Celestia's New World

November 5

I woke up at the same time I always did. Celestia's warm body was in my arms. I held her tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Are you going to get up?" she asked, gently touching my arm with a hand.

"Maybe."

She chuckled to herself, but said nothing. I had time before I needed to be at work. I just wanted to cuddle for as long as I could.

I think I was starting to feel what Celestia felt. Holding her erotic body in my arms... Her large breasts, her wide hips, her full bottom... The two of us barely separated by our underwear... I understood exactly what she meant. Still, we were following our self-imposed rule. Maybe a break from physical love would do us good. It didn't feel like it.

She kept her hair styled in the braid overnight, but it was already coming loose. I brushed it out of the way, draping it across her front, exposing her neck. She slowly ran a hand down her hair.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as I began nibbling on the side of her neck. "Honey, stop it... That tickles." she murmured. Her tone betrayed her words.

She said nothing more as I continued chewing and kissing her soft skin. The various noises she made only encouraged more from me. It wasn't until I released her did the noises stop.

"Tell me again why we can't make love." I asked.

"I thought... you knew."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We have a guest, I suppose. It didn't stop us before."

"Red Shadow is my subject. It wouldn't be right. My guards were different."

"When has right and wrong ever stopped us before?"

"Oh Philly, stop it. You're teasing me. You know I want to make love. Why must you push me?"

I got close to her ear and whispered, "Because I love watching you squirm."

"Oh, you bully! No more love bites. I can't hide them with my hair in a braid."

I chuckled. "Alright. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I moved my arms back to her stomach, squeezing tightly. She merely responded with a giggle. It was nice having such a strong lady as my beloved. I could give her stronger squeezes.

Sadly, cuddle time didn't last forever. I waited until the last minute to get out of bed. She covered herself with the blanket and watched me as I got dressed for work. Her eyes followed my every move. After stepping out of the room, I continued readying myself for work. I ate breakfast then made my way into the bathroom to make sure I was presentable. When I was finished, I began searching for my hoodie. I think Red had it last.

The basement door was cracked, but I gave it a knock just in case. There was no response, so I invited myself in. Red was still asleep. I could hear her little snores. They were kinda cute, actually. Not wanting to wake her, I used my phone's flashlight to search the floor. I found my hoodie as the light shone over Red for a moment. She was still wearing it. This was less than ideal. Thankfully, I had many backup hoodies. I picked one out and returned upstairs.

Geez, even Celestia hasn't worn my coat to bed. Funny.

I returned to the kitchen to retrieve a Pop-Tart package for Celestia. She liked the chocolate ones best. Pop-Tart in hand, I walked back into the room and sat on the blanket next to her. I dangled the snack just on the edge of the blanket in front of her face. Her eyes lit up when she realized what it was and she snatched it from my hand. She sat up, opening the package. As she ate, she stared at me with a smile.

"Thank you, honey. You're wearing a new jacket."

"Yeah, Red has the old one."

"Red?"

"I gave it to her last night when we were doing groceries."

"Oh, right."

"I didn't want to wake her. I gotta take off. See you soon, Celestia."

"I'll miss you."

"I know, honey."

I leaned in for a goodbye kiss, which she was happy to accept. She tasted particularly chocolatey.

At work today, nothing of note happened. If it were to be added to a work of fiction of some kind, it would probably be easy to describe in a single line of dialogue.

When I got back home, Red was sitting on the couch instead of Celestia.

"Hey, Red."

"Hey, Phil."

"I see you still have my hoodie."

"It's really comfy."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I wear it."

"Your girlfriend is acting weird." She pointed to the kitchen, successfully changing the focus of my attention. I heard the clinking of glass through the doorway.

"Celestia, what are you up to?" I asked, joining her. Something smelled nice. She was making herself a meal, it seemed.

She looked at me as I walked in, a pleasant smile on her face. The braid in her hair swung around as she turned to greet me. "I made grilled cheese!" she proudly proclaimed.

I noticed that the kitchen was messy from the cooking. "That's what I was smelling."

She turned and reached to a plate on the counter. Three delicious looking sandwiches were piled on top. She held out the plate to me, her smile widening.

I took the plate and set it onto the table so I knew where to find it. "What's gotten into you? You don't usually cook."

"I... thought I should take a more... wifely role around the house." Her smile turned bashful. "Now that... everything is in the open like this."

"Wifely role?"

"Maybe it's a bit much now, but... Oh! I... I did the dishes for you!" She changed the subject.

Sure enough, the sink was clear. She had even cleaned any water spots that may have been left behind.

"I was planning on getting a little more done before you got home, but... I overslept." She seemed a little embarrassed, but she was still smiling.

"Well thank you, Celestia. You know, you don't have to do these things."

"I know. I just... I want to. For you."

"For me? That's nice of you, honey. Thank you."

That got a huge smile from her. "Here, sit!" she excitedly let out, going to the table and pulling out a chair for me.

Bits of the table glistened from a recently applied liquid. It looked like she had cleaned it recently. Celestia had done quite a bit of work while I was away. It was a strange feeling coming home to a clean home I hadn't cleaned. Still, I wouldn't complain.

She waited until I sat before joining me in the chair beside me. Her smile never faded. More than usual, she was happy. It was nice seeing her in such a good mood.

I looked at the plate of food in front of me. Though Celestia had never single handedly cooked for me before, I had no doubt that these sandwiches would be great. The bread had been cooked to a perfect golden-brown.

"Watch, I've been practicing using magic again." she said. She turned her attention to the counter. A medium-sized bowl surrounded with a golden aura floated towards the table and landed just in front of me. It had tomato soup in it. Next, two cups of milk joined the bowl on the table in the same manner. She smiled, proud of her achievement. "It's getting easier to use."

I didn't understand anything about magic or why she could use it again, but she was happy, so I was happy for her. I stared at her for a short while before extending my hand and placing it onto her head. "Good job, Celestia."

"I'm not a dog, Philly."

"Sorry." I lifted my hand.

She reached up, grabbing my wrist and pulling it back down. "I didn't say stop."

As I gently caressed her head, the two of us chuckled together. She's so cute when she's having fun. After a short while, Celestia started to eat the meal she had made for herself, smiling away without a care in the world. I liked this side of her. I think she's happier than I've ever seen her.

I started eating as well. I loved grilled cheese, so it was easy to love hers. She did a great job with them. Each sandwich was perfectly cooked on both sides. It didn't take long to figure out why. As she picked up one of her own, I noticed a lot of brown on the bread. She gave me the better ones. Oh, she really does love me.... I think she added extra cheese, too. What a sweetheart.

"My goodness, I've almost forgotten. Red, there's a plate in here for you, as well!" she called to the front room.

"You made me food?" Red walked into the kitchen. "Oh wow, that looks nice."

"Help yourself. I made plenty." She certainly did. Celestia's own plate started with six, but she was already down to four.

Red picked up the last plate of sandwiches that had been sitting on the counter. She turned back to the front room to leave us be.

Celestia spoke again. "Won't you join us, Red?"

Red looked at the two of us. "I'd rather not get in the way of whatever 'this' is." She gestured to us with the plate in her hand.

"Suit yourself." said Celestia, turning back to me.

As she walked away, she picked up a sandwich and took a bite. "This is pretty good. Thanks." she said, her mouth full of food.

We both finished another sandwich each before Celestia said, "Phil." She set down the sandwich she was eating. It seemed like she wanted to say something important.

I swallowed the food I had been chewing. "What's up?"

"I spoke with my sister again. She's rather furious with you."

"What'd I do?"

"She told you not to propose to me."

"I didn't. I haven't. We went over this."

"That's not how she sees it."

"She can see it however she wants, I know what I said. I chose my words carefully."

"I know, Phil. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen."

"She's not entirely wrong, though." I said.

Celestia hesitated to respond. I think she wanted to know what I meant.

"We have a 'condition' that we agreed would lead to marriage, but that condition hasn't been met. You aren't pregnant. At least, I don't think you are. Are you?"

"I don't think so. I've gained a little weight recently, though."

"That's not... You gained weight?"

She nodded. "A little. I don't think it's related to pregnancy, though. It was most likely from stress."

"Stress? Honey?"

"Leaving hurt a lot. The only times I could stop crying were when I was stuffing my face." She let out a small chuckle. "I'm sorry. It's not particularly funny."

I reached for her hand to comfort her, but stopped just before touching her. "Sorry, my hand's greasy." I settled with pressing my finger against hers.

She giggled. "So are mine."

"Alright, so not pregnant."

"No, not pregnant."

"Not yet."

"Yes. Not yet."

"So yeah, we're not getting married."

"Not yet?" she asked, hopeful.

"Not yet." I answered.

She gave me a warm smile. She loved talking about this subject. "I think I know why my sister's so mad."

"Yeah?"

"She's jealous." She giggled. "Seeing her older sister in a relationship while she is unable to find a man."

"What, is that it?"

"Well, she's a bit angry that you disobeyed her, but it's not something you need to concern yourself with. My little sister won't stay angry for long."

"I didn't disobey her, ask any lawyer. I merely expressed my desire to disobey her."

She laughed. "I'm sure she'll be relieved to hear that."

"Oh god, don't actually tell her I said that."

"I won't, I won't." She gave me a smirk. "Are you afraid of my sister?"

"Yes."

She let out a small laugh. "You're scared of Luna? She's scarcely more dangerous than a fly and she's as cute as a button. How could you be scared of somepony so sweet?"

"Did you get paid to say that?"

"Thirty bits each. It adds up." She chuckled. "I understand your feelings of my sister. She can be quite intimidating to approach at times. I just found this whole thing to be funny. My dear little sister is angry because we have such a loving relationship." Celestia picked up her sandwich and took a bite. She continued to talk while chewing. "I know she means well. She simply wants what is best for me."

"Is it best for you that we don't get married?"

"Perhaps to her. You must understand that she wishes only to protect me."

"You know, I seem to recall her adding a qualifier to the end of her request."

"Oh?"

"All she asked me to do was wait. I can wait. Can you wait?"

"Of course I can wait."

"Good."

"How long are we waiting?"

"Hmm... I'll let you know when I know."

"Alright."

"We gotta stop talking about this, honey. We're gonna go mad."

"I think you're right." She chuckled.

"Did you talk about anything else?" I asked.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Equestria? How's Equestria doing?"

"It's been doing rather well, even in my absence. Luna has been handling things to the best of her ability. She didn't speak much about it. We just argued a lot." She laughed.

I smiled at her.

"She very rarely lets her emotions get the better of her, and even then, she is quick to calm. It's the same with me. I'm usually very calm and collected. When Luna started yelling my ears off about marriage and the future and Equestria..." Celestia burst out laughing. "I was caught by total surprise. She's supposed to be better than I am at staying calm! She was acting like a child! Of course, I was no better. We argued back and forth for almost thirty minutes before we both gave up. Oh..."

"Sounds like you had fun."

She giggled. "I'm the Princess of Equestria! I've ruled over an entire nation for thousands of years! I am many thousands of years old! And yet, I was arguing with my sister over love! Over something as simple as my love life... It's unbelievable. Really, after all this time, you'd think we'd be mature enough to have a civil discussion. I doubt I've matured past the mental age of twenty."

"Well, you got me beat. I'm still sitting at four. Four-and-a-half, tops."

Another laugh. "Do you think I'm mature, honey?"

"Am I under oath when I answer that?"

She gave me a playful push. "You're so mean! Answer honestly, Phil. I want to hear it."

"Of course you're mature. Physically. Like, god damn, Celestia."

She gave me a pouty face.

"Oh, you meant 'mentally'!"

"Of course I meant mentally!"

"Hmm... That's a little hard to say."

"Phil!"

I heard laughing in the front room.

"It really depends on what you're doing, honey. You're always as mature as the situation calls for and you're mature enough to know how you should act. Your mind is like a fine wine, aged to perfection. Meanwhile mine is like a fine milk, aged to perfection."

"Milk... does not age as well as wine."

"I know."

"Oh. Oh! Phil, you know that I don't appreciate this kind of humor." She chuckled. "I liked that one, though."

"At the same time Celestia, in this world, you have the mind of a child. I think it's the cutest thing ever."

She smiled at my compliment, even if I had just inadvertently called her childish. "I like that I don't have to be mature around you. You don't care what I say."

"I always care about what you say, honey."

"Aw... How sweet of you... I'm surprised Luna acted the way she did while she was here. It seemed like you and her made fast friends. You got her to open up faster than anypony else I've seen speak with her in a long time."

"Did she open up to me?"

"Of course she did, honey. Luna is... untrusting of those desiring my feelings. To even hold a conversation with her at this point is an accomplishment."

"She felt bad about taking you from me."

"Oh, you know she didn't do it on purpose, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I didn't blame her. We just didn't get a chance to talk before that. It was so sudden and there were a lot of emotions pouring out all at once. I think she wanted to make a good impression."

"You did the same to me. I've told you things I rarely tell anypony. Private things. Things I don't always feel comfortable sharing." She was gazing at me. "It's almost a talent, of sorts. Perhaps that's your special talent."

"Hmm?"

"You know, the special talents that give us ponies our cutie marks." She lifted her sleeve to display the sun tattoo on her shoulder. "Mine represents my responsibility to move our sun across the sky. I wonder why my mark was moved to my shoulders as a human. It was on my flanks as a pony."

"Your shoulders are easier to show off. You can't just go around without pants in public, I don't care how much you want to, Celestia."

"I don't want to! Well, maybe a little, but that's beside the point."

"If your cutie marks were on your butt, I'd be the only one who could see it."

She giggled. "That's right."

"It would've been harder to find Red. That kinda sounds like a pickup line. 'I'll show you my cutie mark if you show me yours'. Hey Red, would that have worked on you?"

"Not a chance!"

"Ok, not a good pickup line."

Celestia laughed. "Perhaps you should test your pickup lines on me first."

"Not a good comparison, you'd date a sack of potatoes with a bouquet of flowers stuck in it."

"Well, it would depend on the flowers."

"Would it, though?"

"Perhaps not. After all, you have not once given me flowers."

She's right. "Well... I'll do that. Some time. Why am I in competition with potatoes?"

"Oh, you have no need to worry, honey. A sack of potatoes lacks many of the key factors that I look for in a man."

"Oh yeah?"

"Of course. For one, I'd prefer my men to be alive. A pulse is a must. Now that I think about it, I almost dated a zombie, so maybe I'm not that picky."

"You almost what?"

"A story for another time, perhaps."

"Uh... Alright, so if not a pulse, then what?" I asked.

"Well, there is something that you have that a sack of potatoes couldn't." She raised her eyebrows at me, smirking.

"What are you talking about? I'm sure you've dealt with a lot of 'dictators' in your time."

The laughter in the front room told me that Red understood the joke before Celestia did. After a few moments, Celestia rolled her eyes. "Your jokes bring me great pain." She smirked.

"I am not apologizing."

She chuckled. "You know, cutie marks are a sign of maturity. I didn't get mine until much later into my life. In fact, my sister and I were often seen as immature from our lack of cutie marks. What do you think your cutie mark would be? Being easy to talk to might be one of your talents, but I don't think you'd have it as a cutie mark. What talents do you have?"

"Well, I'm good with computers."

"Are you?"

"Yeah. I went to school for two years to learn about computers. I worked as an intern for the city fixing computers."

"You went to school?" Her smile seemed to warm even further. "I never knew. Such an important part of your life and yet you've never shared."

"I've been wanting to talk more about our personal lives, but we always get a little side-tracked."

"Do you think working with computers could be your special talent?"

"Could be. I play video games a lot, too. I guess I wouldn't consider it a talent, though. I'm not really good at it."

"You seemed to be doing well the last time I watched you play."

"I dunno. I'm usually doing the same thing over and over again. Hardly a talent."

"Well, there is something else you're quite talented at." Her smile was sly. She had impure thoughts in that head of hers.

"If my cutie mark has anything to do with the bedroom, I would be so pissed."

She laughed. "You wouldn't even be allowed in public."

"That's discrimination!"

"It is, it is. We don't have any laws regarding obscene cutie marks. Thankfully, the matter hasn't come up. Perhaps you wouldn't even have one. You are human, after all. I have no idea if a human would have a cutie mark in the first place."

"Good point. There's really only one way to find out."

"Yes, there is." She sighed. "Oh, how I wish you could join me."

"Yeah. Me too."

"At least we can still see each other while I'm here."

"I love seeing you."

She giggled.

"Celestia, are you sure you don't want me to stay home from work?" I asked, wanting her approval to stay home.

"I'm sure, Phil. Your life is just as important as our love."

I nodded. She was right.

"Besides, it makes the time we do get together all the more special."

I smiled at her. "Yeah."

She smiled back.

"You know, I can see why you're called the Princess of the Sun."

"Hmm?"

"You know just what to say to 'rays' my spirits."

She snorted, then started to laugh. "Phil, that was a terrible joke!"

"And you're always so 'sunny'."

"Stop it! Stop it!" She laughed harder.

"You're always 'beaming' with happiness." I quickly ran out of sun puns.

She was bent over in her chair, hands across her stomach. Her warm laughter filled the house. I began chuckling alongside her infectious laugh. It wasn't even that funny. After a time, she met my eyes, holding back giggles as she caught her breath. It wasn't even that funny.

"I love you." I told her.

"Phil!" Her laughter resumed, just as hard as before.

I leaned in closer. "Love you."

"I love you, too!" she got out through her laughs.

I stood for a moment and pressed my lips against her forehead. Her laughter quieted as she looked into my eyes. "I love you." I whispered.

I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. Tears of laughter, tears of happiness... She had stopped laughing. "I love you too, honey."

I sat back down, still gazing into her eyes. "This is the happiest I've seen you in a long time, Celestia."

She gave me a sheepish smile. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Celestia reached to her plate, retrieving a sandwich and taking a bite. It reminded me that I still had food to eat. She sniffed as she ate. "It's cold."

I smiled. "I love you, Celestia."

"I love you, too. I'm... I'm so happy that you're mine." She swallowed the food she had been chewing on. A moment later, she hiccupped. It happened again a few seconds after. She was trying to ignore it, but it didn't seem to be working. The two of us started to laugh again. Every time she hiccupped, she would laugh even harder. It took a while for her to calm back down. Her hiccups persisted long after she stopped laughing.

Her food quickly disappeared. So did mine. I stood and offered her my hand. She accepted, letting me pull her to her feet. "Here, let me clean this up." she said, turning back to the table. She piled our dishes together and picked them up.

"I'll get the table cleaned up." I said.

"Thank you."

The two of us worked on cleaning the rest of the table and the kitchen. As soon as I felt we were finished, Celestia always found something else to clean. I watched her for a moment before joining in.

Celestia stopped me, moving a hand in front of me. "You've helped enough, honey." She smiled at me. "Let me take care of the rest for you."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Please. Let me."

"Alright. If you say so."

I didn't understand this Princess of mine. Doing all these things for me, this 'wifely role' she's taken... Did it really make her happy? I was happy to have someone willing to clean up after my messes. No, that doesn't sound right. It was nice to have someone willing to clean with me. That doesn't sound right, either.

"What's gotten into you, honey? I can clean my own messes, you know."

"A wife is... supposed to do the household chores for the husband." It seemed like she had to force this sentence out.

"Celestia, no."

"I... I suppose my ideals for a relationship are... a bit outdated. I know that things are different now. Even in Equestria, the relationship between a stallion and a mare has changed over time to promote equal responsibilities. But right now... Would you allow this old mare to indulge in her fantasies for a little while longer?"

I gave her a short chuckle. "Of course, honey." I leaned in and pecked her lips. "You've done such a good job so far."

Sweet nothings, merely modest praise. Celestia would swoon nonetheless. She loved for my happiness, as I loved for hers. With reddening cheeks, Celestia turned back to the counter, unable to hide her wonderful smile from me.

I watched for a few moments before stepping away into the living room. Though it seemed to make her happy to clean on her own, we may have to have a talk about household responsibilities. She said it herself, her ideals were outdated, but if it's something she wanted, I wouldn't take it from her.

Whoops, Red still has dishes. I picked them up and brought them to Celestia.

I returned to the front room. "Hey, Red." I joined her on the couch.

"Hey, Phil."

"I see you still have my hoodie."

"It's really comfy."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I wear it."

She laughed.

"You gonna give it back?"

"I'll keep it warm for you."

"Yeah, 'cause that worked so good this morning. You wore it to bed."

"It's really comfy."

"Yeah, I know! That's why I wear it!" I parroted, increasing my volume.

She laughed again. "Alright, I'll give it back. But you gotta get me another one in exchange for it."

"Wh... I'm not your butler! I'll take it back myself, if I have to!"

"But it's so comfy!"

"I know! That's why I wear it!" I smirked.

She burst out laughing. "Come on, new sweater. And make it quick."

I grumbled, then stood, having no choice but to follow her demand. I picked up the hoodie I wore to work and threw it across the room at her. She let out a short yelp.

"Hoodie, please." I said.

"Alright, fine."

She unzipped my hoodie and pulled it off, dropping it on the couch next to her. As quickly as she took the old one off, she pulled the new one on. I retrieved my hoodie. As I held it in my arms, I noticed that it smelled strongly of... Red. She smelled kinda like cut grass for some reason.

I sat on the opposite side of the couch from her and retrieved my laptop from the table. She immediately turned her head to watch what I was doing. My plan was just to watch something on the Yeetubes while I waited for Celestia. I clicked on the first video I was recommended, which happened to be from Vinesauce. I set the computer onto the table and let it play. Red watched with me, though she didn't understand what was happening. She still seemed amused, though. It got about halfway through before Celestia finished her work in the kitchen and stepped into the front room. She joined us on the couch, sitting between Red and I.

As Celestia leaned against me, Red stood and said, "Alright, I'm out."

Celestia chuckled. "See you soon, Red."

I just waved her away.

Red disappeared downstairs once more, leaving us alone.

"We took her seat." said Celestia.

"Yes we did." I kissed her on the cheek.

"What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. Did you have any ideas?"

"I'm happy resting here."

"Guess that's that."

Celestia yawned. "Let me get into a more comfortable position."

She moved on the couch, laying her legs over mine as she rested her head on the cushion at the opposite end.

I placed my hands on her shin and looked down her body. "Comfy?"

She nodded.

"What if I wanted to get up?"

"You're a strong man, you can lift my legs."

"You're such a lazy pony."

She smirked. She reached her hand to the laptop, focusing on it.

"Want the laptop?" I asked.

"It's so far away." she complained.

"Lazy pony." I repeated, beginning to lift her away.

She held her legs down with a surprising amount of force, stopping me. "I can do it." Her hand began to glow a pleasant golden yellow. The laptop became surrounded by the same glow. It started to move through the air towards her.

Wary for the safety of my electronic device, I followed it with my hand, ensuring it wouldn't drop to the floor should some catastrophic event occur. She levitated the computer to rest on her chest. My hand followed the computer until she was finished. Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for me, my hand ended up directly next to one of her plump breasts, which I took the opportunity to grab.

She let out a yelp as she reactively slapped my hand away, something she had never done before. She let out another noise before saying, "Ah! I'm sorry, Phil! You surprised me. Oh, you know how I feel! Why must you continue to tease me?"

"I like watching you squirm."

She sighed. "Yes, you... said that. I think I'm starting to believe you. Your endless teasing will be the death of you."

"I'd die happy."

She chuckled. "I'm sure. The laptop is too close." She pushed it to her stomach. "Now I can't even see it. My breasts are getting in the way."

"Your boobs are never in the way."

"Yes they are! They're very annoying."

"Celestia, boobs can't be annoying."

"Yes they can!"

"You're delusional."

"You're delusional!" she retorted.

"No, no, you're crazy."

"They get in the way! They're too heavy and the bras we've purchased are too tight."

"Well, maybe we can go bra shopping again. Maybe we can get you that bikini we were talking about."

Any irritation that may have been in her voice had disappeared completely. "Alright."

"Wow, just like that? You're just happy you got me to buy you more clothes."

"Well... you're not wrong." A short laugh escaped her lips.

I was content with my current situation. It was quite comfy underneath her legs. We stayed on the couch for a long time, until Red came back upstairs to get herself something to eat. This made Celestia want something as well, which meant that I had to get up and get her a snack.

As bedtime neared, Celestia and I retired to the bedroom.

November 6

An idea began to form in my head as I got ready for work the next morning. Despite what Celestia said, I still wanted to find something for her to do while I was away. I already knew Red was bored out of her mind. A quick examination of the front room before I left told me that I had more than enough space to complete my goal. Though it would cost a pretty penny, I had just the solution for this problem... Video games.

"What are you doing?" Celestia asked, rubbing her eyes as she stood in the bedroom doorway.

"I have a plan." I replied.

"I like..." She yawned, barely covering her mouth with her hand. "I like plans. What's your plan?"

"I wanted to get you a gift."

She smiled. "I like gifts. What is it?"

"It's a surprise."

"I like surprises. What is it?" she asked again, smiling

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore."

She smiled wider, excited. "Tell me!"

"I thought you liked surprises."

"That was the old me! The new me wants to know!"

"The old you, five seconds ago?"

"Of course!"

"You'll find out when I get home, honey."

She crossed her arms in a huff. "Fine."

I closed in on her and gave her a brief peck on the lips. "You'll love it, I promise."

Her cheeks reddened. "I'll look forward to it."

I smiled back at her. "I'll be back as soon as I can, honey. Love you."

"You'd better. I love you, too."

I stepped outside and started towards the car. I walked back into the house a few seconds later.

"You know, it might help if I had my keys." I said as I passed through.

She let out a laugh.

"Round two."

"Love you." she repeated.

"I love you, too."

As I got into the car and drove to work, I thought over the specifics of my purchase. After all, I didn't want to abuse my spending limit. I made a mental checklist of the things I needed to buy. Some of the guys at work asked why I drove to work today. I gave them simple, honest answers. Aside from that, work wasn't especially noteworthy.

As I approached my car after work, I noticed a familiar woman standing near it. She seemed to be waiting for me.

"Chrysalis, people are gonna see you." I told her.

"So what? We're friends, aren't we? I hope you've enjoyed that bit of gold I gave you."

I stared at her, crossing my arms. "It's back at home. What did you want from me?"

"Now isn't a good time. Besides, you seem to be busy right now."

"I am busy, yes."

"You seem to be pushing me away. Where are you going in such a rush?"

"I'm gonna go buy something for Celestia."

"Oh? A gift? What are you getting her? Is it a ring?"

"No, it's not a ring."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"But are you going to stop me, is the question." She smirked as she opened the passenger door. Super cool that she can just open a door that was supposed to be locked. Didn't make me uncomfortable at all.

"Chrysalis, what are you doing?" I asked as she got in.

"I'm coming with."

"Why? Why do you want to come with? Why are you so keen on ruining my day."

"Am I ruining your day? Are we not having fun?"

"One of us is having fun."

"Don't you have something to do?"

I sighed. There were many compounding factors that made Chrysalis the very worst person I could be spending time with. Still, she insisted on bothering me. Her actions may not be directly antagonistic, but they would still cause problems. Truthfully, I was curious where this would lead. There was a cautious optimism in the back of my mind that we could really be friends, but I don't know if I really believed it.

Since we were in public, I decided that trying to get her out of the car would be more trouble than it's worth. Heck, maybe this could be a good thing. Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

"Buckle your seatbelt, Chrysalis." I said, getting in.

"Hmm... Seems uncomfortable."

"That wasn't a request. Seatbelts are non-negotiable." I said to her, "Buckle or get out."

"Are you joking?"

"No, I am not."

She chuckled, reaching over her shoulder for the belt. "Very well. You seem quite adamant about this. Why the hostility?"

"It's a safety thing. Celestia wears her seatbelt, too."

"Oh, are you comparing me to your Princess now?"

"Yeah, I'm saying she's smart enough to understand the importance of safety."

"Well, I'm glad you care so much about me." She smiled a bright, genuine smile.

I've never been so unsettled by such a pleasant smile in my life. It almost seemed like she was flirting with me. Maybe it was just my ego convincing me that her overly friendly behavior was flirtatious. Still, that she was acting friendly at all was reason for worry. Chrysalis made me anxious. She knew it, too.

"Where are we going?" she asked, still smiling.

"To the store."

"What are we getting?"

"Quit saying 'we'."

"What are you getting, then."

"I'm getting... I'm getting something for Celestia. A game. Something for her to do while I'm at work." I answered honestly. There was no reason to lie about something so simple. I started the car and backed out of the stall.

"A game? Can I play?" she asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Celestia hates you."

"She does not. We merely share a strained relationship. Until we make up, I suppose I'll have to keep paying for your companionship." She laughed at her own joke.

"Do you even like me?" I asked.

"I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Well, we are friends, after all."

"I feel like you don't believe that."

"Of course I do. Why else would I want to spend time with you?"

"Well, I can think of a few reasons."

"I've no doubt. Is it so much to ask from you?"

"You say that, but I'm getting the feeling that there's something else on your mind."

"Oh, you've caught me. Fine, I'll admit it. I'm merely here to feed off your love." She admitted that very easily. I don't think she was planning on keeping it a secret.

"That sounds more plausible."

"I've expended a great deal of energy while in this world, Phil. Energy only true love could replenish."

"True love?"

"Of course. The love you feel for your Princess is so strong. A tad misguided, but strong nonetheless."

"What do you mean by misguided?"

"I'm sure you already know, Phil. It's been a long time since I've felt love so strong. The Princess is a lucky woman to have you."

A compliment? From her? "Thanks, I guess."

"Have you made any more progress on my task?"

"I dunno. Maybe. She showed it to me."

"My bear? I'm surprised. I didn't have high hopes in you."

"Thanks. I told her that she should try to just sell it back to you."

"Hmm... I suppose I could offer her a deal. Pride can be expensive."

"Sounds like a happy ending to me."

"It sounds almost as if you were trying to push me away again, Phil. That couldn't be the case, could it? After all, I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Chrysalis... you make me uncomfortable."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

I think I needed to speak carefully. "I... I'm scared of you, Chrysalis. I'm scared you're going to hurt my relationship with Celestia."

"That wouldn't benefit me."

"You're lying."

"I don't appreciate these accusations, Phil."

"You're using me to get to her." I growled.

"I am not!" she snapped back, "If you're so scared that I'm going to sabotage your relationship, why are you trying to provoke me?"

Why was I trying to provoke her? "I... I guess... I guess because I trust you."

"Oh, so now I'm supposed to believe that you suddenly 'trust' me, after all that? You have more issues than I thought."

"I... I guess I do. I'm sorry. But you have to understand why I'm scared, Chrysalis. You want me to keep you a secret from Celestia, from my... my girlfriend. I feel like I'm betraying her every time we talk."

She crossed her arms. "You rebuff my kindness and expect me to simply accept your apology? I'm hurt, Phil. I acknowledge that our history has been rocky, but that gives you no right to insult me."

"I..." What do I say? I'm too scared to answer.

"Do you know how many friends I have, Phil? None. To receive nothing but abuse from the one person I call a friend... It hurts, Phil." There was a quiver in her voice, one that tugged at my heartstrings.

My gut told me that she was lying. It told me to ignore her crocodile tears. I just couldn't. Something inside me couldn't turn away from a woman in need. Maybe it was my desire to protect her. Maybe it was my desire to feel needed. Maybe it was my desire for attention. In any case, she had me completely under her control. She knew it, too.

"I'm sorry, Chrysalis." I apologized again, "I didn't mean it. I just..." I sighed. "I love Celestia more than I could ever value our friendship."

She took in a breath. "I know how much you love her. I'm a changeling. I'm... drawn to love, in a way."

"Don't... Don't hurt her. Please." I begged.

"I don't think I can."

Regardless of how I felt, I silently continued the journey. Chrysalis seemed to be taking in the sights as I brought her through town. I think she was curious about the town, just like Celestia.

The purchase of the day: a Wii U.

But I couldn't just get the Wii U. What would she play it on? I had to get a TV as well. And where would that TV sit? I needed an entertainment center to lift it off the ground.

Though undoubtedly cheaper to shop online, I wanted them now. Thankfully, I was still able to compare prices between Wal-Mart and the GameStop just across the street. Naturally, the game store had better prices. First, I would collect the entertainment center and TV from Wal-Mart.

Chrysalis seemed rather excited to get out of the car. She looked to the store in awe and quickly joined me as I began walking.

"So, what exactly are you getting?" she asked, "When you said you were going to the store, I assumed you were going to get her a ring to propose with."

"No, I'm... Celestia and I aren't ready for marriage, yet."

"Yes, very true."

"Uh... Yeah."

"Perhaps you could get her something else she'll like while you're here. I know she likes chocolate."

"She has enough snacks."

"I like chocolate, too." she replied, ignoring what I said.

As we walked to the store, Chrysalis followed behind at a rather slow pace, examining her surroundings. She seemed to be enjoying herself. After we got in, she started picking up and looking at whatever we passed. She was smiling, even when I wasn't watching her. Was she having fun?

I picked up and placed a fifty-inch TV box into my cart. Thankfully, it was cheaper than I thought it would be. It was a bit excessive, but then again, so was my love for Celestia.

Chrysalis began to wander through the electronics section of the store, eventually finding herself staring at the multitude of TVs playing Frozen along the wall. I joined her.

"If you want, I can grab whatever else I need while you stay here." I told her.

"Do you promise to come back?"

"I promise."

She smiled. "I'll wait here."

The entertainment center was much cheaper than the TV. It didn't need to be particularly extravagant, but even in my little house, I liked having nice-looking furniture. I could've just used the coffee table in the front room, but we liked putting our feet on it. We would have to put it together, but it shouldn't take too long.

After I had collected my purchases for the day, I returned to Chrysalis. "Come on, time to go."

She glanced at me, then back to the movie. "Do you think... maybe someday... you could show me what more this world has to offer?" she asked quietly, still staring.

"I dunno, Chrysalis. I hope I can." I don't know if she was putting on an act. If she was, I appreciated all the work she put into tricking me.

She didn't respond.

"Come on. Time to go." I repeated.

She turned away from the TVs and joined me.

As we stood in line to make the purchase, I grabbed a package of Reese's Cups from the shelf near the check out. After my purchase was completed, I tossed it to Chrysalis, who let out a cute yelp as she caught it.

She examined it, then smiled at me. "How kind of you." She opened the package and took off the paper, then took a bite. Her eyes widened. "This is really sweet!" The rest of the chocolate barely lasted a few seconds. She popped a finger into her mouth to clean off the chocolate. "Thank you, Phil. It's been... a very long time since anypony has given me a gift."

It was nice to see her happy.

Turns out, my car is just a little too small to fit both of these items in the trunk. Thankfully, the back seat was just big enough to fit the TV. Chrysalis watched me struggle to put it in the car, amused at my antics, not even offering to help.

Next stop, GameStop. In total, I bought a refurbished Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and three Wii U Pro controllers, because comfort is apparently more important than money.

I think I spent like $800 today. Wow. Honestly, not upset.

"This all seems a tad excessive for a game." Chrysalis noted as I loaded my purchase into the trunk.

"Well, two games." I replied. We stood behind the car as we conversed.

"It still seems excessive."

"Hey, they're great games."

"Are they worth all this effort?"

"Effort, yes. Money, no. But Celestia's worth that much. To me."

"She's worth more than this to you, isn't she?"

"Much more."

"I'm not surprised. Why do you love her so much?"

"'Cause I'm lonely."

"Lonely?"

"I dedicated my life to her the moment she showed me the slightest bit of attention."

"I see. I'm thankful you've simplified it for me. I don't have to try to find out for myself. It explains a lot about you. Might I ask, have you loved another before the Princess?"

"I had two girlfriends before Celestia." I answered honestly.

"What happened to them?"

"Well, the first was a mutual thing. Neither of us really... loved each other. We were just friends. Nothing more. Love became a chore. The relationship just... fell apart. The second was abusive towards me. She left me for someone else. Someone willing to put up with her longer than I did."

"Then you found the Princess."

"Yeah."

"You're a lucky man, Phil."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm a bit foggy on the details surrounding your relationship. It wasn't until Equestria found out the Princess was missing that I began looking into it. Could you tell me how you met?"

I was happy to share with her the details of our first meeting. She seemed rather interested in what I was saying, to my surprise.

"Perhaps it was simply fate that you met." she said, "If you believe in fate, that is. It was merely random chance that you were the man to find the Princess."

"I'm glad I did. I found someone to love."

She chuckled. "Indeed."

"Hey Chrysalis, where should I take you?" I asked.

"What, getting rid of me already?"

"You can't stay with me. I gotta go home. You can't come with."

"Even after I've paid you?" She chuckled. "Very well."

"That's another thing. Are you ever gonna tell me what you want for that coin?"

"The coin is merely leverage. I will require your assistance soon. Unfortunately, now is not a good time. You'll see what it is that I want soon enough."

I sighed, giving up quickly. "Alright. So where am I taking you?"

"You really want me gone that badly?"

"If you and Celestia didn't have issues, I'd be fine hanging out with you. I'm sorry I have to just abandon you, but Celestia's a lot more important to me than you."

"I understand. Princess Celestia is your partner, after all. I wouldn't want to come between the two of you. Besides, it's much more difficult to feed on the love of an injured relationship.

"Feed on? You've mentioned that before. I know you... do something with love. I guess I don't really understand."

"Love is what makes a changeling's powers grow. For example, feeding on Shining Armor's love allowed me to overpower your Princess. I feel I could easily overpower her again with the love I've taken from you."

"Uh... Could... Could you not?"

"I won't do anything to your precious Princess, Phil. This world isn't the place for hostility. The longer you two are together, the more powerful I can become."

"Uh..."

She chuckled. "Worried?"

"A... little. Was spending time with you a mistake?"

She yawned, covering her mouth with a hand. "Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"Are you tired?"

"Yes. Quite exhausted, actually. There's a reason I've been spending time close to you. I needed to replenish my spent magic. I've been very busy in this world. It's kept me up late and sapped my strength. I barely have enough energy to stand."

As if emphasizing her point, her body started tilting towards me. As an instinct, I moved to catch her as she fell.

She chuckled again. "You're such a foolish man. My dizziness was merely a ruse. Your caring heart has provided me even more love." She stood up straight and met my eyes. "Though it's nice to feel the embrace of a big, strong man again."

I pushed her away at the shoulders, my face reddening. "Could you not? Seriously. That kinda stuff makes me uncomfortable."

She laughed. Her hands brushed mine off her shoulders. "There's no need to be so defensive. After all, I've just fainted. I'm so weak and helpless." There was nothing in her voice that showed weakness.

"You're... You're pushing it."

She brought a hand to her mouth as she yawned again. "Take me back to your place of work. I've been awake for far too long."

"Wait, you were tired?"

"I've been awake for the past 32 hours."

"Geez. You don't look like it. Alright, get in. I'll drop you off."

The two of us got in and I drove us back to McDonald's. Chrysalis didn't really seem tired aside from her occasional yawning, but I didn't want to push. She was allowed to be tired.

"Are you... really gonna leave the two of us alone?" I asked.

"Please, you really believed that?"

"Chrysalis, please. No jokes."

"My plans are none of your business, Phil. Besides, any attempt would merely be a waste of time. You ponies and your 'magic of friendship' always get the better of me, somehow. Maybe it's best I give up while I'm behind."

"Are... you serious?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. You're trying to involve yourself in things far beyond your control, Phil. I'd suggest doing something better with your time."

I sighed. Maybe she was right.

"Do you mind if I ask you a... private question?"

Do I mind? "Go ahead."

"Is your Princess pregnant?"

"No, she would have told me. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I merely noticed a... shift."

"A shift? Uh... Yeah, she would've told me." I repeated, "That's kind of a... big thing in our relationship right now. I'm surprised you asked about that."

She took in a breath. There was a barely noticeable flash of green in her eyes. I wouldn't have seen it if we weren't at a stop sign. She let out a short, "Interesting."

Huh...

The rest of the trip was fairly uninteresting. Just like before, Chrysalis showed interest in her surroundings, much like Celestia. I told her about some of the nearby areas and landmarks.

After she got out of the car, she leaned back down to say, "Have fun with that Princess of yours. She's quite the catch." With that, she turned and left down the road.

I had no idea what she meant by that. I had no idea where she's going.

Suddenly, what felt like a deep cold began creeping inside my head, a voice accompanying it. "What are you doing with that woman?" Princess Luna asked me, "Why does she keep speaking to you?"

"You... know who she is, right Luna?" I said aloud, taken aback by her soul-piercing voice.

"Do you think me a fool? She's our enemy, Phil. She's the enemy of both Equestria and my sister, Celestia. Your girlfriend, Phil."

"She's... I'm not gonna defend her or anything, but you saw how she sat in my car, right? I couldn't do anything about that."

"What did you discuss?" An icy chill ran down my spine. She didn't want my excuses.

"I'm gonna... I'm gonna tell you what I can right now. I don't know all the details yet, but... Red stole something from her. I told you that. It's a personal item that would be embarrassing to her if it were to be revealed to the public. She's trying to use me to get it back."

"What item is it? What could be so valuable to her?"

"It's... um... Can you promise not to tell anybody about this?"

"What? Pray tell, who do you think you are speaking to?"

"Please, Luna?"

"Tell me." She was getting impatient. If she didn't like my answer, she would not hesitate to relay the information.

"Alright... It's... It's her..." I lowered my voice, even though there was nobody around to hear me. "It's her teddy bear."

"Teddy bear?"

"Yes. Red Shadow has it. I've seen it. She's shown it to me."

She was silent for a short while before saying, "Continue."

"And... other than that, she's given me a gold coin as an incentive to help her with something else."

"Something else?"

"She hasn't told me anything about it. She keeps saying that she needs more time. I don't know what she could want."

"Hmm..." A pause. "Perhaps... Hmm... Continue."

"And... she talked about being... my friend."

"Your friend? Among all the things you've said, I'm having trouble believing that the most."

"I don't know if she really meant it, but she said that we're friends."

"Are you friends?"

"I don't... I don't know. Maybe. I don't hate her, at least. And... you know me... I like making friends. But... she was pushing my buttons. Her teasing goes too far and I think she knows it. I don't know what to think."

"You're more accepting than I would be in your position." she said to me, "I suppose that's just another difference between us. If I were to inform my sister of this, I'm sure your new friend would be rather displeased. You have my silence. I'll not interfere with your retrieval of Queen Chrysalis's... teddy bear." She let out a poorly concealed snicker.

"No telling anyone about that, right? I promised her."

"I'll not say a word. Be sure this doesn't last, though. I cannot prevent my sister from discovering anything on her own. I don't particularly enjoy keeping secrets from my sister. I'm sure you don't either. Perhaps you should return home. She's been anxious to see you."

"Alright. Thanks, Luna."

"Don't make me regret lying to my sister for you, Phil."

Another chill ran through my body as her presence left my mind. I shivered. What a weird feeling.

I need to tell Celestia about Chrysalis. I couldn't keep this up. I had no idea how I would start the conversation with her. 'Hey you know the Queen Chrysalis that attacked you during your niece's wedding? Well, I've been hanging out with her.' Celestia would kill me. No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't be happy, though. She would... I don't know what she would do. I still gotta tell her. I'm going behind her back. It doesn't matter how it turns out for me in the end, I've been lying to her. This wasn't right.

I left the parking lot and headed home. It was almost dark already. Celestia was waiting for me. She's gonna be so excited to see all this stuff. I'm pretty excited already.

Hmm... Wonder how I should get this stuff into the house. It's not that heavy. The TV's a little big, but I managed to move it on my own. I retrieved the bags from the trunk and headed inside. Celestia jumped from the couch as I entered.

"Phil! You took so long. I was getting worried. What's that? Is that my gift?"

"And a hello to you, too." I said, smiling.

"Sorry... Welcome home." she sheepishly let out, "What's in your hands?"

I set the bags onto the table. "Nothing you'd recognize. There's more in the car."

"More?"

"Yeah. Then I gotta set it all up and... You'll like it, you'll like it."

I held my arms out and wrapped them around her for a big hug. She hugged me back. We pulled apart and briefly kissed each other before I stepped back. Just that little act brightened my mood.

"I'll be right back with the rest of it." I told her.

"Oh, let me help!" There was nothing in the world that could stop her from helping me.

"Don't forget your coat."

The two of us moved outside to the open trunk.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Just a table." I responded, "Set stuff on it."

"Stuff like... what's in this box in the back seat?"

"Exactly."

I pulled the entertainment center from the trunk. Celestia immediately took the other end.

"Got it?" I asked.

"It's much lighter than I thought it would be." She looked behind her as we started to move.

I shuffled at her pace until we got back into the house. Thankfully, it was light, so we could open the door with ease. We were both too excited to think about how we would get through the door.

"What are we doing with this?" she asked.

"Right there against the wall." I gestured to the wall opposite the couch, next to the basement door. There was just enough room.

She backed to the wall so we could set it down. Though it was rather plain, it was also solidly built. It was little more than a cube with a door.

"Now what? Are we getting the other box?"

"Yep."

"Will it be heavy?"

"A little heavier than this, but we'll be fine. I got it to the car on my own."

"Well, you're strong."

"So are you."

"I'm not strong. I am a delicate flower."

"Delicate?"

"Alright, maybe not delicate."

"Could you two wrap this up?" said Red, "I wanna see what you got."

"Oh! Red, you help him!" Celestia let out.

"What? I'm not helping him."

"But it's my gift."

"He's the one that got it for you."

"Well, I'm the Princess."

Red's eyes narrowed. "Fine."

"I got it, Red." I said.

"No, no... she's the Princess."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you can use this, too." I told her.

"Huh?"

"What?" asked Celestia.

"More than one person at a time can use these things." I said, "All three of us can play. Even a fourth can play, but we don't have a fourth."

"How exciting." Celestia smiled.

"That sounds kinda nice, I guess." said Red.

"I'm gonna go get the last box." I said.

"I'll help." said Celestia, following me, seemingly forgetting the earlier conversation with Red. I'm sure Red didn't mind.

Just like last time, the two of us went out to the car to retrieve the TV box. I took the front this time, walking backwards into the house. We set it on the ground in front of the entertainment center so we could take it out of the box.

Using my car key as a rudimentary box cutter, I cut the tape on the top of the box to open it. There were a few accessories sitting atop the styrofoam inside. We took them out and set them aside.

"Hey Celestia, help me with this." I said, reaching into the box.

"Like this?" She copied what I did.

"Ready?"

She nodded.

We pulled up. The box came with it.

"Uhh... Red?" I asked.

"I've got it." said Celestia.

She pushed the box downwards, dropping it to the ground. I instructed Celestia to set the TV on the entertainment center and lean it against the wall. I pulled off the styrofoam and tossed it to the side.

"So this is a..." Celestia looked at the box. "Television?"

"Yep. Nice, huh?"

"I suppose."

I saw a piece of styrofoam in her hands. She was just holding it.

"I'll be right back." I said. I retrieved a screwdriver from a drawer in the kitchen and began to attach the stands to the bottom of the TV. I set it right side up on the entertainment center and centered it. I retrieved the power cord and plugged in the TV, then went to the bag with the game system. I opened the box. Both Celestia and Red periodically asked me questions as I plugged the console into the wall and the back of the TV, which I was happy to answer. They mostly questioned what I was doing.

I plugged the gamepad into the wall so it could charge and turned the Wii U on. After making sure the TV was using the correct input, the screen turned white, followed by the Wii U logo appearing on the screen.

"Turn the Wii U gamepad on, and then press the SYNC Button on the Wii U console." read Celestia, staring at the TV screen, "What does that mean?"

"I have to connect this little number to this doohickey right here." I said, gesturing to the gamepad, then to the console. I had to input a series of symbols to sync the gamepad to the Wii U. I didn't know it did this, having never set one up previously. After that, I followed the instructions given to me by the system.

"Wait what? I have to use my TV remote?" I asked, becoming confused with the instructions on the TV.

"Is something wrong?" asked Celestia.

"No, it's... uh..." I clicked the option for TV remote. It asked me for my TV's manufacturer, which I provided. "I can... change stuff with the Wii U?" I asked, pointing the gamepad at the TV and tapping the volume button that had appeared on the screen. The volume meter on the TV appeared as I did. "Holy crap, I didn't know that. Ok... configured. No remote needed, then."

I continued with the setup on the gamepad. I connected it to my Wi-Fi connection. Update? Yeah, sure. I set the gamepad back down onto my entertainment center.

"What's it doing now?" asked Celestia.

"Updating. Gotta wait."

"How long are we gonna wait?" asked Red.

"I dunno. Oh... It's done. Or... it failed? Whatever. Now I gotta... make a Mii. Oh! Celestia, this is perfect for you!"

"What is it? What am I doing?"

I gave her the gamepad. "Here, make a person."

"Make a person?" She gingerly held the gamepad, probably scared of somehow breaking it.

"Yeah, make something. It don't matter what it looks like. You can pick random if you want."

She stared at the screen, then used the stylus I gave her to tap one of the options. She continued to stare. She backed off a bit, then sat on the couch, starting to tap away at the screen. A smile grew over her face.

"So, is this the thing?" Red asked.

"Almost. Setup just takes a while." I replied, "I thought it'd be a bit faster, but whatever."

Celestia was working on the gamepad for a while. She began to giggle as she worked, looking up at us every so often. Red went over her to see what she was doing, but Celestia hid the screen from her and said, "It's a secret."

Red rolled her eyes and stepped away.

When Celestia was finished making her mii, she smiled proudly and held out the gamepad, saying, "Phil look, I made Red!"

"You what?" Red shot out, swiping the gamepad from her.

I looked over Red's shoulder. It was a pretty good likeness for a Mii. I let out a short laugh.

"Oh, ha ha..." Red sarcastically let out. She shoved the gamepad into my arms and looked away, crossing her arms across her chest. She smirked, then looked back at us. "Alright, I guess it's kinda funny."

"Are we gonna keep it, Celestia?" I asked, holding it up for the final verdict.

"Of course."

"Ok. That's our Mii." I accepted the created Mii and continued once more. After a short waiting period, The Wii U was finally set up. "There we go! There we go."

"What's that?" Celestia asked, continuing to be cute. She was looking at the TV screen.

"We're on the main menu right now. It lets you access the stuff you need. We're not done yet, though. I gotta..." I trailed off as I opened the plastic bag again.

I picked one of the controllers out of the bag and opened its box. Celestia looked over my shoulder as I examined them for the sync button, which was on the back. Wait, do these need batteries? No, it looks like they had battery packs. They came with chargers, which should've tipped me off to the battery pack in the first place. I plugged the three controllers into the console and, after a short while, was able to connect them.

Celestia had turned her attention to the TV box while I was busy. She was reaching into it, though I didn't know what she was trying to get.

The controllers were charging, but the cords were pretty long. I bet if I moved the console closer, we could sit on the couch and play.

"Now for the fun part." I said, getting their attention.

I opened the Mario Kart 8 case and inserted the disc into the console, then tapped it on the gamepad to start the game. The screen went black before the logo of the game showed up and Mario's voice played through the speakers.

"Oh, so this is another video game!" said Celestia, "I was wondering what all this stuff was."

"Yep."

"What's a video game?" asked Red.

"A game that you can play in video form." I answered.

"I am going to hit you, jerk."

"Red, don't hit Phil! He's too nice to hit."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You don't gotta worry about what it is, especially 'cause I don't really wanna explain it." I said, "But it's gonna be really fun."

"I hate you."

I picked up the first controller and moved to the couch. I patted the couch next to me, staring at Celestia. She smiled and sat down, taking the second controller that I picked up for her. Her grip was a bit awkward, but she figured out that she could replicate how I held mine.

"You too, Red." I said.

Celestia picked up the third controller and held it out to Red. Red hesitated for a moment before giving in and joining us, sitting next to Celestia.

"Bit snug." she said.

"Oh, sorry." Celestia moved closer to me, giving Red more room on the couch.

"Alright, a few things you need to know before we start." I said, "This is a racing game. I'm sure the two of you know what a race is."

"I think I can guess." snarked Red.

"We race around in little go-karts around tracks with all sorts of hazards." I continued, "You can collect items and use them on other players. You'll see what I mean when we start. It's gonna be a bit challenging to get into it, but I know that the two of you are gonna love it. How about we do a few practice rounds?"

"Sounds great." Celestia kept smiling, simply enjoying the time we spent together.

I went into the multiplayer option on the menu. Inside that, I chose verses so it was just us with no computer racers. "You can choose racers here." I said, continuing my tutorial, "There are some differences in terms of stats, but don't worry about those for now." I chose toad as my racer. Normally, I would choose Isabelle because she's cute, but I didn't have any of the DLC.

Red was still fumbling a bit with her controller. Celestia was going through the characters one by one. It seemed like she was checking what each one looked like.

"She has a crown!" Celestia excitedly let out as she got to Peach, "Is she a queen?"

"She's a Princess. Princess Peach."

"Oh, how cute."

"I'm taking her." Red moved her cursor over to Peach and pushed accept.

"No, I want her!" cried Celestia, pressing accept as well, bringing us to the next screen.

"Oh, we can both pick her." said Red, "I don't want her anymore. Go back, I want someone else."

I pressed the back button to take us back to the racers. "Red, don't bully Celestia."

"Yay, I'm the Princess!" hummed Celestia.

"Celestia, you're already a Princess." I reminded her

"Bu-But I wanna be a Princess in..." She trailed off, mumbling on purpose because she knew I found it cute.

"How are you the ruler of our nation?" Red asked in bewilderment.

"There's another Princess if you still want one, Red." I said.

"This one?" asked Celestia, moving to Daisy. She frowned and moved back. "I like Peach more."

"What are you? Why did you pick that mushroom-looking one?" asked Red.

"Light racers have more acceleration." I said, "But they also have a low top speed."

"Wow ok, I thought we were practicing."

"I'm practicing too. I can't remember half the controls."

"You really aren't going easy on us. So that means that heavy racers have a low acceleration and high top speed, right? So... A medium racer would be best. Is this one medium?" She highlighted Mario, the first option.

"Yep, he's a medium racer. Daisy is medium as well."

"Shut up."

"Is Princess Peach medium?" asked Celestia.

"Yep, medium."

"Am... I medium?" she joked.

I poked her tummy with a finger. "You're clearly large."

She giggled.

I had picked Toad, Celestia picked Peach, and Red picked Mario.

The next screen is where we chose our vehicle configurations. We could change our car into a bike, we could change the wheels, and we could change the glider we used for flying sections. Following my racer choice, I chose a low weight/high acceleration configuration.

I told them how to view the stats, but it didn't seem to matter to them. Red copied what I chose and seemed satisfied. Celestia clearly chose based on looks.

After cart select, we were brought to a menu that allowed me to remove the computer racers. I then picked a map for us, Sunshine Airport. This particular map took place in the middle of an airport and had us ride through the lobby and down the runway of an airport. It was my favorite map aside from the Excite Bike map, but that too was DLC. Accepting the map brought up one final ready screen with a large 'go' on it.

"You hold this button to accelerate." I said, lightly tapping A for them to see.

They both looked to their controllers.

"And this one brakes." I went through the basic controls with them, showing them how to drive and how to use items and drift.

When I was done, I looked back to the screen. "Ready?" I asked.

"Ready." replied Red.

"I'm ready." said Celestia.

They both readied their controllers. I started the race.

The game camera panned around the map before stopping behind the three of us. I looked to the two of them to see their reactions. They were both focused on the screen.

"Watch the countdown. Between two and one, hold A." I said.

Both of them followed my advice. None of us correctly got the timing and instead spun out when the race started.

"Uh, my bad. Maybe I was wrong." I apologized.

It wasn't hard to follow the map, but they kept bumping into walls around corners and driving along the edge of the map.

"Make sure to watch your speed around corners." I said, "Going to the side of the track will slow you down. Try staying on the track as much as possible."

"You're a real Captain Obvious there, aren't you." said Red.

Red got a red shell from the first item box. I got a coin and Celestia got a mushroom. Since Red was in last place, when she used the item, it went straight to Celestia.

"Ah! You hit me!" Celestia exclaimed, falling into last place. She used her mushroom as she recovered, bringing her next to Red.

"No fair, I just got past!"

"My goodness, you're really good at this game." said Celestia, watching my part of the screen. I had been constantly drifting, which allowed better cornering and gave me speed boosts.

"Celestia, watch your own screen. Red already passed you." I said.

"What?!" She corrected her position and continued racing.

"When you guys go off ramps, try to hit the jump button. You'll do tricks and get speed boosts."

"Tell us these things earlier!" complained Red.

At the end of our race, I finished far earlier than either of them. Red finished in second with Celestia following in a close third.

"Aw, I lost." said Celestia, still enjoying herself, "That was really fun."

"It was." said Red, "We need this in Equestria."

"How would you use the controllers?" I asked.

"Magic." said Celestia, pulling her hands away from her controller and holding it up with a spell.

"Fair enough. It would leave Earth ponies and pegasi out, though."

"Maybe pegasi could use their wings." suggested Red.

"Wings don't work like that." said Celestia.

"I knew that."

"Up for another?" I asked.

"Of course." said Celestia.

I started another race on a different map. Once more, Red ended up in second while Celestia took the illustrious third place. The three of us raced together on two more maps before I backed us out of versus mode and moved to grand prix mode.

"Now in this one, we're gonna have other racers against us." I said, "It's much more fun. More fun than your body has room for."

"More fun than this?" asked Celestia, "It sounds wonderful."

"This is really fun." said Red, "I can see why Celestia was so excited."

"She didn't even know what I was getting her." I said, "I mean, I could've been out getting her an engagement ring for all she knew."

Celestia gasped and turned to me.

"Didn't you meet like... a month ago?" asked Red.

With Red's comment, Celestia seemed to calm down, but she was clearly listening closely.

"It was about a month and a half ago." I said.

"You definitely haven't been together long enough." she said.

"We've been together long enough to know that we love each other." Celestia defensively replied.

"I'm not saying you don't love each other. I'm just saying that a month and a half isn't long enough to know if you want to marry someone."

"What would you know? You've never been married." said Celestia.

"Well, I know enough to know that proposing after a month is stupid!"

"Easy, easy." I said to them, "Here, I'll start the game so we can all calm down."

They both seemed fine with that. I started the first grand prix cup.

"How long would you want a man to wait, Red?" asked Celestia.

"I don't know. Two years, maybe? Three? I know my mom and dad were in a relationship for five years before they got married. I've never exactly had a steady boyfriend, so I couldn't say for sure."

"You've never had a boyfriend?" asked Celestia.

"That's not what I said!" Red shouted, "I've had boyfriends before! I just... haven't really had any... steady relationships."

"Really? Why not? You're such a kind mare, Red."

Her cheeks began to redden. "I just haven't, ok? I didn't have the time, anyways."

I lowered the volume of the TV using the gamepad so they could hear each other easier. The race was about to start.

"You don't always need time to have a boyfriend." said Celestia.

"Yes you do." Red retorted, "At least for the good ones. And who would want a bad boyfriend, anyways?"

"Celestia, apparently." I said.

Red laughed.

"What? You're the best boyfriend I've ever had!"

That... is very nice to hear from her. My entire body warmed from her sudden compliment. I know it's probably an exaggeration, but it still felt nice.

"Seriously?" asked Red, "Him?"

"Yes, of course."

"I find that hard to believe. There must not be a lot of competition."

"You'd be surprised, Red."

"Well, how many boyfriends have you had then, Princess?" asked Red.

"Red, my love life is none of your business. I'm only willing to share because you're my friend. However, you must consider my age. I am many thousands of years old, Red. Though my relationships have been rather infrequent, the number is far higher than any normal mare."

"So, do you have a number?" Red asked, "Like ten? Twenty maybe?"

"I feel you are underestimating how old I am."

"How old are you?"

"Well, a lady isn't supposed to answer questions like that." She chuckled. "Not even Phil knows how old I am."

"I told him how old I was." said Red.

"What?"

"He asked."

"Phil, what have the two of you been talking about without me?"

"Age, apparently. You know, you first left the day before my 25th birthday."

She gasped. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, honey. The month we spent together was the best birthday present I ever could've asked for."

"Oh, Philly..." She pecked her lips against my cheek.

"Alright, here's another question, then. You might not remember how many boyfriends you've had, but what about husbands? How many times have you gotten married, Princess?"

"Well, Red... zero. None. I've... never been married."

"Wait, what? Are you serious?"

"I am, Red."

"Wow. That's kinda weird. How could you have gone this long without getting married?"

"I guess I just haven't found the right one yet."

"So Phil is the right one, then?"

"With any luck, Red. With any luck."

Red paused for a short while before saying, "I never really had a special somepony back home."

"You'll find someone. Eventually." said Celestia, "If I can, you can too."

"Yeah, but you had to go into a totally different world to find someone."

"Well, you're in a different world too."

"I seriously doubt I'm gonna fall in love with somebody when I can't even leave the house."

"Maybe Phil can invite one of his friends over for you to meet."

"I'm not setting Red up on dates." I cut in, "Besides, my friends are weird."

"Well, you're weird, and I still like you."

"She's got you there, you're pretty weird." Red agreed.

"What I'm saying is that all my friends are a lot like me and Red doesn't want someone like me." I clarified.

"Got that right. You're way too clingy for me."

"See? Am I clingy?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little insecure.

"You're just fine, honey." Celestia reassured me, "I'm clingy."

"No, you're perfect."

"You're both pretty clingy." said Red, "It's like you were made for each other."

Celestia smiled. "I'm glad you think so, Red."

"So are you two... Are you two really getting married?" asked Red.

"We... We might." said Celestia, "Our situation is... not as easy as other men and women."

"Why's that?"

"Well, Phil doesn't live in Equestria. It... complicates things." Celestia answered.

"I guess. What kind of ring would you get her, Phil?" asked Red.

"A plain platinum ring." I answered.

"Oh wow, that was fast. You've already thought about this, haven't you?"

I nodded. "Ya gotta be ready for these kinds of things."

"I don't know about that one, buddy. Plain seems kinda cheap for a Princess."

"Do I look like I could afford diamonds?"

"You don't look like you can afford this house you're living in.

"Just because something's true doesn't mean you have to say it. I could never find a diamond as beautiful as her, anyways."

"Philly..." Celestia softly let out.

"I've always wanted to give my wife a platinum ring. Platinum is more valuable than gold. It's stronger, too. Strong like the relationship we would share. It's symbolic, in a way."

"Oh, how romantic." Celestia swooned, lovingly leaning against me.

"Or maybe I'll get you one of those little plastic spider rings that sit on the top of a Halloween cupcake." I joked, "I'll even let you lick the frosting off."

Red laughed.

"We're not gonna get married for a while, though." I said, "Like she said, it's complicated."

"We've talked too much about this matter recently. I'm feeling worn out. Can we go back to racing?" Celestia let out a breath.

"I like that idea." I replied.

"So this is what you do all the time?" Red asked, "This game? I heard you say you play video games all the time."

"I used to, yeah. I played all sorts of games on my computer downstairs. Oh, I got another game for us to play, too. Maybe tomorrow, I'll get it out for us."

"I like that idea." said Celestia.

Eventually, it got too late to keep playing. We definitely lost track of time. I had to go to bed. When I finally mentioned that, Celestia decided that she was done as well.

Red, on the other hand, was glued to the TV screen. "You two go ahead." she said, "I'm gonna stay up a little longer and play some more."

Celestia turned to me, smiling again. "Let's get ready."

I smiled back at her. The two of us made our way to the bathroom to brush our teeth before heading back to the room.

"Goodnight, Red." I said to her as we passed.

"Goodnight." said Celestia.

"Yep, goodnight. Have fun with your girlfriend. But, like... don't actually have fun. I'm right here."

"She knows?" asked Celestia. She shrugged, then looked back to me. "Come on, let's go."

The two of us retired to the bedroom and closed the door behind us. We got into bed and snuggled together under the covers, her back against my chest. I could hear the sounds of the game outside the door, but the sound of Celestia's gentle breathing seemed to drown it out.

"We've talked about marriage quite a lot recently." she said.

"Yeah."

"I'm getting so exhausting."

"I know how you feel."

"Philly?"

"Hmm? Yeah?"

"I... would like you to do something for me, please." She seemed serious.

"What is it, honey?"

"Instead of... calling me your girlfriend... could you... could you call me... your fiancée?"

"My... fiancée?"

"Mmm-hmm..."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Philly."

I lifted my head and kissed her cheek. "Alright, Celestia. You're my fiancée, now. Don't forget it."

"I won't."