A Nightly Romance

Chapters

Train In Vain (Stand By Me) (Part II)
Nobody But Me (Part III)
Envy (Part IV)
No Matter What (Part V)
Photograph (Part VI)
Round And Round (Part VII)
Bodies (Part VIII)
Dear Diary (Part IX)
Here (In Your Arms) (Part X)
Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part XI)
Only You (Part XII)
Just Take My Heart (Part XIV)
[Title Stolen By Discord] (Part XV)
The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part A)
The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part B)
The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part C)
Enjoy The Silence (Ending Two, Part A)
Enjoy The Silence (Ending Two, Part B)
Enjoy The Silence (Ending Two, Part C)
One Time (Ending Three)
Stop The Clocks (Ending Four)
There She Goes (Ending Five, Part A)
There She Goes (Ending Five, Part B)
Are You Gonna Be My Girl (Part I)
More Than A Feeling (Part XIII)

Train In Vain (Stand By Me) (Part II)

Celestia halted right in front of the side door-- almost crashing into the tiny stone dragon decorating the wall. She took a deep breath, and then she nudged the door. Locked... Locked? Well, this is MY CASTLE-- isn't it? She concentrated with her magic, and then the door popped slightly off of it's hinges. She leaned over and slid it across.

The auburn-haired pegasus froze once again. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Celestia glanced around the tiny cubicle-like dressing room, and then she stepped right in.

"Pri-Pri-Pri-ncesss ssssssssss..." the pegasus stammered. He clutched the soaking wet towel in between his legs. Celestia's eyes traced down drop after drop of soapy water as it flowed from his mane across his dark brown body and onto the bottoms of his hooves.

The battle that his confidence waged against his nervousness took a sudden turn in favor of the latter. Celestia forced herself in-- the space barely holding the two ponies. She turned back for a moment to slide the door back shut. The pegasus panted so loudly that she could feel his breath upon her skin.

"Well, then, here we are," the sun goddess said. She then flinched. That's not a very... romantic turn of phrase, is it?

"I... I..." the pegasus whispered. He went from scared panting to full blown jittering. The alicorn smiled, and then she pressed her side against the cold metal lockers upon the wall. Without saying a word, she magically lifted up the pegasus' towel. She curled it delicately across her neck. Drips and drips flowed down across her sides and down through her mane.

"Your highness requires some," she began, and she searched for the right words. Come on, now! Decades upon decades of poetry lessons from Equestria's finest... What of it, now? "Additional... administrative services..." She leaned down and nudged even closer. Ugh... What was that?

In the pegasus' mind, Celestia might as well have been reading from a shopping list-- her soft yet regal tone of voice drove him out of his mind. He panted faster and faster. He nudged himself forward as well. A little bit of soapy something bounced out from under his hoof.

The pegasus tumbled down with a 'thud', and his bottom hooves thrust down around Celestia's legs. She smiled even wider. We'll see how things go, Lulu, we'll see... The princess leaned back-- her tail and plot wagging slowly. She then pounced.

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Lightening shot out from the thick clouds right besides Celestia. She didn't know why-- she had seen far worse strike her very body itself without harm-- but she let out a soft, girly scream. She moved forward through the misty field. She glanced around in front of her... but she couldn't see him.

"A-ha," a voice popped up behind her. She hopped to the side, and then she made a happy sigh. Her eyes stared out at the sky as the horrible mass of inky black clouds piled up thicker and thicker. She traced down the globby red bits that rained out-- almost like thick strawberry jam-- onto the foggy ground. She wandered over.

*Creak*

She paused, and then she trotted over even faster. A thick metal swing-set popped into view through the mister. She gazed up ahead at the lone draconequus at the farthest right swing. Celestia walked over, and she eyed across his face. That smile. That cunning, intelligent smile. He could save Equestria dozens and dozens of time over before lunch, and still he'd have time to spend all afternoon reading me poetry.

Discord silently pointed at the swing besides them. Celestia nodded, and she stepped a little bit forward. Another blast of lightening without thunder landed right in front of her. She froze. Another blast came down behind her. The thick, red strands of energy seemed to glow with something... alien. Hate. Fear. Anger.

She took a seat besides Discord. Celestia bounced back, and she swung. Discord merely sat in place. He said something to her, but she couldn't hear it. She saw his lips move, but no sound came out. All she could hear was that horrible metal squeak at her every swing.

*Creak*

Discord said something else. He smiled and waggled his paws in some kind of joke. He waited for a response. When Celestia shrugged aimlessly back, his contented face seemed to melt. The princess thrust her hooves forward and stopped the swing. She eyed the draconequus' mouth as it opened up wide and controted into a horrible, artifical-looking frown His teeth looked like kitchen knives.

"Just wait! Wait a moment, please!" Celestia shouted. She couldn't hear herself over the squeaking. Neither of them moved, but that awful noise went on and on.

*Creak* *Creak* *Creak*

The princess jumped off of the swing. She waved her front hooves at Discord. The draconequus kept on looking to his right-- eyes staring where the princess had just been. Celestia nudged herself closer. She went to touch him across the side of his face-- just like she had done thousands of times many years ago. She moved forward her hoof, and the draconequus dissapered.

She blinked. She saw something like a poof of inky black dust flow through the air down onto the ground beneath the swing. She felt like screaming.

"It means," Luna said somewhere behind her. Celestia span out through the misty darkness twoards her sister's voice.

"Means... means..." Celestia stammered. What on earth is going on here! The red globs rained down harder and harder. The coarse, disgusting material dripped down across her mane and the sides of her face. She didn't seem to go anywhere as she ran. She took a breath, and then she galloped ahead even faster.

*Splat*

Celestia halted. She concentrated, and she felt her horn glow. Yet the material stuck onto the eyes tighter than ever. What... I can't believe that...

"It means that I love him," Luna said somewhere in front of her. Celestia's heart sank, and she knew what would be happening next. She knew what she had said to her sister next.

"Love has nothing to do with it," Celestia heard herself say. Those words from her memory seemed to scratch down across the edges of her ears and then thrust themselves inside. "It's your position. It's MY position, Lulu. It's OUR future. I can't have it jepordized over something like this." Celestia heard her sister crying. "It's not just the public scandal that would follow from an unacceptable husband. It's... It's..."

"You know, Tia.... You know what it was..." Luna's voice went on as the tears flowed between words, "It was him that brought me back, when the elements of harmony hadn't worked..."

"Yes, yes," Celestia heard herself say, "You took him back to your bedroom, and the two of you... went ahead and... and... That was what changed you." Celestia had known that that statement was a lie back then, but she had said it nonetheless.

"I asked him... to be my prince," Luna's voice replied-- showing a deep conviction in every word, "And at that exact moment that he said 'yes', Nightmare Moon was no more. Because it was love. Because 'Every princess deserves a prince'."

"PRINCE!" Celestia screamed. She banged her hooves upon the shifty ground. "PRINCE!"

The sun goddess opened her eyes. She looked up at the kitchen appliances stretching along the wall. She suddenly felt the cold floor tiles upon her face. She pushed herself up, and she surveyed the room for the lightswitch.

Celestia then glanced down at where she had sat. The massive puddle of drool seemed to flow into the grout-- staining it. She held out a hoof to turn on the lights. She stood in place, and then she sighed.

"Oh, oh," she muttered to herself, "Lulu... I'm sorry."

(To Be Continued)

Nobody But Me (Part III)

"Lips!" Luna called out. Her reflection yelled back at her with the same sing-song voice. She then nudged her right side over closer to the mirror.

A little metal case magically lifted up besides her head. She pointed over with her eyes. The case cracked open to reveal a mysterious black vial, which she then moved right over in front of her lips. She focused to screw the edges off. The darkish goop rubbed up against her skin.

"Ooooh... c-c-cold..." whispered the princess. But that's the point, isn't it? She giggled. After giving herself a liberal dose, she leaned back and screwed the cap back on. She pursed her lips together and then made a huge smile.

'Twilight Sparkles' she called them. At my insistence, of course, that poor purple unicorn is just-- SO-- blasted modest. Sheesh! Luna eyed her reflection-- pressing forward even deeper. Her gaze danced around the thousands of shiny little magical crystals appearing around her lips. She couldn't help giggling again at the torrent of soft tickles.

"A nice little substitute for those bites... staying for weeks and weeks," Luna whispered, and then she cocked her head back. She angled her eyes and made a seductive gaze. She knew that she radiated beauty from every inch-- and now a soft minty coldness from her lips as well. Moon may have been a wildcat, but he should know that I can give her a run for her money.

"Hair!" Luna called out. She magically lifted up a brush, then another, and then another after that. She worked through her feral looking mane for a while, and she tensed. Almost... almost done... She made one last triumphal brush, and then she let out a satisfied coo.

Luna smacked her lips together. Oh, I can't imagine the look on his face when he sees that bluish mark still there tomorrow morning. And still there the morning after that. She made a devious smile. Still sparking on that pretty white neck of his... Still tickling him with my own cold, minty touch... Still reminding him about me every second... Marked!

"Miiiiiiine," Luna whispered, and she went eye to eye to her reflection. Her heart beat furiously at the very thought of seeing him again-- let alone a long moonlight stroll. Mine. Nobody but me. Mine.

Luna froze as the door opened behind her. She glanced up at the mirror's reflection of Celestia. The sun goddess stepped through the bedroom door and then dropped herself upon the gigantic couch with a frustrated sigh.

"What have you been doing, Tia?" Luna asked, putting back on that friendly sing-song tone. Awww... She needs to cheer up for once!

"Official quarterly performance evaluations," Celestia declared, waving her hoofs around in mock elegance with every word. She leaned back deeper into the couch, and then she swung her bottom hooves around the sides. "Oh, for..." She nudged her horn upon the soft silk cushion behind her. "It's simply unbelievable. Half of the stallions just tense up at my very sight. I suppose they think that they'll spend a decade in Everfree Forest just for breaking a single plate... Goodness."

"That's..." Luna began. She strained to pay attention, but she really couldn't. "That's so... odd of them, Tia." She made a last minute adjustment to her hair with her hooves.

"I've been looking forward to getting out of it for a while now," Celestia went on, "When we could finally spend some time today... together..." Celestia ran her eyes across Luna's back. "I kept thinking about our little game with Prince Blueblood, Princess Cadence, and the rest of the visitors."

"Game..." Luna repeated, the words bouncing off of her head. She rubbed a fluffy white puffball along her neck and shoulders for a second. Celestia trailed a pinch of the sugary sweet smelling powder as it ran down Luna's shoulders and along her side.

"Game," Celestia said as well, "Our croquet competition..." She lowered her tone for a moment. "For the next two hours." The sun goddess shifted around atop the couch.

Luna finally put everything back in the right drawer, and she gazed at herself. "Better than mortal ponies could ever ask for," she whispered. She wiggled herself from side to side. She then paused.

Where did I hear that little poetic phrase before? It had to be some book or... something. Her smile melted. "Mortal ponies..." Mortal... Meaning... Meaning that someday, he won't be... She shut her eyes tight. No. No. No. NO. Don't THINK like THAT!

Celestia gently stepped over off of the couch to her sister's side. She held out a sympathetic hoof across her back. "Lulu," Celestia muttered, "What's the matter? Is it another one of those headaches? Dear, you should see a doctor... Or is it something else?" She paused. "Please, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Luna said, although she fought back quite a few tears, "Nothing at all. In fact..." She leaned her head back and smiled again. "I'm feeling just... GREAT."

"Did you want to go first?" Celestia asked.

"First, in our..." Luna responded, and she lost herself in thought. "Oh, yeah, our... Game..." No, I had told her already I couldn't come! Didn't I? That was this morning! Or... or... I can't remember. "I... I can't come..."

Celestia's kind, motherly gaze folded into that now familiar scowl. She stepped off towards the bedroom door. The princess leaned her head down, and she took a deep breath. Luna followed a few yards behind.

"I'm... I'm very sorry Tia," Luna said.

"What are you going to say this time..." Celestia half-said to herself. She didn't even look back at her sister.

"It's the special guards' training event. You know," Luna said, and she tried to put on a cheerful tone, "It's been postponed once already, and I need to just knock through it tonight." It was only a half-lie. She did need to speak to the guards, although she'd have plenty of time to spend with Strawberry before trotting to the courtyard besides the armory. "Don't worry, I'll just miss the first round." She nudged herself over and leaned up against her older sister. "That's all. I'll be there before it ends. Promise."

"You certainly look..." Celestia began, "Nice... for that guard's event..."

"They need a proper motivational speech, don't they? What better motivation than a princess at her best?"

Celestia locked eyes with her younger sister. Luna made a very fake, nervous smile. The sun goddess pursed the sides of her face in a 'don't think I don't know' expression. She then magically opened the door and stepped through. Luna-- no idea what to do-- instinctively gave her a friendly wave as she left.

"Oh... Tia..."

(To Be Continued)

Envy (Part IV)

Celestia knew that she shouldn't cross that line. Not... Not yet. She stepped along the wall of the plain little side corridor. A pretty looking solid white hoof bumped out the edge of the door from the corridor into the main hallway. The guards didn't notice. She then leaned her face over, and one of her eyes locked upon that special bedroom door.

Celestia's stare moved up and down the sparkly dark blue frame, and then she focused right on the small hitch on the side of the door. She took a deep breathe. Okay... It will be easy. I couldn't possibly be more easy. Just one moment. She watched two burly guards lean down upon the wall a little lower. They both looked off to the right.

Dazzling Marks walked up with his little pushcart along the other end of the hallway. He nestled a hoof upon the pile of various papers. He sighed. Two other burly guards then appeared a few feet behind him. Celestia leaned her head down, and then she pushed the door just a little bit ajar. Alright, just about time... They all move together in their little huddle for a second. They all look at that end of then corridor. Just a few seconds, of course, but it's all I need.

She made a devious ltitle smile. I'm the goddess of this world-- the most powerful and smartest and fastest creature anypony could ever know. Obviously, I can handle this. She visualized teleporting right in front of the door, throwing it open, dashing inside, and then flinging it back shut with both immense speed and gentle, delicate precision. Perfect!

Marks made some little joke that the guards all laughed at. He then lifted the top of a little white box-- revealing a set of cupcakes. From Luna to Strawberry, no doubt... And she's giving to the extra ones to her guards. I'm surprised she didn't snarf them down herself in a matter of seconds-- those crazy new food cravings of hers! The guards all suddenly shifted their eyes over, and Marks did the same. "Now!"

*Poof*

Celesia smiled. She surveyed the darkened room around her. Her eyes bounced from the stack of Equestrian high society magazines to the scattered electronic cables to the soft little bunny doll that Luna snuggled with. A gift from... from... Discord... She shifted her head about-- trying to shove down all of those memories into her deepest subconscious. She then stepped out into the center of Luna's bedroom.

Well, I see that I've still got that sneaky touch... She glanced up, down, left, right, and then paused. It has to be... somewhere...

*Squeak*

Her upper right hoof flew into the air. No, no! Celestia bounced forward with her other hoof, and then she slid upon something wet and papery. The alicorn tumbled up towards the poster-covered wall. NO! She immediately lit her horn with magic.

Celestia found himself floating in the air-- just inches away from smashing into a pile of little metal minuatre ponies. She let out a satisfied breath. That would have been... loud. She magically shifted herself over, and she sat upon Luna's bed. Her eyes burned at the offending squeaky blue cube, which had bounced right on top of Luna's pillows. Celestia leaned forward and rubbed her face against the cube's numerous 'Welcome to Hoofington' labels.

"One thousand years on the moon, CUBE," the sun goddess growled, "Your day shall come, we assure you."

She leaned back, and then she surveyed the wall besides the bed. No... No... Nope... Wow, she likes DJ P0N-3? Really? My Lulu? And... Wow, just look at how wet P0N-3's mane is on that poster! She blinked repeatedly, trying to come back to her senses.

A-ha! Celestia stood up tall upon the bed, and she gazed at Luna's diary upon the little grey shelf. She's... She has to be using the... Celestia eyed the edge of the diary. Yep, she's using the hair trick. She delicately lifted the one tiny strand of Strawberry's sweet-scented hair off of the shelf. She hung it right at the top of the P0N-3 poster.

"Well, then," Celestia said, and she held the diary out right in front of her face. She almost felt like salivating. She cracked it open a little and then picked a section right in the middle. Lulu... Oh, Lulu... She took a little breath, and then she read aloud.

"Dear Flanders," she began. She stopped. Flanders... Ah, yes, of course: 'Flanders'. Flanders... Flanders! WHO IS 'FLANDERS'? She closed it and flipped it around from side to side. She then decided to keep reading. "I couldn't wait to try out the new lipstick on him! I know that he's just going to lose it!" Celestia rubbed with her hoof at the bright blue kiss mark upon the page.

Well, she's going to... have fun with that... She flipped ahead a few pages. Several of them went on and old about official royal business and how it bored Luna to tears. It also bored Celestia almost to tears to even think about reading about it. Celestia suddenly stopped. She gazed down at a page with illustrations.

"Dear Flanders," she read, "I've gotten very worried about these backaches-- especially today. Like I wrote before, Strawberry and I met in the northeast courtyard today and we had the best time anypony could possibly imagine. We played this little game at the fountain, and I pretended to buck him. But even just bending over in that way to pretend made pain just shoot into me like kinves against my skin." Luna had then drawn a cute little frowny face.

"I suppose on the one hoof that it couldn't come at a worst time-- since my headaches haven't gotten any better despite all those potions that Marks promised couldn't fail," Celestia kept reading, "Yet on the other hoof, I just have this little angel that perks me up and never lets me down. I just take one look at him, and I can already feel that warm touch of him just leading right up along my back. His tips of his hooves move across my flanks so flexibly. Such little rubs, such little pushes nestling his skin right against my..."

She stopped. She curled her legs together, and she tried to slow down her breathing. Not the... Not this 'intense'... That's not what I'm looking for. Well, okay... It's exactly what I'm looking for. Celestia gazed at the little illusuation that Luna had drawn-- a wide open lunar horizon with all of the stars flashing above replaced with strawberries. She rubbed her hoof along the ends. She's... She's so lucky...

Celestia turned to the newest page, and then she sighed. "Dear Flanders," she read, "I can't keep thinking about yesterday. Back when it was, well, our anniversary. Of course, we didn't take things that far. We couldn't. We knew we shouldn't. At least..." Celestia clenched inside as she saw the tears melted into the paper. "Oh, I just can't think anymore. I can't feel anymore. It doesn't make sense to anyone except us. WHO CARES!" Luna had underlined that last word twice.

Celestia could have read on. She could have flipped back to several weeks ago to see what her sister thought of her. She could have peeked through to see more seedy details about her whirlwind romance. Yet even though she wanted to, she just couldn't. She couldn't stand anymore. She magically lifted up the diary and carefully put it back into place. She looked over at Strawberry's strand of hair, and then she moved it right back where it had been.

"Oh... Lulu..." she muttered, "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry."

*Rustle*

Celestia's world seemed to melt before her eyes as the door slowly edged open. Her heart pumped over and over again to the point that it would rip out of her chest. This can't be happening! She shut her eyes tight. She threw a magical cloud over herself.

*Poof*

Blasts of freezing cold air shot down along her neck. She clutched at the thin air with her hooves. In a split-second, she tumbled down onto the frosty ground. She opened her eyes, but she couldn't see anything except solid whitish-blue walls in all directions.

Celestia leaned down, and then she bucked behind her with all her might. The metal wall shot out behind her. She paused, and then she eyed a set of nervous looking bright green unicorns sticking their heads along the sides. She saw table upon table of baked goods behind them.

"Princess... why are you in the freezer?" the tallest of them asked.

"It was... a... a..." Celestia stammered. She bounced out of the frigid little room. "A... special... royal... administrative..." She rubbed her head around and threw little icy sparkles out of her mane.

"Health inspection!"

(To Be Continued)

No Matter What (Part V)

"Who," the owl hollered over towards its left.

"Oh, just... be quiet already..." Celestia muttered. She leaned her body a little bit closer to the trunk. She then brushed some of the maple's branches off of her mane.

"Who," another owl called out from several feet under her.

Celestia leaned a little bit backward as if she was about to belt out a sarcastic remark. She stopped halfway. She then nudged herself down and stared at the little forest clearing yards and yards in front of her.

"Perfect!" Luna yelled, and she twirled about in place. Celestia's eyes followed her up the distant gravel road. Luna sat upon the familiar grassy blotch right besides the great big stump. Celestia watched as Luna cocked her head over and as Luna fell-- in totally phony, over-dramatic fashion-- down on her back atop Strawberry's lap.

The unicorn made his typical goofy smile. Celestia focused her eyes right on Strawberry's lips. He leaned over, and then he brought his face down upon Luna's face. They made out for quite a while. Like always, Luna seemed to just totally melt in his arms. She wagged her head side to side effortlessly-- trying to taste every last inch of his mouth and get every last possible sensation she could out of him. He wandered his front hooves all across Luna's chest, neck, and face.

Luna's mane curled along the side of Strawberry's head-- bringing him ever closer and closer. They didn't even seem to be two distinct ponies anymore. The frizzy edges of his mane flowed in and out of every bit of her sparkly, smooth mane. Blue and pink blended totally together into a fluffy lavender. Luna just seemed to radiate energy, and she clearly felt it in between her bottom hooves. Celestia focused right on her little sister's flank. Luna wiggled to the side, and then...

"WHO!" an owl screamed behind Celestia. She waved her front hooves around. She nearly fell right off of the branch.

"Are you all asking for a THOUSAND YEARS on the MOON!" Celestia hollered at the crowd of owls around her. She stood up on her hind hooves. "Because, I THINK that's what you all clearly WANT!"

The crowd of birds burst into a feathery blob. Owl after owl flapped away in different directions. Celestia sighed, and then she looked striaght up at the night. Luna's glorious night... It's so beautiful. It's always so beautiful. The Orion constellation seemed to shine right upon the clearing where the two lovebirds met.

Celestia sat back down at her post. She was alone this time. She felt something hard and absolutely soaking wet underneath her. She then shifted awkwardly on the branch. The white alicorn had subconsiouly pressed it deeply into her flank in such a... perverted fashion. Come on, now... Don't lose it. Think about Lulu.

Celestia brought her gaze back at the unicorn and the alicorn in front of her. They still made out with each other. He's so caring at every touch. So... so passionate... She looked down at the familar satchel that the unicorn carried. She moved her eyes up, and she saw Luna finally pull off of her 'prince'. Luna leaned down and silently met eyes with Strawberry. Luna then curled herself down and rested back on his lap-- leaving a little trail of soft kisses along his chest.

The white alicorn felt a set of kisses moving down her side as well. She could smell the chocolate dripping off of her skin with every kiss. She sensed those determined draconequus paws pressed against the end of her hooves. Those fingers had buried against them time after time.

So powerful, so deep, and so strong... He knew what he wanted. He wanted to make an imprint. He wanted to become a piece of my heart. He wanted to be a piece that would never go away. Celestia suddenly tried not to cry. She felt that touch upon her just as strongly as if Discord stood right there upon the branch besides her. The dark chocolate aroma seemed to burn her senses.

"Oh, Lulu," Celestia softly called out. The voice shifted across the beautiful treetops. Leaves bobbed up and down in the strong moonlight. "Lulu... Do you know what it's going to feel like when he's gone? Do you know what it's going to feel like when you're all... all..." She decided to stop fighting it, and her tears dripped one after the other down onto the trees below. "Alone."

Celestia gazed out with her teary eyes as Strawberry pulled out his guitar for the umpteenth time. Luna let out a girly coo, and she clapped her hooves. The white alicorn's eyes ran up her sisters body. Oh, Lulu... Lulu... Celestia gazed at the soft strawberry kiss on Luna's side, the soft strawberry kiss on Luna's neck, and then the soft strawberry kiss right on Luna's cheek.

The sun goddess smelled that wonderful sugary scent from her own chocolate kisses. For years upon years-- time that stretched like little eternities-- she had felt them going across herself. At the moment on the maple tree, centuries later, the memories of those kisses just seemed to hurt-- like thousands of little scars. Celestia nudged along the branch towards the batch of leaves at its edge.

A happy strumming burst out from the clearing. "No matter what-- you-- areeeeeee..." Strawberry began to sang. Celestia instinctively bounced along the branch to the beat. "I will always be with-- you!" He hammered down the riff.

Luna clapped and let out some happy 'ooohs' to the melody. Celestia smiled. The tears flowed, but she couldn't help singing along as well.

"Doesn't matter-- what you doooooo, girl!" Strawberry sang, and he swung to the side. Luna tapped his legs. "Oooooh... girl! With you!"

The unicorn and the alicorn locked eyes once again. Celestia bounced a bit higher at each riff. Luna just seemed to beam as well.

"No matter what-- you-- doooooo," Strawberry sang, "I will ALWAYS be AROUND!" He tapped the guitar's sides and wiggled it around. "Won't you tell me, what you FOUND-- GIRL-- ooooooh..." He cocked his head from side to side. "Girl! Won't you?"

Luna stepped up, and she kissed Strawberry once again. The guitar plopped right out of his hooves. They went at each other for a few seconds, and then she pulled away. She leaned forward and whispered something into his ear.

You're telling him that 'you found' your 'prince', Lulu. I can read you like a... a diary. "No matter what," Celestia repeated. She snorted-- the tears going down without stop. No matter what... And it matters what. She looked at Strawberry and Luna's warm embrace, and then she closed her eyes shut. "No matter.. what..."

It matters. Since he won't always be around. It might be that Lulu changes her mind. Or Strawberry changes his mind. But either way, it wouldn't matter. Because he won't be around. So, even if we manage to keep the royalty going even after turning half of Equestria against us with the marriage... Even if it all magically works... Even if you stay in love, Lulu... Celestia flew up, eyes still closed. She sailed yard after yard into the might sky.

Celestia popped her eyes open, and she faced up right at the shimmering moon. Even if it all works... He still won't always be around. The jagged, curved sillauoutte of a particular lunar mountain reminded her of that special draconequus. She held up her hooves, and then she sobbed into them.

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Celestia held up the fork, and then it dangled in the air in front of her. She stared straight ahead of her. Luna shoved another plate full of sweets into her mouth-- barely showing even the basic manners. Luna stopped. The dark alicorn then forced herself to pick up a napkin and dabble it across the sides of her face.

"Rather... hungry, are we?" Celestia asked. She nestled herself a little bit farther away from the table. Although the sisters sat just about twenty feet from each other-- the sun goddess couldn't stand those comically huge dining set-ups unless absoutely needed for protocol-- they might as well have been on different planets.

"Hmmm," Luna muttered. She tried and succeed from keeping herself from sucking up the last little bits on the plate.

"Right," Celestia said.Is this... Is this it? A few little chattering conversations here and there has been the most that I've gotten out of you for weeks. WEEKS. Is she just going to... Well, I can't think Strawberry is 'taking my place' in your mind and your heart. That would be BEYOND SILLY. "So, what plans do you have for tomorrow?" Although... it sure feels like that...

"Besides the regular schedule, you mean?" Luna asked. Her mind seemed miles and miles away from the dinner table. She squealed as the waiter brought in yet another plate.

"Yes, besides the regular events, of course," Celestia replied. She surprised herself with the venom that she added to those two last words.

"It's... It's okay... There's plenty of places that are wide open," Luna said. Celestia's mood brightened.

"Oh, that's very nice. Very nice to hear, indeed," Celestia said. She took a little sip of the dark tea. Strawberry's special drink... Isn't it? "So..." She popped her front hooves against the table. "I know that Octavia's concert had two royal spots in the balcony. Blueblood has been just dying to get an excuse to get out of it, and I'm sure everypony would be so happy to see you show up." She smiled.

"Oh my gosh!" Luna suddenly called out. She motioned for the waiter to take her meal, and she popped out of the shiny golden seat. "I forgot that I... My dearest apologies, Tia." She stepped twoards the conservatory door. "I will be back very, very soon. I promise."

Celestia then found herself alone. Again... She magically picked up the fork, and then she stabbed it upon the mound of apple crisps. She stared as it fluttered about like a flag on a mountain.

(To Be Continued)

Photograph (Part VI)

*Click*

Celestia remained still as a statue as the shutter went off. She kept that pose as the small white pegasii jumped out around her. They seized the desk, the flag, the globe, the briefcases, and the rest of the props in a matter of seconds. They bounced right back with a small set of books, two cups filled with quills, and a box crammed with parchments.

"Would your majesty sit down and lean a little bit closer to the camera, please?" asked the mare behind the camera. Celestia obliged, and then the mare perked up her bright blue ears. "Yes, yes, thank you... That's just..." She nudged the tripod a few inches forward-- catching a little bit of her shimmering white mane in the tripod's big black gears.

Almost... We're almost done, finally. Thank goodness! Celestia's eyes darted from Photo Finish to the gaggle of assistants now lined up against the studio wall to her sister-- standing against the wall on the far corner. Lulu... You don't have to be so nervous.

"Please, eyes on me your highness," Finish said. She took another picture. "Yes, yes... The loneliness of command. The isolation. The stature." The camera clicked again. "The responsibility. Thousands of ponies are reaching out to you for help. And you sit there as lawgiver." The camera clicked once again. "You are stoic. You are calm. You are reserved." Finish leaned her head up atop the camera. "You control Equestria's destiny."

Finish took a flurry of pictures. Celestia strained not to blink or let her eyes water. Finish suddenly jumped back a few feet. She rubbed her front right hoof upon her purple sash, and she leaned up. Finish cracked a huge smile.

"All done," Finish squeaked.

Celestia coughed. Alright, Lulu... Your turn... She waggled her head for a second. She blinked rapidly-- spotting the white pegasii moving about once again between blinks.

"I must say, your highness," Finish said, and she trotted across the studio for a moment. She swooshing her long white tail upon the end of her elegant black and white dress. "To have the honor of photographing the 'Royal Administrative Bulletin' for a second time in a row..." She stopped, and then she bowed. "I am truly speechless."

"We believe that you're work is excellent," Celestia replied. Finish flinched slightly, and then she smiled while bowing once again. Well, Dazzling Marks does at least... The sun goddess stepped aside as her sister walked towards the middle of the stage.

Luna jiggled with every step. The nervousness seemed to just drip off of her like sweat. She finally made it in front of the camera. She then clutched her head with her hooves.

"Another headache?" Celestia asked, motherly concern coming naturally to her words.

"It's... It will be fine..." Luna muttered, and she looked up. She held a hoof above her head. "Could we... do something about the lights, please..."

"Your highness, please," one of the bright white pegasii replied. He moved behind the camera-- propping her hooves at the edge of the tripod. Finish stood behind in pure silence. "That is like asking a bird to do something about its wings. Or a fish to do something about its tail. Or..."

Celestia glared at the pegasus. He stopped. He then seemed to want to hide under the tripod. Finish held up a hoof and then pointed at a gigantic yellow unicorn sitting in the corner. Finish then nestled herself back right behind the camera. The offending pegasus slinked off to the rest of his compatriots adjacent to the stage.

Celestia gestured for Luna to received another drink. One of the white pegasii trotted out of the room, and he returned with a little tray with two glasses and a small creamy pudding treat. At the same time, the gigantic unicorn sped from light umbrella to light umbrella. The room dimmed step by step. Although fear coursed through her body, Luna giggled a little at the refreshments and promptly seemed to inhale them.

Finish made a small smile. She then leaned even closer to the camera. "There would be nothing wrong with a more..." Finish began, and then she paused. Celestia tried to stare behind those comically oversize glasses and see what flashed across photographer's eyes. "Intimate setting for these new pictures... As your majesty wishes..."

"Oh, please, call me Luna," the blue alicorn said with a nervous wave of her right hoof. The attendants shifted about the stage around her in total silence. "Luna..." She found herself standing behind a short darkish grey table and a small, comfy looking light grey couch. "I insist... Please..." Luna's eyes traced around the tiny blue boxes and blue pillows around her hooves.

"As Luna wishes," Finish said, and then she reached up with her right hoof, "Please, concentrate right on my hoof." Luna did as she asked. "Now, I'd like you to back up a few inches and sit calmly upon the edge of the couch." Luna obeyed. "Could you curl your head down besides the table, please. If you could hover just a few inches above without actually touching it..." Finish pursed her mouth. "Good, Luna, thank you... But... But..." She paused.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked.

"My... Luna, I'm sorry, but I must be frank," Finish said, leaning a little bit back from the camera, "This expression does not work. I'm afraid that you look as if you're waiting for your execution." She suddenly stepped back futher and sat down. She clearly wondered if she had said something that crossed a line, and she looked over at Celestia.

Celestia took a sip of tea. She blankly looked back at Finish. The sun goddess then walked over to the side of the stage. She motioned around with her mane, and she smiled at Luna. Lulu, you know that you're one of the most beautiful things to ever grace Equestria. Believe in yourself. I do. Celestia's silent, caring gaze meant more than any words.

"Here is what I have in mind," the photographer began, and she squished herself back behind the camera, "What I said to her majesty before... It wouldn't work here. This is what the camera thinks of you, Luna..." Finish built up her voice, every word filled with drama. "You are love. You are tenderness. You are the soft, soothing embrace of the night. Day has ended-- you're love is here to calm the troubles of what happened with sweet nightly bliss."

Luna panted a little bit. She then motioned herself back deeper upon the couch. She moved her front hooves across the table.

"Yes, yes!" Finish said, and she took a picture, "Luna is tender. Luna is inviting. You are inviting the viewer to yourself." She took another picture, and then she paused. "Look at this camera." Finish bobbed her head above the side of the tripod. "Not me, not anymore... Look right at the camera. Picture somepony familiar right where the lens is."

"Strawwwwwwberry," Luna muttered quietly to herself.

"Perfect, Luna. Just keep going, please," the photographer said, and she made some carefully measured adjustments to the camera-- a little button here, a knob there, and so on.

Luna rested her head down on her front hooves. She rubbed up against the fluffy blue pillows with her bottom hooves. The camera erupted with another loud click. Luna focused right at the lens, and she saw Finish pause once again. A jolt of inspiration shot from the tip of the photographer's tail to the edge of her head.

"This is the magics!" Finish called out, "You have someone special in your life, yes? Of course!" Luna softly nodded. "That someone is now inside this camera. It was a shrink spell. Think of that. Look at the camera. Look at him."

Luna smoothed her face a bit more. She rubbed the end of her chin further upon her hooves. She tried to emphasize her full lips, and she felt her bottom hooves relaxing. The pillow started going up between her legs. The photographer then blazed through a bunch of pictures.

"Yes!" Finish hollered, "This is him. This is your coltfriend." She clicked through a few more. "Your calm, chill embrace. Your smile. You are inviting him." Luna let out a little coo, and then she shifted about. "YES!" Finish went through a few more pictures.

Luna pulled up the couch a lot closer. She curled her legs back upon the side of the couch. She pressed the pillow tightly in between her legs. She head picture after picture with click after click. Luna then cocked her head over, and she held her front hooves up in the air in supplication. Luna felt her beautiful, flowing mane curling up across her chest.

"YES! YES!" Finish screamed. She blazed through a bunch of pictures. She immediately ran out of film. Finish suddenly slammed in another roll with the quick precious of a solider with a wartime weapon. "Luna is love. Luna is glorious. Luna is the seduction of the night."

Luna rolled around a little bit more. She then rammed her front hooves against the table. She scraped the polished wood as she drew her hooves back. She pushed her back body a little bit up over the top of the couch. She felt her mane rubbing alongside the mass of pillows. Luna then kissed the middle of the table.

*Sproing*

The gaggle of pegasii had their wings shoot out at full length. The tallest of them knocked over one of the light umbrellas. The shortest of them sped right over and pressed his wings against it-- righting it back up. They then huddled once again. Luna traced their faces. Every last one of them looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Luna is temptation. Luna is feeling. Luna is emotion. Luna is raw. Luna is sticky sweet," Finish rattled off, still clicking through picture after picture. Luna kept on posing. Finish curled her body across the tripod tightly. The photographer looked like her hooves were about to crush the camera like a grape.

Luna picked up her front hooves and then pushed the table away. She stretched her entire body along the couch. She pressed her bottom hooves against the end of it. The rippling edges of her tail ran down along her bottom left hoof and then fluttered in the air above.

As Finish still sped through photograph after photograph, Luna nestled her head against the edge of the couch. She played with her mane between her front hooves-- eyes still focused straight at the camera. Luna then curled her mane delicately across her chest. She motioned one of the over pillows towards her mouth. She rubbed her head along the side as her legs curled about in turn. She then held the pillow right up on top of her mouth.

Luna bit down.

*Crash*

Three of the light umbrellas smashed upon the ground. The crowd of pegasii shifted about. They panted so hard that they could barely breathe. Puddles of drool gathered on the stuido floor below them.

"And I'm spent!" Finish announced. She triumphantly lifted her hooves from the camera and stepped straight backwards. The pegasii hesitated. They then trotted up around the photographer.

One of them picked up the camera and moved it into a gigantic bluish-grey case. Another collapsed the tripod and placed it into a similar looking case. Several of them sped over and pulled away the couch and table from the middle of the studio. Finish snapped a hoof atop her head, and then a pegasus popped up behind her clutching a huge glass of champagne

Luna stood in place. She had no idea what to think or what to do at that moment. She gave a helpless look over to Celestia. The sun goddess walked over towards her, and then she nestled alongside her. The two of them looked over at Finish, who stopped to give them a huge smile. The alicorns smiled back.

Finish gulped down the champagne in a split-second. "It's been... more than a pleasure, your majesties," she said, "I will see Marks immediately about picking out the best shots."

The sisters nodded, and they walked to the side of the studio They headed out the door into Canterlot's market street. The alicorns took a deep breath, and then the pounded their wings. They both bounced up. As crowds of ponies gawked at them from underneath, the two of them sailed straight to the royal castle.

"I'm... finding those pictures..." Celestia whispered deep under her breath. "And I'm... burning them..."

(To Be Continued)

Round And Round (Part VII)

Celestia rubbed her hoof over to her face. She reached over and licked profusely. The draconequus had chosen a different flavor this time. It's... tarty raspberries... Oooooh, wow... The sun goddess shifted a little bit backward-- her bottom hooves now poking out from under gigantic pile of ruby red sheets. She curled her head down and felt the perky grey ears rubbing against her chin.

Discord's sloppy kisses moved across her chest. Celestia reflexively out coo after coo-- so under control from his touch that she might as well have been a toy. He stopped at her neck. He then nudged himself a few inches to her side. His horn scraped against the sheets as he lined up their eyes. Celestia couldn't help but smile. Those... those soft yellow eyes, and whenever you get like that... You always make it sparkle like gold jewelry. Discord's deep red pupils looked so much like little hearts.

The draconequus suddenly stepped upwards. Celestia's smile faded a little at his now devious expression. "Well, well, well..." he muttered. He crossed his arms and tapped his paws on his sides in faux-concentration. "A little birdie told me you've been a bad, bad princess. Haven't you?"

"Yes," Celestia replied. She curled her body over closer to him and help up her front hooves in supplication. "I've been a very naughty princess."

"You've been..." Discord repeated. He tapped his paws even faster.

"I've been such, such a naughty, cruel, and despicable tyrant of a princess-- my master," Celestia went on, putting on a lot of melodrama. She dug her face into Discord's long grey neck. His soft fur tickled all across as he magically fluffed it a little like a power puff. "Please, master..." She curled her eyes up and gazed at Discord's face. "Punish me."

The draconequus brought his right paw up onto Celestia's head. He grinned from ear to ear. He then calmly and deliberately pushed her body down flat on the sheets. The sun goddess took a breath. Suddenly, lines of the sheets burst out in the air in front of her.

"D-d-discord..." she stammered. The sheets promptly tied her up as good as a fly in a spider's nest. She gazed back at his hungry and confident expression. "Oh, oh my goodness..." She breathed in the wonderful scent, and then she leaned down to take a bite of the strands covering her.

Oh... red licorice... The magic candy wrapping over her pulsed with a light glow. She smiled as she had some. It seemed to grow two times thicker for every nibble. She quit after a few more bites. She focused her eyes back on the draconequus.

"Yes, you've been a tyrant," Discord said. Celestia's smile immediately melted. The draconequus stepped even farther off of her. She traced along his body with her eyes, and she saw this blackish magical tingle appearing all over him.

"But... I..." she muttered. Her eyes darted across the room. They were the only ones inside the massive regal cathedral. The arches filled with delicate glasswork seemed to stretch to infinity above them. She looked back at the draconequus. His eyes had narrowed to glowing red little orbs. His teeth clenched.

"Tia... Tia..." a weak, abused voice sounded besides her. No! NO! What's going on!

"Oh, I see that somepony's been having... some... difficult... 'Medical Issues'!" Discord called out, making obnoxious air quotes with those last two words. He swung his hooves along his side, and Luna teleported at Discord's side out of nowhere.

Celestia's eyes flew all around her sister's body. Thick black bruise after thick black bruise littered about every inch of the goddess of the night. Celestia struggled. Every little move seemed to only spread the licorice strands thicker. She concentrated, and her horn lit up. She stared at Discord's contorted face.

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Her?" Celestia asked. She prepared to rip the draconequus into pieces if she didn't like his response.

"My love, I have to tell you," Discord said, saying those words without a hint of irony or sarcasm, "I haven't laid a paw on her. You did this." Luna silently nodded. Celestia glanced down along her sister's side. Dozens of little shiny spikes almost like metal thorns had been shoved into the ends of her hooves.

I... I... I... No. NO. He can't do this to me! He can't say that! Celestia shut her eyes. She screamed, "Lies!"

"You hurt her," Discord calmly went on, "And, of course, you had your own reasons. I won't get into them right now. You're also going to hurt her again and again as well... Very soon." Celestia opened her eyes. She thought about ripping his jagged horn off and cramming it down his throat. Yet her magic just seemed to fade. She felt something like an invisible thick wool blanket over her hoof. "I can assure you. This is your hoofwork. I haven't put a paw on her..." He let out a snarl. "Yet."

"YET!" Celestia hollered. Her eyes popped open wide. Discord produced a surgical mask, hat, and a long metal scalpel out of nowhere. Luna stood at his side-- as helpless and motionless as a potted plant.

"Ready for the operation, Lulu?" the draconequus asked. He snapped the mask on. Celestia stared at the thick, rusty metal tool rolling about in his paw. He turned. He then traced it along the blue alicorn's side with the scapal just inches above her skin.

Celestia beat her hooves around in all directions. "DISCORD! YOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" She screamed her lungs out.

*Crash*

Celestia's eyes suddenly opened. "It's... it's..." She thrust her body upwards. "Another Dream!" UGH! She looked about at the plain, blank study room around her. She nudged her hooves around the soft white table where her head had been. She glanced down between her legs. An ugly chip stretched across the glass bowl below her.

The sun goddess stepped back from the chair and moved over to the door. She then moved her head straight up. The... the sculpture is... is... She remembered falling asleep as she moved through the horrible stack of financial receipts. Yet something about the room was... off.

"Where!" Celestia called out. She focused her eyes right on the empty spot on the wall above her. A perfectly symmetrical line of large marble heart after large marble heart stretched out from one corner of the room to the other. In the center of the room should have been a large golden heart with a small baby dragon-like carving leaning out of the top. Celestia's eyes narrowed. In that one spot, she saw... an empty spot upon the wood.

"DISCORD... no... it's just... TOO..." Celestia alternated between shouts and pained moans. She paused. She panted.

Celestia thrust her hooves upon the table. She blasted them to the right. The little glasses and plates flew onto the ground besides her. The little glass shreds danced across the floor around her hooves.

"Where are you? What are you doing?" Celestia moaned. I'm... I'm... I'm just losing my mind, aren't I?

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The drool poured upon the glossy magazine page. Strawberry paused, and then he licked his lips again. His eyes traced the soft, supple curves of Luna's body-- curves that might as well have been miles and miles long-- for the twenty-third time. He looked down at the little biographical snippet of Photo Finish on the other page. Strawberry had contributed several filmy white stains to the black print over the past few days.

The unicorn pressed his face even deeper. He locked eyes at the middle of the picture-- that seductively flowing mane. "You've... You've... You've been a bad, bad girl," Strawberry moaned, "Haven't you?" The picture didn't answer. Strawberry panted for a little bit, and then he plopped the magazine back upon the kitchen counter.

I didn't think I'd ever go back to... Well, this... Ever since I had the real thing... He rubbed his front hooves upon the counter. He nudged his head over and gazed at the pile of Pinkie Pie's scones beside him. He felt so numb all over.

"You've been a bad girl..." he whispered, and he slid the magazine over across the counter. It tumbled onto the pile of clean dishes. "A bad girl... Flaunting yourself in front of all of Equestria like that, showing your charms, and all of that to everypony... Since you're mine. Mine." Although that had to be the best-selling royal Canterlot bulletin in the past four thousand years!

Of course, Luna had had excuses. She had comittments to fulfill with Celestia. She had apparently gone through all of those rinky-dink royal events with extra vigor over the past week. Every time I send a blasted message for us to get together, it's always 'But Ace's semi-final tennis competition will' or 'But Ocativa's recital has' or 'But the Night Court's appeal decision has' or... Goodness knows what!

That wonderful aroma of Mr. Cake's new white chocolate cupcakes snuck up behind Strawberry's head and danced across his nose. The unicorn jumped off of the counter and then headed back to the ovens. I just... I just can't take it. Day after day with her. Day after day consumating our love. And even last single time, it was like I died and was reborn. he reached down and magically nudged open the biggest oven.

She's like a chemical. She's like some kind of bad medicine. Every little second with her is feels the same as an entire lifetime. And I can't handle the pleasure... or the pressure. It drives me insane. Tray after tray littered the top of the oven.

*Ding, ding*

Strawberry sped across the kitchen and then stuck his head outside the window. He didn't see a thing. He glanced left and right. He then threw his head down. Nope... He got up a little to head back to the kitchen, but then he paused. He collapsed against the windowsill. Oh, oh my goodness... Seriously, even the memory of her makes me lose it.

He shut his eyes tightly. I'm so over my head, and it isn't even funny. It's like throwing a canteen into the ocean and then trying to fill it wider and wider. It's like putting Scootaloo in charge of the Wonderbolts. She's... she's destroying me from the inside. And I couldn't want it MORE!

"Hello, there... I'm here to... ask something," the familiar voice of a yellow pegasus asked, "Sorry, I had to step out a second after ringing..."

"Hey, Fluttershy," Strawberry said, blinking his eyes, "What's going on?"

"That's not my name," another voice said. Strawberry blinked again. He suddenly saw...

"Luna!" Strawberry called out. She smooshed the sides of his face.

"Not too loud, please," she said, and then she made a huge grin, "What do you think of that new illusion spell? It fooled Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and the Mayor so far..." She curled her head in satisfaction.

"I'm... so happy to... see you..." Strawberry muttered. His face seemed to melt. He paused. Well... I'm not waiting!

He jumped half-way out the window and kissed her. The alicorn immediately threw her hooves around Strawberry's neck. They rubbed their faces together, and his lips seemed to dance across hers. Luna rubbed her tongue all along the front of his teeth, and she clearly felt rewarded by the sweet white chocolate taste. Strawberry buried his hooves into her mane, and he pulled it forward all over their heads.

The alicorn suddenly stopped. She pulled back. Strawberry shifted away from the window, confused. The alicorn scrunched up her face. Strawberry closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Luna had teleported right besides him inside the kitchen. He smiled. He then moved back in to kiss her again.

"Please, Strawberry," she said. She held her hooves up against her face. Strawberry then tried to put on a sad 'puppy dog' like expression. "I need..." He tensed up as he surveyed her suddenly nervous, chill face. "To tell... you..." She looked as if she wanted to cry.

"Whatever it is," Strawberry said, and he curled his hoof along the side of Luna's beautiful face, "It won't change how I love you. I don't care if it's good news, bad news, or what. If Celestia sent you back up to the moon for another century, I'll be right here at your side." His words seemed to wipe the few little drops under her eyes right away. She locked eyes with him. "I love you, Luna."

"I need to tell you that," she began, "That..."

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Celestia disliked eating alone in the best of circumstances. Then, at that evening, she had had to deal with hours upon hours of inter-agency arguing that almost almost came to blows amongst her staff coupled with a nightmare-fueled lack of appitite. She glared at the empty chair across from her. She then nudged her fork against the inky green smattering of hay casserole.

"Well, I suppose..." she muttered, "At least I don't have any..." She didn't even want to finish her sentence. There's no draconequus in sight.

"Tia!" Luna suddenly called out from the side door behind her.

Celestia curled her head around. The blue alicorn had such an odd mixture of dread and happiness across her face. Luna twriled her mane out of her face for a moment, and then she trotted over to her spot.

"It's pretty cold by now," Celestia muttered. She picked at the casserole, and then she eyed her sister. "By the way, glad you could be here."

"I have some... had some..." Luna stammered. She clearly didn't even know where to begin. She rubbed her front hooves upon the top of the table. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I thought that we were going to the other dining room on the east section by that study... And then I had to..."

"Forget it," Celestia said. She locked eyes with her sister. You've got that... That look. THAT ONE. The sun goddess braced herself for news-- for news of the variety that Luna could only share with her and her alone. Alicorn business...

Luna stepped off of her seat, and then she walked over to Celestia's spot. The sun goddess edged herself over. Celestia gazed down at her little sister's body. Luna couldn't help wiggling a bit in fear.

"I love you," Luna said-- basically out of nowhere.

"I..." Celestia said. Lulu, what have you done now? She leaned forward. Celestia gazed at her sister's beautiful eyes, her wonderful nose, her soft smile, her delicate cheeks, and every other part of her pretty face. With full motherly grace, Celestia kissed the top of Luna's head. "I love you too, of course. I always have. I always will."

"I'm... I'm..." Luna whispered.

"Yes?" Celestia asked.

"I'm pregnant."

(To Be Continued)

Bodies (Part VIII)

"Pregnant," Celestia repeated. She leaned back-- her mane curling around the sparkly golden chair. The gears sped in overdrive behind her totally blank, empty expression.

Luna could hardly bear to look up at her sister's face. The shame just burned down the sides of her cheeks. She rubbed her face with her hooves a little. She moved them a few inches down and tried to look at her sister again. Tears pitter-pattered one after the other across the edges of Luna's hooves.

"It's... it's been such a..." she whispered. Luna instinctively rested her head against Celestia's legs. "Such a crazy... It's been such a crazy past day and a half for me. And I just can't think. I can't feel. It's just made me... numb..."

"Lulu, listen to me now," Celestia said, giving her voice as much emotion and expression as a library clerk, "Who. Is. The. Father."

"Oh, TIA!" Luna moaned. She linked her body down and then laid flat upon the cold blue tiles. "You know it's him... It would only be him." She rubbed her horn against edge of Celestia's leg. She sniffed. Tears dripped down onto the tiles.

"I see," Celestia replied with the same cold monotone. She nudged off of her seat and stood straight up. Her mane flopped down upon Luna's back. "I'm rather... rather... glad..." She paused. "Well, 'glad' may not be the right word, Lulu. But you did the right thing. You're not keeping this a secret from me."

The sun goddess stepped over her sister. She leaned her head down and nestled it besides Luna's neck. Celestia's breath felt like millions of tiny knives stabbing into the bath of Luna's head. She just... I can't. Oh, Tia, I can't even imagine how I can even wake up in the morning tomorrow! It's changed. It's ALL changed!

"Tia," Luna squeaked, "He's... He's..." I can't even begin to think of how I can... make you understand... I guess I can't. You'll never undersand. You just never will, Tia. I'm sorry. "I know that Strawberry feels happy. He smiled so much. He took it... So well... I can't describe to you how he just lept with joy and bounced around. How he embraced me."

"That's nice," Celestia commented. The empty tone of the white alicorn's words just drove Luna out of her mind. "It makes sense for him to be like... that..." Celestia brought her right hoof to her face and softly tapped it.

You should be screaming at me. You should be knocking me from side to side. You should be crying. You should be yelling about how I'm ruining our throne. You should be doing something. Luna slid herself over across the floor, and then she pushed herself up a little bit. Show SOME EMOTION! PLEASE!

"And you know what you must do," Celestia muttered. She rested back against her chair. Luna locked eyes with her sister-- as painful as it felt. "It's all... clear... You will do the responsible thing."

"Tia, I'm... I'm so sorry..." Luna murmured. She twisted about the floor and made as if to kiss Celestia's hooves. "It'll be... just it's a mess, that's what it is!"

"It will," Celestia went on, "Just be a simple procedure."

"Procedure?"

"Just think of it as letting the air out," the sun goddess guestered with her hooves across from her, "And everything has already been handled with... the necessarily discretion already. You have absoutely nothing to be worried about."

Luna pulled her head back from her sister's embrace. She looked on at Celestia's expression. Her eyes traced down the sun goddess' sides over to her tail. Celestia might as well have been carved from a block of ice.

"Lulu, I know you're going through a lot of emotions right now. And I know that it all seems so daunting right now, at this moment. But I promise you that it will be so simple. No pain. So aftereffects. You won't even remember a thing. I know you'll do the morally responsible thing," Celestia said. Every word of that monologue coarsed into Luna like needle after needle into the back of her neck. "Do the sensible thing. The right thing... For both of us. For him as well.

"For... HIM..." Luna stood up straight. She nudged herself inch after inch away from her sister's cold stare. "Sure, just a simple thing..."

"Think," Celestia said. Her face contorted. She drew back her lips and curled over her ears. Those once big, motherly eyes narrowed. "Think very, very hard about what would happen if you don't do the responsible thing." She half-shouted those words at her sister. "Think about..." Celestia stood up as well and motioned over towards the other side of the table. "Think about the lies. Think about the betrayal. Think about the public outcry."

"Think," Luna repeated. She wanted to burst out with a curse filled rant. She wanted to jump up right besides Celestia and smack the floor with determination at each word. Yet Luna could only shut her eyes again and cry once more.

"Think about being cooped in small royal rooms month after month, and then... what would happen after that one magic moment. Think about that bouncy little thing locked in those rooms, like an animal..."

"No..."

"Like a pet at a zoo..."

"NO!"

Celestia sped over right in front of Luna's face. Her mouth opened-- showing more and more of her teeth-filled angry expression. "THINK, Lulu!" Celestia fluttered her mane across her head and brought it against Luna's horn. "Think about HOW... how..." The sun goddess calmed down. A little black wave seemed to go over her face, and then she returned to her cold monotone. "Lulu, I know that it's difficult. But I know that you will do the sensible, reasonable, and logical thing. Like I said before..."

Celestia rested her hoof alongside Luna's head. The blue alicorn's tears slowed to a little trickle, and then they stopped. The alicorn's locked eyes once again, but this time they were barely inches apart-- pupil to pupil.

"Just a simple procedure..." Celestia began again.

Lun pushed forward with her hooves again and again. She hopped up. "Thanks," Luna muttered in between a new set of tears, "Thanks a lot, Tia." The blue alicorn then sped out the door.

(To Be Continued)

Dear Diary (Part IX)

Luna's eyes had shrunk to narrow slits. She stared straight at the poster for what felt like years. She saw Celestia gripping her little sister with all of her strength. She saw Celestia rubbing her mane down across Luna's neck. She saw Celestia's hooves wrapped tenderly across Luna's chest. She saw Celestia's warm smile brightening up the whole scene-- little sparkles of sunny love going up along Luna's shoulder.

"Tia..." she muttered for the hundredth time. She instinctively moved even closer to the poster. Her hooves nudged against the end of her bed, and her horn scraped a little bit across the wall. Tia, please, I can't... I can't...

*Snap*

The tattered remains of the poster flew about the room. Luna smacked her hooves against the wall. She took a deep breath. Yet, instead of screaming, she nudged her face silently against the new blank spot on the wall. A few tears trickled down along the walls edge.

"Tia," she whispered. She dug her hooves into the wall, and she shut her eyes tightly. She then collapsed upon her bed. Please... How many 'procedures' have you had yourself? Is it... Is it because... She made a little sigh, and her mind flashed back at the parade of stallions that she had seen in her older sister's hooves.

How many times have you given up yourself... And then been left alone, Tia? How many times have you been abandoned-- or had to abandon them yourself? How can you... How can you even... Think of Strawberry like that? He's not that. He's my... my Prince. Luna wanted to cry for the umpteenth time, but her mind fought back. Oh, Tia, I'm... I'm so selfish. I haven't been caring at all how you feel. The blue alicorn clenched her teeth. I'm sorry.

Luna then rolled about the sheets. She bundled herself up like a caterpillar going into a cocoon. She let out a painful whine, and then she clutched her bottom hooves together. She opened her eyes and gazed straight upwards. Her eyes danced along the edges of the little paper sun on the ceiling-- a gift from Celestia back from her last day of kindergarten.

Luna couldn't help but smile. She shimmed up out of the sheets, and then she held her hooves up. She playfully waved them up in the air towards the sun. She stretched, but she just couldn't quite reach. Luna smiled even wider as she motioned her hooves around-- pretending to hold the sun in her grasp.

I love you, Tia. I know that you're only... You're trying to look out for me. You're trying to protect me. I know it. Luna stepped off of the bed and rested upon the middle of the floor. You're doing your best. You're looking at the future... At what could happen... Luna glanced back at the paper sun.

She had been so sad and so nervous; she hadn't been able to remember anything from two plus two to what blue mixed with pink made when the teacher asked. Celestia-- especially back then-- felt every last little emotion that went through Luna's mind, and she knew what to do. Celestia had even magically blessed her drawing so that it would last forever-- or at least close enough.

"Forever," Luna whispered. And that's what... I don't have with Strawberry and I. We have everything. Everything except... forever... She leaned her head back upon the bed. "I just don't know what's... I don't know what it all means. I don't know what can happen..."

A sudden thought popped up from deep within the ball of confusion inside Luna's mind. That thought pushed and shoved all of the others out of the way. She blinked. She suddenly had what felt like an alien-like voice inside of her. I could always ask... IT.

"No, of course not, I shouldn't," she muttered, "IT... IT... Some ponies have been literally driven insane from witnessing IT." An alicorn is far from being 'some pony', though. "I'm in enough trouble with Celestia as is." Then why would talking to that thing make a difference? As the saying goes, 'you can't fall off of the floor'. "Not to mention that... using IT would... No. Using that thing would be too risky. It's also so dangerous."

What Celestia won't know... won't hurt her... Luna felt surprised at herself for even thinking this way. As well, isn't it the only real way to see what really will happen? Yet she had to admit that-- as much as it meant crossing so many lines-- she had to try. Her heart told her that she had to get a peek into the future. Her heart screamed at her that she had to at least try.

"Yes..." she said. She stepped twoards the door. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I'll at least... try to use that... that horrible, horrible thing." I owe it to Strawberry. To Tia. To myself.

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Celestia jotted down the total upon the receipt, made her standard initals, and then she threw the paper onto the still growing pile. She didn't mind that this was a total waste of her time. It bugged her that it was a rather un-enjoyable waste of her time. Royal protocol intrudes again! As... ALWAYS...

Celestia coughed. She magically lifted over another glass of tea, and she sipped it. Strawberry's tea... The sun goddess delicately placed the glass back on the coaster. She glanced across the smattering of papers-- one item of financial mumbo-jumbo after another-- and then stared at the floor. She sighed.

She instinctively took another sip, and then she paused. Strawberry had such a good taste in... He's... Oh, for goodness' sake! She nudged her head upon the table.

"It doesn't matter what you do, or what you say," Celestia whispered, "Strawberry, you'll always be a part of us. That ship has sailed." She blinked-- halfway hoping that the paperwork would dissapper when she opened her eyes again. She sighed once again.

Oh, Lulu, I would understand if you never spoke to me again for a thousand years. For everything that I've done to you-- sending you away, failing to save you, and... She ran her eyes up the glass with Strawberry's concoction, which the alicorns had taken to like butter to toast. Then, I took you away from the unicorn that meant so much to you... That means so much to you...

Celestia suddenly stood up. She looked over at the window besides her. She had to set the sun relatively soon. Celestia's gaze wandered across the various royal offices to one of the branches of the royal bakery. She traced her eyes upwards along those wonderfully silly yellow curves along the bakery's roof that curled up at top-- just like cupcake frosting. She thought about how, somewhere in Ponyville, that familiar unicorn would be just finishing at Sugarcube Corner.

Celestia walked through the door, paused, and then turned towards a tiny corridor. She trotted through a side door into her personal study. He's just finishing up with work now, and Luna never sees him at this hour. Celestia hunted around the wall of cabinets upon cabinets for a particular drawer. She locked eyes with her reflection on the mirror for a split-second, and then she moved over to the stack of clothes boxes.

Luna just hates to interrupt him when Pinkie Pie is trying to run through the last minute orders. Luna doesn't pry into his work. The white alicorn ran through two of the walls with no luck. She felt so frustrated that she panted.

"There we are," she muttered. Celestia magically yanked the entire drawer off of its hinges. She flung it right up inches away from her face, and her eyes pried into every inch of it. She then pulled out a sleek metal tube.

The sun goddess ran her eyes along every last stark, silvery inch of the device. She magically placed it over her head, and then she nudged it along her neck. She leaned over, and she locked the ends against each other. She heard a satisfying 'snap'. Celestia brought her head back up. She grinned.

Celestia stepped over towards the right. She focused her eyes upon her reflection. It wasn't really her reflection though-- not anymore. Celestia moved ahead and pressed her face against the glass. She then ran her eyes down the soft, reflective blue body of the goddess of the night in the mirror. It's the body that made Photo Finish the best selling photographer in the history of Equestria.

Better than any old 'illusion spell'... The Luna in the mirror smiled even wider. This wonderful dose of magic fools friends, family, and even... husbands and wives. Or a potential husband, for tonight...

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The stallion's face buried so far inside the textbook that it almost seemed to be eating him. Luna's stare moved down from the glossy layer of pages across his thick, messy green mane to his sickly pale white body. The thick green strands from his tail nudged around the chair's legs-- intertwined like vines on a monument.

Something tells me you haven't had a marefriend since elementary school. Luna took an obnoxiously deep breath. The stallion remained in place. She ran her eyes along across the thick white desk over to the pile of cards and the set of dice at the corner. Luna then leaned her head down . "Ahem!"

Nothing happened. Luna held her front hooves a few inches atop the desk. She flung her head up-- glancing for second at all walls and walls of books and bookshelves that went on for almost infinity-- and took a breath.

*Slam*

The stallion bounced up at least five feet into the air. The chair did a little twist about, and then the stallion stood up atop it. He instinctively made something like a ballet dancer's pose with his hooves.

"Why, I'm terribly sorry," he babbled, "Your..." He stopped. His eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. "Your majesty!"

"Yes," Luna replied.

"It's s-s-such... an honor to s-see you at the Royal House of R-Records," the stallion eked out. He leaned over as if to kiss her hoof, but he suddenly stopped. He turned a little shade of crimson, and then he leaned back.

"We are here to find something important," Luna said. The stallion smiled. The blue alicorn thought that he had the goofiest expression she had ever seen aside from Twist.

"Certainly... I can locate any book ever published..."

"It's not a book."

"Any magazine--"

"It's not that either."

"Any newspaper--"

"No, it's not that."

"Any written record that--"

"It's NOT... a 'record' at all..."

The stallion curled back into his chair. He seemed just as dissapointed as confused. His mane poured over his eyes like branches along a weeping willow. He wiggled a little in his spot, and then he took a breath. "I believe... Well, I apologize for being so forward, but..." he said, and he tapped his front hooves together nervously. "I think that your majesty has made a mistake. The National Archives are for physical items. This place is for informational purposes only."

"We require a physical item," Luna replied, and then she leaned her whole body forward across the desk. The stallion's face flashed from red to white to purple to grey in a matter of seconds. Luna then positioned herself just inches away. He clearly felt an odd combination of fear, confusion, curiosity, and infatuation from Luna's incredible beauty.

"I... please..." he stammered.

"We require usage of IT. We need," she put full royal force into the words, "To use that special device. To use IT. To use 'I' 'T'..." She spelled out those words with absolute conviction. "The machine that we have been instructed about."

"N-n-no," he replied.

"NO?"

He flinched, and he threw his hooves over his face. He cowered deep in his chair. "The Information Technology... The IT... has... Well, your majesty..." He jiggled in place. "For the entire history of Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Princess Celestia alone has had the right to use the machine."

"We," Luna declared, and she put so much force into the word that the stallion's hair fluttered, "Shall use IT. Now."

The stallion popped out of his chair. He wandered over to the edge of the desk, and he pointed out at a lonely corner of the room. Luna looked out at the particularly ominous set of stairs leading almost straight downwards. The stallion took a few more steps. He paused, and then he leaned down. He magically lifted up a set of keys to unlock a drawer.

He then lifted up the second set of keys that he got from inside that drawer. He stepped out besides Luna in the middle of the record room. He paused once again, and then he looked right back at her face.

"You won't find what you're looking for," he said.

"Don't tell us, something like that," she began. The stallion moved over and then stood directly in front of her. She didn't see definance in his face. It looked more like worry-- like a father eyeing her daughter's first date.

"The device is not magic. It does not tell you what will happen. It is only a difference engine that calculates probabilities-- powered by magic. It's principles come from science. As such, it is limited. Profound, yes. But it's limited," he said. He saw that those words bounced off Luna's ears, and then he strained his voice. "Please, your majestly. You will not-- you cannot-- see what will be. You will only see what is most likely to happen in your future."

"Semantics!" Luna called out.

The stallion stood up tall, He then hurled himself over in the air. His hoof smashed the side of the counter. The cards and dice spilled across the floor.

Luna started to look down, but then the stallion held his hooves over the little pile. He locked eyes with the blue alicorn. She saw an intense kind of fire burning in his eyes.

"What did I just roll? What number is on the dice?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "Really, now, we can't."

"WHAT. NUMBER. IS. ON. THE. DICE?" He found the courage to almost scream at her.

"Seven."

The stallion then moved his hands away. Luna moved her head down. She stared right at the little pile.

The two dice stared back at her with the two little black dots looking just like eyes. She bobbed her head from the left die and it's 'one' roll to the right die and it's 'one' roll. She let out a deep sigh. She then looked back at the stallion.

"Why did you say seven?"

The blue alicorn said nothing.

"You won't find what you're looking for."

The stallion then silently trotted along the middle of the records hall to the top of the stairs. He leaned back, glanced at Luna's steps right behind him, and then he moved down the stairs into the inky blackness.

(To Be Continued)

Here (In Your Arms) (Part X)

Celestia stepped up atop the castle spire. She looked off at the spread of ponies darting about the market street-- yards and yards beneath her. Every one of them probably had a special story to tell. Every one of them probably had their own little dramas and their own little comedies going on in their lives.

Her eyes trailed a long grey pegasus for a few seconds. So tense, so scared... I wonder if he's worried about being let go from his job. Or maybe he's being dropped from school. Celestia's eyes then trailed a young filly that bounced to and fro across a set of benches. The filly's golden mane rubbed beautifully across her face. She tumbled onto the lap of a short green-ish black unicorn. Celestia's eyes opened up wide as the filly and the unicorn kissed.

So many stories... Such... So many beautiful little lives out there... Celestia moved her eyes over to the little window right below her. She saw Luna in the reflection. Celestia curled her head and gave her mane last minute brush or two. She then placed her satchel back on her back. Her wings fluttered. She bounced up, and then she sailed through the air towards Ponyville.

Celestia thought back to her days a filly. She recalled the exact moment when she first felt the silvery device in her hooves as well as that hard, cold stare from the wispy grey unicorn as he explained. "The magical necklace does not conceal its wearer. It transforms the wearer into the target of his or her heart's desires," Celestia narrated as she popped through cloud after cloud, "The wearer feels the same emotions, thinks the same thoughts, and remembers the same memories. Prolonged use is... unadvised."

Celestia's eyes ran along the ground as she flew. The Everfree Forest melted from the gnarled, crooked mass of trees with countless beasts hiding in every shadow into the homey stretches of oaks with soft, shady bushes. She beat her wings, and then she jumped upwards. She curled around and then focused her eyes along Ponyville's town square. A handful of horses milled about, although they seemed to tire even more with every step.

The sun goddess flew straight down. She rustled past banners and nudged along roofs. She didn't even have to use a single spell; she easily bounced along from corner to corner where the ponies would never look. Celestia eyes ran along the horizon over to the curly gingerbread-brown roof of Sugarcube Corner.

She trotted from rooftop to rooftop. Her gaze wandered down to a small two-part side door with an open top. A certain pink and white unicorn sat on the edge-- twirling some gigantic chocolate bar in his hooves. Celestia let out a girly squeal. She bounced onto the ground besides the door, but she then immediately paused. That's... Well, I guess that was just the Luna in me talking. Her heart raced, and she had to force herself to remain calm. I'm not Lulu. Not Lulu. Not Lulu.

"Well, good evening," Celestia said. Strawberry jerked his head around in all directions-- placing the chocolate on the counter besides him. Celestia then jumped over besides him. She curled her head around his.

The unicorn nudged himself forward, and he made a happy noise. He flew his hooves around Celestia's shoulders and squeezed tightly. Celestia rubbed her head against his neck. She felt his frizzy pink mane stroking all along the side of her head and then going down along her back. Touching, touching, touching, touching... He feels so... Oh, Lulu, I can't believe it. Every little rub felt like a kind-hearted kiss.

This is just, so... Just... Her heart couldn't stop beating faster and faster. She nudged herself closer into his hooves. The warm, inviting scent of fresh strawberries danced along her nose. She closed her eyes and then moved her head along the edge of Strawberry's shoulder. She felt some kind of magical electricity trace along his skin at every move. No. Just... stay calm. I'm not Lulu. No. NO.

The unicorn suddenly stopped. He leaned back a bit, and he made a silent, happy smile. He then pushed open the bottom half of the side door. Celestia's eyes then ran all across his body.

His soft, fluffy mane and tail seemed to blend into one as it wrapped across his side. She had knocked his glasses a little bit to the side-- the lenses curled across his face and barely hanging on to his nose. Oh, Strawberry you... you dork... You adorkable thing. She instinctively walked forward into the kitchen back into his hooves.

And then he kissed her.

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"What was your name again?" Luna asked. Yet another mountain of dust rained from the ceiling as the ponies thrust open a side door. She tried her best not to sneeze.

"Your highness, you didn't ask the first time," the stallion replied. He glanced at the alicorn and then at the little door in front of them. He fumbled through the over-sized key chain with his hooves.

So socially oblivious... You remind me of a certain purple unicorn. The stallion unlocked the door, and they then stepped into a little storage room. Luna took a dust-filled breath, and then she went on, "Okay, please, tell me your name. Do it for the first time."

"Elective," he replied. He tried to nudge himself around. Yet-- stuck in between the various stacks of ancient papers and the tall goddess of the night-- he could barely even move.

"What's your first name?"

He turned a soft shade of pink. "It's... To be honest, your majesty, it's Susan." He then hurled himself over and bucked against the wall. The wooden slab collapsed, and the horses found themselves looking into a gigantic new room. "Everypony calls me 'Advanced Elective'-- or just 'Vance' for short. But... Susan is..."

*Tick*

Luna stepped into the wall of darkness. "Please, Vance, help us." The two horses stepped forward. Inky blackness then surrounded them from all sides.

"Uh, your majesty, my magic is not really... anywhere near powerful enough to... even..." She heard him tap the ground in frustration as he trailed off. Luna concentrated, and then she bucked up on her hind legs. The room lit up brightly. Luna's eyes grew wide, and she almost panted.

*Tick. Tick.*

A gigantic golden-white sphere the size of three Celestia's put together sat atop a flat slate slab. She ran her eyes across the walls around her-- geometric patterns of gold line after gold line all spread in almost every possible angle stretched everywhere. She saw it on the ceiling, on the floor, and then on the wall behind her. Where... Where did I get in here? Where's the exit?

She forced the hundreds of little questions that popped up right to the back of her mind. She then focused her gaze at the sphere. Ticking sound after ticking sound stacked atop each other into some kind of horrible symphony.

As she moved closer, she saw the golden-white skin become transparent. Her eyes danced across the endless set of winding springs, curling gears, vibrating pipes, and rotating knobs. Everything seemed to tick endlessly in a gigantic perpetual loop-- with no start and no end.

"How does it work?" Luna asked.

"Mathematicians call it 'adaptive expectation modeling'. In simple terms, it means that the machine calculates the momentum of certain trends, attitudes, beliefs, and so on throughout the user's lifespan and then extrapolates those things throughout n-dimensional space. It finally takes that result and creates a limited set of three dimensional slices of that n-dimensional object that the user can view right now," Vance replied.

"We meant..." Luna said, and she rubbed her hooves against the side of the device, "How do we operate it?"

Vance coughed nervously. He silently moved over towards her, and then he pointed at three large holes in the top of the device. Some kind of freezing cold smoke bellowed out of the holes. "S-stick your f-face and hooves inside," he eked out.

Luna took a deep breath. She bucked back up on her back hooves once again, and then she jumped forward. Smoke shot out across her. The last thing she remembered as a sudden outburst from Vance.

"Watch out for the smell and taste!"

*Thud*

Luna thrust her mouth open. She could see nothing but solid white. She then puked all over the floor. She closed her eyes again. The acrid smell of stallion's locker room towels mixed in month old salad burned throughout her nose and down into her throat.

She coughed again and again. She finally took a breath of clean air-- or at least some kind of chemical-tasting treated air that didn't make her want to hurl again. Luna nudged her hooves upon her head, and then she stood up.

The white blur faded. She threw glances all across the room-- going from the fancy set of chairs lined up against the wall to the massive, reflective windows to the almost endless array of tables. Same familiar ballroom from Canterlot... She took a step forward. Suddenly everything changed. Although a misty white haze fell through everything, she saw somepony walk right in front of her. It was... herself.

Luna squinted. She could only seen glimpses of the scene in font of her. She walked right in front of her future self, and then she slanted her head to the side. Luna then ran her eyes down from the future Luna's crown-- diamonds crisscrossed with sapphires that sparkled in thousands of ways from every inch-- to the end of the future Luna's bridal veil-- the smooth, soft blue decorated with sold white star prints.

Luna gasped as a familiar white hoof moved in front of the future Luna's shoulder. A familar pink-tipped unicorn horn then appeared aside Luna's face. Luna gazed at the solid golden ring atop the horn. Oh... Strawberry... Little whips of voices floated about the air around her.

"I do," Strawberry's voice said.

"I do," Luna's voice said.

The scene suddenly went back to the solid white blur from before. Luna blinked. In a split-second, she felt a familiar soft bluish-black carpet under her hooves. She leaned down, and she eyed the little 'Welcome to Hoffington' cube under her bed. Luna popped up, and she waved her hooves around in the air. The mysterious mist just fluttered across in all direction. Yet she then immediately saw something in front of her that brought her to a standstill.

Luna looked on as her future self twisted in the bed. Her future self pulled the sheets up right to the edge of her face, and then her future self made a happy sigh. Her future self moved upwards a little more, and the other half of the sheets across the bed got pulled over a little. Luna then saw the little filly curled up besides her future self.

"My... my..." Luna stammered. She sniffed.

Luna's eyes drank in every little bit of that long, flowing mane. Her eyes traced down the inky dark pink strands mixed in the with frizzy black streaks that ran down the filly's side and then nestled delicately across the filly's chest. Luna's gaze dropped towards the heart-shaped pillow locked tightly in between the filly's legs. Luna focused upon the filly's smooth, slender hooves and then the filly's cutie mark-- a image of the moon atop a set of dark reddish-purple roses.

Luna's gaze then moved straight up the bed. The filly's long, inky blue body— coated in dark pink spots from head to hoof— seemed to stretch on forever. Luna looked at the simple simple white shirt and neatly folded black glasses resting just besides the filly's pillow. The future Luna wiggled just a little bit more, and the sheets then curled over a few inches more.

Luna looked upon those closed eyes and that curly little nose on the filly. Dozens of little white freckles also dotted across the filly's soft, vulnerable-looking face. Luna then switched her gaze from the little, budding blue wings poking out from a bundle of sheets over to the neat little horn at the top of the filly's head. The horn had the same smattering of soft pink at the top as if she had dipped it in frosting. It looked just like her father.

The tears curled down Luna's face. Her heart just seemed to stop. She could barely breathe.

"She's beautiful..."

(To Be Continued)

Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part XI)

Celestia could fill an entire ballroom with all of the stallions-- as well as the occasional mare-- that she had ever kissed. Yet she hadn't felt that kind of magic since a particular draconequus left her life. She reflexively moved her tongue along his teeth and then along the side of his mouth. He pushed himself further and further into her embrace.

Kiss after kiss went on until Celestia felt as if he brains would melt. He nestled his tongue around in her mouth, and she moaned a little bit. The sugary sweet taste of chocolate layered upon strawberries upon even more chocolate swamped her senses. She moved over along to the nearby table-- their bodies still locked-- and then she leaned over to his neck.

Celestia littered it with sloppy wet kisses. Strawberry panted. She went to touch his chest, but then she suddenly stopped. She nudged herself a few feet backward.

Her then eyes wandered across his face. She focused right at his eyes. What... What am I doing! What am I thinking! Strawberry could tell as well that something was wrong, very wrong. Celestia's face flashed back to the stern expression that she had worn day after day during the royal court. Just like Lulu... I let myself be a slave to my emotions. I let myself just... just lose it... Strawberry opened his mouth a little, but he clearly had no idea what to say.

Celestia stepped backwards into the middle of the kitchen. She ran her eyes down his body once again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to... I didn't mean to take it this far. It just sort of happened. All I wanted was to know what she sees in you. The sun goddess tried to think back to when she put on the device-- what she had carefully planned out.

Yet she could only think of Luna's memories. His songs, his touch, his inivation as he walked through my castle doors to ask me out, and then... then... Her sister's emotions flooded through Celestia's mind, and she felt as if she could barely breathe.

Strawberry calmly and deliberately stood back up straight. She looked in his expression for some sign of concern, for some sign of being cheated, or for something else that showed him feeling incomplete inside. Yet he just looked blankly out at the wall besides her. He didn't say a thing. He didn't need to.

Celestia then glanced back out the window. Luna had kicked the moon into place, and her wonderful moonlight danced across all of Ponyville's roofs and treetops. "Strawberry, I..." she muttered.

"Where. Is. Luna?" he asked. His soft, delicate features tensed up. Oh you look, Strawberry... I can't believe it. Your pouty face is just so... so... cute!

"She's..." Celestia said, "She's taking care of the night right now. You can just look up and see the constellations coming into place." She felt so ashamed. She then mentally kicked herself. What's the problem? It's just... I found what I came here for. I saw in him what she sees. That was it. That was all I needed.

She glared at him. I don't need a pathetic little worm like you to play with my emotions like that. For me, a Princess and the leader of all of Equestria in all it's glory to stoop to such... Theatrics! She walked over to the door.

"Who are you?" he asked. He tried to sound though, but he just came across as... deflated. "I can't believe that you thought I was so... so..." He spat the words out. "So stupid! That I wouldn't tell her magic from your dark-tinted, your... Well, whatever it is you have dripping off of you..." He walked over and then flung the door open. He pointed out into the empty town square.

The sun goddess stepped out of Sugarcube Corner. Of course, you'd know. Strawberry, I'm so sorry. Oh, Lulu, I don't what what you've done to him. Maybe it's something that he's done to himself. But your magic just pours out of him like water through a sieve. She halted herself about ten feet away. It's as if you've given him a second heart. "Goodbye," Celestia finally said.

The unicorn silently nodded, and then she slammed the door shut. Celestia flapped her wings. She moved herself straight up until Sugarcube Corner was only a speck beneath her hooves. She then sighed.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Luna gazed at her future daughter. Time completely lost its meaning. Despite the billowing misty clouds around them, she found something new every second. Her eyes came open some freckle, some little spot, some way in which her hooves curled around her mother's bed-sheets, and dozens of other little wonders. The tears of joy had flowed and flowed.

Finally, the young filly let out a soft whine. She nudged her wings out. She then brushed the sheets over her body and around the sides of her head. Luna smiled once again, and then she stepped over to the right.

The mists moved about. She saw the bedroom again from an odd angle. Luna curled her head around, and she seemed to be looking straight down at the ponies from the ceiling. A pink and white unicorn suddenly stepped into view besides them. She ran her eyes across Strawberry's body. He showed a lot of age for what had to have been just a few years.

She traced down the little wrinkles that had formed on the sides of his face. Her eyes flowed past the tiny bruises that he nursed on his shoulders and then down along his hooves. His mane and tail fell flat rather than poofing about and curling around every which way. Still, Luna knew that she would recognize that soft, caring smile anywhere. The frizzy hair still shone as pink as ever.

The future Strawberry ran his hooves against his wife. He then sat flat down upon a tiny white chair and matching desk. Luna walked closer and tried to focus on the pile of papers. Whatever the writings said, Strawberry's expression grew colder and colder by the second as he moved from paper to paper. He paused. He rubbed his face against the side of the desk, and then he looked on at his daughter.

Luna focused on the papers. She saw a torrent of numbers and technical terms without any definitions of explanations. She walked even closer, and she found her body cutting through the desk like a knife through butter. Luna took a gulp, and then she brought her hoof alongside Strawberry's face. It passed through his skin. It's... It's a projection only. Don't get carried away. It's a projection. It's not real. She pressed her face against one of the papers.

Coristol => 5 mcg/dL
Adrenocortical Insufficiency
Suspected ACTH Failure
Unknown Cause For Premature Ventricular Contractions

It might as well have been in another language for all Luna cared. Yet even seeing a trace of worry pop across Strawberry's head pained her like a knife into her back. Luna stepped a little bit away. Those little red underlines across every other word also brought a chill across her face.

The future Strawberry gently nudged the papers back into a pile on the edge of the table. He moved over besides his daughter's spot on the bed, and then he softly curled above the sheets on her side. Luna couldn't help tearing a little as the young filly instinctively tucked her hooves atop the future Strawberry's hooves.

The mist flared up once again. Luna coughed a little. She rubbed around in front of her hooves. Little cold, wet sensations rubbed up along her hooves. She blinked. She then gazed out a wide grassy field besides a little hill.

She heard some laughs behind her. She span around, and she saw her daughter jumping around. She fluttered her wings up, and she managed to get a few feet in the air before tumbling back down. Strawberry jumped up right behind the young filly and then tackled her. She landed on the ground with a psuedo-angry whine. Her father then tickled her like crazy.

The young filly's wings smacked all about the grass as she giggled. Drops of dew rubbed up into the air and stuck all over Strawberry's poofy mane. The filly suddenly stopped.

"I'm really going to jump," she said. Luna's ears perked. Her daughter sounded so fluffy and so squeaky and yet regal at the same time. "And I'll really fly." Luna suddenly thought of Pinkie Pie talking inside of a broom closet with Celestia speaking every other word.

"Are you, Midnight?" Strawberry replied. He made a pouty face. "You know that's cheating!" He rubbed his bottom hooves against the grass-- kicking up a little dirt. "I'll never catch you like that!"

Midnight... Midnight... The filly curled about the grass, and then she kicked off. She bounced up, and the sun reflected all over her mane as it flipped about. Yet she only flapped for a few seconds before a sudden wind knocked right into her.

Strawberry sped over alongside her. He halted halfway. Midnight looked on with a playful little smile. The unicorn grimaced, and then the smile faded. The unicorn dropped down a little on his bottom hooves. The filly immediately sailed down the hill back over to her father. He forced a smile, and then he got back up. Midnight rubbed her head along her father's shoulder.

Strawberry this can't... It... It just can't mean... What I think it means... Another wave of the mist brought Luna to another vision. She looked through at another royal ballroom. Her eyes ran along the massive table over two a massive chocolate cake. Streams of candy dots and thick frosting marked layer upon layer.

Luna tried to make out the writing, but the mist just poured around as thick as ever. She coughed. She made out 'Midnight Dawn, 'Happy', 'Birthday', and 'Return'. Strawberry's face suddenly popped up atop the cake. He flashed the same familiar smile.

Yet Luna's heart sank as she ran her eyes upwards. The wrinkles had multiplied. Her eyes bounced from pale spot to pale spot on his skin-- something subtle that only she would notice, but no less worrying. Strawberry curled about as he sliced shapes through the cake. Somepony said something in the distance. Luna then met eye to eye with the unicorn.

She gasped. Something looked wrong with his eyes, very wrong. It almost seemed as if he had taken a blow from a prize fighter to the back of his head that poked his eyes outward. Luna still saw those same pretty glasses and that same warm, inviting shelter in his eyes. Yet his skin just under them curled in such a weird way. She couldn't even begin to know what to think.

The mist poured from the ceiling. Luna blinked. She then looked out from behind a gigantic couch. Luna curled her head down, and she ran her eyes across the bodies of her future self and her future daughter. The other Luna brought up a glossy blue book, and she melodramatically smacked the page. Midnight giggled. Strawberry seemed nowhere in sight.

Luna reached out with her hooves, and she seemed to wave a patch of mist out of the way. She blinked, and then the familiar white and pink unicorn appeared just a few inches over to Midnight's side. Strawberry gazed off at some oddity off to the side across from the couch. He then flipped his head around and nudged it over on his daughter's shoulder. Little black spots of Midnight's mane popped up inside of Strawberry's frizzy pink mane.

Luna blinked. The whole scene changed in a split-second. She saw herself once again. She didn't look a day older, although some shade of something clearly flashed across her future self's face. Luna stepped back. She found herself in some kind of blank grassy area. She traced the horizon with her eyes, but she couldn't make out anything except the pitter-patter of rain and the occasional batch of trees.

Luna then locked eyes with her future self. The other Luna started to cry. She walked along the grass for quite a while. She then halted in front of some shape.

Luna stared, but she couldn't make it out. Layers upon layers of mist danced about on top of each other. She took a deep breath, and then she moved forward. She stood in front of some kind of gray box. She glanced over at the side of her future self.

The other Luna went ahead and cried. She then curled her head over to a bag besides her, and she pulled out a rose. I'm... I'm not going to like what's going to happen next. I can't... No. This can't be right. What am I thinking? What's wrong with me! Luna watched as her future self dropped the rose atop the shape and then turned away.

Luna leaned her head down. The mist finally cleared up enough for her to see. She looked across a flat stone wall and then spotted an intricate carving. She saw a beautiful lake surrounded by tall trees. Atop the lake rested a gigantic moon-- littered from left to right and top to bottom with strawberries. I know it anywhere... It's from my first love letter...

Luna moved her head down. She saw nothing but more blank stone. She then came across a batch of carvings. The words bounced off of her eyes and didn't register at all for a moment. Then, it all hit her.

Strawberry Dawn
March 1, 1056 - September 23, 1099
He is loved.

"I knew... I know... I know this. I knew it. I knew it was coming. I knew it would happen," she chanted to herself. The voice seemed to come from nowhere. She could barely breathe. She leaned back. "He is loved"... Not: "Was loved." "Is loved"... IS. LOVED.

Luna then keeled over. She felt as if she had just had a knife slice across her chest. She let out a soft moan, and then she shut her eyes tight.

"Strawberry!"

(To Be Continued)

Only You (Part XII)

Luna curled her head down upon the thick, rain-soaked mud. The drop after drop of water pouring upon her felt like like a million little punches against her skin. She tried to open her eyes again, but the horrible mix of rain and tears stung. She jerked about before taking a huge breath. She then rammed her horn straight down into the ground.

"Strawberry..." she moaned. She pressed herself down deeper into the mud. I... I... I can't believe... I can't think that... She sniffed again and again. She took a little bit of control and slowed down the tears. She moved up, and then the mud seemed to suddenly dissolve.

The thick white mist enveloped everything once again. She held her face in her hooves. "Oh, oh, Strawberry, I didn't..." she muttered. She then stopped. No. I knew. I need to be honest with myself. She put her hooves down. Her contorted face melted into a look of weak determiantion.

I knew. I always did. He's... he's a unicorn. He's weak. He's imperfect. He's moral. He was made that way, and that's the end of that. On the inside... She could still feel Strawberry's curvy edges along the tips of his hooves going up her back and around her neck. In his heart, he's perfect. His love is perfect. It will last forever. But he won't. He "is loved". That's all that matters. She bobbed around in the thick mist.

"No... I can't... I can't think like that!" she suddenly called out. She jumped up ahead, and the shadowy visage of Strawberry's tombstone reappeared. "There has to be some way I can fix this. I can do something to him. I can help him. I can cure him. I can change him. I can make him into... to..." She nudged her head against the stone. She didn't cry, but she felt as if she was losing a piece of herself with every breath. "Nothing will stop me. I don't care what rule I break or what spell I have to do or what line i'll have to cross--" Her voice built up. "I don't care who I'd have to hurt!"

*Click*

Luna paused. The mechanical noise attacked her from all directions. She felt the mist spray her directly in the face, and she strained to even breathe. She collapsed onto the ground-- feeling that sloppy mud rubbing all across her hooves once again. She suddenly saw the stone once again.

Strawberry Dawn
March 1, 1056 - ∇∇∇ ∇∇, ∇∇∇∇

For crying out loud, what does that horrible little thing mean! What is going on here! She stared, and then the gravestone date changed once again. The mysterious triangle symbol dissappered and reappeared as year after year and month after month popped through-- from 1099 to 1111 to 1105 and onwards. "I... uh... Like I said?" she muttered in confusion, "I'll do anything for him." She then put the confidence back into her words. "They'll be some way to make him stay with me. And I'll do it. I don't care about the consequences!"

*Click, Click*

She jumped back at the awful noise. She fell backwards right into the mist. She suddenly felt something cold, hard, and damp. She spun around. She couldn't see anything except the floor. Yet she didn't know if she wanted to see anything more.

Luna's eyes traced down past the edge of her hooves along the little red trails dotted across the stone. Paint? Or... It can't be... She leaned forward a little bit more. Blood? She flashed back to that horrific incident three days ago at the royal orchard. She recalled the poor little earth pony that found his hoof caught inside the massive water wheel well and then was scraped against the wood and metal sidings like a puppy with a chew-toy. That spatter, that dry staining... It... It is. It's blood.

She crawled along the ground and moved her eyes down along the drips scarring the concrete. She stopped. She head a faint clink. She spun around, and she then saw a little metal something drop onto the ground. She leaned forward. A pool of blood coated the knife's serrated end and slowly oozed down upon the concrete. Little bluish-red nubs of something soaking wet stuck at the blade's edge.

"I..." she said, and the full weight sunk in, "I said... that I... wouldn't 'care who I'd have to hurt'... I said... that..." She was an alicorn. She didn't have a way around that-- or at least she hadn't heard of one. Making an ordinary pony into an alicorn, though, that spell had some... checkered history to it. Yet it was indeed rumored to be possible.

No, no... That was just an old fogey's tale. The very idea! Some old butcher turning his shop into a torture chamber as he carved the wings off of a pegasus and enacted some kind of necromancy using the blood of a real alicorn... No, don't be silly! Luna shut her eyes tightly. She opened them again. The bloody knife stared back at her in the face. No, this... This isn't a possibility. This isn't 'most likely' to happen-- there's no chance it would happen! I don't even know what's going on here. It's madness!

She got up. She turned and stepped to her right into the wall of mist. She suddenly leaned up against a railing. She looked down, and she saw her future self arguing with Celestia. The other Luna's face burned with rage. She hopped up and down and then smashed her front hooves against the floor with full force. Celestia magically brought forward a scroll. The other Luna then flung a hoof up to seize the scroll. She tore it into hundreds of pieces.

Luna turned away. She then saw her future self appearing besides a roaring fireplace. The other Luna tapped her hoof impatiently as she flipped through an ancient book. The other Luna reached the end, and then she poured through it a second time. She then picked up the book and hurled it into the fireplace.

"No, no..." Luna muttered. She buried her head into her hooves. "I didn't mean that I'd do anything to keep him alive... I didn't... I did... I did mean it..." I love him. Of course I'd do anything for him. No, I wouldn't. I shouldn't sound so crazy! She slammed her body against the ground. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

*Click, click, click*

She thrust her hooves against her eyes and pressed down deep. She could feel that terrible clicking chattering her teeth. The mist then twirled about her head. She stood up once again.

She looked on to see the familiar clearing where Strawberry and her had had their first date. A rustled moved past Luna's shoulder. She spun around, and she then saw Midnight bouncing about. Her daughter had blossomed into a wonderfully pretty mare. Midnight's mane seemed to go on forever as it fluttered across her long, slender body. Her spots seemed to vanish and then appear again at every move. Luna then saw her future self following right behind.

Midnight kicked against a hunk of dirt and then hopped up atop a little maple tree. She then twirled around and ping-ponged from tree trunk to tree trunk. The other Luna flew straight up-- laughing all the while. The two alicorns then skated right across the top of the lake-- their hooves just barely scraping the top of the water and shooting out light sprays behind them.

"It... it will..." Luna began. The alicorns made symmetric moves like two ballerinas, and then they sailed straight up into the air. "It will all be alright. It should be. Twenty years with Strawberry might as well be two thousand years. And he'll always be there-- in me and in her." Her smile struggled, but it still quickly faded. But I'll still... I'll still bury my own husband. And if I really do this, if I really... really accept him into my life like this-- it will mean...

The future Luna and her daughter zoomed through the treetops. They then sailed twoards Luna, and she ducked as they rocketed past her. She laid back against the ground, and she sighed. It would mean missing him, wanting him, and needing him without getting him... forever.

The mist whooshed past Luna once again. She blinked. She looked upwards at her daughter as she fluttered about inside some cold, blank white waiting room. Midnight tapped her hooves in frustration, and then she landed right upon one of the chairs. She bobbed her hooves underneath the seat and repeatedly bonked the wall behind.

A puffy cloud dropped down atop Luna's face. She jiggled her head, and then she looked out at her daughter once again. Midnight stared blankly at the future Luna as she walked in through a side door. The other Luna tried to put on a brave face, but then she rubbed her right hoof against her face. Midnight started to pant. The future Luna dripped out a few more tears, and then mother and daughter shared a tender hug.

"No... no..." Luna moaned. She collapsed upon the cold tiles and narrowed her eyes. She glared across the waiting room floor at her future self. "What did you do to my Midnight! What did you let happen to her! What's wrong with my DAUGHTER!"

Another wash of mist poured out from the sides of the room. Luna twisted her head, and she looked out at the cozy little living room. She saw Midnight pacing back and forth atop the frizzy red rug. Midnight then screamed at somepony on a couch-- waving her front hooves into the air. Luna walked over to see... Twilight.

Age had ravaged the purple unicorn's pretty looks. Luna's eyes traced down the piles of wrinkles across Twilight's face over to her mane-- still long and flowing, but splatted with gray all over. Luna eyed one of Twilight's front hooves, which seemed to be curled in an unnatural position at the end.

Twilight suddenly stood up. She pulled up a set of tall glossy books littered with medical diagrams and tapped along the side. She looked as if she wanted to yell at the top of her lungs. She then dropped the book right on the floor and stepped on it. Midnight stared at Twilight, and then Midnight pulled up a much older, battered orange book from underneath her. Twilight muttered something.

"Excuse me!" Midnight remarked.

"Princess," Twilight replied, and her voice showed as much age as the rest of her, "I'm afraid that it just doesn't matter. For an ordinary alicorn, yes, it would..."

"Ordinary alicorn!" Midnight called out. She moved over and leaned up just inches from the purple unicorn's face.

"You're not an ordinary alicorn," Twilight calmly responded.

Luna strained to hear the rest, but the mist had returned. Luna waved her hooves about, and she came upon another medical room. She saw her daughter sitting on a simple chair besides the table. Luna's eyes traced along Midnight's body over to her right hoof. Something small and shiny went into Midnight's skin. Luna tried to focus, and she then saw a tall yellow pegasus. She looked up at his face, but all she could make out was his surgical mask and stethoscope.

"No, it's just, not... NO!" Luna screamed, "She's an alicorn! She doesn't get sick! She doesn't hurt!"

Luna tried to embrace her daughter, but the vision just faded as soon as her hoof touched. Luna coughed as the mist seemed to pour upon her even thicker than ever. No she's... I can fix her. I WILL fix her. She jumped forwards.

Luna rubbed her hoofs against the ground, and she felt hard wood with a touch of something sticky. She gazed outward, and the mist slowly began to clear. Luna's eyes traced along golden stripes and thick black plates with the occasion white tape marks. It's a... stage. She then ran her eyes upwards along the shifting red curtains. Luna ran closer, but the stage remained yards and yards away at every step.

Some commotion happened around Luna. She bounced around left and right at tried to look about. She then saw a gaggle of ponies sitting down in ornate seats. Almost all of them shifted about and suddenly applauded. The tall red pegasus besides Luna jumped up and whistled. Luna then looked back at the stage.

Midnight stepped up from the back of the stage to the lone microphone. Luna couldn't help but smile at the huge, poofy black dress that stretched across Midnight's shoulders and down her sides. Luna gazed at the dozens of sparkly diamonds going across Midnight's neck.

Yet Luna's heart seemed to stop as she looked upon her daughter's face. Midnight's beauty shone through, but age had made its mark. Luna noticed the wrinkles immediately, but she feared much worse. Luna's eyes covered every last inch of Midnight's face, and she came upon one of two of those discolored spots that Strawberry had suffered from. Is that it? Or are you hiding them all with makeup? Oh... oh sweetie... No... NO!

Midnight opened her mouth. A powerful melodic blast ripped through the audience. They applauded for a second time. She gripped a hoof against the microphone, and then she curled her body a few inches around. The song seemed to flow through her very veins before she belted it out once more.

"Looooooooooooookinggggg frooommmmmmmmmm--" Midnight sang. Luna felt so struck by the depth and the sort of hunger in each word. "A window-- aboooovve--"

"It's... It's our song!" Luna called out. She made a girly giggle and bounced up and down. Oh, you're just so beautiful... Every part of you, every piece of you...

"It's like a story of love," Midnight sang. Luna cooed along with the melody. She almost cried at the emotion her daughter put into that last final word. "Can you heeeeeeear meeeeeee..."

*Snap*

Midnight jumped back. The crowd bounced about. Luna had no idea what had happen. She walked futher to the stage, but it didn't even get an inch closer. She squinted. Midnight leaned over and nestled her right hoof against her face. The microphone let out a couple of sparks. Luna saw a little red glow going through it.

A tech pony jumped up from the bottom of the stage and seized the microphone. Midight then stepped a little bit closer to the audience. She let out a triumphant pump of her hooves into the air. The crowd went wild.

"Looks like the groove got to a little too much, didn't it? I guess the club can't even handle me!" Midnight called out. The crowd erupted. Whistles and cheers flew all across. Luna's eyes then moved right across her daughter's body towards the tip of her right hoof.

"She's bleeding..." Luna muttered. The mist fluttered back behind her. She kept on gazing at her daughter. "She's mortal..."

Luna shut her eyes tightly. She truly could barely stand anything more. She opened them again, and she saw herself again. The other Luna walked through a patch muddy grass as the rain poured upon her. The other Luna's tears dripped one by one across her face and down-- mixing in with the rain.

"No! I've seen this!" Luna screamed. She bucked up on her hind hooves. "I can't bear to see it again!" She panted. She saw her future self take out a different rose-- this one marked in a striking dark pink-- and lay it upon a gravestone.

I... I have to see... I have to know... Luna walked up. She stood exactly besides her future self, and she leaned down in exactly the same pose. The little bits of mist from in front of them cleared.

Strawberry Dawn Midnight Dawn
March 1, 1056 - September 23, 1099 February 14, 1074 - November 1, 1244
He is loved. She is loved.

Luna wanted to scream her lungs out. She wanted to beat against the ground until mud flew everywhere. She wanted to cry so much that it burned her face. She never had a chance.

The blue alicorn landed on the stone ground with a soft thud. She flew her head back and forth, and she kicked with her hooves. She felt somepony's hooves going along the sides of her face.

"Your majesty!" Vance yelled. He put his hooves around her neck for a moment to make sure that she could still breathe. Luna suddenly shot upwards. She blinked for what seemed like a thousand times. She then panted, and she glanced all around the gigantic mechanical sphere in front of her.

"Vance... we... we..." Luna muttered. She paused for what felt like years. The stallion stared at her with eyes like dinner plates. "Thank you."

(To Be Continued)

Just Take My Heart (Part XIV)

Luna turned over to Vance once again. She wanted to say something profound. She just had to do something to soothe that worry that coursed through his eyes. She opened up her mouth, and then that awful smell from the machine shot through her senses again. Overcome with a smell like a dozen sweaty stallion tailholes, she keeled over.

She vomited all over Vance's shoulder. She then buckled. She panted as she heard it dripping down his side. The stallion's face scrunched like a fish, and he wiggled in place a little.

"We are sorry," she said as she leaned back. The stallion looked back at her blankly, and then he magically reached over to his left pocket to pick up a hankerchef.

Can't you get that off magically... Oh, no, sorry! You're not powerful enough to do that! Luna opened her mouth and muttered a little spell. A minty sensation poured up her throat and across her teeth. Much better! She then nudged forwards. Vance froze. His skin seemed to shrivel up a little with that odd combination of fear at Luna's position and power along with admiration for her beauty.

Luna's magical aura sparkled all over the stallion's side. "Ahhhhh... ahh..." he muttered. He then saw a little blue flash. In a split-second, he ran his eyes down and couldn't see even one dirty spot. "T-thanks your majesty."

Luna smiled. That gawking... Oh, you're such a little silly thing. You're so much like Strawberry. Her expression immediately flipped. Oh, Strawberry! What was it? I'll only have twenty-five years of you? Or thirty? Oh, goodness... It doesn't matter! Whatever the number is-- it'll be at least a thousand years too short! No... It'll be an eternity too short! She tapped her hooves upon the ground in frustration. "Buck it!"

"Your highness, please," Vance said. He leaned over and went inches away from conforting her with her hooves, but he tensed a the last moment. She was a Princess of Equestria, after all. "Please. It's not just that the machine is limited."

"The 'most likely' future," she muttered. Strawberry, I can't... I can't bear it. I can't have you and then lose you.

"No, look at me," Vance said. Luna just plopped her eyes straight down at the floor. "Look, please." She bopped her head left and right but kept drooping. "My Princess..."

The stallion touched her hoof upon her chin and then raised her head up. She locked eyes with him. She smiled a little at his concern. Model subject... I should make sure you get a raise... or at least a marefriend.

"So, you've seen a piece of what you think is your destiny. You saw a part of your destination. But what of it? Life isn't all about where you end up. Life isn't all about when you see the a finish line and then the moment you cross it. There's so much in between. It's the path, the journey, the trip-- all of that is what means the most to us," he said. Some of the words bounced right of her ears, but every other one stuck at least a little bit. She sighed.

"So, what," she retorted. She picked herself off and then headed out towards the stairs. "We suppose that there's lots and lots of poetic garbage out there..." She twisted about her right hoof in the air and then went into the full royal Canterlot voice. "Thou must understand, for it shall be walking the passageway that defines oneself-- not knowing said passageway..." She stared at the invisible skull in her hoof as well as the invisible stage and curtains.

"Your highness," Vance objected once again.

"Please, save it," Luna replied. She concentrated. Her horn glowed, and then the false wall reappeared. She made a little twist of her hooves, and then the side doors up ahead opened as well. Well, I... I just need to think things over a little more...

Vance stayed. He rested up against the sphere and shivered a little bit. Luna glanced back, and she slowed her walk. He's like... like a little abandoned puppy. Isn't he? "Vance?" she asked. The stallion gave a hopeful glance. "Thanks again."

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

"The Silence," Luna read aloud. Hmm, even the spell's name sounds evil. She looked out at the study door. Of course, less than a dozen ponies even know the room exists. She went to read more, but she still froze in place.

Nopony other than Celestia and maybe Twilight could even see the hidden door, much less try to open it. Luna knew that Celestia was miles and miles above setting up the sun. Still, Luna couldn't help but feel paranoid. Her's eyes traced around the mounds of ancient bookshelves and even older books. She cocked her head, and then she concentrated.

A thick red bookshelf magically moved a few inches over. It plummeted back down-- wads of dust flying everywhere. She tapped a hoof, and then a thick smear of a blue and black magical arua dripped down the bookcase's sides.

"Now then," she said, and she traced a hoof along the well-worn page. The ink had soaked so thick and pressed down so hard that she could almost read it with her eyes closed. "The Silence is a theoretical preparation to give a unicorn a magical ascent into alicorn powers and abilities. Although it has never been successfully tried, prior reports that the spell has never really existed are totally without merit. Identities of those responsible have been expunged outright or otherwise lost to history-- presumably out of embarrassment as well as the necessary censorship."

Nice history lesson... but how do you do it? How does it work? She flipped ahead. She then went on, "The ceremony requires creating the necessary pentagram upon the wide, flat, and hard surface. The list of ingredients is as such..." She noted that she could more or less easily obtain every last element and skipped ahead. "The moonlight and starlight must bathe the unicorn at and exact ninety degree angle as specified in Figure A. The unicorn is placed into restraints for his safety so that he does not harm himself or others from the intense pain."

Figure A didn't look very happy. Although he was going to become an alicorn pretty soon, the illustrated unicorn had a look of pure despair across his face as if he'd leap off the page for safety at any moment. Luna then continued, "Upon cursing the surgical blades as specified in Figure B, the conjurer then entirety removes the wings of the pegasus shown in Figure C. The blades then cut along the unicorn's sides. The conjurer then ensures proper placement and mounting of said wings as shown in Figure D."

She gave a quick glance at Figures C and D. She immediately wished that she hadn't. Her voice breaking out, she skipped a little ahead and finished, "The conjurer removes the essence from the pegasus. He then envelops it around the unicorn using the spell in Sidebar B. At this important moment, the conjurer has just a short amount of time to collect the blood of a present alicorn to apply across the unicorn's horn. Only fresh blood-- not blood previously taken and stored-- can be used."

Luna teared up a little, but she forced herself to end the chapter. "The alicorn, unlike the pegasus, may survive this procedure. However, a very large amount of blood-- close to the medically safe maximum-- is needed as specified in Figure G. The conjurer then applies the ingredient mix-- magically charged as stated before-- along the unicorn's face. Be advised that at this moment the magical focus of the pain is expected to switch from the unicorn to the conjurer before then being shared equally. Should the conjurer take appropriate measures, he should be consious enough to spray the explosive powder and then announce the final incarnation. See Sidebar C for details."

The book then dropped out of her hoof. Luna collapsed onto the couch behind her. She held her hooves to her eyes. 'Intense pain'? A 'very large amount of blood'? 'Explosive powder'? She got up. She then put her hooves against her side. She pictured the precious cargo inside.

Luna walked over to the fireplace. Her eyes danced across the roaring flames. She then leaned her head over against the side, and she cried softly.

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Luna's hind hooves kicked against the golden spire with a soft clang. She nudged herself a little backwards. She curled her head back to the right, and then she gazed again out at the Canterlot skyline. I always loved it... I always love it when it's this time. Not quite night, yet not quite day. Nopony is up, really, but nopony is asleep either.

Her eyes bounced about the beautiful hanging gardens along those long marble aqueducts. She then gazed at a large rosebush just atop one of the royal bakeries. Everything around us really is so pretty. You just need to stop, and then you'll see it again and again. She stood up, and then she sailed over.

Luna breathed in a good dose of that soft, supple scent. So nice... She leaned down. One of the roses off the side wilted a little. She focused her eyes. So fragile...

Luna beat her wings hard. One horrible, coarse feeling after another shot through her. She then moved straight up into the air. "And... what..." she moaned. She turned around and then eyed yet another batch of rosebushes. "What does it matter!"

She crashed right into the rosebush. She thrust out her hooves and then thrashed the flowers about. Tears poured out. She then buried her face in her hooves. She held them down after a minute, and she stared at the thorny spot where the roses had been. She took a deep breath, and then she blew the petals all away.

"There," she announced, "It's all abandoned, all faded away, and all..." Her voice caved into just a whisper. "All dead..."

She went back to her favorite spot on the golden spire. No... Don't think this way! It's just one possible future! "It's not just 'possible'. It's a fact. Strawberry is mortal." But, so you can still... "And... Midnight is mortal too..." Hold on! You can find a way around this! "I can't..."

She bucked against the spire. A huge metal ring sounded, and half the side caved in. She shut her eyes tight so she wouldn't cry again. "I cannnnnn't! I can't deal with it! I won't be able to lose him, and to lose her... It will end me..." She smacked against her chest.

She then turned her gaze over to the horizon. Her eyes moved from rolling hill to deep valley to crystal clear river and then back to the spot where she stood. She sighed.

"Just take my heart, Strawberry!" Luna shouted. She sailed off into the distance. "Just take my heart! You know I won't have a need for it anymore!" Her tears dripped across her body as she gathered speed. I'll always love you, but if I can't have you... If I can't hold you... If I can't see you forever... Oh, goodness... Just take it. Take it. Keep it.

She coughed up as the tears went on. She dropped down. She barely could manage to fly. In just a minute, she narrowly missed smacking into a group of oaks. She slowed down. If I have to lose you... If I have to let you go, then you can take it now. I can't bear it any minute. Just take my heart. Take my heart now. Then, leave me now. Leave me when I'm still strong enough to say goodbye.

I can't bury my husband. I can't see you sick. I can't bear to know day after day, month after month, and year after year that you'll never be there for me again. If I have to lose you, then I'll lose you... The moment I want to lose you is with those big eyes of yours sticking out Sugarcube Corner window, looking up at me, as I fly away. She clutched a few branches, and then she curled up. She rubbed her face along the cold bark. Take my heart. It's yours. It always has been.

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Celestia cheerfully sailed through from cloud layer to cloud layer. Wow... I wonder what Lulu is going to say when she walks in the door. The surprise on her face! She giggled. She then moved down and then swooped over a hill. She rocketed past a curve, but she then twisted her wings about and reversed in a split-second.

"Lulu..." she said, and then she eyed a familar little blue spot in the distance, "What's wrong?" Celestia took a deep breath, and then she sailed over towards her sister.

(To Be Continued)

[Title Stolen By Discord] (Part XV)

Celestia shifted down. Treetops skipped along her hooves. Luna went on flying-- not even glancing up at her sister's moves. The sun goddess beat her wings and picked up some speed. Lulu, what... Oh, something has to be wrong-- very wrong. You're not thinking of taking me up on that 'simple procedure', are you? Without looking back, Luna curled around and then rocketed off to the left. Celestia chased back.

Oh, no, it has to something else. Celestia bobbed upwards and then hurled herself into a patch of clouds. She looked out at Luna's face. The blue alicorn grimanced and then curled down several feet. Celestia bounced in place as Luna sped right under her. No... That... That face...

Luna spun her left wing up, and then kicked at the air. Her loop-de-loop brought her right back up above Celestia's head. The sun goddess' eyes followed Luna's path right over to the gnarled piles of bark. To Everfree Forest... To Ponyville... Celestia hopped straight up-- thick mist running down along her sides. She locked eyes with Luna once again.

Luna's tears hadn't just burned against her face. Celestia saw it almost rip into her skin. No, no... I can't... I can't let this happen. Whatever it is you're going to do, don't do it! She sped ahead, moving up into the thicker clouds. Celestia took a deep breath, and then she knew that Luna couldn't see her anymore.

"Oh, Lulu," Celestia whispered, "You haven't had that look on your face since... since..." Since I sent you to the Moon... Oh, Lulu. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. She thrust her body at full force towards Ponyville. Celestia knew she had to outrun Luna; Celestia just had to stop her regardless of whatever she had planned.

The sun goddess curled over to the side. Black mist assaulted her from all directions. She kicked around with her hooves, and then she hurled herself straight down. Lightening crackled all across the ends of her tail. She popped out a thick mass of clouds. She glanced back, beating her wings in place for a moment, and saw the lightening start to pulse. The little electric streaks grew longer and thicker, and some kind of red aura leaked out of the clouds around them.

Looks like... like... red licorace lightening? Celestia twirled around, and then she gazed down at the homely set of roofs around cute little gardens. Oh, Luna, where in Ponyville are you? You can't be meeting up with Strawberry. I just... She traced along the skyline for Sugarcube Corner. I just wish I knew what you're thinking!

Her eyes then curled up. She couldn't see her own horn, but she felt it. That little magical cylinder sitting right atop her horn almost seemed to vibrate against her skin. Oh, no, I shouldn't be silly. I'd never use that again. I don't even know why I didn't put it away in the first place. She bounced down atop Mayor's house. Celestia jumped over to another roof. She nestled her hooves atop the weathervane, which spun her around a little.

What's... Ugh, I'm losing it again. Of course, I'd never put that on again. Sure, I'd find out everything Luna knows, but I... I... Her subconscious mind lifted up the device and spread it back in necklace form in front of her. Oh, no, that's just a horrible idea! I won't be able to tell where she ended and I began! She coughed. She wiggled her head, trying to get back to her senses. She blinked.

She magically put the necklace back on. She felt a little blue chill rushing across her body, and then she flapped her wings hard. She bounced off of the roof and then landed in the backyard. She splashed her hooves against a little pond. Ducks flew out everywhere-- letting off a torrent of honks.

"Luna," Celestia said as she gazed at her reflection, "You're looking absolutely radiant tonight. You seem just perfect for meeting your prince." She smiled. She then froze. Celestia smashed her head against the pond. Think! Think! What is it she's doing!

The water ran up to Celestia's eyes, and she blinked. Visions poured out from every last edge of her eyes with each blink. She could barely make out a thing. The words, the faces, the touches, the hugs, the cries, and everything else all dissolved into one big blur. Celestia took a deep breath. She hurled her head out of the water and shut her eyes tight.

Celestia made out a huge blob of mist. Then, she pictured two large tombstones in her minds eyes. She wiggled her head. Her subconscious mind felt totally assaulted. Memory after memory, fear after fear, and hope after hope crashed into it. She then hopped up-- throwing herself yards and yards into the air.

"Oh, no, Lulu!" Celestia called out. She eyed the familiar bakery off across the street. "You can't let him go!"

Celestia ran straight towards the side door. She then smashed her hooves against the ground and tore into the street. She curled over-- just missing breaking the door down-- and then battered her hooves all over it.

"Oh, uh, Strawberry, darling!" She wouldn't say 'darling'. Or would she? She's all lovely-dovey, after all. "Uh, sweetie! Strawberry, angel pie! Sweetcakes! Sugar drawers!" She kept on knocking. "Please!" She stopped at a sudden noise.

The top half of the door swung open. Celestia took a sigh of relief. Now then, don't get too close. Copy Luna's magic. Don't get too close. Copy her magic. It won't be too hard. I hope. She stuck her head in.

"Oh, Strawberry, I'm so glad--"

"All you have to do is take a CUP of FLOWER add it to the mix!" A familar squeaky voice shot out. Celestia ran her eyes all about the kitchen. Everything looked empty. "And don't use too much shortening! It's so fattening!"

"Pinkie?"

A tray of cupcakes shot up underneath her head. Celestia hopped up. She leaned back down. She eyed the long, undulating grey neck moving about. She tensed. A yellow paw reached up and then thrust a huge cloud of powered sugar into the air. Celestia coughed.

"YOU!" Celestia streamed. She glared at the spirit of chaos. He shifted himself around, and then he made a frowny face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the frosting," he said. He learned his head over and then curled his right horn down. It poured thick globs of pinky goop atop the pile of cupcakes. "Fresh strawberry scented, just like you'd want it..." He pushed the tray over. "Luna..." The sarcasm couldn't have been thicker if he wrote the word in brick and mortar.

"What are you doing here, you," Celestia muttered, "You, you..."

"I... I..." Discord muttered back, and he waved his paws around in mocking confusion.

"What did you DO to STRAWBERRY!" Celestia hollered.

Discord popped backwards. He hummed a little melody. He leaned back and then plopped a huge chefs hat upon his head. "I put him into that side oven over there" he began, running his fingers down along the countertop. "Now just give him about thirty minutes until--" He locked eyes with Celestia, who looked ready to tear him limb from limb in seconds, and then he shrugged. The smile melted from his face. "Oh, goodness, Princess, really? You're so judgmental." He waved a paw over behind him. "He's in the can."

*Clang*

"What was that!" Celestia called out.

"I'm eighty percent sure that Strawberry just fell off the side stool and bumped the toilet tank again," Discord replied. He then leaned down and made a huge smile. "Oooh, oooh! Maybe he'll be inventing a flux-capacitor now!"

"Are you..."

"Am I real, or am I only in your imagination?" Discord flew himself up on the side of the wall. "Am I a dream?" He thrust open a cupboard and pulled out a tray of cookies. "Am I a subject of your rippling jealousy and self-hatred towards your sister?" He bounced up atop the table. "Am I real as the ground under your feet?" He shuffled his feet around-- pumping his arms to the rythmn-- and then twirled. He turned, and then he hopped out towards the window. "Am I a fake?"

"Well?"

"Beats me!" Discord replied. He shrugged.

"For crying out loud, you... you..." She almost cried.

"So..." He leaned up just inches from her face. "Cookie?" He thrust a black and brown treat into Celestia's mouth. She clenched it in her teeth. Discord swung his head around, and then he popped one into his own mouth. He then threw himself up in the air.

Discord hurled the tray down, and then smashed it below his feet. He hopped up and down on it over and over again. "NOT CHOCOLATE? RAISINS? RAISINS! RAAAAAIIIIISSSSIIIINNNNSSSSSSS!" His hands flew about in pure rage. The cookies mushed around his feet. "MRS. CAKE, YOU UGLY LITTLE WHORE! YOU SHALL PAY FOR DEFILING PERFECTLY GOOD COOKIES WITH THESE ABOMINATIONS!"

Celestia thrust her hooves against her head. It's all in my head. I can make it stop. It's all in my head. I WILL make it stop. It's all in my head. She gulped.

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"Strawberry... I... I have to tell you something. It's something very important," Luna rehearsed as she trotted around the roof. She made the twentieth circle around the chimney, and she slowed down a little. "Please, Strawberry, you need to stand up for this. No, wait, sit down for it. No, wait, you need to be looking right up at me." She tapped her head with her hoof. "No, you need to wait... Just wait... I have to tell you something important."

I can't be with you, because I love you. I love you too much to be with you. She halted, and she looked out at her reflection in one of the windows. I love you, and I can't bear to let you go. So that's why I'm letting you go now. Better now, than later. I'm sure that you'd understand if you were me. The other Luna stared definately back at her.

"What am I saying," Luna muttered, and then she keeled over. She rubbed her head against the coarse, grainy tiles. "I can't... I'm in you. You're in me. It's just too late for goodbyes. It's too late for anything." She then brought herself back up. She looked out at Sugarcube Corner off in the distance. She flapped herself up.

But... I'll have to let you go sometime. It has to be sometime. And I know I won't be strong enough then. I might be strong enough now. I can love you and then lose you. I can't bear to love you and then bury you. She sailed over. Still, I... all of that time we could have together. All of that love. I can't give it up!

"And if I..." she whispered, and then she shifted her eyes over to Fluttershy's house. She rubbed her bottom hooves against each other. "If I found a suitable pegasus and then I... I could try the spell. It could work." She's so kind, so open-minded, and so generous. If I explained everything to her, and I promised to help her forever-- she might be willing to let me cut... She smacked her head against her side. NO! What am I THINKING!

Luna hopped down to the ground. Almost everypony is sleeping. I can be a lot more brazen. I'll just walk right up to the right side door as Strawberry leaves for home. I'll look right at him, and then I'll tell him the truth. She trotted across the street.

Her eyes moved about from neatly decorated shops to pretty little gardens to the neatly trimmed layers of bushes. They then froze upon the little white patch of wood right in front of her. She held up a hoof. She nudged it about in the air-- afraid to even touch. She closed her eyes. Strawberry... I'll always love you. No matter what I've decided. No matter what I say, or what you say. Nothing will ever change that.

*Knock, knock*

The door opened. She moved in. A set of warm white hooves shot out across her neck. She nudged her head over, and then Strawberry buried his face into her soft, flowing mane. She breathed in his wonderful sweet scent. She stepped a little bit forward. Strawberry gently kissed up her neck.

He then leaned back, and he prepared to smack against her lips. She let out a sigh. He opened his eyes, and then he gazed at her. He made a phony 'sad puppy' face, and Luna smiled a little. The grin faded in a split-second. He pulled a little back and then locked eyes with her.

"Strawberry, I need to tell you something very important."

(To Be Continued)

That is: Things will be continued right after you make your decision, dear reader. You have your own choice of endings. Please note that emotional tone as well as the explicitness of content will vary widely based on your choice.

For a positive ending with graphic sexual content, please click over to the next three chapters (sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen). For the grim ending with graphic gory as well as sexual content, please see the three chapters after that (nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one). For a comedic 'random' sort of ending, please see the chapter after that (twenty-two). For a short, sugary-sweet ending, please see the chapter after that (twenty-three). For a positive ending with a bittersweet tone, please see the final two chapters (twenty-four and twenty-five).

The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part A)

(Warning: The ending that you have chosen involves explicit sexual activity as well as forth wall breaking.)

Luna gazed right down at the unicorn. Her eyes flowed from the bottom of his frizzy pink mane all the way up the curls, and then they rested right upon to the end of his horn. She focused right on the pinkish-red tip. Just like your... like our daughter...

Strawberry made another puppy like whimper. Luna locked eyes with him. Such a goofy little expression, well, I guess you can't keep yourself off me. She chuckled a little. She then looked down at his curly nose and soft face. You can't... Luna silently leaned forward once again. Strawberry gave her a huge kiss.

You can't live without me. And you won't have to. She teared a little bit as they kisses. You'll never have to. I promise. She then pulled him off of her once again.

"I have to show you something, actually," Luna squeaked. Strawberry smiled. He then let out a gasp as Luna magically picked him up and then smacked him upon her side. "Just a moment, Strawberry!" She hopped down the town square for a second-- Strawberry jiggling about at her side like a backpack. Oh, where is it... Where is it!

"A-ha!" Luna exclaimed. She leaned backwards and launched herself up. She then clang over to the edge of the building's side. Strawberry panted, trying not to look down. Luna scampered a little bit to the side. She then peeked into the second-story window. "Oh, it would be so odd for her to up this hour, but still..."

The unicorn and the alicorn peeked inside the boutique window. Stacks of papers littered across dresser after dresser. The shelves bulged full of all kinds of fabrics. Luna ran her eyes across the gigantic mess over to the corner of the room. Luna eyed the bottles filled with needles and strings. Luna then stared at the white unicorn hidden behind them.

“Sparkles, sparkles,” Rarity said to herself, eying the bright blue dress spread around the table with the intensity of a general making battle plans. “All they seem to want is sparkles. But of course, she is unable to even begin to understand the power of understatement. Not to mention, for goodness sakes, proper color matching… All these red sparkly stars spread along a blue— night blue no less— bottom! It’s simply unbelievable!"

Luna tapped against the glass. Rarity nudged about a little, but she kept staring down. Luna tucked her hoof back, and then she smacked it against the window. Rarity bounced up.

"What could possibly be going on at this hour," the white unicorn began, stepping over to the window, "That would mean-- mean-- mean--" Her eyes sprang open, and she buckled back. "P-P-P-P-P-P-Princess!" She wiggled about in place. "P-Princess, it is s-s-such an honor, s-so g-great..."

Luna glanced down, and then she magically lifted up the window lock. Rarity's face seemed to melt as if she'd faint at any second. Luna turned her head over to the side door on the first floor. She magically lifted Strawberry off of her and then placed him down onto the flat grassy patch. He looked back up at her blankly.

"Now then," Luna said. She stepped into the room-- measuring each step carefully to avoid any of the fabrics or notebooks laying about the floor. Rarity let out a loud gasp.

"The P-P-Princess is in m-my r-room!" Rarity called out out. She twirled backwards.

Luna teleported right behind Rarity and held her back up. She took a deep breath, and then she blew a misty puff of magic upon Rarity's face. The white unicorn's eyes popped back open. "Now then, we need something important. We apologize for the late hour, but this is something we must have immediately. Hopefully in a matter of seconds?"

"I had the craziest dream," Rarity muttered, shifting her hoof over her head, "I was just minding my own business in my room, and then the Princess appeared out of--" She then gazed right at Luna's face. "Oh..."

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"Luna, Luna, please," Strawberry moaned. He kept on gazing at the open window above him. The ponies shifted about. They called out something. He curled his ears, but he couldn't hear a thing. Come on, you! Think! What was that hearing spell

He smacked his hooves against his head. Ugh, I thought I'd remember that one if I use it so much. Stupid memory... Wait, I can use the memory spell. He stepped forwards and put a hoof against the boutique wall. Memory spell! Wait... How does that one go again?

"Rabbit pellets," he muttered. He bonked his head against the stone. He paused, and then he moved back. The unicorn glanced over at the boutique's front door. "Luna, whatever it is, please. Just tell me."

He walked over. He then heard a flurry of clicking sounds. Light suddenly poured out. He missed a step and then plopped onto the ground. The unicorn put his hooves to his eyes and blinked. Somepony stepped out towards him.

"Strawberry, we need to ask you something," Luna said. Strawberry gazed up at her as the light ran across her shoulders. She smiled at him, and then she lowered her head. His eyes locked upon the top of her horn.

"Ahhh... ahh..." he moaned. Thousands of emotions flooded every inch of his mind. He held up his hooves and barely missed touching Luna's face.

"Will you marry me?" Luna asked. The light shone across the small silver ring on her horn. Every last one of its finely cut rubies-- shaped just like little darkish pink roses spread out in a chain-- exploded in sparkles.

"YES!" Strawberry screamed. He jumped up and squeezed Luna with all of his might. He buried his face in her neck. Tears of joy dripped down her side, and he felt her doing the same along his back. "I... I..." He could only think of one thing to say. "I love you."

"I love you," she said back. Strawberry rubbed his face along her head. He looked out behind them, and he saw Rarity with her face pressed flat against the window.

Strawberry giggled a little as Rarity bounced up and down in rapid-fire succession. She grinned from ear to hear. She almost seemed to burst right though the glass with each hop.

"Now," Luna said, and she head him hoof in hoof down the street. He curled his body over upon hers. "There's two things I need to take care of. One of them is that we need to... consummate our new relationship." They kept on walking-- taking in her beautiful night. They finally came upon his apartment complex. Strawberry walked off of her and then stood nervously besides his door. "Aren't we going inside, silly?"

He turned his head over and stared at the 'Room 101' sign. He glanced back at his wife-to-be for a second. He took a gulp and then opened the door. Luna followed him over and then laid her body across his large black living room couch. His eyes feasted upon her-- running from the tips of her soft blue hooves up her slender body and then upon the hungry gaze across her face. She twisted about her mane and then ran it across her chest.

"Could we have some more of those Midnight Teas or yours?" Luna asked, "They would just make the mood perfect."

He nervously nodded. He then scurried off the side door into the kitchen. He thrust open the cabinets and trailed across the contents with his hooves. Oh, wow... Oh, wow! I can't think. I don't even know. What's going to happen. What about your... sister. "Celestia," he muttered.

"Don't worry," said a voice behind him. He span around, and he saw what looked like Luna walking out of his pantry into his kitchen.

"Why were you in my-- Why aren't you on the-- What's-- What are you doing?" Strawberry sputtered. He then stopped. Oh, it's... you. Want to keep playing with me? Ugh, I guess I'll play along.

"Whatever I just said to you before, don't worry about it," said the other Luna. Strawberry nodded along as he grabbed ingredients. "I'm just being a little confused. That's all. In fact, I'll probably even, uh, forget what I just said to you just now-- in only a few seconds!"

"So, we're not getting married?" Strawberry asked back. He saw the smile melt from the other Luna's face, and he giggled a little. He pulled up five little glasses in front of him.

"Oh, we're doing that?" asked the other Luna, "Well, I... we... we are very glad. Ummm... Carry on? I'm just confused. That's all." She wiggled her head around.

"That's fine," he replied. He twirled around and held up a glass of his minty concoction. The other Luna picked it up. Strawberry then leaned over face to face. "You know, I love you. Regardless of anything, I love you." Celestia... There wouldn't be her nights without your days.

The other Luna understood. She took a few sips, and then she put the glass back down against the counter. Strawberry picked up the other four glasses and then moved over to the kitchen door. He glanced back at the other Luna, who tapped her hooves against the floor nervously. Your magic, it's just... It's so weird. It's like you're half Luna now already.

Strawberry then turned around, and he smacked against something soft and blue. He bounced down upon the ground-- trying hard to make sure the drinks landed rather than spilled around him. He blinked.

"ME!" Luna screamed, and she pointed at her doppelganger. She stepped a little forward, but then she halted. "We mean... I!" She shifted her head around. "I mean... YOU!"

"You," the other Luna repeated. She leaned down and then rested her head and hooves against Strawberry's neck.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Strawberry screamed. He kicked his hooves around. The two Luna's stopped and then rushed down to his side. Strawberry pushed the other Luna's hooves off of his neck. He twisted around on the tiles over to the sink.

"What is it?" asked the other Luna. She leaned forward to embrace her again, but the original Luna smacked her horn over. She looked ready to skewer her doppelganger's neck at one other false move.

"Oh, it's..." Strawberry squeaked, and he felt little spots appearing on him, "Just the marks, that's all. I mean... It's healed. It's fine. I'm just a little soft and a little tender where I was bit... Same where I was burned. But really, I'm fine. They'll fade in just a second."

"Nightmare Moon bit and burned you?" the other Luna asked. She then locked eyes with the original. "My, my! You're a bad girl!" She chuckled, and then the original Luna nudged her hind hooves around. She prepared to buck the copy back into the pantry.

"It's just your magic, just--" Strawberry interrupted, "Just don't shock me with your magic. I'm too in sync with it already." He sat a little bit back up. "It doesn't feel bad or painful, it's just too... overwhelming." Luna is one thing. Luna and Celestia's magic mixed together... I'm like a bird flying through a hurricane.

"We..." Luna began. She opened up her eyes and then sat on the ground besides Strawberry. She gently pushed him down on his back once again. She motioned at the other Luna to sit at Strawberry's other side. "We have a little idea."

"Idea..." Strawberry repeated. He gulped. The duplicate Luna moved over and then balanced herself upon his chest. The original Luna curled around and then laid down right besides her.

He wiggled around-- soft, cuddly feathers rubbed down all across his sides and his hind hooves. The alicorns laid flat on top of him and then intertwined their front hooves with his. The two manes curled around the edges of his face. His eyes shifted over and each gazed at their own particular Luna.

"It's not very nice of you to leave us so soon," the left Luna said.

"Being without you for eternity is hard enough, but to only give us thirty years or so is criminal," said the right Luna.

"So," the left Luna said, and she shifted herself down. They touched, and he tried to not to scream. Her soft, smooth belly rubbed down and then nudged over and again in between his legs. Tingles shot up and then exploded inside his brain. "We've decided to share some of our magical energy with you."

"You shouldn't have kept your little 'adrenocortical insufficiency' a secret," the right Luna said. She pressed against his colthood with her body. The left Luna pressed futher as well. His body buckled at the two cuddly embraces going all along between his legs.

"SORRY!" Strawberry yelled, "I promise I won't cortical my adrenos anymore!" He bit his lip. And this is just both of them on me... with... just their HOOVES... Oh, gosh, what happens when they decide to use their...

"And with Celestia here to complete the circuit," moaned the right Luna, "The magic is going to shoot RIGHT--" She plopped her mouth upon one of Nightmare Moon's bites.

Strawberry gasped. His eyes turned upwards and drool dripped out of his open mouth. He forced himself to still breathe.

"INTO you," moaned the left Luna, and she kissed the other side of his neck. They licked and licked the sides of his neck like a gigantic ice cream cone. He twisted his face and let out a loud whine. He shut his eyes tight. It was like nothing else he had ever felt before. Not even the full power of Nightmare Moon's magic on their first time didn't have this intensity-- this drive.

It didn't feel like pain. It felt like more than just pleasure. He almost seemed to be being born again-- little explosions going off under every inch of his skin. The two Lunas then switched from licking to deep, sloppy kisses. Their manes flew up against his face. He felt his own pink frizzy hair blending in, and he couldn't even see anymore. The whole world just faded into this dark pinky-purple blur of pure bliss.

The left Luna seemed to get a little inpatient. She kissed all up his neck over to the edge of his chin. They locked eyes for a split-second. She then thrust her face against his. He bucked back against the floor as they made out. She moved over a hoof to his neck, and he felt that powerful magical charge flowing through him once again.

The right Luna didn't want to be left out, and she started kissing all along the side of his head. She kissed across and then nibbled the edge of his ear. The left Luna nudged down a little bit. The right Luna took the opening and then kissed. She curled her tongue right down his mouth as far as it could go. He moved his head back and forth-- trying hard to still breathe. They kissed and kissed. Strawberry felt her hooves banging against him and knocking upon the kitchen floor.

Finally, the two alicorns popped off of him. They both gazed at his worn, wet face. They then stepped back a little bit and shifted their sides up towards him. Strawberry's eyes danced from the thick juice pouring off of the left Luna's marehood over to the right Luna-- who rubbed her tail in between her legs while cooing.

He crawled over. The right Luna then popped up-- little drips doing down her leg-- and she motioned over to the couch. Strawberry stood up. He suddenly waved his hooves around the air. He blinked.

*Thud*

Strawberry curled his hooves around. He looked down to see his colthood shooting straight up and pulsing in the air. He shifted down and spread himself along that most comfortable-- and most squeaky-- part of the couch. The two alicorns stood right besides him for a second, and they gazed down at the area between his legs. He couldn't help but squeal.

The two of them stepped on top of him, and they both nestled their bottom hooves against his neck. He panted. The flood of magical energies poured through him once again. He wiggled about, and then he thrust his face forward. He enveloped his mouth around the tips of their hind hooves and started licking. He kissed. He slurped. He felt their juices sliding down their legs and rubbing all over his chest, and he could barely stand it.

The two alicorn's gently and delicately kissed the tip of his colthood. They then swirled their tongues around the shaft in perfect synchronicity. Pulses of sheer pleasure ran through Strawberry's body, and he barely kept himself from showing their faces stick white at that very moment. The alicorn's swished over their tails and then shoved them upon Strawberry's face.

They kept licking, and he kept licking. Touch after touch, slurp after slurp, and rub after rub went on. He held their bottom hooves close, nestled his face deep inside their tails, and kicked again and again at the touch. One of them made a big fat kiss along the end of his colthood, and then she moved her head down. Little bits of her teeth scraped ever so slightly along the ends of his shaft, and then her talented tongue just rubbed every last inch of it. The alicorn went on.

Strawberry pictured pouring every last single drop of himself straight down her throat. Yet he held back. He drank in wave after wave of pleasure, and then he moved his hooves along the alicorn's heads. They both shifted themselves upwards. He panted, and he then locked eyes with the two alicorns-- both sitting right next to each other atop his belly.

"Can I ask you both to... to do something weird?" he squeaked, "Instead of kissing me..."

The right Luna looked over at the left Luna, and their eyes ran up each other's bodies.

"Can you kiss each other?"

The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part B)

Luna turned her gaze over to her sister. No! How can you even say that! How can you even THINK that! She ran her eyes up across her sister's body-- a perfect duplication in every way. It felt so much more intense than any mirror. She smelled the sweat and feminine juices dripping off of the other Luna. She had her hind hooves rubbing right across the other Luna as well.

It's so... so crazy... She's not my sister anymore. It's like I've taken over. Luna moved up her right hoof against her copy's side, and then the other Luna did the same thing to her. They gazed at each other's face. They looked so overcome with emotions-- hormones boiled their brains with pure desire. It's... It's masturbation isn't it?

I can't imagine doing such things to my own sister. Such a horrible, taboo, thing... The other Luna leaned over, and Luna kissed her on the cheek. She let out a gasp. That felt a lot... better... She nudged herself over, and then the two of them lined up lip to lip. Feels so much better than I thought... They kissed. The duplicate Luna placed her hooves across the other Luna's shoulders.

The alicorns pounded their faces against each other. The other Luna rubbed all along Luna's back. She then moved down to Luna's wings and curled the tip of her hooves deep into the feathers. Luna squealed. The two of them leaned a little bit down.

Strawberry's eyes grew wide as saucers. He squiggled down, but he kept his eyes right on the beautiful scene. Luna continued making out with her duplicate-- little spit trails dripping out of their mouths down along each other's bodies. Strawberry nudged his face into Luna's plot, and she pulled off of her copy for a moment. Luna cooed, and she felt Strawberry's tongue exploring every inch of her.

Luna placed another kiss, but she shook out of place. Surges of pleasuring shooting up from her flank. Strawberry rubbed his nose and cheeks all along her plot. He pushed his face out further and littered big, sloppy kisses along her pretty slit. He moved a few inches up and-- without an ounce of shame-- licked all around her tailhole. Luna gasped, and she felt sweat pouring off of her face so hard that she could barely see.

Strawberry licked across her slit from side to side and then up and down. She shut her eyes tight, and she let the tingly sensations take over her mind. The other Luna panted. She instinctively moved her own hooves to her own slit at the scene. She accidentally nudged herself back. Her back of her own plot rubbed all across Strawberry's colthood.

The unicorn let out a huge moan. Luna responded by shifting herself a little over-- sitting straight on his face. He kept on slurping, and she kept on chirping with joy. The other Luna nudged herself down and sunk her plot deep between Strawberry's legs. The raw pleasure drove Strawberry out of his mind. He kissed a little bit more, and then he gave up.

Strawberry curled up his chin and then shoved his tongue straight into Luna's marehood. She rewarded him with a powerful yell. "Thou must keep enjoying thineself! We demand it!" Luna called out, putting on full royal airs as she dug her hooves into Strawberry's chest.

The duplicate Luna bobbed down her wings, and then she fluttered them across the slide of Strawberry's colthood. She slammed back and sandwiched it between her supple flank and a wall of soft feathers. The unicorn tried his best to scream. It took all the strength Strawberry could must not to give those cute blue wings a thick creamy filling.

He buckled with his bottom hooves, digging them into the side of the couch. The other Luna shifted up in the air. She lined straight up atop of his colthood-- knowing exactly what he wanted and how he would get it. Strawberry felt his tip massaging against the Luna copy's slit. The thing between his legs pulsed harder than ever.

Luna hopped up a little. Strawberry drank in all of the wonderful juices pouring out of her marehood. He took a deep breath. He then gawked as the two sister's made out once again. Luna licked all up her duplicate's neck and then smacked against her cheek. They gazed into each other's eyes, and then they kissed again and again.

"My, my, what a show," called out a voice from behind the couch. Strawberry curled around his head. He expected to see a stack of pizza boxes, but instead his eyes ran along the body of the oddest creature. Every part of him seemed to be stitched together from a bunch of different animals.

The alicorns immediately flipped their eyes around and stared. Strawberry couldn't move an inch-- totally pinned down. He saw a weird yellow paw coming up from the edge of the couch going towards him. He then looked up at the horrible being's big yellow eyes with bright red slits inside.

"What? I said too much?" asked the creature. The two alicorns narrowed their eyes.

"Discord," they said in perfect symmetry

"My, my-- stereo Luna!" Discord called out, and he twirled along the side of the bed, "What will they think of next?"

"What do you want?" they asked. Their voices swapped back and forth with each word.

"This is rather freaky, even for me," Discord replied, and then he curled himself over Strawberry's head, "Incest and bisexuality and S&M and a very active form of masturbation... Oh, dear!" He then touched along Strawberry's neck. Luna bent down and aimed her horn straight at Discord's head.

The draconequus wagged a finger. The two Lunas just watched as Discord traced a finger across the magical bite marks and burn scar. The skin lit up with his touch, but Strawberry otherwise couldn't feel a thing.

"It's all so familar," the draconequus muttered. The put his paws against his hips. Despite everything, Strawberry still felt his colthood throbbing-- still lined up nicely below the duplicate Luna. The alicorn's juices still rubbed along his chest and belly. "Oh, I know!" Discord spun around and then tapped the side of his head. "Celestia, if you please, show the rest of us that beautiful little mark upon your shoulder. Come come, don't you dare be shy. Not now. Not here like this."

The duplicate Luna stood up a little bit higher. She let out a few tears. She nudged a hoof along her left shoulder. Discord clapped his paws and then held them up in the air. A little white spot appeared along her shoulder. The spot pulsed and wiggled about, and then it slowly expanded. A wash of light went about the duplicate Luna's body, and then she reached up at her suddenly visible necklace.

Celestia tossed the necklace onto the ground. Her tears splashed across Strawberry's chest. Strawberry, Luna, and Discord then ran across the sun goddess' bright white body over to a small mark on her shoulder.

"Goodness," Luna whispered, "It's the deepest bite I've ever seen."

"Mine," Discord said, and he licked his lips. Luna glanced down at Strawberry. "My mark. Just as fortold, when the draconequus makes his mark, the female is bound to him for all eternity. No other male shall ever satisfy her."

Luna and Strawberry gazed at each other-- there wasn't a single piece of anything separating them emotionally. No. I didn't mark you. We marked each other. It's nothing like whatever Discord did to Celestia. They then glanced at Celestia.

"What do you want?" Celestia asked. She nudged herself a little bit off of Strawberry, but then the draconequus jiggled his paws in the air for her to stay perfectly lined-up.

Discord put his paws behind him. He stepped backward a little bit and then swung his hips forward. He looked upwards and whistled. He stretched his paws further behind him, and then he curled his neck up into the air. He whispered, "Foursome."

"NO!" Celestia screamed.

"YES!" Strawberry yelled.

Luna said nothing. Her mind felt so frazzled at what happened that she could barely stand. She sat down and then placed her plot back upon Strawberry's face by accident.

"TWO votes against ONE-- MAJORITY RULES!" Discord called out. He then hopped up upon Strawberry's chest and almost knocked the wind out of him.

Strawberry went to say something else, but he immediately found his mouth filled with Luna's clean, soft tailhole and his face filled with her cuddly, fluttering tail. He blinked. Thick molten chocolate dripped down upon his nose. He sniffed, and then he looked up.

He gazed up at the draconequus' long, thick red thing between his legs. Luna and Celestia both licked all across it-- the chocolate pouring off everywhere. He blinked. Streaks of caramel began to appear within the chocolate. He inhaled the the wonderful scent, but he fought the urge to taste it himself.

Strawberry, chanting under his breath that he was red-blooded heterosexual through and through, nudged his body a few inches down. He gazed at the wonderful bluish slit in front of him, and he kissed. Luna groaned. He heard Discord shift about and face right up at Celestia alone.

Luna dripped more than ever. Strawberry tasted every last bit of her beautiful marehood once again. He felt Celestia move her plot a little bit closer, and then he slammed his bottom hooves against the couch.

"Why, Tia, how rude of you!" Discord called out. The sun goddess stepped a little bit backwards down on his belly. He felt Discord's footpaw walking across his chest. "Building him up like that. Time to give some-- RELIEF!"

Celestia then sat upon him. His colthood plunged straight through her slit and then pulsed deep inside of her. Strawberry felt like screaming his lungs out, but he could barely breathe. He felt every last last warm, cuddly, and wet piece of Celestia's marehood shooting pure pleasure into him. He shivered, and he felt himself lining up straight into her womb.

"Well, well," Discord remarked, plunging his thing into Celestia's face and wrapping his paws all around her head. He tapped along her sides and then buried his face in her beautiful mane. Strawberry felt Discord's footpaws digging into his belly.

"This story sure as goodness isn't getting on Equestria Daily anytime soon."

The Golden Rule (Ending One, Part C)

Luna pressed herself deeper against Strawberry, and he kept on licking inside her slit. She reached down with her front hooves along his neck, and he felt her energy flowing right through the bite marks all across his body. Celestia moved up-- the million little rubs coming from her soft flesh driving out of him out of his mind. Discord grunted loudly, and he pumped Celestia's head harder between his legs.

Celestia suddenly slammed back down, and Strawberry buckled. He heard a loud groan, and then he felt some thick fluid dripping down onto his belly. I guess Discord... came? Again? The sticky stuff poured all across him. He curled his hooves around to touch it. It's melted marshmellows?

"Must... not... taste... Discord's... delicious cum..." Strawberry chanted.

Celestia then pumped up and down. Strawberry squealed and wiggled about in place. He barely kept it together as the alicorns went on him from both ends. The taste and smell of Luna's marehood against his face overwhelmed his senses. The rhythmic thrusts of Celestia's marehood almost seemed to rip his bottom hooves out.

Discord then shuffled about on top of him. He twirled around, making some kind of low giggle, and then both Luna as well as Celestia bounced faster. Strawberry couldn't even think anymore. Every little move of Celestia raising her body up and then smashing it down against his colthood reverted through his sides. She had become this organic machine. Discord, for his part, suddenly shifted around and stepped off of Strawberry's chest.

"Now then, you had some kind of a problem," Discord muttered, and Strawberry saw his paw moving all about the unicorn's mane, "Health issues, right? I'm sure that a sufficient magical blast by at both ends by both Princesses will hike your lifespan a few hundred years. You might absorb so much of Luna that you become an alicorn."

Luna squeaked, and she pumped her marehood down upon his face in sync with her sister. Strawberry's teeth clenched. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. Suddenly, Celestia leaned forward and Luna leaned back. He felt white and blue hooves rubbing across his neck.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Strawberry screamed. He knew he had to have woken up the whole building. The pleasure on his face and his colthood felt as if it would melt his flesh off. Celestia put down one last pump, and then she clenched. The touching, touching, touching, touching-- all inside her-- oh my GOODNESS-- I can't-- I can't-- That's it! THAT'S IT!

"Or it might kill you," Discord whispered. Strawberry heard him. He might have worried that the alicorn's didn't hear him. Yet he couldn't worry-- since he couldn't even think at all. He just threw his mouth open and gasped. The volcano was about to erupt. Thousands upon thousands of surging sensations poured into his body through his neck, and he couldn't even see anymore.

"LUNA!" Strawberry screamed. He felt Celestia position herself for one last move straight down. He felt Luna position herself for one last rub straight into his face. Somehow, someway, the intense electrical surges through his neck multiplied. He flailed his hooves around, and he felt everything build. So fast... So hard... SO FAST! It's just too much! I can't take it! I CAN'T! I just--

*Thrust*

Strawberry heard a wall of screaming. He bit his lip as he shoved his hips upward. He felt a surge shooting all through his body and then concentrating between his legs. He blew his stack-- the sensations drowning his mind in a sea of pleasure. Thick white spurt after thick white spurt poured inside Celestia's plot. Her body clenched even tighter than before, and he gasped.

Sparkles seemed to flow all across his mind. He felt Celestia popping a little bit upwards and then shivering. The orgasm coursed through the sun goddess. Luna shifted down a split-second later. She felt everything blowing up inside of her as well.

Strawberry saw a thick magical aura bursting out of the alicorns' horns and then speeding down across their bodies towards him. His face, neck, and pelvis lit up. The magical torrent made contact, and then his mind froze. Strawberry couldn't see anything except for a pure, white light. Every last inch of his body inside and outside seemed to light up. He then couldn't even think anymore at all. He just seemed to drift into nothingness.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he saw a thick red film. He blinked. He smelled blood-- his own blood. He looked up, and then he saw red globs dripping off of a blue hoof. He glanced up higher, and he then saw little red drops littered around huge white teeth.

"Miiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeee," Luna moaned. She rubbed her bloody hooves against Strawberry's chest, and then she reached over into kiss him. They locked lips. Strawberry then completely passed out.

"You're a rat after my own heart, Lulu," Discord remarked. The two alicorns glared at him. "Whaaaaaat? In my own humble opinion, I believe a thanks is in order. With my guidance and my leadership, you two have managed to magically bestow upon this little pinky sap a few hundred more years of life-- at least." He waved his paws in the air as their eyes narrowed. "Oh, fine, be that way. I'm off, anyways. I wouldn't miss the alternate 'cupcakes ending' for the world. See you there, princessess!" Discord jumped over to the apartment's front door, and then he pointed straight up into the empty air. "Hey, foxy woxy, can I have--" Another of Strawberry's Midnight Teas suddenly appeared in his left paw. "Thanks, foxy!"

Discord then sped out the door and the two goddess just sitting there confused-- because he's cool like that. He's also extremely handsome. Did I mention his suave and sophisticated voice yet?

Discord, get off me. Off! Get your paws off my Toshiba! Look, I'm trying to type here. No, seriously, I don't have much time to type before my dental appointment. Hey, stop it. I'm typing here! Stop poking me!

The goddesses looked about in sheer confusion at the mysterious voices coming from nowhere. They heard scuffling. They heard frantic mouse clicking.

What? Don't get all mad at me just because I didn't type you having a go in Celestia's marehood. Relax! What's that? Okay, FINE. I'll write you into the 'cupcakes ending'. And some of the other endings as well. Just leave me alone. Go bug Picard or something, I'm trying to type right now. Right? Okay? Good!

*Sheesh*

The two alicorns then picked themselves up off of Celestia's body. Celestia made some very un-princesslike noises at every move, and a thick white trail oozed out of her plot. Luna traced her eyes from Strawberry's limp colthood over to her sister's blushing face, and then Luna smirked.

"We assume that protection was involved," Luna remarked, and she folded her hooves.

"Yes, we'll... maybe... possibly," Celestia muttered, and a cold chill went over her face.

"Somepony just might have a warm little surprise in nine months, then..."

"Oh, shut up, Lulu!"

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Luna gazed at her reflection in the ballroom window. She reached up her left hoof and tided the edges of her mane a little bit. Her eyes traced at the reflection of a bouncy golden stallion, and she smiled.

"Marks," she said, and then she curled about her head. The most beautiful mare in the history of Equestria... or so he always tells me. "Has the delegation arrived yet?" She turned around, and then she ran her eyes down the stallion's odd expression.

"Not yet, your highness," Marks replied, "Yet that wasn't want I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you that he wanted to talk to you."

"Wonderful," she said, and then she trotted down over towards the massive doors. She halted as they creaked open.

A wheelchair squeaked out. Luna ran her eyes from the bandaged hooves up to the thick grey vest and then at the solid neck brace. The unicorn's frizzy pink hair stuck out all across and inside roll after roll of bandages. She then locked eyes with the unicorn's face. He didn't seem very happy. Of course, he hasn't been very happy with me at all in the past few days.

"So, like I was saying to Marks, your highness," Strawberry said, and he magically pulled up a three-ring binder, "The dining menu simply makes no sense. Of course, to put everything through at such a short notice is hard enough. Yet to ask Twist, Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, and all the rest of them to eat this ornate, overly fancy garbage..." He flipped through. "I mean: tuna tomato casserole in egg sauce? Really? Seriously? Nopony ever eats those things. Why can't we serve something edible for once?"

"And the wedding planner said?" Luna asked. She grinned, and he only seemed to scowl more. She took a few steps closer.

"She said to see you, your highness," Strawberry retorted, and he stared at the binder. Luna moved over besides his left wheel, and she curled her mane over along her neck. The unicorn wiggled a bit.

"You know, as much as I love Twist and the rest of your family... Blueblood will be there. So will the rest of my own family. You have to cut them some slack," Luna said, and she leaned over besides his shoulder, "They grew up on egg sauce. It's just a matter of--" She reached down inches away from his neck. "Getting used to things. That's all life is."

"Get your hooves off me!" Strawberry hollered, and he jerked the chair over to the side. He then paused. Luna drooped her head down and met him eye to eye again. "I mean... Not now, my dear." He tried to make a smile.

"What did the doctors say?" Luna asked, and she stepped back over besides him. His eyes drank in her beauty.

"With all of the potions they're overdosing me on, they're sure I can be moving around again good as now the day after tomorrow." He shook a little as she moved closer. "Goodness knows how much they've laughed about it all-- 'near death by snoo-snoo'."

"Strawberry..." She kissed him on his cheek. Her left hoof curled up the side of his vest and then ran along his back. The little bumps along his skin almost tickled. She then kissed him full on the lips. "What did the doctors say about your condition?"

"Clean," he replied, and he reached over. They embraced each other. "They said the only other ponies with that perfect sort of health is you and your sister. That's excluding the outer injuries, of course." He ran his face along her neck. "The tall one-- what's his name-- he said that you put so much of your magic into me that I might as well be your son. Or least my blood is almost blue and sparkly."

She nudged along his bumps again. He suddenly jerked around the wheels. He looked up at her, eyes burning with intensity.

"They're not wings! Okay!" Strawberry called out. "I know it. The doctor knows it. I don't care if I live seven hundred more years thanks to you. I'm not your little alicorn science project. I'm not sprouting some itchy, curly, and horrible feathers." He tossed about on his wheelchair and scratched along his sides. "Disgusting little... things..." He gulped.

"Marks?" Luna asked. The golden stallion galloped over and then saluted. "Tell the planner that whatever Strawberry says, just do it. Okay?" The stallion saluted again. He then hopped over behind Strawberry's wheelchair and pushed him out the room. Luna saw Strawberry mouth 'I love you', and she did the same.

Those sure looked and felt like a foal's wingy nubs to me. Luna buried her face in her hooves. She then giggled.

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The crowd exploded. Ponies threw their hooves up in the air and beat them against each other. Dozens of them whistled. Luna just sat back and took in the whole arena. She felt so proud that she couldn't put it into words. It wouldn't matter if it was the first concert or the hundredth concert. Every time felt like the first time.

The sea of strings started. The wonderful melody soothed through every last one of the seats. Luna's eyes traced down the row of violins to the small section of violas and then over to the conductor. No Octavia? I suppose she's there. She just doesn't want to hog the spotlight from the star. Luna smiled a little bit wider. She shifted her gaze over to the middle of the stage.

Luna's eyes drank in every little bit of the singer as she walked up. Luna looked up the alicorn's long, flowing mane-- eyes dancing around the inky dark pink strands mixed in the with frizzy black streaks. Luna glanced down the cutie mark-- a image of the moon atop a set of dark reddish-purple roses-- and she smiled. Our roses... Our love...

Midnight stepped right in front of the microphone. She nestled it right inside her right hoof. She looked up at the hundreds of ponies all locking eyes with her. "Looooooooooooookinggggg frooommmmmmmmmm--" Midnight sang. Luna went ahead and let the tears come out. "A window-- aboooovve--"

Luna stuck her neck out and scanned the bottom of the stage. Strawberry seemed nowhere in sight. Wow, I hope he doesn't miss the whole tune. She shifted a little in her seat.

"It's like a story of love," Midnight sang. Luna hummed along, and she sniffed at the emotion put in that last word. Happens to me every time... "Can you heeeeeeear meeeeeee..."

"Dad! Where's Dad?" asked a little voice between her legs. Luna picked up the little foal and then placed him upon her shoulder.

"He just had to use the little colts room, that's all," Luna replied, and she gazed across the foal. Her eyes went up his short, stubby hooves across his shady grey body up to his horn. She focused on the tip-- white except for a big black smudge on the end as if it had been dipped in chocolate.

"Awwww," he moaned.

"Chronos, just relax already," she whispered. The foal got the message and hushed up. The both of them then looked off at Midnight.

"All I needed was the love you gave," Midnight sang, and he curled her front hoof across-- pointing from left to right across the whole audience, "All I needed for another day..."

"I wish this song would last forever," Chronos whispered.

"And all... I ever knew..." Midnight went on, bringing her voice a little lower. Luna took a deep breath, and she squeezed her son tightly. "Only you..."

Luna sniffed. She tucked her head down, and she saw her tears pitter-pattering across her son's short pinkish-purple mane. "It doesn't have to last forever. It doesn't have to last that long at all, she whispered. The crowd burst out in cheers once again, but Luna kept sitting-- her son locked tightly inside her hooves. "All that really matters is that the special thing happens, and that you experience it together-- with the ponies you love. It doesn't matter if it lasts forever, or even just for a little moment. It's what it does to your heart-- that's what matters. You'll feel it forever, and it will warm your heart forever."

Luna felt a strong, smooth hoof coming across her side. She tucked herself upward in the seat, and she felt frizzy pink hair rubbing all across the side of her head. She closed her eyes. She smiled. That's all that matters.

The End

Enjoy The Silence (Ending Two, Part A)

(Warning: The ending that you have chosen involves explicit sexual activity as well as graphic descriptions of gore.)