To be a princess or prince was a golden opportunity never to be touched upon ponies barely lucky enough to even meet royalty. For the ponies that inhabited Celestia's empire, there was no greater gift than a crown and the Equestrian throne.
Of course, the ponies that actually wished to be the next ruler in line were missing two key details to even try to rank themselves among the Princesses themselves. One was, for obvious reasons, that they had to be an alicorn. No mortal pony could ever live nearly the amount of years that such eternal ponies could—unless one was a dragon who lived the proper amount of time to maybe take the throne (if they didn't already have their own kingdom, that is).
The second was that one had to be of Royal blood.
As harsh as it seemed, even if a creature was able to live as long as Princess Celestia and Luna, that creature couldn't take the throne unless they were a descendant of either Princess or another of their blood alone. This really slimmed many other chances for so many ponies, of different royal blood, of completely different countries or not.
No creature was allowed to take the throne from either of the heirs if they weren't proper Royal Equestrian blood. The kingdom would never allow it.
So Celestia was caught completely off guard when Luna appeared in their throne with, a brown and white spotted stallion beside her. This brown eyed stallion was Pipsqueak, Luna's coltfriend.
Celestia sighed loudly, shutting her eyes and rubbing her forehead. She was doing whatever she could to not send the sun crashing down on all of them because of her sister's question. Granted, it was one of extreme pleasure for an older sister to hear, but not one needed to be told in front of a mortal and, well, normal pony.
“Y-you wish to do what again, dear sister?” Celestia asked, praying to her mother and father above that she had heard wrong, or that Luna was playing a cruel, ridiculous joke on her...again.
“Thou—I mean, I wish to ask, dear sister, if I may be wedded to this young stallion, a friend of myself that you've known for twelve years now, Tia,” Luna, co-ruled of Equestria and Goddess of the moon and night sky itself, begged. She looked her sister in the eyes.
The male in question nervously pawed at the rug before him, not sure what to say and just allowed the two female rulers to talk it out. Not being sent to the moon would be a nice bonus, as well.
Pipsqueak really didn't know how Luna even talked him into this. All he wanted was to talk a walk around the Canterlot gardens with her in her realm of the night; it was their third date. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, she thought that he had asked her to marry him when he was just trying to get a thorn out of his hoof.
Maybe she had a bit of a rebellious streak, or she tended to jump to everything a little faster than mortal ponies, but she was not one to wait.
She grabbed him by the shoulders, then teleported him to Celestia's bedroom at midnight. She had begged her sister to have them married...which somehow led them to now, in the Royal Canterlot throne room. A very tired Goddess of the Sun was glaring at him now, and his knees buckled under him, but one look in Luna's eyes strengthened his resolve...for now.
Celestia grunted, and Luna looked at her older sister with a smile. That smile fell, though, and as a habit, she could no longer wait. She pulled out a carton of Diseased Stallion from her right wing and took a cigarette out. The princess placed it in her mouth, lighting it, and breathing in a lungful of the nicotine. She blew out the gray smoke, which made Pipsqueak wince.
Luna had taken up the habit of smoking when she came into Ponyville on Nightmare Night, when Pipsqueak was seventeen years old. She caught Rainbow Dash and Spike, with his marefriend, Scootaloo, smoking outside of a Caramel apple booth. When she asked what it was, Rainbow, ever the loud mouth, told her it was a stress reliever and asked Luna if she wanted one. The night princess agreed and took one.
After a coughing fit on her first, Luna eventually grew used to them, and now it was rare to see her not with one. Whether it was casual, or in this case, a more stressful event, she needed one.
Pipsqueak didn't mind when she smoked, but when she tried to kiss him after she had one, then he minded. Celestia, on the other hoof, hated to see her sister get addicted to such a disgusting habit that poisoned her lungs. She tried to do what she could to get her off it, to no avail.
“No smoking in the throne room Luna! You know this!” Celestia screamed.
Pipsqueak cowered to the floor, his hooves covering his face. He closed his eyes while Luna merely rolled her own. She levitated the cigarette out of her mouth, extinguished it out on the carpet beneath her hooves, then put it behind her ear to smoke later.
“NOT ON THE CARPET! THAT RUG IS OLDER THAN THE TWO OF US COMBINED!” Celestia screeched in horror.
Luna had had enough. “Damn it, Celestia, pay attention. This is important... please, sister. You know how much I love him,” Luna said softly, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes.
Celestia sighed loudly, her voice mournful, almost pleading. “Luna, he is a mortal pony. Even if were to overrule the ancient laws of which mother and father have passed down to us upon our coronations, he would still die in a hundred years, even less. I do not wish to put you in that heartbreaking position, little sister. I would never forgive myself,” Celestia whispered.
Luna, knowing how serious her tone was, looked down to the floor, swallowing the spittle in her throat. Her mind raced with the harsh reality of Celestia's words. She was right; no matter what they both did, what laws they had to overpass, Pipsqueak, with all his strength, passion, charm, and witty, smart mouth remarks to those who disapproved of them, was just a mortal, Earth pony.
But second to her beloved sister, he was the most important pony in Luna's entire life...all 1021 years to be exact.
Her heart raced as she looked into his eyes. Her hooves would feel awkward when she was walking with him, and her body felt as if it would melt when he spoke his honest, loving, and passionate words. Luna knew that she could not, nor ever meet, any other stallion that would ever create such feelings for her body.
She cursed under her breath of these damned ancient laws of the throne. She swore if the Gods—well, other than her and her sister, of course—would be able to bypass these laws, she would spend as much time as she could with her true love before the Reaper Pony had to take his soul away from her with his scythe. She would even resign her crown, her immortal body, and spend the rest of existence with him whenever and wherever his soul was whisked away from her; she simply could not lose him
With a deep breath, and boring her eyes into her sister's, she spoke carefully and with such softness that she had only ever used once on her sister. That was when she was given the crown and asked to be the Goddess of the Night, right after she was given her Cutie Mark
“Please sister...I love him,” she whispered, her eyes showing how far she'd go for this stallion. She knew how much she couldn't live without him
Celestia knew, too, that Luna would never get so serious, unless it was truly necessary. With a deep breath, and knowing her sister would go to extreme measures, if she had to, Celestia made her choice. She knew it would change Equestria itself...hopefully, for the better.
“Very well, Luna-”
“Oh, thank you, thank you! THANK YOU SISTER, THOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS! WE SWEAR!” Luna screamed, accidentally slipping into her Royal We. She blushed and hugged her sister tight.
Celestia chuckled, but coughed as she felt winded by the sudden assault. “But...you must quit smoking if this is to be done,” Celestia demanded, but still chortling
Luna glanced at her sister, somber. “Never,” she replied, dropping on all four hooves again. She trotted out of the throne room calling out to her soon-to-be husband.
“Come along, Pip. We have a wedding to prepare!” she squealed, starting to skip out the door.
Pipsqueak turned, then bowed before the Sun Goddess with a small smile. “Thank you, Princess Celestia. This means a lot to us.”
He spoke with such honesty that she was touched by his words. But as a big sister, there was still a single matter at hoof.
“Call me Celestia now, Pip. You are family now...through no choice of your own,” she said, laughing, knowing Luna would have made it so he had no choice, anyway. But she knew how much Pipsqueak loved Luna, just by how they stared at one another, and he would never be against her plans—even if they landed him in trouble. It reminded her of how Scootaloo always got her dragonfriend, Spike, in trouble through her... actions.
She smiled before her mouth fell into a serious frown. “But know this, Pipsqueak,” she added in a very serious tone that could only come from a sister who loved her blood very much. “If you shall ever, for ANY reason, break my sister's heart...I swear by my crown that I will throw you into the sun myself. Understood?” she demanded.
The stallion bowed as low as his body would physically allow, a shiver touching his spine. “Yes, Celestia,” he replied. Without another word, also aware that Luna would get annoyed if he kept her waiting any longer, he galloped out of the throne room. The back of his mind kept whispering to him that he was now royalty.
Celestia sighed loudly once more, wanting nothing more than a glass of red wine. “I hope for all our sakes, Luna...we have not made a mistake.”
The royal wedding: the greatest ever made, even surpassing Captain Shining Armor and Cadence's, was one that would never be forgotten by Equestria.
For Pipsqueak, a simple Earth stallion from Trottingham, was to be wedded to Princess Luna herself, to many shocks and horrors of thousands of 'noble' families. It even brought up surprise and joy to the Elements of Harmony.
It was a nightmare for Celestia, Luna, Pipsqueak, and somehow, the Elements of Harmony, who helped with the wedding. They had to overstep many, many...many modern rules, ancient laws and regulations, and even the fact that Pipsqueak was not an Alicorn.
Though it took many years, though, it was worth it. Equestria had finally accepted Pipsqueak to be the third co-ruler.
Shining Armor was offered to be a co-ruler, and would have been the first ever as a mortal pony of any sorts. He refused, however, due to the fact he was Captain of the Royal Guard, and that his wife was the Crystal Princess, where the two ruled outside the boundary of Equestria.
Even though he was a mortal pony, Celestia, after getting drunk on seven bottles of wine with her sister and the Mane Six, finaly admitted that their live was worth the entire headache. She openly welcomed him to the family.
*Twelve years later*
Prince Pipsqueak sighed loudly as he settled into his wife's throne. Listening to the nobles of Canterlot complain about one thing or another, in the back of his mind, he was quite glad he was only an Earth pony and not an Alicorn; he didn't know how he could deal with so much whining his wife and sister-in-law had for a thousand years or more.
As the last royal 'noble,' who requested a new settlement of a large house for his family, before him lifted his nose and trotted out, Pipsqueak rolled his eyes. He denied the request easily and found no remorse over the stallion's disappointment. Instead, he simply called out for the next pony in line.
Seven years ago, Luna had wondered why he had not wanted a throne for himself. He had smiled, kissed her nose, and told her that he didn't need one to help rule their kingdom. Another part of his mind, however, whispered darker thoughts to him, told him he wouldn't live long enough to truly enjoy this rule. It would shatter Luna's heart every time she looked upon it, and maybe even cause her to do something drastic, which he would never want.
So Luna, with her sister's permission, allowed him to use her throne when he wanted her to take a break or wanted to help ease her share of tasks upon the land. She was really grateful for this, and Celestia commented the same, jokingly asking if he could do the same for her own throne, making the three laugh long and hard.
Pipsqueak grinned at the memory when a small, blur furred pegasus rushed into the throne room. He could not be stopped by the guards, and the colt jumped into the Prince's lap. Pipsqueak chuckled.
“Pipsqueak, help me! A rainbow monster is chasing me,” the child screamed.
The colt's mother, Rainbow Dash, flew into the large room, breathing hard. She glared at her son, glancing at the Prince of the Night, as he had been called upon his wedding day.
“Sorry, Pipsqueak. Little Fire Ball here just thought he could fly all over the castle like he owns the place. Kids, huh?” the mare said.
Her husband, Soarin, came behind her. He bowed before Pipsqueak and trotted toward his life. Fire Ball looked around, with curious green eyes, at the large room. His interest, though, only lasted for a second before traveling to his mother and her angered glare. The colt cowered into the Earth Pony's chest fur, to which Pipsqueak laughed again.
“It's fine, Rainbow Dash. The Elements of Harmony are always welcomed within the castle. That includes their family. How are you both?”
“We're good, ya know? Just flying around, hangin' with friends. Just the usual-”
Rainbow cut herself off by coughing harshly in her hoof. Blood spotted onto her hoof when she glanced at it. She wiped it on her chest, ignoring the stain of red on her fur with a grimace. Rainbow Dash's sixteen years of smoking finally caught up to her in a very cruel way, giving her body lung cancer.
According to the best doctors in Canterlot and even Zecora herself, had told her she only had up to a year left to live, much to the grief of her friends and family. Dash, however, being the prideful mare she was, was not going to sit in a hospital bed and die with her family around.
Much to the frustration of her husband and sorrow of her son, she still flew around as much as she could. She swore the day she would die peacefully in bed was the day she would eat her wings...which would never happen.
Strangely enough, Scootaloo, upon discovering what years of smoking did to her idol and was slowly doing to her, quit a month after she received the news. Her dragonfriend, though, didn't, which caused them to get in a large argument, ending it in burning down the Cutie Mark Crusader's former club house. They almost ended their relationship, but with the agreement that Spike only smoked four times a week, they stayed together. Their love for the other stayed, much to the joy of those all around them.
“Good, ya know?” Rainbow Dash laughed humorlessly.
Soarin narrowed his eyes at her, but she ignored him. She smiled at her only child, just seven but able to fly. Strangely, he was afraid of heights, much to the disappointment of his parents.
Pipsqueak nodded. He placed Fire Ball on the floor, then looked at him with wide eyes. The colt asked a question that only an innocent foal could ever ask:
“Prince Pipsqueak,” he began quietly. The earth pony looked down at him with a slight smile, “what will happen to Princess Luna when you're gone?”
His parents' mouths dropped in shock, and Pipsqueak frowned.
“FIRE BALL! How dare you ask him that! It's time to go home...now!” Dash shouted. She grabbed, ignoring his cries of protest. With a powerful flap of her wings, but low enough for her son not to feel fear, flew out of the throne room.
“I'm sorry, Prince Pipsqueak. My son just says things without really thinking them through. I promise-” Soarin said, but he was stopped by the Earth stallion's left hoof.
He had a grim smile on his face and chuckled monotonously. “It is alright, Soarin. Children will always speak their minds without giving it thought. I think that's why I prefer to listen to their options sometimes more than their parents. It is amusing.” His smile grew sincere.
Soarin bowed, and not even giving the stallion a chance to reply, for fear of being punished or embarrassed, turned around. The Wonderbolt left the room, not taking flight until he was outside.
Pipsqueak sighed loudly. He rested a cheek on his right forehoof, thinking hard of the colt's question. If he was honest with himself, he was thirty-two years old, and his love life with his life was as amazing and perfect as the first night they spent together. He knew, however, that his life wouldn't last forever. He has known such for a long time.
Still, ever since he was but a colt, he always admired the Princess of the Night. From when he was ten to as he grew older, he always spent time with her, getting to know her. As the years grew longer, by the time he was eighteen, he did not even have the courage to ask her out on a date. Only when Derpy Hooves herself did so by accident on one of her late night mail runs did it happen.
Pipsqueak blinked, his eyes slowly running with tears he hadn't even noticed. He chuckled once more.
He may be nothing more than an awkward, slight rude pony to others. However, he was the one true love of Luna's life, and if he ever did anything to cause her pain or break her heart, then he failed as a husband.
As the last line repeated itself through his head, Luna herself came strolling through the room. Her mouth held a lit Diseased Stallion. She blew out the left side of her mouth, and Pipsqueak just rolled his eyes. Even after all these years, she still never stopped smoking, but it was only one annoyance he could tolerate for his love.
“How did the night rule go, Pip?” his wife asked with a raised brow.
He looked over her face and smiled an honest, heartwarming smile as he replied, “Nothing new, my love.”
The Princess laughed and took another drag of her cigarette. She blew the blow through her nose. The cloud of gray smoke brought a fit of coughs from the stallion, and he waved it away.
“Luna?” he asked shyly.
Her glance from her moon shifted over to him. “Yes, dear?” she said.
“What do you say...we turn in for the night, and have some...time to ourselves?”
Her smile widened into a sexual smirk. He winked at her. Luna's heart started to pound in her chest. By the Gods, she loved when he got her body going so quick. Pipsqueak was still the handsome devil she knew him as after all these years.
“I would love that very, very much, my love,” she answered slowly, taking another puff of smoke before blowing it out her nose.
Pipsqueak snickered. “Oh, I know you would. But for tonight, you have to quit smoking,” he whispered into her right before. He kissed her nose.
She giggled and looked into his eyes with deep lust. “Never,” she breathed.
The prince got her off the throne, and with their tails intertwined, they went to make love. They eyes were filled with lust, their hearts filled with nothing but love for their partner. Pipsqueak thought that, yes, he would not live as long as he wished for his life. But he would be damned if he didn't enjoy every second of what life had to offer. He knew that, even when he passed onto death, Luna would never leave him.