Sometimes even belly-height obstacles could seem like insurmountable obstacles, Twilight thought absentmindedly as she continued to stare at the looming softness of Celestia's royal bed.
by Misago
***
It seemed totally ridiculous, logically speaking. The bed was not unfamiliar. She had seen it many times, even slept in it a few times when she was small. And she could not even count how often she, in these last few wonderful mounts, had lain there, wrapped in the embrace of her white goddess in happy, blissful slumber.
But tonight was different. Tonight, she herself was wrapped in white silk, a beautiful dress that had taken Rarity three weeks to design and make, and the slight pressure at the base of her horn reminded her what the entire day had been about.
Every few moment, she had to touch the ring, just to make sure that it was there, that she was not dreaming, and every time her hoof made contact with the cold metal, she had trouble suppressing her joyful giggle.
But this event, specifically the final stage of its sacred ritual, now constituted her source of fear.
The night, specifically.
The wedding night.
Twilight remembered their first kiss. It had been in the corridor in front of this very room, just a hasty peck that had somehow missed the cheek when its supposed recipient had the same idea. The sudden spike of heat Twilight had felt and the surprised gasp of her celestial lover had urged her not to break contact, and there was little Twilight could have done to stop herself. But deepening the kiss had turned out to be a lot harder than Rarity's swooning had made it out to be.
And apparently, two powerful mages giving in to their emotions for the possibly the first time apparently had some unintended consequences. The subsequent burst of gold and purple magic had pulverized every window in the hallway, and when the guards arrived, Twilight had swiftly teleported away, blushing and ashamed.
They had, of course practiced since then. How nice it was of Celestia to try and match Twilight's skill level to help her.
But this... was on a whole level, wasn't it? A new level of intimacy, something even more meaningful. Giving herself fully to her one and only lover, to receive Celestia in return? How could she, a shy little bookworm, just ascended to alicornhood a measly few years ago, match up to this heavenly being, beautiful, kind, wise... experienced?
When that had occurred to her, of course she'd gone for the books. Hours upon hours spent reading while simultaneously hiding from Spike, so he would not see something not meant for his eyes just yet. It had gone well, too, until that one night when she had, while staying up way past midnight again, paused for a moment, and her sleep-addled mind had replaced the one of the faceless mares depicted in the diagram in front of her with Celestia.
Twilight Sparkle discovered the true meaning of the word "desire" that night.
And now, here she was. It was time to substitute skill with enthusiasm.
Alone, for the moment. Celestia had, after carrying her into the room on her back (even with alicorn magic, Twilight was not sure if she could have managed the other way around), retreated to the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom, and if Twilight concentrated, the faint sound of water could be heard through the door.
Deciding that the time for contemplation was long gone, Twilight lit up her horn, enjoying once again the slight interference in her magic flux caused by the ring, and teleported right over the bed, landing softly on the soft velvet of the cover. With her heart hammering, she buried her face in the pillows, and prepared to wait for her beloved.
The scent did not help at all.
"Twilight, are you asleep?"
Celestia's gentle voice roused Twilight from her position. Of course she wasn't asleep! How could she, in this situation?
"N-no, Celestia. I was just waiting f-for you."
Great. Now she even sounded like a nervous little foal.
"I am sorry for taking so long", Celestia replied. "I... was a bit nervous. Truth be told, I still am."
Surprised, Twilight turned around, only for her breath to catch in her throat. Celestia's mane that had been free-flowing, like it always was, was now draped over her shoulders in a complicated-looking, polychromatic braid, and her own horn ring (Twilight remembered the entire day she spent picking it) was now clearly displayed.
"What do you think?", Celestia asked with a slightly shy smile, adding tentatively "My dearest?"
Twilight quickly wetted her lips with her tongue and suddenly felt decidedly heated. Her wings twitched, and she fought to keep them under control.
"B-beautiful", she murmured.
"I'm glad."
Instead of teleporting, Celestia gracefully trotted closer, lifting first her forehooves on the bed, then following up with a slight leap that made the whole bed wobble and the silken white train of her dress frame her like a cloud.
The scent of sandalwood invaded Twilight's nostrils once more, stronger this time, as Celestia slowly settled down right next to her, and she shivered as one of the great white wings brushed over her back for a moment. The heat she could feel from Celestia, the warmth of her beloved beside her sent Twilight's head spinning.
"So," Celestia began, but hesitated.
"Yes."
"We are finally married", Celestia continued, with the most gentle, most happy smile Twilight had ever seen on her.
"Yes, we are." Twilight felt really stupid now. Why couldn't she think of a suitable romantic reply?
"You know, Twilight, my sister once asked me of all what I am, my entire time spending all my time for Equestria without regard for my personal needs and wishes was something I regretted." Celestia looked at her fondly, and lowered her head to bump noses with Twilight.
"But now that I look at you, lying next to me, and how I feel just with you near... I know I would do it again in a heartbeat."
"Y-you do?", was what Twilight wanted to say, but an insistent kiss shut her up.
"I knew that this," another kiss, "was worth waiting all those years for."
Parts of the last sentence made it past Twilight's blissful enjoyment.
"Wait, what?", she stammered.
"You are surprised now, but it will all make sense, dearest. Suffice to say that a long, long time ago, when Luna and I were still revered as goddesses, a mysterious purple alicorn showed up at my doorstep, " Celestia told her, smiling. "It caused quite an uproar amongst our followers. Calling me 'Tia', kissing me in front of my guards..."
She sighed happily. "She told me to have hope, that one day, I would have a happy family for all my years of struggle. Should I consider this a very, very early wedding present from my beloved wife?"
Twilight, curiosity roused, tried to sit up. "W-what are you t...", was all she got out before Celestia silenced her with a kiss for the second time that night.
"There will be time for stories later, dearest. Tonight is about us, and I am committed to fulfilling the requirements of this event. You do know what the white dresses mean, do you?" Celestia's gaze turned from amused to half-lidded in a heartbeat. "Luckily, I do have a vast array of information on just about any subject at my disposal."
The heat, momentarily tempered by the promise of a mystery, returned to Twilight with the force of a sonic rainboom.
"I-I did some research too!", stammered Twilight, eager to at least prove that she was committed to the cause. "But I couldn't ask Cadance, because Shiny is a stallion, Rarity was going on about "strong, orange flanks", and my mother was just giggling all the time, so even if I really want to make you hap..."
"Twilight?"
"..py." Twilight took a deep breath. "Yes?"
"I'm glad."
Celestia kissed her again, slower this time. As she leaned into the kiss, Twilight felt the golden aura tug at her dress insistently.
And when she met Celestia's burning gaze and felt the wingtip brush against her cheek, she knew they would be okay. After all, she had always been a fast learner.
Late at night, Luna sat in the throne room, eagerly scratching away at a document hovering in front of her.
"... the caterer is to receive a ten percent tip in addition to the sum according to enclosed document A4..."
A distant explosion, followed by the sizzling noise of bricks and mortar hitting a magic shield, interrupted her writing for a moment.
Sighing, Luna summoned her abacus again.
"And I thought the reception was expensive."