with few exceptions i don't ship any of the m6 with any of the princesses but I wanted to challenge myself and do exactly that; I combined a bodyguard au and an arranged marriage au and came up with this! - an au where bearing an element of harmony comes with a union to one of the princesses, and serves functionally as both a spouse and/or adviser, and a bodyguard.
been calling this either the harmony marriage au, or the elements of marriage lol
Rainbow immediately addresses the elephant in the room and all but volunteers to form a union with Luna; something she does partly to prove she isn't afraid of anyone or anything, but also because… look man she said she was sorry and she's gonna start her new rule with everyone against her - someone has to be there for her. Celestia especially approves of this union, as, even if these marriages are largely political, the element of Loyalty would make a true companion for a pony like Luna. Despite that, I think their start would be difficult, given all the ways the two are opposites… but ultimately flying by moonlight is just as nice as flying during the day, and the long stretches of peaceful nights give them plenty of time to get to know each other.
Cadance solves the unbalanced issue and forms a union with both Pinkie and Fluttershy. There's no limit to virtues that are compatible with Love, but Laughter and Kindness just have that little something extra that catches her attention, nevermind how stinkin cute they are. All three take to their new marriage well. It’s especially helpful that Pinkie and Fluttershy have a pre-established friendship that could easily remain platonic, or turn romantic or queer-platonic; there’s also the fact that Cadance herself was once a humble pegasus raised by earth ponies before being thrust into this royal life, which could be why they caught her eye in the first place.
(Shining is still here, as someone needs to train these girls in the art of guarding, and their relationship is still active (although PinkieShy would not be considered his wives); bc if there’s one thing I’m going to do with the princess of love, it's show off some poly pride!)
Twilight would, at this point, ““have her choice”” between Generous Rarity or Honest Applejack; either would be fitting for her new title as the princess of Friendship, and both are good ponies who she could rely on. However, given just how much Twilight’s life is about to be upended with new, well, everything - ultimately Rarity turns out to be her best match. She’s generous with her patience and tact in a way AJ isn’t quite, and more importantly she understands the ins and outs of the high class, making her a real asset in Twilight’s transition to royalty. Nevermind that the two were maybe already a little smitten before their union even took place…
This leaves Applejack sort of “auto-paired” with Celestia. At first Applejack seems like a horrible choice for a princess who is practically a queen, given how very little she knows about this life, and the way the upper class look down on her, but it ends up that her more open/harsh honesty that would have maybe been too much for Twilight in her new role is actually perfect against Celestia. It takes Applejack a bit to learn how to hold her tongue in royal public but she learns to play the game in her own way, and her willingness to speak openly and bluntly with Celestia - in private - is so refreshing to Celestia, who hasn't had a pony tell her like it is in ages. That said, i think this learning curve takes quite some time to even itself out, and in the beginning they spend a lot of their marriage clashing with each other, though ultimately i see Applejack as a respectful enough horse that her southern charm does just that, charming the princess in a way she couldn’t expect.
The six are still all friends with each other, although given the sister pairs some of them see each other more often; Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy are a bit closer in that sense, while Applejack and Rainbow consider each other best friends. I’d be willing to say maybe something is going on between them, if i didn’t think that went against what the element of loyalty stands for, but there’s definitely rumors…
The Canterlot Palace’s solarium was hot under the midday sun, but Applejack didn’t mind. She was far too used to farming in sleet and snow to complain about a little heat. The sun was a beautiful thing to her, had been from birth. It represented the chance of a good harvest and a good honest day’s worth of work. Of course, the little fact that it reminded her of her special somepony had absolutely no bearing on her adoration for the sun.
A’h Celestia, you do mighty fine work each day… Applejack knew that it was natural for a pony think about their love, but she still had a little blush as her thoughts turned to the princess. For Celestia was her special somepony. Celestia who, in all her glory and finery, had approached her one day on the farm with her downy feathered wings, gorgeous rose eyes, and broad but strangely sleek flanks…
Applejack blushed even more as she remembered the number of very un-princessly things she and the princess had gotten up to.
Still, Applejack felt sure in her love for the Princess as sure as sure could be. She was just as sure that the Princess loved her back. Why else would she have given her a beautiful desert rose and told her to wait in the solarium for her?
So when Applejack found herself sitting in a solarium, patiently waiting for her lover to arrive, and she began to hear familiar voices, she found herself mighty confused.
“… and then she said ‘Sunflowers? I love sunflowers!’ and then we – oh, hi Applejack!” Applejack could only tweak her head sideways at the two ponies walking into the solarium. It was Pinkie Pie and Rarity, the manic party pony and the prissy fashion designer of Ponyville. Who were both members of the close-knit group of friends Applejack had formed a year ago. The close-knit group of friends whom she hadn’t told that she was dating the princess.
Aww crab-apples… now how do I get them away from here before Celestia shows up… think Applejack think. Her mind a twirl, Applejack put on a friendly grin to buy herself some time.
“Howdy Pinkie, Rares! What brings you two here?” Rarity seemingly grateful for an opportunity to speak with someone other than Pinkie, replied first.
“Pinkie here was just describing, in entirely too much detail for my tastes, about a joke she had told the Prin-.”
“LOOK OUT BELOW!”
———[Time limit]———
The shout came from above, followed by the sound of shattering glass, and then the unmistakable sound of a pony hitting the ground at rather high speeds. Each pony ducked and covered from the rain of falling shards even as they saw a familiar rainbow-maned blur slam into the ground nearby. After a moment to ensure no more ponies were going to spontaneously fall from the sky, the trio emerged from hiding to check on their friend when another familiar voice sounded out from above.
“Oh my, are you alright Rainbow Dash? Should I get somepony to check your wings?”
“Nah ‘Shy, I’m fine. It’s going to take more than a little crash to stop these wings from a flying!”
Applejack frowned as she and her friends drew close. Running into one friend was unlikely, two was just plain unlucky, and three was downright uncanny. But four of her friends in one specific solarium at one specific time?
Something fishy is going down…
She was about to voice her concern when she heard the sound she had been waiting for all morning. The soft clip-clop-clip-clop of golden horseshoes on stone. As one, the ponies turned and bowed low to their princess.
“… oh, hi gals! What brings you all out here today?”
What in tarnation is she doing here? Applejack was now completely befuddled. By the princess’s side stood the last of her friends, Twilight Sparkle, protégé to her love. Then it clicked. A quick glance and her suspicions were confirmed. Beautiful desert roses adorned each of her friends, barring Twilight, each the same as the one she wore on her hat.
“I could ask you much the same thing Twilight. And Princess, I believe we have some words to discuss. All of us.” The princess looked appropriately chastised at her tone.
“… yes, yes I do believe I have a confession to make. I… I… I love you all!” Silence followed the anguished declaration. Eyes closed tight in anticipation of the teary accusations, Celestia found herself oddly disappointed when she opened them to see her five loves in a huddle, whispering to one another.
Krizak Comments!
Shame on you, Celestia! As the focal marefriend of this piece, Applejack, could have told you, honesty is the best policy; I'm certain you could have figured out a way to date all of Twilight's friends without keeping them in the dark about each other. (I'm actually curious how Twilight feels about all this.) Anyway, Applejack's observations through the lens of love, and her gradual realization that something fishy is going on, were quite entertaining to read, and the cliffhanger left me wanting more.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there was a beautiful, wonderful, super amazing princess. Her name was … Sunbeam. She was so beautiful and wonder and super amazing that she was loved by one and all, but nopony loved Sunbeam more than her most faithful student … Evening Fall Glimmer.
“Pinkie!”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“You—you—you can’t write a roman a clef about me loving Princess Celestia!”
“A what-a clef?”
“Never mind. Just … just write about something else, okay? Please?”
“Okie dokie lokie!”
“Discord? Really?”
“Nuh-uh! His name is quite clearly Disharmony, not Discord. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.”
“ … right. Yes. Ignoring all that … ‘l’amour,’ Pinkie?”
“Rarity taught me that word! It’s French!”
“I see. Could you … possibly write a story where Celestia isn’t in l’amour with Discord?”
“Everypony’s a critic …”
Before recorded history, before the land was populated by any ponies or plants or animals or even a single party balloon, there were two sisters. They were named … um … Daylight and Moonbeam. They were the only two beings in existence, and they loved one another very much. They really, really loved one--
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Aww! But how come?”
“Because … because … Pinkie! The answer to that should be self-evident!”
“ … are you just being grumpy because Fluttershy asked me to help write her next novel instead of you? ‘Cause that’s just plain silly! Maybe you’re not as good at writing as good old Pinkie Pie, but there’s lots of other stuff you’re great at! Like that one thing you can do with your horn when we--”
“Pinkie. Maybe … maybe you could try writing about characters who aren’t based on my mentor and mother-figure? Possibly? For the sake of my sanity, if nothing else?”
“ … yeah, I guess so. Besides, Applejack probably wouldn’t like me writing these kinda stories about her fillyfriend anyway.”
In an ancient land under an ancient curse, there was a legend that said a mighty hero would step forth to save one and all. A hero who was brilliant and kind and powerful and had super sexy violet eyes and a really cute laugh. She was desired by all the ponies throughout the land, but nopony loved her more than a simple little boulder farmer named Tangerine Tart.
“You’re being really quiet, Twilight. Don’t you have anything to say about this one?”
“Um. Heh. This one … this one is okay.”
Krizak Comments!
What? My beloved CeleJack limited to only a single line in the entire story!? I would curse your name, Donny's Boy, if my fondness for CeleJack weren't just a lie concocted by a terrible terrible man. Anyway, this was a very hilarious take on the prompt, Pinkie trying to write about all the restricted ships and being denied at every turn by Twilight's sensible nature (or furious denial in the case of the first story. >_>) I have to congratulate you as well in writing such a outright Twinkie story in response to a Celestia shipping prompt and getting away with it.
