Act XXXII - Pony Pile
A few hours after lunch, Celestia sat on her throne during a brief pause in the court’s proceedings. Suspended in front of her face was a few sheets of paper.
Patient report for D.M.
Diagnostic Summary:
The patient is physically unharmed and healthy, biologically speaking. No abnormal colonies or infections were detected in pathology tests. Metabolism is steady. Temperature and heartbeat are normal according to the patient’s described baseline, but blood pressure seems to be slightly elevated. This may be due to mental, physical, or thaumaturgical stress, to which the patient has admitted to experiencing all three in recent history. Which, if any, are the principal cause will require extensive further testing.
Suggested follow-up: As there does not seem to be any physical malady, a comprehensive magical analysis and psychological analysis may provide some insight.
Prescribed action: Bed rest, fluids, and normal dietary intake. The patient should avoid physical, mental, and emotional stress until symptoms have resolved. Mild exercise is allowed as the patient feels appropriate, but no strenuous aerobic exercise should be undertaken.
Please call again if I am needed.
‘Oh, David. I do not fear for your sanity, though I had hoped we had passed the threshold of danger concerning your magical sensitivities. As both Luna’s and my connection with you causes discomfort, I am now forced to rely on either Cadance or Twilight to conduct your magical examinations. Considering Twilight’s recent condition, perhaps my niece is the most appropriate choice this time. I only hope she has time to make the trip.’
***
Luna lay at the foot of David’s bed, trying futilely to get some rest. As soon as she found herself winding down, her ears would spring up at each and every odd sound David made as he slept, be it a gentle snore or a short grunt of pain. Her face was clouded with worry, and the loss of sleep was starting to affect her as well.
‘My David… Oh, how I wish I could take your suffering and banish it to a faraway land! You, who is always so caring and compassionate, should not be required to suffer so! The doctor has left us without news, and my mind can only turn back to your one weakness… our magic.
‘It is cruel, for such a thing we consider to be the basis of all life and creation here to be plaguing you, even more so that we, those who love you, are the source of your pain. Would it be better for me to flee, even to the moon, if that would grant you peace? I would not hesitate but for a moment if you said to do so, and only so I could memorize your face and perhaps take one last breath of your scent before forever leaving this world to gaze down at you from afar.
‘Please not let it be Harmony’s will that we should be separated. I know I am a selfish mare, but the difference between to have loved and lost and to love and be torn away is too great. My eternal madness is all that could result.’
Luna stopped her internal monologue to re-read the doctor’s diagnosis.
‘The doctor is right. Though I know you not to be mad yourself, it would be wise to perform another magical examination. We should reduce the chance of exacerbating your condition, so Sister and I should not participate. That leaves us only with dearest Twilight and niece Cadance. I shall send for them at once, as they are our greatest hope at this juncture.’
Luna sat up and slipped off the bed, being careful not to wake her lover. After donning her regalia, she opened the door quietly and crept outside.
“You two,” she addressed the shadows. “Stay here, near him. Alert either my sister or me immediately if it seems he is in pain or need. I must go for a moment, but will return soon.”
***
Luna flew high above Canterlot castle and into the surrounding mountain. There, a dark, shadow-filled cave gave her shelter from the sun and the separation she would need from her ailing lover.
She walked into the darkness until only her iridescent were eyes visible, then lay on the cold, stone floor, looking out of the mouth of the cave in a south-western direction. There, far away, the small town of Ponyville lay, unaware of the princess’ gaze.
Luna’s horn glowed for a moment, and before her appeared a small writing desk she had stashed away in the cave long before. She set about putting her thoughts and feelings to paper, frantically scribbling the words as they came into her mind. Finishing one such writing, she stopped her quill and looked over her work. After a few careful edits, she placed the sheet of paper to the side and began copying her words in a more careful, practiced script, easily taking three times as long as the original composition had taken. She stowed her quill and reviewed the finished letter. Her writings took her heart and swelled her emotions until her eyes dropped a single tear onto the sheet, where it was immediately drawn in, forming a small watermark at the edge of her signature.
She pulled back and wiped her tears with a hoof, then magically rolled and bound the scroll for sending. After placing her royal seal on the ribbon, a small burst of magic sent it away to find its intended recipient.
Luna took in a deep breath and let out a sigh before turning back to the table. She took the first draft and set it aside, then pulled out another sheet and began frantically writing again, this time with several tears staining and slowing her work. Finally, after two attempts at penning the final revision, she had a mostly clean and legible letter. Again, she bound and sealed it, then sent it on its way.
After magicking the drafts into nothingness, Luna roughly shoved the desk away and plopped down on the floor, resting her head on her forelegs. She was oh so tired, and though she wished to return, sleep took her there in the cave and gave no quarter. She slept soundly, but not peacefully, protected by her loyal, living shadows.
***
Celestia stood on her balcony, staring at the skies. The Day Court had been drawn out far longer than expected, and after it finally concluded, she had spent the last few moments looking after her sleeping beau until the prompting for the exchange had come. Now she stood waiting for her sister, who was currently missing, trying to keep her emotions in check.
Hooves landed softly behind her, and though she recognized them, she did not turn around.
“Where have you been?” Celestia’s voice quavered under the strain.
Luna hung her head. “I am sorry, Tia, forgive me. I had taken to the mount for a moment of solace and was overcome by my exhaustion. Is David alright?”
“He is still asleep. I doubt he will even know you were gone.”
Celestia then raised her head and lowered the sun and began the night. It was a new moon, and the kingdom was bathed in darkness. She then turned to watch her sister writhing on the balcony as she transitioned between her lesser form and that of her normal self.
Finally, Luna was whole again. “I have no excuse. I abandoned him when he needed me, Sister. I do not deserve to be in his presence.”
Celestia looked down at the pitiful state her younger sibling was in and the disappointment and anger she felt before fled her heart. Sitting down next to Luna, Celestia wrapped her in a wing and pulled her close.
“Do not speak or think such things, Lulu. Your love for him overflows and such is the source of your heartbreak. Let us not fret on our past mistakes or our imperfect frailties, but instead, tend to him now.”
Luna stopped her sobbing and pressed into her sister’s wing hug. “Thank you, Tia.”
“You are most welcome. I hope you can forgive me, I was quite cross when I found you were missing.”
“Of course, Sister. We are both at odds here.” Luna nestled into her sister’s shoulder.
Celestia sighed. “May I ask, what was so important that you needed to go so far?”
Luna pulled away and looked up to meet Celestia’s gaze. “After having my mind succumb to sadness as I lay by his side, I shook free of it and attempted to gain some clarity. Reviewing what the royal physician suggested, I left for the cave of shadow take a moment to write a missive to both Twilight and Cadance, knowing they were likely our only hope in further investigating this potentially magical ailment our David has fallen prey to. After I sent them off, the relief somewhat overtook me, and I fell to the snares of sleep. Only the prompting was strong enough to bring me back.”
Celestia smiled, looking down into her sister’s blue eyes. “I understand. I too took a break at court after reading the report and wrote to Cadance asking for assistance. May I inquire as to why you chose to request Twilight’s help as well? I had thought that perhaps she was not yet fit, due to her own recent… ailments.”
“Oh. I had not thought along those lines, only that Twilight had called David ‘a good and dear friend,’ words that do not often sound as true were they coming out of the mouths of others. I thought it would be most appropriate that she should know of his condition. If she is indeed not fit, I do hope she refrains from taking any exhaustive measures, but if she chooses to come, I would be most grateful, and would allow for her comfort as needed while she was here.”
“That was very kind of you, Luna. I hope she is able to come.”
“As do I. But as you said before, we should not be here, but with him. Come, Sister, it is time we do just that.”
***
A soft knocking came to David’s door.
Knock… knock…
“Excuse me, David?” a voice asked from beyond the door.
“You may enter,” Celestia answered.
The door opened, and Cherry appeared on the other side, pushing a serving cart. As she entered the room, her eyes went wide at the scene, and she gasped softly in shock.
David was laying on the bed on his back, looking somewhat groggy as he had just woken up from Cherry’s arrival. To his right, Luna was snuggled up next to him on the bed, lying on her side, holding David’s arm possessively in her forelegs. On David’s left, Celestia lay next to him, facing the door, perched on a long divan that was butted up against the bed, as there was no room left on it for anypony else. She had a book in her forehooves but looked up as Cherry crossed the threshold.
“Do not dawdle, Cherry,” Luna addressed her without even lifting her head.
Snapped out of her trance, Cherry pushed the cart in further, only to hear the door shut behind her, courtesy of the guards.
“I… I’ve brought dinner as requested!” Cherry said somewhat shakily.
David started to stir, and Luna shifted her position to sit against the headboard. Finally, David sat up with Luna reinforcing his back with her wing. “Ugh, my head hurts. Oh, sorry, Cherry. I didn’t see you there. Is it time for dinner already?”
Celestia calmly set her book aside and placed pillows behind David to support him.
Cherry watched as the royal sisters quietly tended to the human’s needs. “Uh, yes! Are you feeling alright?” she asked.
David rubbed his forehead. “Truthfully, no. Today has been… difficult to say the least.”
Starting to unload her cart, Cherry pressed on with questions, “What’s wrong, David? You seemed alright at lunch.”
Luna fielded this one, “Unfortunately, he was not. He was starting to feel the effects of something during breakfast, and though he had rested after, it did not improve by then.”
“Oh. I noticed you didn’t eat as much. Do you not have any appetite?”
“Not really, but the doctor said I should eat and drink as much as I feel like I can to keep my strength up. What did you bring for us tonight?”
“Well, Princess Celestia said I should make one of your favorites, but nothing too heavy. So I…” she lifted the lid on a pot recessed into the cart. “I made you soup, just the way you like it.”
“Oh, wow, Cherry.”
“Did I do good? I even made extra breadsticks!”
“I’ll say. I can smell it from here. I didn’t think I was hungry, but I think I can eat that.”
Cherry giggled, which drew the gazes of the two princesses.
“Oh, sorry Princesses, I’ve made a special meal for you both as well. Spring rolls and lettuce wraps with various sauces. I’ve made them bite-sized, so they should be easy to handle.”
Celestia eyed the dinner curiously. “Cherry, I do not believe we’ve had the pleasure of this dish before. Can you explain it to us?”
“Oh, certainly! This dish isn’t my own, but again it came from some food-talk I had a while ago with David. He described a bunch of ‘finger-foods’ from his world, and I tried adapting them to our tastes. The spring rolls are almost exactly as he described—filled with fresh veggies like crisp radicchio, bean sprouts, julienned carrot, cucumber and bell peppers, accented with herbs and paired with rice vermicelli and portabella mushroom slices, all wrapped in a rice paper wrapper. The lettuce wraps are similar, but have no noodles, and contain marinated eggplant and avocado.”
David turned from eyeing the soup to Cherry. “Wow, that sounds pretty good too. You’ve done a great job, Cherry.”
Cherry blushed and turned aside. “Thank you, David. I’m sure we have enough for you to try some if you’d like.”
“Thanks, but let’s get everyone fed first. I’m probably the least hungry here at the moment.”
As if to support his statement, a low grumble could be heard from the snow-white princess, to which Cherry feigned ignorance.
After a moment, Cherry went about setting up trays for each princess and man to have their meal comfortably. She doled out her wares to the eldest first, who nodded in appreciation. Luna was next, who also voiced her approval. Finally, David was set up with a tray, breadsticks and a large bowl of garlic-infused potato-kale soup.
Seeing his smile almost melted the hearts of the mares in the room, each of them with their gazes locked on him alone.
After David had paid thanks for his meal, he started in on it eagerly. Just outside his vision, he saw Cherry preparing to go, and stopped. “Cherry, are you leaving so soon?”
“Yes, unless there is something else I can get for any of you?”
Heads shook, and Cherry bowed. “I will return to clean up in a while. Please send if I’m needed,” she said, then left through the door, leaving the cart behind.
***
A while later, the meals had been finished. David put up a good fight with his soup, but his lack of appetite made it difficult for him to eat more than his first bowl. As the princesses were clearing the bed of the trays, a knock came again at the door.
“It’s me, Cherry. I’m here to collect the dishes.”
“Come in,” Celestia answered.
Cherry came in and immediately rushed over to Celestia, taking her tray from her. “Please, Princess, that’s my job,” she said sweetly.
Celestia smiled and relinquished her tray. “Thank you, Cherry.”
After grabbing one, she set it down on the floor and went over to Luna, and retrieved hers as well.
“Thank you for the most interesting dinner. I would like to enjoy those again,” Luna praised the chef.
“My pleasure, Princess. I’m sure we will all have many more exciting dishes to try as long as David is here!”
Her words somewhat struck a chord in the two princesses, and they both bowed their heads solemnly. Cherry seemed to pick up on the vibe and somewhat deflated herself. She then shook her head and put back on a merry smile before she headed back over to Luna’s side of the bed and looked up at David.
“Sorry, Cherry. I couldn’t finish it all,” he said, handing her the tray and dishes.
She put them away, then turned back. “No worries, silly—I mean, David. I’m just glad you liked it.”
David put on a forced smile. “Thanks.”
As soon as Cherry took the tray away from David, Luna rose from the bed and hopped down and stretched lightly.
“The Night Court is waiting, and so I must be off. David, are you feeling any better?”
David’s fake smile faltered a bit. “Uh. Maybe?”
“Maybe? I was hoping for—” she stopped as David winced a bit in pain.
“Okay, maybe not. I really only stop feeling it when I’m asleep,” he answered truthfully.
“Is he going to be alright?” Cherry asked.
Celestia took in a deep breath and turned away from her book. “Cherry, I am sorry if it upsets you, but we do not yet know what exactly he is suffering from. Though the royal doctor has pronounced him physically healthy, he is obviously in discomfort. Our current fear is that it may be an exacerbation of his magical sensitivity. We have called for Princess Cadance to come assist us in that matter, but until then, we can only hope to keep him comfortable.”
Cherry’s countenance fell. “Oh.”
“Excuse me,” Luna said as she turned back to face David. “Forgive me, my dear, that I might leave you for duty.”
David cupped Luna’s face and pulled her closer, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. “Don’t worry, just come back when you’re through.”
Luna pulled away but held his arm in the crook of her hoof. “I promise,” she said, then helped David to lie down before she turned to leave.
Not knowing what to do after Luna left, Cherry went back to loading the dishes on the cart. While she did so, she heard a stirring that made her turn back to look.
Celestia had risen from her position on the divan and stretched before dropping down to the floor. There, she opened her wings and gave them a shake before closing them and looking around the room.
Meeting her eyes with Celestia’s, Cherry quickly turned back to the serving cart and continued her work. Behind her, though, the grand ruler walked past and up to the bedside, then climbed in, taking Luna’s previous spot. She settled in facing the door, then pulled out her book and continued reading.
Confusion and anxiety were painted on Cherry’s face. The atmosphere in the room had been odd from her arrival, but to see the princesses casually laying down next to David as they watched over him, filled her with the sense that the scene was somehow odd or perverse, and that plagued Cherry’s mind.
Cherry pushed the cart to the door, then stopped and turned to face Celestia. “Excuse me, Princess?”
“Yes, Cherry?” Celestia answered, looking up from her book.
“Umm. Would it be okay if I stayed here a while with David too?” she asked timidly.
Celestia raised an eyebrow at the chef’s bold request. Her piercing gaze tore through Cherry’s mind as the silence grew thick in the room.
Even though she was scared, Cherry puffed up her chest and looked straight at the ruler. The fire in her eyes caused Celestia to take notice. “I’m David’s friend, and I want to be there for him. Is that alright or not?”
“Miss Cherry—” Celestia took another deep breath. “This situation may stir some complicated feelings at this time, but I must ask you to be patient and civil.”
“Yes, Princess. I understand. Forgive me for being rude, but I just want to be able to take care of him too.”
Celestia’s chest puffed out and her forehooves gripped the sheets. She was about to stand but flinched instead as she felt a hand stroke her mane gently, then fall to lay on her withers. Celestia looked back, only to have her stoic expression soften. She relaxed her posture, then turned to face Cherry. “Stay if you would like. You may lay on the divan,” she said plainly, then resumed her reading.
Cherry let out a breath she had been holding and sighed. She pushed the cart to the corner of the room, then took off her chef’s coat and hung it over the cart’s handle. She paused as she seemed to psych herself up, then walked over to the divan and jumped up into its plush, cushioned seat.
Cherry took a moment to get settled, then lay her head on her hooves as she stared off toward the door. A moment later, and a quiet ‘eep’ sounded from her as she too was stroked lovingly across her back and sides by David’s outstretched hand.
Cherry being much smaller, David had to extend his arm fully to reach her, and noticing this, she inched a bit closer to the edge of the divan where it met both bed and man. She rolled to her left, and held his hand between her hooves, and soon David could be heard breathing deeply as he fell fast asleep.
***
David turned his head to the right, trying to avoid an irritation in his left ear. It was still in the early hours of the morning, and he found himself laying on his back, overheated and sweaty. He struggled to move in his bed, feeling restricted as if he was bound. He opened his eyes, and in the dim light from the last embers of his fireplace, he saw the cause of his immobilization. David was wedged on all sides by the mares in his life.
To his right, his first lover, Luna, was snuggled up against his side with her back pressed tightly against him. As she lay on her side, she had stretched out her legs, digging them into the edge of the mattress as a brace to apply more pressure to David’s arm and chest.
As David shifted his vision to the left, he noticed that he was not covered with the white blanket he had gone to bed with, and instead the white covering he now sported was made completely of feathers. It seemed that after Luna had returned, Celestia had retaken her previous spot on the divan, but during the night had shifted mostly off of it, and now lay with her muzzle buried in David’s pillow next to him, breathing hot breaths into his ear as she slept. Her downy wing had a death grip on him, though, and under the remarkably strong and insulating appendage, he could not move.
Noting how he was pinned between his lovers, he tried his best to move his legs, hoping that he would be able to gain leverage against the bed and pry his body free. Unfortunately, ‘all sides’ meant that his feet were currently tied up at the moment as well.
Craning his head up, he saw that below his waist, he had managed to keep the white blanket he remembered going to sleep with, but it was currently pinned under the surprise addition to the slumber party, a chestnut colored earth mare with a long, red mane—Cherry. Having taken up residence at the foot of the bed sometime earlier, she apparently decided to stay the night and had somehow tucked in the cover around his legs and lower half, then used the rest as her own blanket, effectively tying off the loose ends of the fabric and preventing his escape.
‘Well, crap.’
David lay his head back down on the pillow, only for his ear to be tickled again by Celestia’s soft breaths.
‘I can’t get up, and I need to go! First… the wing.’
David’s right arm was pretty tightly wedged between his own body and Luna’s back, but he managed to lift and rotate his forearm free and grasped some of the white primary feathers he could reach on his right side. He gently stroked them, then laced his fingers between them, something he had learned from his practice with Luna that could cause a very pleasurable sensation.
Celestia’s wing twitched a bit at the feeling of David’s digits between her feathers. He put a bit more pressure on the wing itself where the quill joined flesh. This elicited the intended behavior, as Celestia’s wing became rigid and lifted into the air, pulling his fingers free.
The stimulation wasn’t enough to wake the elder princess, though, and after a moment, her wing drooped, and she rolled slightly to her right before refolding her wing at her side. The brief moment when she shifted, though, was enough for David to also turn his body sideways, finally giving him some space to breathe.
‘Freedom!’
Now turned and facing Luna’s back, he propped himself up on his right arm. However, the room he gained was soon noticed as a cold vacancy against the princesses’ bodies, and they each started shifting toward him like a vice closing its jaws. He wiggled his feet and toes, hoping to gain purchase on the mattress and propel himself forward and upward toward the headboard, but slipped under the tight confines of the sheet-jacket and only managed to kick Cherry in the side.
‘Oops. Well, almost freedom.’
A sudden grunt announced Cherry’s unpleasant waking, and she could be heard smacking her dry mouth as she processed what had happened.
Almost once again trapped between blue and white, David looked down at the only other waking soul and smiled somewhat in apology.
Cherry blinked drowsily, trying to piece together the situation.
David saw her mind waking, and with his free hand, he gestured down to his legs and pulled on the covers.
“Please?” he asked silently.
The light going on in Cherry’s mind shone brightly in her eyes as she recognized his request. She quickly, but stiffly, stood up and released the hold on his wrappings.
David smiled in appreciation and unwrapped his lower limbs, just as he felt Celestia roll over to press her back and side against him. He kicked open the covers with his freed left leg, then pushed himself up into an awkward sitting position facing the somewhat alert Cherry.
“Thanks,” he mouthed to her.
She nodded and silently jumped to the floor, then David proceeded to scoot down and off the bed to stand. Once on the floor, he quietly hurried himself to the bathroom and closed the door.
***
Upon David’s return, Cherry, who had returned to laying at the end of the bed, looked up at him as he drew close.
David broke her gaze to look at the bed where Luna and Celestia were now mashed together with no hope of David fitting between. He pulled the blanket up and covered them gently. After tending to them, he glanced around.
‘Now where am I supposed to sleep?’
The only spot left available to him was on the divan, which was now empty. He shrugged at Cherry in mock exasperation, then calmly walked over to the divan and climbed in.
It being a fair bit shorter than the bed, his legs somewhat dangled off the edge as he lay down. He tossed a bit, trying to get comfortable, and in the end, he actually lay flat on his back spanning the bed and divan, with his right side pressed up against Celestia’s legs—hopefully she didn’t kick in her sleep. David ventured to pull some of the covers over for himself, managing to cover his torso, but not his legs. He sighed in frustration.
Apparently, he had forgotten the other resident who was actually awake with him. Cherry’s ears perked at his sigh, and she got up from her place and took to the floor. Turning around at the foot, she edged her way over to David’s feet, then grabbed the blanket in her teeth and threw it over his legs, covering him neatly.
David lifted his head and smiled down at her, only to see her return the gesture and give a knowing nod. She then bedded down again at David’s feet, gently leaning into him.
***
A few hours passed, and through them, David did not have good sleep.
He tossed and turned in the small space he lay and had woken up several times during the night—though this time, it was not to nature’s call.
His current malady had taken hold of him and made the remainder of his night one of pain and discomfort. Every moment he seemed to still, he would awaken sharply with his eyes wide from some internal pang. He struggled with the thoughts of waking his princesses to let them know of his condition, but instead he suffered quietly, feeling it would only bring more stress and heartache to them all.
But as the morning had almost come, and the peaceful sleep David needed still eluded him, he was, unfortunately, close to breaking. He sat up quickly, looking around at the sleeping mares in his bed. Though their peaceful visages calmed him somewhat, David knew that he must remove them from his place so that he could possibly rest.
David knelt on his knees and bent over the closest alicorn. He placed his hand on Celestia’s shoulder and gently shook her.
“Celestia,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, but please wake up.”
Though normally difficult to rise, Celestia awoke rather easily this day.
“David?” she asked in her post-sleep haze.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t get to sleep. This may not be fair, but I need you, Luna, and Cherry to go,” he whispered.
His request sank in, and her eyes widened at the implications. “David, I am sorry. Did we—”
David’s face softened, and he cupped her cheek. “No, Love,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, it’s just… this bed is too small for the three—I mean four of us. I haven’t slept much all night.”
Celestia frowned. “This is my fault. I should not have intruded. Luna could have taken care of you herself.”
David stroked her mane and rubbed her cheek. “No, it’s not. I really did feel happy, having you all here and caring for me. But at some point, it became a bit more uncomfortable. I… just need some bed-time, alone.”
Celestia nodded in understanding and rolled to sit up straight. She then turned to Luna, and gently prodded her awake.
“Sister, Luna, wake up. We have been awful guests to David and have made him uncomfortable in his own room. Let us go and start the day. The prompting will come soon, as it is.”
Luna rolled over to face the two awakened bedmates. “ ‘Tis it true? Have we overstayed our welcome?”
David smiled. “No, Luna. Not exactly. I just had a pretty rough night, and I think I need some time to sleep, alone. Okay?”
Luna looked around at the bed packed with ponies. “Of course. I should have insisted on you retiring in our quarters; there is much more room there.”
“Well, maybe next time,” David said with a smile. “But right now, I’ve got some sleep to catch up on… and this thing I’ve got is not helping either.”
“By ‘thing,’ do you mean your current malady?” Luna asked.
“Unfortunately, yes. Sometime in the night, it started acting up and has really made it hard to rest. Not having room to stretch out, though, did make it a tiny bit more difficult.”
Luna scowled. “Being a poor bedmate was not something I ever wanted to be ascribed to. Wilt thou still love us when we meet next?”
“Of course. I love you even now, I just need to try to sleep. Forgive me?” he said.
“And her?” Luna gestured to the foot of the bed.
“I am grateful she was here, but please take her with you. But first…”
David watched Cherry carefully for a moment. Noticing she was still fast asleep, he then turned back to Celestia and Luna. Putting an arm around both of them, he pulled them close together, putting them a little off-balance. Now with both in reach, he closed the distance and kissed each one passionately, in turn, only to return to the other, trading off again and again as he showered them with love.
Finally pulling away, the sisters leaned against each other for support, almost swooned from the surges in their bodies. Slowly, they regained their strength and composure before straightening up.
“Ahem,” Celestia started quietly, “Thank you, but perhaps we should not be so candid around others. It would be difficult to manage.”
Luna nudged her sister. “Oh, Tia. I believe the young mare has already found out what you have hidden. She will be appropriately tight-lipped, I assure you.”
“That does not mean it should be flaunted. At least, not yet.”
Luna smiled. “So noted.”
At that, Luna stood and walked to the sleeping mare in question and woke her politely. She explained the situation and suggested it was time for them all to go.
Finally, having said their goodbyes and collected their belongings, the mares left David in relative peace once again.
Surprisingly, as David lay spread on the mattress, even though the pangs of discomfort still plagued him, sleep took him with relative ease.
***
Celestia sat at her desk, reading a letter. Her concentration was broken when Luna walked in from the balcony.
“Good morning, again, dear sister,” Luna said.
“Yes, I do hope it is.”
“I have checked in on David, he is fast asleep.”
Celestia sighed. “Good. For what benefits we intended, apparently peace was not one of them.”
Luna hung her head in shame. “Indeed.”
Celestia put on a small smile, hoping to encourage cheer over the gloomy atmosphere. “On other matters, I have received a reply from Cadance. She will be here late this evening.”
“Oh, that bodes well. I too received that missive, and another from Twilight. Apparently, she will arrive much sooner, after breakfast, and in the company of her friends.”
Celestia’s smile faltered. ‘I… I did not hear from her.’ “Oh? That is good news. She is our most knowledgeable resource in things magical.”
“Yes. Though our years be vast, even between us, she has delved deeper into the study of magic than any other.”
“Luna, you raise her up too high; if she were to hear that, it would not be good for her.”
“Perhaps from you, but she can take honest praise from her friends, and me, without succumbing to the pressure.”
Celestia lowered her head. “I see.”
“Sister, if I may offer some advice?”
“Yes?”
“Your relationship with Twilight is special and unique, and you are lucky to have it. However—”
Celestia cringed.
Luna paused, sensing her sister’s apprehension. “However, should you ever want to truly be friends with her, you must cast off the past… Make a fresh start, so to speak. Approach her as… more as a mortal pony, than as a princess. For myself, recovering from my earlier mistakes humbled me so. When she helped me, even scolded me, that Nightmare Night in Ponyville, it created a bond between us as friends even though we were not equals… yet. Does this make sense?”
Celestia clenched her jaw as she mulled over the thoughts of how to accomplish such a task. “I suppose it is so. She will never see me as an equal, even though we hold the same title.”
“That is not true, Sister. I believe in the expanse of time, she will see you as an equal, but it may not be as truly friendly as you might desire. Time has a way of exposing our faults, and if anything can make a pony seem more approachable, even in the light of immortality, it is being imperfect.”
“So what am I to do? Renounce our relationship, then restart from nothing? Things do not work like that, Lulu.”
“No, they do not. But your careful machinations have shielded her from most of your mistakes and from your normalcy, and those she has seen, though grand, were somewhat understandable in the circumstances. In short, her veneration of you must be quashed. How you must do it, I do not know. There will be time to think about this, but now, we must start the day and deal with our current crisis.”
Celestia’s mind continued to chew on the words Luna had offered, even as she ambled to the balcony with her eyes glued only on the floor in front of her. Reaching the railing, she pulled herself up by her hooves to peer out across the countryside. She stood there for a few moments looking into the dimly lit expanse of the kingdom as her mane blew sideways in the wind.
Finally, she dipped her head to the horizon, and a faint glow appeared on her horn. Even as tears dripped from her muzzle, she pulled at the great sun, lifting it as she raised her head. The ball of light breached the landscape’s border and was now on-track to bring life to the world once again.
‘How is it again that my life has come to this? At one end, I have gained love, though now I fear his end is near. At the opposite, my other special relationship has become strained, though she, herself has become eternal.’
Celestia dropped from the railing and sat with the sun at her back. Sensing her distress, a still somewhat pale Luna came to comfort her sibling.
Luna walked up to her sister and wiped her tears with her muzzle, transferring the salty stains to her own face as she nuzzled her tenderly.
“Oh, Lulu. I am sorry for being so weak. I could not save you before, I feel I cannot save David now, and though Twilight will be with us—will be around for lifetimes, I worry I may lose her as well.”
“You worry too much. It is time for us all to live. Let us go and see David, then we will find what to do next.”
***
In David’s room, pain and discomfort were still evident on his face, even as he slept. Unable to bring themselves to wake him, the princesses left for breakfast without him. They now sat in their usual places at the table, waiting to start the meal.
“It is not the same, without David here, is it?” Luna asked.
“No. But rest assured we will find a cure and be with him again.”
They both smiled at the thought, though it was a bit strained.
Celestia picked up the bell and rang for breakfast.
The staff walked out and deposited their wares, as usual, a sumptuous feast for their princesses. As the procession ended, Cherry pulled up the rear with a frown on her face.
“David… isn’t coming?” she asked.
“We thought it better not to wake him. He still sleeps restlessly, though,” Luna answered.
“Oh. I’ll be sure to save something for him, just in case.”
Celestia smiled. “Thank you.”
Seeing her rulers put on a brave face, Cherry did as well. “Is there anything else I can get for you then?”
The princesses looked at the bounty, then turned back, shaking their heads silently.
“Okay, great! Let me know if I can help!” Cherry said, then walked back to the kitchen.
Celestia and Luna started in on their meal, commenting idly about how good something was or about random gossip that surfaced during court, but that would not last.
Celestia paused, even with a morsel of fruit dangling from her fork. “I think I will cancel the Day Court today. We have guests arriving, and David deserves our attention.”
“Do you think that wise, Sister? The last time we canceled for that surprise delegate’s arrival, the nobles were quite upset!”
Celestia stared at Luna with an uncaring gaze.
“Well, if you put it that way,” Luna replied before returning to her breakfast.
“I do,” Celestia answered after another bite of her own meal. “They can buck-off. We devote our eternal lives to them. They can miss one session of a short Day Court once in a while.”
Feeling the tension from across the table, Luna kept quiet even after her sister’s somewhat foul response.
After Celestia cleared the plate of pastries in front of her, Luna finally managed to speak again. “If we do not find a solution or improvement this day, I will also cancel my court appointments. No, rather I will cancel them, regardless. ‘Tis time to do other things.”
Celestia nodded.
As the meal was finishing up, the doors from the palace side burst open with Twilight leading her group of friends.
“I’m sorry we’re early, but we’ve come to help!” Twilight called out.
Celestia looked up from her plate, and Luna hopped down from her seat to greet them.
Joining Twilight in a hug, Luna nuzzled her neck, then pressed close to her ear. “Thank you, dear Twilight. We are at wit’s end, and Sister is quite cross,” she whispered. “Please give her space, as this ordeal has left her scared and vulnerable.”
As they parted, Twilight’s expression had changed from eager to confused. “That’s silly. Celestia can handle almost anything, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” she said softly, looking over Luna’s shoulder to the white monarch who was still seated at the table.
Twilight broke away from Luna, allowing her friends to greet her, and walked over to speak to Celestia, who was enjoying a sip of tea.
“Good morning, Twilight.”
“Good morning, Celestia. I’m glad I could be here. What can I do?”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed a bit at the young princess, even with her plaster smile holding strong. “We require your expertise at examining David again. I believe we should make some haste, as he has been suffering from something quite awful.”
“Anything for a friend!” Twilight chirped.
The word friend seemed to echo in Celestia’s mind, and her eyes went somewhat glassy. ‘Anything for a friend…’ she thought.
“Yes, well,” Celestia started as she left her seat. “Let me greet the others, then we should pay him a visit.”
***
After paying their respects and reminding the guests to be quiet and polite while visiting their ailing friend, Celestia and Luna guided the group to David’s room where he was still asleep.
The ponies all crowded around the man, being careful not to wake him, even though his random twitches and grunts showed he was sleeping in any way other than peacefully.
Luna approached him and lay her front on the bed to get better access, then prodded him gently with her nose in an effort to wake him.
“David, wake up… your friends have gathered to wish you well,” she whispered softly in his ear.
Slowly the man stirred and blinked away his sleepiness. “Oh. Hi, everyone. What are you all doing here?” he asked drowsily.
Twilight stepped forward with a caring smile and tears misting her eyes. “Silly, we’re here to see you. We heard you weren’t feeling well and everypony came to help!” she said shakily.
David smiled at her heartfelt words and tried to sit up to address his guests, but his strength seemed to fail him.
Luna, though, acted quickly and stuck her head and neck behind him to try and prop him up. Applejack, being the next nearest pony, also joined in and hoisted him up to a seated position while Luna packed pillows behind him for support.
“Sorry about that. I guess I’m a bit more tired than I thought. I didn’t exactly sleep well last night.” He grinned.
Rainbow Dash had a comment for that one. “How could you!? It looked to us like you were wrestling bears in your sleep just now. There’s no way you could be rested after a night like that!”
David frowned after hearing how he was affecting them, even while unconscious. “Yeah, I just don’t feel right. The doctor said I was healthy, though, so I’ll make it.”
The ponies looked to each other in a silent conversation.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Be that as it may, it would be best if we examine your magical health as well. Since both Luna and I would affect you if we tried, Twilight has graciously offered to perform the examination.”
Twilight smiled up at her former mentor, hearing her praise her so. “Of course! David, are you ready? May I examine you again?” she said as she timidly gazed at his face.
David cracked his neck. “Sure. Ready when you are.”
“Okay,” she replied.
Twilight took a step forward and lowered her head. She took in a calming breath, then slowly let it out, just as she’d been taught. She then smiled to herself, and proceeded to put energy into her horn, readying the spell.
David shifted uncomfortably on the bed in the propped-up position he had been put in. Something wasn’t quite right to him, like an itch he couldn’t scratch, then it finally clicked as he shivered uncontrollably.
Luna shouted out, “STOP!” and Celestia’s eyes went wide with the realization, but Twilight’s spell was finished, and she fired it at the man.
Somewhat relaxing after, David lay back into the pillows as the magic dispersed and the uncomfortable feeling left him. In front of him, though, the rest of those in attendance stiffened at the sight before them.
David’s magical pool was once again displayed in front of him, though now it had taken a much different form. It now ebbed and flowed around him in a somewhat similar representation of his body’s contours… which for most who had seen such fields, would indicate an improvement towards normal from its earlier shapes.
However, that was not all. The pool itself, now massive in respects to its earlier versions, was pulsing with light, seemingly stretching its boundaries trying to escape. Inside the magical membrane, lights of blue, gold, and purple shone throughout, pushing against their neighbor colors’ boundaries in a struggle for dominance.
Outside the pool, three distinct connections were now visible: a royal blue one for Luna, corded and glowing with small sparkles like the stars; a golden one for Celestia, vibrant and flowing like a viscous river and glowing like the sun with an intense brightness; and… a pulsing triple-helix of purple magic bound within by multi-colored strands of light for Twilight. Each connection traveled straight from David’s chest to the chest of the respective owner.
“Oh,” Twilight said as she marveled at her new addition, casually waving a hoof through the magical beam of light.
A gasp from behind came from a very startled-looking Princess Celestia. The noise caused all in attendance to turn and face the ruler.
Twilight took a step toward her. “I… Princ—Celestia, I can explain.”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE, MY CHAMBERS… NOW!” the Royal Canterlot Voice boomed, shaking the room and causing all to wince at its power. Celestia didn’t wait for a response, only turned and left through the door, opened by a stalwart guard.
***