//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 // Story: Those Blue Wings // by Tchernobog //------------------------------// “I figured out how to get your wings back!” The words seemed to echo in Rainbow Dash’s mind as her jaw slowly fell open. There was no room for anything else; her brain had simply stopped working. She continued to stare in shock as Twilight let go of her face, having been pulled away by an orange hoof. Applejack stared at Twilight, her expression a mixture of joy and disbelief. A tremor in her voice betrayed the emotions she felt. “Are you serious, Twilight?” “Of course!” she answered, tilting her head. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “Because last time Ah asked you, you seemed… well, stumped.” “I… was,” Twilight admitted, her eyes downcast. “I even begged Princess Celestia for help…" Her smile was tremulous as she lifted her eyes back to Applejack. “And she did. Help, I mean.” Twilight’s smile grew as she kept talking, almost gushing about the princess. “She’s really amazing… it took me forever to even come up with the idea… and with her help, we completely worked out the theory!” “Theory?” Applejack repeated. She didn’t like the sound of that. Twilight nodded. “More than a theory, really. The whole process is outlined, all the steps are clear, I just didn’t have the time to practice it.” Her ears drooped at the admission. “It’s probably still going to take awhile before I can cast this…" Twilight said, counting off the reasons. “I still want some trial runs first, and some practice… and Rainbow needs to get better first. I’d rather eliminate any variable…" she said, stopping as a new sound reached her ears. Both she and Applejack turned towards the source of the sound: a light sobbing, coming from the pegasus on the bed. “Rainbow!” Applejack cried, rushing over to her side. “What’s wrong?” Twilight edged away, terrified of Rainbow’s tears. Once again, it seemed she had done something terribly wrong to the pegasus. “I-I’m sorry Rainbow, I can’t go any faster… it’s just too dangerous!” Rainbow shook her head, a smile on her face even as tears ran down her cheeks. “I-I’m just so happy!” she sobbed, burying her face into the bed’s covers. Weeks of tension, worry, and emotion just seemed to flow out of her, unrestrained. Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder, her own eyes starting to water. Twilight sagged with relief, her heart resuming its beat, albeit in an erratic fashion. For a moment, she thought she’d managed to hurt her friend yet again. She’d been terrified, unable to process the sudden onset of guilt. The relief she felt was replaced by surprise as she watched Rainbow Dash pick herself off the bed and practically throw herself at Applejack, burying her muzzle in the farmer’s mane. Something definitely happened… she thought, making a mental note to ask about it later. Right then, she was satisfied to bask in the glow of finally, finally being able to give these two ponies some good news. Eventually, Rainbow’s tears stopped, and she lifted herself away from Applejack. “Sorry…" she mumbled, seeing the now damp spot on the orange coat. Applejack smiled, shaking her head and briefly nuzzling Rainbow. “Ah figure you needed that, Sugarcube…" She turned to Twilight, a big smile on her face. “Thanks, Twilight…" The unicorn shook her head, but was unable to stop her lips from quirking into a small grin. “Don’t thank me yet. Like I said, I still need to practice, and you,” she said, pointing to the pegasus, “need to get better. I don’t know what effect something like that might have,” she explained, pointing at Rainbow’s cast-encased leg. Rainbow wiped her nose with her good hoof, and grinned at Twilight. “Yes, ma’am!” she said, punctuating the exclamation with a salute. The three ponies in the room quieted as the sound of small hooves echoing down the corridor made itself heard. The culprits, completely unconcerned by the noise they were making, arrived at the door in a jumble of limbs as they skidded to an abrupt halt. One of them quickly disentangled herself, and rocketed towards Rainbow Dash in an orange and purple blur, knocking her off her sitting position and into her pillow. “What the… Squirt?” she said, looking at the filly in her arms. “Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo gushed, a gigantic smile on her face. “You’re okay!” Rainbow shook away her surprise, then flashed Scootaloo a grin, including the two other fillies who had made their way to her bed. “Of course I’m okay! Nothing can stop me!” she said, a touch of her usual bravado returning to her demeanor. Rainbow Dash blushed slightly as she noticed Applejack chuckling, shaking her head in wonder. She turned her gaze back to the young ponies, clearing her throat in an attempt to get rid of the knot that had suddenly appeared there. “I hear I owe you three for that,” she said to the beaming fillies, as Rarity trotted through the door, slightly out of breath and looking a bit haggard. Her beauty sleep had been utterly ruined by her offer to house the Crusaders, who had been unable to lie still, too busy worrying about the pegasus. And if they hadn't slept, neither had Rarity. “Girls! You can’t run through a hospital like that!” Rarity huffed, until she caught sight of Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash! You’re awake!” she said, glancing first at Twilight, then at Applejack, keeping her gaze on the farmpony and her slightly disheveled state. She fought to keep a knowing grin hidden as she looked back at Rainbow. “And I see you have company!” “Yeah, I do…" Rainbow agreed, completely missing Rarity’s expression as she looked back at the three fillies crowding her. “Thanks, girls. The docs said it could’ve been much worse if you hadn’t gotten to me so quick.” Apple Bloom blushed, as did the other two. “Aw shucks…" she said, scratching the back of her head. “We didn’t do much. Scoots was th’ one to rush to the hospital an’ get help.” “Really?” Rainbow asked, her eyebrows raised. She looked at the grinning filly, then pulled her into a hug. “Thanks, kid.” For a moment, Scootaloo was frozen in shock, not believing what was happening. Coming to her senses, she hugged Rainbow back, basking in her hero’s presence as she attempted to ignore the chorus of ‘Aawww!’s coming from the other two Crusaders. Rainbow released her hold on the young pegasus, and grinned at the fillies. “I gotta make this up to you guys somehow…" she said, trying to think of what she could do. “Ohh! How about a party?” exclaimed Pinkie Pie from behind Rainbow and Applejack, ignoring the two ponies’ shocked recoils. “I know! The ‘You girls are awesome and totally deserve a party’ party!” “Pinkie, where–” “Oh, hi Dashie! I knew you were awake, so I came to visit! And now everyone’s here and it’s even better!” Twilight’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “How did you know she was awake?” “Combos, silly! Two of them! Tingly spine and floppy ears mean a sick friend is feeling better! And the other was floppy ears, itchy nose, and scratchy back!” She giggled, lifting a hoof to her chin. “You know, the scratchy back ones are weird. I can never tell if it’s my Pinkie Sense or if I just need a bath or–” “What does that one mean?” a bemused Twilight interrupted, adding yet another entry to her ever-growing mental list. Pinkie blinked, then bounced happily next to Dash’s bed and grinned widely. “That there’s going to be good news shortly!” “Good news?” a soft voice interrupted from the door. “What good news?” Every eye turned on Fluttershy, who shrank back from the attention and inquisitive stares. “Um… a little birdie told me Dash was awake, so I thought I’d visit.” Receiving only blank stares, she nodded at the window. All heads turned, facing a blue jay perched upon the windowsill. Unaccustomed to so many eyes on him, the bird chirped in alarm and flew away. “What’s the good news?” Fluttershy repeated, drawing attention back to herself. Twilight gathered her bearings after the two sudden arrivals. “Oh! Right.” With all her friends here, she could give the news without having to repeat herself for everypony. “I figured out how to move Rainbow’s wings back!” Fluttershy beamed. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” Pinkie bounced towards Twilight, giving her a hug as the Crusaders cheered. Rarity gasped with delight. “That is truly marvelous news!” She paused in thought as she gazed at the two affected ponies. “It is a bit of a shame though; that blue works wonderfully with your orange coat.” “Now wait just a cotton pickin’ minute there.” Applejack pinned Rarity with a confused stare. “Weren’t you sayin’ a few weeks ago that they don’t go together?” Rarity raised a hoof to her chin as she continued to peer at Applejack. “They work wonderfully together as colours, with cloth and fabric for instance, but in a pony’s coat? It just looked so out of place, like a bad dye-job,” she explained, completely ignoring the pair of disbelieving stares pointed her way. “But I must admit… I’ve warmed up to the idea.” Applejack and Rainbow glanced at each other, utterly speechless, then rolled their eyes. Turning her attention back to her friends, Rainbow felt a pang of guilt as she watched Pinkie bounce around. She still had something to do, and she felt the best time was now. “Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, trying to get the pink pony’s attention. Pinkie grinned at the pegasus. “Yes, Dashie?” “I… I’m sorry,” Rainbow said, fighting to not look at her hooves. Applejack moved closer to Rainbow, having a good idea what the pegasus was talking about. Pinkie, however, tilted her head in confusion. She couldn’t think of anything Rainbow would have to apologize for. “What for?” “For… for yelling at you. At the Acres,” Rainbow answered. “You were right.” “I was? Yay!” Pinkie cheered, leaping into the air. Mid-jump, she paused. “What was I right about?” “Y-you know!” Rainbow blushed, finding it harder than expected to voice the subject. It had been easier with Fluttershy, as she had basically eavesdropped on the entire conversation. Outright admitting it, to all her friends, was suddenly an entirely different matter. Applejack saw Rainbow’s predicament, and smiled slyly as she came to the pegasus’s rescue. “Ah think it’s easier to show ‘em, Dash,” she said quietly, but still loud enough for everypony to hear. As Rainbow turned her head towards Applejack to ask what she meant, the farmer leaned forward, planting her lips on the unsuspecting mare. She ignored the resulting gasps from the other ponies, focusing on just the one in front of her. After what felt like too long, and not long enough, she released her hold, chuckling at Rainbow’s dazed expression. “About that, Pinkie.” The party pony was vibrating with excitement, trying not to bounce off the walls. “Oh this is awesome we can have a ‘yay you’re better and now you’re together and you’re getting your wings back’ party!” She paused, lifting a hoof to her chin. “Hmm. That doesn’t rhyme. I’ve gotta work on that.” Returning to her senses, she waved a hoof at Rainbow. “No need to be sorry, Dashie! And it wasn’t just me. Fluttershy was the one who told me!” Fluttershy squeaked as the conversation suddenly shifted to her. “Um. I suspected it… Big Macintosh was the one to confirm it.” “Big Mac did…?” Applejack said, mortified. “Oh he ain’t never gonna let me live that down…" “It has been somewhat obvious lately,” Rarity added, thinking back to that wing-dyeing session in the Spa. Even then, Applejack’s reactions had been enough to raise Rarity’s suspicions. Her head turning back and forth between the nodding ponies, Twilight lifted a hoof. “If it helps, I didn’t have a clue until Fluttershy told me.” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, blushes still going strong on their faces. The farmpony cleared her throat, and put a hoof one one of Dash’s own. “Ah guess we were too stubborn and angry to see it…" she said, turning a mock glare at her friends as they answered with a chorus of “Yep”, “Duh!”, “Indeed”, and a silent nod. “Twilight, when did you get back?” Fluttershy asked, as the room grew quiet. “Get back?” Rarity repeated, looking at Twilight. “From where?” “Canterlot. I got Fluttershy’s letter about twenty minutes ago, and came straight here. I just arrived a few minutes before you did,” Twilight replied. “Twenty…?” Fluttershy boggled, looking askance at the unicorn. “The train usually takes hours to get back.” Pinkie bounced up and down, waving a hoof. “Ooh, I know! I know! Did you teleport?” Twilight shook her head. “Princess Luna wouldn’t let me. She, uh…" She hesitated, still not quite believing what had happened. Then she thought of the flight itself, and shuddered. “She flew me here herself.” “Flew you?” Rarity asked. “But the chariots aren’t that fast…" “No, no… she carried me on her back,” Twilight said, earning several shocked gasps. A moment later, Scootaloo broke the uncharacteristic quiet the fillies had lapsed into. “That’s sooooo cool!” “Not from where I was…" Twilight muttered, holding a hoof to her stomach. It still felt like it was doing flips. Rainbow shook her head in wonder at the unicorn. “Twi, you don’t know how lucky you are! How many ponies can say they've flown like that?" she asked, grinning. “Carried by a princess! I bet she was going really fast…" Twilight smiled sheepishly. “No need to be jealous, Rainbow. You’ll be flying circles around her soon enough.” Her smile turned sly as she remembered something the princess had said. “In fact, Princess Luna mentioned that she knew of only two ponies who flew faster than her. I’m sure that one of those is Princess Celestia, but I wonder who the other could be…" Twilight wondered, pantomiming being in deep thought. Everypony in the room laughed as Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. They were all eager to finally see their friend back as she should be, living up to Twilight’s words. But none more than Applejack, who mulled over what the unicorn had just said. Jealous? she thought, glancing at Rainbow Dash. No matter how much the pegasus had said that Applejack was helping fill that void, the desire to fly was still clearly there, and its fulfillment was still many days away. As the conversation drifted to other topics, the gears turned in Applejack’s head. She might have been helping… but she figured she could help a little more. Even without their protective magic, modern-day pegasi were a hardy race. As the descendants of the pony warrior tribes, physical injuries never held them down for long. And so, a few days after her arrival, Rainbow Dash was wheeled out of the hospital on a wheelchair, grumbling as Applejack pushed her forward. Despite her insistence that she felt well enough to walk on her own, the doctors had been adamant; she would have to wait another day or two before even trying. Rainbow’s hospital stay had given Applejack plenty of time to think, as she travelled to and from Sweet Apple acres. She’d initially wanted to stay with Rainbow, but her… marefriend had vehemently argued against it. As much as she appreciated the attention, Rainbow also knew that the farm was Applejack’s life, and chores needed tending to—more than Big Mac could handle on his own, with the next crop of apples starting to come ripe. “Plus,” she’d added, pointing at the wings on Applejack’s back, “you’re only a few minutes away with those babies.” The farmer had relented, seeing both the wisdom in Rainbow’s words, and the ease with which she had used them. If she was making a joke about her wings, she really was feeling better. Marefriend, Applejack repeated to herself. Despite the kissing, the night together at the hospital, all the talking, and everything else… she’d needed to come to terms with the word. It was not one she had expected to use, ever. Glancing down at the multicolored mane below her, she decided that the word sounded just fine. And maybe, it didn’t quite live up to what she actually felt. She shook her head, chiding herself for letting her thoughts wander. She’d done enough thinking over the past few days. Right now, she needed to act. As the pair arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack turned the wheelchair off the path, leading them both deeper into the orchard. Rainbow Dash, who had closed her eyes during the trip and tried to relax, opened them back up as her ride became slightly bumpier. “Hey, where’re we going?” she asked, looking around. “You’ll see, Sugarcube.” Applejack grinned, as she directed them past the many trees. She eventually got the wheelchair-bound pony up a hill, where she eventually stopped. “We’re here!” Rainbow shot her a confused look after taking stock of her surroundings. They were still in the middle of the Acres, trees surrounding the hill on all sides. The hill itself was bare, of both trees and anything else that might have counted as a surprise. “Okay, I give. What’s going on?” Applejack grinned, moving to the front of the wheelchair, where she lay down on the ground, facing away from Rainbow. She looked back over her shoulder, her grin growing wider. “Hop on.” Rainbow stared, her jaw falling open, before a fierce blush lit up her cheeks. “Whoa there, ponygirl. I know I’m all about speed, but this is maybe a bit too fast…" Applejack blinked, not following what Rainbow was saying, until she spotted the blush. Her face suddenly sported one of her own as Rainbow’s meaning clicked in her mind. “Wh—no!” she said, jumping to her hooves and facing the pegasus. “You dirty filly, that’s not what Ah meant!” “Then what?!” Rainbow asked, growing more confused by the second. “Ah want to take you flying!” “Oh,” Rainbow deadpanned, her still distracted brain taking a moment to process what Applejack had said. “Oh! Um. You sure?” Applejack had not expected Rainbow to resist. “Of course Ah’m sure! Why wouldn’t Ah be?” “You’re still new to flight. Carrying another pony is pretty hard even for experienced flyers.” Applejack mulled this over, thinking back to the best young flyer competition. “Didn’t you carry four, while going supersonic?” Rainbow puffed out her chest, grinning. “Yeah, but I’m pretty strong. And awesome,” she said, getting a chuckle out of the farmer. “Yeah, but you ain’t that much stronger than Ah am. So come on!” she said, her voice dropping as she kept going. “Ah want to do this for you, Dash. Please?” For a moment, Rainbow didn’t move, then she lifted herself off of the wheelchair, her mind made up. She stepped over to Applejack, careful to keep her wrapped leg off the ground. The orange pony bent down once more, and waited until she felt Rainbow press herself against her back, her hooves wrapping around her neck. She stood up and flared her wings, attempting to ignore how eagerly they seemed to do so, and definitely trying to ignore the feeling of Rainbow’s coat on hers, the feeling of the pegasus’s breath in her mane, the heartbeat thumping against her chest, going as fast as her own… Ahem. Clearing her mind of all that, she started beating her wings, giving herself the lift needed to take off. True to her words, she had the power to carry both of them into the air, as they rose ever higher. She heard Rainbow laugh as they cleared the trees, lifting her head to take in the view. Applejack grinned, leaning forward. She wasn’t satisfied with just hovering, and couldn’t imagine that Rainbow would be either. She started moving forward, slowly at first but picking up some speed. For all her strength and stamina, she just hadn’t expected another factor to throw her off course: her lack of experience in the air. As she’d picked up speed, the wind resistance had increased, catching at the additional surface area of Dash’s body, disrupting her balance. An experienced pegasus could have corrected this with ease, but for an earth pony with wings, it proved to be more than she could handle. Their altitude started dropping, and they wobbled as she desperately flapped her wings in an attempt to get more lift. Rainbow was shouting in her ear, trying to help her gain control as they plummeted, but panic drowned out her words. As they approached the trees, she suddenly felt a tongue on her left ear, sensually licking it from the bottom to the tip. Her wings flared wide open, as she found herself completely unable to control them. But the results spoke for themselves. The outstretched wings caught the air more easily than her inexperienced wingbeats had, and the pair soon found themselves in a stable glide. But it had been too little, too late. They tumbled into a tree, shielding their faces as the branches around them snapped and broke. This slowed them down even further until a large branch hit Applejack in the chest, completely stopping them. It knocked the wind was out of her, and she gasped for breath through aching lungs as she lay draped on the branch like a pony-shaped sheet. Rainbow quickly scrambled off of the farmer’s back. She was totally unharmed, the blow cushioned by Applejack’s body. “A.J.!” she yelled, laying on the branch beside the orange pony. “Are you okay?” Applejack wheezed as she attempted to catch her breath, interrupted by an occasional cough. Eventually, her labored breathing slowed to a more normal pace, and she picked herself up from her dangling position with Rainbow’s help. “I’m fine…" She coughed, holding an arm to her chest. Seeing Rainbow’s concerned look, she took a more comfortable position on the branch, and waved Rainbow off. “Ah’m a sturdy pony. Just a little winded.” Rainbow sat back, the adrenaline from the fall now draining away. “Thank Celestia…" she whispered, grateful for whatever piece of luck had let them escape grievous injury. Applejack shook her head. “The princess didn’t save us, Dash. You did. That was some mighty quick thinking there,” she said, a faint blush on her cheeks, causing Rainbow to chuckle and scratch the back of her head with her hoof. “Wish ya hadn’t needed to…" Applejack mumbled, staring at the ground. Rainbow let her hoof drop as Applejack’s expression clouded over. Seeing her marefriend’s mood take a sudden nosedive, she crawled closer to Applejack, nuzzling her cheek. “Hey…" she murmured, as close to the other pony as she could get. “What’s wrong?” Applejack had initially responded to the nuzzling by leaning into it with a sigh, but pulled away as Rainbow spoke. “Ah almost got us hurt, Rainbow! Ah almost got you hurt again!” she burst, her eyes blazing with anger… at herself. “Just ‘cause of my stupid ideas…" She trailed off, burying her muzzle under her hooves. Rainbow frowned, and bent down closer to Applejack’s head. With her good hoof, she pulled Applejack’s arms away from her face, and leaned in closer. But the farmer’s famous stubbornness was showing, her eyes staying shut and unwilling to look at Rainbow. Undeterred, the pegasus lifted Applejack’s face up, and pressed her lips against Applejack’s own. The earth pony’s eyes had momentarily opened when she felt her head lift, but she closed them again as she lost herself in the kiss. It wasn’t passionate, but instead just… soft. Comforting. As their lips parted, her gaze locked with Rainbow’s. “Why… why aren’t you angry at me?” “Why would I be?” Rainbow asked in return, putting her good hoof on Applejack’s lips to stop her retort. “A.J.… you just flew with me. I don’t care if it was just for a minute,” she said, kissing Applejack once more, “I love you for even trying. So thanks. That was awesome.” Then she smirked, looking looking at the branches surrounding them. “And it’s not like crashing is new to me, ya know?” Applejack chuckled, her mood lifting. “Not new to me either, really,” she said, thinking back to some of her practice sessions. She took a moment to look around the tree, then at their perch. “Ya know, it ain’t so bad sitting up here.” Rainbow’s laugh burst out in a great guffaw, then kissed Applejack on the cheek. “See? I told you they’re comfy!” In the mysterious time of night, when the moon flowed on its downward path, and the sun invisibly creeped towards the horizon, Equestria’s two princesses sat together in Celestia’s chambers. It was the rare time in a day where they were both awake, and briefly free of any of their royal duties. In the distant past, this had been their time of amusement, leading to many a prank in the old castle in the Everfree forest. It was the prime time, as Luna had once described it, “for shenanigans”. In more recent times, after the return from exile, those secluded moments had been a bridge between the two estranged sisters, helping them mend a thousand years of separation. And right now, it was the prime time for a friendly chat, in preparation for Pinkie Pie’s celebration. The letter from Twilight the day of her return had been a great relief, easing their worries regarding the young unicorn’s abrupt departure. Luna sat on the edge of the bed, as Celestia languished on the larger part of the sizeable mattress. The sisters’ shared time was the half hour or so after Celestia tended to wake, during which she indulged in the private, guilty pleasure of lazing about in bed while the rest of Equestria got about its business. She listened to Luna’s breathing, and the sound of pages being turned as the Princess of the Night perused various magazines and catalogues. Luna placed a hoof on a specific page, focusing on one section. “How about a honeymoon at Neighagra Falls?” she asked, looking at Celestia. “It would make a lovely wedding gift!” The Sun Princess’s eyes remained closed as she shook her head. “This isn’t an engagement announcement, Luna,” she answered. Although, she thought, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards, some things are likely just a matter of time. “Hmph,” Luna grunted, turning back to the catalogue. If Twilight Sparkle’s descriptions were any indication, such a thing was a foregone conclusion. But custom demanded that such gifts only be offered after the official announcement, even if the gift came from royalty. She sighed, briefly wondering when she would ever close that thousand year gap. Momentarily ignoring the reading material in front of her, she lifted her head back towards Celestia. “We believe We still hold lands in the kingdom? Perhaps We could bequeath them titles… Baroness, perhaps?” This time, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a bit over the top?” And the nobility would hate it, she mused.Tempting. Luna lifted a hoof to her chin, giving the argument some thought. “… Perhaps thou art right. ‘Tis but a party gift We seek now,” she said, and resumed flipping pages with her magic. Celestia’s amusement had only grown, but she felt that Luna could use a nudge in the right direction. “Luna, have you thought of–” “Neigh!” Luna interrupted, holding up a hoof. “If We are to continue adapting to this age, We–” She paused, making a conscious effort to correct herself. “… I. I must do this on my own.” Celestia smiled, dipping her head in acknowledgement. Luna’s speech was still often an issue, but hearing it gave Celestia a certain amount of pleasure. It reminded her of older days, especially of the two of them together. And it was adorable, of course. “Oh!” Luna gasped, her nose buried in yet another new catalogue. “Replica armor of the great ponies of antiquity… Did this Rainbow Dash not play Commander Hurricane during the Hearth’s Warming Eve celebration?” “She did,” Celestia answered, wondering where Luna was going with this. “Perhaps We could have armor crafted for her in the same style…" Luna mused. “The smithies would be pleased.” By now, Celestia’s eyes were wide open, displaying her vague confusion at where Luna’s ideas were coming from. “That’s… not quite applicable anymore, Luna. Only the guards wear armor these days. Those replicas are meant as decorations.” Luna frowned, tossing the magazine away. She tilted her head at the next one, grinning as she flipped the pages. “Aha! They are new to this type of relationship, are they not? How about this?” she asked, levitating the magazine towards Celestia. Catching the magazine in her own magic, Celestia glanced at the page in question… and gasped, her eyes widening, a blush appearing on her face. “N-no! That’s… not really appropriate,” Celestia said, her face still burning. Even after thousands of years, she still managed to be shocked by some of the more… ‘creative’ tastes of her subjects. Not that she was foreign to them, but a few things still surprised her. The younger princess sighed, mumbling as she resumed her search. “Ponies have become such prudes in the last millennium…" Celestia eyed her sister, suddenly reminded that this was quite typical of her. She hadn’t quite expected it to come up in a discussion, however. “Where did you even get this?” Luna glanced at Celestia, a sly grin on her face. “Under thy bed! Why?” “What?” Celestia sputtered. “No, I keep mine in–” she said, stopping herself. But the damage was done, sending Luna into giggling fits. Celestia was just about to berate her sister, when the latter suddenly sprang up and jumped off the bed. “Oh! I know!” she exclaimed, galloping out of the room. Celestia looked on, her mouth still open, and ever so slightly worried. What could she possibly be thinking of now?