Spike was finding himself increasingly moody as Twilight’s absence wore on.
Three days after her departure, the novelty of being on his own and being able to get up, eat and go to bed whenever he wanted had quickly worn off, and to his surprise he found himself missing Twilight almost as much as the rest of her friends, who still stopped by almost hourly to check if Twilight had sent them a letter.
He was forced to disappoint them, but despite the annoyance he affected at being asked—images had to be maintained, after all—he was surprised to find himself disappointed as well, hungry for news. Though he’d never admit it, he was genuinely worried for her and found himself missing her presence...
Even worried that for as much she was apparently enjoying herself, she might decide to stay with her new human coltfriend and never come back.
It was a fear he’d voiced to nopony, and one he knew was ridiculous on its face—Twilight was too attached to her friends, princess and Ponyville to ever leave them, even for Phoenix Wright. He knew she and her friends were adults. He knew that they had private lives, though some kept them more private than others. And yet...
He made a face. Ickiness aside, I should be happy for Twilight, right? I used to think she’d NEVER get a coltfriend, and even wished she would for a long time just to get her out of her books more. But here she finally did! So... why am I not happy now…? the young scribe asked himself for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, rolling from one side to the other in bed before glancing at the clock, wondering if he was ever going to be able to get to sleep.
Ugh… he thought again, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, sensing his mind going in circles and wondering what it would take to settle down. Sleep not coming, he got out of his bed and went downstairs for a glass of warm milk, nursing it slowly before heading back upstairs. He found himself wishing for company, any company, but he was alone in the library—since Twilight was gone, Owlicious was taking a holiday of his own, though Spike hadn’t been able to figure out exactly what that entailed given his only response to being asked was “Hoo!”
Sure wish I had somepony to talk to… he sighed, but after days of just wanting to be left alone, he’d finally gotten his wish. Reluctantly, he headed back upstairs to get back in bed, only to, on a whim, crawl into Twilight’s instead. He’d slept there once or twice when he was having nightmares or was sick, and the familiarity it provided did help.
Taking reassurance in her still-present scent and few strands of mane fur he found on the pillow, he slowly drifted off to sleep. Please Twilight… he silently called to her across the dimensions. Please come home…
Back in the viewing lounge of the Kurain Village Grand Hall, the popcorn bowl was empty as the end credits began to roll.
Firefly stretched her borrowed forelimbs, licking the faint residue of salt from her lips, the remnants of the unfamiliar but surprisingly tasty snack. She would have stood to stretch more of her borrowed body, but Pearl was currently using her shoulder as a headrest, the young mystic having fallen asleep partway through the movie. Firefly had, in response, wrapped her wing around Pearl, tucking her in close as she would do with a pegasus foal.
“So, what did you think, My Captain?” a subdued Celestia asked quietly, trying not to wake Pearl. She would never say so out loud, but seeing the pegasus warrior in such a motherly pose was very ‘d’aww’-inducing, as had heard humans say, very glad the young girl had not been awake to see the brutal battle for Helm’s Deep.
Firefly closed her eyes as scenes from the movie drifted through her mind. “A very compelling tale both for its story and depiction of battle, and I thank Miss Fey for letting me see it,” she acknowledged, still somewhat amazed that she was in fact inhabiting a human body. “Well, regarding King Theoden’s actions… I can partially accept his thinking. Edoras’ position was too open to attack, being at the top of a low hill that could be assaulted from numerous angles. Thus, he sought to force the invaders to strike from a single direction as they would have to at Helm’s Deep,” she noted, then frowned.
“He wished to save all his subjects, and the only way to do so was to shield them behind his most defensible point. An admirable, but ultimately foalish sentiment. For when you have so few defenders, ’tis folly to turtle up against a determined foe that outnumbers you thirty to one,” she shook her head. “In doing so, he gave his enemy a single objective against which they could mass their entire force. Far better for him to have scattered his subjects into the surrounding mountains and engaged in the guerrilla tactics that the company of Éomer used so effectively at the beginning of the movie,” she nodded slowly to herself, speaking in her slightly archaic accent.
Celestia nodded in agreement, somewhat amazed that a fictional battle had sparked such discussion and deep thought, even in herself. “I thought so, too. While King Theoden had his people’s best interests at heart, he was perhaps shaken by the death of his son and not thinking clearly, overzealous in trying to be protective. Had Gandalf not returned with Éomer and the bulk of the Rohirrim when he did... he and his subjects would have been slaughtered.”
“Agreed,” Firefly replied with the air of a captain holding a war council with her ruler. “In effect, he risked the lives of all his subjects on a single battle facing overwhelming odds. If instead he had dispersed his ponies—er, people—into the surrounding hills, he would have ensured at least some would survive, and bought time which he could have then used to wear down the invaders whilst gathering his own army for a decisive blow,” she nodded to herself.
“His conscripts were shaky, but his regular forces were superb. And I must say, the use of Terran horses as war mounts was ingenious, affording grounded soldiers superb mobility and shock effect. And the skill required to be able to both ride and fight from them…” she shook her head as she recalled the human archers firing accurately from their moving mounts. “I daresay we could have used such soldiers in some of our battles against the gryphons.”
A subdued Twilight nodded from where she had snuggled up against Phoenix, trying not to think of the decapitated Uruk-Hai head on a spike and the initial belief that Merry and Pippen were lost, smiling wanly at the memory of Ferro mentioning during the movie that Aragorn’s actor had in fact broken his toes when he kicked the helmet and his cry had been all the more anguished for it. She had read enough to know that the depiction of how the horses were once used in human warfare was accurate, but had not expected to see such a vivid depiction of it, and had found herself pressing close to Phoenix, less for comfort than out of a very Equestrian instinct to protect her stallion as she watched the battle unfold.
I thought the fighting in the first movie was bad enough, but this was an order of magnitude worse… she shivered.
While not a military commander like Firefly, she had read enough about military tactics to see the flaws in Theoden’s strategy as well. “When facing a foe with overwhelming numbers, engaging in a static defense, even behind the strongest fortifications, is a tactic doomed to failure. The Gryphons themselves nearly had that fate befall them at the Siege of Arnau against the Cloven of the Sun,” she recited, not noticing Celestia suddenly stiffen at the mention of the ancient foe.
“In this movie, even if the Deepening Wall hadn’t been breached, the Uruks would still have overrun them through sheer numbers and shock tactics,” she shivered at the memory of the monstrous and merciless super-orcs scaling the walls completely heedless of loss, cutting down the human and elven defenders alike. And somehow, the thought of the ageless elves dying for their mortal human friends was both touching and depressing all at once… “And what would we have done if faced with such an implacable enemy as Saruman and the Uruk-Hai, princess?” Twilight couldn’t help but wonder aloud.
Celestia’s eyes went distant. “With apologies, my loyal student… I’d rather not think about it,” was all she would say, mostly because she knew exactly how she had once dealt with such an existential threat… and what it had done to her. A wizard should know better... and so should a princess... she found herself momentarily brooding and lost in old memories again.
Seeking distraction, the solar diarch turned to Firefly, who appeared lost in thought herself, looking down at the young human girl lying against her. “So, my old friend… aside from the battles themselves, did you enjoy the movie?” she asked quietly, magically draping a blanket over Pearly as she lay against the pegasus mare.
Firefly closed her eyes again. “‘Twas a tale worthy of remembrance and song, and one I would wish to see the beginning and end of. Though oddly… ’twasn’t the battles that I shall remember the most,” she began, going strangely downcast. “No, methinks the scenes that will stick with me are those with the young captain Faramir. Two of them in particular are quite vivid in my mind.” She paused and bit her lip in an uncharacteristic display of nervousness… or was it shame? “The first is the memory of him being chastised by his father. That scene caused me to… think about my own harsh words to Rainbow Dash in a different light.”
Celestia blinked, noting at once her old captain’s change of demeanor. “Harsh words to Rainbow Dash? This is the first I’ve heard of this,” she said, looking at Twilight, who suddenly found the floor fascinating. “Why did you not tell me in your report, my student?” she asked, the barest note of reproach in her voice.
“… It seemed to me like it was a personal issue between Dash and Firefly,” Twilight replied carefully. “I didn’t think it was necessary to tell you about it, since I thought it was resolved.”
“It was, thanks to Captain Spitfire,” agreed Firefly. “A fine mare and a worthy successor, if her willingness to challenge me was any indication. But seeing Denethor so unfairly scold Faramir… it made me realize that I was overly harsh with my criticisms of Rainbow Dash and her dreams. In the words of Frodo’s friend Sam, perchance she does deserve the chance to ‘show her quality’,” she nodded slowly.
Celestia frowned a little, making a note to pay the rainbow-maned speedster and current Wonderbolts captain a visit to get their side of the story. “And what was the other scene involving Faramir that stuck with you the most?” she asked.
To her surprise, Firefly actually looked a little… guilty. “’Twas… when Faramir tried taking the Ring from Frodo. It… reminded me of something that happened when I was in training for the Royal Guard, prior to the formation of the Bolt Knights and the start of the Gryphon War...”
Celestia’s eyes widened as her mind turned back several hundred years. “Ah… I see… you refer to your little incident with the Alicorn Amulet. Yes, I can understand how you would draw the comparison.”
The others in the room exchanged confused looks. “Tia, what’s the ‘Alicorn Amulet’?” Ferro asked.
The sun princess sighed. “It is a dark magic artifact that was created several hundred years prior to Luna’s… fall,” she explained, flaring her invisible horn to project a picture of it. “The amulet is inhabited by an ancient and rather evil alicorn spirit. It empowers the native magic of the pony who wears it, putting them on parity with an alicorn, hence the name. Earth ponies become unbelievably strong and durable, unicorns gain an incredible increase in magical output, and pegasi achieve feats of flight and weather control far beyond what they could normally do. It is a powerful artifact… but such power has drawbacks.” And I do NOT approve of how Luna now plans to use it… she kept the thought to herself. If she is wrong about her prospective apprentice, it could backfire badly on all of us…
“Let me guess,” deadpanned Phoenix. “The power goes to their head, quite literally, and over time brainwashes them into becoming power-hungry megalomaniacs?”
It wasn’t often anyone got to see Celestia pause in surprised silence. “That… is essentially correct, Mr. Wright,” she finally said. “It possesses and consumes them, turning its host into a puppet of its dark will much like the One Ring does… except it recognizes no external master, seeking power for itself and no other. How did you know?”
Phoenix rubbed his eyes. “Standard narrative fiction trope,” he replied with a sigh. So what I’m saying, Princess, is that Equestria is rather cliche… “Awesome power boosts often come with some sort of drawback, usually to the person’s mind,” he noted, idly wondering what kind of effect the amulet would have on a human.
Firefly nodded ruefully. “Yes, well… there’s something you should understand, Phoenix Wright. Tell me, during your stay in Equestria, did you perchance visit Canterlot?”
Phoenix arched an eyebrow, not sure where their channeled guest was going. “I did, yes.”
“Then given your sharp mind, ’tis certain you noticed that despite our mare-heavy species, the majority of the Royal Guard are stallions?”
“I did notice,” Phoenix answered, scratching his chin. “And in hindsight, it’s odd. I mean, if stallions are so few and protecting them so important to Equestrian society… then why are there so many in potentially dangerous professions like the police and military?” he mused as Ferro nodded in agreement of his own.
“A valid question,” Celestia spoke up; she, too, had instinctively drawn Ferro closer as the movie had worn on was now holding his hand in both of hers. “And one with a slightly backwards answer. It is because the instinct to protect stallions is very strong in Equestrian society that they are in such roles. As it is anathema to endanger one, their presence as soldiers and constables makes trouble much less likely… at least with other ponies. Thus, they are very effective peacekeepers just by the fact they are stallions. Fear not, they are well-trained and quite able to deal with matters in case violence does break out. But if, goddess forbid, it came to war…” she trailed off, scarcely able to imagine what enemy could threaten Equestria in that day and age, “it would be the mares who do the bulk of the fighting.”
Twilight nodded her agreement, taking the opportunity to snuggle up closer to Phoenix while Pearl was asleep. “What most ponies don’t know is that there are actually more mares than stallions in the Guard. The thing is, most of the mares are undercover security, disguised as maids, chefs, and other servants that everypony expects to see in a palace, and would never suspect of being able to lay a grown stallion out on the floor with a single blow,” she explained, her voice turning mirthful at the end. “They belong to the PSD—the Plainclothes Security Division of the Royal Guard.”
Firefly chuckled a little. “Yes, ’twas the case in my day as well. Back then, though, all of the mares were plainclothes security, and the armored guard was reserved for stallions alone. There were no exceptions to that… at least, not until I came along.”
Phoenix couldn’t help but smirk as he squeezed Twilight’s hand. “A rebel who didn’t like following the rules, huh?”
The channeled captain looked at their held hands, then to him, giving the human lawyer a knowing grin. “Methinks we have something in common then, Phoenix Wright…”
Phoenix, Twilight, Celestia and Ferro listened raptly as Firefly told the story of how, frustrated and full of fury at the harsh treatment visited by her drill sergeant during basic training, she had been seduced by the amulet and nearly fallen prey to its power only to be saved by the love of her friend and future Lieutenant, throwing off its influence before it could consume her.
“Now fully focused on my task, I graduated at the top of my class and, with the proverbial wind at my back, I proceeded to make Sergeant straight out of basic training, and shot through the ranks faster than anypony before or since,” Firefly recalled fondly, her chest puffing up in pride. “The Sergeant Major was indeed correct in that I had to fight many duels to start, but I won them all, and with them, my place.”
Twilight sucked in a breath. “That was dangerous.” Seeing Phoenix’s quizzical expression, she clarified. “Aerial duels consisted of two pegasi armed with wingblades trying to knock each other out of the sky. They were the pegasi equivalent of unicorn magic duels, used to settle questions of honor or worthiness as recently as a few centuries ago. Fatalities were rare, but wounds were frequent. Some pegasi were permanently crippled from being struck too hard in the wings.”
You know, for a supposedly peaceful society that hasn’t had a murder in centuries, Equestria has sure seen its share of fighting! Phoenix could only shake his head. I wonder if duels like that were a big reason why—give ponies and especially pegasi controlled outlets for their natural aggression and a way to settle disputes?
“You are correct, Miss Sparkle. But be assured I did no permanent harm except to my opponents’ pride,” she closed her eyes and grinned. “Within mere months, I had achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and was well on my way to being named Captain of the Guard, but then... the Gryphon Empire struck. ‘Twas a very well-planned attack—their assassins slew many of our generals and nobles in their first strike and their legions outnumbered our active-duty forces considerably, allowing them to strike all along the border at once and their initial invasion to overrun large tracts of Equestria,” she recited, causing Celestia to nod ruefully, her eyes closed as she remembered the near-disaster that had befallen her ponies in the first days of the invasion.
“Our leadership decimated and forces reeling, I was tasked with forming an elite team of first-response flyers made up of the very best warriors from the Equestrian Aerial Corps and pegasi regiment of the Armored Guard; one that could launch lightning raids or rapidly intercept any Gryphon approach, buying time for reinforcements to be brought up. And that’s how the Bolt Knights were formed.”
Phoenix whistled in appreciation. A legendary pegasus indeed… think I get now why she so jealously guards the legacy of her Bolt Knights even in death! “I knew you founded the Knights during the war… but certainly not the events leading up to it…” he shook his head, trying and failing to imagine himself as a pegasus warrior. “What you did… I never could, Firefly. I’m no fighter.” He went a little downcast as he spoke. And truth be told, I’m afraid to fly…
“Phoenix…” Twilight shook her head and squeezed his hand tighter. “I’ve never known a fiercer fighter than you,” she told him, causing her coltfriend—she was thinking of him like that now!—to offer a wan smile back.
“Thanks Twilight. Maybe in a courtroom, yes. But to physically defend someone…” he shook his head again.
The channeled pegasi warrior glanced at Twilight, then to him again. “Sometimes it is merely a matter of having something to fight for, Phoenix Wright,” she noted, favoring the human lawyer with a grin. “I learned that in my struggle with the amulet. Ultimately, we do not know what we are capable of until we face the choice to fight or lose all we hold dear.”
“She’s right, Phoenix. I know I certainly didn’t!” Twilight reflected as she remembered her battle against Nightmare Moon. “I read about some of your battles, Captain Firefly. It’s said you and your Knights were instrumental in turning the tide of the Gryphon War!”
Firefly bowed her head. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. But ’tis not that simple. It took much sacrifice and many acts of heroism, and a pony must give credit where due—in truth, ‘twas the stalwart earth pony defense of Stalliongrad that ‘turned the tide’,” she corrected, her eyes closing for a moment as Celestia nodded in silent agreement, neither noticing the surprised look that passed between Ferro and Phoenix.
“Still, ‘twas shameful that I let the Amulet tempt me. But in the end, methinks it taught a very valuable lesson: appearances can be deceiving. The Amulet presented itself as a friend but wanted to use me for its own ends, while the Sergeant Major, whom I thought hated me, was actually trying to look out for me.” She chuckled and shook her head. “‘Tis a strange world, to be sure.”
“Indeed it is,” Celestia agreed somewhat ruefully, closing her eyes in memory. “For me as well. I was very surprised to receive the amulet. I had thought it destroyed with the defeat of King Sombra. Wishful thinking, it would seem. But nonetheless… I was very impressed to learn you had thrown off its influence by sheer force of will, my Captain. A lesser pony would have been consumed by it. It was then I began to follow your career closely, expecting great things from you. You did not disappoint.”
“Thank you, My Princess,” Firefly bowed her head in acknowledgement.
Celestia nodded sagely, then glanced at the clock. “While it is wonderful to see you again, my old friend, perhaps you should let Maya Fey have her body back? It’s nearly midnight and I sense her mana weakening. I’m sure channeling you is taxing her and she needs her sleep.”
Firefly’s eyes widened, as Phoenix and Ferro both spun to look at the clock themselves. “Well, dang,” the lawyer said in disbelief. “I guess time really can get away from you.”
“Indeed…” Firefly agreed, carefully shrugging away from a still-sleeping Pearl, then pulling a blanket up over her with her mouth. “Time has little meaning where I now reside, but the opportunity to visit the living realm was appreciated. Please tell Maya Fey I would like to meet her someday, and not just inhabit her. But until then…”
Firefly turned to Celestia, who stood to face her. “My Princess…” She opened her wings and sketched her human regent a formal bow. “’Twas an honor to see you again.”
“And you as well, my noble captain,” there was a glistening in Celestia’s eyes again as she knelt to hug Firefly, who accepted the embrace somewhat less stiffly than she had previously. “If Miss Maya is willing, perhaps we can meet again.”
“I would like that,” Firefly smiled. “The Summerlands are wonderful, and I am aware that Equestria is at peace. But know this, my princess…” she took on an odd smile. “Though my time may be long past, my fondest wish is to feel the rush of battle again… to be able to serve you in war once more.” With that, her spirit departed and her borrowed body almost instantly reverted to Maya’s… causing Phoenix to blush as he realized that she was was quite naked, quickly averting his eyes. Smirking, Twilight took care of it by magically wrapping the young mystic in a throw blanket as Maya’s eyes fluttered.
“Oh… is it over already…?” she blinked tiredly, seeing the movie end credits still rolling on the screen, not quite cognizant that she was unclothed.
“It’s over,” Phoenix confirmed, his cheeks still warm.
“Hey Maya… didn’t you say before that channeling ponies was very difficult? So how were you able to hold it for hours here?” Twilight had to ask.
She blinked blearily, forcing herself to focus. “Because... channeling is much easier in the village given its natural concentration of mystical power to draw on. That’s why Kurain was originally built on this site. Which is not to say it wasn’t exhausting. So if you’ll excuse me…” she lay down and fell asleep right then and there, curling up on the rug.
As Phoenix and Ferro took the two Fey girls back to their bedrooms, Celestia and Twilight retreated to their motel room, getting ready for bed.
For Twilight’s part, she might have been brooding over the movie again had it not been for Firefly’s presence and the story she told, reflecting that her tale had driven home the fact that Celestia was correct—that pony history was indeed far from peaceful not too many centuries past… and not every problem could be solved by simple magic. Celestia herself seemed lost in thought, the young mage couldn’t help but notice, sitting in the chair in front of the fireplace, her expression distant as she stared straight into the flames.
Well, she just saw somepony she thought she never could again… Twilight reflected as she emerged from the washroom, dressed in Maya’s old pajamas once more while Celestia had again adorned herself in her sheer nightgown, briefly drawing Twilight’s eye despite her other thoughts. That’s something I never really considered about her ageless life; that she has watch her friends and loved ones die… and she can’t follow them, ever.
“What troubles you, My Princess?” she asked in a slightly humorous tone to break the mood, echoing Firefly’s slightly archaic address of her.
Celestia smiled at that. “Old friends, old memories,” she answered simply. “The Gryphon War… ‘twas a terrible time, and yet… some of our greatest friendships were forged then. And even without the elements of harmony, methinks ’twas still the magic of friendship that in the end won the day,” she said, unconsciously lapsing back into the speech of the long-ago era.
Twilight magically pulled the other chair up beside Celestia’s, joining her mentor by the fire. She’s right. There was nopony who could wield the elements back then. And that meant… the war had to be fought and won through force of arms. Unless… her brow suddenly furrowed. “I can only imagine, princess. Though I guess I do have one question, if it’s not too personal…” she hesitated, but decided she needed to know. “Why didn’t you intervene in the Gryphon War? I mean… it wasn’t like you were facing a foe backed by an evil alicorn or anything, so I would have thought you could have ended it quickly...” she offered tentatively
Celestia closed her eyes. “The simple answer is… I could not,” she said in a very subdued voice. “The Gryphons planned well. Beyond that… forgive me, but I prefer not to answer,” she finished, remembering only too keenly the shame and helplessness over her inability to protect her ponies she had felt then…
Remembering how many lives were lost for her own ill-preparedness and that of her nation. If only Luna had been there then, she would never have allowed it to happen...
If Twilight still had pony ears, they would have fallen flat. “Oh, um… I’m sorry, princess,” she bowed her head.
Celestia’s smile returned as she grasped and squeezed her student’s hand, her mind and speech returning the present. “It is all right, Twilight. After all, if there is one thing I have learned about you over the years, it is that your curiosity is never satisfied,” she gave her student a knowing grin, turning fractionally towards her. “It is one of your more endearing qualities, and one I have sought to actively encourage—that you seek knowledge for both its own sake, and that of others. There are times I do not think you understand what a rare and special gift that truly is.”
Or how special YOU truly are… the Sun Princess thought again, feeling herself growing closer to her student once more. No other student I have shared so much with… no other student I have been able to share THIS with… she looked down at her human form again, delighting in the feel of the radiant heat of the fire against her bare skin.
Twilight blushed, not just from the compliment but from her teacher’s pose, the angle and shadowed lighting drawing close attention to it. “Thank you, Princess.” A scion of fire herself, the heat of the flames felt good to her as well even in human form.
Pity Phoenix isn’t here to snuggle with… she thought, unconsciously doing so with Celestia instead. “And coming here and being with Phoenix has certainly been a learning experience…” she chuckled, feeling her desires start to stir in memory of their still-recent encounters. One more day and we can be together again...
The sun princess smiled at that, allowing Twilight to rest her head against her shoulder, turning to kiss her head. “You don’t know how happy I am to share this with you, Twilight…”
“Actually, I’ve kind of gotten that impression, Princess,” this time it was Twilight’s turn to give a knowing grin. “Judging by how much you’ve been… er… showing off at times,” she blushed.
Celestia flushed as well, chuckling softly. “Well, yes…” It was the certainly the truth, though her intention in doing so had been to teach… mostly. “I hope I haven’t made you too uncomfortable. I’ve been trying to show you by example it’s okay to enjoy the human form,” she offered. "Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also enjoying the chance to tease..."
Twilight’s cheeks went a deeper hue. She’d certainly come to appreciate the human form and all its benefits, and conceded she wouldn’t have done so well to start without her mentor’s rather varied examples. But I still don’t think I wear this body as well as Celestia does… she thought, noting appreciatively again Celestia’s large size and ample curves.
There was no denying it. In the end, she had enjoyed Celestia’s repeated teasing; it had even taught her some things about human sexuality she had turned around and used on Phoenix. And for all they had shared, she too felt closer to the sun princess than she ever had. Close enough, in fact, to…
Twilight swallowed hard at where her thoughts were going, but she couldn’t stop them. For there was something undeniably exotic, to say nothing of outright naughty to the idea of exploring her newly-discovered sexuality with her mentor in human form…
And a single glance at Celestia’s warm cheeks, quickened breathing, and pinkish hue of her aura told her the idea was shared.
Her mind starting to quickly overheat, Twilight’s suddenly surging desires overrode her caution. W-well, we’re both apart from our coltfriends right now. S-so why NOT do what mares do when their stallion is away…?
“Princess…” she pressed close against her human regent, invitation implicit in her stance and unnaturally dilated pupils, her aura starting to turn pink as well. “You’ve done so much for me and, let’s face it, you’ve been teasing me pretty good too. So if you would like…” she stepped forward hesitantly.
Mustering all her will, a badly flushed Celestia rose and took a very deliberate step away, blocking her student’s aura with her own. “Twilight… please,” she plead in a slightly shaky voice, her own cheeks rosy and arousal evident. “We cannot.”
Twilight’s expression dropped as Celestia pulled away. “But… why not?”
The sun princess held her palms up in a halting gesture, though there was a visible tremor in her hands as she tried to keep her own surging desires in check, her mating magic but a hairsbreadth from being turned on her student. “Because... I have seen it happen many times before. Indeed, it has happened to me before,” she said, carefully keeping distance between them. “You have mated for the first time, and now you want more. You now see everypony, even your friends and teachers through a sexual lens, and want to explore the pleasures of the flesh in full.
“Believe me, I understand, my student. It is a wonderful and heady time for any pony, full of exploration and discovery. But it is also a potentially dangerous one,” she told her prize pupil. “Especially here. For if you are going to make a mistake; if you are going to do something you should not… it will be now, when you do not yet know your boundaries… or are otherwise unaware of the possible consequences,” she told her student, watching her go crestfallen. “Please understand, I speak from experience. I have allowed that boundary to slip with my students before. And greatly regretted it,” her eyes went sad for a moment.
Twilight blinked, surprised. “Y-you have?”
“Indeed,” Celestia confirmed, her head nodding quickly once before going downcast. “My previous student was such a case. Her name… was Sunset Shimmer. A young unicorn mare almost as magically talented as you, but even more ambitious and driven. When she had her first heat, she came to me for help, and… I fear I had a moment of weakness.
“It had been too long since I had a lover, she was young and needy, and… things happened that should not have,” she admitted with a bowed head, a moment of sadness and shame in her eyes. “I realized my mistake quickly, but the damage was done. She wanted more intimacy, more power, more… everything, really, and when I would not give it… she left. Though you are not her, I… would be lying if I said I did not fear the same result,” she finished, reflecting that the whole episode had been her impetus for taking a new human lover, for fear that her unmet needs might get the better of her again.
There’s that name again… Sunset Shimmer… Twilight recognized despite her disappointment. Trixie’s bane, and now Celestia’s too? She put the question aside for later. “But I’m not her. And why would us together be so bad?” she asked earnestly, putting a hand to her chest, her own arousal obvious to Celestia, who was having a hard time keeping her eyes away. “I’m an adult, not a filly, and It’s perfectly normal for mares to form relationships in Equestria… especially when their stallions aren’t available. So why not here as well?” she still held out hope.
“Normal for us, yes,” Celestia agreed. “But for humans…” she trailed off, trying to focus her thoughts on Ferro and her desire to be loyal to him.
Despite her own excitement, Celestia’s last sentence gave Twilight pause. Ponies were naturally polyamorous, a requirement given the high mare-to-stallion ratio, with normally a single stallion shared among all mares within a herd… and sometimes, even without one. Mare-on-mare relationships were also fairly normal in Equestria for the same reason—couples like Lyra and Bon-Bon or Vinyl and Octavia were evidence enough of that—even within herds as a means of cementing herd bonds. Neither was seen as unusual or threatening in Equestrian society, but to the more monogamous humans with their even gender ratios…
She’s right… Twilight belatedly realized, her shoulders slumping, her breathing slowing and aura returning to its normal hue. Whether or not it’s okay by Equestrian standards, this isn’t the time or place for it. Things are still too new, and there’s too many things that could go wrong. Have to remember that I came here to be with Phoenix, and he’s the one I’m in love with! she reminded herself forcefully, deciding she’d at least in part been redirecting her temporarily thwarted passion for him on the princess.
And that’s the other problem. If I DID do something with Celestia, Phoenix might not take it well at all, and in all honesty… I’m not sure I would either when all was said and done. It would change our relationship in ways we can’t predict, and I don’t want to lose her as a teacher any more than she does. I guess I am taking after Celestia that being here and taking human form is making me think and do things I wouldn’t normally… she rubbed her head ruefully. “I’m… I’m sorry, Princess,” she offered, her voice contrite. “Guess I’m needy too after being away from Phoenix, and… I got carried away. Believe me when I say I don’t want want to hurt things with him… or with you,” she bowed her head low.
Celestia exhaled sharply in relief and at least a mild pang of regret. “Thank you for understanding, Twilight,” she replied, wanting to hug her but thinking immediately better of it. “Let us remain teacher and student, then.” For now, part of her immediately added, unwilling to quite let go of the idea.
“So… what now?” Twilight asked, having the same thought as she sat on the bed away from Celestia. “If you don’t think we should sleep together...”
“I feel it is best to not tempt fate, Twilight,” the sun princess stated carefully, her cheeks still rosy. “As such... I believe I will spend this night with Ferro.”
“But princess… Maya said unmarried couples aren’t allowed to sleep together!” Twilight reminded her, her own face still flushed.
For the first time that night, Celestia gave her patented coy grin. “Well, my student… as worked up as you just left me, I sincerely doubt we’ll be sleeping much!” she noted, winking and teleporting out in a flash of gold light.