Chapter 1: Love Potions
*****
“Thank you so much for the invitation, Princess!”
“You’re always welcome, Twilight. I had a very pleasant time.”
The sound of hooves, clopping against the marble floor, echoed through the long, wide castle corridors. Trotting through them, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia exchanged chuckles between each other. The chirping of birds rang outside the windows, blending with the common morning sounds of Canterlot Castle. The two mares had been strolling around the castle for quite a while, trotting through extended hallways and taking several stairways. The noon carried a gentle, refreshing breeze with it, blowing across the skies of Equestria.
“So, Princess, when will we see each other, again?”
“Whenever you feel like coming, Twilight. I will always be glad to have a chat with you.”
“Well, that is so nice of you, Princess! Thanks.”
The mares stepped in front of the colossal, golden doors of Canterlot Castle. The two guard ponies, standing at both sides of the doors, bowed as soon as Her Majesty stood before them. Celestia raised a wing, indicating them to open the doors. With their magic, the guards grabbed each door and opened them to the outside. The heavy noise of the opening doors resounded across the castle foyer. Celestia nodded and trotted along with Twilight, the guards bowing once again; the doors behind the mares closed as soon as they stepped outside.
“Say, Princess, would you like to stop by Donut Joe’s café and have some lunch? If I’m not mistaken, his donuts are twenty percent off, today.” With a smile, Twilight looked up at her mentor as they walked through the castle courtyard.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Twilight. I’d really love to, but there’s awful lot to do in the castle,” Celestia responded, forcing a smile. She noticed as Twilight’s smile began to fade into nothingness. “Just because I’m a princess, doesn’t mean I have to sit on my plot all day, without doing anything,” she chuckled.
“Y-yes, of course, I understand, Princess. You must be so busy, taking care of this and that.” Twilight tilted her head, a bit disappointed. “It was very kind of you to take some time for me, though.”
“You know I will always have time for you, my faithful student.”
“I know, Princess, but you could take, you know, uh…”
“Take what, Twilight?”
“Well, I don’t mean to be rude, but maybe you could take just a little bit more of free time; too much work isn’t good for anypony.” Twilight’s ears lost their strength and fell down to her head, her eyes rolling around, avoiding eye contact.
“Oh, how I wish I could, Twilight. I would love to take a break one of these days.”
Turning her body, Twilight’s gaze returned to her mentor. “Yes! A break is what you need, Princess. A day to let go off your royal duties, relax and enjoy yourself!” She chuckled at the idea of her mentor slacking off, doing anything but worrying about her duties.
“As I said, Twilight, I would love to, but—”
“You could go to the spa and get yourself groomed, or go to a fun fair, or a restaurant!” Twilight bounced a bit on her hooves, much like Pinkie Pie would do whenever she was happy. The silly grin on Twilight’s face caused Celestia to snicker in response. “Who knows, even go on a date with your special somepony!”
Celestia raised an eyebrow, like if that last sentence had caught her attention. She wasn’t giving much thought about her student’s ideas, but something on those final words made her head tilt. “My… special somepony?”
“Well, yes, Princess. I mean… uh…” Twilight thought for a second and realized what she had said. “W-well, it’s not like you’ve got a special somepony, right, Princess?”
Celestia blinked, with a blank expression on her face, as if someone had told her something out of context. She stood there, looking at her student without an answer in her mouth, or even in her mind. A few seconds passed in what it seemed like forever before Celestia offered her trademark—and forced—smile, along with a faint blush on her white cheeks. “No, no, of course not,” she chuckled. “What makes you think that?”
Twilight returned a sheepish smile, snickering in embarrassment. “N-nothing, never mind, Princess. It was just a silly thought of mine.”
“No, no. It’s okay, Twilight. Truth to be told, I’ve never had a special somepony.” As Celestia said those words, Twilight’s eyes widened, startling her.
“W-what!? You’ve never had a special somepony?” Twilight’s sudden astonishment was well justified. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Princess Celestia, the co-ruler of all of Equestria, never had a special somepony? That couldn’t possibly be true and Twilight knew it. The Princess was surely just pulling her leg. She shook her head and dragged a hoof to her forehead. “You’re joking, right, Princess?”
Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle at Twilight’s exaltation. She didn’t have the slightest idea that she would make a big deal out of it, but this was Twilight she was talking about. The same unicorn that would make a big deal out of nothing like hypnotize the entire town just for a friendship report, or pack a ridiculous amount of stuff for a single test. “No, I’m serious, Twilight. I’ve never had a special somepony.”
Twilight blinked. The words that came out from the Princess’s mouth were honest, but Twilight refused to believe it. “B-but, how is that possible? You’re the Princess! The most beautiful mare in all of Equestria! How can it be that you’ve never even had a special somepony?”
Celestia’s cheeks still displayed the same faint blush from before. “Oh, Twilight, you flatter me, but I’m afraid it’s true. Besides… have you ever had a special somepony?”
“W-what? I-I, eh…” This time, it was Twilight’s turn to blush and stutter. All of a sudden, her legs felt weak, as if she had participated in another Running of the Leaves. “N-no… b-but that’s different. I’m a simple librarian unicorn, but you—”
“Don’t worry, Twilight. This is not a big deal, just let it be.” Moving closer to Twilight, Celestia spread her wings and reposed one under the unicorn.
“Sorry, Princess. I-I guess I got worked up over nothing… again…”
“I appreciate your concern, Twilight, but it just… hasn’t happened, yet. Maybe someday I’ll meet a special somepony, just like Princess Cadance and your brother, Shining Armor. See how happy they are, having each other… caring for each other... and loving each other…” Celestia’s gaze fixed at the ground. For a second, a single thought ran through her mind, wondering about Twilight’s words. Something in Celestia’s head was ringing, but she couldn’t find the bell that was bugging her.
“Princess? Are you all right?”
“Huh?”
“You seemed a bit distracted. Is something bothering you? Was it something I said?” Twilight noticed the empty expression that surrounded the Princess. If she had to relate it to something, it would be sadness, mixed with a bit of nostalgia. But why would the Princess act like that all of a sudden? Twilight feared that maybe she had upset her with such a delicate topic, given that she had claimed never having a special somepony.
“Oh… no, no. I’m okay, Twilight. I was only thinking about what you said.” Wishing to end the conversation, Celestia lifted her wing from Twilight and waved a hoof. “Well, it was nice having you come over, my faithful student. Would you like me to call a Royal Chariot to take you back to Ponyville?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused about the Princess’s sudden reaction. She wasn’t going to question it, though. For now, it would be better if she just answered to the question. “N-no, it’s okay, Princess. I’ll take the train, but thanks, anyway.”
“Very well, then. Have a nice day, Twilight.” Celestia turned around, ready to head back to her castle. She didn’t even bother to wait for Twilight’s answer. The bell inside her still rang, and she couldn’t figure out why. Wishing to avoid an unpleasant scene, she trotted away from Twilight.
“Nice to… see you, too… Princess,” Twilight said, but no answer came from the Princess, who was already quite apart from her. Twilight tilted her head and looked at her mentor. Definitely, something was bothering her. Princess Celestia wouldn’t dismiss her just like that and then walk away. “What’s with the Princess? Was it just me, or did she looked like…” She shook her head. “No, it must be my imagination.” She turned around, ready to take the train back to Ponyville. “Well, I’d better hurry, or I’ll miss the train…”
“And also, stop talking to myself, or ponies will think I’m crazy…”
*****
Train rides weren’t as fun as without her friends. Usually, they would play games or chat to pass the time until they arrived to their destination. It had become very common for them to take trains every now and then, but this time, Twilight was all alone. She had gazed outside the window, looking at the beautiful meadows and landscapes of Equestria. Too bad she hadn’t brought a book, so she could pass the time by doing what she likes the most.
After a few hours, she had arrived back home, in Ponyville.
*****
“And then, she said goodbye and left, just like that.”
Twilight threw her head on her pillow. Today, her bed felt extra soft, thanks to those incredibly uncomfortable train seats that were killing her back. Even if it was still 5 o’clock, the whole day had worn her out, and she could really use a quick nap.
“Well, darling, isn’t it obvious?” Rarity responded from the other side of the room. She had come over to help Twilight with some ‘redecorating’ for the library. Spike was the most excited about it, though; he was helping Rarity by pulling books off the shelves, so she could dust them. Considering the large amount of books a library—and someone as passionate for books as Twilight—had, they were up for a whole afternoon of cleaning. “Princess Celestia absolutely wants to have a special somepony!”
“What? You can’t be serious!” Twilight raised herself from the bed and looked at her friend. “She told me it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Well, of course she would say that. It’s never easy to say you love somepony, right, Spike?” Rarity stared at him with a playful smile. The feather duster she held with her magic brushed the empty bookshelves, lifting a thin veil of dust that soon disappeared in the air. Plenty of other bookshelves had a similar amount of dust. Maybe Twilight could read a book about house-keeping, one of these days.
“Uh… y-yeah.” Spike’s purple cheeks didn’t hesitate to turn red as soon as Rarity faced him, almost dropping a book he carried as he stuttered his answer. “N-never easy…”
“Well, if you ask me, it seems like Princess Celestia is craving to have somepony by her side.” Rarity levitated some books from the floor and placed them on the bookshelf. She wasn’t sure which ones went where, but Spike could take care of that, later. “I simply cannot believe she has never ever had a date, before.”
“That shocked me, too, but she’s the Princess. She is way too busy to go dating.” Twilight rolled on her bed, staring at Rarity and Spike from above the room. She really wanted to help them, but her body refused to put a single hoof out of bed. “But if what you say it’s true, then that would explain why she had that downcast expression on her face. Do you really think she actually wants to have a relationship?”
“I’m absolutely sure, dear. I think it’s very, very romantic.” Rarity moved on to the next bookshelf. Meanwhile, Spike rearranged the books on the previous one. He didn’t want to see Twilight flipping out over the littlest details, again.
“Well, just never mind about it. She told me not to give much thought about it and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.” Stretching her legs, Twilight let out a huge yawn, her eyes getting teary. “I’m sorry, Rarity, but I’m way too tired to help you out.”
“Say nothing, darling. You just came back all the way from Canterlot and from sitting on those atrocious train seats. You should rest and let us do the work.” As Rarity withdrew the dusty books from the bookshelf, one of them caught Rarity’s eye; a single, brown book, displaying a golden cauldron with a couple of floating hearts on the cover.
“Thanks, Rarity. That is so generous of you…” Covering her mouth with a hoof, Twilight yawned. “I think… I’ll take a quick nap…” She closed her eyes and moved on her bed so she could get a comfortable position. The exhaustion soon began to fade away as she turned off her mind to relax and get some sleep.
“It’s my pleasure, Twilight.” Rarity smiled at her, but Twilight was already focused on her sleep. She glanced back at the book, returning the other dusty books to their bookshelf. She turned herself back to Spike. “Spike, do you know what this book is about?”
Spike looked at Rarity, then at the book, placing the book he was holding back onto the bookshelf. “Uh… judging by its cover, I think that’s the Hearts and Hooves Day book.”
“Hearts and Hooves Day, you say?” With her magic, Rarity opened the book and checked through the pages, staring long enough to read only their titles. “Gifts… events… history… Spike, have you ever read this book?”
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“Well… I was thinking about what Twilight said about Princess Celestia and I thought I could maybe help her out with her situation.”
“Huh? But didn’t Twilight say to forget about it?”
“Oh, Spike, you can’t be serious! Princess Celestia is desperate to get a special somepony. I simply must help her, as the loyal subject I am.” Rarity kept looking through the book pages. Spike simply raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I wonder if the book says anything about what Princesses like…”
“Eh… I don’t know, Rarity. It sounds like a bad idea to interfere in the Princess’s life.” Even if Spike seldom disagreed with her beloved Rarity, something in his head whispered that it was a bad idea to get involved. “I mean… she might get upset if we do—”
“Oh, look at this!” Rarity’s eyes beamed while staring at the book. “A love potion!” Her eyes rolled over and over as she read the page in question. “It says that if two ponies drink it, they’ll love each other, forever!”
“Love potion? I’ve never heard of that, before.” Spike glanced at the book. The page showed the ingredients and method to brew the love potion. “Uh… I don’t know. We better ask Twilight.”
“No, no. We shouldn’t bother her. She’s sleeping, now. Besides, this looks so simple that I bet even a filly could do it.” Rarity kept reading. “We only need a piece of cloud, a bright rainbow’s glow and a pegasus feather. Simple enough!”
“Simple? How are we supposed to get those things?”
“Come on, Spike. There are plenty of clouds and rainbows in Ponyville, and you don’t have to fly all the way to Cloudsdale to find pegasi.”
“So, what do we do?”
“You go get the piece of cloud and the pegasus feather, while I go fetch the rainbow’s glow.” Rarity closed the book and placed it on top of a desk. Her determination to help Princess Celestia was strong, and there was no turning back, now.
“All right, then…” Spike mumbled as Rarity trotted downstairs. He followed right after, muttering some words to himself. “I still think it’s a bad idea…”
*****
“Well, that was fast, Spike.” Rarity had already set everything for the potion. She stood in front of a desk, with the book on top of it. Next to it, a jar filled with water and a container with a rainbow colored liquid; it looked like if Rainbow Dash’s tail had been melted or something.
Spike, on the other hand, was holding a piece of cloud on his claw and a gray pegasus feather on the other one. He panted slightly, glad that he was back home. “Yeah… the cloud was the hardest to get. I had to climb a really big tree just to get a little scrap.”
“And the feather?”
“Well, a gray pegasus crashed against a post and dropped some feathers, so I snatched one. I hope she’s okay, though.” Spike walked over the mare and placed the items on top of the desk. He noticed Twilight was still asleep, now with a different position.
“I’m telling you, Spike. This will be the greatest gift ever!”
*****
Celestia looked at her whole paperwork; requests, permissions, certificates and so on. It was nothing new, though. Every week, she would have to complete the same amount—or even more—of paperwork. Holding it with her magic, her quill scribbled quickly as she let out a yawn. She would usually do it in the throne room, helped by an assistant, but this time, she felt like doing it alone, in her own room. Ever since she had that conversation with Twilight, she kept having that weird sensation that had been bugging her.
Another yawn escaped from Celestia’s mouth while staring at the next paper. Night wasn’t going to come until a few hours later, but she wouldn’t mind if Luna began her turn a little earlier. Out of nowhere, a knock came from the door.
“Please, come in,” Celestia requested, placing the quill and sheets on her desk. Wondering who could it be, she stood up and looked at the door. Maybe it was a Royal Guard, coming to inform her about any activity or something. However, that was not going to be the case.
The chamber doors opened and a midnight-blue alicorn stepped inside. Luna greeted her sister with a smile. “Hello, dear sister. How are you?” Her crystal hoofwear clanged against the marble floor with each hoofstep she gave.
Celestia wasn’t actually expecting her sister to show up. She tilted her head, but returned the smile Luna had offered moments ago. “I’m fine, Luna. I was just thinking about you.”
“Oh? Something good, I presume?” Luna sat down on one of the two cushions in the middle of the room. Ever since she came back, her sister had placed two large cushions on the floor, for whenever they wanted to talk to each other. Luna’s room was no different, and it had two cushions as well.
“Ah, I was only wondering if you could bring the night a bit earlier, so I could go to sleep,” Celestia chuckled and sat down on the other cushion to join her sister. It definitely felt better than sitting on her rump on the cold, hard marble floor.
Luna giggled, amused by her sister’s words. “Hah, I knew you were a slacker, but this? I don’t ask you to raise the sun earlier, do I?”
“Ho ho, no, of course not, little sister, I was only fooling around. I’ve got awful lot of paperwork to do. How come I never see you doing yours?”
“Well, that’s because I do mine immediately and not leave it for the last moment, like you.”
Both sisters shared a laugh. Usually, they only get to talk to each other around dawn, dusk and random hours. With Celestia sleeping during the night and Luna during the day, there wasn’t much interaction between them. Their pleasant giggles were soon interrupted by a sparkly, green fog that appeared in front of Celestia. In less than a second, the fog materialized into a single scroll, along with two small cups, that didn’t hesitate to follow gravity’s laws.
“Whoa!” Before the two cups could hit the floor, Luna managed to catch them with her magic. Her reflexes were sharper than a cat.
“What’s this?” Celestia stared at the two cups; they had a purple, fizzy liquid inside. Many tiny heart-shaped bubbles came from it, only to pop like a second later. It looked like some sort of potion, but not like anything she or Luna had seen before. Celestia opened the scroll that came with the cups, hoping to find a good explanation for this.
Carefully, Luna placed the two cups on the floor, between her and Celestia. “Is it from Twilight Sparkle?”
Celestia didn’t answer, and instead, she read the letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
My friend, Twilight, commented to me about your situation. I honestly cannot believe it. How could that be possible? Anyway, Spike and I decided to help you out by sending you two cups of bubbly potion. They’re meant to be drunk by you and somepony you love a lot; one for you, one for them.
If you two drink them, you’ll have a very happy future, together. I am simply doing this from the bottom of my heart to help you out, Princess. I hope that you safely receive both the cups and this letter. Remember: you need to drink the potion with that somepony you love. I hope you enjoy our little gift!
Your generous subject,
Rarity
“Huh? So it wasn’t from Twilight Sparkle?” Luna knew not every letter her sister received was from Twilight, but they commonly were. However, the sender wasn’t the big deal about the letter.
“Drink these potions with somepony I love? What is the meaning of that?” Celestia put aside the letter and stared at the two fizzy cups. She wasn’t sure why would Rarity send them. “Wait… did she say that Twilight commented her about my situation? What?”
“Huh? Have you spoken with Twilight Sparkle, recently?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, she was here earlier today. We discussed about certain magic matters and many other things, but I don’t know what she means with… situation.” Celestia tilted her head and stared at the letter once again. “I don’t even understand the meaning of this.”
“Rarity said that if you drink these things with somepony you love, you’ll have a very happy future, right?” Luna bowed her head and sniffed one of the cups. It had a fresh fragrance of cherry, mixed with grapes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a potion like that, before. Do you think it’s safe?”
“Come on, now, Luna. This is Rarity we’re talking about. She’s one of the Elements of Harmony. She wouldn’t send us anything harmful, would she?”
“No, I think not.”
“Besides…” Celestia glanced at the cup, again. “It says that I need to drink the cup with somepony I love.” She stared at Luna and levitated one of the cups with her magic, an idea running through her mind. “So, why don’t you take the other one? You’re my sister and I love you, after all.”
“I guess that makes sense. Sure, why not?” Luna enveloped the remaining cup with her magic and raised it in front of her. “Well, then… cheers.”
“Cheers.”
*****
Spike stared as Rarity kept dusting the bookshelves. She had closed the book and placed it back on its place after they finished brewing the potion. He had sent two cups of love potion, along with a letter Rarity wrote, to the Princess. It had been around five minutes since then. The jar on the desk still had some love potion left. Suddenly, Spike felt a chill run down his spine. Something in his head warned him that things were going to get ugly, very soon.
“Oh, this won’t end well.”
*****
“Luna?”
“Yeah…?”
“Have I told you that you’ve grown into a beautiful mare?”
Chapter 2: Love Poison
*****
Rarity had moved on, from cleaning the bookshelves, to sweeping the floor. With her magic, she waved the small, straw broom up and down, left and right, lifting small puffs of dust that would quickly fade in the air. Meanwhile, Spike was still organizing the books Rarity had taken off the bookshelves. It had been three hours or so since he had sent Rarity’s letter, along with the two cups of the Love Potion. Twilight had been sleeping quietly on her bed, occasionally shifting her position. Weak beams of afternoon sunlight seeped through the library windows.
“Hey, Rarity,” Spike muttered from the other side of the room; the unicorn looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you think something’s off?”
“Whatever do you mean, Spike?” Rarity interrupted her sweeping, giving Spike her total attention.
“Well, I don’t know, I mean… I’ve had this strange feeling ever since I sent that letter. I can’t help but think that maybe we shouldn’t have done that.”
“Oh, Spike,” Rarity chuckled and waved a hoof around. “You’re concerning yourself over nothing. Trust me, I bet the Princess is fine, don’t worry.” The broom she held with her magic started moving again. “I’m sure it’s just your imagination.”
“Well, I hope so.” Spike shrugged and returned to his duty, still a bit worried. Rarity’s words weren’t enough to douse his concern, but maybe she was right. He looked up at the library clock, hanging a top of a wall and checked the time. “9 o’clock?”
As soon as Spike whispered those words, Twilight gave a huge yawn and stretched her legs. Both Rarity and Spike glanced at her, to see if she had finally decided to wake up from her nap.
“Well, hello there, Twilight. Slept well?” Rarity was the first one to greet her, giving her friend a smile.
Twilight blinked and rubbed her eyes with her hooves, still somewhat tired by waking up; she couldn’t deny she had a great nap, though. She stared at Rarity, then at Spike, then at Rarity once again. “Uh, yeah, yeah…” Trying to get back to her senses, she let out another yawn and shook her head. “I don’t think I have slept this well in a long time!”
“I’m glad to hear that, darling. By the way, we’re almost done down here.” Rarity pointed her hoof at the clean, sparkly bookshelves and desks. She was quite proud of what she had accomplished, although, maybe a greater achievement would be cleaning Applejack’s barn. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”
Twilight, fully awake now, looked around the room. In fact, she could easily notice the tidy walls and dusted bookshelves. It reminded her of her old library, back in Canterlot. “Wow, this looks so nice, Rarity. You’ve outdone yourself this time!”
Rarity slid a hoof across her mane and closed her eyes. “Oh, this is nothing, darling. You should see me in action whenever Sweetie Belle stays at the boutique. She’s a grade-A chaos machine.”
Both mares shared a laugh as Twilight climbed down her bed. She had noticed the faint beams of sunlight that came from outside and tilted her head. Had she really slept for a little while, or was it morning already? No, that couldn’t be possible since Rarity was still there. “Huh…”
“What is it, dear?” Rarity trotted upstairs, towards Twilight. She had left the broom leaning against a desk. “Still feeling a bit tired?”
“N-no, that’s not it.” Using her magic, Twilight enveloped the window curtains and opened them, letting the sunlight fully enter to the library. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“Well, about three and a half hours, Twilight, why?” Spike noticed some familiar reaction in Twilight; he knew it. It was the same reaction she would have whenever something was bugging her. All those years living with her sure made him know her a lot.
“Three and a half hours? But, but… that doesn’t make any sense…” Twilight wanted to turn her head and look at a certain clock, but she didn’t trust her eyes anymore. Instead, she decided she would listen to her ears from now on, at least she still trusted in them, for now. “Spike, what time is it?”
*****
Celestia and Luna had placed the cups down.
“Hmm… quite a strange flavor it has,” Luna commented, still savoring the remains of liquid inside her mouth. “It was rather sweet and spicy at the same time, but still tasty.”
“Indeed.” Celestia nodded. “It was spicy… like a rainbow, and sweet, like a cloud...” As the words left her lips, she felt her cheeks turning warmer. “I haven’t drunk anything like that, before.”
“Me neither…” Luna felt warmth, growing deep within her face and body. She gasped and looked at Celestia. “Whew, is it me or did it just get a bit warmer?” She waved a hoof, throwing some air against her face. She wasn’t sure why the weather would get hotter out of nowhere; the heat wave would hit at noon, not at afternoon.
“I don’t know…” Celestia panted. For some reason, she felt exhausted, yet full with energy. Her body, especially her face, burnt with heat. Just what in Equestria did that potion have? She didn’t say it, but she started loving the sensation. “I feel… strange…”
“Me too…” Looking at her sister, Luna blinked. She could easily notice the bright red on her sister’s cheeks, as well as the agitation of her dilated pupils. The simple fact of staring at her made her feel fuzzy and weird, as if she had suddenly changed into something else, something… gorgeous. Both sisters hiccupped, releasing two halves of a heart-shaped bubble from their mouths, which joined together to create a full heart. Finally, the bubble popped in less than a second.
“Luna?”
“Yeah…?”
“Have I told you that you’ve grown into a beautiful mare?”
Luna gasped, the blush on her cheeks growing stronger. Chuckling, she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “W-what are you saying, sister? You embarrass me…” What was Celestia doing? Never in her life had she told her something like that. Sure, her sister would flatter her from time to time, but why now? Why say that? Regardless of that, Luna’s heart beat faster and the silly smile on her face didn’t fade.
Celestia smirked and leaned closer to Luna, the blue alicorn whimpering in response “But it’s true... Just look at yourself; gorgeous mane, a soft face, beautiful eyes… and pretty lips…” As she said those words, she removed her golden hoofwear and gently slid her hoof across the aforementioned spots. First, she gave her silky mane a soft stroke and continued her way down to her face. Luna felt Celestia’s cold, yet warm hoof rubbing against her cheek and blinked, looking at her sister’s big, magenta eyes.
“Sister…” Luna whispered, but she couldn’t articulate any other word as Celestia’s hoof met her lips, shutting them. Luna didn’t know why she was feeling the way she was. Something in her sister’s stare bugged, in a good way. What had changed from when she first entered the room, to when she drank that bubbly potion? That was when Luna realized, however, it was already too late.
“Do you think I’m pretty, little sister?” Celestia retired her hoof from Luna and slid it—up and down—across her chest. She had no clue why she was asking those questions, but something inside her told her that it was all right. She wouldn’t ask those questions to anypony, much less her sister. So, why was she? Why was that happening? It all started after she drank that weird, purple beverage. That was when Celestia realized, however, it was already too late.
Luna simply nodded and smiled at her sister. “You’re the most beautiful mare my eyes have ever seen, my dear sister.” This time, it was Luna the one who leaned closer, the tip of her hoof poking Celestia’s chest, just above her golden neckwear. Celestia replied with a single smile, pleased with her sister’s words. The two of them looked at each other, realizing the moment was near.
“Luna… have you ever… kissed another mare?”
Luna’s sole answer was a smirk, followed by a wink. Before her sister could react, Luna pressed her lips against Celestia, her wings spreading open in surprise as her sister deeply kissed her. Her widened eyes soon began to relax, slowly closing to enjoy the magical moment. Celestia submitted and returned back the kiss, allowing Luna to make her way in her mouth with her tongue. For somepony that had never kissed before, Celestia hoped she was doing it all right. She had seen plenty of couples and read many books about the matter, but she had never thought she would experience it by herself. And also, she had never thought her first kiss would be with none other than her own sister, Luna.
Luna spun her tongue around Celestia’s, mixing both their respective fluids into one. Naturally, she would find the whole thing gross, but her sister tasted way too good. She was surprised with Celestia’s response, though. For a first-time kisser, she wasn’t doing it so bad. After what it seemed like an eternity, but was in fact a few seconds, Luna broke the kiss. Both mares slowly pulled their muzzles away from each other, panting, catching their breath. They exchanged stares before Celestia leaned and returned the kiss.
*****
“9 o’clock…” Spike muttered. He already knew what was wrong. “But… the sun—”
“9 o’clock!?” Twilight spun her body and jumped in front of Spike, the startled dragon cringing back in response. “How is it possible!? The bright sunlight is still out there!” Puffs of smoke escaped from her nose as she yelled at her ‘innocent’ assistant. Thinking about certain possibility, she blinked. Maybe Spike and Rarity were just pulling her leg… yeah, that had to be. It had to be 9 in the morning, there was no other explanation.
“Now that you mention…” Rarity stared outside the window and looked at the clear, sunny daytime. “Y-you’re right, Spike! It should be nighttime by now! What’s going on!?” Hoping that she would have an answer, Rarity stared at Twilight.
“I-I don’t know! This must be a joke, right? I actually slept during the whole night and woke up in the morning!” Twilight looked at Spike and Rarity, who didn’t seem to agree with her. “Right!?”
“We have been cleaning the library ever since you came back and took your nap, honestly! It has passed only like three hours!” Spike took a few steps back. His experience told him that staying distant from Twilight was a smart move at times like this.
“Princess Luna is in charge of the night, isn’t she?” Rarity added. “What if something had happened to her so she couldn’t bring the night?”
“But Princess Celestia is able to raise the moon as well. Wouldn’t that mean that something had happened to both Princesses?” Spike had a point. Even if Luna—for whatever reason—were unable to rise the night, her sister, Celestia, would easily do it. After all, she did it for the thousand years her sister was gone. “What if… what if Discord came back and has captured the Princesses!?”
“No, Spike, that’s impossible,” Twilight said. “Discord isn’t ever coming back, but I think something is actually out of place. I talked with Princess Celestia around noon!” Twilight dragged a hoof to her chin to meditate about the situation. Spike’s logic was correct; even if Luna couldn’t perform her duty, Princess Celestia would. “However, what is the cause of it? Are they really unable to perform their duties, or are they doing this on purpose? What if Princess Celestia has transformed in some sort of monster like Nightmare Moon, and has decided to bring eternal daytime?” Her hooves couldn’t help but shiver at the sole thought of it.
The imaginary bulb inside Rarity’s head lit. Could it be possible that the extended daytime could be somehow connected to the fact that she had sent love potions to Celestia? Her eyes rolled over and glanced at the desk where she had prepared the potions; she had forgotten to clean it up. However, even if she did send the potions to Celestia, what could have caused for the night to never show up? That’s when a single thought ran into her head. What if… the pony Celestia drank the potion with was… “Oh…”
“Wait, what’s that?” Twilight pointed her hoof at the desk, down the room. In a flash, her horn lit and she disappeared into the air. And in another flash, she appeared right in front of the desk. Twilight examined the table and the strange liquid inside the jar. Spike and Rarity looked at each other with clenched teeth; the dragon was the first one to rush downstairs. “W-what is this!?”
“Oh, that is… um…” Rarity trotted downstairs while forcing a chuckle. “I-It’s just a…” It was pointless to lie now. Twilight’s face showed that she already knew the answer, but was too shocked to reveal it. Rarity only stood there, not willing to give any step closer. Spike stood behind Rarity, sharing the thoughts of keeping a distance with her.
“W-why did you brew a Love Poison!?” Twilight yelled at both and gave them a piercing glare. She wasn’t upset, but rather astonished and clueless of why a jar of Love Poison was resting on her desk. “Don’t you know how dangerous this thing is!?”
“Love… Poison?” Spike whispered and tilted his head. The name didn’t sound as he remembered it. The same chills he felt a while ago were coming back.
“Answer me! Who made this and why!?” Twilight didn’t want to hear any excuses. She knew the exact consequences of a Love Poison, especially more ever since that atrocious Hearts and Hooves Day.
“I… I mean, us… uh…” Rarity stuttered. Twilight’s cold, paralyzing glare sure was intimidating, but nothing a lady like her couldn’t handle. “Well, after what you had told us about Princess Celestia never having a special somepony, I thought I would help her out, so—”
“Y-you brew a Love Poison for the Princess? Are you out of your freaking mind!?”
