Act XVI-A - Close to the Sun
Leaving the kitchens behind, Luna and David reappeared in the Night Princess’s chambers.
David stood still for a moment, attempting to get his bearings and shake off a slightly dizzying feeling.
“Ugh, it is just so sticky,” Luna said, walking to her bathroom.
“Luna, if we’re going to be here, don’t you think you should cast that silence spell?” David asked, still holding his head.
“Oh… No, it is a bother. We are just getting cleaned up,” she replied.
“Okay,” David said, finally standing up straight.
The two walked into the bathroom for the second time today. Instead of the shower, David walked over to the lavatory and grabbed a washcloth and wet it in the sink. Luna opted for the shower, though, and groaned as the warm spray wet her down.
“Ahh, that feels so much better,” she said as the room filled with steam. “I think I would rather roll in the mud than to be sticky like that again.”
“Get muddy often?” David asked playfully.
“Perhaps in the old days, but it has been quite a while since then.”
David finished up wiping the cream from his chest and went over to the showers. He stood there admiring the wet princess as she magically scrubbed her hindquarters and belly, doing her best to keep her wings dry. Seeing her maneuver around the falling water made David chuckle a little and Luna looked at him with a mock scowl.
“Dost thou see something funny?” Luna questioned.
“Only my silly mare, dancing in the shower,” he quipped.
She snorted a short puff of air. “I do not feel like taking another full shower. I just wish I had requested one of those shower wands my sister is so fond of. It would be extremely convenient at this point.”
“Yes, I suppose it would be. I’d like to have one in my bathroom too,” David added.
“I suppose that can be arranged.” Luna then finished her shower and started to dry off.
“Feel better?”
“Much.”
“So what now?” David asked.
“I’m sorry, David, I believe I will take a short rest. It has been difficult to adjust to this diurnal schedule. I hope you do not mind.” Luna said, making her way back to the bedroom.
“Of course not, Luna. I understand. Do you want me to stay with you?”
“You are welcome to stay, but feel no obligation. I do not want to upset your schedule in return for mine.”
“Okay. I think I’ll go update my writings a bit. There’s also a book I’m waiting for as well,” David said as he put on his shirt.
“That is fine, my David,” Luna said sleepily as she crawled into her bed. “I will only take a couple of hours. If I have not found you by six o’clock, please come and wake me.”
“I will. Rest easy, I’ll see you soon.”
David kissed her goodnight, then left quietly. Soon, he found himself lost in his thoughts as he traveled back to his own room.
He sighed. ‘I was actually looking forward to a little ‘play’ time after that incident in the kitchen, but it sounds like Luna needs to rest. Oh well. I’ll be fine, I’ve just gotta go hit the books for a bit.’
***
Leaning against David’s door was a paper-bound package.
“Oh. Looks like that book came just in time.”
He grabbed it and headed inside, then sat down at his vanity and removed the brown wrapping.
Just as he expected, it was a colorful picture book. On the front were the silhouettes of two foals, each with a speech bubble above their heads that spelled out the book’s title. The title was written in the odd characters of Equis, and although David tried his best, he could not decipher its meaning.
Leafing through the book, David noted a few method the book used to teach youth the basics of the language. There were alphabet charts, pictures matched with letters, and words matched with symbols.
Eager to learn, David started the awkward process of learning a foreign language alone, but as he studied, he found himself with a growing headache from the complexity of the project.
‘I need to break this up and organize my studies, but that will take a while. I guess I’ll wait until I have more time.’
David set the foal’s book down and pulled out his own guide to the English language. He looked at the chart of the English alphabet, thinking about how quite a few of the letters in Equis matched up.
‘So similar and yet…’
David shook his head slightly, trying to dislodge the thoughts of the foreign language and went back to work on his own. Soon he found where he had left off—making pictures and diagrams for word association, spelling, and pronunciation. Granted, he was no artist, but he assumed that the adults that might take a look at it would be able to decipher his basic drawings. If not, he could help them substitute their own illustrations and figured that would also be a good teaching method as well.
He continued like this in silence for some time before he looked over and saw an hour had passed.
“Good. My head is no longer trying to kill me, and I’ve gotten some work done,” he remarked.
Once again, he picked up the Equis primer. This time, instead of studying, he tried to find pictures that would correspond to his own book. Unfortunately, what he forgot was that this book was written for young equines. Most of the pictures displayed were related to the everyday life of young ponies. His point of view was too different, and it left few commonalities between the two books, leaving him feeling a bit disheartened.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
Knock, knock.
Setting down the books, he got up and opened the door to find Princess Celestia waiting on the other side.
Surprised, David stepped back and ushered her in. “Good afternoon, Princess.” He bowed politely.
Princess Celestia walked inside, bowing politely to David in return.
“Good afternoon, Sir David. I do hope I was not interrupting your work,” Celestia said, noticing the book and papers on David’s vanity.
“Oh, not at all. I just received a language book for foals and was trying to compare it to the English primer I’m writing.”
“Oh, what an excellent idea. How is that going?”
“Terrible, actually. The comparison that is. The English primer itself if coming along nicely, I think. But after looking at the foal’s book, I see that I may not have a good enough grasp on your culture to make proper references in it.”
“May I take a look?” Celestia requested.
“I suppose so, but it’s not anywhere near finished.”
Celestia smiled and shook her head. “That is okay. Perhaps we can go somewhere to discuss it. I would also like to see the Equestrian book as well—perhaps I can teach you a bit.”
“Oh. That would be very kind of you, Princess, but I wouldn’t want to bother you with that. It is giving me a bit of a headache when I read it, though.”
Celestia smiled brightly. “Think nothing of it. I was hoping that Lulu would be available, and we could all sit and chat, but it seems like she is resting.”
“Yes. She went to sleep just a while ago but plans to be up in a few hours.”
“Well,” Celestia paused. “Would you mind accompanying me until she awakens?” she asked somewhat timidly.
Celestia’s change in demeanor coaxed a smile from David. “Not at all, I would like that.”
David collected his new book and the papers he was working on, then followed Celestia out into the halls.
***
Celestia led him on a short, quiet walk over to her solarium. Arriving at the door, she opened it and allowed David to pass before following and shutting the door behind them.
The solarium was sparsely decorated like before, however, instead of a number of pillows, the room now held only one large, round pillow, easily big enough to fit the white ruler.
“I heard you have seen this room before… with Twilight and Rarity, yes?” Celestia asked as she walked toward the giant cushion in the center.
David nodded. “That’s right, Princess. It’s very beautiful. I was a little scared that others might be able to see in, but Twilight told me of its special, magical construction.
“I see. “ Celestia carefully lay down on the enormous cushion. She then looked over to David and scooted a bit to one side to give him room enough to sit down. “Sorry, Sir David. I suppose I should have given this more thought.” Celestia turned her head away to look out the window. “Please, feel free to sit here next to me, or is there not enough room?”
David weighed his options silently and decided it was best to sit. He walked over to the pillow and put a hand down to brace himself as he sat down at its very edge. Tensing his muscles, he kept his weight shifted forward as he sank into the plush cushion until he felt his body had come to rest. Finally, he was comfortable. He was, that is until the stuffing rolled under him and he fell backward, right onto Celestia’s side.
‘Wow, she is really warm.’ David thought to himself.
Celestia whipped her head around in confusion, trying to decipher what had happened.
“Sorry,” David apologised as he regained his balance, then finally sat down, leaving a bit of space between them.
“That is alright, Sir David. So, about the book you are writing…“ Celestia started. “May I take a look at it?”
“Oh. Sure, here,” David handed over the loose pages.
Celestia took the pages in her magic and started reading.
David however, closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to see if he could feel her magic. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe I can feel it? There is a little tingle there.’
“Hmm,” Celestia mumbled as she read. “This is very clear and informative. You have tailored it for adults, correct?”
David nodded. “Yes. I don’t think I would do a very good job making a book for foals. After taking one look at the book I requested, I don’t think I have any idea what a young pony’s life is like.”
“Ahh. I see. Well, that aside, this book is very well-done so far,” Celestia said as she continued to read.
“Thank you. I was hoping that it would make it easier for you to translate, as it’s already a miracle that our spoken languages are so similar. The English alphabet isn’t entirely phonetic, though. We have several pronunciations for the same word.”
Celestia set the papers down for a moment and pushed magic into her horn.
‘Oh! I can feel that.’
Letting her spell loose, a stack of David’s reports he had left with Celestia appeared in front of her. She took them in her grasp, then delved back into reading.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Celestia spoke up. “So…” she started slowly, “when Rainbow Dash passed her Wonderbolts Reserves’ exam, she was able to do so because Twilight found that Rainbow had perfect recall of everything she experiences while flying? I cannot believe I never heard about that!”
David looked on in shock, staring at the regal princess. “You… you can read it now?! That’s amazing!”
Celestia looked at David bashfully. “No, I was only able to put to good use the work you have accomplished. Thank you, Sir David. When compared with Equis, English may have even fewer rules, and I now believe we should be able to translate it easily.”
“That’s great! Let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” David said.
“Certainly. Would you like to hear about some of Equis’ history?”
David nodded excitedly.
With David’s full attention, Celestia’s tone shifted. She was now in full-mentor mode and proceeded to describe the intricacies of the pony language, using her magic to illustrate her lecture, when appropriate.
Celestia coughed quietly into her hoof. “Well… Equis is an ancient and complex language that has changed much over time. It originated as an entirely pictographic language, as that was the easiest way to convey a message.
“Now, it is a blend of those old symbols, a modern alphabet similar to your own, and shortened words. It can be written phonetically, but phrases are usually written using conjoined letters called ligatures. They were once used for complex sounds, but now also represent a concept for us, much like the symbols you have seen. These ligatures help reduce the length of the common written word.
“Any questions so far?” she asked.
David shook his head, staring at Celestia’s magical display as it faded in the air.
“Shall I continue?” she asked.
Again, David said nothing, only nodded in confirmation, with his eyes glued to the teacher’s lesson.
“Now, printed media can contain any combination of the three: full phonetic spellings, ligatures, and, or symbols. It is up to the publishing body to determine which is best. Some will use symbols to take up less space and to reach a broader audience, like in posters and notifications. Other, larger prints may primarily use the alphabet, with very few symbols and ligatures, to provide more clarity to the message. This is commonly seen in new scholarly writings and law. Casual prints, such as magazines, use ligatures extensively, falling back on the full alphabet only when clarity is needed. It should also be noted that proper nouns and names should always be written in full using the alphabet, but it has become somewhat common for the youth to try to adopt a ligature into their names. Ancient names, however, were written in symbols, making deciphering some texts very difficult for modern scholars.”
“I see,” David said, listening intently.
“Why I remember, quite a while ago a group of scribes were completely out of their wits after trying to translate an ancient text they were sure contained a mysterious, magical formula. They all came up with different formulations, and could not determine which was correct. Finally, they conceded their pride and came to me for help. When I read the ancient scroll, I was aghast, as it was no scholarly paper, but an explicit account of an illicit affair with some rather convoluted names. I corrected them, although painfully, that it was not of academic worth and submitted the writings to the archives, hopefully never to be seen from again.”
David looked on, somewhat confused.
“Oh, I am so sorry to ramble on,” Celestia said as her magical chalkboard faded from view.
David shook his head, attempting to regain some clarity. “No, no. It’s fine. I enjoyed hearing about it.”
“Then, shall we take a look at the Equis book for a bit?” Celestia asked.
David nodded. “Okay.”
David opened the foal’s book and started to read and comment out loud, while Celestia craned her neck as she tried to read over his shoulder.
In an attempt to get a better look, Celestia unfurled her wing, wrapped it around David, and pulled him close to her side.
The sudden change in familiarity shocked the poor man, and his mind froze.
“See this ligature here, David? This one represents ‘family’ and is a combination of these two letters, which are part of the original, phonetic spelling.”
“Oh,” David squeaked out; still a little unnerved about being held by Celestia’s wing.
Then, something changed for him. As David was pressed against her shoulder, he could feel warmth, her heartbeat, and… shivering?
“Princess, are you okay?” he asked.
“What?” she asked in return, finally releasing him.
“You’re shivering. I can feel it,” David replied.
“Oh, I am fine. You see, though shortened, it was a tough day at court, and the position we are in is not very comfortable. I am sorry to worry you.”
“I don’t mind moving if that would be better,” David suggested.
Celestia smiled weakly. “You are too kind. Would it… be too uncomfortable for you if we were to lie down to read?” she asked.
David paused. “I guess not.”
“Here, let me make a bit more room,” Celestia said as she shifted almost off the pillow, her hooves clicking as they hit the floor.
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to displace you,” David said apologetically.
“It is no trouble. Come, lay down for a bit.”
David got up and carefully maneuvered around the pillow, then lay down on his stomach next to Celestia. She lay down next to him, and with his chest propped up on his elbows, his head was almost even with hers.
Celestia picked up the foal’s book in her magic and opened it up between them, so they both could see.
They continued to read, and she pointed out little bits of knowledge and taught him the basics as they went on. After a while, they had worked their way through the first half the book.
After Celestia had turned to the next page, David felt a warming pressure against his side.
Celestia had shifted closer to him, trying to stay perched on the pillow, and was now resting against the man.
‘Yup. Just as I thought. She’s really, really warm. Much warmer than Luna or Cherry.’
With this new distraction, David could only concentrate on the sensation of Celestia pressed against him. He could feel her wings, her ribs, even the shape of her barrel as she slowly breathed in and out.
David fought hard and tried his best to pay attention to what Celestia was teaching him, but became ever more distracted as time passed. He then felt her wings twitching and turned back to look.
Celestia followed his gaze. “Sorry, would it be okay for me to move my wing?” she asked.
David looked back and met her amethyst eyes. “Of course. Don’t mind me.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Celestia closed her eyes and craned her neck, then opened both of her wings, stretching them to the sky as she expelled the tension. Then as she began to retract them, she extended the formerly trapped wing around David and laid it gently across his back.
“Ahh, that is much better. You know I used to lay like this with Twilight and read with her so long ago.”
“Oh,” David said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
Celestia tightened her wing’s grasp around the man as she went back to the book and began to read out loud.
“Princess…“ David spoke up. “I’m sorry, but isn’t this a little inappropriate?”
Celestia smiled. “Nonsense. And please, call me Celestia.”
“But, Princess—”
Celestia’s demeanor changed in an instant. She flared her wings and turned to stare at David with a half-hurt look. “Please, call me Celestia!” Then her voice softened again. “You have certainly earned as much,” she said as she started to calm down.
David was stunned… again. His mind was swirling, but soon he was collected enough to answer. “Okay. As you wish.”
His calm reply cut her deeply. “I am so sorry, Sir David. Please forgive my outburst, I did not think you would be against it,” she said, finally retracting her wings to her sides and looking away from him.
David sighed, then relaxed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t against it, I just… didn’t think it was something you really wanted.”
Celestia turned to him, looking puzzled. “Why would you think that?”
“You’re Princess Celestia. As I understand it, you are still considered the solitary ruler of this land by many, even with your sister’s return and Twilight’s somewhat recent coronation. In that role, I thought you would need to keep some distance.”
“You think that I desire to have distance from my subjects… or from you?”
David shook his head. “Not ‘distance.’ That may have been the wrong word. But I know you recognise the painful responsibilities of the crown. You’ve said so yourself. Part of its authority comes with a natural separation between you and the rest of the citizens.”
“Yes. All you have said is true.” She wore a pained expression. “But can I not have somepony that is close to me… enough to see me and address me as just an individual? Also, you are not a citizen, you are a guest. You choose to follow the crown, but are not inherently governed by it.”
David shook his head again. “Oh, but I am. Again, you told me so. As I am Luna’s suitor, it falls to me to be under the rule of law, your rule, regardless of my citizenship. That much sets me apart.”
“I will not have it!” Celestia said emphatically, pawing her hoof at the pillow and turning her face away from David again. “Should you and Luna continue to be together, you would be as close as possible to the royal family. You would be with US, not separate.”
“Yes, but even then, I’m not royalty. I’m not you. You’re special.”
Celestia sighed. “I understand. Even you see me as Equestria. But even as this symbol, I am still a mare. A common pony on the inside. Call me Celestia when we are in like-company; it is now the will of the Law. Do you still wish to oppose it?” She finally turned to face him, her eyes bright and determined.
David paused and got lost in her gaze. “Absolutely not…” He smiled. “Celestia.”
Hearing these words, a slight blush appeared on her features, and she shied away, knowing her face had betrayed her.
“Fine,” she started, holding her head high, “the matter is settled. I will have the paperwork drawn and filed.”
David laughed. “Come on. I don’t think that’s necessary, or a good idea. The law is public domain, right?”
Celestia huffed. “Hmm, perhaps you are correct. I would not enjoy court the day it was published.”
“You enjoy court?” David asked.
“Sometimes!” Celestia said, laughing a bit.
“Well, Celestia, if I am going to address you comfortably, you will need to start calling me ‘David’ as well.”
“As you wish, David,” she parroted, wearing a smile.
Now feeling more at ease together than ever before, the two continued to banter and laugh over their recent confrontation, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
Knock, Knock!
“Sister, are you present?” Luna asked as she opened the door. Before her, the large, white side of her sister came into view. “There you are, Tia, have you seen…” she stopped abruptly as David peeked up from beyond the fluffy white mare’s side. “Oh, I have found you, my David!” Luna chirped.
“Good evening, Luna,” David said as he stood to greet her.
“I could not find you when I awoke, but I did not expect to see you here,” Luna said. “Are you and Tia having a good time?”
“Yes. Pr— Celestia and I have been learning how to translate English into Equis, and so forth. She’s really taught me a lot.”
“Oh, Celestia has, has she?” Luna asked jokingly.
“Yes, ahem. David and I have been discussing the finer points of the Equis language. He has also created a fine reference to help decipher English.”
“Hmmm,” Luna pondered.
“And I have requested that as friends, he should call me by my name, as he does with you and with others,” Celestia said.
“I see. Congratulations are in order, then!” Luna clapped her hooves together.
Celestia smiled sheepishly. “It is not such a big development, Lulu. We are friends. I wish that all my friends would address me as such.”
“Well, if you are done with him, may I borrow my man-friend?” Luna asked.
“It’s boyfriend,” David corrected.
Luna turned to him. “This word, ‘boy,’ it is similar to ‘colt,’ is it not? You are certainly no ‘boy.’ ” She wagged her eyebrows.
David huffed. “It’s just language, Luna.”
“Yes. Well, then may I take my boyfriend away?” Luna looked to her sister.
Celestia nodded. “Of course. You still have a date to finish, and I think we are at a good stopping point. Do you agree, David?” she asked.
“Sure. I guess I’ll see you later, Celestia.”
“Take care, David,” she said, levitating his paperwork over to him.
David and Luna took their leave, while Celestia sat quietly, watching the view outside.
***
The two lovers walked the halls back to Luna’s room, chatting.
“Sorry, I wasn’t available when you woke up, Luna. What time is it?” David asked.
“It is a little after six. Feel no responsibility for me waking alone. I am fine, and we are on-schedule.”
“Is there something you would like to do?” David asked.
“Hmm. I wish to be a little selfish if you would permit me.”
“Of course, what did you have in mind?”
“While I slept, I danced through the dreamscape, looking for you, only to realize you were still awake. After waking, I realized what a mistake it was, not having you around; I so wanted to be with you, in any fashion.”
“Well, I’m here now.”
Luna stopped and turned to David.
“Yes. And with your permission, I would like to go and cuddle a bit. I know we do not have long before dinner, but it would please me greatly if we spent this time together,” Luna said, putting on a pleading look.
As David stared into Luna’s deep, teal pools, his heart swelled, and he thought only of making her happy.
“Of course, Luna.” He bent down and wrapped her a big hug. “Do you think I would refuse you?”
“No. Perhaps not. But it is not a very interesting way to spend our date,” she said.
Still bound together, David shook his head, casually nuzzling Luna’s cheek. “That’s not necessarily true, though it is somewhat difficult to have a normal date not being able to leave the castle, and all. But any time I can spend with you is good enough for me. And you’ve never been uninteresting.”
Luna pulled away and smiled. “Let us go then. We cannot do much snuggling out here.”
David and Luna both picked up the pace as they walked. With their renewed vigor, they quickly arrived at their destination. Luna did not wait for any act of chivalry, but instead cast both doors open with her magic, giving David a little tingle, and after they had both entered, she closed them tightly behind.
Luna disrobed herself of her finery as usual and climbed up into the bed.
“Coming, lover?”
David smirked. “Is this going to be a cuddle session, or are you starting something you can’t finish?”
“Hmm. You are correct. There is a time and place for everything. Please come and snuggle with your marefriend. She misses your touch; that is all.”
“As you wish, my princess.”
David took off his own clothes, leaving his boxers on, and placed them on Luna’s dresser next to her regalia. He then walked over to the bed and joined Luna under the covers.
“Were you thinking of something specific?” David asked.
“No. We could try a few things, though. What about you?” Luna asked.
“I know we are built differently, and this is a bit selfish myself… but could you, I don’t know… hold me in your wings?”
Luna smiled knowingly. “Of course. But where did you get that idea?”
David thought back to his recent encounter with Celestia. She was so warm, and her wings were incredibly soft. He shook his head, attempting to dislodge the imagery.
“You remember when we were in the shower? I really liked that. Also, there was a time, a few days ago when you were angry, that Celestia comforted me by holding me in her wing. And she kinda did it again a few minutes ago. It felt a little odd coming from her, but I think I’d like it more if you did it.”
“Is that so? For what reason did she need to comfort you today?”
“Oh, she didn’t. We tried to read the books together on that huge pillow, but there was barely any room. She apparently was a bit uncomfortable with the arrangement, and put her wing over me to avoid crushing it between us.”
“Sounds quite cozy, but also sensible. Nevermind. My dear David, I would love to hold you. Come to me.” Luna rolled to the side and opened her fore and rear legs, reaching for him.
David looked over Luna’s now-exposed belly, a previously unknown territory for the man. He stared at her, carefully scanning the landscape of soft fur from top to bottom. Luna’s outer coat was incredibly soft, but around her abdomen it changed subtly, becoming shorter and finer. There, below her belly, under that short fur, hid two small teats, barely visible to the eye as she had never suckled young.
David smiled, then looked up to the loving expression Luna wore as she waited for him to draw closer. He scooted closer to her, then rolled so his back was pressed into her barrel.
Luna responded in kind, putting her forehooves around his chest to the best of her ability, which David sought to assist by rolling a bit more toward her, reducing his width. This allowed Luna to comfortably envelop the man in her legs, and she completed the hug by wrapping her large hind limbs around him, then laying her tail over him protectively.
David was already warm and comfortable in the peaceful embrace, even before Luna tried to wrap him in her wings.
Luna nuzzled against the crown of David’s head and spoke quietly, “Are you comfortable?” she asked.
“Mmmm, yes,” David said as he returned the nuzzle upward to Luna’s neck.
She pet him softly with her foreleg, letting her fur trace along his sides and chest. Then finally, she opened her wing and covered the man, using her strong muscles to draw him even closer.
David grasped the hoof laid over him, and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly.
“Mmmm,” Luna cooed in return.
David continued his ministrations as the mare held him close. He gently traced over her hoof with his fingers, up to her coronet, then played with the unkempt fur at her fetlock. Reaching underneath her hoof, he explored her sole, which was softer and more pliable than he thought it should be, then ran his fingers across her frog which caused Luna to squirm and giggle at the tickling sensation.
“Stop that!” she playfully chided him.
David did not listen. Instead, he repositioned his head and pulled her hoof to his face. Now with better access, he mercilessly licked the sensitive area all over with his tongue.
This tickled more than anything, and Luna wriggled in response, but David held her hoof fast.
He then took some time and played with the soft parts of her hoof, learning as he went. He explored the bulbs at her heel and traced up the back of her leg. Doing this caused Luna to twitch, and had he not been holding her tightly around her fetlock, she might have kicked him in the nose. Moving ever higher, he gently rubbed around her cannon, feeling her strong muscles flex beneath. Soon, he decided he was finished tormenting her, and pulled her leg close to his chest and kept it there.
“Settled down?” Luna asked.
“Yes, sorry,” David said. “I just want to learn all about you, explore every inch.”
“And you are free to do so. I too have such a feeling, as getting to know you is of equal importance to me as well.”
Having finally stilled themselves, the two spent these precious moments together chatting about their lives, sharing small, intimate details with each other as they deepened their connection and love for one another.
***