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.