A Disguised Dateby Jay DavidChaptersDown to the MarketA Princess' PlansThe DateEnd of the DayDown to the MarketAs one of the most popular destinations within the city, the marketplace of Canterlot was, as one would expect, abuzz with activity. Ponies from all walks of life, and from all corners of the country, had come here to browse the many wares on display here, from the mundane to the bizarre and everything in between. The sun was shining brightly, and with the cool breeze flowing through the streets, it was absolutely perfect weather for it. But, walking among the many crowds of this place, there was a blonde pegasus mare, who appeared to be happier to be here than anypony else. But then, this was no ordinary mare. For just beneath the surface of that unassuming face was none other than their beloved leader, Princess Celestia. The age-old alicorn, now with this crafted image for herself, walked among the ponies of Canterlot with barely a glance cast in her direction. But then, that was exactly how she liked it. After all, when travelling for her annual journey across the nation, it was always best to keep a low profile. As she walked through the market, occasionally looking down to the magical amulet she wore, she passed by many a vendor, who would call out to her. "Fresh vegetables! In today from Vanhoover itself!" "Crystals! Get your crystals here! You won't find any better south of the Crystal Empire!" "Want a dress to wear for dinner? How about a suit? We've got it all!" "Anypony want a portrait of themselves? I guarantee you'll find none better than right here, my friends!" Celestia chuckled to all of this, clearly pleased with how vibrant and active things were down here today. Had she been here with her normal face, everypony would be too busy staring at her or rushing to her side to get on with their lives. But here? Here, looking like she did, she could see ponies as they truly were, without having to worry about them acting differently in the presence of royalty. Naturally, as one who wanted to avoid being noticed, she did her best to not get too involved in those she saw, but, there eventually came a time when even she caught sight of something she wanted down here. "Well now...that looks rather nice." It was, of all things, a coffee stall, from which billowed a veritable cloud of steam in all directions. Smiling to herself, Celestia walked on over, very much in the mood for just such a beverage right now. Thankfully, there wasn't that big of a line, and the vendor of the place, a young pink unicorn mare with a blonde mane, was greeting everypony with a big wide smile. She got through her customers fairly quickly, giving Celestia an opening to approach. "Good morning!" the vendor greeted her. Celestia's smile widened slightly. "And to you. I'll take the best you have!" Nodding, the unicorn moved with surprising swiftness, getting a small cup ready in only a few moments. Taking it into her hooves, Celestia took a deep whiff of it, letting out a moan of contentment. "Mmmmm...yes...very nice." Rummaging around in a small bag she'd brought with her, the disguised Princess brought out two bits, giving it over to the other mare, who graciously accepted. Unfortunately, it would appear as though fate did not intend for Celestia to actually enjoy her drink today. For so caught up was she in the smell of it that, as she turned, she just so happened to have her eyes closed. This, rather inevitably, led to her accidentally bumping into somepony else, sending her coffee spilling right out of her hooves. Immediately, she got her bearings back, just in time to see that she'd unfortunately managed to get that coffee spilled onto the chest of the pony she'd bumped into. "Oh my goodness! I am so sorry!" But, to her surprise, a chuckle came before the response to that. "Not to worry, Ma'am. Coffee tends not to stain armour after all." Here, she was able to get a good look at the pony she'd nearly burned with her drink. It was another unicorn, a stallion, and was taller than her by at least an inch or two, at least while she had this image for herself. He had grey fur and a jet-black mane, and was, just as he stated, wearing a suit of armour right now. Celestia instantly recognised it as the armour worn by those of the Royal Guard who took the night shift at the Royal Palace grounds, though they occasionally patrolled the city streets from time to time. This stallion was clearly of the latter category today, and after brushing off a few stray drops of coffee from his breastplate, he looked to Celestia. "My apologies, Ma'am. I wasn't looking where I was going." But Celestia shook her head. "No, the fault is mine! I was so caught up in my drink that..." Again, the stallion chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand. I get that way around a good cup of coffee myself." Though still somewhat shaken at the somewhat unexpected encounter, Celestia soon found herself joining in on the laughter, albeit with a somewhat nervous tone. "I...erm...I wasn't expecting to see one of the Guard out here." The stallion nodded, gesturing to himself. "Eclipse Star, at your service." Now, since Celestia hadn't actually expected to have to come up with an actual name for herself today, suddenly being in a position where she had to give one was, of course, not a pleasant experience for her. But, after glancing around briefly, her eyes eventually settled on the sun-wearing-sunglasses she had as her cutie mark for the day, before promptly retuning her gaze to Eclipse. "Oh! Um...my name is...Sunny...Smiles?" The stallion opened his mouth to speak, only to be kept from doing so when the coffee vendor beside them both let out a loud an noticeable gasp. "No...way! Sunny Smiles is my name too!" Celestia blinked slowly, then smiled and spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh...what a...wonderful coincidence." Eclipse looked from one mare to the next, before settling on Celestia. "Um...are you alright, Miss?" Shaking herself out of her prior state, Celestia let out another dry laugh. "Yes! Of course! I'm fine, it's just...well..." A moment of pause, and a hastily-crafted backstory was soon in the works. "...it's just...you get so overwhelmed, coming to the big city for the first time." Eclipse nodded. "Oh? You're new here?" Celestia nodded back. "Oh, yes. I come from...er...Baltimare! Yes! I came to Canterlot for my vacation because...well...I'd heard such good things about the city." A fond smile came to Eclipse at that, and he glanced around the rest of the marketplace. "Yeah...it is a pretty good city, isn't it?" Celestia let loose a sigh as she too looked around, seeing the happy and smiling faces of all the other ponies of the marketplace. "It is...it truly is." But, while she was doing this, Eclipse glanced back to her, and for just a brief moment, he seemed to be struck with hesitation of some sort. Nervousness took centre stage in his face, and for a time it appeared as though he were almost terrified of what he was about to say. But, after many a drop of sweat and fallen down his brow, he eventually cleared his throat, gaining Celestia's attention once more. "I...erm...well...I have about a week's worth of leave starting tomorrow, and...well...I know a little café just around the corner from here that I like to go to during my off-time." Celestia nodded silently, prompting him to continue. "And...um...I know this may seem a little forward, given that we've just met...but...I was wondering...would you care to...join me there? Tomorrow?" A moment or two passed, with Celestia seeming just a touch taken aback by the offer. "You...want me to give you some company?" Eclipse nervously scratched the back of his head, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. "Well...it's just...I kind of feel bad for causing you to lose your coffee, so...maybe you'd let me...provide you with another one? And maybe a lunch to go with it?" Though clearly not having expected such an offer, the hidden Princess soon broke into a small but genuine smile, giving Eclipse a nod. "Sir Eclipse...I would be delighted to join you tomorrow." Eclipse blinked, looking like he was quite unsure of whether or not he'd heard that correctly, and when he realised that he had, he spoke in his prior fumbling manner. "You...you mean it?" Celestia nodded, smiling innocently to him. "I do. Would twelve be suitable?" Now smiling himself, Eclipse gave a frantic nod of his own. "Yes! It'd be fantastic! No, better than that, brilliant even!" Giggling to herself, Celestia gave a slight bow of her head. "In that case, Sir...I shall see you tomorrow." Eclipse, of course, was grinning like an idiot, and Celestia, for her part, started to turn around and walk off. Only when she was far enough away to be out of earshot did she finally speak up, though only to herself. "Two new friends spending a lunch together? A stellar notion. What a pleasant fellow." Meanwhile, Eclipse, having watched her leave, eventually turned around, and stared out into the distance before once more resuming his happy grin. "She...she said yes? She said yes!" Then, he let out a brief "squee" and danced in that same spot, eventually stopping when he finally noticed all the other ponies staring at him with amused expressions. So, in an effort to maintain some dignity, he cleared his throat and resumed his more "official" demeanour. "Return to your business, citizens. Nothing to see here." A Princess' PlansBy the time Celestia's journey was coming to an end, the sun was beginning to set, which bathed the whole of Canterlot in a warm orange glow. A smile was upon her face, showing clear satisfaction with how her day had gone, but now, she was eager to return home and get some much-needed rest from all of this. Gliding gracefully through the sky, she approached the Royal Palace, and soon arrived at her balcony. Landing gently, she let out a sigh to herself, before promptly making her way to the door that led to her chambers. Opening it, she found, to her slight surprise, that not only was her sister within, but also her niece, Princess Cadence. The two other alicorns were currently sitting beside one another at a small table, casually sipping some tea, and it was only when Celestia closed the balcony door behind her that they stopped and turned to look upon her. Luna gave a nod to her arrival, but Cadence merely looked to her with some amusement. "Oh my! Well, Auntie Luna, it appears as though we have a visitor this evening." She beckoned to the disguised form of Celestia. "Come, stranger. Won't you please join us for some lovely tea? It's still fresh." Though Celestia rolled her eyes to this faux-ignorance on the part of her niece, she nevertheless chuckled to it, and as she began to approach the other alicorns, she finally placed her hoof upon her magical amulet. There was a glow, and soon, she was engulfed within the light of the artefact. Within moments, the face of "Sunny Smiles" was gone, and instead stood the regal form of Princess Celestia. With her transformation now complete, Celestia used her magic to levitate the amulet off herself, placing it carefully on a cushion on the side of her chambers, before finally joining her fellow alicorns at the tea-table. Cadence had already made her a cup, and after giving an appreciative nod to this, the elder Princess took it within her hooves and enjoyed that first sip. "Ah! A fine way to end my day." Cadence giggled to this, but said nothing as Celestia turned her gaze to her sister. "Thank you for setting the sun today, Luna. I was hoping to be back before that was needed, but..." But the mare of the night merely shook her head. "Think nothing of it, Celestia. It was no issue." Leaning forward, Cadence took on a look of curiosity. "So? How did it go today?" A warm smile crossed Celestia's face as she considered that. "It went very well, Cadence. Everypony I saw today was out there, living their lives, enjoying themselves...it was a good day." Amusement came to her. "Remind me to tell you how things went in Ponyville this time around. I swear, Pinkie Pie always has something interesting going on." A giggle escaped Cadence, and indeed even Luna seemed interested in hearing what her sister had to say about her travels lately. But, for the time being, she instead spoke in that formal tone of hers. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, sister. But, I trust you're eager to resume your duties tomorrow?" Celestia opened her mouth to speak, only to be struck with a very particular memory, at which point her smile faltered a little. "Actually...I may require you to watch over Canterlot again tomorrow, sister." Naturally, words like that immediately caught the interest of the other alicorns. "Oh? Pardon me for saying so, Celestia, but you don't normally stay out among our people as long as that," Luna pointed out. Nodding, Celestia took another sip of her tea before replying to that. "True...but I'm afraid I've already made a...prior arrangement." The other mares looked to her with some measure of confusion, prompting Celestia to further explain herself. "While I was down in the market I...I had an unexpected run-in with one of the Guard. Eclipse Star?" Luna nodded. "Yes, I remember him. He guards the library on most days." Nodding back, Celesta continued. "Well, we encountered one another after a...minor coffee-related mishap. He asked me to join him tomorrow at some favoured café of his. And I agreed." Immediately, both Luna and Cadence looked to the mare of the sun as though they were unsure of what they'd just heard. Celestia, for her part, was busy downing her tea, and was unaware of the stares she was receiving. Briefly, the other two looked to one another, silently urging each other to be the first to say something, and at the end, it was Cadence who did the honours. "Um...Auntie? Would you...erm...care to repeat that?" Finally looking up from her tea, Celestia finally noted the looks the other two were giving her, and after raising an eyebrow, she began to elaborate. "Like I said, I was invited by Eclipse to join him at a café here in Canterlot tomorrow...and I agreed." Clearing her throat, it was now Luna's turn to add her voice to the matter. "Sister...do you not...well...see what's just happened?" Though confused herself now, Celestia nevertheless nodded. "Of course. Two friends enjoying each other's company for the afternoon in a place one of them likes going. Nothing bad about that, is there?" Upon hearing Celestia's perspective on things, Cadence let out a long sigh, placing her hoof upon her forehead. "Oh...Auntie." Celestia frowned slightly, especially when she noticed that Luna was trying really hard to stifle a laugh of some sort. "May I enquire as to what the joke is?" Taking a deep breath, the Princess of Love just decided to flat-out tell her. "Auntie...Eclipse has asked you out...on a date!" Celestia blinked. "Um...pardon?" Here, Luna finally unleashed her chortle. "A date, sister! You know, as in the kind of thing boyfriends and girlfriends do?" Again, Celestia blinked, and then, she shook her head slightly. "No, that...that can’t be what he wanted." Cadence smirked a little. "Oh, it's totally what he wanted." "And you said yes!" Luna reminded her. Though clearly taken aback by this, that didn't stop Celestia from trying to get her head around this. "Now that you mention it...he did say something about being worried about "being too forward" when he asked me." To that, Luna buried her face in her hooves. "Oh, sister! I knew you could be naïve sometimes, but not that naïve!" Now giving a long sigh herself, Celestia turned, looking out to the balcony window. "Well...that's...not what I was expecting." Giggling again, Cadence reached forward, placing her hoof upon Celestia's. "It's no bad thing, Auntie. I'm sure he's a decent guy. I mean, I doubt you'd have agreed to go with him, even as a friend, if that was not the case." Celestia gave a slow nod. "True...but perhaps...it would be best not to go through with this." Immediately, both of the other mares' heads snapped in her direction. "What? Why?" Luna asked. Celestia looked to her with a frown. "What do you mean why? I cannot, in all good conscience, go on a date with a stallion who thinks he's going with...with...somepony else." She turned, gesturing to the now-unused amulet on the pillow. "He's going to be there, expecting "Sunny Smiles" to arrive at that café to join him on a date! It would be one thing if we were merely going as friends, but...but something like this?" It was Cadence who now responded to that. "It's not as bad as you think, Auntie. You know...you could simply think of this as...as something fun for yourself. You might have a nice time with him, after all." Celestia sighed. "I appreciate your suggestion, dear niece...but it's still wrong for me to be tricking Eclipse like this." Luna rolled her eyes. "You're no more tricking him than you are everypony else who sees you with that fake face of yours." Celestia gave a frown to her sister's remark, but said nothing as Cadence, who had gained a somewhat thoughtful look, gave her more soft-spoken words. "Auntie...is there...some other reason why you're so hesitant to do this?" Celestia looked to her, as indeed did Luna, but while the latter was confused by the young Princess' remark, Celestia knew otherwise. There was a silence between them all, and Cadence looked straight at her Aunt, giving her an expression far more serious than she had before. Celestia, after a while, simply let out a sigh to this, and slowly got up from her sitting position, all while the other two watched her. The elder Princess thus began to walk a very familiar walk, and soon found herself in front of a small tree growing from a pot in the corner of her chamber. A tree whose branch bore a peculiar item hanging down from it. A shard. A mirror shard. Immediately, Luna looked on with understanding, and looked down to her tea, now feeling more than a little sorry for her sister. By contrast, Cadence got up, and began to slowly walk over, now standing beside Celestia as the two of them looked to that piece of shattered mirror. "Auntie...I realise that you miss him...that you even still love him, but...he's gone." Celestia shut her eyes, hanging her head slightly. "...I know, Cadence." Cadence turned to face her. "I know that it can be difficult, opening your heart to another, if only for a day. But..." She gestured to the shard. "...do you believe, truly believe...that Sombra would want you to spend the rest of your life mourning him? Remaining alone?" Gradually, Celestia opened her eyes again, looking to that shard and seeing the light of the sunset glisten off it. After letting out a long and difficult sigh, she shook her head. "No...he wouldn't." Raising a hoof, Cadence placed it gently upon her elder's shoulder. "Going to join Eclipse tomorrow will not betray Sombra's memory. That stallion will always have a place in your heart. But that does not mean that you can't..." Slowly, Celestia nodded. "Yes...you're right, Cadence." She looked over to her, bearing a small smile. "...Thank you. Your words are...appreciated." Cadence smiled back, and soon afterwards, Celestia looked over to her amulet, looking deep in thought. "So...a date then? I suppose that’s nothing to be afraid of. I mean...it's not like I've never dated before." Chuckling, Luna finally spoke up again. "True...but that was a long time ago, sister." Celestia cast her another frown, before letting out another long sigh. "Well then...let's see how this goes." Cadence spoke up again, this time in a more reassuring tone. "And if you're still worried, just think of it as a chance to have some fun. Nothing needs to come of this, just...two consenting adults having a nice time out. If something does come from it, great, but if not, then at least you’ve have had a decent afternoon out." Hearing that, Celestia nodded. "Yes...fun...I can do that." Then, her smile faded a little. "...I hope." The DateTo say that Celestia was feeling unsure about all of this would have been an understatement. She'd left the Palace in good time and, having donned her magical disguise once more, she was now walking among the Canterlot crowds yet again. Over and over in her mind, she played out how things might go, what she would say, what kinds of things would be interesting to talk about. And in each scenario, she dreaded things going wrong, leading to a long and exhausted-sounding sigh on her part. And on top of it all, there was the issue of actually finding the place where her date was waiting for her. Café after café she passed, and none of them seemed to fit the description given to her. However, there came a time when, finally, her eyes fell upon him. Eclipse Star, no longer within his armour but unmistakeable all the same. He was there, in an open-air place currently being served a coffee by the nearby waiter, with an empty chair opposite where he sat. Composing herself, Celestia took a few deep breaths, then walked on over, bearing a smile as she called out. "Eclipse!" Turning, the stallion matched her grin. "Sunny! You made it!" Taking her seat, she took a moment to get herself comfortable before replying to that. "Sorry I'm late. It took a bit longer for me to find this place." Eclipse chuckled slightly. "Not to worry. This part of town gets pretty busy this time of day. It would have taken a while to get here either way." Celestia smiled to that, then turned to look upon the aforementioned waiter, who now arrived to their table yet again. "Would you be ready to order, Sir?" Eclipse cleared his throat. "Yes...um..." He looked to his date. "Sunny?" Celestia nodded, looking to the waiter herself. "I'll just have a salad, thank you." The waiter nodded, then looking to Eclipse, who answered as well. "Same for me, please." Again, the waiter nodded, then headed off to collect their respective meals. Now alone, the couple looked to one another, but, for a long while, neither one of them looked as if they had any idea of what to say to the other. All of Celestia's carefully-made mental plans seemed to just vanish the moment this date of hers began, much to her chagrin. As for Eclipse, he bore something of a blush, scratching the back of his head and even avoiding her gaze for a time. Then, at the end of it all, Celestia decided to simply be as blunt as possible. "So...um...how have you been since yesterday?" Looking back to her, Eclipse smiled. "Oh, I've...I've been good. Yourself?" Celestia nodded. "The same. Though I admit I've been somewhat nervous about all of this." A chuckle escaped the stallion at that. "Can't blame you. I...don't really do dates that much." A smirk crept onto Celestia's lips at that. "Preaching to the choir on that one, Eclipse." The two shared a laugh, and as such, the tension of the previous few minutes began to slowly melt away. But, when the laughter died down, Celestia looked to her partner for the day with a degree of genuine interest. "So...I imagine being in the Royal Guard has given you quite a few interesting stories to tell?" However, rather than seeming eager to divulge such information, Eclipse's smile suddenly faltered, and he let out a sigh, glancing to the side. Naturally, this prompted a somewhat concerned look on he part of Celestia. "I'm...I'm sorry, have I said something to upset you?" Looking back to her, Eclipse shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's just...whenever ponies find out what I do for a living, that's usually the only thing they ask me. What are the Princesses like? What goes on when nopony else is watching? That sort of thing." Slowly, Celestia nodded, a thoughtful look coming to her. "Yes...I imagine your position would make casual conversations rather...skewed." Eclipse nodded back. "I...erm...I actually do have one particular story, if you're interested. It's nothing spectacular, but..." Her ears perking up slightly, Celestia resumed her smile. "Oh? Very well then." Clearing his throat, Eclipse began. "Well...it's about Princess Twilight." Naturally, such a remarked earned him Celestia's undivided attention. "Oh? Do tell." Then, realisation came to the stallion. "Actually, no, that's not quite right, since she wasn't actually a Princess at the time it happened. Anyway, it happened a few years back. I was working the late shift at the library, and I was going around the grounds and inside the library itself." A smile came to him. "I was doing my job, as usual, when out of nowhere, Twilight was there. She was crawling around, trying to get into the library, along with two of her friends. Spike and...Pinkie, I think her name is? And they were all dressed pretty funny, in, like, cat-suits or something? I think that's what they're called." A fond smile came to Celestia as she dwelt on that memory. "Yes...I believe she was sporting a rather interesting mane-style too." Here, Eclipse blinked, and Celestia, upon realising what it was she'd just said, immediately bore wide eyes and began to try and cover herself. "Oh! Um...I mean...I heard a rumour that Celestia's apprentice had done something like that and...er...she was trying a new style?" Slowly, Eclipse nodded to that. "Yes...well...I'm not sure what she was doing, but...it's always fun to speculate sometimes." Giggling, Celestia smiled to him. "Indeed it is." But, while both of them were having a fine moment together, they were soon interrupted by the arrival of that same waiter from before. Sure enough, he was using his magic to levitate a pair of salad bowls in front of the couple, and after placing them down gently, he gave a slight bow of his head before walking off again. The two smiled eagerly at their meal, but, while Celestia took her first bite, Eclipse reached forward for the pepper-shaker in the middle of the table. And as he did this, he winced slightly, taking hold of his shoulder. Celestia noticed this at once, and looked to him with genuine concern. "Eclipse? What's wrong?" Sighing, the stallion looked as though he was equal parts angry and disappointed in himself. "It's nothing. An old irritation from a while back." Celestia's face softened. "You were injured?" Eclipse said nothing for a few moments, then gave a single nod, causing Celestia to enquire further. "...How?" Though it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it, there was no stopping now that he'd been asked. "It...it was during the attack by the Storm King." Celestia's expression became one of worry, but she said nothing as her date carried on. "As those creatures were making their way through the city, me and my squad gathered whatever civilians were close by on the Palace grounds, and we got them into the library, trying to give them someplace safe to hide. We remained outside, and we saw those...those things come for us." He looked away, frowning. "We couldn't let them near the other ponies, so we fought. But they were too strong, too powerful, and they breezed right through us. One took a swing at me...and I was sent flying." A grimace came to him. "I hit the wall...and everything went black." Slowly, he let out a long sigh. "When I came to...I was in chains, like everypony else. We were like that for days, paraded around like slaves...until Princess Twilight came." Ever so gradually, his expression softened. "I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful my friends and I are that she saved us." Here, Celestia's smile returned. "Yes...she and her friends truly did something wonderful." Eclipse nodded in agreement to that, but then, Celestia took on a look that seemed to walk the line between fear an curiosity. "Do...do you resent the other Princesses?" Eclipse looked to her, confused. "What? Why?" Celestia paused, then began to explain. "They were unable to stop the attack or the imprisonment of their people. Do you...do you maybe have bad feelings towards them over that?" Eclipse stayed silent for quite some time, turning away from his date and looking out into the various crowds that passed the café. After a while, however, he spoke with a somewhat sombre tone. “I’d be lying if I said I'd never thought about it...but no. I don’t blame Celestia or the others for what happened. The attack was unforeseen, and even if we had been given time to prepare...that force might have been too much for us anyway.” A sigh escaped him as he looked back to her, and was now bearing a small smile. “Regardless...I’ve never had anything but respect for all of them. They’ve done so much for us, led us for so long...it’s hard to imagine what Equestria would be without them.” Celestia matched his smile. “I’m sure they’d appreciate hearing that.” At long last, Eclipse took a bite of his salad, but, as he slowly chewed it, a new thought came to him. “Not to sound too probing, Sunny, but...how is it that a mare like you is still single?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, prompting Eclipse to realise how he’d worded that question, and so started frantically explaining himself. “Oh! I mean...not that you need to have somepony or anything, it’s just...” But, luckily for him, the mare let out a chuckle. “You needn’t worry. But...” Her expression became, to a degree, sadder than it had been before. “...in truth...there was one I knew...a long time ago. We didn’t know each other for very long, but...it was a very special time to me.” She sighed. “And...I still think of him.” Eclipse’s face softened. “I’m...I’m sorry. Maybe...maybe asking you out wasn’t a good...” But Celestia shook her head before he could finish. “No. It's fine. Him and me...I accepted a long time ago that it wasn't going to happen. It may still hurt, but...I’ve come to terms with it.” Slowly, Eclipse nodded. “Well...I don’t claim to want to replace somepony that special...but I hope I'm at least giving you a pleasant time here.” Hearing that, a smirk crept onto Celestia’s lips. “Jury’s still out on that one, Eclipse.” The two shared another laugh together, and when it faded, they spent the next few minutes trying to finally get through their respective meals. Thankfully, both of them were hungry enough that the salads didn’t really last that long, and when their bowls were emptied, they let out simultaneous sighs of contentment. “Not bad. I can see why you enjoy coming out here,” Celestia remarked. Eclipse nodded. “In that case...I hope I’ve been a good date for you so far, Sunny.” The mare smiled, giving a nod to that. “I daresay you have. In fact...” Raising her hoof, she tapped the end of her chin, glancing upwards to the towers of the Royal Palace, which could be seen if one looked up high enough. “...one could even say you’d be a good enough date even for a Princess.” The stallion, oblivious to her hidden meaning, let out a hearty laugh to that. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Sunny...but I doubt some night-shift guy’s going to be getting attention like that anytime soon.” Placing her hoof upon her amulet briefly, a knowing smile came to Celestia at that. “Well...funny you should say that.” Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” Smiling again, Celestia leaned forward, bringing her voice down to a whisper. “Tell me...how good are you at keeping secrets?” End of the Day"How did it go?" "What was he like?" "Did things go like you'd planned?" "Did you have a nice meal together?" "What did you two talk about?" "Think you'll go out with him again?" These, as well as a barrage of other probing questions, had been shot Celestia's way from pretty much the moment she set hoof back in her chambers at the Royal Palace. The day was coming to an end, and she'd once more arrived back home without anypony other than the other two alicorns realising that she was who she was. The magical amulet again lay unused on its cushion, and Luna and Cadence were looking to the elder Princess with a curiosity that could only have been matched by colts and fillies looking at their Hearth's Warming Eve Presents. But, being the very model of class and proper etiquette, Princess Celestia merely sat in her prim and proper way, enjoying a few sips of her tea while her onlookers waited for her answer. Then, after setting her cup down and wiping away a few stray drops from her lips with a nearby handkerchief, the mare of the sun considered some of the questions that had been given to her thus far, before, of course, deciding to answer them all at once. "It went well, he was pleasant company, plans changed, the meal was splendid, we discussed a great many things and...no, I don't think I'll be going out with him again." As soon as that final answer had been given, both of the mares looked to her with supreme disappointment. "What? I thought you said you had a good time with him?" Cadence enquired. Celestia nodded to that. "Indeed I did. It was a good time, and I enjoyed being with him for the afternoon. But..." She paused briefly, thinking hard on how best to explain matters. "...as much as I was having fun...I don't think this is the kind of thing I'm likely to want to keep doing. Eclipse was a fine fellow, he has a good heart, and he was most respectable to me." She took another sip of her tea, a fond smile coming to her as she considered her date. "I'm sure that whatever mare he ultimately ends up with will consider themselves quite fortunate." Stepping forward, Luna raised an eyebrow. "So...you do not wish to pursue a relationship for yourself then?" Again, Celestia shook her head. "I do not. Such a thing was fun...with the face of Sunny Smiles. But, as Princess Celestia...I believe it would not be wise. There would be too many complications, too many..." As before, there was a brief moment where she seemed to struggle putting her thoughts into words. But, at the end of it, she merely let out a long sigh. "Look...it's just not for me. It was fun, and I consider him to be a worthy stallion...but I simply...do not feel it." The other mares looked to her, and then to one another, and as they did this, there was a long silence between them. Then, after a while, Cadence let out a long sigh. "Very well, Auntie. If that's your decision...we'll respect it." Luna nodded. "Indeed. This was never a guarantee to begin with after all. You merely went out on this date for fun...and that was exactly what you had, so..." She cracked a small smile. "...perhaps we should consider this occurrence a success all the same." Smiling back, Celestia raised her tea-cup to her sister. "I'll definitely drink to that." They shared a brief laugh, and Cadence and Luna got themselves comfortable on the other side of the table, taking sips of their own drinks. But, after a minute or two of this, there was a knocking upon the door of the chamber, prompting Celestia to turn towards it. "Come in." With the door slowly creaking open, the mares all looked on to see that it was one of Celestia's aides, a white earth pony mare with glasses and a mane tied up into a bun. "Apologies for the interruption, Princess Celestia, but I have the paperwork you requested?" Smiling, Celestia got up, heading on over while the other two mares continued with their tea. "Of course, Miss Inkwell. Thank you." Using her magic, Celestia levitated a few of the papers up to her face so she could look them over. Everything appeared to be what it needed to be, but there came a point where she looked at one sheet of paper in particular, and she ever so subtly moved so that her fellow Princesses could not see it. It was a simple document, one meant for transfers of members of the Royal Guard, and on that paper was a particular name that Celestia couldn't help but smile to. After nodding at those papers, she handed them back to her aide. "Thank you, Raven. These appear to be in order." The other mare nodded, adjusting her glasses slightly before glancing briefly at Luna and Cadence. "Would you like me to involve the other Princesses with this paperwork as well, your Highness? I mean, transfers to your personal Guard squadron usually warrant..." Before she'd even finished, Celestia had already considered that, and then, after bearing a knowing smirk to herself, she gave a quick shake of her head. "Thank you, Raven, but...I think not." Raven tilted her head slightly in confusion, prompting Celestia to glance over her shoulder, looking to her still-in-the-dark colleagues. "After all...a Lady should be able to have some secrets, right?"
Down to the MarketAs one of the most popular destinations within the city, the marketplace of Canterlot was, as one would expect, abuzz with activity. Ponies from all walks of life, and from all corners of the country, had come here to browse the many wares on display here, from the mundane to the bizarre and everything in between. The sun was shining brightly, and with the cool breeze flowing through the streets, it was absolutely perfect weather for it. But, walking among the many crowds of this place, there was a blonde pegasus mare, who appeared to be happier to be here than anypony else. But then, this was no ordinary mare. For just beneath the surface of that unassuming face was none other than their beloved leader, Princess Celestia. The age-old alicorn, now with this crafted image for herself, walked among the ponies of Canterlot with barely a glance cast in her direction. But then, that was exactly how she liked it. After all, when travelling for her annual journey across the nation, it was always best to keep a low profile. As she walked through the market, occasionally looking down to the magical amulet she wore, she passed by many a vendor, who would call out to her. "Fresh vegetables! In today from Vanhoover itself!" "Crystals! Get your crystals here! You won't find any better south of the Crystal Empire!" "Want a dress to wear for dinner? How about a suit? We've got it all!" "Anypony want a portrait of themselves? I guarantee you'll find none better than right here, my friends!" Celestia chuckled to all of this, clearly pleased with how vibrant and active things were down here today. Had she been here with her normal face, everypony would be too busy staring at her or rushing to her side to get on with their lives. But here? Here, looking like she did, she could see ponies as they truly were, without having to worry about them acting differently in the presence of royalty. Naturally, as one who wanted to avoid being noticed, she did her best to not get too involved in those she saw, but, there eventually came a time when even she caught sight of something she wanted down here. "Well now...that looks rather nice." It was, of all things, a coffee stall, from which billowed a veritable cloud of steam in all directions. Smiling to herself, Celestia walked on over, very much in the mood for just such a beverage right now. Thankfully, there wasn't that big of a line, and the vendor of the place, a young pink unicorn mare with a blonde mane, was greeting everypony with a big wide smile. She got through her customers fairly quickly, giving Celestia an opening to approach. "Good morning!" the vendor greeted her. Celestia's smile widened slightly. "And to you. I'll take the best you have!" Nodding, the unicorn moved with surprising swiftness, getting a small cup ready in only a few moments. Taking it into her hooves, Celestia took a deep whiff of it, letting out a moan of contentment. "Mmmmm...yes...very nice." Rummaging around in a small bag she'd brought with her, the disguised Princess brought out two bits, giving it over to the other mare, who graciously accepted. Unfortunately, it would appear as though fate did not intend for Celestia to actually enjoy her drink today. For so caught up was she in the smell of it that, as she turned, she just so happened to have her eyes closed. This, rather inevitably, led to her accidentally bumping into somepony else, sending her coffee spilling right out of her hooves. Immediately, she got her bearings back, just in time to see that she'd unfortunately managed to get that coffee spilled onto the chest of the pony she'd bumped into. "Oh my goodness! I am so sorry!" But, to her surprise, a chuckle came before the response to that. "Not to worry, Ma'am. Coffee tends not to stain armour after all." Here, she was able to get a good look at the pony she'd nearly burned with her drink. It was another unicorn, a stallion, and was taller than her by at least an inch or two, at least while she had this image for herself. He had grey fur and a jet-black mane, and was, just as he stated, wearing a suit of armour right now. Celestia instantly recognised it as the armour worn by those of the Royal Guard who took the night shift at the Royal Palace grounds, though they occasionally patrolled the city streets from time to time. This stallion was clearly of the latter category today, and after brushing off a few stray drops of coffee from his breastplate, he looked to Celestia. "My apologies, Ma'am. I wasn't looking where I was going." But Celestia shook her head. "No, the fault is mine! I was so caught up in my drink that..." Again, the stallion chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand. I get that way around a good cup of coffee myself." Though still somewhat shaken at the somewhat unexpected encounter, Celestia soon found herself joining in on the laughter, albeit with a somewhat nervous tone. "I...erm...I wasn't expecting to see one of the Guard out here." The stallion nodded, gesturing to himself. "Eclipse Star, at your service." Now, since Celestia hadn't actually expected to have to come up with an actual name for herself today, suddenly being in a position where she had to give one was, of course, not a pleasant experience for her. But, after glancing around briefly, her eyes eventually settled on the sun-wearing-sunglasses she had as her cutie mark for the day, before promptly retuning her gaze to Eclipse. "Oh! Um...my name is...Sunny...Smiles?" The stallion opened his mouth to speak, only to be kept from doing so when the coffee vendor beside them both let out a loud an noticeable gasp. "No...way! Sunny Smiles is my name too!" Celestia blinked slowly, then smiled and spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh...what a...wonderful coincidence." Eclipse looked from one mare to the next, before settling on Celestia. "Um...are you alright, Miss?" Shaking herself out of her prior state, Celestia let out another dry laugh. "Yes! Of course! I'm fine, it's just...well..." A moment of pause, and a hastily-crafted backstory was soon in the works. "...it's just...you get so overwhelmed, coming to the big city for the first time." Eclipse nodded. "Oh? You're new here?" Celestia nodded back. "Oh, yes. I come from...er...Baltimare! Yes! I came to Canterlot for my vacation because...well...I'd heard such good things about the city." A fond smile came to Eclipse at that, and he glanced around the rest of the marketplace. "Yeah...it is a pretty good city, isn't it?" Celestia let loose a sigh as she too looked around, seeing the happy and smiling faces of all the other ponies of the marketplace. "It is...it truly is." But, while she was doing this, Eclipse glanced back to her, and for just a brief moment, he seemed to be struck with hesitation of some sort. Nervousness took centre stage in his face, and for a time it appeared as though he were almost terrified of what he was about to say. But, after many a drop of sweat and fallen down his brow, he eventually cleared his throat, gaining Celestia's attention once more. "I...erm...well...I have about a week's worth of leave starting tomorrow, and...well...I know a little café just around the corner from here that I like to go to during my off-time." Celestia nodded silently, prompting him to continue. "And...um...I know this may seem a little forward, given that we've just met...but...I was wondering...would you care to...join me there? Tomorrow?" A moment or two passed, with Celestia seeming just a touch taken aback by the offer. "You...want me to give you some company?" Eclipse nervously scratched the back of his head, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. "Well...it's just...I kind of feel bad for causing you to lose your coffee, so...maybe you'd let me...provide you with another one? And maybe a lunch to go with it?" Though clearly not having expected such an offer, the hidden Princess soon broke into a small but genuine smile, giving Eclipse a nod. "Sir Eclipse...I would be delighted to join you tomorrow." Eclipse blinked, looking like he was quite unsure of whether or not he'd heard that correctly, and when he realised that he had, he spoke in his prior fumbling manner. "You...you mean it?" Celestia nodded, smiling innocently to him. "I do. Would twelve be suitable?" Now smiling himself, Eclipse gave a frantic nod of his own. "Yes! It'd be fantastic! No, better than that, brilliant even!" Giggling to herself, Celestia gave a slight bow of her head. "In that case, Sir...I shall see you tomorrow." Eclipse, of course, was grinning like an idiot, and Celestia, for her part, started to turn around and walk off. Only when she was far enough away to be out of earshot did she finally speak up, though only to herself. "Two new friends spending a lunch together? A stellar notion. What a pleasant fellow." Meanwhile, Eclipse, having watched her leave, eventually turned around, and stared out into the distance before once more resuming his happy grin. "She...she said yes? She said yes!" Then, he let out a brief "squee" and danced in that same spot, eventually stopping when he finally noticed all the other ponies staring at him with amused expressions. So, in an effort to maintain some dignity, he cleared his throat and resumed his more "official" demeanour. "Return to your business, citizens. Nothing to see here."
A Princess' PlansBy the time Celestia's journey was coming to an end, the sun was beginning to set, which bathed the whole of Canterlot in a warm orange glow. A smile was upon her face, showing clear satisfaction with how her day had gone, but now, she was eager to return home and get some much-needed rest from all of this. Gliding gracefully through the sky, she approached the Royal Palace, and soon arrived at her balcony. Landing gently, she let out a sigh to herself, before promptly making her way to the door that led to her chambers. Opening it, she found, to her slight surprise, that not only was her sister within, but also her niece, Princess Cadence. The two other alicorns were currently sitting beside one another at a small table, casually sipping some tea, and it was only when Celestia closed the balcony door behind her that they stopped and turned to look upon her. Luna gave a nod to her arrival, but Cadence merely looked to her with some amusement. "Oh my! Well, Auntie Luna, it appears as though we have a visitor this evening." She beckoned to the disguised form of Celestia. "Come, stranger. Won't you please join us for some lovely tea? It's still fresh." Though Celestia rolled her eyes to this faux-ignorance on the part of her niece, she nevertheless chuckled to it, and as she began to approach the other alicorns, she finally placed her hoof upon her magical amulet. There was a glow, and soon, she was engulfed within the light of the artefact. Within moments, the face of "Sunny Smiles" was gone, and instead stood the regal form of Princess Celestia. With her transformation now complete, Celestia used her magic to levitate the amulet off herself, placing it carefully on a cushion on the side of her chambers, before finally joining her fellow alicorns at the tea-table. Cadence had already made her a cup, and after giving an appreciative nod to this, the elder Princess took it within her hooves and enjoyed that first sip. "Ah! A fine way to end my day." Cadence giggled to this, but said nothing as Celestia turned her gaze to her sister. "Thank you for setting the sun today, Luna. I was hoping to be back before that was needed, but..." But the mare of the night merely shook her head. "Think nothing of it, Celestia. It was no issue." Leaning forward, Cadence took on a look of curiosity. "So? How did it go today?" A warm smile crossed Celestia's face as she considered that. "It went very well, Cadence. Everypony I saw today was out there, living their lives, enjoying themselves...it was a good day." Amusement came to her. "Remind me to tell you how things went in Ponyville this time around. I swear, Pinkie Pie always has something interesting going on." A giggle escaped Cadence, and indeed even Luna seemed interested in hearing what her sister had to say about her travels lately. But, for the time being, she instead spoke in that formal tone of hers. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, sister. But, I trust you're eager to resume your duties tomorrow?" Celestia opened her mouth to speak, only to be struck with a very particular memory, at which point her smile faltered a little. "Actually...I may require you to watch over Canterlot again tomorrow, sister." Naturally, words like that immediately caught the interest of the other alicorns. "Oh? Pardon me for saying so, Celestia, but you don't normally stay out among our people as long as that," Luna pointed out. Nodding, Celestia took another sip of her tea before replying to that. "True...but I'm afraid I've already made a...prior arrangement." The other mares looked to her with some measure of confusion, prompting Celestia to further explain herself. "While I was down in the market I...I had an unexpected run-in with one of the Guard. Eclipse Star?" Luna nodded. "Yes, I remember him. He guards the library on most days." Nodding back, Celesta continued. "Well, we encountered one another after a...minor coffee-related mishap. He asked me to join him tomorrow at some favoured café of his. And I agreed." Immediately, both Luna and Cadence looked to the mare of the sun as though they were unsure of what they'd just heard. Celestia, for her part, was busy downing her tea, and was unaware of the stares she was receiving. Briefly, the other two looked to one another, silently urging each other to be the first to say something, and at the end, it was Cadence who did the honours. "Um...Auntie? Would you...erm...care to repeat that?" Finally looking up from her tea, Celestia finally noted the looks the other two were giving her, and after raising an eyebrow, she began to elaborate. "Like I said, I was invited by Eclipse to join him at a café here in Canterlot tomorrow...and I agreed." Clearing her throat, it was now Luna's turn to add her voice to the matter. "Sister...do you not...well...see what's just happened?" Though confused herself now, Celestia nevertheless nodded. "Of course. Two friends enjoying each other's company for the afternoon in a place one of them likes going. Nothing bad about that, is there?" Upon hearing Celestia's perspective on things, Cadence let out a long sigh, placing her hoof upon her forehead. "Oh...Auntie." Celestia frowned slightly, especially when she noticed that Luna was trying really hard to stifle a laugh of some sort. "May I enquire as to what the joke is?" Taking a deep breath, the Princess of Love just decided to flat-out tell her. "Auntie...Eclipse has asked you out...on a date!" Celestia blinked. "Um...pardon?" Here, Luna finally unleashed her chortle. "A date, sister! You know, as in the kind of thing boyfriends and girlfriends do?" Again, Celestia blinked, and then, she shook her head slightly. "No, that...that can’t be what he wanted." Cadence smirked a little. "Oh, it's totally what he wanted." "And you said yes!" Luna reminded her. Though clearly taken aback by this, that didn't stop Celestia from trying to get her head around this. "Now that you mention it...he did say something about being worried about "being too forward" when he asked me." To that, Luna buried her face in her hooves. "Oh, sister! I knew you could be naïve sometimes, but not that naïve!" Now giving a long sigh herself, Celestia turned, looking out to the balcony window. "Well...that's...not what I was expecting." Giggling again, Cadence reached forward, placing her hoof upon Celestia's. "It's no bad thing, Auntie. I'm sure he's a decent guy. I mean, I doubt you'd have agreed to go with him, even as a friend, if that was not the case." Celestia gave a slow nod. "True...but perhaps...it would be best not to go through with this." Immediately, both of the other mares' heads snapped in her direction. "What? Why?" Luna asked. Celestia looked to her with a frown. "What do you mean why? I cannot, in all good conscience, go on a date with a stallion who thinks he's going with...with...somepony else." She turned, gesturing to the now-unused amulet on the pillow. "He's going to be there, expecting "Sunny Smiles" to arrive at that café to join him on a date! It would be one thing if we were merely going as friends, but...but something like this?" It was Cadence who now responded to that. "It's not as bad as you think, Auntie. You know...you could simply think of this as...as something fun for yourself. You might have a nice time with him, after all." Celestia sighed. "I appreciate your suggestion, dear niece...but it's still wrong for me to be tricking Eclipse like this." Luna rolled her eyes. "You're no more tricking him than you are everypony else who sees you with that fake face of yours." Celestia gave a frown to her sister's remark, but said nothing as Cadence, who had gained a somewhat thoughtful look, gave her more soft-spoken words. "Auntie...is there...some other reason why you're so hesitant to do this?" Celestia looked to her, as indeed did Luna, but while the latter was confused by the young Princess' remark, Celestia knew otherwise. There was a silence between them all, and Cadence looked straight at her Aunt, giving her an expression far more serious than she had before. Celestia, after a while, simply let out a sigh to this, and slowly got up from her sitting position, all while the other two watched her. The elder Princess thus began to walk a very familiar walk, and soon found herself in front of a small tree growing from a pot in the corner of her chamber. A tree whose branch bore a peculiar item hanging down from it. A shard. A mirror shard. Immediately, Luna looked on with understanding, and looked down to her tea, now feeling more than a little sorry for her sister. By contrast, Cadence got up, and began to slowly walk over, now standing beside Celestia as the two of them looked to that piece of shattered mirror. "Auntie...I realise that you miss him...that you even still love him, but...he's gone." Celestia shut her eyes, hanging her head slightly. "...I know, Cadence." Cadence turned to face her. "I know that it can be difficult, opening your heart to another, if only for a day. But..." She gestured to the shard. "...do you believe, truly believe...that Sombra would want you to spend the rest of your life mourning him? Remaining alone?" Gradually, Celestia opened her eyes again, looking to that shard and seeing the light of the sunset glisten off it. After letting out a long and difficult sigh, she shook her head. "No...he wouldn't." Raising a hoof, Cadence placed it gently upon her elder's shoulder. "Going to join Eclipse tomorrow will not betray Sombra's memory. That stallion will always have a place in your heart. But that does not mean that you can't..." Slowly, Celestia nodded. "Yes...you're right, Cadence." She looked over to her, bearing a small smile. "...Thank you. Your words are...appreciated." Cadence smiled back, and soon afterwards, Celestia looked over to her amulet, looking deep in thought. "So...a date then? I suppose that’s nothing to be afraid of. I mean...it's not like I've never dated before." Chuckling, Luna finally spoke up again. "True...but that was a long time ago, sister." Celestia cast her another frown, before letting out another long sigh. "Well then...let's see how this goes." Cadence spoke up again, this time in a more reassuring tone. "And if you're still worried, just think of it as a chance to have some fun. Nothing needs to come of this, just...two consenting adults having a nice time out. If something does come from it, great, but if not, then at least you’ve have had a decent afternoon out." Hearing that, Celestia nodded. "Yes...fun...I can do that." Then, her smile faded a little. "...I hope."
The DateTo say that Celestia was feeling unsure about all of this would have been an understatement. She'd left the Palace in good time and, having donned her magical disguise once more, she was now walking among the Canterlot crowds yet again. Over and over in her mind, she played out how things might go, what she would say, what kinds of things would be interesting to talk about. And in each scenario, she dreaded things going wrong, leading to a long and exhausted-sounding sigh on her part. And on top of it all, there was the issue of actually finding the place where her date was waiting for her. Café after café she passed, and none of them seemed to fit the description given to her. However, there came a time when, finally, her eyes fell upon him. Eclipse Star, no longer within his armour but unmistakeable all the same. He was there, in an open-air place currently being served a coffee by the nearby waiter, with an empty chair opposite where he sat. Composing herself, Celestia took a few deep breaths, then walked on over, bearing a smile as she called out. "Eclipse!" Turning, the stallion matched her grin. "Sunny! You made it!" Taking her seat, she took a moment to get herself comfortable before replying to that. "Sorry I'm late. It took a bit longer for me to find this place." Eclipse chuckled slightly. "Not to worry. This part of town gets pretty busy this time of day. It would have taken a while to get here either way." Celestia smiled to that, then turned to look upon the aforementioned waiter, who now arrived to their table yet again. "Would you be ready to order, Sir?" Eclipse cleared his throat. "Yes...um..." He looked to his date. "Sunny?" Celestia nodded, looking to the waiter herself. "I'll just have a salad, thank you." The waiter nodded, then looking to Eclipse, who answered as well. "Same for me, please." Again, the waiter nodded, then headed off to collect their respective meals. Now alone, the couple looked to one another, but, for a long while, neither one of them looked as if they had any idea of what to say to the other. All of Celestia's carefully-made mental plans seemed to just vanish the moment this date of hers began, much to her chagrin. As for Eclipse, he bore something of a blush, scratching the back of his head and even avoiding her gaze for a time. Then, at the end of it all, Celestia decided to simply be as blunt as possible. "So...um...how have you been since yesterday?" Looking back to her, Eclipse smiled. "Oh, I've...I've been good. Yourself?" Celestia nodded. "The same. Though I admit I've been somewhat nervous about all of this." A chuckle escaped the stallion at that. "Can't blame you. I...don't really do dates that much." A smirk crept onto Celestia's lips at that. "Preaching to the choir on that one, Eclipse." The two shared a laugh, and as such, the tension of the previous few minutes began to slowly melt away. But, when the laughter died down, Celestia looked to her partner for the day with a degree of genuine interest. "So...I imagine being in the Royal Guard has given you quite a few interesting stories to tell?" However, rather than seeming eager to divulge such information, Eclipse's smile suddenly faltered, and he let out a sigh, glancing to the side. Naturally, this prompted a somewhat concerned look on he part of Celestia. "I'm...I'm sorry, have I said something to upset you?" Looking back to her, Eclipse shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's just...whenever ponies find out what I do for a living, that's usually the only thing they ask me. What are the Princesses like? What goes on when nopony else is watching? That sort of thing." Slowly, Celestia nodded, a thoughtful look coming to her. "Yes...I imagine your position would make casual conversations rather...skewed." Eclipse nodded back. "I...erm...I actually do have one particular story, if you're interested. It's nothing spectacular, but..." Her ears perking up slightly, Celestia resumed her smile. "Oh? Very well then." Clearing his throat, Eclipse began. "Well...it's about Princess Twilight." Naturally, such a remarked earned him Celestia's undivided attention. "Oh? Do tell." Then, realisation came to the stallion. "Actually, no, that's not quite right, since she wasn't actually a Princess at the time it happened. Anyway, it happened a few years back. I was working the late shift at the library, and I was going around the grounds and inside the library itself." A smile came to him. "I was doing my job, as usual, when out of nowhere, Twilight was there. She was crawling around, trying to get into the library, along with two of her friends. Spike and...Pinkie, I think her name is? And they were all dressed pretty funny, in, like, cat-suits or something? I think that's what they're called." A fond smile came to Celestia as she dwelt on that memory. "Yes...I believe she was sporting a rather interesting mane-style too." Here, Eclipse blinked, and Celestia, upon realising what it was she'd just said, immediately bore wide eyes and began to try and cover herself. "Oh! Um...I mean...I heard a rumour that Celestia's apprentice had done something like that and...er...she was trying a new style?" Slowly, Eclipse nodded to that. "Yes...well...I'm not sure what she was doing, but...it's always fun to speculate sometimes." Giggling, Celestia smiled to him. "Indeed it is." But, while both of them were having a fine moment together, they were soon interrupted by the arrival of that same waiter from before. Sure enough, he was using his magic to levitate a pair of salad bowls in front of the couple, and after placing them down gently, he gave a slight bow of his head before walking off again. The two smiled eagerly at their meal, but, while Celestia took her first bite, Eclipse reached forward for the pepper-shaker in the middle of the table. And as he did this, he winced slightly, taking hold of his shoulder. Celestia noticed this at once, and looked to him with genuine concern. "Eclipse? What's wrong?" Sighing, the stallion looked as though he was equal parts angry and disappointed in himself. "It's nothing. An old irritation from a while back." Celestia's face softened. "You were injured?" Eclipse said nothing for a few moments, then gave a single nod, causing Celestia to enquire further. "...How?" Though it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it, there was no stopping now that he'd been asked. "It...it was during the attack by the Storm King." Celestia's expression became one of worry, but she said nothing as her date carried on. "As those creatures were making their way through the city, me and my squad gathered whatever civilians were close by on the Palace grounds, and we got them into the library, trying to give them someplace safe to hide. We remained outside, and we saw those...those things come for us." He looked away, frowning. "We couldn't let them near the other ponies, so we fought. But they were too strong, too powerful, and they breezed right through us. One took a swing at me...and I was sent flying." A grimace came to him. "I hit the wall...and everything went black." Slowly, he let out a long sigh. "When I came to...I was in chains, like everypony else. We were like that for days, paraded around like slaves...until Princess Twilight came." Ever so gradually, his expression softened. "I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful my friends and I are that she saved us." Here, Celestia's smile returned. "Yes...she and her friends truly did something wonderful." Eclipse nodded in agreement to that, but then, Celestia took on a look that seemed to walk the line between fear an curiosity. "Do...do you resent the other Princesses?" Eclipse looked to her, confused. "What? Why?" Celestia paused, then began to explain. "They were unable to stop the attack or the imprisonment of their people. Do you...do you maybe have bad feelings towards them over that?" Eclipse stayed silent for quite some time, turning away from his date and looking out into the various crowds that passed the café. After a while, however, he spoke with a somewhat sombre tone. “I’d be lying if I said I'd never thought about it...but no. I don’t blame Celestia or the others for what happened. The attack was unforeseen, and even if we had been given time to prepare...that force might have been too much for us anyway.” A sigh escaped him as he looked back to her, and was now bearing a small smile. “Regardless...I’ve never had anything but respect for all of them. They’ve done so much for us, led us for so long...it’s hard to imagine what Equestria would be without them.” Celestia matched his smile. “I’m sure they’d appreciate hearing that.” At long last, Eclipse took a bite of his salad, but, as he slowly chewed it, a new thought came to him. “Not to sound too probing, Sunny, but...how is it that a mare like you is still single?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, prompting Eclipse to realise how he’d worded that question, and so started frantically explaining himself. “Oh! I mean...not that you need to have somepony or anything, it’s just...” But, luckily for him, the mare let out a chuckle. “You needn’t worry. But...” Her expression became, to a degree, sadder than it had been before. “...in truth...there was one I knew...a long time ago. We didn’t know each other for very long, but...it was a very special time to me.” She sighed. “And...I still think of him.” Eclipse’s face softened. “I’m...I’m sorry. Maybe...maybe asking you out wasn’t a good...” But Celestia shook her head before he could finish. “No. It's fine. Him and me...I accepted a long time ago that it wasn't going to happen. It may still hurt, but...I’ve come to terms with it.” Slowly, Eclipse nodded. “Well...I don’t claim to want to replace somepony that special...but I hope I'm at least giving you a pleasant time here.” Hearing that, a smirk crept onto Celestia’s lips. “Jury’s still out on that one, Eclipse.” The two shared another laugh together, and when it faded, they spent the next few minutes trying to finally get through their respective meals. Thankfully, both of them were hungry enough that the salads didn’t really last that long, and when their bowls were emptied, they let out simultaneous sighs of contentment. “Not bad. I can see why you enjoy coming out here,” Celestia remarked. Eclipse nodded. “In that case...I hope I’ve been a good date for you so far, Sunny.” The mare smiled, giving a nod to that. “I daresay you have. In fact...” Raising her hoof, she tapped the end of her chin, glancing upwards to the towers of the Royal Palace, which could be seen if one looked up high enough. “...one could even say you’d be a good enough date even for a Princess.” The stallion, oblivious to her hidden meaning, let out a hearty laugh to that. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, Sunny...but I doubt some night-shift guy’s going to be getting attention like that anytime soon.” Placing her hoof upon her amulet briefly, a knowing smile came to Celestia at that. “Well...funny you should say that.” Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” Smiling again, Celestia leaned forward, bringing her voice down to a whisper. “Tell me...how good are you at keeping secrets?”
End of the Day"How did it go?" "What was he like?" "Did things go like you'd planned?" "Did you have a nice meal together?" "What did you two talk about?" "Think you'll go out with him again?" These, as well as a barrage of other probing questions, had been shot Celestia's way from pretty much the moment she set hoof back in her chambers at the Royal Palace. The day was coming to an end, and she'd once more arrived back home without anypony other than the other two alicorns realising that she was who she was. The magical amulet again lay unused on its cushion, and Luna and Cadence were looking to the elder Princess with a curiosity that could only have been matched by colts and fillies looking at their Hearth's Warming Eve Presents. But, being the very model of class and proper etiquette, Princess Celestia merely sat in her prim and proper way, enjoying a few sips of her tea while her onlookers waited for her answer. Then, after setting her cup down and wiping away a few stray drops from her lips with a nearby handkerchief, the mare of the sun considered some of the questions that had been given to her thus far, before, of course, deciding to answer them all at once. "It went well, he was pleasant company, plans changed, the meal was splendid, we discussed a great many things and...no, I don't think I'll be going out with him again." As soon as that final answer had been given, both of the mares looked to her with supreme disappointment. "What? I thought you said you had a good time with him?" Cadence enquired. Celestia nodded to that. "Indeed I did. It was a good time, and I enjoyed being with him for the afternoon. But..." She paused briefly, thinking hard on how best to explain matters. "...as much as I was having fun...I don't think this is the kind of thing I'm likely to want to keep doing. Eclipse was a fine fellow, he has a good heart, and he was most respectable to me." She took another sip of her tea, a fond smile coming to her as she considered her date. "I'm sure that whatever mare he ultimately ends up with will consider themselves quite fortunate." Stepping forward, Luna raised an eyebrow. "So...you do not wish to pursue a relationship for yourself then?" Again, Celestia shook her head. "I do not. Such a thing was fun...with the face of Sunny Smiles. But, as Princess Celestia...I believe it would not be wise. There would be too many complications, too many..." As before, there was a brief moment where she seemed to struggle putting her thoughts into words. But, at the end of it, she merely let out a long sigh. "Look...it's just not for me. It was fun, and I consider him to be a worthy stallion...but I simply...do not feel it." The other mares looked to her, and then to one another, and as they did this, there was a long silence between them. Then, after a while, Cadence let out a long sigh. "Very well, Auntie. If that's your decision...we'll respect it." Luna nodded. "Indeed. This was never a guarantee to begin with after all. You merely went out on this date for fun...and that was exactly what you had, so..." She cracked a small smile. "...perhaps we should consider this occurrence a success all the same." Smiling back, Celestia raised her tea-cup to her sister. "I'll definitely drink to that." They shared a brief laugh, and Cadence and Luna got themselves comfortable on the other side of the table, taking sips of their own drinks. But, after a minute or two of this, there was a knocking upon the door of the chamber, prompting Celestia to turn towards it. "Come in." With the door slowly creaking open, the mares all looked on to see that it was one of Celestia's aides, a white earth pony mare with glasses and a mane tied up into a bun. "Apologies for the interruption, Princess Celestia, but I have the paperwork you requested?" Smiling, Celestia got up, heading on over while the other two mares continued with their tea. "Of course, Miss Inkwell. Thank you." Using her magic, Celestia levitated a few of the papers up to her face so she could look them over. Everything appeared to be what it needed to be, but there came a point where she looked at one sheet of paper in particular, and she ever so subtly moved so that her fellow Princesses could not see it. It was a simple document, one meant for transfers of members of the Royal Guard, and on that paper was a particular name that Celestia couldn't help but smile to. After nodding at those papers, she handed them back to her aide. "Thank you, Raven. These appear to be in order." The other mare nodded, adjusting her glasses slightly before glancing briefly at Luna and Cadence. "Would you like me to involve the other Princesses with this paperwork as well, your Highness? I mean, transfers to your personal Guard squadron usually warrant..." Before she'd even finished, Celestia had already considered that, and then, after bearing a knowing smirk to herself, she gave a quick shake of her head. "Thank you, Raven, but...I think not." Raven tilted her head slightly in confusion, prompting Celestia to glance over her shoulder, looking to her still-in-the-dark colleagues. "After all...a Lady should be able to have some secrets, right?"
