GAH! I was late! Nooooooooo!
...Oh well. For those of you cursing me for posting late, I apologize. Life comes out swinging sometimes. But heres the promised chapter!
And to my dear Dragon, hey, romance isn't for everyone. But I really do love writing Tyr and Luna's relationships. I'll be sure to warn you when the sappy chapters are coming up. :D
And to all my other commenters, thanks for your support! I have a lot of fun writing the intimate moments between my primary couple, and there will be many more to come. ;)
Chapter 24: Calming the Masses
"Morning," Tyr said, as Luna's eyes opened. He smiled as she gently rubbed her eyes and pulled her hair out of her face.
"Good morning, my beloved." Luna smiled back, happy to once again wake up to his silver eyes. Almost without thinking about it, she reached out to gently caress his face. "…I am surprised. Waking up beside you has become almost natural, and yet… it feels even more special today."
"Probably before long, you'll be known as Luna Hymir." Tyr grinned.
Luna, despite herself, giggled softly. "I think I will quite enjoy that."
Tyr looked like he was thinking for a moment, rubbing his chin and looking at the ceiling. "So… marrying you… does that make me a prince?"
"You will always be my prince, no matter what," Luna said, leaning in to kiss him.
"As you will always be my princess."
"…I love you."
"I love you too, Luna."
They snuggled back together for a moment, before Luna sat up. "I just had a thought."
"What is it?"
"Chrys."
Tyr rolled his eyes. "She's…"
"Right here." Both Tyr and Luna were surprised to hear the familiar voice coming from deep under the covers. Tyr raised the blanket up to find another, naked Luna curled up over his legs. Words escaped him for a moment.
"…The hell?" He managed to say finally.
This second Luna sat up, brushing back her midnight black hair and frowning. Her green eyes flicked between the two of them. "…What?"
Tyr frowned. "…You know, I'm only marrying one Luna."
"Marrying…?" The Chrys looked down at her appearance, and paused in shock. "….oh. That's what you meant. I had thought I had undone this after last night."
"Last night…"
"I suppose none of us seem to remember Tyr's final gift."
The real Luna gasped loudly. "By the night… I remember you coming into the room last night and kissing me, and after that…"
Tyr gasped theatrically. "…No. You two didn't."
"B-beloved, I don't remember!"
Chrys-Luna smiled playfully. She rubbed her stomach, eyes focused on Tyr. "Maybe I'm pregnant now too?"
"Chrysalis!" Luna snapped.
Chrys changed back to normal appearance. She was giggling like mad. "I was only joking, Luna. Even if Master were to… grace me in such a way, I would only get pregnant if I so chose. And I would only do so if Master asked it of me." She glanced over at Tyr. "Unless Master wishes…?"
Tyr frowned. "No, Chrys."
Chrys smiled and nodded. "As you wish. I shall simply enjoy the aftermath of a wonderful birthday party for my Master." She got up, retrieved her clothes from the floor near the door, and slipped out into the hallway. They could hear her giggling as she went back to her room.
"So… did we actually…?" Tyr looked to his new fiancé for clarification.
Luna looked grim. "I believe she talked me into it. And unfortunately… I believe we did."
"...Damn. I would have liked to remember that before she had a chance to tease us about it."
"Well, at least we enjoyed it."
"…Are you using the royal we?"
The awkward question and the inevitable awkward answer was avoided by a sudden scream from upstairs. "DADDY! COME QUICK!"
"That was Sherry," Tyr said, surprised "What on earth…?"
"Whatever it is, it's urgent. Let us go see."
The two of them quickly got dressed and hurried down the long hall to where Chrys and Sherry were standing outside of one of the empty rooms. Well, formerly empty, as the newly engaged couple slid to a stop in front of the room. "Okay, now I'm really starting to believe Celestia managed to spike the punch last night," Tyr said, rubbing his eyes.
The formerly empty room was now plain white, and it seemed eerily quiet inside. Set along the walls were a quartet of flat screen TVs, and set in front of each of them was a gleaming silver PlayStation. Several very expensive looking couches were arranged in a semicircle in front of them. And last but not least, a mini fridge sat against the far wall. The four of them stared at the room for a long time. "This is… remarkable," Luna murmured, entering the room.
"How did this happen?" Chrys asked, in awe.
"I was wondering that same thing myself," Tyr said, glancing over at his daughter. Sherry was frowning, and staring down at her hands. "Sherry?"
"I had a dream last night…" The young girl shook her head. "It's not possible."
"Sherry, what is it?"
"I had a dream like this where we got a new game room," His daughter said. "It was a very vivid dream, and now… It's real."
"You saw it in a dream…?"
"Beloved, look!" Luna called out. "All your old games… they are here!"
Chrys frowned as she examined a CD shelf holder. "Indeed. Along with a few I do not believe you owned before."
"Well, whatever freak of reality caused this, I guess I have to thank it," Tyr said with a chuckle. He patted Sherry on the head. "Best not to question it too hard."
"I… I suppose you're right, dad." Sherry smiled up at her father.
"Before we go about getting acquainted with all of our…" Tyr shivered at the prospect of playing video games again. "…New equipment, let's go get something to eat first."
"Seconded," Luna giggled. "Although I am quite eager at his moment, I cannot neglect the needs of my body. Come everyone. Let's eat."
"Oh!" Sherry perked up. "Dad, c-can I make breakfast today?"
Tyr blinked, a little surprised by the sudden request from his daughter. His surprise quickly gave way to pride as he said, "Sure, sweetie. Go ahead."
"Yay!" She giggled and skipped downstairs. The others followed, moving into the smaller dining area. To their mild surprise, they found Celestia waiting for them with a nervous looking young man. She was delicately sipping at a cup of tea.
"Ah, Tyr, Lulu. Good to see you up."
"Should I change my locks…?" Tyr murmured slightly, he and Luna taking seats at the small dinner table. Sherry and Chrys went into the kitchen to begin working on breakfast. Celestia giggled softly.
"Oh, I'd just use my magic to get in again."
"So to what do we owe the pleasure?" Luna asked. She glanced over at the nervous man. "And who is this man you brought into our home?"
"This man is a messenger from the city council and the mayor," Celestia said. "Frank… er. Franz? Fritz? Er… Frankie?"
"Frederick, ma'am," the man managed to choke out.
"Ah! Fred then." Celestia smiled warmly.
Tyr narrowed his eyes. The man looked extremely uncomfortable seated at the table. While Celestia was quietly sipping at her tea, Luna and Tyr were staring at him. The Midnight Princess was looking at him with disinterest, while Tyr was viewing him as an unwanted house guest. "So, Fred. Why are you here?"
Fred swallowed hard. "I um… was sent to…"
"Spit it out already." Luna said flatly.
"The city was calling a meeting!" Fred stammered out. "They wanted you and your sister to be at the meeting!"
"Oh, I don't know…" Celestia looked outside. "It is such a beautiful day, is it not?"
"Three words," Luna said. "Magic. Game. Room."
"…What?"
"Explanation later. Need to eat, then game."
"Oh goodness." Celestia turned to the messenger. "As you can see, I do not believe my recluse of a sister wants to leave the house today. I for one do not want to spend such a beautiful day cooped up inside."
Luna scowled. "The night sky would be far more beautiful to walk under, sister. At least then you can look up and see the sky!"
"Oh, don't start this," Tyr said, petting Luna. She calmed down instantly.
"But… the council will be upset if you do not come!" Fred pleaded.
Tyr frowned. "I don't think that's the biggest incentive to go, Freddie."
"They wanted to speak on the events that happened the other day, and what they mean for the town as a whole."
Celestia set her tea down. "…Very well. If I must go to allay their fears and answer their questions, then I will go."
"…Damnable obligations," Luna murmured. "I suppose I must go as well."
"Breakfast is ready!" Sherry called out. She and Chrys came out with a few plates of good-smelling food. "I made some for you Princess Celestia. I um… hope you enjoy."
Celestia took a bite of her food. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Sherry, this is… this is quite good."
"Quite good?" Luna giggled. "It is amazing!"
Tyr pulled Sherry into a one armed hug. "That's my little gourmet chef you're talking about, Tia."
"Oh, a gourmet?" Celestia laughed softly. "Perhaps I should hire Sherry as my personal cook?"
There was silence. Tyr, Luna, Chrys and Celestia kept eating, while Chrys fiddled with her nails. Fred cleared his throat. "Um… the meeting?"
"What about it?" Luna asked, sticking a forkful of eggs into her mouth.
Celestia nodded slightly. "Yes, I see no reason to be in such a hurry."
More silence. Fred looked worried. "B-but… The meeting is in an hour…"
"…That's something you say at the beginning," Tyr said with a sigh.
-x-
The town hall was abuzz with activity. Over two hundred people were trying to talk at once, and a singular man was trying to calm things down and restore order. His efforts were in vain, however, as no one seemed to hear him. "Please, everyone, please, calm down…" Mayor Trent tried to bring order to the room. But the distressed an angry voices were numerous, and he was one man.
"What are we going to do about these Equestrians?"
"They're the reason all these horrible things have happened to our town!"
"We can't put all the blame on them. They helped against the rock creatures, didn't they?"
"That was just mutual survival. If they had had the opportunity, they would have left us to die!"
The arguments and discussions went on, until the front doors of town hall burst open. Celestia and Luna walked in, dressed in outfits reflecting their celestial representations. Celestia's slim golden dress flowed around her ankles as she led the way in. Luna's was more loose and flowy, giving her a mystical look. The four Royal Knights entered as well, Tyr and Grace dressed in black and silver while Ace and Flash wore white and gold. Silence fell as the two Equestrian Princesses entered. Celestia moved her eyes over the crowd, a gentle smile growing on her face. "I hope I didn't miss anything important."
"Lady Celestia," Trent said, relieved. "You've arrived."
"I apologize for our lateness," Luna said sharply, a reminder that she was indeed present. She walked up the middle aisle, Grace and Tyr following. About halfway toward the stage, a man stepped out from the crowd.
"You think you're so important you can have all of us people waiting? I have half a mind to—"
"I'd advise you to step back," Grace said, stepping between the man and Luna. As per her fellow Knight's request, she had left her hair out of any kind of tie and let it fall freely around her face. She took a moment to push it out of the way. "Please."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Not at all, sir. But my lady has a very protective Wolf…" She looked back towards Tyr, who had fixed the man with the darkest gaze. Almost like a wolf warning someone to stay out of their territory. Thus frightened, the man quickly sat down.
"Thank you, sir," Grace said with a smile.
Luna kept moving to the stage, Celestia finally joining her a moment later. The four knights took positions nearby. Tyr and Flash retrieved chair for their princesses to sit in. "So," Celestia said. "What is the issue at hand?"
"We want to know why all these attacks are happening!" A voice demanded.
"These attacks are happening because of human prejudice," Luna pointed out. "In most of these cases, these instances have been dealt with."
"By our own knights, no less," Celestia added. "Actually, in the most recent case, there was no police assistance given."
"So you allow your guards to be armed?" A voice in the crowd
"We're allowed to be," Ace said. He frowned. "If it weren't for being armed, we wouldn't be able to even do our jobs."
"Then how do you explain the swords!?"
"Some things you can't just shoot," Tyr said with a shrug. Ace glanced over at him.
"…I'm still jealous you got a magic sword," Ace told him.
"And I told you, it's not magic."
"Boys," Celestia admonished softly. The two of them went silent. Celestia smiled and turned back to the crowd. "No, we are simply trying to give our guards the ability to do their jobs. To protect the people and they town we live in."
"You mean, protect the Equestrians." A voice sneered. Several other voices added to the complaint, and soon the hall was in an uproar once more. Celestia frowned, but didn't say anything. She glanced over at Luna, mildly surprised to see her boiling with anger.
"They were the primary targets. Why wouldn't they protect their own?" another voice claimed.
"There were humans in the line of fire in the mall, weren't they?"
"Yes, but you didn't see anyone trying to protect them."
"ENOUGH!" Luna said, her magic amplifying her voice. She had surged to her feet, and the shock of the Royal Canterlot Voice had thrown off everyone. Luna lowered her voice, but it was obvious her anger was barely in check. "We have attempted to live in harmony with all of you. But so far, very few humans have given us the opportunity for cooperation. We pose you no threat, but you wish to imagine the worst of us at every turn. The only reason I do not wish the Merge had not happened is because it allowed me to meet the man of my life. And my future husband, Tyr."
The room fell silent. A singular voice spoke up. "Tyr? As in the repairman, Tyr?"
Tyr stepped forward. "That's right. I asked Luna to marry me. And she said yes."
Silence. Celestia frowned. "…I was expecting public outcry, or some such. No? nothing? Oh bother."
"Tyr is well known in our community," Marilyn said, standing up in the crowd. "We can't exactly turn on him like that, can we?"
"We are doing our best to contain these… incidents," Celestia said. "Although considering we don't exactly have a lot of personnel to use."
"So what would you need of me, Lady Celestia?" Mayor Trent asked.
"Cooperation, and understanding from the civilians here." Celestia stood, moving to the front of the stage. "I ask you all to be patient with us. We would not willingly put you all in danger."
There was silence for a long minute. "I… suppose we can do that," A voice called out.
The other members of the crowd seemed to agree with that suggestion. Trent seemed very relieved at that. "Oh, thank you for your calming words, Lady Celestia," He said, nodding several times. Celestia simply smiled.
"Those of us in power do the best we can," Celestia said.
"Yes, yes, quite so."
"I suppose everything has been dealt with then?" Ace asked.
Celestia nodded. "It has. Unless we are needed for something else…?"
Trent nodded. "I was thinking to open the floor for questions, if you do not mind…"
Luna scowled. "This is cutting into my gaming time," She mumbled, just loud enough for Tyr to hear. Her fiancé laughed quietly to himself.
"Calm down, Moony. You'll have plenty of time later."
"…Very well."
Trent called for order once more, and informed the crowd that the princesses would be taking questions. Most questions were directed towards Celestia, although there were a few questions asked of Luna. An hour later, they were free, and the crowd dispersed. "Well, that was quite the Q and A session, was it not?" Celestia chuckled.
"My legs hurt," Flash said. The other three knights laughed at that.
"Can we go now?" Luna asked. "I really want to go play."
Tyr chuckled. "Of course, princess. We can go. Unless your sister needs anything else?" He directed the question at Celestia, who shook her head.
"No, go entertain my sister," the Princess of the Sun said with a small laugh.
Luna jumped to her feet. "Finally! Grace, you will be joining us."
Grace blinked. "Huh? But I've never…"
"Hey, spending time with your Princess helps promote…" Ace paused for a moment. "Huh. Well, playing games with friends is always good."
"Come along then," Luna said, walking briskly out of the town hall. Tyr and Grace followed along behind her. Grace had ridden with Tyr and Luna, so she climbed into the back seat of Tyr's truck. She had to fight a bit to keep her blush down as Tyr and Luna got in as well, pulling away from the town hall.
"I'm… um… honored you want me to join you," Grace said after a long minute.
"Well, Sherry is spending the day with her friends, so we needed a fourth anyway."
"A fourth?"
"That way, the teams are even."
"Chrys will be playing with us," Tyr said.
"Oh…"
"Does that bother you?" Luna asked, looking back at her.
"No, it's just… You really trust a Changeling? After what happened in Canterlot?"
"I was not present for the events that transpired that day," Luna said honestly. "I was only informed of what transpired after the fact."
"I suppose that makes sense then… why you don't have much of a prejudice against her."
"Grace," Tyr said softly, although his tone carried the hint of warning. He had grown very close to the Changeling, and whenever the prejudice against her was brought up he got a little defensive. "Chrys has done her best to be good, and she's been nothing but help to us."
"I'm not trying to say I don't like her," Grace said quickly, feeling as if she had struck a nerve. "I was just curious is all… Hey, look over there!"
Tyr looked where she pointed. A car was sat off the side of the road, hood popped up and a familiar wide back bent over in it. "That's Big Mac, isn't it?"
"Indeed," Luna said. "It looks like he needs help."
"I'll pull over." Tyr did so, coming to a stop a short distance away. The three of them piled out as Big Mac straightened up. "Yo! Mac!"
Big Mac turned at the sound of his name, wiping his brow. "Well, howdy Tyr," He said amiably, his usual small smile crossing his face.
"Car trouble?"
"Eeyup."
"This is not the usual vehicle you drive," Luna pointed out.
"It's mine," a female voice said. A small woman with long, curling rose colored hair came around from the side of the car, dusting off the bright pink dress she wore. She smiled. "Hello, Princess."
"Greetings, Miss Cheerilee," Luna said.
"You're Sherry's teacher," Tyr said, a bit surprised. He had heard her name before, when Sherry was talking about her days at school. Cheerilee tilted her head slightly, a frown crossing her heart-shaped face.
"You're Sherry's father? I don't believe we've met."
"Ah, right, sorry. My name is Tyr Hymir."
"Tyr is my fiancé," Luna said proudly. Cheerilee looked surprised, but a wide smile broke out a moment later.
"Well, congratulations, Princess Luna. From what I've heard from Sherry, Tyr is a very good person."
Big Mac nodded. "Eeyup."
"Mind if I take a look?" Tyr said, gesturing to the car. Big Mac nodded and stepped aside, making room for him to get to the engine.
"What happened?" Grace asked.
"We were going out to dinner, and the car stalled on us," Cheerilee said, frowning. Mac tried to fix it, but machinery like this isn't his forte."
"Nope," Big Mac agreed.
"Man of few words," Grace observed.
"Mac says enough," Cheerilee said with a small laugh. She glanced over at the two men. "Any luck?"
"The battery is dead," Tyr said, straightening up. "Grace, there's a set of wires in the back of the truck. Get them for me, please?"
"Yes sir," Grace said, moving to retrieve the cables. As she came back with them, Tyr popped open the hood of the truck. "What are you going to do with those?"
"I'm going to jump them," Tyr said, taking the cables from her. He was rewarded with several blank stares from the four Equestrians. He chuckled. "Heh… sometimes I forget how little you guys know of human technology. I'm going to connect the battery of my truck to Cheerilee's. When I rev the engine, it should give Cheerilee's car enough power to run and get rolling."
There was a collective 'Oh' from the women. Big Mac simply nodded his understanding. Tyr quickly connected the wires and jumped back behind the wheel of his vehicle. A few revs of the engine later, and Cheerilee's motor growled in response. The teacher clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, thank you so much, Tyr! You're a lifesaver!"
"I didn't do anything that amazing," Tyr replied, chuckling. He got back out of the truck and disconnected the wires, tossing them back into his vehicle.
"Thanks, Tyr," Big Mac said, in his soft yet gruff voice. He lowered the hood of Cheerilee's car.
"Like I said, no problem." He turned back to Cheerilee. "Just make sure to not leave the engine running idly for too long at a time."
"I will do just that," Cheerilee said.
"Now you two can get back to your date," Luna teased. Both Cheerilee and Big Mac blushed at that, looking away shyly. The princess and her two knights laughed a little at that.
"Thanks again for your help, Tyr," Cheerilee said as she and Big Mac got into her car. "Tell Sherry I said hello!"
They drove away, leaving Tyr and the two girls to get back into their own vehicle. IT was only a few more minutes before they reached Tyr's home. However, the scene that greeted them when they opened the front door made them all pause. Chrys was kneeling in front of the door, hands folded respectfully in her lap. She smiled softly as they stood in the doorway, staring down at her. "Welcome home, Master, Mistress."
"Mistress…?" Luna repeated, looking at Tyr. He shook his head, turning back to his Changeling.
"Chrys. What the hell…?" He trailed off. Chrys was looking at him expectantly, and he glanced down at her lap. "…You didn't."
"It was a last gift," Chrys said, her small smile growing. "You hadn't noticed it. I had nothing to do with it. I believe it was intended as a joke, Master. But as I see it…"
"What are you two talking about…?" Grace asked. She too froze as she saw the item in question.
"Master," Chrys said, lifting up the leash slightly. "I humbly request that you take me on a walk."
-x-
"So you're sure about this?" Dash asked for what seemed the umpteenth time. Ace chuckled, reaching over to pull her into a one armed hug.
"Sure I'm sure, Dashie. This is something I've wanted to do for a while now." He smiled.
Scootaloo blinked. "Really?"
"By Celestia, I want to get this over with. If only to get you two to stop asking me."
The trio stood outside of a nondescript building that looked relatively new. A small sign sat just to the left of the door: 'Equestrian Adoption Services'. Despite his assurances to the two girls with him, Ace was feeling a little nervous. He wasn't going to show that in front of them, however as he pushed the door open. The inside of the building was stark white, and a long counter sat in the middle, barring access to the rear rooms. A blonde woman was sitting there, and she looked up as they entered. "…Can I help you?"
"Yes, I believe you can." Ace strode directly up to the desk, leaning over onto it with one arm and dropping a folder on the flat surface. "I'd like to make an adoption."
"I see." The woman leaned forward to rifle through the folder. She was an Equestrian, Ace noticed, spotting her tail swishing slightly side to side. She paused slightly. "Mr. Ace Guard?"
"Yes?"
The girl looked up at him. "As in, the Royal Knight, Ace Guard? Oh dear Celestia, I've heard so much about you!"
"…Really?"
"Yes!" The girl nodded excitedly. She unfurled a pair of golden wings from her back. "I'm a Pegasus too. I'm a huge fan!"
"A fan, huh…" Ace grinned and rubbed at his hair. He'd never heard of having any fans. I guess when you're devoted to the job, you don't notice. "Well, nice to hear it."
Dash cleared her throat loudly, moving up beside Ace. The girl at the counter blinked. "Uh… um…"
"Rainbow Dash, Element of Harmony and his fiancé," She said shortly, smiling. "Nice to meet you."
"Oh! Um… oh, I'm sorry I just…"
"It's fine," Ace said, smiling. "So… about the whole adoption thing…?"
"Ah, right right, what's the name of the child you're adopting?"
"Scootaloo," Ace said, turning slightly to reveal the girl in question.
"Ah, I see. Well, follow me." The girl led Ace to one of the back rooms before returning a moment later. Dash and Scootaloo went and sat in a nearby chair. Scootaloo seemed a bit nervous.
"Something up, squirt?" Dash asked.
"What if… what if they tell him no?" Scootaloo asked
"Tell him no…? Now why would they do that?"
"I dunno, I'm just… worried."
"Hey. Ace would go to Princess Celestia herself if it meant he could be your dad."
"…mm."
"Scoots…" Dash put a hand on her head. "Ace and I love you dearly, kid. No matter what, we're going to be with you. Got that?"
"Okay." She ruffled Scootaloo's hair playfully, finally getting the younger girl to smile. The two of them sat in a more or less restrained silence. Almost ten minutes later, Ace returned, a solemn look on his face.
"So? How did it go?" Dash asked, rising as he approached. "What did they say?"
Ace kept his solemn look for only a moment longer before breaking out into a wide grin. "I am not the proud father of a Miss Scootaloo."
Scootaloo's eyes widened as she and Dash shared a long gasp. "R-really?" Scootaloo managed to choke out.
"Yep! So from now on, you have to call me dad—oof!" He managed to get out the majority of what he was saying before Scootaloo jumped into him, burying her face in his chest. She was crying, but it was obvious that they were tears of joy.
"Guess we should hurry up and get married then, so she can start calling me Mom," Dash joked.
"What, you want to beat Tyr and Luna?" Ace grinned. "Didn't realize this was a race, Dashie."
Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. Ace had taken to her rather feminine nickname eagerly, and every time she heard him say it a smile came to her face. She was so in love with this man, and each moment with him solidified her loyalty to him. And now the two of them would be becoming parents to Scootaloo. It wasn't a race, to be honest. She was simply eager to move their lives together to the next stage. She chuckled softly. "I mean, if it's a race to be happy first, I think they already won."
-x-
Rarity took a deep breath, savoring the smell of cakes and chocolate and other sweets. Despite spending a lot of time with Pinkie Pie, the seamstress hardly came to Sugarcube Corner to eat. Today was an exception, however, as she slid into a booth near the far wall. Pinkie was fielding a number of orders, moving around erratically as she cycled between taking orders and delivering them. She gave Rarity an apologetic smile as she moved to serve each person. Rarity simply smiled back. She knew what it was like to have an overabundance of orders to fill at once. She instead sat quietly, waiting until a young, familiar voice spoke up.
"Did you need something, Rarity?" Sherry asked, a small smile on her face.
"Oh, hello darling!" Rarity smiled. "Don't you just look adorable?"
Sherry was wearing a bright yellow apron with dandelions on it, and she had put her hair up into a bun tied with a silver bow. She blushed a little. "T-thank you."
"So you're helping Pinkie Pie again today?"
"The Cakes put her in charge of the store while they make a big delivery," Sherry told her. "She asked me to help out."
"So is my sister here?"
"They're in the kitchen," Sherry said, a little worried. "I know Applebloom can handle cooking, but Sweetie Bell…"
"I know my sister is not the best cook," Rarity said, a small chuckle escaping her mouth. She stood up. "…Do you have any extra aprons?"
"Huh?"
"I'd like to help out, if I may," Rarity said, smiling.
Sherry looked extremely surprised. "I…uh… sure! Just give me a second!" She turned and went back into the kitchen, Rarity following behind. Pinkie looked a little confused as she passed by, but Rarity simply smiled and went back into the kitchen. She was greeted by an almost comical sight. Applebloom was standing over Sweetie bell, a wooden spoon held in her hands while Rarity's little sister stood at the counter. Sweetie Bell was mixing ingredients in a bowl while reading off a recipe. As Rarity watched, Sweetie Bell moved to get a cup full of something, only to have Applebloom smack her hand with the spoon.
"Ow!"
"You don't need that yet," Applebloom snapped, frowning. "You reading ahead again?"
"No," Sweetie Bell muttered, rubbing the back of her hand. "That hurt, Applebloom."
"It was supposed ta."
"Come on guys," Sherry said with a sigh. "We can't fall behind! Pinkie is counting on us."
"Well, tell that to Sweetie," Applebloom said.
"I'll help her, darling," Rarity said, getting a plain white apron and putting it on. She shivered a little at the rough fabric of the apron. She would have to make the Cakes some much better ones some time.
"Thank you," Applebloom said, popping Sweetie Bell's hand once more as she tried to mix eggs into something that looked vaguely like cake batter.
"Ow!" Sweetie Bell hissed.
Rarity moved over beside her sister, quickly taking control of the mixture and getting it back to a normal color. Sweetie Bell stayed beside her sister, not asking to help, but simply watching. Her older sister was a bit surprised to not have her pestering her, but was content to simply let her watch. Applebloom, now released from her overseeing, moved to the other side of the kitchen to go on making other treats. Sherry was working at full steam, almost moving like a machine. However there was a bright smile on her face, as she eagerly made tray after tray of sweet deserts without pause. She was like Rarity when inspiration hit her, Rarity thought. That idea made her smile as well. She focused on what she was doing, making sure she didn't let down the young girls around her.
It was a couple hours later when the tide of customers began to slow enough for Pinkie to leave the front counter. She was all smiles as she embraced her girlfriend. "Rare-bear! I didn't expect you to just come in and start baking!"
"Well, I couldn't just leave you with no help, dear," Rarity said, wiping off her hands before hugging Pinkie back. "Besides, the girls looked like they needed help anyway. You know it's in my nature to help."
Pinkie giggled. "Yeah, you're right. To be honest, I was worried when I saw all those people start coming in. But you and Sherry and Applebloom and Sweetie Bell really helped me out."
"Always happy to help," Sherry said.
"By the by," She said, turning to the younger pink haired girl. Standing across from each other, Rarity could almost claim the two were sisters, with the only major difference being the wildness of Pinkie's hair. "You were making some of your original stuff back here, weren't you?"
"Um… yeah. I was kinda just going with the flow. Was that wrong?"
"No! They loved it!" Pinkie giggled. "You've got a really good taste when it comes to sweets, Sherry. You're a much better baker than me!"
"I wouldn't say that," Sherry said, smiling and blushing.
"No, you have a real talent for that, darling," Rarity said, agreeing with Pinkie. "I was simply following a recipe. You were inventing."
"Well… thank you," Sherry blushed a little harder, the attention and praise.
"Oh, by Celestia, if you keep acting like that we'll be calling you the Element of Humility," Rarity said with a chuckle.
"Can there be more Elements?" Applebloom asked suddenly. Pinkie and Rarity paused at that, neither completely sure. After giving the Elements back to the Tree of Harmony, the six Elements of Harmony had been granted the fabled Rainbow Magic in order to defeat Tirek, an ancient centaur who had tried to take over Equestria. Afterwards, the Elements had stayed within the tree, and the tree itself had gone dormant. According to Celestia, the powers the Elements carried still resided within them, but who could tell if the world they now lived in had Elements of its own?
"I… I am not sure, Applebloom," Rarity said, frowning.
"Princess Celestia says that there were only six Elements though," Sweetie Bell pointed out. "Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Magic."
"But there's a lot we don't know about the human world," Sherry said. "From what I've seen, anything is possible now that our magic has come over. Like this." She held up the cube she still wore around her neck.
"What is that thing anyway" Pinkie asked. "Is it a toy?"
"No. Mr. Jehu said it was an ancient relic. And as far as I can tell, it's not Equestrian."
"That means…" Rarity thought for a moment. "Darling, you're not suggesting that object is human…?"
"I am." Sherry nodded. "I mean, I don't have a whole lot of experience with magic, but even you can't deny it's not Unicorn made, Rarity."
"That… that is true. I for one wouldn't be caught dead making something so… woefully inelegant."
"So a human made it?" Pinkie frowned. "I thought humans didn't have magic?"
Sherry thought back to her meeting with Jehu and Mercy. They were human… right? Or anything, they were more than human. Jehu had fought creatures made of stone with his bare hands, and Mercy was part cat. Maybe there was magic that humans had but it wasn't so widespread like in Equestria…? "You seem deep in thought, darling," Rarity said, snapping Sherry from her train of thought.
"I just…" She sighed. "I wish I could talk to Mr. Jehu again…"
Her phone, on a nearby counter rang. "Is that your dad?" Pinkie asked. Sherry shook her head as she picked it up.
"I have a special ringtone for dad," She said, frowning. She pressed the answer button and held it up to her ear. "…Hello?" The voice that greeted her sent a shiver down her spine.
"I believe you needed to speak to me?" Jehu replied through the phone, the hint of a laugh in his voice.
-x-
It was quiet in the small home Celestia maintained, as it was usually. It was decorated with a number of objects that depicted the sun or other stages of daytime, along with a decently large photo of her and Luna together. The two princesses were smiling, Celestia's arm around her younger sister in a loving gesture. It was her favorite picture of the two, and she had it on display in the middle of her living room. She sipped delicately at her cup of tea, eyes wandering over her two guests. Both were obviously nervous, as this would be the first time anyone had been inside of her home besides Luna. "You two don't have to be so nervous," Celestia said with a chuckle.
"We're inside your house," Twilight said with a small cough.
"What's more, you invited us," Flash agreed.
"I just wanted to talk to you both," Celestia said. She took another sip of tea. "Of note, what do you both think about the state of affairs in this town?"
"The town?" Flash frowned. "Well… this town is about as prone to problems as Ponyville was."
"I agree with Flash," Twilight said. "Although having you and Princess Luna around to help out has made things a little easier."
"Along with Tyr," Flash added.
"Ah yes, Tyr." Celestia nodded slightly. "He has been quite instrumental in resolving several of the more recent crises, hasn't he?"
"That he has. I admit, I had my doubts before…"
"But now that he has magic, it changes a lot," Twilight said. At that comment, Celestia set her cup of tea down. Both Twilight and Flash perked up at that, knowing that the Princess of the Sun was about to talk about something important.
"That is mainly what I wished to talk to you about," Celestia said, confirming their fears. "Tyr's magic."
"I agree," Twilight said, quickly nodding. "I thought it was impossible for humans to use magic?"
"At least magic as we understand it," Celestia pointed out. "To be perfectly frank, magic exists in this world."
Both Twilight and Flash started at that. "That's not possible!" They both said in unison. Celestia chuckled softly.
"Nice to see you both are so in tune," She said.
Twilight and Flash shared a look before both blushed a bit. "R-right…" Twilight murmured.
"Regardless, my point still stands. How else do we explain our mana regenerating? Or Tyr managing to gain magical powers simply through exposure to them?"
"Chrysalis said she mixed her DNA with his," Flash said thoughtfully. "So maybe he gained magic that way?"
"He would have gained her ability to change appearance then," Twilight said, shooting down that idea. "Not his own, unique kind of magic."
Celestia nodded. "We also have not seen any other humans gaining magic through exposure like that, and many have been healed by our doctors."
"…Point taken." Flash sighed.
Twilight turned to Celestia. "What do you think, Princess?"
"I believe there are things in play here that we do not truly understand," Celestia said. "Our magic has come into this world; that much is true. But what already existed here is beyond my knowledge."
"So then… what is Tyr then?" Flash asked. "If he isn't a normal human…"
"That much is unknown, Flash Sentry. But I do know this: whatever Tyr may be, he is wholly devoted to Luna and his family. He is our friend."
"I second that," Twilight said. "Honestly, I think I've spent the least amount of time with him, and I'm the Princess of Friendship. But he is kind, and a good person. I doubt Applejack, Fluttershy or even Rarity would have befriended him otherwise."
"Plus, he even gained Dash's approval," Flash added. "And she would never do that unless she trusted him."
"I'm glad you both think so highly of him," Celestia said, smiling. "I myself almost wish I had met him before Luna…"
"Princess," Flash admonished, with a small chuckle.
"What, I cannot wish for love myself?" Celestia laughed. "However, I will not deny my sister her love. I am simply happy she is happy."
"You've probably got plenty of time to find a guy to love, Princess Celestia."
"Actually…" Twilight said, thoughtfully. "That brings up something I wished to ask you about."
"Hm?" Celestia lifted up her cup of tea and took a tentative sip. It was a bit cold, so with no more than a thought she used her magic to heat it back up. She took a sip then, smiling at the refreshed taste. "What is it, Twilight?"
"You and Luna have not lost your immortality, have you?"
Celestia paused, cup just an inch away from her mouth. With a soft sigh, she lowered it. "As far as I know… we have not. We have lost our immunity to non-magical weapons, but we will not die of old age."
Flash and Twilight were quiet for a moment. Flash asked the question that Celestia knew was coming. "…Does Luna know?"
"I believe she at least fears it," Celestia replied. "At least… I believe she hopes the children she bears will inherit our immortality. So that she at least has them to remind her of her beloved."
"That's… so sad," Twilight said, looking down at her own cup of tea. "Is there anything we can do?"
"There are spells, but we do not have access to that sort of knowledge anymore," Celestia said sadly. "And regardless, I do not know if they would work."
"Because Tyr is a human," Flash said, answering the obvious question. "They may not work on him."
"Precisely. Therefore, I simply want Luna to enjoy what time she has with him. Even if Tyr were to know, I believe he would accept it."
"I suppose you're right."
"I do hope so. I love my sister dearly, and it would pain me to see her hurt."
"Well, that's something far in the future, hopefully," Flash murmured, sipping at his tea.
"Agreed. One final thing, Flash. Have you looked into the Scarecrow attacks?"
"Somewhat," Flash said, frowning. "All I've been able to find out is that they're starting to tone down their attacks outside of this area. It seems they want you dead in particular, Princess."
"Not too surprising," Celestia said. "I am the face of Equestria. If they want to make a statement, they have to do something to me."
"And now any sort of weapon would do the trick," Flash murmured. In Equestria, a normal weapon wouldn't have affected the princesses—their magic would have protected them. But in the human world… all bets were off. They were only marginally more difficult to kill than the average human. And that was only because they could use their magic to protect them.
"Luna and I have already talked about that. We are constantly using our magic to place a shield around us that would mimic our former immunity. But we have to maintain some level of focus for it to work."
"Well, Flash and the other guards will protect you, right?" Twilight asked.
"We'll do our best," Flash said honestly. "But even we aren't perfect."
There was silence in the room, with the only noise being the ticking of the clock on the wall. After a minute of this, Celestia spoke up. "So, moving on to a much lighter topic, how about you two? Is marriage in the future for you two?"
Both of them blushed. "Uh… we've… thought about it…" Twilight said, running her hands through her hair.
"Worried about Shining Armor agreeing to it?"
"Kinda," Flash said with a chuckle. "I know he's okay with us dating, but I dunno… he is a pretty protective brother."
"Yeah, and he's the one who got married without telling me first," Twilight muttered. Celestia and Flash rolled their eyes.
"Regardless, I believe Cadance would convince him to not be so hard on you."
"Let me guess—she's been bugging you about us."
"Well, she was pretty bummed about missing Tyr's proposal."
"I can imagine…"
"Well, in any case, you have my blessing."
Twilight and Flash seemed surprised at that. "Oh… thank you, Princess." Twilight smiled brightly. "That means a lot to me!"
"To me as well," Flash agreed.
Celestia smiled. The two sitting before her were as close to her as if they were her own kids. Twilight had been given into her care at a young age, and the Princess of the Sun had taught her as much as she could. Flash had been a guard since he was a teen, and Celestia had done her best at making a proper gentleman out of him, and even doing her best to get him to be friends with the formerly reclusive Ace Guard. Then when she heard the two of them were dating… she had been ecstatic. Although she kept her happiness to a regal level. "Well, I will not attempt to rush you. Do whatever you think will make you happy."
"Thank you, Princess!" They both said.
"Well, go on then. I'm sure you're both looking to spend your day not sitting here being teased by me."
"Well—"
"No buts. Just get going." Celestia smiled. She knew the two of them would make any excuse for her to not think she was delaying them. So like a mother bird gently nudging her chick out of the nest, she had to gently get them to leave.
"…Very well, Princess. I'll have a couple of the new guards keep watch outside."
"Of course."
Flash and Twilight left then, Celestia spotting her student slipping a hand into Flash's as they left. She smiled. They were cute together. As her new guards came and took up their posts, she returned to her cup of tea. Her mind drifted back to her sister and her new fiancé. They were happy, yes. But when the years began to roll by, would that love stay? Or would it be too much for Luna to bear, watching her beloved grow old and die? Well, these were dark thoughts. She chuckled and took a sip of her tea. She sighed.
"…Damn. Cold again."
-x-
"Are you done for the day, Jackie?" Fluttershy asked quietly as Applejack approached the front door of the farm house. The farm-girl was pretty sweaty after working a long hard day in the fields, yet sported a wide grin on her face. Probably from having Fluttershy waiting for her, like a house-wife waiting on her husband after a long day at work.
"Yeah, I reckon I've done all I need to do today."
The shy girl smiled. "Then, come inside, I made some lemonade for you."
"Why, that's mighty kind of ya, Shy." Applejack followed the pink haired girl inside, finding a platter with a pitcher of lemonade sitting on the counter. She took a seat on the old couch in the living room, toweling off her forehead. Fluttershy quickly poured a glass for her girlfriend and handed it to her. Applejack took a long drink, sighing as the refreshing beverage cooled her from the inside out. "Whoo wee! Now if that don't hit the spot!"
Fluttershy took a seat beside her, her smile growing. "I'm glad you like it."
"Like it? If I had this sort of thing waiting on me every day, I'd be happier than a hummingbird in a field of flowers!"
Fluttershy giggled. She loved hearing Applejack's euphemisms and the comparisons she made. Most of all, she enjoyed listening to that country drawl. "Then maybe I'll be here waiting on you every day."
Applejack paused. "You mean that, Shy?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, I reckon I'd feel a bit privileged then, I suppose." She chuckled, brushing blonde hair out of her face. She smiled, imagining it. A pretty face like Fluttershy's wasn't such a bad thing to be the first thing you saw when you came home. Suddenly, she frowned. Fluttershy, seeing the sudden change in Applejack's face, went into panic mode.
"What's wrong, Jackie? Is something wrong with the lemonade? I can make a new pitcher if you want…!"
Applejack blinked, a bit caught off guard. After a moment, she began laughing. "By Celestia, you sure do panic easy, Shy"
"…huh?"
"I was just thinking about something, sugar."
Fluttershy's face turned into an expression of confusion. "Thinking about what?"
"I was… wondering if you'd like to get married one day." Applejack blushed heavily after saying it, a reaction that was mirrored by Fluttershy.
"M-m-married?" She sputtered, shocked. "You… you would want to…?"
"I was thinking about it. I mean, people are okay with us being together here, so maybe…"
Fluttershy stared at her in shock for a long moment, before sighing. She reached out to put her own hand over Applejack's, a smile growing on her face. "Jackie… I'd love that."
"You would?"
"I'm happy with you. You're a hard worker, and tough, but you're soft where it counts."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for that kinda girl, Shy."
"Huh…?" Fluttershy blinked a few times, before the tease set in and she blushed as red as the apples in the orchard. "J-Jackie!"
Applejack laughed, loud and full. "Sorry sugar, but you have ta admit, you walked right into it."
The shy girl pouted, turning her face away. "That was mean."
"Shy…"
"No. I'm not talking to you anymore."
"Aw, come on, Shy. I'm sorry."
"Uh huh."
Applejack leaned over and gently pushed Fluttershy's long hair away from her neck. She started to kiss the back of her neck. "I'm really sorry, sugar…"
"…Stop that."
"Not until you accept my apology."
"S-stop it! That tickles…"
"Nope."
Fluttershy giggled and finally turned to push away her affectionate girlfriend. "Okay, okay! I accept your apology."
"Good. Now sugar, give me some sugar!"
-x-
Sherry sat by herself in the far corner of the bakery, a frown on her face. She had plugged in a pair of headphones to her phone so that she didn't have to hold it to her ear. However, the information she was getting wasn't making her confusion go away. "So you can't tell me anymore about the cube?"
"Sorry love, but all I can do is tell you what I know. The cube is something even I don't know much about." Jehu's voice was apologetic.
"Right… so all you know is that it's a magic item that has picked me to do… whatever with it."
"Right. For better or worse, whatever happens with that cube is on your shoulders."
"…That's reassuring."
"Hey, you're a strong girl. The big man upstairs wouldn't have put this on you unless he was confident you could handle it."
"Big man upstairs?"
"It's a saying," Jehu told her with a chuckle. "Don't think too hard on it."
"Okay… so can you tell me what you think I should do?"
"Hm. I do have a little bit of advice for you, if you're willing to listen," Jehu said. "Whenever opportunity knocks, remember to always open the door."
"Huh?"
"It'll make sense in time."
Sherry's frown deepened. "You're really cryptic, you know that?"
"I'm trying hard to be," Jehu told her with a laugh. "I gotta give off that 'hidden knowledge' feel, ya know?"
Even Sherry found herself laughing at that. "So if I need to ask you anything, can I call you?"
"Sure! I don't mind, I'm usually just sitting around doing nothing anyway. And if I'm busy, you can always call Mercy."
"But I don't have her number…" She trailed off, scrolling through her contacts list. Under the M column was the name 'Mercy'. "…How did you do that?"
"Shenanigans, my dear Sherry. Shenanigans."
"I feel like you're breaking a rule somewhere."
"I break rules all the time. It's sort of my job description."
"And what exactly do you do?"
"I'm a dad."
Sherry's laugher grew. "You're really funny, Mr. Jehu."
"I do my best. Ah, I do believe I have to run."
"Oh? Have to go be a dad?" She teased, earning a laugh from the older man.
"No no, I have a visitor. I run a library, you see."
"Oh, cool! I love libraries!"
"I know," Jehu chuckled.
"Wait, you know?"
"…Ah, sorry, I was speaking to someone else."
Sherry didn't buy it, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Okay then…"
"I'd love for you to visit. We have plenty of books, sure to meet any preference you have."
"Sounds awesome."
"Well, it has been fun, Sherry. Be sure to call!"
"Kay!" She ended the call with a smile. Almost as soon as she had done so, she found Pinkie and Rarity standing over her. With them were two people she had never met before. Both were older men wearing suits. "…Can I help you?"
"Are you Sherry Spice?" One of the men asked.
"Yes… yes I am."
The other man nodded. "We've been sent to extend an invitation to you for an upcoming baking competition."
"Whoa, that sounds cool!" Pinkie said.
"There are going to be a lot of participants involved."
"So what would she get if she won?" Rarity asked. The first man pulled out a small sheet of paper.
"The top ten participants will have their recipe included in a compiled cookbook that would be included in a number of bookstores across the nation," The man read off.
"That sounds really cool!" Pinkie chimed in again.
"The winning participant will have their winning recipe added to the menus of the top restaurant chain in the nation and featured as a specialty dessert, along with five thousand dollars."
The girls sat in a shocked silence. "That… now that is, as my dear Pinkie says, cool," Rarity breathed.
"Beyond cool!" Applebloom and Sweetie Bell came over. Rarity's little sister was much more excited. "That would make Sherry, like, famous, right?"
"It would indeed," The second man said. "Her name would be known far and wide."
The first man turned back to Sherry. "Would you like to participate? It would be in the nearby city, and you would be staying there for a week."
"That's not even that far away," Applebloom claimed.
"And staying a week out of town sounds like fun too!" Sweetie Bell agreed.
"Opportunity only knocks once," The second man added.
"So, what is your answer?" The first man said. Sherry paused, the other man's words reminding her of what Jehu had just told her. With that realization, she turned back to the two men, determination on her face.
"I'd be honored to participate," Sherry told them.
Gotta love those endings, and all the answered questions spawning more questions. The next chapter will focus a bit more on Sherry, so look forward to it!
Love to my commenters, love to my readers. Enjoy the story, and always remember the Library accepts All.
Arrivederci!