The bedroom of Princess Celestia was ornately decorated, with lavender curtains hanging from the ceiling, and a majestic canopy bed on which the ruler of Equestria lay.
A certain guard walked through the door, trying his best but failing to appear unswayed by the beautiful scenery.
"Blissful Silverstreak, at your service."
This was amazing to Bliss. He had finally been noticed after a whole year of being in the Royal Guard, by Princess Celestia herself!
She studied him for a moment, her eyes scanning up and down his golden-armored body. Finally, after a tense period of time which seemed like forever, she spoke. "At ease, private. I have a request for you."
Her voice was beautiful, almost seductive. Bliss relaxed, but formally stated, "I will carry out any orders you have for me."
She stepped off her bed, walking slowly towards him. He mentally slapped himself when he noticed her rump moving from side to side. "What I ask of you is more of a favor than an order... Take off your helmet. I can't see who I'm talking to."
He took off his helmet nervously, as if it were the only thing protecting him from the awkwardness of the situation. Dammit, private, hide the boner!
She stood face to face with him. His hair was a tangled orange mess, and his white coat smudged from a hard day's training. He felt like an ugly giant, as he was almost as tall as Her Majesty.
"I have been watching you. I must say, I'm very impressed by your athletic ability. It's not often we get an earth pony in the Guard. I believe that such skills should be put to use accordingly."
He cleared his throat nervously. "M'am, I will be ready to perform any task you have for me."
She lowered her muzzle and looked up at him from the tops of her eyes. "Good," she mouthed softly, slowly licking her lips.
Is what I'm thinking is happening, happening? He gawked, She's giving me bedroom eyes!
She noticed his open mouth and took it as an invitation to enter. Their lips locked, the softness of her lips and tongue surprising him.
After a few mind-boggling moments of pure ecstasy, she let go, staring him in the eye as a thread of spit that connected them broke and the remnants ran down his chin.
"Take off your armor, Bliss. Show me you can live up to your name."
The whole time he undid his armor, she licked him, as if prodding him to hurry. When he was done, he saw her fully erect wings, and now fully comprehended what was going on.
She turned around and walked to her bed, showing off her backside to Bliss, and looked over her shoulder as if to say 'follow me.'
He obeyed, as if in a trance. Once he reached her, Celestia smiled and shoved him onto the bed, jumping on top of him and moulding her curvy body to his.
No bucking way, he thought, No bucking way...
----------
It had certainly been a long time since their first meet. Or so it seemed.
Celestia had expected it to be no more than a one-night stand, but when Bliss, who thought it was more than that, realized this, it crushed him. Feeling guilty for ruining such a normally-cheerful stallion's spirits, she proposed to be 'friends'. If you're a male, you know that this word is one of the most feared among our kind, probably right under the phrase 'castrate.' But Bliss would have to take what he could get.
Surprisingly to the princess, they grew to be good friends. Celestia had expected him to be an arrogant, muscle-bound freak, like many of those with his physical ability.
He turned out to be quite the opposite; a good-natured, understanding gentle-stallion, who had a lot of friends but was actually pretty shy. She truly wondered what he was doing in the Guard.
Another peculiar, but not bad, trait about him was his unique ability to understand another pony's emotions. Celestia wasn't sure, but she assumed he could read body language. More or less, she never had to tell him when she was down for him to understand.
Maybe that was why she was feeling this way. She had been broken over the death of her close friend and former student Twilight Sparkle, who had died at the age of 72 from heart failure while in her sleep. It was extremely difficult, to say the least, to mourn and rule an entire country at the same time. But she was in good company; Bliss was very reassuring, with his comforting words and stories of life in Guard school. Luna, being the wonderful sister she was, volunteered to take over Celestia's duties for a week. Celestia agreed to this, feeling that she needed time to think things over.
Not just about Twilight, either, bless her soul...
It was the second night of Celestia's break when it first happened. She was dreaming about Twilight. A much younger Twilight, maybe in her late twenties. She was saying something.
"I'm sorry I had to leave. But you need to make new friends now."
Bliss appeared at her side. When she saw him, she just wanted to hug him.
Twilight was smiling warmly at her.
Wait a minute... Celestia thought, This is familiar...
She realized this was a dream. Her vision began to fade, and everything distorted wildly.
She woke up. Sunlight was streaming through the window.
Oh. That's right. Luna is taking care of the sun for me.
She tried to move, but felt a weight across her midsection. She looked, and saw an armor-clad Bliss lying beside her, his arms around her. His hair was splayed out and oily. The sun reflecting off of it made it look like it was on fire. She realized that she was embracing him, too.
She listened to his soft breathing for a moment. It was comforting. Then she remembered Twilight's words.
I'm sorry I had to leave. But you need to make new friends now.
She gazed upon the figure beside her. Even if it was a dream, Twilight was right. She needed to move on.
She decided to wake him up.
"Hey, Bliss. Wake up," she whispered softly into his ear.
His eyes sprang open wildly, scaring Celestia.
"Oh shitshitshitshit I slept in! Sarge is gonna be pissed!"
He jumped off the bed, put on his helmet, and bolted for the door. On his way out, he turned around.
"M-my apologies, Princess." His helmet fell off as he bowed, and he picked it up and ran off, slamming the door behind him.
Watching him leave, Celestia felt an emptiness in her heart.
----------
The fifth day of her break, Celestia sat in her room, nervously thinking about a decision she had come to.
She was going to tell Bliss exactly how she felt.
She had taken that first dream as a sign that Bliss wasn't going to replace Twilight, but rather help fill the hole in her heart left by Twilight's passing.
But her dreams of him had become more and more frequent, and more and more vivid.
She sought advice from a rather worn-out Luna. Her response was curt, but held meaning.
"Sister, it is obvious that you are growing fond of our friend Bliss."
Luna had met Bliss too, and very much approved of him. She was pleased with how well he could speak to her sister, because she had always felt Celestia was stoic and kept too much to herself.
"What exactly are you implying?"
"Dreams are often the representation of subconscious desires," she put bluntly, "You desire Bliss."
So Celestia sat on the bed in her room, watching the time.
He should be here in a few minutes. He always comes after training.
Coincidentally, a knock at the door sounded. Celestia put on her favorite necklace, hoping to look nice for Bliss.
How ironic. You used him, shoved him away, and now you're trying to make yourself look attractive in the hopes that he'll swallow his pride and come back to you. You don't deserve him, you really don't.
She still wanted to give him a try, though.
"Come in," she called.
The door opened, and Bliss walked in. He wore a concerned expression. He didn't even walk in the door, and he already knew something was off.
"Hey, Tia. Is something wrong? You usually open the door for me."
Ah.
"Of course you know. You always do."
He took off his armor, and sat down next to her. The smell of sweat and dirt drifted to her nostrils, but it didn't bother her too much.
"Sorry if I smell. I came here straight after training, because I felt something was off."
Celestia sighed, but said nothing.
Bliss gave an inquisitive look. "What's wrong? You're not acting like yourself."
She wanted to tell him, but the words wouldn't come out. It was like they were all jumbled up in the back of her throat, only letting her croak few forced syllables.
"I-, I..."
She felt his chest press against the side of her ribcage and his arms wrap around her midsection. Her wings opened slightly and twitched furiously.
Say it. Say it now.
"I love you, Bliss."
She could feel a change in the way he embraced her.
"What?"
Celestia could've sworn her heart died. She felt as if the whole world were crumbling in on her.
He doesn't like me, she thought, and now I've lost the only one who's ever understood me.
He let go of the hug and looked into her eyes.
She needn't say anything. Her expression said everything.
"I- I didn't know. I hadn't expected this..."
He turned away from her, either deep in thought or just not wanting to look at her. Her eyes moistened, and cold tears ran down her cheeks.
She just watched him, the side of his face turned to her. It felt horrible to watch him the way he was, as if he no longer cared for her and was trying to shun her from having anything to do with him.
She wept softly, broken hearted and yet believing that she deserved it nonetheless for using him and then crawling back to him, thinking he would forget all about what had happened them when they first met.
"Seven o' clock?"
She looked up from her sobbing and stared confused at him through her tear-filled vision.
"What?"
"I'm asking you on a date. Would seven be fine?"
She swooped him up in a hug, smiling to herself and letting her tears of sad longing turn to tears of joy.
----------
Celestia sighed. He would find out sooner or later. He needed to hear it from her; he would be disappointed if he didn't.
She raised a hoof to knock on his door.
She couldn't do it. A lump formed in her throat, and she walked back to her room, ready to burst into tears the moment she crossed through her door.
Just hold it in. None of your subjects have ever seen you cry, except for Bliss. And you can't talk to him right now.
As soon as she crossed into her room and closed her door, she began to tear up. She thought of what everyone would think of her. Luna. Cadence. The nobles, and all her subjects. And especially Bliss.
"Hey, Princess."
Princess Celestia whipped around, blinking the tears out of her eyes. Speak of the devil.
He stood next to her bed, viewing her with soft eyes and a reassuring smile. His helmet was off, but the rest of his golden armor sparkled with the sunset streaming through the window. His yellow-orange mane was a mess, and his white coat smudged, but that didn't detract from how handsome he looked.
His smile faded as he saw the the unmistakable redness around her eyes. As usual, he understood her emotions at a moment's glance.
He took it carefully, drawing out his words, a soothing tone equipped to his voice. "Is something wrong, Celestia?"
Though she understood the futility of her actions, she attempted to cover up her sudden emotional outburst with another. "Bliss, what are you doing in my room?"
He shrugged. "I knew you weren't going to knock on my door, so I came here so I could talk to you. Celly, what's wrong? You've been acting so out of character lately. Please, I just want things to go back to the way they were."
Celestia just stood there, dumbstruck. "But, Bliss," tears welled up in her eyes again, "Things will never go back to the way they were."
He controlled his breathing, and tried to imagine something so horrible that it would cause her to act like this. "I'm sure everything will be fine. What could possibly come between -us-?"
"You don't understand," Celestia retorted, her regal tone lost and taking on a high pitched whimper.
"I promise you, nothing will change." He walked over to her, his armor clanging softly with every step. "I just want to know what's wrong."
She looked into his eyes. Celestia saw the spirit of a stallion who would not let her down. So she had faith. Faith that he was true to her, true to his word. She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Bliss."
His thoughts were a in a jumble. Three things crossed his mind at the same time:
1.) She's really pregnant??
2.) -This- is what she hasn't been telling me?
3.) I've never seen her blush like that. It's actually kind of hot...
He finally brought himself back to reality. He looked at Celestia, who was waiting nervously for an answer, all the while blushing. Bliss realized he was caught staring, and instinctively blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "That's all?"
It's times like these that made those who didn't know him believe Bliss was stupid. Though he liked to think things through, he oftentimes let his guard down and said whatever was on his mind. This had gotten him into a lot of trouble before, especially with the Princess.
Right now, however, it made her love him more than ever. He was having no doubts about her, no second-guessings.
He was mentally kicking himself when Celestia overtook him with a hug so strong, she would've broken his back had it not been for the armor. He timidly hugged her back, shocked but happy that she wasn't mad at him.
She pulled herself away, still holding his shoulders, so that she was face to face with him. He saw worry in her, but said nothing, as he knew she would explain herself.
"Bliss," she said, a sincere but saddened look in her eye, "you don't have to do this."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You're only nineteen. Most stallions your age don't even run their -own- lives, much less taking care of a foal. I don't want to force you into this."
He just stared at her for a moment, then said, "You're not forcing me. I made a decision, to be with you, and I really don't want it any other way."
Celestia's wings suddenly spread out, beauty emanating from such a magnificent sight. Bliss couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him.
Wait a minute. Her wings are flaring up. Doesn't that mean...
Bliss didn't have time to complete that thought. Celestia knocked him down and stood over him, licking her lips lustfully. His armor was undone in a golden aura, and in a flash of light he and Celestia were on the bed.
She lay beside him and draped her leg around his, and said in a quite seductive tone, "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Since we've lied together, in the same bed?"
Bliss was unsure of what to do. He could feel a certain... rising, but didn't know if this was a good idea at the moment. In spite of himself, he took the cautionary route.
"Princess-"
She cut off his objection by quickly planting a kiss on his open mouth. She pulled away again, licking her chops and enjoying the taste on her lips. "That's right, I'm your princess. And since you're my subject, you must obey orders."
With that, her normally flowing mane dropped, and lavishly dragged along his face, its extremely soft texture and appealing scent adding immensely to the arousal he was already feeling.
He gave in. "Yes, my Princess." He pulled her back to him, letting the sensations exhilarate him beyond belief.
Crazy pregnancy hormones...
But hey, I ain't even mad.
----------
Princess Celestia and Prince Bliss of Equestria lied in the bed of the upper-class hospital suite, admiring the new alicorn filly cradled in Celestia's forehooves. Bliss nursed a black eye from when his wife had gotten a contraction just as she was trying to tap him awake, but it didn't hinder him from cooing at the foal.
The tired parents shared a quick kiss before drifting back into sleep's warm embrace, dreaming about the future to come.
----------
Celestia ran through the halls of the castle, finally arriving at Bliss's 'Personal Office Space'. Basically, his old room that he had decided to keep for some reason, even though he never used it.
She whipped the door open. Her eyes quickly located the bed, which was lined with blood-soaked sheets and occupied by an unconscious Bliss.
She quickly rushed to him, taking care not to run into her beloved, but getting as close as she could so she could take in every detail to try and determine whether or not he would be okay.
From the looks of it, he wasn't doing too good.
She took her hoof, and caressed his cheeks. He felt cold, but that was the least of her worries when she saw his broken legs and bleeding chest, which was covered with bandages but blood still soaked through.
"What happened to him?" asked Celestia of the doctor, who had been watching solemnly the whole time.
Instead of the doctor, a nearby guard spoke up. "Some unidentified conspirators tried to breach the castle walls. A unicorn threw a jagged boulder at one of the Privates, and the Lieutenant here shoved him out of the way, but not without being grazed by the rock himself."
The doctor informed her, "His forelegs are broken and he has several broken ribs. I wouldn't have been worried too much except for the blood loss." he rested his hoof on her shoulder. "He's lost a lot of blood. It's not looking too good."
She sniffled, searching in vain for a way to fix her husband. "What about the unicorn medics? Can't they perform magic on him, and make him heal faster?"
The doctor shook his head. "Even if we could find a way to regenerate his blood, his heart's failing. I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone."
The doctor walked out the door, followed by the guard.
The guard turned around, "He was a real inspiration to us all, even before he sacrificed himself," he said, "I would have never made it through my first week of training if it weren't for him."
On that note, he left, shutting the door behind him.
Our daughter. She's only two years old. She'll be growing up without knowing what a great father she had.
Celestia woke up. Her breathing was rapid, and she realized she was crying in her sleep.
It was just a dream. Calm down, just a dream.
A simple calendar floated into her vision. A red circle marked a certain date, and she tried to make out what it was.
Their fourth anniversary was today.
Bliss has always left me roses on our bed for our anniversary.
She looked to the other side of the bed. It was empty.
She sighed, and walked over to the smaller bed on the other side of the room.
She gently shook awake a sleepy filly.
"Come on, Stardust. It's time to go see your father."
Stardust sat up and yawned. She rubbed her eyes, then slowly slipped from the bed onto the floor, shivering slightly from the breeze coming through the window.
"Are you cold? Here, let me raise the sun so it'll get warmer, okay?"
The filly half-liddedly nodded, and Celestia walked to the window.
Her whole body glowed golden, and the crack of dawn began to show from over the now-pink horizon.
"There. It'll be warmer in a few minutes. Let's get some breakfast, and then we'll head down to see your father, okay?"
Stardust nodded.
----------
Mother and daughter walked in silence to the courtyard.
Stardust's mane sparkled, a lot like Luna's. In fact, she looked more like Luna than Bliss or Celestia.
They trudged through the grass, until they came to the graveyard for honored ponies.
'Twilight Sparkle, age 72. Beloved wife, great friend.'
Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy, the remaining Elements of Harmony, had decided on the simple epitaph. They thought she wouldn't have wanted anything fancy, even with the great advances in science and magic she had brought on.
On the right of her grave was another, this one the classic 'grave shape' but with a star on top. This was Bliss's grave.
Celestia dropped the roses at the foot of the grave. She stood back, just staring, as if hoping that he would rise forth from the earth and join her and Stardust in an embrace of pure joy.
Sadly, it wouldn't happen.
Celestia read the inscription out loud, not only for Stardust to hear but also for herself.
"Lieutenant Blissful Silverstreak, twenty-two years old. Died in the line of duty, honored purple heart recipient."
Celestia knew what came next, and began to sob. Her daughter wrapped her forehooves around her Celestia's leg to comfort her, but it just reminded her all the more of Bliss.
In spite of herself, she continued reading. "He was a faithful husband to Princess Celestia, and a great father to Princess Stardust. He thought of everyone but himself, which was demonstrated even in his final moments. Though he could be a quiet stallion, there are many who love him, and he will never be forgotten. May he rest in piece, Prince Blissful Silverstreak."
She openly wept, mourning for the loss of the only one that had ever truly understood her, the only stallion that she would ever care for. She only got to know him for three short years, much too short a time in the life of an alicorn. How she longed for his words, his gentle touch.
"Blissful Silverstreak," she moaned, "I miss you so much. I'll never find anyone like you again."