//------------------------------// // The Snuggly Reveal // Story: Rarity Snuggles Everypony (Whether They Like It Or Not) // by PropMaster //------------------------------// As Celestia awoke, she realized two Things very quickly. These things were the pressing sort of Things that required her immediate attention; the sort of things that tended to mean her day wasn’t going to be the greatest, in the grand scheme of Things. The First Thing was that she had awoken early. This, in and of itself, was a disturbing occurrence. For hundreds of years, she had kept to a rigorous sleep schedule, and always woke precisely an hour before dawn. This hour was important, as it allowed her time enough to make herself presentable and acquire her morning tea, as well as a short briefing on the night court’s activity and other upcoming political matters. To awake late was frustrating, but recoverable. To awake early, however? It meant that she was losing sleep, and thus would have to face the day that much more exhausted, and the repercussions of an early awakening stretched through her entire day. It was her Least Favorite Thing. The Second Thing was an equally disturbing thing requiring her immediate attention, however, because she had awoken in bed with somepony else. This somepony else was on the small side, but possessed wings. Celestia knew this thanks to the wing currently prodding into her barrel, slightly tickling her with the light brush of primary feathers. Furthermore, there was a foreleg thrown over her chest, and a muzzle pressed against her neck. This explained why she’d awoken early, at least. And, moreover, gave her a target for her immediate and growing ire. Celestia sat bolt-upright in bed, her grand wings splaying open and her mane billowing menacingly as she exuded a golden halo of light from her being. Her rose eyes shone with brilliant white plasma, channeling the raging inferno of the sun, and she turned to face her cuddly assailant. “Who dares intrude on—Twilight?” Princess Twilight Sparkle yelped as Celestia’s enraged voice shattered her slumber, and she leapt into the air, fluttered her wings ineffectually, and ended up in a blanket-tangled heap on the rug at the foot of the bed. Celestia rapidly scaled back her fury to a more appropriate level, dismissing the boiling blast of solar energy that she’d been brewing up for whatever fool had thought to break into her bedchamber and… snuggle her. After all, it wouldn’t do to immolate her co-regent, not to mention it would be utterly inappropriate to do so without giving her a chance to explain. However, she was still upset. Because waking up early was Least Favorite of Things. “Princess Celestia! I’m so, so sorry! I can explain!” groveled Twilight, twisting in a circle and disentangling herself from the blankets to prostrate herself before her beloved mentor. Celestia suppressed an airy laugh. Twilight could be so... adorable sometimes. Celestia ignored the motherly instinct to scoop Twilight into a hug. Instead, she arched a single eyebrow imperiously, tapping one hoof on the floor. “I’m listening.” This, Celestia decided, had to be good. Twilight started to stand up, decided against it when she caught sight of Celestia’s expression, and fumbled back into a low bow. “You see, well… it’s a long story.” Celestia glanced at the position of the moon. “I’ve been awoken a full thirty minutes early. I have time.” Twilight inhaled deeply, gathering her thoughts, and began. “Well, you see, my friend Rarity has been disappearing at night, and mysteriously appearing at my and my other friend’s homes to… ah… cuddle us. I was actually in the middle of a case-study when I observed Rarity disappearing out of thin air, and that’s when I got a message from Princess Luna, who—” Celestia held up a hoof. “Stop.” Twilight stopped, her ears drooping. “I’m so sorry, I—” “Shhh,” Celestia said, stepping closer to Twilight, hoof still raised. “But I—” “Shoosh.” Celestia placed a hoof over Twilight’s flapping mouth, effectively silencing her and cutting off any possible rebuttal. Once Celestia was sure Twilight wasn’t going to try to speak, she continued. “This explanation requires tea. Because—at this moment—I require tea. So please, shush, and continue to do so until I’ve got a piping hot cup of something strong in my hooves.” With that, Celestia turned away, trotting towards the palace kitchens. Twilight watched her go for a brief moment, at a loss for words, before mumbling to herself, “Wow. Luna was right. She really isn’t a morning pony.” Princess Luna glanced out the windows of the library, noting that it was nearly dawn. They had spent the rest of the night researching the so-called “Platinum Curse”, and had come up with… “Nothin’! Hours of searchin’ and readin’ everything on that darn curse, and we’re just as in the dark as when we first found out about it!” groused Applejack, slapping down a book onto a nearby reading table and slumping to her haunches. All the girls groaned in various tones of sympathy and exasperation, excepting Rarity herself, who still snored on, clinging to Princess Luna’s rear leg as Luna sat at a desk. Luna sighed, pushing away a stack of tomes of ancient research on the curse. “From what we’ve read, we can discern that nopony in those times had discovered the cause of—nor cure for—the curse. Which, verily, leaves us with more questions than answers.” “I just don’t understand how nopony ever figured it out,” said Rainbow Dash from her position on the floor, surrounded by high stacks of books that nearly obscured the colorful pegasus mare. Luna arched an eyebrow at the large number of books around Rainbow Dash. “Thou seem to have read more than the rest of us, Rainbow Dash. Hast thou any insights that we may have missed?” “Nah,” Rainbow Dash said, throwing up a few more books around the pile. “I got bored an hour ago and made a fort.” Applejack gawked at her friend’s towering book pile for a moment before scowling. “Rainbow Dash! How is buildin’ a fort gonna help Rarity? You’re supposed to be the loyal one!” “Applejack, let’s face it: we’ve been at this for hours, and all the books we read said the same thing, in more-or-less the same way: the old-timey ponies didn’t know squat. So, reading isn’t going to help Rarity at all, which means we should have started doing something else hours ago,” Rainbow Dash reasoned as she folded a little paper flag out of some index cards and placed it atop the walls of her ‘fort’. Luna frowned at Rainbow Dash, approaching the fort of books. Rarity clung tighter to Luna’s rear hoof and was drug along behind the princess. “Indeed? Then what, pray tell, dost thou suggest would better serve our time?” Rainbow Dash reared onto her hind legs, resting her forehooves on the walls of the fort. “We need to go back to ponyville and talk to Rarity’s parents. Duh!” Pinkie Pie suddenly exploded through the rear wall of Rainbow Dash’s book fort. “Oh yeah! That’s a great idea!” Rainbow Dash gasped as her friend collapsed part of her fort. “Fort Kickflank! Aw, dang it, Pinkie!” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Sorry, Dashie, I couldn’t help myself. But it’s still a great idea!” Luna nodded, taking a wary step away from the unstable book pile. “Indubitably. I, however, will no longer be able to assist you. I must away to report to Celestia on the goings-on of the night court, as well as relay to her the nature of this curse thy friend is under.” “Oh, that’s too bad,” Fluttershy said, peering over one corner of the barely standing book battlement, “You’ve been wonderful so far, and you read so much trying to help us.” Luna smiled gently at Fluttershy. “I did what I could, though I fear it was not sufficient. However, thy friend is correct: at this juncture, the best course of action is to speak with Lady Rarity’s family. They must have some insight into this strange course of events.” Fluttershy’s brow furrowed in concern. “It still doesn’t make a lot of sense that Rarity is being affected by the curse, if its historically only passed to the second female foal in the line.” “Well, maybe Rarity’s parents know something we don’t. Maybe she has an older sister!” said Rainbow Dash, floating out of her fort with a flap of her wings to join the rest of the group. Applejack snorted derisively. “Oh, c’mon, Dash. Ah think if Rarity had a older sister, we would’a heard about her by now.” “Wellllll, there was that one time that Twilight revealed that she had an older brother out of nowhere, after we’d spent nearly a whole two seasons hanging out together as friends!” Pinkie Pie declared, bouncing through the front wall of the fort in a hail of books that sent the rest of the impromptu structure into a collapse. “Seasons?” Luna asked, confusion evident in her narrowed eyes and cocked ears. “Y’know. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall?” Pinkie Pie said. “Oh. Of course,” Luna said, though her expression didn’t change. “Thou art an odd one, Miss Pie.” “You say true, I say thankya!” Pinkie said, beaming at the princess. Luna glanced down at her rear leg, frowning as the sleeping Rarity nuzzled against her fetlock. “Before I go, fair Fluttershy, wouldst thou… extricate me from the clutches of thy friend?” Fluttershy giggled, daintily stepping around the fallen book fort to reach Luna. “Oh, of course.” Fluttershy bent down, carefully prying Rarity’s forelegs from around Princess Luna’s rear leg—surreptitiously wiping away a bit of drool from Luna’s fetlock—and pulled her friend onto her back. Rarity grumbled slightly before burying her muzzle in Fluttershy’s long mane and returning to a deep sleep. Luna shook her head as she took a step back to look at Rarity. “A strange affliction, indeed. I wish you all the best of luck. Mine sister will check on thy progress once her royal duties are complete, I am certain.” “Thanks again for your help, Princess. Y’ didn’t need t’ go through all the trouble, but it’s mighty appreciated,” Applejack said, bowing before the Princess of the Night. “Yeah, thanks a bunch, Princess Luna. Maybe some night you can stop by Ponyville and check out a few of my nighttime flight tricks,” Rainbow Dash added. “Or come and have a cup of hot cocoa at Sugarcube Corner!” said Pinkie Pie, grinning and bouncing happily. A happy smile spread slowly across Princess Luna’s face, a hoof going to her chest. “Thank you, all. Best of luck in thy quest.” With that, Princess Luna trotted away, a happy bounce in her step. The group of ponies watched her leave, before Applejack spoke up. “Dang it.” “What?” asked Fluttershy, ears folding back in concern. “She was our ride here!” A few hours later, the Ponyville Express pulled into Ponyville Station, a haze of early-morning fog and locomotive steam intermixing in eddies and swirls. Five mares exited one of the passenger cars, stepping onto the platform. Rarity led the group, looking rather disheveled, while Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash simply appeared exhausted from their research and the subsequent train ride. Only Pinkie Pie seemed unaffected, prancing and bouncing in circles and laughing at nothing at all. Rarity spoke first as they moved away from the loud engine car and into the relative quiet of the early morning streets of their hometown. “So, you’re telling me that this curse has no known counter?” Applejack nodded, suppressing a yawn. “Eeyup. They couldn’t ever break the curse, but th’ curse would eventually disappear until it passed on to the next second-born filly.” “But Applejack, dear, that still doesn’t make any sense. Sweetie Belle is the second-born filly in my family!” “That’s why we need to talk to your parents,” Fluttershy said, her wings drooping slightly as she trudged alongside Applejack. “I dunno about you guys,” Rainbow Dash began, pausing mid-sentence to stretch and yawn, “but I could use a nap.” “But Rainbow Dash, you all know more about this mess than I do! I, embarrassingly, slept through your whole study session with Princess Luna,” Rarity said, flushing slightly as her ears canted back. “Yeah, well, while you got your forty winks and snuggled the heck out of Princess Luna’s fetlocks, we were awake. And as much as I’m sure talking to your parents will clear up a few things, we could probably stand to get a few hours of rest before. I mean, it’s still early in the morning, they might not even be up yet,” Rainbow Dash replied. Rarity sighed. “That may very well be true. My parents are not early risers, and—wait,” She froze in place, eyes growing wide. “I… snuggled the Princess’s fetlocks?!” “Uh, yeah? Rarity, Fluttershy literally had to pry you off her. This curse may not be all that dangerous, but Celestia is it weird,” Rainbow Dash said, smirking blearily at her aghast friend. Rarity stood stock still for several long moments, her pupils slowly shrinking, before she stomped a hoof on the ground. “No. We are not stopping for a nap. We need answers, and we need them now! Before I snuggle again!” Fluttershy approached her friend, her wings fluttering nervously. “N-now, Rarity, I know you’re embarrassed, but maybe you’re being the teeny-tiniest little bit too overzealous? We’re all very tired, and—” “Fluttershy, darling, I love you, but I was just informed that I snuggled one of the co-regents of the realm for the better part of the evening. I believe that I have every right to want that sort of nonsense to stop, and quickly, before I end up in bed with somepony else equally embarrassing!” Rarity said, stomping her hoof again for emphasis. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie chimed in happily. Rarity slowly turned to stare at Pinkie Pie. Behind Rarity, unbeknownst to her, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash suddenly jumped together, frantically gesturing at Pinkie Pie to ‘be quiet’. Rarity spoke after a strained moment of Pinkie Pie staring over her shoulder. “What, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?” “Oh, only that you started out the night in Princess Celestia’s bed! And, boy, did you look comfy!” chirped Pinkie Pie, beaming at her friend. The three ponies behind Rarity all slumped in defeat, as Rarity froze in place once more. “I—but… in… Celestia’s bed?” “Yep!” “W-with… the princess?” stammered Rarity, her legs shaking. “You betcha!” Rarity’s horn sparkled briefly with a sapphire aura, just strong enough to summon her red velvet fainting couch, which she promptly swooned onto. The girls were silent for a moment. “So, does this mean we get to take a nap?” asked Rainbow Dash. An hour and a decent nap later, Rarity led Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie to her parent’s house on the far edge of Ponyville, trotting determinedly through the streets. The populace of Ponyville retreated to their homes, and for good reason; when the Elements of Harmony were out in force like that, there was no doubting that trouble was soon to follow. Shops closed in their wake, doors slammed, foals were pulled inside, and soon the town was silent, waiting for the bit to drop. As they neared Rarity’s parents house along the river, they could hear bubbly giggling and happy—if inappropriately loud—chattering. Turning the corner, they came upon Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. The three fillies stood behind a makeshift stall, talking animatedly to one another as they worked on making what appeared to be lemonade. “I’m telling ya, girls, this time we’ve gotta be onta somethin’!” Applebloom said happily as she worked on juicing lemons. “Yeah, I think so too, but… what do ‘small business’ cutie marks even look like?” asked Scootaloo as she put the finishing touches on a sign that proudly displayed ‘lemmonaid 1 bit’. “Probably something like Rarity’s cutie mark! She’s an on-tray-planner!” squeaked Sweetie Belle as she nailed an extra nail into a board supporting the corner of the stand. Rarity approached the stand, smiling sweetly at the trio. “Hello girls!” The three fillies looked up from their work and leapt up as one unit. “Heya Rainbow Dash!” “Rarity! We’re trying to get our cutie marks!” “Applejack! You ain’t mad at me for sellin’ lemons, are ya?” Rarity interrupted any replies that may have been forthcoming. “I’m sorry, darlings, but we’re in a bit of a hurry. Sweetie, do you know if mom and dad are home?” Sweetie beamed up at her sister. “Yep! They’re in the den, watching one of dad’s old sports reels!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Of course they are. Thank you, Sweetie Belle!” “Wait, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said, dashing out in front of her sister, “We’re starting a small business to try to get on-tray-planner cutie marks like yours! Do you have a moment to talk about investment opportunities?” Rarity giggled. “Oh, Sweetie, that’s adorable, but I think you should focus on selling your product, first.” Sweetie Belle grinned brightly, “I knew you’d have good advice!” “Of course, dear,” Rarity said, patting her sister on the head, “Oh, and Sweetie Belle?” “Yes, Rarity?” said Sweetie Belle, eyes wide. “It’s pronounced ‘entrepreneur’.” Rarity trotted away, leading Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie towards her parents’ home. They missed how Sweetie Belle’s smiling face twisted into one of terror, and how she whispered, “I-I did something… wrong?” Rarity paused at the front door of her parents house, long enough to knock once before pushing open the door and gesturing her friends inside. “Rarity, don’t you think it’s polite to wait?” asked Fluttershy, giving a concerned look into the interior of the house. “Fluttershy, stop and listen for a moment,” Rarity said, pointing towards the house. The unmistakable sound of a roaring crowd and yelling announcers filled the home, along with a more pointed hollering of a large stallion. “C’mon, pass that thing! Here, honey, here comes the good part!” “They’d never hear us knocking. Trust me, once my father starts his sports reels, he’s in a whole different world,” Rarity said dryly, before leading her friends inside. The interior of the house was… unexpected. The walls of the mud room that greeted the ponies was full of sports jackets and caps emblazoned with a similar team logo. Rainbow Dash stepped closer to one, smirking. “Wow, your old man must really like the Canterlot Knights.” “Yes, how… astute of you,” Rarity grumbled, ignoring the massive banner strung overhead that read ‘Go Knights!’ in bold letters. “I love sports! It’s like a party with rules and points and stuff!” cheered Pinkie Pie. “Oh, I’m not much of a fan. Too many ponies all close together,” murmured Fluttershy, shrinking down slightly in the presence of so much sports memorabilia. “Well, yer dad has good taste. Canterlot Knights are a fine team,” Applejack said, nodding in approval. “Yes, indeed. Come along, girls, let’s not get caught up in the spectacle of it all,” Rarity said, walking down a hallway and pushing open the door to a larger room. The sound of grunting stallions and the crash of pads increased exponentially as the door opened. This room was filled with shelves upon shelves of sports trophies, bronzed hoofballs, helmets, and team jerseys and photos. One wall, however, was completely empty aside from a projector screen and two speakers. The opposite wall held a long couch with two end tables and the projector itself, which was currently playing a reel of some long-ago hoofball match. On this couch sat two ponies: one a white-coated, brown-maned stallion with an impressive mustache and a trio of hoofballs for a cutie mark. The other was a pink-coated, violet-maned mare with a beehive hairdo and a trio of cookies for a cutie mark. They were watching the sports reel with great enthusiasm. “C’mon boys, buck that guard and go for the ball!” hollered the stallion. “Oh, look at those stallions run!” cheered the mare, clapping her hooves together. Rarity sighed, before clearing her throat loudly. “Mother, Father, I’m here!” The stallion fumbled with the projector for a moment before halting the reel and silencing the sound, leaving behind a deafening quiet. He beamed over the projector at Rarity. “Heya, hon!” “Honey! Welcome home!” the mare said, jumping off of the couch to give Rarity a hug, which Rarity returned gingerly. Rarity released her mother from the embrace after a moment, frowning slightly. “Mother, Father, these are my friends, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Girls, these are my parents, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles.” Hondo leapt up off the sofa and offered enthusiastic hoof-bumps to all of the girls. “Nice ta meet’cha! Any friend of Rarity is welcome in our home!” “Likewise,” Applejack said, returning the hoof-bump. “I like your style,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, nodding to the trophies on the walls. “I’m super-duper excited to meet you, too!” Pinkie Pie cheered, nearly leaping into a hug with Hondo before Rarity stretched out a hoof and held her friend back. Fluttershy squeaked and ducked behind Rainbow Dash as Hondo offered her a hoof-bump, the large stallion nearly a head taller than the demure pegasus. Cookie giggled slightly, playfully slapping her husband on the shoulder. “Oh, Hondo, don’t be so boisterous! Look, you’re scaring the little yellow one.” Hondo smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry about that.” “N-not at all, I’m sorry!” Fluttershy murmured, still hiding behind a bemused Rainbow Dash. “Honey, what brings you home today?” asked Cookie. “Well, mother, it’s a rather serious matter, I’m afraid,” Rarity began. Cookie seemed nonplussed by this statement. “Oh?” “Yes. You see, something has happened to me that’s rather disconcerting,” Rarity said quietly. Hondo suddenly bristled. “Is it a stallion? Oh boy, if somepony laid a hoof on my little girl, they’ve got another thing coming!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “No. Not stallion problems, father, though I appreciate your enthusiasm. You see, I’ve discovered that I’ve become the subject of a rather ancient and powerful curse.” The smiles on Rarity’s parents’ faces froze, and an almost unreadable look passed between the two of them. Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she gauged their reactions. After a moment, Cookie spoke up, her voice just as chipper as before. “Oho, dear, that’s impossible!” Rarity smiled too-sweetly. “I’m afraid not, mother. You see, I’ve been having the unfortunate experience of being whisked into the beds of other ponies in the middle of the night.” Hondo glanced at his wife, his smile disappearing. He took a step closer to Rarity, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “You’ve… been appearing in other ponies beds?” “Oh, yes, very much so. Disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye, curled up and snuggling with another pony in my sleep,” Rarity said cooly. Cookie winced. “Snuggling?” “Snuggling,” confirmed Rarity. “B-but, that can’t be!” Hondo cried, staring aghast at his wife. Cookie shook her head. “Don’t look at me! It’s supposed to be Sweetie Belle!” “How could we have gotten it wrong? Sweetie Belle is our second daughter!” Hondo said, obviously shocked. Rarity and the rest of the girls stared at her parents, eyes wide and jaws open. Rarity was the first to recover. “You… you knew about the curse?!” Cookie turned to face her daughter. “W-well, of course we knew, dear! We’ve always known!” “It’s our sacred duty, don’t’cha know!” said Hondo, placing one hoof on his chest solemnly. Rarity fell back on her haunches, fanning her face with one hoof. “W-what? You never told me I was cursed!” “Of course we didn’t, honey! You’re the first born! You’re blessed to never have to deal with the rigorous training of the second born!” Hondo said, patting Rarity gently on the shoulder. Rarity recoiled from her father’s touch. “What? Training?” Hondo and Cookie shared a glance. “Well,” spoke Cookie after a moment, “I suppose the cake’s out of the oven, now.” “There’s cake involved? That’s my kinda curse!” said Pinkie Pie with a happy bounce. “It’s an idiom, hun,” said Cookie gently. “It means that we’ve been keeping a secret, but we can’t anymore.” “Pfft, duh. I know what an idiom is! My Daddy Pie always called me that when I’d goof off on the rock farm!” Cookie stared at Pinkie Pie for a moment, one eyebrow slowly raising, before Rarity cleared her throat. “Please, don’t mind Pinkie Pie. You were saying, about the curse…?” “Yes. The curse. The Platinum Curse…” Cookie trailed off for a moment as she closed her eyes. “It all began long ago, before the age of the Royal Sisters, in the time before Equestria was founded. The three tribes of Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Pony had not yet bonded together in Harmony, and cold suffused the land, just like in the tales of Hearth’s Warming,” Cookie said softly. “The line of Platinum was desperate to find a way, any way, to break the cold and gain power over the other tribes. They had tried every magic they could think of, save one,” Hondo continued, walking towards the far wall where the projector screen lay. “Binding magic,” said Cookie, quietly. The girls all gasped. Rainbow Dash spoke up first. “Woah, wait, what’s Binding magic? I mean, uh… pretend that I don’t know what that is. Because... I totally do.” “Binding magic,” spoke Hondo, pulling a cord on the projector screen that sent it rolling up near the ceiling and revealing a door in the wall behind the screen, “is a dark and terrible magic that has been outlawed for centuries.” “It calls upon dark and terrible powers from beyond the known realm. Some say that it was binding magic that brought Discord into this world,” said Cookie, moving to the door and producing a key, hidden inside her mane. Hondo took the key, unlocking the door and opening it as he continued to explain. “The line of Platinum made a terrible sacrifice to a dark, snuggly power hundreds of years ago, offering their second born filly to the cuddly tendrils of this dark being.” “Wait, hold up a second,” interrupted Rainbow Dash, her ears cocking back, “did you say it was a dark, snuggly power?” “The darkest and cuddliest of all the powers from the edge of the Cuddleverse,” Cookie said in hushed tones, reaching behind the door and pulling out a large chest as she spoke, locked with two separate horn-lock mechanisms. “Cuddleverse?” said Applejack, trying to suppress a smirk and failing. “Indeed,” said Hondo, not catching Applejack’s amused tone. “Oh, that sounds nice,” said Fluttershy with a happy flutter of her wings. “That sounds lame,” groused Rainbow Dash. “No! Not nice! Not lame!” said Cookie. “It’s a terrible place, full of the unending mass that is the Lord Of A Thousand Hugs!” “The Crochet Cuddler!” rasped Hondo, as he placed his horn into one of the locks. “He with Infinite Knit Appendages!” whispered Cookie, as she placed her horn in the second lock. The two unicorns spoke as one. “Snuggoth.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Lame.” With a burst of magic, the chest opened.