You Brighten My Day

Chapters

Chapter 1 - "Celestia's Journey"
Chapter 2 - "Getting to Know You"
Chapter 3 - "A Ray of Sunshine"
Chapter 4 - "Now That I...See You"
Chapter 5 - "Her Fondest Desire"
Chapter 6 - "Growing Even Closer"
Chapter 7 - "The Promise"
Chapter 8 - "Being in Love"
Chapter 9 - "A Dream Worth Keeping"

Chapter 1 - "Celestia's Journey"

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 1 –
“Celestia’s Journey”

It was late morning near the lively town of Canterlot. The proud sun was slowly approaching its zenith in the cerulean sky. It basked its golden rays along the kingdom. Princess Celestia felt the warm caress of its light fall against her, as she gazed out over the grassy field near the castle.

She expelled a sorrowful sigh. Sadly the princess was not her normal cheerful self. A harsh truth had been looming in the back of her mind. Most days she could easily dismiss this feeling, but after hearing the latest murmuring gossip among her guards and servants, she found it was impossible to ignore.

Ruling over a kingdom and taking charge of the raising and setting of two celestial bodies can take a toll on even the mightiest of ponies. Princess Celestia was no exception. That was why she was eternally grateful to have her sister, Princess Luna, back ruling the land with her. However the burdens of leadership and the obligations it brought forth were not what truly was bothering her. No, her sorrows were of a different nature. During the 1,000 years she was in charge of Equestria’s care, she was beloved and revered by all of her loyal and loving subjects, or at least that’s what she had come to believe. But as of late a harsh truth came to the princess’s attention.

At first it seemed like just another run of the mill rumor started by a bunch of gossiping castle maids. However, after looking into the matter and even inadvertently overhearing conversations amongst her guards and servants, Princess Celestia found out these were not just the subject of idle gossip. The harsh reality was that the alicorn wasn’t as sincerely loved and adored as she had once thought. In fact evidence suggested that this had been an ongoing development, taking place during the past several decades.

Princess Celestia couldn’t believe it was the truth. But the proof was overwhelming. The horrible things some had said about her left her greatly disturbed. The mantle of leadership brings with it serious obligations. Thus over time the princess was forced to adapt and even change her personality to match the needs of her subjects, in order to grow into a better leader. Sadly this ultimately altered the way she was perceived by many of the others. After once being revered as warm, joyful and loving, Celestia found out that many ponies now regarded her as rigid, uncaring, distant and overly strict, and thus no fun to be around. When in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The princess still loved all of her subjects and cared deeply for the well being of each and every one of them. She only acted harsh and strict at times, because Celestia often needed to make the difficult decisions all leaders had to make at one point or another.

As the gossip spread, the truth about Celestia seemed to become obscured. Those harsh opinions were only perpetrated by the cold reality that many only pretended to love her. She learned that a large number of her subjects befriended and revered her only for the status claiming to know her would grant them in the eyes of others.

She didn’t want to believe any of this was true. After all there were still many of her friends and subjects who truly did love her…so then why did the fact that there were a large number of malcontents and phonies out there begin weighing so heavily on her mind? Perhaps it was due to the most harrowing truth of them all. Sadly Princess Celestia hadn’t known the support of a caring lover in quite some time. If she had a special somepony, she could have turned to them for comfort. The last one she had was a stout member of her royal guard. For a number of years he had been a good and faithful companion…or so she thought. When the truth came out, she discovered he had only been kind to her so he could brag to his friends that he was with the princess of Canterlot. To her dismay he wasn’t the only one like that. All too often did the princess’s relationships end when she learned that her suitors cared more about their status, than about her. In the many centuries she had been alive, only one stallion ever truly loved her the way she wanted. Tragically, he fell in battle saving her from a vicious demon. To this day part of Celestia never got over his death. It was a secret she never shared with anypony. Only her sister Princess Luna knew about it and she rarely brought the matter up, because she knew how it still saddened Celestia.

All these facts left her laying there on the soft grass with a heavy heart. A solitary tear rolled down her elegant white cheek. Celestia wasn’t feeling very much like a princess. She had removed her crown, necklace and her four elegant shoes, scattering them a few feet from where she lay. For a time she had no idea what to do. All she could ponder was how badly she wanted to get away from everything…if only for a little while. The loneliness she felt in her heart was almost palpable. It was never her wish to neglect her own well being, but despite her position of authority, Celestia seemed to naturally put the needs of others before her own. It was just part of who she was and went all the way back to how she had been raised by her parents.

Then an idea came to her just as the sound of flapping wings caught her attention. Craning her head up, she spied her sister, Princess Luna. Her sister gracefully landed and walked up to her.

“There you are,” called Luna. “I’ve been looking all over Canterlot for you.”

Celestia looked at Luna and feigned a smile. “Oh, hello Luna. Why have you been looking for me?” she asked.

Gauging the expression on her elder sister’s face, Luna thought the answer was pretty obvious. “I would think it obvious. There is something bothering you. Though usually you are better at hiding it in your eyes. And I’m not the only pony worried about you. Several of the guards and maids brought your well being to my attention,” replied Luna.

Celestia shook her head and let out a short sigh. “It’s sweet of you to be concerned dear sister, but I’m fine, really. Besides, I don’t want to trouble you with anything,” she explained.

“It’s no problem Celestia. Just know I am always here for you…just as you have been there for me,” said Luna giving her sister a warm smile.

Celestia walked over to Luna and patted her shoulder. “I know you are Luna. But I think, what I need is to get away for a while. It would seem the pressures of leadership are taking their toll on me. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it,” she noted.

Luna shook her head. “Nonsense. You haven’t had any true time off in months. And let’s not forget all those countless years you watched over things,” Luna remarked. She smiled again and looked at her elder sister. “I’ll tell you what. Take some time off. I’ll take care of the sun and moon and keep an eye on the kingdom while you’re away.”

A true smile formed on Celestia’s face. This was welcomed news. Perhaps some time off was all she needed. Then maybe she could make sense of things. “Thank you Luna. You don’t know how much I appreciate that. But are you sure you’ll be okay?” Celestia asked, continuing to voice her concern.

Luna placed a hoof across her chest and closed her eyes. “I shall be fine dear sister. Leave everything in my capable hooves. You need some time to rest.”

“Okay Luna. I trust you. Besides you’ve been doing a wonderful job safe guarding the night. I know you’ll do fine!” declared Celestia. The two sisters hugged and shared a short chuckle.

Celestia gathered her shoes and jewelry, and then placed them back on, before making her way back to the castle. Once she was alone in her room, she fetched a book from a nearby shelf. She flipped through searching for a specific passage. It was directly related to the idea she had just prior to Luna’s arrival. Now she was ready to indulge in a simple curiosity. She pointed her hoof at the desired passage of the book. Carefully she read the entry and confirmed her suspicions. A smile formed on her face, as she went to another shelf and removed a rolled up map of Equestria. She unfurled it across her desk. There she checked a region north of Canterlot. Her hoof slipped and creased the map along the area she had just checked. Thankfully the map hadn’t torn. Nodding her head, Celestia was ready to make the journey to this somewhat remote location.

She took her saddlebags and filled them with a few items and provisions. There was no need for her to take the map, now that she had reacquainted herself with the area in question. Besides Celestia was an excellent navigator, even if only a few ponies actually knew that.

After saying a brief farewell to Luna, Celestia left Canterlot, taking to the air. Spreading her elegant white wings, she rose into the cerulean skies of Equestria. The wind swept across her face as she sailed through the air, beating her wings majestically as she flew.

The vista was truly breath taking, but the scenery was of little interest to her. Celestia’s mind was focused on her destination. After flying for nearly half and hour, she spied a rocky outcropping along the side of a mountain. The princess landed along the flat portion of the cliff. There she stood overlooking the northern mountains. The sun’s rays shone across the valley and reflected along Celestia’s vibrant white coat. She gazed down at the forest along the valley’s center. There she would find the objective of her journey.

Following a short flight, Celestia landed just outside the forest, arriving at the ruins. It had been years since she had last visited this once sacred place. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the now derelict settlement had been home to a group of humans living in Equestria. For close to two decades their kind had dwelled in this majestic land.

The princess began walking through the remains of the once grand colony. A series of houses and various structures lay in ruins. Mostly it was due to the fallout of her father’s wrath. A calamity occurred long ago. The majority of the humans were kind and loving toward the ponies, but one fateful day a band of evil humans emerged from the colonists. They began rounding up the ponies with the intent of taking them through the enchanted gateway that linked Equestria to Earth. From there, they planned to take the ponies to their world and exploit their magic and various talents to fulfill their own plans.

When this news reached the king, Celestia and Luna’s father, he became enraged. He met with the leader of the human settlement – the elder assured the king that the humans in no way supported this splinter cell group of troublemakers. In fact the elder promised to help the king stop the perpetrators and free the captured ponies. In the end the sinister humans were stopped before any ponies could be seriously harmed or taken back to Earth. But the victory came with a terrible price. The king’s trust in the humans had been lost. He no longer felt he could risk the safety of his subjects by allowing the humans to remain in the pony world. Thus he issued an ultimatum – the humans were given a limited time to evacuate their colony, before he would use his alicorn powers to destroy it and any remaining humans.

The elder begged the king to reconsider, but he refused. Fear had taken hold and he would not accept any compromise that would allow the humans to remain. Reluctantly the humans withdrew from their settlement and returned through the gateway to Earth. Once the humans were gone, the mighty ruler went to the shrine housing the enchanted portal. Using his magic he cast a powerful seal upon it. The gateway would never be opened again, unless the magic of a member of the royal family was used to unlock it. With the door to Earth sealed, the king unleashed his might upon the settlement destroying most of the buildings. It was his hope to illustrate the point that none should ever threaten his kin, lest they bring down his wrath upon them.

It had been quite a while since the princess last recalled that tale. Back when it happened, she was only 18 and just learning the many hard lessons of life. As she stood there gazing into a charred house, she couldn’t help but feel saddened. A tattered plush doll that must have belonged to a child lay in the corner of the decimated home. Staring at the doll, Celestia couldn’t help but have the same feeling she had long ago following her father’s banishment of the humans. To this day she wondered if he was truly wise for having given into fear so easily. Was it right to deprive Equestria of humans just because of the actions of a few malcontents?

Walking away form the ruins, she was no closer to an answer then she was all those centuries ago. The princess sighed as she recalled some of her human friends from back then. Even Luna got along well with the humans. But that was so long ago, and unlike alicorns, a human’s life is snuffed out in the blink of an eye by comparison. Celestia was just grateful that her kind wasn’t immortal, unlike what many had come to believe. In truth, alicorns were just long lived, much like dragons. Though alicorn’s seldom lived to be 10,000 years old. Most lived for about 7,000 years, give or take a century or two.

The facts of her race and the history of this mostly forgotten settlement weren’t what had truly brought Celestia here. No she had another reason in mind. She made her way out of the fallen colony and into the adjacent forest. There she arrived at the shrine housing the sealed gateway to Earth. The princess entered the structure that had been constructed by Equestria architects centuries ago. The shrine had been built from quality materials that were in good shape considering the age of the building. Overall it was a simple structure consisting of a large rounded cathedral like chamber. At it’s center was a circle platform, which was raised a few inches off the ground. A small altar presided over the platform housing the enchanted doorway. The magic seal had condensed the portal into a small glowing dark blue sphere, which only gave off a small amount of light.

Celestia walked up to it and placed a hoof to her chin. All she could think about was how badly she wanted to get away from everything. There was no pony she felt she could turn to for true solace. Her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, was living her own life, and the princess didn’t want to deprive her of any happiness, just to fulfill her own selfish needs. That’s why Celestia came to the ruins and this shrine. She figured if there was no means of comfort left in her world, she would simply seek it elsewhere. The princess quickly remembered the limitations of the seal. As a member of the royal family, she had the power to remove it and open the way to Earth. But naturally there was a part of her that felt reluctant. Was this the right thing to do, and could she find what she desired there?

Shaking her head she didn’t care. Her world seemed to have little left to offer her. After spending so much time caring for others, it was high time she put her own needs first for a chance. With her mind made up, Celestia focused magic into her horn. It began glowing a brilliant shade of orange. Aiming her horn at the small sphere, she unleashed her power upon it. After a few seconds, she cut-off her magic and stood there studying the magical orb. It began crackling with bolts of orange energy. The sphere lit up a bright blue and made a swishing noise. Then in moments a large circular blue portal formed. It rippled with mystical energy awaiting its traveler.

Celestia took a deep breath and stepped into the gateway. She entered completely and continued moving forward. Suddenly she felt a strong force grip her. In an instant she felt herself being pulled along by an invisible power. It moved her across a flashy void of blue and purple energy waves as she noticed an opening come into view just up ahead.

For a moment everything went dark. Then she opened her eyes and saw she had exited the portal. Turning her head back, she saw it was still there. The gateway continued to pulse with energy, as it remained open. Looking around, the princess wasn’t even sure if she had succeeded. The area surrounding the shrine on Earth looked very similar to the one in Equestria. But had she really made it?

She walked to the edge of the shrine and took a look at her surroundings. The forest around her looked completely different to her magenta eyes. The shear number of trees has been greatly reduced. Casting her vision skyward, she noticed an increase in cloud cover. Her home world’s skies had been mostly clear. She also glanced around the shrine and noticed it was in terrible shape, compared to its Equestria counterpart. A simple cursory check seemed to suggest she had made it to Earth. Celestia began feeling the pull of curiosity as it urged her to explore this new land, but she turned back and saw the portal still beaming with light. She walked up to it and cast her spell again. In order to safeguard her world, she sealed the portal. The princess figured if she wanted to return, she could simply recast her spell and open the way back at a later time.

Now that her homeland was safe, Celestia was ready to begin exploring Earth. But just where should she go, and what was she hoping to find here? It also dawned on her that humans haven’t seen a member of her kind in a very long time. It might be dangerous for her to simply go flying boldly into the sky.

After giving the matter some thought, she smiled. Celestia recalled a very useful protection spell she had learned long ago from Starswirl the Bearded. Channeling magic, her horn shone a vibrant shade of blue. In moments it rendered a protective barrier of invisibility around her. Now no one could see her while she ventured around her new setting.

The princess paused before she left the shrine. She wasn’t entirely sure where she should being her search. Realizing she wasn’t going to accomplish anything just standing there, she spread her wings and rose into the air. Her course took her high into the sky over the small forest. Celestia studied the area surrounding the shrine below. Since she had never been to Earth before, everything looked different. The one similarity she did noticed was that Earth’s shrine lay in a forest surrounded by tall mountains too. She flew onward and discovered Land spreading out as far as she could see. Off in the distance she noticed what looked like a town or perhaps a small city. Not far form her, she spied a series of sparsely placed houses. She marveled at how similar human architecture was to that of her own world.

There didn’t seem to be a clear path for her to take, so the alicorn decided she’d start flying and take in the sites. That was until she felt a strong tingle in her horn. Her eyes widened for a moment. She wasn’t sure what caused this strong reaction. For a second she thought she was imagining things. Then she felt the sensation again. For whatever reason she began feeling drawn somewhere west of her current position. She wasn’t sure why she felt this odd pull, but her heart told her to follow it. At this point she felt she had nothing to lose. Both her heart and her instinct had done all right by her during the many years she ruled Equestria. Smiling, she figured there was no reason to doubt them now. She learned a long time ago, that sometimes you just need to have faith and press on bravely into the unknown.

Keeping that in mind, she sailed majestically into the bright blue and cloudy skies of Earth. The princess certainly was heading to an unknown destination, but as long as she could keep that feeling in her soul, Celestia seemed confident she would find what her heart desired. She felt an abundance of excitement course about her as she took in the sights of this different world. From the air, it looked quite comparable to Equestria. There were large grassy fields, forests, farms, towns, cities, rivers, streams and as always in the distance, proud mountains.

She flew on for what felt like hours. Her course had taken her far from the shrine, but she could still sense its magical presence. It was then that Celestia felt her horn make her body twinge once more. The feeling was now its strongest. Glancing down below she saw a town, that almost reminded her of Ponyville, but it was far larger and the buildings had a much more complex design to them. The style reminded her more of structures commonly found in Canterlot or cities like Fillydelphia and Manehatten. Though it seemed her feeling was guiding her to a place outside the small metropolis. There she saw a series of clustered houses and then a large wooded area, with what looked like a small house isolated just along its edge. There were a few other houses nearby, but they were all a good distance apart. The lone house almost seemed to be calling to her, but she wasn’t sure why. Shaking her head, Celestia studied the area around the structure. There were several trees of varying size surrounding the building. They were accompanied by a series of bushes, shrubs, and what looked like flowerbeds. Along the one side of the house she saw a pretty flower and vegetable garden. Though she couldn’t be sure what was planted in there from her present altitude. Continuing to scope out the place, she noticed a series of gray and black roads connecting the structure to the rest of the immediate area. They resembled roads in Canterlot, but their color and composition seemed different.

As Celestia continued flapping her wings, she was suddenly hit with a wave of fatigue. Remaining aloft for so long was starting to take its toll on her. Thankfully she was still masked from prying eyes by her spell. She looked around and saw no signs of anyone. She figured it should be safe enough to land. Carefully she descended and touched down gracefully. For the time being she decided to leave her spell in place, just so she could explore freely.

The princess walked around the well-tended grassy yard of the house, which looked quite larger from the ground. It was a single level structure and had a simple covering of dark gray vinyl siding. The roof was covered with a black material that resembled brick. She noticed the house had a number of windows as well. Giving into curiosity, she peered into one and could just barely make out the inside. The bright light of the sun made the home’s interior appear dark and somewhat obscured. It was just as well, she couldn’t make much out and didn’t feel right peeping inside anyway.

Sadly it seemed as though no one was home. She saw what looked like a driveway and an adjacent connected structure that reminded her of a carriage house. Only there was no sign of the carriage. Celestia figured the owner of the home must be away, perhaps at work or running some sort of errand. Either way, she began to feel very tired. The surrounding air was very warm and the felt somewhat muggy. She let out a quiet yawn as she trotted over to the edge of the forest. There, Celestia found a number of big bushes and some tall trees. There was plenty of cool shade and the spot was nicely secluded. She deactivated her invisibility spell and allowed herself to become visible. The alicorn took a deep breath as she moved over to an inviting patch of grass. Using her magic, she undid the strap of her saddlebags and carefully set them down. Then she laid down and made herself comfortable, resting her head along soft blades of grass. Celestia closed her eyes and figured she’d just rest for a moment. She didn’t feel tired enough to sleep or so she thought.

Unbeknownst to her, a few hours had gone by. Celestia continued to rest peacefully along the grassy floor of the wooded area. She had never heard the rather silent engine of a human’s car pull up in the driveway as she napped. She did however notice a more distinct sound soon after. The princess heard what sounded like water flowing from a hose. She also heard some clanking and clattering of something metal digging into the earth. Her eyes opened and she cautiously stood on her hooves. She looked around the secluded area and saw she was still alone. Focusing her ears, she noticed the sound was coming from a short distance nearby.

She checked around being mindful of her surrounds as she left the woods and followed the sounds. Moving closer, she discovered the noise was coming from the garden. Celestia remained close to the side of the house facing the woods, doing her best to remain hidden. She peeked her head around the corner, there she saw a somewhat youthful man tending to his plants. There were a couple garden tools carefully placed on the ground, while the human watered the plants with a large green watering can. She studied him curiously. The human was nearly six feet tall, had a fairly toned physique, and possessed a head of short brown hair. She stood there waiting to see if he would turn around so she could get a better look at him. While she waited, Celestia noticed how different his clothing was from that of the humans she once knew. From what she could tell, he was wearing some kind of pants, but the blue material didn’t look familiar to her. The man was also sporting a short sleeve dark tan T-shirt. Celestia’s mouth partly opened in shock when she noticed how odd his footwear was. If those were shoes, they certainly had changed over the centuries, from what she once knew.

Shaking her head she figured she’d better stop staring and remain focused, just in case he did turn around. The princess wasn’t sure if she should reveal herself just yet. Though judging from the way this human was tending to his garden, he seemed to possess as strong nurturing quality. She found she rather liked that about him. Though her reluctance stemmed from the fact that not all humans are kind, plus how could she know what to expect if she did show herself to him? Celestia began to wonder if his kind even remembered her race. Just what happened after the humans had been banished from her world?

Celestia caught herself mentally trailing off again. She pulled back slightly, when she noticed the human start to turn around. Remaining cautious, she very mindfully looked around the side of the house at him. He had turned around and now she could see his face. Her eyes focused on him for a moment and she felt her mouth hang open softly in awe. The man had a very gently look to his face, it had some five-o’clock shadow, but that didn’t subtract from his friendly appearance. There was a pair of glasses partly concealing his eyes, preventing her form determining their true color.

The human took his garden hose and placed it back into the watering can. Celestia watched as he promptly filled it and then took it over to the flowers in his garden. She wanted to move closer so she could get a better look at him. While she remembered regarding some human males as oddly attractive back in the day, she had no idea they could be this handsome. Spying a nearby bush, Celestia deftly made her way over to it. There she remained concealed as she enjoyed a better view of the human. Though as she monitored him, she noticed him abruptly come to a halt. He set down the watering can and let out a rather bewildered sigh. The pony continued watching him intently. She had no idea what suddenly prompted his sigh. Then it hit her, could a human be suffering in a manner much like herself?

The man began walking along the edge of his garden. There was a noticeable glumness in his gait. Then Celestia heard him speak. “Well I guess that about does it for you guys. You’re all looking quite beautiful, but how I wish…” The human paused for a moment before continuing, “How I wish, I had someone special to share your beauty with.” He sighed again before finishing his thought aloud, “Get a hold of yourself man. You’re talking to the flowers again. Thank goodness no one’s around. It would be quite embarrassing if anyone saw me talking to my garden.” With his piece said, he picked up the watering can and gradually emptied the rest of its contents onto a group of rose bushes.

After hearing him speak, Celestia began to realize why she was drawn to this place. It would seem this man may be suffering form the burden of a heavy heart as well, but what could she do? Part of her felt resistant to the idea of getting too close to a human - still she always enjoyed making new friends. Perhaps simply introducing herself to him and offering to listen might help make a difference. She took a deep breath and slowly emerged from behind the bush. The human’s back was to her as he stood there staring at his garden.

“Your garden is really lovely,” she said politely.

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment. He heard a girl’s voice compliment his garden. Closing his eyes, he turned in the direction the voice had come from. “Why thank you, I…” he trailed off as he opened his eyes and caught sight of the alicorn. The human gazed at her in total awe. Her vibrant white coat almost seemed to be glowing. Immediately he knew he wasn’t looking at just any mere horse or pony. But had she really spoken to him, and was she really there? Maybe he had nodded off in his recliner and this was just a dream.

The human slowly and very cautiously stepped toward her. His eyes studied her enchanting features carefully. There was her flowing mane and tail containing: a light cerulean blue, a light turquoise, a dark lavender, and a dark pink. They perfectly accented her white fur that almost seemed to have a slight tinge of pink to it. She had an unmistakable horn protruded from her forehead, but how could she? After all unicorns are strictly make-believe or at least that’s what he thought. He also couldn’t help but notice the elaborate jewelry she was wearing. It made her look like something out of a fantasy or perhaps something from a wondrous dream.

“Did you just speak to me?” he asked incredulously.

She nodded and smiled at him. “Why yes I did,” she replied politely.

The human placed a hand on his chin. He was trying to make sense of her. “You haven’t come to take me to the afterlife have you?” he asked, a slight uncertainty in his voice.

She shook her head. “Of course not.”

“Then…who are you, and why are you here? Are you really here?” he said asking a series of completely reasonable questions.

The tone in his voice and quality of his demeanor left her to know she had little to dread. It seemed the human could hardly fathom her existence. Celestia smiled as she stepped closer to him. “Where are my manners?” she asked rhetorically. “My name is Celestia. As for why I am here, that’s rather complicated, but I would be happy to explain, if you’ll let me.”

He nodded slowly and smiled at her. “Celestia,” he said repeating her name. “That’s a very lovely name.” The human caught himself staring at her for a moment. He averted his eyes and hoped he wasn’t blushing. Then he cleared his throat. “It’s very nice to meet you. I am Daniel.”

Celestia continued smiling at him as she walked right up to him. The two stood almost the same height. The princess was just a little over an inch taller than he was, but their eyes met at pretty much the same height. Up close, she could see that Daniel had a pair of simple yet welcoming brown eyes, residing behind his rather stylish glasses. As he glanced back, he could see her vibrant magenta eyes, looking back at him.

“It’s very nice to meet you Daniel,” Celestia spoke, noticing a look of awe continuing to encompass his face. She giggled softly at him. “I gather you are still trying to determine if I am really here?” Celestia inquired.

“Well yes actually,” he replied with a nod. “Part of me wants to believe you are standing here, but I’ve never seen anything quite like you before.”

Celestia smiled as she turned to the side. “Here Daniel, go ahead and place your hand on my back. Perhaps feeling that I am real will convince you that I am not an illusion,” she suggested.

Daniel felt awestruck as he timidly reached at hand toward her back. His fingers came within inches of her and he halted his progress. He looked at her and asked, “You’re sure it’s okay?”

She softly snickered at him. “Here,” she uttered. Celestia moved bridging the gap between her back and his hand.

Daniel’s hand came to rest on her back. He immediately felt the velvety softness of her fur against his hand. Slowly he ran his fingers along her back taking in the startling yet welcoming sensation of petting her. “Oh my gosh! You aren’t just a figment or my…” he stopped in mid sentence. His hand inadvertently bumped into something soft and feathery. Glancing down by his hand, he noticed what looked like a folded wing. “Y…you have…wings?!” he asked in amazement.

Celestia giggled again at his enthusiasm. “Why yes, yes I do,” she replied. “Would you like to see them?”

He nodded his head several times. “I’d love to…uh please,” Daniel answered thoughtfully.

She continued smiling at him. Celestia stepped back and carefully unfolded her wings and took a deep breath in through her nose, and then she slowly exhaled out her mouth. “What do you think?” she asked.

Daniel gazed intently at her wings, following their contours. “They’re beautiful,” he said lightly gasping. He reached out a hand and then looked at her. “May I?”

She smiled at him. “Go ahead.”

Daniel reached out and gently ran his fingers along the underside of her wing. The feathers had an amazing softness to them, almost as soft as her fur. “Wow,” he said in awe. Celestia felt herself gasp quietly. She forgot that her wings were somewhat sensitive to touch. He heard her reaction and at first thought he might be bothering her. “Oh sorry, I hope I didn’t get carried away,” he uttered quickly retracting his arm.

“It’s all right. No harm done,” she replied folding back her wings. Celestia looked up and noticed that even as Earth’s sun was slowly beginning to set, it was still very warm. She wiped a hoof along her forehead, removing a beat of mounting sweat. “Whew, I just noticed how incredibly warm it still is today.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit of a scorcher. If you’d like Celestia, we could go inside to talk. It’ll be a lot cooler in the air conditioning,” he suggested.

She looked at him funny. “Air conditioning?” Celestia questioned.

“You’re new to my world aren’t you?” he asked.

She glanced at him sheepishly. “Is it that obvious?”

Daniel smiled at her. “Well we don’t get many reports of being visited by beautiful unicorns like you,” he said. For a moment he caught himself staring at her again. Shaking his head, he turned away, hoping to hide the rosy color of his cheeks. Little did her realize it, but Celestia was doing the same thing. His kind words made her blush. “I’d better put my garden tools away quick. Just hang loose for a moment,” he spoke.

“May I help you?” she asked.

He smiled at her. “Sure, I’d appreciate the help,” he remarked. Daniel picked up a rake and shovel and waited for her to walk over. Celestia picked up the watering can in her mouth. She could have used her magic, but for right now she didn’t want to startle him. If Earth doesn’t see many unicorns, or in this case alicorns, it was a good bet that they haven’t seen many use magic either. She walked over with the can in tow. “Now all we need to do is put these in my tool shed.” The two walked over to his shed. It was roughly twenty feet from the backside of the house. He stepped inside and mindfully place the tools in their designated spots. Turning back he saw her enter. “You can set the watering can right there,” he directed giving her a smile.

Celestia set the object down in its proper place. Lifting her head back up, she looked at Daniel and returned his smile. “Is there anything else?” she asked.

As the two stepped out of the shed, he said, “No, I just need to wind up the hose. Then we can go inside and cool off.”

“That sounds great,” she replied.

He promptly rolled up the hose in its little cart and turned off the faucet. Then he walked over to her. It was still a little hard to fathom her being there, but he was enjoying Celestia’s company. Daniel directed her over to the back sliding door of his patio. She came to a stop and said, “Oh wait, my saddlebags. I left them over in the bushes.”

He smiled and responded, “Then let’s go get them.”

She led him into the outskirts of the woods, where she had been napping. There by a pair of thick bushes, were her bags. He walked over to them and carefully picked them up. “Are these what you were talking about?” he asked.

Celestia nodded. “Yes. Uh, would you mind helping me put them on?”

“Not at all,” he replied. Daniel gently set them on her back and then knelt down and redid the strap. Once it was secured he rose to his feet. “There you go.”

“Thank you.”

As the two made there way back to the house, Daniel asked, “Are you thirsty Celestia?”

She smacked her lips and then licked them with her tongue. Her mouth was a bit parched. “Yes actually,” she answered.

“Well don’t worry, I have a good variety of cold drinks inside,” he said with delight as they arrived at the back patio. There, Daniel slid open the door, a wave of cool refreshing air poured out from the house.

Celestia pulled back a hoof in response to the wave of cool air. Then she stood firmly and left the air flow across her. “Wow, how are you doing that?” she asked looking at him with intrigue. Then she smiled slyly and asked, “Are you a wizard?”

Daniel found her words very amusing and broke out into a hearty chuckle. “Ha, ha, ha! Oh my…no, I am not a wizard Celestia. I just have this little gizmo,” he remarked pointing to his central air unit.

Celestia looked at the large cube-like metal box filled with strange slots. “What is this thing?” she asked placing an inquisitive hoof to her chin. The pony studied the device very intently and noticed the somewhat loud sound it was making.

He chuckled again. “It’s a machine that generates cold air and removes the mugginess from it as well,” Daniel explained.

Celestia looked at him again and smiled. “Wow, that’s an incredible invention. We don’t have anything like that where I come from,” she noted sounding quite impressed.

“And just where do you come from?” he asked.

Celestia giggled at him. “That’s a somewhat long story. One that would be best discussed…uh inside?” she replied dropping a strong hint.

Daniel tried not to grin, but she was right of course. “Good point. And I shouldn’t keep the door opened. So come on, let’s go inside,” he said.

He gestured for her to enter first. She smiled and slowly trotted inside. He followed behind her and then slid the door shut, latching it. He could only wonder what all they were going to discuss now that they were inside his nicely cooled home.

Chapter 2 - "Getting to Know You"

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 2 –
“Getting to Know You”

Celestia basked in the refreshing sensation of the central air. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the lingering effect of the icky heat fade away. Looking over at Daniel, she smiled. “I have to say, this air conditioning is quite lovely.”

He softly chucked at her. Her enjoyment of something that seemed so common to him was quite refreshing. “I’m glad you like it. Oh, would you care to remove your saddlebags and shoes? While you’re my guest, I’d like you to be comfortable,” he expressed doing his best to be a good host.

She continued smiling as she replied, “Thank you. That would be nice.”

Daniel walked up to her and knelt down. He reached for the strap of her bags, but halted, looking up at her. “Want me to undo the strap for you?” he asked. Celestia simply nodded happily. He carefully undid the buckle and then rose back to his feet. Thoughtfully he removed her saddlebags and placed them on a nearby empty end table. Daniel noticed, like outside, the bags had a bit of weight to them. Part of him wanted to inquire as to their contents, but he thought it might be rude of him to pry. Instead he focused his eyes on her again and said, “You can remove your shoes and tuck them under the end table.”

Again she nodded. Celestia removed her hoofwear and slide them under the lip of the table. She glanced over at him, half expecting him to be studying her shoes. Instead she saw that he had walked over to what she recognized to be a kitchen. There were some furnishings that differed from kitchens in her world, but the general look was there. Curiosity began to grip her as she wondered what he was up to. Celestia moved toward the kitchen. “What are you doing?” she asked showing strong interest.

He stopped near the fridge. “Oh, you said you were thirsty. I was just going to see what all I have chilling in the refrigerator,” he answered thoughtfully.

“That’s right,” she recalled noticing her mouth was still quite parched.

“Now what would you like?” he asked. Opening the fridge, the two felt another cool breeze fall upon them.

Celestia studied the appliance vigilantly. She smiled as she remarked, “I’m glad to see something common to both our worlds.”

Daniel turned back to look at her. “Really? You have appliances like these in your world?” he asked. She nodded. Then it hit him…her world! “Wait a minute you aren’t just from some far off exotic land…you’re actually form another world?”

A giggle slipped past her lips as she moved a hoof to partially conceal it. “Yes. Like I said, it’s a bit of a long story. But have no fear, I am more than happy to tell it,” she replied, speaking with an almost angelic voice.

Daniel couldn’t help but smile. It was still a bit hard to swallow that a winged unicorn was standing in his kitchen, but he figured it didn’t hurt to go with the flow. Plus if this were like most of his dreams, he would wake up once it really started getting good. Though he was secretly hoping this wasn’t just a dream.

Shaking his head, Daniel looked at the contents of his fridge and began perusing the various beverages within. “What all do your kind like to drink?” he asked, wondering if his selections would be to her liking.

Celestia looked over his shoulder and studied the contents thoroughly. “While I do see a number of interesting looking drinks here, I think I’ll keep it simple for you. I’d be happy with some cold water,” she answered.

“Okay,” Daniel uttered back. He reached down and pulled two bottles of water from a large case of bottled waters. After setting them down on the counter, he shut the fridge door. Deftly he loosened the caps on each bottle, and then he picked them up and walked over to her. “Let’s go into the living room. You can have a seat on the sofa if you like,” he remarked.

Still smiling, she followed him over to the living room. There she saw another somewhat familiar interior area. Though as Celestia studied the contents, she noticed that some items seemed quite different. For instance she saw a strange device that looked like a somewhat flat, large and black glass rectangle. It was seated atop some kind of wooden stand that featured some shelves and cabinets. The shelves had what reminded her of stereo equipment, not unlike the devices ponies like Vinyl Scratch would enjoy using. She turned and discovered the sofa, thankfully it seemed quite similar to the ones found on her world. It was large, plush and appeared very inviting to her eyes. Walking over to the piece of dark gray furniture, she very elegantly sat down on her flank. Celestia curled her tail around her and carefully leaned back. “This is nice and comfy,” she remarked feeling her back sink into the plush cushions.

Daniel smiled again. “It’s the nicest sofa I’ve ever owned. Oh here you are,” he said presenting her with a bottle of cold water.

Celestia reached out her front hooves and gently claimed it from him. “Thank you Daniel,” she said with a smile. She looked at the bottle and noticed the cap was still on it. For a moment she didn’t know what to do. Were she at home with other ponies, she could simply use her magic and remove the cap. But she couldn’t use her magic in front of a human, at least not until she explained things to him first. For a moment she considered using her mouth, but that would be undignified and might not make the best of impressions on him. Then Celestia thought about using her hoof to complete the task. The only problem was how would she hold the bottle and remove the cap at the same time? Then she noticed a coffee table sitting in front of her. She could just set the bottle down and remove the cap with her hooves and then pick it back up. Before she could enact her game plan, Daniel reached over and said, “Oh let me get that for you.” He unscrewed the cap and set it on the coffee table.

Celestia’s stared half in awe at him as he walked by and sat down on the other side of the couch, making sure to respect her personal space. Glancing at her bottle, she felt another smile form on her face. Turning her head she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go on and drink. I’m sure it’s best for unicorns to take in plenty of fluids too,” he declared thoughtfully, taking a long swig from his bottle.

Still smiling at him Celestia returned her eyes to the bottle. Making sure she had a firm grip on it, she brought it to her lips and gradually poured its cool contents into her mouth. After taking a good drink, she leaned front and set the bottle on the coffee table. “That was refreshing,” she said sitting back against the sofa. “So you wanted to know why I’m here, right?”

Daniel nodded, setting down his bottle. “Yes. As I said before it’s not everyday I’m visited by a unicorn,” he answered.

“Actually I’m known as an alicorn,” she spoke politely correcting him. “It’s the term given to the race of winged unicorns on my world.”

He sat there fascinated by her explanation. “Would you please tell me about your world?” he asked earnestly.

She nodded and said, “Of course. Daniel, I come from a world known as Equestria. It’s a vast beautiful land, much like Earth, only we don’t have quite the same level of technology on our world. Then again since our world is filled with magic and creatures that can use magic, there really isn’t much of a need for such technology.”

Daniel scratched his head for a moment. “Did you say magic?” he asked. Celestia nodded. “Wow, that’s one thing we don’t have in our world. There have been legends told about humans that once used magic, but as far as anyone here knows, there is no such thing as magic. In fact creatures such as you Celestia, are nothing more than the wiles of creative fantasies. I guess that’s why I wasn’t sure you were real, until I touched you anyway. Though I have to confess, I’m still finding it hard to believe this is really happening,” he expressed continuing to sound somewhat awestruck.

Celestia giggled softly and continued to smile at Daniel. “Since you explained that beings like me are make-believe on your world, I can understand your skepticism. But I assure you that I am quite real, and come from a world of magic,” she stated confidently.

A thought suddenly crossed Daniel’s mind. “Celestia, can you use magic?” he asked beaming with curiosity.

“Why yes, I can. Would you like to see a demonstration?” she asked with a grin.

“Really? You can show me?” he responded lighting up with excitement.

“Certainly. Here, watch the bottle cap and then the bottle. Oh and my horn,” she directed. Daniel looked intently at Celestia. If this were a dream, it was getting better by the second. He grinned as he awaited her magical display. A bright orange glow formed along her horn. The same glow quickly blanketed the cap. Slowly she lifted it up, as he continued watching her with a childlike quality. Celestia moved the cap and placed it back on the bottle, screwing it back on. Once the cap was secured, she encompassed the bottle with her magic and raised it off the table. Looking at him and still smiling, she moved it over to him. Daniel reached out and took hold of the bottle. She disengaged her magic and he freely held the bottle in his hands.

He returned the bottle to the coffee table and then returned his gaze to her. His mouth hung open for a moment. “That was incredible!” he exclaimed.

Celestia smiled at him. “I’m happy that was to your liking. So my magic doesn’t frighten you?” she asked.

Daniel shook his head and responded, “No, I think it’s great! Now please, tell me more about your world and why you came here.”

She paused for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. Celestia carefully considered what she wanted to tell him and how she would explain what led her to his world in the first place. After pausing for a few minutes, she nodded her head. “Okay. Sorry about the long pause, but you did ask a rather in-depth question,” Celestia remarked.

“So I did,” he said chuckling softly.

“Now let’s see. Well on my world I am a royal princess, and I rule the land with my sister. Each day it is my personal duty to raise and lower the sun,” she explained.

Again Daniel’s mouth hung open. He thought his ears were deceiving him. “You’re a princess on your world and rule with your sister? A…and you raise and lower the sun?” he asked not really expecting to get an answer. Daniel rose to his feet and began muttering to himself. He had still been in shock from just meeting Celestia, but this little revelation really took him by surprise. He shook his head several times. “You’re a princess,” he repeated.

Celestia began to fill with concern, had she made an error revealing her royal status to him? Swallowing nervously, she turned to him and asked, “Is there something wrong with me being a princess?”

Daniel continued murmuring to himself as he heard her question. Turning to look at her, he shook his head. “No, that’s not a problem,” he answered.

“Then what’s bothering you all the sudden?” she asked worried from the look in his brown eyes.

“Of all the billions of people on my world…why would you reveal yourself to me? I mean…what makes me so special?” he asked feeling rather dumbfounded.

Celestia smiled warmly at him. “Well it goes back to why I’m here,” she answered.

Daniel stopped his pacing and looked directly at her. “Yeah, that’s right. Why are you here? You’re world sounds amazing, and yet you left it to come here? What brought about that?” he asked dying to know.

“I’ll do my best to explain. The main reason I left…is because there’s nothing left for me on my world. I’ve spent countless cen…” she trailed off. Celestia wasn’t sure how much more shock he could handle. If she told him about how old she was, would it be too much for him?

Daniel sat back down on the sofa. He returned his eyes to her and wondered why she halted her words. “You spent countless what? Please Celestia, you’ve got me very interested. I want to know what led you to me of all people,” he expressed full of wonder.

Again he asked her politely. She didn’t want to be rude to him. Letting out a soft sigh, she said, “Okay Daniel. I was a little unsure, but since you want to know so badly…I’ve spent countless centuries caring for the subjects on my world.”

He marveled at her words. “You mean you’ve been alive for hundreds of years?” he asked in awe.

“I have. That’s why it was so hard to learn the truth about many of my subjects,” she explained.

Daniel moved closer to her as he continued to fill with fascination for her story. “And just who are these subjects of yours and what truth did you learn about them?” he inquired.

“Well you see my subjects are ponies, similar to me. Only they aren’t alicorns. Instead they are made up of three different types - the earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Those three groups make up the dominant species on my world. Now after ruling over them for so long, I’ve learned that a large number of them don’t truly love and respect me. Most of them have only befriended me for the status knowing a member of the royal family will bring,” she explained halfheartedly.

Daniel felt an aching in heart in response to her plight. “That’s awful. Do you know why they felt that way?” he asked.

She nodded her head. “Yes, it was due to the way I had to adapt as their ruler for all of those years. You see I didn’t always rule with my sister. There was a period of 1,000 years where I ruled the land alone,” Celestia noted.

“1,000 years! Wow, that must have been tough! And you said you raise and lower the sun too? You mean it doesn’t rise and set automatically?” he asked hanging on her every word.

“No, the sun and moon must be cared for by either my sister or I. They only move partially on their own, but they must be raised above the horizon or lowered below the horizon once a day. And you were right; it was hard ruling Equestria on my own. It also ties into why I’m here,” she explained.

Daniel began to suspect her presence on his world was far more involved than just the dealings with her subjects. But he had no idea just what the true root of her problem was. “Anyway, I guess you ran into some issues over that long period,” Daniel spoke.

“Yes. And over that time I became known by some as cold, strict and unsympathetic,” she remarked. “But that wasn’t the true problem,” she replied.

Daniel heard a distinct change in her voice. His heart reached out to her as he shook his head. The matter seemed to really be troubling her. He began to lose his desire to learn why she was there, especially if it meant upsetting her. True he wanted to know, but he didn’t suffer a lack of compassion. In fact Daniel was quite the caring individual. Celestia may not have known it, but he was the kind of person who generally put the feelings of others ahead of his own. Not sure what to do, he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. It was his hope to offer her some moral support. Then he gently said, “Celestia, if you don’t wish to continue, I’d understand. This seems to be upsetting you. I wouldn’t be much of host if I made you do something that bothered you.”

She focused her magenta eyes on him and gave him a smile. His thoughtfulness touched her. “That's sweet of you Daniel, but you have a right to know why I’m here,” she answered.

He waved a dismissing hand and said, “Nah it’s no big deal. I mean, unless you really want to tell me.”

Placing a hoof on his arm, she said, “I do. I just need a moment to focus my thoughts again.”

He removed his hand and sat back on the sofa. “Take all the time you need,” Daniel spoke reassuringly.

After pausing for a few moments Celestia was ready. “This may sound strange, but the truth about my subjects wasn’t the only thing that bothered me. No, the real thing that plagued me was a strong loneliness, one I’ve been feeling in my heart for some time now. While being princess has me surrounded by other ponies, I discovered that I still felt very much alone. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends and of course my sister, but they can’t offer me the kind of support I really need,” she explained quite thoroughly.

“I’ve heard stories like yours before. Then it’s really true what they say, “It’s lonely at the top”,” Daniel remarked.

She let out a faint chuckle. “It really is true. And now the next part is going to sound weird to you,” she replied.

“Go on,” he gently urged.

“Since I couldn’t find what I needed on my world, I came here in search of it. Though in all honesty I’m not sure what I hope to discover here. In a way I suppose I’m in search of a companion of sorts. But I’m not sure why my horn led me here exactly,” she said looking over at him. “Unless.”

“Unless what?” he asked wondering if there was a true answer to his question.

“I heard you talking just before I revealed myself to you,” she explained.

Daniel’s eyes widened for a moment but then they calmed. “So you heard me speaking to my garden?” he asked quietly.

“I did. I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but you sounded so forlorn. I decided to show myself to you, in the hopes of cheering you up. After all I really enjoy making new friends. And from your words it sounds as though you may be facing a similar plight, not unlike my own,” she conveyed to him.

He scratched his head for a moment. Daniel wasn’t entirely sure what Celestia meant by searching for a companion of sorts, but he liked the idea of making friends. At the very least, he had an answer to his question now, even if it wasn’t completely clear. “So a series of events on your world ultimately led you here and then your horn somehow led you to my place. That’s really something,” he said feeling at a loss for words.

“Are you okay? My being here isn’t a problem is it?” she asked feeling a little uncertain.

He shook his head at her. “No, it’s not. In fact I’ve enjoyed chatting with you,” he expressed sincerely.

“You know something, I’ve enjoyed talking with you as well. Thank you for your hospitality, Daniel. I appreciate it,” she said.

“You are more than welcome. It’s not every day I get such an interesting guest,” he said with a smile.

She giggled softly at his words. Then she focused her eyes on him again. “You know a little about me now. But I hardly know anything about you,” she replied. Before he could respond, the sound of her stomach growling filled the room. Celestia’s face turned red as she said, “Oh my, was that me?”

Daniel chuckled warmly at her. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked. Looking at the clock on the wall, he discovered that it was after six. “Well no wonder. It’s dinner time,” Daniel remarked.

Celestia giggled again. Then she realized that it had been a while since her last meal. Her appetite was on hiatus while she was in Equestria. She ate breakfast, but never had anything for lunch. She placed a hoof along her head. “My goodness. I just realized I never ate lunch,” Celestia remarked.

Daniel smiled at her. “Well then how would you like to join me for dinner? I’m not the world’s greatest chef, but I like to think I can make decent meals. Though, what exactly do alicorns eat? I know horses and ponies on my world eat things like grass, hay and flowers. Somehow I doubt a pony as refined as you, would like me to fetch you a heaping plate of lawn clippings,” he remarked with a chuckle.

She shared his chuckle. “You are quite right. Well I’ll tell you what, how about you prepare something, and I’ll eat that,” she proposed.

Daniel smiled at her proposal. It sounded simple enough, but then one thought occurred to him. “Oh, but you’re a pony…err alicorn. Your kind doesn’t eat meat, do they?” he asked.

“Oh my, that’s right. Humans eat both meat and vegetables. And no, my kind doesn’t eat meat. The closest thing we eat to meat would be eggs, I suppose,” Celestia answered.

He placed a hand along his chin and gave the matter some thought. Snapping his fingers, he replied, “No problem. Since you’re my guest, I’ll just prepare a meal that doesn’t call for meat.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she replied.

“Hey, you’re my guest. I told you I want to be a good host. Now if you’ll pardon me, I need to go change my clothes,” he announced.

“Why? Is there something wrong with the ones you have on?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Well yes, these are my gardening clothes. I want to go change into something more casual. For now you just sit back and relax. Since you’ve been a ruler for so long, why not sit back and take it easy. Just leave everything to me. Once I change, I’ll go start dinner,” he stated happily.

“Okay,” she uttered.

Daniel bowed respectfully to her and then departed for his room. He walked back a short hall, arriving at his room along the end. Entering, he closed the door and then changed into his casual attire. Daniel put on a pair of tan cotton shorts that ran down to his kneecaps, and put on a blue pocket T-shirt. He removed his shoes and placed them under his bed, leaving his feet covered only by a pair of white socks. Since he was around royalty, he checked his face in the mirror on his dresser. Thankfully he looked presentable. Walking over to his nightstand, he freshened up his deodorant. The last thing he wanted to do was reek in front of such a special guest. Satisfied with his look, he left his room.

Daniel smiled at Celestia as he walked past her and into the kitchen. Standing there, he began to ponder what he could prepare that would be quick, something she might like and of course devoid of meat. For a moment he racked his brain, then Daniel began to form an idea. He checked his pantry and found he had at least six cans of tomato soup. That took care of the first item. Then he checked the counter near his microwave. There he located half a loaf of sliced bread. Turning to his fridge, Daniel checked for butter and sliced American cheese. To his delight he found a mostly full tub of butter and a little over half a pound of sliced American cheese. Quickly he gathered the items and closed the fridge. He set the items on the counter and turned to his utensil drawer. There he removed a butter knife. Daniel set it on the counter and dug in another drawer for a flipper and a soup ladle. Upon setting them down, he bent over and went into a cabinet near the stove. Reaching in, he removed a small frying pan and a medium size kettle. He placed both pieces of cookware beside the stove. Returning to his utensil drawer, Daniel retrieved a manual can opener. He figured it best to warm the soup, while he prepared the grilled cheese sandwiches.

As Daniel began opening the soup cans, he realized that one of his favorite quick meals was actually one that was meat free. He chuckled softly as he finished opening the cans. Lifting the lids on each, he moved over to the kettle and poured in the contents of both. Remembering a trick his mother had taught him a while back, Daniel went to his fridge and removed a jug of milk. He filled one of the cans with milk and then poured it into the kettle. Tomato soup on its own was a bit thick and salty, but adding only water could tend to make it a bit runny, so he learned that also adding milk helped keep the soup a bit thicker and less watery. He reached for the dial and turned on the front right burner. There was a slight clicking sound, followed by the ignition of a brilliant blue and orange flame. Daniel adjusted the dial, leaving it turned midway. Then he set the kettle over the burner. He slowly mixed the milk in with the soup, until it was mixed evenly. After setting the ladle down, he grabbed a paper plate and placed four slices of bread on it.

“Is everything going okay over there?” he heard Celestia call out to him.

“Yes, I’ve got everything gathered. Now I just need to put it all together. It shouldn’t be long, about ten to fifteen minutes,” he voiced back to her.

Feeling rather happy as he made a meal for someone other than just himself, Daniel began humming a tune from one of his favorite video games. It was the world map theme “Emotion” from the RPG "Xenogears". He began buttering the slices of bread while he continued to hum. Once the bread was prepared, he removed a few slices of cheese from the deli pack. Daniel moved back to the stove, there he checked on the soup and stirred it a bit. Then he turned on the left front burner and set the frying pan on it. He continued humming as he gave the pan some time to warm up.

Again he heard Celestia’s voice call out to him. “Do you need any help?”

He chuckled warmly at her thoughtfulness. “No, I’m fine, but thank you for the offer,” he announced, a sincere gratitude in his voice.

Now that the pan had sufficiently warmed, Daniel placed a slice of bread butter side down. Next he quickly topped it with a few slices of cheese and capped it with the companion slice. Again he checked on the soup, stirring it deftly with the ladle. After nearly a minute passed, Daniel checked on the sandwich. Using the flipper he turned it over. The top slice met the hot pan and sizzled, while he checked the other side. It was a beautiful golden brown, perfect for this type of sandwich. He smiled as he checked on the soup one more time. It looked to be nearly ready. Checking on the sandwich, he flipped it and found it was now properly done on both sides. Using the flipper, he placed it on a small plate. Then he promptly assembled the second sandwich in the still very hot pan. It sizzled while he took another look at the soup, which began lightly bubbling and there was just a hint of steam rising up from it. Nodding his head, Daniel turned off the burner. Then he flipped the second sandwich over. Before long it was nicely toasted and ready to be taken out of the pan. After setting it on another plate, he fetched two small bowls. Taking the ladle he filled each bowl with hot tomato soup.

Carefully he carried the two bowls over to the dinning room table and set them down. Next Daniel brought over the two sandwiches and the utensils. He turned to the living room. At first he was going to call Celestia by her name, but now that he learned she was a princess, would that be proper? Not wanting to insult his guest, he decided to be tactful. “Princess, dinner is ready,” Daniel called to her.

“That’s wonderful,” she responded. Celestia used her magic and picked up their water bottles, which were still nearly half full. She promptly made her way to the dinning room, greeting her host with a warm smile. “So what did you make?” Celestia asked looking at the contents of the table.

“Well it’s nothing special your highness, but I made tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches,” he replied modestly.

She looked at the food and gave a nod. “It looks scrumptious to me. Oh and there’s one thing I’d like to address,” Celestia said.

“And what would that be?” he inquired.

“You don’t need to act formal around me. Please don’t call me “princess” or “your highness”,” she requested politely. “I’ve had more than enough of that already. In fact it’s something else I think I’ve honestly grown tired of back in Equestria. I don’t like being fussed over so much. In reality I’m not that much different from other ponies…well at least that’s how I feel.”

Daniel studied her face while he listened to her carefully. He never thought he’d meet a regal individual, let alone one that didn’t enjoy the status that went with being royalty. Still she made her point and actually he liked the idea of not having to be so formal. “Okay Celestia. I am more than happy to respect your wishes. I only addressed you that way, because I didn’t want to offend you,” he explained.

She smiled at him. “It’s quite all right Daniel. And thank you,” she replied. “Now shall we eat?”

He returned her smile and said, “Of course.”

Celestia approached the table and went to move the chair. Before she could, Daniel walked over and pulled the chair out for her. “Please, sit down,” he said acting quite chivalrous.

“Oh my, thank you,” she uttered. At first Celestia, thought he might have done such a gesture because she was a princess, but then she began to recall his expressed desire to be a good host.

He walked over to his chair and sat down. At first he wasn’t sure why he did that for Celestia. Then, he realized that even though she wasn’t a human, she was still a lady, and he always tried to be respectful to the fairer sex.

Daniel removed the cap on his water and took a drink. Even preparing such a simple meal left him rather thirsty. He looked over at Celestia and wondered why she hadn’t started eating. “Go ahead and start,” he said.

“You don’t mind if I use my magic do you?” she asked looking at him uneasily.

Daniel wasn’t entirely sure why she’d need her magic, but he replied, “No, go ahead.”

“Thank you,” she said. Her horn lit up and Celestia brought the sandwich to her mouth. She took a small bite and began chewing it.

After seeing how she employed her magic, Daniel understood her question. He then placed his spoon into the soup and lifted it close to his lips. He gently blew across it, before inviting it into his mouth. The warm flavorful soup flowed across his tongue as he gradually swallowed it. He looked over in time to see Celestia finish her first bite. Before he could ask if she liked it, he saw her take few more little bites from the sandwich.

Once she emptied her mouth she smiled and looked over at him. “This is very tasty,” Celestia expressed.

“Oh good, you like it. Go on and try the soup,” he said encouragingly.

“Okay.” Celestia set the sandwich back on its plate. Then she used her magic to place the spoon in the bowl. She brought a spoon of hot soup to her mouth. Seeing that there was a faint wave of steam rolling off it, she softly blew on it. Celestia moved the spoon into her mouth and emptied it. She allowed the soup to remain on her tongue for a few moments before she swallowed it. Slowly she smacked her lips, while determining what she thought of its taste. Again she smiled. “This is very good as well,” Celestia commented contently.

“Then go on and eat up. There’s plenty left in the kettle on the stove, just in case you would like seconds,” Daniel informed her thoughtfully.

She nodded her head and continued enjoying her soup and grilled cheese. Daniel did the same. He considered engaging her in dinnertime conversation, but he figured since the night was still young, they could always talk afterwards. The two continued enjoying the simple meal with much delight. To his pleasant surprise, Celestia actually went back for seconds on the soup and so did he, this way there wouldn’t be a trifling amount leftover.

After she finished the last spoonful of her second bowl, Celestia sat back in her chair and patted a hoof on her belly. “Ah, I’m stuffed…that was great,” she spoke with delight.

He lightly chuckled at her. “I’m really glad you liked it. I wasn’t sure you would, but I was hoping,” he confessed with a subtle grin.

Celestia let out a quiet giggle. “The meal was more than satisfactory. In fact it reminded me of food from my world,” she spoke in a jubilant voice. He just smiled at her. She looked at the bowls and plates on the table and then at the items Daniel had used to make their meal. Turning her eyes back his way, she said, “May I help you with the dishes?”

Pushing back his chair and rising to his feet, Daniel replied, “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

Celestia rose from her seat. “Of course you can. You said you wanted to be a good host…well I want to be a good guest,” she declared proudly.

Daniel couldn’t argue with her logic, so he figured – why not? “You make a persuasive argument Celestia. So I would be happy to have your help,” he replied smiling at her.

He went to clear the table, but she placed a hoof in his path. “No, allow me,” she said. Her horn lit up with an orange glow. Celestia gathered the plates, bowls and flatware with her magic. Daniel went ahead of her into the kitchen and turned on the sink’s faucet. He secured the drain stopper and added some dish soap. She arrived and skillfully set the items along the counter top.

“Thank you Celestia,” he said, using the sprayer attachment to swirl the soap around the right chamber of the sink.

“You’re welcome.” She looked around and spied some drying towels and saw what looked like a draining rack. Celestia was glad their worlds had so many similarities. At least she wasn’t totally lost in his house.

Once the sink was filled with sudsy somewhat hot water, Daniel placed the dirty dishes in to briefly soak. “Once I scrub and rinse the dishes, I’ll place them in the draining rack. Then you can go ahead and take them out and dry them. Oh and you can just set them on the counter. I’ll show you where they go once we’re done,” he instructed.

“No problem,” she said holding up a towel with her magic. He looked over at her and smiled. Daniel reached into the sink and removed one of the soup bowls. He wiped it with a scrubby sponge, rinsed it with cool water and then placed it in the draining rack. Celestia gave the bowl a few moments to let the excess water drip off, before she lifted it up to dry. As she began drying it, she thought this would be an ideal time to ask him a little about himself. “So Daniel…tell me…do you live here by yourself?” she asked.

He finished scrubbing another bowl and turned to look at her. “Yeah, it’s just me,” he said solemnly.

“Do you have any friends?”

“Yes, there are some guys I hang out with from time to time. They even come over and visit once in a while,” he replied placing a cleaned plate in the draining rack.

Celestia stacked the second dried bowl into the first. Looking back at him she asked, “How about any family?”

Daniel slowly removed one of the spoons. He let out a soft sigh and shook his head. “No, my parents passed away a few years ago. It’s been tricky living without them,” he explained.

“Were you close?” she asked drying another plate.

Setting the ladle in the draining rack, he answered, “Yes, but especially my mother and I. We were very close.” Daniel grew quiet as he removed the small frying pan and began running the sponge along it.

Celestia didn’t like the tone in his voice, it left her wondering if she had misspoken. “I’m sorry Daniel, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said apologetically.

“There was no way you could have known. Besides, it’s just something I have to learn to live with. And if I remember them, then it’s like they’re not really gone,” he spoke a note of hope in his voice.

The pony smiled at him as she finished drying the ladle. “Well from what I’ve seen of you so far, your parents did a fine job raising you,” she expressed kindly.

He felt a moment of awkwardness, if the conversation continued this way, he feared he was likely to blush. Then he thought of a way to redirect the conversation slightly. “So Celestia, do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” he asked.

Placing a hoof on her chin, she gave his question some serious thought. “Well, I suppose I can always go back and rest around those secluded bushes near the woods,” she concluded.

Daniel shook his head at her. “No, I couldn’t let you do that,” he said.

“Then what do you propose I do?” she asked.

“Simple, you can stay here. Um, I’d offer you the use of the spare bedroom, but the bed’s buried under a bunch of random stuff. Oh and the room is a bit cluttered with some belongings I never got around to unpacking, after I moved here last year. Thought I could always clear it out. If you don’t mind, you can rest on the couch till I can straighten up the room,” he suggested.

She smiled feeling quite fond of his comfy couch. It was hardly a bed fit for a princess, but this was just the sort of change Celestia was itching for. She delighted at the prospect of sleeping on his sofa. “Okay, that will be fine. It sure will beat sleeping outside. Especially if it’s still muggy out there,” she noted placing a hoof along her left cheek.

Daniel chuckled as he handed her the last utensil. “Okay it’s settled then,” he told her removing the drain plug, allowing the sink to empty.

Celestia dried the final item and set it with the others. “There, that’s all of them,” she announced.

“Good, now here,” he said showing her where the various items went.

Once they had finished cleaning up in the kitchen, the two returned to the living room and sat down on the couch. It was only a little after eight, so the night was still rather young. They spent the next two hours chatting about all sorts of things, gradually discovering they had quite a bit in common. Celestia better explained the three types of ponies and their roles in Equestrian life. They talked about the food on both their worlds and foods they liked. They also discussed the various types of travel in relation to their worlds, and even about how the weather was different. Daniel was rather amazed to learn that the pegasi were in charge of the weather in Equestria. It gave a whole new meaning to talking about the weather.

Daniel looked over at a clock and noticed it was a little after ten. As much as he wanted to continue talking to her, he knew they had to stop for the night. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Well Celestia, we’ll have to end our conversation for now.”

She looked at him curiously. “How come?” she asked.

“I have to go to work tomorrow. The weekends go by so fast,” he remarked.

“Oh, so tomorrow is going to be Monday on your world?” she asked.

He nodded, “That’s right. And I have to be at work by 7am.”

Celestia found it interesting that the days of the week were another similarity between their worlds. Thankfully Daniel didn't seem to notice, so she figured it could be something they'd discuss another time. Instead she just said, “Then you’d best get some rest.”

“Yeah. Oh, I wanted to give you a brief tour of my home, before I go to bed. Since you’re going to be staying here, I think you should know your way around,” he stated continuing to be a good host.

Celestia couldn’t help but smile again. He truly seemed to be a very kind human. In some ways his level of kindness reminded her of Twilight’s friend Fluttershy. Thankfully though, Daniel didn’t suffer form Fluttershy’s level of shyness. That would have been quite problematic if he had.

Her host went on to show her around his modest but roomy single level home. She was already a little familiar with the dining room, living room and the kitchen. In addition, he showed her where his room was, in case she needed to get him for any reason. Then Daniel showed her the guestroom. It was quite a mess. The rest of the house was so well kept compared to this single area. Analyzing the mess, she saw why she would need to use the couch for a bit. The floor was covered by a series of boxes, there was a bunch of odd looking devices and smaller boxes and books piled on the bed, and even some items she didn’t recognize.

They backed out of the room and he closed the door. There was just one more room he needed to show her. Near the front of the short hallway, lay the bathroom. He wasn’t sure if alicorns had rooms like these or not, but since she did a number of things in a manner similar to humans, he thought he’d show her anyway. “So here is the bathroom then. Do you have rooms like these in the homes on your world?” he asked with a bit of wonder.

She smiled at him. “Yes we do. Oh and I guess I can use your tub to shower or bathe,” she said.

“Of course. Um, I have extra towels, if you should need any. And then there is also the…” he sort of trailed off.

Celestia walked over and joined him by the toilet. She studied the device for a moment. “Is this a toilet?” she asked with surprise.

“Uh, yes actually. You have these in your world too?” he asked thinking it would be uncanny if they did.

“Uh-huh, but ours sit a bit lower and are a little different in design, you know so the stallions, colts and fillies can reach them more easily,” Celestia explained. Looking at the ceramic device she nodded her head. “Well despite the height, I shouldn’t have any trouble making use of this.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Daniel uttered placing his arm nervously behind his head. He wished he could think of something to change the topic of this somewhat awkward conversation. Then he thought of something. “Um, I should go get a blanket and some pillows for you. Yeah, I’ll be right back,” he replied.

Celestia exited the washroom and looked at him strangely as he walked over to the hall closet. Was it something she said? Shrugging her shoulders, she made her way over to the couch and waited for him to return. A few minutes passed and he returned carrying a few pillows and a dark blue blanket. As he walked closer to the couch he stumbled slightly, quickly regaining his balance. “Careful Daniel, you don’t want to fall and hurt yourself,” she expressed.

He snickered. “Yeah I know. But every now and then I seem to stumble over my own feet.” Daniel placed the pillows on the one end of the sofa and placed the blanket at the other. “There you are. If you get thirsty, feel free to get a water from the fridge. Oh and should you need me for anything, just knock on my bedroom door. Though I will caution you. I am sometimes a little groggy when I first wake up, and might not be very with it at first.”

She giggled at him. “It’s okay. I should be fine Daniel. And thank you again for your kind hospitality. Are you sure I’m not imposing?” she asked exhibiting some concern.

Shaking his head, he answered, “Not at all. I have to admit, while it’s hard to believe there’s an alicorn sitting on my couch, I am grateful for your company.”

Celestia smiled at him. “Thank you Daniel. Well good night,” she spoke softly.

Adjusting his glasses and smiling again, he responded, “Thank you. Night Celestia.” He took his leave of her and walked back to his room.

Now that she was alone, she removed her tiara and necklace, placing them on the coffee table. Afterwards, Celestia laid down on the comfy sofa and carefully adjusted the pillows to her liking. Then she used her magic to cover her hind legs and hooves with the blanket. Carefully she pulled it up over her and let her head sink softly into the pillows. Looking over at the end table, she used her magic to switch off the lamp. Again she thrilled at another similarity between her world and his. Celestia let out a quiet yawn as she slowly felt the veil of slumber encompass her. Apparently she was still rather tired from her journey. Soon she began resting quietly as the central air continued humming gently in the background.

Chapter 3 - "A Ray of Sunshine"

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 3 –
“A Ray of Sunshine”

The house was mostly quiet, aside from the occasional running of the central air’s blower. Daniel had been resting soundly, until he jolted awake from his slumber. Slowly he sat up in his bed. Looking around he discovered it was still dark out. Checking his alarm clock, the soft aqua light revealed that it was 1:07 AM. Thankfully he still had plenty of time to rest. Though he wondered what torn him from his sleep. He began feeling the sensation that follows an odd dream. For a moment he couldn’t remember any part of it. Then he remembered something about a beautiful alicorn calling herself Princess Celestia…feeling a slight start, he remembered it wasn’t a dream. At least he didn’t think it was.

Daniel reached over to his nightstand and put on his glasses, this way he wouldn’t stumble around in the dark. He tossed back his covers and realized his dreams weren’t the only thing that woke him. Sliding out of his bed, he left his room and made his way to the bathroom. After taking care of his business, he washed his hands and looked in the mirror. He started blankly at himself before finally exiting the room. The haze of sleep still had him in its foggy grip as Daniel slowly walked into the living room. He figured he should check on his guest. For a moment he half expected the couch to be empty. As he rounded the arm of the furnishing, he gave a solid look. There his eyes met the sight of Celestia, sleeping rather peacefully. The gentle glow of the moonlight peered in through the curtains of the living room windows, softly illuminating the room. Daniel pushed up his glasses and rubbed his eyes a few times. Readjusting his eyewear, he saw that she was still there.

Looking at her more closely, he noticed that Celestia had kicked the blanket off in her sleep. He discovered it bunched up along her hind legs. The white of her fur almost appeared a pale blue in the glow of the moonlight, making her appear almost radiant. Daniel stood there staring at her, and he wasn’t sure why, but she seemed quite beautiful before his gazing eyes. It was then that he noticed her shiver lightly from the coolness of the central air. Remaining thoughtful, he reached down and gently covered her with the blanket, making sure not to wake her.

After he covered her, Daniel stood there a moment more. Suddenly he noticed her mutter something in her sleep. “Why don’t all of you love me?” Celestia murmured, repositioning her head along the pillow. “I tried my best to be a good princess…for…all of you…I tried…” Her voice trailed off, and her speaking was replaced by the gentle sound of her breathing.

Daniel was about to leave when he noticed something glisten out the corner of her eye. Studying her face closely, he saw a lone tear roll down her cheek. He reached his left hand forward, part of him wanted to comfort her…but he hesitated. Even though she seemed in need, he didn’t have the heart to waken her, nor did he want to risk embarrassing her. After giving her one final look, he walked away. Once he was out of the living room, Daniel hastened his pace back to his room. The sudden influx of conflicting and alarming emotions made him leery and fearful of lingering too long. He closed the bedroom door and made his way back to bed. He removed his glasses and set them back on the nightstand. Sitting down on the edge of his mattress, he shook his head and said, “What the heck was that?! Come on Daniel…what are you thinking?!” Flopping violently onto his back, he cast off an exasperated sigh. “I’m just not thinking clearly. That’s it. I just need sleep… Yes…sleep,” he trailed off with a yawn. Pulling up his covers, he laid his head on his pillow. A few minutes passed, gradually his mind began to calm allowing him to drift off to sleep.

*******

Celestia began tossing her head back and forth as she slept. Her dreams had become increasingly troubling. Her subjects were continuing to mock her and besieged her with a torrent of hurtful insults. Their behavior was just plain heartless and cruel. It left her feeling quite distressed, and finally it caused her to rouse from her sleep with a panicked gasp. Her eyes snapped opened and she sat up partly. Panting lightly for air, she looked around. All she saw was the shroud of darkness blanketing the house. The sound of the central air blowing through a nearby floor vent met her ears. She let out a quiet sigh as she glanced around the room again. Then feeling the comfortable caress of the blanket, she discovered that it had been tucked around her more securely than she had originally done. “Daniel,” she spoke in a tone barely audible. There was no sign of the human as she studied the surrounding area one last time. She felt the lingering effect of the dream, but discovering she wasn’t in Equestria filled her with a strong relief. Celestia laid back and turned to face the back of the couch. “It was just a nightmare. That’s all…just a nightmare,” she whispered, the last of her words fading into silence. Once she was comfortable, she shut her eyes and returned to the land of dreams.

*******

Daniel startled awake to the incessant beep of his alarm clock. Reaching over, he promptly slapped the snooze button. Like so many days, 5:30 AM had arrived far too quickly. At least he had five minutes till his alarm would resound. He normally used that time to either catch a few more lingering Z’s, or simply to give himself a chance to wake up. He felt the fading fog that normally accompanied waking up. Suddenly Daniel remembered he had a guest to think about his morning. Throwing off his covers, he rose from his bed. Then he switched off his alarm, grabbed his glasses and quickly dressed in his work clothes. He took care of a few minor details in the bathroom. After which, he passed through the back of the living room. He saw Celestia was still resting soundly on the couch. Once he arrived in the kitchen, he put the finishing touches on packing his lunch cooler. With that out the way, he began thinking what he could prepare for breakfast. A few minutes passed and Daniel knew just what to make.

Daniel was putting the finishing touches on breakfast, when he noticed the gentle sound of clopping footfalls on the kitchen floor. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Celestia approaching. She let out a quiet yawn, and greeted him with a warming smile. “Good morning Celestia. Did I wake you?” he asked as he loaded two plates with freshly prepared scrambled eggs.

She let out another yawn. “Yes, but it’s okay. I wanted to see you before you left for work anyway,” she said with enthusiasm.

Daniel smiled as he removed a plate of hash brown patties from the microwave. “Did you sleep well?” he asked putting the finishing touches on the two plates.

She gave his simply query some thought. “For the most part I slept quite well,” she replied. Celestia wasn’t certain if she should have told him about her nightmare, so she decided no to. Looking at the two plates, she asked, “So what’s all this? Did you make breakfast?”

Again he smiled at her. “I did. It’s nothing special. Just scrambled eggs, hash brown patties and some toast,” he replied. Looking up he noticed her crown was missing. “Didn’t you feel like wearing your crown this morning?” he asked curiously.

Celestia reached up and patted her right hoof along the top of her head. Her eyes slightly widened as she realized she forgot to put her crown and necklace back on. “Oh my, I guess I’m still a little out of it,” she confessed.

Daniel chuckled softly at her. “It’s all right. I’m not usually much of a morning person either. By the way, did you do something different with your mane?” he asked carrying the two plates over to the dinning room table. “Yesterday, I could have sworn it looked like it was swirling…almost like water,” he noted placing a finger under his chin.

Celestia turned to her left and glanced at her mane. “You’re quite observant. Many of my subjects aren’t aware of this, but I learned a little spell that makes my hair swirl like that. I mainly use it to add a bit of flashiness to my overall appearance. While ruling as princess, I figured I should look the part,” she explained.

Returning to the kitchen Daniel fetched two glasses form a cabinet. “So do you just deactivate the spell when you go to bed?” he asked walking over to the fridge.

“Yes. I just didn’t get around to activating it this morning. That and I haven’t had a chance to do a thing with my hair yet. Oh I must look so disheveled,” she spoke lowering her head and feeling quite self-conscious.

“It doesn’t look all that mussed. Besides I think it looks really pretty without that flashy effect. Somehow it looks…more natural this way,” he remarked thoughtfully.

Celestia felt her cheeks turn flushed. “That’s very kind of you to say,” she replied feeling almost at a loss for words.

Daniel opened the fridge and reached for a bottle of orange juice. “Celestia, would you like some orange juice with your breakfast?” he inquired politely changing the subject.

She nodded, and answered, “Yes, thank you.”

He filled the two glasses and then brought them over to the table. Everything else had already been prepared. Daniel had brought over silverware and condiments before he even brought their plates.

Before he could sit down, Celestia walked up to him and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Daniel, could I ask you something,” she said.

Turning to look her in the eye, he answered, “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“You’re acting quite casual this morning. Does this mean you’ve accepted that I’m real and not an illusion?” she asked.

Daniel looked at her with puzzled eyes, before giving her a thoughtful expression. “Honestly Celestia, there is still a part of me that wonders if this is truly real. But in this crazy life, I’ve learned it’s best to keep an open mind. Every now and then, you encounter something that totally defies logic,” he conveyed to her ending with a smile.

“Like a talking alicorn princess for example?” she asked giving him a winsome smile.

He chuckled softly. “That would certainly fit the bill. Though since we’re on the matter of in-depth questions…I’ve got one for you.”

She removed her hoof from his shoulder and stood firmly before him. Closing her eyes she asked, “And what might that be?”

Placing a hand on his chin, he said, “Why did you tell me that you are a princess, if you don’t want me making a big deal about it? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just withhold that part of yourself?”

For a moment she found his question almost humorous. She giggled and then focused her eyes on him. “You’re right. I could have simply withheld the truth from you, but I didn’t want to lie to you. And honestly, I was curious how you would react when I told you about my royal status. Though I am surprised you didn’t react worse than you did,” she responded, expressing her confusion to him.

Shaking his head, he said, “You know, in some ways I’m surprised I didn’t react worse myself. Though I think I was just in a state of shock. After having some time to let it all sink in last night, I began realizing that maybe beyond all logic…that this is really happening.” Celestia looked him in the eye and continued to smile. “Um, we should really eat our breakfast. We don’t want it to get cold,” Daniel noted. Looking at a nearby clock, he added, “Plus I have to leave for work in about twenty minutes.”

“Well then, I don’t want to make you late,” she remarked with concern. Daniel walked over to the table and took a seat. She took her seat, and two contently ate their breakfast. Celestia told him that she enjoyed meals such as this back in Equestria. She also noted her fondness for his cooking skills. Just like dinner the previous night, she equally enjoyed his thoughtfully prepared breakfast.

After the two finished eating, he cleared the table, and told her that the dishes could wait till he returned from work. Before he ran out of time, he quickly showed her around the kitchen, helping her get a feel for where he kept things. He told her she could feel free to make something for lunch, seeing as he would be gone for a little over eight hours.

Soon it was time for him depart. “Do you have any activities or things to help you pass the time, while I’m away?” Daniel asked. “I don’t want you to be bored.”

She giggled at him. “Don’t worry Daniel. I’ll be fine. I brought a few things from home to help with that. And I see you have books on your shelves. I wouldn’t mind taking in some human literature. Plus I can always go out back and enjoy the sight of the flowers in your garden,” she spoke assuring him she would be more than fine.

“All right then. Well I’d better get going,” he expressed, picking up his lunch bag.

She followed him to the front door, where he stepped outside. “Take care Daniel,” she called to him as he traversed the cement walkway.

“Bye Celestia. I’ll be home around 3:20,” he called back to her.

Daniel continued along the walkway. It led from the front door to the mailbox and an adjacent stretch connected to the driveway. He made his way to the driveway and entered his mid-size sedan. The engine turned over and in few minutes he backed out of the driveway. Celestia stood in the doorway waving a hoof good-bye at him. He waved back and then she watched as he drove out of site. She lingered there for a few minutes, before she turned and went back inside, closing the door behind her.

She walked slowly into the living room. The house suddenly seemed so empty to her. Celestia sighed, hoping the time wouldn’t pass too slowly. After all she was still very eager to learn more about Daniel.

Now that she was alone, Celestia decided to do some reading. She walked over to the large bookshelf and studied the various novels unfolding before her. After browsing for a bit she used her magic to remove one that piqued her interest. It was a story called, “The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring”. Celestia made her way over to the couch. There she gingerly sat down and moved the book before her. She read the brief summary on the back cover. Like the title, the summary had also intrigued her. Opening the book, she began to read.

Three hours had gone by, Celestia had read nearly a third of the book. Though as she read, she found she was growing more and more distracted. Her focus kept slipping and she was no longer able to immerse herself in the once gripping pages of J.R.R. Tolkien’s story. Celestia marked her place with an old three by five card she found tucked in the back pages. Closing the book, she used her magic and gently sat it on the coffee table.

Rising to her hooves, she began walking around the room. She caught her reflection in the strange black rectangle. Her hair was still rather messy. Not wanting to greet Daniel with a disheveled mane, she marched over to her saddlebags. She rummaged through them searching for her hairbrush. Before long she found it. Using her magic, Celestia removed it from the bags and promptly made her way to the bathroom. Then looking at herself in the fairly large mirror, she made an effort to tame her hair.

A short time passed and she had properly groomed her mane and tail to her liking. Celestia set the brush down on the bathroom counter and departed. Looking around the still deserted house, she pondered what she should do next. Checking a nearby wall clock, she discovered it was only 9:48 AM. It was way too soon to even think about lunch, and her desire to resume reading hadn’t returned either. She lightly stomped a hoof on the floor in frustration. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so hasty to assure Daniel that she would be fine. Though following a cursory glance across the surrounding area, Celestia saw nothing that would really entertain her. However in all honesty, there were quite a few items in the human’s home that she had no idea what purpose they served. Many items were similar to ones found in her word, but there were some things she was just plain clueless on.

Reexamining the clock showed that only three minutes had gone by. She wasn’t even passing time quickly by contemplating her next activity. That’s when she remembered his garden. Perhaps a trip outside to appreciate the fruit of his outdoor labors would help her pass the time.

Smiling, Celestia trotted over to the dinning room. There she retrieved her elegant shoes, and placed them back on her hooves. She stepped over to the patio door and used her magic to slide it open. It was still morning and the outside air was mostly mild. There was still a bit of mugginess in the air, but the lack of heat made it mostly bearable. Celestia walked out completely and cautiously looked around. There were no signs of any other humans in the area. Turning back, she used her magic and closed the door.

The smile remained on her face as Celestia trotted out across the patio and onto the soft blades of green grass. She glanced around again and saw no one. Thankfully she wouldn’t need to employ her invisibility spell. It was actually quite fortuitous that Daniel’s back yard didn’t face any of the neighboring houses.

Her stroll to the garden, led Celestia under two tall shade trees. Once she passed them, she arrived at her destination. The garden lay in a fairly large open section of the back yard. The location provided the plants with plenty of sunlight. Turning around, she spied Earth’s sun staring down at her. After living in Equestria for so long, she found it rather amazing that the human world didn’t need a pony raising and setting the sun each day. Looking away, she turned her eyes to the beautiful flowers sprawling out before her. She walked up to a series of lovely rose bushes. To her delight the bushes were an intriguing assortment of colors. There were of course a few red bushes, but there were also some that were white, orange, and even a few that were a combination of colors, like that of Scentimental. Celestia marveled at how its appearance reminded her of a peppermint wheel. Leaning close to one of its blossoms, she inhaled deeply, inviting the potent but lovely fragrance into her nose. She sighed happily as she exhaled. The scent was truly wondrous.

While she strolled through the flowers of Daniel’s garden, Celestia was reminded of the times that she used to spend in the royal gardens. Since she was often cooped up in the castle, it had been one of the things she always relished doing on her own. It also reminded her of the carefree days, before she had to oversee Equestria’s well-being. It was back when she actually had time to – stop and smell the flowers.

She remained at the garden for a good while, unaware of how much time had passed. A rumble in her belly suggested it might be nearing lunchtime. So, Celestia made her way back inside. Once again the refreshing chill of the central air welcomed her. She hadn’t noticed how increasingly warm and muggy it was becoming outside.

Trotting over to the end table, she removed her elegant shoes and tucked them underneath. Then she made her way to the bathroom. There she once again managed to successfully make use of the facilities, like she had the night before, despite the minor contrast between human and Equestrian bathroom fixtures. Before departing, she made sure to wash her front hooves. Again her stomach growled. Her course took her into the kitchen. Glancing above the sink, she noticed a clock. Since it was nearing noon, she figured she might as well have lunch. Though she would have really enjoyed it if Daniel could have been there to join her. Before the gloomy feeling could take root, she banished it, reminding herself that he would be home in plenty of time for dinner.

She was grateful that he had showed her around the kitchen. Though at first Celestia wasn’t sure what she wanted to eat. Turning to the refrigerator, she used her magic to open the door. After perusing the various items inside, she discovered much to her liking, that Daniel had everything she needed to make a hearty salad. Celestia gathered everything she needed and whipped up a decent size salad. Checking the door of his fridge, she discovered a nice assortment of salad dressings. Though the majority of the flavors were similar to ones found on Equestria, such as ranch, she found one that she had never seen before. Picking up the bottle with her magic, she read the label aloud, “Catalina.” She shrugged and removed the cap. Carefully she sniffed the bottle. It had a rather pleasing scent. Holding up her right hoof, she let a drop fall on it. She brushed her tongue along her hoof sampling the somewhat sweet and tangy flavor of the dressing. Celestia smacked her lips for a moment. Nodding her head she moved the bottle over to her plate and applied a generous coating. If it was one thing she really enjoyed, it was dressing up a salad. The right dressing could give one an amazing flavor. Upon finishing with the dressing, she put it back in the fridge, and made sure she hadn’t left anything else sit out.

She fetched a bottle of water and then floated it and her salad over to the table. She sat at what was becoming her usual place and began eating her lunch. Celestia found the Catalina dressing was even tastier blended across the assorted vegetables of her food. Once she finished her meal, she tossed her empty water bottle in the green recycle bin, that Daniel had so graciously pointed out to her, and set her dirty plate and fork on the counter by the sink. For a moment she considered what she wanted to do next. Sweeping her eyes across the counter, she noticed the volume of dirty dishes was gradually increasing. Studying the area around the kitchen sink, Celestia found drying towels, the sponge Daniel used last night, and a bottle of the soap he had used as well.

Placing a hoof on her chin, Celestia thought for a moment and decided she’d do the dishes. She didn’t know where they all went, but given the stack and the size of the draining rack, she figured they should all fit. Then Daniel could simply put them away later. At least this way it would be one less thing he’d have to do. Besides, she wanted to do something nice to repay him for his wonderful hospitality. After all, he wouldn’t have had to offer her a place to sleep, or meals for that matter. Using her magic, she turned on the faucet and filled the sink with hot water. After double checking the drain plug, she added some dish soap and once the water was prepared, she filled the sink with the dirty dishes.

To Celestia’s surprise it hadn’t taken her too long to do the dishes, and even better still they all fit in the draining rack. After she drained the sink, she took one of the dishtowels and used it to wipe up the counter. She ran her hoof over her forehead and nodded approvingly. The dishes almost seemed to shine as they lightly dripped dry in the draining rack.

Checking on the time, she discovered it was nearly two o’clock. Celestia quickly remembered that Daniel said he would be home around 3:20. This meant she only had about an hour and a half till he would be home. The alicorn considered what she could do in the meantime.

*******

Daniel was almost home. He had come to the end of a typical Monday at work. Thankfully the week always seemed to improve once the first day of the week was down. Naturally he was feeling somewhat exhausted, but it came with his line of work. Thankfully the business he worked at wasn’t far from his house. It usually took him roughly ten to fifteen minutes to get home.

He pulled his car into the driveway and parked a few feet from the garage door. His thoughts had left work almost before he left the building. Thankfully he had a welcome distraction on his mind. Daniel began wondering how Celestia’s day had been. For a fleeting moment he wondered if she would still be there, once he went inside. Gathering his lunch bag, he exited the car and made his way to the walkway. He had just started walking along the cement, when he looked up and saw the front door open. Celestia was standing there behind the screen door. His pace quickened as he made his way to the front door. After usually returning to an empty house, Daniel found he was thrilled to have someone waiting for him.

Celestia opened the screen door and stood aside so he could enter. “Good afternoon Daniel, welcome home!” Celestia chimed happy to see him.

He smiled as he walked past her. “Thank you Celestia. It’s good to see you!” he expressed bubbling with delight.

She closed the two doors and followed him inside. “So how did work go?” Celestia asked him.

Daniel let out a faint chuckle. “It was grueling as usual,” he replied. Then looking at her, he smiled again. “Though when I realized you were here waiting for me to return,” he paused taking a moment to gaze at her fondly. “My day vastly improved.”

Celestia smiled and lowered her head in an almost bashful manner. She wasn’t entirely sure why she reacted that way. Somehow it just seemed natural. “You flatter me Daniel,” she replied modestly. Then she asked, “So where exactly do you work and what do you do there?”

“Oh it’s nothing special. I just work in the warehouse department of this fairly large company. There I inventory and store an assortment of items for a variety of customers across the country. It’s not my favorite pastime, but at least it pays the bills and offers me a little money for fun,” he answered in a round about sort of way.

“That’s good, but have you ever wanted to pursue a different career?” she asked, continuing to stand there smiling.

Daniel walked over to the dining room and removed his shoes, sticking them under the same end table as hers. Then he looked back at her. “I’ve looked into a variety of options. Though I’m still not entirely sure what I want to do. I do have a hobby that I wouldn’t mind turning into a career someday. But for now I’m at a bit of standstill,” he explained at length. His expression shifted to one full of curiosity. “Why all the questions?”

She felt a slight start from his inquiry, almost like she was caught with a hoof in the cookie jar. “Oh…I’m just trying to understand you better,” she answered honestly.

Daniel smiled over at her as he entered the kitchen. He set his cooler on the counter and couldn’t help but notice the absence of the dirty dishes, and the filled draining rack. “Celestia,” he called to her.

She moved to join him in the kitchen. “Yes Daniel,” she responded.

“Did you do the dishes for me?” he asked giving her a somewhat puzzled look.

Celestia closed her eyes and said, “Why yes, I did. After eating lunch, I saw the number of dirty plates was growing, so I hope you don’t mind I decided to wash them.”

He shook his head. “No, but I hope it wasn’t too much trouble,” Daniel replied.

“Hardly. I wanted to do something to repay you for your kindness and hospitality,” Celestia remarked.

Daniel walked up to and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Celestia, you don’t owe me anything,” he said sincerely.

She looked him in the eye with an expression of gratitude. “Don’t you see? That selfless attitude of yours…it’s what made me want to do something nice for you,” she remarked hoping he understood her.

“Celestia,” Daniel uttered half at a loss for words. She turned her head and a stray lock of her soft mane brushed along his hand. Realizing he still had his hand on her shoulder, Daniel retracted it. As his hand moved back, he noticed her mane seemed different. “Celestia…did you do something to your mane?”

Taking a step back, she fluffed her colorful locks with her hoof. “Not really, I did give it a good brushing this morning…oh and I never recast the spell that makes it swirl,” she replied, touched that he noticed.

“It looks very lovely,” he said smiling at her.

“Why thank you Daniel,” Celestia replied, softly blushing.

After unpacking his cooler, he walked toward the hallway. “I’ll be right back Celestia. I just want to get out of these dirty work clothes. Then I’d like to hear about your day,” he stated heading back to his room.

Celestia’s face lit up. “All right,” she called back. He could hear the happiness in her voice.

Daniel arrived in his room, making sure to close the door behind him. As he removed his work garments, he paused. He began wondering why he was so happy to see her, and on top of that he was curious as to why he complimented her mane. Once again he found himself admiring her beauty. Shaking his head, Daniel figured he had just been working too hard. His mind had a bad habit of playing tricks on him when he was tired. As he put on clean casual clothes, he attributed these feelings to his fatigue.

After discovering that Celestia had done the dishes for him, Daniel half wanted to hug her. But would that be too much or simply something out of the question? Freshening up his deodorant, he wasn’t sure what to think. Not wanting to be rude and keep her waiting, he emerged from his room and made his way back to the living room. Celestia was sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said sitting beside her.

Celestia smiled at him. “There’s no need to apologize,” she replied insistently.

He returned her smile. “Now tell me Celestia…how was your day?” Daniel inquired eagerly awaiting her response.

“Not too bad. I spent a good part of the morning reading this book,” she replied pointing a hoof at the novel resting on the coffee table.

Daniel looked closely at the book and recognized it. “Oh, you were reading the first part of “The Lord of the Rings”? What did you think of it?” he asked recalling her curiosity toward reading human literature.

“It was very entertaining. Though I must admit, after an hour or so, I found I was becoming more and more distracted,” she noted glancing his way.

He looked back at her with growing interest. “Really? How come?”

She smiled again. “You don’t really want to know do you?”

Daniel resisted the urge to grin. “I did and I still do…especially now that you’re all but dodging my question,” he snickered.

Celestia gave Daniel a rather enticing look. For a moment he wasn’t even sure what prompted her to look at him in such a manner. Then smiling at him again, she answered, “Well take this for what you will, but I began thinking about you. We only spent a short amount of time together yesterday…following our unique meeting.” Celestia realized she was nearly rambling. “Anyway Daniel, I was eager for your return. I really want to learn more about you. That doesn’t sound too weird to you, does it.”

Daniel began to understand what caused her look. To his astonishment, it stirred a feeling of intrigue within him. He gazed back fondly at her. “No Celestia, it doesn’t sound too weird. In fact I have to confess, I found myself thinking of you quite often, while I was at work today,” he explained feeling another wave of perplexing emotions swirl within him. “I’d really like to learn more about you too. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met before.” Celestia didn’t reply, but the smile on her face and look in her magenta eyes said more than words could ever convey. His eyes fell upon her gazing almost endlessly, when he caught himself staring. Daniel jerked his head away, unsure why he had done that. It was then that he noticed the shiny gleam of an item laying on the coffee table. Turning his head, Daniel saw Celestia’s crown still resting there. He looked back at her and realized she wasn’t wearing it or her necklace. “How come you aren’t wearing your crown?”

Celestia turned her head and joined him in looking at it. “I’ve worn that crown for so long as princess. I was happy being in a place where I didn’t have to wear it. It doesn’t bother you…does it?” she asked him.

Shaking his head, Daniel responded, “No, I was just curious. You look fine with or without it.”

To his surprise, Celestia sighed contently as she continued smiling at him. “I’m glad,” she replied. “Oh, I trust you’d like to hear more about my day?”

“Of course,” he uttered back teeming with enthusiasm.

She giggled softly before replying, “Well, after reading, I took care of my mane. By the way that was sweet of you to notice.” Daniel didn’t say anything he just continued smiling at her. “I hit a little snag after tending to my mane. That’s when I remembered you garden. I spent quite a while out there. You have some very lovely roses. In fact there was one in particular I really enjoyed. Its blossoms looked like big peppermint wheels.”

Daniel nodded his head and chuckled quietly. “You must be talking about the Scentimental. It really is a beautiful rose. Did you enjoy the scent?” he inquired eager for her response.

Celestia nodded. “Oh yes. It had a very lovely fragrance,” she remarked with a dreamy sigh.

He chuckled at her display and said, “I’m glad someone other than myself was able to enjoy the flowers I planted. So I guess you had lunch at some point?”

“I did. And afterwards, I saw the stack of dishes was starting to grow. So as you know, I decided to wash them. Once I finished cleaning them, I just lounged on the sofa. While I waited for you to return, I just began to wonder more about what you’re like. It’s silly isn’t it?” she replied in a dismissing tone.

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t say that,” he professed. Stretching his arms, he stifled a yawn as he rose from the couch. “Well, I should go check on the garden. It’s not super hot today, and the sun is already starting to lose some of its punch. Besides, it’s almost 4:30. I’d like to get them watered before dinner.”

“Okay,” Celestia replied, then she promptly added, “You wouldn’t want some help…would you?”

He smiled at her kind offer. “That would be great if you’d lend a helping hand…err…hoof,” Daniel uttered with a friendly chuckle.

Celestia rose and joined him. The two put on their shoes and made their way outside. The sun was still glaring its rays along the back yard, but just as Daniel had mentioned, the giant orb was beginning to lose its punch. He walked over to the hose cart. Reaching for the faucet, he turned the knob summoning the water. Daniel gripped the nozzle, and slowly unwound the hose, dragging it across the grass.

Celestia glanced around and like before there were no signs of anyone else. Smiling, she then focused her eyes on the flowers. He walked up beside her. “So where should we start first?” she asked glancing over at him.

“How about we start with the roses, and then work our way around,” he suggested.

“Okay,” she beamed back in an almost playful manner.

Daniel began watering the roses, dampening the soil along their roots with a gentle shower from the hose. “They shouldn’t need too much water. I did just tend to them yesterday. In fact, you may wonder why I’m not using a watering can today,” he stated.

“The thought had crossed my mind,” she remarked.

“Well, I used the watering can to feed them. You know there are vitamins and fertilizers you can administer to help make a garden grow strong, right?”

She smiled. “Yes. I used to spend time with the royal gardeners. I’d often ask them about growing things. In fact a few often let me help them. I found I had quite the green hoof, but sadly I never had time to even consider having a garden of my own,” Celestia noted regretfully.

“Well, while you’re with me, you can put that green hoof to work. Here,” he said offering her the hose. “Want to give them some water?”

Celestia’s smile grew. “Thank you Daniel,” she replied using her magic to take the hose from him. “I’m glad these are like the hoses from my world,” she commented slowly squeezing the sprayer. She moved the hose back and forth, watering the other roses.

“Don’t forget you can spray a little on the leaves,” he reminded her.

Moving the flow of water, she did just that. Celestia giggled at him. “I see you are quite the gardener.”

“It’s thanks to my parents. I learned a good deal from them. They used to grow flowers and certain vegetables all the time,” Daniel recalled fondly.

“Speaking of vegetables, we should check them as well, right?” she said, knowing the answer was pretty obvious. He chuckled thoughtfully at her and nodded.

Daniel and Celestia each took turns watering the various plants in his garden. A short while later, they arrived at the last section. She stopped the sprayer once the last of the plants were taken care of.

“That’s all of them,” he noted taking a long look across the garden. “Wow, that went fast with both of us teaming up like that.”

Celestia smiled at him. “Glad I could be of help,” she stated happily. Daniel continued surveying his garden, just as a naughty idea popped into Celestia’s head. She glanced at the hose and then over at him. “Oh Daniel,” she called in a singsong voice grinning. She pushed the trigger and sprayed his back.

“Huh?” he gasped turning around to see her laughing playfully at him. “Celestia, what did you do that for?” he asked trying not to laugh.

“You looked a little hot, so I thought I’d cool you off. In fact you still look at bit on the warm side!” she declared continuing to giggle. Celestia pointed the hose at him again.

Daniel held his arms up and shouted, “Don’t you dare!” Unable to help herself, she squeezed the trigger, and sprayed him again. “Oh, I’ll get you,” he called out chuckling. He charged up to her and reached for the hose. Celestia held it tightly in the grip of her magic, but he was determined. Daniel managed to wrestle it away form her. “Ha, ha!” he chuckled aiming the hose at her. Squeezing the trigger, he sprayed her back and her sides a few times.

“Ah! Daniel…no fair!” she called out in between laughs.

“Come on, you know turn about is fair play!” he chuckled spraying her again. “Besides you looked warm under all that fur!”

“Oh yeah?!” she squealed.

“Yep! You’re all wet!” he bellowed with glee.

“We’ll see about that!” Celestia remarked. Her horn lit up with an orange glow. Her attempt to reclaim the hose quickly turned into a tug-o-war for it. As they fought over the hose, the trigger became depressed, causing it to spray a seemingly endless torrent. The two were gradually getting soaked while their struggle ensued. Realizing he wasn’t going to give up so easily, Celestia decided to change tactics. Letting out a spirited laugh, she quickly tackled Daniel. The two toppled onto the damp grass. The hose’s trigger kicked off, ending its wild spray, and it flopped to rest beside them as they continued laughing.

Daniel looked up through the water drops on his glasses, and saw that he had been pinned under Celestia’s front hooves. She gazed down at him smiling and softly giggling. Water dripped form her wet fur and mane, landing gently against his face. “Gotcha,” she uttered triumphantly.

“Okay Celestia, okay, I yield,” Daniel remarked, seeing that he was out of options. Celestia stared down at him, nearly forgetting herself as she continued smiling. Then she realized the awkward position she had Daniel in. Her cheeks turned red as she prepared to move off of him. He stared back at her, returning her smile, noticing her rosy cheeks. “Celestia…you look really cute when you blush,” Daniel remarked with delight. A startled look appeared on his face when he realized what he had just said. “Uh…I…err…um,” he stammered unable to form complete words.

Celestia turned her head to the side as her blush deepened, nearly encompassing her entire face. His flattering remark left her momentarily speechless. She sheepishly moved off him. Standing there, she remained silent while the red in her cheeks began to fade. “I hope I didn’t get too carried away,” she expressed in a coy manner.

Daniel scrambled back to his feet, feeling a warm tingle along his cheeks. Apparently she hadn’t been the only one blushing. He chuckled lightheartedly as he said, “No. That was actually fun…a little startling, but I enjoyed it.” Daniel stood there for a moment continuing to laugh. “You know, I can’t really remember the last time I carried on like that.”

Celestia smiled grandly. It made her feel wonderful to have entertained him. Looking at him once again she remarked, “It’s been quite a while since I last indulged in such a carefree way too.”

Daniel softly chuckled as he noticed they were both still dripping wet. “Uh, we should go in and dry off. Oh, but I should put that wily hose away first,” he declared still chuckling a bit.

“You’re right,” she said with a smile.

He wound the hose back into its cart and then shut off the faucet. The two shared a few laughs on their way back to the house. Once inside, they removed their shoes and left them on the tiled section by the sliding door to dry. Daniel promptly led them to the hallway. There he opened the linen closest and removed two large bath towels. “Here you are Celestia,” he spoke handing her a towel. “You can dry off in the bathroom. I’ll towel off in my room, besides I need to put on some dry clothes anyway,” Daniel laughed.

She went into the bathroom and then he went to his room. Celestia took one more look at him as he disappeared into his room. Once his door had shut, she withdrew into the bathroom and gently closed the door. Holding the towel aloft with her magic, the alicorn vigorously ran it across her wet body. She let out a contented sigh as the towel began drying her. Suddenly she paused, staring at the bathroom wall. Celestia’s mind began to wander. She thought about how nice it would have been if they had dried each other. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to check her reflection in the mirror. Shaking her head she began to wonder what caused her to have such a thought. For that matter, Celestia also wondered what made her act out as she did. Thankfully Daniel enjoyed her little outburst, however he could have reacted much differently. Yet there was a part of her that almost knew he would enjoy her playful gesture, despite the fact that she was still getting to know him. Regardless of these puzzling feelings, Celestia was truly enjoying spending time with Daniel. That alone was what mattered most to her.

Celestia finished toweling off and emerged from the bathroom. Glancing down the short corridor, she searched for Daniel. At first there was no sign of him. Then her ears caught the sound of his bedroom door opening. Turning in that direction, she saw him enter the hall. He was now dressed in dry attire, a pair of navy shorts, and a tan T-shirt. She smiled when she saw the happy expression still clinging to his face. “I placed the towel on the counter. I hope that’s all right,” she spoke, thinking there must have been something more profound she could have said.

Nodding his head, Daniel replied, “That’s fine, I’ll take care of it later on when I shower.” He chuckled at her. “Had I known you were going to pull a stunt like that, I would have brought out some soap and shampoo. Then I could have taken care of my shower at the same time.”

She waved a hoof at him. “Oh Daniel…you’re too much,” she responded unable to resist smirking at him.

He grinned. “Guilty,” he remarked shamelessly. The two made their way into the living room. Daniel spied the clock and saw that it was now after five. “How about some dinner?” he asked.

Celestia closed her eyes and said, “Sure.”

Daniel thought about what he could make. Then he snapped his fingers. “Have you ever had spaghetti?” he inquired turning his head toward her.

“Oh yes, it’s a dish I’ve enjoyed on many occasions back in Equestria,” she answered.

“That’s great. It still amazes me how much our worlds seem to have in common. Oh well, at least it helps simplify things,” he remarked with a chuckle. “Now I usually put meat in the sauce…but, since I have such a special guest…I’d be more than happy to skip it.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” she replied with a thankful smile.

“Now, what would you say to some garlic toast and a garden salad on the side?” he asked leaning his head toward her.

“Sounds delightful,” she beamed happily.

“All right then. I’ll go get things started,” he declared with a smile.

“Wait…that’s an awful lot of work for you to do alone. How about a helping hoof?” she asked eagerly.

“Well…if you insist,” Daniel responded graciously.

“I do,” she replied firmly, trying not to giggle.

“Then let’s get started!” he asserted with enthusiasm as they walked toward the kitchen.

“By the way Daniel…have you tried that Catalina dressing? It’s really tasty!” she declared, remembering it fondly.

He chuckled at her and said, “I know. It’s one of my favorites.” Celestia joined him in happy laughter as they began gathering the ingredients needed to prepare dinner.

Chapter 4 - "Now That I...See You"

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 4 –
“Now That I…See You”

Celestia and Daniel had just finished cleaning up, following a very enjoyable dinner. It was almost 7:30 and the two had retired to the living room. They spent some time talking together. Celestia remarked how wonderful the meal was and thanked Daniel for letting her assist. He was only too happy to have her lend a helping hoof. She went on to tell him that the royal chefs back in Canterlot, never let her help them. Every time she offered to help, they would simply dismiss her, claiming the royal kitchen was no place for their elegant princess. Upon hearing her tale, Daniel told her that she was welcome to help him in the kitchen anytime.

Daniel wanted to offer Celestia a new way to occupy her time, while he was at work, so he showed her his television and DVD player. At first he had to figure out the best way to explain the device to her, plus he had to think which movies or shows her could share with her. Due to the endless onslaught of commercials, Daniel had long since given up on Cable and Satellite TV services. That and the myriad monthly costs affiliated with each were more than he felt like paying. Besides there were always DVDs, and the Internet that delivered plenty of news, videos, and a seemingly infinite array of entertainment, which he felt was vastly superior.

As he talked with Celestia about the movies and shows that he had on discs, she explained that her world also had movies. Unlike Daniel’s world, Equestrians could only see movies in theaters. Celestia expressed a strong fondness at being able to enjoy such entertainment in the comfort of one’s home. He then let her get a hooves on feel for operating the controls. Her magic certainly made things easier. After all, the remotes and the main controls on the TV and DVD player themselves weren’t designed with pony hooves in mind.

The two spent a good hour checking out a few episodes of the sitcom Scrubs and the drama of CSI Miami. It helped her get a good understanding for how the two devices worked. Watching the two different programs led to a conversation regarding the way humans were depicted on the shows. Celestia couldn’t help but ask him if that was an accurate portrayal of his kind. Daniel told her that in some ways it was accurate, but that all TV and movies should be taken with a grain of salt.

She also expressed some concerns about crime on his world after watching an episode of CSI Miami. Celestia wanted to know if the stories were based on real crimes that had taken place on Earth. Sadly Daniel admitted that they often times were. This further led to a discussion about crime on both their worlds. Daniel also expressed his sorrow at how humans tend to treat one another. Thankfully he was able to inform her that the neighborhood he lived in, had a very low crime rate.

Daniel then considered some other things to share with Celestia, but he wasn’t sure how long it would take to explain things like video games and even more complex, his computer and the Internet. However he relished the idea of showing her video games. It’d been quite while since he had someone who could share their joy with him. True there were online gaming avenues, but they required a monthly or yearly access fee, and then of course you had to deal with hackers, or the users that just seemed to enjoy ruining it for everybody. But the thought of having a real individual in the room with him was quite exciting. It made him reminisce about his high school days, back when he and his friends would play all sorts of video games together.

Oddly enough however, ever after showing her TV and the wide assortment of movies and shows he had, Celestia asked it they could spend the remainder of the night talking again. Though Daniel hardly minded, seeing as their conversations had been quite intriguing. He especially enjoyed hearing about her world, while in turn she enjoyed learning more about Earth.

That night didn’t yield too many revelations for them. They discussed colors and which ones they preferred. Daniel told Celestia that he was partial to green, but overall he enjoyed color in general, to which he complimented the colors of her mane. She expressed her fondness for the color orange, but she too admitted to loving a wide range of color as well. There was one thing they discussed that was somewhat surprising to him. Celestia told him that she didn’t mind resting on the couch and that he needn’t feel rushed to work on the guest room, at least until he had ample time.

They continued their conversation until ten o’clock had sneaked up on them. Rather than risk getting carried away they both decided to call it a night.

*******

The rest of the week went by much like Monday. Daniel prepared breakfast for them each morning. They would converse for a bit, and then he would head off to work. Celestia enjoyed walking him to the door, and waved a hoof good-bye as he drove off.

With the addition of the TV and Daniel’s collection of DVDs, Celestia had plenty to occupy her time. Even though the movies and shows were entertaining, she still continued to find her thoughts often wondering to Daniel. Sometimes she’d be in the middle of a crucial scene of a movie or show, and Celestia would just up and stop where she was and go out to the garden, or just lay back on the couch and daydream.

She was often puzzled by a series of perplexing feelings. For the most part Celestia considered Daniel to be a really good friend. Yet for some unfathomable reason, she found herself thinking of him in other ways. For one she enjoyed that he frequently made her laugh. Whenever he was at work, she found she missed him more than she had the previous day. In fact she always felt thrilled when he would return home. This was mainly because one of her new favorite pastimes was to sit and talk with Daniel. As the week pressed on, the two had come to learn quite a bit about each other, but it only left her wanting to know more.

Her feelings didn’t stop there. Celestia often found herself staring at Daniel, noticing just how handsome he was becoming to her watchful eyes. Naturally she made sure to look at him only when his focus was diverted elsewhere. She was a little leery of getting caught, especially since part of her still didn’t know why she was doing this. After all, Daniel wasn’t a stallion.

As she gave the matter more thought, she also took into account the fact that from time to time she discovered Daniel’s gaze focused clearly on her. One time she thought that maybe he was looking elsewhere, but the only thing behind her was a plain wall, so he must have been staring at her. In fact the few times she caught him, he would quickly look away in a very sheepish manner. To her delight his eyes were mainly seeking her face. It left her feeling touched, and somewhat alarmed. But she figured that maybe it was just her overactive imagination playing tricks on her. Honestly the very notion of a human and a pony together was clearly preposterous…or was it?

Odd feelings aside, Celestia realized she was the happiest she had been in years. While she greatly enjoyed spending time with her sister, Luna, and her faithful student, Twilight, she found an even greater joy with him. Unlike being in Equestria, on Earth, Celestia didn’t have to worry about being prim and proper. She could truly be herself and what made it ever better, was Daniel seemed to prefer her that way.

*******

Friday started much like the rest of the week had. Daniel awoke to the annoying tones of his alarm clock. After dealing with his morning ritual, he prepared breakfast for Celestia and himself.

The best part about it being Friday was that this was Daniel’s last day of work for the week. Then he had two wonderful days off. It would allow them even more time to spend, getting to know each other. And he could finally start work on the guest room, and to help keep her entertained, he could introduce to her video games and eventually his computer, not to mention the Internet. Though he did keep in mind that he would need to isolate some files. There were some things on his computer he wouldn’t want Celestia snooping around.

“So after today, you won’t have to work again until Monday?” Celestia asked filling with delight.

Daniel nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right. One more shift and I have 48 hours of freedom! Well there are some chores I’ll have to do, but compared to work, they aren’t so bad,” he expressed with a smile.

“If you don’t have to go to work tomorrow…well then maybe we could watch a movie together,” she suggested.

“That would be great,” he replied, still smiling.

“Oh and how about I help you with dinner again this evening?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Daniel spoke holding up his left hand.

Celestia’s ears drooped and she started lowering her head. “How come?” she asked in a puzzled tone.

Daniel looked at her and tried not to chuckle. “Oh don’t worry Celestia. It’s not because I don’t want your help,” he began, doing his best to reassure her. “You see, today is pay day. I get my week’s pay from work, and usually I like to do something special on Fridays.”

Celestia perked up and resumed smiling. “You had me worried there for a moment. So what do you normally do?” she asked.

“Well I either call for take out, or I go to a restaurant. Though I somehow doubt I could bring you to a restaurant,” he admitted. Daniel’s expression remained genuine as he focused his brown eyes on her. “To be honest I don’t stop at restaurants by myself all that often. It feels weird being at a table all alone. Usually I just order out,” he explained.

“What did you have in mind?” she asked.

Placing a finger on his chin and giving the matter some brief thought, he turned and said, “Have you ever had pizza?”

Celestia’s face really lit up. “Pizza! Oh yes! It’s a very popular item in my world!” she declared rubbing her hooves together.

Daniel chuckled at her. “Okay then, what do you like on your pizza?” he asked.

Not needing any time to think about this, she promptly said, “Well there’s always mushrooms and onions, or my personal favorite…extra cheese!” Celestia grinned; shamelessly placing added emphasis on the word "cheese". She then broke out in a bit of a giggle fit.

He couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Well extra cheese is always one I’ve enjoyed. Plus I’m quite fond of mushrooms. And gee, I think onions would be a nice touch. Oh and I usually add ground beef or pepperoni to my pizzas, but for you, I wouldn’t mind skipping the meat,” he remarked ending in a smile.

Celestia giggled again. “That’s sweet of you,” she chimed.

“Yes well, I think cutting back on meat will be good for my waistline,” Daniel mused, patting his very slight gut. Glancing at the time, he quickly realized it was just about time for him to leave. “Whoa, look at the time. I can call for the pizza around dinnertime, and have it delivered. For now, I’d better head out.”

Celestia nodded, and let out a sigh. “You’re right,” she uttered, a sudden decline in her tone.

Daniel noticed the subtle sadness in her voice. He looked at her, as she followed him over to the door. “Don’t be too glum. I’ll be home before you know it,” he said encouragingly.

Celestia smiled. “You’re right of course. But for some reason…I just feel like I’m really going to miss you today,” she expressed strongly.

His face softened. “Celestia,” Daniel spoke delicately. Then perking up, he added, "I’ve really been enjoying spending time with you. And remember, once I get home this after, you’ll be stuck with me for two whole days.” He chuckled, securing his lunch bag.

As he went to open the door, Celestia called out, “Daniel wait!”

He froze in his tracks and turned to face her. “What is it?”

“Well,” she began, brushing her hoof against the carpet. “Nah, forget it. It’s silly,” she said.

Despite the time, she had captured Daniel’s attention. “It can’t be that silly, if you felt the need to stop me,” he said thoughtfully. Setting his lunch bag down, he moved closer to her. “Now tell me, what’s on your mind?”

Celestia felt a wave of nervousness wash over her, but she managed to open her mouth and speak. “I was just thinking…would it be okay if we shared a short hug? I think it would help me miss you less,” she answered – the sincerest expression was present in her eyes. “It might also help you. You would have something joyful to think about, even if you encounter any major trials at work. Though it still probably sounds silly.” Celestia let out a sigh as she slowly lifted her head to meet Daniel’s face. To her amazement, he stood there with a smile on his face.

“Celestia, it’s not silly. There’s nothing wrong with a hug. In fact, I wanted to hug you the other day, to thank you for doing the dishes. But I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate. We know each other better now, so I don’t see any harm in sharing a hug? Do you?” He asked calmly, moving closer to her.

Shaking her head, she said, “No, I don’t.”

He opened his arms. Slowly she moved toward him, bridging the gap between them. She placed her hooves around him and gently hugged him. Celestia felt his arms surround her back and gently pull against her, while her chin came to rest on his left shoulder. Soon a sense of easement began quelling her anxiety, as she felt the calming effect of their hug. A contented sigh escaped her lips, and she heard him sigh in kind.

Daniel stood there, sharing a truly tender moment with Celestia. It felt a little strange at first, but then everything just started feeling so very right. It was a sensation he’d not felt in quite some time. The subtle warmth emanating from her body, the softness of her fur and the gentle squeeze of her hooves, all left him feeling a blissful moment of serenity.

A few moments passed, Daniel hated having to break the gentle silence, but he had no choice. “Well Celestia, I sorry to ruin the moment, but I really need to get going,” he spoke reluctantly. Their hug ended and Daniel reclaimed his lunch bag.

Celestia felt a warm caress befall her cheeks as she looked up at him. “Sorry about that. I think I started getting a little carried away,” she uttered sounding a little nervous.

He chuckled back at her. “That’s okay. I don’t think you were the only one,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “I’ll be back later…count on it,” he avowed reaching for the doorknob. Then he paused briefly and said, “Oh and remember, in event I might have to work over a few hours, just keep an ear out for a phone call, or check the answering machine, like I showed you.” He stepped outside and walked to his car. Then like so many mornings, he drove away. Celestia stood by the door and waved as he drove down the street.

She closed the door and walked back to the sofa. Celestia let herself flop down slowly onto the couch, sinking into its plus cushions. Even though she was going to miss Daniel, the hug left her something wonderful to think about. And it was her hopes that it would help Daniel, at work just as she had conveyed. Then she popped up on the couch. There was that perplexing emotion again. In fact she finally caught herself. Just why was she going to miss Daniel so much? There had to be some reason. But the seemingly obvious conclusion…just didn’t add up. There was no way she could be growing increasingly fond of him…could she? She did come to Earth in search of comfort…but could she really find love and companionship here?

Dismissing the silly notion, she got up and studied the various discs on Daniel’s DVD tower. She figured that perhaps watching something would help her clear her mind.

*******

Daniel arrived at his place of employment and backed into his normal parking spot. Exiting his vehicle, he saw the big sign of his employer: Masterson Wholesale. Some days he was proud to work for this large company, and then there were those days that the sign would make him shudder. At least today didn’t feel like one of those more harrowing days. He made his way inside the massive edifice and walked to his work area.

Daniel worked in the warehouse section, and also had a desk and cubical in the shipping office, next door. Arriving at his desk, he placed his lunch bag off to the side, and sat down at his computer. His day would usually begin by checking his email and printing out the newest orders that would need pulled for shipping, or printing lists of incoming items to put away. The challenging part was that goods were shipped to the facility from outside vendors, and were also produced and/or packaged within the company. It was fortunate that Daniel was very detail oriented. While a large number of people would hate to do filing or inventorying, Daniel found it rather gratifying…well at least once the hard part was out of the way.

After checking his mail and printing out his lists, he picked up his scanner gun and clipboard. Then he walked to the small sea of tall metal shelves. Overall Masterson Wholesale was quite large, but the section of the warehouse Daniel worked in was isolated from the larger areas. It housed more specialized items, contained within a smaller grouping of shelves. An outlined area in front of each shelf contained new skids of material waiting to be put away. Skids bearing multiple items were already unwrapped and neatly stacked. All he would have to do is take them back the aisles and place them in their proper home.

He compared his order list to his inventory sheet, in order to see what kind of space he would have, after pulling items. Then he could note how much space he’d need for new items, as he began the task of putting them away. Besides, if things would go about like they usually did, the new items would be needed for some of his fulfillment requests.

Gradually he went through the pile of incoming materials, and put everything into their proper places. Now his employer used a computerized system with special scanners, but while Daniel liked computers, he knew their tendency to glitch, and even more annoying the penchant they had for crashing. That’s why he always kept a clipboard and paper on hand. As he inventoried each item, he’d make a note of each item’s: type, quantity, and bin location. This way he had a hard copy should the system error or go down during his shift. After being in the work world for 12 years, he knew it was crucial to watch his own back, as well as that of his coworkers. Whenever something was amiss, the employees were often prime targets to be used as scapegoats.

With the inventorying complete, Daniel began pulling the items for shipping. Periodically he’d bump into one of his co-workers that would be in search of the odd item or two. He’d say, “Hi!” or even chat for a few minutes with them. One thing that made his job bearable was that Daniel was easygoing and he tended to get along well with his peers. Now he was hardly Mr. Popular, but he was often amazed at who all knew him, even if he was clueless about whom they were.

*******

Throughout the morning, Daniel found his thoughts often wandering away from his work and focusing on Celestia. Even if he couldn’t put his finger on it, there was just something about her. The past several days had been amazing. He was eagerly looking forward to the weekend. Daniel relished the idea of teaching Celestia how to play video games. That and he thought she might enjoy seeing the wonders of the computer world via the Internet. But despite the fun activities in mind, he found he was focusing more on her specifically. From the time they’d spent together, he had learned a great deal about her. To his delight they had a great deal in common. For instance, they each enjoyed sunsets, the delicate beauty of flowers, some of the same foods, especially desserts, and gazing up at the night sky. Those were just a few of the things they shared.

While Daniel continued pulling more items from the shelves, he continued thinking about her. At times he thought it didn’t even seem like he was with a pony. In many ways Celestia had a very personable quality to her. And there was something incredibly enchanting about her. The pearly white color of her fur, the soft rosy glow that would appear on her cheeks after he’d compliment her…it was all so incredible. Then he found himself thinking about those flowing locks of colorful hair on her head. He longed to know what it would be like to caress her mane, and find out if it would be as silky as it appeared.

That’s when it started dawning on him that he was thinking of her as more than a friend. His mind began reminiscing about the hug they shared. It had really felt wonderful to be so close to her, to have her head resting softly on his shoulder. Daniel began to wonder if perhaps she was thinking of him as more than a friend. Giving the matter more thought, he figured she seemed happy to be staying with him. Perhaps over the coming days he could learn if there was something more brewing between them. That’s when reality started sinking in. Celestia was a pony, not a human. Even if they did share feelings for each other…could they really act on them? Shaking his head, Daniel figured it wasn’t something worth worrying about…at least not while he was at work anyway. Besides if anything were meant to happen, then surely it would come to light in due time. Though for now, he didn’t mind thinking about their hug again.

Daniel emerged from the shelves guiding an electric pallet jack. It was holding a skid stacked with the items he pulled for shipping. He arrived at the counter and set the pallet down. Slowly he began setting a few of the items on the counter.

One of his co-workers, a man in his late 40’s walked over to greet him. “Hey Daniel! How’s it going?” the man asked, a slight rumble in his voice.

Daniel looked up from his work and over to his fellow associate. “Oh hey Greg. I’m just bringing the first of your items for fulfillment out. How about you?” he asked setting another box on the counter.

Greg fetched a form from a tray sitting on an overhead shelf. “Well, I just helped load a shipment heading for Pittsburgh. And now I’m all set to start on these fulfillment requests. So as always…your timing is perfect buddy,” he remarked nodding in approval.

Daniel simply chuckled quietly at him. “You know me, just trying to do my part. I have a few more lists to pull yet, but I should have them completed before lunch time,” he noted.

“That’s great. Hopefully this will keep Brian off our backs. Though I’m sure one of our customers will send a last minute order. You know the way it goes,” Greg said with a sigh.

“Yeah,” Daniel said trailing off. He continued placing items onto the counter, making sure to include the order printouts they were pulled with. Greg would then place them into an appropriate box, filled with packing material. Then he’d seal the package, print and attach an invoice, weigh it, and finally print a shipping label.

Greg scratched his stubble-covered chin as he noticed how happy Daniel seemed. The two were hardly best friends, but they got along very well in the workplace. Naturally, he enjoyed knowing how his younger friend was doing. “Boy Daniel, you sure seem happy today. I don’t think I’ve seen you smile like that for quite a while,” Greg expressed in a positive tone.

Daniel laughed at the true reason, but knew he couldn’t share it with his coworker. Still he had a plausible explanation in mind. “Why shouldn’t I be happy? It’s Friday, and also pay day…the weekend is almost here, and we’re already three hours into our shift!” He declared placing the last item from the skid onto the counter. “And that’s the first load of items too!”

Greg laughed blatantly at his friend. “You crack me up. But I know you better than that. There’s something you aren’t telling me. However I know there’s no point in badgering you about it,” he concluded.

“Nope. Well I’d better start pulling the next load. I’ll be back!” he chimed, walking back to the warehouse followed by the whirling pallet jack.

Greg looked at Daniel again and merely shrugged his shoulders. Then he walked over to the freshly placed items. Checking the slips, he began packing each order, after selecting an appropriate box.

*******

The rest of Daniel’s day went by pretty well. He did have an irate customer to deal with. They called inquiring about a package they ordered and hadn’t received. It turned out that the carrier misplaced the item in the corner of one of their processing facilities. After making a call to the carrier, Daniel was able to set things right.

The whole process took a grueling hour of irritating phone calls. But at last he was able to deliver the good news to the no longer irate customer. After a call to Mr. Harris, Daniel was able to assure him that his package was found and on the way.

Following the call, Daniel made sure to email a copy of the tracking number to the customer. This way he could offer Mr. Harris some added piece of mind.

Checking the time on his computer, he noticed it was 2:30. The day was nearly over! After thinking about his to do list, Daniel realized he was pretty much done for the day. All he’d need to do is check his email one more time, and then make sure everything was properly straightened up. Checking the inbox on his PC, he saw he had a new message. Clicking it he promptly let out an exasperated sigh and facepalmed. “Crap! Another last minute order!” he groused loudly.

“Pipe down over there Daniel! Some of us are trying to play Minesweeper!” shouted Peter.

“Lay off Peter! I just got a large last minute order! And I thought Brian disabled the games!” Daniel barked back in response.

Daniel noticed the sound of footsteps approaching his desk. Peter walked over so they wouldn’t have to keep shouting. “Hey you know me man. I found an easy way around that security setting. Besides, the games help me clear my mind,” his co-worker remarked with a snicker.

“Yes well at least you have time for games. This list will take almost two hours to complete. I won’t get home till almost five now,” Daniel groaned.

“Oh please, like you have anyone to go home to! Besides bro, you can always use the money. At least that’s what you said last time,” Peter rambled patting Daniel on the shoulder.

“Yes well that was then. And I didn’t have plans that time either,” replied Daniel with a sigh.

“Cheer up bud, maybe Greg will stick around and give you a hand. I would, but once I blow up a few more mines, I’d better head to the office and file all the shipping reports. Sorry I can't help ya bro. Maybe next time,” he replied. Then Peter returned to his cubical.

“Yeah,” Daniel muttered shaking his head. Then it dawned on him. He’d better call home and let Celestia know he would be late getting back.

*******

After calling home, Daniel broke the news to Celestia. She said she was sorry he had to work over, but would still be looking forward to his return, even if he was going to be delayed. It helped cheer him up a bit. That and he told her once he was almost done, he’d call in an order for their Pizza to Papa John’s. Then he could pick it up on the way home. She was fine with that and wished him well, before they hung up. He had a feeling showing her how to use the phone was a good idea. Thankfully she told him that larger cities in Equestria had such devices as well.

Three o’clock had arrived and Daniel had only gotten about a third of the order pulled. Greg walked over and saw him working there. “What’s going on Daniel? Shouldn’t you be leaving? It’s after three?” he remarked.

Setting down a few items, he turned to Greg and said, “Believe me, I’d love to leave. But I have this last minute order to take care of.”

Greg looked at the order sheet, then grimaced at Daniel. “Why are you worried about this dinky customer? It won’t hurt to leave this till Monday you know,” his friend remarked.

Daniel shook his head. “You know I can’t do that Greg. This may be a small customer, but they were one of the key clients back when this company was still getting started. We’ve always done right by them. Plus they recommended us to many of our larger customers. If we shun them now, what kind of message would we be sending?” he asked, not expecting a positive reply from Greg.

“So I take it you’re going to stay then?”

“You know I will. Even if I really hate it. Though if you’d help me, maybe it wouldn’t take me as long,” Daniel remarked looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Greg sighed. “I should have seen that coming. Well I’d like to help you but…” he paused in order to device a seemingly valid excuse.

Daniel just facepalmed again. “Now before you go making up some excuse, don’t forget I’d help you, if the tables were turned,” he conveyed placing the last of the items on the counter.

His co-worker paused again. Then he thought about what Daniel had said. Greg sighed in a defeated manner and said, “You’re right. I remember you stayed to help me the other month. And you were sick as a dog too. Yet you stayed over for almost two hours to help me finish loading all those trucks. Okay…I’ll stay.”

Daniel offered Greg a smile. “Thanks man! You know I appreciate it!”

Greg chuckled at him. “Why do you think I’m staying?”

The two shared a laugh and go right to work. With both of them teamed up, they completed the order in less than two hours. After making sure they had everything set for the UPS driver, they promptly departed, glad that their workday was finally over.

*******

Shortly before finishing the last of the big order, Daniel had called in his order with Papa John’s. He arrived about twenty minutes later at the pizza joint, and went inside. Upon entering, the rush of heat from the massive oven fell upon his face. It was then replaced with the struggling breeze of the air conditioning. There was one customer waiting ahead of him. Daniel stood there, and did his best to wait patiently. His feet were bothering him from the hard day’s work. Trying to focus on something positive, he invited the various aromas, of the cooking pizzas and the assorted toppings strewn about behind the counter, into his nose.

Before he knew it, he was next in line. The cashier greeting him with a smile. “How may I help you?”

“Yes, I called in an order. Um…number 23,” he answered.

“23?” the cashier asked. Daniel nodded. “Okay, let me go check.” The employee walked over to a stack of pizzas sitting above the large oven. Checking the tags, he picked up two large pizzas and brought them over to the counter. After setting them down, he said, “Okay I have one large pizza with extra cheese and one large with mushrooms and onions. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right?” Daniel replied politely.

“Do you want any extra sauces or some cold sodas?” the young man asked.

“No thank you.”

“Okay, that’ll be $21.20 please.”

“Here you are,” Daniel said handing the cashier his debit card.

Before long, Daniel exited the shop and re-entered his car. He carefully set the pizzas down, and favored his fingers. The boxes were still quite hot, which was a good thing. Though if they would be cold till he got them home, he always had his microwave.

*******

Following a short seven-minute drive, Daniel turned his vehicle into the driveway. Placing the car in park, his workday was at last over. Now he could enjoy a fun-filled evening with Celestia. And the best part of all…dinner was already taken care of!

He opened the door and exited the vehicle. Walking over to the passenger side, he opened the other door and retrieved his cooler and dinner. Once his car was secure, he made his way to the sidewalk. Daniel carefully carried the two pizzas with his left hand, while grasping his cooler in the other. The front door came into view and sure enough the inside door had already opened. The familiar sight of Celestia appeared before him. She beamed at him with a bright cheerful smile. Noticing his hands were full, Celestia politely opened the storm door for him. Daniel stepped inside and slowly walked past her.

“Welcome home Daniel!” She declared bubbling with joy.

“It’s great to be home Celestia! Oh, and what a day!” he voiced sounding a bit fatigued. He stopped in the doorway. Celestia walked over to him and continued to smile. Her horn lit up with a shimmery orange light. Carefully she took his cooler and the two pizzas from him.

“Here, let me help you with these,” she chirped happily.

He chuckled warmly at her. “Thank you.”

It was then that Daniel saw the expression on her face. Before he could think to speak, she walked over and gave him a big tender hug. “I missed you Daniel,” she declared.

He smiled grandly, placing his arms around her. “I missed you too,” he professed sincerely.

Their hug ended and the two walked into the dinning room. There she set down, both pizza boxes and headed for the kitchen, setting his cooler on the counter by the microwave. Celestia walked back to the dinner table and noticed that he had brought two pizzas with him. Meanwhile, he walked to the kitchen to unpack his lunch bag.

“So Daniel, what did you bring? And do we really need two pizzas for both of us?” she called over to him.

Having tended to his lunch bag, Daniel emerged form the kitchen. He glanced over at her and smiled. “Well I enjoy having leftovers. They make for a simple lunch or a snack. Plus you told me about your two favorite toppings. So I brought a pizza with extra cheese and one with onions and mushrooms,” he explained.

She continued to smile and nodded. “All right then. I’ll get some plates, and what would you like to drink?” Celestia asked.

“Water or soda will be fine,” he answered.

“Okay, then allow me to get the table set for dinner. You go and change. Leave everything else in my hooves,” she replied sounding extremely chipper.

Daniel looked at her fondly. “Thank you Celestia. You have no idea how good it is to see you,” he expressed almost at a loss for words.

She moved closer to him and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Likewise. Now go unwind, we’ll talk over dinner, okay?”

He nodded and uttered, “Okay.”

Daniel walked back to his room and took care of changing out of his work attire. It had been a truly exhausting day, both mentally and physically. Having someone special like Celestia at home waiting for him really made his day.

While he took care of changing, Celestia gathered some plates, and decided what beverage they should enjoy. Checking the items in his fridge, she saw he had a few cans of grape soda. Nodding her head, she thought the soda would be a nice change of pace. She picked them up with her magic and carried them, along with the plates, over to the table.

The alicorn sighed dreamily, realizing just how good it was to finally have Daniel home again. Suddenly she felt a bit of a start. Her heart had almost seemed to skip a beat or two. She turned her head back toward his bedroom. Even though she still felt a little alarmed, part of her felt exhilarated, realizing that Daniel was becoming more than just a friend to her. At least it finally helped explain why she began to miss him more after he departed for work each day. But even if that was the case…did Daniel feel the same way too, even a little?

She let out sigh, and muttered to herself, “Celestia you’re just being silly.”

A few moments passed and Daniel returned to join her in the dining room. He saw she had everything taken care of. A smile curled up on his lips as he saw the two cans of grape soda. “Hey, nice choice for our drinks! It’s been a while since I last drank some grape soda,” he noted with a pleasant chuckle.

Celestia focused her eyes on him and smiled. “I’m glad you approve. So, do you think the pizzas will still be warm?” she asked.

“They should be, but even if they’re not, there’s always the microwave,” he said with a grin.

Daniel moved the pizzas so they were side by side. Slowly he popped both boxes open. Their delightful aroma radiated out into the room. Surprisingly steam was still rolling off them.

The two pies certainly looked delicious, and their smell danced across Celestia’s nose, causing her to deeply inhale the wonderful aroma. “Mmm, they smell delightful. But why are there little cups and…light green peppers in the boxes?” she asked curiously.

Daniel snickered. “Oh the cups are filled with garlic butter dipping sauce. You can use it for the crust. It’s quite tasty. And I still don’t know why they include jalapeno peppers with each pizza. I gather they are mostly a garnish, and some people are quite fond of them,” he explained. “Would you like to start with a slice of each?”

She nodded. “Thank you, that would be nice. Oh and I’d like to try the dipping sauce too,” she expressed.

“Of course,” he replied placing a slice of each pizza on her plate. Daniel removed one of the cups and thoughtfully peeled back the foil covering. “Here you are.”

“Thank you Daniel,” she replied, remembering to be polite. She carefully took the plate, much to his surprise, in her hooves. Then moving to her normal place, she set the food down and sat down graceful as always.

“You’re quite welcome,” he answered, loading a slice of each on his plate, completing it with the other cup of dip. Taking his seat, he picked up the slice of extra cheese and took a bite. The taste was a good as ever. Glancing up, he saw Celestia seemed to be enjoying her slices. “So I take it you’re enjoying the pizza?”

She nodded as she swallowed a small mouthful. “Yes, this is very good. And so is the garlic butter,” she grinned.

Daniel smiled at her and noticed she had some sauce drip onto her chin. He picked up a napkin and held it up to her. “Here Celestia…you got a little sauce,” he said pointing at he same spot on his own chin.

She set down her slice with mushrooms and onions and grinned nervously. “Oh,” she uttered taking the napkin. Celestia blotted the sauce from her chin.

The two smiled at each other as they continued eating their meal. Daniel and Celestia partook in some casual conversation in between bites, and shared the highlights of their days, both seeming quite happy to see each other again.

*******

The two had finished dinner and put away the leftovers, nearly a whole pizza. Now that it was a little after seven, Daniel and Celestia had retired to the living room to relax.

“So what would you like to do now that your weekend has begun?” she asked.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to play some video games,” he replied.

Celestia placed a curious hoof to her chin. “Video games? What are those?” she asked with a growing interest.

Daniel chuckled at her. “Well they are sort of similar to DVDs. You use the TV and a device called a console to play the different games. Here, I’ll show you,” he explained, rising to his feet.

Celestia’s eyes followed him as he walked over to the TV. There he opened the doors on the cart the flat screen set sat on. “These are game consoles,” he said pointing to four different systems he had concealed behind the doors. “I think we’ll start with this one,” he said pointing to a large pale gray rectangular box. “This is the classic Nintendo. And I know just the game we can play.”

She looked at him feeling a bit puzzled. The names he was rattling off seemed rather foreign to her, but she figured, this was a lot like the TV and DVD explanation – something she would get in time.

As she sat there pondering his words, Daniel had walked to a nearby shelf and removed a game cartridge covered by a simple black dust sleeve. “Here we go,” he announced, loading the game into the deck. “This game is called “Super Mario Bros.””

Daniel freed the long controller cord and moved it back to the sofa. There he sat down beside her, just as the game title appeared on the screen. Celestia looked up at it, and the title matched his description. She noticed what looked like a little distorted human standing at the lower left of the screen. “Who is that suppose to be?” she asked.

“Oh that’s Mario. He’s the hero you play the game as,” Daniel explained.

“And why is he the hero?” she asked.

“Perhaps I should explain the story of this game. Mario and his brother Luigi are both plumbers that work in the real world…err Earth. They end up transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, the world this game takes place in. Now it’s up to them to beat this evil reptile called King Bowser Koopa, and save the captured Princess Toadstool, who waits in a castle in the end of world 8,” Daniel said cluing her in.

She gave him a puzzled yet rather intrigued expression, and replied, “Well let’s see how this is then.”

Taking the first turn, he showed Celestia how to play the game, and what the various buttons on the controller did. It didn’t take her long to catch on to the basic concept of the game and how to play. After about fifteen minutes of pointers, Daniel reset the system so she could have a turn, starting at the beginning.

Using her magic, Celestia took the controller and started Mario on his journey to find Princess Toadstool. Considering this was her fist time playing video games, she did amazingly well. Celestia didn’t start running into trouble until she reached world 3-3 and had lost her firepower. Though she did manage to make it through the level without getting her little plumber friend killed. Once she reached world 4-1, she kept getting Mario killed by Lakitu and his spiny friends. Daniel gave her the quick advice of ducking down one of the pipes, which managed to lead her to a super mushroom. But without firepower, he suggested she try her best to make a mad dash through the rest of the level.

For a time, things seemed like they were going to improve, but then Celestia got stuck in world 5, and neither she or Daniel could get past the endless storm of Bullet Bills. Celestia began to grow very irritated with the game.

“Daniel isn’t there something else we can play? This game isn’t any fun anymore,” she groused, feeling rather annoyed.

“You’ll get no argument from me. Um, let me think a second. Oh I have an idea,” Daniel voiced standing up. He took the NES controller back to the deck and switched it off. “Man, I didn’t realize I was so rusty. But I think it’s time to switch to my favorite system. The Playstation 2,” he announced with delight.

“Playstation 2? Why do these game…consoles, have such odd names?” she asked.

“You got me. I don’t name them – I just enjoy playing the incredible selection of games they have. Now this system is a little old, by today’s standards. But it’s always been my favorite. Anyway, I have just the game in mind,” he answered with a smile.

“And what might that be?”

He chuckled softly at her as he walked over to another shelf full of video games. After a short search, Daniel removed a small box from the shelf. “Well you liked the book “Lord of the Rings” and you seemed to enjoy movies and shows based on a similar genre…so I think you may like this,” he concluded, placing the game on the coffee table.

Celestia peered over at it and studied the front of the box carefully. “And what’s “Lunar – Silver Star Story” about? The cover certainly looks intriguing…as does the title,” she declared, looking up at Daniel with a renewed smile.

“Oh this is a great game. The story is epic! It features a grand adventure and a delightful romance,” he all but exclaimed to her.

“Okay, then “Lunar” it is!”

Nodding his head, Daniel opened the box. He removed the jewel case and leather bound instruction booklet from within. Opening the case he removed the first disc and placed it in the PS2. A few moments passed and the game’s opening sequence began to play. Celestia watched it and listened closely to the lyrics of the accompanying song with great fascination.

“This looks incredible!” she beamed with enthusiasm.

“Just you wait…you are in for one heck of a treat!” Daniel mused excitedly.

The game’s main character Alex, and his little friend Nall, had arrived at small clearing along the springs by the village of Burg. There, Celestia saw they met a very lovely girl with long blue hair.

“Daniel who is that?” she asked.

“Just watch, you’ll find out,” he whispered, trying not to overshadow the dialogue of the characters, during the short cut-scene.

To Celestia’s surprise, the girl was called Luna! She thought her eyes were deceiving her at first. But then she saw the name appear again by the girl’s head shot in the dialogue window. “Oh wow, she bears the same name as my younger sister,” gasped Celestia.

Daniel laughed at her little outburst. “That’s right, you told me your sister’s name is Luna,” he recalled.

“Yes, I did. Now come on Daniel, I want to see more of this game,” she urged with even more excitement.

“Okay,” he uttered, letting out another chuckle.

The two continued the adventure for a few more hours. Daniel let Celestia take turns controlling the characters, and taking part in the enemy battles. He was delighted at how quickly she took the games battle system, not to mention the incredible strategies she came up with. Those low-level monsters in the White Dragon Cave didn’t stand a chance against her tactical mind. And yet, Celestia didn’t stop coming off incredibly feminine to him. If anything, he just felt his fondness for her continuing to grow.

They mutually decided to call it a night, after completing the trials in the icy caverns of the Dragon, Quark. Though Celestia did say she was looking forward to continuing the game, seeing as she found it very exciting.

*******

Saturday came and started unlike any other day so far. Daniel awoke to the smell of something very yummy cooking. Only he wasn’t doing the cooking. After getting dressed and making his way to the kitchen, he discovered Celestia had prepared breakfast. She made a big pile of pancakes, and found a variety of items to dress them up with, such as chocolate chips and a can of whip topping she discovered in the fridge.

Daniel expressed his delight at her thoughtful act. He greatly enjoyed her cooking and was sure to tell her just how grand a job she had done.

Following their meal, the two began their day, with a trip to his garden. After helping him tend to the plants, they returned inside just as the heat of day began to increase. The temperatures were forecasted to soar up into the 90’s, so they were both thankful for the central air.

Daniel took the time before lunch to start work in the guest room. Though Celestia still didn’t seem to be in a hurry for him to work on it. As he moved around boxes of miscellaneous items, she checked out some of his other video games. Though she really wanted to play more of “Lunar”, she decided to wait till Daniel was done puttering in the other room.

Despite Celestia’s lackluster attitude toward the spare room, Daniel continued going through it after lunch, trying to make it as least livable, and less cluttered. Around two o’clock, Celestia offered to lend him a hoof. She expressed her boredom, and a desire to spend some time with him. He gladly accepted her assistance.

Their work in the guest room took them right up to dinner time, but they had straightened up the room, so that it could easily accommodate her. Now she would have a proper bed to sleep in. It might not be on par with her bed in Canterlot, but she could make use of it nonetheless.

*******

Dinner came and went. The two had prepared another enjoyable meal together. Once they finished cleaning up, they went into the living room. Celestia took a seat on the right side of the couch, but Daniel remained standing. He looked at her and smiled. “Now if I remember correctly, you said you wanted to watch a movie together…right?” he asked.

She returned his smile. “Yes, and I still do. Oh, but what should be watch?” she asked curiously.

Daniel placed his hands behind his back and started swaying a bit. “Well, do you enjoy heart-warming love stories, filled with adventure?” he asked.

“Of course. So what did you have in mind then?” she replied with yet another question.

“Oh, just this,” he said reaching for a DVD he had sitting on the corner of the TV stand.

Daniel held the case so she could see the cover. Celestia studied it closely. “Hmmm, “Tangled”. So this is the movie you were talking about?”

“Yes. So what do you say?”

“Sure, I’m game. The characters on the cover do look interesting,” she noted with a grin.

He loaded the disc and picked up the remote. After skipping through the long slew of previews and less than helpful features, he arrived at the main menu. Following a few more standard screens, the movie began to start.

To Daniel’s surprise Celestia was sitting closer to him than she usually did, though it was quite all right with him. The opening of the movie continued and before long the story began to unfold right before her eyes. She was quite fond of the numerous references to the sun.

At one point Daniel noticed that the sun symbols looked very similar to her cutie marks. Celestia turned to check her flank and had to agree with him.

As Celestia saw how Rapunzel was basically a prisoner in her tower, it began to remind her of her life in Canterlot as ruler of Equestria. Now she did get out of the castle from time to time, but she almost always was escorted by her royal guards, or was going somewhere on business. Quite often, Celestia felt like a prisoner, trapped in the ivory white towers of the royal palace.

The story continued, and had reached the point where Rapunzel and Flynn began seeing the sights of the kingdom and sharing in the festivities.

As Celestia watch the two, she couldn’t help but notice something. “Is it me Daniel, or do those two seem to be falling in love rather quickly?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, I don’t know. In some ways I guess it would seem to be the case, but with love, you just can never tell,” he said gazing over at her thoughtfully.

She smiled and blushed slightly, wondering if he was referring to what might be brewing between both of them. Celestia felt increasingly happy, and slid just a little closer to Daniel.

Then came the following part, Flynn and Rapunzel had just finished their discussion about dreams and then the scene shifted to inside the castle. Celestia noticed the music had grown rather melancholy, just as the king and queen appeared on the screen together. The alicorn stared intently at them both for a moment. Daniel saw her eyes fixed on both of them. “Is something wrong Celestia?” he asked her.

She turned to look at him. “It’s silly, but the king and queen, they remind me of my parents. Even though they passed away so very long ago…I still miss them,” she answered as her voice began to sound riddled with sorrow.

He looked her way and said, “I know how you feel. My parents have only been gone a few years, and I still miss them both greatly.”

She nodded solemnly as she saw the lone tear trail down the king’s face. “Awww, look, he’s crying…he misses his daughter,” Celestia whimpered as her voice started breaking.

Daniel felt his heart sink as he noticed a pair of tears slowly trailing down her elegant face. Not worrying about the implications, he reached over and placed his arms around her. “Awww…Celestia…it’s okay. Come here,” he spoke tenderly holding her close. She softly nuzzled her head against his chest, realizing he was holding her. The warmth of his embrace comforted her, and began to ease her sorrow. Then she heard him say, “Celestia…you can’t miss this!”

She craned her head up from his side and through her teary eyes, caught sight of thousands of lanterns illuminating across the town. “Oh wow!” she gasped. Celestia realized she was still in his caring embrace. She pulled back just enough so she could look up at him. “Daniel…” she began.

“Yes, Celestia.”

“Would it be okay if we stayed like this?” she asked, sounding very much like she wanted to remain in his arms.

He smiled at her and leaned his cheek against the left side of her head. Daniel sighed softly, feeling the silky texture of her mane against his cheek. “Of course, especially if it’s okay with you,” he replied, savoring the heavenly feeling of being so close to her.

Celestia nuzzled him back affectionately, and he knew she was more than fine with it. Daniel felt her hooves come to rest against his chest, while he held her tighter in his arms. They both let out a contented sigh as they turned to focus on the movie. The pivotal song of the movie, “I See the Light"”, began playing.

Celestia really perked up, in Daniel’s arms, when she heard Rapunzel sing.

(Pause for song's first verse)

She pulled back again, and took a long look at Daniel. He turned his head so that his eyes met hers. A few moments passed and the song’s interlude ended. Then they both paid close attention to Flynn’s part:

(Pause for song's second verse)

Daniel and Celestia continued looking deep into each other’s eyes. Then as the song continued, they listened to it, but ignored the screen.

(Pause for the last of the song)

The last of the lyrics faded out and the last few seconds of the melody played on. Daniel and Celestia just kept gazing into each other’s eyes, only now their mouths began slowly moving closer to each other…until their lips met for the first time. They closed their eyes, and for that short moment, they savored the joyful and pleasant sensation it brought them both.

The kiss ended, right as the tone of the background music shifted to a more haunting one. It didn’t bother Daniel or Celestia. They merely smiled at each other and remained close, returning their attention to the screen.

Celestia stayed in Daniel’s arms as they watched the remainder of the movie. Then came the happy ending, followed by the song that accompanied the end credits. As the song played, one particular part stuck out to Celestia.

(Pause to listen to that part of the song)

A few minutes later, the credits had concluded and Daniel turned off the DVD player. Celestia took the remote from him, using her magic, and set it back on the coffee table. Surprisingly, she was still in his arms, resting her hooves against his chest.

“Celestia,” he began.

“Yes, Daniel?”

“Do you have a new dream?” he asked her resting his head against hers.

She sighed softly. “You know, I think I do. How about you?” Celestia asked in return.

He warmly chuckled, and said, “Yes, and I’m glad we both seemed to enjoy that brief…but memorable kiss.”

Daniel felt Celestia fidget slightly. “Oh yeah, about that…I wasn’t out of line was I?” she asked.

Never,” he whispered in her ear. “I wanted it too. We’ve only known each other for about a week…and yet in this short time…you’ve already come to mean a great deal to me.”

He heard Celestia sigh dreamily. “I’m glad to hear you say that…because you have come to mean a great deal to me as well. Though I’m…” she said trailing off.

“You’re not sure just how strong a feeling this is…and aren’t sure if it’s wise to act on it…right?” Daniel asked, feeling pretty confident he was correct.

“How did you…no wait…I know. You do feel the same way…”

“Yes,” he spoke softly in her ear.

“I wanted to say something sooner, but I was…” she paused again.

“You were afraid? I’m not surprised, I was too,” he confessed. “So what should we do?”

“Do we have to make any major decisions right now? Can’t we just stay like this for a while? I’m sure time will help show us the way…wouldn’t you agree?” Celestia asked him with confidence.

He sighed, and said, “Yes, I do agree. And I’d be happy to stay like this…for as long as you like.”

“Daniel,” she whispered to him.

“Celestia,” he quietly replied, kissing her on the head. She let out another dreamy sigh, and nuzzled against him. Then she enjoyed the gentle heaving of his chest as he breathed, while they remained there in a relaxing embrace. They didn’t know what the future held for them, but at least they were going to find out together.

Chapter 5 - "Her Fondest Desire"

*Caution - This chapter contains explicit sexual content involving a human and a pony.

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 5 –
“Her Fondest Desire”

The living room was silent as Celestia and Daniel continued to cuddle on the couch. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt more at peace. The subtle movements Celestia made, from lightly adjusting her hooves against him, left Daniel feeling indescribably happy.

She let out a contented sigh, and said, “Your breathing is so soothing.”

He chuckled at her warmly, under his breath. “Celestia,” he uttered quietly. Daniel ran his fingers softly along her silky mane. “Your mane is even softer than I imagined it would be.” Tenderly, he nuzzled his cheek against the velvety fur of her cheek, sighing happily.

“Daniel…I’m glad you like it,” she whispered, cuddling him in return. Celestia let out a delicate yawn and lightly smacked her lips.

He looked at a nearby clock. It was almost eleven, and the hour was slowly growing late. “Are you tired?” he asked considerately.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Come on then. I’ll walk you to your room,” he said, removing his arms from around her.

Celestia gradually rose to her hooves. Standing up, she splayed her wings, giving them and her back a good stretch as she let out another yawn. “Oh my goodness. Excuse me,” she said, pardoning herself.

He chuckled at her again. “That’s quite all right,” Daniel replied, placing an arm around her shoulder.

She rested her head against him as they made their way back the short corridor. Arriving at the door to her room, he politely opened it for her. “Here you are Celestia,” he spoke with a smile.

“Thank you, Daniel,” she replied.

He removed his arm from around her and continued smiling at her. “Oh, would you like to get up early tomorrow, and watch the sun rise?” Daniel inquired thoughtfully.

She smiled grandly at him. “That would be nice…and just imagine…like everyday since my arrival, I won’t have to raise the sun,” Celestia said with a giggle.

“That’s right,” he chimed, still smiling.

The alicorn turned on the light to her room. It sure had changed from before. There were no longer heaps of miscellaneous items strewn about the place. The bed was cleared off and neatly made. The nightstand was set up with a small lamp, a box of tissues, and some of her personal items. Celestia’s saddlebags were resting on a small chair, and her shoes were now tucked under her bed, and her necklace and tiara were carefully placed on the small dresser.

He stood there at her side, surveying the room with her. “Wow, I didn’t think this room would clean up so nice,” he mused with a grin. “Sorry it took so long.”

Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder. “As I’ve told you Daniel, it’s fine. I’m happy it’s ready, but I understood you needed time to straighten things up,” she said reassuringly.

“Thank you Celestia. Well, I guess I’ll leave you to sleep,” he said.

She smiled thoughtfully at him. Even though he hadn’t said it, she knew there was something else on his mind. Just as he turned to leave, she placed her hoof on his shoulder again. “Daniel, is there anything else?” she asked.

Halting his movement, he turned to face her. His cheeks had turned slightly red, causing him to place a nervous hand behind his head. “Now that you mention it,” he began. “There is one thing…”

“And what might that be?” she asked with intrigue, leaning her head toward him.

“Could we…share a good night kiss?” he asked sincerely. His glistening brown eyes gazed deep into her twinkling magenta eyes.

“Yes,” she happily replied, before even a moment of silence could pass.

Daniel’s smile grew as he wrapped his arms around her elegant swanlike neck. Slowly, he leaned in, until his lips pressed affectionately against hers. Celestia closed her eyes and placed her hooves around his shoulders, pulling him toward her. Daniel’s eyes fell shut and he gently ran his fingers through her heavenly soft hair. Celestia moaned softly as she pressed her lips harder against his. He shared her compassionate moan, while he moved to embrace her tighter.

Several moments passed, and their lips broke apart. They stood there for a moment, quietly taking in a few breaths. Daniel resumed smiling at her, slowly removing his arms from around her.

Celestia shared his smile, and withdrew her hooves from him. “Good night, Daniel,” she bid to him.

He nodded and replied, “Good night, Celestia.” Daniel slowly turned and walked down the hall, toward his own room. He looked back a few times, meeting her glance each time, with a smile. Finally, he disappeared into his room, and silently shut the door.

Celestia turned, and entered her new room. She closed the door, and cast out a heavy sigh. While it was nice to finally have a room and proper bed, she found she didn’t really desire them. The true irony was that she didn’t want to be alone now. But, while they had expressed having feelings for each other, Celestia didn’t want to rush things. Though as she walked over to her bed, a myriad of thoughts began consuming her mind.

Using her magic, she turned down the covers, and gracefully laid down. The soft creak of the bedsprings met her ears as she sprawled across the mattress. She let her head sink into the plush pillow, casting out another sigh. Celestia was very happy, but she was left with a wandering mind.

Laying there in bed, she began thinking intently about Daniel. Just how strong were the feelings he had for her? Could she even hope to think they would ever be anything as powerful as…dare she think it…love? Then she began pondering her own feelings for Daniel. She knew in her heart they were sincere, but how deeply did she feel for him?

As she rested in her room, the answers just seemed to escape her. One thing did pop into her mind. A thought that made her cheeks feel warm and flushed. Even if their feelings were still in bloom, what else could be forming between them? She thought back to the two kisses they shared…especially the good night kiss. It had left her feeling tingly, all over. Celestia began feeling a stirring in her loins, a feeling she hadn’t felt in quite a long time.

She turned over, facing the wall side of her bed. The feeling in her marehood made her start to wonder what would it be like to share a deeply intimate moment with Daniel. Would he even be interested in doing something like that with her? All Celestia knew was she hadn’t been able to find a truly dependable stallion in quite a long time, and she had an itch she desperately longed to have scratched. But she could only speculate if Daniel could help her find the kind of release, she so badly desired. There was of course the implication surrounding the fact that he wasn’t a pony. Yet, the more she continued to think about it, the less she seemed to care.

Letting out another sigh, she left her mind wander for a bit more, until if finally began to tire. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and soon she felt them close. Before she fell under sleep’s lure, she managed to darken her room. Then she pulled up her covers and allowed herself to drift off.

* * * *

Meanwhile, Daniel had entered his room. He dressed down to his underclothes, and crawled into bed. After setting his glasses on the nightstand, he laid back and let his head hit the pillow. He propped his head under his hands, allowing his eyes to stare endlessly at the ceiling.

He sighed there in his room, under the gentle glow of his nightstand lamp. Sleep seemed all but impossible for him, seeing as his head was besieged by an endless salvo of thoughts…all involving Celestia. Slowly, he turned onto his side and gazed out across his dimly lit room, halting his eyes at a shelf filled with assorted collectibles. He wasn’t focusing on anything in particular. In fact the contents of the shelf seemed a blur as his mind continued to race with thought.

He was thrilled that they both shared their feelings for one another, yet Daniel couldn’t help but wonder just how deeply Celestia felt for him. That’s when he recalled the two kisses they shared and the close to an hour they spent cuddling on the sofa, after watching Tangled.

Daniel felt a little light-headed as he thought back to their cuddling. It was wonderful having her so close. The tenderness of her touch, the warmth of her body, and the sounds of her thoughtful words and relaxing breath, made him sigh heavenly.

While he continued to lay there, Daniel softly touched his fingers to his lips. His mind began focusing on the good night kiss they shared. While the first kiss during the movie was great, Daniel felt such an intensity and passion from Celestia during the second kiss. It seemed clearer to him that her feelings for him were quite strong.

He rolled on his back again, and noticed how invigorated he felt following their kiss. It’d been several years since he last felt such a sensation. Daniel quickly found himself thinking even more about Celestia. Aside from her charming personality, he began to think about her elegant white fur, the slender curves of her body, the beauty of her wings, and of course the inviting texture of her mane and tail. He felt a warmth pool along his face as he began wondering what it might be like to spend time with her as a lover. Even though she wasn’t a human, for some unfathomable reason, he found it bothered him less and less. True there was a part of him that sent up a red flag, yet there was something about Celestia that seemed to call to him, in spite of it.

Daniel adjusted on the bed again, and allowed his train of thought to evolve. Come to think of it, he realized he always had an attraction to creatures of fantasy. Admittedly, elves, fairies, angels or girls with wings, and elemental spirits usually bore human-like appearances…nevertheless there was an enchanting quality to Celestia that reminded him of those fictional beings.

He rose from his bed and stepped over to his bookshelf. Daniel searched it for a specific book, then he carefully un-shelved it. Flipping it open, he turned to a page that featured a beautiful white unicorn mare. Naturally, he always had a fondness for unicorns as well. Yet as he stared at the picture of this majestic creature, it hardly evoked the same response he felt, each time he’d rest his eyes on Celestia. While many works of fiction depict unicorns as having the ability to speak, they appear just as a horse with a horn, nothing more. They may be beautiful in a way, but Daniel felt no romantic attraction toward the picture before him. In fact as he pictured Celestia in his mind, he realized she didn't bare the same physical resemblance to any horse he’d seen on Earth. She only bore a similar appearance.

After promptly closing the book, Daniel placed it back in its home on the shelf. He then returned to his bed and lightly flopped back down. He felt more confident, now that he had allayed the concerns echoing in his mind. He smiled as he thought about their kiss, one more time. A yawn escaped his mouth as he pulled up the covers. Turning on his side, he felt his eyes begin to grow heavy, while his chattering mind finally grew silent. It wasn’t long before Daniel turned out his light and drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

Celestia awoke. Glancing around her room, she saw it was still dark out. Reaching a hoof over to her nightstand, she made use of the small clock, Daniel had given her. Pressing the snooze bar, the face lit up showing that it was nearing 6am. She smiled, realizing there was still plenty of time till sunrise.

Eagerly, she used her magic to toss back the covers. Rising to her hooves, she turned on the small lamp. She stepped over to the dresser and looked at her mane in the mirror. Her appearance seemed more than presentable. Giggling softly, she turned and made one last change before stepping out of her room. Her course led her to Daniel’s room. Celestia figured she’d wake him. Slowly, she approached the door to his room, preparing to open the door with her magic. Before she could grasp the handle, a faint noise from the dinning room met her ears. She turned and followed the sound, feeling a bit puzzled.

Arriving in the dining room, she discovered Daniel standing alone in the darkness by the sliding glass door, bathed in the captivating glow of the moonlight. “Daniel,” she uttered.

Recognizing her melodic voice, he turned and greeted her with a kind smile. “Hello Celestia,” he responded.

“Hi,” she replied. “I was just going to wake you. Though I suppose there’s no need to, now. Couldn’t you sleep?” she asked.

Daniel shook his head. “No, I slept fine for the most part,” he began. “I woke up about half an hour before my alarm. I was excited about watching the sun rise together, and figured it made more sense to get up. While I waited for you, I thought I’d come and enjoy the night sky.”

Celestia smiled grandly at him. “So I see,” she said walking next to him. “I’m glad you had a good night’s rest,” she added, making conversation.

“Thank you,” he replied with a polite chuckle. “Did you sleep well?”

She nodded. “I slept just fine,” Celestia mused.

Daniel turned and made a pleasant discovery. “Hey, you’re wearing your jewelry and your shoes. What’s the occasion?” he asked in a lighthearted voice.

Celestia closed her eyes and giggled softly. “What, can’t a princess look her best?” she replied.

He smiled grandly at her, and took the gambit, placing his hand on her velvety white shoulder. “Of course,” Daniel replied. He continued casting his gaze upon her, causing his smile to grow. “You look so beautiful and enchanting, like something out of a wondrous fantasy.” She blushed from his flattering words, and moved even closer to him. He chuckled softly, seeing the red in her cheeks. “Did I ever tell you, how cute you look when you blush?”

Celestia turned her head away as she felt her cheeks feel even more flushed. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly thought of something to distract him from her cheeks. Staring up at the night sky, she asked, “What were you looking at?”

“Nothing in particular. The moon is still up, and looks to be approaching its last quarter. Oh, and there are some constellations visible from here,” he said pointing at a distinct group of stars.

Celestia looked at them, and could see the formation of what looked like a giant ladle. “Oh yes, I see it,” she uttered. A renewed smile formed on the pony’s lips. Turning her head to look at him, Celestia said, “It’s almost time.”

“I know. Come on, if we’re going to watch this, we should have a good view,” Daniel declared, sliding the glass door open.

“Okay,” she replied happily.

The two stepped outside onto the back patio. They were met by the warm caress of the night air. Despite the lingering mugginess and faded warm of the previous day, there was just a hint of a nip in the air.

Celestia felt a brief shiver roll up her spine. “Ooh, hard to believe it’s going to be another scorcher today,” she noted.

Daniel nodded. “Tell me about it. Come on,” he said.

The two walked out across the backyard, passing the two maple trees. They halted their steps just beyond the garden, where there was a beautiful view of the horizon, beyond the surrounding houses and gentle rolling hills.

Daniel looked out and smiled. “Look there Celestia,” he said. “You can just make out the faint change in the sky.”

She joined him in looking and saw the same sight, after focusing for a few moments. “Oh, there…I see it!” she replied with building enthusiasm. Daniel chuckled contently at her response, while Celestia moved closer to him.

“Celestia,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Would it be okay, if I did this?” he asked placing his right arm around her.

She sighed quietly, and leaned her head against him. “It’s perfect,” she uttered back. Daniel sighed, as he rested his head beside hers. Celestia smiled, turning her eyes to toward the breaking dawn. She pointed a hoof forward and declared, “Look, Daniel! It’s starting!”

He moved his eyes to join hers, and just creeping over the horizon came the familiar glow of the sun. A few moments passed, and the majestic orb began slowly rising into the sky. As it rose, the morning sky became ablaze with the hue of a fiery red glow, slowly casting aside the deep blues and dark purples of the night.

As the two stood there, close together, Daniel tightened his arm around Celestia. “Ahhh,” he sighed, allowing himself to be enveloped into the quiet serenity of morning.

Celestia gently nuzzled against him, casting out a happy sigh. “The sunrise on Earth…it…it’s so beautiful,” she spoke, her words teaming with joy.

He chuckled softly at her energetic words, and nuzzled her back. “You’re right…but you know something, Celestia?” Daniel inquired thoughtfully.

She adjusted her head, so that her cheek brushed softly along his. “And what’s that, Daniel?” she replied, the proximity of her cheek to his allowed Daniel to feel the gentle vibration from her spoken words.

“The sunrise is even more wonderful…having someone special to share it with,” he answered fondly, rubbing his cheek against hers.

A dreamy sigh slipped over Celestia’s lips, causing her to cuddle him back. She let out a faint giggle, and finally said, “You’re right. I’ve always wanted to share the beauty of a sunrise…with someone special.”

“Me too,” he uttered. The two stood there, continuing to watch the sun rise up into the sky. Gradually the brilliant blue of day began to spread across the sky as the dawn chased away the ever-fading shroud of night.

Several minutes passed, and the two remained close together, watching the birth of a new day.

“Would you like to go inside and help me fix breakfast…or would you like to stand her for a little longer?” Daniel asked.

“We can go prepare breakfast. But this was really wonderful,” she admitted.

“Then we’ll have to do it again sometime,” Daniel mused, giving her a warming smile.

“Oh, and perhaps we could sit out some night and watch the stars,” she proposed.

“That would be wonderful. Though, we will need to check the weather report,” he added.

“How come?”

“Oh, that’s right. The pegasi tend to the weather on your world. On my world, a red morning sky is often a sign of impending bad weather. It reminds me of the old saying, “Red at morning, sailors take warning.” Something my father told me long ago. He was a real weather buff,” Daniel mused.

“Well then, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on the weather. Oh, but Daniel, what happens if the sky is red at night?” Celestia questioned.

Daniel snickered. “Well the saying for that is, “Red at night, sailors’ delight.” Maybe I should have said that with the other one,” he noted, still chuckling.

Celestia giggled at him. “Perhaps. Now, let’s go back inside. I can already feel the heat building. Your air conditioning is going to spoil me,” she remarked.

He chuckled at her as they arrived at the patio. Daniel slid open the patio door. “So what would you like for breakfast? I’m thinking eggs would nice,” he said.

“Sounds delightful,” she replied.

Daniel snickered again. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to like your eggs, sunny-side-up? Would you?”

“Actually I do, but I’m more partial to scrambled,” she giggled, then adding, “But sunny-side-up would be nice for something different.”

“Okay then,” he said, letting her enter first, then following close behind her.

* * * *

After enjoying a tasty breakfast, Celestia helped Daniel clean up. Once the kitchen had been tended to, they made their way into the living room. He passed the environmental controls. Checking the thermometer, which displayed the temperature outside the house as well as inside, he noted it was getting warmer already.

“Wow, it’s already 82 outside,” he noted. “There we go, that should keep us cool,” he added.

She smiled at him, as the central air unit kicked on, adding a renewed refreshing chill to the air. “So what would you like to do now, Daniel?” she asked, quickly popping in her room, to drop off her shoes and jewelry.

She promptly returned to the living, waiting for his reply. He placed a hand on his chin and gave the matter some thought. There were a number of things that sprang to mind, but he didn’t want to rush things with Celestia, so he opted for an alternative he knew she’d enjoy. He smiled at her, and walked over to the TV. “Would you like to continue where we left off with Lunar?” he asked.

Celestia’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Since starting it Friday night, she had quickly grown to love the story of this particular game. “I’d love to!” she replied excitedly. She eagerly flopped down on the comfy cushions of the sofa, and waited for him to power up the TV and the PS2.

He brought the cordless controller over, sitting closely beside her. Daniel skipped to the “Continue” screen, so he could load their saved game. The title theme continued to play as he turned to face Celestia. “Are you ready?” he asked.

To his surprise, Celestia moved closer to him and drew him into a hug. “Do you mind if we sit close for a bit and enjoy the sweet melody from the title screen?” she asked.

He smiled, placing his arms around her. There was no way he could say no, even if Daniel had wanted to, which he clearly didn’t. “Not at all,” he replied softly.

Celestia sighed contently as the music played on. A few minutes went by, and then she finally said, “Okay, let’s see what awaits Alex, Luna and the rest of their friends.”

Daniel sat up, and chuckled at her. “Okay,” he replied, remaining close to her. In a few moments, the game loaded and the familiar tune of Burg filled the room.

A good hour went by, and Celestia and Daniel had reached the point in the story where the suave and somewhat arrogant Nash joined Alex and his friends. Though he did come in packing some useful magic, which was a good thing too, seeing as the game’s first boss decided to make its slimy entrance, about half an hour later.

“Daniel, what the heck is that thing?” Celestia inquired.

“Oh it’s the…umm, oh let me check the strategy guide,” Daniel grumbled, annoyed that he forgot the creature’s name. He popped up off the sofa and quickly trekked to the shelf housing his player’s guides. “Here we go,” he said picking it up. Promptly, he returned and flopped beside Celestia. Opening he book, he found the right spot. “Oh that’s right, it’s called the Saline Slimer. And that nasty thing has close to 1,000 hit points, not to mention it can heal itself for 100 HP every turn.”

Celestia gave Daniel a puzzled look. “Hmmm, sounds like a challenge…let me have the controller,” she replied.

Daniel grinned as he handed her the controller, “Okay. Let that thing have it!”

She looked at him and winked. “Don’t worry, I will,” she said with a sinister chuckle.

The battle raged on between Alex’s party and the vicious sea monster. Celestia’s party was on the ropes, but she wasn’t out of tricks yet. “Come on, know when to fall you foul demon!” she bellowed.

“At least it didn’t trap Alex in it’s, ugh, mucus. Oh and thank goodness Luna used that healing spell when she did,” Daniel cheered.

“Yes. But, I think it’s time we ended this!” Celestia declared. “Now taste Nash’s Thunder Bomb, and another of Alex’s Sword Dances.” The two attacks were issued and promptly carried out by Nash and Alex. The beast shrugged off yet another hit of Thunder Bomb, but as Alex slashed his blade furiously into the beast, the resulting hit did the trick. The boss vanished like so many monsters before it, followed promptly by the boss battle victory music!

“Celestia, you did it!” he declared excitedly.

She giggled. “Yes, and I couldn’t have done it without your tips.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. “Happy to be of help,” he uttered.

Following the victory against the Saline Slimer, Daniel and Celestia continued playing on. Alex and his friends had boarded a ship, and started their voyage to the harbor city of Meribia. A few minor events had taken place on board the ship, but then the scene arrived where Alex and Nall were searching the deck of Hispaniola for Luna. They found her up in the ship’s crow’s nest.

Celestia turned to Daniel, and asked, “Why is Luna in the crow’s nest?”

“She went up there to think. Now just watch…you don’t want to miss this next scene!” he noted excitedly.

A cut-scene began to play, and a truly lovely melody started to play. Celestia sat there with her eyes keyed on the TV screen. Then the game’s lead heroine, Luna, began singing a beautiful ballad.

As the scene continued to unfold, Celestia felt the urge to slide closer to Daniel. She looked back up just as Luna released the firefly she was holding, and continued her song.

(pause to listen to the last of the song or watch the linked video of the scene)

The cut-scene came to an end, and Celestia smiled, deeply moved by the song’s lyrics. She leaned softly against Daniel, resting her head on his shoulder. He turned and smiled at her, placing his arm around her. She gazed at him with her magenta eyes. “That was a beautiful song,” she spoke, taking a deep breath and exhaling into a sigh.

Daniel rested his head along hers. “It is a wonderful song. It’s part of the reason I love this game so much,” he replied.

The song made Celestia think about a question she had been meaning to ask Daniel. Turning to him again, she said, “Daniel, can we take a break from playing Lunar? I’d like to talk, if you don’t mind.”

He smiled at her. “Of course not. Their ship is pulling into Meribia anyway, so I’ll stop by a statue of Althena, to heal and then save our game,” Daniel replied thoughtfully. She smiled as he took care of saving the game. He then stood and turned off the TV and game system.

Daniel set the game controller on top of the PS2. “So what did you want to talk about?” he asked, slowly walking back to rejoin her on the couch.

Celestia sat up and looked over at him. “Well…I’ve been wanting to ask you. Daniel,” she began.

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been in love…or perhaps I should be more specific. Have you been in love lately?” Celestia inquired. There was a slight hesitation in her voice. Daniel turned, focusing his eyes on her, though he didn’t say anything. He simply remained silent as she could see a multitude of thought swirl within his eyes. She felt a momentary wave of nervousness, then she said, “Forgive me for being so forward. It’s just something we’ve never discussed before…I was curious.” Celestia lowered her head, wondering if it would have been better not to bring this up. Her eyes widened as she felt his hand gently touch her shoulder. She turned to see him smiling.

“It’s quite all right, Celestia,” Daniel replied. He let out a quiet sigh, before continuing, “It’s been oh…at least six years since there was someone special in my life. I don’t want to bore you with details. For a time we were deeply in love and I thought it would never end. Then, almost overnight, she began to change. Before I knew it, she wasn’t the same person anymore. To this day…I still don’t know what happened. She went from being so open and honest to bottling up everything and endlessly picking fights with me. I asked her over and over what I had done wrong, but she never gave me a straight answer.”

Celestia looked at him, her eyes flowing with sympathy. “I’m sorry Daniel. I didn’t mean to pry,” she apologized.

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. In light of the feelings we have for each other, it’s only natural that we’d end up talking about this. But…what about you? Have you been in love with anyone, recently?”

Celestia sighed, shaking her head. “Not recently,” she answered. After pausing to recall the thoughts of her past, she looked back at Daniel. “It was quite a few centuries ago…he was a wonderful unicorn stallion…as well as a member of my royal guard. He was the first one who ever loved me for who I was…and didn’t want to be with me, simply because I was princess and could grant him special status. He was warm, and caring…and even made me laugh. In some ways Daniel, you remind me of him,” she explained.

Daniel sat there watching her with silent awe. Then moving closer to her, he asked, “So what happened to him?”

“Well, unicorns don’t live as long as alicorns, but back then it didn’t matter to me. I was happy to spend as much time as I could with him. Then one day, a fiendish demon attacked Equestria…” Celestia paused as the memories came flooding into her mind, bringing the events of her past to life. Her head and ears dropped as she closed her eyes. “He valiantly saved my life from that horrible monster and succeeded in slaying it, only to become mortally wounded in the process. I held him in my hooves as the life bled out of him. Even in his final moments…he continued professing his undying love for me,” she said softly. Celestia craned her head up, and let out a woeful sigh as a solitary tear rolled down her elegant white cheek.

Daniel bit his lower lip, and felt his heart tighten within his chest. It longed to reach out to her. “Celestia…I,” but his words were interrupted, seeing as she hadn’t finished.

“I wept for weeks after he passed. His presence made it much more bearable for me to watch over Canterlot, during my sister’s absence. It’s been hard all the centuries that followed, while I continued to rule alone. There haven’t been any special ponies in my life…since him. All the others that followed ended up like the rest before him. Only wanting me for their own personal reasons, not because they cared deeply about me,” she said, sighing once more, her voice nearly breaking.

Daniel placed his hand on her back and gently rubbed it between her wings, along her velvety fur. “Oh, Celestia,” he said, a notable deepening in his own breathing.

“It’s not easy ruling alone. True my sister has returned, but I can’t burden her with my troubles. Still…everypony always looks to me for advice and guidance, when they are in doubt,” Celestia remarked. Then turning her head toward Daniel, she said, “If everyone looks to me for advice…then who do I turn to when I am in doubt? Who…” Celestia’s words broke, and her lower lip began to quiver as she unsuccessfully fought back a series of sobs. She began crying and sobbing loudly, as if a dam she had in place finally burst following the timeless trial of holding back the torrent of her emotions.

Daniel moved closer to her and placed his arms securely around her and pulled her close. “Come here, Celestia,” he softly uttered, with a distinct quiver present in his own voice. She buried her head against his chest and continued to cry. Daniel held her as closely and as tightly as he could. Reaching up his left hand, he tenderly caressed her silky mane, hoping to bring her some comfort. “It’s okay…I’m…h-h-here,” he said as his own voice broke, and he felt his face become framed by newly fallen tears, trailing to the base of his neck.

Celestia cried for several minutes, and finally calmed after Daniel gently kissed her head. She began to feel comforted by his presence and caring gestures. He continued to caress her mane, while she slowly lifted her head, and began nuzzling him. Celestia noticed a dampness other than her own tears along her cheek. Pulling back, she looked at Daniel and saw the tear stains along his eyes. “Daniel?” she uttered.

“Yeah,” he replied, giving her the best smile he could manage.

“Why are you crying?” she asked.

Daniel adjusted his arms around her and pulled her close. “Because, your story was so sad, and then you started to cry. Whenever a lady cries…it just stirs a…I don’t know, a compassion within me. So many times I had to hold my ground, but in light of our feelings, I finally had a chance to offer my support. I couldn’t just sit there and let you cry,” he said shaking his head.

Celestia smiled, and placed her hooves around him. “Oh, Daniel!” she cried out in joy.

He sighed contently, squeezing her in his arms. Then the two heard her stomach growl. They pulled back and shared a chuckle at her growling belly. Daniel checked the nearby clock. “Wow, it’s after twelve already. No wonder your stomach is grumbling. Why don’t we go make some lunch?” he suggested.

Celestia leaned against him, then looking up at him she smiled. “That sounds great,” she replied.

The two sat there for a moment longer. She was deeply touched by his compassion, and he in turn was delighted that she felt comfortable enough to open up to him.

After a few minutes, the two of them stood up and went out to the kitchen. There, they happily prepared lunch together.

* * * *

Celestia and Daniel finished lunch, since they had just made sandwiches there was no real mess to clean up. He looked over at her. “I was just thinking. We don’t really have anything for dessert with dinner tonight. You wouldn’t want to help me bake a cake…would you?” he asked.

She smiled over at him. “Sure, I’d love to. Oh, but what type of cake should we bake?” Celestia inquired, placing a hoof to her chin.

“Well, I don’t want to brag, but I know how to make a really great chocolate cake with a delicious peanut butter frosting,” he answered, giving her a big smile.

“Sounds tasty. I just hope you aren’t like the bakers, back at Canterlot. They never seem to put enough peanut butter in the frosting,” she noted.

“Then, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” he said, rising from his chair.

Celestia rose to join him, only she walked up closely to him. She placed her hoof on his cheek and kissed him tenderly on the lips. A few seconds passed, and she pulled back. Daniel looked at her half-dumbfounded. She giggled at him. “That was for being so kind, when I was crying,” Celestia said, continuing to smile.

She went to retract her hoof, but Daniel gently latched onto it with his hand. He softly caressed it with his other hand. “I could hardly have done otherwise, my heart wouldn't have let me. I really care about you Celestia,” he professed, feeling his cheeks turn slightly flushed.

Celestia blushed, as she reclaimed her hoof. “I know. I care deeply about you. Now come on,” she said pointing her head toward the kitchen. “That cake isn’t going to bake itself.” She looked back at him, with what he could almost swear was a “come hither” look. Shaking his head, Daniel figured it might have been his imagination.

Upon entering the kitchen, Daniel went to one of the lower cupboards and removed a large glass mixing bowl. “Now let me see. We’ll need the dry and wet measuring cups,” he remarked. “Do you know where those are?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’ve gotten quite familiar with your kitchen. Each time I did the dishes, I made sure to carefully find where you had everything. That and I started getting a feel for things, every time you let me help you make a meal,” she said fondly.

“Okay, why don’t you get those for me, please. Oh, and it’d be a good idea if I got out the recipe,” he snickered. Daniel walked over by the sink and found the little tin box he stored his recipes in. Opening it, he flipped through, until he found the right one. “Here we go!” He placed the card by the mixing bowl, and saw that Celestia had already brought the large mixing spoon and both types of measuring cups. Daniel smiled at her. “Thank you, Celestia,” he uttered, giving her a big smile.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, sharing his smile. “What do we need first?”

“Let’s see…” he began. Daniel showed the recipe to Celestia, and together they began gathering all the ingredients. He removed his electric mixer and added the sugar, butter and vegetable shortening. Then he began creaming them together. As he worked on that step, Celestia beat two eggs in a coffee mug and added a teaspoon of vanilla.

She cheerfully added the eggs and vanilla to the slowly growing batter. Taking a rubber scrapper, Daniel wiped the sides of the bow as he continued mixing. He paused and looked for the milk and the sifter, filled with the flour, cocoa, and leavening agents. Before he had to search long, she pushed the glass measuring cup, filled with milk, over to him, and then used her magic to gently set the sifter and its contents on the other side of the bowl. “Looking for those?” she asked, lightly butting her forehead against his.

Daniel couldn’t resist smiling as he gently caressed her cheek. “Yes, thank you, Celestia,” he chimed with delight.

“Anytime,” she said, standing close to him.

He moved the sifter to join the milk. “Here, would you add some of the dry ingredients…my dear,” he said completely forgetting himself. Only a few seconds went by, before he realized what he had said. Daniel placed his hand over his mouth, turning to face her.

Celestia greeted him with an affection look, conveying that she liked what he’d called her. “Of course,” she said, using her magic to add some of the dry ingredients.

It wasn’t long, before the cake batter was completed. Daniel checked it one more time, making sure all the ingredients had been added. “Okay, it looks like we’re ready to put this in the oven,” he stated with a nod.

“Good, oh, here’s the cake pan, all greased and ready to go,” Celestia chirped jubilantly.

“Thank you Celestia. Those chefs back in Canterlot don’t know what they’re missing, not letting you help them. You’re a treat to have in the kitchen,” Daniel mused.

“Awww…I’m not really that big of a help,” she replied, feeling her cheeks turn red.

“Don’t be so modest,” he replied slowly scrapping the batter into the cake pan. Once it was ready, he placed it in the pre-heated oven. “I think I’ll use the timer on the microwave for this,” he concluded. “Now would you like to lick the bowl or perhaps one of the beaters?”

Using her magic, Celestia floated one of the beaters over to her mouth. “I’ll just enjoy one of the beaters,” she replied.

Daniel began cleaning the other beater, trying not let any of the batter drip onto his shirt. He glanced up to see if she was enjoying the batter. She reached her tongue out and slowly slid it up the dull blades of the beater, catching the drops of runny chocolate, before they could fall. Not wanting to stare, he finished his beater and then started to work on pushing the rubber scrapper along the batter remnants, still clinging to the bowl.

Celestia had finished her beater, and softly set it on the counter beside the other one. Daniel looked up at her, clearing his mouth so he could speak. There was still a bit of clingy batter, hanging along the sides of the bowl. “Are you sure you don’t want some? I hardly want to be greedy,” he said.

She smiled, walking closer to him. He reached in one of the drawers, and promptly retrieved another scrapper. “Um, here, you can use this one, it’s not been licked off,” Daniel said thoughtfully.

Celestia smiled sweetly at him, using her magic to take the other one loosely gripped in his hand. “That’s okay, I don’t mind using this one,” she said in a lighthearted voice. Carefully, she scooped up some of the drippy chocolate, bringing it to her waiting mouth. Celestia ran her tongue along the rubber surface, allowing the batter to collect. She swallowed the flavorful confection and smacked her lips. “Mmm, I haven’t done something like this in too long. Thank you Daniel, for letting me help you,” she said graciously.

“Anytime Celestia, you know I enjoy cooking with you,” Daniel replied, affectionately running his hand along her mane. She looked at him with joyful eyes. “Well, we’d best clean up,” he added.

She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Okay,” she replied. “We’ll have what, a little over half an hour till the cake will be ready?”

“Uh…yeah,” Daniel said, feeling invigorated form her brief peck on his cheek. She giggled at him, as they began cleaning the kitchen.

* * * *

While they waited on the cake, the two picked up with their game of Lunar. Before long, the microwave beeped, and the cake was ready. Daniel told Celestia it should be ready to frost after dinner. Checking the time they saw there was still a few hours till supper, so he thought this would be a good time to show her his computer, and introduce her to the wonders of the Internet.

Celestia remained standing at his side, following a brief but informative crash course on how to use his computer. He began acquainting her with his web browser, Firefox, and the various websites he would often frequent.

She placed an intrigued hoof to her chin. “The Internet seems quite incredible. It’s a vast collection of information, and a place where people can communicate with each other and share a wide variety of things,” Celestia noted.

“That’s a good way of putting it in a nutshell, but yes. There are even places known as online communities. I have friends on a variety of sites from all over the world. Though, sadly distance prevents us from interacting in person,” he said to his dismay. “Anyway, you can use the Internet to learn more about Earth. The possibilities are nearly endless.”

Celestia was thrilled that she could use the Web to learn more about his world, but there was suddenly a more pressing thought on her mind. “Daniel, do you have any friends around here? I’ve been meaning to ask more about it. I remember you said there are some people you hang out with,” she noted.

He retracted his hands from the mouse and keyboard and sat back in his computer chair. Daniel let out a lengthy sigh before finally saying, “Not like I used to. I haven’t seen many of my friends since I moved here.”

“How come?” she asked, resting a caring hoof on his shoulder.

“Well, many of them no longer feel like driving the distance to visit. That and a number of my friends have moved on with their lives. They’ve settled down and started families. Even my best friend rarely stops by anymore,” he explained.

“Not even your best friend?”

Daniel sighed again, shaking his head. “No. In addition to him no longer stopping by that much, all he seemed to want to do when we did hang out…was go to bars and drink. He used to be the truest of all my friends. Now, he’s become a drinker…and is slowly ruining his liver. And why, you might wonder? All because he desperately wants to meet a girl,” Daniel snidely remarked. “In the past ten years, I’ve asked out more girls than he has. And while I don’t mind having a drink once in a while, I just don’t think a bar is the sort of place you can find a girl to have a meaningful relationship with.” He shook his head again, realizing just how much his life had changed over the past few years alone. “So, to answer your question…that’s what happened to my friends from around the area. We’ve all gone our separate ways.” For a moment he seemed to shift to a glum state. Then he perked up and smiled at Celestia. “Though, I don’t feel so lonely anymore…not since I met you. It’s been quite a thrill coming home to find you waiting at the door, for me,” Daniel beamed.

She leaned down and nuzzled him. “I know what you mean. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt as happy as I am now,” Celestia mused.

“Well, go ahead and have a seat,” Daniel said, getting up, and pulling back the chair.

“Okay,” she replied, sitting her rump against the chair.

Celestia enjoyed checking out a number of sites showing things she wanted to know about Earth, such as its scenic wonders, and how it’s seasons were similar to those in Equestria. She also enjoyed chatting with Daniel and learning more about what he knew of his own world.

Once 5PM rolled around, the two stopped for dinner. She happily joined him in the kitchen, and together they prepared another wonderful meal.

* * * *

Following dinner, the two cleaned up, and prepared to make the frosting for the cake. Celestia and Daniel gathered everything they needed, then in a matter of minutes, the icing was just about mixed.

Daniel ran the electric mixer through the sugary confection. He stopped the device, and turned to Celestia. “Uh, I think we may need some more milk,” he noted with a grin, lifting the mixer from the bowl. There was a large glob of frosting clinging to one of the beaters.

Celestia chuckled, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Oh my. Let met add a little more,” she said. Employing her magic, she gripped the milk jug in an orange glow. Carefully, she poured a little more into the bowl. “Do you think that’s enough?”

“Yeah,” Daniel answered with a nod. “That should do.” He inserted the mixer back into the bowl of gooey frosting. Gradually he sped up the appliance, noticing the frosting taking on a smoother more uniform texture. Daniel mixed for a few more minutes, then he slowed the device, mindfully clearing the beaters, and making sure the icing didn’t fly out of the bowl. He set the mixer down, and then like all good chefs, he dipped his finger in the side of the bowl, sampling the frosting. “Mmm, that’s perfect!” he asserted, with an approving nod.

“May I try some?” Celestia asked in a very cute manner.

Daniel couldn’t help but smile at her. “Sure,” he uttered, dipping his other index finger into the frosting. “Tell me what you think,” Daniel said, presenting his frosting covered finger.

Celestia stepped closer to him. Carefully, she studied the tasty lump of frosting, clinging to his finger. She slowly opened her mouth, and lightly extended her tongue. Gently she brushed her tongue across his finger, scooping up the incredibly peanut buttery frosting. The taste immediately danced across her taste buds. “Mmm, that is delicious!” she declared, upon swallowing the icing.

“I was hoping you’d like it,” he said, giving her an even warmer smile.

She chuckled, then she noticed Daniel was still holding his finger up, and there was just a little frosting still clinging to it. Celestia licked her lips, fancying another little taste of that wonderful confection. She leaned front again and this time, she very slowly licked the frosting from his finger, savoring every flavorful swipe.

Daniel momentarily froze as he watched her clean his finger with her tongue. He couldn’t stop his cheeks from blushing, while he continued following her movements. Celestia drew in her tongue, and swallowed the last tiny bits of frosting she managed to snatch from his finger. She smiled contently, and momentarily closed her eyes. Then as she opened them, she looked over at Daniel. She saw him standing there, and quickly recalled how she let herself get a little carried away. Celestia also hadn’t realized just how intimate an act that was. She coyly drew back her head, joining him in blushing. “Daniel…I,” she stammered.

He walked up to her and placed his un-licked hand along her white velvety cheek. “It’s okay Celestia. I just didn’t expect you to lick my finger like that,” he said sheepishly.

“I think I may have just gotten a little carried away. Though you were right, that was a very yummy frosting. The cooks at Canterlot could learn something from you,” she mused, cleverly changing the subject.

“Yeah, well I’d better frost this. Then we can wait till our dinner settles before we have dessert,” Daniel mused.

“Okay. Once you’re done, we can get back to checking out the Internet,” Celestia suggested.

“That’d be great,” he replied, coating the cake with the contents of the bowl.

* * * *

It was a little after 7:30. Celestia had continued checking out sites dedicated to the various scenic wonders of Earth. She was completely oblivious that Daniel had stepped out of the room. A gasp leaped from her mouth, as she stumbled onto a website housing a collection of pictures taken from various waterfalls all across the planet. “Daniel, you have to see these! They’re beautiful!” she said. There was no reply from him. Turning in the chair, she noticed he wasn’t in his room. “Daniel, where are you?” she called.

“I’ll be right there, I went to get something!” he called back.

“Okay!” she responded, turning back to stare at the beautiful images of enchanting waterfalls. Celestia heard some quiet clatter, followed by random footsteps. She began to grow a little annoyed waiting for Daniel. Softly, she started tapping her right hoof on the computer desk.

A few minutes passed, and the door slowly started to push open. “Sorry about that,” he said.

“Well it’s about time you…” Celestia froze in mid sentence as she saw Daniel enter the room. Her mouth fell open, in response to what he was carrying. Daniel was holding a small round serving tray, containing two modest pieces of cake, each accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Too her surprise, one of the pieces had a green and white burning candle, shaped like the number “1”. “Daniel,” she gasped, “What’s all this?”

He smiled as he continued entering the room. “You were busy checking out those websites, so I figured I’d prepare our dessert,” Daniel answered.

“But what’s the candle for? It’s not my birthday,” she noted.

Daniel chuckled, and said, “I know, but tonight is still a special night. It’s been a little over a week since you got here. This might seem like a bit much, but I wanted to do something nice for you…especially since you were feeling a little blue before lunch.”

Suddenly, Celestia lost all interest in waterfalls. She rose from the desk chair and walked over to him. Her magenta eyes glistened in the soft light from a glaze of freshly formed tears. “Awww…Daniel, that’s so sweet,” she said smiling happily at him.

He smiled back at her. “Here, blow out the candle and make a wish,” Daniel said, offering her the plate with her piece of cake and the candle.

Celestia gently wiped her hoof across her eyes. “Okay,” she replied. Then, continuing to smile, she moved toward the plate. She licked her lips, and closed her eyes for a moment. After nodding, she blew out the candle. The flame whisked out, replaced by a faint trail of smoke, rising up from the glowing embers on the candle’s wick.

“Did you make a wish?” he asked.

Celestia used her magic to set her piece of cake back on the tray. Then she set the tray down on his dresser. She returned her glistening eyes to him. “I didn’t need to…it’s already coming true,” she said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. Daniel felt himself starting to get a little choked up. Seeing the look in his expressive brown eyes, Celestia moved closer and gave him a big hug. “Thank you Daniel,” she declared with a voice overflowing with gratitude.

He returned her hug, and softly grunted. “You’re very welcome, Celestia,” Daniel replied. As they continued to hug, he deeply inhaled, and noticed that heavenly scent, which always seemed to cling to her. “Celestia, I’ve been meaning to ask you…”

“Yes, Daniel?”

“What is that delightful fragrance you always seem to be wearing?” he asked.

She giggled softly. “That’s just my perfume. I have some in my saddlebags. It’s made from the nectar and blossoms of the Solaris Rose. They can be found growing in many places across Equestria,” Celestia explained.

Daniel smiled. “The scent certainly suits you,” he commented, lightly caressing her mane.

“Daniel,” she sighed. “I’m glad you like it.” She spied their dessert, resting on the dresser. They pulled apart, and she smiled at him. “Come on, we’d better eat our dessert, before the ice cream melts,” Celestia mused.

“Yeah,” he said gazing deep into her eyes.

They sat together on his bed, holding their plates. Daniel waited eagerly for her to take a bite of the cake. Her neck flexed softly as she swallowed the first spoonful. Celestia smacked her lips, and savored the bold flavor of the frosting, followed by the moist chocolatey taste of the cake. “Mmm!” she expressed. “Daniel, this cake is delicious. You weren’t kidding!”

“I was really hoping you’d like it,” he replied, gazing at her happily.

They continued enjoying the dessert, and once they had finished, Celestia asked him to join her at the computer. She thrilled in sharing the breath-taking images of the waterfalls. He told her that he really loved waterfalls, and that he always regarded them as a thing of beauty. She told him that her world boasted a number of enchanting ones, she knew he’d enjoy. Then he suggested that some weekend they could travel to some of the nearby waterfalls, that way she could see some in person. Celestia marveled at the idea.

They spent a few more hours together, enjoying the wonderful images of waterfalls and chatting, before calling it a night.

* * * *

Even though Daniel and Celestia were growing closer with each passing day, they were still leery about rushing things too much, so they decided to sleep in their own rooms. As ten o’clock rolled around, neither one found themselves remotely close to slumber. Daniel’s mind was consumed with thoughts of her, and Celestia fared no better.

He laid there on his bed, feeling a strong unyielding pull to her. Daniel didn’t want to spend another night alone, not when she was only a matter of feet from him. Part of him still felt a little hesitant, but his heart cried out for him to go to her, no matter what the night would yield. The idea alone of being with her offered to quell his unrelenting anxiety.

Finally, after having had enough of mentally debating the matter, Daniel sat up in his bed, turned to the side and placed his bare feet on the soft carpeted floor. He was going to see her!

Then, as Daniel went to stand up, he heard a faint tapping at his door. A familiar orange glow encompassed the knob, turning it as the door slowly opened. Celestia quietly entered his room. “Daniel,” she spoke. Looking over at his bed, she saw him gazing back at her.

“Celestia,” he said, giving her a delighted smile. Daniel reached over, put on his glasses, and turned on his nightstand lamp. A gentle glow illuminated the room, allowing them to see each other more clearly.

She walked over to his bed, using her magic to shut the door behind her. “Can’t you sleep either?” she asked standing before him.

He shook his head. “No, in fact, I was just about to go see you,” he replied.

Celestia smiled at him. “You were?”

Daniel rose to his feet and placed his left hand on her slender shoulder. He gazed deeply into her magenta eyes, while she stared back in quiet awe, awaiting his reply. Again, he smiled. “Yes…I can’t bear the thought of spending another night without you…especially when you’re only a few rooms away,” he answered.

Celestia blushed from his touching words, momentarily lowering her head. Then, as she raised it to glimpse his eyes, she smiled. “I’m glad to hear you say that…because I missed you…even though we’ve spent most of the last two days together…I don’t want to be parted from your side, tonight. In fact, that’s why I wasn’t in a hurry for you to finish cleaning your spare room,” she confessed.

“Oh, Celestia,” Daniel said, feeling a profound warmth in his heart. He tenderly placed his right hand along her cheek, caressing its velvety texture.

She lightly nuzzled his hand, savoring his caring touch. “Daniel…” she uttered softly. “It’s been so long…since someone touched me this affectionately. It’s just like the way you stroked my mane last night, during our good night kiss.” He kept his eyes focused intently on her beautiful face. Again, Celestia rubbed against his hand. “You don’t know how badly I wanted to come to you last night. My mind swirled with nearly a thousand different thoughts, all about you…just like tonight,” she admitted, with a sigh.

Daniel continued gingerly stroking her cheek. “I know how you feel. Part of me wanted to go to you last night as well…but I was afraid of rushing things,” he revealed, still running his hand along Celestia’s cheek.

She smiled at him again, her eyes glistening in the pale lamp light. Celestia leaned against him and said, “Hold me, please.”

Daniel couldn’t possibly deny her. He tenderly embraced her, and held her close. “I have you, Celestia, I have you,” he whispered.

“Don’t let me go, Daniel,” she pleaded with a sigh.

“Never…I’ll never let you go,” Daniel replied, sounding a little choked up. He held her tightly, gently squeezing her in his arms, resting his head against hers. “Stay with me tonight…I don’t want to leave your side either.” He sighed softly, running his fingers deftly through her heavenly mane.

Celestia sighed and whimpered, savoring his gentle caress of her mane. Slowly, she moved and placed her hooves on his chest. Her eyes stared dreamily at him as an endearing smile curled up on her lips. Daniel shared her affectionate look, while his fingers continued to dance through her mane. He moved his hand to rest under her chin. A rosy glow encompassed her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her. Celestia let out a delicate moan, feeling every ounce of tenderness pour out over his lips as he pressed them firmly against hers.

Her hooves moved from his chest, encircling his neck, drawing him nearer to her, while he held her securely, in his loving embrace. Feeling emboldened by his gesture, she tightened her grip on him and pressed her lips back in kind, hoping he could feel the affection and desire she felt for him. Another moan muffled its way past her lips, adding to her growing pleasure.

Daniel sighed and moaned tenderly, in response to her excitement. He felt an incredible amount of bliss, causing him to move his hand back to her mane, in response to her added affections.

A few more moments passed, and the kiss ended. Daniel and Celestia stood there for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Softly, he stroked her mane again. She placed her hoof along his cheek, and smiled. “That was wonderful,” she expressed, looking at him half-eyed

He chuckled softly. “I couldn’t resist the lure of your lips any longer, and felt overcome with desire. I long for you, Celestia,” Daniel professed.

She sighed, leaning against him. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear you say that…because I want you Daniel. I’ve been wanting you,” Celestia confessed.

“I’m glad. Since Friday, I’ve been yearning to caress your captivating curves, wondering what it would be like to spend a night of passion with you,” he spoke in a sincere voice.

Celestia employed her bedroom eyes, smiling seductively at him. “Then, why don’t we find out…that is…if you don’t mind our being from different worlds,” she replied.

He shook his head. “Our bodies may be somewhat different, but why should we deny the growing feelings and desires in our hearts?” Daniel asked in an almost profound voice.

“I can’t think of a reason,” she replied, with a strong yearning in her voice. Celestia secured her hooves around him, and kissed him deeply on the lips, casting out a gentle moan of pure desire. Daniel, placed his arms around her elegant neck, and returned the intensity of her kiss.

They moved closer to his bed, slowly sitting on the side, still sharing a tender lip embrace. As their desire continued to mount, Celestia wanted the kiss to become even deeper. She opened her mouth and lightly prodded her tongue against his lips. Feeling a rush of intrigue, Daniel happily parted the way, allowing their tongues to join for a spellbinding embrace. They both began to moan softly, in response to the rising levels of passion burning within them.

They relished the kiss for just a few moments more, then parted their mouths. Each panted quietly for air, feeling incredibly invigorated. They held each other by the shoulders, sharing the fondest of glances. “Oh, Daniel,” sighed Celestia, feeling her breathing begin to calm.

“Celestia,” he whispered, smiling affectionately at her. “You said it’s been a long time, since you were with someone special?” She nodded. “Then you must really be in need,” he concluded.

She looked at him with hungering eyes and nodded. “Yes, I am…so badly,” she said, turning her blushing face to the side.

Daniel placed his hand on her chin, softly coaxing her to look at him. Her gaze met his, and she saw him leering happily at her. He smiled as he started running his hand along the side of her neck, down across her shoulder, where he stopped. “I want to caress every inch of you,” he whispered, planting a gently kiss on her neck. Celestia shuddered from the kiss and his words. She hungered for his touch, anywhere…everywhere along her elegant white body. Her desire was beyond anything she could imagine. As she had mentioned, it’d been too long since she was last tended to. Daniel, leaned over to her ear and whispered, “Lay back.”

Celestia wanted to respond, but words failed her. She simply let out an anticipatory shudder of delight, while she happily complied, laying back across his bed. Daniel moved close to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Slowly, he leaned down and rejoined his lips to hers. Celestia let out a faint lusting moan, trying to maintain her elegance as her body cried out for stimulation.

Following the short kiss, Daniel began running his fingers down her shoulders, savoring the velvety feeling of every inch of her body. His hands tenderly caressed, her forelimbs, then he moved them in to glide over the fur of her chest. Feeling the grip of a romantic idea, he moved both his hands along her right forelimb, slowly grasping her hoof. Daniel brought it to his mouth and gingerly kissed it. Celestia sighed and blushed from his chivalrous gesture. Then he started tracing the length of her swanlike neck, slowly returning to her chest, where he ever so tenderly savored the velvety texture of her fur. She could feel her breath deepen with each affectionate motion of his fingers. Celestia couldn’t remember the last time she felt so relaxed.

Daniel coaxed her to turn on her side. Happily, Celestia did so, looking at him with a playful smile. He smiled back at her, as he began caressing the fur along her back. He adjusted his position, and placed his hands along her shoulders, tenderly working his fingers along the years of collected tension, still present. A pleasant moan left her mouth, as she whispered his name. Daniel leaned down and lovingly nuzzled his cheek along her incredibly soft mane. Celestia sighed, moving her head to nuzzle him back. He softly kissed her cheek, then moved to her folded wings. Delicately, Daniel slid his fingers along her amazingly soft feathers, causing shivers to roll up her back.

Daniel lowered his hands to her flanks, and gently began massaging her cutie marks. Celestia lightly rolled her head back and forth, in response to the intoxicating feeling his tender touch gave her. She placed her hooves around his waist, pulling him down beside her. Then, placing her hooves on his cheeks, Celestia locked him into a kiss of pure ecstasy. Daniel placed his arms around her, allowing himself to become absorbed in the tender moment.

Celestia urged him to sit up with her, as they moved to the center of the bed. She placed her hoof on his somewhat hairy chest, happily encircling it. Her boldness increased along side her desire. Celestia’s hoof slowly trailed over his belly, heading for his groin. She gave him a seductive smile as she arrived at the elastic of his underwear. “Do you mind losing these?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “Not at all,” he replied softly, repositioning himself to quickly remove his cumbersome undergarment. Daniel then heedlessly tossed it to the floor. He placed his arms around her shoulders, and smiled at her. “How’s that?”

Celestia placed her hooves on his shoulders. “Perfect,” she replied, softly kissing him on the lips. She placed her hoof on his belly and lightly brushed it along his bare skin, causing him to shiver with anticipation, before she resumed her course downward. With no obstruction, Celestia was able to gaze upon his excited manhood as her hoof slowly bumped into it. Her eyes took in the welcoming sight of his masculinity, making her smile gleefully. Gently, she began running her hoof along his length. Daniel sighed and softly gasped from her intriguing touch. She looked at him with a sly smile, as she started caressing his smooth underside. He firmed his grip on her shoulders, letting out a very pleasant moan. Celestia leaned over to his ear and whispered, “Do you like that?”

Daniel sighed and quietly uttered, “Yes, it’s heavenly.”

She giggled softly, and responded, “Good. Now, why don’t you touch me?”

He shuddered, and thrilled at the idea of touching her. Celestia repositioned herself slightly, making sure her tail was tucked out of the way. Daniel placed his left hand on her velvety chest, affectionately working his way down across her belly, and beyond. His eyes trailed down, taking in the enticing sight of her beautiful crescent. He placed his fingers along her folds, causing her to lightly shiver. Celestia began to sigh, while he traced the curves of her fruit. She whispered his name, feeling an intense level of pleasure slowly take hold of her. Daniel ran a lone finger along her slit, feeling a noticeable moisture gradually coat it. She lightly whimpered from his touch. “More…” she muttered in between sighs.

Daniel leaned over to her ear and whispered, “Of course, my lady.” She shivered from his enthralling words. He pulled back to her face and kissed her very deeply on the lips. Celestia continued to softly whimper as she closed her eyes. The kiss ended and she let out a swift gasp feeling two of his fingers enter her marehood. In a fashion beyond tenderly, Daniel massaged her moist inner walls, allowing her to savor every motion of his touch.

Celestia planted her free hoof firmly on his shoulder, steadying herself. It had been so long since she felt the sensual touch of a compassionate male; she hardly knew how to react. Her eyes snapped open and widened in response to a sensation she’d not felt in years. To Celestia’s amazement, her wings began rising on their own, fully extending. She let out a blissful sigh as she closed her eyes and left her head drift back.

Daniel felt momentarily curious about her wings, but before he could think to speak, he felt his own eyes drift shut. Her hoof resumed its vigorous, yet gentle, movement along the underside of his firm shaft. He sighed and softly moaned from her endearing touch. Feeling his fondness for her continue to evolve, Daniel added just a little intensity to the motion of his fingers, causing her to tilt her head back more. Celestia freely cast out a series of moans teaming with ecstasy.

They continued touching each other, filling the room with their delighted moans and pleasant sighs as they savored every passing minute. Then, in an almost instinctive fashion, they paused, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes. They drew into a tender hug, sharing another rapturous kiss of pure delight. Celestia ran her hoof along Daniel’s hair, while he once again caressed her mane.

A few moments passed, and their lips parted. He stared lovingly into her glistening magenta eyes, while she in turn gazed back into his expressive brown eyes. Celestia gave him a very affectionate look, and said, “I’m ready to move on…if you are.”

Daniel smiled at her, and replied, “I am…nothing would make me happier.”

Her face overflowed with joy. She placed her hooves on his shoulders and shared another heavenly kiss with him. Then straddling her hind legs over his, Celestia brought her yearning loins closer to his. Their kiss broke, just as her marehood brushed against the tip of his spire. The sensation set shivers up their spines, causing them to share another loving glance with each other. Daniel gently placed his hands on her flanks, slowly pushing upward. The tip of his masculinity slowly parted her delicate flower. Feeling her desire burn even stronger, Celestia pushed down, bidding him entry inside her. He slowly guided her down completely. The feeling from their merger made them both gasp and shudder.

“Daniel,” she whimpered, feeling indescribably happy.

He smiled at her, and felt a blush fall across his cheeks. Daniel tenderly caressed her cheek, while he gazed at her. “Celestia, you’re so beautiful.”

“Aww,” she muttered, blushing from his kind words.

The couple drew into an open-mouth kiss, feeling their desire burn on. Celestia started lightly moving her hips on him, resting her hooves on his shoulders. Her wings remained outstretched, while her mane fluttered as she kept softly bucking her hips. Following their kiss, Daniel placed his hands along her sun cutie marks, so he could guide her movements. She looked him in the eye, and continued to smile as she added more speed. Celestia felt a heavenly pleasure began radiating throughout her body. It caused her to lightly part her mouth, while sigh after sigh passed over her lips. As the motion between them continued, she slowly closed her eyes and began to freely moan with sheer delight.

Daniel kept his hands firmly, yet gently, placed on her flanks, continuing to aid her movements. He’d periodically thrust upward in contrast to her bucking hips. Daniel began to feel the overwhelming bliss of their union absorb him into the moment. Never could he recall feeling so much intense pleasure jolting throughout his body. The feelings burning in his heart for Celestia only added to his elation. He shut his eyes and joined her in moaning with blissful pleasure, feeling his breath begin to deepen.

Celestia felt her body form a heavenly rhythm that made her feel deeply intoxicated. Her breath was growing faster, while she let her head roll back and forth as her eyes closed. Her mane began fluttering vigorously as the movement between them continued to escalate.

Daniel opened his eyes in time to see her manage to open hers. They glanced at each before their lips met for another exchange of fiery passion. Their lips broke as Celestia began to sigh and moan more frequently. He could feel her body begin to tremble and quake, from the endless pleasure they were bringing each other.

A powerful tingling and warmth began to spread through Daniel’s loins. His breath had become even shallower, as he joined Celestia in a rapturous symphony of sighing and moaning.

Then all at once, Celestia’s body seemed to tense up, as her back lightly arched. She cast out a series of heavenly moans, as Daniel noticed a delightfully warm dampness cover his manhood. Then his eyes widened as he felt his own body tremble with pleasure. He let out a pleasured moan as he released his warmth into Celestia. He moved his hands from her hips and threw them around her slender neck, pulling her close as the two continued to experience the ravaging throes of passion. She secured her hooves around his shoulders, holding him tightly. A momentary feeling of weakness gripped them both as they toppled onto the bed. There, they both gasped violently for air. Daniel looked over at Celestia, and reach out for her hoof. He gripped it tightly, smiling at her. She placed her other hoof over his hand, sharing his affectionate expression.

Gradually their breath began returning to normal. Slowly, they moved apart, but remained at each other’s side. Daniel ran his hand along her silky mane, continuing to look at her affectionately. She moved closer to him and draped her hind leg over his.

Celestia blushed and smiled at him. “That was incredible,” she remarked.

Daniel smiled back. “You were wonderful, Celestia,” he said, lightly panting.

“So were you, Daniel,” she said, caressing his hand gingerly. “I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to be with someone that really cares about me,” she mused.

Daniel looked at the corner of her eye and saw a solitary tear roll down toward her cheek. He reached over and caught it in his hand. “For me?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm, yes,” she sighed. “Because you’re so caring.”

“Aww, Celestia…you’re such an incredible alicorn,” he replied, still tenderly caressing her long silky soft mane.

“Daniel,” Celestia sighed, again. “Say, would you mind, scratching my ear?” she asked, while enjoying his touch along her mane.

“Of course not,” Daniel replied, continuing to smile at her. He moved his hand over to her left ear. Slowly, he began running his fingers along its velvety fur, ever so gently applying his fingernails. “How’s this?”

“Mmm, that’s perfect,” she sighed. Celestia slid closer to him, and gently planted a caring kiss on his lips. “Thank you…for everything.”

Daniel placed his arms around her, gently giving her a squeeze. He returned her tender kiss, and said, “You’re very welcome, Celestia. I can’t remember the last time I felt so happy, so at peace. Thank you for being here.”

She sighed, sliding down to his chest. Celestia left her head come to rest on his bosom. “No problem…it’s my pleasure,” the pony replied, running her left hoof along his bare chest. Lifting her head partially, Celestia looked at him dreamily, still smiling. “What a wonderful day.”

“Yeah,” he uttered, running his fingers through her colorful locks.

She felt totally at peace and very relaxed. Celestia let out a quiet yawn, and laid her head back on his chest. “Mmm,” she murmured.

“Are you getting sleepy too?” he asked, yawning and stretching his arms.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “I feel so…so very relaxed.”

“Come on then, let’s get up. I’ll turn down the covers and we can get some sleep…together,” Daniel said, his very words echoing in his mind, adding to his smile,

The lovers slowly rose from the bed, standing on the carpeted floor. Celestia still felt the emotional high from their deep bond, causing her to playfully bump against him. Daniel chuckled, reaching back and placing his hand along the side of her neck. He then reach out and pulled back the sheets and blankets on his bed, turning them down. “This is only a full-size bed, so it might be just a tad cramped, but it will certainly be cozy,” Daniel mused to her.

Celestia wrapped her hooves around him, and nuzzled his cheek. “That sounds lovely…resting closely by your side,” she replied, in a dreamy voice.

“I usually sleep on the side by my night stand. You don’t mind sleeping on the wall side, do you?” he asked, showing concern for her comfort.

She giggled softly. “As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter,” Celestia remarked.

“Then ladies, first,” he directed, politely gesturing her toward the bed.

Her cheeks reddened a bit. “Oh my, you’re making me blush again,” she rambled. Then the regal mare sighed, “But I know you said I’m cute when I do, right?”

He nodded, continuing to smile. “Yes, you certainly do, my lady.”

Slowly, Celestia crawled into bed, and beckoned for him to follow. Daniel climbed in beside her, and pulled the covers up over them. While it may still be quite warm outside, the central air left it nice and chilly inside.

Daniel made sure to share one of his extra pillows with her. Celestia let her head come to rest along her pillow, enjoying its firm, yet gentle softness. He joined her in getting comfortable. Slowly, he placed his arms around her, and held her close. “There, I have you in my arms again,” he declared with a quiet chuckle.

Celestia giggled, bringing her hooves to rest along his chest. “You sure do...and I’ll happily stay by your side…all night,” she replied.

He leaned over and nuzzled her cheek softly. “Heaven,” he replied. She giggled again, then let out a contented sigh. Daniel felt a slight start at first, as he felt like he almost forgot something. “Oh yeah, should you need to get up for any reason, don’t hesitate to wake me, I’ll move so you can get out.”

Celestia snuggled against him. “Ever the gentlestallion or should I say gentleman,” she mused, exhaling onto his neck.

He sighed from the feeling of her gentle breath, grazing his neck. “Yeah,” he muttered, letting out another quiet yawn. “I hope work doesn’t drag on too long tomorrow.”

They cuddled some more and she brushed her cheek against his. “Even if it does…I’ll still be here, waiting for you,” she avowed.

He half whimpered form her caring response. “Celestia…I…I…oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” he replied.

“I know Daniel, I know, and so am I,” she whispered, feeling so relaxed in his caring embrace. Then as she began to feel sleepier, she said one last thing. “Daniel, would you…um, do you think…do you want to be my very special somepony?”

He smiled as he nuzzled close to her mane. The term was still fairly new to him, but he remembered what she had said about it before. Daniel sighed, and squeezed her one more time. “I’d love to…but only if…you’ll be my, very special somepony,” he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

“Of course,” she replied.

The two shared a short but tender good night kiss, and then laid their heads down again. “Good night, Celestia.”

“Good night, Daniel. Till morning,” she sighed.

They each let out another yawn, feeling their eyelids grow heavy. Before too long, they had both drifted off, secure in the knowledge that they were at each other’s side, and felt so strongly for one another. It might not be love just yet, but the feelings between them were more powerful than ever.

Chapter 6 - "Growing Even Closer"

*Caution - This chapter contains explicit sexual content involving a human and a pony.

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 6 –
“Growing Even Closer”

Written by
JaydexTheShadowKnight

The night reigned on peacefully. Celestia was still nestled at Daniel’s side, while his arms remained around her as they slept. The alicorn began to stir, breaking out of her slumber. Her eyes slowly parted as a smile formed on her face. Celestia’s dreams had been filled with wonderful feelings and images of her with her new human lover. It made her beyond ecstatic when she awoke, finding him still by her side.

She gazed over at him as he continued to sleep. Daniel’s breath fell gently against her neck, sending pleasant chills up her spine. Celestia sighed, enjoying the calm surrender of the moment. It was then that she realized something else had awakened her. Thankfully, in his state of deep sleep, Daniel’s embrace had weakened. Carefully, Celestia turned back her portion of the covers, and deftly slipped out and away from him. She knew he said to wake him, if she needed to get out of bed for any reason, but the mare didn’t have the heart to disturb him, especially since she knew he had work in the morning.

After making her way out of the bed, Celestia looked over at him and smiled. It was then that the other reason she had awakened became even more apparent. She silently used her magic to open the bedroom door and crept out into the hall. There, she was met by the gentle hum of the central air unit.

Celestia entered the bathroom and quietly shut the door. She made use of the facilities, and then, after relieving herself, the princess walked over to the sink and washed her hooves. As she began drying them with the hand towel, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. A new smile fell across her elegant face. It warmed her heart to know Daniel was waiting for her back in his room. She so looked forward to all the wonderful things they could do together, now that their feelings were continuing to grow stronger.

Celestia spied the shower curtain of the bathtub, from the corner of her eye. She walked over to it, and instead of using her magic, she pulled back the curtain with her hoof. Celestia found great enjoyment, now that she began relying less on her magic and more on her hooves, to manipulate things. It might have seemed less refined, but Daniel seemed even more enchanted with her, when she behaved this way.

As she stood there, studying the shower, she grinned and felt her cheeks redden at the thought of showering together with Daniel. Celestia thought the idea would be very romantic. She sighed as she let herself briefly fantasize about him soaping her wet body and running his hands all over her as the water of the shower would pelt against them. The princess then imagined returning the favor and savoring the joyful task of washing him. A series of chills broke her out of her trance. Celestia giggled softly to herself, realizing her desire for him was still quite strong.

The princess let out a quiet yawn as she made her way out of the bathroom and back to Daniel’s room. After entering, she very gently closed the door. The smile remained on her face as she crawled back into bed. Celestia snuggled close beside him, unable to resist the urge to nuzzle her new lover. She made sure not to get too carried away. Before she could embrace him and slide back under the covers, she noticed Daniel had awakened. His eyes opened and he let out a faint groaning yawn.

He blinked at her a few times and muttered, “Celestia. You’re awake…is everything okay?”

She moved closer and tenderly nuzzled against him again, placing her left foreleg around him. “Mmm, everything is just fine,” she sighed

“Did you need to get up?” he asked, sounding a bit groggy.

Celestia continued rubbing against him, and replied, “I already did. I just had to pee, and I didn’t want to disturb you, although it seems I did anyway.”

“That’s all right. I told you if you needed to get up, just go ahead and wake me,” he said, sounding more awake. Daniel noticed her tender advances and sat up. He placed an arm round her and shared her affectionate nuzzles, placing his other hand against her long silky mane, running his fingers along its heavenly texture.

“Daniel,” she sighed.

He shared her sigh, gently pulling her down beside him. Daniel’s eyes widened for a moment as he turned to check his alarm clock. Glancing at the time, he was relieved to see only a little over two hours had passed since they fell asleep. Turning back to her, he smiled. “It’s a little after one. So, it’s only been a short while since we dozed off,” Daniel uttered happily.

She giggled softly, “That’s good. Now, you wouldn’t want to cuddle for a little, before we go back to sleep, would you?”

He gave her a loving hug, and nuzzled against her. “I’d love to,” he yawned softly, “But I think I need a quick trip to the bathroom. Be right back.” Daniel rose from his bed and promptly left the room.

Celestia repositioned herself on the bed, letting her head come to rest along her pillow. She ran her hoof along the soft texture of the sheets, waiting for him to return. A few moments passed, and the door to his room slid open. Daniel slowly lumbered back to the bed. He stretched a little and let out a hearty yawn.

“Welcome back,” she uttered in a silky voice.

He greeted her with an endearing smile, while he slowly crawled back into bed with his princess. Words couldn’t convey the level of delight and amazement Daniel felt, from having such a majestic creature like her in his bed. He moved close to Celestia, thinking to himself that “creature” was hardly a fitting word for someone as lovely as her.

“I’m so glad you’re with me, tonight,” he professed in a hushed voice, grazing his fingers along her slender velvety neck.

Celestia shuddered from his tender touch, and took in a deep calming breath. “Mmm, so am I,” she uttered softly. The mare turned to gaze at him half-lidded. “I don’t know about you, but I’m still feeling so relaxed, from what we shared earlier.” She sat up beside him, and placed her hoof along his bare chest.

“Yes, it was amazing,” Daniel remarked, taking a moment to stare back into her magenta eyes, which looked a deep purple in the darkness of his room. “I’m glad you seem to be feeling better now.”

“I am, thanks to you. Oh, I hope you wouldn’t mind if we…have sex again, sometime,” Celestia proposed, feeling her face become flushed from being so forward.

She lightly gasped as she felt his hand fall softly against the back of her mane, resuming its affectionate stroking. Daniel looked into her eyes again, and whispered, “Not at all. I’d love to have sex with you again. Hmm, I haven’t felt this at peace in years.”

Her smile grew as she gently bumped her forehead against his, minding her horn. “Neither have I,” she whispered.

Celestia’s quiet words and enchanting beauty made Daniel feel emboldened. Tenderly, he wrapped his arms around her neck and slowly leaned forward to kiss her. She moaned quietly as she felt his lips press affectionately against hers. Placing her hooves around his neck, Celestia happily returned his kiss, closing her eyes and savoring the moment. Just as she considered deepening the kiss, she felt his tongue gently prod against her lips. Happily, she parted the way, welcoming his passionate advance, allowing their tongues to join and share a tender embrace of their own.

A few moments passed as they continued to enjoy their kiss. Celestia secured her hooves around him and felt the pleasure spread out across her body, causing her to moan along with him. Daniel felt a multitude of emotions from her – every one of them made him feel calm and at peace as their kiss lingered on, just before it ended.

They parted their mouths and stared happily at one another, while taking in some needed breaths. “I hope I didn’t go overboard,” he grinned nervously.

“No, it was fine,” she replied, then giggling softly, she added, “I was thinking of doing the same thing.”

Daniel smiled lovingly at her, resting his eyes on her. He ran the back of his hand along her silky hair. “You’re so beautiful, Celestia.”

She giggled bashfully, but continued to share his smile. “You’re making me blush again.”

He chuckled softly as he coaxed her to lay beside him. Celestia wore a delighted expression as she took her place by his side. Daniel replaced the covers over them, making sure she had a fair portion. “Now, why don’t we cuddle?” he whispered in a soothing voice.

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded, placing her hooves against his chest.

Daniel placed his arms around her and held her close. He shuddered as she moved a little, feeling her lengthy mane spill from her shoulder, and pool near his side. They both sighed contently as they nuzzled their cheeks together. Celestia rewarded his prior boldness by rubbing her back leg against one of his. The pleasant sensation of her downy fur against his body made him squeeze her in his arms, as their cheeks rubbed a little more vigorously.

They cuddled for a few minutes, before they each became more and more relaxed. Daniel cast out a few yawns, feeling the fog of sleep trying to lull him back into its restful embrace.

Celestia yawned with him and muttered, “I guess we should…h-head, back t-to sleep…now.”

He nodded at her in the shroud of night, “Yeah, that…that sounds p-pretty good.”

She giggled faintly as they shared a brief goodnight kiss. Then, they both returned their tired heads to their pillows and slipped back into the grip of slumber. The room returned to its former state of silence – save only for the calming sound of their breathing.

* * * *

The bracing beep of Daniel’s alarm tore him from his sleep. Just as he went to hit the snooze bar and hush its shrill sound, it quieted. Placing his hand along the clock, he noticed it was switched off. A smile quickly formed on his face as he realized who beat him to the punch. He felt Celestia wrap her hooves around him, right as he turned back to face her.

An affectionate smile decorated her face as she greeted him, “Good morning, Daniel.”

Placing his arms around her, Daniel softly kissed her lips, and felt her press back right as he went to pull away. He squeezed her tenderly as their lips passionately wrestled together. The kiss broke as a new smile curled up on his face. “Good morning, Celestia,” he sighed happily.

“I can see you’re still feeling very affectionate this morning,” she smiled.

“Of course. How did you sleep?” he asked her.

Celestia rubbed her cheek against his, cooing softly. “I slept great. I really think we needed this,” she spoke in earnest.

Daniel grazed his fingers along her lightly mussed mane and shared her tender cheek movements. “Yes, we did,” he uttered softly.

“How did you sleep? Well, I hope,” she spoke quietly.

“I did, and I remember seeing you in my dreams. The very vision of loveliness,” he sighed, savoring the soothing caress of her fur against his face.

“Daniel,” she sighed. Her eyes widened as she realized their time this morning was quickly fleeting. “Oh, you’d best get ready for work. Would you like me to start breakfast, while you prepare?”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” he answered.

Celestia repositioned her hooves around him and smiled, “But I want to. I don’t mind.”

Daniel returned her happy expression. “All right then, I’d be delighted,” he nodded. She closed her eyes and smiled even more jubilantly at him.

* * * *

Daniel dressed, while she made used of the bathroom. Then, Celestia made her way to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast as he finished his morning preparations for work.

Once his lunch was packed in his cooler, Daniel returned to the kitchen. Celestia was standing by the stove. She was humming a familiar tune, with a smile on her face as she continued working on their meal. Daniel placed his arms around her neck, and nuzzled softly against her mane. “So, what are you preparing?” he asked.

Celestia turned back and shared his loving gesture. “Nothing special, I’m just scrambling some eggs, oh, and I have some bread toasting in the toaster,” she smiled.

“Sounds great, do you need any help?” he asked.

She shook her head, “No, I’ve got this. Oh, wait, if you wouldn’t mind, could you please set the table?”

“Gladly,” he replied, pulling away form her. “By the way, are you humming something from “Lunar”?” he asked recognizing the melody.

Celestia giggled playfully at him, “Why yes, it’s that song Luna was singing.”

Daniel smiled, and replied, “I knew it sounded familiar. You hum beautifully, it makes me wonder…how you sound singing.”

Her face turned red as she focused her eyes back on the frying pan. “Um, well, my humming may sound nice, but I doubt you’d enjoy my singing,” she confessed.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he replied politely. Before she could say anything else, Daniel left to set the table, hoping he hadn’t embarrassed her too much.

Once the table was set and Celestia finished preparing breakfast. The two sat down in the dinning room and enjoyed their meal. Daniel savored the first bite of his eggs. “Mmm, these are tasty. You can really cook,” he remarked with a grand smile.

“Why thank you, Daniel. I’m glad I’ve finally had a chance to practice my cooking skills. Even though we had plenty of royal chefs, back when my mother was still alive, she and I used to sneak into the kitchen and cook and bake things for my father and sister, all the time,” she explained.

“There are so many amazing things about you, Celestia,” Daniel mused. She smiled contently at him as they finished eating their breakfast.

Then once again, the time for him to leave had arrived. Daniel set his lunch bag down by the front door as he turned to say farewell to Celestia.

“Well, it’s that time again,” he spoke, wishing he didn’t have to leave her.

She lowered her head and nodded solemnly. “I know,” she uttered quietly. Celestia wrapped her hooves around him, giving him a caring hug. “I’m going to miss you, Daniel.”

He placed his arms around her neck, and held her tightly. “I’ll miss you too,” he sighed uneasily, “Well, thankfully Mondays aren’t usually too bad.” Daniel looked into her eyes and smiled. Just as he went to turn and leave her embrace, he paused. Without needing to say a word, the two shared a tender kiss. One that left them each know their feelings were only growing stronger by the minute.

Their lips parted as they moved away, Daniel retrieved his lunch bag and opened the front door. A rush of warm morning air met them as he went to open the screen door. Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder, continuing to smile at him. “I’ll see you this afternoon,” she chimed.

Daniel nodded, and replied, “Yep, I’ll be home around 3:30. Till then.” He placed his hand on her hoof and gently caressed it, before finally departing through the front door. Celestia stood there behind the screen door, watching him as he gradually made his way over to the car and slipped inside.

The princess continued watched as he pulled out of the driveway and drove down the road. She remained there until his vehicle was out of sight. Celestia pulled away from the door and shut it behind her. A heavy sigh slipped out of her mouth. She knew he’d be home before too long, but in light of the passionate feelings they shared last night, she really didn’t want him to leave. Though, being all too familiar with duty and responsibility, she knew he had to go.

Celestia made her way back to the kitchen and tended to the dishes. Oddly enough, she found a simple contentment in doing what many would consider menial labor. She enjoyed being able to do anything that helped her new special somepony. As she drained the sink, Celestia rested one of her hooves along the side and looked to the ceiling. She sighed dreamily as she took a moment to think about Daniel.

With her task in the kitchen complete, she slowly walked into the living room. There, she considered what she wanted to do next.

* * * *

The remainder of the morning moved on. Daniel was back in one of the aisles in the warehouse, loading items onto a once empty pallet. As he placed the last item onto the skid, he paused for a moment. He’d been at work no more than three hours, and already he found himself missing Celestia greatly. Though, in light of the somberness this brought him, he found cause to smile, thinking back to the memorable events of the weekend. Daniel placed a hand over his heart as he sighed, thinking about the heavenly time he spent with her last night. In his wildest dreams, he never imagined he could share something so special, let alone with someone as amazing as her.

After double checking his list, he saw that everything for this order had been pulled. Clutching the handle of the electric pallet jack, Daniel gradually made his way to the shipping counter. He began humming a tune from “Lunar”, the simple but calming tune of Burg. Then as he made his way down the metal racking, something else came to him. A new smile formed on his face as he thought that Celestia might enjoy listening to some of the vast collection of songs on his computer.

Thinking back to her humming at breakfast, he suspected she had an appreciation for music and she seemed very taken by “Luna’s Boat Song”. He scratched his chest as he continued down the aisle. Then he came to a halt, as another thought dawned on him. This one was of a more romantic nature. Daniel knew he had plenty of love songs on his iTunes playlists, this led him to wonder…what would it be like to dance with Celestia. The idea was truly alluring. After nodding his head, he resumed his path out of the aisles.

* * * *

Noon had come and gone. Celestia didn’t have too much trouble occupying her time. Were it not for the blistering heat of midday, she would have enjoyed going out for a flight. Though after her time ruling in Equestria, she found it quite enjoyable having little to worry about. Still, she felt the itch to stretch her wings and a growing curiosity to check out Daniel’s world, or at least his small part of it.

Then she had an intriguing thought of her own. What if she was to take Daniel out for a flight? Celestia easily had strength enough to carry him, and she marveled at the idea of soaring with him on her back, sharing the wonder of flying.

She grinned happily as she made her way into his room. The computer was still on, from her use of it earlier that morning. Placing her hooves on the chair, she carefully rolled it back and elegantly parked her flank against its fairly soft cushion. Her horn lit up as she used her magic to control the mouse.

Before taking any actions, Celestia pondered what she wanted to check out. She knew the search engine, Google, could help her find out plenty about Earth. But she soon found herself wondering what kinds of music humans enjoyed. For that matter, what types of music Daniel liked. The two had briefly broached the topic during their conversations last week, but it wasn’t anything major.

Sadly, she wasn’t sure what program if any would involve music. Though it didn’t bother her, Celestia simply figured she could talk to Daniel about it, when he got home later on.

Suddenly, Celestia began losing her interest in computing. She glanced over at the time and saw it was already nearly 2:30. Her eyes then caught sight of Daniel’s bed. She smiled as she rose from the chair and stepped over to it. Gently, she let herself drop down onto it. Celestia let out a contented sigh, his bed felt so comfy and inviting. A grin fell over her face as she moved her head to rest along his pillow. It had just the right amount of softness and firmness, much like the pillow Daniel had given her to use, last night.

She laid there wishing he was home and that he could lay by her side. Celestia would happily hold him in her hooves and enjoy snuggling with him again. A rosy glow fell across her cheeks as she recalled the snuggling they did last night and then again this morning. It made her sigh happily, just to think about it.

Celestia left the bed, fearing that if she stayed there any longer, she’d doze off, and risk missing her chance to greet Daniel, upon his arrival. Her desire to surf the Internet hadn’t returned, so she left his bedroom, and made her way to the living room. Passing by the TV, she didn’t fancy watching anything or playing any games. That was when she passed by the bookshelf. Now, she had already finished reading the first book of “The Lord of the Rings” Friday afternoon, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to start the next one just yet. Celestia perused the shelf and checked out the other titles spreading out before her. That’s when another book caught her attention. This one had an aged-style yellow cover and its title or rather a single word within its title jumped out at her – the word “Unicorn”. Using her magic, she deftly removed it from the shelf and studied the front cover, which read: “The Last Unicorn” by an author called Peter S. Beagle.

Celestia made her way to the sofa and gracefully sat herself down. She read the back cover and continued to think to herself, what do humans know about unicorns? The summary set the stage for an interesting story, so Celestia opened the novel and started reading.

* * * *

It was just about 3:30 when Daniel pulled into the driveway. As he got out of the car, he grabbed his cooler. He then smiled as he made his way along the sidewalk. His cheerful expression grew as he saw the welcoming sight of his special somepony standing there, waiting for him. Celestia opened the screen door and greeted Daniel with an affectionate smile.

“Welcome home, Daniel!” she expressed joyfully as he entered the house.

“Hi Celestia, it’s great to be home!” he chirped happily.

She left the screen door spring shut and softly closed the front door behind her. The brief rush of warm air left, replaced by the cool sensation of the central air. Celestia was so delighted to see Daniel that she quickly drew him close, wrapping her hooves around him. The most affectionate of smiles was on her face, as she leaned in to kiss him deeply on the lips. Daniel sighed softly, letting his lunch bag drop to the floor with a faint thud. His arms surrounded her beautiful swanlike neck, while he began returning her kiss, just as deeply.

Several seconds went by as they savored the feeling of touching their lips together. Then as they moved apart, just a bit, they shared a caring gaze into each other’s eyes. “I missed you,” Daniel spoke affectionately.

Celestia tightened her hooves around him, and sighed longingly, “I missed you. It’s so good to have you home again.”

“Celestia,” he uttered sweetly. “Let me take care of my cooler and then we can sit on the sofa and talk.”

“That sounds great. I’m just looking forward to having the rest of the day to ourselves,” Celestia remarked.

She accompanied Daniel into the kitchen, where he set his lunch bag down on the counter. After finishing with his cooler, Daniel put it away and joined her as they made their way to the living room. “Oh, hang on a second, I need to go change out of my work clothes. I’ll be right back,” he chuckled, almost forgetting he wasn’t in his casual attire.

“No problem, I’ll wait here for you,” she called back, moving to take a seat on the sofa.

A few minutes went by and Daniel returned. He had removed his work clothes and dressed into a more comfortable ensemble, consisting of a tan pocket T-shirt and a pair of green shorts. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he uttered mindfully.

Celestia patted the spot next to her, “That’s quite all right. You didn’t keep me waiting that long.”

“True, but it’s still rude to keep a lady waiting,” he mused, taking a seat beside her.

She moved very close to him and gently bumped her forehead against his. “Daniel,” she sighed, delighted to speak his name.

He reached up and swept his fingers along her silky mane, and said, “There’s still some time till dinner, would you like to cuddle?”

Celestia leaned against him and cooed softly, “I’d love to.”

As he looked at her, Daniel was unable to resist the urge to kiss her again. Securing his arms around her, he firmly pressed his lips against hers, filling with pleasure as his desire for her burned on. Celestia let out a few quiet moans as she felt the passion pour out from him. It made her heart beat stronger for him, and in moments her hooves gently wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

Chills ran up her back as she felt his hand move to continue caressing her hair. The two shared their kiss for a while longer, before parting their mouths. Daniel slid over to the far side of the sofa and laid back, letting his head sink into the throw pillows. Celestia draped herself along him, laying her head on his chest. He returned his loving digits to her mane and gingerly stroked it again. Daniel whimpered faintly, placing his free arm around her.

“How was your day?” she asked, rubbing her right hoof along his side, in a very affectionate manner.

“It wasn’t too bad, though I am feeling a little tired. But you know something?” he pondered.

“Oh, what’s that?”

Daniel sighed, while he continued twirling his fingers through her colorful hair, “Anytime things started getting hectic…I just thought about you, and how much I was looking forward to seeing you again.”

Celestia moaned ever so softly form his touching words, “Oh, Daniel. I’m so glad you’re home. I think I missed you even more than I imagined.”

He felt a warmth continue to pour out across his heart. Daniel leaned over and softly kissed her forehead. “Just as I missed you, so very much,” he spoke softly, almost in a whisper. “So, what should we do tonight? I thought of a few things while I was at work.”

She giggled softly. “Really? Because, I thought of something as well,” she responded, moving her hoof to softly caress his short brown hair.

“Well then, ladies first,” he spoke politely.

Celestia nuzzled her cheek against his chest, and said, “All right. I’ve been feeling the urge to stretch my wings, so I was wondering…would you like to join me for a short flight this evening?”

Daniel rubbed his other hand along the velvety fur of her back. “That sounds like fun, oh, but we might be seen,” he replied a note of caution in his voice.

“Not to worry, I can use my invisibility spell. It will shield us both from any unwanted prying eyes,” she explained, closing her eyes and sighing from the pleasant motion of his hand along her back.

“That’s good,” he replied, “Now, would you like to hear about my idea?”

“Yes,” she muttered, losing herself in the gentle touch of his hand.

“Well, I have a nice collection of music on my computer,” he began. Celestia’s eyes opened and briefly widened. Then Daniel continued, “I was wondering if you’d like to listen to some this evening…and to make things even sweeter, I was also curious…do you like to dance?”

She gasped softly, partially lifting her head. A cheerful expression encompassed her face as she replied, “I’d love to listen to some music, and I do like to dance. Now, you aren’t suggesting any slow dancing, too, are you?”

Daniel kissed the side of her head as he kept stroking her mane. “Yes, I am. I’d love to share a slow dance with you,” he confessed earnestly.

Celestia let out a heavenly sigh. “That would be wonderful…hmm, I can hardly wait. You know, it’s funny, I was curious about what type of music you like. Now, I can find out,” she remarked giving him a winsome look.

“Yep,” he chuckled. “Oh, we can go for that flight later this evening, after dinner. The sun will start to lose its punch, so it shouldn’t be as hot. By the way, it should soon be getting a little cooler after tonight,” he explained.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I checked the weather forecast online, before I left work. You remember the red sunrise yesterday morning?” he asked her.

“I do.”

“Well, the forecast stated that a cool front is approaching and behind it should be some milder temperatures. So if we wanted to do something special this weekend, we could,” he mused.

Celestia adjusted her head along his chest. “That’s great news,” she chimed. “You had said something about going to see some nearby waterfalls, right?”

“I did, last night. And we could do that, if you like,” he beamed contently.

“I would. But for right now, do you mind if we continue to stay like this…till dinnertime?”

Daniel placed both his arms around her and said, “Of course not. I really enjoy spending time with you, especially like this.”

His words made her smile even more. Celestia began to realize her fondness for him had grown even stronger over the course of a single day. Another sigh slipped past her lips as she continued to savor snuggling against him. “Mmm, I could just melt into you.”

Daniel felt momentarily at a loss for words. He could feel his heart beating contently within his chest. It made him feel as if he too could melt into the serenity of the moment, having someone as amazing as her resting against him.

His delight seemed to be augmented by the feeling of life emanating from her. Daniel moved his left hand from her back to her right side, just below her folded wing. He could feel her side gently move in and out as she breathed. Her exhaled breath graced his arm, sending a series of delightful chills rolling up his back. Daniel didn’t think the moment could get any better as he resumed tenderly caressing her lovely mane. Celestia moaned softly under the caring ministrations of his sweeping fingers.

Daniel sighed as he quietly uttered, “I could stay here the rest of the day, stroking your mane and listening to you breathe. It’s so relaxing.”

“I know what you mean,” she cooed softly, “Your breathing is having that affect on me. Oh and that.” Celestia rubbed her right hoof over his heart. “I can feel your heart beating…it’s very calming.”

“You know why?” he asked.

“Hmm, why?” she mumbled.

Daniel’s fingers continued to dance through her mane as he answered, “Because it beats for you.”

Celestia quietly whimpered, “You’re so sweet.”

He placed his hand along her left side, close to her chest. “I can feel your heart beating…with mine,” he sighed.

“It’s beating happily, now that we’re together again,” she whispered, gingerly brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

Daniel felt almost completely absorbed into the moment. Joy didn’t even come close to describing how happy he felt. He placed his arms around her and held her close. “I love you, Celestia,” he professed, feeling the strongest he ever felt for her.

“Aww,” she cried softly. Celestia moved more onto her belly within his embrace. She leaned in and kissed him deeply, moaning ever so gently as she felt a powerful warmth pour out from her heart. Their lips broke and she gazed endearingly at him. Daniel could see her fondness for him reflected in her eyes, which now were filling with tears. He nearly felt his own heart skip a beat as she professed, “I love you, Daniel.”

Following her words, the tears began running down her cheeks. Daniel felt the emotion slowly consume him as his own eyes began to fill, clouding his vision. He secured his arms around her, “Oh, Celestia.” Daniel whimpered and sobbed softly as she did the same. Pulling back, they smiled at each other and leaned in for another deep and very passionate kiss. He could taste her tears as their kiss deepened. Their mouths opened, allowing their tongues to join and express their ever-growing affections.

Celestia wrapped her hooves around his neck, bringing him as close as possible. She felt additional tears of joy fall from her eyes and paid them no mind, for her heart was teeming with happiness.

The lovers shared a few tender moans, and after savoring the kiss for a few moments more, before their mouths separated. They felt the other’s breath pool softly along each other’s face, while they remained there, softly gasping.

“Daniel,” Celestia sighed, “Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any better.”

“I know, Celestia, I know,” he uttered affectionately, nuzzling her damp cheek.

“I love you,” she professed again.

“I love you,” he repeated, as they continued nuzzling each other amorously.

Celestia withdrew her hooves and resumed resting her head on his chest. She rubbed her cheek against him and remarked, “I could stay like this forever.”

He chuckled at her warmly, moving his fingers from her mane to her ears, lightly scratching them. “So could I. This is so relaxing…what a great way to unwind after a long day at work,” he mused, continuing to tend to her ears.

Celestia moaned tenderly from his gentle scratching, and muttered, “That feels so good.”

“Anything, for you, Celestia,” he whispered affectionately.

“Please tell me this isn’t a dream,” she pleaded, leery that this all seemed too good to be true.

He kissed her head and whispered into her ear, “It’s no dream.”

Celestia took in a deep breath and exhaled into a dreamy sigh, “I’m so glad.”

Squeezing her tenderly in his arms, Daniel rested his cheek against her mane. “Me too,” he replied, with a soft chuckle.

They remained on the couch cuddling for a few hours, and they both actually dozed off for a little, lost in the serenity of the moment. That was, until their grumbling bellies made them realize it was time to prepare dinner.

* * * *

After their dinner settled, Daniel and Celestia made their way out into the backyard. It was a little after seven, and the sun was just beginning to slowly set. She smiled, as he stood close beside her. “Okay Daniel, place your hand on my back,” she instructed.

“All right,” he replied, setting his right hand on the very soft fur of her back.

Celestia nodded with a gleeful smile. Her horn started sparkling a strong shade of blue, and slowly she surrounded them both with a protective barrier of invisibility. They would still be able to see each other, but would be hidden from anyone else.

“There, now no one can see us,” she declared a note of satisfaction in her voice.

“Good, so are you all set then?” he asked.

“I believe so. Now, I just want to do a short warm-up flight. It’s been a little while since I last flew. Then, I’ll land and get you,” she explained.

“Okay, Celestia, a warm up does sound like it would be best,” he smiled.

Celestia nodded at him, and opened her wings, giving them both a short series of stretches, prepping them for flight. After slowly flexing them around one more time, she declared, “That should do it!” Daniel smiled her way as she began flapping her wings, quickly rising into the air. Before long she was properly aloft and began circling a few hundred feet above.

She began gliding through the air. Celestia always loved the feeling of freedom that came with flying. After being cooped up for a week, it really felt good to spread her wings and feel the breeze wash against her face. A jubilant smile decorated her lips as she thrilled from that sensation that went will soaring across the skies. Even thought it had been a while since her last flight, she didn’t blame Daniel. In honesty, Celestia had really enjoyed having no obligations resting on her mind or shoulders. It was very liberating in its own way.

Glancing down, she spied Daniel, and felt her smile grow. Her feelings for him continued to grow even stronger, while she marveled at the idea of being able to share this wonderful activity with him. Her course took her back to her lover, and soon she glided in making a graceful landing. She trotted over to him. “Ready?” Celestia asked.

Daniel gazed upon her beauty as the light of the setting sun basked her in its colorful glow, accenting her radiance as it made her shoes and jewelry sparkle. He smiled and nodded, “Yes.”

“Then, climb aboard, sweetheart,” she called, closing her eyes and giving him a very affectionate smile.

Daniel felt a rush of happiness course through him as he walked over to his cherished mare. That was the first time she had used a term of endearment on him, and it felt beyond wonderful. Celestia had folded her wings, and waited as he gently gripped her side and swung his leg up and over her back. Gradually, he pulled himself onto her completely. Daniel smiled as he placed his arms securely around her neck. “Okay, all set,” he grinned.

Celestia turned back and nodded. “Then away we go!” she cheered, breaking out into a trot. Her speed increased to a gallop as she opened her wings and began flapping them, slowly lifting them both off the ground.

In mere moments the two were airborne, continuing to gain altitude. Daniel looked down and felt momentarily startled. Things certainly looked different from a few hundred feet up. The view was more than breathtaking and seemed to sprawl out almost forever, into the mostly clear diamond sky. There was a sizable swarm of clouds off in the distance, adding to the welcoming ambiance. Then, Daniel noticed Celestia flap her wings again. He could feel her back muscles contract with each elegant motion of her aerial appendages.

“Daniel, are you okay?” she asked.

He felt the adrenaline continue to flow into his blood, mounting with his growing excitement. “I’m fine! Celestia, this is amazing! I’ve never flown like this before,” he admitted excitedly.

She giggled softly, “That’s right, you’ve told me about the flying machines you call planes and jets that allow humans to fly.”

“Uh-huh,” he added, feeling the wind blow across his face. “But this is so much more incredible than taking a plane,” he mused.

Celestia turned her head back and smiled. “So do you recognize anything from up here?” she asked.

Daniel paused a moment to get his bearings. He was familiar with plenty of maps of he area, though none of them were done in real-life images. As she soared on, he began recognizing nearby shopping centers and places of interest. “Yes, I am starting to notice some familiar sights. I’m just not used to seeing them from the air,” he chuckled.

“Then, do you mind giving me a bit of an aerial tour, please?” she asked coupling her words with an adorable smile.

He patted the side of her neck and softly grazed his fingers over her mane, which was fluttering in the breeze she made as she flew onward. “Of course, besides, you did ask politely,” he remarked happily.

As the two sailed over the land, Daniel was sure to point out the places he recognized, and anything he thought she might find of interest. Thankfully a number of the various structures were either similar to those in Equestria or had been topics of conversation between them during the past week.

The small metropolis of Willow Grove spread out nearby before them. Daniel told Celestia a little about his hometown and he recalled that he mentioned plenty about it in their prior discussions.

Before the city came too close, she took them back toward the wooded area near Daniel’s house. Now things still looked a tad unfamiliar, but he was able to make out his place as they slowly began to descend. “There it is,” he pointed.

“Phew,” Celestia gasped, “Good thing. My wings are getting tired.”

“Then, come on, we’re just about there.”

“Hold on tight,” she expressed, preparing to land.

Daniel secured his arms around her neck. She straightened her wings and began gliding in for a landing. The ground appeared closer and closer, until her hooves finally touched down gently and she started trotting along his backyard. She came to a halt almost in the exact place she took off from.

After Celestia folded back her wings, Daniel slid off her back, returning to his feet. He staggered around for a moment, regaining his balance. Turning, he walked up to her and hugged Celestia tenderly, while she undid her invisibility spell. “Thank you, Celestia! That was incredible,” he expressed, enjoying how good it felt to hug her.

She returned his hug, and soft whimpers from her mouth let him know she enjoyed it just as much. “You are very welcome, Daniel! I was more than happy to share this with you!” she smiled warmly at him. “Agh,” she groaned briefly.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Ooh, my wings are cramping. I guess I might have overdone it a little,” she concluded, wincing lightly from the pain.

A look of concern spread across Daniel’s face. He certainly didn’t want to bear Celestia any pain. “Your wings probably aren’t used to carrying a passenger, and this heat couldn’t have helped any.”

“Yeah, you might be right,” she uttered, a mild strain in her voice.

“Come on, let’s get you inside, where it’s cool,” he replied. Daniel led her back inside, and slid the patio door closed behind them. He guided her back the hallway and toward his room. “Easy, honey,” he urged to her, feeling his solicitude for her grow. “Here, Celestia, you can rest on my bed.” Daniel helped her remove her shoes and placed them under his nightstand.

“Thank you, Daniel.” She laid down on the comfy bed, resting on her belly, and tucking in her hind legs, while leaving her forelegs rest in front of her, near the pillows.

After removing his own shoes, he sat beside her, and very tenderly ran a caring hand along her soft velvety back. His eyes remained glued to her. “Now, I’m no masseuse, but if you’d like, I could try giving you a wing massage. You can let me know where the troubled spots are and I can try to work the kinks out for you,” he proposed.

Celestia felt the pain ease slightly, but the discomfort from the cramping and the spasms remained. “That sounds nice, if you don’t mind?” she replied, still grunting lightly from her wings.

“Of course not,” he whispered, “Anything for you, Celestia.”

She looked back at him, and saw the strong look of concern and compassion in his brown eyes. Celestia smiled warmly at him, and sighed, “Daniel.”

He reached his hands out and placed them near her left wing, while she slowly unfurled it for him. Daniel gently placed his fingers against her downy soft feathers. Very gently, he began applying pressure from his fingertips. Celestia cooed softly, letting her eyes drift shut from the soothing feeling of his caring caress. It made her glad that her wings were sensitive to touch.

Daniel continued doing his best to ease her tense wing and endeavored to properly comfort her. “How’s that feel?” he uttered in a calming voice.

“Mmm,” Celestia sighed, “That feels good. Thank goodness they weren’t cramping worse. This massage should do the trick.”

“I’m glad…” Daniel paused a moment and smiled, “My princess.”

He roused a giggle from her, while she felt relaxing waves of pleasure ripple out from her wing. “Oh, my,” she muttered. Celestia unfolded her right wing, and added, “You can switch wings, now.”

“Okay,” she heard him call back. His hands moved to her other wing, where he ever so gingerly repeated the process, happily humming as he continued her wing massage. “Your wings are so lovely,” Daniel mused, continuing to kneed his hands along her feathery appendage.

Celestia felt her cheeks become flush, once again he succeeded in making her blush, but it made her feel all too happy. A contented sigh slipped over her lips as she managed to open her eyes. She glanced back at him, and saw a joyful smile cling to his face, while he continued tending to her. Words seemed to fail her as Celestia let her head come to rest against the pillows, namely his.

Her thoughts took her back to last night and the passionate encounter they shared together. She still felt a wonderful sensation in her flank, one she longed to feel again, but it wasn’t the only feeling she was enjoying. Their newly declared love for each other continued to burn within her heart. The strong emotion coupled with his loving gesture left her feeling so deeply touched. Celestia could feel tears trying to push their way out form the back of her eyes.

Daniel sighed affectionately, while he eagerly massaged her other wing. Celestia had him feeling quite calm from all the endearing sighs, gentle moans and subtle coos she made. He felt even closer to her as he tended to her wing. It made him overjoyed to know she loved him back. The smile remained on his lips as he continued to hum contently.

“Ahh, that should do it,” she called – sounding very relaxed. Daniel let go of her wing and she tucked it back along her side. “That’s much better, thank you, Daniel.”

He nodded silently and then replied, “You’re welcome.”

There was an odd hesitation in his words – one that left her feeling a bit puzzled. “You okay?” she asked, showing concern.

“Fine,” he uttered. Then all at once, Daniel leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, bringing his cheek against her mane. “Oh, Celestia…I’m so glad you’re here with me!” he declared.

“Daniel,” Celestia replied, unable to find the words to properly express herself. She whimpered softly, and knew how to respond as she turned slightly and placed her hooves around his neck. Celestia kissed him deeply, taking a few moments to savor his lips. She rolled onto her side and pulled him down beside her, feeling her love for him grow even stronger. Daniel’s lips pushed back harder, conveying his affections and desire for her. His right hand stroked her silky hair, while they felt their kiss grow into a stronger one.

The kiss ended, allowing them to take in some deep breaths. They shared a long loving gaze into each other’s eyes. “I love you, Celestia,” Daniel declared happily.

“I love you, Daniel,” Celestia professed, smiling as she ran her hoof across his hair.

The couple began snuggling and caressing each other in a very affectionate manner. Her hooves were all over him, and his hands felt no shame or restraint as they graced nearly every inch of her majestic white body, ultimately returning to her mane to savor her colorful locks.

Celestia kissed his cheeks and then rubbed her nose against his, feeling even more intoxicated by him. As they continued cuddling, Celestia remembered something she wanted to ask him. “Daniel,” she began.

“Uh-huh,” he mumbled.

“Last night, after I used the bathroom, I was thinking. How would you feel about showering together some time?” she asked.

He planted a loving kiss on her beautiful neck and rubbed his cheek against her mane. “I’d love to. Maybe we could share one tonight. We can always listen to music and dance afterwards,” he suggested, his voice mostly breaking into calming moans from their cuddling.

“That would be great. Then I can sleep by your side, just like I did last night,” she chimed.

“That sounds wonderful,” he sighed.

Their cuddling continued for a few more minutes, before Daniel managed to pull himself from her side, and stagger over to his computer. He felt half-loopy from his emotional high, which was why he all but fell into his desk chair. Shaking his head, while still smiling, he opened his web browser and started clacking on the keyboard.

Celestia followed him and draped herself along his shoulder, peering at the screen. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Well, I saw a group of somewhat menacing clouds out there, during our flight. I thought I would get a weather report,” he explained. Following a few more clicks, he brought a small weather map up on the screen. “Here we are. A local radar.”

“Radar? What’s that?” she asked.

“Well, we have technology that lets us track rain and storms, through a variety of devices,” he explained.

She pointed a hoof at the screen, “And what’s this green, red and yellow blob on the map?”

“Well, the blob…or rather the radar, shows what type of weather system is heading our way, in this case a storm. The greens are light rain, while the yellows, oranges, and reds show heavier rains as well as storms,” he continued.

“Hmm,” she muttered, placing a hoof to her chin. Celestia pointed over to the right side of the map. “That’s Willow Grove, the city near us, right?”

He nodded affirmatively, “Yes. And the storm is over by Helensdale. So, we have less than three hours till it arrives.”

“I’ve never seen a storm on Earth. I wonder how they differ from the ones in Equestria?” she pondered with intrigue.

“You’ll soon find out. Oh, and if you want to shower together, we’d better get it, now,” Daniel suggested.

She nuzzled against him and giggled softly, “That’s fine with me.”

“Then, come on,” he said, rising to his feet. “I’d better get some clean underwear, and then everything else we’ll need should already be in the bathroom.”

“Hmmm, this is going to be romantic,” Celestia mused, lightly prancing her right hoof.

Daniel removed his socks and tossed them beside his shoes, over in the corner. He chuckled at her, “I’m sure it will be. Oh, would you like to take off your jewelry? You can leave it on the bed and get it once we’re done.”

“All right,” she replied. Celestia gave him a playful look. “You wouldn’t want to help me remove my jewelry, would you?”

He gave her a sly smile as he caught on to her drift. “Why, I’d be delighted,” Daniel grinned. He walked over and placed his fingers along her swanlike neck, caressing her tenderly.

Celestia shuddered form his captivating touch. “Oh…your touch…it’s so soothing,” she moaned quietly.

Her reaction left him feeling very excited for the time they were about to spend together. Daniel placed his hands on the back of her necklace and carefully undid the clasp, taking it from her and setting it gently on the bed. He felt overjoyed that his touch seemed more than to her liking. His eyes fell partially closed as he placed his hands on her cheeks, planting a tender kiss on her lips. She almost seemed to melt from yet another of his caring gestures. Then, he reached up and very deftly removed her crown, placing it by her necklace. Daniel stepped back and marveled at her radiant beauty, which somehow seemed augmented by the absence of her jewelry.

“Celestia,” he whispered, exhaling calmly. “Are you ready?”

She nodded and playfully bumped her forehead against his. “I am.”

Together, they made their way down the hall and to the bathroom. He let her enter first and followed closely behind her, closing the door. After setting his clean undergarments on the counter, he returned to her side. Celestia looked at him fondly, and said, “Why don’t you lose those bothersome clothes.”

He nodded with a smile. Then he asked her, “Would you like to help me remove them?”

A dreamy look encompassed her face as her eyes gazed at him half-lidded. “I’d love to,” she uttered, a strong yearning in her voice. Celestia’s horn lit up, while shimmering its normal yellow-orange color, then it faded. “Wait, you like it better when I don’t use my magic.” He looked at her with intrigued eyes. An affectionate smile formed on her face as Celestia placed her hooves along his covered chest. She sighed lovingly at him, while he saw the passion burn in her vibrant magenta eyes.

Celestia slowly pushed up his tan shirt, driving it up toward his neck and shoulders, where Daniel helped her remove it by adjusting his arms so he could slip them out the short sleeves. She gripped the shirt in her mouth and gave it a soft pitch over to the counter. It came to rest by his clean underwear. The smile remained on Celestia’s face as she took a moment to caress his bare and somewhat hairy chest. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his skin and hair as they swept against her hoof. Unable to restrain herself, she leaned in and briefly joined her lips to his. As she went to pull away, Daniel reached out and embraced her, prolonging the kiss. He moaned softly for her, causing Celestia to respond in kind, while her hooves continued resting along his chest.

Following the kiss, she gave him an endearing look as she moved her hooves to the rim of his shorts. Carefully she pulled them down, while making sure to leave his underwear alone and for last. Once his green shorts past his upper thighs, Celestia let them drop softly to his ankles. He stepped out of them and kicked them over by the counter, giving her a devoted smile. She happily returned his loving gaze, moving her hooves to the elastic of his underwear. “And now for these,” she giggled playfully.

Daniel sighed quietly, the moment her hooves began driving his underwear down, brushing past his hips. Gradually, she lowered his undergarment, uncovering the last of him. She let his underwear drop to the floor, and with a swift jab of his foot, he sent them to join his shorts. Celestia’s eyes took in the inviting sight of his spiring masculinity.

“I seem to have gotten you excited,” she mused in a delicate voice.

He stared at her dreamily and quietly replied, “Yes, you have…with your beauty and your caring gestures.”

Celestia felt her love for him surge within her heart. The smile remained on her face, while she gazed at him from head to toe. Her desire gripped her once again, causing her to reach out her right hoof. Gingerly, she began caressing the length of his spire. Daniel felt ripples of pleasure flow across his body from her heavenly touch. His eyes shut for a moment as he let out a shuddered sigh. The sound of her voice tenderly speaking his name caused him to open them. Celestia gracefully turned her flank toward him. She flipped her tail to the side, and longingly moaned, “Touch me, please.”

“Of course,” he whispered. Daniel was more than happy to oblige. He gazed at her enticing curves, tenderly brushing his fingers along her crescent. Celestia gasped softly, letting out a soothing moan.

“Your touch feels as wondrous as it did last night,” she sighed, feeling her eyes close briefly.

She stroked him for a few more moments and felt his loving digits trace the contours around her slit. Withdrawing her hoof, she pulled away from him and turned to properly face him. “I guess I got a little carried away. Sorry about that, Daniel,” Celestia apologized, a strong blush clinging to her cheeks.

He gave her a gracious smile and softly caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand. “Don’t be, I’m not,” he uttered. “Ready for that shower?”

Celestia bumped against him and nodded, “Yes. Nothing would make me happier.”

“Then come on,” he replied. Daniel slid back the shower curtain, and turned on the water. “Do you want the water warm or cool?”

“Just a hair warmer than cool, if you don’t mind” she stated, giving him a closed eye smile.

He gave her a nod and adjusted the faucet. Placing his hand under the flowing water, he gauged the temperature. Shaking the water drops from his fingers, he turned and said, “It’s ready.” Celestia smiled at him. After making sure the towels and other items were set, he pulled the curtain back further. “After you, my dear.”

Celestia smiled, and stepped into the tub. He joined her and closed the curtain. Daniel activated the shower and turned to face his mare. The faintly warm and mostly cool water cascaded down from the showerhead, as it began soaking their bodies.

She closed her eyes and turned her head, allowing the water to splash against her. “The water feels great,” she remarked, “I’m glad your shower is roomy enough for both of us.”

Daniel snickered happily at her, “Yeah, it’s one of the features I liked about this house – a roomy tub and shower.” He reached for the bath sponge and held it in the flow of the water, making it good and damp. “Shall I start with you, my love?”

A big smile formed on her face. “Awww, you called me, “my love”,” she beamed with joy. Celestia placed her hooves around him and nuzzled her wet cheek against his. Then pulling back, she continued smiling, and said, “Yes, I’ll go first…my darling”

He shared her loving smile and felt another emotional high, while he squeezed some body wash onto the sponge, working it into a good lather. Daniel started by running the sponge over her left shoulder, working it along her chest, and slowly caressing her left leg as he soaped it for her. He made his way back up and over to her other leg, granting it the same tender care as the other, and returning to finish her chest. His course took him around her elegant neck, which he savored cleansing for a few moments, meeting her happy face with his own. Daniel gently scrubbed her cheeks, and under her chin, thrilling at having her eyes fixed on him the entire time. Celestia almost instinctively closed her eyes as he finished washing her face.

It was then that the sponge bumped into the base of her horn. Since their meeting, he found her horn to be fascinating, but was very leery about touching it. This wasn’t because he was put off by it or not curious, but rather he wasn’t sure if there would be any implications, and for that matter…the subject of touching her horn had never come up till now.

Celestia noticed Daniel pause his hands, forcing her to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“This may sound like a stupid question, but do you want me to scrub your horn? Or rather, is it okay if I touch it?” he replied, confident he sounded like he was rambling.

She giggled at him softly. “Oh, my horn. Yes, you may wash it and touch it. There won’t be any harm, just please, be gentle,” Celestia cautioned.

“Okay,” he uttered. Since his curiosity was finally getting the better of him, Daniel felt compelled to reach up and graze his fingers across her magical spire. Celestia’s horn felt hard and rather bony, yet there was a smooth and textured feeling to its surface. He was gripped by intrigue as he continued touching her horn. His digits began forming a tender stroking motion, which must have been quite to Celestia’s liking. She started sighing and very softly moaning under her breath, just barely loud enough for Daniel to hear her over the flow of the shower.

This was more than he ever imagined. Touching her horn in a gentle fashion seemed to induce a sense of pleasure within Celestia. Something Daniel wouldn’t have guessed without experiencing it first hand, like he was. Shaking his head, he gripped the sponge in his other hand and made sure it was still good and soapy. Then he very gingerly scrubbed her horn and slid the moist rectangle over her spire. His touch once again summoned pleasant sighs and sensual moans from her, which started getting a little louder.

“Oh, Daniel,” Celestia moaned gracefully as she placed a hoof on his shoulder and kissed him deeply.

Her gesture was certainly welcome, even if somewhat surprising. He placed his free arm around her neck, and felt his hand rest along her soaked mane, which still felt amazing to the touch. Daniel felt the water fall along their cheeks as their wet lips wrestled softly under the continuous torrent.

She pulled back as the kiss ended. Daniel gazed at her lovingly, having enjoyed her little spontaneous act. “That was wonderful,” he said.”

“It was. Sorry if I took you by surprise, I haven’t had someone else touch my horn like that in…too long,” she explained. “Normally, I just give it a quick scrub when I bathe.”

“It’s all right. I just didn’t realize your horn was so sensitive,” he noted.

She giggled for a moment, then responded, “Yes, I should have told you. I just didn’t think your touch would rouse such a reaction.”

Daniel shook his head, “I can’t believe you seem to be so starved for the affections of a lover. Surely a pony as amazing at you should have plenty of suitors.”

She sighed heavily, “Oh, I do, but sadly as I told you before…”

He placed his hand along her neck, tenderly. “I know…they were more interested in the status you might grant them or seeing if they could curry your favor and get some quick money. They don’t know what they were denying themselves,” Daniel mused, caressing her drippy neck.

She smiled at him, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daniel.”

“Sure. Why don’t I finish washing you,” he suggested. Celestia nodded, continuing to smile fondly at him.

While the tub was big enough to easily accommodate them both, Daniel still had to watch himself as he moved to tend her sides. Celestia leaned toward the wall, as he placed the sponge across her back. He squeezed it, causing a burst of suds to run down her graceful body. Daniel started gently scrubbing her again, working over her back and sides, and then tenderly washed her wing as she opened it for him. His path over her voluptuous torso took him to her right flank and over her cutie mark. After soaping her mark, he very lovingly worked his way down her right hind leg, making sure to clean every inch.

Celestia stepped forward and leaned toward the curtain so he could then clean her left side. Daniel ran the sponge over her other side and repeated the process, finishing with her wing and moving to her left flank. Before reaching her rump, he moved to wash under her belly, making sure he didn’t forget it.

Daniel returned to her back, and let the sponge glide back to her tail. Gently he scrubbed her rump, eliciting a satisfied sigh, as he moved to clean her hind cheeks, which he’d been saving for last. He smiled as she shifted her tail to the side, allowing him to once again enjoy the sight of her marehood. Its enticing curves met his leering eyes as he enjoyed a lengthy stare. Daniel placed the sponge along her butt and slowly washed around till he ran the sponge gingerly across her slit. He attentively washed her mound, making sure to probe the sponge inside her a little bit. A few pleasant moans met his ears as he deftly scrubbed her special area.

“That should do it,” he said. “Go ahead and rinse off the rest of the way.”

“Okay,” she replied. Celestia moved so the shower’s flow whisked the suds off her. She savored the last of the suds falling form her, just as she had enjoyed Daniel's loving touch all over her body, while the trails of soap ran over her.

She shuddered softly as he helped rinse the lingering suds off of her. Celestia smiled as she moved back allowing him to step under the showerhead. “Hmm, now it’s your turn,” she giggled playfully.

Daniel looked at her with intrigued eyes. “Here you are,” he said, offering her the sponge.

Holding her right hoof upside-down, she took the sponge from him and rinsed it briefly, before adding some fresh body wash gel to it. Celestia lathered it up in her hooves and then looked at him with a smile. “Where should I start?” she wondered. Her smile grew as she decided to follow his lead. Celestia started with his left shoulder and worked her way down his arm and then moved back to his shoulder, where she washed under his neck, causing a trail of suds to creep down across his belly. She moved from his right shoulder and down across his adjacent arm, making sure to do a thorough job. Like his left arm, Daniel had happily held it up, to ease her task, all while smiling at her devotedly.

The smile didn’t leave her face as she continued washing him. It was quite a treat washing a human. Being that he was a biped, Celestia found more freedom to decide how and where she would wash him next. Her magenta eyes met his brown eyes with much delight and intrigue. She tenderly scrubbed his chest, watching with glee as the soap ran down his torso. A soft giggle slipped past her lips as she cleaned under his armpits and coaxed him to turn so she could was his back. He gladly did so, and savored her touch, sighing as she cleaned his back. Celestia also decided to clean his rear end, while she had him turned around.

After finishing with his backside, Celestia had her lover turn to face her again. They shared a brief gaze before she washed his belly and moved to clean his legs, saving his groin for last. As she washed along his right leg, she rose back up sliding the sponge along his inner thigh. Daniel felt his body tremble as he lightly shivered form her loving touch. He could feel his loins stir from the tender motion of her loving hooves. He equally enjoyed the sensation as Celestia cleaned his other leg and rose up along his other inner thigh.

Her captivating touch flared his arousal, causing his manhood to stiffen. Celestia saw the delight in his eyes and couldn’t help but giggle at him. “I did it to you again, didn’t I?”

“Oh, Celestia, it’s fine,” he muttered.

She sighed as she began cleaning his masculinity, running the sponge ever so gently over him. Celestia could feel her own heart rate increase, just like it did when he washed her marehood. It was an intriguing sensation that left her wanting him even more. But she wanted to wait till they could make use of his bed, before she allowed herself to lose control.

Celestia checked him over and remembered she still needed to wash his face. She rinsed the sponge and added just a little more soap. Then she cleaned his smiling face. “That should do it,” she uttered.

“All right,” he replied, as she helped him rinse the suds from his body. Daniel gazed back upon her and smiled again. “So shall we do each other’s hair to finish?” he asked.

“Mmm, yes,” she replied, casting out a strong sigh.

He grabbed the shampoo and met her happy face. Opening the cap, he squeezed some on her hoof and then a bit for his hand, seeing as her mane was quite long. She lathered his hair, while he worked the soap into her colorful locks. Once they finished, he had her turn so he could tend to her tail. Then together, they finished up by rinsing the shampoo out of their hair.

They discovered themselves standing very close as the last of the suds slipped down the drain. Daniel began running his hands along her neck and shoulders, while she caressed his back and chest, feeling her intoxication grow. Their eyes met under the falling water and their mouths sought each other out, needing to share another exchange of passion. He caressed her cheek as they both shared a series of pleasant moans. There was no hesitation between them as their mouths parted, deepening the kiss even more. Something about the water striking against their bodies seemed to fuel their desire, making them savor the kiss even more.

After several seconds passed, their lips parted, leaving them to faintly paint in the shower. They shared another loving glance, before Daniel said, “Why don’t we get out and towel off?”

“Of course,” she replied, while he turned the water off.

Celestia slid the curtain open, and together they stepped out onto the carefully placed dry towels.

Chapter 7 - "The Promise"

“You Brighten My Day”

Chapter 7 –
“The Promise”

Written by
JaydexTheShadowKnight

Daniel stood there on the large towels with Celestia. Water dripped from their wet bodies as he reached for one of the drying cloths. Securing it in his hands, he smiled and began to run it across her wet fur. She shared his smile and let out soothing sigh, enjoying the motions of the towel along her side. It began reminding her of past week, and when they got into that playful fight over the garden hose.

“Daniel?”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember when we were carrying on with the garden hose last week?” She blinked her magenta eyes at him and continued to smile.

He chuckled and gave her an affirmative nod. “Of course I do. That was so much fun.”

“You know something?” She gave him a curious look as her eyes remained on him.

“And what’s that, Celestia?” Daniel glanced at her, then continued drying her back and carefully started on both her wings.

“When we went to towel off, I actually thought it would have been nice if we could have dried each other. But sadly, it didn’t seem appropriate at the time.” She turned her head away briefly, then looked at him and to her delight, Daniel still had a thoughtful look on his face.

After drying her lovely neck, he moved to her front legs. “You probably made the best choice…but hey, we’re getting to dry each other now.” He looked up and gave her cheerful glance.

Celestia giggled in return and placed her hoof on his arm. “You’re right, we are.”

Daniel chuckled again, resting his hand along her hoof, before moving back to dry her flank. “Can I tell you something?”

“Oh, what’s that?” Celestia glanced back at him, and sighed from the gentle motions of the towel along her wet tail.

“After that playful fight with the hose…I think that’s when I started feeling attracted to you. The way you playfully tackled me was the most fun I’ve had in years. Then, you gave me that adorable smile as you blushed. Though, I have to admit, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was feeling.” Daniel laughed a bit as he finished with her hind legs and dried along her cutie marks. “You know, it’s not everyday I develop a crush on an alicorn princess.”

Celestia giggled playfully and nodded in agreement. “I never thought about it that way.” She gave herself a quick looking over. “Well, I think I’m just about…oh! Oh my.” Before she could finish her thought, Celestia felt Daniel run the towel along her folds, there he delicately dried her most sensitive area. She let her eyes fall shut for a few seconds, reveling in the attention her marehood was receiving. “That feels heavenly.”

“Good, I was hoping you’d like that.” He smiled as he rose from her backside and returned to face her. “You’re all dry. Oh, but let me go over your mane one more time.” Celestia briefly opened her eyes, and let out a happy sigh. Daniel ran the towel over her lengthy and colorful tresses, and then gave a satisfactory nod. “There you are, honey.”

Celestia’s smile grew. She was really beginning to love it when Daniel would use terms of endearment on her. She clutched the other towel in her hooves and stared affectionately at him. He saw her captivating glance and moved to set the used towel on the counter. Daniel wasn’t quite paying full attention and ended up dropping it on the floor instead of setting it by the sink.

She began drying him and kept smiling as she started with his hair. “This is just as delightful as I imagined.” Celestia finished Daniel’s hair, then went on to his back and shoulders.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Oh, which reminds me.”

“Yes?”

“Once we’re done in here, I’ll fire up some of that music I promised to share with you.”

“That sounds great. Just out of curiosity, you wouldn’t happen to be planning to play any love songs, would you?” She gave him another look that drew him right into her captivating eyes.

Shaking his head in an attempt to regain his focus, Daniel simply smiled at her. “Most of the songs I was going to play are love songs or similar relaxing songs. That’s not a problem, I hope.”

Celestia rested her hooves on his shoulders and let the towel drape along his front. “Of course not. I was hoping for something romantic.” She pressed her lips to his and moaned faintly, before she resumed drying him. After finishing with his torso, she moved on to his legs, then finally, she dried between his legs and gently dried his sensitive area. Daniel sighed as Celestia noticed a major change to his masculinity. She smiled as she spent a few extra moments drying his length.

Daniel let out a soothing breath, relishing her loving motions with the towel. “That’s nice…mmm.”

She couldn’t help but giggle, it made her happy to bring him any pleasure she could. After so many years had passed, Celestia was just so overjoyed to have someone this special in her life.

A big smile bloomed on her face as Celestia set the towel on the counter and used her magic to pick up the one he accidentally dropped. “There, Daniel. You’re all set.”

“Thank you, Celestia.” He reached out and touched a lock of her mane. “Hmmm, you’re mane is a little mussed, but it’s still so beautiful.”

She continued to smile and nuzzled her cheek against his. “That’s sweet of you to say, but I should really brush it.”

Daniel continued to caress her hair, when suddenly, he had an intriguing thought come to mind, though at first he felt a little reluctant to ask. “Celestia?”

She was checking her mane in the mirror, then turned to answer him. “Yes, Daniel?”

“Would you…mind…if I brushed your hair for you? I mean if you don’t think it sounds weird or anything.” He felt his cheeks become a little flushed knowing that to some women this was a touchy subject, and he had no idea how an alicorn would react to such a question for that matter.

Before Daniel had to wait, Celestia affectionately bumped her forehead along his, making sure to mind her horn. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, and it doesn’t sound weird at all.”

He smiled back at her, bubbling with silent glee. “Great. Oh, you have a brush with you, right?”

“I sure do. Why don’t I run to my room and get it. In the meantime, you can get the music ready.” A new jubilant expression formed on Celestia’s face as she prepared to leave the bathroom.

“All right. I’ll prepare the music, heck, we can even start listening to it while I brush you.” He smiled, sharing her enthusiasm as he finished dressing and hung the wet towels up to dry.

“That sounds lovely. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Celestia gave him a kiss on the cheek, then trotted out of the room.

Daniel stared briefly as he watched her leave the bathroom. Then he strolled to his room and sat on his computer chair. He opened iTunes and brought up a special playlist he had been working on during the past week. A grin formed on his face as he saw the list he named “Songs for Celestia”. Since their meeting, he’d been finding songs that made him think of her, and Daniel didn’t think he could find better music to share with the mare he loved.

A couple minutes had passed and Daniel heard the delicate patter of her hooves along the carpet. The heavenly fragrance of her floral perfume wafted into his nose as he took in a deep breath, exhaling contently.

Daniel rose to greet her, beaming her a loving smile. “There you are.”

Celestia stood in front of him, and happily shared his smile. “I’m here.”

They shared a loving hug and Daniel really caught a delightful whiff of the floral scent she was wearing. “Mmm, you smell so nice. I just love your perfume.”

She giggled, sharing an affectionate nuzzle with him. “That’s why I thought you’d like it if I put on a little.”

“Yeah, I do.” He sighed, taking in a soothing breath. “Oh, did you bring your brush?”

“I sure did. Is the music ready to play?” She batted her eyes at him and continued to smile.

He nodded happily. “All set. So, where’s the brush?”

She snickered softly, turning to her side. “It’s right here.” Celestia moved her head back toward him and presented him the brush with it gripped in her mouth.

Daniel saw the sight of her holding it and thought she looked adorable. “Awww, Celestia, you always look so cute when you do that.”

Celestia blushed deeply from his thoughtful words as she held the brush up to him. Daniel took hold of it, just as she let go. “I know you enjoy it when I use my mouth or hooves to hold things.”

He softly patted her furry back. “I really do. Come on, let me start the music, then we can relax on the bed.”

Celestia followed Daniel over to the computer. There, she tapped her hoof on his shoulder. “Daniel, wait a moment.”

He glanced back at her. “What is it?”

“Could we wait and listen to the music after you brush my hair? I was just thinking it’d be nice to sit together and talk. This way you won’t be interrupted, just in case we fell the urge to dance to any of the music.

Daniel smiled at her, having greatly enjoyed her suggestion. “Of course we can wait.” He walked away from the computer and sat down on his bed, sliding to the middle. “Now, why don’t you come and join me, Celestia?” Daniel patted the spot beside him and gave her a loving glance from his brown eyes.

Celestia gazed back at him with her captivating magenta eyes as she elegantly crawled onto the bed, tucking her lovely wings at her side. A joyous smile blossomed on her face as she moved closer to him. “Of course, Daniel,” she spoke in a silky voice.

He parted his legs, forming a wide ‘V’. She moved a little closer and laid in front of him, resting her hooves on his left leg. “How’s this?”

“Perfect, my love.” He took a portion of her gorgeous mane and brought the brush to its end. Taking a moment, Daniel enjoyed feasting his eyes on the lovely color combination of light cerulean blue, light turquoise, dark lavender and dark pink that blended so harmoniously in her hair. Slowly he ran the brush along her mane, gradually working his way up, and from what he had learned about hair brushing from his mother and his hair stylist, Daniel knew to be gentle and use great care in working out the knots and kinks that tend to form. There was an added bonus as her hair was still a little damp from their shower, which made the knots easier to deal with.

As the brush tugged along her tresses, Celestia let out a relaxed sigh. She closed her eyes and laid her head along her forelegs. Daniel heard her moan faintly and smiled as he continued his joyful task. He sat there marveling at the length and body of her hair, losing himself in the calm of the moment, brushing away.

Little by little, Celestia’s mane began to regain its beauty. Periodically, Daniel would stop his brushing to savor the softness of her silky threads, appreciating how lovely it was becoming.

He worked on contently, sweeping the brush along Celestia’s mane, when something humorous dawned on him. Daniel laughed briefly before speaking, “It’s ironic, honey.”

“Hmmm?” Celestia murmured, sounding like she was half-asleep. Realizing Daniel had said something, she opened her eyes and raised her head to look at him. “What’s ironic, sweetheart?”

Daniel simply gave her a loving smile before he resumed brushing her mane. “Well, I was just thinking, after all the time we spent organizing the spare bedroom, you’re probably not going to be needing it now,” he chuckled, following his response.

Celestia enjoyed laughing with him. “Oh my, I hadn’t really thought about it, but you’re right.”

“Neither did I.” Daniel sighed happily, moving the brush to another section of her gorgeous hair. “I just want you to know, you’re welcome to share my bed anytime you want, as long as you don’t mind that it’s a little cramped.” He grinned a little sheepishly, knowing its limitations.

Celestia sat up partially and placed her left hoof on his chest. “It’s fine, Daniel. I think it’s actually pretty cozy, snuggling close as we sleep. I’m really looking forward to doing it again, tonight.”

He nodded, continuing to smile. “That sounds wonderful, but I do have some savings. I could always look into getting a larger bed.”

She gave him an endearing look, circling her hoof across the fabric of his shirt-covered chest. “Thank you, Daniel, but for now, I’m more than happy with the way things are.”

“You know…so am I,” he spoke softly. “Oh, but should you ever need some space, you can always feel free to use the spare room…I mean if you want to.”

Celestia reached over and pushed his hand, brush and all, down. Daniel looked at her with intrigued eyes. A sincere and loving smile formed on her lips as she leaned in to kiss him. “Mmm…” Celestia moaned softly, pressing her lips firmly against his. His kindness and thoughtfulness had once again touched her.

Daniel placed his free hand along her swanlike neck, more than happy to return her kiss. They both moaned quietly while savoring the expression of their love.

Pulling back slightly, Celestia gazed at him half-lidded, placing her hoof along his cheek. “Daniel…you’ve been so wonderful…almost like the sweetest dream. Yet here you are, just as real as me.” She chuckled nervously, realizing she must have been half rambling. Glancing back, she didn’t see the slightest sign of contempt or anything else but Daniel’s devoted stare, which made Celestia smile even more.

Daniel softly stroked her mane, adoring the renewed silky texture his brushing had given it. “In all my life…I never dreamed I’d meet anyone as amazing as you, Celestia.” A soft chuckle rolled off his lips. “Oh, there I go getting carried away with the romance. Sorry about that.”

Celestia offered him an endearing expression, continuing to look at him with partially closed eyes. “It’s more than okay. I don’t mind at all.”

He smiled, securing his grip on the brush. “Here, let me finish your mane, then I’ll take care of your tail.”

“All right.” Celestia laid back down, her forelegs still resting on his left leg. The smile on her face was even more jubilant than before. As Daniel continued brushing her, she began humming softly.

His smile grew as he recognized the tune. Celestia was humming the melody of “Luna’s Boat Song” from Lunar. It still tickled him that she enjoyed one of his favorite role-playing games. Daniel cast out a soothing sigh as he finished with her mane.

“There, you’re mane’s done. Now for your tail.” He grinned at her.

Celestia sat up again and opening her eyes, she gave him a rather seductive look. “Oh, okay. Let me just get situated here.” She giggled rather playfully. After turning around and partially presenting her rump, Celestia flipped her tail over the exposed part of his leg, with a small portion resting on the cuff of his shorts. “How’s that?”

Daniel snagged a portion of her tail and gave her a nod. “This will do nicely.” He chuckled briefly, then gingerly secured the locks of her tail in his free hand. Taking the brush, he began at the end and softly worked along the tangles. He took a deep breath, feeling Celestia adjust and slightly push her rump against his leg. Having her flank so close to his crotch made Daniel feel a little distracted. The teasing the two had been doing to each other, since just before their shower, left him wondering if they’d make it through this brushing session and the music, before their desires got the best of them.

As he steadily worked the brush up her tail, Daniel recalled that Celestia said she was looking forward to having sex with him again. Of course to Daniel it would be so much more than simply sex alone, rather he would regard it as making love to someone as special as her. The idea of bonding deeply with Celestia, both physically and emotionally, left him feeling the same giddy feeling he experienced the night before.

Focusing more on his task, he began to think of the music they were soon to share and figured, for her, he’d work through the distractions. After all, Celestia was continuing to mean more to him with each passing minute. Oddly enough, it almost seemed like time slowed down whenever he was with her, and he couldn’t be happier because of it.

“How’s that feeling? I’m not being too rough, am I?” Daniel paused his brushing as he waited for her reply.

“No, it’s fine…just like you.” She giggled and then let out a dreamy sigh.

Daniel gave her tail a few more strokes, then offered her a smile. “All right. That should do it.” He leaned over and lightly pitched the brush onto his nightstand and then pulling back, he ran his fingers along her tail. “Nice and silky. What do you think?”

Celestia curled her tail over and gave it a quick inspection. She closed her eyes and smiled gleefully. “It’s perfect! Thank you.” Celestia turned toward him and threw her hooves around him, half tackling Daniel in the process. They plopped onto the bed, just missing the pillows.

He looked up at her and pushed up his glasses. Daniel realized he was all but pinned by her. “Gee, I’m feeling déjà vu,” he snickered, caressing her cheek.

Celestia looked down at him and blushed. “So am I.” Then she smiled brightly. “Only this time…I can do this.” She closed her eyes and locked her lips to his. Daniel threw his arms around her neck as they shared another sensuous kiss.

A few moments of tenderness passed and they lightly pulled back. Daniel rubbed his hand along her cheek again. “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of kissing you.” She smiled, while he chuckled at her. “You ready to check out that music?”

She nodded. “Mm-hmm.” Celestia released Daniel and moved off of him, a distinct blush clinging to her cheeks.

Daniel stood up and smiled back at her. “I still love it when you blush. You look so beautiful when you do. Which makes this first song very appropriate.”

Celestia felt her cheeks tingle as they turned a little redder, but she hardly minded. Casting her gaze his way, she kept smiling. “So, what is this first song?”

He laughed briefly. “It’s called “Beautiful”. Now, there are some parts that don’t quite fit, like the parts about a club. Still, a good deal of this song made me think about you anyway.”

Daniel jiggled the mouse and highlighted the appropriate track and double clicked it. Turning back, he said, “Okay, here we go.” He returned to the bed, and took a seat beside her, just as the music began to play.

Celestia lounged on her side and Daniel nestled against her. He nimbly slipped his arms around her and shared her ceaseless smile. So far, she seemed to be enjoying the song’s melody.

Daniel gave her a sheepish look following the line about being her baby's father. “That would be one of the parts that doesn't fit.”

Celestia giggled at him. “That’s okay.”

Then came the other unfitting line, which made him give her a troubled glance. “That would be the club part, that doesn’t quite fit either.” Daniel grinned, feeling a little nervous, hoping she would be able to enjoy most of the song anyway.

Celestia just smiled and patted her left hoof along his chest. Then the song’s chorus began to play and it became clear to her why this song was appropriate.

Celestia cooed softly following the second verse. The repetition of the word "beautiful" and the mentioning of how like the sun she brightened his day made her lean closer to Daniel and begin nuzzling him – it was even clearer why this song caused him to think of her. Celestia felt touched again and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and whispered his name.

He sighed contently giving her a loving squeeze. Daniel responded, softly speaking her name and affectionately kissed her lips in kind, as they continued listening.

Celestia began feeling impassioned, Daniel’s intentions for playing this song were quite clear and the song’s lyrics seemed to match his growing feelings for her. It gave her such an elevating sensation, she could only think of one way to properly express her happiness. The princess gave him another vigorous nuzzle and then to her surprise, Daniel beat her to the punch and kissed her very deeply, causing her to close her eyes in response to the passion she felt pouring out from him.

The emotions began making Celestia feel half intoxicated, leaving her wanting even more. She opened her mouth and tapped her tongue on his lips. Daniel was more than delighted to indulge her. He parted his mouth and joined his tongue to hers, sharing an alluring oral embrace. They both moaned passionately, while he pulled her closer in his arms and she in turn secured her hooves around him.

A few moments passed and just as the song was finishing, their kiss concluded, while they lost themselves in each others’ eyes and softly gasped for air.

Daniel gingerly ran the back of his left hand along her furry cheek. “My love, that was wonderful.”

She leaned against his hand, happily smiling at him. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, sweetheart. Seems we were thinking the same thing.”

He nodded sharing her loving smile. “Yeah, we certainly were.” Daniel clasped her right hoof delicately and gave her a sincere look. “The next song is about to start. Would you care to dance?”

Her eyes seemed to glisten at his request. Celestia placed her other hoof over his hand and smiled with a nod. “Of course, I’d be delighted.”

The couple rose from the bed and moved to the empty floor along the center of his room. Celestia stood partially on her hind legs and let her hooves rest on his shoulders. Daniel placed his arms around her just above her folded wings. She gazed deep into his eyes and saw him gazing back.

It was then, that the following song began to play. Celestia listened closely to the expressive melody. “Ooh, what song is this? Is this one of the love songs you told me about?”

Daniel let out a loving sigh. “Yes. This song is called “My Heart Will Go On” and is sung by one of my favorite artists, Céline Dion. I think you’ll really like this.” He moved his right hand to tenderly stroke her mane.

“I like the title.” Celestia sighed near his ear and ran her hoof across his short brown hair.

After moving a little closer, Daniel gradually led them in a clockwise motion, while they began slowly swaying back and forth to the music.

(Pause for the first verse)

Celestia sighed dreamily as she leaned her head on Daniel’s shoulder. “Mmm, this is a really beautiful song.”

Daniel smiled and rested his head against hers. “Hmm…guess I was right then, you do like it.”

“Mm-hmm.” Celestia mumbled back.

(Pause for the second verse)

They continued swaying gently across the floor, losing themselves in the song’s endearing lyrics and calming melody.

(Pause for the chorus)

Daniel felt adventurous and slid his hands over her folder wings, stopping them just above her cutie marks. Celestia giggled softly and ran her hoof along his back, letting him know she enjoyed his gesture. She raised her head and smiled at him, while she looked into his eyes.

Their dancing continued to take them in a gradual orbit of the center of Daniel’s bedroom. He moved his right hand and resumed stroking her silky mane, while Celestia sighed happily.

(Pause for the first two lines of the third verse)

Celestia’s eyes began to tear up as she suspected why this song was so special to Daniel.

(Pause for the last of the song)

He stood there, looking into her beautiful jewels just as the last of Céline Dion’s words faded out. Celestia’s mouth partially dropped when she saw a lone tear trailing down the right side of Daniel’s face. She pulled him closer and joined her lips to his, just as a tear of her own rolled down her cheek. Daniel moved his arms to better embrace her and kissed her back as deeply as he could, moaning affectionately for her. He heard a loving moan muffle over her lips, while he swept his hand along her heavenly mane.

The lovers remained embraced following their kiss. Smiles still brightly painted their faces as they briefly lost themselves in the other’s eyes, again.

“Thank you, Daniel. I haven’t enjoyed a dance like that in…well, too long to count.” Celestia giggled nervously. “You never mean to let so much time go by, but…”

Daniel placed his left hand under her divinely sculpted chin. “I think I understand. While my life has been vastly shorter than yours, I still know how time can get away from you.” He softly rubbed his thumb across the fur of her chin. “You know, you danced beautifully. I really hope we can do this again.”

She placed a hoof along his cheek. “Anytime you’d like.” Celestia sighed happily, giving him an unending smile. “Both of those songs were great and I loved the dance, but, would you mind if we cuddled on the bed again?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Oh, Celestia, do you like instrumental music?”

“Oh yes, it’s one of my favorite kinds of music.”

Daniel closed his eyes and briefly grinned. “Great, just let me start the right track.” Fortunately, their dance ended very near the computer. He reached over and moved the mouse, double clicking another song, one that was lower on the list, and then he walked his companion back over to the bed. The two returned to the center and sat closely as the next song began to play.

The melody started off with a piano, its soothing tones quickly permeating the room, making Celestia sigh as she rested her head beside Daniel’s. “What is this lovely piece called?”

Daniel nuzzled against Celestia, wrapping his arms around her. “Mmm…it’s called “The Promise.””

“Beautiful…” Celestia’s voice trailed off as she let the music flow into her lightly twitching ears. “Daniel?”

“Hmm?” He muttered, rubbing his hand along the velvety fur along her barrel.

Celestia placed her hoof along his shoulder, softly running it along the sleeve of his shirt. For a moment, she contemplated asking him if they should promise each other something, anything, but she thought it might seem silly. After all, they’d just declared their love for each other. There would still be time for promises, Celestia felt almost certain of that.

She moved her hoof to softly pat his chest. “This is a really wonderful song.”

“I know…that’s why I wanted to play it for you. It’s calm and soothing…it reminds me of you. You know, you make me feel peaceful.” Daniel looked up at her, his eyes glistening in the delicate glow of his nightstand light.

“Aww…Daniel.” She smiled at him, her chest lightly heaving as the strings of a violin added to the emotion of the song. Celestia leaned her head against him harder and snuggled closer to him. A faint coo left her mouth as she embraced him in her hooves.

“Celestia.” Daniel spoke in a hushed voice. He began nuzzling her with both cheeks, first the left and then the right, moving his head back and forth as he trailed along her neck.

Celestia enjoyed his loving gesture, whimpering softly under her breath. She gasped quietly as she felt his lips brush against her neck. Daniel then began decorating her with short tender kisses, but she knew they weren’t the products of lust, rather, they were filled with a sincere passion, and stemmed from the love for her he was nurturing in his heart.

Her forelimbs drew him closer as she kissed his forehead, nuzzling him back just as affectionately, feeling her own heart beating close to his as they continued to cuddle. Again it was clear to her, like it had been earlier that same evening.

“I love you, Daniel.”

His gaze met hers and he placed his hand along her cheek. “I love you, Celestia.”

The two remained embraced as they continued to snuggle, enjoying the last few songs on Daniel’s playlist, that he later told her was made especially for her.

* * * * *

The last song had just completed and the computer’s speakers grew silent. Celestia turned to Daniel and softly kissed his cheek. “Was that the last one?”

He nodded. “Yes, and I didn’t set the list to repeat. Oh, and I just realized, we never actually dance, danced.”

“That’s more than all right, there will be other nights.” Celestia sighed contently. “I really enjoyed sitting her and listening to those songs with you, and those few slow dances we shared were wonderful.”

“Yeah, they definitely were, and I’m glad you enjoyed the music.” He chuckled rubbing his cheek against her mane.

“I certainly did.” She giggled briefly, enjoying the brush of his cheek along her hair. “Now, I hope this won’t spoil the mood, but before we do anything else, I should go freshen up in the bathroom, that way we can do whatever we want and then just drift off to sleep. Oh, and you can do the same, if you want.”

Daniel nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I should take care of my teeth and “freshen up” as you said. Then…” He gave her affectionate eyes. “We can, yeah, make love together, like we did last night.” He smiled at her half-eyed as he held a lock of her mane is his hand, stroking it gingerly with his thumb.

Celestia felt titillated from his words and happily shared his smile. “Yes, making love again would be wonderful.”

“In that case, my dear, ladies first.”

She giggled at him as they moved apart and left the bed. “All right, my darling. Hmm, I won’t be long, then you can have the bathroom.”

“Take your time, honey. I’ll shut down the computer in the meantime.”

“Okay.” Celestia gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Then departed his room, partially closing the door behind her.

Daniel stared at the door for a few seconds, still wearing a joyful smile on his face. He turned and walked toward his bedroom window. Parting the curtains, he took a look outside. There was no sign of the moon or any stars. It was then that he noticed a purple flash, off in the distance. He shook his head and took another look. Several seconds passed and he noticed another distant flash.

Placing his hand to his chin, Daniel nodded. He remembered the threatening clouds he saw during his flight with Celestia. Sitting back at his computer, he also remembered the storms that were heading their way, when he last checked the weather map.

He opened the web browser and returned to the weather site to check on the radar. Daniel studied the map closely. The storms were still out there, but from the motion of the radar it appeared that the worst was going to stay to their north. There was a small cluster of green blobs, each one dotted with specs of yellow, orange and red. However, they seemed to be staying to the south, and at this time of night, the chances of them building to anything major was remote. At best they might get a few flashes of far-off lighting.

Daniel scoffed, when he realized they probably wouldn’t even get a single rumble of thunder out of this. Though, the disappointment quickly faded. After all, this would allow him to share a peaceful night with Celestia. That was something he looked forward to more than any storms.

Having turned off the computer, Daniel stood by the bed as he pulled back the covers. He looked over and spied Celestia’s crown, which was sitting next to her large necklace on top of the dresser. Making his way to the dresser, Daniel deftly picked it up. He stared at the large magenta jewel fixed to the center and noticed his face reflected in the polished gold.

Before his mind could wander, he heard the sounds of the bathroom door open from out in the hall. Daniel set her crown back on the dresser, just as she returned from the bathroom.

Celestia greeted him with a loving smile. “The bathroom is all yours.”

He smiled back and gave her a nod. “All right. I’ll be back.”

This time, Celestia watched him as he left the bedroom, only Daniel didn’t bother to shut the door. He didn’t really see the need since he would be back.

Daniel stepped into the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. He took in a deep breath and could immediately tell she had been there. Celestia left a very pleasant scent in her wake. It smelled like she did as they made love the night before, and was combined with a hint of her perfume and the fading smell of mint toothpaste. Daniel wasn’t entirely sure what all made up her scent, all he knew was that he definitely enjoyed it.

He stood at the sink, staring blankly into the mirror for a moment, continuing to relish the scent she left behind. Daniel tended to his teeth, flossing and brushing them. Then, he finished off with some cleansing mouthwash. After sloshing it around for a bit, he spit the minty liquid into the sink.

Returning his gaze to the mirror, his thoughts remained focused on Celestia. He smiled, feeling the elevating sensation that came from loving her. Daniel could hardly wait to see how things would progress now that they were in love. Then something dawned on him. He thought back to her crown, and realized she was still a princess, and not just any princess. Daniel remembered that Celestia oversaw an entire nation, which meant she’d have to go back eventually.

This made him feel a brief rush of panic. What if that did happen and she had to leave – he’d lose her.

Looking in the mirror, Daniel could see his face begin to fall. He then decided to hasten his routine and finish up quickly. He didn’t want to waste another second in there, when he could be spending them with her. Despite all the time they’d spent together, he suddenly felt compelled to see her again.

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, Celestia remained in Daniel’s room, waiting for him to finish in the bathroom. She looked around his room and spied her crown resting on the dresser. Celestia walked over to it and ran her hoof along its top edge. Her horn lit up with a golden orange glow as she lifted it up.

Then, just as quickly as she raised it, Celestia set it back down. She walked away hanging her head. Even though part of her had been trying to forget about her royal lineage, Celestia couldn’t repress it altogether. She knew this was just a vacation, which meant it couldn’t last forever.

After all those years alone, Celestia had finally found someone she felt she could be herself with again. Then it dawned on her, when it would finally be time for her to leave – she could only wonder if Daniel would be willing to go back to Equestria with her. She whimpered at the though of going back without him.

Celestia swallowed thickly, this was a most alarming sensation, and she was suddenly possessed with a need to see him, foolish as it may seem.

She grinned uneasily, seeing that he hadn’t returned yet. Then, she gave a firm nod. Regardless of the implications, she would simply go and see him while he was still in the bathroom.

Before she could start for the door, she heard the bathroom door open and in moments, saw him turn and enter the bedroom.

Daniel saw her standing there and quickly rushed over to her. He felt a little childish, but sometimes the heart can be very irrational. To his delight, Celestia trotted to join him. They drew each other into a loving embrace and without a word shared a tender kiss.

They stood there, looking into each other’s glassy eyes. Daniel swept his fingers along her silky locks, while she placed a hoof along his left cheek. “Daniel,” she all but cried. “I just had a frightful thought.”

He kept looking at her, caressing her mane. “So did I. I realized…gulp…you won’t be here forever.”

Celestia nodded solemnly. “Yes, that’s just what I was thinking. Only, Daniel…what will…” She became silent, her feelings had started getting the better of her, making her pause in deference to maintain her composure. Nevertheless, her eyes were filling with tears. “What will…happen to us, when I finally have to leave?” A few tears spilled form her right eye and started rolling down her cheek.

Daniel reached out and caught them on his index finger. “Celestia.” Even though he managed to catch some of her tears, he couldn’t restrain his own. A lone tear led the charge down his face as he felt his heart ache from the sight of his beloved mare in tears. He cleared his throat sharply, endeavoring to maintain his fortitude. “I was j-just…wondering that myself. I’m not really sure,” he responded, shaking his head.

She sniffed quietly, feeling the warm caress of more falling tears. Celestia sobbed, “Why do I have to be a princess?”

Even as more tears continued to mount, Daniel managed a smile for her. He moved his hand to cup her chin, a strong but sincere look was present in his teary eyes. “Celestia, please don’t cry, it’ll be all right. You can’t help the role you were given. Besides…even if I’m not sure what will happen…I am sure of one thing.”

She closed her eyes, flushing out a few more tears. “And what’s that?”

He waited till she opened her eyes again. Then, Daniel leaned to plant a loving kiss on her lips. “I love you…and call me crazy, but I don’t believe anything will ever change that.”

Through her unintended sorrow, Celestia found a way to smile from his kind words. “I feel the same way…I know I love you, Daniel. It’s just…I wish we could always be together. I feel so happy when I’m with you.”

Daniel gingerly rubbed his fingers along her cheek. “Well, you don’t have to leave for some time, right?”

She nodded. “That’s right. I should be able to stay for a good while yet. Luna and I never really said how long I should take off.”

He returned his hand to her mane and continued to smile. “Then that’s something, and…yeah, how about this?”

Celestia blinked at him. “How about what?”

Daniel drew her into a warm and affectionate hug, running his hand along her back. “I’ll stay with you Celestia…as long as I can and more…I promise.”

“Oh…Daniel.” She sobbed, squeezing him tightly in her hooves. “And I promise to stay with you, as long as I can...and whenever I can.”

He chuckled happily as he patted her furry back. Then, they pulled back staying close together. Daniel reached up and gently wiped some of the lingering tears from her eyes. “Come on, dry your eyes, my love. We’re still together.”

“You’re right. I’m just so glad I found you.” Celestia gave him another affectionate squeeze and nuzzled her cheek to his. Then, she looked him in the eye, offering him a warming smile.

“I know how you feel.” Daniel deftly raked his fingers along her colorful locks, sharing her delightful expression. His arms encircled her neck as he proceeded to kiss her. Celestia quickly enfolded her forelegs around him as she happily reciprocated.

They moved to the bed and carefully sat down, continuing their warmhearted kiss. He happily shared a few ginger moans with her, trailing his hand along her barrel, past her lovely wing, where it came to rest along her cutie mark. There, Daniel softly kneaded his fingers along her, savoring the gentle wrestling of their lips.

They let themselves topple back, resting their heads along the pillows, continuing to kiss for a few more moments.

Celestia ran her hoof along his cheek, and joined him in panting quietly for breath. Her gaze fell upon his welcoming face adding to her smile. “Oh Daniel…I.”

He nodded silently. “I know, Celestia. I feel it too.” Daniel reached for her left hoof and brought it to his lips. Gently, he kissed it and returned her loving glance. He released her hoof and indulged in a savoring glance of her beautiful face, stroking her velvety cheek. “Why don’t I lose these clothes?” Daniel looked at her half-lidded.

Celestia sighed, cuddling against his hand, keeping her hooves around him. “Just stay in my hooves, please.” A passionate and somewhat seductive smile formed on her lips. “I’ll help you with your clothes.”

His fingertips resumed grazing her white cheek. “You wouldn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to.” Celestia drew him close and cuddled him amorously.

Daniel was more than happy to return the favor as he snuggled with her. “How did I know you were going to say that?” He snickered at her, then a sly smile formed on his face. “So then…where did you want to start?”

Celestia happily employed her bedroom eyes and pawed at his chest with her left hoof. Her horn lit up with its golden orange glow as her magic encompassed his shirt. “Well,” she giggled, bringing her lips to his ear, “I thought I’d start at the top and work…my way…down.”

Her whispered words sent shivers up Daniel’s spine, adding to his growing anticipation. He untucked his shirttail and gave her an encouraging nod.

Celestia’s smile morphed into a more seductive one as she began tugging his shirt with her magic, gradually lifting it up and uncovering his chest. As she drove the shirt up toward his neck, Celestia placed her hooves on his belly and slid them up to caress his chest.

The motion of her hooves along his chest felt wondrous and caused Daniel to sigh. Even though it was rather distracting, he still managed to pull both his arms in through the sleeves. Now that the shirt was completely off of Daniel, Celestia let it float over to the dresser. She was about to set it down when she felt his lips graze her neck. The shirt fell short of its intended destination and dropped to the floor.

Celestia turned to Daniel and pulled her hooves back, while she rubbed her cheek just below his neck. Then, she proceeded to kiss his chest, very gently, sending more delightful chills up his back, causing him to shudder briefly.

He placed his thumbs into the elastic liner of his shorts. Then he prepared to lower them, when a familiar magical presence joined him in driving them down. Daniel smiled at the gentle glow, which now enveloped his bottom wear. Once the garment cleared his underwear, he let Celestia pull them down to his ankles. She gave them a glance then returned her loving eyes to him. Daniel grinned and silently nodded as he flung his shorts off his feet and onto the floor.

The seductive look remained on Celestia’s face, now that Daniel was in nothing but his underwear. She stared at him, placing her hoof against the white cottony fabric of his undergarment. Celestia rubbed the tip of her limb against his covered crotch, while she continued to give him a rather unnerving stare.

“Hmm…I can see another reason why you humans wear clothing. Even though they can get in the way…removing them one piece at a time can be very…” Celestia paused to giggle, “Delightful.”

Daniel ran his fingertips along her mane, sharing her alluring smile. “I have to agree with you there.” He snickered, looking at her flank. “But, even though you don’t wear clothes, I think your tail more than makes up for it.”

“Oh, does it now?” Celestia chuckled at him, then resumed rubbing her hoof along his crotch. Daniel moaned under his breath, relishing her soothing touch for a few more moments. The pleasant look in his eyes made her sigh contently. “Now then, where were we?” Celestia laid her head on his belly and gave him a spirited smile. “Ah, that’s right…” She grinned using her magic to briefly snap the elastic of his briefs.

Daniel laughed as he scratched behind her ears. “Did you know you’re extremely cute when you look at me like that?”

Celestia’s cheeks turned red, the blush adding the perfect highlight to her lovely white fur. She tittered while she sat up partially and smiled back at him. The slyness returned to her eyes as her horn lit up. Celestia began tugging his underwear down in a teasing fashion, until she uncovered his manhood, which stood proudly at attention. She then hastened her task lowering his underclothes to his feet. Then, he gave her a similar nod and like his shorts, Daniel sent his underwear to join his other clothing on the floor.

He drew her into a loving embrace, running his hand along her flawlessly lovely mane. They continued laying on their sides as they shared a lengthy kiss. Daniel decided to pick up where he left off, placing his hand back on Celestia’s cutie mark. His fingers began tracing the rays along her sunny symbol. She closed her eyes and let out an audible shudder of delight.

Celestia decorated his neck and chest with little kisses, while she placed her left hoof below his belly and slowly trailed it down toward his nether region. She halted her movements when she felt Daniel’s hand move from her flank and brush against her rump. He began nudging her tail away, when he noticed her help him by shifting it to the side, clearing his path. Celestia also adjusted her hind legs and parted them as best she could. Daniel offered her a gracious nod as he glanced down and marveled at the alluring curves of her crescent.

He walked his fingers to her mound and began brushing his fingertips across her warm skin. Celestia let out a passionate sigh just as Daniel parted the delicate petals of her marehood and caressed her moistening flesh. She moaned into his ear, enraptured from his touch and hungry for more. “Mmm, Daniel…that feels wonderful.”

He smiled as he continued touching her, delighted that his caress was so pleasing to her. Just as he considered moving things along, he felt her hoof bump against the tip of his spire. Shivers of pleasure raced up his back, and then, looking into her eyes, he briefly kissed her. Daniel moaned quietly and sighed as he felt her hoof start tickling the smooth underside of his firm spire.

Celestia chuckled at his reaction, but her laughter was quickly replaced by shivering moans as she felt Daniel delicately push two fingers into her and began massaging the wet inner walls of her longing marehood. She daintily moaned, absorbing every blissful motion of his loving digits, and added a little speed to her stroking hoof, pushing against his member.

The lovers exchanged a series or pleasant and lustful moans as their petting escalated. Daniel felt an enchanting tingling in his masculinity, which was strengthened from the affection present in her loving caress. From the adorable whimpers and moans Celestia was making, he knew she must be feeling good, but he wanted to make her feel even better. Daniel recalled something from their shower and raised his free hand to her lengthy horn. He tenderly started brushing his fingers along it making sure to convey his deepest affections for her. Celestia immediately noticed the stimulation along her magical spire. Her eyes opened and she smiled, while gazing at the loving expression on Daniel’s face.

The pleasure began driving Celestia wild, she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this exhilarated. She let her tongue loll out of her mouth as she panted for air. Celestia sensed every ounce of his love and desire in his touch. It made her heart beat rapidly causing her to feel feverishly hot. She knew there must be something she could do to add to Daniel’s pleasure, but she could barely think. Her brain was awash in an endless sea of ecstasy. Still, despite it all, one thought came to her.

Daniel continued sighing and softly moaning from her captivating touch. He was only too happy to reciprocate, overjoyed that he could please her. Then, Daniel felt an added jolt of pleasure as he noticed Celestia began touching him with her other hoof, but she wasn’t caressing him just anywhere. Her other hoof was very gently stroking the fleshy sack below his manhood. The tandem of her hooves left him melting as he felt a nearly endless assault of pleasure.

“Oh…Celestia, mmm, that’s good.” Daniel shivered with delight as he felt the pressure grow in his loins. His breath was growing shallow and he felt his heart pounding in his chest.

A few more minutes passed. “Daniel,” she whimpered, still panting for air. “A-are you ready…t-to move on?”

He slowed his hands and looked upon her, feeling her hooves do the same. “Yes. I am if…you are.”

“Uh-huh.” Celestia smiled at him and patted his right shoulder. There was a slight pause as they rested for a moment and caught their breath. She batted her magenta eyes at him and gave him a sincere look. “My love, I have a request.”

Daniel began running his hand along her hair, sharing her loving eyes. “Name it.”

“Would you please lay on top of me this time? I hope I don’t sound silly, but it’s been so long since I felt the weight of a stal…err… a lover on me. So if you don’t…”

He cut her off, placing his hand gingerly over her mouth. “Of course, my darling. I’d be happy to do it, and you don’t sound silly, uh-uh.” Daniel kissed both of her cheeks, then smooched her lips tenderly.

She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered, “Thank you, Daniel.”

Bringing his lips beside her ear, he softly replied, “Anytime, Celestia. Now, lay on you back.”

Celestia giggled, happy to do as he directed. She took a deep breath as she laid back on the bed, letting her head sink along the plush pillows. She looked up with devoted eyes as Daniel positioned himself above her. He smiled down at her, placing his hand on her right hind leg. His hand slid along her velvety white fur as he rubbed her leg, noticing her muscles lightly twitch under his caring touch.

Daniel felt the grip of a very amorous idea, seeing his beloved laying there like that. He brought his lips to her crescent and very gently kissed it. Then, he began kissing his way up from between her legs, across her belly, to her chest, and finally arrived at her sumptuous lips. Beaming her an affectionate smile, he locked her into a deep and passionate kiss.

Celestia felt her body tingle all over from his romantic gesture. Her wings began twitching and she could no longer fight it. Arching her back slightly, Celestia let her wings stretch out freely. She shivered with delight feeling very invigorated and decided to deepen their kiss even more.

Daniel quickly received the message and together they joined their tongues for an extension of their intimacy. Elegant moans filled the room as they savored their kiss, trying to breathe through their noses, before they had to part and take in addition gasps of air.

She looked up at him, and swirled her right hoof along his chest and softly whispered, “Daniel.”

He gave her an endearing smile, placing his right hand along her chest. Daniel swept his hand along her velvety fur, just above her beating heart. She clutched his hand with her left hoof, while he ran the back of his left hand along her silky mane and quietly replied, “Celestia.”

Daniel placed his hands on her slender shoulders and straddled his legs around her hind legs, delighted when his skin came in contact with her fur. Celestia giggled with anticipation, staring intensely at him. He moved closer to her and grinning at her, Daniel brushed the head of his manhood along her slit, gingerly rubbing against her for just a few moments. Then, the truest of looks formed on his face, making Celestia’s smile continue to grow. Daniel pushed against her marehood, slowly entering her and causing them both to shudder from the delightful sensation.

Celestia let her head drift back as she felt his length slide inside her. She gave his manhood a welcoming squeeze of her inner walls, eliciting a pleasant moan from him. Then, he eased himself down on top of her. Celestia felt the force of his weight and happily wrapped her hooves around him. She rubbed her cheek along his and cooed contently.

Keeping his firm but gently grip on her shoulders, Daniel began moving on her, forming a wondrous motion between them. Celestia removed her right hoof from around him and ran it across the upper part of his chest, while her eyes teemed with devotion. He shared her loving glance, adding more speed to his movement. Gradually, they both began filling the room with new blissful moans of fiery passion.

Celestia felt the fervent sensation resume building up within her, only this time it was even more intense. She placed her hooves on his cheeks and drew him into a heated kiss, moaning lustfully for him. Daniel returned her kiss, feeling his desire grow for her as he continued thrusting against her. The mounting pressure returned to his loins, causing him to move his hands closer to her wings. Celestia whimpered as she felt his hands squeeze along the base of her wings. She’d nearly forgotten how good it could feel to have that area stimulated during sex.

She gave him a very seductive glance moaning and panting as he maintained his rhythmic movements. Celestia whimpered again and let out a string of pleasant moans, noticing her breath deepening with each second, right along with Daniel’s.

Her body trembled as her moans and sighs became more frequent. Just like last night, Celestia felt wonderful. Daniel’s love for her was present in each careful thrust and every loving squeeze of his hands. As he looked down at her, she could tell he felt every ounce of her growing love as she continued to squeeze around him and embrace him in her hooves.

Daniel felt his mind growing fuzzy from the rapturous ecstasy of their union. He felt his heart pound in his chest as sweat started dripping from his body. Staring down at her, Daniel leaned in and gave her a brief kiss.

Their breathing continued to intensify as Daniel and Celestia's bodies were ravaged by their unbridled desire for each other. A symphony of loving moans and joyous sighs saturated the air, driving them closer and closer to the edge.

As the minutes passed, Celestia consumed every moment of joy she shared with Daniel. Her mind was a jumble, but she didn’t care, all that mattered was having him so close to her. She squeezed her hooves and her inner walls around Daniel adding to the heat of the moment.

He thrust into her a few more times and felt her body tremble heavily. Celestia began moaning repeatedly as her back lightly arched. She cast out a wonderfully elated moan and Daniel felt a warm fluid spurt along his manhood. The delightful wailing of his mare shattered the last bit of his restraint. He grunted softly and then let out a pleasant moan as he burst several times inside of her, feeling his deepening love and desire for her. His arms moved to surround her and he joined her in gasping rapidly for breath.

Several moments passed and Daniel and Celestia began to breathe more peacefully. He looked down at her and saw her loving eyes staring at him. Softly, she caressed his cheek. “That was perfect, my love. Just like last night.”

Daniel reached down and gingerly stroked her mane. “It was incredible…wondrous, my sweet Celestia.”

She whimpered, while keeping her hoof along his cheek. Celestia could tell from the quiver in his voice that the passion of the moment had gotten to him. A new loving smile formed on her face as she brushed her hoof against his brown hair. “You’re so sweet.” She saw the glistening in his eyes and felt her own eyes become misty. “Oh, Daniel.”

“My princess,” he whispered. Then, Daniel noticed she was still partially panting for air. “Should I move off you?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I want to savor your weight on me, for just a few more moments.” Then her smile grew. “Are you worried about me…not being able to get enough air?”

“Um, well…I never want to do anything to hurt you.”

Celestia giggled happily at him. “Oh, you’re fine, sweetheart. But, if you’d like to move off me now, we can cuddle.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Daniel moved off of her and propped himself up on his knees. Celestia pulled in her wings and turned on her side. She brushed her hoof along his shoulder and then motioned for him to join her. He smiled back and laid by her side. Daniel sighed contently, placing his arms around her.

Celestia wrapped her hooves around him and cuddled close to him. She placed her left hind leg against his leg and gave him a winsome look. “Another magical day, together.”

“Yeah. Oh, and just wait till the weekend.” He chuckled, once again stroking her lengthy mane.

“That’s right, the trip we’re going on to see those waterfalls you told me about.” Celestia took a deep soothing breath as she imagined what it would be like to stand with him at such a tranquil setting. “Mmm, I can hardly wait.”

“Same here. But just think, we still have the rest of the week to spend together…well, aside from the time I’ll be at work.”

“We certainly do. Though, right now, I’m just glad I can stay with you, all night long.” Celestia gently bumped her forehead against his, still mindful of her horn.

“Yeah…all night long. Just you and me.” Daniel nuzzled against her and let out a staggered yawn.

Celestia chuckled as she spied his alarm clock. “Where did the evening go? It’s almost eleven.” Then, she joined him, letting out a quiet yawn of her own. “Oh my, I guess we should get some rest. I know you’ll want to be ready for work in the morning.”

He nodded firmly. “Yeah, but right now, I just want to think about you, till I fall asleep.”

She snuggled closer to him and hugged Daniel tightly. “Aww…” Celestia smiled and shared a lengthy good night kiss with him.

He chuckled, feeling exceptionally giddy. “Good night, my love.” Daniel reached over and turned out his nightstand lamp, then pulled the covers up over them.

“Good night, my darling one.” Celestia withdrew her hooves from around him and placed them along his chest, nestling against him.

Daniel kept his loving arms around her and stayed close to her. They closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep. The room grew quiet, except for the occasional hum of the central air.

* * * * *

The bedroom was all but quiet. Only the combined sound of Daniel and Celestia’s breathing could be heard. The two had been resting peacefully for nearly two hours.

It was getting a little warm and stuffy, now that the air-conditioning had reached temperature and was off for a time. Celestia murmured faintly from within her slumber. She adjusted her hooves on Daniel’s chest, then grew silent again.

A minor rumble of thunder caused her ears to twitch for a moment. A few minutes went by and another, slightly louder, clap of thunder broke the tranquillity of the bedroom. Celestia moaned briefly, and tugged the covers up closer to her cheek.

Barely a minute passed and a third crash of thunder filled the room. She gasped awake, in time to see a vibrant strobe of lightning flicker at the bedroom window, momentarily illuminating the area in an eerie purple light. It was followed moments later by a booming rumble of thunder. Celestia whimpered as she cuddled closer to Daniel.

He began stirring from his slumber and felt he gentle movements. Daniel repositioned his arms around her and held her close. He took a deep breath and adjusted his head along the pillow. It was then that Daniel heard an echoing rumble of thunder and noticed Celestia was trembling within his embrace. Opening his eyes, he glanced around. Everything seemed all right, until he witnessed a bright flash of lighting. He heard her whimper again during the accompanying thunder.

“Celestia, honey, are you okay?”

“Hmm?” she mumbled somewhere between awake and asleep. Celestia opened her eyes and realized Daniel was awake. “Daniel.” More thunder echoed in the bedroom. “Where’d these storms come from?”

“I think the storms I saw on the radar, didn’t track as far north as I expected. That, or the little specs I saw to the south found a way to intensify.” Celestia cringed following another flicker, bracing for the incoming roar of thunder. Daniel cradled her in his arms. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re still shaking.”

“Oh, it’s silly.”

Daniel kept his left arm around her and began running his fingers along her satiny mane. “Tell me, please. I want to help, if I can.”

Celestia gave him a thoughtful look. It warmed her heart that he was trying to be so helpful. She placed her hoof along his chest. “It’s the thunder. I’ve never really liked it. The sound hurts my ears and is just generally disruptive.”

Daniel gave her a sympathetic nod. “Well, I can certainly understand why. When I was younger, I used to be afraid of storms like these, but now, I don’t mind them so much. But they can be noisy.”

Celestia giggled, rubbing her hoof along his bare chest. “Exactly. Oh, and you remember me telling you about the weather patrol, right?”

Daniel nodded affirmatively. “Yeah, they control the weather and work off a pre-determined schedule.”

“That’s right. Since I’m a busy ruler, I don’t permit the weather team to schedule any thunderstorms in Canterlot. I don’t mind normal rainstorms, windstorms or even snowstorms, I just don’t want any thunder and lightning.” Celestia removed her hoof and laid her head against his chest.

He continued stroking her mane, resting his chin along her crown. “I can’t say I blame you.” Daniel couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t more to this than she was telling him. Nevertheless, he figured rather than pry, he’d simply be there for her.

Celestia continued to enjoy his gentle caress along her mane. Thunder continued to rumble as the rain began falling. She trembled in response to the additional booms, but felt better as she nuzzled along Daniel’s chest. She sat there in thought for a moment. Part of her wanted to tell him the real reason she detested thunderstorms, but she just couldn’t bring herself to reveal the truth.

“Daniel?”

“Yes, my love?” He held her close, beaming her a loving smile, which she could see in the flickering lightning.

“Hold me tighter, and don’t let me go.” Celestia wrapped her hooves around him and continued to snuggle against him.

He let out a deep sigh and held her tightly, and then continued to affectionately comb his fingers through her hair. “Hmm, I’ve got you…and I won’t let you go.”

The two snuggled down under the covers and remained close. Celestia replaced her hooves along his chest and smiled as she felt his arms remain around her.

She gave a long listen, and noticed the thunder was growing quieter. The sound of the falling rain striking the side of the house seemed to prevail. “Is it me, or are the storms…”

“Yeah.” Daniel joined her in taking a lengthy listen. “Looks like the worst has past us. Just some lingering rumbles of thunder now and some rain.” He stroked her cheek and gave her a loving kiss.

She smiled at him and gave him a passionate kiss, softly running her hoof along his hair. “Thank you, Daniel.”

He returned her joyful expression. “Anytime, Celestia. I love you.”

“And I love you.” Celestia kissed his forehead, then snuggled close to him.

Gradually they began to fall back to sleep and the sounds of the storms grew softer and more distant. The rain continued its soothing march, just before the central air kicked on, offering its refreshing breeze to the once stuffy room. In moments, the two were soundly asleep.

Author's Note

Note: I will leave the links to these songs, but the posted lyrics from "Beautiful" and "My Heart Will Go On" have been removed so this chapter no longer contains any copyrighted song lyrics.

Here is the link to the first featured song - "Beautiful" by Akon ft. Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall. I didn't include the link in the body of the chapter, mainly due to the parts of the song that just didn't seem to fit this story, but I liked this song enough that I felt the other parts, which I referenced, would be fitting to the story. In fact, if you look closely, you can see where I originally got the idea for the title of this story. ~_^

The second featured song was Celine Dion's - "My Heart Will Go On". For a while now, I've had a vision of these two dancing to this song and thought now was the time to use it.

The third featured song was Secret Garden's - "The Promise". This piece helped me come up with a fitting title and last minute scene that I feel added even more heart to this chapter. A friend of mine shared this piece with me and I knew I had to find a way to work it in.

Now, before any of you go wondering, other songs were mentioned but I only featured three. Later in the story other songs from Daniel's playlist for Celestia will be reference, but for this chapter, I felt the three I chose kept things interesting without making the chapter too long.

Jaydex

Chapter 8 - "Being in Love"

The night was calm, now that the storms had passed. Daniel and Celestia were enjoying a mostly restful sleep. Their collective breathing was periodically accompanied by the hum of the central air unit, which kept Daniel’s house from getting too hot and stuffy.

Daniel stirred briefly, adjusting his arms around his beloved Celestia. She twitched faintly, keeping her hooves pressed affectionately against his chest.

The princess murmured and softly moaned from within her slumber. “L-Luna.”

Celestia started to toss and turn within Daniel’s embrace. Her groans and whimpers became louder and more frequent. “N-no. Sister…no…”

A few more minutes passed as Celestia’s fitful sleep continued. Daniel awoke to the distressed sounds of his mare. He saw her figure beside him tossing about and sounding more and more agitated, until finally, Celestia opened her eyes and partially sat up. She gasped heavily and then felt Daniel’s loving arms grip her tenderly.

“Celestia? Are you all right?” He reached back and turned on the nightstand light. Its gentle glow partially illuminated the once darkened room.

Turning his way, she saw the look of concern on Daniel’s face. Celestia gave him a kind smile as she began to feel relieved. “I’m okay. I was just having a nightmare.”

Daniel pulled her back down beside him, and held her as close as he could. “Awww, it’s all right now.”

Celestia nuzzled against him and placed her hooves around him. “I know. It just seemed so real.”

Daniel could feel her lightly tremble within his embrace. He reached up and caressed her silky mane. “What was it about, if you don’t mind telling me?”

The alicorn remained quiet for a moment, before she was ready to speak. “No, I don’t mind. In fact it goes back to our talk earlier during the storms. I should have told you then."

Daniel glanced at her curiously. “Told me what?”

Celestia brushed her hoof along his cheek and smiled at him. “It’s about the storms. The ones that passed over us tonight, they were very similar to the ones in Equestria during the time my sister fell from grace and became Nightmare Moon.” She sighed woefully and shook her head. “It’s stupid, I know, a princess like me bothered by thunderstorms. But anytime I hear thunder and see lighting…it takes me back to that horrible night. The night I had to fight my own little sister, and then…” Celestia choked up. “Banished her to the moon where she remained imprisoned for 1,000 years.”

Daniel couldn’t help but notice how broken up Celestia was. He spied tears in the corners of her eyes and that’s when it dawned on him. “Your nightmare…it was about Luna, wasn’t it?” She looked at him, her tears continued to mount. Celestia didn’t speak, but nodded twice. “I thought so. You told me the story of your sister before, and how much it hurt.” Daniel pulled her closer and began running his hand along her velvety back. He felt her continue to tremble as quiet sobs met his ears, while his feelings for her surged in his heart. “Celestia…you really are something. You still get so broken up about your sister…all these years later.” He held her even tighter and felt warm tears of his own bubble up in his eyes. “I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

Celestia pulled back and looked Daniel in the eye. Her vision was partially blurred by her tears, so she raised a hoof and wiped a few of them away. “Thank you, Daniel. I’m glad you’re here with me, too.”

He resumed stroking her mane with tender sweeps of his loving fingers. “And just so you know, it’s not stupid that you’re bothered by the storms. It shows that you’re an amazing and caring mare, and that you really love Luna.”

A smile bloomed on Celestia’s face while she wrapped her hooves around Daniel, drawing him close to her in a loving hug. She squeezed him tightly and a whimper of joy escaped her mouth as she relished being with someone that seemed to truly understand her. “I love you, Daniel.”

He shared her endearing smile. “I love you, Celestia.” Daniel cupped her chin with his hand and slowly leaned closer to her. Their lips met for a needed exchange of affection as they renewed their embrace. The lovers moaned softly, conveying their deep passions for each other, savoring the gentle wrestling of their lips for just a few moments more.

They pulled back and Celestia reveled as Daniel combed his fingers along her mane. She let out a loving sigh and promptly gave him an affectionate nuzzle. The two laid back down, and Daniel made sure they each were evenly covered.

Celestia looked over at his alarm clock. “Oh, Daniel, I’m so sorry. My restlessness has kept you from enjoying an uninterrupted sleep. There are only a few hours till you have to get up for work.”

Daniel shook his head and looked to her with glassy eyes. “Don’t worry about it, my love.” He kissed her forehead, making sure to mind her long elegant horn. Then, he gave her a deeply loving look. “It doesn’t bother me that you had trouble sleeping. You know, I would enjoy staying up all night, just to talk to you.”

Celestia drew him close again and sighed happily, keeping her forelegs wrapped around him. “Daniel…”

Daniel kept his arms around her and nuzzled his cheek against her heavenly soft mane. “Celestia…”

She whimpered quietly, enjoying the loving motion of his cheek along her silky hair. “Daniel? Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”

He kept nuzzling her, before pulling back to look into her endlessly expressive eyes. “No, my sweet Tia. This is really happening.”

Celestia sighed and ran her right hoof across his bare chest. “Mmm, Tia…I like the way you say that.” She smiled, while gazing at him half-lidded.

Daniel returned her smile, cupping his hand under her chin. “So you don’t mind?”

“What? You calling me “Tia”?” Daniel nodded, then she shook her head. “No, not at all.”

Daniel reached over and turned off the lamp, re-blanketing the room in darkness. He quickly wrapped his arms back around her and nuzzled against her lovely neck, kissing her velvety fur with his passionate lips. “I’m glad,” he sighed.

Moving his head back to his pillow, Daniel continuing holding Celestia. She looked over at him in the darkness, just as happy as before to be with him and felt his breath pool near her face, while she let her own breath drift over him.

The two cuddled close from under the covers, and shared a relaxing sigh as they both let out a quiet yawn. Gradually, they drifted back to sleep, refilling the room with a calming silence and the dual sound of their breathing.

* * * * *

Daniel startled awake to the horrible piecing beep of his alarm clock. At first he wasn’t even sure what that unholy sound was blaring at him. Then, it dawned on him as he reached over and slapped the snooze button.

He rubbed his forehead and then gently did the same to his eyes. It felt like someone had kicked him in the forehead for a few moments as he struggled to free himself from slumber’s drowsy grip. Then, he noticed a familiar warmth pressed against him as he rolled over. Celestia had awakened and was basking her magenta eyes on him, a warm smile decorating her lips.

“Good morning, darling. Hmmm, did you sleep well?”

Daniel groaned briefly and stretched his arms before letting them fall gently around her, drawing her into a loving embrace. “It may have been brief, but I slept great. It’d be even nicer if I didn’t have to go to work today, so I could sleep some more, but…” He grew quiet and stroked her velvety cheek. “Waking up with you…mmm, I wouldn’t want to miss spending time with you.”

Celestia continued smiling, before she leaned in and gave him a series of pony kisses, rubbing her nose against his. “Oh, Daniel.” She giggled like a filly. “You’re always so sweet.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Hold that thought.” He quickly turned to his nightstand and switched off his infernal alarm clock, before it could sound again. Then, he smiled as he turned back to his lady. “Sorry, but I don’t think we wanted to hear my alarm go off again.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Oh, and speaking of the time, I should start breakfast, while you get ready for work. I wouldn’t want you to be late.”

He chuckled as he kept her in his loving grip. “No, we wouldn’t. But there’s still some time. Time…for this…” Daniel gave her romantic eyes as he leaned in closer to her. Celestia cheeks became rosy as she leaned forward to meet him for a loving kiss.

Celestia brushed her right hoof across his brown hair, while she rested her left on his chest. Elated sighs muffled past Daniel’s mouth as he had one arm around her back and ran the other along her vibrant mane.

A few moments passed, before they parted their lips, gazing blissfully at each other. Then without a word, the two separated and got on with their morning routine.

* * * * *

After getting dressed and packing his lunch, Daniel joined Celestia in the dining room for one of her hearty breakfasts. He was enjoying his eggs and a bite of toast, when he noticed Celestia giving him a rather involved look. After clearing his mouth, Daniel returned her look. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He blinked his eyes in a fit of puzzlement filling with wonder.

Celestia let out a faint sigh and gave him a thoughtful smile. “It might sound silly at first, but Daniel…I’ve been wondering, why have you stopped eating meat?”

He gave her an even more confused expression. “I would think it obvious, or isn’t it?” Daniel scratched his head, wondering if his being half-asleep was causing his befuddlement.

Celestia placed a hoof over her mouth and giggled at him. “I gathered you stopped eating meat as a courtesy to me, to make me feel comfortable. But, I know about your species and saw the meat that’s slowly aging in your fridge. Are you just going to let it go bad?”

Daniel took a sip of his orange juice and stared down at his plate for a moment, before glancing back to her. “Well, after our meeting, I wanted to do my best to make you feel at home. I wasn’t sure how you’d react to my eating meat, and I didn’t want to offend you, so I figured I’d just stop for the time being.” Daniel reached over and clutched her velvety hoof. “I never thought I’d end up falling in love with you, so, I guess I’m getting used to not eating meat now that we’ve grown so close.”

She smiled at him and tenderly rubbed her other hoof across his hand. “That’s very sweet of you, Daniel. But meat is a very important part of a human’s diet. I’ve made use of your computer and read up more about your species while you were at work yesterday.”

Daniel shared her smile. “I know meat is important, but there are alternatives and you do want me to go back to Equestria with you, right?” Celestia nodded. “Well, then I doubt I’ll find an ample supply of meat in your world.”

“That’s true. But I’m sure we could work something out.” She continued smiling and staring at him with loving eyes.

“That’s another reason why I’m getting used to cutting meat from my diet. It’ll make things easier when the time comes for us to go to your world.” Daniel gripped her hoof securely and ran his thumb across her soft fur.

Celestia couldn’t help but blush, he was once again being so sweet. “You’re going to spoil me at this rate, Daniel.”

He chuckled as he let go of her. “Well, if I do, it’s because I don’t usually have someone special to spoil. Now, come on, we’d better finish eating. I’ve only got a little over twenty minutes till I have to leave.”

She nodded solemnly. “You’re right, but I just wanted to mention that.”

Daniel drank some more juice, then he responded. “That’s all right. I just hope you understand why I’m not overly worried if I don’t eat meat anymore. I’ll admit some bacon or sausage would really clean up with breakfast, but I can learn to adapt. Besides, I’m really happy being with you.”

The rosy glow remained on Celestia’s face as she finished off a slice of toast. Then gave Daniel a jubilant nod. “I understand. It’s something you’re willing to sacrifice.”

“Yes,” Daniel nodded, before digging into more of his eggs and hash browns.

Then after finishing their meal, the time had come for Daniel to leave. He stood at the front door, holding his lunch cooler. Turning back, he gave Celestia a long affectionate look. “Well, it’s that time. I may be a little later today, I’m going to stop at the store for a couple of things.”

Celestia smiled sweetly at him, resting her right hoof on his shoulder. “That’s fine. I just know I’ll miss you, like I always do.” She giggled briefly.

He smiled as they shared a passionate farewell kiss. As they pulled back, Daniel sighed dreamily leaving his gaze fall lazily on her. “I’ll miss you too, my sweet Tia.”

Her smile grew as she watched him step down onto the walkway. She kept her eyes glued to him as he made his way to the car. Then as he backed out of the driveway, she waved her hoof to him, feeling the wondrous sensation that came from being in love with him.

Celestia watched as Daniel drove off, down the road. She greatly hoped the day wouldn’t drag on, so she could see him again. It was also her wish that the next few days would go by quickly, seeing as she was still so looking forward to their trip to the waterfalls. The idea seemed wondrous, a chance to get away to someplace isolated where she and Daniel could spent sometime outside. Though, she didn’t want to admit it, she really was enjoying the cooling effect of his central air.

Now that she was on her own, Celestia thought about how she wanted to spend her day. She felt like getting out and stretching her legs. The sun was starting to come up, so she figured that after she cleaned up in the kitchen, she could water Daniel’s garden for him.

It was just a little after seven when Celestia stepped outside the house. The outside air that brushed against her white fur didn’t feel nearly as hot and oppressive as it had yesterday and the week of her arrival. Daniel was right, and the storms did cool things off. Though, it was still quite warm, as the sun shined its rays through a partly cloudy sky, while slowly making its way above the horizon.

Celestia took a deep breath and exhaled as she walked over to the garden hose. She took a moment to glance in the direction Daniel had driven. She knew his workday was just getting started. She cast out a wistful sigh, placing a hoof over her heart. It’s been so long since I’ve been in love. I nearly forgot how wonderful a feeling it can be. Not to mention the heartache that goes with missing someone. Though, I know the time will go swiftly enough…and Daniel will be home before I know it. Celestia smiled from her thoughts and after turning on the water, used her magic to pull the hose over to the first flowerbed. Then, squeezing the trigger on the nozzle, she began giving a refreshing drink to the lovely blossoming plants, smiling contently as she swished the hose back and forth.

* * * * *

The morning passed quicker than Celestia expected. After finishing with Daniel’s garden, she decided to do some more research on his world. It certainly helped that she was able to use his computer. Celestia found it made looking things up very quick and easy.

After lunch, she flittered away the afternoon checking out more of the music Daniel had on his iTunes playlist. She enjoyed the various songs and instrumental pieces he had put on the list dedicated to her. It was clear from the melodies and lyrics just how much she came to mean to him in the time they’d been together. More than a few of the songs brought some tears to her eyes, making her want him home even more. Though with each new track, and considering she played a few more than once, the time continued to truck along.

As she sampled even more of the list, she found the beat to several songs make her feel the urge to get up and dance. She hadn’t left herself cut loose and be so free in well, longer than she could remember. The look of joy sparkled across her elegant face as she was up on all fours, tapping her hooves and swaying along the floor and even lightly marching in place. Celestia was just glad she was alone, she wasn’t very confident in her dancing abilities, other than slow dancing and maybe ballroom dancing.

As she continued to enjoy the music, three o’clock had come and gone, and Celestia hadn’t even noticed, she was marveling at not having a care in the world while she listened to the well-thought playlist of her beloved’s making.

She hadn’t even noticed that Daniel had arrived home from work. He was a bit late getting home. As he had told Celestia, he stopped at the grocery store for some provisions. Daniel smiled as he turned off the car and opened the door – it was great to be home. After exiting the vehicle, he looked at the front door only to see no sign of Celestia. In fact, the front door was closed. His brow furrowed in puzzlement as he tried to figure out why she wasn’t there waiting for him like she normally did.

In an effort to figure out where she’d gone, Daniel grabbed his cooler and the couple grocery bags from the back seat and made his way to the front door. He was trying not to give in to that sinking feeling that was suddenly trying to push its way in from the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure where she could be. There was no way Celestia had left. Daniel opened the front door and felt a little relieved when he found it was unlocked.

He stepped into the living room and the rush of cool central air swept over him. Surveying the room as he slowly made his way to the kitchen; Daniel saw no sign of Celestia. Then, as he set his bags and cooler on the extended part of the kitchen counter, he noticed music coming from his bedroom. After quickly putting the cold items into the fridge and freezer, he left the dining area and walked back into the living room, heading for the hallway. He recognized the song that was playing. "Untouched" by the Veronicas was just starting as he started back the hall.

The song was clearly coming from his bedroom. He noticed the door was only partially closed. Slowly, Daniel pushed the door open. His eyes widened and his mouth fell partially opened as he beheld the sight within – Celestia was dancing. Not just any dance. Her eyes were closed as she was trotting around, stepping and tapping her bare hooves on the carpet, all while wiggling and swaying her hips and flank around in a very provocative manner.

Celestia turned around and opened her eyes. She saw Daniel standing there with a perplexed and half stunned look on his face. His mouth was still partially agape. She giggled and felt her cheeks become warm as she blushed, but instead of giving in to that momentary sense of embarrassment, Celestia danced her way over to Daniel.

She draped her hooves over his shoulders and gave him a very loving look. “Welcome home, darling.” Celestia kissed him deeply on the lips; before she moved away form him and continued dancing. She turned around, and glancing over her shoulder giving him a very sultry “come hither” look as she began grinding her hips and waving her rump in his direction, shamelessly flipping her tail around, allowing him glances at her curvaceous marehood.

The smile grew on Celestia’s face as she backed right up to Daniel and continued waving her tail. Only this time, she ran her tail across his chin and over his lips, just shy of his nose, lightly tickling his face. Daniel shivered with ripples of delight and braced himself against the door, inadvertently shutting it. He felt his heart begin racing with excitement as he shook his head and began enjoying Celestia’s performance.

A titillated smile morphed onto his face as Daniel made his way over to his mare. Celestia moved closer to him and playfully bumped against him, making him fall back onto the bed. Then, as Celestia drew close, Daniel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down beside him.

She looked at him with intrigue glistening in her eyes. “Did you enjoy my dancing?”

Daniel smiled passionately as he swept his hand along her silky mane. “I loved it,” he whispered. “You were amazing.”

Celestia blushed and chuckled faintly, continuing to smile at her sweetheart. “Thank you, Daniel. I’ve never done anything like that before…especially for a special somepony.”

Daniel sighed dreamily as the song continued to play, nearing its end. He ran his hand along Celestia’s silky mane staring deeply into her eyes. “Mmm…I’m so glad to see you.”

She smiled again, still blushing considerably. Celestia placed a hoof on his chest and lightly caressed him. “I’m glad to see you too.”

He chuckled as he continued, “You gave me a momentary freight.”

“I did?”

“Yeah. When I didn’t see you at the front door, I wasn’t sure what to think. But it seems you just got carried away listening to music.” Daniel sighed calmly and more at ease.

Celestia giggled and gave him a sheepish glance. “Yes, I didn’t mean to get carried away, but some of the songs on your play list are fun to dance to. Like this one. I hope I didn’t worry you.”

He shook his head. “Nah, well, just a tad.” Daniel held up his hand and placed his index finger near his thumb, leaving a very small gap. “See, about that much.”

She stretched her neck and moved to lightly kiss his hand. Daniel smiled even more at her as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a deeply loving kiss.

They savored the kiss as the next song on the playlist began – Enya's song "Hope Has a Place". It’s calming melody began to fill the room as Daniel continued to savor his kiss with Celestia for just a few more seconds.

Their kiss ended and they remained there exchanging deeply loving gazes. Daniel ran his hand tenderly along Celestia’s velvety cheek. “I know I’m a little dirty from work, but, would you care to share a dance, my love?”

Her eyes overflowed with even more joy and seemed to sparkle as she nodded. “Sweetheart, I’d love to.” Then, Celestia giggled playfully at him. “And you don’t look that dirty.”

Daniel just smiled back as the two rose from the bed and stood on the plush carpet. Celestia stood partially on her hind legs, placing her front hooves on his shoulders. He in turn put his arms around her waist and smiled as she held up her lovely wings.

(Pause till verse 1 ends)

As the song’s second verse began to play, Daniel and Celestia began slowly swaying back and forth along the carpeted floor of his room, losing themselves in each other’s eyes and the soothing lyrics of Enya’s song.

(Pause till verse 2 ends)

The lovers continued their dance as the third verse of the song played. Daniel smiled feeling such blissful joy, he almost wished the moment wouldn’t end. Celestia sighed and cooed as she nuzzled him expressing her happiness, clearly she didn’t want the moment to end either.

(Pause till the song ends)

Just as the song reached its end, Celestia used her magic to stop the playlist. Returning her eyes to Daniel, she once again smiled running her right hoof along his cheek. “That was perfect.”

“I thought you’d enjoy a dance. I know I loved it…every moment.” He sighed while softly caressing the fur of her lower back. Daniel removed his arms from around her and stretched briefly. “Well, Celestia. I should get out of these somewhat dirty clothes and I’d like to get a shower. I ran my butt off at work today and worked up quite a sweat.” He grinned as he gathered some clean clothing.

Celestia closed her eyes and smiled. “All right. Just don’t be too long,” she said, walking up behind him and giving him a big hug.

Daniel placed his left hand on her right hoof, squeezing it softly. “Of course not. I want to enjoy another wonderful evening with you.”

The joy continued radiating from Celestia’s face as she finally let go of him and returned to all fours.

Daniel kicked off his shoes, placing them out of the way, near his dresser. He picked up his clean clothes and exchanged another loving glance as he walked past Celestia.

Leaving his room, he made the short trip up the hall to the bathroom. Inside, he set his fresh garments on the counter near the sink. After sweeping his hand across his cheeks and chin, Daniel nodded as he turned on the faucet and placed the stopper into the sink.

As the sink began filling with water, he shed the short-sleeved shirt he was wearing and placed it in the hamper, and took a moment to remove his socks and toss them in as well. Returning to the sink, he opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved his razor and shaving gel. Checking the water level, Daniel turned off the faucet, happy with how full the sink was.

He placed his left hand into the tepid water and splashed his face, before putting some gel in his right. Daniel worked it into a nice lather and began spreading it across his face. That was when he heard a gentle tapping at the bathroom door. Furrowing his brow, he wondered what Celestia could want. He told her he wouldn’t be too long.

Walking over to the door, he called to her, “Celestia?”

“Yes. Are you decent?” She replied.

Daniel snickered as he opened the door. “Honey, I don’t think we really need to worry about that.”

He saw her standing on the other side of the door, lightly blushing as her eyes met his. “I know, darling, but I didn’t want to intrude if you were…you know.”

Daniel’s eyes widened and a slight blush rolled across his face. “Oh…oh, yeah. For some reason that slipped my mind. Thank you for being so thoughtful…Tia.”

She giggled at him. “You’re welcome. And I love the way you call me “Tia.” I don’t know exactly, but it just sounds really cute. It’s been so long since anyone close to me, other than my sister, has called me that.”

“Then I’m even happier you love it.” He then just smiled at her as he realized he still had foamed shaving gel in his hand and on his face. Daniel looked back at Celestia. “What did you want or need?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” She muttered, then she noticed his face. “Daniel, what are you doing and what’s that on your face?”

“This?” He questioned pointing at the coating of foamy shaving gel. She nodded. “This is just shaving cream, well technically it’s a gel. I’m shaving my face. It’s getting to that point again.”

Celestia nodded. “Oh, that’s right. You told me about that before. Wait. Is your facial hair the reason why nuzzling your cheeks is getting…well, kind of prickly?”

Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. “Heh, heh, heh. Yep, that’s why it’s time I shaved. I can really enjoy nuzzling your velvety fur when my cheeks are shaved.”

Celestia didn’t say anything she just stood there staring at him. Then, she finally asked, “Do you mind if I keep you company while you shave?”

He gave her an enthused nod. “Of course not.” She followed him as he walked back to the sink; a joyful smile accompanied her cheerful face. Daniel grabbed his razor and removed the plastic cover. Then as he went to take his first stroke, he stopped and turned her way. “Say, you never did tell me what you originally wanted?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“All you said was that it’s nothing. Somehow I doubt that.” Daniel gave her a thoughtful smile, as best he could through the shaving gel, well, his lips were still mostly visible.

Celestia kept smiling as her cheeks blushed softly. “I really enjoyed it when we showered together, yesterday. It may sound silly, but I thought it would be nice if I were to join you again. Though if you…”

Before Celestia could finish, Daniel had turned, gazing at her with sincere eyes. “Yes, I’d love it if you’d join me.” He chuckled sheepishly. “It’s funny, I was actually thinking about asking you to join me anyway. So, it’s perfect.” Turning back to the sink, Daniel secured his grip on the razor. “Let me take care of my face, then we can hop in the shower.”

The smile on Celestia’s face grew and the rosy glow on her cheeks spread across her muzzle, adding to her beauty. Daniel saw her reflection as she walked up beside him. “You look so lovely when you blush.”

Celestia whimpered softly and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing contently. “My sweet Daniel.”

He shared her happy and contented sigh as he ran the razor down his cheek, clearing some of his facial hair.

Celestia closed her eyes and hummed softly as he continued shaving his face. Daniel reached over his right hand and gently stroked her cheek. “I’m really looking forward to this weekend and our trip to the falls.”

Her eyes remained closed, but Celestia was listening to him as her ears lightly twitched. “So am I. I wonder if the waterfalls of Earth are as lovely in person as those of Equestria.”

“In a little over three days, you’ll get to find out.” Daniel finished with his first cheek and moved on to the other. “Either way, I’m going to enjoy spending another weekend with you.”

Celestia leaned against Daniel, sighing affectionately. “My love. I know I’ve probably said this before…but I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy.”

Daniel ran the razor over his chin down to just shy of his neck. “You did, but I’m glad to hear you say it again. I know I feel the same way.”

Celestia resumed humming, and it didn’t take Daniel long to realize what melody she was humming as he continued shaving and cleared away the last of the shaving gel.

After finishing, he drained the sink and rinsed his razor in warm water. Then, he turned to her. “You hum “Althena’s Song” beautifully.”

She stopped her humming and giggled playfully. “Thank you.”

“You really enjoy the time we spend playing “Lunar”, don’t you?” He asked, enjoying a warm chuckle.

“I do. It’s a sweet story and has some wonderful music.” Celestia sighed happily, staying close to Daniel.

Daniel put his razor away, and used a nearby towel to wipe his face. “There, I’m done shaving. Ready for that shower?” He smiled, staring at their reflections.

“Mm-hmm.” Celestia removed her head from his shoulder and kissed Daniel’s freshly shaved cheek. He turned slightly, taking a lengthy look into her glistening magenta eyes, an overwhelming emotion building within his heart. Daniel wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her very deeply. He had suddenly become riddled with hunger for her lips.

Celestia placed a hoof on his bare chest, caressing him as she returned his kiss, just as passionately. Daniel deftly ran his fingers through her silky locks, moaning yearningly for her. She shared his moan and let out a muffled sigh as they kissed for a few moments more.

Their lips parted and Celestia’s face had the same rosy glow as before. She smiled, joined by glassy eyes that beamed with happiness. Daniel looked up at her, staring dreamily and being nearly carried aloft with his love for her.

“Daniel…hmmm.” Celestia was all but at a loss for words. However, it didn’t matter to Daniel. The joy shining in her eyes and the smile on her lips told him more than words ever could.

“Um…shall we?” He spoke softly, a quiver of exhilaration in his voice as he reached out to caress her cheek.

Celestia nodded. “Yes.”

Daniel placed his arms around her again and gave her a big hug. Celestia wrapped her right forehoof around him, and shared his loving gesture. Then, all smiles, the two lovers walked breezily to the very large tub.

He drew back the curtain, returning his gaze to his mare, running his fingers gingerly along her neck. “Did you want me to set the water like last time?”

Shaking her head, Celestia replied, “No. You might want to keep it a little cooler this time.” Then she playfully winked at him.

A naughty grin formed on his face as he turned the knobs. The water ran into the tub, funneling down the drain as Daniel dangled his digits along its flow. He adjusted the knobs and gave the water a moment to change. A renewed smile formed on his face as he looked back to Celestia. “That should do it. After you.”

Celestia giggled and gave a nod, gracefully entering the tub. She reached out her right foreleg and placed it on Daniel’s shoulder. “Gotcha…now get over here.”

“Of course, my princess. Just give me one sec.” He chuckled, slipping off his pants and underwear. He removed his glasses and set them on the counter, before stepping carefully into the tub. He tugged the shower curtain closed, then switched on the diverter. Water flowed from the showerhead and began cascading onto them.

Daniel moved toward the back wall, allowing Celestia a chance to douse herself in the cool water. She closed her eyes and tilted her head. “Mmmm…that feels nice. It was starting to feel warm in here.”

He joined her in the path of the shower, soaking his body. “Are you sure it was the room that was getting hot?” Daniel snickered deviously.

“Daniel!” she snapped playfully.

“What? How are you going to know I love you, if I don’t tease you once in a while?” He smiled lovingly and ran his hand along her wet cheek.

Celestia nuzzled his hand, smiling all the while. “I know, it’s just been so long since I’ve had someone to tease me like this.”

Sincerity returned to his eyes, while he rested a hand on her shoulder. “Tia.”

She smiled, rubbing her right hoof along the wet and matted hair of Daniel’s chest, giving him a longing stare. Then, she giggled softly. “Now, why don’t I wash you first, this time?”

Daniel considered insisting she be first, but then as he gazed into her loving eyes, while the water dripped from her heavenly form, he knew there was no way he could deny her request. He sighed happily and nodded. “Of course you can, my darling.”

Her horn illuminated softly with its golden orange glow as Celestia picked up the bath sponge and moved it into the path of the falling water. Once it was properly soaked, she turned to get the container of body wash, only to discover it clutched in Daniel’s hand. “Looking for this?” he asked playfully.

She chuckled and nodded. “Uh-huh.” Celestia gripped the bottle in her magic and claimed the sponge in her right hoof. She poured some soap gel onto the sponge, then set the container back along side the tub. The same loving smile remained on her lips as she began washing Daniel. She placed the sponge against his chest and very slowly ran it across his skin, keeping her eyes focused on him. Daniel sighed and reveled as she cleaned him, happy that the mare he loved was tending to him.

He closed his eyes and sighed as she ran the sponge over his shoulders, then down each of his arms, coating them with soapsuds. Daniel felt the sponge travel across his nose, cheeks and forehead. Over the sound of the running shower, Daniel noticed Celestia started humming again. His eyes peeled open and he saw her beautiful eyes, still focused on him as she ran the sponge across his belly.

“Turn around, my love. I want to wash your back, before I finish your front.”

“Okay.” Daniel smiled and turned, giving Celestia easy access to his back.

She smiled even more and moved her lips to his ear. “Thank you.” Her whispered words made Daniel shiver with delight.

Celestia placed the soapy sponge along his left shoulder and started scrubbing his shoulder blades. Daniel sighed as she continued her loving task, all the while anticipating when it would be his turn to clean her.

He looked back at her, love still radiating from his eyes. Celestia let out a joyful sigh, then moved on to his lower back, swirling and lightly scrubbing with the sponge.

Daniel felt a slight start, he was expecting to feel the sponge along his butt, but instead, he felt a damp hoof softly kneed against him. Her touch was continuing to grow on him, even more than before. After a few more caresses, Daniel felt the sponge return to its task, brushing over his rear.

Celestia gestured for him to turn around again and face her. Daniel did so happily, still beaming her a loving smile. She closed her eyes for a moment, sharing his endearing expression, before she moved to wash his legs. The princess began with his left leg, working the sponge all around his limb. Daniel heard her coo and felt her wet cheek press against his right leg, just before she wrapped her free hoof around the back of his thigh.

Her gesture left him feeling incredibly moved. Daniel placed his hand on the back of her head and ran his hand along her wet mane. “Celestia.” He felt it too. Just like the day before, he once again felt overcome with his love for her.

She let go of him and began washing his right leg. Celestia sniffed and craned her head up to look at him. “I’m sorry, Daniel. It’s just been so long since I’ve had someone like you. Having you so near…is…I.” Celestia took a deep breath. “Wonderful.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Now you know why I hugged you, right after we kissed.” Daniel continued stroking her mane.

Celestia kept smiling as she began soaping his right leg. “I do.”

Once she finished with his other leg, Celestia slid the sponge up his inner thigh and brushed it along the base of his sack. A combination of anticipation and his growing desire for her became quite apparent as his princess saw his manhood standing at attention. Her eyes trailed up to his face and saw the rosy glow on his cheeks. She giggled as she continued washing his nether region very gently. Daniel sighed blissfully as she ran the sponge over his firm spire and the surrounding areas. “I did it to you again, didn’t I?”

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, but I love your touch…it’s so soothing.”

“I’m glad…” she sighed, finishing with his manhood. “There, you can rinse off, my darling.”

Daniel nodded as he moved further under the shower’s torrent, rinsing the suds from his body. Once he was finished, he moved over to her. “Now, it’s your turn, sweetheart.”

Celestia moved closer to him and planted a tender kiss on his lips, then offered him the sponge. Daniel took it and reached for the body wash. After rinsing it, he added some fresh soap. Once the sponge was lathered, he studied Celestia’s enchanting figure, deciding where to start first. A smile blossomed across his lips as he started with her left shoulder.

Daniel cleaned across, moving to her other shoulder, then worked around her rough, before making his way down her elegant forelegs. He gave her front legs special attention making sure to gently scrub down to and including her hooves. Then, a delightful expression formed on his face. Celestia shared his loving gaze as she felt him sweep the sponge across her swanlike neck. His ginger motions were very soothing and caused her to sigh while she closed her eyes. “That feels nice. Mmm…”

He chuckled happily, working the sponge around the back of Celestia’s neck, then Daniel moved so he could wash her barrel. Carefully, he took even strokes savoring every motion he made. Reaching lower, Daniel tended to her chest and belly, before coaxing her to move away from the wall, just a little, so he could wash the other side of her torso.

She outstretched her wings, allowing Daniel the chance to properly wash each of them. He made sure to be extra careful, as he knew her wingers were quite sensitive. Even in their soaked state, Daniel marveled at the softness of her feathers. He exhaled a joyful sigh, resting his gaze on his mare, his princess. “Celestia…I really do know how you felt just a little bit ago, when you were washing my legs.”

Celestia glanced back at him and smiled. “It sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” he admitted, tending to her lovely wings. Once he finished, he moved on and started cleaning her hind legs. Daniel began at the hoof and moved up, making circular passes around her cutie mark. “How is this feeling, by the way?”

“Delightful.” Celestia reached back her left forehoof and placed it on his shoulder.

Daniel renewed the smile on his face as he moved to wash the other side of her flank. Then, he worked down her other hind leg. Looking up, he noticed that she had already moved her tail to the side. He fought the urge to blush. After all, he was alone with her, so there really wasn’t a need to be bashful, let alone embarrassed or anything. Even so, Daniel felt that familiar warmth return to his cheeks as he finished her right hind leg.

Celestia craned her head back and noticed the red color on his cheeks. “Still a little shy, are you, Daniel?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Not so much shy…rather.” His words trailed off as he began scrubbing her rump.

She nodded her head and giggled quietly. “I see,” she sighed, “It seems like you’re being bashful, but you’re just being respectful.”

Daniel continued guiding the sponge over her hind cheeks, once again, savoring each pass. “Yeah, I think that’s a better reason.”

A soft moan escaped her mouth as she felt chills roll up her back. “Ohh…that explains why I really enjoy your touch. Though, you can always feel free to touch me, when we’re alone. I won’t mind.” Celestia gasped as she felt the sponge run across her feminine curves, while Daniel ran the sponge along her slit. “Hmm…that feels heavenly.”

He continued washing her marehood, being very gentle as he cleaned around and just inside it. “It makes me happy to know you’ve grown comfortable around me. I just don’t want you to think I’d ever take someone as special as you for granted.” Daniel finished tending to her crescent and moved to properly face her. The shower continued pelting them with its unending flow, suds slowly trailing down Celestia’s sides as she moved to share an endearing gaze with him.

Celestia patted her hoof near his heart and smiled. “I know, Daniel. You’re always so sweet, which is why I don’t think I’ll have to worry about you taking me for granted.”

Daniel lowered his head briefly as his smile grew. Then, looking back up at her, he placed his hand on her cheek. “I just realized I didn’t wash your face…or your horn. Here, let me just…” He held the sponge back into the water, rising it off, before he added some fresh gel, lathering it back up. Celestia smiled at him, while he began scrubbing her cheeks. She closed her eyes as he washed across her muzzle, working his way up to her forehead. Daniel parted her wet bangs, which normally formed a single point. Then, he began cleaning her long elegant horn. He slowed his hand, remembering that her horn was also sensitive to touch. A calming sigh met Daniel’s ears as he tenderly moved the sponge up her magical spire.

He continued his loving task, being gentle as he ran the sponge up every inch of her horn. The sponge’s motion brought a series of delightful chills that made Celestia shiver as he finished the last part of her body.

Daniel looked at her fondly, before rinsing the sponge. “That should do it. You can finish rinsing off. Then all we need to do is shampoo yet.”

Celestia nodded as she moved back into the path of the showerhead. The water bombarded her body, making the soapsuds trail down her legs and into the tub where they quickly flowed to the drain. Once she had finished rinsing, she turned to her lover. “Where’s the shampoo?”

“Right here.” He grinned, handing it to her.

Daniel joined her under the raining water as they made sure their hair was properly wet. Then, they chuckled playfully as they worked their heads into a nice lather, filling the air with the pleasant scent of the shampoo. Daniel made sure Celestia’s mane and tail received a good scrubbing and were nice and sudsy, before Celestia did the same, making sure Daniel’s hair had been properly tended to.

He looked at her, giddiness in his eyes. “Shall we?”

Celestia giggled. “Yes.”

They stood close under the showerhead and Daniel began running his hands along Celestia’s mane helping rinse the suds from her locks. She in turn worked her hoof across his head aiding the water as it cleared the shampoo from his head. A mixture of water and suds splattered to the bottom of the tub as they happily finished washing off.

After rinsing off, Daniel and Celestia stood there for a moment, under the falling water. They were staring blissfully into each other’s eyes. Daniel reached out and ran the back of his hand along her cheek. Celestia placed her hoof on his arm, giving him a longing look.

“Daniel is there something…”

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and shook his head. “No, Celestia,” Daniel moved in close, placing his arms around her. “It’s just the way you look…with your mane all wet.”

“Yes?” Celestia muttered as her lips drew nearer to his.

“I…just…this…” Daniel pressed his lips firmly to Celestia’s, feeling her immediately push back. He secured his arms around her and moved his left hand to caress her wet mane.

Celestia moaned affectionately, wrapping her right foreleg around Daniel, drawing him a little closer, while they shared a gentle sigh. As his desire grew, Daniel tapped his tongue against her lips, eager to deepen their kiss. There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation as Celestia parted her mouth and moved her tongue to join his in a passionate dance. Their moans intensified as they savored this moment of oral bliss, holding each other close and tenderly under the shower’s gentle deluge.

A few moments passed and their mouths parted, allowing them a chance to take in a few gulps of breath. Celestia stood their lightly panting, her eyes still fixed on Daniel, while he gazed right back at her, a loving smile curled onto his lips.

“I’m glad you seem to be in a loving mood as well, Daniel.” Celestia returned the favor and ran her hoof along his freshly shaved cheek.

“The way you looked…no, the way you always seem to look. I just had to kiss you again. Every time I look into your eyes, I see the wonderful mare that you are, and I realized how happy I feel, now that we’re together, despite the odds.” Daniel sighed, feeling a strong sensation in his chest.

“I know, Daniel. I feel it too…and even though we made love the past two nights…I.” Celestia grew silent, and her face became a little red.

“What is it, my love? Say whatever is in your heart. Please.” Daniel placed his hand softly along her cheek, his eyes still beaming with affection.

Her ears dropped and her face fell, for a moment, before perking right back up. She smiled, and the rosy glow still clung to her cheeks. “I guess it’s just a little embarrassing to still admit…I’m yearning for you just as much as I did two nights ago…no, actually, I think I want you even more.” Celestia turned her head back, as water from the running shower dripped from her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Daniel. A princess shouldn’t…” But she was cut off.

Daniel placed his fingers over her lips. “It’s all right, Celestia. There’s nothing wrong with a princess feeling desire. You told me that there hasn’t been anyone special in your life for so long.”

She nodded. “That’s true.”

“Well then, it’s no wonder you’re full of desire. You have someone that loves you and alicorn, princess…those titles don’t matter. You’re still a pony…a mare, Celestia. You have needs. And from what I’ve seen since we met, they’ve gone unmet for far too long.” He looked at her, his eyes glistening with emotion. “Just know I’m here for you. And you should know…” Daniel leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I want you, even more than the other night too.”

Celestia gasped and thrilled from his endearing words. “Then, let’s get out of here and…”

“No.” Daniel gave her an enticing look. “Why not here, right now? I’m all yours, my princess.” He placed his hand under her chin and lean in to kiss her muzzle.

The blush renewed on Celestia’s face, redder than before. “Yes, right here. Daniel, I need you.” She gave him a “come hither” look.

“Then have me.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. Pulling back, Daniel moved to her flank. She craned her head back, anticipation brewing in her eyes. Celestia glanced down and could tell his desire for her must be growing already as she reach back her right hoof and grazed it across his firm member.

Daniel gasped from the pleasant and startling sensation of her hoof against his flesh. She pressed against the tip of his spire, before paying some attention to the sensitive underside. “Ahh…mmm, Celestia, that feels great.”

His shuddered moan and pleasured sigh was music to her ears. Then, she noticed her tail being pushed further to the side and a familiar touch caress her mound, sweeping against her feminine curves. Celestia shivered as Daniel began tracing her crescent. “Daniel…huh…ohh…that feels so nice…more.”

“Of course,” he whispered. Daniel ran his fingers along her slit, teasing her entrance and noticing her delightful moisture begin seeping out, coating the tips of his loving digits.

Daniel’s loins tingled with invigorating delight as he noticed Celestia’s hoof continue tickling his flesh. He slid two fingers into her hungering marehood, driven by his own growing desire as she kept touching him. Daniel focused more on her and began massaging her.

Celestia’s hoof stopped, and she placed her hooves against the front wall of the shower, bracing herself. Daniel’s touch was weakening her stance a bit and she loved every motion of his fingers. A slightly louder moan slipped out as tremors of bliss quaked across her body. “Daniel…I-I don’t know if I ever said, but your fingers…hmmm…amazing.” Celestia gasped as she let her wings unfold, rising up completely.

Daniel chuckled to himself as he continued massaging her, adding just a little speed to his fingers. Celestia’s eyes had fallen shut and her head was swaying back and forth from the rapturous bliss he brought her.

“D-Daniel?” Celestia called from within her pleasure haze.

“Yes, Celestia?”

“Why don’t we move on?” She glanced back at him, still resting her hooves on the wall, while panting lightly.

Daniel moved directly behind her and noticed she parted her hind legs and even lowered herself partially to accommodate him. Celestia sighed, her breathing a bit calmer. Her face was still red as she fixed her gaze on him. He leaned over and softly rubbed her cheek with his right hand. “Are you all right, my love?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, just still feeling a little embarrassed?”

“Why? We’re alone here. Just like before, when we made love, you don’t need to worry about being anyone but yourself.” He caressed her cheek a little more than leaned in to kiss her lips.

She nodded as he pulled back. “You’re right. I guess, old habits die hard.” Celestia giggled a bit, before composing herself. “I’m ready.”

“All right, now just relax, honey.” Daniel steadied himself as he moved closer to Celestia’s waiting fruit. Instead of plowing right in, he decided to be true to himself. Daniel took a moment and rubbed his staff along the hungering folds of her crescent. The sensation was wondrous, it made his manhood tingle and stoked his mounting desire for her. Celestia’s rump twitched a little from the heavily sensation, making her cast out elated sighs.

He looked Celestia in the eye, then placed his left hand on his manhood and slowly parted her petals, as he gradually slid inside her. She moaned blissfully and hugged his manhood with her moist inner walls, welcoming him. Daniel finished entering and rested against her rump, placing his hands along her cutie marks.

He was prepared to start moving, when he noticed her walls started giving him a rather pleasant massage. “Celestia…what are you doing?”

“Do you like that?”

“Oh my goodness – yes. It’s so heavenly. Mmm.” Daniel gripped her flanks, bracing himself from this welcoming gesture of pure pleasure. It sent waves rippling from his manhood clear up his back. “You’ve never done this before.”

“I’m feeling even closer to you than before, and I wanted to show my appreciation for everything you’ve said and done.” She gave him a seductive smile, bathing him in the stare of her bedroom eyes.

Gazing back at her enticing magenta eyes, left him feeling even more elated than before. Daniel leaned forward and moved to kiss her beautiful neck. Then he softly spoke, “Let me return the favor.”

Celestia giggled, and nodded. Daniel pulled back and planted his feet firmly. Keeping his hands along her beautiful suns, he began moving on her, thrusting in and out, slowly and tenderly as he began building a rhythm and speed.

As he continued moving against her, Celestia moaned gingerly from the pleasure he was bringing her. Waves of delight began rolling across her as she let her eyes drift shut. Her breathing deepened with each passing minute. Celestia felt an added joy when she noticed Daniel begin sighing and moaning with her as he moved a little faster.

Daniel reveled, as he knew each motion brought Celestia nearly endless bliss. He wanted to show her that there was someone she could depend on to tend to her needs, someone that loved her dearly and was happy anytime they were together.

He moved his arms till he was basically hugging her as he continued his heavenly motion against her, feeling a strong stirring within his loins as he grew closer to the point of no return. Daniel’s chest heaved as his breath began to increase. He joined her in creating another harmonious chorus of blissful sighs and passionate moans.

Celestia managed to open her eyes as she saw him there, somehow making the same sweet love to her that he had twice before. The love shinned in his brown eyes when she happened to capture his gaze. She felt a joyful ache in her heart as the ecstasy their union was bringing them made her own pleasure rise to nearly the bursting point.

A few more moments passed and Celestia noticed her body tremble and twitch. Daniel heard her whimper and moan several times, before she cast out a long and blissful moan. A few seconds passed and he was unable to hold back, joining her with a pleasured moan of his own. While she gasped and moaned, he felt something spurt from her as he peaked, bursting his warm gift into her. Then to Daniel’s surprise, Celestia’s walls hugged around him and deftly squeezed with each of his bursts, followed by a few more loving clasps as he joined her in a nearly overwhelming storm of passion.

The two lovers fought to stand their ground as they gasped heavily for air. Daniel kept his arms around her barrel, holding Celestia tightly. Gradually, their breathing began to calm as they dropped to the floor of the tub, shower water still cascading down upon their exhausted bodies.

A few minutes passed. Celestia looked up as Daniel reached past her and finally turned off the water. The shower ceased and the last of the water dripped from their bodies, and flowed down the drain with a slight gurgle.

Daniel’s eyes fell upon Celestia’s face. She was smiling in between pants, now that her breathing had calmed along with his. He smiled back at her and shared a loving kiss with her. “Come on, let’s towel off.”

“Of course.” She smiled grandly at him, rubbing her right hoof under his chin. “That was simply wonderful, Daniel.”

His eyes glistened as he gazed into her magenta jewels. “Yes, it really was.” Daniel rose to his feet, and Celestia followed him shortly, standing up on her hooves.

Daniel pulled back the shower curtain and exited the tub. He turned back and reached for her hoof. Celestia smiled, offering it to him as he guided her out and onto the bathroom floor.

He grabbed some towels and spread one out on the floor for them to stand on. Then he handed one to her, which Celestia gripped in her magic. The two dried each other off, before Daniel dressed in his clean clothing and put his glasses back on.

“Come on, darling, let’s go rest on the bed for a moment.” Daniel huffed, still just slightly out of breath.

Celestia nodded. “That sounds great. I love cuddling with you.” She placed her left wing around Daniel as they departed the bathroom, and made a left outside and down to the end of the short hallway to his bedroom.

After entering the bedroom, the lovers made their way to the bed. Daniel let Celestia lay down first and then he joined her, letting himself drop down beside her. He turned to face her and moved closer to his beloved. The princess wasted no time wrapping her hooves around him, while Daniel eagerly embraced her in his arms. Their heads sank into the pillows as they laid there, staring affectionately at each other. Daniel sighed, nuzzling his cheek to hers. Celestia rubbed back, cooing and ending with a sigh. “I love you, Daniel.”

He squeezed her tighter and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Celestia.”

The two continued lounging on the bed, listening to each other breath and feeling the other’s warm breath pool along their faces.

Celestia sighed as she started into his eyes, caressing his chest with her left hoof. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

Daniel chuckled, running his fingers through her silky mane. “Same here.” He giggled a little, as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “That was quite a homecoming.”

Celestia kissed his cheek. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed all of it.”

“I did. Your naughty dancing was really hot. Then cuddling and dancing together. Followed by showering…and making love.” Daniel sighed happily. “And now I’m just looking forward to a quiet evening, just you and me.”

She shared his relaxing sigh. “That sounds wonderful.” Celestia ran her hoof through his brown hair and giggled.

“I love it when you laugh or giggle. It makes me happy.”

Celestia blushed and resumed running her hoof across his chest. “You’re always so sweet.” She sighed again. “I hope I get to spend a long time with you.”

Daniel stroked the fur along her barrel, enjoying its velvety texture. “It’s my hope as well.”

She gave him a squeeze with her forelegs and nuzzled him amorously. Daniel happily reciprocated enjoying each heavenly moment, especially since he had just recently shaved.

Daniel took a deep breath as he stayed beside Celestia. He ran his fingers along her left foreleg. “Hey, I was just thinking about something you had said last week.”

She looked at him thoughtfully. “Oh?”

“Yeah. You asked if I had any interests or careers in mind, besides my current job.”

“I did. But go on.”

He glanced up at the ceiling before returning his eyes to her. “Well, I have an interest, but it’s something I’ll probably never be able to make a career out of.”

“What is it?” Celestia asked filling with intrigue.

“It’s nothing special, but, why don’t I show you.” Daniel went to move, but still had a loving pair of forelegs wrapped around him. “Um, could you let me go for a moment, my love.”

Celestia chuckled sheepishly. “Oh, of course.” She removed her hooves, allowing him to get out of bed.

Daniel walked a little shakily, gaining his footing. Then, he walked over to a shelf near his computer. He removed a curious object from it. Celestia couldn’t get a good look at it at first.

He returned to her and sat down on the edge of the bed. Daniel showed her the item.

She gasped. “That’s an…ocarina.”

“Yes. I got this from a site that made working replicas based off Alex's ocarina from “Lunar”. I’m not really good and only know a few songs, mostly from “Lunar”, but still, I could play for you, if you’d like.”

Celestia sat up, and moved closer to Daniel. Her eyes bubbled with excitement as she smiled at him. “Oh yes, I’d love that. And don’t worry, I’m sure you’re playing will be just fine.”

Daniel smiled. “I hope so.”

Celestia ran a hoof along his left arm. “So, what are you going to play for me?”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, gripping his musical instrument. “A song from "Lunar" called “Dragon – Someday”. I know it’s juvenile of me, but I really like this song, because it lets me space out and wonder if someone like me could actually be a hero.” Daniel bit his lower lip and sighed. “Like I said, it’s juvenile.”

As he turned to look at her, Daniel didn’t see an ounce of contempt on Celestia’s face. Rather, her eyes just glistened with hope as she smiled. “I don’t believe that. Now, would you play for me…please?”

Daniel nodded while he laughed, she just never ceased to amaze him. Daniel focused and took in a deep breath, then brought the ocarina to his mouth. He began playing the song.

Celestia laid there as the melody began filling the room and danced into her ears, which twitched lightly as he played. Daniel’s playing was very impressive to Celestia, there were some notes he didn’t hit perfectly, but regardless there was harmony in the notes he played.

The princess leaned close and laid her head on Daniel’s lap. She looked up at him and caught his glance. Celestia gave him eyes teeming with gratitude. Daniel kept playing and closed his eyes, but as she glance his way again, Celestia noticed a tear roll down his cheek.

(Pause till song ends)

Daniel reached the end of the song, which had lasted a little over a minute. He removed the ocarina from his mouth and sniffled. Celestia threw her hooves around him, pulling him close. He looked her way and smiled.

“That was beautiful, but…” she brushed a hoof along his cheek. “Why are you crying?”

He exhaled quietly. “It was a combination of things. But, I was mostly just feeling lost in the moment, while playing for you.”

She smiled. “I thought as much. But, Daniel…what you told me before you played, it’s not juvenile. Everyone has the right to dream.”

Daniel smiled at her. “Yeah. You’re right. It’s just probably a silly dream to most.”

Celestia patted his cheek, her magenta eyes still gleaming with hope. “It’s not silly to you. Dreams are what help guide us, so don’t be too quick to belittle yourself.”

He chuckled, because he knew she was right. “That’s one of the many things I love about you, Celestia. You make me feel hopeful.”

The two shared another hug, and Celestia sighed. “I’m just returning the favor.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, why don’t we go make something for dinner? I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up a pretty big appetite.”

Daniel laughed as they rose from the bed. “You know what? So have I. Come on.” He placed the instrument back on the shelf in its place of honor, then rejoined his mare. “What are you in the mood for this evening? I did get some things at the store.”

“Well, let’s just see what you brought and go from there.” She smiled at him and Daniel nodded cheerfully. Celestia playfully bumped against him as they left his bedroom and made their way to the kitchen.

Author's Note

I just wanted to mention, for those of you curious about the plot and the upcoming conflict I spoke of in the comments. Either the end of chapter 9 or the beginning of chapter 10 will see things coming to light, following the long awaited "waterfall" scene, which will be in the next chapter. I didn't plan everything that happened in this chapter originally, but one thing led to another and I'm honestly very pleased with how the chapter turned out.

Jaydex

Chapter 9 - "A Dream Worth Keeping"

The remainder of the week had come and gone, and much to Daniel and Celestia’s delight the weekend was just around the corner.

It was a calm Friday night. The two lovers were laying together in Daniel’s bed after having enjoyed a passionate session of lovemaking. Daniel was on his back, still huffing a bit for breath. “Whoa.” He lightly gasped. “I think it keeps getting better every time we do this, Celestia.”

“Yes.” Celestia chuckled softly as she rested there beside him, breathing deeply. “I think you’re right. Mmm…and it seems after waiting a few nights, this last time was even…more wondrous.” She smiled over at him in the soft light of his room.

Daniel pushed up his glasses and nodded. “Definitely. And it wasn’t exactly by choice either.” He laughed sheepishly.

“I know, you forgot one of your coworkers was going on vacation and you suddenly had to stay late the past few nights because of it.” Celestia sighed as she ran her bare hoof over his cheek. “But thankfully, you didn’t have to stay as late tonight, and we got to enjoy dinner and then this wonderful time together.”

He ran his right hand along the white fur of her slender barrel. “Yeah, and since today was my last day this week, I found the drive I was lacking the past two nights.” Daniel kissed Celestia’s lips softly and swept his fingers along her gorgeous mane. Then, he stared into her shimmering magenta eyes. “I’m so glad you weren’t upset. I just know I came home beat the past few evenings.”

“Of course I understood. Seeing how you looked when you came home, all disheveled.” Celestia giggled. “It reminded me of those long days in court and taking care of all my other royal duties. Like you, I remember plenty of days where I just wanted to come home, get a cool shower and then flop into my bed and pass out for a while.” Celestia placed a hoof to her mouth as she laughed. “Not a very fitting image for a princess.”

Daniel continued stroking her hair, while sharing her laughter. “Maybe not to some, but it just shows that princesses are people too. Or in your case, a pony.” He grinned.

She smiled and rubbed her nose against his, while lightly sighing. Daniel hugged her briefly, before running his hand along her velvety belly. He heard a faint gurgle just as Celestia belched softly.

Her cheeks turned red as she sat up and covered her mouth. “Excuse me.”

Daniel snickered. “Did you just burp?”

She nodded. “Yes, and it’s so unladylike. I’m really forgetting myself, since I’ve been staying with you.” Celestia shook her head. “I’m becoming a terrible princess.”

Daniel ran his hand along her shoulder. “Ah, you’re fine. It’s no big deal. We’re alone, and I think it’s just a sign that you’re comfortable and relaxed around me.”

Celestia smiled. “You’re right. I guess old habits die hard. I’m just so used to having to present myself in a proper manner.”

“And you do that just fine. I’m sure you’ll be the perfect princess once you get back to ruling over your subjects.”

“Thank you, Daniel.” He shared her smile, while Celestia lightly licked her chops. “Mmm, I’m still tasting dinner. That vegetable lo mein was delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. And Peking Garden was on the way home from work, so it seemed like a good idea for dinner.”

“It really was.” Celestia sighed letting herself drop back down beside Daniel.

“Do they have Chinese food or something like it in Equestria?” Daniel began twirling a small lock of her mane, while he waited for her response.

Celestia took a deep breath, while enjoying his ginger touch. “They do, only it’s named a little different. Dishes like the ones we had for dinner are a lot like the food they enjoy in Hoofina. Equestria has plenty of Hoofinese restaurants. You really get a spiced up taste of the Orient when you eat at one.”

“Hoofinese food.” Daniel nodded. “From what I’ve heard so far, I’m loving the subtle but similar nuances of your world.” He ran the back of his hand along her silky mane, staring at her with fond eyes.

Celestia ran her hoof along his shoulder and forearm, sharing his loving gaze. “I’m glad you do.”

Daniel smiled. “So, where would I find the best Hoofinese food?”

The princess thought for a moment. “Well, the Neighjing Palace in Canterlot has really good noodles, a very tasty dumpling soup and quite a few other dishes, but, if you want to enjoy the truly best Hoofinese food, you’d want to go to Manehattan.”

Daniel chuckled for a bit. “Another similarity. Here in the United States, New York City or Manhattan is known for having some of the best Chinese food.”

Celestia wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him close. “Well then, if you really enjoy Chinese food in your world, we’ll need to take a trip to Manehattan when you join me in Equestria.”

Daniel placed his arms around her and held her back. “That’d be nice. You’ve got me curious how Hoofinese food would compare to Chinese food. But, we wouldn’t need to hit Manehattan right away. I’d be happy to check out the Neighjing Palace. I suspect there will be a lot to see in Canterlot.” He began rubbing his cheek along hers, enjoying her fur’s velvety softness.

“Mmm, yes, there is plenty to see there.” Celestia sighed. “And it will be so nice to have someone like you to share the sights of Equestria with, Daniel.”

“Celestia.” He whispered softly, still stroking her mane. “Oh, and while it may not be part of your world. Tomorrow, we’ll be able to enjoy one of the sights of my world, together.”

“Yes, the waterfalls.” Celestia closed her eyes and smiled as she nuzzled him. “Then, why don’t we get some rest.”

Daniel nodded, before letting out a partially stifled yawn. “Yeah, sleep sounds nice. Then after a light breakfast, we can gather some things and leave for our trip. It should be a beautiful day.”

“Hmm, I can hardly wait.” Celestia giggled as she used her magic to pull the covers over them.

Daniel removed his glasses and set them on the nightstand, before turning off the lamp. Darkness filled the room as the lovers shared a lengthy goodnight kiss.

“Till morning.”

Daniel yawned again. “T-till morning, my love.”

The two laid their weary heads down, cuddled close and in mere moments had fallen asleep.

* * * * * *

After enjoying a good night’s sleep, Daniel and Celestia awoke to a gorgeous sunny day. Like they planned, the two shared a light breakfast and had begun preparing for their trip to the falls.

Celestia took a deep breath and sighed. “Mmm, nothing like a good morning stretch.” She snickered softly as she donned her regalia, making sure her crown and necklace were even. Checking her reflection in the vanity mirror, she gave a nod, before turning her head back toward Daniel.

Daniel let out a short, late morning, yawn as he put on his shoes. “Yeah, I know I love a good stretch.” He finished tying both shoes, and rose from his bed energetically. “Okay. Now, I just need to double-check the things I packed for our lunch. Uh, you sure you want to fly us and carry things in your saddlebags?” He gave her an inquisitive look.

Celestia closed her eyes and smiled. “Of course. I don’t mind. Besides, I’d love a chance to spread my wings again. Our flight the other day was wonderful.”

Daniel tilted his head back and recalled their last flight. He stared half dreamily toward the vanity recalling the exhilaration of riding on Celestia’s back as she carried them high into the sky.

“Yeah…you’re right.” He chuckled. “It would be perfect.”

“That’s why I don’t mind.” Celestia’s horn lit up as she picked up her pale yellow saddlebags, which bore her sun cutie mark and set them softly on her back. “I’m sure I could get these myself, but, Daniel, would you mind lending me a hoof…err…a hand.” She smiled playfully, closing her eyes.

Daniel chuckled again as he walked over to her. “I’d be delighted.” He stooped down beside her and reached under her belly. Carefully grabbing the bottom straps, he secured her saddlebags, making sure not to pull them too tight.

Celestia sighed contently as she enjoyed the brush of his hands along the fur of her belly. Ever since their first kiss and cuddle, she’s never been able to get enough of his loving touch.

Daniel rose to his feet and softly patted Celestia’s back. “There you are, Celestia, my love.” He chuckled warmly, while briefly closing his eyes.

She walked over to the mirror and turned to the side, so she could examine her bags. The alicorn swayed and lightly flexed her hips as she gave another nod. “Yep, that will do nicely.” Celestia stepped over to Daniel and planted a loving kiss on his lips. “Mwa. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He smiled, sweeping his hand along the top portion of her bangs, near her crown. “Let’s make sure we have everything before we go. Why don’t you get the things from here and I’ll go double check that all the food and drinks are securely packed for our trip.”

“All right. I’ll be out as soon as I’ve finished in here.”

Daniel nodded, then exited his room. He made his way down the short hallway and into the living room. There, he passed the sofa and paused for a bit, before running his hand along the back of it. Daniel stood there for a moment and recalled the first night Celestia had stayed with him. He remembered checking on her while she slept on the couch. His hand moved further down and bumped into the draped blanket, the same one he had covered her with.

As he stood there, it seemed so much had happened since Celestia’s arrival. Huh. Hard to imagine that two weeks ago I was alone. It’s been really nice having Celestia here. Daniel stayed in thought for a few more moments, before he shook his head. Well, I’d better make sure everything is ready. He laughed to himself. Wouldn’t want to keep my princess waiting.

He made his way to the kitchen. Then, he proceeded to check on the items he packed for the picnic, which they were planning to enjoy once they arrived at the waterfalls. Daniel doubled checked everything, just as he heard Celestia call.

“I’m done in the bedroom. How are things going out there?”

He turned toward the hallway, just as Celestia emerged. “Everything’s ready here, we just need to load it into your saddlebags.”

She joined Daniel at the kitchen counter. He proceeded to load the carefully packaged food and beverage items into her bags. The drinks had been packed in a small vinyl cooler and were being chilled with ice packs, just as the food items were packed in a similar container, while the other items, like the bread, snacks and condiments were in more of a loosely bagged manner.

“There, that’s everything.” Daniel pulled the flaps over her saddlebags and secured their straps.

“Good, I haven’t been relaxing too much, the extra weight I’ll be carrying won’t be a problem. I was afraid I might be losing some of my strength.” She grinned.

“With the way you keep busy around the house? Besides, it’s only been a few weeks since you arrived here.” Daniel smiled, patting her back.

“Yes, so then why does it feel like I’ve been here longer than that?” She placed a curious hoof to her chin, while giving wonder.

“Hard to say. Time can be funny like that. Well, are you ready?”

Celestia nodded. “I am. Come on.”

The two left out the back door, and Daniel locked it behind them. Then he followed her to the area just beyond his garden. Celestia let him hop onto her back.

He leaned against the back of her head briefly. “All right, I’m all set, Celestia.”

She giggled warmly and gave a firm nod. “Okay, Daniel. Hold tight.”

Celestia took off at a strong trot and worked her way into a full gallop. Now that she was racing along the grassy ground, she spread her feathery white wings in a majestic fashion and began flapping them vigorously. Daniel glanced down and saw that they were lifting off the ground, and had quickly begun gaining altitude.

He held on tight to Celestia as she continued climbing into the air. In a matter of minutes the couple was airborne. Shaking his head, Daniel started looking around. His mouth nearly fell open as he beheld the vista unfurling before him. They weren’t flying too high, but even from Celestia’s altitude, everything seemed so picturesque. The roads, the grassy fields, the various houses and even the city off in the distance. All of it seemed so wondrous.

Celestia glanced back at Daniel. “How are you doing back there? My take off wasn’t too rough, I hope.”

Daniel shook his head. “No. It was fine. I just can’t get over this view.” He leaned close and lightly nuzzled Celestia’s flowing mane, which whipped lightly against him. “You must feel so lucky that you have the ability to fly.”

Celestia giggled. “There are many times having wings is extremely handy. But, Daniel.”

“Yeah.”

She smiled, while giving him loving eyes. “Not until our first flight, have I found even more joy in being able to fly.”

“Awww,” Daniel placed his left hand over his heart. “That means a lot, Celestia.” He secured his arms around her neck and leaned against her affectionately.

Celestia sighed softly and savored his hug, while she continued flapping her beautiful wings in smooth even strokes.

Daniel eased his grip around her and sat up on her back. Returning his gaze to the ground, he began searching for landmarks.

“Do you know how much farther we’ll have to go? Does anything look familiar?”

He continued looked around. It was then that he sighed. The sensation of the wind breezing across his face and rustling through his hair made him close his eyes.

“Daniel?” She glanced back.

“Sorry. It’s just a wonderful feeling when the wind blows around me like this. Standing in front of a fan seems bland by comparison.” Daniel gave another look and patted Celestia’s back. “Yeah. I think we’re getting close. There are very few houses in the area and the trees are getting thicker. It’s just a little different from up here.”

Celestia chuckled. “The ground certainly does look different when you’re flying.”

“I’ll say. It’s like looking at an actual real-life map. Wait?!”

“Yes?” She turned back again, giving him an inquisitive blink.

He leaned around the left side of her head, making sure to continue holding on tightly. “Over there.” Daniel pointed. “I can’t be sure, but that looks like the place. I’m just not used to seeing it from above.”

Celestia placed a hoof just above her eyes and stared closely. “You mean right there, by that small rocky area near the water?”

Daniel nodded. “Yeah. That looks like it. At least I think so, anyway.”

She smiled. “Only one way to find out.”

Daniel snickered. “You’re right.”

“Hold on. We’re going in for a landing.” Celestia smiled confidently as she began banking and started her descent.

In minutes, they came in for a smooth landing. Celestia touched down elegantly and trotted on the flat grassy area just outside the tree line where she came to rest.

She huffed a little and folded her wings. “Well, we’re down. But is this the place?”

Daniel pulled his left leg over and turned. Celestia lowered herself as he hopped down. His shoes came in contact with the soft grass as he attempted to get his footing. Daniel staggered for a moment. “Whoa. We weren’t up there that long, yet, I feel a little disoriented.”

Celestia placed a hoof over her mouth and giggled. “You still aren’t used to flying on an alicorn. I know some ponies that have had similar problems when they ride on one of Canterlot’s Pegasus chariots. The feeling should pass.” She smiled and walked over to him.

Daniel looked at her and smiled as he gave her a hug. “Celestia.”

She patted his back, then noticed him looking around. “Daniel?”

“I think all we need to do is go that way through this small stretch of woods and we’ll be there.” He chuckled. “The sound of the falls and the smell of the surrounding dampness will also give us a clue.”

“All right then. Lead on.”

The two of them left their landing spot and trudged onward into the flock of trees. Their thick leafy branches blotted out a good deal of the sun, casting a series of shadows on them. Daniel glanced up and saw rays of sunlight poke through the small holes in the forest canopy. It made for a lovely setting as he strolled closer to Celestia.

“I almost forgot how beautiful this forest can be.”

Celestia joined him in admiring the ambience. “It really is lovely. Made even better with someone special to share it with.”

He nodded. “Exactly.” Daniel sniffed a bit and noticed the air around them seemed to be growing just a bit stickier. “I think we’re getting close. There’s definitely something damp nearby.”

Celestia chuckled under her breath. While she didn’t let her mind wonder into the gutter too often, she couldn’t help but think just how right Daniel was. Only it wasn’t a waterfall that was making anything damp. She just closed her eyes briefly and shook her head, deciding it better to maintain her elegance as a princess. Though, part of her suspected Daniel wouldn’t have minded.

Celestia startled slightly as she felt Daniel’s hand on her shoulder. “Huh? What is it?”

“We’re here.” Daniel reached out his left arm with his hand opened in a presenting fashion.

Celestia stepped forward and exited the trees. She emerged into a small field and her eyes met a large glistening pond. It wasn’t quite as large as a lake, but it was equally lovely.

Celestia continued looking around half in awe. The water swirled with gentle waves that funneled into a small creek along the southeast corner of the pond. Her ears twitched as she caught the sound of falling water. She sniffed and caught the scent of fresh water as she continued walking along the shallow bank of the tiny lake. Looking up, she saw Daniel’s waterfall. Two small contributors joined the large central flow in making up the falls.

It was truly beautiful, but as Celestia looked around, she couldn’t help but think something was missing. This hardly seemed as grand as Daniel promised. Unless, this was the most impressive waterfall he’d ever seen in person. She looked back, glancing at him curiously. “Daniel?”

He walked up beside her, all smiles as he placed a hand around the back of her neck. “It’s been a while, but I never grow tired of seeing it.” Daniel turned to Celestia. “So, what do you think of it?”

Celestia tried to conceal her disappointment. While it was beautiful in its own respect, it just paled compared to her expectations. “It’s lovely. Only, somehow I expected something a bit more…I don’t know. Larger or more divine.”

Daniel’s face fell. “Oh, you don’t like it?” He nodded and sighed. “What was I thinking. You’re from another world. And you can fly. The falls you’ve seen on your world are probably far grander than this.”

She smiled and placed a foreleg around him. “Now, now, my love, I didn’t mean to imply this is a bad thing. It’s just.” Celestia’s ears twitched. “Given how much noise this falls is making, I thought it’d be a little more…” Celestia cast her eyes up to the top of the falls, which wasn’t really all that high. It fell no more than twenty feet to the large pool at its foamy base. “Hmm, have you ever been up there?” She pointed to the top of the falls.

Daniel followed her hoof and studied the rocky face of the cliff. “No.” He shook his head. “I’ve come here for years, but never really thought about climbing up there. Well, not without needing the proper equipment.”

Celestia rubbed her gilded hoof over her chin, then smiled at Daniel. “How would you like to see what’s up there?”

He looked up there and smiled. “Of course! But, do you have enough room to fly us up there?”

Her smile grew. “We don’t need to fly. Don’t forget, I have magic.”

Daniel nodded. “Right, I know. But…”

“Have you ever wanted to teleport?” Celestia’s eyes brimmed with excitement.

His mouth slowly dropped open and his eyes sparkled just like hers. “That’d be incredible.”

She moved closer to him. “Then place your hand on my back.”

Daniel placed his right hand against her soft fur. “All right.”

“Here we go.” She chuckled softly as her horn began to glow.

In seconds they whisked away in a shimmer of golden light and rematerialized at the top of the cliff.

Daniel took a deep breath as the glow faded away. “Wow. That was like going down a hill really fast.” He snickered. “It tickled my stomach.”

“That’s one of the things I enjoy about teleporting. Along with how quick a way it can be to travel.”

Daniel looked himself over and noticed that he didn’t feel funny. “Huh. I’ve read plenty of books and seen a number of TV shows that suggest teleporting is often painful or extremely disorienting.”

Celestia shook her head. “Not that I’ve ever experienced.”

She turned and walked away from Daniel, just as he followed her. Celestia soaked in the sight that sprawled before them. “Oh my…Daniel.”

He stopped right beside her and placed his arm around her. “Wow…Celestia…I never dreamed.” Daniel gasped.

At the top of the cliff, the two discovered the source of the extra noise they thought the falls below had been making. Here, they saw an even larger pond, fed from four breathtaking waterfalls. Each one splashing down across rocks and in some cases stepping down from the side of the large rocky cliffs above.

They stood there, some forty feet from the bank of the large plunge pool. The area was made even more amazing thanks to the beautiful oak and maple tress that grew in the grassy floor around the falls. There was at least a dozen trees spaced out before the cascading water. And if that didn’t make the area amazing enough, a series of three small creeks flowed around the trees and merged where they joined the falls below, where Daniel and Celestia had just been.

Celestia continued taking in the gorgeous sight. “Oh my. This is worthy of some of the falls I’ve seen in Equestria.”

“All these years, I never imagined something like this was up here.” Daniel shook his head. “And to think, it was just out of reach. I searched for a way up, but as you saw from below.” He sighed.

“Yes, there wasn’t any way up.” She giggled. “Well, not without a little magical assistance.”

The princess took a deep breath and exhaled contently. The sun basked its golden rays on her white back. “The sun is adding to this wonderful setting. Ooh, but it feels a little warm today. Don’t you think so, Daniel?”

Daniel ran his hand through his short brown locks. The back of his head was indeed warm under the sun’s glow. “Yeah. It’s warmer than I expected it’d be.”

Celestia smiled. “Then let’s go over to one of those trees, near the waterfalls.”

“I’m way ahead of you.” He laughed as they walked over to one of the leafy oak trees. “This one looks perfect.”

She examined the tree and nodded. “It does indeed. Here, mind help me with these straps.”

Daniel smiled happily as he knelt down and loosened the straps on her saddlebags. “There you are, my princess.” He sighed.

She closed her eyes. “Thank you.” Celestia used her magic to carefully lift the bags off her back and set them gently along the base of the tree. “There. Now, it’s still a little early for lunch. What do you say we give the falls a closer look? Maybe see how cool and refreshing the water might feel?” Celestia smiled as she slipped off all four of her elegant hoof guards.

“I’d love to.” Daniel leaned against the trunk of the oak and removed each of his shoes and then proceeded to take off his socks. After placing his footwear out of the way, the two left the tree.

Celestia trotted over to the bank of the large pool, and turned back, smiling at Daniel. He took a long glance around and smiled, seeing as Celestia standing there made this area seem like something out of a wonderful dream.

He walked over to her as they stood in awe of the little slice of paradise. Celestia turned and looked deep into Daniel’s eyes. She moved close and rested her head along his chest, while he reached under her chin and gingerly stroked her velvety cheek. Daniel sighed dreamily, while resting his chin on top of her head, right between her horn and crown.

He turned to hold her close, savoring another moment with his beloved. They moved apart and made their way to the edge of the pool. Daniel sat down along the bank and trailed his toes along the cool mirrored surface of the water, before plunging his left foot into the pool.

Celestia smiled as she sat down and ran her right forehoof in the refreshing water, making small circles. She looked up and saw Daniel standing, ankle deep, in the pond. He motioned for her to join him. Celestia smiled as she rose and stepped in after him.

They wadded around the shallows smiling and continuing to enjoy the tranquility of the falls. Then for a moment, Daniel stood idle. A fleeting sense of isolation struck him, until Celestia lightly nudged him, bringing yet another cheerful smile to his face.

Daniel took another long stare at the falling water, then heard Celestia call out, “Hey, Daniel.”

He turned her way. “Yeah?”

She sunk her hoof into the water and flicked it up at him, splashing him in the face. “Gotcha!”

Daniel laughed as he bent down, plunging his left hand into the pond. “Oh, Celestia!” He grinned returning the favor.

“Wha?!” He splashed her back, right in the face.

She splashed him again, and then, instead of splashing her, Daniel promptly rushed over, playfully tackling her. They toppled into the cool water, and sat there for a moment, before breaking into a fit of laughter as they helped each other up.

Celestia grinned as she moved closer to Daniel and turned the tables, tackling him. This quickly led to a watery tussle between them as they splashed and frolicked near the shore.

Daniel lay on his back as Celestia stood over him, resting her right hoof on his chest. “All right, all right. Uncle…ha, ha, ha.” He laughed holding up his hands in defeat. “I yield. You got me.”

She chuckled as she let him go. But as Celestia went to retract her foreleg, she discovered that Daniel had snagged it in his hands. “Hey, let go.” Celestia gave him an annoyed look, but quickly broke out into a smile.

“Ha, ha, got you.”

Celestia leaned down closer to Daniel, just as he let go of her hoof. Water still trailed and dripped from her face as he smiled, looking up at her between the watery streaks on his glasses. She closed her eyes as her lips drew closer to his until they met for a loving kiss. Daniel reached up and placed his arms around her neck and pulled her closer. Their lips wrestled amorously as their kiss deepened. They both moaned softly, keeping their lips locked a while longer. Celestia pulled back as their kiss ended. Then, she helped Daniel get back onto his feet. He stood with his arm around her and she rested her head along his shoulder.

A few seconds passed and Daniel tapped her shoulder. "Celestia, look at this." She turned his way and followed his pointing hand. Celestia's face lit up as she discovered that a partial rainbow had formed from the way the sunlight was hitting the falls. It added even more wonderment to this small slice of heaven.

Celestia sighed, before they made their way out of the water and back onto the grassy shore. Daniel removed his glasses and noticed that his clothes were drenched. He snickered. “Gee, maybe I shouldn’t have tackled you.”

She blinked at him. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, we’re both soaked. I didn’t think to bring a change of clothes or a towel for that matter.” Daniel held up his glasses. “And I should have left these by the tree.”

Celestia giggled again. “Perhaps, but there’s no need to worry. I think I can help. Watch this.”

“Huh?” Daniel looked at her funny.

Her horn lit up with its golden orange glow and the water dripping from them both began to fade in almost an instant. Daniel felt a brief rush of heat roll over him, then as he patted himself, he noticed his clothing was dry, glancing over at his glasses, he noticed they were free of water as well.

Daniel turned to Celestia. “That’s was awesome!”

Celestia smiled. “Yes well, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn more than a few useful spells.”

He nodded. “I’ll say. Come on.” He put his glasses back on. “Let’s head back to the tree.”

“All right.” She bumped against him as they made their way back to the oak tree.

Celestia laid down under the tree’s shady branches and Daniel sat down beside her. “That was fun.” He chuckled. “It reminded me of the fight we had over the water hose shortly after you arrived.”

“I remember.” Celestia smiled, while she ran her bare hoof under his chin. “I hope we do something like that again. I’d love for it to end in a heated kiss.” She sighed. “Like we just did.”

Daniel chuckled softly, as he ran his fingers along her colorful mane. “Yeah, or maybe even more than a kiss.”

Celestia blushed as she shared a brief nuzzle with him. “That would be wonderful.”

He glanced over at the saddlebags. “Still think it’s too early for lunch?”

She shook her head. “Not anymore.”

Daniel opened the saddlebags and reached in for the cooler with their drinks and the other container that had their food.

He placed all the items onto a small picnic blanket Celestia had set up while he rummaged. Daniel chuckled a little as he eyed the things they brought. “I know it may be simple and even a little cliché, but I hope peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will be all right for lunch.” He grinned.

Celestia leaned over and softly kissed his cheek. “You know they’re fine. It’s refreshing to eat something simple.” She closed her eyes and nodded. “Did I ever tell you about my typical lunches and dinners back in Canterlot?”

Daniel shook his head as he prepped two paper plates and set two slices of bread onto each. “No. Actually you didn’t.” He reached for the jar of peanut butter and began unscrewing the lid.

Celestia gazed out over the falls and sighed in a rather frustrated manner. “Well, each meal was like eating at a fancy restaurant or a banquet. It was never anything simple. Usually one of the chef’s specialty dish or dishes, which would be served with numerous sides, soups, salads and even assorted breads. It was always more than I had room for. I’d tell the chefs not to prepare so much, but they wouldn’t hear it.”

“Wow, so it was like a big feast for every meal then?” Daniel looked at her in amazement, while spreading a generous coating of peanut butter on the first slice of each sandwich.

“Yes. Thankfully, they did honor my wishes and shared the leftovers with my guards and servants in the castle. I told them after the first meal’s leftovers they threw out, that I was never again to hear of them wasting such valuable food.” Celestia hung her head. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to have such variety, but I think I relished the meals I ate alone in my room when paperwork kept me busy and isolated. Those were always smaller and much simpler.”

Daniel reached for the jelly. “Did you want grape or strawberry jelly?”

“Grape will be fine.”

Daniel smiled as he popped the top on the squeeze bottle. “It sounds to me that you really needed this vacation. Seems you are all but a prisoner in an ivory tower.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” She took a deep breath and looked over at him. “I must admit, there have been days that ruling over a kingdom was almost too much to bear. That’s why it’s great having my sister back. But, this is my first real chance at some time off in…” Celestia placed a hoof to her chin. “I can’t remember.” Her eyes widened. “It may even have been a few centuries since my last vacation. Maybe even more.”

“Too long it seems.” Daniel shook his head as he completed their sandwiches. “Well, right now you’re here with me, and away from your royal duties.”

Celestia chuckled and smiled. “You’re right.” She sighed as she stared fondly at him. “Here with you, I can finally get a chance to relax – even if only for a little while.”

Daniel ran his hand along her mane. “Yes. And, I hope you’re hungry. Because lunch is ready.”

Celestia smiled and nodded. “I sure am.” She eyed up the simple sandwich resting on the plate Daniel presented to her. Carefully, she took the plate in her hooves and set it on the blanket. Then, opting for her magic, she lifted the sandwich off her plate. Opening her mouth, she took a modest bite and began chewing it. There was the immediate robust flavor of the thick hearty peanut butter, then the sweet tang of the grape jelly surrounded by the soft and chewy bread. The morsel danced across her taste buds causing Celestia to close her eyes, while she savored the taste. “Bis is gud,” she said with her mouth still partially full. She swallowed thickly and gasped, placing both her hooves over her mouth. “Oh no, I did it again.”

Daniel chucked at her. “Don’t worry.”

Celestia blinked. “Worry? I’m the ruler of Equestria. And a princess should never talk with her mouth full.”

He just continued to smile. “Yes well, the princess has a little jelly on her lips, right…” Daniel leaned in and licked it off her lip. “Here.”

Celestia quickly forgot what she was worried about. Her eyes fell partially shut as she saw Daniel move in to kiss her. “Mmmm…” She moaned softly, ignoring the voice in her head that said kissing someone while eating is so unladylike. Instead, she wrapped her hooves around Daniel and just enjoyed the love she felt from him, as their lips remained joined.

Their lips broke, while Daniel smiled at her. “I couldn’t resist, and the kiss…”

Celestia sighed contently. “The kiss was great. And thank you for helping me see I was overreacting again.”

He nodded slowly. “Of course. I know there is a lot of demand on you as a princess, but remember, when you’re with me, don’t feel so pressured to be perfect.” Daniel caressed her silky locks. “I know I don’t expect you to be perfect…all though, hmm, I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” He chuckled. “Now me on the other hand. I’m so not perfect. That’s why you can be yourself with me.”

Celestia brushed her hoof through his hair and let it come to rest on his shoulder. She shook her head. “No, Daniel…you’re incredible. I’ve never really thought about it before, well not too much anyway.”

“Thought about what?”

“Just being myself. While I ruled Equestria for that long 1,000 years, I always had to represent both Canterlot and the crown everywhere I went. I was always expected to be prim, proper and elegant. Many of which are the qualities a ruler must always employ when handling the mantle of leadership.” Celestia sighed and looked back at Daniel. “I’ve had to be a princess and a ruler for so long, that there have been more than a few times I’ve nearly forgotten who I really am. I mean…” She paused.

Daniel put his plate down and moved closer to her. He looked deep into her eyes, then placed his arm around her. “Go on.”

“The warmth I give to my subjects and the love and care I have for each of them, that’s not just for show. That is part of who I am. It’s just there are times, like the ones I’ve spent with you, where I’d enjoy eating a simply meal like this, have fun sleeping in late or taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon. And doing things that we’ve done, like wrestle over a garden hose or even like now, enjoying a trip to someplace remote with no responsibilities.”

He nuzzled her cheek. “Well, at least for now, you can enjoy all of that. But, after you return to Equestria, you should really think about taking vacation a lot more often. Don’t wait until it’s been centuries again.”

Celestia nodded and let out a sigh. “You’re right. I should consider my own needs as well as those of my subjects.”

“There you go. And Luna can help you rule, right?”

“Yes, she can. Thank you, Daniel. Now, shall we finish lunch?”

“Of course.” Daniel nodded, grabbing another item from the food bag. “Here.” He opened a bag of chips. “I know these aren’t really healthy, but they always go good with a sandwich.”

Celestia’s eyes brightened. “Ah, potato chips. I haven’t had any of those in quite a while. They are usually something I get to enjoy at parties and cookouts in small towns like Ponyville.”

Daniel smiled and said, “Then here.” He held the bag up for her. “Help yourself, my love.”

She smiled. “Awww, thank you, sweetheart.” Celestia used her magic and plucked at few chips from the bag. She crunched down on one and enjoyed the solid texture and crispiness of the chip, followed by its salty potato flavor that traveled along her tongue courtesy of the flavor savoring oil the snack had been fried in. “Mmm. These are good.”

“I’m glad you like them.”

Celestia raised her sandwich. “This is delightful as well.” Then, she proceeded to take another bite. Daniel smiled as he picked up his plate and joined her as they finished their lunch.

After their meal, Daniel cleaned things up and got them each a bottle of cold spring water to enjoy. The noon sun had warmed things up considerable, which made the couple even happier to be under the cool shadow of a tall oak tree.

Celestia stretched her wings, then tucked them back as she laid partially on her side. Her long colorful mane draped along her left side as she smiled, taking in a deep breath through her nose and sighing out through her mouth. Celestia’s smile grew as she felt Daniel brush against her side, sitting close to her. “This has been a wonderful day.”

“That it has.” Daniel looked over and saw Celestia had her eyes closed. He smiled as he held his ocarina up to his lips and began to play a song he knew she’d recognize.

Celestia’s ears began to twitch as she heard the sweet tune of “Althena’s Song” fill the air. Daniel kept playing, and then he paused as he heard Celestia start vocalizing the tune in a series of "la’s”, just as the character Luna had done in the story. He smiled, even though her vocalizations were simple, Celestia’s voice was beautiful beyond anything he could have imagined. Then, Daniel joined her and continued playing on his ocarina. He enjoyed the enchanting moment with the one he loved. Relishing every moment, until Celestia stopped singing.

Daniel played for a short while longer. After reaching the end of the song, he set his ocarina down and smiled at her. “Your singing was beautiful. Even lovelier than when you hummed this while I was shaving yesterday.”

Celestia blushed and turned her head to look at him. “Thank you, Daniel. I remembered that song from the game. So, I thought I’d join in while you played.”

Daniel leaned against her and stared at her affectionately. “I’m glad you did.”

She placed her right foreleg around him and pulled Daniel close. “Ahhh, my sweet, Daniel.” Celestia chuckled softly resting her head next to his.

He placed his arms around her and nuzzled her. “My beautiful, Celestia.” Daniel continued rubbing his cheek against her white fur, and then reached out and caressed her colorful mane. He sighed contently, while gazing up at her.

Celestia glanced down and smiled at him, before resting her chin on his head. A few minutes passed, then she craned her head up and took a long survey of the area. “Daniel?”

He pulled himself up, so he wasn’t laying, but rather sitting more upright. “Yeah?”

“I couldn’t help but notice there are quite a number of groves and forests around here. Each one filled with an assortment of beautiful trees.” She waved a hoof out at several of the nearby wooded areas.

“Some parts of the country are known for having lots of trees. This area has quite a few as well.”

She nodded happily. “I’ll bet fall in your world must be amazing then. You do have autumn here on Earth, don’t you?” Celestia looked back at him.

“We sure do. Fall is a really special time. The leaves on the trees change into so many different colors. And as they fall, it can really be something to see.” Daniel sat up more and looked out at the nearby savanna.

“When does fall begin on Earth?”

“Around mid to late September. The trees can start to change sooner though.” He placed a hand over his chin. “Hmm. You’ve been here about two weeks. Yeah, it’s mid August right now. So it’ll be at least three or four weeks till the trees really start to change.”

Celestia cast out a troubled sigh. “That’s a shame. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. But, I fear I’ll have to return to Equestria, before I’ll have a chance to see the trees turn here.”

Daniel placed a hand on her side and sat up a bit more. “Oh, right. I guess you can’t afford to stay that long.” He chuckled.

She shook her head. “No.” Celestia turned her head and smiled. “But, I can still stay for a little while longer.”

Daniel reached up and placed his arms around her neck. “Good.”

Celestia cooed. “But it’s so great to know you’re willing to go back with me.”

“I know. It’ll be exciting to see another world.” Daniel laid down beside her and cuddled close. “But right now, I’m just happy to be here with you.”

She closed her eyes and touched her forehead to Daniel’s. Celestia giggled softly. “I’m glad to be with you as well.”

A refreshing breeze began to blow. It rustled through the grass and the leaves on the tree. Celestia’s mane fluttered against Daniel’s face, before he deftly swept it away and ran his right cheek against it. Celestia turned onto her right side and lightly adjust her fore and hind legs. “There.” She chuckled. “That’s better.”

Daniel enjoyed a good stretch and moved to lay against her. He rested between her neck and folded left wing. “Your fur is so soft. Even outside in the warm air.”

Celestia giggled. “And it’s nice, feeling your weight against me.” She sighed.

A smile formed on Daniel’s face as he reached up his left hand and ran his fingers along Celestia’s neck. She lightly twinged and let out a calming sigh. Then, he pulled back slightly and ran his right hand along the feathers of her left wing, moving his digits back and forth.

“Mmm, that feels nice.” Celestia let out a soft moan and reached back her left hoof and rubbed it along Daniel’s left shoulder.

“Celestia.” He whispered her name and let his right hand trail on to her flank. There, Daniel simply ran his hand over her cutie mark, lightly kneading his fingers, while he resumed nuzzling his cheek against her heavenly mane.

Celestia closed her eyes and let the serenity of the moment take her. She sighed, attempting to recall the last time she felt so relaxed and at peace. The princess drew in a breath through her mouth, then released it through her nose. She turned her head and began rubbing her cheek against Daniel’s.

He shared her affections even more, and moved his right hand to her tail. There, he combed his fingers through its silky tresses, delighted from the softness. After a few more sweeps, Daniel returned his hand to her cutie mark. He looked over and saw her hind legs were stretched out behind her. A loving and somewhat devilish smile morphed onto his face. Daniel began brushing his hand along the length of her lovely leg, savoring each motion down and back. Celestia twitched against his hand, Daniel knew she was enjoying herself, but he suspected she could be enjoying herself even more.

Celestia gasped and lightly shivered, before stifling a moan. “Ohh…Daniel.”

He chuckled as he started tracing the curves of her crescent. As Daniel touched her lovely folds, he lightly pushed against her flesh. Celestia whimpered with each press of his fingers. Their path led them along her slit, which Daniel noticed was starting to dampen with her growing arousal. Not wanting to disappoint her, he slid two fingers inside and began rubbing her wet walls. “Ahhh, mmm…D…Daniel…” Celestia’s speech slurred as waves of pleasure both soothed and excited her.

She took a deep breath, then began lightly flailing her left foreleg, until she bumped into Daniel’s chest. Celestia adjusted herself and gave Daniel an amorous gaze as her hoof continued to swirl across his chest and belly. He smiled, sharing her loving look, then resumed massaging her marehood. Celestia’s foreleg paused for a moment, before feverishly moving down to the waistline of his shorts. She pushed into his skin and used her magic to help her lower his shorts and underwear in the front. She kept her eyes fixed on his crotch as she saw his manhood spring free, standing firmly.

Celestia reached down and grazed her bare hoof along his length. Daniel’s fingers stopped and he took in a staggered breath. His love of Celestia’s touch had not changed, and she still could take him by surprise, every time she touched his member. “Hmmm…Tia.”

She giggled, delighted at how quickly he had succumbed to her touch. Celestia rubbed her hoof along his sensitive tip, eliciting a series of quiet sighs from him. They added to her own bliss as she noticed he began rubbing his fingers inside her. Celestia moaned, letting her head drift back for a moment, before she turned to caress the smooth underside of his length – moving her hoof in a very gradual motion.

Daniel savored her touch, and the blissful chills made his shoulders tingle with warmth. Part of him wanted to continue this wonderful foreplay, but his mounting desire would not allow it. Daniel removed his hand and turned to embrace Celestia. He locked her into a heated kiss, pressing his lips firmly against hers. His left hand brushed her mane, while he moaned lustfully for her. Celestia shared his moan and moved to deepen the kiss. She swept her tongue across his lips and noticed the instance he opened his mouth. Her tongue met his for a passionate tussle as their desires continued to grow.

Celestia turned so she could wrap her forelegs around Daniel. She moaned and sighed in a soothing fashion as her wings slowly unfurled. Her grip around Daniel strengthened and she continued savoring their kiss, feeling his exhaled breath puff out from his nose and sweep across her face. She blew her breath back at him and felt his arms tighten in response.

Their lips parted and they both gasped deeply, panting in front of each other. Daniel looked deep into Celestia’s magenta eyes. She stared back into his, and he could tell from the look on her face what was next. Daniel coaxed her to lay on her back. She did so with gusto and beamed him a come-hither look, placing her hooves on his shoulders. He positioned himself above her, his masculinity still at the ready. Daniel smiled at her, then drew her into a tender kiss, before he started rubbing himself along her wet slit. Celestia gasped and moaned from his passionate ministrations. Then, as the longing grew in her eyes, he tenderly pushed his way into her.

Celestia’s eyes widened with joy as she welcomed him inside with a loving squeeze of her hungry walls. Daniel placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her another brief kiss, before he began moving on her. He thrust his hips, gradually building a rhythm. Celestia let her head fall back again, while she let out a pleasant moan. Daniel smiled down at her and sighed amorously, adding speed to his movement. Then, as it had since their first time, the physical connection seemed to grow. Daniel’s heart began to overflow with emotion as he looked down into her eyes. The love she beamed back made each thrust seem to charge with nearly immeasurable pleasure.

He gasped as he felt her squeeze him with each inward thrust. Then, to his surprise, she locked her hind legs around and attempted to pull him closer with each loving motion. Daniel grinned, he worked her affectionate tugs to his advantage and started an even more fluid motion, one that made her cast out even more blissful moans. A few moments passed and even Daniel had to close his eyes, in response to the incredible level of ecstasy. He was elated beyond his wildest dreams. And every time his eyes met hers, the chills up his back seemed to double.

Daniel would have been more than happy to continue this as long as his princess desired, but his eyes widened as he felt her legs release from around him. He glanced down at her curiously. A sly smile formed on her face as Celestia turned things on him and rolled them so she was now on top. Daniel blinked at her. The playful smile was still on her face as she leaned in and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Celestia pulled her hind legs in against his legs. And just as their kiss ended, he gasped, feeling her give his manhood a loving squeeze. “Daniel.” She whispered.

“Celestia,” he replied softly.

She placed her hooves on his shoulders and began flexing her hips. Daniel craned his head back as Celestia’s movement began to increase. He felt the flames of their passion make his entire body begin to burn. He gasped, then let out an invigorating moan as she added more speed to her bucking hips. The pleasure of the moment began to get to Celestia. Her eyes fell partially shut and she began sighing and moaning pleasantly. She moaned a little louder when she felt Daniel’s hands grip her cutie marks as he guided her motions.

Then, Daniel began to thrust upward as Celestia’s hips fell down around him, as he hoped to add even more bliss to the moment. It was clearly working as he could see the approval in her eyes.

Celestia’s body began to quiver as she added just a little more speed to her movements. Daniel let his head drop down as he kept his eyes on her, in between waves of pleasure. Celestia did the same, and finally, she toppled over the edge. She let out a loud pleasured moan and let out another as Daniel joined her. He cast his warmth into her and felt a surge of her dampness push against him.

He pulled her close and felt her hooves grip him tightly as they both gave themselves to the storm of pleasure that ripped through their bodies. Daniel kept her close wanting to enjoy every blissful moment with her. It only meant what it did because he was with her. She felt his arms around her and let herself fall completely against him, elated from having him so close as her mind went white with ecstasy. She moaned out his name. Daniel eagerly returned the favor and moaned out hers as they finally started coming down from their emotional high. The fog seemed to subside, leaving them both panting heavily for breath, until their breathing calmed.

Daniel looked up at Celestia. He ran his fingers through her mane and smiled. She smiled back and gave his staff one last squeeze before letting him go. Celestia nuzzled him and sighed. “That was wonderful.”

He continued to smile, running the back of his hand along her hair. “It truly was.”

Celestia giggled. “You know, you took me a little by surprise.”

“Yes well. You did tell me I could touch you, anytime we’re alone.” He chuckled; then he sighed moving his hand to caress her cheek.

Celestia rubbed her cheek against his hand and sighed contently. “I did. And this was a wonderful way to enjoy our trip here.” She turned her head toward the falls and smiled, then looked back at him.

He continued stroking her cheek. “Well, I guess we should take a little nap. You’ll need to restore your strength for the flight home.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, we won’t.”

Daniel blinked. “Oh, did you want to sleep out under the stars then?”

“Uh-uh.” Celestia shook her head again. “We can enjoy a nap back at home, before dinner.”

“So you’re strong enough to fly then?” He looked at her curiously.

“Don’t have to. Remember my teleport magic.”

His face lit up. “Oh, yeah.”

“With it, I can teleport anywhere I’ve been…and back again.” She rubbed her nose against his. “Since I’ve been to your place, I can easily teleport us home.”

Celestia moved off Daniel and sat up, he rose up beside her and enjoyed another look at the waterfall with her. “Then, I guess all we need to do is make sure we’ve got everything.”

“Yes. Then we can head home.” Celestia smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Daniel sighed, placing his arm around her. “But, why don’t we sit here for a few more minutes, and enjoy the falls for just a little longer.”

Celestia chuckled, then she sighed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * * * * *

Daniel’s slumber became restless. While it had been a wonderful day and just as enjoyable an evening, for whatever reason, his dreams had become anything but pleasant. They started out well enough. Daniel and Celestia had arrived in her world in the magical land of Equestria, but her return to Canterlot wasn’t everything the two of them imagined. Oh there were plenty of ponies happy to see their princess had returned, and many were equally amazed at the prospect of meeting a human, but that’s when things went south.

The dream quickly grew into a nightmare. More ponies had arrived to welcome their princess home, only they were none too happy that she had brought a strange creature with her. More over, the close proximity she kept to it bothered them even more.

Daniel felt panicked, despite being so close to his beloved mare. He searched for somewhere to run or hide from the disapproving mob of equines, but alas he didn’t know the lay of the land and had even less idea how to navigate the vast halls of the castle. Finally, Daniel ended up in a corner and the angry mob closed in on him.

He turned over in his sleep and twitched until his eyes flew open. Darkness greeted him as Daniel took a few cleansing breaths. He reached over and pressed the snooze button on his alarm clock. The aqua light revealed that it was a little after 2AM. He reached for his glasses and placed them on his face.

Daniel turned back and heard Celestia faintly mumble in her sleep, then from the sound of her breathing, he knew she was still asleep.

He carefully turned back the covers, making sure not to disturb her. Then, Daniel placed his feet on the carpeted floor and rose from the bed. Glancing back, there was still no major movement out of Celestia. He made his way to the door and quietly exited his room.

Daniel walked to the bathroom and took care of relieving himself. He washed up at the sink and looked up in the mirror at his darkened reflection as it was illuminated from the faint glow of the bathroom nightlight. He closed his eyes and shook his head. The images of his dream returned, and left him feeling quite unsettled. At first he hoped it wasn’t a nightmare that had tore him from his slumber, and nothing more than a malcontent bladder, but the images played on in his mind.

Daniel left the washroom and turned toward his room. That’s when he noticed his stomach growl. Turning again, he started for the kitchen. Maybe a snack was all he needed.

He stopped in front of the fridge and opened the door. Daniel considered what he wanted to munch on. That’s when he noticed that he was really hungry for something he could sink his teeth into, something meaty. While he was more than happy to abstain from eating meat, Daniel couldn’t deny that he’s still had cravings for it. In fact, he really was in the mood for a nice cut of steak or a juicy burger with just a suggestion of pink in the middle. Daniel’s mouth watered at the mere though of such culinary delights.

Shaking his head, Daniel focused on his fridge. Celestia had been right, he did have meat in his refrigerator that was slowly going bad, but Daniel made sure to clear out the old and while he wasn’t really planning on it, he did purchase some other meat, just in case. Besides, he didn’t mind taking cold cut sandwiches to work, since he figured Celestia wasn’t there to offend.

After checking the fridge, Daniel realized that most of the meat he had was frozen in the freezer, but there was still a pack of sliced ham in the top drawer, where he kept all his cold cuts. He removed the pack of ham and let it rest on the counter. Unzipping it, he removed a few slices and quickly tore into them. The smoky flavor was delightful, and the moist marbled texture of the ham with its salty taste was more than to Daniel’s liking as he chewed and swallowed the first few bites.

“Man, that’s good.” He finished the ham, which as he recalled was still fairly fresh. He had only purchased it earlier that week.

Daniel pulled at the wax paper within the plastic bag and considered devouring another slice or two, but he stopped. He smacked his lips and noted the time on the microwave clock. Daniel felt full enough, so he folded the paper around the meat, closed the pack and put it away. Then, he shut the fridge and shuffled quietly into the dining room. He walked over to the sliding glass door and cast his gaze into the night sky.

He stared at the stars, which glistened like jewels in the dark blue nightscape. Daniel rested his right arm above his head, upon the cool glass. As he stood there, he could only wonder. Will going back to Equestria with Celestia really be such a good idea? Hmmm… Daniel blinked. Nah, I’m just being silly. It’s only a stupid nightmare. I’ll just go back to bed and crawl under the covers with Tia. Then, everything will be fine. Even so, there was still a part of him that could only wonder if that would really be the case.

Author's Note

I know it's been a while since I last updated this story. I do apologize for the delay. But thankfully, I've got more free time than I had for the longest time, so updates won't be nearly as slow. This one would have been done sooner, but I had some minor tweaks and changes to make along the way. I'm much happier with how this chapter turned out now and in comparison with the last chapter as well.

There are two songs that helped inspire parts of the waterfall scene. I was originally planning on working them into the story, but I just didn't like the way things matched up. But I am including links to them here so you can enjoy them on their own:

Sheena Easton - "A Dream Worth Keeping"
"Althena's Song (Optional)"

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank all the fans and readers of this story for your support. And despite the heavy flack the last chapter received, this story will be continuing as planned. I know many of you truly love this story for what it is and not what others think it should be.