Stay calm. Check symptoms.

"...momentous occasion. My student, Twilight Sparkle..."

Symptom 1: an ache in the chest, centred, or to the left. Check. Symptom 2: shortness of breath. Check. Symptom 3: feeling faint. Check. Symptoms 4 and 5: nausea, cold sweat. Check, and check.

"...with my sister, Princess Luna. But today, Twilight..."

She was definitely having a heart attack.

"...crowned Equestria's newest Princess. Fillies and gentlecolts..."

Twilight stood rigidly, her body as tense as a bowstring, a rictus smile on her face as she did her very best to stay still while her thoughts chased themselves backwards and forwards in a frantic, blind rush.

Deep breaths. Deeeep breaths. Don't focus on the voice filtering through the closed double doors, just stay calm, don't look back at the ponies carrying banners with her cutie-mark on them, don't think about what's about to happen, just stay calm.

"...for the first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

That was her cue! Twilight jerked into motion, stumbling briefly in her high heels (why did Rarity give her high heels, why in Equestria's name, why) and barely managed to recover before the vast double doors before her swung open.

She managed not to gape, maintaining her slightly deranged smile as she swept forward.

Somehow, every single pony in the entirety of Equestria was present in the long, broad-windowed hall. All of them. She didn't know how Celestia had done it, but her sun-burst butt was going to pay dearly for this. Later. For now, she just had to get to the stage, be crowned, wings wide, turn around and speak.

Stage, crown, wings, speech.

It was going to be fine.

Her concentration wobbled dramatically as the ponies walking behind her broke into song, a beautiful, sweeping, rising and falling melody that filled the hall with glittering sound.

Oh, you bitch. They sing?

Celestia was stood atop the centre of the dais, tall and imposing in her rarely-worn crown, flanked by Luna and Cadance in beautiful finery that the short-circuited mess of Twilight's brain was completely incapable of properly appreciating at that moment. Off to her left, the five other Elements of Harmony beamed their joy and warmth at her. It helped.

She mounted the dais, step by step, trying not to bite her lip in concentration. Her eyes met Celestia's, which sparkled with delight and yes, the kind of mischief that invited Twilight to beat her until she squealed.

Celestia glanced to one side. Twilight's gaze followed.

Spike walked out from behind Princess Luna. He wore the neatest jacket and shirt she'd ever seen on the young dragon, and he was bearing her elemental crown on a velvet cushion. He approached to Twilight's side, with a wide-eyed look of excitement that threatened to overwhelm his attempt at a dignified expression.

The roar of her terror dwindled. Spike was here. He'd forgiven her. Twilight's eyes filled with tears, rocked by a tremendous rush of unexpected relief and gratitude that struck her like a runaway train. Heedless of the crowd, she dropped to one knee and hugged him, forcing him to hastily move the cushion to one side before she knocked her own crown off it. "I'm glad you're here!" she whispered with fierce sincerity.

Awareness of the crowd slowly leaked back in. She hurriedly got back to her feet, leaving Spike beaming, and faced the trio of Princesses before her.

Celestia's smile was radiant. Stepping to one side to make room at the centre of the dais, she levitated the crown off the cushion, and set it down gently on Twilight's head. A spark tingled through Twilight as the familiar magic of the Element touched her own, a welcome touch of warmth kindling within her. A sneaky glance to her left revealed her friends and lovers radiating their support and happiness. It was strange. Something so simple as donning the crown, something she'd done before, even, and suddenly, she was a Princess. Some part of her was still waiting for the moment to arrive, incapable of recognising that this was it.

Slowly, she turned to face the vast chamber, and in unison with the other alicorns, her wings flared wide. Her gaze moved out over the hall, and all the multitude of assembled ponies there. There were her parents, her mother crying with joy, her father looking as though he might burst with pride. Shining Armor sat beside them, glowing with happiness. There, at the front of the other row, were Trixie and Zecora, leaning forward as if inches from breaking ranks and charging the stage to be with her, and behind them, the Apple family contingent had carved out a space of their own, Applebloom sat on Big Mac's broad shoulder. Everywhere she looked, ponies both new and familiar gazed back with joy and wonder.

It was incredible, overwhelming. She was filled with happiness, and terror, and excitement, so filled with emotion she had no idea which one to try to act on.

The singers were still singing, too. Was she supposed to wait until they stopped to say something, or...? Celestia hadn't said there would be singers, for which she would be punished.

Celestia's magic tugged gently at her wing feathers, and the merest flick of the Princess's head indicated the exit from the stage, beyond where Luna stood. Oh. So there wasn't a speech, or anything she had to say? Well, if she'd wasted her time trying to prepare words, that wasn't the worst thing in the world. In fact, she could forgive the singing entirely if it meant she didn't have to stand in front of all these ponies and try to speak.

She supposed that the speech preparation was another elaborate joke from her former mentor. Well, the joke was on her, Twilight had barely managed to cobble together anything. This was the best surprise possible.

Fresh air flowed down the short corridor before her, a welcome, cool caress against her skin. Sunshine poured through the arched doorway ahead, a small balcony beyond, and she sighed in relief at the idea of a moment outside to catch her breath. She smiled as she stepped out into the warmth and brightness of the day, resting a hand on the golden railing.

Oh.

The hall didn't contain every pony in Equestria. Because, in fact, they were all out here. All of them. Thousands of them.

An echoing roar of cheers rang out, from a sea of waving and pointing figures, eyes bright with anticipation. Twilight felt a glassy grin spread across her face, and she waved feebly back.

This prompted another round of cheers.

"Say something, Princess," Celestia told her lightly, with a perfectly tranquil smile on her lips. "You did prepare a speech, didn't you?"

Oh, Celestia. I am going to get you for this.

She turned to face the vast crowd once more, and raised her voice. An enchantment on the balcony itself picked up her words and amplified them, casting them across the crowd.

"Since a very young age, I have been lucky enough to be tutored in magic by Princess Celestia, who has shown me wonders I could never have dreamed of before I knew her." Try not to think of her naked, that's not what you're talking about... "But one of the most wonderful things she ever taught me was that magic, alone, was not enough. She sent me to Ponyville, and encouraged me to make friends."

Twilight glanced back, and smiled more naturally as she saw the other Elements had gathered at the back of the balcony. Trixie's restraint had finally snapped, and she was jumping up and down at the back, Zecora smiling as she sought to calm the excitable pony down. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned them all forward.

"These ponies taught me so much, about kindness, and resilience, and generosity, and caring for others, and if they hadn't been there, if they hadn't been my friends, I wouldn't be here today. And for every pony that stands here with me, there are many more I owe a deep debt of gratitude to. Magic doesn't come from a lonely place. Magic comes from the heart. I've made mistakes, and I will make more, but I know that those I care about will pick me up, set me back on my feet, and help me when I fall short.

"I am deeply honoured to stand beside the three Princesses of Equestria, who are each so close to my heart." Twilight bowed her head, and tried to calm said heart, which was hammering inside her chest. Cheers and confetti filled the air.

...so. That was her speech done. What happened now? Did she... back away, or stand there for a while until everypony got bored and wandered off, or...? Did she hide behind the balcony railing and pretend she'd magically disappeared? She hadn't been coached on this bit!

"Celestia, help," she murmured through her frozen smile.

Celestia looked over at Luna, and tilted her head slightly with a smile.

Luna nodded. Stepping up to Twilight's side, she announced in a clear, carrying voice that didn't require the balcony's magical amplification at all, "This is a day of great joy, one which will live long in my memory. Let all across Equestria rejoice, at the ascension of the Princess of Magic!"

Raising her hand and spreading her wings, Luna murmured out of the side of her mouth, "Now spread thy wings, wave regally, and walk back inside."

Cheeks hot with self-consciousness, giddy with the sheer, overwhelming excitement and terror of being stood before so many ponies, Twilight spread her wings as Luna directed, and tried a regal wave.

No, no - that was too fast. Slower.

Probably not that slow. She was trying to convey regal warmth, not miming being trapped in treacle.

A quick nudge to her calf snapped her out of her increasingly detailed experimentation with the exact speed of the properly majestic wave, and with a start, she realised that Luna was turning away. Her friends had already led the way back inside. Cheeks burning afresh, she gave a last inexpert wave, and tried not to run as she turned her back on the incredible crowd, and stepped back into the cool shade of the castle.

Flattening herself against the side of the passageway, she sucked in a few deep breaths, briefly indulging the panic that she'd held down the entire time, before she calmed herself. Opening her eyes, she took in the crowd of her friends and lovers around her. "So, um. There's a balcony that way, with all of Equestria outside, and a stage that way with a big hall full of ponies and I don't really want to go either way, so - can I just live in this hall now?"

Luna stepped forward and took Twilight's hand, forestalling several of her other slaves who'd moved to try the same thing, and kissed her fingers. "You acquitted thyself well, my Mistress. There will be time for thee to relax before the banquet in thy honour."

Taking a deep breath, Twilight nodded. "That sounds nice," she replied softly, reaching up to touch Luna's cheek.

...wait.

Twilight's gaze shifted slightly. Cadance was gazing at her with frank interest, an intrigued smile on her face.

Instantly, Twilight blushed so deeply that her head swam with dizziness. Her voice high, she squeaked, "Um - yes, so - please could you show me the way - Princess Luna?"

"As you desire," Luna replied warmly. Stroking the back of Twilight's hand against her cheek for a moment, she turned and led her to a broad, red banner. Luna's horn glowed, and the banner drew aside, tying neatly to a small hook as a curtain would, revealing a smaller arched doorway. Twilight followed behind her, the other two Princesses behind them, and Twilight's collection of sex slaves bringing up the rear.

There was no possible way Cadance hadn't heard the way Luna had addressed her. Was it possible to blush so hard your mane caught fire? Twilight took a few more deep, calming breaths. It was okay, probably. She had told Cadance that she had a dominant relationship with some of her ponies, or at least hinted at it, and even if Cadance probably hadn't expected Luna to be involved, Twilight could always play it off as a less-serious thing than it really was. She could handle this.

The passageway opened out into a broad, sunny room, filled with soft chairs and couches. Several jugs of water sat waiting on low tables, dewdrops of condensation crystallising on their sides. Filled with a sudden thirst by the sight of the water, Twilight moved over and poured herself some with a touch of feverish haste. The cool, crisp liquid soothed her throat. That was better.

Behind her, Cadance addressed the other element bearers. "It's wonderful to see you all again. You've been missed in the Crystal Empire, and will always be welcome there." Shifting focus to Trixie and Zecora, she added warmly, "And though I have only met the two of you today, I'm sure that I will enjoy getting to know you. Now, everypony, I can tell that you're holding back in front of me, but it's okay. I know all about your relationship with Twilight, so please don't feel you should hide it while I'm here."

"Well, why didn't somepony tell the slutty and submissive Trixie before now?"

Twilight choked. Her body entirely rigid, she found that she didn't dare look around. Seconds later, Trixie impacted the back of her legs, nearly knocking her over as the white-maned pony dropped to the floor, grabbed hold of one calf and determinedly rubbed her head against Twilight's thigh.

"You were perfect, and amazing, and the sensuous slave Trixie is apprentice to the new Princess! The best Princess."

Oh, good, thought Twilight distantly. She'd been wondering what Trixie could say that could make things worse after what she'd just burst out with, and there it was.

As if a dam had broken, the others flooded forward, surrounding Twilight with excitable ponies. Applejack seized hold of one hand, pulling it to rest over her heart, and exclaimed, "Ma'am, Ah'm so darn proud of you, Ah could burst."

Pinkie bounced up and down on her toes, bouncing into the air so high that in any normal sized room, she would have been hitting the ceiling. "You're a Master, Princess! I mean - you're a Princess, Master! Whee!"

"Hey, at the banquet, mind if I sit somewhere out of sight? Like, under a table, maybe? There's something I really want to eat, and I bet I could make your banquet a really happy one." Rainbow grinned at her lasciviously, seemingly unbothered by making her suggestion in front of the three most powerful ponies in Equestria.

Fluttershy pressed herself against Twilight's back, the soft warmth of the pegasus's heavy breasts pushing gently against her owner. "If I was sat near you at the banquet, I could... feed you? Or maybe... you could... feed me? If there's no room on the chairs, I could sit on the floor," she murmured, with a hot blush.

"My Lady, you looked simply wonderful! I'm so honoured that you chose me to make your coronation dress! I'm so happy for you! So proud. This dress is going to be the talk of Canterlot for weeks!"

Zecora took hold of Twilight's other hand, guiding Twilight's fingers to her chest in a mirror of Applejack. Unlike with Applejack, however, Twilight felt the hard shapes of the prominent gold rings through the zebra's nipples, barely covered by the cloth of the elegant tunic she wore. "This day has filled me with the deepest joy. Do as you wish with your adoring toy."

...well. The cat was so thoroughly out of the bag, the very concept of 'bag' had been lost to history. Trying to gather her wits, a process not helped by the softness of her slaves pressing their warm bodies against her, Twilight finally managed to turn enough to look over at the three Princesses.

Celestia's expression was perfectly unruffled, a pleasant little smile on her lips that was, in her own way, the equivalent of laughing aloud. Luna's fingers were curled across her lips, hiding a smile behind her hand.

Nerving herself, Twilight met Cadance's eyes.

"I'm... impressed. You've really grown up! A lot." Cadance's gaze shifted from pony to pony, taking in each mare, before finally settling on Twilight again. "You really are very loved."

"I... yes. I know that the way I am - that we are - is kind of, unconventional, but it started with Applejack, and I found that I... really liked it. A lot. So, um. Here we are." She would have rubbed at her burning cheeks, if her hands hadn't been fully occupied resting on the bodies of her slaves. How in the world had she ended up in a situation like this?

Cadance smiled. "Many ponies have confided in me over my life, Twi. I've often found that desires and loves come from unexpected directions. I wouldn't have guessed, but if it makes you happy - if it makes all of you happy - then I couldn't be happier for you." She looked up at Luna, and added, "I'm glad you've found somepony that you can feel this close to. I've hoped for it for a while. You deserve to be loved."

Luna tilted her head down with a rare flash of modesty. "Twilight makes me feel as though I am a young pony again. It is a wonderful thing."

"I think I understand, I really do." Cadance hugged the other alicorn tightly. "Be happy."

"I am. We both are." Luna looked over to Celestia, and Cadance followed her gaze.

Twilight watched the exchange with a growing warmth in her heart, her ponies pressing in around her but not wanting to interrupt. This was going better than she could have expected. Maybe she had been silly for worrying that Cadance would think she was some kind of pervert for the desires she had; Cadance was the Princess of Love, and she would have surely known other ponies that lived the way Twilight now did. Not exactly the way she did, Twilight corrected herself - the magic of the charm was an extra note in her particular relationships. But mostly like this.

She'd heard Luna address her as Mistress, and then all of the others had spoken to her in their own ways, showing they were in her thrall. Obviously, Cadance was wondering whether Celestia, the lone hold-out, was above all of that. It would have sort-of made sense if she was, given her long experience ruling. If Cadance got that idea, Twilight decided, it would probably be better to just let her believe it.

Under Cadance's inquisitive glance, Celestia's smile widened.

The Princess of the Sun stepped forward, towards Twilight. Her voice carried gentle, effortless authority. "Please make room, my little ponies."

No matter that they'd seen Celestia humbled, naked; immediately, every mare around Twilight scrambled to get out of the way, forming a sheepish half-circle a step behind their owner. Twilight searched Celestia's face, trying to divine her mentor's intentions.

Robed in her finest clothing, bearing her royal crown atop her head, Celestia dropped smoothly to her knees before Twilight. A tenuous glimmer of her magic holding her crown in place, Celestia bent forward until her chest kissed the ground. Her soft lips pressed to Twilight's toes, exposed by the straps of her high heels, and she submissively kissed her former student's feet.

"I hope your coronation was fully to your liking, Empress. If any part of it displeased you, please punish your slave fully."

Twilight's gaze flashed to Cadance. Her mouth was hanging open, finally shocked beyond her capacity to maintain her composure. Twilight winced, then looked back down at the kneeling Princess before her.

It was important to recognise that this was Celestia playing games with her again. After misleading her about the ceremony, thrusting her before all the ponies of Canterlot without warning, the unexpected singing - all of it - she now was inviting Twilight to explain what exactly she'd done wrong. In front of Cadance. Naturally, Twilight wouldn't be able to give a satisfying answer, and so she'd stammer and blush, and say it was fine, and then if she tried to punish Celestia later, this conversation would be mentioned.

Twilight rebelled.

Maintaining her composure, she replied in a measured tone, "The ceremony was wonderful, Celestia, and I'm very happy about how it went. Thank you. All the same, I know when you're teasing me, and you definitely pushed things a little too far. I will punish you later."

Oh dear. Cadance's jaw had dropped even further. But Celestia looked up at her, and in her gaze there was a definite flash of respect as she replied, "True, I was. You handled it beautifully. I look forward to being punished as you see fit."

"You may rise, now."

"Thank you, Empress." Celestia sat back on her heels and rose smoothly to her feet. Looking over at Cadance, she added warmly, "I'm glad I was able to make clear how things lie between Twilight and I. Do you have any further questions, Cadance?"

"...Empress?"

"Each of Twilight's possessions address her in their own way. It seems fitting for a pony that owns both Luna and I, wouldn't you say?"

"I... see." Cadance looked back to Twilight, and her mouth opened and shut, before she tried, "Well done?"

Twilight smiled, and stepped forward. Taking both of Cadance's hands in hers, she gazed at her sister-in-law, and said gently but firmly, "I'm very glad that my ponies don't have to hide the way they feel about me in front of you. You're the only one I've trusted with this. I don't believe other ponies would understand, so I'm glad that you'll keep this between us."

Cadance's cheeks darkened, and she nodded. "Of course, I understand."

A pulse of triumph shot through Twilight as she saw the look on Cadance's face. Now it was her turn to blush. "Thank you, very much. You've always been one of the most special, wonderful ponies in the world to me, and that will never change." She squeezed the other alicorn's hands again, before finally letting them go, and turning back to her collection of toys.

"Okay, everypony. At the banquet, Celestia and Luna will be sitting one side of me, and the rest of you will be sitting on the other side, and along the table flanks. Somepony fetch me some parchment, and you can draw lots for who sits where. That's fair." A smile crept over her face, and she added, "None of those seats are going to be under the table, Rainbow. That can wait until later."

"Aw, Ma'am. Come on. It'd be the most fun to get down there with everypony busy making polite conversation, and-"

"Hush," Twilight told her. Rainbow immediately stopped talking. "It's tempting, but not this time. Go help find ink and quill."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Moving to a low couch, with wing indents, Twilight sat down and made herself comfortable. As her ponies sat on the ground around her, and Fluttershy nuzzled her head into Twilight's hand like a puppy, Twilight looked back up at Cadance again. Her former foalsitter didn't seem to quite know what to do, her lips slightly parted again. Twilight smiled widely.

"Cadance, would you like to be in the draw, for which Princess sits next to me?" she asked pleasantly.

"...yes, that would be lovely."

The great banquet hall was filled to capacity. The sound of conversation and the clink of china filled the air, as the myriad finely dressed ponies of Canterlot's elite mingled with the smaller but louder contingent from Ponyville. While it of course would be rude to stare, there wasn't a pony in the hall that wasn't stealing glances at the topmost table, where the newest Princess dined among her peers.

Twilight could feel a thousand gazes, pressing down on her. She tried not to give in to the temptation to shrink down in her seat, and ate very carefully, for fear of embarrassingly spilling something on her dress in front of all Canterlot.

"Are you alright, Twilight? I know this is kind of a new feeling for you." Cadence smiled at her reassuringly.

"I'm fine!" Twilight replied, a little too quickly.

Of the three Princesses, it had been Cadence who'd drawn the mark to sit on Twilight's right. Beyond her was Celestia, and then Luna, who was very subtly pouting, while on Twilight's other side, Rainbow Dash grinned smugly at the world. Beyond Luna and Rainbow, the table bent around at each end, with Zecora, Applejack, Shining Armor and then Spike sat along the flank beyond Luna, and Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and finally Trixie beyond Rainbow. Trixie was definitely pouting, as she found herself just about as far away from her Mistress as she could have ended up.

Cadance surveyed the table, her gaze shifting thoughtfully from pony to pony once more, before looking back at Twilight. "Can I ask how this all started?"

Twilight glanced out over the banquet hall. None of the guests were close enough to hear her talking, nor were Spike or Shining, especially not with the rumble of conversation filling the vast chamber. The top table was already warded against eavesdropping spells, to discourage the overly-curious. All she had to do was camouflage the movements of her mouth a little, to prevent lip-reading. Accordingly, she rested a hand half-obscuring her mouth as she replied, "Even though I didn't know it at the time, it kind of started with this book I read when I was young. The Isle of Forbidden Wonders. That gave me ideas that stayed with me."

Cadance nodded her understanding, with a warm smile. "I've read that book. It does make it sound pretty enticing."

....no glance at Celestia, no special reaction to the name. Maybe Cadance didn't know her aunt had written it? Twilight met Celestia's eyes for a moment, but all the response she got was a tranquil smile.

"...but I didn't really know what I'd taken from that book," Twilight resumed. "It was only when I started dating Applejack that it got put into practice. I was surprised by the urges I was feeling, but I was really surprised when I found out she felt the same. She'd, um. Been using her ropes for more than just lassoing. Once I realised that, we tried some things, and, well, I bought some things really carefully by mail order that came in brown boxes, and... then it was kind of how it was."

"And the others agreed to these conditions too?" Cadance probed gently.

"Did we ever!"

Twilight twisted around towards Rainbow. She hadn't realised the other pony had been listening in, but judging by her huge grin, she had heard every word. Pushing herself back a little in her chair, Twilight made room for Rainbow to address Cadance, before her brain belatedly questioned whether that was actually a good idea.

Cadance smiled at Rainbow. "Oh? I'm curious about how that went, if you don't mind telling me."

"Oh, heck. So first, I turn up at Twilight's to tell her all about-"

Twilight coughed sharply.

"Uh- anyway, Twilight told me she and Applejack and Rarity were all screwing, and she did a really good job of making it enticing, and I was all, aren't I supposed to be doing the seducing around here, but whatever, I wanted in. So she and I, we had this whole thing on the floor right there. Surprised? I was. But it was the next time that she really hit me with the, 'get down on your knees' schtick."

"I'm picturing a careful technical explanation of the terms, with diagrams," Cadance teased Twilight gently.

Rainbow laughed aloud. "Oh, you think? We had a date set up, I thought it was just her and me. I burst in - okay, so I'd slept late, so what - all ready to sweep her off her feet. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. So there's Applejack, all strapped into this black corset number with tits out to here and a whole lot of nothing covering the interesting parts, Rarity's wearing this maid outfit that's all see-through up top, and she's got a whole lot to see up there, and she's on all fours, and Twilight - booky Twilight, right? - is wearing nothing at all but this, like, evil black cape and thigh-high boots, boots that she is resting on Rarity, like a footstool, and she's all, 'You're late. I'm going to have to punish you.' I mean, damn, you know?"

Cadance's lips parted slightly, and she gave Twilight another in her award-winning series of assessing looks. "Oh really? How did she punish you?"

Twilight's smile was glassy. She really ought to stop Rainbow. She should. Any minute now, she'd recover the use of her voice, and then she'd stop Rainbow Dash telling Cadance all of the wonderful, depraved details of what she'd done to her. It wasn't turning her on, hearing Rainbow describe it to Cadance. Not at all.

"Well, you know Twilight. Even evil sex-Goddess Twilight is ridiculously prepared." Rainbow's cheeks began to grow a little pink as she continued, "She had all this stuff waiting for me. Got AJ and Rarity to put this ball gag in my mouth, then got me dressed up in these boots and elbow gloves that all locked together behind me. Yeah, my punishment was staying still. But that wasn't much of a punishment, because they were grinding all over me. Then she did get cruel, because she made out with Applejack right in front of me, had Rarity licking and rubbing me, wouldn't let me get off. Thought I'd go nuts. Then she gives the order, Rarity's down there, seriously going at it, and I'm going off like a firecracker. It was like, wow, that was intense. And that was only the second date. So after that-"

"I think that's enough for now, Rainbow," Twilight interrupted quickly.

"Yeah? Sure thing. Guess you get the idea, anyway." Rainbow waved a spoon at Cadance, and went back to devouring the intricate jelly castle in front of her.

"...yes. I do," murmured Cadance. Dropping her voice a notch, she added affectionately to Twilight, "You must be proud of how enthusiastic she is."

"I - yes! Yes, I am." Twilight nodded twice.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell me about this sooner. You must have had questions."

The words were gentle, but behind them, Twilight sensed a touch of hurt feelings. Turning towards Cadance, she took the other pony's hands in both of hers. "I was so caught up in everything that was happening, I didn't really turn to anypony for help. Since I went to Ponyville, I've learned that I can rely on the ponies around me, but sometimes, I need reminding. I was... really embarrassed, actually. It's different, in front of the ponies that I'm with. I don't feel so self-conscious, then."

"I understand, Twi, it's okay." Cadance gently mussed Twilight's mane. "But you can always talk to me about anything! Don't forget that."

Twilight giggled, shaking her head and settling her mane back into place. "Don't do that! Rarity will tell you off. She spent ages on my mane." But it was nice, she added to herself.

Cadance gazed at Twilight with an odd, thoughtful little smile playing about her lips, before she finally added, "Okay, I have to ask. Aunt Celestia? Really?"

Twilight tried not to look away from Cadance, but from the corner of her eye, she was sure she saw Celestia's ear flick slightly. "What I'm coming to realise," she began slowly, "is that Celestia has felt something for me for a long time. Longer than I could have known. I think maybe she was afraid to reach out to me, in case it messed up her plans for what she wanted me to become. But then, she didn't have to worry about that anymore. She could be... honest. She could really let me see her, the real her. She's infuriating. Mischievous. Kind of dreadful, really."

A warm smile curved Cadance's lips. "I think you're right. About all of that. It's wonderful to see how close you two are. Though - I'm surprised that she decided to be part of your special relationships."

Celestia leaned a little closer, a fond smile on her lips. "If that is what Twilight wants, I am more than happy to give it to her. I've found it relaxing."

And it really turns you on, you big liar. Twilight grinned at her. "Oh? It's just indulging me for my own sake? Really, Celestia."

"I enjoy it as well, of course," Celestia replied smoothly. "Twilight has proven herself to be very inventive. I'm impressed."

"When I heard that Twilight had become a Princess, I thought that that was going to be the biggest surprise of my visit. It's really nice to be proved wrong. It's so good to see how happy you are. How happy you all are."

Twilight settled back in her chair, and picked up her cup - or goblet, she supposed - sipping gently. It was nice to talk about this with Cadance. It had even distracted her from all the ponies watching her, right that minute.

Who, now she thought about it, were still there. Watching her. Quite openly, actually, since she'd got distracted and stopped looking out over the hall. Expecting things from her. Who definitely hadn't heard anything that had just been said. Right?

"...they're still staring at me," she murmured to Rainbow.

The pegasus looked up from her cake, which she'd just about finished demolishing. "Well, duh. Of course they are."

"Well - they've seen me, haven't they? Why are they still looking?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "What, seriously? You're a new Princess. Like, before today, there were three, and now there's four. That's history. They're gonna talk about being here for the rest of their lives."

"...you think?" asked Twilight weakly.

"Like I said, duh. So the first two Princesses, right, they beat the snot out of Discord and founded the whole of Equestria, and they raise the sun and the moon. With Cadance, there's the return of the Crystal Empire, and Sombra. I know it was us, but come on, she was obviously destined to rule the place, she's even got that big crystal heart of theirs on her butt. Don't get more destined than butts. So what all those ponies are thinking is, what are you gonna do?"

Twilight slowly surveyed the hall, watching pony after pony glance away quickly, then immediately go back to staring at her. Her smile curdled slightly.

"You know, I think I'm going to go - thing. For a minute. Somewhere," she heard herself say, in a slightly too-high tone. "Maybe it's time for the little alicorn's room. Um. Yes! Too much banquet. Excuse me. I'll be right back."

Pushing back her chair, and drawing the attention of everypony in the hall, Twilight stood up. The nearest door was around the side of the vast chamber, past several tables of ponies, but there was a better way out than that. There was a hallway outside that she knew pretty well, she'd just teleport there. Though, honestly, she just wanted to be anywhere but here for a few minutes.

Purple light blazed around her, and Twilight disappeared.

In the corridor outside, the guards continued to watch over the doors, turning away a couple of very determined ponies who had managed to make it that far without invitations. Nothing else of interest happened.

On the outskirts of Fillydelphia, however, far, far up in the sky, a burst of purple light twinkled for a moment.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" screeched Twilight as she plummeted out of the sky. Wind pulled and tore at her with greedy fingers, catching the billow of her skirt and flipping her upside down. Face first, she stared disbelievingly at the houses below, which were approaching with horrific speed. Flailing and kicking, her unused wings struggling to unfold against the roar of wind, she lost herself to panic.

Some forty feet above the pavement, there was another flash of light.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" she continued, more emphatically, as she found herself high above the clouds. She glimpsed a dark and rocky land below, a mountain jutting into the sky, before she flashed out of existence again.

She just wanted to teleport to the ground! Or home! Or anywhere not falling! The world flickered around her like a strobe as she struggled to control her panic. She had wings, didn't she? This was what they were for! With a mighty effort, she snapped them wide against the overwhelming rush of wind, and tried to brake.

One was immediately wrenched backwards, as she cupped far too much air to cope with at her current, indeed terminal, velocity.

A new variety of screech broke from her lips, and she tumbled madly through the air. All of a sudden, she was crashing through trees, branches battering her injured wing and tearing at her dress, before with a final, emphatic thump, she hit the ground head-first.

Leaves and fragments of broken twig slowly settled around her, like ragged green confetti. "Ohhhh, owww," she groaned, unable to focus on the smeary wall of green around her. Eventually, Twilight rolled onto her side, groaning deeply, her right wing held stiffly up in the air. Everything hurt. She lay there for a few minutes, hissing through her teeth as her hammering heartbeat slowly settled back to something approaching normal.

What in the name of teaspoons had just happened? She'd tried to teleport out into the corridor, and instead-

She flinched instinctively at the memory of the world strobing around her, and the falling, endless falling. The sharp movement of her head woke a symphony of aches and pains, and the world swam around her again. This was a very effective way of persuading her to stay very still, and wait for her head to clear.

Okay. So she was feeling shaky, and shivery, and kind of sick. That was okay, that was just her body's panic response wearing off. She just had to lie still and wait for it to pass. Her pulse was... still very fast, but that was to be expected. Time to slow the breathing, before she got hyperoxygenated. Slower, deeper. That was it. There. Good girl, Twilight, she told herself.

After a few minutes, very carefully, she sat up, wincing as a host of bruises and cuts demanded her attention. Her twisted wing throbbed. It didn't seem broken. She carefully felt around her face, where a branch had struck her solidly, and wiped her streaming eyes.

So. On the plus side, she'd never teleported more than thirty feet before, and she'd definitely beaten that record, by a long way. On the minus side, she hadn't meant to, and she didn't seem to have a lot of guidance over the steering right then. Also, she was hurt, and lost, and had no idea which way to go for help. Flying was out, and teleporting again was definitely not on the cards for tonight.

She was missing her coronation party, too. Twilight sniffled, and rubbed her streaming eyes again.

Well, there was no sense sitting around in this forest all day feeling sorry for herself. Assuming no pony had seen her arrive, she'd have to walk until she came across a road, or village, or something. Shakily, with the aid of a tree, she carefully dragged herself to her feet. She didn't have any navigational spells to give her a location or directions. Based on the position of the sun and the time, that was probably west, so that would be north, but that didn't actually help very much. On the somewhat arbitrary basis that it didn't feel cold enough to be north of Canterlot, she turned towards what she'd tentatively identified as north, and began pushing through the trees.

An indeterminate period of marching, walking, and then stumbling later, Twilight hadn't found anything other than more obdurate greenery.

She needed to think clearly.

Start with what was happening back at the party; she'd disappeared, and it was doubtful any pony that knew her would be worried by the sight. They'd assume she'd gone for some fresh air. Say, half an hour for them to become concerned she was paralysed with nerves, and have begun looking for her to calm her down. Another half hour to begin to get actually worried, and have the castle searched. A solid hour after that before the increasing alarm spilled out into Canterlot.

Then... blank. Eventually the search would reach beyond the capital, but Equestria was a big place, and she had no idea where she was. Princess Luna might be able to find her if she slept and dreamed, but now that she thought about it, she'd never actually asked how Luna's power worked. It could be that she narrowed down whose dreams to enter because she knew where the ponies were. Or that some nights, ponies didn't dream deeply enough to be accessible to her. It was certainly worth hoping Luna would find her, but she shouldn't rely on it.

So, she was stuck in a forest, with no idea where she was. No food or water, her wing was injured. She had a few hours of daylight left. When it got dark, she could try sending up light flares to attract attention, but they weren't bright enough to be seen during the day. She didn't have any long-range communication spells; she'd always used Spike for that. Wincing at a stab of pain from her twisted wing, she firmly resolved to remedy all of those flaws in the future, but that didn't help her much right then.

Oh, but there was one spell that was relevant to her current plight. There was the spell used to slow down falling. That could probably have been useful.

There was a soft thud as Twilight gently thumped the side of her head against a tree, sighing deeply. Okay. She could cast the falling spell, and try teleporting again. If she ended up high in the air, she'd just float down to the ground. In fact, if she tried teleporting a few times, maybe she'd wrestle some control over the process, and end up somewhere she recognised.

On the other hand, maybe she'd materialise inside a mountain. Bamf. Instant fossil. The spell was supposed to stop things like that happening, but clearly something wasn't working right, and a malfunctioning teleport spell was the very archetype of magic that would get somepony hurt. That should probably be a last resort.

That gave her a list of actions. First of all, search for signs of other ponies, and follow them if she found any. When it got dark, try sending up flares. When she slept, hope that Luna found her. If she was in sincere danger, or starvation threatened, she could risk trying to teleport again.

Softly, as she pushed aside branches and limped on, she began to sing.

"I'm a long way from home,
And I'm all alone,
And I wonder where I'll-"

"Craww!"

Twilight hesitated, and looked up. There was - yes, there was a large black crow, sitting on a branch high above her.

It looked unimpressed.

"Oh - hello!" she greeted it. "I'm, I'm lost, and I wonder if you could help me? I really need to find somepony, or a road, or something... and if you could please guide me..." Her voice petered out, in the face of the crow's black-eyed stare.

"I... can you understand me? I really would be ever so grateful if you could show me the way. Or bring somepony. Or - or anything, really."

Stare.

"I could get you something nice to eat?" she tried.

Stare.

"Really, I would be so happy if you could-"

Stare.

Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed. "Okay. Nice to meet you." Pushing herself stiffly into motion again, she stepped past the crow's tree, and made her way onwards through a large bush that dragged at her mane and pulled roughly at her tail. Picking herself free, she resumed softly, "And I wonder where I'll-"

"Craaww!"

Twilight stopped, and stared upwards. The crow, glossy and black, was sitting above her again. "Are you following me?"

Stare.

"Apple. Tree. Bicycle. Rhubarb tower custard." She paused, then sang, "I'm a long way from-"

"Crraww!"

"Hey! I - I have a nice singing voice!"

"Craww."

"Everypony thinks so!"

"Craw."

"I break into songs all the time!"

An acorn bounced off Twilight's head.

"I - I don't have to take this from - from a corvid! I'm leaving!"

"Stop following me!"

"Craww?"

"You're probably a hallucination anyway!"

"Craww."

"Go away! I'm tired! I'm lost! It's been hours! I need a drink! I don't have any food! Go away!"

"Crrawww!"

The light was dimming in the sky. It had been a while since she'd last seen the awful crow, but at least watching for it, and waiting for another acorn to bounce off her head, had taken her mind off how stiff and exhausted she was. A little while ago, she'd spotted what looked like a smudge of smoke above the treetops, and with few alternatives, she'd hung her hopes on it. With a target to aim for, the effort of forcing her way through the dense forest was even more trying, but all of a sudden, with little warning, she broke out of the tree line, and emerged into a clearing.

Twilight rocked to a halt, looking around herself. There was the overgrown suggestion of a cart track disappearing off between the densely packed trunks, though in every other direction the trees swiftly closed in again. None of that mattered to her right that moment, though, because there, sat back against one edge of the open, grassy space stood a stout wooden cottage. Smoke curled quietly from the chimney. And there, dozing on the front porch in a rocking chair, was a middle-aged brown colt with a greying mane.

Her heart jumped in her chest. Water! Food! Help! She was still in Equestria! A secret fear, barely acknowledged, had been gnawing at her for a while; she might have teleported so far, she'd become lost in some other country altogether. Stumbling, moving stiff-legged, she approached the house, and sagged against the pillar at the foot of the porch. Her mouth opened, but only a croak emerged.

It was enough to stir the dozing pony from his nap. There was a snort, as a snore was interrupted, and one faded blue eye opened. His gaze travelled over Twilight, taking in her bedraggled mane, the ragged shreds of her dress, and her awkwardly positioned wings, before lingering on her horn.

"Hello," managed Twilight, her voice hoarse.

His other eye opened slowly. He stared at her for a few moments longer.

"Hey, Daisy?" he called back towards the house, without looking away from Twilight.

"What is it?" A voice floated out of an open window, distinctly female.

He shifted position slightly on his chair. "Reckon there's a Princess here to see us," he called back conversationally.

There was a snort from within the house. "Oh, of course there is. Would that be the Sun Princess? Or the Princess of the Crystal Empire come visiting? Or has Nightmare Moon come for tea?"

He gave Twilight another up and down stare. "Don't think it's any of them. A purple one."

"A purple Princess. What kind of colour is that for a Princess, anyway? Have you been drinking that moonshine I threw out?"

"Yup," he confirmed amiably.

"Well, then."

"She's still here, though."

"Oh, of course. What would your imaginary purple Princess want with simple folk like us, anyway?"

"Dunno." His head turned slightly more towards Twilight, and he added at a more normal volume, "Something you need?"

Twilight had watched this back and forth with a kind of flat bewilderment, her body collapsed against the porch post. She considered herself to be a smart, witty pony, and under most circumstances she was, but in her current state, her reaction time was measured in minutes. As she was directly addressed, however, she finally managed, "I - I'm lost. I'm not sure where I am. Could you tell me how to get back to Canterlot?"

"Say's she's lost. Looking for Canterlot."

"Oh, for goodness sakes, Spruce." A white mare stepped out of the cottage, wearing a simple dress with an intricate flower pattern embroidered into it. Her blonde mane and tail were done up in short, practical loops that kept them out of the way. "I threw out that liquor for a reason you... know..."

Her eyes settled on Twilight, and grew wide. "Uh, buh, I - who are you?"

"I'm Twilight Sparkle." That didn't seem sufficient. Twilight considered for a moment, then added a feeble little wave. "Hi."

"Purple. Purple Princess. I - you're purple."

That was definitely true, Twilight concluded after a moment.

"But - but you're an alicorn! How have I never heard of you?" Daisy stammered.

"Told you," interjected Spruce calmly from his rocking chair.

"I, um. Only ascended recently. I don't normally wear a crown." Twilight prodded her crooked crown straight with her finger, nervously. "It's just - I was crowned today. Then I had a little magic accident. Um. Could you tell me where I am, please?"

Given Daisy's natural colouration, it was hard to tell whether she'd gone pale, but there was a certain greyness about her face. Throwing herself down onto her knees and bowing full-length, flat against the porch floorboards, she gasped, "I'm so sorry, Princess! I'm so sorry I didn't know who you were, and I didn't come out, and I... I made fun of you being purple...!" Her voice strangled off into a little squeak.

"Please - don't do that, I'm just another pony, like you. Please, just call me Twilight-" Twilight blurted, appalled by the mare's evident fear and upset. Taking a step away from the post, she was brought up sharply by an agonising twinge that pulled a short, sharp gasp from her.

Daisy looked up, and covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh, my stars. You're hurt. Spruce! I swear, I will kick your tail all the way to Canterlot, why didn't you do something for her? Go and fetch the medicine satchel!"

She approached Twilight very carefully, as if the alicorn might suddenly explode, while Spruce heaved himself out of his rocking chair and disappeared into the house. "Don't mind him, please, Princess, I'm very sorry. Oh, my dear... you're all bruised and scratched. You look like you've been in a terrible fight. Did something happen?"

Twilight let her hand be taken, and followed Daisy into the shade of the porch. Sinking onto a padded bench seat, she repressed a small whimper of relief as her aching body relaxed a little. "A teleportation spell went wrong. I fell into the forest. I really don't know where I am, at all."

"Why - you're in the eastern woods. We're nearly on the border of Equestria, out here. It's a long way back to Canterlot." Daisy seemed to catch herself addressing Twilight casually, and added quickly, "I'm very sorry, Princess. I'll go and help Spruce find the medicine bag. You know how he is. Or - well, you don't, but if you knew him, you would."

Very carefully rearranging her injured wing, Twilight watched her scurry away into the house, with distinctly mixed feelings. She was incredibly glad to have found somepony to help her, but the way her presence terrified Daisy was making her deeply uncomfortable.

What was wrong with being a purple Princess, anyway? She'd never know, she supposed. Asking Daisy would probably make the poor mare implode.

A few moments later, Daisy hustled back out with an old satchel. Spruce followed her, leaning against the doorframe and watching as she approached Twilight. "I've got some useful ointment for scratches and bruises, and I think you're going to need a lot of it. Is your wing hurting you?"

Twilight nodded. "It is. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I really hurt myself on the way down. I'm - they're new. I don't actually know how to fly with them yet. I'm kind of a rubbish Princess."

Daisy blinked, pausing in the act of taking out a pair of jars from the satchel. "You have to learn how to use your wings?"

"Yes, kind of. I was putting it off, but I guess I should have worked harder at it." Twilight winced. "I'm learning a lot today."

"Well... if you can't fly, you aren't going to go anywhere quickly," Daisy replied uncertainly, as she carefully took Twilight's arm. "I can't really do much for your wing, either. I've never had to look after a hurt pegasus before. Or, uh. An alicorn."

That was bad. The longer it went untreated, the more difficult it would be to mend. Hiding her worry, Twilight gently shifted position to make it easier for Daisy to apply cream around her right eye. "It's okay. I'm so sorry to impose, but - if you have any water to drink, and a place to sleep, that would be the most wonderful thing."

"I - yes! Of course. At once, Princess."

That place to sleep turned out to be their own bed. Twilight had hoped for a guest room, but the room that Daisy had shown her to, skittishly and with frequent bobbing apologies for its inadequacy, was unmistakably lived in. Refusing it would have no doubt upset Daisy terribly, so she'd guiltily let the two sort out their own arrangements. They were probably bedded down on the floor somewhere, in a heap of blankets. Surely they'd have plenty of spare blankets. Little isolated homes like this always did, for when winter came.

Twilight rolled over again.

Sleep was important. Dreaming deeply enough for Luna to find her was the best way to let everypony know what had happened. She really didn't want to end up asking Spruce to pull her on his cart all the way to the nearest town, which was apparently a good half-day's travel, and she was in no fit state to walk any further herself.

Unfortunately, sleep was the exact thing that had managed to completely elude her. Her body ached head to toe, and even her magic twinged now and then. Her wing was a bar of fitful pain, spiking every time she shifted even slightly. Together with the unfamiliar surroundings and her racing thoughts, the overall effect was that every time she dropped off to sleep, she jerked groggily back into wakefulness a few minutes later. She grimly suspected that if she did manage to dream, it would involve falling, and birds that didn't appreciate singing.

It had been hours since she'd lain down to sleep. It felt like eons.

She glanced again at the little window. It had to be nearing dawn by now, but it was still incredibly dark outside, and there was only the barest hint of shapes, black on black, shifting slightly in the breeze. Living in the cabin where Luna had kept Trixie must have been like this, a little isolated space of warmth and light with a lot of darkness outside. She'd never actually asked Trixie how it had been, living there. Or, now that it occurred to her, apologised for her kidnapping. It hadn't been on Twilight's instructions, but she had charmed Luna, and if Twilight wasn't responsible for what her ponies did for her, who was?

...in fact, it was so dark out there, it had to be a moonless night. That was what was meant to happen, right? Surely Luna wouldn't have neglected to raise the actual moon.

Twilight tried to remember when the last full moon had been. It had been waxing back when-

A rolling boom of sound rattled the cottage, light flaring and vanishing outside. Twilight jerked upright instinctively, gasping with pain as her stiff body protested. Had that been lightning? There was some kind of lingering glow outside, lighting up the clearing. Shifting shadows played across room.

"Twilight Sparkle! Art thou here?"

The words thundered through the house, rattling the windows, and Twilight found herself giggling in surprise. Either Luna had found her, or she was in the midst of a classically educated thunderstorm. Slowly and awkwardly, she pushed herself out of bed and stood up, clad only in a nightdress that was a lot longer on Daisy than it was on her. The door opened under her hand, and she hurried out through the living room, emerging on the front porch.

A quartet of ponies hung in the air over the clearing. Luna's wide wings moved with majestic slowness, framing a figure armoured in midnight blacks and blues. Her glorious mane and tail billowed, and a light glowed at the tip of her horn. Above her, Rainbow, Lightning and Spitfire hovered, the two Wonderbolts in their uniforms, while Rainbow wore scant more than her underwear.

A shiver ran through Twilight as she took in the look on Luna's face. She was imposing. "I'm here! I'm here," she called out as loudly as she could.

A half-second later, Luna's body impacted hers as the Princess swooped down and seized her tightly. Despite her best efforts, Twilight couldn't help yelping in pain. Luna's embrace loosened instantly, and she stepped back enough to take in Twilight properly. A short, sharp gasp escaped her.

"You are hurt," Luna whispered, her quiet all the more intense by contrast to her thundering words. Behind her, Rainbow Dash landed, leaving the other two watchfully hovering above.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Twi, I didn't - you didn't have to - I didn't mean to make you run off!" Rainbow burst out, her scratchy voice throaty and upset.

Twilight blinked. Oh. Yes, of course, Rainbow had said that, and she'd gone, and so... oh, dear. "It was an accident! It wasn't your fault. I - my magic went out of control, I teleported out here. Well," she added with feeble humour, "I teleported up there, and then I fell down."

Rainbow stared at her. "But-"

"I don't know how to fly," Twilight added quickly. Looking up into Luna's frowning face, she gave a wobbly smile, and carefully leaned her head against the taller mare's breastplate. "I tried to stop myself falling, but I think I might have... broken something." She heard the shakiness in her voice, and her face flushed in quiet embarrassment.

"So, it wasn't... what I said?" asked Rainbow uncertainly.

"No, of course not. I'm so sorry that you were worried about that. I just didn't know how to let you know where I was. How did you find me?"

Luna gestured briefly at the lightning bolt choker around Rainbow's neck. "The Elements reach out for one another when separated. My sister knows the manner in which to make them indicate the direction the others lie, though it took time before the seeking spell stabilised. That is not important. You will come with me to Canterlot, at once."

She'd probably left traces of the Element's presence everywhere she teleported. When she was in a fit state to think about it, she'd have to experiment a bit. But, as Luna lifted her carefully off her feet, she protested, "Wait! I need to say thank you, and sorry, to Spruce and Daisy. They helped me, when I found their cottage."

"Spruce! Daisy! I thank thee from the bottom of my heart for thy aid. I shall take thy cart. It shall be returned swiftly, I promise thee."

Twilight ducked as the Royal Canterlot Voice boomed out above her head, ringing in her skull and reminding her of the rather nasty headache she'd acquired somewhere in the confusion of branches on the way down. It might have been her imagination, but she thought she could just make out, on the edge of hearing, a small voice squeaking, 'Y-y-you're welcome!'

"There, it is done," Luna said firmly. Crossing the clearing in a few strides, she set Twilight down in the broad wooden cart with infinite care. Without looking up, she added, "Fetch Twilight blankets. She will need padding for the journey back to Canterlot."

"At once, Princess," replied Spitfire crisply, who had drifted down to hover barely above the ground. "Lightning, with me." The two Wonderbolts disappeared into the cottage.

"But- I've already caused them such trouble!" protested Twilight feebly. "I can't take more of their things."

"I shall have their cart returned full of bits, Twilight, I promise thee. But for now, I will brook no disagreement. You are torn and bruised from horn to toes. You look as though you have been beaten. You will be returned to where you may be cared for."

There was an intensity in Luna's voice that was actually a little frightening. It looked a lot like she'd guessed that Twilight had been kidnapped, and had garbed herself for all-out combat. She was accompanied by three of the fastest fliers in Equestria, too, which raised the question of how fast, exactly, Luna could fly when she really, really meant it. Then, after working herself up to take on anything, there was nothing to fight. It would not be a good idea for anything to get in their way on the way back.

"Luna? Do you have any way to send word back to Canterlot that I'm okay?" Twilight asked. The others must be just as worried, and without the ability to travel as fast as these four.

"I do not have any treated parchment with me. I apologise for that. I departed in haste."

"Then - Rainbow! I need you. Can you go ahead, and tell everypony that I'm okay?"

"Well - yeah, I could, but-" Rainbow began hesitantly.

"I know you don't want to leave me. I don't want you to go. But think of how worried you were, when you didn't know what had happened to me. The others are all feeling that, right now, and they can't even do anything about it. You're the fastest flier in Equestria. Unless..." It was Twilight's turn to pause. "You did fly all the way out here, and I'm sure you didn't rest on the way, either. Maybe it would be better for you to take a little time to recover." It sounded like a jab at Rainbow's pride, and even though she meant every word, Twilight knew there would be no stopping the flier now.

Predictably, Rainbow vibrated with indignation. "You think I need a nap? I'll be back there before the rest of you are halfway home." Bending over the cart, she leant down and kissed Twilight, moving with a care that was foreign to the pegasus, before she leapt into the air. In seconds she was a fading streak of rainbow light, a low boom rumbling out in her wake.

Luna watched her go, and nodded. "That is as well. My sister was as intent on finding thee as I am, but we dared not leave Canterlot unguarded if some force had chosen thy coronation to strike." Stepping closer to the cart as Spitfire and Lightning Dust returned, she carefully lifted Twilight, and directed the two mares to lay out the blankets beneath Twilight before she set her down again.

Being treated with such care was something between comforting and embarrassing. Twilight chose to go with the former, and relaxed carefully into the nest of thick, old blankets. Catching Spitfire's eye, she murmured, "Thank you, very much, for coming here. Both of you."

Spitfire briefly straightened to attention, and replied firmly, "Pleasure to do our duty, Ma'am."

The two went to take the shafts of the cart, but Luna waved them away with a flick of her hand and moved between the shafts herself. Her vast wings spread. A faint shimmer coated the old wood as magic crawled over it, then she pulled smoothly into the air, drawing the cart after her as if it weighed no more than a feather. Twilight caught a last glimpse of the tiny cottage, its windows glowing in the night, before it disappeared behind the trees.

Well. Her first outing as Princess could have gone better. A lot better. On the other hand, she could have broken her neck on the way down through the trees, but 'I didn't die the first time I stepped outside' was a pretty low bar to clear.

Her head turned towards Spitfire, then Lightning. There was definitely a distance there that hadn't been there before. It made her miss the intimacy she'd felt from them when she was preparing to fight Celestia.

...of course, that was because she'd enchanted them, and rewritten their loyalties to revolve around her. At least she'd managed not to take advantage of them more than that. Again, though, in terms of morals, that was a pretty low bar to clear. Maybe there was a way to recapture some of that, that didn't require breaking her promises to do better. She'd have to think about it.

Landscape rushing by beneath her, Twilight surrendered to sleep.

Author's Notes:

As I was writing this chapter, I set up a spreadsheet to randomly assign ponies seats. Cadance ended up next to Twilight, where I was going to put her anyway, but Rainbow's assignment next to her really was pure chance, and if it had gone differently, that lovely discussion between them wouldn't have happened. I'm glad it did