Chapter Five: Of Princesses and Depositions
"And… then she flew away. I haven't seen her since."
Twilight didn't look up, her muzzle nearly touching the bare metal table she sat at. A stallion, light-blue with short, gray hair and a pair of thick glasses, sat across from her and scribbled busily on a yellow legal pad. The only other ponies in the room were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, both standing off behind the stallion. Luna's face was troubled, but Celestia wore a look of such deep concern that if Twilight could see it she would have fallen over herself trying to convince the Princess that such worry on her behalf was unnecessary.
"Okay, I've got everything, your highness," said Stenotype, finishing up his notes. "And let me thank you for providing such a thorough report for this deposition, despite the personal pain I'm sure it caused you."
Twilight hardly moved, simply nodding her head. Celestia's look of worry deepened, but Luna only seem to become angry.
"I am most disappointed in our niece, I must say," she growled crossly. "To think she would do such a thing! And to ponies who are such good friends of ours, no less!"
"Luna, one of those ponies put a knife in your back not more than a month ago," reminded Celestia.
"Yes, that was most disappointing as well," said Luna, nodding. "I must teach Chrysalis how to do it properly. If, that is… we ever see her again."
The mood in the room, not exactly chipper, plummeted. Twilight slumped down, her face finally coming to rest on the table's cool surface. Celestia observed this, forehead creasing in dismay, and then she set her jaw and moved forward to place a hoof on the table next to the stallion.
"Stenotype," she said softly, "Given the… personal issues that already surround this case, I think it might be better if all of the events after Cadance was subdued were to be left out of Twilight's statement."
"What?" He blinked up at her through his thick lenses. "I-I don't think that would be proper—"
"I would consider it a personal favor, Stenotype." She cut him off, tapping the corner of the table a few times for emphasis. It was quite a bit of emphasis, as it left the corner bent down at a forty-five degree angle.
"Ah, I'm not quite sure if we can legally—" He tried again, only to find the shadows around him darkening.
"If the law is your only concern, then worry not, friend Stenotype," breathed Luna softly from behind him, "for the law is in this very room with you. And we say it is acceptable, in this case, to withhold said testimony."
"Ahem, yes, very well." Stenotype quickly peeled off the last few pages from his notepad and held them up in a slightly shaking hoof. A blue magical aura plucked them from his grasp, crumpling them into a ball, and then a nearly invisible beam of sunlight neatly and quietly vaporized them.
"You may take your leave now, Stenotype," Luna said graciously, and the thankful law pony quickly scrambled from the room.
The three ponies stayed silent as the door clicked shut and Stenotype's hurried hoofsteps slowly faded away down the hall. Only then did Celestia move, the quick tap-tap of her hoofcuffs echoing in the small room as she rounded the table and knelt next to Twilight, wrapping the pony in her wings.
“Twilight,” she said, sorrow filling her voice, ”Twilight, I am so sorry.”
“Indeed,” spoke Luna from Twilight’s other side. “If we have truly seen the last of the Queen, than all of Equestria is now lesser for this loss.”
“No, no, you don’t need to apologize,” said Twilight, raising her head. She didn’t look quite as bad as both Princesses had expected; more resigned than anything, with a spark of what could be determination. “Nothing that happened is any of your fault.”
“But it is, Twilight,” said Luna softly, “for we did not stop this before it began.”
“She’s right.” Celestia nodded as Twilight turned to look at her. “We knew—all of us, Shining Armor and your parents included—how cruel Chrysalis was to Cadance during their first encounter.”
Twilight flushed and looked away, and Celestia gave her a squeeze with her wings. “I know we’ve decided to… overlook what the changelings did during the wedding, given the rather delicate reasons for which they did so. Or at least, the reasons for which they eventually did so. That still doesn’t mean we should shy away from calling their actions out for what they are, nor should we forgive Chrysalis for what she did quite yet.”
“I know,” whispered Twilight.
“At the same time, we did Cadance a disservice by assuming that she had forgiven and forgotten the trauma she was put through,” continued Celestia. “The fact that none of us, aside from Shining Armor, thought to speak of this to her is a mistake we are all guilty of. Unfortunately, we merely assumed that the fact that she didn’t immediately show up breathing fire indicated acceptance. None of us thought she would seek out more... circumspect means to address her grievances with the Queen. That error is on all our heads. Communication is one of the mainstays of friendships, and we should not have taken it for granted that she would be the one to initiate the communication.”
“We must not blame Cadance for this, either,” put in Luna softly. “She has enough on her head as it is. The omission was ours and ours alone; it should not be added to her list of crimes.”
“Agreed,” said Celestia, and she and Twilight nodded.
“What is going to happen to Cadance?” asked Twilight timidly, looking between the two Princesses.
Celestia let out a sigh. “It's a tough decision. On one hoof, some kind of punishment is clearly needed. Cadance attacked two Princesses of Equestria, along with severely damaging a private business, and that is not the kind of thing we can simply allow to pass without comment. It sets a bad precedent. Moreover, to just pardon her offhoof would open us to obvious—and, let’s face it, true—accusations of nepotism.”
“Would be the first time anyone’s accused Celestia of that," muttered Luna out of the side of her mouth.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“On the other hoof,” continued Celestia after a glance at Luna, “Leniency is most likely called for in this case. Cadance suffered at Chrysalis’s hooves, no matter what excuses or ‘cultural differences’ we bring up. She deserved restitution, or an explanation and heartfelt apology at the very least, and she got nothing. Under the circumstances, the fact that she would take matters into her own hooves is understandable, if not something we can approve. A punishment of some kind is warranted, though what exactly it may be, and its severity, is something my sister and I are still discussing.”
Movement caught Twilight’s eye, and she glanced over. Luna was pointing at Celestia, then, seeing she'd caught Twilight's gaze, moved one hoof in a rising arc, as though imitating a pony being shot into the sky, and mouthed the words To the moon!
Celestia spun suddenly, to see only Luna standing on all four hooves, expression blank and innocent. She stared at her younger sister for a moment, then let out a small snort and turned back to Twilight.
“In any case… yes, we will be punishing Cadance, Twilight. We haven’t come to a conclusion on that punishment’s severity yet, and won’t until after she’s had a trial and a chance to defend herself, but she will not simply be walking away from this.”
“Okay,” said Twilight quietly, nodding. “Thank you, Princess.” She slid out of her chair, heading for the door, only to find herself stopped by a soft white wing.
“Don’t you think there’s something else we need to discuss?” asked Celestia, a warm smile on her face, and Twilight flushed and looked away.
“W-well, there is something I need advice on, but, um, Princess, I don’t know if you should… if you should be the one I talk about it with. This particular subject, I mean. You know I always value your counsel and I know I’m free to ask you anything, but you might have a personal preference for which decision I make and I’d hate to put you in a position you feel like your feelings might compromise the advice you give—“
Twilight’s rambling was interrupted by Celestia’s giggle. The Princess moved to sit at the other side of the table, where her sister joined her, and she gestured with her head for Twilight to hop back up in her seat.
“You really always have been my silly little pony,” she said, and Twilight blushed. “I already told you that my interest in you is only that, interest. Any romantic feelings I have towards you are simply an extension of my love for you as my most faithful student, and, as cold as it may sound, I have no problems putting them aside. If I feel anything right now, it's merely me kicking myself for having waited so long to let you know how I felt.”
“It’s probably a good thing you did,” said Twilight, managing a shaky smile. “I don’t think Chrysalis would have been happy about her fiancée dating another pony.”
“Yes, that would have most likely been an awkward scene,” agreed Celestia with a laugh. “While I appreciate your concern for me, it's not necessary. And please don’t waste any time on my behalf trying to find a way to make us both happy. For one, I fear what kind of magical abominations your solution would unleash upon the world; I doubt either Chrysalis or myself would appreciate, for example, half a Twilight. Even if such a thing did walk and talk. But furthermore, there is no perfect outcome for both of us in this situation.”
“But there could be,” sang Luna tantalizingly. She produced a scroll from under her wing, floating it in front of Celestia’s face. “I’ve already signed this; simply do the same and polygamy will be legal in Equestria—“
A flash of light from Celestia’s horn vaporized the parchment, and Luna sat back with a disappointed sigh. "You'll give in eventually."
“I’m going to find where you’re hiding those things one of these days,” growled Celestia.
“The point is that we want you to be happy, Twilight,” Luna said, turning to face her. ”We care about you, and in this situation your feelings are paramount to all others. No matter our own interests, my sister and I would never do anything that might hurt you.”
“Just tell us what you want, Twilight, and we can help you get it,” finished Celestia quietly.
“But that’s just it. You heard me tell the entire story just now; I don’t know what I want.” Twilight slumped forward on the table. “After our wedding—well, our second wedding—when Chrysalis refused to accept what I said and claimed she was going to win my heart… I’ll admit I was intrigued. We’d been together for a few weeks at that point, and I’d gotten to know her quite well.
“It was fascinating to learn that she actually had a heart; that underneath the cold, arrogant, vicious exterior, there was an actual kind and caring pony. Not in quite the way we think of it, of course, but it was there, and the differences, the contradictions, just made me more interested. I wanted to know more about her, and I think if there was any reason I agreed to date her in the first place, it was that.”
She tilted her head to the side in thought. “Which, really, is a pretty good reason to start a romantic relationship with somepony.”
“And your feelings now?” asked Celestia carefully.
“I… well, I already said I don’t know. But I want to spend more time with her, I want to be around her. I just don’t know if I want that as a friend, or something more. And… if it is just as a friend, then I think she was right to leave. She said I deserve someone I can love, but she deserves someone who loves her. If that’s not me, then it’s not fair to ask her to stay around when just seeing me would cause her such pain. Even if… e-even if it hurts me, I’d rather spare her that.”
“The depth of your love for Queen Chrysalis is amazing, Twilight,” Celestia said, leaning forward to touch her shoulder. “Whether that love is for a friend, or something more.”
“Then why don’t I have an answer?” asked Twilight desperately, looking between the two Princesses as her eyes began to tear up. “I-if I care about her so much, why can’t I tell if I’m in love with her or not?!”
“Love is a very complicated thing, Twilight, and often very secret," Celestia said softly. "It can easily be hidden behind other feelings. Sometimes… no matter how much you care for someone, those other feelings can rise up and cloud your love.”
She shared a sorrowful look with Luna, and the two Princesses extended their wings for a brief hug.
"What do I do, then?" asked Twilight once the sisters had separated. "I need to figure out how I feel. I know I shouldn't ask for a simple answer, but is there one? Or at least some kind of plan, some sort of path I can follow?"
"The answer is easy, sometimes," replied Celestia. "Sometimes, you'll just suddenly know. An idle thought will spring to mind, revealing your heart to you. Or a memory of a special moment may suddenly come to mean much more than you ever thought. Other times, you must work at it. You must ponder your thoughts and feelings, meditate on your relationship, think about every time you interacted with that pony. In either case, it's very hard to simply force your feelings to show themselves. It takes time, and often quite a bit of luck, to find that one trigger."
"I don't know how much time I have. Chrysalis has probably already sent a letter to your palace, requesting a divorce from me." Twilight let out a snort of laughter that sounded more like a sob. "I never thought I'd say anything even remotely like that… or that I'd feel so sad about it."
"Well, you've at least made a good start at it so far," Celestia said, and smiled when Twilight looked up at her. "You've decided to ask your friends, the ponies who know you best. If anypony's going to be able to help you find out what lies in your heart, it's your friends."
“Okay. So… help me?”
She spoke in such a small voice, looking up with wide, hopeful eyes, that both Princesses had to suppress their initial reaction, which was to cuddle her and say “Awww!” Instead, they exchanged glances, and Luna gave a nod and leaned forward while Celestia sat back.
“You know, Twilight, that I have been spending quite a bit of time myself with the Queen over the past few months, yes?” Twilight nodded, letting Luna continue. “I too consider her a dear friend. Like you, I’ve seen the core of goodness that lies under her hard exterior—both literally and figuratively—and I wish I had such unrestricted access to it as you do. She can be quite amusing when the mood takes her, which it always seems to do around you. Why, the pranks she has been playing on my sister are evidence enough of that.”
“Luna, for the last time, assassination attempts are not pranks, even if the intended victim is immortal. And I don’t appreciate you helping her.” Celestia let out a snort, crossing her forelegs. “I’ve never been lit on fire so many times in my life before all this started. If I wasn’t immune, I’d be quite annoyed by this point.”
“What I am trying to say, Twilight, is that I know her as I know you,” continued Luna, ignoring her sister’s obviously unwarranted whining. “Perhaps I don't know either of you as well as I'd like to, but it is enough to call you friends. Which is why I was so puzzled by your behavior during those first few days after you introduced your wife to us.
“That the Queen loved you was obvious. Everything she said and did practically screamed it. She nearly seemed to suffer physical pain when separated from your presence. You, on the other hoof, seemed significantly uncomfortable around her. You went stiff as board whenever she hugged you, and I found the expressions on your face whenever she tried to nuzzle you to be most amusing. I had thought your reactions merely a product of your discomfort with such public displays of affection, as tame as they were.
“When the news of your true feelings came out, your reluctance suddenly made more sense. And yet… as I watched the two of you over the last six months, I saw that hesitation disappear. I saw you walking hoof-in-hoof with her through the halls of this palace, I saw you cuddle with her on a couch in our drawing room… and don’t think I didn’t see the time you tried to steal a kiss from her during our movie night, Twilight Sparkle!”
Twilight went red, immediately knowing what Luna was talking about. “I-it wasn’t like that! I just wanted to tell her something, and…”
“I can’t believe my wagon broke down,” griped the stallion to his marefriend, as they tramped through the woods behind their friends. “I just got that axle replaced!”
“Now, now, it’s not all bad. We were lucky we found this abandoned summer camp.” The mare gave him a sultry glance. “And I'm sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to sneak away and be all by ourselves…”
Twilight shifted in her seat as they watched the movie, leaning a bit more against the comforting bulk of Chrysalis behind her. The changeling had stretched out on the couch while Luna was setting up the projector, and Twilight, knowing her place, had jumped up with her. She’d snuggled up to Chrysalis’s soft belly as one of the changeling's forelegs draped itself over her body, and as they'd settled in for the movie she'd kind of drifted down, to the point where she now lay with her head on Chrysalis's foreleg. Other than the changeling attempting to strangle her to death every time there was a jump scare in the movie, it was comfortable.
Now she shifted her head, peering over at Celestia and Luna. They sat on their own couch on the other side of the projector, sharing a blanket. Whenever they got scared, both would jump, then break down into giggles.
Laying back, she shifted her gaze up to Chrysalis. The changeling was absolutely enthralled by the movie, her wide eyes reflecting the light from the screen, and Twilight licked her lips nervously.
Chrysalis had been nice lately… well, nice to Twilight, at least; she still seemed to enjoy tormenting other ponies. There'd been none of the weirdness that had been around since they'd started dating, and she wanted to show her appreciation. So, maybe…
"Hey, Chrysalis?" she whispered quietly, steeling herself to push up and meet the changeling's lips as she turned to respond.
"Yes, Twilight? What is—" Before Twilight could make her move, Chrysalis jerked her head back around, foreleg once again tightening around Twilight's neck.
"NO! Don't go in there, the Hookpony is hiding in the closet!"
Twilight fell back with a sigh as Chrysalis released her, all her determination fading away with that near miss. But still… Chrysalis deserved something. So she lay there, watching the movie with half a mind, slowly building her courage back up. Finally, she looked up at Chrysalis again.
"Chrys—"
"He's not dead! Don't check the body, run for it!"
Once again Twilight found herself shaken around, and slumped back down as she was released. There wasn't going to be enough time to try again, and she doubted she'd be able to bring herself to anyway. Which gave her a strangely melancholic feeling…
So, after a few minutes, she pulled herself up and nuzzled up against Chrysalis's neck. The changeling looked down at the small pony in surprise, then nuzzled her back.
"It's okay, don't worry," she whispered gently. "I'm sure they finally killed the Hookpony. Nothing could have survived that."
Twilight let out a small giggle, leaning into Chrysalis. She didn't have the heart to tell her that she'd already seen every movie in the Nightmare Night series.
Twilight trailed off, letting her head drop as she realized the futility of her protests. “O-okay, you’re right. I think that must have been when the Yakyakistan delegation stopped by the Crystal Empire, because Chrysalis was so sweet that week. I wanted to do something nice for her, and I thought she deserved a kiss, but… she was so distracted by that stupid movie I couldn’t get her attention, and then, well, I chickened out.”
"Yes, I know." Luna chuckled. "I saw you trying, and I was tempted to assist you. But, I felt it best to let you go at your own pace."
"Do you kiss all your friends when you want to do something nice for them, Twilight?" asked Celestia slyly, and the small pony flushed. As usual, Celestia had been able to cut to the heart of the situation immediately.
"No, of course not." Twilight paused. "Well, there was that one time with Rarity… but, I mean, we were at the spa, and we were relaxed from getting massages, and then we were all alone in the sauna and one thing led to another…"
She coughed into a hoof, trailing off, and all three redfaced Princesses did their best to avoid the other's gazes.
"I don't remember getting that friendship report…"
"Okay, so, I like to kiss Chrysalis," Twilight said, hurriedly moving on. "We're dating, and it really makes her happy, and… and I really like doing it too. Is that love? Because it seems more like physical attraction. Of course, that is generally considered a part of love, usually both partners need to find at least something appealing about each other's physiques. Not saying the mind isn't important, of course, but....”
“Hmm…” Luna considered Twilight for a moment. “Do you know why Chrysalis fell in love with you in the first place?”
Twilight’s body went rigid, and then she turned away with a dismissive snort. “Because I’m a Princess, apparently,” she said bitterly, then let out a yelp as Luna leaned across the table and rapped her sharply on the head with one hoof. “Ow!”
“That is enough of that, Twilight Sparkle,” spoke Luna sternly, Twilight looked up at her with a pout, and her expression softened. “You know that’s not true, and by now you should know better than to put yourself down like that. Queen Chrysalis fell in love with you because she saw the same potential in you that my sister and I did: the potential to be a leader. You were already brave, strong and intelligent when she met you for the first time, when she first became infatuated with you. With how much you grew over the next few years… well, how could you be surprised that she fell completely in love?”
“I’m sorry, but…” Twilight gave an uncomfortable shrug. “It still sounds like you’re talking about my becoming a Princess.”
"Very well, then consider this," responded Luna. "You say you know how much Chrysalis loves you, but do you really? Tell me, do you know how she refers to you when we talk?" Twilight shook her head. "She called you *hiss chitter chirp*."
Celestia merely furrowed her brow in puzzlement, but Twilight gasped, and her hooves went to her mouth in shock. Partly out of hearing Luna speak Hemipid; she hadn't even known Luna could speak the changeling's own language, and especially not with such a flawless accent. But more important than that was the meaning of the phrase she had spoken.
"I trust you know what that means, then?" asked Luna, arching an eyebrow. "The Queen has been a most excellent teacher, but she refused to tell me the meaning of those words. Her attitude when I questioned her was most perplexing, as well."
"Does… does she really call me that?" Twilight gulped, trying to wet her dry throat. When Luna nodded, a nearly stupefied look came over the small pony. "I-I never knew…she always talked about how much she loved me, but I never knew she felt that way… that her feelings were so strong…”
She trailed off, and after a few moments Celestia cleared her throat. “If it’s so personal, you may keep it to yourself, Twilight,” she said gently.
“Oh! No, it’s okay, Princess, I just never thought she’d say…” She broke off, rubbing at her face with one hoof, then took a deep breath. “*hiss chitter chirp* means something like… well, a direct translation would be ‘my Queen’, but it has connotations that go far beyond that. It’s like how we're sometimes called ‘your highness’ or 'your majesty’ instead of just ‘Princess’, except it’s more than just a formal way to refer to the Queen.
“It means trust. Absolute loyalty. A willingness to obey every order that Queen gives, to put her above all else in your life. To die for her, if necessary. It means you are devoted to her before any other obligations.” Twilight’s face lit up, and she leaned forward to tap a hoof on the table. “That’s the word! Devotion. Complete and utter devotion to your Queen."
She stared down at her hoof, then slowly sat back. "And… I let her leave. She felt that way about me, she loved me with all her heart and was completely devoted to me in every way… and I just let her walk out the door."
The other Princesses stayed silent, leaving Twilight to her thoughts, and after some time she lifted her head slightly.
"I feel like… like I got hit in the stomach. Like I'm completely hollow inside. Does that mean I love her? Is this what it feels like when someone you love leaves?"
"Absolutely," replied Luna without hesitation. "You love her, and you should go now to tell her how you feel—"
"Luna!" snapped Celestia, interrupting her. "You know that's not true!"
"Can you blame me for trying to help my friends?" Luna shrugged, face innocent.
"I think I might need to send you to live with Twilight. You seem to need as much help with friendship as Starlight does." Celestia turned to the smaller pony. "Twilight, ignore Luna. It doesn't necessarily mean you love her… just that you care about her very, very much. Think of it… as another data point to consider. You could make a graph, even."
That at least got a shaky smile out of Twilight. "That actually would make me feel a bit better."
"There is something else we can try, Twilight. If you'll let me."
"Let you?"
"I want to… hypnotize you, in a way," explained Celestia uncomfortably. "It's a spell that will soothe your mind, let you answer any questions we ask as truthfully as possible. I don’t know if it will be any more useful than Cadance’s spell was, but we can at least try."
"Oh. That sounds fine, actually, Princess. I trust you."
"Very well."
Celestia raised her head and lit her horn, a golden glow enveloping Twilight's head. As it did, her face calmed, the lines of worry smoothing out, and her eyes slipped closed.
"Twilight, Chrysalis is standing in front of you," said Celestia softly. "Tell me, what do you see when you look at her?"
"I see… the Queen of the changelings," Twilight said in a dreamy voice. "She's the one who abducted Cadance and tried to take over Equestria. She also treated me so horribly when we were dating, even if that was because of Cadance. And… she's the one who loves me, more than anyone else in the world. She'd do anything for me, just to make me happy."
"And how do you feel when you see her?"
"I feel happy." Twilight smiled. "She's fun to talk with, and just to be around. I feel safe and loved and comfortable when she's with me."
"I was right, this isn’t much more helpful than Cadance's spell," sighed Celestia. "Tell me, Twilight… do you love Queen Chrysalis?"
"I…" Twilight's brow furrowed. "I love her the way I love all my friends. Sometimes it feels different, but… but I don't know what that means and it scares me, so I try not to think about it."
"Well, that's something," Celestia muttered, glancing over at Luna. "I don't think we're going to actually get an answer out of her like this."
"Hmm…" Luna looked back at Celestia, then turned to Twilight, and the golden glow around the pony’s head changed to blue. "Twilight, now Celestia is standing in front of you. What do you see?"
"It's the Princess!" Any worry on Twilight's face had been replaced by a wide smile. "She's been my mentor for almost my entire life. I think she's one of the most beautiful ponies in Equestria, especially her mane."
Celestia blinked in surprise, face flushed, and Luna grinned as she continued. "How do you feel when you see her?"
"Happy, of course! She's my oldest friend. Almost nopony else makes me feel as special as she does. I'm always nervous that I'm going to disappoint her, but I know how proud she is of me. We always hug when we see each other, and I hope she'll hug me now."
"Th-this isn't helping, you know..." Celestia stammered out, her eyes not leaving the pony's smile.
"And now, Twilight, Celestia is wearing a saddle and stockings. Something silk, something from the back room at Rarity's Boutique. How does that make you feel?"
"Luna, no!" cried Celestia, before the red-faced Twilight could start to respond. "Stop it!"
"We are going to learn the truth, sister!"
The light around Twilight's head began flickering between yellow and blue. She started to rock back and forth as the royal sisters fought over her mind, then suddenly tipped over, spilling out of her chair and onto the floor.
"Look what you did!" huffed Celestia, hurrying over to help Twilight up.
"Okay, no more messing with my mind, alright?" groaned Twilight, rubbing her forehead.
"I'm really sorry, Twilight," Celestia said.
"We shouldn't have let ourselves get out of control like that," admitted Luna.
"It's fine, it's fine." Twilight sighed. "At I least got a little more information to add to what Cadance showed me. Now I know I do feel something. I just need to find a way to make myself confront it. Because even if I do love her, it doesn't mean anything if I can't actually feel it."
"What will you do now?" asked Luna, as Twilight took a few steps towards the door.
"Keep talking to my friends and family," she replied. "That’s the plan, of course. You two gave me some help, and so did Cadance, so maybe if I talk to everyone I can figure this out."
"We wish you luck, Twilight," said Celestia, and Luna nodded in agreement. "I feel you should go to your family first. Not only are they right here in Canterlot, but talking with Shining Armor will most likely be… uncomfortable. You might want to get that over with as soon as possible."
"You're right." Twilight nodded, then, after a moment of thought, looked up nervously at the two Princesses. "Speaking of that… when I was talking to Cadance, she asked to me to put in a good word with you. So… go easy on her?"
Celestia smiled warmly. "The fact that you can ask that, as one who was wronged by her, will carry weight with us. Have no fear."
"And when you see her next… tell her I'm willing to forgive her. If she's willing to do what it takes to be forgiven, to make up for what she's done."
"We will, Twilight."
"Is Chrysalis ready to forgive Cadance, as well?" asked Luna, a slight teasing lilt to her voice, and Twilight snorted.
"Oh, yes, I can just imagine how she'd react to being asked if she forgives Cadance." She pushed herself up onto the tips of her hooves, pressing one hoof to her chest and deepening her voice in an attempt to imitate Chrysalis's echoing tones. "That pink pony challenged me to battle, and I defeated her soundly. As far as I am concerned, everything between us is settled."
Twilight went back down to her hooves with a giggle. "And now she's going to be all mad at me—" She looked over to her side and froze, then drooped down. "Oh. Right."
"You really miss her, don't you?" asked Celestia gently, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
"I do," whispered Twilight, looking up at her with wet eyes.
"Go on then, my faithful student," Celestia said, guiding Twilight to the door. "Go out there and find what's in your heart."
"Oh, and Twilight," said Luna, just as Twilight opened the door, and the pony looked back over her shoulder. "Don't forget that while polygamy may still, unfortunately, be illegal, open relationships aren't. So as long as Chrysalis agrees, there's no reason you and Celestia can't—"
"Okay, bye!" said Twilight hurriedly, escaping out into the hallway and slamming the door behind herself.
"I can't believe you did that!" cried Celestia as soon as Twilight had gone. "You went way too far!"
"I'm merely trying to help you, sister," replied Luna innocently, turning away with a flip of her tail.
"You're pushing her too hard! You're going to scare her off. I have time to be patient, Luna. If I have to wait decades to interest her in my offer, I can."
"Fie on that!" declared Luna. "If you love her, you shouldn't wait."
Celestia glowered at her for a moment, then tilted her head with a small smile. "I'm surprised you were pushing so hard to get Twilight and Chrysalis together. You know, considering your own feelings for the Queen…"
"W-what do you mean?" Luna turned back to Celestia, eyes wide.
"Oh, come now, sister. I saw how excited you were whenever Chrysalis came over, the way you followed her around and hung on her every word. Also, I saw you staring at her butt."
"Lies! Lies and vile slander!" Luna reared up, shaking her head violently.
"Now, now, Luna, there's nothing wrong with that. It is quite an attractive butt, in its way." She cocked an eyebrow upwards. "In fact, considering our feelings for the two of them, perhaps we should be preparing Twilight for the possibility of a foursome instead."
"What?!" Luna's face turned red as she blushed furiously. "T-that might be a little awkward for the two of us. Not to mention how inappropriate it would be."
"Would it?" Celestia's looked up at Luna from under half-lidded eyes, her voice purring, as she moved forward. "We are only sisters, after all. It's not like there would be any of the unfortunate consequences one of us being a stallion could produce."
"W-what are you saying?" stammered Luna, backing away.
"I'm saying, why not be more than sisters? Why not prove how much we really love each other?"
"T-that's not… we can't…"
"Why can’t we? Would it truly be so wrong, to love each other so intimately?"
"I… I…" Luna ran out of space to retreat in the small room, jumping slightly as she backed into the wall. Before she could move, Celestia was directly in front of her, placing a hoof on her chest.
"Who better than your sister to give you the love you deserve?" Celestia whispered huskily. Her wings unfolded, wrapping around Luna to trail gently along the other pony's wings and side. "After all these centuries, we know each other better than any other pony ever could. I know what you like, what you need, where you like to be touched…"
Her wings moved down, circling under the Luna's barrel. Luna froze in place as her body was caressed, her only movement a slight tremble. Celestia leaned forward, breath hot, to whisper her next words right into her sister's ear.
"... and I know exactly where you're the most ticklish."
Her wings jabbed into her sister’s ribs with the accuracy and ruthlessness of an assassin, and Luna collapsed with a shriek of laughter.
She tried to escape, but Celestia kept up the attack, wings relentless sweeping up and down her sides. Attempting to crawl away proved futile, as the convulsions of mirth wracking her body left her so weak that Celestia was able to keep her in place with one hoof, even using it to add to the assault when she gave up. With no other option, Luna was forced to resort to pleading.
"No, no! Haha! S-sister, please… hahaha! Please stop! I-I yield!"
"Oh?" Celestia let up, keeping her wings moving just enough to stop Luna from entertaining any ideas of escape. "So then you apologize for what you said here today? And you promise to stop pressuring Twilight?"
"Never!" gasped Luna definitely. "I'm doing this for your own good!"
"Then no mercy!"
She dove back down with the lack of compassion she showed to all of Equestria's enemies, and Luna's protests dissolved into breathless laughter.
Just a couple things I've seen in the comments that I want to mention here. Nothing specific, just sort of general trends I saw.
First off, Twilight has obviously not forgiven Cadance, at least not yet. She's willing to, but Cadance has to seek that forgiveness, and earn it. And she will, of course. Twilight is a very forgiving pony; just look at how she feels about Chrysalis.
And second, Cadance being in the dungeon is not her punishment. She's simply being held there until she can be tried and sentenced properly. Though admittedly, she's mostly being held on the honor system.
Also, I drew one of those silly pictures again:
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Okay... Have I missed something? When did Celestia start liking Twilight as more than a friend?
But seriously, very funny chapter. Luna's polygamy document (And the fact that she has more than one!) and her miming banishing Cadence to the moon were a absolute riot.
7845930
Have you read the prequel?
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/starpolar/images/c/c6/What_am_i_reading.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150607160438
BUCK YES, I FINALLY HAD ENOUGH FREE TIME TO READ THIS AND IT TUrned out really good
7845939 I have a short memory. There are certain things I remember and certain things I don't.
good story
I say Candace need to watch the CMC for a month....
I was going to say that this line was a lovely touch, but now I'm not so sure...?
7845969 Oh! that's a good punishment!
your characterizations of celestia, luna and cadence are very strange
the Princesses come down on themselves for not really examining another ponies feelings, then fail to examine the feelings of an entire nation.
The Crystal Empire was never ruled by Celestia and Luna. They were a separate nation. Cadance came in and protected them from Sombra and then ruled them without, as far as they know, any input from Celestia and Luna. So you need to examine that role when you think about whatever sort of punishments they think they can give out
Let's not forget that the Changelings are not being punished for their attack on Canterlot, so the damage Cadance caused is pretty damn minor
you cant just banish all your problems princesses! cmon!
Do you know if the guy who made the picture does art requests?
Outstanding dialog, as always. Another fantastic chapter.
Luna is absolutely what makes this chapter. She's the best part.
That . . wait . . but . . 2 Love Triangles between all of 4 Ponies? @.@
This is getting complicated . .
7846164
The german one is superior:
BEST CHAPTER ENDING EVER!!!!
7846102
The author does them.
I literally died right here. I fell out of my bed laughing so hard lol
Well the punishment for Cadance is obvious, Luna's right Princess on Princess violence = to the moon!
The only question is how long? 1 week? 1 month? A year of weekends only?
Also Luna steals this chapter, best pony!
I just realized that I hadn't been tracking this since Ch. 1 came out. Binged, fave'd and liked.
7846028
Cadence, as a native born Equestrian and with the Empire's apparent annexation or provisional territory status by now, is likely subject to Equestrian law. Especially as the Empire's a thousand years behind anyway and thus would require Equestrian aid to catch back up. There are also Crystal Ponies in Ponyville.
Also, they're her only senior family members.
I'm sure under whatever laws and rules and precedents exist it's legal or they wouldn't be doing it. That said she did go kinda Nightmare which automatically places her under their jurisdiction as keepers of harmony. No one complained about a diplomatic incident with Tirek's people.
That said, I agree completely on the severity of Cadence's crimes vs. those by Chrysalis. Cadence did... well, basically nothing compared to what Chrysalis did to Equestria, and Cadence herself. They've sort of waved it under the rug due to 'needing to feed' because they wanted an excuse to be able to do so. However, they can sort of do that with a foreign dignitary, especially with the idea to reform them. But one of their own MUST be held to a higher standard. Otherwise how could they call ponies the best?
So some punishment is called for, but nothing so serious it'd leave a sour taste in Cadence's mouth. She needs professional help, and someone who understands what she went through.
So polygamy isn't legal in Equestria? Odd, you'd assume that any type of consenting relationships would be legal considering things. (Also, if Celestia doesn't legalize that by the end of this story, then I'll eat a horse.
I meant that metaphorically!
7846466 the problem is there's a thing called diplomatic immunity and Cadance should have that. Crystal Ponies may need Equestrian help to catch up, but then they missed out on those thousand years. Not having movie theaters and railroads etc probably wouldn't be that big a deal
so basically sure, some punishment is called for, but there's no viable way to do it without setting a TERRIBLE precedent that would be bad for everyone, because hey the Crystal Ponies are going to primarily see their ruler be subject to another, being punished for actions against a never punished dictator. Basically I think it'd set them up believing Equestria was an enemy, maybe that banishment wasn't Sombra after all
The surreal relationship between Luna and Chrysalis is the best part of this story.
7846515
That's projecting our world's political structure onto theirs, however. They don't even have the same mental foundation as we do, nor social, biological, anything really. Just that, like us, from out of all that mess somehow community formed and we more or less sound alike in our thoughts and ideas.
For all we know there is no diplomatic immunity. Maybe a royal visit is a sign of abject trust that you won't be assassinated due to mutual cohesion. We don't know. What we do know is that they -are- punishing Cadence and being thousands of years old compared to Cadence's few decades, they know full well when they are and aren't and should/shouldn't do something like this.
So if they are doing it, they're not only allowed, they -must- and likely they can deal with any backlash.
Which I don't think there would be. Straightening out Cadence for them frees up Cadence from her subjects thinking she'll be the next Sombra with an outburst like that.
7846344 I'll drink to that. XD
Equestrian punishments, by law, have to be ironic, so legally they can't send Cadence to the moon. She's the princess of love, so maybe they could banish her to a divorce court or something?
7845969
Cruel and unusual punishment!
Also, hilarious idea.
Especially paring the CMC with Flurry Heart. Equestria would be so bucked...
7846546
Oh gosh, having to adjudicate romantic disputes all day would be almost too horrible.
If we're trying to be as consistent as possible, we could seal her inside the Crystal Heart.
You know, shinning armor forgave the changelings, and he was mentaly rewired. That's a bit worse than a few scrapes in a cave.
Loving the pictures, and the story so far, even if I hope the "do I love her" phase isn't dragged out another three chapters.
I'm hoping that by the end of the story Twilight, Chrysalis, Luna, and Celestia will be in a relationship/consenting affair.
The silly picture was great and adorable.
I believe this is the first time I've seen Molestia and Trollestia rolled up into one neat little package. Well played, sir!
7846021 I liked them a lot more than others.
Why do people keep on making Celestia evil? It makes no sense.
This was beautifully written, feels and lols plentifully supplied. Well done. I especially like how you characterize the royal sisters. Their interactions just get better and better.
Love Luna in this
7846515
Hmm as I see it the difference is that the action of Chrysalis are at the diplomatic level, while the action of Cadance are at the personal level.
Additionally the Crystal Empire seems to be subordinate to Equestria, while the Hive was/is not and has been connected to Equestria now.
This means that the action of Chrysalis were NOT under the law of Equestria, while the action of Cadance ARE under the law of Equestria.
It is like trying to have someone from Italy be accountable for something in the USA law... Yes... you can try and prosecute him... but it's going to be difficult if the two state DON'T decide to cooperate... And as Chrysalis is the head of the hive...
Ooooooooooooooooook... Each chapter just make HATE Cadence more... Not even a glare or scream, or even a hit in her face from her aunts yet!!!?
And what is worst, they think than the fault of Cadence's bitch attitude was their fault? B%$#&("/!!!!!!!!
My last hope for at least, a proper rage, is Shining... Not even the polygamy stuff was enough to compensate this mess .-.
Cadence messed up with Twilight's relationship and feelings, hopefully, Shining has a right to be MAD at her
Luna absolutely stole the show this chapter. Lots of laughs were had.
Also, polygamy, such a vile thing! To combine latin and greek so terribly. It should be polyamory.
Also, before anyone tears into me, that was an intentionally bad joke
Celestia really knows how to turn the tables around. Luna never stood a chance at the end
Still, Twilight got at least a part of the answer - she knows a little bit more now, which is better than she started with.
Wonderful chapter
As for the author comment: the last chapter proved how futile it really would be to put Cadance in the dungeon if she didn't really want to be there
That fact alone shows her willingness to repent, even if at the start she won't be exactly eager to do some things.
I feel like he is still trying to put the blame away from Cadance and onto Chrysalis here.
Hey if Chrysalis did what she did, then Cadance did what she did too, and the reason shouldn't matter here either.
7846962 well you seems to agree with what I have written above.
I think at the moment I would prefer it only to be Chrysalis and Twilight, since this sequel it seems weird to me to throw celestia into their relationship as well.
7846525 well, the yaks of YakYakistan messed things up in Ponyville and faced no consequences. And they're facing a situation that's outside their normal scope so they could be acting without thinking of the consequences, which they've already shown they can do, this very chapter in fact, when they admitted they didn't really think about Cadance's feelings and what she might do
7846894 the Crystal Empire is subordinate to Equestria, but it obviously wasn't always so, so the Crystal Ponies may not have the same ingrained loyalty to Celestia and Luna that Equestrians do
This is why Luna is the best Princess!
7845983
Is there something wrong with it?
7847124
Dealing with family's personal, emotional issues obviously is not their forte (good heavens is it not). They've proven that. Dealing with rulership issues, however, is not something that they're going to just blank out on. You don't spend a thousand+ years doing one thing and then just throw it out the window while you're level-headed and not in a blind panic. I imagine that being so focused on performing the duties of their office is probably why they lack in private matters. If they fail in their official duties as well as their private duties then I question what the writer is doing to the wisest, most knowledgeable, and hardest-working beings in the land.
7845958
Hard to forget really...
7847236 Just that by the end of the chapter we know there are some ulterior motives.
7847237 problem is this is a totally new rulership situation. They may have placed her in that role but she is not some acting mayor or something like that.
It's normally an authority they'd have, but is it one they should use? I'd just love Shining Armor to show up to check on Cadance and some Crystal Pony accompanying him to speak out of turn to the Princesses about this.