Celestia's New World

Oh boy, depression. My favorite.

It's natural to feel depression after a breakup. This wasn't the first time it's happened, but nothing could have prepared me for how much it hurt. Celestia was special to me in so many ways. She was my puppy dog. She was my cuddlebug. She was my sun. She was my Princess. Now she was gone. All I wanted was to see her again.

We knew each other for just a month, but in two short weeks, I felt that I had met the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. In such a short amount of time, our feelings for each other evolved into a deep, mutual love. Celestia was the perfect woman. Nothing but pain remains.

For the first week or so after she left, I often found myself lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, crying. Nobody would see my tears in this empty house. Eventually, the tears stopped coming. All that was left was the crushing weight on my chest I felt without her.

It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Isn't that how it goes? Though I have lost, I have loved, and I have been loved in return. The past month has been the happiest of my life. The memory of the time we spent together is something I will keep forever. And the memory of her smile... The memory I cherish most... I could never let it go.

My last memory of her wasn't of her beautiful smile, but of her tearful eyes as she said goodbye. I could only hope that her smile would come back soon. Something told me that it was still gone. Even after all that's happened, just knowing she was upset made me even more miserable. Everything I felt, I knew she felt just the same. Abandoned, heartbroken, lonely... It hurt. Not long after she left, my 25th birthday came and went. I'm sure that if Celestia knew, it would just hurt her all the more.

After a few days of my depressed stupor, an angry call from my boss convinced me to leave the house. Even when all I wanted to do was be alone with my thoughts, life went on. The world wouldn't stop turning for me. Nothing has changed. Nothing will change.

Then something changed.

October 27

It had been a normal day so far. I was at work, leaning against a wall in the break room. Time had gotten away from me. Depression had turned into apathy. These past few weeks, I've done the bare minimum, both at work and in life. My only comfort was music. The sound drowned out the world. My eyes were closed. I was relaxed.

A pull on my headphones startled me back to reality. I jerked away out of reflex, opening my eyes to see what was happening. The earcup was yanked from their hand, snapping back to my head. I reactively tugged the headphone cable out of my phone. It was faster than turning the music off manually.

I glared at the short woman next to me whose hand was near my head. This must be the offender.

"Uh..." She pulled her hand back. "S-Sorry, but you're not s-supposed to listen to music during work hours, sir."

"Huh?" I blinked a few times. Sir? Nobody called me sir. At first glance, I didn't recognize her, but she wore our uniform. "Who are you?" How embarrassing, I didn't even know her name.

"M-My name is Sarah Lockhart, sir. I'm... I'm new. I j-just started today."

"That was today? Geez... Sorry, I wasn't thinking." I was supposed to mentor her in the ways of minimum-wage-fu. Now that I think about it, I did see her around. Her short brown hair made her look like one of the guys and being the shortest person on the crew must have hidden her from sight. Clearly her camouflage skills are well trained.

From what I remembered, her résumé was rather impressive for a WcMonald's employee. There was no previous work experience, but she had spent four years in college working towards a degree in veterinary medicine. My assumption was that she was taking this job to learn more about the working world. Aw geez... That makes her smarter than me.

She was right, though. This was a work environment. Headphones had no place behind the counter. As much as I disliked the idea, I pushed them back, resting them around my neck. It wasn't that I cared about the job, but ignoring her would be impolite.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, noticing too late the irritation in my voice.

"W-Well, I... just wanted to introduce myself... I suppose. Before the d-day was up."

That's as good a reason as any to talk to me, I can't fault her there. I was just annoyed because she touched my headphones, but it was my own fault for wearing them at work.

"Right. Well... It's nice to meet you. Just..." I sighed. There weren't any rules if you weren't an idiot, I didn't need to explain that to her. "Is it lunchtime yet?"

When her eyes met mine, I noticed that she would look down or away. There was an obvious nervousness about her. It can only be expected. I was nervous on my first day, just like her.

"N-No, the shift is almost over, sir. Lunch was hours ago."

"Hours ago? Geez, I must've lost track of time. Oh right, you can just call me Phil. We're working at McDonalds, there's not exactly a hierarchy thing going on here."

"A-Alright."

I brought my hand to my mouth and cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. It's nice to meet you, Sarah."

"Th-Thank you, sir... uh... Phil."

"So how's your first day been?" I asked.

"Oh, um... It's nice... Th-The vice... I m-mean, Timmy introd-duced me to the other workers. He s-said to tell you if I ever g-got around to talking to you."

"Oh, thank god. I'm glad you had someone help you. He knew I wasn't feeling well. Aside from that though, how are things so far?"

"It's been... um... interesting. It's... cleaner than I imagined it would be. Uh... s-sorry. This... This is my first job... so..."

It felt nice to talk to someone new. I was enjoying myself. "Don't worry. We got a good bunch of people here for you to work with. If you work hard and always do your best... ah, you know the drill, eh?"

"Y-Yeah."

"See? You got it." I noticed that some of the night workers had already showed up. The clock said that it would be just a few minutes before the shift ended. "Is it really that late? Huh..." I looked back to her. She hadn't moved. Maybe she wanted to say something else. "Was there something you weren't sure of? Any questions about work? Any complaints? Are you gonna blackmail me for ignoring you all day?"

"No! No, no, I would n-never! I... N-No. I... I didn't have any qu-questions. N-Not about work."

"Not about work? Is something on your mind?"

"W-Well... I was... j-just... wondering..." The nervous stutter in her voice seemed to worsen. "W-Would you like to get some coffee, sir?" she blurted. As soon as she got the words out, her gaze shifted to the floor.

Wait what? A brief glance to the other workers showed me that we were alone in this conversation. Nobody was even paying attention. I decided to see for myself what she wanted out of this. "Coffee? That sounds nice. I walk to work though, just so you know."

"D-Don't worry, it's nearby. I... Uh..."

She may have had something else to say, but she didn't continue speaking. I shrugged it off and said, "Nearby? I didn't know there were any coffee shops nearby. I guess I haven't checked recently. Well, if you're ready to go, I am too."

She nodded, her eyes still avoiding me. Asking out your boss on the first day, what a power move.

Sarah and I retrieved our coats and left the building together. She wore a windbreaker and carried a small, light purple purse. Now that I got a better look at her, I noticed that her outfit was... clean. Her purse, her coat, and especially her shoes... You're not gonna find those in the bargain bin. Did she have money or did she simply make poor spending choices? It wasn't my business to ask.

It's been windy these past few days and today was no different. Today was a very cold autumn day. It didn't help that it was already getting dark. There was no doubt in my mind that she felt the brunt of the wind. Even so, it didn't seem to bother her.

"Are you r-ready?" she asked, fidgeting as she stood.

"Yep. Lead the way."

She nodded before starting down the sidewalk. I followed behind. It wasn't a particularly long walk, but it was out of my way. I knew the area, at least. This was fun, I enjoyed just having something to do.

"It... It's getting cloudy." she said, looking up, "Do you think it will rain?"

A grey layer of clouds covered what little light we would've had left. "Yeah, looks like it." I agreed.

"I hope it waits until I get home. I didn't bring my umbrella."

"Yeah, you gotta be prepared for these kinds of things. I always bring my umbrella, even if it's clear."

She gave me a confused look. "You do? It doesn't look like it."

I unzipped my hoodie and pulled it partially out of its inner pocket, saying simply, "Umbrella." I returned it to its rightful place.

"Oh... well... a-alright. That's a good idea." She stopped in front of a small store and said, "Here it is."

"Huh... Yeah, I had no idea this place was here. Looks super nice."

"Y-Yeah, it's... It's really g-good."

It was a small restaurant that didn't seem part of a chain, a pleasant little family business. There were a few small tables scattered about the main section and the counter had some treats inside. It seemed a little bit like Sugarcube Corner. I guess I had ponies on the mind.

Sarah ordered herself a small cup of coffee. I did the same, getting a chocolate doughnut from the display case. We paid for our own orders and sat at one of the tables in the center. I bit into my donut, eyeing her. She looked down, taking a sip of her coffee.

"H-How is it?" she asked.

I smiled. "Really good, I love it. I might have to come back sometime."

"I'm gl-glad."

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me. So... I guess I'm a little curious... uh... What's up?" I asked, "I don't really get this too often. Is there any particular reason you invited me out here?"

"I... Well..." She began tipping her cup on the table, looking to it as she spoke. "I... guess I just wanted to cheer you up, is all."

"Huh?"

"I... I s-saw that you were... Y-You looked down, s-so I asked around and T-Tim told me that you broke up with your g-g-girlfriend, so I... thought... th-that I could..." She stopped.

"Oh... Well, thank you." That's a little surprising. My friends knew that I would prefer space for this situation, but Sarah was new. "That's very nice of you. Yeah, it wasn't easy. For either of us."

"Either o-of you?"

"She had to leave. Go back home. It wasn't that we chose to break up, it's just how it had to be."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. S-So she was foreign?"

I hesitated before giving her an ambiguous, "Sure."

"I... I guess it wasn't really any of my business, w-was it..." She let out a short chuckle as she looked down.

"Ah heck, don't worry about it. I appreciate it. It's nice having someone like you to talk to."

"Like me?"

"Well... Someone new, I guess. A change of pace, really."

"It... It sounded like you r-really l-liked her."

I nodded. "Yeah... Yeah I did. I loved her. A lot. But sadly, it didn't last." I smirked. "You know, you're not exactly helping by bringing it up."

"Oh... right. S-Sorry."

"It's alright, it's alright. Still, I guess I just really didn't expect this today, you know? Kind of an odd reason to ask me to get some coffee."

"Y-Yeah, I suppose."

"It's a good thing I like coffee."

She smiled. Guess I cheered her up too.

"But... you know..." I paused. "Did they... tell you she left a month ago?"

"They... didn't. I guess that..." She let out another nervous chuckle. "Makes this a bit unnecessary, doesn't it?"

I smiled at her. "No, it was nice. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad." She glanced towards the window. "Oh, no..."

I looked to see what she was worried about. Drops of rain had started to fall against the window. The rain had just started, but had already picked up. She let out a sigh.

"Won't be the first time I've walked home in the rain." I said.

"It'll be my first. At least after work."

"How do you get to work, anyways?" I asked.

"I... I take the bus."

"Bummer. How far's the bus stop?"

"It's far. At least a mile away. And it gets there at six-thirty."

"Wait, isn't it six-thirty now?"

"Yeah..."

"Ah! That sucks! When's the next stop?" Wait, if it's supposed to arrive around now, how was she planning on making the trip?

"At eight."

"Dang. That's rough."

She nodded, probably not looking forward to her walk.

"Got anybody to pick you up?"

"Well... m-my dad, but he... I don't know if he's home. I c-could call, b-but I think he's busy."

"Mom?"

"We only have one car right now. We just moved here, things are a little hectic at the house, still. I guess I could... maybe call a cab, couldn't I?"

"Or uber."

"I don't... like uber."

"Mmm..." To each their own.

"I don't know, I've never used it. I just d-don't like the idea of getting a ride from a st-stranger."

"Same here."

"I don't even know how I would..." She sighed. "D-Do you think someone back at work could g-give me a ride?"

"Yeah, probably."

"I... I don't... want to ask th-them."

"Why not?"

"I... uh... I'm n-not... g-good at talking to p-people..." she said, looking away, "That's why I got the job at M-McDonalds. I'm a little... sh-shy when it c-comes to people."

"Mmm... Well, how's this... I'll head home and get my car so I can take you home."

"N-No, it wouldn't be r-right to m-make you walk home in this rain just to c-come back. I... I wouldn't want to impose. You'd do that for m-me?"

"Yeah, it's not like I'm not getting home any other way."

"I... I s-suppose... W-Well, in that case, l-let me come with you!"

"What, you wanna stay the night in the rain?"

Her eyes immediately widened. "No! No, no, no! No... No, no... Th-Th-There's just no p-p-point in making you come b-back for me."

"Right, that makes a lot more sense. Sorry." My attempt at a joke has fallen flat. It wasn't a good joke to begin with, now that I think about it. I retrieved my umbrella from my pocket and waved it in my hand. "Guess we should head out."

"R-Right."

We threw away our trash near the door and stared outside, dreading what was to come. We haven't had a flash storm like this in the past month. Almost seemed like we were overdue.

"Good luck, you two!" called the lady behind the counter.

The two of us stepped outside to the cover of the awning. There was a cutting wind in the air. I opened the umbrella above us as we set off. As soon as we stepped away from the building, rain came in from the sides. With how short Sarah was, I was wearing the umbrella as a hat to make sure it covered her, even crouching for her as I moved. It didn't matter what I did, the rain still stung to the touch. We were both soaked well before we reached at our destination.

Though it usually takes around ten minutes to get to work, it felt much longer in this rain. I didn't drive to work, so my car keys weren't on my key ring.

"I didn't bring my car keys." I told her as I unlocked the front door, "C'mon, you can dry off for a few minutes."

We pushed inside. I flicked on the light as the umbrella hit the floor.

"S-So... this is where you live?" she asked.

"You sound so disappointed."

"N-No! It j-just... isn't what I expected."

I just shrugged as a response. "Stay here for a moment."

"Ok..."

After quickly retrieving a towel from the bathroom for her to dry herself, I disappeared into my room to change out of my work clothes, locking the door behind me.

"Oh! You ch-changed!" she exclaimed as I walked out.

"Yeah. I don't want my work clothes getting any dirtier."

"I-I j-j-just didn't expect you t-to change your clothes while I w-was h-h-here..." she said, looking away.

She was embarrassed at a simple change of clothing? My bad, then.

"Th-Thank you. F-For taking me home, n-not for..." She stopped.

"No problem, Sarah. You know, you could've just stayed at the restaurant."

"I... I didn't want to be... left alone."

"Well, alright." She's surprisingly honest.

"I... I'm sorry it was so... awkward. I r-really didn't know that it had been a month."

"Well, I still appreciated it, Sarah. You know, I'm not good at talking to people, either."

"Y-You're not? You don't seem too bad to me."

"Well, when you get a job, you gotta learn real fast." I chuckled. "You'll get it soon enough."

"Ah... Y-Yeah... I hope so."

It wasn't too late in the day, but the clouds made it dark like night. "Man..." I laughed to myself. "If it gets any later, you might just have to stay here. You ready to head out?"

"I... I'm ready... Yes." She didn't seem to hate my joke, though she was definitely surprised.

Geez, I did it again. Sorry Sarah, that was mean of me.

I made sure she had an umbrella of her own before we turned for the door. It was still raining outside, but from the sound of it, the worst of it had passed. It was quite common for a storm here to last no longer than thirty minutes or so. She gave me her address as we left, but I didn't recognize the street, so I had to ask her for directions. Aside from that, the trip was silent. The house was in one of the rich neighborhoods in town, which was actually quite a drive from work.

"That one there. That's... my house." she said, pointing down the street. Her house seemed rather impressive from the street. It was a two story home with a sizable lawn.

I pulled to the side of the street in front of the house.

"Thank you for your help." she said as she opened the door.

I opened mine as well. "Lemme walk you up. I gotta take my umbrella back."

"Oh, uh... A-Alright."

It wasn't about the umbrella, it was about walking with her again. I followed her up the sidewalk to the steps leading to her door.

"That was fun. We should do this again sometime." I said, following it with a laugh.

"Uh... Y-Yeah... M-Maybe..."

Sarah turned to the house and opened the door. On the other side was her brightly lit entryway.

To someone like me, it was a lavish home. Everything was either colored or painted white, making it look spotless. I saw a dining room to the right and a staircase leading to the second floor in the middle of the house. A hallway was to the left of the stairway. I couldn't see it with the way the door was opened, but with the size of the house, another room was to the left.

I smiled as I retrieved the umbrella. "See ya at work, Sarah."

"Y-Yeah, see you." She closed the door.

That was nice. She was nice. That put me in a good mood. I was smiling to myself on the way home, going over the day in my head. I think I earned a second date. That can wait, though. The day was over. Time to relax and unwind and...

"That woman seemed to like you. Who was she?"

A woman's voice as I entered my house caused me to jump. "Huh? What?"

"Who was she? That woman you were with."

Much to my surprise, there was yet another woman in my house. The first thing I noticed about her... was her long blue hair. Her face had a certain beauty that seemed out of place in this house. Though her body wasn't as 'full' as Celestia's, it was still just as captivating. That wasn't my main concern, though. I didn't care what she looked like. Not in the slightest.

Princess Luna was in my world once more. She was back. And that means...

"Wh... L-Luna?" Confusion and excitement welled up inside my body, making it difficult to even talk.

"That 'Sarah' woman. Who was she?" she repeated herself.

Princess Luna had returned. She was standing in the middle of my front room with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Y-Y-You... You're back!" I exclaimed, struggling to get out a coherent sentence, "You're..."

"You acted very... friendly towards her. For someone who's supposed to be shy, you certainly seem to be very open with meeting new people."

"I-I-I... Sh-She was just... just a..." I couldn't continue. My mouth just hung wide open in shock.

Everything about her seemed to brighten as she smiled at me. "You seem surprised to see me."

"Wh... I am surprised! I thought I'd never hear from you guys again! Why are you... here? Why are... And not... I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you, it's just... why are... you..."

Her smile faded, but the warmth that came with it stayed in her eyes. She raised her hands to stop me and said, "Calm yourself, please. I've had enough headaches today. My sister wouldn't stop talking about how excited she is to see you again. It was a refreshing experience to see her so happy, but in truth, it became irritating."

"Y-You mean that... She's..."

She smiled once more. "That's right, Phil. My sister is returning to your world."

"Wha... Oh my god... This is amazing! This is..." I wrapped my arms around her, unintentionally lifting her tiny frame off the ground as I hugged her. She let out a surprised squeak, an adorable sound I've never heard her make before. Her hand awkwardly patted my back. I was so happy that I was laughing.

"Yes..." She paused until I released her, which I'm sure took longer than she wanted. "Thank you."

"Uh... S-So... when can I see her?" I asked, next to trembling with excitement.

"Soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't soon enough!"

"It will depend on when she is ready." she said, "I doubt she wishes to stay away for longer than she has to, but she has responsibilities in Equestria that require her attention. I decided to take this chance to speak to you myself. Our first meeting was... not under ideal circumstances. This will be our first chance to speak freely."

"I... I think I'd like that, Princess."

"However, before that, you did not answer my question."

"Question?" With Celestia in my thoughts, it's no wonder that whatever she said had slipped my mind.

"Who was the woman accompanying you today?"

"Oh! Right, right, sorry. Right. Well, her name is Sarah Lockhart. She's a new employee at my job and works under my supervision."

"Is that so? And why were you with her?"

"We went out for coffee, then it started to rain so I took her home. Uh... Oh! I used my car... Is why she was here with me. We had to walk here in the rain, it wasn't fun." There was no point in lying to her.

She didn't seem entirely satisfied with my answer, though didn't seem interested in pressing me. Instead, she said, "Very well. Now, tell me... Who are you?"

"Well..." Staring off with the big one... I rubbed the back of my neck with a hand. "There's not really much to tell. I mean, you probably know a lot about me already. I never have an answer for this question."

"You've no need to worry. I'm not here to decide for my sister whether she'll return to this world. No matter my opinion, I'm sure she'd want to see you just the same."

"Still, I don't..."

"Perhaps it will help if you repeat your name." she suggested.

"Well... I guess. Yeah, alright. My name is Phil, I'm sure you could've guessed." Awkward pause. Bad joke. "I'm... someone who works for a living. I live a life that I can say I'm proud of. I'm almost always at home in my free time, I rarely go out. Luna, I don't see how this..."

"Keep going." she said. It seemed almost like she was encouraging me.

"Well... I just... I don't know what you want me to say."

She chuckled, then crossed her arms across her chest. "You could say that you're a loving, caring man who enjoys seeing the smiles of others. That you'll go out of your way to help those in need. That you're a strong man who isn't afraid to reveal his feelings."

Wow... "Is that... what you really think of me?"

"It is what my sister thinks of you. I would like to form my own opinion. From what I have seen, you're more interesting than you let on. I've learned a lot about you these past two months. You certainly aren't a bad person. Despite your flaws, it would seem that you are one of my sister's more suitable candidates."

Flaws? Well alright, I'm not perfect. "Candidates?"

"Indeed. Many have tried to win her heart. Some even better men than you." She hesitated. "Forgive me. I do not mean to insult you, but the facts are clear."

"It's... alright." I was a little too excited to be insulted.

"At times, my sister would become infatuated with them. She loved her partners just as she loves you now. Though, I'm sure you will be happy to hear that you are a special case. You are my sister's first lover from a different world."

"I'm special, huh?" I said, almost to myself.

"You're a lucky man. The love of a Princess is not something just anyone can say they have." She sighed. "It always seemed like her potential suitors were in it for money, fame, or power. It's disgusting. I chased many away. Few stood out. This led to the majority of her relationships being short lived. Still, some blossomed into things of beauty spanning many years. You are not her first, Phil."

"I know. She told me."

"You cannot truly blame me if I am shocked by her feelings, can you?"

"No, I can't. It sometimes shocks me, too. Somebody like her... Smart, strong, beautiful... I know I don't deserve her."

"No, you don't."

"Thanks Luna, I knew you'd have my back."

She chuckled to herself. "I'm sorry if I have offended you, but I do not believe that anybody deserves my sister. She is... above you. She is above even me. She is..."

"Luna." I cut her off. "I know. I know." She put her sister on such a high pedestal.

"I apologize. I'm getting off topic. For many days following my sister's return, the castle was filled with her sobs. Even around me, she rarely shows this side of herself. I was not prepared for her tears. The last time she shed tears of sorrow was when she was forced to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon. When she was forced to banish... me. It made me truly ponder the nature of your relationship. To think that such a man would catch the eye of my sister... 'Why would my sister become so infatuated with this human?' I would ask myself. I couldn't answer this on my own. That is one of the reasons I am here. I want to know why my sister fell in love with you."

I gave her a smirk. "Would you believe me if I said it was my charming personality and dashing good looks?"

She chuckled. "I could not say. From what I have seen, you are... plain. I do not know you as a person, merely what my sister has lamented to me between sobs. You are no different from the men in our world, yet still, you have captured her heart." Once more, she paused. "Please do not take offense. I am merely stating what I know in order to better understand you."

"It's alright, Luna. You're right, I'm not special. And she still loved me. She liked being normal, Luna. She liked that I treated her like a normal woman. I know that I'm not worthy of Celestia's affection. I don't deserve the love of somebody as perfect as her."

She sighed. "I don't believe that you would do anything to hurt her, but If anything were to happen to her... I don't know what I'd do. I wanted to judge you based on your words, not simply what I have seen."

"I understand. But... I mean... Well, I'm not unhappy to see you, it's just... I... I would've preferred Celestia."

She chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand. My sister is most likely resting. She has spent many long weeks in the library searching for a method to return to you. Toward the end of it, she would go without sleep for days at a time. She pushed herself so hard all to see you again, Phil, even shirking in her duties as Princess. I have seen to it that her work is sparse, but I cannot do everything. We Princesses don't have much free time. This burden can become too much at times. I cannot put blame on her enjoyment of this world."

"I'm sure she appreciates your help, Luna. When Celestia and I were together, all we did was relax. Our time spent together was as boring as it could be. It... It made me feel like Celestia didn't like it here. But I know that she did. She liked how boring it was. My life didn't change after she got here. And if she came back, I know that it'll just be the same."

"Perhaps. Unlike my sister, I found my life in Equestria to be rather interesting. The work is difficult, yes, but only rarely are we stuck inside signing forms or speaking with ponies of interest. Our lives are peaceful. To her, this may be a simple vacation. With no responsibilities, she can truly relax in this world." Luna paused before letting out a sigh.

"Everything alright?" I asked.

She looked to me. "My sister's duties will keep her occupied for a time. Until she arrives, I have... something to ask of you." She was hesitating. "I would like to ask for your hospitality in this world."

"You... want to stay here? I find that hard to believe."

She nodded. "It will put me in an ideal position to learn more about you."

"Well... I guess that's alright. I can't exactly provide the same level of comfort that you'd get at your castle, but at least the bed's nice."

"You'd have me sleep on your bed?" She almost seemed offended by the offer. Perhaps appalled is a better word.

"It doesn't matter where you sleep. You can pick wherever. I can't change my house around every time someone new shows up."

"What if I asked you?"

"What?"

"You act as though you are merely doing my sister acts of kindness, but it's more than that. You would do anything she asked without question."

"I..." I paused. I didn't really understand what she was saying.

"My sister and I are still Princesses to you. So, my question is, why? We're normal women here. Even less than that, we're jobless, homeless, and you know very little about us. None of these are worthy of your respect."

"Luna, just because you're not Princesses here doesn't mean that you aren't Princesses at all. You and Celestia lead an entire nation with compassion and kindness. What's more to get? And you're really nice to me. I like you guys. Girls. Ladies."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well."

"You... sure accepted that quickly."

"Your honesty is all I seek. I'd like to think that my coming here was justified. I'm not here to engage you in a philosophical debate."

"Well... glad I could be of assistance. So... can I ask you a question, Princess?"

"You may."

"Is this... fun to you? You seem to be enjoying yourself."

She chuckled. "To an extent. It's exciting to try something new. You're somewhat of a special case to me. You'll understand why I am doing this soon enough."

"Well Luna... It's nice to see you again." I stretched out and yawned. "You did show up kinda late though. How about we get you settled in before we worry about any more questions?"

She smiled in return. "I'm certain that I can tolerate a few days here." She paused. This time, she did not apologize.

"Home sweet home." I shrugged before moving towards the kitchen. It's been a long day. I was hungry. The leftover spaghetti in the fridge was calling for me.

"I'm surprised." she said, standing in the doorway, "You're not going to make sure I'm comfortable like my sister?"

"Nope." I spoke with a half full mouth. "'Cause I know that you're not. I'm sure you'd rather be back in Equestria."

"What makes you assume that?"

It didn't sound like I was wrong. She was curious. "Well, I certainly wouldn't wanna be hangin' around this dirty little place if I were you. Plus, your only company is me."

"You're good company, Phil."

"Really? How so?"

"How... you are good company?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. You answer that, then you can ask one."

"Are we going to ask questions back and forth, then?"

"Hey, it's not your turn."

She let out a small laugh. "I suppose not. Alright, I'll play your little game. You're interesting. Any that capture my sister's heart interest me. You have also been very kind to me, despite what has happened. I know your feelings towards my sister. I have no reason to believe that they are false."

"Hmm... Alright then. Your turn."

She nodded. "Why did you fall in love with my sister?"

"Geez, another big one."

She simply stared at me.

"Well..." I rubbed my neck again. "She's a nice woman who pays attention to me. Luna... I'm... I'm an introvert. I love anyone who pays attention to me."

"Is... Is that it? Because you're shy?"

"And she's... she's beautiful. She's so beautiful."

She seemed confused. "I... I don't understand. Your words are shallow."

"A little bit, yeah. I'm 25, Luna. I'm still young. All men my age are like this. I don't know what true love is, yet. It might take me some time to really find that feeling, even if it's with Celestia."

"So you mean to say you don't know if you love her?"

"I love her!" I quickly got out, "I just... have trouble explaining it."

"Then... why her?"

I suppose I didn't actually answer her. "She made me happy and I made her happy. And her... her beautiful smile... It made me so happy to see her smile. That's all love is to me. Just being happy to be around someone. It's not complicated to me. But... in a way, it is complicated. You know?"

She nodded. "Love is not a simple matter."

"So... what about you?" I asked her.

"Me?"

"I've... just been a bit curious. Have you ever been in love with someone?"

Her arms crossed, a sign that I have overstepped my boundaries. She replied with a short, honest, "I have."

"What... was he like?"

"My past romances are not your business." She was stoic, neither angry nor defensive. She simply did not wish to share.

"Right... Sorry."

"As with my sister, I have felt love many times in my life. Perhaps one day I will share, but not today."

"Alright. Sorry, Luna."

"Why do you think my sister fell in love with you?" she asked me, "If it were as simple as finding a normal man, she would have found someone many years ago. It's not uncommon to see her in the presence of the citizens. A normal pony could easily have stolen her heart, yet here we are."

"I don't... I don't really know. I'm sure it... had something to do with her staying here. She told me... uh... I'm sorry, it's just been a while. Celestia said... She said... I don't remember what she said." I chuckled to myself, worried that I had annoyed her. "Anyways, we were housemates. Celestia and I lived together, we spent almost every minute of the day together, even before our relationship started. I treated her like I would treat any other woman. She doesn't get a chance to speak with others on an even level. I gave her that chance. I gave her a friend. Maybe I was just lucky. Well, I know I was lucky. But... But I wanted to keep her safe. She was in my world, alone and powerless. I just wanted... something that I could care for on my own." I chuckled to myself. "Pretty cheesy, huh?"

"It's honest."

"When I met her, I wanted her to like me. I did my best to impress and interest her to keep her attention on me. I... wanted a relationship with her. I was so happy when she told me that she... didn't reject me. She was nice to me. She never spoke to me like a Princess. She was always just my friend. I was open with her and she was open with me. We just... connected. Am I right? Did... she tell you?"

"She didn't. I doubt even she knows the reason. Love is a mysterious thing. I can't claim to understand it."

"Yeah..." I sighed before taking another bite of spaghetti. "Hey Luna, when I was talking to Celestia... I said that... you think the world of her, no matter what."

"I do."

I nodded. "I just... I guess I just wanted to apologize. I was trying to cheer her up. I just don't like... speaking for someone else."

"I love my sister. I always have. I always will." Luna was smiling as she talked about Celestia. "She did what had to be done and we've come to accept it. I've forgiven her and she's forgiven me. I appreciate your concern, but apologizing for telling my sister that I love her is almost insulting."

I smiled as well. "Alright, sorry about apologizing."

She chuckled.

"Hey, Luna..."

"Another question?"

"I'm gonna have to go to sleep, soon. Are you gonna be using my bed?"

"I..." She seemed caught off guard.

"It's clean, by the way. Contrary to what you may think, I do clean my house. At least once a month."

"Very well. In that case, I will accept your offer." She raised an eyebrow. "Once a month?"

"At least once."

She chuckled.

I covered the bowl and set it back into the fridge. Luna watched what I was doing for a while, but after realizing that I was just preparing for bed, she lost interest quickly. Much like her sister, she began exploring the house, familiarizing herself with the rooms. Also like her sister, she had difficulty balancing on two legs. After a while, Luna and I ended up in the bathroom. I was brushing my teeth at the end of the day. She was holding an unopened toothbrush that I had given her, examining it. Clearly our advanced human dental technology was too much for her.

While Luna took my room, I slept in the basement. The cool air and warm blanket made it a comfortable night. I wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon. With Celestia on my mind, I was too excited. Not long after I laid down, my phone started to ring. I assumed that it was a friend that would simply insult me then hang up, but I didn't recognize the number. The number was local, so I decided to answer it.

I put the phone against my head and grumbled out a tired, "Whaddup?"

"Hello... Phil? Uh... S-Sorry, this is Sarah."

What? "Sarah? What's up? Did you forget something in the car?" I didn't give her my number. How did she get it? Well, there could be a lot of ways.

"No... I... S-Sorry about calling like this, but... um... I... I have a f-favor to ask of you."

"What's up?" I repeated.

"My... parents... um... Th-They... uh..."

"Everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm... Can you... c-come to... my house again? I m-m-may have told my parents that you were... my..." She stopped.

That I was her... what? "Huh?"

"I... I said that you were my... my... b-boyfriend..."

Really? "Really?"

"I... I made a mistake. I m-made a big mistake. Th-They really want to meet you now. They want me to bring you in for dinner."

"Can't tell them the truth?"

"I... I... I c-c... c-ca... can't." Her stuttering was getting worse.

I sighed a long sigh. "Don't get your hopes up. I'll have to get back to you on this."

"O-Ok!"

"I'll see you at work."

I hung up and let my phone rest on my face for a small while, thinking about what just happened. After a while, I wrote her name as a contact and dropped it to the floor.

"Oh, what has my life become?" I asked myself before finally laying my head on my pillow.