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It has been three days since Discord left this world. And I have been steadily becoming reacquainted to my usual lifestyle. My body has been improving well and I am feeling much better, even if I am not quite fully recuperated yet. My friends have been giving me some space as they have not invited me out for any group activities since Sunday. Looks like everything is finally back to normal for the most part.

This morning was nothing out of the ordinary, so I will not bore you with any redundant details. Just my usual morning routines with my future wife and our adopted daughter with a delicious breakfast. Although shortly afterward, I found myself walking Scootaloo to school for the first time since returning from the hospital. Scootaloo had been using her scooter to transport herself to and from school in the meantime. Only this time, it was not as brother and sister. It was as father and daughter. Something I am still getting accustomed to.

"So, Dad? Wanna come over to the clubhouse today? Mitta said she's borrowing some little dresses and stuff from Rarity's place so we can try being models!" Scootaloo asked while she looked up at me.

I was about to offer a reply, but soon came to a stop as the thought of her, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom flashed through my mind. Considering that models tend to dress in a sexy style as apposed to a classy style, I soon found myself imagining the three fillies dressed up an dark revealing attire not entirely unlike Fluttershy's favorite nightwear. Although rather than feel myself turned on by the thought, I found myself hunkered forward and laughing with my hands on my thighs for support. "You girls are a bit young to be getting into modeling! Besides, I can't imagine you wanting to dress up in anything feminine like that."

"Really? Bad idea? Uh... Guess I better find Mitta after school and let her know." Scootaloo said sheepishly while she rubbed her head. Considering how out of touch Mitta has been with Equestria's society until just several months ago, I suppose she is still learning what is acceptable and what is not. She would have a lot to explain to Rarity if she was caught trying to take that stuff out of Carousel Boutique!

I coughed to clear my throat and to try to get myself to stop laughing as I tried to get that ridiculous picture out of my head. "Yeah, you might want to let Mitta know right away to cancel that meeting before she gets herself in trouble. Rarity won't like it!"

Before we got much further, we heard a familiar voice call out from the south. "Howdy, y'all! Wait up!"

Scootaloo and I turned to greet little Apple Bloom as she galloped towards us. My little girl then... Man, that sounded cuter in my head. Or is it just me? Anyway, Scootaloo then waved at our fellow Crusader and called out, "Morning, Apple Bloom! Hey, did you have any problems with those math questions in our homework last night?"

For the rest of the walk, the two fillies just chatted about school and other ideas on how to acquire a cutie mark. While we walked, I just looked down at the two little fillies. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy these walks to and from school with them. Such a shame one of us was missing at the time. But we would surely see her before long.

Without much fanfare, we continued on until the red schoolhouse finally came into view. And sure enough, we could make out someone waving at us from right next to the fence that lined the edge of the school's playground. When we waved back, the little filly we saw came galloping our way. "Hi, girls! Hey there, James! How're you feeling?"

I squatted as little Sweetie Belle came running towards me and held out my hands only for her to run right into my grasp. I snatched her up in my arms and tenderly cuddled with her while she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm doing fine, Sweetie. Missed you too."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom let out a cute aww while the two of us shared a tender cuddle while Sweetie Belle even nuzzled my cheek. That little filly is such a sweetheart. Hence her name, I suppose. I then proceeded to walk along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders while carrying Sweetie Belle in my arms.

Once we were in front of the schoolhouse's front door, I set my little friend down beside the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they stood in a row. "All right then. No telling when that bell's gonna go off, so I better let you girls get to class."

"Awww... Go we gotta? I feel like we haven't seen ya in the mornin' for weeks! It just ain't the same." Apple Bloom said while showing such an adorable pout. Poor girl. I know she missed me.

I did want to stick around and just chat with them, but I knew that they would still get in trouble if the bell finished ringing while they were outside. "I know... I missed you girls too. Let's catch up on lost time tomorrow, all right? I've got Thursday and Saturday off this week."

"Sweet! We'll be there! But...uh... Right now..." Scootaloo began to speak before she awkwardly paused as a noticeable blush spread across her cheeks. She glanced at her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders rather nervously, almost as if expecting them to laugh or mock her for something.

Fortunately, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle merely chuckled as they seemed to understand what Scootaloo was trying to get across. Apple Bloom spoke up first with a bright smile. "Aw, don't mind us, Scoot! We know he's yer pa now!"

"Yeah! It's great you have your own dad now, so go ahead!" Sweetie Belle then added while she looked on with a bit of an excited grin.

"You girls... You're the best." Scootaloo said while sounding quite nervous. She then looked up at me and motioned for me to come closer. I did what she requested and dropped down to one knee. Once I did, she reached out and placed a brief kiss on my cheek. "Bye, Dad..."

Feeling a smirk spread across my lips, I reached out and planted a kiss on her nose. "See ya, Scoot. Have a good time."

Her response was about as much as I expected. Scootaloo blushed very deeply as her pupils shrunk greatly while she held her hooves over her mouth to suppress an embarrassed squeak of sorts. Probably because she was just kissed in front of her friends. Fortunately, they took it well and did not laugh. If anything, Apple Bloom rolled her eyes in amusement at Scootaloo's exaggerated reaction. "Aw, come on, Scoot. It ain't that bad! Besides, isn't it less weird ta get a smooch from yer pa instead of yer big brother?"

"Yeah! I mean sometimes I get a goodbye kiss from my mom and dad, but never from Rarity." Sweetie Belle then said while starting to back up towards the schoolhouse's front door. "Anyway, shouldn't we get going?"

Scootaloo seemed to calm down somewhat, although she still retained that nervous blush in her cheeks. She then grinned shyly up at me after glancing behind herself at her friends. "Yeah... Uh... See you tonight, Dad."

"Will do. Have fun, girls." I replied softly while waving goodbye.

"Yup! See ya!" Apple Bloom then retorted while she and Sweetie Belle waved goodbye before heading inside the schoolhouse. But as Scootaloo turned and trotted in after them, I swear I saw a huge toothy grin on her face while a faint giggle escaped her throat. She must have been in a really good mood. I could only snicker under my breath at what she must have been feeling at the moment. With the school's bell ringing just a moment later, I stood up and began to head back home. I still wanted to relax a bit before heading into work at Sugarcube Corner.

Once Fluttershy's cottage came into view, I saw my fiancée already going about her morning routines. She was in the process of setting out a bowl that was then swiftly descended upon by several birds. It was mostly likely lined with earthworms for them to gorge on. I then crossed the bridge that spans the brook in front of our home and called out, "Glad to see you're not carrying those worms in your mouth anymore."

Fluttershy turned my way and grinned somewhat nervously. "Oh, I never even liked doing that in the first place. And besides, the birds really seem to prefer being able to help themselves to the worms. I don't know why I didn't think of this in the first place."

"Maybe you just always preferred a hands... I mean a hooves-on approach to interacting with your little friends here. Although you shouldn't pamper them too much." I replied while I took a seat on the bridge. Fluttershy then quickly trotted over to me and sat beside me. She likely had saved the birds for last on her animal feeding list today.

"How were the girls this morning?" She asked while gently leaning against me. I reached out and wrapped an arm around her back, my hand resting upon her opposite shoulder.

I thought back to just how amazingly happy Scootaloo was when she went into the schoolhouse as well as the generally warm welcome I got from Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "Oh, they were just fine. Really happy to see me in the morning. It's been a while since I last walked them to school, come to think of it. Even got a nice hug from Sweetie Belle. And Scoot... Well, she really loves her dad."

Fluttershy giggled while showing a very amused grin. "Awww, I can imagine. She's really been playing the 'daddy's girl' part ever since you got home from the hospital. Just not too much."

"Yeah. She tries to act spunky, but she's still got some soft spots." I said with a slight chuckle. With how long Scootaloo has been living with us, seeing her around the place and even living under our roof has become completely routine.

We did not chat much later before Fluttershy gave me a gentle nudge. "Well, I shouldn't keep you. You need to hurry on over to Sugarcube Corner, don't you?"

"Oh, right! Still getting used to getting back into my routine. Yeah, I better get going. I'll see you after work, honey." I replied before placing a kiss on Fluttershy's cheek. Once we said our goodbyes, I hurried off at a brisk pace. I did not want to be late for work.

It felt genuinely refreshing to be walking along through Ponyville again during a typical morning and I was feeling much more like myself again. Still will not be getting back to working at the local spa until next week though. Even so, things really do feel like they are getting back to normal by this point.

After roughly a brisk twenty minute walk, I soon saw the gingerbread roof of Sugarcube Corner looming in the distance. I could already smell the muffins baking. And once I stepped inside, I found Mr. Cake already setting out treats in the glass counter under the cash register. "Can I help yo... Oh, good morning there, James! Pinkie Pie's in the back. She'll be doing everything she can to help lighten your workload."

Even though this was my second time back to work at Sugarcube Corner, and a full week after I got out of the hospital, Mr. and Mrs. Cake have been very accommodating towards me due to my still recovering physical condition. I doubt I could ask for better bosses. And Pinkie Pie has been especially helpful, often doing more than her fair share of the work to make things easier on me. Leaves me feeling kind of guilty, actually... I cannot wait for me to truly be back up to 100% so I can start pulling my weight again. "Thanks, Mr. Cake. I'll get to work right away."

After punching in behind the counter, I made my way into the kitchen where I found Pinkie Pie already pouring cake batter into a Bundt cake tin while Mrs. Cake was in the process of removing a tray of blueberry muffins from the oven. They must have been the ones I smelled on my way over. "Morning."

Pinkie Pie almost dropped her batter bowl when she heard my voice and quickly came trotting over to me for a friendly hug. "You made it! Good morning, James!"

While I held my peppy friend in a tender embrace, Mrs. Cake carried the still hot cake over to the counter for icing. It was only after she set it down that Mrs. Cake looked our way. "Good morning, James! Feeling any better, dearie?"

"I'm getting there. If I'm not back up to 100%, I honestly don't feel it." I replied while lightly scratching Pinkie Pie's ear.

"So good to hear. Well, just let me finish icing up this cake and I'll let you two get to work. Make sure he gets everything he needs, Pinkie." Mrs. Cake replied before she started rooting around for the proper icing.

"Yes, ma'am!" Pinkie Pie said before looking back to me as she took a look at a large sheet of paper. "OK, James... Let's start with the chocolate drops."

I doubt anyone would be interested in reading about my job of working in the kitchen. Although something very unexpected happened roughly thirty minutes into my shift. Just as I pulled a tray of chocolate drops out of the oven and was about to start applying the mandatory layer of chocolate to them, Mrs. Cake stuck her head into the kitchen through the twin swinging doors. "Oh, James? Would you mind coming out to the front? Somepony's here to see you."

Since I already had the liquid chocolate out, I decided I might as well get that batch out of the way first. But just before I could start, Pinkie Pie trotted up to me with a spatula in her mouth. "I gotcha covered, James. Go see who it is!"

"All right. Thanks, Pinkie." I replied before heading out of the kitchen. But just as I stepped out of the kitchen and looked past the counter, I found a most unexpected face looking back at me. "Huh...? Hey, Luna! What can I get you?"

Sure enough, Princess Luna herself was browsing the glass display counter before she glanced up at me and greeted me with a smile. "Ah, good morning! I hope I'm not intruding on anything important."

"No, not at all! Need anything?" I asked in return while glancing down at the display counter. It was lined with cookies, doughnuts, and other larger pastries such as pound cakes, although she seemed to really have her eyes set upon the doughnuts when I first saw her.

"Well, that depends on whether or not I'll be granted my request." Luna replied before turning to Mrs. Cake as she stood behind the counter. "I'm so sorry to be a bother, but may I request James' company for a short while? I wish to discuss some topics with him for a bit."

"That would be no trouble at all, your highness. Pinkie Pie can cover for him while you're busy." Mrs. Cake said with that motherly smile she always shows. I then followed Luna over to the nearest table with a pair of chocolate drops to enjoy together.

"Mm, these are amazing... Ah, yes. I know it has only been a few days since we last saw each other, but how have you been faring since you returned home, my friend?" Luna asked while she took a bite from her snack. She certainly has good taste.

Once I swallowed my own bite of chocolate and baked dough, I replied, "It's been going well. Feeling more confident in myself and feeling stronger than I was a week ago. I'll probably be back at the spa by next week. But come to think of it, what brings you all the way down here to Ponyville?"

This prompted a more melancholy gaze from the Princess of the Night. Although she did not take long to answer my question. "Well... To avoid beating around the bush... I came here to ask you a very personal favor, my friend."

"Personal? Well, what's wrong? It doesn't sound like anything really bad could've happened over the last few days." Her words had my attention, although I was still skeptical of why Luna herself would come all the way down the mountain from Canterlot just to seek me out for a favor. It must have been something very specific indeed.

Her response involved pretty much the last thing I was expecting to hear. "Well... It's my sister..."

My first thoughts were of Nightmare Moon. I mean if something had gone wrong with one of Luna's two sisters, it was most likely to have been the quite literal black sheep of the family. "What's wrong with Nightmare Moon? She's not having jealousy issues again, is she?"

To my surprise, my guess seemed to have briefly lifted Luna's spirits since she replied with a bit of an amused snicker. "That was your first guess?" Seeing that I got it wrong, I just remained silent to allow my friend to continue speaking. Once she had composed herself, Luna regained her rather worried gaze. "No, it's not Nightmare Moon. She is doing just fine. It's Celestia... She has...not been well these past few days and has even been struggling to keep up with her duties."

At first, I merely stared. The Princess of the Dawn? I let out a light snort while I tried to suppress a guffaw. "Sorry, but I think you came to the wrong person. Shouldn't you be asking Twilight Sparkle instead? They've known each other for years, right?"

Luna rolled her eyes slightly and nodded. "Yes, I was initially thinking the exact same thing. However, she is not ideal for this task..."

"Uh... Why not? You'd think that they know each other really well by this point." I said while leaning on my arm as it lay draped across the table. While I have not inquired much into the relationship between Twilight and Celestia, I do know that they have maintained close ties since Twilight's days as a filly. If something was troubling Celestia, common knowledge would deduce that her private student would surely know the best means to comfort her.

"Oh, they do. I can assure you that they do. However... Well, they are both close, yet distant. Or rather, Twilight Sparkle is. To her, my sister has always been Princess Celestia. And she has always been my sister's faithful student. And I believe you may have seen at times that she takes this role very seriously. Almost to an obsessive level." Luna began to explain with a most sincere expression on her face.

"Now that you mention it... Yeah... She does take her studies under Celestia a bit too seriously at times..." I muttered while I cast my gaze at nothing in particular. Along with the fact that Twilight does not function well under duress at times, she can get especially flustered during particularly complex assignments passed to her by Celestia. And when she does lose her cool... To be fair, it does not happen often. I have only seen her snap like that only twice or so since my arrival in Equestria, but yeah... Twilight certainly can be overly obsessive about things at times and does not listen to anyone, not even Spike, when it comes to anything involving Celestia's assignments to her. And it is always anything involving Celestia that she is the most unstable about. "But then... Why seek me out instead?"

Luna let out a long sigh before continuing. "As I said, Twilight Sparkle may have been ideal if she could look past her and my sister's roles of mentor and student. You, on the other hoof, are much more ideal for this task. And the reason for this is that you always see past her crown."

"Past the crown? You mean...treating her as a woman instead of a princess?" I asked while starting to grasp Luna's reasoning.

This prompted Luna to show a bit of a smile. "Exactly. Since very shortly after we met, I have seen that you have grown far more relaxed and at ease around us. You almost never refer to me or my sisters as 'princess' or 'highness', instead referring to us by name. I doubt you understand just how much Celestia appreciates that. And that is why I am requesting your aid with this issue."

Having come to understand why Luna sought me out, I decided to inquire more as to what she was asking of me. "All right... So, what exactly is the problem with her?"

"Well, as I said, she has not been well. Not exactly ill. Just...depressed. These past few weeks have been hard on her in particular, but now... She can hardly function at all. Just some sort of deep depression." Luna seemed quite disheartened as she recounted the events of recent memory.

My memories immediately went back to the conversation Celestia and I had out in the courtyard in front of Discord's statue. She probably was not merely depressed. She was likely in mourning and plagued with guilt over his demise and keeping him from being set free for centuries. "You think this has something to do with Discord? I heard that you two used to be good friends of his."

This was information Luna was clearly not expecting me to know if that shocked glance she gave me was of any indication. "You know?"

I nodded before explaining quietly, "Celestia filled me in on a lot when we were both out there near the labyrinth. I didn't know the three of you went that far back."

Luna seemed to calm down somewhat upon hearing my explanation. "Well... Yes. He had a prominent place in our lives ever since childhood. There are times when I do long for those days, but I know full well that the Discord we knew and loved ceased to exist centuries ago. Although I was able to eventually come to terms with it. But when it comes to Celestia... Well, I assume she told you why he was not destroyed after we defeated him the first time."

"She did... Something about having hope that his broken heart could be mended in time?" I asked in return while gulping down a glass of cold milk with my chocolate drop.

"Exactly... I tried to persuade her that he was beyond saving and that it would've been best to put him out of his misery, as it would have reunited him with those he so dearly wished to see again. But against my better judgment, I relented against Celestia's pleas and he remained imprisoned for centuries until... Well, you know the rest. I mean it was you who finally ended the poor fool."

"Don't remind me..." I muttered as I once more felt the sting of knowing that I slaughtered such a jovial and likeable oaf. I still could not recall actually doing the deed, but just knowing it really happened still filled me with a twinge of remorse.

However, I did not have long to sit and brood over my forgotten actions. Luna reached out and placed her hoof on my arm while showing a sympathetic smile. "I know... It's not like you to do such things. But as someone who spent much of my life with him, let me say thank you for ending my friend's suffering. It had to be done, James. And I am grateful you spared me and my sisters the agony of having to destroy him ourselves." She then pulled her arm back and spoke, "However, let us not get too off the topic at hoof. This is about my sister, not Discord."

"Right... She's...in mourning, isn't she?" I asked quietly while trying to not think about what it was I may have done to Discord during his final moments.

Luna did not immediately reply, instead choosing to cast her gaze upwards momentarily. "I believe that may be part of it. Although I am certain the majority of it is due to regret. She chose to keep Discord locked away in stone for centuries in the false hope of him returning to the way he used to be instead of destroying him and setting him free. That must be a difficult mistake to live with, even though her mistake has been rectified as of recently."

I had not really thought about that. Having the opportunity to put your friend out of his misery when his life had become too painful to endure, but instead placing him in a type of limbo because you could not bear to let him go? The more I thought about this, the more...torturous Discord's existence must have been. I was amazed he did not harbor any loathing towards Celestia during our final encounter with each other. Finally, I asked the most important question. "Well, what is it you want me to do for her?"

The Princess of the Night then gave me a response that was far less complicated than I expected. "Just be there for her, James. Give her your support and just...make sure she knows... Well, I suppose it is difficult for me to explain. Just give her your support. You have proven yourself as someone who is a good listener and you genuinely care. I think you can give Celestia what she needs."

It was definitely an odd request. One I was not expecting. Still... For Luna to come all the way down to Ponyville to request my aid meant she must have had a lot of faith in me being able to do something to help. And for her to actually do that meant that the situation with Celestia must have been pretty bad. I could not help feeling for the Princess of the Dawn. If there was something within my power that I could do to help, then I certainly wanted to do it. "Well... If I can do something, then I'll gladly help. When do we start?"

Luna's expression immediately perked up. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. As for when, I was hoping we could be on our way to Canterlot right this minute."

"Right now?! Well... You think my bosses wouldn't mind me taking the rest of the day off to do this?" I asked in slight apprehension. I had already been away from work for an extensive amount of time and had only recently come back to work. Taking another day off did not sound like a good idea.

"Hmmm... Allow me." Luna replied before she stood up and made her way over to the front counter and tapped the top of the bell that stood next to the cash register. It seemed nopony was there at the moment.

Seconds later, I heard the kitchen's swinging doors open before flapping back and forth for a few seconds. The voice I then heard was undoubtedly Pinkie Pie's. "Hey there, Princess Luna! Want some seconds?"

That offer seemed to have Luna looking very tempted to say yes. Not that I blame her. Those chocolate drops are deceptively addictive, especially with milk. "Oh... Well, as tempting as that offer is, I'm afraid I must pass this time. One was enough. But aside from that, I must request that you allow me to borrow James for the day. A bit of a personal emergency has sprung up back home in Canterlot and his presence is required. Oh, and before you ask, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Element of Humanity. May I request that you allow him to have the rest of his shift off to help me deal with it?"

Pinkie Pie did not sound like she minded at all. "Ooh, something that only your best friend can help with? Sure! But just lemme check with Mr. and Mrs. Cake first." I then heard her stick her head back into the kitchen and ask, "Hey, Mrs. Cake? Something's come up that Princess Luna needs James for, since they're best friends and all. Would it be OK if he has the rest of the day off to help her out?"

While a bit muffled due to the walls between us, I heard Mrs. Cake's voice a second later. "Oh, of course! If you really need him, we can manage without James for the day. Take care, your highness!"

I then saw Luna look back towards me with a smile. "Seems we're good to go. Shall we be on our way, James?"

I nodded and stood up before making my way towards the door. "Sure. And thanks for covering for me, Pinkie. I'll see you tomorrow."

While I held the door for Luna, Pinkie Pie waved back at me. "You too! Have a good time!"

Moments later, Luna and I found ourselves walking through Ponyville. Things were starting to get a bit busier as the day started to near noon. "So... How're we gonna get up there? We're not in much of a hurry, are we?"

"Well, we don't want to take too long to get there. And I really should get you back home by nightfall. While I merely flew down here, I'm afraid I have no means to get you back to Canterlot quite the same way. We'll just have to take the train. Assuming there's one at the station, that is."

We made a beeline for the northeastern edge of town, where the train station is located. Fortunately for us, we found a train already at the platform being restocked for the next stop. "Ah, perfect! I'll get our tickets."

Luna made her way over to the ticket window to inquire as to the train's destination and soon approached me with a pair of tickets floating beside her while surrounded by a billowing blue aura. "Seems we're in luck. This train will soon be departing for Canterlot. Shall we find our seats?"

"Lucky indeed. Sure. Let's try the back car." I replied, having developed a liking for the rear train car due to it usually being empty and thus allowing for privacy. Once we made our ways to the back of the rear passenger car, the conductor made his rounds while stamping tickets. While we were heading up the aisle, Luna got a lot of attention from the passengers who were seated at the forward section of the car. As one would expect one of the three sovereign rulers of Equestria to receive. Minutes later, the doors to the train platform slid shut and the locomotive at the front let out its trademark whistle just before the train lurched forward and the landscape outside the windows began to lazily roll by. Bit by bit, the train picked up speed before Ponyville began to fade into the distance behind us as the train reached a fork in the tracks that took it towards the mountain Canterlot sits upon.

Once the train began to climb the mountain, Luna and I switched sides. While we were seated on the left side of the car while pulling out of Ponyville, we moved to the right side once the train looped around to start climbing the mountain from the western side. It is not like the train climbs the mountain in a spiral, although you could be forgiven for thinking it does. It is actually a rather scenic route with numerous tunnels, bridges across ravines, and twists. But in general, the right side of the train is the side that most often faces away from the mountain while going up the mountainside. Which makes it the more interesting viewpoint.

"Exquisite view, is it not?" Luna asked quietly while she gazed out the window from the seat opposite of me.

"Yup. The best part of the ride." I replied while also looking beyond the window pane as Ponyville became little more that a tiny model town on the grand model railway vista we were on. Did I even word that properly? Too bad I always write this in ink...

The minutes started to roll by as only the vague whispers of the passengers seated closer to the front of the train car and the rickety clacking of the wheels below us broke up the silence. Funny. With how rarely I ever rode trains back on Earth, I seem to be getting around on them quite frequently in Equestria. Especially when taking into account that I was last on the train only three days ago.

However, I soon glanced over to the opposite side of the train. The mountain we were on greeted me with a panoramic view of the cliffside beyond the window. Still feeling somewhat uneasy and with a lingering sense of guilt, I turned my gaze to Luna while she continued to watch the scenery before her. "Hey... Luna?"

"Yes?" She briefly replied while turning those lovely teal eyes towards me. She could clearly detect something unpleasant in my tone as her gaze was quick to become one of concern.

"Are you absolutely sure that Celestia... Do you think she resents me at all? I mean... She did not seem angry at me last time we spoke, but..." I was having difficulty forming my words. It was not an easy topic to discuss.

Luna's gaze of concern became one of subtle pride as she showed a small smile. "James... I can assure you that Celestia holds no anger towards you. Ever since the day you fell into that coma, she has not once spoken ill of you. In fact... Once you were resting and healing within Ponyville Hospital, she personally paid you a visit."

That last line was not what I was expecting to hear. "She came to see me?"

"She did. And without informing any of us as well. She departed from the palace without even so much as to inform her guards to let us know. She must have been dreadfully worried for you. And furthermore..." Luna said with a smile before she once more began to frown. "All that has happened to you. Everything that occurred between you and Discord. Everything that transpired from the moment after you collapsed... She blames herself. And it's quite likely that she truly is at fault for all that happened to you these past several weeks..."

After a moment of silence, she once more spoke to me as I tried to process her words. "James... She is afraid to face you."

A long sigh escaped my lips. I knew dreadful things had happened. But... Celestia? Her being responsible for everything I could not remember? "I'm not mad at her at all, Luna... I can't even remember anything that might have happened. I doubt I even want to remember..."

"You don't. You...truly don't. Just... Focus on the here and now and not on what was. That nightmare is behind us. But Celestia has yet to truly awaken from it. That's why I came to you. You are the one she harmed. And until she is certain that she has been forgiven, it will likely take quite some time before she can let go and move on." Luna's words carried a great deal of emotional weight. I knew that Celestia was deeply troubled the last time I saw her despite her best efforts to downplay her insecurities, but I did not expect her guilt to have dragged her down like this.

It pained me to think of what had become of Celestia. And would I actually be able to do anything to help her? Well... If Luna had that much faith in me, then I suppose I would have to give it a try. "Well... Just lead me to her when we get there and I'll see what I can do."

We seldom spoke for the remainder of the ride up. Once the train pulled into Canterlot Station, Luna and I were the last to disembark. The station did not seem all that busy for being in the middle of a weekday. And I soon noticed why. The air was a bit cool for a summer day, even in mid September. I would say the temperature was somewhere in the mid seventies. And the sky... The clouds overhead were noticeably gray. And that telltale feel of a change in air pressure... "We getting some rain today?"

Luna turned her gaze to the sky as well. "It would seem so... I suppose it would be best if I get us to the palace as quickly as we can. Stay close."

I watched in silence while resting my hand on Luna's shoulder. Her horn was coated by her blue magic aura as it began to shine brightly. Seconds later, there was an especially large flash of light before I found the two of us standing in the middle of the main hall. It seemed to be largely deserted aside from a pair of guards at the bottom of the stairway. The two guards hardly flinched at our sudden arrival, instead maintaining a constant vigil with spears by their sides. I then turned to Luna and ask, "So then... Where do we go from here?"

"Well, we'll have to find her first. I believe we should check the throne room. It's as good a place to start as any." Luna replied before we headed up the stairs before us.

I was a bit curious as to whether or not we would find Celestia in the throne room after hearing Luna claim that her sister was too emotionally distraught to effectively tend to her duties, but the guards there might have seen her if no one else did. We soon came to the grand doors that stand before the throne room while Luna prepared to cast her magic again. "All right then... Is she here?"

With an unseen shove, Luna used her magic to push the twin doors open. However, while we did not find Celestia, I did see a face I was still happy to see sitting upon the throne. None other than Nightmare Moon was seated on the throne while apparently using her magic to hold a quill that was scribbling onto a stack of papers that was being held aloft as a rather studious looking unicorn mare wearing a short red necktie and large round glasses with her brown mane and tail both tied up into a bun stood by her. Possibly a secretary... Wait, do the princesses even have secretaries?

Regardless, Nightmare Moon seemed rather absorbed in her paperwork and did not immediately notice us enter. Luna seemed hesitant to interrupt her sister and was probably debating on whether or not we should move on and search elsewhere. Before she could decide though, I noticed Nightmare Moon pause and glance over her papers at us. Feeling like I had just been discovered while hiding in some sort of game, I raised my hand and waved at her. "Morning!"

Nightmare Moon's response was roughly about what I expected. She promptly stood up while showing an excited smile as her quill dropped to the floor. "Well, I couldn't have asked for a better start to my day!"

The Princess of Dreams flapped her wings to propel herself across the throne room before she gently landed before me and reached out with her wing. I responded in roughly the same manner, reaching out and embracing my dear friend while her wing held me close to her. But before I could think of anything to say, Nightmare Moon's assistant called out from the throne. "Your highness, what about this paperwork?!"

Nightmare Moon looked over her shoulder and barked in annoyance, "It can wait! I never turn down a visit from this man." She then turned her gaze back to me and smiled warmly. "Don't mind her. Just assisting me with more of that dreadful paperwork."

When I glanced past Nightmare Moon, I could see that the stack of paper was terrifyingly thick. There must have been around a hundred pages at the very least. I certainly do not envy her for her job... Regardless, I returned my focus to my beautiful friend and held her tenderly in my arms while my hand stroked through her luxurious ethereal mane. "It's good to see you in better spirits."

A moment later, Luna spoke up. "I truly hope I am not interrupting, but... Have you seen our sister, Nightmare Moon?"

"Ah, so that's what this is about? I was wondering if you would take my suggestion." Nightmare Moon said with a rather proud gaze as she lifted her wing from me and turned her attention towards her sister.

Those words got my attention. "Wait... You suggested that I come up here to help Celestia out?"

Nightmare Moon glanced at me with that slight smirk I had come to recognize as hers alone. "Well, you were the first person to come to mind. You healed me, after all. Surely you could heal her as well."

"Huh... I have been told I have a healing personality... Well, do you know where Celestia is right now?" I replied in turn, having easily forgotten the time we spent together before her rise to the throne.

Nightmare Moon turned her head to the right while she seemed to gaze at one of the tall stained-glass windows. "When I last saw her this morning, she mentioned relaxing in the royal garden. She requested that I inform the guards and servants that she is not to be disturbed...though I doubt she is expecting you to show up."

"Hardly surprising, actually. Thank you for letting us know." Luna replied with a slight smile. "Shall we be going, James?"

"Yeah, sure." I said before reaching out and holding Nightmare Moon in another tender embrace. "It was great to see you again, Nightmare Moon."

I felt her hold me in an embrace with her arm as well. "It's always a pleasure to see you again, my friend. I'm sure you'll find a way to help our sister. But for now, duty calls..." She then released me from her grasp and began to walk back towards her throne while throwing her head back as she complained, "I swear, if I had known what all this paperwork was like, I just might have turned down my crown!"

Luna got a good laugh out of her sister's irritation and called out, "So sorry, Nightmare Moon! I should've mentioned the fine print!" I too could not help snickering under my breath. Thank goodness they do not have to worry about their wrists getting sore from all that writing.

Minutes later, Luna and I made our ways back down the palace halls before we stepped outside and into the royal garden. It certainly has a different feel to it during the day, although it still looked and felt like the rain could start coming down at any minute. Although from the doorway, there was still no sign of Celestia. Despite this, it seemed that Luna knew where to search. "She is likely at the outdoor lounge. It's a small relaxation spot I'm sure you must have seen at least once."

"Yeah, I think I might've seen it before." I said before I started to step forward. Seconds later, I realized that Luna was no longer by my side. When I turned around, I saw that she was still standing at the doorway. "You coming?"

Luna merely shook her head. "This is as far as I go, James. The rest will be up to you. Just remember. Approach her casually and quietly and just do what you must from there. I know you'll know how to make my sister be at ease."

This only made me a bit more anxious, but I still wanted to believe that Luna knew what she was talking about. Besides, I had no reason to fear Celestia. "Well... If you say so. I'll let you know how it all turns out." I then bid her goodbye before turning and heading into the vast garden.

The twittering of exotic songbirds would occasionally reach my ears while I walked along. The garden is a rather expansive outdoor section of the palace, so I had a fair amount of ground to cover. It was only while I passed a tall flowering bush that I thought I noticed a splash of white. When I took a few steps back to check again, I saw her. Relaxing upon a large circular cushion just inside the boundaries of the patio Luna had mentioned was indeed Celestia.

I froze while I observed her. She did not seem to be directing her gaze towards anything in particular and, as Luna claimed, looked genuinely unhappy and glum. While I generally felt anxious about approaching someone who was in a bad mood, I knew that Luna had faith in me for helping her sister and I could not imagine Celestia getting snippy over just about anything. Rather than approach from the front, I decided to approach from behind. I snuck around the bushes and stepped lightly until I was behind the outside wall of the patio's backside. I then slunk around the left wall. I could hear the clink of glass as Celestia seemed to set down a glass of wine. After a moment more of mental preparation, I stuck my head past the wall and smiled. "Good morning."

This actually did seem to startle Celestia quite a bit since she did suddenly jump while giving me a very shocked gaze for a few seconds. "Who...?! Uh... Oh..." Once it became clear of who I was, Celestia calmed down and soon regained her rather melancholy mood. "It's just you... What are you even doing up here? Surely you didn't come to Canterlot just to ask me something."

"Well... No, not really." I replied while I stepped off the grass and took a seat on a black cast iron chair nearby. The patio had a stone floor and had several accommodations set about the place. Along with another cast iron chair, there was a matching table to go with it that held a bottle of sparkling white wine that was partially submerged in an ice bucket. A little martini glass filled with the liquid was beside the...well...bed that Celestia was using. Although it was more of a large round sofa than anything else with a red velvet finish. There was a small mini fridge in the back corner to store refreshments along with a more traditionally designed sofa with a white finish. An awning stretched above us, shielding us from the elements while also having a mesh-like curtain that could be pulled across the front of the patio to shield us from windswept rain. Which we would probably be getting very soon. And just beyond the patio stood the stone fountain I had seen before that held many colorful carp. Regardless, I then said, "I'm just here to check on you. Luna's been especially worried."

My words hardly seemed to faze Celestia as she soon cast me a clearly fake smile. "Oh, you shouldn't always take everything Luna says seriously when it comes to my well-being. She can be a worrywart, especially ever since she finally came home a few years ago."

I knew she was just trying to get me to leave, so I decided to show a rather suspicious glare while I crossed my arms. Celestia did not take long to see that her ploy was not working and soon shrunk her smile to a more shameful one. "You don't have to stay here, James. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Even before I came to Equestria, I became familiar with warning signs on whether or not someone is emotionally well. And you reek of those signs." I said bluntly. I was trying to be stern with her, but not be too confrontational about anything. I knew she had been through a lot lately and was far from all right.

It was at this point that Celestia dropped the facade, letting out a long sigh in the process. "Perceptive..."

"You don't want me to be here, do you?" I asked, remembering Luna's claims of Celestia being afraid to face me. Although she looked more depressed than afraid.

Celestia turned her gaze away from me before quietly asking, "What else did my sister tell you?"

"She told me that you're afraid to face me. Possibly some guilt you have?" I asked while trying to not go too fast with my words. She was delicate and I needed to handle her feelings carefully.

Those words were exactly what needed to be said. Celestia drank heavily from her glass until there was barely a drop of wine left before looking away from me. "Guilt does not do it justice, James. I told you everything mere days ago. Everything that happened, everything you were forced through that you cannot recall... It was all due to my feebleness. All because I could not let go of someone who was no longer there! And yet... You still haven't raised a fist towards me... Why? You know, but..."

Of course. I could still remember her recollection of times long past. And most importantly, her inability to destroy Discord when he was at his most vulnerable. And despite this, even if everything that happened over the last several weeks truly was Celestia's doing, I felt no anger towards her. Perhaps it was because I could not even recall what it was that happened to me, but I truly felt no ill will towards her. And when trying to imagine myself in her shoes...

Celestia could not bring herself to even look in my direction. She was cowering. The mighty Princess of the Dawn unable to face a mere mortal man. And at that moment, I heard the sound I had all but been expecting. Just to my right, the sound of light pattering against the leaves of bushes and trees. The rain had begun to fall. It fit the mood quite well.

Feeling the atmosphere becoming increasingly somber, I decided to move towards her. I lifted myself from my seat and reached out to Celestia, tenderly cupping the opposite side of her face and gently pulling her face towards me until she was casting her gaze towards me. She did not resist, instead showing subdued shock. She was probably expecting me to at least slap her, although I did anything but that. Her gorgeous flowing mane obstructed part of her face, prompting me to tenderly use my other hand to push it aside to reveal her other eye. I could still remember her tender touch from mere days ago. And so, I did what I thought would best make things clear.

I reached out, placing my lips tenderly upon her forehead just below the base of her horn. She did not try to pull away, accepting my kiss in silence before I began to speak softly to her while cupping her face with one hand while stroking her mane with the other. "Celestia... I hold absolutely nothing against you. Maybe it's because I simply don't remember, but that's probably for the best anyway. I'm glad I don't remember what happened. And besides, if I had been in your place when given the opportunity to destroy an old friend like Discord, I don't think I would've been able to bring myself to do it either. You held onto the hope that he could be saved by other means. I can't fault you for that... I'm not angry. Not at all." It was then that I looked into her beautiful pink eyes and whispered, "By which I mean... I forgive you."

The Princess of the Dawn bowed her head just slightly before collapsing into my arms while letting out a faint sob. For the next few minutes, we did not move or speak. I just held her, my hand constantly stroking the back of her neck. Once I felt her sobbing had come to a stop for longer than fifteen seconds since the last quiver I felt from her, I quietly asked, "Would you like more wine?"

"Yes, please..." She weakly answered while I slowly released my grasp on her. Celestia remained where she was while watching the rain beginning to pour down. The air was fairly cool despite being a summer day. Canterlot's high elevation likely helped with the summer heat as well.

I took the bottle of white wine in hand, its cool condensation lining the bottle and wetting my hand as I grasped it while pouring its contents into Celestia glass until it neared the brim. I then set the bottle back down in the ice cubes once more before carefully lowering the glass back to her without a word. Eyes still moist with tears, Celestia did not grasp the glass with her magic. Instead, she leaned towards me.

Seeing what it was she was doing, I silently responded by lowering the glass enough for her lips to come to it. I tilted it towards her ever so slightly, effectively feeding her while the beautiful alicorn drank from the glass's brim. Once she had drank her fill for the moment, Celestia let out a long sigh. "Forgive me... I must seem pathetic to be relying on you like this. I should be the one catering to you as a royal guest."

"It's fine, Celestia. I know you've been having a hard time and I'm happy to help." I replied as I seated myself on the large red cushion beside her while taking care to not spill her drink. "You might be a princess, but I still see Celestia. That crown is just a piece of headwear anyway."

To further strengthen my point, I reached behind Celestia's horn and firmly grasped the golden tiara that sat there with my spare hand and slowly removed it before setting it beside us. Celestia did not protest at all, merely watching while I set her crown upon the cushion. "I'd rather talk to the mare behind the crown. Formalities of that kind just get in the way."

I was not expecting Celestia's response to that. I began to lift her glass towards her for another sip. But instead of bringing her lips to the glass, she brought them to my cheek. For just a second, I thought she had simply missed. However, that assumption quickly faded when I felt her lips remain there for a brief moment while placing an unmistakable kiss on it. She soon pulled away and looked at me with cheeks still stained with tears and with a slight frown on her face. "I've always loved that about you."

I ultimately decided it was for the best that I did not show much of a response to that show of affection. Without a word, I lifted her glass again to silently ask if she wanted more. Only this time, Celestia used her magic to take hold of it. She then pointed towards what seemed to be a wine cabinet that was against the far wall. I suspected that she may have been offering me some of the wine in the ice bucket, so I went to retrieve a glass of my own. There was another cabinet beside the wine bottles that held various types of drinking glasses which were hanging upside-down. I opted for a champagne flute, but then felt the wind kick up a bit. Celestia responded accordingly by using her magic to pull the curtains shut to keep the rain from getting in. We could still clearly see through the curtain, but the mesh-like design kept the rain from getting through.

I took a seat beside Celestia once I had poured myself a glass of the wine. It was pleasantly sweet while still carrying the bubbling bite of sparkling wine. We spoke very little with Celestia usually being the one to speak first. I was unsure if I should have left her alone by that point since she seemed to have finally stabilized, but I was not prepared for a walk through the rain in the current temperatures. Although I soon noticed Celestia let out a long yawn. I turned to her and asked, "Tired?"

"Yes... I haven't slept well in what feels like weeks." Celestia replied while she used her levitation magic to remove her golden shoes and set them aside. She then began to lethargically set out a few large red pillows that had the same velvety texture as the sofa itself. It looked like it could double as a bed, if needed. Lastly, she began to unfold a large crimson quilt from nearby.

Knowing exactly what was going on, I just remained seated at the edge of the sofa. She was obviously about to take a nap. For the next five minutes, I listened to and watched the rain pour down beyond the curtains. The air was becoming pleasantly cool. Once I did finally turn back to look at Celestia, I saw that she was lying on her side while facing me, eyes closed as she breathed very lightly. Her long flowing mane's wavering motions had becoming noticeably slower, possibly hinting at her being asleep.

Deciding that I had done all I could for her at the moment, I began to pull myself towards the edge of the bed to stand up and report back to Luna as soon as the rain stopped. But before I could actually pull myself from the bed, I felt something upon my hand. When I looked back, I saw Celestia's hoof resting upon it. My gaze then went to her face. She still had her eyes closed and her mane still billowed very slowly. At first, I thought she was merely responding to a dream. But then she spoke to me. "Please... Please stay..."

I was still uncertain of whether or not she was actually responding to my presence. To test it, I tried sliding my hand further away from her. To counter this, Celestia reached out further and even applied greater pressure to my hand's backside in what felt like a desperate attempt to hold on by pinning it down. Feeling somewhat tired myself, likely brought on by the rain and the fact that I have not slept well lately, I decided to take her up on her request and take a nap too.

I kicked my shoes off my feet and slid myself closer to Celestia before pulling the quilt over myself. The pillows were very plush as my head just sank into them. The cooled air also kept me from feeling too warm and the rainstorm's cloud cover was doing a good job of keeping the light levels down. It was an ideal atmosphere for taking a nap.

While I tried to get myself comfortable, my eyes glanced over at Celestia once more. She truly seemed to be asleep, or at least on the verge of falling asleep. But under the blanket, I felt her hoof once more resting upon my hand. And then, I felt it slide up my chest until her arm draped itself across me.

I was unsure of what to make of this. Celestia was asleep, or nearly asleep, and holding onto me. She even pulled herself slightly closer to me with her gentle soft breathing being heard from mere inches away from my ear. While the situation did feel undeniably awkward, I tried to not pay it much mind. Celestia was clearly desiring some company from someone she trusted. And while we had never been the closest of friends, I was willing to help her however I could. Feeling comfortable in her embrace and finding myself becoming more and more relaxed upon the cushion, I closed my eyes and slowly dozed off to sleep.

There is no way for me to really recall whatever it was I dreamed about, although I doubt that nap lasted more than a couple of hours in total. My dreams tend to become rather lucid whenever Luna or Nightmare Moon visits me, but this was definitely not the case. My memory is vague, though I think I recall seeing Celestia herself in my dream. As for what happened, I have no idea. Did we share a dream together? Probably not. It would have likely required some assistance from one of the twin night princesses to get that to happen.

When I did finally awaken, I was greeted by the scent of soaked earth and plants and the sight of Celestia sitting up at the sofa's side while stretching. Her arms reached high as her majestic white wings were spread wide. I suspect she had only just woken up too. She groaned and sighed while reaching out before she lowered her arms and folded her wings. She seemed to have slept quite well to be that relaxed.

I slowly sat up in bed, also stretching and yawning as I found myself feeling even better than I had felt when I woke up this morning. Celestia must have heard me since she then looked over her shoulder at me and even smiled. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah... Really well." I replied while pulling myself to the bedside and sliding my feet back into my shoes. Well, it was not quite a bed, but it was close enough. I then looked back at Celestia as she seemed to be sliding her own golden shoes back on. "You sound like you're feeling better."

"To be honest, I am. I don't even know why. I'm just...revitalized." Celestia replied before she used her magic to levitate her crown back onto her head. She then said with a small smile, "James... Thank you for being here with me today. I really needed that. You really know how to help mend a wounded heart."

"So I've been told. Not sure how I do it though." I replied while not entirely certain of how accomplished I should have been feeling. She did not seem to be particularly depressed anymore while she poured another glass of wine, whose ice bucket was almost completely filled with water instead of ice. "I guess I should report back to Luna and let her know how things went..."

However, just as I stood up from the sofa, Celestia reached out and placed her hoof on my shoulder. "Wait... Please."

I did as I was told, not moving an inch while Celestia had her hoof on me. She then promptly gulped down the contents of her glass, which seemed to be the last bit of wine from the bottle, and then looked at me with a pleading gaze as she also tried to smile. "James, I can't let you leave like this. I mean... You came all the way up here just to speak to me and help sooth my anxieties. Nopony... I mean nopony outside my family has ever gone out of their way for me like that when it came to my emotional state."

"Well, it was Luna's idea. I didn't even really know what was going on with you until she came to me." I replied as Celestia removed her hoof from my shoulder. But just as I was starting to pull the alcove's drapes aside since the rain had come to a stop, I felt something wrap around me from my left. Celestia had stepped forward and ha embraced me in her left wing while her face was mere inches from mine. "Uh... Hey, this is kind of...intimate, if you ask me..."

I heard Celestia chuckle just slightly while she held me against her. "I know... But even so, you came to me as requested, even though you could have refused." Once again, I froze as I felt her press a soft kiss upon my forehead before looking at me once more. "And what is more... I know you and I have not always been all that close. And to be completely honest, I would like to change that. So if I may ask..."

Celestia then spread her right wing and curled it around me as well, effectively pulling me even closer until our foreheads were practically touching. While she gazed into my eyes, she then asked in a quiet yet sincere voice, "Will you accept my friendship?"

If I did not know better, I would have assumed that Celestia was outright flirting with me by showing such an approach. But I knew that could not be the case. I knew she was just being a total sweetheart and I too was tempted to reach out and embrace her for a tender cuddle as well. And for the longest time, we had always been so distant when compared to my bonds with Luna and Nightmare Moon. Despite this, being with her made me feel... It just felt right. As if I understood her and she understood me. With hardly any hesitation, I placed my hand on her shoulder and tried to smile. "I will. It's an honor to be your friend."

Her eyes quivered, almost as if overjoyed from my words. Celestia leaned her head forward, resting it upon my shoulder while I gently caressed the back of her neck. However the moment was soon interrupted by a noticeable gurgle that seemed to come from Celestia's abdomen. "Uh... Was that you?"

"Um... Yes. Hardly eaten anything over the last couple of days. I suppose I could use a bite to eat right now. And isn't it around lunch time?" Celestia asked in return while sounding and looking notably flustered, but she still looked rather hungry as she folded her wings. "What about you? Shall we go get some lunch?"

"Actually, I should probably get back home if you don't need me anymore." I replied, not wanting to outstay my welcome.

My words seemed to displease Celestia since she began to frown. Or rather pout. I suspect she may have just been playing with me. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave, my friend? Do you really dislike being in my company so?"

"Uh... It's not that... It's just..." I felt backed into a corner. I suppose I still was not used to having any sort of close connections to the Princess of the Dawn. Unsure of how to word myself, I instead decided to ask a question. "Do you really want me to stay?"

Celestia smiled very warmly and reached out with her hoof, once more resting it upon my shoulder. "Yes, my friend. I do. I would be honored if you could remain here for the day and stay with me. I sorely want to make up for lost time and make sure you are accommodated for the care you provided."

"A whole day? With you?! Just us?" I asked in surprise while being entirely uncertain of what to say. I had already spent a good long day with the three royal sisters before, but with just me and Celestia? Still, knowing that my bosses back in Sugarcube Corner were not expecting me to return for the day, there was no real reason for me to return home just yet. Seeing no reason to deny her offer, as well as still feeling somewhat concerned for her, I nodded. "Well... Sure!"

The Princess of the Dawn showed a delighted smile as she began to step off of the patio. "Excellent. Shall we be on our way then?"

Just as we began to walk through the garden while trying to make our way back to the palace, Celestia glanced at me and showed a slight smirk. "So, now you know what it's like to sleep with a princess."

Something about that did not sound right. "Sleep with a princess? Oh yeah, we did share the sofa while we took a nap.... Haaaang on a minute! You don't mean it like THAT, do you?!"

Celestia burst into laughter while lifting her head high. "Oh, I just had to say that! Don't worry, I slept too heavily to do anything to you in your sleep. Though heaven forbid the tabloids find out about it. That would surely give rise to a scandal I'd never hear the end of." I could only snicker under my breath at the thought. The Princess of the Dawn sharing a bed with a mere commoner. Yeah, that would make tabloid headlines.

We soon exited the garden and entered the palace without much of a delay. Although while we made our ways towards the palace's exit towards the rest of Canterlot, I thought I caught a glimpse of Luna standing at the end of the halls. I was tempted to call out to her, but felt it was more important to keep up with Celestia. Although I am certain that she was looking in our direction, so we probably did not go unnoticed. Still, she did not follow us... I dismissed the thought soon after. She likely had some duties to attend to, especially with Celestia taking the day off to recuperate.

While we walked past the guard barracks, I took note of Celestia's mood. While quiet, she did seem to be in much better spirits. She did not frown at all. Even so, I reached out to her and lightly tapped her shoulder. Celestia then glanced at me and asked, "Yes, my friend?"

I decided to be direct with my question. "Are you feeling all right? I mean... I guess I'm still just concerned after seeing you so glum earlier. You're not just putting a smile on your face to not worry anyone, are you?"

My words caused Celestia to come to a stop. Her smile became even warmer while she turned to face me. I began to suspect I had done something wrong and froze, expecting some form of backlash. Instead, I received yet another unexpected surprise. She reached out and placed yet another kiss upon my cheek. "You're very sweet, showing such concern for me. Do not fret over my well-being, James. I assure you I am feeling much better now."

I did all I could to not show too much of a response to the feeling of her lips upon my cheek. "I hope so..." In the hopes of trying to change the subject, I tried to think of something to ask while we walked along. "So... Uh... I heard from Luna that you prefer it when I don't address you with titles or honorifics."

Celestia nodded with a rather shy smile while she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, I really do. I hope I don't seem too unprofessional, preferring to not be addressed by my title at all."

"No, it's no problem at all! I don't think I'd like people referring to me as Prince James all the time myself." I replied while seeing that Celestia seemed to feel some guilt about her preferences.

While we walked along the pale streets of Canterlot, the air felt warmer than before due to the sheer humidity with numerous fresh puddles littering the streets. I think I was noticing the two of us getting quite a few stares from many passersby. Perhaps the local Canterlot elite were baffled by the sight of Princess Celestia herself being in the company of a single commoner. Regardless, Celestia continued our conversation with a humble smile while paying them no mind. "True, true... I hate it when I have to refer to myself as 'Princess Celestia' time and time again. It's just too much unnecessary strain on the tongue."

It was then that Celestia reached out with her wing and wrapped it around the opposite side of me. "That's what I love about you, James. When I'm with you, I feel like I don't have to be a princess at all. I can just be a mare instead of being a ruler."

"That's...uh... That's what I'd prefer too... And why is everyone staring?" I asked in a whisper while Celestia came to a stop beside me. While most of the common folk who passed by did not pay us quite as much attention, the rest of the nobles had come to a stop and were staring at us without looking away.

Celestia seemed to be genuinely nervous, almost as if she had momentarily forgotten her authority over them. The way she was holding me in her wing was abnormally intimate, now that I think about it. Fortunately, her nose soon got us a way out of that uncomfortable situation. She sniffed the air, reminding me that there was a delightful aroma in the air. I recognized that smell of baking bread anywhere. The smell of hot pizza.

She turned her gaze to her left, eyeing what was clearly the local pizzeria. Aside from the sign hanging from a lamppost near the outdoor seating area that depicted a pizza with a slice being pulled away, the outward appearance of the place was mostly interchangeable with various other establishments throughout Canterlot. Regardless, Celestia promptly folded her wing as her stomach gurgled once more. "Ah, perfect timing. Are you in the mood for some pizza?"

"When is anyone not?" I replied with a slight smirk of my own. Eager to stuff our bellies and to escape the piercing stares of the Canterlot elite, we hurriedly entered through the pizzeria's front door.

The interior was just as I remembered it from last week. Plenty of plush furnishings with the color motif consisting of many whites, but also golds and royal purples. There was a bar available just past the doorway, although Celestia and I opted to be seated at a booth that consisted of a half circle seat set towards the wall. There were a fair number of customers already, clearly getting what they could for the lunch rush while some relaxing classical music played over the local sound system.

Our waiter left us with a menu and two glasses of ice water before departing to check on other customers. Being my second time back, I was eager to try some more things on the menu. Celestia also casually scanned the menu with me while sipping from her drink. Although I soon felt her gently leaning towards me. "You think we should get an appetizer with a pizza?"

At first, I paid no heed to Celestia's body weight being shifted towards me. "Sounds about right to me. Maybe with a couple of salads too... And maybe a margherita pizza since it's lighter than most others?"

"Mmm... Nothing quite like the richness of a margherita without making you feel bloated afterwards, is there?" Celestia said hungrily while eyeing the menu. However, a moment later, I felt her shift her weight towards me further while also feeling her rest her head on my shoulder. I could hear her let out a long sigh of relaxation.

I could not ignore this approach, even if she seemed to be completely unaware of it herself. Even so, I did not mind very much at all and responded by reaching past her and tenderly pulling her slender frame against my side for a one-armed embrace. "Didn't get enough out of that nap? You seem tired."

A muffled chuckle rumbled in Celestia's throat while she continued to lean against me. "No, not really... Although I do feel quite relaxed. You have a very laidback presence, James."

"Thanks... Laidback does sound like me. Although you don't have to keep leaning on me like this." I replied while beginning to run my fingers through her folded wing, tracing my fingertips along the length of her feathers' rachises and between the individual barbs. It was pleasantly distracting to just lose myself in focusing exclusively on the sense of touch around my fingers.

Celestia sighed gently at my touch and I soon noticed her close her eyes. "I know... I just... That feels very nice... Could you please keep doing that?"

"Sure." I replied quietly while continuing to trace my fingers up and down the length of her wing's frame. As I continued to caress her, I soon noticed a golden tint at the base of Celestia's horn along with a purple glint. A familiar golden ring with an amethyst set into it. "You're still wearing that ring?"

"Every single day." She whispered quietly without even opening her eyes. "I never forget to wear it. Just looking at it makes me think of you."

"Uh... That's nice?" I muttered while not being entirely sure of what to say to that. I was feeling rather uncomfortably warm by then. While I was flattered by her words and glad to see her in better spirits than in our previous encounter, I was beginning to wonder if she was actually starting to come onto me. Although along with that not be a good idea since I am already set to be married to Fluttershy in several months, I really cannot imagine a ruler of Equestria actually developing those types of feelings for me. From Celestia or anyone else.

However, I clearly was not the only one who was thinking along those lines. I soon glanced up and saw our waiter standing across the table while giving us a rather uneasy stare in almost the same fashion one would show upon discovering a couple of their friends making out behind some curtains. Celestia soon detected his presence as well before opening her eyes and staring back. He soon broke the silence by asking, "Um... I hope I am not interrupting anything, your highness. Are you ready to order?"

Celestia promptly pushed herself away from me while blushing furiously as I tried to just be silent and watch her as if I had no idea what was going on and to let the tension simmer down. "Uh... Oh, yes! We're ready. What was it we agreed on again, James? Two salads, root beers, an order of garlic cheese bread, and a margherita pizza?"

"That sounded about right. Except please hold the onions, peppers, and artichokes on my salad." I replied to confirm the order. The waiter then took our menus and trotted away. For the next several minutes, Celestia did not say a word and seemed to be doing all she could to not even look at me. She constantly appeared to be very nervous and that blush never completely left her face. It was not until the waiter returned with our drinks that she finally showed any sort of response by tanking him... Drat, I forgot to add in the h right there. Slip of the wrist.

While I sipped from my glass of icy cold root beer, Celestia did the same without a word. And she still did not look at me once. Finally, I decided to inquire as to what was wrong. "Hey... Are you all right?"

With some reluctance, Celestia glanced my way and displayed a rather crooked smile. "Me? Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, James."

"You sure?" I asked while feeling more curious than concerned. "A little bit ago, you were getting really cuddly. Except now you're looking like you want nothing to do with me. You think we should just call it quits after lunch and go home?"

She shook her head immediately and said, "No, please. I...don't want to see you leave just yet. I apologize if I seem...insecure at this moment."

"OK, I'll stay." I replied while seeing that she was still trying to not look directly at me. She was indeed quite uneasy about something, even though the waiter had already departed. I knew I would only get the same response as before if I inquired into her well-being, so I remained silent while waiting for her to settle down.

Just as I was beginning to wonder how we would break the ice, a familiar face approached us from nearby and stood before our table. "Well, if it isn't Master James and Princess Celestia! Truly a rare treat!"

Celestia was quick to forget about her uneasiness and smiled at our guest. "Oh! Good afternoon, Fancy Pants! What are the odds we would cross paths in a simple pizzeria? I suppose you never know who you might bump into during the lunch rush."

I reached out to our noble friend and soon received his hoof for a friendly shake. But just as I was starting to lean to my right to peer past the table, Fancy Pants let out a chuckle as he used his magic to adjust his monocle. "I'm quite ahead of you, old chap! Let me take a step so the two of you can take a look."

The gentleman did as he claimed and took several steps back before turning sideways. Much to my surprise, his hindquarters were no longer bare. Just past his sleek black jacket were a pair of white trousers. "Oh, very nice! Now you really are Fancy Pants."

"Quite! I looked at myself in the mirror a few weeks back and pondered to myself the words you've said during our past encounters. For somepony whose name is Fancy Pants, I hardly fit the 'Pants' part of my name more often than not. And so I decided to complete my ensemble with some fitting white pants. Turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself." Fancy Pants explained while he stepped closer once more. However, he then asked, "Speaking of a few weeks, I heard some troubling news through the grapevine that you were rather recently admitted to the hospital, Master James. I trust that seeing you here now means that everything went swimmingly?"

Celestia looked at me worryingly while I also glanced at her. I still recall everything I was told about what happened after that day, but my memory of everything was still blank. Even so, I tried to reassure the friendly gentleman. "I can't say I remember much of what happened, but yeah. I was in a coma for a few weeks. But I'm doing just fine now."

"My word, a coma... Would've been a shame if you never awoke, old chap. Well, whatever it was that placed you in such a dreadful predicament, I pray it never happens again." Fancy Pants replied while manually adjusting his monocle before turning his gaze towards Celestia. "Ah, but where are my manners? It's such a pleasure to see you here, your highness. What brings you into town this fine afternoon?"

Celestia quickly lost her frown and cast Fancy an uneven smile. "Me? Well... You see..." She then glanced at me while she paused briefly. "Just a day off to spend time with a good friend. And since it's lunchtime, we decided to stop by here to grab a bite."

"I see, I see..." Fancy Pants said briskly while he held his hoof to his chin. He seemed to be thinking while observing us.

I merely cocked my head to one side while wondering exactly what it was Fancy Pants was looking at. His eyes glanced back and forth between me and Celestia. The Princess of the Dawn was not quite as laidback about his gaze and asked in a rather accusatory tone, "Um... I'm not so sure I care for that look, Fancy Pants. What is it you're looking at?"

Fancy Pants averted his gaze for just a moment while he cleared his throat. "Ah, well... Forgive me if I am inquiring too deeply, but... Unless my eyes deceive me, are you two possibly on a...as most would say...a date?"

I actually cracked up quite a bit from that guess. I held my forehead between my thumb and index finger while I looked away as a snicker squeaked through my teeth. Celestia, on the other hand, seemed frozen with a look of utter embarrassment on her face, those white cheeks flushed with a pink hue. I managed to force out a reply and said, "It's not like that at all, Fancy Pants! Besides, I'm already engaged! Fluttershy and I are due to be married at the start of April."

That revelation caused Fancy Pant's monocle to pop off his face and dangle by its chain as he looked at us aghast. How does a monocle even do that anyway? "Engaged?! To Miss Fluttershy?! Oh, my sincerest apologies, your highness! But... Truly? Master James to be wed to Miss Fluttershy? Do tell me more!"

While Celestia gulped down her glass of water to relax herself, I tried to explain the details. "Well, yeah. We've decided to have the wedding happen just after the start of this coming April. That gives us enough time to plan and to enjoy our honeymoon before getting back in time for the next Grand Galloping Gala. And the wedding will be held in Ponyville as well."

Fancy Pants smiled while he set his monocle back over his left eye. "Well, you have my heartiest congratulations! Though if I may be so bold as to ask, am I invited?"

I glanced at Celestia, who seemed to have become a bit more relaxed over the past minute and shook chuckled to herself. "Of course you're invited! I really should hurry up and start sending out those invitations. It's going to be a big day when it arrives."

Just as Fancy Pants was about to speak further, he glanced to his left and seemed to notice our waiter approaching with a platter holding a couple of salads. "Ah, it seems I should leave you two be seeing as how your appetizers are arriving. And it seems my entourage is already here and expecting me. If you will excuse me..." Fancy Pants then bowed and trotted over to a distant booth just as our waiter arrived with our salads. Topped with shredded cheese, croutons, and a delightful orange dressing, I was all too eager to dig in.

For a moment, Celestia and I silently munched on our salads. I glanced at her briefly, seeing that her food was doing a good job of calming her nerves down. Even though clearly no longer depressed, it seemed that a new tension had begun to sink its hooks into her. Wanting to maybe distract her from any unpleasant thoughts that may have been drifting through her mind at the time, I tried to ask some harmless questions. There is nothing that ruins an appetite like stress. "Nice guy, that Fancy Pants. Has he always been this catering to all social classes?"

Celestia glanced over at our friend as he chatted amongst a few more nobles across the dining room. "Well, for as long as I can remember, he's always been quite friendly to just about everypony. He claims that the secret to his success is never putting himself above others. Something about valuing one over the other puts you at odds with the other end of the spectrum. He's a stallion who values all parts of Equestria's society."

"Hm. Very nice guy indeed. Definitely the polar opposite of old Blueballs." I replied while causing Celestia to almost choke on her food from suppressed laughter.

"Oh, yes. Those two have never gotten along very well at all. Incompatible ideals and such. Although they do tolerate each other when they must be in each other's company." The Princess of the Dawn said with a smirk as she sipped from her water. "At their very first meeting, it almost came to a case of fisticuffs before the guards got involved. Although Fancy Pants was the first to apologize for allowing his temper to get the better of him."

I glanced back over at Fancy Pants while he seemed to laugh among his companions. It was difficult imagining such a relaxed and friendly fellow of such high social stature coming within inches of being provoked into a brawl. But considering how insufferable that lout of a prince can be, I suppose even his tolerance has limits. Is he even really a prince, now that I think about it? "Fancy Pants scrapping with the prince? I can only imagine what Blueballs said to him to tick him off that bad... Come to think of it, does he still have a case of the blue balls?"

Once more, Celestia snickered under her breath. "Well, from what I understand, he is still not courting anypony. Most mares, even among the Canterlot elite, find his egotism to be quite detestable. It's a shame, really. He's at the height of influence among the Canterlot elite, yet remains one of the most despised. Fancy Pants is especially displeased with him, so that says a lot."

Trying to keep the subject on Fancy Pants instead of anything else, I then looked at Celestia just as I was on the verge of finishing my salad. "Say... Does he always refer to others as 'Master' when he addresses them? I don't think that was the first time he's called me that either."

"Oh, you mean when he addressed you as Master James?" Celestia asked in return while she set down her fork. "That's just a little quirk of his when it comes to people he likes or respects. He refers to gentlemen like you as 'Master' and the mares as 'Lady'. So the fact that he refers to you like that means you've probably earned his respect in one way or another. By calling you 'Master James', he's saying that he's quite fond of you."

"Huh... Well, that explains why he sometimes refers to Rarity as Lady Rarity." I replied while finishing off my salad. But I then asked, "But does he really think I'm worthy of that title? We've met so infrequently that I can count the entire list of our encounters all on one hand."

Celestia let out a quiet sigh as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "Well, you're not exactly a difficult person to like, James."

I felt myself get the warm fuzzies upon hearing those words. I gently leaned on the table and turned my gaze away from Celestia while replying, "That's exactly what I can say about you."

At first, she did not say anything. And neither did I. The moment remained quiet, even after the waiter brought out our garlic cheese bread and left us be. Even then, we did not touch our food right away. There was a nameless tension in the air around us.

After a moment longer, I felt myself getting annoyed by this tension between us. It felt silly, not being able to open up towards someone I found genuinely attractive who had truly just become my friend. Fighting against the urge to keep my distance, I slowly started to reach out with my left arm to reach past Celestia from behind and embrace her from one side. I frequently hesitated while trying to be inconspicuous in my approach. However, I soon froze as I felt the touch of feathers against my elbow.

Without turning my head too much, I looked to my left. And what I saw caught me by surprise. Celestia was reaching out to me in exactly the same way, her wing beginning to reach behind me in the same manner my arm was to her. We shared a long silent gaze, neither of us speaking. Was she thinking the exact same thing I was?

I was tempted to pull my arm back and just leave her alone now that I had been caught. But when I did barely pull my arm and hand further away, Celestia did the same with her wing. Finally, after another moment of gathering some courage, I reached past her and placed my hand on her opposite shoulder just as she did the same with her wing. With me in her wing's grasp and my hand grasping her shoulder, we gently pulled on each other until we were locked against each other in a half embrace as Celestia rested her head on my shoulder while I laid my head upon her thick flowing mane. I then heard the Princess of the Dawn whisper, "I... I'm glad I met you."

I felt myself relax as I heard those words and whispered into her ear, "Likewise, Celestia."

For a minute or so, we just sat there in silence while holding each other. I just felt...so at peace in her grasp. The feeling I was getting from her... It was not the same as being in the presence of Luna or Nightmare Moon. It was...different. Peaceful and enjoyable and...something else. Like I did not want to let go. Did she feel the same way?

Before I could think about this feeling too much, the waiter once more approached us with refilled drink cups and a freshly baked margherita pizza. The aroma of that combined with the intoxicating scent of the garlic cheese bread was just too much to resist. Celestia and I released each other from our grasps and feasted our eyes upon our meal. Celestia spoke first as I could see her mouth all but watering. "My word, this just looks too good. I really should stop by here more often."

The garlic cheese bread was delightful and rich in flavor to the point where I almost preferred it over the pizza. The margherita was rich in flavor, yet was smooth and light with a crust that was not quite thin, nor was it thick. Somehow, it was just right.

While we ate, I took note of Celestia's previous words to me. "You don't get out of the palace often?"

Celestia replied as she slid herself down on the booth's seat to be further away from me, "Well, I really do try to get out of my home as often as I can. More often than not, it's for official business involving traveling to various towns and cities to speak to those who govern the place. Strictly diplomatic reasons. Of course, I do like the palace, but I must confess that I have a love for the simpler things in life."

At first, I was a bit puzzled as to why Celestia moved herself further away from me, although I did not mention it to avoid troubling her. Although after a moment, I began to see why as she was further along the seat's half circle shape. Being further away, she was able to see me more easily without turning her head. And she very seldom took her eyes off me.

Seeing what it was she did, I decided to mirror her and scooted along my seat until we were all but facing each other. And even as I enjoyed my meal, I too found myself largely unable to look away from the lovely princess in front of me. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess that's part of why I prefer Ponyville over Canterlot, the snooty folks among the Canterlot elite notwithstanding."

It was just such a good time, simple as it was. We talked and talked. We even laughed. So much so, we slowed down on actually eating our lunch to the point that the pizza was all but cool by the time we finished off the final slice. We only finally ceased chatting when our waiter set our bill on the table.

"Huh? Wait a minute, what time is it?" I asked upon realizing that our bill was set out before us. I glanced around and noticed a gilded clock set upon the far wall. "Wow. Past 2 PM already?"

"Well, we certainly lost track of time. That's what happens when you're with a good friend more often than not." Celestia replied while still showing a delighted calm smile on her face. With a flash of her magic, she seemed to summon a purple coin purse from nowhere just as I was starting to reach for my pocket. "Leave the payment to me, James. You didn't come all the way up here to spend your money."

I was tempted to at least offer to handle the tip, but my thoughts then went back to Fluttershy. Things would be changing in several more months. I would need to conserve my funds however I could. And considering Celestia's royal status, she likely has more money in her possession than she knows what to do with. "All right. Thanks, Celestia."

The Princess of the Dawn pulled herself out from behind the table and stood up before dumping a number of bits upon the table just prior to dismissing her purse in another flash of magic light. I too then scooted to the edge of the booth and pulled myself up. We consumed every last scrap of food. "Phew, that hit the spot. I doubt I'll even have room for dinner later on."

"Well, we could always eat light instead of a full meal." Celestia replied while she started to walk past me with her wing outstretched. The way it draped across my back and began to pull on me felt almost as if she was trying to pull me along. I made no attempt to resist and began to walk alongside her while she once more folded her wing.

Once we were back outside, I glanced around. The air was becoming more humid now that much of the rain was evaporating into the air despite still being cooler than what you would usually feel during such a time in the year. The streets were becoming lined with many ponies of varying social classes going about their day. I even happened to catch a glimpse of Twilight Velvet in the crowds. Did I mention before that she is Twilight Sparkle's mother?

"So then... Where to now?" I heard Celestia cheerfully ask from beside me. When I glanced at her, I saw that she was displaying a truly happy smile while she looked on in silence. It was as if she was waiting, allowing me to guide her.

"Um... Well..." I mumbled as I glanced around. Being someone who does not visit Canterlot often at all, I have never been very familiar with the city's layout. I soon looked back at her and replied, "Do you have any suggestions?"

Her response was not what I would expect from someone of her authority. "Anywhere is fine so long as I'm with you."

"You know, that sounds way too flirty..." I said while struggling to not laugh very loud. Where I was feeling nervous before, I was now starting to find myself having fun in Celestia's company. It was as if the more time I spent with her, the less inhibited I felt. While Celestia also found herself laughing with me, I soon had an idea of where to visit. "Well, if I had to choose... What about that market street we went to last time I was up here with you and your sisters?"

"Oh, why didn't I think of that? And now's a good time too! Things tend to not get that busy until the late afternoon..." Celestia said before she fell silent. Her eyes were focused on something that seemed to be behind me while she showed a devious smirk. "Don't look now, but it seems a couple of familiar louts are coming this way."

I glanced behind me and saw what it was that had Celestia looking so smug. A pair of Canterlot nobles were approaching us. And they were none other than Jet Set and Upper Crust. I too found myself smirking as I promptly recalled what happened the last time we crossed paths. "And it looks like they're coming right for us. What should we do, Celestia? Point out his wardrobe malfunction again?"

"Just leave this to me for the moment, James." The Princess of the Dawn replied while she stepped past me in a clear effort to put some distance between me and the likely spiteful louts before us. She then spoke in a cordial tone, "Good afternoon. It's been a while since we last crossed paths."

Sure enough, the pompous couple came right to us and then came to a stop before bowing. Jet Set was the first to speak in that insufferably conceited tone of voice I had come to loathe. "Indeed it has, your highness. And such a fine day to see you. Although..."

Jet Set turned his gaze towards me while showing nothing more than contempt in those eyes. Upper Crust then spoke up in an equally sickeningly pompous tone, "Just... Why do you insist on socializing with such uncouth peasants? You do recall his behavior from the last time, don't you?"

I felt myself smirk while I glanced at Jet Set. From what I could see, he was not wearing any pants. I then glanced back to Upper Crust and said quietly, "M'lady, do I really have to publicly point out that your husband is displaying his family jewels for all to see again?"

That shut her up instantly, a very flustered blush filling her cheeks. Jet Set did not take that quip quite as quietly though and all but yelled at me while looking positively furious. "Ha... How dare you?! This is the cutting edge of fashion!"

"Said the lout who can't be bothered to wear a pair of pants on a daily basis." I replied snidely while patting my hip to emphasize my point of using proper clothing over the lower body.

This only served to enrage the pompous lout even further as he looked like he wanted to bash me over the head with something. While his wife looked on in silent embarrassment, Jet Set growled at me, "I swear, if we were in an empty back alley right now..."

That incomplete threat seemed to force Celestia's hoof as she spoke up with a smirk, "Guard."

I did all I could to not laugh as both Jet Set and Upper Crust instantly looked like they were on the verge of panic. From nearby, one of the royal guard armed with a spear trotted over to the Princess of the Dawn. "You called, your highness?"

Jet Set was quick to plead for Celestia's mercy as he stepped forward. "Your highness, please! I..."

"Silence!" Celestia barked in a rare exertion of her authority. Jet Set promptly fell silent as he and his wife looked on in terror. I could only smirk while I crossed my arms. What did she have in mind?

Very soon, Celestia began to smirk as well while she glanced at the guard out of the corner of her eye. "This fine couple is quite famished and they are at a loss of where to go to sate their appetite. Would you please escort them to the nearest restaurant? I'm sure they would appreciate that greatly."

Oh, Celestia. I could not help but grin and snicker at such a show of playfulness. The guard played along just fine and turned to the two nobles before us. "As you wish, your highness. You two. Come with me."

Both Upper Crust and Jet Set silently followed after the guard without a word while looking genuinely baffled as to why they were not being arrested in any way. At least that got them away from us. I turned to Celestia and spoke, "Well, that got them away from us. Nice one, Celestia."

The Princess of the Dawn laughed lightly before she turned to face me while also reaching out with her wing. "I could say the same to you. I didn't know you could get quite that sharp in the face of such arrogance!"

I rolled my eyes, knowing I tend to be very laidback and just ignore such idiots. "Yeah, I know. I mean I'm not one for confrontation, but that doesn't mean I can't get really nasty when provoked."

Next thing I know, I once again found myself in Celestia's grasp as she draped her wing over me. Although I was feeling more chipper and relaxed by then, so I returned the favor by reaching out and placing my hand on her opposite shoulder. "And nasty you were! Not that it wasn't warranted. Honestly, it's just so satisfying to see such unpleasant people get told off like that. But enough of these delays. Shall we do some window shopping?"

"Sure, but just as long as we don't buy any windows. I'm not lugging those around for the rest of the day." I replied while promptly getting another laugh out of my friend.

We soon found ourselves walking down the street where most of Canterlot's businesses are set up. Or rather the establishments that specialize in various forms of retail. Business was still bustling, although the road was not terribly crowded. Our first stop seemed to be a local botanist. It was fitting considering how genuinely pretty Canterlot is and it shows with frequent displays of flowers around the town, either set in hanging planters or growing from the ground. Not as frequent as I would prefer, but it still helps.

Celestia and I were greeted with the fresh scent of clean air and the faint aroma of numerous flowers. Describing the interior eludes me, though the shop seemed noticeably humbler than most other shops. It made sense due to the fact that such a shop would often require indoor moving and use of soil. The elegant polished floors used in most other establishments simply would not do.

While we passed by a row of flowers that consisted of roses, lilies, and daisies, Celestia and I came to a stop as we heard a faint spraying sound. Above the row of flowers, a type of sprinkler system activated as it released a constant spray of mist to gently moisten the air and the soil the flowers were growing from. However, we were caught in the spray as well.

Finding the exposure to the moisture to be pleasant, I stood my ground while feeling the cool touch of countless tiny water droplets upon my face. Although I soon found Celestia standing beside me as well with her eyes closed while she also stood in the mist spray with her head tilted back. I even smirked in amusement when she stuck out her tongue in an effort to collect some of the water much like how children might try to catch raindrops or snowflakes on their tongues.

I just felt so relaxed right there, standing in the gentle spray of mist beside my new beautiful friend. I could not help reaching out to her and placing my hand upon her opposite shoulder, pulling Celestia closer to me. She responded in kind by once more wrapping her large beautiful wing around me and pulled me closer, the two of us holding each other while our heads rested together as well. It was just so...romantic. Almost painfully romantic. And yet, I was finding it difficult to keep my hands off her.

Before I could think on this much at all, I once more heard a familiar gurgle from Celestia's stomach as her eyes shot open. "Hungry again, Celestia?"

The Princess of the Dawn replied with a more uneasy expression than before, "Uh... Not quite. I just need to use the lady's room. I'll be right back."

I could not help grinning crookedly as Celestia hurriedly trotted over to the front counter to speak to the clerk, who seemed to be a young mare with her mane tied in a ponytail. "So sorry to bother you, but where can I find your restroom?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, your highness. The restroom is for customer use only. Are you just browsing?" The clerk replied while I merely watched from where I stood.

Celestia did not seem bothered by being refused at all. "Oh, I wasn't planning on leaving without making a purchase. I'll place an order to be delivered to the palace."

This seemed to please the clerk as she pointed towards the back end of the room. "All right. You can find the restroom at the far end in the corner."

"Oh, thank you! I'll be out shortly!" The Princess of the Dawn replied before rushing to the far end of the room, closing the restroom door behind her and locking it. It was rather amusing to see such a proud and powerful ruler making a rush for a bathroom break like that.

I decided to wait by staying in the mist spray. Although while I waited, I heard the door's bell jingle as it opened and closed again. The clerk must have been distracted in some way since she did not immediately greet the customer. However, I soon heard a familiar voice speak up from right next to me. "So, how have things been going?"

Recognizing the voice, I turned to my right and found none other than Luna looking up at me. "Hey, Luna! What's up?"

"Oh, nothing aside from keeping a close eye on you two." She replied with a wink. "And I have to say I am quite impressed with how things have developed between you two so quickly. Nightmare Moon was correct in suggesting that we seek you out."

I glanced over at the restroom door while taking note of how Luna seemed to be keeping her voice down a bit. I suppose it would not be surprising if Celestia could hear us through the door if we spoke loudly enough. Taking this into account, I started to speak more softly as well. "Yeah, I'm glad she started feeling better so fast too. She just seems so happy now."

"Mmhm, she is. Happier than I've seen her in a while, in fact." Luna replied before she gently nudged my ribs with her elbow. "And I've been seeing quite a few other things as well. The way you two mesh. The way you make each other laugh and smile. The way you can't seem to keep yourselves off each other. That's quite a bit of chemistry you have there."

That remark quickly got me feeling quite hot with some form of anxiety. Thank goodness that spray of mist was helping me stay cool. "Luna, are you implying something here?" At the same time, I could not entirely dismiss her words.

"Well... Maybe." Luna muttered while she also lifted her head into the cooling mist. "It's just... I'm actually quite impressed. I was certain for so long that the two of you would be good friends, but... I did not expect the two of you to mesh quite THIS well."

She had a point. While I did find myself initially standoffish about spending such personal quality time with only Celestia, it did not take long for my inhibitions to break down. I found myself laughing with her and... She was actually right. I found myself frequently reaching out to Celestia and holding her in an embrace. In fact, Celestia herself could hardly keep her wings off of me.

After a moment of silence, Luna then spoke quietly as she kept her eyes closed. "I think I understand now... Why she lamented not spending more quality time with you. Her concern with you during your hospitalization..."

"Hmm?" I mumbled while I once more turned my gaze towards her. I recognized the topic, remembering our discussion about it during our ride on the train.

Luna once more turned her gaze to me while her billowing mane shimmered in the misty spray. "She is drawn to you, James. I see some of you in her just as she sees herself in you. It's a natural attraction."

"You almost make it sound like she has the hots for me, Luna... That wouldn't be a good thing, you know." I replied while not entirely certain of how I felt about such a thought. Surely Celestia would not let personal feelings rule her like that. Duty before pleasure and all that. She has certainly been on the throne longer than her sisters.

The Princess of the Night turned her gaze away from me while she continued to speak. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. Although I could certainly see it happen under different circumstances..." She then glanced back at me and said, "Still... I'm not entirely certain of what it is. The two of you just seem..."

Luna seemed to be struggling to find the right words since she fell silent for a moment. Eventually, we both glanced at the bathroom door as we heard the toilet flush. This caused Luna to look slightly panicked. "Sounds like she's finishing up. I had best be going now."

"Wait, really? What's wrong?" I asked as Luna began to step away from me. It seemed like she was trying to stay hidden from her sister.

I was expecting to hear the sink run for Celestia to wash her hooves. But considering that she likely used magic to grasp the toilet paper, there was likely nothing to actually physically touch. She would probably be exiting the bathroom at any second. And Luna was taking that into account as she hurried for the door. "It's for the best that she focuses on just you for now. She should not concern herself with me while you are helping her. You never saw me, all right?" She then promptly turned to the clerk and added, "Same for you. Do not let Princess Celestia know that Princess Luna was here."

The clerk merely nodded readily as Luna rushed out the door. Before the shop's door could even fully close, Celestia emerged from the restroom and made her way back over to me. "Phew... Much better. Did I keep you waiting?"

"Nah. I couldn't get enough of this mist." I replied while turning my face back up to the cooling mist that was falling to the flowers below. Unfortunately, it stopped spraying a moment later. "Aww... That's all for now?"

Celestia then began to browse the flowers, probably to find something she could get some use out of in exchange for being allowed to use the restroom. In the end, she settled on purchasing a few tiny bags of vegetable seeds. I suspect the royal chefs use fresh ingredients gathered from a garden that is grown somewhere on the palace grounds. The bags were left with the clerk to be delivered to the palace at the end of the day.

With pretty much nothing left to do, we stepped out of the shop and glanced around at the other shops. I then asked, "So... Where to next?"

Ever so subtly, I felt Celestia lean against me. I responded by casually reaching around her, pulling her close with my arm for an embrace of sorts. It was as Luna said. I found it difficult to keep my hands off her when near. Regardless, Celestia then glanced at me and asked, "Hmm... Well, why don't we pick up some souvenirs for Fluttershy back home? And perhaps something for your new daughter? Scootaloo, was it?"

My thoughts went back to Fluttershy and Scootaloo. It certainly was not a bad idea to pick something up for them. The only question was what. However, Celestia then seemed to turn her gaze towards a local store specializing in cosmetics. "Do you think she's big on cosmetics?"

"Fluttershy hasn't ever been big on using anything much more exotic than perfume... But then again, since she does have a thing for dressing kind of fancy, maybe a bit of makeup would suit her." I replied after taking a moment to think of my fiancée. In spite of her humble personality and her disdain for drawing attention, Fluttershy does have quite an interest in elegant attire. I found that out from Rarity when she mentioned to me that Fluttershy has a thing for French haute couture fashion.

The two of us soon stepped into the cosmetics store and found that it was roughly what I expected. A rather elegant store with a multitude of small bottles and trays displaying rainbows of colors set against white walls to really help the colors stand out. There were even a few pictures, large and small, depicting gorgeous mares in what were clearly advertisements for the products the store was carrying. Although the price tags made me cringe a bit. Why in the world would something so small that does not contain valuable resources cost so much? Thank goodness I would not be the one paying.

The store's clerk was quick to approach and bowed while speaking in quite a refined accent while maintaining a friendly and open demeanor. "Oh, your highness! It's such a pleasure to see you! What can I help you with?" I did not get to see her long enough to really remember her overall appearance, but she was a unicorn with her coat being a silvery gray while sporting a relatively short mane of blond strands of hair with her horn extending up through her mane. Her cutie mark consisted of a... What do you call that tool used to apply makeup to the cheeks to create a blush? It looks like a brush of sorts... A powder puff?

Celestia responded with a smile and said, "It's a pleasure, Silver Chic. My good friend here and I would like to browse your products for a little something to take home."

The store owner then turned to face me and smiled before speaking in her friendly tone, "Oh, I see! Bringing home a surprise for a special somepony?"

"That's exactly what it is, but I have no idea where to start. And...uh... Silver Chic, was it?" I replied while I glanced behind her at the many rows of colorful products. I swear it sounded more like her name was Silver Sheik when I spoke it which, funnily enough, sounds more poetic.

Silver Chic seemed to be very catering to my needs and led me over to a long row of various cosmetics. Being largely cosmetic illiterate, I could barely tell one from the other. Fortunately, I did not have to worry too much since Silver Chic seemed interested in finding out my needs through some questions. "Yes, but you can just call me Chic. Now then, getting something for your sweetheart? What can you tell me about her?"

What could I tell her about Fluttershy? "Well... Very sweet and demure. Shy and modest, but utterly gorgeous. Has a deep love for nature and prefers humbler settings, but also has a taste for elegance even though I can't remember ever seeing her use makeup."

Chic held her hoof to her chin while she seemed to analyze my words. "Hmmm... Sounds like a mare who prefers the simple things in life and has a taste for the natural look. And judging by how you describe her, she sounds like she would hardly need to touchup her looks at all. I think I know exactly what you need."

I watched while Silver Chic extended her hoof towards a row of flip-top containers that seemed to have a wide variety of colored cosmetics on display inside with a small brush beside them. "Your sweetheart sounds like quite the minimalist, sticking to natural beauty without tinkering with her looks. However, I'm sure that a bit of eyeshadow could enhance her allure even further."

Eyeshadow... My thoughts immediately went to Rarity. While she has been taking a more minimalistic approach to her appearance over the last year by disposing of those false eyelashes, her use of that beautiful light blue eyeshadow has always been constant since the day I met her. And I swear, she has the single most alluring gaze of any mare I know in Ponyville. Just thinking of her batting her eyes at me makes me feel a bit flustered. Perhaps the eyeshadow makes all the difference! Even Luna and Nightmare Moon seem to have a penchant for eyeshadow. I wonder why Celestia does not wear any... Regardless, I liked the idea and could definitely imagine Fluttershy wearing some. "That sounds perfect. What color do you recommend?"

"Well, color is the most important aspect of eyeshadow, isn't it? First, we need to figure out exactly what colors make up your sweetheart's body." Silver Chic replied before she stepped over to some sort of square device set up on the cosmetics shelf. It was easy to access, although I had to kneel to not be standing above it. Almost forgot how much smaller than me these ponies are. The device was black, but depicted the shape of a mare with a type of default mane and tail design. It certainly did not look like anyone I know. The mare's body and hair were separated by thin lines while the shapes seemed to be glass set into the device like some sort of indentation. At the bottom in each corner were three knobs with the letters R, G, and B etched above them.

I quickly caught on what these knobs did and began to fiddle with them before Silver Chic could even explain its function. "Oh, I get it. Just a second." Each knob controlled the prominence of red, green, and blue to adjust the colors. It is a relatively commonly used gimmick in lots of things. As I twisted the knobs, I saw the body of the mare change colors. I tried twisting them more subtlety once it was starting to look yellow and tried going for that pale gold color that covers Fluttershy's body. After a moment more, I got it. And Chic seemed to find the color quite pleasing to the eyes as well. "Ooh, that's a lovely color! And what of her mane?"

"Just a sec." I replied while I began to adjust the other set of knobs. I got the mane to turn red and then purple before it started turning pink. However, it looked much closer to Pinkie Pie's mane color than that of Fluttershy's. Not wanting it to look too vibrant, I tweaked the colors a bit more until it was much closer to the lighter pink I recognized as being that of my girlfriend. "There we go. That's Fluttershy, all right."

Silver Chic seemed to adore the combination of pale gold with light pink. "Oh my, she must be a beauty! These colors carry such a gentle and comforting feel to them. I bet she knows how to make you feel good after a long day."

"Oh, she certainly does. But what color do you recommend?" I replied while already imagining getting home to receive a kiss and cuddle from my lover.

"Well, seeing these colors really narrows it down. Just a moment, let's see here..." Chic muttered while she briefly browsed the list of eyeshadow. After no more than ten seconds, she used her magic to lift one from the shelf. The eyeshadow material seemed to be a pale pink. "This one! Can't you just imagine her showing you some bedroom eyes while this color skirts the edges of her eyes?"

"Whoa, bad place to bring that up..." I jokingly said while already imagining Fluttershy giving me a gaze I would often associate with Rarity. I cringed in anticipation at the thought, earning a sudden laugh from the clerk.

Moments later, I had Fluttershy's eyeshadow on the checkout counter waiting for purchase. But before I could leave, I had to wait for Celestia. She had likely been browsing the products at the other end of the shop since she seemed to be standing before another row of eyeshadow. Since I had rounded up all I needed, I went over to her to check on her. Her gorgeous flowing mane was hanging down the side of her body that was facing me, so it was completely obstructing her face.

I approached Celestia while she did not pay any mind to my approach. Once I was beside her, I asked, "Found anything you like?"

She then replied with a tone of voice that was far sultrier than I was expecting. "Oh, I don't know..." She then turned her head to look at me and asked while casting me an alluring smirk, "Why don't you tell me?"

I all but jumped back at what I was seeing. Just...dang. I instantly saw the shade of pink covering the lids of her eyes. It matched the pink in her mane and tail. And that stare... I did all I could to not yelp and said, "Jesus...! OK, I see you found a good color for you! Now stop looking at me like that!"

Celestia quickly dropped the facade and let out a hearty laugh before casting me a delighted smile. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself! It's true what Nightmare Moon said..." She then began to walk forward to pass me, but then surprised me by discreetly placing a kiss upon my cheek. "You really are just so much fun to tease."

I froze as she walked over to the counter to purchase our items. While that was not the first time she kissed me, the way it seemed to come out of nowhere and with how casually she did so unnerved me somehow. My hand reached for me cheek. Not even Luna or Nightmare Moon had ever kissed me that many times in one day. Then again, Celestia is quite the sweetheart... Ugh, my mind was just swimming with questions.

"James, are you coming?" I heard Celestia call from near the door. She seemed to have a fancy paper bag with the shop's logo on the side being held in her magical grasp.

"Oh, sorry! Coming!" I replied promptly before hurrying over to the counter to finish my purchase. However, I found that the eyeshadow container was nowhere to be seen. Silver Chic giggled at my confusion while I turned my gaze towards Celestia. The Princess of the Dawn grinned sheepishly while she swung the bag back and forth, probably to let me know that she had already paid for Fluttershy's eyeshadow and that it was in the bag. "Oh, you took care of it? Thanks!"

"Do come again!" I heard Silver Chic call out from behind me as the door swung shut behind us. Such a nice host. People like her surely help combat the negative image most of the Canterlot elite give the city.

"So, where to next?" I asked while glancing around at the other shops. It was certainly a good start to a little shopping spree and I was definitely grateful that Celestia handled the purchase for me. I barely even saw the prices for the products in the shop and I did not want to know the rest either.

Celestia glanced around for a moment as well before her eyes fell upon the royal palace in the distance over the rooftops. "Hmmm... Would it be all right if we went home for a little bit? I'd like to drop this stuff off for now and to pick up my saddlebags. I'd like to have something to carry our purchases in without having to use magic to hold it."

"Sounds good to me. And thanks for handling the purchase on Fluttershy's gift." I said in return while I could not take my eyes off of Celestia's eyeshadow. It just... It was perfect for her.

My royal friend did not seem to mind at all, giving me a delighted grin while she began to walk along with me beside her. "Well, I certainly owed you a favor for this lovely ring on my horn. Please let me know sometime on how Fluttershy looks in this."

The walk back to the palace was rather uneventful... Wait, I take that back. Granted, we did not discuss a whole lot while casually browsing the shop windows as we passed by, but I was quick to notice quite a few stallions would stop and stare whenever we passed by. And I quickly realized why. It was Celestia's eyeshadow. I do not know what it is about that type of cosmetic, but whenever I have seen it used on a mare, it really enhances their sex appeal. And Celestia knew it too! It did not take long for her to notice the stares she was getting and responded by closing her eyelids a bit further, revealing more of that lovely pink eyeshadow while also causing her eyes to show a more alluring stare. I did all I could to not glance directly at her, knowing she was just messing with the gawkers. Even if she was only being playful, I would be lying if she did not look exceptionally attractive through those eyes alone.

Once we returned to the palace, I silently followed Celestia through the halls until we came to the end of one hall I had never been down before. And at the very end was a single door. Celestia then spoke up as it opened with the use of her magic, "Here we are."

It was while Celestia went inside that I realized she was entering her own private chambers. Having come to understand setting foot in someone's personal bedroom or room in general without permission is normally a taboo, I turned away from the doorway and crossed my arms while I patiently waited for Celestia to return after dropping off the bag of makeup. But not even a minute of waiting later, I suddenly noticed a billowing golden yellow magic aura looped around my left wrist.

"Hm? Whoa?! Hey!" I suddenly yelped upon noticing it only to immediately afterward get my wrist yanked along by an unseen force as I staggered through the doorway. The magical force was even courteous enough to pull my wrist down low so that I bent over to avoid bashing my head on the doorway. It was only once I was inside the room that the aura around my wrist vanished and the door closed behind me. "Was that you, Celestia?!"

"What's wrong, James? I never said you couldn't enter." I heard Celestia ask from nearby. When I lifted my head to look around, I found Celestia relaxing upon... Was that her bed? I did not see anything else in the room that could have passed for one, so it must have been. And considering that gaze she was giving me...

I cringed a bit as it almost looked like she was trying to seduce me. "OK, enough of that look. I get that we're friends, but you're really starting to abuse that eyeshadow."

She clearly was just messing with me since Celestia then held her hoof to her mouth as she snickered loudly. "Sorry! It's just that I can't help teasing you with this. I almost never wear makeup anyway, so I rarely get to look at anypony like that."

As I casually glanced around the room, I replied, "Well, to be fair, you hardly even need it. You're probably the single hottest mare on the planet as is."

I found it odd that Celestia did not immediately reply and soon glanced over at her. She seemed genuinely flustered by my words, looking away a bit while seemingly blushing. "Are you OK? Did I...go too far?"

Celestia shook her head promptly and said, "No, not at all! It's just... I can't remember the last time I got such a bold compliment! Especially from a human! Most humans never looked at me that way before. And don't worry, I took no offense to it at all. I mean if that had been coming from just about anypony else, it probably would've just sounded perverted. But from you, if sounded sincere and even dignified."

I felt warm and tingly from her praise and averted my gaze while focusing on the pot of flowers just to the right of the door. "I've never looked at women as being objects. If you only feel interested in someone just for their body, there's something very wrong with you."

Once more, I felt an unseen force grasp my wrist and begin to pull me along. I could see that it was indeed Celestia working her magic as her horn was coated by her golden magic aura. She constantly watched me with a very warm smile and pulled me down to her bed. It seemed to just be a cushion set upon the floor with a long and thick cylindrical pillow at the edge of it. I did not see a blanket, though it hardly needed one at the time. Feeling no need to resist, I followed as I was pulled and took a seat upon the bed while leaning against the pillow. It was then that I felt Celestia once more embrace me from behind in her great ivory wings and whispered sweetly into my ear. "That is a wonderful quality to have, my friend. It's no small wonder so many mares have had their eyes on you."

I flinched upon hearing that. "Wait... You know?"

Celestia chuckled while her wings remained wrapped around my body as her head rested on my shoulder. "Mmhm. Twilight's made clear to me some interesting events that have happened on the condition that I keep them secret. And it's no surprise that she isn't the only mare whose heart has pined for you. You're sweet, considerate, and love making others happy. Especially those of the opposite gender." I then noticed her smirk out of the corner of my eye before she whispered, "And it helps that you're fairly handsome too."

"Oh, come on, no I'm not. You should've seen me when I first showed up... Oh, wait. You did see me back then." I said with a snort as I felt myself blush from how thick she was laying out her compliments. And not once did she sound playful or facetious.

A low chuckle rumbled in her throat briefly before she continued whispering to me. And I will admit her voice was very soothing to listen to. "Oh, a little pudge never hurt anyone. And besides, that's not enough to make someone seem unattractive. You always had such a welcoming face..." I then felt that familiar unseen force touch the side of my face before it forced me to turn my head until I was looking right at Celestia. Her eyes seemed to be showing a type of allure again, no doubt thanks to that pink eyeshadow, although she did not seem to be trying to be seductive. "And most of all, you have those deep brown eyes a woman could get lost in."

The moment was becoming incredibly intimate, that much I could see. I strongly doubt Celestia was trying to seduce me, but being alone with such a beauty of a woman who was speaking to me that softly while being held in her supple wings made it all but impossible to not feel somewhat hot and bothered in one way or another. I think Celestia was starting to see just how flustered I was becoming and giggled quietly. "What I'm trying to say is... You're a very attractive and handsome person, James. And..." She then leaned forward, pulling me even more tightly against her body. "I am truly honored to know you."

I felt warm in her embrace. Truly safe and at ease. Tucked into her wings, I slid my hand down and felt around to search for her hoof. I recognized the feel of metal and slid her golden shoe off before resting my hand upon her hoof. In silence, I felt her turn her hoof sideways before flexing her wrist, seemingly grasping my hand in her hoof's joint. Feeling myself relax as the two of us leaned against the pillow, I decided to whisper to her. "And...it's an honor knowing you, Celestia. I don't think it's even remotely possible to really dislike you."

I cringed in slight giddiness as I felt Celestia kiss me right on the ear. Although I was not expecting her next words. "It is greatly appreciated...my sunshine."

Before I could even really think about it, the two of us glanced around at the sound of some sort of chittery giggling. I then asked, "Uh... Are we not alone?"

I glanced around the side of the room we were facing. And my eyes soon fell upon a red curtain of sorts placed over what was all too obviously a gilded birdcage. You know, the type used to allow birds to sleep more effectively. At the time, I could not recall who might have been under it. "You have a pet bird?"

Celestia chuckled lightly while she began to cast the levitation spell upon the curtain. "Yes, and you've met her before."

The curtain was tossed aside, revealing a very familiar red and orange bird. Upon seeing it, I remembered the name right away. "Oh, Philomena! The phoenix! I remember her now. That was just a few months ago too." As I said those words, the latch for Philomena's cage was lifted, allowing her to push the gate open and swoop over to us with her great wings spread wide. Celestia then promptly released me from her embrace and folded her wing before reaching out with her arm and letting Philomena perch upon her wrist.

"Finally woke up from your nap, Philomena?" Celestia asked before the gorgeous phoenix let out a high-pitched cry of sorts. My friend then moved her arm towards me and said, "You remember James, don't you?"

Philomena cooed while she looked at me, allowing me to reach out and run my fingers through her feathers. But as she allowed me to touch Philomena, I noticed Celestia use her magic to lift what seemed to be a thick book with a burgundy cover out of the chest next to her vanity, where the bag of the merchandise we purchased was resting at the time. As it floated over to us while coated in her magic aura, I asked, "What's this book for?"

Celestia smiled at me almost excitedly and replied, "It's a photo album! I was hoping you'd like to look through it with me."

"You keep photo mementos? Sure, I'd love to take a look... Whoa... OK, Philomena. Need to have the high seat?" I said in reply while Philomena fluttered onto my shoulder, placing her at a higher elevation for a better view.

"Well, she is a big girl. I guess she just likes to use the high chair." Celestia replied with a giggle. While she began to open the album, I took the chance to survey my surroundings. For being the private chambers of the Princess of the Dawn herself, it was not as overwhelmingly extravagant as I expected. I suppose Celestia really does prefer a more modest lifestyle. The bed's cushion was a royal purple with a gold edge while that long thick cylindrical pillow was of an equal hue of gold while also bearing curving patterns of a darker gold. The door to the room itself bore a dark purple finish while also being adorned with a dainty vine pattern that was in a much lighter hue with a round gilded doorknob. An ornate triangular awning of sorts was situated above the door that would have prevented the door from opening entirely if it swung inward, bearing patterns of varying shades of gold and a round pink emblem bearing...well, the first thing that came to mind was either a shimmering star or even an eye. The walls of the room curved around us like a cylinder, having no corners to see while also being colored a gradient hue of blue. A line of rising and falling dark purple cloud designs encircled the wall, adding a nice touch to keep the wall's design from being too plain.

While I glanced at a few pictures in the album that seemed to depict Cadence as a very cute filly, I continued to survey my surroundings. The potted foliage just to the right of the door seemed to have a somewhat round platform that only rose a few inches from the light purple floor and had an elegant square purple cushion on it beside the plant. I had no idea why that was even there. Something for one of Celestia's assistants to rest on if they had to visit her within her own chambers? A little further to the right of the platform hung a rather beautiful banner depicting a gorgeous light blue star with its four points extending in the four cardinal directions. It seemed to be shown as rising since several thin trails of light were following it from below while numerous smaller stars dotted the fabric set against a deep blue night sky. Even further to the right was the fireplace. And what a grand fireplace it was. It reached so high that I could almost stand up in it. The chimney chute behind it was of a sleek black design while adorned with thick gold lines in various patterns. I am not sure why, but the broad curving top of the fireplace's mouth brought to mind an igloo. Atop the curved mouth was a large round purple emblem that bore a golden crown with three points and a ruby on the front, possibly denoting how the chamber belonged to royalty. There were a few logs set on a sturdy cast iron frame at the bottom, but the cleanliness of the fireplace showed that it had not been used in some time. Understandable as it is still currently summer. My eyes then trailed to the left of the door, eyeing Philomena's birdcage and the dark chest that Celestia had lifted the album from. The vanity to the left of it was mostly a shade of white with gold patterns here and there. Lastly, a wide glass door made up of many individual square glass panels set on an angle stood even further to the left completely opposite to the door that I had just been pulled through. It led out to a grand, yet vacant, balcony. I could not help but say, "Nice place you have here."

Celestia glanced up at me and smiled in an almost embarrassed manner. "Thank you. I seldom get visitors in here. But anyway..." She then glanced down at the album once more. "See anypony you recognize?"

I turned my gaze down at the page, seeing a few pictures set into it. It seemed to show Celestia taking a walk through the palace's private garden with a noticeably smaller alicorn beside her I did not immediately recognize. Her coat seemed to be almost a shade of cornflower while her mane and tail lacked the physical properties of Celestia's mane and was a single shade of sky blue. While I was initially baffled, it only took one glance at the alicorn's cutie mark depicting a crescent moon set against a dark patch for me to know who she was. "Is that Luna?!"

My royal friend giggled while Philomena took a moment to preen her feathers. "It most certainly is!"

I took another look at the smaller and daintier Luna in the photo. "Man, she was cute. How long ago was this? And why doesn't she look like that anymore?"

"Oh, this was no more than a few years ago. Right after the Elements of Harmony purged Nightmare Moon from her." Celestia began to explain as she turned her attention to another photo showing the two of them riding a chariot of sorts through the streets of Ponyville. "I'm not entirely certain as to why she looked like this once the Elements of Harmony were used on her. The last time she looked like this was back in her late teens and that was millennia ago. Perhaps she was simply temporarily weakened by the Elements of Harmony since she did eventually regain her former glory after several months. Although she did not mind that look at all."

I turned my attention to Celestia as she spoke. She was quick to notice my gaze and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"If that is how Luna looked a long time ago... How did you look back then?" I asked while trying to imagine Celestia in a similar state.

This question actually got quite an amused grin out of her. "Me?! Well..." She then looked down at Luna's photo and said, "Hmm... Well, try imagining me with that type of hair, only longer and with more volume, and then color it with just the shade of pink that's in my mane and tail, and you'll have the younger me."

I actually had a bit of trouble imagining her like that, but it was not like I could ask her to change form to show me. However, I then wondered exactly how old Celestia is. She certainly looks young, but her exact age is a mystery to me aside from her being just a bit older than her sister. "Um... I know this is generally a social taboo, but..."

"Let me guess. You're going to ask me my age." Celestia said during a pause in my words while also playfully sticking her tongue out at me. I cringed a bit, knowing one should never ask a lady her age. Fortunately, Celestia took it in stride. "No need to fear, friend. I'll tell you. Although I have to confess I do not know my exact age. All I know for certain is that I am just a bit over five thousand years old."

"Five thousand? Dang... Never would've guessed that... But why do you not know your exact age? I mean I guess birthdays would become so routine and uninteresting that you would just not bother anymore, but... You really don't know?" I replied while not entirely surprised by her answer. I knew that she was ancient, but I had no way of knowing just how long she had been around.

My question seemed to cause Celestia's expression to darken slightly as she quickly dismissed the inquiry. "Another time, James..."

Seeing how uncomfortable the topic was for her, I decided to just drop it there. However, there was another thought on my mind as I reached out and tenderly caressed her jaw. "OK... But what about your physical age? By that, I mean... Well, when did your body stop aging?"

This request prompted a calm smile from the Princess of the Dawn while she lifted her bare hoof and placed it upon my wrist. "Hmm... Well... I would have to say my body's aging process came to a stop during my late twenties."

"Huh... No wonder you're so beautiful." I muttered quietly while my hand and fingers tenderly caressed the soft supple coat that lined Celestia's face. I heard Philomena let out a type of coo before she fluttered away behind me somewhere.

For a moment, the two of us just locked eyes. I could not help but smile just slightly at her while she smiled back. However, I soon noticed Celestia use her magic to close the album and push it away while her wings extended and reached towards me. Seconds later, they wrapped around me and pulled me closer until I was being held against her chest. I was not the least bit alarmed though. I felt warm and safe in her embrace. Maybe even a little sleepy. Even so, I was still tempted to speak up while I dragged my fingertips over her slender frame. "Are you OK, Celestia?"

The lovely alicorn mare spoke softly into my ear as I felt her rest her head on my shoulder. "I'm fine... It's just... I just adore you so..."

Those words made me tingle and cringe in delight. I soon found my arms reaching out and holding her in an embrace of my own. Just such a wonderful woman. "You're amazing, Celestia... Just such a great person."

"So are you, James... Please... Could we just stay like this for a little while? Just please hold me for now?" I heard her quietly plead while still feeling those great wings against my back.

"Absolutely." I muttered quietly while I held her in my arms. We just laid there for a good while, partaking in each other's company. I did not want to let go at all. Just...what was it between us? This was our first day spending quality time together to get to know each other and I was already finding myself adoring her. What was it about Celestia that just drew me to her?

We soon propped ourselves up against the large pillow at the edge of Celestia's bed, my hands roaming over her slender back. I noticed a faint fragrance in her coat. It had such a floral scent to it. A type of perfume she was wearing? I did not have too long to think on it as Celestia soon leaned back and practically pulled me on top of her. Her long and slow breathes wheezed into my ear, making me cringe.

This was quickly starting to become too much for me. Celestia was too beautiful... Too enrapturing. With some reluctance, I began to gently push myself off of her. "Hey... Sorry to kill the moment, but... Is the restroom nearby?"

Celestia responded accordingly, releasing me from her wings' embrace while pulling her head back so she could look at me. "Well... Yes. It's just two doors down on the right." She seemed noticeably disappointed, as if she did not want to let go.

"OK. Thanks." I spoke quickly while I stood up and hurried out the door before following the row of doors outside Celestia's private quarters. I entered the second door on the right and found myself in...quite an elegant bathroom of pale marble floors and a large bathtub that almost seemed like a shallow wading pool more than anything. However, I was not in the mood to really evaluate the interior design and locked the door before seating myself on the toilet with my head bowed.

I began to wonder what would have happened if I had not excused myself when I did. The way we touched, the way she whispered to me... It was borderline erotic. It felt like things were going too far too fast. I know things can get rather intimate between me and Rarity and even Rainbow Dash on occasion, but... That felt like a step higher. I held my head in my hands while trying to clear my thoughts and calm myself.

Only a few minutes later, I heard a knocking on the door. And the voice that followed made me feel uneasy. "James...? Are you all right in there?"

I was unsure if I should answer. It was Celestia. Part of me wanted to see her while the other half wanted me to keep my distance for the moment. With some hesitation, I chose to remain silent. I once more heard Celestia ask, "Are you...all right? Did I do something wrong?"

Once more, I still could not find the words I needed to say. Nothing came. This time, Celestia remained silent as well. However, I could faintly hear something just outside the door. Footsteps. She was pacing back and forth past the door. She probably knew that I wanted to get to the restroom for something other than relieving myself. And I was worrying her.

Not wanting to stress my friend out for too long, I tried to relax myself in a hastier manner. I went over to the sink and gave its gilded knob a turn to get some cold water flowing before splashing myself in the face with it. A warm bath would probably have worked better, but I simply did not have time for that. Once I took a deep breath while also pooling some water in my hands for a quick drink, I turned the tap off and stepped outside the door to find Celestia waiting for me. "Hey..."

The Princess of the Dawn gazed at me with a most troubled gaze. "Are you feeling better? Is anything wrong?"

"I...don't know." I replied bluntly, not entirely certain of what to say. Although I did then say, "Could I just...go take a walk for a while? Get some fresh air?"

Celestia could clearly tell I was stressed about something and nodded in reluctance. "I understand... Go right ahead."

While I walked past her, I watched as Celestia entered the bathroom behind me. Perhaps she was stressed too. No, I know she was stressed. She was clearly worried that she had made a mistake. But at the moment, I just wanted to get away and clear my head. Take a walk and enjoy the sights. Maybe even grab a snack. Anything to settle my nerves and thoughts.

I left the palace as quickly and directly as I could. I soon began to wander the streets of Canterlot, only without the company and protection of the Princess of the Dawn. I was not in the mood to bump heads with any of the Canterlot elite and prayed I would not be disturbed. But more than anything, I was feeling guilty to have left Celestia alone like that. I was in Canterlot to spend the day with her and comfort her in any way I could, only now I was separating myself from her. And it was difficult to get my thoughts of her out of my head.

My wandering brought me back to the market street where many of the shops still stood. The air was still relatively warm and humid from the recent downpour, putting me in the mood for something cool. Before long, I found exactly what I was hoping to see. An outdoor ice cream parlor. It seemed a fair number of ponies had gathered there already to enjoy the last days of summer with a treat that symbolizes summer fun.

Feeling my anxieties fading at the thought of enjoying such a tasty treat, I approached the counter. Or rather, I observed it from the back of the line. There was quite a list to choose from, including ice cream on waffle cones, ice cream sandwiches, and even sundaes. The list of ice cream types was quite extensive, ranging from the default classics like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, to more decadent types like cookie dough, rocky road, and Neapolitan caramel swirl. And the best part was that you could mix and match in the sundaes. While tempted for an edible waffle cone, I had not enjoyed a sundae in goodness knows how long. And I could never refuse a heaping helping of cookie dough ice cream... Man, I need to stop thinking about that stuff or I will end up raiding the fridge tonight.

I continued to survey my options while I drew closer and closer to the counter as customers stepped away with bowls and cones loaded with ice cream scoops. I finally decided to go ahead and get creative with my choice, opting for a sundae with the works. Finally, the clerk asked me from under his little white hat, "Good afternoon, sir! What can I get you?"

While I did hesitate for just a few seconds, I did not take long to offer my reply. "Uh... Yes, I would love to try a cookie dough banana sundae, please."

"Yes, sir! One cookie dough with the works! Will that be all for you?" The clerk replied while tapping on the cash register's buttons beside him.

Just before I could confirm that it was all I wanted to order, another voice suddenly spoke up from beside me. "No, I would also like a strawberry sundae with that, please. We're together."

"Oh, your highness! Yes, one strawberry sundae to that order." The clerk replied as I glanced to my right. Sure enough, Celestia was standing beside me while flashing me a wink as if to say that she would handle the payment. And she did.

Needless to say, I was uncertain of what to say to her and just remained silent while we stepped out of the line and over to the other end of the counter to pick up our orders. Another clerk seemed to be at work putting our sundaes together. Celestia, clearly trying to break the ice, spoke to me with a smile. "You picked a fine place to unwind, James. Nothing makes somepony smile like the best ice cream Canterlot has to offer."

"Mmhm." I mumbled while I nodded in agreement. Celestia seemed to notice I was still a bit nervous and uneasy in her presence, although I was just unsure of what to say to her. I was having a hard time looking at her even.

Finally, our sundaes came up and they were quite a distraction. As expected, they were decked out with the usual sundae goods, including whipped cream with a cherry on top, only mine also had a whole banana tucked in with the scoops of cookie dough ice cream. Celestia's was actually a bit more modest, consisting of vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries with strawberry syrup instead of chocolate like mine. We then carried our treats over to a nearby round table that also had an umbrella above it to shield us from the sun and to keep our ice cream from melting faster.

Needless to say, the ice cream was fantastic and it really gave a boost to my mood. "Man, is this what banana chocolate chip cookies tastes like?"

"Perhaps. I'll have to try that sometime." Celestia replied with a giggle as her spoon floated near her. She seemed to be enjoying her ice cream just as much as I was. Of course, I knew that our delicious treats would only hold off the tension for so long. The only question that remained was who would be the first to confront the other.

After a few more minutes of silence, as well as carefully pacing myself to not trigger a case of brain freeze, Celestia was finally the first to speak as she turned a rather melancholy gaze towards me. "James, I... I really must apologize. Back there... I fear I went too far. I'm sorry."

I felt my appetite diminish upon hearing those words and set my spoon down. I glanced up at the alicorn mare before me, noticing her crown once again. I tried my best to disregard her royal status as I spoke my reply. "It's OK. I'm not entirely without fault either... I'll admit I was...having some indecent thoughts back then. That's why I needed to get away for a while. You're just too beautiful, Celestia..."

A look of mild shock spread across Celestia's face, although I could tell she was not as shocked as I think she should have been. It was then that I got a response I was not expecting as Celestia seemed to avoid eye contact. "I will admit that... A part of me wanted you too... I am...drawn to you, James. In a way that I cannot properly explain at this moment. I am still trying to piece together exactly what it is I feel, but... It feels kindred. Mutual..."

Kindred... There was something about that word that registered with me. She was right. I was drawn to her as well. I savored her company up until that moment back in her private chambers, although that was likely just a moment of insecurity. The type of connection I feel with her is different than those I feel towards Luna and even Nightmare Moon. And at that moment, I too could not convey it either. What was it? Still... That glimmer of desire I felt while in her embrace... "Mutual, huh? I don't know... Fluttershy and I took several days to start feeling for each other like we did, not just one afternoon. It doesn't sound all that reasonable..."

Celestia glanced up at me and said softly, "James, don't worry. I know better than to allow my heart to interfere with my judgment. I simply cannot juggle my duties with my heart's desires, as cold as that may sound... Even if I wish I could."

"It's not easy being a ruler, is it?" I asked quietly while leaning on the table. I still was not entirely convinced one could genuinely fall in love with someone after just one day. And I was kind of hoping that Celestia, of all people, was not starting to fall for me. I came to Canterlot to help her, not to woo her.

"No, it most certainly is not. Thank goodness Luna and Nightmare Moon are there to assist me. It was nearly unbearable at first to rule over this world alone after Nightmare Moon first came to be." She said while idly snacking on her ice cream.

Feeling the tension fading with a change of subject, I too began to enjoy my treat again. "I bet your workload has gotten a lot lighter with those two helping out."

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe! I will admit that it took some time for her to become accustomed to her new duties, but Nightmare Moon has been performing admirably. Although she never did enjoy doing that paperwork. Then again, none of us do." Celestia replied while also letting out a light chuckle.

The two of us conversed casually, slowly driving away the tension from before. We eventually both finished our treats and discarded the plastic bowls into a nearby recycle bin where a few bees were flitting about, most likely from being attracted to the residual ice cream and syrup that stuck to the bowls. Celestia was definitely in better spirits. "Next time, I'll try what you had. But for now, where to next? Unless...you would prefer some more time alone?"

Feeling more at ease than before, I reached out and draped my arm across Celestia's shoulder's to pull her closer for a simple embrace in a friendly fashion. "Nah, I'm good now. That ice cream really did the trick. But... Where should we go next? Is there a place we haven't checked out yet?"

Celestia replied in turn by wrapping her wing around me as she began to smile. "Well... How about the Museum of Equestrian History? It's one of the most important landmarks in Canterlot. I think you just might enjoy yourself and even learn something."

"Sounds good to me. Lead on." I said while following my friend. It had been quite some time since I last visited a museum of any sort.

The exterior of the museum certainly stood out from much of Canterlot's architecture with towering pillars standing at the entrance. A very large building, to be sure. Celestia handled the admission fees while we shuffled past some tourists and a couple of royal guards. It was no surprise that there would be security in such a place.

The entrance hall was bustling with activity, tourists everywhere as they shuffled about while the room was filled with that usual din of dozens of voices. I really have to wonder how sound from all over the area just mingles together to the point where you cannot pinpoint where anything is coming from or focus on one sound over the others. It was just a relaxing symphony of noise that was far from distracting.

The wide open space at the entrance revealed quite a large model of Canterlot Castle, probably due to its prominence as the home of the royal family since shortly after Nightmare Moon's banishment. I suspect Canterlot just sort of sprang up around it over time. "What's it like seeing a model of your own house in this place?"

Celestia let out a bit of a snicker while she looked up at the palace model. "Well, it's rather flattering. I mean you'd probably feel the same way if you saw a model of Fluttershy's cottage here, right?"

"Touché." I replied briskly while reading the panel that displayed information on the structure. It seemed that construction for it finished roughly 990 years ago. Just under a millennium old.

Various halls and exhibits were dedicated to a specific subject, such as architecture, weaponry and armor, studies in magic, and so forth. The first hall of exhibits we pass through seemed to feature various arms and armor from notable past ponies. One I noticed that was encased in a glass box seem to be a set of armor consisting of only a helmet and a single segment of armor meant to be worn over the body that consisted solely of dark gray colors with a few gilded sections as well, with a gilded lightning bolt design being on the front. The helmet was clearly of a galea design and fit the actual helmet type more clearly with segments that covered the cheeks while a tattered and uneven dark gray semicircular plume in similar design to those on the helmets of the royal guards sat upon the top. The armor had numerous scratches and scrapes, showing that it must have seen a fair amount of use and action. I checked the panel beside the display case for more information as Celestia looked on. "This was the personal armor used by Commander Hurricane?"

I glanced back at Celestia as she nodded. "Mmhm. She was a tough and stubborn mare, as I'm sure that armor shows. While she may have been in agreement with allowing Discord to assume command after he rose to the throne, she still served as the first captain of the royal guard and assisted in instructing and training many of the recruits. She did not retire from active service until quite late in her life. And that was only after her wings became too weak to maintain swift flight while wearing her armor. As she told me while surrendering her armor during her dismissal... 'My only regret is that my body couldn't hold out as long as my spirit.' Such a character, that Hurricane."

My gaze went back towards the armor while trying to imagine what kind of person Hurricane might have been. Knowing that Rainbow Dash portrayed her during a Hearth's Warming Eve play left me with the feeling that the two of us probably would not have gotten along with we ever met. But there was another thought on my mind as I observed the tiny bits of damage the armor still displayed. "Why so much damage on her armor though? Did the hostility really result in open warfare at times?"

The familiar feeling of Celestia's wing wrapping around my shoulder was followed by Celestia's quiet voice speaking to me. "I understand your concerns, James. And I will say now that the answer is no. While the three races were very distrustful towards each other for quite some time, it never resulted in war of any sort. The development of weapons and armor... That was out of necessity, not hostility. My people had to develop ways to defend themselves from beasts that would seek to make a meal of them. As I'm sure you have seen, most ponies are significantly smaller than you. And while not entirely helpless... Well, I know that the many horses of your world have at times fallen prey to famished carnivores in spite of their speed and raw strength. Sure, the magic of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus could render an attack unable to reach them and the brute force of an earth pony's kick from their hindquarters would certainly be punishing, it has never been a guarantee. My people needed to arm and armor themselves to protect themselves and their loved ones from the untamed wilds. Protecting their people from each other was always a secondary concern. While times have changed and my people have tamed this world's fauna to some degree, it is much better to stay safe than sorry."

She certainly had a point. This world has creatures that are far more menacing than any predator my world has ever seen, ranging from manticores to hydras to the colossal ursa minors and majors. Defensive measures would need to be taken to insure survival. "I guess that makes sense... Wait, whose armor is this?"

Just to the left of display case was another set of armor on display, though with a noticeable difference in design. Unlike the tough metallic appearance of Hurricane's armor, this one seemed to consist of leather or a similar material that seemed to end in a type of kilt over the flanks. The helmet was of an odd choice compared to the ones I had seen so far, being a kettle helmet that bore a gray lightning bolt emblem on the front. Compared to Hurricane's armor, it seemed to have not taken quite as much abuse. A quick glance at the panel beside it revealed the name. "Private...Pansy? Very ironic name for someone who enlisted in the pegasus legions."

That name seemed to get a bit of a chuckle out of Celestia as she stepped over to me. "Oh, Pansy... She was the immediate subordinate to Commander Hurricane. And...well, let's just say there's a reason Fluttershy got her role during the play a few years back."

I shook my head while an image of Fluttershy clad in that armor flashed through my mind. "Oh boy... I bet she preferred scouting and recon over combat."

"I would never know what she did, really. She basically had to stick with Hurricane all the time and needless to say, she was not fond of her commander at all. Once Discord took the throne, she stepped down immediately and spent the rest of her days taking up botany. Suited her much better, really." Celestia explained while constantly displaying an amused smile. I think I would have gotten along with her just as well as Fluttershy, if given the chance.

Along with the occasional suit of armor worn by somepony of exceptional acclaim, there were numerous weapons on display. Some were worn and rusty while others were in remarkably fine condition. Most weapons displayed consisted of spears or a sword or two, but there were even some antique crossbows and longbows. Still, nothing really stood out nearly as much as something like the Celestial Sword or Lunar Shield would, so I feel there is nothing particularly worth mentioning.

Our next stop in the museum, while weaving around tourists, was the section that contained exhibits dealing with the arcane. Such exhibits featured ancient copies of various tomes with ragged covers and even magical artifacts such as staffs topped with diamonds or crystals. But of course, there was seemingly only one exhibit that virtually every visitor to that aisle was interested in seeing. The one that featured the hat and cloak of Starswirl the Bearded.

While I had heard mention of him before from Celestia and even from Twilight Sparkle a few times, my personal knowledge of that mage was still very limited. How do I describe the attire that was being preserved behind a glass display case? The hat was remarkably tall, being a stereotypical wizard's hat in shape while consisting of dark blue with a single lighter blue stripe serving for the brim and a strip around the base. The tip of the hat and the brim were lined with spherical bells that would probably constantly jingle with every movement of the wearer. Yellow stars and pale blue crescent moons dotted the length of the hat. The cloak bore the same colors and designs as the hat with more bells lining the very end of it. The fabric was affixed to a golden band with a turquoise sphere set into it at the base of the wearer's neck with some white frills just below it. Rather than read the panel that was beside the case, I instead turned to Celestia. "This is what Starswirl wore most of the time?"

The Princess of the Dawn nodded while more tourists gathered around the case in a furor of noise while cameras clicked, forcing me to take a step back. "It certainly is. He did a fine job of keeping it in such pristine condition too."

"Well... Seeing as how you personally knew him, what can you tell me about him?" I asked in return while glancing at a few tourists who were posing for photos beside the display case.

Celestia let out a faint chuckle while briefly distracted by the tourists. "He was a true revolutionary in the field of magic, developing more than two hundred spells over the course of his life. That's quite a few, if you're wondering. He really made a name for himself roughly halfway through Discord's reign. Although he was a spectacular scholar, he was all but obsessed with his research and would often shun company. Brilliant, but with a heart of stone, sadly. Even so, we can't deny his contributions to Equestria. Just a shame he never learned of the magic of friendship like so many others did."

"Sounds like a much colder Twilight Sparkle." I muttered while taking her words in. Not much I could really say to that description, really.

My royal friend quickly took note of my lack of words and cracked a crooked smile. "Yes, I know what you mean. He did make some feel uncomfortable in his presence. Let's move on and change the subject, shall we?"

Once the two of us got to the exhibit that specialized in Canterlot architecture, I found myself taking note of a miniature model of the mountain we were on along with a tiny version of Canterlot built into the side. "Man, it always blows my mind whenever I see these tiny models. The precision and the dedication needed to make these must be absurd. How many hours went into making this?"

"Who can really say?" Celestia replied while also taking a closer look at it. Once more, I felt her drape her wing over me in an almost unconscious manner.

While I observed the tiny model of Canterlot behind its display case, a thought came to mind. From what I discovered, Ponyville has been around not even a full century at this time of writing and was more or less founded by Applejack's great-grandparents. And yet, it sounds like Canterlot was not all that developed at the time they first arrived in Canterlot before setting down roots. Or at least that is what Granny Smith said. And considering how scatterbrained that goofy loveable old lady is, she may have gotten some of it wrong. And so I turned to Celestia and asked, "Say... Just how long has Canterlot been around? From what I understand, there wasn't that much around here not that long ago."

"And you're quite right, James. Largely because of just how difficult it is to reach the palace on foot, most weren't willing to make the journey to the top of the mountain unless they were planning on making a long-term stay. Most first visitors were those who wanted to make connections with me." Celestia explained while pausing at times to search her very long memory. I wonder if it is difficult to recall such things from so long ago. "It wasn't until the development of the steam locomotive a little over half a century ago that access to the palace became much easier. It allowed more ponies to reach Canterlot and even transport more equipment. Once the railway had been constructed, there was a rapid development boom in Canterlot, turning the relatively modest settlement into the grand city you know today in just a couple of decades. So you see, Canterlot is actually one of the younger cities in Equestria."

"That's quite a story, really. And I do have to admit I don't get the feeling that Canterlot is all that ancient by looking at it. It's way too tidy and sleek to be that old." I replied while thinking about the general appearance of the city. One question I was not keen on asking was just how the Canterlot elite came to be and how they became so condescending towards those who are lower on society's ladder.

There was quite a bit more to see, though that is all I can recall off of the top of my head. Celestia and I always stayed close, often reaching out to each other when pausing to observe the larger exhibits on display. There was just so much to take in on my first visit, I cannot recall the details on most of it. A second visit will be required to further cement everything I saw into my memories.

Regardless, it was a good time. I was already feeling rather tired by the time we emerged from the museum as I let out a big yawn. Funnily enough, Celestia did the same as I did so, prompting us to let out an awkward laugh when we glanced at each other.

While we walked along as the bright summer sun reinvigorated us a bit, I turned to Celestia once more as my thoughts went back towards the arms and armor section of the exhibits. "Say, Celestia... Just wondering, but will the four of us have further training sessions like a while back?"

The Princess of the Dawn turned to me and smiled brightly. "Of course! I know we've been putting it off for a while, but we've had to put your recovery first. Perhaps you would like to resume your training in a couple of weeks? I'll discuss setting up a proper timetable with my sisters this evening."

Already looking forward to refining my skills with my armor, I nodded in agreement. While not a fan of fighting, I always get a kick out of using my armor for something as simple as flight. It would be fun to figure out what else I can do with it. "Sounds good. Just have send the word to Twilight so she can pass it along to me when it's decided. But for now... Where to next?"

"Well, there is something about exercising your senses that just tires you out after a while... Why not head back over to the market street and browse some more of the shops?" Celestia replied while flexing her great wings as she grunted and groaned while stretching. I averted my eyes slightly, finding her flexing to be more than just a bit enticing to watch.

"Hmm... Sounds good to me. Maybe I can pick up something for Scootaloo while we're at it." I said before the two of us started to head out on our way. But before we went too far, I happened to notice a familiar face emerging from the spa. "Oh boy... Don't look now, but there's old Blueballs himself."

Indeed, it was Prince Blueblood with quite a sheen to his golden mane and tail. He probably just had it groomed and glossed up with a perm. Celestia too took note of his presence further down and let out a snicker as a crooked smirk spread across her lips. "Oh, James... Let's just not bother with him right now. This day is meant to be for enjoying ourselves, not for starting trouble."

Fortunately for us, Blueblood trotted down the road ahead of us and out of sight without detecting our presence. Still, being right next to Celestia while seeing Blueblood did remind me of something I had heard once. "Hey... Is that guy really your nephew?"

This question caused Celestia to look away from me as she held a hoof to her chin as she tried to muffle her laughter. I waited in both curiosity and patience for her to offer a reply before she looked at me while still giggling. "Oh, you shouldn't take that rumor too seriously, James. That's just the result of tabloids reading too much into things!" I will admit that revelation did get a laugh out of me.

Once we finally made our way back to the market street, Celestia and I ducked into the local toy store. Once more, my attention was drawn to the electric toy train that ran along the walls and aisles above our heads. That just never gets old. Celestia promptly received a greeting from the clerk before we began to explore the aisles.

"You ever do much with toys these days?" I asked while observing rows of board games on display.

Celestia replied as she seemed to examine some...Power Pony action figures. I cannot believe I just wrote that. "I'm afraid not. My duties don't allow a whole lot of time to really use toys, although everypony needs to set aside some time to play. You can't have nothing but work all the time. It's just not good for you."

"Hence why the two of us are here and together right now." I retorted in an attempt to throw some wit into the moment, causing Celestia to let out a brief giggle. But as I began to browse a row of dolls, my thoughts went to Scootaloo again. "Say, do you happen to know where the sports gear might be?"

"Well... I think right at the end of this aisle." Celestia said as she pointed ahead. I went on and found exactly what I was looking for. The store opened up a bit with skateboards and scooters on display and ready for purchase. There was even safety equipment like helmets and pads for joints. Plenty of different types of balls too. Knowing Scootaloo takes good care of her scooter, there was know need to get her a new one. I crossed my arms while I pressed my index finger's knuckle against my lips in contemplation. What could I get that rambunctious filly?

As I browsed the sporting goods, I soon found something that I had initially overlooked. Some of the scooters had bike bells installed on their handlebars. While there were some small bicycles on display, I seldom see them in use anywhere I go. Regardless, I know that Scootaloo has never had a bell on her scooter. And while she has always been a very skilled rider, it certainly would not hurt to have a bell on it to use to alert anyone she might be approaching.

Even so, I was curious of how one would even use a bell like that without fingers. I kneeled beside one of the scooters that had a bell installed and curled my fingers into a fist to better imitate the shape of a hoof. I then gingerly pushed my fist against the bell's lever, successfully pushing it and causing the bell to let out a delightful jingle. Seeing that using it would be no problem for my daughter, I went ahead and picked up one such bell with a shiny brass dome.

I went back to look for Celestia while finding myself briefly distracted by the electric train that rolled and clacked overhead. Although I was also draw to a tap of a rapid tapping sound. When I rounded the corner, I found Celestia using her magic to hold and play with a paddleball toy. She hardly seemed to be trying and was even browsing other toys while doing so. "You the paddleball champ or something?"

Celestia glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and smiled as she said, "Oh, not even close. I wasn't even keeping count. I was just messing around while waiting for you." She then set the paddleball back on the shelf while she then turned to me. "Come to think of it... You play videos games, don't you?"

"Only when I get the opportunity. There's far too many distractions around me these days to really focus on those. I've hardly touched my DSi over the last several months. Although I do try to stop by the arcade to have fun with friends now and then." I said while glancing at the next section of the aisle's shelves. They seemed to be holding boxes for Joyboy games in a way that looked truly nostalgically retro. Maybe I should pick one up someday.

A smirk seemed to creep across her face. "Is that so? Well, perhaps my sisters and I should join you someday. And what's that you have there? Something for little Scootaloo back home?"

"Yep. A little bell for her scooter. Never hurts to have one of those on hand." I replied while holding it out for her to see. "I think that's all I want to pick up today. I've got no idea what else to pick up."

Once more, Celestia handled the payment before we headed out the door before I slid the bell into my side pocket. I really was not in the mood for anymore food for the time and was feeling rather tired and even wanting to take another nap despite having taken one just a little while earlier. Even so, I tried to stave off my exhaustion so as to remain with Celestia. I did not want to go home yet.

Even so, Celestia seemed to notice my exhaustion and asked, "Feeling tired? How about a ride around town to relax for a while?"

"A ride? You mean like a chariot or wagon?" I asked in return, having at times seen a type of taxi service in use at times.

"Well, I wouldn't quite say a taxi. More along the lines of a gondola." Celestia explained while showing a delighted smile.

That word caught my attention. And she was right. While Canterlot certainly is not the largest city and its size must certainly be an issue when on the top of a mountain, I have at times passed over bridges that cross a small canal. It is probably what fuels that waterfall I have seen spilling down from one part of Canterlot while from far away. More than likely fueled by a spring in the mountain's side. "A gondola ride? Sweet. Never had the chance to try one of those out. Although...isn't Canterlot a bit small for one of those?"

Celestia continued to speak while I remained by her side. "You're right. Canterlot really does not have anymore room to expand these days, what with its location and all. But there is a small canal that winds through the city and there are several gondolas that use them. Mostly for tourists or for people who just want to relax when they have some time before they need to be somewhere. And I'm sure we could use one right now."

I followed the Princess of the Dawn along the streets until I noticed the telltale rise of a white limestone bridge up ahead. Sure enough, it crossed the narrow canal she had spoken of. And just off to the side before the bridge was a small dock with a long narrow boat beside it that had a sleek black finish with a few gold or brass decorations here and there. It even had a red canopy or awning over a bit of the rear half of the boat's length to give the riders some privacy if necessary. I was quick to pick up the sound of some sort of stringed instrument. When Celestia and I looked to the end of the dock, we found who I assumed was the gondolier strumming away on a ukulele while clad in a boater's hat and a white and blue striped shirt.

The gondolier soon noticed our approach and promptly greeted the Princess of the Dawn while paying me next to no heed. "Ah! Good afternoon, your highness! Can I help you this fine day?"

She replied while I examined the gondola's red flooring, "Yes, my friend and I were hoping you'd have time to take us for a relaxing ride along the canal today."

"By all means! Gather aboard and we'll be off!" The young stallion replied as he set his ukulele in the gondola's stern and hopped aboard while taking the end of the very long oar in his ankle joints. Celestia and I quickly stepped onto the gondola and took a seat as the gondola began to move away from the dock and drifted under the bridge before it. Moments later, we began to drift along the canal as the gondolier began to scull us along while moving the oar back and forth like a fish's tail.

The voyage down the canal was fairly quiet as Celestia and I took a seat right in the middle of the gondola. I was almost expecting there to be the sound of someone rapidly strumming away on a mandolin, but I supposed that would have been a bit too cliché. While the towering white walls of Canterlot stood around us more often than not, we often passed by outdoor patios and waterside seating at various establishments. Although I also was occasionally distracted by the sight of fish swimming alongside the gondola's midsection.

Several minutes into the trip, Celestia stood up and backed away behind me. Probably wanting to get out of the sun for a bit in the shade of the gondola's awning. I decided to scoot back a bit to place myself a bit more in its shadow now that the air was getting rather warm. However, I soon heard Celestia whisper into my ear. "Enjoying the ride?"

"Yep. It's a pretty slow form of transportation, but really relaxing too. I could probably take a nap here if I wanted to." I replied quietly while glancing over my shoulder at her briefly.

Just as I was beginning to think that nothing odd was going to happen, I felt Celestia hook her arms over my shoulders. "Then why don't we get comfortable?"

I yelped lightly as I felt myself suddenly backwards as Celestia's arms dragged me down right onto her chest. I heard a delighted giggle from her while she adjusted her grip, folding her arms over me to lock me in place while we were almost completely concealed by the gondola's awning. While initially startled, I soon found myself relaxing in her tender embrace. I responded in kind by gently grasping her wrist. "In a good mood?"

Celestia tenderly nuzzled the top of my head with her chin. "Of course. This has been a superb day, thanks to you."

For a minute or two more, I just relaxed there in Celestia's embrace as we just looked ahead at the canal. The situation just felt so relaxing, probably just because I was being held in the arms of the Princess of the Dawn herself. Eventually, Celestia did break the silence. "You know... I think I understand now."

"Understand what?" I asked briskly while turning my head to look at her.

Celestia turned her gaze towards me, her eyelids still coated in that delightful pink eyeshadow as she gave me a more endearing smile. "I think I understand why I am drawn to you so."

I felt myself shudder at those words. I do felt myself drawn to her in ways I could not understand. And it seemed to be the exact same reason she was thinking of. "And that reason is...?"

Celestia shifted her body somewhat, making herself roll to the side to make it so my body was not entirely on top of her while still holding me lovingly to her body. "Luna has told me at times that she sees some of me in you and vice versa. I was left pondering this and I must confess that I have at times seen just a bit of you in her as well. Nothing of any grand significance, but there is a slight resemblance. And now I know why. In existence, there are always contrasts. Light and dark. Yin and yang. Warmth and cold. Or in this case... Sun and moon."

"You've really taken hold of my curiosity, Celestia... Go on." I replied quietly, interested in what she had discovered.

Once more, Celestia began to speak quietly to me as I rest my head against the base of my neck while trying to avoid the golden band around it. "The way I see it, one is either one or the other. And for quite some time, I thought you were more in tune with the night. You are calm, quiet, relaxed, easygoing, and even solitary. I thought for sure that was why you and Luna became so close so quickly. For a time, I thought you were the moon."

All I did was nod in understanding to not interrupt her at all. And thus she continued. "But after seeing you become at home in this world, I began to see a new side to you that I had not seen before. As if it had been hiding. You are warm and caring, attractive, happy, and enjoy the company of those you hold dear. And it has so much more of a prominence that the attributes I associate with the night. And yet, while I would say that you are closer to the sun than the moon, I cannot quite say that you are either."

It was almost cryptic, the way she was describing me. And so I asked, "Then if I'm not the sun or moon... What am I?"

I felt Celestia's grip on me only tighten as she whispered into my ear. "It's obvious, really. You, James, are the eclipse. The solar eclipse. You wear the cool solitary moon as a mask. But with just the right amount of coaxing, the moon moves aside to reveal your warm and tender radiance." I then felt her fold her great wings over me again. "Even so, you are more the sun than anything else. That must be why I feel this connection to you, James. Do you feel it too?"

The more she described it, the more sense it made to me. I cannot quite describe it in text. All I can say is that I...felt it. She was right. This kindred sensation. "Yeah... I do feel it... Like... Well, it's as you said. Something mutual. I always feel safe in your presence. Like everything is just fine and always will be."

"Likewise, James." She whispered back to me while her large wings engulfed my body. This time, I did not restrain myself so much. I slipped my arms around Celestia's back and pulled her close for an embrace of my own. I could hear her lungs inflate with each long relaxed breath, the feel of her lips upon the top of my head through my hair. Just such a wonderful person.

I am not even entirely certain how much time passed from that moment onward. The two of us just reclined under the awning as the gondola drifted along while hardly paying any attention to what was happening up ahead. More than anything, we were focused on each other. I rubbed my hands along Celestia's back while at times changing things up by running my fingers through either her feathers or her long luxurious mane. Celestia returned the favor as she often placed sweet delicate kisses upon my forehead and ears while occasionally tenderly nibbling on my ear in such a way that made me snicker in amusement. We just could not get enough of each other. It was all I could do to not pull her face towards me for a kiss. Good thing our cover was shielding us from the eyes of anyone who might be standing at the waterside and the gondolier himself or a scandal just might pop up in the next few days.

It is hard to say exactly how long we drifted along. I saw more of Celestia than our actual surroundings along the banks of the canal... OK, that sounded too wrong. I may have even fallen asleep for a while only to wake up to Celestia nuzzling her snout through my hair. After letting out a yawn, the big question came to mind. "Say... Where do you think we should get off?"

"Where? Well..." Celestia mumbled for a bit before her eyes lightened up at the sight of a sleeve of sorts against the side of the gondola's keel. It seemed to contain folded flaps of paper in plastic sleeves. When Celestia used her magic to lift one towards us, I quickly saw that it was a map of the canal system and the surroundings establishments. And after checking our surroundings, we quickly deduced that the next stopping point would be one that is right beside a restaurant with waterside seating. "Hmm... I say we should get off at the next stop. It is getting close to diner time, after all. One last stop together before you head home?"

"Sounds good to me." I replied while still holding her in a tender embrace. Not being terribly familiar with Canterlot cooking while also being a lover of food, I was eager to try as much of Canterlot's cuisine as I could.

Celestia gently nuzzled my cheek once more before she looked towards the stern and raised her voice. "Excuse me! We would like to get off at the next stop!"

"As you wish, your highness!" The gondolier called back while the gondola began to slowly drift to starboard. That means right to those who are unfamiliar with terms associated with watercraft. Up ahead, the dock came into view with another white stone bridge further along. And I was already detecting the aroma of cooking foods. Definitely some garlic in the mix.

Once we docked, Celestia provided the gondolier the fare and began to head up the steps nearby while I followed along her. The gondolier then made certain his vessel was moored to the dock and then placed a sign by his dockside seat before heading up the steps as well with the sign reading 'Back in 1 hour' on the front. I suppose he was just on break. But while I took one look back at our surroundings at the waterside, I handled to notice something sticking out of the water just between the gondola's stern the and dock. A snorkel?

Perplexed, I walked over to the side of the dock beside the stick in the water and dropped down to one knee. I thought for sure it was Pinkie Pie, considering her unpredictable nature and that she had done silly stuff like this before. But just before I could call her out, I took note of the darkly colored mass below the water's surface. It was not the slightest bit pink. While I could not see too much since the canal's water was fairly murky, I felt myself frown crookedly as I began to realize who had been tailing us. "Really, Luna?"

At my words, the person under the water surface enough for its head to rise above the water. With a pair of goggles set over her eyes and that snorkel in her mouth while affixed to the side of the lens, Luna was floating before me. She then spat out the snorkel's mouthpiece and spoke up, "Was it really that obvious?"

"I knew you said you were keeping an eye on us, but... Wait a second. Is that water safe to swim in?!" I asked while realizing that the canal is not exactly a swimming pool or a river, wondering what floats in that water every day.

Luna merely chuckled at my concerns and said, "No need to panic, my friend. Canterlot has some of the highest sanitation standards in the world. This water is roughly on the same level of purity as most types of lake water." She then seemed to glance upwards at the top of the steps that led towards the front of the restaurant nearby. "Well, I really shouldn't keep you. Run along now. Celestia will start wondering if you fell in."

"Oh, right. Better get going. See ya!" I quickly replied before I turned and ran up the steps to find Celestia approaching it. "Oh, hey. Sorry if I kept you waiting. Thought I saw a big fish swimming by."

Celestia took me seriously while casting a happy smile at me. "Oh, I was wondering what was keeping you. I hope you've worked up an appetite by now since it seems we made it before the evening rush."

Whatever the restaurant looked like on the inside, I did not see. There were two entrances, one being the front door with the other beside it leading into an outdoor dining area already seeing quite a bit of business due to the fair weather. The receptionist was a fine stallion not terribly unlike the waiter who works at Ponyville's café who led us into the outdoor seating area, which overlooked the canal nearby and was sectioned off from the street by a metal fence painted black with what seemed to be shapes resembling grapes growing on vines. To further add flair, vines of ivy had been intentionally allowed to grow over them.

Celestia and I took a waterside table, which was made of stone with a blue parasol rising out of the middle. Most of the diners at the outdoor seating, which had music playing over the sound system, seemed to be of Canterlot's middle class with only a few being members of the Canterlot elite. They are so easy to tell apart thanks to their attire. I even saw Twilight's parents seated at the bar under the awning near the actual building sharing a large cocktail. Twilight's mother was wearing a pearl necklace while her father was wearing a red necktie. I suppose even they like to dress up a bit when they go out. But since I was reserving my time for just Celestia, and because I was not particularly close to either of them, I decided to not approach them that evening.

While on of the servers made her rounds and poured glasses of water for us, I glanced over railing beside us to watch other small watercraft drift by. "Really nice view."

Celestia looked at me from across the table and replied, "I think the only better view you can get here in Canterlot is a cliffside view. And I know of a couple of restaurants with such seating. We should try one of them next time you visit."

For the next several minutes, I browsed the menu to decide on what to have for dinner. Still not that hungry from lunch, I considered trying the risotto with only a small side salad to compliment it and to aid digestion. But before long, I caught Celestia eyeing me from across the table. And before long, I glanced up from my menu to have found her sitting next to me after moving her stool. I took it all in stride with a muffled snort and draped my arm across her shoulders. "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

Celestia replied with a giggle as she tenderly nuzzled my cheek while draping her wing around me. "When it comes to a sweetheart like you, how can I?"

Just when I thought I saw our waitress approaching us, I instead realized that the movement I saw at the front of the seating area was someone who stood noticeably taller than most of the other ponies with multiple shades of blue. It was all too obvious who was approaching us. Celestia saw this too and folded her wing in a hurry while she spoke out. "Good evening, Luna! Have you decided to join us?"

The Princess of the Night nodded with a smile while she took a seat on one of the two empty stools beside our table. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I was in the mood for some fine dining and then I found that you two were here... Um... What's with that stare, sister? Surely you're not suspecting I'm hiding something."

Luna was right. Celestia was casting her sister something of a cockeyed stare. And I quickly noticed why. There was a faint odor in the air. And it was coming from Luna. No, not that kind of odor. It smelled...well, it smelled like... Celestia put it best. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry. It's just that you...well... You reek of canal water. Have you been up to something?"

That got Luna to roll her eyes. Even though she was completely dry, Luna probably only rinsed herself off and dried her hair and coat as quickly as possible before coming over to join us without actually shampooing them. As a result, she clearly did too little to get the smell out. The waterways of Canterlot may be clean, but they are still not filled with pristine spring water. "Swimming... I suppose I did not properly clean myself off afterwards. I'll treat myself to a bath when I return to the palace for the evening."

"Well, it's as they say. The moon commands the tides, so it's no wonder you would decide to mingle with them once in a while." Celestia said jokingly while I could only smirk and chuckle lightly. It was not a particularly funny joke, but it was still worth that much if nothing else.

The waiter soon brought by an entire pitcher of lemonade and left it for us to drink at our leisure. While we browsed over our menus, I took notice of someone's absence. "Is Nightmare Moon not coming?"

Luna promptly replied with an uneasy smile. "Oh, her... I'm afraid she got stuck in a meeting with a few diplomats by the time I left. I doubt she even knows what we're up to, thank goodness."

Celestia could only snicker as she held a hoof to her lips. "Oh, heaven forbid she finds out what she's missing out on. She'll be soooo mad when she learns about this."

This got a smirk out of Luna while I watched in amusement. "Oh, I can already imagine!" Then, with a pitch-perfect imitation of Nightmare Moon's voice, Luna seemed to glare at her sister. "Are you serious?! The two of you went out for a delightful dinner with our friend and I was stuck here with more of this dreadful paperwork?! How dare you! Perhaps I will raid the kitchen in the night to claim whatever leftover cake I can find as compensation!"

"Better make sure to bring her some carryout when we finish up here!" I added while laughing at Luna's imitation of Nightmare Moon. Celestia was also getting a good laugh out of it as well, covering her mouth to suppress her laughter.

In the end, we ultimately decided to order a party platter of grilled foods that mostly consisted of vegetables. Thankfully, I managed to get some grilled shrimp with it as well. While I know I would be free to hoard all of the seafood to myself, anything else I could not finish would be consumed by my two friends. While we sipped on lemonade, Luna then tried to start some conversation. "So, how have you two been today? I haven't seen you since you left this morning."

I decided to let Celestia reply while I surveyed our surroundings. "Oh, things have been just great! We did a bit of shopping, went for a gondola ride, and..." During that brief pause, I happened to notice Celestia averting her gaze as she smiled crookedly while a faint blush filled her cheeks. "A bit of this and that and everything else. We've just been all over today."

Luna was quick to notice her sister's unusual expression, what with that suspicious stare and all. She then glanced at me, prompting me to shrug my shoulders in a way to say I was not sure what Celestia was getting at. Satisfied with the lack of a confrontation, Luna then looked back at her sister. "Well, you're certainly in better spirits than before. But where, if I may ask, did you do your shopping today?"

A cheeky grin spread across my lips while I reached into my pocket and gave the scooter bell in there a quick ring. It even seemed to startle the two royal sisters somewhat since they jumped in their seats a bit. "Well, we didn't get much. I just got some eyeshadow for Fluttershy and a bell for Scootaloo to install on her scooter. With how fast she goes on that thing, a little extra safety wouldn't hurt... Say, don't you and Nightmare Moon normally wear eyeshadow?"

The Princess of the Night smiled while she batted her eyes at me a few times to get a good look at that lovely cornflower blue color that coated her eyelids. "We do. Do you like it?"

"Well, it looks good on you. And... Wait, what happened to the eyeshadow you were wearing?" I asked upon glancing at Celestia. It took me a long time to actually notice it, but that pink eyeshadow she had applied at that cosmetic store was missing. Probably for the best though.

Celestia showed a rather amused smile before she replied, "I decided to wipe it off after you went for a walk. It was just a sample anyway. And I still have more."

"You picked up some eyeshadow for yourself? What color?" Luna asked while I stayed silent, already feeling somewhat uncomfortable while I remembered that gaze from Celestia as that lovely pink eyeshadow adorned her eyelids.

Not surprisingly, Celestia got witty with her reply. "Oh, it was just the perfect shade of pink. Just ask James here. He was quite impressed with it."

"Yeah, yeah. It was effective. Seriously." I said briskly in the hopes of not having to go into too much detail on what I remembered. Fortunately, that was enough for Luna as she began to laugh lightly while Celestia merely smirked and rolled her eyes.

There was not a whole lot else worth mentioning. Celestia and I, worn out from a day out on the town, were more interested in relaxing and enjoying a good meal. And it was a fantastic meal indeed. The veggies and shrimp were basted with an olive oil and butter marinade along with a bit of red pepper flakes mixed in before being grilled over an open fire. Utterly fantastic. I gorged myself on the shrimp and helped myself to a bit of the carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and asparagus, but the majority of the veggies went to the two royal sisters. In the end, there were no leftovers. Although Luna was quick to place in a carryout order for Nightmare Moon. I never actually got to see what was in the box, but that aroma coming from it surely served as a sign that she would not be disappointed with its contents.

My two friends handled the payment before we left the outdoor seating and stepped back onto the streets. However, the sun was already setting over the horizon at the time. Luna and Celestia had been passively using magic during our meal in a likely means to start ending the day and bringing on the night. With summer nearing its end for the year, the night was beginning earlier than usual. And I was actually wanting to go home with how tired I was feeling. Such a draining day, even though it was fun.

Celestia did not share the same sentiments as she turned to me with a smile and asked, "Well, that was satisfying. Where to next, my friend?"

I turned my gaze towards the Princess of the Dawn, but did not immediately answer. I truly wanted to stay in her presence for a while longer despite my exhaustion. But I knew it would take time to get back home on the train as well as actually walking through Ponyville to get back home. With some reluctance, I finally spoke. "To be honest... I should probably start heading home now. It's getting late and Fluttershy is probably wondering where I am unless someone's told her by now."

This clearly disappointed Celestia as she instantly frowned and began to glance about as if desperately trying to find something to say that may change my mind. "Are you certain? I mean we..." She then finally bowed her head in defeat, apparently understanding that trying to coax me into staying longer may be a bit selfish. "I see... You're right, you have already spent a great deal of the day here and I do appreciate you coming out here just for my sake. Although... May I at least accompany you to the train station for now?"

I nodded with a smile, not wanting to leave Celestia's company just yet either. However, I then realized that I was forgetting something. "Hang on. We should probably go back and retrieve Fluttershy's gift before I go home."

Fortunately, Luna spoke up with a smile. "You can leave that to me. I'll go get it and then meet you at the train station. Now, where may I find it?"

Celestia then turned to her sister with a smile and explained, "Thank you, Luna. It's in the bag on my vanity in my private chambers. Just remember that it's the makeup case inside the bag, not beside it."

"Got it. I'll be with you again shortly." Luna replied before she spread her lovely blue wings and took to the air before soaring over the rooftops and out of sight.

"Well... Shall we be off?" Celestia then asked with a more subdued tone than usual. I turned towards her and saw the Princess of the Dawn showing a rather somber smile. I could tell she really did not want to se me go. And I did not want to leave yet either.

"Yeah, we probably should. We don't even know when the next train will be pulling out of Canterlot and whether or not it'll be going straight to Ponyville." I replied while the two of us began to walk along. The entire time, I stayed very close to her and even held onto her with my arm draped across her shoulders.

The walk was relatively quiet while we just took in the night air. I must confess that Canterlot is utterly beautiful at night with its lights and sounds against the pale colorations of the architecture. I did not speak much at all, just basking in the late evening calm as the air cooled gradually around us. Celestia then finally spoke up, "As much as I'm associated with the day, I find Canterlot to be at its best during the night. Sometimes my sisters and I just go out for walks to enjoy it before going to bed."

"I can see why. It's definitely when the city's at its calmest. No wonder the artist who made that painting of Canterlot at the museum waited until nightfall each time he worked on it." I replied as I recalled the visit we made to the art museum weeks ago.

When we finally reached the train station, we found a train already prepared to pull out of the station. A quick check of the schedule revealed that it was indeed set to stop by Ponyville next. And minutes later, Luna descended from the sky with a familiar paper bag hanging from her jaws. "There you are! I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

I reached out and took the bag in hand before peeking inside. Indeed, the makeup case was still there. I then placed Scootaloo's new bell inside just to make sure I would not forget about it. "Thanks, Luna. I think the train still has another fifteen minutes before it starts to head out."

Luna stood beside her sister while they both faced me and showed a grateful smile. "I see... James, I just want to thank you for taking the time to visit us today. And it does my heart good to see that you were able to help lift my sister's spirits. Right, Celestia?"

Celestia's response was a bit quieter and even solemn, though I could tell it was not for the same reasons she had been so down much earlier that day. "Right... It was a pleasure being with you today, my friend."

"Likewise... We'll be meeting up again for some more training with my gear, right?" I asked in return while starting to develop a feeling of dread at the thought of having to leave.

"Of course! We've only scratched the surface of your armor's various functions. We'll have to set up a session someday soon. But for now, we really shouldn't be keeping you. Have a lovely night, my friend." Luna retorted with some gusto, clearly looking forward to our next practice session.

Luna then began to turn away, but Celestia took a moment longer to do so. I waved at her while trying to smile as she nodded her head quietly. "Take care, James... Let's meet again soon."

"Take care. And good night." I replied quietly before Celestia and Luna bid farewell and began to walk away. However, Celestia still glanced over her shoulder at me once before she and Luna continued along the train platform back towards the rest of Canterlot.

I must confess, it kind of hurt to see her go. I truly wanted to be with her a while longer, even though I had to go home. With some reluctance, I turned away and began to walk towards the ticket counter. But before I went much further, I turned around to take one last look at my two royal friends. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen. I let out a sigh of disappointment while I turned my gaze to the darkening sky.

There was not much time for me to dwell on my feelings though. Seconds later, my thoughts were interrupted by a whisper next to my ear. "Looking for somepony?"

Recognizing the voice, I turned around abruptly to face whoever was behind me. And I felt a sense of elation as I saw her once more. Celestia stood before me with a calm smile while I immediately reached out and held her in a tender embrace. "Hey! Where'd you come from?"

Celestia giggled sweetly while I felt her hold me in her wing's embrace. "I decided that I did not want us to part ways just yet, so I hope you don't mind me riding the train with you."

"Really?" I asked in surprised while pulling my head back to look at her, not expecting her to want to take the train with me back to Ponyville. It really would have been going out of her way to do that. "Does Luna know?"

With a relaxed smile, Celestia nodded. "She does. And she does not mind. You would appreciate some company for the next hour, right?"

"Well... Yeah." I replied with some hesitation. Luna rode the train with me all the way up to Canterlot, so it would be poetically fitting to have Celestia come with me back to Ponyville.

"I was hoping you'd say that. Well, allow me to go get our tickets before the train can leave us behind. I'll be right back." Celestia then said with a smile before she trotted over to the ticket counter. I backed away towards the forward door to the rearmost car and waited patiently while never looking away from the Princess of the Dawn. When she finally came back over to me, I was surprised when she handed me my ticket. "A little gift for all your help today."

"Wait... What is this?" I asked while examining the ticket I held. With golden text, it seemed to be less of a one-way trip ticket and more of some type of pass.

Celestia grinned while she explained, "That there is a lifetime pass for the route between Canterlot and Ponyville. But just for that route, so don't go thinking you can just go anywhere for free now. This way, if you ever want to come by for a visit to see me or my sisters, all you have to do is show the conductor this pass and you'll be on your way."

I could not believe that Celestia would go out of her way to give me such an easy way to come back and say hello. I had never even checked to see what the prices for lifetime passes are, but I assume the price is quite high. Even so, I slid the pass into my pocket and gave Celestia a grateful smile. "You didn't have to get me this, you know..."

Before I could do anything else, Celestia reached out and placed yet another brief kiss upon my cheek, causing me to fluster just a bit as we were still in public. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice. "I know. But you didn't have to come all the way up here for my sake either."

Knowing the train would be pulling out before long, the two of us hurried aboard into the rear car and took a seat on opposite sides of the aisle. Minutes later, the conductor came by to collect tickets. He took Celestia's ticket while leaving my pass with me. It seemed that not a lot of people prefer the rear car since we had the whole place to ourselves. Or perhaps not a lot of people take the trains during the night. Regardless, the doors to the car soon closed just before the train's whistle could be heard somewhere outside. Moments later, I felt the train lurch under us as the station began to roll by us. The train began to roll along the tracks as we began our ride down to Ponyville.

With the sun all but set over the horizon, the skyline was turning a lovely orange and made for quite a view as the train rumbled along the tracks while it zigzagged down the mountainside. I was on the left side of the train, knowing that it would eventually turn and have that side facing away from the mountain for the best view. Celestia and I were initially silent, the result of a long day spent out on the town. However, after a while of reclining in my seat, I felt a sudden weight pressing against my side while a voice whispered to me. "One thing you have to love about Canterlot is the view you get for the sunset. You can't get this in any other town or city in the world. Except maybe for Cloudsdale, that is."

"No argument there." I replied quietly while seeing Celestia's face out of the corner of my eye. Even though the two of us are larger than the average pony, there was still enough room for both of us to relax on the seat's cushion. They had been designed to hold at least two passengers anyway.

For several more minutes, the two of us just watched the sun slowly vanish over the horizon while leaving only its warm glow in its wake as the cool dark blue night sky closed in on it. To combat the lack of light brought on by the night, wall lamps at each end of the train car lit up from both sides of the doors that connected each car. It provided a very cozy atmosphere as I draped my arm over Celestia's back and began to absentmindedly stroke her shoulder.

After a bit longer, the train began to pass some crags that jutted up from the ground that obstructed our view of the gorgeous sunset. With nothing else to look at for the moment, I lazily turned my attention to the only other thing in the car that was worth any attention. And so my eyes locked with Celestia's while we gazed at each other in silence as smiles began to creep across our lips.

It almost felt magical. Just the two of us. Two kindred spirits with nothing between us. I felt Celestia rest her hoof upon my thigh while my hand tenderly caressed her cheek. A long sigh hissed from her nostrils in response to my touch. I then noticed that her lazily wavering mane was once more partially obstructing one side of her face. I responded to this by taking my hand and lifting her mane away from her face to reveal her eye with just the back of my hand. Celestia let out a short-lived quiet giggle at this tender gesture that just tickled me somewhere inside.

I could not look away and neither could she. The two of us just stared at each other in silence while seldom blinking. As the seconds went by, I began to feel a subtle urge that was only amplified by the atmosphere around us. My eyes began to wander, feeling I should not look directly at her. And yet, I could not help glancing back at the beautiful mare before me. Celestia could clearly see that I was not feeling quite right and asked with such sweet tenderness in her voice while her hoof rested upon my wrist, "James, what's wrong?"

It was a question I could not ignore. I knew I should not tell her as it was one time where I could not ignore the crown that rested upon her head. With great reluctance, I brought my eyes to gaze at hers and whispered, "I... Well... Forgive me if this is something I shouldn't say, but..."

During my pause between words, Celestia brought her face even closer to mine and whispered in concern. "You can tell me, James. You know I trust you. I swear you won't anger me."

Feeling slightly more at ease upon hearing her words of reassurance, I forced myself to speak the words I needed to say. "I... Um... I'm tempted to...kiss you..."

Celestia's response was not nearly as severe as I expected. While her eyes did open just a bit wider in a show of amazement, she was not taken aback at all. It was then that her eyes glanced away from me while she smiled modestly. A noticeable blush filled her cheeks as well before she whispered the one response I was not expecting. "The... The feeling is...mutual."

There was nothing I could say. I was not even certain of what to think. I adored her and truly felt a unique connection to her that I never expected to feel. But this level of attraction that she shared... Our eyes wandered, only glancing at each other every few seconds. And then our eyes locked once more as our faces were only inches apart. The tension was thick. I did not know what to do and Celestia was just as torn. As my breathing deepened in faint anxiety, my mind was swimming with countless shifting thoughts. And then, before I even knew what was happening... I felt her lips upon mine.

My body heat skyrocketed as I felt those tender lips pressing against mine. She was kissing me. Celestia herself. And it was not just a quick peck either. She did not relent, her wings slowly beginning to embrace me as I was pulled closer to her. My eyes became heavy at this unexpected sensation. I could not resist. I too pressed into the kiss as my arms gently wrapped around her. I felt her lips part... I was tasting her. The faint flavors of our dinner danced across my tongue. A muffled moan of sorts rumbled in her throat...

It was intoxicating, that kiss. Unlike any I had ever received. So intoxicating, it felt sinful. It took a moment or too, but I began to come back to my senses. And with great reluctance, I gently pushed Celestia away from me as I gasped for breath. I could still hardly believed she had kissed me so deeply. Her! The Princess of the Dawn! One of the three true sovereigns of Equestria! It felt so incredibly taboo that even I could not ignore it... "I'm sorry. We... We shouldn't..."

I immediately regretted saying those words. That look of utter pain in Celestia's eyes made me cringe in guilt. "Wa... Why?! James, what's wrong? Please, you don't have to hide anything from me..."

Even after spending the entire day together and truly getting to know her while never once thinking about her status as a ruler, this was the one situation where I felt I should not dismiss it. It took some courage to bring myself to speak. "It's just... I really feel like we shouldn't let ourselves get this close... I know we're friends, but... You're still a princess. It feels like we should keep a bit of a distance..."

It hurt to say those words. I was already used to such close relationships with some of my dearest friends like Rarity and Rainbow Dash and I felt ashamed of having to turn away a friend who felt such a connection with me. And I could see that my words did indeed stab Celestia deeply. I was expecting her to turn and leave me as tears could be seen gathering at the edges of her eyes. But instead of fleeing from me, she stood her ground. "So... It's my crown? My crown gives you the impression of inferiority? Of subordination in my presence?"

Her words were true. That was roughly exactly what I was feeling in her presence at that moment. I only slightly nodded, being unable to look her in the eye. In response, I heard Celestia speak softly. "James... Close your eyes for a moment. There's something I want you to see."

Feeling I had made a mistake and that I was about to receive a sound scolding, I did not resist and did as I was commanded and bowed my head as my vision went dark. Aside from the clacking and rolling of the train's wheels below me, all I heard were a few shuffling sounds along with an occasional metallic clink. I also heard the telltale sound of magic being used. You know, that... I cannot describe the sound at all. It is that faint din that one hears when a unicorn's magic aura coats the horn. Roughly a minute later, that sound faded and I heard Celestia's voice again. "You make look now."

I did as I was told and opened my eyes. And I was not prepared for what I was seeing before me. Celestia was still facing me while seated upon the seat's cushion, but every last bit of her golden attire was absent. Her shoes, her golden band, and her crown. I was just...unprepared to see her gorgeous sleek body completely bare as I felt myself press up against the wall and window behind me. Granted, that jewelry never really covered much of her body to begin with, but still... I soon forced myself to ask, "Uh... Where is your jewelry?"

"Does it matter?" Celestia spoke frankly, her expression still somewhat pained as she gazed at me. "All symbols of my royal status are no longer present. Do you still see a princess before you, James? Or..." She then slunk towards me ever so slightly. "Do you see a mare and equal?"

She wanted to reach out to me. Yet at the same time, she was being cautious. Her heart was in a delicate state and I could easily crack it at that time. Still unsure of what to say, I instead asked, "Well... What am I to you?"

"Good question. That's something I've been wondering for a long time." Celestia said softly as she averted her gaze momentarily. But then she turned her gaze towards me and seemed to try to smile. "But now I know the answer."

She dragged herself closer, snatching me up in those great wings of hers and holding me against her body while our eyes were mere inches apart. "You...are very precious to me. And I'm...so sorry I did not get to know you sooner. I have never felt my heart open towards someone so quickly before. I don't need to hide behind my crown when I'm with you, James. I can just be myself in the same way that you are always yourself with me."

I did not say anything as I placed my hand upon her chest. Not to push her away, but to comfort her in any way I could. I hated not being able to completely open up to my dear friend. And I wanted that to end. Try as I might, I could not speak. Even though she had not once spoken those words, I knew it the moment our lips touched and tongues danced. She loved me. And I was at a loss of words. Finally, she lowered her lips to my ear and whispered tenderly. "James... I am honored to have you in my life. I can't tell you how glad I am that it was you who we chose to bring to our world. Please... No more inhibitions. Just be yourself."

Soon, our eyes were locked with each other once more. There was still a glimmer of restraint in my heart holding me back. And I was quickly growing to loathe it. And I was growing to become increasingly disgusted with myself to allow something like a piece of headwear to place unwanted restrictions on my interactions with someone who genuinely loved me. Thus, I decided then and there to push past that barrier. Gathering my courage, I placed my hand on the back of Celestia's head. She knew what it was I was about to do and showed no discomfort as her eyes began to close. I closed my eyes as well and leaned forward. Once more, I felt her lips upon mine.

That kiss... I felt so much tension fade away as our lips touched. Celestia's wings only pulled me closer, holding me tightly to her chest. I cast all of my inhibitions aside and focused just on that one moment. I soon felt myself tasting her again as my hands roamed her backside, losing ourselves to the throes of passion. What started as quiet mumbles in her throat turned into higher pitched squeaks of delight and excitement I felt Celestia lean a bit too far back and lie on her backside with me atop her.

I did all I could to not think about taking this moment too far. As intimate as the moment was, Celestia was still my friend. A very close friend, but still a friend. I am all but certain that if I started to try to move things further, Celestia would have done nothing to stop me. Even so, I continued to hold onto her as I kissed her with tenderness and passion while Celestia still held me to her body with her wings while groaning and whimpering in enjoyment. Just... Such passion.

I am not even entirely certain how long that kissing session really went on for. By the time I opened my eyes and gazed at her while she looked back at me with an almost drunken smile, Celestia and I were on the floor. Upon realizing this, the two of us burst into hearty nervous laughter even as we staggered to sit up. No words. Just laughter.

While we clumsily returned to our seats, Celestia chuckled and giggled beside me. "Oh my... Just as I had heard. You really are a man of love and tenderness, James."

"Heh... Thanks. I get that a lot." I meekly replied while feeling a bit flustered over the fact that I had just experienced nothing less than a make-out session with the Princess of the Dawn herself. And she really seems to know how to kiss. "You know... You're really good at that."

Celestia shyly looked away from me and closed her eyes as she chuckled lightly. "Well... What if I were to tell you that was my first kiss?"

Those words instantly made me fluster as I turned to her after gazing out the window again. "Wait, seriously?! After all this time, you've...never done that?"

My retort caused the Princess of the Dawn to laugh in a show of humility. "I know, I know! How in the world could I, quite possibly the most beautiful mare in the world, have never had a man in my life over the last five thousand years or so? Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"To be honest, I'm kind of surprised and...Discord were never involved with each other like that. That was kind of the vibe I was getting from you when you talked about him a little while ago." I said with some caution, not wanting to upset my friend with bad memories of a fallen friend.

Much to my relief, Celestia seemed to not be terribly bothered by me mentioning Discord's name. She reached out with her wing and draped it over my shoulder as she explained, "Oh, James. Discord and I may have been best friends for ages, but that loveable fool had no interest in romance. Although... Maybe I did occasionally fancy the thought of us as an item at times because, let's face it. He was hard not to like. Although I never really considered pursuing him. I'm glad that I didn't in the end."

I tried hard to not think of what happened a short while ago. Thankfully, Celestia continued to speak while holding me in her wing. "Between living my life free while seeing the world with my sister and parents and watching over this world with Luna and Discord, and especially during the thousand years after Nightmare Moon's emergence, I simply could not allow my mind to think about romance." She then tenderly nuzzled my hair and said, "I'm certain it's thanks to my sisters that I've had enough spare time to spend this day with you. And I'm very grateful for that."

"Me too..." I whispered quietly while I gently leaned against her. A moment later, the two of us turned to the window to watch the magnificent moonlit scenery as the train continued to roll down the mountain. We were not quite halfway down the mountain yet.

Celestia folded her wing while she gazed at the distant town of Ponyville, its numerous windows lit up in the dark. "To think that in just several months, you and Fluttershy will be a couple. The bearers of Kindness and Humanity sworn together. Doves and butterflies. Simply poetic."

I smiled at the thought, feeling both excited and anxious at the same time. "Yeah... That'll be a big day."

"And correct me if I'm wrong, but... Isn't Fluttershy expecting now?" Celestia asked while she turned her gaze towards me.

I nodded and replied quietly, "She is... Still not sure if we're going to keep it though. We're still trying to actually prepare ourselves for being parents, although the house is getting a bit small for a family of four. And finances will surely be an issue..."

"Indeed... I should know. I practically raised Cadence and she first came into my life as an infant. Not as glamorous as some make it out to be..." Celestia muttered as she held a hoof to her chin. Soon, she smiled and looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "Well, I'm certain the two of you will make fine parents in the end. As for the rest... I believe I could set up a trust fund for the two of you to help with the finances."

I could not believe what I had just heard. A trust fund being set up by Celestia herself? Someone with probably bottom pockets of wealth? I turned to her and asked, "You're serious?!"

Celestia seemed to have been expecting such a response as she tried to not laugh. "Mmhm! I'm certain we could even work out having an extra room added onto your home for the future little one. And yes, James. I do mean it. After all you and Fluttershy have done for Equestria, I'd say the two of you are long overdue for actual compensation. Especially after this last mess. I...was largely responsible for that anyway, so I really must insist on making up for it."

"Well... If you insist. It's appreciated, Celestia." I said humbly, amazed and even a bit embarrassed that Celestia was going out of her way to help us like that. Even if we did deserve it.

My royal friend nodded with a calm smile. "It's the least I can do for such a wonderful friend."

For a short while later, the two of us fell silent as we lost ourselves in observing the nighttime landscape out the window while being dimly lit by the lamps in the train car's corners. I would often glance at Celestia, finding comfort in her presence. She was always so quick to reach out to me. And I wanted to reach out to her. Casting aside the last shreds of inhibitions in my mind, I reached out and pulled her close for a tender embrace.

I rested my head against Celestia's neck, hearing a muffled giggle deep in her throat. I then heard her whisper into my ear, "Oh, my sunshine... You really are too kind."

There was something about that word she said to me. Her sunshine. It felt like something sacred. Something she does not say to just anyone. I lifted my head and gazed at Celestia's face while she smiled warmly at me, her wing embracing me from behind. This time, it was I who made the first move and brought my lips to hers. I heard a deep sigh hiss from her nostrils as she closed her eyes while she pressed into the kiss. It did not last very long, but it did all that it needed to. Once we parted, I spoke softly to her while resting my head against the side of her neck as she rested in my embrace. "You really are just such a wonderful woman, Celestia..."

"It is appreciated, my friend. More than you know." Celestia whispered to me while leaning harder against me. A moment later, I was pushed to the seat and the windowsill while Celestia practically laid herself upon me. Her eyes were closed as her head was nestled against my chest. I felt no desire to move fro that spot. And so there we stayed for the remainder of the ride as I constantly stroked her beautiful wavering mane.

The first sign that we were starting on the last approach to Ponyville was when I felt that subtle shift in gravity as the train began to roll along a flat surface instead of a gentle incline. I tenderly traced my fingers along the length of Celestia's muzzle and down her nose. "Hey... I think we're just about there."

She reluctantly brought herself to open her eyes, seemingly as if she was waking up from a nap. "Already...? I was hoping it would be another hour... Oh well. Wishful thinking."

My hand stroked her face while I began to sit up. "At least we enjoyed the ride."

Before the train could pull into the station, Celestia was quick to retrieve her royal garments. As it turned out, they had been placed right beside the bag containing my gifts for Fluttershy and Scootaloo on the seat across the aisle. However, it was while she stood up to put her shoes back on that Celestia stumbled as the train applied the brakes. I was quick to react and caught her in my arms before she could hurt herself. "You OK?"

Celestia, still mildly startled, chuckled nervously as she placed a quick kiss upon my lips. "Yes, I'm fine. Good catch, by the way."

Once the train came to a stop and the doors facing the platform slid open, I grabbed my bag and followed Celestia outside onto the train platform. A few of the other passengers disembarked as well, although it seemed the rest still had a ways to go before they got home.

I reached out and bent backwards while letting out a groan as I stretched after being cooped up on that train for the last hour or so. Celestia seemed to feel the same way as she flexed her neck and spread her wings momentarily. She also let out a yawn before quickly letting her body go lax and folding her wings while taking a moment to survey her surroundings under the night sky. "I seldom get to see Ponyville at this time of day. It's always so wonderful to be out here and relax during the silence of the night."

"You should try taking a walk through town at around this hour. It's not a feeling you can get in most other cities." I replied while the train platform began to empty, soon leaving just the two of us alone.

A moment of silence fell between us while I beheld the majesty of the Princess of the Dawn under the gentle glow of the moon and a few lamps keeping the train station lit. In spite of her connection to the day, her pale body seemed to almost glow in the dark, especially her aurora-shaded mane and tail. It was only then that I noticed numerous tiny sparkles twinkling along her billowing hair as if it shimmered in the moonlight. For being the Princess of the Dawn, she looked especially radiant in the dark.

I felt the unconscious need to approach her. To feel our lips touch once more. Nopony was around. No one would see us. But as I began to slink towards her, my eyes saw the crown atop her head once more. The symbol of her superiority above everyone in the world. And yet, I knew it was merely a piece of headwear to her. After all, she had been a commoner at one time herself. Under that crown, Celestia is a wonderful woman who would choose my company over that of even the most influential of the Canterlot elite. Gathering my courage, I stepped towards her to overcome this sense of distance between the two of us. She is dear to me and I wanted her to know it.

Celestia did not seem to notice me at first, her gaze directed to the moon. Perhaps she was just admiring her sister's handiwork as the crescent moon hung in the night sky. She confirmed my suspicions as she spoke softly, "Exquisite as always, Luna."

With my bag hanging from my right hand, I gently brought my left to the opposite side of Celestia's face and tenderly cupped her cheek. Celestia's face showed slight surprise upon feeling my touch, but her expression quickly relaxed as she glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. I gently turned her face towards me, feeling both anxious and excited. Celestia seemed to know exactly what it was I wanted and began to close her eyes as I did so. That familiar sweet sensation of our lips touching. The kiss was brief, but that was all it needed to be. When we opened our eyes, Celestia whispered to me as I once again caught sight of the ring wrapped around the base of her horn. "You really know how to kiss, James."

"You too... I mean... It's like you're a natural at it." I replied while feeling a bit nervous from her praise. Even so, I reached out and held her in a tender embrace while she did the same with one wing.

After a moment more, Celestia released me from her grasp and spoke to me with a smile. "James, I had a wonderful time today. And it feels like I've learned things I never expected to discover. I can't thank you enough for being there for me today."

"Yeah, it feels like my eyes were opened to some things too. Funny how you can discover stuff about things you'd never know until a certain amount of time had passed." I replied, feeling that mutual sense of gratitude and fulfillment.

Celestia soon turned her gaze to the distant shape of Canterlot on the mountain in the distance, the city's form dotted with little yellow dots that gave off quite a sense of spectacle. She then looked back at me and said, "I really shouldn't keep you. You've been out all day and your family is probably waiting for you. And while I'm out here, I think I'll pay a visit to Twilight's place. We can take the opportunity to catch up on a few things and enjoy a spot of tea together."

Yeah, I doubt Twilight would be entirely happy if her personal mentor came to town and she was never told about it. I lightly patted Celestia on the shoulder and let out a small laugh. "Yeah, you better go say hi. She'll be really disappointed if you don't."

She seemed to get where I was coming from. "Oh, you wouldn't believe the things she's done when it comes to her studies under me. Although I have the hunch Luna already filled you in on how obsessive she can be. Oh well, we all have our flaws."

I let out a snicker, already recalling Luna's conversation with me in the morning. Celestia then took one quick glance around us and then smiled at me once more as she dragged the tips of her feathers across my cheek that just made me shudder in some strange sense of anticipation. "Well, that's enough talk for now. We had best be going. But I'll be sure to make up for lost time very soon. And don't lose that pass. As long as you have it, you can visit me and my sisters at any time."

I readily nodded and smiled while feeling warm and giddy from the feel of her feathers. At last, Celestia began to turn and walk away. But not before speaking to me one last time. "Thank you again, James... Good night...my sunshine."

Those words again. 'My sunshine', she called me. There was something about those words that rooted me to the spot, leaving me frozen as I watched Celestia walk away and into Ponyville under the cover of night. Those words... They were playful, yet sincere. And they gave me a sense of excitement. Those were words she did not want anyone else to hear. A title she had reserved exclusively for me. It was true. I did not feel cool and detached like the night. I felt warm and happy like the sun. That fact that she would call me such a thing clearly meant that I had become very dear to her. And she is to me as well. It was like she said. Kindred suns.

With a bit of a spring in my step, I started on my way home with the gift bag still clutched in my hand. The occasional lamp posts that dot Ponyville gave off warm comforting glows and lit the streets, although the hissing of cicadas were all gone with summer on the verge of ending. Instead, I heard the charming chirping of crickets. That is one of the few things about autumn I actually enjoy. And while the air was cooler than what I would have liked it to be, it was more crisp and refreshing than chilling.

The trek across Ponyville was very uneventful and I bumped into no one I actually recognized. Which was fine as I was just taking the time to unwind after a long and enjoyable, but tiring day. Still, my thoughts kept going back to Celestia. Good grief, she is hard to not see in a very positive light...

Finally, I could see the light peeking through the windows of Fluttershy's cottage across the meadow that borders Ponyville's western edge. I smirked, glancing down at the bag and its contents. It was extremely dark outside due to the almost complete lack of light around me. It could even be considered scary if I did not know the area is very safe.

There was no activity outside around the cottage aside from the chriping of crickets and the hooting of owls while a bat would sometimes fly by, but I could smell the lingering aroma of cooked food. It reeked of fried potatoes, making me wish I had gotten home in time to have some. I suspected that Fluttershy and Scootaloo had only just finished dinner.

Very sneakily, I opened the front door. But I had barely closed the door behind me when a familiar cooing reached my ears before I saw a white dove swoop over to me. "Shhh! Shush, Angela!"

It was too late though. Scootaloo had been playing with her and had trotted out of her bedroom before noticing me at the door. Her big purple eyes instantly lit up as she galloped over to me. "Hey, Dad! Where've you been? You missed a great dinner!"

"I bet I did. I could smell it from outside." I replied while reaching down and tussling Scootaloo's mane while Angela perched upon my shoulder. "A dear friend needed me today, so I had to head up to Canterlot. But to make up for it, I've brought you and Fluttershy some goodies home."

Right as Scootaloo's eyes lit up in excitement, Fluttershy stuck her head out of the kitchen while looking a bit excited too. "Goodies? Oh, James. You really didn't have to. I know Princess Luna asked you for help with something personal. Pinkie Pie came by earlier and let me know you might not get home until late."

I smiled upon seeing my girlfriend and stepped over to her for a tender embrace. "Yeah, sorry about that. Celestia was going through some dark times and thought I'd be the right person to help her. Turns out she was right. It was a big bonding experience."

"Cool! You got to hang out with Princess Celestia?! Whatcha do?!" Scootaloo asked enthusiastically. I guess while not every little girl is obsessed with being a princess, it is still thrilling to hang out with royalty.

I took a seat on the sofa at the back of the room while Fluttershy and Scootaloo stepped closer. "Let's see... We went out for lunch and dinner... Did a bit of shopping... Took a gondola ride through the canal... Oh, and she let me look through a photo album of hers. Did Luna really look smaller with shorter light blue hair once?"

Scootaloo promptly replied, "Huh? Oh, yeah... She looked like that the first time I saw her. But when she came back for Nightmare Night, she looked totally different. But a really cool kind of different!"

Fluttershy then asked, "But what do you have in the bag? Did you say it was a souvenir of something?"

I smirked a bit as I reached inside. Scootaloo's gift would be first. "Well, I've got some gifts to pass around. Can you guess what I got you, Scoot?" I then rang the bell a couple of times to give Scootaloo a hint.

"Is that a... Oh, is that a bell for a scooter?!" Scootaloo asked as she hopped in place while her little wings fluttered. I suppose I was not trying that hard to hide it, so it is no wonder she guessed it right.

"Yup!" I then lifted the little bell out and held it out to her. "I thought you could use something like this on it. Although I think it might be too late to go out and try it. I'll help you install it tomorrow, OK?"

"Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea to ride my scooter right now. But... This is so cool! Now everypony will know I'm coming without me having to weave around them!" Scootaloo replied with a grin before she took it in her mouth and gave it a few rings. She then started prancing around cutely while ringing the bell.

"Ring ring ring ring ring ti ti ting.... OK, it's your turn, honey." I chanted a bit in amusement before Fluttershy stepped forward giggling at Scootaloo's excitement. "Now then, I doubt you'll ever guess what I got you, honey."

Fluttershy grinned adorably as she tilted her head just slightly to the side. "Well, since you were in Canterlot the whole time, I have no idea what to expect. Is it fancy?"

"See for yourself." I replied while lifting the only other object in the bag out. I then held it out to Fluttershy, who seemed genuinely surprised.

"Oh my... You got me makeup? What kind is it?" She asked while her face began to show more of a smile. She was clearly pleased with it.

"It's eyeshadow. After seeing Rarity use it so often, I thought you'd like some too. And trust me, nothing really spices up a stare like that stuff." I said while already remembering the adoring and playful gazes Celestia had shown me that day while wearing that sample. I could already imagine how Fluttershy would look with it on.

Fluttershy grinned in delight while she took the makeup case into her jaws. "Oh, I just know I'll look great with it. I wonder what color it is... Anyway, it's getting late, so could you please put Scootaloo to bed? I'll go put this away in the meantime."

"No problem, honey." I said with a smile while turning my attention to Scootaloo as my beloved began to head upstairs. The little filly was trying out the bell, ringing it repeatedly. "Hey, Scoot! Time for bed."

"Huh?! But I'm not..." Scootaloo began to reply before letting out a yawn. She then grumpily looked away and said, "OK, you got me." I could not help letting out a chuckle before I followed her into her bedroom while leaving the belle on her nightstand. To help her relax, I told her another bedtime story. I suppose I could go into detail on which one it was, but I feel like this journal is not the right place for this particular one. Feels more like I would be writing a plot analysis for a video game.

Maybe ten minutes later, Scootaloo finally started to nod off while I kissed her goodnight on the head. If she is not up in time next morning, I will give that bell a few rings to get her going. After I stepped out of the bedroom, I took a seat on the stairs. The house had fallen remarkably quiet with the exception of crickets chirping somewhere outside. I was beat. Such a long day and with more than two hours on a train. I knew I was going to sleep well tonight.

As I sat there at the bottom of the stairs, my thoughts kept going back to Celestia. What a day. And spent entirely in her presence. Just... I am uncertain of how to put into words what I was feeling. It was like a critical connection had been made between the two of us. Something special. She called me the eclipse, being more of a solar eclipse, the sun hiding behind the mood. Is that why I enjoy the night so? Because I am the sun that desires the cooling night?

Before I could really think about it much longer, I heard quiet footsteps coming down the stairs behind me. They soon stopped before I heard Fluttershy's voice. "Scootaloo's asleep now? Will you be coming to bed soon, honey?"

I turned around to face her and said, "Yeah, I think I'll... Uh... Wait a minute..."

The sight before me... Fluttershy was wearing that black nightwear and stockings combo that she had picked up on my birthday this year. And to only add to her sex appeal, she was wearing that pastel pink eyeshadow over her eyelids while casting me a remarkably alluring gaze. I could tell she was just a bit nervous if that blush in her cheeks was of any indication, but she seemed genuinely excited as well. "Mama wants some loving tonight."

"Man, someone needs to start playing some jazzy saxophone right now..." I said jokingly while I caressed her face before snatching her up in my arms. "Because things are getting pretty heated."

Fluttershy reached out and kissed my cheek while I carried her up the stares and whispered, "I don't know what's come over me lately... I just want you so much now."

"Must be your hormones. Pregnancy will do that to you." I explained with a grin. Not long after I got out of the hospital a little while ago, Fluttershy seems to have become...more assertive towards me in the bedroom and when we are alone. Even in public, she has opened up a bit more. I feel her emotional inhibitions have been slowly breaking down as a result of our relationship about to be solidified in marriage. As a result, our sex life has become significantly more active.

I suppose I could go into detail what happened next, but... It has been such a long day. Maybe I will add it in later.

I was the first out of the bathroom after washing up for the night with Fluttershy. She was sticking around in there a bit longer to tidy up her mane and tail before bed. With them being that long, it would be a nightmare to fix them if they got messy from her going to sleep while still wet. I just slipped on a comfortable pair of clean boxers and pulled the covers down to climb in bed. But just when I sat down, I heard a tapping on the window right behind my side of the bed.

"At this hour?" I asked myself while I turned to the window. With the nightstand's lamp having been turned on to give some light to the room, a bit of a glare was cast over the window that obstructed my view of whatever was out there. However, a closer inspection revealed that there seemed to be a bird of some sort hovering right outside it. I then pushed the window open to find a familiar owl hovering before me while clutching a scroll in his talons. "Hey there, Owlowiscious! That for me?"

"Hoo!" He hooted in reply before flinging the scroll at me. I caught it clumsily and waved goodbye while he flew off for home. If that scroll had come from Twilight's house, it might have been from Celestia herself. She surely must have gotten home by that point.

After closing the window, I sat myself on the bed and unfurled the scroll. I soon recognized the writing as Luna's. It read, "Dear James. I hope you're having a fine evening below the moon tonight. I pray this message finds you before you have turned in to sleep. I just want to say thank you for setting aside time to help my sister today. She is in far better spirits now. So much so that when she returned home just a short while ago, she seemed...distracted in some way. I knew the two of you would mesh well. You made a truly dear friend today. Celestia is already discussing plans to stop by again soon. I am unsure of what exactly it was you two did together, but all I need to know is that my sister's depression has been vanquished. Also, Nightmare Moon loved her dinner, but was quite cross with me when she found that she had missed out on a dinner with you. We will have to make up for that sometime soon. I will not keep you as I know how exhausted the two of you are by now. Sweetest dreams, my friend. Nightmare Moon and I will be paying a visit to your dreaming mind very soon. Dearest regard, Luna."

Just reading that note put a smile on my face and even elicited a chuckle when I thought of Nightmare Moon's response to having discovered that I had dinner with her sisters while she got left behind. But before I could do anything else, I heard the bathroom door open and saw Fluttershy walk out. "Sorry to keep you waiting, honey... Oh, what's that?"

"Just a message from Luna, honey. Owlowiscious just now dropped it off." I replied while she climbed in bed. I saw no harm in letting her read it and held it up for her to read.

"Hmm... Ooh, that's so sweet of Princess Luna. It sounds like you all had a good time. Well, except for Nightmare Moon. I hope she doesn't hold it against them. And you're friends with Princess Celestia now? I always thought you had a lot in common. Warm and sweet, just like her." Fluttershy replied while showing a delighted smile.

"Thanks. She kept going on about how she kept feeling something kindred between us. I think she was right." I replied while placing a kiss on my lover's nose. "And she said she's going to help us out financially in a while. I think we're going to have some renovations done here soon."

"Really?! Oh my... I hope it doesn't add too much space. I don't want my little friends to be driven away." Fluttershy gasped in small excitement, clearly both excited and worried about her house having more room added on. She really does put the environment and wildlife first.

Not much later, I started writing this journal. But with how late it is now and with how tired I am, I just cannot keep my eyes open. I better stop here and get some sleep. I wonder if Luna and Nightmare Moon will bring Celestia along for the ride... Wait, can they do that? I will just have to wait and see.