Rarity woke with the sun streaming in through sheer curtains, and she took pains to extricate herself from the haphazard pile of ponies she had been sleeping in. She slipped out from under Rainbow Dash’s wing, wiggled her hindquarters out of Pinkie’s grip, and tip toed over Fluttershy, making sure to step only in spaces not occupied by pony.
She trotted silently to the balcony and gazed out over the beautiful city below. She watched the sun keep rising higher in the horizon, and she thought back over the last few months and how they better suited a dream or some kind of extravagant fantasy than real life, but she wouldn’t have traded a moment for the world.
Nights of passion cruising across the ocean, adventures to ruins in the jungles of the Amarezon, trips into the great cloud cities of the griffons. They had seen civilizations of dragons and moose and even the fair folk, all curious and willing to share with The Elements of Harmony and Equestria’s unofficial ambassadors as they took the time to travel and enjoy each other’s company.
Maybe there were those who thought that they were taking far too much time for their honeymoon. Maybe they thought that The Elements of Harmony had better things to do than to romp around the world for a hundred days. But Rarity couldn’t think of a single thing more important than the mares still sleeping inside.
She was more than content. She was fulfilled.
She jolted when a snout nuzzled her side, and she turned to see a tussled-maned Applejack grinning at her, holding a cup of warm coffee in her mouth. Rarity accepted it gratefully, and turned back to enjoy the sights with the warm press of Applejack making her heart flutter all over again. They didn’t say anything. Rarity wasn’t much of a morning pony, despite her tendencies to be one of the earliest to rise, and she wasn’t much for conversation until she’d had enough time to wake up. Applejack always rose with the dawn, claiming old habits die hard, but she was more than happy to oblige Rarity in her morning silence. She figured there wasn’t much to say yet anyway.
Fluttershy didn’t mind getting the occasional hoof in her side, but after Rainbow Dash kicked her for the third time in so many minutes, she just couldn’t go back to sleep again. She rolled over just enough to give Rainbow Dash’s hooves the space they wanted to twitch in, and stared at the ponies still sleeping peacefully, tangled together in a heap. Rainbow Dash rested her head against Pinkie’s flank, her mouth parted slightly, and all four of her hooves jolting every so often. Fluttershy almost giggled at the thought that her brave wife might be fighting a manticore or some other creature in her sleep.
Pinkie had found herself without somepony to hold, and whimpered softly as her expression turned sorrowful and her hooves reached out for somepony to latch onto. Fluttershy moved to comfort her Pinkie Pie, but Twilight flipped over and pulled Pinkie to her chest, stroking her hoof through Pinkie’s voluminous mane. Pinkie settled down immediately, a small smile stretching her cheeks, and Fluttershy breathed a small sigh of relief. Pinkie could get so lonely at night; she had such terrible nightmares, and without a word the rest of them had decided to keep her from them as best as they could.
Fluttershy’s eyes drifted back to Rainbow Dash who had settled down considerably in the last few minutes. She almost looked peaceful, serene. She looked so unthreatening, and although Fluttershy would never say it to her face, she looked vulnerable. It was so different from how she acted around other ponies, she was such a softy these days for her girls. Fluttershy nuzzled her face into Rainbow Dash’s stomach gently, stroking a gentle hoof through her wild, multicolored mane. Fluttershy couldn’t imagine a better life.
Twilight wasn’t really awake. She was barely aware of any of the sensations around her, exempting the draft that meant that Rarity was up with Applejack again. She heard the soft whimper of Pinkie Pie, and moved to cuddle next to her plush sweetheart, settling her down again and hopefully sending her back to her good dreams. She smiled sleepily as she nuzzled her face into Pinkie’s cheek and felt Rainbow Dash’s tail brush the tip of her hoof. She could smell each and every one of her beautiful mares in the sheets, and she loved each scent.
She closed her eyes again and let her mind wander back into the haze of sleep. She could think of their travel schedule later, and keep all of her crazy ponies on task when they went to visit another dignitary. But for now all she had to do was to enjoy the warmth of the bodies beside her, and she wouldn’t give that up for anything.