The "Princess"

Chapters

The Date
The Day After [Clop]
The Party
The Apology
The Second Date
The Dream
The Third Date
The Fall Festival
The Arrival
The Awakening
The Connection
The Heartbreak
The Request

The Date

The sun was beginning to set by the time I got back to the castle. I was staying in Twilight’s old room, which she had so graciously offered to me before running off to catch the train back to Ponyville. Something about having a meeting tomorrow with the Mayor concerning the upcoming Running of the Leaves. I had originally wanted to rent a hotel room, as it felt kind of awkward staying in the same building as the individual I was about to go on a date with—even if said building was enormous—but Twilight wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.

Although, she hadn’t remembered to tell me where the room was hers before she left, so I had to get directions from a passing maid.

That had been mortifying, especially when it had taken me several tries to get my accent in check so she could understand me.

Closing the door to the bedroom behind me with a foot, I tentatively walked further into the room and glanced around. It was fairly empty, only a few pieces of larger furniture remaining: a four-poster bed, two bedside tables, a vanity with a large mirror, and a small dresser. I assumed that Twilight had taken everything else with her when she had moved to Ponyville.

Placing the bag containing my new dress carefully down on the bed, I took off my backpack as well before glancing at the clock above the mantle of the fireplace. If the time was correct, I had about an hour and a half until my date with Celestia. Having already located the restaurant on my way back to the palace, I knew that it would take me about fifteen minutes to walk there. That gave me a little over an hour to get ready for the date.

My stomach twisted slightly at that thought. I… I have a date with Princess Celestia. Suddenly, the weight of what I had done came crashing down on me. I had a date with Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. A date… with her. Oh feck!

Chewing on my thumbnail, I began to pace back and forth across the room. This was absurd! Why had I thought that this would be a good idea? I was going to make a fool out of myself in front of her, I just knew it. I could barely get through one day at Bon Bon’s shop without tipping something over, and that was when I wasn’t nervous.

“Calm down, Nora,” I said under my breath. “Calm down It’s just one date. One date wi’ a very beautiful mare. Yeah… great.” Still chewing on my thumb, I glanced back at the bag on the bed. It had cost me quite the pretty penny. Not all of my savings, but enough that it was now a huge investment. I had saved up for months for this, pulling many overtimes and double shifts around town just to get enough bits. If I quit now, it would have been all for nothing.

“You can do this,” I muttered, trying to ignoring the bile slowly creeping up my throat. “Besides, it’s not like she’ll actually want to go on another one wi’ me after this. One date, and then yer done.” Though that thought didn’t help my spirits, it did help with the nauseating feeling in my stomach.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I quickly got down to business. Pulling off my black hoodie, I tossed it onto the bed beside the bag. I stripped off the rest of my clothing as well, until I was standing there in just my underwear. Shivering, I crossed my arms and quickly hurried into the adjacent bathroom, locking the door behind me. I’ve been walked in on by one too many ponies that I’ve found myself locking doors even when I was by myself.

Turning on the water for the shower, I double-checked to make sure that there were towels as I waited for the water to heat up. When it got warm enough, I took off my underwear and carefully stepped into the porcelain tub.

I washed with some difficulties, seeing as pony showers were designed with ponies in mind. As small as I was, I still had to duck in order to get my hair under the water. There was an old bottle of shampoo left here for whenever Twilight decided to visit, I assumed. Popping open the cap, I gave it a tentative sniff, only to smile softly as the smell of cherries filled my nose.

I’m sure Twilight won’t mind… right? I reassured myself as I rubbed the shampoo into my hair. I had everything else I needed for the date with me, save for shampoo because I figured the hotel that I had originally been planning to stay at would have some complimentary ones. As I rinsed the suds from my hair, I gave silent thanks that Twilight had left it here.

I wrapped up the shower fairly quickly, having never been one to take long showers in the first place. As I stepped out of the shower and began to dry off, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. An extremely pale face stared back at me through the steamed glass. Freckles ran from one cheek across my nose to the other one. Despite the fact that I tried my hardest to avoid direct sunlight due to my sensitive skin, I had the most freckles in my family, a fact that my sisters had always loved to point out. My shoulder-length hair hung around my face in a matted, tangled mess. Like the rest of my family, I was a redhead—a ginger, as the world had liked to call me.

Running a hand through my hair, I winced as I pulled on several of the knots.

“Of feck,” I groan. “This is gonna ‘urt.” I wrapped the towel around my chest before unlocking the bathroom door and walking out into the main room. Dripping water on the floor, I grabbed my bathroom bag from my backpack before hurrying back to the bathroom.

“Let’s get this over with,” I sighed as I pulled out a hairbrush. I attacked the tangled mess of hair, trying to rein it in. After a few minutes, I somehow managed to work it into a decent bun. I eyed my work with satisfaction—pleasantly pleased with how it turned out—only to have a strand of hair suddenly fall in front of my face. Crossing my eyes, I gave it a bemused look before sighing. “Whatever.”

Placing the brush on the counter next to the sink, I rummaged through my bathroom bag for a few seconds before pulling out some makeup. It had cost me a day’s pay in order to purchase the cosmetics, as well as several meetings with Rarity in order to learn how to apply them properly. Even then, I wasn’t very good at it.

Given the amount of freckles I had, both Rarity and I had decided upon skipping the foundation. Unscrewing the lid to the eyeshadow, I picked up the small brush and began to apply it. Rarity had picked out a violet-colored one, saying that it would go perfectly with my dark emerald eyes. I’d just have to take her word for it.

Mascara was next, and within the first few brushes I managed to poke myself in the eye. Biting my lip to prevent myself from saying a couple of choice words that would have made my uncle proud, I continued to apply the mascara.

A few more eye pokes later, and I gave up and left it as it was. Skipping over the blush as well (Rarity had given it to me, but I didn’t think blush would look good on my pale, freckle-covered cheeks), I picked up the lipstick instead. I uncapped it, only to pause and stare at my trembling hand. Thinking better of it, I recapped the lipstick, not trusting myself to successfully apply it. I didn’t want to show up at my date with Celestia looking like the Joker.

Sweeping the makeup back into the bag, I stepped back and eyed my reflection. A frown touched my lips as I studied my handiwork. To me, it looked unprofessional, almost like a twelve-year old had put it on me. Hopefully Celestia wouldn’t mind too much.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of the clock chiming in the next room. Peering through the doorway, my eyes widened in alarm when I saw that I only had half an hour before my date with Celestia. Where the feck did the time go?!

“Ah feck, ah feck, ah shoite, ah feck!” I dashed across the room, and snatched up the bag containing the dress Fleur had designed for me earlier. Trying to push down the growing panic attack that was threatening to break upon me, I rushed back into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun had set, and the moon was just beginning to rise above the city’s skyline. My path was illuminated by streetlights, as well as the stars high above. The night sky in Canterlot wasn’t as grand as the view down in Ponyville, but it was still breathtaking nonetheless. Under any other circumstances, I would have stopped to enjoy the sight. However, at the moment I was hyperventilating as I ran down the street.

In the distance, a bell chimed across Canterlot, the toll informing me that I was running late. I tried to pick up the pace, all while attempting to divide my attention between keeping an eye on the hem of my dress so that I didn’t trip over it and watching where I was going so I didn’t accidently run into any wayward pony. Luckily, most of the residents of the city had retired to their homes for the evening, meaning that I could focus more on keeping my feet off my dress.

The restaurant was close to the castle, but the distance seemed to grow as I became more and more panicked. Will she still be there? How long will she wait until she decides it’s not worth it? What if she doesn’t show up? What if it’s the wrong restaurant? What if—

Cursing under my breath, I lifted my head and looked around. There at the end of the block was my destination: The Silver Mare.

The maitre d’ glanced up as I slid to a stop in front of him. He gave me a cool look as I bent over, my hands on my knees as I gasped for breath.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Oi'm meetin' me date 'ere,” I wheezed. This caused him to give me an unamused look. “Sorry,” I coughed. “Oi’m… I’m meeting my date here.”

The stallion stared at me for a few seconds before flipping open the ledger on the stand beside him. He browsed through the pages, a bored look on his face.

“Name?” he asked, not pausing in his searching.

“I’m Nora O’Malley,” I said as I stood up, running my hands over the dress to try and straighten the rumpled cloth.

The maitre d’ rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“I meant your date’s name,” he said in a tone that caused me to flinch.

“O-oh… um… P-Princess Celestia,” I stuttered.

The maitre d’s ear twitched and he slowly turned his head to look at me. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked, the disbelief clear in his voice.

I swallowed thickly, my chest constricting.

“M-my date ‘s Princess Celestia…?” I whimpered, my voice cracking slightly.

The stallion continued to stare at me before a sneer slowly slid across his muzzle.

“That I highly doubt,” he said before closing the ledger with a ‘thud’.

“W-w-what?” I gasped, gaping at him. “B-but, I’m tellin’ de truth!”

“Please,” he scoffed, curling his lip. “Princess Celestia wasting her time on the likes of you? Don’t make me laugh.”

“B-but… but… Oi…”

“While it is true that the Princess has so graciously graced our renowned establishment this evening, I doubt she is waiting for you,” he continued. “What?” he asked upon seeing my shocked expression. “You think I haven’t seen this type of thing before? You aren’t the first to try and sneak in by using that excuse. A date with the Princess indeed.”

I opened and closed my mouth, but no words came out. I had no clue what to do. I was already running late, and now this stallion wouldn’t let me in! What was I supposed to do?

Feeling bile slowly beginning to rise in my throat, I forced down my growing panic. Think, Nora. Think, think, think! Chewing on my bottom lip, I glanced between the sneering stallion and the door several times before an idea formed in my mind.

Clearing my throat, I tried to appear more collected than I actually was.

“In that case,” I said, trying my hardest to keep my accent down, “I’d like a table for one, please.”

The stallion let out a barking laugh that was devoid of any humor.

“Do you think I was born yesterday?” he cackled. “Ignoring the fact that you’ve already told me you are trying to get in to see the Princess, you most likely don’t have enough bits to pay for anything we serve—”

“Oi 'av money!” I said quickly, pulling my bag of bits out and holding it up for the stallion to see.

He glanced at the bag for barely a second before saying, “I’m sorry, but there are no open tables at the moment. We’re a little busy tonight, what with the Princess’s visit.”

“But you didn't even look!” I cried, motioning to the ledger.

The stallion didn’t even glance at it.

“There are no open tables,” he repeated. “We are full at the moment.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came to mind. Deflating, my arms fell limply to my sides. My stomach twisted, and I felt a dull pain in my chest. Tears were beginning to gather in the corners of my eyes, threatening my makeup, but I didn’t care. All the effort, all the money, all the nights I had spent trying to psych myself up… it was all for nothing.

Placing a hand over my mouth, I choked back a sob. I turned—trying to ignore the stallion’s smirking face—and, with heavy footsteps, began to slowly make my way back towards the castle. That was it. The date was a disaster. My one date. The only chance I had to make a good impression. It had crashed and burned. Maybe tomorrow I could explain to Celestia what had happened. Hopefully she would be understanding enough to give me a second—

“Ms. O’Malley?”

I paused as a familiar voice spoke up behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, my eyes widened when I saw Princess Celestia exiting the restaurant. She was garbed not in a dress like I had expected, but in a golden formal shirt. The opening of the shirt ran down to a mulberry sash wrapped around her waist, exposing the white fur of her chest. She had on her regular horseshoe covers, as well as her crown, but her chestplate was absent. Surprisingly, despite her usual eyeliner, her face was devoid of makeup.

Upon seeing me, her eyes widened and her cheeks lit up slightly as her mouth opened in a little ‘o’. She blinked, giving her head a shake before a soft smile touched her lips.

“There you are,” she said, walking slowly up to me. “I was beginning to worry that you had gotten lost. I know that it’s relatively close to the castle, but when you didn’t show up on time—Oh! Oh dear. What’s wrong?” she asked, her smile fading to be replaced by a look of concern upon seeing my face.

Sniffing, I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks as best I could.

“Ms. O’Malley, what’s wrong?” she asked again, moving to get a better look at my face.

“Nathin',” I croaked. “Oi'm fine.”

She didn’t appear to be satisfied with that answer, but she didn’t press the matter. Instead, she glanced back at the restaurant briefly before returning her attention to me.

“If I may, why were you leaving?” she asked. “Did you change your mind about the date?”

“No!” I said quickly—nearly shouting—causing Celestia to jump. “No, oi still want ter…”

“Then why…?” Celestia began before trailing off, giving me a confused look.

Glancing away, I mumbled something under my breath.

“I’m sorry?” she said, her ears perking. “What was that?”

“They wouldn’t let me in,” I muttered, staring at the ground. “Said they didn't 'av an open table. Too busy.”

Celestia blinked before glancing back at the maitre d’, who was watching the whole thing was his mouth wide open, a shocked look on his face. She stared at him, her brow furrowing as she eyed the stallion skeptically. He coughed and tried his best to hide behind the podium, which was too small to provide him with any real cover. Celestia’s eyes narrowed, and she snorted softly.

“Well then,” she said, turning back to me, “if they’re too busy at the moment, perhaps we’ll take our date elsewhere.”

“What?” the maitre d’ and I said at the same time, although he seemed more alarmed that I was. I just stared up at Celestia in confusion.

“Certainly,” she said with a nod. “I know of another place, one that shouldn’t be too busy this late at night. Shall we head on over there?” She turned, motioning down the street with a hoof as she placed a wing gently against my back.

“B-but you've already been seated 'ere,” I objected weakly. Her wing was warm and the feathers felt nice against the bare skin of my back. I could feel myself relaxing, the tightness of my chest slowly lessening.

“If they are truly full up, then I shall happily give up my table so that somepony else might be seated,” Celestia said. She began to gently push me down the street, guiding me along with the faintest touch of her wing.

I followed her nudges blindly, trying to figure out what had happened. My hands were shaking slightly, and there was an odd taste in my mouth. This whole evening had been a deluge of raging emotions and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take… and the date hadn’t even started yet! Still, it appeared that I had been given a second chance, and that fact caused a little ember of hope to spark in my chest.

I glanced over my shoulder and over Celestia’s wing. The maitre d’ looked like he was having a small seizure, his eye twitching along with his jaw as he watched us go. He raised a hoof towards us and opened his mouth, but a small squeak was the only sound that came out.

Trying to hold back a giggle, I dried my eyes one last time before allowing Celestia to lead me away from the restaurant.

The sound of hooves on cobblestone was the only sound that could be heard as we walked along in silence. I kept glancing up at Celestia as we walked, only to quickly look away, my cheeks warming slightly. She just continued to look forward, a small smile on her face. I racked my brain, trying to think of something—anything—to say, but now that I was alone with Celestia, I was drawing a blank. Come on, Nora. Say something! This is getting awkward.

Steeling myself, I opened my mouth—

“I must say, Ms. O’Malley, I rather like your attire,” Celestia said suddenly, glancing down at me out of the corner of her eye.

I choked on my words, my eyes widening in surprise.

“W-what?” I squeaked out.

“Your dress,” Celestia said, her smile growing. “It’s very beautiful.”

Blinking, I glanced down at my dress. It was long, the hem of it barely an inch or two off the ground. The main material was a light pink color, practically white. A mulberry sash—almost the exact same shade as Celestia’s—was wrapped around my waist. Ribbons of the same color started from a small bow in the center of my bust and ran around to connect in the back in a larger ribbon. The dress was strapless, much to my discomfort as my freckle-covered shoulders were on display for all to see. Fleur had also included a pair of mulberry armbands that were wrapped around my upper arms.

I felt my face heat up as I kept my eyes on the ground, fidgeting with the dress.

“T-thanks,” I stuttered, aware that Celestia was still looking at me.

“May I ask where you got it? It doesn’t look like one of Ms. Rarity’s designs,” she continued.

“I got it at a local shop,” I replied, still not looking up.

“Ah,” Celestia said, nodding her head. “Fleur De Lis, I take it?” I nodded my head, causing her to hum softly. “She does make such lovely dresses, doesn’t she? And to think she does it all on the side when not modeling.” She trailed off, an awkward silence falling between us as we continued to walk down the street.

As we passed by a small part complete with a small fountain, Celestia cleared her throat.

“The makeup is a nice touch, too,” she said, her words causing my cheeks to heat up again. “The color compliments your eyes wonderfully. Did you have somepony help you with that, or did you do it yourself?”

“Rarity picked it out. I applied it myself,” I squeaked in a near whisper. I chanced a glance upwards, only to whimper softly when I saw Celestia’s smile begin to fade.

“I see,” she said softly before glancing away from me.

We continued the rest of the journey in silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

As the door swung closed behind us—causing the little bell to chime for a second time—I glanced around the shop, an incredulous look on my face. There was a stallion standing behind a counter at the far end of the store. He had a small paper hat on, as well as an apron that was covered in dough and flour. The glass counter he stood behind was full of doughnuts, as were the shelves behind him. Also behind him, attached to the wall, were several coffee machines.

Upon seeing Celestia, the stallion perked up and a smile spread across his muzzle.

“Your majesty,” he said, inclining his head.

“Hello Joe,” Celestia said, moving further into the store. “How’s business today?”

The stallion, Joe, motioned around the empty store with a hoof.

“The same as every other weekday evening,” he said, his smile never fading. “What can I get you?”

“The usual,” Celestia said as she headed towards a table located in a small alcove in the back corner. Joe nodded before turning and walking into the back, most likely to prepare her order. As he did that, Celestia slid into the booth, closed her eyes, and sighed. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and glanced over at me.

I hadn’t moved from my spot by the door, still glancing around the place in confusion. This wasn’t what I had pictured in my head when she had said she knew another place for us to have our date. I had pictured another restaurant, or possibly even going back to the castle for a private meal.

This was a doughnut shop.

“You know you can come in and sit down,” Celestia called from the table, a small smile on her face. “You don’t have to lurk in the doorway.”

I flinched before scurrying over and sitting down across the table from her. As I got comfortable, Joe walked over with a plate of doughnuts and a steaming mug of coffee. He placed the plate in front of Celestia, but she was more interested in the coffee. Taking the mug, she lifted it to her muzzle and—closing her eyes—inhaled deeply. A content murmur escaped her lips and she took a sip.

As Celestia enjoyed her coffee, Joe turned and smiled at me. “And what can I get you, ma’am?”

I jerked slightly before blushing and sinking further into the booth.

“Oi… I don’t know,” I muttered, unconsciously clasping my dress in my hands for comfort.

“She’ll have the same thing,” Celestia said, not opening her eyes. Joe nodded and headed back to prepare it.

As Celestia continued to nurse her coffee, I glanced down at the plate before her. An assortment of doughnuts sat upon it, six in total. Each one was a different type: glazed, cinnamon sugar, powdered, chocolate covered, plain, and even a cream-filled one with nuts on top. Celestia’s horn glowed brighter, and I watched in muted fascination as the glazed one was levitated into the air, surrounded by a golden aura. She took a dainty bite from it, not even a crumb falling from her mouth as she began to chew slowly. I watched as she ate, her beautiful lips moving elegantly as she took another bite from the doughnut. Even when eating, she had a gentle grace about her that seemed to take my breath away.

I was brought out of my stupor by the ‘clink’ of a plate being placed in front of me, the sound causing me to jump slightly. Joe smiled as he placed a mug of coffee down as well, before retreating and leaving us alone.

An awkward silence fell over the table as we both just sat there, Celestia enjoying her food while I stared at the table in front of me. The silence was only broken by the soft sounds of Celestia either taking a sip of her coffee or a bite of her doughnut.

I fidgeted with my dress, unsure of what to do or say. I had dreamed of this moment for months, but now that it was here, I had no clue how to proceed. And to make matters worse, despite the fact I was hungry, the butterflies in my stomach made me feel like if I tried to eat anything, I would be sick.

After a few minutes of sitting there, Celestia finally finished her doughnut. She took a sip of coffee, humming softly before placing the mug on the table with a soft ‘clink’. With that, her eyes opened and she looked at me.

“So,” she said, her soft voice surprisingly loud in the quiet store, “tell me about yourself, Ms. O’Malley.”

I froze, my entire body locking up as my eyes widened. After a few seconds, I swallowed loudly, only to suddenly become aware of how dry my mouth was.

“W-what do you want to know?” I asked weakly, my voice cracking halfway through the sentence.

“Well, during all of our meetings we’ve only ever talked about your old world and humanity as a whole,” Celestia said, picking up another doughnut in her magic. “We never just talked about you as a being. So, why don’t you tell me about yourself,” she repeated, giving me a small smile before biting into the doughnut.

I just sat there, staring wide-eyed at Celestia as my mind went into overdrive. I racked my brain, trying desperately to come up with something to share, but nothing came to mind. I was drawing a blank, and was beginning to panic.

Celestia’s smile faded, and I felt myself start to hyperventilate. Why is it when someone asks you to describe yourself, you forgot who you are?! Luckily, I was saved from having a full-blown panic attack.

“If I remember correctly, Twilight mentioned something in her last letter about you having your first run in with poison joke recently,” Celestia murmured tiredly as she started on her third doughnut. “Why don’t you tell me about that?”

I latched onto the topic like a drowning man to a life preserver.

“Y-yeah,” I gasped, nodding my head quickly. “I accidentally stepped in sum when I was ‘elping Fluttershy with 'er animals.” I winced at how thick my accent was, but judging by Celestia’s nod, it was lax enough that she could understand me. “It wasn’t a pleasant experience. It, uh… it turned me into a lepre—” My mouth closed with a ‘click’ and I shot Celestia a quick glance.

“A what?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

My cheeks heated up again, and I glanced away.

“A, uh… a smaller version of myself,” I muttered, running a finger along one of the ribbons of my dress. “A, uh… a child, actually. I think I was the same size as Applebloom.”

“That sounds like it might have been an interesting experience,” Celestia said. There was very little energy in her voice, and she almost sounded bored.

I whimpered softly before sinking further into my seat.

“It was,” I said weakly, tapping my fingers together, “at least ‘til Potato got it in ‘er head that it would be fun to use me as a weight to ‘elp ‘er trainin’. She ‘auled me onto ‘er back and flew around with me for nearly an ‘our before the others caught ‘er and made ‘er put me down.” I winced, my stomach churning at the memory. She had been lucky I hadn’t thrown up on her.

Celestia blinked, giving me a confused look.

“‘Potato’?” she repeated, tilting her head to the side barely an inch. “Who’s Potato?”

I stared blankly at her for a few second before my blush returned.

“Oh… um, it’s… it’s R-Rainbow Dash,” I stuttered.

“You call Rainbow Dash ‘Potato’?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-yes,” I squeaked, unable to look her in the eye. She was silent for a few seconds before the corners of her mouth began to twitch upwards faintly.

“I have to hear the story behind that,” she said.

“Um, no real story,” I said, playing with a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of the bun. “She leaves a rainbow trail behind ‘er when she flies, and where I’m from it’s said that rainbows lead to pots of gold… and Irish gold is another name for… potatoes…” I trailed off, covering my face with my hands as my cheeks burned bright red.

“I see,” Celestia said, the ghost of a smile still on her face. “Well, if Rainbow Dash is ‘Potato’ due to her rainbow contrail, I wonder what I would be.” She ran a hoof through her multicolored mane, giving me a small, teasing smirk.

My blush deepened until I could feel it on my neck and chest. I muttered something under my breath before burying my face in my hands again.

“What was that?” Celestia asked as she leaned forward, the smirk still present on her face.

Whimpering, I kept my face buried and shook my head. This can’t get worse, I thought, trying to sink beneath the table. Just then, my stomach chose that exact moment growl loudly.

“There we go,” Celestia said with a soft laugh. “I was wondering. It’s probably not the dinner you were expecting, but you should probably eat something nonetheless. I’m fairly certain you didn’t have anything to eat before heading out.”

Peeking over the edge of the table, I eyed my plate of doughnuts before reaching up and snatching the chocolate-covered one. Pulling it under the table, I began to munch on it quietly.

Celestia watched me, a look of amusement dancing across her face. She lifted her mug to her lips and took another sip of coffee.

“So, tell me. What’s this I hear about you having a run-in with a minotaur?”

With a groan, I banged my forehead on the table.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The air was still as we walked through the park, barely a breeze stirring the grass and trees. The full moon illuminated everything in a soft light, while thousands of stars twinkled and danced around it. There was even a large band of stars that reminded me of the part of the Milky Way you could see back home. I highly doubted that I was in the same galaxy, but it sometimes helped to pretend. Crickets serenaded each other, while a trio of owls hooted in the distance. Nearby, a brook murmured softly.

Celestia moved along sluggishly, a wing wrapped around her slightly-distended belly. Her state was to be expected, as she had eaten all six of her doughnuts before finishing off the four of mine that I hadn't touched, all while consuming four cups of coffee. Even in her stuffed state though, she still walked with the pose and elegance of an angel.

I followed along beside her, my hands clasped behind my back and my dress swishing back and forth. Every so often, I'd cast a glance at her out of the corner of my eye, only to look away a few seconds later, a small blush on my face. Unsure of what to say, I just hummed softly as we walked along.

As we approached a nearby fountain, Celestia paused and glanced up at the star-covered sky.

“Luna really outdid herself tonight,” she said softly, her eyes slowly drifting across the vast expanse of sky.

I just nodded and hummed in confirmation.

“The moon is beautiful and full. The stars are alive and gleaming like diamonds,” she continued, still staring upwards.

“Mmm-hmmm,” I hummed, eyeing her wing. Maybe one of her feathers would fall off and I would be able to snag it.

“Makes me think she's up to something,” she said as she continued walking.

That made me pause, and I gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”

Celestia glanced over at me, a small frown on her face. “She usually reserves nights like these for Hearts and Hooves Day, or for the weeks of spring and fall estrus.”

“What's so special about those nights?” I asked obliviously.

Celestia gave me a look before shaking her head.

“They are the nights were ponies are more... active,” she said slowly.

I was silent for several seconds before the implications of what she said finally hit me. Squeaking loudly, I stumbled as my face exploded in a blush.

“W-why would she...?” I asked before trailing off and glancing at Celestia. She gave me a pointed look and I looked away, my blush deepening. “Oh... o-oh my...”

“I'll have to talk to her about this later. She knows I don't like her messing around with the night sky for her own amusement,” Celestia sighed as she resumed walking.

“Oi don't know,” I muttered under my breath. “Oi kinda like it...”

Celestia paused briefly, her ear swiveling around to point in my direction before she continued walking again. I scrambled to catch up, quickly falling in step beside her.

As we walked, I couldn't help but watch the way that Celestia moved her body. She placed one hoof in front of the other, her hips swaying back and forth elegantly as she walked. Beneath her clothing, her muscles flexed as she carried herself along gracefully. Despite her large size, her hooves barely made any noise as she walked.

I watched her for a few more seconds before glancing down at my own feet. My own sneakered feet. I had tried to find a place that could make shoes for me, but there weren’t any species in Equestria close enough to humans for there to be a place that could make shoes for me. So, as it was, I was forced to wear my sneakers for almost everything. Luckily, I had managed to keep them in decent enough condition.

Eyeing my own feet, I carefully began to try and copy Celestia’s movements. I heel-toed it for several steps before I felt like I had gotten the basics down. Holding out my hands to balance myself, I continued to walk one foot in front of the other as I slowly tried to work a sway into my hips. It felt awkward, and I stumbled several times as I tried to readjust myself.

I had almost gotten the motion down when my ankle suddenly twisted beneath me, causing me to topple over sideways. With a yelp, I tumbled down the small hill, falling head over heels before landing with a ‘splash’ in the small brook running beside the path.

I resurfaced with a gasp, water dripping down my hair and face. My dress was instantly soaked, the white fabric clinging to my body and revealing what was underneath. River vegetation clung to my arms and clothing, some of it even getting tangled in my hair.

As I sat there, gulping for air, I heard a soft gasp come from somewhere above me. “Oh… oh no.” A warm tingling sensation swept over my body, and I was gently lifted out of the brook and back onto the path.

“Are you alright?” Celestia asked.

I just sat there, staring at the ground in front of me. I was shivering horribly, both from the chill of the water and the sudden stunned realization of what had just happened. Tears slowly began to well up in the corners of my eyes, mixing with the river water already there. I was pretty sure I looked a wreck, what with my ruined make-up, being soaked to the bone, and covered in river weeds. Wet strands of hair fell in front of my face, virtually blinding me behind a curtain of dripping orange hair.

My shoulders shook again as a strange noise reached my ears. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was crying audibly now, my choked sobs muffled by the water in my ears. I quickly lifted a hand to my mouth, trying to stifle the sound, but the damage was already done.

“Oh, no… no, don’t cry,” Celestia cooed, leaning her head down to try and look me in the eye, but I turned my head away. “It’s not worth it,” she murmured beneath her breath. “I’m not worth it.”

“Oi... oi wus... oi wus jist tryin' ter…” I choked out as more tears cascaded down my cheeks and fell into the large puddle that had formed around me.

“I know what you were trying to do,” Celestia sighed, using her wing to try and get me to look at her. “I was watching.”

My breath caught in my throat, causing me to gag slightly before I started crying harder. Not only had I made a fool of myself in front of Celestia, she had watched me do it.

“Ms. O’Malley, please, don’t cry,” Celestia said softly, brush the tips of her feathers against my cheek. “It’s not as bad as you think, I assure you. See?” The warm tingling sensation returned and I felt the air around me beginning to warm up. Water on my skin began to steam up and evaporate, and in a few seconds I was completely dry. My dress was straightened out and the river weeds cleared off. My hair was returned to the state it had been in before my tumble. All of this took place in a manner of seconds, and I was soon sitting there, looking like I hadn’t just tripped into a brook in front of my longtime crush.

My crying only got worse as I realized that Celestia had just had to clean me up. I felt useless, pathetic. I couldn’t do anything right, and I had just shown her that.

“Ms. O’Malley, please,” Celestia said, her voice sounding strained. “What’s wrong?”

“Oi... yer…” I bawled, choking out the words through my tears. “O-oi ruined.. oi… I’m sorry!”

“Why?” Celestia asked softly. “Why are you trying so hard to impress me?”

I couldn’t answer her. In fact, I was unable to form any more words. I could only sit there, my body racked with sobs. This continued for several minutes with no signs of stopping. I tried, I really did, but the tears kept coming.

Beside me, Celestia shifted uncomfortably for hoof to hoof before sighing.

“Come on, Ms. O’Malley,” she said, moving to stand beside me. “Let’s get you back to the palace and out of that dress. I’m sure it’ll help you feel better.”

I hiccuped as I attempted to clean my face off, but I was unable to as more tears leaked from my eyes. Sniffling loudly, I moved to stand up only to freeze as Celestia draped a wing across my back, pulling me against her side. Dread welled up in my chest as a low hum suddenly filled the air, accompanied by the horribly familiar feeling of static running up and down my arms and legs. Eyes widening, I whipped around quickly. “Wait! Don’t—”

The world around us imploded as something pulled me into a void. Up was down, down was up, and I didn’t know which way I was facing. Darkness and pressure pushed in from all directions, and I could feel my stomach doing somersaults in my chest as I tumbled through the emptiness. Then, just as soon as it started, we were thrust back into the world of the living in a burst of light.

“Here we are,” Celestia said gently. “Now then, let’s get you—Oof!” She stumbled as I shoved her away forcibly. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I glanced around frantically for a wastebin or a bucket or something—anything! My mind dimly noted that I appeared to be in Celestia’s personal bed chamber, which just caused me to whimper as I realized that the situation was worse than I had previously thought.

My search became desperate. However, much to my despair, there was nothing of the sort nearby, and with growing dread, I realized that there was no stopping the inevitable. Pressure built up in my stomach, and began to push its way up through my throat. Spying the balcony doors, I made a mad dash for them. Or rather, attempted to, as I didn’t get very far.

An alarmed look crossed Celestia’s face as I staggered away from her, and she took a step forward to follow after me. “Ms. O’Malley!”

I collapsed onto my hands and knees—causing her to yelp—and with one last whimper, I retched loudly before emptying my stomach’s contents all over her bedroom floor. Bits of half-digested doughnuts, coffee, and bile splattered across the carpet, staining the soft material with the vile mixture from my stomach.

As I heaved again, I heard Celestia gasp behind me. “Oh, oh no! I didn’t… hold on.” My skin prickled as her magic surrounded me, lifting me into the air. I struggled weakly, only to retch and hurl again from the sudden movement. The sensation vanished, and I fell back to the carpet below. My arms gave out from beneath me, and I collapsed to my side, narrowly avoiding the puddle of sick as I fell.

Lying on the floor of Celestia’s bedroom, my stomach twisting and my head spinning, I curled up into a pitiful ball of sorrow and pain.

“Oi'm sorry…” I blubbered out, clutching at my stomach as it flip-flopped around inside me. “Oi'm sorry… Oi'm sorry… Oi'm sorry… Oi'm sorry…” There would be no living this down, no second chance. Despite my best attempts, I had failed horribly. There was no way that this wouldn’t color Celestia’s impression of me in a negative light. She probably wouldn’t even want to be in the same room as me ever again, let alone consider a second date. Even now, she was probably regretting her decision to agree to this date. I know I would if I was in her shoes. If some stupid alien… some freak… asked me on a date then proceeded to make a fool out of herself and throw up on my bedroom floor…

“I… I don’t think this is going to work out, Ms. O’Malley,” Celestia said weakly. I gasped, feeling like a dagger had suddenly been plunged into my heart as she confirmed my suspicions. She paused before taking several shaky steps back. “Maybe we could… ah… g-give… give me a second.” With that, she turned and I heard her hoofsteps receding away from me. A few seconds later, a door opened and closed, and I was suddenly alone.

My sobs grew louder as I curled up in a tighter ball. It just wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair! Why had this happened? What deity had I pissed off that this was my punishment? Why was I such a stupid, clumsy fool?!

I tried to push myself up off the floor, but I had barely begun to move when my stomach lurched and I dried heaved. Falling back down, I groaned and closed my eyes. Unable to move, I just laid there on Celestia’s bedroom floor, crying loudly to myself as the room continued to spin. It was like one of those carnival rides I used to hate as a kid, and I wanted off. I wanted it to end. Through all of this though, as the room continued to spin out of control around me, I wasn’t sure which was worse: my stomach, my head, or my heart.

The Day After [Clop]

I really feck this up, haven’t I? I thought as I laid there, strewn out upon the floor of Celestia’s bedroom. My tears having finally stopped, I stared blankly at the ceiling above me. I felt horribly and I looked a wreck, despite the fact that Celestia had cleaned me up after my tumble into the brook. My hair was disheveled, my make-up was ruined, my face was tear stained, and my eyes were bloodshot.

Celestia had yet to return from wherever she had gone to escape from me, and I was fairly certain she would remain gone for as long as I was in her room. She was probably hiding somewhere, waiting for me to leave instead of kicking me out, and personally, I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to deal with me either.

I continued to stare at the ceiling a little while longer before finally closing my eyes and sighing heavily. Pushing myself up into a seated position, I waited for a few seconds for my head to clear before getting to my feet. I swayed slightly, my stomach twinging as I moved, but I managed to remain upright now that the room was no longer spinning beneath me.

Taking several shaky steps forward, I sighed again before making my way carefully to the door of the room. It swung open when I pushed on it, and I stumbled out into the hall and sagged against the wall. It took me a few seconds to get my bearing, but when I did, I turned and headed off down the hall in the direction of Twilight’s room, using the wall for support.

The journey to her room was short, as it was in the same wing as Celestia’s. Despite the briefness however, I had to pass a couple of maids on my way there. They ignored me for the most part, one or two giving me a concerned look as I passed, but no one stopped me.

Upon entering the room, I struggled to pull off my dress before proceeding to toss it onto the floor in a crumpled heap. Stepping over it, I moved towards the bed, which had my regular clothing strewn out across it. I paused though, before turning around and gingerly picking the dress back up. Folding it as best I could, I slipped it back into its original bag before dressing myself again. I had to sit on the edge of the bed in order to get my socks on, as I was still a little lightheaded. Pulling them up to my thighs, I rested my hands in my lap for a second before exhaling loudly.

“Well, no point in me stayin’ around ‘ere any longer,” I sighed as I stood up again. Pulling on my sweater, I undid the bun in my hair and gave my head a good shake in order to get my hair back to normal. I slipped into the bathroom quickly to remove the smeared makeup, as well as clean myself up as best as possible. With that done, I exited the bathroom, picked up my backpack and the bag containing my dress, and headed for the door.

I was able to make my way through the halls with little trouble. The maids left me alone and most of the guards knew me already, so they didn’t stop me to ask questions. I would usually stop and chat with a few of them on occasion, if I had a few minutes to spare. However, at the moment I just wanted to get as far from this place as possible.

Taking the steps of the main stairwell two at a time, I descended into the great hall of the palace. Several batponies patrolled the area, more relaxed than their daytime counterparts. Their presence probably meant that Lunar Court was getting ready to start. Seeing the throne room doors ajar, I played around with the idea of stopping in to say ‘hi’ to Luna, but decided against it. I wasn’t in the best mood at the moment, and didn’t want to relive the past three hours of my life. Especially if there were any nobles around at the moment. I’d have to remember to send her a letter about it later, when I was feeling better. Pushing aside the cringe-worthy memories that were slowly bubbling to the surface, I made my way towards the main door instead.

The cool night air washed over me as I stepped through the main gate, gently tugging on my clothes and hair. I closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the feeling. It was calming, and I could feel myself beginning to relax as the soft scent of the night filled my nose. The feeling of uneasy slowly shifted into one of melancholy instead, and with a depressed sigh, I continued on my way.

Lifting the dress bag over my shoulder, I set off at a lethargic pace, heading in the direction of the train station. Though I did want to get out of Canterlot as soon as possible, I just couldn’t work up the energy to go any faster. Besides, I doubted that Celestia would be looking for me, so why rush? Even if she did come after me, what was she going to tell that hadn’t already been said? I had made a fool out of myself, fumbled through all of Celestia’s attempts to start a conversation, and ended the date on a sour note. And the worst part was I knew that I could have done better.

Fighting back a fresh wave of tears, I wiped my eyes with my free arm before increasing my pace. Unlike earlier, the streets were now completely devoid of ponies. The buildings were dark as well, the inhabitants probably asleep at this late hour. I didn’t know what time it was, but if I had to hazard a guess, it was probably sometime past midnight. The only light I had was the moon above me, and the streetlights that dotted the sidewalk, creating little patches of light every few feet.

As I reached the end of the street, I glanced back at the palace in the distance. Luna’s banners dangled from the parapets, just as Celestia’s had been during the daytime. The white buildings and towers were illuminated softly by floodlights, and I could just barely make out the tiny pinpricks of the castle’s windows lit from the inside. One of them was probably Celestia’s room. I wondered if she had come back yet or not. I had been gone long enough, so she had probably returned only to find an empty room with…

My eyes widened and a blush spread across my face as I realized with growing disgust that I hadn’t cleaned up the puddle of vomit before leaving. It was still there, setting itself into Celestia’s carpet. Great, something else she was gonna remember me for. Well, too late to deal with that now.

Sighing, I turned and set my sights on the train station just barely visible down the street. I took a step—

“WHAT DID YOU DO!?”

—only to stumble as the ground beneath me shook slightly, accompanied by the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.

“What the…?” I breathed, glancing around in confusion. Nothing appeared to be amiss, and the ground had stopped shaking almost immediately. Perhaps it had been my imagination. My mind was pretty distracted at the moment, what with the events of the evening. Plus, I was getting a tired. Shaking my head to clear it, I continued towards the train station.

A small smile touched my lips when the train station came into view. It faded quickly however, as I approached the main door. A large sign taped to the door proclaimed that the station was closed for the evening. The timetable posted beneath listed that the next train wouldn’t leave until sunrise.

How long until…? I began to think, but paused as the clock tower began to chime. Once. Closing my eyes, I placed a hand over my face and groaned softly. Five and a half hours until I could get a train back to Ponyville.

“Great,” I grumbled, pulling my hand down my face. Glaring at the sign for a few seconds, I then sighed and shook my head. “Guess I’m takin’ the long way back.”

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The “long way back” was a mountain pass that ponies used to use way back in the day. It starts in Canterlot and wraps its way around the mountain until it comes to rest at the shores of Saddle Lake. It fell out of use when the train was invented, allowing for faster, safer transportation. The only reason I knew about it was because Twilight had shown me it one time when the train had been down due to a hazard on the tracks. Having to get back to Ponyville for a meeting with Cheerilee, Twilight had opted to use the path. It had been difficult for her, the rocky terrain being treacherous for ponies and their hooves. For me however, the mountain pass was almost the same as hunting for fairy hills with my sisters back home when we were young. Even now as I looked down at the twisting, winding trail, a sad smile touched my lips at the memories.

Stepping carefully, I began the descent. Moonlight illuminated the ground beneath my feet, allowing me to see roots and rocks that might trip me up and cause me to tumble down the mountain. Not that it would be a bad fall; the path wasn’t as steep as some of those I had climbed back home. I had been down this path several times before too. With my motion sickness, I usually chose this path if I wasn’t in a hurry. No chance of throwing up and I had a nice view on the way down.

The path was slightly different in the nighttime than it had been in the day. A plethora of nocturnal flowers clung to the rock face, the blue and purple petals spread wide in the moonlight. A small swarm of glittering moths fluttered about, drifting lazily upon the soft breeze.

I hummed softly as I walked, a wordless tune that my aunt used to use to get us to go to sleep. The rocks crunch beneath my feet, and I was suddenly thankful that my sneakers were still in good condition, otherwise this trip would be painful. It wasn’t a fast way down the mountain. It took four hours to get from Canterlot to Saddle Lake, than another half hour to get to Ponyville. Compared to the train’s two hours, this way was slow, but It was currently my only way to get back home. Besides, I liked walking at night, the millions of stars twinkling happily above me. No sun meant no sunburns.

The minutes blurred together as I continued down the mountain, still humming to myself. I was in no real hurry; there was nothing left for me above and nothing waiting for me below. Right now it was just me, the mountain, and my thoughts.

I was about halfway down the mountain side when the faint sound of music reached my ears. Rounding a bend in the path, a small wooden hut came into view. Built on the side of the dropoff, it tettered and swayed precariously. Half the building was supported by wooden beams stuck into the side of the cliff below it.

Sitting on the porch of the hut, rocking back and forth while plucking a banjo without a care in the world, was an old goat. His brown fur was spotted with so much white that it was practically the color now. A pair of thick-lensed glasses rested on his face, the fogged lenses obscuring his eyes. He yodeled along with the tune he was plucking, “Diddi diddi diddi diddi doddi diddi diddi do!”

As I drew nearer, the goat paused in his plucking and glanced over at me. A large smile split his face.

“Well, hey there, monkey girl!” he cried out in a singsong voice.

“Hi, Carl,” I called back halfheartedly, giving him a small wave. “Long time no see.”

“Did ya come all the way back up here just to visit with little ol’ me?” Carl asked as I stopped in front of the porch. “Quite a climb for just a casual visit.”

“I’m actually heading down, Carl,” I corrected.

“Oh, well that’s different,” he said, idly plucking a string. “Much easier going down than going up. Horns get long enough and you can just roll down the mountain with ease!”

“I don’t have horns, Carl. You know that,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Nope, but I do!” he cackled, tapping one of his horns. They were long enough that the tips of them were practically touching the floor.

“Come on, Carl,” I huffed, shaking my head. “I know they’re fake.”

Carl harrumphed and plucked a quick tune on the banjo.

“Spoilsport,” he grumbled.

“Sorry,” I sighed. “I’m… I’m not in the mood for games, Carl. It’s been a long night.”

The annoyed look on the old goat’s face was replaced by a look of concern. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really. I just want to get home and forget about it.”

“I won’t hold you up then,” he said, starting to rock in his chair again. “Be careful on the way down, Nora.”

Giving the old goat a wave goodbye, I continued down the path.

“Come back when you’re feeling better!” he shouted after me as I went. “I miss my singing partner!”

I raised my hand to indicate I heard him, but kept on walking.

The rest of the journey down was uneventful, but I managed to make it in decent time. The moon was just beginning to dip under the horizon when Ponyville came into view. The town was quiet, everyone still asleep in their beds. One or two lights were on from an overnight shift or an earlier riser, but other than that the town was mostly dark. There was only one real lamp post, and it was located in the center of town.

Dragging my feet, I shuffled down the street, swaying slightly as I walked. It had been a long night, and I was tired. Luckily, though, I was almost home, and would be able to rest soon.

A odd shape resting against the side of a nearby building caught my tired eye. Upon getting closer, I realized that it was the local beggar, a donkey by the name of Ed. He was curled up inside of a worn but usable blanket, his ears drooping as he slept.

Seeing him sleeping there gave me an idea, and I reached into my backpack as I drew nearer. After fumbling around with the cluttered contents for a moment, I pulled out a small bag containing the bits I was going to use to pay for Celestia’s dinner, which I had completely forgotten to do. I winced before closing my eyes and shaking my head. It didn’t matter now. It was already done, and no amount of self-pity or grief would change that.

Approaching Ed, I placed the bag of bits down beside him quietly before straightening up. If anything, they could at least be used to buy someone some food, even if it hadn’t been the original target. With that, I headed off towards the center of town.

Rounding the corner of the street, I paused as the library suddenly came into view. The light was on in one of the windows of the upper floor, and it took my tired mind a few seconds to realize that it belonged to Twilight’s bedroom.

Pulling another all-nighter again, Twilight, I thought as I eyed the lit window. Hopefully she isn’t too tired for her meeting with the mayor. I stared at the window for a little bit longer before a jaw-cracking yawn sent me on my way.

As I made my way down the street, heading in the direction of Whitetail Woods, I walked by several residential houses. The lights were on in one of them, and upon glancing in the window as I passed, I saw why. Derpy, the local mailmare, was up and about, getting ready for her mailrun. She was chomping happily away on a muffin, a large crumb-crusted smile on her face. We never talked much, seeing as I didn’t get much mail. In fact, I think the only mail I ever got was usually delivered by a guard because it was either a summons from the Princesses, or something related to my work visa.

My gaff, if you could call it that, was on the edge of town, one of the few that dotted the countryside of the outskirts of town. It was a small, homely building that consisted of a living room with fireplace that was used to heat the entire place, a small kitchen-dining room combo, a bathroom, and a master bedroom. It had a covered porch, that had what looked like a storm shelter built beneath it. The whole thing was rather small, but I still loved it nonetheless. It was mine. I had bought it with my money, having had to live with Twilight for a couple of months until I had saved up enough. It was my first major purchase, and I couldn't have been happier with it.

I climbed up the steps of the porch, sighing happily as the soft crack of shifting wood reached my ears. Unlocking the door, I used my shoulder to push it open, having to use some force to unstick the aged door. Once I was inside, it was a simple matter of shutting the door and sliding the deadbolt into place. With that, I was home.

Unable to keep my eyes open any longer, I unceremoniously tossed my bags onto the nearby couch before shuffling my way across the living room and into my bedroom. Not even bothering to take off my clothes, I flopped face first onto my mattress with a groan. The sun was just beginning to poke itself up above the tree line as I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Placing the piece of caramel down on the small square of wax paper, I wrapped the candy before twisting the ends of the paper together. I double-checked to make sure that none of the caramel was exposed before putting in on the ever-growing pile beside me. Picking up another bit of caramel, I repeated the process in a mechanical fashion, my mind not completely on the task.

The kitchen of Sweet Tooth’s was quiet, the only noise being that of the faint sound of classical music coming from the main room. Bon Bon liked to have music playing during open hours, and it often made the day go by so much faster. Today’s selection came from the Canterlot Philharmonic, and featured a cello player that Bon Bon had gone to school with.

It was a slow day, only four ponies having come in to purchase something. While Bon Bon was tending to the store outfront, I had headed back to the kitchen in order to make some more candy. With the Running of the Leaves on its way, we needed to stock up. The Fall Festival was a perfect time for Bon Bon to clear her stock of all the summer and fall themed sweets and get ready for winter. She already had a new peppermint recipe she wanted to try.

As I worked, my mind wandered back to the events of last night, and I frowned. Looking back, I wasn’t sure why I had been so nervous around Celestia. True, I was kinda shy, but I had never been that bad before. Not even when I had asked my high school crush out during my last year of secondary school. Sure, I had stuttered then, but not like what had happened last night.

I can’t be that enamored by Celestia, can I? I thought as I tossed another wrapped piece of caramel on the pile. Slowly, the image of Celestia drifted into my mind and I began to daydream. Her flowing hair, the warmth in her eyes, the small smile that always graced her lips. I could see the way her hips shifted back and forth as she walked. Her tail would swish side to side, almost revealing her—

My eyes widened as my whole face heated up suddenly, a red blush dancing across my cheeks. I shook my head, mentally chastising myself in the process. Bad Nora! No daydreaming about nookie while at work! I reached for another piece of caramel to distract myself with, only for my hand to land on an empty tray. Blinking in surprise, I stared down at the plate.

I must be working faster than I thought, I mused as I picked up the tray. It usually takes me a little longer to wrap a full batch. Sighing heavily, I stood up from my seat, tray still in hand. I guess I better go get more—

I froze, my eyes widening in alarm as the smell of something burning reach my nose. Turning around, I caught sight of a pot on the stove’s range. Black smoke was billowing forth as the contents burned.

“Oh feck!” I yelped, dropping the tray with a loud clatter and hurrying to the stove. I grabbed the lid and placed it on the pot, stopping the smoke from filling the room. Picking up the pot by the handle, I removed it from the stove and placed it in a nearby sink. Once that was taken care off, I threw open the window above the sink in order to air out the room.

As the smoke slowly escaped through the window, the sound of running hooves came from the next room over. Bon Bon entered, an alarmed look on her face.

“Nora, what happened? You didn’t cut yourself again, did you?” she asked before sniffing the air. Her nose crinkled, and she winced. “Oh, I see.” Walking over to stand beside me, she looked down at the smoldering pot in the sink. She stared at it for a few seconds before sighing heavily. “You burned another batch of caramel, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said, sighing as well, “I burned another batch.”

“How badly?”

“Bad.”

“That’s the third one today, Nora,” Bon Bon huffed, turning to give me a disapproving look. “You know we sell a lot of caramel this time of year, especially with the Running of the Leaves coming up. We won’t have enough if you keep burning it.”

“I know,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. “I got… distracted. Sorry.”

“I bet,” Bon Bon grumbled before her expression softened. “Are you okay, Nora? I know you like to daydream on occasion, but you’re usually more alert than this.”

“Some… stuff happened last night,” I said softly. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry it’s causing issues, Bonnie. I’ll clean up and get another batch cooking.”

Bon Bon gave me a concerned look before pursing her lips and sighing.

“Look, I’ll take care of this and get another batch going,” she said. “How about you go stock the front instead. I had several foals come through and now we need more salt water taffy and maple sugar candies from storage.”

“One or two?” I asked as I picked up the tray I had dropped.

“One case of salt water, two cases of maple sugar.”

“What kind?”

“Mixed for the taffy, but try and see if we can finish off the vanilla ones first,” Bon Bon said as she lifted the lid off the pot and peered inside. She grimaced before covering it again. “Might need a new pot too,” she muttered under her breath.

I placed the tray on the counter before untying the apron I was wearing and hanging it from a hook on the wall. Leaving Bon Bon to her cooking, I exited the kitchen and made my way towards the storage room door, which was on the wall adjacent to the counter. It was usually locked during work hours, but Bon Bon had given me a copy of the key during my third month working here. I kept it on a piece of twine that was wrapped around my neck like a necklace.

Fishing around in my shirt, I pulled the key out and inserted it into the lock. A twist and a ‘click’ later and the door swung open. Flicking on the lights as I entered, I began to search the shelves for the required treats.

“Taffy, taffy, taffy,” I muttered as I ran my finger over the labels on the boxes. “Ah, there yer are.” Pulling the box forward, I opened it up and peered inside. Taffies of various colors and sizes filled the box, and a pleasant aroma touched my nose as I look inside. Running my eyes over the colors, I frowned when I noticed the lack of white. I did a quick check of the surrounding boxes, but none of them were taffy.

“Hey, Bonnie!” I shouted, still holding the box of taffy.

“Yeah?” came the muffled reply from the kitchen.

“Are yer keepin’ the vanilla taffy in a different spot?”

“Not that I know of,” she shouted back. “Why?”

“Cause it’s not ‘ere!”

“Oh, we’re out then. Lyra must have come over yesterday and taken the last of it. Nevermind then!”

“Right,” I grunted as I turned back to the box. Pulling it from the shelf, I carried it out and placed it on the counter before returning for the boxes of maple candy. They were on a higher shelf, but I was able to get them down with little trouble. Placing it beside the taffy, I began to stock the counter.

Grabbing the bowl for the taffy first, I glanced inside. A few taffies rested at the bottom, and my eyes widened when I saw most of them were vanilla. It seems Lyra missed some, I thought as I dumped the bowl out. Filling it with the taffy from the box, I then placed the old taffy on top, making sure that the vanilla was clearly visible. I placed it back beside the cash register before closing up the box and taking it back to storage.

Next up was the maple sugar candies. Opening up the cabinet under the glass counter, I pulled out the empty candy trays and dumped the remaining crumbs into a nearby trash can. Once it was relatively clean, I opened up the maple candy boxes and began to place them on the tray. As I placed the candies on the trays, I quickly did the math in my head. Surprisingly enough, there was just enough candies in both boxes in order to fill all three trays. That was good on my part, as having left over cookies was a hassle the next time we went to stock. In order to avoid this, we usually gave away the leftovers as free treats for foals.

Placing the last of the candies onto the last tray, I began to put the trays back beneath the counter. The first two went in without a hitch, but as I picked up the last one, I fumbled with it. It slipped off the counter and tilted towards the floor. The candies began to spill off the tray.

Eyes widening in alarm, I moved quickly to try and catch the falling treats. Luckily, I managed to save all but three of them. Unluckily, Bon Bon took that exact moment to exit the kitchen.

“There, I have another batch cooking…” she trailed off as she caught sight of the dropped cookies. Closing her eyes, she exhaled softly and shook her head.

“Nora,” she sighed, “go home.”

“Bonnie, I’m sor—”

“I’m not mad, Nora,” she said, opening her eyes and giving me a weak smile. “You aren’t in trouble, okay? I promise.”

“I’m sorry, Bonnie,” I said as I bent down to pick up the ruined candy.

“They’re just sweets, Nora,” Bon Bon said, pushing the trash can towards me. “I can always make more.”

“Still, I just... I’m…”

“Nora, it’s fine,” she assured me. “I can tell you’re distracted. You’re out of it today, and I’m a little worried about you.”

I stood there, playing absentmindedly with the crumbling treats in my hand.

“Tell you what,” Bon Bon said, giving me a soft smile. “You originally took the day off but came in anyways. I don’t know what happened to make you change your mind, but seeing as it was the first day off you requested in nearly five months, I wouldn’t be mad if you used it anyways.”

“Really?” I asked, blinking in surprise.

“Really,” she said with a nod. “How about you go home and get some rest. Come back when you’re feeling better, okay? The treats will still be here tomorrow or the day after.”

“Are you sure?” I asked before blinking and looking down at the cookies in my hands. Tipping them into the trash can, I brushed my hands off on my maroon skirt.

“It’s been a slow day,” Bon Bon said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure I can run the store by myself for a couple of hours. Go home, Nora.”

“But—”

“Go home!” she said, stomping a hoof for emphasis, “and don’t come back until you feel better. I don’t want you getting hurt because you were distracted.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but a glare from Bon Bon caused me to change my mind.

“Alright,” I sighed. “If you’re sure.” Grabbing the empty boxes for the maple cookies, I began to break them down as I headed towards the kitchen. “I’ll just put these in the dumpster on my way out, okay?”

“That’s fine,” Bon Bon called as she moved behind the counter. “Be careful on your way home, Nora. The Crusaders are out and about today.”

I gave her a nod before ducking into the kitchen. Eyeing the new pot on the stove as I passed, I made my ways towards the back door that led into the alleyway behind the shop.

Just as I reached the door, I heard the bell at the front of the store chime, indicating that someone had just entered.

“Hello!” I heard Bon Bon chirped. “Welcome to Sweet Tooth’s. Can I help you?”

“Yes, actually,” the pony answered, although I could barely hear her. “I’m looking for Ms. O’M—”

The door closed behind me with a ‘click’ as I stepped outside. The warm fall air pulled at my clothing, and I took a deep breath before sighing. Turning to the dumpster, I opened the lid and tossed the flattened boxes inside. With that completed, I turned and headed home.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

My front door clicked shut behind me, and I made sure to lock it. Kicking off my shoes, I slowly walked further into the living room, my socked feet barely making a noise on the wooden floor. The wood gave way to carpet as I walked across the large rug in the center of the room, and I made sure to pick up my feet as I went. I had been shocked one too many times by static build-up from the rug.

Slipping into my bedroom, I closed that door as well before sighing. Bon Bon had been right. I did have a lot on my mind right now, but the reason I was so out of it wasn’t because of what was going on inside my head. It was because I was stressed as hell.

Luckily, I had a solution. Unluckily, it was an… awkward solution.

Walking to my bed, I got down on my hands and knees and reached under it. I struggled for a second before pulling a case out from underneath the bed. It was made out of wood and was plain in design. The word ‘EBONY’ was etched into the lid.

Sitting up, I placed the case in front of me and stared at it, my heart beating loudly in my chest. I could already feel my face beginning to flush and I chewed on my bottom lip as I continued to stare at the wooden chest before me.

After about a minute, I swallowed, a large amount of saliva having gathered in my mouth. Reaching out with a shaky hand, I unlatched the clasp on the case before flipping it open, reveal its contents in all its glory.

There, lying against the velvet-lined insides of the case, was a large… well, dildo.

The toy was shaped like a realistic stallion’s member, complete with medial ring, sheath and veins. It was black in color at the base and slowly changed to dark red towards the slightly flared head, with thin pink veins running over the entire thing.

I stared down at the toy, a deep blush now covering my face. I had broken down and bought it nearly six months ago from a Bad Stallions adult catalog. It was one of the more expensive models, and even came with a suction cup for mounting and a harness so that it could be used as a strap-on.

This thing, as weird as it was, was a life saver. It had helped me deal with stress for nearly half a year now, and it was still in good condition.

I could feel my body heating up as I picked up the toy and harness, an uncomfortable wetness beginning to grow between my legs.

Standing up, I placed the dildo down on my mattress before quickly taking off all of my clothes except my socks. I shivering slightly do to anticipation, as well as the cool air on my bare skin, before picking up the dildo again. Attaching the base of it to the harness, I then grabbed one of the pillows off my bed and slipped the harness around it. I tightened the straps as best I could before placing the pillow down upon the floor with the toy pointing upwards.

I stared at the swaying spire of rubber horse flesh for a few seconds before swallowing again and grabbing a small bottle of lube from within the wooden case. I uncapped the bottle and proceeded to poured a small dollop of the clear gel onto the head of the toy before capping the bottle again. Using my hand, I worked the lube into the head of the toy as best I could. Once I was satisfied it was good to go, I awkwardly positioned myself over the toy and, using my hand to help guide it, I lowered myself slowly down towards the tip.

I gasped as the head of the member brushed against my slit, the cool gel causing a shiver to run up my spine. Biting my lip, I moved my hips back and forth, gently grinding myself down upon the flared head. The ridges of the flare pulled and tugged on my folds, causing me to twitch and groan.

I continued to rub myself on the dildo’s tip until my arousal began to trickle down the rubber. Positioning the head at my entrance, I slowly began to push myself down upon it. For a few moments, all I could feel was pressure as the flare rubbed against me. Finally, something gave and I groaned as the toy sunk into my folds.

The first inch was the toughest. My lips spread and spread to accommodate the toy’s thickness. I crouched there for a brief moment, my legs spread around the pillow and my arm supporting my weight as I gave myself a chance to adjust to the size of the rubber member. Once I was comfortable, I began to lower myself again.

My eyelids fluttered as I felt the flare dragging against my inner walls as it slid deeper. Scrunching up my face, I gently rocked back and forth, working more and more of the toy into my sex. I could feel the ridges of the flare as well as the veins on the shaft, the odd sensations causing my arousal to grow and I felt the muscles in my vagina twitch in excitement. The pressure inside me continued to build with each new inch, a fullness slowly spreading through my stomach. I closed my eyes, breathing through my mouth as I tried to enjoy the feeling.

Suddenly, the pressure gave way to pain as I felt the head of the dildo bump against something. I gasped in surprise and my eyes snapped open. Shifting slightly, I began to lower myself again only to wince as pain flared up once more. A quick glanced downwards revealed that I had barely managed to reach a little past the medial ring. It seemed that I had taken as much as I could.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I closed my eyes again and concentrated on the feeling of the member inside of me. I rested for just a minute before beginning to lift myself up, my knees straining slightly. Slowly, the dildo slipped out of me and I hissed in pleasure as the flared head scraped against my confines.

When only the first inch was still inside, I paused before sliding back down. I slowly worked myself into a steady rhythm: up and down, up and down. The stimulation of the soft rubber sliding against my inner walls was causing pleasure to slowly begin to build up. I felt the medial ring entering and exiting my folds with each bounce, and my entire body shuddered at the sensation. My knees and leg muscles were beginning to burn, but I ignored them, focusing instead on the pleasure.

My pace slowly increased as I tried to make the strokes as long and deep as possible. Scrunching up my face, I closed my eyes and breathed through my mouth as I lost myself to the pleasure. Slowly, my hand trailed down my stomach and I began to play with my clit. I drew little circles around it with my fingertips before gently flicking it with one finger. All the while, I continued to bounce up and down upon the rubber stallionhood.

I tried to daydream—to imagine some sexy scenario as I worked myself over—but I was unable to. I had learn from my sisters during some of our sisterhood outings that they liked to fantasize as they mastrubated, but I never could. I prefered to concentrate on the pleasure, slowly working myself higher and higher until I peaked.

My breaths came in heavy gasps as I continued to rub my clit. The smell of my arousal and sweat was thick in the air, but I didn’t care. My legs screamed in protest as I started to speed up. The muscles in my stomach were twitching and fluttering as another type of pressure began to build up inside me.

“Ah feck,” I moaned as I jerked up and down upon the rubber member. “Ah feck, feck, feeeeeck.” The moan turned into a hiss, and I massaged my clit in quick, circular motions. Feeling myself nearing the edge, I increased my pace, rubbing and flicking my nub as I writhed and squirmed in pleasure.

“Eeeuff… I’m… so close…” I groaned. My breathing began to quicken, and I fought back my orgasm for as long as possible. However, the combined sensations of the dildo pounding away inside me as well as the attention I was giving my clit was too much. Pinching my clit between two fingers, I cried out in pleasure as I climaxed.

My entire body shook as waves of euphoria washed over me, and I pushed myself as far down the dildo as possible. I felt my inner walls gripping at the rubber member’s length as another spike of pleasure rushed up my spine. The room seemed to spin as I rode out my climax. My head lolled back, and I gasped for breath, my eyes unfocused. I was blind to the world around me as my body shook and twitched.

Finally I collapsed backwards onto the floor, the dildo still inside me. I just laid there, my chest heaving as I tried to regain my breath. As I slowly came back down to earth, I stared up at the ceiling above me. My legs hurt, my stomach was sore, and I could feel my arms trembling slightly.

After several minutes had past, I shaky pushed myself up, wincing as the dildo shifted about inside of me. Reaching down, I slowly began to pull it out, hissing in pleasure and discomfort as the head dragged against my now sensitive flesh. When it finally pulled free with a small ‘pop’, I tossed it and the pillow—which was now damp and smell of musk—aside before collapsing back onto the floor.

Lying there, spread-eagled, I stared blearily up at the ceiling again. I sighed softly, still feeling slightly light-headed. I was exhausted, and could feel myself slowly beginning to fall asleep. The last thought that entered my mind before I drifted off was, I’m definitely gonna be sore later...

The Party

It was late afternoon when I emerged from my house again. Freshly showered and feeling a little bit better, I walked slowly through town, enjoying the warm weather. Having been given the rest of the day off thanks to Bon Bon, I had decided to use it in order to take care of some personal business. Right now, I was on my way to Rarity’s.

Ponies milled about the marketplace, doing their daily shopping. It was a relaxed atmosphere, friendly chatter and warm smiles all around. There was talk about the upcoming Fall Festival, and you could feel the excitement in the air. If there was one thing these ponies loved, it was a celebration.

I was looking forward to the Fall Festival as well. Bon Bon had even given me the Festival off, saying that Lyra had volunteered to help out, so I was free to do whatever I wanted. Seeing as I arrived in Equestria during the Running of the Leaves and then had spent the next couple days in the hospital under surveillance, I hadn’t actually gotten to experience it. This time however, I planned on enjoying the games and activities, as well as taking part in the running. I wasn’t sure how it was supposed to clear the leaves from the trees, but it would be fun nonetheless.

Hopefully it would help take my mind off the events of last night.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I crossed Mane Street and was just making my way around the corner of Berry’s shop when a pink blur nearly collide with me. I heard a loud gasp and suddenly Pinkie Pie was in front of me.

“Malley!” she chirped, a large smile on her face. “You’re back!”

“Aye, I’m back,” I said with a smile and a nod of my head. “Hi, Pinkie, how you doin’?”

“What are you doing here, Malley? I thought you were gonna be up in Canterlot for another day or so!” she said, an ear twitching sporadically.

My smile faded slightly. “There was a… change of plans. I came back early.”

“Oh,” Pinkie said, her smile fading as well. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Her ears splayed back for but a second before perking up again, her smile returning. “So, does that mean you’re gonna come over to Twilight’s this evening? All the girls will be there!”

“You all gathering at the library?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. “Why? Fall Festival isn’t for another week.”

“For a sleepover, silly!” Pinkie said, jumping up and down. “Applejack finished harvesting her apples the other day, so we’re gonna celebrate! And what better way to celebrate than with friends, games, and sleepovers! You wanna come? Huh? Huh? Huh?” With each new ‘huh’, she bounced on her hooves.

“I don’t know, Pinks,” I said, chewing on my lip. “It sounds like you gals already have this planned out. I don’t want to intrude…”

“Oh, come on, Malley!” Pinkie chirped, hopping around me in little circles. “I’m sure the others won’t mind! Applejack’s even gonna bring some of her cider~!”

“But…”

“Please~!” Pinkie begged, hopping in front of me and then pouting, her eyes large and watery.

I bite my lip, trying to steel myself, but I failed almost immediately. Hanging my head, I sighed before nodding. “Alright, you little bòcan, I’ll be there.”

The look of sadness immediately left Pinkie’s face, and she jumped into the air. “Yippie! We’re gonna have so much fun!”

“What time do I need to show up?” I asked as she came back down to earth.

“We’re all meeting up there around sixish!” Pinkie chirped. “Don’t worry about bringing anything! Applejack and I have it all covered!”

“Alright, I’ll see you then, I guess,” I began to say, only to have Pinkie gasp loudly halfway through. Staring at something over my shoulder, a large grin suddenly split her face before she disappeared in a flash of pink and confetti. I turned quickly to try and see what had caught her attention, but she was gone by the time I had looked.

Turning back around, I shook my head before laughing softly. “Probably saw a new pony.” Putting my hands in my sweater pocket, I resumed my journey and made my way towards the distant Carousel Boutique.

The bell above the door chimed as I entered, and I heard a voice call out from the back. “Just a minute!” A few seconds later, Rarity walked out of the backroom with a smile on her face. “Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique—oh, Nora. It’s you.” She gave me a warm smile before her eyes suddenly widened and the smile turned sad. “Oh, Nora… it’s you. Oh… oh dear. I take it if you’re here right now then…”

“The date didn’t go so well,” I finished softly with a nod of my head.

“Oh, darling,” Rarity gasped, covering her mouth with a hoof. “I’m so sorry. And you spent so much time preparing for it too. I guess she just wasn’t interested.”

“It was more my own fault actually,” I muttered, dragging a sneaker across the floor. “I wasn’t the best date in the world.”

Rarity blinked, lowering her hoof. “What do you mean?”

“I… I really don’t want to talk about it right now,” I said. “I’m sorry, Rarity. It’s just… not now. Maybe later, but I just want to forget it at the moment. It wasn’t the best night.”

She nodded her head. “Alright, darling. I understand. Just know that I’ll be here if you ever want to talk about it. How about I schedule us a spa trip sometime next week and we can talk and relax?”

“That… that doesn’t sound half bad actually,” I said with a half smile, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Splendid!” Rarity said, the smile returning to her face. “Now then, I’m assuming that you didn’t come just to tell me that the date didn’t go well. How may I help you?”

“Ah!” I perked up and began to rummage around in my sweater pocket. After a few seconds I pulled out the small bag of makeup that I had taken with me to Canterlot.

“I wanted to return this,” I said, holding the bag out for her. “They were nice, but I don’t think I’m gonna be using them again anytime soon.”

“Oh no, darling,” Rarity gasped, quickly shaking her head. “I couldn’t. Those are yours!”

“But, I don’t need them anymore.”

“No, Nora,” Rarity said more firmly. “You paid for them. I couldn’t possibly take them from you. They are yours now, you keep them. In fact, you could use them to catch another pony’s eye, if you’d like”

“But, I… fine,” I groaned before giving up and slipping them back into my pocket. Rarity might not be willing to take the makeup back, but I could always trick Sweetie Belle into taking them later. She’d either keep them herself or return them without Rarity knowing. Either way, I didn’t want them anymore, and I highly doubted that I would ever find myself in another situation that called for their use.

“I know you’re not used to applying makeup, darling, but it wouldn’t hurt to spruce yourself up from time to time,” Rarity said, batting her mane absentmindedly. “I’m sure another mare will come along and possibly sweep you off your hooves, er… feet. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I’m bi,” I mumbled, my brow furrowing. Suddenly, I didn’t like the direction this conversation was going. Rarity tended to get lost in her own little fantasy world when it came to romance, and I didn’t want anything to do with it at the moment. Besides I didn’t need to find another pony to love, especially not at the moment.

“After all,” Rarity continued, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. The Princess might have been a bust, but there are plenty more mares out there. Just give yourself a week or two to recover, and then go out there and get yourself another one! Oh, it’s like the old tales, a lonely mare searching for her mate, all while the world around her conspires to—”

Yeah, there she goes again. Definitely time to bail.

“Okay, well...” I said, interrupting her. Slowly inching my way backwards, I gave her a weak smile. “Listen, I hate to just pop in and leave like this, but I ‘ave the rest of the day off of work and still ‘ave some stuff to do before it gets much later. I’ll see yer at Twilight’s later this evening, alright?”

“Oh, y-you’re going?” Rarity asked, blinking as she was brought out of whatever fantasy she had found herself in this time.

“Aye,” I nodded, still moving towards the door, “I bumped into Pinkie on my way here and she invited me along. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all, darling,” she said, waving a hoof at me. Her eyes slowly drifted to a dress on a stand by the door, and a small frown crossed her face. “It might take your mind off of your recent… troubles. Did I really use blue for that?”

“That’s the plan,” I said, causing her gaze to focus on me again. I grabbed the door handle and twisted. “So, I’ll catch you later, ‘kay?”

“Certainly,” Rarity said in a distracted manner as I pushed the door open—the bell chiming again—and slipped outside. “Oh, and if you happen to see Sweetie Belle, send her home please! I don’t need her breaking her leg again.”

“Can do!” I said before closing the door with a ‘click’. I then leaned against it and sagged, sighing heavily. “Oh, thank god.” I stayed like that for a few seconds before pushing myself off of the door and peering through the window. Rolls of fabric were flying around the room in a whirlwind of cloth as Rarity dissected the dress that had caught her eye upon my leaving.

I watched her for a little while longer before turning and slowly walking away from the Boutique. Heading towards the marketplace, I decided that I should probably do a little shopping before the stalls closed for the evening. As I walked, I reached into my hoodie’s pocket and began to rummage around. After a few seconds my face lit up and I pulled out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, I glanced at the words scribbled on the paper. Luckily, the list wasn’t as long as it usually was, and I only had to pick up a couple of things.

“Let’s see,” I hummed as I ran my eye down the list, “Garlic, onions, peppers, carrots. I’ll need to stop by Berry’s to pick up some more milk as well. Don’t need any apples, still working on the apples Applejack gave me last week. Thyme? Why did I put that down… oh yeah, for the stew. Hmmm, Roseluck’s probably already closed for the evening… maybe I can get some from—GAH!” I yelped as a weight suddenly landed on my back, causing me to stumble. The smell of freshly cut grass filled my nose as something soft gently nuzzled my cheek.

“Hello, Nora,” a soft voice whispered in my ear, the warm air sending a shiver down my spine. Strands of pink hair fell in front of my face as the nuzzling continued.

“H-hi, Fluttershy,” I said as I regained my balance. Turning my head, I was confronted by a wall of yellow fur and feathers. “How are you doing today?”

“Better now,” she said as her forelegs slowly wrapped around my neck and she settled comfortably on my shoulders. “I was looking for you yesterday, but couldn’t find you.”

“I was in Canterlot,” I replied as I started walking again.

“Really?” she said as she finally stopped nuzzling my cheek and pulled back, allowing me to finally turn my head fully and look at her face. She gave me a curious look, her cyan eyes wide with wonder. “Why were you up there? T-that is, if you don’t mind me asking.” A small blush crossed her face and she glanced away, fidgeting nervously.

“I was there on personal matters that… didn’t turn out as I had hoped,” I said, feeling like a broken record. Seriously, were all of my friends gonna ask me the same thing before the day was done? It was bad enough it happened, but repeating the events over and over again wasn’t making it better. In fact, it was getting rather annoying.

Some of my feelings must have shown in my face, as Fluttershy shrunk back.

“O-oh… sorry for, um… b-bringing it up,” she squeaked, her ears pressing against her head.

“It’s fine, Fluttershy,” I said softly as I continued walking.

“W-well, regardless, I’m glad you’re back,” she said before she began to gently nuzzle me again.

We continued that way through the marketplace for several minutes before my legs began to tremble. I wasn’t that strong of a person, and with ponies being only slightly smaller than me, carrying Fluttershy around was similar to carrying a small child. I could bear her weight for a short amount of time, but after a while, it was too much.

Pausing, I glanced over and gave her a strained smile. “Hey, uh… Fluttershy? Could you… could you get down, please?” She looked at me like a kicked puppy, her ears splaying back. Slowly, she extracted herself from me and fluttered softly to the ground.

“Thanks,” I sighed, giving first one leg a shake, then the other.

As I continued walking again, Fluttershy trotted up beside me. Sticking close to my side, she had her shoulder pressed against my hip, her wing brushing my legs as I walked. When I looked down at her, she had a small smile on her face, and would glance up at me ever few seconds, a small blush on her face.

“It’s lonely when you aren’t here,” she said after a few minutes of silence.

“What about your other friends?” I asked as I eyed the products on a nearby stall. The counter was mostly empty except for a couple of pears that were positioned in a small pile in the center of the display. I wondered briefly in Applejack would help me make some cider out of them if I bought them. It had been a while since I had some pear cider.

“Oh, they’re usually too busy to do stuff,” Fluttershy said, dragging a hoof along through the dirt as she walked.

“What about Rarity?”

“She has her dresses,” she said, fidgeting slightly. “I… I don’t like going over there when she’s making dresses. She usually wants me to model in them.”

“Well, what about the others?” I asked.

“Um… Fall is usually a busy time for everypony,” Fluttershy said, brushing her wing against my legs. “Applejack has the harvest to deal with, Twilight helps organize the Fall Festival and the Running of the Leaves, Rainbow is working with the other weather pegasi to get the winter weather schedule ready, and Pinkie’s making treats with the Cakes for the Fall Festival.”

“Well, don’t you have stuff you could be doing as well?” I asked. “What about your animal friends? Don’t they need your help?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “In the Spring I help the animals wake up after their hibernation, but they don’t need help in the Fall. They just return to their burrows and get ready to sleep. The only thing I have to do is help the injured ones, but there aren’t any this year.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“W-well, yes. Of course it is!” she said, gaping at me. “I hate the thought of any of my animal friends being injured, especially when they’re trying to get comfortable for a good, long rest!”

“Then, there you have it,” I said with a smile. “Besides, from the sounds of it, you girls are having a get together tonight.”

“Oh yes, the sleepover,” Fluttershy said, closing her eyes and nodding. A few seconds later her eyes shot open and she gasped. Turning quickly, she looked up at me with a wide smile on her face, her tail wagging back and forth. “Are… are you going as well?”

“That was the plan,” I answered with a nod. That caused her smile to grow, as well as her tail to swish about faster.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” she squeaked, pressing her hooves to her cheeks. “I… I had hoped, but… oh, I… I need to go get ready. I need to—oh, excuse me please!” With that, she hurried off, practically hovering across the ground as she flitted through the crowd.

As I watched her go, I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. I was suddenly hoping that Applejack was bringing some of her alcoholic cider. I had a feeling I was going to need it.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was just beginning to set when I arrived at Twilight’s. Knocking on the door, I only had to wait a few seconds before the door swung open and a smiling face greeted me.

“Hello, Nora!” Twilight chirped before freezing, her eyes widening comically. “Wait, Nora? What are you doing here—”

“Don’t,” I interrupted, holding up a finger. “Please, Twilight, just don’t. I’m back from Canterlot. Pinkie invited me. I need this to take my mind off of... it. Don’t.”

Licking her lips, Twilight nodded before stepping aside and allowing me to enter. “Right. Of course. Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I said as I stepped over the threshold. I scratched her behind the ear as I past, a place I found out she liked several months ago. A smile spread across her face and she leaned into my hand for a few seconds before closing the door and following after me.

I glanced around the main room as I removed my shoes. Twilight had laid out blankets and pillows in a circle in the center of the room, as well as several sleeping bags. Rarity was already present, resting comfortable on one of the more plush pillows. She perked up as I entered and gave me a quick wave. “Well, hello again, Nora dear.”

“Hey, Rarity,” I called back, returning her wave. I glanced around again before my eyes landed on a pair of tables set up off to the side of the blanket circle. They were already covered in treats, cookies, cakes, and brownies placed in creative displays that made my mouth water. There was also already bottles of cider placed in a couple of buckets of ice. But… I thought Pinkie said Applejack was… why are they here already?

Seeing my confused expression, Twilight explained. “Applejack has already been here. She dropped them off before going back to grab some more. I put them in ice to keep them cool. You can have one if you’d like.” Upon nodding my head, her horn lit up and one of the bottles lifted itself out of the ice with a soft ‘clink’. The cap popped off and flew over to the wastebin as Twilight levitated the drink over to me.

“T'anks,” I grunted as I took the bottle. Eyeing the bubbling amber contents for but a second, I placed the bottle to my lips, threw back my head, and drained half of it in a single, long gulp.

As I lowered the half-empty bottle, I smacked my lips, a thoughtful look on my face. It was alcoholic alright, but it wasn’t that strong. It would do for now though.

Taking another, more chastised sip, I shuffled over and sat down on a blanket on the opposite side of the circle as Rarity. I crossed my legs before throwing a blanket over my lap. Sitting cross legged with a skirt was a bit revealing, but the blanket took care of that.

“So, Nora,” Rarity piped up as I got comfortable, “are you, perchance, feel any better than you were earlier?”

“No,” I grunted, lifting the bottle to my lips, “but I’m working on it.”

“I see,” Rarity hummed, pursing her lips before trailing off. An awkward silence fell, and Rarity shifted uncomfortably on her pillow as she looked everywhere but in my direction. I didn’t care though. I was just content to sit there and nurse my bottle.

The silence was eventually interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Coming!” Twilight chirped as she trotted happily to the door and opened it. There was a brief muffled conversation before she stepped back and allowed the new pony to enter.

Fluttershy had a small smile on her face as she glanced around the room, only for the smile to widen when her eyes landed onto me. She did a weird hop-flutter jump through the air and landed beside me.

“Fluttershy, darling,” Rarity greeted her with a smile, “so nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a hum, snuggling up against my side. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week!”

“As have I,” Rarity said, nodding her head twice. “After filling out so many orders, it’ll be nice to just relax and be with friends.”

“Indeed,” Twilight said as she walked over and sat down on one of the pillows. “Now, we just need to wait for the others to return and we can get started.” No sooner had the words left her mouth then there came a flurry of knocks on the door. However, before Twilight had a chance to stand up to answer it, the door flung open and Pinkie Pie bounced in… followed by a white unicorn with long light blue hair with white streaks.

The mare took several steps into the library before pausing, suddenly aware of all the eyes on her. Her ears splayed back and she lowered her head slightly, taking a step back. “I… I’m sorry. I’m not interrupting anything, am I? She said it would be fine.”

“Certainly not,” Rarity said, giving the mare a curious look, “but if I may, who are you?”

“I’m—” the mare began, only to have Pinkie jump in front of her, a large smile on her face.

“Her name is Majestic Sky,” she chirped, bouncing in place, “and she’s new in town! I saw her when I was taking to Malley, so I went to greet her, but I think I scared her, so I was going to throw her a big ‘Welcome To Ponyville And Sorry For Scaring You’ party, but she didn’t want a big party because she said she was shy, so I was all sad because I wouldn’t be able to throw her a party, but then I remembered our slumber party was tonight, and I thought ‘Pinkie, why not bake two cakes with one oven’, so I invited her and here we are!” She gave one finally bounce before stopping and giving Twilight a grin that threatened to split her head in two.

Twilight looked someone had just slapped her with a fish, blinking owlishly at Pinkie. Fluttershy and Rarity looked equally bewildered.

“...Right,” Majestic Sky said, giving Pinkie a flustered look. “What she, um… what she just said.”

“‘Bake two cakes with one oven’?” I breathed, laughing airily. “That sounds horribly like a innuendo.” Beside me, Fluttershy squeaked, a small blush spreading across her muzzle.

“I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but your friend insisted I come along,” Majestic said, giving Twilight an apologetic look as Pinkie pronked further into the room. “I told her I didn’t need a party as I wasn’t going to be here long, but she was very, very persistent. I can go if it’s too much trouble though.”

“No, it’s fine,” Twilight said quickly, snapping out of her daze and giving the mare a warm smile. “It was just... unexpected is all. You’re more than welcome to join us. Please, come in and have a seat. Anywhere is fine. And help yourself to some food from the table too.”

Giving Twilight a grateful smile, Majestic made her way slowly into the library, glancing around curiously. She plucked a cider from an ice bucket as she passed, eyeing the contents closely before popping the cap and taking a tentative sip. Finding it pleasing, she took another, larger sip as she continued to look around the library. Her eyes eventually landed on me, and they widened.

Used to this kind of reaction when ponies meet me for the first time, I just sighed and shook my head.

“It’s okay, I won’t bite,” I said moodily. Unless you are into that kind thing, I added silently.

“Forgive me,” Majestic said, clearing her throat. “I just wasn’t expecting… you.”

“Most ponies don’t,” I sighed again before taking a sip from my bottle.

Majestic paused before continuing to make her way across the room. She made her way to a pillow beside Rarity—right across from me—and, giving it a quick fluff, she sat down stiffly, her head held high. After getting herself situation, she glanced up at me again only to notice Fluttershy who had until just now been hidden from view, snuggled up beside me. For a split second, I could have swore that Majestic’s brow furrowed and a look of annoyance crossed her face, but when I looked again, her expression was relaxed.

“So,” Rarity said, giving Majestic an inquisitive look, “I don’t mean to pry, but where are you from? I recognize the accent, but I can’t place it at the moment for the life of me.”

“Oh, um… I live in Canterlot,” Majestic said.

“Canterlot? Really?” Rarity asked, perking up, her eyes beginning to glisten. “Of course! I should have known. Oh, it’s such a lovely city, isn’t it? I would simply love to live there. If you don’t mind me asking, what is it you do there?”

Majestic bit her lip, her ears splaying back slightly. “I, uh… I’m part of the… the weather team. Yes, the weather team.”

“But, you’re a unicorn,” Twilight said as she settled back down upon her pillow.

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and turning my head, I watched as Pinkie raided the snack tables, stacking a plate high with sugary treats. Balancing it impossibly on her head, she grabbed a bottle of cider in her mouth before skipping over to her own blanket and sitting down.

“I help plan the weather, not make it,” Majestic explained, gaining a little more confidence. “Other ponies get to do the fun part. I might not have the most exciting part of the job, but somepony has to do it.”

Just barely listening to the conversation, I watched in awe as Pinkie began to shovel food into her mouth at an alarming rate. There was even a sucking noise as the cookies and cupcakes disappeared down her gullet. I don’t think I’ve seen garbage disposals destroy food faster than that.

“Certainly, darling,” Rarity said with a nod, “What brings you to Ponyville? Are you here to help with the weather schedule?”

“No,” Majestic said, shaking her head. “An… acquaintance of mine sends me letters about her experiences living here, and it seemed like a nice place to visit. My… boss gave me a couple of days off, so I decided I’d come and see what all the excitement was about.”

“Well, you certainly picked a good time for a visit,” Twilight said, smiling warmly. “Although, if you had come a week later, you could have enjoyed the Fall Festival as well.”

“Oh yeah!” Pinkie said loudly, crumbs flying from her mouth. “You have to come to the Fall Festival! We’ll have so much fun—”

crack

We all jumped as a loud crack echoed around the room, and the front door shook. A stream of muffled swearing came from the other side before it was pushed open. Applejack trotted in first, three barrels strapped to her back, shortly followed by Rainbow, who was carrying two barrels. Rainbow was rubbing her head and grumbling under her breath.

“Most ponies tend tah open doors with their hooves, Rainbow, not their heads,” Applejack snickered, slipping the barrels carefully off her back and placing them beside the snack tables.

“Shut up,” Rainbow grunted, dropping off her barrels as well. “I couldn’t see where I was going with these stupid barrels in the way!”

“Sure,” Applejack laughed, shaking her head. Turning, she pushed her hat back and gave Twilight an apologetic look. “Sorry it took longer than Ah originally thought. Ah had tah put Applebloom tah bed first.”

“That’s fine,” Twilight smiled. “Everypony else is here, so we can get started!”

“Sweet!” Rainbow cheered, perking up, her head injury forgotten. Jumping into the air, she grabbed two of the cider bottles before flying over and planting herself down beside Pinkie.

Applejack made to follow her, but paused upon spotting me.

“Nora, you’re back!” she said, a large smile spreading across her muzzle. I started to return the smile, only to have her next question wipe it from my face. “How’d your date go last night?”

Across from me both Twilight and Rarity winced, and I felt Fluttershy stiffen against me.

“Not as planned,” I grunted. “I had hoped… well, it doesn’t matter what I had hoped now.” Lifting the bottle to my lips, I drained the remaining liquid before placing the empty bottle down beside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Majestic’s ears splay backwards and she stared down at her hooves.

“Ah, Ah see,” Applejack said, giving me a sympathetic look. “Well, that’s behind you now. You’re among friends here.”

I gave her a weak smile and a nod.

Walking around the circle of blankets, Applejack sat down beside Rainbow. As she settled down, she glanced at Majestic, only to do a double take a couple of seconds later. “Whoa, nelly. Didn’t see ya there. What’s your name, partner?”

As Applejack got acquainted with Majestic, I got to my feet—earning me a small pout from Fluttershy—and made my way to the snack table and grabbed another bottle of cider. Popping the cap with a grunt, I took a sip before heading back to my spot in the circle.

As I sat down, Rainbow pumped a hoof in the air. “Alright, we’re all here! Let’s get started!”

“Okay, Rainbow. Calm down,” Twilight said as she levitated a large glass bottle into the center of the group. Scooching around in order to close the circle, she asked, “does anypony know where we last left off? I don’t remember”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie gasped, bouncing up and down on her pillow. “It was Rarity’s turn! She got turned into a dragon!”

“Oh, right,” Twilight muttered, scrunching up her muzzle. “Spike kept asking me to turn her back into one again for a day. Right, so that means that Rarity starts.”

“Very well,” Rarity said, lowering her own bottle of cider. Taking the empty glass bottle in her magic, she gave it a quick flick and sent it spinning.

“Spin the bottle?” I asked, an eyebrow raising. “What? Are we gonna snog one another? Cause if that’s the case, I’m gonna have to sit out.”

“Of course not,” Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “It’s truth or dare, silly!”

"Truth or dare?” Majestic asked, blinking in surprise. “I can’t say I’ve ever played that before.”

“What? Never!?” Pinkie gasped, staring at her in shock. “We’ll have to fix that!”

The bottle began to slow before coming to a stop pointing at Rainbow. The pegasus stared at it for a brief moment before a smirk crossed her muzzle.

“Dare, of course,” she said, puffing out her chest.

“Alright then,” Rarity hummed, taking a dainty sip of her cider. “Let’s start off with something simple, shall we? I dare you…” Her eyes drifted over Dash until they came to rest on her mane. A smirk played across Rarity’s face. “I dare you to put your mane up in a bun for the rest of the evening.”

The confident smirk left Rainbow’s face, and she stared at Rarity wide-eyed.

Leaning down, I whispered in Twilight’s ear. “What’s the penalty for not completing a dare?”

“They have to drink one of the potions I have in that box,” Twilight whispered back, pointing to a crate off to the side that I had somehow missed earlier.

“That’s it?” I asked, scrunching up my face. “That doesn’t seem like a very good punishment.”

Twilight smirked. “That’s because you don’t know what the potions do.”

“Anything bad?”

“No, but you’ll probably not enjoy it.”

Grunting softly, I returned my attention back to the game. Rainbow was fidgeting with her hooves as she chewed on her lip. Giving Rarity one last glance, she sighed before crossing her forelegs and pouting. “Fine! Get it over with.”

With a squeal and a smile, Rarity lit up her horn. In a flash of light, Rainbow’s mane was done up in a proper bun, all the colors of her hair twisting and swirling together in a breathtaking display. A pair of hairsticks were sticking out of the bun. Where Rarity got them on such short notice I had no idea, but, if I was being honest with myself, Rainbow pulled the look off fairly well.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, darling,” Rarity said as the magic around her horn faded. Beside her, Pinkie shoved a hoof in her mouth to stop herself giggling.

“That’s a nice look for you, Potato,” I said, snickering around my bottle of cider. “Very… sophisticated.”

Rainbow glared at me before leaning down and kicking the bottle with her hoof. It immediately flew into a tight corkscrew, spinning like a top.

“Easy, Rainbow,” Twilight admonished. “You don’t need to hit it that hard. You’re going to break it.” Twilight’s look of annoyance shifted to one of surprise as the bottle slowed and came to a rest pointing at her.

“Alright, egghead,” Rainbow sneered. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Twilight said after a moment’s hesitation.

“I dare you to rip a page in one of your books,” Rainbow said, smirking at the librarian. Reaching over, she pulled a random book from a nearby shelf and slid it over to Twilight.

Twilight stared the book with wide eyes, a look of horror on her face.

“R-rip a page?” she squeaked. “In a book?”

“That’s right,” Rainbow said with a nod. “Rip and tear.”

“But… I-I, I mean, can’t I…”

“Come on, Twilight!” Pinkie said. “You can do it! It’s either that, or drink one of the potions!”

“A-alright,” Twilight stuttered, shakily picking up the book in her magic. She hesitated before flipping the book open to a random page. Licking her lips, she grabbed the page in her magic, but paused, a pained look flashing across her face.

“Come on, sugarcube,” Applejack encouraged softly. “Just get it over with quick. Like rippin’ a bandage off.”

Swallowing thickly, Twilight nodded before closing her eyes and jerking her head. A tear, barely an inch in length, appeared on the page.

“There,” she said, breathing heavily. “Done.”

“What?!” Rainbow cried, “but… what?!”

“Well, you never did say she had to tear the page from the book, darling,” Rarity said. “She did tear a page in the book, so she did complete the dare.”

“Oh come on!” Rainbow huffed as she flopped back on her pillow. “Ugh... fine.”

Majestic laughed softly, shaking her head with a small smile on her face.

The game continued for a few more rounds with everyone choosing dare. Applejack was forced to sit on her hat, Rarity was forced to lick Pinkie’s hooves, and Pinkie was forced to consume an entire bottle of cider through straws she shoved in her nose

I had just returned from getting my third bottle when, as I was sitting down, the bottle stopped spinning and pointed at Majestic.

“Truth or dare, Majestic?” Pinkie asked, a large smile on her face.

Majestic blinked several times, cocking her head to the side. “O-oh, um… dare, I guess.”

“Hmmm,” Pinkie hummed, swaying back and forth with a dopey smile on her face. Five empty bottles were scattered around her, and she was nearing the bottom of her sixth. Three straws were sticking out of it, and I wasn’t sure if any of them were the straws that had been up her nose. I hoped not.

Several seconds past with Pinkie humming to herself before she suddenly perked up. “Oh. Oh! I know! I dare you—” She paused dramatically “—to kiss Nora!” she finished quickly, turning and pointing a hoof straight at me. “Yeah, kiss Nora!”

I froze, the bottle of cider halfway to my mouth.

Majestic stiffened, her eyes widening in shock.

Rarity choked on her cider, nearly spraying it out her nose.

“What?!” Fluttershy yelped, jerking up and bumping her head into my knee.

“Pinkie! Why would you choose that for a dare?” Twilight cried as Rainbow rolled around on her back, laughing.

“Because it’s a dare, silly,” Pinkie giggled, “and to help cheer Malley up as well! Besides, she didn’t want to snog earlier, so now she has to!”

“Darling, ignoring the fact that you’re asking Ms. Sky here to kiss somepony she doesn’t even know, do you really think it’s a good idea to have her kiss Nora, especially after what happened last night?” Rarity asked.

A confused look crossed Majestic’s face and she turned to look at Rarity. “Wait… what?”

“Of course!” Pinkie chirped with a hiccup. “This will take Malley’s mind off of the date. She likes mares, and here’s a cute mare.” She motioned to Majestic who winced, her ears pressing against her head.

Rubbing the spot on her head that had hit my knee, Fluttershy frowned. “Pinkie, that’s not fair to Nora… a-and of course, Ms. Sky here.”

“If she doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have to,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “She could always choose to drink a potion.”

“That hardly seems fair,” Twilight huffed, scrunching up her face. “I suppose a dare’s a dare, but still.”

“Well, what do you think, Majestic?” Pinkie asked, turning to face the unicorn.

She was staring at me with narrowed eyes, chewing on her lip. There was an odd look on her face, one that I couldn’t quite place.

After a long silence without her giving an answer, I sighed and, closing my eyes, shook my head.

“It’s okay,” I muttered, taking a sip from my bottle. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to. It’s not something I haven’t dealt with before. No one really wants to kiss the freak—mmph!” I was cut off as something soft pressed against my lips. Blue and white hair suddenly filled my vision, and it took me a second to realize what had happened, but when it finally registered, my eyes shot wide open.

Majestic’s eyes were closed tight as she kissed me, her soft lips pressed firmly against mine. I could feel them part, her tongue brushing tentatively against my lips, asking permission, but I was too stunned to accept. She didn’t push however, and after a few seconds she pulled back, breaking the kiss.

“There,” she breathed. Turning, she made her way back to her position in the circle, ignoring the fact that everyone was staring at her, their jaws on the floor. As she stepped over the bottle, she gave it a kick with one of her hind leg, sending it spinning. She sniffed, giving Pinkie a pointed look before settling back down upon her pillow and focusing on the spinning bottle. Grabbing her cider, she took a sip.

I just sat there, my mouth hanging open as my brain tried to restart. The act had been so sudden that I hadn’t had time to prepare myself. I didn’t even see her move; one minute she had been sitting on her pillow, the next her lips were pressed against mine. Shakily, I lifted a hand and brushed my lips with my fingertips. There was a slight tingle still present, and upon licking my lips, the faint hint of raspberry danced across my tongue.

“Moving on,” Majestic said, snapping all of us out of our daze. Glancing down, I saw the bottle had come to a stop pointing at Fluttershy.

“Truth or dare?” Majestic asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Fluttershy sputtered, a large blush still on her face as her eyes darted back and forth between me and Majestic. After a few seconds, she found her voice again. “D-dare!”

“Whoa, hold on,” Rainbow cried, flapping her wings a couple of times. “Are we all gonna pretend like that didn’t just happen?”

“Well, Pinkie did dare her,” Twilight mumbled, a blush on her face as well.

Still in a daze, I drained the remainder of the cider in my bottle in one swing, trying to hid the blush that was threatening to spread across my own face. I knew that the kiss was just a dare, and I didn’t even know this mare, but I was still flustered nonetheless. It was a damn good kiss. I might have to have another round with Ebony later.

“Dare?” Majestic asked, still giving Fluttershy a bemused look. “Well then… I dare you…” Slowly her eyes drifted over to me, and she hummed softly. “I dare you to wear Ms. O’Malley’s socks.”

Immediately, blushes exploded across the faces of all ponies present.

I closed my eyes and silently groaned.

“T-that might be going a little far, dear,” Rarity stuttered, her face red. “Despite Nora’s… racy fashion tendencies, not all of us are comfortable wearing such things in public.”

“Oi told yer, oi wear dem ter keep me legs warm. Nathin’ more!” I snapped before clearing my throat. “Just because you ponies view them as risque doesn’t mean I do. Back home, socks were common attire.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow scoffed, waving a hoof. “You humans and your weird clothing fascination.”

“Fuck off, Potato,” I growled. “Why do all the dares have to involve me?”

“As Ms. Pie stated earlier, she doesn’t have to do the dare if she doesn’t want to,” Majestic said, rubbing a hoof idly on the ground. “She can alway drink a potion—”

“I’ll do it,’ Fluttershy said, her voice unnaturally firm.

All eyes turned to me, and I sighed.

“Fine, but I want them back,” I grunted. Reaching down, I slipped a hand into one of my socks and began to slid it down, exposing my pale leg. I tossed it to Fluttershy before pulling the other sock off as well. A shiver ran up my legs as they were exposed to the chilly air, and I pulled a blanket over them, wiggling my toes against the warm fabric.

Fluttershy quickly pulled them over her forelegs, her cheeks tinted pink. They were too long for her, and the ends scrunched up around her shoulders. The black fabric stood out in high contrast against her light fur.

Once she was done fidgeting with the socks, Fluttershy sat back down beside me, admiring her new attire. Reaching out a sock-covered hoof, she gave the bottle a tentative shove, causing it to barely spin.

“A little more force, Fluttershy dear,” Rarity chimed, the blush slowly fading from her cheeks.

Nodding weakly, Fluttershy nudge the bottle again harder. This time it actually spun, albeit not as fast as it had for the others. As it twirled, I thought I saw her push her muzzle against the fabric of the socks and take a deep sniff, but when I glanced over, she was just looking up at the me with a content smile on her face.

Mentally shrugging, I returned my attention to the bottle, only to blink in surprise when it quivered to a stop while pointing at me.

Beside me, Fluttershy gasped happily.

“Yay!” she cheered, clapping her socked hooves together. “Truth or dare, Nora?”

“Eh, why break the streak,” I said with a shrug. “Dare.”

A large smile spread across Fluttershy’s face and she ‘squee’d excitedly.

“I dare you to sing us a song!” she said with a giggle.

I stared at her for a few seconds before turning to Twilight. “What do the potions do if I drink them?”

“I can’t tell you,” Twilight said with a small smirk. “It would ruin the surprise.”

I looked at Fluttershy’s smiling face before turning back to Twilight. “Do I have to do it?”

“You could always drink a potion.”

“The last potion I drank from you turned me into a black bear,” I grumbled. “The only one who could understand me was Fluttershy and she spent three days taking care of me before she let you guys know there was a problem.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“The potion was supposed to cure my motion sickness.”

“You could always just sing,” she said with a shrug.

Turning back, I stared at Fluttershy’s hopeful face for a long moment before sighing heavily.

“Fine… okay, I’ll sing,” I grunted. “Just stop with the face.”

As I got comfort, the others gathered around, hopeful smiles on their faces; Majestic gave them all a mystified look. Closing my eyes, I ran a hand through my hair, taking several deep breaths to prepare myself as well as calm my nerves. I can’t believe I’m doing this…

Clearing my throat, I racked my brain to come up with something to sing. I quickly settled on a song that one of my sisters used to sing to me whenever I was anxious or sad. Something told me that it was perfect for the moment, and I felt a warm feeling began to spread through my chest. Taking one last deep breath, I exhaled slowly before opening my mouth and singing softly.

Come o’er the hills, my bonnie Irish lass,

Come o’er the hills to your darlin’,

You choose the rose, love, and I’ll make the vow,

And I’ll be your true love forever.

Red is the rose that in younger garden grows,

Fair is the lily of the valley

Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,

but my love is fairer than any.

‘Twas down by Killarney’s green wood that we strayed,

When the moon and the stars they were shining

The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair,

And she swore she’d be my love forever.

Red is the rose that in younger garden grows,

Fair is the lily of the valley

Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,

but my love is fairer than any.

It’s not for the parting that my sister pains,

It’s not for the grief of my mother

‘Tis all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass,

That my heart is breaking forever.

Red is the rose that in younger garden grows,

Fair is the lily of the valley

Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne,

but my love is fairer than any.

As I sang, I kept my eyes close, pretending to myself that I was alone and not being stared at by seven ponies, one of which I didn’t not know. I tried to keep my accent from bleeding in too much, as I didn’t want to have to sing it again due to them not being able to understand me. As I finished the song, I just sat there, my eyes closed. After several seconds of silence, I slowly opened them.

Everyone was staring at me, different levels of delight on their faces. Pinkie was smiling with her head tilted to the side, while there were tears in Rarity and Fluttershy’s eyes. Majestic just stared at me in awe, her mouth hanging open and slight red hue splashed across her muzzle.

I glanced around at all of them before tentatively asking, “D-did… did oi just ‘ave one of those Moment of Harmony things?” Upon Twilight nodding, I swore. “Feck! Oi ‘ate when that ‘appens. Oi can never ‘ear the music!”

That seemed to snap Majestic out of her daze. “W-wait, what? You can’t hear the music during a Moment of Harmony?”

“No,” I growled, crossing my arms over my chest subconsciously. “Oi can’t. Oi can’t ‘ear the music, and oi don’t know the words. Ponies always get upset with me when a moment ‘appens because I appearently ‘miss my cue’. Can’t come in on time if oi don’t know when oi’m supposed to sing.”

“B-but you had a moment just now!” Majestic pointed out.

“Yeah, oi do well by meself. No one ter disappoint,” I grunted. Throwing the blankets off of me, I got to my feet. “Oi need a drink,” I muttered.

“Wait, Malley!” Pinkie said quickly. “You got to spin the bottle!”

Pausing, I turned back around and, bending down, gave the bottle a spin with a flick of my wrist. As it spun, I made my way over to the snack table and grabbed another cold bottle of cider. Upon thinking about it, I grabbed a second one for good measure before heading back to the circle just as the bottle was slowing to a stop.

“Alright Potato,” I said with a grunt as I sat down again. “Truth or dare?”

Rainbow glared at the bottle. “Dare.”

“I dare you to not respond to anyone unless they call you ‘Potato’ tomorrow,” I said before taking a long draw from the cider bottle.

She turned her glare to me, before huffing loudly.

“Fine,” she growled as she reached down and kicked the bottle to get it to spin.

I smirked, only to groan as the bottle came to a rest pointing at me again.

“Truth or dare, Nora,” Rainbow sneered, an evil grin spreading across her muzzle.

Like hell I’m falling for that, I thought as I took another sip of cider. Swallowing it, I looked at her. “Truth.”

She blinked in surprise before the diabolic grin returned.

“Alright then, truth,” she giggled. At her words, the bottle began to glow blue.

“Uh, what’s it doing?” I asked.

“It’s enchanted,” Twilight explained. “It makes it so you can’t lie if you pick Truth, and it makes it so you have to answer the question.”

“And you couldn’t have told me that before?” I deadpanned.

Twilight gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry?”

Sighing, I turned back to Rainbow. “Alright, ask yer question.”

“Nora,” Rainbow said slowly, her smirk growing, “you seem a little stressed. Have you had a good rutting lately?”

Gasps (and a giggle-snort from Pinkie) traveled around the circle at the question. I could only glare at Rainbow as the glow around the bottle increased.

“Rainbow!” Twilight yelped, her eyes wide and ears pressed against her head. “No, Dash, just no. I’m drawing the line—”

“Yes,” I said mechanically, hating myself for saying it even as the words slipped past my lips. “Earlier today, in fact.” As soon as I got control back, I clamped a hand over my mouth but it was too late.

“WHAT?!” came cries from around the circle. Majestic’s head shot up and she stared at me wide-eyed. Fluttershy whip her head around so fast I heard a soft ‘crack’. She gaped at me, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Rainbow pressed her hoof to her muzzle, trying to hold back her laughter.

The bottle glowed again.

“Oi… oi ‘ave a toy from Bad Stallions,” I said through gritted teeth. A large blush spread across my face and I buried my face behind my blanket-covered legs. “Oi needed some stress relief after last night.”

At that, Rainbow burst out laughing and fell over on her back, kicking her legs in the air.

I groaned into my legs.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The party began to peter out around one in the morning. Bodies were strewn across the blankets and pillows, everyone passed out due to the cider. Pinkie was buried upside down in a small pile of all the empty bottles she consumed. Rarity was curled up on her cushion, Applejack using her as a pillow. Rainbow had taken up residence in a small alcove on the wall, a blanket wrapped around her in a simile of a nest. Her bun was now disheveled, the odd strand or two of hair sticking out in random directions. Twilight had taken the book she had been forced to vandalize and was now using it as a pillow. Fluttershy was nestled nearby, her face buried in her sock-covered forelegs.

I leaned against a pillow, a blanket wrapped around me to help fight off the chill slowly filling the room. A half-full bottle of cider rested in my hands, and I was still nursing it. I wasn’t sure what number I was one, but I think this was my ninth. A melancholy mood had settled over me, and I was content to just sit there in the darkness, staring at the enchanted bottle that was lying forlorn in the middle of the carnage.

Sighing, I raised the bottle to my lips, only to pause as the soft sound of hoofsteps reached my ears. Glancing up, I blinked in surprise as Majestic slowly materialized out of the darkness. I had thought she had either fallen asleep somewhere, or had left the minute Pinkie had fallen asleep.

She sat down in front of me and stared, her magenta eyes glowing softly in the gloom. It was kinda eerie.

“Uh… can I help you?” I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the ponies sleeping around me.

She just continued to silently stare at me.

I fidgeted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. “Um…”

“Ms. O’Malley, we need to talk.” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She continued to stare at me, a neutral look on her face, although her ears were splayed to the side in a nervous fashion.

“Um… o-okay?” I stuttered, licking my lips. “What do you want to talk—”

Suddenly magic began to creep up her horn, the golden strands of energy absent their usual glow. A gentle light filled the room as her body disappeared in a muted magical aura. The others shifted in their sleep, Twilight even mumbling before rolling over, but none of them woke up.

I held a hand up in front of my eyes, wincing in discomfort at the sudden glow, soft as it was. As the light faded, I lowered my hand and glanced at Majestic in confusion, only for my eyes to widen in alarm. My heart nearly stopped in my chest.

There, sitting where Majestic used to be, a small frown on her face, was Princess Celestia.

Author's Note

The song that Nora sung can be found and listened to here! :yay: :pinkiehappy:

The Apology

“Ms. O’Malley, we need to talk,” Celestia repeated once the magic around her fully faded. Even though the words were spoken in a loud whisper, their presences remained even after Celestia had fallen silent again. She might as well have shouted them.

I just sat there, my mouth hanging open in shock. My body was tense, my knuckles white as I gripped the bottle tightly in trembling hands, threatening to shatter it. I tried to process what I was seeing, but whether it was because of how tired I was or because of the alcohol, I was having trouble believing who was sitting before me.

The room was silent except for the gentle breathing of the others. Rainbow was snoring softly, her hind leg kicking in her sleep, tapping against the wooden wall.

Celestia continued to stare at me, her neutral expression slowly turning into a look of concern.

“Ms. O’Malley?” she asked softly. “Are… are you okay?”

Blinking, I finally managed to snap myself out of my daze and found my voice.

“C-C-Celestia? What are yer doin’ ‘ere?!” I cried loudly. Immediately I winced and covered my mouth, my eyes darting to the ponies sleeping around us. Celestia did likewise, her ears splaying back. Luckily, the noise didn’t seem to disturb any of them, and they all remained asleep.

“What are yer doin’ ‘ere?” I hissed, lowering my voice.

“I came to talk to you about last night, actually,” she said, wings ruffling by her sides. “About the date.”

My eyes widened and I inhaled sharply. Shite! Quickly lifting the bottle of cider to my lips, I threw my head back and drained it in a single gulp. Placing the bottle aside, I grabbed one that Twilight had failed to finish and proceeded to quaff it as well.

Celestia’s eyes widened in alarm and she grabbed my wrist in her magic. “Please, stop that!”

“No!” I growled, transferring the bottle to my free hand instead. “Thar's no way in 'ell oi'm dealin' wi' dis sober!”

“What?” Celestia muttered, scrunching up her muzzle.

I took advantage of her confusion and began to drain the bottle again, only to have Celestia pull it from my grasp with her magic.

“Stop that!” she cried, worry in her tone. “Please! I told you, I’m here to—”

“Oi know why yer ‘ere,” I grunted, interrupting her. With her having taken my cider, I grabbed the edges of my blanket and wrapped it around myself, pulling my knees up to my chest underneath it. “Oi already know oi fecked up. That’s why oi left. Yer didn’t need ter come all the way down ‘ere just ter tell me that!”

“Ms. O’Malley, please try and calm down,” Celestia pleaded. “I’m having trouble understanding you.”

“Oi don’t need yer to come down ‘ere just ter rub it in!” I growled.

“I didn’t come down here to ‘rub it in’,” Celestia said, her ears splaying backwards and a hurt look crossing her face.

“Why did yer come then?” I asked as I snuck a hand out from beneath the blanket and grabbed another bottle of cider. Pulling it inside, I brought it to my mouth and took a swig, only for her next words to cause me to choke.

“I came here to apologize.”

Coughing and sputtering, I pounded on my chest as I fought for air.

“W-what… what did yer say?” I wheezed, gaping at her.

“I came here to apologize about last night,” Celestia repeated. “After you left unexpectedly, I had a talk with Luna and she pointed out some… blunders I may have made.”

I stared up at her. “I… but… what?”

“If I explain, will you stop trying to drown yourself in cider?” she asked, giving a pointed look to the bottle still in my hand.

Glancing down at it, I swallowed thickly before setting it down on the floor.

“Thank you,” Celestia breathed, giving me a weak smile. The smile faded though, and her brow furrowed as she licked her lips. She was silent for several seconds, mulling over her words, before finally speaking again. “As I said before, I’m here to apologize. Last night, well… I…” She trailed off, rubbing her muzzle with a hoof as she ruffled her wings. “I… As I told you when you first asked me on the date, I don’t usually partake in these type of social interacts. As such, I have… very little experience when it comes to them. It seems that inexperience, as well as a few faux pas, came into play last night, as Luna not so subtly pointed out.”

“H-how was that?” I asked in a whisper.

“Well, my choice of restaurant was probably not the best all thing considering,” Celestia sighed.

“The Silver Mare?” I asked, brow furrowing. “What about it? It looked nice enough.”

“I originally heard of it from the nobles in court,” Celestia confessed. “I thought it would be a good place to take you, but I overlooked their clientele.” Upon seeing my confused look, she elaborated. “Nobles. Most of the ponies who enjoy the Silver Mare’s services are nobles and high class members of Canterlot’s society. And if I remember correctly, you and the nobles don’t exactly get along very well.”

“Not exactly a place to take the ‘freak of Ponyville’,” I muttered as understanding began to dawn. If I had actually been able to get into the restaurant, it would have been a very awkward dinner.

Celestia winced, but nodded all the same. “Exactly… and please stop calling yourself a freak.”

Huffing, I just pulled my blanket tighter around myself. “So you picked a ‘igh end restaurant. Oi ‘ighly doubt that was the reason the date went south. In case yer don’t remember, oi was fecking everything up even after we changed restaurants.”

“No, it wasn’t just the restaurant. There’s more to it than that,” Celestia sighed. “I… I also want to apologize for ignoring you for most of the date.”

“I-ignoring me?” I asked, scrunching up my face. “How the feck did you ignore me?”

“I could tell I was making you nervous,” she said. I opened my mouth to say something, but she held up a hoof. “Please, Ms. O’Malley, I hate to be blunt, but it was fairly obvious you were nervous around me. As such, I didn’t give you my full attention because I didn’t want to make you even more nervous, but it appears that I might have come off as uninterested instead. Something that I apologize for.”

“Of course oi was nervous,” I mumbled, pressing my chin against my legs. “Oi was on a date with my crush, and oi was making a right arse of meself. Anyone would be nervous.”

Celestia winced.

“That… might have been my fault as well,” she said, nibbling on her lip.

“Of course it was partially your fault,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Oi was on a date with you!”

“There’s more to it than just that,” Celestia murmured, avoiding my eye.

“What do you mean?”

Celestia sighed. “Luna… may have pointed out that I had my Mask on during the date. Something I had completely forgotten about.”

“Your mask?” I asked, giving her a confused look. “But, you weren’t wearing a mask during the date. Besides, ‘ow would a mask make me more nervous of you? If anything, wouldn’t it make it easier to talk to you—”

Celestia’s horn flashed once, so brief that I almost missed it. The effect was instantaneous. The words died on my lips as my breath suddenly caught in my throat, causing me to cough slightly as I lost the ability to speak. I could feel my heart pounding painfully in my chest, the sudden tightness causing me to feel ill. My arms began to shake, and I felt the sudden urge to bury myself in the blankets and hide from Celestia’s gaze. She didn’t appear to have changed visually in any way, but I was suddenly unnerved by the attention she was giving me.

“W-w-w-what…?” I tried to ask, but I was stuttering too much to finish the question.

“Oops,” Celestia winced. “Might have made it too strong.” Her horn flashed again, and some of the tension left my body.

“W-what’s going on?” I asked, my voice still quivering. At least I could talk again.

“It’s a magical technique that Luna originally invented back when we first started ruling over Equestria,” Celestia said, her voice still calm and soft. Even so, I found myself wincing as though she had yelled. “There were still plenty of extremists out there that believed that the three tribes shouldn’t mingle with one another. She wanted a way to keep the more… vocal ponies in line without having to resort to violence. It works by creating a type of perception field around the caster’s face and… well, I won’t bore you with the arcane details, but basically by using body language, speech, and a little forced perception magic, I can create a demeanor that best allows me to deal with the nobles of court. It makes me seem more intimidating than I really am, and keeps the nobles in line. However, there is no way to control who this Mask affects, so while it works on the nobles, it also works on you as well.”

Swallowing thickly, I bite my lip before slowly reaching a trembling hand out. I tentatively lifted my hand towards her face, but paused halfway. A soft smile touched Celestia’s muzzle, and she leaned her head down to close the distance. I flinched as my fingers brushed against the fur of her cheek, and I jerked my hand away. Celestia’s horn glowed, and she gently pulled my hand back to her face.

As I ran my hand over her fur, a small static shock ran across my skin, causing it to tingle.

“Wha…?” I breathed.

“Magic,” Celestia said with a warm smile. Her horn flashed. As if a switch had been flipped, I suddenly found myself able to breath normally again. The tension fled my body, and my heart rate returned to normal. I blinked in surprise, my mouth opening in a small ‘o’. I didn’t understand it. Physically, Celestia looked no different than she had a few seconds ago, but now I felt more at ease around her.

Still staring up at her, I absentmindedly stroked her cheek with my thumb. She leaned into my hand, her eyelids lowering. A soft murmur escaped her lips as one of her ears flapped weakly against her head.

A small smile touched my face as I watched her, but it quickly faded to be replaced by a frown. I pulled my hand away, and Celestia blinked before giving her head a small shake. She gave me a confused look.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. “Why come all this way just to tell me this?”

“Because you had the right to know,” she answered, “and because… well, I would like to extend an offer for another date.”

“What?!” I cried, covering my mouth to muffle the shout. “You want to go on another date?!” Upon Celestia nodding, my heart rate began to increase again. “B-but, why? Oi… oi mean, after what ‘appened, oi thought... Why?”

She cocked her head to the side.

“To make up for the first date?” she said with some uncertainty. “I… I thought you would be happy.”

“Happy?” I asked shrilly. “Happy?! Happy for another chance ter make an eejit out av meself in front av yer?”

“Ms. O’Malley, please, it won’t be like that,” Celestia said.

I glared at her. “Why do yer want ter go on another date? You’ve already made your view on this whole thing clear.”

“I did?” she asked, blinking. “When?”

“Last night,” I growled. “After you teleported us back to your room. You were very clear about it. ‘I don’t think this is going to work out’. That’s pretty damn specific, no?”

Celestia stared at me with wide eyes for several seconds before her ears flopped limply against her head. “O-oh… oh, no. I wasn’t talking about you, Ms. O’Malley.”

“Then what were you talking about, hmmm?”

“I was talking about my attempt to lift you in my magic,” she said weakly. “I was trying to transport you somewhere more comfort, but you ended up just being sick again. That wasn’t in regards to us.”

“So you decided that the next best thing to do was just leave me on the floor and leave?” I asked, giving her an incredulous look.

“I went to go get one of my personal doctors so that they could help you with your motion sickness,” Celestia said, her ears splaying back again. “I… I was worried about your health. However, when we got back, you were gone.”

“Oh…” I deflated, my face heating up in embarrassment. Suddenly, I felt like an arse for believe Celestia had just abandoned me.

“I’ve been looking for you since then,” Celestia continued. “I assumed you left Canterlot after the events of last night, so I went to your house earlier this morning. You weren’t home though, so I started looking around town for you. A nice mailmare pointed me towards the local candy shop where you work, but when I arrived, I was informed by the owner that I had just missed you. I went back to your home and knocked, but you didn’t appear to be there at the time, so I went back to wandering around town. That’s when Pinkie found me and… well, you know the rest.”

“Oh…” I repeated, my face heating up again, although for a different reason. I was sure I had been home when she had visited my gaff for the second time, but I couldn’t remember hearing any knocking. Was it when I was… distracted with Ebony or when I had passed out on the floor afterwards? Either way, she had been outside my front door when I had been naked, aroused, and covered in sweat and… other substances. She had been within a dozen or so meters of me when I was…

My blush deepened and my face felt like it was on fire. Oh feck me…

“Ms. O’Malley, are you alright?” Celestia asked, giving me a concerned look.

“Oi’m fine!” I said, a bit too quickly.

Celestia’s look of concern grew. “Ms. O’Malley, what’s wrong? Please don’t be afraid to tell me the truth.”

“Oi think oi was masturbating when you knocked on my door,” I said suddenly. “Oi think that’s the reason why oi didn’t ‘ear you.” My eyes widened as I finished speaking, and I slapped a hand over my mouth, mortified. Oh shite! Why the feck did I just say that?!

Celestia’s eyes widened as well, and a pink blush exploded across her face. Her wings unfurled with a soft ‘pomf’, the appendages spread wide at attention.

“I-I… I see,” she coughed, holding a hoof to her muzzle.

I lowered my hand, intent on salvaging what little remained of my dignity. “It was either that, or yer came over when oi was passed out afterwards.” I squeaked loudly before covering my mouth with both hands.

Celestia stared at me wide-eyed, her wings flaring even wider, a ripple running through the feathers.

“Oi didn’t mean ter say that!” I cried, hands still covering my mouth. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of my eyes. “Oi didn’t mean ter say that, oi swear!”

Celestia opened her mouth only to pause, her ears perking up. Turning, she glanced over her shoulder, and I realized that I could just barely see a faint glow of something behind her.

“Ah, that would explain it,” she said softly, her horn lighting up. A glowing bottle floated into view.

“It must have activated when I told you to be truthful,” Celestia hummed, eyeing the bottle. Her horn glowed softly again and the bottle stopped glowing. “There, that should do it. I’m sure Twilight will be able to enchant another one. If she did it once, she can do it again.” Placing the bottle back down on the floor, she glanced back up at me. “As I was saying before that… informative interruption, I’ve been looking for you to see if you’d be interested in another date. A makeup date, as it were.”

“A-another date?” I asked, a small glimmer of hope beginning to flutter to life in my chest.

“Yes,” Celestia nodded, “but this time, you’re in charge. We can go wherever you want to, and do whatever you want.”

I stared at her for several seconds, hardly believing what I was hearing. Was Celestia really giving me a second chance? After what had happened? I never thought that… well, I had thought she would try to avoid me after last night, but no. Here she was, offering to go on another date with me. Only…

Chewing on my lip for a few seconds, I then sighed and lowered my head. “Thanks, but no.”

Celestia’s smile vanished, replaced instead by a look of bewilderment.

“B-but… why?!” she gasped, gaping at me. “I-I thought you would want to…”

“I would love to go on another date with you,” I groaned, “but I don’t want it to be out of pity. Never out of pity. So, if you aren’t interested in me, that’s fine. Thank you for the apology, but I’m not going to force you to go out with me if you don’t want to.”

Silence fell and I continued to stare down at my knees, cocooned within my blanket. After a few seconds, I heard Celestia shifting around and my curiosity got the better of me. Glancing up, I saw that she was fidgeting, a weird look on her face.

I licked my lips, giving her a confused look. “Um…?”

She winced before muttering something under her breath.

“What?” I asked, perking up.

“I said, I’m not not interested,” Celestia murmured gently, a small blush gracing her face. “I’ve just… haven’t had somepony interested in me in a long, long time. Well, there are ponies interested in Princess Celestia, but never just Celestia. I guess I’m just… I don’t know what to… um…”

I sat there, watching Celestia become more and more flustered with a blush clear against her white fur, with my mouth hanging open slightly. I had never seen this side of her before, but I had to admit, it was pretty adorable.

I chewed on my lip as I mulled over everything in my head. Slowly, a tired smile spread across my face.

“The new Power Ponies movie is playing at the cinema tomorrow at eleven,” I said softly.

Celestia stopped stuttering and glanced at me.

“I… I’m going to see it, whether you come with me or not,” I murmurred. At my words, her ears began to droop, as did her wings. “However,” I continued, causing her to perk up, “I… I wouldn’t mind if you came along. I-in fact, I… I would like it very much if you did. Even if it’s just for the movie.”

Celestia stared at me blankly for several long seconds before, with a soft laugh, she gave me a timid smile.

“I’ll be there.”

The Second Date

The next morning found me outside Ponyville’s movie theater. I was seated on one of the benches around the entrance, watching ponies go about with their day as I waited for Celestia. It was on the chilly side, the autumn weather beginning to make itself known. I was glad that I had opted to bring my sweater along, as well as retrieve my socks from Fluttershy. It wasn’t that difficult though, as she was a little preoccupied with her hangover, as were the rest of the gang.

Ponies are such lightweights.

Sitting comfortably with my hands inside my sweater pocket and my hood pulled over my ears, I hummed softly to myself as I waited, kicking my feet. I would get an occasional wave from a passing pony, which I returned happily, but most of them just ignored me as per usual. Derpy flew by, her empty mailbag flapping animatedly behind her as she zipped through the air. Several clouds drifted by lazily overhead, and I could just make out a few pegasi using them as perching points, lazing about with their wings spread wide to soak up the sun.

I had been sitting there for only a couple of minutes, lost in thought, when the sound of someone clearing their throat nearby drew me from my own little world. Glancing around, I blinked in surprise upon seeing a familiar mint-green unicorn standing nearby. “O-oh. Hi, Lyra.”

“Hey, Nora,” Lyra said nervously, avoiding my gaze. She shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof, keeping several arm’s lengths away from me.

“Good to, um... see you again.”

“Likewise.”

“Um, not to be rude,” I said, chewing on my lip, “but shouldn’t you be helping Bonnie at Sweet Tooth’s right now?”

“I was,” Lyra nodded tensely, “but she wanted me to come find you and give you this.” She levitated a small bag of bits in front of her.

My eyes widened.

“My paycheck?” I asked, sitting up and pulling my hands out of my pocket. “But… why didn’t she just wait to give it to me when I got back?”

“She wasn’t sure if she’d see you before the Fall Festival and she wanted you to have some spending money, so here’s your paycheck in advance.”

“Um, thanks,” I said as I reached out to grab the bag. Lyra flinched at the movement and I paused. “Oh, right… sorry.” Curling my fingers together into a fist, I slipped my hands back into my sweater pocket. “Um, yer could just leave it on the bench.” I said softly, nodding to the empty bench beside me.

Still keeping her distance, Lyra levitated the bag over and set it down beside me. She was careful to make sure her magic didn’t brush up against me, and as soon as the coin bag was settled, she immediately cancelled the spell. Taking a step back, she licked her lips nervously, her ears splayed backwards.

“So, um… I-I’ll just be going then,” she muttered before turning and hurrying away, her tail between her legs.

I watched her until she disappeared around the corner of the building at the end of the street. Sighing, I shook my head before pulling my hand out and picking up the bag of bits. The bits inside made a clinking noise as I tossed the bag softly from hand to hand. If this was a normal paycheck, which it undoubtedly was, then there was easily enough money inside to pay for my ticket, Celestia’s, and some snacks from the concession stand. In fact, I would have enough left over to buy some more lube for—

“My goodness, whatever did you say to that poor mare?”

My eyes widened and I inhaled sharply at the voice. Fumbling with the bag of bits, it slipped from my fingers and fell to the ground. Before it could burst open, it was surrounded by a golden aura and gently lifted back into the air.

“Apologies, Ms. O’Malley. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Celestia said as she walked up.

I turned to thank her, but froze, my mouth hanging open in shock. She was still disguised as ‘Majestic Sky’, her blue and white hair cascaded around her face and neck. A lavender halter top adorned her barrel, running up to a golden necklace with a single amethyst set in it. A silken sash was wrapped around her waist, matching her mane and tail. Her face was absent any visible makeup, save for her usual eyeliner. To complete the outfit, she had on a pair of tan chaps with strange circular designs stitched near the hooves.

Stopping in front of me, she continued to smile softly for a few seconds before a look of confusion crossed her face.

“Are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Closing my mouth with a ‘click’, I blinked several times.

“Yer wearin’ clothes?” I asked.

Celestia glanced down at her attire and hummed softly. “Indeed. I had this just lying around and figured I’d put it to some use. I really haven’t had a chance to wear it before.”

“A-are… are those chaps?”

“Of course,” Celestia said, giving me an amused look. “What, you thought ponies wore pants? Certainly not. They are horribly uncomfortable, unbearably tight, and often tend to pinch certain… delicate parts of the anatomy. While chaps are much more comfortable and open.” She smiled before flicking her tail back and forth. “Much better than trying to fit your tail through a hole in the back.”

“Y-yer look good,” I stammered as I felt my cheeks slowly heating up. If I had known she was going to dress up, I would have worn something other than my usual outfit.

Celestia’s look of amusement grew. “I see… so, you like this form better than my original one? Is that it?”

“What?!” I yelped, my eyes widening. “N-no, that’s not… oi like your real form better. Wait! T-that’s not… w-what oi meant was… Yer always look good. Oi, ugh…” Groaning, I slumped down on the bunch and ducked my head, hiding beneath my hood.

Celestia laughed lightly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tease, but your face was too cute. Thank you for the compliment, but flattery won’t get you out of answering my original question.” Upon me giving her a confused look, she motioned down the street with a nod of her head. “Why did that mare look like you insulted her cutie mark?”

“Who? Lyra?” I asked, blinking. “Oh, um… actually, I’m not sure why she doesn’t like me. It’s been like that since we first met. She acts nervous around me, doesn’t like being in the same room if we’re alone, and tries not to touch me. I asked Bonnie about it, but she said she doesn’t know.”

“I’m sorry,” Celestia said, her ears splaying back.

I shrugged. “It’s not your fault. Besides, I’m kinda used to it. Everyone was nervous around me for the first month or so. Some of them still are. I just try not to upset Lyra too much, and give her space.”

Celestia hummed softly, the troubled look still on her face.

“Not everyone is going to like yer,” I said, shrugging again. “Might as well get used to it while yer can.” Slipping the bitbag containing my paycheck into my sweater pocket, I stood up and stretched. A happy groan escaped my lips as my back popped several times, sending a shiver up my spine.

“So, shall we?” I asked, lowering my arms and motioning towards the entrance to the theater.

“Certainly,” Celestia said, a small smile on her face. She took a step forward before pausing. Her eyes widened. “Oh, one second please!” Lifting a hoof to her face, she ran it over her muzzle before lowering it again. “Okay, I’m good to go.”

I gave her a confused look. “Um…”

“Just checking to make sure the Mask has worn off completely,” Celestia explained. “Sometimes some residual magic lingers, as does the effects.”

I nodded, before turning and heading towards the door, Celestia following close behind me.

The mare behind the counter glanced up as we entered, a bored smile on her face. “Welcome to Ponyville Cinema. How may I help you?”

“Two tickets to the new Power Ponies movie please,” I said as Celestia and I approached the counter.

“Power Ponies: Age of Coltron?”

“That’s the one!”

The mare nodded before tapping her register a couple of times.

“Two adult tickets,” she muttered. “That should come out to… yep. Forty-seven bits.”

Celestia’s horn began to glow, but I was quicker, reaching a hand into my sweater pocket and pulling out the bag of bits. Slipping it open, I started counting out the proper amount.

Celestia gave me an affronted look. “Ms. O’Malley, I’d be more than happy to pay.”

“Nope,” I grunted, still counting, “I’ve got it.”

“But—”

“My date, my money,” I said, handing the mare behind the counter the bits. She double-checked the amount before smiling and sliding two tickets across the counter.

“Enjoy your movie!” she chirped.

Grabbing the tickets, I gave one to Celestia before moving past the counter and further into the main lobby of the theater.

As we walked, Celestia stared down at her ticket, a small frown on her face.

“I’m not sure I feel comfortable with you paying for this,” she said softly. “Especially with all the trouble you had during the first date, not to mention the bits you spent getting everything ready.”

“I said I’ve got it covered,” I said softly.

“But you’re dress alone—”

“My date. My money,” I repeated before walking away, forcing her to drop the matter as she hurried to keep up with me. I was eyeing the snacks in the concession stand when she trotted up beside me, and I could hear her grumbling under her breath. Ignoring her, I ran my eyes over the various snacks and treats before stopping on the buckets of popcorn.

“One large bucket of popcorn, extra butter,” I told the mare behind the counter, who nodded and grabbed an empty bucket in her magic. As she was filling it up, I turned to Celestia. “You want anything?”

“I’m assuming you’re going to insist on paying for it?” she asked, giving me a bemused look.

I sighed, hanging my head slightly.

“Please,” I said weakly, “just… just let me do this. I want to pay for your ticket, and your food. Even if you end up leaving afterwards, could you just let me do this one thing?”

Celestia cocked her head to the side. “Why are you so adamant about this?”

“Because,” I said, turning to watch the attendant squirt butter onto the popcorn, “if this is the only date I get from you, I want it to actually feel like a date.” Silence fell as the attendant finished up with my food. After a few seconds, I glanced back down at Celestia.

She was still looking up at me, but her gaze had softened.

“Here you go!” the attendant chirped as she placed the bucket of popcorn on the counter. “Anything else I can get for you?”

“Yes,” Celestia said before I could answer. She continued to stare at me briefly before turning and smiling at the attendant. “I’ll have a large popcorn as well, but no butter and no salt. Instead, could I get some cheddar seasoning and a dusting of mozzarella?”

“Certainly!” the attendant said with a smile. She quickly scooped Celestia a bucket of popcorn before applying the requested seasoning. As she slid it across the counter to Celestia, she asked, “Anything else?”

Celestia lifted the bucket in her magic. She levitated a piece of popcorn into the air and eyed it closely before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up instantly and she chewed happily.

“Um, yes. Can we get one large fizzy drink?” I asked.

The mare gave me a confused look. “W-what?”

Sighing, I pointed at the fountain machine behind her. “A large drink please. Cherry.”

She blinked once before turning. Uponing see what I was pointing at, her eyes widened. “Oh… Oh! You wanted a large—I see.”

I groaned softly, covering my face with my free hand as Celestia laughed lightly beside me.

“Fizzy drink,” she giggled, popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth. “I like it!”

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The theater was in a semi-dark state as we entered, the normal lights turned off, but the dim lights still on. The emergency lights were also glowing on the ground, allowing me to see where I was stepping. Advertisements were currently playing on the screen.

There weren’t many ponies seated inside the theater when we entered. In fact, besides Celestia and myself, there were only seven other ponies total: two couples, and three nerdy looking colts sitting in the front row. One of the perks of coming on a weekday.

Looking around at the scattered ponies, I directed Celestia towards the seats in the middle of the back row of theater. As we got comfortable in our seats, I chanced a glance over at Celestia. She was gazing around with wide eyes, a look of wonder on her face.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, trying to keep my voice down. Even though there weren’t many ponies present, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to ourselves. It was also surprisingly chilly in the theater, and I was suddenly glad that I had decided to bring my sweater.

“Yes,” Celestia said, almost breathlessly, “I’ve just… never been in a movie theater before. This is a new experience for me.”

I paused with a handful of popcorn halfway to my mouth. “Wait, you’ve never been to a movie theater before?”

Celestia shook her head.

“But, that’s… what?”

“When you’re ruling over the country, you don’t spend a lot of time doing trivial things like going to the movies and such,” Celestia replied in a whisper, still looking around. “That’s not to say that I don’t have free time, I just don’t usually spend it like this.”

“How do you spend it?” I asked before beginning to eat my popcorn.

Celestia’s ears splayed back and she lowered her head slightly.

“Reading,” she mumbled, a faint blush touching her cheeks. Leaning down, she buried her muzzle into her popcorn in a very unprincess-like manner and began to munch softly before lifting her head again.

“Well, this should be a change of—” I began, only to trail off as I watched her levitate a piece of popcorn up and into her hair. A few seconds later, a soft scratching sound came from her mane.

“Um, what’s that?” I asked.

Celestia gave me a confused look. “What’s what?”

“That,” I said, pointing at her mane as it shifted slightly.

She continued to give me a confused look until her eyes suddenly widened in understanding.

“Oh!” she gasped before a smile split her face. “I never did… I’m such a ninny.” Her horn glowed and I blinked in surprise as she suddenly pulled a very large, and very fat, mouse out of her mane. It was completely black, with even its ears, tail, and paws matching its fur. The only other color on it was a tiny spot of pink that made up its nose.

As it hung there in Celestia’s golden aura, it munched away happily on a popcorn kernel.

“This is Artemis!” Celestia beamed.

I stared at the chubby thing for a few seconds before it hit me. “Oh! That’s, um… the mouse that…” Fumbling over my words, I pointed instead at the mouse before motioning towards my nose then Celestia.

Her smile grew.

“Ah, you know,” she said as she tenderly lowered Artemis back into her mane. “Did Twilight tell you or…?” Upon my nodding, she laughed softly. “Twilight was always fascinated with him. She could never figure out how he lived as long as he has. Mice usually live for two to three years, but I’ve had Artemis here for nearly twelve years. He’s caused Twilight no end of frustration.”

“And you brought him with you?” I asked incredulously.

“Of course,” Celestia said, nodding her head twice. “He goes with me whenever I leave the castle. Besides, he wanted to come too, didn’t you my little fuzzy-wuzzy,” she cooed, nuzzling the hidden mouse with her cheek. She paused suddenly, her eyes widening before she gave me an uneasy look. “Um, he… you aren’t bothered by him, are you?”

I laughed softly before reaching down and grabbing a piece of popcorn from my bucket. I held it up to Celestia’ mane, and a small paw reached out and grabbed the kernel before disappearing quickly back into the hair.

“Not at all,” I said. “I grew up around rats, which aren’t as nice as mice. As long as he doesn’t bite me like they did, I have no problems with him.”

Celestia sighed softly in relief.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she breathed. “He was a little nervous you wouldn’t like him.”

“He was nervous?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Celestia justed nodded happily before nuzzling the hidden mouse again.

Wondering if I should feel just a little jealous that the little rodent was getting more affection than I was at the moment, I settled back in my chair and tried to get comfortable before the movie started. As I did so, Celestia levitated another piece of popcorn up for Artemis.

“So, is this going to be a good movie?” she asked, giving me a curious look.

“Not sure, haven’t seen it before,” I snarked. “Hopefully it’s better than the last one I saw.”

“What was wrong with it?”

“Nothing, really,” I said with a shrug. “It was actually pretty good. The only problem was that for about a week after the movie came out, all the nerdy fancolts were going around screaming ‘Witness me!’ as they did stupid shite with each other.”

“‘Witness me’?” Celestia asked in bewilderment.

“Long story,” I hummed, taking a sip of my cherry fizzy drink. Holding it out to Celestia, I gave it a little shake. “Want some?”

She stared at the drink for a few seconds before suddenly taking it in her magic. “You know what, yes. I would like some. Thank you.” She took a small, dainty pull on the straw before handing the cup back to me.

I just laughed softly and put the cup back in the cupholder. Just then, the lights around the theater flickered then dimmed completely, causing Celestia to gasp. “What the…?”

“Movies about to start,” I hummed as the rest of the ponies in theater grew quiet.

Another gasp escaped Celestia before a smile spread across her muzzle and she wiggled about excitedly in her chair, getting comfortable. The advertisement currently on screen faded to black, plunging all of us into darkness. A few seconds later, the movie started.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

“...worthy… No… How could you be worthy?” the metal creature asked as it emerged from the doorway and stalked forward on shaky legs. Each step it took echoed around the room, almost deafening in the silence. “You’re all killers. Murderers.”

“Matter-Horn,” Mistress Mare-velous said tensely as she slowly stood up from the couch.

Matter-Horn’s horn lit up. “Hum Drum, get up here,” she said into a gem on her suit.

“Sorry,” the metal abomination said, swaying slightly. “I was sleeping… or rather, I was dreaming. Having nightmares.”

“Hum Drum, wake up,” Matter-Horn ordered, her steely eyes glued to the figure before her. “We’ve got a buggy construct.”

“What the buck is going on?” Zapp growled, flapping her wings and taking flight. The thunderbolt around her neck began to glow softly. Around her, the other Power Ponies stood up as well, each eyeing the construct with caution.

“There was a terrible noise… and I was tangled in… in… strings,” the swaying figure continued, it’s voice changing pitch several times. “I… I had to kill the other guy… which was unfortunate. He was a good guy… I think...”

“You killed somepony?” Mistress Mare-velous hissed, her hackles raising.

“Wouldn’t have been my first call…” the construct shrugged, raising a shaking hoof, “but, down here in the real world, we’re faced with ugly choices… unfortunate decisions… necessary sins...”

“Who made you?” Radiance asked sharply, her eyes narrowing as her horn began to glow. “Mane-iac? This doesn’t seem like something she’d do.”

The construct’s head twitched and jerked left and right several times before the Matter-Horn’s voice issued from it in a burst of static “I see a shield of magic around the world.”

“CeLesTIA!” Saddle Rager gasped, raising a hoof to her mouth.

“In the flesh,” the construct said. It bowed slightly only to pause. “No, t-that’s… that’s not right. I… It’s all wrong. I’m not… not this… shell…” Slowly, the construct stood back up, the metal in its legs scraping together loudly.

“My n-name is Coltron,” it said, its voice glitching slightly as it spoke, “and I’m on a m-m-mission.”

“What mission?” Fili-Second asked, a look of trepidation slowly spreading across her face. As one, all the Power Ponies tensed.

Coltron tilted its head to the side. “Harmony in our time.”

The wall behind him exploded.

Beside me, Celestia jumped in surprise and a startled gasp escaped her lips. I glanced over at her, only to smile upon seeing the look of awe and worry on her face as she watched the Power Ponies fight with the rogue constructs.

It had been like that since the movie first started. I had originally worried that Celestia wouldn’t like the movie. However, within the first five minutes of the opening scene, that fear had been laid to rest. Now I couldn't decide which I was enjoying more: the movie or watching Celestia’s reactions as she sat on the edge of her seat, her wide eyes locked unblinkingly on the large screen in front of her.

Some time during the beginning, Artemis had slipped down into Celestia’s popcorn bucket, which sat forgotten. The little guys was now happy gorging himself while Celesia was distracted with the movie.

Sitting back in my seat, I tried to return my attention to the movie as well, but my mind kept wandering back to the pony sitting next to me. My heart fluttered slightly, but unlike back in Canterlot, it wasn’t from being overly nervous. Heat began to well up in my chest, and I found myself suddenly uncomfortably warm in my sweater.

My eyes flicked back to Celestia in time to catch her smile as the Power Ponies managed to successfully stave off the attack. Relaxing again, she leaned back in her seat and reached a hoof into her popcorn bucket, only to jump slightly in surprise. She lifted Artemis up and gave him a look of faux scolding before nuzzling him and placing him carefully on her muzzle. With that, she returned her gaze to the movie, all while lifting popcorn out of the bucket for both her and Artemis with her hoof.

Resisting the urge to lean against my companion, I gave my head a little shake and returned to watching the movie.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

“Do you see the beauty of it? The inevitability?” Coltron asked, the metal alicorn slowly stalking through the destroyed remains of a building. “You rise, only to fall. You, Power Ponies, you are my catalyst.”

Matter-Horn screwed up her face in fury, sending a blast of energy into a construct and causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. Beside her, Radiance did likewise, batting away constructs with various of magically-summoned items.

“My swift and terrible sword,” Coltron continued unfazed, “upon which I shall smite the land, and Equus will crack beneath the weight of your failure.”

Fili-Second raced around the destroyed city, trying desperately to save as many civilians as she could, all while dodging the blasts from the thousands of constructs descending upon the city.

“Purge me from your artifacts,” Coltron sneered, stepping around a prone construct. “Turn my own creations against me. Try and bring me to my knees, I dare you!”

Saddle Rager roared, bring her hooves down upon a trio of constructs, reducing them into dust. She continued to plow through drone after drone in her mad dash for the edge of the city.

“It means nothing!” Coltron laughed, his red eyes flaring. “When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be us!”

Zapp and Mistress Mare-velous stood back to back, blood dripping down their sweat-soaked bodies as they gasped for breath. Around them, hundreds of constructs circled, taunting them in a whirlwind of noise.

“You mares think that you can just continue fighting,” Coltron laughed, “one construct after another, an endless horde of metal. You think you can continue to keep the world as is with no consequences. You have had your chance and you have failed. Failed those you’ve sworn to protect. But no more! The age of the mare is over. The age of the stallion has come!” Cackling madly, Coltron’s horn lit up a deep blood red. All the constructs did the same, and a tsunami of magic washed over them.

As the burst of magic died down, the Power Ponies glanced around in confusion, trying to figure out what had happened. Suddenly, as one, all the constructs shuddered and, with a sickening ‘slink’ sound, each grew a large throbbing cock.

The Power Ponies could only watch in horror as all the thousands of drones descended upon them, ready to rut them into oblivi—

I jumped in surprise, only to have a massive blush explode across my face as I realized that I had zoned out. Sinking deeper into my seat, I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them. No, bad Nora. No working on your dirty little fanfiction during a date!

Trying to ignore the flustered feeling growing in my chest, I reached for my cherry drink. I took a sip, only to wince in annoyance. The ice had all melted, and the drink was now getting warm. I made to place the drink back in the cupholder, only to pause as a subtle golden glow surrounded the cup. It was soft, so much so that if I hadn’t been looking at the cup at the time, I would have missed it.

As the glow faded, I found that the cup was suddenly colder than before. Giving it a gentle shake, my eyes widened as I felt the telltale sensation of shifting ice cubes. I cast a quick glance at Celestia, only to catch her watching me out of the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face.

Blushing softly, I took another sip, this one pleasantly cool.

Celestia’s smile grew before her eyes flicked back to the movie.

I took one last gulp before placing the cup down and grabbing my nearly-empty popcorn bucket. My gaze returned to the screen just in time to see Matter-Horn blast Coltron through a building, collapsing it the process.

I had just started to snack upon the remains of my popcorn when I felt a warm weight settle on my shoulder. Glancing around, I saw Artemis sitting there, his nose twitching slightly. I watched in bewilderment as he eyed me for a few seconds before trundling down my arm towards my popcorn bucket.

Beside me, Celestia stiffened slightly, her eyes locked on the mouse with nervous trepidation. He tettered on the lip of the bucket for a few drawn-out seconds before, with a tiny squeak, he tumbled dramatically head over heels into the popcorn below.

I quickly covered my mouth with a hand to try and stifle my giggles. As I did so, I felt Celestia relax and she sighed softly. Tilting the bucket slightly, I reached down and gently pulled Artemis from the popcorn, reorienting him rightside up before lowering him back into the bucket. He immediately tucked into the popcorn with a vigor, practically cramming entire kernels into his mouth whole.

I watched him for a while longer before leaning back in my seat and returning to the movie, cradling my bucket in my lap. We had just reached the climax, the Power Ponies making a last-ditch effort to stop Coltron’s plan. Saddle Rager was missing, Fili-Second’s leg was broken, and the other Power Ponies were in no better shape. Hum Drum was trying desperately to find the source of Coltron’s power, all while the Masked Matter-Horn tried to hold him at bay.

My eyes locked on the events happening on screen, I failed to notice Celestia shifting about until I suddenly felt her place her head on my shoulder. I inhaled sharply and immediately stiffened. Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she was still watching the movie. She had a small smile on her face as she leaned against my arm, resting her head carefully on my shoulder, being mindful of her horn.

I swallowed thickly, trying to relax despite the fact a beautiful mare was currently using me as a pillow. I was pretty sure that my blush might have been visible even in the dark. It definitely felt like my face was on fire. Letting out a shaky breath, I tried to focus on the movie instead.

Celestia giggled softly, her breath gently brushing across my ear.

My blush grew, but so did the dopey smile that was slowly working its way across my face. At the moment I didn’t care if Coltron succeeded or the Power Ponies managed to save the day. I was too busy focusing on the warm feeling slowly welling up in my chest, as well as the comfortable weight on my shoulder.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

“That was amazing!” Celestia giggled, prancing about happily as we left the theater.

I watched her with a smile on my face. It was weird, seeing the usually stoic princess this giggly. Not to say I’ve never seen her smile before, but this level of excitement was new. She was practically bouncing on her hooves, a large smile plastered on her muzzle.

I agreed with her; the movie had definitely been worth the time and money. That, and I was kind of a sucker for the Power Ponies movies. I blame Spike for being the one who originally got me hooked on the comics.

That, and going to the theater always reminded me a little of home.

As the theater door closed behind me, a sudden gust of wind blew up my skirt, causing my to shiver as goosebumps exploded across my body. It had gotten chillier during our time in the theater, gray clouds overhead turning the once blue sky overcast. A nippy wind blew through town, causing me to shiver again and pull my hands further into my sleeves. Celestia seemed oblivious to the bite of the breeze, gambolling along giddily.

“I didn’t know what to expect going in,” she laughed, bounding up next to me, “but it… it was wonderful! I can see why ponies do this as a pastime. I wouldn’t mind doing this again. Maybe I could Luna to go to one as well. I wonder if there are any theaters in Canterlot.” She continued to pronk along beside me as she gushed about the theater and the movie, going over what she enjoyed about it, her favorite parts of the movie, and how she couldn’t believe that she had never been to a movie before.

“And I thought for sure that Coltron was going to defeat the Power Ponies in the end, but they managed to succeed in defeating him spectacularly! Although, they really should have thought about using the Elements of Harmony. They probably would have worked better against Coltron, seeing as he was a corrupted spell gone wrong.”

“You do realize that it wasn’t real, right?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Coltron and the Power Ponies aren’t real.”

Celestia stopped and turned to look at me, scrunching up her muzzle in the process. “Of course I know it wasn’t real. I mean, I’m pretty sure I would have heard if a metal alicorn had tried to bring about the end of the world.”

I gave her a bemused look, to which she just stuck her tongue out at me.

“Anyways,” I said, wincing as another cold breeze tugged at my clothes, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I am too!” Celestia said with a giggle. She then paused, and her smile seemed to fade slightly. Glancing sideways at me, she chewed on her lip nervously. “So, um… what do you want to do for the next date?”

My eyes widened in shock, and I choked on my own spit. I nearly fell as I accidently stepped into a rut in the road. The only thing that stopped me from falling was Celestia’s horn lighting up. A barrier of light formed quickly in front of me, which caught me and allowed me to regain my footing.

Celestia gave me a concerned look as I coughed and sputtered.

“A-another date?” I wheezed. “Y-yer want to go on another date… wi’ me?”

Celestia blinked in surprise. “Oh, um… well, certainly. I mean, this date went much better than the last one.” She paused, a faint blush touching her cheeks before she continued, “And I certainly wouldn’t mind going on another one with you.”

I stood there, staring at her with mouth agape. After a few seconds, she fidgeted under my gaze.

“O-or we don’t have to. If you don’t want to,” she muttered.

“NO!” I cried quickly, causing her to jump. Blushing myself, I held a hand over my mouth before answering in a softer tone. “N-no, oi’d… I’d love to.”

“Oh,” Celestia said, perking up. A happy smile crossed her muzzle. “Oh, splendid! Um, what did you—”

“Nora!”

Both Celestia and I jumped this time as someone shouted my name. A moment later, something landed on my back, accompanied by the smell of freshly cut grass. I knew who the pony was before they even started nuzzling the top of my head.

“There you are,” Fluttershy sighed. “Where were you, Nora? I was looking all over for you this morning, but you left the party before I could...” Slowly, she trailed off.

I turned to look at her, confused at her sudden silence. She was staring at Celestia with wide eyes, a surprised look on her face like she had just realized that the other mare was there. Upon getting over the initial surprise, a small frown crossed Fluttershy’s muzzle before she suddenly puffed out her chest and spread her wings slightly.

This action caused Celestia to take a step backwards in shock.

“Just because you kissed her last night doesn’t mean she likes you,” Fluttershy said, giving Celestia a stern look. “It was a dare. It meant nothing!” She emphasized her words by fluffing her wings out more, giving herself an inflated appearance. That, combined with the green scarf she was wearing around her neck made her look more cute than intimidating.

I stared at the mare on my shoulder in shock, a look mirrored on Celestia’s face. It took me a few seconds to remember that Celestia was in disguise and that Fluttershy didn’t know that. To her, the unicorn in front of her was Majestic Sky.

Wincing, I coughed into my hand. “Um, Fluttershy. Majestic and I bumped into each other at the movies. We were just discussing it.”

Fluttershy immediately deflated as she gave me a hurt look. “You went to a movie without me?”

“You don’t like the movies I go see,” I said, scrunching up my face.

“That’s not true!”

“You went with me to see the Fury Road movie and hide under the seat,” I pointed out.

“B-but, that was only during the chariot chase scene,” Fluttershy said lamely, tapping her hooves together.

“The whole movie was a chariot chase scene!” I said loudly, causing Fluttershy to flinch back. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed. “Look, Fluttershy. I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have liked this movie either. There was a lot of fighting involved, and I know you don’t like conflicts, right?” When she shook her head, I continued. “That’s why I didn’t invite you.”

“Oh, I see,” Fluttershy said softly. She clung to me for a few more seconds, absentmindedly nuzzling the top of my head, before reluctantly getting down. Slinking around to stand beside me, she drew a circle in the dirt with her hoof. “Anyways, I was headed to the market today and I was wondering if you wanted me to pick you up anything.”

“I don’t think so,” I hummed, putting a finger to my lips. “I did all of my shopping yesterday, plus I still have some fish left over in my icebox.”

“O-okay,” Fluttershy said. She gave me a weak smile, her ears splaying back slightly. “Just let me know when you run out, okay? I’d be more than be happy to get you some more.”

I nodded, returning her smile. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I’ll keep you posted.”

“I-I’ll just be going then,” she murmured. Giving Celestia one last annoyed look, Fluttershy then fluttered off in the direction of the marketplace.

Celestia watched her go, a bemused look on her face.

“Did you know she has a weird attachment to you?” she asked as she turned to look at me.

“Hmmm?” I hummed, glancing down at her. “What? Oh, Fluttershy? Yeah, I know.”

Celestia opened her mouth, only to pause and blink once, before closing it again. She stared at me as she slowly tilted her head to the side. “You know?”

“Yes,” I said.

“You know she has feelings for you?”

“Yes?” I said again, although it was more like a question.

“Why haven’t you done anything about it then?” she asked, scrunching up her face.

“I have,” I said simply, shrugging my shoulders. “I told her I wasn’t interested, but she just giggled and skipped away. So, I just ignore her and put up with it. Besides, she’s relatively harmless. The worst she does is give me extra long hugs or sniff my hair when she thinks I’m not looking.”

“Have you tried returning her feelings?” Celestia asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“No,” I scoffed, laughing softly. “As I said, I’m not interested.”

“She’s a very pretty mare,” Celestia pointed out, turning her head and looking at me out of the corner of her eye.

“So?”

“You’re telling me she never once caught your eye?”

“Oye,” I said, glaring indignantly at Celestia, “just because oi ‘appen ter like mares doesn’t mean that oi chase every tail dat wags for me! Oi’m not dat easy!”

Celestia stared at me blankly for several seconds before a warm smile touched her lips.

“I like this,” she said softly.

“What?” I asked, my annoyance turning to confusion.

“This,” she said, waving a hoof about. “Whenever we used to meet, you were always so timid. You used to not even be able to look me in the eye and talk without stuttering horribly and glancing away. But now, look at you! You’re being snarking. I like it.”

“Oh…” I said, blinking several times before what she had said finally dawned on me. “Oh!” She was right. Now that I thought about it, I always nearly had a mental breakdown everytime I had to go see Celestia. Yet here I was, being snide with her.

What’s changed? I asked myself as I stared down at Celestia’s unicorn form. Was it her Mask? The fact that she was now smaller than me? That we were in Ponyville instead of Canterlot? When did it become so easy to talk to her?

Celestia blushed under my scrutiny, her ears splaying off to the sides. Dragging her hoof in a line along the ground, she gazed up at me through her bangs. “Sooo, about that date…”

“I’m free on Friday,” I said slowly.

“What would you like to do?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“You want me to choose?” I asked, blinking in surprise.

Celestia nodded. “You seem better at picking dates than me.”

Running my tongue over my teeth, I thought about it for a few seconds before making up my mind.

“Canterlot,” I said, earning a confused look from Celestia. “I’ll come visit you in Canterlot on Friday, and you can take me out on the town.”

“Are you sure you want to come to Canterlot?” Celestia asked nervously. “What about what happened last time?”

“If oi’m gonna make this work, oi’ve gotta get comfortable bein’ in that feckin’ city,” I grumbled.

Celestia was silent for a brief moment before nodding. Her smile returned. “Friday it is then.”

The Dream

‘Help…’

I struggled, arms and legs thrashing wildly. Water churned around me. It was everywhere: in my eyes, clouding my vision; in my mouth, making me gag at the taste; up my nose, causing me to cough; rushing in my ears, blotting out all noise.

I had no clue where I was, only that dark murky water surrounded me on all sides. Long tendrils of seaweed loomed out of the gloom like giant tentacles. They swayed around me, tangling my limbs and hindering my movement. Any attempt to free myself from their grip only resulted in me getting more and more trapped.

In this strange, dark place, deep beneath the waves, I strained to hold my breath. All I could do was stare up through the blur of water above me and hope. The world above was now only a hazy patch of light, barely visible through the leaves of the seaweed.

My lungs burned, what little air I had managed to grab before pulling pulled under slowly being used up. I fought back the urge to exhale, knowing that the minute I did so would spell my doom.

Pulling on a particularly thick piece of seaweed that had wrapped around my leg, I attempted to work myself free. I froze though, as the water behind me shifted. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and a shiver ran down my back as something large slithered through the weeds behind me. I whirled around quickly, but whatever it was had already vanished back into the veil of murky water.

Taking several seconds to try and see through the gloom, I was distracted from my predicament until my chest gave a few heaves and a stream of bubbles escaped my lips. Eyes widening in alarm, I grabbed the seaweed wrapped around my leg and back to pull on it with renewed vigor.

After a few good tugs, I managed to pull my leg free, only to have a clump of weeds begin to wrap around my arm. Shaking them off, I began to kick my feet frantically, trying to make for the surface. Leaves tugged at my clothing while weeds wrapped around my feet. Still, I struggled on and managed to make some headway. After one last, desperate kick, I freed myself from the algae's grasp.

My lungs were screaming at my, pleading for air. Darkness crept in around the edges of my vision. As I fought to remain conscious, I clawed my way towards the light far above.

I had just about reached the surface when something long and slippery suddenly wrapped around my leg. With a strong pull, it tugged my back down towards the bottom of the lough. I tried to pull my leg free, but the grip was too powerful. My chest was twitching, my lungs calling for relief. Relief that I could not give them.

As the unknown force continued to pull me down into the murky depths of the lough, a pair of blank, milky eyes appeared in front of me. From all around, a bubbly laugh echoed through the water.

With that, the moment had come.

My lungs, having been fighting to hold in what little air they could, finally forced out their contents. I could only watch in despair as my breath streamed from my mouth, gurgling heavenwards in a burst of bubbles. Still I held out for a moment longer, hoping against all hope that I could somehow escape my fate. However, I was just delaying the inevitable.

Reflex overruled instinct.

My lips parted.

My lungs expanded.

And water came pouring in.

The pain that erupted inside my chest was greater than any I could have imagined. The water burned as it rushed into my lungs, filling them completely. Icy daggers dug into my sides. The feeling shot upwards, and I felt like my head was crushing in upon itself. The pain lasted but only for a few seconds.

Then there was a blinding flash of light.

I gasped.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

I jerked awake in a flurry of movement. Sitting up hurriedly, I leaned over my bucket and immediately voided my stomach contents into said bucket. Luckily, I hadn’t had anything to eat today, so all that came out was some disgusting tasting bile. Heaving once more, I spat before sitting back and resting the back of my head against the window with a groan.

“Ugh, that’s vile,” I grimaced. “Why does it… there’s nothing in there to throw up!” I grimaced as I fought back another heave. “It doesn’t make sense.” Grumbling to myself, I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand. Beneath me, the train continued to vibrate as it rumbled along.

It was Thursday evening, and I was currently on my way to Canterlot for my date with Celestia. The plan was to show up in Canterlot the night before so that way I had all day to hang out with Celestia tomorrow. The only issue I had with the plan was the obvious.

“Feck you,” I growled as the train lurched slightly to the left and my stomach flipped again. The wind outside was causing the train to rock back and forth. Despite the fact I had taken my sickness medication, the movement of the train car was making me sick. I had hoped that a nap would help my stomach relax, but apparently that had been a lost cause. Luckily, there was no one else in the compartment with me to witness my discomfort.

Reaching up, I unlatched the window above me and let it fall open. Fresh air rushed into the compartment, and I inhaled deeply. While not enough to make me feel better, it did calm my stomach slightly. The smell of the mountain air, as well as a familiar tinge in the air, wafted through the car. With all these cues, I didn’t need the weather report to tell me that it was going to rain later. Still, some eejit in Canterlot had scheduled a light rainstorm for Friday. I had stopped in the library to ask Twilight to send a letter to Celestia asking if she wanted to reschedule. She had responded saying that it wouldn’t be a problem, so here I was.

A soft knocking from the compartment door drew my attention. The door slid partly open and a unicorn mare stuck her head through the opening. She glanced around before catching sight of me sitting in the corner. A small smile touched her lips.

“Do you want anything from the trolley, dearie?” she asked, her voice soft. Her calm demeanor confused me for a second, since most ponies shied away upon seeing me for the first time. Then I remembered that she had encountered me before during my many trips to Canterlot.

She continued to stare at me for a few seconds more before I realized that I had been asked a question. The thought of food caused my stomach to clench, and I groaned. “Naw, tanks.”

“Alright,” she said with a nod, shooting me a sympathetic look. “Well, if you change your mind or feel better, don’t be afraid to come find me.” I grunted something that could have been ‘okay’ as she closed the door again.

As I pressed my head against the window again, my thoughts drifted back to the dream. Or rather, the nightmare, as the case may be. It wasn’t the first time I had dreamt of drowning. In fact, I’d been having the exact same nightmare on and off since I had first arrived in Equestria. It was always the same: drowning, trapped in the weeds as something large swam around me. For three months I had suffered silently through the nightmares until Luna had stumbled upon me one night. It had been completely by accident too. While Luna was the Mistress of Dreams, it appeared that since I had come from a different world, she could enter my dreams, but was not alerted to any nightmares that I might have.

After talking to her about the nightmare next time I was in Canterlot, she told me that the most likely cause was something in my past creating the fear, thus creating the nightmare. Which was strange, because I had never been one to be afraid of water. As a child, most of my summers were spent swimming in the nearby loughs with my sisters.

Unable to determine the cause of my nightly terrors, Luna had promised to try and keep an eye out for anymore nightmares I might have, and alleviate them if she could. Luckily, they didn’t happen all that often, so even if Luna missed a few, it wasn’t that big of a deal to me. They were an inconvenience at best, yet still annoying.

“What’s goin’ on in there?” I muttered, hitting my forehead softly with the heel of my hand. While my brain didn’t give me an answer, my stomach took that exact moment to remind me that I hadn’t had anything to eat all day in preparation for the train ride, and it was currently hungry.

Unfortunately, the feeling of hunger also brought on some queasiness, the thought of eating causing my stomach to flip.

Fighting back the urge to dry heave again, I glanced out the window in an attempt to see how much longer it was until we reached Canterlot. To my surprised, I could see the lights from the train station in the distance. It was small, barely the size of my thumb, but it was slowly growing larger as the train continued to rumble down the track. At this rate, we’d arrive in Canterlot in around fifteen minutes or so.

I didn’t realize that I was asleep that long, I mused. Staring at the approaching station for a few more seconds, I sighed before getting slowly to my feet. As the train shifted beneath me, I swayed slightly before managing to find my balance. Reaching up, I pulled my backpack out of the overhead rack and threw it carefully over my shoulder. Doing a quick double-check to make sure that I had everything, I slid the door open and stepped out into the corridor. First order of business was finding the trolley pony.

I might not be able to eat now, but I could at least get something for the road.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The streetlights were just beginning to turn on when I arrived outside the palace. Munching contently upon a blueberry muffin, I gazed up at the lit windows that dotted the castle. Every so often a shadow would pass in front of one, temporarily blocking the light as a member of the staff went about their business.

Even with the lights on, I could still see that the stars had come out, the sky behind them taking on an almost purple-ish hue now that the sun had sunk below the horizon. A soft glow coming from behind one of the many clouds that were beginning to dot the skies of Canterlot indicated where the moon was. At the rate the clouds were gathering though, it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to see the night sky for much longer.

“Looks like the weather team is starting the rain a little early,” I grumbled as I finished off my muffin. Wiping my hand on my skirt, I then started up the steps to the main door of the palace. There was at least a couple dozen or so steps up to the large, rather imposing gate that marked entrance to the towering palace behind it. I had become fairly accustomed to them by now, having had to climb them many times within the past year during my visits. It still didn’t make them easy to climb, and I found myself getting short of breath halfway up.

There were two Royal Guards standing watching just outside the gate, their golden armor glinting in the lamplight. They had bored expressions on their faces, probably waiting for their lunar counterparts to come along to relieve them, but they both perk up as I reached the top of the stairs.

“Do oi need…?” I began, only to have guard on the left hold up her hoof.

“Lady Sparkle sent a letter ahead saying you were on your way” she said. “Princess Celestia passes on her regret to be unable to meet you tonight, and has asked us to inform you that the regular guest room has been made up for you.”

I motioned towards the doors. “So oi can just…?” Both guards nodded, and the doors swung open on oiled hinges. I glanced between the two of them before heading into the castle through the open door.

The main room was empty, the large hall illuminated by various torches that dotted the walls. Shadows clung to the pillars, flickering in time with the flames of the torches. The arches far above were almost completely lost in the darkness.

As I walked down the carpeted path through the room, I felt something breeze by overhead. This normally would have startled me, but having had past experience within the castle, I knew that it was probably just a Lunar Guardspony heading towards their station. Sure enough, upon turning around, I spied a pair of them emerge from the darkness and land near the main entranceway. When she saw I was watching, one of them smiled and waved at me before following her partner outside to relieve the two guards I had just talked to.

As I made my way towards the grand staircase that would lead up to my room, I passed by the throne room doors. One of the doors was opened a crack, and a stream of light shining through the gap. The sound of muffled voices came from the other side, and even though I couldn’t hear what was being said, it was clear from their tones that there was an argument going on. Four Lunar Guards stood outside the doors, each wearing a heavier set of lunar armor. Their helmets hid most of their faces from view, only their slitted eyes visible from slits upon the faceplate. Two of the guards remained motionless as I past, but the other two tracked my motion, their heads turning silently as they remained focused on me.

Shrinking slightly under their scrutiny, I dunked my head down and quickened my pace.

I had just reached the foot of the staircase when a voice called out. “Nora?” Freezing with my foot on the bottom step, I turned, only to blink in surprise when I saw Luna emerging from a side door, followed by two stallions I didn’t recognize. One was a pegasus, the other a unicorn. They weren’t guards, I could tell that much by how they gazed around the palace in wonder.

“Nora, what are you doing here?” Luna asked, giving me a confused look. “Our usual monthly meeting isn’t for another two weeks.” She blinked once before her eyes widened and her ears splayed back. “Not that we’re saying this isn’t a pleasant surprise!” she quickly added.

I pointed towards the ponies who were following her. “Who’s your friends?”

Luna blinked before glancing back at the two stallions. She whistled softly and a batpony suddenly appeared beside her. She whispered something to the stallion, who nodded and then proceed to lead the two gawking ponies off up the staircase.

“Just ignore them,” she said nonchalantly, waving a wing.

I shook my head before smirking. “Well, hi to you too, Luna.”

Luna’s gaze softened, and she laughed softly as she returned the smile. “Yes, hello my dear friend. It is good to see you again after so long.” Her smile turned into a pout. “You rarely write anymore. I was beginning to think you forgot about me.”

“I’m sorry, Luna,” I said with a wince. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. It’s just… not much happens for me to write about. I wake up, go to work, go home, sleep, and do it all again the next day.”

“That may be, but it would still be nice to hear from you from time to time,” Luna grinned. “Boring life aside, I do hope you’re doing well.”

“As well as I can be at the moment,” I answered with a shrug. “The ride up here was a little… bumpy, but I took my medicine before I left, so that helped some.”

“That wasn’t what I was asking, but that answer will do,” Luna said with a smirk. “Although, that does bring up my previous question. What brings you to Canterlot this time of night?”

I felt my face begin to heat up, no doubt a blush spreading across my pale cheeks. “Um, oi’m… oi’m actually here ter, ah… hang out with Celestia tomorrow.” For a fleeting moment, I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of glee flash across Luna’s face, but when I looked again, it was gone and she was giving me a surprised look.

“Truly?” she asked. “I did not realize…” She paused before perking up again. “Ah, that must be the reason why the maids were making up the guest room.”

“Yeah,” I said, rubbing the back of my head. “I didn’t want to be coming up in the rain, so I arrived early.”

“That’s quite alright,” Luna smiled. “In fact, allow me to personally escort you to your room.”

“Y-you… you don’t have to do that,” I said quickly.

“Nonsense! It would be our pleasure,” Luna scoffed.

“Well, w-what about Night Court?” I asked.

“We are the one who decides when court starts, not the nobles,” Luna snorted. Draping a wing over my shoulder, she began to steer me towards the stairs. “If I want to take fifteen minutes to help a good friend get settled in for the evening, then I shall do so.” Unable to think of an argument, I allowed Luna to lead me up the stairs.

As we walked, I glanced over at Luna.

“So, um… where is Celestia?” I asked.

Luna raised an eyebrow before pouting. “What? Is my presence not enough for you? We realize that we might not be as good looking as our—”

“N-no! No, it’s not that!” I cried, waving my hands in front of me. “Oi like hangin’ out with you, it’s just… oi thought Celestia would be ‘ere ter greet me.”

“And I think she would have been, if it wasn’t for the fact something came up at the last minute,” Luna said softly.

I stumbled before giving Luna an unsure look. “It’s… it’s nothing bad, right?” As much as I didn’t want to seem selfish, I was silently hoping that nothing had come up that would prevent the date tomorrow. I had finally worked up enough courage to ask Celestia out and things were going fine so far. The last thing I needed was some eldritch abomination ruining that.

Pausing, I scrunched my face up before shaking my head. That was ridiculous. Not only was that very unlikely, but if that was the truly the case, I highly doubted Luna would be so calm about it. Reaching up, I flicked myself in the side of the head with my finger. I have got to get my imagination in check.

“Nothing major, I assure you,” Luna said airily. “Just some last minute confusion in a new trade agreement. The minotaur ambassador asked Celestia to sort it out before he left tomorrow morning. It’s not a serious issue, but one that he felt should be resolved as soon as possible, to prevent further issues. Personally, I didn’t see the problem with it, seeing as it benefited the minotaurs, but that’s besides the… are you alright?”

I had frozen up completely upon Luna’s mention of minotaurs, and she had continued walking for a few more paces before realizing I was no longer beside her. She glanced back at me now, a look of confusion on her face.

“Nora? Are you alright?” Luna asked, backtracking until she stood in front of me. “Your face is looking paler than usually… which is quite a feat, I might add.”

“D-dare’s… dare’s a minotaur?” I stammered. “Dare’s a minotaur… ‘ere? Right now?!”

Luna gave me a blank stare before dawning realization crossed her face. “Ah, yes. If I remember correctly, you’ve had a run in with a minotaur before, correct?” When I nodded, she gave me a gentle smile. “Do not worry, my friend. I highly doubt you’ll have troubles with Ambassador Irontusk.”

“Yer don’t know dat!” I cried, eyes wide. “Yer weren’t dare! It was ‘orrible!”

“Be that as it may, I don’t believe you have any need to worry tonight,” Luna said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I highly doubt you and Irontusk will meet while he is here. He’s supposed to be heading out some time this evening.”

“Right,” I said, nodding my head. “Stay in me room al’ evenin’. Got it.”

Luna rolled her eyes before turning and heading down the hall again. She called back over her shoulder as she walked. “Come along, Nora. We’ll get you settled in.”

With a nod I followed after her, glancing behind me every couple of seconds, just to be sure.

Author's Note

Sorry for the dull chapter. The next chapter will contain the date, I swear. :derpytongue2:

The Third Date

The next morning came with a gray, overcast sky. While it wasn’t the rainstorm that had been originally promised—the weather team having to change plans at the last second due to some complaints from a group of nobles—rain still fell in a light drizzle upon the town below. That, accompanied by the chilly breeze that blew through the streets of Canterlot, made for a dreary atmosphere.

It kinda reminded me of home.

Standing under the archway to the main door of the palace, I watched as small rivers of water gently cascaded down off of the overhang above. The streams landed upon the landing, only to flow down the steps of the palace like a waterfall, accumulating at the bottom in an ever-growing pond. The soft trickling sound was oddly mesmerizing and I continued to watch the flow of water as I waited for Celestia.

I didn’t really mind waiting, as it gave me some time to try and work up my nerves. A maid had stopped me on the way to breakfast, passing along a message from Celestia. She informed me that the Princess wouldn’t be able to make it to breakfast, but would instead meet me at the palace’s main entrance around ten-o’clock. With Celestia not there, and Luna strangely absent as well, breakfast had been a quiet affair. Of course, that’s because I was the only one present.

After a small meal of a few scrambled eggs and toast, I had gone back to my room just long enough to grab a quick shower before getting dressed and heading to the main gate.

In retrospect, I probably should have skipped the shower, I mused as I ran a hand slowly through my frizzy hair. It wasn’t that bad; my sisters certainly had worse luck with hair and rain than I did, but my hair still tended to stick out at odd angles when it rained.

As I watched the falling rain, my eyes slowly drifted to my side. Two guards stood outside the doors and overhang, staring stoically ahead even as rainwater rolled down their armor and helmets, their fur waterlogged. Steam rolled from their flaring nostrils with each exhale. They were soaked to the bone in this chill weather, yet neither showed any signs of discomfort.

Exhaling softly—my own breath visible in the morning air—I tugged my sweater tighter around myself before pulling my hands into the sleeves.

“So, um… are you guys okay?” I asked, glancing back and forth between the two guards. The one on the left remained motionless, his gaze locked firmly ahead even as water rolled off his helmet’s eyeholes, but the one of the right glanced at me before nodding her head once.

“We appreciate your concern, miss, but we are fine.”

“Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. The wind picked up, causing my skirt to flutter slightly. A shiver ran down my spine. “‘Cause it’s a little chilly out here, and you’re just standing there… in armor.” Another gust of wind. “I wouldn’t tell anyone if you came in from the rain.”

“We are fine, miss,” she repeated emotionlessly.

“It’s barely a two meter difference,” I said, folding my arms. “You can still do your job. You’ll just be out of the rain.”

“We are fine.”

Silence fell, broken only by the sound of the rain falling. I could even hear the drops landing on their armor with tiny little ‘plink’s. Every so often, one of the guards would exhale with a little more force, clearing their nostrils of stray water in a burst of steam. I stared down at the city of Canterlot for a few moments before my gaze slowly drifted back to the female guard to my right. As I watched, her ear twitched slightly, sending small drops of water flying.

“Are yer sure?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about them,” a voice spoke up from behind me. “Their armor is enchanted to keep them warm. It also keeps them cool in the summer. The enchantment is standard for all guard armor.”

Turning around, I smiled shyly as I saw Celestia walking gracefully towards the door, only to do a double take. All the pieces of her usual attire were missing, leaving her completely bare. Even her crown was absent, a simple clip keeping her mane from falling into her face.

As she drew nearer, she nodded her head and smiled, her one visible eye twinkling. “Good morning, Ms. O'Malley. I trust you slept well?”

“Morin’ Celestia,” I said, a soft blush touching my cheeks. “I did sleep well, thank you fer askin’. Although, those beds are kinda big. Kinda easy to get stuck.”

“Well of course they’re big,” she said with a giggle. She moved to stand beside me, her bare hooves barely making a sound. “They’re designed for visiting dignitaries after all. They need to be accommodating to species of any size. Not everyone is as small as my little ponies. I could find a room with a smaller bed, if you’d like...”

“I wasn’t complaining,” I muttered, glancing away.

This just caused Celestia to laugh. “I know you weren’t, Ms. O’Malley. You’ve spent enough time sleeping in them that I’m sure you’d have said something about it by now if you weren’t satisfied.” She fell silent as she gazed out at the rain, a serene smile present on her muzzle. I fidgeted uncomfortably beside her, but if she noticed, she didn’t say anything.

After about a minute or so, she spoke again. Her soft voice was barely audible above the sound of rain. “I do apologize for not being available to meet you in person last night, but something came up that I had to take care of.”

“That’s alright,” I said softly. “Luna filled me in. When you have work, you have work. You’re in charge of the entire kingdom after all.”

“Indeed,” Celestia hummed. “Still, you don’t have to worry about any of that today. No meetings, no nobles, and no petitions. For the rest of the day, I’m all yours.” A large blush exploded across my face at her words, and I glanced away which only caused her to giggle. “Come now, Ms. O’Malley, there’s no need to be nervous. We have a wonderful day ahead of us, even though the weather’s trying to play with us.”

“You have a plan?” I asked, surprised.

Celestia nodded. “Of course. I had such an amazing time at the movies a few days ago. Well, now it’s my turn to treat you. And I promise: no nobles.”

“If you say so,” I said. I paused briefly before pointing at her. “Um, not to sound rude, but are you going out like that? Isn’t that goin’ to attract attention, you walkin’ around town and all? It’s gonna draw a crowd… maybe a couple of reporters as well.”

Celestia said nothing, just smiled as her horn began to glow. There was a bright flash of golden light and Princess Celestia the Alicorn was replaced with Majestic Sky the unicorn. She was taller than before, but only by a little. She could still pass for a regular mare, and that’s all that counts, right?

Shaking her blue mane out of her eyes, she smirked up at me. “Well, hello again, Ms. O’Malley. Long time, no see.” She paused, noticing my eyes drifting over her frame. “Why… if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you liked this form better than my real one.”

A blush flashed across my face, and I quickly shook my head. “N-no, I didn’t mean… it’s just…”

“Relax, Ms. O’Malley,” Celestia smiled. “I was only teasing. You mustn’t take everything so seriously.”

“Stupid, sexy pony,” I muttered under my breath. Reaching down, I ran my fingers absentmindedly through her mane for a few seconds before remembering who I was petting. I flinched before withdrawing my hand quickly, my face red. “S-sorry… um, it looked soft.”

“That’s… that’s quite alright,” she said, her eyes unfocused. Giving her head a quick shake, she blinked before glancing up at me again. “So, shall we get going?”

“Depends,” I huffed, turning to stare out at the rain. “Do you have a plan fer the rain, or are we going to get wet?” No sooner had I asked than a rectangular barrier of golden magic appeared over our heads. I gave it a bemused look before reaching up and poking it experimentally with a finger. It flexed slightly under the touch, but remained firm. It even had the added benefit of cast a soft light around us.

Lowering my hand, I glanced down at Celestia.

“Your umbrella, my lady,” she said in a haughty tone, although she was holding back a smirk.

Sniffing loudly, I closed my eyes and stuck my nose in the air. With that, I stalked off down the steps, Celestia scrambling to follow behind me with the magic umbrella.

We got to the bottom of the steps before we both broke out in a fit of giggles.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

“So, what’s the plan?” I asked as we slowly made our way down the streets of Canterlot. We were walking side-by-side, both of us huddled under the barrier of magic. While the streets weren’t as busy as they usually were due to the rain, there were still a decent amount of ponies out and about with their umbrellas. Occasionally a high class-looking carriage would pass by, splashing water on anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. Surprisingly, despite being accidental in nature, the carriages seemed to be able to splash pegasi and earth ponies with an unbelievable amount of accuracy.

Glancing down at Celestia, I noticed that she was chewing nervously on her bottom lip. Her eyes darted up to meet mine, only for her to look away when she saw I was watching her.

“You, uh… you do have a plan, right?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow. When she didn’t say anything, I came to a stop. She kept walking a couple more feet, taking the barrier with her and leaving me out in the rain.

When she finally noticed that I wasn’t with her anymore, she let out an adorable squeak before quickly backpedaling.

“Celestia,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “You said you had a plan.”

“I do have a plan,” she said slowly, dragging her hoof along the wet cobblestone. “Although I will admit that it’s not a well thought-out plan, but it’s a plan nonetheless.”

“What’s the plan then?”

“Well,” Celestia said, a hopeful smile touching her lips, “I was thinking we could just wander around Canterlot together until something interesting catches our eye. Maybe a museum or theater or something like that.”

I stared down at her, and her ears slowly began to fold backwards.

“O-of course, we can always do something else,” she said. “I realize that it’s not really decisive of me, but I don’t have any real experience with—”

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” I muttered, blinking owlishly.

“—this sort of thing, but I’m trying…” She blinked. “W-wait, what?”

“I like it,” I said with a smile. “I haven’t really ‘ad a chance to look around Canterlot yet, so this could be a gran’ excuse to do so. You being with me is just an added bonus!” I started walking again. “Plus, without the need to be somewhere at a certain time, it’s much more relaxin’.”

“How have you not been able to explore Canterlot yet?” Celestia asked as she fell into step beside me. “You’ve been in Equestria nearly a year, and have visited the city every month for our meetings. Surely you’ve taken a look around at least once!”

“Not really,” I said. “The most I’ve done is looked up the place where I got the dress for our first date. I usually just want to get back to Ponyville as soon as our meetings are over. The less time I spend in Canterlot, the less time ponies get to stare.” I glanced at a passing stallion who gave me a wide berth as he walked past. Further down, several more ponies that were headed our way crossed the street quickly. “Ponies don’t stare as much in Ponyville.”

Celestia gave me a curious look before glancing around. Her eyes widened when she saw that what I said was true. Ponies were staring, some of them not even trying to be subtle about it. Yes, there were a few looks that were just curious, but they were few and far between compared to the glares I was getting.

“Is… is it always like this?” she asked, ears splaying back.

“Only in the city,” I muttered, “and only with the nobles really. Normal ponies are usually just curious or cautious.”

Celestia glanced around again before her gaze hardened and she snorted, stamping a hoof on the cobblestone. “Well, don’t pay any mind to them. Today it’s just about you and me. I, unfortunately, cannot make them like you, but I can still make sure that you have a good time!”

I quickly lifted a hand to my mouth to stifle my giggles, something that caused Celestia to blush. She didn’t falter though, glaring up at me with a look of determination.

“Alright, alright,” I said, lowering my hand to reveal my smile. “I’ll try to not let them get me down.”

Celestia nodded once before letting her expression soften.

“So,” I asked as we began walking again, “you live here, right? What’s there to do about town?”

“I’m, uh… I’m not really sure,” Celestia muttered sheepishly. “The last time I did something like this was back when Twilight was just a little filly. I took her on a day trip to a museum to see a new Star Swirl the Bearded exhibit. She loved it, but I don’t think that’s something that would pique your interest.”

“‘fraid not,” I chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, learnin’ about your guys’ past is interesting, but not something I’d be interested in doing today.”

“I suppose that means that the library is out as well?” Celestia asked, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. When I shook my head, she signed dramatically. “Ah, well. I can see that you’re going to be a lot harder to please than Twilight was. Pity.”

I stuck my tongue out and blew her a raspberry.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The rest of the morning and afternoon were rather uneventful. Celestia and I aimlessly wandered the streets of Canterlot, protected from the drizzle by the constant presences of her magical barrier above us. The barrier got us some strange looks, especially from unicorns who were simply carrying umbrellas in their magic instead. I ignored the looks though, doing as Celestia had said and focusing only on us.

We stopped at a couple of stands here, a few carts there, perusing their wares with mild curiosity. There were actually some interesting things to be found, now that I was taking time to look and not sneaking around through back alleys. There were stands with little knick-knacks, small statues (one that was very detailed and showed Nightmare Moon and Luna chained to the moon), gemstones, and jewelry. There was even a place that let you build your own miniature zen garden, which Celestia stared wide-eyed at as we passed.

I filed that particular interest away for later.

One particular stand caught my eye. The earth pony behind it was selling decorative tankards. Their sides had different scenes, some painted on while others were etched into the tankard itself. The mare was currently working on a tankard as she waited for customers, her tongue poking out as she painted. I had considered getting one that depicted Luna flying through the night sky on one side, with Celestia flying into a sunrise on the other, but had decided not to. It was nice, but not something I really needed. Especially with my budget.

I wasn’t the only one eyeing stuff either. Celestia had been drawn to a set of painted spoons, which she quickly bought then teleported somewhere ‘for safekeeping’.

We stopped by a couple of food carts for lunch, snacking on wraps, ice cream, and, after some heckling on Celestia’s part, a weird paste substance that was actually pretty good. We ate as we ventured through a small park that was located in the center of Canterlot. It was a surprisingly nice, and even had a small pond where a few ducks were paddling around.

“I had forgotten this was here,” Celestia hummed, gazing around with a happy smile as we relaxed on a bench next to the pond. “It’s wonderful to see it’s still in good condition.”

“I didn’t realize that a place like this existed in Canterlot,” I said breathlessly. “If I had known, I would have actually spent time here!”

“Of course this place exists,” Celestia laughed. “I had it put in nearly two hundred years ago. Several earth pony families came to me, petitioning for a place they could go to feel the earth beneath their hooves without having to take a day trip outside of the city.”

“Well, thank God for that,” I said. “This is so beautiful!”

Celestia laughed again. “You really like the countryside, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I sighed, taking a deep breath through my nose. “Born and raised out in the tuath. Nothing but wide open fields, meadows, and forests, as well as a big ol’ loch nearby. Nothing but peace and quiet. Only went into the city if I really had to. Drove me uncle nuts!”

“Your uncle?” Celestia asked, cocking an ear. “What about your parents? Did they have the same mindset as you?”

“Not really sure,” I hummed as I watched a pair of ducks float by. “They died when I was barely a year old, so I never got to know them. I was raised by my uncle.”

“I… I’m sorry,” Celestia stammered, her ears splaying backwards. “I didn’t mean to… I apologize.”

“It’s alright,” I said, turning to give her a small smile. “I have no memories of them, so it doesn’t really bother me that much. Besides, I grew up with four older sisters, so that kinda makes up for it.”

Celestia blinked, her eyes widening. “Four sisters? Goodness me.”

“Yeah,” I said before glancing sideways at her. “Haven’t… haven’t I told you this before?” She shook her head. “Huh, could have sworn… anyways, I am the youngest by five years. The oldest was Iona, who was thirty-one when I arrived here. She’s the good girl, always studying and trying to be the top o’ her class. She looked after us when uncle was at work. At least, until she moved out to start her own life.

“Kaytlin’s the second oldest, at twenty-nine. She’s a lot lazier than Iona, and a bit of a drinker too.

“Then there’s Claire and Bridget,” I said, my smile growing. “They’re identical twins, basically clones in everything, even personality. Troublemakers, the both of them. They were the ones that practically raised me, even though they’re only five years older than I am.”

“They sound like lovely individuals,” Celestia said softly.

“Yeah,” I sighed. Silence hung for a few seconds before I added, “They picked on my constantly, though. In a sisterly way, mind you.”

“They picked on you? Whatever for?”

“You name it!” I laughed. “Pale skin, tons of freckles, frizzy hair. They loved me yes, but that just meant that I was fair game. They never bothered me at school though. Only at home. And uncle never really interfered with it. In fact, sometimes he encouraged it. Said it would ‘toughen my skin’.”

“That sounds like an, um… unique parental technique.”

I nodded. “Yeah. It sucks being the youngest sibling.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

I glared at Celestia, who playfully stuck her tongue and winked.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

It was late afternoon when the rain finally stopped. Sunlight began to peek through the cloud cover, causing the streets of Canterlot to sparkle as the orange light glinted off puddles. Stand owners were making their last sales and counting their inventory as they started to close up for the evening. Foals ran about, splashing through puddles, much to their parents’ distress.

Celestia and I had left the park and were now looking for a place to eat. It was getting close to dinner time, and while the treats we had for lunch were tasty, my stomach told me it was time for some real food.

“Not any place in Upper Canterlot,” I huffed haughty.

“I thought that went without saying,” Celestia said, cocking her head to the side. “We’re trying to avoid the nobles today. Why would we go eat with them?”

I crossed my arms. “Just making sure.”

“They wouldn’t even let us in the restaurants anyways. We don’t have the proper attire,” she tittered.

“You ponies are weird when it comes to clothing.”

“Says the one who wears clothes constantly,” Celestia giggled. She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “We could go back to the castle,” she said slowly. “The royal chefs could make us something to eat.”

“Eh, we do that whenever I come over for the meetings,” I muttered. “I was hoping to eat out. Let’s, um… let’s save that option as a last resort in case we can’t find a place.”

“We can do that,” Celestia smiled. “Is there any place in particular you’re thinking about? A restaurant, a pizza parlor, ice cream shop?

My cheeks began to heat up, and I rubbed the back of my head. “Actually, I was looking for—”

“Oh, my. Kleine!”

I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. It had been faint, barely audible over the noise of the ponies around us, but I had still heard it. My heart skipped a beat before beginning to thud loudly in my chest.

After a few seconds Celestia realized I had stopped walking and glanced back at me. “Did you find… Nora, are you alright? Your face is paler than usual.”

I stared at her, opening and closing my mouth wordlessly. My throat was suddenly very dry, leaving me unable to speak.

“Kleine!”

The voice was closer now, and I could hear the excitement in it. My heart had moved to my throat, and I could feel my arms beginning to shake. I felt like I was going to be sick.

Celestia was by my side now, a look of concern on her face.

“Nora, are you okay?” she asked, poking me knee with a hoof. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

“Hell is empty,” I breathed, staring forward into nothing. “The devil is here.”

Her ears splayed backwards. “W-what?”

“It’s her,” I said. “Oh god, it’s—”

A pair of burly arms wrapped around me suddenly, lifting me into the air and pressing me into a large, furry bosom. The air was immediately squeezed from my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath. I felt myself being swung back and forth as the mountain of fur I was pressed against began to rumble. “Oh, Kleine! I found you! I found you again, little one! I was so worried!”

I opened my mouth, but instead of speaking, I instead got a mouthful of fur for my trouble.

“I visited the city again and decided to look for you, Kleine, and here you are!” My assailant cooed in my ear. “I had feared the worse when those nasty ponies chased me off last time. Don’t worry; there is no more need to fear. I’m here. Mutter’s here.”

I pounded my fists weakly against the wall of fur, struggling to break free. This just caused the top of my head to be nuzzled lovingly. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and the pressure around me ceased. I dropped a foot to the ground and stumbled, nearly collapsing. A golden barrier suddenly appeared beside me, supporting my weight and keeping me on my feet.

As I regained my balance, Celestia walked up to stand beside me, her horn glowing softly. There was another bright flash, this one a few meters away, and a large female minotaur reappeared in the middle of the street. She’s spotted like a cow, her white fur covered with large brown blotches. A green dress hid most of her legs, while a green top covered her chest. A golden ring hung from her nose.

The minotaur blinked once before glancing down at her arms, which were now empty. Her eyes widened in alarm. “Kleine! Oh no! Not again!” She glanced about in a panic before her eyes landed on me again.

I quickly hid behind Celestia, who was giving the minotaur a bemused look. As the minotaur started towards me, the light around her horn grew brighter, and another barrier popped up between us and the minotaur.

The minotaur slid to a stop in front of the barrier and placed a hand upon it, giving Celestia a hurt look.

“Why?” she asked simply.

“Ma’am, I must ask you to not attack Ms. O'Malley like that,” Celestia said.

The minotaur’s hurt look grew.

“I was not attacking her!” she cried. “Do you see her? She needs my help, the poor thing!”

Celestia paused before glancing back over her shoulder at me. I quickly shook my head before crouching lower behind her, not only to avoid the minotaur, but also the stares we were now getting from passing ponies. The attention was not something I wanted.

Turning back to the minotaur, Celestia cocked her head to the side. “She seems perfectly fine to me. Are you sure you’re not confusing her with somepony else?”

“Perfectly fine?” the minotaur gasped. “Perfectly fine?! Just look at her! Look at how you ponies abuse a poor defenseless calf! She’s malnourished—unhealthy! There’s barely any meat on her bones! She’s practically starving! And to add to that, someone’s shaved off most of her fur!”

“Leave me alone!” I shouted at her from behind Celestia. “Oi’m not a minotaur!” This just caused her shocked look to turn sympathetic.

“Oh, Kleine. There’s no need to be ashamed of what you are,” she cooed, shaking her head. “There’s nothing wrong with being a minotaur, despite what these ponies might say. Now, come with me and we can get you looking healthy again!”

“Not a minotaur!”

“She’s actually telling the truth, ma’am,” Celestia said. I wasn’t sure, but I could have sworn I saw the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. “She’s not a minotaur, despite how she might look to you. And she’s a rather… delicate subject when it comes to Equestria.”

“But, I—”

“And as for her having no meat on her bones,” Celestia continued, lowering the barrier between us and minotaur. “I’m actually working on that right now. We were on our way to find a place to eat when you delayed us.”

The minotaur hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip as her eyes dart back and forth between me and Celestia. Reaching up, she tugged on her nose ring absentmindedly. “Maybe… maybe I should accompany you, just to make sure that she—” Before she could finish speaking, there was a bright flash and she vanished in a burst of light.

I blinked in surprise before glancing at Celestia. The magic around her horn was fading, and she had a pleased look on her face.

“There we go,” she hummed softly. “That should take care of that. No harm, no foul.”

“W-what… what did you do?” I asked as I stood up.

“Hmmm, oh. Well, I know how much your stomach doesn’t enjoy being teleported,” she said. “So instead of teleporting us away, I teleported her. She’s currently at the other end of town, safe and sound but far away from us. That should give us enough time to beat a hasty retreat, don’t you think?”

“That’s brilliant,” I breathed. Throwing my arms around her, I picked her up in a hug. “That’s feckin’ brilliant!”

“I’m glad you approve,” Celestia wheezed, “but please put me down. Ponies are staring.”

I dropped her immediately, my cheeks flushing red. “S-sorry.”

“That’s quite alright,” she said, rubbing her neck. “Shall we, um… shall we continue our search for food then? You were about to say what you were looking for before we got sidetracked.”

“I was?” I muttered, my brow furrowing. “Oh, right. Um, I was actually wondering if there was a, um… pub around here…” I trailed off, giving her a sheepish smile.

She blinked.

“A pub?” she asked. “I can’t say that I’m aware of any pubs.” She paused, an ear twitching. “Actually, I take that back. If I remember correctly, Luna made mention of a pub she liked to frequent that I believe is nearby.” She glanced around, eyeing the street signs. “Hmmm… yes, it was down here if I remember correctly. Follow me.” She headed off down one of the side streets, and I hurried to follow after her.

A few blocks later we came to a stop in front of an odd building. From the outside, the tavern looked cozy, although it stood out from the surrounding buildings. Instead of the normal white marble, it was made of sandstone bricks and hardwood logs. Instead of shingles, the roof was made up of straw thatching. The windows are covered by thick curtains, but the sound of muffled laughter managed to sneak its way through. A large sign hung above the door, the words ‘The Drunken Owl’ etched into the painted wood.

I stared up at the pub with wide eyes. “Oi think Oi’m in ‘eaven.”

“I… can’t say I’ve ever seen this place before,” Celestia said, her face scrunching up. “Although I’m not surprised it caught Luna’s eye. It probably reminded her of the taverns from before her banishment.” She eyed the building for a few more seconds before glancing over at me. “Shall we go in and see what it’s all about?”

I nodded dumbly before following after her.

As the door swung inwards, the smell of alcohol and must flooded my nose. I inhaled deeply, a small smile touching my lips as the scent reminded me of home. Especially the basement where my uncle stored all his drinks. The place is packed with ponies, most of them laughing and swapping stories and drinks. Some glance over as we enter and I get a few stares, but most of them are just curious. The bartender was busy with orders, but she still managed to give us a friendly wave.

“Hmmm, I must say, this is rather nice,” Celestia hummed, glancing around. Spying an open table, she grabbed my sleeve in her teeth and led me over to it, pushing her way through the crowd. One of the stallions we passed made to grab her flank, but she swatted his hoof away with her tail. This just caused his friends to laugh.

We had barely sat down when a waitress walked up, a large smile on her face. When her eyes landed on me her ears folded back slightly, but she kept her smile. “Welcome to the Drunken Owl. Can I start you two off with something to drink?”

“Oh, um…” Celestia picked up a menu and quickly flipped through it. “I’ll have… a, uh… Summer Petal? With an orange slice, please.”

“Your strongest drink, please,” I said, not bothering to glance at the drink list.

“Alright, one Summer Petal with an orange slice and a Clouded Temper coming right up,” the waitress chirped. “Can I interest either of you in an appetizer?” When we both shook our heads, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll just go put your drink order in and be right back.” She sauntered off, leaving the two of us to our thoughts.

I glanced around, taking in the scenery until my gaze landed on Celestia. She was looking around as well, an unsure look on her face.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly.

She blinked before glancing up at me. “What? Oh, yes. I’m fine. I’m just not used to this kind of atmosphere.”

This caused me to frown. “We can go somewhere else if you want. We didn’t have to come here.”

“No, no, this is fine,” she quickly assured me. “I have no problem eating here. Plus,” she added, a smirk crossing her muzzle, “you’re face lit up upon seeing the place, so I’d say this works perfectly for our date.”

My face flushed, and I ducked my head. “Oi can’t help it. Oi like a good drink.”

“That’s fine,” she giggled. “Go ahead, enjoy your drinks. Get as many as you want. I’m paying this time.”

I froze, my eyes widening. Backpedaling, I quickly lifted my arms and waved them back and forth. “N-no, you don’t have to do that! I can pay for myself.”

Celestia frowned. “Oh, come now, Ms. O’Malley. You took me out to the movies and paid for everything yourself. You didn’t have to, but you did. Now it’s my turn to treat you. I insist.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. Leaning against the back of the chair, I crossed my arms and pouted. “Just doesn’t feel right.”

“And why’s that?” Celestia asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’m the one that’s… uh, shoot. What’s it that Twilight called it. Oh, yeah. I’m the one who’s trying to court you. Not the other way around.”

This earned me a loud laugh from Celestia, her musical titter drawing some stares. She lifted a hoof to her mouth, her cheeks tinting pink. Still, her smile remained.

“‘Courting’?” she asked, the amusement clear in her voice. “Oh my. Twilight told you that?” Upon my nodding, she laughed again. “Oh… oh dear. I wonder where’s she’s been getting her information from. Nopony’s used the term ‘courting’ in decades. I’ll have to have Cadance send her a letter soon.”

I went back to pouting.

“Don’t be that way, Ms. O’Malley,” Celestia tsked goodnaturedly. “If it’d make you feel better, think of this as an… apology for our first date here in Canterlot. At least it’s not doughnuts this time.”

That managed to get a small smile from me. The smile faded though as my mind wandered back to the encounter with the minotaur, or more specifically, something Celestia had said to her.

“Hey, um… C-Celestia?” I asked, glancing up through my bangs. An alarmed look crossed her face and she glanced around quickly. I watched her in confusion until I realized what I had done. “I-I mean, Majestic!” I corrected quickly. “Majestic, can I, uh… ask you a question?”

“Of course, Ms. O’Malley. What’s on your mind?” she asked.

“Um, back with the minotaur… why did you tell her I was a ‘delicate subject’ when it came to Equestria?” I asked softly.

Celestia blinked, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ as she stared at me.

“Oh, that,” she said weakly, glancing away. “That’s… it’s not bad, but, um…” She paused, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “It’s not bad,” she repeated. “It’s just, you are the only human here in Equestria, correct?” I nodded. “As such, you have been classified by the Equestrian Committee for Rare and Special Creatures as ‘Critically Endangered’, but even that is just a technicality. In reality, they are trying to pass a law that would create a new category just for you.”

“T-they’re what?” I stuttered, eyes widening. “But, w-w-wait. Why?! Why do they care about me?”

“You are the only one of your kind alive at the moment,” Celestia said. “Since there is no male of your species present, there is no chance of you reproducing. As such, when you eventually pass on, your species will die with you.

“The ECRSC latched onto that quickly and are trying to use it as an excuse to, in a sense, control you,” she continued. “They want me to take actions to, as they put it, keep you alive long enough that they might be able to find a way that you may reproduce.”

“What kind of actions?” I asked with growing trepidation.

“Oh, it’s silly really,” she sighed. “They want me to force you to live in the castle, control your diet, where you go, who you see, what you do, et cetera. They basically want me to control every aspect of your life to a T in order to keep you alive as long as possible.”

“W-what?!”

“I know. It’s ridiculous, really, but I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said, giving me a soft smile. “They might be heckling me about it, but I would never allow them to go through with that plan. This is why I never told you about them. I didn’t want you worry. Just do whatever you want, whenever you want, and I’ll keep the ECRSC in check, okay?”

“Promise?” I asked, biting my thumb nail nervously.

Lifting up a hoof, Celestia nodded her head. “I promise.”

I nodded absentmindedly, but kept the troubled look. I didn’t like the fact that there was an organization out there that felt like they needed to control my life. I mean, I could understand the reasoning behind it, even if I didn’t like it. I just wasn’t used to that kind of attention. Back home, no one outside of my friends or family really cared much for me. Something that I found appealing; I hated being the center of attention, even among my friends.

Hopefully Celestia would be able to keep the organization off my back.

The ‘clink’ of a glass being set down in front of me drew me from my thoughts. Jumping, I stared down at the large glass tankard the waitress had just set in front of me, the crimson liquid fizzing slightly. Across from me, Celestia was taking a sip from her own tankard, this one containing a pinkish liquid.

She lowered the tankard and smacked her lips. “Ahhh, you know. I could get used to this.”

I picked up my own tankard, giving it a quick sniff before placing it to my lips and drinking. The taste hit me almost immediately. It was a unique blend of spicy and smoky, the result of which was pleasant but made my sinuses run. There was also a slightly metallic aftertaste that left my tongue tingling, almost like an electric current was running through my mouth.

Clouded Temper, I mused, rolling the taste around my mouth. I get it. It’s like drinking a thundercloud. Kinda wish it was stronger though.

“Well, how was it?” Celestia asked as I lowered the tankard.

Licking my lips, I hummed thoughtfully before replying. “It’s not bad. Not as strong as I’d like, but not bad.”

Celestia smiled and opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by a loud, bark-like laugh from a nearby table. The table was surrounded by oldish-looking earth pony stallions, and the laugh had come from one with a particularly wild, grizzly beard. He leered at me, one of his eyes clouded and useless.

“Not that strong,” he chuckled, his voice like gravel. “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, lass. That there is the strongest drink you’ll ever ‘ave!”

Celestia and I glanced at each other in confusion before turning back to the stallion.

“Uh, no,” I said slowly. “I’m sure I’ve had stronger than this. My uncle used to make some stuff that’d belt ya flat in three sips.”

“Ha, I ‘ighly doubt that!” the stallion barked. “Don’t be tellin’ tall tales, lassie. You ain’t old enough tah know what strong drink is.”

“Oi'm not lyin',” I growled, only to wince as my accent bled through.

Celestia was calmly watching all of this with a look of interest, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards faintly. Every so often she’d take a sip from her tankard.

“Yah yah,” the stallion huffed, waving his hoof at me as his buddies laughed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, lass. I bet you can’t even hold your drink properly. Why, I bet I could even drink you under the table, no problem—”

SLAM

“Nobody can outdrink an O’Malley!” I shouted, slamming my fist on the table and causing everyone around me to jump, even Celestia. She stared at me wide-eyed, but I ignored her. The stallion’s words had caused something in me to snap, and I glared at him. There was a reason why nobody in my family challenged me to drinking contests. When it came to drinking I was, unfortunately, very, very competitive.

“Oh? So you think you can outdrink ol’ Frosty Mug?” the stallion asked, sneering at me. “Lass, I haven’t lost a drinkin’ contest since I was but a colt. You wouldn’t stand a chance!”

“Yer want ter bet?” I growled.

“Well, come on, lass,” the stallion—Frosty Mug—laughed. “Let’s see what you got!”

I was halfway out of my seat when I paused, remembering who I was with. Glancing over at Celestia, I swallowed before slowly—reluctantly—sitting back down, much to Frosty Mug’s and his friends’ amusement. As their laughter filled the tavern, I sunk down behind my tankard, my face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

As the laughter died down, I felt something gently nudge my leg under the table. Glancing up, I saw Celestia was giving me a small smile. As I watched, she motioned towards the table of laughing stallions with her head. “Go on. Have some fun.”

“B-but, what about…?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said, waving a hoof nonchalantly. “Go have fun. I don’t mind. Really. Besides—” her smile slowly turned into a smirk “—I’m rather curious as to how this will turn out.”

I stared at her for but a moment before I moved.

Frosty Mug and his friends jumped as I slammed my mug down on their table hard, sloshing Clouded Temper onto the table. They all gave me an incredulous look as I sat down in an empty seat.

“Alright,” I growled, glaring at Frosty Mug. “Let’s do this.”

“Do ya even know what you’re gettin’ yourself into, lass?” Frosty scoffed, shaking his head.

My eyes narrowed. “Mah uncle didn’t raise nah lightweight.”

“Alright then,” Frosty sneered. “I’ll make you regret this.” With a wave of his hoof, he motioned to the pony behind the bar. And with that, the challenge began.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

“I still can’t believe it,” Celestia said as we made our back along the streets of Canterlot towards the castle. The moon was out, illuminating our way with gentle light. “Seventeen. You had seventeen drinks. How are you still conscious?”

“Mah uncle didn’t raise nah lightweight,” I giggled, the words coming out slurred. I was unsteady on my feet, and had to lean against Celestia in order to stop myself from toppling over. But it was worth it just to see that arse’s friends’ faces when I drank him under the table. “Ah've brewed stronger drinks in me basement back 'um!”

“Yes, well, I don’t envy you when the sun comes up tomorrow,” Celestia sighed, though there was a faint smile on her lips.

I giggled again. “Ah don’t envy me either.”

“Well, at least you had a good time, right?” Celestia asked as she helped me over a curb.

“Oh, Ah had a great time!” I said. “Oi used to do stuff like dis all the time with me sisters. Except… we’d never really finish, seein’ as one of ‘em usually broke out into song. More often than not, it was Kaytlin who started it.”

“They’d start singing?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Mmm-hmm,” I hummed happily. “We were happy drunks.” A warm feeling began to slowly spread through my chest, and it definitely wasn’t the booze. Unable to help myself, I giggled once more before singing.

Well, a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar one evening fair,

And one could tell by how he walked that he’d drunk more than his share.

He fumbled round until he could no longer keep his feet,

Then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street.

Ring ding diddle iddle I de oh, ring di diddly I oh,

He stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street!

About that time two young and lovely girls happened by,

And one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye

See yon sleeping Scotsman, so strong and handsome built,

I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt,

Ring ding diddle iddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh,

I wonder if it's true what they don't wear beneath the kilt!

They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman quiet as could be,

Lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see,

And there behold, for them to view, beneath his Scottish skirt,

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth,

Ring ding diddle iddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh,

Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth!

They marveled for a moment, then one said we must be gone,

Let's leave a present for our friend, before we move along.

As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow,

Around the bonnie star, the Scot’s kilt did lift and show.

Ring ding diddle iddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh,

Around the bonnie star, the Scot’s kilt did lift and show!

Now the Scotsman woke to nature's call and stumbled toward the trees,

Behind a bush, he lifts his kilt and gawks at what he sees,

And in a startled voice he says to what's before his eyes.

O lad I don't know where you been but I see you won first prize!

Ring ding diddle iddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh,

O lad I don't know where you been but I see you won first prize!

When I started singing, I received an odd look from Celestia, but soon enough she was bobbing her head along, a small smile on her muzzle. However, as the song continued, her smile slowly began to fade. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks began to turn a nice pink color. By the end of the song, her entire face was bright red.

“Right,” she said, coming to a stop at the bottom of the palace’s steps. “That was… some, uh… song.”

“Kaytlin’s favorite!” I chirped, still hanging off of Celestia. “She’d sing it any chance she could get.”

“I see,” Celestia said. Clearing her throat, she glanced up at the castle. As the moon was now up, the banners that hung from the parapets now bore Luna’s cutie mark. Floodlights illuminated the buildings and towers, making the castle visible even from the lowest point of Canterlot. Black figures flitted back and forth through the air around the palace, most likely Lunar Guards on patrol.

Letting go of Celestia, I took an unsteady step up the stairs, only to miss the step and fall forward. Before I could collapse though, Celestia’s magic surrounded me and lifted me into the air. My stomach twitched unpleasantly, but Celestia quickly deposited me on her back as she dropped her disguise and resumed her normal height.

“Come, Ms. O’Malley,” she sighed, though there was humor in her voice. “Let’s get you to bed. You’ll need as much sleep as possible to deal with your hangover tomorrow.”

I just giggled happily as I wrapped my arms around her neck and buried my face in her flowing mane. As the Princess of Equestria carried me up the steps to her castle, on thought echoed around my drunken head.

All-in-all, not a bad way to end a date.

Author's Note

Once again, the song that Nora sung can be found and listened to here! :yay: :pinkiehappy:

Sorry for the long wait. This wraps up the second arc of the story, and the third arc will be starting next chatper... whenever that is...

As always, please feel free to point out any errors you might find. Like Nora, I have discovered you can't really do much successfully when you've had a few. :facehoof:

The Fall Festival

You’re such an eejit...

Hugging my legs to my chest, I rested my head on my knees and stared blankly ahead. Beneath me, the wooden cart jostled about, the wheels determined to hit every rock and crack on the way down. Each bump caused the contents of the wagon—including me—to shift about.

Carl didn’t seem to mind though.

The old goat just hummed happily to himself as he trundled along, pulling the cart behind him down the narrow path. His cloven hooves and natural dexterity was the only thing that kept us from tumbling off the edge of the cliff and down into the nothingness below.

Trying to ignore the dizzying drop just inches away from the wheels, I focused instead on the countryside that was spread out before us. It was early in the morning, and the grasslands sparkled with the morning dew. The sun slowly rose higher into the sky, painting the hills below a fiery orange. Clouds—floating lazily on the wind—were lit up like puffs of fire. Birds swooped across the sea of grass, snapping up the insects that were becoming more active as the sunlight grew.

Everything was beginning to wake and greet the new day happily.

Well, everything except me.

You’re such a feckin’ eejit...

Biting on the inside of my cheek, I glared down at the floor of the cart, even as the edges of my vision blurred slightly. I didn’t manage to get any more sleep last night, what with the thousands of thoughts that swirled about inside my head.

After running from the castle, I had spent the rest of the night shacked up in Carl’s, well... shack. He had been surprised to see me, but kind enough to invite me in and give me a place to rest. I figured it was the best place to hide, seeing as I hadn’t ever told anyone where the old goat lived… in accordance with his wishes, of course. That made his home—located in a small ravine in the cliff’s beneath Canterlot—the perfect hiding place.

And hiding I was, much to my shame.

There was no other way to put it. I was hiding from my problems yet again. It seemed to be something I was doing a lot more lately, but I couldn’t help it. I knew that if I had headed home, Celestia would have probably been waiting for me… and I couldn’t face her. Not yet. Not after what I had overheard.

Especially after what I had overheard…

My head twinged and I winced. Lifting my hands, I massaged my temples, trying to fight back a headache. The effects of my hangover, while not as bad as it had been earlier, were still present. Still a constant reminder of what had happened last night… before everything went to shit. The date, the bar, the trip back to the castle… it had all been going so well.

And then… the conversation.

My heart squeezed slightly at the memory of the conversation, but no tears came. I was done crying. It was all I seemed to do in this place: cry and make a fool out of myself. I was twenty-two years old. I shouldn’t have been acting like a child, but I couldn’t help my eccentric emotions. They were a part of me. They were the reason my sisters used to refer to me—accurately—as the crybaby of the family.

But no more. I had promised myself some time in the night, that I wouldn’t cry anymore. I would be stronger than that. My emotions would no longer get the better of me.

As for the ‘making a fool out of myself’ part, well… one step at a time.

Plus, I’m pretty sure I did a good job of that last night, seeing as I ran away from both Celestia and Luna as they were trying to talk to me.

Thinking back to the parts of the conversation I had heard, I sighed softly. Part of me knew that there was more to this whole thing, but it had been drowned out last night by the part of me that was tired of getting my hopes up. I should have known that it would never have worked out between one of the Equestrian Princesses and I… but I had foolishly held onto the hope that things would be alright.

I had been upset at first, but the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t really blame Celestia for stringing me along. Sure, it had hurt when I learned it, but it made sense. She was a princess—the co-ruler of one of the largest countries in the world—and she had an image she needed to maintain. There were standards that needed to be followed no doubt… and I’m fairly sure that being in a relationship with an alien was not part of them. Still, it probably helped boost her standings to pity-date the weird, one-of-a-kind freak; made her seem more loving and caring and understanding.

I just… I just wish that I wasn’t said freak that had to have her heart broken in the process.

…

Well, on the bright side… I can at least say that I dated Celestia, even if it was short lived. Not many creatures can claim that, right?

And what was the old saying? You’d never know unless you’ve tried? It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? Well, I tried. It might have failed horribly, but at least I tried… so I can definitely cross that off my bucket list and move on with my life now.

R-right?

…

Oh, who the feck was I kidding? Loneliness was a constant companion for me in this world, one I wanted so desperately to be rid of.

“Maybe I’ll actually give Fluttershy a chance,” I muttered under my breath, only to shiver a moment later at the thought.

Carl paused, causing the cart to shift about suddenly. He glanced over his shoulder. “Eh? What did you say, monkey girl?”

“Nothing, Carl,” I called out. “Just talking to myself… again… like last time.” I was silent for a moment, staring out across the slow-passing countryside. “Hey, uh… Carl?”

“Ee-yeah?”

“Thanks again. You know, for letting me crash at your place last night,” I mumbled.

“Oh, that?” He let out a bleating laugh before beginning to pull the cart again. “Think nothing of it, Nora. Y’all looked like ya’d gone down the mountain the wrong way round. Couldn’t let a good friend stay out all night, lookin’ like that. My mother would never let me rest if that happened!”

“I… I wasn’t that bad, was I?” I asked, running a hand through my messy tangle of hair. I didn’t get a chance to shower yet, and as such, I winced at the grimy, greasy feeling that coated my fingers. “Eeeewwww.” My hair was all mussed up, looking more chaotic than normal. It also probably didn’t help my overall appearance that my clothing was wrinkled, and I most likely had dark bags under my bloodshot eyes. I was just glad I didn’t put any makeup on for the date, or I’d have that to deal with too.

“So, ya ever gonna tell me why ya showed up at my place in the middle of the night?” Carl called back as he rounded a bend in the path. Several pebbles tumbled off the side of the cliff, and I could hear them clattering down the side of the mountain.

“Don’t wanna talk about it,” I muttered as I tried and failed to straighten out my hair. Giving up, I went back to hugging my legs.

Carl glanced back at me again before shrugging. “Fair enough. Just know, I’m always here with an ear if ya want to talk.”

I gave him a small smile but didn’t say anything else.

With that, we both lapsed into silence.

...

Gradually, the mountain pass began to widen, and the path started to level out. Steep cliff faces warped into gracefully-sloping foothills, and the cart stopped jostling about so much. Grassy hills, covered in various flowers of different shapes and colors, seemed to glow in the morning sunlight as we trundled along. The bird chirped happily—their bellies now full—as they flitted about through the air, enjoying the autumn morning. The air had a bit of a nip to it, but my sweater and long socks made it fairly comfortable.

As we made our way along, Carl continued to whistle softly to himself. He shambled along, pulling me and the cart along as if we weighed nothing. Although, given the contents of said cart, it actually wasn’t that big of a surprise that he was able to pull us along so easily; I was probably the heaviest thing present.

His banjo sat in a corner, propped up against several large jugs with some form of liquid inside. I can only assume it was water or something, although one of the jugs had a flame with an ‘x’ across it. A pile of blankets rested along the back of the cart, rolled up and stacked on top of one another. I was currently using those as a backrest.

We moved through the foothills of Canterlot Mountain quickly, heading east towards Ponyville. The little hamlet was still a good ways away, but we were in no hurry. Carl moved along at a steady pace, and before long, we were near enough to see that most of the town had been decorated for the Fall Festival.

Banners and flags hung between buildings, colored red, yellow, orange, and brown. Stands and stalls were erected around the outskirt of the town, along with a variety of games and activities. A giant bounce house castle had been erected in the fields just outside of town.

Ponies were already beginning to mill about the stalls, and the laughter of foals could be heard faintly on the wind. Pegasi gathered on low-hanging clouds, watching the activity below with curiosity as they chatted with one another.

As Carl and his cart rolled up, the ponies gave him curious looks. A few of them gave the old goat friendly waves, but for the most part, they left him to his own devices. He moved through the rows of stands, heading towards an open area out near the open plains that divided Ponyville from the Everfree Forest.

At the edge of the fairgrounds, he stopped and, with a single deft movement, unlatched himself from the cart’s harness.

“There we are,” he said as he gave himself a good shake. Adjusting his glasses, he glanced up at the clock tower in the distance. “Right on time too!”

I pushed myself up and stretched before jumping down off the cart. Or rather, I tried to jump, but ended up stumbling instead when it became clear that my leg had fallen asleep some time ago without my noticing. Holding onto the side of the wagon, I worked on getting some feeling back in the limb.

Carl shambled around to the back of the cart and began to work on unloading it.

I watched him unroll one of the blankets across the grass. “So… what are you doing anyway? Setting up a stall or something?” I glanced at the jugs. “You selling something?”

“A stall? Me?” he laughed. “Oh no, monkey girl! I ain’t got anythin’ to sell. Oh no, that ain’t me.” He continued to chuckle to himself as he rolled a barrel off the back of the cart. “No, no. I’m just here to watch the fair, enjoy the food, bask in the sun, and play some tunes on my here banjo.” He paused his unloading and waggled his eyebrows at me. “And, if a certain zebra mare happens to wander out of the Everfree today, well… that would just be fine with me. I’m hopin’ to meet up with her sometime today.”

“Well, good luck to ya, ya horny old goat,” I said before walking up to the barrel. Upon cracking it open and seeing that it did indeed have water inside, I splashed some on my face. A shiver ran down my spine at the coldness of the liquid.

It did the trick though.

Running a wet hand through my hair in another attempt to untangle, I sighed softly before turning back to Carl. “I hate to jump and run, but I need to go. Thanks again for the ride, Carl, and I’ll catch you later?”

The old goat stopped what he was doing—a blanket draped over his horns—to give me a wave. “I’ll be here. Don’t be a stranger, monkey girl. Ya hear?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, waving back over my shoulder as I headed off into the crowd. A few ponies glanced at me as I walked by, but the majority of them were too focused on setting up their stall or blanket or game stand to give me much trouble.

Without a real plan in mind, I wandered aimlessly through the crowded streets, my hands in my sweater pocket. I browsed the wares that were already on display, but I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was seeing. My mind was elsewhere, across the field, up the mountain, and in Canterlot to be exact.

I should probably talk with Celestia sooner rather than later, I mused dejectedly as I eyed a pair of hoofmade vases with prancing foals painted on them. As much as I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation that would arise, it was probably for the best to get it over with before it festered into something worse.

Plus, if she did dump me, I could start looking for dates again!

…

Yeah, right.

Still, it was a good excuse to go drinking again. Hopefully, Green Sleeves didn’t give away my spot at the bar while I was gone.

Eventually, I concluded that I’d return to Canterlot after the Fall Festival and face the music. Until then, I was going to try and enjoy myself. I didn’t get a chance to see the festival last year, seeing as I had arrived on the first day and spent the remainder of the event in the hospital as they attempted to get the water out of my lungs.

This year though, I could finally see what all the hype was about.

My stomach growled loudly, pulling me back from memory lane. Realize that I still hadn’t eaten anything since last night—and that had been mostly alcoholic drinks—I decided that grabbing a bite to eat was in order. Heading for the marketplace, I hoped to find a food stall that was set up. Sadly, it didn’t appear that any were, but Sugarcube Corner was open, so I ducked inside the giant gingerbread house.

The bell above the door chimed softly as I entered, and I only managed to take a couple of steps before a soft gasp came from my right. Before I could turn to see what had happened, a yellow-and-pink blur latched onto my arm, nearly sending me to the floor in the process.

“Oh my goodness! Nora, you’re back!” Fluttershy nuzzled my shoulder enthusiastically as she continued to hug my arm. Her wings fluttered happily by her sides. “I was sooo worried you wouldn’t make it back in time for the festival. Oh, that would have been just awful!”

“H-hey, Flutters,” I said tiredly, trying to shake Fluttershy off. After a moment, she got the hint and detached herself from my arm and instead took up position right beside my leg—like a large, colorful puppy.

Glancing around, I saw the other girls were present as well, all seated in one of the circular booths in the corner. A box of doughnuts laid open on the table in front of them, and I eyed them hungrily.

“Hey, girls. How’s it going?” I asked as I approached the table.

“I was about to ask you the same thing, darling!” Rarity said, giving me a horrified look. “You look positively terr—er, that is to say, you look a little… ragged. Whatever happened?”

“Wha… oh!” I ran my hand through my still damp hair. “Uh, early morning train ride.” Rarity looked like she didn’t believe the answer, but I quickly changed the subject by pointing at the doughnuts. “Hey, can I have one of those? I didn’t get any breakfast before leaving Canterlot.”

“Of course you can!” Twilight chirped, pushing the box towards me. “We’ve already had our fill, and Spike doesn’t like these flavors, so the rest is all yours!”

My mouth watering, I descended on the box and quickly snatched up a double-chocolate one with white sprinkles. I took a bite, and moan escaped my lips as the rich flavor flooded my mouth, chasing off the lingering aftertaste of alcohol still present from last night.

“So good,” I mumbled out from around my mouthful.

“We were just getting ready to head out, actually,” Twilight said as I took another bite, “but we can most certainly wait for you to finish eating if you’d like.”

“No, o’m good,” I said quickly, trying not to spray crumbs everywhere. I swallowed before continuing. “I can eat and walk at the same time. That’s no problem for me.” Reaching down, I grabbed a several more of the sugary treats out of the box.

Munching happily away at the doughnuts, I followed after the girls as they made their way outside, Twilight and Rarity in the lead. Fluttershy stuck close to my leg, every so often brushing her wing against my sock.

By the time we reached the main market, I had finished off the double-chocolate and was starting on a powdered one. More ponies had arrived in the short time I had been inside, and they chatted happily with one another as they wandered slowly out towards the fields where many colorful tents were being erected.

Much more than I had originally pictured.

Eyeing the new tents curiously, I licked my fingers clean of white powder. “So, how many activities are there going to be anyways? I don’t want to miss out on anything, but I didn’t realize this event was going to be so… big.”

“Well, of course it’s a big event!” Twilight said, glancing back over her shoulder. “It’s the transition between Summer and Fall. In the Spring, we have Winter Wrap Up, and its counterpart in the Fall is the Running of the Leaves. Don’t worry, though,” she added, “there’s plenty of time to do everything, so you won't’ miss out.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie giggled, bouncing around the group. “Nopony wants to miss out on having fun, so the festival is spread out across several long, fun-filled days! Today is just the casual games, mostly so that the foals can win prizes and have something to do while all the grown-ups are busy being boring and talking, but then tomorrow are the competitive games like tug-of-war and the water balloon fight and the Iron Pony competition, and then, on the third day—” she halts suddenly, and a dream look cross her face.

“The potluck,” she finishes, her tongue lolling from her mouth.

“So, today is just playing the booth games?” I asked as I take a bite out of the last pastry—a cream-filled eclair with chocolate drizzled on top.

“Oh no, not yet, darling,” Rarity chimed in. “The games and such happen in the afternoon. Before that though, the Fall Festival starts off with the Running of the Leaves.”

“Running of the Leaves,” I mumbled around a mouthful of cream. “Is that where you run through White Tail Woods to make the leaves fall off of trees?”

“Eeyup!” Applejack nodded sagely. “After all, this whole thang started out as a community lunch after the runnin’, with the few ponies that lived out here gettin’ together to share what little food they had before the fall harvest started. They only introduced the games for the foals, to keep ‘em from gettin’ bored. And then, as more and more ponies settled down here, the Festival came to be. Nowadays, it’s more party than chore though, but we still have the Running of the Leaves first, to keep with tradition.”

“And speaking of keeping with traditions, I’m going to beat you again this year!” Rainbow boasted, her chest puffing out.

Applejack gave her a deadpanned look. “We tied last year, Rainbow, and you know it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow said, waving a hoof about, “but that one doesn’t count, cause we got distracted by other things.”

“You mean trying to trick each other into failing? “Rarity asked, an eyebrow raised. Both Applejack and Rainbow acted as if they hadn’t heard her.

“I’m not entirely sure how all you ponies running through the forest is supposed to knock all the leaves off of the trees,” I said, “but it sounds interesting enough.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie cheered, doing a quick flip through the air. “It’s a super-duper way to start the festival! Everypony gets to work up an appetite, and then they get to eat and play games! Oh, oh! And I get to do the commentary for the race!” She suddenly froze in mid-jump, her eyes widening. “Ohmygosh! I almost forgot! I need to go get Spike and get the balloon ready! Bye girls!”

In a burst of dust, she was gone.

“Riiight,” I said slowly as I watched the Pinkie-shaped dust cloud slowly settle. “So, where does the race thing start exactly?”

“The starting line is out by the east trail of White Tail Woods, by the old fountain of the mare with a spear,” Twilight said. “You know where that is, right?”

I scratched my chin. “I think so. Isn’t that out near where you found me last year?”

“That’s the place! In fact...” Twilight trailed off and looked towards the clock tower in the distance. “It should be starting in about an hour or so. We should start heading over.” This caused Rainbow to perk up.

“Yeah!” she whooped. “Got to go get a good spot on the starting line!” Twirling through the air, she blew Applejack’s hat off before zipping off towards the far end of town.

“Hey!” Applejack grabbed her hat off the ground and slapped it back on her head. “Why you no good…” She took off after Rainbow Dash, weaving her way through the crowd of ponies as she chased after the rainbow trail. The two of them quickly disappeared into the distance.

“I suppose we should go after them,” Rarity sigh, shaking her head. “Really, those two get a little too competitive sometimes.”

“Oh, come on, Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile. “It’s all in good fun. So long as they don’t drag others into it again this year.”

Rarity hummed softly. “I suppose.” They started to walk off, with Fluttershy falling in step behind them.

I made to follow as well, only to pause when a faint noise reached my ears. It sounded almost like someone calling out my name, but the din from the surrounding crowd made it hard to be sure. After a few seconds though, I heard it again, louder and much clearer. “Ms. O’Malley!” Using my height, I peered over the crowd as I tried to identify the speaker, only to freeze upon identifying them.

A familiar-looking unicorn was making her way through the crowd. Her white coat—pristine despite the dirt roads she was traveling on—practically sparkled in the morning sunlight. Long locks of light blue hair fell about her shoulders, a white streak accenting her mane.

I stared at ‘Majestic Sky’ in horror. Oh feck… not now! What’s she doing here?! Luckily, she hadn’t noticed me yet, and I quickly ducked down before slipping behind a nearby empty stall. She was slowly heading this way though, so I had to think of something fast. Maybe… maybe I can just… yeah, that might work.

Just as I was about to put my plan into action, I was pulled from my thoughts by Twilight calling back to me. “Nora? Are you coming?”

Checking to make sure Majestic hadn’t heard her, I gave my friends a weak smile. “Uh, actually… I’m gonna go stop by my gaff, first. Need a new change of clothes.” I plucked at my wrinkled sweater and skirt as I spoke. While it might have been an excuse to go hide until the race started, my clothing did have a certain, musty odor to it—almost like stale beer and sweat.

Twilight blinked. “Oh, well, I guess we’ll meet you down there?”

“Do you need me to go with you, Nora?” Fluttershy asked eagerly.

“Naw, I got it,” I said. “I’ll just meet you lasses down by the starting line.”

Fluttershy’s ears fell against her head. “Oh… okay…” Turning, she and the others continued their way towards the woods. I, on the other hand, shoved the last bit of eclair into my mouth before ducking down a nearby alleyway. Keeping to the shadows, I made my way towards the edge of town, intent on making a beeline for my gaff as soon as I got the chance.

Maybe if I was fast enough, I could get a shower in as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

There was excitement in the air as the runners began to gather behind the chalk line that was drawn across the road. A large banner hung over the starting line, and colored flags lined the tree branches and light posts.

Dozens of ponies were gathered on the hills on either side of the path. Blankets were laid out for the watchers—those that were too young, too old, or had some injury that prevented comfortable movement. They cheered from the sidelines, rooting for their friends and family.

As everyone warmed up and got ready, I stood off to the side, beneath the low-hanging branches of a tree. Eyeing the crowd, I fidgeted nervously with the piece of paper that had been taped to my shirt by a coordinator earlier. The number ‘17’ was written on it in large, black letters. The ponies that were running had numbers as well, the paper stuck to their butts, right over the cutie marks.

My eyes drifted over the growing crowd, searching for any familiar faces. Through the sea of colorful bodies, I could just barely make out Applejack and Rainbow at the front of the crowd. They were talking to one another, and even though I couldn’t hear what was being said, by their body language, I could easily guess that they were still trash talking each other. Twilight was in there somewhere as well, but I had lost her amongst the crowd a while ago. Rarity and Fluttershy were easier to find, given that they both were off to the side, beneath a colorful umbrella that Rarity had procured from… somewhere. Pinkie was up in the hot air balloon that was floating high overhead.

They weren’t the ones I was keeping an eye out for though.

So far I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Majestic Skies, but I figured she was still out there somewhere. I just had to avoid her until after the race was over, then I might be ready to talk.

Maybe…

Not really…

...

“Ah, feck,” I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. “Just bite the bullet, you eejit.” Thinking over it for a moment longer, I resolved to find Majestic Skies—or Celestia, or whatever she was calling herself—after the race and we’d talk then. Hopefully, the Running of the Leaves would help me get my thoughts in order.

I was pulled from my musing by Pinkie’s voice blaring out from high above through a megaphone. “Racers! Please take your positions!” Excited murmuring broke out as ponies began to jostle about the starting line.

Pushing off of the tree, I moved to join the masses. I took my place near the back, out of the way of the main runners. A pudgy mare by the name of Lemon Hearts smiled at me as I stop beside her. She doesn’t have time to say anything though before Pinkie speaks out again. “Alright, ponies! Are… you… ready?!”

A cheer comes up from the crowd.

“Get set!”

Over the eager chittering of the crowd, I pick up someone faintly calling my name. Thankfully, she still sounded quite a ways away, so I just ignored it and focused instead on what was in front of me.

From high above came the final shout. “Go!”

Right off the bat, it became painfully obvious just how out of my league I was. Rainbow, Applejack, and a handful of other front runners were already disappearing into the tree line in a cloud of dust. That was to be expected though, but the biggest blow to my pride was the fact that even some of the more… hefty ponies were outpacing me.

Still, I pushed on, heading further into White Tail Woods, following behind the herd of ponies that were slowly leaving me in the dust. I didn’t really mind though, as it was a relatively warm day, and it felt nice in the shade of the trees. A gentle breeze was blowing, stirring the leaves that had already been knocked from the branches above.

Before long, I found myself running alone, the final few stragglers ahead of me having disappeared over a hill with the rest of the herd. A quick glance over my shoulder showed that there were no ponies behind me either—I was all alone.

It wasn’t much to worry about, though. Unlike the Everfree Forest, White Tail Woods was actually rather tame. The only thing you really had to worry about were bears, and Fluttershy had conditioned most of them to never be overly aggressive unless provoked. If I kept to the path, I should be fine.

I slowed my pace to a light jog, a small smile touching my lips as I observed my surroundings. My heart twinged as a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The cool weather, the gentle breeze, the rocky path—it reminded me so much of home. Granted, there were some big differences—the shapes of the leaves were different from the rowan trees back on Earth, the air didn’t have the faint hint of sea salt to it, and there was no overcast skies or chilly mist blocking out the sun.

Still, the similarities were enough that if I closed my eyes right now, I could almost picture myself back in Ireland. It was there in my mind—out walking in the woods behind Uncle’s shack, raiding any raspberry patch I came across, skirting around the murky lough while watching the fish jump at skimming bugs.

If I just imagined hard enough, I could almost hear my sister calling me back for brunch—

“Nora.”

At the sound of my name, I stumbled, nearly falling over but managing to catch myself before I ate dirt. I glanced around, trying to find the speaker. Did… did one of the ponies fall behind?. Unable to see any ponies nearby, I called out, “H-hello? Is anyone there?”

No reply came, and my confusion grew. I could have sworn I heard someone speak. Although, it could have just been my imagination; I could have some pretty vivid daydreams if I got distracted enough.

Glancing around one last time, I shrugged and was just about to start running again when…

“Nora.”

This time I was sure someone spoke. It was soft, almost like a breeze whispering through the leaves, but I still heard it. Spinning slowly around in a circle, I called out again. “Hello? Who’s there?” Despite the weirdness of the situation, I felt no fear. Only mild curiosity, and… something else.

A familiar feeling that I couldn’t quite place.

An eagerness I could not explain.

“Nora.”

My heart fluttered as the voice spoke for the third time, and my gaze was drawn to a point slightly off the path. There was a small gap in the treeline, and a faint shimmering light was playing through the underbrush. And there was something else, something almost musical in nature. It caught my attention and drew me in. Something… something was calling to me.

I barely noticed when my feet started moving by themselves. Dazed, I stepped off the path and pushed my way through the gap in the hedge of bushes. Branches and thorns scratched and bit at my skin and clothing, but I hardly felt them. After a brief struggling with a particularly thick branch that snagged my hair, I was free.

A small clearing opened up on the other side of the bushes. A small pond dominated the area, the waters filled with various water plants, reeds, and lilypads. On the far shore was a rocky outcrop that crept of into the trees again. Several small waterfalls cascaded down the mossy rock face to splash down into the murky water below. All around the edge of the clearing, the branches of the trees grew inwards, creating a nature roof of reds and oranges and browns. There was a small gap in the center of the canopy, through which a beam of golden sunlight streamed down.

And there, standing in the center of the sunbeam…

“Nora.” Her white coat glinted in the sunlight, glowing with an unearthly sheen and making everything else seem faded and gray in comparison. Vibrant strands of blues and greens and pinks fluttered weightless in an unseen breeze, the hairs sparkling with a magical beauty that could not be surpassed by any mortal means. Magenta eyes, filled with warmth and love, twinkled as she watched me, a soft smile upon her full lips.

From the edge of the clearing, I gaped in silence, unable to speak.

A light giggle escaped her. Slowly, her wings spread wide, the sunlight playing off of each ivory feather as though they were made of glass. “Nora, come.”

I obeyed almost instantly, her angelic voice washing over my ears like soothing waves. On trembling legs, I staggered forward, unable to take my eyes off of the sight of perfection before me.

As I drew nearer, my vision blurred. It took me a moment to realize that I was crying.

Gentle wingtips brushed my cheeks. “Oh, child. Why do you cry?”

“How… how could I have ever thought that someone like you could have been with someone like me?” I croaked out. Her appearance now drove that point home more painfully clear than ever before. Here she was, a goddess in the flesh… and I was just a scruffy, lost girl, so very far from home.

Said goddess cooed softly, brushing more of my tears away with her wings. “Cry not, little one. There is no need for such sadness.”

I reached up to wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater, and she quickly pulled her feathers away. Despite my best efforts though, the tears kept coming.

“S-sorry, I can’t,” I mumbled.

“Nora.” I glanced up, and through my bleary gaze, I saw her give me a warm smile as her wings splay wide again. “Come here, little one.”

I yearned to go to her; to be lost within the confines of the feathery embrace. But I knew I shouldn’t. It would just make the pain of what was to come all the harsher. If I allowed myself even a tiny bit of hope, the heartbreak would be even worse…

“Come, child.”

The words were like honey, and her wings were so inviting. I bit my lip, trying to keep my control, but the temptation was too much. If I only had one chance, one last chance to feel the velvety coat of the Goddess of the Sun, then I just had to take it.

I took a shaky step forward… and then another.

Her smile turned into a smirk. “That’s it, my child. Come to me.”

I took another step, only to pause when a noise reached my ears. It sounded faint and muffled, as though someone was shouting at me from underwater. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but suddenly, the world felt… off. There was a buzzing in my head that I hadn’t noticed before.

The white mass before me twitched, and her eyes flicked up to something behind me. She said something, but the words were lost to me. A reply was given, and I started to turn to see who she was talking to, but I was stopped. “Come, my child. Come.”

Almost instinctively, I moved forward again.

The muffled voice returned, shouting something even louder than before. It sounded… familiar, and brought with it a pain in my chest. I tried to look away from the goddess before me, to look back at whoever was causing my heart to ache. But I couldn’t—my eyes were fixed on the hypnotic ones before me.

“Come to me now!”

Everything seemed to fade. Behind me, the voice was still shouting, calling out to me, but nothing else mattered at the moment except for the perfect being before me. If I could just reach out… if I could just touch her… everything would be fine.

With one final step, I was beside her. My arms wrapped around her neck, and fur brushed against my cheek. It was slicker than I had been expecting and a lot mustier too. I didn’t care though. I just buried my face in her chest, a content smile on my face.

The smile remained even as her wings closed in around me, enveloping me completely.

There was a loud cry, and suddenly, with a hard yank, my world became water and darkness.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The following is a record of the events that transpired in White Tail Woods, as described by Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia.

-=-=-=-

“Ms. O’Malley!”

My shout echoed around the woods as I galloped down the well-worn path. Leaves fluttered in the wind around me, and several times one or two almost landed upon my face. Still, I pushed on, gasping for breath as I fought off a growing cramp in my side. Nearly five decades have passed since I’d last been this active, and it was clear that despite all the trotting I did around the palace—up and down those long, winding staircases—I was horrendously out of shape.

Years of sitting around and over-indulging my sweet tooth probably didn’t help the fact either.

My old dietitian would be horrified if she saw the state I was now in.

Rounding a bend in the path, I almost slipped on a pile of leaves, still slick with morning moisture. It took some awkward hoof work to save myself, and even then I almost ended up in an undignified position afterward.

Despite being smaller in this form, I was decidedly less graceful. Yes, I could have probably returned to my alicorn form and settled this with ease, but I didn’t want to cause more distress for Ms. O’Malley than I already had. It would probably be less stressful to deal with ‘Majestic Skies’ in public than ‘Celestia’.

Plus, it would nearly impossible to do this as Celestia, given that Twilight was in town. I was looking for some peace and quiet for this, not a parade.

Although, it probably would have been easier to find the source of my search if I was Celestia.

I had spent most of the morning searching for her. Granted, that was after my sister had spent a while beating me over the head with her wings. My first instinct was to check the train station, as she was probably heading for home, but besides a few late night-early morning riders, there was a distinct lack of a human in the Canterlot train station.

My second choice was her home, and, hoping to arrive before she could lock herself inside, I had teleported there shortly after checking the train station. Sadly, that had turned out to be a bust as well, for, despite the fact I sat out upon her porch until it was time to raise my sun, I saw no sign of Ms. O’Malley returning to her abode.

Thus began my search of Ponyville.

It had completely slipped my mind that it was also the start of the Fall Festival.

You’d think that finding a human—a being that stands about twice as tall as most ponies—in a crowd would be easy. Oddly enough, it’s not. Either that or Ms. O’Malley is exceptionally good at not being seen when she wants to be. Either way, I was unable to locate her before the beginning of the Running of the Leaves.

It was only by luck that I happened to see her before she slipped into the treeline. I most certainly could have teleported to her or used a spell to close the distance, but there had been too many ponies around, cheering on the runners. I’m certain I got some strange looks as I raced into the woods way behind the main herd, but nopony seemed to really care.

Now, I just had to catch up to the running human. Which shouldn’t be too hard, given that I believe she has informed me in the past that we ponies are faster than her… although what she lacks in speed, supposedly her race makes up for in stamina. It didn’t matter though; I had to catch up with her, not outrun her.

Rounding another bend, I was just about to attempt to gain some ground on a straight-looking section of the path when a shiver suddenly ran down my spine. I slide to a stop and began to look around. Something felt off—the wind had a bit more chill to it, the birdsong that had filled the air earlier was now muted and distant, and there was the scent of magic in the air.

The scent of Ould Magick.

Horn sparking, I peered cautiously around at my surroundings. It felt… oddly familiar, yet I couldn’t put my hoof on why. Nothing was out of place and everything looked normal at first glance, but then my gaze landed on a ragged hole that had been torn into the underbrush just off of the path. The air seemed to shiver around the hole, and my horn itched just looking at it.

“What in Equestria?” I breathed, brow furrowing in confusion. Quizzically, I prodded the haze with my magic, only to wince at the sensation. It most definitely was Ould Magick, but that didn’t make sense. There shouldn’t be anything within these woods that had such power.

Neigh, there shouldn’t be anything in Equestria that used it.

Eyeing the shimmering haze for a moment, I steeled myself. The situation with Ms. O’Malley would wait; I needed to figure out what was going on here.

I started forward, only to stop again when I finally realized why this place felt so familiar.

“It… it can’t be,” I breathed.

Taking a step back, I eyed the hole in the brush. It was an unnatural shape, with old broken branches and cracked trunks. The edges of the foliage were starting to grow back in to cover the hole, but the original destruction was still clearly visible, if somewhat weathered. For all intents and purposes, it appeared as though something had desperately clawed its way through the thorn bushes some time ago.

Something about twice as large as a pony.

My eyes widened. “Ms. O’Malley!” Jumping forward, I charged into the underbrush. Thorns and branches tore at my coat, and for a moment the distortion of Ould Magick shoved me back, but with an extra burst of magic, I forced my way through.

Stumbling out of the vegetation, I gasped as a numbing chill washed over my coat. I could feel something trying to cloud my sense, but a quick dispersal spell put an end to that. Head cleared, I glanced around the area frantically. There, standing in front of a dark pond with her back to me, was Ms. O’Malley… and standing in front of her was—

“This does not concern you, pony.”

From the depths of the water, the twisted being loomed. Its skin was black and leathery, and laid stretched thin over its skeletal frame. Water weeds were woven into its mane, which was the color of swamp mud and dripping wet. Empty silver eyes glared back at me as its lips pulled back, revealing sharp, crooked teeth.

“Leave… now…” the creature hissed.

Ms. O’Malley started to turn to look at me, but the creature suddenly gurgled something and she stopped. From the brief glance I got of her face though, I could see her eyes were glazed over and blackened water leaked from the edges like tears. She moved closer to the abomination.

My own eyes narrowed. “Release your glamour on her, beast.”

“Stay out of this, pony, and I might let you live,” the creature hissed.

With a snort, I dropped my disguise, my wings unfurling in all their glory.

“I will not ask again,” I said coldly. “Release the human at once.”

The creature flinched back before blinking. It stared at me for a moment before gurgling out. “She is not one of your ponies. Why should you care about her?”

“She…” I hesitated for a moment. “She is… precious to me.”

“She is not yours,” the creature growled. “She belongs to me. She is mine! I will not be denied my prey a second time!” Twisting about, she snarled something at Ms. O’Malley, who stumbled forward towards it.

Alarmed, I called out. “Ms. O’Malley! No!” Lightning up my horn, I began channeling the magic necessary to grab her, but it was too late. With one last step, she collapsed against the creature’s chest, embracing it.

Almost immediately, the beast’s mane sprung to live. The wet strands twisted around Ms. O’Malley’s arms and chest like snakes, holding her firmly in place. They pulled her closer, and the creature’s skin seemed to almost mold around her.

With a cackling cry, the abomination reared up, taking the trapped human with it. “You lose, pony! Now I can feed!” Crowing happily, the creature twisted about and dove beneath the waves, taking Ms. O’Malley with it in a torrent of water and bubbles.

Letting out a nicker of rage, I plunged into the water after them.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long to update. I was reading through the old chapters and disliked the quality, so I almost went back to rewrite them, but then decided that I should probably finish it completely before rewriting anything.

Anyways, here's another chapter, brought to you by sleep deprivation and booooooze!

The Arrival

As I stepped out of the house, the chilly autumn air hit my face, flushing my cheeks and fogging up my breath. I stood for a moment on the step, letting the breeze ruffle my untidy hair before turning to close the door. Before I could though, a voice shouted from inside. “Oi! An’ where do yer tink ye’re goin’?”

I flinched as Kaytlin’s slurred voice hit my ears.

Hand still on the doorknob, I called back quickly. “Oi’m steppin’ out for a bit of fresh air. What’s it to yer?”

“What’s it ter me?” came the reply. “Ye daft cunt! We ‘av ter go pick Iona up from the airport soon! She’s comin’ up fer uncle’s birthday, and yer know how long it takes ter git there!”

“I’ll only be a minute!”

“‘A minute’, me arse,” Kaytlin grumbled as she appeared in the doorway. Her red hair was done up in its usual messy style, the loose braid falling down about her right shoulder. She put her hands on her hips and stared down at me for a moment before harrumphing. “A’ight, fine, away with yer.” she sighed. “Oi still ‘av ter git Bridget an’ Claire up an’ about.”

“T’anks, sis,” I said before jumping down off the porch and heading down the dirt path that led out towards the woods behind our gaff. As I disappeared around the water barrel at the corner, I heard Kaytlin shout after me.

“An’ stay away from Clyde’s! We don’t need yer drunk on the way ter the airport!”

“Like ye haven’t had a few already,” I muttered under my breath. Pulling my sweater tighter around myself, I trudged down the path. The wind tousled my plaid skirt about, but luckily my socks were long enough to counteract the chill until I got into the treeline, and then I was protected by the trees.

Rocks crunched underfoot as I walked along, and I could hear the faint sound of birdsong in the distance. I inhaled deeply, and the hint of salt in the air stirred something in me. Without even really planning to, I found myself heading west, towards the seaside cliffs. I wouldn’t be able to reach them before I had to make my way back home though—if I was late, Kaytlin would most likely throw me off said cliffs herself. Ever since I could remember, she always wanted to show Iona that she could be just as good at taking care of the family and being late to pick our oldest sister up would definitely be a huge mark against her.

Rounding a bend in the path, I snagged a handful of raspberries from a bush as I passed and popped some in my mouth, only to wince at the slightly sour taste. Still, I continued to eat them, my hands and lips soon stained red from the juices.

I was sucking some of the juice off my thumb when I came upon a fork in the path. Pausing, I considered my options. It would probably take Kaytlin ten minutes to get both Bridget and Claire up, and then another ten for them to get dressed, and then another five for them to get their coffee. Although, they might just drink it on the way to the airport, so let’s say twenty minutes. I’d been walking about five, so I had about fifteen to go.

“Let’s see,” I muttered to myself. “Two ter get there, an’ seven ter git back. That leaves four ter deal with… yeah, this cud work.”

Having easily convinced myself, I took the right-handed fork. The surrounding foliage crept out onto the path more, and some parts were practically overgrown. Still, I pressed on, pushing bushes and brush out of my way as I headed deeper into the woods. It was rocky going, but I eventually emerged out into a clearing.

A small stone shack was set up beneath some low-hanging branches. It had an old, rickety porch that wrapped around the front and sides of the building, and an old rocking chair rested beside a crooked door. Off to the side of the house, just barely visible in the gloom of the trees, as a wooden lean-to, with several large copper drums beneath them, all connected with copper piping. Smoke rose from a crumbling chimney.

As I approached the house, I cupped my hands to my mouth and called out. “Oi! Clyde! Yer here, yet auld git?” No reply came, and I frowned. That was strange; normally he didn’t leave for town until the afternoon.

Climbing the steps of the porch, I peered through the window on the door. The inside of the shack was dark, but I was able to see enough to tell that Clyde wasn’t home. The bed was empty, as was the chair by the fireplace. However, there were still some smoldering embers present in the hearth.

“Ah, feck,” I grumbled. “Just missed him.” Sighing dejectedly, I turned and jumped down off the porch. I was just about ready to head back home when I noticed something hiding beneath the porch’s steps. Bending down, I saw it was a small wooden box. I pulled it out and, fighting against the rust hinges, I opened it. Inside was a small metal flask with a note sitting on top of it.

‘To Nora,
A new recipe, just for you,
Clyde’

Picking up the flask, I gave it a tentative shake, only to smile upon hearing the faint slosh of liquid inside. “Aw, Clyde. Yer da best!” Quickly stashing the flask inside my sweater pocket, I pushed the box back under the stairs before straightening up. One last glance around to make sure Clyde wasn’t coming back, and I started off back home.

Seeing as I had finished up my business earlier than I had previous figured, I decided to take a slight detour on the way back, passing by an old lough. The water was surprisingly clear today, the usual murkiness having faded to the point that I could see the weeds and reeds growing up from the lough’s muddy bed. A few flashes of blue and green indicated where fish were out hunting for skimming bugs.

I was in the process of climbing over an old fallen log on the lough’s shore when there came a loud splash. Glancing up, I saw ripples spreading out from the center of the lake. Normally, this would indicate where a fish had leapt to catch a particularly high bug, but this time felt off—the splash was too loud and the ripples too big to have been a fish.

Chewing on my cheek, I watched the ripples die down before, with a shrug, I continued along the shoreline. After a few steps though, another splash happened, this time closer. I paused again, watching the lough for any signs of jumping fish. There was nothing; even the colors of the fish underwater had vanished as if something big had frightened them off.

Growing uneasy, I turned to climb a small hill along the banks of the lough, only to stop when I caught sight of something… weird in the shallows. A faint silver light shone from within a tangle of weeds. It sparkled brightly, despite the sun being hidden behind a thick layer of overcast clouds.

All my previous thoughts of leaving were pushed to the side as I stared at the glinting thing. Unable to tell what it was from this distance, I jumped down the hill and moved along the shoreline, trying to get closer. Kneeling down at the water’s edge, I craned my neck as I tried to see through the underwater weeds without getting my shoes wet.

“What are ye?” I mumbled, squinting. It looked like a silver marble, but why was it glowing? Not taking my eyes off of it, I rolled up one of my sleeves before carefully easing my arm into the water. A gasp escaped me as the cold water bit my skin, but I persisted. Slipping my hand into the weeds, I ignored the slimy feeling of them brushing against my arm as I reached for the marble.

“Almost… got et,” I said, trying to keep my balance. The last thing I needed was to fall into the lough. Kaytlin would kill me if I came home soaking wet and covered in mud.

The water splashed at the tips of my shoes as I stretched my arm out as far as I could. Straining, my fingertips almost brushed against the marble—

SPLASH

Something large erupted out of the water right in front of me, and before I had time to scream, it latched onto my arm and pulled me into the lough. Water rushed into my mouth and nose as the thing dragged me from the shallows into the deeper depths. Disturbed by the sudden motion, silt filled the water, blocking my view. I could only catch flashes of what had me—boney frame here, sharp teeth there, and a silvery eye flashing in the murk.

I fought against whatever was holding my arm, only to scream in pain when I felt my wrist break. It came out as a large bubble, and I choked as water flooded down my throat. Frantically, I thrust my free hand into my sweater pocket and, after some fumbling around, pulled out my old pocket knife. Using my teeth to get the blade open, I stabbed at my assailant, accidentally stabbing my own arm in the process. I managed to get the beast as well because I found myself suddenly alone beneath the waves.

‘Help…’

Lungs hitching in my chest, I struggled, arms and legs thrashing wildly. Water churned around me. It was everywhere—in my eyes, clouding my vision; in my mouth, making me gag at the taste; up my nose, causing me to cough; rushing in my ears, blotting out all noise.

I had no clue how deep underwater I was, only that there was dark, murky water surrounding me on all sides. Long tendrils of seaweed loomed out of the gloom like giant tentacles. They swayed around me, tangling my limbs and hindering my movement. Any attempt to free myself from their grip only resulted in me getting more and more trapped.

Panicking, I lashed out blindly with my pocketknife, hacking and slashing at the weeds. Above me, through the blur of water and haze of silt, I could see the faintest glimmer of light. It was barely visible through the leaves of the seaweed, but it was still there, calling my name.

My lungs burned as what little air I had left in them was slowly used up. I fought back the urge to exhale, knowing that the minute I did so would spell my doom. Clamping a hand to my mouth, I fought back against my own body as it attempted to, ironically, save me. It needed air, but I wasn’t in a position to breathe.

‘Oi can’t die ‘ere!’ I thought to myself as my chest twitched and spasmed, my lungs begging to fill themselves with much-need oxygen. ‘If oi drowned, Kaytlin would kill me!’

Pulling on a particularly thick piece of seaweed that had wrapped around my leg, I hacked at it with the knife, trying to work myself free. I bit back a muffled scream as I cut through the weed and into myself, but I continued, not caring about the blood slowly filling the water so long as I got myself free.

I had almost freed myself when the water behind me shifted. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a shiver ran down my back as something large slithered past through the weeds. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bulky shape disappearing back into the veil of murky water. I didn’t see what kind of creature it was, only that it was bigger than me.

A lot bigger than me.

Peering through the gloom, I tried to figure out where the creature had gone. However, a moment later my chest gave a few heaves and a stream of bubbles erupted from my lips. Eyes widening in alarm, I grabbed at the seaweed holding me in place and began slicing at it with renewed vigor.

After a few good tugs, I finally managed to pull my leg free, only to have a clump of weeds begin to wrap around the arm holding the knife. Hurriedly shaking them off, I kicked my feet frantically, heading for the surface. Leaves tugged at my clothing while weeds snared my sneakers. Still, I struggled upwards and managed to somehow make headway. After one last, desperate kick, I freed myself completely from the weed's grasp.

My lungs were burning now, and darkness crept in around the edges of my vision. I fought to remain conscious as I clawed my way upwards, towards the light far above. Each kick felt like it took all my energy, each second felt like hours, and each meter I gained felt like a kilometer.

Finally, the surface was there, just a few strokes away. Right when I was about to reach it though, something long and slippery wrapped around my leg and yanked me back down into the depths. I tried to pull my leg free, but whatever had me was too powerful. ‘No… no… no no no no no!’

As the unknown force continued to pull me down into the dark, murky depths, a pair of blank, milky eyes suddenly filled my vision. From all around me, a bubbly laugh echoes through the water. “Miiiine.”

Blindly, I lashed out with my knife and somehow manage to hit something. A shriek shook the water around me, and my knife was twisted out of my hand. That didn’t matter though, because whatever had a hold of me had let go, and I kicked for the surface. The water churned and frothed around me, but I didn’t care. I had to get to the surface, to the air and light.

I had almost reached it again when it happened. My lungs, having been fighting to hold in what little air they could, finally forced out their contents. I could only watch in despair as my breath streamed from my mouth and noise, gurgling heavenwards in a burst of bubbles. For a brief moment, all was still… then… against my will…

My lips parted.

My lungs expanded.

And water came pouring in.

The pain that erupted inside my chest was greater than anything I could have ever imagined. The water burned as it rushed into my lungs, filling them. Icy daggers dug into my sides. The feeling shot upwards, and my head felt like it was being crushed in upon itself. The pain laster but only for a few seconds.

Then there was a blinding flash of light.

I gasped.

And air flooded my lungs.

Hacking and coughing, I threw myself onto the banks of the lough. My chest felt like it was on fire, and despite the fact I was gasping and wheezing for air, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Clawing at the muddy shore, I dragged myself the rest of the way out of the water. My clothing clung to my body, and my vision was blocked by my hair which was plastered to my face.

Peering around dazedly, my mind barely registered that I was no longer on the shores of a lough, but actually on the banks of a small pond. A rocky outcrop that had never been there before allowed several small waterfalls to cascade down into the churning water.

Uncaring about the change in scenery, I struggled to my feet. I needed to get as far away from the water as possible, away from that horrific monster. Stumbling about like a drunk, I tried to make my way towards the treeline, but I was unable to keep my balance. I kept falling over, only to struggle to stand once more. By the time I reached the bushes, I could barely crawl, and my chest was in agony.

Thorns tore at my skin and clothing as I forced my way through the brush, but I didn’t care. Holding my broken wrist against my chest, I pushed on, and after a few moments of fighting with the branches, I tumbled out the other side.

I laid in the middle of the dirt path, gasping for breath, my body shivering uncontrollably. Pain flared in my arms and legs, and it was only then that I remembered I was bleeding from multiple gashes—some made by me, others not. Dirt was getting in the cuts, but I had no energy to move. I could only lie there, struggling to breathe and hoping the beast wouldn’t come out of the water after me.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been lying there before the faint sound of running came from a bend a few meters away. Silently, I prayed that it was one of my sisters, coming to find me—to yell at me for being late. Or maybe it was Clyde, returning from wherever he went. Hell, at this point, I’d even take Annie and her sneering, insulting comments about my appearance. I didn’t care who it was so long as they helped me.

“Help,” I tried to call out, but it was so quiet that I barely heard it. “H-help… please…”

As the sound of running drew closer though, my hazy mind noted that something didn’t sound quite right. Not only did there seem to be a lot of people headed my way, but there was also something off about their footsteps.

‘Are… are those hooves?’ Straining, I turned my head slightly just in time to see a herd of… colorful pastel ponies come around the bend?

…

Wat?

There were dozens of the weird creatures, their coats practically every color under the sun. There were various shades of blue and green and red and orange. Some of them even had clothing on, as I spotted quite a few scarves and what looked like a cowboy hat. They all had papers stuck to them with different numbers written on them.

It took the front runners a moment to notice me, but when they did, the skidded to a stop. This caused a pileup as those in the back ran into those that had stopped.

There was a moment of silence as I stared at them and they stared at me with impossibly-wide eyes. ‘I’ve… I’ve got ter be hallucinatin’,’ I told myself as I tried to process what I was seeing. ‘There’s no way they’re real. Is… is hallucinatin’ a symptom of drownin’? Or am oi… am oi dying?’

The corners of my mouth twitched. Letting my head fall back onto the ground, I let out a weak chuckle that slowly dissolved into mad laughter. However, the water in my lungs made it come out as an odd gurgling noise.

This set the ponies off.

“What is it!? What is it?!”

“What does it want!?”

“The horror! The horror!”

“Run for your lives!”

“What’s it doing here? This is the White Tail Woods!”

“The HORROR!”

With shouts and screams, the ponies ran over themselves in a mad scramble of flailing limbs. Many took to the air, revealing that they had wings attached to their bodies, the sight of which made me giggle madly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a lavender pony trying to push her way towards me through the throng, and orange pony wearing a cowboy hat right beside her. At the sight of the horn on the lavender one’s head, I truly lost it.

Pegasi and unicorns and talking ponies, oh my!

I gurgled and laughed, the world around me spinning as my lungs continued to burn. Each breath of air was a chore, and I felt like there was an elephant standing on my chest. ‘I’m dying’,’ I told myself. ‘I’m dyin’ and my brain is makin’ me see feckin’ prancing’ ponies!’

The bedlam continued until suddenly there came a burst of radiant light. A wave of heat and calmness washed over me, and I stopped laughing. I could only watch in awe as a large pony with both wings and horns stepped out of the light and glanced around. Her coat was as white as freshly fallen snow, and her mane floated on the breeze, the hairs glowing with the colors of the daylight.

She peered around, a look of surprise on her face. “Good heavens! Whatever is the matter?”

At her arrival, all the other ponies stopped running about.

“Princess, look out! It’s a monster!” one of them called from the back.

Instead of freaking out like the rest of them had, the tall pony just blinked. “Monster?” She peered around, only for her eyes to widen upon seeing me. I couldn’t really blame her though; I was probably quite the sorry sight, just lying there, soaking wet and shivering, with twigs and leaves stuck to me.

I had to give her credit. Unlike the other ponies, she didn’t scream. Instead, she tilted her head to the side. “Oh, hello there. Who are you, little one?”

What little breath I had in my hitched in my throat. I didn’t know why for a moment until it struck me. ‘Who’. Unlike the other ponies around me, this one hadn’t seen me as a monster or a freak right off the bat. She had asked ‘who’ I was… not ‘what’ I was.

Who, not what.

I could feel myself getting choked up for some reason about that.

…

Actually, I think I was getting choked up for other reasons. The pain in my chest was getting worse, and there was a strange twinge going on in my stomach. I heaved slightly, and I felt something rise in my throat.

At my sudden twitch, a concerned look crossed the big pony’s face.

“Excuse me, are you alright?” she asked, moving towards me. As she approached though, she seemed to take notice of all the bleeding gashes across my arms and legs. She gasped. “Oh… oh dear!”

The pony hurried forward at the same moment my chest gave another great heave. I barely had time to roll over onto my side before I retched up a torrent of water. Another spasm and this time a small bit of blood came up as well.

The world was slowly going black around me when I was picked up in a gentle golden light. The large pony was saying something, but I couldn’t make out the words. It was as if everything was fading away. There was a look of horror on her face though. She was shouting something, her lips forming frantic words even as the horn on her head glow brighter. In a few seconds, the world would shift, and I would be in a hospital, with strange pony doctors and nurses hurrying to get me on a gurney, all while I vomited again due to my poor reaction to teleportation magic. Then, once I was done throwing up all over the floor, they’d shove tubes down my throat and try and suction the water out of my lungs.

Hopefully, I’d pass out before all that happened though, as I recalled that it was painful.

…

Wait…

How… how did I know that’s what was going to happen? Why does it feel like I’ve been here before? What’s going on?

“Nora.”

I blinked, the world coming back into focus slightly. My chest no longer hurt as much, and I found I was able to breathe again. Oddly enough, there was now another pony next to the tall white one. This one was slightly smaller than the first and had a dark blue coat. Even stranger, the first pony didn’t even seem to notice the arrival of this second one. In fact, she didn’t seem to notice much of anything at all, given that she appeared to be frozen mid-head turn, her mouth open as she looked at the lavender unicorn that was hurrying towards us.

The new pony though was looking right at me, a warm smile on her face as her starlit mane flowed in the breeze.

“Nora,” she said. “I think it’s time to wake up.”

There was a flash of light.

And I awoke.

The Awakening

I was awake… though I really, really didn’t want to be right now.

My mind was all foggy and it took a great deal of effort to focus on anything at all. Unfortunately for me, the first thing I was able to process clearly was the fact that my everything ached. My arms were rubber, my legs were stiff, and it felt like there was an enormous weight upon my chest. It wasn’t a constricting weight though; it just hurt whenever I inhaled.

For a long while, I just lay there—warm and somewhat comfortable, given the pain—wishing that I would just drift back off into unconsciousness again. The sweet relief of sleep would be so much better than the discomfort I was currently feeling. Granted, whatever I was lying on was probably the softest material I had ever had the pleasure of resting on, so it shouldn’t be too hard, right? Although, I mused sluggishly, that means whatever I’m lying on is clearly not my bed… which raises the question…

Where was I exactly? And what had happened to get me here in the first place?

Still half asleep, I frowned, my brow furrowing as I fought against the stifling haze that enveloped my mind. What had happened? That was the question, but for some reason I couldn’t remember the answer. Everything was really fuzzy and my thoughts were sluggish… and my brain hurt.

It took some struggling but finally I was able to recall what I assumed was my last memory. I had been running through White Tail Woods for the Running of the Leaves. I had been lagging in last place—no real surprise there—when… when something… something happened involving…

...involving…

…

W-water?

What… what happened?

Unwilling to open my eyes just yet, I instead listened to my surroundings to figure out where I was. There was a gentle beeping noise that filled the air, alongside the graceful chirps of birdsong. If I strained my ears hard enough, I could just make out the muffled sound of talking in the distance. I couldn’t make out what was being said, but it sounded like multiple conversations were going on in different places. Some down the hall, some from outside, and one from… above?

None of that helps me though… I grumbled to myself. The beeping was somewhat familiar, but my mind was unable to place it just yet. I put that aside for later and instead focused on trying to listen in on one of the many conversations. Before I could though, my concentration was broken by the sudden sound of a page being turned, followed by a soft gasp. “Oh… really? Interesting.”

W-wait… that sounded like it came from right next to me...

Reluctantly, I finally cracked open an eye and peered around at my surroundings. To my surprise, I found myself in a hospital room. Or rather, a very expensive looking hospital room. Various machines lined the wall behind my headboard as well as the bed frame itself. The room had a bathroom attachment, completely with a bathtub of immense size. Silken curtains hung beside a large bay window that overlooked a colorful garden below.

And sitting in a plush armchair beside the open window, her nose buried in a large tome, was an alicorn princess.

Blinking in confusion, I stared at her for a moment, her form swimming in my bleary gaze. I had to squint in order to focus, and even then, she seemed a little blurry. “L-Luna?” I winced as my voice came out as a rasping croak.

Luna jumped at the noise and looked up from her book. At first, she looked towards the door, but open seeing it still closed she turned her attention to the bed instead. When she saw me staring back at her, her eyes widen and a warm smile spread quickly across her face. “Ah, good afternoon, Nora. We were wondering when you were going to rejoin the land of the living. You had us worried there for a moment, but we are pleased you managed to pull through.”

Gaping up at her, I opened and closed my mouth before managing to stammer out. “I don’t… where… why?”

Smile still on her face, Luna just shook her head before chuckling. “Although I can see that you aren’t, as the saying goes, all there yet.” Closing her book, she lifted in her magic before it seemed to disappear, not in a flash like normal, but into a void of darkness which then trickled down to the ground like ink before dissolving into Luna’s own shadow.

“Well, to answer your questions,” she said. “You are currently in Canterlot, Nora. Or, to be more specific, you’re in the medical wing of the palace.” She paused before tilting her head to the side. “Or… to be even more specific, you’re in Celestia’s private medical room, being attended to by her personal doctors and nurses.

“As for the why of the situation,” she continued, “well… one tends to need medical attention after one nearly drowns, yes? It tends to be beneficial in keeping oneself alive.”

I blinked. “W… what?”

Her musical laugh filled the room.

“We guess we should start from the beginning, yes?” Luna tittered.

Settling back in her plush chair again, she spent the next few minutes regaling me with what had transpired. It was mostly from Celestia’s perspective, starting with her searching for me around Canterlot—really glad I didn’t use the train station to get home—to her arriving in Ponyville to the start of the Running of the Leaves, and so on up until her journey through the woods to find me.

I listened silently until she got to the part about the clearing. Upon hearing her description of the creature that had bewitched me, I swore under my breath.

“A feckin’ kelpie?” I growled, only to dissolve into a coughing fit.

Luna gave me an intrigued look. “Ah, so you have knowledge of this beast already?”

“Aye,” I said with a wheeze, my chest twinging painfully. “Kelpies… well, kelpies are shape-shifting water spirits from my old world. It’s said that they take the form of beautiful horses and lure lost travelers to their doom. They supposedly lurk around all the ol’ lochs and rivers of the isles.”

“We see,” Luna hummed. “And, pray tell, what exactly happens to their victims when they ensnare them?”

“Well, typically… they’d drown and then eat them.”

“And these… beasts exist in your world, you say?”

“Feck no,” I huffed. “They aren’t supposed to be real! They’re supposed to be a myth. A legend!” Rubbing at my chest for a moment, I then added as an afterthought. “People in the past probably invented the concept of them to explain people goin’ missin’ and stuff. Maybe. I’m not entirely sure about the history of their lore. I just know that they’re typically nasty creatures you need to avoid.”

“Nasty… but fictional?” Luna asked.

“Yes. At least… until now.”

“Curious…” She stared at the foot of my bed, running a hoof over her muzzle as she mused. “Curious… curious..” she repeated before seeming to snap out of her daze. “We… are not entirely sure of how a creature of your mythology came to exist in our world, but from what little we could glean from the beast and its surroundings, this… kelpie… is responsible for your initial arrive in Equestria.”

At her words, I struggled into a seated position, my eyes wide. “W-wait… does… does that mean…?”

Luna shook her head sadly. “We are sorry, Nora, but we do not believe we can send you home. The creature appears to have lived in a realm between worlds, and the flow of magic it used is so chaotic and alien that there is nothing we can do to affect it. It was sheer dumb luck that you ended up in Equestria in the first place. I highly doubt we’d be able to find your home again out of the hundreds of possible exits. It would seem, unfortunately, the means of traveling through the rivers of the realms died with the kelpie.”

“Oh…” I fell back against the pillows, my bangs falling in front of my eyes. “I see…”

“We are truly sorry, Nora,” Luna said. Her ears folded against her head.

Sniffing, I was silent a moment before rubbing my nose. “It’s… it’s alright, Luna. It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.” I sighed only to blink. “Wait… you know all that about the kelpie already?”

It was Luna’s turn to blink. “Yes? We studied it closely, as it was a threat to not only you but our subjects as well.”

“B-but… how long have I been here?!”

“Oh…” Luna’s smile returned. “Not that long. It’s been three days since Celestia pulled you from the beast’s lair. The doctors weren’t sure you were going to survive, what with all the water you inhaled before Celestia rescued you, but after the first day, your condition improved immensely. Fair Twilight and her friends will be relieved to learn that you have finally emerged from your slumber. They have been extremely worried about you.”

“Three days?” I repeated. My brow furrowed before I groaned loudly and buried my face in my blanket-covered knees. “Feeeck me.”

“Nora, are you alright?” Luna asked.

“No,” I moaned, my face still buried. “I’m not. I’m fecking not.”

“Do… do you need us to call for a nurse?”

“No.”

“Well, then may we ask what is wrong?”

Turning my head, I rested my cheek on my knee as I looked at Luna. “I… I missed the fecking Fall Festival. Again. I was so looking forward to it for months… and I fecking missed all of it. For the same reason as last year.” I sighed heavily. “I’m stuck in the hospital. Now I have to wait until next year in order to try and be there again.”

“We see,” Luna said slowly. The corners of her mouth were threatening to creep upwards. “That… might not be entirely true.” When I gave her a confused look, she actually smiled. “You didn’t hear this from us, but it would seem that your friends were aware of your longings, and while they could not delay the festival itself, they have decided to hold their own potluck for you. In order to try and… oh, what was the saying? Illuminate your soul?”

“Illuminate your soul…?” I whispered. A moment later, the corners of my own mouth began twitching upwards. “Brighten your spirit? They… they’re holding a potluck… just for me?” Despite how crappy I felt at the moment, that little bit of information definitely brightened my day.

“Of course.” Luna nodded. “We believe Ms. Pie and Ms. Applejack were both rather adamant about it.” She tapped her muzzle with a hoof. “Although, we think they perhaps just wanted a reason to cook more food.”

“I wouldn’t put it past them,” I said. Leaning back against the headboard, I allowed my mind to wander over the events of the past few days. Or at least, the past few days that I had been conscious. My smile slowly faded and the tightness in my chest returned, although it wasn’t from my near-drowning. After what I had heard while eavesdropping on the Royal Sisters, I was surprised Celestia had gone through all of that for me. Actually, speaking of which…

Swallowing thickly—unsure if I wanted to really know the answer or not—I glanced up at Luna. It took me a few tries to speak, but I finally managed to squeak out something that sounded vaguely like words.

Luna’s ears perked up. “We’re sorry, could you repeat that?”

Licking my lips, I tried again. “Where’s, uh… where’s C-celestia?” It was louder this time, but my voice still cracked at her name. I winced and mentally kicked myself.

“Ah, yes,” Luna said. Leaning back in her chair again, she clicked her tongue. “Our sibling. The last we knew, Celestia is currently attending to certain royal duties that have recently cropped up.”

“Oh… I see…” My gaze returned my sheet-covered lap. I didn’t know why I had asked that question. On one hand, I was supposed to be working on getting over Celestia, but on the other hand, a small part of me had hoped that she would have been here when I woke up. It made sense though when you thought about it. She was a very busy individual and I was just some weird alien in this world. And, if what I had heard was correct, she hadn’t even been interested in me to begin with, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that she was focused elsewhere. Still, it didn’t make the pain in my chest hurt any less.

“Indeed,” Luna continued, oblivious to my inner thoughts. “A certain group of nobles was causing such a commotion that Celestia had to go deal with them posthaste. And of course, it would seem that their grievances had something to do with you, so that makes the matter even more complicated.”

“I… wait, what?” I glanced up. “I’m… what did I do?”

“It’s not what you did, dear Nora,” Luna sighed, “but rather what we—Celestia and I—failed to do.”

“I don’t understand…”

Luna harrumphed. “Apparently, we failed to protect you fully, as seen by the fact you nearly drowned. Although, how one is supposed to protect against such things without denying you your basic right of freedom is beyond our understanding. In order to stop any and all harm from ever befalling you, we’d have to lock you in a room in the castle and never let you out. Unthinkably and completely out of the question.”

I gaped at her. “I don’t… understand… wait. What group is causing a stink over this?”

“We don’t know,” Luna said with a frown. “It’s that Pony Protection Board of Creature Thingy… or whatever the buck they call themselves. It’s a relatively new group, as we have no recall of learning about it upon our return.”

It took a moment for my brain to process what she said, and when I did, my face scrunched. “Are you talking about the Equestrian Committee for Rare and Special Creatures?”

“Ah, yes! That’s the one,” Luna said. “A bunch of them showed up earlier this morning and were making a big stink about your current condition and the clear lack of protection. They’re trying to raise enough support to force us to turn you over to them.”

“I… but… they can’t…” I stammered, holding my head in my hands. “How… how did they even know what happened?!”

“Most likely from the Canterlot Times,” Luna huffed. “That’s were most ponies have heard about the event, we believe.”

“The newspaper?!” My voice had gotten shriller, and I was starting to breathe heavily. “Why… why de feck wus it in de newspaper!?”

It was Luna’s turn to give me a confused look. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not a common event for a Princess to neglect their royal duty for three days straight.” She tapped a hoof against her chin. “In fact, we are rather surprised it took them so long to discover the anomaly. We thought for sure they would have figured it out by the end of the first day.”

“You’ve been here for three days?” I asked. That information was oddly touching. I didn’t know Luna all that well, and although I’d say we were friends, I didn’t think she’d go out of her way to watch over me. The fact she had been here for the entire time I had been unconscious was rather swee—

“Oh, by our Moon, no,” Luna said. “We would have gone crazy by the end of the first day. No offense, Nora, but we deal enough with ponies being asleep while we are awake during our own duties. No, twas not us. It was Celestia that was by your side for three days straight, even going so far as to sleep and eat here as well. We just took over for her recently while she went to deal with the nobles. If it weren’t for them, she’d probably be the one to greet you upon your awakening and not us.”

“W-what?” I stared at her with wide eyes. “Celestia was… but I… she didn’t… w-what?!”

Luna watched me attempt to process the information that my crush—and the pony that I had previously thought wanted nothing to do with me—had been by my bedside for the past few days. Slowly, she shook her head. “We might have some idea of what you overheard our sister and us discussing, Nora, but we can assure you, you have the wrong idea.”

Trying to ignore the feeling of my stomach rising in my chest, I swallowed thickly. “I… I know what I heard. You told Celestia that she shouldn’t lead me on. I… I understand, I really do, and I appreciate that she gave me a chance in the first place, but I… she doesn’t want…” I trailed off, blinking back tears. Feck, I really am pathetic, aren’t I? Why can’t I get over this?

“Nora…” Luna was shaking her head. “We… I promise you, despite what the conversation might have sounded like from an outside perspective, you’re wrong. Celestia isn’t trying to… intentionally lead you on.”

“Just unintentionally then,” I huffed.

Luna winced and stomped a hoof. “Yes, but not in the way you are thinking!” I looked away, only for Luna’s magic to grab my chin and gently force my gaze back to her. “Regardless of how you perceive yourself—negative, positive, or indifferent—remember this. Despite how it would appear to you, Celestia has most definitely enjoyed spending time in your company. She might not be the best at showing it, but I know for a fact that she has had fun on your dates.”

“R-really?” I asked, my voice cracking again. In my chest, a small ember of hope flickered to life, and I was unsure whether to smother it or let it grow.

“Of course,” Luna said, exaggeratedly rolling her eyes. “In fact, we couldn’t get her to shut up about the movie you two saw. We didn’t even see the film yet we can still probably tell you exactly what happened and what the popcorn tasted like and how nice you were to Artemis.”

I couldn’t believe it. “She… she talked about it that much?”

“You have no idea…”

“But…” I waved my hands about, unsure of how to express what I was feeling. “It was… it was just a movie!”

“Oh, it was so much more than a movie,” Luna said, throwing a foreleg over her head dramatically. “It was a life-changing experience! Something she had never experienced before! An experience that I’m not sure why I waited so long to try it, Luna, but it was amazing! I’d definitely like to go see more with her in the future There’s supposed to be a sequel! The scene after the credits promised!!”

“S-she… she said all that?” I whispered, the small flicker of hope growing strong despite my best efforts to squash it.

Luna nodded. “Over and over again. Like a little schoolfilly with a crush.”

I bit my lip. “I… but then… what about the conversation you two were having?”

The smile that had been previously growing on Luna’s face now began to fade. Glancing out the window, she was lost in thought for a moment before turning back to me. “We were indeed talking about your relationship together, but you are wrong when you believe that Celestia isn’t interested in you. We assure you, she is very interested, and it’s there where the problem resides.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, but Luna just shook her head.

“That’s for Celestia to tell you,” she said. “As annoyed as we are with her, we won’t go revealing her secrets just yet. However, we will say this. She would like very much for you and her to continue seeing each other.”

I stared at her with wide eyes for a moment before looking away. Letting out a shaky breath, I ran a hand through my matted—and rather greasy—hair. I needed a shower, and some time to process everything I’ve heard. It seemed too good to be true, yet… I really, really hoped…

“Nora?”

Pulled from my thoughts, I looked over at Luna. She was giving me a concerned look, and upon me looking up, she reached out with a wing and gently touched my cheek. Her feathers came away wet and it took me a moment to realize I was crying.

“Nora, don’t cry,” she murmured softly.

“I’m… I’m not. I just need… I need…” I trailed off, unsure of what it was I really wanted. There were just too many thoughts spinning about inside my head, and I needed… I needed a place that was comfortable and familiar, and in which I could think about things without feeling too stressed out. Someplace like… like…

My eyes widened and I gave Luna a pleading look. “Luna… is there any way I can go home?”

Her ears splayed back. “We told you before, Nora, but the creature’s magic is—”

“No, no,” I said quickly, interrupting her. “Like, back to my gaff? Back to Ponyville? I just… I just need some time to… think everything over, okay?” Clasping my hands before me, I pleaded. “Please, is there any way for me to leave and go back home?”

Luna blinked, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ before she smiled. “Oh… yes, actually. Yes, you can. The nurses gave you a clean bill of health yesterday. Despite some possible soreness in your chest and a cough, you should be fine. The water has been removed from your lungs and your vitals are normal. We were just waiting for you to wake up.” Spreading her wings, she stepped back and gave me room to stand. “You are free to leave whenever you please, my friend.”

“Cool, cool,” I said, absentmindedly running my hands through my hair again. “I… I need to go home. I need to think. I just… think. Yes, think about things.” Throwing the blankets back, I stood from the bed, only to sway on my feet. “I just… I just need… feck!” Looking around, I realized a problem. “Luna! Where are my clothes?”

“Ah, yes. They were ruined in the confirmation with the creature,” Luna said. “You do have access to more, correct?”

“Yeah! At home!” Holding up my arms, I motioned down to the hospital gown I currently had on. It barely reached my hips, and the only saving grace I had was the face my underwear appeared to have survived intact. “But I can’t get home to get them!”

“Why not?” Luna asked, her head tilting to the side.

“Oi canny go walking around Canterlot wi’ me arse ‘hangin’ out!” I shouted, giving the hem of the gown a few tugs to try and get it to go lower. After a few seconds, my head jerked up as sudden realization dawned on me. “Oi! I also don’t ‘ave any bits to pay for a train ticket!”

“Train ticket?” Luna placed a hoof against her lips as she tittered. “You don’t need a train ticket, Nora. We have a more effective and instantaneous way to get you home.” At her words, her horn began to glow a soft blue.

My eyes widened and I took a step back. “W-wait! Luna, you know what teleportation magic does to me! I feel crappy enough already without you adding to it!”

“Celestia’s method, sure,” Luna said smugly. “However, there is more than one style of teleportation, and I think you’ll find mine a little more… soothing.” As she purred out the last word, her horn glowed brighter.

I raised my hands in protest, but a sudden wave of shadows washed over me, plunging the world into darkness. Closing my eyes, I waited for the stomach-churning feeling of teleportation, trying to brace myself for the feeling of nausea that was sure to follow. My stomach was most likely empty after days of being unconscious, but that wouldn’t stop it from trying to empty its non-existent contents on the floor.

The feeling never came.

Opening my eyes, I gasped upon seeing that I was standing in the middle of my bedroom. “What the…?” I didn’t have time to look around before a tickling sensation about my ankles made me look down. Small smoky tendrils of darkness were streaming down my legs to disappear into my own shadow. Lifting a foot, I watched in fascination as the shadows maintained my leg’s shape for a moment before collapsing like smoke.

A giggle caused me to look up. Luna was standing in the corner of the room… actually, it was only her upper half, as her flank and hindlegs were hidden in a dark, swirling portal of liquid night.

“You see?” she asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. “Our method is much gentler than Celestia’s. Instead of just ripping open the fabric of space and thrusting you through to your destination, we bring the destination to you instead. No movement, no trouble, and no upset tummy.”

“W-what… but… how?” I stammered.

“You aren’t the only one whose insides do not like rough teleportation,” Luna said. The shadows around her began creeping further up her body, consuming her wings and her shoulders. “We shall inform your friends that you are free and home but shall instruct them not to bother you until the morrow. Same with Celestia. For now, relax, sleep and, of course, think to your heart’s content.”

I nodded and she began to slip back into the darkness, only to pause. “Oh, and Nora?”

“Hmmm?”

“We are glad to see you came out relatively unscathed, dear friend,” she said with a warm smile. “We were worried. It’s so hard to find interesting individuals in these modern times.” And with that, she was gone.

The shadow portal melted back into the shadows beneath my dresser, and I was left standing alone in my room. It was exactly how I left it, which reminded me: I should probably open a window before I do anything else. It was a little stuffy in here and some fresh air might do me some good.

Keeping the blinds lowered, I reached behind them and cracked the window open. A fresh breeze trickled in, causing the blinds and drapes to wiggle and dance, and bringing with it the smell of autumn.

Next, I pulled off the hospital gown and tossed it into the corner. I played around with the idea of finding some clothes but decided against it. Instead, I peeled off my underwear and let it join the growing pile of clothing in the closet.

Completely naked, I took a moment to look over my body. Still skinny, still pale, and still covered in freckles, the only new additions were some rather large bruising around my chest and stomach. The purple coloring stood out against my milky skin, the edges already turning yellow. Running a hand over a few of them, I winced when I applied a little pressure. Oh, that’s gonna fun later…

I stood in the middle of the room for a few more minutes, letting the cool air from the window wash over my flesh. Then, with very little ceremony, I flopped face-first onto my mattress with a groan. The soft material felt good against my bare chest and the familiar scent of my own bedding filled my nose. I inhaled deeply, a calm feeling slowly spreading through my tired body. Despite having just woken up after being unconscious for three days, I was exhausted. My troubles and issues would still be there tomorrow. For now, it was time for rest.

The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the tree line as I closed my eyes, and with a sigh, fell asleep.

The Connection

I stared at my front door, unsure if I really wanted to open it or not. Despite hearing nothing when I pressed my ear against it, I knew who was waiting for me on the other side, and I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to deal with her yet.

According to the clock on the wall, it was just a little past noon. So far, it had been a mostly lazy morning for me. I had awoken with the rising sun but had remained in bed for a while longer, dozing lazily in the comfortable confines of my blankets.

When I finally did emerge from my little nest, I attended to my personal hygiene, which had been neglected for the past couple of days. One relaxing bath later and my hair was washed, my legs were shaved, and I was feeling better overall.

As I let my hair air-dry, I sat down at my kitchen table and broke out the few colors of hoof polish I had. They weren’t exactly like nail polish, but it was similar enough to it that it was a decent substitute. Settling on a dark purple color—apparently a shade called ‘sangria’—I painted the nails on both my fingers and toes—one of the few cosmetic tasks that I could actually manage.

Once everything was completely dry and good to go, I went to my room and picked through the few pieces of clean clothes hanging in my closet. After a few minutes of perusing, I settled on one of my standards: a plain white t-shirt hidden beneath a black, baggy hoodie, a plaid maroon skirt, black thigh-high socks, and of course, my old, falling-apart sneakers.

And that brought me to where I was now.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I stared at the front door. I knew she was out there; I could practically feel her presence. Honestly, I was surprised she hadn’t knocked or otherwise made herself known yet. Still, it was only a matter of time before her resolve broke and it would be better for everyone involved if I cut her off before she reached that breaking point.

Sighing heavily, I unlocked the deadbolt before pushing the door ope—

“H’ohmygosh! Malley!”

“Ooof!”

The wind was knocked out of me and I stumbled backward as a pink missile suddenly latches to my chest. The smell of cotton candy flooded my nose as the thing squeezed me tight. I could practically feel my ribs creaking beneath the pressure.

“P-pinkie, please… can’t breathe!” I gasped out.

“Oops, sorry!” The vice-like grip around me disappeared. Pinkie bounced around me, smiling widely as she watched my taking deep breaths. “It’s just so good to see you again! I mean, it’s not like we haven’t seen each other recently, but the last time I did see you was before you got kidnapped by a suuuper big meanie pants who tried to drown and devour you, which is no fun, well unless you’re into that kind of thing but what kind of pony would be into something like that? Not that I would kink-shame you, some ponies get off on the weirdest things like this one stallion that wanted to pay me to step on balls, but I told him ‘no way, Jose! What do I look like, a clown? If you want to find someone to balance on some balls, try the circus!’ Anyways, like I was saying, the last time we saw each other was before you got totally drowneded and almost eated and then there was the whole thing where the sun got really, really hot and then Celestia appeared with your unconscious body and everypony was panicking and then she teleported away and I was like ‘oh wow, déjà vu!’ and we were all worried you weren’t going to wake up but then Celestia sent Twilight a letter saying you were in stable condition, and I was like ‘stable condition? Why is she in a stable when she isn’t a hors—Mmmfh!”

Keeping my hand wrapped around her muzzle, I shook my head before smiling weakly. “It’s good to see you again too, Pinkie. Thanks for worrying about me, but please… keep it down to twenty words or less?”

Doing a small bounce, she saluted, mumbling out an unintelligible confirmation from behind my hand.

“Thanks,” I said as I released her muzzle. Straightening up, I smoothed out my skirt. “I’m assuming you’re here to escort me to the potluck?”

“Eeyupers!” Nodding enthusiastically, she hopped in place. “All my preparations are done but everypony else was still working on theirs so I volunteered to come and—” Her mouth kept moving and she kept gesturing animatedly but it was as if someone had hit the mute button.

It took me a moment to figure out what she was doing, but then I rolled my eyes. “Alright, you can use more than twenty words,” I huffed, the hints of a smile touching my lips. “Although, if you’re going to talk, let’s get going. I don’t know about you, but I’m rather hungry.”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie cheered. “Life is so boring when you aren’t allowed to talk, I mean, could you imagine it? Not being able to talk? You’d have to write everything down or come up with some weird clapping-snapping language that is totally broken and makes no sense yet somehow you expect ponies to accept that it works. Although, I guess somepony just don’t have anything to say or maybe they don’t have anything nice to say. After all, my mother always said if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all! But does that mean that mutes are just really, really rude ponies?”

Laughing softly beneath my breath, I let the pink menace ramble as we stepped outside onto the porch. She continued to babble about this and that as I locked the door and started off down the dirt path towards town, Pinkie bouncing eagerly by my side.

We kept to the outskirts of town, wandering through the countryside as we made our way towards Sweet Apple Acres. It wasn’t the fastest route, but the day was pleasantly warm and the sun was peeking through a few holes dotting the overcast skies. I kept my hood up, my hair spilling out around my neck like a make-shift scarf.

Leaves covered the ground; the Running of the Leaves having done its job. We both took great satisfaction in trudging through large swathes of the discarded foliage. I just kicked up little bursts of reds and yellows and browns, while Pinkie was making veritable explosions of leaves as she dove headlong into the mounds and piles that gathered along the roadside.

I found myself laughing as she emerged, looking more like a walking bush than anything else, so much so that I dissolved into small coughing fits at least a dozen times before Sweet Apple Acres appeared in the distance.

Making our way around the farmhouse, Pinkie led me down the bare tree-lined path towards the barn. I noticed that several strings of decorative lights hung across the front of the structure along with several cloth banners of reds, oranges, and yellows. Someone had also taken a bunch of leaves and run strings through them, hanging them in front of the doorway like door beads.

As we approached, I could hear the sound of talking and laughter coming from inside. Without missing a beat, Pinkie skipped her way through the leaves. “We’re heeeEEEeeere!”

Ducking through the wall of leaves as well, I barely had time to straighten up before I was assaulted by a pink-and-yellow blur, which was followed quickly by a violet-and-blue one, then a white-and-purple one, and before long I was being glommed by five ponies, all of whom were talking at once.

“Nora!”

“H’ohmygosh! I’m so happy you’re okay!”

“Well, shoot girl! Ya really scared us there!”

“What’s with you and nearly drowning during the Running of the Leaves?”

“Oh, I was so worried!”

Pushed in on from all sides, I could only stand there and accept all the hugs and nuzzles being offered to me. Unable to stop herself, Pinkie joined in as well, and slowly the darkness began to creep in around the edge of my vision. This is how I die…

It was a few minutes before they began to extract themselves and I was able to breathe properly again. Giving my arms and legs a quick shake to work the kinks out, I looked around at the six gathered ponies. “That was some welcoming committee.”

“Well, of course, darling!” Rarity said. “It was the least we could do, given the horrific events you had to suffer through.” A shiver ran through her body. “A simply ghastly affair, if you ask me.”

Twilight moved to stand beside me. “Nora, I’m so sorry! I should have been a better friend and ran with you. If I was there, I might have been able to help before you got into the situation in the first place!”

“Oh, come on, Twilight,” Rainbow said as she hovered about. “You can’t blame yourself like that! Nopony could have what was going to happen. It’s not like we were racing through the Everfree Forest. It was the White Tail Woods. Who expects to find a monster in there?”

“Potato’s right, Twilight,” I said, a small smile touching my lips as Rainbow rolled her eyes. “No one’s to blame. I’m still here, and I’m not dead, so I’d call that, uh… a success?”

“Still…” Twilight said, chewing on her lip. “I just feel like there could have been something I did different to prevent this.”

“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Twilight,” I said with a shrug. When she gave me a confused look, I added. “It’s easy to come up with was you could have prevented something from happening after it’s already happened.”

“I suppose—urk!” Twilight’s eye bugged out as Pinkie squeezed her cheeks together, interrupting her.

“Shhh, no more talking about that,” Pinkie said softly, staring into Twilight’s eyes. “No tears, Twilight. Only food.” She released Twilight and began bouncing around the group. “No more sad thoughts! We’re here because Malley didn’t get to experience the Fall Festival! And while we couldn’t delay the other events just for her and Twilight wasn’t willing to freeze the whole town and everypony in it until Malley got better—”

I blinked. “What?”

“—We’re going to do the next best thing and throw her the best Fall Festival potluck we’ve ever had! Woohoo!” Jumping into the air, she threw open her forehooves and a burst of confetti exploded forth. “Let’s get started, everypony!”

Shaking my head, I glanced around the barn. Several large tables rested against the back wall, their surfaces completely covered in dishes, plates, and pans. A smaller group of tables was in the corner and held various barrels, mugs, and glasses of different colored liquids. A heavenly aroma hung in the air, and my stomach, having not had anything to eat yet today, growled loudly.

With a watering mouth, I stepped forward, only to pause upon seeing that there were more ponies in the barn than I had originally thought. Big McIntosh and Apple Bloom sat on a couple of hay bales, each enjoying a mug of cider as they talked together quietly. Apple Bloom waved happily when I looked over at her, and I returned the gesture before glancing at the other occupants. Bonbon and Lyra were there as well, both hanging back as they enjoyed food from the two plates that hung suspended in Lyra’s golden magic.

And then there was the strangest pair of all. Seated in the corner of the room, rocking in a pair of rocking chairs and chatting like old friends, was Granny Smith and Carl the Goat.

“Pinkie, did you…?” I began

“Yes I did!” she replied quickly. “I invited all your close friends!”

I blinked back tears. “Pinks… that was… thanks.”

“Aw, it was nothing,” she said, waving a hoof. “Now, come on! I can hear your stomach grumbling all angrily from over here! We gotta get it nice and full and ready to burst!” Grabbing the front of my hoodie in her teeth, she dragged me over to the food table. Applejack came along as well.

“Well, we certainly put out a grand selection for ya, sugarcube,” she said. Her chest puffed out proudly. “We outdid ourselves this time. Had to make a good first impression with ya.”

“I think I’m in heaven,” I mumbled. Staring down at the various dishes, I rubbed my hands together eagerly. “I don’t know where to start. I don’t know what there is!”

“Well, shucks. Ya just need to ask!” Applejack said. Lifting a hoof, she began pointing out each dish. “There’s apple cider biscuits, apple walnut slaw, summernut squash rolls, cranberry-apple salad, cinnamon-apple rustic tart, applebread stuffing, Gran’s sour apple cake, homemade bread, cinnamon-apple cider pony bread, caramel apple crisps, roasted autumn vegetable soup, citrus sweet potatoes, apple cobbler.”

“Don’t forget my five-cheese rigatoni, dear,” Rarity called out as she approached the table.

“Or my black bean and pumpkin chili,” Twilight added. “I used my mom’s signature recipe! With Spike’s help, of course.”

Fluttershy alighted next to me. “You should try my roasted autumn vegetable soup. My animal friends helped me find the freshest ingredients.”

“I helped too!” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs.

“Oh! Oh! Don’t forget mine!” Pinkie gasped. “I brought a couple things too! I made frosted pumpkin cranberry bars, pumpkin-apple muffins, carrot cake, ginger creme sandwich cookies, cider doughnuts, cranberry pudding, and chocolate pecan pie bars!”

“I just gained a few pounds listening to all that,” I said. “Where… where do I begin?”

“Wherever you’d like!” Twilight said. Her horn began to glow and she lifted a plate in her magic. “What would you like to try first?” With Twilight’s magic helping, I picked out a couple of the tastiest-looking dishes to try first. The others joined in, each offering up a dish to the other while trading compliments. Conversations sprung up as they began to eat.

With a full plate of food in my hands, I made my way slowly around the walls of the barn. I nodded to Big Mac and Apple Bloom, who were making their way to the table for their own plates. The stallion returned my nod, and Apple Bloom waved again from her brother’s back. My wandering eventually led me to the corner where the old farts were sitting.

Carl looked up as I approached. “Well, hey there, monkey girl!”

“‘llo Carl,” I said around a mouthful of apple cobbler.

“It’s good to see ya still up and kickin’,” he said, rocking back and forth on his chair. His glasses were slipping slightly down his nose with each movement. They’d just reach the tip before he pushed them back up with a cloven hoof. “It’d be downright shame if y’all done got git by a big ol’ monster creature. I’d lose my singing partner. Y’all need to be more careful.”

“It’s not like I was looking to ‘done got git’,” I replied. “It just kinda… happened.”

“It comes with livin’ out here,” Granny Smith piped up. “That Everfree Forest ain’t nothin’ to scoff at. It takes a hardy mare tah live next tah it.”

Carl glanced over at her. “But the beastie wasn’t in the Everfree. It was in the White Tails.”

“Eh?” Granny blinked. “The White Tails, ya say? What’s it doin’ over there? That’s on the other side o’ town than the Everfree. What was it doin’ there?”

“Probably less competition,” Carl said. “Less beasies there to steal the food.”

“But there’s more critters in the Everfree than the White Tails.”

“Well, ya see…”

Leaving the pair to their discussion, I continued with my wanderings while munching on my food. And it was delicious! The five-cheese rigatoni that Rarity brought was so creamy, and it went well with the black beans and pumpkin chili Twilight shared. The apple cobbler and applebread stuffing topped off my plate well. The only complaint I had was that everything was making me rather thirsty. Luckily, that was easily rectified.

As I crossed the barn towards the drink table, I passed by Bonbon and Lyra. Like normal, as I approached, Lyra let out a squeak before ducking behind Bonbon, who just rolled her eyes.

“Hello, Nora,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see you’re doing well, all things considered.” Stepping forward, she reared up on her hind legs and hugged me tightly with her forelegs. The faint scent of caramel tickled my nose as I returned the hug with my free arm. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks, Bonnie,” I said as we disengaged. “Still a little sore in the chest, and an occasional cough, but it looks like I’ll live.”

“Oh good.” She smiled. “I was worried for a moment that I was going to lose my best employee.”

“But I’m your only employee,” I reminded her.

She waved a hoof. “Semantics. Besides, you might be my only employee, but Lyra here helps out around the shop as well. Don’t you, Lyra?” Looking behind her, she blinked in surprise upon finding that Lyra was not where she had been. She had moved behind Bonbon again, intent on keeping the mare between her and me.

Upon seeing this, Bonbon huffed. “Really now? Come on, Lyra.” Shaking her head, she turned back to me. “I’m so sorry about that, Nora. I’ve been trying to get her over her fear of you, but it’s been slow going.”

“It’s fine, Bonnie,” I said. “I just wish I knew why she was scared of me in the first place.” Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. “Am I… am I that freaky looking?”

“No,” came the quick response, only for her to pause and rethink. “Well, yes and no. You aren’t freaky looking, but your appearance is part of the problem.”

“O-oh?”

“It’s not your fault,” Bonbon sighed. “It’s just… a few years ago she had a bad experience with a minotaur and has been traumatized ever since. You just happen to remind her of the event.”

“S-sorry,” Lyra mumbled from her hiding spot behind Bonbon’s flanks.

Bonbon gave me an apologetic look. “I hope you understa—”

“Oh me feckin’ god. I can totally relate,” I gasped.

This caused both mares to blink.

“Y-you… you can?” Lyra asked timidly, peeking out a little more.

“You have no idea,” I said. Taking a seat on a nearby hay bale, I placed my plate down beside me. “Okay, lass. Have I got a story for you. Let me tell you about this minotaur I met in Canterlot. You’re not going to believe this.”

For the next half hour or so, I regaled the pair with the tale of my encounter. As I spoke, a few of the other ponies wandered over in order to listen in. Some had heard it before, but for others, it was new. At some point Fluttershy and Rarity joined in with their own experiences with a minotaur that visited Ponyville previously. It wasn’t long before all of us were giggling at each other’s misfortune.

After that, Lyra seemed to warm up to me a little. She still stayed outside of arm’s reach, but she wasn’t hiding behind Bonbon anymore and was actually smiling a little. It probably helped to hear about other ponies having similar troubles.

By the time the conversation began winding down, the sun was sinking beneath the horizon. The sky outside was a wonderful mix of orange and purple, and the first few stars were blinking into existence. The strings of light hanging about the barn cast a festive atmosphere over the party. Most of the guests had now gathered together at this point—save for Carl and Granny Smith, who were both passed out in their rockers.

Applejack and Big Mac had pulled up more hay bales around us and arranged them in a circle. Twilight had then levitated several of the desert dishes onto a small table in the center of the gathering, within easy reach of everyone present. You just had to reach into the center to snag a cookie, cupcake, or piece of pie.

I had migrated to the floor, resting with my back against the hay bale and my legs crossed. Fluttershy had settled behind me on the bale, her tail hanging down over one of my shoulders. Pinkie and Twilight were sharing a hay bale next to ours, as well as a plate with a large piece of pie on it. Rainbow and Applejack were next to them and appeared to be having a drinking contest. Next were Bonbon and Lyra, who were sharing a mug of warm cider that Lyra had heated with her magic. Big Mac and Apple Bloom were sharing a bale as well, although Apple Bloom was fast asleep, curled up in her tail. Last was Rarity, who was sitting by herself to my other side.

Somehow the conversation had shifted into talking about the various paranormal events that everyone had experienced throughout their lives. I had already shared my encounter with something moving the barrels around in my uncle’s basement, and Rarity swore that something was unrolling her fabrics in the middle of the night (even when Sweetie Belle wasn’t there).

Pinkie Pie was all too happy to share stories from her rock farm about rocks moving on their own and someone running up and down the stairs at night even though everyone was in bed. Twilight, of course, was trying to come up with logical reasons behind everything.

It was quickly dissolving into a good-natured back-and-forth between the two of them when the barn door suddenly creaked open. Craning around, I peered over my shoulder to see who had arrived, only for my eyes to widen. “What the…?”

“Um, hello?” The white unicorn with long light-blue and white hair blushed under the sudden attention of ten pairs of eyes.

“Majestic Sky?” Twilight asked, standing up. “What… what are you doing here?”

“I… I was informed that there was a potluck going on here tonight,” Majestic said nervously. “I was invited, I believe.” Her horn lit up with golden light and a pink invitation was held aloft. Even from that distance, I could make out Pinkie Pie’s loopy hoofwriting.

“Yay!” Pinkie cheered, bouncing to her hooves. “You made it! I thought you weren’t going to show up, which made me a little sad, but here you are now!”

“I apologize for my tardiness,” Majestic said as she moved further into the barn. “I came here right after I finished with my… work for the day, but it takes some time to travel from Canterlot to Ponyville.”

“It’s quite alright, darling,” Rarity said. “Better late than never.” She motioned towards the food tables. “There’s still some food left over if you want something to eat, although it might be a little on the cold side now. If we had known you were coming, we would have prepared accordingly.” Frowning, she gave Pinkie the stink eye.

Pinkie responded with a raspberry.

“Thank you.” Skirting around the circle, Majestic quickly filled a plate of food as the conversation slowly started back up, this time about which was better: pie or cake. As she made her way back, she walked stiffly and her eyes darted from pony to pony, but she never actually looked at me. She moved to sit next to Rarity, only for Pinkie to gasp.

“Oh no! Wait, don’t sit there! You want to sit here!” Grabbing Majestic by the shoulders, she maneuvered her around until she was seated next to me on the ground. “There! And then Fluttershy can sit here!”

“But Pinkie, I’m sitting he—eep!” Fluttershy squeaked as Pinkie lifted her effortlessly into the air and plopped her down next to Rarity.

“There,” she said, smacking her hooves together. “Perfect!” With that, she returned to her conversation with Twilight as if nothing had happened. The others just rolled their eyes before joining in as well, although Fluttershy shot Majestic a grumpy look before she looked away.

As the others got lost in their debate over the pros and cons to cakes and pies, Majestic and I just sat together awkwardly. Neither of us looked at the other, but we were both aware of just how close we were sitting to each other. The fact we hadn’t really seen each other since before the whole Kelpie event just added to the tension.

Eventually, Majestic swallowed before whispering out of the corner of her mouth. “I think Ms. Pie knows who I am.”

“What?” I whispered back, thrown off by the randomness of her words.

“I think Ms. Pie knows who I am!” she hissed, eyes flicking nervously to Pinkie. “I think she knows who’s under the disguise!”

“How the feck did she find out?”

“I don’t know, but that invitation… it was sent to Canterlot.”

“So? Didn’t you tell them last time that Majestic Sky works there? In Canterlot?”

“No, you don’t understand. It was addressed to the castle… to my bedchambers!”

“Oh… but… that… wait, was it addressed to you or Majestic Sky?”

“It was written to Majestic Sky, but still! My bedchambers! Only I live there!”

“Well,” I muttered, eyeing Pinkie as well. She was currently demanding to know why Rarity had an issue with pies, as they were clearly the superior desert (right after cupcakes). “If she does know, she hasn’t told anyone yet. It could just be Pinkie being Pinkie? I wouldn’t put it past her having some six sense on where to send the invites, even if she doesn’t know who the pony really is.”

“I suppose,” Majestic said, although she didn’t sound convinced. “It would certainly be the first time somepony figured out this disguise. Still…” She fell silent for a moment before she finally glanced over at me. “Oh, Ms. O’Malley. I’m so sorry. I… I should have said this when I first arrived, but you have no idea how happy I am to see you awake and well. I… we were worried for you.”

My cheeks grew warmer. “Y-yeah, Luna, uh… filled me in. About the situation. And what you did. You… you didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did!” She gave me an affronted look. “It doesn’t matter if you were a pony or not, I wasn’t just going to let that foul thing run off with you. Unacceptable!”

“I… I meant staying with me in the hospital for three days.”

“Oh…” It was her turn to blush.

“Still, thank you for saving me,” I mumbled. “I… I just… thanks.”

Majestic stared at me for a moment before her eyes softened. Shaking her head, she murmured softly. “You don’t need to thank me. You’re special to me, Ms. O’Malley, even if for the life of me I don’t know why you’re interested in somepony like me.”

“I…” I faltered slightly, my mouth dry. Pausing to take a quick swig of my cider, I cleared my throat before continuing. “It probably won’t make sense to you, but I’ve… I’ve always been burned by the sun. It’s part of the curse of having such pale feckin’ skin. Sure, we never saw much of the sun during summer, but whenever it came out, no amount of sunblock could ever stop me getting horribly burned. It got to the point that I’d have to either stay inside during the day or go outside completely clothed, regardless of how hot it was.

“That fact stayed the same when I came to Equestria,” I continued, staring off into the distance. I could feel Majestic’s eyes on me, but I didn’t trust myself to look at her. “The sun would still burn my skin. The only difference was that, unlike good ol’ Ireland, you ponies have sunny days practically every day. That makes it difficult to go outside and socialize. There were days I found myself trapped inside, unable to go out and hang with friends. To make new friends. To live. And because of that, I found myself slowly becoming a shut-in.

“And then there’s you. Celestia, Ruler of the Day, the Solar Princess, the Mover of the Sun. At first I thought I was going to dislike you, given that you were in control of that big ball of flames that was constantly my source of irritation. But that never happened. There was no hatred, no anger. Just a weird fascination that slowly developed into infatuation and then into a deep-seated crush. It took me a few months to work out why, why I was feeling this way about you. And then, one day when I was dealing with a particularly nasty sunburn on my back and thighs, I realized why.”

Swallowing thickly, I blinked tears from my eyes before glancing over at Majestic, who was watching me with wide, watery eyes of her own.

“You’re the sun that doesn’t burn me or cause me pain,” I said. “You shine so brightly but I don’t have to hide. I can bask in your presence without having to cover myself. I can watch you without blinding myself. You are the manifestation of the sun that I could never hope to conquer… but I can touch you.” Reaching out with a shaking hand, I poked gently at her cheek, which caused her to gasp softly. “That’s why I feel the way I do towards you, although,” I gave her a weak smile, “it helps that you’re beautiful too.”

“I… I…” she stammered, holding a hoof to cheek I touched.

“Anyways, that’s why I’m interested in you,” I said, returning my attention to my drink, “and why I’ll always be interested in you, even if you don’t return the feeling.”

Majestic lowered her hoof and her eyes softened as she shook her head. “I… I am interested. I might not be able to express that as properly as I should in some instances, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I… I won’t say it’s love just yet but… when I saw what that beast was doing to you… what it intended to do to you… I couldn’t just…” She trailed off, unable to find the proper words.

Nodding slowly, I placed a hand on her head. “I understand.”

She leaned into my touch. “You’re special to me, Ms. O’Malley. I want to make this work, but we have some things we need to discuss that concern you and I.” Her ears splayed back. “Things that I should have told you sooner, if I’m being honest with myself, but I’m a coward. I—”

“We can talk later,” I said, surprising even myself with how steady my voice was. Scratching behind her ear, I smiled weakly. “I almost died a few days ago. Right now… I just want to relax with some friends and enjoy some food and drinks.” Lifting my mug, I saluted her before bringing it to my mouth to drain it… only to find out that I had apparently finished it off already.

“Ah feck,” I grumbled, staring down at the empty mug. “And I don’t want to get up…”

“Oh!” Majestic’s eyes lit up. “That reminds me!” Her horn flashed brightly and with a ‘pop’, a large bottle appeared from thin air. The amber liquid inside sloshed about as it hovered there for a moment before dropping.

“It would be rather rude if I was invited and didn’t bring something to share,” she said as she caught the bottle in her hooves. With a twist of her hoof, she unscrewed the cap.

Instantly, a very familiar scent hit my nose and I gasped.

“Is… is that…?” Smiling, she offered me the bottle and I took it in shaking hands. I held the opening to my nose and sniffed, only for a moan to escape me. “Oh feck yes. It is. You whore. You magnificent whore.” I inhaled again and my eyes almost rolled back into my head.

“Cinnamon whiskey,” I breathed.

“Surprise!” Majestic giggled.

“Lass, I could feckin’ kiss ya.” Lifting my mug, I poured a health amount inside before passing the bottle to Majestic, who levitated up a tankard of her own. She filled it up until the whiskey nearly reached the rim.

Holding the tankard aloft, she looked at me. “Cheers?”

“Feckin’ cheers, mate,” I said, clinking our mugs together. The first mouthful sent shivers down my spine, and as the burning heat spread through my chest, I groaned happily. It had been too long since I last had a good ol’ belly full of cinnamon whiskey. Ponies here didn’t have any Fireball, which was a crying shame. This was a good substitute though.

Beside me, Majestic wheezed. “Goodness, that has some punch to it.”

“Feck yeah, it does,” I sighed. “Fecking wonderful.”

“Oooh! What do you two have there?”

Blinking, I looked up only to freeze upon seeing everyone looking at us curiously. Pinkie was standing beside us, bouncing a little on her hooves.

“It smells good,” Bonbon said. “Is that cinnamon?”

“Y-yes?” I stammered. “It’s, uh… cinnamon whiskey.”

“Oh! Can I have some?” Pinkie asked eagerly.

Opening and closing my mouth, I glanced helplessly at Majestic. She just smiled, her horn flashed, and five more bottles materialized out of the air.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she chuckled. “I brought enough to share.”

The Heartbreak

I walked down the street quickly; not due to worry or fear, but excitement. Even though it was early in the afternoon, Bon Bon had let me off of work early. A large order for caramel candy had basically swamped us for most of the morning, and we had had to ignore everything else in order to finish it in time. However, Bon Bon had charged the customer a rush fee, so she had managed to make up her loss. Deciding that we had worked hard enough for the day, she had closed up shop early and sent me home.

T’was a good day.

Cutting through a side alley just off of Sugarcube Corner, I reached the road that would take me out of town and back to my gaff. There were fewer ponies on this backroad, and Carrot Top paused from her work in her carrot patch in order to wave. I returned the gesture as I hurried past, but didn’t stop to chat.

The sooner I got home, the better.

The trees of White Tail Woods swayed in the distance as a warm breeze blew. It tugged playfully at my clothing and hair as I made my way towards the countryside. Two birds flew by overhead, chittering happily as they chased one another through the air. I watched them go, a small smile on my lips.

I practically leapt over the steps to my porch, the wood creaking loudly in protest. Fumbling slightly with the key, I unlocked the door before muscling it open, the aged wood scraping on the doorframe. Making a mental note—one that I had made several times before—to talk to the local carpenter about fixing the door, I stepped inside my gaff and shut the door with a foot. The deadbolt clicked as it slid into place.

With very little ceremony, I kicked my shoes off without even untying them. They tumbled across the floor before coming to a rest beside four gilded horseshoe covers. I paused mid-step and stared at the covers, the sight of them bring a small frown to my face for some unknown reason. Staring blankly at them for a few more seconds, I gave me head a gentle shake before turning away.

My sock-clad feet whispered softly on the wooden floor as I made my way across the living room. As I shuffled across the large rug, I could feel static slowly building up. A quick touch of a lamp as I passed was enough to disperse it though.

I tried to make a beeline for my bedroom, but found my way blocked by a large embroidered cushion that rested in front of the fireplace. It was white with golden accents, and bore several motifs of red roses. It was practically the size of a beanbag chair. Again I paused, staring down at the large cushion in bemusement, something niggling in the back of my mind.

After a long moment of contemplation, I shook my head and huffed before pushing the cushion aside with my foot.

My bedroom door creaked softly as it swung open. A happy sigh escaped my lips as I stripped, tossing my sweater and undershirt onto the floor. The skirt followed soon afterwards, leaving me in only my underwear and long socks. I did a small turn before flinging myself bodily onto my bed. The springs protested loudly at the sudden weight, but I didn’t care. A smile on my face, I dragged my arms and legs over the disheveled sheets, enjoying the feeling of the soft material on my skin. The few white feathers that were hidden in the sheets fluttered to the floor when I disturbed them. Closing my eyes, I sighed again before going limp.

“Ahhh,” I moaned. “Ahhh, yes. ‘at’s amazing.”

I was so caught up in the sensation that I didn’t hear the bedroom door open, nor did I hear the muffled hoofsteps that followed. I did however notice when the mattress sunk under a sudden weight. Opening my eyes, I blinked in surprise upon seeing the upside down face of Celestia staring down at me. She had a warm smile on her muzzle. Locks of pink hair fell about her face, the strands tickling my cheeks.

After a few seconds of staring up at her, I cocked an eyebrow. “Uh… 'owaya?” I blinked before clearing my throat. “I mean, h-hello.”

“Hello there,” she answered, her voice soft. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks?”

“How are you?”

Um… good?” It was more of a question than an answer.

She laughed softly, her breath washing gently over my face. Closing her eyes, she leaned down and touched the tip of her nose to mine. The scent of a rain shower with a faint hint of vanilla teased my senses. Before I could respond, she moved her head forward and I suddenly found myself in an upside-down kiss. Her warm lips pressed against mine, and I could feel her humming happily.

Without even realizing what I was doing, I reached up and gingerly grabbed a handful of her mane, my fingers running through the silken strands. Tilting my head slightly to the side, I closed my eyes as well as the kiss deepened.

Too soon, Celestia pulled back. Opening my eyes, a blush slowly spread across my face when I saw she was staring down at me through hooded eyes.

“Well, hopefully it’s about to get better,” she whispered huskily. Leaning down quickly, she nipped at my shoulder blade. A gasp escaped my lips at the sudden prick of pain, only to quickly turn into an embarrassing moan as a tongue was slowly dragged along my neck. I could only squirm as she continued to nibble and lick at my neck and shoulders.

“Celesti—ah!” I groaned, weakly trying to push her away, although there was no effort in the shove. “What—ah—what are ya doin’?”

She paused in her ministration. “You looked a little tense.” A tongue licked my cheek. “You need to relax, hun.” It slowly dragged down to my neck. “Also, you just got back from work.” It drifted over my shoulder blade, leaving behind a cool trail of saliva. “Thus, I must clean you.” It trailed across my chest, swirling here and there in a sensual manner.

I squirmed about, a fistful of Celestia’s mane clasped in my hand. Again, something about what was happening seemed off to me, but I couldn’t think clearly with her skillful tongue dancing across my flesh. Pushing the weird feeling aside, I reached up with my other hand and grabbed another handful of pink mane.

I felt Celestia smile as she pressed her lips to my chest. Craning her neck around, she shuffled about until she was standing over me, her body half-on/half-off the bed. Her forelegs rested folded on the mattress on either side of me, her chest pressed against my stomach. With that, she proceed to lick, nip, kiss, and caress every inch of my skin that she could reach. Unable to do anything but writhe about, I gasp, yipped, and moaned, each new sound causing Celestia to renew her efforts.

After a few minutes of this delicious torture, I decided that enough was enough. Wrapping my legs around her barrel, I heaved with all my might. With a startled yelp, Celestia toppled onto her side. In her stunned state, I had enough time to reverse our positions so that I was sitting on her stomach instead, her wings pinned beneath my legs.

She stared up at me, a surprised look on her face with her mane splayed out around her head like a pink halo. Her forelegs were tucked up against her chest.

“That was uncalled for,” she said with a pout. “I wasn’t done grooming you.”

“I know,” I said, “but it’s my turn now.”

“Oh?” Her eyes went hooded again and a sultry smile spread across her lips. “And what exactly do you have planned?”

“You’ll see,” I breathed. Not breaking eye contact with her, I leaned back and began to run my hand along the soft fur of her lower stomach. She cooed softly and I felt the muscles beneath her coat ripple as she flexed. Grinning to myself, I continued to lean further back, all while pushing my hand lower… and lower… and lower.

A red blush permeated across the white fur on her face as my hand reached her lower stomach. I paused before gentle scratching with my fingertips. Her lips parted, and she panted as her hips bucked weakly.

“Who’s tense now?” I asked, raking my nails through her fur.

She didn’t answer, but instead let out a soft nicker, her eyes glazed over.

“That’s what I thought,” I hummed. Giving her a few more good scratches, I then proceeded to push my hand further down her body, towards her groin. Not wanting to look away from the cute expressions she was making, I guided my descent by touch alone. However, instead of bumping into a pair of teats like I had expected, I instead found my hand coming to rest on a large protrusion. It twitched once as my fingers brushed against it, and Celestia let out a small gasp.

I paused in confusion before tentatively wrapping my fingers around the unfamiliar appendage. It was hot beneath my hand, and it twitched again. The veins running along its length pulsed in time with Celestia’s heartbeat. I gave the object a squeeze, and Celestia groaned.

“P-please, not so rough,” she mewled.

“What?” I said dumbly before turning my head and glancing over my shoulder. My eyes widened in shock when I saw my fingers were wrapped around a very large—and very erect—horse cock.

I stared blankly at the massive spire before my mind suddenly processed what I was seeing.

“Wat de feck?!” With a yelp, I jerked my hand back, only to accidentally brush the flare in the process. This in turned caused Celestia to unconsciously buck her hips. The movement unbalanced me, as I was not expecting it. Unable to stop myself, I toppled backwards off of Celestia and onto the floor...

...except I didn’t land on carpet, but on cloud instead.

Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I glanced around in confusion. “What the…?” I was no longer in my room, but in some sort of black void. The clouds—or upon closer inspection I realized it was more of a mist or fog—cloud a pale bluish-green. Orbs of light floated about in the gloom.

“What… where am I?” I muttered under my breath.

“Well, that certainly wasn’t the expected result,” came a voice from behind me. Eyes widening, I whipped about with a yelp, only to find Luna standing behind me, an amused look on her face.

“L-Luna?” I asked, blinking in surprise. “I… you… what?”

“And a good morrow to you, dear Nora,” she said with a smirk.

Gaping at her for a moment, I then scrambled hastily to my feet. Still clad in just my underwear and long socks, I covered myself with my hands as a large blush spread across my pale cheeks. It was about this time I noticed a large window floating beside Luna, through which I could see my bedroom. Celestia was still on the bed, although she appeared to be frozen in time, a look of surprise on her face.

My eyes darted between window and Luna’s faux-innocent expression.

“Luna,” I said slowly, “what’s going on?”

“Hmmm?” she hummed before glancing at the window as well. “Oh, that? I do believe you’d call that a ‘dream’, Nora.”

“A dream?” I muttered. My eyes widened. “Wait… I’m asleep?”

“That’s typically when one tends to dream,” Luna snarked.

“But… when… I don’t…” I scrunched up my face. “I don’t understand.” Lifting a hand, I rubbed at my face as I tried to make sense of what was going on.

Luna tsked. “You always take longer than ponies to get your senses about you.” She shook her head and sighed. “What’s the last thing you remember clearly?” Her horn glowed softly, and a dark blue robe was suddenly wrapped about my body.

“I… I was at work,” I began, only to stop, my brow furrowing. Slowly, memories began to sharpen, and the fog of the dream began to lift. “No, wait… that’s not right. I… I had a date… with Celestia?” I was silent for a few seconds before suddenly inhaling sharply. “Oh, feck. I didn’t drink that much, did I?”

“I know not, as I wasn’t present,” Luna said. Her smirk returned. “According to Celestia though, you passed out when she was carrying you to your room.”

I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. “Oh, shite.”

“I wouldn’t let it bother you too much. Celestia found it amusing.”

I peeked at her from between my fingers. “S-she… she did?” Luna nodded once and I sighed in relief.

“She said you wouldn’t stop rubbing your face against her mane,” she continued, staring intently at the dream-window. Her eyes narrowed, and she sucked on the inside of her cheek. An ear flicked against the side of her head, something I had come to understand meant that she was thinking.

“An interesting dream you were having,” she eventually said. “Although…” Lifting a hoof, she motioned through the window towards Celestia, or more specifically what was currently standing up between her hind legs. “An unexpected addition, I must admit.”

“Yeah,” I agreed as I moved to stand beside her. “It, uh… it caught me off guard.”

“I noticed.” She paused. “Do you find it that disturbing?”

“What?”

“This,” Luna said, motioning towards the frozen image of Celestia. “Does it disgust you?”

“W-what? No!” I protested.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Because it looks that way. I mean, you were launched out of your dream. That only usually happens during nightmares.”

“Oi just… oi wasn’t expectin’ it!”

“It’s okay to admit that the sight of it makes you uncomfortable, Nora,” Luna said softly. “I’ve heard from my guards that it is quite normal for mares who preferred the company of other mares to be put off by the sight of a stallion’s phallus. It’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

My eye twitched and I gritted my teeth.

“Oi’m bi, damn it!” I shouted as I stomped a foot. The mist swirled about as it was disturbed, but settled again abnormally fast.

Luna gave me an incredulous look. “You are?”

“Yes,” I grunted, crossing my arms. “Oi don’t know where yer ponies got the idea that Oi only like mares, but you’re wrong. Penises, vaginas, Oi don’t have a preference. Both are equally fun to play with!” The words were out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. Horrified, I covered my mouth with my hand, my cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

“Interesting,” Luna said slowly. One of her eyes narrowed and she slowly turned her gaze back to the dream-window. “That’s very interesting.” She then added under her breath, so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her, “That makes things a lot easier than I expected.”

“Wait,” I said, giving her a bemused look. “Were you… were you messing around with my dream?”

Luna froze, her body stiffening even as her eyes widened.

That was enough of an answer.

“Damn it, Luna!” I growled, throwing my arms in the air. “I was actually enjoying that one! Why’d yer have to go and make it weird?”

Ears splaying back, she opened her mouth to reply, but my stomach took that exact moment to gurgle loudly. Surprised, I placed a hand on my abdomen and glanced down. Luna followed my gaze, a knowing look on her face.

“What was—” I started to ask, only for the world around us to suddenly dissolve in a bright flash of light.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

My eyes snapped open and I sat up with a gasp, only for it to turn into a low groan as my head throbbed. It felt like a bunch of little leprechauns were dancing about in my head. It was horrible; I could feel my pulse in my temples, each beat of my heart causing me to wince. Along with that, my mouth was drier than Dublin City.

All the wonderful signs of a hangover.

Flopping back onto the bed, I grabbed my head in my hands before groaning again. “Uuuh, oi didn’t drink that much last night.” I paused as the memory of my drinking competition floated to the surface through the foggy haze that clouded my mind. “Okay, maybe oi did. Feck.” Grumbling under my breath, I resumed massaging my temples.

After a few minutes, the pain in my head began to lessen. Cracking open an eye, I glanced around, taking stock of my surroundings. I was in a large bed, and it took me a few seconds to realize that it was located in one of the guest rooms of the palace. A quick peek at the desk revealed that it was the same room I stayed in last night; the towel I had used still draped over the chair.

A clock on the wall informed me that it was still very early in the morning, although the moonlight streaming in through the open window was kind of a good indication as well. The cool breeze helped calm my pounding head.

I blinked owlishly as I glanced around the room.

“How did I get here?” I muttered to myself. The minute the words left my mouth, more memories returned and I whimpered in embarrassment. Oh god… I passed out and Celestia had to tuck me in? Wait… I passed out on Celestia?! Shite! I covered my face with my hands. Shite, shite, shite! I haven’t passed out from drinking in forever! Oh god, I wasn’t going to be able to look her in the eyes for a long, long time.

Before I could bemoan my bad luck further, a sudden twinge in my stomach caused me to gasp. An uncomfortable pressure made itself known.

I had to pee. Badly.

Throwing back the covers, I made to get out of the bed, only to pause upon seeing what I was wearing. Or, rather what I was not wearing. The only articles of clothing I had on were my bra and panties. I never slept in just my underwear, even when drunk, which meant that Celestia had undressed me before putting me in bed.

Great...

“Ah, feck,” I groaned, before gasping again, a hand flying to my stomach. “Okay, okay, be embarrassed later. Pee now.” Getting out of the bed, I hurried across the room towards the bathroom. The floor was cold against my bare feet. The toilet seat was cold as well, although I didn’t register that until after I had started my business.

One pee and a splash of water on the face later and I exited the bathroom. Running a hand through my messy hair, I let out a happy sigh. Bladder now empty and headache quickly receding, I made my way back over towards the bed only to pause when I caught sight of my clothing folded neatly on a nearby chair. “Ah, there you are!”

Picking up my white tank top, I began to slip it over my head. It was then that I noticed it had a fresh scent to it, indicating that it had been washed recently. That brought a small smile to my face. The fact that Celestia had taken time to wash my clothing was nice, even if she might have delegated it to a maid. The fact she wanted me to have fresh clothing in the morning was touching, especially after how silly I had been behaving during our walk back from the pub. Although, according to Luna, she had found it all amusin—

I froze in the process of putting on one of my long socks. Slowly, my eyes narrowed and I gritted my teeth.

“Luna,” I growled under my breath. That maggot had been messing around with my dream. Normally I wouldn’t have been so upset, but it had been a very, very nice dream—a very sexy dream—and then she had to go and clam jam me by sticking a cock on Celestia!

N-not that that had been a bad thing. It had actually been extremely arousing, but still…

The dream had been getting steamy, and she had to go and ruin it by startling me out into the dream realm.

Grumbling under my breath, I finished pulling on my socks before standing up. Legs now clad in my long, thigh-high socks and with a shirt on, I didn’t feel as exposed as before. I forewent my skirt—as the tank top kinda took care of that already, due to its length—and my sweater—seeing as there was no sun out to potentially burn my skin. My only qualm was that my undershirt was sleeveless, exposing my freckle-covered shoulders, but it would do for now. I didn’t plan on being out of bed long…

...just long enough to give a certain dream-walking alicorn a piece of my mind.

The door swung open on well-oiled hinges, barely making a noise. The hall was semi-dark, the only light coming from torches that were bolted to the walls. I move silently down the corridor, my footsteps muffled by my socks. Unlike ponies with their hooves, none of the patrolling guards could ever really hear me coming, which always leads to several startled encounters in the past.

However, there didn’t appear to be any guards out on patrol at the moment. The halls were empty, everyone most likely still asleep. That was fine by me though, as I didn’t really want to bump into anyone right now.

I made my ways towards the staircase. It was the middle of the night after all, so Luna should be in Court. No, wait… I paused, a frown crossing my face. If she was popping into my dream, that might mean that Lunar Court got out early tonight. In that case, she’d be in her room. Maybe. Either way, her room was closer than the throne room, so I’d start there.

Turning, I headed in the other direction.

It was a few minute walk to the private living quarters of the palace, but I knew the way fairly well due to previous visits. It was in a small, secluded wing of the palace, away from the hustle and bustle of the nobles. Contrary to what many ponies imagine, the Princesses’ private residence were actually very humble. No grand bath chambers, no giant offices, no massive bedrooms; just a simple, basic living space. In fact, there were probably apartments out in Canterlot that were more grandiose in nature and size.

It was actually a refreshing change of pace, and one of the reasons I took a liking to Celestia to begin with.

As I drew near to a bend in the corridor that would take me to Luna and Celestia’s rooms, voices reached my ear. Slowly my pace, I peeked around the corner, only to blink in surprise when I saw both Luna and Celestia standing there. Celestia had her back to me, her mane and tail—usually lively and rainbow—lifeless and pink. Her ears were splayed back as she stared down at her sister, who had an annoyed look on her face. They appeared to be in the middle of an argument.

“...can’t go on like this, Tia,” Luna said with a stomp of her hoof. “You’ve been playing around for too long. It’s time for this charade to cease.”

“Need I remind you that this is none of your concern, Luna,” Celestia huffed.

“And need I remind you of our previous discussion on the matter” Luna said with a snorted, her nostrils flaring. “Or, to be more specific, how it ended?” There was a flash of magic, and a coil of rope suddenly appeared in the air beside her.

My brow furrowed in confusion. What’s the deal with the rope?

At the sight of the rope, Celestia took a step back and her hind legs crossed slightly.

“What would you have me do?” she asked weakly.

“Tell her the truth.”

“I can’t, Luna. You know why I can’t.”

“She’s more accepting than you think, Tia. Trust me.”

Celestia pawed at the floor with a hoof. “It’s not that easy!”

“It’s not as hard as you’re making it out to be.”

“You need to stop meddling in my love life, sister,” Celestia growled.

“And you need to stop playing around with Nora’s emotions! She’s not a toy for you amusement!” Luna shouted back. “Stop leading her on!”

At her words, I froze, my heart skipping a beat. W-what… what did she mean by that? She couldn’t mean that… Was Celestia just playing with me? Was that all this was to her? Some kind of game? Is that why she agreed to this in the first place: her own amusement? Were the dates just something to pass the time away from the nobles.

W-why? Why would she…?

Tears welling up in my eyes, I choked back a sob. I could feel bile slowly rising in my throat, along with my heart. Looking back now, I should have realized the possibility sooner. She was nobility, the ruler of an entire nation. What could she have possibly ever seen in me? There was no way that some immortal ruler would have possibly returned my feelings. How could I be so stupid? How could I have ever thought that Celestia might like me? She was the perfect goddess…

...and I was just the freak.

As the world slowly crumbled around me, I was dimly aware of Luna continuing to shout. “A relationship requires trust from both participants. She trusts you, yet you are not willing to return the favor? She has feelings for you, and it would not do well to continue unless you feel the same. You need to cease this game, lest you hurt… the poor… thing….”

Luna’s voice trailed off, leaving behind a deafening silence.

Suddenly aware that I was standing in the middle of the hall, I whipped my head up and looked around through tear-filled eyes. She didn’t… yes, she did.

Luna was staring over her sister’s shoulders at me, an alarmed look on her face. Curious as to why her sister had stopped shouting, Celestia glanced over her shoulder as well. Upon seeing me, her eyes widened and a look of horror spread quickly across her face. She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a choked gasp. “Ms. O’Malley?!”

Stepping around her sister, Luna gave me a strained smile. “Nora, we—”

Not wanting to hear what she had to say, I turn and ran. I heard them calling out behind me as I sprinted down the hall, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I just kept running. Running from the lies, from the betrayal, from the heartache.

Racing back to my room, I quickly put on the rest of my clothing before making a mad dash for the main doors. Guards shouted at me as I raced past, but I didn’t care. Out the main door I ran, down the steps, out the gate, and off across the streets of Canterlot. It didn’t matter that it was slowly beginning to rain again. It didn’t matter that it was cold out. It didn’t matter that I had no clue where I was going. I just needed to get away from the palace. I needed to escape. So I ran. I ran until my chest hurt and my body felt like collapsing. I ran until I felt like I was going to be sick. I ran until the buildings slowly turned to rocky mountain side. Even then I didn’t stop. I just kept running.

I needed to get away.

Away from the painful truth.

Author's Note

Oops, guess alcohol makes you paranoid as well, Nora.

Welp, here we go. The third and final arc starts off with a head-over-heels tumble. Didn't really like this chapter, but it needed to happen. Anyone else getting a weird sense of deja vu? I think we've been here before.

Alcohol is an editor's worst enemy, so as always, feel free to point out any mistakes I might have made.

The Request

The gentle rumble of the train beneath my seat did little to relieve my building anxiety. A cold sweat slowly trickled down my neck as my heart pounded away behind my ribs. The tension in my chest grew, and I felt ill—almost on the verge of throwing up. I tried to stop my hands from trembling, but was unable to. A panic attack was creeping up on me, and it took all of my willpower to not break down in a fit of tears.

My mind was so distracted that I failed to notice the world around me. I jumped when a hoof was placed gently upon my sock-covered leg, whipping my head around to stared into a pair of concerned eyes.

“Nora, are you alright?” Twilight asked, her eyes studying my face closely. “You look a little pale. You’re not getting sick, are you?”

Swallowing thickly, I shook my head.

“I’m fine, Twilight,” I said, my voice cracking halfway through her name. “Just a little nervous is all. The motion of the train ain’t helping.” I winced inwardly, silently cursing my Irish accent. It seemed that the more nervous I was, the thicker the accent became. There were times none of the ponies could understand what I was saying and had to wait for me to calm down in order to understand what was troubling me.

“Did you take your motion sickness medicine before boarding?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, I took the medicine before we left the library,” I assured her, even as I clutched my handy bucket closer to my chest. Having never been on a train before arriving in Equestria, I had learned very quickly that train rides make me sick. That had been a horrible experience for everyone involved, and Rarity still holds it against me.

It’s not my fault she was sitting in front of me when it happened.

The train hit a particularly large bump, which caused me to groan softly. As I shifted uncomfortably on the seat, Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“Then what are you nervous about?” she asked.

“The meeting,” I mumbled.

“You’re nervous about your meeting with Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked, the disbelief clear in her voice. “Why would you be nervous? You’ve done this plenty of times in the past year!”

She wasn’t wrong. Ever since I was dumped in the middle of White Tail Woods during the annual Running of the Leaves (scaring the participating ponies half to death. At least the resulting stampede cleared all of the leaves off the trees), I had to make this journey to Canterlot on a near-monthly basis. At first it was so that the Princesses could question me about my arrival and my intentions in Equestria. After finding out that I was mostly harmless, the visits had changed to them wanting to learn about humans and our homeworld in general. I also had to travel to Canterlot in order to get a work visa so that I could get a job and start earning bits.

I had also traveled to Canterlot for the annual Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, having been invited to see it by Princess Luna. She felt the best way to say ‘thank you’ for all the information about my old world I had shared with them was by sharing some of their own culture and history.

No, after all the times I’ve had to visit Canterlot, I’ve learned to deal with my motion sickness. It wasn’t the train ride that was causing me distress. It was the reason for the journey in the first place.

“But you’re the one who requested an audience with the Princess,” Twilight pointed out when I told her this. “You had me send the request along with my friendship report!”

“I know,” I groaned, “but that doesn’t help with my nervousness. I don’t want to waste the Princess’s time.”

“Nonsense,” Twilight snorted. “That’s why she holds open court. To allow ponies, or in your case, humans, to come to her for any problems. She knows you are coming, you won’t waste her time.”

I knew that Twilight was trying to calm me down, but her words had the opposite effect. The fact that Princess Celestia knew I was coming just added fuel to my nervousness.

“Well, do you want to talk about what you want to see Princess Celestia about?” Twilight asked. “It might help you to discuss it before going in front of her.”

Playing with my hair, I gave the purple pony a weak smile. “Sorry, Twilight, but it’s kinda personal.” Upon seeing her hurt expression, I quickly added, “It’s not like that. I just don’t feel… comfortable talking to you about it before I see the Princess. I feel like if I tell you, I’ll chicken out before seeing Celestia.”

Twilight’s hurt look subsided, replaced instead by a comforting one.

“I don’t think you need to worry, Nora,” she said. “No matter what you want to see Princess Celestia about, I’m sure it will be fine. I remember one time back when I first became her personal student, she allowed me to sit in on court one day. A stallion showed up, asking if he could put a mouse on her nose. She agreed, he placed a black mouse on her nose, and then walked out of the court without another word. Celestia kept it there for the rest of court, and even gave it bits of her lunch.

“Seeing as you didn’t bring any mice with you, I doubt your issue will be as weird,” Twilight said, giving me a warm smile.

“Yeah… weird…” I muttered. I knew that Twilight was just trying to be a good friend and help me relax. Ever since we first got to know one another, she had always tried to help my transition to living in Equestria be as smooth as possible. She even helped me get my first job at the local sweet shop, putting a good word in to Bon Bon for me. However, her words only seemed to cause more butterflies to settle into my stomach.

My reason for wanting to see Celestia wasn’t as weird as wanting to put a mouse on her muzzle. It was much weirder.

Swallowing, I glanced out of the window, only to look away a few seconds later. The scenery zipping by did nothing to make my stomach feel better. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the contents of my stomach down. Not that there was anything inside of it; I hadn’t had anything to eat today. Only some water. I didn’t want to get sick in front of the Princess. That definitely wouldn’t help with the reason I wanted to see her.

I swayed slightly in my seat as the train began to lean to the right. It was making its way around the mountain now, which meant that we were nearing our destination. My trepidation grew, and I clutched the bucket closer. Unable to help myself, I tapped my foot against the floor, my leg bouncing up and down as a soft ‘tap-tap-tap’ filled the air.

Twilight gave me a sympathetic look, but remained silent. Seeing that I didn’t want to talk right now, she returned to her book.

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my breathing smooth and steady. In order to distract myself from the swaying of the train, I went over what I wanted to talk to Celestia about in my head. I wasn’t sure how I was going to start the conversation, and the more I played the scenarios out, the stupider they seemed.

I was beginning to regret asking Celestia for an audience.

I continued to go through different scenarios for the next few minutes, trying to find the best one that didn’t make me cringe.

“Too bad I couldn’t ask for a private audience,” I muttered to myself, frowning. Beside me, Twilight perked up, her ears swiveling to point in my direction.

“A private audience?” she repeated, glancing up from her book. “That can actually be arranged, if you’d like.”

Hope began to grow within my chest. “R-really?!”

“Certainly,” Twilight said with a nod. “We just have to cancel your appointment for today, and then we can schedule a private meeting for sometime tomorrow.” And just like that, the hope was gone.

Groaning, I hunkered over my bucket. “I can’t cancel the meeting. That’ll just make things more awkward.”

Twilight gave me a confused look. “Of course you can cancel the meeting. Ponies do it all the time. Court usually ends sooner than scheduled because of the number of call offs.”

“We are not cancelin’,” I growled, my accent deepening slightly. “I’ll just 'ave to suck it up an'—”

The train’s forward movement suddenly ceased as the brakes screeched, sending my stomach lurching up my throat. Twilight yelped at the sudden stop, tipping over sideways as her book slipped from her grip.

The train slid to a stop within Canterlot Station.

I emptied my stomach into the bucket.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The line to see Celestia wasn’t as long as I thought it would be. Granted, I’ve never had an actual audience with royalty before, so I didn’t know what the average line looked like. All of my previous visits and meetings with the Princesses usually happened in the dining room over dinner, or occasional breakfast if I stayed the night.

Settling into one of the chairs that dotted the walls of the hall, I rubbed my hands together and tried to ignore the looks I was getting. Despite the fact that I’d been here for over a year, ponies still stared at me wherever I went. Even in Ponyville, although those looks were usually curious instead of disdainful.

Twilight sat down beside me, oblivious that most of the other ponies were looking our way. She glanced up at the clock located above the throne room doors. It was a little after eleven in the morning, Twilight having gotten us both up at the crack of dawn in order to catch the early train. My meeting with Princess Celestia wasn’t until noon, which meant that I had around a forty-five minute wait.

Forty-five minutes of ponies staring at me like an exhibit in a zoo.

I sighed, tucking a few loose strands of hair back behind my ear. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve had to deal with in Equestria. I’m just thankful that Applejack head been able to distract the minotaur long enough for me to hide.

I had just settled down in the chair when the throne room doors creaked open and unicorn mare with a light gray coat and thick-rimmed glass poked her head out. She glanced around for a few seconds before her eyes landed on me and a small smile graced her muzzle.

“Ms. O’Malley, the crown will see you now,” she chirped.

I stared at her, mouth agape. “B-but… you… I thought my appointment wasn’t until noon!”

“We’re ahead of schedule,” the unicorn said, the smile never leaving her face. “If you’d like, we could take a few more appointments before yours. Give you some time to get prepared.”

“N-no... oi can go now,” I stuttered. Pushing myself to my feet, I walked quickly towards the doors, aware of everyone’s eyes on me as I went.

Twilight followed after me, waving to the unicorn that was now holding the door open for us.

“Hello, Raven,” she said with a smile. “How are you doing?”

“Well, hello, Twilight,” Raven said, her eyes lighting up upon seeing the lavender unicorn. “I’m doing fairly well, thank you. Although, it’s gotten rather boring around here what with you gone. There’s no magical disasters every other week to liven the place up.”

Twilight blushed, her ears splaying out sideways.

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” she muttered.

“It took us nearly five days to figure out how to stop that mirror from insulting whoever looked into it,” Raven said, mirth dancing in her eyes. This just caused Twilight’s blush to darken.

I watched the two talk, wringing my hands nervously.

Giggling lightly at Twilight’s embarrassment, Raven turned to look up at me. “Ms. O’Malley, if you’d follow me.” She then turned and walked back into the throne room.

I remained motionless, staring wide-eyed after the retreating mare until Twilight nudged my leg gently with her hoof. This caused me to jump slightly, and I glanced down at my friend.

She motioned after Raven with her head, a small smile on her face.

Swallowing thickly, I nodded before following after Raven, my heart pounding in my ear. Twilight followed, and the doors closed behind her with a soft ‘thud’.

The throne room was massive, the ceiling towering high above us. Large marble pillars lined the room, banners twirling around them and hanging from the ceiling. Stained glass windows covered the walls, the sunlight causing a cascade of colors to spill across the room. Reds, blues, yellows, green, and purples colored the floor and walls. A red velvet rug ran down the length of the hall, running from the doors all the way down to the throne that sat up on a double dais.

And seated upon the throne, a warm smile on her face, was her.

Princess Celestia smiled down at me, her rainbow-hued mane wafting gently in a non-existent breeze. Her white coat seemed to shine and twinkle in the sunlight, the white fur as immaculate as ever. Her wings were folded neatly by her side, the large feathers preened and straightened. Adorned in golden attire, she looked every bit the princess she was.

Just like every other time I had laid eyes on her, the very sight of her took my breath away. I didn’t realize that I had stopped walking until Twilight nudged my leg again, snapping me out of my daze.

I shook my head—trying to clear it—before returning my attention back to the Princess. In the time I had been staring, Raven had moved to stand on the middle level of the dais, a clipboard held in her magic. She was watching me, the smile still present on her face.

Hands fidgeting, I inched closer to the throne. I could feel my face heating up, and I tried to look everywhere but Celestia’s eyes. Her lovely, magenta eyes.

As I neared the bottom of the dais, Celestia’s smile grew and she inclined her head.

“Good morning, Ms. O’Malley. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” she said, the sound of her voice causing my stomach to flutter. If she noticed my nervousness, she didn’t show it.

I gave her a strained smile, staring at a point just over her shoulder.

“G-gud mornin' ter ya, princess,” I said, stumbling slightly over the words. I paused for a brief second before my eyes widened and I quickly dipped into a hasty curtsy. This caused Celestia to laugh softly, and I could feel my face heating up. I stood back up and nervously straightened out my hoodie before clearing my throat. “And y-you can call me Nora, if you’d like.”

Celestia nodded her head once. “Very well, Nora. It is very nice to see you again, but I never thought I’d see you during court. What troubles you? I promise to assist in anyway I can.”

I opened my mouth, unsure of how to start, only to close it again when the sound of whispering reached my ears. Glancing to my right, my breath caught in my throat as I saw a group of ponies gathered around a round table near the wall, eyeing me with cold looks on their faces. I immediately recognized quite a few of them as nobles, having bumped into them over the course of my many visits. They muttered back and forth with one another, their cold gazes locked firmly on me.

I squeaked, shrinking back under the scrutiny. However, my attention quickly returned to Celestia as she spoke.

“Just ignore them,” she said. “They are just here to observe. They have no say over what happens in open court. Now, what did you wish to discuss?”

I squeaked again, gripping the hem of my skirt tightly in my hands until my knuckles threatened to turn white. My mouth was suddenly very dry, and I could feel sweat dripping down my face and neck. I could see Raven and Twilight both giving me sympathetic looks, which did little to help my anxiety.

Biting my lip until it was about to bleed, I summoned all of my courage and steeled myself. Just as Celestia opened her mouth to speak again, I closed my eyes and blurted out, “Wudyergooytwi’me?”

Silence filled the throne room, and I kept my eyes shut tight, figuring that it was better for my nerves to not look at whom I were addressing. There was a soft shuffling noise in front of me before I heard someone clear their throat.

“I’m sorry, but could you repeat that? I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch it,” Celestia asked.

Feeling bile slowly rising up my throat, I swallowed before licking my dry lips and repeating at a slower pace.

“Wud yer go oyt wi’ me?” I winced at the thickness of my accent, almost positive that she still couldn’t understand what I was saying. Cracking my eyes open and risking a quick peek confirmed my suspicion: Celestia was giving me a confused look, her ears folded against her head.

Off to the side, one of the nobles whispered something to her companions, causing them to begin to snicker loudly. Raven shot them a dirty look, but Celestia’s gaze remained firmly on me.

Feeling like I was about to be sick, I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

“W-would… would you go out with me?” I stuttered, my voice cracking halfway through the sentence.

Celestia’s look of concern dissolved into one of disbelief before she quickly masked it, staring down at me with a neutral expression on her face. Beside her, Raven stared at me in shock, her clipboard now lying on the ground. Twilight had a similar look on her face, her mouth hanging open as she gaped at me, her eyes wide. The nobles have stopped snickering, most of them now glaring at me with looks that caused me to cringe and sent shivers down my spine. An awkward silence descended upon the room as everyone stared at me.

I silently prayed that the floor would open up and swallow me whole, saving me from the awful embarrassment. What the feck was I thinking, coming all this way, going through all this trouble, just to ask Princess Celestia on a date? What made me think that this would possibly work out in my favor? I should have just kept my feelings to myself rather than risk all of this on some fool’s hope.

Celestia broke the silence by clearing her throat. “You want me to, um…?”

“Go out with me,” I repeated, my voice shriller than usual. “On a date,” I added a few seconds later. “...with me.” I absently played with a strand of hair, my face crimson.

A hesitant look crossed Celestia face, and her wings ruffled softly by her sides.

“I-I see,” she said, not meeting my eye. I could feel my heart beginning to sink in my chest. “I… I’m flattered, really, but I fear I must decline. I don’t usually… partake in those types of social events…” She trailed off, awkwardly crossing her hind legs.

I felt myself beginning to panic again.

“Jist wan date!” I cried out, trying to keep my accent from bleeding through. “One date, an’... an’ then I’ll leave you alone if you want…”

Celestia’s look of unease grew, her ears pressing against her head. “I’m sorry, but I—”

“It doesn’t ‘ave to be someplace fancy,” I added quickly, cutting her off. “A walk through the park, or somethin’ like that. Just one date, that’s it!”

Celestia paused, her eyes narrowing as she stared at me with a critical look. Her gaze seemed to bore into my very soul. She studied my face closely for a few more seconds before her posture relaxed slightly. She blinked several times, an uncertain look on her face, before taking a deep breath and—

“Oh, this is rich,” one of the nobles said with a laugh. “You can’t be serious. This is too rich! The monkey is in love with the Princess?” This caused the rest of the nobles to begin to laugh as well, the sounds of their guffawing echo around the throne room.

Raven shot them another look, her muzzle crinkled in disgust. Twilight ignored the nobles, looking up at me instead with a concerned look on her face.

As the cackling of the nobles fills my ears, I could feel my eyes beginning to water. I bit my lip, choking back a sob that was threatening to escape. Swallowing thickly, I blinked my tears back. I steeled myself as best I could, keeping my gaze locked with Celestia’s as I waited for her answer. I probably looked more confident than I was; I pretty much felt like I was about to be sick for the second time that morning.

When the nobles started laughing, the Princess’s eyes flickered over to them for the briefest of seconds before returning to my face. Her brow furrowed slightly as a contemplative look crossed her face, along with a hint of sympathy. After a few seconds she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted once again by a noble.

The mare stood up from her seat, placing her forehooves on the table as she glared at me.

“You dare to ask that the princess wastes her time on the like of you?” she sneered. “You are neither a noble, nor a pony. This is an insult to not only our great nation, but to the Princess herself. You dare to think that somepony as fair and perfect as the Princess would even consider wasting her time on a… a… a freak like you?!”

The world around me froze. However, before I had a chance to process what the noble had said, before my heart had a chance to shatter at her words, before the word ‘freak’ could reduce me to a pitiful crying mess, Celestia moved.

She was on her hooves in an instant, a warm smile on her face.

“Okay,” she said as she slowly descended the steps of the dais. “One date it is then, Ms. O’Malley. I think I can give you that. If you are free, let’s say, seven o’clock tonight at The Silver Mare?” Her smile grew slightly as I nodded dumbly, my mouth hanging open. “Splendid! I shall see you then.”

Reaching the bottom of the dais, Celestia then turned her attention to the nobles. The warmth immediately left her smile, and her gaze became icy. “I’ll be ending court early today in order to prepare for my date with Ms. O’Malley. We will continue it tomorrow in lieu of regular court. If you have any petitions that need to be reviewed, you may present them to my sister during Lunar Court. Understand?”

The nobles shrunk back under her gaze, shivering in their seats as they nodded quickly.

Celestia eyed them for a few more seconds before nodding sharply and looking away. She moved towards a door just behind the throne dais, but as she passed me, she paused. Glancing over at me, a strange look passed across her face before she smiled softly. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against my forehead.

I froze, my entire body locking up as those warm, soft lips caressed my forehead. A small part of me was mortified as I realized that I had probably been sweating due to my nervousness, and Celestia was now kissing my sweat-covered brow. However, the rest of me was too busy praying that this wasn’t a dream to really care right now how sweaty I was. Princess Celestia—the Princess Celestia—was kissing me. The very being that had been haunting my dreams and flustering me for the past few months was kissing me! I wasn’t too sure, but I felt that if the room had been dark, my face would have been glowing with how flushed it was.

And just like that, it was over. Princess Celestia pulled away from me, the warm smile still on her face.

“I’ll see you at seven, Ms. O’Malley,” she said before turning and, ignoring the slack-jawed faces around her, headed through the door and was lost to view.

The second Celestia was gone, ponies began to move. Raven quickly followed after Celestia, her clipboard following faithfully through the air behind her. The nobles got to their hooves and left, muttering to one another in low voices.

Beside me, I could hear Twilight say something, but my mind couldn’t process what she was saying at the moment. I could only stare off into the distance, my mouth hanging open and cheeks ablaze. Then, slowly, my eyes rolled up into the back of my head, and I proceeded to faint dead away.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

I hurried down the streets of Canterlot, trying to ignore the eyes watching me as I went. Despite my constant visits to the city, most ponies had yet to actually see me, so many of them were now stopping and staring in surprise—sometimes in disgust and horror—at me as I hurried past. Swallowing thickly, I pulled the hood of my sweater further over my head before hurrying down a side alley to escape from the stares.

As I came out onto another street, I glanced around to get my bearings. It took me a few seconds, but upon seeing the local doughnut shop, I figured out where I was. Turning, I headed down towards the market district.

The plaza was overcrowded much to my discomfort, ponies milling about as they headed back to their places of business after lunch. I worked my way around the edge of the marketplace, making my way towards my intended destination.

The bell above the door chimed softly as I entered, alerting anyone inside to my presence. Luckily, there appeared to be no ponies inside at the moment; there were no customers present, and the owner no doubt was in the back somewhere.

As the door closed behind me, I pulled my hood down and took in the general layout of the store. It was rather sparse, considering who owned the shop. Several pony mannequins rested along the far wall, all of them bare except for the last one, which was adorned in a stunning green and blue dress. Several displays along the front window held similar outfits, placed in such a way as to catch the attention of passing ponies. There was a counter in the corner of the room, a doorway behind it leading further into the back of the shop.

As I glanced around the room, a voice called out from the back, “Just a minute, please!” There came the sound of something being moved, followed by a soft curse. A few seconds later, a lithe unicorn mare exited the backroom. She was light gray, with a flowing pink and white mane.

Stepping around the counter, she smiled warmly. “Welcome to Fleur De Lis’ Magnificent—” Upon seeing me, she froze, her light-violet eyes widening in shock. She took a step back and lifted a forehoof, only to blink in surprise a few seconds later.

“Pardon me, mademoiselle, you startled me. I was expecting a pony,” she said, the warm smile returning to her face.

“Naw, not a pony,” I muttered, playing with the hem of my skirt.

“I can see that,” the mare said kindly. “What brings you to my shop on this fine day, Ms…?”

“Is mise Nora O'Malley,” I began, before coughing. “Sorry… my name is Nora O’Malley, b-but you may call me Nora if you’d like.”

“Ms. O’Malley,” the mare repeated, eyeing me curiously. “I’ve heard of you, but never really had a face to put with the name. I am Fleur De Lis,” she said, placing a hoof upon her chest, “but you may call me Fleur, if you so happened to be inclined. Now, what can I do for you, Ms. O’Malley?”

“It’s Nora,” I muttered weakly, fidgeting with my skirt. “Oi… Oi nade a dress.”

“I’m sorry?” Fleur said, blinking several times.

I winced before clearing my throat again. “Sorry, I nade… need a dress.”

“Well then, I dare say you’ve come to the right place!” Fleur chirped happily. Her horn lit up, and she pulled a roll of measuring tap out of… somewhere. She directed me towards a nearby podium that was surrounded by a half circle of body-length mirrors.

“If you would kindly remove your overgarments, Ms. O’Malley,” Fleur said, motioning to my sweater with a hoof, “I’ll just take some quick measurements and then we can get started.”

Still fidgeting nervously, I pulled my black hoodie over my head and placed it carefully on a nearby care. Feeling exposed now in just my white shirt, I folded my arms over my chest.

“My, your skin is such a lovely shade, mademoiselle,” Fleur commented, staring at my arms.

I glanced down at them as well, wincing as I eyed the pale skin with some unease. Being prone to burning in the sun, I had taken to covering myself up most of the time I was outdoors. Long sleeve shirts, pants, or on the occasions I wore skirts, thigh-high socks were my usual attire. As such, my skin was a nasty pale shade, nearly white in some places.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Fleur tapping the podium with her hoof. “If you’d just step up here for a moment, Ms. O’Malley, I can get the measurements I need to begin work on your dress.”

Nodding weakly, I stepped up onto the platform, only to trip on the edge. I stumbled, my arms flailing, only to stop as Fleur’s magic surrounded me.

“Carefully, please, madam,” she chided. “I highly doubt that you want to be injured for whatever event this dress if for.”

Whimpering softly beneath my breath, I moved to the center of the podium and spread my arms out slightly from my sides. I winced as the tape measure suddenly started to spin and twirl around me, measuring my arms, waist, chest, and legs, as well as several other places. Fleur stood off to the side, taking notes as she watched the tape measure carefully.

After a few long seconds of silence, she spoke. “Now, what is this dress for, exactly, madam?”

“It’s for a date,” I replied, eyeing the tape measure with some fear as it wrapped gently around my bosom.

“Aw, how sweet. Trying to look nice for your special somepony,” she cooed. “When is the date?”

“Tonight. Seven o’clock,” I answered stiffly, the tape measure now between my legs in a way I did not find comfortable.

“Oh, then it’s a good thing for you I don’t have any more appointments for the day,” Fleur said, watching the tape measure with some concealed amusement. “I should be able to finish the dress within a hour or two. That should give you plenty of time to get ready for your date.”

I tried to answer, but couldn’t, the tape measure now snuggly around my neck.

“If I may be as bold as to ask, who’s the lucky stallion?” Fleur asked.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the tape measure loosened, allowing me to speak again. “It’s not a stallion.”

“A mare then?” Fleur asked, her eyes widening. “How… unique. It’s not often I hear about such relationships. Most of the ponies in Canterlot are highly conservative, believing that anything other than a stallion and a mare is wrong. Oh, but not I,” she added quickly upon seeing me looking at her nervously. “I see no wrong in it. Love is love, and you can’t control who your heart tells you to love. If you are only interested in other mares, then you are only interested in other mares.”

“Um… I’m bi,” I mumbled, shuffling awkwardly on the podium.

“So, who’s the lucky mare then?” Fleur asked as she finished up with taking my measurements.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I stared at my feet and muttered beneath my breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, Ms. O’Malley,” Fleur said, giving me a warm smile over her shoulder.

“It’s Princess Celestia,” I said again, my voice barely above a whisper.

Fleur froze, the tape measure fluttering to the floor as her magic sputtered and died. Slowly, her head turned until she was staring at straight at me.

“P-Princess Celestia?” she breathed, her eyes widening.

Shrinking a little under her gaze, I nodded my head weakly.

"Princess Celestia,” she repeated again, staring off into space. “Your date is with Princess Celestia. You are going on a date with Princess Celestia. You’re going to be wearing a dress I made to a date with Princess Celestia.” Fleur was now practically hyperventilating, her breaths coming in quick, short bursts.

I took a step back, eyeing the mare nervously.

Her eyes snapped to me as I moved, and she stared at me blankly for several seconds before a smile started to spread across her muzzle. Stars seemed to appear within her eyes as she continued to look at me.

“A date with the Princess?” she said softly, more to herself than to me. “Hmm, yes, that might work. I do believe that I have some newer material in the back that might… yes, with a nice orchid ribbon. Or maybe mulberry. Hmmm, I wonder…” She trailed off, tilting her head to the side as she studied me closely.

I shifted beneath her gaze, suddenly feeling very exposed and very uncomfortable. Casting a sideways glance at my discarded hoodie, I half-considered running over and putting it back on, but that thought was dashed when Fleur stepped up to the podium.

“Ms. O’Malley, before I get too far into the planning for this dress, I would like to know the size of the budget you will be working with,” she said.

“Um, money isn’t an issue,” I muttered, playing with a strand of hair. “I have, uh... quite a bit saved up, actually.”

“How much are we talking?” she asked before wincing. “Not that I’m trying to overprice you or anything. I don’t want you to think I run that type of business. I would just like to know how much I’ll be working with. You set the price, I’ll work around it.”

Biting on my bottom lip, I motioned for Fleur to come closer. When she leaned towards me, I bent down and hurriedly whispered the amount of bits I had in her ear.

She stepped back, her eyes wide. “T-that much?” I nodded, and she licked her lips. “If… if you don’t mind me asking, how did you…?”

“Odd jobs around town,” I answered, twirling my hair. “Lots of odd jobs around town. Several overtime shifts. Overnight shifts at the hospital too. Living below my means helps.”

“Living below your…” Fleur trailed off, her eyes drifting towards my stomach as a look of concern crossed her face. “Mademoiselle, you aren’t starving yourself to afford this, are you?”

“No, nononono, nothing like that,” I said quickly, waving my hands in front of me. “I’m eatin’ enough, I swear. I just… I don’t ‘ave a lot of stuff ter my name. In fact, the amount of stuff I actually own could probably fit inter a pair o’ saddlebags.”

Fleur’s gaze soften, and she gave me a small smile.

“I see,” she said softly. “Well, this dress will be something you can call your own, I promise you that. It might take me longer than I originally thought though. We can’t have you going on a date with the Princess with mediocre attire, now can we?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Fleur held up a hoof, silencing me.

“No, no, I won’t hear otherwise. Now, if you’d follow me, Ms. O’Malley, we’ll make you look simply magnificent!”

A weak smile—my first one since entering the store—touched my lips, and I nodded softly.

“If you’d follow me,” Fleur said, turning and heading towards the door behind the counter.

I stepped down of the podium and made to follow her, only to pause after several steps. Turning around, I hurried over and picked up my hoodie. I pulled it on, slipping my hands into the sleeves, before following Fleur into the backroom.