101 years after Lunar Lock Mirror restoration.
Princess Sunset Shimmer was the first to arrive. As it should be, since it was at her request that the meeting needed to take place. They all had busy schedules, but the subject of this particular meeting had been weighing upon her mind and could be delayed no further.
One moon ago, roughly a month, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and both their guard captains, Tempest Fury and Fog Gauge, had traveled through the Lunar Lock Mirror back to Earth where Sunset had spent more than half her long life. It had been an exciting and eventful vacation getaway. Fun was had, unforgettable memories were made, they even secured a robotic body for Sunset’s artificial intelligence powered phone she named Raven. However, part of that 'fun' was why Sunset felt this briefing needed to occur.
Regret was not something Sunset experienced often. At least not in Equestria, thankfully. But as a human on Earth, she had done many things that fell into the category of ‘regret’. One particular thing, that at the time had been fun and informative, now weighed heavily upon her mind and needed to be dealt with in the open since said vacation trip had ended with Sunset proposing marriage to her fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle. At least that was something she did not regret.
“I did try to warn you.”
Sunset shook her head and glanced over at Raven, whose robot body was hidden behind a powerful illusion where she appeared as a cream colored earth pony with a chestnut brown mane wig that was currently neatly pinned up. Sunset smiled serenely at Raven and nodded. “I know you did, but I was not thinking straight at the time and after talking to you about this last week I agreed that if I am going to marry this amazing mare, I need to come clean to her about everything. Even the stupid shit I have pulled. I mean, I’m pretty sure I know how she is going to take it, but… one can never be a hundred percent sure.”
“As I asked last week, do you love her?”
“Without a doubt or hesitation. I love her.”
“Then hold to that and explain your actions, your reasons, and why you feel this needs to be said. The rest will be up to her.”
Before Sunset could comment, the door to the royal chambers opened and Twilight Sparkle walked in. She smiled brightly at Sunset, only to arch a brow questionably at Sunset’s timidness and rare inward turning body language. She had assumed that her fiancé had wanted to push for this short notice meeting in their shared chambers for something fun and possibly risqué. She had even asked her assistant, Isabella Windsong to go ahead and begin to prepare for the next work meeting so as to sneak away. However, seeing Raven made Twilight question the nature of this calling.
“Oh, so, this is a REAL meeting not a *ahem* quicky. Um… I can message Isa and call her back.”
“No!” Sunset shook her head quickly. “No, that's not necessary. Raven will be on her way to assist Isabella as soon as…” Both princesses turned to the sound of an armored hoof knocking on the door. Twilight opened the chamber door with her magic and was not surprised but only more confused to find her solar captain, Tempest Fury, in the doorway. What she had not expected to see was Tempest’s husband, the lunar captain, Fog Gauge, right behind her. Twilight had questions. Several of them.
“Gauge? Shouldn’t you be resting before your shift?”
“I was summoned, by my princess.”
Tempest nodded and glared at Sunset. “As was I. Schedules are important and no matter what the bat ponies tell you, they need sleep too. What is this all about, Shimmer?”
If it had been anyone else, such disregard of title would have been seen as a punishable insult of the highest order. However, Sunset and Tempest had that kind of friendly, occasionally confrontational, relationship. It was one of the reasons why this subject had not been brought up and why they were in the most secure room in the entire castle if not all of Canterlot.
Sunset sighed and turned back to Raven, gesturing to the door. “I will not be far. Clear the air, make this right. And if need be, talk with me later before you hit the bottle, agreed?”
Sunset nodded. “Yes, agreed.” The door closed. The three remaining ponies turned back to the goldenrod alicorn who then used her magic to seal the room. “Soooooo... I have something I need to tell you, Twilight. A… small confession, but one that I really need to be honest about. It's been eating away at me and it's important that I get it out there.”
Twilight arched a brow for a moment, sat back on her haunches and gestured. She schooled her emotions and held her tongue on what that could possibly mean, keeping her the rest of her expression as neutral as possible just like she would in court dealing with petitioners and nobles.
“Right,” Sunset began, glancing to Tempest and Gauge. It was the first time since returning from their vacation that the four of them had been in a room together. Sunset knew time was limited and just jumped right in.
“Sunny?”
“While we were on the other side of the portal I touched Fog Gauge. Intimately.”
Twilight blinked a few times. That statement could mean any number of things. Not counting the incalculable number of subtexts that often were unwritten. More data was required. “Could you elaborate?”
Sunset once again glanced to Fog Gauge, who said nothing and remained still. Then to Tempest, who gestured with her hoof for the princess to continue. Sunset, felt her cheeks flush like a filly caught investigating her own bits for the first time. “Um… first off, I can explain most of my behavior as me just being me, but also part of it was the human monkey hormones that run rampant when we are on the other side. I spent years, decades there learning to control them, but sometimes they just override logical thought in the moment.”
“I understand. I’ve felt it too and remember becoming infatuated with Flash Sentry after only just meeting him. Which was both exciting and scary now that I recall. Wait, so when you say touched intimately, do you mean that you had sex with Captain Gauge?”
“NO! No, nonono. I assure you we, er, I did not go that far.”
“You can say we, my princess,” said Gauge, quietly. “I was doing what you asked, but also what my own body desired. I will accept my share of the blame if we are bringing this event to light.”
It was Twilight’s turn to glance to the two captains. She noted that Tempest did not seem surprised or upset by the comment in the slightest. That pointed towards that only Twilight had been in the dark about this particular occurrence. “Sunset Shimmer, just spill it. I’m getting all kinds of horrible ideas in my head so just, you know, paint me a picture for me.”
Sunset slumped and turned her head to the ceiling. Then, with an exasperated sigh, said rapidly, “Gauge woke me up early on the second morning with an important question and before my brain was fully functional, I noticed that we were both in the bathroom, completely naked. I had a sudden desire to measure the size of his dick because I was curious and then played with it a little bit before teasingly grinding my wet vag on his shaft until I stopped, but there was no penetration! I regained some sense of control, pushed back from him, and finished myself off with my hand before shoving the juice covered fingers into his mouth so he could taste me and lick them clean... Wow, that sounds really lewd out loud.”
Twilight blinked a few times. Then, once again glanced to Tempest to see if her captain had any sort of reaction. A simple, possibly sour distaste expression crossed her face before returning to neutral. Twilight shifted so that she too was sitting more comfortably before finally tapping her chin in contemplation. “You measured his… dick? I assume that is his stallionhood. I’m sure I’ve heard others call it that before.”
“There are like a thousand different names for it. Most of them more terrible than the one before. I could compile you a list if you like?”
Sunset had said the remark with a smirk and a playful, toothy smile, but Twilight was not going to give in so easily to that smile she loved even with the promise of a new compiled list to read. Oh no, her fiancé was not getting out of this predicament that she dug herself in. Not without more explanation beyond, “stupid human hormones.” However, when Twilight glanced to Captain Gauge, her eyes inadvertently started to wander down his armored covered body and she had to forcibly avert her gaze before it continued farther south than what was appropriate in the company of others. Twilight was once again reminded that the bat pony was more than just an exceptional guard. He was an exceptionally handsome and fit stallion as well.
Focus, Twilight!
“I would like to see that list some time, but right now I would really like a better understanding as to why you did this at all? How did it come to touching his…”
“Shaft?”
“Yes.”
“Shlong?”
“Sunny.”
“Pleasure rod?”
“Sunset,” Twilight said with a warning tone and narrowed eyes.
“Seriously, now you are just making this weird,” grumbled Tempest.
Sunset shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve got a whole list. Anyhow, it all came about because Fog knew he wanted to spend some intimate time with his wife and was unsure if the changes that were made by the mirror to his body were normal. I assured him they were and… well… I let my curiosity get the better of me and I went too far. I’m sorry. Let me go ahead and get that out of the way first.”
Twilight grimaced and tapped her chin. She then turned to her captain, who still did not seem near as upset as one would have expected from a married mare. Further investigation was required. “Tempest?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you not more upset about all of this? Another mare touched your husband's... naughty bits.”
Captain Tempest Fury removed her helmet and set it on the hook build into the side of her armor. She next took a moment brush out and fluff her pink and white mane that was styled primarily to the right of her horn on top and short along the back of her neck. Finally, the stout unicorn turned her jade eyes to Sunset Shimmer, then to her husband, and lastly to Twilight Sparkle. “I know I touched on this briefly before, but I think an example might help you better understand, Your Highness. Captain, Gauge?”
“Yes, Captain Fury?”
“Please state for the princess the order of your unquestionable loyalty.”
Gauge straightened to full parade attention, eyes forward, wings snapped rigidly to his sides. “As a thestral Lunar Guard my loyalty to the Princesses of Equestria is unwavering and without question. The princesses always come first. I accept their clear wishes and orders without hesitation or compromise. Next, I am loyal to my Mistress of the Night, Luna, Goddess of the Moon, Mother to all those who live by the cover of darkness. My brothers and sisters of the night. Our mistress selected us for her guard and put us through rigorous trials and training. We were reborn through ritual magic, reforged into bat ponies. We live to serve. I would then place my next loyalty to the chain of command, which for me is fortunate that she is my equal in rank and my wife.”
“And which princess do you place above all the others?” Tempest continued.
Gauge took a moment to bow to Sunset. “She who sits up the lunar throne and is the current keeper of the moon. Princess Sunset Shimmer.”
“Well, that makes sense,” commented Twilight. “He is her captain.”
Tempest smirked but then schooled her expression back to hardened professional. “And if your princess ordered you stand at attention and to allow her measure your stallionhood to satisfy her curiosity, would you do so?”
“Yes.”
All the eyes turned to Sunset. The goldenrod alicorn rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I didn’t word it like that exactly. He just took my comment AS and order.”
Tempest continued without skipping a beat. “And if she ordered you to pleasure her and penetrate her and breed her, would you do it?”
Twilight’s jaw hung open and Sunset’s eyes went wide, her wings nearly snapping all the way out, but she held them in check if only just barely. “Say WHAT?”
“H-Hold on,” Sunset stammered, “I-I didn't s-say that… I would never-”
“Yes,” Gauge interrupted. His only reaction to the question was to glance back and forth at the three mares. “However, I would feel guilty afterwards and confess said orders to you, my wife, so that you would understand why I committed such a deed.”
Tempest smiled and gestured with a hoof. “And that’s why I’m not terribly upset. Because he was following orders as any good solider does and it could have been far more. Sunset is a princess. More so, she is HIS princess and if she so wanted to, she could have him do whatever she wanted. And not just with Fog Gauge. All the bat ponies are like this, in case you did not know that. That is her right by rank and station. But even temporarily blinded by lust, she didn’t do that. Now on the other hoof, just to make things clear, if she were still just ‘Lady Shimmer’ the mysterious wandering daughter of Celestia with no rank, title, or crown like any other noble and had fooled around with my husband through magic or manipulation, you can bet a shiny new bit I would have smashed her upside the head and taught her a lesson about boundaries. Alicorn or not.”
“So,” Twilight began after several seconds of consideration. “Sunset and Gauge found themselves in the bathroom one morning and you both touched and inspected each other’s genitalia. There was some mild sexual contact, but nothing serious and he reported all of this in detail to you, his wife.”
“Yes,” Tempest said.
“And you felt guilty about it since WE are in a relationship and you were planning to propose to me,” Twilight continued, her hoof moving to the engagement stone that was in her left ear.
“Yes,” said Sunset, her own engagement stone hidden under her turned and flattened ears, head bowed slightly.
Twilight sighed. She made several more faces that Sunset would have laughed at, but fought it down given the circumstances. Finally, after nearly a minute of contemplation, Twilight nodded. “Tempest, would you and Sunset please step out in the hall? I would like a moment with Captain Gauge to clarify a few things.”
The other two mares exchanged glances but then nodded and did as Twilight asked. Tempest returned her helmet to her head and followed Sunset out before slowly closing the door. The magic dampening seals immediately snapped back into place. It was as strong was before and if Twilight was currently screaming at Captain Gauge or blowing him to tiny bits they would not be able to hear a peep of it. Or smell it for that matter. Twilight Sparkle rarely ever did anything in half measure.
“Soooooo, this could be bad.”
Tempest glanced over to Sunset and, much to the princess’s surprise, she simply shrugged in a manner that her husband was famous for. “Don’t get yourself worked up. I think it will be fine. Twilight is probably just cross referencing the story and processing the information. It will likely end with her thanking him for his honesty and asking him to not to ever do that again, which is useless since that was the entire point of my list the loyalty speech. But bad? Nah. That big purple mare loves you too much and I know you love her.”
Sunset let out a relieved breath and smiled genuinely. “Thanks. I think I really needed to hear that right now.”
Tempest nodded. “Though if I’m allowed to be frank for the moment. Just between the two of us, no crowns or stripes, I would appreciate if this never happened again. Neither of us need this kind of complication in our lives.”
Sunset nodded. “Yeah. I’ve done some dumb things in my time when I let my other senses get the better of me, but this one could have broken some relationships and that is just not acceptable.”
“Good. Glad we have an understanding.”
Sunset side eyed the solar captain, a smirk creeping across her face. “He is so freaking loaded though. I can’t believe you can handle him like you do. I’d love to hear your secret.”
Tempest groaned and shook her head. “Annnnnd you had to go and make it weird again.”
* * * * *
Captain Gauge was not sure what else needed to be said on the matter, but would gladly answer any questions Twilight Sparkle had for him if it meant putting this all to rest. The brownish gray bat pony stood at attention while the purple alicorn paced back and forth through the lounge space. Finally, after a full minute of pacing, Twilight came to a stop and turned to him.
“Should I be upset by this? I think I should. But, for some weird reason, I’m not and that in of itself is upsetting!”
Gauge simply blinked his eyes while Twilight once again resumed her pacing.
“I knew what I was getting into when I pressed for this relationship. I made the first move. Did you know that? I did, yes I did… at least, mostly. It was still mutual, but she never would have made the first move. Still, I have known Sunset Shimmer for a long time and I knew she was a bit wild and adventurous. She has never been afraid to try something new. I, on the other hoof always feel I need to analyze the variables from every perspective. But am I overthinking all of this? Not thinking about it enough from all the angles perhaps? Did I miss some crucial data? There is just so much to consider!”
“May I speak freely, Your Highness?”
“Oh, please do! I am in need of frankness I think.”
Gauge removed his helmet and set it to his side. He cleared his throat and then smiled brightly, golden yellow eyes seeming to glow in the low light. “Princess, your fiancé is one of the most amazing ponies, nay, one of the most amazing beings I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She is a goddess. And like gods from myth and fable they are difficult to predict, difficult to stop, and most certainly, difficult to fathom. You, Twilight, have an advantage on all these fronts over mortals such as myself. You are a goddess as well, in body and spirit. You need not examine all the variables save for one. Are you willing to test your resolve against such a powerful storm of a being that is Sunset Shimmer? For if there is one other in this world that can step into such passionate flames and calm it, it is you.”
Twilight blinked several times, finally tapping her chin and arching a brow exclaiming, “Well, thank you for such eloquent words, but how does that help me decide how to handle this situation?”
Gauge rolled his eyes before stepping closer to Twilight. “Remember, you are a Princess of Equestria too. You stand neither above nor below Princess Sunset Shimmer. Prove to her and to yourself that whatever she can do you can do as well and that together you can both do anything, including cooling those wild flames and keep each other in line.”
Twilight considered the words. “Equal?”
“Without question.”
“So…” Twilight’s gleaming purple eyes took on a mischievous glint as her smile became quirky, “if I asked you to show me what you and Sunset did on vacation and thus recreate the scenario, you would?”
Gauge paused for just a moment before he saluted and bowed his head. “If that is the wish of the princess, then yes. However, are you certain you wish to recreate it… exactly?”
Twilight lit her horn and all the straps and buckles on the bat pony’s armor came loose. A surprised gasp escaped his lips when he felt telekinetic magic in a place on his body he was not expecting. Gauge’s entire body stiffened to attention.
“Tell me how it started, captain, and do not miss a single detail. I am very detail oriented and I want to see it all.”
“O-Of course, princess. It’s just that…”
“Equal? Right?”
“Y-Yes, princess. After a brief discussion about our... human bodies, Princess Sunset said she wanted to check… something.” Gauge could feel the magical sensations growing in intensity, stroking, as it were. He kept his eyes on the princess and continued. “T-That there was something… she had to check, t-to know for certain.”
“Mmmhmm. And what did she want to check?”
Gauge shuddered from what he was feeling below as well as from the unflinching gaze of the alicorn before him.
* * * * *
Sunset tapped a beat onto the stone. Tempest stood and waited patiently with only the barest of shifting movement. A guard was trained to stand still for hours and even as captain she still considered herself one of the guard. The guard captain was certain that unless it were a matter of life or death that the Lunar Princess was incapable of sitting still. Tempest laughed to herself. Sometimes it was hardly believable that the goldenrod alicorn was more than a century old. She certainly did not act like it sometimes. Tempest briefly wondered if Celestia had been the same way when she was still wearing a crown. She had only known the sun goddess in her later years in retirement and even then not well.
“Doesn’t this strike you as taking a bit too long for a one-on-one conversation?”
Tempest gave Sunset her best glaring side eye. “We both know Twilight demands details.”
“Yeeeeah, but about this?”
“If it makes you uncomfortable maybe next time keep your curious, grabby hooves to yourself.”
Sunset was about to further retort when the door opened and Captain Gauge quickly exited. He bowed politely to Sunset and said, “If there is nothing else I wish to return home and rest until my shift begins this evening.”
Sunset blinked a few times before her brain restarted and interpreted that he was asking his princess for orders in her official capacity. “Oh, right. Yes, captain, you are dismissed.”
Gauge bowed again and quickly turned to Tempest Fury, pausing for a moment to stare intensely into her eyes before whispering, “Come home early before I start.”
Sunset arched a brow and flicked an ear. She was probably not supposed to hear that, but the quiet of the hall and her sensitivity made it easy. However, what she found more interesting was Tempest Fury’s reaction. Her lips parted slightly and her jade eyes were shining and wide. There was even just the slightest hint of flush redness to her cheeks that could only just barely be seen under her helm. Tempest spied Sunset’s gaze and turned away.
“Welllllll…” Sunset and Tempest both turned to the purple alicorn who was standing in the doorway, her crown slightly askew, an erratic wave to her flowing mane, and an unmistakable scent of sweat and arousal about her. “That was… informative.”
“Uhhh, Twily? You okay there? Got everything you need?”
“Need? No. But I learned a few things,” Twilight practically purred with a lopsided smile.
Sunset glanced to Tempest who was maintaining her stoic composure. Once again reminding the goldenrod alicorn to never play card games with her. “So, are you and I good? No issues moving forward? I mean, I can apologize again and again if you like. I can promise this will not happen again.”
Twilight continued to smile. “I know. I love you and I trust you. I can see the whole picture now and everything is fine with you and I moving forward from this. Perhaps in the future if you are feeling you need to ‘liven things up’ or whatever just keep me in the loop. We are going to be both married and ruling together. Right? Equal partnership.”
Sunset nodded eagerly, a grin spreading across her face. “Absolutely. No secrets or going behind the back on impulse. All out in the open.”
Twilight beamed. “Good.” The purple alicorn leaned over and kissed her fiancé on the cheek. “And as far as this story goes, we’re even.”
Sunset pondered the words for a moment, putting all the pieces together. Teal eyes went wide before she finally barked out a laugh. “Seriously?!”
Tempest groaned and shook her head before returning to parade rest position. “Ugh. You are both terrible, I mean that. Congrats, you’re made for one another.”
Twilight paused and glanced to her left at the solar captain with half lidded eyes. “Tempest,” the vermilion unicorn paused her movement, “go home and assist your husband. Now.”
“Uh, I mean there are still a number of things I still need to t-”
“That’s an order. I will be fine. I have other things I need to take care of. Raven and Isabella can deal with my schedule changes for a few hours.”
“I guess that means I should probably head off as well.”
Sunset felt her hooves glue to the floor. An impressive feat of magic considering her hoofguards were made of magic resistant ferronite, but then this was Twilight Sparkle. The Solar Princess and Element of Magic was capable of almost anything she put her mind to. Sunset felt both her excitement and anxiety spike simultaneously like only Twilight could do.
“Sunset?”
“Yes?”
“Is there somewhere you need to be?”
“Well, I’m not really tired so I figured I would just go do some art or work on music in my other room until this afternoon.”
Twilight grinned. “The answer you meant to say was, ‘no, I’m free and I’m all yours. Have your way with me'.”
Without waiting for further reaction or response Sunset felt herself being dragged back into the royal chambers and the door sealed behind soundproof magic.