Celestia basked in the refreshing sensation of the central air. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the lingering effect of the icky heat fade away. Looking over at Daniel, she smiled. “I have to say, this air conditioning is quite lovely.”

He softly chucked at her. Her enjoyment of something that seemed so common to him was quite refreshing. “I’m glad you like it. Oh, would you care to remove your saddlebags and shoes? While you’re my guest, I’d like you to be comfortable,” he expressed doing his best to be a good host.

She continued smiling as she replied, “Thank you. That would be nice.”

Daniel walked up to her and knelt down. He reached for the strap of her bags, but halted, looking up at her. “Want me to undo the strap for you?” he asked. Celestia simply nodded happily. He carefully undid the buckle and then rose back to his feet. Thoughtfully he removed her saddlebags and placed them on a nearby empty end table. Daniel noticed, like outside, the bags had a bit of weight to them. Part of him wanted to inquire as to their contents, but he thought it might be rude of him to pry. Instead he focused his eyes on her again and said, “You can remove your shoes and tuck them under the end table.”

Again she nodded. Celestia removed her hoofwear and slide them under the lip of the table. She glanced over at him, half expecting him to be studying her shoes. Instead she saw that he had walked over to what she recognized to be a kitchen. There were some furnishings that differed from kitchens in her world, but the general look was there. Curiosity began to grip her as she wondered what he was up to. Celestia moved toward the kitchen. “What are you doing?” she asked showing strong interest.

He stopped near the fridge. “Oh, you said you were thirsty. I was just going to see what all I have chilling in the refrigerator,” he answered thoughtfully.

“That’s right,” she recalled noticing her mouth was still quite parched.

“Now what would you like?” he asked. Opening the fridge, the two felt another cool breeze fall upon them.

Celestia studied the appliance vigilantly. She smiled as she remarked, “I’m glad to see something common to both our worlds.”

Daniel turned back to look at her. “Really? You have appliances like these in your world?” he asked. She nodded. Then it hit him…her world! “Wait a minute you aren’t just from some far off exotic land…you’re actually form another world?”

A giggle slipped past her lips as she moved a hoof to partially conceal it. “Yes. Like I said, it’s a bit of a long story. But have no fear, I am more than happy to tell it,” she replied, speaking with an almost angelic voice.

Daniel couldn’t help but smile. It was still a bit hard to swallow that a winged unicorn was standing in his kitchen, but he figured it didn’t hurt to go with the flow. Plus if this were like most of his dreams, he would wake up once it really started getting good. Though he was secretly hoping this wasn’t just a dream.

Shaking his head, Daniel looked at the contents of his fridge and began perusing the various beverages within. “What all do your kind like to drink?” he asked, wondering if his selections would be to her liking.

Celestia looked over his shoulder and studied the contents thoroughly. “While I do see a number of interesting looking drinks here, I think I’ll keep it simple for you. I’d be happy with some cold water,” she answered.

“Okay,” Daniel uttered back. He reached down and pulled two bottles of water from a large case of bottled waters. After setting them down on the counter, he shut the fridge door. Deftly he loosened the caps on each bottle, and then he picked them up and walked over to her. “Let’s go into the living room. You can have a seat on the sofa if you like,” he remarked.

Still smiling, she followed him over to the living room. There she saw another somewhat familiar interior area. Though as Celestia studied the contents, she noticed that some items seemed quite different. For instance she saw a strange device that looked like a somewhat flat, large and black glass rectangle. It was seated atop some kind of wooden stand that featured some shelves and cabinets. The shelves had what reminded her of stereo equipment, not unlike the devices ponies like Vinyl Scratch would enjoy using. She turned and discovered the sofa, thankfully it seemed quite similar to the ones found on her world. It was large, plush and appeared very inviting to her eyes. Walking over to the piece of dark gray furniture, she very elegantly sat down on her flank. Celestia curled her tail around her and carefully leaned back. “This is nice and comfy,” she remarked feeling her back sink into the plush cushions.

Daniel smiled again. “It’s the nicest sofa I’ve ever owned. Oh here you are,” he said presenting her with a bottle of cold water.

Celestia reached out her front hooves and gently claimed it from him. “Thank you Daniel,” she said with a smile. She looked at the bottle and noticed the cap was still on it. For a moment she didn’t know what to do. Were she at home with other ponies, she could simply use her magic and remove the cap. But she couldn’t use her magic in front of a human, at least not until she explained things to him first. For a moment she considered using her mouth, but that would be undignified and might not make the best of impressions on him. Then Celestia thought about using her hoof to complete the task. The only problem was how would she hold the bottle and remove the cap at the same time? Then she noticed a coffee table sitting in front of her. She could just set the bottle down and remove the cap with her hooves and then pick it back up. Before she could enact her game plan, Daniel reached over and said, “Oh let me get that for you.” He unscrewed the cap and set it on the coffee table.

Celestia’s stared half in awe at him as he walked by and sat down on the other side of the couch, making sure to respect her personal space. Glancing at her bottle, she felt another smile form on her face. Turning her head she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go on and drink. I’m sure it’s best for unicorns to take in plenty of fluids too,” he declared thoughtfully, taking a long swig from his bottle.

Still smiling at him Celestia returned her eyes to the bottle. Making sure she had a firm grip on it, she brought it to her lips and gradually poured its cool contents into her mouth. After taking a good drink, she leaned front and set the bottle on the coffee table. “That was refreshing,” she said sitting back against the sofa. “So you wanted to know why I’m here, right?”

Daniel nodded, setting down his bottle. “Yes. As I said before it’s not everyday I’m visited by a unicorn,” he answered.

“Actually I’m known as an alicorn,” she spoke politely correcting him. “It’s the term given to the race of winged unicorns on my world.”

He sat there fascinated by her explanation. “Would you please tell me about your world?” he asked earnestly.

She nodded and said, “Of course. Daniel, I come from a world known as Equestria. It’s a vast beautiful land, much like Earth, only we don’t have quite the same level of technology on our world. Then again since our world is filled with magic and creatures that can use magic, there really isn’t much of a need for such technology.”

Daniel scratched his head for a moment. “Did you say magic?” he asked. Celestia nodded. “Wow, that’s one thing we don’t have in our world. There have been legends told about humans that once used magic, but as far as anyone here knows, there is no such thing as magic. In fact creatures such as you Celestia, are nothing more than the wiles of creative fantasies. I guess that’s why I wasn’t sure you were real, until I touched you anyway. Though I have to confess, I’m still finding it hard to believe this is really happening,” he expressed continuing to sound somewhat awestruck.

Celestia giggled softly and continued to smile at Daniel. “Since you explained that beings like me are make-believe on your world, I can understand your skepticism. But I assure you that I am quite real, and come from a world of magic,” she stated confidently.

A thought suddenly crossed Daniel’s mind. “Celestia, can you use magic?” he asked beaming with curiosity.

“Why yes, I can. Would you like to see a demonstration?” she asked with a grin.

“Really? You can show me?” he responded lighting up with excitement.

“Certainly. Here, watch the bottle cap and then the bottle. Oh and my horn,” she directed. Daniel looked intently at Celestia. If this were a dream, it was getting better by the second. He grinned as he awaited her magical display. A bright orange glow formed along her horn. The same glow quickly blanketed the cap. Slowly she lifted it up, as he continued watching her with a childlike quality. Celestia moved the cap and placed it back on the bottle, screwing it back on. Once the cap was secured, she encompassed the bottle with her magic and raised it off the table. Looking at him and still smiling, she moved it over to him. Daniel reached out and took hold of the bottle. She disengaged her magic and he freely held the bottle in his hands.

He returned the bottle to the coffee table and then returned his gaze to her. His mouth hung open for a moment. “That was incredible!” he exclaimed.

Celestia smiled at him. “I’m happy that was to your liking. So my magic doesn’t frighten you?” she asked.

Daniel shook his head and responded, “No, I think it’s great! Now please, tell me more about your world and why you came here.”

She paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. Celestia carefully considered what she wanted to tell him and how she would explain what led her to his world in the first place. After pausing for a few minutes, she nodded her head. “Okay. Sorry about the long pause, but you did ask a rather in-depth question,” Celestia remarked.

“So I did,” he said chuckling softly.

“Now let’s see. Well on my world I am a royal princess, and I rule the land with my sister. Each day it is my personal duty to raise and lower the sun,” she explained.

Again Daniel’s mouth hung open. He thought his ears were deceiving him. “You’re a princess on your world and rule with your sister? A…and you raise and lower the sun?” he asked not really expecting to get an answer. Daniel rose to his feet and began muttering to himself. He had still been in shock from just meeting Celestia, but this little revelation really took him by surprise. He shook his head several times. “You’re a princess,” he repeated.

Celestia began to fill with concern, had she made an error revealing her royal status to him? Swallowing nervously, she turned to him and asked, “Is there something wrong with me being a princess?”

Daniel continued murmuring to himself as he heard her question. Turning to look at her, he shook his head. “No, that’s not a problem,” he answered.

“Then what’s bothering you all the sudden?” she asked worried from the look in his brown eyes.

“Of all the billions of people on my world…why would you reveal yourself to me? I mean…what makes me so special?” he asked feeling rather dumbfounded.

Celestia smiled warmly at him. “Well it goes back to why I’m here,” she answered.

Daniel stopped his pacing and looked directly at her. “Yeah, that’s right. Why are you here? You’re world sounds amazing, and yet you left it to come here? What brought about that?” he asked dying to know.

“I’ll do my best to explain. The main reason I left…is because there’s nothing left for me on my world. I’ve spent countless cen…” she trailed off. Celestia wasn’t sure how much more shock he could handle. If she told him about how old she was, would it be too much for him?

Daniel sat back down on the sofa. He returned his eyes to her and wondered why she halted her words. “You spent countless what? Please Celestia, you’ve got me very interested. I want to know what led you to me of all people,” he expressed full of wonder.

Again he asked her politely. She didn’t want to be rude to him. Letting out a soft sigh, she said, “Okay Daniel. I was a little unsure, but since you want to know so badly…I’ve spent countless centuries caring for the subjects on my world.”

He marveled at her words. “You mean you’ve been alive for hundreds of years?” he asked in awe.

“I have. That’s why it was so hard to learn the truth about many of my subjects,” she explained.

Daniel moved closer to her as he continued to fill with fascination for her story. “And just who are these subjects of yours and what truth did you learn about them?” he inquired.

“Well you see my subjects are ponies, similar to me. Only they aren’t alicorns. Instead they are made up of three different types - the earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Those three groups make up the dominant species on my world. Now after ruling over them for so long, I’ve learned that a large number of them don’t truly love and respect me. Most of them have only befriended me for the status knowing a member of the royal family will bring,” she explained halfheartedly.

Daniel felt an aching in heart in response to her plight. “That’s awful. Do you know why they felt that way?” he asked.

She nodded her head. “Yes, it was due to the way I had to adapt as their ruler for all of those years. You see I didn’t always rule with my sister. There was a period of 1,000 years where I ruled the land alone,” Celestia noted.

“1,000 years! Wow, that must have been tough! And you said you raise and lower the sun too? You mean it doesn’t rise and set automatically?” he asked hanging on her every word.

“No, the sun and moon must be cared for by either my sister or I. They only move partially on their own, but they must be raised above the horizon or lowered below the horizon once a day. And you were right; it was hard ruling Equestria on my own. It also ties into why I’m here,” she explained.

Daniel began to suspect her presence on his world was far more involved than just the dealings with her subjects. But he had no idea just what the true root of her problem was. “Anyway, I guess you ran into some issues over that long period,” Daniel spoke.

“Yes. And over that time I became known by some as cold, strict and unsympathetic,” she remarked. “But that wasn’t the true problem,” she replied.

Daniel heard a distinct change in her voice. His heart reached out to her as he shook his head. The matter seemed to really be troubling her. He began to lose his desire to learn why she was there, especially if it meant upsetting her. True he wanted to know, but he didn’t suffer a lack of compassion. In fact Daniel was quite the caring individual. Celestia may not have known it, but he was the kind of person who generally put the feelings of others ahead of his own. Not sure what to do, he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. It was his hope to offer her some moral support. Then he gently said, “Celestia, if you don’t wish to continue, I’d understand. This seems to be upsetting you. I wouldn’t be much of host if I made you do something that bothered you.”

She focused her magenta eyes on him and gave him a smile. His thoughtfulness touched her. “That's sweet of you Daniel, but you have a right to know why I’m here,” she answered.

He waved a dismissing hand and said, “Nah it’s no big deal. I mean, unless you really want to tell me.”

Placing a hoof on his arm, she said, “I do. I just need a moment to focus my thoughts again.”

He removed his hand and sat back on the sofa. “Take all the time you need,” Daniel spoke reassuringly.

After pausing for a few moments Celestia was ready. “This may sound strange, but the truth about my subjects wasn’t the only thing that bothered me. No, the real thing that plagued me was a strong loneliness, one I’ve been feeling in my heart for some time now. While being princess has me surrounded by other ponies, I discovered that I still felt very much alone. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends and of course my sister, but they can’t offer me the kind of support I really need,” she explained quite thoroughly.

“I’ve heard stories like yours before. Then it’s really true what they say, “It’s lonely at the top”,” Daniel remarked.

She let out a faint chuckle. “It really is true. And now the next part is going to sound weird to you,” she replied.

“Go on,” he gently urged.

“Since I couldn’t find what I needed on my world, I came here in search of it. Though in all honesty I’m not sure what I hope to discover here. In a way I suppose I’m in search of a companion of sorts. But I’m not sure why my horn led me here exactly,” she said looking over at him. “Unless.”

“Unless what?” he asked wondering if there was a true answer to his question.

“I heard you talking just before I revealed myself to you,” she explained.

Daniel’s eyes widened for a moment but then they calmed. “So you heard me speaking to my garden?” he asked quietly.

“I did. I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but you sounded so forlorn. I decided to show myself to you, in the hopes of cheering you up. After all I really enjoy making new friends. And from your words it sounds as though you may be facing a similar plight, not unlike my own,” she conveyed to him.

He scratched his head for a moment. Daniel wasn’t entirely sure what Celestia meant by searching for a companion of sorts, but he liked the idea of making friends. At the very least, he had an answer to his question now, even if it wasn’t completely clear. “So a series of events on your world ultimately led you here and then your horn somehow led you to my place. That’s really something,” he said feeling at a loss for words.

“Are you okay? My being here isn’t a problem is it?” she asked feeling a little uncertain.

He shook his head at her. “No, it’s not. In fact I’ve enjoyed chatting with you,” he expressed sincerely.

“You know something, I’ve enjoyed talking with you as well. Thank you for your hospitality, Daniel. I appreciate it,” she said.

“You are more than welcome. It’s not every day I get such an interesting guest,” he said with a smile.

She giggled softly at his words. Then she focused her eyes on him again. “You know a little about me now. But I hardly know anything about you,” she replied. Before he could respond, the sound of her stomach growling filled the room. Celestia’s face turned red as she said, “Oh my, was that me?”

Daniel chuckled warmly at her. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked. Looking at the clock on the wall, he discovered that it was after six. “Well no wonder. It’s dinner time,” Daniel remarked.

Celestia giggled again. Then she realized that it had been a while since her last meal. Her appetite was on hiatus while she was in Equestria. She ate breakfast, but never had anything for lunch. She placed a hoof along her head. “My goodness. I just realized I never ate lunch,” Celestia remarked.

Daniel smiled at her. “Well then how would you like to join me for dinner? I’m not the world’s greatest chef, but I like to think I can make decent meals. Though, what exactly do alicorns eat? I know horses and ponies on my world eat things like grass, hay and flowers. Somehow I doubt a pony as refined as you, would like me to fetch you a heaping plate of lawn clippings,” he remarked with a chuckle.

She shared his chuckle. “You are quite right. Well I’ll tell you what, how about you prepare something, and I’ll eat that,” she proposed.

Daniel smiled at her proposal. It sounded simple enough, but then one thought occurred to him. “Oh, but you’re a pony…err alicorn. Your kind doesn’t eat meat, do they?” he asked.

“Oh my, that’s right. Humans eat both meat and vegetables. And no, my kind doesn’t eat meat. The closest thing we eat to meat would be eggs, I suppose,” Celestia answered.

He placed a hand along his chin and gave the matter some thought. Snapping his fingers, he replied, “No problem. Since you’re my guest, I’ll just prepare a meal that doesn’t call for meat.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she replied.

“Hey, you’re my guest. I told you I want to be a good host. Now if you’ll pardon me, I need to go change my clothes,” he announced.

“Why? Is there something wrong with the ones you have on?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Well yes, these are my gardening clothes. I want to go change into something more casual. For now you just sit back and relax. Since you’ve been a ruler for so long, why not sit back and take it easy. Just leave everything to me. Once I change, I’ll go start dinner,” he stated happily.

“Okay,” she uttered.

Daniel bowed respectfully to her and then departed for his room. He walked back a short hall, arriving at his room along the end. Entering, he closed the door and then changed into his casual attire. Daniel put on a pair of tan cotton shorts that ran down to his kneecaps, and put on a blue pocket T-shirt. He removed his shoes and placed them under his bed, leaving his feet covered only by a pair of white socks. Since he was around royalty, he checked his face in the mirror on his dresser. Thankfully he looked presentable. Walking over to his nightstand, he freshened up his deodorant. The last thing he wanted to do was reek in front of such a special guest. Satisfied with his look, he left his room.

Daniel smiled at Celestia as he walked past her and into the kitchen. Standing there, he began to ponder what he could prepare that would be quick, something she might like and of course devoid of meat. For a moment he racked his brain, then Daniel began to form an idea. He checked his pantry and found he had at least six cans of tomato soup. That took care of the first item. Then he checked the counter near his microwave. There he located half a loaf of sliced bread. Turning to his fridge, Daniel checked for butter and sliced American cheese. To his delight he found a mostly full tub of butter and a little over half a pound of sliced American cheese. Quickly he gathered the items and closed the fridge. He set the items on the counter and turned to his utensil drawer. There he removed a butter knife. Daniel set it on the counter and dug in another drawer for a flipper and a soup ladle. Upon setting them down, he bent over and went into a cabinet near the stove. Reaching in, he removed a small frying pan and a medium size kettle. He placed both pieces of cookware beside the stove. Returning to his utensil drawer, Daniel retrieved a manual can opener. He figured it best to warm the soup, while he prepared the grilled cheese sandwiches.

As Daniel began opening the soup cans, he realized that one of his favorite quick meals was actually one that was meat free. He chuckled softly as he finished opening the cans. Lifting the lids on each, he moved over to the kettle and poured in the contents of both. Remembering a trick his mother had taught him a while back, Daniel went to his fridge and removed a jug of milk. He filled one of the cans with milk and then poured it into the kettle. Tomato soup on its own was a bit thick and salty, but adding only water could tend to make it a bit runny, so he learned that also adding milk helped keep the soup a bit thicker and less watery. He reached for the dial and turned on the front right burner. There was a slight clicking sound, followed by the ignition of a brilliant blue and orange flame. Daniel adjusted the dial, leaving it turned midway. Then he set the kettle over the burner. He slowly mixed the milk in with the soup, until it was mixed evenly. After setting the ladle down, he grabbed a paper plate and placed four slices of bread on it.

“Is everything going okay over there?” he heard Celestia call out to him.

“Yes, I’ve got everything gathered. Now I just need to put it all together. It shouldn’t be long, about ten to fifteen minutes,” he voiced back to her.

Feeling rather happy as he made a meal for someone other than just himself, Daniel began humming a tune from one of his favorite video games. It was the world map theme “Emotion” from the RPG "Xenogears". He began buttering the slices of bread while he continued to hum. Once the bread was prepared, he removed a few slices of cheese from the deli pack. Daniel moved back to the stove, there he checked on the soup and stirred it a bit. Then he turned on the left front burner and set the frying pan on it. He continued humming as he gave the pan some time to warm up.

Again he heard Celestia’s voice call out to him. “Do you need any help?”

He chuckled warmly at her thoughtfulness. “No, I’m fine, but thank you for the offer,” he announced, a sincere gratitude in his voice.

Now that the pan had sufficiently warmed, Daniel placed a slice of bread butter side down. Next he quickly topped it with a few slices of cheese and capped it with the companion slice. Again he checked on the soup, stirring it deftly with the ladle. After nearly a minute passed, Daniel checked on the sandwich. Using the flipper he turned it over. The top slice met the hot pan and sizzled, while he checked the other side. It was a beautiful golden brown, perfect for this type of sandwich. He smiled as he checked on the soup one more time. It looked to be nearly ready. Checking on the sandwich, he flipped it and found it was now properly done on both sides. Using the flipper, he placed it on a small plate. Then he promptly assembled the second sandwich in the still very hot pan. It sizzled while he took another look at the soup, which began lightly bubbling and there was just a hint of steam rising up from it. Nodding his head, Daniel turned off the burner. Then he flipped the second sandwich over. Before long it was nicely toasted and ready to be taken out of the pan. After setting it on another plate, he fetched two small bowls. Taking the ladle he filled each bowl with hot tomato soup.

Carefully he carried the two bowls over to the dinning room table and set them down. Next Daniel brought over the two sandwiches and the utensils. He turned to the living room. At first he was going to call Celestia by her name, but now that he learned she was a princess, would that be proper? Not wanting to insult his guest, he decided to be tactful. “Princess, dinner is ready,” Daniel called to her.

“That’s wonderful,” she responded. Celestia used her magic and picked up their water bottles, which were still nearly half full. She promptly made her way to the dinning room, greeting her host with a warm smile. “So what did you make?” Celestia asked looking at the contents of the table.

“Well it’s nothing special your highness, but I made tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches,” he replied modestly.

She looked at the food and gave a nod. “It looks scrumptious to me. Oh and there’s one thing I’d like to address,” Celestia said.

“And what would that be?” he inquired.

“You don’t need to act formal around me. Please don’t call me “princess” or “your highness”,” she requested politely. “I’ve had more than enough of that already. In fact it’s something else I think I’ve honestly grown tired of back in Equestria. I don’t like being fussed over so much. In reality I’m not that much different from other ponies…well at least that’s how I feel.”

Daniel studied her face while he listened to her carefully. He never thought he’d meet a regal individual, let alone one that didn’t enjoy the status that went with being royalty. Still she made her point and actually he liked the idea of not having to be so formal. “Okay Celestia. I am more than happy to respect your wishes. I only addressed you that way, because I didn’t want to offend you,” he explained.

She smiled at him. “It’s quite all right Daniel. And thank you,” she replied. “Now shall we eat?”

He returned her smile and said, “Of course.”

Celestia approached the table and went to move the chair. Before she could, Daniel walked over and pulled the chair out for her. “Please, sit down,” he said acting quite chivalrous.

“Oh my, thank you,” she uttered. At first Celestia, thought he might have done such a gesture because she was a princess, but then she began to recall his expressed desire to be a good host.

He walked over to his chair and sat down. At first he wasn’t sure why he did that for Celestia. Then, he realized that even though she wasn’t a human, she was still a lady, and he always tried to be respectful to the fairer sex.

Daniel removed the cap on his water and took a drink. Even preparing such a simple meal left him rather thirsty. He looked over at Celestia and wondered why she hadn’t started eating. “Go ahead and start,” he said.

“You don’t mind if I use my magic do you?” she asked looking at him uneasily.

Daniel wasn’t entirely sure why she’d need her magic, but he replied, “No, go ahead.”

“Thank you,” she said. Her horn lit up and Celestia brought the sandwich to her mouth. She took a small bite and began chewing it.

After seeing how she employed her magic, Daniel understood her question. He then placed his spoon into the soup and lifted it close to his lips. He gently blew across it, before inviting it into his mouth. The warm flavorful soup flowed across his tongue as he gradually swallowed it. He looked over in time to see Celestia finish her first bite. Before he could ask if she liked it, he saw her take few more little bites from the sandwich.

Once she emptied her mouth she smiled and looked over at him. “This is very tasty,” Celestia expressed.

“Oh good, you like it. Go on and try the soup,” he said encouragingly.

“Okay.” Celestia set the sandwich back on its plate. Then she used her magic to place the spoon in the bowl. She brought a spoon of hot soup to her mouth. Seeing that there was a faint wave of steam rolling off it, she softly blew on it. Celestia moved the spoon into her mouth and emptied it. She allowed the soup to remain on her tongue for a few moments before she swallowed it. Slowly she smacked her lips, while determining what she thought of its taste. Again she smiled. “This is very good as well,” Celestia commented contently.

“Then go on and eat up. There’s plenty left in the kettle on the stove, just in case you would like seconds,” Daniel informed her thoughtfully.

She nodded her head and continued enjoying her soup and grilled cheese. Daniel did the same. He considered engaging her in dinnertime conversation, but he figured since the night was still young, they could always talk afterwards. The two continued enjoying the simple meal with much delight. To his pleasant surprise, Celestia actually went back for seconds on the soup and so did he, this way there wouldn’t be a trifling amount leftover.

After she finished the last spoonful of her second bowl, Celestia sat back in her chair and patted a hoof on her belly. “Ah, I’m stuffed…that was great,” she spoke with delight.

He lightly chuckled at her. “I’m really glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure you would, but I was hoping,” he confessed with a subtle grin.

Celestia let out a quiet giggle. “The meal was more than satisfactory. In fact it reminded me of food from my world,” she spoke in a jubilant voice. He just smiled at her. She looked at the bowls and plates on the table and then at the items Daniel had used to make their meal. Turning her eyes back his way, she said, “May I help you with the dishes?”

Pushing back his chair and rising to his feet, Daniel replied, “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

Celestia rose from her seat. “Of course you can. You said you wanted to be a good host…well I want to be a good guest,” she declared proudly.

Daniel couldn’t argue with her logic, so he figured – why not? “You make a persuasive argument Celestia. So I would be happy to have your help,” he replied smiling at her.

He went to clear the table, but she placed a hoof in his path. “No, allow me,” she said. Her horn lit up with an orange glow. Celestia gathered the plates, bowls and flatware with her magic. Daniel went ahead of her into the kitchen and turned on the sink’s faucet. He secured the drain stopper and added some dish soap. She arrived and skillfully set the items along the counter top.

“Thank you Celestia,” he said, using the sprayer attachment to swirl the soap around the right chamber of the sink.

“You’re welcome.” She looked around and spied some drying towels and saw what looked like a draining rack. Celestia was glad their worlds had so many similarities. At least she wasn’t totally lost in his house.

Once the sink was filled with sudsy somewhat hot water, Daniel placed the dirty dishes in to briefly soak. “Once I scrub and rinse the dishes, I’ll place them in the draining rack. Then you can go ahead and take them out and dry them. Oh and you can just set them on the counter. I’ll show you where they go once we’re done,” he instructed.

“No problem,” she said holding up a towel with her magic. He looked over at her and smiled. Daniel reached into the sink and removed one of the soup bowls. He wiped it with a scrubby sponge, rinsed it with cool water and then placed it in the draining rack. Celestia gave the bowl a few moments to let the excess water drip off, before she lifted it up to dry. As she began drying it, she thought this would be an ideal time to ask him a little about himself. “So Daniel…tell me…do you live here by yourself?” she asked.

He finished scrubbing another bowl and turned to look at her. “Yeah, it’s just me,” he said solemnly.

“Do you have any friends?”

“Yes, there are some guys I hang out with from time to time. They even come over and visit once in a while,” he replied placing a cleaned plate in the draining rack.

Celestia stacked the second dried bowl into the first. Looking back at him she asked, “How about any family?”

Daniel slowly removed one of the spoons. He let out a soft sigh and shook his head. “No, my parents passed away a few years ago. It’s been tricky living without them,” he explained.

“Were you close?” she asked drying another plate.

Setting the ladle in the draining rack, he answered, “Yes, but especially my mother and I. We were very close.” Daniel grew quiet as he removed the small frying pan and began running the sponge along it.

Celestia didn’t like the tone in his voice, it left her wondering if she had misspoken. “I’m sorry Daniel, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said apologetically.

“There was no way you could have known. Besides, it’s just something I have to learn to live with. And if I remember them, then it’s like they’re not really gone,” he spoke a note of hope in his voice.

The pony smiled at him as she finished drying the ladle. “Well from what I’ve seen of you so far, your parents did a fine job raising you,” she expressed kindly.

He felt a moment of awkwardness, if the conversation continued this way, he feared he was likely to blush. Then he thought of a way to redirect the conversation slightly. “So Celestia, do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” he asked.

Placing a hoof on her chin, she gave his question some serious thought. “Well, I suppose I can always go back and rest around those secluded bushes near the woods,” she concluded.

Daniel shook his head at her. “No, I couldn’t let you do that,” he said.

“Then what do you propose I do?” she asked.

“Simple, you can stay here. Um, I’d offer you the use of the spare bedroom, but the bed’s buried under a bunch of random stuff. Oh and the room is a bit cluttered with some belongings I never got around to unpacking, after I moved here last year. Thought I could always clear it out. If you don’t mind, you can rest on the couch till I can straighten up the room,” he suggested.

She smiled feeling quite fond of his comfy couch. It was hardly a bed fit for a princess, but this was just the sort of change Celestia was itching for. She delighted at the prospect of sleeping on his sofa. “Okay, that will be fine. It sure will beat sleeping outside. Especially if it’s still muggy out there,” she noted placing a hoof along her left cheek.

Daniel chuckled as he handed her the last utensil. “Okay it’s settled then,” he told her removing the drain plug, allowing the sink to empty.

Celestia dried the final item and set it with the others. “There, that’s all of them,” she announced.

“Good, now here,” he said showing her where the various items went.

Once they had finished cleaning up in the kitchen, the two returned to the living room and sat down on the couch. It was only a little after eight, so the night was still rather young. They spent the next two hours chatting about all sorts of things, gradually discovering they had quite a bit in common. Celestia better explained the three types of ponies and their roles in Equestrian life. They talked about the food on both their worlds and foods they liked. They also discussed the various types of travel in relation to their worlds, and even about how the weather was different. Daniel was rather amazed to learn that the pegasi were in charge of the weather in Equestria. It gave a whole new meaning to talking about the weather.

Daniel looked over at a clock and noticed it was a little after ten. As much as he wanted to continue talking to her, he knew they had to stop for the night. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Well Celestia, we’ll have to end our conversation for now.”

She looked at him curiously. “How come?” she asked.

“I have to go to work tomorrow. The weekends go by so fast,” he remarked.

“Oh, so tomorrow is going to be Monday on your world?” she asked.

He nodded, “That’s right. And I have to be at work by 7am.”

Celestia found it interesting that the days of the week were another similarity between their worlds. Thankfully Daniel didn't seem to notice, so she figured it could be something they'd discuss another time. Instead she just said, “Then you’d best get some rest.”

“Yeah. Oh, I wanted to give you a brief tour of my home, before I go to bed. Since you’re going to be staying here, I think you should know your way around,” he stated continuing to be a good host.

Celestia couldn’t help but smile again. He truly seemed to be a very kind human. In some ways his level of kindness reminded her of Twilight’s friend Fluttershy. Thankfully though, Daniel didn’t suffer form Fluttershy’s level of shyness. That would have been quite problematic if he had.

Her host went on to show her around his modest but roomy single level home. She was already a little familiar with the dining room, living room and the kitchen. In addition, he showed her where his room was, in case she needed to get him for any reason. Then Daniel showed her the guestroom. It was quite a mess. The rest of the house was so well kept compared to this single area. Analyzing the mess, she saw why she would need to use the couch for a bit. The floor was covered by a series of boxes, there was a bunch of odd looking devices and smaller boxes and books piled on the bed, and even some items she didn’t recognize.

They backed out of the room and he closed the door. There was just one more room he needed to show her. Near the front of the short hallway, lay the bathroom. He wasn’t sure if alicorns had rooms like these or not, but since she did a number of things in a manner similar to humans, he thought he’d show her anyway. “So here is the bathroom then. Do you have rooms like these in the homes on your world?” he asked with a bit of wonder.

She smiled at him. “Yes we do. Oh and I guess I can use your tub to shower or bathe,” she said.

“Of course. Um, I have extra towels, if you should need any. And then there is also the…” he sort of trailed off.

Celestia walked over and joined him by the toilet. She studied the device for a moment. “Is this a toilet?” she asked with surprise.

“Uh, yes actually. You have these in your world too?” he asked thinking it would be uncanny if they did.

“Uh-huh, but ours sit a bit lower and are a little different in design, you know so the stallions, colts and fillies can reach them more easily,” Celestia explained. Looking at the ceramic device she nodded her head. “Well despite the height, I shouldn’t have any trouble making use of this.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Daniel uttered placing his arm nervously behind his head. He wished he could think of something to change the topic of this somewhat awkward conversation. Then he thought of something. “Um, I should go get a blanket and some pillows for you. Yeah, I’ll be right back,” he replied.

Celestia exited the washroom and looked at him strangely as he walked over to the hall closet. Was it something she said? Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way over to the couch and waited for him to return. A few minutes passed and he returned carrying a few pillows and a dark blue blanket. As he walked closer to the couch he stumbled slightly, quickly regaining his balance. “Careful Daniel, you don’t want to fall and hurt yourself,” she expressed.

He snickered. “Yeah I know. But every now and then I seem to stumble over my own feet.” Daniel placed the pillows on the one end of the sofa and placed the blanket at the other. “There you are. If you get thirsty, feel free to get a water from the fridge. Oh and should you need me for anything, just knock on my bedroom door. Though I will caution you. I am sometimes a little groggy when I first wake up, and might not be very with it at first.”

She giggled at him. “It’s okay. I should be fine Daniel. And thank you again for your kind hospitality. Are you sure I’m not imposing?” she asked exhibiting some concern.

Shaking his head, he answered, “Not at all. I have to admit, while it’s hard to believe there’s an alicorn sitting on my couch, I am grateful for your company.”

Celestia smiled at him. “Thank you Daniel. Well good night,” she spoke softly.

Adjusting his glasses and smiling again, he responded, “Thank you. Night Celestia.” He took his leave of her and walked back to his room.

Now that she was alone, she removed her tiara and necklace, placing them on the coffee table. Afterwards, Celestia laid down on the comfy sofa and carefully adjusted the pillows to her liking. Then she used her magic to cover her hind legs and hooves with the blanket. Carefully she pulled it up over her and let her head sink softly into the pillows. Looking over at the end table, she used her magic to switch off the lamp. Again she thrilled at another similarity between her world and his. Celestia let out a quiet yawn as she slowly felt the veil of slumber encompass her. Apparently she was still rather tired from her journey. Soon she began resting quietly as the central air continued humming gently in the background.