Love, Equestria Style

by Bluecatcinema

Royal Anniversary

There was an air of celebration within castle Canterlot, for it was the twentieth anniversary of the wedding of princess Luna and prince Gothic.

"Happy anniversary, darling." Gothic declared, as they woke up that morning.

"And to you too, my love." Luna beamed, nuzzling her snout against his.

As they got out of bed, they both reflected on the significance of the day's milestone.

"Twenty years." Luna smiled. "Twenty years since you made my life whole."

"Seems like only yesterday, huh?" Gothic grinned.

Their thoughts turned, not just to their wedding, but to the events preceding it: the day when they had first met. Luna was at a low point in her life, and Gothic had lifted her spirits with his earnest admiration of her role in Equestria.

Gothic had been born into a privileged, high society family. As he grew, he found it increasingly tedious. A chance encounter with a charismatic Unicorn named Night Shroud led to him joining a group dedicated to admiring Luna, of whom he soon became the most devoted member.

When news of Luna's return got out, Gothic was ecstatic at the chance of actually seeing his idol. He got his wish, and more: when the shade of Nightmare Moon returned, Gothic risked his very life to help Luna, earning the princess's friendship.

Not long after that, Luna realized she had developed romantic feelings for Gothic, and confessed those feelings. Gothic, though surprised at first, quickly returned her feelings, and became her official 'consort'. A few years later, they were married, and not long after, had their daughter. Constell.

At first, Gothic couldn't be happier. But as the years passed, he worried that he would grow old and pass away, leaving his wife and daughter. Alongside Shine Paladin, he embarked on a perilous journey to find an ancient artefact that could grant them immortality, allowing them to stay by their wives for all eternity. When Luna found out, she was at first shocked by Gothic's goal, but couldn't help but be touched by his desire to be with her for all of time. Gothic and Shine achieved their goal, and Gothic and Luna were happier then ever.

As the two came downstairs for dinner, the rest of the royal family greeted them.

"Good morning, and happy anniversary!" Celestia smiled.

"Thank you, sister." Luna grinned.

"Ditto, mom and dad!" Constell hugged them both.

"Thanks, sweetie." Gothic smiled.

"I hear this is your twentieth year." Shine added. "You oughta be proud."

"Oh, we are." Gothic chuckled.

"If you don't mind my asking, Luna, how did Gothic propose to you?" Dusty asked.

"Oh, it was a beautiful proposal." Luna sighed.

Twenty-One years ago...

Gothic and Luna were walking in the castle gardens by moonlight.

"Is it not a beautiful night, my love?" Luna asked.

"Some of your best work, darling." Gothic agreed. "...Luna, there's something I want to ask you..."

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"In time." Gothic said cryptically. "In the meantime, follow me."

Luna followed her consort to an area of the gardens that not many went to. As they turned a corner, she was shocked to see a group of night flowers, planted so that they spelled out "Will you marry me?"

"Gothic..." Luna gasped.

"Luna, our time together has meant the world to me." Gothic confessed. "I love you like I've never loved anypony before. Nothing could make me happier than for you to become my wife."

"I... I..." Luna gulped.

"Y-you don't have to answer right away." Gothic said nervously, fearing things weren't going as planned. "You can take your ti-"

"Yes." Luna smiled. "I will be your wife, Gothic."

"Really?" Gothic smiled.

"Really." Luna smiled. "You are my one and only love. I can think of nothing more wondrous then to be bound you in holy matrimony."

"Oh, Luna." Gothic beamed. "You've made me the happiest stallion in Equestria!"

"And I, the happiest mare." Luna countered.

The two kissed deeply.

The present...

"How romantic..." Dusty sighed.

"My proposal was just as romantic." Blueblood pouted. "If not more so..."

"Of course it was, darling." Dusty hugged him.

"Lucky for me, you guys did get married." Shine declared. "If not, I wouldn't have had something with experience on having a princess for wife. There were times when you really helped me, Gothic. Remember that talk we had, just before our trip to draft a peace accord with the Changelings?"

"Boy, do I." Gothic nodded.

Two years ago...

Mere hours before they were scheduled to depart, Gothic discovered Shine in the royal study, staring into space.

"What's up, Shine?" He asked.

"Oh, hey, Gothic." Shine turned around. "I'm just... thinking."

"About what?" Gothic pressed.

"This whole 'prince' thing." Shine sighed. "I never really thought about what marrying Celestia would mean. The kind of royal duties I'd have to perform."

"You're worried about the peace talks?" Gothic deduced.

"Yeah." Shine nodded. "What if I say or do the wrong thing, and the peace talks break down? I could be responsible for causing a war!"

"Relax, pal." Gothic chuckled. "It's never as bad as that."

"Yeah, but still..." Shine gulped.

"I know how you feel." Gothic declared. "When I became a prince, I was worried about screwing up too. Case in point: There was this big diplomatic dinner I had to attend. I was so worried about messing up, I actually puked... on a griffon dignitary's talons."

"Yikes." Shine grimaced. "How'd you get out of that?"

"Lucky for me, the ambassador was understanding." Gothic smiled. "He was aware I was new to the whole 'prince' thing, and cut me some slack. After that little episode, I started getting better, little by little. That's the only way you can do it, Shine. Just keep working at it, one step at a time."

"Okay." Shine nodded. "And if I mess up?"

"Then you'll be just like the rest of us." Gothic smiled.

The present...

"I never forgot your words of advice." Shine smiled. "To this day, I live my life by them."

"Happy to help, bro-in-law." Gothic chuckled.

Over the course of the day, Gothic and Luna received gifts from well-wishers. One in particular was from Gothic's old club (Whom he still kept in touch with), a snow globe containing models of the two of them, and a card with words of congratulation on it.

At lunch time, Blueblood joined Gothic in the study.

"So... twenty years." He smiled. "Seems like only yesterday I was protesting aunt Luna making you her consort..."

"Yeah, good times." Gothic joked.

"I'll admit, I wasn't the best in-law around." Blueblood noted. "But I still owe you a lot. Like when Dusty was pregnant with the twins..."

Two years ago...

It was the middle of the night. Gothic, having gotten a glass of milk from the kitchen, was returning to bed when he spotted Blueblood on a balcony.

"Blueblood?" He asked. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I can't sleep." Blueblood sighed. "I keep thinking the foals Dusty and I are going to have, and how terrible a father I'm going to be."

"You won't be terrible." Gothic told him.

"Of course I will." Blueblood groaned. "And why wouldn't I be, considering my own father never bothered with me..."

"Well, you're not your father, are you?" Gothic declared. "Look, I know what it's like to feel like I'm not ready for fatherhood. Before Constell was born, I was sure I wouldn't be a good father. Then I held her in my hooves for the first time, and it all changed. I just knew I was going to be the best father I could be."

"Seriously?" Blueblood frowned. "Just like that?"

"Yep." Gothic nodded. "Trust me, it'll be the same for you. Nopony's asking you to be the perfect father. Just be the best father you can be. That's all your foals really needs."

"I guess you're right." Blueblood smiled. "Thanks, Gothic."

"Anytime." Gothic grinned. "Besides, you aren't the same pain in the flank you were a couple of years back."

"And you're not the unworthy commoner I thought you were, either." Blueblood replied.

"Thanks, I guess..." Gothic said awkwardly.

The present...

"You really were right." Blueblood smiled. "All those worries went away when I saw Pureblood and Vito for the first time."

"I knew they would." Gothic chuckled.

"Thanks again, Gothic." Blueblood declared.

Meanwhile, Luna was working down the corridors, and bumped into Caboose.

"Your highness!" He saluted.

"At ease, Caboose." Luna chuckled.

"Congrats on the anniversary, BTW." Caboose smiled. "Too bad I wasn't there for the beginning. Sounds like I missed a lot of fun."

"Oh, I don't think so." Luna declared. "Things have been quite... lively since you were stationed here..."

Two and a half years ago...

Luna was doing her regular rounds of dream-walking. She was on the verge of entering Caboose's dreams, but with some trepidation.

"This stallion has wild enough thoughts when he's awake." She mused. "I can't imagine what his dreams could be about..."

As Luna delved into Caboose's dreams, she saw some unusual sights; Giant cannons, miniature cockatrices, and something else. As she went in deeper, she saw Caboose and seven other ponies up on stage with him at some kind of awards ceremony. They were all wearing tuxedoes.

"Let's hear it for the greatest gangster ponies in all of Bitaly!" An unseen voice called.

One of the ponies aside Caboose stepped forth, an older stallion with a gray mane and a rather grim-looking book Cutie Mark.

"Thank you all. I'll tell ya, it is not easy maintaining the title of the most powerful mafia family in all of Eurodeo. But when you have your seven brothers to pick up the slack, it's not all that hard, because if there are two things that are vital to an enterprise's survival, it is trust and family." He then turned to Caboose. "Am I right, Caboose?"

"Yup!" Caboose smiled, as he joined his 'brother'. "Now if there's one thing you can be sure of, it's that nothing is more powerful than family. Except a Bitalian War-DX Airship. A Bitalian War-DX Airship has auto-crossbows AND cannons. It is an unbelievably impressive complement of weaponry, an absolute death machine."

Laughs out of nowhere echoed.

"Oh, I'm just kiddin'. Nothing better than family." Caboose laughed, "Proud to be an Napoleon!"

"Yeah, three cheers to us Napoleons! We rock!" A porky stallion that was on stage with them raised his hoof.

The crowd did as such, as Luna looked on in shock.

"Caboose's family... are mobsters?!" Luna gasped. "Caboose had lied to us. Wait until Celestia hears about this!"

"Hey, lady!"

Luna looked behind and to her shock, saw another Caboose lounging on a chair.

"What-how… Caboose?" Luna gaped.

"It's O'Malley." The Caboose-look-alike snarled. "Could you move your hot flank over?! Kinda hard to see the ceremony through it!"

Luna frowned at his rudeness, as she then faded from the dream.

The following morning, Luna had gathered Celestia, Gothic, and Shine in a room and told them what she had discovered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Caboose… is a mobster?" Gothic gasped.

"Caboose. The one from Saddle Arabia?" Shine asked.

"Indeed. I checked his files soon after. Caboose is not who he claims to be." Luna declared, "All his accolades back in Saddle Arabia were fabricated, as well as his credentials."

"I see." Celestia nodded.

"We should do something." Gothic declared.

"Like what?" Celestia asked.

"Have him fired for falsifying his work history, for starters." Luna declared.

"I'm sure he had a good reason for doing that." Celestia said fairly. "Dusty may be a fairly large part of it..."

"Why do you defend him, sister?" Luna asked.

"Why do you not, Luna?" Celestia countered. "You, more then anypony, should know better then to judge somepony solely by their past misdeeds."

Luna grew silent, having been suitably chastened.

"Let us judge him by his actions in the present, and respond accordingly." Celestia declared, with a tone of finality. "Everypony deserves such judgement, Luna."

"I suppose so..." Luna sighed. "But if he gets even a little out of line-"

"Then feel free to say 'I told you so'." Celestia smiled. "As often as you like, in fact."

The present...

"I was ready to turn you in then and there." Luna declared. "Fortunately, Celestia knew you meant no harm, and convinced me to give you the benefit of the doubt. It turns out, she was right."

"Lucky for me, huh?" Caboose chuckled.

"Lucky for all of us." Luna added. "This place just wouldn't be the same without you."

"Aw, thanks!" Caboose blushed.

That evening, Luna and Gothic enjoyed an anniversary dinner together.

"Here's to twenty great years." Gothic sighed.

"Hear, hear." Luna smiled. "I remember our wedding like it was only yesterday."

"How could I forgot?" Gothic beamed.

Twenty years ago...

The day had finally come. Practically all of Equestria attended the wedding (Even Discord, who was trying his best to behave himself). As the pipe organ started playing the wedding march, Luna marched down the aisle, wearing a jet black wedding dress, and looking more beautiful than ever.

"Wow..." Gothic gaped.

As they stood together, Celestia started listing the vows for them to recite. Gothic was only half paying attention, focusing on the beautiful mare in front of him.

"...You may now kiss the bride." Celestia declared.

"Finally." Gothic chuckled, as he and Luna embraced.

"I present to you, princess Luna and prince Gothic!" Celestia declared to the crowd. "Take good care of my little sister, Gothic." She whispered to her new brother-in-law.

"Oh, I will." Gothic smiled. "You don't have to worry about that."

The present...

"And of course, there was an almost-as-wonderful moment a few months later." Luna recalled.

Nineteen years ago...

It was night time. Gothic was already in bed, and waiting for Luna, who was mysteriously absent. She soon entered the room, a strange look on her face.

"What kept you?" Gothic joked, before noticing her expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly." Luna replied. "Gothic... I'm pregnant."

"You... you..." Gothic wheezed. "Preg... preg..."

"That's right." Luna kissed him. "You're going to be a father."

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Gothic suddenly asked. "You're inside my mind, giving me the best dream possible."

"No, my love." Luna chuckled. "It's the real thing. We're going to have a foal."

"Incredible." Gothic gasped. "I... I... whoa."

"'Whoa', indeed." Luna joked.

Eighteen years ago...

It had been a long and eventful pregnancy. Luna's mood swings brought with them a resurgence of the "Royal Canterlot Voice", of such power that Gothic often found himself blasted across the room. Then came the actual birth. Luna's screams shattered every pane of glass in the hospital, but Gothic stood by her, despite the risk to his hearing. Eventually, it was over, and the proud parents looked at their daughter as Luna held young Constell in her arms.

"She's beautiful." Luna cooed.

"Especially her eyes." Gothic noted. "Brighter than the brightest constellation."

"Then that is what we shall call her." Luna declared. "Constell."

"I love it." Gothic smiled. "And I love you."

"And I, you, my darling." Luna purred.

The two kissed tenderly.

The present...

"These past twenty years together have given us so much." Luna noted.

"They sure have." Gothic agreed. "I can't wait to see what the next twenty have in store for us."

"Indeed." Luna smiled. "And we will find out together."

"Always, my love." Gothic kissed her. "Always."

Comments

[Rakoon1]

I just hope the chapter between Dusk and Dazzle arrives. It will be awesome to see how their relationship had developed. I also want to see a chapter between Twilight and Flash and another between Cadance and Shining.

[Derpyforever]

4745195 I wouldn't hold to much hope on Shining and Cadance. Bluecat already devoted about 2 or 3 stories to them. Even though they were just one-shots, there isn't really much left to talk about... but you never know

[Derpyforever]

Anyways, great job bluecat, you're really doing a great job... Almost forgot! Are you and... I think Ebronystallion was his name? The guy you're working with. Are you two entering the Equestria Daily Outside Insight summer fic contest?

[00RaiserGundam]

Great Chapter as always Bluecatcinema!

Just one question. Have you ever considered or would you ever consider doing a Sunset Shimmer fic?

[SageBrony07]

That's so sweet. Great job. I love this story. Great chapter.

[ZhaoZoharEX]

Perhaps something with the CMC, Diamond Tiara, or Silver Spoon?

[Galaxy Knight]

Ah, one of my favorite ponies has one of the sweetest stories. Appropriate.