The Sun Is Soft, You Know

You wake up feeling a tickle on your nose. Or, more accurately, IN your nose. You hesitantly open your eyes and notice a weight on your right arm preventing your reflex of reaching for your face. You blink a couple of times to clear your vision. Ah, right. You forgot you fell asleep in your favorite place in the world: Celestia's embrace.

Laying in front of you, still sleeping, is Princess Celestia. She's the ruler of Equestria and pretty much one of the most powerful beings in existence. Also, she's your lover. She decided to make that public knowledge not too long ago, and it definitely feels nice to be more open about your relationship with one-another.

She seems so peaceful. Both of your arms are still wrapped around her, and your legs are intertwined with her hind legs. Her right hoof is draped over the top of you, and her left is gingerly resting on your chest. Her horn is resting against your right cheek, and her huge wings are wrapped around you in a very warm, very comfortable embrace. You can't help but smile at the quietest of snores escaping her mouth.

It's still dark outside. Well, of course it is. Getting to share a bed with Princess Celestia comes with the responsibility of literally waking up the sun. Which, mind you, is not easy. She is NOT a morning pony. Still, you hesitantly pull your arm back between the two of you and gently stroke her cheek. She doesn't wake up immediately, but she does smile at your touch. You learned during one of your tea sessions that despite being thousands of years old, Tia has never been romantically involved with anyone. That's an awfully long time to be depraved of physical intimacy. You would know, you're in more or less the same boat. And yes, it is absolutely wonderful to have someone who enjoys your presence as much as you love theirs. It is made even better knowing it's her.

Eventually Tia opens her eyes and lets out a gentle yawn. Just like you, she blinks a few times before getting her bearings and noticing that she's holding you tight. She giggles and moves in to give you a small kiss. You can't help but smile. She's so darn cute.

In a few moments she'll raise the sun. The day will begin, and she will have to attend to her many, many princess duties. Today, however, you will be accompanying her. You don't live with her or anything (yet), but you volunteered to accompany her after the hectic day she had yesterday.

Speaking of, you still have a lot of questions about yesterday. You can tell that some major changes are going to be coming soon, and you aren't quite sure how to process it all. For now, though, your concerns don't really matter to you. Tia has your full attention, as she's probably never been more stressed in her life. With any luck, your efforts will put her at ease, even if you are basically just following her around like a dog all day. As you slowly convince her to finally get out of bed and raise the sun, you start to recall yesterday's events.

"From all of us together, together we're friends! With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!"

You can't help but smile. Today was a bit of a roller coaster. Twilight was apparently trying to fix an old spell from Star Swirl the Bearded and all of your friends' cutie marks got switched around. A lot of singing was involved. You tried to be emotional support for her, but you realized pretty quickly that this was one adventure that you were merely a background character for.

Oh! The Elements are reacting to her spell. That's weird. I mean that looks like the good kind of glow, maybe the spell is working now or

TWILIGHT JUST EXPLODED

Some ten or so traumatizing minutes later, you find out that not only is Twilight fine, she has grown wings! And according to Tia, she's a princess now! That's... something, you guess. Like, it sure SOUNDS impressive, but you have no real frame of reference for this sort of thing. And fixing spells from old friend-less wizards is no basis for a system of government. What is she supposed to be the princess of? Friendship? That just seems silly. Of course, if someone told you back home that a princess was responsible for raising the sun, you would have thought that to be silly as well. Still, you're happy for Twilight. You bow along with Tia and your friends, and you get a chuckle out of Twilight's immediate anxiety.

Speaking of which, this is a bit odd. Tia usually tells you about stuff like this. You take a look at her. Her attention has been placed entirely on Twilight. A warm smile is gracing her face, so you guess everything is okay... oh, maybe not. The smallest of twitches graces her eye. Normally something so small would go unnoticed, but being the ruler of a nation, Tia has mastered the poker face, so you've made it your personal goal to be able to recognize all of her tells. A tiny eye twitch? She's nervous. Very nervous. Thankfully, Pinkie has just decided to throw a party, so you should get a chance to talk to her pretty soon.

About an hour later everyone present is finally getting pretty tired, Twilight most of all. Tia, however, is as excellent as ever at keeping her composure. Still, she is currently alone. Not that all that many ponies dared to engage her in casual conversation in the first place, but the conversation you were planning to have with her should probably be hush-hush. You finally decide to approach her.

"So, Twilight's a princess now, huh?"

"She certainly is, and I couldn't be more proud of her. Equestria has a bright future ahead, that's for sure."

"Haha, it certainly does if Twilight's gonna be in charge. Though, if you ask me, I think its current leader is pretty great, too." A small blush finds its way to her cheeks. Heh, smooth. "Still, I'm a bit surprised. You seem a little... uncertain about this."

Still keeping her calm demeanor, though noticeably more worried from your perspective, she takes a glance around. Her eyes stop very briefly on a nearby alleyway, just long enough for you to follow her gaze and notice a pair of ponies in white robes. They aren't necessarily trying to keep themselves hidden, but they also are clearly not interacting with the party on purpose. However, Tia continues to shift her gaze until she eventually lands on Twilight once again.

"I believe I am going to wish Twilight goodnight. Would you accompany me to Canterlot tonight?"

Ah, she does want to talk and just can't say that out loud. Got it. You give her a wink and wait for her to hug Twilight goodbye. The two of you walk casually away from the party, disappearing into an alleyway of your own before casting the oh-so-familiar spell that teleports you to the magical circle outside of Tia's room. Almost immediately upon arrival a great sigh escapes Tia's lips and her demeanor looks much more stressed out.

"Let's talk inside, please."

You oblige and follow her into her exuberant yet cozy bedchamber. She removes her regalia and flops onto her back on her bed, and you decide to follow suit. She lets out another sigh before beginning to speak.

"To tell you the truth, I am very nervous about this. Twilight is my star pupil, and I trust that she will do a fine job being Equestria's princess of friendship."

"Buuuuuuut?"

"But, I fear that this has come too soon. I know I can't just have her stay my student forever, but I wasn't planning on this happening anytime soon. In fact, I wasn't sure making her a princess was the right move at all!"

"Then why did you?"

Celestia hesitates. That's... not good. She's used to being vulnerable around you, but she very rarely hesitates before speaking. She sighs once more.

"What I am about to tell you does not leave this room. I mean it. Do you understand?"

That is definitely concerning. "Absolutely. I won't tell a soul."

"I trust you, but just to make sure..." The familiar glow of magic emanates from her horn. You feel a warmth in your mouth that spreads downwards into your throat before dissipating entirely. "Sorry about that. I cast a spell that prevents you from speaking from this matter at all. Again, I trust you, but this matter is too sensitive to take any risks."

That does hurt your pride a little bit, but you understand. "Alright, I get it. Now what was that about making Twilight a princess?"

"The truth is that it wasn't my decision at all. As the eldest living alicorn, I am the most magically powerful pony in existence. But even I cannot make another pony an alicorn unaided. That's where the First comes in."

That's a new one. "The First?"

"The First is technically a title. It refers to the first alicorn to ever exist. Nopony knows her true name. It is said that she created magic itself and allowed for Equestria to thrive long before it was even known as Equestria. There are a few ponies devoted to her legacy. They call themselves 'The Church of the First.' You might have seen some of their church buildings around Equestria. There's one here in Canterlot, actually."

"No, I haven't seen them. I didn't even know there WAS religion in Equestria. I just assumed everpony worshipped... well, you and Luna, I guess. But how does that relate to making Twilight an alicorn?"

"Well, the First is very much real. Nopony, not even I, understands her true nature. However, she is closely linked with us alicorns. When we were just children, Luna and I shared the same dream. We were visited by a bright light that told us it was our destiny to found a great country and meet a great wizard. Then, when we awoke... we were alicorns, and our magic power grew exponentially overnight."

"Wait, so the First just decided to make you alicorns in your sleep? Just like that?"

"Apparently so. Other than telling us our 'destiny' we were only left with what I assume is a warning, or at least some cryptic message. 'With every story comes an end. With every birth, there is death. With every rise, there is fall. With every ruler, there is a replacement. Only the First is eternally the First.'"

"Wow. That definitely sounds religion-y. Kind of ominous, actually."

"I agree. After that night, complete silence. That is, until Cadence came around. Once more I was met with a bright light in my dreams, and it commanded me to make Cadence a princess. It was so strange. As those words were spoken, it was as if the spell I needed to cast was just ingrained into my mind or something. I tried to ask why or object or anything at all, but when I tried to speak it felt as though my body was being torn apart. When I finally stopped trying to speak, I felt the same words ring through my ears: 'With every story comes an end. With every birth, there is death. With every rise, there is fall. With every ruler, there is a replacement. Only the First is eternally the First.'"

"And then you went through with making Cadence a princess?"

"Yes. When I went to cast the spell, I felt another presence. The magic that needed to course through Cadence was more than I could produce, yet the magic was all there. Lo and behold, the spell succeeded."

"And the same thing happened with Twilight?"

"In pretty much the exact same fashion, yes."

"So, you're worried because you don't really understand why or how this is happening?"

"Absolutely. Now, I'm no fool. This is either the work of the First or something pretending to be the First. The problem is that in either scenario, I don't understand why it's happening. So far everything has worked out and these commands are objectively good for Equestria, but..." She turns to look directly at you. Tears begin forming in her eyes. "I'm scared."

You pull her into a tight hug. You aren't quite sure what to make of that story. Back home you watched plenty of shows and movies where an evil church tries to take over the world or something, and this is giving you similar vibes. And come on, those robed ponies back in Ponyville were obviously a part of this church as well, just creepily watching everything go on. Still, you believe in your friends. You believe in Tia. And most of all, you know this: So long as you are around, you refuse to allow any harm to befall Celestia. No creepy religion or mysterious horse goddess thing will change that. Plus, everything that this "First" has done so far has been for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, you do have a sobbing mare in your arms.

"It's okay to be scared. That's totally natural when faced with uncertainty. And it sounds like you have uncertainty in spades." You use a hand to lift her head up to meet you. "But you aren't alone. No matter what, I'll protect you. We all will. And besides, both Twilight and Cadence are strong mares. They're going to do great! Plus, less work for you, amirite?!"

Celestia lets out a cute giggle. "Down the road, maybe. For now I have to work overtime to prepare for Twilight's coronation, not to mention PR and the legal semantics of establishing another new ruler in Equestria."

"Speaking of, what is she going to rule? I don't think friendship counts as a kingdom."

"That has yet to be determined. Though, if their history is anything to go by, your friends will likely figure it out before too long. For me, though, Twilight not having anything to rule just gives me MORE paperwork to deal with."

On top of everything else, she's going to be overworked the next few days. Poor gal.

"How about if I accompany you tomorrow? I don't really have any 'princess' experience, but I can at least support you if you'd like."

That got a hard laugh out of her, snort and all.

"You have no idea what I go through in a day, do you?"

"Of course I do, we've been discussing your days over tea for months. It sucks, it's busy and it's extremely boring. That just gives me all the more reason to do it with you!"

"You know you won't be doing anything? I promise, it won't be fun for you."

"It isn't fun for you either, yet you do it every day. Besides, I can promise that as long as I'm with you, I'll be having the time of my life."

She starts getting red in the face again. Dang, two in one night. Way to go, you!

"Alright, alright, you can come with me." She pulls you in for another hug. "But I do have another request."

"Anything for you, Tia."

"Snuggle your princess? Please?"

Now that is one request you can definitely get behind.

Celestia finishes raising the sun and you begin to climb out of bed as well. She begins brushing her coat in front of a grand vanity before levitating a hairbrush towards you as well.

"You had better start getting ready. If you're going to be my entourage for the day, you do have to look the part. Especially now that all of Equestria knows about 'us.'"

Right. As happy as you are that your relationship with the princess is official, you are much less excited at the prospect of having a lot of new responsibilities. If your relationship reaches its natural conclusion, you would be a royal. A human royal, at that. The Canterlot nobles are noticeably upset by this notion, and you are not looking forward to a life of social controversy. Still, it's worth it to be by Celestia's side. For now, though, you have a long day to get through.

That was probably the longest day of your life. She had not exaggerated, that was insanely boring. You got a few glances, but ultimately nopony paid you much attention and frankly, you prefer it that way. That is, except for during Celestia's day court. Dozens of nobles and rich ponies come from across Equestria voicing their complaints and wishes to the princess and she responds to the best of her ability. Some were legitimate concerns, but most boiled down to the whining of the rich and powerful. No, the Royal Guard will not demolish low-income housing in Canterlot, good sir. Stop begging for them to do so.

Throughout this process, several ponies complained about your presence. You were standing as inconspicuously as you could against a far wall of the throne room. As much as you would have liked to defend yourself, Tia gave you a warning prior to opening court.

"No matter what anypony says, under any circumstances, do NOT respond to them. Just let me do all the talking, okay?"

As much as that sounds like setup to some antics where you get riled up by what some noble says and end up talking anyway, you like to consider yourself less predictable than that. You never made a peep. Thankfully, you never needed to. Upon every complaint, Tia spoke up to defend you.

"As you are well aware, this human is my new partner. They are here to learn of our ways and to act as an extension of myself. An insult to them is tantamount to an insult to me. If you would ever stand in this court again, you will apologize. Now."

And every time their ears would droop, their cocky demeanor would disappear, and they would bow both to her and to you before forcing out a terrified apology and running out of the throne room. It never got old.

Otherwise, the only other major occurrence was when you were walking through Canterlot. Celestia had several stops, and along the way you finally took notice of a small cathedral nestled between two much newer-looking buildings. A couple of ponies were going in and out, though none were dressed in the white robes you saw yesterday. Apparently it really is just like any other religion. That... actually makes you feel a lot better. Everything else aside, it makes it feel less cult-ish and creepy.

For now, though, the pair of you are walking slowly through the palace corridors. In the large marble halls, empty bar the occasional guard or servant, the only noise was the sound of your feet/hooves hitting the floor. You make light conversation about Tia's duties before she cuts herself off mid-sentence to turn a corner and open a large set of double doors. Outside is a large half-circle balcony. She turns to you and gives you a warm smile before looking back out over the balcony. The view is beautiful. Below you and to the left is the entirety of Canterlot, still bustling with activity. In front of you is miles upon miles of rolling hills and plains, the occasional mountain sticking out over the horizon. Next to you, Celestia's horn begins to glow, and she allows the sun to set. You've watched her do it before, but it never ceases to amaze you. You still haven't fully wrapped your head around how celestial bodies work in Equestria or that your significant other was in charge of moving the sun. THE SUN. While admittedly a bit intimidating, it only makes you love her more. The sunset is stunning, and you're hit with the familiar feeling that she's doing this to impress you. Does her magic actually have any impact on the beauty of the sunset? Maybe not. But it still feels special to you.

"You always have been good at that."

"What can I say? I've had a lot of practice, hmhm."

"I hope that even though it's your work, you remember to take the time to appreciate the setting sun sometimes."

"Trust me, I appreciate it enough already. It means I get a break from my royal duties. And lately, it means there's a chance I'll get to see you, too."

Dang it Tia, you were on a roll and she had to get one on you. You'll have to use that one later.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"...Better, thank you. Having you around really has improved my mood. Even with the excess work I had to deal with today thanks to Twilight, it felt like it went by much easier thanks to your presence."

"I'll do it anytime you like, Tia. Just say the word."

"Oh? In that case, would you mind doing me another favor?"

"What would that be? More snuggles?"

"Well yes, I thought that was inevitable after today, but also no. Would you like to assist me in organizing Twilight's coronation?"

You weren't really expecting her to actually assign you a royal duty. Still, not only are you helping her out, you're also going to help make sure Twilight's coronation goes smoothly! You do have a fair amount of experience with this sort of thing, having assisted Pinkie Pie with her parties on numerous occasions.

"Absolutely, Tia. Just say the word and I'll be on it."

"In that case, I'll gladly take you up on that. This will take a few days, though. Are you okay with not going home?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Quills and Sofas is closed for remodeling anyway. And besides, spending multiple days in a row with you sounds like heaven to me."

Another giggle and blush from her. Bam. That's three to you, one to Tia.

"Very well, we'll iron out the details tomorrow morning. For now, would you care to escort me to my bedroom?"

You give a playful bow and offer your hand. "With pleasure, your majesty."

She laughs once more and places her hoof in your hand. Planning out Twilight's coronation will probably be stressful for the both of you, but at least you'll get to do it together. For now, though, you have a wonderful evening with your princess to get to. Twilight was right.

Life in Equestria shimmers, life in Equestria shines. And you know for absolute certain that everything is certainly fine.