Chapter 21

Celestia, Cadence and a depressed Nox stopped outside the Ponyville library, their combined appearance had attracted a lot of attention that they would have preferred to have avoided. They knocked on the door as they waved to small groups that watched them

Spike opened the door and quickly bowed before the royal alicorns hurried inside the library. “I apologise for the intrusion but I’m afraid that our visit is a little unorthodox” Celestia sighed as Spike nodded understandably

Twilight hurried from upstairs and smiled as she saw her teacher and sister-in-law. “Princess Celestia, Cadence” She stopped in front of her old foalsitter before bouncing on her hooves in exact time with Cadence “Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

“How old are you?” Nox raised an eyebrow at the two giggling mares “Mum, can I go back to daddy?” he groaned as he buried his head in his mother’s mane

“Nox I can’t let you go all the way back to Canterlot alone” Celestia sighed before lifting Nox off her back and placed him next to Spike “We won’t be much longer, I promise”

Nox gave a small smile to Spike before they both walked over to a corner of the room and sat down, leaving the tree mares to talk around the large table

“Are you alright?” Spike asked as he looked at the grey alicorn beside him

“Huh? Oh… yeah I’m fine” Nox looked as his grey hooves before he looked up at the dragon next to him “Do you have a marefriend?”

Spike sighed as he scratched his scales around his neck “No but there is this one mare I like” Spike looked around as he turned to Nox “I will tell you but this has to be a secret”

Nox nodded “I won’t tell anypony” he moved his ear closer to Spike as the baby dragon lowered his voice to a whisper

“It’s Rarity” he smiled as he managed to get his secret off his chest yet again. Nox gasped before his eyebrow rose in confusion

“Isn’t she a bit old for you?” Nox held up his hooves as Spike frowned at him, “Well I asked Sweetie Belle out and she turned me down”

Spike gasped “You like Sweetie Belle?” he patted Nox reassuringly on the shoulder “I’m sorry it didn’t work out but I am sure that somepony else will be your special somepony”

“Yeah I wish” Nox groaned as he looked at his mother having a happy conversation with the other mares “But right now I just want to see my daddy”

Meanwhile…

“You are the worst stretcher ever,” Dave groaned as Shining Armour carried him up the steps, Nurse Redheart continued to poke Dave with various medical equipment “And where are we going?”

“Princess Celestia’s quarters” Nurse Redheart panted as she ran ahead and opened the doors, the guards that had arrived to stand guard helped carry Dave onto the bed “Everypony out, he needs some space”

Dave reached out and grabbed Shining Armour by his chest plate “They can stay!” he led out a yelp as his chest stabbed at him again “Am I dying?”

Nurse Redheart shook her head as she pulled out a stethoscope “No you aren’t” she pressed it against his chest as her face dropped “Your heart has stopped” she began to place her hooves over his ribs “I have to get it going again”

“His heart has stopped?” Shining looked at Dave “We need to get Celestia, Luna or… or somepony!” he tapped Dave’s leg “Don’t worry, you will be fine!” he said reassuringly as he took the other guards and ran out of the bedroom

Dave grabbed Nurse Redheart’s shoulders before she started her chest compressions “If you try mouth to mouth or some other shit then I won’t be happy” he groaned as he grabbed his head again “W-where is Celestia?” he groaned as he arched his back

“I-I-I don’t know, I’ll be back as soon as I can!” She bolted out of the door as Dave rolled off the bed and landed on the stone floor. He pushed himself to his feet as he staggered over to the window, his head shot one final burst of pain before his arms dropped and his body fell to the floor

…

Dave opened his eyes to have dark fur fill his vision, his head was being held by something soft as the patch of fur repeatedly moved back and forth. His hearing returned as he heard the noise of faint sobbing, he could just make out small words as his head was being cradled

“You silly human” Luna stroked Dave’s head as she was left alone in her sister’s quarters “Why did this happen? Why did you come back, only to be snatched away again?”

Dave attempted to move his body, only to discover that it took all his concentration to move his finger. He looked around as best he could, catching a glimpse of the afternoon sun as Luna’s hoof moved out of the way

“I thought that you were going to be here forever” She kissed the top of his cold head “I hoped that one day you could learn to accept me again, to hold me as you hold my sister”

Dave closed his eyes as Luna spoke to his motionless body, his body remained as quiet until his body lurched, as if something had kicked him alive again

“AH!” Dave gasped as he squirmed and ended up on his back, Luna had shrieked as the corpse she was holding suddenly awoken and had wriggled free from her grasp. Dave panted before he sat up, the pain gone and his head still pounded gently “What the hell happened?”

Luna did not respond as she leapt forwards and tackled Dave, her lips repeatedly slammed against his face until Dave managed to grasp her shoulders and hold her still. Luna gave one final burst as she locked her lips against Dave’s, her hooves wrapped around his neck as she released him “Never do that to me again” she whispered before placing her lips against his again

Dave was still recovering from being tackled as he realized that his mouth was joined with Luna’s and that his tongue was not the only one in his mouth. He tapped Luna before pointing to their conjoined mouths

The princess of the night pulled herself off Dave as she blushed “I can never apologize enough for what I just did, I was being selfish and I was…”

Dave placed a finger over her lips “You were just happy to see me” he smiled as Luna sighed, “We agreed that we were friends and you have been a good friend in making sure my body was protected”

Luna pushed Dave’s hand away “What happened to you?” Luna asked as she shuffled closer and began checking Dave to reassure herself “Nurse Redheart said that you were in immense pain”

Dave nodded as he looked at his chest “I was and I have no idea why” his hands shook slightly as he looked at them but they quickly became steady again “Where is Celestia and Nox?”

“They were held up in Ponyville, something about an item” Luna shook her head “They have both decided to stay in your home with Cadence” her lip began to quiver again as she threw her hooves around Dave and hugged him tightly “I was so worried”

“It’s ok Luna” Dave returned the hug “I am happy to know that you are nearby” he yawned as he watched the sun lower towards the horizon “I hope you don’t mind but, I am really tired as you could guess”

Luna smiled as she released Dave and headed for the door “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Celestia and Nox should return in time for breakfast” She smiled one last time before leaving the room completely. The guards outside saluted to her but quickly popped their heads into the royal bedroom

“Hey Dave” One of them called “Are you alright? Do you need anything?”

Dave shook his head “Nah I’m fine guys, but can you make sure my dad can meet me for breakfast tomorrow?” he smiled as both the guards saluted him and closed the door. Dave removed his clothes as he climbed into the comfortable bed and sleep took him almost instantly

The next morning…

A white alicorn stopped next to the sleeping human, she rubbed her nose against his head as she took in his scent. “Dave, wake up” Celestia said loud enough to awaken him “I have a surprise for you”

Dave rubbed his eyes as he rolled over and looked at Celestia, her mane was flowing gently as she smiled at him. “Hey Celestia… where is Nox?”

“That’s the surprise!” Celestia hopped onto the bed and stood over Dave “I have asked for no disturbances for the entire morning”

“Again?” Dave chuckled as he was pushed back onto the bed “Listen I had a rough night and I would like it if we…”

“Do you love me?” Celestia stared at Dave as his smile disappeared

Dave nodded as Celestia moved her head closer “Of course I do”

“Say it” She closed her eyes as Dave frowned slightly

“I love you,” Dave whispered as Celestia’s face gained a happy and grateful smile

“Then close your eyes” She whispered in return. Dave complied as she kissed him and joined him under the bed covers “Don’t open your eyes” she reminded as she returned to kissing her lover

Dave’s mouth opened instinctively as his tongue met Celestia’s halfway, his tongue tried to match Celestia’s but she attacked with a hunger and desire that Dave failed to match. Her tongue was more violent, more wanting and it made Dave think back to…

“CHRYSALIS!” Celestia bellowed from the other end of the room, her eyes fixed on the changeling queen that had her body laying on top of Dave’s exposed chest. Her lips curled into a snarl as her hair began to glow and float rather than flow

Dave heard Celestia scream from the other side of the bedroom, his eyes opened to meet Chrysalis’ as his mouth opened to gasp. Chrysalis took the chance to kiss Dave as much as she could before a large beam of light blasted her against the wall

Dave bolted up, his eyes shot to Chrysalis who was huddled in the corner, casting a green shield around herself. Dave turned to look at Celestia, her mane was on fire as her body glowed a bright orange

“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HIM!” Celestia growled loudly as the air in the room began to shake, the curtains burst into flame as smoke began to emit from almost every object in the bedroom

Dave climbed out of bed and wrapped his clothes in his trench coat, he yelped as the floor burned his feet. He jumped back onto the bed as Celestia marched around it, her furious eyes remained on the changeling

Chrysalis’ magical barrier began to shudder and shake as her defences began to fail. Celestia’s hoof prints were burned into the ground as the floor began to glow from the heat

“Celestia stop!” Dave shuffled away from the edges of the bed as they began to smoke. He looked back to Chrysalis who was covering her face with her hooves as Celestia stopped a meter short of the green barrier

“LOOK HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE WHEN YOU HAVE NOPONY TO SUPPORT YOU!” Celestia yelled as she ignored Dave’s yelling or Chrysalis’ quiet pleading “YOU WON’T LIVE TO REGRET TRYING TO USE DAVE!” her horn glowed brighter as she pointed it at the changeling queen

“I SAID STOP!” Dave yelled as he jumped between the princess of the sun and the queen of the changelings. He ignored the pain of having his bare feet on the glowing floor “Don’t drop to her level” he said without showing how much pain he was in

Celestia continued to stare at where Chrysalis was hiding “SHE WAS KISSING YOU!” her tears quickly turned to steam as they left her white eyes “I’LL KILL HER!”

“Celestia stop please” Dave begged as his body’s sweat evaporated before it even reached his skin “Don’t do this, this isn’t the Celestia I love” he groaned as he placed his hands on Celestia’s flaming fur, his hands let out a cloud of smoke as he lifted her face to his

“S-SHE WAS GOING TO… to” Celestia’s eyes returned to normal as her fur stopped glowing and her mane stopped burning and returned to flowing in its multiple colours. She shuddered as she smelt the burnt skin coming from Dave “I-I’m sorry”

Dave managed a smile before he collapsed against Celestia “Don’t be, I should have realized” he glanced over his shoulder at Chrysalis “Go” he whispered as she released her barrier and flew out the melted balcony window

Celestia nuzzled Dave as she cried “I-I just wanted her to stop, she has hurt so many already that when I saw her kissing you I wanted to…” She let out a loud sob as she held Dave even tighter “I would never kill anypony”

“I know” Dave kissed Celestia’s head as he ran his fingers through her mane, his soothing humming made Celestia’s crying fade into a dull whimper. He rocked slowly back and forth as he held Celestia and continued to comfort her

“I love you Dave,” Celestia whispered

Dave smiled “I love you too”

“Wwwwwwould it be a bad time to mention that I am back in your head?” Odio said cautiously