Waking up from a pleasant dream was always nice, and waking up with one’s face plastered to the pages of a book had its own particular benefits. The main upside involved that you could continue right where you left off - in Twilight Sparkle’s case, at a point where the story was taking a turn for the even-steamier. With Spike still asleep, perhaps she could sneak a hoof down under the covers and-

BURRRR~!

-and she could get a letter from princess Celestia belched in her face from the still-comatose Spike.

My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,

It has almost been a year since you and your friends joined me at the Grand Galloping Gala, and the memory is still a source of comedy to this very day. As I write this, I must admit some temptation to plague the local social climbers with another comedy of disasters, but alas, I fear the palace cleaning staff will find offense if we were to have a repeat of last year.

So I hereby grant you, and you specifically, a single ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, and this time I’ve included a few activities that take us away from welcoming duties.

Included one (1) Grand Galloping Gala ticket.

Princess Celestia

PS. On a vaguely-related note, it has recently come to my attention that I may have been neglecting my task as personal tutor somewhat. While I’m sure Ponyville has been a wellspring of lessons in regards to friendship, a more personal touch may be required. I’ve managed to clear my royal schedule somewhat, in the hope you have the time and inclination to join me, either today or tomorrow, in a private, personal session. Please send a message in advance.

Twilight Sparkle couldn’t quite figure out how Celestia made those tickets just ‘pop out’ like that whenever the reader finished, but it mattered little to the suddenly-cheerful little pony. By the time she’d finished reading the postscript, she barely remembered any of the preceding text.

It was the resulting ‘squee’ that finally dragged Spike from the velvet abyss of sleep. Eyes thick-lidded and crusty with lingering sleep, the little dragon dragged himself out of his comfortable basket. “Bwah. Twilight, you need to fix that alarm-clock. It’s sounding worse each day.”

“No time for alarmclocks, Spike. Take a letter.”

The dragon groaned as he slowly forced his way out of the comfort of his basket, eyes gummed up . “You’re not going to start sending the princess dream-logs every morning, are you?”

“Well, that’s actually a rather goo-”

“No.”

“-just a letter then. Ehem. Dear Princess Celestia...”

* * *

The persistent light of dawn had long since dipped into Ponyville’s many residences. Through windows and curtains, it had coaxed them awake, one after the other, and set them grumbling on their early morning tasks. Be it breakfast or labor, Ponyville had sprung to life in that languid, rural fashion.

The light took a little longer to reach Rarity, draped across the sewing table as she was: That being on her back, snoring quietly and drooling on her face. As a classy lady, she did even that with a poise and grace that raised the bar for ponies everywhere. Alas, considering the face-drooling, it was not a particularly high bar to begin with.

But awaken her, it did, stirring from exhaustion as she blearily blinked her eyes and wrung herself around until she finally found her hooves beneath her. The podium was bare, her prince charming evaporated from existence as if it were merely a dream. It wouldn’t have surprised Rarity, romantic dreams were not uncommon fare for her, but the signs of his presence still lingered; carefully-annotated measurements on her notepad, the scraps of cloth, the early designs, it all lay splayed out before her. The lamps still held oil, and the pillow that previously lay tucked under her face clearly showed he’d taken some care before he left.

A tall, dark alicorn prince, mysterious and noble, who disappeared in the morn.

It was like he came straight from one of her more private collection of romance novels, like the ones about --

C-could he be a vampony? Would he want to drink my blood? Would he kiss me gently along my neck, before sinking his gleaming fangs into my veins and making me his vampony bride? She idly made a note to design herself a scarf that would look fashionable yet cover up any unsightly puncture marks on her neck.

It would totally be worth it.

There was a knock at the door.

“Now what kind of pony would show up at my doorstep at this hour?” Rarity scraped her throat with a soft little ‘ehem’ and called out, “Please wait a moment, I’ll be right over.”

What followed was a rushed, but magically-assisted session of clean-up-the-incriminating-evidence, sending designs and pieces of cloth into hurriedly-opened drawers.

Finally, after a quick check to make sure she was presentable, she approached the door. “Alright, now let’s find out what pony would be crazy enough to- Oh, hello Twilight Sparkle. I had expected Pinkie Pie, to be honest.”

The purple unicorn, burdened by a pair of matching saddlebags and tittering with excitement, bounced from hoof to hoof to hoof to hoof in that exact order. “Hi, Rarity! I was wondering if you had any schoolfilly outfits that would fit me? I’ll pay!”

“Ehm, no, I don’t think I tend to stock those, although I suppose I could make one to-”

“How about sexy lingerie? You’ve got that, right? Don’t worry, I’ll pick something out.” With a flare of purple magic, Rarity found herself staring at the empty space in front of her door. Hoofbeats rattled through her boutique, before rushing up the back stairs. The poor bemused fashionista just barely caught a glimpse of Twilight Sparkle’s tail as it flashed out of sight.

“I’ll take these!” came the magic student’s wall-muffled cry, running back down the stairs with a mass of sheer cloth, straps and buckles. Coins clattered to the wooden floor at Rarity’s hooves in a hastily discarded cascade of gold, and Twilight Sparkle was gone before the poor pearly unicorn could so much get a whine in crosswise.

“But... those were locked in my bedside drawer...” It was nothing more than a whimper cast after the retreating hindquarters of a unicorn on a direct path to the trainstation.

* *

Said hindquarters found a seat on the trainstation platform only minutes later, where the faithful student found herself facing an excruciating five-minute wait. What little the wait did to dampen her spirits couldn’t stand up to the sheer burst of eagerness that came when she finally got to board and the train left the station.

Twilight Sparkle was practically vibrating in her seat with excitement, and it wasn’t just the steady thump of the train on its journey along the track. She just couldn’t find it in her to sit still: Celestia was going to tutor her again, one-on-one, like she used to! And maybe, just maybe, she and Celestia would - Twilight could feel her cheeks warming at the thought.

Well, it was probably just a one-time thi-

“Young miss!” The voice cut through her thoughts like a blade, snapping her attention to the somewhat well-aged mare standing next to her, grey mane in a tight bun and equipped with an even tighter expression. “You may think you’re being subtle, but let me assure you, you are not. You should be ashamed to go out in public with something like that in you.” A swift snap of her hoof had her gesturing at Twilight’s vibrating back-end. “You had better clean your seat after you leave, young little trollop!” With a ‘humph!’, the mare continued on, leaving a red-faced unicorn in her wake.

She was still red-faced by the time the palace gate-guards greeted her in passing, Twilight's usual countergreeting reduced to a few stammering questions and a request for directions.

* * *

This wasn’t quite the room Twilight Sparkle’d expected to meet her mentor in. Light swept in through strangely-familiar crimson curtains, filling the room with warm, pleasing shades and striking highlights from the smooth, polished wooden floor. The momentary sense of disturbing recognition was swept away by Twilight’s eyes catching sight of her beloved princess, Celestia herself, standing tall and serene, her mane flowing down her shoulders like a red-shifted rainbow.

“Princess!” With swift and eager hooves, Twilight lunged forth to meet with her idol again, only to suddenly find herself blocked by a purple shape. For a fraction of a second, violet eyes met violet eyes, followed by a much-more-prolonged contact between two purple snouts as the unicorn found herself brought to a sudden stop by a nose-scrunching solidity that left her rump momentarily airborne, hindlegs kicking and her saddlebags sliding up her withers until the straps laid against the back of her neck.

“Twilight Sparkle, I never figured you for a narcissist!” Laughter bubbled up through the princess’ voice as she came up behind her faithful student, reaching out with a hoof to gently untangle the unfortunate little unicorn.

After a moment’s confusion, Twilight Sparkle spotted the fatty noseprint on the wall-length mirror’s glass, and blushed, giggling. “Well, I-”

“Don’t worry about it, Twilight Sparkle. I’m sure every single pony has run into a room to kiss her mirror reflection with such passion at least once in her life.” Celestia couldn’t help add a joking little bite to the otherwise calming line before adding, with a bit more concern, “You didn’t hurt your nose, did you?”

“Ah, it... did look a little silly, didn’t it? My nose is alright, I think.” Twilight Sparkle wiggled her snout just to be sure, touching it with a hoof. “Yes, nothing’s hurt, at least.”

“In that case, perhaps we should start, hmm? I’ve brought some music,” Celestia said as she gestured to an idling record player not far behind her, before levitating forth a paperclad package in the gentle golden glow of her magic, “and this book-”.

The feeling of recognition came back with a sudden, harsh flash, followed by a horrifying realisation: Red curtains, low sun shining in, me and Celestia and a book and - this room’s a lot like in my story! What if she-

“-about dancing.” Celestia finished, tearing the paper off with a swift flick of her magic.

Oh, nevermind. Wait, what? “This isn’t a magic lesson, princess? Or a...” The purple unicorn blushed. “You know... ‘concentration lesson’?”

“Is that why you brought a saddlebag full of books, a saddlebag full of balls and... what looks to be something made out of straps, buckles and sheer cloth?”

Twilight Sparkle’s faded blush returned with a vengeance, “Eh-heh... no, of course not?” With a quick telekinetic shove, the unicorn swept the offending articles off of the floor (recently spread there by a pony-to-mirror collision) and out of the door, shutting the door in question for good measure. “I’m ready, Princess! I’ll make you proud!”

“Alright then, Twilight Sparkle. How about you show me your moves before we start?” Celestia turned her attention to the record-player, setting it buzzing with a little lick of her golden magic.

The music was cheerful, bouncy, and after a few false starts, so was Twilight Sparkle. Eyes clenched, the dedicated young mare put her everything into impressing Celestia with her slick bootyshaking - that is, until she opened her eyes and saw herself in the large wall-mirror. For a few seconds, Twilight Sparkle simply couldn’t recognise the purple pony having a horrifying epileptic seizure, but when she did, her face paled, her hooves slowed, her mouth fell open, “I... Oh, Celestia.”

Even the princess looked aghast. “I... hadn’t quite expected that much-” The multi-millennia-old alicorn stumbled to a halt as her vocabulary failed her, “- much... ah...”

“-of a disaster.” Twilight Sparkle finished for her mentor with a sigh.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite call it that, dear Twilight Sparkle. You have tal-, ski-, enthusiasm, which is something we can work with. I’ve seen much, much worse.” Celestia hid a wince, setting the book of dances aside to approach her unicorn student personally. “Perhaps we should start with the basics, then.”

Twilight Sparkle, ears no longer flattened to her skull in embarrassment, nodded quickly, “I’ll try. Just... please don’t expect too much, princess.”

“I understand. Now this-” The celestial alicorn extended a hoof, “- is a leg. It ends in a hoof. If at any point of time either of these parts of you end up inside another pony, you’re likely not dancing. In this case, it’s my left foreleg, this one over here is my right foreleg. If you were a two-legged creature, that would be the end of it, but there are two more legs that need co-ordinating...”

Twilight Sparkle managed to coordinate her hoof to her face quite effectively, however, “How about something a little less basic?”

“How about a little motivation then?" Celestia suggested, laughter lingering in her voice, "I wanted to suggest that, if you learn, we dance together at the Gala. How would you feel about that?”

***

Strings thrummed, the soft hum of violins weeping music filled the air around them, but the instrument leading the song, to Twilight Sparkle, was the steady, comforting thump of Celestia’s heart. Eyes closed, she laid her cheek against the delicate arch of the princess’ throat, the warmth against her cheek more reward than the dance as she followed every small step her princess made just to stay close. The unicorn’s forelegs lay close, clamped to the princess chest, hindlegs straining to keep her standing tall. The growing burn in her muscles mattered not, as they danced, letting her longing sweep her into Celestia’s wake as the violins carried them across the dance floor. The sun princess’ breath washed across the little unicorn’s back, through her hair, across her withers, down her tail, the flowing rainbow mane occasionally brought closer by the sway of their steps, shrouding her in a rainbow cascade of color she could see even through her eyelids like the sun upon her face. If only it could’ve lasted forever...

...but alas, a trembling hindleg gave way, and unceremoniously snapped the unicorn out of her dream by dumping her on the rigid wood of the floor.

“Oh, Twilight! Are you-”

“I’m... I’m sorry Princess,” Twilight Sparkle whimpered as the hard landing viciously introduced her to the overtaxed muscles in her hindquarters. “It’s.. We can’t dance like normal ponies, you’re tall and to reach I need to stand so I can... I’m just not strong enough.”

“My faithful, faithful, dear student, don’t worry. We’ve tried. It’s no problem. We’ll just have one really short little dance instead of a long one at the Gala.” Celestia seemed to be as comforting as she ever was, but Twilight’d caught the quick flash of disappointment on the princess’ face. The purple unicorn’s eyes glistened with growing moisture as she responded;

“I-I understa*hic*nd, princess. I’ll.. I’ll just. I...” The next hiccup became a little sob.

...that sob was buried against the princess’ chest as those powerful, long forelegs gathered Twilight to her.

“...I wan- wanted to-to dance with you at the Gala, Celestia. I r-really do. But I can’t. I-I’m too weak. I’m so, so s-sor- sorry for ruining your Gala plans. You should let s-somepony else...”

“Ssssh. Don’t worry, Twilight. If you can’t dance with me, I’ll just stand in my usual spot. Let the other ponies dance. We can just sit, talk, and greet the guests.”

“B-but I wanted to dance,” the little unicorn whimpered into Celestia’s chest. “I wanted to dance wi*hic* with you.”

Celestia slowly ran her leg across the top of her student’s head, and down her back, steady, slow strokes that slowly swept the trembling and the hiccups from Twilight’s body. “Ssshhh. I’m sure we’ll find a way, somehow, someday.”

Twilight’s voice was soft, barely a whisper, but so close to Celestia’s ear there was no way she could miss it; “I wanted to fly with you again.”

A little jolt of surprise snapped through the princess’ body. “Twilight Sparkle, what did you mean by- oh.” The shock made way for warm smile as she looked down at her student’s relaxed, serene expression. “You look adorable when you sleep, don’t you? I’ll get you a pillow...

...as soon as I can untangle myself from you.”

* * *

The steady rattle of the sewing machine filled the room, cloth rolling smoothly under Rarity’s hooves. Curtains held back what little sun remained, the warm glow of the oil lamps illuminating her ponikins and their new clothes, including the lingerie she’d been forced to replace thanks to Twilight Sparkle. Work on her latest creation was beginning to stall, however, as her focus repeatedly wandered to the silvery sliver of her machine’s needle, plunging deeply into the cloth with rhythmic precision, sliding in and out, each thrust of the steel-hard length piercing deeply into the eagerly-surrendering material, leaving trails of pearly white thread in its wake. Faster and faster it began to piston as Rarity drove the pedal down with a quiet whimper, building up to a blurring crescendo that-

-with a loud rattle from the machine and a frustrated shout from the fashionista, the cloth bunched up into a large, stitched-up mass of midnight blue.

“Why the-. Oh, Twilight, why couldn’t you discover your rampant nymphomania after I marry Prince Midnight Rendezvous? Your shameless confession of unbridled deviancy keeps impinging on my fragile, creative mind! And- Wait, unbridled? Bridles! Maybe purple, to match my mane. When a prince is at stake...” She turned her gaze to the sheer gauze draped neatly across a nearby ponikin. “...it wouldn’t be wrong for a lady to enhance her natural allure, would it not?”

The glow of her magic enveloped her creation, settling it down across her back as she tied the slender ribbon cords across the gentle slopes of her behind. Her legs were soon beribboned, her tailbase as well, with a slender band across her most intimate treasures. Her cutiemarks she left uncovered, the surrounding lacy materials only accentuating the curves of her hindquarters. “Ah, perfect fit, if I do say so myself. I don’t know why I felt worried about the design.”

Predictably, the moment she’d fully donned her gauzy delight, there was a knock on the door. The reaction came by instinct, drilled into her by years of repetition; “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chique, unique an-”

“Greetings, Lady Rarity. ‘Tis a pleasure and an honor to see you again.” Prince Midnight Rendezvous stepped in from the evening’s glow, the rising moon at his back like a pale shadow in the still-orange skies. “It has not been long since we met, but I was trapped by a longing to see the progress thous’t laid upon my commission. I will not be free of it until your creation is complete.”

“Oh, Prince Midnight Rendezvous! Oh dear. Ah, you seem to have caught me at a bit of an inopportune moment. I apologize for my current attire. I assure you I do not normally parade around in this sort of thing outside of the privacy of the bedroom. I was merely attempting to, ehm, assure myself of the quality of my creation, not some unseemly display of flesh!”

“Nonsense! I assure you this display of cloth and flesh is quite admirable, though a bit scarce in the cloth portion and more plentiful in buckles. Is this a new trend of fashion? Thou shouldst display it on the very catwalks of Canterlot for the eager eyes of countless admirers.”

The cheek! To suggest she simply show up on the catwalks of the very highest of society wearing little more than lingerie and straps (and perhaps some reigns), the very idea..!

...If she got any wetter she’d be forced to start doggypaddling.

“Ah! Ehm... oh, no, dear. I-it’s hardly new, although this particular style of dress is slightly less subject to the whims of fashion and not, ah, not quite a suitable highlight for the kinds of shows I normally attend. But please, I’m being an ungracious host. Would you care for some tea while I finish your order?” Rarity, cheeks flushed, turned to open the kitchen door with all the grace she could muster, her arcane power already reaching within to find her most expensive blends.

The prince’ eyes, once merely admiring the detail of Rarity’s work, suddenly found themselves riveted to the delicate arches of the unicorn’s hindquarters. Forcing a little cough, the prince politely interrupted the seamstress; “Ah, Lady Rarity, if I might have a moment, I believe I may need to make use of your washroom.”

“Of course, dear. The first on the left.”

Rarity’s washroom was exactly as Prince Midnight Rendezvous expected, a flowery, plush affair, albeit more cozy than the one at Canterlot Castle. It would suffice to keep the prince from suffering any further embarrassments. Lowering his head between his foreknees, he glared down the length of his abdomen at the arcing length of flesh dangling from its home. “This is an outrage. It is well I know how to control an over-eager male.” He scraped her throat, and firmly addressed the offending member, “Return whence you came! Thine presence is not desired here!”

The length of male flesh replied with nothing more than a dismissive twitch, and brazenly continued extending from the prince’ sheath.

“This attitude is a mockery of royalty! I will give you a final warning!”

Another lazy twitch.

“Very well, then. Corporeal punishment, it is.”

Moments later, Rarity was pulled from her tea-making by a thump in her washroom, and rushed over only to find her royal prince curled up on the plush-covered floor, gasping for breath. “Oh dear! What happened?”

“I apologize, Lady Rarity. I believe I may have incidentally bumped a piece of personal anatomy and fear I may have hurt it. I w-would rather not involve official medical staff at this junction. Perhaps you would care to check for injuries?”

“Would I eve- I mean, of course the health of my guests comes first and foremost.”

* * *

The ocean swept forth, swallowing her into the depths. The chill of water nipped at her nose and bit at her hindlegs as she sank deeper into the embrace of Celestia’s forelegs. Her mane swirled behind her, but her lips never faltered from their place. The water behind them was soon tainted purple and white, a cloud swiftly fading to clarity as their dive came to a halt.

Cool blue light shone through the thick fronds around them, a forest of seaweed strands like slender trees reaching for the heavens from the impossibly-deep abyss far below. Fins fluttering, Twilight finally slipped loose from Celestia’s kiss, but the arch of her tail curled around the sun princess, anchoring herself against the nearly-nonexistent current. Eyes met eyes, the princess’ face a magnificent shadow haloed by the blue flowing through her mane. For a moment that stretched for ages, they simply curled together, sharing heat where skin touched, Twilight’s chin resting against the princess’ chest.

“I have wonderful things to show you, Twilight Sparkle.” A firm, sensual thrust of the sea-princess’ tail sent them both sliding further into the depths, the littlest of the two seaponies clinging desperately to the greater as she suddenly found the two of them sailing through the seaweed forest at a speed that left her swinging in the turbulent wake.

A familiar trembling ran through her body, fatigue swelling as her grip grew more tenuous, until with a cry, her tail lost its purchase. Her world tumbled head over fins as the wild waters battered her about. Once she'd steadied herself, Celestia’s pearlescent-white form had long since disappeared into the darkness, leaving her by herself, alone. Suddenly, the water felt so much colder.

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes opened to the sight of the landscape sliding by outside the window, shaded in the fiery orange of the setting sun. Her cheek felt cold where it lay mushed up against the glass. As she sat back the the train’s seat, the final light of day fading into the black, she could feel her eyes burning...

Author's Note

Oh, wow. Weaving individual pieces into a coherent whole - especially when you're basically trying to merge two simultaneous storylines - turns out to be a lot harder than I expected! The earlier two stories in this series involved not a single PoV shift, but now my story is full of them. I hope it doesn't disorient much; I know I always hated it when a book changes PoV just when things were getting really exciting.

Maybe I should've listened when my earliest proofreader suggested I peel the two tales apart somehow. Any suggestions?