The Last Changeling War

by Coyote de La Mancha

Epilogue Two: My Heart Is Complicated.

Several hours had passed.

After the impromptu addition to Equestria’s constellations, there had been a surprising lack of conversation among the princesses, elements, and family who had gathered at the Castle of Friendship. The applause had died down, there had been a few more hugs, and then everypony had simply gone their own way. It had been as if, somehow, nothing else had needed to be said.

Well, mostly.

Upon returning to Sunrise’s room, Luna and Sunrise had not even made it to the bed before falling into one another’s arms, celebrating their lives together in one of the most joyous ways possible.

Which should have been awkward due to Sunrise’s injuries, and, at first, kind of was. And a little painful, though she was determined that it was worth the pain. But as they finished together, Sunrise realized that the room was filled with a deep blue glow. And had been, point of fact, for some time.

And that the pain she had anticipated, for the most part... just... wasn’t there.

Sunrise hesitated, trying to measure within her own mind whether what she was feeling – or, more precisely, what she wasn’t feeling – was truly accurate. And then, finally, as she held her lover in her arms, Sunrise spoke into the fading blue light.

“Um, hon?” she asked softly, “did you just... heal me?”

To her surprise, Luna looked away.

“Forgive the intrusion, beloved,” the diarch said softly. “’Twas not planned. I just... the moment, you see...”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Sunrise assured her, holding her closer than before. “Heck, it’s better than fine! I’m just surprised, is all. I’d read that healing folks was, like, super difficult. And dangerous.”

“It is, normally,” Luna admitted. “But in the case of two ponies whose energies are so very familiar, and especially when they have... well... ah... exchanged, as ours have...”

“Oh, exchanged,” Sunrise grinned. “Yeah, our energies sure have been doin’ a whole lot of exchanging lately...”

Luna took a steadying breath, fortifying her dignity. Or at least, what dignity was allowed to her as the two of them continued to lie tangled together on the floor, the bedroom door still a good ten feet away.

“Yes,” the Lady of Night affirmed. “We have been—”

“Screwing like bunnies?” Sunrise supplied happily, propping herself up on one elbow.

“—celebrating the joining of our lives in an act that is both physical and magical,” Luna plowed on, determined. “And when the two are unicorns, and especially when they are both—”

“—Going at it like famished sailors—” the iconoclast interjected gleefully, bouncing a little.

“—when the two of them are both magicians, oh, honestly, Sunny!” Luna flopped onto her back, struggling not to laugh.

“Uh-huh.”

There was a moment’s observation. Then, Sunny asked in a voice of pure mischief, “Are you... blushing?”

Luna stared straight at the ceiling. “No.”

“Oho, you so are.”

“Certainly I am not!” said the Princess of Dream, in a tone that emphatically marked her as being above any such accusation.

“Oh, you totally are,” Sunrise said wickedly, moving over her. “It’s spreading, too.”

“Lies,” said the princess, her voice less steady.

“Right down the sides of your neck,” Sunrise said, kissing and nibbling the locations softly as she named them, “and right along your withers...”

“Horrible lies,” Luna sighed happily.

“Straight across your throat, and then down... my, it just goes everywhere, doesn’t it?”

“Mmm, scandalous lies,” Luna moaned.

All in all, it seemed amazing all the places that a princess could blush.

They didn’t make it to the bed this time, either.

---

Afterwards, the two of them shared a brief but luxurious shower, and crawled under a set of freshly cleaned sheets together.

Luna, of course, couldn’t sleep. Not only was the night her time, but the rite she and her fellow princesses had shared had been, while exhausting, also strangely invigorating. And Sunny had discovered that her brief sleep before the new star’s birth had acted as a reenergizing nap, even before being healed.

And so it was that, after a few affectionate kisses, the two of them spent some time just holding each other in pleasant silence.

Finally, Sunrise spoke again.

“So, that light in the sky a little while ago... did you actually make a new star?”

“With Twilight and Tia,” Luna affirmed, snuggling in closer.

“Huh.”

Sunrise took a few minutes to contemplate some of the implications of that. The possible size difference of Equus’ stars versus those of Gaia, their distance, their potential origins across the aeons. For a moment, she wondered whether Luna had created them all, or if some of them dated back to Discord’s reign.

But then she smiled, and happily sighed her questions away. This was now. The rest could wait. Especially since now, everypony she loved was well and truly safe again, and on the mend.

“So, that means that Twilight's okay too, right?” she asked into her lover’s mane. “I mean, if she was part of a spell like that...”

“She is,” Luna said contentedly.

“I’m glad,” Sunrise said.

“As am I.”

Several moments passed.

“You know, I don't think I could have held it together if she'd died instead of just being captured,” Sunrise said. “And even with that, keeping it together where Chrysalis was concerned was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've never been so relieved as when you let me know Twi was finally safe.”

“Indeed,” Luna agreed. “The world would be a colder place without her smile.”

“Her smile, her laugh, the way her eyes light up when she discovers something new to learn,” Sunrise sighed.

“The way she loses herself into her books,” Luna sighed back. “Curled up contentedly as she reads.”

“And that look she gets, when she's just learned something exciting...”

“...and you know that she's going to tell you everything about it...”

“...and maybe you'll keep up, maybe you won't...”

“...yet never would you trade hearing her tell it all to you, not for all the world...”

“...yeah.”

“Yes.”

The two of them sighed happily in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

Several seconds later, Luna said, in the most contemplative tone, “Do not misunderstand, I pray thee, but... does this moment now seem... a little... incomplete, perhaps?”

“You know, it kinda does,” Sunrise said, equally contemplative.

“Is Twilight's bed big enough for three, do you suppose?”

Sunrise considered this.

“Well, she's Twilight, so it would just be cuddling,” Sunrise pointed out.

“Of course,” Luna nodded.

“So, with that in mind... yeah, I think so,” Sunrise said, nodding as well. “A little cramped, maybe, but doable.”

Luna kissed her gently. Then, with a teasing smile, she said, “There are two mares in this world who hold my heart, my love. Does that trouble thee?”

“Nope,” Sunrise grinned, kissing her back. “I love her too. So, we're cool with this?”

“We are,” Luna smiled. “Unless, of course, Twilight has objections.”

“Only one way to find out.”

“Sooth.”

Neither one moved. After a time, Sunrise spoke.

“Boy, these blankets sure are comfy,” she said.

“They are.”

“Warm and snug.”

“Like nothing else,” Luna agreed.

“Nervous?” Sunrise asked.

“Petrified.”

“That probably means it's a good idea.”

“Most likely.”

Still, neither mare moved.

“Welp, no time like the present,” Sunrise announced suddenly.

“Wait! Sunny, what are you--?” Luna started. And then, in a burst of cyan light, they were gone.

---

Spike jacknifed awake, the feel of teleportation magic unmistakable. There was the sound of a blanket-wrapped body thumping against the floor, the sound of something else impacting against the bed near Twilight’s hooves, and what was clearly Princess Luna's voice, completely aghast:

“--doing?!?”

Twilight had, of course, fallen asleep reading. She was still growing into her potential power, and the kind of magic she'd been casting lately had taken its toll.

But now she was awake, whipping her head around in startled bewilderment, book falling to one side, even as the newly materialized mares struggled frantically against two warring sets of covers.

“Who? What? Where? When?” Twilight demanded, eyes still straining to focus. “Where are they? Spike, send a letter! Is Celestia—”

Luna, meanwhile, was on the bed's foot. Face buried in her hooves, mortified, the lower half of her body still mummified by Sunrise's bedding.

“Twilight, I swear, this was not my intent!”

“Wait, what?” Twilight managed, more confused than ever.

“I panicked!” Sunrise called out from the floor, one hoof upraised, voice muffled by the blankets covering her. “Sorry!”

“Never thou did not!” Luna accused.

“Burma!”

“Okay, stop,” Twilight commanded, holding her hooves before her. “One thing at a time! Is anypony in danger?”

“Nay,” Luna said quietly, looking down. “And please, forgive us this intrusion, especially in light of all that has recently transpired.”

“Yeah,” Sunrise winced as she worked herself free. “That's my fault. Sorry, Twilight. I wasn't thinking. Like, at all. And I'm really, really, really sorry.”

Then, to Luna, she added, “And that goes to you, too, hon. I'm really sorry. It was a stupid, brainless thing to do.”

Then, with a sigh, “We should probably just go.”

“Aye,” Luna nodded, working herself free. “T‘would likely be best.”

“Rrrrrrrrrrugh!”

All three mares started. Throughout their exchange, Spike had been giving them all a look of profound irritation from beneath his dragon brows. Now, with a growl of pure exasperation, he had grabbed up his bed and blanket. And, carrying them under one arm, he was headed towards the door.

“Oh, wait, Spike, oh crap...” Sunrise started.

“Nope,” Spike cut her off, spinning to face her as he did. “Nope, nope, nope! Also no, null, nada, zip, zilch, and any other no-words that I'm too tired to remember right now! There's not enough no-ness in the word 'no' to express how no I am about whatever you were just gonna say. You girls need privacy, and I'm giving you privacy. Period!

“Besides, I've been meaning to move to a different room for a while now,” he added, turning back to the door. “I just hadn't gotten around to it. So, you three just talk about whatever. I'll see you in the morning. Good night.”

“But--”

“Good night.”

And then, he was gone, the door closing behind him with a definitive click.

The three mares glanced at one another.

“Did... I just get called a girl?” Luna mused. “Because, as I think it, it has been a while.”

“Um, yeah,” Sunrise sighed. “But we were just on our way out, remember?”

“No, hold on,” Twilight said. “Spike is right. Something obviously brought you two here. And it was obviously important, however ill-advised teleporting into somepony's bed in the middle of the night might be. So... what is it?”

Silence.

Twilight looked from one mare to the other, her frown of confusion deepening by the second. Both of them seemed really nervous about something. So there was obviously something going on here. Something important.

But... what?

Then, Sunrise clambered onto the bed, sitting by Twilight's side.

“Twilight, did you ever read Sense and Sensibility, by Neigh Austin?”

Twilight stared at her, feeling even more lost.

“Of course,” she said. “It's a classic.”

“So, you remember that scene, where the good guy – not the colonel, the other guy – professes his love for Elenore?”

“Of course,” Twilight said again.

“Right,” Sunrise nodded, “He says, I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be... yours.”

“Yes?” Twilight asked, completely perplexed. “And? So? Are you guys finally engaged? Why telemmmmmm...”

Twilight stared as Sunrise kissed her. It was not a passionate kiss, not deep. But it was obviously heartfelt.

Twilight blinked, even as Luna glided onto the bed to her other side.

“But...” Twilight managed after a moment, “...but wait, you and Lunammmmm...”

Now Luna was kissing her, obviously with the same amount of genuineness.

Then, that kiss also ended.

Both mares sat back, watching Twilight, waiting.

Twilight blinked again.

“Oh,” she said finally.

Then, contemplatively, “Oh.”

Then, her eyes widened. “Oh.”

Then, with her mouth dropping open, “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”

After a moment, Luna spoke.

“So, thus our nervousness,” she said. “And thus our hesitation, and Sunny's confusion.”

“I prefer ‘brain-dead moment,’” Sunrise said, rising. “But yeah. So, um, yeah. We'll go ahead and go.”

“We should see ourselves out,” Luna agreed, also rising. “We were just cuddling, and talking, and, well...”

“...we missed you,” Sunrise finished with a sigh. “Which sounds really lame now that I'm saying it out loud. Not that we missed you, I mean, you're amazing.”

“Beyond words,” Luna added. “And we do love thee.”

“We do,” Sunrise agreed. “But, um, yeah. This was rude, and invasive, and I'm really sorry.”

“As am I,” Luna added. “Please, forgive the intrusion. It's just... some things mustn't go unsaid.”

“And we do love you.”

“And we did miss thee.”

“We did,” Sunrise agreed. “And, of course, no expectations.”

“Right,” Luna affirmed.

There was an awkward silence.

“Yeah. Well. See you in the morning,” Sunrise said.

As the two turned and stepped towards the door, there was a violet flash from behind them, and a single word.

“Wait?”

With almost identical apprehension, the mares turned back to Twilight. She was staring at her covers, biting her lower lip as she did. Her bed – and the bedding on it – was now noticeably larger than before.

“There was...” Twilight began, blushing furiously. She swallowed and tried again. “There was...”

Finally, bashfully raising her eyes to the other mares, she managed, “...talk of cuddles?”

There was the merest hesitation, and both of the other mares immediately climbed back into bed, adding their own covers to Twilight's.

“Oh,” Sunrise grinned, “There was so talk of cuddles.”

There were occasional half-wakings through the night, here and there. Not to mention a few good-natured noises of frustration as one mare or another tried to find a comfortable place to put an arm, leg, or wing, or shifted her head to keep someone’s breath out of her ear.

But it remained, then and the following day and night, and for many more thereafter:

Yes. This was right.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Very glad I read this on Valentine’s Day. I can think of no better way to commemorate Chrysalis’s ultimate defeat than flourishing love. (Though now I want to see their wider social circle’s reactions.)

[Coyote de La Mancha]

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Yeah, ‘tis the season. And I do agree: there is no better defeat of Chrysalis and her philosophy than the flourishing of love.

As for the reactions of those around them... I imagine that over time we’ll see a little here, and a little there. Though the finale will, I think, show Cadence’s opinions pretty clearly.