Celestia watched as Twilight conversed with her new guards with a small smile. While she was glad for all they had done, her mind was still troubled.

"No good will come from keeping Sunset here," Hippothea said, guessing her thoughts. "She will not change her ways."

Celestia nodded. "I had hoped her time in that world would change her. Perhaps I put to much hope on it. Starswirl never said anything bad about it."

Hippothea frowned. "That old windbag wouldn't know a good thing if his life depended on it. How Twilight looks up to him I'll never understand."

Celestia returned the frown. "He was a great unicorn. Equestria owes him and the other Pillars much. I just wish I knew what became of them."

Hippothea's frown melted. It was true. While she had nothing nice to say about Starswirl, she had nothing but respect for all of them.

She placed a hand on Celestia's back. "What is to be done with Sunset though? We cannot send her back through the World Mirror."

Celestia nodded. "I am not sure. The Suppression Ring will hold her magic, but there needs to be a permanent solution."

She sighed. "As for the World Mirror, I'm not sure. I always intended to show it to Twilight, but not like this."

"You would send her through?" Hippothea asked, surprised.

Celestia nodded. "I know she would love to study the other world. I do not fear her falling to darkness as Sunset did."

Hippothea couldn't argue that. Twilight and Sunset shared many things, but that was not one of them. And now with the three around, it seemed even less so.

Seeing them though had reawakened memories she had long put away. Of the home and life, she would never see again.

She had no regrets for her choice. The fact that Dianathe had come with her had eased the pain of saying goodby.

Appitrite's appearance had surprised her as much as Cadance's had Celestia. Young as she was, she was very skilled with bow and blade.

She chuckled at another memory. Appitrite had also made her move with Cadance far sooner than she and Dianathe had.

That too brought back fond memories as her mind returned to that day over eleven hundred years before.

***

The moment Hippothea gave her the look she was, Princess Celestia knew that something was up, and that it would have a huge impact on her future, and Hippothea's as well.

Her and Luna's lessons for the day with Starswirl had ended some time earlier, though there hadn't been much to them. Something that was becoming common in the last few months.

Ever since she had first raised the sun on her own, Celestia had found that a whole new world of magic had opened up to her. The magic that would have been demanding, she now breezed through like a hot knife through butter. The same could be said of Luna as well, since the night she had first raised the moon on her own.

Even Starswirl himself had admitted that there was little he could teach the two of them now. Though he would never say it out loud to the two of them, he was immensely proud of them both. That said though, he was still their teacher, and the sisters still treated him as such.

What had confounded all three of them, was Hippothea and Dianathe. Starswirl had seen many strange things in his long life, but the two of them took the proverbial cake.

The two of them had shown up at the Everfree Castle not long after Celestia and Luna had both earned their cutie marks. Immediately after they had, the centaurides, as they called themselves, had pledged themselves as Celestia and Luna's sworn protectors.

To say it had been awkward would be an understatement. Dianathe and Hippothea both refused to speak of where they had come from. "It is a secret we will take to our graves," Dianathe had said when Luna had asked her. "No outsider, no matter who they might be, will ever know of our homeland."

And that had been the last word either would speak of it. Not even Celestia or Luna knew more about them, and it was driving the two crazy if they were being honest.

For Celestia especially, it was driving her crazy. While she had come to trust Hippothea, their refusal to speak of their home or if there were any more like them, was something that drove the young princess up the wall.

That annoyance aside though, Celestia did enjoy Hippothea's company. It was nice to talk to someone who didn't try and use her position so close to the throne of Equestria for their own gain, and she had a fresh perspective on life that was a breath of fresh air for the Solar Princess.

So when Hippothea gave her a small smile, Celestia knew that something was up. But it was as Hippothea walked forward that it really hit home. Hippothea smile grew.

And then she flicked her tail up and ran it down Celestia's snout, an action that set her face ablaze with a roaring blush. The gesture was unmistakable, but she couldn't be asking her that. Could she? The hand that ran along her spine, hitting all the best spots, only added to it.

Hippothea chuckled. "Come now, Celestia. Do I need to do more?"

Celestia finally found her voice, as she sat back in her throne. "What do you mean?"

Hippothea rolled her eyes as she stood in front of the princess. "Since I came to Equestria, I've found that I was right to oath myself to you. You have proven yourself a worthy leader, far better than those incompetent fools of the Three Tribes Era."

Celestia bit back a scowl. Hippothea had never hidden her contempt for Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane, or Princess Platinum, more than once saying their titles were meaningless in the grand scheme of things, and that they weren't much better.

Hurricane had almost lost a wing, and Platinum her horn when they had taken offense to that and had attacked Hippothea in their anger. Only Celestia's command to stop had stopped the centauride from doing more than injuring them. They had kept their distance from her ever since.

Celestia gave Hippothea a look. "Which means?"

Hippothea rolled her eyes. "I wish to take our bond farther. If you will have me? Our bond will not change no matter what you say. I will not abandon my oath."

Celestia's brows rose as she heard the earnestness in her guard's voice. The look in her eyes told her all she needed to know. Hippothea meant all she had said as well. She did want to be her very special someone. It helped that Celestia had always been attracted to mares, though only her sister Luna knew this.

But could she do that with Hippothea? Both of them were immortal, this she knew, so neither would have to worry about outliving the other, but this was a huge step. For both of them.

But, in her heart, Celestia knew that this was the right thing to do, and as always, her heart won out. She smiled as she leaned forward, extending a wing to caress Hippothea's flank as the two came together in a kiss.

The kiss lasted for only a moment, but in that time, both felt their bond strengthen. Neither one wanted the kiss to end, but in the end, they pulled apart, both smiling now.

Celestia finally said what she felt from the bottom of her heart as she looked Hippothea in the eyes. "Yes. I will take you."

Author's Note

Just to be clear again, the new cover art is Hippothea. I admit writing her and Celestia's time was the hardest for the story so far. Up next is Luna and Dianathe.