Once breakfast was over, every pony was preparing themselves to leave for the coronation. Mystic felt her stomach churning and her thoughts rolling as she waited for her parents to be done. Her pain hadn't lessened so far, and these feelings were only making everything much worse than they would be for normal ponies. She held her stomach with one hoof, taking slow and deep breaths to try and calm herself down. While she was trying to calm down, Lapis noticed her struggle, and walked over.
"You doing okay, sis?" She said, putting her hoof on Mystic's back.
"Fine," Mystic said, lifting her head and looking at her sister. "Just the usual."
"You did take your meds, right?" Lapis tilted her head to the side, concern coming to her face.
"Of course I did," Mystic seemed to hiss. "They just haven't had the time to really take effect."
"They will before we get the ceremony going," Lapis tried to reassure her. "And if they don't, we can always pay a visit to the doctor and see if he says anything new."
"If we can afford it," Mystic scoffed, finally pushing Lapis's hoof off with her wing.
"Of course we can!" Lapis raised her head, eyes wide with surprise. "We're royalty, they practically give us these things that they make the ponies in PonyVille pay for, for free!"
"And they shouldn't," Mystic spat. "I'm being given the best possible treatments for this stupid condition and it's still done nothing for me, I'm wasting my time and energy getting 'free' supplements that don't even work. If they can't even heal a royal pony for free, they have no right to charge so much money to the lower classes for medicines that are even less effective."
"What are you girls arguing about?" Twilight said as she walked in the room, her eyebrows knitted together but her expression still mostly neutral.
Mystic had opened her mouth to speak, but Lapis quickly threw one of her wings over her sister's muzzle to shut her up. Mystic grumbled in annoyance from the mare's action, hoping she wouldn't be coughing up feathers later.
"Oh nothing!" Lapis laughed nervously. "She's just nervous about the coronation!"
"Oh, why don't be dear!" Rarity walked to Mystic and nuzzled her cheek. Lapis stepped back and folded her wing back on her back while she watched the two.
"It's going to be fine," Twilight added to Rarity's comment. "I know that you've been putting this off for a few years, but trust me, Mystic, there's a reason for this. Regardless of whether or not you accept it, you are a princess. No pony is going to see you as any different because of your wings and horn, and I know you hate hearing me say it, but it's true."
"I know it is," Mystic grumbled, her wings fluttering with discomfort. "I just wish it wasn't."
"Well, there isn't much we can do about it," Rarity said sadly. "If it were only up to me, I would've had those little pain simulators removed a long time ago, but you're an adult and it is your decision whether you keep them."
"And we already know you want to keep them," Twilight said. "When I first got my wings, I honestly wanted nothing more than to have them gone. I didn't feel worthy enough to be a princess, and I couldn't stand sleeping with my wings. I had the hardest time adjusting to them, but you've had them your whole life."
"And they've caused me nothing but pain," Mystic reminded her. "I want to keep these cursed things, I really do, but honestly I really do wish I took Cherry's advice back then and got rid of them."
"You already know the risks of removing your wings, Mystic," Twilight said. "I... I wouldn't want to lose one of my children for the slightest chance of recovery."
"And neither would I," Rarity said softly.
"Yeah yeah I know," Mystic huffed, fluttering her wings, getting lost in her thoughts.
An awkward silence filled the room. Twilight and Rarity glanced at eachother, and Lapis lifted a hoof. She either wanted to speak or wanted to comfort Mystic, but she then lowered her hoof.
"Well," Twilight cleared her throat. "We really should, um, get going! We don't have all day and the coronation is due to start soon."
"Oh, yes, Twilight is right!" Rarity gently thumped her own head with her hoof. "We should be going, lest we be late!"
"Hooray..." Mystic grumbled, turning around and pushing the door open with her hooves.
She couldn't be bothered to use her magic right now, and she didn't even want to to begin with. She pushed open the door with her hoof, headed outside, and waited for her family to exit. Twilight made sure that the door was locked with one of her spells before she began leading the way down the road. Mystic was upset at herself that she couldn't cancel the coronation again, but it wasn't her fault; it was a surprise, she didn't know preparations were already starting. In previous years, they had told her they were working on the coronation, and she canceled it, demanding that a new event be put in place so things like food wouldn't go to waste. Now, she had no choice but to face the reality of the situation, and she despised it.
She sighed, hopefully making it known how unhappy she was. Her parents had always known that she didn't want to be a princess, but maybe Twilight was right. She just had to accept that this was her destiny as an alicorn. Twilight was forced to be an alicorn too, so she heard. She supposed it caught up to everypony at some point. Rarity was a princess too by extension, as she was married to Twilight. Technically, Lapis would be a princess too, if only she hadn't had to remove her horn. Mystic glanced at her sister, who was too focused on looking at the scenery in the street. Mystic didn't get her wonder and joy out of this place; she had just become too bored with her surroundings.
Mystic lifted her head, deciding to appear a bit more presentable. She knew this area was where the most traffic came through, and she didn't want to look any more miserable than she already did. She glanced from the corners of her eyes, often seeing ponies walking past that were looking at them. They seemed excited for the coronation too, smiling at her and waving. She could barely be bothered to lift her wing to wave back, it just fluttered pathetically on her back. She took a deep breath, taking a moment to enjoy the freshness of the air outside for a change. She tried not to think negatively, but it was... difficult. She looked up, seeing Twilight waving and mouthing hellos to ponies on the street, and she could only assume Rarity was doing the same. She didn't bother to look.
She looked up to the sky, seeing very few pegasi glide through the air and destroy what little clouds were in the sky. One such cloud had covered the sun. It was kicked out of the way as Mystic looked up. She covered her eyes with her wing as the bright sunlight shone down on her and the world around.
Maybe it was supposed to be a symbol of hope for her, but at the moment she could only think about how much the sun hurt her eyes. She felt pain shock through her body, making her shudder. She felt her hairs stand on their edges, giving her an uncomfortable feeling for a few minutes as she returned to normal walking.
Eventually, her body relaxed again, but she could still faintly feel her heart beating. It was slow, and dull, but it would beat hard. She could feel it pause in the middle of the beat; she had no idea what it was doing. She distracted herself by thinking about how the pony bodies worked. It helped keep her entertained as it was one of the things that she actually bothered to care about. By the time she came back to reality, they weren't far from Canterlot Castle, and Mystic was dreading going inside once again. Twilight opened the door and held it for them as they walked inside. Mystic looked back at her mom with discomfort in her eyes.
"Do I really have to do this?" Mystic asked.
"Yes," Twilight said, patting her daughter on the back. "You'll be fine, just go with Rarity and she'll start working on your coronation gown. Lapis and I will be in the main room waiting for you."
"Whatever," Mystic huffed as she walked down the hall to follow the fashion pony, who was already leaving.
Mystic walked in silence with her mom, and just faintly heard Lapis and Twilight chatting in the background before they left too. Rarity took Mystic into one of the smaller rooms of the castle, the one that had been made specifically for her to design in. As the head designer and the wife of the Empress, she was allowed to have her own space, and hers was completely full. It was like an exact copy of her designing studio in the Carousel Boutique, a building that Mystic hadn't been to since Rarity passed the shop, and its work, on to Yona and Sandbar.
"Come here, Mystic!" Rarity waved her hoof to alert her daughter. "We need to get your measurements just right. You've grown just a tiny bit since we last checked."
"Uh-huh," Mystic said flatly as she walked over.
She and Rarity said nothing as Rarity pulled out her measuring tape, and went straight to work. Occasionally Rarity broke the silence to tell Mystic to turn her head, lift her legs, spread her wings, or just to stand still. Mystic was unbelievably bored; it felt like she had been there for hours already, and she was not a fan. Eventually though, Rarity did finally get done with her measurements. As it turned out, she already had been making Mystic's gown since the first canceled coronation, but as Mystic had grown, she needed to adjust it to fit her now.
Mystic was eventually shoved into the gown for testing. It was a white layered dress that faded into a deep, dark periwinkle as it passed the back legs, and Mystic flinched each time a light glinted off the white sequins made to look like stars. The edge of the dress trailed behind her by at least a foot, and a few of the layers were tied behind her with bows. The sleeves were loose fitting and made with lace, though they only went down to the first bend in her leg. Mystic had wished the collar was higher, as it came straight down to the space just under her chest, exposing a majority of her white fluff.
It was somewhat difficult to squeeze her wings through the gaps in the dress, but she did manage and they rested comfortably on her back. Rarity made a few last minute adjustments, pulling the gown down further behind her and pulling the front up just a little more.
"The gown itself looks divine indeed!" Rarity squealed with delight. "Now, we just have a few accessories to add on. I'll try not to overdo your hair, as it still needs to fit the crown."
"Woah woah woah," Mystic lifted her hooves and waved them before her before Rarity could do anything. "Hey, I know I'm supposed to look presentable here, but you do not touch my hair."
"I don't mean to offend you, dear," Rarity began. "I do love that little hairstyle of yours. But we need to at least re-style it a little! You need to look more... regal, and not so casual. Your subjects will want to see a pretty hairstyle with your pretty dress!"
"You say that like my hair isn't 'pretty' enough for you," Mystic mocked her. "There's nothing wrong with my hair, and if I want to style it, I can do so myself."
"Mystic, I know you're stubborn, but one way or another this needs to be done," Rarity insisted. "I already fixed up your tail a little so it wouldn't look awkward underneath the dress, now something must be done about your mane."
"I said I'm not fucking changing it," Mystic hissed. "It is my mane, and I decide what to do with it. If you want it styled so badly, then just show me where everything is and I'll do it myself."
"Oh, I suppose it can't be helped," Rarity sighed as she gave in to the mare's irritation. "You can use the vanity over by the door, darling. I'll look through my own things and see what I can do for a few extra accessories to really make your outfit shine!"
"Have fun," Mystic said blankly as she walked to the vanity, and sat down.
She looked at herself in the mirror, already hating her appearance. She hated having to be pretty, but she hated that resting bitch face she always had more. She took a breath, sitting up straight and opening her eyes just a little more than usual. She tried to get that scowl off her face, and she had to admit she looked slightly better, but the effort of keeping this up just might kill her. She'd have to get used to smiling really quick before the coronation.
She shook her head, deciding not to focus on looks right now and instead focus on what she was going to do with her hair. She took her bun out, using her magic to teleport the hair tie back to her room at home. She sifted through the drawers and found a pearl hair tie. It looked pretty enough to her. She decided to grab the rest of her side mane, and rolled it up into a ball with the hair that would usually make up her bun. She tied it up with the hair tie, and fluffed it out between her ears, using some hairspray in the hopes it would all stay together. It was a start, she had to admit, but she still had a ways to go. She moved her head around to make sure that the new bun wouldn't fall apart, and she was lucky it was all staying together so far. She just had to figure out what to do with the front part of her mane.
She idly played with the hair while she thought of what to do, and eventually settled on splitting it up. She moved her mane to either side of her head, and curled each side up around her ears in somewhat of a loop that tied at the bottom with a few white clips that were on the vanity already. She didn't like how it looked that much, but she could spruce it up. She used the hair spray to make sure her hair would stay where it was, and she looked through the drawers again. She found a few sets of pearls within the drawers, and thought it would be a good idea to use them while she knew they existed. She took a few of them out and set them on the vanity. She hummed softly as she picked up one of the pearls, and examined it; it looked real to her. Much more real than the smile she was planning to wear...
She fit the pearl into her mane, and made a few lines of them along the split she had made that went to her ears. She put two loops of the pearls into the makeshift bun she had put up. There were two pearls left, and she carefully decided to attach them above her eyes like makeshift piercings. She looked pretty sparkly, and she hoped that Rarity would be happy with her appearance. She decided that she had done enough work, and stepped off the seat that was at the vanity.
"H-hey mom, I finished up," She said nervously. She was silently hoping that Rarity wasn't planning on dolling her up with make-up. She couldn't stand this look as is, and she didn't want to wash off later.
"Did you now?" Rarity turned around to look at her daughter, and her eyes sparkled. "Oh my, Mystic, those pearls look absolutely dazzling on you! And your hair is so pretty! Now where did you get that style from?"
"I just made it up," Mystic said with a shrug. "I don't read fashion magazines like you do."
"Well, my, that hairstyle is one even Photo Finish would have died for in her prime!" Rarity said with a joyful laugh. "If she weren't already retired, she would be snapping dozens of photos of your fabulous hair at every moment in this coronation!"
"Mom, I'm anxious enough," Mystic laughed nervously, and coughed into one of her wings. "I'm just glad you don't think it looks stupid. Now, what else do we have to do?"
"Oh! Right, of course," Rarity hummed as she lifted a few accessories with her magic. "I just had this absolutely gorgeous necklace I wanted you to wear. They call it a 'bib' necklace, it's a special type of neckwear that has multiple strings in appearance, but it all comes from the same strand! This one in particular I designed, I wanted it to match your gown so I tried to add a lovely purple fade along each strand."
"It looks pretty fancy," Mystic said as she picked up the necklace from Rarity using her own magic.
She slid the necklace on, just managing to fit it over her bun. It hung loosely over her figure, somewhat obscuring the exposed fluff. She deeply appreciated that.
"Doesn't it look beautiful?" Rarity said, tears in her eyes. "Oh, I'm so happy you finally get to wear this dress! I've waited years to see you in it!"
"I figured you'd make me a dress right away, and I wasn't wrong," Mystic hummed, actually bringing a smile to her face. "Well, is this all that I'm wearing? I'd be happy if it was."
"Other than your crown, I do think this will be all!" Rarity clapped her hooves. "And the crown should fit comfortably with that hairstyle, so I wouldn't worry. We should get going, all your friends are already waiting to see you crowned!"
"Oh, great." Mystic laughed, her smile stretching up to her ears despite her lips quivering.
She wasn't happy at all, but she did her best not to act nervous as she walked through the door. She could already feel her head spinning. She was not excited for her friends to see her in this stupid fucking outfit. She knew the second that she was out of the public eye she hoped to teleport the dress far enough away that even Rarity couldn't find it, and as for the pearls and her hair? She was sure she could shake it out like a dog would when its fur gets wet.
She took a deep breath, feeling her wings quivering on her back. She swallowed hard, feeling her head buzz as nervous sparks of magic wanted to break free from her horn and give her what little relief they could manage. She refused to let those sparks escape and make disaster befall her. She held her head high as she followed Rarity to the room that held the balcony where she would address her subjects. She heard Twilight speaking, and knew it was almost her turn. Her nerves threatened to make tears spill from her eyes, but she blinked quickly and felt the wells calming down again. She refused to give them time to spill.
She sighed, and forced her shoulders to relax. She hoped her coronation wouldn't be as embarrassing as Twilight's.