The "Princess"

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.”