Love Among Princesses

by Betty_Starlight

First published

Princess Cadance falls in love with Princess Celestia

It has been ten long years since her beloved husband Shining Armor had passed away, and Princess Cadance is just now starting to feel the sting of loneliness as her daughter Princess Flurry Heart now rules over the Southern reaches of Equestria and no longer lives with her... While the servants provide some respite, the truth is, the princess of love is now very lonely, especially without anypony to love...

Then, one fateful day, Cadance gets a postcard in the mail from Princess Celestia! It says she wishes to see Cadance soon... Cadance, with the empire more or less under control, can easily afford to take a trip without much trouble... She finally decides to take Celestia up on her offer, but what she encounters isn't exactly what she expects...

Chapter 1: What I Want

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So I sat at the table there in the island castle the former Princess of Equestria had erected for herself and her sister. It had been ten long years since my beloved husband Shining Armor had passed away, and I’ll admit I was starting to get lonely and cooped up there in my castle in the Crystal Empire. Still, it seemed weird to me that the white alicorn sitting across from me had barely touched her cake, especially considering who she was.

She finishes chewing to speak, “So, Cadance! It sure has been awhile!” she smiles warmly. “How have you been?” before using her magick to neatly wipe her lips off…

I smile back to be courteous, “Well, I’ve been fine! You know how lonely and bored I get in my castle and well, I’ve been taking trips out flying, lately!”

Her magenta eyes widen, “Flying? Oh! Well, where do you fly?”

I blink, “Well, sometimes I’ll fly to the north where I see nothing but ice and snow in the frozen wastes there, and other times, I’ll head south.” I giggle. “Heh heh, you know, I once flew all the way back to Canterlot?”

“Oh?” Her mouth is agape.

I chuckle again, “Yeah, I didn’t actually go to town because I knew you and Luna were away on royal business, but I did see the city as I flew around it and headed back…”

She smiles, “Well, that seems like a nice fly, anyway! Luna is away for a few days in Yakyakistan and you and I have the castle to ourselves!” before blinking. “Well, until this afternoon that is!”

I widen my eyes, “Oh, so that’s why I haven’t seen her yet! I was starting to wonder about her.” before turning my head to look around…

She blinks and nods curtly as I stare back at her, “Quite! But that brings me to why I asked you here…”

“Oh? I thought you just wanted to see me, you know? Since it’s been so long…”

She takes a long sigh, “You’re not wrong Cadance and I am terribly sorry about that! It’s just that, well, I’ve had a lot on my mind…”

I frown, “What do you mean?”

She adjusts her gaze to me, “Cadance, I really like you…”

I blink and frown up at her, “I uh, I like you too Celestia!”

She smiles and snickers softly without moving her mouth, “No, Cadance. I really like you…”

“What?”

She giggles more and shakes her head before removing her body to the floor just to the right of her chair and begins to trot around the table on my left as I sat there, unsure of what to think…

I turn my head towards her, “Uh, Celestia? What are you doing?”

She speaks as she continues trotting, “Something I really should’ve done sooner!” before stopping just short of my chair and staring down at me while continuing to smile…

I stare up at her bleakly, “Uh, what?”

She then cranes her neck down towards me and plants a loving kiss on my lips as I begin to close my eyes with the shock and feel sudden electricity surge through my snout and down into my body as it suddenly dawns on me what this other large pony truly wants!

She removes her mouth from mine to stare down at me with a smile on her muzzle from a few meager inches away as I stare up at her aghast at what just happened and look deep into those same eyes from before, although now they appear different, “Why did you kiss me?”

She giggles under her breath, “Why do you think?”

Finally, the connections begin to become established in my mind as the ramifications of what had just happened occur to me, “Y-you like me?”

Her left eyebrow raises, “Didn’t I just say that?”

“What about Princess Twilight?”

Her gaze lowers soberly, “This isn’t about Princess Twilight! This is about me and you!”

I gulp, “O-okay!”

A smile creeps up on her lips once more, “So, how about it, Cadance? How do you feel about me?” she giggles while keeping her muzzle shut. “Well, only if you really want to?”

I widen my eyes as I say the one phrase I hadn’t uttered since middle school, “Could you repeat the question?”

She laughs before saying, “That’s okay too! We can also go slow…” before leaning back down to kiss my lips once more… She removes her lips once more gaze at me with a big grin on her lips…

I stare up at her, “Hey! Weren’t we supposed to go slow?”

“You haven’t said no, yet!” She says before craning her head back down to kiss me a third time!

She removes her muzzle from mine and once again, grins at me from above, “Please stop kissing me!”

She cranes her head down to nuzzle me playfully, “Now, is that what you really want?”

I blink and frown, “Um, y-yes!”

She giggles while continuing to affectionately nuzzle me, “And you’re sure?”

I blink again in nervous apprehension, “Uh, y-yes! I believe so?”

She stops nuzzling and moves her head back to smile at me from a short distance again, “Why do I have trouble believing that?”

I blink a third time, “I-I don’t know?”

She lowers her view while continuing to smile at me coyly, “Cadance!”

I widen my eyes, “Yes, Celestia?”

She tilts her head lovingly to the right and for the first time, I notice her ethereal mane beginning to dance across the other side of her face as she asks me, “Would you like to kiss me?” and I stared deep into those amethyst eyes…

I blink again, “What?” and frown…

“Would you like to kiss me?” She repeats herself while normalizing her neck and leaning back down to nuzzle me playfully some more…

“I uh, never really, well, thought about it…”

She chuckles slightly under her breath, and keeps her snout a mere inch from mine, “Well, what do you think about it?”

I frown as my gaze widens at this love-stricken white alicorn in front of me, and for the first time in this encounter, I actually thought about it… I stared deep into her loving fuchsia eyes… It’s strange, but those eyes never really did these things to me before she kissed me for the first time, just a few short minutes ago… “I...don’t believe I’d be t-totally opposed to giving it a try, no?”

She giggles more under her breath, “Well, what if I moved my lips really close to yours then? Would you feel like kissing me then?”

I frown as I can now barely feel her smiling lips against mine as her muzzle is very close to mine at this point and I say, “This isn’t fair, you know that?” before finally moving my snout to hers for a loving smooch as I crane my neck slightly to the right and feel her warm lips against mine…

I see those same reddish colored eyes half close as she chuckles softly from the back of her throat as her muzzle lovingly links with mine in our lip-embrace of sudden passion

She removes her face from mine to smile as I feel her hot breath on my face and widen my eyes, “So uh, w-what did you want to do after well, this?”

She chuckles under her breath again, “I don’t know… I had no plan and was going to see what you did…” she lowers her gaze. “But, you live all by yourself in that lonely castle up north, isn’t that right?”

I blink and nod, “Well, right! Flurry Heart now reigns in Equestria to the south, like I already said and well, i-it’s just me there…”

“The East coast of Equestria isn’t that far of a flight from here, and it’s a simple matter of turning to go northwest once we’re flying over land to get there…”

I widen my eyes when I finally realize just what she’s proposing, “You’re saying you wish for us to be alone and away from Luna?”

Her grin widens to a bright beam, “Well, only if you really want to?”

(To be continued…)

Chapter 2: Consequences

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And so, I laid there in the hooves of this strange white alicorn as we both rested together in my plush purple velvet bed… The truth is, we weren’t always sleeping together though… I suppose I should start from the beginning?

My name is Princess Cadance and I was once married to the brother of the current ruler of Equestria… And now, I’m sleeping with her former teacher…

Now, I know what you’re thinking and technically, we haven’t had sex! Well, we might later? I’m not sure? But as I lay there feeling the warmth of her body, I couldn’t help but think that I’m the Princess of Love and yet, I hadn’t known that for about ten years since my beloved Shining Armor had passed away… And now, I’m here with his sister’s former teacher…

And that’s another thing! As Princess of Love, shouldn’t I have known what she wanted from me from the beginning? Why in Equestria was I taken by surprise? Am I so out of touch that it wouldn’t occur to me anymore? For the life of me, I truly don’t understand this…

Twilight is going to freak…

Now where was I? Oh, yes! The beginning!

“Good morning sweetie!” The cheery feminine voice chirps up from behind me as I feel the warmth of her loving embrace all around me as I lay in her hooves…

I open my eyes, “Good morning, Celestia!”

“How’s my pink cupcake this morning?”

I squint and half-smile as I try my hardest not to giggle at my strange new nickname, “Remind me again of why we’re now sleeping together?”

She begins to narrate, “Well, it all began last night when we were eating dinner, if you’ll recall!”

<*****>

\
I smile at the former ruler of this kingdom from my side of the small pale blue table as I say, “I usually only use the royal dining room for esteemed guests and dignitaries and that sort of thing… This is where I eat normally…”

She smiles back at me from just to my right at the square table, “But of course! You have no need of fancy things and formalities when that isn’t around you!”

I relax my shoulders, “Well, right! But as Princess of Love, I must confess that I’m blindsided here, Celestia! How in Equestria did you ever develop feelings for me?”

She giggles softly under her breath, “Well, it really all began a few years ago… If you’ll recall the Grand Galloping Gala?”

I chuckle softly, “Oh, right! That one! Why did you insist on me going there, anyway?”

She lowers her gaze and sighs, “Well, I wanted you to get out of your castle for a few minutes! I mean, Shining Armor had already been gone for about seven years at the time, and well, I just didn’t like the idea of you keeping to yourself and wasting away like that! You’re the Princess of Love for pony’s sake, and you deserve to be happy!”

I frown, “So, you wanted me to be happy with you?”

She stares at me blankly, “Well, I didn’t! Uh,” she blinks. “not at first, anyway!”

I lower my gaze, “And when did that change?”

She smiles meekly, “Well, it happened when I saw you sitting by yourself at the royal reception table…”

I widen my eyes, “What do you mean? I was surrounded by ponies that entire night! At what point was I ever alone?”

She breathes strongly through her nose and smiles dimly, “I know that, but I also only saw you the whole time… You were alone to me and I felt something about you… I felt things about you before, but until I saw you there, I didn’t really know what it was…” she says as she stares at me tenderly with her amethyst eyes full of openness.

I blink, “Uh, that didn’t answer my question?”

She adjusts her gaze at me, “Oh, right!” before shaking her head. “After the party, you were alone and I saw you there and I just… I just wanted to be there for you if that makes any sense?” before frowning.

I stare back at this other alicorn with horror in my eyes and snout agape, “Wait! You felt sorry for me?”

She smiles again, “I don’t know if I’d say that? I just well, thought at that moment that I should just be with you!”

“Well, why you?”

She blinks and continues smiling, “Well, why not me? You gotta admit Cadance, we do have a lot of things in common! And we’re both princesses, after all, and we could live long and happy lives together!”

I frown, “Meaning my first choice of Shining Armor was a blunder, since I easily outlive him!”

She sighs out her mouth, “I never said that!”

“I” I blink. “I’m sorry Celestia…”

She frowns, “For what?”

I then stare at this other whiter alicorn and think to myself, “It’s just an adjustment, okay? I mean, suddenly, I, the Princess of Love, am gay!”

She grins, “Yeah, isn’t it great?”

Suddenly, I see a bright flash of violet light at my right and I turn my gaze to see a purple alicorn there, roughly the same size as Celestia, but sporting an azure mane with lavender and orchid streaks in it. She stares at me with her blue eyes wide and leans down as she voluminously asks, “Cadance, are you crazy?”

I stare back at Twilight Sparkle from 10 feet away, “Hey! She came onto me!”

Celestia turns her neck left to look at the purple alicorn and nods, “It’s true! I did!”

“What the hay are you two doing together?”

Celestia chimes in, “Well, we were just eating dinner together!”

I nod, “It’s true! We were!”

Celestia turns her neck back towards me, “How did she find out about us, anyway?”

I turn my neck left back towards her, “I sent her a letter!”

Celestia replies at a lower volume, “You send letters to Twilight?”

I nod, “Well, she is my sister-in-law!”

Celestia nods back, “Well, that’s true!”

Twilight starts, “And just what am I going to tell the royal court now?”

Celestia turns her neck back left towards the purple alicorn, “Who cares? I’m retired and Cadance lives far to the north!”

I turn my neck right towards Twilight and nod, “It’s true! I do!”

Twilight sighs and brings her eyes skyward, “Great! Now the world’s greatest foalsitter and widow of my brother is now dating my former teacher!”

Celestia widens her eyes, “I know! Isn’t the world just tiny?”

“Ugh!” Twilight cringes before opening her eyes wide to me, “Well, I guess I’d better get started on the letter-writing? It’s gonna be a long night!” before teleporting out of the small dining chamber in a bright purple flash that soon dissipates into pale violet sparkles.

Celestia turns her neck back towards me and says, “Well, that was interesting!”

I turn back to my love and sigh, “I know! And now, I feel bad!”

Celestia raises her right eyebrow, “Why?”

I raise my gaze to her, “I didn’t want to be a burden or a source of extra work for her?”

Celestia smiles and nods, “I understand Cadance… Uh, will you be alright?”

I eye the former ruler of Equestria carefully and I see her staring back at me with love and sincerity in her magenta eyes…

She then raises her gaze and asks me, “Would you like some comfort and to talk about it?”

<*****>

I widen my eyes as I rustle slightly in the hooves of this slightly larger white pony, “I was expecting a hug and a long fireside chat! That doesn’t explain why we’re now sleeping together!”

Celestia giggles from behind me, “Well, if you’ll recall, I hugged you at first and you commented on how nice that felt!”

I nod, “Yes! This is also true!”

She sighs, “And I asked you if you’d like me to hold you in bed!”

I nod again, “Yes! And I agreed to it, like a freaking idiot!”

I feel her hot breath on the back of my neck as she chuckles, “Yup! And so now, we’re sleeping together!”

“Yeah…” I trail off as I wistfully gaze forward…

“Is something wrong?”

I blink and sigh, “It’s just that, Shining Armor used to hold me at night…”

“Now he can’t do that anymore…”

“I-I know that, it’s just that well, now it’s you!”

She embraces me tightly from behind, “Look! I’m sure that wherever Shining Armor is now, he wants you to be happy…”

I stay still as I lay there on my side and feel the warm hooves and body of this other alicorn before I finally ask, “Do I have anything to feel guilty about?”

She continues to hold me tightly as I close my eyes and feel her all around me, “Not at all, my love…”

“But Twilight is going to have a rough night because of us!”

She sighs, “Okay, that’s true… Look, we can do something nice for her later if it would make you feel better?”

“Yeah, we probably should? Uh, as a couple! So she knows it isn’t just for nothing!”

“So you’re ready to make this official then?”

“Well what choice do we have? They’ll only talk and spread rumors if we don’t just come out and say it!”

She holds me tighter, “This is true my love! But come what may, you need to know that I’m always here for you, okay?”

I smile, “Yeah… So now that Shining Armor is gone, it’s you then?”

“Yes my love… And it’s going to be that way for a very long time…”

“I love you Celestia!”

“I love you too Cadance! Get some rest!”

I close my eyes and nestle myself in her hooves as I smile and drift off to sleep… And as I lose consciousness, I suddenly remembered that I have a daughter…

(To be continued…)

Chapter 3: Coming to Terms

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I stared at the white alicorn mare with her lavender and neon green mane as she stared at me with her robin’s egg blue pupils and angrily declared, “You’re a lesbian now!”

“Why are you dressed like a cowpony?” I ask her with a wide gaze as I also can’t help but notice that she’s wearing a dark brown Stetson hat with a darker brown duster style jacket over her back…

She blinked from where she was standing in the middle of my throne room, “Uh, never mind that!”

“You rule over Appaloosa and now you have to dress like that?”

Her face shakes slightly, “Look! You’re a lesbian!”

“And you’re dressed like a cowpony!”

“Um,” she shakes her head. “Well, yeah! It’s my new princess attire you might say?”

“You look like you’re about to conquer the badlands!”

She blinks, “Okay, maybe I’ll talk to them about getting something more feminine? But uh…”

“I was a lesbian?”

She nods, “Yes! That!”

“Well, right! The truth is, I never had any intention of getting with Celestia…”

“So she came onto you then?” She asks with her right eyebrow raised.

I nod, “This is true!”

She frowns, “And you didn’t say no?”

I frown as well, “Was I supposed to? I mean, she was really cute there with those sparkling eyes of hers and…”

“She’s Princess Celestia!”

“This is also true!”

“And you’re the Princess of Love!”

“That is also correct!”

“Don’t you see the problem here?”

My eyes widen, “There’s a problem?”

She finally widens both her eyes to me vibrantly as she shouts, “You’re a lesbian!”

I blink and nod, “Well, you keep saying these things that are true, but I don’t see the issue here?”

She sighs out her mouth before looking at me and saying, “So you, the Princess of Love, are gay?”

“Well, I’m a mare right?”

Her eyes normalize and mouth scrunches, “Well, yes!”

“And I’m dating a mare, yes?”

She blinks, “Well, right! But um…”

“Then I, Princess Cadance, the Princess of Love, am now gay!” My face raises and my voice becomes cheerful as I grin widely, “Was there anything else I could help you with?” and I smile. “Or were you about to hit that dusty trail again?”

She stares at me with earnestness in her eyes as she says, “Mother, after I started classes, we never exactly had um, the best relationship, but uh…”

I widen my gaze as I boldly yell, “You were screwing stallions in the locker room!”

“We just did that one time!”

“And what about that time near the White Tail Woods?”

She gulps and stares back at me, “Okay, maybe I was a bit of a slut?”

I frown, “A bit?”

She sighs, “Okay, fine! But that’s behind me now and I’m dating somepony!”

“A stallion!”

She blinks, “Um, right! And you’re not!”

I adjust my gaze to her, “No! I’m gay and am dating a mare!”

She sighs deeply from her snout while staring back at me with those cute eyes of hers…

I frown and finally just say the obvious, “Flurry, don’t you think you’re overlooking the most important thing here?”

“And just what would that be?”

“My happiness…”

At that point, Flurry stopped to eye me carefully… She finally asks, “Well, are you happy with Celestia?”

“Yes Flurry Heart, I am very happy with my marefriend, who happens to be none other than Princess Celestia!”

She stares at me for another moment before asking, “Well, what do you think dad would think?”

I frown, “Don’t you believe he’d want me to be happy after he passed away?”

She nods, “Well, that’s true! But uh, you really want to be with another mare?”

At that point, my resolve only galvanized in my mind as I furrowed my brow and said proudly in defiance, “Yes, Flurry Heart! I want to be with another mare!” and then I smile. “So, was there anything else?”

“Ugh!” She angrily growls while rolling her eyes before focusing them back on me. “This isn’t over!”

“Well, at least you’re talking to me again?”

“That’s not the point!”

“Oh? Well, what is the point Flurry Heart, because all I’ve heard is you complaining, ‘Oh, my mom is gay! And, ‘What would dad think? He wouldn’t want you happy if you were with another mare!’ Blah! Blah! Blah! Do you honestly have a complaint that actually matters or are you just wasting both of our times, again?” I say before giving my obstinate daughter a piercing glare from my eyes.

She eyes me carefully before finally saying, “She’s Celestia!”

I nod, “And retired! And I, Princess Cadance, the Princess of Love am single and therefore, free to date whomever I wish! There really isn’t a problem here!” as I eye her and decide that it’s not so much the gay that bothers her as the fact that it’s Princess Celestia… I know my daughter… I smile and finally ask the burning question, “So, tell me Flurry Heart! What is it about Princess Celestia that you don’t like?”

She’s silent again before eventually saying, “She’s not dad…”

I frown, “I know that baby, but you gotta understand that my beloved Shining Armor can no longer be with us!”

She nods, “Because he was mortal!”

“That’s right… But Celestia is not Flurry Heart… If we could ever just begin talking again and make amends where we left off, I think you could start to see a new side of her that you would actually enjoy!”

She grimaces and huffs before turning to trot out of my throne room wordlessly…

I raise from my throne to call to her! “Flurry Heart! Wait!”

She magically opens the door to the throne room and trots out quickly as I sigh and lower my head at yet another failed attempt to reach my daughter…

<*****>

I sat at the blue table in the backroom behind the throne room and solemnly breathe out through my nostrils as my love stared at me with those lovely amethyst eyes of hers and declares, “So it didn’t go so well?”

I sigh and look down before back up at her from the other side of the table, “Well, not exactly, no… She’s just so stubborn!”

Celestia raises her right eyebrow, “And you’re not?”

I stare back at her, “What do you mean?”

She smiles, “Usually, when others are contrary like that, it’s because something is upsetting to them. I’m sure if you just figure out what that is, a resolution can be reached…”

“Yeah! Us being together is what upsets her!”

She frowns, “Why?”

“Because you’re not Shining Armor…”

“But he’s dead!”

I widen my eyes, “Well, I know that, you know that, and she knows that, but it doesn’t seem to matter as I’m somehowstill with him now, even though I could’ve sworn the original vow I took proclaimed til’ death do us part!

She gazes at me carefully, “He’s dead now and you’re ready to move on, but Flurry Heart is not?”

I sigh and gaze at my love carefully, “Well, yeah! That’s pretty much it Celestia…”

She smiles and nods, “I will talk to her…”

I frown in uncertainty, “Are you sure that’s such a great idea?”

She snorts slightly, “Well, if she’s going to accept me as being with you, it would make sense for her to get to know me?”

I stare at her carefully, “Right, but I keep thinking that if you go at this alone, she’ll just get more disobedient?”

Celestia looks at me keenly and smiles, “There’s that word! Disobedient! That’s the sort of word you’d use to describe an obstinate foal!”

I nod, “Well, right! Isn’t that what we’re talking about here?”

“We’re talking about the current ruler of Appaloosa…”

I stare at her carefully before smirking and giggling slightly under my breath, “Alright my love! You can talk to her!”

She frowns, “I was not aware I needed permission?”

At this point, I can only smile at her wit as my eyes grow shut in amusement, “Sh-shut up Celestia! Just go talk to her!”

She chuckles and says, “As you wish!” before I feel her nose touch mine followed by a brief peck on the lips…

<*****>

I stared at the other princess from behind the table at the sleepy Canterlot restaurant, “Okay, so you wanted a neutral location, yes?”

Celestia smiles back at me, “Well, that’s right!”

I frown, “But why Donut Joe’s?”

“Think about it! You’re in the Crystal Empire to the north!”

I timidly reply, “Well, yes!”

“And she’s in Appaloosa now, far to the south!”

My eyes widen, “Oh! You wanted a place in-between!”

She smiles, “Exactly!”

“Okay, that explains Canterlot! But why here?”

She continues to grin, “Well, I kinda have a sprinkle addiction!”

I smirk and chuckle under my breath, “Okay, I need to know about all your addictions Cele! Uh, you’re addicted to cake?”

She nods, “Most definitely!”

“Anything else?”

“Well, you know what pony smack is?”

I frown as panic begins to surge through me, “Um, yes?”

“Well, I’m not addicted to that!”

My heart attack averts itself before I irately ask, “Then why even mention it?”

She snickers, “To mess with you obviously!” her gaze raises to peer over me. “Flurry Heart! Over here sweetie! We need to talk!”

Dread begins to set in again as I suddenly wonder what in Equestria I’m doing to say to her?

I hear her shrill feminine voice yell from behind me, “What are you doing with my mother?”

Celestia smiles, “Well, we were just having donuts and wanted to know if you’d like to join us?”

I hear Flurry’s voice get closer with the faint clacking of her hooves behind me as she says back, “That’s not what I meant!”

Celestia’s eyes widen, “Oh?”

I can hear Flurry stop trotting from about 10 feet or so behind me in the tiny diner….

(To be continued…)

Chapter 4: Moving On

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Celestia smiles, “And just what do you mean, dear Flurry Heart?”

I hear the angry, yet oddly cute and squeaky voice of my daughter replying from behind me, “I mean, what are you doing dating my mother?”

“Well, looking for love and affection in an otherwise cold and bleak existence of course! I mean, why would anypony seek love?”

“But it’s my mother!”

Celestia nods, “So it is, sweet Flurry Heart! Which is precisely why I think you and I should be getting along!”

I finally turn around and say to her over my right shoulder, “Don’t you think this is between you and I? Celestia isn’t involved here!”

Celestia timidly asks, “Involved in what?”

Flurry furrows her brow from underneath her Stetson, “She’s not dad!”

I nod at her, “Yes! But Shining is no longer with us, and so what else should I do?”

The fire drops from her eyes as she gazes softly and deeply into mine from 7 feet away, “But nopony could ever replace him!”

Celestia finally speaks up, “And I’m not trying to replace Shining Armor, Flurry Heart! Now that he’s passed on, Cadance here is free to date as she wishes. Don’t you want your mother to find happiness, even if it’s in another pony’s hooves?”

Her bottom lip quivers, “B-but it’s not the same… I don’t want to move on…

I frown at this spectacle as I get to my hooves and trot a few paces her direction, “Well, it needs to happen, Flurry Heart… Shining Armor is gone now and we must both carry on… It’s the curse of being an alicorn I suppose?”

Celestia disembarks from her chair on the left side of the table and trots around it towards the two of us as her ethereal mane dances between the tables, “Flurry, I could never replace Shining Armor and I promise you, that’s not what I’m trying to do here!”

Flurry looks over at Celestia with a furrowed brow, “Well, then what are you trying to do?”

Celestia smiles, “Well, how about being your other mom instead?”

Flurry’s gaze softens as she stares back at the larger white alicorn, “O-other mom?”

Celestia nods, “But of course! If your mother and I are indeed together, it stands to reason that I become your other parent, yes?”

She blinks, “W-well I guess?”

Celestia cuts her off, “Excellent! Now why don’t you come here and have some donuts with us?” she smiles. “We got sprinkles…”

Her eyes widen, “Sprinkles?”

<*****>

I noticed that my daughter particularly enjoys those chocolate donuts with sprinkles as she scarfs yet another one down and chases it with juice… That’s disgusting and I’m still not sure how she does that?

She looks up at us from underneath her cowpony hat after a mighty swig of her nasty pineapple-orange juice, “So um, why are you two together again?”

Celestia looks up from where she’s sitting on my right, “Because I love her!”

While I say, “Because she loves me!”

We both break out into smiles and slight giggles as Flurry frowns, “Well, this is gonna be an adjustment…

Celestia stops giggling and stares at the other white alicorn, “Well, right! And that’s exactly why I felt that you should be included!”

Her eyes widen, “What?”

I mimic her with a frown, “What?”

Celestia smiles and nods, “Well, right! We should all get to know one another and over time, we can all become a happy family!”

I crane my head right to gaze at her, “You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?”

Celestia turns to me and giggles, “Well, yeah! I told you it’s been years!”

My eyes go skyward, “Well, right!”

Flurry Heart asks Celestia point blank, “You really want to be my mommy?”

Celestia turns to her, “Would I have said so otherwise?”

Flurry starts, “Um, probably not, no?”

I frown, “So, what then? We all become this happy family of alicorns now?”

Celestia grins as she cranes her head left towards me, “Sounds good to me!”

Flurry frowns, “Oh, gosh!” before taking another swig of her putrid juice with her magick…

I can only sit and frown in disbelief, “I cannot believe that this happened…”

Celestia turns her head back right to me, “Well, I’m an alicorn, you’re an alicorn, and your daughter is an alicorn, so…”

I blink, “Well, right! I uh… I need a moment…” before using my magick to raise one of those yummy strawberry Bismarck's with glaze to my face and scarfing it down as the jam goes all over the front of my muzzle… It’s so strange, but I don’t even care at this point…

Celestia frowns at me, “Are you okay Candy?”

I can’t help but take note that that’s the first time she’s ever called me that as I adjust my gaze to her and respond, “We really should hire a publicist!”

She widens her eyes, “Do you believe that will be necessary?”

As I’m magically wiping my face with a napkin I say to her, “Absolutely! I mean, Twilight has work to do and…”

She puts her hoof on my right shoulder while staring at me with those iridescent amethyst eyes of hers, “Calm down, my love…” she smiles, “It doesn’t really matter who we are... I love you and you love me… The rest is just scenery…” she nods. “Okay?”

I smile back at her as I relax my shoulders and say, “Well, right! So we just what then? Play it by ear?”

She wiggles her ears in front of me, “Sounds good to me!”

Flurry smiles at this scene and comments, “Wow! I’m kinda glad you’re here, actually…”

Celestia turns her neck right to stare at the other white alicorn while frowning, “Why is that? My presence is the whole reason there might be an issue!”

She nods and sighs, “Y-yeah! I know that! It’s just that, well,” she smiles. “the way you just calmed down mom just there…” she turns her neck back right towards me. “I don’t know if you noticed, but you got really stressed out after dad died!”

I frown at her, “Well, that’s because I no longer had anypony to comfort me after those long days!”

She nods, “Well, right! But now, what then? Celestia can do that?” before lowering her smile and looking at the largest alicorn in the room…

Celestia chuckles lightly at the smaller white alicorn, “Well, I wasn’t really planning on moving in just yet, but if Flurry here thinks it would be good for you?”

Her eyes widen, “When did I say that?”

She continues to smile, “Well, you just said that I can calm Cadance and now that I’m retired, I can live wherever I wish and that would include the Crystal Empire!”

I stammer at her, “I-I’m gonna finish my Bismarck now!”

Celestia looks at me while continuing to smile, “Well, if you like the idea of having me around, then it makes sense that I be nearby, right?”

I finish chewing my doughnut and stare at her, “Aren’t we moving kinda fast?”

Celestia lowers her gaze, “Well, think about it this way Cadance! I can teleport to your castle whenever I choose, right?”

I nod, “This is true!”

Celestia nods as well, “Right! And since we’ll be together a lot anyway, I should probably just live with you, since well, that also carries the snuggling benefits! Besides, at my lonely estate in Canterlot, there’s really not much for me to do…”

My eyes widen, “Is that so? Well, we just need to find you some more activities then!”

“How about loving you?”

Flurry’s eyes are enormous by this point.

I reply, “I uh, you’re serious!”

She lowers her gaze again, “Cadance… I’ve been alone for over a thousand years… I have thought long and hard about this thing more times than I can count… I wanted to find a pony I could be with and let’s be honest, you’re a very good choice…”she raises her muzzle at me, “Loving you is easy Cadance…” the sides of her mouth soon travel towards her eyes to form another grin, “Your smile, the way your tri-colored mane flows, and the way all of our conversations are treasures… I couldn’t think of a better pony…” her eyes widen. “I’d love to live with you!”

<*****>

“And so, that’s why she’s currently spooning me and holding me in her hooves and it looks like it’s gonna be this way for awhile now!” I say to the darkness in front of me…

“Who are you talking to?” Celestia whispers from behind me…

My eyes widen as I realize that I’ve been caught! “Uh, nopony! Don’t worry about it!”

“Are you okay?”

I blink, “It just seems like so much, so fast, but at the same time, I can’t think of a single reason to say no!”

I hear her giggle softly from behind, “It will be an adjustment for everypony, I’m sure! But I’m sure our love will prevail!”

I smile, “I know that! I know! But in the meantime, well, I just feel kinda frazzled with you suddenly here and Flurry visiting and… And…”

At this point, I can feel her embrace tightening on me as she softly speaks, “It will be okay, baby… Love conquers all remember? Besides, I can do this to you now!” before I feel her warmth all around me in a pleasant embrace of love and happiness…

And at that point, something strange began to happen… Liquid came from my eyes and I shivered…

“Are you okay?” Celestia asks me from behind as I began to quake and tremble with long repressed emotions…

“I’m sorry, okay? It’s just so much… Shining Armor was all I ever had and all I ever needed for so long… And then...time took him away… And you…” I stammer out while continuing to sob…

“I’m loving you now, Cadance… He had his time to love you and now that’s over with… Do you need to say anything?”

I smile, “I think so…” I raise my gaze so I’m staring towards the top of the bed as the slightly larger alicorn continues to hold and caress me from behind. “I think you’re right, Tia… I need to just accept that he’s gone now and continue onward without him… And if that path should happen to lead right into your hooves, I-I” I blink and nod slightly, “guess that can be a good thing too…”I raise the sides of my mouth. “I love you Celestia… “

“I love you too Cadance…” She whispers back before softly kissing the nape of my neck with her snout and murmuring. “Get some rest now… We get to have a day with Flurry Heart tomorrow!”

I then fell asleep in her hooves… And for the first time in a very long time, I actually felt content…

<*****>

“And so, that’s why we’re now on the dusty roads of Appaloosa while being greeted by Rayburn!” I say out loud to nopony in particular as I stood there on the road with my white cowpony hat and matching vest…

Celestia cranes her head right towards me and I witness her in similar attire, albeit light blue with a yellow floral trim, “Who are you talking to?”

My eyes widen as my mouth shrinks, “Uh, nopony! Nothing! Uh, don’t worry about it!”

When suddenly, the dark brown cowpony with the black vest and matching hat in front of us reared up on his hind legs and hollered his greeting, “WELCOME TO AAAAAAPAAAALOOOOSAAAAA!!!!!

(To be continued…)

Chapter 5: A Friendly Visit

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I widen my eyes and say to my daughter, “You have a very nice castle here!”

She smiles, “Thank you! I mean, it’s no Crystal Palace, but…”

I giggle, “You’re so modest!” I look around her throne room and marvel at the sky-blue banners with their curvy yellow wording… “These look fantastic!”

“Well, I simply asked for the best seamstress in Appaloosa and they delivered!”

I glance back at her, “Is that so? Well, I must say, they did a tremendous job!”

Her glare turns harsh, “Mom, what do you want?”

I stare back at her, “I want my daughter back… Even if she is a cowpony now…”

She frowns, “Well, why didn’t you come see me earlier?”

I blink, “The truth is, I just didn’t know how to? I mean, what should I do? Write you a letter? Hello estranged daughter, I’d like to visit you soon! Please write back! I mean, how should I even word it?”

Her view lowers, “Something would’ve been better than just not doing anything!”

I shake my head as new determination forms within my mind, “Look! I’m sorry this couldn’t get resolved sooner, but…”

Her eyes go skyward, “So what then?” and back down to me. “You want to try and resolve this now?”

I blink and smile before correcting my face as I’m not sure how I should look, “Well, yes!” before widening my eyes. “Flurry Heart, neither of us can go back and change the past… But it is possible for us to have a future together!”

“Did Celestia put you up to this?”

“No! Honestly, since you uh, suddenly decided to take an interest in my life again after I started dating her, that’s when I realized that it was time you and I set aside our differences…”

Her eyes widen, “Oh! Right! The lesbian alicorn family or whatever!”

I smile patiently at her before tilting my head to the left slightly, “Well, yeah! That!”

She smiles and giggles, “It’s still funny how it all worked out!” before lowering it. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we both did what we did…”

I straighten my neck and mouth, “How exactly did we grow distant, dear daughter? What do you believe happened?”

She blinks, “Well, I just lost interest, I guess? After dad died, you stopped talking to me… Then, Twilight told me that a princess was needed here in the south and I decided to accept the position, since, well, there didn’t appear to be much for me left at the Crystal Palace… And so, this is what happened!”

I blink when it suddenly strikes me like a thunderbolt, how I’d been acting for the past several years… “I grew distant?”

She sighs, “Well, yeah! I’d try to talk to you and you’d only give one word answers… It’s almost like when dad died, part of you died with him… Th-the part of you that seemed to care about me…” she blinks again. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t come to you about this… I really should’ve been a better daughter!”

My eyes widen, “What do you mean, child? I’m the one who is at fault here!”

Her face has a stoic expression as she says, “Uh, mother?”

My eyes widen at attention, “Yes Flurry?”

She blinks, “Will you hug me, please?”

I shake my head when it suddenly strikes me what my daughter is asking of me, “Uh, s-sure Flurry Heart!” before trotting the necessary 8 feet to her equine form and embracing her tightly with my forehooves… “I’ve missed you daughter!” I say as liquid begins to pour from my right eye…

She returns the embrace tightly, “I’ve missed you too mother!”

<*****>

“And so, what did you learn?” The big white princess asks me as we both lay in bed together while she holds me from behind in her hooves…

I stare at the wall blankly and reply, “That you have a big butt!”

She giggles and fidgets as she begins to tickle me, “Not about what we just did! I mean, about your daughter!”

“He he! Stop it!” I fidget a bit before she lowers her hooves from my pits. “I learned that she felt I grew distant after my husband died and she thinks you’re putting me up to reconciling with her.”

“Well, do you think you grew distant, Cadance?”

I sigh and grow silent for a moment, “It wasn’t intentional! I mean, sure she came over sometimes and we would make small talk and eat dinner together… But there was always something wrong or off about our meetings, but I just, didn’t know what to say anymore…”

“You probably should’ve worked on that then?”

I continue to stare blankly, “Well, I know that! It’s just that, well, where do you start?”

“You could’ve tried asking her about it?”

I sigh again, “Well, that would’ve been logical, yes?”

“Why didn’t you?”

I stare at the wall blankly for another moment before finally replying, “I was scared…”

“What were you scared of?”

I’m silent once more… “I was scared that Shining was the glue that held us together… I was scared that since that was gone, there would be no more link between me and my daughter…”

She holds me more firmly from behind, “Even if that were the case, don’t you think you should work on your relationship with her?”

Yet another moment of silence before, “Probably?”

She snickers slightly, “Well, you can’t change the past! But you can move forward!”

I sigh, “Well, tomorrow we got that boring tour of Appaloosa and then, I can finally be with my daughter!”

She’s silent for a moment herself before finally saying, “Actually, I have a much better idea…”

<*****>

I frown at the white princess pony on the other side of the breakfast table, “Okay, I’ll stay here for a longer breakfast, since you insist and since well, there isn’t anything else on the agenda until Flurry is done later this morning!” I lean forward slightly, “Uh, how did you get us out of the tour, anyway?”

Suddenly, the big ornate blue double doors behind Celestia in the dining room burst open to reveal a white alicorn in cowpony apparel, “Cardboard cutouts! You left cardboard cutouts to greet Rayburn outside the castle?”

I stare at her, “Why did you do that?”

She looks back with a timid frown, “Well, it doesn’t need to be perfect! It just needs to make him think we’re there for a few minutes!”

I widen my eyes, “And what are we to do when we’re found out?”

She smiles, “I believe that’s when you talk to your daughter!”

Flurry shouts, “If you wanted to talk to me, you could’ve just asked!”

I look at Celestia, “Didn’t I already do that?”

Celestia raises her neck to speak at Flurry, “She already did that! That wasn’t good enough!”

“So you left cardboard cutouts?”

Celestia grins again, “Well, yes! Obviously!”

I can’t take anymore and finally swivel my body to the left on my chair to stare at the young white alicorn over my shoulder, “Flurry, I believe we need to start over!”

She nods, “Obviously! But I have princess duties!”

Celestia speaks again to Flurry, “Don’t worry about that future stepdaughter! I already took care of it!”

Flurry looks at Celestia with a perplexed expression, “What?”

Celestia grins widely and giggles, “Please Flurry! I was princess millennia before you were even thought of! You don’t think I know how to get out of royal duties?”

Flurry furrows her brow, “What did you do?”

Celestia finally gets off her chair to the right and continues to grin at the other white alicorn, “I took your place!” before trotting slowly around the table and on her way out the door, she says curtly to Flurry Heart. “Have a good day with your mother…”

I then stared blankly at the white alicorn child with her dark brown Stetson hat, “So uh, I guess we should be hitting the ol’ dusty trail now, or?”

Flurry smiles and giggles, “Stop it, mom!”

I widen my eyes and barely suppress giggles, “I’m sorry! But uh, cowpony getup!”

She finally puts the sides of her mouth closer to her eyes as she chuckles slightly and says, “I know uh, how about I take this stuff off and we just be together for now? As mother and daughter?”

I smile back, “I’d like that Flurry!”

<*****>

As I flapped my wings hard, it suddenly became apparent to me that I don’t really do this as often as I should! I felt the hot breeze going through my mane as I stared at the barren landscape below me and asked my daughter, currently flying on my left, “So uh, what’s out here anyway?”

“Oh, you’ll see mom! It’s a special place I go to when I want to get away!

I stare down at the desert and say blankly, “It’s an oasis, isn’t it?”

“No!” My daughter suddenly blurts out! “Well um, okay, yeah, kinda!”

I smile as I suddenly notice palm trees and a small pond up in the distance, “I think I see it?”

She adjusts her neck forward to stare at the same patch of vegetation I’m looking at, “Uh, yeah! That’s it right there! Come on mom! Lets go have some fun!”

<*****>

I feel the warm desert wind blow through my mane from the barren landscape on my left as the white alicorn in front of me smiles while widening her robin’s egg blue eyes and saying to me, “This is my escape!”

I smile and nod, “Royal duties can get rather taxing, no?”

She frowns, “You said it mom! I uh, come here to get away sometimes…”

I turn my head right to look over the lush vegetation of the oasis and see a tranquil pond there with many plants and birds surrounding it as I say, “How did you find this place, anyway?”

“Sometimes, I like to go flying!”

I adjust my neck back to Flurry, “What?”

She smiles and blinks her big light blue eyes, “Sometimes, I’ll just fly around the desert during the evening hours after everything is done and everypony’s already gone home… It helps center me… Anyway, I stumbled across this place one day and decided to check it out!”

I smile back, “Oh? So what do you normally do here?”

Her eyes widen, “What do you think? Come on mom! Lets go for a swim!” before turning her body left and beginning to trot fast towards the pond that direction… She soon leaps in the air, and flaps her wings a few times for additional lift and that raised her equine body in the air over the water before it came down crashing with a resounding splash!

I smile while turning my neck to gaze at this sight.

“Come on mom! The water’s great!”

I begin to run towards the pond at full gallop, and it’s about 40 feet or so away, “Alright Flurry! Stand back! Mom’s gonna show you an Alicorn Cannonball!”

“What?” She says while her neck wades in the water with the rest of her body underneath…

I leap in the air at the water as I begin flapping and use my magick to create lift on my equine body and I fly overhead doing a loop in the air before careening towards the water with all four legs bunch together to make an enormous splash when I finally make contact!

(To be continued… )