Celestia's New World

October 28

Today was the first day since Celestia left that I woke up looking forward to the day. A smile covered my face as I met Princess Luna in the front room. For a little while, I thought it may have been a dream. It was real. My Celestia was coming back.

"Good morning." I greeted the younger Princess with a cheerful wave.

She seemed lost, though she nonetheless replied with a short, "Good morning."

"I know that look. 'Don't know what to eat at a stranger's house'. Come on, I'll get you something nice." Though merely a guess, it seemed I was correct.

She followed me into the kitchen. "Thank you, Phil."

"I can make you breakfast, but I won't be here to make you everything, so make sure you know where stuff is, Luna. You got your choice of toast or cereal. Eggs, if you want. Pancakes, waffles, whatever." As I spoke, I retrieved a bowl for cereal.

"I am not... used to this. I'm sorry."

"No worries, Luna. It's a learning experience."

I got out the cereal and poured it into a bowl for myself. After pouring the milk, I looked to Luna. She still seemed a bit lost. In an attempt to help her out, I slowly pushed my bowl across the counter towards her before turning my attention to another bowl. She eyed the bowl I had given her.

"What's with that look, Princess? It's not poison. You'll like it, it's sweet."

She looked to me, then back to the bowl. A spoonful of it seemed to change her mind completely. "Oh my goodness, it's like candy!" she exclaimed after swallowing.

"You like it?"

"I do! It's delicious!" She took another bite, giggling as she chewed. "My breakfasts are nowhere as sweet as yours."

"Happy to hear that. I'll be heading to work soon, Luna. Do you have any plans for when I'm away?"

"I don't." she answered.

"Sounds fun."

"Fun?"

"Yeah. You could spend the day relaxing."

"Relaxing? For what purpose?"

"For what purpose? That's a bit of a silly question, don't you think? You deserve a break every now and again."

"I suppose. It has been a while since I've... taken a break."

"That's the spirit. You can take a nap or look at funny pictures of cats on the computer or do whatever you want. Then when I get home, we can have another chat. Sound good?"

"Very well. I will look forward to it."

After we ate, Luna observed my morning rituals as I got ready for work. I retrieved my hoodie and loaded it with my usual items. My now-dry umbrella and my phone were among the things I collected. Speaking of phone...

"Oh, Luna."

"Hmm?"

I retrieved my laptop from the front room table and returned to her in the kitchen. "If you need to talk to me while I'm away..." I opened it and showed her what to do to get ahold of me.

"Thank you. I suppose now, I won't feel completely alone."

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?"

She smirked. "Perhaps. Don't worry about me. I will simply... relax."

"I'm sorry to say that I can't just stay here whenever I want. When Celestia was here, I took a lot of days off. I'm still recovering from it. I happen to enjoy my job."

"Of course. I understand." She took in a breath. "Phil."

"Yeah?"

"My sister will return home after thirty moons, same as before."

"So, she'll be here for a month at a time?" I asked her.

"No." she replied, a strange solemnness in her voice, "She cannot spend that much time in this world. I'm sorry, but as much as you may love each other, our nation comes first."

"Ah, yeah... Yeah, that... I... I get it. Equestria comes first."

"Celestia loves you Phil, but she cannot abandon her duties as Princess. Her visits cannot be as frequent as you may wish. If you are to stay with her, you must come to terms with this."

I nodded. "I will. For her."

"I'm glad you understand. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear. Celestia doesn't like it either, but she must accept it as well."

I nodded again.

I didn't have any questions for her at the moment. Until it was time for me to go to work, I could make sure the house was in order. Before I left, I told Luna, "I'll be back just after six. Make sure to clean up if you make a mess."

"Of course."

"See ya later, Luna." I locked the door behind me. The only thing it would do is make me feel better about leaving her alone like this.

What Luna said was stuck in my head. I already knew that I couldn't keep Celestia forever. I had always lived in the moment with her. Thinking ahead about our relationship was so surreal.

I had to talk with Sarah today. I can't believe I didn't just outright deny her. I should have. She wants to drag me into something I had nothing to do with. I really couldn't say no, though. She asked so politely. I didn't want to let her down. If I could help her, I would, but with Celestia coming back, I couldn't promise anything.

With Celestia on my mind, I had a smile on my face as I walked through the door. As always, I was the first of my shift to arrive. I greeted the night workers, who returned their own tired greetings. They knew that my arrival signaled the end of their shift. Even after the work day started, my mood would not be soured. My excitement to get back home made time slow to a crawl. Even if it was just Luna, I wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Sarah was on time, as she should've been. Starting off with a punctual schedule was a good goal for her. She was quiet today, giving me nothing more than a simple greeting as we passed each other in the morning.

"You seem happy today." Timmy joined me as he prepared for the day.

"Things have gotten better." I said, "Everything's coming up Milhouse."

"Phil-house."

"I will kill you."

"That's fair. So, that have anything to do with your little date last night?"

"Nope. And it wasn't a date. Well, it might've been. Anyways, I don't wanna talk about it at work. That kinda stuff doesn't belong here."

"Right, right. Wait, so what happened?"

"What did I just tell you?"

"You can't say?"

"We got coffee, that's about it."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, as far as I remember."

"What, she spike your coffee or something?"

"I doubt it. I had it the whole time, I would've noticed."

"You need some memory jogging? I'll beat your head in, maybe that'll remind you."

"We just had coffee. There's nothing more to say."

He grumbled. "Whatever."

I hadn't thought about what would happen if someone thought I was dating a co-worker. I'm sure it doesn't look good to supervisors. I've never had this problem before. Still, I needed to talk to her. Lunch break would a good time. Until then, we didn't speak at all.

Sarah and I sat across from each other in the break room. She avoided my eyes, staring down to the table.

"You're not... mad... are you?" she asked, not looking up.

"Nah. Not really. What did your parents want, exactly? I was pretty tired last night, I can't remember what you said."

"They just w-wanted to invite you to dinner... T-To get to know you. That's all."

"To get to know me, huh? Then what happens?

"Th-Then I s-say that we... we... aren't together... a-anymore."

"So... why can't you... just tell them the truth?" I asked again.

"I... I p-panicked and told them that you were. If... If they f-find out that I lied, th-they might think s-something much w-worse about you."

"Worse? Like what?"

"L-Like... Th-They might think that we're... c-closer than they thought... or th-that you're a b-bad person... That you c-could be a... a d-drug d-dealer... or... m-maybe something worse..."

"Huh... I guess..." It kinda made sense. It seemed clear that she was protecting herself, despite her supposed intentions.

"Th-That's why I wanted t-to ask you to c-come over again. S-So they could s-see that you weren't... like... that."

"You know, you're not supposed to cover up a lie with another lie."

"I... I know..."

"You sure picked a bad time to ask me for this, though." I glanced over my shoulder before saying in a hushed voice, "I wasn't planning on telling anybody this, but I just heard that my girlfriend was coming back."

"Oh, that's... th-that's... wonderful, Phil... I'm g-glad to hear that." She didn't sound glad.

"Well, thank you."

"I... I guess... that's a n-no, then?"

"Well, Sarah..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't have a problem meeting your parents. In any case, I wouldn't turn down free food. But I don't know how she will feel about it. So, I can ask her, but if she says no, I can't help you."

It seems she took my 'maybe' as a good thing, because a small smile crept across her face. "Th-Thank you, Phil."

"Don't thank me yet, Sarah. Celestia can be really sweet, but that doesn't mean she'll help you."

"I-Is that her name? Celestia?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"It's a n-nice name.

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that. Look, we have to either explain this to them or at least make sure they never see me again. And that isn't a suggestion, Sarah."

"I... Y-Yes... I understand. I can tell th-them that we're... n-not together after."

"Good."

"Right... U-Um... You wouldn't happen to b-be allergic to anything, do you?"

"That's a negative. I'll eat anything as long as it's not a brat."

"Brat? As in bratwurst?"

"Yeah, that. Everybody here loves them. It's ridiculous."

"So, no... brats?"

"Oh god, no. I can't stand them. Just the smell is nauseating."

"I... like brats."

"I think I'm the only person I know who hates brats."

"What do you have against brats?"

"Last time I had brats I threw up, alright? Let's just leave it at that."

"Oh, wow... No brats, then."

"And sausage, too."

"B-But sausage is delicious!"

"I can handle it on pizza but anywhere else is just... bleh."

"Bleh?"

I nodded. "Bleh."

She giggled. "Alright, no sausage, either."

Looks like she cheered up a bit. Mission accomplished. "Looks like breaktime's almost over. You ready to get back to work?"

"We didn't talk for that long, did we?" She looked to the clock on the wall. "Oh gosh, I suppose we d-did."

Sarah and I exchanged pleasant goodbyes before parting for the day. So did most of the crew. They've been rather inclusive of Sarah since she arrived. Then again, it's probably the first time these savages have seen a woman.

While I was away from Luna, a few more questions popped into my head. I'm sure she had a few new ones for me as well. I unlocked the front door kicked off my shoes. Luna wasn't in the front room, but she wouldn't be hard to find.

"Luna!" I called out, "I'm back."

I heard mumbling coming from my room. The door was closed, so I gave it a knock.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm back, Luna. Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Are you lying?"

She took a moment before answering with a short, "Yes."

"Can I come in?"

"Do as you wish."

I opened the door and walked in.

Luna was sitting against the headboard, her hair frazzled. She yawned. "I followed your advice. You were right. There's a certain level of comfort that's difficult to attain in my position as Princess. Did you have a pleasant conversation with your new co-worker?"

"Sarah? Yeah, I had a talk with her. She needs some help with something, but I told her it's up to Celestia if I could or not."

"What did she need?"

"Her parents want me to show up for dinner. They wanna meet me 'cause Sarah told them I was her boyfriend."

"She's covering up a lie?"

"Yeah, she says it's better this way."

"Do you believe her?"

"Kinda. She worded it a lot better. I just told her that I would ask Celestia."

"I find it strange that you would be willing to help her. You are most certainly not her boyfriend. You met her before you knew that my sister would return to you. Perhaps her lie was truthful to her."

"I don't wanna... think about it that way." I rubbed my neck. "Celestia's my sweetheart, I don't wanna think about anything else."

"What do you think about Sarah?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Sarah is a nice woman that pays attention to you. Does that not mean that you like her?"

"Luna, she's... she's just a friend. It's the same situation with you, you know..." I pointed at her.

Her eyes flicked to my hand. "Me?"

"Yeah. You're my friend, Luna. But nothing more. I know the difference between love and friendship, even if it doesn't seem like it. Celestia is my partner. She's my best friend. I love her more than anything. We both know that it's true. I don't know what I'd do without her." Geez, I went into a monologue about how much I loved her again.

She didn't respond for a short while. I think she was mulling over what I said. Finally, she replied with a short, "Very well."

"What, that's it?"

She nodded. "You answered my question. That is all I need from you."

"Are you... holding back?"

"I am."

That caught me off guard. "Oh. Well... alright."

"As I have said, I am not here to debate you. I cannot offer any words of advice concerning my sister. There are no shortcuts in love."

"That's... fair." Huh... What a strange way of thinking.

"I spoke to my sister while you were away." she said.

"You... You did?" I immediately perked up.

"She's excited to see you, Phil." she said with a smile, "I expect your reunion to be a most wondrous occasion."

"I'm excited, too! I can't wait... Oh, wait a minute, can she hear us?"

"She can, if she so chose. However, I have asked her to refrain from spying on our conversations."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"Hmm? Did you have something that you would like to keep from her?"

"I... do. And... I'd like to apologize in advance for this, but..." Her eyebrow raised. "I've been thinking about this a lot, and... and I know it might now be what you want to talk about, but Celestia and I... We have sex. It's just... We're... both adults, we're in a relationship, it just... happens..."

There was a certain annoyance in her eyes that wanted this conversation to end as soon as possible.

"A-Anyways, the first time we... made love, Celestia was worried that she might get pregnant." Her eyes widened in what I could only guess was a mixture of horror and disgust. "And I just... I don't know... anything about... about... Luna, what would you do if Celestia got pregnant?"

She stared wide eyed at me for a long while. After regaining her composure, she said, "I cannot say that I was prepared for such a question. It has been many years since I was last asked this."

"W-Well?"

She moved a hand under her chin in a thinking pose. "It would undoubtedly complicate things. Even if you were a pony, even if you lived in our world, it would complicate things. Yet, you are neither. You are a human living in a world different from our own. It raises far too many questions. Questions that I cannot answer. Even before this, there are other complications."

"What do you mean?"

"My sister and I cannot bear children. I am sorry to tell you this, Phil. We are unable to conceive."

"What?"

Luna looked down as she lowered a hand to her stomach. "We possess the same reproductive organs as our fellow ponies, yet for reasons we cannot explain, are unable to have children of our own."

"Oh... wow, that's... I'm sorry, Luna. Celestia said that she was different, but I didn't think it was... like that."

"Thank you for your sympathy, but you need not worry for us. We have come to terms with it. At least..." She looked away. "That is what we like to tell ourselves."

I sighed. "Alright, Luna... Look, forget I asked, but... I have another question. One that might be a little easier to answer... Or... maybe not. Uh... Celestia and I spend a lot of time together. We... We love each other, you know that. And... well... Luna... What if I wanted to marry her?"

"You wish to wed my sister?!" she exclaimed, dropping any sense of refinement.

"I... Luna, a lot can happen between us. I just... want to know..." I stopped, fumbling for my next words.

"Are you... Are you asking for my blessing?"

"Y-Yes? No! Maybe? I don't know! I'm just... I'm scared! What if? Just... what if it happened? Because the more I think about it, the more I'm liking the idea of it. Not right now, but... Luna, if this keeps up, I might just do it!"

"I'm just as scared as you are!" she replied, her demeanor slipping into a panic, "She's never wed before! I don't know how to deal with that!"

"Luna, I need help."

"You're not the only one that needs help! You met merely a month ago and now you're telling me that I could have you as a brother-in-law!" She grabbed one of the pillows behind her and brought it up to her face. A long muffled scream came from behind it as she fell backwards onto the bed. When she was finished, her arms dropped onto the bed, accompanied by a long sigh.

I took in a deep breath. "You alright down there? I asked.

She briefly spoke, but it was muffled by the pillow. After removing it, she repeated, "I'm fine. I can't believe this. I can't believe that my sister would find someone so..." She stopped and shook her head. "A human..." she mumbled, almost too quiet for me to hear.

"I hope that's not a bad thing."

"I couldn't... say."

"Wow, rude."

"I didn't mean it in that way. There is nothing wrong with humans. You live in a different world, in more ways than one. It causes problems."

"I know, I'm just joking. I mean, some of my best friends are humans."

She smirked. "I would imagine."

"Hey, are you hungry?"

The sudden change of focus caught her by surprise. "Yes, I am."

"Great, great." I gave her my hand. "Come on, let me get you something to eat."

She took my hand, allowing me to pull her to her feet next to the bed. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was still a mess. "Thank you."

"So what else have you been doing here, Princess?" I asked, "Did you sleep the day away?"

"I was studying your world. Your... laptop holds troves of information."

"Learn anything interesting?"

"You humans are decades ahead of us ponies, technologically. I must seem primitive to you."

I shrugged. "Kinda."

"It seems that there were rapid technological advancements during times of war. That may explain our lack of advancements. Ponies are a peaceful race. Our last war was many centuries ago, if you could even call it a war. Compared to your wars, it was but a schoolyard scuffle. You've been killing each other for millennia. I can't help but wonder what we ponies would be if we were more like humans..."

She looked to the food I had made. Three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Two on one plate and one on another. I picked up one of mine and began eating. Shortly after examining her plate, she grabbed her own sandwich and took a bite. She chewed for a short while, swallowed, then took another bite. I guess she liked it.

I made sure my mouth was clear before talking to her again. "So what's your favorite kind of food, Luna?"

"My favorite kind of food? Oh, I've had so many wonderful meals over the years, but if I were to choose, my favorite food would be my mother's special chocolate chip cookies. Whenever my sister and I knew that my mother was baking, we would rush to the kitchen to be the first to have a taste. She was such an amazing cook. There was always..." She glanced away. "A little love in every bite."

"Oh, how sweet."

A gentle red blush adorned her cheeks. Little Luna was embarrassed.

"And... what of you? What is your favorite food?" she asked.

"Peanut butter!" I answered without hesitation.

"Peanut... butter? That's hardly a meal. Funny, I had expected you to say some form of... meat."

"Heck, I love meat, but peanut butter is still on top."

"Hmm... What would you say is the best part of meat? Is it the taste? The texture?"

"Taste, definitely. And texture. It depends on how it's cooked, how it's prepared, that kinda thing. You understand."

"I do. Preparation is everything in a meal. I will admit to a... curiosity. Perhaps some other time."

"Oh, interesting. Yeah, maybe some other time."

"There is something else that I would like to discuss."

"Oh, ok. What's on your mind?"

"My sister trusts you with all her heart. I... cannot say the same."

That's fair, I suppose. That couldn't be all. "What are you getting at?"

Her eyes were trained on me, unwavering. "I want to trust you, for my sister's sake. But there is something that worries me. Just before I arrived, you were with Sarah Lockhart, a woman that you have developed feelings for."

Developed feelings for? I haven't... Maybe I have. Even so, I found myself staring at her in disbelief. Is she really saying what I think she's saying?

"It seemed as if you were trying to get close to her. I can't help but think that your feelings for her could interfere with your relationship with my sister."

How dare she say that... "Luna... do you really think that little of me? That really hurts, you know. You... You have no right to insinuate that I would be unfaithful to Celestia. You apologize. Right now." I've never really asked someone to apologize to me before. I knew that it would have more of an impact with her. She was an honest woman. A Princess. To her, words were more binding.

She eyed me for a long while, already understanding the true weight of her words. It was taking her a long time to respond. She would apologize if she felt that she was in the wrong. If she didn't apologize... she wouldn't be welcome here. Her eyes never looked away. "You're right. I'm sorry, Phil." She seemed almost... impressed.

Even if she didn't mean to insult me like that, I knew that she had her reasons. Celestia was important to her. She didn't want anything bad to happen to her sister. I understood why she had suspicions, but that doesn't mean it's ok.

"Luna..." I took in a breath. "When Celestia left, I was devastated. I loved her. But we were together for barely a month. After some time passed, I had almost gotten over her leaving. As far as I knew, she wouldn't be coming back. I was starting to accept that. With Sarah, I was... exploring the possibility of a new relationship. I won't lie. I'm not gonna say I don't care for Sarah, but for you to just... say something like that... It's infuriating, Luna. Please... Don't ever say that to me again." Man, I really don't know how to be angry...

This wasn't how she really thought. It couldn't have been. She's much smarter than that. She wanted to provoke a reaction. She knew how I felt. She knew how I would react. She's testing me. That's all this was. One big test.

There was a strikingly well timed pause before she replied with a simple, "I understand, Phil. I have crossed a line, and for that, I apologize."

A deep breath relaxed me. There was no way I could stay mad at her. "It's alright, Luna." A response out of habit. "I know that you care for Celestia more than I ever could. I still want to do whatever I can to make sure she's happy. I love her, Luna."

All she replied with was a nod. For a short while, she looked away, a contemplative look on her face. Finally, she returned to me and said, "If it means anything to you... I think that you would make a fine partner."

Oh wow, really? "That... That actually does mean a lot to me, Luna. Thank you."

She smiled. "Perhaps we are not so different, you and I."

"I... wouldn't be too sure about that."

"We both care so much for Celestia. We both want what's best for her. Neither of us knows what we can do for her, nor what to say about the future."

"I... guess. Luna, is... Is that really how you feel about me?"

She took another bite of her food, thinking over her answer as she chewed. "You are... interesting."

"Yeah, you said that."

"You are a man from another world who has taken my sister's heart. I think there is no better word than 'interesting'. You are a good man, Phil. It is obvious to me that you cherish the happiness of others, even at your own expense."

"Geez, Luna..."

She brought her hand up so she could finish. After a short breath, she continued. "In the time we have spoken, and from what I have gathered from my sister, I have determined that you are a kind-hearted man that speaks his mind, often without concern for the other's feelings. I believe that I have come to understand why this is. While my sister treats your words as playfulness, she understands why you talk the way you do."

"Aw man, have I been rude this whole time? I'm sorry, Luna."

"That is exactly my point. Your culture, your upbringing, your life up until this point... They are all so far different from ours that we cannot put blame onto you. I know that you are a good person inside. You are someone that I am pleased to call my friend."

Friends! We're friends! I felt so warm inside. "Aw geez, that means a lot, Luna. I'm glad to be your friend, too. I guess I just... I wasn't expecting a psychoanalysis."

"A psychoanalysis is used to profile mental-health disorders in order to find effective treatment methods. What I have provided is merely an abridged version of what I think of you as a man."

"Abridged? I think I'm satisfied with what I've heard."

"Then I shall keep the rest to myself." she said with a chuckle, "I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. Perhaps some other time. I'd like to take this moment to thank you, Phil. I have asked you many hypothetical and unreasonable questions, yet you have answered honestly every time."

"Of course, I'm happy to help. Luna, I wanna... say something. About before. I really thought Celestia was gone forever. So, when Sarah invited me out, I was happy to accept. Now that Celestia's coming back, she needs to know what's happening. I need to make sure that Celestia is comfortable knowing that I was thinking about a relationship with another woman. And if not, all I can do is apologize and hope she forgives me. That's something I've accepted and I'm prepared to make it up to her any way I can. I know she's usually so kind, but I can't expect her to let this go so easily. I can never tell how she'll react. Celestia's strange like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Celestia is... sensitive when it comes to love. At least it seems that way to me. So... even if she accepts my apology, this might... plant the seed of doubt in her mind. I don't know. I really don't know a lot about her. We didn't really talk much about our lives. I... I don't think I even have any pictures of her." That last part just occurred to me.

"Perhaps you could do something about that."

I nodded. "This time is gonna be different. I'm going to make sure that she doesn't just love what I am, but who I am."

"What do you mean?" She seemed to know the answer to her own question. Maybe she wanted to hear my reasoning.

"Well, the two of us met very recently. Our relationship formed quickly, so we're still in the early stages, despite how it may seem. We're still exploring each other's personalities. We're both still in awe at the fact that we're together. And... to tell you the truth, Luna... I don't know if she's in love with me... or the thought of me. Maybe... once she finds out who I really am... she'll stop loving me. I'm scared, Luna. I love her."

"Do you love her? Or do you love the thought of her?" she echoed.

As she said that, everything came to a stop. A deeper question came to mind. Why did I love Celestia? Was it my shallow expectations? My longing for companionship? I said it myself, I would love anyone who showed me affection. So why her?

Luna waited patiently for an answer. She wouldn't rush me for a question such as this. I appreciated her kindness.

"I don't know." I finally answered.

"You don't know?"

"Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe I don't need to know. I want to love her. I want to make her happy. I would be lying if I said I didn't have doubts about why she chose me. There's no reason she should love someone like me, but she does. As grateful as I am, I can't help but feel like I'm holding her back. In my heart, I know that I don't deserve even an ounce of her affection. But... she's mine. She's mine and I'm hers. And that's how things are going to stay."

Just like before, Luna was thinking over what I said. Anything that would help her sister is useful to her. Anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law. Wrong genre.

"If you truly love her, you will come to understand that my sister doesn't need or want anything more than you have already provided. That what she needed was a friend that loves her not for what she is, but who. She needed you."

"She... needed me?"

"As much as it pains me to say it, you are perfect for her. You have... impressed me."