Just a Favor

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The sound of heavy hoofsteps echoed loudly through the halls of Canterlot castle. The time was only midday, as the sun lingered high overhead, gracing the corridors with a plethora of warmth and brilliant light. As Celestia made her way casually through the halls, she relished the feeling of the soft rays on her coat. It was moments like these that allowed the princess the freedom of thought without the worries of somepony interrupting. However, her thoughts were not as free as she would have liked them to be. The conversation that had happened only minutes before continued to play through the mare’s head.

“Princess, I am sorry to say that even you are not above the law, no matter how old the law may be. You must make your selection within the week, or the council will be forced to take measures against you as well as your sister. That is all the time I can allow.”

Celestia shuddered at the thought, quickly shaking her head to rid herself of the memory. She hated what her beloved council was doing and she knew exactly why they were doing it.

“Power,” the mare grumbled aloud, frustration evident in her voice.

“That is all they care about now. I remember when my council used to stand for something, but that has long since passed. I knew I should have done something before this blew out of proportion,” the Alicorn mare sighed. Taking a few more steps through the corridor, the Solar Princess lessened her pace before pausing in front of a large wooden door.

The architecture was simple, but not without elegance. A silver crescent moon was etched seamlessly into the dark brown oak. Despite the age of the door, it stilled shimmered like the first day it was crafted, bringing a small smile to the mare’s lips.

“At least some things don’t change,” Celestia whispered to herself, before pushing in the door and making her way into the room.

It took a few moments for Celestia’s eyes to adjust to the darkness. Being that the curtains were drawn closed and the fact that Luna herself was nestled snuggly under her covers, Celestia concluded that her sister must have been asleep. Taking a step back and turning towards the door, Celestia was quite surprised when a dark blue aura had gently closed the door and the form of her sister steadily rose from the bed. With a loud yawn, the dark blue Alicorn rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes before settling with a small smile on her face.

“Sister, it is good to see you.” Luna said, stifling another yawn as Celestia made her way to the edge of the bed. Lowering her head, Celestia lovingly nuzzled her younger sister before taking a place on the light blue comforter.

“And you as well Luna,” Celestia replied, using her magic to levitate a brush from Luna’s vanity before softly running the brush through the dark blue Alicorn’s mane. Luna sighed in content as the brush removed any unwanted tangles, giving the two a few minutes of silence and a chance for Luna to fully awake.

“Sister, it is not that we are unhappy to see you, though your spontaneous visit leaves only one question to be answered. Is it good news or bad news?” Luna inquired. Celestia continued to stroke the brush through her sister’s mane a few more times before setting it back down on the vanity with a sigh.

“All is not well Luna. The council has been rather unruly with the old law they have found,” Celestia commented, before wrapping her hooves around Luna in a sisterly embrace.

“They say that we have one week before they will take action. We need to have made our selection by then.” Luna scoffed lightly at the information, though tightened her embrace even more.

“Sister, we both know that stupid law was made just to appease the snooty nobles from long ago,” Luna dryly stated.

“We know dear sister. It would seem the nobles of then and now still refuse to listen to reason,” the white mare added, before leaning her muzzle down and kissing the top of Luna’s mane. There was another moment of silence between the two siblings before Luna spoke.

“What will happen if we do not choose a suitor?” Luna asked in a rather soft voice. Celestia could only sigh as she mused over the consequences of such an action.

“We would most likely lose our right to rule. Our duties to adhere to the sun and moon will go unchanged, but aside from that, those would be our only responsibilities.” Now that Celestia thought about it, maybe stepping down as co-ruler would be a blessing. As her thoughts continued to roam about the subject, she quickly snuffed out that hope. Though Luna and herself needed a long vacation from ruling a country, leaving it in the hooves of nobles would only complicate matters to the point of no return.

“Sister, if I remember correctly, only a pony of nobility or a foreign dignitary is allowed the privilege of our hoof in marriage?” Luna mused aloud, though the question was directed at her sister. Rereading the law from memory, Celestia nodded her head in confirmation.

“From what I can recall, that is correct,” Celestia stated, though she could tell there was a reason why her sister had asked. If only to further validate her assumption, Luna’s muzzle turned to one of a large grin.

“Luna, what are you thinking?” Celestia questioned before Luna locked eyes with her sister.

“We may have just figured out a solution to our problem. Tell me, are herd marriages still legal in this day and age?” the dark blue Alicorn questioned again.

“They are mostly uncommon nowadays, though it is not unheard of to have more than one mare. Why do you ask?” Celestia hesitantly answered, the grin on her sister’s muzzle only growing larger as a response.

“Then we do believe we have found a solution. Seeing as how the nobility of Canterlot only wish to further their own agenda, we can safely rule them out as suitors. But a foreign dignitary on the other hoof, one that does not have any hidden agenda or motives, is what we need to insure that the balance of power is maintained within the borders of our fair land,” Luna exclaimed, giddy with excitement at how she seemed to have found a loophole in the law.

“Luna, I can understand your thoughts, but I am afraid that even if we were to ask a foreign dignitary for help, they will still try to use us.” The elder sister pointed out. It was at this time that Luna had stopped her celebration, hopping off the bed and walking towards her vanity.

“Indeed they would sister. So we cannot trust any of the nobility or any of the usual foreign dignitaries.” Luna smugly stated. As Luna began to tidy the rest of her coat and tail, Celestia sat bewildered in thought. For the life of her she couldn’t understand what Luna was thinking. All of the nobility was ruled out, which left only foreign dignitaries. Though as her sister stated, the usual dignitaries couldn’t be trusted. So who was left? Who could possibly be so selfless that they wouldn’t try and use her sister or... there was a long pause as Celestia’s eyes widened in realization. How could she have been so blind? Immediately she looked up from her train of thought, seeing her sister smiling ever so innocently back at her. Within moments Celestia was upon her sister, her wings and forehooves wrapped tightly around the clever mare.

“Luna! You genius mare you!” Celestia praised. Luna could only chuckle at her sister’s antics, returning the embrace as she nuzzled her sister’s cheek.

“It seems that you have finally realized who we were referring too,” the younger sister stated. Celestia released the embrace, her expression changing from one of excitement to one of puzzlement.

“Yes I have. Though if I might ask, what makes you think he would say yes to something like this?” Celestia inquired. Luna put a fore hoof to her chin in thought, musing over the question of her sister. Celestia actually had a point. This wasn’t the usual favor one of the sister’s would ask of him. What could they say or do to persuade him to agree to something of this magnitude? Looking up from her musings, it was Celestia’s turn to wear that oh so clever grin her sister had adorned minutes ago.

“I think I know how we can persuade him. Follow me Luna, we have a little errand to run,” Celestia cheerfully stated, the two regal sisters exiting Luna’s chambers with grins on their faces.

A week had passed by for the two sisters, which now found themselves outside the large ebony doors leading into the council’s chambers. To say that either mare was nervous would be a gross understatement.

“Alright Luna, are you ready to head in?” Celestia asked, sensing the apprehension her sister was experiencing.

“Yes dear sister. Though our nerves are not as calm as we hoped them to be, we are ready to proceed.” With one last sisterly nuzzle, Celestia opened the large doors in front of her before heading inside with Luna in tow.

As the two mares entered the spacious room, they couldn’t help but roll their eyes at how many nobles were in attendance. Then again, this decision would elevate two noble houses to the status of royalty, or so every noble thought. With a knowing smirk plastered on their face, Celestia and Luna made their way into the center of the brightly lit room. All eyes were now on the two sisters as every noble waited to hear the news of the lucky stallions that would ascend to the ranks of royalty.

“Nobles of my beloved council, we are gathered here today to usher in a new era for Equestria. Despite many protests from my sister and me, we have agreed that neither of us are above the law, no matter how unsatisfying or unfair that law may be.” Celestia stated, directing her words at a few choice nobles who only grinned in response.

“And as such, we have come to a decision regarding a certain matter brought up by ‘concerned’ ponies on the council.” Celestia paused before motioning for her sister to continue.

“We would also like to state that the stallion we have chosen has caught the heart of not only our sister, but myself as well.” The younger Alicorn stated before the council room erupted into a cacophony of murmurs and disbelief. Ignoring the noise from the nobles, the younger sister continued.

“It is with our greatest honor and pleasure that we now announce our suitor to the council. The stallion we have chosen for our hoof in marriage shall be,” Luna paused for a brief moment, making every noble on edge as she danced around the name of the pony that would essentially be the third most powerful political figure in the nation. Stifling a light giggle, Luna and Celestia both pointed towards the door from which they entered, before simultaneously responding.

“Him!” both sisters stated, as all eyes soon fixated themselves on the lone figure that burst through the door, accompanied with his all too familiar grin.

“Hey assholes, did you miss me?”

Silence was the only response the room could offer. All eyes were fixated upon the lucky stallion, which everyone quickly realized was the resident human, before all hell broke loose.

“This is an outrage! He cannot be your suitor. He does not meet the criteria!” One of the more vociferous nobles shouted. Multiple nods and agreements were shouted out as other nobles continued to voice their disapproval of the human. To the human’s credit though, he continued to soak up all of the insults and threats directed at him, his smile never wavering as lifted up both hands with a motion to continue the verbal onslaught. This lasted for all of about half a minute before Celestia slammed her hoof down on the marble tile, effectively cracking the stone.

“Enough! We will not have you all sit there and sling insults at the future prince of Equestria!” Celestia bellowed in her Royal Canterlot Voice. It was not too often the elder sister would transition to this form of speech, but when she did, there was no denying her authority.

Every noble was silent after the initial outburst from the princess. The tension in the room seemed to lessen as the princess of the Sun regained her regal posture.

“Now, I know most of you are questioning the choice of our suitor since he is not of noble decent,” Celestia stated, scanning the room to see multiple heads nodding in agreement.

“The law of old states that the suitor we choose must be nobility or a foreign dignitary. If you all remember correctly, Eric here is a foreign diplomat, allowing him to be eligible to take our hoof in marriage,” Celestia calmly said. There was another bout of silence through the room before one of the nobles spoke up.

“P-princess, if I may. What if this human is just using you and your sister to further his own political agenda?” the noble questioned. Many of the other nobles were quick to nod their head at the accusation, hoping to spark some distrust among the royal sisters and soon to be prince. Luna however quickly raised her wings before slamming her two forehooves down onto the marble tile. Just like before with Celestia, the tile cracked as the dark blue mare glared daggers at the accusing stallion.

“Eric is one of the kindest stallions we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. To say he plans to use us for his own gain is not only hypocritical, but an insult to both my judgment and our sister’s judgment!” Luna shouted. She too had managed to slip back into her Royal Canterlot Voice, effectively silencing the offensive stallion as he slinked down in his chair with his ears pinned back.

“Now, if you are all done my sister and I would like to retire to our chambers for some well needed rest, along with our new fiancé.” Luna stated. Giving the nobles no chance to disagree, not like many would after such a display of authority, Luna, Celestia, and the human found themselves making their way towards Luna’s room.

“So, that went over pretty well,” the human, stated with a light chuckle. Celestia and Luna only sighed before the dark coated mare pushed open the large wooden door that led into her chambers. Within moments, the door was closed and securely locked, both Alicorns taking this time to collapse onto Luna’s bed.

“I have a feeling that the nobles aren’t pleased with our selection,” Celestia stated, not even bothering to lift her head to speak. Luna quickly agreed, though giggled lightly to herself as the memory of what just happened replayed again in her mind.

“Indeed sister. They were most displeased with our selection. That just makes the whole situation better,” the younger sister added, before raising her head from the bed in the direction of the human.

“Eric, will you not join us for some well deserved relaxation?” Luna asked, pulling the human from his thoughts before making his way across the room.

“Sorry Luna. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds.” Eric stated with a light chuckle. Within a few quick steps, the human had made his way over to the bed, selecting a spot near the edge before being enveloped in a dark blue aura.

“No need for modesty Eric. You are technically our fiancé after all,” the mare stated, relieving the human of both his shirt and pants before placing him between Celestia and herself. Both sisters giggled in amusement at the expense of their new human fiancé.

“I must admit. Despite everything that has happened, I am rather happy to have somepony to call my own,” Celestia admitted, nuzzling lightly into the trapped human’s side.

“Indeed sister. It has been far too long since either of us have had the pleasure of experiencing the touch of a lover,” Luna added, before nuzzling into Eric’s other side. The comment had not gone unnoticed by the human, as he slowly understood the full implications of the favor he so graciously agreed too.

“Whoa, whoa princess. I agreed to this marriage to help you both out. You promised me that there wouldn’t be anything like that happening, at least not for a while,” Eric nervously stated. He was quickly met with a soft kiss on the cheek from Luna.

“But is it not the duty of any husband to care for and to satisfy his wife and her desires?” Celestia questioned with a playful kiss as well. Eric’s cheeks were burning intensely from the contact. He knew one day that he was going to have to satisfy both Luna and Celestia in that sense. It wouldn’t be fair to them if he did not fulfill the role of a loving husband to his two soon to be wives. There only remained but one simple question.

“W-when does it start for you two, your heat cycle that is?” the human nervously questioned. Luna wasted no time in answering his question, as she moved her body to straddle the helpless human.

“Oh my silly little human,” Luna answered in a sultry tone with half lidded eyes. The mare slowly brought her muzzle towards Eric's pale body, tracing her tongue gently along his well-toned figure and up towards his short black hair before pulling away. Luna's eyes met the human's as she adorned her sultry smile once again.

“It started today,” Luna finished. Eric’s eyes quickly grew wide, showing copious amounts of hesitation and fear. It was in that moment he knew. He had never been surer of anything else in his entire life as only one thought screamed at him through his mind.

“I am so royally fucked...”

I Need a Drink

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Celestia released a heavy sigh as she peered over the edge of the spacious bed. Luna, who moments ago had been straddling the helpless human, was now lying on the cold tile floor as part of her light blue comforter obscured her form.

“You sort of deserved that Luna,” Celestia chided, before levitating her sister softly onto the bed. It was at this moment that Luna released a heavy sigh of her own, having not realized how her bout of teasing was affecting Eric.

“We believe our form of jesting has overstepped certain bounds sister,” Luna admitted with a small frown. The dark blue Alicorn was slowly wrapped in a sisterly embrace as Celestia lovingly nuzzled her cheek. The two sisters remained in each other’s embrace, finding a comfort and warmth that seemed so familiar and safe when they held each other close.

“Do you think he will be upset with us?” Luna softly asked. Celestia, knowing Eric’s character far too well, wasted no time in dismissing her sister’s worries.

“Eric is not the type of person to hold something like this against you. It has caused him a high level of discomfort I will admit, but I believe once you explain the situation to him and that you were merely joking, he will be more relieved than upset,” Celestia answered. Her comforting words had the desired effect she was hoping for, as Luna lightly nuzzled under her sister’s chin.

“Thank you sister. Your words help put our mind at ease,” Luna admitted. A long moment of silence quickly fell between the two sisters before Luna’s soft giggling pulled Celestia from her thoughts.

“And what exactly seems so funny to you Luna?” Celestia questioned with a raised brow. Luna quickly gained control of her giggles as she locked eyes with her sister.

“The way Eric had reacted was rather comical, wouldn’t you agree?” Luna asked, accompanied with another fit of giggles. Celestia couldn’t help but join in with her sister, remembering the scene but moments ago.

Eric was helplessly trapped under the dark blue Alicorn, her warm tongue tracing the contours of his toned form. Luna’s half-lidded eyes locked with that of the human’s as she gently lowered her muzzle next to his ear.

“It started today,” Luna sultry stated. Nothing but silence filled the air as Luna patiently waited for Eric’s reaction. What she didn’t expect was Eric to literally buck her silly, sending the surprised mare and comforter to the ground with a yelp. Free from the confines of the overly anxious mare, Eric made a hasty retreat towards the door, barely able to grab his discarded pair of pants and completely forgoing his shirt that lay at the foot of the bed. With a speed that would put even the most experienced Wonderbolt to shame, Eric was out the door.

Celestia brought a hoof up to her muzzle as her giggle fit increased. It was a comical site indeed, one that she had never expected from the human, though he always was a bit random and unpredictable in awkward situations.

“I would have to agree Luna. Perhaps this will make for a good story in time?” The elder sister pondered aloud. Luna, having finally contained her fit of giggles, nodded her head in agreement. With one last sisterly nuzzle from each other; the two Alicorn’s drifted off in a much-needed rest.

Only a few minutes had passed since Eric’s narrow escape from the clutches of his overly provocative fiancé. The lone human thanked his lucky stars that he was able to escape; though soon found a desperate need to relieve the stress that Luna had put him through. Despite his reluctance to normally consume alcohol, he needed a drink. He didn’t care what it was to be honest; he just needed some liquid consolation to help get him through the rest of the day. It just so happened to be his luck that a certain brown-coated earth pony turned down one of the many corridors before walking into view.

“Copper!” Eric yelled across the hall, quickly running up to the guard. Turning his head quickly in the direction of the voice, Copper gave the human a hesitant glance as he stared at Eric’s half naked body.

“What in Tartarus happened to you?” Copper questioned, as his dark green eyes continued to scan the human with confusion. Eric waved a hand dismissively before noticing his friend’s lack of armor.

“It’s a long story. I assume you just got off work?” Eric questioned, though his voice sounded more of a plea. Copper nodded his head, eliciting a sigh of relief from Eric.

“Good. Then perhaps you would like to accompany me for a drink. God knows I need it after what just happened,” Eric stated with a hopeful tone. Copper, picking up on his friend’s distress, was more than happy to accompany the human for a few rounds of drinks. It wasn’t very often Eric would indulge in the consumption of alcohol and Copper knew that quite well. It was even rarer for him to be the one asking, which meant that something was really eating away at the human. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Copper smiled warmly up at Eric.

“I don’t see why not. If you are asking to get drunk, then something serious must have happened?” Copper replied. Eric quickly shook his head at Copper’s statement before sighing.

“I don’t want to get drunk, I just need something for my thoughts and time to think,” Eric corrected before continuing. “And it would be nice to do so with the company of a friend,” he quickly added. Wasting no time, Copper put a comforting hoof on Eric’s side, seeing as how he wasn’t tall enough to reach Eric’s shoulder. The cold-metal horseshoe and lack of a shirt caused the unsuspecting human to jump from the contact.

“Damn Copper, watch where you put that thing. It’s freaking cold,” Eric scolded with a shiver. Copper quickly pulled his hoof away with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry about that. I always forget you don’t have a coat like us,” he stated before pausing for a moment. “And if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your shirt? Don’t you normally wear one?” Copper curiously questioned. Having recovered from the stinging sensation of the cold horseshoe, Eric nodded his head.

“I do, but as I said earlier, it is a long story,” Eric stated, before continuing. “And one that is best told after a few rounds of free drinks.” Copper’s ears quickly shot up at the notion of free drinks.

“Free drinks you say? I assume that means you are paying for them?” Copper quickly asked, receiving a nod from Eric. Before the human had a chance to understand what was going on, he was being all but dragged down the series of corridors that led to the front gates of the castle.

It took only twenty minutes or so of walking to finally reach their destination. Seeing as how Copper was more familiar with the area and had much more experience with bars, Eric let the stallion choose where the two would drink. By no means was the establishment Copper chose a high-end bar with overly expensive drinks, but one that he was quite familiar with.

“Stonewall Brewery?” Eric said aloud, reading the dark metal sign that hung from two metal chains in the front window.

“It may not look it, but this place has some of the best brews in Canterlot. One of the hidden gems only the locals would know about,” the overly anxious stallion stated. With a shrug of the human’s shoulders, Eric and Copper soon found themselves inside and seated at the bar.

“So what do you think of the place? Pretty cool huh?” Copper asked, making small talk as the bartender helped another patron.

“I don’t see why you think this place is so special. Looks like a regular bar to me,” Eric replied. Before Copper could counter his argument, another voice broke the two out of their conversation.

“Well it seems you will just have to experience it for yourself then?” a feminine voice spoke from behind the counter. Looking up at the new voice, Eric was pleasantly surprised to find a young adult mare behind the counter. Her grey coat and dark blue mane were nothing special in the eyes of the human, though what really caught his attention were the two leathery wings nestled snuggly against the mare’s side. Eric had seen a few of these ponies before, though usually during the night shift of the guard. So it was quite a surprise to find one working during this time of the day.

“I know I am quite beautiful, though I do believe staring is a bit rude, wouldn’t you agree?” the mare teased. Eric, not realizing he had been staring while lost in thought, gave the mare an apologetic smile.

“I'm sorry about that. I'm just not used to seeing Thestrals too often,” the human commented. The mare behind the counter let out an overly dramatic sigh of relief.

“Ugh, finally. Somepony who doesn’t call me a batpony and actually knows what I am,” the mare stated with a smile. This brought a light chuckle from both Eric and Copper as the mare set two menus in front of them.

“Go ahead and take a look at our menu. Our specialty drinks are listed on the left side and if you are feeling hungry, we have our appetizers and entrees on the right. If you have any questions, feel free to ask,” the mare happily chirped, before walking off to give Eric and Copper a few moments to look over the menu.

After tending to a few other patrons, the mare promptly returned a few minutes later with a notepad and pen held expertly in her two wings.

“Have you two decided on your orders?” the mare politely asked. Copper wasted no time with ordering one of the most expensive drinks on the menu, along with an order of fried tofu wings. Eric shook his head with a small laugh as the sight brought back memories. His sister had always had a craving for whatever the most expensive thing on the menu was. Call it her sixth sense, even without the prices listed on the menu, she somehow knew.

Recovering from his bout of laughter, Eric looked up towards the patient mare.

“I would like the real wings please, with a side of ranch dressing. As for the drink, I want something fruity and strong, possibly with watermelon. Have anything like that?” Eric asked. The mare nodded her head with a smile.

“We have a drink that has watermelon juice as the base, mixed in with vodka and parasprite.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll take that as well,” Eric replied, before folding up his menu and handing it back to the mare.

“Oh and I forgot to ask, is this on separate checks or,” the poor mare didn’t have time to finish as Copper responded.

“It’s all on one check,” the stallion enthusiastically stated, his tail lightly swishing from side to side in his seat. The mare couldn’t help but giggle at the site before nodding and retreating to the kitchen to place the orders.

“I know guards don’t get paid that much but damn. You sure are happy about a free meal.” Eric asked rather amusedly. Copper’s happy look quickly turned to one of guilt.

“It’s not that I don’t make enough, so much as the fact that I have more bills to pay than the average guard,” Copper admitted with a pause. “My family isn’t really that well off at the moment. Sure, we make enough to get by, but at the same time, we just don’t have that much extra income to spare. Ever since I got a job as a royal guard, I have been sending part of my paycheck to my family in Manehattan. I'm just worried that they won’t have enough to retire and live on comfortably. I know medication gets expensive, especially the older you get. I just want to make sure that if something bad does happen, they will be able to afford whatever it is they need,” Copper finished with a sigh. A comforting hand soon found its way onto the stallion’s withers as a wave of relaxation filtered through his body.

“I know that sentiment all too well. I was raised in a middle-class environment. We had more than we needed, but still not everything that we wanted. As time went on I slowly began to understand the importance of money. Everything changed though when the stock market crashed. My father lost his job and we had to live off of our savings and my mother’s income. It wasn’t that bad, we just became really cheap and prioritized what we needed over what we thought we needed. Even during that difficult time we were able to save some money, though I could tell they were still worried about their future, as well as ours,” Eric finished. There was a moment of silence before Copper scrunched his nose in confusion.

“Wait, you said that your parents were worried about their own future as well as ‘ours’. Does that mean that you had other siblings?” The stallion questioned.

“Yeah, I did have another sibling, an older sister. Actually, you remind me of her a bit,” Eric stated with a light laugh. Copper didn’t much like being compared to a female, especially one not of this world; though his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

“And how do I remind you of her?” Copper hesitantly questioned. It took Eric a moment to settle down from his small fit of laughter, though he couldn’t really blame the hesitation in Copper’s tone.

“For starters, you both seem to order the most expensive thing on the menu whenever someone else is paying,” Eric playfully teased. Despite his brown coat, a light blush was barely visible on the poor stallion’s cheeks.

“I’m sorry for ordering the most expensive thing they had. If you want, I can help pay for my meal as well,” Copper stated in a guilty tone. He was quickly met with another small chuckle from his friend.

“Copper, I don’t mind spoiling you at all. I have more bits than I know what to do with. If I'm being honest, I would much rather spend my money on friends, then let it sit in an account somewhere and gather dust. That is, as long as I have enough put away in savings and investments. Though honestly, I don’t think I will ever have to worry about my financial situation ever again.” Eric stated.

“And why would you not have to worry about your financial situation?” Copper inquired. It was at that moment the mare from before returned from the kitchen with two drinks balanced skillfully on her back.

“Alright, we have the Melon Twister for you and the Sanguine Blossom for the lovely stallion,” the mare stated, accompany Copper’s drink with a playful wink as she used her wing to set the drink on the counter. Copper couldn’t quite handle the complement as his cheeks turned a light shade of red once again. The mare behind the counter only giggled at his reaction before leaving the two to their conversation.

“She seems nice. I think she likes you,” Eric stated, more so in an attempt to tease his friend than just to state the obvious. Copper quickly began sipping his drink, trying his best to ignore the human and quell the blush still fresh on his cheeks.

“Yeah, yeah. She's always like this when I come in here. Anyways, you never did tell me why you no longer have to worry about your financial situation,” Copper stated, trying desperately to change the subject. It was now Eric’s turn to turn a light shade of red, sipping on his drink as he thought about the best way to approach the conversation.

“Well, I sort of might be engaged to both princess Celestia and Luna,” Eric nonchalantly stated. The human figured the best way to divulge this sort of information to his friend was to just be blunt about it. Unfortunately, Eric’s approach had backfired as Copper sprayed his alcoholic beverage all over the half-naked human.

“You’re what?” Copper yelled, sending himself into a coughing fit. Eric, to his credit, was sort of expecting that reaction out of his friend. Reaching over the counter, he grabbed a dry rag before wiping himself down. After cleaning most of the beverage off of himself, Eric replaced the rag behind the counter just as Copper was recovering from his little scene.

“Please tell me I just heard you right. Did you just say you are engaged to both of my bosses?” Eric chuckled a bit at the way Copper worded it, though quickly nodded his head in confirmation.

“Y-yeah. Some things happened and I’m now engaged,” Eric stated as he sipped his drink. The watermelon-flavored alcohol burned and refreshed the human’s throat. He did have to admit; it was a very good drink. He would have to tip the bartender extra well, especially if she embarrassed Copper a bit more. Eric was quickly pulled from his thoughts as two hooves planted themselves firmly on his shoulder. Copper, the once shy and overly anxious stallion had adopted a look of pure seriousness.

“Tell me everything,” Copper demanded, his voice low and seething with the need for information. Knowing full well that the conversation would bind the two patrons to the bar for the next few hours, Eric flagged down the bartender before ordering another round of drinks. If Eric knew anything about Copper, it’s that he loved to gossip. And he had practically given Copper a silver platter of information just waiting to be devoured. With a heavy sigh, a recurring thought passed through the human’s mind.

This is going to be a long day

Favor Me This

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I'm alive! Hey everyone, I'm not dead and neither is this story. Have a lot going on in my life right now, so not too sure how often updates will be. Though I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.

Chapter 3

It had been only been a couple of hours since the two regal sisters had found a so-called ‘solution’ to their problem involving most of the nobles of Canterlot. Their fate and the fate of Equestria now resided on the shoulders of a certain diplomat and friend, Eric Lancer, a human displaced from his world by means in which were still unknown. Celestia cracked a small smile, remembering the first encounter she had with the human. The mare’s smile did not go unnoticed as Luna gave her sister an inquisitive look.

“Sister, why are you smiling?” Luna questioned. Celestia responded with a light giggle before shaking her head.

“It is nothing Luna. Let us just focus on the task ahead,” Celestia replied, as the two sisters stopped in front of a particular door. Raising a hoof, Celestia lightly rapped on the door. A few moments of silence trailed by before Celestia raised her hoof again, only to have Luna magically crack open the door to peek inside.

“We do not believe Eric is awake at the moment,” Luna quietly stated, slowly nosing her muzzle through the door. Her assumption was quickly confirmed as she spotted the slumbering human nestled snuggly under his bed sheets. Luna softly smiled at the scene before opening the door fully to allow Celestia and herself entrance.

“Should we wake him Luna, or perhaps return at a later time?” Celestia quietly asked as she tried her best to navigate the dimly lit room. Luna pondered the question over in her mind for a moment before a wicked grin spread across her face.

“Sister, I think we should join him. After all, waking up next to two beautiful Alicorn princesses should help sway his decision when we ask him of our favor.” Celestia turned towards her sister to object to the idea, but quickly noticed her sister’s expression of playfulness. After a moment of deliberation, Celestia’s expression matched her sisters’.

“I believe you are right Luna. Let us wake him with the most beautiful of sights,” Celestia added. Both sisters giggled mischievously as they squirmed their way under the covers and positioned themselves on either side of the human. It wouldn’t be the first time the human had suffered from a small prank, especially since Luna was quite the prankster.

“What do you think he is dreaming of?” Celestia pondered quietly to her sister. Luna quickly turned her attention towards the human before lighting up her horn. Within seconds, Luna’s cheeks glossed a rosy red in color as her wings threatened to spring to action at any moment.

“Perhaps we should wake him now,” Luna quickly suggested, trying to change the subject and get her mind off of what she had just witnessed, though also made a few mental notes for later.

Lightly prodding a hoof against the human, Eric let out a small mumble before rolling over with his face practically touching Celestia’s. After a few more seconds of prodding, Eric finally succumbed to the annoyance as he began to stir. Blinking several times, he was greeted with the sight of Celestia’s beautiful eyes staring back at him with a sheepish smile. Like most creatures upon waking, it took a good five seconds for the human to register the situation around him before he quickly shot backwards, away from the princess and into the soft hooves of her accomplice.

“Oh my, it seems you startled him Tia. Do not fret Eric, I will protect you from my evil sister,” Luna playfully spoke, wrapping her hooves around Eric’s torso and nuzzling into his back.

“What the hell are you two doing in my bed,” Eric all but yelled, his tone full of surprise and confusion.

“We were only trying to greet you to a most wondrous sight upon your arrival from the dreamscape,” Luna playfully answered. Celestia just shook her head with a small giggle, watching her sister restrain the struggling human for a few moments.

“I am sorry if we startled you Eric. It was not our intention to do so,” Celestia calmly added.

“Well, I can honestly say I'm glad it’s you two and not some maid who thought they could get a little cuddle action going on. But I do have to ask, what are you two doing here?” Eric asked, no longer struggling against Luna who continued to nuzzle her muzzle into her friend’s bare back.

“We wanted to discuss a certain situation Luna and myself are currently in.” Celestia plainly stated. The tone was flat and Eric could tell it was something the mare dreaded in addressing.

“Why do I have a feeling that I am not going to like where this is going,” Eric added with a weak chuckle. Luna took this as her opportunity to release her prey and adorn a more serious appearance.

“Tell us Eric, are you familiar with the laws of old?” Sitting up in bed, Eric noticed how serious the usually playful mare was being.

“I am sorry, but I do not have any knowledge of the old laws. I barely know the laws of the here and now,” Eric jokingly added, trying to lighten up the mood somewhat. Unfortunately though, he was greeted with an awkward silence spanning a few seconds.

“There are many laws passed by our parents from a much different time than this,” Celestia continued, rising up out of the bed and making her way over to the curtains. With one fluid motion, the mare drew back the cloth shields as Eric winced in pain from the bright intrusion of light in his eyes.

“One such law is where our problem lies. It states that we must be wedded to a noble or foreign dignitary in order to help ensure a prosperous Equestria.” Celestia gently closed her eyes and basked in the warmth of her own sun before turning back around towards the human.

“The nobles have found such a law and are forcing us to marry one of them by the week’s end. If we do not comply, then we would lose our right to rule this kingdom and with it, power would be transferred to the court of nobles,” Celestia stated.

“So what does this have to do with me? I'm not a noble so do you need my help with decorations or something?” It was Luna’s turn to rise from the bed before making her way next to her sister.

“Nay Eric. We require you assistance for a much grander position,” Luna stated with a small smile and blush before coming outright with their intentions.

“We would like for you to be our chosen mate Eric.” Luna brazing stated. The room descended into an eerie silence as the human just stared at the mares in front of him for over a minute.

“This is a joke, right? You are just messing with me,” Eric pleaded hopefully, though knew full well it was anything but a joke.

“We are sorry to spring this on you so suddenly Eric, but we were just out of options. Any noble we would marry would only use us to further his or her own political agenda and finances. The same goes for most foreign dignitaries, which left us with only one viable choice.” Celestia finished, praying to the gods above that her friend understood the situation they were in. It seemed like hours for the two mares, though only a few minutes had passed before Eric gave a sigh of defeat.

“Let me guess, if I don’t do this for you two then you will surely be used by the noble you select to be your suitor. And if you refuse, the nobles will just run this country into the ground instead,” Eric questioned aloud, receiving a nod from both princesses.

“Well, I guess we really don’t have a choice then. I’d honestly hate to throw you to the wolves after all you two have done for me. Though I have a few requests if we are going to actually go through with this. First off, no sex. It’s nothing against you two, but I do not feel comfortable right now with anything sexual with a pony. Cuddling is fine, but please keep it at just that. Second, I want a throne of my own in the throne room. Nothing fancy, just someplace I can sit with you two while you listen to nobles drabble on about how unfair their life is. And the last thing I want, is to the see the look on those noble’s faces when you crush their little hopes and dreams at a power grab,” Eric ended with a smirk. Luna and Celestia both looked towards one another before giving each other a simple nod.

“Your terms are acceptable. Does this mean that you accept our offer?” Celestia asked, just to clarify so there were no misunderstandings.

“Yes, I accept your offer for marriage,” Eric stated. As soon as the words left his mouth, Luna had spread her wings and glided over the bed to meet Eric with a hug.

“Tis a most glorious day Prince Eric. Thank you!” Luna shouted as Celestia could hardly stifle a giggle before approaching the two.

“Thank you Eric. This means so much to us,” Celestia added with a soft nuzzle to the side of his cheek.

“You’re welcome, both of you. Though if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to get a few more hours of sleep.” Luna quickly released the human from her hold before removing herself from the bed.

“Very well. We shall see you at dinner then,” Luna added before walking off through the door in which she entered.

“Sleep well Eric,” Celestia added as well, giving her friend a light smile as she followed out her sister.

“And you know the rest from there,” Eric stated, finishing up his last drink with a refreshing sigh. Throughout the whole story, Copper’s tail couldn’t stop swishing from side to side as Eric had held his friend’s attention for the better half of the last hour and a half.

“Why did you make that first request? What kind of homo stallion are you?” Copper demanded, seemingly upset with the fact that his friend had essentially cock-blocked himself from two of the hottest mares around.

“Because I actually don’t view you like that. At least not right now that is,” Eric stated before flagging over the bartender.

“I can’t believe it. My best buddy is the soon to be prince of Equestria,” Copper said, more to just reassure himself that he wasn’t dreaming than actually believing it.

“Yeah, it’s a lot to take in still. Though I would like you to keep it on the down low for now. My guess is that most of the nobles are going to keep quiet about the whole incident while they try to find a way around it.” Eric added before noticing the mare hunched over the counter with her front hooves and a mischievous grin on her face.

“Oh really now? And what happens if a certain bartender were to reveal what she just heard to the news stations? I mean, I’m sure she could make a few extra bits from divulging such juicy information. I guess it just depends on how much of a tip those patrons leave,” the bat mare stated with a grin. To her credit, it took balls to try and extort the future prince of Equestria, which was something Eric found quite likable about the mare. But at the same time, he wasn’t going to let it slide either. So why not have a little fun with her, at the expense of Copper of course.

“It takes a lot of guts to try and extort the future Prince of Equestria? The same one that hypothetically could have an individual thrown in jail for doing what you suggested the bartender was doing.” Eric stated, watching as the mare’s smirk faded and was replaced with one of worry.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” was all the bat mare could say before she interrupted by the human.

“Though you do make a good point. How a bit of a compromise, shall we?” Eric stated before turning to Copper.

“Copper, since I am essentially your boss now, you have to take orders from me. You see this lovely young mare behind the counter. You are going to take her out tonight on a wonderful date. Whatever she wants she will get. You are then going to walk her back to her place where she will invite you inside. Now stay with me soldier, because I am only going to say this once. You are then going to rut her over and over again. You are going to do this until she can no longer walk in a straight line or even stand. You are going to make her moan and scream so loud, that ponies in the Crystal Empire will remember the day for the rest of their lives. Do I make myself clear soldier?” Eric finished, looking between the two ponies whose faces were nothing but rosy red cheeks and slacked jaws.

“Good, I think I made my point.” Pulling out a bag of bits, Eric gave the mare more than enough to cover the cost of the meal with tip before turning to Copper.

“And this is for you my friend. Use it well,” He stated, dropping the rest of the bits for Copper before walking out of the bar with light chuckle. Both Copper and the mare just stared as the human made his way out the door and around the corner of the building. Slowly turning back towards one another, Copper uttered only one thing to the mare.

“S-so, what time should I pick you up?”

You Done a Stupid

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The sound of a cornucopia of clops filled the air around the human as he ventured towards Canterlot Castle in the distance. With all of the fun he had been having, Eric seemed to have lost track of time, and unfortunately now resided in the Canterlot equivalent of rush hour.

“Excuse me, pardon me,” Eric politely addressed every time he felt a hoof, flank, or muzzle nudge him to the side. It was more so a force of habit from his time on Earth, than from trying to maintain the perfect persona of a Foreign Dignitary. After all, physical contact was more commonplace among pony society, allowing the ponies associated with the culture to desensitize themselves to such thoughts of rudeness when another equine happened to bump into them. Surprisingly though, not many ponies paid him much mind when they accidently bumped into him, which was perfectly fine with the human. He was never one for attention when it came to playing against the norm in pony society. The less stares Eric received, the less likely chance of something happening and snowballing out of control for the human. And judging from past experiences, when the shit hits the fan, it goes from zero to FUBAR in under ten seconds flat.

Despite the seemingly uneventful trip through the crowd of ponies, a particularly forceful shove brought the human from his thoughts, causing him to stumble and nearly crush two small foals before managing to catch himself in time.

“Watch where’re you’re going peasant!” A refined middle-aged stallion shouted, waving his hoof in the air.

“Sorry about that,” Eric quickly replied, stepping more out of the way for the pompous asshole to pass. The green-coated stallion snorted in annoyance before hair flipping his well-groomed mane and venturing towards the wealthier district further up the hill and nearer to the castle.

“Fucking dick,” Eric mumbled to himself, making a mental note of the high-class asshole, or want-to-be noble as Eric usually referred to them. Eric had to admit there were plenty of pleasant and well-rounded individuals of high-class littered throughout the city of Canterlot. Though for some unknown reason, the human had a way of attracting the assholes of any group, no matter how small. Pushing the thought of the stallion out of his mind, Eric continued on his journey towards the castle.

After another short encounter with a pompous noble a few minutes away from his location, Eric had finally made it to the large ivory archway that funneled visitors through the security checkpoint and into the castle.

“Halt, state your business creature,” a young but semi-masculine voice called out from underneath the archway. Looking incredulously at the stallion, Eric was momentarily confused as to why he was being addressed.

“Umm, I sort of live here,” Eric, replied. His tone still filled with confusion before noticing the single stripe on the guard’s set of armor.

Great, the new guy. Inexperience and uniformed. Continuing his approach forward, the stallion quickly stepped in front of the human’s way, his horn glowing a faint orange.

“Likely story. I’ve never seen or heard of you before in my life,” the overzealous guard countered, stunning the human into silence once more.

“What the fuck? This stallion really doesn’t know who I am,” Eric thought incredulously before shifting his attention to the other, more experienced guard. It was only after he managed to get a good look at the mare that Eric knew exactly what was going on.

“Oh I see how it is. So that’s her end game.” A small smile soon found its way across the human’s lips as he tried to walk around the stallion once again.

“I said not to move!” the stallion bellowed, unsheathing his sword and levitating it towards his target. Eric once again froze in place, staring down the guard before turning his attention to the mare.

“You might want to inform your subordinate that drawing a weapon with lethal intention against a foreign dignitary is not only against the law, but could put him in prison for a few years,” Eric calmly stated. The blue-furred mare nodded her head with an exasperated sigh.

“I was hoping he would follow proper protocol and try to deescalate the situation first before asking for identification, but it seems that wasn’t the case.” Turing her attention towards the guard, she shook her head in disappointment.

“Private, attention!” The mare bellowed loudly, snapping the private to attention as the orange glow from his horn fizzled out, dropping his sword with a loud clang.

“Private, do you have any idea who this creature is?” The stallion puffed out his chest slightly more before responding.

“Ma'am, no ma'am!”

“You don’t do you? And from what you said earlier, you have never seen or heard of him, correct?”

“Ma'am, yes ma'am.”

“And what would you say if I told you that Mr. Lancer does in fact live in this castle, and is soon to be wedded to both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? And you had the audacity to draw your sword on him with lethal intention.” The stallion’s express faltered for but a moment, his orange coat growing pale as a ghost as his voice caught in his throat.

“I-I have no excuses ma'am,” the poor private managed to choke out. If he was being honest, Eric sort of felt a bit bad for the stallion. The guard obviously knew he had fucked up majorly and didn’t follow proper protocol. It was only when he understood the severity of his folly and the thought of what the repercussions of his actions would be, that the stallion’s posture begun to falter.

“Alright, come on. I think he has learned his lesson, though I still think you should make him brush up on all the protocols so an incident like this doesn’t happen again.” He stated before making his way past the mare, and stopping next to the stallion at attention.

“Oh, and private. Please refrain from pointing your sword at me again. If you do, well,” Eric added before he leaned closely to the stallion’s ear.

“They will never find your body,” Eric silently whispered in his coldest tone. The stallion’s reaction was immediate as a soft and unstallion- like whimper forced its way from the frightened guard.

“Well, that takes care of that. Keep him out of trouble Skylight.” With a wave to the female guard, Eric ascended the large set of ivory stairs before making his way through the front doors.

“Ah, that was refreshing,”

“And a little uncalled for,” a familiar voice finished. Turning his head to the left, Eric was greeted by a soft nuzzle from his soon to be wife.

“I hope you didn’t scare my guard too badly. It was an honest mistake,” Celestia defended. Eric just rolled his eyes with a nod.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. I only said that so he wouldn’t do it again. Imagine if he did that to a Griffon ambassador?” The thought sent a shiver down the human’s spine, as he knew good and well what would happen to the poor stallion.

“He would be thrown in a pit and forced to fight a guard of the griffon’s choosing. If he lived, he would regain his honor, but if he lost, he would be sentenced to death,” Celestia casually replied.

“And that doesn’t seem a little over the top to you at all? I mean, I understand the whole honor thing, but throwing a private into a pit to fight for his life for a simple mistake? Seems a bit harsh if you ask me.” A gentle white wing soon found its way over the human’s back as Celestia ushered her mate towards the throne room.

“While it may seem barbaric for our standards, Griffons are not a part of our culture. I have learned from many years of experience that it is best to just respect another country’s culture. Unless of course it violates any basic creature’s rights, such as slavery and torture.” After pushing open the large door to the throne room, Eric reached his hand towards Celestia’s cheek before giving it a tender and caring caress of his own.

“Well, you would know more about that topic than me. All I know is that I haven’t pissed them off yet, which is a good sign,” Eric playfully stated, as Celestia retracted her wing from Eric’s back.

“Indeed it is. Despite your unique physique, I do not think you are well equipped to handle a fight to the death.” Shaking his head, Eric scoffed at the statement Celestia had just made.

“You’d be surprised what I could do given a life or death situation. You remember my first encounter with some of your guards?” Eric pointed out. Celestia slowly sauntered her way towards her throne in thought.

“I think I do recall that incident. You injured seven of my finest guards, while it took about five more to restrain you. From the report I received, they were all non-life threatening injuries though. I will admit you still managed to give them a good run for their bits,” Celestia added with a giggle. The small smile the human wore grew larger as he followed Celestia next to her throne.

“So how’s the construction of my throne coming along?” Eric questioned. Celestia’s horn grew bright for just a moment before a sheet of paper floated effortlessly in front of her sight.

“From the time of the order, the carpenters and blacksmiths predict it will be another week or so at the least. After all, this isn’t just any old throne.” The last part hit Eric hard as he took a seat on the ground next to Celestia.

“I still can’t really believe it,” Eric quietly said with a sigh.

“Neither can Luna or myself. You know, it was her that actually suggested you as a suitor.” Eric’s gaze quickly shot to Celestia as he confirmed that it was indeed the truth. The incident from before earlier in the day soon brought a guilty feeling upon the human as he stood up from his spot on the floor.

“Is Luna still asleep in her room?” He received a small smile and nod from the princess.

“You know she meant no harm in what happened earlier today. It was merely a joke she took a little too far.”

“I kind of figured that after I was able to clear my head. I know she wouldn’t force herself upon me and I should have realized her joking nature wouldn’t let her pass up an opportunity to mess with me like that.” Walking down the few steps from where the throne resided, Eric turned his attention back to the white mare.

“I will see you at dinner. I’m going to go make things right with Luna,” Eric said, before walking off towards Luna’s room.

The journey took a little longer for the human, since he was departing from the throne room instead of his own. Though within ten minutes, Eric stood in front of a beautifully crafted brown oak door. Giving the silver crescent moon a simple touch, Eric pushed the door open before poking his head inside. Despite the time being only a few hours after midday, the blackout curtains and dark interior of the room made it almost impossible for the human to navigate his way around the area.

Trying to move about the room from memory, Eric was barely able to make out the dark contours of the large bed. Luckily, he made it to the edge of the bed without tripping over himself or a piece of furniture. Feeling a sense of victory, the human slowly felt his way along the bed; before his hand glided over the soft fur of his target. Drawing his hand back with a pause, Eric slowly shimmied his way under the covers before pressing his chest to the warm mare’s back. A light shuffle soon caught the human’s attention, as the warm lump he had just pressed himself up against rolled over to where her soft yellow eyes filled with guilt.

“Eric, we are so,” Luna tried to say, though was met with a soft finger to her lips, silencing the mare before she could continue.

“None of that Luna. I forgive you. It was a silly little joke that got taken a little too far.” Eric said, wrapping his forearms around the mare and pulling her close so they were now chest to chest. Luna gave a small nod of understanding as she nuzzled her muzzle into the human’s chest with a sigh of content.

“Goodnight Luna. I will see you in a couple of hours,” Eric gently whispered, running a hand through his mate’s hair as he lulled the princess to sleep. Within minutes, the human was soon to follow.

Questria!

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Chapter 5

The forceful hoof of an agitated noble rang out across the conference room, denting the red-oak table from his sign of aggression.

“Damn that bucking human. That should be one of us with them, not him,” The stallion stated, receiving a collection of nods and murmurs of agreement from the other nobles who had also gathered.

“This is a disgrace to the Royal Bloodline. That creature should be in chains and locked away in the deepest dungeon in all of Equestria. Not parading around as the Princesses’ soon to be husband.” Several more nods and murmurs of agreement filled the room for a brief moment.

“What should we do though? The princesses have already chosen a suitor. What left is there?” One particular stallion voiced, sending the room into a quick bout of silence. A minute or so passed before a blue-coated, unicorn stallion addressed his peers.

“The solution is simple really. We must come together for the greater good of this nation,” the noble started, waiting until he had garnered his audience’s full attention before continuing. “I know we have all had our differences and disagreements in the past, though now is not the time to squabble. Soon, there will be a farce of a king upon that throne. We need to unite and rid Equestria of that so called human, so a real noble can be made king!” Several loud cheers soon erupted across the room as the stallions looked at one another with agreeing nods.

“As our first act, I believe we should petition the selection of their suitor. Most of us are part of the Council of Nobles, which would allow us with a majority vote, to postpone the decision of the royal suitor for further evaluation. This will at least give us more time to devise a plan and figure out a way to dispose of that wretched creature.” As the stallion lit his horn, a light blue aura of magic soon enveloped a piece of parchment before floating effortlessly in the air and towards the edge of the table next to a quill and inkbottle. Lighting his horn once again, the stallion was the first one to sign his name along the top left hand side of the page before the others followed suit.

“We will take back what is rightfully ours. We will protect our fair land and way of life from foe both foreign and domestic. We will bring out nation into an era of prosperity. We will make Equestria great again!”

Only a couple of hours had passed by for the human as he slowly began to stir from his slumber. The time was now well into the evening as he smacked his lips with a loud yawn before looking over and noticing the empty side of the bed.

Guess she woke up before me. Better get to it then. Mentally motivating himself, Eric lazily threw his legs over the side of the bed, while his upper torso was still lying horizontal on the bed, unwilling to cooperate from the warmth of the soft sheets.

“Come on Eric. Move your lazy ass,” the human chided himself as he managed a sitting position before standing up from the surface of the bed. Luckily, a pair of automatic candles soon flickered on from the motion of the human, allowing Eric to navigate his surroundings and locate his missing shirt from the morning.

“Better go find Luna and Celestia. They are probably enjoying a bit of food in the dining hall right about now,” Eric thought aloud, not caring that he was indeed talking to himself. While some ponies found it a bit abnormal to do such a thing, Eric didn’t really care. It helped him concentrate and gather his thoughts, along with driving some of the more skittish ponies away from him; a win-win situation according to him. Scooping his shirt from the ground, Eric threw it over himself with a shiver before making his way out the door.

The trip to the dining hall was slow but enjoyable in terms of the human. There was really no need to rush since he assumed Celestia and Luna would be enjoying their time together, along with the fact that it was Luna’s time of the year again. The thought about last years’ incident gave the human an uncontrollable shiver.

The sound of a human’s rumbling stomach filled the quiet halls of the castle. Having forgone a late dinner for some well needed rest; Eric stumbled into the dining hall in the middle of the night to rustle up himself something to eat. Sure he could have woken the chef up to do it for him, though Eric was one of the few residents in the entire castle who knew how to cook. Not to mention that it would have been a dick move to wake up the poor mare just because of his inability to eat at a regular time. He may have been living a high life, but he still had standards.

Pushing open the large door, Eric lazily found his way inside a supposedly empty dining hall. However, he was greeted with an eerily empty room aside from one pony sitting at the main table. To Eric’s surprise and horror, he had just stumbled into the Princess of the Night devouring the poor carcass of an unidentified animal. Bright red blood stained the perfectly blue lips and chin of the princess, her regalia cast aside as she gave into her primal instincts. Eric couldn’t quite fathom what he was witnessing, though the thought of the usually loveable and silly princess was slowly being replaced with the haunting images of a bloodthirsty killer. Suffice to say, one look from the princess’ yellow-slitted eyes and blood dripping face was all it took to send the human barreling towards his room and using everything in his power to barricade the door. Unfortunately, the thought of barricading the large, double-door balcony entrance had slipped past the human’s mind as Luna easily landed and made her way inside.

“Please do not fear us Eric. Allow us a moment of your time to explain the situation.” The sound of Luna’s voice sent the human into a paralyzed state of fear. Turning his head slowly, Eric locked eyes with the princess who wore an expression of uncertainty. Though to the human, all he saw was the still blood-stained face of one of his beloved friends.

Taking a few steps towards her friend, Luna stopped her advance as she noticed the human backing away from her and towards the door. Her eyes filled with the pang of regret as she knew one day he would discover her dark secret.

“Eric, please do not fear us. I will not harm you,” Luna addressed, though her voice was shaky and also filled with uncertainty. To her, Eric was her best friend. Someone she could confide in for advice or just an ear to listen to her troubles. The thought alone of pushing away the one person she cared so much for frightened her just as much as her image now frightened the human.

It didn’t take long for the princess to crack as small tears began to stream down her face. The sight shocked the human, as he contemplated how fast he could make it to the bathroom along with why his friend was crying. It took a moment for the human to realize what he had just thought. ‘Friend’ the word danced around in his head as he continued to stare between the bathroom and princess. The stalemate between the two soon came to a close. As if given a gift by god himself, Luna’s shaky legs soon gave out on her as she sprawled herself out along the floor like a newborn fawn who couldn’t walk. This was exactly the opportunity Eric had been waiting for. He could easily make it past Luna and towards his bathroom, though after a few more seconds, he felt a strange pang in his heart. Despite the haunting images from before, Eric could now clearly see something behind that frightening face of hers. As Eric decided on his decision, he cautiously approached the mare, taking light steps before finding the bawling princess at his feet. Slowly leaning down, Eric hesitantly reached a hand towards Luna, though paused for a few moments before committing to the action.

The soft palm of the human’s hand soon brought Luna from her thoughts. She could feel the hesitation and fear, which didn’t bode well for her self-esteem; though after a few seconds of contact, another feeling. Looking up towards Eric, Luna noticed the determination in his eyes. It was a quality that she adored about the human, his willingness to put aside his own needs, wants, and fears to help those in need, especially his friends. Slowly raising a hoof up to the human’s hand, Luna turned her head sideways as she guided her friend’s hand into a comforting nuzzle along her cheek. The feeling and realization was almost too great for the mare as she threatened to become a puddle of tears once again. Through her strong will, she was able to avoid such a fate as she looked up at the human with indecision. Knowing that it was either now or never, Luna steeled her determination as she righted herself onto her rump to explain the situation.

“Eric, there is something I have to tell you. I...”

Eric was soon pulled from his thoughts as he practically ran face first into the large door that separated him and a bountiful feast. Wasting no time, he pushed open the door as several of the maids and guards bowed upon his arrival, shocking the human for a moment.

“Good evening sir. May I get you something to drink or eat?” a yellow-coated, brown-maned earth pony politely asked with another bow. She wore the standard French maid uniform, which was something Eric couldn’t quite understand, though didn’t really care. The guards seemed to love them, as Eric could obviously guess. And had even caught one particular guard and maid in the utility closet having a quickie. Long story short, both the guard and mare were mortified after being caught in the act, along with an equally mortified human from having to witness such a thing. To make matter worse, or better in the case of a lot of stallions, both the maid and guard were mares, as Eric now understood why they were in the utility closet. He can never look at a wrench the same way again.

Pulling himself from the traumatic thoughts, Eric turned his attention to the familiar mare. “Hey Butter Cream. You don’t have to address me as sir. Makes me feel kind of old,” Eric playfully jested. Butter Cream let out an adorable giggle, though nodded her head.

“As you wish Eric. May I get you something though? You must be starving.”

“Yeah, just get me a salad to start off with and some water. Not quite sure what I want yet.” Butter Cream nodded her head with another bow before venturing off into the kitchen to place the order.

“Well look who decided to join us this evening,” A sarcastically drawn out voice stated. Eric couldn’t help but chuckle as he made his way past Luna, cupping his hand against her cheek in his definition of a friendly nuzzle, before sitting down in a seat next to the white Alicorn.

“And look who still has her face buried in paper work as usual?” Eric retorted. Instinctively, he raised his left arm above his head as it collided with a rolled up newspaper.

“Your reaction time is getting better my dear human. I may be able to make a guard out of you yet,” Celestia playfully chided. Eric rolled his eyes before noticing a stack of papers magically floated in front of him.

“I need you to sign these. Just some legal documents, nothing you need to concern yourself with.” Letting out a loud groan, Eric laid his head on the table in a sign of protest.

“Aww, come on Celestia. Can’t you just sign them for me? You know I don’t read half the stuff you put in front of me,” He added with another drawn out groan.

“Stop acting like such a little foal and sign them already. I already took the liberty of reading through everything for you.”

“Fine, fine. But you owe me... and Luna too,” Eric stated, growing a small smile across his face. Setting down her quill, Celestia gave the human a questionable stare.

“And what exactly do I owe you two?” Her voice was curious, though also hinting with a small amount of hesitation.

“Don’t worry about it. Tonight, you and Luna meet me at my room at,” the human paused for a moment as he looked down at his watch. “At like nine. That will give you a couple more hours to do whatever you have to do.” Celestia continued her curious gaze, though knew from experience that her friend wasn’t going to give her anything else.

“As you wish. Luna and I will meet you at your room at the specified time. Should we bring anything?” Eric thought about the question for a moment before nodding his head.

“Maybe just a scarf. I’m not sure how cold it is going to be tonight.” Nodding her head, Celestia excused herself from the table before nuzzling her sister and Eric and returning to her office to attend to some last minute work.

“She really needs a vacation,” Eric added once Celestia was out of the room. Luna took this time to change seats and lovingly nuzzle the human’s cheek.

“Indeed she does. She still bears much of the responsibilities of this nation,” Luna agreed. Eric nodded his head before letting out a soft sigh.

“Well hopefully when this marriage thing is final, we can all take a vacation together. And I can start helping you two out with some of your more mundane tasks.” Luna’s eyes quickly shot open with a smile on her muzzle.

“You would take on the responsibilities of listening to the snooty nobles for us?” Luna pleaded, receiving another small nod from the human.

“I don’t mind. I could just tell them to fuck off if the issue is stupid.” The human promptly received a light smack in the back of the head from the princess’ wing.

“Language my friend. That is no way to behave in front of royalty,” Luna playfully reprimanded. Eric just rolled his eyes as Luna stood from her seat.

“We will see you tonight. There are matters we must attend too.” With one last nuzzle, Luna soon exited through the main door before being replaced by an unexpected guest.

“Human, you and I have much to discuss,” the sound of a familiar voice rang out.

Something, Something, Human Things

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“Human, you and I have much to discuss,” the sound of a familiar voice rang out. Turning his attention towards the main door of the dining hall, Eric let out a low groan of annoyance as he noticed the pompous prince cantering towards him with his little half-suit and perfectly combed mane.

“And there goes my evening,” Eric mumbled under his breath, watching as the new guest sat across from him at the table. It took only a second for a maid to approach the prince, a warm smile on her face as she asked the usual question of what he wanted to eat and drink.

“The usual. Though bring me two glasses and the bottle in a bucket of ice. And make it snappy,” he directed the poor mare with a wave of his hoof, who flinched slightly at his tone.

“Blue,” Eric stated, pulling the stallion into his focus as their eyes locked. “Remember what we were talking about.” He said sternly, as he looked between the mare and prince. A moment of silence went by before Blueblood turned his attention back to the mare.

“If you would be so kind that is,” the prince replied in a much softer tone, shocking the maid for a moment before she bowed her head and made her way into the kitchen. As soon as the mare was out of earshot, Eric let out a loud sigh.

“You need to treat them better Blue. They aren’t just servants you can boss around. They are just like you and me. We are all equals.” Blueblood just scoffed at the human, upset that someone would dare say he was an equal with a commoner. Though one stern glare from Eric had the prince relenting in defeat.

“I will make no promises, but I will try to be nicer to the help,” he responded.

“That is all that I ask,” Eric ended. He knew for a fact that was the best he was going to get out of the prince, which was improvement in his eyes. Anything was an improvement from when the two of them first met. Rude, obnoxious, and flat out disrespectful. It wasn’t until the human had saved the prince from a well-deserved ass beating by two of his very own guards that he began to warm up to the human. I guess having your life flash before your eyes can put things into perspective for anyone, including the prince. By no means was he cured of his douche-bag tendencies, but was improving... slowly.

“There are a few things I wish to discuss with you, Eric.” The proper use of the human’s name gained Blueblood his undivided attention for the moment.

“From what I hear, you are to be Equestria’s new king. Is that correct?” It was at this time that Butter Cream returned with a freshly made salad for the human, before bowing once more and taking her leave.

“To answer your question, yes. I am currently engaged with Celestia and Luna. Once things are final and we officially tie the knot, I will be the next king of Equestria. Though if I may ask, why does this interest you?” Stabbing his fork into the salad before him, Eric slowly brought up the crunchy leaves to his mouth as he watched Blueblood with curiosity. The prince fidgeted in his seat, shifting uncomfortably for a moment before clearing his throat.

“The reason I wish to know is because I wasn’t aware of any physical or sexual relations you were having with my aunts, especially Luna,” the prince bluntly stated. Upon hearing his reasons, Eric began to choke on the few bites of salad he had, coughing a couple of times before managing the pieces of leaves down his throat. Looking up towards the prince, Eric couldn’t help but notice a small smile on his muzzle for just a second, obviously finding the situation of the human rather comical.

“W-what the hell are you talking about Blue?” The human managed to get out. At this time Butter Cream was quick to fetch the poor human a glass of water before going about her other maidly duties.

“I may have heard you and Aunty Luna... fornicating in her room a few weeks ago. I was unaware of how long you and her have been having secret relations, though I wish to offer you both my congratulations and advice of becoming royalty,” the prince ended with a sincere tone. Several thoughts raced through the human’s head as he began to replay the experience a few weeks ago while visiting Luna. To the best of his ability, Eric couldn’t recall anything at all that would lead to an assumption of sexual intercourse with Luna. The only physical contact the two had except for the last few days, was when her back and wings cramped up and he offered to...

“Oh, yes! Right there Eric, that’s the perfect spot! Oh, pray to the gods above, please don’t stop!” The human’s hands glided skillfully over the mare’s back and wings, using his nimble digits to massage out the mountains of stress the nobles of Canterlot were putting the poor mare through.

“Oh, faster and harder Eric. Please, this feels so divine!” Luna whined out through her ragged breaths, moaning in pure ecstasy as Eric obeyed her wishes with a dark blush upon his cheeks.

“Hey Luna, maybe you should keep it down. I don’t want anypony getting the wrong idea.” Luna waved a hoof nonchalantly at the human’s request, closing her eyes and sinking even further into her bed.

“Fear not Eric. Nopony would dare venture near our chambers during the night. You have nothing to fear.” Little did she know a certain white unicorn happened to be walking by, hearing more than he ever bargained for.

“Oh, I am so going to get Luna back for this,” Eric mumbled to himself before facing towards Blueblood once again.

“No Blue, our relationship is nothing like that. I was only massaging a kink out of Luna’s wings and back. It seems the nobles did a number on her the last couple of weeks,” Eric stated with a sigh.

“It would seem so. I for one do not care for the petty politics of nobility. It seems they want nothing more than to line their pockets with wealth and power.” The prince shuddered at the thought before receiving his lush meal of greens and pasta, served with a fine wine and two empty glasses.

“I can agree to that Blue. It’s why I’m in this marriage thing in the first place,” Eric added before taking another bite of his salad.

“So I’ve heard. It seems the nobilities’ attempt at gaining power has failed utterly on many fronts. Though I am not the least bit surprised,” Blueblood stated, his tone filled with a sense of superiority as sipped from his now filled wine glass. Eric had to admit that while Blueblood was arrogant, he had a right to be so. The prince had been dealing with the nobilities’ grasp at power for over ten years. And during that time, none had bested the prince in the art of politics or persuasion, a feat that greatly boosted his ego and his ever-growing superiority complex.

“So tell me Eric, what sort of schemes have the nobility been up to since the reveal of their new king?” Blueblood politely questioned while pouring himself and his friend a glass of wine.

“As far as I know, nothing. But from what you have said and your experience with dealing with nobility, what am I looking at here?” The question towards the prince made him smile. Eric knew good and well that Blueblood had probably already figured out what some of the nobility were going to do after their failed attempt at a power grab. The human may have mixed feelings about the prince, but there was no denying that he was smart when it came to this sort of situation.

“Ah, you are already seeking my council are we?” The prince mocked playfully, enjoying the stroke to his ego. Eric could only roll his eyes with a simple nod of his head.

“You and I both know you have more experience in dealing with these types of situations, and only an ignorant fool would ignore someone like that.” Eric could see the stallion across from him nodding his head with closed eyes as he took a long swig of his wine before refilling his glass.

“And that is why I have grown to respect you. You are not afraid to ask your superiors for advice on a matter you know little about,” Blueblood replied. Despite the added comment of ‘superiors’ from the prince, Eric agreed. He wasn’t afraid to ask for help if he truly did not know the answer to a question or problem. It was in his personality, just like he wouldn’t judge anyone for asking him a question to a problem he thought was simple.

“As for what to expect with the nobility, I do not know. All that I do know is that they will try to stop you from marrying my aunts, whether that be from a technicality in the old law or by ‘other’ means.” The way the prince worded ‘other’ Eric had a good idea of what that meant. Equestria was known as one of the safest nations in the world of Equis, which also meant that accidental deaths were a little too convenient with ponies of political pool.

“So you are suggesting that I prepare myself for the unexpected?” Blueblood nodded his head once again with a smile on his face.

“That is exactly what I am suggesting. I would talk with aunty Celestia about the matter. She would most likely assign you a personal guard or guards, depending on how severe she deems the threat.” Reaching towards the glass of wine that was in front of the human, Eric down its contents in one breath before shivering from the alcoholic taste of the beverage. It wasn’t very often the human would drink, though it would be rude to reject the glass of wine the prince had poured for him.

“Thank you Blue. I will go talk to Celestia about it after I finish signing these papers,” Eric stated. Blueblood nodded his head one last time before levitating the bottle of wine and glass in his magic.

“I wish you well Eric. Now if you would please excuse me, I do think I am actually late for a little social gathering,” the prince declared, getting out of his seat and exiting the dining hall. The human was now all alone, exit for the few maids and guards that were on standby in case the human needed anything.

“That’s a bit wasteful,” Eric mumbled under his breath, noticing the almost untouched bowl of pasta on the opposite side of the table. Letting out a soft sigh, the human reached across the large table before grabbing the bowl of pasta and plunging his fork into the delicious dinner.

“Best not let it go to waste. God knows there are many ponies out there who would give their left hoof for something as tasty as this,” Eric thought. The human quickly spent the next hour or so finishing up the prince’s meal and his own paperwork, not even bothering to read most it. Checking the watch on his wrist, Eric concluded it was time to start getting ready for the night. It wasn’t going to be anything special, just something he knew both Luna and Celestia would enjoy that also wouldn’t take up much of Celestia’s time. He knew she was probably exhausted, and planned to also spend some time later tonight relieving her stress with a well-deserved massage much like he had with Luna a few weeks prior. Gathering up the papers in a neat pile, Eric properly secured the forms in his hand as he made his way to Celestia’s room.

The journey took no more than ten minutes and soon enough, Eric was standing in front of the door with a smile on his face. Knocking several times, a moment of silence followed by an angelic voice replied from the opposite side of the door.

“You may come in,” Celestia called out. Eric knew that tone when he heard it and sure enough as the human walked through the door, Celestia still had her face buried in paperwork at her private desk.

“You need to take a break Tia,” Eric stated as he walked over towards the mare and placed a comforting hand on the mare’s head and scratching lightly. Celestia cooed out in enjoyment as she leaned into the ear scratches.

“I suppose I should. Though after one more proposal, ok?” the princess stated, levitating another twenty page form in front of herself. Eric was quick to grab at the form and place it firmly down on her desk with a stern look.

“Sorry Tia, but no. You are exhausted and deserve to be treated to a nice surprise tonight. Go get Luna and meet me outside of my room in fifteen minutes ok?” Despite her wanting need to finish one last form, Celestia relented.

“Fine I will,” the goddess replied with a playful huff. Eric couldn’t help but laugh at the silly expression of the princess and opted for a long, encompassing hug with his friend before setting down the stack of papers he had finished signing earlier.

“Good. I will see you and Luna in fifteen minutes then, ok?” Eric questioned. Celestia was quick to nod her head with a playful smile.

“Yes, yes, now go and get ready otherwise we will be waiting on you,” Celestia demanded in humorous tone.

“Yeah, yeah princess, I'm on it,” Eric replied before leaving his friend and venturing to his own room to freshen up. As the human left, Celestia let out a few soft giggles.

“I do wonder what sort of surprise Eric has planned for us tonight?”

Several loud knocks on Eric’s bedroom door soon brought the human out of his thoughts.

“Come in,” Eric called out from the bathroom. Within a few moment, Eric could distinctly make out the idle chatter of the two princesses. Giving himself one last once-over in the mirror, the human exited the bathroom with shirt in hand, giving the two mare’s an unobstructed view of their soon-to-be husband’s torso.

“Oh, so was this the surprise you wanted to give us? If so, we are severely disappointed,” Luna remarked. Celestia was caught off guard by the comment as another bout of giggles assaulted the mare. Eric just rolled his eyes before throwing the shirt over his body.

“Oh please Luna. You will probably be having wet-dreams about my sexy-ass body for next week,” Eric retorted. Luna’s cheeks soon turned a vibrant red in embarrassment, as Celestia couldn’t help agree that Luna walked into that one.

“Alright you two, save it for the bedroom. Besides, I don’t think Eric is quite ready to take our relationship to that sort of level yet,” Celestia calmly explained. Both Luna and Eric rolled their eyes at the older alicorn before everyone made their way out of the room.

“Alright, so are you all ready?” Eric asked, receiving a few blank stares from his two friends.

“It would depend on what you mean by ready,” Luna quipped back.

“Well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. But don’t worry, it’s not over the top or anything fancy. Just something fun for all of us to do.” Celestia and Luna both nodded their heads as they followed the human for a fun night out on the town.

He's Bat!

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The time was well into the evening as street lights began to glow dimly, illuminating the pathways of many Canterlot streets. Most ponies around this time were retiring for the evening to spend time with family or friends. Though every so often, a lone equine mulling about the street would do a double-take as they witnessed the resident human leading both Celestia and Luna through one of the many streets of Canterlot’s market district.

“So tell us Eric, are we almost at our destination?” Luna questioned before nudging her side against her soon-to-be husband. The mare was rewarded with a light ear scratch as the mare cooed softly from the human’s touch. It was one of the aspects the princess adored about her friend and those useful appendages he called fingers.

“It’s not too much further. Just another few minutes and we should be there,” the human responded. The calming noises of silence soon overtook the group as they continued on their way down a cobblestone path. During this time, the human’s hand slowly traced up Celestia’s withers, massaging the spot gently with his fingers before bringing the mare close to his side. After all, this trip was a chance for the three friends to relax and forget about the worries of royalty, if only for a couple of hours.

“So Eric, what did you do today?” Celestia questioned, breaking the silence with an attempt at small talk.

“Not much honestly. You know the first part of my day, but after that I just went out for a few drinks with a friend to clear my head before hooking him up with a cute little mare. After that I came back to the castle, scared one of your guards to the point he nearly pissed himself, and took a nap with Luna. Oh, and I talked to Blueblood about our predicament. He said I should talk to you because he thinks the nobles will try to pull something to nullify my prerequisites as a suitor or worse.” Celestia rolled her eyes at the comment of frightening one of her guards, though nodded her head in understanding with a soft sigh.

“I apologize for putting you through this again Eric. If we had any other choice, believe me that we wouldn’t have pulled you into this mess,” the princess added with a gentle nuzzle. Eric couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s words, returning the nuzzle with a stroke of the mare’s cheek.

“There is no need to apologize Tia. I know that you and Luna wouldn’t have dragged me into this sort of situation unless it was as a last resort. Besides, I think this will sort of be good for me,” he added, surprising both the mares.

“What do you mean by that statement Eric?” Luna asked, curious as to what her friend meant. It took a few moments, but Eric soon found the right words to respond with.

“Well, to be honest I have never really held much attraction towards anypony. I mean don’t get me wrong, you are all really cute and adorable, but I just haven’t felt that connection of intimacy with any of you. Granted it was something I have never really strived for, but this seems like a good opportunity to explore those possibilities. And what better way to do so than with two of my best friends?” Both Celestia and Luna were quick to offer the human another gentle nuzzle as they both realized how much out of his comfort zone Eric was going for the two of them.

“Thank you Eric, for everything you have done for us so far. We promise that you can take as much time as you need regarding our physical relationship,” Celestia responded.

“Indeed Eric. We are most gracious for all you have sacrificed for us. Though we would suggest putting a limit on the last part of my sister’s statement. After all, we aren’t getting any younger,” Luna playfully teased.

“Luna!” Celestia all but yelled, though the younger alicorn couldn’t help but giggle from her older sister’s reaction.

“Sister, you and Eric both know we were merely jesting. We would not do anything of the sort without Eric’s complete consent.”

“You mean like this morning when you were straddling me on your bed?” Eric quickly countered. Luna’s cheeks soon turned a crimson red as she guiltily looked away from the human.

“Again we apologize for our behavior. It was a simple joke that got taken too far,” the younger alicorn responded. The soft hand of her friend scratching behind her ears was confirmation to the mare that Eric held no ill will towards her.

“I’m kidding Luna. We already discussed this and I know you were only joking. I don’t hold it against you,” Eric replied before stopping in front of a small stone structure. The building had seen better days, as much of the masonry stones were either chipped or discolored from extended exposure to the elements. Though overall, the structure looked sound.

“This is an ice cream shop,” Luna was quick to point out as the three of them walked through the main door, a bell jingling to the owners that more customers were there to spend their hard earned bits on a refreshingly sweet treat.

“Hello and welcome to Sweet Treat…” a bubbly mare started before growing quiet. Eric knew this reaction was to be expected of most ponies in the presence of royalty, though he wasn’t prepared for the one that followed.

“Honey! Get your frosty flank out here! We have special guests!” the mare boomed to her husband in the back of the store before rushing over and practically tackling the human around the midsection with a hug.

“Eric! I can’t believe you actually brought them with you!” the mare stated with an incredulous, but excited tone. The human was quick to return the hug before the bubbly Earth-Pony mare separated from the human with a smile on her face. It took a moment but the mare soon switched her attention towards both the princesses in the room.

“And might I say what an honor it is to have royalty visit our shop.” the mare added with a courteous bow. Both Luna and Celestia giggled at the mare’s enthusiasm before addressing their subject.

“Please, there is no need for such a formal greeting. Consider us just regular patrons of this fine establishment,” Celestia expertly replied. The mare ceased her bowing before growing an ever large grin on her face again.

“Thank you princess. Oh, and before I forget, my name is Bubblegum. And the slow stallion making his way from behind the counter is my lovely husband Frosty Flakes.” A quick once over of the pink colored mare and her snowy white husband was more than enough to see why they were named as such.

“Well as I live and breathe. Royalty in our little shop? Pinch me sweetie, I must be dreaming,” Frosty added with a quick bow and chuckle. Bubblegum wasted no time in adhering to her husband's request before nipping his side, earning a soft grunt and flinch accompanied with another chuckle.

“Well I can rightly say I am not dreaming. Thank you for that sweetie,” the stallion replied before his wife planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“So after all these years, you finally bring the princesses into our humble shop. I must say that it took you a while,” Frosty playfully chided towards the human.

“You know the schedule of royalty Frosty. All work and no play. Though I did manage to sneak them out of the castle for an hour or so. Don’t tell their advisors though,” Eric countered before shaking the stallion’s hoof with his hand.

“My lips are sealed,” Frosty replied, followed by a gesture of his hoof moving across his lips. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Eric followed the stallion to the side of the store where tubs of different flavored ice cream snuggled dutifully behind their glass prison.

“Alright you two, get whatever you want,” Eric addressed the two mares. Seeing as how both Celestia and Luna were on a diet, as mandated by their advisors to keep up appearances, they wasted no time in shuffling past the human with their noses planted firmly against the glass, scouring the rows of different flavored ice-cream and toppings. The act was enough to bring a smile to the human’s face, knowing full well that one of the only weaknesses both princesses shared was their love for any and all things sweet.

“Oh, they have banana flavored ice cream!” Celestia stated.

“And look sister. They have those gummy sharks we adore!” Luna followed. As both mares continued to make their selection, a waffle cone slowly floated its way in front of the human’s vision.

“One waffle cone with chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream, the usual,” Frosty stated with a smile. Eric could only chuckle as he grabbed his treat out of the air before making his way to the register.

“Is this going to be all together hun?” Bubblegum’s sweet voice asked. Eric nodded his head before pulling out two silver looking coins and handing them over to the mare.

“This is for the three of us and we’ll call it even.” The mare threw the bits into the cash drawer of the register before leaning over the counter and hugging the human once again.

“Thank you dear. You know we appreciate every extra bit we can make,” Bubblegum added before releasing her friend.

“I know you two do. Have to send your daughter to college and everything. Speaking of which, how is she doing in her classes?”

“She is doing quite well actually, though she is struggling a bit in her math. She only has to make it through two semesters though, so I think she will be fine. As for everything else, she is doing fantastically and is loving the college experience from what she tells us.” The last statement from the mare brought another smile to the human’s face. Their daughter, Laffy Taffy, was currently enrolled at the University of Canterlot for Fine Arts. She was a musical theatre major with a heap of potential. Unfortunately, the university's steep tuition costs had made it difficult for the family, though they were still managing.

“Well i’m glad she is enjoying herself. Like I said, my offer still stands. I would be more than happy to help tutor her in math once a week if you would like.”

“Hun, you know I couldn’t possibly ask something like that of you. After all, you might not be royalty, but I am sure you are plenty busy with your work,” she countered. Internally, Eric was chuckling from the statement made by the mare. He actually didn’t do much of anything besides work on designs to recreate old technologies from his world. It was a fairly good job in terms of pay, seeing as how everything he designs is patented in his name. It was also one of the reasons why he had more money than he knew what to do with, and that was before marrying into royalty.

“I honestly don’t mind Bubblegum. Education is one of the most important gifts we can give our kids. Besides, I would hate for her GPA to suffer because of some silly math course. But like I said before, the offer still stands if you ever change your mind,” He finished with a lick of his ice cream. By this time, Celestia and Luna were finally done with their selection as two waffle cones levitated in the air between the two sisters.

“Wait, don’t tell me. You got banana and almonds with… pound cake bits in the middle,” he guessed staring at Celestia’s cone.

“And you got… triple chocolate chunk with caramel dressing and gummy sharks?”

“I could have added pound cake?” the curious voice of Celestia questioned.

“Indeed sister. And you are correct Eric. We do adore our gummy sharks and chocolate,” Luna replied before taking a few licks of her ice-cream. The dark color of her treat had already begun to stain her lips and tongue a dark brown, and the human assumed it would only be a matter of minutes before she finished off her cone entirely.

“Alright, let’s go find somewhere to sit. Maybe near the back so nopony freaks out if they enter the store.”

“That seems like a good idea. Lead the way Eric,” Celestia commanded. It took only a few seconds to make it to the back of the store and around the small bend. Though when the human had an unobstructed view of his surroundings, a shit eating grin spread across his face.

“Copper! What a wonderful surprise meeting you here? I hope we aren’t disturbing anything?” Eric questioned his friend. As soon as the trio of friends entered the store, Copper tried to keep a low profile as to not draw any attention to himself or his date. However, luck always liked to screw with him.

“Oh, Eric! I wasn’t expecting to see you here?” Copper stated with a mock smile across his face. Copper knew that Eric was in too good of a position to let this opportunity slide by, so the stallion braced for the worst.

“I hope you don’t mind, but could we pull a table together and join you two? After all, ice-cream is much sweeter when eaten with friends.” Despite how much he wanted to say ‘buzz off’, with the princesses by his side it would have been disrespectful to do so.

“S-Sure buddy! The more the merrier!” Copper added, though the fake smile on his face said only one thing to his date, ‘kill me’.

“Splendid!” Wasting no time, Eric pulled together another table and a few chairs before all five patrons were centered around a long table. Suffice to say, the mood was awkward as the Earth Pony and Thestral grew deathly silent in the presence of the princesses, much to their displeasure.

“Please, do not allow our company to dissuade you from conversation. We are here to enjoy our sweets as any normal pony would,” Luna stated before taking an actual bite out of her cone and ice-cream. How the mare managed to avoid a brain freeze, nobody would ever know.

“Actually, I have a good topic we could all talk about. Celestia asked me a question earlier, and I never quite expanded upon it.”

“Oh, and w-what sort of question would that be?” the nervous voice of the thestral questioned.

“Oh, you now. Just the normal stuff about how my day went and what I did. I told her I met up with Copper for a few drinks at the bar, but never expanded on the incident with the bartender.” It was in that moment that the thestral’s face turned a pale white, along with a certain pony’s across from her.

“Oh really now? And what exactly happened with this bartender?” Celestia prodded, connecting the dots of who this mare across from her guard was.

“Well, I ended up telling Copper about our little arrangement, because he is my best bro. And apparently the bartender was eavesdropping on us and threatened to tell the press about it unless we left a good tip,” Eric nonchalantly replied.

“That is very interesting to hear Eric. After all, extortion is a crime punishable by up to ten years in prison or more if done to a member of the royal family. So tell us, did this mare go to the press about our arrangement?”

“I don’t think she did. Besides, the two of us came to an understanding real fast. I saw that she was making googly eyes with Copper so I figured I could use that to my advantage. I ordered Copper to treat the mare to a lovely date. You know, restaurant, desert, the works. Then after all that, I ordered him to take the mare back to her place and well… you get the idea,” Eric hinted, watching as the thestral’s face went from pale white to crimson red in under a few seconds.

“Ah, I understand. It is a noble deed you are making sir Copper. We appreciate your diligence to duty and as such, you will be adequately rewarded for your services after your mission is complete,” Celestia stated with the same motherly tone she used with all of her subjects. Both Copper and the thestral had their faces buried in their hooves from sheer embarrassment, but at the same time, the mare’s leathery wings began to twitch ever so slightly.

“Anyway, you two should probably get going. It’s getting late and you still have a mission to do.” Offering a mock salute to his friend, Copper was quick to make his escape with the thestral hot on his heels.

“I love messing with Copper.” A light boop on the head caused the human to turn towards his friend while shaking her head.

“As much as I appreciate you volunteering one of my guards for jobs, I think it would be best if you refrain from doing so in the future. At least until you can be properly trained to give orders.” Eric rolled his eyes at the alabaster alicorn, though nodded his head reluctantly.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It was more of a wingman thing to be honest. That, and the fact that I love seeing him flustered. I mean, you have to admit, he looks downright adorable when embarrassed.” Celestia could only shake her head as the three friends finished up their ice-cream and relaxed for the better part of half an hour.

“As nice as this had been, I think it’s time we skedaddle. Don’t want to keep Bubblegum and Frosty here any later than we have too.” Rising from his spot at the table, the trio of friends put everything back the way it was supposed to be before heading towards the entrance to the store.

“Thank you all for coming and I hope you enjoyed yourselves,” Frosty exclaimed to the departing customers. Eric was quick to turn around and give the owner a thumbs up for both quality of food and service.

“Everything was GRRRREAAAAATTTTT!” Frosty rolled his eyes, as this had not been the first time the human had emphasized the word to him. He figured it must have been a joke, but he didn’t really care.

“So I take it that we are done for the evening?” Luna questioned her two compadres. Despite the nap from earlier, Eric was feeling exhausted and it seemed that Celestia was faring none better.

“Yeah. I don’t know about you, but I could just pass out in bed right now.”

“I would have to agree with you on that. As much fun as this has been, I believe it is time to retire for the evening.” Without a single warning, Celestia’s horn was enveloped in a golden aura before everyone was magically transported inside of Celestia’s chambers.

“Damn, that still feels weird every time it happens,” Eric stated with a shudder. Celestia offered him a small smile before turning towards her sister with a loving nuzzle.

“Goodnight Luna. I will see you in the morning,” Celestia said with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Luna returned the nuzzle and kiss before doing the same to the human.

“We bid you both a good night. We will see you tomorrow.” And with that, Luna vanished in a magical flash.

“So, I take it you are heading to bed?” Eric asked, breaking the moment of silence. Celestia could barely offer a response as she flung off her regalia and collapsed into bed.

“I apologize Eric, but I do not think I can stay awake any longer… however,” the mare paused before shifting her full attention to her friend. He was pretty sure he knew what she wanted, and he was more than happy to give it to her. After all, having a cuddle buddy results in a much better brand of sleep according to the leading experts.

“If you don’t mind having me Tia, I have no objections,” Eric answered. Celestia let out a tired smile as her horn lit up with her golden aura. Once again, the human felt the weird sensation of being teleported, though it wasn’t as bad as the first time. However, he was now wearing nothing but his boxers with a pair of large white hooves wrapped around his torso.

“You’re warm,” Celestia cooed, nuzzling her head into her friend’s back. It was a bit strange to be honest, as most of the times he cuddled with Luna, she was the little spoon. Though he didn’t object to being held by one of his best friends. In fact, he could say it made him feel at ease, which the princess was more than aware of.

“Goodnight Eric,” Celestia softly whispered, her horn glowing one last time before the candles in the room extinguished themselves. Feeling the anchors of sleep take hold of him, Eric nuzzled his back against the mare with a gentle smile.

“Goodnight Tia.”

The Council?

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Morning came all too soon for the Solar Goddess. The time was nearing six in the morning as Celestia groggily shifted in bed, opening her tired eyes to the darkness of her chambers. It was like any other routine morning for the princess, though after a few moments of consciousness, she remembered a particular fact about the previous night. There, peacefully asleep within her hooves, was Eric. His dark black hair melded seamlessly with the darkness of the room, while his sleeping form filled the mare with a sense of comfort she had yet to experience in a long while. Additionally, whether she wanted to admit it or not, a light blush nestled softly against the mare’s white cheeks as thoughts of more than cuddling began to bombard the princess’s mind. These thoughts were quickly cast aside by the princess, preferring to turn her attention to the sleeping human in her embrace.

“He looks so peaceful,” The mare thought, smiling softly before retracting her hooves from his form and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Eric responded with a soft groan before turning over and away from the princess. Celestia couldn’t help but giggle softly at his antics, remembering how Luna would do the same thing when they shared a bed.

“Sister, are you awake? Tis time to raise the sun,” the familiar voice of Luna telepathically called out.

“I will be in one moment Luna. I am trying not to wake Eric from his slumber,” the elder sister replied as she carefully shuffled out of bed and towards the balcony. Within a moment, Luna appeared in a flash of light, a soft yet tired smile on her muzzle.

“I take it you two had a good night?” Luna questioned with a look of playfulness, earning a light prod from her sister’s hoof.

“We did. He makes quite the cuddle partner actually. I can see why you like cuddling with him so much.” Celestia responded before the two sister’s horn began to glow. Within moments, the moon began to slowly set and the first rays of light began to peek from behind the snow capped-mountains of Canterlot.

“I take it you are going to bed now Luna?” Celestia inquired, breaking the silence between the two. Luna responded with a tired nod before stretching herself out like a cat, wings and all.

“Indeed sister. We are exhausted,” the blue mare stated before looking in through the balcony doors and towards the form of the sleeping human. Before Luna even had a chance to ask, another giggle from her sister gave her the answer she needed.

“Yes you can Luna. I do not mind. But no funny business. We don’t need a repeat of yesterday,” Celestia added before giving her sister a loving nuzzle. Luna returned the affectionate nuzzle with one of her own before walking into the room and shuffling into bed. It didn’t take long, but within a minute or so Luna was fast asleep with the human pulled tightly against her chest. The adorable sight was nearly enough to melt the elder sister’s heart.

“Sleep well you two. And sweet dreams,” Celestia whispered before beginning her day.

Several hours had passed by since Celestia’s departure. Eric, who had previously been slumbering peacefully in the hooves of his friend, finally began to stir. Groggily opening his eyes and shutting them due to the intrusive rays of light, Eric slowly pulled himself from the hooves of his friend before sitting up and looking around the room.

“What time is it,” Eric thought to himself with a yawn, looking down at his watch to see that it was only a couple minutes past nine in the morning.

“Celestia is probably finishing up breakfast right about now. If I hurry I can probably get the chefs to make me something light,” he thought to himself.

“Are you getting up?” a soft voice questioned from his right. Turning his attention to the source, Eric noticed his overly tired friend staring back him.

“Sorry Luna, I didn’t mean to wake you. And yeah, I am going to try and make it to the dining hall in time for breakfast. You know how the chefs can be if you are late. Do you want me to pick you up anything?” Eric kindly offered, not at all surprised that she had replaced Celestia as his cuddle buddy.

“We are quite alright, though we do appreciate the offer. Tell our sister good morning when you see her and inform her that we will rise in a few more hours,” Luna stated before nuzzling softly into the human’s side.

“Ok Luna, sweet dreams. I will see you in a few hours,” Eric stated as he ran a hand tenderly through Luna’s mane and along her cheek. A soft purr resounded from the goddess before the mare closed her eyes and quickly drifted off back to sleep. After taking a moment to reorient himself with the world, Eric slipped out of bed before throwing on a new pair of clothes laid out on the mare’s large vanity and venturing towards the castle’s dining hall.

It didn’t take long for the human to arrive and he was more than happy to see Celestia holding a newspaper in her magical grasp while sipping on a cup of coffee.

“Anything interesting in the news today?” Eric was quick to question before taking a seat near the mare. Celestia continued to sip her cup of coffee before turning to the next the page.

“Just the usual political figure rumors and celebrity controversies. Nothing worth my interest to be honest. They are having the grand reopening of the Canterlot Public Library today though. They seemed to have finished their remodel earlier than expected and guess who paid for it?” Celestia asked. The tone in her voice insinuated the pony responsible, which was actually Eric’s go to answer for anypony involved with books.

“It’s Twilight isn’t it?” Eric neutrally replied.

“Ding, Ding, Ding. We have a winner,” Celestia responded, accompanied with a giggle. Eric joined in with a chuckle of his own before a server came by and took his order.

“That mare really needs to find a nice colt. She’s like the equivalent of a crazy cat lady back in my world.” Celestia raised a brow at the human’s comment, finding it rather hypocritical.

“Really now? And how long did it take you to find two amazingly beautiful princesses to become your soon to be wives?” Celestia countered. If Eric had been drinking anything, he would have spit it all out from the unexpected sassiness of the princess. Though to be fair, she did have a point. He would have never entertained the idea of dating another species if it hadn’t been for Luna and Celestia approaching him with their problem. So he couldn’t rightfully give Twilight any flack for being the way she is.

“I have to admit, you got me there Tia. But still, my point stands. She needs a nice colt or mare in her life that doesn’t see her as a princess, but as the pony she actually is.”

“You mean like how you see Luna and me?” Celestia curiously questioned. The mare was answered by the human raising his hand and lightly scratching behind her ear with a soft coo of delight. She always did love it when he used his hands to scratch behind her ears.

“So what are your plans for today? I assume you aren’t going to spend all day sitting here and enjoying my ear scratches?”

“Hmmm, I am rather tempted actually, though unfortunately this country doesn’t run itself. Besides, I have something special planned for today.” Pulling away from Eric, Celestia offered a smile before nuzzling along her friend’s cheek.

“Meet me in the throne room in about half an hour when day court opens. I have a feeling we are going to be in for quite a show.” And with those final words, Celestia left the human in the dining room of the castle to attend to some last minute preparations for day court.

Half an hour quickly passed by for the human as he enjoyed a plate of eggs and toast, along with a refreshing mug of coffee. It was his usual breakfast he had grown quite accustomed to, seeing as how meat typically wasn’t on the menu in the morning unless a visiting nation’s dignitaries happened by. Still, the human was content with his modest breakfast as he made his way towards the throne room.

“I do wonder what sort of interesting thing is going to happen? If I had to guess, it would involve those rather unhappy nobles or perhaps the press. Either way, it’s going to involve me,” Eric thought with a sigh. It’s not that he minded being the center of attention once in a while, which was the case when he first arrived in Equestria. But the fact that he would most likely have the press annoyingly pestering him for the next few months soured his mood. Granted there was little he could do about it.

“It’s about time you arrived,” the distinct voice of the blue alicorn called out.

“Luna? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be back in bed?” Eric asked as he walked up to the throne his friend was sitting on.

“Indeed we should Eric, though we didn’t want to miss the show,” Luna stated. As if on cue, the throne-room doors boomed opened as a group of well-dressed nobles made their way towards the bottom of where Luna and Eric resided.

“Pardon me princess, but we were hoping that your sister would be here. We have an issue that demands her immediate attention,” the leading noble stated in a condescending tone, along with shooting the human a smug grin.

“Is that so? Well seeing as she is absent for the moment, perhaps you could relay your issue with us? After all, I am her equal.” The look Luna gave the noble made him give pause for a moment before turning towards the other nobles who nodded their heads.

“Very well princess. It has come to council’s attention that perhaps not enough time was given for the two of you to adequately evaluate the best candidate for your hooves in marriage. It is because of this that a majority of the council has seen fit to petition the selection of your suitor and allow you more time to make a better selection. We have all agreed that the two of you should be given another six months before relaying your decision to the council,” the noble finished. Silence soon filled the throne room as Luna closed her eyes and thought about what noble had said.

“And tell us, sir…?”

“Sir Prism Cut princess,” the noble said with a polite bow.

“Sir Prism Cut, descendant of the noble Jewelcrafter lineage?” The stallion raised his head with a smile.

“Yes princess, that is correct. I am flattered that you know about my family.”

“While it has been a while, before our banishment we had visited your ancestor’s shop many of times. They were well-renowned for their expertise in crafting and cutting jewels.”

“Thank you princess. Your kind words flatter me so,” Prism said with another polite bow.

“Indeed. However, we know they would be ashamed of what their family’s lineage has become. A noble trying desperately to claw their way into the royal family by petty laws and loopholes. It is quite a pathetic sight if we do say so,” Luna stated with a small frown. Prism Cut shot his head up and towards the princess with a look of disbelief on his face. This was mirrored by the many nobles behind him as Eric could only let out a long whistle from what he just heard.

“Damn. I think he is going to need some Aloe for that burn,” Eric added with a short laugh. Prism was quick to shoot the human a furious glare before turning his attention towards the princess.

“Despite whatever my intentions may be, the council demands to postpone the selection of that despicable creature as your suitor. And I am happy to say that not even the princesses are above the authority of the council,” Prism stated with another smug grin. Luna had to admit, it took balls to openly defy her like he just did, but then again, he was right. There was little she could do at the moment.

“And what makes you so sure about that?” another voice called out. Prism and the other nobles were quick to turn their heads towards one of the entrances to the throne room as Celestia made her way towards her sister and friend.

“P-Princess Celestia, I apologize. I did not know you were here,” Prism quickly said with a bow. Celestia paid the stallion no mind as she casually strolled up to Luna before affectionately nuzzling her check along with her fiance’s.

“Sorry I am late. I was finishing some last minute paperwork.”

“There is no need to apologize sister. We were just passing the time with these poor excuses of nobility,” Luna said rather nonchalantly. It took most of her willpower, but Celestia refrained from giggling at her sister’s antics.

“Even so, at least try to be nice to them,” Celestia asked. Luna in turn huffed before turning her head away from her sister.

“We make no promises dear sister.” With a sigh, Celestia turned her attention towards the contingent of nobles gathered at the foot of her throne.

“And how may I help all of you this morning?” Celestia’s voice was calm and collected as she gazed over the multitude of nobles in her court.

“P-Princess, it has come to the council’s attention that we may not have given you and your sister enough time to select a proper suitor. We are hereby giving the two of you another six months to select a proper suitor while petitioning the current one you have already selected.”

"Oh, so you are telling me that Luna and I do not need to make a selection as of this moment?” Celestia curiously questioned, eliciting a small smile from the noble.

“That is correct princess. This is a petition, signed by an overwhelming majority of council members to halt the selection of your suitor for another six months. It is also during that time that the council will examine the law and determine if the legitimacy of foreign dignitaries still apply in this day and age,” Prism finished. Celestia read through the petition, noting its carefully crafted language, before looking towards the members of her council once again.

“Thank you all for voicing your concerns on the matter. I see now that this whole situation has become rather complicated, and for that I apologize. However, it is a situation that you no longer need to concern yourself with,” Celestia stated with her usual, motherly smile. The statement was enough to catch the nobles off guard, as a hesitant Prism Cut questioned what the mare meant.

“Pardon me princess, but what do you mean by that?”

“Well, I have noticed the amount of stress and responsibilities I have placed on my beloved members of the council. For far too long have I relied on your judgement and guidance. And for all that you have done for me, I thank you. The formation of the council was instated well over a thousand years ago with sister’s banishment. The sole purpose was to help guide Equestria and myself in the right direction. When Luna was brought back to me a few years ago, the council’s purpose was altered. The main purpose of the council was to help break any decisions my sister and I couldn’t agree on. But since we now have our future king for such, I see no reason I should burden my little ponies with such responsibility and power.

That is why I am hereby voting to abolish the Council of Nobles, effective immediately. What is your vote sister?” The smile on Luna’s face could brighten the darkest of days as she quickly answered her sister.

“We would have to agree with you dearest sister. Therefore, we hereby vote to also abolish the Council of Nobles, effective immediately.”

“Y-You can’t do this! We also have a right to vote on the matter,” Prism shouted out.

“Ah, yes. Even if my sister and I agree, with a majority vote from the council, the ruling will go into stasis until one side relents,” Celestia recalled aloud.

“But sister, what about the other law that states that if both sides do not agree, then the decision will go into stasis or be deferred to an individual holding the title of political confident?” Luna commented. The look on the noble’s face was short lived with this new set of information.

“B-but there hasn’t been a political confident for the court in over two-hundred years, so the decision still stands!” Prism retorted. It was this time for both Luna and Celestia to wear a smug grin on their faces as the solar princess levitated a stack of papers in front of the noble.

“Actually, there is. It took most of yesterday and this morning, but the documents were finalized a few minutes before you all arrived. Would you perhaps like to read aloud the first part of the document on top?” The question was more of a demand as the noble grabbed the documents in his magic and read it aloud.

“It is issued that on the this date, the legal resident of Equestria Eric D. Lancer, is hereby titled with the rank of political confident to the Royal Court of Equestria, including all permissions and roles associated with such position as dictated by law…” Looking up from the piece of paper, every noble’s eyes fixated themselves on the human as he too shared in the grin his two friends were wearing.

“Well, I guess that means I have the final say in this situation, don’t I?” The glares from the nobles were immediate as the human rested a hand under his chin in thought.

“Hmm, I wonder how I should vote on this. I mean, I do love screwing with the nobles, but at the same time, they are a major pain in neck.” Despite being in the presence of royalty, Prism Cut continued his glare with an added threat.

“Don’t you dare think about it ape. You will be sorry if you do.”

“And you will be sorry if you dare to threaten our mate again,” The stern voice of Luna said as the mare righted herself on her throne and bore daggers through the outspoken noble. Her icy glare was enough for Prism to shrink under her guise, though he still continued his glare towards the human.

“Alright, I have come to a decision. Effective immediately, I hereby vote to also abolish the Council of Nobles.”

“So it is settled then. The Council of Nobles is hereby abolished along with any permissions and roles they may have possessed.” As the words sunk in for all of the nobles in the room, none had a more profound impact than of the stallion leading the group.

“You low-born freak! I’ll kill you for this!” Prism called out as magic channeled through his horn. It took only a second for the stallion to gather the necessary magic, though when he released the spell, a large arc of lighting shot straight towards the human. To Eric’s amazement, the spell was easily intercepted by Celestia’s magic, despite having almost no time to react. Within a flash, Luna was on top of the noble, hooves pinning him the ground as he cried out in pain.

“Leave now!” Luna boomed in her Royal Canterlot Voice, accented with her yellow slitted eyes. The nobles trampled one another on their way out the throne room before the princess turned her attention back towards the noble.

“Attacking our mate with lethal intention was a grievous miscalculation. Do not worry though, we shall end your life right here.”

“Luna, no!” Eric called out, rushing towards the mare.

“He isn’t worth it Luna. Let him go,” Eric reasoned. Contemplating on whether she should allow the scum of nobility to live, Luna relented with a sigh as her breathing returned to normal along with her eyes. With one final look the mare turned away from the noble as a pair of guards hauled him off to the infirmary before processing him.

“We are sorry you had to see that. It is not often we lose our temper like that,” Luna stated in a sorrowful tone. She was met with the comforting embrace of her friend, which the mare returned in eager.

“Are you two alright?” The concerned voice of Celestia asked.

“Yeah, I think so. Thank you for blocking that by the way. I’m not sure if I told you this, but humans and lightning don’t really mix well together,” Eric added with a laugh.

“I am just glad that I was able to intercept the spell in time. I’m also glad to see Luna was quick in subduing the suspect.”

“I would have done more than that if Eric hadn’t stopped me,” Luna commented before nuzzling under the human’s chin.

“So what do you suppose we should do now. I honestly didn’t expect this situation to turn out like it did.” Celestia put a hoof to her chin in thought before turning towards one of her guards.

“Guard, please inform everypony that Day-Court is closed for today and that I apologize for any inconvenience.”

“Yes mam!” the guard replied with a salute.

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I wouldn’t mind a quick nap. Perhaps afterwards we can visit the grand re-opening of the Canterlot Library. I have a feeling Twilight is just dying to see you again,” Celestia teased. Eric could only roll his eyes at his friend’s statement. It was true though, it had been a while since he had last seen the little bookworm. He was just wondering what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into this time.

That Was a Long Nap

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Chapter 9

“Deep breaths Twilight. Deep breaths. You got this. It’s not like this is the most important reconstruction effort ever undertaken in the history of the Canterlot Royal library. So what if they couldn’t finish that Starswirl the Bearded extended memoir section with interactive animatronics. I mean, the remodel did cost nearly a million bits, and it’s not like that one unfinished exhibit will dissuade ponies from visiting, right?” The purple alicorn continued to pace about behind a large maroon curtain, mumbling to herself about all of the possibilities of her project failing. Her panicked voice, though low enough as to not alert the crowd of ponies on the other side of the curtain, echoed just loud enough for a certain pony to take notice.

“I mean, so what if every section isn’t categorized by date of publication. It’s not like a pony will accidently grab the wrong revision.”

“Princess,” a subtle yet heavy baritone of a voice called out.

“B-but what if they do end up grabbing the wrong revision, and they use outdated information in their research paper?”

“Twi,” the voice tried calling out, yet again being drowned out by the unlikely musings of the mare.

“A-And because of the outdated information, that pony fails their research paper and becomes the laughing stock of the academy! And then they get kicked out of college and become homeless, all because I didn’t…”

“TWILIGHT!” Finally, the voice was able to reel the purple pony princess from her thoughts as she hesitantly locked eyes with the source. A few moments of silence passed between the two ponies, the battle of dominance soon won over by the newcomer. With a slow trot, the pegasus made his way towards the princess, his armor shifting ever so slightly as he closed the distance. It didn’t take long for the guard to reach the distraught mare before wrapping his fore-hooves and wings around the mare.

“Twilight, it’s ok. Everything is going to be fine.” The voice, though calm and gentle, carried a wave of confidence and security for Twilight. It wasn’t the first time she had let her thoughts get the better of her, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. That is just the kind of pony she is. And if she had these types of hugs to look forward to every time she had a little episode, she wasn’t going to complain.

Minutes of silence passed between the two as Twilight earnestly returned the gesture, content with being in the presence of her loving friend.

“Do you feel better now?” The mare could only offer a soft coo and nod as she nestled into the crook of the stallion’s neck. Though the feeling didn’t last for long before the guard pulled away with an offered smile.

“Thank you Aileron. I needed that,” Twilight admitted with a soft smile of her own. With a newfound vigor, Twilight steeled her nerves for the impending task ahead. A minute or so later and the alicorn princess calmly made her way through the curtain to a thunderous round of applause and cheers. And just as she practiced, the alicorn returned the compliments of the masses with a few waves and smiles before situating herself in front of an ornate, wooden podium. It was at this time that most of the crowd had settled down, patiently waiting on the words of wisdom and inspiration only the alicorn of magic and friendship could provide.

“My fellow ponies, I welcome you on this most glorious day to a new chapter in the life of the Canterlot Royal Library.” She paused, taking a slight moment of reprieve to gaze upon the faces of her country folk before continuing. “It wasn’t that long ago that I started my journey here, at this very place. I remember learning many things in my time spent here, tucked away in the far corners of the library that it would take the librarians hours to find me past closing. Sorry Mrs. Notepad.” The crowd of ponies all chuckled at the joke, including the librarian in question who still ran the place. “It was during my tenure as Celestia’s personal student that I dedicated my life to learning everything I could. I thought that if I knew enough and studied hard enough, nothing would be able to stand in my way. It was only after my assignment in Ponyville did I see that there were some lessons you can’t learn from a book. And it is the same lesson I wish to share with you all right today.

Be there for each other. Make new friends. Share new memories and experiences with the ponies around you. Learn their stories and share your own. It is through this connection that we truly see the best in ourselves and each other. I implore you to experience the magic of friendship like I did so many years ago. To forge those everlasting bonds you will never forget. And I promise you, just like any good book, you will cherish the memories for the rest of your lives.” More thunderous applause and cheers filled the air. It wasn’t the speech the alicorn princess had prepared, though that hardly mattered when it came down to it. It is what she truly believed and by the gods did it sound amazing.

An hour or so later, after all of the pictures and meet and greets, the exhausted form of Twilight slowly clambered through the main doorway of her private reading area. It was a spacious and secluded area of the Canterlot Royal Library, reserved for herself and her closest friends. It was an area where she could escape the crown and responsibilities of a princess, if only for a little while.

“Ugh, I need a break,” Twilight commented aloud. Unceremoniously, the alicorn princess flopped onto a large body cushion with a grunt, while thanking the heavens that she finally had a moment of reprieve.

“The perimeter is secure, princess. Is there anything else you need?” The same voice that helped soothe the distraught Alicorn only an hour ago reappeared, though Twilight paid it little mind.

“Yes, can you get me a glass of water plea…” before the mare could even finish her sentence, a large glass of water and bendy straw sat perfectly in front of the mare with just enough length to reach the princess’s muzzle. Wasting no time or effort, Twilight downed the glass of water through the straw, which was a feat in and of itself.

“Ugh. Thank you Aileron, you spoil me,” Twilight commented. She was met with the delicacy of a short chuckle from the stallion as he took away the glass and placed it on an open end table.

“Think nothing of it princess. After all, it’s a guard’s duty to do anything for his beloved princess,” he retorted in that particular voice the princess knew and loved. It had been months now since the two of them had started secretly dating. The light flirting back and forth accompanied with their occupations left ample time to develop a close friendship that grew into something neither of them had expected.

“Mhmm, that’s right. How about you come over here and help a princess out. My wings are as sore as the day I got them. I could use a good preening.” It wasn’t the first time Twilight had tried to fluster the stallion with such an intimate act. And he honestly wouldn’t mind adhering to his lover’s demands. However, although the location was secure, it would do little to stop a very determined cameramare or colt from getting their hooves on such a juicy photo. As if sensing the unease from the stallion, Twilight’s horn began to glow a brilliant purple before the purplish aura coated the entirety of the room.

“I was gonna suggest maybe doing this somewhere a little more private, but I'm assuming that barrier will keep everypony out?” Aileron questioned before stripping off his guard armor. It was at this time that Twilight stole a peak at her lovely guard. His silver coat glistened with just the right amount of sweat from his armor, and his short black mane always seemed to retain its immaculate style.

“It will. The only way that barrier is being broken is if Celestia and Luna combine both their magical prowess and brute force their way through it. And the statistical probability of that happening is nigh impossible.” Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Aileron slowly made his way towards the princess, taking his sweet time to draw out the anticipation of what was to come. After about thirty seconds, the large stallion flopped onto the mare’s back though being careful of his weight. Sensing the need of his princess, he lowered his muzzle to the base of the mare’s wings while giving a few tender nibbles before moving on to a protruding feather. Grasping the feather between his teeth, the stallion could do little else as a pressure soon enveloped the room and a sudden flash froze both occupants in place. Standing in all their glory were three new occupants, two of which were responsible for statistical improbability that had just occurred.

“Twilight…I think you’re bad at math.” It was all Aileron could say before Twilight shot upright, sending the poor stallion onto his back, dazed from the sudden motion of the mare that was underneath him.

“P-Princess Celestia, Princess Luna! W-what are you doing here?” Twilight blurted out, trying everything in her power to hide the crimson blush spreading across her cheeks.

“We were just in the neighborhood and decided that we would drop by for a visit. It is a big day for you, is it not?” Luna replied, though she couldn’t quite hide the smirk she wore after witnessing the spectacle upon their arrival.

“Y-Yes, it is. I just wasn’t expecting any company at the moment,” the poor mare rattled off, trying her best to keep her composure. While Twilight tried her best to do damage control, the human’s attention was on the other pony in the room.

“Hey there. Sorry for the scare. Didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” Eric stated as he offered a hand to the downed stallion. Grumbling to himself, he took the offered appendage before moving into a seated position.

“Thanks. And you weren’t really interrupting anything,” Aileron replied, trying his best to also hide the blush on his cheeks before really taking notice of the creature in front of him.

“Whoa, you’re that human that lives in the castle. Eric something right?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Sorry again for busting in here unannounced. Celestia and Luna thought it would be a good idea to come visit Twilight today since it was her little grand-reopening of the library. I have to say though, it’s looking awesome. Might even convince me to leave my room and do some research here if I can get one of these private rooms.” It wasn’t until a few seconds later that a loud scream echoed throughout the room. All eyes soon turned to the culprit, Twilight Sparkle, as she bored holes into the human from the intensity of her stare. He had only seen that stare once before on Twilight. It was the stare of a mare who was hell-bent on getting answers and unfortunately, he was once again the target.

“Twilight, wait!” Eric called out, though it was too late. A purple-furred missile rocketed into the poor human, sending him careening to the ground and past the spectating stallion with an amused smile on his face.

“Why the BUCK are you engaged to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and you didn’t even TELL ME!” The human had to give the princess props. Her Royal Canterlot Voice was coming in nicely. Thankfully, Celestia saw fit to reconstruct the magical barrier she and Luna had broken previously before the news could inadvertently be shared with the rest of Equestria.

“Please dear Twilight, it is not his fault. Circumstance forced our hoof and Eric here was noble enough to help us after all. Please, release him from your grasp,” Luna pleaded with the mare. Meanwhile, Celestia just continued to enjoy the show, giggling to herself as she remembered all of Twilight’s other freakouts growing up. It took a few minutes, but Twilight was soon able to calm down from the shocking news.

“Now Twilight, please do not be mad at Eric. It was our decision not to tell anypony about our situation until the time was right. Besides, I think you have a little explaining to do yourself. Are you going to introduce us to your coltfriend?” The motherly smile and tone of Celestia betrayed the intentions of the mare. She knew exactly what she was doing, though it was a mentor’s job to embarrass their student every once and a while. And Celestia felt it was time to pay that due.

Sheepishly repositioning herself next to the stallion, Twilight draped one of her wings along the nervous looking stallion’s back.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Eric, this is my personal guard, Aileron.” Nerves and embarrassment had overtaken the princess once again. Despite the flak she had given Eric for the previous news, it was the human who was first to extend his hand for a warm welcome.

“Hey there again Aileron. Names Eric and future prince of Equestria. Though it seems you are well on your way as well,” he offered with a bit of teasing. Not wanting to seem rude, the stallion returned the gesture before growing a small, understanding smile of his own.

“Thanks. Though I still have a bit of time before I even have to begin to think of any sort of responsibilities as a prince.” Taken a bit back by the forwardness of the comment, Eric couldn’t help but agree with the stallion.

“Well, can’t really argue with you on that. Not gonna lie but the Nobles have been up in arms over the whole idea. Even had one try to kill me this morning. Pretty crazy stuff.”

“WHAT?” Twilight blurted out, about ready to pounce on the human once again. It wasn’t until the mare was caught in a bluish aura, courtesy of Princess Luna, that the young alicorn began to settle down.

“What happened this morning? And you almost died?” The worry that plagued the alicorn’s tone said it all. She was one of his first friend’s in this new world. She had helped him numerous times, and had seen him at his lowest. He cared deeply about the mare and couldn’t help but pull her into a hug to ease her worries.

“I'm fine Twilight. Celestia was able to save my ass before anything bad happened. Not to mention that Luna gave them all a pretty good scare earlier. I would be surprised if they tried a stunt like that again anytime soon.” Despite the logic to his words, it still didn’t help the purple pony feel any less worried.

“Still, you need to be careful. Thankfully, Aileron and I have been able to keep our relationship a secret… for the most part. So we haven’t had anything like that happen to us. I can only imagine what you must be going through.”

“Honestly, I'm doing fairly well. I’m actually excited to see where this whole marriage thing goes. I’ve already talked to Celestia and Luna about it too, and they seem pretty enthusiastic about it, especially Luna,” Eric teased as he shot the blue alicorn a playful smirk. Luna only responded with a huff, though knew good and well she would get her revenge for that dig later.

“Anyways, we actually wanted to discuss a few things with you. Do you think you could be there with us in a few weeks when we do the big reveal? It would mean a lot to have your support.” Twilight pulled away from the hug for a few moments, letting the request disgust before shooting back in.

“Of course I will you silly human! What are friends for?” Twilight exclaimed. Despite the rocky start, it turned out to be a rather good day.

Just Smile and Wave

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Hello everyone. Here with another chapter of The Best of Friends. Not gonna lie, I wrote most of this stranded in an airport because I missed a connecting flight. So that was pretty fun! I wish you all nothing but the best and have a wonderful week!

Chapter 10

Anxiousness, excitement, fear. Eric was plagued with these sudden waves of emotion as he paced up and down a small corridor nestled just out of sight of the main balcony of Canterlot castle. He knew this day was coming for well over two weeks and assumed his nerves would have more than enough time to acclimate to the situation. But that was not the case.

“Eric, please relax. There is nothing to be afraid of,” Twilight voiced from his side. It was a little hypocritical of the mare to tell the human to relax, as a few quick snippets of her freakout from the new library opening flashed across her mind. But this wasn’t about her at the moment, it was about her friend. And as the Princess of Friendship, she was going to do everything in her power to help him through the day.

“Besides, you don’t even need to say anything. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are going to be the ones doing all the talking. All you need to do is just walk out onto the balcony and give a few waves and that’s it. Shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.” Twilight’s words seemed to do the trick as Eric let out a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m fine for the most part. I’m just always like this a few minutes before I have to make a speech or am the center of attention,” he said before snatching the purple pony into a hug. The quick hug didn’t last for more than a few seconds, though it was something Eric truly needed at the moment. It was just a little more reassurance about the biggest decision of his life.

“Thank you again for helping me out and being here for me today, Twilight. It really does mean a lot,” he added with a smile. Twilight was more than happy to return the sentiment with a smile of her own. However, the moment between the two friends did not last for much longer as Aileron appeared from around a corner of the hallway and towards the other two occupants.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are almost to your que. Are you ready?” With a reassuring pat on the back from one of Twilight’s wings, Eric steeled his nerves with a nod.

“As ready as anyone can be when marrying into royalty.” There was a brief pause in the man’s words before his lips morphed into a small grin. “Don’t worry though, Aileron. I will give you some pointers for when it’s your time to tie the knot with Sparkles over here.” To his credit, Aileron barely reacted to the jab. The only indication was the briefest of smiles before he resumed his natural guard-like demeanor. However, Twilight couldn’t help her cheeks flush a bright red from the teasing comment.

“Eric! Don’t joke about stuff like that. It’s still too early to even be thinking about marriage!” Twilight retorted, her wings and fur fluffing up in a sign of embarrassment. Surprisingly, Aileron was next to join in on the fun.

“Don’t worry Eric. I will be sure to give you some pointers on how to make foals in the future,” he quipped, stunning the human for a second before he burst out into a fit of laughter. During the last two weeks, Twilight and Aileron had been helping Eric prepare as much as they could for the upcoming announcement. It was during this time that Eric had relayed his story about Luna to the two. Eric just didn’t think it would be used against him so soon, though it was more than warranted and needed at the moment.

After recovering from his fit of laughter Eric knew it was time. Aileron led the two deeper into the hallway, before stopping for a moment and holding up his hoof.

“Alright, we just wait here for the cue,” the stallion said, poking his head around the corner as he listened intently to what was being said. He didn’t have to wait long before his ears picked up a familiar line, knowing there were only a few seconds left.

“And so, it is with our greatest honor that we introduce everypony to our fiancé and future King of Equestria, Eric D. Lancer!” Wasting no time, the trio of individuals walked out onto the balcony, with Aileron taking his place alongside Copper and the other guards stationed behind the princesses and Twilight taking her place next to her mentor and Luna. Eric however, was led to stand in front of everypony, taking in the full scope of what it will mean to be a king. Roars of cheering and stomps of applause deafened the air around Canterlot. If anypony were talking to Eric, he would have no inclination of a conversation taking place. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the noise.

Doing what he had rehearsed, the human raised his hand and began waving towards the massive crowd with a smile on his face. To be honest, the experience wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. The sheer magnitude of the turnout of ponies and other creatures blinded his sense of anxiety and fears to push forward more prominent questions needing to be answered. Before he could even begin to address any of his questions though two wings were draped along the human’s back by Celestia and Luna. They continued to wave along to the crowd and reporters for another minute or so, seemingly unfazed by everything that was happening.

“It must just come with experience,” Eric thought, before his thoughts were once again interrupted as the two mares leaned forward and graced the human with a kiss on each cheek. This act was a complete surprise, as he had not been forewarned of any displays of public affection. However, in the moment of flashing cameras and thunderous applause, a warm feeling of content flooded the human before being brought back to the situation by several reporters rushing the balcony. Of course, they were easily intercepted by the contingent of guards stationed on the balcony, but both princesses thought it was a good time to take their leave. With a final wave to the crowd, everyone atop the balcony made their way back inside. The walk was held in relative silence, with no words needing to be said. It was a relief to Eric, and both Princesses knew he needed some time away from everypony else.

Arriving in front of Luna’s door, Twilight quickly launched herself at the human and pulled him into a hug. Eric wasted no time in returning the friendly gesture as he wrapped his arms around the mare with a chuckle.

“Thank you for everything today, Twilight. You really helped me out of a rut earlier and I’m glad I know I have your support,” he said, before releasing the hug and turning towards Aileron.

“And thank you for helping out earlier too, Aileron. It really does mean a lot to me. I knew Twilight picked a good stallion the first time I met you,” he teased one last time. Celestia and Luna couldn’t help but giggle as Twilight once again fluffed up her wings and fur in a display of embarrassment. Aileron offered his outstretched hoof, which was promptly shaken by the human before Twilight and Aileron took their leave. This left only Celestia, Luna, and their Fiancé standing in front of the door before Luna took the initiative. Opening the door, Luna all but magicked the poor human from the hallway and onto the bed before gliding over to her spot and wrapping her hooves around him.

“EEEE! We are so happy Eric! Tis a glorious day! Our status has been made official. In but a few months times, we will be wed!” Luna couldn’t help but giggle once again in pure ecstasy. Despite the tabloids painting Luna as a bit of a loner, Luna had always wanted a husband. Her banishment to the moon had affected the poor mare in ways she did not care to state. Suffice to say, she was overjoyed when Eric agreed to be her cuddle buddy from time to time. And now, she had access to him 24/7. She never had to be alone again. The sheer thought of the situation caused the mare to break out into a giggling fit as Celestia made her way over to the bed before plopping herself onto the mattress with a groan.

“Ugh, despite how long I have been doing this, formal events always seem to take a toll on me,” the older mare grumbled. She was pleasantly surprised when a hand began to slowly run along her mane and behind her ear, giving Celestia a bit of tender loving care.

“I understand completely. I’ve never been one for formal events or being the center of attention. It just adds unnecessary stress. Granted, now that our relationship is public, I am probably going to have to deal with that a lot more.” From her splayed out position on the bed, Celestia offered the man a sympathetic smile. It was small moments like this that reminded the mare what her friend was giving up. Sure, he was getting some good perks out of it. But being in the game so long, Celestia knew that most of the perks a pony would consider when crowned king would turn into annoyances the longer they are alive. And yet, Eric knew this. The two had conversed many times on the subject of immortality and the mare’s views. And suffice to say, she would gladly live the simplistic lifestyle if she could.

“Fear not our dearest Eric. We will do our best to shield you from the stressors of royalty. We also hate being the center of attention,” Luna added with a shudder. Thoughts of her time directly after Twilight had saved her from the Tantibus swirled in her mind. She remembered all of the stares and gossip being spread about her in the castle. When she would walk into a room, everypony would grow silent, doing their best to avoid the gaze of the Lunar Princess and limit interactions with her to a minimum. Even after finally reuniting with her sister, Luna was still alone. That was until Eric had befriended her.

“Thank you Luna. I know you and Celestia are going to do your best to accommodate me. So I will do my best as well to acclimate to my new role in life. Besides, if I'm going to be helping you two out in your royal duties, I will need to get over the awkwardness of being stared at by strangers,” Eric stated with a small chuckle. The last sentence brought up a quick thought with the Solar Princess.

“That reminds me, Eric. Your throne was completed a couple of days ago. With the announcement of you being our fiance complete, I will have a few ponies bring it upstairs and set it up next to Luna’s and my throne. Feel free to join us at court in the morning. I’m sure it is going to be a rather eventful day,” Celestia said. She knew the throne room would be packed to the brim with ponies and creatures alike doing everything they could to get information about their soon-to-be husband. To be honest, she wasn’t looking forward to playing a thousand questions. But it was a necessary evil, and one that would go much smoother if Eric was with her.

“I don’t see a problem with that. There are probably going to be a bunch of reporters there too trying to get the latest scoop of how I managed to woo the two most beautiful mares in the world.” Although the last comment was cheesy, Eric received two playful wing jabs from each princess.

“Oh ho ho, look at Mr. Smooth Talker over here,” Luna retorted. Eric, Celestia, and Luna let out a hearty laugh at the comment.

“Careful Eric. If you keep this up, Luna might not be able to keep her hooves off of you,” Celestia playfully quipped. The younger sister balked at the mare’s statement, pulling the human into an even tighter hug.

“Ha ha Tia. You are never going to let us live that down, are you?” And as the only appropriate response the elder sister could make, Celestia stuck out her tongue in a childish manner.

“Ok, calm down you two. You already know that I forgave Luna for that little joke. Besides, I think we have a bigger problem to address right now.” A loud grumble gave way through the room, prompting everyone to chuckle.

“We see. So tell us, future King of Equestria. What is it that your stomach desires?” Eric could only grin as he knew exactly what he wanted.

“Well, there is this really great pizza shop downtown.”

This Is Gonna Be My Whole Day

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Hello everyone, author here. I'm back with another chapter! Been really busy at work doing Army things, so don't expect another chapter for a bit. I hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! Don't forget to hit that like and follow button!

It had been a rather relaxing day for the two princesses and their newly announced fiancé. Aside from the greatest reveal in modern Equestrian history, the trio of individuals spent most of their day inside Luna’s abode. The occupants gorged themselves on freshly baked pizza, chocolate lava cakes, which Celestia seemed more than eager to devour, and delectable mozzarella sticks Luna was overly protective of. Though the two sisters rarely had one, it was a day of relaxation and no responsibilities. However, as night loomed closer, so did the coming responsibilities of the following day.

“So what time should I be at court tomorrow? I know it starts around nine in the morning, but do I have to be there earlier for a brief or…?” Eric asked. His question was mostly directed towards Celestia, who was sprawled out on the bed, wings outstretched, while Eric sat upon her lower back. He did his best to work his hands along the mare’s back, being mindful of her wings and other sensitive areas as sounds from Luna’s Ponycube echoed throughout the room.

“Y-you don’t need to arrive that early Eric. P-perhaps just a few minutes before the throne room is overrun by nosey ponies and nobility,” Celestia finished with a mewl of delight as Eric found a particularly tense spot along her back. Doing his best to knead out the offending pest, Luna was quick to comment on the situation.

“Indeed Eric. We will also join thee for an hour or so. It will give our subjects a good image of all of us and we can help answer any questions the ponies may ask.” Nodding his head in understanding, Eric couldn’t help but also feel another reason for the mare’s attendance in the morning.

“It’s alright if you don’t make it tomorrow morning Luna. I know your sleep schedule is offset from today, so I don’t want to screw you up even more.” It was at this moment that Eric heard Luna pause her game before getting up from her comfortable cushion and stretching out in a cat-like fashion. After the little display, the Lunar Princess made her way over to the bed before settling herself next to Eric as he continued to work on her sister.

“We will be fine Eric. Tomorrow is important and we don’t want to be away if something happens,” she softly spoke. The last few words gave Eric pause, as he thought about them more intently. He remembered his last encounter in the throne room with all of the nobles petitioning his selection. He also remembered what happened when they didn’t get their way. A shiver ran down the human's spine as he quite vividly pictured the lighting bolt headed straight towards him again. Reaching over towards Luna, Eric gently ran his hand along the mare’s cheek and up to her ear for a scratch. Luna couldn’t help but coo in delight and lean into her friend’s hand with a smile on her face.

“Thank you Luna. To be honest, I will feel a little more comfortable with you there tomorrow by my side. But if we all are going to be getting up early in the morning, it is probably a good idea to head to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow and I feel like I'm gonna need all the sleep I can get,” Eric added before rolling off of Celestia. To her credit, Celestia continued to sprawl along the bed, refusing to move for a few moments as she prayed her fiancé's heavenly hands would continue to work their magic. Sadly though, it was not the case as the mare began to sluggishly fold her wings back to her side.

“As much as I was enjoying that, you are right. I want to get up a little earlier than normal and make sure proper precautions are taken for tomorrow. Nothing too much, though I am going to add a few wards and extra guards in the throne room. I doubt the nobility will try anything with so many ponies around, though you never know,” she stated with a sigh. The thought did cross her mind to pay Prism Cut a visit, seeing as he was toiling away in the Canterlot dungeons turning big rocks into smaller rocks. It wasn’t like her to sentence ponies to hard labor, but he crossed a line. She knew she needed to make an example out of him to prevent some of the other rowdier nobles from doing anything stupid. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, she found a bit of solace knowing that a pony that tried to harm her future husband was getting what he deserved.

“Speaking of guards, did you ever figure out the whole situation with me? I know Blueblood was talking about having my own contingent of guards, and now that it’s official, should I start having some follow me around?”

“We agree, beloved. And please do not worry, Tia and I have already selected a top-tier list of loyal guards to assist thee,” Luna boasted.

“After court tomorrow we will introduce you to them. Believe me when I say that Luna and I interviewed each candidate ourselves to determine the best possible guards for you. They will always be around if you need them or when either Luna or myself are not with you. At a minimum, you will have three guards with you at all times.” Eric thought about the prospect of having three guards with him everywhere he went. For the most part, he didn’t really care and knew that he would be much safer in their presence. However, he also worried about his privacy, at least to a certain extent.

“Well, as long as they aren’t standing over me while I'm using the bathroom I don’t see a problem with that,” he retorted with a bit of a chuckle. Luna and Celestia both rolled their eyes from the comment, but couldn’t help but also laugh.

“I’m sure you will be just fine. Now come, it is late and we need to sleep.” Without so much as a warning, Eric was lifted into the air as the covers to Luna’s bed were pulled back. Getting in on either side Celestia and Luna waited a moment before lowering Eric down in between the two of them. With no way of escape, Eric resigned himself to his fate as he was sandwiched between his two loving friends.

“So, quick question. What happens if I get too hot in the middle of the night?” Eric asked. He was met with two strong pairs of hooves wrapping around him as both Luna and Celestia nuzzled his cheek. Luna was the first to pull away with a sly grin as she draped a wing over all the occupants in bed.

“Well, you will just have to suffer,” she quipped back before using her magic to extinguish the lighting in the room.

“Alright, how do I look?” Taking a step back from the mirror in Luna’s room, the Lunar Alicorn circled the human with a scrutinizing eye. It took the mare all of about three seconds to spot an unknown flaw.

“Thou shirt is not tucked in evenly in the back. Let us get it for thee,” Luna said as she used her magic to straighten out the back of his polo. It wasn’t royal by any stretch of the imagination, but Eric wanted to be somewhat presentable during his first day of court. He also didn’t want to overdo it, so he decided on a simple business casual look. He sported a plain, navy-blue polo shirt with a pair of khakis, brown leather belt, and casual dress shoes. And if Luna’s smile was anything to go by, he was looking good.

“We see nothing else that warrants our attention. We must also admit, thou looks rather dashing in that outfit,” she added, getting a few more seconds of eye candy before nodding her head.

“Well thank you Luna. I aim to please,” Eric teased with a chuckle. A few minutes later and the two were on their way to the throne room.

It didn’t take long for the two friends to navigate the maze of halls leading to the throne room. It was a walk the Lunar Princess had done thousands of times before, and would continue to do so into the foreseeable future.

“So, what should I expect when we arrive?” Eric questioned. Luna pondered the question for a few moments before responding in full.

“Well, Tia should already be situated in the throne room, or at least briefing the guards of what to expect. As for what thou are to expect, there will most likely be hundreds of ponies lining up to meet their new prince of Equestria.” The thought of a bunch of ponies crowding around to meet the human gave Eric a slight pause, though he reminded himself that it wasn’t going to be an everyday thing, and that the public just needed to get over the initial shock of their soon-to-be marriage. Eric didn’t have much time to dwell on his other thoughts as the two made it to one of the side entrances of the throne room before making their way in.

“And I want every guard to be vigilant. Prince Eric’s safety is your top priority. He has already had one attempt on his life so do not think they won’t try another. There will be no mistakes today. Is that understood?” A very grizzly voice spoke. A chorus of ‘Yes Ma'ams’ resonated through the room as Luna and Eric approached the mare giving orders.

“Good morning Withered Gaze. We see our sister pulled out all the stops for today’s court session,” Luna joked. The no-nonsense looking mare turned her attention to the Lunar Goddess before grunting out a reply.

“Tis hard to ignore a request directly from the Princess herself,” she responded, her heavy Scottish accent only adding to the visage of gruffness the mare embodied. Luna could only roll her eyes at the old mare before Withered turned and offered a salute to the human.

“Good morning Prince Eric. Tis a pleasure to meet you. My name is Withered Gaze, semi-retired Royal Guard,” the mare addressed. She held her salute for a good few moments before Eric realized that he was supposed to salute back. Offering the mare an unrefined salute, Withered Gaze dropped hers before continuing on the conversation.

“I just got done briefing the guards. We have triple-checked the area with a scanning spell to ensure no malicious entities or traps are lying in wait. These are some of the best hoof-picked guards I can personally vouch for. Every one of them is willing to lay down their life for your protection, sir.” The way that the mare stated the last part so matter-of-factly, gave Eric a small sense of inadequacy. Aside from the fact that he was Celestia and Luna’s fiancé, he didn’t believe he was noteworthy enough for such a sacrifice. However, before he could rebuke the claim of his worthiness, Luna stepped in.

“Thank you for your due diligence Withered Gaze. Court is about to start and we must get Eric situated on his new throne and run through the process of what will happen. Thank you for making it out here and helping with all of this. It eases our minds that we know our best Guard Captain is coordinating security for today’s court,” Luna added. Whether from experience or lack of caring, Withered made no change to her posture or attitude. She simply nodded her head with a grunt before assuming her position along the side wall near a side entrance to the room. Despite the fact that Eric had wanted to ask Luna more information about the mare, he remembered he was here for a reason.

“Come Eric. Let us get thee accommodate with thou new throne,” Luna spoke, as she nudged her finance forward with a wing. Walking up the large staircase, Eric noticed the three thrones situated perfectly along the top slab of marble. Celestia’s throne was easy to decipher, since the mare was currently occupying it as she floated several pieces of parchment in her magical grasp that held her full attention. Luna’s throne was similar in taste, with the exception of a dark blue color scheme to match her coat. Eric’s throne was similar to the previous two, expect the color scheme was a brilliant dark silver and without a cutie mark embroidered on the tapestries that clung neatly to the side of the throne. Still, it was no less impressive than the other two thrones in the room.

“Damn, that is one nice chair,” Eric commented, making his way towards his throne and admiring the work of art before Celestia lowered her papers with a smile.

“Good morning my love. I am glad to see you awake and well, as well as you Luna.” Luna and Eric wasted no time in giving the Alabaster Alicorn a good morning hug before she pulled away and cleared her throat.

“Eric, court will start in a few minutes. When it does, ponies will line up in front of us before asking for our advice or guidance. In today’s case, I'm sure many of them will be asking questions about our relationship. Please do not feel intimidated by these questions or feel that you are forced to answer any of them you do not wish too. Luna and I will be here next to you and when you no longer wish to participate in court, please let us know. Do you have any questions before we get started?” Celestia’s motherly voice asked. Of course, Eric had a thousand questions about court, though he knew most of them would be answered once court was open and he got to experience what it was actually like.

“I’m good for now. Let’s get this show on the road,” He added with a chuckle before positioning himself on his new throne. Not even a moment later, the throne doors began to open as hundreds of ponies pushed their way past one another to be first. Eric watched in awe as the guards managed to corral the rowdy ponies into an organized line, though held off on letting any of them towards the throne yet. With a nod from Celestia, the guards allowed the first pony through, a reporter by the looks of it, as the mare levitated a notepad and pencil in her magical grasp. She approached the bottom of the stairs before giving a respectful bow, seemingly having done this before. Her attention soon focused on Eric as a smile grew on her face.

“Good morning princesses and prince. My name is Starry Writer with the Canterlot Chronicle. I have a question for the prince if that would be alright,” she asked politely. Eric returned a small smile of his own to the mare as he nodded his head.

“Sure. I don’t mind you asking me a question.” The mare beamed another large smile as she flipped through her notepad before landing on a particular page.

“Thank you prince Eric. My question to you is, when can the ponies of Equestria expect royal foals?” The entire room fell silent as Celestia and Luna tried their damndest not to burst into laughter from the silly question. Eric, on the other hand, could only mentally face-palm that he had gotten one of those questions right out the gate. He thought about how to appropriately phrase his response, though only one thing came to mind.

“This is gonna be a long day.”

No Horny!

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Hey everyone. I'm back. Been very busy but had a few days off and just getting over a sickness. I hope you all enjoy and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break!

Chapter 12

It had been over three hours in the throne room before Eric was at his wits end. For the most part, the questions were consistently centered around his future plans with the princesses as well as a heavy interest in any new royal additions to the family. He responded as best he could, often having ponies repeat questions who were further back in line, thus forcing the human to relay the information once again. It was ok for the first few times, but soon grew to frustrate the soon to be prince. Luckily, Princess Luna was the first to pick up on the change in demeanor as her sister continued to regale the onlookers with a spectacle of how Eric had captured the hearts of two of Equestria’s most lonely mares. Using this as her opportunity, Luna stood from her throne before gracing her subjects with a warm smile.

“Thank thee subjects. Twas a most gracious time to share and give insight into our relationship with our beloved. However, Prince Eric and myself must depart because of prior obligations. Be well, subjects. We look forward to seeing thee another time,” Luna addressed with a bow of respect. Most of the ponies in the throne room were quick to return the bow before Luna made her way over to Eric and ushered him towards the door with a wing.

“Come Eric, tis time to leave. Our sister can handle the rest from here,” the Lunar Alicorn whispered as the two made their way through one of the side doors and into an adjacent hall. Feeling as he could finally breathe, Eric let out a long sigh before pulling Luna into an embrace.

“Thanks Luna. I don’t know how much longer I could have suffered through that. I mean, come on. I had at least ten ponies asking me when I'm going to be doing it with you two. They are either really excited about some foals or your subjects are just horny as hell,” he vented with another sigh. Princess Luna could not help but giggle from the accusations of her subjects. Seeing as she was the Princess of Dreams, she knew all too well how ‘active’ her subjects could be.

“We do not disagree with your statement. Being the Princess of Dreams, we can say with utmost confidence that our subjects are far more… promiscuous than they seem,” Luna added. Eric had to do a double take, almost as if he was about to say something, though stopped himself to keep hold of what little sanity he had left.

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. I just want to relax for the rest of the day and see how Copper is doing since I haven’t seen him in a few days.”

“Sounds like a wonderful plan Eric. Sadly we must retire for the rest of the day so we may perform our nightly duties. Be well my beloved. We will see you in the evening.” After a loving nuzzle to his check, princess Luna departed on her way towards her chambers.

“Well, I guess I need to go find Copper now,” Eric mumbled under his breath. Turning around from his position, the human jumped back several feet as Withered Gaze and two additional guards stood no more than a foot behind him, stoic and unwavering in their posture and resolve.

“What the fuc…heck!” Eric yelled, not wanting to throw profanities towards the trio of ponies.

“Hello again prince. I have been ordered to provide you with at least two guards from this point forward to help with your protection or anything else you might need. Amethyst, step forward,” Withered ordered. The pony to the mare’s left stepped forward with a salute.

“Sergeant Amethyst reporting as ordered.” She was a unicorn, sporting a dark purple coat and short black mane. Her voice was a gruff alto, and held no sense of playfulness. All in all, the mare meant business.

“Prince Eric, this is Sergeant Amethyst. She is a combat veteran of the guard with over ten years of experience. I’ve personally served with her and know she is one of our best. Next to her is Specialist Winter Chill, a younger guard but every bit as loyal and capable as Sergeant Amethyst. These two will be your primary escort during the day. Princess Luna has personally selected her own contingent of guards for the night shift. If you have any questions at all, please let Sergeant Amethyst know. She is able to communicate directly with the princesses as well as myself if anything should happen. Do you have any questions before I take my leave?” Withered asked. Her tone was direct and to the point. Eric could tell she was used to this sort of thing and that this wasn’t her first rodeo.

“None at this time. Thank you for everything Withered. If anything comes up I will send a message through the Sergeant,” Eric replied. With a nod of her head and a quick salute, the mare was gone, leaving Eric and his two new escorts with him.

“So… it’s nice to meet you two. My name is Eric and yeah…” the human said, unsure of what else to really say.

“Hello Prince Eric, my name is Sergeant Amethyst. I am a seasoned veteran of the guard. I’ve served three tours in the Badlands and one tour in the frozen tundra of the Crystal Empire. My skill set includes offensive and defensive magic, locator spells, communication spells, and hoof-to-hoof combat training. The pony to my right is Specialist Winter Chill. She is a Kirin who immigrated to Equestria several years ago. A condition of immigrating here was that she needed to find stable employment, which she did with the guard. Suffice to say, she took her new role like a fish to water. She is one of the best junior enlisted soldiers the guard has seen in a good while. However, she doesn’t really talk much unless she has too,” Amethyst stated. It was then that Eric got a good look at the second pony. He knew she looked different than Withered and Amethyst, but thought it rude to point out the fact in front of the two. She had a horn like Amethyst, though it appeared much different than the unicorns’. She was adorned in the same golden armor as the Sergeant, though a good portion of blue chest floof, accented with a brown coat, shown through the top of the armor. Her tail was long and slender, reminding Eric of something similar to a lion. If it wasn’t for the golden armor the two ponies sported, Eric could easily confuse them as part of the Night Guard.

“Ah, ok. Again, it’s good to meet you both and I promise I will do my best to be as low maintenance as possible. I bet it mustn't be fun following me around everywhere that I go.”

“It is not a problem at all Prince Eric. We have sworn an oath to the protection of Equestria and to the princesses. Being selected to guard their fiance is one of the greatest honors we could ask for in the guard. So thank you for this opportunity,” Amethyst stated. Both ponies then bowed their heads as a sign of respect before raising them once again.

“Well, glad I could help,” Eric responded with a slight chuckle.

“Anyways, I was going to meet up with one of my friends. I guess that means you get to meet him too. Let’s head on out. He should be at his house or at our normal hang out spot.” With a nod, Sergeant Amethyst and Specialist Winter Chill each took a predesignated side of the human, giving him a little space of separation but close enough to thwart any attempt made to bring harm to him.

“As you command Prince. Please lead the way,” Sergeant Amethyst stated as the trio soon made their way out of the castle and down onto the bustling streets of Canterlot.

Despite all of the stares and attention, it didn’t take long before the trio of individuals arrived at a quaint little suburb nestled near the heart of Canterlot city. Though large mansions for the obnoxiously wealthy and cozy apartments were the main staple of living in the city, hidden little gems like the one Copper lived did exist. Taking a turn down Meadows Way, Eric soon saw his friend’s house in the distance. By no means was the house eccentric to the point of drawing attention, though it did hold a certain appeal. The only way Eric could describe it would be equivalent to the Equestrian Dream. A multi-bedroom house with a midsized lawn within a good school district. It was everything anypony would need to start a family, and Eric could only chuckle to himself as he thought back to the night he was teasing Copper and his little thestral date. He knew it was only a matter of time before Copper would be run ragged with foals and a most likely cranky thestral wifey.

Stifling his laughter and walking up the pathway, Eric gave the dark brown door a few knocks before covering up the peephole with a finger. After being friends with the human for so long, Copper knew who the most likely culprit was. However, Eric did not expect him to anticipate his two new guards. Though that was another question on his mind, if perhaps Copper knew the two new ponies or had at least seen them around. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Eric could hear the shuffling of hooves from the otherside of the door before a slight pause and the door opening.

“Hey buddy, how are you doing?” Eric asked as he walked into the house without giving Copper any time to respond. Caught a bit off guard, Copper waited for the two other ponies in tow to follow their charge inside before closing the door.

“Well, I was just relaxing with my marefriend before you barged in, but other than that, i’m doing well,” he said as he quickly followed his new guests inside. Eric was quick to catch onto his friend’s words as he made his way to the living room to find Copper's new marefriend relaxing on one of his sofas with a deer in the headlights look.

“Hey there, good to see you again. Didn’t expect to see you over here. I’m glad the date went well,” Eric said with a small bit of mirth in his voice. Copper could only shake his head as he made his way past his friend and up onto the couch next to the mare.

“Yes. The date you tried to embarrass the two of us in front of the princesses. Was a good time,” Copper retorted with his signature sass that Eric came to know and love. He turned his attention to the two other ponies in the room who remained silent throughout the encounter.

“I’m assuming these two are part of your personal escort detail?” Eric stepped aside with a nod of his head.

“Yep. Two of the best Solar Soldiers the Royal Guard has to offer. Which makes me wonder why you weren’t selected… slacker.” Copper decided to flat out ignore his friend’s jest before introducing himself.

“Hey there. I’m Sergeant Copper and this here is my marefriend, Starry Night, though you can call her Star,” he said as Starry Night gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. Sergeant Amethyst proceeded to step forward and introduce herself and her subordinate before taking another protective stance next to their future prince.

“So, what brings you over here today? I sort of wasn’t expecting to see you for a few days, with all the announcements and publicity and all,” Copper admitted. Eric took this moment to flop to the adjacent sofa with a smirk.

“Well, I was bored and wanted to catch up with my best bud. It seems you have been busy making it official with the marefriend. When were you going to tell me?” Copper could only shrug his shoulders before responding.

“I was going to tell you in a few days once everything died down a bit. Though I guess you couldn’t wait, could you?” He asked, though he held the smallest of smiles on his muzzle.

“Of course not. I love being in on all the juicy details of my best bud’s life. Besides, now that Star is here, I can regale my two newest guards in the riveting story of how you two went from acquaintances to a lovely couple!” Eric boasted. Star did her best to hide her reddening cheeks in her hooves as Copper just let out a long sigh.

For the love of Celestia, just take me now.