Re-Arranged

Chapters

My Little Celestia
Celebrations and Inquisitions
Colorations and Declarations
Complications and Relocations
Short: Celestia's Lullaby
Salutations and Integrations
Instigations and Confrontations
Preparations and Teleportations
Explorations and Orations

My Little Celestia

*bing bong*

“...Hmph?”

*bing bong*

My eyes flew open, staring out into the blank darkness of the nighttime of my bedroom. The only light was that of my alarm clock, which displayed the numbers 3:37.

Thinking that perhaps I had just dreamed the sound of my doorbell, I shrugged it off and rolled over to return to sleep. No sooner had my eyes fluttered shut before I once again heard the incessant chiming of the front doorbell.

Who the hell could possibly be ringing my doorbell at 3:37 in the morning?

I whipped the covers off of my body, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and groggily rubbing my eyes. I lazily felt around the floor for a pair of pants, and pulled them on slowly, not wanting to greet my late-night visitor in my boxers. As a final precaution, once my eyes had gotten adjusted to the dark, I dug around in my closet and retrieved a baseball bat. Better safe than sorry, I thought to myself.

I plodded silently across the carpeted floor of my single bedroom apartment's hallway, moving stealthily past the entrance of the bathroom and kitchen, before finally making my way to the threshold of the plain beige door. The chain on the door was held firmly in place, thank goodness, but the doorbell was still chiming out every few seconds. Hesitantly bringing my eye up to level with the doorway, I peered out to lay witness to.... Nothing.

There wasn't anything there. It was empty. All there was was the light that shone on the stairway for my apartment complex (mine being on the third floor, second door on the right). There was no one there.

By now I was a little more than creeped out, and I kept watch, making sure that no one was just having a late-night chuckle and ringing the bell and running. I sat there for a few minutes until I heard the chime of the bell again. Snapping up, I looked out. Still nothing.

What the hell is going on? I thought to myself.

Allowing my curiosity to get the better of me, I slowly inched my hand toward the chain that held my door closed, pulling it away fast enough so that it was audible to whomever was outside my apartment.

I waited, holding my breath for what felt like minutes.

When nothing happened, I let out a sigh of relief, and, in one swift motion, grabbed the doorknob with my right hand, flicking the switch that turned on the light hanging directly outside with the other. With a grunt of effort, I forced the door open, swinging it quickly inward, so as to not accidentally hurt whomever was standing on my doorstep; only to set my sights on something that not only loosened my grip on the door, but made my jaw drop.

There, before me, was a creature I'd never seen before. A little red bow and a small note were attached to the creature's hair, which seemed to have a life of its own, constantly shifting and settling as though there was an eternal breeze flowing through it; her hair was streaked with green and purple and blue and shone magnificently even in the incandescent light of my porch light, as though it was strewn with jewels through its entirety.

Her little body was covered in a coat of pure white fur, and her... feet? were clad in what appeared to be gold shoes. Most surprisingly of all, though, were the wings that lay on either side of her body, and the horn that protruded from her head, as if she were a unicorn, that glistened with a sort of yellow energy. Her eyes were a deep purple, and while, moments ago, they were focused on my doorbell, they seemed to be focused on me now, somewhat widened with surprise. Not fear, necessarily, just the sudden surprise of someone finally appearing.

"Hi!" she squeaked out in an adorable voice, looking up at me with a huge grin on her face.

My right eye twitched the tiniest bit before I reached my fingers up to give myself a solid pinch.

"OW!"

"What'd you do that for?" the little creature asked, looking up at me quizzically.

"I... I, um... I was checking to see if I was... y'know, dreaming." I said to her, now assured that it was indeed a she by her high and clearly feminine voice.

"Oh. Well I'd certainwy hope not, 'cause... I could weally use your hewp..." she said, all of the sudden beginning to sound somber.

"You... You could?" I asked, scratching my head uncertainly.

"Yeah... Big sis Woona said that once I ended up wherever she sent me, whoever I found that could speak Engwish first was supposed to wead the note on my head..." she said, lowering her head so I could take the note.

She looked up at me with those big, purple eyes and said "Could you pwease read it out loud so I can know what big sister said about me?"

I obliged the small creature and began to read. In a scrawl worthy of a king were written these words:

"To whomever it may concern:

I, Princess Luna, of the Republic of Equestria, have deemed my sister, Princess Celestia, unfit to continue with her duties of raising the sun due to excessive mistreatment of her royal abilities in a childish attempt to gain unnecessary recognition from the ponies of Equestria. Her selfish desire to bring eternal day to the ponies has left me no choice but to banish her elsewhere, where she will feel more comfortable, the most suitable and closest life-supporting location appearing to be Earth. I have attempted to settle her in America, which appears to be a nation that conveniently has a dialect which nearly mirrors our own, but the magic of even the alicorns can only do so much. I know not where she will end up, but if you so happen to be the first one to discover her, I plead with thee to take care of my sister. Though I was forced to banish her, it does not mean I do not love her, and perhaps one day I will return her to Equestria, or she may yet learn how to do so herself. I thank the from the bottom of my heart for thine cooperation. -Princess Luna"

"Woo- Woona r-really d-did t-t-that to me...?

I looked down at the little (alicorn?). There were tears welling up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks in trails, her lower lip turned up and quivering as she stumbled over the words, only just now coming to grips with her big sister's deception.

"C... Celestia? Is that your name?"

She sniffled, wiping away her tears with one of her front legs

"Big sis always calls me Tia... Could you too, pwease?"

I looked at the little alicorn that sat, stooped over on my front porch, bathed in the glow of my porch light. Tears slipped down from the alicorn's eyes, hitting the dull gray concrete and leaving tiny dark spots. My heart swelled with sudden and uncertain affection. The poor thing looked so lost, and abandoned, and yet, at the same time, so adorable. What was there to do but help such a small creature?

"Tia...?" I said hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to come inside?"

Her eyes lit up like the sun she was apparently responsible for raising, and a smile soon followed, like the petals of a morning glory opening in the sun.

"Would you weally take me in?"

"Of course I would."

"Even if I can be bad and don't always do what I'm told and can be stubborn?" she asked, looking away for a moment.

"You're still a kid, aren't you?"

She nodded her head, the flecks of water left on her chin being flung in all directions.

"Then yeah. I guess I would." I said, bending down on one knee and opening my arms wide.

She ran into them quickly, embracing me in the closest hug I think I've ever been involved in. Her body was warm, despite its stature, and I could feel her horn glowing, like her happiness was being channeled through it.

I cuddled her there for a while, and then walked her inside my apartment, setting up a pile of blankets at the foot of my bed so she could sleep with me.

As she nuzzled me goodnight and settled into the bedsheets, I looked at her, softly breathing against the fleece and fabric, and whispered

"Goodnight, My Little Pony.".

Celebrations and Inquisitions

The morning sun had barely begun to crest above the hills that lay just past the street in front of my apartment. I was gazing out the window absentmindedly, looking at the quaint little shops and buildings that lay on my street, and thinking about the pony, sleeping peacefully just one room over, that was supposedly responsible for raising the celestial body now rising in my world back in her home in Equestria. I wondered if her big sister, Luna, was now responsible for both the day and night. What a burden it must have been on her, to not only live with her decision, but to have to raise both the sun and the moon each day.

I was reminding myself that now wasn’t the time to let my mind wander when I heard stirring from beneath the covers in the room, meaning Celestia was finally awakening from her peaceful slumber. I picked up the cake I had gotten on my way home from work the night before, stopping in the kitchen to light the five candles that were placed on the cake. On it was written “Happy 5 years Celest!”. I had figured that would be much easier for the baker to swallow than “Celestia”.

Doing my best to be quiet about it, I crept down the hallway and pushed the door open with my right hip. Sure enough, there was Tia, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her hooves.

Despite it being 5 years, Celestia appeared to have not changed at all. She was as small and adorable as ever, although she had gotten past replacing her R’s and L’s with W’s, so I suppose that was a start. I figured what with her being a magical being, she didn’t age quite the same as humans did. Although, I had to admit, ever since Tia had come around, I’d felt more lively and chipper than I had when I was only 17. I couldn’t tell if that was because of having an adorable pony in the house with me, or because of her latent magical abilities.

All of the sudden, I heard a loud gasp coming from the bed. I looked to see little Tia, her eyes all aglow, looking especially so in the morning sunlight.

“Is that for me?” she asked, looking up at me with a wide grin, obviously surprised I had done this for her.

“Mhmm. I figured I had to find some way to celebrate having you around for 5 years.” I said, smiling back at her.

She squealed like a schoolgirl, and, in one swift moment, her wings had flared open and she was flying to me.

“Wait, no Ti-“ I tried to say, before she successfully tackle hugged me, bringing me down to the ground. I fell flat on my back, and the cake flew up in the air. Tia, not realizing what she had done, remained surprisingly calm. Her horn lit up with a yellow glow, and then a yellow aura surrounded the cake just before it fell on top of us. She continued to hug me tightly as the cake floated without a sound onto the carpet.

“Wow, Tia, you really are getting better at controlling your magic.” I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, and kissed me on the cheek before getting off and me and walking over to her cake.

“Why does it say “Happy Birthday Celest?” she asked, looking back up at me.

I looked down at her, still smiling.

“We couldn’t fit it all in…”

…

About 30 minutes after, Celestia and I were both leaning against the couch, our mouths a mess from the pink frosting and rich, dark brown chocolate cake. We were both laughing heartily as we recalled a time when Tia’s magic had gotten out of control.

“And, and, remember how everything in the room was rearranged , and my magic tripped you when you got up to use the little colt’s room?” Celestia said, gasping and wheezing with tears nearly coming out of her eyes as she laughed and laughed.

“Man, you make it sound like I could ever forget.” I said, laughing pretty hard myself. That had certainly been an interesting night. “I just count myself lucky that your magic was under control the next morning, so I didn’t have to move everything back into place by myself.”

Tia started laughing again, her little hooves tapping against my floor.

“What is it now, you silly filly?” I said, having picked up on the terms she used to describe people- or, rather, ponies, back home in Equestria.

“Remember… the next morning... when I sat that dresser… down on your foot?” she said between breaths, pausing to guffaw to herself.

“I think my foot is still sore.” I said, chuckling warmly as I remembered all the time we had spent together. I looked over at the cake, which was completely destroyed, myself having eaten about a quarter of it and Tia eating the rest. I snickered at how comical it was, such a little thing eating so much, and looked over to her.

“Geez, Tia, I didn’t know you liked cake so much.”

She looked over at me with a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I guess I really do,” she said, chuckling. “It seems like whenever I get near cake, I end up eating way more than I should. It’s gonna get me in trouble one day.”

I chuckled softly, and laid my head back against the couch, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine on my skin and the full, content feeling in my stomach.

“Can I ask you something?” Tia said suddenly, waking me from my stupor.

I looked over at her. She was just sitting there, looking back at me with a rather somber expression. I couldn’t deny her, and besides, how bad could the question be?

“Sure,” I said, laying my head back where it was.

“How come you’ve never told me your name?”

My eyes popped open. I guess I spoke too soon when I asked myself “how bad could the question be?”. I swallowed nervously, looking up at the ceiling. I sat there for a moment, gathering my thoughts from the pile of mush they had formed into when I was first met with such a query. Finally, I cleared my throat, still not looking Tia directly in the eyes.

“I-… I guess I don’t really know why. I guess I never really got around to it, and there’s also…” I accidentally let that last part out before catching myself and stopping suddenly.

“Also what?” Tia said, suddenly having a pouty look over where there had been laughter and joy a few seconds ago.

I cleared my throat again, avoiding her gaze. “Well… I mean, you don’t seem to have aged a day since you arrived on my doorstep 5 years ago. I mean, sure, you’ve learned plenty of things and even dropped the whole “R’s and L’s are W’s” routine. It’s just that… You look the exact same as you did that night, with that little red bow and the letter attached to your head. At first, it was because I didn’t want you to grow too attached to me, in case Luna would ever return to bring you back to Equestria. Now, it’s more like I don’t want you to grow too attached because I’ll be dead and gone one day.” I said solemnly.

“Well, it’s only been 5 years.” She said matter-of-factly. “I mean, it’s going to take me a while to grow into a big, strong, full sized pony. How old are you?”

“Well… my birthday was a few months and days before you showed up on my doorstep. I was 22 then, so I guess I’m 27 now.”

“Oh…” she said, in the saddest voice I’d ever heard her use.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her, stroking the fur on the back of her neck like I knew she liked. It always comforted her and calmed her down.

“Well… I’ve forgotten exactly when my birthday is. The calendars here aren’t the same as in Equestria. But… I was around 498 years old when Luna sent me to Earth.”. She looked down at the ground, her eyes shut tightly with despair.

I was shocked. 498 years? How could any mortal being hope to ever reach such an age and still be so young?

“How is that even possible?” I asked Tia.

“It’s alicorn magic. We’re the most powerful beings in Equestria. Big sister Luna was 3,006 years old when she sent me to Earth. Our magic keeps us alive for many, many years.”

“So… what happens to you when I die?” I said, my voice quivering.

“I sincerely doubt that, if we remain as close as we are now, you will age enough for dying to be possible. In fact, since you still aren’t fully adjusted to my magic, you’re growing YOUNGER at the moment. I can sense it.”

“So that’s why I’ve been feeling so… energetic and young as of late?” I asked her, finally willing myself to catch her gaze.

“Yes.” She simply said.

I looked around for a few minutes, absorbing everything I had just heard. Was my little Tia saying that, back home, she was basically a God? I didn’t know what to make of it. It was so hard to believe, even if the little alicorn filly had long ago earned my trust.

I heard the sounds of tears falling to the ground through all of the silence, and immediately after I heard Tia whimpering and catching her breath every few seconds. It hurt me down to my very soul to see her in such despair, so I did the only thing I could think to do: I picked her up, and draped her across my shoulder. I held the little alicorn close, patting her back with one hand and stroking her coat with the other. My shirt’s shoulder was eventually soaked with her tears, and, for a little while, neither of us said anything. Eventually, the tears and the whimpers stopped, and I set her down on the couch, and took a seat next to her.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” I asked her, a look of concern flashing across my face before I could even consider holding it back.

“It’s just that… Well, my whole life, I knew was going to be alive a long time. But I never knew that humans lived so few years less than alicorns.”

“So what’s the problem?” I asked her, still focused on her quivering little body.

“I… I didn’t know that it would affect you so dramatically to have me around. That, if I continue to stay here, you’ll continue to grow younger and eventually age much slower. I wouldn’t blame you if you kicked me out. I don’t imagine you’re comfortable with living for that long…” She said, her voice trailing off.

I leaned back against the couch, letting the true weight of her words settle on me. She was right. For too long now, humans had philosophized about the fickle nature of long life, about how humans had a limited amount of time, and how they should embrace it, rather than beg for more time. What reason did I have to reduce myself to such a fate as a nearly unlimited lifespan?

I sat there for a minute, thinking of the right words to say to my sensitive little Tia. But the longer I looked, the more I could not help but think about the time we’d spent together. All of the smiles, the tears, the fights and the hugs and the bad dreams. Everything she’d ever done for me, and I for her. What good was living with myself after I’d turned such an innocent creature away? Finally, I looked up at her purple eyes, giving her a small smile.

“Tia, if living for a little while longer than I expected is the price I have to pay to make certain you’re safe and happy, then it’s more than worth it to me.” I told her.

“R… Really?” she asked shakily, not expecting that sort of response.

“Of course.” I said matter-of-factly, continuing to smile for her.

She jumped on me again, wrapping me up in another hug. I obliged her and put my arms around her furry little body.

“You can always count on me, my little Tia.” I whispered to her. And it was true; she could. She had grown on me over the last 5 years, as any child is able to do for any caregiver. I loved her like my own daughter. Everything we’d been through together had only solidified my feelings as her caregiver and only friend.

“By the way, it’s David.” I said to her.

“What?” she asked, her voice muffled from her muzzle being buried in my shoulder.

“My name. It’s David.” I said to her.

She snuggled herself closer to me, getting comfortable, and mumbled sleepily “I like that name…”. A few seconds later, she was asleep, happily napping against my shoulder. I looked at the clock. 12:30. That was her usual naptime, so I forced myself up and brought her down the hallway, laying her down in my bed and tucking her in. I kissed her cheek, and drew the blinds closed and the curtains together.

I walked back out into the living room, pausing outside the bedroom door to look at her sleeping peacefully for a moment. I smiled to myself, before cracking the door, knowing she had trouble with doorknobs.

“Sleep tight, my little Tia.”.

Colorations and Declarations

I was dreaming. Dreaming that dream again. I was floating through a sort of empty, abstract void, not here nor there, with the only the faint glow of some kind of light at the end of the long tunnel assuring me I still had my sight. I wasn’t falling; not really. Instead I felt like I was tied to a rope with something pulling me from the other end. Hard. I felt myself yanked back and forth in all directions, a slight nudge here and there, as if I was supposed to be landing somewhere specific.

I’d been dreaming this dream for just a little over 2 weeks now, the same things recurring and continuing on for what felt like 15 or so minutes in every instance. Despite my dreaming it for so long, I still didn’t have the slightest idea what any of it meant. Was it symbolic? Was it a warning? Was it nothing? I didn’t know. For now, it appeared all I could do was sit there and think about everything. Mostly Tia, obviously.

It had been fifteen years since Tia had appeared on my doorstep. My little Celestia was finally growing up; her legs had grown longer, as had her mane, and she grew smarter and smarter each and every day. Her voice had matured a bit, and her vocabulary had, as well. Of course, she was still just a little filly. But I could tell that she was growing up, even still.

As for myself... what could I say? It had been 15 years. I had been in college when Celestia first came, but soon enough, I had graduated, majoring in journalism. I had worked my way up through the ranks of the corporate ladder, and was now working from home as an editor for a local newspaper. I still lived in the same apartment on Furlow Street, but I made enough on my salary to spruce up the place a bit. The carpet was much nicer, maybe even plush to some feet, the lights were actually bright, the bathroom well-maintained, and the apartment generally had a much nicer air to it. I even had a girlfriend, who lived in the city. We had agreed to only meet up for now, not going to eachother’s homes. It was nothing too serious, but it made me happy enough, and Tia was happy for me. I would have been thirty-seven years old, but according to Tia, I was closer to twenty-five. I certainly wasn’t complaining.

Suddenly, back in dream-land, something started happening that took me by surprise. I felt my whole body being inverted, turning upside down, the void around me flipping and spinning, and I started falling. This hadn’t ever happened before. I could feel the sensations in my body; air was rushing around me, the sinking feeling of gravity’s pull rushing through my stomach. A voice was echoing, reverberating in my head, willing me through the void, until suddenly, a scream woke me from my dream.

I bolted upright, my bedsheets falling off of my suddenly straightened body. The scream had come from the kitchen, down the hallway, and Tia wasn’t in her spot next to me on the bed. I flew out of the bed, my body seeming to be on autopilot as I ran into the entrance of the kitchen.

Thankfully, the scene I rushed in on was not one of red splatters or burns, or any other variety of horrific things that had rushed through my head as I made my way down the hall. Instead, sitting there, looking sheepish and rather embarrassed, was Tia, a small plastic bottle resting on the floor beside her, dripping blots of pink onto the floor.

“I-... I’m sorry!” Tia said, looking at me with her best puppy dog eyes. “I... I just, I thought since you get me a cake every 5 years and it was 15 years as of this morning, I’d bake us a cake myself, and I wanted the frosting to be pink, like always, but I dropped the food coloring and… and...”

Forgetting the still serious look on my face, I surveyed the kitchen. There were chocolate stains everywhere, including the (once, a long long time ago) white walls, yellowed with age and now, streaked with brown. Pots and pans littered the floor, and dirtied mixing bowls and ingredient containers were scattered across the counter.

I looked back over at Tia, who was clearly now very upset.

“I-I’m sorry...” She said, her eyes starting to well up. “I wanted it to be a surprise...”

“Tia.” I said, doing my very best to suppress my laughter and remain stern-looking.

“Please oh please don’t be mad! It wasn’t meant to get like this, I swear!”

I shushed her, grabbing her under her forelegs and picking her up like someone would a cat, directing her over to a mirror.

“Your hair looks pink. And ridiculous.” I said, unable to hide my laughter any longer. Her entire mane was a giant, free-flowing wave of the brightest pink, every hair on her head appearing to have been covered in pink dye. Her coat wasn’t in much better condition, her normally pristine, white fur covered in streaks of brown and pink.

Upon seeing her hair for the first time, Celestia’s eyes grew wide, and then, eventually, settled back into place; her mouth quivered a small bit, and then she was laughing too, her still small body jostling around in my grip.

“Oh my gosh, it really does look ridiculous, doesn’t it?” She seemed to stumble over the words as laughter overtook her more and more, raising a hoof to run through her mane, seeming unable to be certain that this was actually her own hair.

I chuckled along with her, scooping her lower half into my other arm, holding her like she was a baby, like I knew she still liked, tickling the patch of fur on her chest.

She giggled, probably out of relief more than anything, since I wasn’t particularly mad at her. In fact, more than anything, I found myself just content with the fact that she was unharmed, and I told her so.

“I’m glad you’re not mad.” She said, smiling even wider at me.

“We’ll finish the cake later, alrighty?” I said, eyeing the mess that my kitchen had become, and considering how much of a pain it would be for me to scrub those chocolate stains off of the walls. “For now, I think it’s time somebody had a bath.”

In the bathtub, Celestia splashed around, having more fun than one would imagine a God-like deity could in a tub full of water. I added bubbles to it, like I always did, Celestia always saying that she especially liked the way the powder smelled. Apparently to her, it smelled of bubblegum. I didn’t smell it, but I did know that I’d never let Tia try gum again. AFTER her magic had resulted in the gum expanding in her mouth for a reason I still don’t understand, I’d tried to cut the gum out of her hair, only to realize that the moment I took a pair of scissors to her hair, they’d snapped like a twig. Eventually, with enough magical coaxing, Celestia managed to shrink it down enough so I could pluck it out.

I supposed, as I sat there on the toilet seat, that what with Tia being a magical being, that, regardless of how long I’d known her and taken care of her, there would always be things about her I wouldn’t understand.

Now that I thought about it, I wondered just what the extent of her magical ability was. What was the most impressive thing she could do? Other than pull the weight of a massive celestial body into the sky each and every day, obviously.

Looking down at Celestia, who was still having fun splashing around among her bubbles, I picked up a washcloth, idly scrubbing the fur on her back and front to rid it of the stains. The pink in her hair was slowly, slowly running down and into the bathwater, bringing back the multicolor mane I knew so well. The bathwater, already pink enough with the bubble solution, was now about as pink as the Barbie aisle at a Wal-Mart.

“Say, Tia?” I began, finally deciding I wanted to know more about her magic.

“Yeah?” She said, looking up at me with a smile, a single bubble balanced on the tip of her nose.

I smiled back at her, and then continued “I know that, as an alicorn, you’re incredibly powerful, but what are some of the things you know for a fact you can do with your magic?”

Celestia paused for a moment, putting her hoof against her chin. “Hmmm… Well, I can move things around, and, if they aren’t alive, I can usually make them bigger or smaller, like I did with that gum. I can make more of small things, but not too much more. Really, I still have a lot to learn about magic. There are spells that can heal wounds, restore memories, even turn back time…” She said, now lost in thought.

I couldn’t help but be taken aback slightly. During my time with Celestia, I had come to accept many things I didn’t understand, like the existence of alternate worlds and possibly even universes with sentient… ponies living on them, the existence of magic at all, and animals besides birds having wings. But manipulating time itself? That seemed too ridiculous for me to believe, even now.

“But, if your sister could manipulate time, why wouldn’t she go back to before, when you did what you did, and fix it?”

“Not even Big Sis can perform that spell. She used to say that maybe when she was older, but for now, she couldn’t. Only one pony I know has ever been able to do it; our court magician, Starswirl the Bearded. He was a very, very, very old pony. Almost as old as my mother. He was the most powerful unicorn any of us had ever seen. He introduced the whole kingdom to completely new spells no one had ever seen before. I know Luna especially liked him. Said she’d still remember his name even after 1,000 years.”

“Wow…” I said, shocked by Celestia’s tale. Even though I knew she was getting much smarter, I hadn’t expected her to tell me a story like that. I supposed there had been the day 10 years earlier when she had gotten unexpectedly serious for that one day. But there hadn’t really been a repeat of that time. Well, not until now, I guess…

“Tia?” I continued, handing her the washcloth, which was her cue to wash her feet and legs, since her pony anatomy made it a little hard for me to do it myself.

“Yeah?” she asked, looking up at me as she dragged the soapy washcloth across her hooves, looking all together much too adorable.

“Don’t you ever… Y’know, miss Equestria?”

She smiled, looking at her own reflection in the pink bathwater. “Well, of course I do sometimes, just like you talk to me about how you miss your mommy sometimes. You know she isn’t really so far away, but that doesn’t mean you don’t remember what it was like when you were there.”

I grabbed my fluffiest towel off of the rack, and pulled her out of the bathtub, pulling down the drain stopper as I did so. The pink water swirled away, and the bubbles went down the drain along with them.

As I dried her off, her coat a shiny white and her mane back to its old, multicolor self, I wrapped her up and picked her up, holding her fast against my chest. She was nice and warm, and she snuggled against me, her muzzled pushed into my collarbone.

“Well, even though you miss home, you don’t seem to talk about it too much.” I said, nudging open the bathroom door.

“Well, yeah. That’s because I have you. You take care of me even though you didn’t have to, and you make this place feel like home just as much as everypony did back in Canterlot!” she said happily, looking back up at me with those big purple eyes. I couldn’t help but smile and hug her close to me.

“And I will for as long as I need to. You know that, don’t you, little Tia?” I said softly, paused in the middle of the hallway so I could just enjoy the moment with her.

“Of course I do.” She said, wrapping her front hooves around my neck.

Finding myself unable to help myself, I felt tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, threatening to reach past the point of breaking.

To hell if they do, I finally decided. There was no reason to hold them back any longer. For so long, I'd been denying myself. Through everything we'd been through, I'd try to play it off as the heat of the moment, as a temporary feeling. But it had always been there. And I couldn't pretend any longer.

“Tia?” I asked, my voice quaking like a dam about to burst, and indeed, that felt like it was going to be the case, were I to keep this up much longer.

“Yeah?” She asked a little hesitantly, no doubt worried by the shaking in my voice.

“A long time ago, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. I wouldn’t say this. I wouldn’t get this attached. But, I can’t can’t help myself anymore. You mean too much to me now, and I just can’t anymore. I love you, Tia. Like a daughter. Like more than a daughter…” I said, the tears flowing freely, but myself not making any more noise other than that.

A few moments passed, and the air seemed to have grown colder, clinging to me like it was from the Arctic itself. I didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t do anything at all, really. Then, a single sniffle cut through the silence, coming from the little bundle curled against my chest.

“Tia?” I called out, lifting my arms to look at her face.

She was crying, tears running down her cheeks and sniffles rocking her little muzzle back and forth. But, her mouth was turned up into the widest grin I think I had ever seen from her. And then she was speaking, her voice shaky, but her words firm.

“I… I love you too, David!” She said, her body still shaking against mine with her powerful sobs. “I wanted to tell you for so long! I wanted so badly to let you know how much you meant to me, but I was scared it would just make things worse… But I love you too! Just like a big brother. A special, special kind of big brother. The best I could ask for.” She said, seeming to do it all in one breath, wrapping her little hooves around me, pulling me close. For a few minutes, we just sat there together, our hearts so close we could feel the other’s beating, until the tears from both of us subsided. Finally, I broke the hug. I hadn’t noticed, but the air seemed to have gotten warmer, without my noticing.

I looked down at Tia, who was still smiling up at me.

“I guess you’re stuck with me.” I said, reaching out my hand so she could put her hoof in it.

She looked up at me, smiling as wide as ever, placing her hoof in mine.

“I don’t think I’d rather be stuck with anyone else.” She said.

“Now, how about we finish that cake?” I said, leading her back towards the kitchen. “And this time, I’ll handle the food coloring.”

…

Later that night, after I had fallen asleep, my belly full of cake and my heart full of happiness, I dreamt that dream again.

Except this time, I hit the bottom.

Complications and Relocations

As my body slammed down on the ground, the air was emptied from my lungs, heaving out with a heavy sigh. My vision went incredibly blurry for a moment, and my ears buzzed, my head numbed with pain. Through the haze of pain, I made out a voice calling out; “Oh my goodness oh my goodness I’m so so so sorry! Are you okay? Oh please be okay!”

I sat up slowly, placing my hand on what appeared to be a cool wooden floor. I nearly jerked it away in shock. A wooden floor? Where the hell was I? Why was I-

My thoughts themselves were interrupted by a fresh pang of pain in my head. I didn’t get it. What was going on? Looking around my surroundings, I tried to use that to get some answers…

… Or at least, that’s what I would have done, were there not a lavender pony two inches from my face, inspecting me all over like some kind of test subject. She flinched slightly when I lurched away from her interrogative gaze, her feet clippa-clopping across the solid wood surface, the horn on her head shining with a purple glow, appearing as though she was ready to defend herself. I noticed her horn was about the same color as her coat, which must have meant that most, if not all, of the unicorn’s horns were like that. I’d always assumed Celestia was just white and her horn was white, like unicorns were always shown.

I quickly sat up and held my hands up in the air, showing her I wasn’t going to hurt her. She calmed down, nodded slowly, and resumed looking me over. While she was… busy… doing that, I took a chance to look at where at I was. Her house was cylindrical in shape, with shelves lining the walls, even the staircase that led up to what I could only assume to be the bedroom. The shelves were packed to the very brim with books of every shape, size, and color. Obviously this was a library, or the home of an avid book lover.

Everything in the house appeared to carved from wood, and there were two windows, one beside the door and one along the staircase. For some reason, their shades were completely drawn, blocking any sunlight. In the center of the room, there was a checkout desk of some sort, with a cart of books beside it. So it was a library.

I decided to try catching a better look at my gracious host. Her coat and horn were both a lavender color, and her eyes were purple, darker than Tia’s. Her hair was a navy blue tidal wave, curving up above past her shoulder and cresting past her forehead, with a stripe of pink on one side and purple on the other. She was a little taller than Celestia, but for some reason, her horn was shorter, at least from what I could see, and she didn’t have wings. Just a unicorn, then.

“Just a unicorn.” Obviously living with Tia had changed me more than just a little bit, hadn’t it?

“Umm… Hello?” I ventured, hoping to figure out where I was, or at least anything about this place.

She gasped, her eyes widening with surprise “It worked! It finally worked! You speak English!? Wow! I thought for sure I’d have to perform a translation spell or something! This is amazing! Maybe Earth really isn’t that different from Equestria after all… Say, what’s it like on Earth? Is there magic? Does everyone speak the same language? Ooooooh, I have so very many questions!” The pony was clearly enthusiastic. From what I could see, she looked like the kind of pony that loved research, given her expansive vocabulary and obvious love of examination.

“Who… Who are you? What am I doing here?” I asked, still sitting in the middle of the floor and holding my head.”

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! I haven’t even introduced myself, please forgive me. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you’re in my house in Ponyville.”

“And why am I in your house, exactly?” I asked her, trying to work myself onto my feet.

“Because I need to speak to you. You personally. I know you have Celestia staying with you.”

I froze up for a moment. They weren’t on planning on hurting Tia, were they?

Obviously, Twilight could tell I wasn’t keen on her wording, and reassuringly said “Relax. We’re not after her. Well, not to harm her, anyhow. We need Celestia. And we need you too.

“I don’t understand…” I said, beginning to pace about the library, looking at the floor. “How did you even get me here, anyhow? I’m supposed to be asleep. Is this still a dream?”

“I can assure you it’s not a dream, and I can assure you that you are really in Ponyville.”

“Prove it.”

“The dreams you’ve been having about being pulled and yanked and falling through space? That was me, trying to pull your dreaming self through the worlds to bring you here for a while.”

“But Equestria is practically in another universe! How did you do it? You’re just a normal unicorn. I thought only alicorns had that kind of magic.”

Twilight smiled. “I see that Celestia has taught you plenty. It’s good to know you cared for her enough to remember. Yes, I am just a unicorn. However, I’ve dedicated my life to the study of magic, so I’ve become more adept than most at it. However, performing a spell to bring something back from Earth, especially someone human, is very, very difficult. Most ponies don’t even know Earth exists. However, you’re wrong about it being in another universe. Equestria is just outside of your solar system. As a matter of fact, a place in Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, is actually a piece of the Earth that hit here over 100,000 years ago. That’s the only reason we know it exists. It fused with the magic of the rest of this world, but it still retains its characteristics. Plants grow by themselves, the weather isn’t controlled, animals take care of themselves… The residents of Ponyville think it’s just an unnatural phenomenon, but I’ve read in my books all about what it really is. Still…. I’ve never met a human. The only things we had to go by were the things when that piece of earth crashed here. There were paintings of what people looked like, but they were much more… broad… Than you are. You look different tha-”

“Well, we evolved.” I said, smiling, knowing she had a point to make. I liked this pony. She was nice enough, and she seemed like she’d be easy to get on a tangent about any subject, which was a pretty adorable trait, if you thought about it.

“That still doesn’t explain how you got me here,” I said, still puzzled as to how she had pulled that little stunt off. As Twilight walked towards me, I could make out the slight scent of flowers in her mane and tail.

“Well, you see, you were having that dream for such a long time because in order for me to have the magic power to bring you here, you needed to have a very special connection with a powerful, powerful magical creature, someone like-“

“Someone like Celestia…” I said.

“Precisely. But now isn’t the time for that. Ponyville is in danger. Very very serious danger. Princess Luna has lost control of her own mind, and now, everything has potentially been thrust out of control. You see, she controls the moon, and like Princess Celestia controlled the sun and went mad with power, Luna is doing the same thing, but it’s much worse. Much much worse.”

“How much worse?”

“Have you ever wondered what Earth would be like without the sun? Crops wouldn’t grow, the balance of ecosystems would be thrown off… It’d be catastrophic!” Twilight said. “And if Princess Luna has her way, that's exactly what's going to happen!"

“So what does this have to do with me?” I asked Twilight, as she cantered away from where she was standing to go over and examine one of her many books.

“Those dreams that you were having lasted for so long because I couldn’t bring you over to our world until your bond with Celestia had strengthened enough for her to lend you some of her magical powers unintentionally. I finally had enough to pull the person in your dreams all the way here, it just took me a few tries. Something happened that night that made you bind with Celestia in a way that hadn’t happened up to that point.”

I paused, looking over at a shelf of books.

“I told her I loved her.”

“Oh… Oh my goodness! That’s wonderful news!” Twilight said.

“Huh? Why?” I asked, skeptical as to there being any kind of good news to come out of this.

“Love is a very powerful and mysterious thing, and still has the most latent magical ability in this world. Nopony has ever been able to figure out why, and I doubt they ever will. It’s an unexplainable thing. If you and Celestia share that kind of connection, it could be very helpful on our journey.”

“Journey?”

“Yes. Yourself, myself, and Celestia, are going after Luna, for when and if she puts her sinister plans into action. I’ve been her student for years, and I won’t let her be lost to the dark. We’ll be going to Canterlot, to the place where Tia herself once lived, and soon will again. I even lived there, once, but I moved to Ponyville hoping to learn more about friendship… and because they had a job opening as a stay-at-home librarian…” she said sheepishly, blushing as she surveyed her massive book collection.

I smiled at her “I can tell that you love books. I guess you looked up the spell to get me here that way?”

She nodded, trotting over to a desk that resembled a podium at the front of a church, parchment stacked high and a quill in an inkwell sitting next to it.

“Speaking of that, I need to document the success of my spell…” she said, her quill beginning to scratch along as she scribbled notes using her horn to delicately guide the quill.

“So… Celestia and I need to get here from Earth. How are we going to do that?” I asked her.

“I’m going to perform a spell on you that, if done right, will allow Celestia to read your mind, giving you all of the information she needs to cast the spell herself. Using the power of your two’s love as a catalyst, it should be enough to send you both here.”

“And that’s going to work, right?”

“Even if it doesn’t, we have time to prepare. Princess Luna still hasn’t succumbed to the darkness, but the sooner we get to her, the better.” Twilight responded.

“I guess that makes sense.” I said, continuing to simply watch her as she wrote out whatever it was she was writing.

“Of course it does! I’m the best organizer in Ponyville!” Twilight exclaimed proudly.

“But… One thing. Why did Luna become this corrupt? It’s only been 15 years since she banished Celestia.” I asked Twilight.

Twilight looked back at me, looking somewhat surprised.

“15 years? David… It’s been 1,000 years.”

I felt myself recoiling back, just from Twilight saying this simple thing. 1,000 years? How? That didn’t make any sense. 1,000 years… Even longer than it had taken man to discover America. Practically only two of those, and as long as we’d begun making dates in B.C and not A.D… How could it have been 1,000 years?

“I know it’s not easy to swallow, David, but it’s the truth. Time where you are and time where I am doesn’t work the same.”

“I noticed…” I said, still recovering from shock.

Twilight came over to me once again, looking up at me.

“Okay, David, I need you to kneel down. I’m going to cast that spell on you now.” I did as she asked, and she tilted her head, her horn touching my forehead and the scent of flowers floating past me again. I felt a strange tingling in the base of my skull, and then a sudden, electrical kind of shock. I gasped and jerked back, holding my head. All at once I suddenly remembered something I hadn’t before. But the words of the memory were scrambled… Jumbled… I didn’t know what they mean. I held my head, still pained by what had happened.

“Is something wrong, David?” Twilight asked, looking concerned.

“Oh… Ah… No, no, I’m fine. Just a little motion sick, I suppose.” I said to her, chuckling as I returned to my feet.

“Oh, good!” she said, smiling, and then turning back, suddenly looking back at the shades on her windows.

“Is it me, or is it a little dark in here? I closed the shades so nopony would see I had a HUMAN in my house, but since you’re about to leave…”

As she drew up the shade, moonlight graced its way through, shining on a spot on the floor. Twilight let out a gasp of shock, jumping away from the window.

“Oh no…” she said, trailing off and simply staring into space

“What’s wrong? You nocturnal or something?” I asked the frantic unicorn.

“No… no that’s not the problem…” she said.”

“Then what?”

She turned and looked at me, her face twisted with distress and fear.

“It was 3:36 in the afternoon when you got here, and the sun was out to stay.”.

Short: Celestia's Lullaby

Note from the Author: ((A few days ago I woke up earlier than normal, and didn't have much to do. I grabbed my acoustic guitar and walked outside, where it was still dark and the sun was just barely coming up. I sat down and began to play softly, enjoying being able to hear my music very clearly. As the sun rose, I suddenly thought about Princess Celestia, and My Little Celestia. As I played, I began playing softer, sweeter notes. I began to wonder what David, provided he could play guitar, would play for little Celestia if she was having trouble sleeping.

Here's what I came up with. Please listen to it to get an idea of what David played for Celestia))

There was a time I can remember when Tia was still new to my household. She had gone to bed early, and I was outside in the living room, watching television. I wasn’t paying much attention, as my thoughts were elsewhere.

It was still soon enough after little Tia had come into my household that I wondered about her: What she was, where she had come from. Sure, she had supplied me with some answers, but they were all still hesitant, herself, although young, very reluctant to tell me much, for lack of full trust.

From my back room, a low whimpering began to emanate. I could just barely make out the sound of covers rustling and little feet kicking.

Tia was having trouble sleeping again.

I walked into the room we shared, watching her as her little body tossed and turned, jarring the covers this way and that. Her little muzzle was opened, soft whimpers escaping from it. I simply looked on, fearing waking her up in case she hurt herself or me in her fright

She suddenly awoke herself with a start, gazing up at me with her big purple eyes, the edges of them dotted with clear tears.

“You… You’re here!” She said, jumping out of bed faster than I could register and into my arms, burying her muzzle into my chest.

“Wait, what’s wrong?

She said through her tears “I had a weawy scawy dweam that you were gone and I was never going to see you again!” she said, clenching me close to her, as if to assure herself I couldn’t leave if she held me tightly enough.

I smiled, and put my arms around her, holding her close

“Tia, I promise that I will always, always be here for you, no matter what.”

She sniffled, her words becoming clearer.

“Pw-pwomise?”

“I promise.”

I laid her back down in my bed.

“Say, how about I show you something special?”

“Sure!” she squeaked enthusiastically.

Smiling at her, I walked past the bed onto the left side, further past the doorway. I pulled open my closet and dug around the inside. Finally reaching my prize, I pulled it out: An old acoustic guitar. I gave it a quick strum, surprised to hear it was relatively still in tune. It smelt of old wood and brought back a flood of memories of a youthful me strumming away on it in my spare time.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Tia.

“This is a guitar.”

I strummed a basic chord to show her how it sounded.

“Wow…” She said, astonished. “I thought onwy ponies could pway guitaw.”

“They have guitars in Equestria?” I said.

“Well, sure! They’ve got pianos and cewwos and hawps and aww sorts of neat stuff!”

I was surprised to hear this. Musical instruments like ours in Equestria? How did they play them? Magic, perhaps?

Regardless, I began playing more complicated, light notes, trying to coax her to sleep.

Sure enough, as I fleshed out a song, bright and soft and enlightening, like the sunrise, Tia’s eyes fluttered, eventually shutting. I heard her whisper “It’s beautiful…” as she drifted off to sleep.

I continued to play until she was sleeping peacefully, and I had a new tune. I was surprised by my own ability to play as well as I had, despite it having been quite a while since I picked up the guitar.

Regardless, I set the guitar aside, and kissed Celestia on the forehead, right under her horn.

Once I was back in the living room, I retrieved a pencil and a piece of paper. Trying to remember what I had just played, I jotted at the top of the page “Celestia’s Lullaby”.

Salutations and Integrations

Just watching the panicked lavender pony madly charge about her abode of arbor was enough to make me nervous. The only words she appeared able to formulate as she scrambled about the place, frantically tossing books from their shelves, were “Oh no oh no oh no oh no…!”

“Forgive me…” I said slowly, still standing exactly where I was, moving only occasionally to step out of the frantic unicorn’s way, “But… I don’t fully understand exactly what’s happening…”

Twilight jerked her head back at me, looking all the more like a psycho and less like a reliable companion.

“Luna, Celestia’s big sister, has become corrupt with the power that she and Celestia were supposed to share. The balance has been thrown off, and Luna has succumbed to the darkness in her heart, becoming…. Nightmare Moon.”

“And how do you know this for sure?” I asked Twilight.

“During my magical projections to worlds and realms beyond Equestria, my travels have taken me to more places than you can imagine: The most interesting of these being what I like to call “parallel planets”, where the same beings occupy a virtual copy of another world, but with events that are sometimes entirely opposite of what is happening on the planet you actually occupy. In one of these worlds I visited that was exactly like Equestria, I felt… the presence of a balance, a union, a HARMONY, the likes of which I had never encountered before. Something about this planet was different, and I wished to figure out what.

"Imagine my shock when, as it turned out, the difference was that Princess Celestia was the older sister, and I was her most prized student! Apparently, Celestia and Luna had created six very special gems called the Elements of Harmony that they used to maintain balance throughout Equestria, and used them to combat threats to the land. Many an evil threat was destroyed with their combined power, including the very God of Chaos himself.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, there’s a GOD of CHAOS here?”

“Apparently so. Anyhow, in that parallel universe I believe to be the most harmoniously balanced, Princess Luna went mad with power, angered that nopony appreciated her beautiful night. She attempted to bring eternal night to Equestria, and Celestia banished her to the moon for 1,000 years. During those years, Luna grew angrier and angrier at her sister and the citizens of Equestira, her anger manifesting as a powerful dark magic, that made her stronger than she had ever been, but at the price of her humanity. She felt nothing but anger and malice in her heart."

"Eventually, Nightmare Moon, as she was now known, escaped from her lunar prison, returning to Equestria to bring back eternal night. Thankfully, my 5 friends and I used the Elements of Harmony to defeat her and restore daylight to Equestria!”

“And where are those five friends now?”

“Well… I haven’t met them all yet. I met one of them when I first arrived in Ponyville, but she’s a littl-“

“A LITTLE WHAT?” a high voice bellowed from somewhere behind me, nearly sending me out of my skin.

“Pinkie Pie…?” Twilight said uncertainly, looking towards the direction of the disembodied voice.

The head of a bright pink pony with an even more outrageous… mane? Then, a bright pink pony with a ridiculously styled mane popped out from between two books on one of Twilight’s many bookcases, eyeing me once over with what looked to be a childish sense of wonder.

“Wow, Twi, who’s your friend?”

“This is… ah, David, Pinkie Pie… He’s… not from around here.”

“So he’s new in town!?” Pinkie Pie squealed with delight, looking back at me with an impossibly wide grin.

“Erm… Yes. But he’s not going to be here for very long, so I’m afraid you won’t be able to throw him a party.”

The pony in the bookcase deflated audibly like she was some kind of animated balloon, her downtrodden expression nearly infectious.

“Um… Excuse me?” I ventured, speaking to her almost cautiously. “How are you… doing that?”

“Doing what?” She asked me, genuinely confused.

“Umm… You know… Toying with the laws of physics like a cat with a ball of yarn.”

“Heehee! You talk weird, Mister. But, to answer your question, it’s all right here in this book!” Pinkie Pie stated simply, rifling through Twilight’s bookshelf until she came across the title she was looking for, tossing it to me.

I caught it, looking at the title.

“Breaking the Fourth Wall For Dummies.”

Twilight did a double take, her jaw appearing to have fallen on the floor.

“Pinkie… I don’t own that book.” Twilight said dumbfoundedly.

“Oh, I know! I keep it on me at all times, as a reference!” Pinkie said, popping up next to the awestruck unicorn.

“So why was it on my…?”

Pinkie Pie just gave Twilight a long, almost sympathetic look.

“Right…” Twilight said, shaking her head and walking towards her bookshelf to straighten it out.

Pinkie Pie looked up at me with a smile, looking for all the world like another pony I knew. In short, much too adorable.

“So you’re not gonna be around for long, huh…?” The party pony said dejectedly, looking at the floor.

“Ah… I guess not. Sorry, Pinkie Pie.” I said apologetically.

“Awww, that’s okay! I’m sure we’ll see eachother again some time! And besides, there’s always the Welcome Wag-“

“Pinkie…” Twilght said menacingly, “If you bring that thing into my library, you will never feel peace from my wrath ever again. Do you understand me?”

“Uh… Yeah… Yeah Twilight…” Pinkie said, backing behind me slowly, like she was going to use me as a shield.

“A-Anyway, Twilight, I gotta get back to Sugarcube Corner! Thanks for introducing me to your friend!” Pinkie said, pulling me into a surprise hug that was so tight it nearly cracked my ribs.

“Bye David! Make sure you can stay longer next time so I can throw you a party!”

“Aheh… Will do, Pinkie…” I said, putting my arms around her uncertainly. The pony held the embrace for a little longer, before hopping away, every bounce producing an audible, cartoonish springing noise.

I watched her bounce down the street for a few moments before turning back to the pony that made more sense.

“Nice friend you've got there, Twilight.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” She said, chuckling, turning back to me. “Now, I’m going to cast a spell on you that will allow you to transfer the knowledge of how to get from your world to mine. The issue with this spell, however, is that it will take some time to pull from your unconscious mind, which is the only part of your mind I can access while you’re asleep.”

Her horn began glistening again with the faint purple glow. I felt something… Tugging at my head. It felt like my memories were being tampered with, like they were a bookcase that could just barely fit one more book, and someone was trying to shove the extra volume in there.

“Ah…. AH.” I said, in surprise at the incredibly strange and indescribable sensation gripping at my very psyche itself. The memories were worming their way in, intertwining among my natural memories like it they were a DNA helix accepting a stem cell.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, trying to maintain focus on the no doubt difficult spell she was executing.

“Yeah, yeah, it just… Feels strange…” I said, feeling the memory become fully integrated. Twilight’s horn eventually stopped glowing, her magic subsiding.

“So, it’s done now?”

“Yes. It’ll take you about two weeks to fully remember the instructions you need to tell Celestia to get your physical bodies here.”

“And you’re sure she’s strong enough to do it?”

“She’s an alicorn, David." Twilight said, smiling at me. “Even when she was a baby, she had more dormant ability than all of the ability I have now, both natural and learned.”

“Alrighty then. If you say so, I believe you. One question, though. Why didn’t that hurt at all? Is it because this is like a dream.”

Twilight nodded.

“If you were to be injured, per se, you’d just wake up in your bed. And it’s time to wake up.”

Suddenly, Twilight pointed her horn directly at me, training it dead-center on me, and charged in my direction, full speed.

Instigations and Confrontations

The last thing I heard was a high voice coming through the doorway, saying “Hey, Twilight, who turned out all the lights outside?”, before being slammed back into my own reality. Something hard and on the edge of sharp was poking into my stomach, and, for a moment, I feared the worst. Bolting upright and feeling around my stomach area frantically, I suddenly realized it was just Celestia, cowering in fear. Before I had time to register that, along with the millions of other things that were going through my mind, a furious hand slapped across my cheek.

“OW!” I yelled, one hand flying to my cheek to nurse it while I turned my head to look at who assaulted me.

It was Vannessa, my girlfriend. The one I had never had over. The one that things weren’t supposed to be too serious with. What was she doing here?

“I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why you’ve got this.. this... THING, in your bed, David. I don’t want to know. But I want YOU to know you’re a sick, sick man, and we’re through. I came over to make sure you were okay since no one’s heard from you for two days and I walk in to see you in bed with an ANIMAL, and with a horn and wings! I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, David, but you better straighten up. Hopefully soon. Goodbye.”

As she walked out, Tia apparently got fed up with her attitude.

“Hey! I am NOT a thing! I am a Princess! And David is the best caretaker I’ve ever had! He would never mistreat me! How dare you treat him this way?”

Astonished, Vanessa turned around, eyeing Celestia with a mixture of fear and fascination.

“D-... Did you just talk?” She said, her voice trembling.

“Well of course I did! You’d know that, if you only thought to ask before jumping to conclusions! You can’t just make assumptions about people at a single glance! That advances your so called “human race” at a pace so sluggish it borders on embarrassing! Trust is the foundation of a good society; something that should be hard not only to gain, but to defy. Have more faith in a man you care for enough to have an intimate relationship with, why don’t you?” Celestia said, clearly very angered. Her vocabulary always went up by about 5 grade levels when she was upset.

“You... you can talk. And you’re a unicorn... with wings...” She said slowly, like she was deriving some sort of pleasure from it. “Animals aren’t supposed to talk...”

Tia looked over to me with a bored expression, clearly not impressed.

“Are all humans so difficult, or did you just pick her for her looks?”

“Tia!” I said, finally snapping out of my stunned state. “There’s no need to behave that way!”

“Forgive me for being upset that she would assault you simply for taking care of me!” Tia said.

Vanessa, obviously still overwhelmed, suddenly began laughing. Not in an insane way, just a small little chuckle.

“What’s so funny? “ Tia asked, looking at her with a slight look of worry.

“Aww, you’re just a little jealous, aren’t you? Look, I’m sorry I hit David. I was just surprised and upset. And David, I’m sorry I didn’t think things through more. I was just upset because no one had heard from you, and well... I feared the worst.”

Tia turned a bright red, averting her gaze from the both of us. “I’m not jealous, I just care about David, is all.” She humphed. “But I accept your apology.”

“David?” Vanessa said.

“I’m sorry, Vanessa. I just had this dream, I can’t really explain it to you right now, although I guess I’m going to have to eventually. The point is, it just knocked me out a little longer than I expected. I promise I’m not crazy, and I know that this is a lot to take in, but believe me, Tia is always on her best behavior, and she doesn’t exactly have a lot of other places to go to.”

“But how do you take care of her? What about food? What about... using the bathroom?” She said quietly, looking over at Tia.

“Tia?” I asked. “Care to explain?”

“Well, miss, I don’t use the bathroom. All of my so called “waste” is thoroughly processed into magical energy I use to perform my SPECTACULAR FEATS OF ALICORN MAGIC!” she bellowed, her horn flaring up with yellow energy.

Vanessa gasped, backing away in fear.

Sooner than it had flared up with magical energy, Celestia’s horn went back to normal (or at least as normal as a unicorn horn could be), and Celestia began laughing hysterically, as Vanessa’s heart tried to get back to normal.

I tried my hardest to stifle my laughter as Vanessa glared at me through her messed-up black hair, which dangled in her eyes. She looked cute, and I told her so, before looking at Tia, clearing my throat and attempting to sound stern.

“Now, now, Tia, that’s enough fun with Vanessa. No doubt she’s quite stressed out from everything that’s happened. I know I am. So be on your best behavior, for me, okay?” I said, hugging her close.

Oh my God... I suddenly remembered, recalling the final moments of my dream. It’s still eternal night on Twlight’s end. I have to save them, and I have to do it now. But I have to keep calm. No use in panicking Celestia.

“Now, if you both would be so kind as to step out for a moment, I do need to get dressed. Why don’t you two wait out in the hallway and get better acquainted?” I asked, eyeing the door.

They both complied, walking through the doorway and closing it behind me.

In the hallway, Celestia and Vanessa stood waiting. It was only a matter of time before one tried to break the ice. Where exactly the other wanted to lodge the icepick, however, had yet to be seen.

“Sooo... Tia, was it?” Vanessa said, trying her best to sound sweet for the sake of David. “You sure are cute, now that I get a good look at you. You said you were a princess?”.

“Indeed. Back on my world, I am highly revered as a tyrannical and ruthless dictator, crushing friend and foe alike underneath my mighty, unforgiving hoof. Thousands of ponies have felt the sting of my cold blade and the might of my army as it unravels their pathetic civilizations at the seams...”

Vanessa paused, a look of worried confusion on her face.

“You... You’re not serious, are you?”

“Of course not! Ponykind has long since lost the need for war. We co-exist in peace and harmony, and I, as their princess, am simply responsible for leading the people and raising the sun.”

“You raise the sun?”

“I sure do. That’s why I’m here in the first place. I abused my power, and my sister banished me to another planet. I landed on David’s doorstep, and he’s been taking care of me ever since. That was 15 years ago.”

Vanessa, still looking at Tia, couldn’t believe her ears.

“Wait, David has had you since he was 20? How has he kept you a secret for so long? What does he do when people visit?”

“I know a spell to make myself invisible, so whenever people have to come over, I just hide away somewhere and make myself invisible until they leave. I don’t need to use the bathroom, and David keeps the house stocked with food. I don’t need to go out.”

“So you’ve been cooped up in this house for 15 years? Don’t you get bored? Claustrophobic? Homesick?”

“Sure I do. But David buys me books and puzzles and other things to keep me stimulated while he has to work, and he plays with me most of the time when I ask. I was locked in a castle before I came here, with nothing to do, so this is actually a nice break.

“So David treats you like his child, of sorts?”

“Of sorts, yes. But he doesn’t love me like a daughter, and I don’t love him like a father. I love him the way I’d love a very special kind of big brother. But he’s better than any big brother could be. He means the world to me, and I can’t imagine going on without him.” She said, looking down with a smile on her face.

“Wow... You really do mean a lot to him, don’t you?”

“I like to think I do. And he means so much to me, too. And you do, too. He talks about you a lot.”

Vanessa felt a little ball form up in her throat, and she looked away from Celestia again.

“He does...?” She asked.

“Indeed. Mind you, nothing terribly dramatic or serious, but I know he’s serious about you.”

The doorknob turned, and the hinges squeaked as I opened the door, fully clothed.

“Hello, ladies. I hope you didn’t miss me too much.” I said, trying my best to continue to sound casual.

Vanessa, in a fit of romance, rushed up and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me close to her. I shot Tia a questioning look. She simply gave me a wink.

Preparations and Teleportations

The steam rising from my cup of tea was distorting the plain sepia-toned wall of my living room. It had been freshly brewed after the strange events leading up to me sitting on the couch (with Vanessa next to me) had unfolded. Through this distortion, etchings of pastel ponies frantically zipping about against their light brown background were being engraved by my mind into the wall. I was zoning out and I knew it, and yet I was too absorbed in everything that was happening to me to care about that.

It took Celestia, laying on the loveseat that sat at an angle from the couch I occupied, clearing her throat to even slightly blur the lines on the mental projections. I shook my head slightly and looked to Vanessa, sitting next to me. She had calmed down considerably since she assaulted me while I was still in bed, and was now sneaking less-than-unnoticeable looks at Tia every 30 seconds or so. It was this that finally let Celestia break the silence.

“Perhaps I have simply not been adequately briefed on the practices of humans, but, in the place I am from, staring is considered rude.” She said with carefully measured chagrin.

Vanessa choked on nothing, her eyes reverting back to a more stationary position as she swallowed. I was considering getting a knife from the kitchen to see if you really could cut through tension, since the air had to at least be 65% composed of it by now.

“Alright, guys. As fun as it is to await the inevitable moment when you two try to see what each other’s insides look like, we’re running out of time. We need to help your people in Equestria, Tia.”

Hearing that made Tia snap to attention, looking at me with an expression of fear. “Why, what’s happened there?”

I sighed, looking into my tea.

“Your sister went mad with power, and reverted into a monstrous form that threatens to shroud all of Equestria in eternal night. One of her subjects transported me to their world in my dreams, which was why I was out for so long. She cast a spell that would help teach you how to take us back to Equestria.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” She said, on the edge of panic, jumping off the couch and galloping over to me.

“Well, I don’t... quite remember it. Twilight said that once I woke up I’d remember it in about two hours.

“So how long do we have?”

I checked the clock hanging in the kitchen.

“About... an hour and 15 minutes.”

Oh God why... Tia and Vanessa in the same room....

As if on cue, Tia said almost derisively “Oh, wonderful. Perhaps I can... catch up with your beautiful girlfriend.”.

* * *

After an hour of the most passive-aggressive conversation I’d ever witnessed, I was starting to feel something stir in my head. As though something was trying to force itself from one part of my brain to another. It was an indescribable sensation, not entirely unpleasant, but still unnerving.

“Something’s... happening....” I said, not moving from my spot, continuing to look straight ahead.

“Are you alright?” Tia and Vanessa both asked at the same time, Tia leaving her spot on the loveseat and Vanessa placing a reassuring hand on my arm.

“Yeah... I mean, I’m not in pain or anything. The room isn’t spinning, it just feels like there’s something forcing its way through my brain...”

“It must be the spell coming to surface so that you can remember.” Tia said.

After a few more moments, I felt the slithering cease, and then something like it attaching to me, at the front. I felt an energy more powerful than any adrenaline rush course through my body, lifting me in the air. I saw a purple aura surround my body, as my eyes glazed over with white.

Somewhere far off, a voice echoed out past my head and into my world. One I recognized from earlier.

"Hello, my Princess. It is an honor to speak with you.”

Tia pointed her hoof at herself uncertainly.

“Are you... referring to me?”

“Indeed I am. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I was born after you had already been banished, but I’ve read extensively about you. And Luna spoke of you all the time.

From closer to my body, I heard Vanessa say “Wait, I recognize that voice from Teen Tita-”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Twilight suddenly cut in, hastily clearing her throat and returning to Celestia.

“Princess, we need you here. Things have not been the same since you were banished. I wish I had more time to explain, but it is imperative we bring you over to the other side.”

I’m coming with you... My own voice rang out, as if projected my thoughts.

“Are you sure about that, David? I know you’ve been here once before, but my calculations were wrong. It’s been a month since you left. So much has changed, you would not think you were returning to the same place.”

That doesn’t matter to me. I have to watch over Tia. Plus...

I hesitated for just a moment, wondering if it was even in my best interest to speak my feelings about the subject at hand.

… I don’t know if I’m ready to be away from her just yet.

“I... I understand, David. I must ask that when I’m finished communicating with the princess that you pack what you need, and prepare for a long journey. Don’t worry about food or drink; we can provide that.”

“Miss Sparkle, was it? I have a suggestion.”

Tia trotted up to me, placing her long ivory horn on my head. It glowed with magical energy, and she spoke again:

“Transfer yourself into my own mind, that way we may discuss these matters while David prepares.”

All at once I felt the presence that had been shifting through my brain begin to drain out like a plug had been pulled. One last bit of advice echoed through my mind before the presence was gone entirely:

You might wanna dress warmly.

And then my vision returned, and I was set back down. I looked down, seeing Celestia sitting on her back hooves, her front hooves supporting her in front. She seemed lost in thought, and her eyes glowed with an ethereal energy.

Vanessa had been surprisingly quiet through what she’d seen unfold, and I was starting to get suspicious. I placed a hand on her shoulder and faced her. She looked to me, lines of worry already formed on her face.

“I know this is probably a lot to take in, and really suddenly too, but... you know I have to go, don’t you?”

She sighed and looked away from me and back at Tia. “I... I guess I do. But... magic? Bubblegum colored talking ponies? It doesn’t make any sense, David.”

“Here, talk with me while I get some clothes together.” I said, beckoning her back to my room. As we made our way down the hallway, I responded to her previous statement.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense. Even though I’ve been dealing with it for 15 years it doesn’t fully make sense to me, either. It’s not something you can ever fully accept. You just kinda realize that it’s there and you’re obviously not going to do anything about it, and you live with it, I suppose...”

Suitcase. Sweater. Pants. Long Johns

“That’s all I can do with Tia. She’s caught a cake in midair, lifted full sized dressers like I would a feather, set my pants on fire, filled a tub with water... and that’s when she couldn’t control it!

Another sweater. Boots. Thermal socks. Long sleeved shirt.

“She set your pants on fire?”

Gloves. Hat. Scarf.

“Mhmm. I don’t know what the extent of her power is, but if she’s royalty and Twilight is just a regular unicorn who can pull people out of their own dreams, who knows what Tia can do?”

“Well, Twilight seems to think that she can pull people between dimensions.” Vanessa responded, leaning against the wall by the door. “Speaking of that, you know that I don’t want to come with you, right?”

With a zip of my suitcase, I looked over to her.

“I know. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t want to either...”

She sighed, in the kind of way a parent does when they wonder what they’re going to do with their free-spirited child. She pulled me to her and wrapped me in a hug.

“I know how much she means to you.” she said quietly to me, resting her head on me. “And I know that it doesn’t mean I don’t mean anything to you, but... It’s more important you be there with her than you be here with me.”

I smiled even though I knew she couldn’t see, and rested my head against hers.

“I’m glad you understand.” I replied, lifting her chin so I could press my lips against hers. After all, who knew when I’d get to again? She didn’t put up any resistance, and I enjoyed my last few moments with her.

From down the hallway, I heard Tia’s voice call out

David! It’s time to go!!

I grabbed my suitcase and hefted it through the doorway, Vanessa close behind. I returned to the living room, Tia sitting the same spot we’d left her in.

“You know how to get us there?”

“Most certainly.”

“Tia... I did have one more question before we go.”

“Hmm?”

“Is there any way that I can keep in contact with Vanessa when I’m in Equestria? Any way that she can see what we see or at least talk to us?”

Celestia seemed to grimace for a fraction of a moment before her expression returned to neutral, and she spoke.

“Twilight says that I can develop a connection with her fairly easily that she can use to see what I see and communicate with me in my mind.”

Sweet merciful Lord.

“You... you mean she’d be speaking through you... not me?”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules, because believe me, they’d be changed if I did.” she said in a huff.

“Can you do it anyhow? For me?” I pleaded, wanting some way for Vanessa to know I would be alright.

“Very well... but I can’t be held responsible for what gets said.” She replied. She made her way over to Vanessa, holding her horn high.

“If you’d be so kind as to place your forehead against my horn.” She said, Vanessa following her instructions. A glow came from her horn, and a thin stream made its way from her horn and into Vanessa’s head, and after a moment, made its way back out.

“It is done. She’ll be able to communicate with us through me and see what I se-... Yes Vanessa, I know the coffee table looks different from this height. Kindly filter your thoughts.”

I’m already questioning how worthwhile this is going to be...

* * *

Tia stood next to me, looking up at me with those big purple eyes, just like the first night she’d met me. She gave me an uneasy smile and closed her eyes, her horn sending out a burst of magic that enveloped us in a bubble of soft white.

“Ready to go?” She asked, her voice shaky.

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose.” I responded.

The magic began to swirl around us faster and faster, building up like a mighty hurricane, and as I looked to Tia I could tell she was afraid. I reached down and grabbed one of her hooves, gripping it firmly. She looked up to me one final time, and with a final flash of light from her horn, we were gone from my living room.

* * *

Traveling between worlds doesn’t feel like anything in the real world. It doesn’t feel like falling or tugging or pulling. It doesn’t even feel like I think it should: Drifting, in a vast ocean of multiverses so layered and expansive my mind cannot even begin to fabricate a fraction of every one that exists. It feels like nothing. Nothing moves, nothing breathes, nothing is making noise, or there for you to see, or even touch.

It’d give a man some time to think, if it lasted just a little longer.

But then we were spontaneously somewhere far from home, crumpled on the ground, our appendages still firmly gripping one another’s.

Twilight was right. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d think we’d landed somewhere completely different. In fact, for a moment I wondered if Tia’s magic had failed. But, it hadn’t. This was Equestria...

Blankets of snow covered everything. Every inch of earth was dusted with white flakes, a bitter, chilling wind blowing even more flakes down from the heavens. The darkness of the night was cut off by a single patch of clouds that had been eliminated to make way for a large and beautiful moon, made even whiter against the wintry backdrop.

Perhaps what stuck out the most, however, were the many wide holes that were dug into the ground that shone a faint light. They were scattered everywhere in the snow, brown paint splotches on an otherwise unstained canvas. A shape slowly emerged from one of them, pulling themselves out and making their way over to us. I could tell from the mane-cut that it was Twilight Sparkle. For a moment, a small head with several spines stuck out after the pony, taking a quick look around before ducking back down.

“What has become of my beloved home...” Tia said, dumbstruck, as she squeezed my hand ever tighter with her hoof.

As Twilight neared us, I began to make out her clothing. A dark brown coat covered most of her torso, the hood revealing the inside made of a rough and darkened fur that I would find myself experiencing much closer up soon enough. Finally she made her way to the pile Tia and I had landed in when we arrived.

Her breath coming out in a fog, she eyed the pair of us.

“Welcome to Equestria.”

Explorations and Orations

Twilight refused to speak until we were back below ground, free of the swirling and chilling winds. We slowly climbed our way down a winding tunnel, Celestia’s white fur becoming increasingly spotted with dirt and mud, rocks painfully digging into my hands. Lanterns filled with green flames cast an eerie glow over the tunnel as we descended further into the Earth, and as I looked further down, I could see the tinge of fear in ‘Tia’s eyes. For some reason, I could feel a force on myself that made me feel heavier than usual, like something was weighing me down.

Eventually, we made our way to an uneven and rocky passageway, also lit by lanterns of green fire. I couldn’t help but notice that along the walls were randomly embedded gemstones of various shapes and sizes, discolored by the green light. ‘Tia, visibly shaken by the climb and the darkness, reached out and grabbed my hand with her hoof, and I gave it a gentle squeeze as we looked down the cavern.

“So... You guys just embed gems into the sides of your caverns, or what?” I asked Twilight, who was already making her way down the tunnel, apparently very eager to stay away from the entrance.

“Oh, no, Equestria has a denser core than Earth does, increasing the gravitational pull on objects and exerting greater pressure, increasing the chance of gemstones being created. It’s also why we, despite clear sentience, evolved as quadrupeds and why we’re shorter than horses from Earth.”

“How do you know so much about Earth?” I was confused as to how she could be so familiar with things about my world, and yet I could know almost nothing about hers.

“Astral projection. Once I learned how to do it, I did it all the time. Earth was the most curious to me. Almost identical to Equestria in terms of climate and sentient beings. But no magic, and much more... hatred... I didn’t understand it. I wanted to know as much as I could, especially what could inspire such hatred.. My research was halted when Princess Luna began to change... Since then my time has been devoted to leading the Soldats du Soleil and tracking down our rightful princess...”

“‘Soldats du Soleil’? I know from ‘Cirque du Soleil’ that ‘du Soleil’ is ‘of the Sun’...

“It is indeed French, for Soliders of the Sun. But, my people know the country where French is spoken as Prance. And our true Princess is your companion, Celestia.” Twilight said, turning her head back and giving ‘Tia a nod. Tia, not used to being the princess in the limelight, tried her best to nod back but nearly tripped over her own hooves.

“Vanessa says this cavern is beautiful. She didn’t speak much while we were climbing down for obvious reasons.” Tia said to me, looking over at me in the dim light.

“It is, in a way. For other’s, it’s simply a reminder of where we are forced to be. All of Equestria was beautiful, before Nightmare Moon...” Twilight lamented, rounding a corner towards a brighter light. “Before she blotted it out with her moon, and her night...”

“What about the snow?” I queried, suddenly making out the voices of other people- or ponies, rather- down a bend in the shaft, a bright light throwing shadows over the curve of the cavern.

“I can explain that once we’ve entered the antechamber. The snow only started recently, and I’ve yet to explain why to the other Soldats, since I only discovered the reason myself just the night previous. Certainly, though, they will be overjoyed to see our true princess returned successfully.” At this, Twilight flashed Celestia a half smile. The kind of smile that says you’ve been frowning for so long, your muscles don’t even remember how to pull themselves in the opposite direction.

We rounded the corner, and Twilight twisted around, holding out her hoof. “Please, wait here. I want your entrance to be... well, nothing is grand around here, but as ceremonial as possible. Old habits are hard to break.” She said, giving us a sheepish grin with that same pained undertone. She passed through a curtain, a grandois, purple length of fabric with lilac tinges at the edges. It seemed out of place, a half-hearted attempt at grandeur in this miserable cave. What pony would try something like that even in this atmosphere?

A flash of light illuminated the alcove Celestia and I remained in when Twilight stepped through, immediately extinguishing as she stepped into the antechamber.

“Soldats du Soleil!! I come today to inform you...”

Twilight was easy to tune out as I turned to my small compatriot, my only friend in this snowy waste.

“What do you think of all this?”

She let out a sign and nuzzled against my leg. “It’s just all so much to take in so fast. For over 15 years the only life I knew was that of a... well... Not even something I can define. I just knew I was someone you knew you cared for more than anything. It breaks bonds of family and everything. I’m closer to you than almost anyone, even my sister. And now these ponies want me to be their ruler... When I don’t even know how to really take care of myself. Even within the castle I was waited on hoof and hoof... And now I must lead, an army of angry, bitter ponyfolk as my subjects.”

“Do you think you can do it?” I asked her, running a stray hand through her mane affectionately, noticing it was still damp from the melted snow endlessly falling up above.

“I don’t know... I know that I need you by my side the whole time.” she said, her voice breaking like she was about to cry, her hooves squeezing my leg with a desperate intensity. I reached down and picked her up; still so small, after so long. She buried her muzzle in that same spot on my neck, the same retreat she’d gone to no matter how old she got.

“I will always, always be here. That much I can say.” I assured her, squeezing her little equine body against my own. And what I had told her certainly wasn’t a lie. At the point we had reached, I would take a bullet for her with no question. All we’d been through, I certainly hadn’t expected it to lead up to this; but since it had, I couldn’t falter. Not only for her sake, but for mine.

"...And so I’d like to introduce; your future princess, your leader, and above all, your new friend, Princess Celestia!"

Twilight’s voice rang through the cavern, obviously a signal to myself and Tia that it was time for us to come out. Tia, giving me a trepidatious look, lifted the curtain and walked through, peeking over her shoulder and waiting for me to step through. I could already hear the murmurs of the crowd, questioning my appearance. I heard one mumble “... walks like a Diamond Dog...”, my mind immediately flashing to a certain David Bowie album.

So much for paying no attention to that man behind the curtain... I thought to myself as I stepped through, into the waiting glances of the crowd.

The room was massive, a crevice serving as a sort of theater style seating location, with the raised portion ahead acting as a podium. Huge lanterns of green fire decorated every shadowy nook and cranny, the entire cavern bathed in an eerie, but still somewhat comforting, light. In the center, already at the podium, was Celestia, along with a few white males, in shining gold armor, spears and shields at their sides.

The murmurs grew louder, some even showing signs of aggression. However, they stopped as soon as Tia cleared her throat.

“Mares, Gentlecolts, your attention please.” She started, commanding the attention of everyone, myself included. “This creature, though foreign to you, means absolutely no harm, and has been the one to act as my caretaker for the last 17 years. I love him as the brother I never had, and even more so than that. Treating him with absolutely any level of unfairness, disrespect, or intolerance would be even more unforgivable and egregious than treating me with such hostility.

“That being made perfectly clear, it is wonderful to be gazing upon your faces again, even if it must be under these circumstances. David, which is what you shall call the man standing to the side, may be one of the most important things in the world to me, but please believe I never forgot about my fellow ponies, and I plan to lead you as well as I possibly can towards a victory not only over Princess Luna, but all other evils that will threaten my Kingdom during the time in which I rule it.”

Tia was met with an uproarious ovation, an immense stomping of hooves filling up the cavern with noise, some ponies going so far as to balance themselves on their hind hooves to clap their front hooves together in thunderous applause. Celestia, on the verge of being overwhelmed, simply gave the audience a skittish bow, a tired smile glued on her face. Eventually, she held up her hooves, the applause slowly dying down.

“Everypony, thank you so much for your approval, but to the best of my knowledge, your commander Twilight Sparkle has discovered a reason for the torrential snow that plagues your countryside. Please put your hooves together for her now, not myself. Your Princess is weary, and needs to rest now.”

Celestia left the center of the room, walking back towards me, while Twilight took her place at the center of the room.

“Thank you very much, princess. As she has said, I now know the reason as to why the snows have been happening. Ever since Princess Luna, there has been much discontent. Ponies are afraid, cold and hungry. They have learned to feel something not felt for a while by most in our fair country... Hatred.

“As some of you may remember from the Hearth’s Warming Play, such a feeling inspires the introduction of the very real idea of a heart’s coldness, Windigos. And such beings have entered our world, in great numbers, causing these immense amounts of snow. But I believe that if we unite as ponies, and show love for our Princess Celestia, instead of negativity towards Nightmare Moon, we can banish these spirits, and take Equestria back! In sole nos confídimus!”

The audience quickly roared back “In sole nos confídimus!”, obviously some kind
of motto for the Soldats de Soleil.

Twilight, trotting over to us with a confident look, beamed a smile at Celestia.

“Princess, I’ve no doubt you and David must be beyond exhausted from the things you’ve accomplished and witnessed today. Please follow me so you can see your chambers.”

It was only after Twilight told me I must feel exhausted that I realized that I really was tired, my muscles suddenly feeling like they were weighing down my whole being. I looked ahead just enough to follow Tia and Twilight as we rounded a corner and then another before arriving in a well-lit room, even bigger than my whole apartment, with Twilight’s words melding together incoherently.

Tia climbed onto her bed, and I gave her a hug, her little hooves squeezing me a bit too hard, probably from nervousness. I kissed the top of her head and walked over to my small, but nevertheless nice bed, noticing it was longer, specifically for a creature like me.

David should be very happy here...

My head hit the surprisingly soft pillow, my eyes fluttering.

… can see someone’s tired...

And at last, sleep washed over me,.

...night Princess Celestia.