Celestia's New World

November 9

Though the basement couch left little room for us to adjust, our love prevailed. It was actually pretty comfortable, all things considered. I always loved the coolness of the basement.

I got off the couch and headed upstairs, where Red was napping on her own couch. I was surprised to see her asleep after all this time. The game was left on, so I turned it off before heading into the kitchen. The house was pleasantly quiet.

As I went to return to the basement, I heard a noise from the bedroom. A bit curious, I gave the door a soft tap, not enough to wake Chrysalis if she was asleep, but enough to get her attention if she was awake. With it, I let out a quiet, "Chrysalis? You up?"

"I'm awake. Come in." she said.

I shrugged, seeing no reason not to open the door and walk in.

Once more, Chrysalis sat against the headboard. She watched me walk in.

"Doing alright?" I asked, already trying to care for her.

"What time is it?"

"Seven-ish."

She blinked. "I'm hungry. Get me something to eat."

"You've been here for a day and a half. You must be starving."

"I am. Get to it."

"Hmm... Think you can wait long enough for pancakes?"

"Pancakes?" She nodded. "I can wait."

"Alright. I'll be right back."

Usually, speed was not a primary factor in pancake making, but I still did my best to make a batch as quickly as I could. The smell of cooked pancakes quickly filled the house. When I had a modest pile of pancakes, I returned to the room, plate in hand.

Red was still asleep, and if Celestia was awake, she would have jumped at the smell of pancakes. I had no intention of waking them. It was just the two of us.

Chrysalis was waiting patiently for her food, though it wasn't as if she was able to do anything else in her position. I gave her the plate, which she set on her lap. The moment I gave her the fork and knife, she began cutting into it, cutting it into eighths before stuffing a piece into her mouth.

"I'll get you some milk. Don't choke before I get back."

She gave me a brief look before returning to her pancake.

In addition to a glass of milk, I retrieved a bottle of syrup. When I returned, Chrysalis was already working on her second pancake. I set the glass of milk onto the nightstand. She immediately grabbed it and took a long drink before returning it to its place. As for the syrup, she held out her hand, and I gladly gave it to her. Unlike Celestia or Red, who covered their pancakes in syrup, Chrysalis used only what was needed. In fact, she was a rather refined eater compared to the two of them.

"Thank you." she finally said, her mouth clear, "This is... good."

"I'm glad you like it. I don't want you feeling like you're unwelcome here. You're just as much my friend as Red is, even if you're a little... uh..."

"Manipulative? Evil? Heartless?"

"I didn't say that. Out loud. Recently."

"You don't have to hide your disdain behind honeyed words. You don't like me. You never have."

"Yeah, yeah. I gotta go soon. We can talk later. Get some more rest, Chrysalis. Relax a bit."

She said nothing.

"See ya." I waved her goodbye as I left the room, closing the door behind me. I hope she'll be alright here until Celestia wakes up.

Work was pretty typical today. Sarah was quieter than usual, but that may be because I shut her down pretty hard yesterday. Just a little longer, Sarah. When Chrysalis recovers, I'll try to help you. I promise. These empty words meant nothing right now. My excuses were wearing thin.

When I got home, Red was once more playing Mario Kart. I gave her a short greeting before checking the kitchen for Celestia, expecting her to be eating. When that failed, I returned to the front room. Red briefly pointed to the bedroom door, but kept silent, focused on the game. I once more passed in front of Red, irritating her in the process. I gave the bedroom door a quick tap.

"Come in, Phil." I heard Celestia on the other side.

I opened the door and entered, closing it behind me. Chrysalis was still in bed, sitting in the same position as before. Celestia sat on the side of the bed.

"We were just talking." said Celestia.

"Yes, talking more nonsense. I'm glad you're here, maybe you could talk some sense into your Princess."

"Ah. I get the picture. Celestia's been bullying you all day."

"What? No I haven't!"

"She's been just awful to me." said Chrysalis, a smirk growing across her face.

"She's lying!"

"Celestia, I can't believe you." I made my way to her.

"Phil, you know I would never!" She returned my smile with one of her own. I don't know if she was just happy to see me or if she caught on to our joking.

"Sorry Chrysalis, I gotta borrow this for a sec."

Before Celestia could question what I meant, I bent down and hefted her into my arms, taking full advantage of her seated and exposed position on the bed to wrap my arms around her. She gave off a loud yelp as she scrambled to grab onto my shoulders. Like I have many times before, I underestimated how much my fiancée weighed and had to shift her into a more comfortable position in my arms.

"Phil!" Celestia pulled away for a moment before smiling again. "How was work, honey?"

"Pretty good. Nothing to report." I pecked my lips against hers.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, smiling warmly.

"You were so open that I couldn't help it."

"Are you two done?" Chrysalis asked.

"Not yet." I answered, squeezing her tightly in my arms.

Celestia chuckled. "What's the matter? Are you intimidated by our affection?"

"No, it's more like, I want you to leave."

I relaxed my hold on Celestia, "Alright, done." I bent back down, placing Celestia into the same position she was in when I found her.

"That was nice, honey." Celestia cleared her throat before turning to Chrysalis. "I won't be going anywhere just yet, Chrysalis. I still have things to discuss with you."

"Oh, you can discuss those things later." I said, "Come on, break time."

"Break time? I appreciate the thought, but this is more serious than that."

"Your man seems to understand. Perhaps you should listen to him." said Chrysalis.

I patted her back. "I'm sure you've been at this all day. And I doubt any of it's been working. You should take a break. Give her time to process what you've said." I offered her my hand.

She let out a sigh. "You always know just what to say." She took my hand, allowing me to pull her to her feet. She held my hand for a little longer than needed, but soon smiled and moved to the door.

"I won't be 'processing' anything." said Chrysalis, "Your efforts are in vain, Princess."

"Are you hungry, Chrysalis?" I asked.

"Somewhat." Her eyes narrowed. She didn't seem pleased that I completely ignored her mocking.

"Alright, I'll grab you something. Uh... Do you... um..."

She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well... I was just thinking, you've been in the room since you got here. Do you... wanna come out and do something fun? Maybe, Mario Kart?"

"What?"

"Oh, that's a great idea!" exclaimed Celestia, "I hadn't even thought of that. Let me tell Red."

"Tell Red what?" we heard from the front room, "What are you telling me?"

Celestia opened the door. "Red, good news! Queen Chrysalis will be joining you in your game! Isn't that exciting?"

"What?! That's not good news!"

"I never said I would join!" Chrysalis called.

I turned to Chrysalis with a smile. "Come on, it'll be fun."

Chrysalis scowled at me. "Why must you insist on ruining my day?"

"Oh, your day was already ruined."

"This isn't helping your argument."

I shrugged. "Give ya something to do, at least."

"Fine, if it will get you off my back. You'd better leave me alone tonight."

"Don't worry, we'll leave you be. Promise. Let's get you to the front room."

"I hope you don't expect me to get out of bed on my own. I have enough trouble moving as it is."

"That's true. I'll help ya."

She smirked. "Carry me like your Princess."

"Really?"

"How else do you expect me to make it to the front room? After all, I'm so tired that I can't move my legs."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were malingering."

"I'm surprised you even know what that word means."

"Whatever. Meanie. Come on." I grabbed her blanket and tossed it to the side.

"Oh, you're actually going to do it?" She raised her arms, allowing me to slide my arms around her back and under her legs.

I stood, picking her up with me.

She placed her near arm around my shoulders. "You know, it really is nice to be carried."

"Yeah, it looks like it'd be nice." I moved to the front room.

As Celestia saw us in the doorway, she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "You really shouldn't enable her, Phil. She's capable of walking with your support."

I shrugged, which was a tad more difficult than usual given Chrysalis's size. Though her height was above average, she was fairly slim. Still, like Celestia, Chrysalis possessed an otherworldly beauty. I was more used to carrying her around by now, but I'm pretty sure my face was getting red again.

Red, on the other hand, seemed to want no part of this, as the moment we entered the room, she sprung up like a cat and darted into the kitchen. "What the hay?! I thought you were kidding!"

Chrysalis smirked. "Seems she's happy to see me."

"Yeah, about as happy as I'd be if I stepped in dog droppings!"

I deposited Chrysalis onto the couch, making sure she was comfortable. She was sat near the front door.

This was a rather interesting situation I've found myself in. Not only have I taught Princess Celestia and Red Shadow how to play Mario Kart, but I was also about to teach Queen Chrysalis the same thing. I still couldn't tell if she was actually enjoying all of this or if she was just bored and looking for something to do.

"This is what you bought when I was with you?" Chrysalis asked.

"Yep. Red and Celestia have been liking it so far. Mostly Red." I went through the same process to teach Chrysalis as I did the others.

Red peered through the kitchen doorway at us. Chrysalis merely smirked at her before turning her attention back to the TV.

"Join us, Red." said Celestia, "Chrysalis won't hurt you, I promise."

"Didn't you say yesterday that you can't trust her and that she's still our enemy?"

"Do you really think I'd be foolish enough to jeopardize my position in this household while I'm still debilitated?" asked Chrysalis.

"Stupider things have happened. Just look at Phil."

"Whoa! Hurtful!" I said.

Red smirked, despite her previous attitude.

"Join us, Red." Celestia repeated, "Please."

Red sighed, then started towards us. "Fine, but if she tries anything funny, I'm out."

"I have no intention of exacting revenge on you for stealing my stuffed bear, Red Shadow. Even though I want to."

"You see?!" Red glared at us. "She's out to get me!"

"Red, I promise you that you are safe. You have my word." Celestia chuckled.

"There isn't even any room for me to sit." she grumbled.

"I got you." I said, pausing the game. I gave my controller to her as I moved away.

Red hesitated for a moment, glaring at Chrysalis. Chrysalis patted the space next to her, in the middle, smirking back at her. There was some clear rancor between the two of them.

Red finally joined us, still keeping her distance from Chrysalis, sitting nearly on the opposite armrest, furthest from the door. She glared at Chrysalis for a little while longer before turning to the game. With Red now player one, she was able to start up another game. She was shooting glances at Chrysalis as she played, making sure she didn't do anything funny. Celestia joined the two of them, sitting between them. She waved me over and instructed me to sit in front of her. I shrugged and did so, sitting on the floor and resting against her legs.

"So, what happened between you and Phil before we met, Chrysalis?" Celestia asked.

"Did he not tell you?"

"He told me. I want to hear it from you. Tell me what he and you did while he was buying this game."

"Well, it's a simple story, really. I accompanied him in his travels around town."

"Tell me what happened."

Chrysalis chuckled. "Very well, if I must. I joined him in his car as we traveled to a store called..."

"Wal-Mart." I finished.

"Yes. There, he collected a large box with a picture of that device." She pointed to the TV. "I found myself captivated by a movie playing on a similar device nearby. He stepped away for a short while before returning with another box. As we left, he gifted me a particularly sweet chocolate candy."

"Chocolate? How thoughtful." Celestia patted my head.

"Afterwards, we stopped at another store. We briefly spoke of his past relationships before he told me how you met. It was quite an interesting story, Princess. Soon after, I suddenly became faint and collapsed, falling into his arms."

"You said that was just a trick." I said.

"I was exhausted. You knew how long I had been awake."

"She kept saying stuff that made me uncomfortable." I said, "Like the stuff she said last night."

Celestia sighed. "That's what I was afraid of. I'm afraid Chrysalis has developed feelings for you, Phil."

"No she hasn't." I said, Chrysalis immediately growling in agreement.

Celestia chuckled. "Well, either she's developing feelings, or she was telling the truth. I'd say both are equally likely."

Chrysalis hesitated for a short while before grumbling. "You're poking fun at me, aren't you?"

Celestia let out a pleased laugh.

"Wait, does Chrysalis like Phil?" asked Red, "You could do better."

"C'mon Red, always with the bullying." I replied.

"I can hardly tolerate Phil, let alone develop feelings for him." Chrysalis stated, "He's little more than a child in an adult's body."

Red chuckled. "I guess we agree on one thing."

"Be nice to Phil." Celestia protested, "He's a kindhearted man. He doesn't deserve these harsh words."

"A man needs to have certain traits to catch my attention." Chrysalis explained, "Phil is far from the ideal man, even without my high standards."

I shrugged. "That's fair."

"Phil, don't let her talk down to you like this." Celestia encouraged, "You are every bit as perfect a man as you need to be."

"To you, maybe." said Red, "What kind of traits do you look for in a man, Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis paused for a moment. "Hmm... Interesting question. I haven't given it much thought. I'm not particularly interested in looking for men."

"What about women?" she asked.

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at Red. "I'm not interested in looking for a partner of any kind."

"Oh, why not, Chrysalis?" asked Celestia, "Finding someone to love is one of the best things in the world." She turned to me with a smile.

"I do not desire the love of others. I merely wish to take the love from others." She smirked.

"You're kinda a terrible person, aren't you?" said Red.

Chrysalis snickered. "Do you think you're one to judge, thief?"

"Stealing gems is hardly a crime when you consider trying to take over a kingdom! If the length of the prison sentence was a contest, you've got me beat!"

"Isn't that a bit unfair? After all, juvenile detention is hardly a prison."

"What'd you just say?!"

"Given your age, you'd hardly get any time at all."

"You wanna go, bug?!"

"Red, please." said Celestia.

"She started it!"

"I started it." I said.

"It's not her fault." said Chrysalis, "Children are more prone to violence and aggression."

"I'm gonna make you regret that!"

"Ladies, please!" Celestia once more tried to calm them.

"Everypony is a child to Celestia and I. We've come to find that age is not a particularly good indicator of one's growth. I wouldn't think much of it if I were you. Though, if I were your age, I wouldn't be thinking much of anything."

"I'll take you down, I don't care if you can't fight back!"

"Oh, seems someone's cranky. What's the matter? Did you miss your afternoon nap?"

"I'll show you an afternoon nap! Get over here!"

After uttering her battle cry, Red lunged at Chrysalis, the two of them still sitting on either side of Celestia. I immediately turned my attention to them, wishing I had popcorn to enjoy this with. Chrysalis let out a yelp as Red attacked her, trying to pull away.

Red scrambled over Celestia far faster than I've ever seen her move. She stopped atop Chrysalis, straddling her lap while she brought her hands in. Chrysalis tried to push Red's arms away, but was nowhere near strong enough to defend herself. Red quickly proved that her skills were far superior to the partially-handicapped changeling as she began drilling her fists into the sides of Chrysalis's head.

"Yeah, call me a child now, will ya?"

"Ahh! Release me at once, fool!" Chrysalis tried to pull Red's hands away from her head, but she just couldn't muster the strength.

"Oh, so I'm a fool now, am I?"

Chrysalis cried out again.

"Red Shadow, let her go this instant!" Celestia ordered.

"Not until she learns her lesson!"

"Get off me, thief!"

I chose not to act in defense of Chrysalis. She totally had it coming.

Celestia's brow furrowed. "I said that's enough!" she shouted, lifting her hand. As a golden-yellow aura surrounded Celestia's hand, the same aura surrounded Red's body. She was lifted into the air, off Chrysalis.

Red struggled against the spell for a moment before giving up, unable to pull away.

"You don't wish to be called a child, yet you seem to have no problem acting like one." said Celestia, glaring at Red.

Chrysalis combed through her ruffled hair with her fingers, straightening the mess that Red made. She locked eyes with her assailant. "You'll get yours, thief." she growled.

"I'm not scared of you anymore, bug."

Chrysalis smirked. "Let's hear you say that when you return to Equestria." Before Celestia could stop her, Chrysalis lifted her hand and began to pinch and pull Red's cheek, taking advantage of Celestia's spell keeping Red immobile.

"Ow-ow-ow! Lemme go! Lemme go!"

Celestia once more used her magic, this time to break Chrysalis away from Red. "You're both acting childish! I expected this from Red, but not you, Chrysalis."

"What do you mean you expected this from me?" Red asked, struggling to break free again.

"You three better behave or you're grounded." I said.

"Wh... Phil, I'm trying to stop them from fighting!"

"Yes, behave Celestia." said Chrysalis.

"Yeah Princess, behave."

"Oh, let them play. Kids roughhouse all the time." I said.

"You want some of this, too?" Red tried to shake her fist at me, but was still trapped in Celestia's spell.

"Bring it, short stuff. I'll put you in the ground."

"Phil, don't encourage her!" said Celestia.

Chrysalis chuckled.

Celestia looked between the two of them for a short while before removing her spell, dropping Red onto Chrysalis. The two of them let out a yelp as they collided. Their eyes met for a moment before Red jumped off her. Red circled the table and returned to her seat, resuming the game.

"Don't take it so hard, Red." I said, "Celestia's just as childish as I am."

Red snickered.

"I am not!"

"You kinda are." I said.

"Well..." She looked to the side, then back to me. "This was supposed to be a private place. Somewhere my subjects wouldn't be judging my every move. Now it's merely a resting place for those trapped in this world."

"Yeah, get out of here, you two." I said, "Celestia and I want to be alone."

"I have no business here. I will leave as soon as I am able." said Chrysalis.

"Yeah, well I can't leave." said Red.

"Chrysalis, take Red home." I said.

"No."

"Come on, it would save us a lot of trouble."

"Your troubles have nothing to do with me."

Well... technically...

Celestia patted my head. "Don't worry, Philly. We can spend a little more time with Red. She's our friend, after all."

"Yeah, yeah."

As we played, Chrysalis spoke. "The two of you are quite close. Closer than most others I've met. I was surprised to hear that you've found a companion while you were gone, Celestia. It came as quite a shock to find that it was a human. The love you share has already given me so much energy. I shouldn't have any problem overpowering you again, should the need arise." She chuckled to herself.

Red warily pushed herself further from Chrysalis, but kept playing.

"We'll be ready for you, Chrysalis." said Celestia.

"Good. I wouldn't want it to be too easy. Where's the fun in that?"

"I still don't-"

A knock at the front door interrupted Celestia. Who's here at this hour? Well, I guess it's not that late.

I stood with a shrug and moved to the door to pull it open. "Sarah! Wh-What are you doing here?"

All three women on the couch moved to a position where they could see the doorway. Chrysalis merely turned her head.

"Phil!" she barked. She paused as her eyes wandered to the three women. "Who... are they? Are you Celestia?" she asked Chrysalis, who was simply closest to the door.

Chrysalis pointed at Celestia, clarifying for Sarah.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I... I needed to speak with you!" she let out, rather forcefully.

"Uh... C-Come in. Uh..." I stepped back, giving her room to step inside and close the door. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"This is the Sarah from your work?" asked Celestia.

"Who was she again?" Red cut in, "I remember you saying something about a 'Sarah', but I wasn't really listening."

"She and Phil went on a date just before I got back." Celestia explained, "She told her parents that she found herself a boyfriend and they wanted to meet him."

"Phil, what the hay?" asked Red.

"Hey, it's her fault." I blamed Sarah, "She's the one that lied to them."

"Wait, you went on a date when you were with Celestia?" asked Red.

"It wasn't a date, it-"

"Phil, I need you to meet my parents soon!" Sarah interjected, "My father is getting suspicious of me."

Celestia stood, approaching the two of us, confronting Sarah. "I fail to see how that is his problem." she said, her voice firm.

Celestia was immediately taking my side. Ah... I didn't deserve her.

Sarah immediately looked to her feet, falling silent. Celestia's imposing presence was frightening the little lady. Celestia had at least half a foot on her, I'd be scared too..

"So what happened between you two? Was it a date or wasn't it?"

"Red, please shut up for a minute." I said.

She seemed mildly offended, but it wasn't any worse than when we spoke regularly.

"You'd better have a good reason for barging into our home like this." said Celestia.

"I... I j-just... I... n-need Phil t-to..." She stuttered along the way, but eventually got her message across. There was no change in her motives. She wanted me to pretend to be her boyfriend for a night.

Though Sarah was clearly nervous, Celestia showed no signs of backing off. "Why is it you need my fiancé for your meeting?"

"F-F-Fiancé?" Sarah asked. I never told her, I bet she's shocked by the news. "I... I don't h-have any... any other f-friends... None th-that can... f-fool my father."

Celestia stood unfazed. "Why do you need to fool your father?"

"I... I can't tell him the truth. I just c-can't."

"Tell me, Sarah. Please." Though still stern, Celestia was reintroducing kindness into her voice, softening it, trying to deescalate the situation.

"I... I'm scared. I'm scared of what he'll say, I'm s-scared of what he'll d-do... I'm j-just s-scared."

"What will he do?" Chrysalis asked.

"We've heard enough. We don't need to go into details, Chrysalis." said Celestia, "Phil, what do you think?"

"I get it. I can't agree with it, but I get it. Dads can be scary."

Celestia looked to me for a moment, eyes soft with curiosity. Her gaze soon returned to Sarah. She crossed her arms. "Why should I let you take him?"

"It... It's not... I j-just... I... Y-You... You shouldn't. I was d-dumb and I m-made a mistake! I kn-know I made a mistake. I'm asking f-for your help b-because I have n-nobody else to t-turn to."

Celestia turned her gaze to me once more before letting out a sigh. She turned back to Sarah. "Perhaps we should discuss this over dinner. Are you hungry, Sarah?"

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

"Phil, could you prepare us something to eat?" she asked, a pleasant smile on her face.

"Huh? What? Uh... Ok. Sure."

"N-No, I... I'm fine. I... I don't want t-to impose." said Sarah.

"Nonsense, Phil loves to cook!" Celestia said with a smile, "Isn't that right, honey?"

"Absolutely. I'll make us up something nice. Chrysalis, Red, hungry?"

Chrysalis looked at me. "Yes. I'd like something with a bit of class."

"Yeah, I bet you would. Red?"

"Uh... Sure. I could eat."

"Cool. Be right back." I moved into the kitchen.

What the heck? Why am I making food for five people? Whatever. I had no idea what to make. Spaghetti, perhaps. No, I can't make spaghetti with the ponies being vegetarians. My spaghetti is full of meat. Dad's recipe. I guess I could just not add the meat. Aw man, but that's the best part. I could order a few pizzas, instead. Ah, too late. I already had spaghetti on the mind. I'll make a big batch. Extra noodles.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I get to make spaghetti for my favorite person in the whole wide world! Not just that, I get to make spaghetti for a bunch of my friends, too! I love spaghetti.

The process was fairly simple. While waiting for the water to boil, I opened a jar of sauce and poured it into a separate pot. Into this, I added a vigorous shake of oregano and garlic powder. Typically, I would have poured the sauce over browned beef, but most of my guests were vegetarian.

Huh... I was cooking spaghetti for Princess Celestia, Queen Chrysalis, a third mare from Equestria, and another woman from my own world. If I really think about it, this was the strangest thing I have ever done. And usually I don't need to add the qualifier 'from my own world' when referring to other people.

Celestia entered the kitchen not long after I broke the noodles into the water like the uncultured barbarian I was.

"How's it going out there?" I asked.

"It's going well. It smells good."

"Glad you think so. I'm a little bummed out that I couldn't make it the way I liked it."

"Oh?"

"Well... with meat."

"I would have tried it."

"It wouldn't be fair to Red and Chrysalis."

"That's true. Sarah has been very nervous. She doesn't like being the center of attention."

"She should've thought about that before coming in unannounced."

"Perhaps. I didn't expect her to intrude on us like this. Just what have you been telling her to make her so desperate?"

"Like I said, I just told her that I was busy. Did you leave her out there alone with Chrysalis?"

"Don't worry, Red's with them."

"Red's not exactly a role model, either."

"I heard that!" Red called.

"I don't care!" I replied.

Red let out a laugh. The three of them were speaking, though I didn't hear what was being discussed. It seemed Chrysalis was leading the conversation. I don't know if I trusted her around this matter.

"Do you think we should give her a chance, even after her intrusion?" Celestia asked.

"Course I do. I owe her this much for dragging her around like this."

"So, you feel you owe her a debt?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry I pushed this on you."

"It's alright. I'm glad you wanted to get my permission. I'll see this through, honey."

I smiled, knowing full well that I didn't deserve her kindness.

"What did you tell her, exactly? She said that you were ignoring her."

"I... kinda was. I didn't wanna deal with it. But I needed to. I told her that I was busy and I told myself that I'd deal with her when Red left. Then this whole thing with Chrysalis comes along and ruins my plan."

Celestia nodded. "It was a surprise, to be sure. How long do you think this will take to prepare?"

"Hungry?"

"A little."

"You're always hungry."

She let out a short giggle.

"This has to cook for a little while. Let's see how the three of them are getting along."

We returned to the front room, catching the end of Chrysalis speaking to Sarah. "I'm merely a friend of Celestia's. I met Phil just recently."

"Stop harassing her, Chrysalis." I entered the room with a smile, immediately finding an opportunity to poke fun.

"I will harass whomever I please."

"I'm their friend, too." said Red. She gestured to Chrysalis. "The two of us don't really..."

"Know each other." Chrysalis finished.

"Yeah, we don't really know each other."

"Spaghetti for dinner tonight." Celestia announced, a sunny cheer in her voice.

"Spaghetti?" Chrysalis frowned. "I thought I requested something with class."

"Spaghetti's classy." I said.

Her eyes narrowed.

"'Til it gets on your sweater, at least. You could just not eat it."

"You would starve me, wouldn't you?"

"Now, now, it's a perfectly fine meal. There's no need to complain." Celestia acted as peacekeeper between us. "Sarah, do you have any complaints?"

"N-No, ma'am."

"Ma'am? Please, call me Celestia."

"A-Alright... Celestia."

"Before we continue though, perhaps we could do with some proper introductions. Sarah, would you be so kind as to start?"

"Oh, um... Alright." Sarah turned towards the center of the room, making sure she could see everyone. "My name is Sarah Lockhart. I w-work with Phil at McDonald's. And... m-my reason for being here is to convince Ph-Phil to... to help me t-trick my parents into thinking I have a boyfriend."

"Wonderful." Celestia smiled. "My name is Celestia. I'm Phil's fiancée. I've been living with him while I'm in the area."

"I'm Red. I can't leave or they'll tie me up in the basement."

"Red, please." said Celestia.

Red chuckled. "Sorry. I'm staying here while I'm between houses."

"Your name is... Red?"

"It's just what everyone calls me."

"Al-Alright." Sarah looked to Chrysalis expectantly.

There was a long pause before she finally decided to respond. "Chrysalis. I'm staying here while I recover."

"R-Recover?"

"It's difficult for me to move my body without aid. I have no choice but to rest here before I can return home."

"Oh, my god... M-May I ask... what happened?"

Chrysalis shifted her gaze to me for a moment. "I don't wish to share."

"Oh... Ok..." Chrysalis had no interest in sharing, so Sarah gave up without a fight. "I hope you g-get well soon."

"As do I."

"So I hear you met Phil just before Celestia came back." said Red.

"Y-Yes. That's what he said, at least."

"Luna showed up right after I took Sarah home." I said, "I told Sarah that Celestia was coming back."

"Why'd you have to take her home?" Red asked.

"She missed her bus and her house is on the other side of town."

"How old are you, Sarah?" asked Celestia.

"I'm... I'm 21."

Celestia stared blankly at her for a few moments before leaning towards me. "Does she look young for 21? I can't tell." she whispered.

"I dunno. Red's nineteen."

"Hmm..." She pulled away. "What do you do for a living, Sarah?"

"I... I used to go to college, but since the move, I've had to suspend my schooling. I'm planning on starting again soon."

"Oh, that's wonderful! What are you studying?"

"I'm working towards earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine."

"A veterinarian? What a noble goal!" said Celestia, "How many years have you been studying?"

"Um... F-Four. I still have a lot of work to do."

"Four? But you're so young!"

"I... I graduated high school at sixteen."

"You must be very talented." said Celestia, "You remind me of one of my good friends back home. She specialized in..." Celestia paused, remembering that magic wasn't exactly commonplace in this world. "Well, she was certainly passionate about her work."

"Geez..." I rubbed my neck, a little ashamed that my own education paled in comparison to this little lady. "I took two years at a tech school, I couldn't imagine putting in that kind of work."

"What did you study?" Sarah asked, her face lighting up. She seemed pretty excited all of the sudden.

"Oh, uh... I..." I cleared my throat. "I have a two year technical degree in computer science."

"Technical degree?" asked Chrysalis.

"Got a problem with that?" I asked, immediately becoming defensive. Chrysalis usually didn't have the best intentions in mind, and I knew that she could sense my jealousy.

Chrysalis chuckled. "Technical degrees aren't especially common..." She flicked her eyes at Sarah. "Where we're from. Neither is the 'computer science' field. I'm curious as to how easy one would be to obtain."

As she said that, her eyes were trained directly on me. It's impressive that she went to such lengths just to call me stupid. She knew exactly what to say to push my buttons.

"I don't think it would be easy by any means." said Sarah, "A technical degree requires the same level of skill and understanding in its field as any other degree."

"Exactly." I agreed. Thank you, Sarah.

"Um... Phil?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I have a question. W-Where... Um... D-Did you have another job before you started working at McDonalds?"

"Yep. Spent two years working IT at the city as an intern and a year as a printer support tech for the hospital. Then McDonalds. It doesn't pay as much, though. One of these days I'll get a better job. I certainly haven't been looking."

"Phil, are you not living up to your full potential?" asked Celestia.

I shrugged. "Maybe not. But I'm happy."

She smiled, pleased with my response. "Well, I suppose that's all that matters."

"Have you ever thought about continuing your education?" asked Sarah.

"Oh, god no. School was the most stressful part of my life and I'll never go back by choice."

"Oh... Alright... What... about you, Celestia? Have you attended a school of higher education?"

Celestia chuckled. "I have formal education in the fields of law and business."

"You... Oh my goodness... How... How old are you, Celestia?"

"I'm 27." she said, giving her the answer she gave my family.

Once more, Chrysalis decided to poke fun at us. "Quit lying to the poor girl."

"She... She hasn't been to college?" asked Sarah.

"I have no doubt that she's been to college, but she's not 27."

"Chrysalis?" asked Celestia.

"The old hag's in her forties!" she said with a laugh.

"Wh-Who are you calling old hag?!" Celestia seemed a bit caught off guard by Chrysalis's accusation.

"Oh, I know it's tough, but denial isn't the right way to deal with this." said Chrysalis, obviously enjoying Celestia's plight.

I heard a distinct sizzling coming from the kitchen. Knowing exactly what it was, I rushed back to stir the boiling-over pot of noodles. After a small adjustment to the heat to stop it from happening again and stirring both pots, I returned to the front room.

"Sarah, I'm 27! You believe me, right?"

"Uh... I... I don't know."

"Phil, tell her!" she turned to me in desperation. Though she seemed to be losing this battle, she was still smiling. She was having just as much fun as Chrysalis.

"Tell her what?"

"Tell her how old I am."

"Yep, she's 27." I said, as per her instructions.

"See?"

"Oh, like you even know. I bet she lied to you, too." said Red.

"She's quite a bit older than even I am." Chrysalis added, "And that's saying something."

"Stop saying I'm old!"

"You're the oldest one here." said Red.

"That doesn't mean anything!" She was still trying to defend herself.

"Y-You look good for a woman in her forties." Sarah joined in on the fun.

"I'm 27!" Celestia shouted.

Sarah stifled a laugh. Red was less courteous and burst out with her own laughter. Chrysalis was just smiling, reveling in Celestia's anguish.

"Phiiil!" she complained

"Alright guys, be nice. She can say she's 27 if she wants."

"I AM 27!" she shouted at me.

I let out a laugh. Her faux anger immediately disappeared as she began giggling alongside me.

As our laughter died down, Sarah spoke again. "So... She is 27?"

Red just shrugged. Chrysalis didn't react to the question.

I shrugged. "Yeah, as far as I know." I wrapped my arm around Celestia's shoulders, leaning in near her ear and whispering, "You are pretty good looking for a woman in her forties."

She playfully nudged me away. "So Sarah, do you have any hobbies?" she asked.

"Oh, I study a lot! I have a lot of work to do to prepare for my next semester. I-I'm on my computer a lot, as well. I spend time with my friends... when they're... not busy. I don't go out much. B-But sometimes I do volunteer work."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah... I volunteer at animal shelters and v-veterinarian offices. I love working with animals. It... comes with the profession."

"Oh, how nice." Celestia had such a kind voice with Sarah.

"You're friends with Phil, yes?" asked Chrysalis.

We all looked to her.

"Y-Yes, I am." said Sarah.

"Are you... good friends?" she asked.

"I-I don't... M-Maybe... We met just a short while ago... s-so... n-no."

"We're friends." I confirmed, "What's up?"

She turned her attention to me. She had a dull look on her face. Kinda creepy. "I'm just curious. From what I saw, you spoke quite often."

"Well I am her boss. Wait, were you spying on us?"

"I was spying on you. I had no interest in your friend. Not until today."

"Well... ok."

"Is the food ready?" Red asked.

"Ah, lemme check." I turned back into the kitchen to once more check how the noodles were progressing. They looked done, but I needed to confirm it with a taste test. I scooped a few noodles out with my wooden spoon, pouring off the excess water. After blowing on it for a short while, I popped it into my mouth. It was still exceedingly hot, but I could tell immediately that it was done. I threw the strainer into the sink and picked up the pot.

Celestia poked her head through the doorway to watch.

"Careful, hot." I warned, moving to the sink. She stayed out of the way so I could drain the water, but was still watching.

When it was drained, I set the pot back onto the stove and added a heaping spoonful of butter to the bottom, then emptied the noodles back into it. I mixed the butter into the noodles before nodding to myself and announcing to my guests, "Food's ready!"

"Oh! Come along, Sarah. Join us for dinner." said Celestia, walking in.

"Smells pretty good." Red followed Celestia into the kitchen.

Sarah stepped inside shortly after, queueing up for her food. I set out dishes and toppings, such as shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.

Celestia was the first to get her food. She grabbed the serving spoon and shoveled spoonful after spoonful onto her plate.

"Not so much, honey. Leave some for me." I said.

"Phil, it's really hot!" she let out, continually readjusting her hands on her plate so she wouldn't burn herself.

"Careful, it's hot." I warned her.

As she got her cheese, Red collected some noodles. She and Sarah were far more sensible with their portions. I think Sarah just didn't want to take advantage of our kindness.

Wait, we're missing someone. I looked back into the living room.

Chrysalis smirked at me. "Yes?"

I walked to her. "If you don't want spaghetti, I can make you something else."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm certain there's nothing you could prepare that could satisfy my desires."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll like it once you give it a try. Can you get up on your own?"

"No. It seems you'll have to assist me again."

"I can bring you a plate out here."

"And leave me out of all the fun?" She smirked.

I shrugged. "Alright, but I'm not carrying you this time." I offered her my hand.

"Oh, and here I was hoping you'd carry me like your Princess just one more time." She grabbed my hand and allowed me to pull her to her feet.

As I pulled her close to support her, her eyes locked with mine. I turned my gaze away, cheeks reddening at our sudden closeness. She stood still for a moment, testing herself in my arms. Her legs soon gave out and she collapsed against me. Her arm wrapped around my shoulder as she straightened herself. I reached down to hold her hip, keeping her stable.

"I gotta get you a wheelchair. Make Red push you around."

"You can't make me do anything!" she called from the kitchen, once more overhearing a somewhat private conversation.

"Seems she's not interested in helping me."

With slow steps, the two of us made it into the kitchen. Celestia pulled out a chair for her to sit, which I deposited her onto. She seemed indifferent to the looks of Red and Sarah. I moved to the stove to prepare a plate for her.

"How hungry are ya?"

"Just give me a plate. I'm not playing this game."

"You got it." Right. I doubt this is much fun for her.

I gave her what I considered a small portion of noodles with a healthy scoop of sauce to cover it. Of course, an American small is an Equestrian medium. I placed the various cheeses onto the table for her to use as she pleased.

Chrysalis picked up her fork to poke at the noodles on her plate. She picked up a few for a quick examination before lowering her fork and twirling it to pick up more.

I don't know why she felt the need to do a double take with the food I cooked, but whatever.

She gave her spaghetti a bite before going in for another.

"How is it, Chrysalis?" I asked, the fragility of my ego riding on her opinion of my cooking.

"It's fine." she answered simply.

"I'll take it. How about you, Celestia?"

"It's great, honey. I love the spices. So simple, yet so delectable." She smiled.

"Good, good. Sarah? How about you?"

"It's... It's good. Th-Thank you." she replied.

"I'm glad everyone likes it. Maybe I'll make it again sometime."

"Aren't you gonna ask what I thought of it?" asked Red.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"'Cause I don't care."

"Oh, you jerk!"

I smirked as I turned to get some food for myself. I'm glad I made extra noodles, it's my favorite part. I knew they'd go fast. I turned back to the table and quickly realized, "Oh yeah, I only have four chairs out here."

"Oh!" started Sarah, "I'm almost f-finished! I can move."

"Nah, you're good." I set my plate onto the counter. "Wait a minute, lemme get you guys something to drink. Girls." I opened the fridge and checked what we had. "Uh... Milk alright? We got other stuff, if ya want it. Water, apple juice, mountain dew."

I pulled out the gallon of milk for myself. Nobody seemed interested in the other options, so I placed it on the table while I got us some cups.

"Thank you, Phil." Celestia said through a mouthful of food.

"What is mountain dew?" asked Chrysalis, taking her cup.

"It's a lemon-lime soft drink." answered Celestia, "Served in an aluminum can."

"Hmm..." She didn't seem interested.

I moved to the table, standing between Red and Celestia and placing my plate onto it.

Sarah turned to Celestia. "Th-That's a v-very unique name you have, C-Celestia."

"Hmm?"

"It's... It's Latin, isn't it?"

"Is it?"

"Of course!" she said with a wide smile, "It's a variant of Celeste, which means 'heavenly'."

Celestia smiled, thinking over what Sarah said. "Heavenly... How nice."

"Did you know that?" I asked.

"I had a feeling."

Sarah seemed pretty proud of herself. "A-And Chrysalis, your name is also very unique."

Chrysalis eyed her. Her gaze briefly flicked to Red before she said, "Keep in mind that your words dictate the punishment this impudent fool will receive once I regain my power."

"What?! Why am I the one getting punished?" cried Red.

"Oh, I-I... I d-don't..." Sarah stammered.

"You know, don't you? You seem the type." said Chrysalis, "A chrysalis refers to the pupal stage of a butterfly."

"Y-Yes, that's... true, but..."

"But?"

"B-B-But... d-do you know the origin of the word ch-chrysalis?"

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.

"Chrysalis is... It has origins in th-the Greek language. Namely, the word chrysós, meaning gold. It refers t-to the gold sheen of s-some butterfly pupae." Sarah explained.

"Gold?"

"Does that mean I'm safe?" asked Red.

Chrysalis smirked. "For now."

Sarah smiled, having appeased the beast across the table. She then turned to Red. "And Red... It's... It's a..."

"Color, yes." she said, smirking, "Can you guess where it came from? I'll give you a hint, it's also red."

"Y-Your hair, right?"

Red paused for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, let's go with that."

"I-It's a very lovely color. Is your hair... naturally red?"

"From the day I was born."

"I th-think it looks really nice."

"Oh... Um... Thank you."

Sarah turned back towards the group. "S-So... Where are you all from? C-Celestia, Phil mentioned that you travel a lot for work."

"That's right." Celestia gave Sarah the same roundabout explanation she gave my family, that she moved often with work. More notably, she ran a hand through her hair.

"That sounds so exciting. Where are you from, Red?"

As Sarah turned her attention away, Celestia began to pout.

"Oh, around." said Red, "Same... Same place as... Actually the two of us worked together. Me and the Pr... Me and Celestia, I mean. I was her secretary."

"Oh, a secretary? What kind of work did the two of you do?"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. That's confidential." said Celestia, going along with Red's lies.

"Alright. I w-won't ask again. What about you, Chrysalis? Where are you from?"

"I don't wish to discuss my personal life." She immediately shot down Sarah.

"Oh... Alright." There was a bit of disappointment in her voice, but she bounced back quickly.

Celestia turned her attention to me, staring intently.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She lifted her plate to show me that it was clear.

"Use your words."

"Can you get me some more, please?"

I took the plate from her. "There's not much left."

"That's fine."

I collected more spaghetti for my Princess, sprinkling some cheese on top and placing it in front of her.

"Thank you, honey!" she said with a smile. She twirled her fork into the pile and stuffed it into her mouth. "So, Sarah..." She swallowed. "If we can get back to the matter at hand... Tell me about your home life."

"My home life? W-Well, there's not m-much to t-tell. I... I live a... nice life with my parents. My father is usually busy with work, b-but my mother doesn't work, so she's always at home to take care of me. I-If... If I need it. I don't... uh... I'm an adult. I can take care of m-myself."

"What does your father do for a living?"

"He... He owns a building manufacturing company. It's why he's always so busy."

"My, how impressive! Your family must be very wealthy."

"W-We're not that wealthy."

"There's no need to be modest. I come from a very wealthy family, myself. Even Red is quite wealthy. You see, in her off-time, she procures and sells valuable gems and jewelry."

Red gave her a sarcastic, "Oh, ha-ha."

Celestia smirked at her.

"Well... th-then... I suppose... Y-Yes, I come from a wealthy family. M-My father's business is very successful."

Celestia nodded. "What's he like? Your father."

"He's... He's always been... strict. B-But... he always has the best interests of h-his family at heart. That's what m-my mom says. L-Like I said though, he's a busy man. I don't s-see him much." She looked away, grabbing her arm. Geez...

"What about your mother? What's she like?

Sarah's mood seemed to brighten. "My... My mother is a very nice woman. She always spends time with me when I want her too. Whenever I'm feeling down, I can always go to her for support." She let out a nervous chuckle. "She's not... the brightest woman out there, so when she sees me succeed in school, she's always so proud of me. She always listens to what I say, even if she doesn't know what I'm talking about. It's always great to see her smile."

Celestia smiled. "She sounds wonderful, Sarah. Tell me, with all your education, why take a position at McDonald's? It doesn't seem particularly..."

"It's pathetic." said Chrysalis, "A woman of your talents should be on top, not taking orders from someone like him." She gestured a hand to me.

"Hey, just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it." I said.

Sarah shook her head. "M-My father wanted me to get more experience working with people. At least until my next semester starts."

I nodded. "Not a bad idea. Just a shitty place to start."

"But I've also been trying to start my volunteer work again. I need to see what options are available locally. You see, I can't drive myself. I'd need to take the bus or walk."

"You can't drive yourself? Why not?" asked Celestia.

"I... I don't have a car."

Celestia nodded. "What a busy woman you are. And you still get time to yourself?"

"I don't need much time. I really enjoy working with the animals."

I don't really see Celestia like this very often. She had such a warm smile. Her voice was soft and she had such a sunny disposition. She really liked talking with Sarah. She's always this way around others. Should I take her out more? Oh, I'll have time. We'll have plenty of time for that later.

"How'd you get stuck at Micky-Dee's with all your volunteer work?" I asked.

"I... I've never had an actual job before. I've interned, but it's all been... on my own... away from anyone else. I needed... time with people, not just... animals."

"I guess. McDonkey's isn't too bad a place for that. You'll meet all sorts of people. It's been nice having you around. You're worlds better than the last few people we had. It's... It's just such a shame that you have to be wasting your talents at a fast food restaurant."

"It's alright, Phil. I knew what it meant to t-take this job."

I nodded. "I hope you did. You know, I used to be kinda like you. You just need a bit of experience, like your dad said. Works wonders."

She smiled. "I'm happy to hear that. I've never really been good with people. I'm usually very... shy."

"You didn't seem too shy when you burst through the door and shouted at Phil." said Red.

"I... I'm sorry about my intrusion. It was... just... It was a mistake."

"Perhaps. It certainly was rude at first, but you turned out to be such a kind woman." said Celestia, "If a bit misguided."

"Yes... Thank you."

"It's nice to meet someone new." said Red, "They don't let me leave, so I can't just go out and socialize. I haven't made any friends outside of our little group here, and for half of these guys, 'friends' is kinda pushing it."

"Red, please." Celestia tried to intervene.

"I... I haven't made any other friends here, either." Sarah responded.

"Oh, how awful." said Celestia.

"Didn't you say your friends were all in college?" I asked.

"They... They were in college. When I was s-still going, that is. Not... Not here."

"Oh."

"Well, we can be friends." said Celestia, "For the short time we have left here, at least."

"Short time?"

"Chrysalis is planning on leaving as soon as she recovers. Red and I are returning to work in a few weeks."

"I'd kinda prefer staying here to play video games, to be honest." said Red.

"You're not staying here." Celestia put her foot down. Metaphorically. Hoof.

Red shrugged. "Alright."

"I assume you'd like me to return as well?" asked Chrysalis.

"I... can't imagine you would want to stay here."

"Perhaps."

"I don't have the power to stop you from doing so, but yes, I would like you to leave. Though it may serve you well to spend some more time with Phil. Perhaps your time spent here would change you for the better."

"Hmm... I'm afraid you're right. Very well, I will return."

"You're returning for work?" Sarah asked, "W-Will Phil be joining you, Celestia?"

"Well..." Celestia looked to me. "It's a complicated matter. With my position at work, I can't be away overlong. Even if I've... found myself with somebody. There is business that I need to attend to. I'd love to stay here with him, but right now, I cannot. Sadly, he cannot join me."

"She can't spend too much time with him or her wrinkles will start to show." Chrysalis let out, "They take breaks so he won't have the time to notice."

"I am not old!" Celestia shouted at her.

"Wow, that was cold, Chrysalis." said Red. Red held up a fist towards Chrysalis, who gave her a confused look in return. "Come on, don't leave me hanging." Red shook her arm to get her point across.

Chrysalis slowly lifted her hand and bumped it against Red's closed fist.

"See, that wasn't so bad." said Red.

Chrysalis chuckled, a small smile on her face.

Celestia took in a breath. "It's somewhat of a private matter. I don't wish to say any more. We're learning to deal with it."

"I understand. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Sarah."

"I... I'm sorry to say this so s-suddenly... but I need to go home s-soon. Can... Can Phil help me? Can he... come to d-dinner with me?"

Celestia smiled at Sarah. "Of course he can, Sarah. You can set up a time with him later."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Sarah brought her hands together in front of her chest.

"Now then, you wouldn't want to worry your parents, would you?"

"No, y-you're right. I should go." Sarah stood, "I... Um..."

"Don't worry about your dishes, we'll take care of them." said Celestia.

"N-No, it's..."

"What's the matter?"

"Well... I walked here after work. I..."

"I got ya." I said.

"No, no, it's just..." She stopped herself, then looked down. "Thank you. I'm sorry for all this."

"Phil, you're taking her home?" Celestia asked.

"Yep. Be back... uh... I dunno. Tonight, sometime."

"See you soon, honey!" Celestia said with a smile.

"G-Goodbye, everyone." Sarah let out, giving them a short nod.

"Goodbye, Sarah." said Celestia.

"Yeah, bye."

Chrysalis said nothing.

"Alright, ready?" I asked.

She nodded.

I grabbed the keys and the two of us headed outside. I'm glad I had a hoodie, it's getting really cold out. I zipped it up as I stepped out.

Not long after the two of us left for her house, she spoke up again. "Hey, Phil?"

"What's up?"

"C-Celestia was... much more kind than I thought she'd be."

"Yeah. She's wonderful. I love her."

"You met Celestia j-just a few months ago, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"And... she's been gone for a month?"

"Sadly, yes."

"It... It seemed like... you didn't know that she was... coming back. Did you?"

"No. I thought that was it for us. I thought she was gone forever. It still doesn't help that you're bringing it up."

"Ah! I-I'm sorry! I... I just..." She stopped.

"Hmm?"

"N-Nothing... F-Forget about it."

I shrugged. "You got it."

There was a long pause before she quietly said, "C-Celestia is... very... pretty."

"Yeah... Yeah."

I brought Sarah home as I had done once before. This time, I pulled into the driveway. We bid each other farewell before parting ways. After making sure she could get inside, I headed back home.

As I walked inside, I could hear the distinct clinking of glasses and plates in the sink. Celestia was doing dishes, cleaning up after our mess. Red was sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart again.

"Welcome back!" called Celestia.

I joined them in the kitchen. Chrysalis was still sitting at the table. She glanced to me as I entered.

"Doing alright, Chrysalis?" I asked.

"I need to use the restroom."

I blinked. "Celestia?"

Celestia let out a short chuckle as she placed her dish back into the sink. She dried her hands before turning to Chrysalis. "Phil's not helping you for this one."

"This is embarrassing." said Chrysalis, standing with the aid of Celestia.

"I know. Let's get this over with."

The two of them moved to the bathroom. I took this opportunity to continue washing the dishes. They paused at the door for a short moment, trying to decide if Chrysalis would be able to make it on her own. Eventually, the two of them disappeared behind the door. Celestia stepped out after a short while, closing the door behind her. She joined me at the sink.

"Get those thoughts out of your head, honey."

"No."

She smirked, then reached a hand towards the dish I was wiping. I gave it to her so she could start drying.

"She didn't compliment my hair."

"Huh?"

"Sarah said she liked Red's hair but didn't say anything about mine or Chrysalis's."

"She probably thought it was a wig."

"It's real!"

"I know, I've pulled it enough times to make sure."

She nudged me with her elbow, but the playful smile on her face betrayed her intentions.

Eventually, Celestia retrieved Chrysalis and deposited her on the couch, then returned to me to finish the dishes. We stood together as we washed, enjoying each other's presence. It was almost like we were alone right now. Almost.

After the dishes had been dealt with, the two of us moved to the front room. Both Chrysalis and Red were sitting on the couch, five feet apart 'cause they're not gay. Red was playing on her own while the rest of us watched.

"Red. Chrysalis." said Celestia, getting their attention.

Red paused her game. The two of them focused on the Princess.

She nodded towards me, letting me know that she wanted me to pay attention as well. "In regards to our return to Equestria... Chrysalis, I suspect you already know, but as for the rest of you, there are some things you should know. These worlds connect directly once every thirty moons. Though Chrysalis has managed to create a connection of her own, it was not an easy task, by any means. However, it is more complicated than it appears. Phil, if you'll recall, my former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle, traveled to a different world than this. Red, you likely have no knowledge of this."

"I heard about Princess Twilight disappearing for a while. Didn't know the details." said Red.

"My sister and I have theorized that there are alternate versions of this world. With this in mind, we do not understand what factors may lead to one going to one world or the other."

"Or perhaps returning to an alternate version of Equestria?" asked Chrysalis.

Celestia nodded. "It is only a theory, but we believe that it is possible. With this in mind, we have decided that staying in this world for any longer than necessary cannot be allowed. Without knowing why we came to this version of the human world, we cannot control where we may end up, whether it will happen while returning to Equestria, or even if it will ever happen again."

"And you, Celestia?" Chrysalis pointed out.

"I have... special privileges."

"Because you're the Princess?" she prodded.

"Yes."

Chrysalis laughed. "How foolish. You don't need to worry about me. I'm not coming back to this world."

"I trust you to keep your word, Chrysalis." Celestia turned back to us. "Unfortunately, we have made no progress on the books Chrysalis mentioned. We are still searching for information on them. Until something is found, Red, you will be returning within the same window as I."

"Fine by me. Gives me enough time to collect these cups."

"This has been an interesting night." said Chrysalis, "I didn't expect our little guest."

"Interesting's a light word for it." said Red, "She came in and just shouted at Phil. I wish I could do that."

"What's stopping you?" asked Chrysalis.

"I dunno." she replied, "I don't got much to shout at him about. What the heck was with Sarah talking about her dad? He seemed kinda..."

"Neglectful." Chrysalis finished.

"I wasn't gonna say that."

"You don't know him. Please keep that in mind." said Celestia, "Still, I would like to thank you for your kindness, Queen Chrysalis."

"Kindness?"

"You treated Sarah fairly. You even participated in our discussion."

"I have no interest in this woman."

"Even so, thank you."

"Enough. You've gotten your point across. Your kind words are wasted on me. I'm hardly listening."

"Oh, am I really such a bother to you, Chrysalis?"

"Far more than you may think, Princess."

Celestia sighed. "Very well. I'll leave you to your malevolent ways. For now."

Chrysalis smirked. "I'm curious to see how this dinner will turn out. Phil could find out just what kind of a man Sarah's father truly is."

I shrugged. "I'll let ya know when I get back. I still gotta talk to Sarah about a time, though."

"Well, at least she turned out to be pretty nice." said Red.

Celestia nodded. "I was unsure about this when Phil first mentioned it to me."

"Our guest seemed unsure herself." said Chrysalis.

"I wouldn't say that." said Red, "She had a goal and she accomplished it. Even if she was pretty nervous."

"She has a nervous stutter." said Chrysalis, "It became far worse when I questioned her. Am I really that scary?"

"You're terrifying." said Red.

Chrysalis chuckled.

"I don't know, I thought it was kinda cute." said Red.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"What?" asked Red. After a few moments, she seemed to realize something. She quickly turned back to the game, unpausing and resuming play.

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. I brought Chrysalis to the bathroom and made sure she had a toothbrush. She seemed thankful, but I was pretty sure she was just being polite. Actually, Chrysalis being polite in the first place was already pretty strange.

Hmm...

"Hey Celestia, where's Chrysalis sleeping today?" I asked, returning from the bathroom, Chrysalis held at my side. Chrysalis gave me a brief look.

"She should return to the bed until she's healthy enough to move on her own."

"Alright. You gonna hang out here any more, Chrysalis?"

"No. Take me to bed. I've grown tired of your presence. Especially you, thief."

"Right back at ya, bug!"

Chrysalis grumbled, her brow furrowing.

"Alright, that's enough, you two." I said with a bit of a laugh, "Come on Chrysalis, let's get you to bed."

Chrysalis glared at Red until she was safely in the bedroom. I brought her to the side of the bed. She moved the blanket out of the way before I sat her down. She placed her hands onto the bed and tried pushing herself further onto it, but didn't make much progress. After struggling for a few moments, she looked up to me, clearing her throat.

"What?"

"My legs." she said.

"Oh."

I bent down to lift her legs, making sure my hands were low to avoid her various comments. Finally on the bed, Chrysalis laid down and covered herself with the blanket.

"If you need anything, just shout." I said, heading for the door.

"What, not going to kiss me goodnight?" she asked, followed by a short chuckle.

"Not on your life, sport."

With that, my day was complete. Celestia and I soon retired to the basement, leaving Red in the front room to play her games.

As we laid together, Celestia let out a short chuckle of her own.

"What?" I asked.

"You mustn't let her treat you like a child, Phil."

"Chrysalis? She's just playing around."

"Do you know that for sure?"

"Well..."

"She's taking advantage of your kindness."

"That's not really a big deal."

"Perhaps not, but I fear she may be using her place here to get to me. She's made it no secret that she dislikes me."

"Are you sure you're not just jealous again?"

"I didn't say that." She chuckled. "But you don't know Chrysalis like I do."

"I guess."

"She's more of a problem to us than you may realize. I don't want you falling for any of her disguises."

"I do not have high hopes that I will see through it. When she transformed into you, I couldn't tell the difference at all."

"Well, if she transforms into me again, just ask if she'd like to have sex." She laughed. "If she says no, it's Chrysalis!"

"Oh yeah, that'll work. Wait, what if she says yes?"

"Hmm..." She paused. "It's not worth worrying about. She's not going to say yes."

"That's fair."

She quieted before letting out a nervous chuckle. "Though..."

"Hmm?"

There was a notable hesitation before she replied. "Philly, I need to ask you something you might find a bit... unconventional. Is that alright?"

"Uh... Ok.

"And... I would like you to answer me seriously."

"Oh. Alright, I'll be serious." She didn't usually preface her questions with that kind of request.

She nodded. "I want you to... imagine something for me."

"Alright."

"Imagine that the two of us are in bed after we've just made love."

I nodded. It wasn't hard to imagine.

"We're staring into each other's eyes, but then you notice my eyes. They're green."

I blinked. This was serious.

"It dawns on you that the woman you just made love to was not me, but... Queen Chrysalis. What would you do?"

Ok, big boy pants time. Need to choose my words carefully. "Uh..."

"You don't know, do you?"

"I... N-No. No, I don't. Celestia, where is..."

She cut me off with a quick, "Allow me to finish, please. Before you say anything else."

I immediately closed my mouth.

"I know what you're thinking. Your first thought would be that you betrayed me, somehow. Allow me to offer some reprieve. After much thought and consideration, I have decided that if you, for some reason, find yourself in this situation... I would forgive you."

I couldn't respond. Without a doubt, that would be my first thought. And for her to just accept this... "You shouldn't have to overlook my shortcomings, Celestia. If I can't tell the difference between the two of you, it's my fault."

"No, Phil. Chrysalis's ability to change her form is not something that you would be able to see through. I cannot hold you accountable for something you could not control."

"That's not something you should have to prepare for."

"I know, Phil."

"Do you really think she would do something like that?"

"No, I don't." She sighed. "But I can never predict what Chrysalis will do."

"Are you... just telling yourself that you'll be ok with it?"

She shook her head. "I would have no reason to direct my anger towards you."

"This doesn't help at all, Celestia. I don't want this kind of permission. I don't care what the context is, you shouldn't have to make excuses for me."

"I'm not making excuses! It isn't about that!"

"This is really making me uncomfortable, Celestia."

"Oh Philly, I'm so sorry. I knew I should've kept this to myself."

"This is... a lot to think about, honey." I just couldn't understand her.

She let out a short whine. "I'm sorry!" There was a moment before she spoke again. "Perhaps... there's something else I could say to help ease your conscience."

"Huh? After all that?"

There was a softness to her voice as she spoke. "The two of us... We share a very... honest relationship. It's something I've come to love about you. I can tell you anything and I know... well... I know you won't judge me. If I had shared this with any of my previous lovers, they would have scorned my words. But you, Phil... You've never judged me as a lover, as a woman, or even as a Princess. I don't want to hide myself from you."

"Wait, so you wouldn't be ok with it?"

"Phil... The truth is... the thought excites me."

Oh.

There was a long, heavy silence between us. In my arms, I could feel her every move. She kept still, not even looking to me for a response. She laid bare a private desire, and I just couldn't respond.

She stayed hopeful for a response, but the silence only grew deeper. Finally, she ventured a quiet, "W-Well?"

"Well?" I asked, still struggling for a proper response.

"Are you... going to say something?" There was a weight to her voice, like someone asking out their crush for the first time, an anticipation from deep within.

Usually, there was time to think through these thoughts, to offer her support and respect while setting boundaries and showing love. This time, her sudden admission left me dumbfounded. Still though, I spoke. "What do you want me to say, Celestia?"

There was a hesitation before she spoke again. She shrunk in my arms. "No, no, I... I understand. I knew this would come as a shock, but I... I just... wanted to tell you how I really felt."

"Are you really telling me you'd be excited if I slept with Chrysalis?"

She responded with an almost inaudible, "Y... Yes." She paused for a moment. "And... And perhaps... If you'd like me to... be present... I would be... open to it."

All this time with her, after all our talks, she can still blindside me. Maybe the time for dumbfoundedness was over. I've laid with her in my arms, unable to speak, long enough.

Her words were clear. Clear enough, at least.

Forming a response was actually easier than I expected. "No." I said to her, my voice firm, "It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Fair? What do you mean?"

"I will never invite another man to the bedroom. There will be no discussion about that."

"No, no, Phil, that's... That's fine. That's alright. I didn't... want that. I don't want that. I'm... open to inviting another woman. If you'd like. It doesn't have to be Chrysalis. It could be anyone you want. As long as I meet her first."

This... was not... Maybe there was a me in the past that would have jumped at the opportunity she was giving me. Maybe there was a part of me that wanted this. But right now, there was only discomfort. Not because I saw her words as offensive in any way, not because the notion wasn't appealing, but... It just felt wrong.

Why was she saying this? There's no ulterior motive, she doesn't do that. But...

The specifics can wait. I think right now, it was best to give her my support. My arms squeezed around her, holding her tight. She seemed to relax, her worries fading away.

I took in a breath. Sometimes, brutal honesty was appropriate. Perhaps this was one of those times. "Celestia." I started, trying to keep my voice relaxed for her.

There was a subtle shift from her in my arms.

"I'm not ok with this. It makes me uncomfortable, and I don't want to discuss this any more. Our relationship is too new for this. Maybe in time, I'll be ready to discuss it with you, but not now."

There was a pause from her. Suddenly, she shook with a giggle. "No, I'm not convinced, Philly. I can feel your 'disapproval' poking into my thigh."

Just because it was true didn't mean she had to say it. I reached up to her face, pinching her nose between my knuckles as I gave her a playful, "Shut up."

She laughed, her voice muffled as I held her nose. "Noooo!" she cried out in mock indignation.

I gave her a gentle shake before letting her go.

She continued to giggle. "See Philly, it's perfect. I'm excited, you're excited, we can both get what we want."

I sighed. "No, Celestia. Please. I don't want that. Some things are better kept private."

She gave a short pause before speaking. "Very well. But... the offer will still stand. I love you, Philly. More than anything. There's nothing that will come between us."

"I love you too, Celestia. Maybe... open with that next time. "

"Sorry." She giggled.

"It... sounds like you really want this, Celestia." I said.

"I want it for you, Philly." She let out a short sigh. "I wanted to be honest with you, Phil. You're the only man I've ever felt comfortable sharing this with."

I... guess. I think I'm still feeling blindsided by this, but at least she's happy.

"So..."

"So?" I asked, kinda worried about whatever degeneracy would come out of her mouth next.

"Did you... have anyone in mind?"

"That's... hard to say. We both know exactly three other women. Red's too young, we barely even know Sarah, and Chrysalis..." I paused. "Well, if I had to pick someone."

She paused. "I... didn't expect you to... actually choose her. She was more of an example. I suppose I could discuss it with her while she's still here."

"Hey!" I reached up and once more pinched her nose. "Don't you dare!"

"Ah! Philly, sto~op!"

She tried to pull out of my grasp, but I wasn't done with her. "You aren't off the hook here, missy. Tell me you will never say a word of this to her."

She started to laugh. "My nooose! Let gooo!" She pushed at my arm, but I don't think she cared much because it wasn't particularly hard.

Unfortunately, with her moving her arm and me looming over her, we started to tip. With a yelp from the both of us, we were on the floor. Celestia took advantage of our shift in position to crawl atop me, lying her head on my chest.

I poked her nose with a finger. "You promise me, Celestia."

She sighed, comfy in her new position. "I won't say a thing, Philly. I promise. Bu~ut... What if she says 'yes'?"

"I don't care!"

"I think you're just nervous."

"I am nervous. It's embarrassing to even think about."

She giggled. "So... Chrysalis?" With that tone, it was clear she was enjoying this a little too much. I couldn't see her eyes in this dark but I knew she was staring right into mine.

"Yeah, she's... pretty." I looked away, still embarrassed. "And like I said, options were limited."

"Oh, is that all? Just pretty? I know when you're hiding something from me, Philly. Your little friend down here is more honest than you are."

I sighed with an exasperated, "Shut up."

She giggled. She shifted position so her face was directly above mine, her arms and legs to my sides. Her eyes looked directly into mine. She wanted an answer.

Her hair spilled over me, tickling my face. She's right, I was hiding something. "I don't wanna say."

"Philly..."

I whimpered underneath her. "It's embarrassing."

"I think we're well beyond embarrassment now." She playfully lowered her chest, pressing her girls against me.

I let out a sigh. "Fine. And don't you dare tell Chrysalis."

"I won't, I won't." She chuckled.

I guess it isn't going to hurt to say it at this point. "I just think she might... need some, uh... physical... affection."

With my admission, her face lit up with a devilish smirk.

"I don't wanna hear it from you!"

"So you think Queen Chrysalis just needs a good fucking." she accurately summarized.

"That is not what I said!"

"And you think you're the only one who can give it to her."

"When did I say that?!"

"I think I know when my Philly is beating around the bush. You're a bad person." she purred, "But perhaps it would do her some good to get some... 'physical affection." She said with a laugh.

"Oh, now you're just making fun of me."

"I would never, honey." She teased me with another laugh.

I gave off a sigh before joining her with my own chuckle. "Whatever."

Celestia soon relaxed into me, lying atop my body once more. "We may be closer to a solution than we think."

"Huh?"

"Regarding Chrysalis."

"I... kinda doubt she's just gonna 'turn good' in the afterglow."

"That's not what I..." She sighed, frowning. "No. If Chrysalis had a companion, a true companion, perhaps it could change her for the better."

"You think?"

"Love is a powerful thing, Phil. It can do anything. For all the time I've known her, I've never once seen her with another. She's never shown interest in a genuine relationship, not with stallions or mares or... anypony. From what I've seen, she's never had even a single friend. I fear she will throw your friendship away simply because it amuses her."

I gave her a slow nod. "Maybe... Maybe. I guess I'll deal with that when it happens. Hmm..."

"What?"

"I was just thinking... If Chrysalis is so alone, does that mean she's never had sex?"

She blinked. "Uh... I... I don't know. I've never thought about it like that. Perhaps I could ask."

"Celestia."

"I'm just curious." She chuckled. "Stranger things have happened, I suppose."

I reached up, gently patting her cheek. "Alright honey, I think I've had enough."

She gave me a short sigh as she lowered herself onto my chest. "Alright, Philly."

"Goodnight, Celestia."

"Goodnight, Philly. I love you."

"I love you, too."