> Marshmallows: RariLestia Group Prompt Collab > by Bakmah Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Intro - Dragon Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intro by Dragon Genesis Rarity ran down the halls of Canterlot Castle with a distressed look on her face. Guards watched as the usually calm and collected mare sprinted towards Princess Celestia's private Bed Chambers. "Tiiiiaaa!" Exclaimed the mare as she bursted into said alicorn's room. Celestia jerked in surprise, her quill taking an unplanned journey towards the ceiling in which it embedded itself into. Celestia blinked at the quill before turning her gaze torwards the blushing mare. "Rarity, may I ask what has compelled you to enter my room screaming my name?" Asked the goddess, her eyes darting back up to the quill that was still stuck in the ceiling. She tsk'd before grabbing it in her aura and yanking it from the ceiling. "Tia! We are being watched!" Exclaimed Rarity franticly, strands of her mane sticking out of her mane such as Twilight's would when she was getting overworked about something. Celestia blinked before chuckling, shaking her head. "Them?" She asked, pointing at us hypothetical and technically fictional readers. "We can do nothing about them, my dear. Besides, they have no ill will towards us or Equestria." said Celestia with a soft smile. Rarity slowly started to relax, but was still weary of us readers. She obviously thinks we are perks here just to jerk it while watching them kiss. How dare she! "I....I guess you are right." She sighed. "I am just worried, is all." said the mare. Celestia smiled at her softly before trotting up to her, placing a hoof under her chin and lifting it for their lips to meet. The tension was completely removed from Rarity as she melted into the kiss, smiling dumbly as Celestia broke it off. "Is that better, love?" Asked Celestia with a warm smile. Rarity giggled before nodding. "It is." She pecked the alicorn on the muzzle. "Thank you." she whispered quietly. Celestia purred slightly as the to nuzzled. We totally didn't come here just to watch them kiss. > Changes - The 8-Bit Flame Princess > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes by The 8-Bit Flame Princess Celestia was used to order. To things going the way she planned, ponies listening to her- after all, she was their ruler. Chaos had never appealed to her. She liked her routine and she planned to stick with it for another thousand years. Though, their was a part of her routine that got a bit ... Lonely, to put it nicely. She was awake during the day, and should be asleep during the night, but her mind was active, rearing to go, ready for excitement and wonder. But she was alone during this time. Her sister was working, and she had next to no friends or colleagues that she could consider spending this time with. However, there was a certain appeal in disguising herself and mingling with regular ponies. It was definitely interesting seeing how they treated and thought about her when she wasn't wearing a crown. And, if in these escapades she did happen to have somepony take her home, well, it was an advantage. A very pleasant advantage. But she'd never in her wildest dreams think she'd be picking up someone she knew - and then Rarity came along and spotted her in the crowd right away, seeing straight through her mask. Celestia did always appreciate those who saw her for who she was. She'd also never think that this arrangement would be semi-permanent. Then again, the whole point of this exercise was to change her schedule. Maybe "Rarity-time" was a decent addition to her timetable. > Cherry - Dragon Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cherry by Dragon Genesis Rarity sighed in content as she laid in the summer sun. She had her back up against Celestia as the two of them enjoyed the other's company in the vast garden in Canterlot Castle. "It is nice to have moments like these, considering our workload." said Rarity looking over at her marefriend. The goddess nodded, nuzzling the mare on the forehead, carful of her horn as to not gouge herself with it. "Yes, a break from bickering nobles and Luna's usual antics is a luxury I would love to indulge in more often, especially if a certain fashionista took a break from her dresses to join me." Rarity rolled her eyes. "We both know that the orders I get from Hoity Toity are a nightmare to get done in a small amount of time, Tia. If it weren't for that, them I would be glad to spend me spare time with you.....and maybe then some." said the fashionista with a sly smirk. Celestia giggled before planting a small kiss on the mare's lips. "Naughty one, aren't we?" Asked Celestia. Rarity only smirked as she plucked the cherries off of the top of her sundae, placing one of the two in her mouth, stem included. She chewed a bit before swallowing. She rolled her tongue around in her mouth and then stuck it out, a perfectly tied cherry stem on it's tip. "Maybe I am." said Rarity, spitting the stem and seed onto the ground. She levitated the second cherry to her marefriend's lips, Celestia gladly taking it with a soft press of her teeth. She repeated the same manner as Rarity had showed and produced a decently tied cherry stem. "I'm not too good at this." frowned Celestia, spitting it out. Rarity gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry, dear. It took me a couple boxes before I, myself, mastered it." Rarity nuzzled up to the mare as she plucked the cherries off of Celestia's own sundae that was still waiting to be indulged in. "We can still try one more time. That, and I do think we had a fresh supply of them earlier." Celestia allowed one the cherries access into her mouth, slowly chewing it. Rarity watched as the goddess' face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to tie the cherry stem with her tongue. Rarity knew herself that it wasn't an easy task with such a thick appendage and not being able to see what you were doing. Finally, Celestia spat out the stem, showing it busted in the middle. "It was a good try, dear." said Rarity in a comforting tone. "We still have one more cherry though." Rarity levitated the cherry up to her lips and waited for Celestia to take the hint. Celestia's eyes widened before a grin crept across her face. She closed the gap between their lips, biting one half of the cherry while Rarity bit the other half. They let each other's tongue roll around in their mouthes, working on perfectly tying the cherry stem. Celestia's face would scrunch up on occasion until she let the presence of the other mare's lips soothe her. After a few minutes, the two broke apart, a perfectly tied cherry stem falling to the blanket. Celestia blinked at it before looking up at the smiling Rarity. "Sometimes, you just need a little assistance." said Rarity with a wink. Celestia chuckled before laying back down, prompting Rarity to do the same. They smiled contently as they went back to enjoying the summer sun. > Age - Tomification > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Age by Tomification “Wowee Rarity! That cake looks super-duper-delish’!” Pinkie yelled excitedly as she packaged up the unicorn’s purchase. “I mean I should know, I did bake it! And I baked it to be super-duper-delish’ so that’s probably the reason that it’s super-duper-” “Thank you Pinkie,” Rarity said rather forcefully. As much as she loved her excitable friend, today was an important day. She couldn’t afford to get wrapped up in a marathon talk about Pinkie’s baking habits. “You’re welcome Rarity, that’ll be 15 bits after the ‘Friend of Pinkie’ discount.” “Darling, you’ll have this bakery going out of business,” Rarity giggled, earning a quizzical look from her friend, “Everypony’s a friend of Pinkie dear. Now, as much as it’s appreciated, money’s no issue.” Rarity levitated the regular price of 20 bits into Pinkie’s hoof before going to pick up the cake box. “Oh, before I forget dearie, do you have any candles?” the unicorn asked, “Sure do,” the baker went to a nearby cupboard and began rooting around inside. “I’d rather have the ones shaped as numbers if you’ve got any,” Rarity saw Pinkie nod. A few seconds later, she had returned to the counter with the box in her muzzle. “These for the fillyfriend,” Pinkie teased, getting a light blush from her friend in return. “I think you know they are,” Rarity chuckled, “Ok then, how old is the Princess today?” the earth pony queried. Rarity’s eyes snapped open. “Come again?” the unicorn spluttered. “The Princess, if you want the number candles they need to show how old she is today, it’s a birthday tradition-” “No Pinkie, I understand. What I mean is, you don’t know how old the princess is?” “Nope,” the baker grinned. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence that lasted a few seconds, until Rarity broke it, “Why, that is our Princess, and more importantly my fillyfriend!” Rarity paused to dramatically gesture with a hoof, “Are you telling me you don’t even know her age?!” Pinkie didn’t reply, but her answer was clear. “B… But everyone knows how old the princess is!” the unicorn exclaimed, her eyes darting around suspiciously. “Well, not me, so you’re going to have to tell me.” Nopony spoke, and Rarity was perspiring far too much for her liking. Pinkie looked around uncomfortably before speaking up, “...Rarity, do you know how old the princess is?” “Why of course,” Rarity cried desperately. Once again, nopony spoke for a while. Everytime Pinkie would attempt to say something, she would be cut off by some frantic exclamation from Rarity. Eventually, the unbearable situation broke. Rarity’s shoulders slumped and she sighed roughly. “Pinkie… do you have any punctuation mark candles in that box?” All the lights in Carousel Boutique were turned off. The only source of illumination was a flickering orange glow from the kitchen. Two ponies were sat at the table, and there was a birthday cake in between them. “...Happy birthday dear Celestia,” Rarity sang, allowing herself a small pause to peck her fillyfriend’s cheek. “...happy birthday to you!” Celestia smiled, but her eyes didn’t leave the cake. Specifically the candles on top of it, the ones that spelled out ‘2000?’. “I’m 1968 years old today Rarity,” the princess smirked. For the second time that day, Rarity let out a sigh and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry darling,” Rarity groaned before launching off onto a tirade, “I only realised when I got to the bakery that I never asked how old you are and in fairness nopony knows how old you are I mean I know it’s at least over a thousand but it’s not polite to ask a lady her age plus I was afraid of telling my father I was seeing a pony so much older than myself-” Rarity felt a hoof on her lips. “As adorable as I find your babbling dearest,” Celestia leaned in to whisper in the seamstress’ ear, “It’s a perfect cake.” Rarity smiled and melted into the alicorn’s embrace, and from outside, the faint orange glow of the candles could be seen being snuffed out. > Music - LDSocrates > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music by LDSocrates Celestia couldn’t help but smile at the scene unfolding before her, in Rarity’s little “creativity room.” It was her art studio in the palace, a place for Rarity to contain her organized chaos of an artistic process. The place looked as messy and colorful as ever, with many fabrics and silks and gemstones scattered about Rarity’s hooves and on the shelves and anywhere they could fit – besides, the mannequins, of course, where the true art was made. It was that day, though, that Celestia heard the siren call of violinsradiating from the studio, gorgeous, peaceful, and ponderous strings playing inside. And inside was Rarity, dancing by herself to the music of her phonograph. Her cutie mark was by no means dancing, and it showed, but she stepped with poise and grace all the same, at least to the princess. Her eyes were closed as she danced with an invisible partner, circling around whoever was on her mind with a placid smile on her face in time to the serene rhythm. With each crescendo she’d spin, with each sweeping note she’d bow, and each time the music dipped she’d brush past her imaginary dancing partner lovingly. It was a long, pleasant time before Celestia fully opened the door and trotted inside. Rarity gasped and sputtered, about to make some sort of excuse no doubt, but Celestia raised a hoof to her lips with a grin. She extended a foreleg, her violet eyes asking all she needed to. With a blush as bright as dawn Rarity took her offer as the song continued. It took the smaller mare a few moments to get used to dancing with such a tall partner, but the two of them fell into the same rhythm soon enough. With each crescendo Celestia would spin Rarity around, with each sweeping note they’d bow to one another, and each time the music dipped Rarity brushed her sides and flanks against Celestia’s lovingly as they circled around each other. As the music died and silence fell between them, the two mares looked at each other. Rarity’s blush reignited through her smile, and Celestia couldn’t help but do so as well. The two leaned in, their lips locked, and their own personal music reached its crescendo. > Coffee - FinestFantasy13 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coffee by FinestFantasy13 "What is it?" Celestia was obviously worried by now, knowing that something had to be wrong. "What do you think you`ll do after I, you know, pass?" "Well, a few things. Cry for around two months straight, maybe find somepony new, start a new life with them, but at the same time, not forget about you. Basically what anypony would do after losing somepony that close to them." Then again... Celestia thought, not sure whether or not she should do it. Finally, she decided to surprise her marefriend with an unusual birthday present. She levitated her cup of coffee out of the way, & did the same for Rarity`s. "Celestia, what are you doing? Please don`t tell me... you know that hurt my back last time." Celestia`s horn glowed with an almost impossibly bright light, & in a moment it dissipated, leaving the two of them in the room together still. Rarity felt exactly the same, but with one exception. A strange feeling on her back, like an itch that she couldn`t scratch. She felt a bit of movement on her back, & noticed that what she felt was no itch. She had wings! "Celestia, what did you do!? "Well, you were talking about dying, so I decided that if we were both immortal, you`d never have to worry about death ever again." "But, what about my friends?" Celestia`s face turned grim as she spoke. "Rarity, you will have to do many things that I have done in my life. You will have to watch even your closest friends die right before your eyes, to the point that all life will seem pointless in your mind. You will start to believe that all time is nothing compared to the misery you will live through. But there is a light in all this darkness. I will be by your side through it all, & as long as we have each other, we will be able to weather the storm." Rarity took a deep breath before speaking. "Alright. If you say it will be okay, then I`ll take your word for it. Oh no!" "What?" "You spilled our coffee!" "That doesn`t matter right now. All that does matter is that we`re both here." Celestia leaned forward, pressing her lips against her marefriend`s as she levitated the two coffee cups off of the floor. > Dreams - Esle Ynopemos > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Esle Ynopemos Every filly had dreams. Every filly aspired to go someplace, do something, be somepony. It was part of being a pony, and thank Faust it was, for if young ponies didn't dream of something more, ponykind would surely have still been little more than herds of wild beasts grazing the plains. Rarity, too, had dreams. She had many dreams, of fortune, of success, of ponies cheering her name in the streets. But one of her favorite dreams was of her prince. He wasn't always necessarily royalty, of course. Sometimes she would imagine him as a suave businesspony, or a talented artist, or, when she was feeling adventurous, a dashing rogue. But no matter the details, he was always her prince. Charming, with wit to spare. Handsome. Gentle and kind, both to her and to those around her. He would sweep her off her hooves. Their courtship would stoke a scandal in the courts (or among the cosmopolitan elite, or in the guilds, or among the privateers aboard his incredible airship), but without fail, their love would win them the day. They would be wed, and their marriage would be magical. They would live Happily Ever After, capital letters and all. It was a lovely dream. Alas, it was not hard to guess what happened to it when she came face to face with reality. A stuck-up, snooty reality with no sense of chivalry or even common courtesy. After the Gala, Rarity found that she had developed a certain distaste for the term, 'prince.' That dream fell by the wayside and withered. But dreams had a funny way of coming back around. Sometimes, a few changed details made all the difference in the world. Sometimes, all a dream needed to come back was a little bit of re-working. It started, as many good things did, with a simple act of generosity. To Celestia, it was no doubt a small thing, simply putting to use a room that had been empty, for the sake of a friend. To Rarity, however, it was far more. It was the single greatest leap forward her name had ever been given the grace to take. Freely given, the key to so many of Rarity's dreams. And while she ultimately learned from the experience that those dreams were not all there was to her life, the seed of a new dream was planted in Rarity's mind. There was somepony out there whose wit and charm put her fantasies to shame. Whose beauty had been the inspiration for poets across the ages. Whose kindness and compassion were the stuff of legend. This pony was as shrewd as ten of Equestria's greatest merchants put together. This pony's work was renowned in a wide range of artistic fields. And, if legends were true, this pony was more than capable of swashing buckles with the best of them. Rarity swallowed a deep breath as she waited before the palace gates. She was certain this was crazy. Possibly even treasonous. A reasonable pony might have told her that what she was about to do, what she was about to confess, was a terrible idea. And she would probably have to agree with them. How fortunate, then, that there were no reasonable ponies present. There was only Rarity, and the single guardspony left behind as his partner went to get Princess Celestia. Dreams were meant to be big. And Rarity dreamed very big indeed. Rarity dreamed of her Princess. > Spike - Pearple Prose > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Pearple Prose Spike liked to think he was a mature little dragon. Sure, he had some bouts of childishness; sure, he liked reading comic books; and yes, he did like doodling pictures of himself as a handsome dragon knight in the margins of centuries-old books. But he could appreciate just how grown-up he could be when he was put into a situation like this. "Oh, I do hope we don't wear the same dress – that would be just uncouth!" Spike smiled indulgently as he helped Rarity fix her mane. His claws were useful for the more fiddly tasks, Rarity had discovered, and so there he was, helping the love of his life put on a gown. "Hmm... Something old, something new..." 'Love of his life.' But that wasn't really true, was it? "Could somebody please go fetch Rainbow Dash? One of her feathers would just look divine~ with this lace!" After all, in the comics, the hero always got together with the love of his life. That was just how it was. "Aha!" Spike stepped back as Rarity did a pirouette in her resplendent white dress. "Ta-da~! What do you think, Spikey-Wikey?" "Yeah... Looks great," Spike mumbled. It didn't seem fair, really. Spike knew that he shouldn't be thinking that, but he couldn't help it. But really, how was he supposed to compare to a literal goddess? Rarity looked at him with concern. "Oh, Spike. What's wrong? You seem ever-so-sad." Spike opened his mouth, prepared to say something, but the words died in his throat. "Nothin'." Rarity pouted. "No, it is not 'nothing''. I daresay it is quite something indeed. Now please, a bit for your thoughts?" Spike shifted on his paws uncomfortably. "Well... Aheh, funny story. I, uh, kinda have – had – a... crush on you?" Spike's smile faltered, and fell from his features. "But I guess that's kind of a lost cause, huh?" He sighed, and looked down. "Sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you with this. It's your special day, after all." He heard a tut-tut sound, and a hoof tilted his chin up. His tears blurred Rarity's face somewhat, but he could make out the soft smile on her face. "Oh, I knew, darling. I was just waiting for you to say it." Spike blinked. "Huh?" "I'm very flattered, you know. But do you really think this is the end for you? For us?" Spike just looked at her in confusion and surprise. Rarity sighed dramatically. "Oh, Spike, you silly old dragon, you! Love works in mysterious ways, after all. Yes, maybe I don't reciprocate your feelings, but that doesn't mean your heart won't find another. You're only just beginning your life, Spikey. And what a life it'll become." "And remember: forever and always, we will be friends." And she kissed him on the forehead. "Now, what do you think of this dress?" Rarity asked again, with a smile. Spike blinked. Then he wiped at his eyes and smiled brightly. "You look great, Rarity! Now get out there and go to her!" Rarity squee'd, and pranced out of the dressing room and to the roaring crowd outside. Spike watched her go. Yes, maybe Spike was a child. But Spike looked out at the ceremony taking place in the centre of Ponyville, and he realised that, whatever may happen, he would always have his friends. "We are gathered here today to share with Lady Rarity of Ponyville and Princess Celestia of Equestria as they exchange vows of their everlasting love..." > Gods by Auramane > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Auramane Rarity looked up in awe at Celestia, watching as she rose majestically up into the heavens. Today was the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, the first one since she had finally worked up the courage to tell Celestia about her feelings. Oh, how surprised Celestia had been, and how nervous Rarity herself had been. After she had finally put her feelings out in the open, she had felt a huge sense of relief. It didn’t matter what the princess said, it was out of her hooves and there was nothing she could do about it. And then she said yes. Time after that had just flown by, and Rarity felt like she hadn’t a care in the world. Sure, she had known somewhere in the back of her mind that the princess was different, but it had never really seemed to matter. Now though, as she watched the sun rise behind Celestia, she suddenly felt unsettled. Sure, she had always felt that she deserved more, but did she really deserve to be the consort of a god? Did anypony? She mulled these thoughts over silently, not taking her eyes off Celestia as she descended back to the ground. “Rarity? Is something wrong?” Rarity jerked out of her stupor at the sound of Twilight’s voice. She whipped her head around to face her, smiling uneasily. “Oh no, Twilight, why would anything be wrong?” “Well, you have just been staring at Celestia blankly for about 10 minutes,” said Twilight with a bemused smile on her face. “The ceremony’s already ended, she’s just been talking with some nobles.” “Have I?” said Rarity, blinking in surprise. “Well, I suppose I may be a little preoccupied, but really, darling, you don’t need to worry about me.” “Is it something to do with Celestia?” asked Twilight concernedly. “No, no, Celestia hasn’t done anything. She has been completely perfect, as always.” Rarity paused. “I just… No, never mind.” “Rarity, come on. I’m your friend, you can talk to me. What’s wrong?” “I think I just…” Rarity trailed off, looking down at Celestia again. “She has been perfect, just… maybe too perfect. She has lived longer than any of us can imagine, she has been seen as a symbol of beauty and perfection by artists for a thousand years. She is graceful and soft spoken and always kind. And now I am her paramour? I don’t deserve her.” “Rarity,” said Twilight, smiling, “wasn’t it always you who wouldn’t stop going on about how you deserved to be in high society? How you should be in Canterlot, near the princesses? What’s with this sudden humbleness?” “Oh, darling, I am anything but humble,” replied Rarity, a small smile appearing on her face. “What I am saying is that nopony is deserving of her. She is a literal goddess, she raises the sun for us every morning, and for 1000 years, she raised the moon. She is so far above and beyond anypony else in Equestria, except for you, Cadence, and Luna. She is immortal, I am a mortal. She is a princess, I am a dressmaker.” “I would have thought you enjoyed the forbidden love aspect,” said Twilight, smirking. “You were always such a hopeless romantic.” “Be that as it may,” said Rarity, blushing hotly, “just because it is romantic does not mean that it should be. She should not be forced to bring herself down to my level, nor anypony else’s.” “Rarity…” said Twilight, smiling sadly. “You’re doing exactly what Celestia hates.” Rarity blinked at Twilight, slightly taken aback. “What do you mean?” “You’re deifying her, placing her at an insurmountable height that nopony can ever hope to reach. Everypony does that to her, some even truly worship her. But do you really think she wants this? She has the same problem with ponies doing this to her as I do, she’s just, well, better at hiding it than I am. Despite what you may think, she still just considers herself a pony, no better or worse than any other ponies. You know, she talks about you a lot to me.” Rarity gasped. “She does not!” “Yes she does, Rarity. She talks about how kind and generous you are and all that sort of stuff, but do you know what she talks about the most, what makes her the happiest? She says you treat her like a pony and not like a princess. She doesn’t want to be revered, she just wants somepony to be themselves around her.” “I… I guess I never thought of it like that.” Rarity said, looking down to the ground. She paused for a few seconds before looking up at Twilight, beaming. “Thank you, Twilight. You have no idea how much better this makes me feel. I… I think I’m going to go talk to her now.” With a hurried goodbye, she departed, Twilight smiling behind her. > Dressmaker by HoneyMead > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Honey Mead Rarity’s hooves carried her through the castle’s hallways at a pace bordering on unseamly. If she were moving any slower the servants and guards she passed may have noticed the wet, redness of her eyes. Instead, all any of them were able to see was her ever-so-slightly off center set of her jaw and folded back ears. She reached the Royal Apartments in short order, storming up to the large doors without a moments hesitation. The two guards on either side of the door did nothing to stop her, choosing instead to give the enraged unicorn a wide berth as she nearly barreled through the doors without so much as slowing, much less knocking. Two very un-princessly shrieks echoed down the hall before the door was closed. The first of these screams came from none other than the elder monarch of the Equestrian diarchy. One part surprise, one part terror, five parts embarrassment, the exclamation was almost completely drowned out by the second which defied all description. Rarity stood, petrified, just inside Celestia’s private quarters, her eyes seemingly locked on said alicorn. For her part, Celestia sat facing her beloved with her wings flared wide and a look of such mortification that one would be forgiven for thinking she had been caught doing something truly unseemly. Then again, depending on one’s point of view, that may not have been too far off the mark. Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria, Raiser of the Sun, a being somewhere between immortal and deity, stumbled for words before a unicorn two-thirds her size wearing a puffy ballroom gown. “Celly. Love,” Rarity said when she finally recovered. “Please step aside.” Celestia opened her mouth, still found it unwilling, and resorted to a small shake of her head. “Darling, please. I promise I won’t freak out… again.” When Celestia failed to respond, she added, “You know that I love you and nothing is going to change that. Now please, step aside.” With a great deal of reluctance, Celestia folded her wings back and stepped the side. As she did so, Rarity braced herself for what she was about to see. It almost wasn’t enough. A sharp hiss escaped her lips and she had to look away within the first second. The next minute was filled with deep breaths as Rarity slowly brought her eyes back up, inch by painful inch. Rarity tried to smile, but it didn’t really work. “I appreciate the effort, darling, I do. But we’ve been over this. I don’t try to raise the Sun and you don’t try to make dresses.” For the first time since Rarity had burst in, Celestia spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “I wanted to make you something nice.” Rarity forced herself to look away from the abomination of fabric and stepped up to her lover. Craning her neck up, her intimate nuzzle was met halfway by the crestfallen Celestia. “Now,” she said, stepping back, “it would be untoward to keep our guests waiting any longer.” When this failed to elicit a response, she added. “We only need to make a token appearance. Then we can come back here and craft a truly magnificent dress.” Not unlike the sky at dawn, Celestia brightened. “Together?” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” > Snakes - Bakmah Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Bakmah Genesis Celestia couldn't help but giggle at the mare that had attached herself to the top of one of the many statues in the Royal Gardens. Her mane was in disarray and she looked at the ground as though it was Tartarus spawn. "Rarity, it is only a gardener snake. It is completely harmless," said Celestia, trying to hold back her giggles as she pointed at the small snake that crawled through the grass towards another section of the garden. "I do not care if it gave food to the homeless! I absolutely HATE snakes, Celestia! Now please, get rid of that...thing." Rarity shifted her position to glare at the small reptile. Celestia rolled her eyes as she motioned for one of her guards to approach. "Please take this down to the nearest pet shop. Hopefully, they can find it more appealing than my wife," said Celestia, picking up the snake and sealing it in a magical orb that she then handed to the guard. The stallion nodded before tucking it under his wing and taking off. "You can come down now." Letting down a huff, Rarity hopped down onto the ground, brushing her mane away. "I have no idea why the great creator put such a creature on this earth," said Rarity with a huff as she made her way towards the castle. "Just to scare you, my dear." Celestia chuckled as she walked by the mare, flicking her with her tail. "Now come, I can assure you that no snakes await us in our dining room." > Foals by Palaikai > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Oh, Celestia,” Rarity said, before a blush broke out across her alabaster features as she realised who she was addressing the curse to. “Am I late for our appointment?” “No, there's still an hour or so before we were due to meet. I wanted to get here early to surprise you,” the princess replied. Rarity turned from the mannequin she was adorning with a frilly, glittering dress to gaze upon her marefriend. It was ridiculous to think of the Sun Princess guiltily teleporting herself to Carousel Boutique, but the unicorn understood why she did so: while Equestria would no doubt be overjoyed to see their ruler in a happy relationship, the intense scrutiny that would come with it would be unbearable to both. Plus, there was always the danger that certain elements would think that Rarity's increasing presence in Canterlot's snobby fashion hierarchy was somehow due to Celestia's influence and not her own undoubted talents. “Please,” Celestia continued, “don't let me stop you from working. I love watching you.” It was with a half-hearted effort that Rarity tried to finish the dress, but she gave up after just a few minutes. “Now that you're here, I see no reason why we can't start our date early. What would you like to do this evening?” “There's a new Exhibit of Outrageous Creativity that has its grand opening tonight. There'll be lots of hoity-toity upper-crust art critics, but more importantly,” Celestia said with a grin breaking out across her muzzle, “there'll be a free bar.” “That sounds delightful,” Rarity replied, clapping the hooves of her forelegs together, eyes sparkling as brilliantly as the polished gems she so enjoyed working with. “Give me a moment to get ready.” For Rarity, a moment could mean anything up to forever. Celestia was sorely tempted to peek – a simple hyaline spell would allow her to see through walls – but she allowed her lover her secrets. There were two things you never asked a lady: her age, and why she took so long to get ready. The results were always worth it, after all. Celestia decided to examine Rarity's latest creation: it was a small dress, just about the right size for a filly. It was studded with jewels, and the Sun Princess wondered who it could be for. “You like it?” asked Rarity. “It's beautiful,” Celestia replied honestly. “Your abilities never cease to amaze me.” “Then, why do you look so sad?” “What?” The princess looked at the unicorn sharply. Rarity swallowed, wondering if she had perhaps been mistaken, but no, there was no denying that tiny sliver of forlornness that took hold just for a second. “No one else notices it, but whenever you're around something that reminds you of children, you always look upset. I was wondering why that was, but I'd never had the courage to ask before. I figured it was something you'd tell me about when you were ready.” Celestia's wings fluttered agitatedly. “It's not something I like to discuss. Only Luna knows, and that's only because she's privy to my dreaming thoughts, not through choice.” “I see. Shall we forget it, then?” “You know how old I am.” “One-thousand-nine-hundred-and-sixty-eight. Yes, I remember. Is it important?” asked Rarity. “I've, uh, well, you know I've had dalliances in the past?” She didn't know why she was embarrassed about that all of a sudden. Foals by Palaikai “Of course.” Rarity wasn't jealous. Celestia chose her mates with utmost care; they had to be special, unique, brilliant in some manner to capture her attention. Rather, it was an honour to be part of her life in this way. The unicorn suddenly twigged. “I see. Some of those unions have brought foals.” “Yes. Alicorns, as you know, are a mixture of all three pony races, so my children were either earth, unicorn or pegasi. Despite what some ponies have thought, they were neither born with exceptional magical powers or an alicorn's immortality.” Tears began to stream down her muzzle as she recalled the many names, many faces, she'd grown to love and eventually lose over the years. “They live, they find their purpose, and they die, just as a pony should.” Rarity had always heard it said that the worst thing in life was a parent outliving their child. “Did they all have good lives?” “Yes. I had a pegasus daughter who was captain of the early Wonderbolts, a unicorn son who was a talented magician. He was rather like Twilight, in fact, though perhaps not quite so bookish.” Celestia managed a lopsided grin. “All of them were good ponies, in their own ways.” “That's the most important thing to remember, darling,” Rarity said, nuzzling against Celestia's neck gently. “That they lived good lives, and they brought happiness and pride to you.” Celestia returned the nuzzle, wishing she could just remain in this moment forever, but she still had her own life to lead, and at the moment, that meant getting blind-drunk on free booze and a long night of intense snuggling. “Shall we go?” “We shall, indeed.” Rarity suddenly halted at the threshold as a thought belatedly occurred to her. “Do you have any living children?” The Sun Princess hesitated before answering. > Jelly by Bakmah Genesis > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Bakmah Genesis The Head Chef at Canterlot Castle had seen many things happen in his kitchen. From complete caffeine withdrawal from Princess Celestia, to Princess Luna’s addiction to the pastry known a Moon Cakes. However, right now, he could not think of another time that topped what he watched take place in his famed kitchen. “Eck! Tia, I thought we agreed not to go for my mane! Oh the hours it will take to remove this vile substance from my gorgeous mane!” lamented a white unicorn, a thick coat of jelly over her purple mane. The culprit, one alabaster alicorn, snickered as a spoon with remnants of jelly floated next to her head. “It matches your mane just fine, love,” said Celestia, giggling uncontrollably. Rarity huffed before picking up her own spoon and scooping up a relatively large blob of jelly. Smirking, she launched it towards the laughing goddess, the condiment splattering all over her face. There was a deadly silence as Celestia slowly wiped the jelly off her face. “Oh, it is on!” said the goddess with a wicked grin, grabbing another spoon full of jelly. The chef sighed as he turned away. He was going to need a mop.