//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 - Designs // Story: Twilight Daylight // by thedarktome //------------------------------// The next day was a little bit of a breeze back in Canterlot. Celestia got up and dealt with court, did her paperwork, as well as spoke to Luna about what was going on. But of course, there was always a problem. Celestia sighed and sat back down behind her desk after lunch, prepared to get back to work. She grabbed her pen in her magic and almost touched the paper before somepony knocked on her door. She glanced up and used her magic to open it. Luna was standing there with a letter in her grip, looking irked and annoyed. "Somepony left your letter in my room...for the fourth time," she grumbled. Celestia chuckled before she retrieved it. "I am sorry, Luna," she apologized while she read who it came from. "I'll tell them where my room is so they can deliver it here instead of there." "To be honest, I think you tell the mail mares to leave your mail in my room on purpose." Celestia glanced up at her with a smirk on her face. Luna snarled at her. She knew it. "It is just a little fun around this serious environment," Celestia responded. "This must be from the Royalty in Saddle Arabia. I asked them if they were willing to send in metals to Equestria to help rid of our shortage." "What did they say?" Celestia ripped open the top of the letter and slipped it out. Opening it, she read it to herself before she sighed in defeat. "It seems....we have no sources willing to help us out during this time. We are officially rationing out our materials. I'm going to have to put a halt on all constructions under executive order and let Equestria know we are officially going through a metal shortage soon." "There is nopony else that can help us?" Luna asked in worry. Celestia sighed and shook her head. "I have contacted the Dragon Lands, Zebrica, Saddle Arabia, and the Griffins. We have asked all of our allies and accomplices." Luna sighed along with her before she glanced back at her. "There is still one nation that we have not asked." Celestia gave her deadpan glare before saying, "We are not asking Chrysalis—" "No, not her!" Luna interrupted. "A world that rivals our own...that we just—" "Nope," Celestia shot down. "We are not asking...." She looked around Luna and shut the door, keeping out her voice and whispering. "We are not asking Psera if they are willing to donate metal. Twilight will definitely say no, and the Royal family there will agree. Along with the rest of the populace." She pulled back and spoke in regular volume. "If only we knew spells on how to change gold to something much stronger. Gold is easily breakable. We only use it on our guards because it looks good and we layer it on so it's thick enough to protect them." Luna was just giving her a bland look. "Seriously? Because 'It looks good'?" Celestia smiled at her sheepishly while Luna shook her head. "We both know Twilight is in a state of mind," Celestia added. "That she would rather watch the entire continent of Equestria burn for an hour before she decides to actually put it out. And once the fire's out, she'll sit back and watch us rebuild instead of helping. So asking if she could actually offer her services to us is like asking an apple tree if it'll grow faster. We both know that that is a very very....very insanely low chance of that happening." "Well.....it was worth a shot," Luna sighed. "How are you going to send out the order?" "Like we have always done." She reached into one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out a scarlet scroll. "We send the scroll." Arcadia and Madun were currently in the throne room that same day, looking at a pile of work Madun had to do. Arcadia was just there to lend a helping hoof since she wasn't really Queen yet. In the future she will be doing what Madun will be doing. Looking at papers, acknowledging requests, and more that she wasn't even allowed to do in Equestria. Every time she thought about that despicable land..... "Sweetheart? Stop thinking about that." She looked over at Madun who was patting her hoof. "Don't say you weren't because every time you do you start growling and snarling." Arcadia blushed while he let out a small chuckle and got back to work. "What'd you talk to Merry about last night?" "Ohhh.....you will not believe it if I told you." He looked over at her grinning face. "Merry was talking about having a child." Madun's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Merry having a kid?" He asked with a smirk. Arcadia laughed and nodded. "Yes. This is what happened......" The Night Before Arcadia yawned before she walked out of the elevator and down the quiet hall. Most of the castle was asleep by this point after a long day. The King usually doesn't do much during a time of celebration except handle anything that comes into his inbox. Right now though he was more than likely asleep. But when she would get back he would definitely be awake. After she pokes him with her horn for embarrassing her in front of her friends. Arcadia stopped in front of Merry's room and knocked lightly. "Come in, your highness!" Arcadia chuckled and opened the door into the lavish suite. She spotted Merry drinking a cup of non alcoholic wine at the island in the kitchen. "It's about time you got here, Arcadia. I thought for sure you weren't coming." "I never back out on my true friends," she responded. She closed the door and walked over to the chair next to her. After taking a seat, she gave Merry an expectant look. "Now. What is it you wanted to talk about?" Merry took a deep breath before she responded. "Okay....So I've been thinking." "Uh huh." Arcadia poured a bit of wine for herself. "I've been thinking a lot about this." Arcadia set the bottle down and took a few sips. "I want to have a child." Arcadia spit it out all over Merry, shocking the both of them before she lit her horn. The wine evaporated and Merry's coat steamed to get rid of anything left. "I'm sorry about that," Arcadia apologized. "And.....kids? You want to have a foal?" Merry shyly nodded. "Okay. Then go out and have one." "But I don't know how! I'm...." She leaned over and whispered in Arcadia's ear. "Still a virgin." Arcadia pulled back and looked at her oddly. "You were saving yourself?" She asked slowly. She kept eye contact with Merry while taking another sip of wine. "Yeah. After marriage, we then decided that the only time to have sex would be when we have children." "He likes it fresh then," Arcadia muttered. "What?" "Nothing." Madun looked at Twilight with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Can you blame me for saying that?" Arcadia asked. Madun shrugged before he waved for her to continue. "So you're trying to figure out how to make your first night special," Arcadia assumed before she got a confused look on her face. "Actually.....how old are you two?" "I'm twenty five and Blazing's twenty eight." "Wow you start out young, huh?" Arcadia set down the glass and offered Merry a smirk. She only shrugged in return. "Well I suggest you talk to him about it first to make sure he wants children too." "We did before you got here." She looked down the hallway before she leaned over to Arcadia, making her groan. What was it with ponies whispering in her ear tonight? "He's scared." "I would be too. As should you." She planted a hoof in her chest. "Raising a foal is no joke. They're a bunch of work. Not to mention carrying them for months. You'll see what I'm talking about in the future if you decide to go this route. Word of advice?" "That's why I asked for ya'." "Tell him not to thrust too hard." "Arcadia!" Present Time Madun was just staring at her with his mouth wide open while arcadia was trying to avert his gaze. "What do you know about sex?" "Well to be honest....I don't know anything. I just hear the horror stories of ponies who were virgins were...hurt a little when the stallion thrust too hard." The guards by the doors grimaced before resuming their stoic positions. "And wipe that frown off your face, I'm also a virgin." Madun looked to her in surprise, making her and the guards laugh from the door. "And don't look so surprised. Back in Equestria, I wasn't all that. Yes, I was a smart pony. And, apparently, too smart to be attractive. But there was one pony who was attracted to me that I did not like. At. All." "Here we go again," one of the guards said at the door. Madun looked their way to see them shaking their heads at him. "Prince...Blueblood," Arcadia said. He looked back to her in confusion. "He was a stallion in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. A very rude prince who thought he was above everypony else. He used his royal status as a way to make him look good and do other things that did not help Equestria. He was a part of the Canterlot nobility that had a reputation to do anything that revolved around them growing their funds. 'We want more land so companies can pay us to build!' We want this, we want that. And Blueblood was one of them. Unfortunately....he is addicted to me. Each time I went to Canterlot, he would ask me to go on a date with him. It got to the point where whenever I would visit the castle I would have to wear something inconspicuous to look like a 'commoner', who he doesn't associate with. Yesterday, Trixie told me that he was actually starting his own search party to look for me through legends and such that Equestria may have reference of in their archives." "Do you think he'll find us?" Madun asked. Arcadia shook her head. "Nope. There is absolutely nothing about Psera anywhere in the books of any library in Equestria. Unless there's a pony he knows that has clues, he isn't finding us. Oh! Speaking of library I have to check out the massive one in the castle!" She got up before Madun extended one of his wings in front of her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on. Before you go and destroy our books, what do you think of the flowers for the wedding? Red roses, blue roses....Daffodils?" "All three." "Okay, don't destroy anything." He lifted his wing and pecked her before she scampered off. The guards underneath her throne followed her out into the hall. When the door closed, Madun sighed and looked at the four thrones in the room. The ones in the middle were for him and Twilight while the smaller ones on the outside would be for the children. Who would learn about how their parents rule whenever they needed to learn. It was required unfortunately. He and Merry did it when they were children. Sighing once more he went back to work, not forgetting to write down what Arcadia wanted for the flower scheme of the wedding. "Twilight, darling!" Arcadia stopped in the hall and turned towards the voice coming from behind. "Rarity! Why are you here?!" She yelled in anger. "Calm down, I'm from earth, Arcadia," she said with a laugh. "I'm not the Ponyville Rarity. I came to tell you that your dress designs are ready. But, like you said, they are a surprise." "Oh...okay." The two changed course and walked back towards the nearest set of stairs, heading to the sixth floor where Merry's room was. "So how is everypony on Earth?" "Well Christmas is over so we have to get ready for another few months of school in a few days," Rarity responded. "Of course it's nothing compared to how everything is here. You're about to become a Queen, darling. The stress must be killing you." "Rarity, you of all ponies....and people...should know that I handle stress quite well." "Having nightmares about the wedding dress eating you alive, huh?" "It was dark green with black eyes and it had teeth, but back on subject. I handle stress quite well." "Says the mare who has dreams about a wedding dress eating her," Rarity commented as they approached the room. Arcadia rolled her eyes before she knocked on the door. "Come in, your majesty!" "Last night it was 'Your Highness,'" Arcadia commented. She pushed the door open and walked in while the guards took up positions outside. Arcadia always wondered....why were there so many guards if there was nopony willing to actually attack? She would have to ask Madun about that later. "Hello, Arcadia," Merry greeted. She was behind the island, pouring some juice into a cup. There was a notepad on the top. Must've been the designs. "Hello, Merry." Arcadia and Rarity walked over briskly and took a seat. Merry poured the two a glass of the juice while maintaining eye contact with the smirking Lady-in-waiting. Merry glanced both ways. Then asked, "What?" She continued staring before asking, "Did you do it?" "D-Do what?" She stammered. She set down the jug and took a seat across. "It. Did you do it." Rarity was looking between the two, trying to figure out what 'it' is. "No, we are planning a nice night before that." "Make sure he doesn't thrust—" "I know, I know!" Merry interrupted. "Now can we look at this book now?" Arcadia grinned. "Hit me with the designs."