In The Comfort of Her Majesty

COME...TO US...

NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING...?

NO!

CRRRAAAACCCKKK!

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Thunder bolted upright and began to gasp for breath, cold sweat running down his back. He quickly put his hooves over his mouth and looked around. He saw that he was still in Celestia's bedroom, the princess sound asleep on his right side. Shivering, he wrapped his forelegs around his chest and gently rocked himself back and forth.

"It's OK Thunder. It's OK. It's only a dream. It's only a dream. You've dealt with this before..." he gently whispered to himself while tears ran down his eyes.

Before long his movements woke the sleeping princess. With an unselfconscious yawn Celestia half rose, then frowned in concern. "Thunder? Is everything alright?" she inquired.

Thunder quickly attempted to compose himself as he turned to face her. "S-Sure. J-Just a bad dream. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you certain? You look very upset."

"W-Well, you know how it is after..."

"Thunder." she firmly interrupted as she extended her foreleg and tenderly rubbed his back. "...you're trembling."

He gazed at his wings to find them extended and shaking; he couldn’t seem to stop them. He took a very deep breath and carefully retracted them to his side. "OK. It was a bit...severe. But I'll be fine, I promise."

"...Alright then." Celestia replied, her frown replaced with a look of compassion. "I need to go raise the sun. Wait right here." Gracefully, the princess rose out of bed and trotted outside onto the balcony. As she closed her eyes and concentrated, the morning sun began to peer out from above the eastern mountains while Thunder continued to calm himself down. The sun's course now set, Celestia came trotting back in.

"...there. I think I'm OK now." said Thunder wiping the last of the tears off of his face. "I should...go and wash all of this sweat off of me."

"Oh, you should bathe with me this morning." replied Celestia.

"...what?"

"We need to spend more time together. Plus, it will help you relax after your nightmare."

"As...as you wish, Celestia."

"Good. Now follow me. You're going to feel so much better after this."

The two trotted through the door on the other side of the bedroom and down a long corridor. As they neared the double doors at the end, Celestia turned to Thunder with a joyful smile.

"Now, I should warn you. My bathroom is a little...different than the others in the castle." she said while slowly opening the doors.

"What do you me-" Thunder began to say, his voice trailing off in astonishment at what he saw. The bathroom was easily three to four times bigger than her bedroom. The floor was covered with rich white tile with her cutie mark spaced apart about every four feet. Above them was a sunroof, the glass glazed so that no one could get a clear view but that allowed the sun's rays to illuminate the room.

In the center was a gigantic circle bath built into the floor that could easily hold Celestia at least twelve times over. Surrounding the bath were painted murals of Celestia in multiple forms, one with her grazing in a field as other ponies played and lived in the bright sunlight, one that looked like a stained glass piece with Celestia being exulted above the praying ponies, and the last with her clad in golden armor with her soldiers at her back ready to fight. To the right was a small showering area, a few bottles of shampoo and soap sitting upon some nearby shelves.

"This...This is a bathroom." Thunder managed to eek out.

Celestia then flared her horn, her magic firmly turning the bath's faucet handles. Hot water soon came pouring out, filling the bath more quickly than Thunder would have thought possible. She then carefully eased herself down into the water, covering herself up to her neck.

"Come on in. The water's just right." she called to Thunder.

The pegasus gently lowered himself down into the cloudy pool, wincing here and there at the heat. He sank down until only his head was exposed and leaned onto the side of the tub, breathing deeply as his body began to relax.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" said Celestia.

"Ohhhh yeeesss." cooed Thunder as his tensions melted in the hot steam. "It kinda tingles."

"It's mineral water. Canterlot is built into a mountain where it flows in massive underground rivers. The pipes for the bath connect into those rivers, heat the water, and carry it all the way here."

"However you do it, it's wonderful. I gotta ask, why's the tub so big?"

"In the past, I used to have many ponies bathe with me. Ambassadors, performers, teachers, some of the most influential ponies of Canterlot soaked here. It was a...different time."

"Hmm. Can't imagine anypony taking a bath with others these days."

"Indeed. It's seems like an eternity has passed since I've had a handsome stallion with me here."

"U-um..." squeaked Thunder, his face turning red from the heat and the slight embarrassment.

"Is something wrong?" asked Celestia.

"N-No. It-It's just...no mare has ever called me 'handsome' before..."

"A pity. They should."

His blush deepening, Thunder quickly turned and rested his head down on the side of the tub. He allowed his wings to go limp and float upon the soothing water. As he enjoyed the peace of the bath, he began to relax as he gazed at the murals painted around them.

"These portraits look amazing." he said.

"Thank you." she replied while hovering a bottle of body soap and pouring it onto her chest. "They're very special to me. Each one represents a certain point in my rule as an alicorn."

"Really? So, the one with you in the field?"

"Ah, that was when I was known as the goddess of fertility. It was just after Discord's defeat and pony civilization was almost completely destroyed. Kingdoms, armies, knowledge, all were devastated by his chaos. Society became fragmented; ponies would organize into small herds or villages while they attempted to reclaim what had been lost. Pony-kind was so fragile back then."

"I didn't know it was that bad."

"It was worse, but I won't go into it here. It was a simpler time to say the least. I traveled all over Equestria with Luna, and we aided them however we could. I would teach them their lost skills during the day while Luna watched their dreams at night. Discord's reign horribly scarred their minds and bodies; healing all of that pain was quite a challenge. Mating became next to impossible for some. Fortunately, immortality has its advantages. Some ponies we would stay with us for a few days, others we would spend a few decades with. And there were some happy times here and there.

"Like what?"

"Well, every time we came to a new village or herd, the locals usually threw some kind of festival in our honor. I would always have a few stallions lining up to see me. They would test their mettle in battles of strength and knowledge to see who was the best stallion to mate with me. A lot of village leaders were decided that way..."

"Wait. Uh..." Thunder interrupted as his wings stiffened ever so slightly.

"Is something wrong? Is the water too hot?" she said concernedly.

"NO! I..It's just...this may be a little personal...but weren't you afraid you would get...you know?"

Celestia let out a small giggle while she rubbed the soap deep into her fur and skin. "Oh, Luna and I can't become pregnant. We lost our ability to conceive when we became alicorns."

"Why?"

"You know, to this day I'm still not entirely sure. My guess is that if our bloodlines were ever manipulated by stallions or magic, it could put us and Equestria in grave danger."

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's quite alright, Thunder. We've had many millennia to think about it. While it did upset us at times, we've grown to accept it as part of our roles as leaders. Now where was I? Oh yes. Couples who wished to have foals would also come to see me all the time. Entire families had been rendered infertile due to Discord's magic. I would restore their fertility and make sure that the foals that they birthed were healthy and happy. The look of those mothers with their children...that was a sight to behold."

"...wow." Thunder said quietly as he began to rub some body wash on his chest. He then turned to the next mural. "And the one where those ponies are...praying I guess?"

"That was when I was know as The Holy Light. As pony kind rebuilt, they came up with different belief systems. Some thought that all ponies would eventually turn into ether and live forever as magic itself. Others believed Luna and I were sent from the holy maiden Faust herself to vanquish the evils of the world. They propped us up as icons and created entire theocracies around us. I really wasn't in any position to complain, everything was still so fragile back then. We did teach them to spread love and forgiveness where they went though."

"That must have been something really special, huh?"

"Actually, I didn't really like it. I don't care for others to think me as a god. I'm extremely powerful yes, but I am fallible. I've sometimes had to learn that the hard way..." Celestia then hovered a small bottle of shampoo to her side, pouring out a small dollop on her mane.

Thunder decided not to press that issue further and looked to the final mural. "And that one?"

"That is from when I held the title of Empress. Well, that's a bit misleading. Equestria has never been an empire per se, nor do I wish it to be. It was back when we decided to take a more direct rule over the country. When we established the first national government, a few warlords in the outer fringes sought to conquer and create small empires of their own. In desperate times, I put on the title of 'Empress' to lead troops into battle."

"...so what did you do?"

"I made sure that they never hurt anypony again." she replied firmly as she was working the soap in her mane into a deep lather.

Thunder's eyes widened at the prospect of being on the other end of Celestia's wrath. "...Did anyone ever tell you that you have an interesting past?"

"From time to time. That's why I had those murals painted. To always remind me of where I have been, what mistakes I've made."

The two continued to wash, rinse and soak their bodies as the morning sun crawled higher into the sky.

"We've been in here for a while now." he commented while gazing out of the skylight.

"Hm. From the position of the sun, I would say it's a little after...oh...oh my...Thunder, are you almost done?" said Celestia.

"Just about. Is something wrong?"

"No. It's just someone important is visiting me today and she should be just about here. I need to finish up and dry off. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no problem. Here. I'll finish up too."

He quickly dunked his head under the water to wash out the last of the shampoo in his mane and carefully lifted himself out of the tub. Celestia pulled the stopper out of the bottom of the tub and the soapy water quickly drained out of it She then hovered two large pink cotton towels over their bodies so they could dry themselves. When they were done, she trotted back into her room and slipped on her robe, with Thunder right behind her. The two trotted out of her chambers and out into the long corridor. Soon after, the doors at the end opened and a small lavender alicorn came inside.

"Celestia!" the guest called out.

"Twilight! Good to see you!" Celestia replied while giving the smaller alicorn a loving nuzzle.

Thunder was not surprised as he recognized the visitor: the newest princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle. A little over a month had passed since her coronation swept Canterlot by storm.

"Good to see you too!" she called back to her mentor. She then gazed behind her and looked curiously at Thunder. "Who's that?"

"Ah, this is Thunder Shock. Thunder, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Nice to meet you ma'am. I'm the new national weather advis-" Thunder spoke while bowing.

"OH! So you're the new consort! Celestia told me she had found the right stallion!" said Twilight, a grin on her face as Thunder's mouth fell half open in shock.

"We write each other a lot." quipped Celestia with a smile.

"...of course." muttered Thunder as he struggled to keep his ears up.

The three of them trotted out of the living quarters and down the halls of the castle, Celestia and Twilight staying close at each others side as they went.

"So...what brings you to the castle, Princess Twilight?" inquired Thunder.

Twilight gently giggled and looked over at Thunder. "It's just Twilight. And I'm here researching pegasus magic. My library in Ponyville doesn't have the reference books I need, so I decided to pay a visit to the royal archives."

"Wait, you live in Ponyville? Why not move to the castle?"

"One of the advantages of being a princess is that I get to choose where I live. That library and I have been through a lot together. Besides, I'm not planning on leaving my friends anytime soon."

"Oh. Well, why are you researching pegasus magic?"

"Well...It's kinda embarrassing...but I've been having difficulty learning how to fly."

"Yes, ever since her 'accident' after the coronation, she's been asking me questions about flying as well." Celestia chimed in.

"...accident?" Thunder inquired.

"Um...yes. It involved me flying over Canterlot and crashing into a tree outside the gates." Twilight informed him.

"Oh, Twilight. Things haven't been the same since you left." Celestia said with a smile. She then turned her head and looked down at Thunder. "Thunder, if you don't mind, I wish to talk to Twilight alone."

"Oh sure. I've got...something I need to take care of anyway. You two have a good day." he replied as he turned around and trotted back into the living quarters, leaving student and teacher alone.

"So, did he pass the 'Philomena test' ?" Twilight asked once the pegasus was gone.

"Yes he did.” answered Celestia with a smile. “I believe he's going to be with us for quite some time."

Thunder firmly knocked on Luna's chamber door, waiting patiently for any kind of response.

"Who is it?" her regal voice called out from the other side.

"It-It's Thunder. If you're not too busy, I'd like to talk to you about something." he called back.

"Of course. Please come in."

Thunder opened the door and trotted inside. Luna's room was bathed in blue and purple drapes and rugs. Small sequins were woven into them, giving the entire room a feeling of a starry night sky. The lunar diarch was sitting in front of her bed stretching her wings and forelegs.

"Good morning Thunder. W-I was just doing some morning exercises. Need to stay limber. What did you want to talk about?"

Thunder pawed at the floor, avoiding eye contact with Luna for the time being. "Well...It's safe to presume that you're a master of dreams, correct?"

"I have some experience in the area, yes."

"I...I have this particular nightmare that pops up from time to time. I wanted to see..."

Luna put a hoof over Thunder's mouth, silencing the awkward stallion. She then flared her horn and brought a small pencil and notebook up to her eyes. She held them both in the air as she prepared herself. "Describe the nightmare."

"OK. I'm in a misty field. There's a thunderstorm going on, the worst one you can imagine. Then these...monsters...come and try to call me to them. I run away as fast as I can. I run and I run and I run but they keep up with me. Then the ground gives way and I fall into oblivion. Then I wake up." Thunder recounted. Luna was studiously writing down Thunder's dream in the notebook with her own notations here and there.

"Why can't you fly away from the monsters?

"I...I'm a little colt in the dream. Before I could fly."

"What do the monsters look like?"

"...I don't know. It's too dark to see."

"How often do you have it?"

"It comes and goes. Sometimes I have it every night for a full week. Sometimes I won't have it for a whole year, then it starts up again."

"Have you been under any heavy stress lately?"

"Aside from everything that's happened to me in the last few days?"

"Noted. Anything more recent?"

"Well, I met Prince Blueblood last night. He graciously voiced his comments about me being the consort. Let's just say he isn't my biggest fan."

"Don't worry about him too much. The other nobles only pay him lip service because they respect Celestia. I'm sure Canterlot would not survive long if he had any true political power."

"True." Thunder replied with a smirk. "Anyway, thanks for hearing me out. I just needed to get that off my chest."

"No problem, Thunder. If ever you need dream advice, please don't hesitate to see me."

"Thanks. Do you need anything right now?"

"No. I'm quite fine. You may go about your business."

"As you wish, Luna." Thunder politely bowed and trotted out of her chambers. When he was out of the room, Luna quickly scribbled down two more words besides her notes on his dream:

Monitor closely

The evening sun was just beginning to set in the sky as Thunder rested on his couch reading Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet A sudden rapping at the door caught his ear. He quickly got up and opened it to find a pink maid waiting patiently in the hallway.

"Yes?" asked Thunder.

"Master Thunder, Princess Celestia has asked for your presence in her chambers." replied the maid.

"I'll be right there." he said. The maid quickly bowed and trotted down the corridor. Thunder trotted through the living quarters and up towards Celestia's door. "Celestia? It's me Thunder. You asked for me?" he called out while firmly knocking on the door.

"Come in." her voice called out plainly.

He opened the door and trotted in to find her sitting at the window holding a simple scroll in her magical field. He saw in her eyes that she had been crying recently, a small amount of redness floating in them. He then saw a small blue chest which seemed to contain more of the same kind of scroll. He trotted to her side then looked up at her.

"Celestia? Are you OK?" he asked concernedly.

"I-I'm fine. Just feeling a bit...nostalgic is all." she replied.

"Where's Twilight?"

"In the library. She's been there almost all day writing down some notes on her research of pegasus magic. I didn't want to keep her."

"What are you reading there?"

"Some of my most recent treasures. Here. Please be careful with it."

She carefully hovered the scroll into Thunder's waiting hooves. He held onto it and began to read. "Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned that it's hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who's not so nice. Though it's impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior. Just continue to be a good friend. In the end, the difference between a false friend and one who is true will surely come to light. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle" he said aloud.

He quickly picked up another scroll from the chest and carefully unwrapped it. "Dear Princess Celestia, My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; it's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle" he read. He laid the scroll down with a look of sheer confusion on his face.

"What are these?" he inquired.

"Friendship reports." she answered.

"I don't understand..."

"When Twilight was studying friendship in Ponyville, she would write to me her findings on what she had learned."

"She...studied friendship?"

"Oh yes. Twilight wasn't always so well rounded. In her youth, she would often isolate herself from others in her pursuit of knowledge. Only by going to Ponyville did she acquire her closest friends and learn the true meaning of magic. That understanding is what caused her ascension into alicornhood."

"Well, she's certainly turned out OK. You must be very proud of her."

"I am. But..."

"...but?"

Celestia sighed and let her head droop a bit. "I've known Twilight ever since she was a filly. When she became my student, we would spend hours upon hours together studying, learning, reading. She would love it when I would read her a brand new bedtime story and ask her questions about it. It was like whenever she learned something new, I was learning it all over again. We grew so close over the years. She was like the daughter I never had. I...I..."

Small tears began to drip down Celestia's eyes while she gently sobbed. Thunder held out his hoof and tenderly rubbed her lower back. "Is...Is it wrong for me to wish that she was my daughter? That she could be a simple unicorn again? That she could be my faithful student forever?" she cried out.

Thunder calmly cleared his throat and looked directly into her reddened eyes. "Celestia, I can't begin to understand how deep your relationship with Twilight goes. But I do think that she is truly blessed to have someone that cares about her so much. Just because she's grown up, doesn't mean she's turned into somepony else. You don't have to grow apart if you don't want to."

"B-But she's the princess of magic now. I can't just ask her to stop everything and talk to me."

"I'm not saying to ask her that. I’m saying that you can ask for some of her time when she has it, as a friend, so you can share some special moments."

"L...Like what?"

"Well...hmmm...AH! You said she loved it when you read her stories before bed, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, when you two have a minute, why don't you read something together?"

"She's read pretty much every book in the castle by now. It wouldn't be a challenge for her."

"Then don't do it to teach her anything. Do it for fun. Do it because you want to be with her."

"...hmm."

"I-I'm just saying that's what I would try and do is all."

A small smile came over Celestia's face as she looked into Thunder's eyes. "Thank you, Thunder. I needed that. If Luna does not summon you later, then consider yourself dismissed for the evening. I will about what you have said very carefully."

"Y-Yes, Celestia." Thunder then bowed and trotted out of her chambers. 'Did...Did I cross a line? Did...No. Don't start with that again, Thunder. I just gave some advice to somepony who needed it. Nothing more, nothing less. I wonder what she'll do with it...'

The pencil enveloped in Twilight's magic field quickly scribbled down an equation while she continued to analyze her most recent findings.

"And...done!" she exclaimed as she set the pencil down and closed her book. She was just putting it back onto the shelf when Celestia quietly came into the archives.

"Twilight? Are you still here?" she whispered.

"Oh. Hello, Celestia. I was just finishing up for the day. Is everything alright?" Twilight answered.

"Yes it is. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What?"

"Well, I found this old mystery novel while sorting my bookcase and was wondering if you would like to read it with me."

"Princess, we haven't done that since I was a little filly."

"I know. If you don't want to, I'd understand..."

"It's alright. I'd love to read it with you."

Celestia lovingly smiled as the two trotted out of the archives and towards her chambers. Once inside, she locked the door behind them and hovered two large pillows onto the floor. She laid down on one while Twilight laid at her side on the other. The both of them now comfortable, Celestia hovered the book in front of them and opened to the first chapter.

"Just tell me when to turn the page." said Celestia.

"OK." Twilight replied.

The two of them began to immerse themselves in the story, the sun retreating in the western horizon beside them. After reaching chapter three, Twilight pulled her attention away from the book and looked up at Celestia.

"Princess. Do you remember when you would ask me questions about who committed the crime and I would try and guess who did it?" whispered Twilight.

"Oh yes. As I remember, you got it right most of the time." Celestia whispered back.

Twilight giggled and nuzzled her mentor's chest. "Those were some good times, weren't they?"

Celestia draped her wing over her student and brought her in close. "Yes they were. Yes they were." The two continued to read, enjoying the peacefulness of the evening.