The chess match concluded, Edgeworth had barely (and somewhat hastily) departed before everyone split up to get dressed for the beach, stopped only at the door long enough for Phoenix to give him Rarity’s tea and handkerchief, as well as a sealed private note the fashionista had written.
Sure like to be a fly on the wall when THAT gets opened! Phoenix couldn’t help but grin as he saw his prosecutor friend off.
Ferro came up with the two girls from the pool, got them some snacks and soda, and then chatted with Phoenix as they ate before taking them outside again, this time to the ocean. No idea why his ex-wife divorced him, but he really is a fine father and good with kids… Phoenix noted, wondering idly what kind of dad he might make someday.
While they talked, Celestia, Twilight, Maya and Vinyl went into a side room to change, the latter pair carefully steering the former away from the second bedroom they’d stowed their earlier purchases in. Maya wasn’t sure why the sun princess was there given she was already dressed until she produced a large plastic bottle, materializing it with her magic. “Twilight and Ms. Scratch? You should both put this on.”
“What is it?” Twilight asked as the princess popped open the cap and her nose wrinkled slightly at the smell.
“Sunscreen,” she explained with a sly grin as her magic popped the bra clasp on Twilight’s and Vinyl’s swimsuit tops, causing the latter to blink in surprise and the former to involuntarily reach up to cover herself and keep her top on, leaving her reflecting how quickly she’d picked up human social mores. “Extended exposure to the sun on bare skin in this world can result in what humans call sunburn. This will guard against it for an hour or two,” she said as her aura began applying it rather liberally to the backs and bellies of her two Equestrian subjects, who both blushed and squirmed slightly from the cool gel and slightly tingling touch of the sun princess’ aura. “Arms, legs, and faces too. Would you like me to apply it you as well, Miss Maya?” she suggested in a hopeful air, the bottle hovering before her.
Maya blushed hard herself. “Uh… that’s okay, I’ll have V-Jay do it. But… what about you, Princess?” she asked in some surprise. “Don’t you need it too?”
“Not at all. I’m a solar-powered princess. Sunlight is what defines me,” she winked, clicking the lid closed and tossing the bottle to Maya. “But kindly do pass this to Ferro when you’re done so he can put more on Cyprey and Pearly as well. They’ve already been out for over an hour in the sun at the pool, after all.”
“Celestial Kryptonian origin confirmed…” Maya snickered to herself under her breath. “Will do! We’ll see you outside,” Maya agreed, then turned to Vinyl after the sun princess and Twilight had departed, the latter still looking flushed. “She is so asking for it…” the young mystic noted to her friend, hoping her sister was watching from the hereafter. That’s one more sin for the Princess to answer for, sis!
“She really is…” Vinyl smirked as she rubbed the remainder into her arms than began applying it to Maya’s back. “Can’t say I mind, though… so why didn’t you take her offer to put it on?”
“Let’s just say I don’t want to spoil my appetite or sis’s. And besides...” Maya trailed off meaningfully as she reached in to kiss Vinyl deeply, pressing the bottle into her hand. “Think I’d rather have you do it…”
“Okay, but only ‘cause you asked so nicely, filly…” a suddenly breathless Vinyl replied, fulfilling Maya’s request quite happily.
* * * * *
It was another ten minutes before the pair finally emerged to find Phoenix alone in the kitchen, handling the cooking chores. As Maya watched, he dried his hands with a paper towel and then crumpled it, tossing it over his right shoulder where it landed neatly in the trash can at the end of the counter.
Whoa… usually, he misses when he tries! the young mystic idly noted, thinking that he’d seemed far more sure of himself recently, ever since he’d started getting serious with Sparkle. “Hey, the beach is calling! You coming, Nick?” Maya called to her, taking some pains to model her new swimsuit for him. She’d chosen a two-piece, to Phoenix’s surprise, one that matched her usual kimono colors.
She really IS acting a lot more adult now! “Yeah, but... let me make sure the meat’s on first,” he told her, trying not to blush, finding himself with a new appreciation for his longtime assistant after the past few days. Don’t quite know what the Elements of Harmony did to her, but ever since she seems less a child than a woman... “Ribs have to cook for four hours at 250, then finish on the grill—I’ll assume you’ll want that job, Maya?—and I’ll need to come back up in three hours to put the chicken in and make the barbecue sauce,” he said as he made an aluminum foil tent over the ribs before putting them in.
“You bet I do!” Maya said eagerly, never missing an opportunity to grill meat, even if it wasn’t the steaks or burgers she usually preferred.
“Four hours, huh?” Vinyl arched an eyebrow behind her shades, wearing a magenta two-piece of her own and shorts over top, noting the mingled smells of marinating meat and cooking spices were pleasing to her human palate. “Eh, that ain’t so bad. Sometimes the griffies’ll cook a flying boar for half a day. Meat gets so tender even a pony’ll like it. They aren’t that big on sauce or spices, though...”
“Too bad, ‘cause Nick’s BBQ sauce is something else! But wait… you’ve had meat as a pony then before here?” Maya asked the question that Phoenix immediately wanted to.
“Oh yeah! Like I said, I’ve been to the Kingdom to DJ parties for them and they don’t respect ya unless you’re willing to partake. So I learned to,” she said as she asked for and Phoenix flipped her a beer, landing it perfectly in her grip, surprising Maya again with the perfect toss that even put the can upright in Vinyl’s hand. “Let’s see… I, uh, do this, right?” She popped the tab with a finger on the second try, producing an immediate release of carbonation. “Not bad…” she said as she took a long draw on the drink.
“Sure you don’t want one, Maya? I won’t tell Edgeworth!” Phoenix smirked, waving a can at her. “Just don’t take it outside!”
“Naughty, Nick!” she waggled a finger at him. “I bet you’re just trying to get me all drunk and suggestible!”
“Oh, like you need any help for that now!” Vinyl gave her a playful swat, to which Phoenix could only laugh.
Maya’s grin only got more lopsided. “You know, maybe you’re right, V-J! And after all, Nick’s been doing nothing but ogling us both since we came in! So how ‘bout it Nick? Wanna peek?” she leaned over slightly and her hand went to her top as if to pull it down.
Phoenix couldn’t help but squirm a bit at that. Tease me at your peril, Maya! “That depends. Are you offering?” he rejoined, trying to not look too interested even as part of him was strongly hoping she would and immediately started fantasizing about it, mentally urging her top off.
But to little surprise, she was only teasing, laughing as she withdrew her fingers and stood back up. “Sorry, not today, Nick! Guess you’ll just have to wait until—” her top abruptly popped off as she leaned back against the high counter and the edge caught the clasp of her swimsuit bra just right, sending it fluttering to the ground.
“Eep!” her hands went instantly to cover herself, eyes wide, giving a surprised Phoenix a brief but tantalizing eyeful.
“Smooth, fillyfriend…” Vinyl laughed in great satisfaction, letting her suffer for a moment before picking up her top. “Serves you right,” she added as she refastened it with a sorely embarrassed Maya looking away, leaving Phoenix wondering if the humanized unicorn mare somehow caused it with her magic.
Not that I’m complaining! He smirked, then frowned slightly. But still, it’s weird, though. I didn’t see Vinyl’s horn or aura, and from what Twilight said she can’t use magic here without music… he mused as the two departed and he put the rib rack in the oven before heading out to join his human and Equestrian friends on the beach.
Phoenix had been big on the beach as kid, but not so much as an adult.
Still, there were times he could remember the love his child self had for his family’s forays to the LA waterfront and sometimes points further south, and being able to introduce Twilight to the joys of the water was one of them. He was shocked to learn that for all her travels Twilight had never been in an ocean, only seen it, so he took her in quickly, Maya dragging Vinyl along as well.
The two Equestrian girls were surprised by how cool the water was even on a warm day, which resulted in an explanation to Twilight of oceanic currents and how the world’s rotation and shapes of the oceans affected them. But Twilight simply tapped her inner fire to stay warm in the water and to his surprise, Phoenix found he wasn’t bad off either, staying in the better part of an hour even though he normally couldn’t tolerate more than about half that before getting chilled, teaching Twilight how to body-surf the swells. Maya did the same for Vinyl, the former quite used to cold water given part of her training involved meditating under waterfalls.
Celestia joined them for a while, looking like she was enjoying herself immensely as she dove into and out of the waves, but for the most part, she spent the bulk of her time with Ferro and the two girls, helping them play and even build sand castles, later taking a walk in the sand with her human stallion as Phoenix and Twilight took over watching Pearl and Cypreus for them. Celestia’s large size garnered considerable attention, even being recognized by a pair of young beachgoers who came up to her and asked her somewhat excitedly if she was ‘that beautiful princess with an angel’s voice’ from the previous night’s concert.
At her confirmation, they asked for her autograph, saying they had never been so moved by a song. Gratified, she granted their request and promised she would one day return for an encore. “Oh, and… how’d you do that thing with your hair?” they asked her, making Ferro smile as he remembered that she’d let her hair revert to its normal multi-colored flowing state during the song, assuming that everyone would believe it was just another of the concert’s special effects.
“Magic,” she replied with a coy grin, inviting them both to visit Equios someday. “Consider this an open invitation from the heir to the Equios throne. If you enjoy music and traveling, such a fine and worldly young couple as yourself should find much of interest there…”
* * * * *
Three hours on the beach passed surprisingly quickly, to the point that Phoenix realized he was going to be late getting dinner ready, rushing back up to the Villa while telling Twilight to continue enjoying herself. To his relief, all was well in the kitchen, the ribs coming along nicely by the smell, and he started immediately on getting the chicken ready to bake, reducing the same teriyaki sauce he had marinated it in on the stovetop:
Once it was reduced by a third, he added a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of water and the sauce thickened instantly, leaving it suitable for basting. He wasted no time after that, brushing the chicken quarters with it and then putting it in the second oven, where it would stay for the next hour at 375 to be turned over and re-basted once.
With that, he lit the burners on the decktop grill—it even caught on the first try, which hardly ever seemed to happen for him—and then went back inside to start the barbecue sauce simmering, a tried-and-true recipe he’d used in the past on the rare occasions he’d convinced Maya to let him cook something other than beef:
It was a good, tangy recipe and he enjoyed making it, but, spotting the keg of Applejack’s ‘special reserve’ cider Maya had brought over, he decided he’d pay the country mare homage by using some of her cider in the sauce as well. He changed the vinegar to rice wine and threw in half a cup of the cider after it, which he then sipped and confirmed was the best he’d ever tasted, feeling an odd glow wash over him for it. Huh. That almost seems familiar… he idly noted, but shrugged and continued his work, getting the barbecue sauce burbling.
Six o’clock rolled around, and everyone started filtering back in, Pearls and Cyprey looking ready to sleep and an afternoon in the sun and even Vinyl and Maya looking tired but happy, all eager for food. “Grill is yours, Maya!” he told her as he took the ribs out of the oven and opened the aluminum foil tent he’d erected around it to reveal… very tender ribs, the meat all but falling off the bone, the happy sight and smells eliciting equally happy sounds from all...
Though it was only after he’d transferred the two racks to a separate plate that he realized he’d never put on oven mitts to handle them yet his hands didn’t feel burned in the least.
Though odd, he decided he was enjoying himself too much and he’d wonder about it another time. Just two minutes later, the ribs were brushed with barbecue sauce and hit the grill with a sizzle. As they were already cooked, the objective was nothing more than to sear the outside to seal the juices while also searing on the barbecue sauce in the process, though he did keep a few ribs plain for Cyprey at Ferro’s request. The chicken came out of the oven shortly thereafter perfectly cooked, and Phoenix allowed it to sit while he readied Pearl’s dinner, who was coming back from upstairs with Cyprey after a quick and needed nap.
Like most members of the Kurain tradition aside from Maya remained, Pearl was a vegetarian, so Phoenix prepared her some plain pasta and watermelon slices as well as some cut up carrot sticks and celery with some ranch dressing, giving her also a small pile of corn chips, a cup of milk and a glass of the grape soda she loved so much.
She may not have acquired Maya’s meat-eating habits yet, but she has started to enjoy junk food! Phoenix somewhat ruefully noted as she happily munched on the chips, sharing a few with Cyprey as she did so.
In the end, they all ate out on the deck as the sun started to go down over the Pacific, the adults (excepting Ferro, who had to drive) indulging in a mug or two from Applejack’s cider keg—“Wow, this is really good!” Twilight said as she sipped it and licked her lips, noting she’d never had the Apple family’s special reserve cider, only their regular kind—and after two cups, everyone was feeling quite mellow, even the Sun Princess, who finished off half a rib rack and two chicken quarters all by herself, licking her fingers quite happily.
“My compliments, Phoenix Wright,” she gave him a short bow. “Your recipes are simple but superb. I may have to bring you to Equestria again just to have you teach my chefs proper human cooking, as their last effort went rather… poorly…” she chuckled softly to herself.
“I’ll bring him there anytime, Princess! That was delicious!” Twilight immediately piped up, slipping her arm instead of Phoenix’s, who patted it in turn and kissed her. It was nearly eight and another round of drinks later when Ferro took his leave and kissed Celestia goodbye, saying he had to get Cyprey home. Sorry, Princess, but I’m back to work tomorrow and it’s a school night as well!”
“Aw!” Cyprey pouted, asking if Pearly could stay the night again, both Phoenix and Maya mentally urging Ferro to say yes. Even if Pearls is okay with us now, I’m not sure I want her around considering what may happen with me and Twilight… he had a sudden nightmare of her bursting in on them.
“For you, sweetheart? Anything,” he hugged and kissed Cyprey on the head, and then extended the offer to Pearly, who only too eagerly accepted, hugging everyone goodbye. Somewhat reluctantly, Celestia got up to go with him to Maya and Vinyl’s brief consternation, but Ferro had it covered. “No, Sunshine,” he told her, holding up a halting hand. “This is your last night of vacation, so you stay right here and enjoy yourself. There’s still a hot tub to hit, remember?” he reminded her with a grin, then turned and gave Maya a quick wink, who blushed.
“Oh…” Celestia felt equal parts crestfallen and hopeful, her mind going in some surprising directions even for her as she downed her fourth mug of cider. “If you insist, my wonderful prince, but…” she went to him and gave him a kiss that took his breath away and put her arms around him, causing Twilight to blush and Pearl, budding romantic that she was, to giggle in delight. “Please come by tomorrow before I must depart?”
“Now don’t you worry about that, Tia. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning before work and after I drop Cyprey off at school to see you off. And I trust you all to take good care of her?” he gave Maya a knowing look, who gave him a nod and wink back, just relieved he was okay with what they planned.
Wonder what sis promised him…? she wondered as Celestia hugged Cyprey and Pearl goodbye and Vinyl nudged her beneath the table they were sitting at, then rested a hand on her upper leg and squeezed it.
“Getting about time, fillyfriend,” she noted, both girls feeling their excitement starting to rise, helped along by the alcohol. Gotta say, this ‘special reserve’ cider of AJ’s is really something else...
“Yeah, it is…” Maya felt her own heart start to race slightly; she’d just had a couple cups of the cider herself at Vinyl’s insistence but either due to her smaller size and less experience with alcohol, it was affecting her more than she thought it should. I don’t feel drunk exactly, just… she didn’t know how to quantify it, only that her thoughts and desires suddenly seemed to be flowing far more freely. “So, gang, how about we clean up and head over to that hot tub…?” she said as easily as he could.
“Sounds like a plan to me, Miss Maya!” Celestia replied, her magic immediately picking up all the outside dishes at once and piling them into the kitchen sink for cleaning.
With everyone pitching in, they made good time cleaning up the villa after that.
Phoenix was amazed at how eager Maya seemed to help him clean up the kitchen, scrubbing larger dishes in the sink’s large basin beside him while loading the smaller ones into the dishwasher. Usually I have to bribe her with burgers before she’ll clean up the office kitchenette or the one at my apartment when she stays over during cases… then again, maybe she’s got ulterior motives this time! he chuckled, noting she was helping him from just to his left while wearing her swimsuit, seemingly offering him endless opportunities to ogle her—opportunities he was increasingly hard pressed not to avail himself of, liking this new, more mature version of Maya almost in spite of himself.
Not to be outdone, a slightly tipsy Twilight did the same from the opposite side of him as she took the drying duties, using a simple application of her fire magic to heat the air to speed her effort and then using her aura to pile them back into their cupboards. Noting Maya’s efforts to draw Phoenix’ attention, she countered by showing off her own considerably more mature curves to him, making Maya at least slightly fume and Phoenix reflecting that at this rate and the amount of alcohol in his own system, it was getting harder and harder to resist the temptation to keep his eyes off either of them!
In fact, surrounded by no less than four attractive females, and Applejack’s cider going to work on him—he’d’ve wondered what was in it to be affecting like this but was enjoying himself far too much to care—his mind couldn’t help but wander in various heady directions as, after some mock argument between Maya and Twilight about who held Phoenix’s attention, Maya playfully snapped her dish towel at Twilight’s flank, who retaliated by doing the same back with her magic. And when a smirking Phoenix told them not to hold back on his account, they simply did it to him as one and Maya then threw her dishcloth in his face, leaving him uncertain which was actually worse—the pair fighting, or cooperating!
Despite various interruptions and temptations, they made good time as Vinyl and Celestia cleaned up spills and empty cans and bottles from outside, the latter knowing to save them for recycling; Phoenix noting the sun princess had probably gone through at least a quarter of the case of Blue Moon herself in the course of the afternoon and Vinyl hadn’t been far behind. After they were done, a rose-cheeked Celestia came back into the kitchen to announce she and Vinyl were heading upstairs for the private hot tub and inviting the rest of them to “join them at their leisure,” drawing and downing another mug of cider before putting the empty glass on the countertop, noticing but not particularly caring about the pinkish haze the cider increasingly seemed to cast on her vision…
Nor about the thoughts that were running increasingly unbidden through her head, one of which she couldn’t help but indulge. “Do come soon, Phoenix Wright, Miss Maya and my student,” she told them, approaching to stand close behind Phoenix, surprising him by pushing her chest into the back of his head and then removing the tops of two girls flanking him with her magic, instantly exposing them.
“Princess!” They both squealed and immediately moved to cover themselves as Phoenix’s cheeks went flushed, suddenly keenly aware of the Celestia’s presence, even through the thin fabric of her swimsuit top… which was then left on his head as she abruptly turned on her heel and departed, walking off topless. By the time they turned around, the only thing visible was her retreating back and a stunned-looking Vinyl Scratch, who could see the sun princess from the front and had flicked up her magenta shades to stare before Celestia gave her the same treatment, magically removing the DJ’s top a half-second before putting a hand on her shoulder and teleporting away with her subject in a flash of flight, leaving the threesome is the kitchen scrambling.
“What’s gotten into her?” a flushed but slightly swaying Phoenix asked. My wish... came... TRUE!?
“She’s really in rare form…” Twilight granted as she pulled on a t-shirt tossed her by Maya. What’s gotten into ALL of us? she half-wondered, realizing she not only didn’t mind Celestia’s actions that much, but she was getting rather excited herself, her aura threatening to go pink at any time but having just enough restraint to not let it happen around Maya again.
“Just hope you’re happy, Nick!” Maya said in only mild disgust, her own excitement skyrocketing as she sensed the long-awaited moment approach. That’s IT! Celly is SO gonna get it! she decided as she hurriedly pulled on a shirt to replace her own purloined top. Just sorry I won’t be able to WATCH!
Fifteen minutes later, they’d finished the clean-up, the kitchen pristine and the shelves restocked. They left the dishwasher running as they readied to head upstairs themselves, though Phoenix did admit to some mild worry about being in the Celestia’s presence.
“Uh… is really safe for us to be near her right now?” he asked Twilight, the image of sun princess walking away topless and giving him that look all but ensconced in his mind.
“What’s the matter, Nick? Afraid she’ll take off our tops again?” Maya teased, pouring them another round of the cider in plastic cups.
Twilight giggled at his squirming reaction to the suggestion. “I think it’s okay, Phoenix. She’s playful, but she’s not dangerous… wouldn’t have said so when I first got here, but now I think I like this side of her…” she said, entertaining not-so-idle fantasies of being with her mentor as a human again. She said no before… has she changed her mind…? she barely dared hope, her aura flashing pink for a half second when Maya and Phoenix weren’t looking.
“You do?” Phoenix’s grin turned lopsided and whatever doubts he had started to dissipate behind a veil of increasingly insistent fantasies and another cup of cider Maya passed him and Twilight. Well, I guess I can’t begrudge a two-millennia old demigoddess her down time, right? he thought as he downed the cup, noting a pinkish hue starting to creep in along the edges of his vision.
Huh? Why does that effect seem familiar…? he only half-wondered, then shrugged and grabbed his towel before following the girls upstairs.
The villa’s large hot tub lay on the second floor deck, giving them excellent views of the Pacific and at that hour, the setting sun; Phoenix had noted before that it was also quite private, with the deck walls blocking view from the other units.
Twilight had been impressed by it as well when Phoenix demonstrated its various water jet functions, calling it a ‘mini spa’ and saying she had no doubt Rarity would love to have one of them for herself. He’d entertained fantasies of making love to her in it during the evening—something he had no doubt other renters sometimes did, especially given some of the noises they’d heard from next door the previous night—though he and Twilight yet hadn’t been able to avail themselves of it for everything else that had been going on.
He half-worried (hoped?) that Celestia and Vinyl would be sitting it in topless, but ever the tease, the sun-princess had replaced her own top even as she kept the others in a pile beside her, dangling them in front of their owners as they emerged on the deck before simply making them disappear, sending them with her magic back to her still-reserved penthouse suite at the Gatewater and taking a sultry but satisfied tone as she let them know where they were.
“That’s not fair, princess!” Twilight mock-pouted, wondering if her magic was strong enough to do the same to Celestia, only to find that despite her inebriation, her mentor had already guarded against it with a magical ward.
“All’s fair in love and leadership, my student,” she winked as she sensed and deflected Twilight’s magical probe.
Sure hope you’re watching this, sis! Maya grinned as she slipped into the water wearing just her swimsuit bottom and t-shirt top, getting an amused sense back that said she indeed was. We’re almost set! She added with her thoughts even as she found the temperature of the hot tub a bit too tepid for her tastes and said so.
“Too cool? This from the girl who likes meditating under cold waterfalls?” Phoenix smirked as he slipped his own foot in and realized she was right.
“Not warm enough? Easily rectified,” Celestia announced and tapped her power to raise the temperature of the water several degrees, the water burbling up with added heat around her for a few moments. “Better?” she asked, looking very relaxed and happy.
“Perfect,” Maya granted as she got in fully, the shirt quickly becoming cloying and revealing plenty of skin as she settled in between Nick and Vinyl, the latter of whom gave her a grin and wink.
“This is the life,” Vinyl Scratch granted, her shades off as she slipped an arm around Maya, who snuggled close. “Ya know, I’m gonna have to talk to my agent and maybe Delta’s to see if I can start going on tour here like she does. Think that’d be okay, Princess?”
“Oh! Can she?” Maya asked excitedly.
Celestia chuckled, the rosy glow on her cheeks growing only more intense, though Phoenix was given cause to wonder whether it was the temperature of the water or her latest glass of cider. “Though I admit I have not truly heard you perform, Vinyl Scratch, I would have no objection. It’s clear you have taken to this world and your human form quite well,” she noted appreciatively, making the water bubble up around the pony DJ. “To say nothing of your human lover, whom I would not dream of keeping you from any more than my student’s. But let us not speak of such things right now. We are here to relax, so feel free to let down your hair fully, Mister Wright and my student,” she told them both, letting her blonde hair revert to its usual pastel-hued flowing state for emphasis. It is just us and a wonderful evening to end a wonderful week.” She nodded out over the scenic Pacific, where the sun was now orange and not far above the horizon.
“It wasn’t all wonderful…” Twilight had to say as she likewise snuggled up with Phoenix. “I mean, there was that little Nightmare thing…” she couldn’t help but shiver, Phoenix immediately pulling her close as he, too remembered how close he’d come to losing her.
Or being turned into The Nightmare’s slave… He had no idea what the ancient dream demon had planned for him, but he remembered well her looking upon him as little more than a piece of meat she could mold for her pleasure.
Celestia’s eyes turned compassionate. “Be at ease, my student,” she immediately offered. “The struggle was terrible, but in the end, you defeated a demon not even my sister could and turned what might have been tragedy into triumph. You all did,” she nodded to each in turn. “The Nightmare is now slain, and for it, not just one but two new relationships now blossom and will help bring our worlds closer together. As you say, Miss Maya, a triple play. Though I admit I did not foresee you and Ms. Scratch becoming a couple as I sensed my student and Phoenix Wright would...” she gave the former pair a wink and nod. “But so much the better, I believe you will both agree.”
Maya’s desire to take revenge on the sun princess wavered for a moment, the young mystic reminding herself of all Celestia had done for her when she needed help the most. But it isn’t just revenge, it’s reward as well… so, is it almost time, sis…? she asked the ether, and smiled at the answer she got back.
Unaware of Maya’s thoughts, Celestia materialized the now half-empty cider keg on the deck beside her and poured herself yet another cup, immediately drinking it. “You really must give my compliments to Miss Applejack for this superb cider, my student…” she added. “I believe I much prefer it to the overwrought wines I am usually served at supper.”
“Be my pleasure, Princess,” Twilight promised, her magic pouring cups for her and Phoenix, the latter eagerly accepting and downing half in one draw, feeling ever more at ease for it. “And I’m sure she’d be happy to give you some!”
“Think I’m gonna have to ask her for more myself,” Phoenix admitted, a strangely compelling picture of the country mare without her hat or ribbons suddenly appearing in his head. She’d be SO sexy like that… he couldn’t help but think. He might have wondered where the thought came from, but like all other concerns at that moment, didn’t much care. Never tasted any cider as good as this… he noted again, the flavor just the right balance of tartness and crispness, the fermentation subtle but there. Along with something else I can’t quite figure… he licked his lips as he finished off the cup, the pinkish haze around his vision growing, seemingly sharpening his senses even as they slowed his wits, casting a warm and pleasant glow over everything, letting him feel every single bubble in the water, every nuance of the cool breeze on his face. Whoa. Haven’t felt like this since…
The thought was strangely elusive and cut off by Maya. “Ya know, Princess, I’ve got just enough alcohol in me right now that there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you…” she spoke up, an odd smile on her face.
Celestia turned her eyes on Maya, letting them rove over her young body for a moment. “And that is…?”
“Well, back when I was hit by Sparkle’s magic and so horny I couldn’t sleep or think straight… did you wanna do me yourself before you called in V-Jay?” she asked with a lopsided grin.
“Maya!” Twilight and Phoenix shouted, the former in alarm and the latter less for that than for the lurid image.
For all the cider and other alcohol in her system, Celestia had just enough shame left to blush. “Would you forgive me, Miss Maya, if I said yes?” she closed her eyes and admitted. “I fear that young mares such as yourself are… something of a weakness of mine. One that has gotten me in trouble in the past,” she said with a slightly apologetic glance at Twilight, who smiled. “That said, had we not been able to summon Ms. Scratch in sufficient time, I was going to ask your sister for permission to... take care of you myself,” she said in a tone almost approaching regret.
Far from appalled, Maya smiled like she’d been flattered. “I see. Well in that case, Princess…” She then glanced at Vinyl, who grinned and nodded, removing her arm from around the young mystic’s shoulders and shifting slightly away from her, lounging back like she was awaiting the show to come. “I think sis would like to have a word with you right now!” Maya said in great glee, then closed her eyes and grasped her Magatama, which glowed brightly for a moment as she pulled on its power.
And within seconds, where Maya Fey once was, Mia Fey now sat, her body filling out Maya’s too-small shirt quite impressively.
“Ch… chief?” Phoenix recognized in surprise, never more appreciating his mentor’s curves before that moment. Wow. She’s… beautiful... how did I never notice her before? he wondered again.
“Mia… Fey?” Celestia was no less surprised or enticed by her appearance, feeling her fantasies for the human woman start anew.
“Hello, Tia…” Mia addressed her informally, a tone in her voice Phoenix could never remember hearing before—something he could only describe as both teasing and accusing. “Hello, all of you.” She greeted all of them, giving Phoenix a wink.
“Uh… hey, Chief. What brings you here now?” Phoenix tried to ask with an ease he wasn’t feeling, unable to keep his eyes off her as she lounged back in the water between him and Vinyl, seemingly inviting their gazes on her… though she herself only seemed to have eyes for Celestia at that moment.
“Nothing earth-shaking, really. I just wanted to pass along some news. As it turns out, I’ve been promoted,” she announced. “For defeating the Nightmare and preventing her possession of Twilight, I’ve been elevated to the lower ranks of the archangels.” She closed her eyes and grinned.
“You mean the warrior choir of angels?” Phoenix offered, remembering the term from old Sunday School classes. “Congratulations, chief!”
“Sounds well-earned, sister!” Vinyl grinned. “So what exactly does that mean?”
Mia grinned, turning her eyes back on Celestia. “It means that along with additional power, I gain additional responsibility to protect the innocent… reward the worthy… and punish the wicked,” she said meaningfully, her eyes locked on Celestia again. “And as it happens, sometimes all of those duties coincide.”
“Coincide…?” Phoenix wasn’t sure what to make of his mentor’s coyness or fixation on the sun princess.
“Indeed,” Mia said in a tone both grave and gleeful, closing her eyes for a moment as if in lazy anticipation. “As you may recall, I visited the pony Summerlands after the trial. And while there, I learned some very… interesting things about Tia, here...”
That got everyone’s immediate attention. “Oh…?” Celestia wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt strangely nervous, sensing a strong power around the channeled spirit that hadn’t been there before.
“Indeed,” Mia said almost gravely, though her eyes never lost their twinkle. “I spoke to spirits spanning your entire lifetime, Tia…” she trailed off meaningfully, the sly smile on her face growing. “To all your past students from Guiding Light to Silver Sentinel. To all your past servants from Indigo Ink to North Star. Even to all your past lovers from Desert Wind to the mighty Ironmane…” she recited, Celestia’s eyes growing wider with each name spoken in turn. “They all had many stories to tell about you, sun princess. And among other things, it turns out you had quite the lustful phase for a century or more in there. One where nothing and nopony was off-limits to you…” she said almost ominously, her head lowering and eyes taking on a new gleam. “Such depravity and so much innocence taken. So many sins you never answered for…”
“I am… no longer that pony, Mia Fey…” Celestia said in a slightly shaky voice, some part of her already guessing what was about to happen.
“Really?” Mia asked almost rhetorically, taking pains to look around the tub at her fellow females, all in a state of undress, causing all but Vinyl to blush, the latter just wearing a smirk and looking she was very much enjoying the scene. “I think not, sun princess. I think that part of you is still very much present,” she announced with an air of readying divine judgment, one Phoenix suddenly had no problem believing she was fully capable of passing.
Mia then sat up taller, moving fractionally closer to the ageless alicorn. “Even now, I know what immoral acts you contemplate. For I can see into your very soul and it is clear you have designs on not just my sister, but all here!” the wind picked up and her voice grew more imperious as she spoke, and yet somehow, her smile never left her face. “You even lust after me, an ascended spirit, proving your wickedness has no limits; that you seek to corrupt your student, your subject, my protege and even my own sister into your pleasures of the flesh! Do you deny it?” she pointed an accusing finger at Celestia, whose cheeks were starting to turn from warm to hot.
“I…” it had been ages since anyone had spoken to Celestia in such a manner and to her shock, she realized she was getting sorely turned on by it, each accusation only spurring new fantasies, each more vivid than the last, her mating aura threatening to activate despite her faltering efforts to restrain it. “I…”
“Chief…?” Phoenix asked tentatively, uncertain what was happening even as Twilight likewise sensed a powerful force growing within Mia, unable to categorize it but listening intently as the angel’s words, the fantasies having an effect on her as well.
Then the princess... really DOES want me…? she still barely dared hope.
Mia didn’t acknowledge him, abruptly pulling back. “But perhaps I misjudge you, Sun Princess. Perhaps, as you claim, you are not the same pony you once were. So I will give you one final chance to prove yourself. Let us see if you can, in fact, resist temptation…” she suggested, then stood up in the water...
And suddenly unfurled a pair of large angel wings from her back, flaring them forth as her eyes glowed a cool blue.
“Holy…” was all Phoenix could say as a strong wind came up, blowing Mia’s hair upwards as she took flight upon her wings, hovering in front of and above Celestia, showing her full angelic power and beauty, her already superb physique enhanced and idealized even more for it. He couldn’t take her eyes off her and neither could Twilight or Tia, the former awestruck and the latter…
“I…” Celestia couldn’t stop staring, every one of her buttons pushed at once as she beheld the immortal angel before her. Her beautiful body. Her incredible power. Her stern words...
Her threatening punishment…
Her will weakened and her excitement surging, she held it back with all her faltering will, but in the end, with the picture of power and female perfection before her, the sun princess’s greatest and most unrealized desire could not be denied… “I… I…” she stammered, and finally…
Her mating aura ignited, bathing them all in its glow.
“I thought as much…” Mia smiled even as she raised her hand like she was preparing to smite the sun princess as her voice suddenly began booming out. “The judgement of all heavens is upon thee, Celestia Daybringer! For far too long thou hast let thy lust go unpunished! And thou shalt now answer for thy many sins!” she thundered, and at that moment, Phoenix wasn’t sure whether to be very excited…
Or very afraid.