> In The Comfort of Her Majesty
>  by StarTrekFan1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Helping Hoof
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dingalingalingalingalingalingali-DING


"yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

Seven o'clock.  Time to start the day.

Thunder Shock pulled himself out of bed and tried to shake out the drowsiness that still gripped his mind.  After a few minutes of this, he opened his window curtains and allowed Celestia's morning light to flood his bedroom with its warmth.  A quick trot downstairs brought Thunder to one of his closest companions:  his tea pot.  A few tea leaves, a bit of hot water, a few minutes of brewing, and three small drops of honey created Thunder Shock's coveted morning tea.  

'siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppp'

'Ah, Earl Grey, you treat me right.'

After thoroughly enjoying his tea, he trotted back up and hopped in the shower, trying to enjoy as much of the hot water as he could.  Unfurling his wings, he gave himself a quick air dry to get his wings in working order.   A quick body grooming was his next order of business.  He trotted over to his bathroom mirror and brushed his teeth and silvery white mane, making himself at the very least presentable.  He quickly ran his brush over his thunder cloud and lightning cutie mark for good measure as well.  The last pony who came to work with an unkempt cutie mark had to clean the locker room for a week.

With a last check in the mirror, Thunder trotted out of the bathroom and over to his dresser.  He looked lovingly into the old picture that was sat upon it:  a small dark blue colt with his parents at the park.  

"Another day, another bag of bits.  Wish me luck." he whispered.  

With that taken care of, Thunder was out of the front door and into the bustling streets of Canterlot.  The usual group of ponies were going about their business: the street merchants selling their wares, the nobles trying desperately not to associate themselves with the common ponies, and the common ponies themselves.  

A left, a right, and two lefts later brought Thunder to his place of work: The Equestrian Weather Service Canterlot Office.  He quickly trotted in and checked in at the front desk.

"Hi Thunder Shock!  Hoping for park duty again?" the receptionist called out.

"Oh you know it!" he politely called back.

Quickly heading to the locker room, he donned his weather vest and goggles.  After securing his gear, he trotted down the hall towards the main staff room.  A few rows of simple fold out chairs were set up, along with a podium and projection screen in the front. Quickly sitting down, he waited patiently for the rest of the weather ponies to arrive.  A few minutes later, a whitish blue stallion trotted in striking a victory pose.  

"WASSUP!  Sky Hopper is in the house!" he shouted with bravado.

"Hi Sky..." the others half heartedly responded.

A few minutes later, Flitter and Cloudchaser entered and sat down in front of Thunder.  As he gazed at the pair, he couldn't help but admire their beauty, especially Flitter.   As he gazed upon her, his heart began to beat with an anxious passion.  Deciding to seize the opportunity,   he gently tapped her on the shoulder.  

"H-Hey Flitter."  he nervously whispered.  

"What's up?" she whispered back.

His breath became more labored as the anxiety grew in his chest.  

"I...I was wondering...if your not too busy...maybe you'd like to..."

"To what?"

"...n...never mind." 

Shortly after his failed attempt, the local weather captain, Lightning Titan, entered the room and stood at attention at the podium.  He set a few papers down and cleared his aging throat.

"Morning everypony, happy Wendsday, let's make this quick.  We're already running a little behind on our shift.  Just got the results back, congratulations are in order.  We're in the top five weather offices based on a public poll.  Good job, but I want number one!  So keep driving until we make it.  Understood?"

"Yes sir!" the audience called out.

"Very good!  Now, assignments.  Flitter, Cloudchaser, you're on the east side today.  Need a level two storm to keep the sewer systems in town flowing.  Get to it."

The two quickly trotted out of the building to start their shifts.

"April Showers, Blue Skies, you're going to Ponyville.  Their office is a little short staffed today and they need a boost.  Ask for Rainbow Dash when you get there."

Lightning Titan cleared his throat again and continued to read off the list in front of him.  Unbeknownst to anypony, Thunder nervously tapped his hoof as the assignments were called out.

"Thunder Shock, your favorite: park duty.  Make sure those nobles don't get a sunburn."

A quiet sigh left Thunder Shock as he finally relaxed in his chair.

"Sky Hopper, your suspension continues.  You're with Thunder today."

A audible groan echoed the room as Sky vocalized his frustration.  Their assignments handed out, Thunder and Sky flew quickly over the Royal Canterlot park, four square city block of trees, beautiful flowers, and a stunning lake.  The job was simple but tedious: manage the clouds according to the park dwellers, water the trees and flowers when necessary, and above all, do NOT anger the nobles.  Sky took exception to this rule and would make funny faces towards them behind the clouds he would handle throughout most of the day.

Around noon, as Thunder was busting up a few clouds for a loving couple's special moment, Cloudchaser sped toward him with worry in her eyes.

"Thunder, can you help me for a minute?!  I'm really flying blind here!"  she called out.

"Why?  What's the problem?"

"I tried to get the level two going, but the clouds just won't start up.  Can you help me out?"

"What about Flitter?  Can't she-"

"Her wings started to cramp up.  She can't get airborne for another fifteen minutes and the storm needed to start twenty minutes ago!  Please?!"

" 'sigh' Alright, but just this one time."

"Oh thank you so much!  I already got the clouds set up, but I can't start them up.  This way."

Thunder and Cloudchaser headed far to the east of town when they came across the swollen grey storm clouds.    As Cloudchaser corrected their height and position, Thunder started to scan the ground below with worry in his eyes.  Flitter had taken shelter under a massive archway as she furiously rubbed her wings.  Thunder continued his scan, looking for anything that could cause complications.

"Ok, first things first, is there anypony else down there?" he asked with concern.

"Flitter and I did a quick fly through before we set up the clouds.  I think it's pretty empty down there."

"You THINK?!  Cloud, a storm set up isn't something you guess at!  It takes a special kind of precision to pull off a safe storm.  One wrong move-"

Catching himself before he could rant further, he took a deep breath and sighed heavily "Look, just stay right here.  I'll do a fly through really quick."

Thunder quickly swooped down and began to check every alleyway, every doorway, every nook and cranny of the streets below for any hidden ponies.  The area clear, he quickly flew back up to the storm clouds and did a final check to make sure they were in the correct position.  With everything set, Thunder turned away from the clouds, did a few quick calculations in his head, breathed deeply, and gave them a very strong kick.  The clouds roared and reverberated from his energy until small rain drops began to fall.  With another powerful buck, the rain came pouring down, drenching the city below.

Cloud could only look on in awe as she saw the storm in full force.  "That....That was amazing!  Thank you so-"

"Yeah yeah yeah.  Look, think you two can manage it from here?"  Thunder quickly asked.

"Well, yeah, I think-"

"Great.  Gotta get back to the park.   See ya."

Thunder quickly flew back to the park, leaving Cloud with a powerful storm to manage and a confused look on her face.


-----------------------------------------------------------


The late afternoon sky trekked across the sky as Thunder and Sky trotted home after their day's work.

"Well, another day down.  I think that went well enough."  said Thunder.

"Yeah, if you like bending over and taking it from the nobles, then its just a blast."  Sky responded sarcastically.

"Oh come on Sky, it's not so bad.  Keeps us fed and sheltered and SOME of the nobles are nice."  

"You may get some of the nice ones.  All I get are the plot holes."

"Now you're overreacting." 

"Says the only weather pony who LIKES park duty."

"Now what's that supposed to mean?"

Sky stopped in front of his friend and put his hoof on Thunder's shoulder.

" 'sigh' Look, how long have we been doing this for?"

Thunder rolled his eyes a bit as he recollected about his time in Canterlot.  "Um, it's been about.........seven years I think."

"Right.  And after all these years, the only time I've seen you enthusiastic about the job is when you get park duty.

"Sky..."	

"I'm serious.  Every other assignment we've been on together you act like you're about to hurt a puppy.  I mean, why don't you volunteer for storm duty once in a while?"

"Look, I have my reasons.  Can we leave it at that?" 

"Fine.  By the way, what was up with you and Flitter during assignment?"

"Oh.  W-Well I wanted...I mean I just...I was trying to..."

"You didn't have the bits to ask her out did you?"

"...yeah."

"Dude, I'm just looking out for ya.  You keep going like this and your gonna have a lot of regret at the end."

"Sky, things just don't happen that way for me.  That's all.  I can deal with park duty no problem."

"Listen, if you ever want to hang out or just talk things out, gimme a holler.  I'll be here for you."

"Sure.  Thanks Sky."

"No problem.  See you tomorrow."

"See you Sky."

After parting ways with Sky, Thunder continued toward home.  As he rounded the corner, he saw a purplish blue earth pony laid down on a city bench crying into her hooves.  As he neared the distraught mare, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.  He was about to continue on when her wails became even louder.

'Come on.  At least ask her if she's OK.'

With trepidation, he approached her and cleared his throat.

"Um, excuse me miss.  Are you alright?" he asked.

Upon hearing him, the mare dried her eyes and fought to hold back any remaining sobs.

"Oh, hello.  I'm sorry, I've just had a really bad day."

"Really?  ...Tell me about it."

"What?"

"Tell me what's bothering you.  It'll help you feel better."

"...Why do you care?"

"Because I don't like seeing ponies sad.  I've been like that before and I learned that talking to somepony helps."

"...W-Well, I just broke up with my coltfriend and I don't have anywhere to go."

"Don't you have any friends or family that you can-"

"No, and that son of a mule has all of my bits.  I don't know what I'm going to do-o-o."

Thunder could see the anguish and pain in the mare's puffy eyes.  'Might as well offer.' he thought.

"Listen, my place isn't too far away.  If you'd like, you can stay with me for the night."

" 'sniff'  Really?"

"Eh, what can I say?  I'm a nice pony."

Quickly composing herself, she stood up and bowed ever slightly at Thunder.  "Thank you.  Thank you so much.  I'm Moonlight by the way."

"Thunder Shock.  And it's no problem at all.  Come on, it's gonna be dark soon."

The two of them continued down the road until they reached Thunder's humble apartment.  He quickly unlocked the door and motioned her inside.  

"Come on in.  Have a seat.  Would you like a cup of tea?  I always have one after work." he said as he pointed towards his couch.

"S-Sure.  With a small lump of sugar if you have it please." 

"Coming right up."  Thunder trotted into the kitchen and got to work.  After quickly brewing two cups, he carefully trotted back over to the couch and set the cups on the coffee table.

"There you go.  Be careful, it's a little hot." he warned as he sat down next to her.

Moonlight carefully lifted the cup with her hooves and took a small sip.  "MMMMMMM.  This is really good."

"Glad you like it.  Now, if you don't mind me asking, what happened between you and your coltfriend?"

Moonlight looked down at her cup dejectedly and quietly sighed.  "I...I don't know if I-"

"I'm sorry.  I'm not trying to pry.  I just want to help."

Her lip trembling, she gazed into Thunder's emerald eyes.

"W-Well, It started out all right I guess.  We met at a party and just seemed to click.  We had a few dinner dates, walks through the park, stuff like that.  Pretty soon, I'm moving in with him.  I really thought things were getting serious between us.  Then, he just....changed.  He started to become angry at the drop of a hat.  If W-I was five minutes late getting home, he would accuse me of sleeping around.  Today, I told him how I felt and he just snapped.  Told me he could have any mare in Canterlot if he wanted.  Then he threw me out."

Thunder could only sigh and set his tea cup down.

"Moonlight.  I'm probably the least experienced pony in the world to give relationship advice.  But I know this.  If the pony who says they love you treats you like dirt, then they don't really love you.  Everypony should be with someone that truly cares for them."

"But...I still love him."

"I'm sure that you do.  But do you really want to be like this?  Always giving, never getting, being hurt like that?  It's your life.  You chose who to spend it with.  Spend it with somepony who cares."

Tears began to stream down Moonlight's eyes as she attempted to compose herself.

"T-Thank you Thunder."

"Not a problem.  Always ready to hel-WHOA!"

Moonlight had gently crept up towards Thunder and moved in to kiss him on the lips causing Thunder to fall off of the couch and onto his back with a thud.

"D...Did you just try and kiss me?!"

"I-I'm sorry!  I'm so so sorry!  It's just...I was..."

"It's alright..it's fine.  Just a bit of a surprise."

"I..I need to go outside for a minute.  Get some fresh air.  Clear my head."

"Go ahead."

She quickly opened the door and trotted out, leaving Thunder to roll onto his stomach and get back on his hooves.  After getting off of the cold hardwood floor, he closed his eyes and began to breath deeply.

'Calm down.  She's just going through a lot.  She's vulnerable.  Just give her some space and it will all work out.'  he thought.

As he opened his eyes again, he could see the moon begin its long trek across the evening sky. 

'Wow.  Luna's on point tonight.  Whatever ponies say, she can make a good starry night.'

The door gently crept back open and Moonlight trotted back in.  She hung her head down and avoided Thunder's gaze.  

"I'm-I'm OK now.  I'm just...." she said.

"It's OK.  Uh, look, it's getting late.  Why don't I set you up down here?  Just wait right here."

Thunder quickly trotted up the stairs and grabbed the comforter and a pillow from his bed.  He quickly trotted back down sat the bed supplies down on the couch.

"There we go.  Need anything else?" he asked.

"No.  Thank you."

"Not a problem.  I think I'm gonna turn in for the night.  Need anything, I'm right upstairs."

"Got it.  Good Night Thunder.

"Good Night Moonlight."

Thunder trotted back upstairs and gently closed his bedroom door.  As he settled into bed, he took one last look at the picture on his dresser.

"Night Mom, Night Dad."  he whispered.



-----------------------------------------------------------


The full moon was now high in the sky and aside from a stray few ponies on the street, all was peaceful and quiet.  Thunder Shock had long gone to sleep, his body exhausted from the drama of the day.  Moonlight too was fast asleep on the couch...until one of her eyes shot open and surveyed the room.  Finding nothing up and about, she quietly headed up to Thunder's room and gently opened the door.  Upon finding Thunder deep in sleep, she quietly trotted back downstairs and scribbled out a short note which she left next to his coveted tea pot.  Her work done, she slid out the front door and onto the cool dark street.  Quickly crossing the street, she ducked into an adjacent alley and peered into the darkness.

"It is done, Tia."  she said plainly.

Out of the darkness peered Princess Celestia in all of her regal glory.  Knowing that her disguise was no longer needed, Moonlight's newly materialized horn quickly shone with a blue tint and undid the complex spell cast upon her.  Only a few moments passed before Princess Luna regained her true form.  

"How was he?"  Celestia replied.

"Very nice indeed.  He offered me a place to stay for the night and even a cup of tea.  He was mindful and respectful, overall a nice pony.  However..." 

Celestia's face quickly turned to worry.  "Did something happen?"

"We...I attempted to kiss him full on the lips as payment for my lodgings, but he refused."

"LUNA!" Celestia exclaimed, quickly catching her mistake and hoping no pony would investigate the noise.

"What? You said to make sure that he was up to the royal standards.  Besides..."

Luna's mouth curled into a devilish grin.

"I like to be a tease."

Celestia could only roll her eyes and shake her head at her sister's brazen attitude.  "Regardless, he does have a good nature, does he not?"

"Indeed.  Though he does seem a bit...reserved."

"That can be taken care of in time.  Do you have any issue with him?" 

"None Tia."  

Celestia looked lovingly onto the small apartment, feeling a warmth in her heart that had been absent for far too long.  "Then I believe we've found the right pony..."



-----------------------------------------------------------



Dingalingalingalingalingalingali-DING


"yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

Seven o'clock.  Time to start the day.

Thunder Shock pulled himself out of bed and tried to shake out the drowsiness that still gripped his mind.  A quick realization did the trick.  

'Moonlight!'

Quickly covering himself in his bedsheets, Thunder opened his bedroom door and poked his head out.

"Moonlight?  Are you awake?  Are you decent?" he called out.

Hearing no reply, he trotted down the stairs to find Moonlight gone.  Looking around the area, he noticed a small piece of paper next to his tea pot.  It simply read:

Had to go to work early this morning.  Thanks for everything.  Moonlight.

'Well, at least she's OK.  What a night.'

Setting the note back down, Thunder trotted back upstairs and quickly made his bed.  He then went through the rest of his morning routine: tea, shower, brush, mirror check, photo.  


KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


'Crap!  I'm gonna be late, I know it!'

"Coming!" he called out as he galloped downstairs to the front door.  Opening it, he found two very armed royal guards glaring down at him.

"Uh, Can I help you gentlecolts?" he asked nervously.

"Are you Thunder Shock?" the guard on the left asked.

"...Yes." Thunder responded with a slight bit of fear.

"You've been summoned for an audience with her majesty, Princess Celestia.  We've been ordered to escort you to the castle immediately." said the guard on the right. 

After a few seconds of trying to comprehend the situation, Thunder cracked a small smile.

"HAHAHAHA!  OK, seriously, did Sky put you guys up to this?  Cause I gotta say, your costumes are FANTASTIC!  Hahah..."

The guards kept the same look of seriousness on their faces.

"...you're serious?"

"Yes sir.  Please get in the chariot."  the guard on the left said as he motioned to the chariot parked behind them.  Not wanting to anger the guards and find himself thrown into the local dungeon, Thunder obeyed their commands and entered the craft.  A few minutes of ground travel brought Thunder and his escort to the main gates of the castle.  As the party entered into the castle grounds, Thunder's heart was pounding in his chest.

'What does the princess want with ME?  Did I not file my taxes on time?  Did I screw up a weather formation over her or something?  Oh I am so screwed!' 

Thunder's anxiety only worsened as the guards led him into the castle proper.  As he was led through the massive hallways and corridors, he couldn't help but be taken aback at the castle's interior beauty.  Almost every room and hallway they passed was fitted with a rug or painting and great crystal chandeliers lit their path.  A few minutes later, they walked past a set of double doors with a small inscription.  Thunder squinted his eyes and made out 'DAY COURT' from it.

"So that's where Celestia holds court." he muttered under his breath.

"Yes.  However, the court is recessed for the day.  It's the two hundred and forty seventh anniversary of the end of the Griffon Civil War.  Celestia has called a day of remembrance for our ally's plight." one of the guards lectured.

"Ah.  Didn't know that." Thunder replied.

After what felt like a small eternity trekking through the castle, the group stopped at a set of double doors.  One of the guards knocked loudly against the wood.  Thunder could hear a set of clicks and clangs as the elaborate locking mechanism was working.  The doors soon creaked open and the group quickly trotted inside.  They continued down a long hallway as Thunder attempted to see what was ahead.  Peeking over the guards' shoulders, he could see to the end of the hallway and saw a set of stairs going up and down.  As they neared the end of the hallway, he could see a pair of double doors on each side of the stairs.  To the right of the stairs, the doors were emblazoned with a picture of the sun.  To the left, a crescent moon adorned the doors.

The group stopped right in front of the sun doors as one of the guards gently knocked on the doors.

"Yes?" a voice from the other side called out.

"Your highness.  We have brought Thunder Shock to you as ordered." one of the guards responded.

"Thank you.  Please show him."

"Yes your highness."  The two guards pushed the door open and lead Thunder inside.  And there, sitting at a small round table, was Princess Celestia herself.  Her regalia shown brightly in the sunlight of the nearby windows and her ethereal mane flowed as gently as the breeze.  Thunder was immediately taken at how radiant and beautiful the Princess really was.  However, the thing that Thunder was really taken back by was her size.  He generally thought himself as having an average size body for a pegasus, maybe slightly bigger.  Yet Celestia was a good two to three times larger than he was.  He couldn't help but slightly tremble as he neared the solar diarch.  Seeing Celestia at all was considered a rare luxury to a common pony in Canterlot; now he here was right in her very presence.   The two guards in front of him bowed almost immediately.

"Thank you both for your service.  Now, go and inform Luna to be prepared.  She will know what that means.  And then stand guard at the door.  Dismissed." she said to the guards

"At once, your highness!"  the two of them responded as they rose to their hooves and trotted out of the room, locking the door behind them.  

Now alone with Celestia, Thunder was shaking like a foal facing down a manticore.  

After a full minute of silence, his brain finally began to function again.  'SAY HELLO!'  it managed to belt out.

"G...g-g-g...good morning, your highness."  Thunder choked out as he continued to tremble.  

"Good morning Thunder Shock.  I'm sorry if my guards startled you at all.  They tend to have a flair for the dramatic."

"N-No problem at all your highness."  he responded.  'SMILE!  NOD!  DON'T FAINT!' his rattled brain continued to spit out.

"Please, call me Celestia."

"Yes yo......Celestia."

Celestia could only smile at the stallion's attempt to remain calm in her presence.  Quickly lighting up her horn, she materialized a tea set and began to pour herself a cup.

"Would you care for some tea?  I have plenty."

"S-Sure.  Thank you."

Thunder took a seat at the table and tepidly picked up his tea cup.  After a small sip, his eyes widened at the taste of the Princess's brew.

"Wow.  This...this is really good!" he remarked.

"It is Canterlot Breakfast tea with a little bit of sugar and orange peel added.  It's my favorite."

"MMMMMMM.  I gotta say, you have excellent taste in tea yo-Celestia."

"Thank you."  After the two of them had thoroughly enjoyed their tea, Celestia looked down upon Thunder with a strong sense of authority in her eyes.  "Now, you must be wondering why I have summoned you here."

Thunder's anxiety began to pick up yet again as he struggled to speak louder than a whisper.  "Princess, If I have offended or hurt you in ANY way, shape, or form, I-"

"You are not in any trouble Thunder Shock." she interrupted firmly.

"Oh.  Well then why did you summon me?"

"I wish to discuss something...private with you."

"Private?  What do you mean?"

Celestia stood up and began to trot over to her nightstand.

"I cannot discuss it here, for my sake and yours."

She quickly opened the shelf of the nightstand and riffled through it's contents.  A few seconds later, she magically pulled out a dark blue potion bottle.

"What is that?" Thunder asked.

"It is a deep sleep potion.  I would like for you to drink it.  It will allow us to have our discussion without anypony eavesdropping."

"I don't understand.  How will that help us talk?"

"I cannot go into the specifics right now.  What I wish to talk to you about has to be handled very carefully.  I know that you have no reason to go along with any of this, but I assure you that you will come to no harm in my charge.  If you wish to leave after we talk, I will think nothing less of you."

Celestia hovered the bottle onto the table where Thunder continued to sit.  He gazed at the bottle for a few seconds as he attempted to comprehend the situation.  'OK, let's think this through.  I highly doubt the Princess wants to hurt me, but why all the secrecy?  ...well, one way to find out.'

He quickly picked up the bottle and slowly drank the potion inside.  It tasted surprisingly sweet as it went down Thunder's throat.  The bottle now empty, Thunder turned back to Celestia.

"So, how long does this...this take...ta...taaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

Thunder began to wobble and lean as he desperately attempted to keep his balance.  Finally succumbing to the potion, he fell onto the floor on his side just as a dark wave of oblivion began to consume his mind... 


	
> An Offer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The world spun, danced, and shifted into focus overhead as Thunder Shock began to wake from his slumber.  His mind reeled and swam as he tried to force himself up.

'W...what happened?  Had this crazy dream that I met Princess Celestia and drank some magic sleep potion she gave me.  I REALLY need to stop eating spicy food before bed.'  he thought in a dizzy haze.

After a few groggy minutes of shifting around, Thunder began to notice of the view that was overhead: the beautiful noon sky with a few clouds peppered here and there.

'Well, at least it's a nice day out.  Guess I better...wait.  Where's my roof?' 

As he finally stood up, he was taken aback at the sight that he saw.  He had somehow found himself  in the middle of a lush garden, with all manner of colorful plants and luscious trees planted everywhere the eye could see.  The only sounds in the air were the chirping of birds and the cool wind blowing.  Directly in front of him were stone steps that appeared to lead deeper into the area.  

'This is...different.  Very, very different.'

"Uh...hello?  Anypony here?"  He called out.

"Ah good, you're awake! How are you feeling?" a regal voice called out to him.

Thunder quickly flapped his wings, still trying to get his body up and about.  He thought he recognized the voice, but he was taking no chances.  "F-Fine.  A little groggy but I'll get over it." 

"Good.  I apologize for knocking you out like that.  The potion I gave you allowed your mind to be more receptive to dream magic.  It shouldn't take much effort in the future to bridge our minds again."  the voice said as it appeared to be getting closer by the second.  

"W-What are you talking abo-!"

Thunder quickly shook couldn't believe his eyes as he finally saw the source of the voice.  It was Celestia, but without her regalia or her golden horseshoes.  Her ethereal mane and tail were no longer flowing in the wind; both were much shorter, and her mane was draped over her shoulders.  Thunder quickly brought his hooves over his eyes to obscure his sight of the goddess before him.

"Thunder Shock?  What's wrong?" Celestia asked.

"Y...Y...You're...You're completely..."

"Nude?  I know.  Why are you covering your eyes?"

"Because I don't want to do anything that we might both regret later!"  the terrified Thunder Shock called out.

Celestia could only giggle slightly at the stallion's attempt at nobility.  "It's quite alright.  You can look at me.  I'm not going to banish you."

Thunder Shock timidly lowered his hooves and gazed upon the nude Celestia.   Her beauty had inspired countless poems, songs, paintings, and fables; but none could hold a candle to the sight before him.  

After a few seconds or so, Celestia cocked her eyebrow slyly.  "Like what you see?"

"Yeah...I MEAN NO!  I MEAN...I'm really out of my league here."  Thunder replied.

Celestia shook her head slightly and began to trot through the garden.  

"Come Thunder Shock, we have things to discuss."  she gently commanded.

Thunder quickly began to trot along side her as they made their way through the garden.

"Ah, this is nice.  It's been so long since I've been here.  I can barely remember the last time I was able to relax like this."  Celestia said as she stretched her neck and wings as she trotted through the garden.  Thunder was not far behind, still in awe of the sun goddess's incredible body.  

"Well, I-I'm glad you're enjoying yourself your highness, but I still don't see why I'm..." 

As the two of them trotted into a clearing, Thunder was amazed at the nature before him.  They had come to the edge of a cliff, the green plains below seeming to go on forever.  To the left was a path into more of the garden.  To the right, a path which seemed to lead to a nearby set of stone buildings.  The wind blew ever gently as they stopped at the edge.  

Thunder began to examine their surroundings more closely.   In spite of the splendor of everything around him, he couldn't help but feel something was a bit off. The whole environment had an almost ethereal energy and peace to it.  Usually around this time of day, an errant pegasus would be flying around going about their business.  But here, aside from the wind and the calling of the far off birds,  all was quiet. It almost felt like he and the princess were the only ponies in the world.

"So, what do you think?" Celestia inquired.

"This place is absolutely beautiful your highness.  I've never seen anywhere like this before in my life.  Actually, I'm not quite sure where we are.  I can't imagine we're still on the castle grounds, and I can't see Ponyville. In fact, I can't see any other towns at all..."

"Quite observant Thunder Shock.  You're quite right.  We are not on the castle grounds.  We're not even in Equestria."

Thunder began to get slightly worried.  "So, where are we?" he asked.

"We're asleep.  My sister Luna is allowing our minds to share this dream. Think of this place as...my safe haven.    A place where only I and whoever I bring with me can go.  We shouldn't need her assistance in the future."  she replied.

"...what?" 


-----------------------------------------------------------


Luna gently hovered over the sleeping bodies of Celestia and Thunder Shock; her eyes alight with an ethereal glow.   Her dream magic had to work overtime to bridge his fragile subconsciousness to her's.  After another hour or so, she finally landed in front of the bed and relaxed her magic.

'There we are.  Now for the rest of Equestria.'  she thought as she trotted quietly out of the room, turning the lights off as she did.   As she closed the door behind her, she looked one last time at the sleeping pair.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Tia."  Luna whispered.


-----------------------------------------------------------


Celestia and Thunder felt a slight tug in their minds as her sister released them from her embrace.

"Ah, she's done.  Usually it doesn't take as long for everything to become stable.  I hope it wasn't too hard on her." Celestia commented.

'Don't freak out Thunder.  Don't freak out. Don't freak out.  Don't freak out.  Just...be calm, relax, and enjoy the view.' Thunder internally pleaded.

He gently sat down and slowly breathed in the cool air.  After a few minutes of silent admiration for the beauty around him, both the garden and the princess, he turned to her with humility.  "With all due respect your highness, why did you bring me here?  I highly doubt you just wanted to show me the view."

Celestia sighed heavily and sat next to him, her face now hung with deep reflection.

"Thunder Shock, how old do you think Luna and I are?"

Thunder was taken back by the question.  In his mind, a mare with such prestige as Princess Celestia would never ask a common pony something as personal as this.  

"Well, I-I know that you banished your sister to the moon over a thousand years ago, so you're at least over a millennium old.  I've never really thought about it.  You two always just been here for us.  Aside from, you know."  he replied.

"Actually, We are...quite older than that.  I have had many names and titles in my life.  Princess, Empress, The Goddess of Fertility, The Holy Light, countless others.  I have seen entire civilizations grow, prosper, wither, and die.  I've seen countless wars fought for many reasons:  Love, Power, Wealth, Land, Pride.   I have always been, and will always be, until the very end.  And...and I'm afraid."

Tears began to flow ever slightly down Celestia's face.

"I'm afraid that if I'm by myself for too long I would lose perspective, only see the big picture...or worse.  I can't begin to imagine what would happen if I lost my mind."

Thunder inched closer to Celestia, hoping he could find a way to make things better for the sorrowing Princess.  Celestia began to compose herself and looked deeply into his emerald eyes.

"Sorry.  I...I get that way sometimes.  Now, onto business.  Tell me Thunder, do you know what a consort is?"

Thunder scratched his head and thought hard.  "Um, vaguely.  It's a companion of sorts.  Someone who comforts another.  A close friend.  That kind of thing."

"Close.  Actually, it's a royal title.  A mortal pony who is close to us.  They provide us advise, counsel, comfort...they help me keep things in perspective.  They help me see the little picture, because 'the big picture' is made up of untold numbers of little pictures." 

Thunder was baffled at what he was just told.  "I've never heard of anyone like that working in the castle."

"Not surprising.  Consorts are kept secret from the general public, and there hasn't been a proper consort in quite some time."  she replied.  

"Princess, forgive my brashness here, but why are you telling me any of this?"

"Thunder Shock, what if I were to tell you that Luna and I have decided to take on our first new consort in over a millennium?"

"Well, I-I would say that that pony was truly honored to be alongside one such as..."

Celestia quickly brought her hoof to his mouth.  "And what if I said that we have selected you?"

"...what?"

"After careful consideration, We can think of no other stallion to hold this esteemed title than you."

Thunder was taken back at the sheer magnitude of Celestia's decision.  He stood and began to trot around aimlessly, breathing heavily as he did.  "N..No...I...I...I CAN'T....I mean, why me?  Out of EVERY SINGLE STALLION in the WORLD, why me?!"

"Because you have an innate ability to see what truly troubles a pony.  You listen well, and you have no qualms bearing another pony's burden on yourself.  All the qualities of an excellent consort." Celestia gently replied.

"WHAT?!  But...I CAN'T...I...I have a job!" Thunder called out.

"I know."

"I have friends!  I have a life!"

"To my knowledge, you have only one close friend and a life that you don't necessarily live."

"H-How do you know about ANY of this?!"  Thunder exclaimed.

"I like to be prepared."  she replied as she then cleared her throat and stood at attention.

"Thunder Shock.  Male Pegasus.  Age twenty-six.  Single.  Born in Cloudsdale.  Son of Lightning and Violet Shock.  Currently employed at the Equestrian Weather Service Canterlot office.  You make two hundred bits a month, enough for a comfortable if lonely life.  You prefer Earle Grey tea with three drops of honey in the morning.  You-"

"ENOUGH!  I GET IT!"

Thunder stopped in his tracks, closed his eyes, and took a massive breath.  He continued to breathe heavily as he tried to comprehend the situation at hoof.

"Ok.  Let's...let's talk about this for a bit.  Say I actually DO accept this job.  First, what would my duties be exactly?"

"Well, Well, you would attend to me in the evenings and on the weekends when the day court is recessed. Luna is sometimes up and about during the day, so you could be called to keep her company when I am busy."  However, anytime that I or my sister are in need of companionship or advice, you would be summoned to aid us.  We will keep our discussions private, so you don't have to worry about anypony talking out of place.  You would have your own room in the castle, but should a need arise you would spend the night with either of us."

Celestia leaned in closer to Thunder, just inches away from his nose.

"There is one other duty you should be aware of.  With all of our power and authority, Luna and I are still ponies.  As such, we do have certain...physical needs that only a stallion can satisfy.  Tell me, would you have any concerns with being...intimate with either of us?"

Thunder choked and gasped for breath at the word 'intimate'.  He never in a million years thought he would ever be in a conversation with a Princess about intimacy.

"Thunder Shock, are you alright?!" Celestia asked with concern.

" 'gasp' 'cough'  I..I'm fine.  Just...wow.  I mean...WOW!  I..." he managed to squeak out.

"I apologize.  I didn't mean to make uncomfortable."

"NO NO, it's..it's fine.  It's just...I've never been...'intimate' with anypony, much less a mare of your...standing.  Of course I would...help in that situation...if it is absolutely necessary of course."  

Thunder's heart dropped to his knees.  'Oh GREAT!  How in Faust's holy name would I pull THAT off?  I...I guess just one step at a time, but that's gonna be one BIG step.'

"Good.  But keep in mind.  You would NOT be a whorse or token call pony.  You would be treated with the utmost respect in the castle.  If any other servant or guard hurt or disrespected you in any way, they would be punished.  Severely.  Your well being would be important to both of us." 

Celestia's face hung again with deep reflection as Thunder gazed into her eyes.  Looking past her sadness, he saw the long trail of tears in eyes that had seen far too many atrocities and deaths for anyone to endure, much less the ruler of an entire nation.  He saw lonely eyes, eyes that called out for someone, anyone, to simply care.  

"You need me don't you?  Not just my body, not just an adviser, but...me.  Don't you?"

Celestia hung her head low and simply whispered  "Yes.".

Thunder gazed at the goddess in front of him and saw what she truly was:  Not an ethereal being with an entire race of subjects who idolized the very ground she walked on, but a pony.  Simply an old pony in need of a friend.

With that in mind, Thunder trotted right up to Celestia and humbly bowed.

"Princess Celestia, I thank you for this prestigious and most gracious honor you have bestowed upon me, and I humbly accept."

Celestia smiled and quickly grabbed the stallion within her forelegs, giving him a very big hug.

"Thank you Thunder Shock.  You've made Luna and I very happy today.  I assure you, you will never regret this decision."

Thunder basked in the warmth and love of Celestia's hug for as long as he could, until the inevitable curiosity kicked in.  "Um, so uh, where do we begin?  I mean, is there some kind of ceremony or ritual or som----"

He was quickly interrupted when Celestia brought him up to her face and nuzzled him passionately.  Thunder could only respond with a few stifled murmurs as he was being embraced by the sun deity.

After a few moments for air, Thunder was the first to speak.  "So...what part of my duty was that?"

"Comfort.  Definitely comfort." Celestia responded.

Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed across the land, the ground beginning to crack and warp.

"W..What's happening?!" Thunder gasped.

"We're waking up.  A shame, I really wanted to spend more time here." Celestia responded as a large wave of darkness began to envelop the land, destroying everything in it's wake.

Thunder opened his mouth to scream, before realizing that nothing was truly real and could hurt the two.  He then closed his eyes and laid his head down upon Celestia's chest, waiting for the inevitable.

"We have a busy day ahead Thunder Shock.  Brace yourself."  she said as the darkness enveloped the two, plunging them into the oblivion of their own minds.
> Orientation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The world was only shadows and muffled noises as Thunder slid in and out of consciousness.  His eyes fluttered wildly as he sat up slowly and stretched his body.  

'What a dream.  Meeting the Princess, seeing the castle, going to that garden, stuff like that doesn't come around a lot.'  he thought.

He blissfully rolled over on his right side and began to close his eyes to catch a few more minutes of glorious sleep...until his eyes shot wide open at the sight next to him.  Sure enough, Celestia was still resting just a few inches away.  Gently rising up, he quickly took a look around and realized he was still in Celestia's room; only now he was in her gigantic bed.

'OK, this REALLY needs to stop happening.  I can't take much more!'

A few seconds later, Celestia began to stir and snort as she too started to wake up; her yawning echoing throughout the room.

"MMMMMmmmm.  Good Morning Thunder Shock.  Did you sleep well?"  she said.

"Y-Yes your highness.  I-I didn't mean to wake you."  he nervously whispered.

"Oh, you didn't.  I need to get up anyway."

As Celestia began to rise up from the bed,  Thunder began to take a mental inventory of everything that had happened in the past day or so.  'Alright, so that WASN'T a dream.  I'm the consort now.  How's this gonna...wait.  Morning?  What time is it?'

Thunder frantically turned his head looking for a clock.  Finding one on the nearby nightstand, he was taken back at the time:  6:33 A.M.  'Six thir-We slept the ENTIRE DAY?!  Faust, that potion was strong stuff.'  As he was gazing at the clock, he could hear the muffled sounds of metal clicking and shifting into place.  

"Um, Celestia, I don't mean to be difficult, but I really need to take care of-"

Turning back around, he saw that no one else was in the room.  

"Celestia?  "Princess?"  Looking further to the right, he noticed an open door that lead onto a nearby balcony.  Cautiously, Thunder rose from the bed and trotted towards it.  He peeked outside to see Celestia attired in her regalia with her eyes closed and her horn alight with magic.  Soon after, the sky began to shift from dark blue and indigo to muted shades of yellow and orange, and before long the sun began to slowly peek above the eastern horizon and brightened the land below.  Thunder shielded his eyes as the sun continued to climb higher in the sky.  Her work complete, Celestia relaxed her magic and sighed.  

Thunder could only stand in awe at the majesty of her work.  

"That...that was beautiful."  he remarked

Celestia turned towards him with a smile.  "Thank you."

She quickly rose to her hooves and trotted back inside.  "Now, we have to properly introduce you to everypony before the day court starts.  This way."

As she trotted towards the bedroom door, Thunder quickly stood at attention.  "W-Wait!  I still need to take care of some things!" he said with urgency.

She immediately stopped and turned her head back around to Thunder.  "Like what?"

"Well, I have to let the weather office know-"

"Your resignation letter will be sent later this morning and your former coworkers will be informed."

"O...kay.  And what about my apartment?  I'm gonna have to give notice..."

"The remainder of your lease will be paid and your things moved in by the end of the day."

Thunder was locked in stunned silence at the depth of Celestia and Luna's foresight.  

"We like to be thorough around here.  Now, I'm sure you would like to freshen up a bit before the staff meeting.  You can use your new bathroom.  It's already stocked with the basics.  Follow me."  

'...just...go with it.' Thunder mentally chastised.  

They quickly trotted out of Celestia's room and headed downstairs.  One floor down, they came to a long hallway with a set of double doors on the right and another set at the end.  They stopped at the doors on the right as Thunder continued to look down the hall.

"What's through there?" he asked.

"The dining room.  You can order meals there whenever you're hungry.  You may be called to share meals with us from time to time."  Celestia said as she unlocked the doors.  "Here we are."

Thunder followed her into the room and immediately took stock of it.  The room itself was about three times as big as his old bedroom.  It was completely devoid of furniture aside from a bed that was twice as big as he was.  Like Celestia's room, a balcony was connected on the east side giving a sweeping view of the city and valleys below.  A simple wooden door adorned the far side of the room.

"The bathroom is right through there." she said while pointing to the wooden door.  "Well, what do you think?" 

"This is very nice.  Thank you Celestia." he replied as he bowed respectfully.

"You're very welcome."  Celestia said with a warm smile. "It's important to Luna and I that you be comfortable and well rested.  Now, the meeting will start in about an hour.  I will send some guards to get you just as soon as we're ready for you."  She then gently closed the doors leaving Thunder alone with his thoughts.

'Well, this has all been very...interesting.  Oh for Faust's sake, how am I gonna pull this off?!  Pleasing the princesses?  I can barely please myself!  The whole thing is just-'

Thunder then took a very deep breath and brought a hoof up to rub his temple slowly.  'Baby steps Thunder, baby steps.  Just...take this whole thing slowly and keep calm.  I'll figure it out as I go...I hope.  Well, might as well get freshened up.'

He trotted across the room going through the doors and into the bathroom.  It had all of the essentials: toilet, sink, medicine cabinet, shower, bathtub, towels.  However, upon opening the cabinet, he saw a plethora of medicines, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, vitamins, and other assorted potions.  Quickly looking through them, he pulled out some passion fruit scented soap and shampoo and trotted towards the shower.  He firmly turned the knobs and sat back as the pipes behind the shower groaned and creaked alive.  The water soon came pouring out in a hot steaming cascade.  

He timidly stuck his hoof in front of the shower head to gauge the water's heat.  Finding it satisfactory, he carefully maneuvered his body towards the water and let it soak his entire body.  He sighed contently as the powerful stream relaxed his muscles and dampened his mane.

'Now this.  This I can get used to.' he thought contently.

After fifteen minutes or so of relaxing and washing, he shut off the water and quickly dried himself off.  He trotted back into the bedroom and laid flat on his back on the bed.  'I wonder what everypony at the weather office is up to?  Heh, I bet Sky is getting reamed by Titan for picking on the nobles or something.'

He began to recall all of his years at the weather office as visions of the past raced through his mind.  His many years of park duty; his friendship with Sky; even his work with a few impressive storms all came flooding back.  'What a time.  What a time.' he thought with a grin.

A sudden knocking at the door roused Thunder from his recollection.  

"Yes?"  he called out.

"The staff meeting has begun.  You're needed in the courtroom." a dutiful voice called back.

He quickly trotted to the door and opened it to find two royal guards at the ready.  Closing the door behind him, Thunder and the guards traveled through the castle until they reached the courtroom.  Gently opening the door, Thunder saw Celestia and Luna on their thrones presiding over rows upon rows of guards and maids who had filled the delegates' benches.  

"Next, I'm sure I don't need to remind you all that the crystal ponies have endured great hardships over the past few years to rebuild their society.  Many of them are still recovering from the effects of King Sombra's horrid magic.  If anypony wishes to donate a portion of their pay towards helping those who are still in need, please speak to your immediate supervisor.  Any help would be greatly appreciated." she said as the staff in attendance murmured in agreement.

Thunder was led to a seat right in the middle of the princesses.  Quickly sitting down, he looked on at the massive crowd and couldn't help but be slightly overwhelmed.  Noticing that he had finally arrived, Celestia smiled and quickly cleared her throat.

"Now, onto a bit of better news. I'm sure a few rumors have been spreading around, and they are true.  Luna and I have selected the first new consort in over a millennium."

The room immediately filled with the hushed mutterings and whispers of the castle staff.  

"Please give a warm welcome to Thunder Shock."  she said as she and Luna turned their heads towards him.

"Hello, Thunder Shock."  the staff called out in unison.

"H-Hi everypony.  How's it going?" he managed to choke out.  He could feel the eyeballs of at least thirteen dozen ponies looking over him as though he were some strange alien that had just landed in their backyard.  Celestia and Luna turned their heads again to face the staff.

"As the consort, he will be accompanying either myself or Luna from now on,” Celestia began. “Please read the material given to you as to how he will fit into the royal hierarchy and his exact duties.  Also give his description to the off-duty staff so we can get everypony up to speed.  However, you are NOT to mention this information to anyone outside of castle staff.  If you have any questions or issues, please consult with your immediate supervisor.  We know this is a big change for us all, and we must do all that we can to make this transition as painless as possible."

Her face then took on a look of absolute seriousness.  "We also know that due to the nature of his duties, some of you may be slightly...uncomfortable with his presence around the castle.  To anyone who is thinking about doing anything that may make him uncomfortable or question his decision, let me make it very clear that this will NOT be tolerated.

"Indeed." said Luna with a nod.  "Anypony caught either disrespecting him or making back hooved comments behind his back will be dealt with in the proper manner.  Understood?" she called out.

"Yes your majesties!" the staff responded.  

Celestia's warm smile returned as she nestled in her throne.

"Good.  Now, the day court will be starting in about an hour and the delegates will be arriving soon.  Let's make this a very safe and productive day.  Dismissed."

As the room began to clear out, one very prevalent thought was on Thunder Shock's very rattled mind.


'I need a cup of tea.'



-----------------------------------------------------------


Thunder gracefully sipped the warm brown liquid with calm serenity.  The dining room was completely deserted aside from himself and the maid who had served him his beverage.

"Do you need anything else?"  the maid asked.

"Uh, no.  Thank you." he responded.

"As you wish, sire."  said the maid as she quickly bowed her head and trotted back towards the kitchen.

'Sire?  Well, might as well start getting used to it.' he thought as he continued to drink his tea.  As he basked in the peaceful silence of the room, Princess Luna quietly trotted in.

"Ah, there you are.  One of the maids told me they saw you come in here.  I hope I'm not interrupting anything."  she said.

"I'm fine.  Just...trying to enjoy a cup of tea through all of this." he responded.

Luna trotted up next to him and took a seat.  "So, how are you doing?"

"For a pony whose life has been turned inside out and upside down, I like to think I'm handling it pretty well." he quipped back.  He quickly brought his hoof over his mouth, afraid he had committed a massive verbal gaffe.  "I-I'm sorry.  I didn't mean-"

"It's fine.  It was funny."  she responded with a slight giggle.  Thunder could only moan and throw up his hoof in defeat.

"Anyway, I wanted to give you a proper tour of the castle  I would rather you not get lost during your time here."  Luna said.

"Sure.  One sec."  he responded as he quickly finished off his tea.  The two of them began to trot through the great hallways of the castle; enjoying the splendor of it's design.

'OK Thunder, be calm.  Just...try to strike up some conversation.' he thought nervously.

"So...what do you do around here?” Thunder asked, while internally rolling his eyes at himself and thinking, '...smooth.'

"Well, during the night I raise the moon and monitor the dreams of ponies in distress.  During the day however, that is a different story.  Officially, I am on standby in case Celestia cannot attend to her duties of the day court.  But she almost always performs admirably, so I find other ways to pass the time." Luna responded.

"Really?  What do you do to keep busy?"

"Well, we-"  Luna caught herself slipping and groaned in frustration.  "...I...have been taking courses to be more modern in my way of speaking.  Old habits die very hard.  I also read, write, take long walks, anything to keep myself active basically."

"Ah.  Anyway, thank you for choosing me as the consort..." 

"You're quite welcome.  I was actually surprised that you accepted the position."

"Why?"

"It takes a special kind of pony to become the consort.  Many have turn down the position when offered in the past.  Some can't handle the strain and resign or run off in the night.  The fact that you're even standing here says a lot about you."

"I'm just hoping I can live up to the challenge."

"Oh but you already have Thunder.  And you have done so quite well."

"...what do you mean?"

Luna stopped in front of him and flared her horn.  "Tell me, does this look familiar?"  Her magic wrapped around her body; contorting and shaping it until it resembled a certain purplish blue earth pony.  "..W-Well, I just broke up with my coltfriend and I don't have anywhere to go." she said feigning a few sobs.

"...you...you were..." he managed to choke out.

Luna quickly changed back into her regal form and took on a devilish grin.  "Clever, aren't I?  Now come along; there is a lot more to see."  

The two spent the day trotting around the castle; taking in the sights as they went.  The castle was bustling with it's daily activity with maids cleaning here and there to guards dutifully patrolling the halls.  From the high conservatory to the royal library, Thunder was amazed at the shear size and scope of it all.  

As the two of them finished their tour, the afternoon sun was slowly setting in the sky.

"Wow, we've been this all day, huh?" said Thunder.

"Indeed.  The day court should be adjourning soon.  Celestia will want to talk to you, I'm sure." Luna replied.

"Um, if you don't mind your majesty, can I take a short side trip to my room?   I just want to make sure that all my stuff got here safely."

"Of course.  And you don't need to be so formal in front of me when we are alone.  You can call me Luna."

"Thank you your...Luna."

He trotted down the steps towards his room and quickly opened the door to check on his room.  Sure enough, all of his furniture had been moved aside from his old bed.  Stacked here and there on top of the furniture were a few of his things: his clothes for special occasions, his books, his alarm clock, his teapot.  However, as he looked around the room, one thing was missing.

"Where-Where is...?" he inquired worryingly.

"Thunder, is everything alright?" Luna inquired while trotting in behind him.

He quickly dashed to his dresser and began to frantically open the drawers; searching through them like a mad pony.  "Where is it?!  Oh sweet holy FAUST, WHERE IS-"

His calm demeanor returned when he opened the bottom drawer and found his missing item: an old picture of a small dark blue colt with his parents at the park.  He carefully lifted the picture from the drawer and set it on the nightstand next to his bed.

"I-for a second I thought I'd lost this." he said.

"It's alright.  Celestia and I know how much that picture means to you."  Luna responded.

As he continued to gaze lovingly at the portrait, the two of them heard a gentle rapping at the door.

"Come in." Thunder called out.

The door quickly opened and a petite emerald maid came trotting into the room.

"F-Forgive my intrusion Princess Luna, but there is a situation in the main hall." said the maid.

"What's going on?" Luna inquired.

"There is a Sky Hopper wanting to see master Thunder Shock, and he's creating quite a disturbance." the maid replied.

'Sky?  Sky's here?!' thought Thunder anxiously.

"Please tell Mr. Hopper that master Thunder Shock is busy at the moment and to make an appointment to see him later." said Luna

"We did, and he says that he will not leave the castle until he speaks with master Thunder Shock." said the maid with a small frown.

"Well, tell Mr. Hopper that if he does not leave, he will be arrested and thrown in the dungeon for the night."

"We did, and he says that if we try to force him out, he will 'kick our flanks from here to Las Pegasus and have a smile on his face while doing it.'"

"Look, let me talk to him.  Maybe I can get him to calm down and leave." Thunder implored to Luna.

"...Very well." she responed.

"Thank you!  I won't be long!  Promise!" he called out as he galloped out of his room and through the halls of the castle...


-----------------------------------------------------------


"Sir, if you do not stand down in the next minute, we will be forced to place you under arrest." Thunder heard a guard dutifully calling out he approached the main hall.

"Take your best shot there big slick!  You touch me, you're entering a world of pain!" Sky's voice called back.

Thunder raced into the main hall to see Sky hovering defiantly over a large group of guards.  

"SKY!" he called out.

"Thunder!  Dude, am I glad to see you!" Sky called back.

Thunder galloped towards the guards and managed to push his way through.  

Thunder galloped towards the guards and started to push his way through them. "It's alright.  Just let me talk to him.  Please," he pleaded.  The guards soon stepped away, though not without a bit of grumbling, then scattered to a respectful distance, leaving him alone to deal with Sky.  "Sky, what are you doing?!  Do you want to get thrown in the dungeon?!"

"What am I doing?!  What are YOU doing?!  Titan told us this morning that you had quit.  I went to your place after work to get answers, but I saw these guys moving all of your stuff out.  I followed them back here and they said they couldn't let me see you.  Now, what is going on?!" Sky exclaimed.

"Sky, relax.  Everything is fine.  It...it's just a little complicated-"

"Complicated?!  What are you talking about?!  I want to know what's going on RIGHT NOW or I'm not going anywhere!"

Thunder's mind raced with fear and anxiety as he tried to think of a plausible excuse to please Sky.  "Well, uh...You see, uh...t-the thing is that..."

"I see that you've met our new national weather adviser."  a regal voice called from behind the pair.

Sure enough, Princess Celestia came trotting towards them with a air of authority about her.

"National weather adviser?" Sky inquired.

"Uh, YEAH!  That's me!  National weather adviser.  You know, advising the...national weather...and all."  said Thunder as he smiled dubiously.

"I've never heard of a national weather adviser..." Sky said disbelievingly.

"Not surprising.  There hasn't been one in over a millennium.  However, with all of the chaos in our weather patterns in recent years, Luna and I felt it was high time to appoint a proper one to help deal with the issue at hoof." Celestia responded

"That...is...so...AWESOME!  Dude, why didn't you tell me about this?!" Sky exclaimed.

"It was a very deliberative process in choosing Thunder Shock.  I told him to keep our conversations a secret for the time being.  I didn't want any outside interferences affecting his decision." said Celestia.

"Yeah, that's it.  Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner Sky."  Thunder responded.

"Aw, I can't stay mad at ya.  Glad you're finally moving up in the world.  Proud of you dude."  Sky remarked as he gave Thunder a firm bro hug.  

Thunder quickly reciprocated with a small smile on his face.  "Thanks Sky.  It was good to see you again.  I'll be seeing you around, don't worry."

"You know where to find me.  Hey, don't forget the little ponies who got you to the top!"  Sky then trotted out of the main hall and took to the skies.

With the ordeal over, Thunder breathed deeply and faced Celestia. "I-I'm sorry you had to see that.  Sky can get that way sometimes."

"No problem.  I've faced threats far greater than a disgruntled weather pony.  Now, it's getting late and I wish to retire for the evening.  Shall we?" she responded.

"Oh sure.  Lead the way."  The two of them trotted back through the castle towards the living quarters.  "So...national weather adviser?" he whispered.

"A simple cover story to explain your presence in the castle.  A formal press release will be sent out tomorrow." she whispered back.  The two of them continued on until they reached her chamber doors.  "You know, I wasn't completely lying.  Luna and I sought out many stallions to fill the role of the consort.  Out of all of the candidates, we asked you."

Thunder stood by her in stunned silence as she gently opened her chamber door.

"I know today has been especially nerve wracking for you.  You may have the rest of the evening to yourself.  However, tomorrow is Saturday, so please be sure to make yourself available.  Have a very good night." she said.

"T-Thank you...Celestia." he responded.

She smiled ever softly and gently closed the door.  Thunder breathed deeply and trotted back towards his room.  The emerald maid still walked the halls as he neared his room.

"Will you be needing anything else this evening, sire?" she inquired.

Thunder opened his mouth to answer when a loud growl and gurgle escaped from it.  

"Um, if it's not too much trouble, may I have three daisy sandwiches with mustard and mayonnaise and a glass of water?" he asked humbly.

"Yes sire." the maid responded as she trotted towards the dining room.  Thunder quickly entered his room and laid down on his bed.

'Well, looks like this is gonna be home for a while.  Wonder how long it will be for?' he thought.

A few minutes later, a gentle knock came from the other side of Thunder's chamber door.  He quickly hopped up and opened the door to find the maid standing with a silver tray of food.

"Your sandwiches, sire."  she said.

Thunder quickly took the tray and sat it down on his coffee table.  "Thank you." he said as he gently closed the door.

Thunder quickly grabbed one of his books and settled in on the couch.  He finally began to truly relax as he nibbled on his sandwich and read.

'As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days...'
	
> A Bright Saturday
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The morning sun was beginning it's trek through the sky, its bright rays shining through the castle windows.  The rays shone upon the eyes of the still sleeping Thunder Shock, rousing him from his deep slumber.  With a mighty yawn, he carefully sat up in bed and began to stretch his wings and body.

'Wow, that was a good sleep.  Didn't realize how hard my old bed was...' he drowsily thought.

He pulled himself out of bed and trotted around to fully wake himself up.  He headed out onto the balcony to see the whole of Canterlot bathed in the hazy sunlight.  'What a view.  Well, might as well get my day started.' 

He trotted into his bathroom and firmly turned the knobs on his shower.  He quickly hopped in as the hot cascade of water wet every inch of his body.  After fifteen minutes or so of washing, he hopped back out and dried himself off.  He then trotted over to his sink and opened the medicine cabinet.  He grabbed a stick of deodorant and carefully ran it under both of his forelegs.  He then pulled out a toothbrush and toothpaste and proceeded to thoroughly brush his teeth.  His work complete, he gazed into the cabinet's mirror and looked himself over.

'You know, I'm not that bad looking of a stallion, am I?' he thought.

"Well hey there." he said; his voice taking on a air of huskiness.  "Who am I?  Oh, nopony special.  Just the royal consort.  Oh yeah, I keep the princesses nice and happy.  What's that?  Dinner?  Well, If you insist..."

A sudden knocking at the door made Thunder jump with an audible gasp.

"C-Coming!"  he called out.

He trotted over to his chamber door and quickly opened it to find a maid standing patiently outside.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Master Thunder Shock.  The princesses have requested your presence in the dining room for breakfast in about an hour." said the maid.

"Oh sure.  I'll be there."  he responded. 

The maid humbly bowed and trotted back down the hall as Thunder closed the door.  Having about an hour to kill, he started to organize his things in the opulent room he had been granted. Taking care not to scratch any of the finely polished wood the furniture was made of, he put away his clothes in the dresser and neatly stacked his books on the coffee table.  After about an hour of this, he quickly trotted out of the room; only stopping to look at the picture on his nightstand. 

"Wish me luck guys." he whispered.

He trotted out of his room and proceeded down the hall towards the dining room.  Opening the door and heading inside, he found Celestia and Luna already sitting at their places at the table.

"...and it will be so nice to see her tomorrow."  said Celestia as he trotted towards the two.

Luna began to notice his hoofsteps and turned her head towards him.  "Ah, Thunder Shock.  Good morning to you.  Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did.  That bed is really-"  Thunder began, his voice falling silent as he took in the startling sight before him.   The two princesses were dressed not in their regalia, but in simple silk robes with colors corresponding to their body fur.  Also, their hair was no longer flowing ethereally in the wind but draped around their shoulders, Celestia's being a single shade of pink while Luna's was a simple light blue. 

"Um..." he muttered.

"Is something wrong, Thunder?" Celestia responded.

"N-Nothing.  It's just...your hair..."

"Oh.  These are our natural colors.  Normally, our hair is enchanted by the power of our celestial bodies.  When we relax however, we just prefer to wear it like this."

"Indeed.  We do like to... Um, what's the phrase?  Ah, 'let our manes down' on the weekends."  Luna chimed in.

Thunder shrugged his shoulders and took his seat in front of the regal pair.  Soon after, a very studious waiter came trotting towards the three with a small notepad in his hoof.

"Is everypony ready to order?" he asked.

"Let's see.  I will have...three dozen banana pancakes, sixteen...no...seventeen scrambled eggs, five sliced grapefruit, and two pitchers of orange juice please."  said Celestia.

The waiter listened intently and wrote down the order with speed.  "And for you, Princess Luna?"

"I shall have two dozen whole wheat waffles with butter, a loaf of toast with strawberry jelly, a dozen oranges, and a gallon of milk please." she said.

After her order was taken down, the waiter turned his attention to the stunned Thunder.  "And for you Master Thunder Shock?"

"Are...Are we having a banquet or something?" he choked out.

Celestia giggled and turned towards Thunder.  "No no no.  We are very big ponies who wield vast amounts of magic.  As such, we need a lot of food to keep our strength up."

"Moving the sun and moon takes a LOT of magical power, so we need all of the energy we can get." replied Luna.

"Oh." Thunder remarked as he turned to face the waiter.  "Um...just some oats and tea please."

The waiter took down his short order and quickly trotted back towards the kitchen.

"Oh, by the way, did the guards resolve the incident in the main hall yesterday afternoon?" asked Luna.

"Actually, Thunder was able to talk Mr. Hopper down.  I had to use the weather adviser identity a little sooner than planned, but it seems that he's OK with the situation for the time being."  said Celestia.

"Again, I'm really sorry for that.  Sky's always been a bit of a troublemaker.  It's the reason why he got suspended after all."  Thunder replied.

"Suspended?  How?" Luna inquired

"Well, it was about a year ago..." 


-----------------------------------------------------------


The park was bustling with activity as the wedding staff and guests prepared for the big event.  The two young nobles were hard at work practicing their vows while the staff dutifully handled the growing chaos.  Above them all, the local weather ponies were clearing and moving clouds, making sure that the sky was to everypony's liking.  Sky and Thunder were pushing clouds towards an empty spot in the park, Sky sporting a look of sheer frustration.

"Dude, I swear if I have to move this cloud one more time..." Sky muttered under his breath.

"Come on Sky, They just want their wedding to be perfect.  Not to mention their families are making a big donation to the weather service for all of this.  So try and be nice?" Thunder responded.

"Fine." Sky conceded.

The two continued to push their clouds when the bride came galloping up behind them.

"Excuse me!  Mr....Sky was it?" she called out.

Sky took a very deep breath and turned to face her; a forced smile painted on his face.

"Yes ma'am.  How may I help you?" he said.

"I hate to ask, but could you move that cloud back over the craft services table?  I don't want the cake to melt in this heat."  she replied.

"Of course ma'am.  Right away." he responded.

The bride quickly galloped away, leaving Sky to push his cloud yet again.  After a few seconds though, a new idea entered his mind; his face now sporting a devilish grin.

"Oh, I'll move it over there all right..." he slyly said.

He flew behind the cloud and gave it a rather forceful buck, sending it flying back across the park stopping over the table.

"Sky!  Are you insane?!  What if you started it up?!"  Thunder exclaimed.

"Relax, it's empty.  Look."  Sky replied as the two looked at the cloud, still hovering gently over all of the carefully prepared food.  "See?  No harm, no fou-"  

Suddenly, a loud crashing bellowed across the park as the humble cloud began to pour out a torrent of water.  The cake utterly disintegrated under its massive stream.

"MY CAKE!"  the bride shrieked.

The duo hovered in utter despair as Sky uttered the only thing that could come to his mind.

"Oh, crap."


-----------------------------------------------------------


"Ah." Luna remarked.

"Needless to say that both families weren't too happy with Sky.  Lightning Titan, our office manager, pulled Sky into his office and told him EXACTLY what he thought of everything.  He suspended him from all major duties until he cleaned up his act.  I'm surprised he kept his job at all after what he did." said Thunder.

"He does appear to be a bit brash.  He's very lucky to have you as a friend." added Celestia.

"Look, Sky can be a bit...rough around the edges.  But he does have a very good heart.  Always been there to look out for me." 

A few moments later, the kitchen doors flew open and trays upon trays of food were carried in by waiters and maids.  They quickly filled the table to its limits while one quickly trotted to Thunder and sat down a simple bowl and teacup.

"Excellent.  Thank you all very much." Celestia said as they finished their duties.  They politely bowed and trotted back into the kitchen leaving the three to begin their breakfast.  The two sisters carefully picked up their utensils with their magic and began to eat.  

"So, how was the day court yesterday?  Did anything interesting happen?" asked Luna.  

"Oh, nothing special.  Nobles arguing, delegates feeling cheated and outraged, a normal session.  The defense minister thought I was pulling a prank on him when I announced I was trimming the military budget by one hundred thousand bits.  The look on his face was priceless."  said Celestia as she hovered a piece of pancake into her mouth.  

"That's hard to believe." replied Luna as she drank her milk.

"I know.  I swear, every time I touch the military budget..."

"No, I mean the idea of you actually pranking anypony."

"Luna!  I'll have you know I can prank very well."

"Name one."

"Well...let's see...AH!  One time, during a brunch in Ponyville, I tricked the Cakes into over pouring my cup of tea."

"Oh my stars!  Call the Equestrian Gazette!  Surely this is the story of the century!"  said Luna as she flailed her hooves in the air.

"Ha." Celestia dryly quipped.

'Wow.  They're acting like...sisters.' thought Thunder while he sipped his tea.  

The three continued to eat until nothing was left but empty plates and very full stomachs.  

"MMMMMM.  Delicious.  The cooks really outdid themselves this time."  said Luna.

"I have to agree, this was very delightful." replied Celestia.  She gently turned to face Thunder and brought her head down to meet him face to face.  "Now, I'd like to introduce you to someone very special Thunder.  Please come with me."  

"Who?  I've meet almost everypony in the entire castle, haven't I?" he inquired.

"Oh, this isn't a member of the staff.  It's someone a little closer to me."

"Well, I should be going then.  I really must work on my language lessons today.  I've been slipping here and there a little too much."  added Luna as she trotted out of the room.

Celestia and Thunder left soon after and quickly trotted out of the living quarters.  After a few turns here and there, they found themselves on the other side of the castle in front of a pair of wooden double doors with a rose emblazoned upon them.

"Here we are." said Celestia as she began to open the door.

"Where is here exac-" said Thunder as he was amazed at what he saw next.  The sunlight streaming down on the garden illuminated the many trees and flowers there, many of which he hadn't seen before.  

"Wow." Thunder murmured.

"I'm glad you approve.  I really wanted her playground to be as radiant as possible."  said Celestia as she gently trotted further in.  "Now where is she?  Come out now.  It's alright." she called out.

"Um, who are you talking to?" inquired Thunder.  Suddenly, a small rustling came from a nearby rose bush.  He cautiously trotted up to it and examined the area.  "Hello?  Anypony there?" 

The rose bush then shook violently as a flaming aura came erupting from it and flew high into the sky.  Thunder fell flat on his flank while he watched the aura fly towards Celestia and land carefully on her extended foreleg.

"Oh there you are!  You really shouldn't hide like that Philomena!" she scolded.  

Thunder nervously rose to see what this 'Philomena' was exactly.  As he came closer, he saw a bird that appeared to be ablaze in ethereal flame.  

"What...what is that thing?" he inquired.

"This is Philomena, my pet phoenix.  Say hello Philomena."  said Celestia as the bird sang out a sweet crow.

"...what's a phoenix?"

"A phoenix is a fabulous bird that is magically attuned to fire and energy.  When they get sick or are near death, they burn into ashes and rise up good as new.  I found little Philomena here at the edge of the Everfree Forest many years ago injured and alone.  I nursed her back to health and had this little garden built for her to play in.  Since then, she's been a welcome addition to the family."

"Well, she certainly does look amazing."

"Would you like to hold her?"

"Um...sure."  

Thunder timidly held out his right foreleg as the phoenix quickly flew from her hoof to his.  The bird quickly nestled herself onto his leg and sang out a contented squawk. 

"Uh...who's a good phoenix?  Yes you are.  Yes you are." he said while carefully stroking the bird's belly.  Philomena gently cooed and began to nuzzle his neck, his face turning a deep red as she did so.

"Aw.  She likes you.  That's a very good sign."  said Celestia.  The consort and the phoenix continued to admire each other while the bright morning sun shone brightly upon them.


-----------------------------------------------------------


The evening maid staff were just finishing up their duties as Celestia and Thunder came trotting back into the living quarters.  As they went further in, she quickly stopped in her tracks and turned to face him.

"Excuse me for a moment Thunder.  I have to go powder my nose.  I won't be long." she said.

"Oh, of course." replied Thunder.  

She quickly trotted off towards her chambers, leaving Thunder alone with the maids.  A few seconds later, they hurriedly finished their work and ran down the corridor in dread.

'Huh, Wonder what got into them?' thought Thunder.

"Well well well, if it isn't our newest house guest."  a menacing voice called out behind him.  He quickly turned around and saw a well dressed unicorn stallion with wavy blonde hair.  "Oh, where are my manners?  Prince Blueblood, esquire."

"Um...nice to meet you sir.  Thunder Shock, national weather advis-"

"Oh save your speech.  I know full well that you're the new consort." said Blueblood as he began to trot around the befuddled Thunder.  "So, this is the 'oh so gracious and kind' stallion that they've chosen.  If it were up to me, I would have picked a better lineage."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, I'm sure that you would do well helping out...lesser mares and such.  But here dear colt, I'm afraid you're out of your depth."

"Now you listen here-"

"NO!  You listen you little...commoner." Blueblood growled as he met Thunder face to face.  "I have no idea what the princesses see in you.  But if you start getting any funny ideas in their heads about changing things around here, I swear I will do everything in my power to-"

"Prince Blueblood!"  Celestia called out as she trotted back towards the pair.  

As she did, he quickly threw a foreleg around Thunder and drew him in close.

"O-Oh, good evening Princess!  I was just giving Thunder Shock here a warm welcome and wishing him the best of luck!"

"I'm sure you were.  Tell me, do you know exactly how Thunder fits into the royal hierarchy now?"

"Well...not exactly.  But I'm sure that the royal consort has its privileges here and there.  You're one very lucky colt, Thunder!"

"Oh indeed he is.  Did you know that with his new title he now wields even more power than yourself?  Quite an interesting fact; wouldn't you agree, Honorary Prince Blueblood?"

The blood immediately drained from Blueblood's face; rendering him a shaking pale wreck in front of the solar diarch.  "R-Really?  Well...may I say what an honor it is to have a stallion of your caliber included in our illustrious..."

"Leave.  Now." said Thunder sternly.

"Of-Of course sire.  You both have a very pleasant evening."  whimpered Blueblood as he dashed out of the living quarters.  

Celestia quickly knelt down to Thunder with a look of concern.  "I am so sorry, Thunder.  Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"I...I'm fine.  What was that all about?"  replied Thunder.

"A little while after gaining his title, Blueblood developed a condescending attitude towards those he feels are 'below' him.  He comes from a common family himself and doesn't like to be reminded of it.  He's been getting worse ever since the Grand Galloping Gala..."

"Then why did you give him his title in the first place?"

"Because I respect his parents greatly.  They've helped feed and shelter thousands of ponies who are less fortunate and are a beacon of light in Canterlot society.  They refused to take any titles or power for themselves; only wanting something better for their son.  I felt like I owed them something for their hard work.  How a pony like Blueblood ever came out of them is beyond me."

"Eh, life's funny like that I guess."  A audible yawn quickly escaped from his mouth.  "Well, it's getting late.  If you or Luna don't need anything else today, I'd like to turn in for the night."

"Actually, I would like for you to sleep with me tonight."

"...what?"

"Well, we haven't gotten to see too much of each other so far.  I think this is as good a time as any to get more familiar.  Come along, let's get ready for bed."

'Does...does she want to...?' Thunder thought with dread.  Quickly trotting behind her, they entered her chambers while Celestia gently hummed to herself.  A gentle magic field quickly enveloped the doors; closing and locking them in a single motion.  

"Now, let me slip into something a bit more comfortable..."  she said as she trotted towards her dresser.  She began to carefully slip off her robe, causing Thunder to quickly turn around and blush heavily.  From behind his back, he could hear the faint rustling of clothes being slipped off and put away.   

"S-S-So, did you have a good day Celestia?" he muttered out while trying to control his rapidly beating heart.  'Don't faint!  For the love of all that's holy don't faint!'  he screamed in his mind.

"Oh yes, we had a good breakfast, played with Philomena, the weather was spectacular; all in all a very good Saturday.  You can turn around by the way." she responded.

Thunder did so to find the Princess attired only in a small smile, her pink hair cascading over her back. Thunder's blush deepened; he hadn't expected her to face him essentially naked.

'Tell her she looks nice!' he mentally chastised himself.  ""Y...you look lovely." he stammered out.  Very r-radiant.  I mean..."

"Relax Thunder.  I don't need you to make love to me tonight." she said with a smile.  

'THANK YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...' he mentally squealed in utter relief.  "Well, I-If you're just not up for it, you're just not up for it.  I can manage."  

Celestia giggled softly and carefully slid into bed; the left side hugging her body in softness.  "Don't be afraid, Thunder.  It's quite comfortable." she said with a yawn.

Thunder quickly climbed into the other side and felt his body immediately begin to relax.  "Well, I gotta admit, this does feel really good." he whispered contently.  

Celestia then lazily wrapped her forelegs around his body and brought him close to her chest, her beating heart slowly thumping in his ears.  Another flaring of her horn extinguished the light in the room; leaving them both in darkness.

"It's been so long since I shared my bed with another pony.  It's always a pleasure sleeping with someone you trust, don't you agree?" she whispered in his ear.

"I-I wouldn't know.  I always just sleep alone." he whispered back.

"I know.  You've led a very lonely life, haven't you?"

"...yeah."

"I know you still have anxieties about intimacy.  Most ponies often do.  I assure you, they will pass in due time."

"I hope so.  Thank you for...everything."

"You're very welcome. Goodnight, Thunder Shock." she said as she drowsily closed her eyes.

"...goodnight, your majesty." he replied while his closed in kind.  The two tired ponies began to breathe slower and slower as they drifted peacefully to sleep.
> Small Comforts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.

> A Consort's Duty (clop)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Thunder awoke to darkness and white light, the setting moon casting its glow across Celestia's bedroom.  He gently sat up in bed and stretched his neck.

'No nightmares.  Awesome.'  he thought as he rubbed his eyes.  He turned to see the sun princess still sleeping on his right side.  'She looks so peaceful.  I wonder how often she gets to feel like that.'  he carefully laid back down and closed his eyes, not wanting to wake her.  Some time later she began to stir and rise from her slumber, a small yawn escaping from her mouth.

"Good morning, Celestia."  he whispered.

"MMMM...  Good morning, Thunder.  Did you sleep well?" she whispered back.

"Yeah.  No nightmares this time."

"That's great.  I took your advice yesterday evening."

"Really?  How did it go?"

"Quite well.  Twilight was more than happy to share some time with me before she left."

"See?  Glad I could help."  he said with a smile.  As he continued to wake up, a nagging feeling crawled into his mind.  "Say Celestia, I don't mean to pry...but does Twilight know about...you know..."

"No.  I didn't tell her about the more...intimate responsibilities of the consort, and I would appreciate it if you would keep it a secret.  I don't wish to expose her to such things, at least not right now."

"No problem.  I understand."

"...Thank you.  I need to go raise the sun."

"Go ahead.  I'll wait here."

Celestia got up and trotted out onto the balcony.  While she performed her duty, Thunder rose and stood up on his hindlegs.  He then unfurled his wings and stretched them along with his forelegs, touching the floor and his sides.  With the sun's rays now shining through the room, the princess returned to the stretching pegasus.

"There we go.  So, what do you have plan-" Celestia began as her attention was abruptly shifted to Thunder.The morning light played over his toned form, muscles flexing and relaxing under his stretched fur.  His wings stood at attention, the golden glow of sunrise accentuating every feather.  His natural musk wafted through the air and tickled her nostrils, calling forth feelings too long dormant in her body.

"...Is something wrong?" he inquired as he noticed Celestia watching him.

"N-No.  It's just...you look good this morning." she responded. 

"I guess.  My mane's growing out a bit and...ugh...I really need to preen.  I should go and wash up."

"Of course.  I need to prepare for the day court myself.  Have a good day Thunder."

"You as well, Celestia."  Thunder dutifully bowed and trotted out of her chambers, leaving her with only her thoughts and her suddenly fluttering heart for company...


-----------------------------------------------------------


The last drops of warm water dripped from the shower head as Thunder finished his morning bath.  He carefully stepped out and grabbed a nearby towel off of the rack, drying off as he approached the medicine cabinet mirror.  Brushing away the steam on the glass, he picked up his brush and ran it through his mane, a few loose silver hairs pulling away as he did.  

'There.  Now for my wings.' he thought.  He extended them far to his sides and began to meticulously inspect them.  Using his tongue and teeth, he grabbed each errant feather, smoothed it out, and shifted it back into place.  Any time he would find a broken one he pulled it out completely, slightly wincing in pain as he did.  His work complete, he took another look at his wings and at his reflection.  'Good.  Now I'm presentable at least.'  

He trotted out of his bathroom and opened his chamber door.  Looking around, he found a pink unicorn maid making her rounds around the living quarters.  He asked her politely for tea, and was somewhat surprised to find himself no longer bothered by her bow as she complied.

Thunder closed his door and went over to his balcony.  He looked outside to see the whole of Canterlot basking in the rays of the rising sun. 'Another beautiful morning.  Celestia really knows how to make it special.  Huh...wonder what those compliments were all about?  I guess she was just trying to be nice, but still...'

A gentle rapping at the door stirred Thunder from his thoughts.  "Yes?"  he said while poking his head out.  The maid stood in the hallway with a sliver tray in her pink magical field, a small cup of tea with steam wafting from it sitting in the center.

"Your tea, Master Thunder.  Also, Princess Luna has requested your assistance in her chambers when you're finished." the maid answered.

"I'll be there in a minute." he responded as he carefully took the tray and closed the door.  He sat it down on his coffee table and took a seat on his couch in front of it.  Feeling oddly calm in spite of being summoned, he gave himself a few moments to savor the tea. Once he finished, he quickly went up the stairs and stood outside the lunar diarch's door.

"Luna?  It's Thunder."  he called out as he firmly knocked on the chamber door.

"Come in."  she called back.

He opened the door and trotted in to find Luna sitting in the middle of the room with two open books sitting on small stands, one at a good reading height for her and another shorter one obviously intended for him. 

"Morning Luna.  You needed my help with something?" he inquired.

"Yes I did.  I'm studying conversations for my language lessons today and I need a speaking partner.  Would you mind going through some with me?" she answered.

"Sure.  Let's see what we got here."  Thunder went over to the smaller stand and quickly flipped through the book.  "What page are you on?"

"Page 147, example 3: 'Shopping'.  I will start the sentences if you would respond."  

"OK." Thunder quickly flipped to the appropriate page and example.  "Ready when you are."

Luna politely cleared her throat and began to read aloud.  "Do you know anywhere that sells cheap cashmere sweaters?"

"I know a small store nearby that may have cheap cashmere sweaters." Thunder responded.

"That's a great idea!  We...I didn't know there was a store so close by."

"They usually give you great deals if you buy one or more."

"Thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome."

"...Alright, now for the next one."  said Luna as they both looked down at the next lesson: 'The Sale Has Ended'  "Pardon me. Is this cashmere sweater on sale today?"

"Actually ma'am, the sale ended yesterday."

"Are you sure?  I...I'd be happy to pay the sale price today."

"I'm sorry, but my boss won't let me change the price that's on display."

"Let us-ME think about it.  Maybe I'll wait until the next sale."

"Take a look around.  Maybe you'll see something else you like."

The two continued on for a few hours, going through topics such as employment, traveling, the weather, and making friends.  As they turned to the next page, Thunder was taken aback at the chapter:  'Speaking Urban'

"Luna, what's this chapter about?" he inquired.

"Ah!  This is supposed to be a fun chapter!  It is supposed to be a new type of speaking that is developing in Manehatten and other big cities.  I wanted to try out a few phrases just to get the basics down.  You can go first this time." she responded.

Utterly curious, Thunder looked at the conversation and started to read aloud.  "Hey there...fly filly.  What's the haps?"

"Nothing much, my main bro!  Just chillin' with my honeys' and soaking up rays!"

"That's really...dope.  Wanna bounce to the crib and see what's rollin'?  ...OK, whoever talks like this needs to go back to primary school, ASAP!"

Uproarious laughter came from Luna as Thunder rolled his eyes in sheer frustration.  The two students were suddenly disturbed by a tapping at the door.

"Yes?"  Luna called out.

"Princess, I have a note for Master Thunder Shock.  I was told he was with you." the voice from the other side called back.  He stood up and trotted quickly to the door.  Opening it, he found an earth pony maid holding it in her right hoof.

"Thank you."  he replied as he took the note and closed the door.  He unfolded it to find it written in fanciful script and expensive ink:

Thunder,

I request your presence in my chambers this evening at seven o'clock.  Please be well rested beforehoof.  I have instructed the guards and maids not to bother you for the rest of the day unless there is an emergency, so please use the time to gather your strength.  Also, please make sure that you are clean, pleasantly scented, and well groomed.

Sincerely,
Celestia

'O...kay.  That's a little bit weird.'  he thought.

"What does it say?" Luna inquired.

"It's from Celestia.  She wants me to come to her chambers at seven.  She wants me to be rested and smelling nice."

"Ah!" responded Luna, not quite hiding a small smirk.  "Well...I had better let you go and rest up then.  Thank you for your help with my lessons."

"Anytime, Luna."  Thunder politely bowed and left Luna's chambers.  He was halfway down the stairs when he paused, his brow furrowing at a sudden thought.

'Wait...does she want to...'  His eyes widened as his heart sank in his chest, his mind now fully understanding the note.   '...ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh Faust.'


-----------------------------------------------------------


The evening sun had just about disappeared in the sky while Thunder laid on his bed, his mane still slightly damp from his shower.  He turned over and gazed at his alarm clock:  6:48 PM.  

'Well...might as well get ready.' he thought nervously.

His thoughts roiling, Thunder went through a long and careful grooming regimen: brushing his teeth, arranging his mane (part on the right as always), and dabbing cologne on his neck and shoulders. His work complete, he took a critical look at the stallion in the mirror, trying to ignore the nervousness he saw there. His appearance acceptable, he trotted out of his room and up the stairs to Celestia’s chambers.

Thunder worked to calm his heavy breath as he trembled outside the door.  'OK Thunder, you can do this.  It’s only the Sun Princess of Equestria summoning you to her bedchamber. You can do this.'  he thought while knocking.

"Yes?"  her voice called out.

"I-It's Thunder."  he called back.

"Come in."  

He went inside to find Celestia clothed in nothing but her long pink mane laying on her bed with a quill in her magical field writing on a piece of parchment.  He closed the door behind him and trotted towards the bed.

"G-Good evening, Celestia.  How are you?" he said.

"Very well.  I'm just finishing up a letter to Twilight." she replied as her horn flared and her magic rolled up the parchment.  A flash of yellow flame engulfed the letter, sending it on its way.  She then rose and trotted over to Thunder, giving him a thorough once-over.  

"My my, aren't you looking quite dashing tonight?" she said with a warm smile.

"W-Well, you said you wanted me to look nice.  Can't very well disappoint my boss, can I?"  he replied, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

"Now, I think you know why you're here."

"...I can venture a guess."

"Good.  First, let me secure our privacy.  Then we'll start."  Celestia's horn flared again as a magical field enveloped the door, the locks clicking into place.  It then wrapped around the curtains above the windows and gently lowered them.  She then trotted over to the balcony door, locking it and magically enchanting the clear windows within it.

"A reflection spell.  Just in case anypony flying outside peers in."  she said to Thunder with a grin.

As Celestia wove her magic, Thunder couldn't help but to be entranced by her beauty.  Everything she did seemed to emanate poise and grace, yet hide an incredible strength beneath.  Her pink mane was draped to the side, sparkling softly in the waning sunlight.  As she moved she flicked her tail from side to side, and he couldn’t help but follow that motion even as it gave a tantalizing glimpse of her delicate opening.  Unable to look away in spite of his trepidation, he felt his stallionhood twitch and start to stiffen. 

"Enjoying something, are we?"  said Celestia cocking her eyebrow and looking down between his hindlegs.

Thunder was knocked out of his temporary stupor and let his wings fall along his sides in an attempt to cover himself.  "Um...er...ah...sorry."  he said, his face bright red and his wings shaking.

Celestia smiled and laid down on her bed on her stomach with her face toward the headboard.  She sighed and nestled in, giving her wings a quick flap.  She then looked back over her shoulder at the stallion, the look in her eyes clearly inviting him to join her.

He stood at the base of the bed, his knees locked and stomach churning at the task laid before him.

"What's wrong Thunder?" asked Celestia, her eyes showing compassion and concern.

"W-Well,  It-It's just...I...I DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT PLEASING A MARE!"  Realizing his outburst far too late, he hung his head low before continuing quietly.  "I'm sorry your highness.  I’ve been trying to live up to your expectations, but I’ve been so nervous.  I don't know if I can... perhaps you've chosen the wrong pony for a consort. If you would like me to leave now, I'd understand."  Small tears dripped down from his eyes, and what arousal he had managed before disappeared as he closed his eyes in shame.

Celestia rose from the bed and trotted over to the sullen stallion, gently raising his head with her hoof.  "Thunder.  You have NOT failed me, I assure you.  Luna and I would not have chosen you if we didn't fully believe that you could handle all of your duties.  I understand that this is a...delicate situation for you.  But this is NOT something to be ashamed of or to fear.  Tell me, when you first started your weather duties, were you the best there was?"

Thunder attempted to compose himself as visions of this previous career played out in his mind.  "Of course not.  I had to take classes and learn all of the cloud types..."

"And the first time you went out on patrol?"

"Oh, I was a wreck.  I felt like I was going to tear Equestria apart.  Titan basically had to hold my hoof those first few months..."

"And after you gained some experience?"

"I-I got the hang of it more.  I started to move clouds on my own, plan out weather patterns for the day..."

"Exactly.  You started from the beginning and grew into your role.  It will be the same with being the consort.  I promise you this."

"No offense Celestia, but this is a little different than being a weather pony."

"True.  But with enough time and commitment, it can be a very rewarding experience."  She leaned down and kissed the stallion on the cheek, a hopeful smile coming over his face.  

A feeling of a new beginning taking hold, he wiped his eyes and looked up at the beauty before him.  "I-I think I'm OK now."

"Good.  Then let's go enjoy ourselves."  The two of them trotted back towards the bed, Celestia retaking her position with Thunder quickly hopping into bed and laying beside her.  

"Alright, what do we do first?"  he asked.  

"First, we need to get comfortable.  I'll start."  She ran her hooves slowly down his belly and towards his pelvis.  She then began to massage the area right above his sheath.  A small 'eep' escaped Thunder's mouth while the princess tenderly cradled his body.

"Sensitive?" she inquired.

"A...A bit.  Nopony ever touches me there."

"It will pass.  Just relax and enjoy."  

As she continued to rub his stomach, Thunder’s skin began to tingle.  Watching Celestia touch him was like seeing a breaking dawn: her beauty, her gentle smile, and the stroking of her hooves combining to spread warmth through his whole body.  As her touch continued he could feel his shy penis beginning to emerge once again.  Fearing too much excitement, Thunder quickly brought his hoof to the sun princess' chest.

"OK.  OK.  Please, that’s so good but… no more."  he called out.

Celestia’s smile almost twitched into a smirk as she stopped her ministrations.  She found Thunder’s responsiveness more than pleasant and looked forward to exploring it further when he was ready.

"Very well.  Now, let me start showing you how to do the same for me.  We’ll start slow, as I did for you. Slide down near my flank and I’ll guide you in what to do."  she advised him.

Thunder took a quick breath to steady himself, still tingling from his reaction to her as he moved along her side, their coats brushing together softly.  "OK.  I'm here."  he said as he reached his destination.  

"Now, I'll give you a little tip.  I like when my cutie marks are rubbed."  She told him with just a hint rose coloring her cheeks.  It had been so long!  "Just... be gentle.  Don't rush."  Taking her advice, he put his hooves on the sides of her flank, eliciting a small squeak from the alicorn.  He then slowly began to caress her marks, his hooves moving in small circles, taking care not to go too fast.  The only sounds now filling the room were his hushed breathing and the small moans and sighs coming from the recumbent alicorn.

"Like this?"  he inquired.

"Y-Yes.  Now, take one of your hooves an...and rub my wing."  she replied as she fully extended her left wing.

Thunder did as he was ordered, slowly running his hoof along the front edge of her wing. He saw a few ruffled feathers out of place and as he reflexively smoothed them he was rewarded with a small gasp and a shiver from Celestia.  As he continued his ministrations on flank and wing he noticed a very pleasant scent flowing up from under her tail.

Emboldened by the sounds Celestia’s was making, Thunder slid his hoof along her flank to gently brush her tail aside, following the intoxicating scent. There he saw glistening beads forming a dew on her folds.  He let a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding out, and as the warmth flowed over her slit Celestia moaned and flexed her flank toward him.  Her movement and scent went right past his conscious thoughts, his stallionhood unsheathing and straining quickly erect.

Celestia looked back at Thunder, her eyes vulnerable. "I...I'm ready now."  she quivered quietly, her desire plain even as she tried not to startle him.

"I...I am too."  he replied.  The moment before him at last, Thunder's mind did somersaults as he tried to come to grips with both his nervousness and his arousal.  'OK...OK...This is happening.  Let's...let's just do it.' he told himself after a moment.

Raising himself up, Thunder got his hooves around Celestia’s flank, hesitating only briefly as he mounted the Princess of the Sun.  She moved to meet him, her obvious desire cutting through his fears as she brushed her marehood against his erection.

Thunder cautiously pressed the head of his cock at the base of her opening, breathing hard at the sensation of dampness brushing against him.  He answered her motion with a gentle thrust, his heart racing as he slipped partway in. His eyes rolled back and he moaned at the feeling of being surrounded by her glorious slit.  She was warm, wet, and very tight.

Celestia’s inner walls hugged and caressed his hardness, seeming to urge him deeper.  With a profound shiver he slid further into her, and the princess moaned and press back against him.  Finally, his entire length was fully enveloped, and both he and Celestia gasped aloud as hips met flank.  Taking a moment to catch his breath, he leaned his head towards her.

"H-H-How's that?" he choked out.

"Just...just fine."  she replied, her voice slightly ragged.

Taking deep breaths in time with his movements, Thunder slowly began to move inside Celestia, each thrust sending jolts of pleasure through him. He could feel her growing slicker with each thrust and his eyes fell shut, his mind overloading with lustful bliss.  His moans of pleasure were joined by those of the princess as they gradually found a rhythm together.   The two of them panted and sweat, both swimming in the ecstasy of their lovemaking.

"Are...are you...doing OK?"  Celestia called out.

"N...Never better."  he managed to reply.

Suddenly, a wave of tension began to build in Thunder’s body, his wings snapping taut as his control started to slip away.  He attempted to hold back the tide rising within him but the sweetness of Celestia’s movements were too much.

Leaning his head forward, Thunder gasped out, "C...Cel...Celestia!  I...I...I'm...I'm gonna..."

"It...It's OK...It's OK...you can...you can..."  she called back in a passionate gasp, her hips bucking up to urge him on.

The wave broke, and Thunder’s wings stiffened and vibrated as he pulsed inside her, his wordless scream filling the room as his seed spilled into her. Each twitching throb inside Celestia sent a spark through his body that was almost painful, especially when he heard her respond to his ardor with a happy cry.  Thunder shuddered as the last shock of pleasure rolled through him, making him spasm inside her.  At last he took another deep breath, then slowly eased his way out of her with a small squish, his wings finally collapsing to his sides.  His body ached, his lungs burned, and his limp member began to retreat back into its sheath.  

"Thun...Thunder?  Are...are you alright?" panted Celestia.

"Y...Yeah.  Just...gimme a minute." he replied.

After taking a moment to still his hot breath and get his heartbeat back to something approach normal, Thunder slid his hooves off Celesta’s back and sat, still dazed.  After regaining a sliver of his strength, he crawled his way alongside the alicorn as he looked into her face with a tentative smile.  She quickly wrapped her forelegs around him and slid him the rest of the way.  Thunder continued to pant as he gazed into her eyes.

"That...THAT...that was...I...I..." he sputtered out.

"The...the first time is always a bit unique.  Still, I think that went quite well."

"If...If you say so."  Replaying the last few minutes in his tired mind,  he suddenly became aware of a key factor of his performance.  “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, did...did I manage to...please you?”

Celestia smiled and nuzzled him gently.  “Indeed you did, Thunder, and not just because you are... a little larger than average.”

“Oh! I…” he hesitated in embarrassment. 'Take the compliment!' said his helpful brain.  “G-good! I-I’m glad you liked it!”

Celestia giggled softly and ran her hooves down his damp back.  "You did very well tonight, Thunder.  I enjoyed that a lot.  And to think, you'll only get better..." she replied with an all too knowing look. Laughing lightly at the shock in his eyes, she leaned toward him, closed her eyes, and lovingly kissed the exhausted stallion.

Thunder’s eyes darted around the room, the kiss startling him almost more than the rutting.  As the princess' tongue gently caressed the inside of his mouth, his initial anxiety started to fade before the joy and compassion flowing from her. At last he managed to think ‘...You know what?  Screw it.'  And with that he sank into Celestia’s embrace, his tongue dancing with hers as they basked together in the afterglow.
> A Walk In The Park
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Thunder awoke in a haze, his body still aching and disheveled from the previous evening's escapades.  The morning sun was just rising over the eastern mountains, the room illuminated with its warm glow.  He looked around to see Celestia's side of the bed empty and the sheets damp with sweat from their activities.  His eyes widened as the gravity of it all finally sank in.

'Wow.  That...that happened.  OK.  How...how am I supposed to feel?  I mean...is this my whole life now?  Just hang out, give advice, do favors, make love.  I...'  Feeling the weight bear down on his shoulders, Thunder put his hooves over his face and sighed. 'I...I need to get away.  Away from...from this...for just a while anyway.'

A few moments later, the solar diarch trotted out of the bathroom, her coat matted down and a towel carefully wrapped around her mane.

"Ah.  Good morning Thunder.  I hope I didn't wake you up."  she said with a warm smile.

Thunder quickly put his hooves to his side and tried to put on a happy face.  "Oh, you didn't.  I've only just stirred to be honest.  Sorry I missed the sunrise this time."

"It's quite alright.  I wanted to let you sleep in today.  You seemed really tired after...our night together."  she replied in a soothing tone, hoping to calm his apparent disquiet.

"Believe me, I was."  Thunder continued to stretch his body and wings as the sun climbed higher in the sky.  "Wow...what a night that was, right?  That was...wow!"  he said with a smile he hoped didn't looked forced.

The sun princess closed the balcony door and gazed at the pegasus with concern.  "Thunder.  I don't mean to make you do anything that you find issue with.  If you have any concerns about the situation, please let me know.  You do a lot to keep us happy and your well being is important to us."

"Oh."  Thunder nervously clapped his hooves and stared down at the ground.   "Well...maybe we can...not be...physical...for a while?" said Thunder with a slight cough.

"Of course.  I understand completely."

"Thank you, your highness."  he replied with a sigh of relief.  "I... I think I will get used to those, er... duties, before too long,but... this is all so overwhelming," he finished with a sheepish grin.

Celestia smiled softly at him and nodded.  "Take your time," she said in a gentle voice, "and all will be well. I am sure."

"I know...I know."  He then hopped out of the bed and trotted in front of her.  "Celestia.  I hope this is not asking for too much, but would it be alright if I left the castle and walked around town for a while?  I just need to clear my head for a bit."

"I don't see why not.  I'll let Luna know where you are.  Just remember your alias and make sure you're back before lunch time.  However, if we need you, we will send somepony to come get you.  Understand?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Good."  She then opened her nightstand drawer with her magic and levitated a modestly sized pouch with a length of circular string looped through the top over to Thunder.  "Here.  Take this with you.  A little spending money in case you need food or anything."

Curious, Thunder opened the pouch and was taken aback at the amount of gold inside.  He peered further inside and did a quick count.  "Celestia!  This...this is like...three hundred bits!"

"Well, you have been the consort for almost a week now.  Consider it...a reward, and an expression of gratitude for taking on your new responsibilities so readily.  Enjoy your day.  Get something nice."

"Wow.  T...Thank you, Celestia."

"You're very welcome.  Now, if you don't mind, I need to prepare for the day court."

"Oh, of course.  Have a good day."  He hung the pouch on his neck, making sure it was secure.  Giving his mane a quick pat down, he trotted out of the white alicorn's chambers, hoping not to get stopped by anypony curious about his appearance.   He headed downstairs and quickly went into his room, setting the pouch down on his coffee table.  He then trotted into his bathroom and turned the hot water on to almost full blast.  He cautiously stepped inside and let the warm cascade hit every part of his ravaged body.  He spent a great deal of time just standing in the soothing steam and enjoying the peace and quiet of the moment.  

After a small eternity of relaxing in the flowing water, he dolloped a small amount of soap on his hoof and began to lather his coat, making sure that his sheath was especially clean today.  His work complete, he stepped back out and quickly groomed himself in the mirror.  

'There.  I look decent enough now.  ...considering.'  he thought with relief as he checked his reflection.  He trotted back out and hung the bit pouch over his neck.  He then trotted out onto the balcony, gave his wings a quick stretch, and took off into the sky.  He quickly flew over the castle walls. the guards patrolling the walls waving him past.  After a few minutes of flight, he saw a clear space below and touched down onto the cool cobble avenue.  The few ponies that were up so early went about their business unconcerned with his arrival, which helped to soothe his still frayed nerves.  Thunder began to trot down the road, taking his time and enjoying the scenery of the city.  The morning sun cast a golden glow onto the buildings around him, making them shine with an almost ethereal glow.  

After turning a few more corners, he came across to a familiar sight, his old apartment building.  He looked over the humble abodes as a sense of nostalgia came over him.  'Less than a week.  It's been less than a week since this whole thing started.  Why does it feel like a lifetime ago?' he thought.  He shook it off and continued down the winding streets towards another landmark:  The Canterlot Royal Park.

He trotted towards the entrance when a sudden realization hit him; he had never been to the park as a guest.  His experiences had been limited to a view from above as he herded clouds at the whim of other ponies.   Shaking his head at the thought, he quickly trotted in and took in the carefully manicured greenery around him: the trimmed hedges, the lush trees, and the bushels and bushels of flowers in all the colors of the rainbow.   As he trotted further in, he noticed a group of weather ponies overhead making sure that the guests and nobles were comfortable and cool.  He squinted his eyes and made out a familiar sight:  a whitish blue pegasus making a suggestive gesture to a oblivious noble.

"Sky!"  Thunder called out.

The pegasus turned around and looked down to see Thunder waiving.  He let out a hearty laugh as he flew down to meet his friend.  "Well, if it isn't the big old weather adviser come out to see how it's done!"  He wrapped his forelegs around his former brother in arms, securing him in a firm bro hug.  "How you been?"  

'Well, I just lost my virginity to the sun princess last night.  But other than that, things are peachy!'  he screeched in his mind.  "Good.  Doing...doing good.  How about you?"

"Livin' and thrivin' my friend.  Livin' and thrivin'.  How's the new job been working out?  Anything big weather system coming I should know?"

"Oh, you know.  Settling in, stress, performance evaluations, the usual."

"I hear that.  So, what brings you out here?  You're not giving us an inspection or anything are you?"

"No no.  I...I got the morning off from the princesses.  Came out here to get out of the castle for a while."

"Ain't quite used to the high life yet, huh?" said Sky with a familiar smirk.  "Tell you what.  Go pick a spot out, I'll get a cloud over you to keep you cool."

"Sky...you don't have to do that because I'm the weather adviser."

"Hey!" exclaimed Sky while putting his hoof on Thunder's shoulder.  " I'm doing it because you're my friend and I wanna do something nice."

"...Thanks Sky.  Appreciate it."  Thunder said with a smile.

"Anytime, dude.  Anytime.  Now sit your flank down and get relaxing."  Taking Sky's sage advise,  Thunder laid down on the cool grass and breathed in the sweet clean air.  A few seconds later, Sky came flying in above with a small cloud, carefully maneuvering it to shield the stallion below from the bright morning sun.  "How's that?"

"That's good.  Thanks again."

"Awesome.  Say, you planning on staying around long?"

"...Yeah.  I gotta be back before lunch though.  Why?"

"My break starts in about an hour.  Wanna hit something up with me?  Hang out for a while?"

"Sure."

"Sweet!  See you then!"  Sky quickly flew off further into the park.  Thunder rested in the cool of the morning and let the tension ease from his mind.


-----------------------------------------------------------


"Court is in recess!  One hour!"  called the clerk.  The delegates and nobles muttered in hushed tones as Celestia rose from her throne and trotted out of the court.  She made her way down to the dining room to find Luna finishing of the last remnants of her breakfast.  She gave her sister a warm smile, then quickly sat at the table and ordered a small cup of orange juice from a nearby maid.  

"Morning Tia.  Only a cup of orange juice?  Are you not hungry?"  said Luna in between mouthfuls of pancake.

"Oh, I already ate breakfast this morning.  I just needed something to wet my throat."  the elder sister replied.

"Ah...  So, how...mmmmmmm...how goes the court?"  

"Oh, just some general issues so far.  The representative of Cloudsdale submitted his city's budget proposal today.  He's trying to sneak in a provision asking for three thousand bits to redecorate his office, claiming it's a 'general maintenance' issue.  I'll have to call him out on it when I get back."

"Serves him right!  The nerve of some ponies."  Luna put her utensils down and looked at her elder sister with a devilish grin.  "So...how was your evening?"

Celestia quickly cleared her throat and took a quiet sip of her juice.  "Well...Thunder and I got together and...had a pleasant time."

"I see.  ...So, how was he?"

Celestia almost sprayed the juice onto her sister as her face turned bright red.  "Luna!  That's a bit personal for the breakfast table, isn't it?!"

"Oh, you can't blame me for being curious, Tia!"

Celestia rolled her eyes and sat her cup carefully down on the table.  "Suffice it to say, he was a little nervous.  I don't entirely blame him though; it was his first time and all.  In the end, he did find his courage and...performed well."

Luna continued to smirk while picking up another portion of pancake.  "Hm...Perhaps I should have a 'session' with him myself."  she said with a speculative look.  "Help him increase his skill."

Celestia shook her head gently, remembering her most recent conversation with the consort.  "I don't think that would be wise, at least not now.  He's asked that we not be...physical with him for the time being.  Besides, he's only just become comfortable with his place here.  We should take care not to push him too quickly; we have already disrupted his life a great deal."

"Oh you worry too much Tia.  I'm sure he's not that shy.  I will say this, when he does wish to be physical again, he will find a friend in me!  I will teach him to be Equestria's greatest lover!  No mare would be immune to his charm!"  Luna said with a chuckle as she picked up her cup and took a small sip of milk, a confident smile on her face.  "I mean, what is he likely to say?"


-----------------------------------------------------------


"No."

"Come on, Thunder!  Help a stallion out!"

The two had retired to a small outdoor cafe a block away from the park.  They sat opposite each other with Thunder groaning in sheer frustration.  "Sky, I CANNOT use my authority as the weather adviser to lift your suspension.  It doesn't work like that."

"Please, dude!  You gotta do something!  I'm desperate!  Titan's got me working park duty almost every shift now!  If I have to do it one more time, I'm gonna lose my freaking mind!"

Thunder finally sighed and held his hooves up in defeat.  "Fine.  I'll see what I can do.  But I make no promises."

"Thanks, dude.  You're the best, for real." replied Sky, giving him a friendly whack on the shoulder.

"Hey, what are friends for?"  

Soon after, a waiter came over and delivered the pair's order:  a cup of tea for Thunder and a large mug of coffee for Sky.  "That will be ten bits even sirs." he said to them.  

Thunder quickly opened his pouch, pulled out twenty of the gold coins, and sat them on the table.  The waiter quickly grabbed them up and went about his way.

"Hey!  Look out!  We got a big spender over here!"  said Sky.

"Cut it out.  I just gave him a tip for doing his job."

"Yeah, but a hundred percent on the top?  Wish I had bits to burn like that."

"Whatever."  Thunder looked down at his warped reflection in his tea, his mind still dwelling on yesterday's events.  Having nothing to lose, he turned his attention back to his friend.  "Hey Sky.  Can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Sure Thunder.  You know you can talk to me about anything."

"Well...let's just say, hypothetically, that you were asked to...be intimate with a mare...frequently.  Would you be able to do it?"

"...Dude, you're not getting into anything strange are you?"  Sky asked with a look of genuine concern in his eyes.  

"No, Sky..." he replied with a little sigh.

"Because if you are, you know I'd help you out anyway I could..."

"NO!  I'm just saying...!"  Thunder shouted, flailing his forelegs in the air.  Noticing his outburst a little too late, he settled back in his chair and cleared his throat.  "I...I just want to know what you would do is all."

Sky's bravado quickly took hold as he puffed out his chest.  "Oh please, you know me!  I would grab that mare, pin her on the bed, and show her what time it is!" 

"...You're very tactful, you know that?"

"Hey, can't help it if the ladies love what they see.  Look at this package:  Jet black mane, toned body that can go all night, silver cloud cutie mark, blue eyes that make them swoon.  Dude, I'm surprise I haven't got a mare by me right now!"

Thunder let out another groan and shook his head.  "Sky!  I'm being serious!  ...You know what, forget it."

Sky's face fell as the humor left his voice.  "Hey hey.  I'm sorry bro.  I didn't mean to... Look, for real now.  You wanna get on a mare's good side, you gotta know how to work her just right."

"You don't think I can please a mare?"

"It's not that simple!  Look, dude, there's 'pleasing' and then there's 'rocking her freaking world'!  You want her coming back for more?  You gotta get to know her just right.  Find her sweet spots, make her drool, make her feel like you're the ONLY stallion in the world that could get her off!  Trust me, I've had some experience." he added, waggling his eyebrows.

"Ugh!  Dude!  I do NOT want that image in my head first thing this morning!"

Sky ignored Thunder’s furrowed brow as he let out a fit of uproarious laughter.  They bantered for a few more minutes before he sat his mug down and gave his wings a quick flap.  "Well, I better get back to it.  Faust forbid these nobles stand out in the sun for five minutes.  Good to see you again, Thunder."   

"Same to you Sky.  I'll see you around."

"Right on.  Fly safe!"  Sky quickly took to the air and headed back towards the park, leaving Thunder to finish his tea in silence.  He looked over at the clock hanging in the window and took notice of the time: 10:55 A.M.

'Huh.  I still got a little time left.'  He finished off his tea and trotted down the street.  He walked down a few more blocks until he came across a modest looking book store.  He trotted inside and started to look down the aisles and aisles of books, hoping to find the latest Daring Do.  Passing by the usual fare of autobiographies, activity books for foals, and sports magazines (Free Wonderbolts Poster Inside!) he finally reached the adventure / fantasy section.  Sure enough, a cardboard standee of the plucky heroine was pointing towards brand new copies of ‘Daring Do and the Seaponies of Aquarius’.  He picked up one for himself and trotted towards the cashier with a small spring in his step.  Once at the front of the store, he paid for his new book, trotted outside, and took off into the sky.  He flew back over the city until he finally reached his bedroom balcony.

He went inside and sat his new book on his bed.  He laid down and stared at the ceiling as Sky's words continued to echo in his mind.  'Rock her world.  How can I possible rock the princess' world?  How do I even start?  UGH!  This is so frustrating!' he though as a tension headache began to form.  Not wanting to make himself sick, he began to rub his temples and breath deeply.

'Calm down Thunder.  Calm down.  This is something new.  OK.  I learned how to make her a little aroused last night.  So, how do I go further?  Maybe... explore her a little bit more?  Touch her here and there?  There's gotta be some way...'  After a moment he shook his head briefly, then sighed. 

'Well, I'm not figuring this out now.  Might as well unwind a little.'  Feeling the tension ease a bit, he picked up his new book and opened to the first chapter.  He began to read how the famous archaeology professor Daring Do was tasked by the princesses herself to find the sacred magical amulet of the lost city of Aquarius....
> Political Discourse In Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
On Friday...


The morning sun had long begun its trek through the eastern sky as Thunder arose from his slumber.  He quickly shook the cobwebs from his mind and hopped out of bed.  After a quick shower, he trotted onto his balcony and took in the beauty of the warm summer day.  He stood up on his hindlegs and began to stretch his body and wings, his mind deep in thought as he did so  Images of the last few days played out in his mind:  a few more language lessons with Luna, some funny conversations at the dining table, and Celestia making preparations for Twilight's return on Sunday.  As he stretched his torso to the right, he began to break down the issue at hoof.

'All right.  Let's go over it again.  I need to learn how to be more comfortable with the princesses, get over my anxiety about being...physical, and really do this job right.  They need me and I can't break down and cry every time we're together.  Now, how to go about it?'  He stretched his forelegs out as wide as he could, attempting to touch the tips of his outstretched wings.

'OK.  Start out slow.  Don't rush yourself.  I've already been with Celestia, so we've already jumped a huge hurdle together.  Best place to start than any.  So, how do I become more relaxed around her?  Come on Thunder, you're the consort.  Think.  Think.'  As he carefully fell back onto all fours, a small idea began to form in his mind.

'What about...a day out?  Like a date?  Well, not a DATE date, but...something where we can...have a good time.  Be together.  Get to know each other.  Tomorrow's Saturday, she'd have the day off to go.'

Thunder looked high into the sky, a new found sense of confidence taking hold.  'Yeah!  That could work!  Now...all I have to do is ask her...  Suddenly, disappointment set in; Celestia had already left for the day court and the wait for her to be free would be long.    'Ugh!  Unless Luna needs me, this is gonna be a LONG wait...  How am I gonna pass the time?  Huh...you know, I've never seen the court in action.  Why don't I sit in on today's session and see Celestia work?  Show her some support?  If anything it would kill some time at least.'

His plan now set,  Thunder trotted out of his chambers and up the stairs.  As he neared the large double doors, a familiar figure emerged from the other side:  Prince Blueblood.

'Oh crap.'  Thunder quickly turned around and headed back down the hallway, desperate to avoid the 'honorable' prince.  'Don't make eye contact, Thunder.  Don't engage him.  Don't engage-'

"Ah, Thunder Shock!  A pleasure to see you again."  called Blueblood.

Found out, Thunder held his head low and sighed in frustration.  "Prince Blueblood.  To what do I owe this visit?"  he said through clenched teeth.

The prince continued to trot closer and closer to the consort with a snide smirk painted on his face.  "Just come to collect my allowance from Luna."

"Um, aren't you a little old for an allowance?"

"Hey!  I behave myself!  Most of the time, anyway."  Blueblood's eyes quickly darted around the room to check for witnesses, then cleared his throat as he regained his usual haughty demeanor.  "So, word's gotten around that you've enjoyed the company of my step auntie."

Thunder felt the wind knocked out of his lungs as his wings fluttered involuntarily.  "That-That's between me and her!  It's certainly none of your business!" he growled out, unconsciously pawing the ground with one hoof.

"Oh, you misunderstand my friend."  answered Blueblood in a voice dripping with false camaraderie.  "I'm happy for the both of you.  Why, I think it's quite amusing that auntie is enjoying her newest...toy."  he sneered.  He began trotting and posturing around the consort, his voice thick with contempt.  "But you know, ponies who play with toys can be very fickle.   They could love and cherish that one toy for years and years.  But once a newer, better toy comes around...well..."

"Do you have a point to this?" said the consort cocking an eyebrow.

"Merely making an observation, that's all."

"OK, I think you should get out of my sight.  NOW!"  Thunder commanded while furling his brow.

"Of course.  Good day to you sire."  Blueblood copped a slight bow and trotted out of the living quarters, leaving Thunder with his growing anger and hatred.

"Plot-hole..." he muttered under his breath.  With his annoyance now gone,  he took a few minutes to breath deeply and extinguish the flames within him.  He then made his way out of the living quarters and towards the day court.  Outside the courtroom, two guards stood outside diligently guarding the door.

"Hey there.  Do you mind if I sit in for today?  See how everything works?" inquired Thunder.

The guards looked at each other then back at the pegasus.  The guard on the left was the first to speak: "Visitors are not usually welcome during the court.  High matters of state are discussed."

"Oh, I see.  Just...wanted to show Celestia a little support.  If that's a problem then..."

"Wait!"  The guards looked back at each other with concern and worry then back at Thunder.  "...Do you promise to be quiet, not disrupt the proceedings, and keep what you hear inside a secret?"  said the one on the right.

"Sure.  No problem." replied Thunder with a hoof on his heart.

The guards relented and lifted their wings, allowing the consort to quietly trot inside...


-----------------------------------------------------------


The room was abuzz with murmured conversations as the delegates awaited the beginning of the day court.  The rows in front of the thrones were filled with stallions and mares of different colors and types representing the entirety of Equestria.  Thunder quietly took a spot behind the back benches and began to observe the proceedings.

A few moments later, a tan unicorn stallion trotted into the room and picked up a large metal horn.  "All rise!  The day court is now in session!  Her highness, Princess Celestia presiding!" he dutifully called into it.

The delegates obeyed the command and quickly stood up in their seats.  A few moments later, Celestia came trotting in and gracefully sat on her throne, and Thunder was surprised when she spotted him immediately, giving him a brief and knowing glance before focusing on the crowd before her.

"Please be seated."  she called out, her voice regal and strong.  

"Good morning everypony."  A chorus of 'Good morning, your highness' from the delegates sang back at her.  "I hope that all of you rested well last night and are ready to serve the ponies of our great nation.  Clerk, please call the first motion."

The clerk held the scroll within his magical field and began to read.  "The motion, number MT-6942329, proposed by the representative of the city of Las Pegasus, asks for additional military personnel to be stationed in the western half of the Equestrian Republic for the purposes of defense against the Griffon Confederacy."

"I will hear your motion, sir." said Celestia gazing at the delegate in question.  

A balding black pegasus in a fine sliver suit and tie sitting in the front row rose from his seat and cleared his throat.  "Your highness, fellow delegates, members of this illustrious court.  After reading the most recent intelligence reports, it appears that infighting may have erupted between the griffon chieftains.   Now, as we all know from the history books, the last time this occurred the Confederacy was plugged into a decades long civil war.  A war which ended with not only thousands of casualties for the griffons, but hundreds of innocent pony deaths caught in the crossfire.  This proposal will allow additional troops to be garrisoned along the most vulnerable positions of the western frontier to protect and secure the safety of our citizens in case of such an event.  As delegates of the Equestrian Republic, it is our moral duty to make sure that our constituents can go about their lives free from the threat of violence from a conflict that does not concern them at all.  I thank the court for its time in this matter."  As he talked, the clerk was hard at work transcribing the session on a piece of parchment.

"Thank you sir.  The motion is now open for deliberation." said Celestia.

From the far right of the room, a hoof shot high into the air.  "The court recognizes the representative of the city of Manehatten for deliberation." said the clerk.

A tan unicorn clothed in a green polka dotted bow tie rose and stood before the court.  "Your highness, fellow delegates.  With respect to my colleague, I must vote against the motion.  The Griffon Confederacy has been our ally for countless centuries.  Their soldiers have fought alongside ours in battle and their citizens have always been welcome in our homes, and us in theirs.  To begin to treat them like ruffians and troublemakers and 'wave the saber at them' as it were based on idle speculation is to incite animosity and hatred between out species.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I do not wish to go down in history as a member of the court that allowed this great alliance to be dissolved over petty squabbling."  

"Any further deliberation?"  asked Celestia.

Another hoof shot into the air.  "The court recognizes the representative of the city of Ponyville for deliberation." called the clerk.

The pony in question, a brown earth pony in a green tie, stood at attention.  "Your highness, fellow delegates.  I agree with my colleague from the city of Manehatten.  If the chieftains are indeed preparing for open conflict, then our best hope is to send a delegation of peacemakers to the Confederacy to resolve the issue at hoof, if not at least gain assurance from them that our citizens will not be harmed.  Preparing for a conflict that may never occur should be the very last thing on our minds."

The black pegasus' hoof shot back up in the air, slightly trembling as it did so.  "The court recognizes the representative of the city of Las Pegasus for rebuttal."

The balding pegasus rose again and motioned towards the others.  "With respect to my fellow delegates, their cities lie safely to the far east.  Cities, I might add, that are well within our borders and are easily defendable by our armed forces.  However, the Confederacy borders my city directly on both the north and the west.  If the griffons do launch an attack, than Las Pegasus, along with the western half of our great republic, would be put in mortal danger.  I cannot sit idly by and allow that to happen."  he said, his voice almost growling in anger.  

A hoof from the very back row shot up at attention.  "The court recognizes the representative of the city of Fillydelphia."  said the clerk.

The green unicorn stood up and pointed at the front row.  "I ask the good representative of Las Pegasus, if these troops were garrisoned near your city, how many lucrative military contracts and tax exceptions could it stand to profit from?  Would these soldiers not be tempted to spend their hard earned bits in its numerous gambling dens or houses of ill-repute?!"

The pegasus in question stomped his hoof down on the table.  "That is an outrageous allegation!  I refuse to to dignify such...baseless accusations with a response!"  he hissed out.  

Thunder just sat and took stock in how the delegates were acting.  'Wow, these guys are our representatives?  How does anything get done?'  he thought with a rueful shake of his head.

"Order!  Order please!" called Celestia as she loudly tapped her hoof.  "Now, I believe the motion has been thoroughly debated.  We shall now put it to a vote.  All in favor?"  The pegasus and a few others raised their hooves.  The clerk quickly counted them and wrote the results down on the parchment.  "And against?"  The rest of the court raised their hooves in the air.

"The count is thirty nine against, and eighteen in favor.  The motion is defeated."  said the clerk while shouting into the horn.

Celestia nodded and turned to face him.  "Very well.  Clerk, please call-"

"I protest this blatant dismissal of a genuine threat against our republic!"  the black pegasus shouted in disgust.

Celestia narrowed her sight onto the representative and lowered her voice. "Sir, I believe we've already voted on the issue-"

"That is beside the point!  I cannot believe that one of the rulers of our nation fails to see the growing storm right in front of her eyes!  For her highness to be so blissfully in denial about the safety of out kind is, quite frankly, a sign of ignorance that is most unbecoming of her title!"

'Oh.  He didn't just call Celestia stupid!'  thought Thunder, his left foreleg twitching in rage.

"You dare call our beloved princess ignorant?!  Do you have no shame sir?!"  the grey unicorn called out from the back rows.

"Oh, does the good gentlecolt from the city of Fillydelphia wish to join our princess in the make-believe land of sunshine and gumdrops that she apparently resides in or actually discuss the real issues at hoof?" replied the balding pegasus.

The court erupted in a chaotic symphony of name calling and accusation.  As he watched the drama unfold, Thunder bit his lower lip hard, fighting every urge within him not to jump up and punch the feuding stallions in the face.  

The comments continued to ring out:  "Scallywag!"  "Pompous Featherbrain!"  "You sir are an unmitigated-"

"ORDER!  ORDER!  THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THIS COURT!" shouted Celestia, her words echoing around the room in a mighty roar.  At once, the room fell silent as the feuding delegates turned their attention to the solar princess, their faces slack with embarrassment.  Thunder himself sat with his mouth wide open at her display of vocal prowess.  

"Be seated."  she firmly commanded.  The representatives quietly sat back down and looked intently at the white alicorn.  The room now dead silent, Celestia took a deep breath and gazed over the entire court.  "Let me assure you all that I take the safety of our citizens in the utmost regard.  If there is a substantial threat made against the republic, I will personally lead a battalion of troops to deal with the issue.  But that will only come to pass when every single peaceful option has been extinguished.  Also, we cannot allow ourselves bicker like foals when we do not get our way.  We are one united nation and we must compromise, tolerate different points of view, and work together to make our country strong."

"And to the representative of the city of Las Pegasus.  I find your conduct unbecoming of a delegate within this court.  Any further attempt to...indulge yourself as you have just done, and I will hold you in contempt.  Am I making myself clear?"

"Y-Yes your highness.  My apologies."  he whimpered to her.

The Sun Princess allowed the warmth to return to her voice as her small smile returned.  "Good.  Now let's continue.  We do have a lot more to go through.  Clerk, please call the next motion..."


-----------------------------------------------------------


"Court is adjourned!  All rise!"  The delegates rose and grabbed their papers as Celestia trotted out of the room.  Thunder went out himself, circling around to meet her in the hallway.  As the two made their way back to the living quarters, Thunder carefully keeping quiet the whole way, the afternoon sun began to set, casting a bright orange glow into the regal hallways.  Once the two were safely inside, the solar alicorn turned her attention to the consort with a smile.

"So, what did you think of today's session?" she inquired, one eyebrow quirking up.

Thunder hung his head low and pawed at the floor.  "Can I be frank, your highness?"

"Of course."

"That...was...AWFUL!  How do you put up with that every weekday?!"  he loudly exclaimed.

Celestia smiled warmly and let out a slight chuckle.  "With a great amount of patience.  And all in all, it's not so bad."

"NOT SO BAD?!  That pegasus needed to be knocked clear out of the sky!  I can't believe that somepony would have the bits to talk to you like that!"  shouted Thunder, his wings ruffling as if his anger would launch him into the air.

"Oh, he was just trying to save face.  I've stared down countless armies, horrid monsters, and the forces of disharmony and chaos itself.  I'm not about to be bothered, let alone defeated, by a bunch of squabbling politicians."

"Still though, it wasn't right.  I... I don't like ponies getting picked on."  said Thunder, his voice dropping as he spoke. “Especially you and Luna now.” he whispered very softly.

Celestia was moved by the stallion’s gallantry in spite of herself. "I thank you for your concern, Thunder."  she said while gazing into his eyes with genuine appreciation. 

"N-No problem."  He responded, her frank regard distracting him immensely.  When she blinked he finally managed, "Say Celestia, have you got anything planned for tomorrow?" 

"Not really.  Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering...you know...if you weren't too busy...maybe you would like to...walk around town with me?"  he stammered.

"Thunder, are you asking me out on a date?"

"NO!  It's not like..."  Before losing himself further, Thunder closed his eyes and took a deep breath.   "Look, I'm trying to be better as the consort.  I know I have to become more comfortable around both you and Luna and this is the best I could think of to start with.  If nothing else, it'll be a nice day out with a friend.  So, what do you say?"  he said hopefully, looking up at the princess with a shy smile.

Celestia's eyes rolled towards the ceiling as she brought a hoof to her chin.  "Well, I suppose I could accept an official luncheon meeting with my weather adviser to discuss the current state of Canterlot's overall weather control tomorrow.  Would leaving at around nine a.m. be a problem for you?"

"Not at all."  he joyfully replied.

"Excellent.  See you then."  She then bent down and kissed the consort gently on the cheek, her smile affectionate as she tried not to chuckle at his answering blush.  As the princess retired to her room, Thunder shook his head to clear the pink from his cheeks, then trotted back towards his own chambers, excited for the day ahead...
> A Sunny Day Out (Clop)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Thunder checked his alarm clock for the third time that morning:  8:57 A.M.  'Alright, all groomed up.  Time to get the princess.'  he thought proudly.  He trotted out of his chambers and up the stairs to Celestia's door.  As he stood outside her room, his anxieties came creeping up on him.  He breathed deeply and attempted to calm his nerves.  'Now remember, this is just a day out with a friend.  Whatever happens, happens.  Just treat her nice and have a good time.'

He then gave the door a firm knocking.  "Celestia?  It's me, Thunder."  he called out.

"Just a moment.  I'm almost done."  she called back.

The consort waited patiently outside the door, his wings rising every now and then in anticipation.  A few moments later, the door opened to reveal the princess dressed for the day out.  Instead of her usual regal attire, a small ivory band wrapped around her neck while her hooves were bare.  No crown sat atop her head, but a simple grey sunhat.  Her ethereal mane and tail had taken up their multicolor hue though and waved gently in the air.

Thunder was taken aback at, even when clad in casual attire, how radiant and beautiful the princess could truly be.  

"Good morning, Thunder.  Ready for our day out?"  she inquired.

Thunder quickly shook his head and looked back up at her.  "Y-Yeah.  You're looking good."

"Thank you.  It's very rare that I feel comfortable dressing like this."  Celestia quickly looked over the pegasus and smiled warmly.   You're looking quite dashing yourself.  I like your long mane."

Thunder's eyes rolled to the right as he looked at his mane.  Its silver strands now extended behind his neck and almost touched his shoulders.  "Thanks.  In the past, I would usually cut it short for work.  But honestly, I kinda like it like this."

"You should keep it like that.  It suits you well."  Celestia turned around and opened the balcony door.  "Shall we?"

"After you, your highness."  he responded.  The two trotted out onto the balcony and took flight over the castle walls.  After a minute or two, they landed on an empty street and began to trot down it.  

As they went down the road, the ponies about town looked at the duo with curiosity, murmuring comments in hushed tones.  "I think we're drawing some attention."  Thunder whispered to the princess.  

"Don't worry.  As far as anyone is concerned, we're just two government officials touring the city."  she whispered back.

The blue pegasus could feel the onlookers' gaze on his coat, small goosebumps beginning to form beneath his fur.  "I guess.  Just not used to this much attention..."

Celestia looked up and saw the bright summer sky, a few high flying clouds dotting the horizon .  "Nice weather we're having today."

Thunder looked up as well and analyzed the airspace above with a critical eye.   "I suppose.  Sunny, not too hot, humidity good."  His attention turned to a cloud tilted slightly to its right side.  "That cloud's angled all wrong."

"What do you mean?"  Celestia inquired.

The ex-weather pony pointed at the could in question.  "Well, see how its leaning?  If a big gust of air blew through, it would tumble end over end and probably fly halfway across town.  If its loaded, then it could start up and really cause some havoc.  Somepony really needs to level it out before something happens."

"I see.  Quite the observant weather pony you are." she replied with a smile.  

"Eh, I try."  He replied with one of his own.  

As they walked Thunder’s mind turned to visions of the past, and one memory in particular brought a sparkle to his eye.  "You know, when I was around five years old, I remember playing outside with my friends when this really big set of storms came close to Cloudsdale.  All of the others were scared out of their minds, but I just watched the clouds roll by.  The power, the rain, the way that they moved; it was like looking at a painting or listening to a symphony.  I knew then and there that I wanted to be a weather pony.  My parents even took me out on a few jobs with them from time to time."

"Inspiration is a powerful thing."  

"That it is, Celestia.  That it is."  

The two continued to trot through Canterlot, taking in the sights and sounds of the city as they did so.  As the progressing sun reached high noon, the consort's stomach growled out its want of nourishment, causing him to look up at his companion with need.  "So... what would you like for lunch?" he inquired.

"Let's see...OH!  I know this nice little restaurant on the east side of town that I haven't been to yet.  I've wanted to try it for quite a while."  she replied.

"Alright then.  Lead the way."   The two made their way towards the east end of town until they reached a small green building enclosed in a white picket fence.  A small sign hung on the gate leading into the restaurant:  The Canterlot Bistro. 

"Here we are.  Doesn't this place look nice?"  asked Celestia.

Thunder took in the building's humble construction and felt at ease.  "It does actually."  he replied. 

The two made their way inside and up to the front counter.  The dining room was completely empty, say for a few ponies in vests sitting patiently at the bar.  Instantly, the yellow earth pony mare manning the register quickly galloped around and stood in front of them. 

"Y-Your highness!  W-What brings you here today?!"  she managed to squeak out.

"Lunch.  We would like a table for two please."  replied the sun princess politely.

"O-Of course!  Right this way."  The mare then grabbed two menus out of a wooden holster and lead the two towards the back of the bistro.  Her attention soon turned to the blue pegasus accompanying the princess around.  "U-Um, if you don't mind me asking your highness, who's that with you?"  she whispered to Celestia.

"This is Thunder Shock, my new national weather adviser."  the alicorn gently replied.

"Nice to meet you ma'am." he said to the hostess.

Realizing she had committed some faux pas but still not sure what it was, the hostess desperately attempted to smooth over the situation as they neared a large wooden table.  "Of course he is!  And may I say how honored we are to have such esteemed guests with us!"  She then sat the menus on the table and motioned the pair to the cushions sitting in front of them.  "Please have a seat.  Your waiter will be with you shortly."

The hostess quickly dashed off, leaving the pair to take their places at the table.  They quickly glanced over their menus, marveling at the variety of seafood, salads, and pastas available.  A few moments later, a tan unicorn waiter appeared from a white door in the back and trotted up to the table.

"Good afternoon.  Are we ready to order?"  he asked as he pulled out a small pen and pad from his pocket.

Celestia politely cleared her throat as she looked over the menu.  "I will have...a large house salad with raspberry vinaigrette, a bowl of clam chowder, and a glass of water please."

The waiter quickly jotted down the order on the pad.  "And for you sir?"

Thunder took a last look at the menu as he spoke.  "Um.  I'll have...a bowl of spaghetti, some garlic bread,  and...do you have any tea?"

"Yes we do."

"Great.  A small cup please."

"Thank you.  Your order will be ready shortly."  The waiter grabbed both menus from the table and hurried through the white door.  

With everything now quiet, Thunder turned his attention back to his companion.  "You know, I don't know what surprises me more.  The fact that you would eat in a place like this, or that you only ordered soup and a salad."

"Just because I'm a princess, doesn't mean I can't enjoy the simple things every once in a while." replied Celestia.   She then took a quick look around and leaned in closer to the consort.  "Besides, I'd rather not eat all of the food they have.  It would be rude."

Thunder could only giggle at the cheekiness of his companion.  "You're something else, Tia."

"What did you say?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Come again?"

"You called me Tia."

The pegasus' heart began to beat loudly.  "I did?  I-I'm sorry.  I-"

"It's alright.  You can call me Tia."  she replied with a warm smile.

"Oh! Okay…good." said the consort, his heart coming back under control.  A few minutes later, the waiter reappeared carrying a large circular tray of food and utensils on his back.  His horn flared and carefully moved each dish to its appropriate place on the table.  His work done, he bowed and headed back to the kitchen.

Celestia's horn flared as she enveloped her fork in her magic and began to eat.  "So, how have things been with you?"  she said while levitating a piece of salad towards her.

'Keep calm, keep it casual.'  "Good.  I've been reading the new 'Daring Do' book, almost finished it.  I talked to Sky when I was out the other day.  He's going insane for being on park duty so many times."  he said while biting off a piece of bread.

"Really?"

"Yeah.  He was begging me to use my authority to end his suspension.  Poor guy.  He's really not that bad when you get to know him."  Thunder replied while taking a sip of tea.  

"I see.   You seem to care for him a lot."  

"Well, Sky has always been looking out for me ever since I started out as a weather pony.  In the beginning, when we were paired together, he would always double check everything, tell me I was doing a good job.  Heck, I lived with the guy for two years until I saved enough to get my own place.  He's the closest thing to a big brother I have."

The princess simply nodded and lifted a spoonful of chowder into her mouth.  The two continued to eat and talk until all that was left were empty plates and warm hearts.

The waiter quickly trotted back over to the table, slightly shaking as he did so.  "Was everything to your liking?"  he inquired, waiting with trepidation for a response.

"Quite so.  How much is the check?" inquired Celestia.

"Oh, your meal is on the house.  We thank you for your patronage.  Please come again."

"Thank you very much." said the solar alicorn.  The waiter bowed politely and quickly trotted back to the kitchen.  The princess then turned her attention back to Thunder, a wry grin on her face.  "This always happens when I eat out.  I'll be sure to send them a 'donation' later."

"Good.  Let's get going then...Tia." said the consort.

Celestia’s answering smile was warm and genuine, and Thunder felt a jolt of pleasure at the casual intimacy of the exchange.  The pair got up from the table and trotted back onto the streets, their stomachs full and their spirits high.


-----------------------------------------------------------


The afternoon sun was hanging in the western horizon, starting its trek down the mountains.  In the sky above the castle, the two outgoing ponies were flying towards the princess' balcony.

They made their landing and trotted inside, Celestia contently sighing as she did so.  "Thank you for the day out Thunder.  I really enjoyed spending time with you."

As the princess made her way further into the room, Thunder stood at the balcony doorway and watched the way she moved, her body now glowing in the afternoon sun's rays.   'Dear sweet Faust is she beautiful.' he thought as he continued to look at her, a sweet and gentle longing growing within him.

The warmth of his reaction to her gave him a surge of confidence as he realized that he truly did wish to please the lovely princess. Taking a step forward, a slight blush on his cheeks, he called out to her, "You know, our day doesn't HAVE to end right now..." 

Surprised at Thunder’s sudden boldness, Celestia turned to face him. “…what do you mean?” she said carefully, not quite letting the hope in her heart show in her voice. 

“Well,” Thunder replied, fighting back his old fears, “if there was something else you might wish of me, I wouldn’t mind...I mean, I would be honored...”

The sun princess blushed lightly and almost laughed at herself; it had been so long since she’d felt this giddy. Raising an eyebrow slightly, she stepped closer to the pegasus, her gaze intent but her voice quiet. “Thunder, are you asking me…”

She was so close that he caught her scent as he inhaled to respond, and even as part of him reeled at how good she smelled, he managed to breathe out, “Yes... if you want to, of course...” 

Celestia stared at the handsome stallion a moment longer, wanting him but needing to be sure of his desire. The honest yearning in his eyes made her breath catch, and almost before she knew she was doing it she closed the distance between them and caught Thunder’s lips in a kiss.  Chaste at first, it warmed quickly, and neither of them could tell whose tongue first teased the other’s into a gentle dance.

As the passion between the two grew, Celestia’s mane gradually transitioned from its multicolored hues to a simple shade of pink that fell softly over her shoulders.  Her tail soon followed, draping over her flanks, a slight shiver rolling through her as its weight brushed over her warming slit.  After a long and pleasurable few minutes, she unlocked herself from him and whispered in his ear. "Let me get ready."

Thunder caught his breath and whispered back, “Of course…Tia”.

Celestia blushed again at the familiar name and kissed the pegasus’ cheek.  She quickly doffed her ivory band and her hat, setting them in a drawer. She then trotted over to the center of the room and flared her horn, the doors locking and drapes falling over the windows.  While she was working, her tail instinctively began to swish from side to side.  Thunder was hypnotized by the motion and what it almost revealed, and with the tingle of her lips still on his he felt himself getting stiffer by the second.

Her preparations complete, the princess climbed gracefully onto the bed and lay down, folding her wings.  She looked back at him, her gaze drawn to the evidence of his reaction to her.  Warmed and flattered, she looked up into his eyes with a small, knowing smile that made her own desire plain.

As he contemplated the sight before him, Thunder’s wings began to extend and point towards the ceiling.  He brought them to his sides with a precise snap that sent a small gust of wind blowing through the room.  'NO!  I will NOT let that happen again!  Calm.  Relax.  No judgment.' he told himself.  He took a deep breath and let it out, then hopped into the bed and settled himself next to his royal bed partner.

"Um...If you don't mind, I'd like to...try a few things out for myself..." said Thunder gently.

"Very well, my consort."  she replied, her voice soft and inviting.  

Taking the lead, Thunder brought his lips to hers again, his tongue darting out playfully to dance with hers once more.  The heat of their kiss spread through him and after a few minutes he caught his breath and addressed the princess.  "O...OK.  F-flip onto your back."

Celestia smiled a bit at his hesitant command, then complied and rolled over, her underside exposed to the wanton stallion.  He climbed up onto her chest and brought his head down to gently kiss her again.  'Alright.  Treat her nice... make sure that she's enjoying herself.  Go slow... no rushing...' he reminded himself.

Thunder began to slowly nuzzle Celestia’s neck, breathing in her sweet scent, which evoked visions of a summer rain and sunflowers in his mind.  He then moved down her torso, planting small kisses on her shoulders, then her chest.  He paused as he reached her belly, then brought his hooves to her sides and tenderly massaged her body.  He smiled as her hooves made their way down his back and onto his flank, slowly rubbing his cutie marks.  Small moans escaped from the pair as they continued to massage and explore each other’s bodies.

"How...how's this?"  he asked as his hooves circled around her sides again.

"Good...good."  she replied, her voice noticeably higher than before.

The outside world seemed to fade away as Thunder continued his work, the warmth of the princess' body becoming his entire focus.  His stallionhood continued to harden, sliding against the smooth flesh of Celestia's belly while he moved.  When the princess started gasping softly at the touch of his hooves and hardness, he made his way down her stomach and toward her flank.

"OK... turn back over now."  he told her quietly.

The princess obeyed and flipped back onto her belly.  She twitched her tail aside and hiked her hips up eagerly, her rear now accessible to her consort.  She trembled slightly as he mounted her, a whispered ‘Yes...’ escaping her as his grip settled.  He glanced down to be sure of his aim and blushed to see her folds reddened and moist from his attentions.  As he maneuvered his hips to enter her, her marehood parted briefly in a simple wink of anticipation.

'Wow...she really wants me.'  he thought in amazement, his eyes widening at the sight.  'Well, if her majesty wishes...'

Thunder touched the now glistening tip of his erection against her moist slit, a squeak coming from both him and Celestia at the contact.  She moved her hips to meet him, and he pressed inside her, a gasp coming from the princess as she felt his size.  With a final smooth motion their hips met, and he paused there, the feel of her surrounding him bringing a small cry from her throat.  He began pulling back and thrusting deep in a smooth, steady rhythm.  As she rocked back and forth with him, Celestia’s cries grew louder as her passion built. 

"T...Tia...are...are you...OK?"  he said as he came in for another thrust.

"I...I'm fine...Keep...keep going..."  she replied, her wings fluttering giddily.

'Alright.  Let's...let's mix things up a bit.'  Thunder began to swirl his hips as he moved inside her, his stallionhood touching every part of her.  For what seemed like a small eternity, all that existed in the world was him, his princess, and the growing ecstasy they were creating.  'Wow…I...I never knew...that being with a mare...could feel this good...maybe...' 

As he withdrew, ready to thrust again, he felt his tip rub against a slightly rougher spot in her otherwise smooth walls.  Celestia’s eyes shot wide open as she let out a small scream.  He stopped his thrusting immediately, his face nearly slack in sheer dread.  "Celestia!  Are you alright?!  Oh sweet Faust, am I hurting you?!"  he called out.

"NO!   No...It...it's just...that spot...ooooh…" she moaned lustfully as she continued to move against him. 

Relieved, Thunder began to thrust again, paying careful attention so he could find that spot again.  Moments later he found the telltale texture and slowed his movements to rub his tip against it. 

“There! Oh, Thunder…yes…right there, please…” Celestia whimpered.  Obeying her majesty, he sped up his motion and canted his hips so his hardness would slide over it with each thrust.

"HARDER!" she yelled, her flanks heaving as her breath came ragged and hot with each of her consort’s thrusts. Thunder responded with zeal, bringing all his strength to pound into her while still brushing over that special spot.  The blankets and pillows were scattered one by one as the pair lost themselves in a frenzy of passion.

Celestia’s eyes closed as she felt a pressure beginning to build inside her, a feeling that had not visited her in over a thousand years.  Her hooves pawing at the bed, she rode the wave within, desperate to hang on to it for as long as possible as Thunder continued filling her, his thighs slapping against her flank.

As she felt the crest nearing she called out to her consort, her voice shaking, "Yes Thunder!  Yes!  I...I...AH!"

The tide of Celestia’s pleasure finally broke, and the world faded to white as euphoria began to rage through her body.  Her inner walls clamped down hard on her consort's stallionhood, her hot juices soaking it completely.  The sun princess arched her neck and screamed her pleasure to the heavens.  Faced with the power of Celestia’s pleasure, Thunder’s control escaped him as well, and as his own climax took hold of him his scream joined in unison with hers.

The two kept moving, slowly and sensuously, as the throes of their pleasure started to subside.  Finally their eyes opened at almost the same time, and they started to regain a bit of breath and composure.  Thunder's ears were still ringing from their conjoined ending when a sudden realization came over him.

'Did...did she just...?!'  Curious, he leaned towards the disheveled princess.  "Did...did you just...?!"

"YES!  Oh Yes..."  she panted back at him, her slit now relaxing and releasing the pegasus from its grip.

He carefully slid out of her and collapsed on the bed beside her, his depleted penis relaxing back into its sheath.  He slowly crawled his way back up to her head to lay his exhausted body next to hers.  

"I...I can't believe...I did that..." he said in sheer awe at what just happened.

"You...you did...and it was...beautiful."  She leaned in and planted another kiss on his lips.  "How...do you feel?"

"Sore...tired...kinda drunk..." he replied with a hearty chuckle.  "I...I'm glad...I made you happy."  A weak smile came over him as he nuzzled her nose.

Using her magic, she lifted a pair of pillows from the floor and tucked them under their heads, followed a moment later by blankets wrapped firmly around their bodies.  

"Thank you...for a wonderful day...my consort." whispered Celestia as she closed her eyes and relaxed into the pillows, her forelegs wrapped around him.

“You are...very welcome...Tia.” Thunder said softly as he nestled against her.  Before long the two were fast asleep within each other’s warmth, bringing a fine end to a warm summer day.
> Further Studies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Canterlot was still and quiet in the early morning's darkness, the moon having long retreated over the mountainside.  High in the castle in the bedroom of the solar princess, two ponies were still blissfully asleep in each other's warm embrace.  The first to awake was the princess herself, her eyes blinking wildly trying to adjust to the darkness of the room.  As her senses returned to her, she felt a weight bearing down on her chest, a slight snoring coming from it.  She looked down to see her consort, still asleep and his forelegs wrapped around her.

A small smile etched across her face, enjoying the moment so peaceful and calm.  She peered through the darkness and looked at the clock on the nightstand; both hands were pointing straight down.  Her duty calling her, she flared her horn as her magic began to move the sun.  It steadily rose in the east, its rays casting down onto the city and valleys below.  Her work complete, she laid her head back down and nestled close to the pegasus, wanting to enjoy the precious time she had left with him.

Some time later the consort finally awoke from his slumber, his nose twitching as he did so.  He rose up in bed with a mighty yawn, blinking blearily. 

"Good morning Thunder.  Did you rest well?"  asked Celestia gently.

"Y-yeah.  No nightmares."  he said while trying to shake the last bits of drowsiness from him.  "Still a little sore, but can't complain.  How about you, Tia?"

"About the same."  She replied warmly.  She rose from the bed and stretched her wings and body.  After working out her morning kinks, she trotted around to the consort's side of the bed and addressed him with concern.  "Are you alright?  I admit I was surprised, though very pleased, at your...rapid turnaround.” 

Thunder lowered his head and began to search his soul.  Despite everything that happened, he actually felt good.  Better than he had in years even.  "You know... there's a part of me trying to say that I should feel dirty or ashamed or something for what we did.  But I don't.  I'm glad that we had that time together."

"So am I.  You're growing into your role quite well, Thunder."  the solar alicorn replied with a smile.

"I suppose."  His nostrils flared as the dried scent of sweat and lovemaking still coating his body wafted towards his nose.  He winced at the strong smell, his eyes slightly watering at its strength.  "Woo!  I really need to clean up."

Celestia leaned in and sniffed her own fur, a similar smell tickling her nose.  "So do I.  Would you like to shower with me this morning?"

"Thank you, that would be very nice."  he gratefully replied.  The two made their way into Celestia's bathroom and into the showering area.  They spent around an hour washing and soaking their bodies, making especially sure to scrub away the pungent scent of sex.  Every so often one would playfully rub up against the other, their laughter echoing around them in the steamy sanctuary.

Eventually, they finished their cleaning and trotted out, refreshed in both mind and spirit.  "Ah.  Much better."  said Thunder as he made his way to the bedroom door.  He looked back one more time to see the still damp mare looking radiant in the morning sun.

He then firmly turned the handle and began to move into the hall.  Suddenly, his head bumped into somepony else’s and he reeled back in pain.

"OW!  What the...?"  he exclaimed.  As his vision cleared up, a small purple alicorn was furiously rubbing her bumped head for relief. 

After a few ginger touches of her head she finally collected herself and gazed back at him with a look of confusion.  "Uh, Thunder?  What are you doing in Celestia's chambers?"

"Well...uh...the princess and I had a day out yesterday and when it was over she...wanted me to stay with her for the night.  I...er...didn't want her to be lonely."  said the consort while desperately attempting to force a smile across his face.

Twilight analyzed his expressions, looking for any sign of dishonesty or insincerity.  Finding nothing, she happily carried on.  "O...kay.  Anyway, I'm actually glad I found you.  I need your help with something."

Thunder quickly looked around, making sure she was not addressing the sun princess by mistake.  "Me?  What for?"

"I'm still studying pegasus magic and I need somepony to talk to.  Can you help me?"

Thunder nervously shifted on his hooves as he looked into Twilight's eyes.  "I... I guess.  If the princesses don't need me that is..."  he humbly replied.

She quickly looked over him towards her mentor.  "Celestia.  Is it alright if I borrow him for a while?"

"I don't see why not." said Celestia with a shrug.

"Great!  Let's go!"  Twilight called over her shoulder as she trotted off. 

"H-Hey!  Wait a minute!" Thunder exclaimed as he raced down the hallway after Twilight.

Now alone in her room, Celestia's horn flared as her magic shut the door.  She then trotted towards the center of the room and gently laid down on the floor.  Opening her nightstand, she levitated a small blue notebook along with a quill and inkwell in front of her.  She opened the book to an empty page and began to write:


Things to do this week:

1.  Send 'donation' to The Canterlot Bistro.

2.  Send letter to Spike, inform him to keep an eye on Twilight and not to let her work herself sick.

3.  Send recommendation letter for Sky Hopper to Equestrian Weather Service - Canterlot Office.




Her reminders written down, she put the items back in the nightstand and stood up.  She trotted out of her room and downstairs towards the dining room.  Going inside, she found her sister devouring three small towers of waffles covered in butter and syrup.  she quickly sat down at the table and ordered her breakfast from a nearby servant.

"Morning Luna.  How was your dream walking last night?"  the white alicorn asked.

"Morning Tia.  About the same.  Normal ones, nightmares, some oddities here and there."  Luna replied while remembering a stallion's odd dream about swimming in a ocean of grape jelly.  She then sat her utensils down onto the table and looked at her elder sister inquisitively.  "So, How was your date?"

The waiter brought out a small cup of orange juice and sat it in front of the older sister.  She began to quietly sip from it as she recounted her date.  "Well, we traveled around the city and ate at this wonderful little bistro.  Then we came back and..."

"Did something interesting happen?"  Luna interrupted excitedly.  Her older sister continued to sip her juice rather forcefully while steadfastly avoiding her gaze.  "Oh come now Tia!  You've already been with him.  What could you possibly be embarrassed about?"

Feeling suddenly shy, the sun princess sat her cup down and tried in vain to look her sister in the face, barely able to hide her feelings beneath her usual strong demeanor.  "He... He found my..."  she said with a whisper, her cheeks coloring.

Luna blushed as well, bringing her hooves up to her mouth to stifle any squeaks of excitement.  With a visible effort Luna managed to calm herself down enough to speak. "So, I see that our consort is getting over himself."

"That he is.  It's been so long since I was treated so well.  In spite of his protests otherwise, he certainly does know how to take care of somepony."  Celestia giddily replied.  Her food then arrived: a very large bowl of oatmeal with at least thirteen bananas worth of slices sitting on top.  She began to eat the gooey delight while Luna rested her hoof on her chin.

"Well, since you've had your fun already, perhaps I should spend some time with him.  Where is he now?"  asked the lunar diarch with a knowing smirk.

"He's with Twilight."  

"Um, he's...with her?" said Luna while cocking an eyebrow.

The elder sister shook her head excitedly then readdressed her sibling.  "Oh no!  She's still studying pegasus magic and needed someone to assist her.  Thunder was the closest one available."

"Why did she not ask you or one of the guards?"  Luna inquired.

"She's never been one to ask me for too many favors.  Besides, I think she views the whole thing as a personal issue.  She's probably too flustered to talk to me directly about it."

"Hm."  the younger sister replied as she hovered another piece of waffle into her mouth.  The regal sisters continued their breakfast in relative silence until Luna's eyes turned to the floor.

"Is something wrong Luna?"  the sun princess asked with worry in her voice.

"May I speak freely for a moment?"  asked the lunar alicorn.

"Of course."

"Sister, do you think that Twilight will ever need the services of the consort?"

Celestia then drank the last few drops of her orange juice and smiled.  "I don't think so.  I know Twilight, and she doesn't think about that kind of thing.  She isn't exactly the most passionate of ponies."

"You underestimate your faithful student.  She's not a little filly anymore Tia, she's the princess of magic.  She does have... needs, whether she realizes them now or not." 

Celestia carefully sat her cup down and cleared her throat to speak again, her voice emanating wisdom.  "We shall cross that bridge if and when we come to it.  In the meantime, there's nothing to worry about.  I'm sure they are getting along quite well."


-----------------------------------------------------------


"Uh, Twilight...I'm feeling a little exposed here."

"Just a little longer Thunder.  I've almost got everything I need."

In the center of the library, among the works of pony scholars going back hundreds of years, Twilight was carefully examining Thunder's body and wings.  The pegasus stood still as best he could, his wings extended out as far as they could go and beginning to cramp up.  Every so often, Twilight would poke and prod the stallion and write a corresponding note down on her notepad.  After a half hour of this, she then grabbed an anemometer from her work table and sat it on the floor away from the bookshelves.  

"OK, I need to get a reading of your wing strength.  Give them a quick flap."  she respectfully asked.  

Thunder grunted as he shook out the near-cramp, then complied and gave his wing a strong flap, the tabs of the device rapidly spinning in the wind.

With the test complete, Twilight wrote down a series of numbers down onto her notepad then looked back at the blue pegasus.  "Alright, got it!  You can let your wings down now."

Thunder did exactly that, relieved that the ordeal was over but wincing in pain as his wings came down to his sides.  Twilight galloped back over to her work table overflowing with scrolls, books, notepads, quills, inkwells, and measuring tools.  

As the pegasus began to relax, he looked over at the table to see the alicorn student furiously cross reference her findings with her other information.  "Twilight?  How much material do you have there?"

She quickly looked over her table and took a quick inventory.  "Let's see...an ancient scroll or two, a biology book, two 'how to fly' manuals..."

"Don't you think that's a little much?" Thunder replied with a perplexed look in his eyes.

Twilight then flailed her hooves around excitedly, knocking a few books off of the table.  "I'm a princess now!  I've got to figure this out!  No matter what I try, I can only get airborne for a few seconds at a time.  I can feel the pegasus magic in me.  If I can just tap into it..."

"Whoa whoa whoa!"  Thunder quickly trotted in front of the purple alicorn and waiving his hooves toward her.  "Look, no offense, but you're thinking about this WAY too much like a unicorn."

"What do you mean?" said Twilight, trying to keep control of herself.

"Pegasus magic isn't something you can 'call forth' or manipulate.  It's...a part of us.  It flows through us and we flow with it.  We like to think of it like the air itself:  It blows ever onward, moving across the land free and unbound.  We can never truly capture it, we move with it in order to fly.  We and the air in the sky are one, such is the way of the pegasi." the stallion replied.

Twilight looked at him with a sense of awe and wonder overtaking her.  "Wow.  That was really poetic."

"Yeah, well our society isn't all about spears and pointy helmets."  The consort said with a grin.  He then cleared his throat and held his hoof in the air toward her.  "Now don't get me wrong, wing health is important too.  You really need to keep them in flying shape."

"I know."  She then turned around and showed off her plumage to the pegasus.  "They must look like a mess huh?"

"Eh, they aren't that bad.  Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Um...sure."  she nervously replied

Thunder trotted behind the petite alicorn and carefully ran his hooves up and down the underside of her wings.  He lifted and stretched them carefully, not wanting to hurt her sensitive appendages.  "Hmm, nice wing span.  Strong bone structure.  Your muscles are a little small for a mare your size though."  He then noticed that her lower set of flight feathers had been trained upward in the style and flair of a show mare.  "Who's been teaching you to preen?"

"O-One of my friends."  Twilight squeaked out, her face turning a slight shade of magenta.

"Well, they clearly have a thing for style over function; this preening style is just showing off.  You really should mat these lower feathers flat until you can get the basics down tight.  It'll help get you airborne and stabilize you in flight."

"G-Good to know."  she replied.  As he continued to stroke her wings, she couldn't help but look back and watch how his hooves tenderly embraced each wing and moved it gently up and down.  She felt her blush deepening while the feeling of his hooves on her echoed through her body.

"Twilight?  Is something wrong?  You're starting to shake a little bit."  he asked concernedly.

She then noticed her wings nervously trembling in his grasp.  "N...Nothing.  It's just...nopony touches me there..."

"I'm sorry.  Do you want me to stop?"  

"I-It's fine.  Just be careful." she replied, her voice wavering as she did so.

"I know where you’re coming from.  Most pegasi have a thing about others touching their wings.  I've had it happen to me a few times before.  Trust me, it's a perfectly normal reaction."  His once over complete, he dropped back to all fours and moved back in front of her.  "Well, aside from your muscles, I'd say your wings are good to go.  You just need to increase your mass there a bit.  When I have time, I can teach you a few good wing exercises, if you'd like."

"T-Thanks Thunder."  Now realizing that he could see the red in her face, she turned away and headed for the door.  "I...I've gotta go."  She quickly grabbed her materials in her magical field and galloped out of the library.

Thunder stood alone in confusion as he saw the petite alicorn leave.  'Weird mare.  Cute, but weird.'  He then trotted out of the library and back towards the living quarters.  He went down the stairs and saw a maid standing close to his chamber door.  "Miss?"  he called out.

The lime colored maid's ears perked up at the noise as she turned to face him.  "Do you need anything, Master Thunder?" she replied.

"Just a cup of tea please.  And let the other maids know I don't wish to be disturbed unless the princesses need me."

"Of course, sire."  The maid then politely bowed and trotted into the dining room while Thunder went into his chambers.  Once inside, he breathed deeply and headed towards the coffee table.

'I've had just about enough craziness for a while.  Now, let's see how Daring Do gets out of this one.'  He grabbed the heroine's book off of his table, laid down on his bed, and began to read:

As the water continued to pour in, Daring desperately attempted to keep her head above the freezing cold water.  Thinking quickly, she grabbed her trusted whip and...
> Morning Calisthenics
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
On Saturday...


The week had gone by well enough:  More language lessons with Luna, good meals, and even another visit the castle garden.  As another fine morning came upon the land, the consort was going about his day.

Thunder's toothbrush hung haphazardly in his mouth while he stepped out of his bathroom.  Sensing it about to fall, he quickly grabbed onto it and continued to brush his teeth.  He went out onto his balcony and took in the beautiful summer air, warm and humid on his skin.  In the horizon to the east, the mighty flying pegasus city of Cloudsdale was slowly drifting across the sky.  

'Huh, Cloudsdale's moving south now.  I swear, that city wanders around more every day!'  he thought as he gazed at the floating town.  He then went back inside and finished his morning routine, his teeth now feeling bright and clean.  He sauntered over to his bed and gently laid down, his mind adrift in thought.

'OK.  What to do today?  I could ask what Tia's doing and...'  He then flipped onto his right side as a realization came to him.  'You know, I've been so focused on Tia, I haven't spent that much time with Luna.  I really need to start paying more attention to her.  She deserves it too...'

His thoughts were interrupted when a rapping came to his chamber door.  He got up from his bed and opened the door to see a maid standing dutifully out in the hallway.

"Yes?"  Thunder inquired.

"Master Thunder, Princess Luna has requested your presence in her chambers." she replied.

"I'll be right there."  'Perfect!  More time to spend with Luna!  Gotta show her I care for her too.'  he thought excitedly.  He quickly trotted out of his room and up the stairs to the bedroom of the lunar princess.  He knocked loudly on her chamber door and waited for her response.

"Come...Come in!"  Luna called out breathlessly. 

Thunder trotted in to see a most perplexing sight.  The nocturnal princess was pushing herself up off of the tile floor, her mane done up in a ponytail and large sweatbands covering her hooves and forehead.  Beads of sweat glistened on her body and her mane slightly damp from her exercises.  After catching her breath, she turned her attention to the stunned pegasus.

"Ah.  Thunder.  Good to see you.  I..."  She stopped as she saw the consort’s face contorting as he struggled with his expression at the sight before him, a smile finally stealing onto his face.  "What?"  she asked while tilting her head slightly.


He bit his lower lip, desperate to avoid letting the growing feeling inside him escape, but it was a futile attempt.  He fell to the ground with a thud, snorting and laughing ferociously at the sweaty alicorn.

"Hey now!  I don't look that silly!"  she exclaimed in a huff.

Thunder rose to his hooves and desperately attempted to catch his breath.  "I...HAHAHAHA...I'm sorry!  It-It's just...you just don't SEE this!  HAHAHAHA!"  he guffawed.    Eventually, his expression returned to normal and his laughter ceased.  "S-so.  What's with the get up?"

"Well,” said Luna, torn between annoyance at his laughter and embarrassment at the reason for it, “I've been eating a bit too much sugar lately, so I need to work off a little extra weight.  I was wondering if you'd care to join me…if you can keep from laughing."

It was Thunder’s turn to be embarrassed, and he hung his head briefly. “I’m sorry, really; it just took me by surprise.”  He took a deep breath and smiled gamely before continuing.  “And of course I’ll be glad to exercise with you.  I could stand to work off a few pounds myself."  He then moved up next to her and stood straight up on his hindlegs.  "Let me stretch for a bit."  He extended his wings to his sides and began to touch the tips of them to his hooves.  He then brought his forehooves down and attempted to touch the floor with his chest.  He continued to stretch until his body was nice and limber.

He fell back to all fours and looked up at Luna.  "OK, all set.  What do you want to do first?"

"Nothing too strenuous to start.  How about...jogging in place?"  she replied.

"Sounds good.  Ready when you are."

She nodded and began to jog, her knees coming up to meet her face.  Thunder quickly joined her and attempted to keep pace.  As they continued, Thunder occasionally looked over at the exercising alicorn and felt a twinge in his heart.  Despite his earlier amusement he thought Luna looked very cute in her workout gear.  The two jogged for a half hour or so until they both came to a stop.

"Whew.  Starting to feel the burn already.  What next, Luna?"  said Thunder.

"How about some situps?  W-I need to work off my belly fat after all."  The nocturnal alicorn said as she laid down on her back.

"Alright.  Not too many though.  I haven't done this in a while."  Thunder then laid down on his back and wrapped his forelegs around the back of his head.  They then raised their crunched torsos up to their hindknees, their stomach muscles tightening with every lift.  A hundred of these seemed to pass in several sets when both ponies fell to the floor on their backs, their bellies on fire from their efforts.

"Let's see...to finish...how about some pushups?"  said Luna after some time to cool off had passed.

"OK.  Just...just a few..."  Thunder panted.  

The two quickly got onto all fours and pushed themselves up against the hard tile floor.  As they continued their workout, Luna’s gaze drifted down Thunder’s body from shoulder to flank.  Watching his muscles clench and ripple under his coat while he thrust himself up and down sent a warm feeling through her, and her eyes drifted back to stare intently at his flexing flank.  She felt a responding twitch under her tail as she thought of other types of exertion, accompanied by a touch of dampness that was not due to the sweat on her coat.  She blushed as her rhythm faltered.

"Luna?"  he said looking up at her while trying to catch his breath.

She looked up sharply at his question, and with her careful balance broken, Luna tumbled over onto the consort with an audible thud.  The two yelped in pain and surprise as the princess desperately attempted to reorient herself.

"Thunder!  I-I'm so sorry!  I didn't mean-!"  she pleaded.

"It's alright.  I'm not hurt."  he said from underneath her.  "Though I would appreciate it if you would get off of me..."

"Oh!  Of course!"  She quickly rose to her hooves and brushed herself off, turning away to hide the flush on her cheeks.  "I-I think that's enough for now."

"Agreed."  the consort complied while rubbing his aching back.

As Thunder got to his hooves, there was a gentle knock at the door.

"Yes?"  Luna called out, her lungs still aching for air.

The door opened and Celestia came trotting in, attired in her casual robe.  "Good morning you two.  How goes your workout?"  she said warmly.

Luna turned to face her sister, having regained her composure. "Oh, fine.  We just finished in fact.  It feels like I worked off those pounds I was worried about in one session."

"Well done!” said Celestia with little chuckle.  She then looked down and addressed the blue pegasus.  "Thunder, if you don't mind, I would like to see you in my chambers in a few minutes."

"Why?  Is everything alright Tia?"  Thunder asked with worry.

"Oh yes.  I just have a bit of a surprise for you."  the princess replied with a smile.

Thunder felt the shaking in his body from exercise increase as some of his old anxiety returned.  He looked back up at Celestia.  "OK.  Let me get cleaned up and I'll meet you in a bit."  Celestia then nodded and trotted out, leaving a slightly aching Thunder with the younger alicorn.  "Well, if there's nothing else..."

"I-I'm fine for right now.  Thank you for joining me.  You should go and get ready."

"As you wish, your highness."  Thunder then politely bowed and headed back to his chambers.  

Now alone in her room, Luna took a moment to curl up in her bed and replay her memories of the consort’s toned, sweaty body.  As the images rolled through her mind, she could feel herself trembling at the possibilities of what they could do together.  Making up her mind, she picked up a quill and some stationery with her magic and began to write...


-----------------------------------------------------------


After taking a quick shower, Thunder made his way through the halls to Celestia's chamber and gave the door a firm knocking.

"Celestia?  It's me Thunder."  He called through.

"Come in.  We're ready for you."  she replied.

As he entered the room he was perplexed by Celestia’s response.  'Wait a minute.  We?  Who's we?'

Once inside he saw the princess sitting on the floor with a visitor, a whitish blue pegasus with a silver cloud cutie mark.  The two seemed to have been there for a while; a silver tray of half eaten sandwiches and coffee lay next to them.  The visitor turned his head and looked at the blue pegasus, a look of pure joy coming over his face.

The consort tilted his head in confusion as he neared the pair.  "Sky?  What are you-"

The visiting pegasus galloped to him and wrapped his forelegs around him, squeezing hard.  "Thank you Thunder!  Thank you SOOOOOOO much!"  Sky called out.

Struggling to breathe, Thunder flailed his forelegs wildly in the air.  "Sky!  Stop!  Choking... me!"  he managed to blurt out.

Sky then eased his grip ever so slightly.  "S-Sorry,  I...I'm just...DUDE!"  

Finally able to catch his breath, Thunder unlatched himself from his friend and looked at him with confusion.  "Uh, I'm gonna need some context here..."

"Bro, I'm off suspension!  Well, technically I'm on probation now...but whatever!  I can go back on active weather duty again!  Just gotta keep my nose clean for a few months and I'm fully reinstated!"  the whitish stallion said with pride.

Thunder blinked his eyes a few times in disbelief.  "What?  How did THAT happen?"  He glanced over Sky's shoulders at Celestia and his eyes widened at her smirk.  'Ohhh right...'

"This guy..."  Sky gave the bewildered pegasus a playful punch in the shoulder.  "Celestia told me all about how you fought for me.   Practically demanded that I get off of suspension or things would get messy."

Thunder again looked over at Celestia and raised an eyebrow at the sun princess.  She subtly nodded in confirmation, and the consort smiled at her in thanks.  "...Of course I did!  I wouldn't leave my friend hanging!  You should have seen it Sky.  My argument was just... epic."

"That's what I'm talking about!  Wingmates for life!"  Sky said as he pumped his forelegs in the air.  "I don't know how I can make it up to you dude..."

"Just...promise me you're gonna behave better this time.  Please?"  said Thunder as he clasped his hooves together.

"You got it dude.  You're looking at a new weather pony right here!  All the nobles are gonna rave about me, you watch!"

"Good deal."  said the consort as he brought his foreleg in for a brohoof.  Sky returned his gesture in kind, the two laughing together afterward.  "Hey, whenever you have some time off, why don't you stop by for a visit?  I'd love to show you around. That is, if the princesses will allow it..." he said with a smirk that faded only slightly when Celestia raised an eyebrow at him.

Celestia held Sky’s eye for a moment longer just to see him twitch a bit.  "That would be fine.” she said, relenting with a smile.  “Just write to us beforehand so that we can expect you."

"No prob!  I got some time off next week.  I may take you up on that offer then."  Sky flitted out onto the balcony, flapping his wings rapidly as he came to the edge of it.  "Well, I gotta get back home.  See you later Thunder!  Thanks again!"  he said as he took to the air. 

After his friend had cleared the castle walls, Thunder turned back to the solar princess with pure astonishment.  "Why did you do that?  You hardly even know him."

"Because you basically asked that I do so, and because he is important to you.  And from what I've seen and heard, he does seem truly sorry for his actions."  she replied plainly. 

"Still, I don't want you to think I'm trying to manipulate you.  I don't want to take advantage of what I have here.  I'm not that kind of pony..."  Thunder said while hanging his head low.

"Oh Thunder, I know for a fact that you are NOT that kind of pony.  I just like doing something nice for you...as a friend."  Celestia replied with a smile.

"...thanks, Tia."  said the consort, a smile now coming across his face.

"No problem."  The solar princess then rose to her hooves and looked down at the consort with gratitude.  "You may return to your room.  I'm fine for right now."  

"As you wish."  The pegasus politely bowed and headed back through the halls to his chambers.  Once inside, he noticed a small blue envelope sitting on his coffee table.  He sat on his couch and opened it to find a midnight blue note inside, the message written in flowing script in bright white ink.

Thunder,

Your presence is requested in my chambers this evening.  I would be most pleased if you arrived well groomed and rested.  I eagerly await you and wish to know you well.

Luna.

He lay the note back down on the table, his eyes widening as the full implication of the message came to him.  'Oh boy.  Well, this was gonna happen eventually.  If I'm gonna do this tonight, I better get a nap in.  I'll need all the strength I can muster.'  He then crawled into bed and closed his eyes, the sweet blanket of sleep soon coming over him...
> A Pleasant Evening (Clop)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


	CRAAAAAAAASHHHHHHHHHH


AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


Thunder awoke from his nightmare with a gasp, his heart pounding in his chest.  As he regained his senses, he could feel the last threads of pure terror leaving him.  Looking around, he saw that the afternoon sun hung low in the sky, the room glowing golden in its wake.  His forehead was slick with a thin layer of cold sweat, and his legs trembled as he shuffled out of bed.

Shaking himself awake, he wandered into his bathroom and turned the faucet on full blast.  He then splashed the cool water on his face and looked at his reflection.

'OK Thunder.  You're alright.  Just...nerves about being with Luna.  You can do this.'

As calm gradually came to him, he took out his brush and ran it a few times through his mane.  Using meticulousness to drive the last of his lingering dread away he gave his coat a thorough brushing, taking his time as he evened out his fur and smoothed his tail.  His grooming done, he took a deep breath and checked his appearance in the mirror.  He nodded once to himself before heading out of his room and up the stairs towards Luna's chambers.  As he went down the hallways, he noticed the changing of the air guard from Celestia's pegasi to Luna's bat-winged regiment.

Thunder quelled the mix of curiosity and nervousness Luna’s guards gave him as he came to Luna’s door and gave it a few knocks.  "Luna?  It's me."  he called out.

"Come in."  her voice called back faintly.

Entering her room, he went inside to find the princess nowhere to be seen.  He glanced into her bedroom cautiously, not wanting to embarrass her, but there was no sign of her.

"Uh, where are you?"  he said inquisitively.

"On the balcony."  she replied.  "Come join me."

He turned around and finally spotted Luna through the balcony curtains. She was sitting on her balcony, dressed in full regalia and looking every inch the Lunar Princess.  'Alright.  Do NOT mention the nightmare.  This is her time with you.  Make her feel good.'  he thought determinedly.  He opened the balcony door and walked out to stand next to her.  "Hey Luna.  How are you?"  he said with a friendly smile.

Luna did not turn her head but smiled in kind as she felt his presence next to her.  "Fine, thank you.  I am just about to raise the moon for the evening.  Would you like to watch?"

"Of course."  he said while taking a seat next to her.

The lunar princess nodded then closed her eyes and flared her horn with a bluish glow.  The last beams of the sun vanished and the horizon’s color shifted gradually to a soft bluish purple as the moon came rising up in its place.  In majestic silence it glided up to take its place in the sky, its glow limning the castle and its environs in shimmering silver.  Once it was in its proper place the stars began to appear, first one by one and then in groups and clusters, their soft twinkling accenting the moonlight like tiny jewels on dark velvet.

Her nightly task complete, Luna turned to face her audience of one.  "What did you think?" she asked with a slightly hesitant smile.

Thunder was still speechless as he slowly closed his mouth, which had dropped open in awe during the presentation.  "That...that was magnificent." he finally managed to whisper.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Few ponies ever notice the intricacies of creating the night sky.  I know it isn't as impressive as Celestia's sunrise..."  said Luna with just a small hint of sadness in her regal voice.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a clear night.  I've sometimes taken a flight to clear my head after work when the sun went down.  Nice and cool, hardly anypony out, it's nice."

Luna smiled down at the pegasus, an unfamiliar but welcome warmth spreading into her soul at his presence and words.  "You really enjoy the night that much?"  she inquired.

"Yep.  Maybe I'm in the minority I guess, but I just like it when things are still and peaceful."  he responded kindly.

Luna felt her heart skip a beat as the consort sang her praises.  Her smile faded, however, as old memories crept into her mind, and to Thunder’s consternation she hung her head low, a long sad sigh escaping her.

"Luna, is something wrong?"  Thunder asked.

"Oh, it's nothing.  I'm just...thinking about the past.  I do that a lot..."

The consort tilted his head ever so slightly.  "What in particular?"

She looked back up at her beautiful night, the land now aglow in the moon's white gleam.  "Thunder, are you knowledgeable of the history of weather control?"

"Well, I'd like to think I know as much as any other weather pony..."

"What do you know of Snowdrop?"

Thunder answered the lunar alicorn with confidence.  "The blind artist?  Are you kidding?  She only wrote the book on snowflake design.  If you're trying to be on the snow team, you have to take an entire separate course to make them properly."

The lunar princess' mind then flashed with images of her small friend.  "I knew her before she found her destiny..."

The consort shook his head in disbelief.  "No way."

"I'm quite serious.  She was one of my only friends."

The pegasus mouth hung open with astonishment.  "Wow.  What was she like?"

"She was nervous, shy, and eager to prove herself useful.  She came to Celestia and I during the Spring Sunrise Celebration.  When she showed off her first snowflake, she compared it to the beauty of my night sky.  She..."  Small tears began to run down the princess' face, twinkling as softly as her stars.

Thunder wrapped his foreleg around her lower back, rubbing it ever so softly.  "She understood you."

"Probably the only pony who ever truly did..."  The lunar princess then sighed despondently and looked up at her stars.  "Thunder...if I tell you something personal, do you promise to keep it secret?"

"Of course."

She turned her head and stared into his eyes. "I mean it!  Not even Celestia knows this!  If anypony were to find out-!"  she said with her voice rising with every word.

"Luna!  Calm down!  I said I promise."  he exclaimed, holding his hooves up between them to show that he was serious.

Luna hesitated, but she could see the sincerity in his eyes.  The idea of trusting another pony after so long made her tremble inside, but she found herself believing in him.

Reassured, Luna's gaze softened as she hung her head once more.  "The night I became Nightmare Moon...I saw her..."  she said, her just above a whisper.

"What?"  Thunder couldn’t keep himself from muttering in surprise.

"It was after Tia and I had a very heated argument..."


-----------------------------------------------------------


Luna was splayed out on her bed, crying loudly into her hooves.  "Tis not fair!  Why can't our night be just slightly longer just this once?!  We only want them to see..."  She screamed in wordless anger and frustration, the walls reverberating against her mighty voice as her wails echoed through her room.

"Luna?  Why are you so sad?"  said a small voice seemed to come from everywhere in the room 

Turning around, Luna saw the small snow white pegasus with glazed-over eyes staring back at her.  "Snowdrop?  What are you doing here?"  she said with confusion.

"I saw that you were upset and wanted to see you.  What's wrong?"  she friendly asked.

Luna dried the tears from her eyes and rose from her bed, moving over to stand near the filly.  "We...we just had an argument with Celestia.  All we asked is that our night come one hour earlier, even just once, so that our subjects may have more time to appreciate our night sky."  Her voice became livid as she stomped in a circle around Snowdrop.  "She talked down to us as if we were a foal!  As if one hour would destroy the world!  But NO!  The entire universe has to revolve around our sister's word or else it has no meaning!"  

"That doesn't sound very nice,"  said Snowdrop quietly,  “or fair.”

Her anger boiling, Luna shook out her mane and glared in the general direction of Celestia’s chambers.  "Tis typical.  She always was the better.  Always loved more, always adored more, always worshiped more openly and often than us; even the consorts care for her more."  The Moon Princess spat loudly on the floor.  "It makes us sick."

"You don't need her."  her friend said innocently.  

Luna looked into the filly's eyes, bewildered at her comment.  "Excuse us?"

"You don't need her.  The only reason that she yells at you is because you're more powerful than her.  Yet she is the one who gets all the attention."  Snowdrop said, her quiet voice starting to warp with distortion.

"Y...Yes.  It isn't fair!  We walk through the very dreams of our subjects!  We see their hopes and desires, and taste the very essence of their fears! We have far more of a connection with them than our sister!"

"Right!  So go march in there and tell her how things are going to be from now on!"  the filly commanded, her voice carrying strange echoes that resonated in Luna’s mind.

Hesitating, Luna remembered the spark of love she had for her sister.  She hung her head low in shame.  "She doesn’t understand.  We have tried to tell her..."

"Then make her understand.  Make them all understand."  said the blind pegasus, her voice now dripping with menace.

"Yes...we...we should...We will!"  declared Luna fiercely.  As her rage twisted and wound around her heart she realized how much she hated her elder sister.  Her eyes narrowed and filled with determination, and she smiled savagely, her anger filling her mind.

"We believe it's time to pay our sister a visit..."  said Luna as she strolled out of her room, a sinister look in her transformed eyes.

Behind her, the white filly faded from view.


-----------------------------------------------------------


Thunder's jaw was nearly on the floor at Luna's confession.  "Was...was that...?"  he managed to say.

Luna nodded and turned her face away.  "The beginning of my downfall.  By that time, it was far too late to stop..."

Frowning in consternation, Thunder shook his head before asking, “How could Snowdrop have made something like that happen?  It doesn’t seem like...”

Luna interrupted him. “It wasn’t actually her.”  she said uncomfortably.  “I still do not know the truth of how she, or rather her image, came to be in my room that night.”

Thunder edged closer to the princess, leaning gently against her side.  "I...I'm so sorry.  I can't begin to imagine what that was like for you."  he said, attempting to soothe her pain even though it was far beyond his ken.

Luna took a deep, shuddering breath as she felt Thunder’s compassion. She rested her head on his for a long moment, then quietly said, "Let's go back inside."

The two made their way back into Luna's chambers, her magic shutting the balcony door behind them. Luna stood just inside, a haunted look on her face.  "Even to this day, I see the fear in everypony's eyes when they look at me.” she said, her voice shaking.  “They still think of me as the lesser sister, the mad mare, the scourge of Equestria."

Luna’s gaze was locked on the floor between her hooves, her wings drooping as she took another ragged breath.  "Perhaps they are right.  Perhaps I will never escape Celestia's shadow..." Her final defense broken, Luna began to weep loudly, tears now flooding down her cheeks.   

Seeing her distress, Thunder moved close and draped one wing over her. He raised one hoof to softly stroke her cheek. “Luna,” he pleaded, “may I...will you let me tell you something that may help?”

After another sob Luna sniffed and slowly raised her head, at first unable to meet his eyes.  She wiped her damp cheeks with a hoof, then looked at him and gave a tiny nod.

Thunder held Luna’s gaze with him as he spoke earnestly. “I believe in the holy maiden Faust.  I believe in Elysium and know that ponies who follow in the maiden's light will gain their rewards.  And I know that Snowdrop - the real Snowdrop - is looking down on you from there and wanting you to be better."

Luna felt a faint hope appear in her heart, a star in a field of darkness.  She clung to that hope as best she could, but the weight of her despair brought her head back down to hang in shame.  "I...I don't know how.  I've caused so much pain, so much destruction."

"Everyone has moments of anger and fear, Luna, and we all make mistakes."  Thunder softly replied.  "We're all jerks and saints and everything in between.  We all cause pain in our lives, sometimes by accident, sometimes intentionally.  I know I'm not the best consort or the best pony out there, but I try to see what I've done wrong and atone for it.  The only thing we can do is work to recognize when we've caused pain, and do our best to learn enough that we don’t do it again."

"Is it really that simple?"  Luna whimpered, her wings ruffling as her shoulders shook.

"It's the only way I know how to live."  He brought his hoof to her chin, lifting her head up to look her in the eyes.  "But know this, Luna: I don't think you are lesser or mad.  You feel remorse and ask for forgiveness; I'm sure they have been ponies who haven't.  And you are certainly NOT in your sister's shadow.   You're different, and that's not a bad thing."  

The spark of hope in her flared to life at his kind words, and Luna felt a crack in the chains around her heart. "We...I-I mean...I..."  she stammered.

Thunder smiled softly and nestled closer to the lunar alicorn, nuzzling her neck gently.  "Luna, you don't have to try so hard when you're around me.  Just...be yourself.  I don't mind."

With a sob of joy Luna swept up the pegasus in a loving embrace, holding him tightly as her tears dampened his fur. "We thank thee, young Thunder Shock.  Thou are a very sweet pony."  Relief flooded through her as she felt the bonds of her sorrow loosen, and she kissed him deeply, celebrating and thanking him all at once.

As Luna continued to kiss Thunder, the starry effects in her mane faded until it was a solid blue that fell naturally over her shoulders.  Her tail followed suit, snaking around the pair on the floor.  The rush of emotion and the touch of his lips brought out another feeling in Luna: a heat that began as a tingle in her nethers, then moved through her whole body.

Feeling Luna’s shiver in response to his touch, Thunder managed to break away and whisper in her ear.  "So, what can I do to make you feel better?"

Feeling still too fragile to indulge in pride or bravado,  Luna flicked her ears as whispered back, "Thunder, you have been so good to us.  We...we wish to show you a new way of pleasing a mare.  Will you indulge us?"

"I will."

"Good.  Let us...get things ready." She looked up over Thunder’s shoulder and lit her horn again.  The room’s doors locked with audible clicks, and the drapes dropped over the windows, only allowing the faint moonlight to shine through them.  The room secured, her magic wrapped around her regalia, unfastening the heavy jewelry and levitating it into an open dresser drawer.

Nodding in satisfaction, Luna walked over to the bed and curled up on one side, a faint tremble in her wings betraying her anticipation.  She set aside her fear as she looked at Thunder, wanting only to feel the pleasure she knew they could share.

"Now, come to us Thunder."  she said, her voice dripping with seduction and desire.

Thunder quickly flitted over to her and landed on the bed, laying down beside her with a smile on his face.  “As you wish, my princess.” he said playfully.

Warmed by his closeness and his open appreciation, she nuzzled his ear, filling it with her breath. “Such a handsome gentlecolt.”  she murmured to him.  “Now let us show you what we desire.”

Luna kept herself against him as she turned onto her back, the feel of his fur rubbing against hers adding to the tingle she still felt.  “Now, place thyself at our flank, betwixt our thighs.” she softly commanded.  He complied with a grin, sliding against her as he moved down her side.  Careful of her tail, he nestled himself at her rear and looked up at her expectantly.

Seeing Thunder eager to please her sent a shiver down Luna’s back, and she caught her breath as his hooves brushed her legs. She waved them a bit as she instructed him further.  “Kiss up and down our hind legs, and rub them tenderly. We would like that very much,” she said, her voice soft and wavering ever so slightly.

“Of course, my princess,” Thunder husked, his warm breath stirring the fur on her thighs.  He smiled as she let out a tiny gasp in response, then reached up to bring her right leg down to rub his cheek against it.  Marveling that her coat was perhaps slightly softer than her sisters, he turned his head to kiss just above her hoof, then continued raining soft kisses down to her shivering inner thigh.

Luna had started moaning softly as Thunder’s lips caressed her leg, and as he made his way down her left, his kisses getting closer to her now moist slit, her hips started shifting on the bed.  When he slid one hoof down to rub her cutie mark she quivered and cried out.

Thunder could scent Luna’s arousal as he looked up at her cry.  He glanced down at her moist folds, then met her gaze with a smile. "Feeling better?" he whispered up to her slyly.

Breathing hotly, Luna smiled back at the pegasus, enjoying his compliance and his eagerness. “Y-Yes,” she answered with a delighted shiver.  “Now...take thy tongue...and lick..." she gasped out, her eyes full of desire as she twitched her hips up, presenting her marehood to him. 

“A-alright.” he said with a slight hesitation. He looked at the moist slit that glistened in the soft light, a scent of black cherries and longing tickling his nose. Smells good. he thought as he took a deeper sniff. How is this gonna taste is the question, though. He cautiously ran the end of his tongue along her folds, smiling slightly at her answering cry.

Luna pushed up against Thunder’s exploring mouth, demanding more. He obliged, marveling at the rich flavor, accented with cherries, that rolled over his tongue as it slipped between her folds. Encouraged, he pressed his muzzle against her slit, lapping over, around, and into her opening, and he was rewarded by more and louder moans and cries from Luna. As she grew more and more wet, covering his nose in sweet nectar, he felt his stallionhood stiffening and unsheathing. 

Luna brought one hoof down to tangle in Thunder’s mane.  "Ah! That’s…good!  A little faster now...and a little to the right..." she moaned.  He quickly complied, increasing his tempo and moving the focus of his probes and licks to the right.  He was learning when to breathe between the movements of Luna’s hips when his jaw started to feel sore, but still he pressed onward.

Luna’s gaze was unfocused as she stared off into space, her wings quivering at her sides.  It had been so long since she had been touched like this.  Pleasure surged through her on lightning wings, and her legs wobbled in the air beside his head as she continued pushing herself up against his questing tongue.

Thunder lifted his head to get a deeper breath, and Luna gasped at the sudden cessation of his touch. "D...Doing good?" he said as he gulped air.

Luna’s ears twitched at the sound of his voice, and she turned her head toward the moon, its light streaming through the drapes and bathing them in its cool glow. "Yes...we are so...ready for it now... "  she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What was that, Luna? Is everything… good?” Thunder asked as he strained to hear her.

Luna turned quickly to face him. “Oh, yes!” she answered around her panting. “Now let us tell you…how to make…true pleasure begin!”

Luna took a trembling forehoof and spread her folds as Thunder watched, entranced. “There... there should be a nub at the top of our slit. Dost see it?”

Before Thunder’s eyes a glistening pearl emerged at the top of her folds. “Y...yes. I see it. It’s tiny, but...” he grinned at a sudden inspiration. “It shines like a little moon.”

Blushing deeply at his comment, Luna found herself barely able to articulate her next instruction.  "Take thy tongue... and stroke it.  Please...be gentle," she begged.

Gazing curiously at the small nub, he thoughtfully considered its probable fragile nature. 'Alright.  Best if I don't let my teeth scrape it.  Don't want to know what would happen.' He leaned down and slid the tip of his tongue over it, pausing as Luna jumped and gasped at the touch.  When he felt her hoof return to the back of his head to urge him on he pressed a little harder, wrapping his tongue around it and rubbing it tenderly.

“Oh Thunder yes!” cried Luna, her wings opening beneath her to spread out on the bed. Her back arched as she writhed beneath Thunder’s tongue, and she pressed his muzzle against her mound with hoof and hips. “Yes! Right there!”

Thunder continued to rub and flick the little pearl with his tongue, slowing down then speeding up his lapping to follow the rhythm of her responses.  As he did so, he couldn't help but be amazed at the moans and screams of delight coming from Luna.  'So that’s a clit. he mused as one particularly good lick brought a burst of sweetness into his mouth. Never thought I’d be able to do this to a mare...'

Luna’s gasps started coming fast and hot as the tide of pleasure moving through her came nearer to breaking.  She shook violently, sweat breaking out on her face and chest as she ground herself against Thunder’s face.  Finally she could hold back no longer, and she screamed aloud as wave after wave surged and crashed with every tongue-stroke.

“OHHHHH THHHHUUUNDERRRRRR!” Luna’s mighty voice shook the room around them as she flooded Thunder’s mouth with liquid.  Her folds grasped at his tongue and lower lip, desperate to draw him inside her.  Her final convulsive shudder pulled her slit away from his mouth, and as she cried out a squirt of her juices splashed on his shoulder to drip down onto the bed.

Luna collapsed on the bed, drained and quivering, her sweaty, tangled mane strung around her head.  An exhausted smile was etched onto her face and she sighed happily, delighted that she could feel this good again after so long.

Laying in the aftermath of Luna’s climax, Thunder looked up towards the giddy princess.  "Luna, are you alright?"  he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.  

"Mmmmmhmmmm." replied Luna with a drunken slur.  

Luna’s fervent pleasure and joyous cries had kept Thunder's erection steel hard for what now felt like an eternity.  He put a tentative hoof up to stroke Luna’s side, which also moved his aching crotch closer to hers.  He kissed her belly just above her mound, then asked gently, “Luna, would you like me to-"

"OH YES, PLEASE!" cried Luna pleadingly, her marehood wet and winking.  She then blushed brightly before taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure. 

"Just...let us rest for a moment..." she managed between breaths.  After a short silence, Luna looked up at Thunder and wiggled her rump into a more comfortable position. “Now then.” she said, opening all four legs invitingly. “You may continue.”

Still rock hard, Thunder carefully clambered atop the princess, a delighted squeak escaping Luna as his length brushed along the inside of her thigh.  He canted his hips, trying to enter her, only to slide the shaft along her wet folds, making them both cry out in surprised pleasure.

Luna looked up at Thunder and whispered, “Hold still...” as she shifted beneath him, arching her back to bring her slit up against his tip.  She moaned as he responded with a gentle push, parting her slowly and moving carefully.

“Oh...Oh, please Thunder...do it!  Fill us!” Luna pleaded, her eyes locked on his as she shuddered beneath him.

Thunder watched Luna’s face as he obeyed, burying himself deep inside her in one smooth thrust.  She gave a tiny yelp as he hit bottom inside her, but the gasp that came with it and the feel of her walls clenching around his cock made it clear how much she enjoyed it.

Thunder slowly rocked his hips back until just the tip was inside her, and once more with eyes and gasps she begged him to fill her again.  Rocking his pelvis back and forth he built up a steady rhythm, his own moans of pleasure now echoing around the room with hers.

Remembering his experience with Celestia, Thunder started rolling his hips to slide his cock along every part of her walls, massaging every nook and cranny. Luna threw her head back with a rapturous howl, her hooves shaking on his shoulders.

After a few minutes more Luna’s breath once more came in short bursts, and she raised her head to look at Thunder, her eyes wide.

“Thunder...we...we are...!” she cried, biting her lip in a desperate attempt to survive the oncoming storm.

"Me...me too.  I’m so close..." he replied, his cock getting harder as it started to pulse.

"Yes!...YES!...YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"  she screamed as another orgasm rocked her body.  Her walls pulled and stroked at Thunder’s cock, milking every drop from it as he spurted his pleasure inside her.

The pleasure crackled and surged between the lovers, the world turning to a blur around them.  Then the tension snapped, and they collapsed exhausted on the bed, their bodies covered in sweat and fluids.

After a small eternity of recovering from the intensity of their lovemaking, Thunder carefully slid onto his side beside the princess, his wings flopping limply onto the bed.

"I... hope that I...pleased you, Luna.”  he said, his voice slurred and hoarse.

Lifting her head to peer at the disheveled consort, Luna smiled gently. "Thou didst spectacularly.  We think thou art improving greatly in thy skills."

She lifted a hoof and ran it gently down the consort's cheek.  Her eyes were bright in the filtered moonlight, her cheeks damp with tears.  "When we were sealed inside the moon, we felt nothing.  No pain, no anguish, no love."  She leaned forward to plant a small kiss on Thunder’s lips, looking into his eyes with appreciation.  "Thank you...for letting us feel alive again."

"Any time, Luna."  he replied, small tears running down his face as well. 

After taking some time to recover, Luna whispered into the pegasus' ear.  "By the way, why didst thou call our sister by 'Tia'?  We thought that we were the only pony to call her that."

"It just came to me.  It's like a nickname I use to be more casual around her."

"Oh."  She ran her hoof through his sweaty mane, a look of contemplation coming over her face.  "It may be petty for us to ask, but...may we have a nickname too?"

"Sure."  He looked up at the ceiling for inspiration as his battered mind tried to come up with something suitable.  "Let me think...um...how about...Lulu?"

A small giggle escaped the princess' mouth.  "We like that."

Thunder let out a laugh himself.  "Great.  My little Lulu.  I like the sound of that."

After the two shared a loving chuckle, she looked deeply into his emerald eyes, noticing a faint but chilling disturbance within her bedmate.  "You seem very tired."  she asked worriedly.

"Well, after we just did..."  said the pegasus with a chuckle.

"It's more than that.  We can tell."  replied Luna, her voice sounding serious and concerned.  She leaned forward and attempted to restore the regal nature to her voice. "Thunder, have thy nightmares returned?"

Thunder looked away from her, then sighed in defeat.  "...Yes.  I took a nap before I came here tonight.  It was really vivid this time around..."

"Thunder, if you'd like, we could enter into it and..."

"NO!"  he shouted in a panic.  Embarrassed at his outburst, he took a deep breath and reached up to softly rub the back of her head.   "I mean...that's alright.  I've lived with this for a while.  I can handle it."  he assured her.

Not wanting to make a bad situation worse, she gave in to his demand.  "Very well.  Just know if it becomes too much to bear, our offer stands."

"I'll keep that in mind."

She cradled the tired stallion in her forelegs, running her hooves tenderly down his back.  "Know that tonight, no nightmares will haunt you.  We shall make sure of it."

"Good to know.  Sleep well, Lulu."  he said, the feeling of exhausting beginning to overtake him.

"And you as well, my consort."  the Moon Princess replied.  The two then closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, their bodies basking in the glow of the pale moonlight.
> Reflection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The faint rays of the morning sun shone through the heavy drapes over the windows, turning Thunder's vision into a blur of darkish blue as he stirred from his slumber.  He sat up in bed and silently stretched his legs while his eyes attempted to focus.  The heady scent of sex hung around them in a haze, the sheets still damp with sweat and other fluids.

Next to him lay the still sleeping Luna, her horn faintly lit with magic and her eyes moving rapidly beneath their lids.  Her face held a look of pure focus, a master of her craft bent to delicate and demanding work.  He kept his breath quiet as he watched her sleep, feeling awed by this opportunity to watch the sleeping alicorn as she exercised one of her most remarkable powers.  'She must still be dreamwalking.  Better not disturb her, especially since I had no nightmares last night, just as she promised.'  He laid back down and closed his eyes, attempting to grab whatever rest he could before she woke.

Alas for that potential rest, it was only a few minutes later that the magic of her horn dimmed and her eyes fluttered wildly.  She let out a mighty yawn and lifted her head and shoulders up from under the warmth of the blankets.

"Morning, Luna." said Thunder, his smile gentle and genuine.

Luna let out a mighty yawn, then looked down at Thunder with a warm smile.  "Good morning, Thunder.  How was thy rest?"

"Good, thanks for asking."  he replied.  His eyes drifted to her mane, its strands so tangled and sticking up in places that he could not help but grin.

"Is something wrong?" inquired Luna with a raised eyebrow.

Thunder could barely hold back a small laughing fit as he said, "You've got a little bed mane going on there..."

Luna glanced at herself in a nearby mirror, examining her messy mane and tail with a critical eye.  "Hmmm.  Tis rather a bit unkempt."

"Gee, I wonder why?"  quipped Thunder with a devilish smirk.

Luna gazed at Thunder with narrowed eyes, though she couldn’t keep a grin from sneaking onto her face.  "Thou art developing quite the waggish tongue, oh consort."

"What can I say?  I learn from the best."

Luna let out a chuckle as she shuffled out of bed.  "As you say.  At any rate, we should tidy up."  she said, giving her wings a quick stretch. 

Thunder did a quick inspection of himself as well.  His own mane was slicked up in a few places and his wings were a clustered pile of tangled feathers.  "Agreed.  I could use a preening myself.  I'll go clean up and meet you in the dining room."  He rose from the bed and walked towards the bedroom door.

"Thunder."  The pegasus stopped in his tracks and turned back towards Luna.  She blushed ever so slightly and pawed innocently at the floor.  "W...We thank thee for a wonderful time last night.  Tis rare that somepony listens to our plight."

Thunder smiled gratefully, his soul brightened by her compliments.  "My pleasure.  If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me."

"We do.  Again, thank you."

After offering Luna a slight bow, Thunder made his way out of Lujna’s chambers.  He quickly trotted down the stairs, taking care not to run into any curious guards or maids, and headed towards his room.  Once inside, he dashed into his bathroom and turned the shower faucets to full, a cascade of perfectly temperate water shooting out.  After a shower and preening, Thunder made his way down the stairs to the dining room.  Inside, Celestia and Luna were already there enjoying their small mountain of food, dressed in their morning robes.  

"Good morning, Thunder.  How are you today?"  said Celestia as she nibbled on a slice of grapefruit.

He took his place at the table and smiled up at Celestia.  "Good.  Could be a little cooler, but can't complain."  He then ordered a bowl of cereal and tea from a nearby maid.

Celestia took a sip of her grape juice and turned her attention to her sister, a knowing look in her eye.  "And you Luna?  Everything alright this morning?"

Luna’s cheeks were flushed with redness, and a few audible slurps escaped her mouth as she drank her orange juice.  "Indeed.  T'was an... ordinary night.  Nothing too serious."  she said, her eyes darting around the room anxiously.  A waiter then came trotting in and set Thunder's food on the table, receiving an appreciative nod for his trouble. 

"Why are you speaking in the Old Equish dialect?  Are you having a relapse?"  Celestia said concernedly.  

Thunder rubbed the back of his head in awkwardness while taking a sip of his tea.   "Yeah, that's all on me.  We were... together last night, and I told her she didn't have to try so hard.  Whatever makes her happy."

Celestia’s face then lit up like a Hearth's Warming Eve tree.  "Really?"  "Is that all that happened?"

"Uh... YES!” said Luna quickly, her chewing growing louder. “He...he complemented us on our night sky, we talked, and enjoyed each other’s company."  The squishing of food in her mouth was now echoing around the room.   "Oh!  Our consort hath given us a nickname!"  she exclaimed, desperate to change the subject.

"What is it?"  Celestia inquired.

"Lulu.  I thought it was cute."  answered Thunder.  

Celestia began to giddily clap her hooves together, looking more akin to a filly millennia younger than herself.   "It is!  I should start using it!"

"Tia..."  Luna groaned in frustration.

Celestia gave Luna a playful nuzzle,  her voice now dripping with cheeriness.  "Oh little Lulu!  Don't be so embarrassed!  You know I love you with all of my heart!"  

Luna could only roll her eyes and grumble in mock protest.

The three continued to eat and talk, their bellies and spirits both being filled.  After their plates were cleared away,  Luna announced, "We should return to our room.  Thunder, would you accompany us?  We would like to spend more time with thee this morn."

Trying to ignore the enormous smirk on Celestia’s face, Thunder drank the last of his tea and gently set his cup down. He cleared his throat and said to Luna, "Sure.  I'll meet you upstairs."

The two rose from their seats and Thunder headed out the door.  Once he had left the room, Celestia noticed a slight swaying in her sister's step and called out to her.  "You're walking with a bit of a wobble, there."

Luna stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at Celestia, her eyes narrowed at her upstart sister. “ Not another word out of you...” she said severely.

"Just making an observation... Lulu."  said Celestia slyly.  Luna just shook her head and walked out of the dining room, unable to stop the small twitch of her thighs that accented her every step.

Just after Luna departed a maid darted into the room, a letter enveloped in her yellow magical field.  "Your highness, you have a letter from a Mr. Sky Hopper."  she said.

"Thank you."  said Celestia.  Picking it up in her own field, she quickly opened the envelope and gave the letter inside a thorough read.  "Hmm.   I should let Thunder know of his friend's next visit."


-----------------------------------------------------------


Back in Luna's chambers, Thunder was sitting at the base of the bed as Luna came walking in.  She took a seat next to him and levitated her dream notebook from the dresser drawer.  She grabbed a nearby inkwell and began to jot down last night's observations onto the simple paper of the journal.

"Faust, sometimes I don't know how you two manage to stand each other for five minutes, let alone thousands of years...."  said Thunder.

Luna continued to write down her most recent experiences, dreams of all sizes and kinds, as she answered him.  "Tis all in good fun.  We've been at it for our entire lives.  We are sisters, after all."  

"I guess.  It's just weird to think about the both of you as actual sisters, warts and everything, you know?"

"Such is your fate when you are looked upon as an icon."  She continued to jot down her most recent dream impressions until one in particular stood out: that of the wife of a deployed soldier on the frontier pining for the love of her husband.  The sentimentality of the dream touched Luna, and a few small tears ran down her cheek as the dream played over again in her mind.

"Lulu, is something wrong?"  said Thunder worriedly when he saw her tears start to fall.

Luna quickly wiped her face with her hoof and looked down at the pegasus.  "Thunder, may I ask thee a personal question?"  she said, the usual grandiosity of her voice completely gone.

"...alright."

With a quiver to her lip, Luna asked the now bracing pegasus, "Do... do you love me?"

Surprised at the question, Thunder struggled to answer.  "Well, I-I like spending time with you, and with Celestia, too.  I mean, you're both funny and kind..."

Luna brought her hoof to the pegaus' mouth, silencing his short ramblings.   "No.  What we mean to say is...art thou...in love with Tia or myself?"

Luna waited patiently as he bent his head, pondering. 'Huh.  Now that's a good question...'  he thought as he processed his feelings and his reactions to the princesses.  His brow creased as he searched every fiber of his soul, seeking the truth so that he could give an honest answer.  Finally, he came to the truth hidden deep within himself.

"...No.  I'm not.  I'm just...not.  I don't have that feeling when I'm with you.  I’m not sure that I could feel that way about you or Celestia."  He reached out with a hoof and stroked Luna’s back.  "But know this: I care about the both of you very much.  I would never do anything to hurt you or Tia.  I'm here for you both, and that is NOT going to change anytime soon."

Luna leaned into Thunder’s touch, her eyes welling again with tears.  "Thank you for thy honesty.  Tell us, do you ever wish to have somepony of your own?"

Thunder sighed heavily and shrugged his shoulders, remembering Flitter and other mares that passed him by.  "I don't know.  I've tried but... after everything I've been through, especially recently, I just don't think romance is in the cards..."

Thunder felt Luna’s strong hoof on his shoulders and looked up to see her looking at him with a confident smile.  “You are wrong.  We believe that you shall find a mare who loves you with all of her being.  You are far too good of a pony to be alone."

"You think so?" he inquired while cocking his eyebrow.

The lunar princess gently nodded.  "We know so."

Thunder couldn't help but smile.  "...Thanks, Lulu."  he said while giving her a pat on the back.

Luna levitated her notebook back into her dresser drawer and turned to address Thunder again.  "Thank you for spending time with us this morning.  We have duties to which we must attend.  You may return to your room."

"Yes, your highness."  Thunder politely bowed and made his way out of her chambers.  He walked down the stairs towards his own, stepping inside and locking the door behind him.  He went into his bathroom and ran the sink full of cold water, splashing it onto his face.

Looking up, he gazed at his reflection.  His mane hung low over his shoulders, and with all the exercise he had been getting recently his body was now plainly more tone and sleek, his wings now arching up in a more powerful display.  As he took in these developments his mind chewed over recent developments.

'Well, that's both princesses I've been with now.  No turning back at this point.'  Memories of the previous night came to him in a rush, his eyes widening as his behavior caught up to him.  'What am I doing?!  No, seriously, what am I turning into?!'  He began to pace back and forth across the marble floor, his breathing becoming more rapid, almost hyperventilating as anxiety filled his mind.  'And what was with that sex talk last night?  It looks like a small moon?!  Oh Faust, am I really that perverted?!'

He came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the room and took a few deep breaths.  After calming his nerves, he looked back in the mirror, attempting to make sense of these new feelings inside him.  'No, I'm not perverted.  I'm just getting better at... comforting.  And, in all honesty, it does feel really good.'  He touched his hoof to the mirror and looked intently into his own eyes.  'Maybe... this is what I was really meant to do too, like this is my... second destiny or something.  But why?'

He took his hoof off of the mirror and walked a few steps back. Looking at himself from across the room, he considered his past and contemplated the seriousness of what his life was becoming.  'Why? Because I am that kind of pony.  A good kind!  I listen when nopony else can.  I help them bear their troubles, their pasts, their worries.  I care for them when they are in need.  I believe in them when they have trouble believing in themselves.'   

Thunder felt a surge of confidence as he truly began to accept his fate. Spreading his wings, he struck a triumphant pose in the mirror, feeling the mantle of his position settle onto him fully.


'I am Thunder Shock.  And I AM the consort.'


> Blueblood's Lament
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
On Saturday


Thunder took one more good look around his room to make sure that nothing was out of place or messy. The maids cleaned every other day or so, but he wanted everything to look god for Sky Hopper’s visit.  His friend would be arriving at the castle any minute and he certainly didn’t want to give him any more reasons to tease than he already had from their long history.

After one last visual check, he determined that the room was as clean as it was going to get. 'Alright, that's done.  Wonder how Sky's gonna react to all of this.  Will he be jealous or-'

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud tapping at the door. He turned around and opened it to find a maid standing outside.

"Master Thunder Shock, Mr. Sky Hopper is waiting for you in the main hall."  she said dutifully. 

"Thank you.  I was just heading out to meet him." Thunder replied.  He made his way out of his room and through the numerous halls of the castle until he reached the main hall.  There, Sky was hovering impatiently in the air, his forelegs crossed in frustration.

Thunder walked up under the annoyed pegasus and said playfully, "Guards!  We have an intruder!  Kick his flank out of here!"

Laughing along with the consort, Sky flew down and gave Thunder a playful jab in the shoulder.  "You just try! I'll pluck your feathers out!"  he replied with a huge smile on his face.

Thunder gave Sky a friendly bro hug.  "Sky! Good to see you!  How have you been?"

"Ever since my probation period kicked in, just peachy!"  Sky said excitedly. He wrapped his forelegs around Thunder in a rough return hug, ruffling his friend’s mane.  "Thank you again, bro. For real..."

Sky’s eyes widened as he felt the changes to Thunder's body, his muscles now stronger and rippling underneath his fur.  He let go of his friend and stepped a few paces back.  "Whoa! Thunder! You're getting a little buff there..." said Sky while taking a longer look at Thunder's more toned physique.

"Oh thanks.  I've been exercising more since I've been the adviser.  Bet I could take you in a foreleg wrestle now!"

"I-I bet you could!"  Sky stammered, still marveling that such a cushy job would end up making his friend look so good. He cleared his throat and looked back at Thunder’s face.  "So! Let's get this tour started, eh?"

"Sure thing.  Follow me." said Thunder.  The two pegasi took to the air and slowly flew through the many halls and corridors of the castle.  Every once in a while, Thunder would stop and describe a point of interest to Sky: The observatory, the library, the armory, and other important areas.

"Dude, this place is ENORMOUS!  How do you not get lost in here?" Sky exclaimed as they banked around another corner.

"Princess Luna gave me the rundown when I first got here.  I pretty much know the layout by heart now; I’ve certainly been through it enough.  Besides, even if I get lost, I'm sure a guard or maid would be glad to help out."

“Huh. Well, there are worse things to have to get used to!”  Sky said with a playful grin.

Thunder chuckled in response as he pointed with a hoof at a set of ornate double doors. "That's the courtroom. Celestia and all of the representatives from the cities of Equestria debate policies and make the laws of the nation."

"Wow.  What's that like?"

Thunder hovered in midair and brought his hoof to his chin, trying to think of the proper analogy for that bit of madness.  "Well, uh...Ah! Do you remember when Thunderlane got really drunk after work and punched that badflank at the bar because he was being a jerk to the mares?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that but with just words, a lot more ego, and like a hundred times worse."

Sky broke into uproarious laughter at the particular image Thunder was painting.  Thunder motioned his friend towards a nearby doorway.  "Here are the living quarters.  We better go to ground."

Thunder then landed carefully on the carpeted floor with Sky following suit next to him.  He then let out a cough, his throat becoming dry from all of the talking he had done while showing Sky around.

"I'm getting a little thirsty.  You want anything to drink?"  he inquired.

"Sure.  Some coffee if you got it."

Thunder took a quick look, hoping to find a maid to order a drink from.  Luckily, one came from around the corner down the hall.  "Excuse me ma'am!" he called out.  The maid's ears perked up at the call and she quickly trotted over to the pair.  "Could you get me a cup of tea and a coffee for my friend?" asked Thunder.

"Yes, Master Thunder Shock." she replied.

"Thanks.  Just deliver them to my room in a few minutes."

"Of course, sire." The maid then respectfully bowed and headed through the doors to the kitchen.

"Sire?  Look who's fancy!  Got maids serving him from hoof to tail." Sky teased.

"That's their job, Sky.  It's just how it is around here.  I don't abuse them or anything."

"I would."  said Sky with a smirk.

Thunder facehoofed at the ridiculous boasting of his companion.  "Come on, my room is through here."  He then led Sky into the living quarters, motioning towards the two sets of bedroom doors near the stairs.  "Those are the princesses' chambers.  They usually prefer to rest up on the weekends, so we shouldn't bother them.  My room is downstairs." said Thunder.  The two started to make their way down when Thunder felt a cold chill in the air. 'Huh, I wonder what-'

"Thunder!"  A pompous and arrogant voice called out to the pair. 

'Oh sweet Faust, not him...' thought Thunder in dread.  Sure enough, Prince Blueblood himself came up to the two pegasi, his aura of insufferable smugness almost palpable.

"Ah, Thunder. Always a pleasure to see you."  he said with fake sincerity.  Blueblood’s attention then turned to Sky. "And you've brought somepony to visit us. How wonderful."

"This is my friend, Sky Hopper.  Sky, this is Prince Blueblood." said Thunder, trying to be cordial.

"Eh, nice to meet ya there big slick."  said Sky while holding out his hoof.

Blueblood took a quick glance at the extended hoof and scoffed in disgust.  "Excuse me, but  I do not often ‘hang out’ with commoners."

"...Wanna run that by me again?!"  Sky exclaimed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Oh, how rude of me. I should apologize."  His turned his laconic gaze on Sky Hopper. "I'm ever so sorry that we don't have any food for you to mooch off of or hide in your mane, but I'm sure you can find something to steal while you are here."

"OK there princey, I think you're starting to write a check that your flank can't cash!"  shouted Sky, moving into an aggressive stance.

"Sky!"  exclaimed Thunder, trying to hold his friend back.  "Just try and forget it. I don't want-"

"Excuse me!"  called a genuinely regal voice.  Sticking her head out of her doorway, Princess Luna took in the tension of the group and raked her gaze over the three stallions.  "What exactly is going on out here?"

"N-Nothing your highness."  The prince stammered as he fought to wipe the hateful sneer from his face.  "Just having a conversation with Thunder and his...esteemed guest."

"...Alright."  said Luna as she stared at Blueblood until he gulped in nervousness.  Trying not to smirk, she turned her attention to Thunder, and a small note of longing crept into her voice.  "Thunder, if you are not too busy tomorrow night, I would like your... assistance in creating my night sky."

The request initially puzzled Thunder.  'What? Why does she need...' As realization hit he just barely resisted facehoofing; it was certainly not his weather knowledge that she needed.  "Of course, your highness." he said with a slight nod.

"Excellent. I shall see you then."  said Luna. She pulled her head back into her room with a final glance at Blueblood, shutting the door with a loud thump.

A devilish smile appeared on Thunder’s face as he considered the implications. 'So, she wants another go so soon. I wonder if I could find her-'

"Do not ignore me!"  Blueblood shouted. Thunder shook himself out of his much more pleasant thoughts and turned his attention back to Blueblood.

"Hey, he was listening to the princess.  You know, HIS JOB?  Have you ever even done a hard day's work in your life?" asked Sky.

"I do not need to.  I am a prince of Equestria. I...delegate such things to the lesser ponies. It helps remind them of their proper place."

"You know buddy, you should really pull your head out of your plot and be nicer.  It would make everything so much easier for everypony around you!" quipped Sky, his wings spreading slightly as his anger grew.

Blueblood’s face flushed purple, and he stood stiffly as he glared at Sky Hopper. "How...HOW DARE YOU!  I will not stand here and be lectured by a miserable whelp like yourself!"

"That's IT!"  said Sky as he dropped into a ready crouch, preparing to strike down the arrogant stallion.  "It's time for-"

"SKY!" Thunder shouted as he jumped forward to block his friend’s charge.  "Let's...let's just go. He's not worth it."  he pleaded.

Blueblood loudly scoffed while Sky turned his angry gaze on Thunder.  He seemed to consider pushing past him, but seeing the distress on his face he bit his lip and relented.

Sky turned back to the prince.  "You're freaking lucky that Thunder's spoken for you! You better pray to Faust that you don't ever see me again!"  he growled out as he folded his wings with a snap.

Thunder nudged him and the two started down the stairs, leaving the fuming prince behind them.  "Don't you DARE ignore me, you filthy little-"

"Prince Blueblood!" The call rang through the hallway, making the prince stop dead in his tracks.

Blueblood’s face went pale and he swallowed again before turning to look behind him. Princess Celestia stood in the doorway to her chambers with a stern and disappointed look in her eyes. "Oh, uh, h-hello auntie." he stammered. Her gaze did not waver or flinch in the slightest. "My, aren't you looking well today!  H-Have you done something with your mane?"

"My chambers.  Now." She commanded in a voice that brooked no argument.

"C-Coming auntie!"  whimpered Blueblood as he slunk into Celestia's room.


-----------------------------------------------------------


Once they were safely inside Thunder's chambers, Sky began to vent is anger, his vision blurring as he ranted.  "Dude, how do you manage to live around that plothole?!" he snarled.

"Don't worry about it.  We don't hang out and barely see each other.  I try to ignore him as best I can.” Replied Thunder. “Thanks for not clocking him.” 

"Just saying, Lord High Blueballs better not come around me again or he’ll be leaving with fewer teeth in his mouth!" After a final disgusted snort Sky started to calm down enough to look around Thunder's spacious room, whistling a high note as he did so. "Dang!  Castle life has been treating you good huh?  Your stuff looks brand new."

"Yeah!  The maids refinished my furniture and made it look nice.  All that's new is the bed."

"Sweet!" Sky then looked out onto the balcony, the wide vista accented by the golden light of Celestia's afternoon sun. "Dude! Look at the view!" he said as he ran out onto the balcony. He put his forehooves on the railing and leaned out, pointing down towards Canterlot.  "I think I can see my place from here! See?"

Thunder was smiling happily at his companion's antics when a gentle knock came to the door.  He opened it to find the maid from earlier carrying a silver tray with a small teacup and a mug atop it.

"Your drinks, sire." she said politely.

"Thank you miss."  Thunder replied. He took the tray from her, gave her a slight nod, and carried it over to the table. He sat the tray down and brought the two cups with him to the balcony, handing the mug over to Sky. "Here's your coffee, Sky." he said.

"Thanks, dude." Sky replied. The two pegasi sat on the balcony and savored their beverages, enjoying the balmy weather and the view below them.  They chatted amiably, drinking and laughing like the old friends they were, as the afternoon wore on.

From out of nowhere Thunder's worried about his friend’s jealousy returned, and he let out a long sigh as his face drooped slightly.

"Everything alright, bro?" Sky asked concernedly.

"Yep. Just thinking about where I've been, and how much has changed." Thunder looked away from his friend for just a moment then sighed. "Sky, let me ask you something. And be honest with me here. Do you ever get mad that it was me and not you?"

"Nah." replied Sky, waving his hoof in the air in dismissal. "If anypony at the office was gonna get this, it was you. Besides, I couldn't deal with staying cooped up in this castle all day.  I'd probably go insane in, like, five minutes."

Thunder broke out into laughter and his friend's insight. "True!"

"There we go!  Missed having me around?" said Sky with a smile.

"Yeah!  Like I miss a bad tooth or a thorn in my wing!"  replied Thunder. Still feeling a bit off balance, he coughed a bit then cleared his throat.  "Seriously though, things haven't been the same without you around.  I'm sorry I haven't the time to hang out in a while."

"Hey dude, don't sweat it.  I understand.  You got the entire nation's weather to manage on your back.  It's not like you can just slip out for a hard cider or something whenever you want." Sky replied while resting his hoof on Thunder's shoulder.

"Still though, I don't want us to grow apart now that I'm here. You've had my back all these years, and I won't forget that."

"Come on, Thunder! Getting sappy on me?" joked Sky as he gave Thunder another playful jab.

Thunder rolled his eyes over to stare stonily at Sky. "Ha. Ha." He said sarcastically.

The ensuing wrestling match and laughing banter afterward took the better part of an hour, and the two were both left smiling. Sky slurped down the last of his now cold coffee as he took a final look at Canterlot and Equestria spread out below them.

"Well, I better get moving. I got stuff to do before I go on shift tomorrow."

"Oh, OK. Good seeing you again, Sky."

"You too, Thunder. Fly safe now!" Sky launched off of the balcony and took to the air, disappearing behind a cloud formation with a flick of his wings.

Thunder then went back inside and set both cups back down on the silver tray. 'Man, it was good to see Sky again. We should really-"

His chamber door shook in its frame as a heavy pounding came from the other side. Thunder quickly trotted over and opened it, hoping it was not some kind of emergency. "What is going-?"

"YOU!" screamed Blueblood lividly, pointing a hoof accusingly.

"What? What did I do?" exclaimed Thunder in confusion.

"Because of you and that...that ruffian, auntie Celestia took away my allowance!  How am I going to survive now?!"

"Hey!  I don't blame her!  You were being an outright jerk!  Even more so than usual!  Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Thunder attempted to close the door, but Blueblood stomped his hoof down in front of it. "Oh, no you don't! You and that idiot ‘friend’ of yours are responsible for this!  And now you're going to pay me back!"

"I'm sorry, but The First National Bank of Thunder Shock is closed for the day!  Please try your transaction again NEVER!" snarled Thunder as he shoved the prince’s foot out of the way and slammed the door loudly his face. Ignoring the spluttering he heard from the other side, he shook his head ruefully.  'Ugh. The freaking bits on that guy. Anyway, better rest up for Luna.'

Alone in the hallway, Blueblood fell into a fuming silence.  His eyes lit with a determined fire as he turned to walk away from the door.  "Oh, you're going to pay, commoner. You're going to pay..."


-----------------------------------------------------------


The offices of the Equestrian Inquirer were mostly empty this late at night, leaving only shadows cast by the papers strung about.  Only three ponies were still there, standing in the middle of the room near a simple white board filled with pictures of Canterlot's most important ponies.

"Has anypony put on a pot of coffee? And if they haven't, could they do it now?" the editor in chief, a grizzled black earth pony stallion muttered loudly. He sat down in his chair and picked up a quill and inkwell. One of his reporters, a pink pegasus mare, brought a cup over and sat it down in front of him. The other, a green earth pony stallion, looked over his notes nervously, his pencil sticking out from behind his ear at a jaunty angle.

The editor then took a big swig of the bitter concoction while he dipped his quill.  "OK, headlines. Run some by me."

"Uh... let's see... Fancy Pants is rumored to be having an affair with a callmare..." said the pink reporter.

"Yeah, and the sun's gonna rise in the morning.  NEXT!" the editor shouted.

"Uh, there's some talk of Fleur-De-lis being pregnant..." the green reporter offered up.

"Already did that one a few months ago."  The editor then slammed his hooves down on the table in frustration. "Faust! Have we written about every big pony in this city already?"

"M-Maybe it’s just a slow week, boss." the green reporter stammered.

The editor groaned in frustration and turned a gimlet eye on the commenter. "Rookie, we do not have slow weeks. Our readers want gossip 24/7 and that's what we have to deliver.  Now, unless you've got something big hiding up your plot I-"

"Ahem." A voice called from the gloom.

The trio turned towards the door to see Prince Blueblood sauntering into the room, looking around with an air of smug triumph.

"So, this is where the vultures come to pick at the bones of society..."  he said archly.

"Ah, Prince Blueblood. What a pleasant surprise."  said the editor flatly. "To what do we owe the... pleasure?"

"I have something that might aid your headline problem."

"Really? And what would that be?" said the pink reporter disbelievingly.

"A story on somepony new.  Somepony who's become quite the talk of the royal circle."

"Who?" said the editor while tilting his head.

"Thunder Shock."  Blueblood said plainly.

The editor then blinked a few times as he mulled that over, then shrugged.  "The weather adviser? Not interested. He barely leaves the castle anyway. He's a nice, decent pony; probably the only one in this town.  He's a complete and utter no-prize."

"Really? Even if he is seducing both of the princesses?" said Blueblood with a crafty smile.

"What are you talking about?" said the green reporter curiously. 

"Oh come now, surely you aren't the least bit curious as to what the royal sisters do behind closed doors?" replied Blueblood.

The editor groaned yet again and looked at the prince in exasperation. "Look Blueblood, we're not in the business of pointing our cameras at the castle windows.  We don't bother them, and Celestia and Luna let us do what we want. It's a good system."

"What if I said that he's been blackmailing the both of them for his own gain?" Blueblood said enticingly.

"Hey! That would-!" the pink reporter shouted.

The editor quickly silenced her and rested his chin on his hooves. "I'm listening."

"I have it on good authority that our dear weather adviser is having his way with Princess Luna tomorrow night. He is forcing her to have sex with him or else he will recommend that there should be more cloudy nights, covering up her precious stars."

"Please! The princess would never allow that to happen!" exclaimed the green reporter.

"You'd be surprised at how much influence he has over my auntie.  Especially since he has something over her as well. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but he does!  The cad!"

"If you know this already, than why not go to the palace guards or the police?" the editor inquired.

"Alas, my reputation around Canterlot leaves something to be desired."

"Gee, what a surprise." muttered the pink reporter with a toss of her mane.

"Nopony will take me at my word.  I need proof, and you need a headline.  I think we can all help each other out."

"So... what are you proposing?" said the editor, his eyes calculating.

"I can get the three of you into the castle tomorrow evening.  Then, we storm into Princess Luna's chambers and take a photo of that dreadful pegasus in the act.  He would have to resign in shame, and your publication would have the exclusive.  Everypony wins."

The editor leaned back in his chair, tapping his hooves together in contemplation.  "Well, what are we thinking here?" he asked his coworkers.

"Dunno boss, this sounds really fishy to me."  said the pink reporter.

"Yeah, but if it pans out, think of the coverage! Think of the sales! We could retire!"  the green reporter said excitedly.

The editor took one quick look at the empty typewriters and white board, then looked back at the prince. "If things go BUBAR, you're willing to cover us?"

"Of course." said Blueblood with an oily smile.

The editor's eyes darted back and forth between his reporters and the empty whiteboard a few times. At last his gaze settled steadily on Blueblood.  "We're in."

> Blueblood's Revenge (Clop)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As the sun set, casting long colorful shadows over Equestria, Thunder Shock was making his final preparations for the evening in his chamber in the castle at Canterlot.  He took one last look in the mirror to make sure that his appearance was top notch for his meeting with Luna. 

'Alright, looking good,’ he thought excitedly. ‘Let's go make a princess happy!'

He made his way out of his chambers and up the stairs to Luna's door.  As he neared his destination, he shivered as though a cold breeze had passed over his coat.

'Huh.  Something familiar about that chill...’   he thought worriedly.  As he raised his hoof to knock he paused and took a quick look around to find the halls abandoned other than the single pegasus guard standing diligently nearby.  'Must be my imagination.'  He then gave the door a firm knocking.

"Who is it?"  Luna's voice called out.

"It's Thunder."

"Come in."

Even through the door Thunder hear a hint of playful seduction in Luna’s voice that drove away the fear he had felt a moment ago.  Smiling, he proceeded into Luna’s chambers, shutting the door behind him.  Unseen and unheard by Princess or Consort, a smirking pony lurked just around the corner in the hallway, out of the guard’s view.

As the door closed, Prince Blueblood’s smirk widened in anticipation of the coming destruction of that presumptuous twit Thunder’s reputation.  He stood in silence, suppressing a satisfied chuckle; the time was ripe for him to spring the trap he had so carefully planned. 

'Alright, the reporters should already be hiding outside.  Time to put this uppity commoner in his proper place!'  he thought devilishly.  He trotted on silent hooves down the halls of the castle, confident that tonight the insolent pegasus would suffer at his hooves... 


-----------------------------------------------------------


As he entered the royal bedroom, Thunder halted in his tracks, mesmerized by the vision before him. Luna sat in stately repose, facing the window with her horn ablaze in ethereal energy.  Outside, the moon rose quietly into the sky, the stars beginning to twinkle against the purplish horizon.  

He walked up beside Luna, his eyes dancing with pleasure. “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing that, Lulu,” he said with a smile as he sat beside her. “And how are you doing this evening?” 

Luna blushed lightly at the flattery, smiling as she turned to reply. "Marvelous, my sweet gentlecolt." She reached out with a hoof and pulled Thunder into an embrace, kissing him deeply. Her eyes closed in pleasure, and her mane and tail shifted to solid blue and cascaded down over her form.  Basking in the moonlight and in her presence, Thunder returned the kiss with passion, their tongues dancing gracefully around each other. 

With a happy sigh, Luna broke the kiss and favored her Consort with a bright smile.  "Thou art looking quite dashing tonight."

"Thanks. It's just a quick grooming I do..."

"Tis the small things that matter.  We appreciate them greatly.  We know it is a bit early to call on your aid again, but the last time was just SO good and-" she broke off, embarrassed.

Thunder brought a hoof up to Luna’s cheek and stroked it tenderly.  "Hey.  Relax." he said, his voice gentle and smooth.   "It's not a problem at all.  I love making you happy."  He reached up to give her a quick nuzzle on the neck, making Luna coo with approval.  "So, what can I do for you?"

Luna opened her mouth to speak when a realization hit her.  "Oh!  The spells!"  She raised her head and lit her horn, enveloping the doors in a magical aura.  The locks clicked loudly into place, sealing the two inside, and the drapes drifted down over the windows, filtering the moon’s light to a soft white glow.  "There we are..."

Their privacy secured, she turned her attention back to Thunder, her cheeks flushing again as she spoke.  "We... we have an idea for something new.  But...we are a little embarrassed by it..."

"Don't worry.  I won't laugh.  I promise." said Thunder with a smile.

Tossing her head slightly, Luna smiled and voiced her desire.  "Well, we... we wish to try an ancient technique.  We wish to receive you... properly."

Thunder looked up at Luna in confusion.  "I don't get it.  What do you mean by 'properly'?"

Luna seemed calmer as she explained. "In the old times, before the luxury of bed and cushions was widespread, mares and stallions would stand up to make love.  The mare would have to bear both the stallion's weight and girth in order to have children.  We wish to experience this position with thou."

Smiling, Thunder nodded. "OK.  I'm game."  His face fell slightly and he blinked as he looked up at Luna, suddenly all too aware of the difference in their sizes.  "Just... how would we do this, exactly?  I'm nowhere near as tall as you."

"We shall stand at the base of the bed and present ourselves to you.  You shall stand atop the bed and please us."  said Luna plainly. Her ears flicked as she added, "That is, if you think you can handle such an... odd request.” 

"No problem.  I'm up for the challenge.  Let's make a proper mare out of you."  said Thunder with a playful chuckle.

Luna barely contained a squeal of delight as she dove in to kiss Thunder soundly, holding him close. As their ardor grew her tail started to flick back and forth, and with gentle nudges she urged him toward the bed. 


-----------------------------------------------------------


In the halls of the great castle, Prince Blueblood casually walked down to the servant's quarters, stopping as he reached a little-used side entrance.  He then took a long and careful look around and behind him before silently opening the door and sticking his head out.  The side of the castle was shrouded in shadow and the night air was still and quiet - far too quiet for the prince's liking.

"Hello?"  he whispered loudly.  Only the whispers of the air replied to him.

'Where are those scum suckers?  he thought savagely. If they've fled-!'

As if summoned by his thought, out of the rosebush popped the three reporters in question, their coats scraped slightly from the shrub’s thorns.  Aside from sour expressions at the roughness of their hiding place, the trio was completely bare aside from a saddlebag that wrapped around the editor's back.

"Get in here!" Blueblood demanded. Wincing slightly at their scratches, the three made their way in quietly.

Blueblood closed the door with a soft thump behind them.  "I thought you had bowed out!" he whispered hotly.

"Well excuse me your highness, but we had to wait till dark to come over.  If anypony caught us, we'd be done before we got started.  We barely got past the evening patrol."  replied the editor in a harsh whisper as he and his companions looked around the hall.

"Yeah.  They almost got us a few times.  I thought we were goners."  the green reporter said fearfully.

Blueblood groaned in frustration as he searched the area once more for any observers.  He sighed with relief; it appeared they were as yet unnoticed.  "Never mind.  Do you have the camera?"

From his saddlebag, the editor pulled out an impressive looking black camera.  "Top of the line.  Now, where is Princess Luna's room?"

"This way.  Follow me."  said Blueblood.  The editor then put the camera back, his eyes alight at the idea of getting the story of the century.

The trio followed the prince down the halls of the castle, sneaking around corners and archways towards their goal.  The pink reporter, slightly shaking at the situation, leaned in towards the editor.

"I still don't like this boss.” She said with a worried expression. “Even if we do get the picture, how are the princesses going to handle this?  I really doubt they're going to be happy with Luna seen in a compromising position on the front page of the papers.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes in frustration and turned his head toward the reporters.  "Like I said before, that horrible stallion has leverage over both of them.  They are too scared to tell the public themselves about their sordid activities. When everything is said and done, they will be seen as victims and the blackmail will end.” He squared his shoulders and gave them a smile full of false patriotism. “You all should be proud.  You’re doing your nation a great service."

"Yeah?  Then why does it feel like we're walking to our deaths?"  the green reporter chimed in with a little shudder.

The prince groaned under his breath.  "Look.  This is our only chance!  So reach deep within yourselves and-"

As they started to turn a corner, Blueblood violently pushed the trio against the wall and into the shadows.  In front of them, one of Celestia's pegasus guards made his way around the corner away from them and down the opposite hall.

After a long pause, during which the four ponies could listened to the retreating steps of the guard, Blueblood hopped back out in front.  "Come on."  he said to the reporters with a toss of his head.

The trio followed close behind, anxious to continue their mission. "This guy's supposed to have our back?" whispered the pink reporter to the editor.


-----------------------------------------------------------


As the Prince enacted his nefarious plan, Luna and Thunder were just getting to the culmination of theirs. Luna was panting, her mane in disarray as she pressed her rear legs against the hoofboard of the bed. Her thighs and marehood were slick where Thunder had been licking, her own juices adding a sweet sheen and alluring scent.

Thunder stood on the bed, his nose and chin soaking wet and a pleased smile on his face. Glad he had learned well how to warm Luna up with his tongue, he stroked her lovely flank with a hoof.

“I think you might be just about ready, Lulu,” he said as he ran his hoof over her cutie mark.

She gasped and shifted her tail aside, her cheeks flush with arousal. “Y… yes, Thunder.” She took a deep breath and hitched her hips up a little higher. “…please, take me!”

As he mounted her he leaned down to breathe warmly onto her back, planting kisses between each word. “As. You. Wish.”

Thunder’s earlier pleasuring of her had him hard and ready, and as he tenderly stroked her cutie marks with his hooves he pressed forward and slid his stallionhood along her wet slit. He and Luna gasped together, shivering with anticipation as her nether lips tugged at his hardness, urging him on.

“Please, Thunder... we need you inside us...” Luna moaned as she lowered her head and slightly spread her rear hooves, opening herself to him.

His erection twitching in response, Thunder slowly drew his length back until the tip was just touching her lips. Luna squeaked and quivered, pushing against him. He teased her a little longer by moving his hips back so they were still just barely touching.

Feeling how wet she was, he leaned back down to whisper against her coat. “I think somepony’s a little excited,” he said playfully as he pressed forward just a bit.

“Yes... oh, your movements are...” her words failed her as she felt his tip slip inside her. A small cry escaped her and she pushed back against him slowly, taking him in inch by inch.

Barely able to contain his own desire for her, Thunder moved only slightly, enjoying the wanton moans that came from Luna with every breath. “My, my... does the mare want me so badly?”

“Please!” Luna pleaded, turning her head back to look into his eyes. She lowered her shoulders, presenting herself even more fully as she whispered once more, “...please...”

With a wide grin, Thunder whispered back, “Of course, my lady!” just before burying himself inside her all the way to the hilt.

Luna cried out in shock, shaking around him as he filled her completely. Her rear legs almost gave way until she took a deep, shuddering breath to steady herself. She lowered her head again and yielded to the sensation, her tail draping over her back as her body asked for more.

Slowly at first, then gradually increasing his pace, Thunder withdrew, then slid back into Luna’s pulsing depths. He started to shift his hips, swirling his hardness inside her and looking for that special spot he hoped would really get her going.

Luna’s head came back up with a sharp gasp and she clenched around him when he found it. His grin widening, he slowed his thrusts to slide his tip over it again and again, Luna’s cries getting louder by the moment.

“You okay?” he asked between hot, rapid breaths, knowing the answer.

“Indeed!” replied Luna giddily, almost laughing with the sensual bliss rolling through her. She pushed back against him, a little ‘oh!’ escaping her each time their hips met. He could feel her around him, her walls pulling at him, as she shook with impending orgasm.

As he felt how close she was, a wonderful, awful idea occurred to Thunder. 

'I hope you can forgive me.' he silently prayed.

He slammed into her, his balls slapping against her thigh, and then came to a complete halt, holding her hips still with his forehooves. His rock-hard length filled every crevice of her, pulsing along with his heartbeat, but otherwise moved not at all.

Luna quivered with need, but between the hoofboard and his grip on her she couldn’t move him inside her. It took a few seconds for words to filter through her pleasure-addled mind.

“What... what are you DOING?” Luna yelled desperately, bucking her hips back in a vain attempt to push herself over that last precipice of pleasure. “We were so close! We...” she whined plaintively.

Thunder matched her movements, countering every action and moving just enough to keep her teetering on that delicious edge. “Just relax,” he said softly, grunting with the difficulty of keeping control over his own pleasure when she moved like that. “I want to build this one up.  Just... ooh, that’s good! ...just relax for a minute, and I promise I’ll take you right where you want to go.”

Luna whimpered but held still, breathing hard and trying to keep her legs from collapsing.  Somehow being held there, helpless to quench the fire within her, only made it burn brighter.


-----------------------------------------------------------


After a long half hour of sneaking through the castle, Blueblood and the reporters finally reached the doorway to the royal living quarters.

"Wait a moment."  whispered Blueblood, motioning to the group.  He quietly cracked the door open and peered inside.  Standing diligently in the hallway that led to Luna’s door was a strong-looking bat pony clad in dark purple armor.

"What's wrong?!"  the editor whispered loudly.

"The guard is already here.  I had thought we would get here during the switchover..." replied Blueblood, turning around to face the group. 

"Great!  How are we gonna get past him?!"  the green reporter whispered loudly.

The group pondered what to do until the pink reporter was struck by inspiration.  "What a minute... I've got an idea!"  She quietly stuck her mouth in through the crack and cleared her throat. "Help!  Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up!"  

The guard's ears perked up at the call and he galloped out, the group hiding behind the doors as they opened. He glanced to his right and saw nothing, then quickly trotted to the left and around a corner, his wings spreading as he searched. Blueblood and the reporters darted through the doorway and galloped towards Luna's door.

"Alright, this is the door to her chambers.” whispered Blueblood triumphantly.  “Let's get inside and show him what for!"  

"Wait a minute.  Are you sure they're in there?"  asked the editor.

"Of course.  I saw him go inside just a while ago." Blueblood replied.

"OK, let's see if they're doing the horizontal mambo."  The editor pointed at the green reporter, then gestured at the door.  "Rookie, take a listen."  

The reporter then pressed his ear to the door and listened carefully.  "Dunno boss, I can't hear anything from the other side."  he said uncertainly.

"Huh, that's weird..."  remarked the pink reporter.

"We don't have time for this!  We've got to get in there before the guard comes back!"  whispered Blueblood lividly.

"Right.  Come on then, open the door." said the editor.

"...What?"  Blueblood replied.

"Open the door so we can rush in and take the picture."  the editor replied, annoyed.

"I though one of you was going to take care of that."  Blueblood whispered.

"Don't you have the key?"  asked the green reporter.

"Only the castle staff and the princesses have copies.” Blueblood hissed angrily. “ It would have raised suspicion to ask for one."

"Couldn't you just open the door with your magic or teleport us inside?"

"Ah...well...you see, the thing is that...I have...not yet mastered those particular spells."  replied Blueblood, blushing furiously while scratching the back of his head.

"Some unicorn you are!"  the pink reporter nearly shouted.

Blueblood's eyes narrowed at the insolent mare.   "Listen you-"

"Alright, shut up all of you!”  whispered the editor, stepping between the two and holding them back with his hooves.  "Arguing isn't gonna get us anywhere.  Luckily, I have a backup plan."  He fumbled around in his saddle bag and pulled out a small canvas bundle, which he unrolled to reveal a set of fine-looking lock picks. "Never leave home without it." 

Blueblood grinned in dark anticipation as the editor slipped the pressure bar into the lock and began to prod and poke at the tumblers.


-----------------------------------------------------------


In the bedroom, Luna and Thunder were catching their breath. They were both lathered with sweat, their manes plastered against their necks in erotic disarray. Their faces still glowed with their exertions, and they smiled at each other as their breathing returned to normal.

Finally, Thunder gave a gentle tap to Luna's flank. "Ready to go again?"  he asked seductively.

She gave him a somewhat surprised but very pleased look. “More? Oh, yes please!” she replied warmly as she rolled onto her back and looked at him invitingly.

The sight of Luna’s desire for him stirred his stallionhood, and he gave it a few eager strokes to bring it back to full attention. He crouched between her legs and tapped the tip against her slit.

“Ready, Lulu?” he asked with a smirk as he stroked her with his hardness.

“Mmm hmm,” she replied with half-lidded eyes. “And Thunder... don’t make us wait this time.”

He grinned and said “Of course, Lulu.” then plunged into her, holding back nothing as he pounded her waiting folds with every thrust.

Luna thrashed beneath him, her mane spread out on the pillow under her head, and she wrapped her rear legs around him to pull him further in. Still sensitized from their first encounter she felt herself rapidly approaching another climax.

“Don’t stop, Thunder! Don’t stop! We’re so clooose!”

CLICK

The small but strange sound tingled faintly in Thunder and Luna’s ears...


-----------------------------------------------------------


Outside, the editor had finally completed his task. "Got it!"  he said excitedly.  He put his hoof to the doorknob, readying himself against the door.   "OK.  Everypony get ready.  On three, we'll rush inside and grab the picture."

The group behind him braced for the onrush to come.  "One..."

Inside, Luna's cries were growing louder, her pleasure about to burst from her, her eyes closed against the joyous strain of their dance.  "Thunder...We...We are..."

"Two..."

"M-Me too... almost... almost..."  Thunder called out as he felt his own climax coming on.

"THREE!"

The consort and the princess shouted together as their orgasms took them, just as the four ponies outside came charging in through the doorway.

Blueblood and the reporters screeched to a halt on the other side of the door, all four of their mouths hanging open in utter shock. 

"Holy Faust..."  the editor said in disbelief.

"This... this is impossible..."  the pink reporter chimed in.

"This is..." the green reported said breathlessly.

"A FIELD?!"  Blueblood exclaimed.

A cool breeze tousled the manes of the confused party as they stood in the middle of an open, grassy plain, a small dirt path running next to them.  They looked around in a daze for any sign of the castle, seeing only small farms and cottages dotting the horizon.

"How did we get all the way out here?!"  yelled the pink reporter.

"I don't know.  Must have been some sort of displacement spell..."  the editor replied.

"Boss!  The doorway's gone!"  shouted the green reporter.

They turned as one back the way they came to see that the doorway they had charged through had indeed vanished, leaving them stranded and alone.  They then gazed towards the eastern sky and saw Canterlot far in the distance, its elegant buildings lit up against the night sky.

"We must be miles away..."  muttered the editor.

"W-What are we gonna do?!  We have a deadline tomorrow morning and now we have nothing!"  the green reporter yelled.

"Alright, let's... let's get back to the office.  We'll just slap something together and be done with it.  We're already in enough trouble as it is."  The reporters gathered together and began to walk down the road.   "Anypony know if the trains are still running?"

As the three began the long journey home, Blueblood waved his hooves in the air in a huff.   "W-Wait a minute!  What about the story?!  Thunder Shock!  The scandal!"

The editor turned back around to address the irate prince. "Look here Blueblood.  Obviously the sisters don't want anypony coming into their rooms at night, and I don't blame them.  Out of everypony in the world, I should think they deserve a little privacy.” He shook his head ruefully and muttered.  “Never should have got involved in this in the first place. I knew it in my gut.”

Looking back at Blueblood, he huffed his breath out through his nostrils.  “Besides, this whole thing was dubious from the beginning.  Even if it is the truth, I doubt anyone would believe us.  And even if this Thunder Shock fella is having his way with them, I salute the guy!  He's probably the luckiest stallion in Equestria!"

"But...WHAT ABOUT YOUR DUTY?!  Do you not want to see justice done?"  yelled Blueblood.

"You want justice?  Call the police.  Take him to court.  But we're in the tabloid business.  We just want the drama."  said the editor with a smile.  "And since you can’t provide it...come on everypony, let's go."

"But-But I...I don't...I..."  stammered the prince.  The three reporters made their way east towards the city, leaving Blueblood alone with his thoughts.

His plan ruined, and his reputation now in further jeopardy, Blueblood screamed his frustration into the night.


-----------------------------------------------------------


Back inside the castle, Luna had her head thrown back on the pillow, Thunder lying beside her.  She reached out a hoof and pulled him closer as they both struggled to catch their breath. 

"How... how was that?"  Thunder huffed through a weary smile.

"Mmm... most excellent.  We needed that."  replied Luna.

"Glad to... provide."  Remembering the sound from earlier, Thunder looked up at the princess with concern.  "Say, did... did you hear a click from the doors while we were...at it?"

"We thought so.  We were just... too busy living in the moment to pay it any heed."  said Luna with a smirk.

"Could somepony get in here?  If anyone caught us while we were-" Thunder’s eyes widened as panic threatened to overtake him.

Luna held him close, rubbing his chest with a hoof and laughing gently. "Never fret.  The security spells that Celestia and I perform ensure that nopony can enter while either of us are together with you.  The doors to the balcony and the hallway outside are especially guarded."

"What kind of spells are they?"  asked Thunder.

"Noise cancellation and spatial displacement."  Luna replied, her smirk returning.

"Wow, what's that like?"  said Thunder, his curiosity peaked.

Before Luna could elaborate further, a mighty yawn escaped her mouth, its sound vibrating around the pair. "We shall discuss the workings of it all later.  For now it is enough to know that we are safe.” She smiled at Thunder and cuddled him closer. “Come.  Rest with us."

Thunder smiled and relaxed against her. He lay there, enjoying the shared warmth and the last flashed of their afterglow before slipping quietly to sleep.