Epilogue pt. 1

Six months later…

The autumn sun has started to hit its peak up in the sky at the time of noon now. Shining proudly over Canterlot castle as its rays hit the gleaming stone sides of the building. It stands reconstructed from the attack still fresh in the minds of those who were there to bear witness to the act of the queen and king’s depravity. Windows have been repaired and put back in to their original order, some much to Discord’s dismay. Walls have been reconstructed, blood long sense removed and any sent that somehow found a way to linger in the corners was sought out and destroyed long ago.

Though thankfully the healing process commenced when it all fell in to place, and by this point, is in full swing as events that even those who thought would never leave them still haven’t. But are being well managed as best as they can. For now though, other festivities are on the plate to be looked forward to at the moment.

The Grand Galloping Gala, for the last two months, was postponed as the restoration process was under way, but now that things are on track. There is no reason as of now to hold back the guests that hope to grace the ball with their presence. Having those months to put things back together, along with being able to plan for the party, has paid off in the end as even the royal family is able to enjoy themselves as of now. When they normally would be scrambling about left and right to get things in order before the day would come. Taking the actual day of the Gala to themselves, more or less, to relax in the early time of the day so they are well prepared and rested for the festivities later on.

Luna sits graciously in the spa bed of the castle, taking in the melody of sounds coming from an old vinyl record playing in the corner while she soaks up the hot plaster like mud underneath and all around her body as it’s enveloped. Although there may be better and easier ways to listen to music in their time, to which she has discovered of many, sense coming out of her thousand year exile from the moon. The night mare still prefers the old fashioned things from time to time. Tapping and waving her hooves under the surface to the classical musical notes, she would have gladly slipped under the surface and taken a nap with only her muzzle to provide her air, had it not been for one of the many party planners to come through the door.

“Your majesty…” the proper unicorn bows as Luna sits up from her place, “Im sorry to disturb you at the moment.”

‘Yet you do it anyway…’ Luna hides her thought behind a smile, “Oh it’s quite alright, what is it that you need?”

“Just a final decision on a few of the drinks to be served…” she levitates out a list, holding the clip board out in front of her, “Seeing as many of the ponies there will be of age, shall we start with the adult beverages?”

Her dark blue ears jump up at the sound of the possibility of being delightfully inebriated later on, “Oh lets,” she manages to hide her excitement.

“Well let’s see… hard cider?”

“Yes, I know that there is always a palate for it.”

“Diamond Dog Liquor?”

“Has a wonderful sparkle to it when it’s poured,” the princess smiles, having remembered the first time she tried it, “Absolutely.”

“Manehatten Brandy?”

“Hard to pass something up from the city now-a-days,” Luna rolls her eyes, knowing that it’s her sister’s favorite, “of course, add that to the shelf.”

“Saddleoff Vod-” the planner doesn’t even get to finish the name as Luna almost exposes herself from her bath after shooting out from the tub on to her hind legs after she starts to hear the name of the drink. Quickly looking down to her barren chest and realizing her position, she covers herself up with a towel and gets out of the tub entirely.

“NO! Anything but that mess…” Luna can already taste the burn of it going down her throat. Recalling the events from the last time she was let near a shot glass and no other pony to hold her hoof. While she went to town on a couple of bottles to herself on a bad night, “…bad history… anything else?”

“Other than the various types of on tap beers, only the virgin drinks,” the unicorn jots down the notes on her board, bringing out the second set, “So far we have Strawberry cordial, Rainbow Fizz punch, Apple cider… of course, Berry Berry pop, Poison Joke root beer, Appleoosa temple… and a variety of juices. Is there anything else you can think of?”

“Hmm,” she ponders while stepping in to the shower nearby, and tosses the towel over the hanger. Leaving the planner standing awkwardly outside of the stall as the princess takes off the mud behind an open curtain, the water streaming down, cleansing her coat, “only thing I could possibly think of would have to be the addition of Peach and Ginger ale… Peaches don’t seem to grow around Canterlot easily and many of the higher class ponies seem to love them. And as for the little ones that may be in attendance, they always love it when the ginger burns their throat…” Luna takes a moment to chuckle to herself, “they like to think they are actually drinking like their own parents.”

“Hmm, Peach and Ginger ale… check! Thank you your majesty.”

“Will that be all now?” she towels herself off while the other mare in the room tries to advert her eyes from the princess’s own flank.

“Ahh… Err… Yes, yes it will be. Thank you,” she quickly back tracks her way out of the spa area, leaving a much curious princess now standing there on her own.

“Hmm…” Luna holds a hoof to the edge of her chin, before she finishes drying her flank off with a towel, “speaking of little ones, where is Rosebud? And that child of a father of hers…” she trots her way out of the area and down the hall in search of the pair. Not having to worry much about her own sister, seeing as she already knows what she is up to.

Though she doesn’t have to look for very long.

The sounds of laughter and giggles radiating down the hall, brings her just as much peace as her older music would on any sad day. Tracing the sounds down and around a few corners and corridors, Luna rests her ears against the study room door in front of her right now. Hearing the tell-tale sounds of her niece from the inside along with her brother in law’s voice. Slowly cracking open the door without being noticed, she eyes the pair and takes extra care to make her presence unknown to them.

The simple joy of seeing the chaotic father reading his daughter a story and even mimicking the voices of those in it, is a heartwarming gesture to see while they sit down on the sofa. The beaming expression young Rose’s face, who in the last couple months has turned six now, is there for her aunt to see while the older alicorn now shares a similar expression. Not so much because what she sees that this interaction is doing to the child, but the effect it has on Discord himself.

For the weeks and even months afterwards, the hit of losing his own son had a farther reaching effect on him than others could have imagined. Ending in long nights of Celestia waking up to find him standing in the middle of the room where it all took place and kneeling on the ground. Like the blood of his child still soaked the carpet. Tia tried to get him to put a stop to it, even though she had to bear witness to the senseless slaying of her own son. Seeing her husband like this long after what’s done was done, started to scare her to no end. Being unable to get through to him, didn’t help in the slightest.

Though the turnaround was when Discord saw his daughter doing something quite similar. Dissy, on several occasions, would find Rosebud in her brother’s bed. A place she would go on occasion when she was scared from a nightmare while younger to sleep with him as comfort. Now only giving her a reminder of her loss. Pushing himself up, for the sake of his little girl who was still counting on him now, Discord pulled through. Becoming stronger than ever as both a husband, and especially, a father.

‘You may have been an utter pain in my flank for years…’ Luna silently curses him, though the smile quickly returns as the fonder memories come back, ‘…though even I will admit that on occasion. I can see why my sister fell so far for you,’ the single princess looks up at her still ring-less horn. Regretting having not taken the chance to find and meet another colt, so she can have her own memories like this, with him and their children, ‘and now you got me thinking all these crazy thoughts… I resent you for that, Discord,’ a heartfelt grin plays itself on Luna’s face the more she thinks about it, “but I thank you for putting them in my head to give me an option, brother,”

“Mhmm… sounds like somepony is spying on us,” Discord pears over his shoulder, not having fully heard what his sister in law said. Just enough to make her presence known to them.

“Just checking in on my two favorite family members,” she trots in more while Rose still remains enraptured by the book.

“Awe… you’re so kind.”

“I was talking about Rose and my sister… and I already know what she’s doing.”

Discord pulls out a rubber knife from his chest out of thin air and hands it off to her, “here, I think you misplaced this.”

“No, no… it was right in its proper place,” Luna grins at him. Rather glad that he didn’t hear what she was saying while at the door.

Rose finally manages to take note of her aunt’s presence as she flies off the couch and tackles her target down to the ground in an embrace, “Aunt Lulu! Good morning, or afternoon at least…”

“Good afternoon to you too my dear,” Lulu returns the embrace while forcing much needed air back in to her lungs, while she rights herself back up on all fours, “I can see you two are doing well.”

“You bet! Daddy’s been reading stories with me about old Equestrian history, and even some of the more challenging story books in the library!” the young princess wide eyed and beaming, looks at her father who can only attempt to hide the pride filled expression on his face, “mom and him say I’m doing so well with my own studies, and I have even been able to study a bit with aunt Twilight and Uncle Flash!”

“Uncle Flash?” Luna clearly needs to pay attention more too how much the little one looks up to the guard, or for that matter. The interaction with he and Twilight, considering what her niece just said. Shaking her head to get back to the subject, she notes Discord’s rather smug expression while Rose continues.

“Yeah! Flash is awesome, he and Twilight played with me yesterday after their meeting with mom!” Rose almost jumps out of her seat of joy, “He’s so cool, we went flying, played catch in the air, practiced a few spells… well, me and Twilight at least, and they both even let me read to them.”

“That just sounds… adorable,” Luna even blushes a bit at the thought of seeing Twilight and Flash play with a child again. Before her thought process is cut off by the brother in law talking.

“You should see the way Sentry has played with Rose, and I have to say you hit it right on the head. It’s rather, dare I say it… cute,” he tries to get the right word for the matter and decides that it should suffice.

“And that probably tasted like vinegar to have pass by your lips,” she teases him. Quickly remembering their day out in the park when the guard took the young princess on a flight through the sky and the way he acted with her than, “Flash will make a fine Father one day.”

“And Twilight a loving mother as well,” Discord chimes back in, “Speaking of the pair, where are they? I’d half way be expecting them to be in their room getting down to business in that matter of becoming parents.”

Luna almost chokes herself on air for the first time in a long while, while Rose remains oblivious entirely to the topic at hoof right now, “Well ahh…” the lunar princess punches herself in the side to remind her lungs to get to work once again, “…They are already busy at the moment having their own fun with Tia, though I think either way, they will walk out hot and sweaty.”

“…You’re a very dirty minded mare, you know that right?” he reminds her.

‘One tends to be when you don’t have a colt to bed with at night…’ she mentally kicks herself at having that thought creep up once again, “Please don’t remind me…”

“Wait a second…” Rose cuts them both off, holding her hooves up in front of them both to halt any more speech, “… how would Twily and Flash talk about business of being a mommy and daddy? And why would they do it in their rooms? Isn’t that what they have desks for? Business?”

“Well I guess you could use a desk like that, so long as it’s clear…” Luna slowly trots her way out of the room. Leaving Discord to try and wrestle with his daughter about that subject matter now that she has just checkmated him by having to think of an explanation for his kin. “You can take care of that little talk I’m sure… take care you two!” she calls back, gratefully receiving the scowl from him with a smile.

“I hate you sometimes…” Discord mutters under his breath, “I hate you so much…” the door closes, leaving him at the mercy of a daughter who now eyes him with the utmost of curiosity.

“What is it daddy?”

____________________________

Even while the sun may be beaming across the castle, and all of Canterlot for that matter. The usually quiet sounds of the palace are broken, instead replaced by the frequent sounds of metal hitting metal and the occasional spell here and there being cast in the court yard. There you can find at the moment, two ponies facing off against the solar princess, happily engaging one another in the little training duel.

Though still just as serious about the matter.

Celestia stands strapped in her own royal golden armor that clings to her features tight and doesn’t leave room for anything to sag, flop around, or fall out. Only allowing slits for her tail, mane, horn, and wings to protrude. The rest of her remains protected from harm while the plates interlock with one another, yet still stays light for her agile self to utilize.

Using it right now as she tuck and rolls from side to side to avoid several ice waves of magic headed her way, only to block the last one. Skidding backwards, Tia brings up a magical ward to block a shot from another armor clad mare, watching as the flakes of frost fall around her harmlessly. The dust settles while her opponent takes a stand just yards away from her.

The glistening violet armor plates curving well to her tight youthful form, her face being protected by the helmet that holds its own mane to match hers running along the back. While along the suit, dance the twinkles of the several gems that hold their ascetic appeal, as well as the magical amplifying properties to them for which the younger alicorn can fully use. Along with that, remains the decorative colors, and even tell tail cutie mark on the breast plate of a magical pink star with five smaller stars around it that holds the crowning piece. A single cut rose colored ruby in the center to match the bursting star like the one on her flank.

Tia can’t help but snicker at her opponent. Rather proud of how she has turned out with taking on her new role, and playing in to the combat training that she seems to have taken a liking to, “Very well skilled there Twilight, but you still have to remember that I’m not your average unicorn,” Celestia plays along, “Low level magic spells won’t get you very far at all.”

Twilight Sparkle has rather been enjoying her new role. The title of ‘Royal Canterlot Magical Advisor’ fitting her quite well the more she thought about it. Although, she still had to be convinced that it was a real position. When you’re royalty though, you pretty much can make any position you want. Happy that she gets to work closely with the royal family, and be around the higher positions. The eager to learn alicorn has been filling her brain with nearly every speck of information that she has been able to gather about what it takes to run a kingdom of your own.

While at the same time, even more pleased that a certain special colt has been placed by her side to act as her primary assistant, along with his new role. On top of that she manages to keep her own home in Pony Ville, which only makes the opportunity better so she can still see her friends, and have her rather astute coltfriend stay with her.

“And with all due respect, your majesty,” Twilights proper pose falls as she grins at her mentor, “I’m not your average alicorn… those were just a distraction.”

Tia hears the tell-tail sound of flapping wings off to her side as she herself is rammed by a bright orange Pegasus in the side at nearly full speed as she finds herself tumbling head over hooves at the moment. Landing face up and on her own rump, Celestia shakes her head to get the stars out of her vision as she eyes the one responsible. The used and abused armor plating adoring the colt’s strong features as he still manages to fly so gracefully… at least when not in a fight. Yet at the same time protecting him to its fullest, while showing off his new rank.

The crest on the front indicating the now Captain Flash Sentry, as the colt proudly stands before the princess on all fours. The broken chest plate that he used to wear, now fully restored to its original sheen. While the other parts of his suit also got a makeover to go along with it. On top of that, his newly restored wing being happily used to its fullest. The feathers may have not come back in, and the skin underneath may be scared beyond belief. But this hasn’t kept him out of the fight. The princess, true to her word has gotten him hooked up with quite the prosthetic when it comes to wings.

A full canvas covering is placed over the injured wing, while thin but strong metal stents and struts are put through it. Allowing hinge movement, along with being physically fused to his bones, it’s much like an extension of his own body. And while he may have had a rough start when it came to learning to fly again. The alicorn he holds so dear, was there for him every step of the way, who at the moment proudly takes her place next to him.

“Good to be back…” Flash rolls his shoulders so he can feel the fake wing move, receiving a light kiss on the cheek in response from his beloved.

“Thank you dear, perfect timing by the way.”

“What can I say?” Sentry playfully shrugs his shoulders, “I’m good at what I do… oh, and watch out,” he and Twilight lean back to avoid the shot from the princess across from them.

“You already courted her, Mister Sentry…” Tia coos to him, “There’s no need to be flirtatious, especially not… now,” she stomps her new hoof on to the ground.

While the old one would have been called rudimentary and dull. The one that the princess now wears is fully up to her status. Bronze holding up the majority of it, while only the crucial internal workings remain iron for strength. Even with that, it’s far lighter than the original one she wore. Rather grateful for that fact, as the gems on the sides of the golden embroidery charge themselves up from the magical flow inside of the powerful alicorn.

Translating the spell in to the ground and sending a series of stone pillars rising up and out of the ground in front of her, well on their way to the couple. Twilight and Flash are forced to separate from one another as the latter snakes his way across the ground in-between the columns before him as he makes his way to the eldest princess. Meanwhile his counterpart simply uses her magic to blast apart the stone barriers while she follows much the similar path.

Tia, standing at the end of their route with only a grin about her face, waits for them to be upon her. The pair of swords drawn out from both the colt and the mare, glimmer in the eyes of Celestia. Watching them with only yards to spare, they draw closer in to her. At the last moment, Tia whips out her own sword from its sheath to hold against Twilight’s own, while summoning a ward to stop Flash’s, as both the younger ponies press in to the princess with no gains.

“I have to say, at first the idea of losing a limb terrified me to no end…” she looks it over more and more, some small part of her rather impressed with the outcome actually, “…though the more I use it, the more I find new ways to have fun…” Tia swings out the hidden blade in her wrist against Flash, breaking the lock they were in.

Forcing the colt to take to the air to avoid the swipe, while at the same time Celestia powers up her horn to meet Twilight’s own spell in the middle while they force back against one another. Blocking Flash’s attack once more with the built in metal shield she has at her disposal, at the same time multi-tasking against her own student. The stalemate seems to have no end, as the princess, who has literally centuries more experience than her student. Is able to hold her spell far easier than Twilight herself ever could imagine.

Only really having to focus on the guard to her right. Celestia twists her fore leg around to block his incoming attacks and attempts to deliver her own, “I can do this all day, you two…” the princess good-humoredly mocks them both, breaking the spell lock with her student, “though as your mentor. I really should advise you to think of a new strategy, Princess Twilight.”

Both Sentry and Sparkle make eye contact with one another as a slight devilish grin makes its way on to the alicorn’s face. Unknown to her teacher, while the couple already knows the plan in place, “Duly noted, Princess Celestia,” The spell that Twilight casts takes hold of Flash as he back peddles away from the pure white princess, and even allows her to focus solely on his Marefriend.

Much to the confusion of the one they are up against at the moment.

‘What do you have planned…?’ Celestia tries to piece together how letting only Twilight take up the slack could possibly have a better outcome in the end. Than if her and her coltfriend were to work together.

Though that answer comes all too fast, as Twilight summons up a single Ray spell, pushing the enhanced magic in and out of her horn as her body fills with the additional energy she is getting. All of which, Celestia can feel in her own body, as she meets her student once more in the middle with the same spell and can feel her own magic being rejected. Pushed back in to her body at the over powering effects that the younger alicorn is having in waves. Each one forcing the co-ruler of Equestria itself to try and hold her ground against the onslaught at the moment, but failing rather miserably. As she can even see the rubber tread of her fake hoof, grinding away on the ground.

The final tipping point occurring, as Twi flashes Celestia a wink and pushes once more.

The ensuing shockwave hurtles the solar princess back across the ground as she digs herself a hole with her own horn, beneath the tile of the courtyard, leaving a trail of up turned soil in her wake. While lying motionless for a second or two in a heap. Neither Flash nor Twilight are worried, fully knowing that the princess’s body can put up with far more than they will ever know. Having their thoughts backed up, as they see the mare in question pop her head out of the ground and spit a clump of dirt from her mouth. Celestia remaining bewildered at how her own student was able to beat her, though she comes to the realization of what just happened, as she catches Flash stammer a bit as he holds himself up.

“You didn’t…” Tia eyes her own student, while the mare twiddles her hooves.

“Well you said come up with a new strategy,” Twilight defends herself.

“Besides…” Flash chimes in, already feeling the vigor coming back to his legs as he walks back towards his mare, “I already know what it feels like to go under the effects of the Love drain spell to the point of death… a little something to counter your attacks, Princess Celestia, is nothing.”

“That much, I can even believe…” a fourth voice makes their presence known as Luna enters the courtyard.

Finding that her sister is still in the hole, while the other pair stand across from her. Even the younger sister can’t help but giggle at seeing her own sister in this state, thankfully going over to her aid and helping her out of the mess that she resides.

“Much appreciated, Luna,” Celestia nods to her.

Returning the gesture as she does, “not a problem big sister, though it is really funny to see yourself bested by these two…” Lulu gestures to the mare and colt. Each of them trying as they might, but failing miserably, to hold the smug grin on their faces at bay.

“Oh come on now, it is two against one after all!” Celestia tries to give a reason for her trip up.

“And you are the princess, which rules Equestria?” Luna deadpans.

“Co-rules, CO-rules…” the eldest points out that fault. While shaking it off all the same, “I have you and Discord by my side, and now thanks to a promotion, Twilight close by as well,” she beams to the youngest alicorn in the area.

“And I still can’t thank you enough for that,” Twi bows out of respect and to show her gratitude. Now holding up her own highly decorated blade to her side, Flash takes a similar stance all the same, “Shall we continue this little scuffle though?”

Luna looks up in the sky, judging the time before looking back at her sister, “What do you say we make this a little more of a fair fight?”

“How long as it been sense you sparred like this?” Tia raises an eye brow to her.

“To long, besides…” the nightmare chuckles to herself, cracking her neck in anticipation of the simple magic duel she has in mind, “…we have time before the Gala, but I’m sure we all still need to get ready?” she asks, receiving only a nod from them all as the dark blue princess proposes a simple trade, “okay let’s make this simple. One attack for each team, and one attack only… and being the eldest, we’ll go first,” both she and Celestia instantly shoot up next to one another and stare down their opponents.

Having the two sisters to go against surly is going to make things rather interesting when it comes to Twilight and Flash fighting as a pair. Making their stance against their regal opponents, the pair knows that they don’t hold much of an advantage when it comes to a magic fight, seeing as only one of them can use it. For now they can only watch as the sisters lock eyes with one another while their horns start to do more of the talking. As the energy flows freely in them to the point that the spells seem to meld in to one while their opposite auras play off of one another.

Celestia’s fire meeting Luna’s ice in the middle while the spells intertwine with one another and produce an almost shapeless mass of pure white steam. Created instantly from the ice boiling off, and leaving the superhot jet, screeching towards the young couple as it tears up some of the ground from the pressure wave behind it. Flash jumps in to action to protect his mare, grabbing her with his hooves as his form envelops hers. Rather glad that his false wing can’t feel anything, as he extends it to its fullest around him and his mare like a shield. Feeling the force press back in to his body as the colt holds him and Twilight upright against the brunt of the attack.

Sensing the radiant heat of the regal sister’s spell around her, and already feeling the condensation building up on her coat as the steam cools. Twilight is left in wonder at what the princesses had hoped to accomplish with this, ‘I don’t know if you’re trying to kill us or not… but this gesture is not very well received!’ she yells inside her mind. Flash whipping the steam away as the spell is finished, leaving him and Twilight completely unharmed.

“Are you trying to kill us?!” Twilight, being rather ticked still, shrieks back at the siblings as they snicker to themselves.

“Well that may have been a little over kill…” Tia cringes. While she and her younger sister try to hid the embarrassment on their faces of pulling such a spell.

“Perhaps, but hey you’re alive, right?” Luna does the same, scratching the back of her head, “I’m used to fighting with my sister more than any other, apart from the guards that is. Considering that she and I have a stronger build than most, I don’t quite have to hold back with Tia here.”

“And consequently me and Luna aren’t quite used to ‘toning’ down our attacks,” the eldest follows up.

“Well than… in that case,” Flash winks at his marefriend, “our turn.”

Knowing exactly what he means by that subtle gesture.

Twilight braces herself while Flash grabs hold of her, spinning her light form around and around. The colt hurtles her in to the air with all his might, for some additional speed, as she spreads her wings and takes off even more to get additional height and speed. Reaching high above the trio still on the ground. Twilight’s form seems to even block off the sun as she holds her pose there for a second. Soon falling down towards the ground in what would be mistaken as a purple comet.

The ruby in the center of her chest glowing brighter and brighter as she fills it with magic flowing in from her very heart, as it stored some of the energy Flash had given her from the previous spell. The resulting enchantment forming at the tip of her horn, even starts to blind the princesses below as Flash takes the smart approach and covers himself with his false wing. The impact of the mare hitting the ground, is enough to send a shock wave of magic in to the surrounding floor. Kicking up what would be mistaken as a tidal wave of dirt and stone as it rushes upon the sisters.

Both the solar and lunar princess are thrown off kilter as they themselves are tosses back against the walls of the castle, as Twilight comes to a halt while she shakes off the force of the impact that the Concussion spell had on herself.

‘And that’s going to be sore in the morning…’ she stretches out her hind leg, feeling the tension from the impact coming back to haunt her in her joints, ‘but it seems to have worked,’ the mare allows a rather prideful snicker on her face.

Celestia is left picking herself out of a bush from the attack, getting several small branches stuck in her mane while over three dozen leaves seem to cover her body in various places as she almost fights to get her footing. “Oh… Screw it,” she huffs, breaking out the blade attachment from her hoof and slicing in to the foliage until she is free. Only to right herself in time to watch her younger sister peel her own self off the wall that she now leaves an indent on, and falls flat on her face in front of Tia, not even wanting to get up at first.

“Mhmmf, mehph wof,” Luna mutters under her breath, while her muzzle remains in ground.

“Excuse me Luna, could you repeat that?” Celestia pulls her head out of the dirt.

“I said…” the younger mare clears her throat for a second, “okay, she wins…” Luna pouts for a second, soon getting a reassuring giggle from the pair that did this.

“Don’t worry about it, Luna,” Twilight and Flash walk up to the pair, as Twi states, “I think we can count that one as a draw.”

“After all we’d probably be in the med bay by now…” Sentry makes the obvious point at the severity of the sister’s attack.

“Okay that much I can agree to…” Luna comes to her feet finally, shaking the pair’s hooves as a good game gesture, “though don’t expect it to be so easy next time… I want to face off against Twilight at some point, on my own,” she shoots the younger alicorn next to her a challenging glare while they all share in a good laugh.

“For now though…” Celestia pats her sister on the shoulder, “…let’s clean ourselves up a bit before this evening. I don’t believe it would be wise to meet the guests while we are covered in scrapes, dirt and sweat.”

“And that, I can agree to as well…” Twilight looks over her armor, seeing some of the fresh scratches on it while she can’t help but admire her coltfriend’s own suit having gone through more than its fair share of punishment. Getting back in to the conversation as they walk inside.

“Discord and Rosebud are currently reading in the study, I’ll let them know that you three are back in now,” Luna picks back up.

“No, no… I’ll go see them first,” the older sister chimes in while they walk down the hall, “I know that Rose has been doing very well with her own studies, and I’m more than sure that she would like me to see her reading of her own accord.”

“Very true… actually,” Luna recalls the small conversation that she had, also recalling another point that was brought up by her niece, “She also mentioned you, Uncle Flash…” she snickers at the guard who now finds himself chuckling while they walk.

“I’ve played with foals a lot before. What can I say? The younger princess likes me I guess,” Sentry shrugs his shoulders in response.

“Hmm she does now doesn’t she?” Tia giggles, nudging Twilight in the side, “…Seems you found a keeper in the fathering department.”

“Ahh what?” they both say at the same time as the young couple looks at one another for a split second with a rather disturbed look on their faces before looking away with a bashful expression as it flushes with blood.

Much to the pleasure of the older sisters.

Luna jumps in, “I said the same thing to your husband actually.”

“They would be adorable parents,” Celestia mentions as they go back and forth.

“What would their kids look like?”

“Oh I don’t know, with Twilight being an alicorn. They may turn out to be the same like Rose did.”

“Though with Flash in the picture, they may turn out to have more of a chance of having a Pegasus,” Luna points out, all the while the younger couple are still growing redder and redder as Lulu and Tia enjoy their moment of fun.

“Rose would have somepony to play with actually if they did,” the solar princess points out.

“Though she would likely be several years older,” the night mare notes, “still a pony to be close to though.”

“Absolutely, and even if they didn’t get to see one another often. I know the others back in Ponyville would be over joyed to have the little tikes around!” Celestia beams.

Both Celestia and Luna are left snickering to themselves while the bashful faces of those suffering at their mercy retreat in to their bedroom to escape the onslaught of comments. The sisters only hearing the rather audible slam of the door behind them as they disappear. Sharing one last laugh, Luna heads off to take care of her own cleanliness, while Tia goes to see her daughter and husband.

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Closing the door behind them, both Flash and Twilight hold the door closed at the off chance that the princesses want to lean in and continue their talk. Though thankful that they choose not to, and are left alone at the moment. Breathing a sigh of relief, they step in to the room further, wiping a bead of sweat off their brows while getting the armor plates off of one another.

“Well that conversation was…” Flash cringes, “intriguing.”

“And that’s the princess for you,” Twilight chuckles softly with him, “this is probably the most you’ve been around them actually, ever sense becoming a Captain now.”

“Yes it is, usually I was around you in Ponyville, and I have to say they’re really more laid back than I would have realized when the subject at hoof isn’t so serious,” he helps his mare take off her breast plate and puts it on the rack to hold it. While she does the same for him using her magic.

“That much I learned after becoming Celestia’s student,” Twi notes to him while they finish up, taking it all off and hanging it up for the day, “they may be a pair of rulers for the nation of Equestria, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know when to have fun.”

“Agreed, for now though… do you have your dress ready?” Sentry asks her. Twilight, punctual as usual, brings out her dress and lays it down on the bed.

“Way ahead of you,” she says proudly, “I already know what you’re going to wear, dress uniform? Right?”

“Actually no, Rarity so gratefully made me something special to wear for such an occasion,” Flash takes a mental image of the rather confused mares expression, thinking it’s rather cute, “You’ll see… for now though,” he smiles lightly, kissing the top of her fore head, “…let’s clean-up.”

“You missed my lips, silly…” the alicorn snickers, while her colt takes the hint and holds her chin up with his hoof before delivering a tender kiss on to her lips.

After a day of going out in the courtyard with the princess, to having the teasing of children forced in to their ears afterwards, to now having a moment or two to themselves. That series of events snapping from one to the other, can leave a pony breathless. Though not quite as breathless as a sweet kiss from the pony you love, as they both discover this feeling while caught in the moment. The breathing getting deeper between them as it seems to be more than the temperature of the room rising while their lips remain locked with one another.

Sentry feeling his mare’s own hooves moving down his neck and running down past his wings, as she pulls him in closer. Flash returning the gesture as he instinctively wraps a hoof around her rump and presses himself in to her. The slight gasp escaping from her throat while she pulls her face back to look at him in those cool blue eyes, which captivated her at first in the start of it all.

“I thought we were supposed to clean-up?” she questions, the intentions of the original concept of coming in here lost on them in this moment of bliss.

“We were, though you called me back to your mouth.”

“You weren’t complaining,” Twilight snickers at him while leading Flash in to the bathroom with a flick of her tail to his muzzle, “besides, it has been a long day, and I think we can get dirtier before getting cleaner… also, I did learn that Impotency Spell.”

Twilight leaves off, watching the redness in his cheeks returns as he feels the heat once again rising even more, “are you sure you were a virgin before me?”

“Oh very sure,” she recalls the many lonely nights that she has had while lying alone in bed, with nothing more than her right hoof to act like a colt for the night, “though I have read ‘The art of seduction’ several times so that may have helped at bit. Besides…” Twilight points down to his colthood which presents itself clearly to her now as he tries to hide it, “…it seems to be working.”

“I blame you for this,” Flash chases her in to the shower, where the many sounds of pleasure and lust soon find themselves leaking out in to the main room. All the while, the couple indulges themselves with one another in the heat of the moment before getting ready for the party.

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Having sat down and listened to her daughter read out loud for a good couple hours. Celestia is rather shocked at how fast time has flown when listening to the little one. Now already having taken a shower with her husband, and sent Rose off to do the same so she can get ready for the party later in the evening. It finally occurs to the solar princess that she hasn’t heard hind nor hair of the younger couple, sense she and her own sister pestered them in a bit of good fun.

Now finding herself standing outside of the couple’s doorway with a hoof lightly knocking, “Excuse me Flash, Twilight?” Celestia calls to get their attention from where ever they may be in the room, “are you in there?”

“I’m in, your majesty,” the sounds of the colt answers her, “you can come in, don’t worry I’m decent.”

Tia slowly opens the door to find Sentry standing inside right in front of the mirror. Checking over a rather nice tuxedo that he has fitted on himself. Tailored to his own form, it fits the colt rather well as it shows his strong features and even has the cut outs for his wings to protrude from the back piece as his struggles to get a bowtie around his neck to put it all together. Giggling lightly at the stallions fight with the fashion piece, the princess comes in to his aid. Taking the bow in her magical grasp as she winds it around in to a knot, and ties it properly.

“There you go Flash, perfect,” the graceful smile lighting up the room as the princess nods at her work.

“Much appreciated, your majesty,” he lowers his head lightly.

“Flash with all due respect, you really can just call me Celestia…” the princess reminds him, while looking over the suit, “the ‘your majesty’ thing, makes me feel even older than I actually am.”

“Yes, ahh… Celestia.”

“Much better… well I have to say the suit fits you quite well,” she eyes the stitching across the piece, knowing it all too well as it mimics a few others that she has seen, “Don’t tell me. Rarity insisted on making you this, didn’t she?”

“Why yes she did,” he tries to see if there is some sort of trade mark on it to let her know who the creator was. Not finding a thing, Flash is a little perplexed on the princess’s keen eye, “how did you-?”

“Rarity always loves to make her friends dresses… or suits in your case,” Celestia recalls the many that she has seen over the years. All of the quite lovely, though one in particular that she still can’t get out of her mind, even just the thought of it bringing a smile to her face, “…she even, at my husband’s request, made the one at our wedding… who thanks to my sister’s input. Had an enchantment placed on it to help hide the ‘baby bump’ from the twins,” the fond memory of that wonderful day when she and Discord joined one another in matrimony, a rather unholy union at that. Now only a memory as the years have been good to them both… more or less. The recent events throwing off the princess to why she came to the room of her student in the first place until it snaps her back to reality, “oh! Before we parted ways earlier after our little training game, my sister and I did have our… Fun, with you two.”

Flash instantly turns red at the conversation that was thrown in to his and his Marefriend’s face, “Ahh… yea, I remember.”

“I wanted to apologize for that little conversation actually…” Celestia awkwardly glances off to the side to avoid eye contact for the first few seconds before turning serious and meeting him in the middle, “…me and my sister were just having some fun with you two, no harm in it all. You do make a really cute couple that’s all, and seeing how much you two have grown in the past several months. Needless to say, even my husband is giving you both kudos on the relationship.”

“It’s rather nice to know that we have the chaotic prince’s approval,” he and the princess share a much needed laugh to break up the tension at the matter. Flash soon finding himself going back in to what he and his special alicorn, that so graciously shared the shower with him, talked about after they had their fun. “The subject has actually come up, once or twice, in the last month or so,” he notes the princess’s ears perking up at the sound of that, “I won’t say much for now, but what I will say, between us… we would be overjoyed to have a foal of our own. After marriage of course.”

Tia can see the sincere smile on his face at the last sentence, even the thought of having a child making him this way while she watches the thought dance around in his mind, “on that note, I don’t feel so bad about poking a little fun at you two… though I would say, make sure you save the idea for kids until after you’re married,” she starts to groan, “I can’t tell you how many times Luna has thrown that one in my face before.”

“Duly noted, Celestia,” he chuckles at the princess’s demise.

“Though speaking of you and Twilight,” Tia looks around the room once more to see if she is hiding anywhere, “where is the young princess? I was expecting her to help you with your own tie?”

“Twilight got dressed early and wanted to pay a visit before the Gala,” Flash remarks, not at all surprised by his marefriend’s actions. Having done it himself a few times anyway, “So I would expect her to still be, down there.”

“Hmm… I see. Well in that case, Sentry, I’ll go down there as well,” Tia backs herself out of the room, giving him her regards as she goes to find her student in the castle depths.