//------------------------------// // Royal Affairs // Story: Bonding Marks // by booksmart //------------------------------// Twilight gulped down her glass of water greedily and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She really shouldn’t have been up all night studying but it was illuminating. On one hoof she found out that even if Rarity agreed to go out with Spike it was unlikely that the relationship would survive being as Spike was only in love with the image Rarity presented. This however was not something Twilight wanted to accept. Her crush on Rarity was also built on her image and not the mare. There has to be more, Twilight told herself again, It will only hurt both of you. Twilight sighed and downed another glass of water. But I want her so much. Twilight returned to her study and started to pick up the books laying on the floor. Maybe she could find a solution after a short break. A sudden bright flash of light startled Twilight. Her wing shot out reflexively to make her look bigger and she charged her horn ready to attack her aggressor. Much to her surprise when the light clear she saw her mentor and friend Princess Celestia standing proud in the middle of Twilight’s study. “Princess?” Twilight asked in bewilderment. “Twilight, please call me Celestia. You are no longer my student but my peer,” Celestia requested. “Of course Princess…” Twilight trailed off when Celestia starred her down, “Sorry. To what to I owe the honor?” A smug grin crossed the sun goddess’s face as she approached the younger princess, “I just wanted to discuss your last letter.” My letter? Oh nonononononono what did I do wrong? Twilight mind panicked. She frantically searched her memory remembering that she had written the letter rather than Spike, “Oh Prin–Celestia I’m sorry for whatever was wrong with it. What do I need to improve? The use of the Equestrian language?” Celestia’s playful manner dropped replaced by confusion, “Uhm…no.” “Was the structure of the letter in appropriate given our change in status?” Twilight tried. “No, it was quite fine. Twilight–” “Oh dear I knew I should have use black ink instead of blue but I swear I was out of black and didn’t want my letter to be late!” “Twilight the color makes no difference,” Celestia reassured. What did I do wrong! Think Twilight what could you have…oh no, Twilight promptly buried her face under her hooves, “Did I make a spelling mistake?” she asked shamefully. Of all the things to get her it would have to be spelling. “My dear Twilight there was no fault in your letter.” Twilight lifted her head, “Really? Then why not simply write back?” “Because your last letter was not directed to me,” Celestia responded, her playful demean returning. “It was sent to Princess Candace.” Twilight eyes widen, “W-What of it?” How does she know about that? “I want to know what’s in it,” Celestia responded with a flick of her tail. “Uhm…it’s kind of personal,” Twilight responded looking to the ground. She still held resignations about telling Celestia about her preferences. Celestia let out a filly like giggle, “I knew it. Oh tell me Twilight what stallion has enchanted your heart?” Twilight starred at Celestia, “Oh common. You’ve seen me devour an entire cake in one sitting nothing you say to me will leave this room.” “I would rather not,” Twilight responded carefully. Not answering was disrespectful but telling the truth would likely be even worse. “Oh so perhaps it isn’t a stallion,” Celestia suggested causally. “WHAT!” Twilight shrieked. “Got ch’a,” Celestia giggled. She then broke out into full blown laughter, “You…you should…see your face…priceless,” she said between laughing fits. Twilight remained silent as she watched her mentor roll around on the floor like Rainbow Dash after one of her pranks went well, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said dejectedly. How could she be so stupid to fall for that? “Relax Twilight. I have no ill feeling towards mares liking mares, nor do I harbor any ill will to stallions liking stallions,” Celestia reassured, “In fact I find it quite…hot.” She then dissolved back into laughter. “I’m glade you’re enjoying my internal conflict Princess,” Twilight stated intentional forgetting the use of the sun goddess name. “You’re quite right. That was quite rude of me. Now Twilight…” Celestia propped her head up on her hoof and flutter her wings excitedly, “Who is it?” “I…” “Is it one of you friends?” Twilight simply nodded. The realized that was a mistake. “Applejack? No she is with Rainbow Dash…Fluttershy?” Twilight didn’t respond. “Oh dear it isn’t Pinkie Pie is it?” Celestia asked, visible fear showing in her eyes. “No,” Twilight quickly responded, “I love that mare as a friend but I would not be able to put up with her randomness all the time.” Twilight suddenly felt heat rise to her cheeks as she realized she had just indirectly told the Princess of the Sun who her crush was. Celestia for her part was grinning like a fool, “So it’s Rarity. Oh how wonderful. You two would make such an adorable couple. Has my dear niece responded to your letter yet?” Twilight nodded, “She has. Her advice was less then helpful though.” Celestia tilted her head, “Are you sure? She is the Princess of Love after all.” Twilight again nodded, “She simply wrote ‘Go for it’.” Celestia didn’t respond, “It had nothing, no instructions. No tips on how to make it work. Nothing! She didn’t even let me know if the love was real or just superficial.” Celestia chuckled and shook her head, “You’ll never change Twilight. Candace would never tell you to ‘Go for it’ if she didn’t feel there was a good reason to peruse the relationship.” “But statistically our relationship is almost guaranteed to fail!” Twilight protested. Celestia sighed, “Tell me Twilight. What are the odds I would chose you as my personal protégé?” “Uhm…” “You cannot tell me you haven’t done the math.” Twilight looked away blushing, “One in forty-two thousand.” Twilight could almost hear Celestia’s smirk, “What are the odds that you would become a barer of one of the elements of harmony?” “One in thirty-nine million,” Twilight replied. “And the odds that you would ascend to become my fellow Princess?” Twilight titled her head to the side, “Unfathomable. What are you getting at?” “Well Princess Twilight Sparkle, barer of the Element of Magic and personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself it would seem statics don’t really apply to you.” Celestia responded as she buffed one of her royal shoes against her chest. Twilight fell to here rump, “I have never looked at it like that. The likely hood of all three happening is next to impossible,” she muttered. “So then…it might work.” Twilight looked up at a hoof on her shoulder to see her mentor smiling at her, “I have no doubt in my mind that it will work my dear Twilight.” “But what of Spike?” Twilight asked. Celestia remain quite for a few moments before responding, “He still holds feelings toward Rarity?” Twilight nodded. “He will be mad, but fear not Twilight. His resentment will not last. You raised him after all.” Rarity stowed away the last of her current dress orders into its place before collapsing on her fainting couch. It had been a long day, preceded by an even longer night. She may have been delighted that a princess had been interested in her that way but as soon as she had a moment to reflect on it she realized how selfish she was being. She had start to imagine her perfect life with her prince again, only this time Twilight was the prince. It made her sick, not Twilight but the implications of her sudden interest in the mare. Rarity was imagining her life with Twilight’s title not with the mare herself. She let out a long drawn sigh, why did Twilight need to have a crush on her? She was about to drift into the realm of sleep when the boutique burst open and a couple of giggling fillies came rushing in. “Scootaloo no!” Sweetie Belle giggled, “I told you once already–” the filly was interrupted by a kiss on the lips. “You know you love the chase,” the orange pegasus filly replied before locking Rarity’s sister’s lips with her own once again. Rarity watched in horror as the orange filly assault her sister’s mouth and in rapt fascination. Her mind playing the scene out with her and Twilight. Rarity on top, Twilight below. Rarity would kiss the purple mare, her tongue gaining access to the Twilight’s eager mouth. Rarity’s hooves would trace circles along the ailcrons sides till she reach those sexy flanks. Rarity let out a shriek and fell to the floor a blush of crimson red spread across her muzzle. Sexy!? Since when has Twilight been sexy? Rarity thought of her friend. It was true, her indoors live style had left the mare with a little extra…plumpness that had delightfully settled in all the right places. Rarity let a slight whimper as he thought Twilight’s flanks and what they might feel like, soft fur, malleable flesh over strong alicron muscles… “Rarity!” Sweetie Belle shrieked, bucking Scootaloo across the room much to the surprise of Everypony in the room. Scootaloo crashed into a rack of clothing that collapsed under her burying her the clothing. The two fillies didn’t seem to notice though as the both shouted, “This isn’t what it looks like!” Rarity for her part couldn’t respond she just starred at the two fillies, unable to move, barely able to breath. She looked to her sister, then Scootaloo. The fact that her sister had just been making out with her fillyfriend finally registered. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity yelled harsher then she meant to, “It is really necessary to do that on my floor?” “Uhm..” “It was my fault,” Scootaloo piped up. Rarity rolled her eyes, “I gathered that. The next time my sister tells you to stop you have better stop. You understand me?” “Yes Miss Rarity,” Scootaloo responded. “Good, now please get on your way. I wish to speak with my sister alone,” Rarity instructed. After Scootaloo left Rarity turned her gaze on her sister, who was blushing furiously looking anyway but Rarity. “I’m sorry sis. It was supposed to be a game of tag and it got a little out of hand,” Sweetie Belle said finally. Rarity sighed, “It’s quite alright dear. Just next time have the decency to do it in private.” Sweetie Belle nodded. Rarity was about to return to her own turmoil’s when she thought of something. Here in front of her was her sister, a fillyfooler, she might be able to help her sort out her feelings. “Sweetie, could I ask you a personal question?”