padded since. Worth the time, though,” Celestia licked her lips, wiggling her hips to get more comfortable, rubbing herself against Twilight’s soft coat. Coincidentally, of course. Unable to take the separation any longer, she claimed Twilight’s lips, before carefully licking and kissing down Twilight’s neck as she gasped.

A purple hoof gently pushed Celestia away as Twilight bit her lip, her eyes smouldering with lust. “Stop that; we’re meant to be going to breakfast soon, and if you make me all, uhm… horny…”

Celestia quirked an eyebrow, grinning impishly. “Then what, Twilight? What will you do?”

Her student gave a frustrated little grunt, craning her neck up to give Celestia a kiss that practically froze her tongue, pushing the alicorn back into the plush pillows. She smirked, looking up into those glowing purple eyes, half-lidded with need.

“Well, if you insist...”

They were late to breakfast.

Author's Note

Hey everybody, new chapter out. Plot's a bit slow, but can't do much about that now. A massive shout out to MidnightDancer for editing/proofreading this chapter, and especially for her work on the cloppy stuffs. Don't know what I'd do without her, honestly. If you haven't read her stories, go read them now. Seriously. Anyway, I'll just be over here, being generally caffeinated and doing author stuffs. Hope you liked the chapter.