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!

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.