Off Duty

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Epilogue: Nightmare Night
Prologue
Chapter 4
Chapter 19
Chapter 46

Chapter 1

The human had been provided tea and refreshments, so he would have something to occupy his time. And he certainly wouldn't mind the brief rest after he heard their proposal. As it was, the hairless face registered only the slightest annoyance at being kept waiting, but it was gone before Celestia could be sure she had seen it. Reading human expressions had become a necessary skill for the Princess. She idly wondered how Luna would deal with all that diplomacy.

She made a mental note to remind her sister not to threaten violence. From what she had seen, the humans posed significant threat if a war should break out.

In the present, however, the Princess approached the seated human and inclined her head politely. It wasn't quite a bow, but it could be taken that way.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Plain."

The name suited the man. Even in the sea of similar human faces, his was as nondescript as it went. The most significant feature was his graying hair. The suit was similar: simple black and white with the tie providing the only splash of color. Compared to him, Celestia practically shone like a rainbow.

"My pleasure," the human lied, "what is this about, Princess?" He glanced from one sister to the other. One expression was eager, expectant and interested, if slightly worried, while the other was sullen and mistrustful.

Celestia decided to go straight to the point. "I will not steal any more of your time, Mr. Plain. Due to certain... unexpected developments, I have decided to give you my contract. Your auction has, even among ponies, the reputation of fairness."

It was a sore point and Celestia couldn't make her face show dispassion. Her subjects - her ponies! - have been taken from their homes and sold as pets on Earth. She had put a stop to it; the humans had listened to her threats once they realized she could control the sun and the moon. But even while many ponies were being returned, a lot of them remained in captivity.

She had to admit - the humans had turned remarkably quickly. There was no more silent foalnapping in the night. Laws were being enacted to protect the pony slaves against the violence of their human masters. It appeared that the human governments, of which there were many, were really trying to accommodate her wishes and return her subjects to her, however slowly the wheels of diplomacy and bureaucracy turned.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the more industrious humans found new opportunities. Human advancements in science were highly sought after, and especially their medicine could sometimes do what even magic could not. Out of desperation, some daughters sold themselves to help their families. Some siblings accepted servitude to save their sisters from certain death. There was always something the humans could provide.

Celestia had time to consider all that before the human recovered. But then, immediately, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You? Do you expect me to believe that you, of all people, are broke?"

"It is not money we are after, Mr. Plain. It is medicine."

It had taken ages to find an appropriate family. A young filly, wasting away from a debilitating illness - one which humans could cure. When she had approached them, the parents had been ecstatic. That alone, perhaps, validated her decision as a good one.

The man still couldn't believe it. "Well? Why don't you just pay for it?"

He conveniently forgot the fact that, since Equestrians mainly traded with gold, the human governments, fearing the collapse of their currencies and economy, had strictly forbidden transport of all precious metals from the ponies' world to Earth. Physically, the ponies were very wealthy in human eyes. Politically, they had no money whatsoever.

Access through the portals was tightly controlled. Black markets cropped up every now and then, but they were quickly and relentlessly crushed by the human authorities. The Princess sighed and fought back exasperation with the constant maneuvering and deception that was so commonplace in diplomacy.

"You know as well as I do that this is impossible, for now. The things we are allowed to trade do not have nearly enough value."

The human wanted to be thorough. "Okay, then why you? Why not someone else? After all, you're much more indispensable to your people than, for example, a maid or a cook."

This answer came naturally to Celestia. She hadn't had to prepare it in advance. "I could not ask one of my ponies to make a sacrifice I, myself, was unwilling to make."

"Commendable. Stupid, but commendable. Okay, Princess, I'll level with you. What's the catch?"

She raised a carefully controlled eyebrow.

"Catch?"

The human sighed and pushed his chair back. It looked like he was about to stand up and leave. "Don't pretend I'm stupid, your Highness. I know you aren't, either. And I know you're not telling me something. If you want my help, you'll have to be upfront with me."

Luna looked at the older sister with alarm. "Do not! Tis a trick!" Celestia, however, was determined. She lit her horn and carefully nudged the chair back against the table. The human, seeing her defeat, didn't fight it.

"Very well. I want... a vacation."

He laughed, as if she had told him a joke. But when neither she, nor Luna joined in, the man fell silent. He blinked in surprise. "You're serious?!"

"Do understand, Mr. Plain. I have been unable to have a vacation in over a thousand years. Wherever I go, however well I hide, ponies recognize me; how could they not? And always I am treated like... well, like royalty. And each time some problem or other is brought for me to solve. But on Earth, nopony- pardon, no one knows me."

They looked at each other for a short while, then the human opened his mouth to speak. But the Princess was faster. "And before you suggest it, you know very well that I cannot simply visit your world, not without a diplomatic reason and all the pomp and ceremony that entails. Like you said - neither of us is stupid. The best way is incognito."

If he was miffed that the pony had guessed his words, the human didn't show it. He quickly found another problem to bring up. "That's all very well, but how am I supposed to get you past the controls? You're not exactly inconspicuous. Most people on Earth don't know what an alicorn is, but the customs people do."

Now Celestia smiled pleasantly. "A disguise spell. I will be a pony criminal who has been sent into slavery in lieu of a death sentence." To demonstrate, her horn lit up and the Princess was enveloped in a cloud of brilliant yellow, almost exactly like sunlight. When it faded, a new pony stood before the slaver.

She was a simple earth pony, an unremarkable cyan with a green mane. She was shorter even than Luna. Her hoofguards and ceremonial vest looked comically oversized. When Celestia opened her mouth even her voice was different.

"Meet 'Supple Branch', a convicted murderer."

Impressed, despite himself, Mr. Plain jumped to his feet and walked around the disguised alicorn. He whistled to himself. "Impressive," he said. "Yeah, I reckon this could work. But you can't stay like that for long, can you? Otherwise you'd be taking your vacations as that," he guessed correctly, waving his hands towards the disguised Princess.

Celestia shook her head. "I cannot maintain this spell indefinitely, no. If not sooner, it will slip away when I have to sleep. Once we are past the border checks, I will revert to my usual shape. You must find a buyer who doesn't know much about ponies."

The man looked doubtful, but Celestia knew it was an act - an attempt to increase his profits. "I dunno," he said slowly. "It could be tricky."

With another flash of light, the Princess reverted to her usual visage. She had a feeling that size mattered when dealing with humans, just as much as it did with ponies.

"You are the best in your line of work, are you not? And while I do not approve of what you do, I cannot prevent it without curtailing my ponies' basic freedoms. Despite that, I believe I can trust you to fulfill your end of this agreement."

Luna finally added her opinion. "Trick us, and I shall make you regret it! I will come after you!"

The human waved the threat away. "Sorry, Princess, but that doesn't scare me. You'll never make it past the border. You've seen machine guns, haven't you?"

Despite being smaller than Celestia, the night-blue alicorn knew how to loom impressively. She was just tall enough to look the human right in his face when she raised herself up proudly. Her smile was cold and merciless.

"We do not need to visit thy world to hunt you, human. The Dream spans all worlds. And I am its Mistress!"

It had a profound effect. The man gulped and backed away, wide-eyed. Undoubtedly he was imagining what kind of powers Luna might have in dreams. But he didn't know. Even most ponies didn't know. There were legends, but no hard facts. Nightmare Moon was still vivid in memories, enough so that some fear had spilled over to the humans who visited.

Celestia wrapped a comforting wing around the man's shoulders, as if to shield him from her sister. It was time to seal the deal. "Do not worry, Mr. Plain. My sister worries too much for my safety. I believe you will conduct yourself with honor and integrity in this task. No drastic measures will be required, will they?"

He managed to shake his head. But then he remembered something else. "Hey, you said 'vacation'. What happens when you've had enough of slavery? You run away and what? I smuggle you back?" The human had all but accepted. Celestia was in equal parts thrilled and afraid.

"If necessary. Consider it one of your obligations under our agreement."

It took a while and the ponies waited with held breath. But eventually, the human nodded. Celestia relaxed. Greed could always be counted upon.

"Yeah, I guess we can make it work."

Before he could change his mind, the alicorn held out a hoof for the human to shake. He did so, if a little hesitantly. "Excellent, Mr. Plain. We shall, of course, work out all the details. For now, please enjoy the amenities of this castle while I go and set my affairs in order."

"Yeah... you do that," he man said slowly.

"Oh, and I did not lie when I said a pony needs treatment. After all, you can't expect your customs officers to accept that you had gotten a slave for free, can you?"

Another nod. "Yeah, I suppose that's right. Fine, I'll get you the treatment. Anything else?"

Celestia just smiled pleasantly and left. A moment later, the younger sister also walked out, her eyes never leaving the human's. Her expression promised swift and horrible vengeance should anything happen to the Princess.

"Just what have I gotten myself into?" Mr. Plain asked the empty room.

Chapter 2

Incredibly, fantastically soon, Celestia was sitting in the back seat of a car, heading to her new home. They had deemed it safest that she remain in disguise during her travel, so the pony that looked out the window at the rushing landscape was 'Supple Branch', a plain earth mare. Of course her new owner - a certain 'Mr. Gregory Rawsthorne' - knew her real name and what she looked like. The auctioneer had chosen his customer well and Mr. Rawsthorne had no clue who or what she was. He didn't have a clue about alicorns or their status. To him she was just another pony.

"Tell me about him again, Mr. Plain. And this time, please do not skip details."

His first introduction of the buyer had been nothing more than a few hurried sentences as he bundled the mare up and led her to his car.

"Okay. He's a moderately wealthy man - naturally, since he was able to afford you. Some big lawyer, I think. Has his name on the building, so he's an associate or the owner, I'm not sure which. Single, never married, no kids. Apparently he's a workaholic, much like you, Your Majesty."

The mare waved a hoof. "Please, 'Celestia' will do at this point. Let's not reveal too much to Mr. Rawsthorne."

"Sure thing. Anyway, he's forty-something, lives in a house some ways from the city. The main reason he bought you is for the housework. He has a maid over occasionally, but nothing on a permanent basis. It sounds to me he read about your... subjects, and now he wants one to keep his house in order and cook. That's about all I know."

"So, my tasks will be..." She left the sentence hanging in the air and sought out Mr. Plain's face in the rear view mirror. He glanced back, then kept on talking.

"Cleaning the place, cooking, serving the meals, that sort of thing. Also laundry and maybe some light gardening. Nothing too onerous. It may not even be a full-time job, so you'll have plenty of freedom."

There was one big question left. She had considered making it a stipulation of her contract with Mr. Plain, but in the end decided against it.

She had heard rumors. Some humans were very... affectionate toward ponies. Celestia was certain she could fend off any untoward advances, but maybe it would have been wise to have some form of legal protection written into whatever contract her buyer signed.

In the end she hadn't mentioned that. Even when Mr. Plain had brought the question up, she had simply waved it away and moved on. It was an embarrassing thought, hidden deep down where nopony could find it. The alicorn was lonely. With the stress of ruling Equestria, there never seemed to be a good time for a dalliance. And with her subjects either afraid, or in awe of her, there had been very few chances. She didn't know yet how she felt about... a human. But the mare didn't want to rule it out completely. Legal stipulations were far too definitive for her taste.

"Will he require... my affection?"

It didn't take long for Mr. Plain to answer. "I'm not sure, but I'm leaning toward 'no'. The guy isn't exactly a public figure, but at first glance he appears to be a gentleman. I don't think you need to worry about it."

"That is good." The pony firmly squashed a tinge of disappointment. "Anything else I should know?"

"You memorized the phone number?"

Celestia quickly recited it to herself. It was a very important piece of information - a means for her to contact Mr. Plain once she was done with her 'vacation' and escaped from this Rawsthorne. She would have to find a public pay phone and dial the numbers he had given her. Then, someone from the auction would come to collect her and they would arrange for her return to Equestria. The machine didn't seem too complicated, but she had memorized the instructions too.

"It's a box with the word 'Telephone', usually blue or red. Inside, I pick up the 'headset' from the hook and drop the coins in a slit. Then I wait for the slow beeping noise and type in... hmm, yes. Plus, one..." She quickly recited the long sequence of numbers. Mr. Plain fished a piece of paper from his coat pocket and checked it. "That's right. Make sure you remember it. If you don't, I'll make up some excuse in, say, about three months and drop by for a visit."

"Thank you, Mr. Plain. As discussed, you will be paid in small jewels - such as are easily secreted about your person - when I am safely back in Canterlot."

He grunted and focused on his driving again. The mare was, at the same time, calm and worried, so she focused her gaze on the distant hills. The world was drab and uninspiring. Most of that was probably due to the weather, which was overcast and rainy. In addition, the day was coming to an end, so the darkness seemed even more oppressive. She knew that humans didn't have the ability to control their weather, like ponies did. But now she wished they could. She didn't believe in omens, but meeting her new owner on a day like this would surely be a bad one.

The alicorn closed her eyes and felt for the sun. It was impossibly distant and she sighed. There was no way for her to budge it, no matter how hard she tried. Truly, this was an alien place. For a moment, worry overtook her excitement and Celestia wondered if she had made a mistake in coming.

"We're here."

The words brought the Princess from a thoughtless reverie. As she came to, Celestia saw the house. At first she thought it wasn't very large - used to the scale and grandeur of the Canterlot Palace - but when she realized that Rawsthorne lived alone her opinion changed. The place really was big for one human. It was still ugly. All straight edges and rectangles. 'Modern', she had heard Mr. Plain say once.

The pony focused on the surrounding countryside instead. The view was amazing. Rolling hills and forests, exquisitely painted in the colors of autumn. She had spent most of her life in ornate rooms and finely decorated hallways, but now her hooves itched to run through the resplendent countryside. Celestia smiled to herself. Maybe the house wasn't all she had hoped for, but the scenery was lovelier than she had imagined. She could see that, even in the rain and the dimming, overcast daylight.

"Come in, come in!" a new voice was saying. While she had been taking in the view, Celestia hadn't been paying much attention to Mr. Plain, who had gone to knock on the door. Now she was awarded her first glance of her 'owner'. Rawsthorne was shorter than her. Somehow, that seemed important. Beyond that, the pony had little reference. The face looked normal. The eyes seemed fine. The hair was graying a little, but still thick. Her owner, the mare decided, was a very unremarkable human.

Mr. Plain introduced her simply as 'Celestia', which was perfectly fine by her. But Rawsthorne just looked at her uncomprehendingly. Too late she realized that she was still disguised.

"I thought I was buying some kind of unicorn," the man said with a touch of disappointment in his voice. His invitation to enter seemed to be revoked because he kept blocking the doorway.

"You did! Sorry, Mr. Rawsthorne. I travelled in disguise." In moments she released the spell and felt herself return to her accustomed height and shape. She had never truly thought about where her wings went, she just knew that she couldn't feel them at all. For that matter, since her little demonstration to Mr. Plain, Celestia had also amended the spell so it would hide any clothing she wore and return it when she changed back.

That part wasn't strictly essential, but she had had some extra time while she waited for the auctioneer and working on a spell was better than pacing up and down the room nervously.

The human was impressed, but also suspicious. He eyed her peytral and hoofguards briefly, before dismissing them as unimportant. "And why do you need to travel in disguise?" he asked. He addressed his next question to the auctioneer. "Did you sell me a stolen pony, Mr. Plain? I explicitly said-"

Celestia quickly tried to take charge of the conversation. "Forgive us, Mr. Rawsthorne. My appearance might raise some comment and we wished to escape undue notice. I assure you, Mr. Plain had gotten me perfectly lega-"

Rawsthorne raised up a hand and she fell silent in shock. He barely glanced at her and continued talking to Plain. "You also promised she is well behaved."

Even the auctioneer was a little taken aback. "What? She was just answering the question."

Her owner shrugged. "True, but I did not ask her. I asked you."

Plain sighed and opened a slim briefcase. He brought out a sheaf of papers. "Here, this is all the paperwork. I assure you that Celestia came to my auction legally. All the documents are in order, you can check."

"I will," the man said simply. He stood aside to let the pair inside. Mr. Plain went first, because Rawsthorne wanted to speak with the pony.

"You can perform simple household tasks?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry! Yes, Master!"

He frowned a bit at the title. "No, I don't like that. You will call me 'Mr. Rawsthorne', or 'Gregory' for preference. None of that 'Master' business."

Celestia was quick to spot the hypocrisy. "But you are, in fact, my owner. I have to obey every command?"

For the first time since she saw him, Rawsthorne smiled, at least a little. "To answer the first: Yes. And the second: It depends. I expect you to follow reasonable orders without question. I will not mind you asking for clarification, but I will not have you demanding my reasons for every single request I make. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Gregory. I am- I used to be a skilled diplomat. I know when to obey and when to ask for details."

"Good. Your first task is to brew a pot of tea for me and Mr. Plain. You should find everything you need in the kitchen. Second door on the right. When you are done, bring it to the conference room, that is two doors down and across the hall. You may also bring a cup for yourself."

She paid very close attention to the instructions. It would not do to fail such a simple task so quickly after her arrival. She almost ran off to do it, but remembered just in time and looked back to her owner.

"Of course, Gregory. Anything else?"

It earned her an approving nod, which in turn made her happy. The man was strict and precise, true. But he also seemed reasonable. She would not be subjected to whims, at least. Even from their first interaction, Celestia knew that she could expect fair treatment and precisely defined work. And - most importantly - she would not have to make many important decisions! No lives would hang in the balance. The worst that might come from her mistakes would be a stern talking to. Rawsthorne didn't look like the sort to beat her.

"That is all, for now. When we're done with the paperwork and the money, I will show you to your room and explain your tasks to you."

The mare sought for something to say and went for the line her own Palace staff had been saying to her for millennia.

"Very good, sir."

Chapter 3

She didn't even have to decide which tea to brew! Rawsthorne only had one sort. All the cups were the same, so she didn't have to pick the crockery. Also the sugar, which she had found by smell, was just cubes in a bowl. The job had required exactly one decision: whether to boil the water on the stove, or use her magic.

The first presented a problem. The part of the kitchen which Celestia decided was the stove seemed completely incomprehensible to her. Sleek black surface with several white rings drawn on. There were no knobs, nor any holes where the fire might come from. She resolved to ask Rawsthorne how it worked, but for now she had simply heated the water with a quick flash of her horn.

When she walked into the meeting room with the entire tea set floating behind her, she drew amazed looks from both humans.

"That was fast," Mr. Plain said. He was used to levitation, but had forgotten that she had other spells at her disposal. Her new owner just seemed impressed by the floating objects. She made a show of setting the table. Saucers floated and gently touched the wood just in time for the cups to land on them. Spoons swam around the air while she poured the tea. She didn't even have to look at the sugar bowl to place it exactly in the middle.

It was like a smooth, intricate dance and she timed it perfectly. The moment the last cup was filled all the spoons landed at once. She kept the teapot floating for a moment more, then set it down beside the sugar in case anyone wanted a refill. The magic was elementary and one she had been using nearly every day of her life. Of course she was good at it!

She could read the wonder and astonishment in Mr. Rawsthorne's face, however well he tried to hide them. She smiled pleasantly and politely waited for him to begin.

He picked up the spoon and examined it. "Impressive," he said at last. He put the utensil back down and took the cup without putting any sugar in. Celestia was horrified. Tea without sugar was simply unthinkable!

She debated with herself if she should sweeten her own cup at all - if Mr. Plain didn't take any, the mare would feel like a glutton if she did.

Luckily the auctioneer added several lumps and Celestia gratefully matched his number. She took a sip and was impressed. 'Earl Grey' the box had said, but it was good despite the drab name.

The humans continued their business. It was mostly legal talk, and revolved entirely about the fine details of her contract. She knew it all, so she didn't have to pay particular attention to it. But she still watched her owner, ready for any little job he might have for her while he and Mr. Plain discussed the final few points.

At long last, they stood up, shook their hands and said their goodbyes.

"Celesta, please see our guest to the door. Then put all this away and come find me in the living room."

"Of course, Gregory."

She walked Plain to the entrance, where he stopped and looked up at her worriedly. "You sure this will be okay? He looks kind-of demanding. You're not going to have much fun like this."

The mare couldn't help but laugh. "On the contrary, Mr. Plain. I have had the most peaceful few days I can remember in the past thousand years. Do you know how many life-or-death decisions I have had to make today?"

He stared at her in confusion.

"None! Having someone else in control of the smallest details of my life is remarkably liberating."

Now he clearly thought she was crazy, but didn't say anything about it. "Well, just remember the number."

"Thank you, Mr. Plain. Goodbye!"

She closed the door after the man and waited until his car started. Then she went to pick up the tea set and took it to the kitchen. She briefly considered washing it, but Rawsthorne hadn't told her to do that. He just said to 'put it away'. Besides, she couldn't see the soap and didn't relish the idea of rummaging around for it. Instead, the pony went to look for her new master in her new home.

It wasn't hard, despite the size of the mansion. She followed the sounds and wondered why Rawsthorne needed so many rooms if he lived alone. The pony found her owner on a large, comfortable-looking couch. He was staring at a window-

No, Celestia realized. That wasn't a window. It was a rectangle and she could see people and objects in it, but the image changed to show different angles. A faint rumor tickled her memory.

"This is a 'tele-vision', sir?"

The human had heard her approach - the hoofguards weren't exactly stealthy. But he hadn't taken his eyes off the magic rectangle until she spoke. "You haven't seen a TV yet?" he asked, a little surprised.

"I have not been in your world for very long."

Her explanation was accepted. The man picked up a smaller black box and showed her. It had tiny bumps with writing and symbols on them, but the Princess couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

"This is how we control the television. It can show us images from anywhere in the world. Exactly how it works is immaterial right now, but perhaps the easiest way to understand it is like a window. One for which we can choose where it faces."

Rawsthorne pushed some of the bumps on the smaller rectangle and the picture changed. It showed a bunch of humans standing in a square, listening to a finely-dressed human on a balcony. Then it showed cars, driving very fast. Then a woman was explaining something - before the image changed, Celestia recognized the words 'Thursday' and 'Friday', with little pictures of clouds under them. Finally, the view returned to the one it had been showing when she entered. Some serious-looking men, standing around a shining green table. There were colored balls on the green surface and one of the men sighted down a stick at the orbs. A voice - Celestia couldn't see the speaker, spoke some numbers and, she guessed, human names.

As curious as she was, the mare knew there would be time to explore these marvels. Right now, her top priority was to make as good a first impression as possible.

"The table is clear. Should I wash the dishes?"

Rawsthorne waved a hand. "Just stack them in the dishwasher for now. they can wait until dinner." He saw her blank stare and almost smiled. "I will show you later." His attention returned to the television.

"Would you like me to begin preparing dinner?"

"Oh, that's right. Mr. Plain said you can cook. What can you make?"

"What would you like, sir?"

She knew that the man immediately recognized her deflection. But he didn't seem to mind. "Would it be rude if I asked you to cook meat?"

The question was not one she was prepared for and it flustered her for a few seconds, but the pony quickly rallied. "If you give me the recipe and do not force me to eat it with you, then I would be happy to try."

In truth, the idea of having anything to do with dead flesh revolted her. But maybe, if she plugged her nose, didn't pay too close attention and used her magic, rather than hooves, it would be okay?

The man laughed at her expression, even as she desperately tried to hide it. "Don't worry, I won't make you chop up a chicken or something like that. How about something vegetable for today? Come, I will show you the pantry and you can decide for yourself."

The tiny, windowless room, which opened from the kitchen, was mostly filled with shelves. It wasn't even big enough for two people, let alone a human and an alicorn. Celestia just poked her head in, while Rawsthorne gave her a quick tour of the shelves and the refrigerator. Understandably, he had mostly non-perishables. Most of his produce was in cans and jars, although the man assured her that he often visited a market on his way from work.

He mostly cooked light dinners for himself or ordered delivery if he was particularly busy. He was rarely home for lunch and never ate breakfast before he went to work. That last horrified the pony and she was glad cooking meals would become her responsibility. Two meals a day was no way to live, even for a human.

She was to jot down whatever ingredients she needed in a notepad and Rawsthorne would be sure to pick it up. For the present evening, the mare glanced over the meagre stock and tried to come up with something half-decent.

"I know it's a bit empty," the human admitted, "if you can't make anything from this stuff we'll order something for today."

"No, no, I have a few ideas!"

She wanted to impress. She smelled, more than saw, a few cloves of garlic. It was on the point of sprouting, but still good. She pulled it out with her magic and then glanced over the shelves. A couple onions floated up as well. She added a pack of what looked like flour. And from the refrigerator, she grabbed a box which contained sour cream, as she read from the label. There were also some cans in there. One of them sported an image of green peas and the pony picked that up as well. She didn't see any spices, not even pepper and salt, so Celestia guessed those were elsewhere. She hoped his spice rack was reasonably stocked, at least.

"How would you feel about split pea and onion soup and some homemade garlic bread? I shouldn't take more than an hour." She remembered a vital detail. "Oh, that is - if you have any yeast." Her voice was doubtful. It didn't look as if Rawsthorne baked a lot of bread. But he opened a tin box on a shelf and pulled out a small packet.

"Dry yeast okay?" he asked and showed her.

"I'm not familiar with that sort."

"You just mix it with a bit of warm water and sugar and then it's like regular yeast," the man explained.

She was a bit doubtful, but willing to try. "Sure, that sounds okay. Now if you can just show me how to operate your stove and oven?" She remembered the smooth, shiny black surface. Rawsthorne turned to leave the room and she backed out of the entrance, her foodstuffs floating above their heads.

"Not a problem," he said and led her the few steps to the appliances. It turned out that she couldn't use the black surface. Rawsthorne said the buttons were of the 'touch' sort, and apparently that meant only human fingers worked on them. Hooves did not. At his advice, she tried to poke at them with her nose, however silly it looked. But the little symbols were too small for her to hit reliably.

They were at a loss until Rawsthorne remembered something and went to fetch it. He returned with a small, black stick. On one side it ended in a metal tip, but the other was rounded and soft to the touch.

Amazingly, the rubber part worked on the 'touch buttons'. Celestia listened closely to Gregory's explanation on how to use the contraption. It wasn't difficult, once she had poked at it for a bit. The oven was used in the same fashion and also quite simple. She would have preferred to work with actual fire - the woodsmoke added a certain flavour - but she could use the things just fine with her little stick. She made a mental note never to lose it.

After he had shown her the impoverished spice rack, Celestia smiled and gently prodded the human out of the kitchen with her muzzle and wings. "I have everything in hoof, Rawsthorne. Dinner will be served in an hour."

He didn't resist, but the human had obviously intended to watch her. The Princess knew that she had to set these boundaries early on. She would not gain his trust if he felt he had to constantly supervise her. Confident, efficient and polite, those were the key words. Plus, she would wow him with her cooking.

Despite the strange devices around her and despite her short battle with the can, the pony felt happy enough to hum a little tune as she worked. This 'servitude' business would be a piece of cake! So very relaxing!

The meal went over well. It was rather simple, but her new owner seemed to enjoy himself well enough. Celestia could barely eat herself as she watched the human nervously.

Finally, the verdict was in: "It's not bad. Quite good, in fact. Thank you, Celestia."

It was less praise than she had anticipated, but the pony accepted it graciously with a nod of her head. Regrettably there was no dessert, a point she brought up once the human had finished eating.

"I would have done even better, Master Rawsthorne, but your pantry is regrettably understocked. I could do so much more with only a few extra ingredients."

The human raised a finger. "Not 'Master', remember? Just 'Rawsthorne' will do or 'Greg' is fine. Write down what you need most urgently and I'll fetch it tomorrow when I return from work. I suppose I can also take you down to the markets on Saturday, if you wish."

It sounded like fun and she was instantly looking forward to it. "I would appreciate that, Gregory. Now, if you could just give me a quill and some ink, I will prepare a few suggestions for tomorrow's dinner."

The man laughed. "Quill? What century did you come from? The touchscreen stylus has a pen on the end."

It was almost an insult, but the mare quickly rallied. She concentrated and her horn glowed. The human stared as the little stick floated over from the kitchen. Celestia sternly resisted the urge to smirk. She was good, but it would not do to gloat. She placed it on the table before her and inspected it again.

The metal bit? That is a pen? Where is the ink?"

Rawsthorne got up and went to rummage in a drawer. He came back with a small yellow block made of paper, and slid it toward her. "The ink is contained in the pen. Try it."

She experimentally scratched the gleaming tip on the yellow pad. It left a crisp, clean line. She hadn't doubted the human, of course, but seeing it was like some kind of strange new magic. As if to convince herself it really worked, the pony did it a few more times, until the paper was full of lines, loops and squiggles. She almost opened her mouth to ask, but then she noticed that the block was formed by many pieces of paper stuck together. She removed the top one and there was a fresh page underneath. Almost like a little booklet!

"This will do perfectly. Thank you, Gregory!" She left the paper and pen on the dining table and picked up the dishes. She was about to take them out, but paused at the door with the crockery and utensils floating around her. "Could you also get me a book on human cooking, so I may learn to prepare more appropriate meals?"

The human didn't even have to think. "Oh, there should be some in the library. We'll check tomorrow. For now, put the dishes in the sink and I will show you to your bedroom. You can wash up tomorrow when I'm at work."

"Very good, sir."

She made a quick visit to the kitchen to do as he said, then came back. The dining room was empty, but Celestia could hear the human walking around. She picked up her magic pen-button-stick and the notepad. She would need to come up with a better name for it. The human had called it 'stylus', so she opted to use that. Rawsthorne was found on the first floor in the hallway. He heard her hooves on the hardwood but didn't look back. "Here, it was meant as a guest room, so I think it will do nicely. Do you sleep in a bed, or should we arrange something else? Like a haystack?"

As if she was some kind of animal! The mare repressed her tiny flare of annoyance and walked into the room. "I have slept in a bed every night of my life, Rawsthorne. I'm not a beast, you know?"

He raised his hands up. "Yes, of course! Sorry."

Celestia went and sat on the bed. It wasn't as soft as her mattress in the Canterlot Palace, but it would do nicely. She didn't mind 'roughing it' for her vacation.

"You may use the wardrobe and the dressers, although I saw that you don't have any luggage. Are there things you will need? Clothes? Brushes? Uh... bridles?"

She stared at him pointedly for a moment. Then she got to her hooves and went to peer into his eyes from right up close. The man was a little nervous with her as tall as she was. Good. "Mr. Rawsthorne. I think it would benefit our relationship if you immediately removed from your thoughts any ideas that I am anything like your Earth horses. I would be most grateful if you thought of me as a person, instead. I will sleep in a bed, I will brush my teeth, I will take showers and I will sit at the table for meals. It would be much easier if you thought of me as a four-legged human, rather than a pony."

It worked. The human spread his arms. "Yes, yes. Of course, you're right. Sorry! I merely had some incorrect preconceptions because of your shape."

Mightily pleased with the progress, the mare went back to her bed. "Excellent. Which reminds me: I will need a toothbrush and some supplies. Mr. Plain told me that most owners prefer to provide these things for their ponies themselves, so I did not pack anything. It can wait until Saturday - I will do the essentials with my magic until then."

She was becoming aware of an uncomfortable pressure. "Oh, and if you could show me to the bathroom?"

The human led her a few doors down the hall and pushed it open. It was nicely roomy and looked quite clean. Celestia guessed that whoever Rawsthorne hired to clean his house had been there that very day. All the required furnishings seemed to be in place, so the mare turned to face the human and smiled pleasantly.

"I will get myself ready for bed and retire for the day. Is there anything else you require?"

He shook his head. "Not today, thank you. We'll talk about your other duties in the morning."

"Very good, sir."

It was a good line. She saw why her own staff kept using it all the time. It could mean practically anything and was useful in any circumstance. She waited for the man to start walking away, then closed the door and went about her evening ablutions. She opted to skip showering, so it didn't take too long. Cleaning her teeth with magic was a snap, though she preferred the brush. Her mane was on the verge of being acceptable and her tail probably wasn't. She decided she would wash both the next day, while Rawsthorne was at work.

Then it was time for bed. She removed her vest - a simpler version of her ceremonial garb. And kicked off the plain metal hoofguards. Mr. Plain had advised against bringing gold and silver to Earth and she had agreed. Out of habit the Princess tried to lift up her coronet, but it was not there. Another sacrifice of necessity. She spread the cloth over a chair and pushed the four metal pieces under it, out of the way. Then she climbed between the covers.

With all the strangeness and excitement, the mare didn't think she would ever fall asleep. She was right. The bed, although more comfortable than what Mr. Plain had provided at the auction, didn't seem to want to accept her. After turning around for the twelfth time, the mare sat up with an exasperated sigh. She considered beating the mattress with her magic until it became softer, but decided against it.

With a heartfelt, sorrowful sigh, Celestia got up, walked over to the window and looked outside. She could see the shadow of the mountain, stretching up and away. To the right was the road, with a lone car driving down it. The pony wondered who was out this late. She could see the general shapes of trees, if not the detail. Based on the light and shadows, Celestia estimated that the moon - Earth's moon - was somewhere behind her.

The though evoked memories of her sibling and the Princess wondered how Luna was doing. Was she, perhaps, staring up at the night sky from the castle balcony? Was she, too, missing her sister? Now that she was at her destination and the bustle and excitement was largely behind her, Celestia felt homesick. She considered slipping out through the window and going home. This world was huge and complex. The stove and oven, with their touch-buttons. The TV. Even these cars were far beyond her understanding. Was she too old for all this bewilderment?

On the other hoof, Celestia knew herself too well. She had expected doubts to come, especially during her first few nights here. She firmly squashed them. There was fun to be had! Despite her self-assurance, the mare still wiped away a tiny tear and pressed her hoof against the glass.

"Be safe, Sister. I will see you again."

The short ritual made her feel a lot better, but now Celestia was fully awake. She knew, on a deep, subconscious level, that she wouldn't sleep that night. She briefly considered waking up Rawsthorne. But then she thought: what could the human do? The man had work in the morning, whereas she was on vacation. Let him sleep. Instead, the pony cast a simple spell to muffle her hoofsteps. She glanced at the metal guards, but decided against them. Somehow, going about the place 'bare-hoofed', as it were, seemed naughty. And fun!

The sheer outrage made her smile. Other than in her own room and her bed, the Princess never went unshod, even in her own castle. Now, just thinking about it thrilled her. In fact, Celestia decided, she would not wear the things at all on Earth! And she would also forgo the vest! After all, she had wanted to be just another slave, no?

She had to work hard to suppress a giggle as the mare slipped out of her room. Her magic-enhanced hooves made no sound, even on wood. She crept up to Rawsthorne's room and gently opened the door to look inside. It was much like hers, except with more wardrobes and drawers. That was right, Celestia remembered, humans wore a lot of clothing. She wondered what they looked like naked, but decided against lifting Rawsthorne's cover to check. Instead, she carefully closed the door and crept away.

The house was dark, but she could see well enough in reflected moonlight. She poked her snout back into the kitchen and dining room, just to make sure she remembered where they were. She also found another bathroom on the ground floor, before she lost interest in exploring the inside.

The front door was locked, but it didn't take Celestia more than a minute to work out how to turn the various locks along the side. She let herself out, walked to the middle of the lawn and looked back. The house was just as ugly at night, so she quickly turned away.

The mountainside and the road were much more interesting. She went to inspect the smooth, black surface. There hadn't been time before. It wasn't as hard as she expected - the material seemed to yield a tiny bit under her hoof. She stomped it experimentally and heard the faint clop, even through her silencing spell.

There were lines on the sides and down the middle. The pony quickly figured them out. They helped the humans to drive on their side and avoid running into opposite traffic. It seemed like a useful idea and Celestia filed it away for later. Perhaps it could improve traffic congestion in some parts of Canterlot!

She heard a car in the distance. It was approaching and the pony quickly stepped off the black surface. She waited by the side of the road to try and see the humans in the vehicle.

It was deceptively fast! The foliage around the road muffled the sound until it was suddenly right before her. The thing sped around the curve and blinded her with strong lights. As she reflexively looked away, she heard the squeal of tires and the car slid to a stop not far from her.

She could see nothing through the glare of the lamps, but suddenly the pony was scared. She turned and fled back to the house. Just in time, too! She heard the car door open and a voice say something, but the mare jumped inside and pushed the door shut. She listened intently, fearing the human would come investigate. It would not do to wake up Rawsthorne! The mare was trembling in fright until the car door slammed shut and the vehicle pulled away. Only then did Celestia breathe a sigh of relief.

A fit of giggling threatened to overpower her and the mare did her best to muffle her mouth in the crook of her foreleg. Oh, how she wished she could have seen the look on that human's face! An unexpected alicorn at the side of the road. The thought made her chuckle some more.

It subsided slowly and she made her way back to her room. Enough adventure for her first day, Celestia decided. She still couldn't sleep, so she just pushed a chair to the window, sat and stared out at the landscape.

Chapter 5

It was a restful night and Celestia had no problem waking up well before sunrise. She lay in her bed for a minute, listening to the sounds of the quiet house. Again, she heard the thing in the basement. It was a barely perceptible hum, but now that she knew what to listen for, she couldn't help noticing it. Especially in the pre-dawn stillness.

It was getting ridiculous! The stupid machine was beginning to take on mythical proportions and the alicorn couldn't be having that. Time to go down there and find out what the device was for! Despite her imagined bravado, the pony still muffled her steps and crept down the stairs slowly. She was ready to flee at any moment. The only sound, besides the creature's constant roar, was her own thundering heartbeat.

All too quickly she was on the bottom of the stairs. The noise seemed almost deafening now, but that might have been just her imagination. Whatever for did the human use this thing?! It never produced anything, nor consumed any materials. Celestia wasn't familiar with industry, even the rudimentary, hoof-operated devices her subjects used. But she was sure she should understand what it was the thing did!

The TV, she understood. The stove and the oven were just an improvement on things she already knew. Even the dish-washer and the laundry machine were obvious. The car was a weird replacement for a carriage - one that didn't require ponies pulling it.

This monster was a mystery. It didn't seem to do anything, except make noise. It never even moved. The thought made her breath catch and her heart skip a beat. Her blood ran cold. Was it that it hadn't moved, or simply that she'd never seen it move?

Thinking about the monstrous assembly of pipes and blocks being able to roam the house was the stuff of nightmares. The pony crept forward. The door was open and Celestia thought she could see a faint glow in the room. It was red, like Tartarus itself. The human didn't havea portal to the nether-world in his house, did he?!

She carefully poked her head around the doorframe. The monster was full of fire! It was plain to see trough a tiny window on the front part. The flames, fanned into a roaring fury, were what was making all the noise.

"What the buck are you?!"

It went dark instantly. The noise stopped. The light vanished. Celestia gave a short 'eep' and jumped back. It had heard her and didn't like her questioning. Any moment now it might come for her! With a very brief flash of magic, the mare slammed the door shut and ran back, into the relative safety of upstairs.

She ended up in the living room, trembling and breathing heavily. She needed the human! Surely Rawsthorne would know what to do. Demonic infestation was probably a common thing in this strange world! She didn't want to go into the ground level hallway - it was too near the dreaded basement. The mare took the spiral staircase, jumping two steps at a time.

Her haste didn't pay off. Nearly at the top, she missed a step and plunged forward. She hit her snout right on the railing and had to scramble her hooves furiously to keep from slipping down. Celestia grunted as she dragged herself into the room above. She rested for a moment, then burst out of the library and into Rawsthorne's room.

She leapt and landed on the bed. "Rawsthorne! Come quick, it's after us! We have to go now!"

The human gave a surprised shout and flailed around himself. A stray hand landed right on her face, but the pony hardly noticed it. She wrapped all four hooves around the human and clung to him for dear life.

"Please, listen to me! The thing in the basement! I went to look and it saw me! It's after me! HELP!"

Finally, Rawsthorne woke up fully from the strange dream, only to find that it was actually happening. He recognized the pony and, despite her tight grip, didn't try to fight her off anymore.

"What in blazes has gotten into you?!" the man demanded angrily. "It's the middle of the night! Let me go!"

The authoritative tone calmed her down and Celestia was able to peel herself away. She remained on the human's bed, shivering slightly. Her ears swiveled this way and that, seeking out any sound of the monster in the hallway. It was surely just outside the door by now!

Rawsthorne sighed and placed a hand on her withers. "Calm down, girl," he said, not unkindly. "Tell me what spooked you."

The mare swallowed a lump and focused her eyes on the human. Her ears folded down in fear. "T-thing! In the basement. Pipes and m-metal and things!"

Rawsthorne's gaped in surprise. "You mean the central heating?!"

It was like a slap combined with a cold shower. For a minute, all the pony could do was open and close her mouth in shock. Then she shook her head.

"It can't be! It keeps roaring all the time without anypony near it! And there's fire inside it! And just now it heard me!" She grabbed the human again, but this time he didn't resist. "I went to check- I heard it from my room. And I saw the fire inside! And then I said something and it heard me! It went quiet suddenly!"

The human put a hand on his eyes. "It's automatic," he said flatly.

She unwrapped her hooves and pushed herself away, so she could look at Gregory's face. "What does that mean?"

He didn't move his hand away as he explained: "It means the central heating turns on and off by itself, whenever it's needed. If the house gets too cold, or hot water runs low, it turns itself on to heat them up. And when it's warm enough and there's plenty of water, it shuts off again."

The Princess was gobsmacked. She had enjoyed a bath last night and the water had been warmed by the monster?! She spoke slowly, to give herself time to wrap her head around the idea.

"So that's why there's..."

"-fire inside, yes," Rawsthorne finished her sentence.

"And it's not going to-"

"-eat us, no. It can't move. It's a machine, Celestia. A convenience, just like the TV, or the car, or the oven." Now that it was cleared up, the human sounded nothing so much as exasperated.

"I- I see."

His shoulders shook, but the mare couldn't see Greg's expresion. The hand was still on his eyes. She was worried the human was angry at her sillines. She let him go and shuffled away. Then she realized the human was laughing. It started as a low chuckle, but he pulled his hand away from his face, looked at her expression, and burst into a full laughing fit.

It seemed to go on forever. Celestia couldn't help her embarassed blush. She lowered her muzzle to the bed and closed her eyes, but however tightly she folded her ears against her head, she couldn't shut out the laughter.

She had known! The first time she saw the thing, she had known it was just a machine, serving a purpose! But she worked herself up into a frenzy over it. It had roared at her by chance. Of course it roared again when she was preparing her bath! The pony had been using up a lot of hot water, the machine had to make more.

It falling silent just as she was looking at it was pure chance. The mare drew a breath and heaved a deep sigh, partly out of relief, but mostly out of embarassment. It took ages for Rawsthorne to wind down. He had to wipe the tears out of his eyes when he looked at her again.

"Shut up."

"You thought it was a monster!" the human said and started chuckling again.

"Not. A. Word!" She glared as fiercly as she could, but it only seemed to make the human more jovial.

"You actually went down to fight it, and it scared you off!" he said, accusingly. "Dear Lord, frightened by central heating?"

The mare gave a low, annoyed growl. She was embarassed enough without the man driving it home.

"I'm warning you!"

He didn't seem to care. "Just how old are you? Did I get a child or something?"

"No! NO! If you must know, I'm-" She stopped herself just in time before she blurted out the real age. It would have raised some eyebrows. She quickly said the first number she could think of. "-thirty!"

There was barely a pause and Rawsthorne didn't seem to notice it. "Thirty and you still believe in fairy tales and monsters?"

The pony raised her face toward the ceiling and heaved an exasperated sigh. "For your information, Mr. I-never-get-scared, there are real monsters in Equestria! Dragons and manticores and changelings and things I'd rather not even think about!"

Finally it worked. The human stopped poking fun at her and his face grew serious. "Fascinating place," he remarked dryly.

"It's beautiful and I wouldn't have it any other way. And it's my home!"

His hand went back to her withers, but then slid down her barrel. Despite her annoyance, it was deeply comforting.

"What time is it?" the human asked. Celestia tried to sense the sun again, but it didn't tell her enough.

"Early morning."

The human reached over to the nightstand and picked up his watch. The numbers and hands lit up. The pony stared in fascination. Such a useful idea! She put it on her mental list - something to talk over with Twilight Sparkle. She would undoubtedly find a spell to do that.

"Nearly five," he said.

"When must you leave?"

"I need to be in my car at six-fifteen."

The mare did a quick calculation. "Breakfast will be on the table fifteen minutes before six. I expect you there, too."

She slowly disentangled herself from the bedcovers and stepped over the prone human. A hand shot up and caught her hoof. The Princess froze.

"Come ask me next time you find something 'mythical', okay? Before you work yourself into a panic again." His voice was kind and there was not a trace of his laughter left. Celestia decided she was grateful.

"Thank you, Rawsthorne." She leaned down and nuzzled the surprised man, then jumped from the bed and left. She paused in the doorway and looked back. He probably couldn't see her in the dark, but the pony smiled anyway.

"Remember - five forty-five."

The best way to get over her embarassing little incident, Celestia decided, was to throw herself into work. She was already making plans. More eggs, of course. Panckaes - one couldn't start a day without them. And now she had whipped cream and real fruit! Oh, and some pudding was left from the previous night. She would even warm it up again. Oh, and istead of just tea, she would make lemonade for the human.

It would be a feast fit for a king!

She didn't even notice when she started to hum a faint, pleasant melody, nor the fact that it made the human smile as he watched her go.

As soon as Rawsthorne was out the door, Celestia went back to the basement. She felt a little uneasy, but pushed past the tightness in her chest and entered the room with the 'central heating'. She traced a few of the pipes wiht her eyes and tried hard to understand what they were for. It was still a mystery. She inspected the blocky objects against the wall. Yes, the little window was there, so that humans could see if it was working correctly - if the fire was hot enough or something, the mare guessed.

Just above was a gray panel which reminded her of the sauna controls. There were little switches and dials and glowing numbers, made of little straight ligts. She read: 150. The pony took a step closer and inspected the switches.

She was beginning to recognize the symbol - a little circle with a vertical line on the top. Humans used that same image on all the machines and it was usually to turn them on or off. There was one like it on the stove and on the oven. And even on the TV and sauna. A few of the others were labelled 'pump 1', 'pump 2' and so on - obviously for moving the water around.

Celestia decided not to touch anything. If she broke it and didn't know how to fix it, the house would get cold. More importantly, there would be no hot water for her bath, which would be an unthinkable tragedy! Now that she knew what the thing did, it wasn't scary anymore! True, it was daytime and some light filtered from a small, grubby window near the ceiling. But she wouldn't fear the thing even in full darkness anymore. Of course she wouldn't!

Finally, Celestia was able to enter the little room to the side, where Rawsthorne had told her to take the laundry. It did have a basket, with a few clothing items and several enigmatic machines. They had circular hatches on the front and the mare could see gleaming metal inside.

At least these weren't scary. Undoubtedly one of them was the 'washing machine', but she didn't know which. But the thought reminded her - there was a pile of laundry hidden in her wardrobe. The pony blushed again and quickly felt for it with her magic. It was a matter of seconds to float the pile down and drop it neatly into the basket. All that was left was for the human to show her how to operate this 'washing machine'.

She was feeling immensely pleased with herself as the mare made her way back upstairs. She gathered up the dishes and took them to the kitchen. There was also a machine for washing dishes, but until she knew how to use it, the pony could wash up faster with her magic. She began with the empty pudding cup and her face darkened at the memory. The human had refused it!

What baffled her was that he ate the pancake with apparent enjoyment, but then refused dessert. She couldn't quite wrap her head around it. In the end, she had to eat it herself! Again!

The nerve of the man! Celestia couldn't help stomping her hoof in anger. She'd show him! When Rawsthorne came back from work, he'd find a bucking cake on the table! And it would look so bucking delicious that he wouldn't be able to resist! The pony remembered the perfect recipe for it. There was some fruit left over, too!

Before she started, however, the mare lifed up the pudding cup to her nose an sniffed. Then she looked around herself, as if afraid someone might be watching. She blushed and guiltily licked the dish clean. Then she put it down and did the same with the pancake plates. There was still some whipped cream and jam on them. The blush remained on her face until she had washed all the dishes and put them away.

Then the mare thought about what to do next. The cake could wait until the afternoon - she wanted it to be as fresh as possible when Rawsthorne came. The windows it was, she quickly decided. She had gotten the idea the previous day as she examined the cleaning supplies. One of the bottles promised brilliant windows and the mare was eager to try and see what it did.

She began to hum her little melody as she went about her business.

"Excuse me! Hey, excuse me!" a strange voice rang out over the front lawn. Celestia looked up with a small start. She hadn't even heard the car approach - the sound of traffic had just blended into the background somehow.

Suddenly there was a yellow, metal carriage stopped by the side of the road. A woman had gotten out and was walking over to Celestia. The mare quickly swallowed her mouthful and picked up the garden shears. It took all of her concentration, but Celestia endeavoured to look as if she had been simply trimming the hedge. Not eating it in any way!

"Hey, can you talk?" the lady asked. "I heard you ponies can talk."

Celestia was wary of strangers, but she still tried to be polite. "I can. May I help you? Is there something you require?"

The woman had stopped at a safe distance, staring hard at the floating shears. The pony followed her gaze and gently lowered the implement to the grass.

At long last the human continued. "Oh, no, nothing!" she quickly said. "Do you live here?"

Celestia looked at the house, then back to the staring lady. "Yes."

She kept her responses simple, hoping the stranger would be satisfied and leave. She could defend herself, if a human became beligirent, but the mare didn't particularly wish for a situation where it would become necessary.

Luckily, the human realized she was staring. She started and took a hesitant step foward. "Sorry, sorry! I saw the news, but I never thought I'd see one of you for real. I just wanted to take a closer look!"

She kept her magic at the ready. Mr. Plain had warned her that strangers might try to foalnap her. Ponies were becoming quite valuable as their numbers on Earth fell. The alicorn made a mental note to raise this issue the next time she spoke with the human ambassador. Ponies who entered into servitude willingly, were being foalnapped and prevented from returning home when their debt was repaid!

Right now, she looked at the woman and saw that she was more nervous than malicious. The Princess quickly decided that her unexpected visitor was telling the truth.

"You may come closer. I will not bite."

She made her voice pleasant and her smile bright. It worked and the lady slowly approached. "You're taller than I thought," she commented. "Oh, and such a lovely white!"

Celestia kept her smile. "Thank you. In fact, my owner washed me just last night."

This took the stranger aback. Her expression darkened slightly and she frowned. "Oh, one of those sort..."

It took a few moments for Celestia to understand what the human meant. Then she blushed a little and quickly set the record straight: "Oh! Nothing like that, I assure you! Mr. Rawsthorne is very polite to me."

That seemed to help. "Rawsthorne, Rawsthorne, yeah, I think I've heard of him. Lawyer, right?"

"That is correct." There was nothing more to say and the two didn't really have anything in common. After a few awkward seconds, the lady touched her lip. "Uh, you've got a bit of- a little something."

Celestia squinted at her snout. There was indeed a leaf stuck there - one she hadn't noticed while she had been focusing exclusively on the woman. She quickly brushed it away with a foreleg. She couldn't help the slight blush.

"Uh, thank you... I was just- I'm trimming the hedge-" The pony lifted up the shears again with her magic, as if to demonstrate. The sight of her faint yellow aura lifting the tool made the lady step back nervously. "I was trimming it, and... well... it's honeysuckle. It smells really nice!"

For a moment Celestia couldn't meet the woman's eyes. "It'd be a shame to let it all go to waste."

Finally the stranger pulled her gaze away from the floating shears. It took her a few seconds to replay the last few sentences in her mind. "Oh, don't mind me! I'll just be... going." The woman flashed a nervous smile.

The pony returned it, a bit more steadily. Then, after a brief internal struggle, the lady stepped closer and held out a hand. "It was nice meeting you! I'm Christine. I suppose you could call me a neighbor, but I live a few miles down the road."

The pony lifted a foreleg - it was a human custom Mr. Plain had explained to her. But she saw that her hoof was caked with mud. It seemed impolite to shove that into the woman's hand, so the alicorn extended a wing instead. She placed one of the strong, primary feathers into Christine's hand. The woman didn't even grip out of fear of hurting the wing.

"Celestia. Nice to meet you."

There was something else on her visitor's mind, so the mare waited patiently. Finally, the question came: "Do you think Mr. Rawsthorne would mind if I brought my daughter to visit you someday? She's crazy about ponies, ever since she saw the news on TV."

Celestia couldn't yet say if her owner would agree to it or not, so she gave the woman an apologetic smile. "I will ask him. If you could come around on Monday - about the same time as today - I'll have the answer, Christine."

That seemed to satisfy the woman. She said her goodbyes, went back to the car and drove off. Not without turning and staring at the pony every few steps, of course.

When she was alone again, the mare giggled to herself. It had been a strange encounter, but not an unpleasant one. Except for being caught eating Rawsthorne's hedge. That was a little embarassing. She inspected the dent in the hedge and groaned. There was no way to even it out with the trimmers. Hopefully Rawsthorne wouldn't notice. The fragrant plant had smelled so good! And it had been ages since the Princess had had a chance to simply graze.

Come to think of that, some of the grass looked pretty tantalizing, too, especially the young sprouts by the side of the house. Perhaps, Celestia thought, if she was really careful and bit evenly. Maybe no one would notice if she had just a taste? After a bit more of the honeysuckle, of course. And she'd have to get seeds for some delicious flowers. If the seasons were the same as in Equestria, there should be time to get a few delicious sprouts before the humans dropped snow on the land.

She leaned closer, inhaled the sweet scent and took a tentative nibble. The garden shears dropped out of her magical grasp, forgotten.

The hedge was ruined! Celestia had done her best to even it out with the shears, but there was an obvious patch of bare bush, right there in sight of the entrance. There had been no way for her to fix it and the mare was decidedly uneasy. She had meant to eat it evenly, but she got lost in thought and her mouth had just done its own thing.

When she was full and looked at the damage, the alicorn knew it wouldn't pass muster. The hedge was ruined! There was a large hole in the green foliage, right in the sight of the main door.

She briefly considered trying to cover it up somehow, or maybe paint it in some manner. She shook her head. There was no chance in Tartarus that Rawsthorne would miss it. Even if, by some chance, he didn't spot it tonight, he would certainly notice in daylight. Her mind raced with various plans and schemes, until the pony sighed and accepted her fate.

No, trickery would be entirely unprofessional. She simply had to admit her blunder and face any punishment the human thought appropriate. She really couldn't judge. What was an appropriate atonement for eating his hedge? How important was the look of his house to Rawsthorne?

Based on the blocky, misshapen, ugly architecture, the pony would have said 'not at all'. But the lawn was well-kept and perhaps her eyes saw it differently. Maybe this kind of building was considered the height of fashion on Earth? She realized that she had absolutely no frame of reference in this. So far the human had been amenable and friendly. Maybe he would take this in stride, or maybe he would be livid.

Celestia imagined punishment after punishment, each more dire than the last, as she paced up and down the hallway waiting for the human to return. She could stop him if the man tried to do anything too drastic, but guilt mingled with her pride and the alicorn knew she would accept whatever he imposed, short of maiming or killing her.

Celestia was fairly certain, he wasn't the type to really hurt her over something like this. Perhaps the worst would be a few lashes with his belt, she hoped.

She really hoped.

The car came, waited, and drove in. The garage door slid down after it and the car door opened. She heard the footsteps. The pony sat on her haunches, right in the middle of the hallway. She looked miserable, with her downcast gaze, folded ears. Even her mane seemed to droop down. Her eyes seemed on the verge of tears. Perhaps, if she looked sorry enough, the punishment would be milder.

It took surprisingly little doing, she found. Maybe she was a slave only on paper, but somehow, in some way, she had taken it to her heart. The incident with the basement monster proved it. As a ruler of Equestria, she would never be afraid of it. But perhaps she had left her mantle of the Princess under her bed. Perhaps, finally, she was able to simply be the pony underneath.

Right now that meant a frightened and very sorry slave mare, who had done a bad thing and was awaiting punishment by her master. It all seemed appropriate and it was different enough from her normal state of mind that she quickly spotted exactly what she was doing. Like she had told Mr. Plain: it was strangely liberating to let go.

With a small start she realized that the human had come in, stopped, and was now staring at her.

"Celestia? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She was glad to hear a note of concern in his voice. It gave her hope. "I have made a stupid mistake today, Master."

She knew that the title was unavoidable in this case. Somehow the human knew it too. He didn't correct her.

The mare raised her eyes and steeled herself for the judgement. "I went to trim the hedge and... damaged it. Inadvertently!"

Rawsthorne was taken aback. "Damaged? What do you mean? What happened? Show me!"

She got up on unsteady hooves and led the way to the front door. She stepped outside, extended a wing to point, and let her head fall down.

The human looked at the bare patch. Then he looked at her. "Why didn't you say you don't know how to use the shears? I would have taught you."

The pony heaved a sigh and glanced up, briefly. "It wasn't the shears, Master. I... ate it."

That gave him pause. He looked at the hole again. Then at the pony. Then back to the hole. "You ate the hedge?" he said flatly.

Celestia nodded silently.

"You ate the hedge," the man repeated. "Is it even edible? I don't know if you have the same kind of plants back in-" he had to search his memory for the name. "-Equestria."

"It is honeysuckle, Master. It is edible for us. And delicious."

There was a prolonged silence as they both looked at the damaged bush. Finally, the mare could stand it no longer. "What will be my punishment, Master?"

He moved at last and looked at her. A hand came, as if to pet her, but paused in the air. Then the human sighed. "In a way, it's quite funny, you know? But that is right where it shows. I thought you had more self-control. You certainly acted like you had!"

It was all true. The pony nodded to it all. She should have had more self control! Except that the entire point of her vacation was for Celestia to relinquish the mantle of command. Perhaps she had done it the wrong way around? She let go her self-control, but kept bossing the human around. Maybe a good belting would set her straight.

"I expected better of you, Celestia. So your punishment will be that you will go to your room without dinner - or dessert - and stay there until morning. Make sure to use the toilet beforehand."

It was a lot lighter than she had feared. The loss of dessert stung, but in her relief the mare didn't mind.

"Thank you, Master! I'm sorry!"

"And don't call me Master!"

"Sorry!"

She had the entire evening to think. Celestia went through the events of the past few days in her mind and tried to understand what was happening to her. The slavery thing was a ploy, of course. But she had wanted to do it properly. She had accepted her role fully. But what exactly did that mean?

She was subservient to Rawsthorne, that one was a no-brainer. It meant she did whatever he told her, that's how the whole thing worked. Although, the mare realized, there were undertones. Being a slave to a good master also meant that she would be protected. She would expect to be fed, cleaned and given a safe place to sleep and live. She would be given everything she needed to perform her duties.

True - in the Canterlot Castle the Royal Sisters didn't have to concern themselves with finances. The accountants did all that. But the money was technically theirs, so any expenses incurred in the running of the castle came, figuratively, out of their coin-purses.

Here, however, the money belonged to Rawsthorne. The house was his and the food and water also. She was given their use, but there was a fundamental difference. If the human had refused to buy ingredients, she would have to make other dishes. And if he gave specific orders what she should cook, that's what she would have prepared.

It went even deeper. The master provided more: safety and stability. Perhaps she had somehow, subconsciously known that all along? Maybe that was why the central heating had frightened her so? She had never even considered fighting it with her magic. Partly, because it belonged to her owner, but mainly, Celestia realized, because it was his duty to keep her safe now!

Some of the decisions were no longer hers to make. But that was alright. It meant, among other things, that she was allowed to be afraid! Of course there were also anomalies. She kept trying to boss the human around. When she thought it appropriate, she took charge of the situation. The bath, for example. And her insistence on breakfast. And her secret Quest to get Rawsthorne to appreciate pastries.

Perhaps, Celestia thought, that was simply her being used to command. That part of her had to be suppressed now, but maybe it found ways to leak through. After all, it had been a part of her for millenia. When she stripped away that, what was left?

Maybe that was why she acted almost like a little filly? At least now that she understood it, she could decide what to do about it. Should she continue down this path? Give in to the slavery thing, accept Rawsthorne's ownership of her. It might change her, at least a little. Would she be able to discard it again, fully, when she went back?

If it did changer her, would it be for the worse, or for the better? On the other hoof, if she nipped this behaviour in the bud - then she would have to act, which would completely negate her relaxing vacation. She would have to watch every word and action. She would have to pretend, just as much as she had to do with all the dignitaries and diplomats.

She looked out the window where the moon was half full. "You are undecided too, Sister?"

And it didn't help her think when her stomach growled like that. The honeysuckle had been tasty, but it wasn't really a meal. She was starting to miss dinner! It was going to be a long night, she feared.

The mare was painfully undecided for long moments. But then, as if a switch flipped in her head, she had the answer.

"Okay! It's the vacation I wanted. Let go! Relax. It is out of your hooves, Celestia."

It was simple. She would go with the flow. She would be a slave. She would relinquish her grip on herself and enjoy the moments. If it made her act like a young mare again, so much the better!

Her master was the good sort and obviously cared about her, even after mere days. Perhaps the experience would change her, but it would be for the better. After all, hadn't she always preached seeing both sides of an argument before reaching a decision?

Knowing what it was like to relax and give over control of her life was the opposite side of how she had always felt and acted. The alicorn floated her vest and hoofguards from under the bed. She chose to imagine that they represented her as a ruler.

Having decided to walk around 'naked' had been her first, symbolic step to leaving them behind. They were a link to her past - to her normal self. She wouldn't need them here. But also, they were a connection to her Sister and her subjects. The mare kissed the emblem on the vest. She had to say goodbye, even if it wasn't forever.

"I'll come back to you someday. I promise. But now I need to be somepony else." She put them back under the bed and climbed in. Having made the decision consciously, she felt like a large burden had been taken from her back. Goodbye Celestia, Princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria. Hello Celestia, a happy and - sometimes - naughty slave mare.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter 6

Celestia didn't know the exact time - she would have to ask Rawsthorne for a clock like his. She could wear it around her ankle, the mare supposed. All she knew was that it was really early.

As she had feared, the empty stomach didn't let her have much sleep. She woke up several times and snuck out for a glass of water. It didn't help one bit that she could smell the lingering aroma of the sandwich Rawsthorne had made for himself.

The least her owner could do was join her in fasting. A show of solidarity! Every time Celestia crept down the corridor she stuck her tongue out at Greg's door and blew a silent raspberry. She snorted softly in annoyance, then had to suppress a giggle when she realized what she was thinking.

She could have cheated and gotten a snack. The mare was fairly certain that the human wouldn't notice. That would have been dishonest, though. Quite frankly, Celestia was no longer sure about her ability to lie to her owner. No longer in such perfect control of her face.

Therefore she kept feeling for the sun. She was getting better at it. With some effort, she could tell when it was two hours or so from rising, and then she couldn't stand the hunger anymore.

She went to the kitchen and looked over the stock. So many delicious things! Her mouth watered as her nose took in the smells.

The rules, as she understood them, were that she wasn't allowed any food until breakfast. In which case, Celestia reasoned, breakfast should be moved to as early as possible. That made sense, so the mare quickly went about preparing it.

She did everything. Nicely browned toast and butter. Sliced bread. Peanut butter. Jam. Waffles. Scrambled eggs with a hint of parsley and pepper. She even made tiny little cupcakes - chocolate and vanilla cream. A pitcher of orange juice completed the set.

The mare found a large enough tray to fit everything. She stacked it up, lifted it with her magic and went up to Rawsthorne's room.

It was far too early to poke the poor human upright. So he would get breakfast in bed. Incidentally, the mare would be there to 'clean up' any leftovers, such as there might be.

She made damn sure there would be leftovers!

Celestia knocked, waited for the groan, then burst in with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Mr. Rawsthorne! Rise and shine. The sun is... almost at the horizon!"

The mare pulled the curtains back dramatically, but it was still pitch black, with perhaps the barest trace of purple toward the east.

"What kind of time do you call this?" the human asked, a little grumpy. "It's the middle of the night!"

"Uh, sunrise? Nearly? Almost?"

He glanced at his clock and groaned again. "One day of week I get to sleep in a little, and you can't even let me have that? Is this revenge for sending you to bed without supper?"

The mare laughed pleasantly in lieu of an answer. She lifted a large napkin from her back and spread it over Rawsthorne's legs in the bed. Then she balanced the tray there.

The human stared at the array of food before him. "Just how long have you been awake? This is... impressive. To say the least!"

She kept her grin and sat on her haunches beside the bed. She would watch him eat. Make him, if she had to. Fortunately, the human understood that and didn't seem to mind. He gave a resigned sigh and picked up some toast.

"Might as well join me. This is too much for one person, Celestia. Don't you have any moderation?"

Celestia chose to understand his words in the way that suited her best. That, too, was freedom of a sort. With a single bound she was on the bed and snuggled up to the human's side. That gave her a superb position to 'help' him with his meal, as he had requested.

She felt happy enough to try a little joke. "Hmm. Mod- er- at- ion... No, I don't think I've ever heard the word. What's it mean?"

It worked and the human chuckled. The atmosphere lightened. Then he bopped her nose with a finger. "Watch it, you! I know you're trying to cook your way back into my good graces!" His finger left a smear of peanut butter on her nose. She snaked out her tongue and licked it off. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted!

"Is it working?"

She watched his hand, which was going down for the napkin. She stopped it with her magic and gently lifted it back up.

Rawsthorne watched it curiously, but didn't fight it. His eyes widened as the pony licked it clean. Then, after Celestia had time to realize what she had just done, they looked at each other. She blushed a rosy pink. The human shook his head in wonder, but he was grinning.

"I still don't know what to make of you, Celestia. Sometimes you seem five years old and sometimes fifty. Are all ponies that strange?"

She laughed, but didn't answer him.

Between the two of them, the food was gone in what seemed like minutes. The mare firmly squashed the thought that she had eaten most of it. There had been a small victory! Rawsthorne had taken one cupcake, eaten it, and proclaimed it 'good'. He refused any more, but it was a start!

She floated the empty tray out the door and deftly manoeuvred it to the counter in the kitchen. Then she focused her gaze on the human. "You can go back to sleep now."

The human looked outside. It was still pre-dawn. "That's just what I intend to do. Could be a problem now that I've eaten, but I'll give it my best! I suggest you do the same!"

The mare, again, interpreted it a bit more creatively. "Okay!" She settled down right beside the human, on the bed. She didn't mind the lack of a blanket - her fur and wings kept her quite warm. But she did lay her head on Rawsthorne's chest.

"Goodnight!"

The human stared for a moment. "See? This is what I'm talking about. It's like you're eight years old, or something!" The mare just poked her tongue out, without opening her eyes.

Rawsthorne shook his head and sighed. "I've half a mind to call Mr. Plain and have him get you, but I really like what you're doing with the place. Aside from the hedge, of course, and you can cook."

Celestia shrugged a little. "What can I say - I'm just good."

A hand came down on her neck and fiddled with her mane. Then the fingers travelled up to her ears and began slowly scratching. "Okay, you can stay here until morning," came the very welcome verdict.

"Mmmm."

Then the human reached to the wall and turned off the light. Celestia felt him shift lower, until he was lying down. But throughout it all, the hand didn't move and the fingers continued their wonderful, magical scratching.

This particular perk of having a master she could get used to, the mare decided.

Chapter 7

Celestia enjoyed riding in the front of the car this time. The view was much better and seeing the road rushing at her was quite exhilarating. She glanced at Gregory, who was still smiling. The alicorn made a face. Her awakening had been most rude, she had decided. Slave or not, she did not deserve that kind of treatment! Even if she did technically eat his hedge. Slightly.

The human had woken before the exhausted pony. He had touched the tip of her nose. And Celestia had licked the spot. So he did it again, with the same result. The jerk had then spent several minutes doing that to her, until Celestia had woken up enough to realize what was happening. She gave him an icy glare, huffed and stormed out.

Undoubtedly it made his bed too cold and boring to stay in it, because the human joined her in the living room shortly after. He had apologized, after a fashion, but it would take more time for her to fully forgive that horrible transgression.

Thinking about the torture most cruel and unusual, however, reminded her of a real problem. "Uh, Gregory? I just thought of something."

He glanced over, but then returned his eyes to the road. It was a definite drawback of the car - it couldn't drive itself, like a good, honest, pony-pulled carriage. Not to mention that it couldn't even fly!

"What is it?" the human asked.

"Maybe it's not the best idea for me to be seen like this."

He thought it over. "You mean without your clothes? Should we go back and fetch them? I thought you said ponies didn't wear anything."

"No, not that. You might have noticed that I have both wings and a horn? Have you ever wondered about it?"

Again the man glanced in her direction, even though he had had time to thoroughly inspect her on many occasions. "I'll admit to a polite interest," he said carefully.

"Well, it's a rare thing. So, most of the ponies we might meet will... have heard of me. I don't want this information - that I'm on Earth - to spread."

Now the human frowned. "Why not? Did Mr. Plain lie to me after all, and you really are some kind of fugitive?"

Celestia gave him a deadpan stare. What kind of attorney was he if he couldn't even inspect her purchasing papers and contract?"Nothing like that! I'm more worried about humans."

It was a small lie. If her subjects, the ones on Earth, learned that their Princess was a slave, it would cause problems. She didn't want them to lose heart.

"Due to our... rarity, We are worth a lot of money. Maybe you've noticed, you know... when you were purchasing me?"

"It was a bit steep, yes. But Mr. Plain assured me you're worth every cent. I'm still not convinced, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

The mare stuck her tongue out at the human, who chuckled a little.

"Well, you got me really cheap, in fact. There's only four alicorns in all of Equestria. That's ponies with both wings and a horn. Some... collectors, I guess... would pay a lot more for one of us." She hoped it was vague enough. With luck, the human would think it was only a biological feature, and not a sign of her status. After all, why should it carry any kind of social standing? The humans didn't, as far as Celestia had seen, have races like ponies. There were no 'pegasi humans', or 'unicorn humans'. Racial strife probably didn't exist on Earth.

"Okay, so you don't want word about you to spread, because you're afraid of..." the human said and waited for her to finish the sentence.

"... of foal-napping. With you, there's a contract. I know what to expect. If criminals got me, who knows what could happen. I'd much rather stay in your house, you know?"

"You mean kidnapping?"

The pony had heard the expression. It put her in mind of goats, but that was how the humans said it. She nodded. "Same thing."

Luckily, Rawsthorne didn't probe further. But he did raise a valid point: "So, what do you propose to do about it?"

There was a very easy solution. "I'll change. Remember when you first saw me and I looked like an earth pony. Smaller, and cyan-colored? I can change like that again, whenever we're out among people."

Perhaps there was a trace of doubt, but Rawsthorne shrugged and went along. "Okay, sounds simple enough."

"Oh, and you shouldn't call me Celestia. I'm known by name. If you mention that near a pony, they'd get very... curious."

"Fine, fine. What do you-"

"Supple Branch."

"Good, good. It's all a bit shady, but if you insist."

The mare breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid the human would ask many more questions, or proclaim the scheme silly. She was grateful that he was willing to play along with almost no begging or coercion.

"But you'll have to do something for me when we're back home."

Oh. OH! The pony kept her eyes firmly on the road, but she swallowed a nervous lump. Here it came. She had thought about it - sex with humans - but the mare was still quite undecided. Perhaps the choice had just been taken from her?

"S-sure. What di-did you have in mind?"

"You said you were a diplomat. Have you ever brokered a trade agreement?" The human waited for her weak and uncertain 'yes', then went on. "This case is similar. I'll give you the reference law books for both countries. I need to you read a contract and point out anything which might be against the law in either country. Can you do that?"

Celestia let her breath out and turned a stare on Rawsthorne. "That's it?!"

He didn't seem to understand her tone. "I know it's tedious, but it would save me a couple of very boring, dull hours. And in return I'll go along with this 'Supple Branch' scheme. Deal?"

"Of course! No problem! I'll be happy to! I was just surprised. I thought maybe you wanted-" She shut up quickly and blushed.

The human glanced at her again. His eyes returned a few more times, after he saw how red she was in the face. "Wanted what? What's wrong?"

She made herself continue. "Well, some humans - I heard! - like to be... intimate. With their ponies. Or so I've heard."

She could actually see his eyes bulge out in surprise at the idea. "What?! No! God no! Jeez! I'm not anything like that!"

"Yes, I know."

Mr. Plain had said much the same. But Rawsthorne really wanted to drive it home. "Let's make this clear right now. Celestia, you will never have to worry about anything like that from me, okay? You can take this to the bank!"

"I know. I know. Thank you, Rawsthorne. It's a relief," she murmured, but she couldn't quite suppress a tiny flash of disappointment.

They drove in silence for a while and it began to grate on the pony. She sought for a topic. Any topic, just to clear the air. "So, where are we going?"

The marketplace where Rawsthorne took her to buy fresh produce was very similar to what Celestia had seen at home. Rows of little stands, vegetables and fruits on display. The noises, and smells and sights were quite familiar. If she closed her eyes, the mare could almost imagine she was in Equestria.

As soon as she saw the huge variety of things for sale, the pony forgave her owner for the morning 'nose-bopping'. She ran from one stand to the other, trying to see everything.

The people stared. Some of them pointed or took pictures with their pocket-telephones - Rawsthorne explained the concept to her when she asked what they were doing. But the Princess was used to being at the center of attention and took it in stride. She was quite fortunate, she learned, that the city had no leash laws for ponies. Although a collar was mandatory and Rawsthorne said he would take her to buy one right after the market.

They made their first purchase at a stand where she saw carrots, onions, garlic and squash. The pony told her owner that she would make him a vegetable stew for dinner and he shrugged and acquiesced.

The mare almost made a mistake after Rawsthorne paid and the seller packed her vegetables in a bag. She reached for it with her magic and only at the last moment remembered that she was supposed to be 'Supple Branch' - an earth pony.

"Hand it down to me, please?"

The human frowned in confusion. "Can't you reach it? I've seen you-"

It was rude of her to interrupt, but she didn't want to risk anyone hearing. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you - earth ponies can't use magic, you see? You're thinking of unicorns."

He got the message and passed the bag down. She took it in her mouth, which became the second problem. She looked pleadingly up at the human, who laughed and took it back. "So, now what?" he asked.

"I'll need some saddlebags."

He nodded to himself. The bag went under one arm and he turned back toward the parking lot. "Let's take this to the car and then we'll go to the pet shop first.

"I'm not a pet!"

"No, of course not. But that's where they sell pony-related accessories. Sorry."

The information reminded her just what her subjects were reduced to, on Earth. She sighed and tried to put it out of her mind. She wouldn't be able to help now, not as 'Supple Branch', but when she was back home, she would call the human ambassadors again and make new demands. That mollified her nagging guilt a little and she could put it behind her.

At least the collar was pretty, Celestia thought, as she examined it in the small mirror. Of course the pet shop - she made a face when she remembered where she was - didn't have a mirror for their clients. Luckily, the lady at the counter had one in her purse and now Rawsthorne was holding it for her.

The band was dark blue with silvery, metal trimmings and buckle, which reminded her of Luna.

"It's nice. We'll take it."

Her owner paid - this time with a plastic rectangle, rather than paper. They had been lucky and the store had exactly one set of saddlebags. They said that with the dropping number of ponies on Earth it was no longer in stock. That made Celestia feel slightly better.

She needed Rawsthorne's help to get the leather strips around her barrel and the bags along her back. It was obvious these humans gave no thought to how a pony might wear the getup by herself. Then, feeling like a packhorse but strangely liking it, they walked out. It was true that ponies opted to wear saddlebags quite often back home. They were convenient for a race that didn't have pockets, after all. But here, these human-made things were meant primarily for ponies to carry things for their owners. It was yet another sign of servitude and so, deeply embarrassing.

On the other hoof, it was also slightly thrilling. Now she was really getting into the nitty-gritty of slavery.

"Quite the little packhorse, aren't you?" the human joked. Celestia thought she should be mad, but she just laughed a little and stuck her tongue out at him.

"We should get you a little saddle, so I didn't have to walk."

Now he was going too far, but luckily - for him - the mare remembered something she had forgotten to mention. "Oh, that reminds me! Some woman came by. Name of 'Christine'. She asked if she could bring her daughter to see me. I told her to come back Monday and that I'd ask you."

The man was thoughtful. "Hmm, Christine, Christine. Yes, I think I remember. Lives nearby?"

"Yes, she said a couple of miles down the road."

"Yeah, that's her. What do you think? Do you want to see her daughter?"

Celestia hadn't expected the decision to fall on her. She shrugged. "Sure, I guess? I wouldn't mind." Luckily, she had had a lot of practice with children. Running a school, even if it was in name only, had given her a lot of opportunities.

Now if she only knew why she had associated riding with the human child...

Okay, now if she could only think of a less embarrassing reason...

By the time Celestia was done with the market, her saddlebags were positively bulging. They were also noticeably heavier and the mare was starting to regret her wanton purchasing.

Even the human noticed. "You alright there? Those look heavy."

She wasn't about to admit it, not to him. After all, he had kept quiet and paid for whatever she set her mind onto. Most of it was food he would also enjoy, true, but it had been her choices. The alicorn doubted many of her subjects on Earth had this much freedom. "It's fine," she said firmly.

"Well, do you need anything else?"

She glanced back at the multitude of foodstuffs. There were all kinds of vegetables. Flour. Lots and lots of flour. Sugar, eggs, fruit - all the essentials for her baking. Then she had loaded up on potatoes and rice and various salad ingredients. Then, for good measure, she had a few small tins of spices. Things Rawsthorne lacked in his kitchen, such as marjoram, lemongrass, sassafras and a few herbs native to Earth she didn't know, but liked the smell of.

It had been very kind of the seller to let her sniff through his entire stock. After she had promised not to get snot on anything, of course. Celestia estimated that she had enough stuff to make varied and interesting meals for the entire week. And desserts. Of course she didn't forget desserts. There was some baking chocolate somewhere, she could smell it. It was maddening. And it mixed so perfectly with the stalk of vanilla she found at the spice stand, that the mare found herself drooling a little.

"No, I think we're fine."

There was no meat in her packs. She had seen several shops in nearby buildings that sold dead flesh and she avoided them. Luckily, her owner hadn't noticed. The mare remembered his words from the first day. Eventually, she will have to face it. She had no illusions that Rawsthorne would turn vegetarian, just to appease his squeamish slave.

Maybe she could wow him for another week or so, before he started asking for that. Perhaps, with luck, he would go and buy those ingredients by himself. The pony felt she could just about deal with small packages of the stuff. But she didn't want to see it arrayed on a display before her.

There was one stop left - something Rawsthorne had promised her. "Just the 'garden center' now, right?"

The human snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right! You wanted to pick up some seeds for the flowerbeds! Come on, it's not far. We can walk. It's nice out."

Celestia glanced again at the bags on her back. She didn't feel too confident about going any distance with those. Her legs were starting to tremble as it was! "Uh, could we drop this off in the car, please?"

The human didn't mind. They made the trip to the parking lot again and Celestia breathed out a sigh of relief when the burden was lifted. It went in the back part of the car. She was left with the leather straps around her barrel, but she didn't mind those. Her steps were much lighter as they set off again.

Gregory was right. It was a lovely walk, despite the incessant traffic. There was even a park! I looked so... normal! Celestia gaped in surprise. If you took away the people and replaced them with ponies, it would almost be like a town in Equestria. Even the noise of the cars was muffled by thick foliage.

Until she saw something that twisted her insides with anger. It was another pony. That, in itself, would have been interesting. But the pony - an earth stallion, she noted - was crouching down with his ears folded and tears streaming from his eyes. Even his tail was tucked beneath him in fear.

Over the pony stood a red-faced human, shouting.

It had started suddenly. She didn't even register the first few words around the bend in the path, not until the saw the scene.

"... worthless, miserable idiot!" the human was screaming. He had a white and red box in his hand, which he waved in the stallion's face. "How many times must I tell you?! Light, you stupid creature, not regular. Light!"

He threw the object at the pony. It bounced from the stallion's snout and landed on the ground. Celestia had tensed up and reached for her magic, but Rawsthorne put a hand in her mane and she looked up. He shook his head silently.

Fortunately, the object wasn't heavy and didn't hurt the pony. It just made him flinch and squeak. But then the irate human stepped on the thing and ground it into the dirt. Celestia guessed it was made of shiny paper.

"You'll get the right ones! I don't care where you get the money! If you show your face back home without, I'll make sure you're sorry!"

The pony babbled something quiet which looked affirmative, but they were too far and Celestia couldn't hear the words. The angry human spat on the ground beside the stallion and stomped off. After a few moments, the pony got up and picked up the destroyed packet with his mouth. He dragged his hooves as the started down the path toward them. As he came closer, she could see him more clearly. Vividly orange coat - it reminded her of one of Twilight Sparkle's friends. Except this one had a burgundy mane, rather than a blond one.

All that had time to flash across her mind before she realized that the stallion hadn't even seen her yet with his head hanging that low. The alicorn looked up at Rawsthorne.

"Do something!"

It took all her concentration to keep her face and voice at least somewhat polite, but her owner spread his arms. "Sorry, can't. He didn't strike him. The pony doesn't look abused or neglected. Law says it's fine."

"Well, then it's a stupid law!"

The mare did her best to keep tears from her eyes. She swallowed the anger - Rawsthorne wasn't responsible for this, after all. But she would have words with the human dignitaries when she was back!

They waited as the stallion came to a waste basket, reared up and dropped the thing in. Then he looked around and spotted them. His eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back. It looked as if he might run away, so Celestia made herself smile brightly as she trotted forward. She sensed, more than saw, Rawsthorne following her.

"Hi! Hi! What's your name?"

He swallowed and gave her a hesitant smile in return. "B-brook," he managed. "Silent Brook."

"Supple Branch. Look, I couldn't help seeing-"

His face fell and the pony turned away angrily. "None of your business!" he said gruffly. He glanced back, then up at Rawsthorne. "Just go. I'm fine!"

The mare cocked her head to the side. "It looked pretty bad. Does he beat you?"

Now it was the stallion who got angry. "What does it matter to you?! Leave me alone! I've had enough of people looking at me like I'm a foal!"

It wasn't a reaction she had expected. She took a step back and stared incredulously. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I just hoped there might be something we could do..."

"If you try anything," Brook said, "I'll go to the police!"

Now Celestia was on the verge of tears. It didn't make any sense. "Why are you defending that... human?!"

The stallion sat on his haunches and sighed. "Listen. I know what it looked like! But it's not like that! He's a good Master, okay? Just loses his temper sometimes. Things have been hard, okay? For both of us. So just back off! Don't try to do me any favors!"

The mare looked behind her, at Rawsthorne. "Uh, could you give us a moment, please?"

The human didn't make a fuss and walked a few steps away. Then Celestia lowered her voice and leaned closer to Brook. "What if I told you I can get you back to Equestria?"

The stallion stared at her in shock. "Are you for real? There's no way any of us is getting through the border!"

"What if there was a way?"

Brook held up a hoof. "Please, don't get my hopes up. Please! It's not that bad here! I have friends. I made peace with it. And Master's daughter visits some times. I like her a lot, I wouldn't just up and leave her like that, even if I could!"

Perhaps, in a way, Celestia could understand that? If Luna was on Earth and there was no way to get her out, she would also chose to stay.

Even if her owner yelled at her?

Even if he beat her!

"Does he..." She was about to ask again, but Brook glared at her. "No, if you must know! He doesn't! He just yells, then he gets drunk and then he cries in my mane. It's... complicated, just drop it!"

The mare nodded slowly. "Sorry. It was nice meeting you, though. Are you here often? Maybe I can get Gregory to come down here sometimes so we can talk?"

The stallion looked at the ground. "Don't wanna talk. Not if you'll keep saying those things!"

"I said I'm sorry. I won't, I promise. I just like to talk. There's not many ponies around."

Brook relaxed a little and nodded to her. "I've been here five years. Almost from the start. A lot of them got sent home. Some died. Some escaped, but I don't know where to. But a few of us like it here. We meet on Wednesdays, if we can make it."

He said 'if we can make it', but Celestia read the unspoken words clearly: 'if we can get our owners to bring us'. For that matter, she wasn't entirely certain she could get Rawsthorne to take her to a pony meeting. Perhaps occasionally.

"You like it here," she repeated flatly, "even with that human yelling-"

"I can handle him!" Brook spat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do!"

The alicorn watched her new friend - if she could call him that - walk slowly away. Now that he was aware of another pony, his steps no longer dragged. He held his head up proudly and glared fiercely at the world. Then, as he passed by Rawsthorne, the human held out a hand. There was some of that paper money in it.

Brook stared up in surprise. "What's that for?"

Her owner shrugged. "Just helping out."

The stallion looked from him to Celestia with deep suspicion in his eyes. She gave an encouraging nod and a smile. He hesitated for a few seconds, then took the money gingerly in his mouth. "'ank 'oo," he said to Rawsthorne and left without looking back at them.

The mare watched him go and barely felt Rawsthorne's hand back in her mane. "There's all sorts," he said quietly. "But if the owners really are abusing their ponies, someone reports it sooner or later. The police take these things very seriously around here. Unfortunately, there are no laws against yelling, for now."

Celestia closed her eyes and nodded. She wasn't even entirely sure what had happened. Silent Brook had acted almost as if she was the aggressor. And the threats to report her! Was it possible that some ponies really wanted to stay in this world? Even if the humans mistreated them? The mare suddenly realized that she hadn't asked what the yelling was about. What if Brook really had messed up? She herself had been willing to accept lashes for her mistake.

If someone came after that punishment and told her she was being treated unfairly and she should escape, how would she react? Probably not much differently than Brook. She needed to know more. She hadn't even asked if Brook had a contract with an expiration date, or if he was enslaved for life. He had said that he'd been one of the first, so it was probably the latter. She would have to find a lawful way to sort such cases out when she was back.

The pony considered getting a notebook to write all these to-dos, so she wouldn't forget. One thing was certain, though. She needed to learn more. A lot more.

"Rawsthorne?"

"Hmm?" the human asked. He was also lost in thought, it seemed. They had started walking again, but not really seeing where they were going.

"Would you take me to a pony meet-up sometimes? It's every Wednesday, but I don't need to go that often..."

He thought it over. "Maybe. Where is it?"

Celestia opened her mouth to tell him, then realized she hadn't asked. Her ears fell down and her face turned slightly pink. It made Rawsthorne laugh, which made her blush worse.

"I'll see if I can find anything on the Internet," he promised and reached over to ruffle her mane.

"Internet?"

She remembered she had heard the word before. Some ponies mentioned it as the greatest human invention. But she never understood what it was, really.

Rawsthorne stared for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll show you when we get home. Come on, garden center is just around here."

The mare looked behind, but of course Silent Brook was long out of sight. It hadn't gone the way she thought her first pony encounter on Earth would go, but it had given her a lot to think about. Clearly the situation was not black and white. There were nuances. Details she had to understand, before she could hope to propose any kind of policy to resolve matters.

Right at that moment they entered a huge, warm building. There were plants everywhere, mostly sprouts. The mixture of scents and sights threatened to overwhelm her as she took it all in.

All thoughts of policies and ponies fled her mind.

Chapter 8

"Celestia, could you come in here for a moment?" Greg's voice rang out. The mare dropped her cutting knife and turned to leave the kitchen. Then, as an afterthought, she brought around her 'stylus' and lowered the heat under the large pot. If the human had a longer request, she didn't want it to boil over.

She made her way to the living room, where her owner was standing beside the couch and pressing a black rectangle to his face. The pony was about to ask, but remembered about 'pocket phones'. She hadn't seen one being used like that - Mr. Plain had usually just poked at his with fingers. So had Rawsthorne, the mare recalled.

This time she could hear a small, tinny voice coming from it. It was too quiet to understand what it was saying, but it sounded like a woman speaking. Rawsthorne was apparently having a conversation with a lady. Celestia waited patiently until he was done. She wondered why he had called her if he was obviously busy.

He held up a hand to her and took the phone away from his ear. "Ah, there you are. Listen, Christine is asking if she may visit today with her daughter. What do you think?"

The mare though over her tasks for the day. It was Sunday, so Rawsthorne had said she should rest a little. Difficult to do - there was still the mystery of the washing machine to discover, plus she had wanted to sort through the seeds they had bought for the flowerbeds.

Still, the pony had to admit, visiting with the friendly, nervous woman, did sound more fun.

"Should I make extra lunch for them?"

She had planned the stew for two people, but with a few more vegetables she could easily stretch it to four, especially if one was a filly. And there would be plenty of dessert, of course. She would see to that. The human put the phone back along his face. Celestia thought it looked rather silly, but she focused her ears forward and tried to catch what they were saying.

"Christine? Yes, I think today's fine. Just one thing: would you like to come over for lunch?" He waited while the woman on the other side jabbered. "No, it's fine," Rawsthorne said, "there's plenty for everyone. No problem at all!"

More jibber-jabber. Her owner nodded and flashed her a small grin as they waited. "Okay. Good, see you in a bit, then!" When he took the phone away it was with an air of finality. He touched it with a finger, then dropped it in his pocket. "That's all settled then. Two more for lunch, Celestia."

She gave the man a slight nod. "Very good, sir."

There didn't seem to be anything else on his mind, so she went back to the kitchen. Her mind was already racing. The main course wouldn't be a problem, but the dessert had to be re-invented. She had been planning on fruit bowls with ice cream, for the two of them. But she didn't have enough for four people. Luckily, she hadn't started on that yet.

Muffins! She decided quickly and began opening the now-familiar cupboards and drawers for everything she needed. It wasn't as fast, or easy, but it was a lot of fun. The mare hummed to herself as she arranged the plastic bowls on the counter. Behind her, the knife flew up again and resumed cutting up the carrots.

As soon as she opened the door for the neighbor and her daughter, Celestia understood why she had associated the filly with riding. Perhaps it had been a premonition, or maybe something in Christine's expression. But the young human squealed in delight and began begging almost immediately.

"YAAAY! A pony! Can I ride the pony, mom? Can I? Please! Pleasepleaseplease! I wanna ride the pony!"

The mother must have seen Celestia's ears fold back in surprise, because she quickly grabbed her daughter before she could jump at the mare. "Sorry! She's a bit excitable, sorry!" the lady explained.

The Princess caught herself quickly and gave them a bright smile. "Welcome. Please, come in." Her only hope to avoid the clutches of the little human was to fully assume the 'professional help' role. Maybe if she was a bit upstuck and cold, the filly would forget her wish. Unlikely, but after that first impression, Celestia was willing to try anything.

"Master Rawsthorne is in the living room. If you would step this way? Lunch will be served in ten minutes in the dining room."

The woman glanced from her, to the furnishings, then back to the mare. She was quite impressed, Celestia noted smugly. Unfortunately, it didn't work on the smaller human, who kept clamoring for a pony ride.

Christine gave her a weak grin. "It wouldn't be too much bother, would it?" she asked. "She's had her heart set on a pony ride ever since I told her we were coming."

The mare held her panic back. This was nothing like pony children, who were quite respectful to the Royal Sisters, even when young. Nothing in her many years had prepared her for someone like this! There was only one force in the world which could protect her!

"I will have to ask Master. This way, please!"

Celestia didn't flee, but that was only because she made her steps slow and deliberate. In her heart and mind, she was galloping away as hard as she could. Riding her?! It was unthinkable. And the way the human filly flailed about, she would undoubtedly kick her flanks. The mare could just imagine Gregory having such a laugh out of the whole ordeal. She would never live it down! Her only hope was to throw herself on her owner's mercy. She finished the small walk to the living room, where Rawsthorne got up and shook Christine's hand. Then he smiled down at the filly.

"Hi, Sally. My, you've gotten quite big, haven't you?" he asked. The child nodded enthusiastically and started explaining about 'notches' on a door frame.

Celestia waited for the man to glance at her, before she made her request. "If I could speak to you for a moment, Master Rawsthorne?"

It worked and he followed her out of the room. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Well?"

The mare took a breath and did her very best. Ears down, eyes big and shiny, head drooping just a little. Glance darting furtively around his face. Lip trembling a little. It was perfect! "Please do not make me carry the filly on my back." It was so wonderfully pathetic that it couldn't fail!

Rawsthorne just laughed. "Aw, are you afraid she's too heavy for you? I'm sure you can do it, just a few laps around the house, okay? We don't want to break a little girl's heart, do we?"

The pony was stunned. It should have worked! What power did the child have over her owner?! "But- I don't- I never..."

She fell silent when the man held up his hand. "Look, I will order you to do it, but I'd prefer it if I didn't have to. It was your idea, remember?" Her mouth opened and shut a few times, but Rawsthorne wasn't done yet. "Here's some free advice: It's happening, just accept it. It will be easier if you don't make such a big deal out of it, understand?"

What else could she do but nod? So she bobbed her head.

The human seemed pleased. "Go on, talk to her a little. Get to know her. She's a good kid. I'm sure you'll like her."

Another quiet nod.

"Lunch is ready?"

Finally she found her voice. "The stew is cooling. I just have to take the pot to the dining room. The table is already set. And the muffins will be done in five minutes."

The human laid a hand on her withers. "Okay, I got it. Go and talk with them a little. Get comfortable. I'll do those things and come get you when it's ready."

She almost argued, but then swallowed her complaint and acquiesced. Perhaps the human was right, Celestia thought tentatively. Maybe if she talked with the filly for a bit, it wouldn't be so bad.

Rawsthorne left for the kitchen and Celestia opened the door back into the living room. She took a deep breath, but didn't say anything. Christine was talking to the girl. "... be so pushy, sweetie. I know you have your heart set on a pony ride, but it's not your pony, so show some respect, okay?" The girl looked near tears. It occurred to the mare that Christine had spotted her reluctance and had probably guessed why she had wished to talk to Rawsthorne. She must have also assumed that her owner would side with his pony.

Seeing that heartbroken little face helped a lot. The mare walked forward and offered a small smile. This would be one of the harder things she had ever had to say and one of the toughest acts to sell in a lifetime of tough acts. "It seems Mr. Rawsthorne said yes. Little filly, if you can promise to behave, I will give you a pony ride."

The child whooped and went to hug her. Celestia lowered her head to make it possible. But then she spotted Christine out of the corner of her eye. The woman was holding back laughter.

When Celestia looked at the lady, she explained: "You said 'little filly'. We don't call our children that."

"I'm sorry. What should I call her, then?"

The child had let her neck go and was now playing with her mane. It wasn't as magical on Earth for some reason, but it was still quite pretty. The small hands poking and pulling were strange, but not painful, so Celestia ignored it.

"Usually, it's 'little girl', or 'little boy'. Sometimes 'child'," Christine explained. "Filly is a young horse or pony. You can see how it doesn't fit?"

That reminded her of Rawsthorne's correction in the car. "How about 'kid'?"

The woman nodded. "That works, too, yes."

"But kid means a young goat. You do not call your children 'young pony', but you do call them 'young goat'?"

The lady stared for a moment, then burst out laughing again. "That's right! Why didn't I ever think of that? It's appropriate, sometimes! You're a little goat sometimes, Sally, aren't you?"

The girl just stuck her tongue out, but then laughed. It was endearing and Celestia warmed up a little to the child. She turned her head to see what the fi- girl was doing. It seemed she was engrossed by her flank now. "Pony? Why do you have a picture on your butt?"

The mare bit back a chortle. She turned a little to face the child better. "My name is Celestia. It's nice to meet you, Sally. And that is called a 'cutie mark'. It shows you what a pony is good at, or what she likes."

The little human frowned in concentration. "So, you like the sun?"

"Very much, yes."

She went back to her exploration and Celestia looked at the mother.

"You don't deal with kids a lot, do you?" the woman guessed.

"Not as much as, perhaps, I should." It was easy to admit. Undoubtedly there were pony children just as enthusiastic and energetic as this. Perhaps if she met some outside of her political functions, Celestia would have known how to handle it. As it was, she just sat woodenly as the girl poked at her wings.

Luckily, her mother seemed to have it all in hoo- hand. "Is she hurting you doing that?" the lady asked with a touch of concern.

"No, it's quite alright."

To show herself willing, the alicorn opened her wings a little so Sally could take a better look. Of course she immediately went to poke her finger between the feathers. And then she grasped and pulled. It made the mare wince a little.

Christine quickly stepped in and pulled the little hand away. "Not so rough, Sally. If you hurt Celestia you won't get your ride, okay?"

The girl was immediately sorry. She looked at the mare with an earnest expression. "Sorry, pony! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Perhaps, Celestia thought, a small lesson was in order? "It's okay, Sally. Just remember - you should never touch a pony's wings without permission, okay?"

The child nodded.

She was saved by her owner, who came in, proclaimed the lunch ready and led them to the dining room. Luckily, the girl still needed occasional help eating, so she sat right next to her mother, on the opposite side of the table from Celestia. At least this way she could enjoy the food without little, probing fingers. The upside of their company was that her cooking earned a lot more praise. Christine simply couldn't stop going on and on about how delicious everything was and how perfectly it was cooked. The mare beamed happily. She couldn't wait for them to try the muffins, which were cooling on a plate in the middle. She saw little Sally eyeing them with a great deal of interest.

At long last the main course was done. Celestia helpfully levitated the dishes away and out of the room, then brought one muffin before each of them.

It looked like Rawsthorne would skip out. He pushed his away with a polite refusal. Luckily Christine tried one, exclaimed in pleasure and urged the man to have one: "Dear God, Rawsthorne, you have to try this. And you-" she pointed at Celestia with half of a muffin, "have got to give me the recipe!"

The pony beamed happily. She knew she was good. But it was still nice to have it confirmed. "Of course, Christine. I will write it down for you."

The lady gaped. "You can write, too?"

Celestia decided the woman probably wasn't rude on purpose. It all just stemmed from ignorance. "I can write perfectly! In fact, later today I will assist Rawsthorne with a few details of his work."

The man made a noncommittal noise. He had tried his dessert, Celestia noted approvingly, and he was surreptitiously finishing it, too.

Christine was quite impressed. "Well, I must say, Rawsthorne. You've really lucked out on this one. She's an absolute gem!"

It was getting a bit too praise-y even for Celestia. To her dismay, she saw only one way out of the situation. One she wasn't eager to bring up. She looked at the beaming, radiant face of the child. Then to the happy and expectant Christine. And finally, to the approving Rawsthorne. There was nothing else to do, but accept her fate with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Sally, would you like your pony ride now?"

The response was very enthusiastic. Almost before she knew what was happening, they were all in the back yard. The girl was jumping up and down in excitement.

The mare looked at Christine. "Help her up, please?"

She spread her stance a little as Sally was lifted to her back. The little human was a little unsteady, but then she just gripped her mane with both hands. Celestia waited patiently, until they both got used to each other. At least the child wasn't too heavy. The pony quickly got used to the extra weight. She noted approvingly how Sally had hugged her barrel with her legs just forward of her wings.

It took the human a short while to get a feel for the balance, but she quickly learned not to fight Celestia's little movements.

The mare remembered that humans balanced on two feet their entire life. It must come naturally to them, she supposed. "Good. Please hold her hand. We will take a few steps."

Up until now Christine had kept a grip on her daughter to help steady her. She shifted it so they only held hands. To her credit, now that she was on her, the human filly was very well behaved. She was still and calm. It wasn't too difficult to carry her. She didn't even kick!

Celestia took a few slow steps. Luckily, Sally could rely on her mother to keep her upright, otherwise she would surely have fallen. Her free hand was still gripping her mane tightly, but it wouldn't have been enough.

After the length of their backyard, the girl became more confident. The mare was pleased to see that the human didn't sit stiffly, but moved fluidly. Against her at first, sure, but more and more in sync as they walked. She had been worried that carrying the human would be like having a top-heavy block of wood on her back. But by the time they came back, her mother barely had to hold Sally's hand.

"Everything okay?"

The child nodded, but realized that the alicorn didn't see her. "Yes! I love you, pony!"

Her joy was a little infectious. She could probably have called it after their second trek down the backyard, but Celestia found herself feeling charitable. "Would you like to go around the house?"

The filly - child, Celestia reminded herself - looked up to her mother. "Can I, Mom? Please!"

The woman was slightly uneasy. She went around to look at Celestia. "Are you sure it's okay? She's not too heavy, is she?"

"Not at all. I will make sure she doesn't fall."

Assent was given, much to the girl's delight. She was quite sure of herself on the pony by now and bounced a little to try and get her going. "Giddyup!" she yelled.

Despite her urging, Celestia still took it slow. She picked her steps with care, to keep the human as level as possible. She walked slowly and kept the ride quite smooth. The change form grass to the hard road surface in front of the house was a bit jarring. Sally would have fallen off, but Celestia had been ready and quickly steadied her with a bit of gentle magic.

"You're doing fine. Relax and follow my steps."

"Okay!"

The rest of the trip was easier and soon they were back with Christine and Rawsthorne. She wasn't heavy, but it was still a relief to get the burden off her back. The pony breathed out a sigh, but it was cut short when the child threw her arms around her neck and began kissing her.

"Thank you!" she squealed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

It was easy to be magnanimous now that it was over. "You're quite welcome, Sally." Of course she had to promise to repeat the experience. And there was more kissing and hugging and excited babbling, but eventually it ended.

She watched the car pull back and drive away, with the little girl waving the entire time they were in sight. Only then did Celestia look at Rawsthorne's face. It was a smirk, just as she had feared. "Giddyup," he said quietly.

"This horn is very sharp, Master Gregory. I urge you to consider this little fact while thinking up what to say next."

He reached over, entirely without fear, and ruffled her mane. Or rather, Celestia thought, un-ruffled it a little after the enthusiastic child. "Now I really think I should buy you a saddle. Something nice and lacy."

"Careful!" She almost growled it. Okay, so the whole experience hadn't been quite that bad. Perhaps she had also smiled at the girl's enthusiasm and joy. Maybe it wasn't as demeaning as she had originally feared.

That still didn't give the smug human any right to poke fun at her!

"Nah, you're a sweetheart," the human had the audacity to say, even when proof to the contrary was right before him. "You did well, by the way. How about a little work to take your mind off that horrible subjugation?"

The mare remembered her promise to look at his documents. It sounded better than listening to the human making puns and jokes about riding and horses! "Yes, please!"

She followed him in the house and up the stairs to his study.

"Coffee?" Rawsthorne offered. He placed a cup on the table and suddenly Celestia could smell the very welcome aroma.

"Mmm, thank you. Yes." She didn't lift her eyes from the book, but she felt the couch give a little as the human sat beside her. "Any luck?" he asked as he looked at the page she was reading.

"I'm done with the first one. This one is a bit more convoluted. It is taking time." The mare became aware that it was getting dark outside. Thanks to the little desk lamp Rawsthorne had brought her, she hadn't even noticed. "Oh! Your dinner! I'm sorry, I'll get right-"

The book rose, but the human pushed it back down. "No rush. In fact, this is more valuable. I'll make sandwiches."

She watched him doubtfully, but she settled back down and released the book. "If you're sure..."

The human had already put it out of his mind. He searched her face. "Interesting way of doing it. Tricky. I'll be impressed if it works."

The mare smiled. It was tiring, but she was out to make a good impression. "Why? It's simple, really. I will study the law books you've given me. Then I will carefully read the contract, with the knowledge of what is legal and what isn't. Voila."

"Yeah, but what you're saying basically," Rawsthorne went on to explain, "is that you'll memorize two different trade laws in a couple of hours, and then apply the knowledge to a very complex contract. You're bound to miss something."

"I shan't miss a thing, Rawsthorne. I've done this before. And the laws weren't nearly as clear and organized as these!" The mare suspected it was part of being an alicorn. Her memory had to be good, otherwise she'd be forgetting stuff all the time. She had seen, heard and read so many things over the years. They all had to go somewhere!

Now she would use that gift to really impress the human. Not that she needed it, the mare told herself, but a little extra leverage was always good. She caught herself and nearly bit her tongue. She was trying to assume control again!

The pony wondered when such things would stop. If ever. The reason she was really doing it, Celestia thought slowly and pointedly, was because her owner - her Master - had told her to. And it was her duty to follow the instruction to the best of her ability. There. If she repeated that a couple hundred times, maybe she would believe it.

The truth was that she was trying to show off. With a despairing mental sigh, the mare dragged herself back to the text. She didn't hear the human go. She hardly noticed when he came back. Something poked her face and she absentmindedly opened her mouth. It was pretty good, for a sandwich. A bit heavy on mayo and light on tomatoes, but thoroughly enjoyable. She lifted the coffee to wash it down, but after a single sip, Celestia grimaced, put the cup back down and added several more sugar cubes.

A brief stir, again without even looking, and she gulped it down.

"Would you mind if I watch the game? Otherwise I can clear the desk in the study for you," Rawsthorne asked from thousands of miles away. She barely registered the question and just nodded on general principles.

Even the TV couldn't break her concentration. However, the material was boring, and memorizing the strange requirements and rules was exhausting. She found her head drooping and her eyes watering. It was time for a break. The pony moved the book to the coffee table and stretched out her forelegs. A moment later, she also spread the wings as far as they would go. It was revitalizing. She looked at the screen with renewed interest.

"Break?" Rawsthorne asked.

"Break. Tell me about this game." She shuffled closer. When the human didn't move away, she did it again. It ended up with the pony basically leaning on her owner. He was delightfully warm. His explanation of the balls and points and pockets was like a lullaby. The boring game on the TV screen slid seamlessly into a dream of flying.

Celestia woke with a small start. She was still on the couch, but the human was gone and there was a blanket draped around her and a pillow under her head. It was dark and the alicorn wondered how late it was. She really would need to ask Rawsthorne for a clock. Earth's sun told her nothing! Her gaze landed on the book.

The book!

Celestia gasped a little when she remembered. She had finished all but the last chapter! She had intended to take a small break to rest her mind, then finish her task.

It was bad! She had promised Rawsthorne to be done with her little job by the evening! But she had been a little lazy in the morning, and then that whole thing with Christine and Sally! However light the little goat was, it had still been tiring. No wonder the mare had simply fallen asleep like that! Especially - the thought rose up unbidden - considering just how warm and soft the human skin had felt. And how boring the strange game of pond. No, pool, she corrected herself.

Something else bothered her. It took her a few moments to spot it. Little goat? The pony couldn't help chuckling at herself a little.

It was time to get back to work! Perhaps if she had the document ready when Rawsthorne went to work - along with a big breakfast, of course - he wouldn't be too mad about her laziness.

She flicked the lamp on and reached for the book again. At least this one thing worked in her favor. The knowledge she had absorbed earlier was still all there, neatly arrayed in her mind.

In some ways, it was good to be a Princess!

She barely registered the sounds of the human waking up. A faint feeling of pride rose up in her chest, but Celestia was too tired to acknowledge it. It had been a close thing indeed, but the document was done! She had circled the problematic bits with the red pen Rawsthorne had given her. And then she wrote down suggestions on how to change the terms to make it... 'compliant'. Yeah, that was the word the humans used.

That last thing wasn't what Rawsthorne had asked for, but she had done it just the same. Two distinct suggestions for every iffy part!

Then, at the end of it all, she had made breakfast! True, it was simple - hard boiled eggs and toast. A few pieces of fruit. Oh, and her signature pancakes, of course she hadn't forgotten!

There was a clock in the kitchen and the mare had timed it just right. It was five forty-five when she placed everything on the table and waited for the human to finish dressing and come down. He found her slumped on a chair, with her head on the table. Despite his later lies, she had not been snoring!

Whatever Rawsthorne imagined he saw, it helped put him in a lighter mood. Celestia was less nervous as she slid the papers forward. "Sorry it took this long. But I have finished. And there are also my recommendations on-"

As hard as she fought to avoid it, there was no stopping her yawn. It made the human laugh, but then wince in sympathy.

"-recommendations on how to fix the problems."

Rawsthorne picked up the sheaf and leafed through the papers. "This is quite impressive, Celestia," he said after reading a paragraph. Then he looked up. "But you didn't need to stay up all night doing it."

She struggled with another yawn. "... promised yesterday evening."

"Well, I am grateful, but you really didn't need to rush so much. Anytime during the week would have been fine."

She blinked in confusion. The human hadn't demanded the task be done by Sunday evening? She tried to remember him saying so, but she slowly realized he hadn't. It had been her promise, which the man never corrected. Well, she showed him anyway! Mocking her method like that!

She didn't see him move, but there was suddenly a warm hand on her head. "Go on, get some sleep, you crazy horse."

It sounded really good, actually. "... sounds nice."

"So move! Go on! Git!" the sharp words were like a crack of the whip. The commanding tone woke her up enough to stand up on shaky legs. She gave the human her final instructions.

"Try pancakes. 're good. Leave some for me. Bye."

She didn't wait to make sure and walked slowly to the stairs. For a moment she peered up, but then decided against it and turned to the living room. The blanket was still there and the couch was actually softer than her bed. Plus, she could fiddle with the tele-vision a little.
She didn't hear the human finish eating and leave.

Chapter 9

There were no explicit instructions for her that day, so Celestia took it a bit slower. She wandered the house, tidying up here and there. She gathered up laundry and took it downstairs, past the central heating. The thing didn't scare her anymore and the pony stuck her tongue out at the dormant monster whenever she passed it.

The basket was getting pretty full. She looked at the machines and considered trying to learn them. She imagined herself explaining to her owner why all his clothes and sheets were nothing more than tattered rags. Her imagination made the scene so vivid, that her ears fell and the mare blushed a little. No, she decided, another solution was in order.

Celestia scanned the cupboards above the row of machines. One of them was washing powder. There was also a softener. The instructions were a total enigma.

"... dosage instructions. Half load, one table spoon. Normal, heavily soiled. Two tablespoons for full load." She muttered a little as her brow wrinkled.

"Am I supposed to eat it?! Hmm, for best results, pour in washing machine drawer."

Her gaze went up to the row of machines. Aside from the circular hatches in the front, none of them seemed to open in any other way. She switched her gaze to the bottle of purple liquid. It was more of the same.

At least the names were almost comprehensible. 'Fabric softener' and 'washing powder'. The latter was like a soap, right? Maybe she could make it work. One of the powder boxes had an image of clean, white shirts and sheets. The other featured colorful items. Celestia tentatively deducted that they were meant for different colors of cloth.

There was one way to find out.

The mare levitated the full laundry basket up to the ground floor bathroom. The big tub would be perfect, but she could try it out in the sink first. She pulled out a white, triangular piece of cloth with two big holes. It was a mystery where Rawsthorne wore those. She had never seen it on him, now that she inspected the item.

She filled the sink with warm water, then poured in a bit of the washing powder. She stirred the water. Soap was supposed to make bubbles, right? She added a bit more. The result was uninspiring, but if the box claimed a mere spoonful of the stuff was enough for a 'half-load', whatever that was, then she had probably overdosed it already.

Well, if she ruined one piece of clothing Rawsthorne might be slightly miffed. If she succeeded, however, he would be pleased. It was worth the risk!

She plunged the cloth in the water and scrubbed it against itself. That kind of levitation was tricky for an extended length of time, and the mare hadn't slept much. She opted to use her hooves.

The warm water was pleasant and she didn't mind the smell of the washing powder. Doing something solid, with her actual hooves was curiously pleasant. Celestia found herself humming happily as she worked.

When it was done, she drained the sink, filled it again and tried the fabric softener. That had a stronger scent. It was supposed to be some flower, but to her nose it was too chemical. Not unpleasant, just strange.

She didn't know exactly what to do with the softener, so she just dunked the piece of cloth in it, swirled it around a bit and waited. It didn't need more scrubbing, it was clean.

After a good fifteen minutes, she brought it out and inspected the result for a few seconds. Then she opened the faucet and rinsed out the piece of clothing until it was no longer soapy. As her final step she held it up with her magic and heated the air around it. Steam billowed out as the cloth dried rapidly.

The result was quite encouraging. She took the finished 'product' up to Rawsthorne's room and compared it to the ones in his wardrobe drawer. It was even slightly softer and smelled a little nicer. It stood to reason: an Equestrian Princess was certainly better than a mere machine!

Celestia was encouraged and hurried back to the bathroom. This time, she would use the tub. It would need more powder and softener, but that only took a quick mental calculation. It would also mean some manual work, but it wasn't too strenuous and the warm water was pleasant on her hooves.

Also, the mare decided, as a reward, she would try the steam room!

Languishing. Yeah, that was it, Celestia thought. That was what she was doing on the couch. With her busy night and the heavenly steam she had enjoyed, the pony was entirely spent. She had switched the TV to the music channel and now she was staring, dumbly, at the dancing humans. There was a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice on the coffee table, but she had almost forgotten it. The blanket was warm and more than once she caught herself nodding off.

There was a tiny flare of guilt, but the alicorn didn't feel too bad. After all, her owner hadn't given her any instructions whatsoever and she had still done the laundry! If there was any justice on Earth, she had gone above and beyond her duty. She had earned a lazy day.

In a few hours she would have to get up and make dinner for the human. But that was still some ways away. She briefly thought about her options. She could mince what was left of the stew, add a bit of flour and veggies, and make that thing she had seen in the human cookbook. 'Falafel', yeah, that was it. It needed fresh salad to go with it, but that was also easy. And pudding. Pudding was easy.

It was perfect. In fact, she didn't even have to start until the human came home. Dinner decided, Celestia returned her focus to the TV. It was pink. Very, very pink. One of Twilight's friends would certainly approve, but it was a bit much for the alicorn. She lifted up the remote box and turned it off with a sigh.

Now she was also bored!

Perhaps a walk around the garden would do her good. The mare could spot herself being more lazy than necessary and she didn't want to risk acquiring such a habit permanently. A brisk trot around the house, maybe a few loops in the air. It would certainly get the blood flowing! She just had to remember not to stray too far.

Rawsthorne hadn't said anything, but they both understood that she shouldn't venture too far from the house, and definitely not without a collar. Maybe she could poke her snout into the forest, at least a little? It surely couldn't hurt.

The leaves were already starting to fall. Any day now, Celestia thought, the Running of the Leaves would have to be organized to get the rest of them down. She wondered if the remaining ponies on Earth participated in the event. It probably depended on their owners. The alicorn flew in lazy circles above the tree canopy. There were few roads here, and none with that hard tar stuff. If she didn't look too far into the distance, she could almost be above one of the nameless hills around Ponyville.

Here and there she spotted a flash of color. It seemed that some humans were already practicing for the Running! She didn't want to go near them. As it was, many stopped and gaped at the sky when she flew overhead.

The Princess flew up to the top of the hill and looked around. Behind, there was Rawsthorne's house. Further down the hillside stood what looked like a small village. Even more distant, against the horizon, was the big city. From up there it was difficult to pinpoint where Rawsthorne had taken her to visit the market.

Ahead of her, there was only wilderness. Rolling hills which smoothly joined up with a mountain range in the distance. Perhaps there were more human settlements, but if so, they were hidden from her sight. She hovered for a while, looking in all directions, but there was nothing which truly stood out, so the pony headed back. She decided to trace the winding road this time. There wasn't much traffic, but one particular car seemed to follow her. She stopped and flew a little lower to inspect it and the people within.

It was mostly white with unusual blue decorations. She read the word written on the side.

"Uh oh."

Her heart began to beat faster and Celestia swallowed a lump. It read: 'POLICE'.

She knew they were something like guards among humans. The fact that the car had stopped when she had made her feel like she was in some kind of trouble. A man stepped out now, clearly in uniform. He didn't look happy.

She tried her best, most disarming smile, but remained well out of reach. "May I help you?"

"Come down here right now!" came the order. "Where's your owner?!" Another man stood up from the car, walked around it and pulled a piece of rope out. She wasn't too happy about that and her ears folded back in fear. The mare thought about fleeing. There was no way they could chase her through the forest. But she gave a tentative answer.

"H-he's at work. I was just on my way home, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Down!" the irate human bellowed. Just in case, the mare got her magic ready. She knew that humans had fearsome weapons. She couldn't risk these two trying to use them on her.

"I'll just go home! I'm sorry to have bothered you! Bye!"

The shout was lost behind her as the alicorn sped off. She flew low and fast, dodging an occasional treetop. A few seconds later, there was the sound of a siren behind her, but as she had surmised, the car couldn't go into the forest. The noise soon faded into the background.

She went straight home, a little shaken, but relieved that she had avoided this particular trouble. Celestia knew that she had done a very naughty thing by running from the guards, but she couldn't help giggling at the delicious excitement. Her heart kept racing as the incident replayed again and again in her mind.

The giddy high lasted well into the evening. Celestia started dinner earlier than she had planned and decided to change pudding into actual cake. Nothing fancy, just a simple white cake with fruit and sprinkles, but she hoped the human would appreciate it anyway. Speaking of him, Gregory was running late, so she had the table set long before he arrived. She was sitting on the couch with a glass of orange juice as she waited.

At long last, there was the sound of the car.

Two cars.

Celestia nearly dropped the glass. They had visitors! Rawsthorne hadn't told her, so it was probably a last-minute thing! Of course her owner couldn't blame her if there wasn't enough dinner for everyone. On the other hoof, if she could make it stretch, the mare would be some kind of a hero to the man, right?

She dashed into the kitchen and quickly washed some extra lettuce and a couple of carrots. If the humans didn't mind a salad-heavy ratio, there should be enough of those 'falafels' to go around. And if she cut the cake thinly, everyone should get a piece.

Her own portion would be much smaller, the mare realized and her ears drooped down in sorrow, but her resolve was firm. Even this sacrifice was not too much for the selfless Princess! She was busily cutting and mixing when the door opened and the people entered.

"Come in! Dinner is set, please do not wait for me. I will bring some extra salad shortly!"

They didn't proceed. "Celestia?" Rawsthorne called. "Could you step out here for a moment, please?"

Whatever could the human want now?! She was doing all she could with no warning. Her step faltered when she imagined that Christine and Sally might be the unannounced guests. So soon?!

"If this is about a pony ride, then I should tell you-" The voice failed her. The salad bowl she had been mixing fell on the table with a clank. Her blood turned to ice.

Her unexpected guests were the two policemen she had met earlier.

The look on Rawsthorne's face told her all she needed to know. "Is this her, officer?" her owner asked.

The large man behind her owner looked grim. She saw anger in his eyes. "Yes. That's the pony."

"Eep!"

Celestia reacted, rather than thought. She fled, down the hall, up the stairs and right under her bed. As soon as she had made the first few steps, she realized just how stupid, immature and - above all - useless it was, but she had started moving and pure, irrational fear drove her on.

Even her owner's irate call couldn't stop her. She trembled under the bed and whimpered as she listened to the approaching footsteps. This time, she would not escape the belt!

It occurred to the pony, briefly, that she could simply jump out the window and fly away. They would never be able to prevent her, not with her magic. She really didn't want to do it. Up until now, she had had a great time with Rawsthorne. She had relaxed and rediscovered a part of who she was under the facade of the ruler.

She liked it too much here!

The pony began to understand that she would accept her punishment. After all, she had done a bad thing. Somehow, she had known that Rawsthorne didn't want her wandering off. Now she knew why. It was probably illegal.

If the price for her mistake was a belting, she would take it. If it was much worse, she would flee and return to Equestria. That would mean she'd have to admit defeat before Luna.

The Princess was willing to take a lot of punishment before she did that.

Yet despite all that knowledge, she hid. It was as if her body had a mind of its own. Her owner entered her room and put his hands on his hips. "Will you come out, or do I have to drag you out?" he asked.

She had to know what to expect, as soon as possible. "Will they take me away? Put me in prison?"

For a split second Celestia thought his face softened. It was encouraging. "No, of course not. I've already paid the fine, they just want to talk to you."

It was better than she had feared. The pony stuck her snout from under the bed. "Promise?"

"Get out. Now," Rawsthorne said. It sounded like any delay would make it worse for her. She pulled herself into the open and stood up, a little shakily. The human quickly caught her mane. "We'll decide your punishment later. Now come here!"

There was no choice but to follow. By the time the mare was led, not dragged - that's how she chose to remember it - back to the entrance hall, her face was red with embarrassment.

She knew what was expected of her. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

The younger police-man was holding back laughter, but his older partner wasn't amused. "What you did today was very irresponsible. The laws are there to protect you!"

Celestia couldn't quite make the connection, but she didn't voice her doubt. "Yes, sir."

The human pulled out a notebook and read out loud. "Going out without your owner. Flying without supervision. Failure to obey a lawful order. Running from a police officer. And going out without your collar. That's quite a number of charges. Anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know I would cause so much trouble. I just wanted to stretch my wings."

The glare softened a little, but the man kept up the tough act. She understood he was trying to deter her from further foolishness. "If I see you flying out there again, I will personally haul you to prison, understand?"

She knew her ears were as far back as they could be, and her tail was tucked tightly against herself in submission. "I p-promise!"

The man held her gaze for a few moments, then touched his hat and nodded at her owner. "Good. Have a nice evening, Mr. Rawsthorne."

She stood there and watched them go. After a minute, she heard their car start and pull away. Only then did her owner turn to her.

"Care to explain what you were thinking?" he demanded.

The mare tried for a pitiful look. She crouched a little to make herself smaller, and focused her gaze right on Rawsthorne's eyes. Hers were already leaking. "I really didn't know about all these laws, Gregory, I swear! I just wanted to go out for a bit and stretch my wings!"

He rubbed his forehead with a hand. "If you had your collar, and at least came down when ordered, he would have given you a warning and sent you home. But you ran away, so he tracked you down and slapped me with a fine."

"I'm sorry."

The human heaved a sigh, but didn't say anything. Celestia dropped her head and shakily stood up. She saw the shape of the future. She was no longer helping her owner, but rather costing him money. It was over. "I will pack my things. I'm sorry, Gregory."

He took his hand away and stared. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You will send me back to the auction. I'll get ready and wait quietly in my room until Mr. Plain comes pick me up." She was about to walk away, a picture of misery, but she paused for a moment. "I have washed the laundry. Dinner is on the table. If y-you want, I'll make you breakfast tomorrow."

Her owner was by her side in a few steps. "Hey! I'm not sending you back over a stupid mistake!"

The mare stopped. Her heart skipped a beat. She had been so sure! "You aren't?"

If Rawsthorne could forgive this blunder, then Celestia didn't want to leave. Who knew if she could get herself sold again. Even if she managed it, somehow she knew there was no chance to find another owner like Rawsthorne.

"No. But I will have to punish you for real, this time. It's not just a matter of an eaten hedge, you could have gotten into very serious trouble."

She tried to keep the tremor from her voice, but her eyes were big and shiny and hopeful. "I know. I'm sorry, Rawsthorne."

He went to pat her neck. It was surprisingly gentle. "There are poachers in the hills sometimes. Some of them would have no qualms about shooting you and mounting your head on a wall."

The mere thought was terrifying. "Why would they mount my head on a wall?"

"As a trophy."

She didn't like the idea at all. Had it ever happened to a pony?! Her concern for herself vanished as she felt fear and sorrow for her people. Besides, she could defend herself. "Well, my magic-"

Rawsthorne interrupted her. "And if you didn't see it coming? You'd have a bullet through you before you knew what was happening. Going out flying like that was really irresponsible. I don't mind the running from the police, or the collar. But you could have gotten yourself killed!"

The concern was heartwarming, and the mare smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Gregory. From now on, I'll only fly when you say it's okay. And I won't go out alone anymore, okay?"

There was just one unpleasant manner left. "What will be my punishment?"

The human gave it some thought. "I won't send you to bed without supper again. You'd just wake me up at three or something with a feast. Which you'd then eat by yourself."

That was not how it had happened and Rawsthorne knew it perfectly well, but Celestia wasn't about to argue the point. She decided to give the man the idea, before he came up with a worse one.

"The belt?"

Rawsthorne sighed, then nodded. "I guess I have to. I believe you've learned your lesson, Celestia, but it's for the look of things, you understand?"

She swallowed. She could not remember the last time she had been spanked - or hit in any way. Other than in combat, of course. This punishment would be entirely out of her experience. She didn't know what to expect, but she had to be brave. This was what came from getting stupid, foalish ideas into her head. It was time to pay the price.

After a long while, she nodded.

He still had his hand in her mane, and now Rawsthorne ran it down her neck. "Good. Let's have dinner, first. We'll do it after."

"Yes, sir."

It had to be done. She had always taken responsibility for her mistakes. Even Rawsthorne didn't like the idea, she could see that in his face, but he had to administer the punishment anyway, or she would lose all respect for him.

If she didn't own up to her blunders, he would lose respect for her. Celestia realized that in their relationship respect was an arrow that went both ways.

It wouldn't be too bad, Celestia knew it! No way Rawsthorne would beat her too hard. She would probably not even have bruises! She believed that, of course, but her throat was still tight with the effort of controlling her breathing. Her heart was hammering and her legs were trembling.

She waited patiently in the living room while the human had gone to fetch another belt.

He had said it himself, over dinner: He wasn't angry about the fine, just disappointed in her poor judgement. The punishment was mostly symbolic! She heard the man walking down the stairs and her hooves itched to run away. The mare made herself stand still and take deep, calming breaths.

It wasn't going to hurt. Not badly! He would probably just give her a few light taps, right? After all, she had learned her lesson! She told the human so over dinner and he agreed. It was just a formality.

She still couldn't hold back a whimper when she spotted the length of black leather in Rawsthorne's hand. It was way longer and thicker than it had any right to be! It might as well be an iron rod, her overactive imagination supplied.

The pony felt her eyes widening. She took an involuntary step back and looked at the human's face with deep fear. When Rawsthorne came closer, she shuffled around the couch, putting it between him and her.

"Now, Celestia. Let's not have any more silliness, okay? I promise I'll go easy on you. Come here," the man said. He didn't look angry, nor particularly mean.

The pony made herself walk around. She turned to the side and presented her back and flank. Her muscles tensed in expectation.

"H-ho- h-how many?"

"Five for escaping the policeman. And three for ignoring me when I called you."

It was less than she had feared. "T-that's fa-fair."

Without any warning or further comment, the strip landed on her back with a slap. It didn't really hurt. It stung a little, that was all, but the surprise of it, made her 'eep' in shock.

Almost she ran for it again, but that would have just made it worse. Rawsthorne was calm now, but if she angered him, the belting would become a lot more painful.

This was outright gentle. It really was just symbolic! She made herself believe it and stand still, but her wings still twitched and the mare shut her eyes tightly.

"N-not the wings, o-okay?"

Celestia knew she didn't have to mention it, but she wanted to make sure. Besides, it was something to say, so she wouldn't be waiting for the second slap in silence.

"Of course. I'll be careful, I promise," Rawsthorne said. Then, almost before he had finished talking, the belt whipped through the air and landed against her buttock.

Either it was more sensitive area, or the human had struck her harder. This one definitely stung. Her eyes watered.

Slap Slap

Two landed across her flank in rapid succession, making her gasp in surprise. The human was being very careful with the strength he applied, but the hits still stung. She kept her eyes tightly shut.

There was a pause. "Doing okay?" the human asked, a touch of concern in his voice. "We can take a short break. You're halfway done."

She shook her head firmly. Now that it was happening, she just wanted it over. "No. Now. All of it!"

She sensed Rawsthorne shrug to himself. Of course she couldn't see, but she imagined the belt lifting up again. At least it was over quickly. Two slaps over her back, well away from her wings, then two more on her other flank. The human had spread them around, so that no part of her skin was badly bruised.

Despite that she felt where every hit had landed.

Celestia slowly realized it was over and let her breath out. She let her hind legs fold up and sat on the floor. It hadn't hurt all that much, it really hadn't, but the way she had wound herself up beforehoof now worked against her. Relief flowed through the pony and she found herself sniffling a little, for some reason.

Her owner put the belt on the coffee table and came to pet her mane. "There, all done. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

She shook her head.

"I hope I'll never have to do this again, you know? Think before you do, and ask me if you're not sure, got it?"

Now she nodded. She was staring at the carpet and refused to meet Rawsthorne's gaze. A hand gently cupped her chin and lifted her head.

"Hey, you did well. And I'm not angry, okay?"

The pony managed a small smile. "I know, I know. It's okay. I deserved it and now it is over."

"'atta girl! Dinner was good, by the way. And there's most of the cake left. Would you like some?"

She gave a heartfelt nod. But then froze. "O-only if you have some, too." She still had a Quest, after all. Heroes didn't give up their Quests just because they were lightly spanked.

"A small piece, if it will make you feel any better." Her owner also seemed relieved that it was done. He was cheerful and acceptive. The pony decided to press her luck a bit more.

"W-will you take me to the pony m-meetup on Wednesday?"

He thought it over, briefly. "I don't like driving down to the city twice in a day. If I take you with me to work, can you behave yourself for ten hours?"

The alicorn found she liked that idea. "Yes! I swear!"

Rawsthorne shrugged. "Okay. You'll keep Wendy company, then - she's the receptionist. Then after work, I'll take you to the pony meeting. And then we can grab some pizza, okay?"

It sounded like a magical evening. And just thinking about it was helping her put the spanking in the past. "Will you take me dancing?"

She asked it as a joke, and they laughed together. Then Celestia wiped the last remnants of her tears away.

"Goofy horse," the human chuckled. "Go get the cake then, and we'll watch some movie or something."

The mare didn't notice that she almost pranced to the dining room.

They both laughed at the antics of Bean. Celestia realized that this human had the most pony-sounding name she had heard so far. Too bad he was so very inept. The simplest tasks caused him such trouble. In a small way, he reminded the pony of herself. Except in her case, it was because she didn't know the human world and their ways very well.

In Bean's case, he was simply... odd.

The end text began to roll upward - Celestia understood by now that it meant the show was over - and the last of her laughter died away. She ended up lying on her back, draped across Rawsthorne's knees on the couch She now looked up at the human.

"That. Was. Hilarious!"

Although her owner joined in, especially when she started laughing uncontrollably, he didn't seem to find it quite as funny on his own. He explained to the pony that he had seen it all before.

That, of course, lead to the explanation of what 'DVD' was. Now the mare got an idea from it all. "Could I set it up for myself sometime? A-after I'm done with my tasks, of course!"

Her owner's hand was on her belly and he gave it a slight rub. "Sure. I'll show you how it works. But not now. It's getting late."

It was true. The sky outside had been dark for quite a while. She felt for the sun and made a judgement call. "Around nine... ish?"

Rawsthorne glanced at his wristwatch. "Correct. Good sense of time you've got," he remarked. Celestia didn't comment on it, but the flattery felt nice. She rolled off her owner and stood up. She spotted the plates on the coffee table and levitated them up.

"There is some cake left. I will put it in the refrigerator for breakfast."

The poor human placed both hands on his stomach. "Thank you, but that has been quite enough cake for a long while. How about we forgo dessert tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, how about no?"

"Why are you so insistent on this? You try to get me eating dessert for every meal, you know? You're going to give me diabetes at this rate!"

She made her face serious and went to sit right before the human. She spoke from the heart. "Gregory, dessert it one of life's little pleasures. Why do you insist on denying yourself? Why do you not have cake more often, or enjoy a steam? Go for a fli- run? A hooficure- or whatever the human equivalent?"

He thought it over and his hand came up, almost without conscious control, to brush her mane with slow, even strokes. In the end, the human just shrugged. "Too busy, I guess. I work whole days and then I'm tired when I get home. Maybe I should get a hobby."

"Hobby like baking?"

Even to herself, the questions sounded impossibly naive and hopeful. When Rawsthorne chortled with laughter, Celestia joined in. "You're right, maybe not. But! Let's go for a walk tomorrow. After your job. No matter how late it is, alright?"

He seemed doubtful. "It might be very late. I don't know..."

"I can make you with magic!"

He quickly returned the threat: "I can belt you again!"

"Not if I don't let you!"

He was grinning, and so, the mare found, was she. It was like a little game between them.

"Try me!" the human went on.

It was her turn. Celestia thought quickly. "How about a deal: Go for a walk after work and I won't make you eat cake for breakfast."

Her owner turned the idea around in his mind. "Yeah, okay, I can work with that."

"But you still have to eat pancakes."

"Fine, fine," Rawsthorne agreed, if a tiny bit reluctantly.

"And Wednesday, we will go for the pony meetup, then a pizza. And on Thursday, we're going to have a nice, pleasant steam."

The human held up a hand. "Stop, stop! You're forgetting who the Master is around here!"

The pony lowered her gaze, as if chagrined. "Sorry. Okay, go on."

This took him aback. "Go on, what?" he asked with some confusion.

"Go on and order me to do all those things."

The human stared at the mare. "You don't give up, do you?" he asked at length.

"Never have so far!"

He chuckled and bopped her nose with a finger. She automatically licked the spot, which made her frown in annoyance. It just made the human laugh harder. "Go on," he said, "get yourself to bed, right now. I'll think about it."

She cast him a pointed look, but walked slowly out of the room and up to her bed. Despite the blunder and the belting, Celestia was happy. It was good to know that the human wouldn't punish her too harshly, even over serious stuff. Not that it would ever happen again, she swore to herself silently.

After having thought she would be sent back, it was a big relief that Rawsthorne was prepared to put up with her, even while she was still learning all the little ways and rules. She sat on the carpet and pulled the hoofguards and the vest from under the bed. She held them up to the light and just looked for a while.

Already this new life felt like the real one, and Equestria was fading. Of course she wouldn't forget, but her plan was working. With the clamor of politics and diplomacy that far away, the Princess was quickly relaxing. She was quite enjoying herself - yes, even the punishment. It was an entirely different world of experience, and she explored it with a fascination of someone who had been stuck in the same place, same routine for millenia.

A few months of this carefree life and she would be a new mare!

There was something important she had to do - perhaps not every day, but as often as it took to keep the memory alive. She kissed the emblem on the vest.

"Good night, Sister. I hope the burden isn't too heavy."

Then she stuck the items under the bed again and climbed in. No doubt there would be more stuff to do tomorrow. New, interesting things to learn. Sights to see! She was looking forward to the walk with Rawsthorne. She wondered where he would take her.

From her pillow, Celestia could just see the hillside. Maybe there were secrets in the forest - ones the humans knew and she didn't. Perhaps her owner would show her some! Her smile remained on her lips long after she had drifted off.

Chapter 10

Celestia had spent some time planning her move. It was nearly time now and she finished her preparations. She cast a critical eye over everything. Saddlebags, loaded with a few sandwiches and water bottles. Check. Two large glasses of yogurt and mashed fruit to get them started. Check. Collar, within easy reach near the garage door. Check.

Facial expression...

She walked to the bathroom and peered into the mirror for a quick, last-minute practice. Big eyes, as glossy as she could make them. Ears slightly lowered. Mane hanging down to accentuate the misery. Head held low, but turned up hopefully.

Something was missing. Aha! The mare floated over her collar and held it in her mouth so that it hung from either side.

It was perfect.

Perhaps all the preparation was unnecessary, but Celestia had a feeling Rawsthorne would try and weasel out of their agreement. He hadn't actually promised, after all. It was best to make sure.

Besides, it was fun to play the role of a neglected and lonely slave who is hoping for nothing more than some attention by her master. While she was working to suppress the giggle, Celestia heard the car pull up. The grinding, metallic noise of the garage door confirmed it. Rawsthorne was home. It was show time!

She neatly levitated the yogurt drinks to the only flat surface in the hall - a low shoe cabinet - and dropped her packed saddlebags at the side. She took the collar in her mouth again, sat before the garage door and waited, heart racing.

The door opened. Her human looked at her. The face - tired, of course - relaxed into a grin.

It worked. "Oh, alright, I get the hint," the human said. Celestia sensed he had meant to sound cross, but she knew the image she had created was simply too cute to resist. Of course he couldn't be mad!

She floated him his drink and gulped down her own. The collar was instantly around her neck and the bags on her back. Then the mare stepped nervously from hoof to hoof while she waited on Rawsthorne.

He put the glass down on the cabinet and looked at her. It was only half-empty, but she was willing to overlook that little insult. Rawsthorne raised up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll just have to find some less-expensive pants, okay?"

"Already laid out on your bed. Hurry!"

"Sheesh, what's gotten into you?"

It was a valid question and it made the pony a pause in surprise. Impatience was uncharacteristic for her. Not to mention cajoling her owner like that? Unthinkable to the 'old Celestia'.

The truth wasn't difficult to guess. She had spent the day alone. She had watched the TV until it bored her. Then she swept all the floors, made the beds and went out to trim the hedge some more.

She had, very carefully, abstained from eating the sweet foliage. That is, eating it off the bush itself. No one saw her stick her muzzle in the bag once she had gotten it behind the house. After that, she read up on some human recipes. She was well into the meat section and couldn't stand more than a couple at a time. After a few pages she was forced to put the book away to quell her uneasy stomach.

She considered another bath or steam, but the alicorn knew such indulgence would spoil her irreversibly, so the rest of her afternoon was spent standing on the roof and trying to peer through the thinning, multicolored forest for trails she would like to explore. She had quite a few in her sights.

Too bad it was already getting dark and she would only have an hour, two at the most. The trip would have to be repeated on a Saturday! Even if she had to carry the human on her back!

And there it was: She had been hyping herself up for the walk throughout the afternoon. No wonder she was so impatient to get going. She stilled her hooves and schooled her expression back to the one she internally called 'diplomatic patience', but she couldn't keep her ears from seeking out the tiniest sounds which told her how Rawsthorne was doing with his clothes.

The silken rustle as his fine shirt slid off. Followed by the metallic tinkle of the belt buckle. An occasional grunt as pants came down and were shaken off. Then, to her slight disappointment, the sound of the human fiddling with the clothes wardrobe. She had hoped he would leave the suit on the bed or floor for her to tidy up later. It would have saved him seconds!

Then came the coarser sounds of his 'jeans'. That was what the label said, at least. He had worn these to the market a few days ago, the mare vividly remembered their washed-out blue color. She could pinpoint the moment he had finished pulling them on. Then the zipper. The belt. Finally some more rustling as he began with his shirt and sweater.

The mare firmly stifled her desire to get up and pace. Instead, she sat on her haunches and examined the paintings in the entrance hall. She looked, but didn't see a single one - in her mind, she was watching the human fiddle with his clothes some more, then stand up and walk out of the room and down the stairs.

Her owner found her apparently engrossed with a painting of sunflowers. "Van Gogh," he said, "you like it?"

She focused her eyes. It was quite a pleasant painting. A bit simplistic at first glance, but as she examined it for a few seconds, more and more details sprang to life. The painter, Celestia decided, was a genius, but it would have to wait for later.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go. Let's go!"

She was on her hooves and out the door in an instant. The human followed slowly and fiddled with the door. Then he put the keys in his pocket and looked up toward the hill. "So, where do you want to go?"

"This way! Come on. While there's some light left!"

That reminded Rawsthorne. "Oh, that's right! We should bring a flashlight, just in case. I don't want be stuck in the hills with no light."

The mare stared at him in shock as he pulled the keys back from his pocket, but then she remembered that Rawsthorne hadn't seen her do much else than simple levitation. "It's fine, I got it!" To demonstrate, she made her horn glow a brilliant yellow-white light, very much like the sun.

The human stared in awe. "Impressive," he managed.

The mare sighed, let the spell go and switched to levitation to tug his hand forward. It finally worked and Rawsthorne started moving.

As soon as they entered the forest, all impatience was gone from Celestia. She walked easily, if rather slowly, beside the human and tried to see everything. She had never taken a particular interest in the woods before. Even gardening had been an old, second-rate hobby. Now, everything seemed fresh and foreign and it wasn't only the fact that she was on an alien world - after all, the plants and trees looked much the same as the ones in Equestria.

Somehow, it was still novel and exciting. She found herself enjoying even the smallest detail. The touch of wind on her withers. The scents of wood and moss and mud. The crunch - or, in some places, squelch - of leaves underhoof. They passed a small fir tree and she carefully nibbled on a few green tips. They were bitter and unpalatable, but it was important that she tasted it!

After a few minutes, she tried to strike up a conversation with Rawsthorne. "So, do you ever participate in the Running of the Leaves?"

"The running of what?" came the reply. The pony figured it must have a different name on Earth.

"Well, in late autumn, when the leaves are starting to fall from trees, there is a run through the woods to shake the last branches clear before winter. It is a very popular event in Equestria. Nearly every pony joins it."

His question shocked her: "Why?"

The mare opened her mouth to tell the human it had been that way for countless generations. But then she tried to remember why the tradition had started. It took some digging. "At first, it was only earth ponies for their fruit trees. If there were no leaves left on branches, the trees stood the winter a little better. I guess that was reason enough, for some families."

She leaned closer as if confiding a big secret. "Some ponies care very much for their trees and other plants. I have heard of a family who covered theirs with cloth on particularly cold nights."

She wrenched her mind back to her story. "In any case, running is fun. Most ponies enjoy running, so over the years, more and more joined the tradition. Eventually, it spread also to pegasi and unicorns. Now, the entire kingdom does it every fall."

Rawsthorne took it all in and thought it over. "Fascinating place," he said, once again. Only this time, Celestia wasn't sure if it was derogatory or sincere. "Some humans run for recreation, or reasons of health. And yes, there are races - marathons - organized sometimes. But they mostly take place in cities, I think."

"Could I join one?"

The man looked her up and down. "I don't think it'd be allowed, not seriously. You do have a few unfair advantages."

She felt her ears droop down and her owner quickly stepped closer and scratched her head. "Look, I'll check the Internet and see. If there are any upcoming marathons, I'll call the organizers and ask if you could participate, even if you're not eligible to win, okay?"

She grinned, disappointment forgotten in an instant. "Thank you, Gregory!"

The human was thoughtful. "You know, you're an awful lot of work. I'm pretty sure the idea was that you'd reduce the amount of stuff I had to do."

She poked her tongue out at the human, before countering his complaint. "I do all the tedious stuff around the house. We can switch if you want!"

They both laughed and the pony went on, earnestly. "Besides, it'll do you good to go out and meet people. I think that's the real reason you got me, even if you won't admit it to yourself."

"So you're a shrink, too?"

"A what?"

"Psychiatrist. Head doctor."

The mare shook her head firmly. "Nothing of the sort. I just know how to read people. It comes with the job."

They walked in silence for a while, until they came across a tiny stream of water, running along the path. Celestia watched it for a moment, then grinned to herself.

Of course she had to try it!

She waited until there was a puddle large enough for her muzzle. Then she sucked up a mouthful. It tasted of mud, and wood and leaves, and left some grit on her tongue, but it was still delicious!

She saw Rawsthorne make a face. "Ugh, that's gross. I thought you were civilized!"

"Sometimes it's fun to let loose."

The human didn't seem convinced. He was looking at the mare strangely. "So, the first day, with you all proper and professional. That had been an act? Were you trying to impress me or something?"

Celestia froze. She quickly ran through the past few days in her mind. She really was acting very differently than what she had expected! She needed an explanation!

"Well, no. Not really. That is who I was. Call it a 'remnant of my past life'." She was careful not to allude to the fact that she would be returning to it. "But doing these jobs, for you. It is quite relaxing."

"Working the house is relaxing? Cooking? Cleaning?"

"Yes!" It was difficult to explain. Even Mr. Plain hadn't understood. Celestia wasn't entirely sure she herself knew why it was so, but she tried anyway.

"I don't know how or why, but this job is very relaxing. You must remember I had to decide important matters of state. I had to negotiate - which means 'deceive' most of the time. I had spent so long acting like a diplomat, that I forgot who I really was underneath. Do you understand?"

Her owner was staring into the distance, with his brow furrowed in thought. But slowly, he nodded. "I think I get it. You were a politician. You had to act a certain way, but now, you don't need that anymore."

"Exactly! It's liberating!"

That one made him laugh for a bit. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone use that particular word to describe servitude!"

"Well, it's true! Washing dishes is fun! Cleaning floors is fun! Because it is not complicated. You know when you're done. The dish doesn't pretend it's clean. The floor doesn't try to convince you that you owe it money. I like cooking, housework, and I like being relaxed."

When the human didn't answer her for a while, Celestia searched his face for any sign that she might have overstepped some bounds. Just in case, she added:

"Just - let me know if I relax too much, please? Before you decide to send me back to the auction?"

"I saw you finished the hedge today. Not a bad job. And the house is looking good," Rawsthorne said slowly. Celestia didn't immediately connect this with what they had just been discussing. So she simply took the compliment.

"Thank you?"

The man wasn't done yet. "Your cooking is good. Maybe you should try a meat dish or two, sometimes, but it's good, overall."

"Uh, sure? I've been reading up on it, and-"

Only now did the alicorn realize Rawsthorne wasn't quite listening. He simply went on, interrupting her: "So, as long as the quality of your work doesn't change, I don't mind you a bit more relaxed. I'm glad you enjoy the work. Also, goofy horse is funny horse, and that's a very welcome, if unexpected, bonus."

She felt her mouth slowly spread in a smile. "So, you're happy with my service?"

The man nodded, finally able to hear her again, it seemed. "Extremely. Just don't go too crazy, okay? If you do, I might belt you again, but I don't think I'll send you back."

Her punishment came back to mind and the mare lowered her ears. It was more a sign of shame, than fear. "Good. Then we are agreed," she said.

She held out her hoof for him to shake. It was a little muddy, but the man could grab her ankle, which was nice and clean. He didn't though.

"One more thing, I've been thinking about."

"Yes?"

"You are not to use the sauna whenever you please, alright? Maybe I've been too lenient. We'll save that for a special reward when you've been good. The same goes for bath. You can take showers, instead."

Celestia blinked in surprise and her hoof dropped to the ground. It was a loss and it stung quite a bit, but the human was right, she realized. Over the days she had gotten too relaxed. She had forgotten her role in their story. Her owner was absolutely within his right to put her in her proper place. Plus, the mare realized, he hadn't said anything about baking or TV.

"H-how will I earn them?"

The human went to pat her head. It really helped ease the sting. "Well, you've earned one bath and sauna with that contract you checked. My colleague who deals with international trade has been going over it for the past two days. Apparently, most of your suggestions are 'brilliant' and the few that aren't, are good starting points."

The pony felt herself beam with pride. She even stood a bit taller.

There was more. Rawsthorne went on: "And, despite my misgivings, it seems you hardly missed a thing. A few minor, esoteric points, but he's had twenty years of experience and specializes in that field. You've only read the law books once. It's damned impressive, Celestia!"

Almost without her conscious controls, her hooves did a little prance and the mare hugged her owner with her wings. "Thank you! I was happy to help!"

After extricating himself from her affection, Rawsthorne spoke again. "You saved him a couple days of work, so don't be surprised if he offers to buy you lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to see what he says when he sees you!" Whatever Rawsthorne was imagining, it made him chuckle, but he wouldn't explain what he meant, even after Celestia asked.

They resumed their walk. She really wanted to reach the top of the smaller hill. There was a clearing where they could watch the stars come out and eat their sandwiches. Then, she'd use her magic to light their way home. She was still a bit shaken about the sudden discipline. She had been getting quite comfortable around her Master. He was very easygoing, despite appearances, but she understood his concern. If her demeanor changed this much in a few short days, where might it end up?

The 'diplomat' in her fully endorsed Rawsthorne's decision to limit her fun and keep her reined in, but the 'Celestia' part of her couldn't help but fume a little at the loss. She'd have to find a small, funny and - above all - harmless way to get back at him one of these days. She wouldn't hurt the man, in any way. Or even inconvenience him, but she needed to plot a little. It helped her put the incident fully behind her.

Besides, she had one bath and sauna, and she planned to enjoy them later tonight. The water would feel nice after their walk.

Chapter 11

Excitement and trepidation vied for the top spot in Celestia's mind as the car slowed down and the human spoke up. "This is it," he said, with a certain finality. The drive had been silent for her part because the mare was tired. She had gotten the idea to bake something for Rawsthorne's colleagues. Too bad it had only occurred to her right after her sauna.

Of course, Once she thought it, the pony simply had to do it. Nothing fancy though - a few trays of cookies and one of muffins. She had finished at two A.M.

All residual sleepiness fled as Rawsthorne drove into a dark, gaping hole in the ground. Celestia felt a slight discomfort as her mind threw up the image of them being swallowed by a large dragon. Luckily the inside was well lit past that initial, scary ramp. The human deftly manoeuvred his car into a spot between two others, then switched it off.

"Stay close to me. There's gonna be some surprise, but I don't expect any trouble.

The mare realized he had said it to ease her fear. She became aware that her ears were lowered, like a frightened filly. While it was fun to pretend sometimes at home - that is how she chose to remember it! - this was a place of business. She had to put on her diplomatic face and act the part of a skilled politician. She followed her owner to a small room, full of mirrors and with a column of buttons on the side. It was a tight fit and the pony had to twist a little. Her muzzle was right in her owner's hair and she smelled the faint scent of his shampoo.

They had talked about it and her owner assured her that there were absolutely no ponies anywhere near the office. The mare had therefore decided not to disguise herself as 'Supple Branch'. A smaller pony would have fit more easily in this tiny room, but holding on to her spell over the entire day would be very tiring. She certainly did not want her magic to slip during the pony meeting!

Rawsthorne pushed a button labelled '16' and Celestia felt the floor lurch. It made her shuffle her feet nervously. They were rising! The human noticed her look and put a hand on her neck. "Relax, it's just the elevator. This way we don't have to walk up eighteen flights of stairs."

"Ah. Okay. Thank you."

There was a ding and the door slid open. Celestia looked out with curiosity. It was a corridor lined with glass offices and with a soft, blue carpet on the floor. She could see in the nearest few that they contained a desk, one of those 'computer' things Rawsthorne told her had the 'Internet', and a bookshelf. Just barely visible were big blocky things - filing cabinets, the mare decided. Full of binders and papers and other office supplies.

Twilight Sparkle would probably love it here, the Princess thought and it brought a smile to her lips. She followed her owner down the hallway, acutely aware of the collar on her neck and the stares of people in offices. There were also some humans in the corridor, their conversation halted by the sight.

Rawsthorne paused at the reception desk, where a plump, red-haired woman stared at them in surprise. It was hard to tell her age, because there was too much makeup on her face. While Celestia inspected the woman, her owner broke the ice. "Morning, Wendy. This is Celestia. She, uh, keeps my house in order."

The mare glanced at her owner and wondered why he hadn't said 'slave', or 'servant'. Perhaps it was rude to mention it? On the other hoof, the collar was right there, proclaiming her position beyond doubt to everyone who looked! Celestia decided to solve the mystery later. She followed up on the introduction and levitated a small saucer, wrapped with that transparent plastic foil. Quite useful stuff.

She made sure her voice was cheerful and her smile bright and pleasant. "Good morning, Wendy! Here, I made these for you!"

It was a couple of muffins and a selection of cookies. Celestia realized that the woman was staring at the floating plate and remembered her owner's reaction to her levitation spell. It was too distracting, so she laid the impromptu tray on the receptionist's desk and let the magic fade away. She also became aware that people had exited their offices to look at her. She was starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable with the scrutiny, despite her years and years in the public eye.

Luckily, Rawsthorne came to the rescue. He clapped his hands together and turned to the crowd. "All right, people, nothing to see here. You've all heard of equestrians. We've had several cases, remember?"

It was enough. There was a murmur of conversation, indistinct even to her ears, then the crowd slowly dispersed. Even Wendy, the receptionist seemed to snap out of her shock.

"Oh! Yes, of course, Mr. Rawsthorne!" she squeaked. She looked apprehensively at the cookies, then up at the mare. Celestia kept her smile in place. "She's... bigger than I imagined."

"She's taller than an average pony, yes."

The receptionist poked the plate of sweets with a finger. "What did she mean by 'made these for me'?"

Rawsthorne rolled her eyes. "You can ask her yourself," he said, politely, but with an air of slight annoyance. "I'll introduce her to Denis, then she'll keep you company for a while."

Again, the woman looked at Celestia, but this time there was some admiration there. "Well, she certainly is pretty," the lady remarked.

Celestia took the matter in her own hooves. "Thank you. And I like your hair. It reminds me of a friend from home."

Wendy patted her head a little self-consciously, then managed a weak grin. The mare kept her own smile, but it was starting to feel a bit strained.

"Please, try the cookies. It's my own secret recipe!"

That worked and Wendy unwrapped the plate. She carefully took one of the muffins and looked at it uncertainly.

Thankfully, Rawsthorne came to her rescue again. "Come on, let's go meet Denis and then you two can talk," he said and took a step.

Celestia was only too happy to follow her human down the corridor and into a corner office. The sight made her gasp a little in surprise. The view was spectacular. The entire wall was windows and she could see for miles and miles! They were so high up, too! The pony hadn't realized just how fast that elevator had moved. She ignored her owner for a moment and went to press her nose right up against the glass. Even her wings fluttered a little as she looked straight down, at the tiny cars and people.

"Rawsthorne, late as usual! Hey, when did you get one of those?" It was a new voice and the pony dragged her gaze from the view. The man was thin and tall, with a mess of hair that was just starting to go gray. He put her in mind of nothing so much as a beanstalk. He seemed jovial enough. Aside from a cursory glance, he didn't stare at the pony which instantly made Celestia like him.

"A couple of weeks. Denis, I'd like you to meet Celestia. She's the one who did that contract for you," her owner explained. It made the other human stare for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha! Pull the other one, you asshole. Who really did that?" the laugh was a bit insulting, so Celestia looked at Rawsthorne and waited for him to confirm it.

"It's true," her human said. "She used to be a diplomat in her country and I swear she has an eidetic memory for legal stuff. Wait-" he paused and stared at her, as if just realizing something. "That contract Mr. Plain brought me - that wasn't standard auction stuff. Did you come up with it? Why am I only realizing this now?!"

Celestia gave a nervous smile. "Yes, I helped with certain points. The contract his Auction had was... inadequate. I wanted to make sure."

Denis looked from Rawsthorne to her, then back. "Don't tell me you expect me to believe this little spiel?"

Her owner just shrugged. "Well, she did it. Read the trade laws, read the contract and - well, you got the result."

The tall human laughed again, but stopped when neither Rawsthorne nor Celestia joined in. "Okay, we'll just see about that then," he said quietly and pointed a finger at the pony. "Don't go anywhere!" He left the office at a fast walk and turned down the hall. The mare looked at her owner.

"It's a little insulting, you know?"

Rawsthorne came to pat her mane. "Sorry about that. I never told him you were a pony. He'll believe it, just give him time."

He stopped when Denis rushed back, a sheaf of papers in his hand. He glared at Rawsthorne, then transferred the look to the mare. "Very well, miss pony-lawyer, tell me this," he demanded and turned the page toward her. It was one of her recommendations for a tricky part of the trade agreement. "Tell me where did you get this?"

Celestia searched her memory. Rawsthorne had said that some of her suggestions were weak, but he never told her which. So she simply retraced her reasoning. "Well, that particular part - let me see - yes. It was in one of the laws. Do you have the books?"

Rawsthorne wordlessly went to his bookshelves and pulled out a volume. Celestia remembered it from her studying and picked it up in her magic. She quickly leafed to the correct part. "Here. Sixteen, paragraph two. The language is a little ambiguous, so I wasn't sure. I rewrote those sentences in the contract to work around it."

Denis looked at the floating book before his face. He didn't seem to notice the magic at all. He scanned the page, muttering a little to himself. Then, at last, he lowered the text and stared at the pony. "You wrote those corrections," he said flatly. It didn't sound like a question. Celestia looked at Rawsthorne, who nodded.

"I d-did." She wasn't sure what else to say.

The man stared for a moment longer, then his eyes lit up and he smiled. "A damn fine job! And this asshole here," he said and nudged her owner, "never mentioned you were a pony. Not that I'd have believed it!"

It made her frown in displeasure. "Mr. Denis. I assure you, ponies can do all the same jobs that human can. And more!" It shut him up. Her tone certainly made Rawsthorne choke a little as he suppressed his laughter.

The tall man stared at her again, then his face split in another grin. "I believe it! Anyway, lunch is on me. This saved me a bunch of time." He stepped closer and put himself between Rawsthorne and her. He also lowered his voice a little. "How'd you like to come work for me, instead?"

Without even waiting for her response, Denis turned to her owner and fumbled in his pocket until he found a small booklet. "Fifty K. Right now."

Celestia's blood froze. If this man became her owner, she would have more things like that contract as her job. It would be right back to the same old politics and diplomacy! She caught Rawsthorne's eye and shook her head with as miserable expression as she could manage.

"Sorry, no deal. Find your own talent."

Celestia felt her wings and ears droop from relief. Even her knees went weak for a moment. But Denis wasn't so easily deterred.

"Hundred K? Hundred and fifty? Come on, man. How much did you pay for her? I'll triple it!"

Her owner shook his head to all of those. "She'll help you from time to time, but only if she feels like it. And you'll pay standard rate."

It worked and Denis deflated. "Fine, fine!" He turned to Celestia and winked, all trace of disappointment gone instantly. "You, if you ever get tired of whatever he's having you do, come find me."

"Uh, sure, Mr. Denis."

He laughed and patted her on the back. "Just Denis to you. Come around my office at twelve and I'll take you to the finest restaurant around here. Both of you!"

Just like that he was gone. The pony looked at her owner in confusion.

"What... just happened?"

Rawsthorne, unable to contain the laughter anymore, had to sit down behind his desk. "Oh, don't mind him. Denis offers to hire anyone who shows the smallest bit of talent. And he usually fires them within a week, as soon as they make their first mistake."

"Thank you. For not selling me. It sounded like a lot of money."

The human shrugged. "It was. But money isn't everything you know?" It was an unfamiliar attitude. Celestia was aware that most humans valued money above everything else. It was strange that her owner, who apparently had a lot of it, didn't.

"So, what should I do?"

Rawsthorne looked at his wristwatch. "I have a meeting in five minutes and it'll probably drag until lunch. Go to Wendy, tell her I sent you. See if she has any little jobs you could help with." The human paused, then offered an alternative: "Or, stay here and read, if you'd prefer that. Just don't break anything."

Celestia thought quickly. Her eyes scanned the rows of books on the shelves. All law books and legal texts. As boring as books could get.

"I'll be with the receptionist."

Her owner shrugged, then gathered up a few folders from his desk and left the office. It seemed she was on her own. Celestia couldn't help but be flattered by the trust. She went to inspect the view again. The city was spread before her like an open flower. This was far higher than even her balcony in the Canterlot Castle. She traced the path of one particular sidewalk until it went out of sight behind a building. Then her eyes switched to a glistening pair of railroad tracks. They weren't much different from equestrian ones, except that the trains themselves didn't seem to run on steam. They were sleek, red and yellow and green things that gave the impression of tremendous speed, even when sitting still at what Celestia assumed was a station.

Her inspection of the city ended soon. The mare sighed, cast another look across the distance, and turned resolutely away. True, Rawsthorne had said she could spend the day in his office, but the mare had put a lot of effort into preparing treats for her owner's coworkers. She wasn't intending to bring the fruit of her labor back home with her. She poked her head out through the open, glass door and looked down the corridor. It seemed mostly empty, so she stepped forward and turned toward the reception.

Again, the people in offices looked up from their work to stare at her. But at least none of them came out to ask her questions. It seemed Rawsthorne's word carried a lot of power in this place. For some reason, it made Celestia feel proud that he was her owner. The receptionist stared at her, once again. It made the mare shuffle nervously and wonder if there was something on her face.

She gulped and ventured: "I'm- Mr. Rawsthorne asked me to help you with any tasks you might need."

The receptionist was no help. "What sort of tasks?" she asked, perhaps a tad suspiciously. The woman had been in the process filing her nails, but now stopped and watched the mare closely.

"Whatever, really. I can make coffee, or proofread documents..."

"Hmm. Can you use a phone?" came the question. Celestia hadn't done so before, but she was confident she could after Mr. Plain's instruction. The pony nodded.

It made Wendy smile again. "Good. Come here, let me show you what you need to do."

The alicorn made her way around the desk. The task was simple. Wendy 'printed out' a list of people and their numbers and some dates. It was Celestia's job to use the phone to reach everyone on the list and make sure the people knew about their appointments on those days. Simplicity itself. Most of the voices that answered the mare were uncertain, perhaps even slightly scared after she told them where she was calling from. But she made her voice as reassuring as she could and coaxed all of the 'clients' to agree to their meetings.

By the time she was done, Wendy was impressed. "Mr. Rawsthorne didn't bring you in as my replacement, did he?" the woman asked, only half-joking.

Celestia giggled a little. "No. I help him around the house. You have nothing to worry about."

They talked a bit more - with occasional interruptions as Wendy answered her phone, or fiddled with her computer. Then they made coffee and took it around the offices. It was the perfect opportunity and Celestia added a couple of cookies and a muffin with each serving. It was quite well received and pretty soon the mare felt right at home in the office. People still stared, of course, but she was able to put it out of her mind, thanks to her long practice.

Before she knew it, noon had come around and the mare found herself sitting in a nearby restaurant with Rawsthorne and Denis. The two were deep in conversation about some of their cases, so the pony used the time to look around. It was certainly a fancy place. Thick carpet, lush curtains, gilded chandeliers, polite staff. There was surprisingly little comment at the fact that she wasn't human, too!

She didn't know many of the foods, but on Denis' recommendation, Celestia ordered the 'Greek salad'. The other two asked for steak and it was only through force of will that the mare kept her face neutral. Denis tried to buy her again, but Rawsthorne gave him a firm no and put a stop to it. It was flattering, but also starting to get annoying.

Luckily, the tall lawyer changed the topic. "So, Celestia - what kind of trade deals did you usually arrange at your old job?"

It was a bit hypocritical of him. He had said 'old job', as if she had come to Earth for a change of scenery or something. Yes, it was true in her case, but most ponies didn't get a choice. That's why it was called slavery!

Despite that she made her expression pleasant. "All sorts, really. Our neighbors include the griffins, minotaurs, dragons... all sorts of people! You wouldn't believe what they wanted to trade!"

The human grinned in anticipation. "Come on, give us an example!"

She thought back to the weirdest she could recall at the moment. "Well, once there was his pompous griffin lord, who wanted our criminals. There aren't many ponies who commit heinous crimes, but he wanted them. It turned out he was hoping to let them go in the wilderness and then hunt them! Can you imagine?"

All three of them laughed.

"Of course I said no! No amount of gold would make me sell out my-" The mare caught herself and blushed. She felt her ears lower and finished lamely: "-the citizens. Even criminals."

Rawsthorne opened his mouth, but the other guy was a second faster. He just spoke over her owner: "Well, I heard where ponies are selling themselves into servitude. Mostly for medicine, or sometimes to get one of them back from Earth. A trade, or something."

Her face darkened. "The crown doesn't condone that, oh no! In fact, I heard the Princess is planning to make that illegal! And she's working with the human government to get the ponies back!"

The two humans leaned away from her fire. "Sheesh, sorry to have brought it up. I didn't realize it was that important to you," Denis said, raising his hands.

The mare forced herself to calm down. "It is alright. I just- don't like it."

The grin was quickly back on the human. "Well, if you ever see the Princess again," here he looked at Rawsthorne and winked, "you can offer her our services. I'm sure we could help with the proper wording to get that legislation through more easily."

Celestia kept her face impassive. "I'll keep that in mind."

The tall man wasn't done yet. "By the way, if you don't mind me asking - why are you here?"

The mare thought fast and decided to use the same story she had tried with Mr. Plain. "I sold my contract in exchange for medicine for a friend."

"How long?"

Rawsthorne answered that one. He seemed to feel her discomfort discussing it, even if he thought it was for a different reason. "Twenty years," her owner answered.

Denis whistled. "Expensive medicine. What disease?"

Celestia looked down. The disease and the medicine were real and her 'sacrifice' had helped. It still wasn't something she particularly enjoyed talking about, not least because some desperate families really were in that bind, and some mares - fillies, really - sold the only thing they had. Themselves.

"Cancer."

The human simply had to try again: "Well, I can pay it off and reduce your contract to ten years, how's that sound?"

She glared, but Rawsthorne held a hand up. "Stop it, or you're fired!"

Denis just laughed uproariously. "You can't do that, buddy! We're partners! But okay. Sorry. No more offering to buy the pony, I promise."

Luckily, their food arrived and they didn't have to talk anymore. Celestia bit into her salad and found it extremely tasty. It was almost good enough to make her forgive the human who had bought it. Hopefully he'd keep his mouth shut for the rest of the meal.

They were back in Rawsthorne's office before too long. She pushed the door closed and cast a simple spell to shield the room from eavesdropping. "That pompous, good for nothing, arrogant,... Aargh!"

Her owner chuckled. "Sorry. He's not too bad once you get to know him, but he never had much feel for people. Apparently also ponies."

The mare glared at her owner, but sighed and tried to relax. It failed. She took a few calming breaths, but the words bubbled back from her memory and the mare stomped her hoof. "Buy me a stallion to keep me entertained?! Who in Tartarus does he think he is?! I'll show him 'buy me a stallion'!"

She snorted, leaving a layer of condensation on the glass. "I'm not doing any more work for him, lunch or not. Got it?"

The human nodded. "Sure, sure. No problem. What's with the glow, by the way?" If he was concerned about her magic, Rawsthorne didn't show it. Or perhaps by now, he trusted her enough.

"Sound-shield. No one can hear what we say."

"That's quite useful."

"Humph! If that... human tries to buy me again, I will break his legs, understand?!"

That seemed to be going too far. Rawsthorne looked up sharply and frowned at her. "Now now, behave yourself. Denis is tactless, but he's a good attorney and partner. I already told you I'll have a word with him."

She just gave a grunt to acknowledge him. Then went to watch the view. It did wonders to relax her. "So, what now?"

Her owner shuffled some papers around. "I've got to finish some of this work. You can help, or you can relax for a bit. We still have about five hours before the pony meeting, and it's not too far from here. You're gonna change for that?"

It took Celestia a second to realize the human didn't mean clothes. "Oh yes! Of course. I need to go as 'Supple Branch'. I'll change in the car."

"Good, good," Rawsthorne replied, already deep in thought. He was reading something from his computer screen and the pony walked around the desk to see. It looked like a legal document. No surprises there.

"So, what are you working on?"

Chapter 12

Celestia, in her 'Supple Branch' guise, walked behind Rawsthorne down a grubby, dark corridor. They had left the car some distance away at the only available parking lot nearby. Then they walked down the street, looking at numbers above the entrances. The mare was more and more doubtful that it was the right place. There were no signs and the building seemed positively decrepit.

The walls had once been white, but now there were stains in all shades of brown and yellow. The floor, tiles, didn't look as if it had been swept or washed in years. There were a few doors, but all of them were closed and many were scratched or battered.

"A-are you sure this is the right place?"

Her human shrugged, but kept walking. "It's the right address. It said 'last door on the left'. Let's just go and look."

She found herself creeping closer to Rawsthorne, until she was almost bumping his rump with her muzzle. Just in case, Celestia prepared a few emergency spells, to be cast a a moment's notice. She carefully stepped around paper bags and an occasional plastic cup on the floor.

Suddenly a very welcome sound entered her ears. She swiveled them around to hear better. "Ponies!" The mare breathed out the word with considerable relief. She saw that Rawsthorne, too, relaxed a little. Sounds of talking and occasional laughter led them, indeed, to the last door on the left. It was closed, but there was a piece of paper taped at perfect pony-height.

It read: "Pony meet up. All welcome."

The words were the most inviting thing Celestia had seen since they left the car, but her owner stood there, inspecting the door and apparently listening to the talk inside.

She bumped his thigh with her muzzle. "Go on. Let's go in."

Her voice betrayed her nerves and she cleared her throat. She repeated more firmly: "Let's go."

The human pushed at the door handle and the pony peeked around his legs. At the sound, the talking inside stopped and several pairs of eyes turned their way. They were all pony eyes and Celestia felt her heart skip a beat with nerves. She shouldn't be this worried about meeting her own subjects! It simply would not do, but her traitorous legs refused to obey her! She waited for Rawsthorne to enter first.

The group was a mixed one. Mostly earth ponies, with one pegasus and one unicorn. The latter had a ring on her horn, if it could even be called a ring. It was a blocky, misshapen affair that made Celestia shudder to even consider. She made a mental note to thank Rawsthorne again, later. She looked at the assembly while they studied her in detail. Aside from Silent Brook, whom she knew, and the pegasus and unicorn, there were three other earth ponies.

Two of them smiled immediately - a gray stallion sitting next to a white mare. Celestia decided that they were probably a couple when she saw them subconsciously draw nearer each other. The other earth stallion, with a pleasing chocolate-brown coat, stared at her in slight shock, before recovering and giving her a grin she could only call 'sultry'.

The unicorn kept her expression neutral, but the pegasus gave her a timid smile, which was somehow a lot warmer than the rest. The brown stallion was the first to react. He stepped forward, looked up at Rawsthorne and reached out a leg. "Welcome! Name's Heavy Hoof. Please, there are snacks for owners, if you'd care to step this way?"

Her owner looked down for her approval and Celestia nodded her head slightly. The human leaned a little closer, shook the offered hoof and followed the pony to a closed door.

The stallion knocked, then pushed it open. There were a few bored-looking humans in there, but Celestia only caught a glance before Rawsthorne entered and Heavy Hoof closed the door after him. The others came forward and one of them went to close to door where she had entered. If they weren't ponies, Celestia would have been quite worried by the way they circled her.

The couple came up right to her face and sniffed her. The mare was the first to speak. "Hi! What's your name?"

She had been expecting it and answered smoothly and confidently. "Supple Branch."

The alicorn could almost feel the eyes on her. "Fitting!" the mare said and introduced the rest: "I'm Lake Frond, this is my husband, Rock Lichen," she explained and pulled the pony closer, as if to show him off. "The pegasus is Glitter Dust, next to her is Glowbug - please don't ask her about the ring!"

The last sentence was whispered, but the unicorn still heard it and humphed angrily. The mare giggled and finished: "Finally, there's Silent Brook. And Heavy Hoof led your human away, of course."

It was a rush of names and faces, but Celestia had been practicing her memory for millenia. She quickly committed them all to memory.

"Nice to meet you all. So, what do you do at these meetings?"

The mare, apparently the speaker for the group, shrugged. "No itinerary. Just meet and talk a little. Just so we don't forget there are other ponies out there. Oh, that reminds me! There's also Belle Hop, but she couldn't make it today. If you come next time, you'll probably meet her."

She paused and re-railed her train of thought. "Anyway, we just... talk. It's a hard world out there and sometimes what you really need is a sympathetic ear to make sense of it. We help each other, as we can."

Celestia nodded. It was about what she had expected. Then she spotted Brook behind the others. He wasn't as curious, having met her before, but the stallion was watching her warily.

"Hi! We met before, remember? In the park!"

It had been all of four days ago, but she said it anyway, if only to break the ice. The stallion nodded, half-heartedly. "Yeah. Glad you could make it."

She had a feeling he didn't relish the chance to speak with her. Probably due to all the uncomfortable questions. She decided firmly that she wouldn't push him anymore.

"So," she said to Lake Frond, "your owners aren't all bad if they let you come here, right?"

The mare sighed and looked away. "There's good days and bad days. You know how it is. How long have you been...?" she asked, but tactfully didn't say the word 'enslaved'.

Celestia told the truth: "About two weeks."

It caused a bit of laughter. "Ooh, so that's why we haven't seen you around," exclaimed Glitter Dust. Everyone laughed again and Celestia joined them, if a little uncertainly.

"Your owner seemed nice," the pegasus went on. "Is he treating you well?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I just have to work the house, he's away on job, most of the time."

Lake Frond patted her and was about to ask something, but she looked at Heavy Hoof, who was approaching Celestia from behind, and shut her mouth.

"Hello, beautiful," the stallion muttered, right in her ear. It was only through her rigid self-control that Celestia didn't jump. The voice, and the words, sent a faint thrill through her. She firmly suppressed it and didn't answer. His hot breath on her ear wasn't making it any easier to concentrate, but the mare managed.

"A calm and quiet one, eh?" the stallion asked, then chuckled a little. "I prefer 'em rowdy and wild, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

She didn't have to see it to know he winked. It caused her to swallow heavily. She tried for a diplomatic answer. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested."

It was a very good lie. A fantastic one. For the life of her, Celestia couldn't tell how the stallion was able to spot it.

He laughed and the sound sent fresh shivers down her spine. "I doubt that, darling. What do you say we duck into the bathroom and get to know each other... personally?"

Luckily, Lake Frond came to her rescue. The mare rolled her eyes and batted Heavy Hoof lightly on the nose. "Quit it. It's her first time. You do want her to come again sometime, don't you? So push off!"

His sultry smile turned into a friendly one and the stallion nudged Celestia in the ribs and laughed pleasantly. His voice was suddenly a lot less husky, too. It made it easier to look at him.

"Sorry, miss!" he apologized and looked like he meant it. "I'm just easily excited. Don't take it the wrong way - just remember: the offer is always on the table, right?" He winked and walked over to a coffee table loaded with snacks. Celestia looked at them and guiltily remembered that she had given all her cookies and muffins away at Rawsthorne's office. She resolved to bake more for her next visit to the pony meet up.

The pegasus followed her gaze and gestured with a wing. "Come! Grab a bite to eat. We take turns cooking - it was Lake Frond's turn today!"

Just like that, Celestia saw, she was a part of the group. They clustered around the table and began talking again. For the most part, she just listened. There were stories of what they had done over the past few weeks. The mares, in particular, had to cook for their owners and they exchanged news of good prices for groceries. It seemed that they were given a strict budget by their humans and tried to stretch it as far as they could.

The reason for that became apparent when Rock Lichen explained that the owners usually let them buy treats for themselves with the leftover money. Then Glowbug had to explain the strict setting of no magic on her ring. Apparently, the unicorn was usually allowed at least a trickle, so she could perform basic levitation for her personal grooming and care. Unicorns in particular were bad at doing delicate things with their hooves, but now her magic was cut off completely.

The shame-faced mare explained that she had thrown a fit over her owner not ordering her a book she had asked for. The punishment was a week with no magic. There were murmurs of sympathy, but it obviously wasn't the first time it had happened, as evidenced by a slight snicker from Lake Frond and Glitter Dust.

Once or twice Celestia spotted Heavy Hoof giving her an appraising look, with a very suggestive smile behind it. If she weren't already naked, the alicorn would have felt that the stallion was undressing her with his eyes. She did her best to ignore it, snapping her eyes firmly away. It didn't help that his grin grew wider and he winked when she tried to steal glances at him.

She wondered if he had acted the same way to the others. Obviously not the earth mare, if she was really married to Rock Lichen. But the unicorn and pegasus did look at the brown stallion from time to time. Celestia couldn't quite read their expressions, but her imagination supplied what her observation could not.

As pushy as he was, it wasn't a big leap to imagine him with either of the two. Or both! She had to wrench her thoughts back to the present when everyone looked at her. The Princess realized that Glowbug had asked her a question and quickly racked her memory for what it was.

They wanted to know if her contract was permanent, or a limited-time one. She decided to use the same lie as she had with Rawsthorne and Denis. "Twenty years. I went to get medicine for a friend."

Heavy Hoof whistled, quite impressed. "Kind and generous!"

It was Lake Frond who smiled the widest. "That's excellent, dear! We're all lifers - taken before there were any rules. Since there are no contracts, there's no way we're getting off, at least with the laws the way they are."

It reminded Celestia and she formulated her response carefully. "Before I went, I overheard the Canterlot Castle staff talking. It seems Princess Celestia is working on changing the human laws regarding ponies. Apparently she's in touch with a big law firm right here in the city. They'll try to get all ponies without contracts home!"

The group seemed wistful, but just for a moment. Then Rock Lichen gently took her hoof. "That'd be nice, but I wouldn't count on it. The humans don't like to let go of what they have."

Glowbug sighed. "I'll believe it when I see it," she said firmly.

Lake Frond kept her smile and placed her own hoof right beside her husband's, so they were both holding Celestia. "It's not that bad here, sweetie. I mean, sure, it's servitude, but we've made homes for ourselves. We have friends, even among the humans. Most of us get along with our owners just fine."

She glanced at Brook, who rolled his eyes and snorted, but there was no reply forthcoming, it seemed. Celestia almost brought it up, but stopped herself at the last moment.

"Well, that's what I heard. And I know the Princess cares for all of us."

There was a nervous shuffling and a half-hearted murmur of assent, before Glitter Dust changed the topic: "So, that hot dog guy at the corner of Fourth and Harrison now has vegetarian sausage. Has anypony tried it?"

Lake Frond made a face. "Ugh, still tastes like meat! I'm never gonna get used to it," she said, keeping her grimace.

Heavy Hoof was intrigued. "Hmm, I'll see if I can get Peter to take me someday. Harrison, you said?" He looked at the pegasus for her confirming nod, then back to Celestia. "Would you like to join me, beautiful? Do you live nearby?"

At least this much worked in her favor. The alicorn shook her head. "Sorry. Up in the hills. Gregory works near here. Well, not that near. In the area. I'm not even sure how often I'll be able to come."

Glitter Dust fiddled around for a piece of paper and a pen. Then she scribbled something and pushed the paper toward Celestia with a hoof. "Here! Add me on Skype and we'll stay in touch. I'll give you addresses for the others - those who have it."

"Skype?"

The pegasus explained some more. She was obviously quite excited about the stuff. "Skype? You haven't seen it yet? It's an app, on a computer. Your human does have a computer, doesn't he?"

Celestia remembered the things she had been meaning to ask Rawsthorne. "It's like a small TV? Rectangle with letters and numbers? By the way, what is Internet?"

Now Glitter Dust was grinning widely. It caused the other ponies to chuckle with delight. "You've done it now," Brook said, finally smiling. "Now you've got her started, you're in for quite a lesson!"

Celestia didn't understand. She looked from their smirks to the pegasus, who was so excited she couldn't keep her wings still. "Hold on a sec!" she said and went to the door with the owners' room. She knocked, ducked inside, and came back a minute later with what looked like a black folder. She held it by a strap in her mouth and took it to the coffee table.

"I'll show you. C'mere!" Glitter Dust said, grinning. Celestia saw that the others had made room and were back to talking softly between themselves.

The pegasus had meanwhile dragged a silver and black rectangle from the bag. It looked a little like a TV and a little like a picture frame - if you wanted to frame pure darkness. The alicorn shuffled closer to get a better look. Maybe if a pony explained, she would understand better. Rawsthorne had told her about 'electronic mail' and information and web-sites. She couldn't understand what the box on his desk had to do with spiders.

"Okay, lemme turn it on. You'll have to get your human to buy you a stylus or something, if you wanna use one of these. Or, if he has a laptop or a desktop, all you need it a small stick. It's good if it's soft, otherwise it's hell on your teeth."

Celestia didn't mention that she already had a stylus. Instead, she looked with deep curiosity at the small TV, where a bunch of colorful symbols and text had appeared.

"This here is what we call an 'eye pad', okay?" Glitter Dust began.

Celestia and Rawsthorne left together with the pegasus and her owner. The four of them were the last ones there, so Glitter Dust had to lock up. Her owner, a cheerful, middle-aged woman with short hair and a permanent smile, dropped the key into one of the mailboxes.

"Don't worry, the guy who lets us rent the place will come along later to get it," Glitter Dust explained. "He opens it for us, but doesn't usually wait up."

The ponies walked side by side with their owners following. The pegasus knew the way to the parking lot, even if Celestia couldn't immediately remember which way was the car. She glanced back to see if Rawsthorne would point out a direction, but he was having what appeared to be an animated conversation with Maggie, Glitter Dust's owner.

She had been introduced to all their humans, except for Silent Brook's.

"He doesn't come anymore," Lake Frond had explained when Celestia asked about it. Before she could follow up with the logical next question, the mare went on preemptively: "No, it's not quite legal, but people know Brook and they don't mind. Even the cops. He's been here the longest, I guess."

Suddenly, Glitter Dust chuckled softly. "Did you see how Peter had to drag Heavy Hoof away? He did not wanna leave first. I wonder why?"

She was giving the disguised alicorn a sly glance, but Celestia kept her face neutral, even if it did blush a little. Reminded of the 'eager' stallion, she blurted out the question which had been stuck in her mind throughout the evening. "Is he like that with every mare? I mean, did you you and him-"

Celestia fell silent when she saw Glitter Dust's expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

The pegasus interrupted her. "Yes. Not that it's any business of yours."

"Sorry."

"He does it with every mare. Heavy Hoof is... " Glitter Dust explained, but didn't know how to finish the sentence. "He has a unique situation. I won't say anything. You'll have to ask him yourself."

Now Celestia was extra curious. She thought back on her interactions with the stallion. The new insight brought a few additional observations from her memory. How Heavy Hoof had almost avoided talking to anypony else, for example.

Or how he hardly said two words to Rawsthorne, after his initial greeting. The pony also kept repeating how pretty Celestia was, despite the fact that 'Supple Branch' had been picked to be as unremarkable as possible. Something else occurred to her.

"Did he also... with Glowbug? And Lake Frond? And that pegasus - the one who wasn't there tonight?"

Glitter Dust refused to say more. "Ask them yourself!" she said irritably. But the way she spoke told Celestia that the answer was 'yes'.

Curious. She wanted to find out more. She had to talk with Heavy Hoof in private. Just talk! Of course she wouldn't use the opportunity to sneak a peek under his belly! She wasn't a needy teenager, after all!

A hand on her mane brought the alicorn from her reverie. "Come on, say goodbye now, Ce- Supple. We're going a different way here."

She obediently made her farewell with Glitter Dust, politely shook Maggie's hand and watched them walk away.

"You almost slipped up there."

Rawsthorne sighed. "Sorry. Not used to such duplicity."

She pierced him with a look and pointed out: "I thought you were a lawyer."

"Not all lawyers are liars," the human countered.

"Touché."

He laughed, then ruffled her mane and looked around. "This way. I think there's a good pizzeria a few blocks down."

Celestia instantly forgave the slip-up. She hadn't had human pizza yet and she was eager to try. "You're paying."

They both chuckled at her obvious statement. Then her owner began walking and she followed.

Celestia groaned as Rawsthorne's car hit what seemed like an endless series of bumps. Her hooves were on her belly, resting as lightly as she could make them.

"Urk! Holes are not an appropriate material for roads, Rawsthorne!"

Even her owner's obvious pity for her condition couldn't stop the man from chuckling. "Not my fault you ordered a large. And ate what was left of mine. And had dessert. And ice cream on the way to the car!"

Celestia whimpered a little as she was reminded. "Having a stand open at this time of night was pure evil! Not to mention, it's winter!"

"Now there, Celestia, don't you assign blame on anyone except yourself," the human admonished. He even raised a finger. It wasn't a pony gesture, but the alicorn had learned what it meant from Mr. Plain and his staff at the Auction.

"Did I really have your pizza too?"

"Yup."

"But- but it had meat on it!" The alicorn knew she was a little green in the face as she remembered. Good thing her owner couldn't see, or he'd laugh some more.

"Just salami. You took it off, remember?"

"Huh." The taste hadn't been entirely bad, now that she thought about it. Well, not the taste so much as the aroma. It was mostly salt, in either case. Perhaps, the mare decided tentatively, it would bear further experimentation.

Celestia felt another pang in her belly and quickly thought: another time, another time! She had to stop remembering food. Or else Rawsthorne's car would have a problem. One which she would have to clean up.

"So, how were the pony owners tonight?"

The human gave the question due consideration. "Didn't seem bad. Just regular people, mostly. We didn't have too much to talk about, really."

There were two humans Celestia was particularly interested in. "Maggie seemed nice."

She felt, more than saw, Rawsthorne shrug. "I guess. She manages a hardware store. I might need a few things before the winter. How'd you feel about visiting with her pony. What was it again?"

"Glitter Dust. And what's a 'hard-wear shop'? It isn't to do with clothes, is it?"

The man laughed. Celestia decided he was mocking her ignorance, so she took her revenge by sticking out her tongue. That would show him!

"It's a specialized store for tools and machines."

"Ah. Anyway, you like Maggie?"

Rawsthorne shrugged again. "She's alright. Why?"

"Married?"

"No, not... exactly," he answered and his voice trailed off at the end. Celestia suppressed a smile.

The pony had a plan. She still had to take her revenge on the man for curtailing her bath and steam privileges. An idea had formed when she saw the two humans talking earlier. Maybe the Princess could play a matchmaker? She had done it before, after all.

"No reason. What about Peter?"

Her owner was blank. "Remind me, which one was Peter?"

"Heavy Hoof's owner. Brown stallion."

"Oh. I didn't talk with him much. Why?"

Celestia sighed. The mystery would need more work, it seemed. "Just making conversation. Hey, do you have a Skype?"

The human glanced at her. "I suppose I could install it. Would you like it to stay in touch with your new friends?"

"Yes please. Glitter Dust showed me. You never said the Internet could do that! You just went on and on about spiders."

Rawsthorne looked strangely at the mare. "Spiders?! I never mentioned spiders!"

"The 'Web'?"

Again her owner laughed at her misunderstanding. He got another raspberry from the mare.

"That has nothing to do with spiders, Celestia."

She chose to ignore the correction. "Do you have an 'eye pad'?"

Rawsthorne snapped his fingers. "I do, as a matter of fact! Denis got me one for my birthday last year, but I never even unpacked it!"

The news made Celestia stare in disbelief. "Master Rawsthorne, you really need to get a life! I've been on Earth for all of five minutes and I already want an 'eye pad'. You've got one and you're not even interested enough to unpack it!"

"Well, you can have mine," the human said. It made Celestia sigh and roll her eyes theatrically.

"It's a good thing you got me, Rawsthorne. I just hope I'm not too late."

Chapter 13

It was simply astounding just how many clothes humans went through in a week! Celestia watched the overflowing laundry basket with a critical eye. She had changed all the sheets on the beds, but this was still ridiculous! No way could she be expected to wash a whole basketful every week.

"Wait a minute!"

The mare twirled around and looked at the large, rectangular machines. Washing machines. The clue was in the name. She sighed, rolled her eyes - this time at herself - and went to look for her owner.

"Gregory!"

The alicorn found him on the couch. "Come and show me how to use the machines for washing laundry!"

The human blinked at her. "Wait, didn't you already wash a load last weekend? I thought you'd figured it out."

"I did it by hoof. You weren't home."

"Oh," was all her owner could say.

"See? I do go above and beyond for you. I think I deserve at least an hour in the sauna!" It didn't hurt to try, did it?

Rawsthorne chuckled and stood up. His hand went automatically for her ears and the mare leaned into his touch. It was surprisingly addictive, she had found. "Okay, do tonight's laundry and you can have thirty minutes," her owner graciously allowed.

"Yes!!" The mare pumped a hoof in triumph.

Her owner led the way to the basement. "Come on, I'll show you."

"You know, I've also been doing the dishes by hoof all this time."

"Fine, fine. Forty-five minutes."

Celestia couldn't help herself prancing a few steps in delight. Her thoughts went back to the car ride and her promise to turn Rawsthorne's life around. "Care to join me?"

It was a most gracious offer for the lonely human! Rawsthorne had no call to nearly trip over his feet and splutter incoherently like that!

"Come on, It'll be fun!" Now she was doing it purely out of mischief, just to see how red she could make his face.

"I'm not like some of the other owners!" Rawsthorne said when he could talk again.

Celestia froze in mid-prance, all traces of mirth instantly gone. "They force themselves on ponies?"

Her owner caught the dangerous gleam in her eye and held up a hand to calm her. "No," he explained, "nothing like that, I don't think. I watched them with their ponies as they were leaving. I think it's consensual."

"But they are slaves. They don't have a choice."

"I know," Rawsthorne acceded. "I meant as consensual as it can be in that situation. Listen, I handled cases like that with kids, back in the day. It didn't look like the ponies are suffering. At worst it's an annoyance."

It placated Celestia somewhat. Besides, the mare remembered and did her best to suppress the blush, she also sometimes fantasized about her owner that way. Maybe, sometimes, it could be consensual, even between a master and a slave? She decided to give the humans the benefit of the doubt. Her new pony friends have seemed cheerful and happy. Surely she would have spotted if any of them were being abused?

"Okay, but that reminds me: You promised me an 'eye pad'. And a Skype. Glitter Dust is probably still waiting for my..." She tried to recall the word, but gave up and used another which came to mind. "Instant something. Spider."

It made the human laugh and pat her head. "Do you want it before your sauna or after?"

Celestia couldn't help fidgeting a little as Rawsthorne was unpacking the 'eye pad'. She liked the pure white box, but a detail caught her attention. "Why is 'eye pad' spelled with just the letter 'i'? And it's not capitalized properly. There's not even a space!"

Rawsthorne paused while pealing the clear plastic from the screen and glanced at her. "This is how they named it. It's a trade mark. Spelling doesn't matter here."

"Oh. Weird." Of course, she didn't mind. It was a shiny new toy. More importantly, it would help her stay in touch with her new friends. That brought to mind Glitter Dust, which in turn reminded her of another detail. She concentrated and her stylus stick floated from the kitchen. Now it was extra important she didn't lose it!

The human turned the thing this way and that. Finally, he found the switch. Both of them watched as the screen flickered to life, showed a blinking red symbol, then died.

"Needs charging," her owner muttered and went to rummage in the box again.

Celestia didn't understand, but Rawsthorne obviously knew what was wrong. She watched him pull out a small, white lump and a length of string. One bit went into the 'iPad', then Rawsthorne stood up, walked to the TV and pushed the lump into the wall.

"Let's leave it to charge until morning," her owner said. It was disappointing, but Celestia didn't argue. She lifted her rump from the couch.
"Breakfast will be on the table at five-thirty. Good night, Gregory."

An iPad was an amazing device! Rawsthorne had been kind enough to finish setting it up for her and the mare was now tapping her stylus on absolutely everything. 'Icons', he had said they were called, and yes - she could try each one. He had scribbled a 'pass word' on a piece of paper, in case she needed it, then left for work, while the pony was engrossed in the colorful little pictures. It was so easy! It gave you instructions on how to do everything right there on the screen. She had used the 'App Store', like Glitter Dust had taught her, and found Skype. She even managed to create a-

"What was it again Glitter called it?"

-account! That was it! Celestia felt a tinge of pride that she had remembered to use 'Supple Branch' as the name. Then it asked her to think up a password for herself, so nopony else could pretend to be her on the Skype. It was brilliant, even if that part had caused her some trouble.

'Luna' apparently wasn't a good password, despite the fact that nopony whatsoever would ever connect the earth mare with the alicorn Princess of the Night! It wasn't a problem. The thing wanted her to use numbers in her password, so Celestia had opted for 'Luna123', which was apparently fine. As an added bonus, now it was even harder to guess. She added Glitter Dust as a friend, using the nonsensical name the pegasus had written on a piece of paper: 'ticklefeather'.

That one had given her a nice chuckle.

It looked like Glitter Dust was not at her Skype right then, because it said it would ask for her approval when she came on the line. While she waited, Celestia went to explore some other icons. She grinned as she thought the word. Soon, she would know as much as Glitter Dust about this new toy! One thing in particular caught her eye: a symbol of a musical note. It said 'iTunes' underneath.

She tapped the stylus on that out of curiosity. It took her some time to figure out what it was. The thing showed her a list of strange names. At first she thought they were books, but it turned out it was music. All of human music, in that one little place. It was amazing! She tried to listen to a few songs and found she liked them. But then the thing asked for a password and wouldn't take 'Luna123' as an answer. It was frustrating, until the alicorn noticed it wanted Rawsthorne's password.

It was right there on paper and she easily typed it in, letters, numbers and punctuation. The 'iTunes' asked her a few more questions she didn't understand, but it was kind enough to offer to remember the password so she wouldn't have to type it in each time. It wanted her to agree with something, but the alicorn was impatient for her music and simply stabbed the word 'agree' with the stylus.

It worked and the music resumed! She was so focused on the work that she almost entirely ignored words like 'purchase' or 'buy'. The mare had no money, so if the thing thought she was buying music, it was just plain wrong! Celestia suppressed a whinny of excitement as she realized that she could choose any music at all. No longer would she suffer the whims of the TV, with its poor, repetitive selection of songs! Now she could truly explore human culture!

It didn't sound as good as the TV. Celestia decided to ask Rawsthorne when he came home - maybe there was something she was missing, but despite that minor annoyance, the mare was happy. The housework passed much more quickly with the musical accompaniment. She explored all that 'iTunes' had to offer.

She liked Jazz, it turned out, and Rock wasn't bad. Pop was a bit juvenile and Classical way too stuffy - it reminded her of the diplomacy and meetings and agreements. She didn't care for Metal; that one was too angry, and Hip-hop didn't suit her at all, despite the amusing name.

The real treasure, however, was the way the device suggested more songs based on her taste. Soon, the house was spotless, dinner was made and ready for the oven an the laundry was dried and folded and put away. Celestia felt pleased with her progress and was having a celebratory ice cream. By that time, she had over eighty different songs in her 'play list'.

Suddenly the iPad made a new noise. She glanced over, but everything looked normal. It did it again as soon as she looked away! The pony floated it over for a closer inspection.

For a moment she could see the words 'ticklefeather' and 'u there?'

Glitter Dust was trying to talk to her through Skype! Celestia panicked and stabbed the stylus at the screen at random. All it did was make Mr. Elton start singing again.

"No, not that!" She stopped it and tried again. Another noise binged at her and a message flashed across the top of the screen: 'Ok, write back when u can. ill b around"

Glitter Dust was giving up! In a flash of inspiration, Celestia pushed the Home button. Then she saw the welcome blue Skype icon. She tapped it quickly.

There it was: words from the pegasus, like magic. "How do I- what do I do now?" The mare poked at the white box which read: 'Type a message here'.

She found the letter-icons! It took a bit of hunting, but the alicorn painstakingly tapped out a message:

"Im here"

A surprisingly short time later, Glitter Dust answered: "great! did ur owner let u use his pc?"

Celestia didn't know what a 'pc' was, so she typed back a little uncertainly: "I have an iPad"

She noticed something and added: "Hey its fixing my capitalization"

It took a bit longer for the reply this time: "heh yeah. thats autocorrect. itll bite u on the ass sooner or later."

Celestia didn't know what to say to that, but luckily Glitter Dust was typing more. It said so right there on the screen. She waited.

"so u got an ipad too... u should ask him to buy u some music on itunes"

The alicorn felt proud of herself. She smiled and giddily tapped out her reply: "I already did it myself he left me the password and I put it in"

"what? he left u his credit card?!"

It made Celestia frown a little. "no just the password it didn't ask for credit or cards"

The conversation was kinda slow, but Celestia didn't mind. It meant she could walk around and do other things and only check on the iPad every now and then to see if there was a reply. It was marvellous! She began washing the dishes and looked back when the iPad made a noise again. It hadn't done so for Glitter Dust's other messages. What had changed?

Well, the pegasus would certainly know. She turned it back on and read the latest message: "guess his card was already in there. listen im playing this clash of clans game and need a few bucks. do u think ur owner would mind if u loaned me his password?"

The words made her forget what she was about to ask. "Bucks?" She needed a bit of time to figure out how to type a question mark.

"bits. money. ill pay u both back when i get my allowance"

That was fine. Celestia was okay with it. She wanted to ask what deer had to do with human money, but decided against typing up something that long. Maybe once she'd had a bit of practice with the stylus.

"Yeah sure what do you need?"

Glitter Dust gave her a list of instructions. It resulted in getting Rawsthorne's 'email address', then his password from the little paper. Then the pegasus thanked her profusely, enough to make Celestia blush.

"Don't mention it its fine"

She didn't wait for more replies, just went straight to the question which had been pestering her: "Tell me about heavy hoofs situation"

There was a long pause, before Glitter Dust typed some more. "no its not right. ull have to ask him urself"

The alicorn sighed. It seemed there was no way to get past it. "Does he have Skype"

"yes but hes not on rigth now. his nick is hotstudd23"

It figured. Celestia found herself rolling her eyes as she jotted it down on paper. She looked over to the dishes, then at the clock. It was getting close to the time her owner would be coming home.

"Listen I gotta go its almost time to make dinner but I'll talk with you more later okay"

The next message surprised her: "okay" It was followed by a yellow symbol and when she peered closely at it, Celestia saw that it was a little smiling face.

"How did you do that"

There came another smiling face, followed by the instructions: "write : ) only without the space"

It didn't make much sense, but a lot of things about this toy were nonsensical to the alicorn. She tried and giggled a little when her symbols turned into a smiley face. She sent a bunch of them to Glitter Dust.

"Anyway gotta go now nice talking to you" she wrote. Then, after a brief thought: "Oh you can give me the Skype for others later okay"

Her friend finished up with: "okay. bye"

Celestia wondered if there was something she should do - some button she should press, but she had said her goodbyes. She just hit 'Home' and opened up music again, so she had something to listen to while she finished cooking. After a short while, the mare started singing in tune with the music. It was quickly becoming her favourite song and she almost knew it by heart already.

Chapter 14

"Celestia! I need to get a few things from the hardware shop, do you want to come?" Rawsthorne had paused in the hallway and poked his head into the kitchen, where the pony was washing their breakfast dishes and enjoying some relaxing music.

She smoothly turned the volume down. "Hardware shop - that's Maggie's store, right?"

"Yes. She promised to change the blade on the lawn mower, so we can get started on the grass."

The thought of visiting with her new Skype friend was very appealing. True, Celestia had added all members of the pony meet group, but they were very rarely on. Glitter Dust was the most active one, with Celestia a close second. It helped that she had what was essentially her own iPad. The other ponies had to borrow their owners' computers. Except for Silent Brook - neither he nor his human had a use for such a thing.

Luckily, the stallion lived near the store where Glitter Dust helped her owner, so he kept in touch through the pegasus.

Something Rawsthorne had said made Celestia think. "By 'we can get started on the grass', you really mean 'I can get started on the grass'?"

The human grinned at her. "Smart girl!" he complimented. In truth, the mare recalled, her owner had asked her opinion on gardening and she said yes. Also, she was quite interested in this 'lawn mower'. Perhaps it could be useful for the gardeners at the Canterlot Castle.

"Sure, I'd like to come with!"

"Alright, come on, then!" Rawsthorne said and walked to the garage. Celestia put the mug she was wiping down on the table, turned off her iPad and hurried after. Both the chore and the music would wait for her. Soon they were on the road, the car's engine humming away. The sun was still up, but the alicorn saw some thick, black clouds rolling in over the city. It made her sigh miserably.

"What's wrong?" her owner asked with a touch of concern. It was heartwarming, really.

"The weather. I was hoping we could go for a walk tomorrow - a proper one - but it looks like it will rain."

Rawsthorne followed her gaze. "Shame. Maybe next week?"

Celestia opened her mouth to ask when winter was scheduled, but remembered in time that humans didn't control their seasons like ponies. "It might snow by then." She had poked her snout out through the door when her owner left the previous day. It had been downright chilly. Definitely smelling of winter.

The mare had her ears down - a sure sign of misery which the human was learning to recognize. A new thought brightened her up. Yes, a walk would be out of the question if it started to snow, but there were other fun activities. How many years had she spent the first day of snow cooped up in her room staring out the window, or watching from the balcony? Looking at her ponies, frolicking and laughing?

Each year she had been envious of their innocent fun. If she went out, it quickly turned into a media event. A political function, when all she had really wanted was a good snowball fight.

"Not that snow is bad. I'd just like to climb that hill before winter. And no, flying there isn't the same!"

The human blinked and woke up from whatever reverie had claimed him. "I'll check the weather forecast. Maybe next week will be your day."

"My day?"

"Let me guess. I'm coming with?" Rawsthorne asked.

Celestia gave him as innocent a look as she could. "Well, there are leash laws," she reminded him.

She laughed a little, then raised another point. "This lawn mower machine..."

Rawsthorne glanced at her, then at his rear mirror. The handle was just visible. They'd had to somehow fold the thing up in order to fit it into the car.

"Yes?" her owner asked.

"Does it always stink like that?"

Rawsthorne audibly sniffed. "Well, that's the gas. Is it bothering you? You should have said." He fiddled with the buttons in the car and fresh air began blowing more strongly in her face.

"Gas? What kind of gas? I've never smelled anything like it. It's not really bad, just... potent."

"Gasoline," the human explained. "It's a liquid fuel. Like..." he stopped for a moment and looked absentmindedly at the pony. "Do you have oil lamps. Back home?"

"Yes."

"It's like that," he continued. "A very flammable liquid. It's also used for cars."

The pony was impressed, despite herself. Running machines on liquid. She knew oil burned and so it could conceivably be used to drive steam machines. But this was something else entirely. It was quite an amazing concept. It also prodded at another memory.

"Wait- does the- uh, the central heating also run on gas?"

Rawsthorne looked impressed. "Nice catch! Similar liquid, yes. But not gasoline exactly."

The Princess felt a little smug. Until her owner asked: "What did you think 'gas' meant?"

She looked away, but it was too late. The traitorous blush had been instant.

"Come on, out with it! I promise I won't laugh."

She let out a breath and admitted her original thought. "Steam. I thought it ran on steam, okay?"

True to his word, Rawsthorne didn't laugh, but he wanted to. She could tell. In some ways, it was worse!

"Well, in my world we might not have fancy machines, but we can move the sun and the moon around, and control the weather!"

Before she knew it, her tongue was poking out defiantly at the human and he reached out and prodded it back in. At first all she could think about was how pleasantly salty his finger was. Then they both blushed deeply. Celestia saw this, because she had been watching the man from the corner of her eye.

"Soo," Rawsthorne said after an uncomfortable silence. "Will you change before we get there?"

Celestia was only too glad of the new topic. "Yes, of course. Glitter Dust said she helps out in the shop, and I also don't want Maggie to know I'm an alicorn."

Rawsthorne still seemed uneasy about the duplicity. "Is it really such a big deal?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes! I know how it sounds, but please trust me, Gregory. This is for the best."

He sighed and let it go. "Fine, fine," he agreed, but it didn't seem easy for him. She'd have to find a better explanation, and soon! For now, Celestia cast the spell and became Supple Branch again.

The store itself reminded the alicorn of the garden center. Except instead of green, growing things, the shelves held a multitude of machines, tools and what the mare guessed were parts. She did her best to help Rawsthorne unload his contraption, but without her magic and unused as she was to manual labor, the human was pretty much on his own.

Luckily the thing had wheels and wasn't too hard to push into the store. She did that while her owner locked the car. Once inside, she tried to find either Maggie or Glitter Dust. It wasn't difficult - the pegasus spotted them and came over.

Celestia nearly burst out laughing when she saw her getup. Blue overalls, hastily and crudely adapted for a pony. She spotted a name tag and couldn't hold back a small chuckle as she imagined what Rarity's reaction would be.

The pegasus took it well. She grinned back and pointed out: "Some of us have to work for a living, you know?"

Her friend turned a little to show off the clothes. There were a few dark stains, Celestia noted.

"Beats getting oil in fur and feathers," Glitter Dust explained when she caught the alicorn's stare.

The two embraced, carefully so that the Princess wouldn't get the aforementioned stains in her coat, then the pegasus smiled up at Rawsthorne.

"Maggie said you were coming. She's with a customer and it will probably take a while. I'll change your blade for you!" She cast a critical eye over the red lawn mower. "What is that, Honda something, right? Twin blades, electric start..." the pony mused, mainly to herself. "Nice machine. Must've cost a bundle."

Rawsthorne shrugged, like he did every time anyone mentioned money. "I got it on my gardener's recommendation. I'm guessing he didn't clean it properly or something, one of the blades is rusted and I don't want to risk it snapping off."

Celestia was staring at her friend with both pride and admiration. It was a familiar sensation whenever she thought about her more distinguished and accomplished subjects, but she still cherished it every time. "Where did you learn all that?!" she asked.

Glitter Dust just shrugged it off. "You know how it is. You help your human in the shop, pick up a few things. Anyway, we have the blades - Maggie checked when you called. I'll see if I know how to change them. Come this way!" She led them to a door which clearly said: 'Employees only'. Both Celestia and Rawsthorne stopped simultaneously and looked at each other uneasily.

Glitter Dust noticed she was alone and turned. "Come on, Maggie said it's okay!"

They followed and Celestia was willing to bet her owner had the same nagging feeling that they ought not to. She certainly had it. It was a workshop. Disorganized, dirty, greasy and full of tools and machine parts. Very few of them Celestia could guess the function of. The pegasus, however, seemed quite at home.

"Up here," Glitter Dust said and deftly helped Rawsthorne lift his contraption to an empty table. It was human-height, which would have been too high for a pony, but the pegasus pushed over a wheeled chair and hopped on. "Okay, let's see here," she murmured and brought her hooves together in anticipation.

"You are sure you can do this?" Rawsthorne asked a little uncertainly.

The mare grinned confidently. "Oh sure, I've taken apart a few of these. Not this exact model, but... a few."

"And how many have you put back together?" It was Maggie's voice from the door and it made Glitter Dust jump in surprise. The poor mare didn't know how to answer, so her mouth just opened and shut a few times, comically.

It made Celestia laugh, even though she didn't want to hurt Glitter Dust's feelings. The pegasus was blushing quite heavily while the woman came forward to shake Rawsthorne's hand and pet Celestia.

"How are you two?" the woman asked. She was looking at the man, so the alicorn let him answer first.

"Nothing to complain. You work Saturdays?"

Maggie shrugged. "On and off. We take turns. I thought I'd let Glitter take a shift or two alone every now and then, but she has a tendency to dismantle everything the customers bring in for repair. And then I have to fix it."

The alicorn saw the pegasus poke her tongue out. She caught her eye and grinned.

"Come on, Maggie! How many times has that really happened?!" the mare demanded.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the lady had a good memory. She began counting on her fingers. "Let's see, there was that gentleman with his chainsaw. Then that other guy with his weed whacker. There was that vacuum cleaner - brand new, might I add," Maggie listed. With each item, Glitter Dust's face fell a little more. "Oh, and just last week? Remember that woman who brought in that toy car with her son? He had to walk home, didn't he? It took me the whole night to put it back together!"

The pegasus sighed. "Okay, you've made your point. I'm sorry. I just wanna see how stuff works!"

There was no real anger there. The woman reached over and patted her pony on her head. "That's why I let you watch, okay?"

Celestia and Rawsthorne watched the two. It looked like a very intimate, pleasant moment. Then the lady remembered herself and made a demand: "Now apologize to Mr. Rawsthorne for nearly breaking his lawn mower!"

Glitter Dust faced them with a very sorry expression. Celestia made a mental note to ask her later how to do that! Even her lip trembled in misery.

"Sorry, Mr. Rawsthorne!" she almost sobbed!

The alicorn nearly applauded the act. She couldn't believe how the humans didn't guess!

"This will be thirty minutes. Why don't you two go and get a pie from the shop across the street?" the lady suggested.

Celestia felt her eyes go large and pleading as she wordlessly and imploringly looked at her owner. The pegasus might have cornered the market of 'sad pony', but no one could do 'begging, starving mare' like the Princess with her eye on the pastry!

Of course he couldn't resist. "Okay, sounds fine. Be back soon!"

The alicorn looked back to her friend just before the door closed. Glitter Dust didn't seem to be in trouble. The mare had a slightly guilty grin on her muzzle, but the woman was already reaching over to ruffle her mane. This pony, at least, wasn't being molested, the alicorn decided.

By the time they made it back, Celestia industriously licking crumbs from one leg and awkwardly hopping on the other three, Rawsthorne's machine was ready. Glitter Dust was polishing it with a rag out in the shop and smiled at them as they entered.

"All done! Piece of cake!" the pegasus exclaimed. "I could've done it, easy!"

Rawsthorne looked around for the woman, but Glitter Dust explained without him having to ask: "Maggie is in the back. Smoke break. Here's the bill for parts. She says no charge for changing it." She waved a hoof for emphasis, but Rawsthorne wouldn't hear of it. He pulled some bills from his wallet and put them down on the counter. "Then tell her to consider it a tip. Thanks!"

He was about to grab the repaired lawn mower and leave, but Glitter Dust began pushing it. "I'll help you get it loaded," she offered helpfully. It also gave her a few more minutes to talk with Celestia.

"So, a couple of us are gonna have a video chat tonight, you in?"

The alicorn didn't quite understand. "What's that?"

"It's a thing on Skype where you can see each other's faces and talk with words - out loud. It's not quite like meeting in person, but better than text. Faster, too. What do you say?"

Celestia had a sudden, small fright. She hadn't changed into Silent Brook while she chatted on the iPad! Could they see her?! Nopony had remarked upon it.

"You can see me over Skype?!"

Luckily, Glitter Dust mistook it for enthusiasm. "Well, not just like that," she explained to Celestia's immense relief. "You gotta turn it on, first. I'll tell you how before we start."

Celestia had to work hard to keep her face neutral and not sigh in relief. "Okay. Thanks. Why today?"

Glitter Dust didn't answer immediately, because she was helping Rawsthorne load the lawn mower into the back of his car. When she was done, she wiped her hooves on her overalls. "Some of the others won't be able to make it on Wednesday, so we're doing this instead," she explained.

It made sense and the alicorn found herself looking forward to it. Good thing Glitter Dust had given her a warning, even if it was inadvertently.

She promised she would attend, hugged her pegasus friend goodbye, and stepped around the car to get in the passenger seat. Rawsthorne said something to Glitter dust, but the Princess didn't catch it from inside. She just heard the muffled reply: "Oh! Wow! Thanks!"

The human got in behind the wheel and started his car.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I just gave Glitter Dust a small tip for helping me load the mower."

Celestia smiled at him. She found she liked it when Rawsthorne was nice to her friends. "That was sweet of you, but didn't you already leave a tip inside? For Maggie's work?"

"Well, yes, but this was just for Glitter Dust. She's nice," Rawsthorne explained. Celestia found herself nodding in agreement. Then the smell of gas caught her nose again. She glanced back at the machine. "So, now it will work? You'll show me how to use it?"

He nodded, but didn't look away from the road. "Yep. When we get home. You mow and I'll make us sandwiches, deal?"

"No lunch?!" Her plaintive tone finally made him look over, and her lowered ears made him both 'aww' and chuckle, one after the other. "We just had pie, remember?"

"That didn't count!"

"Sorry."

Celestia realized her owner was teasing her. And, by the look of it, he was having a lot of fun! She poked her tongue out and decided to pout the rest of the way home. If he was serious about skipping lunch, she would make him such a dinner! The mare began to plot.

Chapter 15

The video chat was... interesting, Celestia decided. On the one hoof, it was great to be able to see her friends and speak with them, but on the other, their voices sounded tinny and flat. She also missed smelling them and seeing their body language. Glitter Dust was right - this could in no way replace meetings in person, but it was a good alternative when compared to text only.

"Is it supposed to be that loud?" The alicorn still couldn't quite wrap her head around the lawn mower from earlier that day. It caused her pegasus friend no end of amusement.

"Yes! It's loud and it rattles your teeth or your hooves - however you grab the handle, and it stinks... but it works!" Glitter Dust repeated, yet again. The others also laughed at her consternation.

"It's just- I wasn't expecting it!" She thought the pegasus had a smirk on her muzzle, but it was hard to tell from the small square. Celestia, in her Supple Branch guise, leaned closer for a better look.

Yes, that was undoubtedly a smirk! But before she could point it out, the pegasus spoke and her picture expanded to fill the screen. Even after an hour of it, the effect was still startling and unsettling for the alicorn. "Did you run to your human's bed again?" Glitter Dust asked, eliciting yet another bout of laughter.

"What?! What do you mean 'again'?!"

Six very attentive pony faces turned on 'Supple Branch' expectantly. Silent Brook wasn't there, because he didn't have a computer, and the earth couple shared theirs, so there were only five pictures beside hers.

"Rawsthorne told Maggie and she told me. Listen to this guys:" Glitter Dust began.

Celestia tried one of her best glares, but it had no effect.

"She didn't know what the central heating was when she came into his place, so Supple was scared of it! She thought it was a monster or something. And one time she thought it was chasing her and hid in her Master's bed! With him in it!"

There was a lot of laughter, further spurred on by her blush. Celestia didn't really mind, but she could have done without the embarrassment. She still stuck her tongue out at all of them.

"That's hilarious!" Rock Lichen exclaimed and hugged his marefriend as they both laughed. Even Belle Hop, whom the alicorn hadn't met in person yet, piped up: "Really? You were scared by the central heating?"

Celestia heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yes, alright?! I didn't know what it was or what it did. It kept making noise, there was a fire inside of it - what was I supposed to think? You saw some of the stuff we have in Equestria!"

There was another round of laughter, but the Princess knew they didn't mean anything bad by it. Just amusement. It still stung!

"Enough about that, okay? You've had your fun with the new girl, now drop it, please!"

Luckily, Glitter Dust was easily distracted and moved on with another question: "The mower worked, though? The blades are good? Maggie said to ask you if everything is okay."

"Yes. But I'd rather have grazed, however long it would take." If she didn't feel like going back to being a Princess, Celestia could obviously make her living as a comedian. They all kept laughing at most things she said.

Enough was enough, though. Heavy Hoof chided the others for a change. "Okay, that's enough guys. Give the pony a break. Anyway, why can't you two make it on Wednesday?"

Celestia realized that Rock Lichen and Lake Frond hadn't really explained. But now they smiled hugely. "Road trip!" they squealed in delight together. Then the mare went on: "Owners going across the country for a wedding. Some cousin or something. And they're taking the car. It's a twenty-hour drive!"

Despite herself, the Princess was envious. That did sound like fun! Luckily, Glitter Dust had the perfect answer: "Make a lot of pictures, okay?"

Lake Frond nodded, but a little uncertainly. "Will try. We don't all get phones and iPads and so on, like some of you."

The alicorn and the pegasus both decided to ignore this. There was a silence and Celestia looked at the faintly smiling faces. She recalled that the unicorn hadn't said much. "So, Glowbug. Still cut off from magic?"

It wasn't really tactful, but she could afford being a little brash as Supple Branch. Besides, the mare shook her head happily. "No! She let me off early! Good behavior!"

"Great! Don't buck it up, okay?" That was Heavy Hoof and all he got in return was a small pout and silence.

There wasn't that much left to say, so Celestia took it up: "Well, this has been a lot of fun, but I still prefer meeting in person. I'll try and get Gregory to take me next Wednesday. That one is still on?"

Her other friends waited for the couple to speak up. "Yeah, we should be back by then. Wedding's on Thursday, then a day or so for the party and we should be back by Monday. Let's hope that Andrew and Mary aren't both too tired to take us."

"Good. I'll tell Brook on Monday. He usually comes by the store to say hello," Glitter Dust promised.

The other pegasus, Belle Hop also piped up: "And I'll be there too! Looks like the whole gang this time!"

Celestia knew she would promise Rawsthorne anything to take her. It sounded like all of them meeting was a rare occurrence and she wanted to be a part of it.

The others slowly made their goodbyes, until only she, Glitter Dust and Heavy Hoof were left. The alicorn glanced at a small clock on the top of the screen. Past ten. Not too late, but Rawsthorne's weather forecast promised a sunny morning and she had convinced her owner to take a walk before lunch. However, there was one more thing she wanted before bed.

"Heavy Hoof - I keep hearing about your 'unique' living situation, but nopony wants to tell me anything. What is it?"

He looked down. It was an instant change from the usually suave and open stallion. For an moment, Celestia thought she saw panic in his eyes.

"Uh. That's - I really don't wanna talk about it, Supple. Please."

It was even making the pegasus uncomfortable, but the alicorn didn't give up.

"Okay, then you tell me, Glitter Dust. Please! It can't be that bad, can it? Are they beating you or something?"

Both ponies quickly shook their heads. "No, nothing like that!" the stallion quickly said. "It's just... complicated, okay? It's a tough world out here. Not like Equestria, you'll see."

That still wasn't an answer and the mare nearly growled. "If you don't spill it right now, I'll... I'll..."

She didn't have a very good threat. 'I won't sleep with you' made her look like she was using sex as an interrogation tactic, while 'I'll be sad' lacked a certain something. Maybe 'I'll keep asking'? Well, that was a given.

"Jeez, calm down!" Heavy Hoof said. "Don't work yourself up so much, girl. Tell you what, gimme some private time on Wednesday - just you and me - and I'll tell you."

Now he was using his secret to buy sex from her! Celestia glared and humphed angrily. "No deal! How about this: I'm gonna find out sooner or later. So you can either tell me and explain, or I'll get it from somepony else and maybe get the wrong idea."

The pegasus hadn't said a single thing, but now jumped in: "Well, It's getting kinda late, I should go." She didn't even wait for their acknowledgement before her little square vanished. The alicorn almost didn't notice and neither did the stallion, by the look of it.

He deflated and looked down. It felt like a victory and Celestia allowed herself a pang of pride. Sometimes a gentle hoof was needed, but other times a firm touch worked better.

"Okay, fine! Just promise... you won't look at me differently!" the stallion demanded.

The request quickly raised both her guard and her ears. It sounded bad and the alicorn began to worry what was being done to her poor subject. "I promise."

He still waited for a bit, but she gave him time. Heavy Hoof needed a lot of preparation before he blurted out: "I'm a sex toy, okay?! There. That's the big secret!"

Her heart sank and her stomach constricted. This was one of the things she had worried about whenever she thought about her ponies in human hands. It didn't seem Heavy Hoof was being tortured, but this was maybe just as bad.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head and held up a hoof. "It's fine! It's not what you think! It's not exactly... bad."

She waited, but there didn't seem to be more forthcoming. "Go on?"

The stallion heaved another sigh. "All that happens is that Master and his wife- well sometimes they like me watching. So I have to stand there in their room and watch them... do it."

It really wasn't what she had imagined, but the very idea seemed strange and revolting to the mare. "What?! Why? That's sick!"

He shook his head again. "No, it's not. It's a kink. I kinda get it, I think. Doesn't make it fun, but I understand. It's not a big deal."

She had to make absolutely sure. "They don't... touch you? Make you do anything?

"No! I just watch. My first owner was a sicko, but then the humans passed a law and they put him in jail and took me away."

Before she knew it, Celestia had her hooves up before her mouth in horror. "Did he beat you? O-or something else?"

The pony sighed sadly. "Something else. He... 'rented me'."

It was almost too much to bear. The alicorn had to fight back an urge to fly to her mistreated pony and gather him up in her hooves and take him home. Not only was it impossible, it would also probably get them both killed.

"R-rented?"

"Do you really want me to spell it out?" Heavy Hoof asked, but his voice was defeated. He was looking at the floor with his ears flat down and - despite the bad image - Celestia could see a tear drop.

Her heart went out to him. "I'm so sorry, Heavy Hoof. I shouldn't have pushed you. I wish I was there so I could give you a hug!"

That made him look up and twitch his lips up for a moment. "Thanks. You're sweet. I just try to forget it. And let me tell you, I'm real glad of that law."

So was Celestia. It was one of the first she had forced the humans to enact. She thought about bringing it up, letting the stallion know he had his Princess to thank for that, but then she decided there would be time for that later.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Is that why you- um. You know. Come on so strongly to every mare?"

She watched his ears rise up as he looked at her in surprise. "Dunno. Maybe? What I know is that Master and Mistress have been married ten years, but they still do it every night."

He drew a shuddering breath and looked away. He also blushed, but it was hard to see with his color. "They want me there to watch most nights and then, usually, Mistress tells me to get in bed with them... when they're done."

It wasn't something Celestia enjoyed hearing, but it looked like it was helping Heavy Hoof feel better as he explained. So she listened in silence.

"She likes to cuddle with me when she sleeps, but the smell! Looking at them. And sometimes she touches me in the night." The stallion blinked his eyes and shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the memory. "Most nights I have to go in the bathroom and... you can imagine. Get it over with."

His hooves went up to his head and the pony looked at her in desperation. "Just- I can't stop thinking about it! Maybe that's why I just... attack every mare I see? I dunno, I'm not a psychiatrist!" The story left him trembling and nervous. "Are you disgusted? I'll understand, but now you see why I don't talk about it? It kinda kills my chances."

Maybe it was pity, or perhaps something she saw in him. The alicorn was impressed. All that, and the stallion was still quite nice and cheerful. His obsession with mares could be explained and he never became too pushy or violent, at least from the little she had seen in his interaction with the others. A very strong spirit, she decided. A pony who was determined to leave the bad aside and focus on the good.

"No, I'm not. I understand and I'm sorry. And no, it doesn't kill your chances."

Before his grin could split his head in half, Celestia held up a hoof. "That's not a yes! Heavy Hoof, I'm not saying yes, understand? I'm just saying it's not... off the table."

His grin made her all hot and bothered again and she sought to change the topic. "My owner's a lawyer. I'm sure what your two are doing to you isn't right. Want me to tell him? See if we can do something about it?"

She had all but decided to use Rawsthorne's lawyer powers to save the stallion, but he looked panicked and quickly shook his head.

"No! NO! Please! Nothing like that! Please!" he babbled. It made the alicorn stare.

"But they're... doing all that stuff to you!"

"I don't mind! They saved my life, okay? I was ready to kill myself after that bastard who whored me out to men, but they took me in and helped me through it."

He smiled a little, even as more tears ran down his muzzle. "When I said 'they make me watch', it's not... that bad. I'm sure they'd be okay with it if I said no, just really disappointed. They really really like it, you know? And maybe it's a way I repay them their kindness."

Again, Celestia waited for the stallion to talk it out.

"It's humiliating and it leaves me... needy, but it's better than some. Other than that, they're really nice. They don't make me do chores and I get my own computer, and I can go out whenever I want." He barked a laugh at that last: "Heh! If I really wanted, I could've escaped ages ago. So please, no lawyer. Don't try and save me. I'm fine."

That grin was back. It made the alicorn feel a little better about the situation. It was still, in her opinion, all kinds of messed up, but presumably their other friends knew. Maybe even some of the owners.

The group didn't bring it up. It all seemed to somehow work. She wondered how many other stories like this they were all hiding. Obviously her impression that all was well couldn't be trusted here.

"If you really wanna help, though," Heavy Hoof went on with a small wink, "maybe a kiss from a beautiful mare would make me feel better!"

Even she laughed a little. "Maybe. We'll see."

They looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"Heavy Hoof?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for telling me. I'm sorry to have pushed you, but I'm also glad I did."

"Yeah. At least now it's done. No more secrecy, right? At least we can trust each other, even if some humans are a little... weird."

She remembered her own lie she was telling these ponies and felt a pang of guilt, but the alicorn schooled her expression into a faint smile. "Yeah... No more secrecy. Good night, Heavy Hoof."

"Night night, beautiful!"

She didn't break off their Skype call and let the stallion do it instead. The little light went out, telling her nopony was looking through the camera anymore. With a sigh, Celestia changed back into her real form. Her head hit the bed. Why did it all have to be so confusing? At first glance, Heavy Hoof was being horribly abused. Silent Brook too. Yet they were fiercely protective of their owners, even going as far as to defend the atrocities.

It didn't make much sense, but it was clear to her that the situation was a complex one. She would need a lot more time among humans before she could understand. For now, she magicked over her sweet roll - leftover from the fantastic dinner she had cooked for Rawsthorne. She munched it thoughtfully and paused when she heard the rain start outside.

It was just as her owner had predicted. It would rain through the night and then morning would be sunny. The afternoon was a bit more uncertain, he said, but it looked like more rain. For now, the weather fit her mood. She washed down her pastry with orange juice, then got up from her bed and went to the bathroom.

She brushed her teeth methodically, not really thinking about it. Her mind was on the two stallions. On their meeting, next Wednesday, she would indeed try to get each of them alone and talk a little. Carefully, of course. Silent Brook was easily annoyed by her questioning. He would need special care.

Then she would decide how to proceed.

It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something. The mare tucked herself into the bed and gratefully wrapped the blanket as tightly around herself as she could. A pair of strong, warm, human arms around her wouldn't be amiss, a stray thought brought up. Not just arms, though and not just 'around'.

No doubt if Rawsthorne did what she had just thought about, some would call it 'molestation'. Was she a hypocrite? Judging others while secretly wishing it for herself? She didn't feel like a hypocrite.

At least the blush did a nice job of keeping her warm.

Chapter 16

Rawsthorne's weather forecast was correct. Celestia woke up, looked out the window and smiled. The sky was clear and the rain had stopped. There were more clouds encroaching on the hillside, but for the moment it seemed as if they might even get some sunlight. The pony felt a little happier about the day, but she still scrunched up her muzzle into a frown and sighed. A clear morning was nice, but she'd have preferred the afternoon too.

"Where's a weather pegasus or two when you need them?"

Rain or shine, it was still the time to make breakfast. The human no longer needed convincing each morning, though he still didn't appreciate her skill with sweets. Not fully. A murmured 'thank you' or 'it's good' didn't really count! The mare let her imagination run wild for a bit as she made her sleepy way downstairs. Perhaps she needed to go simpler? The mare cast a critical eye over her supplies in the pantry. A bag of apples caught her eye.

Yes! How come she hadn't thought of it sooner? It could be a meal in itself! Luckily she had discreetly questioned one of Twilight Sparkle's friends and got her to tell her a very secret apple pie recipe. It would take an hour, but she had time. Even if Rawsthorne got up, he would probably end up on the couch to watch one of his shows. News, most likely.

The pony looked around, frowned, then concentrated. Her iPad floated down from her room and landed on the kitchen table. She quickly scanned the playlist. Funny name, but it popped out immediately. 'I gotta feeling'. Incorrectly spelled, but the music was upbeat and happy. She couldn't keep her hind hoof from tapping in time with the strumming. And when the drum started, it made her rump start swinging in tune. Moments later the pony was singing along as she began to work.

"Someone is in a good mood," her owner commented from the doorway. It was enough to throw her off and nearly cause her to drop the cinnamon shaker. The mare quickly turned down the current song with the incomprehensible title - 'Californication', what did that even mean?

"Well, yes. I'm making pie for breakfast. Would you like a glass of juice while you wait?"

Rawsthorne didn't answer because he went to the fridge and got it himself. He was lifting it up to his mouth, but Celestia tsk-ed and pulled the carton away with her magic. Instead, she filled a glass and floated it over.

"Don't be gross."

The human blinked at her. "Didn't I see you the other day with the almond milk?"

She knew her face flashed a guilty red, but the pony managed to hold on to her glare. "That's different."

Rawsthorne matched her look for look. "Explain how."

The alicorn thought quickly on her hooves. "It's different because you don't drink almond milk, so the entire carton was mine. Whereas we *do* share orange juice."

His poker face was amazing, Celestia had to give him that. And the man knew how to poke holes in her arguments: "Maybe I would like almond milk, but never really realized it was a thing. I didn't know it existed until you bought it."

It was yet another small marvel of the human world, and it made the mare smile. "Neither did I. Would you like some?"

He lifted up his glass. "I'm fine. So, what's the plan today?"

This was firmer ground. "Apple pie. Then we go for a walk. Probably not to the top, but *somewhere*. I'll pack us a meal-"

He opened his mouth and Celestia knew exactly what the man was going to say. She corrected him preemptively: "-no! Not lunch. A *meal*. I'll make lunch a little later today."

He just spread his free arm and let it fall. With the other he brought the glass to his face and drained it. "Okay, I'll be in the living room."

She gave him a big smile and picked up the empty glass right from his hand at the same time as she slid the pie into the oven. "Breakfast will be ready in forty-five minutes."

He thanked her and left. The pony was a tiny bit annoyed that he made her miss a good song, but she didn't rewind it. A better one had started playing and she immediately swung her hips to the tune again.

A moment later her voice followed. "... to the sea to the sky, and I do believe that we rely on!"

It was so easy to get lost in the fast song that the mare didn't notice Rawsthorne, who had stopped just outside and peeked back. He was smiling a little at her exuberance.

The morning air was crisp and clear. The trees, mostly barren, were shrouded in wispy, gentle fog. The sun was barely above the horizon and was still melting through the low mist. As she took it all in, Celestia was elated. Thousands of seasons and she still found beauty everywhere. Maybe it was an alicorn thing. There was a chill in the air and some frost on the grass. She had made Rawsthorne dress up warmly before allowing him to put a collar on her neck.

Now he turned the same admonition back on her: "That's all you're going to wear?" The mare had a long, red scarf - the only clothing item she had bought, despite the human urging her to get some winter gear.

"It's all I need."

He didn't buy it. "It covers your neck, yeah. But what about all the rest?" he pointed out and patted her on the rump to drive it home.

It wasn't a hard hit, but the mare reflexively danced away from his hand. "Hey! It's enough, and I'll tell you why: One, I have feathers to keep me warm-"

The alicorn spread her wings a little to show him, in case Rawsthorne hadn't noticed her wings by now. "Two, I have fur. And three, I enchanted it."

Unfortunately, she couldn't demonstrate the last two points, so she didn't try. But it got the human interested. "Enchanted? How?"

"Simple warmth spell. It will keep *all* of me warm, even if it only covers my neck. It's really rather elementary magic. Most unicorns pick it up before they're twelve."

Rawsthorne stepped closer and took the fabric in his hand. He examined it minutely, but of course he saw nothing. It wasn't a flashy spell.

"Looks normal to me. Feels normal, too."

His ignorance made her chuckle a bit. "You have to wear it, silly. Of course it won't do anything for you if you just touch it. Obviously."

It was a little mean, but the mare wanted some revenge from all his gentle jokes at her account whenever she encountered a new human gadget.

"Oh. Well, obviously," he agreed, uncertainly.

Celestia was feeling charitable, so she didn't compound on his ignorance. She made a few steps. "Come on, let's go, let's go! I want to go down that side path, remember? We saw it last week and you said it's windy and dangerous in the dark."

The man shrugged a little to himself and followed.

***

The ground was really soggy and before long the mare was muddy up to her ankles. She didn't mind in the slightest. She was hardly even looking where she stepped. The pony just let her nose lead the way. There were so many new and curious smells! She had found several types of mushrooms, but since neither she nor Rawsthorne knew which were edible, they had left them alone. They also passed a few cedar trees where deer had begun eating the bark. Despite her owner's grimace, Celestia also had a taste.

It wasn't bad, just a little gritty. She laughed at Rawsthorne's expression and quickly went to nibble the tips on a nearby bush, just to spite him a bit more. It ended with her laughing and the human shaking his head in dismay.

Shortly after, the mare made an amazing discovery! She stopped and held out a wing to prevent her owner stepping on it by accident.

"Look!"

He blinked and stared down the path. "I don't see anything."

"On the ground."

The man inspected the sight again, but had to concede defeat. "Still nothing, sorry."

She didn't explain further. There was a puddle in the middle of the path and it had frosted over! The sheet of ice was very thin, very hard to see, but Celestia had been looking for something like that.

"Wheeeee!" She galloped forward, took a mighty leap, and landed with all four hooves punching holes through the ice. There was a most satisfying crunch and a splash. The mare also sunk nearly to her knees.

The icy water quickly overpowered what little her enchanted scarf did for her legs and the mare gasped in shock. "Eeep! It's *freezing*!"

Despite the cold she laughed and stomped some more, until no piece of ice was larger than Rawsthorne's thumb. Only then did the mare step out, shivering and shaking a few droplets of water from her coat.

It had splashed. The human had wisely kept well out of the way.

"You can't imagine how long I've wanted to to this."

Her mirth was infectious and her owner also began laughing. "Goofy horse," he jabbed.

"Well, it's true! I haven't done anything like this since... well, since I was a little filly!"

Rawsthorne caught up to her and laid a hand on her whithers. "Okay, if it's that fun, then be my guest! Stomp any puddle we come across."

As if he had a say! "I will."

"Fine, go ahead."

"I will."

They were both grinning, even as they matched stares. Of course the human gave up first. Her will was iron.

"You're cute when you're happy. Just make sure you don't catch a cold or something, okay?"

As if an alicorn could catch a cold! Celestia poked her tongue out, but the human had been waiting for that exactly. His hand shot out and firmly grabbed her ear. Her eyes bulged out in shock and the mare froze. She could have twisted away easily, but surprise kept her still. She wanted to see where the human was going with this.

"I'm letting these childish things slide, because, frankly, they're adorable. I'm just asking you not to do it in public, okay?"

The mare nodded slightly, as much as she could. She was set free. It was a reasonable request, but he didn't have to grab her like that! Like she was some kind of a child! It called for revenge. She stomped her hind hoof, hard. Water splashed up between them.

Most of it ended in her coat, but Rawsthorne got a few droplets on his face and collar, just like he deserved.

"Ooops!"

He glared for a moment and the pony feared she might have taken it too far. She flinched when her owner brought his leg up, then tried to shield herself with a wing as he also stomped.

It splashed them both, again. She gave the human a small grin, but he held up his hand preemptively. "Okay, enough fun, Celestia. I don't mind these... eccentricities of yours, really. We just have to maintain a somewhat professional appearance in public, okay?"

She nodded. It really wasn't that much to ask. In fact, she had expected a lot more discipline than that. "Of course. I promise, Gregory."

They continued their walk, but the mare kept an eye out for any appropriate puddles, preferably with an ice sheet. "But I'm taking a bath when we get home."

He human thought it over. "Fine. A short one."

"You should take one, too."

He didn't seem convinced. It was a mystery how he didn't find hot water pleasurable! "Maybe," the man said noncommittally.

"I know how we could save some water." She was watching carefully and yes - there was the blush. The chill in the air made it very hard to spot, but she was looking out for it.

So the human *was* thinking about her... 'more intimately'. At least whenever she brought it up. She would need to consider it carefully. Celestia didn't want to ruin the relaxed dynamic they were developing. Not to mention that if she did anything with Heavy Hoof, it would further complicate matters. Maybe she didn't want to pursue a more involved relationship with either of them because she was undecided? The train of thought wasn't a good one, it was making her blush! Rawsthorne was bound to notice and ask why!

She sought for a safe, easy topic. "So, what's with those horn rings? The one they gave Glowbug looks *so* ugly. Is that really the best humans can do?"

If the change was sudden or unexpected, Rawsthorne didn't show it. He shrugged and thought about it for a moment. "I'm not an expert, but the ones I've looked at in the catalog are nice and round. I don't think I've even seen one that misshapen. Remind me to ask Mrs. Turner next time."

Celestia hadn't known the owner's name. "Turner. Okay, I'll remember." She was about to ask what the woman was like, but spotted a telltale reflection up ahead. She forgot her question and their conversation as she galloped and leapt again.

***

By the time Celestia and Rawsthorne got back to his house, the mare was almost completely soaked. Her scarf, magic or not, was not up to the task and she was shivering with cold. The human saw it, but didn't bring it up, much to her relief. Even the playful alicorn was starting to feel a bit silly after her eleventh or twelfth puddle. She stepped from hoof to hoof while her owner unlocked the door. Then she gratefully followed him inside, where it was warm.

"I'll go put some tea on. You get your bath started before you freeze to death," Rawsthorne said. It was a very welcome prospect.

"Oooh, yes! Lemon and honey in mine, please!"

The man nodded and went into the kitchen. Celestia didn't wait around. She made a beeline for the downstairs bathroom. It felt even warmer than the hallway and the pony couldn't wait to sink her shivering rump in some hot water. Rawsthorne hadn't said anything about the steam, but maybe he could yet be convinced.

She sat in the empty bath and turned it on. Then she felt the temperature with her leg, stared thoughtfully into the distance and turned it a little more to the warm side. It felt heavenly. The puddle grew and slowly enveloped her rear. It made the mare shiver all along her spine and slightly unfurl her wings.

"Ooooh. Niiiice." She kept up a litany of long, exuberant moans and sighs as the warm waterline rose up her body.

It was half-full when Rawsthorne came in. He still hesitated for a moment, despite their little talk the other day.

"Come in!"

It helped and he moved. The mare was happy to see that he had made tea for himself as well.

"You are a wonderful human, Rawsthorne. My undying gratitude."

He chuckled a little and waved the praise away. "It's just tea," he said dismissively. "Besides, can't have you falling sick."

"Alicorns don't usually get sick."

"Good perk." He put the tray down on the edge of the sink and leaned against the wall. "Any more plans for today?" he asked.

"Not really. Did you have something in mind?

"It's starting to rain again. I thought I'd watch a movie, or read a little."

"Yes."

He frowned slightly. "Which one? Movie, or book?"

"Either. Both. I don't mind. Give me the couch and a blanket and I'll be a happy pony."

He opened his mouth, but Celestia guessed what he would say before he made a sound. She answered him preemptively: "I'll still make lunch, just something... light. When I'm dry."

"How do you keep guessing what I will say?"

"I'm just that good."

Perhaps her grin was a bit too insolent, but the human didn't seem to mind. He had something else to ask: "Will you come to work with me again on Wednesday?"

Wendy, the receptionist, had been fun, and Celestia liked most of his coworkers, except for that jerk Denis. Then again, with no pony meeting after, there wasn't much point.

"No. We're not meeting this Wednesday. Next one?"

Rawsthorne snapped his fingers. "That's right, Glitter Dust said something like that. I forgot."

"Mhm."

"Well, enjoy your bath. I'll open up the radiator in the living room, so it's nice and warm. And I'll pick a movie."

She closed her eyes, leaned back and smiled. The water was nearly full, so she closed the tap and plunged the room into silence.

"Thank you, Gregory! Oh! Could I maybe also have a steam?" The alicorn didn't have to see his face to know he was undecided. Giving in without a good reason could undermine his authority.

"A bath is enough for now, Celestia. But if you want to earn one tomorrow, I have another little legal project for you."

She was about to ask, but this time the human guessed her thoughts instead.

"No, it's not for Denis. It's for me."

Celestia laughed. "See? You can do it, too - guess my thoughts. I'll be happy to help."

She heard him move, take a step closer, then felt his hand in her mane. The scratch behind her ears was heavenly and she gave a small moan. Again the thought rose, unbidden. How would it feel to have both his arms around her over night? She let out a sad sigh when Rawsthorne took his fingers away and left, but the water was nice and hot and Celestia was quite happy.

She considered bringing the iPad in, but decided against it. She would just start chatting with Glitter Dust or one of the others. Nice, but not as relaxing.

It could wait.

The alicorn shifted a little and pushed the water around with her wings. A warmer patch flowed against her belly and she gave a delighted gasp.

"Aaaaah. Mmmmmhyesssss..."

A bit more of that and Rawsthorne would find pony a had dissolved in his bathtub.

***

Celestia could barely lift her hooves as she made her way back to the living room. It had been a *most* relaxing hour and it showed. She had to think about every hoofstep. Regrettably she had to leave the warmth of the bathroom behind, but the mare had draped a big towel over her flanks and wrapped another around her mane. Even that had seemed like an overly-complicated task.

"Gregory, I need a bathrobe." She slumped into the couch and let out her breath in an appreciative sigh. Soft and warm, that was what she needed.

"Sure thing," her owner promised, apparently without giving it much thought.

The mare eyed his arm, lying idly on a cushion beside him. His pink arm. Very soft, warm, pink arm. She shuffled closer and laid her head right *there*. Of course she hadn't planned it, her demeanor said! She wasn't even looking at it!

Drat! The human pulled away. She was about to sigh, but it caught in her throat when the touch returned on her neck. The next move would be critical and the alicorn spent a minute or two mulling it over. Then she wriggled around, as if trying to get more comfortable. She flopped to her side, shuffled yet closer and rearranged the pillows.

If she ended with her head resting lightly against the human's flank, that was just an accident, right? The hand returned to her whithers and Celestia allowed herself a luxurious sigh. Finally she peered at the screen.

"What are we watching? That's Bean, right?"

The gentle stroking paused, then resumed. "Yes. You liked the episodes, so maybe you'll like this. It's a movie."

"I like the music. What's that language?"

"French. I can look up some songs for you, later."

Celestia found herself nodding happily. "Yes please."

The human looked down at her and grinned. "I'd like to see you sing *those*!"

She knew she blushed a little, but kept her eyes firmly on the screen. "You heard?"

"Yeah, that was very good. What was it, I'm sure I know the title."

The pony waited a few seconds if Rawsthorne would remember, then helped him out: "Snow. Red Hot Chili Peppers."

The human snapped his fingers. "That's right! Thanks." The hand went back to her neck and resumed its idle stroking. Celestia debated with herself for a minute, then made her request. "A little higher, please."

Her owner glanced down again. "Hmm?"

"Hand. A little higher. Ears'd be favorite."

He dutifully moved his hand and the mare cheered internally. "Oh, no problem," the man said smoothly. "Hush now. Movie."

She had just one more thing to say. "Don't let me-" Of course that was the point where she yawned! "-fall asleep. I have to start lunch in an hour, or else we can just skip it and go directly to dinner."

Maybe she should have noticed that Rawsthorne hadn't answered, but the mare was pleasantly sleepy. The towels, even slightly damp, kept her nice and snug. The leg under her cheek was quite warm, and the hand, slowly scratching behind her ears was bliss itself.

Even Bean's antics in that fancy restaurant couldn't keep her attention for long. Her last thought was that if Rawsthorne failed to wake her up in time, she would do something mean to him. Bite him, she guessed. Or kick. Yeah, one of those.

Chapter 17

"Celestia, can you see me in the living room for a moment, please?" Rawsthorne asked from the kitchen door. It was a little more polite than usually, but not overly so. The pony returned the cover to the pot, tapped on the oven surface with her stylus and cast a quick glance around. The vegetables she had been cutting would wait. The water wouldn't boil over on its minimum setting, and the dough was rising on its own.

She turned off her music and went to the living room, where Rawsthorne was already sitting on the couch. Something in his expression made her steps falter and her ears fold back all by themselves.

"Is- is everything alright?"

He didn't answer, just pointed to the armchair opposite him. "Please sit."

She obeyed, but the mare couldn't prevent a slight tremor in her wings. Celestia tried to remember what she might have done, but nothing came to mind. The house was in order. Meals were on time. Nothing was damaged. His behavior didn't make sense. The alicorn planted her rump in the chair and stared at the human in expectant silence. After a second, her ears turned toward him.

"Can you explain to me," Rawsthorne began, his voice deceptively calm. Deceptively, because there was anger there and the pony nearly reeled back when she glimpsed it through the cracks in his expression.

"Can you explain to me," the human repeated and lifted up a piece of paper, "how you have managed to spend nearly two thousand dollars in Apple Store in the two weeks you've had the iPad?"

Her breath caught and Celestia guiltily remembered all those warnings and questions she had ignored while she was exploring human music. The ears went firmly back against her head and the mare lowered her gaze. There was also the blush of embarrassment, she knew.

"I... might have, uh... inadvertently purchased too many songs." She said it in a small voice as her mind raced. She was trying to come up with a way to mitigate this disaster. Maybe she could somehow explain her lapse in judgement? "I didn't realize I was actually buying the songs - not until now. I'm- I'm not used to this kind of money, you see-"

Rawsthorne's hand went up. "Songs, says here, seven hundred fifty-three dollars and twelve cents. Let's say I understand that part. You really like music. Okay."

There was a 'but'. Celestia knew it was coming. After all, seven hundred was not 'nearly two thousand'. She wondered what other expenses she might have unwittingly incurred.

"But," Rawsthorne said and she headed him off in an attempt at self defense.

"Well, nopony told me Skype was that expensive! I didn't know!"

That gave the human pause. "Skype? What are you talking about? Skype is free! What I mean are these 'in-game purchases' for-" Rawsthorne looked down on his paper. "-this 'Clash of Clans'. Over a thousand dollars, Celestia. What were you thinking?!"

A faint memory stirred and the mare relaxed a little. Obviously this was just a mix up. "Oh that! Glitter Dust plays that. She told me about it once."

Her owner didn't seem to understand. "So what? I don't care if you both play it, but spending that kind of money on a stupid game? I really expected more self-control from you, Celestia!"

She shook her head and quickly explained: "No, no, I don't play that! Only she does."

The human was still confused, it looked like. "Then why did you spend all that money? What did you spend it on?"

"I didn't!" Celestia was starting to feel very much put upon. She hadn't spent a single bit on an iPad game. Music, yes. She was sorry that she went overboard. Sorry that she hadn't asked Rawsthorne about the curious little messages. She would take her punishment for the seven hundred fifty-three dollars, no problem there!

But she very much resented these accusations about something as frivolous as that silly game! She hadn't even liked it that one time Glitter Dust got her to try it! It was time to put her hoof down.

"Listen here, Rawsthorne! I never spent a single bit on some iPad game! I don't much appreciate your tone."

He leaned back, shocked. His hand went to his face. "If you didn't spend it, who did? Glitter Dust? How? Did you let her use your iPad?"

Celestia was shaking her head, but then she remembered their first Skype chat. So that was what Glitter Dust had meant by 'borrow a few bucks'! And it looked like 'a few' had become over a thousand dollars. The Princess tried to recall the exchange rate between bits and dollars. There was a number - one of the castle accountants had once brought it to her. The price - in bits - for one of the human dollars.

Just multiply it by a thousand and -

Celestia felt as if her heart had stopped for a moment. "A t-thousand dol-dollars?!"

Rawsthorne nodded. "Just over." If he found her sudden shock strange, he didn't mention it. "Tell me how Glitter Dust spends that from your iPad, Celestia."

She didn't want to answer. But Rawsthorne would undoubtedly find out, and then it would be worse for her. Her head fell and all Celestia could hear was the hammering of her heart.

"I... might have given her the pass word."

It seemed like Rawsthorne couldn't quite wrap his head around it. "You have given her the password," he repeated. "So she tricked you?"

Celestia vehemently shook her head. "No! She told me she needed some money for that game! She promised she would pay me back!"

"No chance in Hell Glitter Dust has that kind of money. Even Maggie probably doesn't have that much just lying around!"

"Well, she promised!" Even to herself Celestia sounded sullen and petulant. Naive, that was the word. She had never, even for a second, imagined that Glitter Dust was trying to trick her. Steal from her, even!

The human just stared at her for a while. Celestia couldn't help fidgeting with her forehooves. "Go back to the kitchen and finish dinner. I'll call Maggie."

But... she needed to know! "What will you tell her?"

Rawsthorne shrugged. It didn't seem like he would enjoy the conversation. He didn't like the idea of putting the pegasus in trouble. Maybe she could use his reluctance? Despite everything, the alicorn didn't want to dunk Glitter Dust, however deserved it might be. The two mares could solve it between themselves!

"Please don't? I- I'll take responsibility. It was my error, Rawsthorne."

Unfortunately, the human was set: "If she had done it to you, she might have also done it to others. Maggie should know about this."

Celestia hung her head in defeat. She heaved a shuddering sigh and stood up to leave. But she paused for a final question. "Wh- what will be my punishm- ment?"

"I don't know yet. We'll discuss it after dinner, okay?"

It seemed like utter defeat. Celestia made her slow way to the kitchen and listlessly began to cut the vegetables again. She considered listening to some music for a moment, but changed her mind. She wasn't in the mood anymore.

Another thought occurred. Maybe she should at least warn Glitter Dust? She opened up Skype and wrote as quickly as she could: "Hey you there?"

Her pegasus friend began typing almost immediately, much to Celestia's relief.

"whats up?"

The alicorn thought about a diplomatic approach, but then she remembered Rawsthorne's expression and her own embarrassment as she had to admit the error in judgement. Anger flared up and Celestia opted for the direct approach.

"You spent a thousand dollars on clash of clans!!"

There was no reply, so the alicorn harrumphed to herself, then went on. "Gregory is calling Maggie right now so you better prepare yourself"

Again nothing, but after a minute Glitter Dust's little circle went from green to gray. Celestia hoped her owner wouldn't tan the pegasus' hide too much. A little wouldn't hurt, though. The mare sighed and went back to her cooking. She barked a laugh as the thought rose: "I hope Gregory doesn't tan my hide too much."

Dinner was markedly subdued, Celestia couldn't help noticing. Neither she nor Rawsthorne spoke, so the only sounds were the clink of cutlery and the sound of plates and glasses as they were moved. When the human spoke up the mare nearly breathed a sigh of relief, even as he undoubtedly prepared to name her punishment.

"What do you propose we do with you, Celestia?"

She hurriedly swallowed her mouthful and nervously licked her lips. She was about to suggest a week without baths and steams, but Rawsthorne didn't seem to be in a mood for joking. "M-maybe the... the belt ag-again?"

At least it was something she had experienced before. She knew what to expect, even if Rawsthorne wouldn't be as gentle this time.

"That's a given, of course. What else?"

The mare gulped in fear. She had hoped it would be the only thing. "No- no baths? Or st-steams?"

"For a month, yes," Rawsthorne finished, making her grimace unhappily. "And you're going to earn that money, just so you get some appreciation for how much you two spent."

The loss stung badly and Glitter Dust would certainly get a piece of her mind, but at least there would be no other physical punishment.

"How?"

Rawsthorne thought for a minute, then his face split into a satisfied grin. Celestia couldn't help feeling a little uneasy at the sight.

"You'll go to work with me, every day. And you'll assist Denis until you've earned two thousand dollars. On an intern's pay."

If her ears went any further down, they would crush the mare's skull. "Does it have to be him?"

The alicorn knew it was hopeless, even before Rawsthorne said: "Yes. Punishment is supposed to be unpleasant. I'll talk with him tomorrow and you'll start the next day."

Celestia tried to muster up some grace, at least while accepting her punishment. "Yes, Sir."

"Oh, and I spoke with Maggie," the human went on and Celestia drew herself to attention. "Apparently she tried the same thing with the other ponies at one point or another. Though never that much money."

At least she wasn't the only one to fall for the pegasus' tricks. Celestia felt a little better about her mistake.

"Maggie will punish her - again - but Glitter Dust just doesn't want to learn, it seems. Maggie sounded at her wits' end. She offered to give me the mare, just to be done with it."

The idea of having a roommate was at the same time scary and very interesting. Of course she would have to tell Glitter Dust the truth and hope the pegasus wouldn't blab. No way she could maintain Supple Branch over the long term. But she didn't want that sort of suspense in her life. Knowing Glitter Dust, she would be on Skype even before Celestia finished talking. Despite all that, Celestia would have loved the company. She still liked the happy, curious pegasus, even after her trick. Maybe not exactly 'happy pegasus' for a while, but Celestia did like her.

"What did you say?"

Rawsthorne answered quickly and waved his hand dismissively. "I said no, of course. I don't want another problematic pony."

"Problematic?! I'm not problematic!"

The human sighed with more drama than was strictly called for, in the mare's opinion. "Really, Celestia?"

She absolutely didn't want him thinking that! The alicorn jumped from her chair and went around the table.

"Gregory! I'm sorry, okay? It was an honest mistake, it won't happen again. I'll work for Denis until I pay you back. And I'll take the other punishment!" She presented her rump to the man. "Just spank me now and get that part over with! And no baths for a month. Please, I'll behave! Don't send me back!"

Rawsthorne seemed surprised at the outburst. So was she. Celestia hadn't even realized just how much she enjoyed it there, or how scared she was of failing.

"Okay, relax, I'm not sending you back. I'm not mad about the money, really!"

The pony was shocked to find tears in her eyes. She hadn't meant to get so emotional, but now that the punishment was set and the incident was more or less behind her, relief flowed through her body like a cool, calming wave.

She just wanted it completely over now. "I'll get the belt."

The human reached up and patted her head. "We don't have to do it now, Celestia."

"Now. I want it over with. Please, it's important to me."

Rawsthorne sighed and stood up. "Very well, bring the belt to the living room, if you're sure."

There she was again, a lot sooner than she would have expected. Her owner stood over her, the strip of leather hanging loosely from his hand. She wanted it over, but now that it was happening, Celestia found herself filled with trepidation.

"H-how many this time?"

Rawsthorne gave it some thought, while he circled around to her face. "About twenty should do it, I think."

She inadvertently gulped, but then she nodded. "Tha- that's fa-fair!" However hard she tried, Celestia couldn't make her flank stop trembling. She knew it would be better once it started. The suspense was killing her, but she didn't dare say anything.

Rawsthorne seemed in a slightly better mood so perhaps, if she didn't anger him further, he would go a bit easier on her. She closed her eyes, but it didn't help. She was keenly aware of her owner's position. Of his footsteps as he went around again. The swish of fabric as he lifted his arm.

The mare winced even before the first hit landed, but at least she didn't cry out.

SLAP SLAP SLAP

Blow after blow, wherever they happened to land, much faster than the last time. She had wanted to count them, to know when it would end. But after the third or fourth slap she lost track and just focused on enduring.

The squeals came unbidden, as did the tears. The mare knew, in her heart of hearts, that the beating was in no way severe. That it shouldn't really hurt all that much, but maybe the guilt made it painful? Each strike with the leather seemed to leave a line of fire across her abused rear. She knew there would be bruises. The human really wasn't holding back, not like the last time!

It was too late to change her mind. Celestia gritted her teeth and endured in her tiny little world of darkness and shame and pain.

The last hit rang out, echoing. In the ensuing silence, the pony realized she was crying. Bawling really. The realization was almost more painful than the punishment. So little did it take to reduce the Princess of the Sun, the Ruler of Equestria, to weeping like a little filly.

Her hind legs were shaking badly and the mare definitely felt some heat along her rump. She didn't dare look, even when she felt Rawsthorne's hand on her muzzle.

"There, it's done," he said. There was no real anger behind the words. Celestia shuddered as she thought what the punishment would be like with the human truly angry. Despite the way it had felt, she knew her owner hadn't used all his strength. She managed a small nod and a smile, and the human wiped away a few tears from her face.

"Maggie said she would bring Glitter Dust over tomorrow after work, so we can see her punishment first hand."

An image popped up and the mare almost laughed a little. "We'll compare butts to see whose is redder."

Even Rawsthorne smiled at that. "Well, you're going to change into Supple Branch, no? Will bruises still be there?"

The alicorn considered it, then nodded. "Yes. I'll make sure they're there. It's only fair Glitter Dust sees that I was also punished."

They watched each other for a moment. The mare couldn't help but shuffle uncomfortably from the distracting heat in her rear. She chose instead to focus on the human hand, which was still stroking her muzzle. "I'm sorry, Gregory. It was a stupid thing I did, with music and giving the pass word to Glitter Dust. I should have asked you about it."

The man shrugged. "Well, you learned your lesson."

Celestia nodded emphatically. She glanced back and gasped a little. Even from her vantage point, the smooth, white flank was looking quite pink through her white coat. No wonder it felt so hot.

"I did, yes."

It was futile now, but she was trying to muster up some of her bearing and grace. In truth, without the comforting hand, she would have kept crying for a bit longer. On the other hoof, the mare thought, she really was letting go of the Princess. She would never have cried under punishment.

Rawsthorne followed her gaze. Maybe there was the start of a wince in his face, but it was gone before Celestia could be sure. She chose to believe it had been there. Sympathy, even when giving her a deserved punishment. It just made her like him more.

"Okay, can you clear up the dining room and put the dishes in the washer?"

She considered it, then nodded. It wouldn't require her rump.

"Good, go do that, then go to bed. It's been a hard enough day," the human commanded. But she wasn't quite ready to be alone just yet.

"Could I stay up a little longer with you?"

That gave Rawsthorne some pause, but he quickly shrugged. "It'll be boring. I have to read up on some esoteric law up in the study."

"W-what if you read it here, on the couch. I- I don't want to sleep yet. I'd like to sit with you. I'll be quiet, I promise."

If her human saw his way clear to keeping an arm around her, or maybe even scratching her ears while he read, it would go a long way toward putting the nastiness behind them. Celestia wanted to feel that they were okay. A few hours of quiet company would do nicely.

"Okay, I think that could work. But if you distract me, I'll send you to bed. I have to get through this thing by tomorrow."

She nodded, quite happy once again. Aside from her red rear and the faint traces of tears, it was impossible to tell she had just been punished with a belt. Clearing the table and the dishes were the work of minutes. She cast an eye on her iPad, but saw that Glitter Dust was still offline. Good. Celestia hoped the pegasus would get at least as much as she did.

The mare almost fell into the soft cushions. She didn't want to put pressure on her abused behind and the position she had chosen would leave her head in Rawsthorne's lap. This suited her just fine. Her ears swiveled as she heard a faint ding from the kitchen. It was Skype on her iPad. Maybe it was Glitter Dust, apologizing, or wanting to tell her about her own punishment. It could also be one of the others, just saying hi.

Whatever it was, it would wait until the next day. The human returned with a large book and took his place. In moments Celestia was nuzzling his thigh while Rawsthorne put the book down on the armrest.

As she had predicted, his other hand went to her mane and sough out her ears. "Thank you, Rawsthorne."

"What? What for?" he asked, a little surprised. He obviously hadn't expected anything like that out of her, not after their little showdown.

"For not going overboard. I know it's a lot of money. You'd be within your rights to beat me a lot more. Or yell. Or just send me back to the auction."

His hand patted her on the neck, before returning to her ears. "I still might, if you don't earn the money back, you know?"

They both knew he didn't mean it, but the mare played along. "I'll earn it. I'm good, remember?"

She said nothing more as Rawsthorne became engrossed in the text. The pony looked up at his little frown of concentration. Despite all that had happened, she was happy. She felt safe. Each day she trusted the human more.

When the time came to leave, she would absolutely miss Rawsthorne. The thought made her a little sad and she sighed. In response, the human slid his hand comfortingly down the length of her neck. It was quite pleasant, actually. She didn't even know when she fell asleep.

Chapter 18

Celestia had been waiting for the sound of Rawsthorne's car on the driveway, but however much she tried to, the mare could not prepare herself fully. Her heart sank, there were butterflies in her stomach and her wings tried to flutter before she could force them to stillness. She desperately tried to recapture the comfortable, almost intimate moment they had shared the previous night, after her punishment.

Even with a sore rump, Celestia had felt closer to her owner than ever before, and his fingers, working their insidious magic on her ears had quickly turned her brain to putty.

Then she had woken up, still in that warm, comfortable lap, except now with a soft blanket covering her flank. She blinked, looked up and smiled. The human grinned back. For a second, Celestia had the image of kissing him in her mind, but it passed when Rawsthorne scratched her ears again.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," her owner said. Celestia made a mewl of protest, but allowed herself to be prodded to her hooves.

"Fine, but I'm taking the blanket."

Moving reminded her how stiff her limbs were, and stretching made her yawn. On a whim, she leaned down and gave the human a friendly lick on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Rawsthorne."

Remembering helped, and Celestia calmed down. She listened to the now familiar noises of the garage door. Then she heard the second car. Maggie and Glitter Dust were right behind her owner! Celestia quickly cast the spell which turned her into Supple Branch. She glanced back at her rump and concentrated again. The cyan coat now sported very visible purple welts.

She was just in time. The door opened and Rawsthorne came in from the garage. "Evening, Supple," he said. Celestia was pleased that he took care to use the right name, but she didn't say anything back, because the human went to the front door and opened it without waiting for her reply. Maggie walked in and the alicorn in disguise gave her a weak smile and a wave.

The woman stopped. She had a leash in her hand, but there was no sign of the pegasus. The line stretched taut to the side, though. Glitter Dust was apparently hiding beside the door.

"Come on!" the woman snapped.

Celestia heard her friend's low, subdued voice: "Do I have to? I said I'm sorry! I don't understand why they have to see me like this!"

Glitter Dust sounded very whiny.

"You'll have more to show them if you don't move," Maggie threatened and tugged at the leash. "I'll do it in front of Mr. Rawsthorne and Supple Branch. Would you prefer that?"

The pegasus gave a sigh and walked into view. Celestia felt her breath catch and her eyes water in sympathy. The lime rump was glowing bright red! There were no blood or scars, thank goodness, but they didn't seem far off.

The Princess swallowed in fear. Glitter Dust's punishment seemed a lot fiercer than her own. It reminded her just how lucky she was with Rawsthorne.

Maggie gave the leash another tug to get the mare fully inside, so she could close the door and keep the chill out. "Well?" she demanded and lightly yanked the cord again.

The pegasus took the cue. "I'm very sorry for tricking Supple Branch into giving me your password, Mr. Rawsthorne," she intoned reverentially. "It was wrong of me to use her like that and to spend your money. I'll find a way to pay you back."

That part sounded rehearsed, but the mare hurried on with her own, improvised explanation: "I never meant to use that much, honest! Just a couple of dollars, until I got my allowance! And I would've paid it all back, I swear!"

Maggie was starting to frown, but Rawsthorne answered before the woman: "It's not me you should apologize to. It's Supple Branch. She'll earn that money back for me. How you two work it out between yourselves doesn't really concern me."

The pegasus stared, disbelieving at first, then her face split into a relieved grin. "Really?" she asked, brightening up. She stared at Celestia with a tiny little smirk. "I'm off the hook? Thanks! Thanks a lot!"

Maggie was faster than the alicorn. She had Glitter Dust's ear in a vice grip. "Not so fast, Missy! You're not off the hook that easy!"

The pegasus had no choice but to follow the hand, which lifted her to her hind legs. She had to flap her wings awkwardly to keep her balance. "Ow! Owowowow! YES!" she agreed preemptively, even before Maggie made her demands.

"You're gonna come here every weekend and do everything Mr. Rawsthorne or Supple Branch tell you to, until they think you've repaid them in full, understand?"

"YES! Please! Yes, I'll do anything! Ow! Let go, please! OW!"

Only then did her owner release the pegasus. Celestia did her best to keep her face straight and impassive. It was easier than she had anticipated. When Rawsthorne said she wouldn't have to repay him, Glitter Dust had a very impolite smirk on her face. She was all too happy to pawn her punishment on somepony else. It looked like the Princess would have to do some basic educating on the proper pony values. She looked imploringly at Rawsthorne and then leaned her head toward the living room. Her owner gave her a slight nod.

"Come on, Glitter Dust. I'll tell you what you'll have to do. Come with me."

There was something in her voice and expression, it seemed. Something stern. The pegasus immediately lowered her ears and bowed her head before trotting sadly after Celestia.

Maggie seemed satisfied with the effect and let Rawsthorne lead her to the dining room. Just before the door closed, the alicorn heard the woman complain:

"I really don't know with her anymore. Stealing? I wish I could say it was the first time. Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth keeping her around..."

Glitter Dust's face was burning brighter than her rear end as Celestia pointed her to the couch. Of course they both heard every word. "Don't worry. Humans like to exaggerate."

It helped a little and the pegasus gave Celestia a small smile. It was weak and uncertain, but it was there.

"Talk to me. What on Earth possessed you to spend that much money on a stupid game?"

Glitter Dust sighed and hung her head again. "Sorry. I swear I really don't mean to do it! You gotta believe me! It's just how these thins are made. I read about it once!"

Not her fault? The alicorn had her own thoughts on that, but she would give her friend a listen, at least. "Go on."

"It's like-" the pegasus began, then flung her hooves up in the air, "they pull you in with the game, give you some free stuff to get you hooked. And then, when you're invested, you need to put money in to keep going."

"I see. And you can't simply stop playing, because..."

Now the pony was getting sullen. "I knew you wouldn't understand. I stopped playing a million times. But then you get an email and it says your people are under attack and won't you come save them. It's the same for every game like that! I've tried them all and it's all the same! Keeps coming back to haunt you!"

That impulse, at least, Celestia could understand. She tried to remember what the game was about. Yes, there were small, cartoon people in the thing. Maybe it wasn't so hard to get attached to them? If she didn't have Equestria, would she be just as vulnerable as the pegasus?

"Okay, let's say for now that I understand. But you had to know what you were spending. Didn't it ever occur to you that there would be trouble?"

"Yes. But I kept saying 'a couple of dollars more won't hurt', and 'I'll pay it all back slowly', and suddenly it's a thousand bucks!"

The Princess, in her Supple Branch guise, jumped up on the couch and put a hoof around her friend. A wing would have been better, but she didn't have it at the moment. "Okay, okay, here's what we'll do."

An ear turned to face her, even if Glitter Dust didn't stop staring down at her hooves.

"First, you're gonna stop playing that. All those games. They aren't good for you, okay?"

The pegasus was about to argue, but she let the breath out and nodded faintly. "Fine."

"I mean it, Glitter! Use the iPad for Skype, nothing else. It's not the pony way to waste your life staring at that little screen."

Glitter Dust's hoof twitched, as if she wished to push the other mare away. "Okay, I said fine! You sound like my mom! If she knew about the Internet! And like Maggie!"

Celestia allowed herself a small, motherly smile. "I'll earn all the money to pay Gregory back. But you're not off the hook entirely." The alicorn had given it some thought. She could combine the punishment with doing something useful. It would help Glitter Dust's self esteem.

Since you can fly and I can't, you'll help me clean the roof, and check all the tiles. And clean the gutters. It's not pretty, but if you do that for me, we'll call it even, okay?"

The pegasus nodded slowly.

"Now, about you tricking me into giving you the pass word in the first place..."

"I said I'm sorry," the mare muttered darkly. "Besides, I asked if I could borrow a few bucks and you said it was fine."

"A few dollars, yes. Glitter, not a thousand."

The mare sighed, more deeply and with marked exasperation. "What else do you want me to say?! Sorry, Supple! I messed up, okay!? Or do you wanna whip me a little, too?"

It was sorely tempting, but Celestia decided a gentle hoof would work better. "No, no. I just wanted you to know. Sorry was enough. I forgive you."

She held her hooves open and the pegasus looked at her incredulously. Then, she fell into her hug with a small sigh. A moment later, she sniffled.

"There, there. I can see how good Maggie got you. I'm sorry."

The mare was turning to butter in her grasp. Her voice was one whimper away from full crying. "I de-deserved it! I'm a bad pony and a bad f-friend!"

Celestia nuzzled her grief-stricken friend. Now that most of the punishment seemed over, Glitter Dust was really letting it all out. Her shoulders shook as she tried to suppress sobs.

"It's over, Glitter. We'll do the work until we make it up to Gregory and then it's going to be fine. Just promise you won't touch those games again, okay?"

The pegasus nodded against her neck. Celestia felt some more encouragement was called for. "Besides, Gregory belted me as well. You must have seen it! Taught me to keep pass words private!"

"Passwords. It's one word," her friend corrected.

"Passwords. Okay."

"At least purple goes with cyan," Glitter Dust muttered.

Celestia blinked. It was an unexpected joke. When she didn't immediately laugh, the pegasus pulled her face away and gave her a weak smile. "Sorry. I couldn't help it."

They watched each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. After a moment they hugged again.

"Feeling better now?"

Glitter Dust nodded again, but it turned into a grateful nuzzle.

"Remember - you have pony friends around you. You're not alone. We'll help you kick this stuff, okay?"

Another nuzzle-nod. Celestia fell silent and just kept her hooves lightly around her friend.

That was how the humans found the pair. Even Maggie's face softened and she went to put her hand in Glitter Dust's mane. "Did you work out how you'll repay these nice people?" the lady asked.

Celestia answered so that her pony friend didn't have to. "Glitter will come and help me clean the gutters, and check the tiles on the roof. She can fly."

The alicorn felt a tinge of pride when her owner quickly took up the pretense. "That's right. It would be a very useful thing too, before the winter."

Maggie seemed satisfied. "Good. Some hard work might straighten her out. Teach her the value of money!"

The pegasus disentangled herself and focused her eyes on her owner. "And I'm giving up iPad games. C-can you lock it for me so I can only use Skype?"

The lady shrugged. "Probably. We'll ask Sam. You know how I am with electronics."

Glitter Dust nodded and looked back to the earth mare, who was still hugging her lightly. "Thanks, Supple. You're a good friend." She jumped down from the couch and went around to poke her snout at Maggie's lap. "We ready to go?"

The woman held out her hand for Rawsthorne to shake and made her goodbye: "Well, thank you again for being so understanding. Glitter will do a good job on your gutters, or she'll get another hiding. You can trust me on that!"

Celestia was watching the mare and saw the wince. She had no doubt that the pegasus would work hard to repay her debt, but would it all be enough to keep her from doing such things in the future? She would need her other friends to help out, when they could. After all, ponies were at their best in groups. Mutual encouragement.

"It's fine, really," Rawsthorne replied as he led the pair to the front door. Celestia followed them and made sure to give Glitter Dust a final hug before she left.

Her owner closed the door behind their guests and went back to the living room with the Princess in tow.

"Interesting idea. Checking the roof, cleaning the gutters. It'll give her something to do. Were you planning on doing all that yourself?"

Celestia shook her head mutely.

"Good. 'Cause I usually call a guy for that. I guess I won't have to this year."

The human sat on the couch and heaved a sigh. The mare stopped in front of him, then changed back to alicorn. Once she was herself again, she laid her head in his lap and closed her eyes.

"I don't like how easily the iPad made her steal from her friends."

"Makes sense. These people target these games at children and the easily impressionable. I've read about it. It's remarkably effective."

"It's not right. I can't believe it's legal."

A very welcome hand came down to her mane and ears. She smiled a little to herself. The human was being trained very well! "Well, there's a lot of debate about it recently. Maybe, in a while it won't be legal anymore. It's a complicated subject. Where does consumer protection become tyranny?"

Celestia shrugged with her wings. For a moment she tried to find a good solution, but then just gave it up. Her relieved sigh was heartfelt. "I'm glad I don't have to work out those issues." She opened her eyes and examined the human. "So. Denis?"

Rawsthorne nodded a little. "I made it clear to him. No offers of buying you. No offering you stallions. I will slap him with sexual harassment if he doesn't stop all that, you just tell me, okay?"

It made her feel immensely better about working for the man. "Thank you, Gregory. You're very kind."

"Anyway, there's two projects where he would like your help. One involves preparing a document - a basic guideline for trading contracts. It's internal use only, so it doesn't have to be idiot-proof. The other is a criminal case." She saw the human frown a little. "I don't know why he picked that one," her owner said thoughtfully. "Armed robbery. We're consulting for the district attorney."

"It doesn't matter. Work is work. Those two will be enough to cover my... bill?" She felt herself blush when she said it.

"Yeah, I think so. The document should take you two to three weeks. You can take a meeting room when it's free so you can work in peace. The robbery case you'll have to consult with him and probably a few others at the firm." Rawsthorne saw her expression and guessed her question: "Don't worry, they'll handle all outside communication. You'll be just another set of eyes so we don't miss anything. That one starts next month and your part should take about two weeks."

"So... going to work with you. I'll make us lunch each day."

The other hand came down to work on her other ear. It was quite nice and the pony heaved a satisfied sigh.

"Good girl," the human praised. "It will be an interesting month, yes."

"And the weekend with Glitter Dust, working on the house. I guess that means walk this time?"

Her owner gave it some thought. "Tell you what. Make sure your friend does a good job and I'll take you both down to the lake. We can get you cotton candy or icecream and if there's anything good on, we can go to the movies."

The mare enjoyed hearing such things. It sounded very pleasant. "Mmm, I'd love that."

He playfully tapped her rump, making her gasp. She was still quite tender down there! "Okay, time for dinner. Let me up."

She didn't immediately move. Rawsthorne seemed in a good mood, so the alicorn tried her luck: "How about a small bath after dinner?"

He laughed a little, but wouldn't budge: "Nice try. You're being punished, remember?"

"Please, Rawsthorne?" She tried to copy the big, sad, soulful eyes and the slumped, miserable posture she had seen Glitter do. It had zero effect.

Despite the failure, Celestia was impressed by her owner's resolve. Then, the man grinned and got that mischievous look in his eye. It made the alicorn uneasy and she lifted her head up.

"What? What did you think up now? Spill it!"

"Maybe," Rawsthorne said slowly, his grin widening. "I'll take a bath myself. Now that the tub is free for a change."

She was aghast. It was mockery of the highest order! "You wouldn't dare!"

It was a mere whisper, but the force behind the words made it carry and fill the room.

"You know, seeing how much you like it - I'm curious. I think I'll give it a try. Please don't disturb me. I'll be out for dinner in an hour."

He got up and made his way out the room. Celestia saw him turn down the corridor. She had always wanted to get Rawsthorne to enjoy a bath or a steam, but this was ridiculous! "Rawsthorne, this is entirely unfair!"

He didn't reply. The pony caught up to him and tugged on his shirt sleeve with her magic. "Come on! Please! You're better than this!"

She thought quickly. "At least let me come inside and put my hooves in the water!"

Still no reply.

"Ple-he-he-ease!"

The whine was a bit more sulky and desperate than she would have liked, but the human was already through the door and her time was running out.

"Stay!" he commanded and shut the door in her face.

All Celestia could do was stare in indignant shock at the wood as she listened to the noises. The water started! She knew that spigot like her own hoof - that was the squeak as it was turned toward 'warm'! And the first splash of water in the empty tub! And - the mare whimpered a little - the plug!

The unbelievable cruelty! The ghastly torment! She would not forget it.

The mare curled up on the floor, with her ear at the door so she wouldn't miss a single sound. The human would pay!

Chapter 20

The pony group. Celestia was not looking forward to them, not this time. There had been too much speculation on Skype about her and Glitter Dust, and neither of them really wanted to tell the others. The alicorn because she had been tricked so easily - now that she knew it, her error was obvious, of course - and the pegasus because she had done the same to the others in the past.

She had still promised to attend, if for no other reason than as a show of support for Glitter Dust, and so she followed Rawsthorne down the hallway and into the room. This time she had made cookies. It wasn't technically her turn, but the alicorn had decided to do it anyway. As a sort of belated greeting.

She was among the first there. Rock Lichen and Lake Frond were already present and so was Heavy Hoof, but none of the others. In fact, Belle Hop and Silent Brook wouldn't be able to make it. Of those present, the brown stallion perked up the most when Celestia entered - in her guise of Supple Branch, of course. The couple also smiled, but there was no way they could match Heavy Hoof's sheer enthusiasm.

"Why hello there, beautiful-" he began, but Celestia shot him a glare. After a couple of days with Denis and his innuendo and smirking she was in no mood for any more of these games. Luckily, the stallion was more tactful than that human. His ears went flat and the grin vanished. "Sorry. Just complimenting you."

She sighed and went to join them around the coffee table, while Rawsthorne, with a last pat on her withers, went to the owners' room.

"Well? What's going on with you two?" Lake Frond demanded, even before Celestia could bring the box of chocolate chip cookies out of her saddlebags.

She tried to fiddle with the straps, but couldn't unbuckle them without her magic. Luckily, Heavy Hoof noticed her predicament and went to help. The fact that he brushed her barrel and flanks with his muzzle didn't exactly help her composure.

She focused on the box, instead. "I made these. I know it's not my turn, but here they are anyway."

It distracted Rock Lichen, who quickly took one and tasted it. Even Heavy Hoof followed suit, but the mare just stared. "Tell us. Come on, we're here to help, remember?"

Celestia was undecided. She considered the group her friends, that was true. She knew Glitter Dust thought very highly of everypony, but should she bring up their trouble? Would the pegasus mind her telling them? She had hidden the faint traces of her belting with the changing spell, but Glitter Dust would have no such luck.

They would immediately know she had been punished. Maybe if she prepared them, they wouldn't be as hard on the poor mare?

"Me and Glitter got into some trouble over a certain... thing. I don't think I should say any more. She'll tell you if she wants to."

Now they were very attentive. Three pairs of eyes seemed to bore into hers. Luckily, Celestia was used to such scrutiny and didn't even bat an eyelid.

They were interrupted by Glowbug, who joined them and floated her own box to the coffee table. The smell quickly told the alicorn that it was shortcake with strawberry jam. She couldn't help licking her lips in sweet anticipation.

"Hey! I thought it was my turn!" the unicorn complained. She quickly noticed who had brought the cookies and turned her glare on Celestia. "You might have said! I worked all day on this!"

"Sorry! I really like baking, I couldn't help it! I'll still do my turn, don't worry!"

Somewhat mollified, the mare looked to Lake Frond. "So, did you get it out of her yet?"

When the earth pony shook her head in denial, Glowbug turned back to Celestia. "Good. I'm in time, then. Go on. What happened?"

"She and Glitter got in some trouble together, but she won't say what," Lake Frond summarized.

The news made the unicorn smile a little. "Good. At least I'm not the one in trouble this week. So, what was it?"

She almost cracked and told, but luckily the pegasus in question came in, led on a leash by her owner. It was a very unusual sight and everypony stared in shock.

"Wow, must have been real bad," Lake Frond muttered under her breath. Her husband nodded and, after a few seconds, so did Heavy Hoof. They couldn't help noticing the welts on the lime rump. It was significantly better than when Celestia saw her last, but there could be no question.

"Jeez, good thing Maggie didn't outright flay her!" That was Heavy Hoof, and he was a tad too loud. Glitter Dust's head snapped to them and she scrunched up her face in annoyance.

Fortunately she was unhooked from the leash and allowed to join them. "Go on, laugh. Get it over with..." she said miserably.

"Nopony will laugh, sweetie," Lake Frond said calmingly and jumped down from the couch so she could go give her stricken friend a hug. "But please tell us what happened."

Glitter looked to Celestia, then heaved a sigh. "Same story."

The others seemed to understand. "Oh. Poor thing. Supple didn't know any better?"

The pegasus shook her head.

"How much?" Rock Lichen asked.

Glitter didn't seem sure that she wanted to tell them. But then she hung her head and answered quietly: "Over a thousand."

Four sets of eyes widened and Lake Frond put her hooves over her mouth as she gasped.

"Sweet Celestia, Glitter! What were you thinking?!"

The mention of her name almost gave the alicorn a start, but she managed to hide it at the last second. It was a common expression, she should have been ready for it. Being in disguise was making her jumpy.

"Wasn't. What else is new?"

Heavy Hoof joined Lake Frond next to the pegasus and they both hugged her. "What are you gonna do?" he asked. "That's a ton of money."

"It's fine," Glitter explained, "Supple's owner is really nice. I'll just help them with their roof."

They all stared at Celestia in surprise. "Really?! Just like that? A thousand bucks?!" Rock Lichen sputtered. "What aren't you telling us?"

The alicorn didn't see any harm in admitting the truth. "I'm good with law. Used to help set up treaties and so on with Griffonstone and some other neighboring countries. I will work for Gregory at his law firm until I pay it off."

They still seemed a little doubtful, particularly Glowbug. "Thousand bucks? What, so you'll work his law thing and the house for like a year?"

"Two thousand, actually. I also went overboard with buying music."

There was no reply as they all stared until Glitter spoke up: "Your rump healed up nicely. You can hardly see it."

They all stared at her behind and Celestia felt herself blush a little. "Yeah. I heal fast."

The group just looked at each other in silence for a bit. Then Lake Frond renewed her hug on Glitter Dust and waved a hoof at Celestia. "C'mere. You poor things."

The Princess joined the embrace a little reluctantly, because the earth mare was gently chiding the pegasus. "We've been over this a million times, Glitter. You go overboard with these things. Those games aren't good for you."

The mare pushed herself away and groaned. "Yes! I know! We have been over it! And I'm swearing it off for good this time, I promise!"

Nopony seemed to believe it, so Celestia also withdrew and went to stand by her friend's side. "It's true. She will need all of us to help her through it, okay? That is what friends do."

The disbelief softened and Lake Frond smiled. "Of course, dear. We're here whenever you need us, okay?"

The ponies went back to their seats and turned their attention to the sweets on the coffee table. Celestia made sure she got at least a piece of the shortcake before it was gone. It was absolutely delicious, a fact she made sure to mention to Glowbug.

Just like that their incident was in the past. It was a relief and soon the alicorn found herself relaxing around her friends. They told stories, especially Lake Frond and Rock Lichen after their road trip.

Glowbug had managed to get through a week without throwing a temper tantrum, a fact she was very proud of. Heavy Hoof went back to fawning over her, only she didn't mind so much anymore. In fact, after Denis, the stallion was a true gentlecolt. One of the humans came out to bring them lemonade - Mrs. Turner, if Celestia recalled the name correctly. Glowbug's owner.

Eventually the time ran out and the ponies left, one by one. In the end, only Glitter Dust, Celestia and Heavy Hoof were left. The pegasus was getting ready to go - Maggie was already waiting at the door - so the alicorn went to give her a last hug and see her out. Walking reminded her of pressure in her bladder, so after her pegasus friend left, she went into the small bathroom. Undoubtedly Rawsthorne would want to leave soon, too. Best to get her 'business' over with, so she would be ready.

She finished quickly and flushed. The sink was a little annoying in her Supple Branch guise - it seemed much further up than she was used to. It was a strain to reach the tap and she was using one leg to pull herself a little higher so she could turn the water off.

"Need a Hoof?" Why exactly Heavy Hoof had followed her didn't matter. She was grateful for the help as the strong stallion nudged her up and held her there quite easily. Then, as she was lowering herself, her grip on the sink slipped and she basically fell right on him.

"Oh! Sorry!"

The pony didn't seem to mind. He had his sultry smile back as he shuffled her into an uncomfortably tight hug. "You smell wonderful, beautiful," he commented.

The mare was instantly aware of their bodies, pressed together. Unbidden thoughts of Rawsthorne touching her wings arose. She looked away, but there was no hiding the flush in her face.

"Yeah, I think we both need this," the stallion murmured.

She wanted to say no, but he was just too warm! The strangeness of the past weeks caught up to her. This would be something familiar. Something she knew and wanted! The human was confusing and she couldn't quite make up her mind. It felt both right and wrong at the same time, but with Heavy Hoof, it would be natural.

A brief affair. A bit of fun. They both knew what it was and it wouldn't hurt anypony! After all, he had done it with all the others, she knew. With some of them it was a regular thing. Celestia suspected the stallion met Glitter Dust quite often, and possibly Belle Hop, too. Maybe not Lake Frond, now that she was married, but almost certainly Glowbug!

She opened her mouth to say yes, but there came a knock on the bathroom door. "Supple?"

It was Rawsthorne's voice and it brought a strange relief. Heavy Hoof had a certain charm, something intensely physical. It clouded her mind, made it hard to think.

"Come on, we're going. Is Heavy Hoof there with you?"

She gave the stallion a nervous grin. She whispered so the human wouldn't hear. "Sorry. Maybe another time?"

He was disheartened, but didn't stop trying. "Can I visit you someday? It doesn't have to be a big deal, Supple. Just a bit of fun. I really like you. And I know you like me."

She became aware of the 'oozing' and her ears folded down flat. There was entirely too much of such... excitement lately! She would have to do something about it, either with her owner, or with Heavy Hoof. Or, her treacherous mind supplied, with both of them.

Though probably not both at once.

She made herself breathe deeply and pushed the stallion away. "I'll talk with Gregory. I'll let you know on Skype." That would be easier, she knew. No smell. No touch. His insidious magic wouldn't work so well over the Internet.

As they pulled apart, Celestia got a very good look down Heavy Hoof's belly. He was quite impressive and she felt herself involuntarily shudder. The stallion inhaled, deeply. "I know you want it too. You can't lie to me, Supple," he whispered. "Talk to me on Skype when you get home. We can get the video chat going and maybe... have a little fun?"

Celestia felt the blush blossom up again and she fought to wrench her mind back to the matter at hoof. Luckily, the knock came again. "Supple Branch?" The human was starting to sound a little worried.

"Coming! Just a second!"

Heavy Hoof 'vanished' as impressively quickly as he had risen. In a few seconds, his posture was completely relaxed and he was essentially presentable. He nuzzled the mare and whispered: "I'll buy you a minute..." Then he went out. Celestia heard him talk to both the owners. "Sorry, it was the lemonade. Went right through me. Supple also needed a boost to reach the sink. It's too far up, you know?"

Her owner followed the explanation with the same question again: "Supple is still in there?"

"Yes, she's drying her hooves. Should be out in a moment. By the way, Mr. Rawsthorne - would it be alright if I visited? Peter, will you drive me?"

The other human agreed rather quickly: "Well, sure, if that's okay."

"Please say no, please say no!" She muttered under her breath while she dabbed urgently at her behind with toilet paper.

Sadly, there was no such luck. "I guess that works. Oh, I'll ask my colleague for a quote. I don't work with inheritance cases, but I'll refer you and make sure you get a good price," her owner promised.

"Great! And of course I'll pay for your time. I have the number, let's say this weekend?"

She was finished, too late, and went out to the meeting room. "Here I am, sorry to keep you waiting!"

Peter was holding out his hand and Rawsthorne shook it. "Good night, Mr. Rawsthorne," the human said. "I'll lock up, don't worry."

The mare quickly slipped on her saddlebags and left. They weren't fastened properly, but she didn't care. She was only too glad to get out of Heavy Hoof's sight, and the cold air outside helped.

"Did you have fun?" her owner asked as they were walking to the car.

"Yeah. It was nice." The meeting was, really. The last few crowded minutes in the bathroom - well, she hadn't decided how she felt about that yet. Nothing happened which she would regret, that was the important bit. She looked up at her owner, but all she could think about was getting him home and into bed. Naked, preferably.

A new thought came up and made her stop in shock. She almost couldn't believe it, but it explained everything. She did the math in her mind quickly and it worked out. She should have been expecting it!

"Uh oh."

Rawsthorne also stopped and turned back. He looked at her with truly heartwarming concern. She felt her tail begin to rise and her ears flatten. "Everything okay? Did you forget something?"

She swallowed a lump and stared at the human in abject misery. "I think I'm going into heat..."

She had to give credit where it was due. Celestia was impressed by how nonchalant Rawsthorne seemed on their drive home, especially after the news she had just dropped on him. The silence suited her very well. Her thoughts and emotions were a complex, undecipherable bundle and she needed some time to work it all out. Before getting the human involved in any way.

Heat. Of course she was due. It had followed the same, regular cycle for millenia. She really should have seen it coming, and back home she would have. The symptoms would be eased by a combination of herbs, hot baths and, when all else failed, a secret cache of select toys in a magically sealed compartment in her room.

Not to mention she would have had staff - mares, of course - who would understand and take over some of her duties. Plus, Celestia recalled, it was easy to ignore your body when the fate of Equestria hung in the balance.

There were no such distractions on earth. There would be no relief of toys - not unless she could get Rawsthorne to buy her some. Yeah, the mare thought glumly, that wouldn't be awkward in the slightest. She could do some with her hoof and magic, but it most definitely wouldn't be enough. Not when the heat really hit. Herbs were probably a no-go. She knew their names and how they looked. It was conceivable she could find some, perhaps all of them, on Earth, but without her Royal Alchemist, there was no way for her to prepare the mixture. The recipe, which she hadn't used in hundreds of years was in a book in the Canterlot Library. A fat load of good that did her, even if she did remember most of it. Too dangerous. The delicate glassware apparatus was another thing she couldn't get on Earth, even if Celestia was willing to risk drinking a potion made from otherworldly herbs and brewed entirely from memory.

She should have thought about it before she left! The mare groaned and closed her eyes in frustration. She practically felt Rawsthorne's concerned eyes on her, but he didn't comment, much to her eternal gratitude. Which led her to the next scary thought. The human.

There was tension between them as it was. A bit of flirting here and there. A suggestion in the eye, or perhaps in the way she touched him, or he her. All roads were leading to an intimate relationship. She was actually fine with that, but this was way too soon! With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Celestia realized that in a day or two, she would present herself to the human and demand it.

Unless he bound her up and locked her somewhere. Possibly with one of those horn rings, so she couldn't get out by herself. Yeah, the pony thought and smiled a little. Bound, hoof and wing. Vulnerable and exposed. Perfect for taking- She hurriedly pushed the scene away with a small squeak. Her eyes flew open, but it was too late. There was definite wetness on the base of her tail. The alicorn prayed it wouldn't leak past it and stain the seat. Stupid, stupid filly! Stay away from thoughts like that! Discipline was key. If only she hadn't spent the best part of the past two months trying to give up her self-control. Her ears couldn't go any lower.

Then there was the stallion. Heavy Hoof. Celestia closed her eyes again and whimpered a little. She wanted him, bad. Of course she did. It was what her body demanded during heat. His casual charm and pushy suggestions weren't making it any easier to say no. It was critically important to say no! Heat, plus a stallion equalled a foal. It had never been a worse time for her to get in the family way! There was absolutely no way the stallion could visit her. Even the pony group meeting would be iffy.

Perhaps, if they were both surrounded by others. Glitter Dust, and Lake Frond and Glowbug and Belle Hop - they were mares and would understand. They would keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't let her body overpower her mind. If she was alone with Heavy Hoof? Celestia couldn't help breathing a little faster and more heavily. She was getting hot just thinking about the two of them, in a room, alone.

One whiff of her during the peak, and he would be unstoppable. If he was hard to resist now, she would say yes faster than light! Even her analogies were breaking down as she remembered their brief chat at the pony meetup. The brown stallion - like delicious, sweet chocolate. The mare gulped, then gasped and slapped herself in the face with a hoof.

"NO!"

Rawsthorne looked over again. "You okay?" he asked.

"Please stop! Right now! Please! NOW!"

The human obeyed. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic and the road was wide. The wheels hit the sand on the edge and the car drew to a halt. Celestia opened the door, unbuckled the seat belt and jumped from the car. The chill air took some of the edge off. The danger passed.

She hung her head in shame and let out her breath as she calmed down. It had been too close! A mere thought - a memory - was enough to drive her to the edge. The pony began to shiver as the feeling drained from her. She let out another miserable sigh.

Then there was Rawsthorne, thoughtfully bringing her a blanket from the car. Why he had blankets in the car, Celestia didn't know, but it was very welcome. He draped it over her flank and ran his hand through her mane.

The cold helped and she found his caress merely warming, rather than 'exciting'. "Sorry. I really needed some air. I was getting... um..."

The man shrugged and stopped her from saying anything embarrassing with a simple palm on her muzzle. "Don't worry about it. Are you alright? What happened? Did you need the bathroom?"

She shook her head and let it fall down again.

"Then what? Were you sick? Something you ate?"

Another shake and a deep sigh.

Rawsthorne spread his arms. "Well? Talk to me, Celestia. I'd like to help, just tell me what's wrong."

"The heat."

He frowned, not understanding. "The heat? What does that mean, exactly?"

She took a step forward so she could bury her face in his shirt. As much as she could fit with the horn laid sideways. She could smell him, on the fabric and through it, but he was not a stallion and it didn't trigger a significant response.

"I couldn't stop myself thinking about... well Heavy Hoof. It's the urges. They can drive a mare a little... crazy."

He still didn't get it, making her explain some more. But at least he couldn't see the blush. "It... was a very vivid thought. Very warming, if you understand."

It took several seconds for the man to grasp what she was saying. "OH!" But he didn't know how to respond. Luckily he didn't move away. If she had to guess, Celestia would say his face was just as red.

"Sorry."

The hand was back and sought out an ear. It was folded down, but he quickly teased it upright so he could scratch it. "Don't be. It's just nature, right? Beyond your control."

She nodded against his chest, grateful for the comfort. At least the ear scratching wasn't an erotic gesture.

Except she had just made it so by thinking it...

Her legs grew weak and she felt herself... warming up once more. She pulled away with a small whimper. "Sorry! Maybe it's best you don't touch me. Everything... makes it happen right now."

Rawsthorne also stepped back and quickly shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, what do we do now? Do you want me to lock you up until it passes? Is there medicine which would help?"

The image of her being tied up and the human... 'exploring' her came back. It took an effort to dislodge. "No. There is a herbal mixture, but I don't remember the exact recipe. I never made it by myself. There was always a Royal Alchemist - in the castle - who made it for me." She sighed and sat on her haunches. That put her tail on the freezing ground, but that was good. Cold and ice were good right then.

"If you lock me up, I'll get out in an instant. Magic. Unless you order one of those rings, and I'm not too sure about that."

He was at a loss now. "Well, what do you suggest?"

"I was going to talk to you - go through the options at home, but it's progressing faster than I feared. I'm sorry - I should have expected it, but I completely forgot."

"How often do you- uh, how often does it happen?"

"About every ten months. Last time I was still in Equestria. Family and friends help."

He nodded and came closer. He didn't try to touch her, but the presence itself was a comfort. "Take as long as you need. Then I'll take you home and we'll talk, okay?"

Celestia nodded miserably. A few more minutes in the cold and perhaps she would be able to finish the journey. If she focused really hard.

Finally they were in the living room. The mare was on the floor, since she could not trust herself with any furniture right at the moment. Rawsthorne was sitting in the comfy chair, looking at her.

"So, what do you suggest?" he asked after some silence.

"I don't know. Without that herbal mixture, it will be... 'intense'. More than I'm used to. I'll probably try to... relieve it as much as I can."

Yep, there was that red in his face. "You mean like toys, and uh. Well, pleasuring yourself?"

She shook her head, not quite ready to look him in the eye. "Worse. I'll come to you. Begging. For it." From the corner of her eye the pony saw the human lean away. It was far too early in whatever relationship they were building, but they needed to talk it out and decide, now. She had run out of time.

"Let me just tell you that I won't hold you responsible if you say yes, okay? It'll be my fault. I am sorry in advance. I won't be quite myself."

That got it started. First the imagination - she saw his face redden some more. Then the widening eyes as he realized what it would mean. Then determination.

"Well, it's not right. I'm your owner, Celestia. The difference in power - that would be nothing more than abuse, no matter the biological justification."

She nodded in agreement. Of course you can't have a meaningful relationship between two persons if one of them has to do everything the other orders. If one of them is completely in another's power.

Except in her case it wasn't so. She was slave only on paper. That changed their power dynamic, but the pony couldn't just come out and say it. Not until she could be sure how Rawsthorne would feel about it. In time, something could work between them, she knew.

Perhaps, it didn't have to be a real relationship, not yet.

"Actually, I'd prefer to consider us 'consenting adults' in this case." She was grateful for that little phrase. It was in one of the generic law books she had read that day.

"Still - I'm an owner and you're- well. I'm not sure consent can work here, not legally."

She almost growled a little. He wasn't understanding. "Forget legally, Greg! Look at me! I'm still lucid and coherent. I'm still in control of myself, right?"

He was a little doubtful and it nearly drew an exasperated sigh from her. She barely stifled it in time.

"Right."

"Good. So, here's how I see it. You're right, a relationship can't work between us, not like this. Yet there doesn't have to be one! All this needs to be is physical! Relief. A bit of fun. No expectations, no commitments!"

Now she was coming to the crux of the issue. Could the human envision an intimate relationship with someone of a different species? Their biology 'fitted', she knew that much.

"Well, that's a big question and it's rather unexpected, Celestia. You have to understand that. Have you thought, maybe- one of the others? Heavy Hoof seems fond of you. Or that Silent Brook?"

She rolled her eyes. He hadn't made the obvious connection, it seemed. "Oh, sure. A mare in heat and a stallion. Do I need to draw you a picture what would happen?"

His eyes widened and a hand flew to his mouth. "Oh!"

Yeah, that shut him up, all right. A stupid idea. She was tempted too much as it was! Rawsthorne didn't have to go offering it, enticing her with those kind of thoughts!

"Okay, how about... toys? Maybe they don't sell pony toys, but human ones would... fit."

She had to admire the man. Now that they were talking solutions, he didn't seem to mind getting into the nitty-gritty details. His face was quite red and he had trouble looking in her eyes for any length of time, but the suggestion was welcome.

"Yes, that would help. But are you going to go into a store with me to buy... toys?"

"No need!" he said and grinned. For the first time, there was some relief in his face. "We can order them over the Internet. I'll find a seller and you can see what they offer and pick a few."

The Internet. It kept on surprising her. "Good, we will do that, but when I am really in it, I will want the real thing. I have already thought about it with you, so I will think about it again. Sorry."

The news surprised him, however much he tried to hide it. Surely the human had considered it - them - too, right? Please let it not be just her!

"I don't know what to say to that, Celestia," her owner answered slowly.

"Well, figure it out in the next day or two, or buy a really strong horn ring and some chains. I may not be able to control myself!" She hadn't felt the full force of her heat in nearly a thousand years! The herbs had always been there to take the edge off. Celestia had no idea what would happen. Surely the feelings will be exacerbated by withdrawal. She couldn't imagine how intense it might be, but she knew she had to prepare for the worst.

Now the human gulped in fear and looked uncertain. "M-maybe, just as a precaution. I have no doubt you'll keep a hold on yourself. You're a willful person, I know that first-hand."

"Well, maybe. I just wanted to warn you. If I come, in the middle of the night, you will either have to say yes or restrain me. I wanted you to know that either is fine. I won't blame you for whatever happens, okay?" She didn't add that she would prefer the former. Even without her heat Celestia was curious. Besides, she liked the human. She would very much prefer the former over the latter!

He wasn't rash, or stupid. He kept a level head. He indulged her fanciful desires, while at the same time keeping a firm hand on the reins. The mare had no doubt she was falling for this human, hard. A few more months and she would have started to work on him saying 'yes'.

Sadly, that option had just vanished. Either Rawsthorne would accept her and give in, or he would reject her. She just hoped their relationship would stay cordial and pleasant for the duration of her vacation, or else she might have to cut it short.

At least for the moment, she felt a little better. It was a lot to spring on her owner all at once, but she had no doubt he would think it over and come up with a solution.

"I'll keep it in mind. I'll see if I can get a ring sent here quickly enough." Then Rawsthorne proved his clarity of thought yet again. His brow furrowed and the man looked right at the mare.

"You probably shouldn't come to work with me for a few days, then? How long does heat usually last?"

She didn't know if the lack of herbs would change it, but she didn't think so. "About a week. I'll get the brunt of it over the weekend, and then a few more... sensitive days. I should stay away from the pony meeting next week, just to be safe."

The human mulled it over. "Okay, good. I'll bring you the books you need, so you can stay on track. I'll tell Denis you're ill or something and you'll go back with me next Thursday, okay?"

She nodded. Then she stood up and went to the human. She had to bump his chest with her muzzle a few times before he put his arms around her neck. Then she nuzzled him.

"Thank you, Gregory. I really appreciate it. All of it."

He nodded and carefully patted her head and neck. No ear-scratches, the mare noticed. He really didn't want to excite her. It was a shame and it didn't bode well for him saying 'yes' when the time came. Perhaps it was time for a bit of honesty?

"Greg?"

"Hmm?"

would prefer it if you said 'yes'. That would - alleviate my symptoms best."

"But Celestia, I-"

She silenced him with a wing feather on his lips. "Hush. No more talk about 'power differences' and 'consent'. I like you and I'm comfortable with the idea. I don't see a power difference. It'd just be fun. No obligation to make it anything serious."

This time he didn't quite argue. It gave her hope.

"How about you play some more with my wings and then see how you feel about it all?"

She extended one and waved it right in his face. She knew he was curious and if he was aware of what it meant, it might get him... 'warm'. It would be easier to convince him.

"I'll think about it, Celestia. Go to bed and we'll talk again tomorrow after work."

She pulled her head away and blinked. The mare was impressed. Either he found ponies completely unsuitable for those kinds of thoughts, or he had self-control even more rigid than hers. Well, her former self, at any rate.

"You don't think humans and ponies... doing it, are gross, do you?"

Now was a moment of truth. The mare watched his face closely for any sign of disgust, but there was just concentration as the man thought deeply on what to say.

"Hmm, no, not as such," he said slowly. "Just never thought about myself in that situation."

"Really?"

Her voice was flat and full of sarcasm. "You went and bought a pretty mare like me, and not even once, for a second, considered laying her down on the bed and seeing what it was like?"

It wasn't helping! She felt herself getting warmer and it caused a shudder to run through her body.

"No, Celestia. I thought about how nice it would be to have someone around who would do all the housework and maybe talk to me over dinner. That is all."

"Huh."

Perhaps all the stories of how depraved and horny human men were had been exaggerated? Or, maybe her owner really was different? If it was the latter, Mr. Plain would find a bucket of diamonds as a personal gift from her!

Right now the pressure was building again. Celestia remembered Heavy Hoof's promise and got an idea. A video chat would be safe!

"Okay, I'll go and... take care of it. I'll get your breakfast ready tomorrow morning, Gregory. And I expect you to consider my... proposal."

The human nodded. "Sure thing. Good night, Celestia."

She kept the tail firmly against herself. She had just washed the floor in the hallway and stairs the other day and she didn't want to do it again the next day.

"Good night."

The iPad was already in her room. Undoubtedly the stallion was waiting at his computer, eager to have some fun with her. She wondered what kind of fun and how they would do it. She felt another tingle... down there at the tentative images her imagination conjured up.

Celestia didn't even feel hungry, despite her lack of dinner. Rawsthorne would probably make something for himself. She considered asking him to include her but it didn't seem right. She was supposed to be the servant in any case! Valid medical condition or no.

Right at the moment, all she could really focus on was the glowing screen of the iPad. None of her friends were on, not even Heavy Hoof, despite his invitation. He was probably still with his owners, watching them-

Even alone, the alicorn felt herself blush. The thing which had seemed so utterly immoral and disgusting only a few days ago was now filling her mind with very inappropriate images. She was a hypocrite! Heat or no, what was being done to poor Heavy Hoof was not right!

Despite that the mare couldn't help wondering if he liked it. The tension without relief would be agony, but the sweet release later - could it be worth it? She had been 'containing' her own excitement for most of the day and was very much looking forward to letting it all out.

Celestia forced herself to stop biting her lip and concentrated. Hot it maybe was, but still a perversion! Even thinking about it like that had made her complicit. She was a bad pony. What she needed was for someone - preferably Rawsthorne, of course - to hold her down and belt her, good. Leather strap on her backside. Maybe even a bit in her mouth to keep her quiet! Then, when he was done, she would be in the perfect position for him to put those strong hands on her back, lift himself up and-

"Eep!" The hormones were messing with her head. She wished the stallion's humans would hurry up and finish, so he could join her. He would be very excited, wouldn't he? The wait was killing her. Desperate for something to do, she went to the bathroom and picked up several large towels. Heavy Hoof or no, she would need them.

On her way back she heard Rawsthorne's phone ring. The mare paused and listened to the conversation. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Turner. Yes, I called earlier..."

It didn't seem important. Something about law, probably. The pony owners had learned that Rawsthorne was a successful lawyer and were all asking for advice.

She made a mental note to remind Rawsthorne to charge them. It was highly unprofessional to offer his valuable services for free, just because his pony knew theirs.

Even that didn't matter right now. She had what she needed. Two of the large towels went on the bed, another covered the floor and she put a few extras on her bedside table. Then she checked the iPad again.

Still no Heavy Hoof.

She had to wait longer, but it was killing her. There had to be something she could do!
The mare remembered what Rawsthorne had said. The Internet had stores which sold sex toys. Maybe she could find one herself and at least examine the merchandise? It would make picking it with her owner much less awkward and, above all, shorter. Yes, it was the responsible thing to do.

She flung herself on the bed and hurriedly tapped on Google. It was a neat idea - one place where she could find anything on the Internet. She blushed heavily as she wrote out the search: 'sex toys'.

The selection was astounding! Celestia felt her mouth drop open as she read through the result summary. Every shape, color, length and girth imaginable. Even if there were no toys for ponies, she could find one that would feel appropriately long and wide!

They were in all possible colors - even vivid green and white and red! She knew humans came in only a few shades of pink and brown, but they sold toys in any hue they could imagine. Some were even transparent! Now she was genuinely curious. At first the mare had skipped past the sections for men, but now she looked. Women really didn't seem too different from mares. Less pronounced, perhaps. No wonder it all fitted! On the other hoof, no surprise sensible men preferred pony. They were much more pleasing to look at, down there. The tail in particular accenuated the sight nicely, even if Celestia said so herself.

She had a very guilty thought and went back to Google. It took her some time to work up the nerve to type out her next query. Finally, averting her eyes, as if that would make it better, the pony typed out: 'pony sex toys'.

One look at the images and she couldn't suppress a whinny of excitement. There it was! All shapes and sizes imaginable!

It was exactly what she needed to see!

Just in time, her Skype dinged and she brought the stylus up. Even her magical grip was shaking and it took her several tries to hit the right buttons.

It was Heavy Hoof: "You ready?"

Immediately it began to ring with the video call. She almost forgot! Changing into Supple Branch was a matter of concentrated effort. She hoped she could keep the disguise up while she was otherwise distracted. She gave it some brief thought, then floated over a pillow and leaned the iPad against it. Now it would only take a small nudge to make it tip over, hiding the camera and her. Any magical light, which accompanied the change, she could explain by bad Wi-Fi signal. Glitter Dust had used that explanation more than once when the screen got blurry and blocky.

Only then did she answer the call. The stallion appeared with herself in a smaller, dark square in the top left corner.

"Hi, Heavy Hoof!"

She had a genuinely warm smile for him. But he couldn't see it. "Sweetie? You'll have to turn on the light!"

Of course. There was plenty from the iPad's glow for her to see around the room, but Supple Branch was just a shadowy outline on Heavy Hoof's screen. She nearly flicked the switch with her magic, before she recalled herself.

"Uh, give me a moment."

She lowered herself from the bed on unsteady hooves and shaky legs and made her way to the light switch. She had to rear up to hit it - another unusual, stimulating motion.

"That's better! Now come back and let me get a look at you!" her friend commanded.

She found herself liking the tone. No lover in the past had dared talk to her that way. Of curse not, she was Princess Celestia. Even the boldest stallions couldn't keep that thought out of their heads.

The mare hurried back to bed and put herself in front of the camera, smiling widely.

"Cheerful, aren't we? I knew I was good, but I didn't think I had such an effect!"

She shook her head a little. "Almost, but not quite. I'm going into heat. That probably explains the... the bathroom."

His eyes grew wide and the stallion looked wistful. "I knew I smelled something! It must have just started tonight?"

She nodded, then a thought made her frown a little. "You can't see me for about a week. Sorry. Can't risk it, not now."

His ears lowered in misery. "Oh. Well, what about condoms?"

"What are they?"

The brown pony brightened up again. She knew why, too. Getting at a mare in heat would mean he mounted her several times in a night, without fail. Maybe even eight or nine times, if he was really pent up from his owners. It would wear both of them out and make the rest of her heat a lot more manageable.

"They're little plastic... like bags, you put over-" he began, then fell silent and looked away. Celestia couldn't believe her eyes, but she almost saw it even through the video chat: Heavy Hoof was blushing!

"You put them over, well, a stallion. So he doesn't... you know."

She laughed a bit. There was a blush on her too, but Heavy Hoof's was cuter. This was simply too sweet to let go. "He doesn't what? I need details, Heavy Hoof!"

He was adorable when he sputtered like that. "Do I really need to draw you a picture here?"

"It would help!" She grinned and winked at the poor guy.

Heavy Hoof heaved a sigh. "A bag for my 'stallionhood', so it catches all the 'juice'. No foals, you see?!"

It was very tempting, but it also sounded risky. She didn't want to play with chance like that. "Well, what if it breaks?"

He shook his head firmly. "It doesn't! Really! They make them very sturdy, even if they are so thin! It's good. They hardly ever-" The poor stallion plugged his mouth, but not quite in time. The mare finished his sentence for him.

"They hardly ever break, is that what you were going to say? Sorry. I'm really tempted, you know? But that's not a chance I'm willing to take!"

It helped that Celestia couldn't be sure about her disguise holding up through their fun. Maybe, with the heat at its worst, she would have accepted one of those risks. Both at once were just too much to leave to luck.

Perhaps, as a last resort. After she spoke with Rawsthorne about it. And only if the human was completely unwilling to help her out himself.

"Aww," Heavy Hoof said sadly. There was a whiny edge to his voice as he begged. "Come on, Supple! It'd be totally safe, I promise! I really really like you!"

Again, Celestia thanked the stars for the iPad. In person, she wouldn't be able to say no to him. "Sorry, Heavy Hoof! Maybe I shouldn't have told you at all. I'm really not comfortable with the idea."

He looked so miserable with those ears folded down and that muzzle scrunched up in sorrow. She nearly gave in, but then the stallion brightened up. "Okay, I understand. I won't push it, but maybe we meet after your heat, when you're safe? A kind of a 'follow up'?"

That pony was just too damn nice! The alicorn caught herself just on the verge of saying 'yes' again! "I won't promise it, but maybe?"

By the looks of it, Heavy Hoof was also quite impressed with her. "Quite strong-willed, aren't you? Not even Glowbug was this tough. Okay! I like a challenge. I'll work for it. The reward will be all the sweeter then!" His sultry wink woke her up fully again and Celestia remembered the reason they were talking.

"Okay, just video chat for tonight. What do I do?"

This was firmer ground, and Heavy Hoof's response was immediate and confident. "Alright, love - just follow my lead and do what I say."

Chapter 21

"Celestia, is everything-" Rawsthorne tried to ask, but he made the error of opening the door to her room and stepping inside. It was as if the man had walked into a solid wall and rebounded. "GAH! Christ, Celestia, what is that?!" her poor owner yelled and hurriedly waved a hand in his face.

The mare surfaced from a very hot, very sweaty and above all, very active dream. She blinked her eyes, then stretched her aching legs. Her blanket nearly crackled. The alicorn remembered the previous night. Luckily it was dark in her room, so Rawsthorne couldn't see the damage. Just smell it.

It was musky and sharp and sweet, all at the same time, and since the mare had been practically stewing in her own juices through the night, it was potent. Enough to drive the human back with a pained look on his face. "Crack a window, jeez!" Rawsthorne complained as he reached for the light switch.

"No! Don't-"

It was too late. The darkness was banished and the human stared in shock. It looked like he didn't even know how to respond proportionately. At length, her owner just sighed and took a backward step into the hallway. "Please clean this mess up. And you may take a bath today."

That made her ears lift up in attention.

"You're yellow, Celestia. What in blazes did you do last night? I heard you, but I didn't imagine it was this bad!"

Aaaand, down the ears went again, but she still found no words.

The mare was beginning to panic. She had to say something. "Sorry."

"I don't have time for this. Clean yourself up, and your room. And please air out the whole house!"

She gave a guilty nod. The blush was stealing over her face and she couldn't quite lift her eyes high enough to meet his. Any chance she might have had with the human was probably ruined. As the pony shifted a little, she became aware of her coat, which was adding to her shame. It was sticky, but only in the places where it wasn't dry and cracking. What she could see on her forelegs was indeed yellow, as were her sheets. So was the pillow, which had somehow ended up between her hind legs.

Some of it was on the ceiling! She had no idea how that could have happened! The pony couldn't hold back a small whimper. Much to her surprise, Rawsthorne came back into the room. He didn't sit on the bed - of course not, especially in his work suit, but he crouched near her and put a hand in her mane. Celestia imagined it was like grabbing a filth-encrusted, sticky mop. But the human showed no disgust.

"Look at me, Celestia."

The command was irresistible. She looked up, her vision only slightly blurred by tears. She tried to blink them away, but they just kept coming. She was surprised they didn't sizzle on her cheeks, which were positively burning with shame. She should have cleaned herself up last night. Also the room. Also she should have found something to wear in bed. Celestia had known all this! She had just been too lazy in the afterglow of her release. Releases, she remembered.

Now it was time to pay the piper.

"I'm- it was-" She took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm sorry! What must you think of me!"

That last wasn't crying, but only through a herculean effort of will. It wasn't far off, but if she could only hold it back until the human left, she would be okay. Her self-loathing could wait for when she was alone. Her shame, too.

Unfortunately, Rawsthorne was perceptive. His hand shifted to her muzzle and lifted her face up, so he could inspect it more closely, and prevent her from burying it in the bed. His thumb gently rubbed her chin and the mare closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

"I'm sorry I yelled. I didn't realize how bad it is. Please don't cry."

The mare opened her eyes in disbelief. It wasn't a tone she had expected. She was sure she hadn't heard this kind of voice from him yet.

"It makes me do things... want things! I can't even keep it out of my dreams!"

Her owner watched in silence, but there was also sympathy there. And concern. "It's going to get worse, isn't it?"

All she could do was nod.

"Mrs. Turner will let me borrow one of Glowbug's horn rings. A strong one. I'll go buy some rope today after work."

It was a very sensible precaution. If the urge had hit her that strongly on her first day, then she would be entirely out of her control at the peak. "That's g-good. Please be safe. From me."

That wasn't all, it seemed. "I'll also get you some toys. You can use them in the lower bathroom, it'll be easier to clean. You can also take a bath afterwards - as often as you need."

It was good news, but right at that moment it sounded more like a stopgap measure to keep her under control. The mare still nodded in gratitude.

"Let's consider your punishment suspended until this passes, okay?"

"Thank you, Gregory."

The human looked around the room again. "Should I bring you diapers? Just for the night, of course. So you don't have to change the bed every single day."

It was further humiliation. A reminder of just how little control she had over her own body, but she nodded anyway. "That would be best."

"Be safe. I'll come home as quickly as I can. You don't have to bother with dinner - we'll order something, okay?"

The pony just nodded. Rawsthorne was still keeping his hand on her face and she felt the warmth and smoothness of his skin, and his support and care through it. She chose it as her rock to cling to in this world, just as Luna was her strength back home.

Her next word was a mere whisper: "Greg?"

The human leaned closer to hear better. "Yes?"

Even Celestia herself didn't know why she had done it, but the human was there. He had been unfailingly nice to her - even when he was punishing her. He was there, and the mare was alone, confused and a little frightened.

She kissed him.

He didn't push her away. He didn't resist!

When she realized that, Celestia felt her stomach flutter and her heart speed up.

It went on and on, and then, just as suddenly, they were pulling apart. Her first instinct was to apologize. Play it down. Blame it on the hormones.

All of that would be a lie.

She stared the human defiantly in the eye, silently daring him to say something.

"Well- I'm really running late. I'll see you tonight!" Rawsthorne nearly ran from the room, and his expression had been unreadable.

With a sinking feeling, Celestia realized that she might have made a big mistake. Worse than that, she wouldn't know until the evening, unless Mr. Plain came to pick her up sooner than that. She let her muzzle fall on the bed and closed her eyes. The dam threatened to really break now.

"I love you, Greg," she whispered, but it was too late. Maybe if she had led with that, it would have turned out differently? Or maybe she was just a silly old mare with a Stockholm Syndrome.

Thank you Glitter Dust for explaining that one.

Perhaps the lack of herbs made her fall for the nearest male around? If even she couldn't know, how was Rawsthorne supposed to believe anything out of her muzzle?

The pony whimpered silently and sniffed. "You really dropped the Sun on this one, Celestia." There was nothing else for it. The mare dragged herself out of the bed and got to work.

It wasn't a solution she was particularly proud of, but it would do. After the fourth time she had to hurry to the bathroom - and after her second spill, Celestia had groaned in frustration and went to look in the laundry basket. A towel and a pair of Rawsthorne's under-pants. It wasn't a good fit, nor was it comfortable, but what choice did she have? She couldn't keep taking shower after shower!

Her tortured mind alternated between utter despair, when she thought her indiscretion that morning had permanently turned the human away, and excitement, when she imagined she remembered him returning her kiss.

Of course, thoughts of Heavy Hoof and his urgent, desperate grunts kept coming back to haunt her. It always resulted in a mess. At least now, the only casualty would be her tail, which was bunched up uncomfortably under the towel, and maybe the under-pants, which she could wash easily.

Luckily it hadn't happened over a carpet, or she would have accomplished very little in the day. Her own room was bad enough and at least there the towels and the blanket had soaked up most of it.

There were stains in the mattress, though, and the pony didn't know what to do about them. She ended up lifting the thing upright next to an open window. At least it would dry out. She could take it from there later.

The sheets were easier, as were her covers and the blanket itself. In the end, it only took three loads in the washing machine and then the drying machine before she had it all neatly folded back in the wardrobes.

Before the evidence of her night was erased, she mentally corrected and blushed, even if there was no one around.

What mess was left in the carpet took some scrubbing with soap and water and a rather ingenious variation of her dust-removing spell. She was actually quite proud of that one. It also worked on the mattress, after a fashion.

She didn't feel hungry, but she made herself eat a few apples, mainly for something to do with her time as she rested.

The occasional ping from her iPad didn't help. It was Heavy Hoof, asking to chat with her again, but the mare didn't feel like it, so she didn't reply. What would she tell him, anyway? 'Sorry, I kinda like my owner now, so I wanna see where that goes?' She couldn't deal with his whining and begging, not right now. Besides, the stallion had Glitter Dust and Belle Hop and Glowbug to see to his needs. He wouldn't suffer badly without Supple Branch.

She didn't ignore the one from the pegasus, though. Glitter Dust was a mare and would understand.

"hey u there?" it read. Celestia didn't particularly like the pegasus' lack of grammar, but she hadn't brought it up. On the other hoof, her own wasn't exactly flawless either. It was just too much work with the stylus to write exactly right.

"Yes what is it?"

It took a long while, during which the alicorn shuffled her feet uncomfortably. The tail pressed against her was tickling her a little and it would soon be time to change her towel.

Finally, the response came: "hh said u did it yesterday but u arn't answering now" her friend wrote. Then, few moments later: "u ok?"

Celestia rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. It was the stallion again, only this time he was going through the pegasus to talk to her.

"Its complicated I don't wanna talk to him right now"

Of course he had told her everything! 'Supple Branch' would need to have a heart-to-heart with Heavy Hoof. It wasn't a big secret that he was regularly seeing all the mares - except for Lake Frond, Celestia still wasn't sure about her - but he could at least pretend. There was such a thing as discretion!

She considered her answer, but Glitter Dust wasn't done yet: "he also said u r in heat"

Celestia saw no point in lying to the pegasus. "Yes I am so you know why I can't see him" After a moment's thought she added some more explanation. "I got used to the herbs back home and its bad now without them I can't control myself"

She put the iPad down in frustration and considered calling Glitter on video chat, but she really didn't want to change into Supple Branch now. Her makeshift diaper would probably fall down and make another mess.

"oh that explains it ill tell him dont worry i got ur back"

It was very welcome news, but there seemed to be more: "want me to come help u out ;)"

That was a winking face! Celestia nearly gasped in shock at the proposition. And - Luna help her - she was actually considering it! No danger of foals with Glitter Dust and it would help. Except she knew now that she wouldn't be able to hold on to her disguise.

The mare didn't know if she should be relieved that the decision was out of her hooves, or sad that she wouldn't get the release she craved. Of course her imagination began its insidious work immediately. A mare! She would definitely know her way around. More so than a stallion. It would also last longer! A tongue was not... the thing, but it could writhe around, seeking for that spot-

Her ears went flat and Celestia shuddered. No, the disguise spell was still the key point! She had to be firm with herself.

"Thanks but I'm fine just need a few days to get over it. Can you tell the others?"

Even the text of Glitter's reply seemed disappointed: "awww," but Glitter didn't make a fuss. She went on simply: "okay i got u"

Of course she couldn't leave without teasing some more. Celestia blushed again as she read her final message.

"u know where to find me if u change ur mind! ;) ;) ;)"

Three of them this time! She would never have guessed that he pegasus liked mares. Not after the rumours about Heavy Hoof. Maybe Glitter Dust went both ways? It was a very inappropriate thought for the Princess, but also one she couldn't stop. How bad would it be if she told them the truth and then invited both of them over?

She could watch Heavy Hoof with Glitter Dust, and then Glitter Dust could have a turn with Celestia. Heavy Hoof could even help out, and he would keep going much longer than usual because of the smell. Glitter would certainly appreciate that!

Celestia bit her lip as she tried and failed to suppress an excited whinny. Then she thought what Rawsthorne would say and her ears flopped down. The human would probably allow it. He would just be so very disappointed in her. One moment she is professing her love for her owner, and the next she's involved with two other ponies, right under his roof. Yeah, that'd be bound to make him return her affection!

No! The alicorn was adamant. If she was to have any chance at all with her owner, she had to be strong. Plus the whole disguise thing, etcetera.

Even if it meant dealing with the heat on her own and then working on bringing about their relationship with a clear head. Rawsthorne would trust her words more then, too.

Would she still feel the same way, though? Her doubt - the fact there was doubt - made it even more important that she didn't do anything stupid or drastic during this trying time!

"You probably blew the spell already this morning, don't make it any worse!" Maybe talking to herself helped, or maybe it just distracted her, but the urgent heat under her towel subsided a little.

There was still some dusting to do - that should clear her head a little - and later she would make dinner for Rawsthorne, heat or no. Her owner had said she didn't have to, but it would be something enjoyable to do. Other than that.

If she performed all her duties well, she would indulge in a short bath. The human had said she could do that! Only then, in the bath tub, would she reward herself with a little hoofplay. Hopefully that should help her keep it under control through dinner.

After that - maybe she could video chat Heavy Hoof again? Despite her dreams, Celestia had slept better than she had expected. It would relax her again, no doubt.

She wanted to say no. Stay strong. Keep control. Sadly, even now her will was flagging under the relentless assault from her hormones. It was a curse, that's what heat was! The pony sighed and went to look for a duster.

Heavy Hoof was a gentlecolt. He would understand she wanted some fun over video chat, but not the real thing. Right?

She was at one of her low points when Rawsthorne returned. It didn't help that the human was running very late. Obviously! He had to arrange things with Mr. Plain to come pick her up, it was the only explanation. Not only would they send her back home, but it will be in the middle of her heat!

Luna was a smart mare. She would undoubtedly guess what had happened, at least a version of it, and then the jokes and jabs and snickering would come. For weeks!

That wasn't even the worst bit. She would miss Earth! The beautiful landscape. Her first winter without journalists in ages. Her new friends - there was no way she would be able to stay in touch. Maybe through letters, but only if Mr. Plain would be kind enough to relay them. Not to mention she would have to keep lying to them forever. The mare had hopes of finding a way to free all the ponies and take them back with her. They wouldn't really mind her disguise if she freed them, right?

Now it wouldn't come to pass, simply because she had given in to a stupid impulse. Why? Why did she have to try and kiss the human? In time he might have opened up more, but in her heat it was pushy of her at best, disgusting at worst, especially after he had seen her in the mess she made. Of course he couldn't return any feelings! Her punishment was that now she would never have the chance. Not after he threw her out in disappointment!

The pony was on the verge of tears when she heard the car and the garage door. She made her way to the hallway outside and waited for the verdict. Only one car, so maybe Mr. Plain wasn't coming yet. It was late, the auctioneer would probably come for her tomorrow. She kept her eyes on the floor when her owner entered.

"Oh, there you are, Celestia. Help me with these, alright?"

Her face snapped upward and her ears lifted, but the mare didn't dare allow herself hope. The tone had been so casual as if nothing had happened! She felt her mouth open in shock and unexpected hope bloom in her heart.

"Celestia? Everything alright?" Rawsthorne asked with a touch of concern.

"Y-you're not mad? Dis-disgusted?"

Now it was his turn to gape. "Whatever for? Did you do something?"

She hurriedly shook her head. She had, in her frustration and misery, done a superb job on the house. The pony knew that. Every surface was sparkling. Every speck of dust cleaned up. Floors washed, carpets vacuumed, laundry finished.

To top it all, not one but two delicious lasagnas! Well, one tasty and one foul. She had gone the extra mile and made a meat one for Rawsthorne.

"No! Nothing!" It was all she could do to answer his simple question.

"Then why?"

He wasn't going to bring it up! Celestia didn't know if she should be pleased that he didn't seem to care about her indiscretion, or sad that he so casually dismissed her kiss.

"This morning..." She really had to stop answering in sentence fragments.

At least it worked! Rawsthorne remembered and looked away. If she had to guess, a blush was coming. And she still didn't know what to make of it. Was the human open to a relationship or not?!

"Oh, yes. Well, that," he mumbled. "I'll attribute that to the heat."

Her ears went down again, but this time in disappointment. "Oh. Yes, of course."

At least it didn't sound as if he would send her away or punish her. It wasn't the response she had feared, but it also wasn't one she had hoped for.

Maybe it still wasn't quite off the table? Perhaps it was the hormones, but she had to know. "When it's over? I-" She looked away to keep from blushing at the blatantness of what she was asking. "I'd like to- I wish to explore this a bit more, Gregory. I l-like you."

When he didn't answer, she looked into his deeply thoughtful frown. At long last he spoke. "We will see."

It felt like a kick in the gut, but the mare drew a shuddering breath and nodded. "Yes. Thank you. Sorry."

"These bags now?"

She quickly lifted them up in her magic. They were full of blocky shapes. Definitely not groceries, but she didn't really care at this point. Even her heat and the pressure in her groin felt distant. The human had all but snubbed her and she felt about ready to cry.

"Where do you want me to take them?" She would put the stuff where Rawsthorne told her, then run to her room for privacy.

Why should this matter so much?! It never did before! Stupid hormones, and her stupid heart and - the pony nearly growled at the thought - stupid unrequitting human!

If he noticed her inner turmoil, her owner didn't show it. He just pointed with his hand. "Living room. These are all for you."

Gifts might make her feel better. She hurried there with the bags and emptied them on the coffee table while Rawsthorne took a seat on the couch. A few of them she recognized immediately. Toys. A few human-shaped and one in pony anatomy.

She looked up with surprise. Getting those must not have been easy. Perhaps Rawsthorne did care for her? It lightened her heart a little. There were two she didn't immediately recognize. She lifted up one which looked like a thick stick with a half-sphere on one end.

"What is this one?"

The human had obviously mastered his embarrassment, because he didn't seem put off in the slightest. "That's a vibrator. I have batteries for it somewhere. It... well, it vibrates. Give it a try and see if you like it."

She definitely would. The alicorn found thoughts of unrequitted emotions and Rawsthorne returning her affection slipping away as her heat reasserted itself.

One more she was curious about, then she could take them all and try to douse the fire within. "And this?"

The human shrugged. "Oh, that's a massaging shower head. I'll change the one in the upstairs shower."

She didn't immediately realize why he had brought it. Sure, a massage would be nice, but it wouldn't help too much with her current problem. Then she looked at the vibrating toy. An idea occurred and the mare gasped.

"OH! You mean I can use it to-"

Luckily she didn't say it. Her owner nodded. "Exactly. It was mentioned on TV once, in one of those housewives dramas or something. I thought you could give it a try. Oh, and I also got this."

He reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a black, misshapen circle. She recognized it immediately.

"Oh, that's why you were talking with Mrs. Turner! Glowbug's horn ring?"

"Exactly. She has more of them, so she could let us borrow this one. I also have some rope in the car, but I really hope we won't need these things, Celestia. You can keep a hold on yourself, can't you?"

She gulped. As intense as it had been the previous night she didn't think she could control herself this night, let alone over the weekend when it would really hit her hard!

"I will try, but please have those in your bedroom. If I come... for you... in the night..."

She mumbled until she stopped, embarrassed and blushing. Then she gathered her resolve and went on. It was important the human knew how to defend himself. "Pretend to agree with me. Say you won't do it unless I wear the ring. I will be really stupid, okay? The heat- it messes with your head."

Again there was that look of sympathy and care on his face. Again, the twinge in her heart. She went around the coffee table and gently touched her muzzle to an arm.

"This is not the heat talking, Greg. This is me. You have my undying gratitude. And when I said I like you a lot, it wasn't just a lie to get in your pants."

This next sacrifice would be huge. Hopefully he would see it as meaningful. "I... don't want your, uh, 'help' with this heat. I'm serious about taking it further when it's over. I'm okay with you restraining me however you can."

He fell back to his previous argument again: "But Celestia, I'm still the master. The difference in-"

She grunted and interrupted him. "-power. Yes, I know all that. I don't care. Remember when I had to tell you not to treat me as a horse?"

He nodded. "Well, it is the same thing now. Don't treat me like a slave! I haven't felt like a slave for a single second I was here!" She was getting dangerously close to admitting her real purpose and status, but she was willing to accept the risk. "I wanted to do all these things for you. I don't see a difference in power! I don't know about how 'wrong' this would be. I just know I like you and it feels right."

The speech ended with her breathing heavily and staring hard at her owner. He didn't quite know what to say to that. The fact pleased her immensely. Maybe she was getting through to him.

"Okay, okay," the human gave in. "Enough of that. I'll think it over and we'll talk about it when the heat is over, deal?"

It wasn't a no! From her viewpoint, it was practically a yes! The weekend would be hard, but with all the toys Rawsthorne had brought her, she could make it bearable. She would take the horn ring even before it started. In fact- The mare floated up the ring and slipped it on her horn. It felt heavier than it should and made her quite uneasy, but it was a show of faith.

She wondered if she should feel anything. "There, now you don't have to fear my magic. How does it work?"

Rawsthorne just stared in shock. "Wow. Committed, aren't you?" He searched his pockets and brought out a small, black, plastic square. "A remote. I can set how much magic it blocks. Right now, it's not doing anything."

"Turn it to maximum."

The human did so, after seeing her determination. There was an almost imperceptible electronic whir from the ring, but she didn't feel the sudden, blinding pain she had been half-expecting.

She experimentally tried a simple levitation spell. The effort was there, and she felt the magic leave her, but nothing happened. She concentrated harder and the electronic whine got louder. It felt as if the ring was absorbing all the magic! It was a disconcerting feeling and she understood why Glowbug hated it so much. A new thought made her wonder and she focused quickly on the Sun.

No, that was still there. Apparently the ring worked only on the unicorn magic. It made sense - the humans didn't have an alicorn to study. A few spells which involved that part of her power would probably work. Hopefully she wouldn't remember that when the heat blanked her mind and made her go to Rawsthorne.

"Well?" the human asked. He was just as curious as her.

"It is strange. I am trying really hard to lift that box, and it feels like it should be working. If I kept it up, I would be just as drained and tired as if I had been doing it, but it is not happening. The ring is soaking it up instead."

He fiddled with the remote and suddenly the box responded and shot up into the air.

"Ugh! Now it just feels really, really heavy! I can barely hold on to it. It is a huge effort!" She lowered the box and let herself relax. "What did you do?"

"It's one setting less than the full block. Here, let me turn it off. We don't need it right now."

The electric noise went away and Celestia tried her spell again. Now it was working as it should. It was quite scary, the things these humans could do. She wrenched her mind away from that line of thought.

"So, how come I don't just remove the ring with my hoof? Turn it on again, I want to try something."

The human obliged as she sat on her haunches and raised her hooves to her horn. It was tricky to grasp, but she got it and tugged. It made her gasp out in pain and caused her eyes to water. The thing felt as if it was a part of her horn. She wouldn't be able to pull it off without ripping it right out of her skull.

"Yes, I understand now. I wonder how it does that."

"Does what?" Rawsthorne turned it off again, much to her relief. She tried again and now it slid off easily. She let it fall back down.

"It feels like it's stuck there. Like it's a part of my horn. If I pulled hard enough, I would rip my horn out."

Her owner examined his remote again. "Ah, I see. There's a separate setting - a padlock. That probably allows you normal use of magic, but doesn't allow you to remove it. Clever."

She nodded. "Good. Use that. Keep that remote near your bed. If I come in the night I won't be myself, remember? I doubt you'll be able to reason with me. So just use that to get rid of my magic, then... tie me up."

Again it made her think of how helpless she would be. Horny, willing and helpless. Perfect for taking. Maybe, seeing her that way, Rawsthorne wouldn't be able to resist-

The mare gulped. She had to do something about it, quickly. Before she began begging the human for it. "Dinner's on the table! I'll be back in thirty minutes!"

He didn't argue as she grabbed all the toys in her magic and almost galloped upstairs. Thank goodness for the towel and the underpants! A most sensible precaution!

Even as she ran up the stairs she tore open the pony-toy box. Rawsthorne had brought it just in time!

After taking care of her biological urges, Celestia had taken a long, luxurious and - above all - extremely hot bath. She had dried herself off, wrapped herself in Rawsthorne's bathrobe and crawled into bed. It was the perfect ending! Now the alicorn was lying sprawled across her bed when she remembered something Rawsthorne had said. She lifted her head with a vaguely interrogative grunt.

Surely he didn't? She had to know. The mare groaned a little in dismay. She had just gotten comfortable. Now she had to get out again. Of course she did. She would never sleep if she didn't find out the answer to that question!

She exited her room with her head and tail hanging down limply and her hooves dragging on the floor. She paused for a moment to swivel her ears this way and that. The human was already in his bedroom. She would probably wake him up, but she had to know. She knocked politely, but didn't wait for the invitation before entering.

The human lifted himself up and reached for the switch, but the pony was faster. She turned on the light and focused a stare on her owner.

He opened his mouth to ask, but she quickly reassured him. "No, I haven't come for that. Don't worry."

He visibly relaxed, but now his curiosity was piqued. He didn't even seem annoyed that she was disturbing his sleep. "Why have you come, then?"

She almost didn't hear it. She was looking at the bed. It seemed too comfortable. Even without an actual, conscious decision Celestia walked forward and lifted herself up. The bathrobe - human shaped - was a bit uncomfortable around her forelegs, but she liked its smell so she ignored it.

The human obligingly made room for her and the mare fell down with something between a grunt and a sigh. Only then did she speak up. "You said you borrowed the horn ring from Mrs. Turner, but she thinks I'm an earth pony. Did you tell her?"

If he had, Glowbug would probably know very soon, and then the others. It would significantly complicate matters. If Rawsthorne had blabbed, the glare she was giving him was fully justified. If not, she would apologize later.

"No, I didn't. I told her it was for a work colleague who has a problematic unicorn."

Relief flowed through her and the pony smiled. "Smart human." The only problem left now, was that she was getting warm and comfortable and her room was all the way on the other side of the hallway. She simply laid her head down.

Perhaps the pleasant, slightly sore glow after her session with the toys was making her too relaxed, but Celestia felt mellow and cuddly. Rawsthorne would just have to live with it. At least for a while. Only one thing was missing. She raised her head and concentrated. Her horn glowed around the ring.

Seconds later, a plastic tub floated into the room, accompanied by two spoons. She cast a sneaky glance at the human and saw his mouth twitch up in a smile. Good. He wasn't mad.

The ice cream landed between her forelegs and she popped the container open. Mint. It was perfect.

Rawsthorne reached out and fingered the cloth of her bathrobe. Yes, she had decided it was hers. At least while his smell lasted. Then she would make him take a bath and wear it for a while to replenish it.

"Looks funny on you."

The mare pulled the spoon out of her mouth and stuck her tongue out by way of answer. Then she waved the other spoon in Rawsthorne's face. "Shut up and eat."

He waved it away. "Thanks, but I'm good. You just enjoy it."

The pony intended to do just that, but there was one more thing. She wondered if she could press her luck. "Wait."

She lifted the ice cream up and rolled around awkwardly for a bit until she got the sheet from under her. Then Celestia shuffled closer to the warm human and covered herself up. It made a little cave around her head and horn with just enough room for the ice cream and the spoon.

"Perfect."

Perhaps she was pushing it too far, but the alicorn didn't care at the moment. She was emotional, horny and wrung out, all at the same time. The human would just have to bear it for a while.

Yes! There it came! The hand, starting on her neck, then sliding down to her back, where it settled. The fingers played lightly with the fabric of the bathrobe. She almost purred in delight.

"Correction. Now it's perfect."

The human still didn't say anything, which was just as well. She dipped the spoon back into the minty, sugary goodness and chomped down. It was as if the treat was cooling the fire in her belly.

"You're not going to sleep here, are you?" Rawsthorne finally asked and broke the spell.

It made Celestia sigh sadly. "No. Just let me finish this ice cream, then I'll leave you alone." She almost felt him nod, even if the sheet was covering her almost entirely. Eyes weren't important right at the moment. It was all about the smell and the taste and the warmth.

"Oh, and thank you, Greg. I do realize just how inappropriate this must seem and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you being so accepting."

Now he was probably blushing in modesty. At least that's how she chose to imagine her owner. "Don't mention it. It's a trying time, I understand."

The pony nodded a little, but didn't talk with her mouth full. She almost raced to the end of the tub, then was sorry it was gone so quickly. She lifted the cover and put the empty plastic and the spoon on the end table.

One more thing to do - this one for a chuckle before bed. She licked the human on his cheek with her icy-cold tongue.

He made the cutest little gasp of surprise and Celestia couldn't keep back a titter. She did it again, but a hand came to stop it. So she licked the palm, instead. That time there was no reaction.

"Aww."

"Are you done?" There was a note of annoyance, faint, but present. The mare knew she was pushing her luck too far. It was time to go.

She wasn't mad, because now she had set a precedent! A quick cuddle and ice cream in Rawsthorne's bed was apparently okay! Maybe even welcome. She wondered if she could build on it. Perhaps once her heat was done and she wasn't a danger to her owner's health in the night, the mare could extend her comfortable stay further and further, until she 'accidentally' fell asleep!

"Yes. Sorry. But also thank you, Greg. You're a good human." She dragged herself out of bed and picked up the empty ice cream cup and cutlery. She couldn't help noticing the remote for the horn ring on the end table.

"I think I'll be fine for tonight. Thanks for- uh. Thanks for the toys. They help."

Was it just her imagination, or did the human look relieved? She nearly humphed. Relieved that a beautiful, needy mare won't come to his bed in the night! The audacity! She considered taking a small revenge by hiding the remote for her collar. Then he would be helpless if she needed something warm inside her in the night. The mare felt herself starting to blush and hurriedly turned off the light to hide it.

"Good night, Greg!" Her voice was a bit more squeaky than she would have liked, but maybe the human hadn't noticed. She hurried out of the room.

Chapter 22

The shame could wait for some other day. Celestia had nearly gotten though Saturday before she couldn't help herself anymore and called Heavy Hoof for round two. Only this time she had all these toys to show him. Maybe she had broken the stallion? Some of the noises he made... Even the alicorn hadn't heard anything like it from a pony before.

It had felt incredibly good to make Heavy Hoof splutter and whimper and gurgle like that! Maybe it was even enough to save Rawsthorne in the night! In addition, the mare thought happily, she was learning better control over her disguise. Just like the last time, she had leaned her iPad on a pillow so it would be easily knocked over if she felt herself slip, but she hadn't! Not even for a single second. She wasn't even aware of holding the spell in her throes of passion, but the disguise didn't fade.

It was a point of pride and maybe it would slightly offset the shame once she came down from her happy cloud. Celestia was panting a little and basking in the glow. So, apparently, was Heavy Hoof.

"Wow. You are a very fun mare, Supple!" he was saying between gasps for air.

"It was fun." That was the truth. Ashamed of herself for using the stallion like that or not, Celestia had needed the release badly. If she hadn't, the toys - however good - would probably prove to be insufficient. She would have gone to Rawsthorne, and she really didn't want that. The human was for cuddles and comfort. At least for the time being.

Whatever came between them, Celestia wanted it to be gentle and loving. Her heat would ruin it. She wrenched her guilty mind back to her friend in the present. Why did it feel slightly like cheating on Heavy Hoof to be thinking of her owner?

"Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Call me if you need me again, beautiful!"

With some relief, Celestia saw the screen go blank. She still knocked over the iPad, just in case. She heaved a deep, heartfelt sigh. The emotional situation was complex, but the physical was straightforward. The pony just had to get up and gather all the towels she had used. Then she had to take them down and put them in the laundry machine.

The mare silently thanked her owner for showing her how to use the timer function on the thing. She would load it, set it for three A.M., then go to sleep. The laundry would be done when she got up. Amazing.

Then there was the matter of her shower. She needed one, very badly. Rawsthorne shouldn't have to walk in on a room filled with her scent ever again. This she had vowed to herself!

Her stale, sour, last-night's smell, no less. No wonder he had been disgusted!

Rolling over and climbing from the bed still made the mare whimper. Heavy Hoof had driven her further than she would have gone herself, even with the heat. She had pushed herself beyond reason, trying to sate her urges once and for all.

Without using her magic, too! It just meant that now her legs were sore from awkwardly gripping the toys, and her back ached from bending over to reach far enough.

Maybe a bath? Celestia checked the glowing clock Rawsthorne had gotten her. It was nearing midnight and she groaned again. She had promised Rawsthorne his breakfast. She had to deliver!

Perhaps not at five-thirty, like most days, but anything past eight would be hoofing the line. She quickly set the alarm to seven before she forgot.

A very quick shower, then. She released her disguise spell.

Nothing happened.

"Huh? What?!" The pony felt around herself with a hoof. She was still Supple Branch. She had changed just before calling Heavy Hoof. The spell needed constant concentration to keep up, and she definitely wasn't holding it!

Something was wrong. All thoughts of cleaning up and showering fled her mind. Celestia nearly ran to the human for help, but remembered just in time. Not in that state! Not if she didn't want to spend the next hour cleaning his room so the poor man didn't have to sleep with her smell in the air.

She had pushed his kindness and hospitality far enough, but she still needed help.

"GREG!"

She paused and listened. Yes! He was moving around on his bed. "Gregory! Please come in here!"

It worked! The human was getting up. Celestia suddenly remembered that her room was hot, stuffy and, probably, stinky. She hurriedly opened her window. At least that part of the magic still worked! Lacking a particular idea on how to air it quickly, she jumped up on the bed, leaned on the window and frantically waved her hooves, as if to push the bad air out.

It was too late, anyway. The human opened her door. His voice sounded sleepy, but worried. "Celestia? Everything okay in here?" His hand found the light switch and they both froze. She saw his eyes wander over the mess on the bed. The toys, still glistening with her juices. The iPad. And then the mare, standing practically on the windowsill.

"Uh..."

Yeah, what do you say in this situation? "Sorry! I was just airing it out! Gregory, I have a problem!"

He looked at the bed again. The towels were soaked. All her toys were strewn around and each had been used. "Did you hurt yourself?"

She shook her head and jumped down to the bed. The mare stood protectively in front of the scene - partly to save the human from having to look at it all and partly to cover up her shame. "No, nothing like that! I changed into Supple Branch so I could... video chat..."

Now that she had to explain it, her face was going very red. The mare looked at the floor in embarrassment and felt her ears go all the way down. She wrenched her mind to the problem at hoof. "Now I can't turn back!"

It made the human blink in surprise. "What? I thought the problem was staying Supple Branch. Don't you have to concentrate on it all the time?"

It made no sense! Celestia felt her eyes filling up with tears. She shuddered, and Rawsthorne went to close the window before she froze to death in her wet, sticky coat. He didn't sit in the mess on her bed, but he reached out his hand to pet her mane. The human didn't seem to mind it when he encountered a wet patch, either. The touch was helping, a lot!

The mare took a deep breath and went on. "That's how it should work! I'm not concentrating!" She was grateful the human was with her, even if he didn't know how to help. What was she thinking anyway? Going to Rawsthorne with a magical problem?

It probably said something about just how much she had come to rely on the human. How much she trusted him.

Now was not the time to analyze that!

"Well, can't you, I don't know, forcibly turn back?"

It was actually a good idea. Maybe she had overused the spell and it had stuck somehow. The exact mechanics of that would be difficult to pinpoint. Maybe Twilight Sparkle could help her work it out once she was back home.

"Yeah, yeah! Good idea! Let me try!"

She had to improvise it on the spot, but it wasn't difficult. She knew her normal shape very well.

Unfortunately the magic didn't take hold! She was pushing it, adding more and more, until all her might was focused on that one single spell. It was just being... consumed. A feeling she had felt once before!

The mare realized what was happening and gasped. "The horn ring!!"

It was blocking her attempt to change back, and it was probably also responsible for her disguise sticking like that! Exactly why and how, Celestia couldn't hazard a guess, but that had to be it. It was the only thing different from all the other times she transformed! It hadn't stopped her from changing the first time, but now it was preventing her from going back!

"The remote! Turn it off!"

They had agreed a day before to leave the ring on her horn until the heat was over, and Celestia asked the human to lock it in place, but not restrict her magic unless it was really necessary. The former mainly so the ring wouldn't fall off while she slept. The latter because she wasn't really a danger, not until the urges blanked her mind.

Rawsthorne ran out of the room and returned mere seconds later with the little rectangle. He pushed the buttons. "Okay, try it now."

She focused. Her face fell. "It's the same!"

The human stared at the remote. "But how? It's not blocking your magic. Let me unlock it entirely!" He pushed that button, too.

The mare tried again, with the same result. "No!"

They both stared at each other. "Can you take it off?" her owner suggested.

Celestia blinked. It was a very good suggestion, but there was a problem. "I don't know where it is."

The statement was ludicrous. Of course she didn't have a horn in her Supple Branch guise. Where had the horn gone? And the ring? And her wings? She had never gone as far as to find out. It didn't seem important. Except now it suddenly was!

Rawsthorne patted around her head, as if he would find an invisible horn there. He seemed stunned that he didn't.

"Where- uh. Your horn isn't here," he muttered in confusion. "How is it possible that your horn isn't here?"

"Same reason my wings aren't. It's a change spell, not an illusion. Anyone could tell the latter as soon as they touched me!"

The man put his finger right on her problem: "Okay, where did the ring go, then?"

"I don't know!"

He looked at his remote. Then at her. Back again. "Oh! Here!" he exclaimed and pressed a button. "Try some magic now. A lifting spell or something!"

"Levitation." She didn't know why she corrected it, but she picked up her alarm clock from the end table and floated it around a little.

"Okay, now what?"

The human inspected his remote and fiddled with it some more. "I put it on maximum, Celestia. It should have stopped all your magic entirely. Apparently, wherever the ring is, the remote can't reach it. Maybe some sort of another dimension or something."

It was a very clever idea and despite the seriousness of her situation the mare felt proud of her human. She nearly smiled a little before she realized what the experiment was showing them.

If there was no way to turn the ring off, what would happen? Would she be forced to stay Supple Branch? How long?

"H-how long does a horn ring keep working?"

Rawsthorne had no answer. "I don't know. I'll call Mrs. Turner in the morning, okay?"

"Can't you call her now?" She needed answers, fast. The mare was very afraid. What if the answer was 'forever'?! She couldn't keep ruling Equestria like an earth pony! The horn and the wings were an authority symbol! What if her unicorns back home couldn't find a way to turn her back?! She would be stuck like that for the rest of her long life! The mare put her face in her hooves and desperately tried not to sob.

Her owner left again and returned with his phone. She listened intently at the quiet, dragged out beep as it rung. There was no answer. Rawsthorne sighed and put it down. "She must have it silenced or something. We'll try again tomorrow."

There was apparently no choice. She would simply have to endure. Celestia called up her magic again and tried to change back, but this time she went further. As far as she could.

Of course her owner saw her strain. He petted her again. "Don't run yourself ragged, Celestia. Just relax. Maybe something will come up by morning and if not, Mrs. Turner will know more about it."

The mare wasn't listening. The rush of magic and the swelling of fear when it didn't do what she wanted was making her panic. She gasped for breath, then held it again as she renewed her effort. A pinch on her ear broke her concentration and returned the alicorn to the present. Her knees gave out and she slumped against the human. She was breathing hard and her muscles were twitching involuntarily. Were it not for the strong embrace, Celestia would have cried. As it was, she just sighed and buried her face in Rawsthorne's nightgown.

"Come now, you need rest and you need to stop trying. It's not helping you any. Come, let's get you a shower and then put you to bed."

It was reasonable. Without the human, she would likely have kept trying until she hurt herself, or she would have run out and called Mr. Plain to get her home as quickly as he could.
In a way she was glad Rawsthorne was taking charge. He was right. Sleep would help. Who knew - maybe she would wake up in her old shape anyway, and if not, her owner would know whom to call and ask.

They would figure it out! They had to!

The silver lining was that she got to sleep cuddled with her Rawsthorne, it turned out. He didn't clean her bed and she didn't particularly feel like it anymore. If he ordered her, Celestia would have done it, but maybe he sensed her fragile state of mind and let it go for the moment.

He bundled up her toys in the towels she had put down and dropped it all in the bathroom sink. He didn't say if any of it had leaked to the sheets and the mattress. It could wait. She was grateful for that.

Unfortunately, she couldn't quite enjoy the unexpected cuddles. Her mind kept running in the same circle over and over. What if she couldn't find a way to turn back? What if she would be stuck as an earth pony?

Would her magic fail after a time? How would her life change when she got back home? Did she even want to return like that?

The human broke her out of her thoughts with a prod on her muzzle. "Hey. Snap out of it! We'll figure it out."

She became aware of her surroundings again. Of course. Her owner's bedroom. His bathrobe - she vaguely remembered cooperating when he put it on her. His bed.

Funny thing, her heat was no longer a problem. The shock and fear and worry made any desires she might have had go away. Even when he had helped her shower. Not even a twinge down there. Small blessings, right?

She was called upon to say something. "Oh. Yes. Of course. Thank you."

He poked her nose again. "Hey! I'm serious. Don't get hung up on the problems until we know for sure. I'll bet you either Mrs. Turner or Glowbug know how to deal with this!"

The human was right. Celestia wrenched her mind back to the present. She gave his finger a half-hearted lick. "Yes. Thank you, Rawsthorne."

It still wasn't the response he was looking for. He pinched an ear between his fingers and forced her head around. She had to look at him.

That finally broke through. "OW! Hey! Watch it!"

Rawsthorne inspected her face for a moment. "Back with me? Stay here. You're not helping yourself like that."

He was right. What was happening to her? The alicorn had faced down changelings, disasters, war; even Discord in her time. Why was this new crisis any different? She had always put her faith in her subjects and they had never let her down. This problem would be the same. If Glowbug couldn't help, then Twilight Sparkle would come through. If not, perhaps that Starlight Glimmer - she was a magical genius by all accounts.
Except, this was different from all her past disasters because it was personal! Before, the fate of Equestria had hung in the balance. Celestia could not afford to break down and abandon her subjects. Now it was just her. Nopony really depended on her at the moment.

The tightly-wound bundle of emotions brought on by her heat didn't help. In addition, she had succeeded in letting the Princess go, at least to an extent. The pony Celestia could afford to break down a little. At least she didn't cry. It was just worry and she could stop that. Rawsthorne was right. Stressing over it wasn't doing her any good.

The mare took a deep breath, then forced a small smile. "Thanks. I think I needed that." She still probably wouldn't be able to sleep, but that was no reason to keep her owner up as well. She shuffled until her flank was resting against his side and closed her eyes. "Good night, Gregory."

The bed shifted as the human reached for the light switch. Then again as he settled back down. He was lying on his back and his elbow was pressed lightly against her barrel. It wouldn't do. If he insisted on comforting her through the night, he would do it properly.

"No, turn."

Rawsthorne froze for a moment, but then obeyed. He shifted to his side, facing her. The mare lifted herself a little.

"Arm."

It slid under her obediently. Good. Celestia laid down and pushed her back and rump into Rawsthorne's belly. The other arm went around her barrel. She approved. The human was learning fast.

"Better. Good night, Gregory."

He didn't answer. Perhaps he didn't like the sleeping arrangements? Tough luck, he had offered it himself! It was warm and pleasant. Perhaps she would even sleep like that. She closed her eyes. Spooned as she was, Celestia could almost believe that everything would be right with the world in the morning. She felt quite safe.

A mare could get used to that! She was almost happy until the treacherous thoughts came back. Her eyes flew open, even if there was nothing to see in the darkness.

"Gregory?"

"Hmm?" he didn't sound annoyed or cross.

"We will have to tell Mrs. Turner and Glowbug about me."

There was silence for a while. Then the arm around her barrel moved and the hand stroked her chest fluff. "I guess so. Can't be helped. Or do you have an idea?"

She didn't. "No. I hope they can keep a secret."

"Most people can keep a secret. Don't worry. Even if your friends find out, would it really matter that much?" the human brought up his old argument.

"Maybe not, but I'd prefer not to risk it." She considered telling him. About the ploy and her misdirection. She might have to leave soon, anyway.

The human deserved the truth, at least. He had been nothing but nice to her, even after all the money he spent and the troubles she had caused him.

Celestia opened her mouth again to say it. "Gregory?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for everything. I hope someday I can show you exactly how much this all means to me."

She was a coward! But now maybe wasn't the time for absolute honesty. She would tell him. Just... some other time. The mare suddenly realized there had been no reply, and his hand was still.

"Gregory? Are you asleep?"

His hand resumed its stroking. "No. And it's fine. I like having you around."

It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. She smiled in the darkness. "Okay, now say that last part, but skip the words 'having' and 'around'."

Had to be worth a try, right? It made him laugh, anyway. "Oh, fine! I like you."

She felt very good about that. They could definitely build on it. Now she really hoped Glowbug could keep a secret, and tha she could help her out of this predicament. She needed more time with Rawsthorne, to find out where it would go.

Celestia fell asleep while thinking about how to convince the unicorn to keep quiet about her.

Chapter 23

It was the moment of truth. Celestia couldn't help leaning a little against Rawsthorne as they sat on the couch. Mrs. Turner was in the comfy armchair and Glowbug seemed perfectly happy sitting on her haunches beside her owner. The mare didn't know too much about the middle-aged woman in front of them. She lived alone, but Celestia didn't know what had happened to her husband. There had to have been one at some point, because she had a daughter somewhere.

The unicorn was there to help her around the house and chat with her on the evenings. Glowbug herself had told her that much. It was, by no accounts, a bad life. Aside from occasional punishments, which were necessary because Glowbug was - in Celestia's opinion - a little bit spoiled, the pony had free reign of the house and could go outside on errands. She was allowed to attend the pony meetings and even had an allowance.

Yes, the mare was technically a slave, but there were ponies worse off. On some level, Glowbug seemed to know it, which was why she had never really tried to escape. She was generally good, aside from occasional mischief. Right at the moment, the unicorn wasn't entirely certain why they were there. She had been happy to visit, but quickly noticed Celestia's uneasy, worried mood.

The disguise was still there when she had woken up.

"So, tell me what exactly is the problem?" Mrs. Turner asked Rawsthorne. "Something about the ring I loaned you? It worked perfectly for Glowbug."

Celestia looked pleadingly at her owner, who sighed and obliged her earlier request. "I'm sorry about this, Mrs. Turner," Rawsthorne said slowly, "but I need to ask you: can you keep this a secret? I would very much prefer that word of this doesn't get out."

"Word of what, dear?"

"Please, a promise?" he insisted and Celestia's heart swelled with pride and gratitude.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Is this a lawyer thing? Confidentiality, or what's it called? Anyway, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut."

"Not exactly a 'lawyer thing', as you put it, but thank you. You too, Glowbug? Supple doesn't want you to tell the others, okay?"

The unicorn looked at the man with wide, surprised eyes, but she also agreed. "Fine, fine. I promise too."

They were intensely curious and Celestia couldn't keep a neutral expression anymore. Her ears sagged and she looked down. Luckily, Rawsthorne explained the problem.

"I'm afraid Supple Branch isn't all she seems. Apparently she is well-known in her home country, so she adopted a disguise on Earth to avoid certain types of danger."

Here it came. As soon as Glowbug heard, she would know everything. That reminded her and the Princess looked up sharply.

"E-excuse me, Gregory? Could I tell Glowbug myself in the other room?"

It was a strange request, but her owner shrugged and nodded.

"Come with me, p-please."

The unicorn was now extra curious and quickly followed Celestia to the kitchen. She waited for her to shut the door, then pierced her with a stare. "Well? Why all the secrecy? Who are you really?"

Celestia gulped in trepidation. "Look, it's complicated. I told Gregory I'm well-known, but I haven't told him exactly who I am. Once you know, you'll understand, okay? Just promise me you won't tell him."

The unicorn stared in stunned silence. Finally, she managed to get words out. "Just who in Tartarus are you, Supple? All the secrecy. Is there a single person on Earth you haven't lied to?"

Celestia nearly whimpered as she considered the question. Maybe the only human she hadn't lied to about her identity - only because he hadn't asked - was Denis. The irony was palpable.

"Please?"

Her fear and worry came through and Glowbug softened. She went and hugged her friend. "Shh, it's okay. Just tell me. I promise I won't give out your secret. Are you like a wanted criminal or something? Some celebrity? What?!"

Celestia took a deep breath. "I'm an- an alicorn."

The reaction was very different than she had expected. The unicorn practically hissed and leapt away. She stared at Celestia with a mixture of fear, suspicion and animosity. It surprised her for a second, but then her mind connected the pieces together and the alicorn felt her own fur rise in response. She took a few steps backward.

"You! You are a- a-" Celestia felt faint and seriously considered flinging the door open and running for it. She was not ready for this, and neither was Rawsthorne.

She nearly slapped herself in the face. Glowbug's name was a dead giveaway! Stupid, stupid Celestia! The hiss had given her the final clue she needed. No pony ever made a noise like that!

"-Changeling!"

Now Glowbug looked panicky. "How do you know?!"

The mares stared at each other. "I should blast you right now! How long have you been hiding?!"

"Me?!" Glowbug spat. "Look at yourself! You're doing the same thing!"

Being compared to one of the evil little bugs?! It made Celestia growl. "I am not! I don't feed on Gregory love! Parasite!"

They kept watching each other. The alicorn had her magic wound up and ready to loose. The changeling was undoubtedly doing the same. Of course Glowbug wouldn't be a match for an alicorn and they both knew it. Unless she was Chrysalis herself, but if that were the case, she would have struck already.

Judging from her face, the Glowbug was thinking the same thing. "Which one are you?"

There was no point in hiding it. "Celestia."

Another hiss and the creature pushed herself further into a corner. "Usurper!"

It wasn't a word she was expecting. "What?! What are you talking about?"

"The Queen said you stole her rightful throne! Usurper! Deceiver! Tyrant!"

It shouldn't really surprise her that Chrysalis would stoop to lies, but the words still stung. "Am not! Your Queen is the deceitful one, creature!"

The door opened and both humans came in, staring. "What's all the racket?" Rawsthorne asked, but Celestia stepped in front of him protectively.

"Please leave, Gregory. She is dangerous. I've got it in hoof."

Mrs. Turner slipped past before the alicorn could stop her, and she didn't dare use any of her magic for a spell to pull her back. She might need all of it for the changeling.

"No, wait! You don't know what kind of creature she is!"

The woman stood in front of her pony and glared. "A changeling? Yes, I know."

It made Celestia reel back. "Well... Then you don't know what she does!"

"Feeds on emotion," the woman said.

Celestia felt her mouth drop open, especially when she saw Glowbug's smug grin. The unicorn rubbed her face against the woman's leg, possessively, like a cat.

"Supple, Mrs. Turner explained it to me. That's why the horn ring did what it did. It was designed to force Glowbug to keep her pony shape. There are no secrets there. Except, it seems, between you ponies."

Mrs. Turner continued the explanation. "Really, Supple Branch. You assume too much. I'm aware what Glowbug is, and what she needs to live. She's helped me through some tough times, so there's plenty of love for her to eat."

It was a world gone mad! Not only was the woman knowingly keeping one of those things in her home, she was willing feeding it, too!

She looked helplessly at her owner, who shrugged. "I don't see a problem with it, Supple. Besides, is it any more of a secret than yours?"

"Yeah! You can drop the act, Mr. Rawsthorne. I know who she is. Right, Celestia? Or should I say..." the unicorn announced smugly.

She was about to tell him her full title! Rawsthorne could not learn it from Glowbug! Celestia had to be the one to tell him! She wasn't ready! Everything would go wrong!

In her panicky desperation, the alicorn saw no choice but to throw herself on the creature's mercy, if there even was any. "Please!"

It was a quiet plea. Maybe it was pitiful enough that it softened Glowbug's heart, or maybe the years on Earth and interacting with ponies had made her nicer. The unicorn didn't say it. She even relaxed a little.

"Okay, so now that's over with, let's see about your problem, shall we?" Mrs. Turner said, as if the entire thing was solved.

The worst part was that Rawsthorne seemed to think the same. They went back to the living room, calling for the mares to follow.

Celestia stepped in front of the unicorn to block her path and lowered her voice. "Please don't tell him. Or the others. Please. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am asking for your help."

Glowbug glared a little. "I'm not a monster like you think I am. If I tell the others anything, you'll tell them about me. I happen to like my friends!"

Undoubtedly they were a part of her diet. It nearly made Celestia sick, but she had no real choice. "Okay. I won't tell about you and you keep your mouth shut about me. Deal?"

The changeling nodded. "Deal. But only because I like you. Celestia or not, I considered Supple Branch my friend."

It felt as if the changeling was showing her up. It made the alicorn blush in shame and hang her head. "Well, you nearly snapped my head off when I told you!"

Now it was her turn to seem embarrassed. Glowbug replied: "I reacted, okay? It was a shock. You did a good job hiding it. I mean- you video-sexed Heavy Hoof! And then blam! You've really been Princess Celestia all this time. Way better disguise than any of mine!"

Was it praise or derision? She couldn't be quite sure, not with one of them, so Celestia decided to take it as the former.

"Anyway, I left all that behind. I don't want to go back. It's a good life here, compared to the Hive. So please - you ponies always talk about second chances. This is mine." The unicorn simply walked around her and followed the humans to the living room. Celestia went after her.

How many times has her world turned upside down on Earth? She had lost count. This time, the short and simple of it was was that Princess Celestia was a bigger sneak and liar than a changeling! She walked behind the unicorn in complete shock, but Rawsthorne quickly reminded her of the real problem.

"So, it seems the ring prevents this changing magic. So how do we turn her back?"

The unicorn examined her for a moment. "May I? Just a harmless probe. It may tickle a bit."

Celestia nodded.

Glowbug concentrated for a moment and this time her horn went green. Changeling magic, undoubtedly! Disgust warred with her worry that she would be stuck in her disguise. In the end, she let it happen, even if she imagined it felt cold and slimy.

"Hmm. You had the ring on, and then you changed into something without a horn. Well, that was stupid. Why couldn't you have picked a unicorn for your disguise? It would have let you use your magic."

Why indeed? Just one reason, really. "I wanted to be more inconspicuous."

Glowbug barked a laugh. "What? Humans would notice a unicorn, but ignore an earth pony? Yeah, good luck with that. Even those who know the difference don't give a shit when they see you have a horn ring."

"Well, are you going to help or not? Can you even do anything?"

The green glow was back and the changeling prodded at her. She came closer to peer into her eyes for a moment. Then walked around, touching her flank with a hoof, prodding at her knees.

"Well, it's a complete disguise. Hmm," the unicorn said to herself and continued her inspection.

"Where do your horn and wings go when you change, anyway?"

"I don't really know. Someplace else. But they're still attached to you, if that's what you're asking. Just not... here. Hopefully, mine go to the same place as yours."

Her owner pointed out: "The remote for the ring doesn't work."

"I know," Glowbug replied. "The scientist at the facility, who studied me and made my first ring said pretty much the same thing. That I shouldn't change into anything other than a unicorn, because it would be tricky to get it back."

"Tricky?" Celestia didn't like the sound of that. She completely ignored the news that Glowbug had been studied by humans like a lab animal. Perhaps later, when she was back to herself, she would feel some pity.

Suddenly the unicorn lowered her head and examined the alicorn's belly from below. "There is one thing we could try."

It filled Celestia with relief. If there was one thing to try, even if it didn't work, that usually meant there were others, and the changeling would think of them, if she had to.

"Anything!"

Glowbug looked at Mrs. Turner. "Take my ring off, just for a minute. I don't wanna end up stuck like her."

If she had any doubts about the trust between the two, it was dispelled now. The woman smoothly brought her remote from her pocket and unlocked the ring. The changeling levitated it from her horn with a sigh of relief.

"Why do you force her to wear it at all?"

"So I don't slip up and change accidentally," the unicorn explained.

"And because you're a brat sometimes and need a timeout from your magic to get you back in line," her owner added.

It made Glowbug turn red. "Yeah, also that."

"Okay, I'll change to my... normal shape. Please don't freak out."

At first Celestia thought that was meant for Rawsthorne, but the mare was staring directly at her. Undoubtedly she was worried about more of Celestia's instincts and prejudices surfacing, but she didn't wait for confirmation. There was the too-familiar green glow and the creature stood before them. Rawsthorne gasped in surprise but not - Celestia was proud to notice - in disgust.

"Gimme your remote," the changeling told him. The human obeyed and held it out. Glowbug easily grasped it in a simple levitation spell. "Well, I hope this works," she proclaimed.

"What will you do?"

"I'll take the remote to the same place our limbs go when we change. And then I'll unlock your ring from there."

"What?! How?!

"Simple. I'll change into something that doesn't have a head," Glowbug explained as she placed the remote in her teeth, so that she would push the unlock button if she bit down.

It was ridiculous, but she was the expert, out of the four of them. It did sound reasonable, if a little crazy.

"Ready?"

Celestia swallowed and nodded. Whatever Glowbug was, helping the alicorn out of this mess would go a long way to proving herself truly different.

"Yes."

"Here we go." The changeling was enveloped by the green glow again. When it was gone, the sight made the alicorn a little queasy. It was still her body, but a smooth stump where the head should be. It was a very disconcerting sight and both humans grimaced a little.

Then, suddenly, Celestia felt the magic grip her and she transformed back into herself. A moment later there was the green light around Glowbug again and she ended up in her unicorn guise. She spat out the remote.

It had worked! The alicorn felt herself going weak at the knees as relief washed through her. She sagged a little and would have collapsed if Rawsthorne hadn't grabbed her around the neck to steady her.

"That's great. See? I told you Mrs. Turner and Glowbug would be able to help us," he pointed out. It was true, the human had said that, but at the time it was just a little white lie to help her sleep.

She reared up to hug her owner and peppered his cheek with kisses. "You did! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She was both laughing and crying at the same time, happy that the disaster was averted.

They were so preoccupied with their little celebration that Celestia barley felt the horn ring being tugged off.

"You probably don't need this anymore," Glowbug said. "I only have a few of them and no way to get more."

In her elation, Celestia let her owner go and swooped up the unicorn in a full, winged and hooved hug. She planted a kiss on her cheek also. "Thank you!"

Glowbug made a face, but then smiled a little. "Well, you just paid me back, so we're even."

"Paid you- what?"

The changeling kept her smile. "The thanks. It tastes delicious, by the way."

Perhaps the Princess dropped the unicorn a bit too quickly, but she made her face remain neutral. She hadn't really felt anything as Glowbug took her emotion, but knowing it had happened wasn't entirely pleasant by itself.

She hurriedly went to hug the woman as well. "And thank you, too, Mrs. Turner. Both for letting us borrow the ring and coming to help right now!"

The woman was staring a little. "My, you're a pretty thing! I don't know why you'd ever want to hide this, sweetie! You're lovely!"

The alicorn blushed. "Uh, thank you."

However grateful, Celestia was still glad to watch them go. Seeing Glowbug around the pony meetings would be hard, but the alicorn would keep her promise if the changeling kept hers.

"I'm happy I'm back to normal, but that is one secret I could have lived without knowing."

"What? Glowbug being that- what did you call it? Changeling?" Rawsthorne asked. He closed the front door and turned to stare at the mare. "Why would that be such a problem?"

The Princess didn't enjoy bringing those memories up, but he deserved an answer after the little show he had seen between herself and Glowbug. "Changelings keep trying to take over my... uh, country. They feed on emotion - love and joy and friendship, and they want to turn ponies into a food source. I've always considered them enemies and monsters."

"Well, Glowbug seemed nice enough. Maybe living on Earth has changed her," he said, repeating her own guess.

"I thought the same thing. We'll see."

The mare felt for the sun. It was directly above them. Time to do some work. At least it would distract her. "I'll get lunch started."

"There's still your room. And your toys in the bathroom sink. And the laundry," Rawsthorne pointed out, rather unhelpfully.

That reminded her and her ears folded down in despair. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. "Oh. Right. I'm still in heat, but now there's no ring."

He laughed at her sudden misery and laid his hand on her withers in a show of comfort. "You can handle it."

She didn't feel quite as confident, but Celestia still gave him a faint smile. "We'll see. Just don't say I didn't warn you if I come for you in the night."

Chapter 24

"Gregory, we need to do something!"

Celestia was getting desperate. With the scare over her horn ring mishap over, the mare was feeling her heat again. It had returned with a vengeance, wild and hot and irresistible.

The human looked away from the boring game he was watching on the TV. "Your toys aren't helping?" he asked, as if offering a suggestion.

She groaned. "No! I told you so before. They are a stopgap measure at best. My body knows the difference between a toy and- the real thing."

The pony still blushed, even without actually saying it. She was imagining it clearly enough. She took a breath and went on: "Tonight. Soon! I'll want the- uh, the... latter!"

There was more bad news. She might as well lay it all out on the table and be done with it, Celestia thought. "Now there's no horn ring, so however well you tie me up, I'll just magic my way out."

Finally she was done and the pony was left breathing heavily and staring at Rawsthorne. It wasn't just exertion that was making her out of breath!

The human seemed to sense it too. "Well, any suggestions?" he asked very cautiously.

She didn't like the idea she'd come up with, but they were running out of options. "I'll get drunk."

"What?! How will that help?"

The mare went to him and sat on the thick carpet. She had to wriggle her rump a little to shift the folded towel to a more comfortable spot. She didn't even mind it at this point, because otherwise she would be leaking everywhere. It was yet another reminder of her problem. She froze, desperately trying to get a grip. Don't, she thought fervently, don't grind!

At least Rawsthorne accepted her head in his lap without comment, and he didn't need prompting to put his hands on her head and begin massaging her ears.

"I won't be able to use magic against you if I am drunk enough. And then I'll be sick, and I'll feel wretched and tired and I won't bother you."

He still seemed horrified. "That's barbaric!"

Barbaric was it? Maybe he'd prefer the other idea? "Alternatively, you could just - do the 'latter'. If that would make you feel better."

The human frowned, failing to understand her. "The latter? What do you mean?"

Celestia groaned a little and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Rut me! Put me in bed, get on behind me and just stick it in like a normal stallion!"

When she realized what she had said, Celestia 'eeped' and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at how red her owner was in the face. Probably not more than her, plus hers showed better on white fur!

Human faces were inherently pink. It didn't seem fair.

Her next words were very quiet. "Sorry. It's... bad. I can't stop thinking about it."

Rawsthorne coughed nervously. "Well, any other options?"

The pony forced herself to think. "Call Mrs. Turner back to bring the ring? If I don't try to change again it should still work."

She didn't like the idea in the slightest but before long she would be desperate. She blinked and looked at her owner to gauge his reaction. He wasn't a big fan either.

"Or call Heavy Hoof - he said we could do it with a condom, but you'll have to make him swear he won't give away my secret." She thought that last bit over again. "Or maybe just don't bother. With Glowbug and him, I might as well tell everypony and face the music. I'm nearly ready to do it, too!"

"That bad?" Rawsthorne asked sympathetically.

"Yes!"

The human looked back up at the TV. "Okay, let me think for a minute."

The pony just grunted. The scratches were helping a little. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. The lap under her chin was very warm and the monotonous voice from the TV was helping her relax.

"Celestia? Wake up!"

She didn't like the tone. The alicorn had been half-dreaming and smacked her lips a little. She couldn't remember what the dream was about, but it was making her hot and cold all over, both at the same time.

"Celestia!"

She jerked awake and opened her eyes. Rawsthorne was staring down at her. She was still in his lap and his pants were soaked. The mare hurriedly pulled her tongue back in.

"Eep!" She moved her head away. Yeah, she had definitely slobbered a little. More than a little. "How long was I out?!"

Rawsthorne stood up and gingerly pulled the cloth away from himself. "A minute, maybe two."

She sighed. "You j-just smelled so nice. I swear I didn't do it intentionally, Gregory!"

Her owner sighed and began the awkward, uncomfortable shuffle toward the bathroom. The mare followed him anxiously. "Please, you have to believe me! I just dozed off and my nose was right there, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

He paused and looked at her with concern. "Go down to the basement, you know where the liquor cabinet is?"

She nodded with her ears folded back in shame.

"Take whatever you need," the man said, but had to pause to think. "There should be all sorts. Denis keeps bringing it from his vacation in Europe. Take two bottles. No, wait. Make it three."

Celestia heaved a shuddering sigh and dragged herself away. She knew about the cabinet in the back of the laundry room. Why it was there, she couldn't guess. But Rawsthorne never drank and didn't seem to have guests often. Possibly it was just conveniently out of the way. She went downstairs and looked through the bottles. It seemed like no one had touched them in a long time.

The mare remembered the layer of dust which had been on the cabinet when she cleaned it a few weeks ago. She might even be the first person ever to take anything out of there! She picked the most beautiful bottles she could find. One was an elegant round affair with amber liquid. It read 'Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey'. It sounded exotic. And then there was the nice, green one - it gave her some trouble to read in the unfamiliar language:

"Di-able Vert. Absinthe?" She wondered how it was really pronounced.

Rawsthorne had said to take three. She picked a clear bottle with another strange name. She tried to say it anyway, just for the fun of it, and for the small distraction it offered.

"Bauer's Obstler? Schnapps? Forty percent."

She levitated the bottles from their shelves and closed the cabinet. Then she went to look for the human.

Maybe it would even be fun. She would have to do it on her own, though. The alicorn couldn't risk blabbing about who she really was and her lies about the slavery. She couldn't let him find out from drunk Celestia! Rawsthorne was back in the living room with fresh pants. He simply watched as she arrayed the bottles before him on the coffee table.

Then he looked up at her. "Interesting choices. Your favourites?"

The pony shook her head. "No, I don't know any of them, but I don't mind trying. It's been ages since I had a real drink, so I guess it won't take a whole lot."

It was just as well. She didn't want to use up too many of them. The bottles looked expensive. "I'll go to my room. Can you lock it from the outside? Oh, and..."

She concentrated for a moment. Several large towels floated from the laundry room upstairs to her bed. And the plastic bucket she had used for the mop whizzed past them. Hopefully she would remember to throw up in there, rather than on the floor or bed. Either way, she was getting used to cleaning up messes in her room.

The human watched it strangely. "You can drink here, I don't really mind. And I'll make sure you don't hurt yourself."

She wanted to. She really wanted to. Maybe she could get him to take a glass or two as well. Maybe it would loosen him up to consider the 'latter option', but she really didn't know what she would be like when drunk. The danger of spilling her secret was simply too great.

The alicorn sighed sadly. "I don't want you to see me like that. I will take care of it. It's just tonight, and then tomorrow I'll be able to control it again."

He was about to argue and Celestia knew she would give in if he did.

"Shut up!" She was dangerously near tears. "Not a word, Gregory! If you won't do what I need you to do, because 'it would be wrong'..."

Her wings made the air quotes almost without her thinking about it.

"...then this is the only thing I can do to obey your wishes! Yes, it will be wretched and I can't imagine how awful I'll feel in the morning!"

She took a shuddering breath and made her glare return. "But I will not have you watching as I do this! I will not have you see me drunk out of my mind and mad with the heat! You will do me the courtesy of not listening, either!"

The Princess was in court, that's what her voice carried, and it worked. The human lowered his eyes and nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said, at last.

"So am I. But after this, you owe me!" It didn't quite make sense, she knew. It was her body that was the problem, and her own mistake in not coming to Earth prepared. At the very least, she could have warned her owner in advance to get her a non-changeling horn ring in time, but she was suffering and she would make at least part of it Rawsthorne's fault!

"Well..." He was about to reach the same conclusion as her - that it was her own failures that had led to this.

"No! No excuses! I'll do this to spare your feelings, but I get my bath privileges back! I will have completed my punishment, okay?!"

Rawsthorne sighed and stood up. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry, Celestia."

It was a small victory, at least. "Well, fine. When this is all over, we'll talk!"

The emotions were slipping out of her control. She should get out of the room before she said something foolish and ruined everything! But this had been collecting in her gut for a while and it had to come out before she burst.

"If all you want is a house maid, that's fine. I can do that - I'll find what I need someplace else, but I'd like something more! You don't get to be this nice to me and not expect a mare to fall head over hooves! You can't be this kind and understanding without getting something back, okay?!" The tears were starting in earnest and she looked away. Her owner wasn't answering her, but he was looking and waiting for her to finish.

"I l-" It still wouldn't come out and the alicorn cursed herself for cowardice. "I like you, Greg. I really do."

Even now she blushed, even with this half-admission. How could the human be so thick?! Anyone with half a brain would understand what she wanted to say!

"You're emotional, I understand. Do what you have to today. I have some Tylenol in the medicine cabinet, I'll leave it out if you need it tomorrow."

She couldn't believe it. Even after practically throwing herself at the human, he was just - friendly and understanding.

What did it take?! Could it be that he didn't believe her? That it was all the heat talking? Was it? It was a big, stupid mess and the mare let her head drop.

"We'll talk tomorrow. I'm sorry."

Now there was his hand, gliding down her withers and back. He was careful to avoid the wings as he brought his hand back to pat her neck gently.

"I expect we will, Celestia. I expect we will."

She whimpered a little and ran for it. After a moment, the bottles floated after her. Now she really needed that drink. Maybe it would quell her mind.

Even before she had fully shut her door, the mare was sobbing quietly. She threw herself on the bed, hurriedly unstoppered the green bottle and lifted it up to her mouth.

It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, but at the same time it was the most vile, disgusting, burning liquid she had ever swallowed. She heard the lock on her door click as Rawsthorne turned the key. The pony sighed and took another swig.

The blasted heat was ruining everything! It was making her stupid. It was driving her to do and say all these idiotic things! Yes there was something she felt for the human, but was it love? Respect? Kinship? Was he a friend, or a potential mate?

Did she even want anything to happen, truly? It was impossible to tell, not with the mixture of hormones rushing through her body. She put the green bottle down on her end table and opened the amber one.

"Gah!"

That burned even worse than the first one, but she persisted and gulped thirstily until it was a quarter gone. Please, let it work quickly! She wanted to stop thinking.

The toys were on her bed, waiting. Soon, the alcohol would cloud her mind and then she would probably reach for them. Anything, just to get the night over with!

She wanted to be herself again, not a slave to her... her marebits!

The first minute after waking up was fine, but then Celestia made the mistake of trying to move.

"Ughhhh."

It was barely a groan. She didn't even know how she had been able to sleep. Her head and forelegs were on the bed and the rest of her was hanging down to the floor. No wonder her back felt stiff.

And the smell. Gah! Yuck!

At least most of her sick ended up in the bucket. Even so, the mare couldn't stand it much longer. She stood up on wobbly legs and reached clumsily for her magic. It was slow and faltering, but she managed to open the window and toss the plastic abomination out. She would find it and wash it later. When her head stopped pounding like that.

It was overcast outside, but the mare was only dimly aware of that. If it rained, it might wash the bucket some. The alicorn froze as there was a knock on her door.

"Celestia? Are you alright?"

It was Rawsthorne! The pony glanced at her clock. Nearly eleven! He should have been at work. Not fair! Not again! He wasn't supposed to be around to see her like that again! The mare hurriedly climbed on her bed and desperately tried to blow the bad air out with her wings.

At least this time she had wings!

The door opened and the human stepped in.

"Eep!" She flushed somewhere between pink and red as they looked at each other. Why did the human keep finding her on the windowsill doing something silly?!

"How are you feeling?"

Celestia slowly lowered herself from the window and lay down on her bed. "Blergh!"

Again, the human didn't sit down beside her. Not on that bed! He still came forward, though. At least the pat or the scratch would be nice, the mare thought. Then she smelled water. Oh yes, Rawsthorne was carrying a glass. She hadn't been paying much attention, but now it reminded her just how thirsty she was.

"Here, take this. It should help," the human said. "I called the vet and it's okay for ponies."

Thoughtful, even if 'vet' stung a little. She opened her mouth and accepted the pill. Then she had to lift her head a little so her owner could give her water. She was grateful for that. The mare wasn't sure her magic was up to such a delicate task just yet. A glass was much smaller than a bucket.

"Thank you, Gregory."

There it was. He had seen her at her absolute worst. No doubt he was permanently turned off mares. Stupid body, and stupid heat and stupid alcohol and stupid... other fluids. The room was a mess. The towels hadn't helped. It just looked like she had fallen off the bed in the middle of her 'fun', so now it was in the carpet, too.

"I'll clean it all up, I swear! I just need a few minutes..." She remembered the time and looked at the human sharply. "You were supposed to be at work anyway!"

He shrugged. "Took a sick day. Thought you might need some help. It didn't sound pleasant last night."

And here came the blush again. "Sorry." She closed her eyes. The pounding in her head was making it hard to think and all her muscles were sore. Not to mention the taste in her mouth was absolutely foul.

"Please go away." Above all, she didn't want Rawsthorne to see her like that! When she had started to drink herself into a stupor, her one pleasant thought was that the human wouldn't be there to see the aftermath. She was supposed to have the house empty for at least a few more hours, so she could clean up her room, herself and maybe even do the laundry!

It was completely unfair! She couldn't choke back the sob. Why did he have to be so nice about it all? There it was! His hand in her mane already, patting comfortingly.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" the jerk asked, as if he didn't know. "It's not that bad, is it? Do you want me to get another pill?"

She shook her head. "It's..." Celestia couldn't get the words out around the lump in her throat.

Still the human didn't understand! The hand slid up to her head and pried open one of her ears, which she was holding pressed firmly against her skull. "Come on, anything you need. I want to help," Rawsthorne cooed as he fiddled with her ear.

That just made it worse. If he really wanted to help her, he could have said 'yes' last night. There would still be a mess, but it would be in his room, and it would be a beautiful mess!

The pony took a deep breath and opened her eye. It sought out Rawsthorne. "What I need is my dignity back."

He didn't know how to answer that, which gave Celestia a tiny victory. "Please get out of the room. I need a shower, and I need to clean this up. And - ugh! - I need to brush my teeth a couple of times. And then I'll go and make us lunch."

He didn't seem quite sure about that plan. "Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem-"

"No!" It was an effort, but Celestia lifted her head up. "You've seen enough! I'm not even embarrassed anymore, Greg! It's gone beyond that. I need this! Let me pull myself together on my own, okay?!"

She shook her head and dislodged the hand. "Once I'm presentable again I will seek you out."

Outside it started to rain. It felt appropriate and also it would make it easier to clean up after the bucket. Maybe if she went out, it would even wash some of her shame away.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Rawsthorne asked. "It's really no problem. I can make us sandwiches, or we can order something."

"Shut up!" It was perhaps more forceful than she had intended, but the mare felt brittle. A wrong touch or a bad memory and she would go to pieces again, and the human would never be allowed see any more of that! She would make sure, even if she had to blind him!

She pushed her owner away with a hoof, then resolutely slid out of the bed. She made her legs hold her steady and kept her glare on Rawsthorne.

"It's done! My heat is over!" That wasn't entirely true - she would be quite excitable for a few days, but the worst was behind her and Celestia felt she could control the rest of it. "You saw what it did to me. I'd rather you didn't, but there it is! If you want to do me favours, let me get on with my work and forget what happened! I don't need, nor want, your pity."

Had he returned her feelings, she would have gladly taken comfort from those hands and that lap, but he hadn't, so she wouldn't either. He hadn't, even after she had nearly presented her-

Celestia stopped the thought ruthlessly and went on around it. Even after that he didn't want her. Either he was a complete gentlecolt, or the human didn't feel even slightly attracted to someone of another species.

The former - she could work with that. As for the latter... Then she would serve out her role in his house with as much grace and dignity as she could muster, and then, once she was fed up with it, she would leave. As simple as that.

Leave without even telling Rawsthorne anything.

She just watched the human silently. She knew how she looked - frazzled, tangled mess of a mane, matted and sticky fur. Tail and rear practically encrusted with- best not to think about what. Her wings were in a disarray, her chin was covered in dried up sick and there was probably a wild, crazed look in her eyes.

It was the ugliest she had ever felt and still the human didn't avert his eyes. He didn't step away, or cover his nose from the stench. His lack of a reaction gave her an impossible hope.

It would all hinge on what the human said next, so she waited. Even with all her experience, there was no way to guess at what the man was thinking, but she made her face impassive - he wouldn't know either! Not anymore.

At long last, he reached out and picked a bit of something gross out of the fur on her cheek. "Maybe you don't want pity, but what you need is a bath. Go down and enjoy yourself. This-" he waved his arm around the destroyed room, "-can wait. And if the carpet is ruined, I'll have it replaced. Don't worry about it, Celestia."

She just kept her eyes on him. Okay, maybe it would all hinge on the next thing, then!

"Don't worry, you're still quite pretty under all that."

Her composure broke, but only for an instant. Enough for a single sob to escape her. She reached out her wings and hugged her owner.

"Tell me there's still a chance!"

If she had been impressed before, she was doubly so now. Not only did the human fail to show any revulsion at being nuzzled by all that dirt, he even put an arm around her neck!

"There's always been a chance, Celestia. Let's wait till your heat is completely over, then we'll see, okay?"

She nodded against his cheek.

"Now go get that bath. That's an order!"

She nodded again, but now the mare was smiling a little. "Yes, Master Rawsthorne."

Chapter 25

The week passed in near silence. Celestia barely spoke with Rawsthorne and he seemed fine with that. Her shame slowly slid into the past and the pony no longer found her face coloring the instant she saw her owner.

'There has always been a chance,' he had said. A chance for them. She wanted it! Not the physical aspect of it - that had really been just the heat - but the emotional connection.

The mare threw herself into housework until every surface gleamed, every carpet was spotless and not a single speck of dust was to be found anywhere in the house. It helped. Finally she could face the man again. On Saturday she made them a casserole - an interesting dish from the cookbook and very tasty if she replaced meat with broccoli. A bit of squash and a few mushrooms really perfected the dish. Even the human couldn't help but praise it.

When they had finished and Celestia washed all their dishes, she went to the living room, placed herself between the human and his TV and stared him down.

"What happens now?"

Of course he didn't immediately understand. "Hmm? What are you talking about, Celestia? Did something happen?"

"No. Between us. Things have been... quiet. I'd like for that to change."

The human leaned back against the couch and crossed his legs before answering: "Then talk."

When she saw the slight smile, the pony realized that her owner intended to have some fun at her expense. Undoubtedly he was trying to fluster her. It was unfair! He had seen her just about as embarrassed as she could possibly be and she had no way to turn the tables on him!

One of these days she would face Rawsthorne with the green bottle and make him empty it, just so she could see the human completely drunk. Except not today. For now, she decided to play along. Act as if everything was normal. Deny him his fun.

Celestia hopped on the couch and nestled against Rawsthorne's side. She sighed in comfort. "Do you wish to do something over the weekend? Go someplace?"

Maybe Rawsthorne was disappointed that she hadn't taken the bait, but he answered readily enough: "Actually, it will rain most of the time. I arranged with Maggie to bring Glitter Dust tomorrow. You two are going to clean the gutters and check the roof."

The two statements seemed to conflict. "You just said it would rain."

That smile was back. "I did."

"But you expect us to work on the roof?"

The human was too still. He was holding back laughter. "It wouldn't be much of a punishment if it was pleasant, would it?"

Celestia opened her mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. She was still a little mad at the pegasus for tricking her. An afternoon of rooting through wet and slimy gutters would be the perfect punishment.

Except the Princess wasn't cruel. "Okay, but when we are done, we get to use the steam room."

"Agreed."

So far, so good. "Then there's work. I guess I start again on Monday? The trade guide?"

The human nodded. "Yes, but you're a bit behind. If you can't finish it before the robbery case starts, you'll switch to that and finish the guideline later."

It didn't much matter. Celestia didn't care what sort of work she would have to do to atone for her overspending.

"Now, about your heat-" Instantly her ears were down and the mare froze in trepidation. The human didn't seem angry, or annoyed. He spoke a bit too calmly. Obviously he had been thinking about it. "I understand it was your biology and you couldn't help it, but that wasn't entirely pleasant to witness, you understand?"

The pony sighed. It wasn't as if she'd had any choice! She considered stomping angrily away, but that would not have helped either of them.

"It could have been very pleasant for us both! All you had to do was say 'yes'!"

Rawsthorne turned slightly to look at her. His face went all frowny and clouded. "You know that wouldn't have been fair of me."

"It was unfair one way or the other, Gregory! If you said yes, maybe I could have retained my dignity. Why are you so adamant about this?!"

Now there was a response. Her owner looked away and put a hand over his eyes. He drew a long breath. Something else was bothering him, and the mare couldn't say what, but she was intensely curious. She reached out a wing and tipped his face back to look at her.

"Please - you can tell me, I won't mind."

For a while it seemed he wouldn't, but Celestia waited and eventually he spoke: "My early career - it was criminal cases. Abuse, to be exact. Sometimes children."

There were a lot of memories there, she saw, and many of them were bad ones. The mare rested her wing around Rawsthorne's shoulders for the comfort it would bring. She still didn't speak.

"Some of them were quite bad. I often wished I didn't know the details." The human moved his hand from his face, but he didn't seem to know where to put it. It looked like he wanted to grasp her wing for comfort, but changed his mind. Celestia quickly prodded his fingers with a hoof and he gripped that instead.

She also smiled gently. "I understand. You have seen how bad it could be and you were worried I would feel like that once the heat was over."

"Exactly," Rawsthorne replied quickly. He seemed relieved she understood without having to hear the specifics. Thinking about it, so was Celestia. She didn't particularly want to hear details of such things.

"It was good for my career, but not good for me, you see?"

"You should have said. Okay, I don't mind, but it would have been easier if I had known! As it was, you just seemed prudish and obstinate. I wondered if maybe it was because you didn't find ponies attractive. We are a different species, after all."

Now the human shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. It was just that in heat you seemed remarkably similar to being drugged."

It was a relief. There wasn't something wrong with her. Rawsthorne didn't find her ugly or repulsive, even after seeing the mess she had made. It was just the human being reluctant because of the things he had seen. Worried that she would change her mind about being willing after the fact, maybe? It was a little flattering and sweet, now that she thought about it. He really did take her feelings into consideration.

Though perhaps a bit too much. "I appreciate your concern, really, but now it is over. I'm not 'drugged' anymore. So what happens now?"

The human didn't seem to have an answer: "I don't know."

She didn't either, but she knew it would take some work and patience. "Let's take it slow, then. How about a dinner sometime?"

For a moment the mare remembered that she was technically his slave. A slave asking her master out to dinner, no less. It was funny and she chuckled slightly to herself. "Don't worry - the quality of my housework will not slip, Gregory. I will not get ideas above my station."

Now he laughed as well. It was good that her owner had such a relaxed attitude toward her. It would make it easier to explain when she had to tell him the truth. At least she hoped it would.

"Oh, that reminds me. We are invited to lunch next weekend. It is Sally's birthday and Christine asked me to bring you."

It was only a child's party, but it sounded like fun and, naturally, there would be cake!

The mare gasped a little. "I will make the cake! I insist! Call Christine right now and tell her not to order it from anyplace else."

Rawsthorne paused to think for a moment, then brightened up. "Good idea. I know how you like to bake and you're good at it."

She nearly pumped her hoof in victory. Finally her owner had admitted it! More than that: here was an excuse to spend an entire day or two in the kitchen, just fiddling with biscuit and filling and decorations. In fact - the mare decided - she would make two! A chocolate cake and a fruit cake. The alicorn hadn't had much of a selection since she had started working for Rawsthorne, so it would be a nice excuse to remind herself of the taste.

Even as she began planning the treat Celestia noticed that the human was a little nervous. He was looking away, so she prodded with a hoof and demanded:

"There's more. Say it." Rawsthorne didn't quite look at her. "Actually, I already have an idea for a different gift. Well, Christine asked for it, actually."

"Oh?" The mare was curious to hear what the humans have come up with.

"This is only if you agree to it, understand? I will not force you to go through with it, Celestia."

He was very worried about her reaction. It sounded ominous, but she was burning with curiosity. "Yes?"

"A little saddle," he answered, but didn't say anything more.

The alicorn frowned in confusion. What would a young girl want with a saddle? The humans didn't give other humans rides, as far as she knew.

"Why a saddle? Why would Sally want a saddle?"

Rawsthorne caught her misunderstanding and he grinned a little. "Actually, it's for you."

"What?!" He had been right to be nervous! Celestia wasn't sure she liked the idea at all!

He explained quickly: "Christine asked me if you would be willing to give the kids pony rides. Nothing too strenuous, just a short walk with each of them. Besides, there's not that many. I'll buy the saddle, if you would do it."

They intended to use her as a beast of burden! Ride her! Her! Princess Celestia! The ruler of Equestria! She was about to give Rawsthorne a resounding 'no'. That ride she had given the child had been a one-time thing! He should have known that. The human should have told Christine that from the onset!

Cake, yes. Pony rides, no!

Then she paused. An insidious memory crept in - of the child laughing and bouncing up and down on her back and her grateful face, and her excited babbling to her mother about it. They were only children. Perhaps she could make an exception?

The mare hung her head. The request went straight into her heart. There was no way she could show up and disappoint the little girl and her friends. "Only those friends who are the same age as Sally, or younger. It's not to become a regular thing! Do you hear me Rawsthorne? I like that child, but you will not rent me out as a riding pony!"

He was starting to chuckle at her apparently fiery demands, but it only spurred her on. "I mean in, Rawsthorne! It is a special occasion, and I'm doing this for Sally only! The next time you promise someone a pony ride, it will be you wearing the saddle, understand?!"

The human just ended up laughing harder. Celestia sighed and slumped back against his shoulder. "Promise me it will not become a regular thing, Rawsthorne?"

He still didn't answer, so she tried another angle: "I know I offered you a pony ride, but that was for you only."

That shut him up. The human turned a pleasing shade of pink. She quickly pushed it a bit further: "You know, if you get a bridle, and some reins..." She didn't finish the thought. The way Rawsthorne was suddenly coughing was most amusing.

Celestia considered it a victory and it put her in a good mood again. It really did seem that her embarrassment was forgotten, and now that she understood why Rawsthorne had been reluctant to - as he saw it - take advantage of her, she didn't feel as bad about the messes she had made.

"When you said you liked me - that night before we got the ring from Mrs. Turner - was it a lie to make me feel better during my trying time?"

It took Rawsthorne a while to remember, but then he shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I do like you, Celestia, but perhaps not in the way you'd want."

"But you're open to that way?"

She held her breath until her owner gave a slight nod. "I suppose I am."

He nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. "Besides, you're not really acting like a slave at all. Sometimes I feel like we're already married or something."

The pony froze with trepidation. He wasn't figuring it out, was he? "Sorry. I'll try-"

A hand came up to push her mouth shut. "I don't mind. I got you for the housework, but I'm keeping you for the company. You're fine. Just remember - keep it professional in public."

She smiled with relief. "Yes, Master."

The talk had done her a world of good. She was happy to know that she hadn't irreversibly ruined her chances with Rawsthorne. It looked like their life together would go back to normal, more or less. On the other hoof, he owner had agreed to take her out to dinner. In that setting, she could start building something more between them. She was sure she wanted it, now.

Chapter 26

Sunday was the only day Maggie's store was closed. Despite Glitter Dust's complaints, the woman had come to rely on her help, so that was the only day the pegasus was available to work off her debt to Rawsthorne. Celestia came running for the front door when she heard the bell and changed into Supple Branch just before she reached it. She had to rear up to hook a leg on the door handle so she could pull it open.

"Welcome! Come in, come in!"

Her friend didn't seem quite as happy, but Maggie was soon grinning back. "Someone's excited to get started!" she commented.

Celestia moved smoothly aside and dropped into a small bow. "Please. Mr. Rawsthorne is in the living room. I will bring tea there in a few minutes."

She bundled her guests inside and closed the door. Then she nudged the pegasus onward with her muzzle. "Go on, you know the way. A cup of tea and then we can get started, alright?"

Glitter Dust gave her a hesitant smile in return. "Y-yeah, sure."

Celestia escorted the ladies and saw them seated on the couch. Then she ducked into the kitchen and put the pot on the stove. She could have heated it with magic, but the mare didn't want to use spells in her disguise. It could become a habit and then it would be all too easy to forget herself in front of her guests.

She kept resisting, however annoying it was to get all the cups on the tray using nothing more than her hooves and her mouth and a chair she had to push around to reach things.

Despite the extra effort, the alicorn didn't let it dampen her mood. She had missed some mare company, in truth. Celestia hadn't spoken much with her friends over Skype - mainly out of embarrassment. Now that she was - nearly - over it, she missed them.

Glitter Dust would understand in a way Rock Lichen and Heavy Hoof couldn't. Probably Glowbug also couldn't. Did changelings go into heat? All these years and she had never thought to wonder about that. Maybe she would ask her. After all, Celestia had promised to get to know the unicorn a little better.

The water was soon boiling and the crockery was stacked and ready. She carefully lifted the pot with her teeth and placed it on a heat-mat on the tray with the rest. She hopped down from the chair and pushed it away. Then Celestia looked at the laden thing. An earth pony would have no problems lifting it and juggling it to her back. Nor would carrying it around be an issue.

Even a pegasus could do it, although she would use her wings to help balance it, but alicorns - much like unicorns - tended to rely on their magic. She didn't relish the idea of pouring boiling water all over herself, nor did she enjoy the thought of explaining to Rawsthorne why all of his fine china was in little pieces on the floor.

Celestia scrunched up her muzzle as she thought about it. Then she went and peered out into the hallway to make sure she was alone. There wouldn't be that much harm, would there? Her horn wasn't visible, and if she kept the levitating grip on the underside of the tray there would be no telltale glow.

Well, there went her little rule about magic in diguise. She sighed and focused. It would just be a one time thing. The tray floated down to her back. She would only steady it, nothing more. Then Celestia made her way back to the living room. The humans were already deep in discussion. Something about Rawsthorne's car, it sounded like. Glitter Dusk was also listening with interest.

Celestia deeply hoped that the pegasus didn't work on cars. Those things seemed dangerous enough, without the reckless mare poking her hooves into what she didn't understand. The alicorn used a moment when their guests were looking at Rawsthorne's gesturing and quickly shuffled the tray from her back to the coffee table. The crockery tinkled a little, but they didn't see the quick burst of magic.

"Tea? Maggie? Glitter? It's chilly outside."

Her friend puffed out her chest. "Yeah, maybe for you earth ponies! We pegasi are used to cold. High altitude and all that, you know?"

Celestia poked her tongue at the insolent mare. Used to cold? Hah! Undoubtedly she had been spoiled by her soft bed and warm radiator. She hopped up to the armchair with her owner and simply made herself comfortable in his lap.

Rawsthorne didn't seem to mind and just kept explaining something. "Turns out, it was just a leak and the fluid was low. Mechanic said it could have been a lot worse."

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, parts for these new transmissions can get expensive."

The man just waved a hand. "I don't mind expensive. Besides it was still under warranty. It could have slipped out of gear on the highway and left me in a problematic situation. Or it could have seized, which is even worse."

The pegasus chimed in as well. "Yeah! And then it would have exploded! Yikes!"

Both Maggie and Rawsthorne laughed at the pegasus, who smiled back after a while. Then the man pointed to the tray. "Please, feel free. Both of you."

Maggie began pouring herself a cup, but Glitter Dust shrugged it off. "Thanks, but I'd rather just get started on that roof. Maybe finish before it rains again. What do you need me to do, exactly?"

He had explained it all to Celestia before the two came, so Rawsthorne simply picked the mare up and dropped her to the floor. "Supple will show you everything."

Celestia made sure not to grumble at being so rudely dislodged from a comfortable seat as she led her friend out of the room and up the stairs. "It's nothing hard, actually. There's a hatch up here - you'll need to fly up to reach it. Then there's a ladder. And then there's an outside hatch that opens to the roof up top."

They found the attic trapdoor and Glitter jumped and grabbed the short piece of string with her mouth. She barely had to flap her wings. The door opened and a ladder unfolded out, just like Rawsthorne had showed her. Celestia made her way up first. There was a light switch and she found it mostly by memory. She moved away from the entrance and let her friend up behind her.

"Okay, the idea is that you get to the edge and scoop up all the gunk and leaves and everything out of the gutters. I'm supposed to follow you below with a bucket and clean it up. Got it?"

Her nose wrinkled a little in disgust, but the pegasus quickly accepted her fate. "Fine. Shouldn't be a problem. Anything else?"

Celestia looked around. The entire floor was used mostly as a storage room. She remembered the shape of the house. The roof was barely slanted and there wasn't a real peak. That made the attic quite roomy. A very ugly design, but it had made it easier to organize the place. Before she had gotten her hooves on it, the place had been a mishmash of random objects.

She quickly spotted what she was looking for. "There's some spare roof tiles over there. You're supposed to check each one up there if it's cracked or broken and then you somehow pull it up and replace it with a fresh one. I don't know how to do that, Gregory didn't show me."

They found the hatch to the outside and Glitter Dust quickly got it open. There was another, shorter ladder and the ponies emerged on the roof.

"Okay, let's see here," the pegasus murmured and prodded at one of the tiles. She could easily lift it with a hoof, but it was stuck under others on two sides. The mare had to lie down on her belly and use both hooves to lift the neighboring ones and then she was able to remove the tile with her mouth.

She slid it back and let everything settle down. "Ugh, it's gonna be annoying. Let's hope there aren't many broken ones," she said hopefully. "Well, at least it isn't glued down or something. They just fit together."

"Well, if I help you lift those, you won't have to use your mouth. You find them and I'll fetch, and then we'll replace them together."

That earned her a grateful hug. "Thanks, Supple. You're a real friend."

They approached the edge of the roof and Glitter Dust looked down into the gutters. Whatever was in them, it was black. "Yuck," the mare said. "I don't enjoy having that on my hooves. At least there's not a bunch of it."

"It's a large house. It'll take some time."

The pegasus looked around herself. "Yeah, it will. Best to get started, right?"

It really was. The skies were overcast. It had rained in the night and it should have been pouring still. Some stroke of luck left them with a bit of relief, but it could begin again any minute.

Before she began her work, the pony lowered her voice and turned an inquisitive stare on Celestia. "Actually, I'm not starting until you tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

She had a very insolent, inappropriate grin and it instantly made the alicorn color. Yeah, she could guess what Glitter Dust wanted.

"How was it with Heavy Hoof? Glowbug said you two did it over Skype again!"

Her ears went down and Celestia sighed. "Why does everypony gossip so much?!"

"Spill it, or I'm not doing a thing," Glitter threatened. It would probably earn the pegasus a spanking. On that note, it would earn her one as well! Celestia groaned quietly. Either her friend didn't care about another beating, or she wanted to know more than she feared Maggie. Probably the latter.

"It went about as you can imagine. You know how heat is!"

The other mare leaned closer. "You didn't wanna go to your human for help?"

The alicorn didn't know how to answer at first, but eventually she decided on honesty. A heart-to-heart with a mare was what she had wanted, after all. "I tried. Believe me, I tried!"

"And?"

"He said no. He said it wouldn't be right, since I wasn't myself."

The pegasus blinked in surprise. "What, is he gay or something?"

Celestia hadn't considered that. Surely not? He had explained his reasons - but she wouldn't share them with Glitter Dust. "I don't think so. He never said."

"Did you show him your rump and wiggle?" came the next question. It made Celestia blush some more and she couldn't keep looking at the pegasus.

"Not... intentionally, but he must have seen it."

Glitter nodded sagely. "Yep. Gay. Totally gay."

"What makes you say that?!"

"Here, lemme show you." The mare stepped closer and nuzzled the alicorn gently. The light touch ended with a lick on her ears which made Celestia's knees a little weak. Then the pegasus turned and flicked her tail from side to side. It was a very suggestive gesture.

Her heat was well over, but even so Celestia felt a twinge of desire. Her mouth parted a little and she blushed. The pegasus had been watching for that and grinned triumphantly.

"See? We're adorable and humans find ponies irresistibly cute. Men take one look at our... ahem, 'treasure', and they go wild."

She pierced Celestia with a stare. "Did he get hot and bothered when he saw you like that?"

The alicorn barely suppressed an embarrassed squeak. She had never expected her friend to be so forthright! Maybe the pegasus had caught whatever strange illness Heavy Hoof had? Despite the embarrassment, she found herself hiding a guilty little grin of excitement. Talking like that about Rawsthorne was incredibly naughty, but also quite exhilarating!

"Maybe... a little? I am not used to human body language, but it felt like it. Especially that one time..."

Glitter Dust's eyes went wide in anticipation. "That one time?" she asked eagerly. "When? What were you doing at the time?"

It wasn't a memory she was proud of. She didn't want to tell her friend, but the pegasus prodded her ribs with a hoof. "Come on, tell! Coooome oooon, Supple. Talk!"

Her ears lowered some more and the red on her face became brighter yet. "I... might have slobbered on him a little. I fell asleep in his lap and then I woke up and it turns out- well, maybe I'd gotten a bit 'too friendly'."

"You sucked him off?!"

"No! NO! Nothing like that! I just nuzzled... um, the place a little and licked it a few times! Through clothes!"

The pegasus was giving her the flattest and and most put-upon stare she had ever seen on a pony. Then she rolled her eyes and prodded her with a hoof. "Okay, what happened next?"

Celestia looked away. "I got drunk and went on Skype with Heavy Hoof..."

It was obvious there was a piece of the story missing. Glitter sighed and asked again: "I meant, what happened right after you... licked him? 'By accident.'" She even signed the air quotes with her wings.

"Oh. He went to change into new pants."

Now her friend was nodding knowingly. "Yep. Gay. No doubt about it."

Celestia felt she needed to clear up Rawsthorne' name. "No, he just didn't want to take advantage of me."

"In that case, he's the biggest, nicest, bestest gentlecolt who has ever lived, ever. Or he's stupid. Or maybe both."

"Well, he's taking me out for dinner so we can talk and see where it goes!"

Glitter fell silent for a moment, then there was a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "You will click me on Skype the instant you get back, okay? Unless he takes you to his bed - then you can tell me in the morning." She even sounded magnanimous, as if granting both Celestia and Rawsthorne her blessing to be together.

"You are a gossip! Besides, what do you know about ponies and humans anyway?!"

Now the pegasus blushed a little. A-ha! There was definitely a story there. It was time for revenge! "Tell. Me. Now. Or I won't tell you a single thing about Gregory anymore!"

The threat worked and Glitter Dust leaned closer. "Don't tell anypony, okay?" Celestia just nodded. A moment later the pegasus lowered her voice nearly to a whisper. She was imparting a big secret. "There's this older couple in the next building. Their son is off in college, but he comes home over holidays. We got talking one day and we kinda- became friends."

So far there was nothing sinister or strange, so the alicorn kept quiet and waited for the rest of the story.

"Anyway, he and some friends have this den in the basement of their building. Nothing fancy, just an old couch and a TV and some game consoles. He took me down there to show me his games and... something called 'weed'."

Judging from her face, Glitter Dust had enjoyed the experience of these 'games and weed' quite a lot. She was smiling and licking her lips.

"What is it?"

The mare shrugged. "Some sort of herb. I dunno. Anyway, you roll up dried leaves in tobacco - like cigarettes. You must have seen humans with those?"

Celestia nodded. It didn't make much sense, but she had seen a few people around Rawsthorne's office take 'smoke breaks'. They lit little white sticks on fire and inhaled the smoke. From the distance it smelled slightly like a pipe, such as some of her subjects enjoyed, but a lot more... chemical. She had nearly choked after she caught a whiff and Glitter Dust noticed her expression.

"Yeah, they are awful," she confirmed. "But with this 'weed' in them, they're kinda nice. It makes you light-headed and everything seems funny and you're in a good mood for a while. Kinda like drinking, except no headache after."

It sounded interesting. Celestia decided to ask Rawsthorne about this herb later. Perhaps he knew where to get it, so she could try it for herself. Not in a cigarette - she would undoubtedly be able to use it with a pipe. Hopefully her owner had one in the house somewhere.

"Okay, go on?"

It was enough to wake Glitter Dust up from her reminiscing and move the story along. "Yeah, right. Anyway, he was back for holidays this one time last year, and we were hanging out in the den - just talking and smoking a little - and then he said I was cute." The pegasus giggled at the memory. "I found it just so funny. But he kept saying it and..."

"And?" Now she blushed very hard and her ears went completely flat. Celestia could guess, but she wanted to hear it.

"Well, we ended up kissing. And then... doing it."

Maybe it was good that Glitter Dust didn't include too many details.

"Romantic." It was a tad too sarcastic and the pegasus gave her a hurt look. "Well, maybe he wasn't a white stallion, but it was nice. He was gentle with me and it was amazing. Humans can go for minutes at a time, did you know that? And it only takes them a short while before they can go again - even when you're not in heat!"

A faint memory woke up and Celestia recalled a particular rumor she had heard even back in Equestria. Minutes! Several times in a night!

Okay, maybe her relationship with Rawsthorne wouldn't be all emotional. Physical sounded nice to top it off!

"Interesting. What happened with you two?"

Glitter Dust shrugged. "He still visits for holidays and we hang out, but he has a human marefriend now. Actually, it's called a 'girl-friend', I think." The pegasus leaned a bit closer still and whispered. "He told me mares are better. He just didn't know how to tell his parents, and I technically belong to Maggie and Sam and he couldn't afford buying me from them."

She sighed a little, but then she brightened up. "Hey, Christmas will be around soon. I'll introduce you and we can smoke weed together sometime!"

Celestia shrugged. It sounded like an interesting experience. "Sure. Anyway, we have a job to do here. We can gossip later."

Glitter Dust looked at her blankly and leaned her head to the side. "Why later?"

"I got Rawsthorne to let us use the steam room when we're done!" She couldn't help laughing when she saw the pegasus' expression.

Glitter Dust's eyes went as big as tea saucers. "Steam!? You got us a steam?! I dunno when was the last time I had a steam!" She was suddenly hugging the alicorn and flapping her wings excitedly. It nearly toppled them off the roof, but Celestia just smiled back and returned the hug.

"Sure. Why not? A little reward if we do a good job."

The pegasus let her go and nearly saluted. "Okay! Let's get on this! Good job, good job. Let's do a good job here!"

The enthusiasm was nice to see. Celestia also wanted to impress her owner. She had to prove to him that housework and cleaning weren't slavery to her. Once he understood that, she could slowly start getting him used to the idea that she liked being with him. Then he could get over his hesitation about 'the difference in power'.

After all, she had gotten over hers easily enough!

"Okay, I'll go down and find a bucket. This side first?"

The pegasus chirped something affirmative. She was already at the edge and scooping out large hoof-fulls of gunk.

Rawsthorne didn't need much convincing to allow Celestia a bath before steam. The downside was that Maggie didn't want to wait that long.

Glitter Dust came up with the solution: "Would it be alright if I slept here, Mr. Rawsthorne?" she asked, contriving to look like the best-behaved pony in history.

The man looked at her owner, who quickly agreed: "Yes, that'd be fine. If it isn't too much of a bother?"

Before Celestia could process what was being suggested, Rawsthorne also nodded. "It's settled then. I'll deliver her to work tomorrow morning. It's not too far out of our way."

The humans shook hands and said goodbye while the pegasus joyfully hugged her bewildered friend. "Sleepover!" she squeaked happily and swished her tail around in excitement.

"Uh, yes, sure. Just give us a second..." Celestia disentangled herself and hurried after her owner. She waited as he saw the woman out the door, then whispered fiercely to him: "I can't stay 'Supple' all night! We can't sleep in the same room!"

The human looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "Just make the bed in the other room for Glitter Dust. We have another bedroom."

"No, it won't work! We ponies are very social creatures. I don't have a good reason to want to sleep alone, not after sharing a bath! Even if I did, she might go looking for me if she needs something at night! It's too risky!"

Celestia froze for a moment, then then her mouth split into a grin. "You got me into this, so you are going to help me out!"

If he knew what she was planning, Rawsthorne probably wouldn't have agreed so readily. But he didn't, so he did.

"Follow my lead!" They went back to the living room, where Glitter Dust had thoughtfully remained standing in the middle. The mares had washed their hooves as best they could, but they were still quite filthy from their work. Undoubtedly the pegasus didn't want to dirty the couch.

"We have a problem," Celestia proclaimed it and gave Glitter a desperate grin and a wink where her human couldn't see. She stepped closer and quietly whispered in her ear: "Play along."

Glitter Dust was about to ask something, but Celestia flattened her ears in supplication and winked urgently again.

The pegasus glanced at the human, then asked her question a little uncertainly: "What's the problem?"

Celestia took a breath and acted, drawing on millenia of political intrigue. "There's not enough beds, I'm afraid and I really don't have a single clean sheet for the couch. I've been a bit... lazy. Sorry."

That last she directed at the human, who knew different, but saw her urgent wink and didn't say anything. The alicorn kept her eyes on the human as if considering something. "Unless... Well, it's not the best plan..."

Rawsthorne asked his question right on cue: "What's the plan?"

Celestia flashed a conspiratorial grin at the bewildered Glitter Dust, then made sure the mare saw her uncertain and pleading expression before facing the human again. "One of us could... uh... m-maybe join you? I suppose... Glitter Dust could take my bed and then I can..."

The pegasus suddenly understood and added her own touch: "Yeah, that could work! I wouldn't mind your bed, Supple!"

Only now did Rawsthorne realize what her plan was. If he was annoyed, the human didn't show it on his face. He just sighed and sat on the couch, as if to think. Celestia felt her heart hammering as she waited for the verdict. She sensed the pegasus step closer and slip a wing around her withers.

"Good thought," the pegasus whispered approvingly.

"I suppose that could work. The bed is large enough for the two of us," Rawsthorne agreed at last, but Celestia knew him well enough to understand his unspoken words: he had caught on to her ruse and wasn't too happy about it!

The alicorn put it out of her mind and took a few steps toward the hallway. "Good! Come on, Glitter Dust! Let's go take that bath."

The pegasus nudged her in the ribs as soon as they were out of Rawsthorne's sight. "Brilliant!" she commented with a very impertinent smirk. "You think quick, filly!" Even if it was just a ruse, Celestia felt her face flush a little. It would be a most pleasant night. No heat, or worry, or alcohol to distract her from fully enjoying the cuddles!

"I'd be grateful if you didn't make inappropriate comments before Gregory, and I guess it's too much to ask to keep this to yourself?"

Glitter Dust nudged her again. "Yes to both. You can't expect me to keep something this juicy from the others?" The pegasus slowed and looked at Celestia with renewed interest. "What, is he your first?!"

The alicorn nearly choked on her tongue. It had been an entirely unexpected question. "No! I'm not a virgin! Not that it's any business of yours!"

Glitter Dust waved a hoof dismissively. "Not that! I mean: is he your first human?"

Celestia just blushed and looked away. She didn't need to answer. The pegasus took one look at her face and excitedly rubbed her hooves together. "Filly, you are in for a treat! I won't spoil it anymore!"

It was just as well. A few more questions like that and Celestia suspected her face would be pink permanently. She gratefully pushed open the door. "In here."

Maybe a hot bath would shut the pegasus up for a while?

No suck luck. It wasn't long before Glitter Dust poked her head into the sauna and whistled. Celestia remembered too late. "No, wait! Don't go in-"

But the pegasus had already emerged and in her hooves-

"Eep!" Celestia looked away, lest her face burst into flame. It had been a very misguided idea during her heat, which she had subsequently forgotten. Until now.

She had intended to use one of her toys in the steam room. It had proven itself as a bad idea - the steam room was far too hot and humid to go through with it. The mare wished she had remembered to take the toy back with her, though. It was one of the human-shaped... things. A large one.

Glitter Dust was looking at it with something between awe and horror. "You used this?" the pegasus squeaked. "Damn, Supple - this is seriously impressive!"

Celestia just folded down to the tiles and put her hooves over her face. She just made a weak grunt in lieu of a reply.

"Can I borrow it?"

Her ears swiveled forward and the alicorn lifted her head, mouth agape in shock. "What?! Now?!"

The pegasus laughed at her expression. "No. I mean, can I borrow it for a few days?"

Celestia looked from the thing to Glitter's lithe pegasus body. It didn't seem plausible. Supple Branch wasn't much larger, but she was an earth pony. She couldn't assist her friend with suicide.

"You'll hurt yourself."

Her friend pouted a little. "You didn't!"

That was true, but the toys were sized for an alicorn - Rawsthorne made sure when he brought them. Unfortunately she couldn't tell Glitter Dust that. Besides, Celestia remembered guiltily that she had used them while Supple-shaped on video with Heavy Hoof. It had hurt, but the heat had overruled it.

"Fine, fine. Go right ahead. You can keep it if you want." Celestia didn't intend to stay on Earth long enough for her next heat to be a problem anyway. She shook her head a little and went to open the hot water for their bath. The ponies on Earth were a lot more open about their sexuality. Come to think of it, so was she!

She spoke about it with Rawsthorne and aside from blushing and general embarrassment, she hadn't been nearly as mortified as she would have been in Equestria.

That had just been necessity, right? The heat made her more outspoken than she would have been without it, no? Maybe it was something about being a slave - it freed you from a lot of responsibility, but it also took away some inhibitions.

Which Glitter Dust went and proved: "Unless you want me to try it now?"

There was the mortification. "Glitter! Please- I just want a nice, pleasant bath. Please?"

The pegasus sighed and put the thing aside, much to Celestia's gratitude. Then she hopped into the tub with a small splash and quickly settled down.

"Oooh, that's nice. Come in. No naughty stuff, I promise."

She was a bit reluctant, despite her words, but the alicorn had never turned down a hot bath in her life and she wasn't about to start. "Okay. But I'm throwing you out the second you say anything. Or touch anything!"

That insolent, mischievous grin was there again. "Wash my mane?" Glitter Dust asked innocently.

The alicorn rolled her eyes, but she reached for shampoo anyway. She would expect the favour returned, with absolutely no inappropriate touching. Maybe it was a good idea for her to go first and set an example.

"Oh, and my tail, please?"

Celestia nearly groaned.

Rawsthorne was already gone by the time the mares came out of the bathroom with towels on their heads. It had been relaxing. Perhaps even too much - Celestia had found her disguise nearly slipping a few times as she almost dozed off in Glitter Dust's lap. Now it was nearly over. The magic was getting quite hard to keep up and she would welcome sleep.

She sniffed the air and quickly discovered that her owner had made himself a sandwich. With some of that salami. It made her nose wrinkle, even with all the time she had to get used to it.

The pegasus noticed it too. "Sandwich?" she asked. The alicorn nodded. "Yeah, I guess we've been in there rather long. He must have gotten tired of waiting."

Admission wasn't easy and Celestia scrunched up her muzzle in a slight frown. She had promised the human that her housework wouldn't slip just the other day!

"What about us?"

Celestia didn't feel up to cooking, especially with hooves instead of magic. But she was also quite hungry. "Hm, something light, maybe? I've got some apples and oranges left."

The pegasus leaned her head to the side and smacked her lips. "Orange, please. Maggie doesn't buy them this time of years 'cause they're kinda expensive." The alicorn had to push over a chair to reach the shelf in the pantry, then she returned with two fruits.

The pair jumped up on the sofa and went to work. Peeling was a bit tricky with hooves and teeth, but Celestia made sure to catch any dripping orange juice on the towel. She was happy to see Glitter Dust doing the same.

"So, bed with Master?" the pegasus said conversationally. The alicorn had hoped to avoid that talk, but apparently she wouldn't have that kind of luck.

"Just sleeping, Glitter. Please don't make a huge deal out of it."

The pegasus nudged her, as if she didn't hear. "Yeah, sure. You went through all the trouble of making him think we don't like cuddling each other, just so you could cuddle with him?" Glitter Dust barked a short laugh. "Pull the other tail, Supple. It's got bells on."

"What?"

Her friend sighed. "Just an expression."

It was time to change the topic. Something Celestia really wanted to know. It was the perfect time. She bumped her flank against Glitter's and spoke up. "So, how's life with Maggie and - what was the name? - Sam?"

The pegasus nodded at her guess. "Yeah, Sam. They're - nice. I can't really complain, I know I've got it better than some. Like Heavy Hoof - at least mine don't want me there when they- you know."

It was good news for the Princess. It looked like the stallion's situation was something unusual, rather than the norm.

"How about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen? They don't talk about their humans in the pony meeting."

The pegasus shrugged with her wings. She had to swallow the orange rind before she could talk. "Dunno, nothing special? They don't get beaten or abused, if that's what you mean. I saw Lake Frond with a red flank a few times, but it didn't look so bad. Not as bad as ours." The mare laughed a little at the memory. "Oh, by the way - this thing today makes us even, right?"

She had the decency to look guilty. It really hadn't been a huge effort. The drains had taken them less than three hours, but only because Celestia had insisted that the pegasus follow up with a brush. Then they needed another hour for the five or six tiles which Glitter had proclaimed 'suspicious'. She'd had company all that time and then the bath and the steam as a reward.

It certainly wasn't a thousand dollars worth of work, but Celestia was feeling charitable. "It's fine, we're even. I'll earn the rest of it at Gregory's law firm."

Glitter Dust smiled and put a wing around her friend. "Thanks. I know I got off really lightly here, Supple. I truly appreciate it."

The gratitude and the hug nearly made it worth the punishment. Nearly. "Well, I might need a favour sometime and you're going to do it, no questions asked, deal?"

The pegasus agreed too rapidly. It was obvious she didn't even think it through: "Yeah, sure. Anything. I promise, Supple!"

They sat in silence for a moment while they finished their fruit. Then Glitter Dust went on: "What will you be doing for, uh, Gregory anyway?"

"Some legal stuff. I'll have to read a few law books and write a summary. Then there's this criminal case - robbery, I think. I don't know about that one yet, I'll see."

Her friend reached over a hoof and pushed Celestia's towel out of the way. "Guess that's what this means, then?" she asked and tapped her cutie mark. It was a book and a quill. At first Celestia had intended to make it a cutie mark in bookkeeping, but it worked just as well for law. She had tied it to the Canterlot Castle to more easily explain her familiarity with it, should she ever slip.

"Yeah, I... arranged business agreements for the Canterlot Castle. Mostly with foreigners. You?"

The pegasus didn't have to show it, but she pulled the towel away and wriggled her rump a little. It was a metal funnel with a rainbow waterfall pouring out of it. "I maintained the rainbow machines at Cloudsdale. Guess that's why I like it so much in Maggie's store."

Celestia found herself smiling gently. It was good that at least some of the captive ponies were doing what they loved. She sighed as the first pangs of her headache began. She had been holding the disguise spell for too long already, too soon after her night of drinking. It was time to go.

"Well, I'm tired. Let me show you to your bed. Oh, and I think I have a spare toothbrush - Gregory bought me a pack of three."

Glitter Dust didn't argue. It was late and she was also exhausted. There would also be more work the next day. "Yeah, good idea."

The alicorn led her friend upstairs and into the bathroom. She gave her a fresh toothbrush and some of her paste. Luckily she could blame her awkwardness with her hooves on fatigue. Then she escorted Glitter Dust to her room and made sure she was comfortable.

"Good night, Glitter. I'll come wake you tomorrow when breakfast is ready."

The pegasus nodded, gave her friend another hug and said: "Yeah, thanks. Supple? It's been a good day. If you have more stuff you'd need help with, just let me know. I'll have Maggie drive me over."

She would, Celestia felt. If she could make up an excuse not to sleep in the same bed with Glitter Dust, she definitely would. The mare flicked the light out and gently shut the door. Then she went to Rawsthorne.

His room was dark and the human was merely a shape in the bed. The alicorn paused just long enough to release her diguise spell with a relieved groan, before climbing in. "Finally. You will never know how good this feels."

He was still awake. Celestia saw him shift when she came in.

"You really want to get in my bed, don't you?"

"Well," Celestia replied smoothly and rapidly, thinking fast, "like I said, if I was in the guest room, or Glitter Dust was in it, she might come looking for me in the night if she needed anything, or if she woke up before me in the morning."

The mare shuffled closer to the human, but he just slid away. She began to worry he was upset with her trick and quickly finished her explanation. "If I'm here, she won't come unless it's really urgent, and even then she'll knock and wait outside."

The human still wasn't sure. "You said ponies are social. It's not weird that you'd choose to sleep in my bed, rather than with her?"

Celestia quickly shook her head. "No, not really. Ponies like to cuddle, but only with family and close friends. Right now, you're more like family than her, so it's pretty normal for me to prefer this."

The mare hoped like blazes that Glitter Dust would be discreet and the reason she had given her wouldn't come back to Rawsthorne. That would be quite awkward to explain.
He was silent and the pony feared he would gold a grudge the whole night, but eventually, she felt him relax. "Okay, just as long as you understand this is not a regular thing."

"Yes, of course, Gregory."

Silently, she added: 'It will become a regular thing, do not worry!' Except she wasn't quite ready to push it. After they both became drowsy, the mare would bump her back against the human and hope that he would reflexively put his arms around her. For now, it was enough that she was touching his flank.

"Good night, Rawsthorne. And thank you."

She held her breath as she waited for the reply. There was a rustle as the human moved his hand to her neck and slid it under the towel to her still-damp mane, then felt upward until it found her ears. The mare sighed in pleasure at the scratch.

"That shampoo smells nice," the human commented.

It was a little too chemical for her still, but she knew Rawsthorne's nose wasn't nearly as sensitive as hers. It was a good purchase, it seemed, and the mare smiled to herself.

"Thank you. It's passion fruit." Celestia thought for a moment, then decided to risk it. She turned around so she was facing the human. He removed his hand, but it came back when she was still once again. "Does this count as a date?"

That lightened the mood and the human laughed a little. "No, I don't know what this counts as. It's late. Go to sleep, Celestia."

Instead of answering, she pushed her muzzle forward and licked Rawsthorne right across his face. Maybe she could even call it a 'kiss', of a sort, but she still quickly offered him the towel from her mane.

The fact that it smelled even more strongly of her shampoo was no accident. She giggled softly. Her goal was to excite as many of his senses as she could.

"Good night, Gregory."

Waking up up was entirely pleasant, despite the impossible hour. Even before Celestia opened her eyes, she became aware of Rawsthorne's forelegs around her barrel. Uh, arms. Her owner was a human. It would not do to mistake him for the dashing alicorn stallion from her dreams.

Why had she imagined him as alicorn? It had never happened before. The mare shifted her rump ever so slightly. Not enough to wake Rawsthorne, but it did bring more of her fur in contact with that pleasantly warm skin. She darted a glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Four fifty-six. She let out her breath in a luxurious sigh. Over half an hour to enjoy the snug and comfortable cuddles, before she had to get up up and prepare a simple breakfast.

Her thoughts went back to the dream. Celestia couldn't remember the last time she had imagined her lover as an alicorn. They were rare enough that she had never heard, nor read, about an alicorn stallion. Yet Rawsthorne was the one she had dreamt about, she was sure of it. Maybe she saw him as kind, smart and patient enough that she simply couldn't envision him as an earth stallion, or a pegasus or unicorn?

She also hadn't dreamt of him as a human. Very curious. Celestia tried to wriggle a bit closer again. The house was chilly at this time of night and despite her fur the mare imagined she felt cold, even through the blanket. The movement made the human mumble something. Her ears instantly shifted toward him and she tried to make out the words.

It was in vain. Whatever the human intended to say in his dream was incomprehensible to her. Luckily he didn't wake up, but the hand on her chest fluff twitched, as if in a scratch. The human heaved a sigh then his hug tightened, much to the alicorn's delight. A mare could easily get used to this!

Forget sex! She would have to inquire about getting a nice, big human slave for herself, just to keep her bed warm and cuddle her when she slept. She hadn't heard of humans selling themselves into slavery, but their world operated mostly on money. Perhaps she could somehow arrange it?

It wouldn't be the same. Just any random human wouldn't do. She wanted Rawsthorne.

The pony wondered if he would be interested in leaving his work and his home and his friends to come be her Royal Pillow? It nearly made her giggle and the mare couldn't help twitching as she held back a laugh. Unfortunately, the movement woke the human up. His hug relaxed and his arm slid down her barrel and over her wings. The gentle, fumbling touch made her shiver in pleasure.

"Mmm, g'back to sleep," Rawsthorne mumbled. "Wh' time izzit?"

Sleepy human was funny human. This time, Celestia couldn't keep back a quiet laugh. She shuffled around until she faced her owner. By now, Rawsthorne was fully awake and he looked at the clock. "Still early," he whispered. "Aren't you sleeping?"

Before she answered, the mare gave him a friendly good-morning lick. "I wanted to enjoy this moment for a bit. You go back to sleep - I'll get up in half an hour and make breakfast."

The towel was gone, but Rawsthorne fished for a moment under the covers and found it, so he could wipe his face. "I wish you wouldn't do that," he said. He didn't seem to mind, so she licked him one more time. Which drew out a sigh as he had to dry his face again.

"Sorry. It's a pony thing." The mare was half expecting the human to lick her back, but of course that didn't happen. Apparently it wasn't a human thing. She didn't mind. His hands were between them and began to idly twiddle the fur on her chest. It was just as nice as a good face-lick.

Rawsthorne closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep again. Celestia knew exactly when he was gone as his fingers stopped moving. She relaxed and listened to the house.

There was the roar of the central heating. Celestia wondered if it would frighten Glitter Dust. The metal pipes pinged a few times as the heat began to flow. Outside there was the first car of the day, and the first raven crowing at it. This far into winter, the window was completely dark at five in the morning, but maybe, the mare imagined, she could see a hint of light.

She felt for the sun. Her sense of the heavenly orb was getting more refined and she could feel it there, under the horizon. The alicorn wondered if she could move it. Perhaps she would try when she got up. She didn't want to wake Rawsthorne again with the glow of her horn.

The human. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of him. On the one hoof, he had purchased a slave to keep his house in order, but on the other, he did treat her more like hired help than a servant.

Was that better or worse? More importantly - what would be his reaction when she told him the truth?

Would he-

Celestia felt her ears fold back down at the thought. Would he get another pony to keep his house in order when she was gone? Why did she feel slightly jealous? Whomever Rawsthorne got - the alicorn was sure it would be a mare - would have a pretty good life here.

With a bit of patience and brains, she could slowly work her way into his bed, too. If she wanted, of course. If not, Celestia didn't think even for a second that the human would ever force her. Maybe it would be a good idea to write a few words for her successor - tell her how to deal with the human and how to behave. Make her life a tiny bit easier. She would have to trust Rawsthorne not to read it, of course.

Then there was another thought. Celestia didn't like that one, but it followed naturally from what she was working through. She would miss the human. It would leave quite a hole in her life. Master or not, in the few months she had spent at his house the alicorn had gotten used to Rawsthorne. Maybe he could be convinced to come work for her at the Canterlot Castle. She could always use a good lawyer, especially one who could advise her on human matters.

More than once Celestia opened her mouth to ask Rawsthorne if he would consider a job in Equestria, but every time she remembered that she would have to tell him the truth. It was cowardly, but she couldn't do it.

Eventually, the clock ran out and the mare heard her alarm from the other room. There was a thump, which made the alicorn sit up in surprise. Surely Glitter Dust hadn't fallen out of the bed in shock? Still, it was time to get up. The mare gave her human a quick nuzzle, then breathed a sigh of regret and slid out of the warm bed and into the cold, unforgiving gloom.

She risked waiting with her changing spell until she was in the hallway with Rawsthorne's door shut. She didn't want to wake him up with the light. Luckily the pegasus was still in the closed room. The alicorn assumed the shape of Supple Branch and pushed open the familiar door.

She had to jump over Glitter, who seemed to have gotten tangled up in her sheets, before she could turn off the alarm clock.

"Morning, Glitter Dust. Sleep well?"

The mare managed to get her hooves free, after which it was a matter of seconds before she disentangled herself. "Dammit, Supple, it's still night! Don't tell me you get up at this hour?!"

"Every day. You can sleep another thirty minutes while I make breakfast."

The pegasus was only too glad to comply. She jumped back up, wrapped the blanket around herself and flopped down.

"Okay, I'll come wake you up." In all honesty, Celestia was happier to cook alone. This way, she could use her spells to help out. Breakfast with nothing else but hooves would be extremely awkward and difficult. Of course earth ponies managed it just fine, but they had a lot more practice than the alicorn.

She made her way down the stairs and began thinking about what to make.

Chapter 27

"I told people you were ill," Rawsthorne said as they rode the elevator up to his office. Celestia nodded with a grateful little smile. She had worried how the humans would look at her after learning that she had been in heat. It all stemmed from her research on the Internet. Heat was something which happened to animals. Humans didn't experience urges, at least not that strong.

It seemed the human cycle happened once per month. It would make sense that it was be weaker, otherwise they would never get anything done! She guessed it all evened out in the end, but the key part was that humans didn't go into heat, not really. The mare had been a little worried what her coworkers would think when they found out just how bad it had been.

Now she didn't have to be! An illness was the perfect excuse. Besides, Celestia mused, human women sometimes took a sick day if the symptoms of their 'aunt Flo' were especially bad. Of course she was perfectly within her rights to do the same once a year!

There was a ding as the elevator door slid open. Celestia spotted something new and quickly walked to the reception desk to inspect it. The receptionist now had a vase of flowers on her desk. It was a very welcome touch of color in the otherwise drab office.

"The daisies are lovely, Wendy!"

The woman beamed and stood up, so she could go around the counter and give the alicorn a hug. "Oh, it's good to see you're better, Celly! I hope it wasn't something you ate here!"

The mare scrunched up her muzzle in confusion. "Ate? What did..."

The woman leaned closer and whispered: "It was probably one of those weird places Denis took you, right? I always knew you couldn't trust sushi!"

The mare looked at her owner in bewilderment. She mouthed a question. 'What?'

"Oh, it was quite a bad stomach bug, yeah," Rawsthorne explained, "but the restaurants aren't to blame, Wendy. Maybe it was the hedge."

Celestia gasped in shock. The hedge?! Surely Rawsthorne hadn't gone around telling Wendy about the time she had nibbled on the shrubbery?! She wondered what else he had told their coworkers. She needed a small revenge. The pony thought quickly.

"Maybe it was your cooking, Rawsthorne!"

He simply shook his head. "No, I don't think so," he replied smoothly. The smug jerk had prepared for this, Celestia realized! The way he seemed deep in thought gave him all the credibility in Wendy's eyes.

"Sandwiches don't usually cause that. It was awful!" If he weren't talking about her, the alicorn would have applauded the performance. The shocked expression, the wide eyes. Unless...

She barely stifled a gasp. He wasn't acting! It was a real memory and she knew exactly which one! He glanced from the woman to the mare and gave her a mischievous grin. Celestia tried to swat him with a wing, but he skillfully dodged and went right on:

"Yeah, right there in her room, too!" he told Wendy, who was staring in fascinated horror. "Everywhere it went - gushing and-"

He fell silent when Celestia kicked his leg in exasperation. She was quite red in the face, but it was more anger than embarrassment. "You will pay for this!"

She had kept it under her breath, but Wendy heard and quickly matched her glare. "Really, Rawsthorne?" the receptionist said crossly and folded her arms. "Show some tact! The poor thing is still queasy, for Christ's sake!"

The man just laughed pleasantly, tousled her mane a little and turned to leave. "You know what you're doing today right? I'll be in my office if you need me."

The mare stuck her tongue out after the human. She quickly tried to mend the impression on the receptionist: "Look, Wendy - I didn't eat the..."

She sighed and corrected it to the truth. "Okay, I did eat the hedge... a little. But that was weeks ago and I certainly never gushed from anywhere, whatever Gregory told you! I cleaned up after myself in any case!"

The woman gave her another hug. "Aww, no need to be embarrassed, Celly. It happens to all of us. I'm just glad you're better."

Celestia returned the hug with her wings and sighed. "Thank you."

She looked down the hallway. Now the alicorn was afraid what her owner had told Denis. The receptionist was very kind and Celestia got along perfectly well with the other coworkers, but that man was a jerk at the best of times!

"Denis in yet?"

The woman nodded. She went back to her chair, but called after the pony: "Oh, don't forget these. They are for you!" She was holding up the vase.

Celestia went back to smell them. They really did help. The pony was glad that the custom of bringing flowers to ill friends was the same on both worlds.

She took an exploratory nibble. "Mm, delicious. Thank you!"

The woman stared at her for a moment, then burst out giggling.

"What?!"

She took another bite as the woman began laughing. "They were meant as decoration, not food. Though I guess you like them better as a snack?"

Celestia froze mid-chew, then looked at the pretty vase with a bite taken out of the bouquet and then back at the woman, who was nearly falling over.

"Wait! Hold that pose!" the receptionist commanded. Celestia obeyed while the woman brought up her phone and snapped a picture. "There. My niece will love that!" She turned the screen around to show the mare. It was a good one, if a little silly. The vase with the missing chunk was prominent in the picture, as was Celestia with a befuddled expression. There was also a flower sticking out of her mouth. It reminded her and the mare began chewing again.

"Cute," Wendy said and reached over to give her a pat.

After a moment, Celestia also laughed. It was a good picture. It showed a side of her she had had to keep sternly under wraps in Equestria. She poked her tongue out at the woman, after which they both ended up laughing.

Finally, there was no more putting it off. She lifted up the vase and sighed. "Here we go."

At least now she had a snack and if Denis commented upon it, she would kick him. Celestia made her way down the hall. A few of the people in the offices shouted out greetings and the mare gave a wave or a smile here and there. Before long, she was at the door. The wall was glass, so she didn't even have a moment to pause and gather her wits. She entered and firmly put the vase on her desk.

"Morning."

The human was at his desk, apparently engrossed with his computer. Email, undoubtedly. "Morning, Celestia," came the casual reply. The mare felt her ears turn in shock. Had she heard right?

It sounded almost like a normal greeting!

"Feeling better?"

She slowly turned to face Denis and dared to hope he had somehow changed for the better in the past few weeks. "Yes. Thank you. But I have some catching up to do."

He glanced away from his screen to give her a nod. "Good. Let me know if you need anything."

And that was it. She had expected at least a pun, if not a jab at her illness, and maybe another indecent offer. Maybe the thought of her being ill had turned him off. It was to be hoped. In either case, Celestia went to her desk and leafed through her notes. They were still exactly where she had left them. The books were open to the same pages she had been reading last week. Denis apparently hadn't touched her desk at all. She was glad of the unexpected respite. It was probably just temporary - the human always became very professional when he was concentrating on his work.

Denis spoke up before she could get far: "Oh, I'll move your help on the robbery case up a little."

"Yes?"

The human nodded and went back to the screen. "Yeah, and I'll make sure you get a computer. You know how to use e-mail, right?"

"Yes." Well, it wasn't entirely true. She was aware of the principle. It was mostly like Skype, except you sent longer messages and slower. She could work it out and if not, Glitter Dust would probably know.

"Good. I'll make sure you're in the c.c., so I don't have to print out everything and type up your replies."

She didn't quite like the sound of that, even if she didn't understand what 'c.c.' meant. "Uh, Gregory said I'd just assist with research."

The human stood up and came to her. She couldn't help thinking how impressively tall he was as he loomed over her desk. "I want you in a bit more active role. We probably can't get you into court hearings, but you will be meeting with the DA and you'll help the expert witness," he explained.

Celestia didn't really like how that sounded. Her role was getting more and more complex for what was supposed to be a simple punishment! She didn't want more exposure and certainly not with anything like the human legal system. It would greatly complicate matters, and she might be caught!

"Surely there's little I can help with-"

The human didn't even wait for her to finish. "Actually, this case has you written all over it. I think you'll like it."

She gulped at the dangerous gleam in his eye. It was as if the man was looking forward to seeing her reaction. Which meant there was a reaction to see!

"Uh, what is the case about?"

"Robbery," Denis said, but she already knew that. She was about to demand more, but he went on just before she spoke up: "They were stealing ponies."

Her vision swam and the mare held her breath until the room settled again. "What?!"

Denis seemed pleased with the reaction. "Yeah. Breaking into auctions, mostly. Then they took them south and across the border. Probably sold as exotic pets who knows where. There's enough people willing to pay a pretty penny for one of you and the source has dried up, you see?"

He straightened up and went to look across the hall at Rawsthorne. "It's a lucrative market right now."

"But surely the new slavery laws-"

The human barked a short laugh, which interrupted her. "- apply only in the United States and Europe. Some parts of the world aren't as... 'enlightened'."

She had tried! So hard had the Princess worked to get these laws enacted among humans, and now she was learning they only applied on a part of the world.

"Where?!" She stood up and advanced on the human. Almost without conscious control she had fluffed out her wings and spread them a little. It was an ancient gesture a pegasus would use to make herself look bigger to predators.

"Tell me exactly where the laws apply and where they do not!"

The human studied her expression for a moment. "I'll show you how to look for it when you get your computer. I don't know - it's a part of what you'll have to research."

She had to be absolutely sure. "We are helping to convict these people?"

In a rare gesture of kindness, Denis put a hand on her withers. His face went soft, but only for a moment. "Yeah. We're helping the prosecution on this case. If we win, the robbers will get a sentence and we'll set a precedent for future cases."

The alicorn was filled with righteous anger. Now she was sorry that she wouldn't speak before the judge! "Good. I will make sure we win. And it's 'foal-napping', not 'robbery'. You're talking about ponies!"

The human shrugged a little, but left his hand on her. As shocked as she was to discover this, the touch was a comfort. "Maybe. But right now they're treating it as theft. You'll like the DA. She is trying to change it into kidnapping and human trafficking. That would be a prison sentence."

If the woman was fighting for that, Celestia already loved her, but before she did anything more, the mare had a few choice words for Rawsthorne. She pushed Denis away with a wing. "Give me a second."

She stomped out of his office and into her owner's. The human looked up, right into her glare, and visibly flinched. "What? What did he do this time?"

"You!" The mare lowered her voice a little so she wouldn't shout. "You knew this 'robbery' case was about ponies! Why did you not tell me?!"

Rawsthorne stood up and came closer. He wanted to put his hands on her withers, but the mare stepped away. No cuddly pony until she got a good answer!

"Well?!"

"I didn't think you worrying and fretting about it would do you any good. Especially not during your h- illness."

She snorted in annoyance. "It was not for you to decide what I fret about, Rawsthorne!"

He wouldn't be dissuaded. "Well, I made a judgement call. I would have told you before the case started, so you could prepare yourself for dealing with it. Seems Denis beat me to it?"

"It got moved up. I start on it tomorrow. Today!" Maybe the human was right and, the mare thought guiltily, as her Master, he certainly did have the right to keep things from her. It didn't help much. She sat down on her haunches and sighed. Her ears lowered in her sadness.

"It caught me unprepared. I really believed the laws they passed about ponies were making a difference."

Now she finally allowed the human to pet her. "They are, Celestia. The laws help, but there will always be crime. That's why we're here, right?"

He was right. What she did on this case would help ponies in general and she would learn more - the Princess would be able to make much better demands to her sneaky, lying human ambassadors when she was back! Besides, maybe Rawsthorne had really done her a kindness not to spring this on her right during her heat, but she was still mad about the lies he told Wendy.

"You are not off the halter, Rawsthorne. You owe me!"

He smiled at her and gently grabbed her ears between his fingers. He pulled them upright. "Come on. Perk up, there's a good girl."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help being amused by his antics. "Not good enough," she said with a faint little smile. The human let her go.

"Okay, what will I have to do?"

She thought quickly. "Bath. With me. I'll see you enjoy a bath and a massage and a hooficure! Or foot-icure, whatever you call it!"

Yes, there was the red in his face. He deserved it, too. Going around telling people she couldn't handle a bit of honeysuckle! Not to mention the- the gushing fluids thing!

"Why?" he asked plaintively. She held his gaze.

"Keeping something like this from me and the stuff you've been telling Wendy. Think of it as revenge!"

He didn't argue. Bath-cuddles with the human would help calm her down after learning these horrible news. There was still work to do, though. The mare glanced across the hallway, where Denis was looking at them with an insolent grin. When he saw her looking, he gave her a thumbs up. It was obvious now. He wanted to rile her up, so she would go pester Rawsthorne and then he would see how they reacted.

She knew he hadn't really changed!

At long last the day was over. Celestia could hardly contain herself through dinner and washing up, but even that passed and it was finally time.

"Come on!" She nudged Rawsthorne with her muzzle. The lazy lout was already sprawled on the couch. He had obviously forgotten their agreement and wandered off while she was cleaning the dishes.

"Bath. Now."

Yes, he really had! His eyebrows rose and the human leaned away from her. "Now?"

"Now."

"You are really going through with this then?" her owner asked plaintively. Had he seriously imagined she would let him off the hook? After embarrassing her before Wendy and keeping something as big as a foal-napping case from her?!

"Yes, Greg. We are going through with this! I will start the bath. Be there in ten minutes, or I will drag you there with my magic!" It wouldn't do to leave the human worried and uneasy, though. The alicorn nuzzled her owner again. "It is nothing bad, you know? Earth ponies and pegasi often bathe together, so they can help each other reach places they can't themselves, and despite the magic, unicorns like to do that, too."

"Is that so?" Rawsthorne asked. He still didn't sound too certain.

"Indeed! I told you that night Glitter was here: we are very social creatures, especially among family and close friends and you are almost both of those to me!"

That was about all she could do in that short a time. One way or another, the human would be getting over his inhibitions about baths. She chose to call it a 'punishment' for all the little jokes and tricks he had played on her. The truth made her blush too hard.

Why this particular punishment? The question hadn't arisen until now. Celestia had spent the day distracted by reading everything she could find about courts and trials. There was much of it, but Denis had been helpful and pointed out good starting material. She actually felt a little bit grateful toward the man. She might overlook one inappropriate gesture or offer in return. However, that work was over and she would continue the next day. Hopefully her computer would arrive, so she could begin researching the actual case. Her impromptu colleague had said there were a number of news articles she should read for a start. She could begin on her iPad, but the mare needed to relax for a while, first.

Why bath with Rawsthorne, though? It didn't sound relaxing. Knowing him, the affair would be awkward and very embarrassing. For both of them. The man could hardly stay in the same room while she was in the bath alone. Now she would make him remove his clothes and get in the water with her. The mare entered the big bathroom and caught a glimpse of her glowing red face in the mirror.

She would have to manage the situation very carefully. For a start, maybe she would allow him to keep some clothes. She opened the water tap, checked that it was hot enough, then sat on her haunches beside the tub to think.

It had seemed wonderful in her imagination. Yes it would be a little awkward at the start, but the warmth would relax them both. She would get Rawsthorne to scrub her back, then she would return the favour. They'd talk about...

The mare skipped that thought and saved it for later. She'd come up with something, surely. Anyway, the two would probably end up leaning against each other, possibly with her wing around the human, or his arm on her withers or barrel. She would put her head on his shoulder - minding the horn, of course. Then they would be silent for a moment and Rawsthorne would be a bit more comfortable with her presence.

If it went really well, maybe she could hint for them to keep the cuddles going. Perhaps... share the bed again?

The water level was rising nicely and Celestia woke up from her idle daydream just for long enough to pour bubble bath in the tub. Now that she had gotten used to it, the liquid didn't smell too bad and she knew the human liked the scent.

She cast a very short, simple spell to agitate the water. In moments there was a thick cover of bubbles and foam. Perfect to conceal everything below. It would help the human's embarrassment. Maybe - the mare sighed at the new idea which popped into her head - once they were naked and in the water, Rawsthorne would let his hands explore further.

He had seemed interested in her wings before, but now they would be alone, so she could let him. Perhaps it didn't need to stop with wings. The mare shuddered as she imagined those fingers sliding down her back and tracing out the shape of her cutie mark. Maybe even further?

"Oh, my."

Celestia decided it was time to get in the water. She didn't want those kinds of thoughts to continue and the water would help take her mind off them. With her inside the tub, the level rose. She judged it would be enough once Rawsthorne joined her, so the mare shut it off. Then she lowered herself further down. It was deliciously hot!

"Mmmmmmm."

She hoped the human would hurry up and come while she still had some of her mind to work with. The heat was starting to melt it around the edges. The mare flopped on her back and let her wings soak a little. Pure bliss! She let her head hang over the edge and closed her eyes so she could focus better on the warmth.

She hardly noticed when her owner came in. It was perfect, in fact! If she was relaxed, it would undoubtedly rub off on him!

"You look like you're having fun. Why don't you just enjoy yourself and then we'll watch a movie together?"

Nice try! Celestia felt her mouth twitch up into a smile. She didn't open her eyes. "In the water, Greg."

The human sighed. There was a rustle as he removed his clothes. The mare peeked through one eye. There wasn't too much to see. Of course Rawsthorne kept his under-pants on him without even asking, but she let it slide. The rest of him, she had seen from time to time. At least in parts. Pink, slightly hairy and quite soft. Not as muscular as she had seen on the Internet that time she-

The mare blushed with guilt and firmly thought: '-did some research on humans!'. She also squeezed her eyes more tightly shut in concentration.

She shifted aside to give her owner room. There was a pause and she imagined him opening his mouth to beg for mercy again.

There was none to be had. "Quiet. In the water, now!"

He sighed and Celestia imagined him shaking his head in bemusement, but he obeyed and she felt the warmth rise to a perfect height. The mare slowly rolled over until her wing was across the human. He was way too stiff, despite her explanation earlier. She saw his hand going white where it was gripping the edge of the tub.

"Relax. Nothing sexual, okay? Just a bath with two friends. Warm and soothing." She leaned her head on his shoulder and heaved a luxurious sigh. "Let me teach you, Greg. Here, give me your arm."

He allowed her to lead the limb down and around her barrel. It meant her hind hooves slid between his legs, but the mare didn't mind.

"Good, now let go of the tub. It's not that deep, you won't drown, trust me." She laughed gently at his expression.

"This is very inappropriate, you know?"

The pony saw his defenses were crumbling under the onslaught of hot water and soft pony fur. Almost there, she thought. "Maybe for humans. Not for ponies, remember? It is nice. Here, your other arm."

She hooked with a wing and lifted it from the edge, then left it gripping the appendage as she laid the feathers across his belly. She shifted a little lower, to bring more of her barrel below the water line. The fact that it left her head on his chest was a happy accident.

"See? Nothing wrong with a bit of comfort, Greg."

He didn't answer, but the alicorn was pleased to feel him relax a little. The human probably didn't realize this, but her ear was right over his heart. Right now it was going a little too fast, but Celestia knew that it would slow when he got used to the situation and she would know exactly how much he relaxed, and when. In fact, she thought he was already calming down!

It was time for some pillow-talk. "I am not angry about the case anymore, Gregory. I understand why you haven't told me. I am still a bit miffed about Wendy, but luckily she believed my side of the story and we had a laugh about it."

The arm on her wing jerked a little, but didn't go away. The other hand, flat against her back also tightened. "Maybe it was a little mean, but we're even after this, right?" he asked. It was nice of him to somewhat concede the absolutely foul way he had treated her.

"Yes, we are even, Greg, but please do not think of this as punishment, okay? Just two... persons, enjoying a comfort together. It doesn't have to be weird."

That last bit was mainly for her own sake. The mare was feeling decidedly 'warm' and it wasn't all from the water. She shifted her legs and her knee bumped a very unfortunate place. It made the human jump a little and the pony withdrew hurriedly.

It seemed her owner wasn't made of stone, after all. Well, a part of him was. Or so it had felt! Celestia firmly staunched that line of thought. Comfortable and relaxing! Remember the goal! Don't rush it. That comes later.

It was time to distract them both. "Greg?"

"Hmm?" It had sounded more like a squeak than a word. It almost made her giggle.

"Would you be so kind and wash my mane? I wish to see how that feels with fingers, rather than magic or hooves."

She pulled away and the human sat up. The relief on his face was palpable. "Yeah, I can try."

She turned around and levitated her bottle of passion fruit shampoo into the air so Rawsthorne could grab it. She scooched closer until her rump was resting against his legs and closed her eyes. The human wasn't normally averse to petting her and maybe that helped. He squirted a bit of the goop on his hands and put them in her mane.

It was even better! Maybe it was the hot water, or the fact that they were both in the bath, but the fingers massaging her scalp were amazing.

"Mmmm- ooooh!" Unconsciously the mare leaned further back, until she nearly fell into Rawsthorne's lap.

"Don't move," he commanded and pushed her upright again. That was right, Celestia remembered. He needed room to work. She made herself sit up. The reward was worth it! Such unfamiliar sensation! The palms on her head and neck, with the fingers so expertly wriggling around to spread the foam everywhere, and not a drop slid down into her eyes! Such skill! Artistry! Bliss! How did the human have such control over so many appendages all at once?!

The thought fleeted across her brain, then faded. The mare was practically melting under the onslaught. "Ahhhhh." She flicked an ear back when she thought she heard a faint chuckle, but that just caused the human to remember and a soapy hand wrapped itself around it in a gentle massage.

It drew a small, delighted squeak from the pony. And another, when Rawsthorne did the same to her other ear. A few minutes and the pony would be gone. Whatever was left would do anything the human commanded. Celestia desperately fought not to say that out loud! If Rawsthorne realized what dreadful power he had over her, he would undoubtedly abuse it! Yet, at the same time, she never wanted the massage to end.

Too soon that part was over and Rawsthorne moved his hands lower. It was nearly as pleasant on her neck, but Celestia couldn't hold back a small sigh of both disappointment and relief. She had made it through without losing herself!

The rest of her mane was soaped up in a few minutes and the hands came to lie idly on her shoulders. This part had been markedly less intense, so the mare was still herself at the end.

"Thank you so much, Rawsthorne!" She turned around so he could see the smile and - Celestia felt her heart skip for a moment - the human was grinning too!

She pointed an accusing hoof. "You liked doing that!" The blush couldn't lie! Rawsthorne tried to out-stare her, but Celestia persisted. A moment later they both burst out laughing.

"Okay, maybe this isn't as dreadful as I first imagined," the man admitted. It was very big of him, the mare thought. She leaned against the back of the tub and steadied herself with her hind hooves on his chest. He didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"I told you. This is not a punishment, Rawsthorne."

"Oh?!" he said and pointed a finger right at her. "What was all that about 'revenge', then?"

"Could I have gotten you to do this without that? Would you have agreed if I just asked?"

He thought it over. For a moment the alicorn was sure he would lie. But then the man shrugged. "Probably not."

"There."

Rawsthorne didn't answer, so the mare took it as a victory. She kept her smile.
"Lean back and let's enjoy this a few more minutes while the water is warm. Oh, I'll just-"

She crouched down and dipped her head under to rinse out her mane. She knew how it must have looked: the hair spreading on the water like a rainbow. The pony hoped Rawsthorne was impressed. It was important that he found her lovely! Maybe she needed it to offset the ugly he had seen during her heat?

Or perhaps, like all fillies, Celestia simply liked to be adored. That was a part of her life she missed slightly since she had come to Earth. Rawsthorne' admiration nearly made up for it, though. When she surfaced, the mane hung over her face. But before she could magic it out of her eyes, the human did it for her.

Such useful things, fingers!

"Thank you." She only had to prod once with a hoof to make him lean back, then she took her place against his chest again. The alicorn was pleased to hear that his heart wasn't rattling as quickly anymore. Maybe, she dared hope, he would agree to a bath without threats, someday! She closed her eyes and tried to make the moment last as long as she could. It wouldn't be very long before the water was lukewarm and it was time to get out, but their evening wouldn't be over yet.

"After we're done, you're getting a massage." His breath caught for a moment and Celestia giggled a little. "You've shown me how good you are with hands, now you'll let me show you what hooves can do, okay?"

"Do I get a choice?"

She thought it over. "No, not really."

She was already hatching a plan! A massage would need a large, comfortable, flat surface, right? What better than his bed? If she was careful and made it extra relaxing, Rawsthorne would be liable to simply fall right asleep! She would cover him with the blanket and curl up beside him and by the time he woke up in the morning, it would be too late!

The human was a 'sleep-cuddler', she knew! All she had to do was stay beside him as he slept and she would get her comfy human pillow! It couldn't fail to work!

Chapter 28

Her ploy had worked, but only that day. Rawsthorne made sure to send her to her own bed each night after that. Celestia didn't much mind, though. She threw herself into the work with zeal, which left her exhausted by evening. She dragged herself to bed and was out like a light. She would work on Rawsthorne after the case was over.

The bad part was that her enthusiasm and effort deeply impressed her impromptu boss. Every day Denis offered to buy her contract, and every day Rawsthorne refused. The mare didn't really mind - she just ignored him and kept working. By Friday she had absorbed all the mandatory texts Denis had given her and all the news reports and case details she could get her hooves on.

Her eyes stung from staring at the computer screen so intently. She tended to get lost in whatever text she was reading to the point that she forgot to blink. Also, if it weren't for Wendy Celestia would have starved. She made a mental note to find a way to repay the woman for bringing her a salad each day, but even that would wait until this case was behind her. The alicorn had learned a lot, but she still didn't feel ready. The human legal system was full of protocols, exceptions and intricacies. She needed to understand as many of them as possible, if she was to offer any kind of help in the case.

She would meet the prosecutor on Monday. The mare loaded her saddlebags with all the books she thought she would need - volumes which were missing from Rawsthorne's library at home. She made her way to the lift after the human, but the pony was barely aware where she was going. Even placing each hoof before the other was a conscious effort.

"You're running yourself ragged with this case," her owner remarked on the elevator. She firmly shook her head.

"I have to help. This will be a precedent-setting case, Gregory. It might even pave the way toward granting ponies the same rights as humans. I have to do all that I can!"

He appreciated how important it was to her and didn't argue. Not only that - Celestia was a little surprised - he lifted up the bags from her and slung them over his shoulder. Her exhaustion wasn't physical, but the mare was still grateful. She gave the human a friendly nuzzle.

"Thank you, Greg. You are a sweet human."

She fell asleep in the car and only woke up when they stopped in the garage. Celestia blinked in surprise for a few moments until she realized where she was.

"Okay, that's enough. Off to bed, right now. We have Sally's party tomorrow and I can't have you falling over. You might land on a kid."

She tried to blow him a raspberry, but it turned into a yawn. A small victory: she managed to push out her tongue as far as it would go while her mouth gaped. He probably understood she had meant to be a little rude.

Maybe the human was right. She should get a good night's sleep, enjoy the party and the cake, then study some more in the afternoon. It wasn't like there was much else to do. It had been raining since Wednesday and the outside was truly miserable with the freezing drizzle.

"Okay, okay. I'll make us a quick dinner and then I'll-"

Rawsthorne laid a hand on her muzzle to shut her up. "Nonsense. You've been doing very well at work. I'll make us sandwiches and you will take it easy over the weekend. You won't make a good impression on the DA if you can't even stand upright!"

"Can too!" She stood up to show him, but nearly lost her balance when another yawn took hold of her.

"That's it. Off to bed! I'll make it a command, if I have to!" the human said sternly. It sounded serious and Celestia decided to obey. She still didn't much like that the human was right, but the mare knew when to concede defeat. She had worked herself too hard, that was true. She would be no use to her ponies if she couldn't see the case through.

She had to admit it: "Maybe you're right. I'll take it easy over the weekend. Let's-" She couldn't even get through that sentence before she yawned again! Cursed weak alicorn body!

"-let's watch a movie."

It would be relaxing, right? Falling asleep leaning against Rawsthorne would be so very pleasant, but the human wouldn't hear of it. "BED! NOW!" he ordered.

Celestia only grumbled a little as she slowly dragged herself up the stairs. She paused right outside her room and then looked down the hallway, smiling a little. He hadn't said whose bed! The pony made her way to the human's bedroom. His was softer, anyway, and it smelled nicer! If he really wanted her rested, then this was the best way.

In moments she was under the covers and asleep. She woke up when something prodded her back, but she just mumbled to whoever it was to go away. The mattress shifted under her as the rude person failed to obey, but the mare didn't really mind. The bed was big enough for two. She woke up briefly again when a pair of arms encircled her barrel, but only enough to lift herself slightly and allow it to slide under her.

The mare gave the palm a friendly lick, then she was gone again. The last thing she managed was: "Good... night..."

Chapter 29

The moment Celestia opened her eyes, she knew something was different. The light was strange. True - she had slept a little later than usual, but the room was still too bright. Not that she particularly minded that, she was just curious.

Waking up in Master's bed was to be enjoyed, whatever the weather. The arms were still around her and the mare could feel Rawsthorne breathing against her neck. She smiled. Apparently the alicorn wasn't the only one to enjoy sleeping in after a hard week. She hardly remembered getting into his bed, but she was glad she did, and more glad that the human hadn't simply thrown her out and sent her to her own room.

It was a mark of her progress!

Right now, however, she was stiff and curious about the strange light and her owner was lying on her mane, making any movement quite impossible. Regrettably, he would have to be shifted.

"Uh, Greg?"

The arm slid up her barrel, but there was no other response. She tried again. "Wake up."

This time it worked. Her human moved and yawned. Most importantly, he rolled to his back and off the hair. It allowed the mare to stretch out her legs and sit up.

Then she looked out the window.

"EEEEEEEEEE!"

Rawsthorne sprang bolt upright with a crazed look in his eyes, but she didn't notice, because she had already jumped from the bed. Her hooves pattered on the rug in a fast, excited little dance. Any sleepiness or stiffness was instantly gone.

"SNOW! IT SNOWED!"

She was squealing with delight, but the pony didn't much care. She fluttered her wings a little and ran in a tight circle around the room. "SNOW SNOW SNOW!"

She had been waiting for it! All the rain and the cold - it was bound to happen, but the uncertainty had been unbearable! Now it was finally there! Celestia didn't notice the bewildered look Rawsthorne gave her, nor his confused expression as he looked out the window. She jumped on the bed and hugged the human, even as she flailed her tail around wildly in excitement.

"Yes! Yesyesyes! Finally! Come on! COME ON!"

Before he could answer, she leapt back down and scampered out of the room. Her flank hit the opposite wall in her haste, but the pony didn't much care. She practically flew down the stairs and possibly left skid marks on the hardwood where she landed. In moments she had opened the door and burst outside, into the white, virgin world. She stopped in the driveway and inspected the ground with a big smile.

Her legs were sunk in the soft, puffy blanket up to her ankles. She kicked at it and noted that it clumped easily - perfect for a snowball! Then she twirled in a circle, trying to see everything. The roof had a blanket of white. So did the hedge. The hillside and trees were faint splotches of green and brown under pristine white. Only the road was its customary ugly black, but Celestia didn't let it bother her. It was winter, there was snow, and she was going to a children's birthday party, where there would be cake and - undoubtedly - a good, exhilarating snowball fight!

Surely the young humans would enjoy building a snow pony! Then, when they came back inside, wet and cold, but ultimately happy, she would make them hot cocoa with little marshmallows. The mare gasped. She had a bag in the pantry! She had made sure to buy it a long time ago in preparation for this exact day! She stomped in a rapid little dance and squealed a little again.

"This is going to be so much fun!" She pranced to the yard and looked around the house. Of course it was the same in all directions. First snow! The world was white. The sky was a different shade of white. The sun was a mere suggestion of a shape, somewhere over there. The sound was muffled. The air was clean and smelled of water and... snow!

Celestia closed her eyes, twirled again, then fell right on her back into the powder. Perhaps the blanket of white wasn't quite thick enough, but she didn't mind. It stuck most pleasantly to her fur and tickled her nose where it landed. She pushed her wings open and wriggled around a little. The snowflakes working their way among her feathers were pure bliss. Sure, it was cold, but so refreshing!

The human finally showed his face at the front door.

"Greg!" She jumped up in a spray of snow and ran to the human. "Isn't it wonderful?! Don't you just love first snow?"

She didn't say: 'There are no cameras! Nopony was staring at her behaviour! There were no ponies to be scandalized by her antics!' It was the most free she had ever felt and the alicorn wrapped her wings around the human.

Who yelled in surprise and jumped away.

Oh, right! The feathers were full of snow and all Rawsthorne was wearing was a T-shirt. Without fur, the snow could be shockingly cold! The mare just giggled and shook herself. A few flaps took care of her wings. Now she was a little disheveled, but positively glowing with joy.

"Let's get inside before you catch a fever," her human suggested.

She giggled again. Alicorns didn't easily get sick, but Rawsthorne was right. There was something to do before the fun! "I will make us breakfast and a cup of tea!" she promised, swishing her tail around to shake the snow out of it. Then she flicked her ears a few times to do the same. Some of it had already melted in her mane and ran in a cold little stream down her neck. It made her shiver, but it was a pleasant sensation. It made her feel so alive!

She didn't mind getting inside with her owner and shutting the door. Besides, the house felt even warmer now!

"A quick breakfast. We overslept, Celestia. We need to be at Christine's in an hour," Rawsthorne reminded her.

The mare nodded, her smile growing even wider. "Yes, sure! I'll fetch the present!" The box was in her room. She had wrapped it and wrote the child's name in nice, pink letters. She blushed a little when she remembered what was inside, but not even that could dampen her spirit on this day! Pony rides in the snow and then a snowball fight! And then cake!

The mare grabbed her human again and nuzzled him. Again he gasped as a trickle of cold water ran down her cheek and under his collar, but she just laughed at his expression and dodged as he tried to grab her ear for a quick bit of discipline.

Luckily he didn't chase her into the kitchen, though the mare was half-hoping he would. A short chase would be fun!

Chapter 30

The reception was even more enthusiastic than she had imagined! Celestia had poked her head into the room where the children were playing, only to have one of the little humans cannoning into her for a hug.

"CELLY!" her young friend squealed at the top of her lungs. Celestia easily caught Sally for a brief nuzzle, before she was surrounded by happy, yelling children. It was a form of adoration and the Princess drank it in, even if they were a little too 'grabby' with their fingers.

Much to her gratitude, Sally quickly stepped in and slapped away a hand which was getting too familiar with her wings. "No! Don't touch!" the girl commanded. "Wings are a bad place and so is the tail!" Her voice seemed to carry some authority and the press of little bodies around her eased somewhat. Finally she had time to inspect her new friends.

Luckily, the birthday girl was an immense help. She pointed them all out for the pony: "That's Eliza, and Mia, and Abigail and Nicky," she explained while Celestia tried to keep up and match names to faces. Eliza was a dark-haired, slim girl with eyes that seemed almost pony-big. She was one of the quieter ones. Then Mia and Abigail were most likely sisters - they looked too alike, both with auburn curls and freckles. Nicky was clearly the troublemaker in the group, there was no mistaking that mischievous smile. It put her in mind of Glitter Dust, or perhaps Twilight Sparkle's friend, Rainbow Dash. The fancy watch the girl wore on her wrist seemed to confirm her knack for human gadgets, further enforcing the similarity. Celestia wondered if she should get the pair together sometime.

Then there were two human colts who had kept their distance. Sally introduced them as 'Oliver Wilson' and 'Will'. Why the first was given a two-part name, Celestia couldn't say. Maybe it was just the way they children knew each other. The mare sat on her haunches and smiled kindly at each one as they were named.

With that out of the way, the sisters - Mia and Abigail, Celestia remembered - spoke up at the same time: "Where are you from?!"

She was only too glad to answer, because it made her remember her home. "I'm from a land called 'Equestria'. It's where all ponies come from. Well, ponies like me, at least."

The next two voices clamored up together. Nicky asked: "Where is Equestria?" at the same time as one of the boys wanted to know what it was like.

Celestia couldn't really answer the first. Magical portals were perhaps a bit too advanced for children. So she focused on the second: "It's a beautiful land with very friendly ponies. The place where I am from is called 'Canterlot'. It's like a big castle, sticking out from the side of a mountain. The view is breathtaking."

Castle was the magic word. It drew the boys closer and they stared at her with wide, fascinated eyes. "Castle? Are there knights and kings and jousting?" Oliver asked. This time Celestia was sure it was him.

"Well, there are no kings in Equestria. The land is ruled by-" It was a tricky one. She couldn't say 'alicorn', not if she wanted to keep Rawsthorne in the dark. The man was right there, even if he didn't seem to be listening. "-by two royal sisters. They raise and lower the sun and the moon each day, and make sure their ponies are safe and happy."

At least, she added mentally to herself, that was the plan. Maybe it didn't work sometimes, but she tried very hard and so did Luna! They both liked to imagine they have done quite well against all the threats they had faced over the years.

"Are you a princess?" came the question that froze Celestia to the spot. She sought out the speaker, who was now in the center of attention. In particular all the girls were staring at their friend in wonder.

"What makes you say that?"

"Uh, n-nothing. I just thought - you're so beautiful and all white. You look like a princess!" came the quiet reply. Eliza was blushing a little with all the eyes on her. The girl obviously didn't like putting herself forward and she reminded Celestia of Twilight Sparkle's friend, Fluttershy. She didn't know the truth, of course, but it was a very perceptive guess. Celestia felt instant sympathy for the shy, quiet girl. She reached out a careful wingtip and gently tilted her face up so Eliza could see the alicorn smile.

"I'm no more special than any pony in Equestria, but there is at least one princess here today," she said with her careful, fine-tuned, diplomatic truthfulness.

She looked pointedly at the birthday girl, who giggled with delight. Crisis was averted and the quiet girl seemed satisfied with the answer. Celestia relaxed a little and answered a few more idle questions.

Her favorite color was either blue or red - even Celestia herself wasn't sure. She had been reminded of Luna and realized how much she missed her sister and her lovely midnight-blue mane, and red was the color of leaves in fall, which was an especially beautiful time of year.

Her favourite food was cake, which elicited a round of clapping and laughter from her new fan club. No, she wasn't married and there was no colt-friend. That last part made all the girls blush and the boys look away. Of course the children had heard stories from Sally and wanted to see a bit of magic. The alicorn obediently floated her present to the birthday girl. It made them all gasp in delight.

"Here, open it!" She felt her face go a little hot at the idea, but Celestia found she liked Sally's friends. They weren't a bad sort and she couldn't fault them for being a bit too 'grabby' when they first met her. Of course most of them never had a chance to see a real pony, they were understandably excited.

There was a gasp as Sally tore up the paper and pulled out the little saddle. She looked up at the alicorn and said the question: "You'll give me more pony rides?!"

Despite the unease, Celestia found her enthusiasm quite infectious. She kept her smile and confirmed it. "Of course, but you have to promise me something first, okay?"

The girl nodded with a very serious expression. This was obviously important and the alicorn knew she could trust Sally's word.

"You have to promise me you won't make a pony give you rides if they don't want to, okay? I'm sure if you ask nicely, they won't mind, but you must respect it if they say no."

"I promise," the child said. Even some of her friends were nodding. Perhaps Celestia was doing something good, at least. If they learned at this early age to treat ponies as people, rather than things, the future relations between their people would be better.

"In fact, I will give all of you rides today."

There was a loud chorus of voices raised in delight. "YAAAY!"

The girls rushed closer for a hug and Celestia wrapped her wings around them. It would be tiring, but also quite rewarding if the last time with Sally was anything to judge by. The only downside she could think of was Rawsthorne with his jokes and jabs, but she had an idea how to silence him now. A mouthful of snow, that was how! Before the girl could start strapping the saddle on the alicorn, Christine came with a cake on a big tray.

Celestia felt a pang of guilt over that. She had promised to bake it for the party, but by midweek Rawsthorne had noticed how hard she was driving herself and guessed that the mare wouldn't be up to it. How correct he was. If they had relied on her, there would be no cake this day. Luckily, her owner had called Christine and explained, and the woman had ordered the cake from a shop. It probably wasn't as good, the alicorn thought, but it would do.

There were nine candles on it. It looked like she would get cake before she had to give the children rides. It suited the mare just fine! After that they would go out and have some winter fun outside. She had seen the colorful, full-body suits in the hallway. It wasn't hard to guess they were made for the children to roll around safely in the cold snow. After all, humans didn't really have fur and they were remarkably sensitive to cold. She had seen that with Rawsthorne that very morning! She stopped making plans when Christine passed her a plate with a delicious, brown, sugary piece of chocolate cake.

Sally was the first to have a pony ride, as was proper for the birthday girl. She showed the others how to sit and follow the mare's movements. It helped immensely and the others did much better than Celestia had expected. Even the boys had accepted her magnanimous gift, although they sat rather more stiffly than the girls.

Those two would never have stayed on her back without the saddle. She didn't mind, though. When she had let him down, Will quietly asked if all ponies were as pretty as her. The human was a little young, but it still made her blush at the question and the mare didn't know how to answer.

"Uh, I don't know..."

It didn't help that the small human blushed as red as she did. Luckily, he could be distracted by cake so she avoided having to answer. Other than that, the riding went smoothly. After a bit of walking up and down the room, and out to the hallway, Celestia took each child through the kitchen, where their parents were all too eager to snap pictures. She was happy that they were making memories with her and the mare made sure to smile widely for each photo. Improving relations, that was the key.

Once they were done, the adults made sure their young were warmly dressed before they let them go outside. Celestia could already hear their screams of delight. She had an idea and went to speak quietly with Christine. A few moments later, Sally was dressed in her snow suit and the pony came up to the impatient girl.

"Come, let's ride outside, okay? After all, a princess needs her steed!" She had kept the saddle for a bit longer and now accepted the burden once more. She was a little tired after the other children, but Celestia was looking forward to the next part. She didn't mind a bit more effort and - she had to give Sally some credit - the young human was very sure of herself in the saddle. She was learning quickly.

The alicorn barely had to think about her rider as she walked outside. The gloved hands around her neck weren't a death-grip. As the two emerged outside, there was a cheer with only a few jealous overtones.

Now, how did one start a snowball fight? Ah, of course! The mare scooped up a bit of snow in a levitation spell. It was the work of a moment to round it into a sphere. Then she picked a target at random and let it fly - not too fast, so it wouldn't injure the child, but also not too slow.

Oliver was the unfortunate first victim and caught the ball right in his chest. "Hey!" he yelled and leaned down to make his own ball. Some of the others broke off and ran for cover, while the rest followed suit and began urgently scooping up snow.

Celestia giggled in excitement and yelled up to her rider: "Hold on! We have to escape!"

The grip around her neck tightened. The alicorn wasn't too worried. If Sally fell off, she would land in the soft snow, but she still took care as she cantered away and around the house. Not quickly enough, though. A snowball caught her right in the flank and the mare gasped. It turned into a giggle and she sped up to escape. By the little yelp, Sally also got one in the back.

"Us against them, right? We can't lose, not with my magic!"

"Yes!" the girl yelled back. She pointed with a hand. "Go that way! There's a shed we can hide behind!" The pony changed her direction. She saw the building and tried to decide if she would make it. Running through full snow was incredibly tiring, especially with a passenger on her back.

She made it - barely - and the two collapsed into the snow, laughing. The mare needed a few minutes, but she waved a wing at the surrounding snow.

"Quick, we need defenses. They probably saw us!"

The human began piling up snow into a crude wall, while Celestia caught her breath. Soon she was ready and looked around. Everything was quiet.

The calm before the storm.

The war was on and the mare wriggled in the snow a little out of sheer delight. She didn't even see where the expertly aimed ball came from, but it splashed harmlessly against the saddle. The alicorn stuck her tongue out in the approximate direction of her assailant, then rolled over behind Sally's wall before they could get in another shot.

"What now?"

The girl gave it some thought. "Let's sneak around the back! We'll get them from behind." It was a good plan. Celestia was glad that her ally was a good tactician. She began rolling up balls, so they would have ammunition ready. Then she lifted her head above the wall and listened intently. The rustle of their snow suits was unmistakable.

"They're coming!" she whispered and pointed a hoof. Sally nodded with a grim, determined expression. It looked like there would be no survivors.

It wasn't much later that the pony was lying flat on her belly, hiding behind yet another makeshift wall of snow. She tried and failed to suppress her giggling. Snowball fights were so much fun! No wonder her subjects took every opportunity! Something whizzed past above her and the alicorn jumped a little in surprise. She scooped up a bit of snow in a simple levitation spell and rolled it into a ball. Then she raised her head to look for whoever threw it.

A sleeve from a pink jacket was sticking out from behind the house corner. It wasn't a clear shot and Celestia crawled slowly to the side. It was amazing just how nimble and fast the children were. She had thought that magic would give her an unfair advantage, but the balls of slush came from all directions before she could deflect them and her own throws missed more often than not.

There was a rustle as Sally got to her knees to follow, but Celestia waved a wing. "Stay down. I'll get her! It's Abigail!"

The child nodded and moved back to the relative safety of their hastily constructed fort. The birthday girl had proven a valuable ally in this little war. She would be protected from the pink-jacket - their enemy! Celestia tried to move as low and as silently as she could. It worked and soon she was quite a distance from her hiding spot. She saw both Abigail and her sister, Mia, crouched just around the house, looking intently at the spot where Sally was still hiding. They had their snowballs at the ready, but they hadn't seen the mare crawl away. Of course! White fur on white snow. She was the epitome of stealth once she discarded her saddle.

The mare hefted the ball and prepared herself to launch it. Not too fast, of course. She didn't want to hurt the child, but she had to toss it with enough force to make it fly true.

There was a thump against her flank and Celestia jumped up in surprise. When she twirled around, she saw Sally and the two boys, advancing on her. Each was holding a couple of big snowballs and even as she looked one caught her right in the face.

"Eee-gh!" The pony spat out the snow and tried to make sense of the situation. "Betrayal!"

At the shout, the pelting began in earnest. The mare lifted up a lid of magic to save herself, but it didn't help. There were yells from behind and the pony saw that the sisters were coming at her from that direction. Even as she noticed that, Celestia took yet another ball in the rump. The cold impact made her yelp and twirl around. Sure enough, there were Eliza and Nicky, running into the fray.

She swung the shield around and looked for cover. Unfortunately, that opened up her side to Sally and her collaborators. Two more slapped against her hide. Out of desperation, the mare wrapped more magic around herself until she was encased in a bubble. All the kids were now advancing on her. Every now and then a ball smashed against the translucent barrier. But nothing got through.

She was safe for the moment, but completely surrounded. If any of them were surprised or amazed at the spells they didn't show it. Her little shields and her levitation had come into play a number of times and the children had quickly accepted it as fact. Even this latest spell didn't cause undue comment. Most of her little adversaries just grinned and waited for her to lower her guard. Sally was the one to approach.

"No fair!" the girl yelled and slapped her hand against the shield. "Magic is no fair!"

"Is too! You betrayed me!"

"Nuh-uh! I was a spy all along!" th girl claimed, even though they had entered the war together and never separated. When had her friend had a chance to switch sides?!

Apparently the alliances were shifting even more rapidly than at a Griffon trade negotiation. The groups seemed to have merged simply into the children against the pony. Well, now that she thought about it, Celestia had thrown the first ball.

There was no way out. The mare was trapped and out-snowballed. "Okay, I give up! You won't pelt me if I lower the shield?"

The children were bad liars. They promised they wouldn't, but the alicorn could read their faces clearly. She didn't mind. She let the bubble vanish and then feigned surprise as snow flew at her again.

"EEEEP! No! STOP!" Celestia yelped, but then she couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. She shielded her eyes with a wing and looked for the little traitor. In a few steps she was upon Sally and grabbed her with her hooves. The two rolled around in the snow and alternated between squealing from the cold and laughing out of sheer excitement.

The assault was so sudden that Sally's friends didn't know how to help. A few of them threw their last ammo at the pony, but half the balls hit the girl instead. In the end, Celestia got the upper hoof. She pinned the little human's arms to the snow.

"Yield! Truce?"

Sally struggled for a bit longer, then nodded. "Okay! I promise."

This time Celestia believed her. She let her go and the girl sprang up to hug the pony. They were both shivering, so the mare made a judgement call. "Okay, I think this is enough." There was a chorus of disappointed groans.

"Let's get some more cake and warm up!"

This quickly changed the tone and her new friends ran for the house. The mare helped Sally up and followed.

Rawsthorne shook his head in dismay as he helped to wipe Ceelstia down with a towel. She was dripping with water and there were still clumps of snow melting in her mane and tail. Her fur was almost entirely soaked and the pony shivered a little even in the warmth of the house.

"Looks like you had a lot of fun," her owner commented. Celestia chose to imagine that he was jealous. In fact, all the grown-ups had probably been looking out the window at their little war, envious that they couldn't join their children.

It was so easy to picture his envy. "You could have joined us if you wanted!" the mare replied. "Oh, and remind Christine to go fetch the saddle, it's outside... somehwere."

He chuckled, but shook his head. "I don't think it would be very appropriate for me to join. That's just for children."

"So I am a child?" She didn't mind the implication. It was part of what she had wanted when she came to Earth. To release the filly inside and let her play a little!

"No, but it's different for you," her human explained. He found a fresh towel somewhere and carefully began drying her back and mane. It was very nearly like a massage. Just for that, she forgave him the unintended insult.

"Oh, so you are the magical helper?" came a new voice. Another human approached them and grinned at the alicorn. He held out his hand. "Jeff."

Celestia remembered the name as she reached a hoof up for the man to shake. "Sally's father?"

The man nodded. "That's right. I wanted to say thank you for clearing our driveway. It saved me a ton of work with the shovel."

She liked the praise, even if it wasn't entirely deserved. "It was a very simple spell, Mr. Jeff. Gregory needed a space to park his car and it was no trouble to clear the rest of your front yard while I was at it."

The human wouldn't take her modesty: "Maybe it was simple to you, but it was still amazing to see. All that snow, just floating up and moving aside."

She didn't argue anymore. "Well, you're quite welcome."

She and her owner followed the man back into the living room, where most of the children were wrapped up in blankets or towels. The mare remembered her other gift, which was in Rawsthorne's coat pocket.

"Oh! You do have cocoa, right? I have some marshmallows with me!" She levitated the packet from the entrance hall and made her way to the kitchen. One last thing to make the party complete! Well, the beverage and another slice of cake. It wasn't as good as hers, but the Princess had never turned down cake before, and she didn't intend to start now. Rawsthorne left her with Christine and went to sit somewhere with Jeff. They would probably talk about TV, the mare guessed. Humans often did. She began to hum a gentle melody as she poured a pot of water. Meanwhile Christine was getting the cocoa powder from the pantry.

Children's parties, Celestia decided, were great!

"So..." Rawsthorne said quietly as they drove back. "Had fun?"

Celestia didn't have to think about the answer. For that matter, the human didn't really need to ask! He could probably read the smile on her muzzle. She bobbed her head up and down happily anyway.

"Yes, it was lovely!"

"It was nice of Christine to give us some cake to take home," Rawsthorne went on.

Her smile widened as the alicorn remembered. "Yes. We'll each have a piece."

That was news to the human. "No need. You can have it all. I know you appreciate it more."

The mare firmly shook her head. Rawsthorne still didn't enjoy confectionery. She still had the Quest to complete! "We will each have a piece!" She spoke calmly and resolutely. There was no mistaking her tone of command. She would wrestle her owner to the floor and force feed him, if she had to.

Rawsthorne seemed to sense her determination. "Okay, okay, I'll try it!"

The alicorn reached over with a wing to give her owner a pat on his head. "Good human."

He sighed and probably rolled his eyes in exasperation. Celestia couldn't see from her angle. She also couldn't quite judge if he was annoyed. Perhaps some mending of bridges was in order?

"I am very grateful you took me, Gregory. It was probably rather boring for you."

Now the human glanced at her, but too quickly to see his expression. "You're welcome."

She fell silent as they stopped on the driveway and waited for the garage door to open, but then she had an idea. Why not include Rawsthorne in some of the fun, at least?

"Wait!" Celestia quickly opened the car and stepped out.

The human looked around in surprise, thinking she had spotted something. "What is it?" he asked and leaned over the passenger seat to see what she was doing.

"I'll just clear our driveway, too. It's easy!" It was a ploy, something the mare had thought up on the spur of the moment. She had to get the human out of the car and outside. Undoubtedly he would come and watch after he parked. As she waited, Celestia prepared the magic she would use.

Exactly as predicted, Rawsthorne moved his vehicle inside and turned it off. Then he hurried out to watch her magic in action.

What he got instead was a snowball, right to the face!

Celestia roared with laughter at his shocked expression and choked mewling sounds that came out. She watched closely what he would do next. There was always the risk he would be annoyed, maybe even send her to bed without dinner or bath, but Celestia was willing to risk it.

The mare nearly squealed with excitement when the human crouched down and grabbed a fistful of snow. "I'll get you for this!" he roared and let it fly, but the pony was faster. She ducked around the house and his throw missed.

Celestia scooped up another ball and peered around the corner, only to see her owner running toward her. She yelped and shot the snow toward him, before turning tail and galloping away. She didn't run too fast. The fun was in the chase, not in actual escape. Every now and then Rawsthorne paused, grabbed some snow and chucked. Most of those found their mark and Celestia was soon covered.

She gave as good as she got! Her magic was fast and the earlier practice with the children had significantly improved her aim. More than once Rawsthorne had to stop and wipe snow from his face and hair, and each time Celestia blew him a raspberry.

"Just you wait till I catch you!" the human roared in mock rage. It just made the alicorn giggle some more and spurred her on.

After a time they both saw that the human was gaining on her. It took some clever hoofwork to make it look like she was running as fast as she could, yet still somehow slower than Rawsthorne. Soon, she could no longer pause to throw snowballs. She concentrated on dodging a clumsy grab as they reached the end of their back yard and continued around the house for yet another lap.

The human was right behind her! She glanced back and - despite the fact that she had engineered the situation - squealed in fright.

The look was to be her undoing. Celestia yelped in surprise and tripped. Her forelegs collapsed before her and she plunged forward in a spray of snow. Her hind hooves kicked uselessly at the air as the mare tumbled head over wings and ended up on her back, helpless. She was immensely proud of the performance and Rawsthorne didn't suspect a thing!

The human landed on her with a triumphant yell. "AHA!" he shouted and his arms wrapped around her barrel to keep her from slipping away. Only for a moment, because the man quickly shifted his body and straddled her belly. There was no escaping from the weight, even if she wanted to.

Celestia had to keep up appearances. She fought fiercely, but was careful not to kick Rawsthorne as she flailed her hooves.

"Throw snowballs at me, will you?!" the human demanded. It would have been scary had Celestia not seen him grin, which Rawsthorne quickly suppressed. "I'll teach you some manners, you horse!"

Too late the alicorn understood what he was about to do! This time her yelp of fear was real. "No! Please, not that!" she begged, but there was no preventing it. Two handfuls of snow came to meet her muzzle. Her giggles became intertwined with squeaks, before being muffled. "No! Plea- gah! Agh-!"

She spluttered as she involuntarily swallowed some snow. Her wings flailed ineffectually against the ground, but no quarter was given. She barely managed a breath before Rawsthorne rubbed more snow in her face. The human was grinning openly now as he focused on his work.

No part of her muzzle was dry any more and the pony stopped struggling. "I yiel- gurk! I yield!" She had to choke it out between mouthfuls of snow. "Mercy!"

The punishment ended, but the human still sat on her. It made Celestia acutely aware of her back pressed into the freezing ground, but she didn't mind. She was concentrating more on Rawsthorne's thighs straddling her sides.

Rawsthorne leaned down to get a better look. His fingers gently wiped a bit of melting snow from her face. It was perhaps the nearest they had been while not asleep. Celestia knew exactly what to do. A warm lick of appreciation! She reached up with her head and closed her eyes.

The alicorn later suspected that neither of them knew how it had turned into a kiss. She certainly never intended it. Nor did Rawsthorne. Maybe he had opened his mouth to object to her licking, but had been a moment too late? The pony often thought about it afterwards. It was a fateful moment.

At first, she froze in shock. Her lips were touching his, and since she had intended to lick, her tongue was out.

Or rather - in.

Celestia opened her eyes and looked straight into Rawsthorne's. It seemed to go on for a while, as neither of them dared move. As soon as they pulled apart, they would have to blush and she would probably apologize. They would pretend it had been an accident.

Perhaps it had been, but it was one they both needed to push them along. The human wasn't moving away! Maybe - the mare couldn't be sure, but she really hoped - he was leaning in?! The thought seared its message across her mind and Celestia dared let herself hope. Maybe this time it didn't need to be an accident! Maybe she wouldn't have to apologize!

She certainly wasn't sorry! The mare pushed all thought away. There would be time for it later. Right now, she spread her wings open and wrapped them carefully around the human. Her hooves sought out his flanks and her tail swished up to brush his thigh. Neither of them felt the cold.

The kiss went on forever, then suddenly stopped.

The pony watched the human.

The human watched the pony.

Neither spoke.

Rawsthorne lifted his hand again and brushed a drop of water from her muzzle. Alas, they could not stay like that. Now that it was over, Celestia became aware of her freezing back and began to shiver. The slight movement broke the spell.

"Oh, sorry! I forgot! We should get you inside!"

The mare heaved a sad sigh, but then brightened up. She was still holding the human with her wings. He wasn't leaving yet. "Only if you p-promise we'll do t-this again!"

She held her breath and turned both ears toward the man, so she wouldn't miss the 'yes'.

"Yes," Rawsthorne said quietly.

Celestia felt her mouth split open in a smile. She released the human and accepted his hand to help her up. A shake dislodged most of the snow which clung to her fur and feathers, but it didn't make her warmer.

On the contrary: the mare started shivering wildly as a slow but freezing wind picked up around them.

"Come on. Let's get inside and have a hot cup of tea," her human insisted. She was only too glad to obey, but Celestia glanced back at the trampled snow.

Something important had happened. Something monumental! She didn't yet know what would come next, but she was eager to find out. The pony hurried to catch up with her human. They would have to take it slow, but she was fine with slow. She could wait a little longer.

Celestia had the perfect idea. "So would you like to cuddle on the couch with that tea and a blanket and a nice movie?"

Rawsthorne stopped to look at her. The mare kept her smile and held her breath again as she waited for the verdict.

"Yes, I think I'd like that very much, Celestia."

Chapter 31

Entirely professional while they were at work. That was what they had both agreed. Things were weird enough as it was, without bringing others into whatever was happening between Celestia and Rawsthorne. At least the DA had moved their meeting to Wednesday, so Celestia had some more time to prepare. In addition, the days left her too exhausted to pursue the relationship further, which was just as well for the moment. The human didn't object to them sharing a bed, though. It was nice and the mare was only too happy to cuddle up against her owner each night.

That part really helped her relax.

At long last the day came and Celestia found herself sitting at a table in one of the lush, bright, wood-paneled meeting rooms. The mare looked over to the lady who entered while Denis held open the door for her. The district attorney stopped to look at the alicorn. Of course Celestia also inspected this new human. Her hair, slightly graying, was tied up in a very tight bun. The dress was plain black over a white shirt, with only a slim gold chain as decoration. Her one accessory was a brown purse hanging from her shoulder. She also wore half-moon spectacles, the alicorn noted. It all put her in mind of a successful, middle-aged woman.

Everything about the DA screamed of professionalism and competence, but Celestia didn't let it intimidate her. She smiled pleasantly and inclined her head in a slight bow. Before she could introduce herself the woman spoke up.

"You must be the protege Denis spoke of so highly. Celestia, right?"

The mare bowed again. "That is right, Mrs..." She turned her voice up in a question.

"Miriam Adams," came the smooth reply, along with the outstretched hand. Celestia carefully placed a hoof in it to receive the shake.

"Mrs. Adams - I have familiarized myself with the most important procedures and the court terminology. Denis has not yet given me any case details, so I only know what was reported in media."

Her temporary boss took a seat next to the alicorn while the lady walked around to sit opposite them. She pulled a sheaf of papers from her bag and spread them out before her. She glanced through the paperwork, then looked up over her glasses. "I have seen your work on that contract or whatever it was. You seem competent, Celestia."

It sounded like high praise. Even Denis confirmed it: "Yes, ma'am. I have offered her a job here, but she has refused. This case is the exception due to its nature, of course."

"Of course," the lady answered. She glanced down at the papers again. Celestia chose to be silent unless asked a direct question, at least until she knew a bit more about this Miriam Adams.

"And I see that her owner - this Mr. Rawsthorne - does not wish her to testify?"

It was her own wish to avoid all the publicity and exposure that would bring. Her human had just been kind enough to put it forward as his own request. Celestia was very grateful for that.

There was a pause and the pony realized they were both looking at her. "Oh, sorry! Yes, that is correct, Mrs. Adams."

The woman nodded slightly. She kept her eyes on the pony, but steepled her fingers and touched the tips to her chin. "So, tell me, Celestia: why are you interested in this case?" she asked at long last.

The mare picked her words with care. "Ponies are involved, and-"

"Do you know them personally?" came the question, interrupting her.

"No, nothing like that, but where I come from, Mrs. Adams, all ponies look out for each other. Denis tells me that this case will likely set a court precedent. That, in turn, will help all ponies on Earth."

"Hmm," murmured the woman, apparently deep in thought, "commendable. Very altruistic."

The alicorn decided to turn the tables for a moment. "Why are you pursuing this case, Mrs. Adams? What are your motivations?"

Denis looked at the mare in shock, but didn't say anything. Miriam just kept staring at the pony. In a few more moments, Celestia would have withdrawn the question. She didn't want to offend the lady or seem impertinent, but slowly the DA smiled. "Valid question. I took the case, Celestia, because I did not agree that those men have committed theft. I wish to see them convicted for kidnapping."

Celestia instantly warmed up to the woman. She smiled beatifically. "I wholeheartedly agree. I wish to do everything in my power to make that happen."

The lady brushed a speck of dust from the sleeve of her shirt and pursed her lips for a moment. Then she picked up one of her papers and slid it across the table. "Here is what we will do," she said, suddenly all business and efficiency. The pony glanced at the paper, but only read the underlined word in the first paragraph.

"Amicus curiae?"

Miriam nodded. "You owner is a very good attorney, Celestia. He knew that the judge would not accept you as a witness since you were, by no stretch of the imagination, involved." She glanced over to Denis before continuing. "That leaves us two options: expert witness or... this."

Celestia searched her memory. She was sure she had seen the phrase written down and 'expert witness' gave her the last bit of the clue she needed.

"Ah, of course! I remember now. An 'amicus curiae' renders assistance to the court by means of special insight, pertaining to the case."

"Exactly. The key difference is that normally such a person does not attend the court hearings."

Celestia was already smiling. It sounded just like what she had wanted!

The lady leaned closer, as if for a better look. "You will provide materials, which will be considered through the process. I will make sure you have the reports after each hearing and you will prepare for me briefs with any information you feel we can use. Not to mention more briefs, which I will give to the judge."

It sounded like a lot of work, but the Princess would not shy away from it. She would not let her subjects down in this! This was a good way she could serve them even on Earth! "Of course! It will be an honor, Mrs. Adams!"

Even Denis was grinning with anticipation. "With you two, this will be an easy win!"

They both looked at him. Celestia was the one who sighed. "Denis - do not count your chickens before they are hatched."

"I was about to say the same thing," Miriam confirmed. "We will have a lot of work and a difficult fight. I engaged your firm because you and your associates are conscientious and do good work. Celestia is simply an added bonus." She pushed another paper forward. "Here. You will need to sign this NDA, and the brief. I will file it today and let you know as soon as I have the court's decision."

The mare hadn't considered the possibility that she would be denied! She opened her mouth to ask, but Miriam predicted the question. "Do not worry. Even if amicus curiae is rejected, you will still help me win this case - as a personal adviser."

It made the alicorn smile with relief. It would have been a cruel fate to bring her here, just in time for such an important case, and with the skills she had in these matters, and then prohibit her from helping! She levitated a pen and quickly made her signature on the documents.

The DA carefully slid them back into her purse. "Good. Now I can show you the complaint and the report from the initial hearing. Tomorrow we will go through our evidence and police reports."

The pony nodded happily and leaned closer to see better.

"Oh, and call me Miriam," the woman added absentmindedly.

Eventually Miriam concluded her interview and Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. She had made a good impression and so had the woman. The alicorn was happy that the lady was on their side in this trial. The woman was clearly competent and very passionate about her job. They both had a lot of work to do before the next meeting, but for now Celestia pushed it out of her mind and decided to have a restful evening. It was Wednesday, she remembered. Rawsthorne was easily persuaded to take her to the pony meet up, at least for a few hours.

Then, as soon as they returned home, the mare would do something about them. Her and Rawsthorne. A very strange concept. She wasn't entirely sure it had really happened!

She had taken to sleeping in her human's bed ever since the fateful moment on Saturday and the man didn't object, but she came to bed late and rose early. The most she had done was give the human a tired lick before falling asleep.

From his side... They had cuddled on the couch and watched a movie or two. Well, leaned against each other, at least! That was almost like cuddling, right? It wasn't as if she had time for anything else. As she had promised him, Celestia still kept the house in order and cooked. It would not do to let her standards slide just because she was now - maybe - dating her owner. Later that night she would see if she might tease something more from the cryptic human. Some clue of where they stood. Maybe even a kiss or two. The mere thought made her smile. And then... The pony purposefully avoided thinking about the future beyond a few weeks. She wasn't sure how the two would handle things once she returned home.

Perhaps it was a good idea to leave their relationship where it was? No, she thought and shook her head. She wanted more! Maybe just not get too invested, in case Rawsthorne took the admission of her deception poorly. It would not do to get her heart broken on Earth.

"Everything okay?" the human asked.

Celestia became aware of her surroundings and saw that they were already parked near the pony meeting place. The human had turned his car off and was looking at her with a touch of concern.

"What? Why do you ask?"

A hand came to her withers and Celestia leaned into the touch. A scratch was always welcome. "You mumbled a bit and kept shaking your head there. Deep thoughts?" the human asked.

"It depends..."

"Oh? On what?"

She wondered if she should bring anything up right then. It wasn't the best time - despite them being half an hour early, Celestia didn't want to burden Rawsthorne with a difficult question and then leave him in the company of what were basically strangers. "Nothing important, really."

"The case?" the human guessed. Celestia decided to roll with it. She had thought about Miriam a little, so it wasn't even really a lie.

"Yes. With Mrs. Adams on our side, I think we can win it, but I wish I could be more sure."

The hand slid up higher to tease open her ear, which she had folded flat down. It was nice and the mare closed her eyes.

"Mmmm."

"Don't worry. Denis usually does trade law, but he's a good attorney and you'll be helping him," Rawsthorne said calmingly. It helped and Celestia sighed in comfort.

She decided to try a little experiment. "Thanks. A kiss before we go?" She held her breath and didn't open her eyes. There was silence and her ear went back down in misery.

Apparently Saturday hadn't meant anything. At least leaving Earth would be easier then, the pony thought. There was a rustle and the mare reached for her magic to open the car door, but just before she could, the hand was back under her muzzle and gently lifted up her face. Lips brushed hers. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it was there.

She smiled and opened her eyes. "Thank you. Does that make us coltfriend and fillyfriend?"

Celestia cursed her own weakness. She hadn't meant to spring this on the human, she had specifically decided against it, but the kiss had brought up hope and she just had to know!

"I'm not sure what it makes us. It's a very complicated situation," the human said slowly. At least he didn't bring up her being his slave, Celestia thought. Why was he hung up on that so much?!

"There's no hurry, Greg. We will figure it out. I notice you didn't say 'no'!"

He ruffled her mane a little and laughed. "You're right, I didn't. We have time, so no point in rushing it."

A few more months, Celestia thought quietly, but kept her smile. It was enough to perhaps deepen their relationship and build it into something lasting. She was sure they would find a way, if that happened. She could always offer Rawsthorne a job in her house! Or, failing that outcome, their feelings could change into something more... physical. That would also be acceptable. Once it was over, they would part ways - hopefully amicably, and they would both be richer for the experience.

The least desirable option was that nothing further happened. They went back to the way they had started. Strictly professional. If Rawsthorne decided it is too strange to 'date' his slave.

Date!

It reminded her. "Oh! You still owe me dinner someday! You promised! Someplace nice."

Her human grinned a little. "Yes, I did. I will see if I can arrange something for Friday evening, okay?"

"Yes!" The mare waited a few seconds more, hoping he would kiss her again, but he didn't, so she opened the door and stepped outside. The human followed shortly after. "We won't stay too long today, don't worry. I just wish to say hello to everypony and let them know I'm still alive."

They were some blocks away from the meeting place, but the alicorn changed into Supple Branch. One of the others might run into them, despite it being some time before the official meeting start.

"Okay, I'm ready. Lead the way!" She fell in step beside her human. There was something else. "Could we get pizza afterward?"

She failed to spot Rawsthorne's mischievous little smile. "Too lazy to cook, already? Maybe this 'us' isn't a good idea-"

"I'll cook! I'll cook! No pizza then, sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Only then did she notice that Rawsthorne was holding back laughter. She frowned a little at him and bumped his rump with her muzzle.

"Joker..."

He didn't even apologize! The mare considered giving him a long, warm and, above all, wet lick! However, it was chilly outside and she didn't want Rawsthorne walking around with a moist face and catching a cold. Humans did that a lot, apparently, at least according to Wendy the receptionist.

They weren't the first ones in! Celestia had expected that they would need to wait for one of the others out in the hallway, but when Rawsthorne tried the doorknob, it opened. Glowbug was already inside. Both mares looked at each other and their ears folded back. It was almost synchronized.

"Good luck," her owner whispered to her and went to look for Mrs. Turner in the small 'owner's room'.

The alicorn made her way into the room. "Good evening."

The changeling in disguise inclined her head. "To you, too. Have a seat? I made cookies."

There was indeed a tray on the coffee table and it was giving out an amazing aroma. Pineapple. Not a common choice, but Celestia still felt her mouth water a little. Glowbug was sitting on a chair to the side - it was her usual place. And the couch was usually occupied by Lake Frond and Rock Lichen, so Celestia nudged another chair closer to the cookies and jumped up.

"I'll just try one!"

It made the unicorn laugh. "Don't worry. There's plenty."

Such generosity! The alicorn smiled back pleasantly. "So-"

Glowbug began first so Celestia fell silent and let the changeling speak. "So, how'd your heat go? We haven't really spoken since- the ring."

It was true - Celestia had seen the changeling on Skype a few times and nearly tapped her once or twice, just to say hi. But she had decided against it each time. Apparently Glowbug had done the same.

Glowbug.

"Why such an obvious name? Weren't you worried ponies would figure it out?"

The unicorn grinned. "You didn't!"

She had a point there. "Okay, that is true, but still? Something like 'Firefly' would have been better, no?"

Now the other creature looked down at her hooves. "It was what Mr. Hudson called me. It was a joke, but I kept it when I got out. I liked him."

"Oh? Who was Mr. Hudson?"

The unicorn looked up sharply. "You don't have to do this, you know? Just pretend in front of the others. We don't have to see each other a lot."

It was tempting, but Celestia remembered that day they both found out about their disguises. The changeling had acted unlike anything she had been expecting and there was one important thing, first.

"I would like to try. I behooves me to do as I preach, does it not? Friendship is for all." She was sidling up to the issue, hoping a way to put it would pop up. But there was nothing. She'd just have to go out and say it. Celestia sighed and lowered her gaze. "Were you in Canterlot when- during Princess Cadence's wedding?"

The changeling didn't answer. After a few moments the alicorn looked up. "What does that matter?! That's ancient history! What are you going to do about it anyway?"

"Please - I'd just like to know."

The bug in disguise groaned and looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Fine! I was. Okay? Now what?!"

Glowbug was right. What should Celestia do with this information? Besides, the entire Hive had been involved in that attack. Could she really blame one drone for the decisions of her Queen? The unicorn sensed her inner struggle and her face softened. "If it helps, the explosion broke my wings. It took me months before I could fly again, and it hurt like hell."

That didn't make it better, but Celestia appreciated the gesture. "Thank you for telling me the truth." She wondered how one went about forgiving. It wasn't even what Chrysalis had done to her, personally. She was miffed about Cadence and Shining Armor, but that was all the Queen.

In Glowbug's case, it was what the swarm had done to her subjects! There weren't many deaths, thanks in large part to Twilight Sparkle and her friends, but there were some.

"You know," the creature under scrutiny spoke up slowly, "we didn't all agree with the Queen."

That was interesting news. Until now, Celestia had thought of the changelings as a unified whole. They had always acted with singular purpose. Or else their disagreement hadn't been very visible. "You didn't stop her."

Glowbug's hoof hit the armrest on her chair. It made a loud thump. "The Hive comes first! Came first! We might not agree with the Queen, but we don't argue! This is about family!"

There was obviously conflict there. Celestia filed it away for further study once she was back in Equestria. If there was dissent among the changelings, she might be able to help nudge them along somehow and have Chrysalis dethroned. Maybe, away from her influence, the changeling race could be reformed? It was something Twilight Sparkle had once said - no creature is too far gone that they can't be redeemed.

Except, there was still the whole 'eating of emotion' matter.

Again Glowbug seemed to guess her thoughts. "I know what you're thinking! I see how you're looking at me! I didn't get any of your precious ponies' love! The Queen was the only one who fed during that disaster!"

"How about now? You're slowly sucking these ponies dry? The ones you call your friends!"

The changeling rolled her eyes in despair. "Stop with all these prejudices, Supple! Have you ever asked me how it works?! No! So who are you to judge?"

"So tell me how it works."

The anger seemed to drain from Glowbug and she returned her eyes to Celestia. "Why bother? You hate us. Let's just agree to stay out of each other's way. I won't sell you out, so you can have your precious friends, and you do the same for me."

It was that solution again. Celestia really wanted to take it, but it felt incomplete. She would be leaving things unfinished.

"No." The alicorn ran a hoof down her face and tried to regain her calm. "Look - you are right. There is a lot of prejudice and preconceptions. I promise I will listen and I promise I'll think about it, seriously. Okay?"

The two watched each other for a while. At long last, Glowbug shrugged a little to herself. "Okay. I don't understand it, not really, but - " she began and paused to think. "You know how changelings feed on love? We need food, but we also need to absorb emotion, or we die."

It made Celestia's stomach twist, but she forced her face to stillness and nodded. "Yes."

Glowbug spread her hooves in a grand gesture. "Well, it's different when the feelings are directed at us!"

The alicorn wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear nuances of how the bug creatures drained their prey, but now she was interested. She waited for Glowbug to continue.

"It's... strange. Normally we have to - like, imagine sucking water through a long hose. It takes effort."

Despite her self-control, Celestia shuddered and closed her eyes, but then she made herself open them again and looked at the unicorn. "Go on."

"Well, these ponies are my friends."

"But you're in disguise and lying to them."

"True," Glowbug agreed, "but I think I've been in this disguise so long that I've actually become Glowbug the unicorn. I don't feel like I'm lying to them. It's something like... make-up, okay?"

"Make-up?!"

The changeling held up a hoof. "Just bear with me, okay? It doesn't feel like a disguise. It's just who I am now. We've become friends." Her face brightened up and the mare began to speak more quickly: "Oh, and there's also Mrs. Turner! She knows exactly who and what I am, but she still likes me! She's also my friend!"

Okay, so a changeling could be likable. Celestia didn't see it making much of a difference. The emotion would run out, sooner or later. Changelings fed more quickly than the feelings could be replenished.

"So? You just suck it out of them. I think that's even worse!"

Glowbug jumped from her chair and flailed her hooves excitedly. Her face was animated as she tried to explain: "No, no! It's different! I think it's because they share their feelings with me willingly! It's so much more filling!" The hooves went to her belly. "I don't know why or how or anything, but I like my friends and they like me, and somehow I'm not hungry. I don't have to drain them!"

It would be a remarkable breakthrough, if it could be proven true. "Really?! You befriended ponies and a human and now you don't have to suck out their love to sustain yourself?"

Glowbug jumped a little and smiled. "Exactly! I don't know why this should be, but I'm happy it is! I don't want to hurt my friends!"

"That's... curious."

The unicorn stopped and stared pleadingly at the alicorn. "So you see? I'm not- doing all those things you say about me! I don't know what's happening to me or how, but it is!"

Celestia wished she had time to examine this in more detail, but she heard voices on in the hallway. "The others!"

Glowbug returned to her seat, but she kept a soulful gaze on the alicorn. "Please? I just want to be with my friends!"

The alicorn made a snap decision. The changelings were liars and actors, but this pony seemed genuinely concerned. Besides - Celestia found this the most telling of all - Glowbug really wanted Celestia to have good opinion of her. She could have just left it all alone. They both knew each other's secret, which was enough to ensure mutual silence, but she wanted the alicorn to approve! Maybe there was such a thing as a good changeling?

"Okay, okay. I'll ask Gregory if we could meet - just us two. So we can talk some more."

The hope in Glowbug's eyes confirmed it. She smiled beautifully at the alicorn. "Thank you! I'd like that!"

They fell silent when the door opened. It was the couple - Lake Frond and her coltfriend. "Hi! Hi!" the mare greeted. She ran to Glowbug to give her a hug. Celestia watched them. They were both smiling at each other. Two ponies, genuinely happy to see each other. The thought fled when the happy mare gave her a hug, too. "Hi, Supple! Haven't seen you a while. Heat passed okay?"

It was such a sudden change of topic that Celestia couldn't hold back a blush. It made both Lake Frond and Rock Lichen chuckle. "Poor filly! That bad?"

All she could do was nod. "Uh, is H-heavy Hoof coming?" She had worried about meeting the stallion in person, after their little performances and especially now that she had begun something with Rawsthorne. Celestia hoped the pony wouldn't take it too hard. He had to understand that her agreement and promises were due to her heat, right?

"Yeah, he usually comes with Belle Hop. They live closer together, so Peter sometimes brings them both," Rock Lichen explained.

Celestia felt her face fall and it made the earth mare chuckle a little. She hugged the distraught alicorn again. "Don't worry, sweetie. He told us how bad you had it. We understand. Nopony is going to make fun of you, okay? Or they'll have me to answer to!"

The Princess sighed and nodded into her friend's mane. "Thanks."

The couple took their places on the couch and inspected the bounty before them. "Ooh, lovely! Which one of you brought these?" It was Lake Frond who asked because her coltfriend had already stuffed a couple in his mouth.

"Glowbug. Here, let me try one!" It was a mark of how seriously she had taken their discussion. Celestia had completely forgotten about the cookies! They were delicious! Maybe if a changeling could learn to bake like that, she really could be reformed, the alicorn thought! She made sure to smile at the unicorn to show her appreciation. She got a grin in return as she returned to the chair. Maybe, with a bit more talking, she could call her a friend?

Celestia took a spot further away from the table. It wouldn't do to seat herself next to the sweets and eat them all. She had to leave room for pizza later! There was the sound of running hooves outside and the door burst open. It was the pegasus, who seemed flustered and impatient and worried. She was in quite a state.

"Come on, come on, give it here," the pegasus harassed her owner. She was almost dragging Maggie into the room.

"Glitter, sweetie? What's wrong?" Lake Frond asked for all of them. They had never seen the pegasus so upset and it was even more worrying when Glitter Dust simply ignored the question and poked her muzzle at Maggie's hand.

"Give it, give it!"

The human sighed and reached into her backpack. "Fine, fine! Here. Sheesh!" She brought out a laptop and the pegasus pushed the cookies away to make room. Luckily Rock Lichen caught them and returned them to the table.

"Take it easy!" Lake Frond said and walked around to try and give the pegasus a hug, but Glitter Dust slipped away and looked at the door. "I hear the others coming!" She ran there and opened it. "Come quick!" she called.

Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop came in, looking around in wonder, but the distraught pegasus was already back at the table, looking at the laptop, which was starting up. "Come on, come on. You gotta see this. All of you!" Glitter Dust said urgently. She looked around and made a few nervous steps toward the unicorn and Celestia. "This is huge, guys! I only found it today!"

"What is?!" Rock Lichen asked and shuffled closer to the laptop. He made room to his side for Lake Frond, who had fallen silent and was looking at the screen with nervous curiosity. Belle Hop also came closer and sat on her haunches so Heavy Hoof could see over her head. When it looked she had all their attention, Glitter Dust pushed a button with a wing feather.

The screen flickered and displayed what the pegasus had last been looking at.

They all gasped, even Glitter Dust.

"Is that-" Belle Hop asked, but Glitter interrupted her.

"I t-think..." she said quietly. "Guys, I think Equestria has fallen!"

They watched in silence. It was a photo on Facebook and it featured their princess, the room was definitely human. She had just taken a bite out of a vase of daises. She was smiling a little, with a part of a flower still poking from her muzzle. A collar encircled her neck. There were already thousands of comments, mostly exclaiming how beautiful the pony was.

No one spoke. They understood why Glitter Dust was so worked up. If their Princess had been captured and enslaved, Equestria was most likely gone. Celestia felt her blood run cold. She could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat when she saw the picture on Glitter Dust's computer. It was the one Wendy took, that Monday a week ago! How had the pegasus found it so quickly? Or, for that matter, why was there a picture of her somewhere on the Internet which could be found?!

She barely stifled a small gasp when she remembered. The birthday! Those humans took so many pictures of her! Being ridden by children and smiling about it! What would her ponies think?! If those in front of her were any indication, it wouldn't be pleasant at all! She wrenched her mind back to the present, where Heavy Hoof was making a small speech.

"Look, maybe Equestria is gone, or maybe they just have her! We can't know for sure!" He was trying to keep hope alive, but the pony seemed on the verge of tears.

"Yeah, and how would that happen, unless they stormed Canterlot?!" Rock Lichen demanded. He looked even more miserable than the other stallion. Lake Frond hugged them both. Her ears twitched as the mare thought up an answer, then folded down flat when she realized what it was.

"M-maybe," she said and gulped in terror, "they just foal-napped her? Or maybe she was invited for diplomatic talks and they did something to the food?"

"But she's smiling!" argued Belle Hop, pointing at the image. "That doesn't look like somepony who's been foal-napped!"

They fell silent for a moment. Celestia wished silently that they wouldn't probe further. She looked at Glowbug, who was staring in shock and horror and - yes - bemusement too.

Celestia returned the glare, just as Heavy Hoof came up with another explanation. "You know," he said slowly, as if afraid of the idea. "There are those... training centers..."

All ears went down, even Glowbug's. It was a very dark rumor. Nopony among her friends had been able to confirm or deny it. They just whispered about it whenever they felt depressed. Places which took in rebellious or difficult ponies and... re-trained them. From the mental image she had, Celestia thought about whippings and worse. She hoped fervently that the laws she forced upon humans had put a stop to such places. It would cause her no end of nightmares to think otherwise.

"Well, we gotta save her!" exclaimed Glitter Dust and hit the table with a hoof. "No way we're letting the Princess be someone's pet!"

'No no no no, please let the Princess be someone's pet!' thought the alicorn.

"Okay, what do we do?" That was Belle Hop, who had walked over to sit by Glitter Dust's side. They looked defiantly at the other ponies.

Celestia had to try something, anything, to get them to abandon this idea. "No, m-maybe we shouldn't get in-involved!" She mumbled it, because it sounded hollow even to her. No pony would leave another in obvious danger. If she had seen Luna like that, wouldn't she move the heavens to free her? The alicorn looked down as all eyes focused on her.

"What? What kind of talk is that?!" demanded Glitter Dust. "No, we're doing this! If Equestria is still there, the Princess will know how to get there. And if it isn't..."

They all drew shuddering breaths at the prospect. The knowledge that Equestria, its ponies and their friends and families were safe, somewhere beyond the reach of humans, had been a major factor of their happiness.

"Well, if it's gone, then we'll rebuild it. With Princess Celestia! She'll know what to do, we just have to break her out!" Glitter finished.

That made the others stiffen up with resolve. It looked like they were really going to do it.

"Please, let's not do something stupid. We should think this through!" It was a plea and the alicorn looked at Glowbug for support.

The unicorn sighed, rolled her eyes and joined in: "Yeah, maybe we take a few days and think it over? We need a plan, at least."

They were about to start muttering darkly, so Celestia tried again. "She doesn't look like she's being beaten. We need a plan before we do anything irreversible." It felt like she was giving in to this madness. She should tell them.

Except, she couldn't, not before she told Rawsthorne. The mare was caught between a rock and a hoof, with no way to wriggle out of it. She needed a few days! To think. To come up with something.

Heavy Hoof came to her aid: "Supple is right. We need a plan. We can't just run away. Do we even know where the Princess is?"

Glitter Dust tapped on her laptop. "It was posted by someone by the name 'Wendy Locker'." She inspected a few things, clicking through the screens faster than Celestia could follow.

"No location. Damn. I'll have to read through the comments, see if someone sounds like they know her. Or, I could ask this lady directly," the pegasus murmured.

"Good, then we need a way to get there. Glowbug, can you do anything?" Rock Lichen asked.

The unicorn looked at Celestia, who shook her head slightly, still with that pleading look on her muzzle. "I- I'm not sure. I don't know any travelling spells, and teleportation won't work over any real distance," she explained. It was the truth, but at least she hadn't given them more ideas.

"C-could we ask one of the owners?" suggested Belle Hop. "Supple, aren't you always saying how nice Rawsthorne is? Do you think he'd be willing to help us? Just get us on a train, or something."

Celestia nearly squeaked in fright at the idea. "I really don't think so! We- he has a lot of work..."

Belle Hop looked at the others. "Glitter, how about Maggie? Or maybe Heavy Hoof? I know Rock and Lake's humans won't help."

The brown stallion shook his head. "Sorry, I don't think so. They probably wouldn't stop me if I explained, but they won't help. I'll sneak away, just in case."

That left the other pegasus. She scrunched up her muzzle. "I'll ask, but not until after I know where. In case she takes away my electronics and starts tying me up or something. If you don't hear from me in a few days, just go without me!"

The earth mare spoke up for the first time since they had seen the picture. "She looks... happy," Lake Frond said quietly.

Heavy Hoof waved it away. "Brainwashed, probably!"

"Guys, GUYS!" Glitter Dust whimpered suddenly. "We can not tell the humans who she really is! Maybe they don't know, but if they find out, it's gonna be trouble!"

The others looked at her and Celestia almost aplauded. Smart mare, don't draw attention. Don't tell the owners. In particular, don't mention it to Rawsthorne, please!

"Why not?" asked Rock Lichen, trying to work it out according to his scrunched up muzzle.

"If the authorities knew, do you think they'd let her walk around like that? She's a political figure. If they destroyed Equestria, they'll want to keep her hidden so she can't organize any resistance. Princess Luna, too! And Cadence, and Twilight Sparkle!"

"Maybe they just don't care? If they won, maybe it was just an auction?" supplied Heavy Hoof slowly, but he didn't quite believe it.

"And if Equestria hadn't fallen, they will especially want her to have a bargaining chip!" the pegasus finished and thumped the table again.

"Not a word about the Princess, then!" Rock Lichen agreed.

Glitter fiddled with her computer a little more, then she groaned. "No, you idiots!" she moaned. "All these idiot ponies in the comments, calling her 'Princess'! Tartarus!" she explained to the others.

It made Celestia's heart sink lower. "W-what are they saying?"

Belle Hop pushed her way to the laptop to read. The alicorn didn't dare look at her face. "Despair, mostly. Looks like a lot of ponies came to the same conclusion as you, Glitter."

Celestia had to fight back tears. "H-how many ponies?"

Silence again as the two pegasi examined the Internet some more. "Couple dozen. Okay, we have to stop them from saying it before some human spots it..."

There was the sound of typing and the Princess looked up. "What are you saying to them?"

Glitter Dust dictated what she was typing slowly with the tips of her wing feathers. "Hush you fools, don't say who she is! Delete your comments!"

"I hope that's vague enough," said Heavy Hoof.

Rock Lichen hugged his friend. "We don't have a lot of choice."

"Guys, she seems so happy," repeated Lake Frond, more loudly. This time they all heard and fell silent. Everypony inspected the screen again.

"Yeah, it's weird. It's like she wants to be there. I think Supple was right. The Princess isn't being beaten," muttered Belle Hop. "Tell me that username again, I'll try and talk with this 'Wendy'. See if I can find out more."

Glitter Dust peered at the computer too. "Yeah," she said, "I thought about doing that, but she's not online. I'm waiting for her to accept my friend request."

Celestia gulped. The receptionist would be only too happy to share details about her favourite alicorn coworker. She had to warn the woman - plead with her to keep quiet! She realized what that meant and her heart descended all the way down to her hooves.

Rawsthorne would have to find out. Tonight. He could probably call Wendy and ask her to keep quiet. Please, she thought, don't let Wendy check her Facebook before that! Before she fessed up to her owner. It was too soon!

They had been doing so well! He had kissed her earlier and now she'd have to reveal the lie. Maybe she could get away with simply explaining her station? Maybe downplaying it a little. He needed to know just enough to help her deal with these ponies, before they did something stupid.

No. If there was a chance for anything between Rawsthorne and her, she would have to give him the whole truth. Even so, he might not want to keep her around. Her vacation had just ended, the alicorn knew that very well, but she wanted to see this case to its completion. It could take months, Miriam had said, and Celestia needed to see that it won!

Then she would tell her friends and then she would leave for Equestria. Except it was more complicated now. Soon all her ponies on Earth would know that the Princess was enslaved. It would make them lose heart. She would somehow need to get the word out to them, but what could she say?

'I was getting tired of all that freedom I had, so I went to try slavery for a bit?'

'Hey, I know many of you are suffering, but I thought I'd treat this slavery thing as a joke for a bit, no hard feelings?'
'So, about this collar around my neck...'

No. She couldn't tell them, and right now the alicorn couldn't think of a way to explain! She needed time to think!

"Uh, guys... I'm kinda tired with all this work I've been doing. Mind if I leave? I want to think about the Princess for a bit."

The mares looked at her and noted her expression. "Oh, you look awful, sweetie," Lake Frond said and went over to give Celestia a gentle hug and a nuzzle. "Go get some rest. We'll talk about this some more."

"Please - let me know whatever you decide. I want to be a part of it." Maybe if she learned about their plan soon enough she would be able to stop it.

Glitter Dust nodded. "Yeah, sure thing! I'll tell you on Skype if we decide anything. Get some rest."

"I think I'll walk out with you. Let me get Mrs. Turner," said the unicorn. "Want me to fetch Rawsthorne as well?"

Celestia just nodded gratefully.

The others went back into a huddle. "Look, we obviously need to get away if we want to do anything and we need Glowbug out of her ring, so she can help us with locks and walls," Heavy Hoof was explaining.

It made Celestia want to grit her teeth in frustration. They would work on this rescue plan, it looked like!

"Yeah, that's right and we'll need someplace to stay. Remember, if she was brainwashed, she won't want to help us at first," Glitter Dust explained. The alicorn suspected her friend had seen too many human movies, but the others seemed to be eating it up.

"That's right! Try and find out where she is. Let's hope it's America, because I don't think we're getting past customs. 'Wendy Locker', that's American, right?" asked Rock Lichen. "I don't think we can reach Europe."

"I'll fly there if I have to!" Glitter Dust growled.

The stallion shook his head. "Across the ocean? This isn't Equestria, Glitter. Earth is huge!" He didn't wait for an answer, but continued with his speculation. "Let's hope it's America. Unless it's around some desert bit, there will probably be forests. We can hide out there until we figure out how to get her home. It'd just be grass and bark and evergreen trees, but I think I know how to make snow igloos for warmth and with Glowbug's magic, fire shouldn't be a problem."

There was a chorus of agreement.

"Then what?" asked Lake Frond, but Celestia didn't hear the answer. The two humans and the unicorn came from the owners' room and the ponies fell silent. Glitter Dust spread a wing across the screen to obstruct the view.

For once, the pegasus inadvertently helped her. If Rawsthorne had spotted the picture, he might have commented on it. She hurried out ahead of their owners with Glowbug right on her hooves.

"We'll go ahead and chat a bit, that's okay, right?" the unicorn asked. Both Rawsthorne and Mrs. Turner nodded. The mares hurried onward.

"That could be a problem," her friend said and Celestia heaved a sigh.

"Tell me about it. What do I do?!"

"I'd say 'I told you so', but that could have been me, so I won't."

"Thanks."

Maybe there was a touch more sarcasm in her voice than Celestia intended, but Glowbug didn't seem to mind. "You'll have to tell him now, you know?" the unicorn pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Celestia sighed sadly. "It was just going so well! The case - I can really make a difference here! I can't deal with this and the case at the same time!"

They stopped and waited for the owners to walk back into sight before going forward. Glowbug gave her new friend a hug. "I feel ya. Have you considered telling them?"

The alicorn barked a laugh. "Tell them what? That I have been making a big joke about their situation? I hinted to Silent Brook that I could get him home and he nearly bit my head off!"

"Yeah, that's usually a problem. Ponies get used to living here. Unless their owners treat them real bad, they don't want to risk getting stuck with worse humans. You hear stories."

Celestia could understand it. Things could be worse so easily. "Even Heavy Hoof?"

Glowbug shrugged and looked into the distance. "You know, it sounds tragic, what they're doing to him, but I heard some rumors..."

"What rumors?"

The unicorn rounded up on Celestia and stared right in her eyes. "Swear to me you don't tell this to anyone!"

"I swear!"

The changeling held her gaze for a moment longer. "I'm not sure, mind you, but I think Heavy Hoof had gotten it on with his mistress and I don't know if his master knows!"

It was quite hard to believe, but it made sense, given his eagerness. Even so, Celestia didn't see how it pertained to the stallion wanting to stay. Human women couldn't be that much better in bed, could they?

"So, what does that change?"

"I think he likes her. A lot. If you know what I mean, and I think he likes his master, too. I talked with him on Skype a few times... after, and he doesn't seem all that depressed, if you get what I'm saying."

Celestia felt her eyes widen and her mouth open in surprise. She stopped walking so she could stare at her friend. "Oh!"

"And it looks like they... like him back. Who knows what's really going on, but that pony likes it here. Having to run away to save you will break his heart!"

It became even more important to stop them, then. "He won't. I'll put a stop to it."

"Okay. I'll see if I can think of something," the unicorn promised. Celestia noticed that their owners were almost upon them.

"Thanks, Glowbug. You- you're a real friend. I'm sorry about-"

She didn't get to finish. "It's fine," the mare said and hugged her. "Just remember once you're back. We're not all bad. Tell them that making real friends fills you up more than stealing love. Hope that helps."

Celestia knew what she meant. If this news spread through the changeling Hive, it could be the push they needed to say to no to Chrysalis! It was, perhaps, a start of something big!

"You don't want to go home?"

Glowbug thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I like it here and I don't know what Mrs. Turner would do without me. Now hush."

The two broke apart just as their owners came within earshot. It was a good thing a human hearing was that much weaker than pony.

"Ready to go?" asked her human.

Celestia nodded silently.

"Time for pizza?"

She shook her head. "Actually, I'd just like to go home. I'm tired. I will make you dinner, if you like."

That raised his eyebrows. He quickly said goodbye to Mrs. Turner and Glowbug, then went back to staring at Celestia as they headed for the car. "What is bothering you? It can't be the case. Is it 'us' again?" he asked.

The mare shook her head. She wondered how to say it. "I'll tell you when we're home, okay? Just - leave me in silence for a bit, please? I need to think."

Rawsthorne shrugged a little to himself. "Sure, not a problem."

The mare crawled into the car and immediately let her eyes unfocus into the distance. She had to find some words which would make it right between them. There had to be some!

"Greg?"

He waited to clear the intersection before glancing at her. "Yes?"

"Please remember that I love you, all right? As a friend and as- something more."

If he was shocked at the outright admission, her owner hardly showed it. "Where is this coming from? Didn't you say yourself we should take it slow?"

She sighed and looked away from him and out the passenger window. "Yes. I did, but it's important you know. Please?"

She nearly flinched as a hand sought out her ear. "I'll remember. Whatever is bothering you, we'll figure it out. We saved you from the basement monster, remember?"

The mare couldn't help smiling. A tear ran down her cheek and she kept her muzzle turned away from the human. "Thank you. You are a good human, Greg."

Chapter 32

It was the moment Celestia had been dreading ever since she decided she liked Rawsthorne. If her owner had been just another human slaver, the mare would never have thought about it twice. It wouldn't be so hard! She would just leave and get Mr. Plain to smuggle her back home, problem solved, but she really liked this human. She respected Rawsthorne too much to simply vanish. He deserved an explanation. Besides, the mare also wanted to make it work. There were feelings she hadn't yet fully explored. Questions she hadn't asked and, of course, pleasures she hadn't indulged in. She had hoped this moment would be some time in the future. After she really had Rawsthorne' trust.

No time for regrets. She should have realized that the Internet, with its free and easy sharing of information, would be her undoing. She should have kept her form of Supple branch at work. How she could have avoided the pictures at Sally's birthday, Celestia couldn't say. Christine had seen her as an alicorn - changing that would raise questions and require explanations she didn't have. It was a useless venue of thought in either case. She followed her human from the car to the living room, where Rawsthorne sat down and looked at her.

There was still concern in his eyes and it wasn't helping in the slightest.

One important thing, first. "Greg, could you call Wendy and ask her not to answer any questions about me on Facebook - or anywhere?"

This was so far from what the human had been expecting that his hand pulled out his phone before he realized. "What?! Why?" he peered at the alicorn again. "Are you in some kind of legal trouble? Was I right after all and you're stolen or something?!"

The mare shook her head. "Nothing like that. Please, call Wendy, and then I will tell you everything. Nothing held back, I promise." Any more pleading in her voice and Celestia would be begging. She would have done it, too.

It was critical that her pony friends learned about her from her, not some human. Even so, it would be almost impossible to repair their trust. Not to mention that she would have to come up with a good explanation for her 'vacation', but one problem at a time. Rawsthorne first, ponies later. After a few moments of silence, the human tapped on his phone. The mare was flooded with relief and sagged a little. Her rump landed on the carpet as she sat down to wait.

She could hear the ringing, and then Wendy, slightly worried but mostly bewildered: "Yes? Mr. Rawsthorne?"

"Hi, Wendy. Sorry to bother you, but Celestia really wanted me to call and give you a message," he explained.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Even the lady was concerned about her.

Rawsthorne waved his hand, despite the fact that Wendy couldn't see him. "No, nothing like that. She is just asking you not to talk about her over social media."

There was silence. It was a strange request and the lady would deny it, Celestia knew! Her ears folded down and she began to sigh.

"O-kay, but I don't understand-"

Her owner interrupted the woman on the phone: "No, neither do I, but I'll get to the bottom of this. So you will agree?"

"Yes, of course! She'll be in the office tomorrow, right?"

Rawsthorne looked at the mare, who nodded. Again, the relief made her head sag. One small crisis averted. "Thank you!" She said it loudly enough so that Wendy would hear. There was a pause again.

Then the woman spoke up: "Am I on a speaker or something?"

Her human laughed a little. "No. Pony hearing, remember?"

"Oh. Well, if you can hear me, Celestia, I'll want answers tomorrow!" Wendy demanded. It made Celestia lower her ears quickly again.

By now, Rawsthorne was holding the phone before him, since the pony and his receptionist were having a conversation without him.

"Yes, of course, Wendy! Thank you!"

There was a grudging: "You're welcome," then the man put the phone back to his ear.

"Have a good night," he said, "and sorry for the late call." The woman said something affirmative, then hung up. His eyes settled on the pony. "Well?"

Celestia gulped. She almost blurted it all out, but Rawsthorne had more to say. "This is about your disguise to the other ponies, isn't it?" he guessed.

"Y-yes."

He put his elbow on his knee and leaned his face into his hand. "Okay, out with it, then."

Where to even begin? Celestia thought about the story she was about to tell Rawsthorne and picked the worst spot. If she got through that part first, the rest would be easier.

"I've been lying to you, Greg. Maybe I had good reasons, but it was still wrong. I never expected it would have to come out, but I don't have a choice anymore."

His eyes narrowed as the two stared at each other. "Lying about what?"

Here it was. The moment of truth. Celestia thought her heart would hammer through her ribcage and fall on the carpet. She tried thinking of the situation as a diplomatic discussion. Turn the words around to make herself out in the best possible light. Make the truth dance a little.

Except she didn't want to do that. Not to Rawsthorne. He deserved better. "I've been lying about who I am and why I am here." She had intended to tell him the whole thing, but her coward mouth couldn't quite form the words. Even as it was, the mare was shaking a little. Wings wanted to unfurl and take her away from there, but she sternly kept them pressed tightly against her body.

"So, who are you really?" The question was, of course, inevitable. She had known that, but it helped push her past the block. It was as if her tongue was losing strength! But the alicorn made her say it.

"I'm Princess Celestia. My sister and I rule Equestria - the land of ponies." Maybe it was better to give him bit by bit. It was a shock. She saw his eyes widen, even if the face was carefully neutral. She decided to explain a bit more. "Alicorns are... like royalty in my land. This form has to be earned through great deeds and it marks us out from other ponies."

"So, that's why you wanted a disguise? So the ponies on Earth wouldn't know their ruler is here?"

Very perceptive. If she wasn't so scared, Celestia would have felt quite proud of her owner. "Yes. It would crush them to see me in a collar."

The man closed his eyes and rubbed his eyelids. "And you didn't think having your photo taken and posted online would cause exactly that?"

"I did not realize what Facebook was. I didn't even know what the Internet was, Greg."

He let it drop for the moment and continued with the next question. The alicorn had known this one was coming, too, in one form or another. "Okay, so you don't want your ponies to know that you've been captured. You intended to hide this for the rest of your life?" the human pointed out.

"N-not exactly." She found herself unable to continue. Her ears were already as flat as they could go, but now she hung her head as well.

"Not exactly? What then? What is it you don't want to tell me?"

"I didn't intend to stay on Earth forever. I just meant to be here for a few months."

Of course Rawsthorne asked: "Why?"

She glanced up. There wasn't any anger, not yet. First, Rawsthorne was trying to get the whole truth, and then he would decide how he felt about it. There was absolutely no way it would be good, but she also had no real choice. Yes, she could run away, but that would mean abandoning her subjects and the court case. More importantly, it would mean abandoning Rawsthorne.

"It was meant to be a vacation."

Now her owner barked a laugh, as if disbelieving her. "What?! You let yourself be enslaved as a vacation?! What kind of twisted-"

She couldn't take the tone anymore. Celestia drew a breath and jumped into Rawsthorne's word. "You don't know what it is like. Years and years and years of the same thing! Court. Serving my ponies. Diplomacy. Generations and generations of diplomats, each trying the same tricks again. I did not have a single day off for the past thousand years, Greg!" She saw the next question rising up in his eyes, but she pushed forward, wanting to get it all out before her courage failed her. "Even when I tried to take a vacation - let my sister take care of the court - they sought me out! Everywhere I went, they knew me, treated me like royalty and then brought their problems before me!"

Just one more bit, and then she would let him ask the question which was on the tip of his tongue.

"Yes! Earth was a treasure! Finally I would be someplace where I wasn't known! No court, no duties, no negotiations. Housework and cooking is downright relaxing in comparison!" The mare ended up breathing heavily after her forceful speech. She waited for the man to ask.

"Thousand years?" he said, right as she was expecting.

"Yes." Her voice was calmer now, gentler. She had poured her fire, her passion into the speech. There wasn't much left, maybe enough to get through whatever else Rawsthorne wanted to know and then to receive the verdict. She still had an exit, if necessary. There was no ring on her horn. She could magic her way out of whatever way Rawsthorne tried to trap her.

"I'm over a thousand years old, Greg. Becoming an alicorn gives us a greatly extended lifespan. Infinite, perhaps. Even I am not sure. I do not age and I do not fall ill."

"You're a thousand years old?!" the human blurted out. He wasn't trying to hide his shock anymore.

"Yes!"

He groaned a little and put his hands on his forehead. "Celestia, sometimes you act like you're three!"

That explanation was easier and the question gave Celestia hope that Rawsthorne wasn't quite as angry as she had feared. "Yes! Because back home, I never can! I step out on the balcony, there's ponies with cameras. I go out of the castle, there's subjects, prostrating themselves. Can you imagine the scandal if the Princess rolled around in the snow a little?!"

The human didn't answer her.

"There are standards I must always adhere to, Greg! Is it so hard to believe I wanted a change, at least for a while?" If that was his biggest problem, then she was in the clear, but when Rawsthorne looked back up, the last sliver of hope died in her heart. The human looked furious. He glared and his hands gripped each other until his knuckles were white.She deserved a beating, the mare believed that firmly, but she still shuffled back, almost involuntarily.

"So, let me get this story straight," Rawsthorne began with a voice that was far too calm. "You got tired of ruling and the duties that came with it, so you came to Earth and had yourself sold as a slave. I expect Mr. Plain is in on this little plan?"

The mare just nodded, wide-eyed.

"Okay. Someone was to buy you and give you light, household work. You'd be able to have some fun and rest from your stressful, ruling lifetime, and then what? When you'd had enough of slavery, you would just escape?"

Another nod.

"And whoever bought you - they would simply have forfeited their money. Pony would vanish without a trace."

"Y-yes." She glanced away from his expression. "B-but not in your case! Greg, I really like you! I would have made Mr. Plain return your money!" She had intended no such thing until just now, but she would have promised anything to placate her owner.

"Go up to your room," her owner said quietly.

"What?"

"Your room. You can escape now if you want, but I expect you have a reason for telling me all of this, or you would have done it already."

She nodded hurriedly. "Yes, I have to help with the case! It's important for my subjects-"

"It doesn't matter," Rawsthorne interrupted. "I don't care. You won't run away tonight, will you?"

She gulped. A part of her really wanted to, but it would leave too many things unfinished. "No. I promise I won't, Greg. Please, I just-"

"Then shut up. Go to bed. I want to think about this."

She stood up, but didn't walk yet. "W-what will you do?"

Rawsthorne shrugged. "I don't know yet. What should I do?"

Celestia didn't have an answer to that. "I d-don't know." She let her head hang until the mane fell over her face. The pony was glad that her owner had such excellent self control, but any further relationship between them was most likely over.

She looked up and blinked away a tear. "Greg, I wasn't lying when I said I liked you."

His face hardened again. "You were lying about everything else!"

"I really didn't think-"

"No, you didn't!" he said more loudly.

Celestia flinched a little at the interruption, but she couldn't leave it alone. If she didn't try everything, the pony would never forgive herself. "Please, listen! It wasn't supposed to go like this! I started to like you, first a little and then a lot! And then more!" She was too late to prevent a sob escaping. "I don't want it to stop, Greg! I'm sorry about lying and I'm sorry about the money! I'll find a way to pay you back. I'll do anything!"

He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to order her to leave again, so the mare spoke faster: "Please, anything! You can belt me as much as you like, or forbid me sweets, or the bath. You can make me sleep outside in a dog house! I don't care, I'll do anything!"

"You'll do anything for what?" he asked.

The pony sniffed in misery and wiped her muzzle with a hoof. Tears were leaking freely now, but she didn't care. Maybe Rawsthorne would believe she was being sincere. "I'll do anything to stay with you."

It surprised even the mare herself. Just how hard had she fallen for the human?!

"And the nation you're supposed to be ruling?" the human asked quietly. She saw he wasn't done with anger, but right now there was some pity there.

Pity was good. She could hope. "I will find a way!"

Again the unreadable mask! Celestia wanted to kick her human. She couldn't tell what he was thinking! "Get up to your room. We'll talk again in the morning. If you're still here," he ordered, still speaking calmly and quietly.

"Please, Greg-"

"YOUR ROOM!" he roared and the mare took a step back in fright. She took another look at his face and decided against arguing some more. She fled from his sight and up the stairs. Perhaps she had pushed Rawsthorne too far.

Celestia couldn't stop pacing up and down her room. She ignored the complaints of her growling stomach and instead tried to calm her distressed mind. What would Rawsthorne do? At this point, she would have welcomed a beating, if only it meant she could start earning back the human's trust. She would have apologized profusely, even begged for leniency, if it would help, but the mare knew it wouldn't. At best, Rawsthorne would send her to bed again. At worst, he would...

The alicorn couldn't tell. Throw her out? Refuse to see her again? It would effectively put a stop to all her efforts with Miriam, and Celestia was desperate for those to continue. The DA would probably still win, the mare hoped, but the Princess simply had to be involved now. Maybe she saw it as an excuse for her willing slavery? For the way she had all but mocked her subjects' misery directly. If she could tell them: yes, I did belittle your pain, but I made sure something good came of it. A better fate for all her ponies who were being kept on Earth. It wouldn't excuse her poor judgement at being photographed and seen on the Internet, but it would help!

Worst of all, it wasn't the whole reason. Beside the burning need to see the court case through, there was Rawsthorne. Celestia had never met a person like him. She wanted to know him better! This had nothing to do with her ponies, or the politics. The desire came from Celestia the mare, not Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. The mare realized she had been staring at the clock without seeing it. She quickly identified the thing which had brought her out of deep thought. Her ears perked up as they caught a familiar sound from the bathroom. Rawsthorne was washing up. How many nights had Celestia lain in his bed, listening to these same noises as she waited for Rawsthorne to come, give her an absentminded scratch and put his arms around her?

It couldn't have been more than a couple, and yet...

Celestia already missed that casual closeness. She missed his scent. The thought that she would have to sleep in her own bed, alone, revolted the alicorn. She glanced at it. Comfortable and warm it might have been, but the mattress now looked as if it was stuffed with rocks. Rocks made out of ice!

It was entirely unappealing. Celestia whimpered a little as she heard Rawsthorne' bed rustling. The human was getting in. Now he was stretching out! Her overactive imagination painted his hand sliding along the bed, looking for that warm, equine body to which he had become so used. Celestia swore she heard the human sigh in disappointment! He was just as miserable sleeping alone, the mare knew this!

How fast a body could become used to cuddling something soft and warm at night, Celestia despaired. How quickly she had associated Rawsthorne's smell with safety and comfort! It was all her fault! The mare sniffed and went to her bed. She lifted a hoof and placed it on the mattress, but her legs didn't seem to have the strength to lift her up. What would be the point anyway? It wasn't as if the mare would be able to sleep. She leaned her nose closer and inhaled deeply. Nothing except her. The loneliest smell in the world. The alicorn sighed and let her hoof drop back down to the floor. It was entirely unfair!

"All I wanted was some time away!" She spoke softly, so that her voice wouldn't wake Rawsthorne up. "Every pony gets a vacation, why can't I?!"

A millennium of service to her subjects with hardly a luxury accepted for herself. Surely Celestia had earned a bit of happiness? She looked out through the window at the bright, moonlit world. "What should I do, Sister?"

There was no reply, of course, but Celestia tried to imagine Luna. Her fierce, determined expression. The slight scrunching up of her muzzle when she didn't understand something, but was determined not to show it. The happy little smile when things went her way and the Princess of the Night was allowed to strut a little.

The side so few ponies ever got to see: The Lonely Princess. Luna was feared and respected. She was also alone. How alike they were? Celestia was a public figure and Luna was a recluse, but they were both lonely, each in her own way. The face Celestia had to show to the crowd was so often not her own. Luna had not yet learned that trick, so the expression she showed the ponies was her real one, but it was not one they were expecting, so they slid away, polite, yet distant.

Each of them only had the other. Each would only ever have the other. Whatever friends they made were like petals on the wind. Beautiful, fragrant, but so very ephemeral. Was it wrong that Celestia tried to find something - a short something - with Rawsthorne? Would her sister begrudge her a romance?

No, Celestia decided at last. If anything, Luna would encourage her older sibling to take what happiness should could find in the world, and to find it, Celestia would need to go looking! The mare stood up, fresh determination shining from her eyes and face. She made her way out through the door and to Rawsthorne's room. She sat down in the hallway and focused her ears. There! Right at the edge of her hearing was his soft breathing. She waited until she was absolutely sure that it was steady and regular. Then the alicorn cast a spell remembered from a mischievous youth. The glow flowed from her horn and settled around her hooves before vanishing.

Now, when she moved, her hoofsteps were completely silent. How many centuries since she had used this particular spell? It seemed like it had come from a different lifetime. There was something deliciously naughty about it and despite her worry and apprehension, Celestia had to stifle a giggle. She gently opened the door and went to Rawsthorne's bed. Then she considered the next problem.

It was imperative that the human didn't wake! With extreme care, Celestia gripped a corner of the blanket with her magic and lifted it up. The glow was as faint as she could make it and the cloth was on the verge of slipping out of her grasp. She moved it with glacial slowness and kept her ears trained on the human, so she would hear any unusual sound which would warn her if he was about to wake. Once she had uncovered a good patch of the mattress, Celestia placed her hind hoof gently on the bed. She carefully shifted her weight to it. Soon she followed with her foreleg.

Rawsthorne slept on, oblivious to her machinations. Soon, the mare was standing awkwardly half on the bed and half on the floor. The human shifted slightly and Celestia froze in terror. She didn't even dare draw air into her lungs, but the human settled back and the rhythm of his breathing steadied again. The alicorn relaxed. Next came a difficult bit. Celestia slowly lowered herself down, mindful that she didn't jostle her owner. It took several minutes to get through that, but finally the mare was lying mostly on her belly, with two hooves still on the floor. She lifted the blanket some more, making sure the glow of her magic was still faint, and carefully rolled to her side.

That completed her movements and the alicorn ended up lying on her side, facing away from the human. She swiveled her ears to him and listened closely. He was still asleep. Celestia gently lowered the blanket over her flank. Rawsthorne was lying on the other end of the cloth, so it came a little short, but the mare didn't mind. Her hooves poked out, but she was warmed by the human's presence, more than the fabric. What she had really wanted was to be embraced by the smell and his bed was soaked with it. The pony pushed her muzzle in the pillow and inhaled, slowly but deeply. She didn't dare shuffle closer - touching Rawsthorne's skin might wake him up, but she was in the same bed at least. She probably wouldn't sleep, but she could listen to the human breathing and feel the tiny movements of the mattress beneath her.

Her ears and her nose might be enough to take her to a happier time. She savored it for a moment, then let her breath out quietly. It might be her last night in his bed, but at the very least it was one more night with Rawsthorne beside her. The human murmured something and began to get up. Celestia froze again in terror and waited for the indignant shout. It never came. Rawsthorne turned and lay back down while his hand sought out her flank. The mare flinched a little at the unexpected touch, but Rawsthorne patted her side and murmured something which sounded comforting. Celestia doubted he had even woken up. She risked a little more and shuffled back to poke her rump into Rawsthorne's lap. He moved again and the mare gulped in fear, but the human just hugged her around the barrel, pushed his face into her mane and went right back to sleep.

It was very promising. His subconscious actions betrayed how he truly felt about the alicorn. This could yet be salvaged, Celestia thought. She just had to approach it the right way. Put her best hoof forward. Hit Rawsthorne with the things he liked most about her. The pony remembered what that was and smiled in the darkness.

Chapter 33

Celestia woke up before her human. For a few moments she tried to keep the dream alive, because in there Rawsthorne wasn't mad at her. Memory returned and the illusion faded. Undoubtedly he would be angry. Probably he would toss her out of the bed.

Punishment? The alicorn didn't think so. She would have taken it, but it didn't seem like something her human would do, not in this instance. The mare saw only one way to fix it. She slowly and carefully lifted the blanket up and slid down under it. If Rawsthorne didn't see her, he wouldn't get mad! It was the kind of thing Celestia would believe if she was three! The human had said it: sometimes she behaved like she was a filly. The important fact was, each time he had said that, Rawsthorne was smiling. If he liked that side of her enough, it might push him along through betrayal and anger toward forgiveness. The factor of 'cute' was a sadly under-appreciated diplomatic tool.

Any moment now. Celestia felt the human began to stir. His breathing changed and a hand moved to seek out her mane. She allowed herself to enjoy the touch - hopefully not the last.

"Huh?" Rawsthorne murmured as he woke up. "Celestia?!" He sat up and tried to lift the blanket, but her magic easily kept her covered. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" the human demanded. He tried to move away, but the alicorn was holding grimly onto his leg.

"Cuddles."

There was silence as Rawsthorne processed this, but at least he had stopped struggling. Good, give in to the inevitable, the mare thought.

"Is this some kind of a hare-brained scheme to make me forget what happened?" the human demanded.

"Nope. Just cuddles." Short, nonsensical responses, that was the key.

The human was not amused. "Celestia, this isn't funny!"

To the contrary, the mare found herself enjoying the little contest. It was a battle of wills. If she could outlast his annoyance and his anger, the human would move to exasperation. She could work with that.

"Is."

Now the man groaned and rubbed his face. He wasn't quite past the first part. "Release me this instant! This is ridiculous!"

"Nuh-uh!" She shook her head a little. Rawsthorne couldn't see it, but he would see the bulge of her horn move.

"I will take a belt to you if you don't obey, Princess or not!" came the threat.

What her human didn't know was that the alicorn would prefer that over some of the alternatives. A good beating would be better than him never speaking to her again, but there was the game to be played. She leaned her head to the side as if thinking.

"Nuh-uh!" The horn glowed for a moment and all his belts rose up from the wardrobe and floated out into the hallway. The doors opened just to let them through, then closed. Such accuracy without seeing was difficult, but Celestia was good!

"I can still use my hand!"

She gave this due thought. Then, in response, Celestia shuffled a little and lifted a corner of the blanket. The picture of the sun on her white rump came into sight, but she made sure no more of her was uncovered. For a moment she hoped a blow would land. Punishment for her crime would move them along even faster!

Rawsthorne didn't hit her.

"Well?"

The man heaved a sigh and tried to pull his leg away again. The mare tightened her grip. She hadn't needed magic yet, but she would, if that was what it took to keep Rawsthorne in place.

"This is beyond rude, you know that, right?"

Celestia just shrugged slightly with her wings without saying anything.

There was a minute of silence as the human gathered his thoughts. Then he went on, quietly: "You can leave if you want, you know? I'm not stopping you. Of course I'll have words with Mr. Plain, but I don't think you care that much about him. Why are you doing this?!"

Was it time for some truth? The alicorn was undecided for a moment, then decided to go for it. "I like you, Greg. I don't want it to end."

She felt the mattress move and imagined clearly the man spreading his arms in a hopeless gesture. "Well, you lied to me - not to mention your own people!"

She nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I was sorry the moment I started liking you." More silence. After several uncomfortable seconds, Celestia continued. "I still need your help."

"Help?! With what?" The human sounded disbelieving. Perhaps he could wrap his mind around her infatuation, but he couldn't imagine the Princess needing anything this desperately.

"The case, for one. I want to see it through. I have been lucky, but sooner or later someone will recognize me from the pictures. Some human, I mean."

"What will happen then? What can I do about it?" Rawsthorne asked. The mare smiled a little. He was thinking about it! He was moving past the 'lied' part and onto the 'after' part!

"I don't know. It might be a diplomatic incident. I just need long enough to win the case. Then I'll make an official statement and go home, I promise! I can handle the Ambassador when I'm back in Canterlot."

She wasn't entirely certain about that last bit, but she certainly knew that she would prefer to face any accusations or fallout from her bastion of power, rather than from Rawsthorne's house, or - worse yet - from a human prison.

A hand landed on her mane. Annoyed and maybe angry, yes, but the human still wasn't insensitive to her concern. She took it as a good sign.

"There is more. I don't know what to say to my subjects about me. I need to think. Can you get the ponies here?"

The human froze. "What? All the ponies on Earth?"

Now Celestia shook her head. "No, just the group. Glitter and Heavy Hoof and... them."

"If I do that, what will you tell them?" he asked uncertainly.

The Princess didn't know yet, but a vague plan was forming. "I don't know yet. Maybe... the truth? I will need you to say I'm not your slave, really. That you will let me go when I'm done."

It was a big thing to ask, and it was a lot of money. Rawsthorne hadn't really seemed to care much for money so far, but Celestia expected him to feel differently when this much of it was at stake. "I will get you your money back, I promised. Please?"

This was the point where visual cues would help. She pulled the blanket away and gave Rawsthorne one of her best, finely crafted Looks. The mane was frazzled and hung over her face, but it only added to the cute. Sleepy and disheveled pony Princess, begging her strong human protector for help. The eyes went a perfect amount of round. The pupils as large as she could make them. A slight, pleading smile in the corners of her mouth, with just a hint of worry that he would say no. She risked letting him go, so she could include her legs in the overall picture. Forelegs extended flatly on the bed before her, as if in supplication. The room was just light enough from the snow outside for him to see. Perfect.

"Please?" Even the voice had harmonics which went straight to the pity center of the brain.

Of course Rawsthorne couldn't stand that look, not for long. He lowered his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Damn it, don't give me that look! How long have you practiced it in front of a mirror?" the human asked with exasperation.

Celestia nearly pumped her hoof in victory. Yes! It was working! The Look never failed to work! "Ages." She squeaked the word, as if embarrassed about it. She even blushed a little and lowered her eyes to her hooves. It was a finely-tuned act. In her time, the Princess had used it on minotaurs, griffons, even dragons! Anything to serve her subjects better!

A human was no contest. The man lifted his face to the ceiling and sighed theatrically. "Fine, I suppose I can't say no, can I?"

Celestia smiled beatifically. Victory!

Rawsthorne watched her for a while. The mare imagined that he liked what he saw. "How do we get your friends here?" he asked suddenly.

"Simple. Call the owners. They might be more inclined to listen to you than them." It wasn't an entirely happy thought. Her subjects weren't exactly maltreated, but their opinions sometimes mattered very little. Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were most strongly in that boat. Their owners saw them as little more than pets. At least Silent Brook's human treated him as a thinking individual, even if was mostly just a convenient target for yelling, and Glitter Dust shared some of the responsibility for Maggie's store. Perhaps she came as close to independence as any of them. Though she wasn't above spankings when she messed up.

Celestia had seen that first-hoof. She pushed such thoughts to the side and looked at her own human. "Yes?"

Rawsthorne shrugged, mostly to himself. "Okay, I will call them. I won't promise anything, but I will try."

The pony hugged and nuzzled him. "Thank you, Greg."

There was one more thing. The mare felt the two of them were moving past the lie. Now they were on a more equal footing. Maybe she could get away with a small joke, to remind Rawsthorne of the fact and lighten the mood? "By the way, how does it feel knowing that you've spanked a Princess?"

His eyes bulged out most pleasingly! Celestia laughed a little and flicked her tail in amusement. "I didn't know that at the time!" he said a little defensively. The pony quickly renewed her hug and the nuzzle.

"Don't worry. I didn't mind. I deserved it."

There was no immediate answer. Obviously he was still worrying. Celestia patted her human's back with a wing. "It was... liberating."

"How so?" Rawsthorne was relaxing in her grasp. It caused a pleasant, warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Princesses don't get spankings, Greg. We don't get punished for our mistakes, not really. Not unless we decide to do it to ourselves." She sighed as she remembered some of her larger blunders. "Mostly the punishment is the guilt we feel for having let our subjects down." She released the human and moved away so she could inspect his face. Maybe there was a touch of pity, some slight understanding there. It was hard to speak about these things with non-alicorns.

"Being so... directly responsible for my actions was a new feeling, Greg. I will cherish the memory of it, always."

Now he blinked in confusion. "You'll... cherish it? Memory of being belted?!"

"Yes!" She giggled a little at the uncomprehending look. "Do not worry about it. Just be assured I am not sore about it."

"Fine. Please yourself, I'm sure."

It was time to move on from it, but it was still amazing how rapidly the human changed his viewpoint. It was as if a switch had been flipped in his mind and now suddenly she was no longer a slave. It felt like he was treating her as an equal.

An equal!

"Um, about that other thing?"

Rawsthorne stared at her. "What other thing? There's more?!"

She quickly shook her head. "No, no. I said I liked you and there is still that date."

Her human paused uncertainly. Maybe his mind didn't work quite as well in the morning, so the alicorn prodded him along a little more.

"You promised me a dinner, remember?"

The human rolled his eyes. "Oh, that. Yes, I remember. You keep bringing it up," he replied. The mare held her breath while Rawsthorne thought about it. "Fine, we'll have dinner, but no promises."

It was a good start. Celestia smiled again. There was a strong chance to move them forward. She knew her human liked her too!

In fact...

The morning was going swimmingly. Perhaps she could push her luck yet again? Celestia pulled herself closer, so she was staring at his face as closely as her horn would allow it without gouging out his eye.

"Thank you!" Then, without any real warning, she closed the last bit of the distance and put her lips on his.

The body under her stiffened in shock before he tried to pull away. Unfortunately for him, the only way was down and the mare followed it smoothly. She ended up lying on Rawsthorne's chest, still touching lips. Now there was nowhere else to go. Celestia paid close attention to his hands - if the man tried to push her away, she would go, but until he didn't, she took it as 'yes'.

She held her breath as she waited for either acceptance or rejection. Yes! His eyes closed in supplication and the body relaxed. It was happening! After some time, his arms came to her barrel and gave it a gentle push. It wasn't a rejection, so Celestia allowed it and pulled her face away.

He was looking at her, his face a mess of confusion and wonder. "We'll be late for work," he whispered.

It wasn't something the alicorn wanted to hear, but she understood it. Yes, he was receptive and yes, they would move forward with the relationship, but what he was really saying was that her human needed some time to process it.

After all, she had been thinking about this - about them - for a while. For him, it was a very new idea. He had responded, yes, but it was a physical thing. Celestia didn't just want Rawsthorne's body. She would give him time - as much as he needed. Whatever blossomed forth between them had to be fully consensual, for both of them. A small, hypocritical thought sprang up. Had she made the decision for him? The alicorn shook her head slightly. Yes, she had nudged him along a little, but that had just been a way to prove to him that he was interested!

The pony lowered her head for a quick peck on his cheek, then she rolled off. "Of course, Greg." The clock would begin ringing any minute now. "I'll make us breakfast."

Rawsthorne lifted himself on his elbows. He was about to argue, or at least ask about it, but she smiled and pushed him back down.

"Relax, I enjoy the housework and cooking, remember? Think of it as me earning my keep. Pulling my share."

He still seemed uncertain.

"Look, Greg. Even when you thought I was a slave, you never ordered me around. You made requests and I obeyed them because I wanted to. I was very grateful for that. You treated me more like a maid than a servant." She climbed out of the bed and stretched a little. The wings went out, the legs extended and the back arched. It felt good after a night trying to be as still as possible. Celestia glanced back and caught Rawsthorne staring. It made her smile.

"I would like for you to think of me as... something else, from now."

There was no reply, but his expression said it all. She also didn't miss a slight movement as the human brought the concealing blanket around his waist. Too late, she had seen the bulge through his clothes.

"Breakfast will be on the table in twenty minutes." A mixture of familiar and new. Mundane and alluring. Of course there would be a bit of time to flirt in the office, too. Celestia felt her grin widen at the thought.

It would be the perfect distraction from her hard work! Besides, the plan regarding her ponies on Earth was crystallizing. Maybe her stay in this would could be both productive and pleasant, after all. There was some extra spring in her gait as she made her way down the stairs. The mare remembered and focused her magic for a few seconds. The iPad floated down and she quickly scanned the song list.

Something fitting. Something upbeat. "I got a feeling! Yes, perfect!" she exclaimed in delight. It seemed like the song was written for her, for that exact moment and the lyrics fit her mood almost to the letter!

Celestia turned the volume up and tapped a hoof to the rhythm. In a minute her rump would begin to swing to the beat. A singing mare would further convince Rawsthorne that he made the right choice! She began to plan breakfast with a smile on her muzzle.

Chapter 34

Celestia paced nervously up and down the living room as she and Rawsthorne waited for their visitors. Her visitors, actually. Or maybe 'jury' was the better term.

"It's just the three of them, right?" On the one hoof, the alicorn was relieved she wouldn't have to deal with all her friends' accusing glares at once, but on the other hoof, she would need to go through it multiple times. Twice, with any luck, if she could get in touch with Silent Brook.

"Yeah. Maggie said yes and the Wiliamses let Lake Frond and Rock Lichen come. I couldn't get Peter or Patrick." That meant no Heavy Hoof, at least. And no Belle Hop. There was a pause as Rawsthorne counted in his mind. "Oh, and that other one, what was it? He usually comes alone... the one from the park..."

"Silent Brook."

The human snapped his fingers. "Right! I don't think I've even met his owners."

Celestia believed it. The stallion, it seemed, came and went as he pleased. Maybe Glitter Dust would have a way to reach him - she had said that Brook sometimes came by her store to say hello. The mare realized that her question had been entirely pointless. She had been there in his office when Rawsthorne called each owner and asked. She heard their replies through his phone.

It had just been something to say. An attempt to distract herself, the mare guessed. "What about Glowbug?" She hadn't been in his office when he spoke with the old lady.

"Oh, Mrs. Turner said she was sorry, but her daughter is coming to visit and she wants Glowbug to help with cooking."

The changeling already knew, so the alicorn didn't mind her absence, but having a sympathetic face in the little crowd would have been comforting. Amazing how quickly things changed, Celestia thought. A week ago she had been very uneasy about what was essentially a mortal enemy, but now she was sad that Glowbug wouldn't attend. Maybe if a changeling could accept her deception, the others would too?

A hand on her withers halter her pacing and the pony looked at Rawsthorne, who was sitting on the couch. At least he wasn't mad anymore! In fact, Celestia now remembered, he had helped immensely when Wendy accosted them at the reception in the morning. It would have taken Celestia a lot longer to convince the receptionist that nothing sinister was behind the previous night's phone call.

Her owner - funny how hard that expression was to shake off - came up with a simple, yet effective explanation. Incredible! She was just a very rare type of pony - very expensive - so they didn't wish to draw too much attention. It was all true, too! Wendy was most understanding and apologized profusely for posting that picture without asking. She even removed it from Facebook straight away.

That reminded Celestia. "Oh! Did you get all the others from the party?!"

Rawsthorne needed a moment to catch up, but then he shrugged a little. "Most," he replied. "Christine promised she would talk with the ones we couldn't reach."

The mare sagged in relief. The fact that the fingers had started to massage her neck also helped. "Thank you, Greg. I can't express my gratitude for your help. I really should have considered these things before."

She didn't mind that the humans took pictures of her - as a Princess, Celestia was so used to it that she automatically smiled and looked at the cameras, but she should have asked the people not to put the photos on the public Internet. Most of them, it turned out, were quite reasonable. She had heard them agree easily as Rawsthorne dialled little Sally's entire guest list.

Telling him, Celestia decided, had been a very good decision. Even the people who had already put her pictures online agreed to remove them. Her human really did have a way with words and the mare was immensely proud and grateful.

"Mmm." She closed her eyes and gave in to the marvellous scritching. "I'll have to think up some reward for all your help, Greg."

"A big one, yes," the human agreed. It made the mare blink her eyes open in surprise.

"I thought you were more modest."

He shook his head. "Not after the stunt you pulled!" Rawsthorne said pointedly. He even raised an admonitory finger at her!

Celestia suddenly felt a chill go down her spine. "I'm not off the hook yet, am I?"

The human shook his head again. "Not by a long shot. I'll help you clean up this mess, Celestia, but then we're going to have a Talk."

She practically heard the capital letter in the last word. It made her give a little whimper of concern. The mare swallowed a lump and sought out her bravery. "Y-you... I said you c-could belt me again, if- if it helps..." She left the question hanging in the air hopefully. Better that than sending her home! Maybe if she showed some contrition, she wouldn't even get that much.

"I'll do that, yes," Rawsthorne agreed. She stared at the matter-of-fact tone.

"Uh, I didn't... Really?!" The mare pulled away from the human's touch. Her mouth gaped open in shock. She had accepted the punishment! Suggested it, even. Rawsthorne wasn't supposed to insist, especially not now when he knew who she was!

"Yes." His tone was too calm. Celestia searched his face and tried to decide if it was a joke. Damn these unreadable human expressions!

"Why?!"

The man steepled his fingers and inspected the mare for a moment. "Because you deserve it and, like you said, because you never get punished."

She couldn't quite wrap her mind around his reasoning. "But you've punished me... several times!" The memory was enough to make her blush in embarrassment and look away.

"Yes, while you were Celestia, maid," Rawsthorne explained patiently. "Now I know you're Princess Celestia, ruler of a nation, and you have behaved like an irresponsible child toward me and your people. So you'll get spanked like one."

Celestia opened her mouth to point out the glaring, obvious flaw in his reasoning, but she couldn't immediately spot it. She suddenly realized that she was dreading this spanking like no other!

How?!

She had taken two without problems. What was different this time?! It hit her: Back then, Rawsthorne had thought her just a regular pony. So she had taken it as a game - as an act. She could have stopped it at any moment and the knowledge had given her the confidence she needed. This time it wouldn't be an act. Both she and Rawsthorne knew exactly who she was and this time, she had to take it. No escape. Of course Celestia could magic her way out and prevent Rawsthorne from hurting her, but that would just prove to him she was a fake and a coward and, ironically, that would hurt her more.

There was no real choice. Princess Celestia would have to take her humiliating, richly deserved punishment. It was a different kind of error. Previous beltings have been due to her miscalculations as a mare. This one was due to her blunder as the Princess.

She was afraid of this punishment. It showed her, in very clear ways, that she was fallible. It wasn't exactly news, but never before in her long reign had the alicorn been faced with that knowledge in such a direct manner. Luna had been correct from the very beginning. The plan was madness, foolishness! Except not because of personal danger - her Sister had been wrong on that part. It was a bad idea because of disrespect toward her ponies! She would pay for belittling their suffering.

Her ears folded down as Celestia came to the conclusion. The punishment was unavoidable. It was out of her hooves and Rawsthorne knew this perfectly well.

Celestia swallowed and tried very hard to keep her voice stead. "I un-understand. Of course, Gregory. I accept the punishment."

The doorbell rang. "Good," the human said and stood up. "We'll decide on the details later. Deal with your friends first."

A small mercy, at least. Putting it off didn't help too much, but Celestia was happy about the respite. She wouldn't have to think about the upcoming spanking for a while. Her subjects would take all her concentration.

As they had agreed beforehoof, Rawsthorne would entertain Maggie, who was driving the lot, so Celestia could would have the privacy to explain herself to the ponies. It suddenly seemed like a bad idea. The mare wished her human would be there when she told them. She heard the front door open and quickly changed into Supple Branch. The alicorn wanted a chance to explain before showing them. Her heart was going into overdrive as her friends filed into the room. Glitter Dust was familiar with the house so she led the way, but they were all confused and bewildered. Celestia didn't think their owners deigned to tell the ponies why they were there. In fact, the humans themselves didn't know much! Rawsthorne had been very discreet.

"Supple? What was this about an urgent meeting?" Lake Frond asked. The three relaxed a little when they saw their friend.

"Yeah," added the pegasus, "what's wrong? Did something happen?"

More than ever before Celestia wished she could be elsewhere. Anyplace! At that moment, the alicorn would rather fight Discord again, or Tirek, or Sombra! She would be less afraid. Her heart wouldn't feel as if it was about to explode. Even her legs were trembling and the ears, flat against her skull, no longer obeyed her.

"Supple? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Rock Lichen said, smiling at the little joke, but when Celestia failed to give a reaction, the stallion's face fell.

"Please, everypony. H-have a seat." Why did she suddenly feel like a filly at her first poetry recital? A filly who had neglected to learn the poems and everyone was staring and waiting for her to begin. She was used to speaking in front of a crowd, even when she had bad news. She just wasn't accustomed to owning up to a blunder of her own make. The alicorn swallowed and looked at the worried, expectant faces before her. She tried a reassuring smile, but it fled from her muzzle in a few seconds.

"Don't worry, whatever happened - we're here for you, sweetie," Lake Frond said encouragingly.

Disappointing them, that was the big problem, Celestia realized. She would have to tell them that their friend had lied about the most important thing. Who she was. Undoubtedly their trust would vanish, but the alicorn hoped there would be enough reverence for the Princess left to allow her to explain.

"I'm... I-" She swallowed again and sat down. Her rump hit the carpet and the mare looked down miserably. Nothing for it, but to come out. "I've been lying to you."

The mare dared a glance up, but all she met were three confused expressions.

"Oh?" Glitter Dust asked first. "About what?"

"Everything. I'm n-not really 'Supple Branch'. It's a disguise." Three faces blinked in surprise, but none of them spoke. Celestia just pushed forward. "Y-you see, I wanted to get away from my life. So I came up with this ruse to stay on Earth for a while. As a-"

This was the bitter word. This was where she made light of their situation.

"-a vacation."

There was the sound of giggling. Lake Frond had her hooves before her mouth. "Vacation!? Earth? Whatever gave you that idea?!" she asked between laughter, but Glitter Dust was staring.

"Okay, who are you then?" the pegasus asked suspiciously. "Why would you need a disguise? Are you a changeling?!"

The earth pony couple gasped and hugged each other at the revelation. Even Celestia was shocked. She tried to read Glitter Dust's expression. Did the pegasus know about Glowbug? If so, how? And why hadn't she told anypony else? Maybe it had just been a lucky guess.

"No, nothing like that, I promise. I'm a... pony."

They all noticed the pause. "Then who?" Rock Lichen demanded. His wife had gotten worried after the accusation and the pair still held hooves.

The alicorn closed her eyes and said it. "I'm Princess Celestia."

There was silence. When she looked again, the three were just staring.

"What?!" both Rock Lichen and Lake Frond shouted at the same time. Glitter Dust jumped from the couch and advanced on the disguised alicorn. "Is this some kind of sick joke, Supple?" the pegasus demanded. "How did you get Mr. Rawsthorne to get us here? It's not funny, you know!"

Celestia sighed. "Please, everypony, stay calm. I'm in disguise. I didn't want anypony to worry if they saw me, but the receptionist at Gregory's law firm took a picture. I didn't know she would put it on the Internet!"

Her friends looked at each other, then back at her. Lake Frond also lowered herself from the couch and joined the pegasus in her inspection. "Okay, let me get this straight. You - Princess Celestia - somehow got shorter, removed your horn and wings and dyed your fur and mane, so you could... take a vacation on Earth?!"

It sounded like a very bad joke, especially coming from a mouth that wasn't hers. "It's a spell..."

"Prove it!" Glitter Dust demanded angrily. "I don't appreciate being made fun of, Supple. Prove it."

She gulped again. There would be no going back. "Okay, s-stand back."

She took a few steps backward to give herself room. Then she released the spell. A flash of light and she stood before them. Suddenly, Celestia wished she had her hoofguards and peytral. She felt entirely naked without it.

There were three little gasps and a thud of hooves as Rock Lichen joined his wife on the floor. They all bowed. "P-princess!" Glitter Dust gasped, "f-forgive me! I didn't mean t-to-"

"No!" Her voice was urgent and she fell down on her belly before her prostrating subjects. "Please, none of that! I don't... deserve it."

They slowly rose up, staring in wonder. "I never thought I'd see you again, Princess!" the stallion mumbled quietly. He was smiling and that was making it worse.

"You should have said sooner," Lake Frond insisted. "Uh, m-majesty!"

"No titles, please! On Earth, I'm no more special than you. Less! I lied and pretended and used Gregory for a very selfish purpose."

Glitter was the first to get over her amazement and shock. "Why would you take a vacation on Earth?!"

Celestia took a deep sigh. It would take some explaining.

"Okay, okay, let's say we understand. Thousands of years, no time off. Anywhere you went ponies come to you with their problems,..." Rock Lichen paused, trying to understand. "But why Earth? It's so dangerous. Who knows what might have happened! What if someone got you who wasn't as nice as Mr. Rawsthorne?"

The alicorn had glossed over that part a little, so she went back to it. She leaned back again the chair a little for support. After that explanation, all her muscles felt weak like water. Her friends were seated on the couch and she had pulled up the comfy armchair for herself.

"Actually, I made sure the auctioneer - Mr. Plain - found someone who would sign a contract on how to treat me. I've had to deal with Mr. Plain a few times and I knew I could trust him to keep his word."

The ponies nodded. There was a bit of silence, so Celestia brought up the dragon in the room.

"So, I am very sorry for lying to you and I will understand if you're upset with me, but I do need your help."

Glitter Dust frowned. She was the only one who had showed any annoyance at the deception. Maybe because Celestia hadn't really spent much time with the other two. The pegasus probably thought they were friends. That they had told each other everything.

"Well..." Rock Lichen began, unsure of how to say it. The stallion blushed a little, but his wife came to rescue.

"It wasn't the nicest thing, Princess, but we understand. We're just glad you're not really a slave."

Celestia moved her gaze to the pegasus. "I'm really sorry, Glitter. I'm not very proud of it, you know? I'll understand if you don't wish to be my friend anymore."

The mare groaned a little and threw her hooves up in exasperation. "Fine! Fine. Apology accepted."

That cleared the air a little, but maybe a bit more was called for. "In fact, I have agreed that Gregory should punish me for the deception."

Three sets of eyes widened. "Princess! I don't think that's-" Rock Lichen began uneasily.

The alicorn smiled gently. "It's quite alright. I deserve it. In fact, I proposed the punishment."

It wasn't entirely a lie. Just a slightly bent truth. Enough to mollify the stallion.

"Well, if you think it best. Just please make sure those pictures don't end up on the Internet, or you will have a revolt on your hooves, Princess."

"Please, just 'Celestia'." She had asked them to call her that several times, but habits died hard, it seemed. From a very early age, all her ponies were taught to call her and Luna 'Princess'. It was hard to undo that.

"You said you needed our help, P- uh... Celestia," the earth mare asked. She blushed as she corrected herself, but it was a start.

"Yes. Glitter Dust, you said a lot of ponies saw the picture of me on the Internet. Do you have their names. Can you contact them?"

The pegasus mare shook her head. "Sorry. Wendy removed the photo and all the comments went with it. No way to tell now."

Her ears drooped a little at the news. She had had a plan, but it looked like she wouldn't be able to implement it, after all. "Oh."

"Why?" the pegasus asked.

There was no harm in telling them her idea. "I thought we could contact each of those ponies and tell them about me. That was the help I needed. Not about the vacation, of course, but there is something else."

"I don't think we should lie, Princess," the stallion pointed out.

"Oh, no, it wouldn't be a lie, Rock Lichen. I'm helping Gregory with a court case involving ponies. Have you heard of that?"

The couple shook their heads, but Glitter raised a hoof. "Oh, yeah! I read about that once. Some ponies were foal-napped, but the humans were caught and now they're going to trial."

"Indeed! It is an important trial. It will decide if those humans committed theft, or foal-napping."

"Theft?!" Lake Frond burst out. "How is it theft?! They took ponies!"

"Exactly, but it seems some humans are trying to get the criminals a lighter sentence by convincing everyone that foal-napping ponies is merely theft. I am helping to convict them of the full crime."

Now the faces were approving and admiring. All three of her friends were smiling. "Way to go, Princess!" Rock Lichen said proudly. "Whatever we can do to help!"

Celestia nodded. "I need time. I won't appear in court, because that will be a very public affair. It will be in newspapers and I have been seen too much as it is. If the human leaders knew I was here, there would be trouble, you understand? My visit isn't exactly... 'diplomatically authorized'."

After a fashion, they all nodded. "So, that's why the disguise," Rock Lichen pointed out.

"Yes, exactly. I need to remain in hiding for as long as the prosecuting people need my help, and the humans, especially, must not find out who I really am, or else all my testimony would be dismissed."

It was rather simplified, but she didn't want to bother her friends with exact legal terms. She also neglected to mention that she only wore the disguise where ponies were liable to see her. Now that she looked back, she should have the disguise at all times in public.

The people at Rawsthorne's firm knew her as the alicorn, so she'd have to keep that the same, at least. "I was hoping you could contact all the ponies who saw that picture and assure them that the Princess is not really a slave. That I am helping make laws to protect them, so they shouldn't draw undue attention to who I am and I wish everypony to know that I am working hard to get them all home."

She saw a quick flash of disappointment on Glitter Dust's muzzle and quickly corrected: "At least those who wish to go home, and those who stay shouldn't be slaves. It will take time, but that is my goal."

The three looked at each other, then the pegasus spoke up: "Well, we could mention it in the pony chat group we have on Facebook. There's a lot of members."

The alicorn was flabbergasted. "Pony chat group?!"

"Yeah," Glitter went on. "Somepony made a group on Facebook just for ponies. You need to have a video chat with at least two members to prove you're not a human, so there definitely aren't any humans in there. We could tell everypony there, and they'd tell their friends." The mare shrugged a little and began smiling. "In a couple of days, most ponies on Earth would have your message, Princess."

It was amazing news and the alicorn grinned widely. "That would be perfect! Can you do that, Glitter Dust?" There was something else which bothered her suddenly. The Princess tried to put her hoof on it. "Wait, why don't I know about this pony chat group?"

The pegasus leaned her head to the side. "Well, you're not on Facebook and I haven't been on it much, lately. I guess it just slipped my mind. Those two don't use their computers much and Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop just use Skype for video chat." She shrugged a little to herself. "I guess it got a little quieter lately - a lot of the ponies went home."

At least some good news, Celestia thought. "Well, there are still enough ponies in it to spread the message?"

"Of course! I'll do it as soon as I get home. Anyway, what about the others?"

"Others?"

"You know, Belle Hop, Silent Brook, Glowbug-" the pegasus started, then put her hoof over her mouth and gasped. "Holy crap," she swore, "Heavy Hoof! Nopony say anything to him, alright?! I will tell him in person!"

The couple looked strangely at her. "Why?"

Now there was an evil grin on her face when the mare took her hoof away. "I wanna see the look on his muzzle when I tell him he's had video sex with a Princess!" All four of them blushed at the thought. Then Glitter gasped again and covered her mouth once more. "I have y-your... eep!"

Celestia remembered the toy she had let the pegasus 'borrow'. They couldn't meet each other's eyes.

"So, that's why it was so... big," the poor pony squeaked. After a moment, Rock Lichen and Lake Frond caught up and also looked away in embarrassment. Obviously the pegasus had told them about it. They waited in silence.

"Well. I can't tell you all how grateful I am for your help and how relieved that you aren't angry at me for the lie."

That moved them past the awkward. The earth mare smiled. "Of course, Princess! We know you have good reasons. You haven't led us wrong yet. We trust you." The other two nodded.

"Thank you!" Celestia had tears in her eyes. Such loyalty even after she had - for all intents and purposes - abandoned them on Earth. She would find a way to get them home, or ensure they had the rights they deserved on Earth! The alicorn swore it to herself again.

"You'll tell the others, too?"

"Yes, but it would help if we did a video chat, so they could see for themselves," Glitter Dust suggested.

"Good idea. I will be on Skype each night, whenever you need me."

The three jumped from the couch and she went to embrace them. Then they bowed again, making her blush a little. She still didn't feel she deserved it. "Come on, let's go tell Maggie to drive us home," the pegasus said. "Bye, Princess!"

Celestia watched them go. As soon as the door closed, she collapsed into the couch. It had gone a lot better than she had any right to expect, but now she was wrung out. The uncertainty with Rawsthorne, the hard day at work, and the emotional roller coaster of telling her friends. The mare didn't think she had the mental energy to get up to her room. Maybe Rawsthorne would carry her. She would try and convince him. Then there was the punishment.

She trembled at the thought, but now it was imperative she got what she deserved. Hopefully, the man could be persuaded to make it a Friday, so her bruises would have at least a few days to heal before she displayed them at work. Undoubtedly Wendy would ask questions, so she would have to come up with a good reason, and Denis would probably make jokes. She could imagine his smirk so clearly that Celestia made a face.

"That unpleasant?" Rawsthorne asked.

She opened her eyes in wonder. The mare hadn't heard the human come in! "No, thinking about Denis. What he'll say when he sees my rump on Monday. Please, can we do the belting on Friday, so I have a couple of days at least to heal?"

Rawsthorne laughed and reached over to pat her mane. "Sure, I think that's acceptable."

"Oh, and can you carry me to bed?"

The human just kept laughing. "Come on. Up to your hooves and in the bathroom. If you're not ready for bed in ten minutes, you're sleeping in your own room."

That worked. Celestia stuck her tongue out at him, but she did drag herself to her hooves.She went slowly out of the room and up the stairs with only minimal grumbling at the unfairness of it all.

Chapter 35

It was the day of reckoning. Celestia found herself idly watching the foam sliding down the inside of the kitchen sink. She realized she was trying to put it off again. She really didn't need to watch water dry, after all. She sighed and stomped a hoof resolutely. It was time to face her fate, but her treacherous eyes still cast around the kitchen for something else to do. Anything! Celestia caught herself before she decided to sweep the floor again. It had been enough of a delay when she chose to wash the dishes with her magic, rather than use the machine Rawsthorne had shown her.

"No more avoiding!" Her voice sounded more firm than she felt. The alicorn tried it again: "It is not an execution. It is not even public! You can do this, Celestia!"

She swallowed a lump and went to look for Rawsthorne in the living room. He was watching that pond game again.

"I'm ready." The pony most certainly was not, but maybe the human wouldn't be able to read her body language.

Rawsthorne glanced at her and his expression turned to pity. Yeah, Celestia thought, she should have guessed. Ears folded back was a very clear sign of fear. As was the nervously flicking tail, and the slight tremor in her wings.

"Are you sure?" her human asked.

Celestia chose to interpret it as mocking condescension and tried to find some anger, or at least annoyance. "Yes, let's get it over with, Rawsthorne!"

Now it was his turn to be uncertain. Celestia saw the human hesitate. Aha! So his bravado at spanking a Princess had been nothing but an act! It didn't make her feel any better. It just meant that she had to be the determined one. The mare concentrated and her horn lit up. She selected a belt in Rawsthorne's closet - hopefully the softest one - and levitated it downstairs and into his hand.

"You were right. We both need this, so we can move past it." She didn't entirely believe it, but it sounded right. There had to be some form of justice and the alicorn would prefer this to the guilt she had felt when she looked into her subjects' adoring, forgiving faces.

Her magic winked out as Rawsthorne's hand closed around the strip of leather. He watched her wordlessly.

"Please, do not hold back. Do however much you feel I deserve." Perhaps a tad too dramatic, which was funny because the mare had nothing to prove to anypony. Anyone! Well, other than Rawsthorne, of course. She very much wanted to impress him.

She turned her flank to the human to show willing. With luck, he would be- SLAP

"GAH!"

It had come quite unexpectedly. She wasn't ready! It stung more than she remembered the previous times. Her legs nearly buckled before she caught herself. The sting faded, but a dull line of fire was left across her hide. The mare looked back and saw that Rawsthorne had already lifted his arm again. He was really going through with it!

Somehow she hadn't believed it until now. There was a whoosh and a loud slap as the belt found her again.

"EEP!" She tried very hard to keep her muzzle shut, but her flank was unused to punishment and she felt the hit keenly. Celestia couldn't hold back a small whimper as the human lifted the leather again. She quickly closed her eyes.

The hit didn't land. "I really don't think this is the right thing-" Rawsthorne began talking, but Celestia interrupted him.

"Keep going! All of it!" Her voice was strained and she was saying things she really didn't want to say, but now was too late to chicken out.

If she showed up before her friends with only two lines, they would know that the punishment was symbolic. They needed to see that it was real. That even their Princess was accountable for her foolishness. No special treatment.
Except that the human had stopped.
"Greg, I said keep go-"

SLAP

"AAAH!" Again he caught her by surprise! It hurt! Luna, how much it hurt this time! Celestia quickly understood two important things: Her previous punishments have been symbolic in nature. This one was not! She was no longer sure she could take it. The mare danced around and turned her rump away from the human. She was already breathing heavily and her eyes were tearing up from the lingering fire on her hide. She wanted to call it enough, she really did, but the alicorn remembered the ponies. Glitter Dust and Lake Frond and Rock Lichen. They looked at her with adoration and the unshakable faith that she could do no wrong.

Lying and deceit was bad! It was unbefitting any pony and especially a Princess, but her friends on Earth would never call her out. They would never expect her to be punished. So she had to do it herself! Celestia hoped her subjects would appreciate the gesture.

Rawsthorne was watching her with concern. His arm with the belt was lowering, but the mare twirled around again.

"Keep going! Please!" She jammed her eyes shut just before the human landed another strike. This one made her moan through her nose, because she was holding her mouth closed so hard. Maybe she swayed a little, but the pony remained upright. Several times the belt landed, each hit adding to the overall pain.

The tears could no longer be contained and neither could the whimpers. Luckily, the human didn't stop, or she would have given up there and then. Surrender, that was the thing! It was out of her hooves. It had been ever since she had decided that she liked the human enough to tell him the truth. When had that happened? The alicorn tried to remember - lose herself in the memory to shut out the horrible present.

The snow chase! She had thought about it before then, but that was the first time she was absolutely sure. She enjoyed the human's laugh as he ran after her, and his weight as he sat on her... She had been helpless then, too! Yes, Celestia had her magic and she could have flung Rawsthorne off her. Just as she could easily prevent his punishment now, but she wouldn't. Maybe she had taken the 'slave' thing too far, but the mare wanted to be entirely in his power. She had forgotten over the centuries what that even felt like. Only now was she rediscovering it.

Complete surrender. Her punishment, her hide, her very life in the hooves - hands! - of another person. Rawsthorne had all the control and she had absolutely none, and it was delicious! So simple! Her entire world revolved only around the belting she was receiving and the pain. There were no other responsibilities except to endure while it lasted.

Then there would be the respite and she would look at her human - her owner! - and all would be right between them again! She would have paid her debt, both to Rawsthorne and to her subjects. Her heart would be washed clean of her folly!

Slowly Celestia became aware that the beating had stopped. She opened her eyes. The mare was panting, sweaty and her rump was on fire. She risked a glance back and whimpered at what she saw. Very angry red. There could be no doubt.

The human was looking at her with some trepidation. "Are you okay?" Rawsthorne asked with concern. Celestia saw him drop the belt to the floor and put both his hands around her muzzle. One finger brushed a tear away. It really was over.

"H-how m-many?"

Rawsthorne shrugged. "I didn't count. Lots. I guess I really was a little bit angry."

She nodded vehemently. It felt like lots. The human was about to apologize. She saw it clearly in his face. "I'm s-"

"No."

She managed a smile. "I think I needed that. You did the right thing and I asked you to do it. No 'sorry', alright?"

Soon his smile mirrored hers. "Tough pony, but something tells me this punishment wasn't for my sake."

He had told her as much before and it was still true. Celestia closed her eyes as the hands explored her face. "Also for my ponies. Princesses are never accountable, except to ourselves. It was time one of them answered for her mistakes."

"Well, it's done now. We'll call us even after this," the human said softly. He waited, but the mare didn't answer. She was enjoying the touch. "So what now?"

Celestia knew she would have to deal with the future, but adrenaline was leaving her and she found her legs weakening. "I need to sit. Uh, make that lie down. On my belly."

Rawsthorne followed her to the couch and helped her get settled down. Then he sat beside her head. The pony considered it for a minute, then shuffled forward until she could lay her head in his lap. The hands, that was the important part. They were in her mane and around her ears.

"What now?" She just repeated the question back while she thought. "What... now..." The alicorn sighed sadly. Their relationship would change, undoubtedly. No more carefree Princess and her kind Master, but maybe there was a way.

"Two things come to mind, Greg. I need a room and board, at least while this court case needs me. Miriam said I will not testify, so she mainly needs a few essays on pony values and culture. Examples from our law. Proof, in short, that we are civilized."

Rawsthorne kept petting as he considered, to her endless gratitude. "That one is not a problem. You can keep your room for as long as you need."

A question hung in the air and the mare saw it instantly. "Yes, thank you. In return I will keep cleaning and cooking, if that's alright?" She sensed the smile, even if she didn't see his face from that angle. The mare was exactly on her belly, afraid to lean to either side, lest she press her abused rump against the fabric.

"Yes, that would be very welcome. Help around the house in exchange for the room and food."

It only needed one slight change. "What else must I do so I get your bed, Greg?"

He chuckled at the little joke but didn't answer.

"Which brings me to the second thing. You were reluctant to... date, because you thought you owned me." It wasn't a question, the human had said as much. The word 'date' made her blush a little, but Celestia persisted. "I would like to try, now that the illusion has been dispelled, so to speak. That is, unless you do not find ponies... interesting?" She had meant to say 'attractive', but decided against it.

"I do, especially now that I lived with one for a while. What do you propose?" It sounded like they were negotiating a business contract! The mare groaned a little and lifted her head. A more direct approach would work better.

"Shut up and kiss me!"

After a moment, the human obliged. Almost without conscious control, Celestia crawled forward and into Rawsthorne's lap. She had to turn to her side, which made her gasp. Her abused flank was sitting on his knees, but the mare was determined and ignored it. The lap had to be occupied!

The hands moved around to explore and Celestia put her forehooves on Rawsthorne's shoulders to steady herself. The touch on her fur felt like electricity. She could sense each hair as fingers passed over it.

The desire suddenly burned hotter than her rump, and when Rawsthorne slid his hands over her wings, she could no longer control it. Her tail flailed around, as if to fan the flames in her belly.

"Yes! Please! More!" She could hardly gasp between kisses, but Celestia opened her wings to give her human easier access. Obediently, he returned his fingers to the right spot and ran them down the primaries. There was no going back. The mare tore her face away and glared.

"We're doing this..." It came out as a gasp and she had to suck down another breath to continue: "we're doing this now! No... excuses!"

The human smiled as they both gave in.

They ended up on Rawsthorne's bed, panting but happy. The alicorn was left in a state of uncomprehending bliss. She was sprawled over the human's chest and drooled a little. She woke up just enough to lick it up.

"Mmm." It had mixed with his sweat in a most delicious way!

In response to her hot tongue on flesh, his hand came and patted her muzzle. She gave that a lick, too, before the fingers settled on her cheek. He hind hoof twitched slightly as Celestia began to relax her muscles.

"You could have warned me, you know?" She tried to make it sound slightly accusing, but the alicorn couldn't. She had a dopey grin that gave away her real feelings on the matter. "Now I'll have to shower again."

The human drew a deep breath before answering. "Yeah, me too," he said.

"No. Wait till morning. I love the smell." She did, Celestia found! Sweat, mingled with their... 'personal aromas' was quite intoxicating. Both exhilarating and calming at the same time. The mare could stay surrounded by it forever.

It would probably cause comment.

She still needed a shower, if only to prevent messing up the bed. She had remembered - barely - to float in a couple of towels just as they came in the room, but that had been only a stopgap measure.

Not just yet. For now, she could remain as a white puddle of fur and feathers, leaning against Rawsthorne's side and with her head on his stomach. The way it rocked up and down was strangely soothing. There was still the mess in the living room, but the alicorn didn't want to think about it.

In the morning. It was weekend anyway. There would be time. And then time for more lovemaking, once Rawsthorne recovered.

"You seem thoughtful," Rawsthorne commented. The finger on her cheek brushed a little. It made the mare close her eyes.

"Mm. Yes."

"Anything interesting?"

She twitched her head in a slight shake. "No, just comparing... pony and human." She realized it was probably a bad thing to say as soon as it was out her mouth, but the human just chuckled.

"Oh? And the verdict?"

"Can all humans go this long?" Out of all possible thoughts, a faint tinge of sympathy for Heavy Hoof was the first to poke its head up. The poor stallion had to watch his owners go at it like this. No wonder he was pent up!

"Oh, sorry about that. I guess I'm out of practice," Rawsthorne replied sheepishly. "It should last longer than five minutes, just give me a chance to... practice a little."

"L-longer?!" Surely he was mistaken? The hand went for her ears and the pony moaned in delight.

"Well, it depends on the mood. Sometimes a quickie is nice, but other times it's better to keep playing for a while. We'll see."

The mare sighed. "I'm taking you with me when I go. Whether you like it or not, Greg."

He just laughed at that, but Celestia didn't. She was determined. Somehow she would convince the human to accept some job in the Castle, so she could keep him close. Sex, when it lasted long enough for her mind to start unravelling at the edges, was even more relaxing than hot baths! It would do wonders for her mood! Celestia felt herself begin to slip away and lifted her head. It wouldn't do to fall asleep and wake up to a cold, sticky, messy bed. She didn't relish the thought of changing the sheets in the middle of the night.

"Ugh, shower. I will be right back."

The hand slipped away from her ear as the mare rose out of the bed. She took one of the towels with her, held against her rump with magic. It caused her to walk a little awkwardly, but she didn't even mind the way Rawsthorne laughed at her.

Chapter 36

Waking up in a cuddle was even better now. That was her first thought as Celestia opened her eyes and smiled. Rawsthorne hadn't showered and now she was wrapped up in both his arms and his scent. That, plus the memory, was enough to make her shudder in delight. The human was still asleep and she was perfectly happy to just lie there and enjoy the warmth and the closeness. What made it even better was that he had slept naked! Bare skin on fur was just about the most comfortable thing ever!

The alicorn wondered if she could get some sort of skin-like bedding to use as blankets in her room in Canterlot. As a backup plan. Which she wouldn't need, because Rawsthorne would agree to leave with her. Who could resist a nice, pristine white rump like hers?

Well, the mare remembered, not pristine at the moment, but she would heal in a few more days and then it would be pristine. She yawned and stretched out her legs. It half-woke Rawsthorne and made him shift. The pony took the opportunity to wriggle around so she was facing him.

"Huh? What time izzit?" he asked sleepily.

"About six. Go back to sleep."

He mumbled something which sounded affirmative, but before he nodded away again, the hand slid down her barrel and patted her rump. Celestia gasped and tensed up as he touched the sensitive, abused skin.

"Oh! Sorry!"

She let her breath out and relaxed. "It's okay."

The human didn't seem entirely over it. "No, sorry for... the belt. I really shouldn't have-"

She quickly reached up and plugged his mouth with a gentle hoof. "Hush. It was the right thing." Not to mention that it had brought them together. It had torn down the last wall between them. In a very real way, the belting had nudged her to 'conquer' the human. Celestia wouldn't have it any other way!

"I'll heal. Don't worry."

Rawsthorne yawned. It was adorable! She couldn't resist licking his face a little. Then she giggled.

"Sorry. Go back to sleep now. I'll get up in a while and make breakfast."

Rawsthorne wiped his face with a hand, then mumbled something she couldn't make out. The mare took it as agreement.

The meal was simple. Pancakes, chocolate syrup, slices of toast, eggs, orange juice. Nothing that required a whole lot of concentration and it left her able to listen to music and sing along. She paused for a bit as she heard the human come down the stairs. He hadn't showered yet, which made Celestia smile.

Good. She would enjoy the scent for a while longer. His phone rang and the pony swiveled her ears to hear better. She turned down the music. She couldn't quite make out the other voice, not from another room, but she heard Rawsthorne replying.

"Oh, hello. Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?" Then, after some jibber-jabber from the tiny speaker: "Yeah, that works. Sure, we can let them catch up. And we can go over that thing, what was it again?"

Very curious. Celestia had a feeling it pertained to her, but couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Maybe Wendy was calling over some work-related thing. Or maybe it was Denis with some meeting for Monday. 'Let them catch up,' was probably a reference to Celestia and Miriam. Maybe there had been a development? The alicorn quickly floated the dishes up into the air and went to the living room to ask.

They could eat on the coffee table this time. It was too late to spy on the conversation, though. Rawsthorne was just putting the phone down when she entered and laid out the meal.

"Who was it?" The mare hoped it wasn't too nosy or impertinent of her to ask. She quickly corrected: "Just curious," then went to give him a nice wing-hug and sit beside him. "Go on. Eat. There's plenty. We have ice cream for after!"

Rawsthorne involuntarily placed a hand on his stomach, which made the alicorn giggle.

"Don't worry, we'll burn that off tonight!"
She gave him a sultry wink. The human remembered his phone call. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "It was Peter. He's coming for a visit. Apparently your friend needs to see you."

The alicorn blinked in surprise. "Heavy Hoof? Why?"
Rawsthorne just shrugged. "Didn't say. Just that you needed to talk. That's alright, isn't it?"

Celestia couldn't see a problem, so she just nodded, but it was still strange. As they had discussed with Glitter Dust, Rock Lichen and Lake Frond the other day, she had revealed the secret to all of them over Skype on that evening after telling the three in person. All their reactions had been much the same, except for Heavy Hoof, who looked a little uncomfortable. Celestia guessed it just came from knowing he'd had video sex with a Princess. Such things always needed a lot of care. Whenever Celestia had wanted a liaison or just a fun evening in the past, the stallions needed careful hoofwork.

Maybe the thought of seeing their Princess in... that way, was just too strange for them? Undoubtedly Heavy Hoof wanted to apologize in person for anything she might consider inappropriate. Maybe he felt bad about pressing his affections on her. She would just have to explain that it hadn't bothered her. A short chat. The mare became aware that Rawsthorne was looking at her. She had gone a little quiet as she was thinking.

"Oh, sorry. I was just trying to imagine what he wishes to talk about." The plates of food were still untouched and the pony bumped her human on the shoulder with her muzzle. "Go on. Eat!"

He smiled. "Yes, Your Highness!" It was a joke. Of course Rawsthorne, of all people, wouldn't start treating her like royalty. Not now, at any case.

She stuck her tongue out at him in lieu of a reply.

Celestia was stacking the dishes into the machine when she heard the car. A bit later came the doorbell. She quickly changed into Supple Branch and went to open it. Of course Heavy Hoof knew her now, but his owner still did not. The mare decided to keep it that way. The doorknob was a bit tricky, but she managed and smiled up at the human.

"Hello. Please, come in. Gregory is in his study."

If the stallion, who was standing behind his owner, was surprised to see the disguise, he didn't show it. He followed the man inside, out of the cold.

"Thank you," Peter said. "You two will be alright on your own?"

The mare gave him a nod. "Of course. Come, let me show you." She pointed a hoof to the living room for her pony friend. "Just make yourself at home, Heavy Hoof. I'll be right back!"

Celestia led her guest up the stairs and into Rawsthorne's office. Then she went back to see what the stallion wanted. She found him still just inside the door, stock still and with his head hanging low.

"Heavy Hoof?" The alicorn took a step back when she saw the expression. Hurt and betrayed, and more than a little angry. He faced her head on.

"You... and Rawsthorne?" he demanded. Celestia took another small step backward before she caught herself.

"Yes. Here, let me change." A flash of light and she was her usual self. The stallion didn't bow.

"Thanks a lot, Princess!" he said, sarcasm dripping from the title.

"What? I'm afraid I don't understand, Heavy Hoof."

The pony swiveled his head around and sniffed sadly. He turned big, sad, soulful eyes on her and lowered his ears as if in supplication. Then the stallion took a shuddering breath. "I came... t-to ask you, Princess."

"Ask me what?"

He sat and returned his eyes to the carpet. "Never mind. You obviously picked a human rather than your own kind!"

She suddenly understood and her blush deepened. "Look, Heavy Hoof, I know I said some things while I was- uh, 'in my time', and I am sorry for misleading you. But-"

He looked up sharply. There was a hint of anger there now, mingled with regret. "But what?! 'I like humans now, so buck off?' You know, I really liked you!"

Celestia sighed and stepped closer. She sat down as well, right on the floor. She still towered over the stallion, but it was the gesture that counted. "I like you too, Heavy Hoof, but things happened this way. I'm sorry."

He refused to meet her gaze. "Yeah, I'm sorry too." He sounded quite upset. Disappointed and frustrated.

Celestia really didn't like his obsessive fixation. It only served to make the stallion miserable. She reached out a wing feather and tipped his face up. His eyes were already wet. "Heavy Hoof, please. I did not intend to hurt your feelings."

The earth pony shook his head free from the slight touch and sighed. "Well, too late now. I would have loved you, Princess."

He truly was heartbroken. The alicorn felt pity until she spotted the stallion sneakily watching her from the corner of his eye, gauging her reactions. Celestia suddenly understood what he was trying to do. It was an act - a guilt-trip into something she would regret later. It was quite un-pony-like behavior. Maybe it had come from his experience with humans.

She rolled her eyes. Nopony one out-manipulated a diplomat of her caliber! "Like you love Glitter Dust? And Belle Hop? Lake Frond? And your human lady-" The alicorn searched her memory for the name. "-Deborah?"

The widening of his eyes told her that Glowbug's information had been correct. He mumbled in confusion. "I didn't- I never- how do you know that?!"

A small triumph, maybe. Too bad his fur hid his blush. "It is my job to know what is going on in the lives of my ponies. Yes, I admit my reasons for coming to Earth were somewhat selfish, Heavy Hoof, but even now I am working to make their lives - your life - better!" She stood up and turned sideways to show him. "Here - is this punishment enough for my deception, do you think?"

The stallion gasped. "He did that to you?! Princess, if he is making you go to his bed, I'll-"

The alicorn quickly interrupted him before the stallion could work himself into a frenzy. "Nothing of the sort! The punishment was my idea, and going to Gregory's bed also! Do you think a human could make me do what I did not wish?" She wanted to remind him of the power alicorns wielded. Apparently he had forgotten a little in his time on Earth.

"S-sorry, Princess. I didn't think before speaking. Of course no human could make you."

"Why did you come here today, Heavy Hoof?"

He swallowed and flashed her a brief, nervous grin. "I t-thought you liked me. I remembered that time in the ba-bathroom, and then on video chat. I thought we could..." He let it trail off, hoping she would understand without him having to say it.

"Three mares and a human lady are not enough for you, Heavy Hoof?"

He leaned away from her question. His ears went flat and a hoof came up before his chest as if to shield him. "It's not l-like that, Princess! I love all of them!"

Perhaps, in his own way, Heavy Hoof really did, Celestia decided. Herds were uncommon these days, but a stressful situation like they had on Earth could bring them close enough to reawaken the older ways. He looked defeated. That was not her intention and the mare brought her wing back to gently lift his face back up.

"I'm not mad, Heavy Hoof. I understand. This world hasn't been kind to you."

He shook his head slightly. "N-not at first. Peter and Deborah are okay, I guess. Except for making me... uh, making me watch."

She had expected as much. Even Heavy Hoof didn't know if he liked that or not. "I understand. When I leave, you can come with me and return to Equestria. I will make it happen."

The stallion stared at her with wide, round eyes for a moment. Then he slightly shook his head. "Thank you, Princess, b-but... no." His voice was soft and sad. "I don't want to leave M-mistress," he admitted. The pony realized what he had just admitted and quickly added: "A-and Master!"

It wasn't a new sentiment. Celestia had hinted at the possibility to the others on her Skype reveal, but none of them took the offer. There was also Silent Brook's reaction the first time she had met him. The mare tried to imagine it herself. What if she were really a slave, captured, restrained and without her alicorn powers, and then she would come into Rawsthorne's possession. Possibly after going through some worse masters?

She was sure she would have liked him just as much, and after that, she would probably wriggle her way into his bed despite his misgivings about their positions. It would have taken a bit longer, true, but without an option to go home, what else would she do? Companionship, love and safety. Yes, in time she would have grown to love her owner. She wouldn't want to leave him. Even being treated as pets hadn't prevented Lake Frond and Rock Lichen from liking their humans. Besides, there was always a chance that running away would end up worse. After enough time, this life became normal and Equestria a mere distant memory.

"I expected as much, but please think it over. I will be on Earth for some time and I will tell you all when I am leaving if you have a change of heart."

The stallion managed a weak smile. "Thank you, P-princess. I'll think about it," he promised.

"I will make us a cup of tea."

He just nodded and heaved another sigh.

"And, if I am completely honest, were it not for Gregory, you would have gotten yourself an alicorn." She giggled a little and winked at him while the stallion coughed and spluttered in shock. "You are quite a persuasive pony, Heavy Hoof. No ordinary mare could resist your charm. Keep that in mind when you are deciding if you would like to return with me."

Chapter 37

Finally things were getting back on track for Celestia. Rawsthorne had accepted her advances, her help on the court case was 'invaluable', according to Miriam, and even Denis was acting with something akin to professionalism. The only problem was... one she imagined Heavy Hoof had. Every night she and her human fell on each other and most mornings, too. It wasn't really the pony way, but Rawsthorne seemed insatiable and some of it rubbed off on the mare.

She felt like she was constantly in heat, albeit a mild one. It was a good thing she didn't have to work in the same office as her human. His smell would have driven her insane. As it was, they had indulged in a little flirting at the workplace, but only when they were both absolutely sure no one could see. A quick peck on the cheek in the elevator. A hand laid 'carelessly' on her rump, a wing on a shoulder, such things.

It took all of her powers of concentration to keep herself from taking it any further, a fact which seemed to amuse Rawsthorne no end. His self-control seemed effortless, so it was not fair. The alicorn did her best to get through the day and planned fearsome revenge each minute she had to sit still and think of icebergs. Unfortunately, somehow, any thought of vengeance vanished the instant they arrived home.

She forgave as soon as their lips locked together.

The mare tried to put it out of her mind as she went to fetch herself a coffee. The things she suffered for her subjects were stuff of legend, but she would be steadfast in her duties. The Princess would not complain. History would never know just what she went through each day.

Rawsthorne was in the little coffee room. The mare smiled, despite her mild annoyance over a particularly difficult text. "Hey you."

The human took her cup from the magical grasp and put it down beside his to fill with the black, delicious, life-saving drink. Even an alicorn had her limits. Working through all the history of kidnapping cases was... taxing.

"How is it going?" he asked. He had offered his help whenever she might need it, but Celestia took it as a point of pride that she could research every detail on her own. She looked out into the hallway for their coworkers, laid her muzzle on Rawsthorne's shoulder and quickly nuzzled his neck.

"It is good. Some of the cases are... difficult. Traumatizing. I study them bit by bit, with more mundane ones between each part."

Rawsthorne nodded. "Yeah, they can be pretty bad. That's part of the reason I got out of criminal law. Is Denis being an ass, by the way?"

The mare sighed and leaned her head to the side. "Not more so than usual."

"Good. That's good."

It was hard to have a discussion like that. So close, practically enveloped by his scent and unable to touch him. Well, really touch him. If she could be sure they had a few minutes, the alicorn would have knelt down and made sure the human was a little flustered for a change. Her head would be at the perfect height, she thought.

"Uh... excuse me a minute!" Wrong thoughts! Celestia had been lucky so far, but she knew the humans might spot it if she worked herself up into a frenzy, however little they knew of pony body language, and however weak their noses were.

She couldn't afford it, not now. It was going too well with Miriam and the case!

The bathrooms! They had been her salvation several times. The strong chemical smell, combined with the perfume in the soap and the glaring, almost painful light, were able to push thought of inpropriety out of her mind.

The pony rushed through the halls and into the blessedly empty room. She locked herself into a stall, then she sighed. "Come on, Celestia, you're not a hormonal teenager. Control!" Easy to say. The mare waited until she calmed down, before coming out. She went for the sink next. Cold water on hooves helped. Only then did she let herself out of the bathroom.

She passed by Wendy's desk and the receptionist waved her over. "Hi! You were in quite a rush. Forgotten again?"

It had been a convenient excuse. Not to mention that it was the truth sometimes. The mare worked with such focus that she forgot to tend to her bodily needs. Only when a flood was imminent did she realize, a mistake which had prompted a few urgent gallops to the little fillies' room.

"It is the coffee. I am not used to how fast it works, Wendy."

Since she was there, the alicorn took a small nibble from the vase of daisies the receptionist kept on her desk lately. After that first time, the woman found it immensely funny whenever Celestia did that, so she made sure the flowers were fresh each day. The receptionist also brought donuts to many of her coworkers and brewed coffee whenever the pot ran low, so this wasn't any special treatment.

The mare was still grateful for the consideration. "These are lovely, Wendy. Thank you! I do not know how you find time to do everything around here."

She got a modest wave of a hand in reply. The woman liked to downplay her vital role in the firm. "Don't you worry about that, Celestia. We all do our bit. You and Mr. Rawsthorne and Denis do the difficult, brainy bits. I fetch the coffee and flowers. To each his own, right?"

The mare gave the woman a bright smile. "Indeed. I'll stop by over lunch for a chat!" As she walked back to the coffee room, the alicorn mused on the way the receptionist had spoken. Her human was always 'Mr. Rawsthorne', but Denis was just the first name.

Maybe it was the way he acted. The tall lawyer kept making inappropriate jokes. He was quite popular with some coworkers and even Rawsthorne seemed to like the man. Maybe, after working with him long enough to stop being on the receiving end of his innuendo, Celestia would grow fond of Denis as well? As far as she could determine, despite his faults and attitude, the lawyer was dependable and always ready to help - provided you could put up with the jabs as he did so.

On the other hoof, Rawsthorne was a bit... aloof. The mare saw why he didn't have too many close friends. He was a bit on the uptight side and always strictly professional. Their relationship seemed to be changing that somewhat and the man smiled sometimes, but it would take more time to undo decades of... being himself.

She pushed it out of her mind as she stepped into the small kitchen again. "Sorry."

Her cup was filled and had lots of cream and sugar, just the way she liked it. Rawsthorne's was black and probably very bitter. That reminded her. The alicorn had taken the time last evening, at great personal inconvenience and discomfort, to do a little baking. She had foregone a bath in order to make it all fit in the time she had before bed. Hopefully, Rawsthorne would appreciate the sacrifice.

Celestia focused for a moment and deftly maneuvered a plastic box from her desk in Denis' office to the kitchen. "Here, this is for you."

It was a cream roll, but the human cookbook had called it a 'Swiss roll'. Mostly it looked and tasted like a sponge cake, but filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. How the markets managed to get strawberries that red and juicy in the middle of winter was beyond her, but Celestia was grateful for it.

"I don't think-" Rawsthorne began, fending the container off with a hand, but the mare interrupted:

"You don't have to think. A bit of cake is a perfectly good snack with coffee!"

He looked ready to argue, but the alicorn narrowed her eyes. She still had the Utmost Holy and Just Quest to Make Gregory Enjoy Pastries!

She levitated up a smaller piece and held it before his face. "Open!" He didn't fight the command. The lips split apart and the pony pushed the sweet inside. "Chew!" Rawsthorne nearly smiled! She was sure she saw it! A very encouraging result! "Now swallow!"

He did so, without complaint. As a reward, the alicorn gave him a grin of her own. A most beautiful one, reserved for when she was very pleased with his actions.

"Good. Now just keep repeating that until the tray is empty, understand?" The way Rawsthorne looked helplessly at the food was incredibly funny. But the Princess was a merciful tyrant. "I will help."

She sipped a bit of the coffee and mixed the flavour with some cream roll. Perhaps she was a little biased, but the craftsmareship was immaculate! The taste blended and filled and refreshed. The biscuit melted on the tongue and filled the stomach most pleasingly. She pretended not to, but Celestia saw that her human ate his share without much prompting. He looked like he was enjoying it, especially when it mixed with his bitter and sugarless coffee. Maybe one of these days she could convince him to add a bit of cream... Between them, the dish was quickly depleted. There was another box in her pack, but that one was for Wendy.

Celestia would not give in to the alluring smell and devour it herself after lunch. Not again, at any rate. She didn't like the resulting shame at her weak self-control. Why had she not given it to Wendy yet, then?

One of these days the mare would deliver a treat to the receptionist. She just had to bake some more. At least she didn't mind sharing with Rawsthorne. A sacrifice, yes, but an important one for the completion of her Quest.

Now came the reward for her valiant hero. The pony leaned her head into the hallway and looked both ways to make sure they would be alone for a few seconds more, then she kissed him. After a moment, his hands ended up on her neck and the fingers played with her mane. The alicorn barely bit back a whinny of pleasure. The kiss was taking somewhat longer, but she didn't mind.

Until...

She heard footsteps approaching and tried to pull away, but the hands held her steady and she somehow didn't have the strength to break that gentle grip. At the last possible second she managed to get her face away. Of course it was Denis! He had probably been alerted by the floating cake!

"Having a nice little snack?" he asked and smirked.

The mare knew she hadn't blushed! She was sure of it! It was impossible for the annoying human to read her expression, but he grinned even more insolently than usually and tapped his nose. He knew! Celestia nearly panicked.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!" he promised, but that didn't fill the mare with confidence. She looked to her human for help.

Rawsthorne, expression immaculate, just shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "You watch too much hentai."

For a moment the tall lawyer seemed a bit uncomfortable. Celestia vowed to herself she would learn what 'hentai' meant. It sounded like a useful tool for dealing with Denis. After a moment of decidedly tense silence, both humans chuckled and anything her temporary boss might have suspected about her and Rawsthorne was forgotten. It was just as well. Denis probably wouldn't cause them any problems, but his jokes and indecent offers would undoubtedly intensify, and Celestia still wasn't sure if the proposals were serious or not.

She was half expecting something quite inappropriate, but the human asked instead: "So, Celestia. Need any help on that dissertation for Miriam?"

It took her a second to switch tracks in her mind. "On pony art? No, I finished that this morning. I'm reading cases again."

She had written essays upon essays about pony society, culture, virtues, even myth and folklore. Everything to prove that they were an entire civilization of sentient, intelligent beings. Worthy of the same rights humans enjoyed on Earth, in short. According to Miriam, they were making a very compelling case, but the woman still came up with suggestions and comments for nearly all of her work and Celestia wrote and rewrote entire papers until the DA was happy.

She was ever more glad that this woman was on their side. With her attention to detail and insight into the proceedings, victory truly was in sight. They had discussed the possibility of Celestia, or one of her pony friends to appear as a special witness, but the alicorn couldn't trust such an important role to anypony in the group, however much she liked them and she remained unwilling to appear herself. With a bit of luck, her written work would be sufficient. There was still much to do and Miriam would be around later to align their schedules and bring her comments on the previous few papers.

As pleasurable as it was, flirting would have to wait. The mare glanced at Rawsthorne again. "I better get back to work. Please remind me when it is time for lunch." He nodded and the pony walked out, leaving the two men alone in the coffee kitchen.

"We'll have most of next week off," Rawsthorne said quietly as they drove back home. Silence suited Celestia. After dealing with Denis, being friendly with Wendy, flirting with her human and the meeting with Miriam, the mare was exhausted. She still felt a little conflicted. A few days off was at the same time very welcome news and entirely unacceptable. She would fall so far behind!

"But why? Miriam needs me to finish the papers!"

Her human glanced over. "No, she won't need you next week."

"Why?"

The pony was truly baffled now. When Rawsthorne looked at her again, he grinned in amusement. "Don't you know what date it is? Or do you not celebrate?"

The alicorn tried to remember. She had seen the calendar, but hadn't paid it too much attention. Then she gave a small gasp as she figured it out. It was late December, after all! How could she have forgotten? "Hearth's Warming! Of course!"

Now it was Rawsthorne's turn to look baffled. "Hearth's Warming? No, it's Christmas."

Celestia remembered the word from her friends. Glitter Dust had mentioned it. It was when her friend came to visit. Her first human. "Oh yes. Different name, but I think the holiday is much the same. Family and togetherness and gifts."

Rawsthorne nodded to it all. "That's right. Now, I don't normally put up a tree, but maybe we could make an exception this year."

Celestia grinned and clapped her forehooves together in anticipation. "Yes! Yes yes yes, please!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious and Rawsthorne also smiled. "Okay. Then it's settled."

The mare had been thinking about Glitter Dust and remembered to bring up the question she had forgotten. "Oh, by the way, Greg. What is 'weed'?"

There was silence and the alicorn looked to her human, only to find him staring at the road in shock. "What?! Where did you hear that?"

It made the pony a little uneasy. "Uh, Glitter Dust mentioned it. One of her human friends comes for a visit around Heart's- uh, Christmas and she said they like to smoke some kind of tobacco called 'weed'."

The man sighed. He didn't look at her, but the mare got a strong impression that he disapproved. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. It's really called 'marijuana'. Weed is just the slang name, and it is illegal in this state. If that friend is ever found out, he could be in some trouble and so could Glitter Dust. I hope you won't get mixed up in that - it might seriously damage any work you've done for Miriam."

That was the last thing the alicorn wanted! The way her pegasus friend had described this smoking sounded fun, but not if it was illegal! She would have to have words with Glitter Dust! "Oh. I'll be sure to tell her. Maybe she doesn't know?"

The human sounded doubtful, but he agreed. "Maybe."

"Anyway, I would still like to meet her friend. Do you think you could drive me for a visit someday?"

Again he was silent for a while. Then the human sighed. "Yes, but only if you promise you won't take part in drugs and go easy on alcohol." Her human paused, then barked a laugh. "I can't believe I just said that."

It did sound a little like something a father might say to a daughter. The mare giggled at the thought. "I promise... Master."

It just made him groan a little.

Celestia had a nice chuckle about that, then changed the topic. "Anyway, I was thinking I might take a bath tonight. You will join me, right?" When Rawsthorne didn't answer right away, she placed a hoof carefully on his leg. "Come on! It will be fun!"

Without all the awkward embarrassment from their last time, having the human in the tub could be particularly enjoyable. He could wash her mane, and her tail. And she could teach him to preen her wings. Quite possibly she could somehow return the favor, maybe with her tongue and mouth... The mare shuddered and ruthlessly stomped out that line of thought before it ran away with her. It could wait until they were at home.

First she would need a 'yes'. "Say yes, or I will give you the Look again."

The human tried to control his face very hard, but Celestia saw his mouth turn up in a smile. "Okay, yes."

She wondered if she could push it a little further today. "You will also have the last piece of cream roll cake with me."

"After dinner?" the human asked nervously. With the piece he had already eaten over coffee, Rawsthorne had had more sweets in this one day than in an entire week previously.

"Instead of dinner." It was cute the way he winced. Cute and funny. The alicorn laughed pleasantly and laid a gentle wing on her human's shoulder. "You'll need the energy. For later tonight."

Now he was blushing. So was the mare, but it was still funny. "I'm starting to think that contract you and Plain made me sign had been a sham," Rawsthorne said darkly.

Celestia shook her head and explained: "No, but if you remember it, there were all the things you must or mustn't do to me, but none of the things I should or shouldn't do myself."

The human blinked and fell silent for a while as he thought back. "Oh yes. Why haven't I noticed that before?"

Celestia puffed out her chest a little in pride. "I'm very good with contracts, Greg. Very good."

Chapter 38

Celestia could hardly wait for the car to stop. She hadn't really had time to see any of her friends in the week leading up to the holidays, so this time with Glitter Dust would be most welcome. Rawsthorne kept his word and drove her over on Saturday. She hadn't yet been to where the pegasus lived, so the alicorn looked at the apartment building with some interest. She only got a brief glance before her gaze was drawn closer. Her friend was already standing outside on the street, waiting with a huge smile on her face.

Of course Celestia went in disguise. Perhaps it was a little belated, but the mare now knew she shouldn't show her alicorn self in public. She cheated with her camouflage a little when she used her magic to open the car door, but there was almost no glow so it was probably fine. She barely remembered to wave goodbye to Rawsthorne.

"Bye! I will have Maggie call you when I'm ready to go home!"

Celestia didn't want Rawsthorne to be bored while he waited the whole day, so he would return home and come pick her up in the evening, unless she decided to sleep over. Glitter Dust insisted it would be fine, but the alicorn wanted to hear Maggie confirm it first. The pegasus came to her and waved with a wing as Rawsthorne turned the car and drove away.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Glitter Dust said and began giggling with excitement. "Come on, let's go say hi to Maggie and Sam, then I'll introduce you to Doug!"

"Doug?" Celestia didn't know the name, which made her pegasus friend pause and lean her head to the side quizzically.

"Doug, you know! I told you about him, remember?"

The alicorn tried, but there was nothing. "You never mentioned a name. Is this your... friend?"

There was a hint of a blush there, but Glitter Dust nodded and jumped from hoof to hoof. "Yeah, yeahyeah, him! He came from college yesterday!"

The mare was suspiciously happy. Seeing old friends was fun, but Celestia had a nagging suspicion. "You are not making him cheat on his fillyfriend, are you?"

Even in her Supple Branch guise the alicorn still had her piercing stare. It worked all too well on Glitter Dust. There was the telltale red in her face, the nervous eyes which wouldn't meet hers. The pause.

"N-no! Why should I be responsible for what he does?!" the pegasus demanded.

"So you and him are... uh, you know?"

Now the mare grinned again. She took a step closer and spoke quietly. "Yes, but don't tell anyone, okay? Besides, his girlfriend broke up with him, so it's all fine!"

That had the sound of truth and besides, Glitter Dust seemed happy, so Celestia shrugged to herself. Who was she to judge anyway, with all the things she and Rawsthorne got up to lately?

"Good for you."

Her friend just nodded and ran a few steps again. "Yeah, come on!" she called. Her steps faltered and the pegasus frowned a little. "You hungry? Maggie said she could make us omelettes!"

It sounded delightful. Unfortunately, Celestia had already eaten. "I made a huge breakfast for Gregory and myself."

"So you still cook for him? Despite the fact that now he knows...?" Glitter Dust asked, a little puzzled.

The alicorn just shrugged. "Of course. Why not? I am still living in his house."

Her friend shook her head. "No, I mean - he doesn't mind that he has the literal Princess of Equestria making him meals?!"

Celestia just stared for a few moments. "Should he?"

Finally the pegasus shrugged. "Guess not. It's just weird. Listen, are you going to stay like that for the whole day?" she asked and indicated Supple Branch with a hoof.

"While we are in public, at least, but a whole day would be tiring. I will change back when we are alone. That is alright, isn't it?"

Glitter Dust just smiled. "Of course. It'll just be a bit weird, but I'm okay with it."

She hadn't expected that particular word, so Celestia asked about it. "Why weird?"

A hoof came up to wave at her disguise again and the pegasus tried to explain. "Well, it's weird. It's like 'Supple Branch' and 'Princess Celestia' are two different ponies. It's weird thinking of them as one and the same!"

It was a bit silly, now that she came to think of. Expecting that she could keep her friendships exactly the way they had been. Of course ponies would treat her differently. This was exactly what Celestia hadn't wanted when she came to Earth. She sighed and her head slumped a little.

"I'll try to make it not weird. Please don't be sad," Glitter Dust said quickly. She walked back and put a wing around her friend. "Now let's get the buck out of the cold already!"

This was promising. Their relationships would change, but maybe it didn't have to change too much? Celestia found a small smile. "I thought pegasi didn't feel cold?"

Glitter Dust poked her tongue out, which just made the alicorn chuckle.

She followed her friend into the building and up the stairs. Her ears caught the sounds of people living their lives. Mostly TV noises, a few pots cooking, some quiet conversation. It felt very homey. The alicorn lifted up her nose and sniffed. One of them was making a meat dish, but the other, she felt, was some kind of pasta. It was hard to tell in the mixture of scents. They went up and up, all the way to the top floor. Lucky for Glitter, Celestia thought. Many pegasi didn't feel right living on the ground. They came to a dark brown, wooden door. It had a handle, rather than a knob. All the other apartments had knobs, so the alicorn suspected the change was made to make Glitter Dust's life easier. It was very encouraging and the mare warmed up to Maggie and Sam. No wonder the pegasus wanted to stay with them!

"Hey! We're here!" Glitter called out and after a moment the familiar lady came through an open doorway.

"Oh, hello, Supple!" she said and gave her a friendly smile. "Would you like some breakfast? Or a coffee?"

The alicorn wished she could, but any more food would be the straw that broke the alicorn's back. The other thing sounded good, though. "Oh, some coffee please! Thank you!"

The woman nodded and pointed out a door. "Through there. Show her to the table, Glitter. Oh, and you haven't met Sam yet, have you? Glitter will introduce you."

"Not yet. I am very much looking forward to meeting your husband, Maggie."

The way her eyes bulged out and her hand came up to cover her mouth gave Celestia pause. Had she said something wrong? She was about to apologize, when the pegasus beside her burst out laughing.

The alicorn looked from the woman to her friend. "Glitter Dust?"

Now even Maggie was chuckling. "Oh my," she said, wheezing a little as she tried to keep from full laughter. "That's a first! You better show her, Glitter."

"Show me what?!" The Princess was getting really worried now. Glitter Dust was actually on the floor, holding her belly and flopping around weakly as she guffawed.

Celestia rolled her eyes. Whatever she had said wrong, it couldn't have been that funny, but she waited patiently until her friend got a grip on herself and stood up on shaky legs. There were tears in her eyes and the face was red. She was still grinning. "Dammit, Supple, that one was a classic. Just wait 'till the guys hear about this!"

Celestia didn't entirely like the idea, but she didn't mind too much. Maybe, whatever the mistake, it would prove to the ponies that she was, after all, just a mare. She followed the pegasus through the door into a small living room with a dining table. It was obviously used for both purposes. She looked at the human sitting at the table and froze.

There was an instant blush on her face.

Glitter Dust walked right up to Sam and giggled a little. "You heard?"

Sam nodded. She was also smiling at the joke.

"I am so sorry! I had no idea!" How do you apologize for something like that?! Celestia took a step closer and inclined her head. "Please! Accept my humble apologies. It was an honest mistake and I meant nothing bad by it."

The woman laughed easily. She didn't seem mad. "Yeah, 'Sam' is short for 'Samantha'. I guess Glitter Dust never even mentioned me?"

It wasn't a reprimand, because the lady reached out her hand and the pegasus easily slid her head under it to get a scratch. "I did! I totally did! I just never remembered to use the full name!"

Coming to her friend's defense, Celestia quickly confirmed the story. "That is true, ma'am, and I never asked to make sure. I simply assumed."

Sam gave a single nod. "You know what they say. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." To her relief, it didn't look like Sam held any sort of a grudge.

"Quite true. No hard feelings?" The alicorn walked forward so the lady didn't have to twist her neck to see her.

"No hard feelings," Sam repeated. "Come, take a seat. Have a pretzel!"

There was a bowl on the table. Despite her overfull stomach, Celestia was curious. She jumped up on the chair and inspected the offering. She was tempted, but if she indulged, the pony felt she would just fall asleep in an hour, coffee or not.

"Thank you. Perhaps a bit later."

"So, what will you two do today?" the woman asked idly to pass the time. The alicorn looked at her friend for an answer.

"We'll go hang out with Doug, maybe play a few games on his console. That reminds me, can I have some pizza money?" Glitter Dust asked and made a very good attempt at the Look. The girl was a natural! With a bit of training, she could become a master of the Look.

It worked! Sam reached into a pocket and brought out a wallet before realizing what she was doing. "Wait," she said slowly and paused. "What happened to your money? Are you playing one of those games again?"

The pegasus blushed and looked away. "N-no," she said quickly, if a little nervously. "Not for money, I'm not!"

The human sighed and Celestia nearly echoed it. "Glitter," Sam said tiredly, "you know how you always fall for these things. I don't wanna have to take your iPad away to make sure. We can't have you scamming one of your friends again!"

She watched the pony, but Glitter Dust didn't look up. "I swear I'm not spending any money on a game, Sam! Why won't you believe me?" the mare said petulantly.

Celestia looked at the miserable pony. She needed a friend right then, so she jumped down and went to hug the distraught pegasus. Then she addressed Sam. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I believe her." Then she faced the mare and smiled gently. "Glitter, swear to me that you will keep it in moderation and not fall into that trap again, no matter how tempting it is." It seemed she was getting through to Glitter Dust, so Celestia drove it home: "We both know what the really important things are, right? These games are not it, they are merely a slight distraction."

The human considered this. Two pony faces were practically a force of nature. Of course she couldn't resist! "Okay, fine, but I'll be checking! Just tell me what happened to your money."

Her ears flopped down and the pegasus looked at the floor again. "I'm saving it," she said quietly.

Both Sam and Celestia turned their gaze on the mare in surprise. "What for?" the woman beat her to the question.

Judging by the way Glitter was starting to blush, it was something really strange. "... gonna buy hang gliding lessons next summer," the pony mumbled. Celestia looked up at Sam, who was just as stunned as her.

"But why?! You're a pegasus, you can fly!"

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Glitter Dust said sadly.

Celestia put her hooves around her friend again and smiled. "Then tell us. You must have a good reason, right?"

Sam just nodded quietly. Maggie came with a small tray and four cups of coffee and joined her... wife? At least that's how Celestia would put it. Of course they could just be marefriends living together and not actually married. It wasn't uncommon in Equestria, where there was always a shortage of stallions.

"What are we talking about?" Maggie asked quietly. Sam murmured an explanation while Glitter Dust was gathering up her courage. After hearing it, Maggie also watched the pony in expectant, curious silence.

Finally, the pegasus took a deep breath. "Look, I know I can fly, right? But I saw hang gliding on YouTube and it looked interesting. I wanna know what it feels like to fly around without using your wings!"

It sounded like a very curious idea. Better than throwing money away on silly games and robbing her friends to fuel the addiction, at least. The humans decided the same thing, because they both smiled proudly. Sam put her hand back in Glitter's mane and sought out her ears with her fingers. "Well, I support that. If it means you won't piss money away on the iPad, I'm right behind it. Tell you what - if you keep at it, I'll kick in a hundred bucks for your birthday." The woman, still holding her wallet, opened it and pulled out a few notes. "And the pizza is on me."

Both Celestia and Glitter Dust smiled. "Thanks!" the pegasus said sweetly. Then she nudged her friend back toward the chair. "Come on, coffee, then we'll go meet Doug."

The alicorn liked the idea and the aroma of the beverage hung tantalizingly in the air. She also smelled cream on the table. A truly masterfully served refreshment!

The two mares made their way to the 'Den', as Glitter Dust had called it. It was in a similar looking apartment building a few streets away. They entered and Celestia couldn't quite shake the feeling like they were somehow trespassing, but Glitter Dust seemed right at home. She headed down the main staircase without missing a hoofstep and led Celestia to the beaten-up door with peeling paint.

Before they entered, however, the pegasus looked behind. "You said it's uncomfortable to stay in disguise too long?" she asked, reminding Celestia of the problem. Luckily, according to the mare, Doug could be trusted with the secret.

"Yes, I'd rather not. Should I change now, so I do not confuse your friend?"

"No, no! Stay a bit longer, it's gonna be awesome! I'll give you the signal!" her friend urged with a mischievous smile. After a moment, the alicorn also grinned in anticipation. It seemed like Glitter Dust had a plan for a joke. She straightened her face and reared up to open the door. It was the knob kind, so it took a bit of effort. When she entered, Celestia inspected the room. Just like her friend had explained, it did look very comfortable. The walls were a little bare, but there was a thick carpet on the floor and a couch of second-hand appearance. Celestia sniffed the air carefully. There was an edge of something unfamiliar. She recognized tobacco smoke and stale food. A bit of damp and the distinct smell which the mare associated with concrete.

The new thing was none of those. Celestia tentatively concluded that it was probably that weed Glitter Dust said she and the human liked to smoke. Her eye - trained in the subtle arts of housekeeping over the past few months - cast critically around the small room. The place needed a good cleaning in her opinion, but she had to admit it was homely. Even the occasional chips bag or empty can just served to enhance the feeling of it being lived-in. Strange, because the human had only arrived the previous day, Celestia remembered. It didn't add up, but the mare filed the question away for later. Right now, the young man on the couch waved and grinned at them.

The alicorn supposed he was handsome enough for a human. She didn't have too much experience to go by, but there were no obvious, glaring flaws. He was a little underweight for her taste - the mare would go as far as to say 'lanky', but apparently that seemed attractive to most humans. He had dark hair, longer than she was used to seeing on human males.

"Hey Glit. Brought a friend?" he asked.

The pegasus kicked the door closed behind her alicorn friend and ran forward to give the young man a hug. "Yes!" She made herself quite comfortable right in Doug's lap and extended a wing. "Doug, that's Celestia. Celestia, Doug."

The Princess stepped closer and reached out a hoof for a shake. The man inspected her quickly, then shrugged a little and focused rather on the mare in his lap. "Earth pony, eh? Well, she's welcome here. Mi casa es su casa, right?"

Glitter Dust looked like she was about to explode. "Wrong! Not an earth pony! Watch this, it's awesome!" she explained and pointed a hoof toward her friend.

It was the signal, Celestia decided. She let the disguise go and a flash of light left her standing at her full height and majesty. She liked to imagine that her mere presence made the room brighter. She smiled at the gobsmacked human. His mouth had fallen open and he was staring. Glitter Dust had been right - it was a good joke and the mare was having a blast laughing.

Unfortunately, Doug dislodged her onto the couch and got up to come stare at Celestia from closer. "Damnit, that's impressive! Nice trick!" he complimented. The alicorn stood still as he walked around to inspect her from all angles. "Love the hair. Like a rainbow," he murmured. Then Doug seemed to spot something and grunted. "Wait, wings and a horn? What do you call that? A pega-corn?"

Her friend was useless for any kind of explanation, so Celestia did it herself. "No, it is called 'alicorn'." She didn't bring up her station, of course, and she hoped Glitter Dust wouldn't either. According to the pegasus, this human could be trusted, but the Princess wasn't about to take chances if she didn't need to.

"Sweet. Well, have a seat," the young man invited and went back to plop his rump next to Glitter again. His arm went around her shoulders, which made the mare smile beautifully. There was a little something there, Celestia decided. Perhaps, if they saw each other more often, it could blossom.

"Yes please, beer for me!" the pegasus said, completely unfazed by the fact that her human now had to get up. He went to a small refrigerator in the corner and took out a can. Then he looked at the alicorn. "You?"

Celestia shook her head. "Thank you. Perhaps a bit later."

Doug shrugged and brought two cans. He handed one to Glitter and opened the other. Then they swapped. Of course, the pegasus couldn't open this human style can without a tool. The way Doug unthinkingly helped her spoke volumes of how comfortable the two were around each other. It was a nice thing to see and Celestia relaxed. Perhaps that was why the place seemed like a home, rather than some dark room in a basement. She went and sat on the couch. There was a small TV in a corner with a white box before it. Cables ran from the box to the screen. The game console she had heard so much about. There should be other bits of plastic around - controllers. Her pegasus friend had spent some time explaining all this. The smaller ones were for humans. In fact, Doug had one on the armrest of the couch. There was a larger controller on the carpet by the TV. That one had bigger buttons and levers, so that a pony might be able to operate it.

There was only one - just for Glitter Dust, no doubt - but the alicorn could easily use a human controller with her magic. In truth, she was looking forward to some of the games she had heard about, but first, it seemed, it was time for the pair beside her to sip beer and tell each other about their lives. Two friends, catching up after being apart for months. It was a nice sight to see and the alicorn was looking forward to listening to the stories they would share. She just hoped Glitter Dust skipped some of the more embarrassing ones about the Princess herself!

Time passed quickly. Celestia could see how Glitter Dust managed to lose herself in video games. These ones were great fun, especially when played with friends. She wasn't much good at it, but both the pegasus and her human friend were good sports when they won. At most, the pegasus poked gentle fun at the alicorn.

"Come on, Celly!" Glitter gasped out amid gales of laughter, "you've got magic! These things are awkward as hell for hooves and I'm still beating you!"

It was true. The alicorn had tried the larger controller which was made specifically for ponies and found it even worse than the usual kind. There were just too many buttons and sticks to think of, in addition to paying attention to the cars racing along on the street. On top of that, she kept forgetting which of the squares on the screen was hers. More often than not, her lack of skill resulted in a spectacular crash. It was a good thing no one got hurt. Other than Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder, who held their sides and guffawed after each misfortune.

"It is only because you have had such a lot of practice, Glitter Dust." It didn't sound right, even to her. Celestia couldn't see herself improving much, even if she played the thing regularly each week.

"Nuh-huh! I was a natural the second I picked it up! Tell her, Doug!" her friend replied.

The human was concentrating on the screen, because the pegasus was winning. Celestia stopped trying and just watched the other two finish the race. It was a close thing, but Glitter Dust managed to keep her slim lead. As soon as she passed the finish line, the pegasus threw her hooves up and whooped!

"YEAH! Still got it! Pony master race!" she cheered.

Celestia thought it was a little rude, but Doug didn't seem to mind. At least not that part. He just pointed an accusing finger. "You cheated!"

"Did not!" countered her friend. Celestia looked at the two. She hadn't been aware of any foul play. Glitter Dust seemed genuinely offended by the accusation.

The human put the controller down and tapped his finger on the mare's nose. "Yeah you did! You tickled me with a wing! That's why I didn't shift up out of that final turn, otherwise I would have gotten you!"

"Lies!" Glitter Dust spat, but she was blushing a little.

The alicorn recognized the signs and gasped. "It's true! You did cheat!"

Now Glitter was really getting red in the face. "Well, maybe, but you were distracting me!"

Doug didn't accept the explanation. "Revenge!" he yelled out and put his hands on the pony. The way Glitter Dust squealed made Celestia afraid the human was hurting her, but she quickly saw it was only tickling. Her mouth split apart in a grin. Compared to the severity of her crime, the punishment seemed quite fitting. The pegasus flapped her wings sporadically, flailed her limbs and twisted around to get away. She would have escaped, but the alicorn came to Doug's help and grabbed the mare to hold her still.

"HEY! NO FAIR!" Glitter cried, but now she was trapped. She tried to argue some more, but the words were subsumed under peals of laughter. "STOP!" she managed to squeak, but it wasn't over that fast. The torture went on for about a minute before Celestia put a stop to it. She pulled her friend away from the vengeful human and placed a wing between them.

"That is enough, I think."

Doug was also laughing and now he just shrugged. After a few moments he got his breath back. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Glit."

The pegasus had tears in her eyes. She was sweating a little and her legs were quivering. "I'll get you both for this!" she said between panting. "Just you wait!"

It was an idle threat and they all knew it. Despite that, Celestia kept a hold on the pegasus for a few more seconds. In return, Glitter Dust nuzzled back into the soft, white fluff on her chest. Doug sighed again and got up. He walked to the little refrigerator and took a small box from behind it. He brought it to the couch and placed it in his lap when he sat back down. The alicorn craned her head to look at it. It seemed important, especially the way Glitter Dust straightened up to watch it closely.

When he opened it, Celestia saw the contents. Bits of thin paper, a colorful plastic bag, metal cylinders. Very confusing, but she noticed the smell. Tobacco and that unusual thing she sensed earlier.

She made a deduction and her stomach sank. "You are going to smoke, aren't you?"

The human paused with the bag in his hand and looked at her. "Is that a problem?" he asked. Then his eyes shifted to Glitter, who pushed herself away from the Princess.

"No, Celly is cool, right?"

It was a difficult choice. The stuff was illegal, so Rawsthorne had told her. Her owner didn't have a reason to lie. He had also expressly forbidden her to do this, but the mare liked Douglas Wilder, and she knew Glitter Dust thought the world of him. Maybe there was some kind of love there, even. Was it really her place to enforce human laws? Just how bad was this drug? The pony wished she had more information, that she had taken the time to research it a little on the Internet.

Swallowing, Celestia asked a little uncertainly: "W-what does it do?"

Douglas shrugged and picked up one of the metal cylinders. He split it apart to reveal lots of small teeth in both parts. "Nothing much. You feel funny for a while and it relaxes you. Some places allow it for medical use, even."

It sounded reassuring and the alicorn looked to her pegasus friend. Glitter Dust nodded.

"I will not have any, but I also will not give you away."

Glitter relaxed and smiled. "Your loss," she said and leaned back in the couch. Then she lowered her voice and gave the Princess a nod. "Thanks."

Despite her doubts, Celestia kept a close eye on the human. He reached into a pocket in his pants and pulled out a small plastic bag with something green inside it. The mare looked at the contents of the box. She frowned a little in confusion.

"Wait, what is that?"

"You don't expect me to leave illegal drugs here, do you? That's just tobacco," Doug said and tapped the larger, colorful bag. "The real stuff is here." He held it up for her to see.

The smell became more pronounced and her nose wrinkled a little as Celestia caught a whiff. It made sense. People presumably knew who used this room, so if anyone happened to find the drug by chance, it would probably end poorly for Douglas Wilder. In addition, he was away most of the year, so it didn't make much sense for him to leave it behind. He tipped the bag into the cylinder, then placed the two halves together and twisted them. It was slightly like a grinder, the alicorn guessed. After a minute or two of that, Doug stopped and opened it. Indeed the substance was now chopped up into small pieces.

Glitter Dust licked her lips in anticipation and fiddled with her hooves. The alicorn guessed that she was looking forward to a rare experience. "Too bad I can't roll with hooves," she said and chuckled. "Not to mention there's no way for me to buy it."

It was a good thing. With the way Glitter was prone to addicting games, she would undoubtedly overindulge on this 'weed'. Whatever they said, Celestia knew it was banned for a reason. Too much of it was very likely detrimental.

"How often do you smoke this?" She asked the human directly. He was fiddling with the piece of paper and didn't stop even when he shrugged and answered: "Oh, I dunno. Maybe once a month? It's more of a social thing, when friends come over."

He placed some tobacco on the paper and rolled it around a little. "Not during exams, this stuff makes it hard to study."

The alicorn approved of what she was hearing. She watched the human dribble a bit of the green stuff into the tobacco and close the paper around it. It turned into a stick. Then he licked the edge. Celestia was about to ask, but she saw that the paper became sticky. That way Douglas was able to make it into a cylinder.

"There we go," he proclaimed and held it out.

Glitter scooched closer and nuzzled her friend affectionately. "Me first, me first!" she clamored. "How strong did you make it?"

"Not too strong," the human said. "Let's start out easy, right?"

They were about to do it, Celestia realized. There was no more avoiding it. If she stayed, the mare would be complicit in a crime.

She was suddenly very unsure about the scene. "Uh, maybe I shouldn't be here for this." Her voice was uneasy and she tensed up, getting ready to stand and leave, but she felt a hoof on her leg and Glitter Dust smiled at her.

"No, it's fine, Celestia. Really! Nothing bad is going to happen, we'll just giggle a lot and say stupid things."

Doug also seemed to agree. He held the cigarette in the air for the pegasus to put her mouth around it, then fished out a lighter from his pocket. "Yeah, don't worry, Celly. This isn't one of those hardcore drugs, it's just a bit of harmless weed."

She relaxed a little, but the alicorn was still apprehensive. The smell would be the biggest giveaway, she knew. There would be no avoiding a shower before Rawsthorne came to pick her up. Maybe she could sleep over. Celestia looked out the window and felt for the sun. It was certainly getting late, a fact which her stomach confirmed.

"Should we arrange for some more food before you two..." She pointed a hoof at Glitter Dust's mouth, which was sucking greedily at the cigarette while the human was lighting it. The tip glowed orange and the pegasus inhaled. Celestia waited expectantly to see what would happen. After a few seconds, the mare coughed and exhaled a cloud of smoke. She closed her eyes and sighed again, while Doug also took a drag. There was no significant change. The alicorn didn't know what to expect, but surely it would be something?

Glitter Dust opened her eyes and saw her expression. "Relax, Celly. It's fine. See? Nothing bad about it." Once the human had had a lungful, he offered the smoke to the pegasus again and she puffed on it gratefully. "Dammit I missed this. Don't go away again, okay Doug? We should do this every week."

He barked a laugh. "You want us to become addicts? Should I drop out of college and move in here, so we can get high every day and play games?"

Celestia switched her gaze to the pegasus. She was wondering the same thing. Did Glitter not understand the realities of the world? "Yeah," the mare said easily. "That all sounds perfect!"

They both burst out laughing and the alicorn joined in. It was obviously a discussion they occasionally repeated, but there was more. Glitter Dust took a long puff on the proffered cigarette, held it for a while, then blew it toward the ceiling. "Seriously, though, the moment you finish college, you get a nice job, mister! Understand?"

"What?" Celestia asked. She didn't understand why Glitter Dust would worry about something like that. Surely it was Doug's affair?

The pegasus shot out a wing and hugged the human closer to her. She nearly made him lose his balance and Doug had to juggle the lit cigarette so it wouldn't fall on the pony and burn her. He would have succeeded, but Glitter pulled him closer and drew him into a very passionate kiss. At the last possible moment, Celestia caught the dangerous thing in her magic and held it up before it became a fire hazard.

"Careful you two! Don't burn the building down!"

They didn't seem aware of her. The mare was whispering urgently to the human: "You get a good job and buy me, understand? I don't care if you take a loan, just take me away!"

The pair stared at each other and the human nodded. It made the mare smile beautifully.

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise," came the reply, barely above a whisper. Then they were kissing again.

Maybe it was the effect of the drug, or simply the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a long while. She knew they had been together last night, but the alicorn knew first-hoof how insatiable humans were. Some mares, too. She blushed at memory of herself with Rawsthorne. The way Glitter Dust was moaning slightly as Doug kissed her neck was all too familiar. It was wrong to watch and she turned her gaze away. Celestia suddenly felt like a fifth hoof. She glanced at the TV and the console and thought about amusing herself, but it wouldn't work. Even if she kept her face strictly averted, she would hear and smell everything. The alicorn risked another glance and almost gave a small squeak.

Glitter Dust was already tugging the human's pants down with a hind hoof! She had to intervene right now! "Uh, guys? I don't think this is really appropriate."

Two sets of eyes turned toward her and blinked in surprise. They had obviously forgotten she was there. Doug hurriedly pulled his pants back and sat back down. He remembered their cigarette and looked around, a little panicky.

It floated down before his face, suspended on a little cushion of magic. "You're welcome."

He took it and moved it to an ashtray on the armrest. Meanwhile, Glitter Dust was blushing heavily and refused to meet Celestia's gaze at first. It took her a bit of time before she worked up the courage to twist around and look bashfully at the alicorn. It helped that her back was pressed against the human's chest. It gave her courage, it seemed.

"Sorry," the mare squeaked.

The Princess was not entirely heartless. "You two could use some time alone. Some more, I mean. I will go and see Maggie and Samantha. They can call Gregory to come fetch me."

Shaking her head, the pegasus laid a hoof in hers. "No, wait! I thought you'll stay for a sleepover?" Her voice was sincere and plaintive, but Celestia saw how Doug's hand reached around Glitter's barrel and grabbed the fur of her belly.

She firmly shook her head. "No, I will go tonight. You two need to... catch up some more, and I do not wish to disturb that. I will visit another time for our sleepover, alright?"

There was indescribable gratitude in her eyes as the pegasus nodded. She had been afraid that Celestia would make her choose between her human lover and her friend. The pony shot forward, breaking Doug's grasp on her, and hugged the alicorn. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.

Celestia smiled back. "You are very welcome. Call me on Skype the instant you get home, okay?" Being there and seeing it happen would be too much, but having the pegasus describe her experience later would just be harmless gossip. Besides, Glitter Dust owed her. She had gleefully told the others all about her heat, and the toys and even the encounters with Heavy Hoof, which Celestia had vouchsafed to her friend in confidence! It was time to turn the tables a little.

"I promise," the mare said.

Celestia stood up and held out a hoof to the human. He shook it a little uncertainly. "Thank you for the hospitality, Douglas Wilder. Video games really do go well with pizza - I shall remember this. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening!" He didn't know how to reply to that, so the mare just stepped away, reached for her magic and changed into Supple Branch again. "Bye!"

They both waved at her and the alicorn went outside. She closed the door behind her with magic - feeling like she was cheating again, but there was no one around to see. Even Douglas and Glitter Dust weren't looking anymore. In the instant before the door hid them from sight, Celestia saw their lips lock yet again, and now came the urgent breathing and the sound of fabric sliding down legs. It looked like they wouldn't wait even a second! If she were mean, Celestia could have pretended she had forgotten something and gone back. Their embarrassment would be delicious.

Instead she just smiled to herself and hurriedly ascended the stairs. Even listening in on Glitter Dust's soft, needy moans seemed too much like intrusion at that point. Hopefully no one else would walk in on them. If someone did, then Glitter's story would be even more deliciously awkward, but - and this was the important bit - not Celestia's fault. The alicorn chuckled to herself as she exited the building.

It turned out that Maggie and Samantha really were sweet humans. They didn't mind in the slightest that the alicorn returned by herself. Perhaps they knew something was happening between Glitter Dust and her human friend, but they didn't mention it. At least they weren't trying to stop it.

While Maggie was calling Rawsthorne, Celestia went and joined Sam in the living room. The woman was sitting on the couch and solving a crossword puzzle and the mare took the chair at the table so she wouldn't disturb. Too late - Sam looked up and frowned a little. "Have you been smoking?" she asked sharply.

The alicorn didn't want to get her friends in trouble, but there was no point in denying it. In either case, no mention of drugs, of course. "Douglas Wilder smokes tobacco. I know I stink of it. I will need a bath when I get home."

Samantha watched her for a moment, then shrugged a little to herself and went back to the crossword. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. It was good news. The tobacco smell apparently masked the weed smell for humans. Rawsthorne would understand that some people smoke tobacco. A few of their colleagues at the firm did, and the smell hung around them like a cloud. The man probably knew how it stuck to clothes. As if thinking about him had summoned her, Maggie came in the room just as she was putting the phone back in her pocket. "Mr. Rawsthorne is on his way, Supple. He will be here in about thirty minutes."

"I understand. Thank you."

"Coffee or tea while you wait?" she offered. It sounded lovely. Outside was cold and Celestia liked the idea of something hot in her belly.

"Oh! Coffee, please! If it isn't a bother."

Her hostess smiled and left for the kitchen. "It'll just be a moment!" she said, but Celestia jumped from her chair and joined Maggie. The least she could do in return was keep the woman company. She sat down in the middle of the kitchen, hoping at least she wouldn't be in the way.

"Had a good time today?"

Maggie was facing away, but Celestia nodded anyway. "Oh yes. Video games and pizza."

The woman was silent while she poured the water and set it on the stove. Then she turned around and leaned against the counter. "So, I'm guessing you left when those two became too... friendly?"

Her smile said that Maggie didn't mind, but it was still quite a shock. Celestia gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof. "H-how- how did you know?!"

That made the woman laugh pleasantly. "Oh, come on. You think I don't see the signs? I was young once. Besides, I see the way Glitter walks when she comes home from visiting Doug."

The mare was a little incredulous. "And you don't mind? A human and a pony?" She tried to hide her own trepidation. For some reason, she wanted Maggie to approve of Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder and therefore indirectly of Celestia and Rawsthorne.

Maggie frowned a little in thought and pursed her lips. Then she shook her head slightly. "No, I don't think so. There was a time, not too long ago when what me and Sam have would be considered wrong. Who am I to judge?" She rubbed her chin with her fingers. "Nah, I just want Glitter to be happy."

"But you are her owners. You are keeping Glitter Dust as your slave."

That didn't sit too well with Maggie, but Celestia wasn't sorry. "Maybe on paper! But I've always thought about her more like a daughter."

The alicorn thought quickly. "Then, if Glitter Dust had a way to return home, you would let her?"

Now Maggie tapped her lips with a finger. The water started to boil, so the woman turned and added a few spoonfuls of ground coffee to the mix. She stirred it a little and Celestia waited patiently for an answer.

"Yes," it finally came. "If that would make Glitter happy, then I suppose I would. I'd expect her to visit, though. Or at least write."

It gave Celestia a warm feeling in her chest. She knew that despite this news, the pegasus wouldn't want to leave the couple, nor her friends. That made it doubly important for the Princess to make sure ponies got the rights they deserved on Earth!

That was enough of that heavy talk. The coffee was ready and the alicorn was looking forward to its invigorating effect. Especially when she saw that the woman was kindly adding bowls of sugar and cream on the tray as well. There was only one thing missing.

"I will make sure to bake some cake the next time I visit, Maggie. As a little thank you. I have this perfect chocolate mocha recipe that goes very well with coffee."

The woman laughed at the promise while she dug three cups out of the cupboard. "You don't have to do that, but thank you if you do." She led the way back to the living room. "Come on."

While Celestia was climbing back on the chair, Maggie poured and took a cup to Sam. Her partner thanked her absentmindedly, then the two kissed briefly. It was sweet and made the mare smile a little. Soon, her host was back at the table.

"So. Are you staying out of trouble yourself?" Maggie asked.

"Why do you ask?"

Grinning, the lady took a sip before answering. "Glitter mentioned something about a spanking. What did you do?"

The alicorn blushed a little and looked down in her coffee. "I lied to Gregory about... something. I took my punishment and now it is in the past."

Of course Maggie realized that Celestia didn't want to say it. Luckily, she didn't pressure her. "Oh. That's good, then."

"Yes." She didn't feel comfortable with questions like that, so the alicorn looked for some other topic. "How is the store doing? Why did you choose that particular business?"

It worked and Maggie shrugged a little. "Always had a knack for machines. I helped my dad fix that old tractor of his when I was young. I could do a better job than him by the time I was seven."

The mare had tried sipping her coffee slowly, but as soon as it was cool enough not to scorch, she couldn't help it and simply poured it down her throat. Luckily, there was more in the pot.

She had another question. Celestia looked at the woman on the couch, still working on her crossword. A small smile formed on her muzzle. "How did you two end up... together? If you don't mind me asking."

Sam looked up and Maggie chuckled at the question. "Ho boy, now that's a long story. Let's hope we have time before Mr. Rawsthorne comes for you."

In an instant the mare echoed her smile and settled back in the chair to listen. "If not, we can continue next time. With the cake."

It had all been going very well. The mare had finished her coffee, thanked her hosts and walked out to get some fresh air before Rawsthorne came to pick her up. She fluffed her mane around a little and flicked her tail a few times. The air was cold, but it would clear up the last of the tobacco smoke. For a moment she considered using her dusting spell on her coat, but decided against it. Besides, even if she retained a bit of the smell, her human wouldn't hold it against her.

Or so she thought. The moment they were back in their living room Rawsthorne faced her with his hands on his hips. "Well?" he asked.

Celestia decided to play the innocent card. "Hmm? It was fun, if that's what you are asking."

It wasn't, really, and she knew it from his expression. How he might have smelled anything the alicorn didn't know. Even she couldn't detect it anymore and human noses were a lot worse than pony ones.

Rawsthorne was implacable. "You smoked it with them, didn't you?"

Her ears folded down at the accusation. The mare stared at the human with a steady gaze. "Did not and I resent the way you asked that!"

"Do not lie to me, Celestia. I know what weed smells like!" the man exclaimed. Despite herself, the mare turned her head and sniffed. It was still there, but very faint. When she turned back, Rawsthorne looked triumphant. "I knew it," he said with finality. "Celestia, you really can't afford stuff like this, not now! There are such things as random drug tests, you know?"

She hadn't, but it was a moot point anyway. She hadn't done it. "I did not smoke it, Greg. Listen to me!"

He paused and watched her face for a long while. Then his hands left his hips and the human crossed his arms before him. "Okay, then explain," he demanded.

For a moment the mare considered stomping out angrily. The lack of trust really stung. As did his discourtesy. The human had spoken to her as he would to a teenager, but a temper tantrum would just prove him right.

"Yes, Douglas Wilder and Glitter Dust smoked a little. I made a judgement call. He is a responsible kid, much more so than Glitter Dust. I did not prevent them having their fun, but I did not participate!"

He was at a loss for words, Celestia saw that. She had gotten adept at reading human faces - his in particular. Rawsthorne made a rash judgement and was now regretting it. Now all he had to do was admit it and offer up a sincere apology to the Princess. Well, technically she really had gone against his wishes, but that was no excuse! If he had just asked like an adult, she would have explained. There was no need for childish accusations and anger.

"I left when they started!"

Finally Rawsthorne found words: "Okay. But it was still irresponsible. I don't want to have to spank you again!"

The pony gasped in indignation. How dare he! "You did not just speak to me as if I was a filly!"

His arms lifted up in a hopeless gesture before Rawsthorne let them fall. He didn't reply with words, though.

"I would have hoped you'd trust my discretion. I saw no harm in my friends having a bit of fun, even if it isn't entirely by the rules. I don't appreciate your tone, Gregory, I must say!"

Now the man was on the defensive. His arms shot up again, but this time as if to ward her off. "Well, I was just worried about your case, you know?"

She snorted, but there was no amusement behind it. "I am also worried about my case. This is the future of my ponies on Earth. Of course I would not risk all that!" The mare looked down and spoke more quietly: "Nor would I risk us. What we have."

"Good," he answered. "Let's have dinner and go to bed."

Celestia shook her had sadly. "First you say that you are sorry."

"What?! Why?"

She rolled her eyes a little. How could a human be so smart as Rawsthorne, but not understand that he had fouled up?! "Apologize for attacking me like that! Like I was a teenager. You are acting far too much like my father when it comes to drugs!"

If he had said it then, the mare would have forgiven everything. She did like Rawsthorne. Probably - although it was still a little early to tell - she even loved him. It felt like it, anyway.

Unfortunately he decided to make it difficult. "Well, you needed quite a bit of discipline in your time here, remember?"

The alicorn walked right up to him, so that she was staring at Rawsthorne's face from an inch away. Her horn was just above his forehead. A slight downward nod and she could bonk him. He would deserve it, too!

"I am a thousand years old. Pretending is fun. Yes, my disguise was ill-thought-out, but I understand illegal. I wrote most of my country's laws, remember?"

Refusing to back away, her human spread his arms. "Sometimes I wonder..."

Celestia blinked in shock. He had not just impugned her ability to rule her people, had he? She quickly thought over possible punishments. "You're sleeping alone until you apologize." She was determined to storm out, so that he would have to stew a little in his misery. Celestia strode firmly away, although 'stomped' would have been a better word. Plus - Celestia grinned evilly when she was facing away - she would make him breakfast in bed the next morning for that extra guilt! It meant she would need to sleep in her own bed, which would be cold and lonely, but sacrifices needed to be made for the sake of the future. Rawsthorne had to understand that there was a line. The alicorn wasn't above taking punishment where it was deserved, but questioning her judgement when the lives and welfare of her ponies were at stake? Impossible! Worse - treating her like she was a teenager herself?

He had no right! However she acted. Of course memories surfaced right at the wrong moment. Frolicking around in the snow. The fright over the central heating. Being escorted home by policemen like a filly in trouble. Sneaking into his bed and refusing to leave. Perhaps she had sent him mixed signals on that front. Slightly mixed, but she had explained it all! Rawsthorne should have understood the difference between innocent, carefree, joyful play, and taking drugs! It was a good thing he could not see her blush!

"Celestia - wait," the human called after her.

Cursing her weak, generous heart, the mare did so. She stopped in the doorway, but didn't look back.

"I didn't mean to treat you like a child, but you have to understand why I thought that way."

Maybe she couldn't really be mad at Rawsthorne, and perhaps his arguments made sense, but the initial shock at the accusation and - above all - his insolent tone made it hard to find much pity right then. One night, she decided. Punishment for her because she hadn't asked Rawsthorne for details or went to read up on this drug, and also his punishment for how he treated her. Like a little filly who doesn't know better! A filly from whom he had to drag out the truth! If he had asked directly, like a reasonable adult, she would have told him exactly what happened.

Yes she had promised Douglas Wilder and Glitter Dust that she wouldn't give them away, but it did not count with Rawsthorne. She could trust Rawsthorne. Despite this evening, she still could.

"I'm still sleeping in my own bed tonight." He opened his mouth to object, or ask why, but the mare walked back and placed a wing feather on his lips. She smiled a little. "I forgive you. Ask me directly next time - you don't need to trick the truth out of me, Greg."

The alicorn made a silent promise to herself to always tell her human the truth from now on, even when she would rather hide it. "I'm a little sore anyway. A night without sex will let me heal."

The man blushed and her smile widened. Rawsthorne was cute when he was flustered like that. She gave him a gentle kiss. "I will see you for breakfast tomorrow."

All he could do was nod.

A quick shower and a brushing of teeth later, and Celestia was lying on her bed. Her large, hard, cold, empty bed. She floated over the iPad and looked at the Skype list. Glitter Dust should at least know that she had caused trouble between the alicorn and her human, but the pegasus was not online. The only two of her friends with a green icon right then were Lake Frond and Heavy Hoof. She didn't feel like speaking to the stallion, so she picked the couple. They were usually both on the computer at the same time.

"Hey you two still up?"

It took a minute for the answer to appear. Typing with a stylus in your mouth was slow going, so Celestia was patient. Finally it came: "Hey whats up?"

She didn't want to spend the next four hours to exchange seven sentences with the two. "Can we video?"

Instead of writing out their answer, her iPad began to ring gently as Lake Frond called. She answered. Celestia panicked for a split second, when she saw her image in the top right corner. Then she remembered that they knew her now.

"Princess?" the mare said. She turned her head around. "Rock, come here. It's the Princess!"

The stallion joined her in the picture and they both smiled. "Hello, Princess Celestia!" Rock Lichen echoed.

The poor alicorn rolled her eyes slightly. "Please, I keep saying this - just 'Celestia'. I hope we're friends by this point."

The two still blushed whenever she brought it up. Fortunately, they quickly shook it off and the stallion asked: "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I wanted to talk for a bit." It was a little annoying how the two looked at each other, before Lake Frond answered: "Of course. Anything in particular?"

Celestia bit her lip as she debated whether to tell them anything or not, but she decided to go for it - after all, Glitter Dust had no qualms about telling the entire group about 'Supple Branch' and her heat, and what she had done with Heavy Hoof. Well, not the entire group. The pegasus had told everypony except Heavy Hoof - who obviously already knew - and Silent Brook, who wasn't on Skype. She had told Silent Brook the very next day when he came into her store for a chat, though.

"It's Glitter Dust. I was just visiting with her and her friend - Douglas Wilder."

Lake Frond put a hoof on her muzzle and giggled, while the stallion tried very hard not to. "Her coltfriend, you mean?" the mare asked when she could speak again.

"So you know?"

They both nodded happily. "Oh, sure. She talks about him sometimes. How he'll save up some money and buy her contract from Maggie and Sam and how she'll convince him to go to Equestria with her, where they could get married."

It was all news to Celestia - juicy news. She grinned as she imagined how she could tease the pegasus a little with this information. Just a small payback, nothing really mean, of course. Perhaps she would mention that, as an alicorn, she could officiate the ceremony.

"That sounds quite romantic." Celestia also liked the way Lake Frond had said 'buy her contract'. It was slightly nicer than just saying 'buy her'.

"Mhm!" Lake Frond nodded. "Doug was Glitter Dust's first. The first is always a special pony- uh, or human."

She didn't immediately understand, so the alicorn leaned her head to the side in question. "Her first? You mean her first human?"

Now that she thought about it, Glitter Dust had said something along those lines, once. Similar to her and Rawsthorne, then, Celestia thought. But both Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were shaking their heads. "No, her first," the mare explained again. "You know- first anything."

It made the alicorn gasp in shock. "Wait - how old even is Glitter Dust?"

The two thought for a moment, then the stallion ventured: "Around... twenty two? I know she was nineteen when she first met Doug and that was about three years ago. He was just starting college."

Then it would make sense. It would mean - a thought which made Celestia quite sad - that the pegasus had been taken from her home while she was still technically a filly. If she found happiness like this on Earth, maybe it wasn't absolutely terrible. Celestia also began to understand why the pony didn't particularly want to go home. Her experiences on Earth hadn't been the worst, and with a special somepony - somehuman - she would naturally want to stay with him.

"How did Heavy Hoof keep away from her, then? It must have driven him mad."

Again, Rock Lichen shook his head. "No, Heavy Hoof didn't move near here until a year after that. By that time, Douglas Wilder was in college and with a human fillyfriend, so Glitter Dust was heartbroken. Maybe that's why she said yes."

So many tragic stories. It was a mark of her ponies' spirits that they turned into such beautiful individuals despite them, but the alicorn was realizing that she didn't know nearly as much about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen's circumstances.

"How about you two? How did you come to Earth? Where did you meet?"

The two blinked in shock at the sudden change in direction. The mare placed a hoof on her chest. "Me, P-princess?!"

"Celestia, please, and yes, you. We haven't had a chance to really talk. I would like to know."

Again the couple looked at each other. "Well," Lake Frond began slowly, "I was from Baltimare and Rock was originally from Los Pegasus. As far apart as you can imagine. I don't think we would ever have met without Earth, so that's one blessing." She was already smiling as she remembered. "It was completely by chance, too. The Williamses had Rock, first. Andrew got him so he could help at the factory. He'd heard how strong earth ponies are, so it seemed like a good idea."

"Yeah! At first I was devastated because I was supposed to be a miner. I mean, what else with a cutie mark shaped like a mining pick? I always had a knack for finding rare ores and gems, but they were making me sit and watch an assembly line, or pull around trolleys of stuff, or load trucks and so on. Turns out, it wasn't so bad. Master and I talked a lot and I guess we kinda clicked."

"I'm glad it wasn't too onerous. Did he ever beat you to force you to work?" It was tasteless and too direct by far, but Celestia was really interested and a bit too tired to try and kick around the bush.

If the stallion felt the question in poor taste, he didn't show it. "No, nothing like that. I heard what happened to some ponies, so I made sure to do a decent job."

Lake Frond had been nodding to the story happily, but now she hoofed her husband on his shoulder. "Shut up! You did a fantastic job. That's why they decided to save up and get me also, so I could keep Mistress Mary company and help around the house while you two were at work."

The way they spoke, Celestia wasn't entirely sure she liked it. "They make you call them 'Master' and 'Mistress'?"

"No," the mare said, "but they did at start. I'm thinking about that time, so it kinda slips out." She giggled. "We just call them Andrew and Mary now. They aren't too bad, except..."

Celestia saw that both ponies became sad, but she couldn't tell why. She didn't wish to interrupt the story, so she just put it aside it for a follow up question.

After a few moments the mare went on: "Anyway, when they brought me home, it was love at first sight. I guess it was a stroke of luck, for us two and for the Williamses."

"Oh, how so?"

Rock Lichen answered that one. He put a hoof around his wife and nuzzled her a little. "We didn't want to take the slightest chance of getting split up, so we were very good ponies indeed!"

They both laughed and Celestia joined in. "Lovely." She was wondering one more thing. "So Heavy Hoof came in a bit later. You can't tell me he didn't try to... you know. With you, Lake Frond?"

They nodded and Rock Lichen grinned widely. "He tried, yes. I had to kick him a few times to get him to stop."

Ah! So the brown stallion didn't always meet with success. Maybe that was why he was trying so hard with the Princess. She would make up for any number of failures.

"I don't know why he is like that," Lake Frond explained, then shook her head. "Well, I know why he is like that. It's a sad story, but he's making himself miserable, and he's making Glitter Dust miserable, because that filly always goes back to Douglas whenever he is in town. She thinks it's cheating and it breaks her heart. Despite Doug always telling her it's fine."

Rock Lichen added. "Don't forget Belle Hop. She's also miserable because of Heavy Hoof."

"Belle Hop? Why? Does she also have somepony? Or some human, and he makes her cheat too?"

The mare sighed. "I wasn't supposed to tell, but I don't think she would mind. She has the biggest crush on Heavy Hoof. She really wishes for him to propose to her and settle down. He keeps coming back to her when he isn't having luck with Glitter Dust or Glowbug, and Belle Hop always says yes, and then she's miserable when he moves on like it was nothing."

Unfortunately, it was a story Celestia had heard more than once. Earth wasn't entirely to blame - such a thing also happened in Equestria. "Has she ever told him?"

The ponies shrugged. "Dunno. Probably," the stallion said slowly. "We didn't poke in too much. We just provide a shoulder for crying when Belle Hops needs one. Sometimes I think I should smack Heavy Hoof around a bit more until he sees reason."

The alicorn was thinking exactly the same thing. Perhaps she should think about making it happen. It would certainly be a good deed. Heavy Hoof might stop searching so desperately for love and acceptance, if he found something real. The Princess decided she would speak with Belle Hop privately to see just how deep the feeling went. There was another thing she wished to know about the two ponies before her, though. And it was a hard one.

"Okay, one more thing. You don't have to answer. How did you two come to be on Earth?" In other words, how did they become captured? There was a chance either or both of them had sold themselv- their contracts, but those generally had a limited duration, so Celestia didn't think that was the case. Perhaps the way they were taken had something to do with the sadness she had seen a few minutes ago.

The court case was one thing - a very important, high-profile way for her to help all her subjects on Earth, but these smaller touches - Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop and Lake Frond and Rock Lichen - they were also meaningful.

It was in her oath as a Princess: '... from the smallest cause, to the largest...'

She noticed that the two had been silent for a while. "You don't have to say," the alicorn repeated, "but I would be very grateful. I wish to know my ponies."

Again the pair looked at one another. It was quite obvious they were reluctant. But they didn't want to say no to their Princess. At long last, Rock Lichen sighed. "Okay, I'll go first," he said. The pony thought for a while to organize his thoughts, while his wife leaned against his shoulder in a show of support. Then, Rock Lichen spoke up. "We used to live on the outskirts of Los Pegasus. Dad had a sawmill right on the edge of the forest and he supplied a lot of the wood for construction in the city. You know - hard work, but honest and respectable. Mom was a bit of an artist, but didn't get much in the way of recognition."

He was smiling slightly, so Celestia guessed that despite her lack of success, the mare had been happy enough. They were obviously pleasant memories and helped the stallion gather courage to continue. "Anyway, after I got my cutie mark, I started to explore south, down in the rocky parts of the desert. I found the occasional gem or a bit of this ore or that. Usually I could dig them out by myself and turn them in for a few bits at the surveyor's office."

Lake Frond giggled a little at that and winked at the alicorn. "Don't let his modesty fool you, Princess. Rock is really good. I wish Andrew would consider looking for a better job." She sighed sadly again, but then shook her head and nuzzled the stallion to continue.

"Well, it wasn't a glamorous life, but I liked it. I enjoyed the quiet and I wasn't afraid of work. I just knew I'd find a big seam of something and then maybe get a loan and open my own mining company."

"Very industrious." Another dream curtailed by Earth. Still, Rock Lichen didn't seem too sad, not with Lake Frond by his side. The two really did love each other, that much was obvious.

"Yeah, exactly! So, I guess I was out in the desert when the portals first opened. I didn't know anything about it. I used to spend weeks, sometimes, with my cart and tools. As long as the supplies lasted."

He was coming up to the less happy time and Celestia mentally prepared herself for a sad story. She made sure to keep smiling at the stallion.

He sighed again, but the mare was right there with a gentle lick, which helped a lot. "The first time I saw humans I didn't know what they were. I was curious, so I went to check. I heard them talking, so I got very excited. Here was an entirely new type of creature to be friends with!" Rock Lichen barked a mirthless laugh. "Shows how much I knew! They were a group of hunters for one of the auctions. I'm glad those are illegal now, but back then they stalked near trade routes and roads and foal-napped incautious ponies." He shook his head a little and looked down. "Such as myself."

"No, it was in no way your fault, Rock Lichen. If anything, it was mine. We should have reacted the moment we heard about ponies being taken, rather than seek diplomatic solutions." Celestia was also a little ashamed at the memory. "In fact, Princess Luna wanted to go on the offensive right away. I talked her out of it."

Shaking his head, Rock Lichen looked at the alicorn through the camera. "No, no, Princess. A fight would have caused a war. It would have ended badly. You did the best possible thing." It was very kind of him to say so. Celestia wondered if the stallion had ever thought about the chance of meeting one of the royal sisters, however unlikely that would have seemed. Had he prepared the words in advance? The pony drew a breath and plunged on. "They weren't too mean, now that I look back. They tied me up and kept a watch, but they didn't beat me or starve me for no reason. They took my cart and the supplies and used them to waylay a few others, to increase their profit." He shrugged a little. "Not much more to tell about that, Princess. They dragged me to Earth and put me up for auction."

There was a chunk missing from the story, so Celestia waited if there would be more. In the end, Lake Frond nudged the stallion with a hoof to try and make him continue. It was a relief that she didn't have to remind him, but she had a question. "You did not fight them?"

"At first," Rock explained. "Kicked a few humans at the camp and they whipped me once or twice. Then, at the auction, they put me in a cell with an older pony..." The stallion frowned a little with concentration as he tried to remember the name. "Pumpkin something-" he mumbled, embarrassed. "I can't believe I've forgotten his name!"

Right on cue Lake Frond gave her husband a hug and murmured something comforting in his ear.

Rock Lichen sighed and shook his head a little. "Pumpkin... Patch? I think, at least. He told me how bad life could get among humans. Scared me quite a lot, actually. I decided to cooperate pretty quickly after that." The pony looked a little guilty of how fast he had succumbed to the humans, but Celestia knew what his fate would have been had he not.

"Do not be ashamed, Rock Lichen. You had no means of resistance. Nopony would blame you for giving in."

It earned her a grateful nod, before he went on: "I didn't see Pumpkin a lot. Just that day or two, before he was sold and then I soon followed."

"That was when Andrew Williams... got your contract?" Such an innocent-sounding phrase.

Her guess was wrong and both the mare and the stallion shook their heads. "No, at first I got sold to a football club. As a mascot, of all things!" Even Rock chuckled a little has he said it and Lake Frond also put a hoof before her muzzle to hide the grin.

"Mascot?!" On the one hoof, it sounded very demeaning, but on the other maybe it wasn't a bad life. "What did they expect you to do?"

Rock Lichen waved a dismissive leg. "Nothing much. I'd wear the official uniform - made for a pony - and strut around during the game. There were also some photo shoots and some commercials. Didn't last long, though."

"Why not?"

"Pretty soon the animal rights groups started making noise about ponies," he explained, a quirk of his mouth giving away how belittling it must have felt. "Pretty soon, it was considered bad taste to have a pony as a mascot, so they sent me to another auction. There was where I met Andrew."

"You were not beaten? Molested?"

It was the wrong thing to say and Celestia was sorry immediately when she saw how Rock Lichen's ears flattened. He shook his head and answered, but didn't meet her gaze. "No, just kept me chained up and away from my family and friends," he explained quietly.

It nearly broke her heart and Celestia lowered her gaze in shame. "Sorry."

"No, please! I didn't mean to sound like that, Princess! It wasn't too bad and I met this beauty on Earth, so I guess it all evens out?" The stallion grasped his wife and hugged her tightly.

It looked like she was about to melt. "Aww, that's so sweet," Lake Frond murmured.

Celestia thought the same thing, but didn't say it. She did, however, begin to think that Rock Lichen might be inclined to leave Earth, especially if Lake Frond felt the same. If at all possible, she would make it happen!

Her eyes rested on the mare, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. "You do not have to tell me your story, Lake Frond."

It seemed that Lake Frond didn't like disappointing a Princess. Her ears went down and she closed her eyes, as if mentally preparing herself for a painful ordeal. Her husband nuzzled her and whispered something, to which she nodded.

"I'll tell it," Rock Lichen said while the mare buried her face in his chest. He looked at the alicorn and began the second story: "Her sister joined the guard groups. It was supposed to be a month, but she didn't come back."

However long in the past, the memories were still vivid for Lake Frond. The mare pressed herself deeper into Rock Lichen's comforting embrace.

Celestia remembered the incidents. After news of foal-napping had spread, some ponies had taken it upon themselves to protect their people. Unsanctioned groups of self-proclaimed guards. When she and Luna had heard of it, the alicorns quickly sent out most of the royal guard to find the ponies and get them in hoof before they inadvertently started an international incident. It was one of the more unpopular decisions she had ever had to make. Celestia also hated it, but provoking a full-out war would have ended up much worse, for both sides. The lack of good options had spurred her to pester the human diplomats day and night until she achieved success. Hunting and enslaving ponies became illegal. After that Luna had quickly organized her own guard to protect the roads and outlying villages, only this time they were police, rather than some form of guerrilla fighters.

"What h-happened?" the Princess asked fearfully.

It was difficult for Rock Lichen to speak of it, and even harder for Lake Frond to hear, but the Princess had to know! "Nopony knew. Seaspray - that was her name - just vanished. Lake went from group to group to try and find her, or anypony who knew what happened to her, but..."

The mare sobbed a little and looked at the Princess. "I was stupid and went alone. Humans caught me while I slept. I never knew they could move that silently..."

"No shame in that, Lake Frond. I'm sorry. Did you ever find your sister?"

The mare shook her head. "No. Glitter Dust helped me search on the Internet, but there's no word," she replied quietly. It didn't sound good and the mare obviously feared the worst.

Celestia sought for a way to calm her friend and give her hope. "Perhaps she was already returned to Equestria. I will look into it, you have my word on this, Lake Frond."

That drew out a small smile. "Thank you, Princess!"

The alicorn sighed in exasperation and tried once more: "Please, just Celestia!"

The couple both blushed, but at least they didn't cringe and apologize like the last few times. Celestia was about to excuse herself, lest she dredge up more unpleasant memories, but a little square appeared and told her that Glitter Dust was now online. She couldn't wait to hear the story! And the happy pegasus might cheer up the sombre mood which had arisen.

"Oh! Look, Glitter Dust just came!" she exclaimed, but Lake Frond was faster.

Eager for any distraction from her tragic story, the mare already had the stylus in her mouth and tapped at the screen. Moments later, the pegasus came up before the Princess.

She was obviously right out of the shower, with her mane all frazzled and wet, and her fur sticking out in places. There was a towel around her neck and tucked under her wings. There was another towel under the mare as she lay on the bed with the iPad propped up against a pillow.

"Hey, guys! Miss me?" Glitter Dust sang with a big smile.

Lake Frond's hooves twitched - she wanted to give the pegasus a hug, but of course couldn't over Skype. Meeting ponies in person was still best, the alicorn thought.

"Sooo, how'd it go? Is he going to buy your contract soon?" the stallion asked, but Glitter Dust didn't have a chance to answer because Lake Frond spoke up right after her husband.

"Did he learn any new tricks?" the mare asked.

It made both Celestia and Glitter Dust blush crimson. But the pegasus still replied: "M-maybe..." She was looking away from the camera, but the grin said it more loudly than her words. The pegasus had fun. Then her face grew serious and she looked at the camera imploringly. "Please nopony tell Heavy Hoof, okay? He gets weird after he hears about Doug."

"Weird? How?" Celestia asked.

It was Lake Frond who explained, while the pegasus looked down at her hooves. "He's jealous. He goes all focused and intense until he gets with Glitter again, and then he struts around like he owns the world for a day or two."

Celestia sighed at the news. It sounded like an endless circle in which these ponies were caught. "I will have a word with Belle Hop and then him. Perhaps he will take advice from a Princess?"

For that reason, it was okay to use the honorific. The title was a tool to help her subjects, not just to lap up their admiration and respect.

"Maybe," Lake Frond said thoughtfully. "Yeah, that might work. Thank you, P- uh. Celestia."

Feeling quite proud of her to have remembered in time, the alicorn then focused on the pegasus. With her so quiet, the picture had become small and scooched over in the corner. "Were Maggie and Samantha upset that you stayed out this late?" She glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight already!

"Well," the pegasus said and her picture filled the screen again. It was just in time for Celestia to see the mare shrug a little with her wings, but she wasn't meeting her gaze. "Actually-" Glitter Dust tried again and managed a small grin. "Maggie's gonna spank me in the morning."

"What?! Why?!" It sounded unreasonable! "Just for being out a little later? This is quite unfair - I'll go and ask Gregory to-"

"Please don't!" the mare squeaked hurriedly. She was staring into the camera with deep pleading in her eyes. "Please."

It was unlike the mare to accept punishment this readily. It was highly suspicious and Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Why?" Her voice was cautious and quiet. "What are you not telling me?"

Again the pegasus looked away, shame-faced. "I- uh. It's not the when I came home. It's the... h-how."

She wanted it dragged out of her bit by bit. The alicorn could certainly oblige. "Okay. How did you come home?"

Smiling ruefully at the camera, Glitter Dust admitted it: "Uh, sweaty and tired and... uh, smifofeed." The last bit was mumbled beyond recognition.

"What? Speak up, filly!" Lake Frond called out. She and Rock Lichen filled the screen for a moment and they both had disapproving frowns on their faces.

The pegasus exhaled, as if fed up by all the questioning. "I came home stinking of weed, okay?! We smoked a little, and then- well. You know. And then we smoked some more to relax after."

All three of her friends shook their heads in unison and Celestia tsked in disappointment. Not that she had expected anything else. Since the human colt visited so rarely, the alicorn was inclined to look the other way. Apparently, Maggie had no such qualms. "Well, she isn't wrong! Even I stank of it. Gregory spotted it immediately."

The married couple gasped in surprise. "What did he do?" Lake Frond asked, wide-eyed with fear.

Even Glitter Dust was staring with concern. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble as well, C-celestia," the pegasus mumbled.

"You didn't. I did not appreciate the way Gregory accused me. We had words. That is why I am here now - he will be sleeping alone tonight."

Rock Lichen looked horrified, while his wife nodded approvingly. "That's right," she said, "Princess- oops, sorry. Celestia. It's good you don't let any human push you around!" Her voice was fiercely determined as Lake Frond said that. The other two soon nodded.

"Well, it's one smell humans can really pick up, for some reason," Glitter Dust explained. "I can never hide it from Maggie. Usually she just tells me how disappointed she is. Dunno why tonight is different."

Celestia had an idea and felt herself blush in embarrassment. "I know. It's because they smelled it on me, but they didn't say anything to me, so I guess they're punishing you for being a bad influence."

"Yeah, that'd be it then. I don't mind. It's been an awesome day! I just hope they don't ground me while Doug is in town..." That was a far greater concern for the pegasus than the spanking and Celestia knew that her humans realized it. She also felt they wouldn't do it. Strict, yes - especially since Glitter Dust so richly needed some discipline at times - but not unreasonable. Not cruel. Maggie and Sam really were more like parents than owners to the pegasus, who - grown mare or not - acted like a teen often enough to warrant it.

"I think you and Douglas Wilder will be fine."

The mare relaxed somewhat and smiled at the mention of her human coltfriend.

"Well, it's getting kinda late, but I'll expect to hear all about Doug when we see each other, Glitter. I could use some fresh ideas for this stallion here. He's starting to get a bit boring in bed!" Lake Frond tapped her husband on his chest with a hoof as she spoke. Both she and the pegasus laughed while the stallion in question blushed a vivid red. After a few moments Celestia also giggled, but mainly at his expression. "Anyhow, we should get off the computer. The battery is getting low," the mare went on.

Glitter Dust kept laughing. "Yeah, that's why the rest of us have iPads!"

All she got in return was a stuck out tongue from Lake Frond. "Okay, think of Doug when they're belting you, Glitter. Stay strong!"

They were still giggling when their picture went out, leaving the Princess alone with the pegasus.

"I should probably get off, before I get something extra. I'm not supposed to be on the Internet this late," Glitter Dust admitted. Really, she was a teenager at heart and it looked like she would always remain so.

Celestia wished the pony would never change. There was something lighthearted and fun about Glitter and everyone around her, humans included, felt it. "Alright, Glitter Dust. Be safe. Try to smoke a bit less. If Maggie turns your rump purple, you will not be able to enjoy Doug, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah," the mare answered, a tiny bit annoyed at the admonition. "Good night, Celestia. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

The alicorn gave a nod. "Of course." The iPad went silent and she levitated it to the bedside table. Then she laid her head down on the pillow and sighed.

Foalnapped while she was looking for her sister, and it obviously still stung, she could see it clearly in Lake Frond's face. If Glitter Dust hadn't come online and distracted her, the mare might have started to cry. Blushing a little with the guilt, Celestia reached out with her magic and pulled out the hoofguards and royal vest from under the bed. She watched the sun emblem and her thoughts turned its twin, back in Canterlot Castle.

How was Luna dealing with the duties? Did she miss her? The alicorn wiped away a solitary tear as she thought of her sister. Steadfast, fiercely loyal, and so energetic when she was happy. The reunion would be almost as sweet as after her imprisonment on the moon. The mare smiled a little as she imagined throwing open the doors to the throne room. That night-blue head would look up, the ethereal night mane whipping around. Her cyan eyes would widen. She would grin and rush for her, probably pushing away a petitioning pony or two and then they would embrace, briefly. There would be so much to speak about. So many stories, for both of them! Celestia giggled a little as she imagined how she would broach the subject of Rawsthorne.

'By the way, Sister - this human will come and live with us for a while.'

Luna's expression would be priceless.

"Very soon, Sister. I must do my duty by our ponies on Earth, but then I will come back to you." The alicorn kissed the sun emblem and gently folded it up and returned it under her bed. Maybe a night away from Rawsthorne and the constant sex was a good thing. It would allow her to reconnect with the other things that mattered. With the symbol under her bed and with the memory of her sister. Celestia wrapped herself in the blanket and closed her eyes.

"Good night, my Sister."

Chapter 39

The news was very good. Celestia couldn't help but smile as Miriam Adams read from her notes. Her indirect testimony was apparently quite moving and it helped the D.A. make a very convincing case. The alicorn allowed herself some joy. It would be a landmark trial, which would ensure harsher penalties for foal-napping her subjects. Then, once she was back in Canterlot, the Princess would have yet another tool at her disposal to press for pony rights.

"And that was about all for the famous poetry - nice memory, by the way. I hadn't expected actual examples, but they went over pretty well," the woman was saying.

Denis was also present, but he kept mostly silent, unless Celestia asked a specific question. The human was able to search his memory far quicker than she could search the Internet. Her impromptu boss was turning out to be quite an asset and after weeks of them working together, the man had gradually stopped with the jokes and the improper suggestions. In a few more months, Celestia thought, he might be downright tolerable! Luckily she wouldn't need to stay that long, it seemed. According to Miriam's estimation, the trial would be concluded within the next three weeks, after which it would be time for the alicorn to return home. She was starting to seriously miss her sister and their friends. Besides - she would never have admitted it to anypony - Celestia also worried about the state of Equestria. Sometimes, leading the pony nation required a gentle hoof, which Luna would not know to employ.

Yes, she was quite anxious to return and take on her duties once again. The only obstacle now was Rawsthorne. She had not yet broached the subject of their future. The alicorn sighed inwardly and promised herself she would do it that night.

"Hmm? Something wrong?" the lawyer lady asked.

"No, no. Why do you ask?"

Miriam pointed at her face. "Your ears went all floppy."

Celestia quickly replayed the last bit of conversation. The DA had been telling her about the final couple of papers she would need to write - a personal appeal to the judge and something akin to her closing statement. "I'm sorry. My mind was drifting a little. I have complete confidence and you will have the documents by tomorrow, of course."

The woman nodded, just once. "Good. I'll review them and we'll meet on Friday to discuss. In the meantime, Denis, get your people to dig up cases from back when slavery - human slavery - was legal."

"Anything specific?" Denis asked.

"Hmm, something circa eighteen sixty, post Emancipation Proclamation, but pre-thirteenth, cases where slaves won. Maybe we can find a parallel to cite, even if it's a bit outdated."

The man grinned. "Of course. I'll have the interns go through every case on record!"

"Good."

Celestia remembered reading about the period. Humans had actually gone to war against each other over the matter of slavery. She was very happy that the side of freedom won, but the mare was still disturbed by the idea of war over... well, ideas. It was a good plan, though. She remembered Miriam mentioning it some weeks earlier. She wondered why the lawyer hadn't asked for the research then.

"Why now, Miriam? Are we not winning?" The woman rubbed her hands together and grinned. "This is just to strengthen our position. The defense is looking to undermine our arguments, so we have to stay a step ahead of them. I didn't want to risk giving away our plan."

The pony didn't understand - how would research on some past court cases give away secrets to the other side? Denis saw her expression and came to her rescue.

He leaned closer and murmured in her ear: "Interns have friends and they sometimes discuss what they shouldn't. We didn't want to take chances."

It made sense. Except: "Well, could we not have done it ourselves?"

Both the humans laughed a little. Then Miriam asked: "Would you have had the time? Do you know how many old books and newspapers and court records you'd need to go through?"

The alicorn shook her head. "I guess I don't. I'm still getting used to how much information there is on Earth."

The D.A. seemed to have put it out of her mind already. She was watching the mare with speculation. "Listen, how'd you like to come and work for me, instead? There are quite a few cases which could use your touch. I'm sure I can get you better pay than whatever he is giving you!" She pointed at Denis, who began laughing uncontrollably. His hands went to his face and the woman watched him in surprise.

When her gaze transferred to Celestia, the mare explained: "He has been making the same offer for months, Miriam, and I have always said 'no'."

"Wait, I thought you worked for him?" the lady asked, now thoroughly confused.

"It is a long story."

Steepling her fingers before her, the D.A. smiled a little. "Summarize it."

Denis slapped the mare on her back as he wound down, then he gathered his papers. "Okay, it looks like we're done for today. You two have fun."

They both watched him leave, then Celestia leaned her head to the side in thought. "In short, I have done... a thing, which cost my owner a considerable sum of money. In return, he agreed for me to help Denis at an intern's pay, until I repay the debt. It is through pure chance that I was assigned to this particular case." She thought over the last statement again, then smiled. "Correction. I got assigned this case because Denis wanted to see my reaction to it."

Miriam chuckled. "Yeah, I was about to say that. I was wondering why he took the lead on this. I understand trade law is more his forte."

"Indeed. He has been curious about me from the moment Gregory introduced us."

"Makes sense. You're a curious horse, Celestia," the lady replied slowly. "Anyway, the offer still stands. I'll buy you from Rawsthorne, and pay what's left of your debt. I'll make sure your salary is fair - a lot fairer than what you're getting now. What do you say?"

Were she really a slave, Celestia would have jumped at the chance. Doing what she was good at, earning decent money - maybe even... She had to know! "Once I earned enough to pay back my contract?"

The woman just shrugged. "You'd be free. Well, insofar as the law allowed by then. I'd hope you would keep working for me, though."

Now there was a possibility. She thought of the Facebook pony group. There had to be some whose cutie mark would be aligned with legal work. "I'm afraid I have to decline - Gregory and I have a special arrangement, which I do not wish to change, but I am very flattered by the offer." Before the woman had a chance to grow disappointed, the pony continued. "However, what if I recommended to you a few ponies whose special talents align with what you are looking for? There are some out there better than me. A few, I think, might be happy to take the opportunity."

The woman was thoughtful! She was actually considering it seriously! "Hmm, interesting thought. I read up on it - it's to do with the pictures on your sides, isn't it?" Miriam pointed out.

"Yes! It's called a cutie mark, and it represents the specific pony's special talent. Accounting and law-related cutie marks are rare, but they do exist. I will ask around."

The lady was a little sceptical. "Wait, you don't know any directly?"

"No, not on Earth, but you can trust me on this - if a pony has a law-related cutie mark, they are good at it. Easily as good as I am and probably better. I only acquired the skill through necessity and practice."

"So," Miriam asked, "what does yours represent then?"

It was a question Celestia would rather not answer, but she didn't want to lie. Perhaps the idea was outlandish enough...

"I... can move the sun back home on Equestria."

At least the way Miriam's mouth dropped open was amusing.

"Please do not tell anyone! It's a very rare thing and I would prefer not to attract attention."

"Move the sun?! How? Why?!"

"It is a different world, Miriam. The heavenly bodies do not move on their own - they have to be raised and lowered by magic. I move the sun and my sister moves the moon and stars. In a pinch, either can do both."

Flabbergasted. It was the only word the alicorn could think of. She waited patiently until the woman worked through it. "Amazing!" Miriam whispered, mostly to herself. "Can you do it here as well?"

Celestia shook her head, then froze and shrugged. "Actually, I haven't yet tried. I can sense the sun, but it is much bigger and much further away than back home."

"Please, for the love of God, do not try!" the lawyer begged her. "If it turns out you can do it... I don't like to imagine what might happen."

Suddenly, Celestia was afraid. She had nearly reached out and poked at the human sun so many times! She hadn't been aware of any danger! "W-why?! What could happen?"

The woman stared at her in shock. "You mean you don't know?" she asked and rubbed her eyes. "Look, I'm not a physicist, but there's stuff like gravity and orbits, and the Earth is tilted, which causes seasons. Nudge any of it out of whack and... I don't know - weather would go crazy, I suppose. Maybe Earth's orbit would change. Slightly closer or further from the sun and life becomes impossible!"

It made Celestia's skin crawl to think about it. She decided never to so much as touch the sun again, for as long as she was on Earth! "Oh! I had no idea, I swear! Of course I will not attempt it, you have my solemn word on that, Miriam!"

The woman relaxed slightly. "Good. That's good. Who knows, maybe you would stop Earth in its orbit entirely - I don't know what magic can or can't do! Then we fall into the sun. Everything gone in a poof!"

The mare swallowed uneasily. Sheer luck that she hadn't tried anything.

"And you're right! That's something we don't tell anyone, ever. Does Rawsthorne know?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, but I trust him completely. He will not mention it."

"Good," the lawyer said. She removed her glasses and sighed. "I won't tell anyone, and I suggest you keep it to yourself as well. Who knows what sort of attention you'd attract if this got out."

"Yes! That is what I thought exactly! It is why I didn't wish to appear in court."

"Smart girl. Okay, I think we're done here. Can you send someone with a new pitcher of water? I think I need a few minutes before I go out."

The mare smiled as politely as she could. When she stood up, her legs were trembling slightly. Such disaster, so near by! "Of course. I'll see to it directly. I'll get the... uh, the closing statement and the other thing to you tomorrow!"

The woman murmured something affirmative. She had gotten out of her chair and was staring out the window, where the sun was just setting.

Celestia sternly resisted the urge to feel the heavenly orb.

The rest of the day passed quickly, mainly because of the concentration involved in writing the required documents, and just like that, the mare found herself back home. Dinner could wait for a few more minutes, so Celestia went and joined her human on the couch for a bit. He obediently accepted her head into his lap and began to fiddle with the ears. It was so easy to simply lose herself in the comfort, but Celestia was determined. No more delays, no more putting it off. She didn't want to end up mumbling another awkward explanation to the human.
"Greg? There is something we must talk about."

He didn't move his eyes from the screen. "Mm?"

The pony sighed and her horn flashed for an instant. It was enough to push the correct button in the TV remote. The picture winked out and Rawsthorne opened his mouth to complain, but then he looked down at her worried expression.

"Anything wrong?"

She decided to simply come out with it. Straight and to the point, but the alicorn still took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if afraid of the reaction. "After the case I will return to my world."

There it was. Mere words, but implying so much heartbreak that they nearly hurt just to be spoken. Even the fingers in her mane stopped as Rawsthorne considered. It was a slight consolation - the human was also uncomfortable with the idea.

"I guess I can't stop you, right?" he asked after a brief pause for thought.

"I'm sorry. My people need me and I miss them. I hope you understand."

She felt him nod rather than saw it. He resumed scratching her ear, but the mare knew there was more. It was the question she knew Rawsthorne would ask. It was one she wanted an answer to, as well. "So, what about us then? Say bye and go our separate ways?"

That suggestion was only the worst case solution, Celestia hoped. She had a better idea, but it would take delicate hoofwork. "I do hope not, Greg. I have been thinking about it."

The fingers froze again and the mare felt the body under her stiffen. "Go on," the human said in a tightly controlled voice.

"Travel is difficult for me. Most people on Earth do not know who I am, but the ones at the border crossing do. Bringing ponies from Equestria is tightly controlled now and proper paperwork is tedious to obtain each time."

"But?" Rawsthorne asked, predicting that there was more to it.

It made Celestia smile. The human had come to know her too well, too quickly, but she wasn't complaining. "But... Human travel is less regulated. I can issue a formal invitation - consulting in matters of law, perhaps, which would allow you to visit as often as you liked."

The lap under her head shifted as the man shrugged a little. "I suppose that'd be something-"

"I have another idea..." She interrupted him, impatient to get it out.

"Yes?"

"You could... move. On a more permanent basis."

The slight intake of breath told her that the suggestion was quite unexpected. She quickly clarified it: "There is real work for you in the Canterlot Castle. In fact, even if you say no, I will still try to find some attorney to take up the position as human legal adviser." He was going to say no! Celestia knew it! She rushed on, trying to bring it back into the realm of possibility: "You'd have wages and an apartment. Or a house! There is some crown property in the city! Of course you could travel between Earth and Equestria as you wished!"

A hand clamped around her muzzle, shutting her up immediately. The mare forced herself to look up. Rawsthorne was grinning. "So, turn the tables then? I'd get to be your servant for a while? Some kind of revenge?"

It made her blush deep crimson, exactly because she had thought the same thing a few times in the night and liked it! Why had she liked it so much!? The mare pulled her face away to stammer: "N-no, I didn't m-mean-"

The hand found her again and stopped the explanation. "Relax, it's a joke."

She did breathe out a sigh of relief, but then froze again as she waited for the verdict. Would the human stay by her side? Please, at least occasional visits, please, the alicorn thought fervently. Her eyes closed once more.

"I'll think about it. It's a big decision. Good thing you didn't spring this on me at the last minute."

He'd... Celestia's eyes widened in surprise. Rawsthorne hadn't said no! He was thinking about it! As the hand withdrew from her muzzle, her face split into a wide, goofy, disbelieving grin. The mare had been ready to argue and argue and plead and beg and snivel until she convinced Rawsthorne to come, but now he was thinking about it! A bit of care and she could sway him to the right decision!

The pony couldn't contain herself. She lunged forward to kiss the human. "THANK YOU!" Perhaps she said it a little too enthusiastically, but there was no holding back on the joyful hope she now entertained. Then Celestia clambered up to her hooves. "I'm going to make you such a dinner! And cake! Of course cake!" She thought for a moment, while the human began to laugh at her antics. She fluffed her wings out a little as she paced to the door, then came back.

"And tonight- yes! You're getting a full-body hoof massage! And then..." The mare tried to top that, but couldn't quite imagine what else there was. Except... "... I'll do anything you want. Anything!"

The way the human grinned at her made the alicorn look down and blush a little, but she quickly perked back up. Whatever Rawsthorne chose, she was bound to like it. She had liked his other ideas so far. Even the... weirder ones. Like the one with handcuffs and rope and the blindfold. or that one with the riding crop. The pony had been very sceptical about that, but it had turned out great fun and it barely stung at all!

Celestia noticed Rawsthorne's expression and guessed he was thinking the same thing. It made her ears instantly flatten and her gaze lower modestly to the floor. "I'll- uh.. I'll get that d-dinner started!"

Chapter 40

It was utterly unfair! The worst news found her in the best place of all - the steam room. Celestia had been having a wonderful, relaxing time, when Rawsthorne came to knock on the glass. One look at his expression and the mare knew something was very wrong. Despite the heat, she felt a chill run down her spine. The pony hurriedly stepped out of the small room and turned it off. Maybe, if whatever her human was about to say wasn't quite as dreadful as it appeared, she could get back inside later.

"What's wrong?" she asked as casually as she could. That was the source of her fear. It was nearly ten in the evening. Nothing should be wrong.

Rawsthorne looked past her with an ashen expression. "You need to leave, right now. As soon as possible. Back home, if you can, but out of the house."

The alicorn wasn't quite aware of her rump hitting the floor as her hind legs gave way. All she could focus on was her heart, which had nearly stopped. "What?! Why?!" She was already shaking her head in denial, even before the human could explain. "Not a chance! I'm not leaving you, and especially not like this! Whatever you think has happened, we will solve it together!"

She saw that the human was gripping his phone in a white-knuckled hand. He held it up as proof. "Mrs. Adams just called me. Bad news," was all he could say. The man was still looking at the wall behind her, as if unwilling - or unable - to meet her eyes.

Celestia tilted his face toward her with a feather. His expression was really starting to unsettle her. "W-what was it?" She tried to imagine. What news could Miriam bring them that was this urgent? Even if the case suddenly turned completely around, surely the woman wouldn't find out herself until morning. Sure, she would rush right over to find a way to fix it, but she certainly wouldn't call in the middle of the night. Nor would it need Celestia to leave Rawsthorne's house.

The human wasn't quite answering, the mare noticed. "Rawsthorne, what was it about? Do we need to go see her? Is it about the case?" Had the mare not been looking very carefully at her human lover, she would not have seen the slight shake of his head. Whatever it was, Rawsthorne seemed to be stuck in some horrible place. The mare laid her wing around his shoulders and carefully nudged him toward the door. "Come on. Let's go to the living room. I'll get us a cup of tea and we'll talk. I'm sure we can solve this, Rawsthorne."

He didn't resist as she led him away, but he stopped in the entrance hall. "N-no, there's no time. You have to pack and go."

The mare was a little exasperated by his vague insistence. She heaved a tired sigh. "Why, Greg? You keep saying that, but you've given me no reason."

The man took a grip on himself and turned to face her. His hand came to brush her cheek, more for his own comfort than hers. "Federal agents," he said at last. "Mrs. Adams only heard about it because she's a friend of the division counsel. He called to ask about you personally."

Her stomach sank. She didn't know too much about the nebulous and sometimes mysterious branch of the human special police, but she had read about some of their jurisdiction and activities as she researched past court cases. Them taking a special interest in her was a sign that they had recognized her. The human government was aware that the leader of Equestria was in their land. Unauthorized. The punishment would be dire! More than that - the consequences for her people, her efforts to bring them justice, even the very court case she had put so much time into - it would all fall apart!

She needed more information. "What about them? Where are they? What do they know?!" If there was a touch of panic in her voice, Celestia couldn't help it. She could keep her head in a crisis, but couldn't help feeling fear. She sat on the tiles and stared anxiously at the human as he explained all that he knew.

"Mrs. Adams didn't say much. You are not to come into work tomorrow, because they will be there, asking about you. I don't think we can keep it a secret. After that, they'll probably come here. They are to capture you, but I don't know what for, or where they'll take you."

"How in the world did they find me?!" Even as it came out, Celestia realized how stupid the question was. She answered her own question at the same time as Rawsthorne:

"Facebook."

"Facebook, yeah."

The mare sighed and her ears drooped in misery. "Is that thing ever going to stop haunting me?!"

Her human put his arms around her neck in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Celestia. I really should have mentioned it to you when I gave you the iPad. It's supposed to be basic online safety."

She gave him a kiss. It was sweet of Rawsthorne to take some of the blame, but the bad judgement was hers entirely. Maybe, if she had trusted the human from the start, he would have cautioned her. "It's my fault. I decided to go into your office without a disguise. That is where the first picture came from. Wendy." She couldn't be angry with the woman, though.

"And there was that birthday at Christine's. You couldn't have kept hiding from all the neighbors forever."

Celestia shook her head miserably. "Probably not, but it's done. Maybes and could-have-beens won't help me right now. What do we do?"

Her mind was already racing. She couldn't stay in Rawsthorne's house, that was certain. Rawsthorne was right. She understood why he had been so distraught. Perhaps one of her pony friends could take her in? What could the agents really know? She considered how much contact she'd had with all her friends. Glitter Dust was probably out of the question, and she had chatted quite a lot with the others, too. Could the humans see her chats with her friends?

The thought made her blush. Could they see her... activities with Heavy Hoof?! It was a scary and very embarrassing notion!

She had an idea! "Silent Brook!"

Rawsthorne looked up with a touch of confusion before he remembered the stallion. "Why him?"

"He doesn't have a computer. I can't go to any of the others. If the agents could see Facebook, they could maybe see my Skype, but Silent Brook doesn't use Skype. We only ever met in person!"

Rawsthorne smiled a little and bopped her nose with a finger. "Smart girl, but how do we get in touch?"

There was only one possible way. "Through Glitter Dust. She sees him sometimes in the store. Maybe she knows where he lives." The alicorn would need to vanish, for a few days. Long enough to... The pony sighed. "We need to call the number Mr. Plain gave me, so he can send someone to pick me up and take me home. It'll be a day or two, he said. Oh, and can you call Miriam back? I need to speak with her before... I go."

A course of action - a beginning of a plan - made them both feel a bit better. It allowed the mare and the human both to push through their fear and uncertainty.

"Come on. Living room, and I'll bring us a cup of tea. We have to talk. We need a plan."

The man just nodded, hugged her again and kissed her muzzle. "We'll figure it out."

She just nodded, her mind already ablaze with planning and scheming. If the humans wanted a battle of wits, Celestia could certainly oblige. 'Sol Invictus' was not just a fancy nickname. However close it might have come in the past, Equestria had not yet been conquered. The mare always put her hopes in her friends and they had never let her down. This time her faith was in people like Rawsthorne and Miriam Adams and, yes, even Mr. Plain. Unfortunately, she would all but disappear from the lives of her ponies on Earth, but they would undoubtedly understand. It also meant she couldn't do very much to offer them a return home, not until she spoke with Mr. Plain about possible arrangements. The mare put a pot of water on the stove and absentmindedly jabbed the button for heat as she thought.

It was a stressful situation and they were both uneasy, but that just made it doubly important to share some comfort and closeness. Celestia had made Rawsthorne lie back in the couch and placed herself right in his lap while they sipped the 'Earl Gray'. Every now and then, the mare nuzzled the human or licked his bare arm. There was something showing on the TV, but it was quiet and neither paid the movie much attention.

"We need to make sure you are clear of all blame, Gregory. I will not have you in trouble because of myself!"

There was another option - her human could simply go with her, but that thought was a selfish one, especially since Rawsthorne had not yet decided what to do. The alicorn would not force his hoof!

"Well, I can always claim I never knew who you were. It was true for most of the time. Just a rather unique and pricey pony," he said slowly. They both chuckled at it.

"That much is true. No one in the office knows, either. Miriam Adams does, but she is obviously on our side. The ponies, but they will not say anything. It's not quite as bad as I first feared, Greg."

She felt the human nod. "Then what? I claim I was tricked? They'll just go after Mr. Plain."

The auctioneer was smart. There were things in the contracts which lessened his liability, and the alicorn wasn't particularly worried about that particular man. He had undoubtedly considered the possibility and covered himself, somehow. "I wouldn't worry too much about him. I mentioned to him that it might happen, but he said he would take steps. A forged paper trail, I believe."

Rawsthorne nodded again. "So that's me and everyone at the office. Undoubtedly they'll also ask Christine, since you were at her party when those photos were taken, but none of them know everything. I will call her and say it's a simple mixup of your papers and that she should answer truthfully."

It sounded quite reasonable. With luck, the kind woman and her family would not get into too much trouble. That just left one thing. "That leaves us, Greg. What do we do?"

He slid his hand down her mane and patted her barrel gently. "What do you propose?"

She wanted to say it.

She absolutely didn't want to say it.

It could so easily be construed as some kind of coercion and Celestia was wary of that particular trap for their relationship. She decided to try a gentler hoof.

"In time, I do hope you will visit. The job will be waiting for you, if you decide. Whenever that might be...?" The mare raised the inflection at the end, strongly hinting that he could decide sooner, rather than later. "Of course, if you become a wanted criminal, I will extend asylum. It is the least I could do, really."

"Yeah, the least!" They both laughed at it, but Celestia hoped it wouldn't actually come to that. It would look bad for her human adviser to be a wanted criminal on Earth. "So, I'm guessing you should leave tonight?"

It wasn't a pleasant thought, but the mare had to face up to it. "Yes. Could you call Maggie? I don't really want to use Skype anymore. In fact, I'll leave the iPad behind, just in case."

The fingers on her barrel scratched, making her sigh with pleasure. Such a small touch, yet so satisfying. "Okay. Give me a few minutes," Rawsthorne said. Celestia realized he also wanted to enjoy the moment for a while longer. His reluctance, while making her feel warm inside, compounded her own worry and sadness.

"Please don't let it end. Us. Not yet." She didn't say the next part, but it was there in her mind. She would outlive Rawsthorne, of course. There was no avoiding it, but at least she wanted a few more decades with the human. It shouldn't be over tonight. The alicorn tried not to think about such things, but it was a night for saying uncertain goodbyes and the knowledge crept in unbidden. "I hope Silent Brook can take me in for a while. Otherwise, I will just hide out in the woods."

The human chuckled a little. "Nibbling on sprouts and bark?"

"Yes!" Lighthearted, that was the key. Dwelling on the bad would just make them both sad.

After a few more minutes of stroking her fur and playing with her mane, Rawsthorne sighed and fished his phone out of a pocket.

"Wait." There was one more thing. "A kiss, please. Before I go."

He obliged and made it last a while. The mare put all her longing and sorrow and fear into it as she clung to the warm human. By the time it was done, a solitary tear slipped from her eye and dropped on Rawsthorne's shirt.

"I will go get my things."

There wasn't much, really. The hoofguards and the peytral with the emblem, but she would also take the toothbrush and the shampoo Rawsthorne had bought her. She liked the smell, now that she had gotten used to its slight chemical undertones. It would take about five minutes to pack in a small bag, just enough time for Rawsthorne to arrange matters with Maggie. Then it would be a car ride, a brief last kiss and then...

Hopefully Celestia would see him again before she left, but she might not. Best to act as if it was their farewell. Leaving things unspoken, unfinished would tear her up inside over the years.

The pony slipped out of the embrace, stood up and fixed the human with a glare. "Promise you will at least visit once this thing with the agents is over. Promise me, Gregory!"

The human did so. "I promise, Celestia."

"And think about my offer!"

"I will."

She forced a slight, impossibly hopeful smile, then left the room. 'Fled' might have been a better word. Looking at the human any longer would just end with tears. It didn't help that she heard Rawsthorne heave a sad, miserable sigh when he thought she was out of the room. Still he misjudged her hearing. A moment later he was already tapping his phone and Celestia walked up the stairs with her head held low.

And there it was. Not even an hour later and the alicorn was hugging Rawsthorne, hopefully not for the last time. They shared a kiss, then it was time to go.

"You do remember Mr. Plain's number, right?" the human asked for the fourth time.

"Yes! I told you, my memory is good. I'll call him from Maggie's phone. You make sure you are safe as well, okay?"

Rawsthorne brushed her mane. "I'll tell them you escaped tonight. The timing is a little suspicious, but I think I'll be fine."

There was a moment of silence, then the mare pulled away. Her friend was already waiting on the sidewalk. They had no more time left. "Let me know as soon as you decide, please."

"I promise."

Celestia tried not to beg Rawsthorne to come to Equestria. She didn't even plead, but it was a close thing. Now that their little affair had begun, she wasn't sure she could give the human up. Not yet! Once things calmed down a bit he would visit. Rawsthorne had promised that much, at least, and they could stay in touch through Mr. Plain. The auctioneer would just have to become a courier as well. She already owed him a lot of precious metals and gems. A few more wouldn't matter. The pony made herself smile as she dropped down to the ground. In her Supple Branch guise, she had had to stand on her hind legs to reach the human in the car.

"Love you."

The human thought about it, but only for a second. "You too," he replied. Then he got back into his car and drove away. Once the car was moving, Celestia heard the clop of Glitter Dust's hooves on the road behind her.

"Why couldn't you have stayed as Supple Branch, again? If they were looking for an alicorn, you could have pretended you weren't one. You said Rawsthorne has all the right papers, no?"

The Princess shook her head sadly. "They probably know I can change. Miriam Adams said I shouldn't risk it. Get home while I still can."

"Probably a good idea," the pegasus commented. "Don't want to have the Princess captured for real." She laid a gentle, comforting wing over the alicorn. "Come on. We can stay in the Den for tonight. Maggie will take us to Silent Brook's tomorrow morning," Glitter said.

The alicorn frowned slightly in confusion. "What about the phone? I need to call Mr. Plain to come and smuggle me back."

The pegasus patted a small bag around her neck. "I have it here. Maggie loaned it to me."

"Is that a good idea?"

Glitter didn't understand at first, but when she saw Celestia smiling a little, she bumped her with a wing joint. "Joker. I'm not gonna play games on it, so you can wipe that smirk off your face!"

The mood lightened and the two began to walk. She would have been fine alone, but Glitter Dust insisted that she would stay with the Princess, just in case. In case of what, Celestia couldn't fathom. Hopefully, the pegasus was just being paranoid and nopony would find them. Maybe she had some reason to be, though. The FBI were quite powerful, Celestia knew. They could very likely see her chats on Skype - which would have given her 'Supple Branch' guise away and they could undoubtedly see whom Rawsthorne had called with his phone but they probably couldn't listen in just like that.

That was why it was important he didn't call Mr. Plain directly. Miriam Adams was okay - she was employing his law firm for a case, so that call made sense, and Maggie - they had spent a few minutes thinking about it until Celestia came up with the solution. After she had 'escaped' - inconveniently just a day before the authorities managed to track her down - Rawsthorne would have called another human he knew with a pony to ask if maybe Celestia was hiding at their place, or if Glitter Dust knew anything about the escape. He would also have driven to the town to see if he could find his missing pony. After stopping at Maggie's, Rawsthorne would go and drive around the pony meeting place, then around his office - all the places Celestia knew. His search would have proven fruitless, of course, and the mare would be safely away with Silent Brook's owner, who had never even met Rawsthorne.

It was the safest way. Once Mr. Plain collected her, Glitter Dust would tell her other friends what had happened and why she had had to disappear so quickly. Not the greatest plan ever, Celestia knew, but the best one she and Rawsthorne could come up with on such a short notice. It hinged on Silent Brook being willing to house her for a day or so, until her 'rescue' came, but the alicorn didn't worry too much about that. Even if the stallion refused to help the Princess - which was in itself unthinkable - she could hide out in the forest like she had told Rawsthorne.

Then all that was left to do would be to wait at Mr. Plain's auction until he forged some papers - an expired contract - and smuggled her back home. Simplicity itself. The mares arrived in the Den. Douglas Wilder had gone back to his college, so the room was empty. There was the couch - Glitter Dust said it unfolded into a makeshift bed and Celestia trusted her word. There were blankets and with two of them, the ponies wouldn't be too cold. A sleepover, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances.

Her goodbye with Rawsthorne had been so sudden. It hadn't really had time to sink in. Only a couple of hours ago the mare had been looking forward to getting out of her relaxing steam, joining her human on the couch and letting him work his finger magic on her back and her wings and - she had quietly hoped - his hands would again stray to the more 'naughty' places, which would result in a vigorous and thoroughly enjoyable... 'romping'. The night would have concluded with the two lying exhausted in Rawsthorne's bed, sweaty, but pleased. The alicorn sighed sadly as she imagined the events which wouldn't now come to pass.

"Don't worry, give him a few days without you and he'll be begging to come to Equestria," Glitter Dust said, guessing her thoughts.

The mare's words reminded the Princess about her other unresolved questions. One in particular. "I wish I could take all the ponies back with me. Those who wished to go. I never even asked Rock Lichen and Lake Frond."

The pegasus was silent for a moment. Then she began fiddling with the couch as she spoke: "Those two might actually have said yes, you know?"

It was a surprise. If they did, they would have been the first ponies to do so. "Oh? How come? The rest of you seem to like it here."

Glitter Dust stared at the alicorn for a moment, then pushed the couch backrest with a hoof until it fell down. Together with the seat, it formed a small but serviceable bed. "The rest of us have good owners. Yeah, even Heavy Hoof. His previous human was a sicko and wanted to make a quick buck off him, but Peter and Deborah are kind to him." Celestia opened her mouth to point out the whole 'sex' thing, but Glitter forestalled her with a raised hoof. "Yeah, I know they make him watch when they fuck, but it's only because he secretly likes it. Also, he gets with the Mistress often enough. It's not what you'd call a 'conventional' family, but there's love, trust me."

The alicorn shook her head in dismay. "He's making Belle Hop sad."

Glitter Dust barked a laugh. "So? That filly needs to grow a backbone, hoof that colt across his face and tell him to love her. It's as simple as that, really, but she never really says it, so Heavy Hoof probably doesn't even know."

It was a different story than Lake Frond had told her, so Celestia didn't know what to believe. She wished she could speak with Belle Hop and Heavy Hoof herself. Maybe. "You think you could get them to visit Silent Brook? I want to sort this out before I leave."

The pegasus shrugged. "I'll try."

Seeing that their bed was set and the door was locked, Celestia dropped her saddlebags, released her spell and became herself again. She sat on the couch and watched Glitter rummage in a drawer underneath for blankets. "You never answered me about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen."

The pegasus pulled out a few colorful pieces of fabric. They looked nice and thick and warm. They stank a little of tobacco and weed, but the room had been empty for the past week so it wasn't unbearable. Pulling the blankets up on the couch, Glitter sat down beside Celestia and leaned on her. At any other time, such closeness would have lifted the Princess' heart. "They didn't tell you, right? I don't know if I should," she hesitated.

"What if I order you?"

That made the pegasus laugh. "Yeah, sure. Since you put it that way, lemme bow and scrape a little first."

The alicorn nudged the pegasus with a wing. "Please?"

Asking politely, that did the trick. Glitter drew a breath, folded her ears down and explained: "They want foals and their owners won't let them. Lake Frond knows she's getting older. There's still time, but the way it looks the Williamses will never allow them to have children."

Celestia snorted a little. A stallion and a mare together, how could the humans stop it? "So? Why do they not just wait for a heat and do it? Even mares have a hard time telling exactly when they will go into heat, the humans wouldn't know until it was too late!"

The pegasus wouldn't meet her gaze. "Yeah, Lake Frond said that to her owners. Threatened them, you might say, but they just said if she did that, they'd take her to a vet and..."

Her blood ran cold and Celestia was afraid of what came next, but she couldn't stop listening.

"... have her abort," Glitter Dust finished in a broken voice. "You can see why they are careful. I can't imagine what that'd do to a mare..."

Celestia couldn't either. She made a decision. "I'm taking them with me. Mr. Plain will just have to get papers for three ponies, instead of one. Get the word to them." She did a quick mental calculation. "It's Thursday. I'll hide at Silent Brook's until Tuesday and have Mr. Plain come pick me up on Wednesday. You'll all get together for the pony meetup - Lake Frond and Rock Lichen always come, right? The owners are shut in their little room, so they can just walk out. Then you'll bring them to Silent Brook's house, where Mr. Plain or one of his men will be waiting to take us away."

The pegasus watched the princess incredulously. "Really?! You'd risk that for them?"

Celestia snorted. "Of course! I've risked more than that for my ponies, you know that! I can see the rest of you like your owners, but the Williamses sound horrible. I am going to save Lake Frond and Rock Lichen from them, and that is final. If Silent Brook's owner complains - Gregory gave me some money."

A course of action, a plan. It made it easier to bear what she had heard. Maybe enough so that she could sleep. The alicorn lay down and patted the bed. "I miss my human, so you'll have to do for cuddles. Come on."

It made Glitter Dust smile a little as she joined her monarch and pulled the blanket over them with a wing. "Good night, Princess."

"Sweet dreams."

Chapter 41

It wasn't quite like waking up with Rawsthorne, but her pegasus friend in her lap was warmer and softer, so that was something. Celestia stretched carefully, trying not to jostle Glitter Dust awake. Then she lay there and considered her future. The most important thing was to call Mr. Plain. It had been quite late when she and Glitter Dust came in the Den, so the two had decided to call in the morning instead. Besides, there was less of a hurry since Celestia had opted to wait until Wednesday. After the call, the alicorn supposed, her friend would go fetch Maggie and she would take them both to where Silent Brook lived. They could have gone alone - in fact the stallion almost never had human company - but the mares didn't want to risk being picked up and detained by the police. Whatever magic allowed Silent Brook to walk around alone unnoticed might not work for the mares and if she was caught, there were records of Supple Branch and her owner in their computers. Undoubtedly the officers would call Rawsthorne, which would also probably alert the FBI. Far too risky.

Then it would just just be a matter of hiding out with Silent Brook until Wednesday. Celestia didn't want to plan too far ahead, at least not until she spoke with Mr. Plain. So much could change so quickly - it was useless to expand any effort on the fine detail. She almost felt for the sun to see what time it was, but stopped herself in time. Instead, she lifted up Glitter Dust's pack, pulled out the phone and looked for the button that made it go. The screen lit up. It was half past five. Back in her life with Rawsthorne, the mare would be getting up to prepare breakfast. The thought made her sigh sadly. Putting the phone back down, the alicorn tightened her grip around the pegasus, who had her muzzle tucked tightly against the royal chest. She carefully nuzzled Glitter Dust and closed her eyes.

Two more hours, she decided. Her ministrations made the pegasus twitch and murmur something. "Mmhmm... 'ove 'oo Doo..."

Celestia smiled when she realized what her friend had said. 'Love you, Doug'. It was probably because of the bed and the room, the alicorn knew. Smell was a powerful thing, but it confirmed what she had already suspected. As if to punctuate her statement, Glitter also sleepily licked Celestia on her foreleg, which was wrapped around her barrel.

It would have been a sin to wake her up from whatever she was dreaming, so Celestia kept her eyes closed and went back to sleep herself.

In a rare show of discretion, Glitter Dust went out to fetch them some breakfast while Celestia called Mr. Plain. It took her a few seconds to fully remember the number, but then she tapped it into the device with confidence. It was nearly eight, so the human should be awake already, but the mare still felt uneasy as it ringed.

At long last there was an answer: "Hello?"

Sagging a little in relief, the alicorn recognized the auctioneer. "Hello, Mr. Plain. It's me - Celestia."

There was a silence as the human processed this. Then he guessed: "So you're ready to go home?" It didn't sound like he was particularly pleased about it.

She had thought hard about what to tell him. The fact that she was being chased by the government probably wasn't the way forward, but the extra 'passengers' should be mentioned as quickly as possible.

"Yes. Me and two others. You can arrange that, right? I will see to it that you are well compensated, Mr. Plain." Another, longer silence followed and the pony was afraid she had pushed it too far. "Mr. Plain?"

Eventually he continued, quietly and perhaps a little fearfully: "What the hell have you done, Celestia? I have federal agents here going through my files! Specifically, your files. It's a good thing we forged your paper trail to some company in India which doesn't even exist anymore, but getting new papers to get you back is impossible right now!"

Her heart sank. The humans were a step ahead of her! She didn't know how to reply, so Mr. Plain sighed and went on: "Look, you're just gonna have to sit tight with... uh, with Rawsthorne until this blows over. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do."

The alicorn hated just how much pleading there was in her voice, but she didn't have too many options. "Please, Mr. Plain! There has to be something! The agents are with Gregory as well. I'm hiding with a friend. I need to go back!"

Again, the human said nothing.

"Please?"

This had been her last safety line! If Celestia couldn't escape, she would have to remain a fugitive on Earth, however long that might take. Luna would go mad with worry and probably try to do something stupid! Not to mention that Celestia would be in constant danger of being captured. It was an impossible situation and of course she couldn't help Rock Lichen and Lake Frond, either! Luckily Glitter Dust hadn't told them yet, so there wouldn't be any disappointment. Other than for Celestia.

Maybe Rawsthorne would know what to do? Only... reaching out to him, now that he was being watched, was probably a very bad idea. She'd have to wait until things calmed down somewhat. If the humans ever stopped looking for her, which sounded unlikely. Maybe they would leave her owner alone after a while if he persisted with his story that he knew nothing about her. Then again, maybe they wouldn't.

Finally, Mr. Plain spoke again. Celestia had almost forgotten he was on the phone. "Look, I can maybe get you out of the country, if I call in a whole bunch of favors and if we're very lucky!"

The mare wasn't sure she liked the idea. That would take her away from everything she knew, including Rawsthorne. Her life would become even more uncertain! "I d-don't know... What happens then?"

She could almost envision the auctioneer shrugging. "Don't know yet. Maybe once things calm down, I can get you back and send you home. There aren't any portals in the rest of the world, right?"

"No. Just the one." The ponies didn't even know how the existing one came to be.

"Then you sit tight - here or someplace else, until things relax enough that I can get you home. Of course, now they know you can change shape, so there'll probably be more checks."

"L-like what?"

The human barked a laugh. "Damned if I know. They'll think of something. Let's hope it's something you can work around."

Celestia did hope that, fervently. This was turning into a right mess and the alicorn was beginning to get afraid. The big question now was whether to leave the country or try to hide. She couldn't tell which was the best course of action. She needed to talk to someone. Rawsthorne would be preferable, but she'd settle for Miriam Adams.

"I'll think it over and call you back in a day or so." Or, whenever she got access to a safe phone again, the mare added to herself silently.

"Okay, you do that. If I don't answer, keep trying. I get those nosy bastards in my office sometimes, rifling through my papers."

She said 'bye' and hung up. Then her muzzle hit the couch. "What the buck am I supposed to do now?!"

Celestia thought about telling Glitter Dust about her newest problem. On the one hoof, she didn't want to distress the pegasus too much, but on the other hoof, she didn't want to send Lake Frond and Rock Lichen the message of hope when there was none. In the end she decided that her friend had to be told.

"What?! That bastard!" Glitter exclaimed angrily. "That's not fair! You had a deal!"

The alicorn knew that. "Yes, but if the human police have him under scrutiny there isn't much he can do, deal or no."

The mare still seemed a little sceptical, but grudgingly accepted the alicorn's explanation: "I guess."

"So, the question is now: do I leave the country? Will it be easier to hide someplace else? You know this world very well, Glitter Dust. What do you think?"

Shaking her head, the pegasus grabbed her Princess around the barrel. Her hooves couldn't quite reach, but she tried anyway. "No, I think that's a bad idea. At least here you know ponies - and people - and you can speak the language."

Celestia had seen that. It was a strange coincidence and she had thought about it sometimes. How came that the ponies would share a common language with parts of Earth only?

"I'll talk with the others and we'll try to come up with something," Glitter promised, but the thought of Skype made Celestia decidedly uneasy.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't worry, we won't chat over the Internet. I'll try and see them in person. At least some of them. I sometimes visit Heavy Hoof, so that won't be too strange and then he can spread the word to Belle Hop, maybe Glowbug and I'll see if Maggie will take me to Lake and Rock."

It wasn't much of a plan, but it made the pegasus feel better, so Celestia didn't point out the futility. Her ponies were determined, but even she could see no way home. Maybe if Twilight Sparkle were on Earth, but even that would be a really slim chance. Her talented student had spent the past few years studying the portal and its magic, to no avail.

Glitter Dust didn't see the problems. She was smiling faintly, as if in encouragement. "We'll all think it over and talk about it on Wednesday. We'll figure something out!"

Still, the alicorn had been surprised in the past. She would not forbid them, of course. There was something else she needed to do, though. "I have to speak with Miriam and Gregory. Can you try and make that happen? I know I am asking a lot, Glitter, but-"

The mare just interrupted her monarch. "No problem, Princess. Any of us would die for you, I hope you know that!"

Celestia did, and it didn't make it any easier to ask. Very rarely had she been forced to make that choice and each one weighed heavily upon her heart. After every one she had promised herself, in tears, that it would never happen again.

"Thank you."

"I still think you should go to Silent Brook's. If the feds make a link from Mr. Rawsthorne to Maggie and me, they might find this place. It's not safe."

That much made sense. The alicorn gave a slight nod. "Very well."

She was about to rise and go, but her friend gently held her back. "No, not yet. I got us some fruit and bread. I told Maggie to come pick us up in about half an hour." With that, Glitter Dust shrugged off her saddlebags and let them spill their contents over the couch. It wasn't a feast, but Celestia was hungry and the fruit was good. There was even a bit of bread and some sour cream in there, which the two mares split between them.

The pair finished just in time before there was a knock on the door, making Celestia gasp in surprise and hurriedly change into Supple Branch. She didn't know if Rawsthorne had explained anything over the phone, but Glitter's owners had always seen the alicorn in her disguise. Now was not the time to expose herself needlessly.

"Come in!" said the pegasus once she saw that Celestia was transformed. The door opened and the woman peered inside. The pegasus leaned closer to the alicorn and whispered: "I told her to knock."

"So, this is where you've been getting your brains railed out?" the lady asked. It made Glitter blush vividly and look away. Maggie shared a small grin with Celestia and went on: "It stinks in here. Once this snafu with Supple is over, you're gonna bring those sheets home and wash them. Cushions, too, and you're gonna smack the dust and ash out of that carpet!"

It was amazing how flat Glitter Dust's ears went, and how quickly! "Yes ma'am," she said miserably.

If it weren't for the seriousness of her situation, Celestia would have laughed and poked some fun of her own at the poor pegasus, but it seemed like her unease and urgency were plain to see. Maggie stepped in and patted her mane with a hand. "Don't worry, sweetie. Let's get you someplace safe until Mr. Rawsthorne can resolve this paperwork problem." To the pegasus she said a bit more firmly: "You've arranged with Silent and his owners that it's okay, have you?"

The mare nodded, but her eyes told the whole truth. It made Maggie sigh in exasperation. "Silly thing. I know you keep telling me you're twenty something, but you act like you're thirteen, Glitter. Come on, give me their phone number and I'll work it out."

Now the pegasus was looking industriously at the floor. "Doesn't have a phone. Or Internet."

The woman rolled her eyes and her shoulders slumped a little. "Do you even know where he lives?"

Now Glitter Dust nodded, feeling herself on firmer ground. "Yeah! Couple of blocks from the big park downtown."

"Been there, have you?" Maggie asked sharply, knowing full well that the pegasus could not have.

"N-no," the mare replied, "but he told me once. I remember. We pegasi have good memory for... geography."

The woman wasn't entirely convinced, but she decided to play along. "Fine. I'll drive you two, but if we don't find the house, Supple is coming back with us and we'll figure out something else!"

Celestia made sure to smile beautifully. "Thank you so much, Maggie. I really appreciate it."

The woman smiled right back. "Don't fret, Supple. I just wish this thing was half as polite and responsible as you are."

It was the straw that broke the pony's back. "Hey!" Glitter Dust exclaimed and looked up sharply, but her muzzle ran right into Maggie's finger for a boop. It was like a switch, making her ears go flat again and her head drop back down in silence.

The human had her reply ready: "Don't you 'hey' me! Now let's get going. I can't leave Jeff in charge of the store for too long, you know that!"

A very triumphant-looking Glitter Dust pointed through the window of Maggie's car. "There! That place!" she said excitedly. It was after a mere ten minutes of searching.

Celestia had to admit that the pegasus really was good at navigating. She inspected the house from the back seat. It was a single-family, two-storey home, a little decrepit but with a sturdy roof. The front yard was quite overgrown and the house itself looked dirtier than it had to. There were a few pieces of miscellaneous trash strewn around, which gave the alicorn a bad feeling in her stomach, but Glitter Dust wasn't concerned and just pushed the car door open. Celestia still couldn't manage the small handle with a hoof - the pegasus assured her it was a knack - so she cheated with a tiny bit of magic. A moment later Maggie also exited the car and joined them on the sidewalk. It was one of those unmarked, wide roads where the people parked their cars right on the side. It wasn't done in many places anymore, Celestia understood, but she liked the idea as she had seen it in some of the movies Rawsthorne had shown her. There were trees all along the lane - bare at this time of year, of course. There was no car in front of Silent Brook's place, though. She knew they didn't have too much money and this confirmed it a little.

After a brief pause, Glitter stepped forward. "Come on. He should be home right now."

Maggie hung back. "I'll just wait here. This is weird enough as it is."

Celestia agreed, but she followed her friend up the path and to the front door. The pegasus raised up a hoof and knocked firmly. There was some shuffling inside and after a while a middle-aged, balding, bleary-eyed man opened. He looked down at the two ponies. "What?" he demanded. Celestia remembered him from the park, all those months ago.

"Uh, is Silent Brook here?" Glitter asked, only a tad uncertainly.

The human grumbled something unintelligible and turned around. "HORSE!" he yelled up the stairs. "It's for you!"

There was a vaguely interrogative noise and the sound of hooves hitting the floor. To her relief, Celestia saw that the man lost interest and went back inside. What she could see of the place didn't give her much comfort. Inside was just as filthy as the outside. There were bits of paper and food wrappers. There were plastic bags and empty bottles. What wasn't covered in dust was instead coated with grime. If she were to live there, even mere days, the alicorn would first have a good cleaning-up, she decided.

Moments later, the orange stallion poked his head around the curve in the stairs.

"Glitter? Princ- uh, Supple?" he asked, uncertainly. "What the hay are you two doing here?" He was obviously uncomfortable at having Celestia see the squalor in which he lived and that was making the pony grumpy.

"Can we go inside and talk? Please?" the pegasus asked, trying to win the disgruntled pony over with a friendly smile.

He sighed and shrugged. "I guess. Come on," Silent Brook said and turned to lead them up the stairs.

Meanwhile Glitter stuck her head out the door and waved a wing to Maggie. "We'll just be a minute!" she called. The woman gave her a hesitant thumbs-up and went around to sit in the car. Then the pegasus closed the door with a slight thump, which made Silent Brook's owner yell from the other room: "Horse, you were supposed to get me my smokes!"

The stallion replied, just as sourly: "I need money for that, Saul, remember?!" All he got back was a stream of curses, but he just ignored them and ushered the mares up. "Come on, just ignore him. He'll forget in a minute anyway."

The pair followed him up a little uneasily as the pony led the way to an upstairs bedroom. It was perhaps a bit cleaner than the rest of the house, but only marginally so. At least, Celestia saw with approval that there were no drink bottles or cans. There was a plain mattress on the floor and the sheet was turning yellow. It needed washing, even more than the bedclothes in Glitter and Doug's Den. The smell in the air was too musky by half. The alicorn wondered if Silent Brook ever aired the room out. If he allowed them to stay, Celestia decided again, she would at least get the household in order. It would be the least she could do to repay the kindness, but right at that moment, the stallion sat on the carpet in the middle of the room and stared at the two, expectantly.

"So, why are you here again?" he asked pointedly.

The alicorn looked at the pegasus and took a deep breath. It would take some explaining, so she sat as well. She began: "I need your help."

Chapter 42

The human, Saul, made Celestia quite uncomfortable. He was loud and lazy and indulgent. Why exactly Silent Brook would put up with him was a mystery. She also noticed he drank a lot, and he smoked, far worse than Douglas Wilder. As a result, the house was messy and filthy and it stank. Her presence was... tolerated. The mare couldn't read that particular human, so she didn't know what he really thought of her staying there. Silent Brook had simply informed the man that 'Supple Branch' would be living with them for a while. She still wanted to repay their kindness, such as it was, by cleaning up and perhaps cooking, but the pony didn't like to stay in the same room as Saul unless absolutely necessary. Luckily, the man left each afternoon and her stallion host explained that his owner worked in a factory. That gave her a chance to swoop into the lower floor and pick up most of the trash.

She didn't worry too much about using magic inside the house, though the alicorn had made sure she was disguised as Supple Branch whenever there was a chance to meet Saul. He usually never came to the first floor, Silent Brook assured her, so she could calmly stay as her true self while she was there. That made it easier. Her pony friend was even kind enough to go to a nearby store and pick up some necessities. She had enough money to pay for it herself, but Celestia didn't like the idea of leaving the house while there was a chance she could be stopped and questioned without a human by her side. Silent Brook brought her the urgent things: foodstuffs, some cleaning supplies and - most importantly - trash bags. She needed lots and lots of trash bags. As she began working, the stallion sat on the couch and watched, though without apparent interest. She did her best to ignore him. After a few moments, he turned on the TV and focused his attention on that instead.

The Princess was efficient and well versed in such work by now. Pretty soon she had the trash packed away and the bags stacked outside by the cans, and she could focus on the next job. It was rather hard to choose, but she picked a rag and the cleaning fluid and started on all the wood and plastic and ceramic surfaces. The walls were in a worse state, but Celestia didn't know what to do about that. Maybe the rag would be enough, or maybe a coat of paint would be required. On the other hoof, it might be less effort to just demolish them and rebuild, or at the very least, strip the plaster off and put new on. However you went about doing that... She might get an idea for a spell later. For the moment she focused on the grubby furniture.

"You don't have to do that, you know?" Silent Brook announced suddenly. It nearly made her drop the bottle. The alicorn had forgotten that she had company. For the last few minutes she had been starting to feel almost as if she was still with Rawsthorne in his empty house, while he was at work. The mare twirled around in surprise.

"Oh. It's not a problem. A little thank-you for letting me stay."

He didn't seem particularly grateful. "You don't have to lie to me, Princess. I know what this is," he said in a tone Celestia didn't particularly like.

"What is this, then?"

Again the pony paused before answering. He almost glared at her. "You're just too fancy to live in squalor like this. It doesn't behoove a Princess to have a bit of dirt and trash around her."

A bit?! "A bit?! Silent Brook, this place is a mess, and no, I genuinely wanted to do something nice for you and Saul!"

His mouth quirked up in an almost-smile. "Don't lie. You're probably thinking why haven't I done something about this myself."

That much was true. From what she could tell, Celestia didn't think Silent Brook really worked anywhere. He just ran errands for his human. He obviously had enough free time to do something about the living conditions, but she decided to be diplomatic. "I have wondered, true, but I understand that life sometimes gets in the way."

She really did hope Silent Brook had a reason. Some ponies were slobs, but the alicorn had very rarely seen standards slip this low.

"For example, at the very least you could have washed the bedsheets in your room."

Silent Brook had the decency to look embarrassed. "I was busy," he muttered and looked away - a blatant lie.

It made the alicorn stare at him for a while, but she didn't push the topic. "I will wash them for you. Did you bring washing powder?"

The pony shook his head. "Machine doesn't work. It's no use. No money for a new one. Not even to get it repaired."

Celestia nearly kept herself quiet, but couldn't quite manage it this time. "But there is money for cigarettes and drink?"

The result was surprising. Silent Brook jumped from the couch and advanced on her with a dangerous gleam in his eye.

"Who bucking gives you the right to come in here and judge us?! Huh?! Just because you live in a castle full of servants and maids you think you're better than us?"

She could easily have stopped him with magic, but in her initial shock the mare just stepped back before his anger. "No, of course I didn't mean-"

"You need a place, fine! Stay, but one more word about this house or Saul and I'm kicking you out myself!" Silent Brook growled.

The alicorn swallowed a lump and nodded. The stallion kept staring at her for a bit longer, then went past her and up the stairs. She just watched him go in silence. Just before he was out of sight, Silent Brook stopped and muttered: "Laundromat is down the street." Then he was gone.

It took Celestia a few moments to understand what he meant. It wasn't a common thing anymore, but before laundry washing machines were readily available, some humans took their clothes to a specialized store, where they could wash it for a small fee. She didn't relish the idea of doing that herself, but if she really meant to clean the place up, she would have to.

It was obviously a touchy subject, and now the alicorn was curious. What could have happened between Silent Brook and his human to cause something like this? At first glance they hated each other. The stallion swore at the human and the human swore at the stallion. Saul ordered Silent Brook around, mainly to fetch cigarettes or liquor or food, while the pony just seemed to resent everything the human said. She remembered the park and thought to herself: Possibly his owner also beat Silent Brook, at least sometimes. Perhaps that was why he didn't come to the pony meet up? He didn't want the others to see bruises? Yet on the other hoof, Silent Brook seemed to be free to go as he pleased. He could have walked out and never returned if he wanted. Something kept him there and fiercely loyal to his owner. It was a secret and Celestia decided to get to the bottom of it.

She put the cleaning bottle down and draped the rag over a chair. Then she followed the stallion upstairs. Walking as silently as she could, she came to his room and found the door closed. It wasn't locked, so she just used a tiny levitation spell to twist the doorknob. Then she gently pushed it open.

Silent Brook was curled up on his mattress, with his legs over his head, as if he was trying to shut some noise out. He didn't hear her come in, especially the way he was breathing heavily. The pony was on the verge of sobbing and Celestia felt her heart fill with pity. It was obviously painful and wrought with emotion, whatever the real reason for him staying with Saul. She approached and sat beside the mattress. The stallion saw her, but didn't comment. After a while she laid a wing across his withers. He didn't fight her off, which the alicorn took as a good sign.

"I'm sorry." It was generally a good way to start these things. "I was out of line. Of course it is not my place to judge and I guess I forgot."

Silent Brook just grunted something noncommittal, so the Princess went on by herself:

"I do wish to understand. Please speak to me."

His voice came quietly and Celestia had to strain her ears to hear: "None of your business."

She sighed and decided on a more direct approach. It made the stallion squeak in protest, but she picked him up in her hooves and hugged him. He resisted, but only for a moment. He couldn't match her strength, not while being pressed firmly against the royal chest fluff.

The mare smiled sadly. The Royal Chestfluff was a power she used too rarely. She promised herself this would change if she ever got home. After Silent Brook stopped struggling, it only took a single nuzzle for him to burst into tears. It was about what Celestia had expected. The stallion acted tough and independent to better hide some awful secret. He didn't wish to burden his friends with it. Often that made him come across as gruff and uncaring, but in reality the problem he was dealing with was beyond him.

"... from the smallest cause..." She murmured it gently. It was unlikely Silent Brook understood the words, but he did hear the tone and it was making him relax a little. "You don't owe the human anything. I promise I will find a way home for you, Silent Brook."

Now the pony began struggling again. He pushed himself away and focused an incredulous, hurt look on the Princess. It nearly made her drop him. "I don't wanna go home!" he hissed angrily. "Let me go! You don't understand anything!"

She almost did, especially with Silent Brook pushing against her, but the alicorn brought her wings into play and kept both her grip and the smile. "Then tell me. I wish to understand." It was a chancy thing. It could easily have gone the wrong way, but Celestia kept her expression open and caring, and her ears focused expectantly on the stallion.

His gaze lowered and his legs relaxed. "I owe Saul and his family my life. More than that! I owe them everything!"

It was bound to be a heart-wrenching story and Celestia mentally prepared herself for it. Now that he had made the decision to speak, she also loosened her grip and allowed Silent Brook to settle back on the mattress. He didn't pull away, but neither did he try to keep the hug going. In the end, the alicorn just left her wing lightly draped around his shoulders and back. It would help if he didn't have to look at her face, so the mare shifted a little and faced the wall, just like Silent Brook was doing.

"When I first got here... on Earth," he began quietly, "they tossed me from auction to auction. I bit and kicked a lot. I was angry. I didn't know what was happening!"

This confirmed what Celestia had guessed - Silent Brook was among the first ones taken. That meant he was probably originally from the Dodge City, or that region. Where the humans first appeared from the portal in the Badlands. She didn't say it, though. The stallion would continue at his own pace and nothing good would come out of rushing him now.

"The guy who bought me last," Silent Brook went on, "I... never got to know him. Some oil-rich bastard from some shithole of a country on the other side of the world. He had bodyguards. They packed me in a cage and tossed me on an airplane for thirty hours. No food, no water, it was cold and noisy and hard to breathe. It landed twice, but they never took me off."

Her wing twitched a little, but Celestia resisted the urge to hug the stallion again. She needed him to finish before he broke down in tears again. Besides, he didn't seem too upset about the awful-sounding journey.

"That was the good part," he said, with a humorless chuckle. "Turns out he needed an interesting diversion for his two sadistic little shitstains. Twenty something and living on their papa's money and bored out of their skulls. They liked to torture animals and daddy just looked the other way because he was busy!" Silent Brook barked a mirthless laugh. "Guess I was cheap enough with my record..."

The pony took a glance at the Princess and she nearly recoiled from his expression. She almost asked him to spare her the details. "I'm sorry." She truly was. Even without knowing what came next, she was scared of the story.

"Yeah. Well, it was pure Tartarus," the stallion said, looking away again. "I didn't speak the language and they only used English to torture me, and they liked to play with knives!" At this, Silent Brook twisted and showed her his belly. He pried the fur away to reveal a network of scars.

Celestia gulped in fear. "Why?!" It was as alien a thought as she could imagine. Why would any creature do this to any other?! She understood predators and hunger, but this was just pain for pain's sake!

Before she could ask again, the pony settled back down and grinned fiercely. "They didn't tie me up properly one day. Stupid as well as mean. I broke a leg on one of them," he explained, ignoring her question. "Kicked the other in the stomach and ran for it."

She didn't like to hear about her ponies being that violent, but after the last bit, the alicorn nearly cheered him on. She knew Silent Brook wasn't lying about how horrible those humans were. If anything, he was holding back. They deserved whatever they got and possibly more!

"Of course they had guards, but at that point I wouldn't mind a bullet through my head, just as long as I didn't have to go back to those two!"

The words made Celestia shudder and she replaced her wing around Silent Brook for some quiet comfort.

"Turns out, there were Americans near there. Lucky for me there was a war, so they came looking when they heard guns. They didn't know what I was, so they shoved me into a cage," the stallion said and the relief in his voice was palpable. He smiled a little. "That's where I met Saul. He was stationed there and he was the only one in the bunch who'd heard of ponies. Came to feed me and talk to me every night. I guess he called in some favours or something, because the next thing I knew, they were shipping me back to America. To his family."

Celestia allowed herself to relax a little. Maybe the rest of the story would be less gruesome, but she was beginning to see why Silent Brook was this fiercely loyal to Saul. She would be too, to any human who took her from a place like that!

There was more to the story. The stallion heaved a sigh and continued: "I was pretty messed up. Imagine living on a quiet farm around Appleloosa, then grabbed by some upright monkeys then before you know it they are whipping you and shoving knives in you, just to see how loud you can squeal. I still get nightmares sometimes..."

Her wing-hug tightened and for the first time Silent Brook seemed grateful. He even leaned into the mare and nuzzled her flank. "H-how long? Did t-they..."

"About a month," he said dismissively. "Anyway, back in America, I woke up most nights screaming, but April - she's Saul's daughter - ran into my room and held me until I got over it," the stallion said gently. He was back to staring at the wall, but now blissfully, rather than fearfully. He smiled a little. "After a couple of nights she just put me in her bed and slept next to me. It really helped. I didn't want her to do that - I really didn't want to kick her in my nightmare, but that girl wasn't afraid for a second."

"That is really sweet."

"Yeah. An absolute angel. Anyway, by the time Saul came back from the military I was ready to worship the ground he walked on. Remember, he got me out of that mess. A few more days in that cage and the rich jerk would have come for me. He did, but they told him I was shot during my escape and they burned my body."

Now Silent Brook's expression was slipping back to sadness. There was more heartbreak, so Celestia just stayed quiet and waited for it. "Saul didn't get off lightly either. That war was hell on everyone. He changed since the time I saw him last." Silent Brook shook his head. "It was fine for the first few weeks. We talked a lot. It seemed like it was all over for us. I hoped I'd spend the rest of my life with him and his family."

The alicorn was starting to see the shape of the last bit of the story, but she let her friend finish it himself. The stallion sighed sadly and his head lowered. "But it didn't last. He kept staring into the distance, muttering. More and more and he started drinking. I mean drinking a lot."

"Well, he got into arguments with his wife. Finally she decided she'd had enough and took April away," Silent Brook explained flatly.

"You didn't go with them?"

When the pony looked at her again, all Celestia could see was love and devotion. After a moment he squeezed his eyes shut and fresh tears leaked down his face.

His voice was husky with emotion. "How could I do that?! The man saved my life and he needs me a lot more than April and Lena," he blurted out. "I just..." The pony sighed again and the sadness in his slumped shoulders and flat ears was heartbreaking. "I just dunno how to help. He drinks, and then he yells, and he still wakes up in the night. Sometimes I sleep in his bed. H-he..."

Now the stallion was really nervous. He glanced at Celestia and tried to decide if she could be trusted with this. "He sometimes... p-punches... me. He doesn't mean it! It's the nightmares and he's sorry about it! But..." the stallion said and sighed again, "it still hurts."

Silent Brook waited to see what her reaction would be. It was crucial she used a careful hoof with this. "And you stay in his bed because without you, it is worse."

He was very surprised at her guess, but the stallion nodded. "Yes. What else can I do!?" Silent Brook lowered his voice and his glance darted fearfully around. "He has his gun in a drawer, next to the bed. I'm afraid.. if I g-go, he'll..."

A shuddering sob racked his body. "He'll..."

He didn't need to say it out loud. Celestia placed a wing feather on his muzzle. "Hush, I understand."

She guided Silent Brook's face back to her belly and just held him as the dam broke loose. This was an anguish which had been quietly collecting over the years. The mare wanted to help. Yes, she wanted to get home, but while she waited for that option to present itself, one of her ponies needed her. Of course that came first. She just wished she knew how to help. What to do?

It would take thought and it would take a very gentle hoof, because both Silent Brook and Saul would probably fight her all the way. She hadn't expected to get as far as she had, even. Hearing most of Silent Brook's story this soon. Of course a lot of the detail was missing for now. That would come later. To have gotten this much out of him at all...

Celestia guessed she had her alicorn status to thank for that. The Princesses were a symbol of safety and stability. This was something taught and re-taught to all ponies in Equestria nearly from birth. In part, that was what made it such a big responsibility. To live up to all that.

She idly ran a wing down the stallion's mane and back, as soothingly as she could. She knew the first steps to take on this road and, when she put her mind to it, the rest of it would undoubtedly become clear as well. It would take a while. Maybe she didn't have enough time left on Earth. Maybe she would have a chance to go home - which she would have to take, for the sake of all her subjects, or maybe the humans would catch her first.

Matters of the heart were not resolved quickly, but maybe, if she got Silent Brook and Saul started, they could make the rest of the journey on their own. The first thing was easy, though. She carefully lifted Silent Brook's face from the Royal Chestfluff and smiled at him.

"You're a very good pony. I'll help as best as I can."

He blinked, not completely understanding her words, but the smile and the tone worked wonders to relax him.

"First, we'll clean this place up, okay? Together. Let's call it my personal little thank you to Saul for rescuing you." The pony gave a hesitant nod and his ears lifted up with hope. "And then... the nightmares..."

The ears went instantly down.

"I know you still have the dreams sometimes. Maybe I can help you both - I'm not my Sister, but I know a thing or two about the dream world."

This time, Silent Brook let his ears rise only slightly, as if unsure. It made Celestia giggle quietly. She glanced out the window. It was nearly night. The human should be coming home in a few hours, or so the stallion had told her. "Come, let's go to the kitchen and see if we can make a nice dinner."

He gripped her around the waist with all four legs. "D-don't tell him! A-about what I told you! Pl-please!" Silent Brook mumbled fearfully.

"I promise." She thought of another thing as she watched the stallion. "You're taking a bath and then I'm cutting your mane. Can't have subjects looking like that. It reflects badly on all of Equestria."

Her tone was lighthearted and her grin said it was mostly a joke. "Hey!" the stallion said and put his hooves over his head, as if protectively, but his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile.

"Not negotiable." She touched his nose with hers and giggled a little. After a moment, Silent Brook managed a very faint smile. It helped them both to put the horrible story behind. Then the stallion stood up and led the way downstairs.

Chapter 43

Saul didn't say thank you. Now that Celestia knew something about his past she didn't mind so much. She still made sure that the house was cleaned up - somewhat, at least - and the dinner was cooked and served on the table. She should have gotten at least an acknowledgement or something! The complete disinterest was what stung the most. As if all her effort didn't even matter. If Silent Brook felt bad about his owner's manners, the stallion didn't say. He didn't thank her either, but the pony had at least helped her prepare everything. What they ended up having was vegetable stew. Not the most exciting stuff, but easy to make. Saul didn't show any appreciation, but he didn't complain either. The man simply came home from his job, walked right past the faintly smiling 'Supple Branch', saw the meal on the table and went to eat. After a few moments of stunned silence, Celestia joined him.

She had been waiting in the hallway for at least fifteen minutes to greet Saul home! Celestia couldn't help feeling just a tiny bit snubbed. At the same time Silent Brook heard, rather than saw, Saul enter, so he got up from the couch and came to the kitchen which also doubled up as the dining room.

As they ate she tried to break the silence a little. "So, I hope work was not too tiring, Mr. Saul?" Too late the alicorn remembered that Silent Brook had never told her the surname.

"Just Saul," the man replied, a tad gruffly. He didn't seem offended, but he also didn't answer her question.

Celestia decided not to push it. "I can make other things, if you would prefer, Saul. As a little thank you for letting me stay here."

Finally the human looked at her. He didn't seem neither pleased not annoyed about her presence.

The alicorn swallowed nervously. "We, uh. We also cleaned a little."

Finally he gave at least some response: "Thanks."

It made the mare smile. So he wasn't completely impolite! Even Silent Brook managed a weak grin. It was a very, very tiny victory, but Celestia took it and shut up. The rest of the meal passed in silence. Then she stacked the dishes into the sink - carefully so she wouldn't break them with hooves - and excused herself.

Silent Brook followed her upstairs. "Sorry about him. He doesn't talk much, especially with people he doesn't know," the stallion explained.

"I noticed."

"I'll, uh get you something to sleep on."

Hopefully cleaner than the mattress. It was too late in the day, but Celestia vowed to round up any cloth she could find in the house and take it to that Laundromat the first thing next morning! With her collar and with Silent Brook by her side, the humans shouldn't bother her. It was practically across the street, anyway. The stallion had gone to another room and she heard him rummaging around.

After a few minutes he came out and walked to the stairs. "Saul! Where's the camping stuff?!" he yelled down. His tone and the sheer volume made the alicorn wince.

The reply was just as impolite: "Storeroom! Where it always was!"

"It's not in the right box! Did you take it?!" Silent Brook insisted.

There was a thump and Celestia guessed the human had hit the armrest with his fist. "Why the fuck would I do that, horse!? No one goes up there except you!"

After a moment the pony sighed and turned around. Celestia joined him. "Have you considered talking with Saul a bit more politely?"

Silent Brook paused just long enough to glare. "You go down there and ask him politely. See if you get a better answer."

The mare shook her head and went to the storage room. It was full of boxes, most of them closed. There was also a layer of dust covering everything. The upper floor would be the next part of the house for her cleaning efforts, she decided. A couple of boxes were open and their contents spilled across the floor. There were papers in plastic binders. She also saw some old clothes, sized for men, and a pair of rubber boots.

Silent Brook followed her inside and looked around. Then he sighed. "It should be in one of these..." He dragged another box to himself, and awkwardly pulled the top open with his teeth.

The alicorn rolled her eyes and prodded him in the flank. "Let me." The first thing to do was change back to her alicorn shape. That allowed her to see over the stacked boxes. Then she levitated a few and easily opened them. "What am I looking for?"

Silent Brook tried to peer inside one, so she lowered it a little. "Looks like army camouflage - green and brown and yellow pattern. Sleeping bag and foam pad. Both should be rolled up," he explained.

"Why is it all packed in boxes?"

Silent Brook gave her a long look, as if deciding whether to trust telling her. "Saul just left it all in the car when he came from the military. Said he didn't wanna look at it. So April and me just packed it up and put it here. There was some stuff in boxes up here already, anyway." The stallion shook his head a little. "He never even asked about it. Except the gun. He kept that with him."

It was a dangerously dark trail of thought so Celestia changed it. "Tell me about April."

The mere mention was enough to get Silent Brook to smile again. "She is really something. The army doc in Afghanistan stitched me up after my escape-"

"You were injured?!"

Silent Brook nodded. "Yeah, a bullet grazed me. Anyway, I had to go and have my stitches taken out so April came with me. At the time, humans didn't know too much about us ponies, so the vet..." His ears fell flat at the shame and the stallion looked away. He repeated, more firmly and angrily: "The vet. He didn't dare give me any painkiller. The one in Afghanistan didn't either, but at the time I was glad I was alive."

"Ouch."

The pony just ignored her comment. "So April took me by the ears and put her face right up to mine. Smiled and said we were going for ice cream after that, so what flavours would I like?"

Even Celestia was grinning now.

"Turns out, focusing on her face and smell and thinking about ice cream took my mind right off things. Didn't even sting when the vet poured alcohol or something on the wound."

"A sweet young lady. I wish to meet her."

Now his face fell and Silent Brook looked away. "She doesn't come around often. Sometimes I meet her in the park, but not as much lately."

"I'm sorry." Celestia kept opening box after box as they talked. She found a bit of the distinctive green and brown cloth in a few of them, but they were uniforms. Perhaps in this next one... "Do you think I could meet with the others, discreetly?"

The stallion leaned his head to the side, thinking hard. "You said the government is after you? Can you change into anypony else, or just Supple Branch?"

"It takes study. The spell is an alteration of Changeling magic, but it's a lot more difficult, even for an alicorn. I would need the book with the original form, then alter it over a course of a month to get a specific image."

Of course the earth pony didn't understand magic too well, but he nodded. "Well, if they can get to the laundromat, or the coffee shop down the street, I don't think anyone would bother you. We don't get a lot of police in this neighborhood."

It was promising. "Could you ask Glitter Dust to come one day?"

Silent Brook just shrugged a little. "Okay. I'll go there tomorrow morning, while you're waiting on the laundry. Maybe she'll come back with me."

It was good news. She could trust the pegasus with messages for Rawsthorne. They would have to be in some sort of code, but she knew her human well enough to come up with something.

"There! That's it!" the stallion exclaimed suddenly and pointed a hoof. Celestia looked at the box she was holding and brought out the roll. It was green foam, along with the sleeping bag itself. It was easily large enough to serve as a makeshift bed. Maybe not as soft as she was used to, but the alicorn didn't mind 'roughing' it for a while. At least she wouldn't have to sleep outside in the snow!

"Yes, this will do nicely! Thank you, Silent Brook!"

The stallion just grunted. "It's getting late. I'll turn in, if you don't mind, Princess."

"Just Celestia, please." She followed him back to his room. There were two more doors, but they seemed closed and the dust on the floor suggested they hadn't been open in a while. "What is in there?"

The pony glanced and shrugged a little. He seemed downcast and his ears drooped a little. "Left one is April's room. Right one is where Lena had her exercise equipment. She sent people to get it, so now it's just an empty room. We don't really use it."

Silent Brook settled himself down on his mattress and pulled a scrap of blanket around him. He didn't give her any extra instructions for her sleeping arrangements, so the alicorn decided for herself. She unrolled the foam and laid it down on the other side of the room. The sleeping bag would serve as a makeshift blanket.

"Thank you, Silent Brook. I will try to be in your dreams tonight, but I have not done this in a while so it may take some practice."

The stallion just grunted something noncommittal, so Celestia settled down. As she tucked herself in, the mare couldn't help inhaling deeply. There was a mixture of smells in the fabric, faded after being stored for so long, but still plain to her nose. An exotic mixture of spice, dry sand and sun-bleached stone. It reminded her of nothing else than the desert from her diplomatic visits to Saddle Arabia! She also smelled Saul in it, but it wasn't unpleasant. She just wished it was Rawsthorne instead.

"Good night, Silent Brook."

At least this time he answered more politely: "Good night, Celestia."

Chapter 44

Celestia was happy that the Laundromat was completely empty. It really was a thing of the past. She had her pick from the rows of huge washing machines, so she selected the one that seamed the least beaten up. Even better, it was easily large enough for all the washing she had to do. There was a lot of it. Bedclothes and garments were only the start of it. After a brief consideration, she had also taken the fabric from the couch pillows, the curtains and the table cloth. Now the thing was churning in its endless cycle and the mare, disguised as Supple Branch in public of course, sat on the uncomfortable seat and waited. She hoped Silent Brook would be back soon with Glitter Dust's reply, or preferably, the pegasus herself. She glanced from the machine right in front of her to the other one. She had picked the two cleanest - one for white cloth and one for colored and black. Learning about that particular problem had been fun. Rawsthorne's shirt had been ruined, but luckily the human didn't mind too much.

If the little display could be believed, it would take another hour to finish washing. After that - Celestia glanced around her at yet another row of big, blocky machines - she would have to move it all into two dryers. It would end up costing four dollars. Not too expensive. Just time consuming and infinitely boring!

Celestia looked around and saw a stack of magazines. She went to inspect them, immediately spotted the title and said it out loud from sheer surprise: "How to please your man?!" She blushed and looked around to make sure no one was looking. Why would humans put stuff like that in a magazine was beyond her, but with the knowledge right there, she could certainly use it if she ever saw Rawsthorne again.

That thought threatened to make her sad and the mare shook her head. No! She'd see him again. Maybe not in the next few days, but as soon as she got home, she would have Mr. Plain send Rawsthorne a message - and an invitation. He was bound to say yes! She picked up the magazine and opened it. It couldn't hurt to read it, could it? Even an old pony like herself could do with learning a few new tricks.

"Hey Supple!" The cheerful voice interrupted Celestia right in the middle of 'blowjob like a porn star', and she hurriedly shoved the shameful thing under her rump with a faint squeak.

"Uh, h-hello!" She looked wildly around herself, right into the eyes of smiling Glitter Dust. That was enough to overpower the embarrassment, so she jumped from the seat and gave her friend a warm hug. It had only been a day, but somehow it felt longer.

Glitter Dust sat right on the floor and kept her smile. "So, Silent tells me you wanted to see me."

Celestia bobbed her head. "Yes! I need you to send a message to Gregory."

This made Glitter Dust's face fall. "Uh, dunno if that's such a good idea, Supple," she began slowly. At least she was using the right name, Celestia thought. They were the only three in the laundromat, but one could never be too careful.

"Why not?"

"You got out of there just in time. The feds came to Maggie, asking questions. She never saw you... as you are, so she couldn't tell them much. They even asked me stuff! I think that put them off the trail, but you should still be careful for a while."

It was alarming news. The people looking for her were clever and thorough. They went after Rawsthorne, Mr. Plain and now Maggie and Glitter Dust. Undoubtedly they would ask any others Rawsthorne had had contact with.

"What did you tell them?"

The pegasus glanced at her a little sideways, as if insulted. "Nothing, of course. I never suspected you were an alicorn. I just knew you as 'Supple Branch'. I don't know where you are now."

Celestia smiled with relief.

Silent Brook piped up: "They won't find you here. Humans mostly don't know about me. A cop told me once that I'm not even in the computer. 'Cause I got in the country through the military and no one bothered to register me or something." He was at the same time irritated by the fact and slightly proud of it.

She was relieved, but the fact still put a damper in her plans. "Well, I need to get a message to Gregory. Isn't there anything you can do?"

The pegasus sighed. "Give me it and I'll try in a couple of days if things settle down a little."

The alicorn grinned. "Thank you! Just tell him you looked at the sun and it was very interesting, so he should, too." She hoped her human would put it together. 'Look at the sun' should be clear enough that he should come see her. "Oh, and I really like this laundromat. It's so quiet."

That last bit was a hint for the pegasus, more than Rawsthorne. It really did look like a good place to meet, Silent Brook was right in that.

Glitter Dust shrugged a little. "Okay, guess he'll know what you mean?"

Celestia just nodded.

"Perfect. I have to go now. Maggie drove me here. She's waiting in the car."

As soon as she was gone, Silent Brook put his hoof on the seat. Too late Celestia saw that the magazine was still open on the incriminating page.

"Why are you reading up on how to pleasure humans?" he asked in a flat voice.

She was instantly blushing again. "I w-was curious and bored. It was just the first thing I grabbed..." She couldn't quite meet his eyes, and that probably told him everything about Rawsthorne and her.

"Uh huh," he said slowly, unconvinced. He slid the magazine away and sat. "So, what's next?"

The mare glanced at the machines. "The dryer."

It made the stallion chortle a little. "I meant after that. Just go home and wait for Glitter?"

"Something like that. How were your dreams tonight?"

Silent Brook glanced away from her. "Same as usual. Not too bad."

"I will try again tonight. I'm sorry."

He waved a dismissive hoof. "Thanks for trying, anyway."

The Princess thought about how to really help the stallion. Given enough time she could probably do it herself, but there were ponies who specialized in this kind of thing, especially after the Earth-portal. "Are you sure I cannot convince you to come home with me? There must be-"

He was already shaking his head. "No. Thanks, but no," Silent Brook said. His eyes focused on the house, which was just visible through the shop window. "He needs me."

His loyalty was truly heartwarming. She sighed and joined her friend on the seat. She didn't have wings in her disguise, but she put her foreleg around him. After a moment, the stallion relaxed and leaned against her. They watched the machines turning their laundry around and around.

Celestia avoided the living room where Saul was sitting on the couch watching the TV and smoking. He had immediately sent the stallion out for more cigarettes, but seemed to be ignoring the mare still. She didn't mind too much and went about replacing all the fabric she had stripped from the house. She hung the curtain up - making sure the human wasn't looking in her direction while she used the magic - then stepped back to inspect her hoofwork.

It wouldn't do. Now the walls were a distinct contrast against the curtains. How did you make walls that yellow?! She really would have to try and come up with a spell to whiten them. Maybe yet another variation of her dusting magic? While she considered the problem, Celestia took her load of washed cloth and went into the master bedroom on the ground floor. She had cleaned in there before, but it still felt strange. Everywhere, on everything she could smell, there was just Saul. It almost felt like cheating on Rawsthorne. She didn't want to stay in that room too long, so she quickly fitted the sheet and spread the blanket on the bed. A bit of surreptitious magic rapidly folded Saul's clothes and stacked them in their proper places in wardrobes and dressers and drawers. Then she spotted the ashtray on the nightstand. It was overflowing with ashes and cigarette butts. Celestia rolled her eyes in exasperation. She was sure she had cleaned the room the previous day. The human must have brought it with him when he went to bed. Smoking in bed? That was a fire hazard if ever she saw one. The drawer was slightly open, too. She pushed it closed, but not before she spotted a glint of black metal.

Her breath caught and the mare froze on the spot. It was as if her blood had suddenly been replaced by ice. She had heard of them. Of course she had - even back in Equestria, and she had seen them on TV, but this was the real thing. Celestia couldn't help her curiosity. It was wrong and the thing was evil, but she wanted to look at it. Her ear turned toward the door, but the TV was still blaring and Saul was still on the couch. She heard the springs squeak a little as he shifted. Then, heart hammering, she gently pulled the drawer open. It didn't make a sound.

There it was.

A black, metal thing. More blocky than the ones she had seen in movies. She was almost afraid to touch it, even with magic, but she did so anyway and lifted the gun up to the light. Some letters were embossed on the side. They didn't make much sense, except for a word: 'beretta'. She wondered what it meant. The weapon was obviously made for hands. There was no way for a pony to operate one, except maybe a unicorn. The loop where a human would put his finger was far too small and the grip would fit a palm, not a hoof. Trying to hold the thing steady would be a nightmare for a pony. Just out of curiosity, she let it float down into her upturned hoof so she could feel the physical weight of it. It was heavier than she expected.

"What the FUCK are you doing in there?!" The yell came from the door. So much had Celestia focused on the evil little thing that she hadn't heard the human move!

"EEP! Sorry! Sorry!" She quickly let the gun drop back into the drawer and stepped aside.

The human, irate and red in his face pushed past her and picked it back up. "What did you do?! Why were you looking for my gun?!"

The alicorn couldn't help noticing that he gripped the handle and put his finger in the loop with the trigger. For now it wasn't pointed at her, but she knew it was a definite possibility if Saul didn't like her answers.

Gulping in fear, Celestia thought quickly. She could probably protect herself with magic, but then she would have to leave and the crazy human would take it out on Silent Brook. It wasn't fair.

Truth was her best defense. She didn't have to think about her expression because it was already quite pitiful. Large, sad eyes. Ears folded flat. Lips slightly parted in terror. Tail tucked in and her forehooves so close together that they were touching.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Saul. I was cleaning in here and I saw it. I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to look. I was very careful, I swear!"

He was obviously expecting denial, so the admission shocked him. He stared through suspicious eyes, unsure what to make of it. His hand with the gun lowered and the dreadful barrel was pointing at the floor now.

Then the door burst open and Silent Brook called out: "Saul here are your damned smokes." His hooves rang on the floor as the stallion went to check in the living room. It was empty, of course.

"Saul? Supple?" the pony was calling out as he walked through the kitchen back to the hall.

Celestia saw something strange. As Silent Brook was calling for him, the human looked at the gun in horror, then at the door. He seemed afraid. In moments, he stuck the weapon back in the nightstand and pushed the drawer closed.

"One word and you're dead!" he threatened.

Celestia just nodded quietly, then the human left her and went to meet the stallion.

"There you are! Smokes are on the coffee table. You're welcome!" He had purchased them with Celestia's money, but she didn't mind. Anything to ingratiate herself with the pair. She hadn't known how long she would have to live with them, after all.

"Who the fuck is she, horse?! Who did you drag home?" the human yelled.

It caught Silent Brook by surprise, but he went instantly on the defensive. "What? She's a friend, Saul."

Maybe they didn't realize she could hear. Celestia quickly followed the human out and made sure the stallion saw her.

"Yeah?! Barging into our lives like that? Poking through my stuff?" the man demanded.

Her pony friend stared at Celestia for a moment in surprise, but then glared up at his owner. "She was probably cleaning, Saul. You know? The stuff we ought to do ourselves every now and then!"

It didn't help. The tall man pointed a trembling finger at the mare. "Well, she was going through my stuff! I want her out of here, now!"

This was very bad news and Celestia took a step back at the accusation.

"Hah! Like you have stuff to hide! You're just a paranoid drunk, Saul. Let it go!" Silent Brook argued.

Why she said it, Celestia could never quite figure out. It seemed like the right thing at the right moment. It was obvious that Saul didn't want the stallion to know he kept a gun nearby and Silent Brook already knew. She needed to break that wall between them and get them talking. Really talking, not just shouting obscenities. Besides, if she had to leave anyway, there wasn't much of a danger.

"I accidentally found the gun, Silent Brook. I should not have, but I picked it up to look and I'm sorry."

Saul made a passable impression of a goldfish as he stared at her with his mouth opening and closing. Then he advanced on her. "I'll strangle you! Tattling little bitch!"

Silent Brook was faster and placed himself between her and the human. If he was angry about her telling Saul, he didn't show it. "Give it up, Saul. I already knew you have a gun there."

Now that incredulous stare was focused on the stallion. "You what?" the man asked in quiet surprise. He didn't shout it and his arms fell to his side, which Celestia took as good signs.

"Face it, you son of a bitch. You've got problems. Hah! I've got problems, too! It's more common than you think. We're both messed up in the head. Of course I know you have your gun in the drawer!"

It took Saul some time to answer. He didn't meet their eyes. "I kept it for the day you stopped coming back."

There it was! The first step! Celestia nudged Silent Brook forward with a well-aimed hoof to the rump. He stumbled and the human reflexively caught him, falling to his knees as he did so. The stallion looked up. "Why the fuck do you think I keep coming back, you idiot? To stop you from going off the deep end! It's not for your sunny personality, you know?"

Celestia smiled at the little jab. It was important he spoke naturally. Saul would know it was honest. The man was hard to read. His lips pressed together and he just watched the pony silently. But he didn't remove his hands from Silent Brook's shoulders.

Then Saul looked up at Celestia.

"She's a friend, Saul. You can trust her. I do. With my life," the stallion said gently.

Still Saul said nothing and after a few seconds, their moment of closeness was over. He stood up with a grunt and left. The ponies listened to heavy footsteps, then the tormented squeak of the couch and finally, the tearing of paper as Saul opened his new cigarettes pack.

At long last, Silent Brook looked at his alicorn friend. "Stupid," he commented. "Stupid, but ballsy. How'd you know that'd work? He might have killed us both."

She looked down in shame. "I d-didn't."

"Lucky, then."

The mare pointed. "Go and talk with him. You two need to talk it out. It's not going to get better if you just yell and swear at each other."

Silent Brook shrugged. "Dunno what to talk about."

The Princess rolled her eyes. "Tell him what you told me. How much you appreciated him visiting you in that cage in the desert. Start with that."

The stallion looked at her suspiciously. "And what will you do?"

The alicorn smiled. "I'll finish with the laundry, then I will begin cooking lunch."

Chapter 45

Things went back to normal, or at least as normal as they ever got in Silent Brook's home. Celestia, for her part, mostly avoided Saul and he did the same to her. The stallion and his owner went back to their uneasy existence. Maybe they talked a little more, but it was hard to tell. They were certainly shouting at each other less. Maybe she could count it as a small victory. Either way, the house was a lot more presentable after her efforts. The walls were still yellow, but most other surfaces gleamed. She even attacked the filthy and disgusting toilets and bathrooms. Thank goodness for magic so she didn't have to actually touch anything. Even so, she took a long shower and thoroughly washed her horn afterward. That made her feel a little better. Silent Brook was suitably impressed. Celestia didn't think the stallion had ever imagined his Princess to do such menial work. She was glad to prove him wrong. She also kept trying to get into his dreams, but to no avail.

There was one last thing to try and Celestia faced her pony friend with it one evening. "I need to be touching you when we sleep."

His near instantaneous blush was cute, actually. "W-what?! Why?!" he mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes. Silent Brook was staring hard at her left ear.

"I'm not my sister, Silent Brook. She can get into any dream in Equestria, but I cannot. I need physical contact to do it."

Celestia lowered her head and sighed a little. "It is not ideal, but I think we should try anyway. I hate to see how tired you are each morning after the nightmares, and I wake up at nights to listen to you whimpering." It truly was heart wrenching. The Princess made her way to Silent Brook's mattress and patted it with a hoof. "In you get."

The blush was quite apparent now, even under his orange fur, but he obeyed after a moment's hesitation. Silent Brook had his forelegs on the bed when he stopped and looked pleadingly at the Princess.

He pointed out in a very small voice: "I... might... you know. While I'm sleeping..."

Now Celestia was blushing a little, too. "I know. It is natural and I won't think any less if you."

The poor thing nodded miserably and dragged himself fully in bed. Celestia joined him and pulled the blanket over them both.

"S-so, what do I... how do we-?" Silent Brook tried to ask in as polite a way as he could, but words failed him.

"Just relax. It should be enough for me to be near, but just in case..." She shuffled a little closer and laid a wing across his withers. It was a little funny how Silent Brook nearly jumped at the touch, but he settled back and heaved a sigh.

It was entirely possible that he wouldn't sleep at all, but he wouldn't have a choice the next evening, or the one after that.

"Good night, Silent Brook."

The stallion swallowed before replying. "Good n-night, Princess."

They both managed to sleep, but the alicorn hadn't made it into Silent Brook's dream. She knew he had dreamed - one look at his face in the morning told her that, but she hadn't been able find it in the night.

"I'm sorry, Silent Brook. I'm willing to try again tonight."

Now that the initial awkwardness was over, the stallion just shrugged. "Okay. Whatever." He didn't seem too convinced and Celestia wished she could talk to her sister for advice.

At least he didn't have problems sleeping in the same bed with somepony else. Probably his nights with Saul helped with that. His initial reluctance could easily be explained by the fact that she was a mare, and an alicorn on top of that. Once he got over the fact that he had a Princess in his bed, Silent Brook had no trouble relaxing. In the dark, one warm body was very much like another. She stood up and stretched a little. A few moments later she changed to Supple Branch. Sault was already up and she could hear him walking around downstairs.

"I will go and make breakfast."

Silent Brook nodded and disentangled himself from the blanket. "Yeah. Saul will probably send me to the store. Need anything?"

He would be ordered to bring back cigarettes and beer, Celestia knew. She was beginning to see the pattern. "Hard cheese. I will make us pasta tonight and I need more. Oh, and fresh tomatoes."

Nodding and yawning a little, Silent Brook made his way past the alicorn down the stairs. She followed, but paused just before Sault could see her. "There you are! Go to the store and fetch me-" he began, but Silent Brook just interrupted him and finished his sentence.

"Beer and smokes, yeah, yeah. Drunkard."

The man acted as if he hadn't even heard the insult. Instead, he plonked his rear in the couch and turned on the TV.

Once her pony friend was gone, Celestia gathered her courage and walked down and in the living room. "Morning, Saul."

He glanced at her and immediately dismissed her presence. She tried to engage him a little: "What would you like for breakfast?"

Again he looked at her, as if trying to decide what she was after. His lips tightened in distrust, but after a few seconds he spoke: "Eggs and bacon."

It was disgusting, of course. Ruin perfectly good eggs with a piece of rotten flesh, but she had cooked it for Rawsthorne a few times and knew how. It meant she'd have to make hers and Silent Brook's first, or use two pans if she didn't want the smell of it turning her stomach. She went about her task and in moments the eggs were sizzling in a pan. There was meat in the fridge. She had cleaned out the rotten stuff and sent the stallion for fresh produce. He brought some meat things on his own initiative.

For Saul. It was actually sweet for the stallion to think of his human like that. Celestia wondered if one could put bacon in tomato sauce as well. If she was already blaspheming with eggs, why not take it a little further? Especially if it made Saul happy. At least it didn't take too long to cook. She opened the window, but the smell was still all-pervasive. It was done shortly. She calculated by the eggs, of course. Celestia no way to tell when the bacon was ready. It wasn't quite black and the smell wasn't getting much better. Rawsthorne had always said it was good, so Celestia tried to match the approximate color.

Eventually she laid it on the table and went to poke her head into the living room. "It's ready, Saul. Enjoy."

Still no thanks, but at least he went to eat. That gave her a chance to tidy up a little in the living room. She had left Saul's bedroom alone after the gun incident, but she wasn't about to shirk cleaning in its entirety. There were only a few empty cans on the coffee table. Was Saul drinking less? Maybe her presence was having a positive effect on him already or maybe it was the clean house. The Princess would have to remember and tell Silent Brook to keep cleaning - however tiresome it might be.

She had just finished sweeping the living room when Celestia spotted something quite unusual. There was a female human sneaking into the house! Saul was still in the kitchen - she heard the occasional clink of his fork on the plate - and the alicorn opened her mouth to call him.

The young lady saw her and urgently shook her head and put a finger to her lips. It was a desperate plea and Celestia hesitated. She approached. "Please don't tell him, please!" the newcomer begged in a whisper. "I'm just looking for Silent Brook."

Celestia made an educated guess. "April?"

The girl was taken aback. "How do you know?! Do you know Silent? Is he here? Who are you?"

In her surprise she was becoming quite loud. The mare made a judgement call. She heard Saul getting up from his chair in the kitchen and whispered urgently to April: "Quiet. Go up, I'll be there in a minute. Silent Brook went to the store."

April smiled gratefully and nodded to her before silently running up the stairs. She vanished into Silent Brook's room.

Celestia met the man as he was coming from the kitchen. "I'll just put the dishes away, then I'll go upstairs, Saul. Any wishes for lunch?"

He actually thought about it! Before, whenever she asked anything like that, the man just ignored her. Now he shrugged a little. Could it be that he was warming up to her? Or at least becoming used to her presence? "Dunno. Whatever," he said.

He had considered her question! It was definite progress. Celestia smiled pleasantly and quickly put the empty plate and utensils in the sink. She could always wash them later, it wasn't as if her day was particularly full. Then she slipped upstairs and found April sitting on Silent Brook's bed. The girl was looking around in wonder. Probably at how clean the place was, Celestia decided.

"Okay, why are you here, and why don't you want Saul to know?"

April faced her without fear. She was probably quite pretty - Celestia couldn't always tell with humans - and she held herself with the easy grace of somepony comfortable in her hide. She was slim, but not skinny, with a mess of bright red hair. That was an artificial color, Celestia knew that much after living on Earth for this long. Her clothes were also on the light side. A pleasant, grass-green sweater and blue jeans. Her brown coat was the most drab thing about the attire. Most importantly, the girl had an easy and friendly smile that wouldn't be out of place on the streets of Ponyville. Celestia had some bias from Silent Brook's stories, but she would have liked this person despite that.

"Me first," April said with a mischievous grin. "Who are you and why are you living with Silent and Dad?"

The alicorn couldn't see the harm in telling her. Not the truth, of course, but pieces of it. "I'm Silent Brook's friend. He was kind enough to take me in for a few days until... my owner can pick me up." Hopefully it sounded like her human was on vacation or something.

"So, you did all this?" April asked and waved a hand about. Particularly the window.

Celestia was quite proud of her hoofwork. The thing was actually transparent now! "Yes. A little thank-you for letting me stay here."

April stared at her a little incredulously. "And Dad doesn't mind?"

Celestia joined the girl on the mattress. She sat down and April turned to face toward her. "It's hard to say, but I don't think so. It's just a few days anyway."

"How do you know Silent Brook?"

Again Celestia had to think about how much to tell her. "We met in the pony group. You know his other friends? Glitter Dust and Heavy Hoof and Lake Frond and-"

Nodding, the young lady finished her sentence: "Rock Lichen, and... what was her name? The funny unicorn?"

"Glowbug."

She snapped her fingers in recollection. "Yeah! And the other pegasus, Belle Hoop, right?"

"Hop. Yes. I moved into the area and..."

Celestia recalled the first time she had met the stallion. "Oh, sorry. A little mixup. I actually met Silent Brook in a park first and he told me about the group."

The girl bobbed her head up and down knowingly. "Yeah, I can't believe how they just let him walk around on his own."

Celestia pointed an accusing hoof. "Your turn!"

April was a bit embarrassed and looked away. "Dunno how much Silent has told you. Saul is my Dad, but he and Mom don't live together anymore. I live with Mom, but I try to visit sometimes. They don't have phones or the Internet, so it's kinda hard. I was hoping Dad would be at work."

Celestia gently shook her head. "He works afternoons."

"Huh. He used to work mornings. Doesn't matter, he doesn't come up here anyway. I've spent the night sometimes, if Silent and me ended up talking too late."

For an instant Celestia wondered if the girl and the stallion were a thing, but it didn't seem so, at least not from her expression. Just good friends.

She wondered for a moment if she should mention how the two were doing, but then decided to go forward with it. "I know Silent Brook misses you. Not sure about Saul, but I'd guess he does too."

The girl sighed a little sadly and hung her head. "I know, but I just can't visit so often anymore. Mom says I should stay away and Dad gets worked up if he sees me. Starts ranting about Mom..."

It was an understandable fear. Celestia had seen first-hoof how the man could be when provoked, but turning her back on him was very irresponsible of his wife. She could have helped, if she took the time to understand.

None of it was April's fault, though. "I'm glad you disobey sometimes, if only for Silent Brook's sake."

Speaking of the stallion, the door opened and his voice rang out. "Here, fresh smokes. They didn't have cold beer so I'll just put it in the fridge, Saul!"

The man yelled back something affirmative.

Celestia was watching April and saw how her eyes lighted up when she heard her friend. Just to be sure, she laid a gentle hoof on the girl's knee. "Just wait. He will come up, don't worry."

April gave her a nod and they listened to what was happening downstairs. Silent Brook took his bags to the kitchen and stacked some things into the refrigerator. Then he walked to the living room and talked with Sault. Surprisingly he kept his volume down, and so did the man. Not even Celestia could catch the words, though she heard their voices.

Neither of them yelled or swore, which was good progress in her book, and then, finally, the pony came up the stairs, undoubtedly looking for the alicorn.

"Supple? You up th-" he was saying, but fell silent when he spotted the two on his bed. "Ap-april?!" he whispered, completely shocked.

The girl grinned and spread her arms. "C'mere!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Silent Brook broke into a gallop and fell into her hug. Celestia moved out of the way just in time and now watched their reunion with a happy little smile on her muzzle. The girl wrapped him in her arms and patted his back. Silent Brook couldn't quite reach around her chest with hooves, but he tried. His tail flicked this way and that and his ears were flat against his head.

"I missed you!" Silent Brook whispered fiercely.

April sighed happily. "Missed you too, sweetie. How are you?" she asked.

Silent Brook couldn't answer. He just began licking her face and whimpering softly. "Don't go, please," he said with his eyes closed. "Stay tonight."

It would mean her dream magic would have to wait another day, but Celestia wouldn't mind. She guessed that April's presence still helped with his nightmares. He had told her just how much relief she brought him when they first met.

The girl's fingers closed on his mane for a moment, then she began stroking again. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but you know how Mom is..."

Silent Brook knew exactly what to do. He pushed himself away and gave her a pleading, soulful look. It made the young woman sigh. "Fine, but just one night. I'll call Mom and tell her I'll sleep at Jenny's. Maybe she'll buy it."

It was unfortunate that they had to lie - each to to their own human - in order to spend time together. Celestia hoped things would improve if Saul got better. She really had to help them now.

Finally, April let the stallion go and looked out through the window. "I don't want to stay in here and hide from Dad the whole day. You wanna go get some ice cream or something?" Her eyes flickered to Celestia. "How about her? Wanna bring your girlfriend?"

It nearly made the mare gasp in shock. "We're not- I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's just a friend," confirmed Silent Brook at the same time as Celestia. It just made April giggle.

"Fine, fine. I believe you. So what do you say?" she asked again. This time it was directed at Celestia.

It was tempting. It would mean nearly the entire day disguised, but it could still be quite fun. She looked at her pony friend, who gave her a happy nod. He obviously didn't mind her butting in on his quality time with his human.

"Yes, I'd love to."

Silent Brook left April's lap with a regretful sigh, but he quickly got a grip on himself. "Okay, sneak out and wait at the end of the street. I'll go tell Saul I'll be out and you call your mom!"

The girl nodded happily and beckoned to Celestia. "Come on, let's go!"

She was only too happy to oblige. Celestia couldn't help liking April, and she thoroughly approved what she did for Silent Brook. She had never before seen the stallion smile that widely!

Watching Silent Brook and his friend interact was adorable! Celestia noted that the two were touching as much as possible, though in an entirely different way than she and Rawsthorne. Just two friends enjoying physical contact. She had looked extra hard, but could see nothing sexual about it. When they walked, Silent Brook often rubbed up against April's legs. When he wanted to point something out, he wrapped a hoof around her thighs to turn her in the right direction.

For her part, April made sure to drape a languid arm around the stallion, or made room in her lap for his head whenever they sat, and she kept a near-constant hand on his head while they walked. Even better - the girl was very liberal with ear scratches. Good thing Silent Brook wasn't the jealous type, because Celestia herself stole more than her fair share of those.

The young woman had skill! It made Celestia wonder if she could be convinced to take the newly-created post of Royal Ear-scratcher in the Canterlot Castle. She'd part with a quarter of her treasury to have this magic touch made available to her after a trying day in court.

April hit a particularly sensitive spot with just the perfect amount of pressure. Half the treasury! No, the whole thing! It was worth it!

The three were sitting on a park bench in the sun, both ponies pressing their heads into April's lap. Actually, the girl was sitting and the ponies were more... 'sprawling'.

Before she knew it, Celestia found herself trusting April enough to tell her some of her story. Not her real status, of course, but some of her life with Rawsthorne. She also admitted that the government was after her, though she didn't tell her the real reason. If April suspected that the mare was holding things back, she didn't say anything. The very soul of discretion!

"So, now I am waiting for Glitter Dust to organize some way to meet with Gregory. As soon as she thinks it safe and then I hope Mr. Plain can find a way to smuggle me back home."

April nodded a little and shifted her hand from the ear-scratching to belly rubs. Celestia loved belly rubs! She vowed it would be the next trick Rawsthorne learned, in return for her newly-acquired proficiency in 'blow jobs'. Blushing at the thought, Celestia quickly hid her muzzle in April's shirt.

Luckily, the girl wasn't looking. "How did you convince an auctioneer to just smuggle you back home? It can't have been easy."

A version of the truth, Celestia decided. "My family... back home. They're quite rich. They will pay him a lot for it."

April pointed out a flaw and Celestia was impressed by her acuity. "But he can't take Equestrian money to Earth. It's gold and jewels and they are controlled at the border," the girl said.

"True, but no doubt he has a plan. Maybe he will find a way to smuggle it out, or maybe he will put it in a bank in Canterlot and wait. The laws might change, or he'll buy property in Equestria."

The Princess had given it some thought, but didn't really mind whatever the auctioneer did. If he chose to broke the law - well, it was a human law and thus none of her concern. If he stashed the money, it would just mean that the ponies in the Canterlot Bank would be able to use it for their profits, and if he purchased land or businesses - that was just investing back into Equestria, same as anypony else. The price she had agreed with Mr. Plain was fair. Even with the extras she was expecting for Lake Frond and Rock Lichen, it was still deserved payment for the risk that man would take. She could not begrudge him the profit, even if she didn't fully agree with his profession.

"I... might have an idea," April said after a pause. Celestia was curious, but didn't really want to move. Those fingers were right on her soft spot, but the girl pulled her hands away and Celestia groaned. It was echoed by Silent Brook, which meant she had also stopped scratching the stallion. "Come on. I think there's a store near here," April said and stood up.

A little slowly and filled with regret, the two ponies followed.

They waited outside because the electronics store didn't allow ponies inside. It was a little demeaning, but Celestia didn't mind much. It was nice out. She had opted to go without her enchanted scarf because the sun, shining down on her fur, made it warm enough. She sat beside Silent Brook and looked around at all the people going about their business. Quite a number of them stared at the ponies - they were becoming an increasingly rare sight - but none of them approached the pair.

Finally, April returned from the store with a plastic bag. She led them back to the bench and patted the seat. Celestia was only too glad to jump up and see what the girl had bought. She had two cell phones. Not nearly as fancy as the touch-screen thing Rawsthorne used, but they seemed quite functional.

Why would she do that? What was the use? The agents could obviously listen in on phones. April spotted her little frown and explained: "They're prepaid phones. They don't need a name or anything to use. No one knows who has one, so you should be safe from prying. Get one to Mr. Rawsthorne and you can talk, as long as you both keep the phones a secret."

It made Celestia stare in wonder. Such possibility! "Oh! That's incredible! I didn't know these existed. Yes, this would help so much!" She grabbed the young lady around her neck and hugged tightly. "Thank you so much, April!"

April just laughed and shrugged it off. "Strange none of your other friends thought of it. Or Mr. Rawsthorne."

Celestia had an explanation. "He's not too... 'into' technology, you know?"

"Ah," April said understanding. "That'd make sense."

For his part, Silent Brook just smiled proudly at his friend's ingenuity.

"So, ice cream and then pizza, or pizza first and then ice cream?" the girl asked.

It was a very difficult decision, but Celestia was used to difficult decisions. "Pizza first. Can you pay for it? I will give you the money when we're at Saul's. Oh, and for the phones also. I insist."

She thought about her saddlebags back in Silent Brook's bedroom. There was her peytral, the hoofguards and the cash Rawsthorne gave her. Then her thoughts turned to the evening. April had agreed to sleep over and Celestia hadn't had the heart to object. It meant she would either have to tell the girl her secret, or sleep in a different room and risk her finding out anyway. It was a difficult question and she would think on it through the afternoon.

April seemed trustworthy and the way Silent Brook acted toward her confirmed it. Celestia believed she could trust April with the secret. Maybe that would be the best way. A few more hours of talking with the girl and then she'd know for sure. If she still thought the same way in the evening, she would tell April the whole story, she decided. For now it was time to fill her belly with delicious pizza and then maybe get the girl to rub it a little more. Yes, pizza would definitely be added to the menu in Canterlot Castle, the Princess decided. Too bad belly rubs required fingers, though.

She would really have to consider creating a new post. 'The Royal Scratcher'? Or maybe 'The Palace Pamperer'. Something official-sounding.

Stress relief for the Princesses.

Chapter 47

Every morning Celestia sent Silent Brook out to visit with their pegasus friend and ask about Rawsthorne and finally, one day, Glitter Dust replied that they could meet. It had been over a week at Saul's and the alicorn was getting quite impatient. When the stallion came back that morning he took her to a corner coffee shop, where Glitter Dust was waiting for them. The alicorn couldn't help prancing a little as they walked down the street, a fact which didn't escape Silent Brook. He was wise enough to keep it to himself, but he did give his Princess a bemused look once or twice.

At long last, there it was. The table outside in the sun which seated a human and a pony with two extra chairs. Celestia liked to imagine later on, that there was magic in the air as they saw each other.

Their eyes met.

Celestia broke into a gallop and the man stood up just before she hit him. Luckily the force of her hug didn't topple Rawsthorne over. She also somehow kept from outright kissing him - they were in public, after all - so she did the next best thing: She climbed fully up into his lap and nuzzled him affectionately. They were both laughing. "I missed you!"

Rawsthorne just buried his face in her mane and sat down with the pony on his knees. Luckily she was smaller in disguise. It took her a minute or two before Celestia became aware of the look her pony friends were giving her. Silent Brook and Glitter Dust were staring with very insolent grins on their muzzles, but she didn't care.

"Tell me everything! How have you been? Are you eating right? You do make breakfast for yourself each day, right? The washing machine giving you any problems? The door sticks a little."

The man barely fended her off as he kept laughing harder.

Celestia paused, slightly confused. "What?"

Rawsthorne just patted her neck and sighed. "It's nice to see you too. We can't stay long. I don't think I'm being followed, but I don't want to risk it," he explained.

That reminded her. She looked pleadingly at Silent Brook. "I forgot to bring the phone! Can you fetch it, please?"

Luckily the stallion was happy to oblige and ran off.

"Phone?" Rawsthorne asked.

"Yes, it was April's idea. She is Silent Brook's... uh, it is complicated. She is a friend and got us prepaid phones. She says they should be safe if we keep them secret."

The man nodded. "Oh! Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

Celestia had been asking herself that same question and she had worked out an answer. "Because you're a lawyer. A phone with a contract is somehow more... legal. Official. Something you just buy and use feels... incomplete." There was something else Celestia needed to know. "Have you spoken with Miriam Adams? How did the case go?"

This one he could answer. "Actually, she came over and met with Denis yesterday. Apparently it's looking good. She thinks it will be a win for pony rights."

The alicorn beamed. "They will yield to all our demands?"

Now the man shook his head sadly. "Not completely all of them, no, but most of them. Jail time, certainly. Miriam is convinced they will be punished for some form of kidnapping, even if the laws won't be changed outright." Then he brightened up a little. "It will set a precedent and go into case law. Miriam said this will be a basis to push for more pony rights, but it will take time."

Very inspiring. Even Glitter Dust smiled happily.

"That's great news! Of course I will lend any help I can when I'm back home."

The stallion came back, a little winded but not out of breath. He dropped a plastic bag on the table and pushed his chair closer to the pegasus. All of them shut up as the waitress came to take Rawsthorne's order and gawk at the ponies. She was familiar with Silent Brook, who lived basically around the corner, but she hadn't seen a pegasus before.

Glitter Dust knew exactly how to use this admiration to her advantage. The young lady was about to leave with just one order or coffee for the human, but the pegasus smiled pleasantly and asked for a hot chocolate with marshmallows. After a moment's thought Celestia did, too. Silent Brook went for a coffee, like Rawsthorne.

Once they were alone again, the alicorn came out with a hard question. She looked at the man and her ears fell, as if in supplication. "So... have you thought about... the future?"

His smile vanished and Rawsthorne looked at her solemnly. For a moment it felt as if the bottom had fallen out of the world and the mare was slipping down into an endless abyss. He was going to say no! She steeled her heart.

"I have, and..." Rawsthorne began slowly. The other two sensed the solemnity of the occasion. Maybe without even realizing it, Glitter Dust put a wing around Silent Brook.

"And?"

Rawsthorne sighed. "I can't uproot my life just like this. You understand that, don't you?"

Celestia let out the breath she had been holding. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes lowered. "I understand, Gregory. You do not have to say any more."

Her two pony friends, sensitive to their Princess' mood sighed sadly in unison. Celestia couldn't quite look at the human's face. It was a struggle to keep calm and focused on the immediate problems. She didn't doubt that Rawsthorne would help her return home. She had just expected... more. She had thought that they had something. Something beautiful.

A finger on her chin lifted her face. "Let me finish," the man said softly. Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia saw the other two ponies lean forward so they could hear.

She gave a single nod.

"I'll need a year or so until I can hand off all my responsibilities at the firm. I'll also have to work out some things with the bank and so on. There's a lot of paperwork."

For the first few seconds she couldn't make sense out of the words. "P-paperwork?"

"Yeah. It's hard enough to move to a different country, Cel- uh, Supple, but this is moving to an entirely different world. I'm not even sure what sorts of documents I'll need." The man barked a laugh. "Hell, I'm not even sure if it's legal."

All she could do at first was take a few shuddering breaths. A year was nothing! She had waited longer for good ice cream. Suddenly she had to blink away tears. "Does that mean-"

The pressure of his fingers on her chin increased and then his palm, wonderfully warm, slid up to cup her face. The thumb wiped away the beginning of a tear.

"It means yes. I've thought about it and I'd like for this," he indicated with a finger between her and himself, "to go on. I just want to do it properly. I can't be any use to you if I'm a fugitive." As a little joke, Rawsthorne added: "Maybe you'll need to push for some new laws for human immigration, you know?"

She replied, as serious as she had ever been: "I shall move mountains and seas, if need be, Greg. You have my word on that." Something else occurred to her and she jabbed an accusing hoof right in his stomach. "You did that on purpose!"

His innocent face was pretty good, Celestia had to admit, but she had had more practice. She saw the guilty flicker in his eye.

"Did what?" he tried, despite knowing full well she'd seen through him.

"Pretended like you were going to say 'no', just so you could see my reaction! That was incredibly mean, you know?" She brought her face closer and lowered her voice to a growl. "I've thrown creatures into Tartarus for less than that!"

Unfortunately for her, Rawsthorne had a secret weapon. One she couldn't defend against. He poked at her nose with a finger. Boop.

Her eyes crossed for a moment and she pulled away and blinked to clear her vision. "Hey!"

He just grinned. The insolence! The cheek! The disrespect! The unfairness of it all!

"I'll bite!"

For some reason, Rawsthorne wasn't intimidated. "Try it. I'll belt you again!"

At that moment Celestia heard a little cough from the side and turned her head to see... Her two friends, looking away with very red faces. The waitress with her tray, staring.

"Uh." She quickly slid from Rawsthorne's lap and took the empty chair to her side. "Excuse me."

Luckily, the onlookers just pretended they didn't see anything. Glitter Dust and Silent Brook probably because she was, after all, an alicorn and the human girl... Maybe she had heard stories and now realized what was happening between Rawsthorne and Supple Branch. For most humans it seemed to be an uncomfortable topic at the best of times. At least she didn't get angry over it. Instead, the poor waitress quickly placed their drinks on the table and left. Celestia glanced at Rawsthorne, then they both burst out laughing. The other two ponies didn't join in.

The silliness was over, though. Celestia tasted her drink, found it incredibly sweet, and smacked her lips in appreciation. Then she said up with a more businesslike tone of voice: "I spoke with Mr. Plain. He says the 'federals' are investigating his business too. I do not have a way home right now, Gregory."

Perhaps she should have led with that. After all, Rawsthorne couldn't come live with her and marry her in a jail cell or a secret human government facility. Did she just think 'marry'? The mare blushed a little and firmly blotted the word from her mind. A liaison was one thing, but this was bucking the tree before the fruit was ripe. Or maybe before it was even planted...

His face grew serious, too. "I'm sorry. So, what's the plan?"

Celestia shook her head. "I do not have a plan yet. I need to speak with Miriam Adams. Can you take that phone to her?"

He nodded happily and pulled one of the boxes to himself. "She should be in for a meeting tomorrow. I will speak with her and we will call you around four. What's the number?"

Celestia pointed where April had been kind enough to write both numbers on both boxes. "There, and thank you! Maybe there is another auction, or someone else who could help me with my papers. If I change my mane, maybe dye it, I can perhaps sneak through customs."

"Yeah, maybe. Why Miriam Adams, though?" Rawsthorne asked.

"She knew they were coming for me. She obviously has knowledge, or connections, or maybe she has ideas. She is positively inclined toward ponies, and I trust her." There was another thing. Celestia didn't know too many humans, but she did know the D.A. and trusted her completely and with her skill set and history, she might know what to do about Saul.

"One other thing. I will explain on the phone." Her eyes darted to Silent Brook and Rawsthorne spotted it, but he didn't understand why, so he didn't comment.

"Okay, I think I can make that happen. Anything else you need to get home, just let me know. Money isn't a problem and most other things shouldn't be either."

Celestia leaned closer and placed a hoof on Rawsthorne' leg. "Thank you. I will repay you once we are in Equestria. Believe me, I will repay you, Greg!"

There was too much suggestion in her tone which made her pony friends blush again. It was time for a less problematic topic. She was about to ask about her coworkers in the law firm, but Rawsthorne beat her to it:

"So, what have you been up to these days?"

She didn't want to bring up Saul and his problems, at least not with Silent Brook around. So she chose something lighter. "Did you know that young Silent Brook here has a crush on a human?" Poor thing nearly choked on his coffee, which just made Celestia smile wider.

"Hmm?" Rawsthorne asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Her name is April..."

Chapter 48

Celestia made sure to keep the phone with her the entire afternoon. Rawsthorne had promised to call and she wasn't about to miss it. She was washing the dishes and humming a gentle tune to herself when it rang, nearly making her drop the plate. A moment later she lifted up the block of plastic and jabbed the green button. Of course she had dutifully read the instructions beforehoof.

"Hello!" It was Rawsthorne' voice, if a little tinny.

"Hi! How are you?" She didn't really know what to say, but Celestia was excited. Her very first phone call and it was from her favourite human!

"Not bad," he answered. "I'm here with Miriam, you said you have something for her?"

The woman also spoke up to show her presence: "Hello, Celestia!"

The alicorn smiled, even though they couldn't see her, and took the phone upstairs. Her friend, Silent Brook, was watching the TV, although he turned his head to look at her walk past with undisguised curiosity. That was good. The stallion was still a little angry about her joke earlier. Perhaps she should not have said that April was his fillyfriend. The girl was a little young and - as Celestia herself had seen - harbored no such feelings for the stallion. Maybe Silent Brook had considered that something between himself and the human could happen, but she had not seen him so much as hint at it. Perhaps he was waiting for April to be older? Maybe that was why he was so touchy about the little joke? Anyway, it could wait. The pony would forgive her for having a bit of fun at his expense.

Eventually.

His pout was kinda cute, though.

"Hello Miriam Adams!" She greeted the woman as she walked up the stairs.

"What's up? Anything I can help you with?" the D.A. asked.

"Actually, yes. It is this person - Silent Brook's owner. I was wondering if you could give me some advice."

"Ask." The lady was getting a bit impatient, but Celestia hadn't wanted to mention any details until she was in Silent Brook's room with the door closed. She even lowered her voice a little so the stallion wouldn't overhear.

"Yes. He was in a place called 'Afghanistan' for some war. I don't have Internet so I couldn't get more details - do you know it?"

They made no sound, but somehow the quality of noise changed. Celestia could practically imagine the lawyers looking at one another in confusion. "Yes, we know it," Rawsthorne said after a while.

"He had some bad experiences, I think. He doesn't talk about it, but he has nightmares and is drinking rather a lot. It even caused problems with his marriage and now he never sees his wife and daughter."

"Yeah, unfortunately stuff like that happens more often than we would like," Miriam explained. "Probably some form of PTSD. Is he getting help for it? A psychiatrist?"

Celestia didn't think so. The man went to work, but did not otherwise leave the house. "No, it doesn't seem like it. He had bad nightmares and..."

She bit her lip and debated internally whether to tell them, but she trusted Rawsthorne completely and Miriam Adams was a friend. "Promise you will not speak of this."

The woman on the other end of the phone line chuckled. "Celestia, this basically falls under attorney-client privilege. Even if it didn't, you know I won't tell anyone."

It was good to hear it. "Thank you. He has a gun... and Silent Brook is worried he might-" The mare gulped and her ears went flat even from just thinking about it. She finished a little lamely: "Do something stupid."

There was silence from the phone.

"Miriam?"

The woman sighed. "Yeah, still here. So, what did you think I could do here? How did you think I could help?"

Now that she was faced with the actual question, Celestia wasn't sure anymore. "I... d-don't know. I thought you could give me some advice on how to proceed. Should we get him help, or leave him to work it out on his own?"

"No, no, that's almost never a good idea. How long since he came back from Afghanistan?"

Celestia made a guess. "I don't know for sure. Three or four years?"

"Yeah, and things have just been getting worse, I assume?" the lawyer lady asked.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Leaving it alone could end badly, or maybe he'll bottom out somewhere. These people refuse help as a rule and think they should be able to handle it themselves," Miriam explained. "Unfortunately, they mostly can't. What we should do is get in touch with the man's GP and let them handle it."

If that was a law abbreviation, Celestia hadn't come across it yet. "GP?"

"Oh, sorry," the lady apologized. "I forget you're not from Earth. It stands for 'General Practitioner'. It's a doctor you usually go to with problems and he or she tries to help, or sends you to a specialist if it's a more complicated problem."

Including more people in the scheme sounded like something Saul would oppose. Perhaps she should try and speak with him, first. Maybe he trusted her a bit more, now that she had been living there for a while and had cooked him many tasty meals. Most of them with meat, even!

"Okay. What would happen in this case, do you think?"

Again a short pause, while the D.A. thought about it. When she spoke, her words were slow, as if she was unsure. "My guess would be," the woman said carefully, "he would get an appointment with a psychiatrist who specializes in PTSD. After that, I really don't know. I'm not a doctor."

Rawsthorne had been silent throughout the discussion. Celestia wanted his opinion as well. "Gregory? What do you think about all this?"

He needed a bit of time to consider his answer, but then he spoke: "I think I agree with Miriam. There are people who know how to handle this sort of thing, you really should speak with them."

It was sweet how he seemed to ignore her race, but Celestia pointed out: "Yes. A pony coming alone into a hospital to ask about a psychiatrist for another human. I'm sure nothing could go wrong there."

"Well, since you put it that way-" he began, but she giggled and cut him off.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I'll try and talk with Saul first. Maybe I can use diplomacy to get him to agree and seek some help, and if I can't, I'll let you know and we'll think about other options."

"Why are you so worried about this 'Saul'?" Miriam asked.

"Mainly because he saved Silent Brook's life, and I hate to see people suffer, human or pony. Their family is torn apart. I wish to do what I can. He took me in without knowing anything about me, or my trouble."

"Okay. I'll have to be going now," the D.A. said, "so is there anything else?"

Celestia wanted to know more about the case, but if the woman was in a hurry, it could wait. "Can we meet somewhere, when the case is over? I'd like to hear about it."

"Sure thing. I'll arrange something with Rawsthorne. Just lay low for now. You did a good job of vanishing, so the feds have lost track. With luck they'll assume you escaped and ease up on the investigation." The woman snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right. Rawsthorne tells me you can't get home through the auction which brought you here. You need new papers to cross the border."

"Yes. And I will have two others with me. Can you help, Miriam? I swear I will find a way to repay your kindness!"

Now the lady laughed gently. "No need for that, dear. Two more, huh? Okay, I'll give it some thought. I'll let you know through Rawsthorne. Bye!"

Celestia smiled. A very sweet human. "Bye, Miriam Adams! Thank you!"

She heard the man stand up and hold the door for the D.A. - a gesture Celestia wholeheartedly approved. Then he came back.

"So, now what?" he asked.

Celestia kept her smile in place. "Now you tell me about your day, Greg. And the office. What did I miss while I was here?" While she had been discussing Saul and her escape with Miriam Adams, her nerves made Celestia walk up and down the room, almost without being aware of it, but now she went and lay down on the bed. The phone was still held in her magic up beside her ear.

As she listened to Rawsthorne telling her all about how nothing significant has happened in the office in the past two weeks, the mare rolled to her back, stretched out all four hooves up in the air, spread her wings, and relaxed.

He didn't seem to understand. "Greg, you don't understand the purpose of this." Even her voice was relaxed now.

"Oh?"

Celestia giggled a little. "I'm not that curious about the office. All I wanted was to listen to you talk for a little bit. It has been over a week. I miss you. That coffee almost doesn't count!"

"Oh."

Except - she was lying a tiny bit. There was one piece of news she really wanted. "What did Denis say when I didn't come to work anymore?"

Silent Brook was still a little miffed when they went to bed after dinner, so Celestia opted to sleep on her foam mat. If he had another nightmare, she would hear it and could probably intervene. It took her quite some time to fall asleep on the hard floor, but she managed to slip into a pleasant dream where she was reunited with Luna and joined her over lunch. She was dying for a hayburger, actually! Earth had none and the Princess had never before wanted one this badly!

Just before she could bite into it, the large doors to the throne room - why were they eating there, exactly? - burst open to admit Silent Brook. "Wake up!" he said in a strange whisper that seemed to fill the room. "Please, Princess, wake up!"

Celestia looked to her sister. It sounded like something she should know about, but Luna just smiled sadly. "It seems it is your time to leave, Sister," she said, "but we shall see each other soon now."

The knowledge that she was asleep flooded into Celestia's mind and the world faded away. "No! Wait! I have questions!" she yelled, but it was gone and she found herself being gently shaken awake by the stallion. "Silent Brook? What is it?"

Before he could answer there was a thump and a yell. It woke her up, instantly and completely. Silent Brook whimpered a little at the noise. "It's Saul!" he explained hurriedly. "A nightmare. Bad one. Please help!"

Celestia wasn't sure what she could do, but at the very least she might prevent the human from injuring himself. Without further thought or analysis she bolted upright and ran out of the room. Silent Brook let out a grateful sigh and followed right on her heels. In moments, the two ponies were in Saul's bedroom. He was tossing and muttering, but Celestia couldn't understand any of the words.

Until a particular bit made her gasp in horror: "No, n-no, don't," Saul moaned loudly and clearly. "There's kids in there!" The pure terror in his voice bled into her bones and Celestia averted her eyes. What kinds of madness had the human seen in that war?!

On the other hoof, she really didn't want to know! Silent Brook didn't seem affected. He had probably heard things like that before. Before she could gather her wits, the pony was on the bed and carefully patting Saul on the chest with a hoof. He looked at Celestia with pleading in his eyes, which were just visible in the faint light of the street lamp, coming through the window. She swallowed and stepped closer. Her eyes were on the man, who flailed his arms and hit the wall. That was probably the thump they heard. It must have hurt, because it made Saul yell again.

"I'm sorry! Silent Brook, I don't know how to get into his dream, not while I'm awake!"

The stallion went right back to waking up Saul, who was getting worse. Celestia felt the situation slipping from control. She had to do something. Take charge. It was her duty.

"Hold him still so he doesn't hurt himself." Her mind raced as Celestia tried to remember. Something tickled her memory. Old magic she hadn't used in ages. Tricks from her childhood as she and Luna were learning their first spells. One came up from the distant past. A prank, but perhaps it would be enough. She concentrated on the form and her horn lit up. Too late Celestia remembered that she wasn't in disguise. The fear and the excitement had been enough to forget that detail, but it was too late now.

With luck, Saul would be too addled from his nightmare to remember. The glow enveloped both the human and the stallion and made them both gasp in shock. She knew exactly how it felt. Luna had used that particular trick on her too many times before their parents had put a stop to it. It was like being plunged into a lake of icy water.

It worked! Saul opened his eyes and tried to flail his arms around, but Silent Brook was somehow wrapped around his arms and legs, easily holding the human in place. Now there was another problem. The human was looking at her. A tall, white mare with a glowing horn, standing over his bed. She was probably quite an intimidating sight in the gloom. Especially upon waking up from his nightmare.

"What the fuck-?" the human yelled and tried to free himself again. "Lemme go, LEMME GO!"

Silent Brook didn't. The human was too dangerous. Both ponies remembered the gun in the drawer. Who knew what Saul would do, panicking in the dark. She had to calm him down, somehow. For a moment she considered leaving and letting the stallion talk to the human, but that went against her nature as a leader.

There was perhaps another way. It worked on ponies, perhaps it would also work on humans? She spread her wings out a little and used a different spell. Again one she hadn't cast in centuries. Thank goodness for her alicorn memory. In a moment the mare was outlined in light. It suffused - yes, that was the perfect word for it - suffused each hair and feather. Even her mane billowed up into its old, familiar shape again. The effect, Celestia knew, was stunning. She seemed to glow from within with a gentle, warm, yellow light, as if there was an invisible sun just behind her. The aura bathed the room in an unearthly light.

Silent Brook stared with his mouth open and so did the human. They stopped struggling just so they could see better. The Princess smiled beatifically and the glow strengthened. It was Sun magic. Even on Earth, even at night, it came easily. She should find a way to use these spells more often. They calmed her soul and all around her.

"Are-" Saul mumbled hoarsely, "are you an angel?"

It was an unfamiliar concept, but Celestia had read about it on the Internet. She had heard the word in a movie and decided to look it up. It seemed fitting, actually. She made her voice as gentle and melodic as she could. "Yes. I'm here to help."

Both males went back to staring in awe. The admiration felt good, but Celestia couldn't forget the reason she was there. Maybe she could help a tiny bit if she chose her words carefully. "Your past haunts you, Saul Geary. It is hurting you and those closest to you."

Yes, it struck a chord. She saw the human glance away, before his eyes came back. He could not stop staring at her wings.

"It is not easy to forget horrors, I know. You must try. There are those who can help, if you but accept their aid."

The man gave a single nod. "I'll-" he tried to say, but couldn't quite get it out the first time. He finished a little lamely: "I'll try."

Even Silent Brook smiled at that. Saul might break his word later, but at least he would start thinking about it.

She was about to find a way to excuse herself and leave, when Saul spoke up again: "Who are you?"

Briefly Celestia considered lying, but something told her she could trust this human. Her indecision must have been obvious, because she saw Silent Brook give her a firm nod. The spell faded and the light went out. Both males let out sighs of regret while Celestia sat on the floor.

"This is me without a disguise, Saul. I'm Supple Branch." She waited for the verdict. Maybe he would be angry at the lies and deceit, or disappointed that she didn't trust him. Well, she had very little reason to do so, based on his behavior, actually! Maybe he would just demand she leave, or he could be worried about having her magic in the house, but Saul did none of those things.

All he did was ask: "Why hide?"

She swallowed. "There are men after me. I am trying to get home - to my world - but until the search for me eases up, I have no way to get there."

"Huh," Saul said. It was all the comment he seemed prepared to give. Until he raised his voice again: "You can let me go any time, horse."

Silent Brook relaxed and flashed Celestia a relieved grin. He unwrapped himself from the man, who rubbed his forearms to restore circulation. Celestia hadn't realized until then just how strongly Silent Brook had gripped Saul to keep him still.

She took charge again. "Go back to sleep. Silent Brook, you stay with Saul and come get me if the nightmare returns. I'll take your bed." The authoritative tone helped and the two males both nodded, but while Silent Brook lay down, Saul shuffled to the edge of the bed.

"Where are you going?" the stallion asked.

The man grunted a little in annoyance. "Get a damn glass of water!"

Celestia walked backward to let him out of the room, then joined Saul in the kitchen. She felt he had some more questions. He turned the light on and looked her up and down.

"How come you're bigger than the normal ones?" he asked.

"I'm a different kind of pony." She was being truthful, but only to a point. The human didn't need to know absolutely everything.

He shrugged, as if it wasn't really important. "That why they're after you? Who is after you, by the way?" He selected one of the clean glasses - a thing he had not even thanked her for, in fact! - and opened the tap. Water splashed into the sink and the human waited with his finger in the stream.

"Yes. I don't like to say who is chasing me. I do not wish to put you in danger."

Now he laughed a little. "I've been in danger. Just tell me this: is it criminals or the government?"

This was a very difficult decision. Saul had served in the military. He might still have loyalty for his commanders and so, by proxy, to the leaders of the country and its policemen. She could refuse to answer, but Celestia felt she knew what his thoughts on that would be. Yes, he should have loyalty, but seeing what the service in the military had done to him, she didn't think Saul had much love for the higher-ups.

"Government."

"Yeah, makes sense. Otherwise you'd go to the police for protection, not me," he went on and stuck his glass under the stream of water. It filled quickly and he turned the tap off. His eyes stayed on her as he drank and Celstia returned the gaze with a blank expression. She waited to see what Saul would do. If it came to the worst, she could probably tie him up with magic, get her things and leave before he could do anything.

At long last, the glass came down and Saul pointed a finger at her. "Might wanna keep this look under wraps. It's kinda obvious."

Celestia relaxed. He wouldn't turn her in. She was sure of it now. "I cannot keep my disguise while I sleep, Saul, but I take it whenever I go out."

"Good, that's good," he said and his eyes slid away. He was a little embarrassed about something and Celestia waited for him to come out with it.

"Look," he began, glanced at her face briefly, then looked down to the floor again. "Thanks for... tonight. I try and not let it get to me, but you know how it is."

Maybe he was in the right sort of mood for her to push a little? To have that talk she told Rawsthorne and Miriam she would? "Saul. Don't take this the wrong way, but you obviously cannot handle whatever happened, not on your own. It's hurting you and Silent Brook and - most importantly - it's hurting your daughter. She needs a father."

His face twisted up and for a moment Celestia tensed. She got her magic ready to wrap him up if he should turn violent, but she stood her ground and glared at the recalcitrant man. She saw his fist bunch up until the knuckles were white.

"Who the fuck are you to come in here and tell me what I should or shouldn't do?!" he demanded.

Celestia pushed it further. She stepped closer and stared right into his eyes. "I'm someone who cares about my friends. Maybe that includes you, but it certainly includes Silent Brook and April!"

Saul said nothing, but he kept his grimace and kept glaring right at her.

She sighed. "I'm not doing this to meddle in your affairs, Saul, and I'm not doing it to be mean, but maybe this is something you need to hear. Please, at least think about it?"

The change of tone helped. Saul relaxed a little, even if he was starting to breathe rapidly through his nose. It wasn't over yet. Celestia had to do a bit more work. She relaxed her face and took a step back. The time for threats was over. Then she gave Saul her Look. It had done wonders for Rawsthorne, surely it would help here.

"Please, Saul. It's not important where this message came from, but please think about what I am telling you. There is no shame in seeking help. People understand, and wouldn't it be worth it? To see April again?" That last was what struck a chord. Maybe Saul didn't like his wife anymore, not after she just up and left, but he obviously cared a great deal about his daughter.

It would probably turn out to be the key, but maybe not yet tonight. "I won't bring it up again, you have my word. Just promise me you will consider it. Seriously consider it. For yourself and for those who love you."

Saul mumbled something, but it was in no way a promise!

Celestia called up her powers of dealing with problematic negotiators again. "I said promise, Saul! That was not a promise!"

Another tense moment followed, but then the man unclenched his hands and heaved a sigh. His eyes went to the ceiling as if in exasperation. "Fine, damn it! I'll think about it, okay? Just leave me alone."

Celestia smiled. One more thing. "Now thank me for cleaning up your house."

"What?!" Saul asked, flabbergasted. He looked around the room as if he hadn't seen it before. His gaze paused for a moment on the stack of clean dishes - where he had taken his glass, in fact - then went on across the empty, clean counter and across the kitchen table with no beer cans or cigarette ash.

"I have done it for free - as a sign of thanks, but it is polite that you thank me in return, is it not? Come on. Act like you are civilized!"

For a fraction of a second Celestia thought his mouth quirked up in a smile at her gentle chiding. Then he raised his arms a little and let them fall. It was a sign of defeat! "Fine, fine. Thanks for cleaning the house," he admitted a little grudgingly.

Celestia smiled to herself. A few more weeks and she would turn the man into a gentlecolt. She hoped she would get home before that, but if she didn't it would be an interesting side project. April really should have her father back, and not a violent, broken drunkard either.

"Good. Now off to bed and I will see you for breakfast tomorrow. I'll go back to my disguise during the day, just in case."

Saul didn't answer, but he did leave for the bedroom. Too late Celestia spotted the stallion in the doorway. He was staring with his mouth wide open. She gave him a smile too, then turned and went back upstairs. Another human knew her secret, but that was alright. She felt she could trust Saul, even if he was a bit rough around the edges. Not a bad night's job. It was true what they said: a mare's work was never over.

Chapter 49

Celestia woke up to her phone ringing. It was such an unexpected noise that it took her, in her drowsy state, almost a minute to figure out where it was coming from. Then she held up the plastic rectangle and looked at it worriedly. No one except Rawsthorne should know the number, right? Could it be that the human authorities had figured out that this was now her phone? Why would they call? She considered crushing the device and chucking it into a trash can, but that would cut off her one line to Rawsthorne and Mr. Plain.

It didn't stop ringing. The mare swallowed a lump and gingerly prodded the correct button with a touch of magic. "Y-yes?"

"Hey, sorry about the hour," a voice said on the other side.

Celestia sagged in relief. "Miriam Adams. Why are you calling me? How do you know the number?"

The woman sounded dismissive. "Oh, Rawsthorne gave it to me. Listen, sorry I'm calling at this sort of hour," the woman apologized again.

A glance through the window showed Celestia that it really was early. The sun was not yet up, although the sky was already gray. Around seven, she estimated. "It is not a problem. I was about to wake up anyway. Why did you call?"

"Some good news, maybe," Miriam said. "I spoke with that Mr. Plain and asked what kind of papers you'd need to cross the border."

Celestia nearly forgot to breathe for a moment. She sat up and wrapped her hooves around her belly to still the butterflies. Was it possible her human friend had found her a way home?! "Yes?"

"There's the passport, of course. We also need some kind of proof of sale, like a contract or a bill. Rawsthorne has both of those, and then we need the emancipation form, which is something an owner can get. It's done at the city clerk's for some reason."

Celestia could guess at what the documents entailed from the names. They didn't seem too problematic at all! "That is all? Those shouldn't be too hard!"

"No, but here's where it gets complicated. The contract and the release form include a description. How much are you willing to bet your description - I mean as 'Supple Branch' - is already at the border crossing? The moment you show your mug there, you're toast and of course they know what an alicorn is, right?"

Her heart sank a little and Celestia sighed. There was always another hurdle. "Oh. Yes, of course they do. I'm still grateful you tried, Miriam. I really do appreciate it."

Besides, there was almost no way she could get any of those papers for Lake Frond or Rock Lichen, could she? The woman on the other end of the phone call laughed a little. "Now hang on, Celly. Don't give up that easily. What we need here is just two things, really."

Celestia stood up and went to look out the window. She saw a neighbor get into his car and drive away. Off to work, most likely. There was a light in his house and Celestia imagined his wife cleaning up after their breakfast. She missed doing that for Rawsthorne. Although, now that she thought about it, she missed going to work with him more than being essentially a housewife. Half an hour in the car, still half asleep, talking idly as the inside slowly warmed up. It was just so comfortable!

She wrenched her mind back to the present. "Which two things?"

"First, we need to change your appearance. Can you disguise yourself as a different pony?" Miriam asked.

"No, sorry. The spell takes a lot of study and I don't have it with me. My memory is good, but not perfect. I don't dare risk tricky magic like that without the book."

"Oh," the woman said, sounding a bit subdued. "Hmm."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault in the slightest dear," the D.A. assured her.

Celestia wished she could hug her. The woman was really kind and probably putting herself into no end of trouble by helping her. She really hoped no human would find out.

"Okay, another idea. How about hair dye?"

"Hair dye?!" It was true that some mares dyed their manes, especially when they started going gray. Celestia had thought about changing the color of her mane, but it probably wouldn't be enough, but to be done on you entire body? Unthinkable

And yet...

The hope was quickly dashed. "Sorry. I don't think it would work. The paint would... uh, 'fall off' when I changed back."

There was a moment's silence, then Miriam pointed out: "What if you didn't change back until you were through? Get you dyed shortly before the border check. How long can you keep it up?"

Celestia thought back to her experiences in public. "I have kept my disguise for twelve hours before, but my head was really starting to hurt. I would say not much longer than that."

"Okay, that should be plenty," Miriam interjected. "That's the first thing solved."

"What is the second thing?"

"We get us someone who can forge the documents," the woman said, rather bluntly. "Change your description, mainly."

Celestia didn't like the idea too much. With her position as a diplomat and lawmaker, papers should be sacrosanct. Documents should be inviolate!

Still, she had known this would have to happen ever since she decided to take this vacation. Mr. Pain had to do a bit of forging to get her into the country with a fake history, and she had known he would have to do it again to get her out. It was a necessary evil.

"Do you know someone who can do this?"

The way Miriam hesitated made Celestia lower her ears further down. "Not sure yet. I'll get back to you on that," she promised.

At the very least it was the start of a plan. "Can we do something about the two others I wish to bring?"

There was silence. Then, finally: "I don't know. Maybe. It'd be easier if you can get their original contracts of sale. Then just change the owner to, I dunno, Rawsthorne and he can release all three of you."

It was a tall order. Maybe Lake Frond and Rock Lichen could do it, though. "I will speak with them and we will try to get their papers. The timing will be difficult, so their humans do not notice the contracts gone."

"Agreed," Miriam said. "For now, I'll see what I can arrange for documents. In the meantime, can you find a hair dye that works on you and give it a try? Send me a picture so I can get the description ready."

Celestia nodded before she remembered that Miriam couldn't see her. "Yes, I will. Thank you, Miriam Adams."

"No worries. Take care!" the woman said, and just like that the phone call ended.

It left Celestia thoughtful. With the D.A. and Rawsthorne both helping, she was starting to feel a bit more optimistic about getting home soon. Perhaps the dream she had in the night when Silent Brook woke her up was at least a little prophetic? Her sister had said they would see each other soon. Celestia went to her saddlebags in the corner and lifted out the peytral. How many times had she glanced at the sun emblem in the mirror as she prepared for a public speech or appearance?

That wasn't what the garment represented.

No.

Instead, each time Celestia looked on the sun symbol she was reminded strongly of its twin. The moon her sister wore. She held a gentle smile on her muzzle as she looked at the golden sun embroidered in the fabric. Then she slowly kissed it. "Just a bit longer." A solitary tear fell and splashed against the gold thread.

"You really miss her, don't you?" asked a voice from the door.

She had been so preoccupied that Celestia hadn't heard the stallion approach. She glanced to him and nodded silently while he made his slow way to her side. They both looked at the vestment.

"You know, just seeing that makes me feel safe," Silent Brook confided.

Celestia held the cloth for a few moments longer, then folded it and returned it to the saddlebag. "Family is important, Silent Brook. Do not give up on yours."

"Princess?"

She turned to face him and laid a careful feather against his cheek. "April and Saul. You must help them come back together. They are both important to you and seeing them avoiding one another is tearing you apart, Silent Brook."

His gaze dropped to the floor. "What can I do about it?" he asked, his voice defeated.

"I told you. Do not give up. Speak, and speak and do not stop while your voice works. Talk with Saul until he agrees to accept help. Talk with April and Lena until they agree to meet."

"I'm not sure I can, Princess," Silent Brook said quietly. He was very uncertain. It was a scary prospect, Celestia knew. From his point of view, Saul was hanging by a thread. Too much pressure would make him fall, but she had seen something in the human. He was stronger than the stallion imagined.

"Trust in yourself and trust in those around you. Sometimes ponies - and humans - can surprise you."

He gave her an uncertain nod, so Celestia decided to stop lecturing for now. She stood up. "Come, let us go and make breakfast. It has been a busy night and we will all feel better for a hot meal."

This was easier to accept and Silent Brook grinned. "Sounds good!"

Celestia walked up and down the house, dusting the same pieces of furniture over and over. It was the nerves as she waited for her friend to return from the store. She hoped he would find what she'd sent him to fetch. Hair dye. He had asked what color, but Celestia had been at a loss. It would need to be something bright and lively. A dark dye would simply make her cyan darker and wouldn't change it significantly. Not enough to alter the description, in any case. Or, it would make her black. That was rare enough among ponies that it would certainly draw attention. Maybe the same kind of bright red as April used? That would turn her fur into something purplish or fuchsia. It would be sufficiently different, in any case.

The most important part was that mixing red into her green mane should make it brown. Celestia tried to imagine the combination, but it wasn't particularly flattering. That was okay. It didn't have to look good, just different. There was no time to be picky. She had told Silent Brook to pick something as bright and as red as possible. She also needed to know how much dye to get and how to apply it, so she would be ready when the time came. Humans didn't have that much hair, so she told her friend to bring three or four packets of dye, or cans, or whatever it came in. Enough to cover at least a part of herself.

She shuffled her hooves nervously and went to check the kitchen again, but there was nothing more to do. She had cleaned up after their breakfast and their lunch. Walls still bothered her with their faint yellow tinge. Probably from all the tobacco smoke, but a fresh coat of paint for the entire house would be a bit much. With nothing else to do, Celestia went and checked the fridge. There was still half of the cabbage head left. Saul had stared a little strangely at the ponies over lunch. She had fried a fish for him and then mixed a very simple salad for herself and Silent Brook. The man didn't seem to think it was enough. He told them to get something more from the store and even left a few dollars.

At least he didn't bring up the night's events. He acted as if everything was back to normal. It was a little worrying and a bit calming, both at the same time.

The thump at the front door interrupted her thoughts. Finally! Celestia heard him enter and went to see what Silent Brook had found for her. As soon as he was inside, the stallion spat out a plastic bag from his mouth. "Here," he said when he saw her. "It's the only red I could find."

Celestia freed the little package from the bag and peered at it doubtfully. Then she looked up at her friend. "Neon pink?"

Her voice was flat. Even a foal should know the difference between red and pink, shouldn't they?

Silent Brook just shrugged. "Looks red on the label. Anyway, it's the brightest one they had. The rest were all brown and black and... so on."

Her stare intensified and Silent Brook shuffled uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

Maybe he didn't know colors? "You have finished elementary school before you came to Earth, did you not?"

Now he was indignant. "Yes! Of course! It's just... I don't usually think too much about colors, okay?"

The admission made her giggle. There weren't many ponies without a good sense for color. It was something she would have to mention to April, so the girl could teach her pony friend. Right that instant, however, she had something more important to do. She flipped the box around and looked at the back side. So nice of humans to include instructions for absolutely everything right there on the packaging, or, like in this particular case, on a folded piece of paper inside.

She spread it out with her magic and read quickly to herself. "Hmm, shampoo, rinse... dry." Something else caught her attention. "Pre-lighten?!"

Maybe that was for humans with dark hair who wanted it vivid pink. In her case, cyan should be light enough to simply go on. "Apply... twenty minutes. Rinse again."

Silent Brook was watching her with about the same expression as if she were doing serious alicorn magic. When she looked back to him, he up nervously: "Is... uh, is everything okay?"

Smiling, Celestia nodded. "Yes. I will go and try it now."

Her phone had a small camera and - thanks to the instructions - Celestia knew how to use it. With luck, she would send Miriam a picture before the day was over. She made her way upstairs and into the bathroom, with Silent Brook following her in curiosity, but at the threshold she stopped, turned around, and gave him a pointed look.

"A bit of privacy, if you would?"

His face turned a pleasant shade of red, which made the mare giggle, but she still firmly shut the door and set to work.

"So, what do you think?" Celestia twirled around to give her friend a good look from all sides. Two tubes of hair dye were enough to cover her completely, fur, mane and tail. That meant she didn't have enough left, but Silent Brook could easily get more from the store. The stuff was expensive, but she didn't have much use for money. Speaking of the stallion, he tried very hard not to laugh, so Celestia wasn't too cross with him. It was probably just that he was used to seeing 'Supple Branch' as a cyan pony, and now she was... brown.

She would rather call it a mixture of amaranth and purple, but there was no avoiding the truth. Her fur was brown and the mane was a lighter shade of brown. The important thing was that it looked different. Celestia stood in front of a white-ish wall and levitated her phone at head height to take a picture for Miriam. She wasn't entirely sure how to get the image from the phone to the lawyer, but presumably Glitter Dust would help with that.

Which reminded her. "Oh, by the way - can you get Glitter to come by the Laundromat again? There is maybe a way to bring Rock Lichen and Lake Frond with me, but I need to get in touch with them."

Silent Brook stopped giggling at her changed appearance and gave her a genuine smile. "That would be nice. They want to start a family, but they can't on Earth."

"How about you?"

"Me?" he asked and put a hoof on his chest. "What do you mean?"

Could this be a reason to convince him to return? "You do not wish for a family of your own?"

The pony looked down and his ears went back. "N-no," he lied.

"Silent Brook..."

He heaved a sigh and managed to lift his eyes to hers. "Not yet," he corrected. "Someday... maybe, but Saul needs me and I don't wanna be away from April."

She wasn't trying to be mean. Celestia came closer and laid a gentle leg around poor Silent Brook's withers. "Someday, then. I will do my very best to give my ponies more rights on Earth."

The warm body pressed against hers relaxed. "Thanks, P-princess." He blinked and his hears perked up. "Wait a minute. Rock Lichen and Lake Frond? Their owners won't let them go. What will you do?"

There was no mistaking her mischievous grin. "They will... uh, 'steal' themselves. They need to find their papers and get them to Miriam Adams. She will arrange for the papers to be... let's say 'amended', and that will allow Lake Frond and Rock Lichen to pass the border as free ponies." Celestia could swear she felt Silent Brook's chest expand with pride.

"That's awesome! I'll go and speak with Glitter Right now!"

She levitated the phone in front of his face. "Take her this, please, and ask her to get the picture to Miriam Adams."

Maybe her faith in the D.A. was a bit premature - the woman had promised to think about it. It might happen that she couldn't find a forger, but Celestia was convinced that the lady was resourceful. She had worked with her for nearly three months and had consistently been impressed by her drive and acumen. If Miriam Adams could not arrange for a few forged documents, then probably no human in the city could.

There was the little nagging doubt. What would Celestia do if this hope failed her as well? She forced it out of her heart. If the forgery fell into water, she would march up to the border crossing and make them let her through! Maybe they were equipped to deal with unicorns, but Celestia was an alicorn. An entirely different class of pony! They could hold her back about as well as spider web could hold back a forest fire! She would still prefer to get home without starting an international incident, or, goodness forbid, a war.

Only as a last resort, then. Silent Brook apparently noticed that she was preoccupied, because he murmured a quiet goodbye and slipped away with the phone held carefully in his mouth.

The worst part of hiding was waiting for news, Celestia decided. Miriam Adams had her picture and her friends, Lake Frond and Rock Lichen, had their instructions to get the lawyer their documents. If they managed to steal them, they would bring them to the pony meet up the next day. Celestia wasn't sure if she should go or not. Maybe with her newfound disguise? Applying the paint was tedious, but it would give her a chance to properly say bye to everypony and tell them to keep their spirits up. Not goodbye for Lake Frond and Rock Lichen, though, if they could steal the papers. They sent assurance back through Silent Brook that they could do it. They were excited at the prospect of leaving and a bit sad to part with their owners. Other than being treated as pets, it hadn't been a bad life.

Now, all Celestia could do was wait. She sat at the kitchen table with her impromptu little 'family' - Silent Brook and Saul. She had made them dinner. Meat lasagna for the man and a vegetable one for the ponies, and, unless her ears had just failed her, Saul just gave her a compliment!

"Heh! Nearly forgot what it's like to have meals cooked for you," he had said.

Well, maybe not a compliment, but it was very good progress. Normally the human just ate in silence and left. Even Silent Brook stared at the man in surprise.

"Do you like it? I'm afraid I am not very good with the meat things, but I have read a book about it. I hope it is alright."

Saul had a piece stuck on his fork, which he waved toward her. "It's good," he confirmed.

It drew out one of her best smiles. She even felt her tail swish around in delight. If she had her normal shape, she would have fluttered her wings a little. "Thank you. Any wishes for tomorrow morning?"

Now the human shrugged. "Whatever. Eggs and bacon, I guess?"

Celestia gave a nod. "Of course. I am sorry for burning it the last time. It's quite hard to tell when it is ready."

His hand waved the self-critique away. "Just a bit crunchy, don't worry."

It was the longest and the most normal conversation she had had with Saul yet! Her heart was racing and Celestia fiddled a little with her forehooves under the table. She saw Silent Brook staring at her and gave him a smile, too. Then she kicked him a little and raised her eyebrows.

He didn't get it until she jerked her head urgently toward Saul a few times. Her grin was definitely a little strained at the end.

"Oh!" Silent Brook said suddenly, "so... how was work, Saul?"

Luckily, the human was focusing on his food and didn't notice the ponies' antics. "The usual. Sitting at a conveyor belt and making sure the product isn't complete crap."

Celestia made an educated guess. "So, you ensure the quality of what the factory produces?"

"Ha!" Saul barked, "if you can call it 'quality'!" He didn't volunteer anything more, but his eyes went back to his dish, so Celestia kicked the stallion again and silently mouthed 'April' to him.

Silent Brook shook his head, but the mare frowned and kicked him again. She nodded urgently and her friend rolled his eyes.

At least he obeyed. "So,..." he began, only a bit uncertainly. "I saw April the other day."

Saul looked up sharply, his food forgotten and all of his attention on the pony. He didn't say anything, just waited for more.

"She's... uh, fine. Doing good in school. Her hair is orange now..."

Celestia decided to jump in. It was a little white lie, but she was sure it wasn't too far from the truth. "She asked us to greet you, Saul. She misses her father."

The human grunted angrily. "Well, she has her whore mother to thank for that." Two pairs of ears folded down at the swear word, and then...

"Sorry," Saul said.

Celestia barely kept her mouth closed and it took yet another kick to get Silent Brook to stop gaping at the human. She was quite pleased with the progress. Just like she had said. A few more weeks to get the human behaving a bit more politely. Maybe a month to gently prod him to seek some professional help for his nightmares. It didn't seem as if she would have that time, but she could set Silent Brook on the right path. The stallion seriously underestimated the therapeutic quality of pony-belly-rubs. It mellowed humans out! If he could get Saul to do that, he might not even need a specialist!

"It really doesn't have to be this way, Saul."

His hand bunched into a fist around the fork and slammed down on the table. Silent Brook flinched, but Celestia remained steadfast.

"I'm not going back to that... that... To Lena!" he said firmly.

"I didn't say that, Saul, but you could spend at least some time with your daughter. I'm sure you both want that. Lena can't stop it, unless you give her the reason."

It looked like the human would get even angrier, but he closed his eyes, let his breath out, and muttered: "I'll think about it!"

Celestia smiled at the incredulous stallion.

It would be a long path, but she could get them started on it, and, maybe in a few months, she could invite them both to Canterlot and see how much progress they made. For tonight though...

Enough antagonizing the poor man. He was thinking, that was good. He was trying to control his anger, which was better. Maybe - Celestia couldn't be quite sure yet - he drank a little less? If true, that was the best sign of his progress yet! After a tense minute or so, Saul's shoulders slumped and he went back to eating in silence.

Chapter 50

Celestia went to the pony meeting with Silent Brook, but in her 'double' disguise. She was still uneasy about policemen seeing her walking around without a human, but the stallion assured her they wouldn't meet any. He sounded as if he knew about these things, so Celestia believed it and followed him out of the house. She didn't know how late they would be, so the mare conscientiously prepared a meal for Saul, should he come from work before them. Nothing fancy, just cream cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches, with the atrocity that was sliced ham inside. They would keep on the table for an hour or two, until Saul came and ate them. Celestia arranged them on a plate, then thoughtfully added a sprig of parsley for decoration. She observed the result with a critical eye for a moment, then nodded quietly to herself. Just because it was only sandwiches was no excuse to do a half-job. Then it was time to go.

Silent Brook led her down the street, then turned into a small park. "Shortcut," he explained. He didn't have to, because Celestia had absolutely no idea which way it was. Not too far, he assured her.

She caught up until she was trotting easily by Silent Brook's side. "Any suggestions for a name?"

"Huh? What?"

"I don't want to risk someone overhearing-" Celestia paused, looked around, and then whispered it: "Supple Branch."

"Oh!" Silent Brook exclaimed. He gave it some thought. "Uh, how about 'Tree Sap'?"

It was probably the color. It did put one in mind of trees, or mud. "Yes, that could work. Thank you."

They kept trotting, but Silent Brook looked at her sideways. "For a Pr- uh," he began, but caught himself in time. "Uh, for who you are, you sure go for a lot of subterfuge."

She didn't like it either. "It's the human world. I do hope someday I will be able to visit as myself. Officially."

"That would be wonderful," he said and nodded. It was getting dark, but Silent Brook knew the way very well. They left the tarmac and he led her through a thicket of trees and bushes.

She saw that the winter was fading. Of course surprises could still happen, but for now the ground was almost clear of snow. Almost, but not quite.

"Wait, wait, just a moment, please!" She made a slight detour to a pile of rather dirty, second-hoof snow. Perhaps it was where the humans had pushed it together to clear the walking paths and the mass allowed it to stick around this long. There wasn't more than a few inches, but it was enough for her purposes. With a quiet giggle of delight, Celestia jumped right in it with all four hooves. It was delightfully cool on her frogs!

"Come on! Try it!"

Once he saw what she was doing, Silent Brook sighed and rolled his eyes a little, but he did walk to her and put a single hoof on the snow.

"No, come here!" She ran around and head-butted him onto the patch. It was obvious he wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as she had, but he did look down at the white-covered ground.

"Okay? Can we go now?"

Celestia giggled again and rejoined her friend on the small blotch of snow. She saw with great sorrow that she had already stepped through it and reached the mud in some places.

She still pranced a little, just for the joy of it. "Are we in a hurry?"

Silent Brook was puzzled. "Well, no, but-"

"Then shut up and allow yourself to experience the world, Silent Brook." She nudged him with her rump so the pony had to step sideways. He looked down again, ears focused on the snow as if it might tell him secrets.

Then he returned his eyes to the mare. "It's just cold," he pointed out.

"Exactly!"

"But so is the sidewalk. And the grass."

Celestia shook her head. "It's a different kind of cold."

He didn't seem convinced. "Sure, but so what?"

Celestia circled around until she was looking in his face from up close. "So everything, Silent Brook! The senses are how we know the world. Do not deny yourself experiences, no matter how busy you are. I made that mistake, too. Learn from it!" She smiled at him encouragingly. "Think of the dusty gravel road in the height of summer. Your legs ache from walking all day. Then you come across a stream and gladly wade into it. The water is cool and lovely on tired hooves."

He didn't understand, at least not yet. "Okay, but I don't see-"

"Hush! Now remember dew on a spring morning. A thousand droplets of water, cold but not chilly. Or grass on a warm evening in early autumn. Got all that?"

"Mhm!" the stallion nodded. He really was trying, she saw. Maybe because he remembered who she was.

"Those are just some of the sensations you can feel, just by walking. Snow is another. Which is your favourite?"

"Uh," the pony thought for a while. "Autumn, I guess. Warm grass."

"Now, imagine you lived in the city and only ever walked on streets. You would never know what grass felt like under your hooves. Would you say your experiences in that life would be richer or poorer in comparison?"

"Poorer, of course!" he replied with barely a delay. It was the answer she was expecting.

"Well, feeling, but not taking time to notice things is almost as bad. So allow yourself to feel and make your world richer, Silent Brook."

Maybe she got through to him, or perhaps the stallion was just too polite to say that she was an old, crazy mare, but he did shuffle his hooves a little with a look of concentration on his muzzle.

"Soon it will be spring and you won't be able to do this. Make sure you remember what it feels like, Silent Brook."

He still kept his eyes closed and focused on the sensations on his frogs. "Okay, yes! Thank you!" he chirped happily.

It was too perfect. Celestia glanced around for possible onlookers, then used a tiny bit of magic to scoop up some of the snow. Her dusting spell came to her aid again as she removed bits of twigs and dirt from the ball. Then she aimed it.

"So, what do I- GACK!" Silent Brook tried to say. He got it right in the muzzle and sputtered for a few moments until he had spat the snow out. He gulped down a breath of air, then glared at her. "Pri- uh, Tree Sap! That was just mean!" The pony advanced on her, eyeing the patch of snow under him for ammunition.

He wouldn't be able to get together a clean ball, not without magic, and he knew it. But it was fun to pretend. "No! Please! I'm sorry!" Celetia squealed. She giggled in excitement and dashed off to put some distance between herself and her 'irate' friend.

He didn't run, just slowly followed her. It looked like he wouldn't chase her, which was slightly disappointing. Surely he wasn't taking it too seriously, was he? Celestia waited for her friend and then fell in step with him. He didn't look at her and he glowered a little at the world. Surely he wasn't that sore about a little harmless snowball?

"I cleaned it with magic, if it helps."

Silent Brook just grunted.

"Sorry." She wasn't really and he knew it perfectly well, but it couldn't hurt to apologize anyway.

Finally the stallion glanced at her. "I'd never have imagined you doing things like that, you know?"

Of course she knew. Nopony could imagine their Alicorn Princess acting like a foal! It was what made it so fun! "I know!"

He shook his head in exasperation. "You really are enjoying Earth, aren't you?" There was that disapproval again.

"And if I am?"

He kept his mouth wisely shut, but Celestia didn't enjoy this sudden, newfound tension between them. "Listen, Silent Brook. I will admit that the idea of coming here to 'get away' for a while was... somewhat hare-brained. I honestly did not intend to disrespect the situation of my ponies on Earth."

He walked on in silence.

"Even Princesses need some time for themselves."

Now the stallion spoke up. "Most ponies vacation in Vanhoover or Los Pegasus."

"I tried that. The most recent time I went to Vanhoover, the mayor begged for my help and I ended taking petitions from citizens. Twelve hours each day, for an entire week."

He hadn't known that and the stallion swiveled an ear toward her. He still didn't look, but she had his full attention now.

"Then Los Pegasus. That was two years ago. Six ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Four public speeches, no less than nine school visits and I spent the nights going through the city regulations because the council asked me to advise them on construction laws."

Now Silent Brook was looking at her with sincere compassion.

"At one point, I fell asleep into a bowl of cucumber soup. Thankfully it is served cold."

"I'm sorry," he said and really meant it. "I had no idea."

The Princess smiled a little as she thought about it. It wasn't really a bad memory and she had shared a pleasant little laugh with Luna later, especially once she had described to her Sister exactly how red in the face the mayor had been!

"Perhaps the fault is mine. I can't say no when my ponies need me. Before Earth, I was seriously considering a vacation among Minotaurs or Dragons, but it would have turned out into a diplomatic visit. I am known everywhere, Silent Brook."

He made the connection himself. "Except Earth," he finished with a small sigh.

"Except Earth."

"Okay," the stallion conceded. "When you put it like that, I understand. I'm sorry for the way I acted."

She gave him a smile and brushed her flank against his as the walked. "It is alright, Silent Brook, but you understand now why I make sure to experience everything I can? There is no telling when I might get another chance."

"Yes, but you really should make time for yourself. I mean back home. It's not healthy to work all the time," he pointed out helpfully.

"Indeed. That is why I am here."

They suddenly reached the end of the grass and their hooves clopped on concrete again. Silent Brook looked both ways then went on the street. Celestia glanced back, incredulous how quickly the park gave way to buildings.

"Over here," Silent Brook said and turned.

Now that she was there, Celestia thought she recognized some of the buildings. They were quite near the pony meeting place. "Oh, this is here? I never realized you lived that close. Why don't you come more often?"

Silent Brook heaved a sigh. "In case..." he tried to say, but thought better of it. "No reason."

"Come on. Tell me."

He lowered his eyes to the sidewalk. "In case Saul needs me."

"It will get better. Just speak with him like I've taught you. Bring him together with April again. Get him to accept help."

He nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

Just like that they were at the door. It was late enough that the meeting had already started. That meant the humans would hopefully be in the owners' room. Celestia would prefer it if they didn't see her at all.

When she entered, just behind Silent Brook, everypony jumped to their feet to come greet the newcomer.

"Oh! Hello there!" Lake Frond called out, but a moment later they recognized her and there was a series of gasps.

"Supple?!" Heavy Hoof asked a little incredulously. "Wh-what happened to you?"

Glitter Dust knew and she was giggling into her hoof, but the others just stared.

"Sorry everypony. A little extra disguise to get me home. I hoped it would be a bit better, but you all saw through it in seconds."

That last part worried her a little. Rock Lichen came up and circled around her. "No, no, don't worry," he was saying. "Humans won't be able to tell. They really can't recognize us except from color."

It was a relief and besides, her papers didn't have too detailed a description. Miriam Adams had read it out to her. It basically just said 'Mare: Cyan (coat), green (mane)' and a couple of words for her cutie mark. She considered drawing another over it, but then just covered it with paint. The humans didn't understand what it was for, and she could claim to the border people that she hadn't gotten hers yet. Even if they knew what age ponies got their marks at, she could claim to be a unique case. Miriam agreed and changed the text to say she had no cutie mark. The papers would confirm her story. Celestia glanced around. It seemed as if everypony was there.

The important stuff first. "Do you have the papers?" she asked Lake Frond, who nodded.

"I gave them to Glitter already. She'll get them to that lawyer of yours."

Rock Lichen raised a concern in a nervous voice. "Uh, are you sure we can trust this lawyer lady?"

"Yes. She won the case against those foal-nappers and she's helping me get home. I trust her completely."

That was enough and the stallion relaxed. "So, how will we do this?" he asked.

Celestia had been thinking about it. "Can you keep a small something hidden from your humans?"

Lake Frond and her husband looked at one another. Then the mare said: "Yes. What did you have in mind?"

Celestia glanced at her pegasus friend. "Glitter Dust, could you get Maggie to buy them a prepaid phone, like mine? That way we can talk in secret." She had experimented with the thing a little and knew a secret. "If you put it to the most silent setting, humans can't usually hear it ringing from the next room, but we can."

They were all impressed. Even Heavy Hoof whistled through his teeth. "Nice, Supple! Good idea!"

That reminded her. "Oh! Can you please call me 'Tree Sap' while I have these... colors?"

"Oh. Sure, no problem!" the pony agreed easily. He watched her with a hungry expression, which was at the same time flattering and a little disconcerting. The stallion still had desires toward her, it seemed, which reminded her about the little drama which was happening among her friends.

"Listen, everypony." She had their full attention. "I do not know when exactly I will leave Earth. If an opportunity presents itself, I will take it. There might not be time to say goodbye."

The information was making them sad, but each of them smiled at their monarch in support. "We understand," Glitter Dust assured her.

"Thank you. If will send word as soon as I can, probably through Gregory, but before I go..." She didn't want to say it outright. If Belle Hop was too shy to speak with Heavy Hoof, she certainly wouldn't appreciate being outed in front of everypony. She needed to get her alone and then she needed to kick the stallion in the rump and get some answers. He was either incredibly thick and hadn't noticed how the pegasus felt about him, or he was using her affection for an easy lay. In either case, a kick to the rear was the least he deserved!

She was coming up with a plan when Glitter Dust spoke up again: "Uh, Tree Sap?"

That woke Celestia from her thoughts and she pointed a hoof at the other pegasus. It was time to help. "Belle Hop, can I see you quickly in the bathroom?"

Five muzzles fell open in surprise. Only Glitter Dust and Silent Brook knew what was going on. Heavy Hoof made a small whimpering noise as he no doubt imagined extremely inappropriate things the two mares might do alone. She firmly ignored him and led the bewildered pegasus away.

Once in the small bathroom, she quickly cast a spell against eavesdropping. Just to be safe.

"Tell me about Heavy Hoof."

Belle Hop instantly blushed and looked away. "W-why do you wanna know about him?" she asked. "H-he's just a p-pony."

"Yes, and so are you. Tell me what you think about him."

Realization dawned and Belle Hop gave a small gasp as she covered her mouth with a hoof. "You know?! Who told you?"

Celestia shook her head and laid her leg around her friend's withers. "Never mind how I know. You want Heavy Hoof to see you like you see him."

It wasn't a question and Belle Hop nodded sadly. Her ears, stiff from the initial shock, were folding back.

"Right now, he only sees you as a momentary diversion. Then he is right out there again, chasing other mares."

Again, Belle Hop didn't have to confirm it. A look at her face made it plain. She sniffed a little.

"Did you tell him how you feel?" Celestia asked.

Her friend shook her head. "I t-tried, but I cuh- cuh-," she sobbed and tried to finish the sentence before tears started in earnest. "Couldn't!"

Celestia pulled her closer and pressed her face against the Royal Chestfluff. It wasn't the real thing because of her shape change spell, but it still had some of its power. "There, there, sweetie. Don't be ashamed."

The mare clung to her with all four hooves and wings as she wept. Celestia just waited patiently for the torrent to stop. Eventually it did. Celestia imagined the others had their ears plastered to the door, but thanks to her spell they wouldn't hear anything. Belle Hop deserved some privacy, at least.

"You can tell me, sweetie."

Belle Hop did so, haltingly and miserably. "T-the first time, you know," Belle Hop began her story, "it was just supposed to be some fun. I knew that's what it should have been."

It matched her own experience. Heavy Hoof was pushy and perhaps a little manipulative, but he wasn't dishonest. He didn't try and hide what he wanted. He didn't lie about the relationship.

"B-but... somehow," Belle Hop went on, trying to describe emotion with words. "Somehow it changed. I don't know why, but I... fell for him." She was blushing now, but at least she wasn't crying anymore. Maybe there was even a hint of a smile at the memory. "I know I shouldn't have. I knew he was only after one thing, but he's so... forward. I guess... it appealed to me because I was never like that."

"And you never told him?"

Belle Hop shook her head. "N-no! Of course not!" she said with a very frightened voice. "I knew he didn't want anything more serious. If I asked him for that, maybe he'd just run away from me." Her ears went down some more and she averted her eyes. Even her wings shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess I rather had an occasional..." The pony squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered as she said it: "... romp. Rather that than... nothing at all."

It wasn't hard to see what it was doing to her. Everypony saw it, except Heavy Hoof, or maybe he was ignoring it on purpose so he didn't loose access to 'an easy lay' whenever he needed one? The latter thought made Celestia's blood boil. She would get to the bottom of it!

Unfortunately, that would probably mean she'd have to break Belle Hop's heart. If the stallion was using her in that despicable, cold-hearted fashion, then Celestia would ensure he never came near her again. A broken heart could heal. Whatever Heavy Hoof was doing to the pegasus now, even unknowingly, couldn't. Celestia prayed she was wrong. Maybe he really was just ignorant. None of the others had told him, Lake Frond knew that much. They didn't like to poke their snouts in the affairs of other ponies.

Now, how to explain it all to Belle Hop? The Princess drew a deep breath. At times like these, being an alicorn was quite hard. "Sometimes love isn't meant to be, sweetie. I know it might hurt, but telling yourself a lie will only hurt more in the end. You understand?"

Fresh tears were already pouring and Belle Hop was about to start crying again. It looked like she had been keeping it all in, never willing to talk to anypony about it. It was a stroke of luck that she opened up to Celestia. Maybe it was the authority, or maybe it was the way her ponies saw her. Like a mother.

"We'll get to the bottom of this. Maybe Heavy Hoof just didn't realize it, okay?"

Belle Hop gave a sad nod.

Celestia held her in silence for a few more minutes, then gave her a last nuzzle and gently freed herself. "I'll go and speak with him." The mare was already shaking her head, her eyes wide and panicky, but Celestia was firm. "Sweetheart, it is best you know now. Every minute longer will just make it worse in the end."

There was no denying that tone. Maybe it was for the best.

Celestia embraced her again, briefly. "Wait here. You can cry if you need to - nopony outside this room can hear you. I'll be back very soon, okay?"

She felt Belle Hop nod against her neck, then she released her and slipped outside. The others were sitting around the coffee table, watching 'Tree Sap' as she exited the bathroom alone. She paused for a few moments to collect herself, then looked up, glaring. It made Heavy Hoof flinch when those eyes landed on him and he backed away slightly as she advanced on him. Lake Frond and Rock Lichen looked at one another and Glowbug looked away. Even Glitter Dust seemed uncomfortable.

"Heavy Hoof. A word, please?"

He knew it was something important. Of course he did, but it didn't appear that the stallion knew what she was about to say. It boded well. If he had knowingly misled Belle Hop, he would undoubtedly be more afraid. "Y-yes?" he mumbled.

"Tell me about Belle Hop."

Heavy Hoof tried to look around Celestia, but the door to the bathroom was closed. He glanced at her face, then quickly lowered his eyes and gulped. "S-she's a friend."

"And?"

He fidgeted and sagged under her wilting presence. Even looking like an earth pony, Celestia was still an alicorn and they all felt it keenly. "Well, some- uh, sometimes we," the stallion began, cautiously, "you know. It's just a bit of fun. I never forced her, I swear!"

His statement rang true. Celestia believed him. Besides, it fit with her own experiences and also with what Lake Frond and Glitter Dust had said. "You are friends, nothing more?"

Again the poor stallion gulped. "Well..." he began, then drew a shuddering breath. "Good friends? W-who sometimes... you know."

She waited, while Heavy Hoof began to shiver nervously. He really didn't seem to know what she wanted, but he was too afraid to ask. "What if I told you, Heavy Hoof, that Belle Hop likes you?"

He still didn't get it. Rock Lichen was about to say something, Celestia saw it from the corner of her eye, but a hoof in the stomach from his wife shut him right up.

"I l-like her too," Heavy Hoof said uncertainly.

"You misunderstand."

Now he was completely baffled. Heavy Hoof finally looked up at her face and spread his hooves in defeat. "Then what, uh, Tree Sap?" Even under stress he remembered the new name. Commendable, but neither here nor there.

Celestia brought her face closer and lowered her voice. The others would still hear, but it gave the stallion that extra sense of privacy and secrecy. "Belle Hop is deeply in love with you. Each time you 'pick her up', she's ecstatic and then you go and chase Glitter Dust again, or Glowbug, or any other mare you see, and it breaks her heart." Celestia had never seen a pony's eyes go that wide. Another fraction of an inch and they would have popped right out of his head.

His mouth moved, but no words came out. He tried again: "L-luh- love?!" it was barely a whisper.

"You did not know?"

He shook his head, mutely. He tried to swear it, but his voice failed him again, so the stallion just put a hoof on his heart.

"Are you lying to me?"

Heavy Hoof suddenly understood her fury. He cringed back and hurriedly shook his head again, more urgently. Almost frantically.

She believed it. An alicorn didn't spend centuries dealing with negotiators, diplomats and petitioning subjects without getting a very good feel for when ponies were lying. It was the best possible outcome and Celestia relaxed a little. Maybe Belle Hop's heart wouldn't have to be dashed.

"Now that you know, what will you do about it?"

All Heavy Hoof could do was give a slight whimper. He was still staring at the alicorn in shock.

"Well?"

He found words: "Please, I had no idea! You have to believe me! I'd never-"

She could almost read his thoughts. Heavy Hoof began to imagine how Belle Hop had felt when he simply thanked her for the sex and left. Had he talked about the others in front of her? "That would be monstrous!" he exclaimed with horror. "Princess, you know I would never-" he shuddered and took a deep breath. "I swear I'm not like that!"

The theatrics were a bit much, but there was honesty underneath it. Heavy Hoof was acting it up a little to avoid her rage, that much was clear to her. Now, as he watched the silent Princess, his ears folded down and he spread his hooves helplessly in the air. "What should I do?" he asked.

"That depends. Can you give Belle Hop what she needs? What she deserves? If not, it's kinder to break it off now."

He swallowed a lump and looked at the bathroom door again. "C-can I talk with her first?"

Good. Celestia nearly smiled. Perhaps, underneath his obsession, Heavy Hoof had a core of decency. She turned and slowly walked to the bathroom door. "Come."

After a moment of shock he followed her. She slipped inside first, but held the door for the stallion to follow. Then she closed it. The spell of silence was still there. Belle Hop wasn't crying, but it was very obvious she had been. The sight made Heavy Hoof stop just inside the door, while Celestia went to hug the mare again. She held her, almost protectively, while Heavy Hoof stared at them both.

"Talk."

The command jerked him awake and he took a hesitant step closer. In her hooves, Celestia felt Belle Hop hold her breath in anticipation.

"Belle," Heavy Hoof began, but his voice broke and he had to swallow again. "I had no idea. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Belle Hop tensed up and it looked like she would sob again. Celestia gave her a squeeze and answered for her. "She was afraid you'd run away. You don't exactly inspire confidence, Heavy Hoof."

He took another step forward and sat near the mares. His eyes were on Belle Hop and he almost didn't seem aware of 'Tree Sap'. "I wouldn't do that, Belle. I know I'm not the perfect stallion, but I'm not a monster, you know?" The mare closed her eyes, maybe to try and stem the flow of tears. She still didn't answer, but Celestia nodded at the stallion to continue. He sighed and looked down. "I'm not sure I know how to handle this, Belle. You know I'm messed up, but I always liked you and-" he mumbled, stringing together sentences as they were forming in his mind. He obviously didn't know exactly what he wanted to say. "Buck, I don't know what to say, Belle!" he swore. His voice made the poor pegasus flinch.

Celestia leaned down and whispered in her ear. That seemed to help and the mare blinked, then asked in a very quiet voice: "C-can you lo-love me back?"

The two just watched each other for a very long time. Celestia was beginning to think that she would have to prod the stallion along again, but finally he spoke up. "I d-don't know." Belle Hop gave a sob before he could continue: "But I'd like to try, Belle."

Something else was needed. Celestia added her own question: "You'll give up chasing other mares?!"

"Yes!"

"No more fooling around? No more Mr. Suave? If you can't see Belle, you'll keep it to yourself?!"

"Yes! I swear!" Heavy Hoof said. Then he remembered and his face fell. "I can't control what the humans do to me. They m-make me watch..."

Celestia felt Belle Hop nod against her chest. "We know that. I will do everything I can to get you both home once I'm back in Equestria. I have friends among humans now. Can you hold on a little longer?"

Heavy Hoof nodded to that. "Y-yes." His eyes were still on Belle Hop, who still didn't understand what was happening, but Celestia could feel how her poor heart was rattling.

She carefully let the mare go and motioned to the stallion. "You two need to talk."

"Yes," Heavy Hoof said. He was about to take Belle Hop in his hooves, but Celestia placed herself between them. She put her muzzle right to his ear and whispered. Belle Hop couldn't hear it.

"You are allowed to change your mind and say no, Heavy Hoof. Love can't be forced, but if you say yes and later break her heart, I will have horrible creatures straight from Tartarus come get you and drag you off, understand?"

He whimpered in misery and his hooves went to his midriff, as he hugged himself for what little comfort he could find.

It wasn't the nicest thing and, of course, Celestia would never go through with her threat, but there was some mystery associated with the Royal Sisters and mystery implied a measure of fear. She used it when she had to, even if she sometimes regretted it later.

"Do what is right, and do not lie, even to yourself. Say 'no', if it is the truth, but never ever say 'yes' as a lie!"

He managed a shaky mumble: "I prom-promise, Princess!" Then she stepped away and the stallion grabbed Belle Hop, as if hoping she would protect him from the vengeful alicorn. For her part, the mare clutched at the stallion and buried her face in his chest.

Maybe they would make it work, Celestia decided, or maybe they wouldn't. She left the bathroom, but kept the silencing magic. It would linger for about twenty minutes more before fading. They might be happy, she thought. On the other hoof, they might discover that they don't fit together, but at least now they had a chance. With a bit of luck, both their hearts would mend. Even if they didn't stay together, it would be a lot better than the way they were both torturing themselves and each other. Her other friends looked at her, but didn't ask any questions. It was just as well. Celestia wouldn't have answered any.

Very soon it was time to leave. Celestia chatted with the others about inconsequential matters until the two ponies returned from the bathroom. She tried to see if they had done anything beyond talking, but it didn't seem so. Neither of them seemed winded or flustered. It looked like Belle Hop had done her best to erase any sign that she had been crying. Her cheeks were still damp, but nopony commented. She followed Heavy Hoof demurely and the two sat on the floor by the coffee table, side by side, with their flanks nearly touching. The mare looked at the circle of her friends, opened her mouth to speak, then her ears folded down and she changed her mind. Instead, Belle Hop blushed and looked at the carpet.

Lake Frond came to her aid: "Don't worry Belle. We know."

"What?!" she squeaked, echoed closely by the bewildered Heavy Hoof. They both stared at the bemused pony faces around them.

"You all knew, except for me?!" Heavy Hoof gasped out. "Why did nopony say anything?!"

Now it was the others' turn to be embarrassed. "Maybe we should have," Lake Frond admitted. "I guess we all had worries of our own. I'm sorry, the both of you."

There was some silence, until Rock Lichen addressed the other stallion: "So, does this mean you're no longer chasing Glitter or Glowbug?" He waited a second to let it sink in, then added in a lower voice: "Or Lake?"

All three mentioned mares, as well as Belle Hop, colored deeply. They couldn't meet each other's eyes after that, or Heavy Hoof's.

The stallion in question glared a little at his friend, but then his shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'm done with all that."

His new marefriend smiled a little at that and clarified: "We'll... uh, we decided to try and make it work." As she said it, Belle Hop leaned a little into her coltfriend and nuzzled him. It was cute and Celestia nodded happily at both of them. She would be sure to write letters to them until she had a way to bring them both to Equestria, or, if they didn't wish to go, at least get them basic pony rights.

"Anyway, we should probably get going," Silent Brook said meaningfully. Celestia knew it was a cue for them to leave. It was getting late and despite his claim of how close by he lived, they had some distance travel on hoof.

Celestia stood up and went to give her friends hugs. "I do not know when I'll leave, so each time might be a goodbye." She had said as much before. The ponies gratefully accepted an embrace each and said how much they would miss her. Celestia did the same.

Until she came to Glowbug. Then she whispered, right into her ear, almost beyond hearing: "Step out with me, we need to talk."

The changeling controlled herself very well. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and stood up. "I think I'll walk you out. I could use a bit of air. It's stuffy in here," Glowbug explained. "Somepony tell Mrs. Turner if she asks."

There was no comment, so Celestia guessed it wasn't an unusual request. The two mares followed Silent Brook out of the room and to the building entrance. There the alicorn paused to address her guide. "Go ahead, I'll catch up. Just give me a minute, please."

He was definitely curious, but Silent Brook didn't ask. He just mumbled something about 'secrecy' to himself and trotted off. Just to be sure, Celestia brought up a small bubble to keep their conversation private. "I think you should tell them." It was blunt, but they didn't have much time.

Glowbug frowned a little. "Why?"

A valid question. The changeling seemed comfortable with the disguise, and she had told Celestia that she really felt more like 'Glowbug' the unicorn, than her old changeling self, but the lie still felt wrong.

"I just think they deserve to know. Please, consider it? I think you'll be surprised by their reaction."

Glowbug pointed an accusing hoof at the alicorn. "You nearly blasted my head off!"

Ugly as it was, her mud-colored fur at least hid the embarrassed blush. "Sorry, but they've known you longer. They will listen." Why was this so important to the Princess? Why should she care what this one changeling did on Earth? Maybe it was what Glowbug had told her. Her friends liked her and their friendship and love was food she needed to survive, but she also liked them back! Somehow, for some reason, that made it different. 'More filling', Glowbug had said. Celestia knew what ponies were like if they were being drained of emotion. She just had to think back to Shining Armor and his wedding to Princess Cadence. Her friends didn't look like that. Glowbug could be spreading her feeding around - the thought still made Celestia a little uncomfortable - so that nopony noticed, but she didn't think so.

"When was the last time you... uh, 'fed'?"

It was a completely unexpected question, but Glowbug thought about it and answered: "Dunno. A couple of weeks ago? I wouldn't call it that, though."

"What would you call it then?"

"It's not like feeding. I guess..." she began, then paused and lifted a hoof up to scratch her muzzle in thought. "Lemme see. I made lemon cookies for the meeting, and Lake Frond said they were good. It was something like pride or something," Glowbug explained thoughtfully. "That was when I felt it, anyway. Normally I don't even notice it anymore."

Celestia repeated flatly: "You don't... even notice it?"

The other mare raised her face to the sky and groaned a little in exasperation. "Quit it with that tone, okay? I told you it's not like that! I don't drain my friends." She looked at Celestia with almost a kind of fire in her eyes. "I wouldn't do that to them, even if I was dying of hunger!"

Maybe that was it, Celestia thought? Giving love and friendship was somehow more filling than taking it? She would have to look into it some more when she was back in Equestria. "Sorry. Just think about telling them the truth, okay?"

"I'll think about it," the mare said with the slightest bit of tension in her voice.

That was no way to treat a friend, Celestia realized. She reached around the unicorn and hugged her again. "Please forgive an old, foolish mare. I'll write when I'm home."

The changeling in her hooves relaxed. "It's fine. Be safe, okay? Maybe when we're free, I'll come visit you in Canterlot." It was a test. Glowbug wanted to see what Celestia thought of a changeling walking the streets of Canterlot.

She didn't fall for it. The alicorn pulled back and smiled. "I would like that. Of course you'd be an honored guest at the Castle."

"In the dungeons, right?" the mare asked.

They both giggled and the tension between them vanished. "Take care. I have to go now." Celestia could see Silent Brook waiting patiently on the other side of the street. She let the silence bubble vanish and trotted up to him. "Ready. Let's go."

He just gave a nod and led the way back to the park.

They were nearly home when Silent Brook stopped and grabbed her. He pulled her down toward the ground. For the briefest moment Celestia considered using her magic to break free. She didn't know what had come over her friend, but if he had snapped and meant to hurt her for some reason, she would need to overpower him and try to get him back to his senses.

Then Silent Brook whispered in her ear: "Shhh!"

She followed his gaze and saw a black car parked before their house. More importantly, a couple of men were at the door, talking with Saul.

"I don't like the look of that," the stallion said quietly. "Come! Now!"

Celestia could just nod. She was worried by her friend's tone, so she followed him behind a corner.

"I'll go check it out," he said, left her in hiding, and crawled away.

She peeked around the building and focused her ears on the men. She had an idea. It was dangerous, but a bit of magic could help her hear. She looked around and made sure no one was around, then cast her spell. The voices became audible. Too late she remembered that Silent Brook hadn't really needed to risk himself, but he was already out of earshot.

"... come the fuck back when you have a warrant, okay?" Saul was saying, angrily.

He sounded upset and the man who answered him was a lot calmer. "Sir," he said, politely, but firmly, "we do have a warrant to search this house. Step away from the door, please."

There was a faint whisper, which put Celestia in mind of a phone. Were the two people somehow on the phone at the same time they spoke with Saul? How? She could see no devices in their hands.

"I'll fucking believe that when I see it!"

When one of the men lifted his hand, Celestia saw a bit of paper. "Here, I already showed it!" he insisted. "Let us in, please, otherwise we'll be forced to arrest you, sir!"

Her blood went cold and Celestia took a step back. They had found her! There could be no doubt. It was bad! Her phone with Rawsthorne's and Miriam Adams' number was up in the room. As were her hoofguards and peytral. She didn't care so much about losing them, but they would give the humans undeniable evidence that she was there and ammunition to go after her friends, both human and pony! Not to mention Saul. She didn't enjoy the idea of her new human friend to be tossed in a prison, or questioned about his involvement with her, but how could she resolve the situation? It was an impossible problem! The mare shivered and tried to keep from panicking. It would do her no good, anyway. The best thing to do now was wait for Silent Brook to come back. Maybe they could sneak around the back and he could fetch her things. The spell was still working and Celestia leaned forward to hear again.

Saul was explaining something angrily: "-gives you the right to bother me in the middle of the night over some pony or something! Unbelievable!" The other human tried to calm him down, but Saul wouldn't stop. "I fought in a war, do you understand that, you slick bureaucratic piece of shit?!"

Now he was yelling. In a moment, the men would make good on their threat and arrest him. Celestia couldn't have that. She didn't want to wait for Silent Brook to come back. She went looking for him. The mud color helped hide her and she dropped to her knees to be as invisible as possible. Then she crawled forward.

Her stallion friend was hiding behind the empty car. He waved urgently when he saw her coming, but he couldn't raise his voice. She ignored his gestures and joined him.

"Feds," he whispered. "Probably after you."

Celestia thought about a sound bubble, but she didn't want to risk too much magic. The glow of it might attract attention. "Yes. What do we do?" She tried very hard to keep the fear from her voice, but some bled through.

Silent Brook gave it some thought. "We need to get your things from upstairs and then get you out of here. It's not safe anymore."

Celestia agreed, but her ears lowered in misery. She hadn't expected to say bye to Silent Brook just yet, and it looked like she couldn't say goodbye to Saul at all, but she nodded anyway. They peered around the car, where Saul was beginning to shout and the men were preparing to tackle him.

Silent Brook heaved a sigh. "I better go stop him, before they shoot him or something," he said. The mare held him back with a hoof, but the stallion wouldn't be deterred. "I have to. They're looking for a pony, I'll go and keep them busy. You go around the back. The door is probably closed, but you can magic it open, right?"

Celestia nodded once.

"Good. Sneak upstairs for your stuff, then leave out back."

The mare swallowed a lump. "Where do I go? What do I do?"

Her friend hugged her briefly. "Call Rawsthorne. Or Miriam. They'll know what to do."

She hoped so. Otherwise, it would mean flying to the portal and forcing her way back. A very messy affair. There wasn't much time left. The officer's voice sounded like he was about to lose his patience. She held Silent Brook for a moment longer to nuzzle him. "Thank you. I'll write when I can."

He nodded, then slipped away. His hoofsteps were louder than they should be, making all three humans shut up and look around.

"I brought you your damn cigarettes, Saul. What the fuck is going on here?"

Celestia didn't wait to see the rest. She crawled back the way she came, keeping low and ducking between the buildings as soon as she could. Then she stood and ran over the grass backyards as quickly as she could. Ditching her camouflage would enable her to fly, but the mare didn't want to do that. Even if she went back to 'Supple Branch', she would still be a pony the men knew. With her dyed fur, she might be able to pretend to be somepony else in an emergency. Mere minutes later she jumped the fence to Saul's backyard. Like Silent Brook had said, the door was locked, but a simple spell took care of that. She slid inside. There was still somewhat of a commotion at the front door, with Saul blocking the way.

"It's not the right pony," one of the men was saying. "It should be blue or something. This one is orange. And a male. We're looking for a female."

The other guy said: "Are you sure it's male? How can you tell?"

The stallion barked a short laugh. "I can show you if you wanna make sure," he offered.

"We should still check his papers," the other human said.

It made Celestia freeze in her steps. Silent Brook had no papers, due to the way he arrived in the country! She couldn't let him get caught up in that. There was no telling what the people might do. They may even send him back to an auction! She couldn't let them break up Saul and Silent Brook. Not to mention April, but there wasn't a lot she could do. She nearly groaned out loud with how helpless she felt at the point.

Maybe the feds wouldn't care about Silent Brook, since he wasn't who they were looking for. Otherwise, the only way she could solve it was through force, and she didn't want to do that. She decided to wait a tad longer. As she listened, the men began to argue. The first voice insisted that they only cared about the cyan mare - Celestia in disguise. That Silent Brook was unimportant. It gave her hope.

Then Saul jumped in. "For fuck's sake, wait here a minute!" he grumbled and slammed the door in his face.

The agents immediately forgot about the stallion and started knocking on the door again. "Sir?! Open this door immediately, or we'll have to break it down!" they threatened.

Ignoring them, Saul was going to his bedroom, which gave her a chance. Celestia went to meet him. "Saul."

The man stopped and looked wildly around. "What the fuck are you doing here? They're looking for you! Get outta here, damn it!"

His concern warmed her heart. "I have to take my things from upstairs and I don't want Silent Brook to get in trouble for his missing papers."

The man crouched down and put a hand in her mane. I was something he had never done before, but Celestia didn't object.

"He won't. I have his papers."

"You do?!" This was something even the stallion didn't know.

"Of course I do," Saul confirmed. "I'm not so stupid to have an unlicensed pony in the house, for fuck's sake."

It was very good news. For a moment Celestia wondered how he had gotten them, but then shrugged. The human bureaucracy was full of holes, it seemed. She gave the man a quick hug and a nuzzle. At first he froze, but then the arms went around her and patted her back.

"Thank you, Saul. I'll never forget this. I'll find a way to return the kindness, I swear!" After a moment she let him go and his hands slid away.

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly.

Here was another human who would be getting a polite but formal invitation to Equestria soon, Celestia decided. At least a dinner and a day at the spa! Together with April too, of course!

But now wasn't the time for this. "Take care, Saul. Silent Brook needs you more than you think." She wondered why exactly she had said that. It was a spur of the moment thing, but it rang true. Whatever the stallion said, he needed Saul about as much as the human needed him. They were both damaged by their experiences and they relied on each other to give themselves purpose. Hopefully she had done enough to get them on the path to healing.

More knocking interrupted her as the men outside were apparently going frantic.

"Hurry up!" Saul said and went into his bedroom to fetch Silent Brook's paperwork.

The mare muffled her hoofsteps with a simple spell and ran up the stairs. She made sure to avoid the window and grabbed her bag. The phone was on Silent Brook's bed and the charger was in the wall - thankfully she had left it plugged in when they left for the pony meeting. That meant it was full of electricity now! It went in the saddlebags, those slid easily on her back and Celestia was done. She took a last look around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting something.

The hair dye! It was still in the bathroom! She made a slight detour, grabbed the bottles and shoved them in the bags. That was everything. She didn't bother about the toothbrush. Then she went down the stairs and paused just out of sight of the front door. It was open again and Saul was showing the humans the documents.

"Wait, papers? Mine?! How do you have those?" Silent Brook was asking.

Stupid, stupid, Celestia thought. Don't draw attention to them, she thought, but she couldn't do anything. The agent who had insisted on verifying the stallion's identity was reading the papers and the other was a few steps away, looking at the car. He was probably impatient to get going.

Now or never, the mare thought, and slipped down the last few steps, through the hallway and into the living room. She left by the back door and pushed it closed. Then she ran for it.

A couple of jumps saw her in a neighbor's backyard and from there she galloped through an open gate into another street. She kept to the grass until she was around the corner because it somewhat muffled her hoofsteps.

Where to go? Only one place came to mind. Celestia hoped her sense of orientation was up to the task and began to circle around. She relaxed a little once she entered the park where Silent Brook had taken her on a shortcut. There were fewer lights and she could hide out in the bushes if she really had to. The mud color would help, but she had to come up with something else before she slept, like a hiding place, or a plan.

With a weary sigh, she brought out her phone and put in the first number. She nearly called, but changed her mind. If the agents were this close on her tail, it was a definite possibility that they were watching Rawsthorne to see if she contacted him. She quickly changed the number and pushed the green button.

"Hello?" came Miriam Adams' voice.

Celestia went straight to the point: "Miriam, I have a problem. They found me here. I had to leave!"

There was a long silence from Miriam on the phone. Celestia began to think that the D.A. had simply ended the call.

"Miriam?"

"Still here," the woman said and the words filled the alicorn with relief. "Thinking."

Celestia floated the plastic device beside her ear as she walked further into the park, away from the well-lit path.

Finally, Miriam spoke up again: "Where are you now?"

"A park near Saul's house, but I don' think they can find me. It's dark and there's a lot of evergreen bushes where I can hide."

"That's good. Who is after you?"

Celestia didn't really know. She had assumed it was just 'the government', but Miriam's question made her think it might be a little more complicated. "Some men. They didn't look like police. No uniforms and their car was just... regular. They were certainly asking Saul about me. He told me to run." Again there was silence. Even though Miriam couldn't see her, Celestia lowered her ears reflexively as she apologized: "I'm sorry to spring this on you. I thought... maybe they're watching Gregory in case I called him. I didn't know what else to do."

Celestia had been hoping that Miriam Adams would say it was alright, but the woman didn't. She really was pushing the woman too far. She swallowed a lump and tried to make her voice steady. "If it's t-too much to ask, I'll understand. I'll call Gregory."

"No!" Miriam replied quickly. "You were right in thinking he's probably being watched. I'll get a message to him tomorrow. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

The mare looked around her. It wasn't even a forest. She was in the deepest, darkest part of the park she could find, and the lights from the path were still visible here and there through the bare branches. If she remained vigilant, she could probably wait until morning, but the disguise spell would be incredibly difficult to maintain by then.

Still, Celestia didn't want to sound weak and whiny. "I can wait here. I think I'll be alright, but I won't be able to keep my disguise much longer than until midmorning."

"Okay, I understand," Miriam said. "I need to get off the phone so I can call some people. Hide somewhere and wait until I call you back, okay?"

It was an immense relief that the woman was taking charge. Celestia still had her backup plan, but that was to be used in an emergency only. "Yes. Thank you, Miriam!"

The woman grunted something affirmative, then hung up. Alone once more, Celestia looked around for a better hiding place. Maybe one of the larger bushes would do, although the ground was soggy and cold. She sighed and looked around to select the largest shrub. Of course it had needles, but she hoped that at least it wasn't too thorny on the inside. In the dark she couldn't tell what kind it was, so Celestia just went for it. It was a bit of a squeeze and the branches were quite thick, but she found a small hollow near the center. After she turned around a few times, it was almost tolerable. The foliage was just thick enough to hide her, while allowing her to see around pretty well. There was nothing else to do, so the pony curled up and lay down to wait. The ground wasn't too soggy and her fur should protect her for a few hours. In a flash of inspiration, Celestia remembered her saddlebags and rooted around in one.

Yes! Her scarf, the one she had enchanted to keep her warm on her walks with Rawsthorne! She had almost forgotten that she had packed it. She quickly put it around her neck and the magic warmed her up nicely. If it didn't rain, she could stay like that until morning. Perhaps longer. The trickiest part would be not falling asleep.

The phone began to ring loudly and it made Celestia jump up in fright. She had forgotten to silence it! It was pure luck that there was no one around. She hurriedly pulled it from her bag and answered it.

"Yes?"

It was Miriam again and her voice made the mare sag in relief. "Okay, tell me where you are," the woman commanded.

Celestia knew the address of Saul's house and she told the lawyer that. Then she explained how to get to the park.

"Good, good. I think I know the area. I'll be there in an hour. I'll call you." She was about to hang up.

"Wait!"

Celestia was lonely and frightened. Even with her magic scarf, the ground seemed to be sucking warmth from her. Another hour in the dark, trying to look in all directions at once, listening to every tiny sound, seemed dreadful.

"Hmm?"

"W-what are you going to do?" One minute, Celestia decided. Just let her friend talk to her for a minute and then she could face another hour!

"I'll come get you," Miriam answered. "I've got your papers ready, I can get you across the border, I think."

Immediately the Princess thought about her friends. "What about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen?"

Miriam sighed. "You're thinking about them at a time like this?"

Celestia nodded before she remembered that the lady couldn't see her. "Of course. I made them a promise."

"Noble," the woman commented wryly. She appeared to think for a while longer. "Okay, how do we reach them?"

It was sheer luck that Celestia had been at the pony meet up that night. Then again, it was about time for something to go her way! "Glitter Dust will take them a cell phone. Like mine."

"Okay, good. This is going to be risky as all hell. If we get caught, we'll both be doing prison time, understand?"

Swallowing, Celestia gave a nod and then pressed her lips firmly together for a moment as she imagined what human jail might be like for a pony. "I understand." Would she really risk everything for two of her subjects? It wasn't even a question. Of course she would!

"Good. Once you can reach them, they'll escape and we'll meet them somewhere," Miriam explained. She was right. It did sound risky.

"Where will I wait? I can't keep the disguise, and as soon as I change, the hair dye will vanish."

"Yeah, I know," the woman replied. "Here's what we do. You can't stay with me or Rawsthorne. They probably aren't watching me, but I'd rather not risk it. My brother has a house about an hour away and he's on a ski trip in France. I have the key."

A very resourceful woman. Plus it sounded a sight more comfortable than hiding in a forest somewhere. "Miriam, I don't know how I will ever repay you..."

"Hush. It's not done yet," the D.A. said, but Celestia could tell she was smiling. "Anyway, we'll pick up the other two, then we'll go on a road trip. We should be fine once we're across the state line."

Celestia thought back to her arrival on Earth. She had gone to the auction house first, then to Rawsthorne, both had been long drives. "How far is it?"

"About a day and a half, maybe two. We'll go for as long as you can keep the disguise, then we'll take a motel room to rest," Miriam explained. "We can do this, Celly. Don't worry. Anything else?"

Having a plan was incredibly comforting. "No, thank you. I'll be here."

Miriam said her goodbyes and hung up. Celestia settled down to wait.

Chapter 51

"Okay, you can use the guest room. If you find anything edible in the fridge feel free. Otherwise I'll stop by after work tomorrow and bring you something," Miriam was explaining while she led Celestia into the house.

It had been a good choice, the mare thought. It wasn't a solitary building like Rawsthorne had, but the hamlet - it couldn't really be called even a village - looked peaceful. Surely, if she kept herself out of sight, no one would suspect that an alicorn was temporarily living there. Meanwhile the house had all the amenities. Miriam had told her to make herself at home.

"C-can I use the bath?" It was a question far more important than mere food, after all.

Laughing softly, her friend tousled her mane. "Yes, and good thing you reminded me. I'll just go and turn the heating up."

Now that she thought about it, Celestia realized the house was a little chilly. It made sense - if the human wasn't home, why would he waste oil to keep the place warm? She knew about oil and how much it cost. Rawsthorne had explained.

"Thank you."

Miriam went down the stairs with the mare right on her heels. She fiddled with some buttons on the central heating, while Celestia waited nearby. Thanks to Rawsthorne, the pony was no longer afraid of the complicated array of pipes and machines. She merely flinched a little when the thing suddenly turned on, but otherwise stood her ground.

"There, that should do it. Come on, lets go fix up a bed for you," Miriam said and walked past her.

Celestia watched the machine for a few more seconds. There was a dull roar as fire blazed inside, warming up the water in the pipes, as well as more water she could use for a bath later. Then she followed the woman back upstairs and into a small bedroom. It was surprisingly similar to the room Rawsthorne had given her and the mare felt her throat constrict a little with longing. What she wouldn't give to be back with Gregory - even if she had to sleep in her own bed, rather than his.

Homesick? For Rawsthorne's house? Celestia nearly laughed at herself. How quickly she had gotten used to the place. As ugly as it looked from the outside, she came to appreciate it. Not because of the furniture, or the amenities - although having a steam room at hoof was really nice - but because of its owner. She sighed sadly as she thought back on all the evenings watching his boring, silly game on the TV. The... pond, or pool, or whatever it was called didn't matter. What mattered was her head in Rawsthorne's lap and his hand on her ears, and the murmured conversation. In her long life before Rawsthorne, Celestia could count on her hooves the number of times she had been so relaxed.

The thought warmed her, because lately the feeling had been getting even better. She recalled a Sunday morning, not too long ago, when they lay panting next to each other in bed and Rawsthorne rested his hand on her belly. Tired and sweaty, but oh so happy in the afterglow of their love. A human first thing in the morning was doing wonders for her nerves and disposition! Perhaps she should get one for Luna as well. Luna, whom she would soon meet again. She had to remember that, however bleak and scary the future looked. It was only a hurdle - one she would defeat like so many others.

Rawsthorne had promised to join her in Canterlot, soon. Of course she would get there, and so would he. She almost got lost in the daydream before Celestia realized she had rudely let Miriam make the bed all by herself.

"Don't worry, we'll get you home, sweetie," the lady said, misreading her expression. Celestia decided not to correct her. Besides, the way Miriam patted her nose was pleasant.

"Thank you." It was time to say goodbye, at least for now. Celestia was sorry to see her friend leave. She was in a strange house, full of strange smells. There may or may not be food and despite Miriam's assurance, the real owner might return unexpectedly.

At least there were hot baths.

"I'll call my guy from the car and get papers for your two friends and I'll see you tomorrow when I bring you food." They embraced, briefly, then the woman left.

Celestia looked around and wondered what to do. It was late - past midnight, but the strangeness and leftover fear kept her wide awake. She was sure she couldn't sleep, not yet. Besides, she would make the bed dirty in her current state. The pony glanced down at her muddy hooves. She went to look for the bathroom so she could wash herself up. Tomorrow she would clean the house. The least she could do in return for his unwitting hospitality was to leave the place nicer than she found it. For tonight, though - perhaps she could flip through the channels on the TV and see if anything interested her.

However fascinating the show was, Celestia could hardly keep her eyes open after an hour. She didn't want to stop watching, but she felt sleep coming to claim her. Now that she had gotten used to the new place, the mare was exhausted. It was the effort of the spell she had held until she was safely in the house, combined with the emotional pony meet up, and coming to Saul's to find men waiting for her.

"Mmm, jus'... few mo' minutes." She murmured to herself, hoping that her own voice would wake her a little. There was no way she wanted to miss the next bit. The fast-talking human was about to show them how his marvellous machine turned different kinds of fruit into drinks! Celestia definitely wanted to see it. More than that, she wanted one!

Maybe once she was back in Canterlot, she could get Mr. Plain or someone to bring her it. They kept saying how much cheaper they were selling it. The full price was daunting, but after all the reductions it seemed very reasonable. Celestia could really use freshly squeezed orange juice in the mornings. Doing it by magic was just silly, now that she had seen how well this 'bullet' thing worked! Unfortunately she didn't get to see how a kiwi smoothie was made because the mare nodded off at that part.

There was a moment of discontinuity as Celestia found herself back in the Canterlot Castle kitchen. Why was squeezing fresh orange juice making her think of Miriam and Earth? That was all in the past, wasn't it? Perhaps a bout of nostalgia. She shook her head and poured three glasses. Then she dropped a sprig of mint in each and floated them over to the table. There was no reason to think of Earth, not now that Rawsthorne was in Equestria. She smiled at the seated human. As usual, her sister glanced from one to the other and smirked. Luna made sure to join them for breakfast for the sole reason of poking fun at them, but what the night-blue alicorn didn't realize was that Celestia liked to have breakfast with her sister despite the jokes. The smirking and the jabs were just a nice bonus. She enjoyed seeing Luna smile, even if it was at her expense.

"Care you to explain what I heard this morning, Sister?" she was asking, looking pointedly at the human.

Celestia couldn't blame her. Rawsthorne was cute when he blushed. He didn't answer, of course.

"Maybe I should move my room. Or ask the craftsponies to thicken the walls, hmm?"

"I'm very sorry, Luna. It wasn't our intention to wake you up."

Celestia's lack of a real reaction gave her sister pause, but Luna quickly recovered: "You should have recalled, Sister, that my nights are filled with work. I help our ponies through their dreams. It is quite distracting indeed - the sort of noises I hear."

Celestia just laughed some more. "Perhaps then, Sister, you should not sleep with your ear pressed to a glass against the wall, hmm?"

It was only a guess, but it hit true. Luna colored, although it was difficult to spot with her night-blue fur. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if trying to come up with a retort. Then she sniffed haughtily and decided to ignore the accusation. She opted to cover her embarrassment by hurriedly grabbing a plate of pancakes and digging in. Celestia nodded at her younger sister approvingly, then focused on the man. His stay among ponies was doing him a world of good, it was quite apparent. He smiled a lot more and he had stopped wearing those stuffy, boring suits for something more colorful. He noticed her looking and frowned in puzzlement.

"Anything special you would like to do today, Greg?"

He thought about it. "Well, I should finish that history book you gave me, and then there's the official letter we have to write for Earth."

She needed a few moments to remember. That was right - following her brief visit to Earth, there was a very angry letter from the humans, asking for an explanation. It came to the Castle right after her. Something about the timing didn't seem right. Rawsthorne came to Equestria a year after her. The letter should have been written a long time ago. The entire affair should have been concluded. It was a little strange how she couldn't put the events in their proper order, but who could blame her?

The return had been quite tumultuous. There were parades and the adoration of her subjects, and a minor fallout with the human embassy over her absence. A happy reunion with her Sister.

Busy, busy days.

To top it all, she'd had to work out a plan to have Rawsthorne join her. No wonder some of it had gotten mixed up in her head. It had been a very busy year. Maybe she should let it go for a day to get her bearings. Just focus on herself and Rawsthorne? "How about, instead, we take a picnic in the Castle gardens?"

It wasn't a suggestion Rawsthorne often accepted - even now, in this beautiful, happy land, he simply could not stop working. He said he couldn't stand being idle. One of these days she would have to put him in charge of something. Maybe the court of law, or her foreign policy, or maybe both. Rawsthorne wasn't happy when he wasn't working.

"Hmm," Luna said, breaking her concentration and making Celestia turn around, "why are your dreams filled with little else than this human, Sister?"

The light was different. It was no longer morning and the food on the table was gone. When she looked, Rawsthorne's chair was empty.

"No!"

She woke up with a gasp. The TV was still on, but Celestia paid it no mind. It had been so real! In her dream, this - the reality- seemed like nothing more than a memory. Now that she thought about it, in the dream she couldn't remember how exactly she had escaped Earth, but she had been so sure the memories were there! It was uncanny.

Luna! Her heart was racing as she remembered that grinning, mischievous face. It had been so good to see her, even if it was only a dream!

"Very soon, Sister." It was a promise. Whatever it took, Celestia would do it to get home. To see Luna again. She dragged herself to her hooves and fumbled with the remote until she managed to turn off the TV. She stumbled her way back to the guest bedroom. Maybe she would dream of her sister some more. It was nice to imagine that even now, across worlds, Princess Luna was looking in on her sister's dreams to make sure she was well.

Chapter 52

They left the house around midnight. Celestia sat on the passenger seat of Miriam's car and looked at the dark, quiet building. She had spent only a few days there, so she wouldn't miss it much. Not like she would miss Rawsthorne's place. Now that she was actually leaving, the emotion flowing through her heart could only be described as 'bittersweet'. On the one hoof, it was a relief to be going home. The past weeks had made Celestia all too aware just how dangerous Earth could be for her. On the other hoof, however, she had had some good times among the strange, bipedal creatures. Some very good times, she thought, as her thoughts turned to Rawsthorne. Yes, overall the Princess would remember her time on Earth fondly, and who knew - perhaps, in the fullness of time, she would be able to visit again. With a gentle hoof and humans like Miriam and Saul, Maggie and Rawsthorne - especially Rawsthorne - there was no doubt in Celestia's mind that lasting peace could be achieved.

She would miss her new human friends and she would miss her new pony friends. Celestia decided to spend more time with her subjects back home. Not as their ruler, or as their teacher, but simply as a pony. Just go out and mingle! Vanquish the perception of the wise, all-knowing, powerful - yet inapproachable - monarch. Only by living among her ponies would she learn their stories and get to know her people better. Celestia offered up a silent thank you to Glitter Dust. The pegasus' story wasn't a particularly tragic one, but it was one of the first she had seen on Earth, and her relationship with her human caretakers was... adorable. No other word for it. Her struggles weren't the fight of a ruler trying to keep her people safe, nor were they heroic battles against the forces of darkness. Instead, Glitter Dust's problems were of the more everyday sort - getting into mischief, looking for something to stave off boredom and, yes, even trying to find a bit of happiness in a chaotic world.

Celestia hoped she and Douglas Wilder would find a way. Perhaps in time, they might even agree to live in Equestria. She liked the pegasus. Her thoughts turned to her other friends. Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop, who could now find solace in each other. Perhaps they would be happy, or perhaps not, but it was a story Celestia would follow with great interest. Them, too, she would try to bring home. Then there were Silent Brook and Glowbug. One a damaged pony, doing the best he could to build a life with a damaged human. She hoped he would keep seeing April, even if it didn't end up in love, the two were good for each other. They deserved to remain friends.

The other... The mare couldn't call Glowbug 'damaged', exactly, but she wasn't a changeling, not anymore. Celestia didn't know what that mare was, but she settled for 'friend' in the privacy of her mine. It was unlikely that she would wish to come to Equestria, not when she probably couldn't rejoin the hive, but maybe the unicorn could have a happy life on Earth. It depended partly on Celestia and her success at influencing human laws and perception.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Miriam asked and interrupted her musing.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

The lady explained: "It's a phrase. Means I'd like to know what you're thinking."

"Oh. Nothing much. I am thinking I will miss my friends." There wasn't an answer right away and Miriam focused on driving. It was still dark and the road was winding, so Celestia didn't wish to disturb. She hadn't had a chance to try and operate one of these cars. It looked quite complex, but with Rawsthorne teaching her, she would have liked to experience it. No chance of that with Miriam, though. The D.A. had already done far more than Celestia would ever have expected. She wasn't about to ask for more. Instead, the mare left her in peace and went back to looking out through the window.

"You said Mr. Plain will carry messages between you and the ponies?" Miriam asked suddenly.

"Yes. There will be an arrangement so I can stay in touch with my friends on Earth."

Miriam smiled at that. "That's good. If you remember, drop me a line sometime, okay?"

Celestia laughed pleasantly at the misunderstanding. "But - you are one of my friends on Earth, Miriam. You will hear from me regularly, I promise!"

Now they both shared a chuckle. "Oh!" the D.A. said. "I'm flattered."

Celestia went on: "Furthermore, if you can tear yourself away from your work, I will invite you to Canterlot Spa. On me, of course."

"Oh my, that sounds delightful!"

Celestia nodded happily. "It is, and I would very much like you to meet my sister, Luna."

"Right, you mentioned her," Miriam remembered. "Night blue, kinda stuffy, controls dreams?"

Celestia most certainly didn't remember saying that! "Did I? Stuffy?!"

"I might have read between the lines a little." It just went to show how perceptive Miriam really was. Once again, Celestia was very glad that the D.A. was on her side.

"Well, she is a little 'formal', true, but once you get to know her, Luna is a very pleasant and kind pony."

"I'll keep it in mind," Miriam promised. "Oh, there's the highway. You should call your friends, we'll be near their house in about an hour."

Celestia focused her magic for a moment and brought her phone from the saddlebag on the back seat, along with a notepad she had borrowed from Miriam's brother's house. It was where she had written down the number for Lake Frond and Rock Lichen's secret phone. She typed it in, then lifted the device before her face. The human glanced at her briefly as she drove.

"It's still weird how you can hear anything that far away," she commented.

"Ponies hear a lot better than humans. It is far too loud to press it against my ear like you do."

It rang a few times, then a whispered pony voice answered: "Yes?" Celestia recognized Lake Frond.

"It's me - Tree Sap. We're on the way. Can you get out in about an hour?"

The mare on the other end of the line quickly caught her excitement. She whispered something unintelligible to Rock Lichen, then came back to the phone. There was new energy in her voice. "Yes, I think so! Andrew and Mary are sleeping. I can hear Andrew snoring. We'll have to be quiet, but it's okay. We are really doing this!"

"Of course! I will call again when we are nearby. Be ready."

"Yes, of course, Prin- uh, Supple. Eep! Sorry! I mean Tree Sap, sorry!" the mare mumbled.

"It is fine," Celestia assured her, but there was a distinct note of worry in Lake Frond's voice now.

"No, no it isn't! What if I slip up like that at the border? I could get us caught!"

That was true, but Celestia preferred to encourage her ponies, rather than force them in line through anger. She kept her voice calm and soothing. "Do not worry, Lake Frond. You will do fine. We are going home today."

Her friend on the phone audibly gulped. "I'll- I'll get it right, I promise!"

It made Celestia smile. "Good. Get ready and wait for my call."

She hung up and looked over to Miriam. "They will be ready. We need to find a secluded place to get them in the car without witnesses."

"Shouldn't be a problem. It's the middle of the night," the D.A. replied. "Do you want to go over the plan once more?"

"Yes please."

The D.A. thought for several seconds to make sure she had it all straight in her head before explaining: "Okay, so we will pick up your two friends near where they live. Then I take you all to that motel near the highway. Rawsthorne should be there, waiting for us."

She paused and looked at the mare. "You'll have to call him just before we pick up your friends, that will give him plenty of time."

"Of course."

"Okay, he'll take my car and I'll take his, just in case his is on some kind of a watch list. I also have all your papers here-" With that, the woman reached back and tapped at a slim, black briefcase with a finger. Celestia followed the gesture, just to make sure she knew where it was. The papers were important - without them, the ponies wouldn't be allowed through the border into Equestria. "He's documented as the owner for all three of you. Anyway, you'll drive for as long as you can hold your disguise, then stop at a motel to rest. You have more hair dye?"

Celestia lifted the cans up from her saddlebags, making sure once more. "Yes. Enough for two new coats."

"Good. Once you're rested, you put on the disguise and drive to the border. He shows the papers, gets you through the portal, and I think you'll be able to take it from there?"

Celestia nodded happily. It sounded quite simple. "Yes. Just - please, Miriam, make sure you do not end up in trouble because of this."

The lawyer chuckled a little. "No worries. If it comes to the worst, I'll run to Equestria and you can grant me asylum."

It was a joke, but Celestia would be more than happy to do just that. "If you ever need it, it is yours, Miriam!"

"Thanks, sweetie!"

They drove in silence for a while, then Celestia opened her mouth again. She had asked before, but hadn't gotten a real answer. "Miriam. Why are you doing all this? It is dangerous and I have no way to repay you."

Silence.

"Miriam?"

The woman sighed sadly. "Can I just say I disagree with slavery?"

"Well, of course, but you are breaking any number of laws and putting yourself and your family in danger. There has to be more to it than that." If their 'adventures' came to light, Celestia had no doubts that Miriam's brother would also have some stern questions to answer about an alicorn in his house, even if he didn't know about it.

miriam reached out a hand and laid it gently on her withers. Then she brushed the fur a little with her fingers. It was a very comforting gesture. "Okay, I guess it's to do with why I became a lawyer in the first place," the woman began to explain.

Celestia didn't interrupt. They had time and she didn't wish to pressure her friend. Miriam would tell the story at her own pace, and the alicorn would listen, attentively and patiently.

"So, when I was young, I lived next door to this family. You might call them 'problematic'. The father was in and out of jail and the mother had to work two shifts to make ends meet, but the kid and me were friends." They were happier times, despite the troubles she mentioned, Celestia guessed from the way Miriam was smiling faintly. "Thing is, they were black. So because of who his father was, the cops suspected Dwayne - that was his name - of always doing something illegal." Memory was enough to make the woman sigh sadly. "It wasn't right. I knew my friend wasn't stealing or fighting, like they said. It was just because of prejudice. So I set out to help him."

"What did you do?"

Now Miriam chuckled a little. "I was twelve, okay? I went to the library and got some books on law. And then I tried telling the cops what they were doing was illegal. I was sure it was!"

"Did it work?"

"They just laughed at me, but I didn't stop. I wrote letters to the courthouse and the police chief. Never got any replies," the D.A. explained. "Then, one day, Dwayne was gone. Someone told me he was in prison." The woman sounded angry now and Celestia waited in silence. "Turns out, he really was stealing things. He and a few of his friends tried to rob a fast food place. I guess I just refused to see it because we were friends."

"I'm sorry, Miriam. I'm sure anypony could make that mistake."

"Well," the D.A. went on, without really hearing the mare, "I ended up thinking - how much of it was the cops' fault?"

This was not something Celestia had expected. "Pardon? You said he was stealing!"

The hand went back to her withers and patted her. "Yeah, but try to imagine: he was just a regular kid, but everyone kept telling him that he's no good. That he'll end up like his father. Years and years of that, what would that do to someone?" Miriam almost growled, but then relaxed with another sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if he didn't start doing it just because everyone was expecting it? Figured if he was forced into that role, he might as well do it. I wish I knew."

"Did you not ask him?"

Miriam shook her head. "No, after that my parents forbade me to talk to him, and when he got out of prison, they moved away. We lost touch after that."

Celestia gave it some thought. In a strange way, perhaps it made sense. "Well, I am sure no one forced Dwayne to commit crimes, Miriam. That was his own decision."

"Maybe," Miriam agreed, "but I kept thinking about it. The way society sees you can influence who you are, at least a little. Maybe that was all it took?"

There was silence as Celestia considered this. Yes, the environment shaped ponies to a certain extent, but she had to believe in personal responsibility. Otherwise she would have to look for extenuating circumstances for ponies like Sombra. Or worse - creatures like Tirek or Chrysalis!

Luckily, Miriam continued her story and broke her out of such thoughts. "Anyway, I guess I felt I could have done more, so I kept with the law books, and when time came to pick a career, I just went with it. I promised myself I'd do more in the future."

There was a discrepancy there and Celestia pointed it out: "Now you argue in court to put people in prison."

It was enough to break the tension and Miriam laughed. "Yes, that's right, but I make sure they are guilty. I'm sure the chief of police curses me every day. I make them work extra hard so there's no mistakes. No wrongful convictions."

Celestia fully approved this approach. "It is the right thing to do. Why ponies, though? Why slavery?"

It didn't look like Miriam had a definitive answer. She shrugged a little. "Because it is wrong. Does there have to be more? I didn't like it when it first started happening with ponies, and I don't like it now." She glanced at the mare and pursed her lips. "Some of your friends have made a good life for themselves and maybe some of the owners aren't as bad, but it's still wrong."

"Thank you! There are not too many humans who think like that, Miriam. It means a lot."

Miriam just gave a nod. "Do you have a plan for when you're back? I mean- I can't do much, but you can push to abolish pony slavery on Earth."

Celestia grinned fiercely. "I intend to do that, but I do not yet know how. I will have to think it over once I'm back. When all this excitement is over. It will help immensely to have Gregory there with me."

It seemed like this was news to Miriam. Her eyes bulged out a little and she stared at Celestia for a few moments before returning her attention to the road. "What?! Rawsthorne is going to Equestria?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Did he not mention it?" Celestia didn't wish to talk about their personal relationship, so she came at it from another angle. "I offered him a job in Canterlot and he accepted - human legal adviser."

Unfortunately, the woman was still as perceptive as ever. She giggled a little. "Huh. Horse is just that good, is it?" Celestia was immensely grateful for the darkness and for her disguise, so that Miriam couldn't see her blush. She didn't answer, which just made Miriam laugh harder. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Celestia still didn't say anything. At least until she thought up an appropriately scathing response: "Well, if you'd like, I can introduce you to a nice stallion and you can see for yourself."

They looked at each other, then they both burst out giggling. In a way, it was a relief that Miriam wasn't a prude about relationships between ponies and humans. After a few quiet moments, Celestia changed the topic. "Tell me about your brother. You said he is in this place called 'France'? What is it like?"

"Ho boy, this is going to be a long one," Miriam groaned.

"We have time."

Chapter 53

Waiting for her friends with Miriam Adams was both exciting and scary, and Celestia felt her heart hammering madly. The D.A. had parked her car in a small, deserted alley between an apartment building and a convenience store. Lake Frond assured Celestia she knew where it was. It was lonely and dark in the middle of the night, with the stillness disturbed only by an occasional car. Each time it happened Celestia held her breath until it passed.

"Don't worry," Miriam told her, but the woman was sitting stiffly and watching the road carefully. It sounded almost as if she was trying to reassure herself as much as Celestia. The mare didn't answer and focused instead on the lighted neon sign in the distance. She couldn't read what it said, but it was the most colorful thing she could see. Then she heard hoofsteps. A pair of ponies!

Celestia smiled with relief. The chances that another two ponies would be walking around right there and at this hour were zero. It had to be Lake Frond and Rock Lichen! "I hear them!"

Miriam didn't question her acute hearing and quickly got out of the car. A few moments later, Celestia saw two hesitant pony figures emerge from around a building. They stopped when they saw the the woman standing beside the vehicle.

Celestia got out quickly and waved a hood. "Over here!"

She kept her voice low, certain that her friends would hear. They hurried forward and joined the Princess by the car. Lake Frond gave Celestia a friendly hug while Rock Lichen stood nearby, carrying their meagre possessions in his saddlebags.

"Let's go, let's go," Lake Frond said urgently when the hug was over. "I think we got out without waking the humans up, but I'd rather not find out!"

Celestia wholeheartedly agreed and so did Miriam Adams. "Good idea," the woman said as she came around the vehicle. She took the bags from Rock Lichen and put them in the trunk. Meanwhile, Celestia opened the back door for the two to enter.

Lake Frond leapt up to the seat, but her husband paused for a second to give Celestia a very brief nuzzle. "Thanks," he whispered, before following his wife into the car. Moments later, Celestia was back in the front seat just as Miriam turned the engine on. The three ponies looked out the windows in silence while the woman steered them smoothly down the main street. Once they had put a few blocks between them and the meeting place, Celestia looked back. The couple was pressed awkwardly together because most of the seat was taken up by her own saddlebags and Miriam's briefcase.

"Oh, just push those down. Make yourselves comfortable."

The couple didn't seem to mind cuddling on a single seat, holding each other and watching the street lamps with a mixture of fear and excitement. "Is it real?" Rock Lichen asked after a while. Both he and Lake Frond seemed to be in a slight daze of disbelief.

Miriam chuckled. "Sure is. You're not out of the woods yet but so far, so good, right?"

The pair just nodded.

"We should meet up with Gregory in half an hour. He will drive us from there," Celestia explained.

"Why so complicated?" Lake Frond asked.

Celestia glanced at Miriam to see if she would explain and the D.A. obliged: "I have to be at work tomorrow. Well, today, by now. I couldn't get two days off to drive you all the way to the border."

"Oh. Okay," Lake Frond replied meekly. She was looking at the floor.

"Don't worry. We are on our way home, and we will get there. I promise you this. Whatever it takes," the Princess promised.

Rock Lichen wasn't so certain. "How can you be sure?" he asked.

"I just am. I will do whatever it takes, Rock Lichen. I swear this."

Both ponies looked up sharply. "B-but if it all goes wrong and you can get home, you should leave us behind, uh, Tree Sap," Lake Frond complained. "We're not worth keeping you here."

So selfless! Celestia beamed with pride. "Do not worry. Everything will go fine."

It worked and they believed her. The couple relaxed a little and they nodded in unison. Celestia turned back to watch the road. It was still very dark and would remain like that for a while longer. That suited her just fine. It was easier to slip away from any eyes that might be watching. She heard Lake Frond and Rock Lichen push the bags away and shuffle into a more comfortable position.

"Please, rest. You probably haven't gotten much sleep tonight."

They thanked her and promised they'd try. Then the car drove on in silence, with only the engine purring gently through the night.

Eventually they came to a stop in a seemingly abandoned parking lot. There were only a few vehicles parked and Celestia quickly spotted Rawsthorne's car. The welcome sight made her heart begin to beat faster. She looked to the back seat to wake up her friends with good news, but hesitated. It was just too special a sight to disturb in any way. Lake Frond was lying on her back with Rock Lichen sprawled over her. He had his head on her barrel and was grasping her around the flank with his forelegs. As Celestia watched, the stallion flicked an ear and lifted his head. She thought he might get up anyway, but the stallion just yawned without opening his eyes. The alicorn guessed he didn't even fully wake up. Then, rather than just lying down again, he gave Lake Frond's muzzle a couple of licks. The mare brought her hooves up to absentmindedly pat her husband on his head and murmured something. Perhaps it was 'I love you', but slurred and sleepy it could have been anything.

It was probably 'I love you', Celestia decided. Rock Lichen smiled in his sleep, laid his head back on her barrel, and they were still again. Celestia looked at Miriam, who was also watching the two with a big grin on her face. The woman put a finger on her lips - a sign the mare had learned meant 'quiet'. She wholeheartedly agreed, but she couldn't wait any longer. She opened the door as silently as possible and went to look for Rawsthorne.

She found him sitting in his car, fiddling with his phone. He didn't notice her, until Celestia reared up and placed her forehooves on the car door. The man jerked and gave her a strange look. He almost didn't recognize her, but then he mouthed the word 'Celestia?' She nodded with a mischievous grin and stepped back so he could open the door. In an instant she was up in his lap, nuzzling for all she was worth.

"You will never know how much I missed you!"

The arms around her barrel were welcome, as was the quick, faint peck on her cheek. "I can imagine," Rawsthorne replied.

She didn't believe his blatant lie, but Celestia let it slide. Instead, she pressed her head against his chest and sighed contentedly as his scent filled her mind. It would be very hard to give it up for a year, that much was clear. If only the moment could last forever, she wished, but the world wouldn't wait. She saw Miriam Adams standing nearby, pointedly not looking at them. Very discreet, but the woman didn't deserve to be kept waiting. Celestia gave Rawsthorne a quick lick on his face and pushed herself away.

"Come on, let's get going while it is dark."

He was just as disappointed to let go as her, but Celestia firmly suppressed her desire to kiss him and jumped out of the car. There would be time once they stopped to rest. Until then, they should keep moving while she was still holding her disguise. She led the man to Miriam Adams and waited for them to exchange their keys and good wishes. Then Rawsthorne went to grab his travelling bag from one car and took it to the other. Celestia hurried to his side.

"Quiet, please. Lake Frond and Rock Lichen are sleeping. They are just too adorable to wake up."

Rawsthorne nodded and peered in through the window with interest, while Celestia went to say goodbye to Miriam. The lady was looking at her with a mixture of happiness and sadness. Celestia shared the feeling. She would miss her friend.

"I will write. You will get that invitation very soon, I promise."

Miriam crouched and hugged her briefly. "I'll be looking forward to hearing from you. Good luck!"

"You too!"

They remained embraced for a while, then they parted. Celestia smiled, bowed her head, and went to Rawsthorne who was waiting beside the car.

He held a pair of blankets in his hand. "Here, if you'd like to cover them up?" he offered.

"How thoughtful!" Looking around to make sure no other humans were watching, Celestia levitated the cloth and took it with her into the car. It was dark and she was a lot harder to see with her dyed fur, but the telltale glow of her magic could attract unwanted attention. She looked at the back seat, but by now the pony couple had woken up. They looked at her sleepily, still cuddled together.

"Wha's... happenin'?" Rock Lichen asked, though a small yawn interrupted him.

"We'll be on our way in a moment. We just got a new driver."

With perfect timing, Rawsthorne sat on the driver's seat and closed the door. "Hello!"

The stallion watched him a little worriedly, but only for a second. Then he smiled in recognition. "Hello, Mr. Rawsthorne! Thank you for doing this!"

Rawsthorne reached back to ruffle his mane a little and returned the grin. "Let's get you home, alright?"

"Yes please!" said Lake Frond from under Rock Lichen. She was still lounging comfortably on her back and was apparently unwilling to give up the warm place beneath the stallion. Not that he seemed to mind much. Celestia remembered the blankets, which were still held in her magical grip. The car wasn't cold, but she would enjoy the softness and Rawsthorne's smell. She levitated one to spread over her friends and kept the other for herself.

"Here, we have a long way to go. Sleep if you can."

It was a pleasure watching the two snuggle down. Lake Frond grumbled a tiny bit because she had to turn around, but they were soon intertwined again, only this time with a blanket wrapped around them. It looked quite snug. Celestia wished she could do the same with Rawsthorne. If only he didn't have to drive...

Well, she couldn't hug him, but she shuffled closer in her seat and reached a hoof over the gap to lay it on his thigh. A bit later his hand came down to squeeze it. Highway meant that one of Rawsthorne's arms was free, which was a nice bonus to the speed and the smooth ride.

"How are you feeling? Okay with that spell?" Rawsthorne asked.

Celestia tried to gauge how tired she was. It had been an exciting night so far, but not too strenuous. "I think I can keep it up for about seven more hours. Maybe eight."

Rawsthorne glanced at the clock, which was cleverly built into the dashboard. He calculated quickly. "Okay, so around nine, maybe nine thirty and then we start looking for a motel."

Celestia just nodded, even if Rawsthorne wasn't watching her directly.

"Good. That means we mostly drive at night, which is just as well. We might need to sleep again, depending on when we reach the border."

That sounded even better! "Oh! Yes, let's sleep two times, please?"

The man just chuckled a little, but Celestia was sure he also liked the idea. Their... 'fun' might be limited with Lake Frond and Rock Lichen in the same room, but just sleeping in the same bed as Rawsthorne for two more nights sounded heavenly!

"We'll see," he confirmed her thoughts. "The website said the border is open from seven to four."

The alicorn tried to imagine the times in her mind. If they drove until nine, then slept for six hours... "So we definitely will not make it tomorrow- uh, today."

"No."

They would start from their first hotel sometime in the afternoon. Celestia didn't think she would be able to keep the disguise spell going long beyond the next midnight. "So yeah, we should look for someplace to spend the night and visit the border in the morning."

"Good, so that's settled then," Rawsthorne acknowledged. He glanced at her and smiled. "How have you been the past few weeks?"

It was very sweet of Rawsthorne to ask and Celestia's mouth quirked up. "You first. What have you been doing?"

He shrugged, just like Celestia thought he would. "You know," Rawsthorne said, "same as usual. Work, some TV, then sleep. I got a maid to help me around the house, but it's just not the same."

Celestia perked up her ears at that, then folded them back as her overactive imagination presented her with an unwelcome conclusion. "She is not sleeping in your bed, is she?! Who is this 'maid'?!"

Rawsthorne laughed a little. "Of course not!" he assured her. "That's absurd!" He had to pause a bit so he could finish chuckling. "I engaged a firm that does cleaning for offices, so it's not even the same person each day. Though most days it's Camila."

"Camila. First name basis, Greg?"

He was on the defensive now! Of course Celestia didn't suspect him of cheating on her, but she liked to see him a little flustered. He was cute when he was embarrassed.

"No, it's just common courtesy. I don't go around sleeping with the help, okay Celly?"

She prodded him in the belly with her hoof. "Explain me, then!"

Before she could jab him again Rawsthorne grabbed her leg and placed it back on his thigh where it had rested before. "You're special."

Despite how true that was, Celestia still liked hearing it. She had fought her entirely life not to let her status go to her head, but every once in a while she indulged a little. Call it 'Alicorn perks'. "And don't you forget it!"

She kept her face utterly serious when Rawsthorne glanced over. He didn't know if she meant it, or if she was joking, but he decided on the latter and gave her a hesitant smile. "Cocky, aren't we?"

Celestia had been expecting that particular phrase and had the perfect answer ready. "No, that's you, but only when I wiggle my rump."

"Hey!"

She giggled and after a moment Rawsthorne joined her. Celestia leaned further to her left and laid her head on his shoulder. It was an uncomfortable position, suspended between the seats, but she could hold it for a minute. In return, Rawsthorne leaned his head against hers. They remained like that for a bit, but then the mare pulled away. She turned around to check on her friends, noting happily that Rock Lichen and Lake Frond were apparently asleep. They didn't seem to mind her antics in the slightest. She watched the two ponies for a short while and saw the stallion shift his head ever so slightly to lay more comfortably against the mare. Lake Frond, on the other hoof, shifted her face away so she could breathe a little more easily, making poor Rock Lichen seek her out again for a nuzzle. Celestia drew her gaze away forcefully. She could spend hours just watching their small movements as they lay together. Even in their sleep they constantly comforted each other and exchanged such small tokens of love.

She wondered if she and Rawsthorne were doing the same when they slept together. Probably. Celestia remembered waking up in the night sometimes and feeling around for the human with her wings, only to have him pat her reassuringly or pull her closer to him. Smiling, she focused on the road again. She was glad of the darkness, but it would have been nice to see the landscape. The last time she had had a chance to look at this part of Earth was when Mr. Plain had been driving her to Rawsthorne.

That brought up a lot of memories. "I remember going the other way on this road. In the autumn." At least, the mare guessed it was the same road. It probably was, since it was the fastest way from Rawsthorne' city to the border.

"Oh?" Rawsthorne asked politely. "Wanna tell me about it?"

"I was quite nervous. I didn't know what you would be like. Mr. Plain said you were kinda stiff and very professional. I remember being worried that you might press your attentions on me..." She blushed when she said it, even now.

"And? Were you disappointed?" Rawsthorne asked with a strangely quiet voice. Celestia looked over and saw that he was keeping his eyes firmly on the road.

"Yes! By how long it took!" She giggled and the man joined in, after a fashion. He soon fell quiet again.

"I still think it's not appropriate between a master and a slave."

It made Celestia sigh. She had explained that several times already! "I was never really your slave, Greg. You just thought I was."

"Exactly!" he confirmed. "I thought that's what it was, so of course I thought it wasn't appropriate."

"Well, you were over-thinking it. I'm glad you came around!"

Now there was a pause, during which Rawsthorne sought out her hoof with his hand and squeezed it. "So am I, Celly. I don't know what I was thinking. Slavery is bad, no matter how you twist it. I hope we can end it."

Her ears folded again and the mare lowered her head. "Me too, but let's not talk about that now, please?" They had precious few hours left together and it would not do to spend them worrying about depressing things.

"Okay, you can tell me what you've been doing since we last saw each other," Rawsthorne suggested.

That brought her smile back. "Okay! I helped out Silent Brook and Saul, and then Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop, and I hope Glowbug, too."

He had to stare at her for a moment, of course. "All that? Did you misunderstand the concept of 'laying low'?"

"No! I did all that while I was in hiding!"

"Who's Saul?"

"Oh! Right! I must have mentioned it on the phone, haven't I? Or maybe Miriam told you about him? He's Silent Brook's... well, 'owner'" Celestia lifted up her hooves to sign the quotes. "I wouldn't call it that. He has Silent Brook's papers, but they don't act like master and slave."

"What do they act like, then?"

Celestia thought it over. She didn't want to come outright and just tell him about how damaged the two were. She would have to lead up to it. "Well, turns out they've been in a war together. Saul was in a place called 'Afghanistan' at the same time as some rich man from there bought Silent Brook for his kids."

"Quite a coincidence," Rawsthorne commented, and Celestia bobbed her head to it.

"Yes! Silent Brook escaped and they chased him right to where Saul was stationed. They became friends and Saul... kind of 'adopted' him." Celestia was tempted to leave it there. Rawsthorne's smile was nice to see, but she had promised herself never to lie to the man again, not even by omission. "Well, turns out Saul has a bad case of something called 'PTSD', and so does Silent Brook. They mostly yell at each other and then Saul drinks and smokes. His wife left him and took his daughter too."

Rawsthorne was really getting into her story, at least judging by how his face fell at this latest news. Celestia hurried to give him some hope back. "It's better now. I got them to start talking, and April - that's the daughter - visits Silent Brook sometimes. I got into his dreams and I think I helped him. Now all he has to do is get Saul to agree to therapy."

Rawsthorne didn't seem too certain: "You sure he will? I read about types like that. Sometimes they refuse to admit anything's wrong."

"Yes, he will. That night when I had to run because some agents were at the house asking about me, Saul was stalling them and trying to get them to leave. He was protecting me."

A hand found her hoof again and Rawsthorne gave her another squeeze. She was glad he did. Even the memory of that night was making her worry again. Those government guys or whoever, were too close on her tail.

"I told Saul he should get help if he wants to see his daughter again, and I think it worked. I mean - Silent Brook will have to remind him a few more times, but it should work. I'll write to him and if Saul doesn't listen, I'll invite them both to Canterlot and have a word with that human."

"Ooh, from that tone, I wouldn't wanna be in his shoes!" Rawsthorne laughed.

"Indeed! I will have him explain to Luna about how he has nightmares."

This part Rawsthorne didn't quite understand. Celestia saw him frown as he glanced over. "Why Luna?" he asked.

She prodded his thigh with a hoof, jokingly. "I told you already - Luna watches over all dreams in Equestria to make sure ponies don't have nightmares. I bet she has seen worse than Saul dreams about."

It was a sad thought, but likely true, much to her sorrow. Most ponies were nice folk and had pleasant dreams and simple nightmares, but every now and then there was somepony whose darkness went... deeper. She remembered how Sombra's dreams had affected Luna toward the end. She blamed herself for a long time after, thinking they should have been able to save him. Celestia had had to put her hoof down and forbid her younger sister to visit that pony's dreams again. Even so, a small part of him might have stuck with Luna, thus prompting Nightmare Moon to come out. She couldn't prove it, though, and it was immaterial now, after the Elements had banished that creature from her sister. Celestia drew a sigh and closed her eyes, thinking of Luna again.

Rawsthorne must have thought she was getting caught in bad thoughts again - which wasn't entirely wrong - so he lightened up the mood: "Okay, good job, then. What about the others - you said Heavy Hoof and..."

"Belle Hop."

"Yeah, Belle Hop," Rawsthorne repeated. "How did you help them?"

This was indeed a better story and Celestia felt the smile creeping back. She perked up her ears and glanced back at the sleeping couple. "Yes, it turns out Belle Hop had been pining over Heavy Hoof all this time, but he had absolutely no idea. She was madly in love with him and he just... took advantage whenever he couldn't get with another mare."

"Ouch, that's sad," Rawsthorne said. He was about to ask, but Celestia answered preemptively.

"Not to worry. I am convinced he really didn't know. When I told him, he was very sorry and has promised to try with Belle Hop. He won't go chasing after other mares."

"And if he does?"

Celestia grinned nastily. "I have promised him a dreadful fate should he sin."

The man didn't look too pleased about that. "Celestia, that's coercion. You can't make someone love someone!"

"Oh, no no no! It's not that, Greg! I just made him promise he will be honest with Belle Hop. If he can't stick with her, he will break it off respectfully, rather than cheat on her. Yes it could end in heartbreak, but if he lies it would be so much worse."

Rawsthorne visibly relaxed and smiled at her. "Ah, that's good. What did you threaten him with?"

Again her nasty grin was back. She waited for a moment or two until she was sure she had Rawsthorne's full attention. "I said if he lied to Belle Hop, I would have demons from Tartarus drag him down there and imprison him there."

"You can do that?!"

"Mhm. So think carefully before crossing me, Greg!"

He placed a hand on his heart. "I swear I won't ever disobey, your Highness!"

They burst out laughing, but Celestia suddenly stopped as she heard a strange sound behind her. She turned her head to find Lake Frond staring at her, wide-eyed. "Oh. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's f-fine," the mare mumbled. Then her face split into an approving grin. "It would serve Heavy Hoof right if he cheats on Belle Hop."

Celestia just nodded while Lake Frond gave her husband a lick and closed her eyes again. The Princess hadn't realized just how loud she had been. She lowered her voice.

"Now Glowbug was really simple. I just told her she should tell the others." Aware that the two behind her might be listening, Celestia didn't say any more. She was relieved to see that Rawsthorne also understood.

"That would be for the best, yes," he commented.

"Yes. I promised I would write to her with advice to make it easier." That wrapped up all her stories, except for the part when she ran from Saul's place and spent nearly a week in Miriam's brother's house, but that could wait. Celestia was curious.

"Now you. Tell me about people at work. Does Wendy miss me?"

Rawsthorne chuckled at the memory. "Oh, like you wouldn't believe!"

"Okay, tell me, tell me!" Celestia reached over again to place her hoof on his thigh again. She had been worried about maintaining the spell for so long, but now she didn't think she would mind at all. Not if Rawsthorne chatted with her the whole way!

Chapter 54

The motel room wasn't anything to brag about, but it was serviceable and the beds looked reasonably clean. There were even small, complimentary chocolates on the pillows, just like some pony hotels provided! Celestia watched as Lake Frond and Rock Lichen went around the small room, examining the empty wardrobes and drawers. It was a new thing for them and they were excited, despite their uncertainty about the future. She joined Rawsthorne on one of the beds and he put an arm around her withers while they waited. His other hand lightly patted her chest fluff while Clestia leaned her aching head on his shoulder.

"One more day, right?"

"Yes. You can stop with the disguise for today. Wait," he said and stood up. Celestia was sorry to have him leave, but Rawsthorne just went to draw the curtains. "There," he told her.

Meanwhile the other two ponies had finished their inspection of the room and took the bed opposite. They both looked expectantly at Rawsthorne to tell them what to do next.

He shrugged a little. "I guess we rest for a few hours and then order some food in the afternoon?"

Lake Frond and Rock Lichen had slept a little during the drive, but Celestia guessed it hadn't done very much good, not with the engine noise and the motion and other cars passing them by. They looked tired. The room was a touch chillier than they were used to - Celestia assumed that the proprietors were saving on heating - but the blankets on the beds looked very thick and warm.

Since the other two ponies had opted to snuggle down under the covers, she looked at Rawsthorne instead. "Do you wish to shower first, or should I?" Who knew what hardships the following days would bring? Celestia wasn't about to give up what might be her last chance to take a hot shower!

"Go ahead," Rawsthorne said and reached instead for the TV remote. "Oh, you guys don't mind if I see what's on?"

Two sets of eyes peeked at him from under the sheet and Rock Lichen answered: "No, go ahead!"

The TV turned on and the noise gave Celestia an idea. She stood on the bed and reared up to grasp the man around his chest with her forelegs. That was enough for her to put her muzzle right next to his ear and whisper quietly: "Wait till they are asleep and join me in the shower!"

She winked at him and hurried away. She had remembered that rushing water could be used to cover up any 'unusual' sounds and maybe the ponies would sleep through it, which would be even better.

Still giggling a little to herself at Rawsthorne's expression, Celestia closed the bathroom door and let the disguise spell go. It vanished with a flash of light and took with it the strain which had just been starting to develop into an insidious headache. The glow around her flickered a little as it burned up bits of dry dye. That was a deliberate part of the spell she had hastily worked in after her first experiments, otherwise she would end up standing in a cloud of paint, which would settle in her white coat and take a lot of effort to wash out. Not to mention the mess it would make of the room. She heaved a sigh of relief then went to check on herself in the mirror.

A little disheveled, mane a little untidy and with noticeable bags under her eyes. Yes, a few hours of sleep would do her a world of good. Rawsthorne too, of course. Driving for more than six hours couldn't have been easy!

She turned her head this way and that, then smiled. Still very pretty. Of course the man wouldn't be able to resist. Her tail swished in anticipation as she stepped into the shower. She used a simple spell to open the tap and began gently humming to herself while she waited for the water to turn hot. As soon as it was pleasant, Celestia stepped in and began to wash her mane.

Her invitation had worked even better than she had hoped! Mere five minutes later Rawsthorne came into the bathroom and she motioned him to join her under the water stream.

"Lake Frond and Rock Lichen asleep already?" If so, the two were more tired than they let on.

Rawsthorne just shrugged. "No, Lake - that's the mare, right? - she told me to go so I don't keep you waiting. I guess they heard you, or guessed what you said."

Celestia barely stifled an embarrassed 'eep'. She had spent so much time among humans that she herself was forgetting how sensitive pony ears were! She should have guessed that those two wouldn't mind what she did with Rawsthorne in the shower. They didn't seem to care much about Heavy Hoof and his mistress, nor about Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder, and they had never, ever mentioned anything about Celestia and Rawsthorne. Of course they would want her to have as much happiness as she could before being parted from the man. It was quite sweet of them! By the time she wrapped her mind around all that, Rawsthorne had stripped and was stepping into the cabin with her. It was a bit cramped, but neither of them minded.

Celestia turned and pressed her muzzle against Rawsthorne's lips just as his hands came around to caress her wings. A tiny whimper escaped her, but the roar of the water covered it nicely.

Then again, maybe it didn't. Celestia was beyond caring. All she could feel at that moment was the warmth of the body pressing against her and the feel of fingers on her feathers. The former sent a tingling sensation down her spine which made her swish the tail wildly, while the latter made her legs nearly buckle under her. She had missed Rawsthorne dearly, especially those magical fingers exploring every inch of her fur. It was strange how Rawsthorne didn't even need to apply much strength to turn her muscles to putty and her brain to jelly. She missed those endless mornings where they just lay on the bed in the soft afterglow of their love while he idly slid his hands through her mane, and played with her ears. Her favourite was when his fingers traced little circles against her belly. It was entirely unlike anything she had experienced before. Such precise dexterity!

It had been weeks since their last kiss and Celestia put everything she had into this one. Before, in the car and with their friends nearby, Celestia had kept her emotion firmly under control. Now that she had Rawsthorne alone, she let go of her restraint. Maybe she would even get him to preen her later!

"Mmmh!" The thought sent a fresh shiver down her spine and the mare withdrew her muzzle for a moment so she could take a lungful of air. "I missed you!" she said in a breathless whisper. The words didn't do justice to the emotion. She tried again. "I missed you!"

The world went soft...

It was quite some time later that Celestia and Rawsthorne emerged from the bathroom. They sneaked over to the bed, hoping they wouldn't wake up the other two. They needn't have bothered. As soon as Rawsthorne sat, Lake Frond freed herself from her blanket and jumped down from the bed. She was soon followed by her husband.

"Our turn!" the mare announced happily, and the pair trotted off to the bathroom. The stallion was limping a little, but Celestia didn't pay it much mind. She just watched them go, too tired to put two and two together.

Or, rather, one and one. Until Rawsthorne pointed it out: "They didn't even pretend. Just went, both of them, and Rock seemed pretty excited, too."

Celestia suddenly realized what she had seen and blushed. "Oh!" She didn't mind. How could she, after what she had just done with Rawsthorne? Instead, she joined the man on the bed and leaned against his side. For a moment she nuzzled him, then she kissed him on the cheek, and then licked his neck. As if she couldn't decide what to do. He couldn't follow her actions and she giggled at his expression.

"Sorry! I just want to do it all! I will have to go without you for a while, remember?"

Rawsthorne cupped her muzzle in his hand and led her to him for a very warm, passionate kiss. "We have until those two are done," he told her.

That reminded her of the thought she had had in the shower. "Preen my wings for me!"

Rawsthorne had always been very interested in her feathers, even from before they were a couple and she had always secretly liked it. Strange that she never thought to act on it, until now. Maybe the urgency of their departure was pushing her further, faster than she would go on her own? It was a sign of deep trust for a pony to let another fiddle with something as important as their wings. When that pony was Celestia, the act was even more exclusive. Even Luna didn't get that privilege.

Not that she didn't trust her sister fully, but preening was a very... 'sensitive' experience and normally only shared between lovers, or between a mother and a very young foal, until he or she could do it for themself.

"What?" Rawsthorne asked, stunned by the offer. He was aware of how important a step that was. She had let him explore her feathers in the past, gently, but always made sure he understood just what it meant for her. There was an important distinction between idly touching, like he had done in the shower, and actual preening!

"Yes! Come on, I'll guide you!" She turned her back to the human and fluffed out her wings a little. She knew the feathers were in a disarray, especially after the water and the... excitement. One or two were probably loose and ready to go.

Rawsthorne examined the panorama of white before him. "Okay, now what? Hold on, let me get the light."

Celestia flipped it on with magic before he could move and the human settled back down. "Put your hand on the joint - like elbow, except in a wing. Don't worry, you can grip there."

He did so, and the touch was enough to make her shudder a little. The pressure quickly vanished. "Oh, sorry! I didn't-"

"Hush! It's not you. I'm just not used to hands there. Try again." This time, the tremor was more subdued. "Good, now pull it out a little, so the feathers spread out. Don't worry, it's not fragile."

He was still overly cautious, but Celestia let the appendage go limp in his hand so he had to support it. That helped. "I see. So, what exactly should I do?" Rawsthorne asked quietly, still fascinated. He leaned closer to get a better look.

"It is easy, actually. See the big feathers right at the end? The ones that spread out to the side? They- ahh!"

She wasn't expecting it when Rawsthorne traced a finger down one of them. He pulled it away when she gasped, but then came back. It made her proud of his initiative.

"Okay?"

"Yes, those are called 'primaries'. They're the most important for flight. Next to them, closer to the body are the secondaries, and then a few more groups. Got that?"

"Primaries," the human repeated. "Okay. And secondaries." His finger shifted to the appropriate place, but this time Celestia was ready for it and didn't react beyond a slight shiver of pleasure.

"Very good. Now, above them, there is another row. Smaller feathers, but they cover the gaps between the large ones, and there's more layers above those, each getting smaller and smaller."

His finger moved, and this time she did gasp and jerked her wing a little. He let it go. "Sorry! What did I do wrong?"

Celestia needed a second to get her breath back. "Don't push your fingers against them! Never brush up! Always down, along the length from the quill to the tip, okay?"

"Yes," Rawsthorne confirmed. He sounded contrite. "Sorry."

Celestia wanted to take the sting out of her words. "I didn't mean to snap. I'm sorry, love. Just remember - they are very sensitive." She held out the wing again, and Rawsthorne took it. Then his finger ran the right way down her feathers. "Better. Now, see how some of the primaries and secondaries are overlapping, or stuck together. A few of them are twisted."

He examined her for a few moments, then touched a few places. "Here, and here?"

Celestia turned her head to look and nodded proudly. "Exactly right. The goal here is to align them. Each feather should be able to move on its own, but they should form - a 'canopy', if you will. A surface."

"Oh, that's all?" the man asked, relief obvious in his voice. He drew another finger down her wing.

"Almost. Sometimes there is a loose feather. We pull that one out, so that a new one can grow in its place, and if the feathers are too dry, we apply a bit of oil. Although I do not usually need that."

She was impressed how well Rawsthorne was absorbing her lesson. He was nodding to himself and gently touching here and there. They were all the right spots. She let him explore for a moment to get more familiar. Looking up at her face, Rawsthorne asked: "Okay, how do we do that?"

"Simple. Carefully tug on each feather so it becomes unstuck, then slide down the barbs to align them. It will snap in place almost by itself, you'll see."

He really was very gentle, Celestia had to admit that, and he had such remarkable, precise control in his fingers. With a bit of practice, a human could be a great time saver when it came to preening. She watched him work, mostly in silence, but guiding him sometimes. Until they came to the loose feather.

"Wait! Pull that one again. Do you feel how it moves?"

He did so. The feather was a lot less sensitive than the others. It was ready to come out. "Yes?" Rawsthorne said and looked at her in question.

"Yank it out. Do not worry, it does not hurt."

Again, Celestia was impressed. He trusted her word implicitly and he was not squeamish. Rawsthorne grasped the offending feather firmly and pulled it out with a single, smooth movement. She barely felt it!

"Ah! Good. That's good!" The look of worry at her small exclamation was heartwarming, but Celestia smiled. "I am fine. It is a strange feeling, but it does not hurt."

Rawsthorne examined the feather in his hand, turning it this way and that. "I'll keep this. To remember you by."

It was a very romantic gesture! "Aww, that is sweet, Greg. Should I take a lock of your hair in return?"

They both chuckled a little, but then the man shrugged. "If you'd like."

She suddenly decided to do exactly that, but they weren't finished yet with her wings.

"Okay, I think that is good. Now we do the exact same thing on the other wing. Try - I will not interfere, unless you are doing something wrong." She shifted to give Rawsthorne easier access to the other appendage, then brought her freshly preened wing around to her face and examined it. A bit amateurish - if she were doing it herself, she would not have been too pleased with the result, but a good job for someone who had never really seen pony wings up close.

Celestia smiled to herself. Rawsthorne would get plenty of chances to practice in the future, she was certain of it. For the moment, she folded it up. It would hurt his confidence if she went and corrected right after him. Besides, it felt a lot more comfortable than before. Meanwhile Rawsthorne grasped her other wing and began working. He tugged, and tucked and twisted, all with infinite care and a look of mixed fascination and determination. She committed his face to memory. While he was fiddling, Celestia sighed and let herself relax. It was perhaps the safest she had yet felt on Earth.

The excitement of this new thing they shared had prevented her from thinking about the future, but now that she calmed down it was rearing its ugly head again. "I am going to miss you so much, Greg. Will you remain faithful to me until we are together again?"

"Will you?" he countered.

"Of course. Between whatever messes my sister had created with our international diplomacy, and working to bring you into Canterlot, and pushing for pony rights on Earth, I will probably be too tired to do anything beside eat and sleep."

The man chuckled lightly. "Well, you should bathe. Diplomacy gets harder if the people don't want to be in the same room as you."

She laughed, but it turned into a sigh. She would even miss his little jabs and jokes at her expense. "Thank you, dear. I would not have thought of that myself."

His hand came to pat her head and she leaned into it gratefully. Then he answered her question: "I promise, Celly. No carousing with women while you're gone. I'll cancel all my wild house parties."

She sighed again with a mixture of pleasure and regret. The hours before they parted were few, but she would fill them with closeness and pillow-talk and - if fate was kind - another bout of lovemaking. Things to remember and cherish during the months in her cold, empty bed. Despite herself, a single tear slid down her muzzle. Rawsthorne saw it and understood.

"It is just a year, Celly. You'll be fine. Like you said, you'll be so busy it will pass in a jiffie."

The pony sniffed a little. "You will visit!" It wasn't a request, or a wish. It was a command. No! A Royal Decree! "Do you hear me, Greg? You will visit, at least one weekend every month! I do not care whom I will have to bribe or threaten! I will make it happen, and you will make time for it!"

He let her wing go for a moment as Celestia stood up on the bed and turned to face him. Rawsthorne cupped her face with his hands and guided it closer. He kissed her nose and smiled. "I promise."

That made it a lot easier to bear. She let her breath go and leaned forward, into Rawsthorne' chest with her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"Celly?" The voice intruded in her cozy dream, so Celestia ignored it. Nothing could be as important as her warmth and comfort! The only problem was that it just wouldn't go away. "Wake up, sweetie!"

Rawsthorne! She recognized the voice. Besides, she had started to think. It was impossible to stay asleep. The mare opened one eye with some effort. The way her human was smiling woke her up.

"Whaa... 'zzit?"

Rawsthorne laid a gentle palm on her cheek. It was even better than the dream and she smiled back. "You're drooling a little, sweetie," he pointed out.

Her eyes tried to focus and she pulled her head away. She had been lying on Rawsthorne's arm and, indeed, there was a small puddle on his skin and the pillow under it.

"S'rry." Yawning, she laid her head down right beside the wet bit and closed her eyes again. A little drool wouldn't hurt anyone and Rawsthorne kept stroking her cheek with his thumb in a most pleasing manner.

"Come on," he said. "My arm is falling asleep."

Celestia wasn't about to relinquish it. "Good. Sos 'm I."

His laugh was pleasant and Celestia smiled as she snuggled down, back under the covers. When Rawsthorne pulled them off her again, her ears folded back in annoyance. "Aren't you hungry? Thirsty?"

That sounded somewhat better. She opened her eyes again. After their busy night and the wonderful, if exhausting, time in the shower, she was feeling a little undernourished and quite parched.

She smacked her lips a few times. "Water, please."

Unfortunately, that meant Rawsthorne had to withdraw his arm and leave her in the room, but it was okay, he left a big, enjoyable warm spot. She quickly slid into it and a small moan escaped her.

There was a giggle from across the room and Celestia remembered she wasn't alone with the man. She lifted her head up to look. "Oh. Sorry."

Lake Frond was watching from her bed. She was being sleep-hugged by a very happy-looking Rock Lichen. The two mares shared a smile. Celestia didn't remember when the couple had returned from their shower. It had been running for a while, nearly covering up the sounds they were making. Celestia hadn't begrudged them their fun and simply ignored it while she was cuddling with Rawsthorne, who didn't seem to hear anything out of the ordinary. She hadn't told him, either.

"Want me to do your mane?" the earth mare offered.

Glancing down at herself, Celestia saw that she really was quite disheveled, but then again, so was Lake Frond.

"Want me to do yours?"

Her face lit up and Lake Frond nodded happily. "Ooooh, yes please!" she answered. She prodded her husband lightly with her muzzle and explained: "Rock usually does it, but he's not very good. It takes a mare's touch."

The stallion muttered something, but didn't wake, even when Lake Frond slid from his grasp. He just flopped to his belly and sighed in disappointment. Celestia pushed the cover aside and sat up. Then she stretched a little and yawned again, extending all four hooves as far as they would go and fluffing out her wings. That got her blood flowing a bit better and lessened the stiffness she felt in her limbs.

Lake Frond rummaged in the saddlebags by the foot of her bed where Rock had dropped them when they arrived. She got out a brush and, holding it in her mouth, jumped on the bed behind Celestia. She spat it out for a moment. "Just relax. I haven't brushed a Princess yet, but I had plenty of practice on Rock!"

Celestia obediently sat still as Lake Frond brought the brush up. She began to drag it through the Royal Mane in long, even, gentle strokes. It was quite calming and the Princess closed her eyes.

Rawsthorne was soon back with several bottles of water and a few with soda. "Here we go. Some sugar to get us going. Would anyone like coffee?"

"Please!" She needed it, perhaps more than on any other day in her life. Although, Celestia thought guiltily, she felt like that every morning after she had stayed up late.

Lake Frond dropped her brush for a moment to agree: "Yes, me too, please, and some for Rock, if you would be so kind?"

Rawsthorne nodded. "Of course. Here, have some water while I fetch," he offered and placed a couple of his bottles on the bed with the mares. He also put one next to the still-sleeping Rock Lichen. "Guess you really tired him out?" he commented.

Celestia glanced back at Lake Frond just in time to see the mare blush a little. It was cute, but what she really wanted right at the moment was something to wet her tongue. The plastic bottle floated up in her magic and the cap unscrewed itself in her magical grip. She drank nearly half of it in one go, then she offered it to Lake Frond, who grasped it between her hooves to drink.

Before she took as swig she pointed the bottle at her husband and spoke up. "Oh, just prod him and he'll wake up," the mare said. "He's a sound sleeper."

Rawsthorne did just that. He laid his hand on the stallion's shoulder and rocked him a few times. "Wake up, sleepy!" he cooed.

Rock Lichen shifted again, but all he did was grab the human's arm with both hooves and nuzzled it. Then he licked it. His eyes fluttered open when it wasn't what he was expecting and the stallion looked up at the grinning, human face.

"Eep!" Rock Lichen said and quickly backed away. "Sorry! I thought you were-" he mumbled and looked around wildly for his mare. "Were... Lake?"

When he spotted her with the Princess, the pony just stared. "When did you get up?!"

Lake Frond just laughed at him a little. "As if you ever notice. If I didn't poke you out of bed each morning, Master would take a whip to your hide every day!"

Celestia and Rawsthorne glanced at each other, a bit uncomfortable with the topic, but the other two just chuckled at it. The man excused himself and went to fetch coffee, while Rock Lichen sat up and stretched.

"What time is it?" Rock asked.

Celestia felt for the Sun, forgetting that she had promised herself not to do it again. "A little past five in the afternoon. We should find something to eat and then get going."

Lake Frond held the water bottle out for Celestia, who just floated it over to Rock. The stallion greedily emptied it. Well, he would be thirsty, the Princess thought to herself. It had sounded as if he lost a lot of fluid last night. Before the thought could make her blush, Celestia focused on her wings. Just like she had feared, the bed was too soft and her cuddling with Rawsthorne had been a little too... enthusiastic. The feathers were, once again, in a disarray, but she really didn't have time to preen all over again.

They would vanish when she changed to Supple Branch anyway. One more night, and then with luck when she turned back to her usual shape, she would be in Canterlot and she would have the time. Surely Luna would be able to hold all things together for just one more day while Celestia rested from this tiring trip?

"So, what's for breakfast?" Rock Lichen asked. "Mr. Rawsthorne said something about pizza.

Both mares looked at him and Lake Frond spat out the brush. "Oh, I'd love pizza! When was the last time Master and Mistress ordered one? I can't even remember! Last year?"

Rock Lichen corrected her: "No, I think the last time was when Mistress made it at home. Remember? I think it was just after the holidays."

"Uh, you do not have to call them that anymore, you know?"

The ponies looked at Celestia for a few seconds, then hesitantly nodded and blushed in embarrassment. "You're right. It's just habit, you know?" Lake Frond explained. "After saying it for a while, you start thinking it." She sounded a little sad. "It'll take some time to break out of it."

Rock Lichen seemed to agree. "It'll pass. Besides," the stallion said slowly, "they weren't bad people. We didn't have it as bad as some others."

"Others?"

He shook his head. "Before the laws. It was pretty bad for some back then, but then a few humans ended up in prison for mistreating ponies and it got better. Ma- uh, Andrew Williams wasn't a bad sort."

Celestia felt obliged to point out the important bit. "They refused to let you have young. They threatened you..."

She was immediately sorry, because being reminded of it made Lake Frond sigh sadly. "Yes," the mare said, "there was that. We were like pets to them. Sure, we weren't beaten or worked, but it was still humiliating."

All three pairs of ears were flattened by sadness and Celestia thought furiously for a way to brighten the mood. Luckily, Rock Lichen beat her to it and said: "Well, I liked your big white bow."

"Come oooon! Will you let it go already?!" the mare called out with exasperation.

No, Celestia changed her mind. She was pretending to be exasperated and trying to hide the smile. It seemed Lake Frond liked being reminded of that particular event.

"What?!" the stallion countered. "I did! It was cute."

"Bow?"

Lake Frond drew a breath and focused on the Princess. "Yeah. On my birthday last year, Mary got me this huge, white bow to tie into my mane and then they took photos to put on Facebook. It was humiliating."

"The cake was good," Rock Lichen pointed out.

"Yeah," Lake Frond agreed at last, "the cake was good."

He went on, a bit more quietly and a lot more earnestly: "You really did look good in it. Maybe it was a bit too big, but you should consider getting a smaller one in that color. It suited you."

Celestia tried to imagine it. Yes, if she got a shade of white similar to her fur and tied it in her mane - which was rich and flowing - it would accentuate it nicely.

"I'll think about it," Lake Frond said quietly. Then she looked back at Celestia. "Okay, I think your mane is better. Want me to do the tail, too? Why aren't they flowing like they used to in Equestria? I saw you once, when my parents took me to Canterlot one year."

"Oh. I haven't thought about it much, but I assume this is because there is not as much natural magic on Earth as there is back home."

Lake Frond lifted a few strands and let them fall. "I think I like it better this way, to be honest. It looked a little too... flashy."

Celestia chuckled at that. It was the first time anypony said that. There had been endless questions about how she made it all wavy and flowy, but nopony had remarked she should try and make it less so. She decided to try when she was back and see what the ponies thought of it. She had gotten rather used to the mane being a bit more 'obedient' on Earth.

As for her tail, Celestia decided it wasn't too badly tangled. Besides, she would have to comb her mane and tail again anyway, after she dyed it. She picked up the brush in her magic and motioned the mare to face the other way. "It is your turn."

Lake Frond hesitated for a moment, then shuffled until she was showing her back to Celestia. "Wow, brushed by a Princess. It's an honor!"

Celestia smiled as she began. "Hush. You're making an old mare blush."

Rock watched them for a while, but then he jumped from the bed and headed for the bathroom. With just them left in the room, Celestia leaned her muzzle closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Did you two enjoy yourselves last night?"

Lake Frond froze and the blush on her muzzle was obvious. She shared Celestia's affliction of having white fur, which made any embarrassment so clear to see. For that matter, the Princess herself was a little red in the face, too.

"It was... nice. Uhm... you?" the mare asked, her voice only slightly nervous, but then curiosity got the better of her and Lake Frond turned her head around to look. "What is a human... you know... 'like'?"

Celestia thought back over the years and her various 'encounters'. "Different. Not bad, just different."

The way Lake Frond stared, wide-eyed, told Celestia that she had never had the experience. That was good. It meant she had never been molested on Earth, which was quite a relief. "Oh," she answered, sounding a little disappointed at the lack of details, but then she brightened up. "It sounded fun."

Despite her best efforts, Celestia couldn't keep her cheeks from glowing. She didn't answer. Luckily, Rawsthorne came to the rescue as he walked through the door bearing a small tray with coffee cups. The aroma immediately filled the room.

"Okay, brush later," Lake Frond said quickly and scooched forward to get hers. Rawsthorne obliged and held the cup so the mare could grasp it between her forehooves.

Celestia took hers in a magical grip and brought it to her lips for a quick sip. It was burning hot, exactly what she needed. The room wasn't as cold as when they had arrived, but it was still a little chilly.

Rawsthorne took his own coffee and left the last on one the other bed for the stallion. They sipped in silence, which was only broken by Rock Lichen when he joined them and murmured a heartfelt thank you to the human.

Then Celestia spoke up. "So, pizza?"

Chapter 55

Almost exactly as they had predicted, the group came to their destination late at night. It was nearing midnight when they checked into yet another hotel room. This one had one big bed and a couch. There also weren't any chocolates on the pillows. Celestia hoped there was hot water at least. Keeping up her disguise up for the second day in a row was getting quite exhausting. Luckily, she could get a full night's sleep and be ready again the next morning. The border was mere miles away now. She could sense its energy in the distance!

While Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were getting settled on the couch, Celestia laid down across Rawsthorne's knees on their bed. "Tired?"

He shrugged, then nodded. Yes, Celestia imagined. Driving looked about as tiring as her spell. It took constant focus which wore you down after a while. They had stopped several times to rest and once to eat, but the man still looked a little down. She knew why. If everything went well, this would be their last night together for quite a while. The realization made Celestia heave a dissappointed sigh.

"Come, let's go and take a shower."

That cheered him up a little. If she couldn't see Rawsthorne for the next month or two, then she would make him remember her. Celestia had spent some quiet time in the car to recall, word for word, the article from the laundromat, and to think hard on how it applied to her and Rawsthorne. She had some ideas to try and, since it wasn't all that late, she would have the time to experiment with most of them.

She was about to jump from the bed and drag the man to the bathroom, but Lake Frond beat her to it. The couple were headed there. "Our turn first, this time!" the mare said. Then she paused and looked worriedly at the Princess. "Uh, if that's okay?"

Celestia didn't have the heart to deny them. She had seen how crazy about each other the two were, even after years together. They could hardly keep their hooves to themselves in the car. Even Rawsthorne had to blush at some of the sounds from the back seat. For that matter, Celestia herself was worried that the two had stopped breathing at a few points! It was probably the prospect of freedom and the thought of raising a family, she guessed. Her heart sang to see such love among her subjects.

Since the bathroom was busy, she nudged Rawsthorne in the ribs with her snout. "Lie down."

He seemed shocked. "What? Here?!"

She laughed at his expression. "So? They will be busy in the shower. We will hear it stop with enough warning. We can... 'warm up'."

"But- you look like Supple Branch," he pointed out.

Celestia leaned her head to the side. She did. "Why is that a problem?"

He couldn't quite explain, but he tried anyway: "Dunno. Feels slightly like cheating on you."

It was quite sweet, Celestia decided and, in time, it could be useful to liven things up a little! She stepped down from the bed and winked. "Let me slip into something more comfortable." It was a line she had heard on TV and so fitting! They both laughed at it as the glow enveloped her.

The only problem was that Rawsthorne was still sitting up. After another prod, he complied and lay back. Celestia tugged at his shirt which he obediently removed. The best part was that with him like that, she could watch his face the whole time. She eagerly climbed on the bed and only remembered at the last moment to levitate a towel from her saddlebag. They would still need to sleep on those sheets afterward.

"Princess? Please wake up!" Again a whisper was rousing her from sleep! What was it with waking up the sleeping alicorn these days?!

Celestia opened her eyes and groaned a little. She had barely nodded off! At least, she saw, Rawsthorne was still asleep. Good thing she had worn him out! Who then was calling her? All she could see was a pony-shaped shadow beside the bed. There was a faint light, coming from the bathroom.

"Lake Frond?"

The mare sounded horrible. Like she had been crying. "Please. I need to talk to somepony!" Her desperate tone washed away every last vestige of tiredness. Her heart began to beat faster in fear as Celestia carefully slipped out of Rawsthorne's grasp. She paused to see if the man would wake up. He didn't.

Lake Frond grasped her foreleg and tugged. "Please," she repeated.

Celestia didn't speak, just followed the mare into the bathroom. There the distraught pony closed the door and looked up. Her face was a mess of tears.

"Lake Frond? What has happened? What is wrong?"

All the mare could do was begin crying again. It was a job for the Royal Chest Fluff. Celestia simply grasped her friend and embraced her. After a few seconds she added her wings to block out the big, bad world from the two of them.

"I'm sorry," Lake Frond said tearfully. "I'm so sorry for this, Princess. I was stupid and I should have thought it through and I should have noticed but I was just so stupid!"

The mare was babbling and Celestia pressed her more firmly against herself. "Hush, sweetie. Start from the beginning. What is wrong?"

Lake sniffed and wiped at her snout with her hoof. She couldn't meet Celestia's gaze. "S-some time ago," she explained, a little hesitantly and with her ears plastered all the way down, "when I de-decided I wanted a foal..."

A chill ran down her spine and Celestia recalled a few of the more horrific stories she had heard whispered in the Canterlot Castle. Humans who didn't want their mares to become pregnant. Who treated them as pets. And had them-

Celestia shuddered at the mere thought.

-spayed.

Her own tears were threatening to begin flowing now. "What did they do to you?"

Lake Frond watched her in confusion for a moment, then her mouth opened and her eyes widened as she realized it. "OH! No, no! Nothing like that!" she said quickly. "I didn't mean to imply-" She stopped and lowered her eyes again. "I can't even do this right," she moaned.

It wasn't that, then. She doubted she had ever felt such relief in her life, but her heart was still hammering and Celestia was still afraid. "Do not worry. Go on, you can tell me. I will help, I promise."

Now the other mare shut her eyes tightly and resumed her story: "I met t-this... pony on the Internet. He used to be an apprentice alchemist in a shop in Los Pegasus. A-and he made me this potion..."

Again, Lake Frond fell silent, so Celestia asked a question to move the mare along. "What kind of potion."

"F-f-fertility p-potion." It didn't sound too problematic, but they were probably getting to that part. This time Celestia decided to tactfully wait for her friend to work up the courage on her own.

Finally, Lake Frond took a breath and went on: "It was supposed to... b-bring my heat sooner, if it wasn't t-too far."

Maybe the potion did something to her? Again, Celestia felt pity for the poor creature, but this time she didn't comment on it.

"A-anyway, when you called us and said we were going," Lake Frond began, her voice full of shame and misery, "I..." She took a shuddering breath and Celestia hugged her more tightly again. She was keeping the wings around them and now quickly added a silence spell. "I drank it," the mare finished lamely. "I know it was a stupid, foolhardy, idiot thing to do, but I just..." She sobbed and bravely forced herself to continue. "I just got so excited, P-princess. I don't know what came over me. I drank it before we escaped."

"What happened?" The mare was silent, so Celestia asked again. "Lake Frond? Did it work?"

When Lake Frond opened her mouth again, the words came out in a rush, as if she wanted to be rid of them as quickly as possible. "It was supposed to take a week! I swear, the pony said it would be a week until it took effect and I thought - I thought that was just enough time to get home and then we could start right away!" She looked up imploringly at Celestia. "Please, Princess! I swear I-" Swallowing, she tried again: "It was supposed to bring my heat a week from now and Rock and me could try for a foal right away when we got home!"

It was obvious the potion didn't work as expected. Celestia was starting to get a suspicion. Their over-eagerness in the car. The length of time they were in the shower, both the previous night and this one, but she didn't sigh in exasperation. The poor mare was distraught enough as it was. Instead, she made her voice gentle. She needed her ponies to trust her, not fear her. Lake Frond had done the right thing by telling her. "It worked too fast?"

The mare nodded silently.

"And now-"

Another nod, but Lake Frond finished the sentence: "I'm pregnant."

Of course the mare would know. Almost from the day it happened. It was probably last night, then, so she would be sensing it tonight.

"Does Rock Lichen know?"

Now Lake Frond shook her head and began sobbing again. "I'm just a stupid filly and I messed everything up. I'm sorry, Princess..."

It wasn't necessarily a problem. "It was a rash decision, yes, but I am not mad at you, Lake Frond."

The ears perked up and an incredulous stare followed.

"No, I am not. You wanted what every mare wants naturally. I can't be angry if - in your excitement - you made a foolish decision. Many have done so before you." The poor pony just burst into tears again, but this time out of relief. "Why does this worry you like this? Surely nothing will be seen for many months. It will not affect our crossing of the border."

Lake Frond was shaking her head. It took her some time before she could speak. "I-if something went wrong... and I got sent back..." she began, but shuddered and fresh tears overwhelmed her.

Celestia remembered the threat her owners had made. "I will not let that happen. I swear this to you, Lake Frond. You will pass the border tomorrow into Equestria as a free mare and your child will grow up there, free."

"B-but, but," the mare blubbered, "if it goes wrong..."

Celestia nuzzled her poor, frightened friend. "Sweetie, it will go smoothly. Even if the worst did come about - remember that I am an alicorn. I will get us home, no matter what it takes." It seemed to help, but she couldn't be sure. The mare just kept crying into the Royal Chest Fluff.

She held Lake Frond gently and nuzzled her, but inside Celestia was worried. With this knowledge, she could not let Lake Frond fall back into human hands. It was now impossible to go back. However badly things went at the border - and the mare still hoped they wouldn't - Lake Frond had to end up in Equestria. There was no more choice. She began searching her memory for battle spells. Awful things of huge destructive power. Evil magic. Things she had hoped never to use again. She began praying that she would not need them.

She went back to bed hoping that she would not have to start a war.

This time it wasn't a voice which woke Celestia, but rather an incessant, annoying ringing. It took her a moment to realize where it was coming from, but then she quickly nudged the man sleeping beside her. "Gregory. Your phone."

He sighed and reached for the thing on his nightstand. He peered at the screen, but then sat bolt upright. "Miriam?" he asked and quickly put it against his ear. "Hello?"

Celestia also lifted herself up. Of course she couldn't sleep through it.

"Yes, Rawsthorne? Where are you? Did you get the ponies through yet?" the D.A. asked.

Rawsthorne needed a few seconds to gather his thoughts. "N-no," he finally mumbled and looked at the mare beside him. "We're going in the morning. What time is it?"

This time Celestia stopped herself from feeling the Sun. Besides, Miriam answered the question: "Nearly five."

"The border does not open for another two hours," Celestia said.

Rawsthorne just repeated the same thing, but Miriam had heard her. "Is that Celestia? Lemme talk to her."

Rawsthorne held the phone out and touched the button which would make it louder. He didn't need to, not for her benefit, but Celestia guessed he also wanted to hear what Miriam had to say.

"I am here. What is wrong, Miriam?"

There was a faint shuffle of cloth from the other room and Celestia guessed they had woken up at least on of their friends. Probably the mare.

"You need to go through right now! It would have been better if you went yesterday, but you need to go, now!"

The emphasis worried her and Celestia shivered a little. "Why? What is wrong?"

Before answering, Miriam heaved a sigh. The little speaker in the phone distorted it somewhat, but exasperation came through unmasked. "Look, did your two friends tell their owners anything when they escaped?" the D.A. asked.

"No, I don't think so." At least, Celestia added to herself, they hadn't mentioned anything of the sort. She spotted Lake Frond looking around the door with wide, frightened eyes, and waved a hoof to call her silently inside. The mare walked to the bed tentatively.

"Wait just one second, Miriam," Celestia said and looked down at her friend. "Lake Frond, did you or Rock Lichen tell your humans about this?"

The mare shook her head. "N-no, of course not! Why?"

Miriam heard and answered: "Well, somehow they knew exactly where you were going. They called the police and the picture is probably already up at the border."

The poor mare was shaking her head in horror. "No, t-that can't be!" she mumbled, as if trying to will it so.

Celestia swallowed and her stomach sank. There was no way they could change their paperwork, even if they dyed both the ponies to change their color. "What do we do?" She sounded defeated. They had come so far, through such hardship, only to be denied at the last step.

"Hey, that's why I'm calling," Miriam said and she sounded optimistic. The alicorn imagined her mischievous smile. "There's a chance they didn't look at the wanted list yet, or maybe they hadn't printed it out."

Her ears perked up and Celestia allowed herself a small measure of hope.

"But you have to go RIGHT NOW, understand? They will certainly have it printed and on the wall by seven!" the woman admonished.

"B-but it's not even open yet!"

Miriam sighed. "I know, I know, but- there's usually some guards posted. Go there, talk to them. Beg. Pay. Whatever it takes, just get through, okay?"

Celestia was about to ask for more details, but she saw that Lake Frond wasn't listening anymore. The mare was sitting on her haunches with her forelegs wrapped around her belly. Fresh tears were flowing down her face and she was no doubt imagining what the humans would do if they recaptured her. Gathering her courage, Celestia very briefly hugged Rawsthorne, then slipped out of the bed and laid a gentle wing around the devastated mare.

"Come, let us go and put on my dye. We have to hurry. Gregory, you wake up Rock Lichen!"

The man agreed and said a hurried goodbye and a thank you to Miriam. But just before he hung up, Celestia called out again. "Miriam? How did you know this?"

"My friend at the FBI called me as soon as the wanted list got out today. Go!"

She squeaked her own thanks and led Lake Frond to the bathroom to get ready. She didn't need the mare to help her, but she didn't want to leave her alone. Busy, that was the key. Prevent her from thinking!

She heard Rawsthorne get out of bed and begin dressing himself. He would have plenty of time. The hair dye took nearly half an hour and Celestia just hoped it wouldn't be too late.

When she burst out of the bathroom with Lake Frond right behind, she saw a disturbing sight. Rawsthorne was sitting on the couch with his face in his hands, and Rock Lichen was huddled on the floor, sobbing. His marefriend quickly went to him. "Rock?" she asked worriedly, concern for herself momentarily forgotten. "Rock?! What's wrong? What happened?"

It almost looked as if the stallion didn't want the hug. He wriggled free and admitted, amidst choking sobs: "It w-was m-me!"

"What are you talking about?" Lake Frond asked.

He glanced up at Celestia. "Please, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't think. Just go without us, they shouldn't bother you if we're not with you and we'll go back to Master and Mistress. I'll say it was all my fault, okay?"

Celestia didn't quite follow. "What? Why? Why would you go back? How is it your fault, Rock Lichen?"

He drew a deep breath and looked back to his wife, who was just staring at him in shock. "I-" he tried to say, but sobbed instead. "I wrote a note... f-for Mas-master!"

The mare shrank away from the stallion. "Rock?" she asked with a fearful voice. It sounded as if she didn't really want to know, but couldn't stop the question: "What note?"

He seemed to get a grip on himself and explained again: "Before we w-went. I wanted to say thank you to Master, so I left him a note. I said we wanted to raise a family and that I was g-grateful for his... k-kindness..." his voice trailed off at the end.

Celestia understood. "You essentially told them exactly where you are going."

All Rock Lichen could do was nod. "I'm so, so, sorry, Pri-princess! I wasn't thinking, and now if you're with me and Lake, they probably won't let you through. We can't do that to you!"

Celestia put her head in her hooves, much like Rawsthorne was doing. For a moment she allowed herself to feel a sliver of anger. She pointed a trembling leg at the pair. "Let me understand this. While you were drinking a fertility potion, you were writing a helpful little note to your slavers, telling them where you were going and why?"

The stallion looked at his wife in fresh shock. "F-Fertility potion?!"

She just nodded, but couldn't answer. Lake Frond was still staring at him with something close to betrayal. "Yes. And it worked too fast. She is pregnant, Rock Lichen. She can not go back, do you understand?"

The pony paled, his gray fur going nearly white. Rawsthorne also stared, but the human didn't say anything.

"L-lake- I di- didn't..." the stallion mumbled, "I- I'm-" He couldn't form even a single sentence. Then he looked up at the Princess. "Please..." he whispered, knowing fully that it was futile. "Please help."

It broke her heart. Of course Celestia couldn't say no, even after both their blunders, but it looked more and more like she would have to start a war with Earth over this. Her shoulders slumped. "I will get you home. I promised."

At least the ponies had the decency to look at the floor in embarrassment.

"But we have to hurry. Now!"

It was before six that the group arrived at the portal building. It looked like a small war zone, even though no battles have been fought over this scrap of land. Some of the nearby buildings were abandoned and a few had been demolished to make room for new construction. The portal had opened in a crossroads in the middle of a human city and it was sheer luck that no one was hurt. Had it destroyed a building, or - goodness forbid - hurt some humans, they would likely have seen it as an attack and diplomacy would have been all but impossible.

As it was, Celestia remembered, both sides had scurried to put the situation under control. Chain link fences and guards were the first measures, quickly followed by more permanent walls as it became apparent that the phenomenon was going to last. It was still there, she could sense it. The gateway to her home was really close now. Celestia barely restrained herself from simply blowing a hole in the wall and running for it with her ponies. Instead, she entered the reception with Rawsthorne and the couple. She remembered the place from her first trip through, but her pony friends were looking around nervously. It was likely quite a bit different than they remembered. If they had even been conscious when they were first brought through. In the years since, the diplomatic relationships improved and the place was no longer a fortress, warding against an invasion, but simply a border crossing. Laws were enacted and procedures agreed upon. Men with guns had been gradually replaced by those with clipboards

This way the humans could precisely control who came and went. They could enforce the trade agreements and prevent contraband from moving between the worlds. On her first trip through the bureaucratic machine Celestia had been impressed by the attention to detail and efficiency. Now she hoped the guards were lazy and inept.

At long last! A fat, sleepy-looking man ambled over from somewhere in the back to answer Rawsthorne's persistent knocking. It seemed as if he was the only one watching the place at night, but Celestia suspected there were a few more watchmen making their patrols.

"Whatd'ya want?!" the guard bellowed. "Border opens in an hour!"

Rawsthorne was prepared: he had a hundred dollar bill in his hand. "Please! I have a very important meeting and I need to drop these three off before that. Can't we do this now?"

The fat man gave it some thought. His eyes followed the money closely. Rawsthorne reached into a pocket with his other hand and pulled out another bill. Now it was two hundred and the guard licked his lips.

"Well, okay. You've got your papers?" he agreed, a little reluctantly.

Celestia stepped up smartly to her human so he could pull the briefcase from her saddlebag. "Right here," Rawsthorne said. He gave the man his money together with the documents. "Thank you, Mr.?"

The fat human grunted. "Bass," he said. "Just call me Walter." His years of dealing with all sorts of people came to Rawsthorne's aid. He smiled pleasantly and there was nothing in his expression except honest relief. "Rawsthorne," he said and shook the other man's hand. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, Walter. I should have been here last night, but I had a flat. You know how it is."

Celestia was impressed by how well Rawsthorne could lie, but she didn't draw attention to it. The other two ponies were looking at the ground, as if hiding their faces would make them less noticeable. It wouldn't work. Humans went by fur and mane color, she knew, but she stayed near her friends and bumped her flank against Lake Frond's to try and reassure her. They followed Walter Bass through some hallways and to the portal. She knew the way and what to expect, but the other two didn't. When they came to their destination, the ponies stared around in awe. Double doors opened into a a huge room. The ceiling would be lost in shadows, if there weren't neon light bulbs embedded in it. Walls were bare, except for a few splashes of red and yellow for the alarm lights and speakers. In the middle, raised slightly above the floor, was the portal. The hole between their worlds was over thirty feet high and almost twenty wide. Her gaze followed it up and up, where it nearly vanished into the ceiling. It could easily fit even a large dragon.

Right now, almost nothing could pass the barrier. The humans, in their ingenuity, constructed a metal frame for the portal and somehow locked it in place over the opening. Thick metal bars prevented passage. It opened, Celestia knew, but only at human command. She looked around, but couldn't see the hinges or any other weak points. A sturdy and clever solution. Of course her magic could blast through it, but it would take a minute.

"W-Why is it so big?" Lake Frond asked, awed.

Twilight Sparkle had spent a lot of time theorizing why it the opening would be taller than it is wide. Her best guess before Celestia left had been 'something to do with gravity'. The portal itself was simply a hole, like a window. There wasn't a glowing edge, just a sharp line where the world changed, as if someone had cut an opening through canvas with a sharp knife. Of course, even Celestia understood that part of Twilight's explanation. It let everything through and that included light and air.

She became aware of a gentle breeze. It was coming from the portal and ruffling her mane. The alicorn closed her eyes and inhaled. Smiling, she felt her eyes moisten. Home. That was what it smelled like. Snow, and ponies, and countryside and, yes, even Everfree Forest in the distance. Home and family and her people. That was where she belonged. Celestia had never realized how much she had missed it all, until now. She had to close her eyes and turn her head away. She focused on a question to fight the nostalgia: Why was the air coming this way?

Twilight had said it was a stroke of luck that they had similar atmospheres on their worlds, and similar pressure. Otherwise one world or the other would have been in serious trouble. As it was, the delicate the balance fluctuated. Sometimes the air flowed from Equestria to Earth, and sometimes it went the other way. She heard Lake Frond sigh in happiness and opened her eyes to look. The mare was smiling faintly and leaning heavily against Rock Lichen, who didn't seem to mind supporting her. As her eyes slowly became used to the strange opening, she realized that the room on the other side was slightly brighter. Ah, yes! Due to the way the sisters controlled the Sun and the Moon, their mornings weren't always completely synchronized. It looked like Luna had begun this day a little earlier. Celestia dragged her eyes from the window into her own world and finished her inspection of the room. There wasn't too much: a small platform with steps which took you up to the hole itself, a few benches, some chairs and a table off to the side. That was where the guards sat during the day, Celestia remembered.

Right now, there was a pegasus in gold armor at one of the tables. Celestia didn't remember any ponies on the human side when she came through the first time, but one of the Equestrian royal guard was lounging in a chair made for a human, with two cups of coffee steaming beside him. The way he kept glancing guiltily at the portal told Celestia all she needed to know. His visits to earth weren't exactly 'official', but he had probably sat on his side of the portal most nights, watching the humans while the humans watched him. They had probably started talking and found they had a lot in common.

All guards, everywhere, had a lot in common.

Besides, what was the harm of nipping across the room for a cup of coffee in the morning? They were both official guards, so rules for crossing over were a little relaxed. Nopony could begrudge them a bit of company and a warm beverage to help pass those long, quiet nights. It nearly made her smile. It proved that humans and ponies could be good friends, if they spent time together as equals. Most importantly, it boded well. Perhaps this Walter had come to like ponies and would let them through quickly and without looking at the documents too closely.

It was to be hoped.

Remembering him, Celestia looked at the human guard. He was reading the release forms with his brow furrowed, like many people to whom written word doesn't come too easily. Every now and then he glanced up at the ponies, as if to make sure what was written on the paper was correct. The four of them waited in uncomfortable silence, while the pegasus guard pretended he wasn't curious about them and fiddled with his coffee cup instead. Celestia searched her memory. If he was a royal guard from Canterlot, she should know him, but the golden helmet hid his features and the few patches of white fur and a splash of violet mane didn't tell her much. Once he spoke she would certainly remember the name. Both sisters made a point of knowing everypony who worked for them.

"Hmm, please wait here," Walter said and walked to his little glass box with the papers. He closed the door behind him and sat down.

Celestia looked at Rawsthorne, but he shrugged. "I don't know the procedures. Maybe he has to look up the document numbers or something. Or compare the stamp. I'm not sure."

He fell silent as the pony guard approached.

"Excuse me," the pegasus addressed Lake Frond, who had turned her face away. "Please look at me."

The mare did so, if hesitantly. Rock Lichen took a step forward, as if to protect her, but the guard just sighed and lowered his head. "Coming here was a stupid idea," he said sadly.

"What? Why?" the Princess asked.

The pony just pointed to a nearby wall with a wing. There was a bulletin board with a few pieces of paper, and on top of them all...

Lake Frond made a small whimper. It was unmistakably her and Rock Lichen's picture. They were too late. Celestia felt for her magic and prepared a few spells.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you," the guard said and finally Celestia was able to put a name to the face and voice. Moonbeam. Originally from Canterlot city watch. She knew very little about him.

"Why?" she asked.

Moonbeam shook his head. "First, there's cameras everywhere. Second, Walter has a gun. Third, any sign of trouble and he just has to push a button to lock down the entire place." The pony peered at the human in his little office. "Yep, he's probably already called the cops." He turned to walk back to the table and his cup. "If I were you, I'd make it easy on myself and go quietly. I'm sorry."

His voice really did sound sincerely sad, but he also wasn't going to help them. Celestia wondered how many such cases he had seen. Hopefuls, so near their home soil, but turned away at the last step. Before Celestia could cast a spell to bring down the metal gate, Rock Lichen hurried after the pegasus guard and raised his hooves in supplication.

"Please, please, sir! You gotta let us through! Please, you're a pony!"

There was regret in his face, clear even under his helmet, but Moonbeam still shook his head. "Sorry. Nothing I can do. This is the human side. I am not even supposed to be here."

Rock Lichen wouldn't give up. "Come on! Please, she's pregnant and if she stays here, they will make her abort!"

The guard let his head drop. He heaved a sigh, but he didn't look like he would say anything more.

Celestia walked up to the two. "I know your presence here is not official. You just came for a coffee. The human is your friend, right Moonbeam?"

The guard gave a gasp and looked up sharply. "How do you know my name?!"

The mare shook her head dismissively. "You are friends. If you talked to him, he might let us through. Please try, for your fellow ponies. For a mother."

Rock Lichen added: "Her name is Lake Frond. You're killing her baby if you let her fall back into human hands, and probably her, too."

The poor guard pegasus swallowed uneasily. His eyes shifted from the stallion, to Celestia, and then to Lake Frond, who was just watching him imploringly. Tears were streaming down her face. Moonbeam swallowed again, then he let out a deep sigh. "Buck," he swore quietly. "They'll have my hide for this. I hope it's worth it."

He didn't wait for their thanks, but went to knock at Walter's office. The human looked up, then opened the door to let him in. There was a whispered conversation, while Rock Lichen walked back to his marefriend and smiled tentatively. They embraced, but Lake Frond didn't seem relieved.

Celestia joined Rawsthorne where he was waiting and he patted her mane reassuringly.

"Sorry. I can't be much use here," he said as the mare hugged his legs.

"You have done plenty, love. I hope Moonbeam can convince the human to let us go. Otherwise I will simply have to... make a way."

He saw just how much she disliked the idea. "Here's hoping," he said quietly.

They watched the argument in the glass office. Celestia caught a few words here and there.

"... gotta let them go..." Moonbeam was saying fervently. She missed the next bit, but then he exclaimed a bit more loudly: "How many times have I asked for a favour, Walter?!"

The human's reply was unintelligible, as was whatever the pony said to that, but then the next fragment from the pegasus made her smile: "... all my wife's lasagnas I've shared with you over the years?!"

Of course. Food was the universal language. Unless it was meat, then it was a human-only dialect. She didn't hear much of Walter's reply to that, but she recognized 'fugitives', and 'police' and 'on their way'.

It made her blood run cold. Were human authorities coming already? How long until they arrived? She looked at the hallway where they had entered the room. Walter had locked the door behind him. Celestia quickly sought for a spell which would keep it locked, at least for a while. It would buy her the time she needed. Then the two guards were coming back and she swallowed nervously. She flashed her human a faint smile, then took a step away to await the verdict.

Walter spoke up. "You four are putting me in a real awkward position here, you know that?"

Celestia allowed herself a sliver of hope.

"I can't let you through," the man said. Moonbeam kicked him lightly in the shin. "What?" Walter exclaimed. "I can't! I already called it in!"

Lake Frond started to sob uncontrollably and Rock Lichen did his best to console her. Both the human guard and the pegasus looked at the mare uncomfortably.

"Look, if the cops come here and you're gone, I'm outta job and probably in jail, too. I've got kids!"

"C-Can't you say we es-escaped? Bucked you and r-ran for it?" Rock Lichen begged.

"Cameras," Walter said and pointed. "There's cameras everywhere. You were on tape the minute you walked into the building. Sorry."

Celestia looked at her friends in despair. Rawsthorne's face was clouded, Lake Frond was weeping and the stallion sat dejectedly on the floor, looking at his hooves with his ears flattened. She swallowed a lump and focused on her breathing. Of course Rawsthorne knew what she would do. She had whispered this last, desperate plan to him in the car. He didn't like it, but there was no other way. Lake Frond could not stay in the human world! She caught Rock Lichen's eyes as he looked up shakily. The depths of despair she saw there pierced her heart.

No, she would be destroying three lives if she gave in now. Her lips pressed together and her resolve strengthened. The guard, sensing their despair, laid a hand on Moonbeam's withers in sympathy. He wasn't evil, Celestia knew. Just doing his job and providing for his family. He was sorry, but had little choice.

She would try not to hurt him. The worst part... It almost physically hurt to imagine what would happen. An alicorn would reveal herself, on Earth. She would tear down the barrier between the worlds with frightful power. An unprovoked attack. That is how they would label it, and rightly so. They would see what just one of them can do and the fear would start again.

More guards. More walls. More hatred. She had come to know them - their history - well enough to guess. A full-scale attack on Equestria was possible. A war.

The first war where an alicorn was the aggressor. Her name would certainly go down in Equestrian history. She felt the tears start flowing down her cheeks, but Celestia could not stop her thoughts reaching their inevitable conclusion. Both sides would endeavour to close the portal. That would be the only way to protect themselves. Whether they succeeded or not, one thing seemed certain. She would never see Rawsthorne again. The mare could hardly stand to look at his face, but couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off it.

It was unfair! They had barely any time. Celestia mouthed to him the only word he could think of: 'Sorry'.

He seemed resigned, but nodded anyway. Even now the man supported her.

She glanced to her pony friends. Lake Frond was still sobbing in misery, but Rock Lichen met her gaze. He was resigned. More than that, Celestia saw. He was ready to lay his life down to ensure his wife and child get to safety. Celestia reached for the magic. It rushed into her and she lifted her head up proudly.

At the very least, let the humans see a Princess, facing them down on their own world. Breaking open their trap and leaving, undaunted, unconquered!

Moonbeam's mouth fell open. He didn't recognize her, but something about the stance was so familiar. Even the human guard drew back nervously from her glare. They both knew she was about to do something. Power built up and Celestia shaped it into a first blow against the metal barrier. There was a slight tremor in the ground around her, making everyone step away further away.

"I'll stay." Rock Lichen's pained whisper broke her concentration. She whirled around and the potential for her spell fled her body.

"What?!"

The stallion stared at the human guard. "W-what exactly did you tell them? When y-you reported us."

The man looked both relieved and slightly embarrassed, because he didn't know why he was relieved. "I just s-said I got fugitives h-here," he mumbled.

"No details?" the stallion asked, more hopefully. "You didn't say mare and stallion?"

Walter thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Just fugitives. Where are you going with this?"

Rock Lichen hugged Lake Frond, who had frozen in fear and was now staring open-mouthed at her husband. "Tell them you misspoke out of nerves or something. That there was just me. I'll let them take me, so you don't get in trouble.

For a second it looked like the fat human would agree. But then his face fell. "The cameras," he pointed out.

Moonbeam snorted at that. "So what?! You can erase them, right? Isn't that what you've been doing for our little coffee each morning?"

Four ponies and two humans observed each other for a while. Then Lake Frond whispered. "N-no." She drew a shuddering breath and repeated: "Please, Rock... no."

He nuzzled her and spoke in a rush. He was desperately hoping she would convince him against the idea, yet at the same time knew she mustn't. "It's my fault, Lake. I left that stupid note. I don't care if they stick me in jail, as long as you and the foal are safe!"

It could work. Celestia hated to admit it, but there was a chance and it was better than starting a war. She looked imploringly at Rawsthorne. "I'll do what I can," he promised and the mare gratefully nuzzled his thigh.

"Lake Frond, it is the only way. We have to hurry. Gregory will help Rock Lichen get out of jail. He'll get him away from Andrew, okay?"

Rawsthorne knelt down beside the crying mare, who was now clinging urgently to her husband. He spoke more calmly than Celestia felt: "Sweetie, I promise I'll do all I can. We'll work something out and we'll get Rock back to you, but you have to go now. You know what will happen if you don't."

That made her squeak and cling to her stallion even tighter. He returned the hug, but also began extricating himself. "Please, Lake. I want you and the little one to be safe. I'll find you someday, I promise!"

They were both openly weeping now and Celestia took matters into her own hooves. She faced Walter. "Please, let us through."

The man heaved another sigh, then unhooked a large key chain from his belt. Moonbeam smiled and Celestia knew he would do it. The tension left her shoulders.

She went to Rock Lichen, gave him a brief hug, then gently pulled Lake Frond away from him. "Come on, sweetie. We must go, now!" but the poor mare clung to her love.

"Rock..." she choked out a sobbing response. It was all she could say. He gave her another kiss while Celestia waited. There was always time for a kiss.

"I'll come back to you, I promise," he said and forced a smile. "I love you."

The mare tried to answer, but all she could do was sob miserably. Finally she released him and let Celestia pull her to the portal. Now that they were nearer, the Princess saw there was a smaller metal door inset in the larger one. It was big enough to admit a human or a pony. That was what Walter Bass had unlocked.

He pulled it open and beckoned. "Come on. Get through before I change my mind. I still have to wipe the tapes!"

There came a hammering from somewhere near the entrance. Rawsthorne was right there behind her. "Guess I'm not getting out. I'll probably share a jail cell with Rock," he joked.

Celestia turned and reared up so she could hug him. "I will help in any way I can! Please be safe. Call Miriam right now!"

He promised and gently brushed her cheek with the palm of his hand. She wanted to kiss him, but she didn't. Moonbeam and Walter Bass were tense enough as it was. She didn't wish to push them further, lest they change their minds. She stepped through the gate and instantly regretted it. It was still possible this would be the last time she saw Rawsthorne.

She should have taken that last kiss!

The pegasus guard followed right on their hooves to usher them past the door and Walter slammed the gate shut behind them with finality. "Go! Get out of sight! Get out of the building. They'll search it!" he told them, just as his phone began to ring. He hurried away.

The pony guard took the lead. "This way. Come on."

Before she moved, Celestia looked back through the metal bars. Rawsthorne was standing there and smiling faintly. She made herself return the smile. Hope! There was always hope! The man waved, and she did the same, even though her vision was getting blurry. Then Celestia grasped Lake Frond and followed the stallion out of the portal room.

"You probably cost me my job, as well as Walter his, you know?" Moonbeam said once they were out of the portal room.

Celestia had no time to grieve. Lake Frond still needed her. They weren't safe yet. "What will happen to Gregory and Rock Lichen?"

The guard shrugged. "They'll stick them in jail for the day, then who knows. Fines, most likely. Depends if he's got a good lawyer."

Celestia relaxed a little and even managed a small chuckle. "He does. Believe me, he does!"

"Don't know about the stallion. Walter and I didn't talk about that sort of thing much," he admitted. It made Lake Frond sob again, so Moonbeam quickly added: "Shouldn't be too bad. Don't worry. He'll be fine. Depends on his owner, I guess."

Celestia nuzzled her grief-stricken friend, then gave the guard a faint smile. "You have done a good thing today, Moonbeam."

"That's the other thing," the stallion said. "How do you know my name?"

She let her grin turn mysterious and winked at him in lieu of an answer. They were nearly outside the building and the corridors were getting noticeably brighter with sunlight. It looked like a lovely day, if still slightly cold. Despite having to leave her lover in unknown danger, Celestia was glad to be home. She was once again on Equestrian soil and that gave her fresh courage to face the day. They came to the main entrance and stepped outside. There was still snow everywhere, but the sun was rising and the air was so clear she could almost see Canterlot in the distance. It looked like an hour's flight, no more for an alicorn, but then she saw Lake Frond. She could not leave her alone, not now. Two hours if she carried the mare, Celestia calculated. There was just one problem. Rock Lichen still had the saddlebags with his and Lake Frond's stuff. In their tearful goodbye, everything had stayed with him.

That was probably a happy accident: it would look like he had meant to escape but failed to. Celestia just hoped the stallion and Rawsthorne would come up with a good reason why Lake Frond wasn't with them. She also prayed her human would find a good excuse for where 'Supple Branch' went.

Then she thought about Miriam. Those were some of the most resourceful, smartest legal minds she knew. They would be fine, she told herself. They would also take care of Rock Lichen until Celestia found a way to bring him home. She had to believe it! It allowed her to relax a little and think.

Celestia rummaged in her own bag. There was the scarf Rawsthorne had given her. It was still enchanted and she draped it gently around Lake Frond's neck.

The guard took a few steps back. "How are you doing that?!" he asked as he watched the levitating piece of cloth.

"I am in disguise, Moonbeam. Here, let me show you." She took a few steps back and released her change spell. The light flashed around her.

The pegasus gasped, his eyes widened, but then he smoothly fell into a bow. "P-Princess!?"

She smiled as she approached and gently urged him upright with a wing. "Thank you for all you did today. Please come see me in the Canterlot Castle at your earliest convenience. You will have a medal for this, Moonbeam!"

He stood and managed a salute. "B-but why didn't you say immediately?!"

"Do you think Walter Bass would have let me go if he knew who I was?"

The pegasus looked away. "Good point. I think he would, but I guess you couldn't risk it."

"Exactly. Come, Lake Frond. Let us get to Canterlot so a doctor can have a look at you and then we will find your parents."

The mare looked up, then nodded. Getting separated from the stallion when she had spent years with him constantly by her side was a shock. She seemed numb for now. There would be more tears, Celestia knew, but for now, the mare was safe.

She had gotten her and her child home. It was enough for the moment. The husband could wait a little. Rawsthorne would also wait.

She crouched down to let Lake Frond climb up on her back, but the mare didn't move. "Come. We will fly, it is the fastest way. I will carry you."

Lake Frond blushed a little at the prospect, but she obeyed and clambered up on her back. Then, with a nod at Moonbeam, who saluted, Celestia was away. Undoubtedly the humans would soon search the portal building on Equestrian side, but they wouldn't find anything. As she took flight, the Princess remembered how close they had come to a terrible war. Instead, through his selfless sacrifice, Rock Lichen had bought them their freedom.

Celestia swore to herself she would fix that.

When they landed in the Canterlot Castle courtyard she was feeling a little winded. All the days sitting in an office, or lounging on Rawsthorne's couch had taken their toll. She was out of shape, but she paid her aching muscles no mind. There were things to do! The castle guard and a few passers by were already gathering around her. Some of them were pointing and whispering excitedly to each other.

One pegasus guard - a captain - was the first to approach her and take a deep bow. "Princess!" he said, voice full of relief. "You are back!"

It felt good to be home and Celestia smiled at her people. She lowered herself so Lake Frond could slip from her back. The mare had turned inward as they flew and had stopped responding to questions, which made Celestia a little worried about her. Losing her husband was starting to hit her hard and being in the center of all this attention probably wasn't helping.

The Princess looked at the captain and sought for a name. "Yes. Thunder Clap, right? Please take some ponies and guide Lake Frond to the infirmary. Then make sure she has a warm meal and find her a room. I will check in on her as soon as I am done with Princess Luna."

The mare clung to her and watched the pony faces around them with wary apprehension. She wasn't used to seeing so many of her own kind in one place anymore.

Celestia gave her friend a hug and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry, Lake Frond. I will find you very soon. Please - the doctor should see you and make sure your child is alright. You can trust captain Thunder Clap, I promise."

To the stallion, who was patiently waiting for her to finish, she said: "See to it personally. Do not leave her side."

He saluted smartly. "Yes, ma'am!" The captain didn't have to do much more than motion to a few ponies and they quickly gathered around. Lake Frond watched them nervously for a second, then looked at the Princess. Celestia kept her encouraging smile and the mare finally allowed herself to be led away. When she was gone, the ponies around her who had been watching the spectacle in quiet awe, began to clamor for her attention.

Drawing herself up regally, Celestia made a short statement. "Fellow ponies. Yes, I am back now. Please hold your questions until I have had a chance to freshen up and see Princess Luna. I will be holding court tomorrow and I promise to answer all your inquires." It satisfied them a little, but immediately more voices burst out. Celestia gave them a pained smile and quickly moved through her guards. Loyally and obediently they formed a wall to hold back the crowd. Celestia was proud of them. Just before she vanished through the door, she turned and addressed one of the guard ponies.

"Princess Luna is in day court, I assume?"

He shook his head and saluted, just in case. The stallion seemed a little nervous and Celestia couldn't quite recall his name. He was obviously a new recruit. "No, ma'am," he answered, "Princess Luna is in her quarters. The day court has been abolished."

"Abolished?!" Celestia began to worry about her kingdom a little. She didn't say anything more, nor did she wait for the guard's response as she began to trot. She passed maids, who squeaked in surprise and dropped into curtsies or bowed. The castle seemed to be functioning, that much at least was good. There was no sign of damage or riots, but abolishing court? How were ponies supposed to bring their petitions to the crown? Celestia found the door. She considered knocking, but thought better of it and just magicked the door open and burst inside.

"Luna, what is the meaning of this 'abolishing court'?!"

Her sister, who had been lounging on her bed, nearly tumbled off in surprise. "Sister!" she gasped. "You are returned!" The younger alicorn rushed forward and fell into her sister's hooves. Despite her worry, Celestia was glad and relieved to see her and returned the warm hug. For a moment she forgot the worry and simply enjoyed her sister's presence. Her fur was cool, as always, and her ethereal mane seemed to caress their faces. Celestia inhaled deeply and squeezed her sister harder. Until now she hadn't realized just how much she had missed Luna's scent. Lilies, and summer nights and mystery. Sweet and spicy and exciting.

If only Rawsthorne could be there to share this moment. He would undoubtedly like her sister. Just like him, she was slightly stiff on the outside, but so warm and caring on the inside! "I have," Luna began, but pulled her head away and averted her eyes as she blushed a little. "I have missed you."

Celestia shed a few tears of joy and laughed pleasantly. "I missed you too, Sister. You have no idea how many nights I watched the Earth's moon and thought of you."

"I am glad you are safe," the night-blue alicorn admitted. Then she pulled out of their nuzzle and looked seriously at her sister. "This foolish vacation - it went well?" she asked. There was a tiny glint of something in her eye and the slight mischievous smile gave Celestia pause.

She didn't know what to make of it yet, so she answered truthfully. "Yes. Although I had to depart in some hurry and I left a few... people behind, but I will rectify that as soon as I possibly can."

Now Luna openly giggled. "You said 'people', not 'ponies', Sister. So there is indeed a person who is not a pony?"

"Yes, there is." Celestia didn't know where her sister was leading with this, but whatever it was, Luna apparently let it go as she embraced her again.

"I am most pleased that your foolishness did not end poorly," she admitted quietly.

Returning her hug in some confusion, Celestia decided to gently probe about the state of her kingdom. "How were things at home while I was gone? I hope it was not too much trouble."

Luna just sighed and her ears folded down. She looked out through the window and clearly avoided the question. "'tis a beautiful day. Let us take a stroll in the Castle Gardens and speak in fresh air, Sister."

She could let it pass for a few moments later. However badly Luna had managed to mis-hoof the kingdom, they would fix it, together. Besides, a walk sounded pleasant and Celestia moved aside to let her sister pass, then fell into step behind her. The younger alicorn led her from the bedroom down the immaculate hallways. For some reason, Celestia expected to see signs of some slight damage or mischief. Perhaps a vase, smashed and swept under the rug, or an empty space where a priceless picture should have been. At least a broken window, or two!

"Luna, tell me why you abolished court."

The younger sister sighed and stomped her hoof in anger. "There was no other choice, Sister! The ponies - Our subjects," she complained, a little petulantly, "such impossible requests! Such silly demands they made." Luna snorted angrily. "The petitions were most foolish, Sister. I had no choice but to put a permanent stop to them."

Celestia smiled to herself. It that was all the trouble Luna had wrought, then it was a small price to pay. "Foolish sometimes, yes, but among all the chaff there are sometimes legitimate problems. You must learn to sift through all the unimportant requests and see the critical ones. Court shows you how your kingdom is breathing, Luna. It does not pay to ignore it."

Her sister just shrugged. "They were foolish," she repeated, with only slight uncertainty in her voice. "I see how our subjects are doing from their dreams!"

"True, but they do not know you are listening to them. They lose faith in the Crown, Sister. We have always held court."

"Then you can reinstate it," Luna replied nonchalantly. She suddenly slowed and stopped, then looked at her sister a little guiltily.

Celestia wondered what the slight tinge of crimson on her sister's muzzle meant. She looked around the corridor, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. "Why have we stopped?"

Luna didn't answer, but kept her eyes firmly on Celestia's face. She had that grin again, insolent and expectant and barely holding back roaring laughter.

It was a trick of some sort. Celestia suddenly realized that Luna had led her on a roundabout route to the gardens. There had to be something! She tried to remember how the hallway should have looked. There were the large windows and the flower pots. The carpet seemed fine and the roof was whole.

Then she spotted it. A portrait was missing! In its place...

Celestia gasped and rushed over to see it better. "How did you get this!?"

It was one of her pictures. One from the human world. It was completely impossible that she should have it, but Luna had not only acquired it somehow, but had it put into a golden frame and hung it on the wall in lieu of an older painting. There she was - Princess Celestia with a saddle and tack and a grinning child on her back. It was a good picture, too. Abigail Phillips, with her auburn locks and freckles and the mischievous smile, which nearly matched the one on Celestia who was carrying her. She held her reins in one hand and was patting the pony with her other. Her eyes clearly shone with delight and Celestia obviously shared in it. The memory was a good one, but the image here was not! What would her people think?! To see their monarch in what could only be a demeaning position among humans!

"Luna! Ponies can see it! This cannot be here! What were you thinking?!"

Her sister was giggling like crazy by now. "I found it amusing. I wished to share the mirth with our subjects. It is a picture to remember!"

"Take it down this instant!"

A maid was coming down the hall and Celestia nearly flew up to hide the picture with her body. The castle staff had probably all seen it by now, so it would have been pointless. It still took quite an effort to stand by it nonchalantly as the maid bowed to them and hurried away.

As soon as they were alone, Luna burst into laughter again. "Ah, your face, Sister! It is a sight to behold! Most amusing! Perhaps another portrait should be made and put on the walls!"

Now Celestia was sure she was frowning. Seeing that Luna wouldn't do anything about it, she lifted the frame from the wall herself, but then she didn't know what to do with it and just felt foolish for letting Luna get to her like that. In her annoyance, Celestia focused more of her magic and the offending picture burst into flame. It was gone in seconds.

It just made Luna laugh harder.

"Happy now?" Celestia asked quietly.

"Very, but fear not, Sister. There are many copies. The staff have been instructed to replace the pictures if they 'get damaged'!" Luna said.

Celestia sighed. She probably deserved a bit of teasing. She had left Luna with a lot of responsibility. Besides, perhaps seeing her like that would make her ponies a bit less reverential. Maybe they would treat her more like a mare, rather than a goddess. It had been an adorable picture, she had to admit. It was plain to see on her face that Celestia was carrying the child around because she wanted to. Because she enjoyed delighting them. Yes, her mind was already working. A few comments to some of the staff and the gossip would spread. The Kind Princess, yes! It could work! She turned resolutely away and began walking again, keeping her eyes firmly away from the occasional portrait on the wall. It would wait. She still wanted to see the gardens. The winter-blooming flowers were particularly beautiful to look at, especially with spring so near that some of those early bloomers were already budding. This time Luna followed her, still chuckling occasionally.

"What else has happened while I was gone? What of the griffins, or the minotaurs?"

"There have been delegations," the younger sister said noncommittally, "but I dealt with them."

The silence was broken only by their hoofsteps - muffled clinking of metal for Luna and hoof against carpet for Celestia. She suddenly remembered her saddlebags but she kept them on. She would pass by her chambers later and leave them there to be sorted out later.

After a few steps her sister admitted some more: "You might, perhaps, have a few treaties to re-negotiate, Sister."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "What have you done?"

"I might have," Luna said and swallowed nervously, "called the griffin ambassador a 'pompous, feather-brained buffoon'."

"I see."

"And the minotaur was a..." Luna began, but had to search her memory. "A... 'goat-faced sheep wrangler'."

Not too bad. Celestia had thought worse. Of course she hadn't said it, but a banquet and some careful stroking of feathers and patting of backs would set them straight. Perhaps the trade agreement would be slightly worse for ponies for a while, but she was certain she could get it back in time. "Anything else?"

Luna just stared at her in silence for a few steps. "The human ambassador kept asking for you, Sister. He became quite insistent in the past month."

Around the time the human government discovered her presence on Earth, Celestia guessed. Of course he would try and confirm that she was missing. She hoped Luna hadn't bungled it up. "What did you tell him?"

Flapping a dismissive wing, Luna frowned and stuck out her tongue. "His incessant prattling got on my nerves. I had him tossed in the dungeons."

Celestia froze in shock. "DUNGEONS?!"

Luna looked back with a slightly puzzled frown. "What?! I left orders that he should be given leftovers after each dinner and that his bucket should be changed twice per week!" She had said it as if it completely excused the fact that she had thrown the ambassador of the most important political faction in jail for absolutely no reason.

Despite herself, Celestia whimpered and her ears dropped down.

"Ah, that reminds me, Sister," Luna went on. "Some letters have arrived from the humans. Addressed to you, so I left them on your bed."

Again, Celestia fought back panic. "I have to let him out! Apologize! This is bad, Luna! What were you thinking?!"

Her sister shrugged. "I was thinking: 'This insignificant monkey is annoying! Away with him!'" she explained. "Don't worry, I said it to him also. You should have seen his face!" The Princess of the Night giggled again and Celestia let her head slump. She couldn't deal with that right at the moment. Of course she would have to let the human out personally. She would have to bow and scrape and apologize. Beg forgiveness. Another unpleasantness to deal with when all Celestia wanted was to sleep and dream of Rawsthorne.

"What else have you done?"

Her sister gave it some thought and Celestia bit her lip in frustrated expectation. What other disaster was there? Maybe Luna had called the dragon princess an 'overgrown fire lizard'? Was invasion imminent? Or perhaps she had started the feud between earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns again? No, that was unlikely. Celestia had seen all three in the courtyard when she landed.

"Nothing else. The kingdom is fine, Sister. Do not worry yourself."

A small mercy. Celestia exhaled with relief.

"Except..." Luna said, making her sister freeze mid-sag. "Cloudsdale may have been caused to come crashing from the sky."

Her mouth dropped open and Celestia had to replay the statement in her mind a few times. "WHAT?! HOW?!"

Her younger sister guffawed with laughter. "I joke, Sister! The look on your face!" She nearly fell to the floor, doubled up with the giggles. It was a relief that the cloud city was unharmed, but for a moment Celestia really had believed it. She glared as Luna held her belly and tears streamed down her face.

"You are too easy, Sister!" she gasped out.

Celestia shook her head and rolled her eyes. Some ponies. She still wouldn't trade Luna for the world. After a few seconds, her mouth quirked up before she could suppress it. One of these days she would have to think up a small, funny revenge. For now, she was still glad to be home, and she was happy to see Luna in such high spirits. Now that there weren't any more ugly surprises, Celestia remembered to ask a question she had sometimes thought on Earth.

"Luna, have you ever found my dreams these past months?"

Her sister wound down from her outburst and wiped away a few remaining tears. "Perhaps once or twice. I had scarcely any power in them. I could not resist your portrayal."

"My portrayal? What does that mean?"

Luna caught up and the sisters resumed their walk. "A dream is always controlled by the Dreamer, Sister. Even if you enter the dream, you are subject to the Dreamer's whims. It takes significant power and presence to fight that." She paused and waited for Celestia to nod that she understood. Then she resumed her explanation: "Over such distance as Earth is from Equestria, I had very little power. Hardly any influence. It took all I had to speak a simple message."

That bit made Celestia smile. She had known her sister was keeping an eye on her. Perhaps that was how she had learned about the children. "So that is how you knew about the pictures. How did you get them?"

Luna grinned in satisfaction at her own cleverness. "I sent off for Mr. Plain and offered him a few more gems to acquire them!"

"Ah." Celestia bumped her flank against her sister's. "I am still miffed about that, Luna. We will talk about it later. Shall we get lunch?" The Princess still wanted her stroll in the gardens, but now her stomach was really beginning to bother her. She had eaten nothing since last night, since before they had arrived in their hotel with Rawsthorne.

As if thinking of him reminded Luna, the younger sister spoke up: "So, Sister. When does your human lover join us?"

Celestia nearly succeeded in holding back a small gasp. "How do you know about that?!"

Luna just chuckled. "Oh, please, Sister. Your dreams are full of him, and some things you dream about..." she said and blushed. "Perhaps you have found a use for humans, after all."

Celestia didn't have an answer for that, so the two simply continued toward the kitchens in uncomfortable silence. Celestia though back on Rawsthorne. She missed him already and didn't want to deal with all these new problems, but the human ambassador was a priority. She compromised and decided to see him right after her meal, a brief visit to the gardens to finish catching up with Luna, and after she checked up on Lake Frond. Perhaps she would also bake a cake. One so delicious that the human would have no choice but to forgive her. She recalled that the ambassador was a man who enjoyed his pastries. A personal apology cake, made by the Princess herself. It would still be quite an uphill struggle. Her ears went down and Celestia heaved a sigh. Of course Luna could guess what was on her mind and gently nuzzled her.

"I am sorry," the younger mare admitted. "I acted hastily and irresponsibly. Perhaps I should learn more diplomacy. You deserve vacations more often, Sister." Then, almost too quietly to hear, Luna added: "Running the kingdom is harder than it seems."

Celestia leaned into her sibling and closed her eyes. She smiled gently. "Whatever you saw in my dreams, I missed you, Sister. You were never far from my thoughts."

"I know, Sister," Luna replied. "I know."

Chapter 56

They had a late breakfast, further raising Celestia's appreciation of the castle cooking staff. They even made her muffins! Not as good as her own, but the thought was sweet. News of the Princess returned was spreading quickly and exasperation at constant intrusions, Luna had to command the guards to keep the mass of ponies at bay. Petitions, grievances, advice, even some of her own clerk ponies wanted Celestia to make decisions about their daily issues. She promised them all that she would hear them soon before the guards herded them out of the dining room. Then Celestia sighed and cast a weary look at her younger sister.

"See what comes of abolishing court?"

Luna had the decency to look contrite. "I am sorry, Sister."

"Not sorry enough! You will sit with me and help me deal with all of this!"

All the younger alicorn could do was squeak in alarm. She was about to try and extricate herself, but Celestia would have none of it.

"No excuses! You caused this mess, and you said you wanted to learn better!"

"Fine," Luna said, unenthusiastically.

Celestia had another idea. They were finished with the food, so she stood up. "Come with me."

Luna also rose, but looked at her in slight puzzlement. "Where to?"

The Princesses stopped at the door to the hallway and listened. There was silence. Either the ponies had given up and left for the day, or the guards had herded them out of the castle. They would be back in either case. It would be a very tiring couple of weeks.

"Sister?" Luna asked again, "where are we going?"

"I will take you to see Lake Frond. You need to learn first-hoof that your actions have consequences, and the actions of a ruler even more so. Your foolishness does not affect your life only when you sit on that throne, Luna."

Her sister didn't answer that, but she followed through the hallways.

Celestia didn't know where captain Thunder Clap had taken Lake Frond, but it would have to be in the guest wing. She stopped in front of the two guards stationed there. "Which room is Lake Frond's - the mare from Earth?"

The gaurdspony nearly lost grip on his spear and let it fall in his haste to point a hoof. "T-That way, P-Princess!"

Celestia looked at her sister. "Why are there so many new guards, Sister?"

Luna shrugged. "The ponies insisted on seeing me after I have abolished court. More guards have become necessary to keep them out."

The older sister pressed her lips tightly together so she wouldn't yell at Luna in front of the two ponies. Instead, she went down the hall and stopped at the right door. She knocked, but didn't wait for the invitation before entering. As per her orders, Thunder Clap was sitting on a sofa, looking quite gallant and alert, while Lake Frond was curled up on the bed. The mare looked at the door with red-rimmed eyes. She had been crying.

Celestia addressed the guard. "You may go."

He jumped upright, saluted smartly and left. Pure efficiency. If he was in charge of the new recruits, then they would be alright, at least. Right at the moment, though, Lake Frond was more important. Celestia climbed in the bed and gave the mare a hug, which she gratefully accepted. She also spotted a plate of fruit and vegetables, with a half-empty bowl of what smelled like broccoli soup. It didn't look as if Lake Frond had touched any. The poor mare held on to her princess and began sobbing quietly. It was making Luna quite uncomfortable, but Celestia didn't mind that.

The Princess made her voice quiet and soft. "Hey, sweetie. How are you holding up?"

It didn't look like Lake Frond would answer, but she sniffed and tried anyway: "I mi-miss him!"

About what she had expected. Celestia motioned her sister closer. "This is Princess Luna, Lake Frond. She can sometimes see into the dreams of ponies on Earth, and sometimes she can give them a message. She will try her hardest to make sure Rock Lichen is doing well."

The mare turned hopeful eyes on the younger alicorn, who smiled uncertainly. "That is correct, uh, Lake Frond. Thy Princess of Dreams shall do Her very best!"

Lake nodded slightly, but then turned her face back to Celestia. "You said you would get him back!"

"Of course. I will do whatever it takes, I promise, but until then, Luna will make sure he is well."

After another beckon Luna finally got on the bed as well. She almost reached around them to join the hug, but changed her mind and blushed slightly. Instead, she looked at her older sister with a question: "Why are we here?" she asked quietly.

Not as tactful as Celestia would have liked, but she had to start somewhere. "Because I wanted you to meet Lake Frond. She is with child who will need their father. Yet the father had to remain behind on Earth. Do you see what is at stake?"

The smaller alicorn swallowed as she stared at Lake Frond wide-eyed. "W-With child?" she murmured.

"Yes. I want you to help her find her parents. She will need the support of her family for this. You will also help me get her husband back from Earth." She didn't say out loud: 'Maybe that will teach you to treat diplomats a little more tactfully.' She didn't want Lake Frond to know there were any snags. The mare was a great help, even unwittingly. She turned a pleading, hopeful expression on Luna, who squirmed uncomfortably.

"Please," the mare begged and reached her hooves out, "I have to g-get him back! Please, Princess! I'll do anything!"

It nearly broke Luna's heart. She had nearly convinced herself that her mistakes had been minor and easily solved. She was starting to be annoyed with her big sister for making her 'learn her lesson'. Now she was faced with an innocent who was suffering. Not because of her, granted, but if the Ambassador stomped home in anger, Luna would have been responsible for keeping them apart. There were no more reservations, she accepted the embrace and put her wings around the poor Lake Frond.

She murmured something so quietly that Celestia couldn't make it out even as close as she was, but it made Lake Frond nod a few times and then sigh as she buried her face in Luna's chest. It was working, though. The mare seemed a little less upset, and Luna looked thoroughly abashed. She mouthed to her sister without using her voice: 'I'm sorry.'

I was rare for her to apologize in front of others, so Celestia knew it was sincere. "Have you had breakfast, Lake Frond?"

The pony in question looked at Celestia and shook her head. "Was-Wasn't hungry," she explained.

"You should. I have tasted the soup just now and it is delicious. I missed authentic pony food on Earth, you know?" That drew out a small smile, which Celestia took as a very good sign. She levitated the bowl over and heated it with a simple spell. Luna withdrew her wings from around Lake Frond so she could turn to the food. It floated tantalizingly close, right by her muzzle.

The mare sniffed at it carefully, then licked up a tongueful. "It's good," she admitted and her stomach growled in welcome of the nutrients.

"You must make sure to eat properly, Lake Frond. For the child, if not for yourself."

The mare nodded and put her hooves on her belly. She turned another pleading look on Celestia. "Will I s-see Rock before- before I..." she began, but didn't finish the question.

Celestia understood. Before her foal was born. "We will try to make it happen, you have my word, sweetie." At the mention of the birth, she remembered one more thing. "Did the captain take you to the infirmary to see the doctor?"

Lake Frond nodded and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Yes! But-" her ears flopped down in shame, "I didn't remember the doctor's name. She was a unicorn..." The ears came back up as she went on: "She said we are both healthy, but I have to go back in a couple of weeks to make sure."

"Of course. That is good news, Lake Frond. We are both very happy for you and Luna will try to give this news to Rock Lichen." The sisters looked at each other and the younger gave a slight nod. "We will go see the human diplomat right away and begin arranging to have Rock Lichen back. Will you be okay by yourself for a bit?"

The mare put on a brave face and nodded. Knowing that they were working on it seemed to help.

"There will be a guard outside your door at all times. If ever you need anything or simply wish to talk, just knock and ask them to fetch me or Luna, okay? I will check on you again a little later."

She levitated the bowl away just in time, because Lake Frond gave her another tight hug. "Thank you, Princess! For everything..."

"Please, it is 'Celestia' to you, Lake Frond. We have been through too much together."

The mare smiled a little. "Thank you... Celestia." She accepted the bowl back and dunked her muzzle right in as the sisters left the room.

Captain Thunder Clap was waiting for them outside. The guard was an absolute treasure!

"Please see to it that there is a pegasus at this door at all times. If Lake Frond requires anything at all, she is to have it."

"Yes, ma'am!" he said and saluted. Then he looked down and added with a guilty look at Luna: "May I say, ma'am, it's a pleasure to have you back!"

The younger sister looked away and blushed, but didn't comment.

"Thank you, captain. At ease."

He saluted again, before relaxing. "I'll go find a guard. Will there be anything else?"

She was about to dismiss him, but asked one more thing. "Yes, which cell is the human ambassador in?"

Even the guard was uncomfortable answering that, and Luna was determined not to meet either of their gazes. The younger mare inspected a nearby statue in minute detail, as if she had never seen it before.

"Uh, we p-put him in the first cell on the h-higher level," Thunder Clap answered.

"Thank you." Celestia walked away and after a few moments Luna scurried to keep up with her. The fact that she had to ask where the prisoner was made the Princess think. "We have too many dungeons. We have never needed them. I do not even remember why so many were built into the castle in the first place."

Luna was forced to agree: "Yes, Sister." She relaxed a little, hoping that Celestia wouldn't speak of Lake Frond any more.

"We will find a better use for them."

"Yes, Sister."

Celestia stopped someplace they were alone and turned to the other alicorn. "What did you think of Lake Frond?"

Luna looked abashed and averted her gaze again. "I'm sorry. I did not think..."

"She is but one of our ponies on Earth. Many of them are in worse positions. Torn from their homes and families. Some of them are being beaten. Beaten, Luna!"

Luna didn't like hearing it, but she didn't comment. Besides, Celestia had a small admission herself. "My going there nearly jeopardized their situation. It was foolish, as you claimed, but not for the reasons you said." She waited to see if her sister would understand. Luna had spent a long time imprisoned, but she was not stupid. She saw the connection quickly.

"You need the humans to cooperate. What I have done to the ambassador," she began, slowly and carefully, as if exploring a bad tooth, "may damage discussions beyond repair. I have, in truth, hurt not him, but mainly our own ponies."

Celestia smiled proudly and laid a wing around her sibling's withers. "Correct. Ponies like Lake Frond. She may not see her husband. We both made mistakes, so we will fix it together. For the sake of her child and all our subjects who are mistreated on Earth."

"And for the sake of your human," Luna added absentmindedly.

Now the older sister was the one to look away. She didn't answer and the pair simply stood side by side in silence for a minute.

At last, Luna drew a deep breath. "Celestia," she said in a soft voice, quite unlike her normal speaking tone, "I'm sorry. I should not have treated Equestria as a game." When she turned her eyes on the older sister, they were beginning to fill up with tears. "What do we do?"

"We will fix it."

"How?"

Celestia wasn't quite sure herself, but she knew it would start with a sincere apology from Luna, if the ambassador was to believe them at all. Even so, it was chancy. He might simply decide to leave, after which the ponies would have a political incident on their hooves. It all depended on his help and the Princess didn't like that fact too much. The sincere apology, at least, would not be a problem.

"Luna?"

"Yes, Sister?"

"You will give the human your sincere, heartfelt apology and ask - no, beg - for his forgiveness."

"Yes, Sister."

"Show me. Say to me what you will say to him."

Luna almost argued, but one look at Celestia's face was enough to silence her. The mare exhaled, then turned her most pitiful look on her sister. "We art so-"

"No."

Her younger sister tried again. "Thy imprison-"

"No!"

Now Luna rolled her eyes. "Then what, Sister?!"

"Not the Royal Voice, Luna. Apologize like a pony, not like a Princess!" Her lips pursed in annoyance for a moment and Celestia had remind her. "Or will you let your pride get in the way of Lake Frond's foal seeing their father?"

That brought her ears back down. Luna focused for a moment, then tried again: "I am sorry for wrongfully imprisoning you, Mr. Ambassador. Please forgive me."

A good effort, Celestia decided, but it sounded a little rehearsed. She could work with it. "Okay, here is what you will do. This is a trick called 'the Look'. I found it is particularly effective against humans, because they find us cute."

Luna was intrigued. "Cute?" she asked.

Celestia smiled. "Yes, cute. Do not ask why, but it is something we can use. It is rather simple. Look at me. Now, ears down, eyes big and round. A bit more. Pout slightly. Look down, but not too far, just below my face. Good," Celestia praised. "Now the most important part. Tears. Your eyes have to be brimming with tears, like they were a moment ago." She had to remember that feeling and recapture it when faced with the human. "Remember Rock Lichen and the child he might not see."

It helped that Luna was a sensitive soul, however well she hid it. She placed her hoof against her chest and closed her eyes. "I am sorry," she whispered, losing the regal tone.

"Good, assume the look again. It works better if it is sincere."

Celestia examined the attempt. "Good. Slump your wings a little. Now sigh, as deeply as you can." It was perfect. Even after his mistreatment, the diplomat would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by it! "Here is what we will do..."

At least the ambassador had a window in his cell for something to look at. Also, it was sheer luck that there was glass in it, otherwise he might have frozen in the harsh weather. Yes, she remembered, they had those kinds of cells, too. Celestia was relieved the guards have been more sensible than Luna, even if they hadn't protested like they should have.

She waited for her sister to collect herself, then pushed the door open. "Mr. Bennett?"

The man looked up from his bed and raised his arms in supplication. "Please! Whatever I did, I'm sorry! Just let me out of here, please!"

He sounded desperate. For an instant Celestia considered using it. Accepting his delusion that his stay in the cell was justified and reinforcing that belief. She could easily convince him that she was being merciful and was letting him out early, but the other humans would demand more proof. The truth would come to light, sooner or later.

She stepped aside to let her sister enter the cell. The man pulled away from the smaller alicorn, who sat on the stone floor in the middle of the room. "Mr. Bennett?" she said with all her haughtiness and command gone. Her voice was gentle and broken, as if she had been crying. Her eyes were shiny. "I put you in here by mistake," Luna admitted, and a tear actually escaped and dropped to the floor. Luna closed her eyes and swallowed a lump before she could continue. "It was unjust and foul. I came to seek forgiveness. I throw yourself on your mercy."

Benett didn't know what to make of it. He stared at the Princess incredulously, then shifted his eyes to Celestia. "What's going on?" he asked, legitimately confused. "Are you letting me out?"

Celestia was silent, so the ambassador looked back at the younger alicorn. "You should never have been put here. Of course you are free to go, but I h-hope," Luna explained, then paused for another sigh. It was perhaps slightly too dramatic, but he didn't notice. "I hope I c-can make this right..." The mare ended by keeping her eyes firmly on the floor and her ears completely down. The man just stared for quite some time. Then he looked at Celestia again.

"Is she for real?!" he demanded.

"Of course, Mr. Bennett. Your imprisonment was unlawful. Please, come with us - I have prepared a room in the royal wing. You can shower and I will provide new clothes. There will also be a meal, if you are hungry."

He probably was. The man was noticeably thinner than last Celestia remembered him. She hadn't had time to bake him a cake personally, but she would do that in the afternoon. The ambassador looked at Luna again, who was still staring at the floor. Every now and then her shoulders slumped and she sighed in sincere regret. He didn't say anything, but the man hurried out before they could change their minds. Celestia didn't wait for her sister and led him away.

Mr. Bennett peered at Celestia with narrowed eyes. "What were you playing at, Celestia? Where were you the past months?!"

A version of the truth, that is what she had decided on. "I have taken a vacation, Mr. Bennett. A small, hidden corner, someplace where I would not be disturbed. I have believed my sister capable of keeping things in hoof while I was gone. Evidently, I was wrong."

"A vacation?!" he burst out. "They said you were on Earth!"

Celestia didn't like lies. But she could not falter from her position in this. "I assure you, Mr. Bennett, that was not the case. I have heard the same rumors. Perhaps it was suggested because not even my subjects knew the details about my absence?" The mare held her breath as she waited to see if he would believe her. He was still frowning, but he didn't question further. Then he looked down on himself.

"This is quite unacceptable, I hope you know that! I haven't reported to my bosses in a month! I might not have a job anymore!"

She inclined her head and began slowly walking out of the dungeons. After a while Luna followed, but she didn't seem too comfortable. Celestia felt a touch of pity for her sister. Benett hadn't accepted her apology and didn't seem to want anything to do with her.

"Mr. Ambassador, I have spoken about this with Luna. She will come by once you are refreshed to apologize again. You can take my word that she has been chastised."

At this, the younger alicorn inclined her head. She kept her ears down and her eyes large and shimmering. The mare was a picture of contrition. She even fiddled a little with her hooves as she stepped from leg to leg nervously.

Benett watched her angrily. "Keep her away from me, you hear?! I made a reasonable request and she just had the guards drag me away!"

Luna swallowed and lowered her gaze. "We art very remorseful, Mr. Bennett. 'twas a mistake and We regret any inconvenience." Her royal tone was back, but the ambassador was used to it and didn't comment.

Before he could get any angrier Celestia laid a wing on his shoulder and steered him away from further confrontation. As they left, she glanced back and gave Luna a slight, sad smile. Her sister just nodded, obviously disappointed, even though this had been a very likely outcome which Celestia had warned her about. It would take more work to get into the man's good graces again.

Luna watched them go. She knew Celestia would come tell her how it went. She hoped she hadn't ruined Lake Frond and Rock Lichen's chances, or the chances of all the ponies still on Earth. Mostly, however, Luna was grateful that her older sister was taking care of the mess.

"This way, Mr. Ambassador."

He seemed to put Luna out of his mind as Celestia lead him away. Instead, he was biting his fingernails, obviously worried. "What the fuck am I gonna tell my superiors about this?!" he swore.

Celestia was ready for this, too. She gave the human her own version of the Look. A bit less remorseful, but nearly as effective. "The truth might spark an international incident, Mr. Bennett. You would be entirely justified, but I beg you to consider all the suffering that would inflict on innocent ponies."

He just grunted in acknowledgement.

"I am willing to make any reparations you require and so is Luna. She will bring you your meals and run errands for you, if that is your wish, Mr. Bennett. Or I will. It was my mistake to leave her in charge while I was gone, after all."

The man seemed to like the idea, but Celestia hoped he wouldn't actually demand it. Of course Luna had agreed when they had discussed it, but only as a last resort.

After a few tense moments, Bennett sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Damn you, I still have to come up with some excuse for why I went silent!"

The mare turned her face away and smiled a little. The Look always worked! "I have thought about that."

"And?"

"We will tell your leaders the truth - some of it, at least. That I was away, but we will not mention Luna's blunders. Instead, you will tell them that you have fallen ill over some rare, Equestrian illness and was bed-ridden for the month. Princess Luna was simply overburdened by leading the kingdom, so she failed to report your condition."

Benett looked at her for the longest time. "You are too clever by half, Celestia. I don't like it."

Her ears flopped down.

"But, I don't like the truth too much, either."

She raised one ear in expectation.

"Okay, okay, you can stop looking at me like that!" he said and spread his arms apart, helplessly. "Let's not start a war, but you owe me, big, okay? Next time we negotiate a treaty, I expect no argument against my proposal, understand? Hell, next three times."

He paused for thought. Celestia was pleased he would not step down as ambassador over this. The next one might be less reasonable.

"And - mark my words, Celestia - you or that crazy sister of yours just look at me funny, and I'll make you regret this!"

It wasn't the best outcome, but a sight better than what she had feared. Celestia approached the man and gently hugged him. He stank after a month in that cell, but she ignored it. He was stiff for a moment, but the Royal Chestfluff worked on humans, too. "I am very, very, sorry about this, Mr. Ambassador and so is my sister. I thank you. You are a good man."

Once they parted, Bennett looked genuinely moved. "Well, it better not happen again!"

"You have my personal oath on that, Shawn Bennett."

"Okay. Good. Fine. About that shower?"

Celestia smiled. She might need one, as well, but her elation at getting off the hook helped her ignore the smell. "Of course. These chambers are intended for visiting royalty - Princess Cadence, for example. They are yours whenever you are in Canterlot Castle. I will go to the kitchens and personally bake you an apology cake, to go with your lunch."

He had tasted her skill before and his stomach growled loudly.

"Would you like me to send somepony with an appetizer to your room beforehoof?"

"Yes, please!"

Celestia bowed to her human guest. "Right away. I will await in the kitchen and oversee the meal myself to ensure it meets a proper standard. Then, after you have rested, and my sister has apologized again, we will speak about the letter to your government."

The ambassador just grunted his confirmation, then entered the room she had given him and slammed the door shut in her face. As soon as he was out of sight and earshot, Celestia let out a relieved sigh and closed her eyes. Her rump hit the floor and her wings sagged. That could have turned out so much worse! Truly, her skill at diplomacy was legendary.

She went to the kitchen. The guards in the royal wing stared in admiration as she passed them. One of them whispered: "Bucking well done!"

He probably didn't intend for the Princess to hear, but she smiled at him and inclined her head. "Thank you."

It made him blush and Celestia giggled a little to herself as she went to see about Mr. Bennett's lunch.

The next morning Celestia made breakfast for both herself and Luna. She had missed cooking for her sister, even if Luna didn't say thank you every time. This time she failed to show gratitude her because the younger alicorn had something on her mind.

"Sister?" she said the moment Celestia sat down beside her with two stacks of pancakes and a pitcher of syrup.

"'mm?"

Celestia already had a piece in her mouth, but Luna didn't seem to mind her lack of manners. "Sister?" she repeated, which made the older alicorn swallow hurriedly.

"Yes?"

Luna had to think about what she would say. She didn't look at Celestia. "I went into Lake Frond's dream." Softly spoken, Celestia noticed. She examined her sister's face a little closer. Luna was thoughtful and a little worried, but she finally turned those cyan eyes to meet hers. There was fear and admiration in them. "You were willing to fight the humans. They did not understand what they were seeing and neither did Lake Frond, but you came so close..."

Celestia wasn't exactly proud of that moment, but she stood by her decision. "I could not let myself be captured. You understand that? And I would not leave my subjects behind."

"Yet you left Rock Lichen behind, and all the others," Luna pointed out.

"For now. Starting a war would not help them and neither could I, if I were imprisoned on Earth."

"I see," Luna said quietly and looked down at her plate. Her nose wrinkled a little at the delicious smell, but her eyes were staring through the food and off into the distance. "I nearly started a war, too. With the ambassador." The younger sister sounded shocked, almost stunned, as if it hadn't occurred to her until now.

Celestia laid a gentle wing around Luna's withers. "The important bit is that we did not, Sister. Come now. Eat."

At her command, the Princess levitated a fork and knife and cut herself a small piece. She put it in her mouth without looking at it.

Celestia giggled a little at her absent-minded sister. "Syrup?"

Reminded of it, Luna jerked out of her reverie. Her face scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out to try and examine the morsel. She went cross-eyed for a moment. "Aa!" she exclaimed and quickly swallowed. Then she picked up the pitcher and poured. "You usually put on whipped cream and fruit," she said accusingly. Maybe she blushed a little, but it was hard to tell.

"Just syrup today. We have to see to the human."

Luna looked past her sister to the stove, where a pan was sizzling. She sniffed the air. "Eggs and toast?" she asked.

"Humans love that stuff in the morning." Well... Celestia had a sample size of one, but she didn't let that deter her. She was sure Bennett would appreciate it.

"So much love," Luna went on suddenly.

"Hmm?"

The younger alicorn blinked and smiled a little sheepishly. "Between Lake Frond and Rock Lichen," she explained. "I tried to find him on Earth, but I could not." The pony heaved a forlorn sigh. "I do hope he is well."

Celestia, her own plate nearly forgotten, quickly shoved another syrup-soaked piece into her mouth and went to check on the stove. The eggs were nearly done and the bread was nice and brown. She levitated a couple of plates to her as she asked her question. "Do you wish to take this to the human? I think you should apologize again, now that he has slept on it."

Celestia saw Luna nod out of the corner of her eye. "Yes. I will do it." The plates went on a small tray, along with a glass of juice. She levitated the whole thing up and Luna smoothly picked it out of her grasp.

"With his help we might learn how Rock Lichen and Rawsthorne are doing. We can ensure they aren't hurt," the older sister explained, needlessly. Luna gave her a nod and left, but Celestia followed. She also wanted to see how Shawn Bennett was feeling, now that he had a shower, a comfortable bed and time to think. "Oh, and Luna?"

The mare paused and looked back with a slight frown. "Yes?" Celestia smiled at her.

"I like it when you talk softly like this."

Her grin widened even as Luna looked modestly away. "We," she said pointedly with the Royal Canterlot Voice, "sometimes forget Ourselves!"

It made Celestia roll her eyes in exasperation, but she kept her smile. Luna, it seemed, would always be Luna.

"However," her sister said, gently, "I will try. At least when we are alone."

They soon reached the right corridor and the suite Celestia had given the ambassador. Luna knocked with her hoof, although 'banged' might have been a better word.

"What?! I'm up!" came a shout from inside and the Princess simply pushed the door open and entered. Not entirely tactful, but at least she knocked beforehoof, Celestia thought. She stepped closer but waited just in the doorframe. The ambassador was sitting at the ornate writing desk and scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Just a second!" he said and finished a sentence. He looked back and his face darkened when he saw who it was. "You!" he spat.

Luna him let her ears fold down, but she stood there, determined to try and make it right. "We brought-" she began, but realized it was the wrong tone. Luna cleared her throat and looked back to her sister.

Celestia gave her an encouraging nod and a smile.

Luna spoke again, but this time her voice was gentler: "I brought you thy breakfast, Mr. Bennett," she explained and floated the tray to the table. As soon as the tray touched the surface, her magic went out. "We hope thee-" she began, but almost instantly corrected herself. "I hope you like it..."

The man didn't know what to make of her. "What are you playing at, Luna?" he asked suspiciously.

She gave him a nervous smile. "I just came to..." she said and stepped from one hoof to another. "Came to apologize again. We art-" she caught herself and quickly corrected: "I am sorry."

Benett sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "Fine. Just get out of here."

Luna did so, but her head was held lower and her ears remained flattened. Celestia gave her a very quick, consoling nuzzle, then stepped out of her way. She whispered so the man wouldn't hear. "Go and open the court. I will join you in a bit." She waited for her sister to nod before she stepped fully into the room and approached Bennett.

"You put her up to this?" he asked and gestured to the tray.

"No. Well, the breakfast is from me, but Luna wanted to bring it and apologize."

He shrugged. He obviously didn't want to talk about his imprisonment, so Celestia let it drop. He was speaking with her, so she was hopeful he would warm up to her sister in time, as well.

He watched her for a moment. "So, what do you want, Celestia?"

The mare sat on her haunches and glanced at a small stack of papers on the human's desk. "You said you will go and report today. I wished to tell you that our fastest pegasus-pulled coach is waiting for you, and to see if you needed anything else."

Mr. Bennett closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. "What you mean to say, I think, is how sure I am I'll still have this job by the end of this day."

Celestia didn't answer. She had helped Bennett write his report the previous day. She was sure they had explained his absence sufficiently, but the mare couldn't know for certain.

"And another thing, tell me again about this D.A." the man asked. He shuffled the papers and scanned one of them. "Mrs. Adams?"

"What would you like to know?"

The ambassador searched her face for any clue, but Celestia had had long practice in keeping her expression unreadable.

"First, how do you know about some random lawyer on the other side of the country? And two, what do you want with her?"

Those were easy questions. She had thought long and carefully about what to say. She also hoped that the portal guard, Walter Bass, told the humans the right thing. "A mare came home from earth. She was freed, but separated from her husband. He was supposed to follow soon after. This woman - Miriam Adams - the mare mentioned her, so I am hoping she can tell me more about the stallion."

"Huh. Well informed about Earth, are you?" the man asked suspiciously. Undoubtedly he was thinking about the rumor that Celestia had been there herself.

Celestia couldn't be sure what the man believed, but she knew he would put forward the story she had given him, merely in the interest of self preservation. He wanted to keep his job - which was in itself surprising and very welcome - therefore he would keep from making himself look foolish. In his own words, spending a month in prison and crapping in a bucket looked bad on a resume.

The mare smiled a little guiltily and changed the topic. "I wish I had come home from my vacation a little sooner."

The ambassador grimaced. "You and me both."

That seemed to settle the thing. With luck, the letter she had written would reach Miriam. It was carefully crafted to look like she had never met the woman. Strictly formal and quite distant. Celestia knew that the D.A. would understand and reply in the same way. She would undoubtedly put news about Rock Lichen and Rawsthorne in her reply.

"Here," Bennett said, breaking her train of thought, "look at this and tell me what you think." He held up a couple of pages and Celestia grasped them in a simple levitation spell.

While she read, he began eating his breakfast. Oh, that was another thing, Celestia remembered. He had lost some weight, which would lend credence to his 'illness' explanation.

Despite the circumstance, it was good to see someone enjoy her cooking so. It reminded her of Rawsthorne.

Chapter 57

A week had passed as the alicorn sisters began taking court again. There were too many petitions and it was with a heavy heart that Celestia had to send some of them away each evening to return the next day. After a short dinner she usually closed herself into her study to try and find solutions for whichever requests she hadn't been able to immediately answer. There were also messages from the griffins and minotaurs she had to answer, as well as strongly-worded missives from some of the more influential Equestrian mayors. Her life had become mostly paperwork as the Princess pulled strings, smoothed feathers and patted backs to get her realm back on the right political track.

To her credit, Luna had taken an active interest. Part of it was likely guilt over her blunders, but Celestia was impressed despite that. The two ate most of their meals together and Luna asked a lot of questions. Whether she was absorbing anything Celestia explained remained to be seen. Over the next few weeks, Celestia decided, she would gradually give her younger sister more and more authority to see how she handled it. In retrospect, that was what she should have done before leaving, but there was no changing the past.

"The human is back!" Luna said to her sister as she barged into her office. It was late and Celestia hadn't expected him at this time. Normally he slept on Earth if he left Equestria in the afternoon. Her ears perked up and Celestia smiled in anticipation. Her letter to Miriam still had no reply. Perhaps that was why Bennett had hurried back! Maybe it was finally some good news! Celestia suspected that the ambassador's bosses had taken time to search her polite, formal request for any hidden meaning. Then they probably did the same with the reply. That meant it would be difficult to communicate, at least through official channels, so Celestia had sent out word to invite Mr. Plain to Canterlot. She could have him smuggle the other letters. The ones she really wanted to write to both Miriam and Rawsthorne. Not to mention those for her pony friends. The auctioneer hadn't yet been able to come and Celestia was getting quite curious about how all of them were doing.

She rose from her desk and followed her sister out to the hallway. "Where is he?"

Luna led the way. "In his room. I went to apologize again. He refused," she admitted. It was really starting to wear on her, so Celestia paused to give her sister a hug.

"Do not worry, Luna. He will come around soon, you will see."

The younger alicorn heaved a sigh, but she returned the nuzzle and straightened back up. "I hope."

They walked in silence until they reached the door to what Celestia was starting to think of as 'the embassy'. The ambassador had accepted her offer to make it his permanent room and office. It was a small price to pay. She knocked and waited for the invitation before opening the door with her magic and walking inside.

The man was unpacking his briefcase on his desk. "That was fast," he commented.

"I am anxious to hear about my subjects on Earth. Is there news?"

He smiled a little. "Got a reply from your lawyer woman. Here."

Celestia picked up the envelope and quickly opened it and unravelled the paper. It wasn't overly long. There was Miriam's name and the address of her office, and in place of the recipient was just 'Celestia'.

She read quickly:

'RE: Pony named Rock Lichen'

'I was amazed to receive your letter as the pony in question, one Rock Lichen, is connected to a case I am currently investigating. He and his wife were stolen, or had escaped from their owners, and apparently became separated on the run.'
'I will not venture to guess how the mare has managed to return to Equestria, but the stallion was captured at the border together with a human accomplice. I assure you the pony is unharmed, but he is being held for questioning.'
'I am not at liberty to discuss the investigation as yet. I shall write to you again after it is concluded, so that we may explore options for his return.'

'Sincerely, Miriam'

It wasn't the best possible news, but Celestia was pleased. The important part was that Rock Lichen was apparently safe and was being kept from his owners. Miriam didn't mention Rawsthorne, but he was probably in a similar situation. She hoped that at least they were together. Miriam also mentioned 'options for his return', which gave Celestia hope that there was no additional suspicion toward her friends for helping her escape. She read it again, just to make sure she hadn't missed an important clue.

Meanwhile, Luna took a step toward the man, who was still watching her with some suspicion. "May I fetch you something, Mr. Ambassador?" she offered. "Refreshments after your journey?"

The man thought it over. "Just coffee."

Luna smiled pleasantly and hurried to get it. She was really going all out to make it up to the ambassador.

"Well?" he asked when he was alone with Celestia again. "What's the word?"

He probably knew what the letter said, but she decided to play the game. "Apparently, the mare escaped illegally. Her husband was captured at the border. I am still not sure why this Mrs. Adams is investigating the case."

"Ah, I believe I can answer that," Bennett said, only a touch smugly. "The owners are from Mrs. Adams' area, and she has some reputation with regards to ponies."

Yes, Celestia thought, reputation she had helped earn! With a slight effort she suppressed her smile and showed Mr. Bennett only blank incomprehension. "What sort of reputation?"

The man liked knowing things others didn't. It was something Celestia had learned a long time ago and used whenever she could. It made him more amenable. "There was this big court case about pony cruelty or something. Mrs. Adams was the prosecutor on that case and managed to get the criminals in jail. It was all over the news, apparently."

"I think I like this woman. I will write her another letter to ask about it, if you wouldn't mind taking it to her?"

The ambassador nodded. "Of course. Now for the other thing. I put your request in with the higher-ups. They'll think about it."

"Thank you."

He wasn't done yet. "I shouldn't really tell you this, but full pony rights on Earth probably wont happen, not yet at least, but they are willing to hear you out."

The mare smiled and inclined her head. "I understand, Mr. Bennett. I was not expecting anything different, but I do wish to keep moving forward with this. Someday my ponies will be full citizens on your world, but we must keep our hoofsteps small." She was about to excuse herself, but Luna came back with two steaming cups. She levitated one to the table and kept the other for herself.

"Just as you liketh it, Mr. Ambassador," she said, only slightly out of breath. "Might We- uh, might I join you?"

Celestia noticed that there was no third cup for her. She shrugged a little, said goodbye and left. Her sister was taking the apology very seriously. She brought the human his breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, as well as a snack here and there. She made sure to meet him in the hallways whenever he ventured out, and if Mr. Bennett needed some errand ran, Luna was miraculously there to take care of it. The guilt of whatever she had seen in Lake Frond's dream must have been stronger than Celestia guessed. She decided to have a little chat with her sister to make sure she wasn't taking it too badly. On the other hoof, Celestia thought, Luna could simply be using the apology as an excuse to skip out on court as often as possible.

She waited outside for her sister to finish her coffee and chat with the man. Mr. Bennett wasn't actively avoiding Luna or sending her away anymore, at least. He even exchanged a few polite words with her when they met. He was a long way from forgiving her, but Luna's insistence was beginning to pay off. This time, she came out of the room smiling a little.

"Success?"

The younger sister squeaked in surprise at the sudden question. "Spying on Us?!" she demanded.

Celestia laughed. "No, I merely wished to talk. You have been quiet lately, Luna. You spend your meals with Mr. Bennett and we can't really speak during the court."

Her sister began walking down the corridor and Celestia smoothly fell in step with her. "I have thrown the human in prison for no good reason, Sister," Luna explained forcefully, as if annoyed at having to say it again. Her eyes shifted to Celestia for a moment. She gave her a rueful smile, then her voice relaxed back into her normal tone. "I wish to make it right."

"Commendable. Is it working?"

She wouldn't meet her gaze anymore. Instead, Luna inspected the rows of pictures on the wall. Fortunately she had withdrawn her order to the staff to keep replacing them with Celestia's photo. That would seriously undermine their lie to the ambassador. "Perhaps," the mare said quietly. "He no longer yells at me to leave."

Her tail swished around and Luna stomped her hoof on the carpet. She set her jaw and stared into the distance. "He will forgive me, even if I have to tie him up!"

A new thought entered Celestia's mind. "Luna, have you been in my dreams? Since I came home?" There was no answer. "Luna?"

Her sister sighed and finally faced her sister again. "Humans are interesting, is that what you wish to hear!?" she asked.

"Interesting? Why him, though? With that 'jail' thing, he does not like you too much."

Luna lowered her head and muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?"

Again, the mare sighed in exasperation. She raised her face up to the roof and admitted, a tad more loudly: "... only human in Equestria..."

Now it all fell into place. Her eagerness to see the man, her insistence on getting that forgiveness, even the way she smiled ingratiatingly when she saw him.

"Luna, are you trying to get Mr. Bennett to-"

The younger Princess rounded up on her older sister, interrupting her: "You did it first!" Then, realizing what she had just admitted, Luna averted her face and tried to explain it away, as haughtily as she could: "We merely wish to see what all the fuss is about."

However amused Celestia was at this revelation, she had some reservations. "Are you sure that is what you want? Maybe it only appeals to you because of novelty."

Luna began to shake her head, but then she had to consider it. She trusted her sister enough to think about her words. "I do not know," she said quietly. "I wish to find out..."

Celestia stepped closer and wrapped a wing around her sister. They nuzzled for a moment and Luna sighed into her sister's mane. "Just be careful. Do not break your own heart over this and try not to break his - we still have to negotiate for our ponies on Earth." She felt Luna nod against her neck. "Remember, there are many humans. I can find you a more... amenable one, if you do not gain entry to Mr. Bennett's bed."

There was no reply.

Celestia had been about to go finish her paperwork, but changed her mind. Some quality time with her sister sounded much better. It would do them both good. "Come, let's go take a stroll through the gardens. The stars are especially beautiful when the air is cold." Praise for the night sky always made her sister smile.

Chapter 58

It took some doing, but Celestia finally finished reading the massive pile of letters Luna had simply stuck in her room during her 'reign'. A lot of them were simple to answer - requests for funds, or help, or guards. She tried very hard not to be annoyed with her sister. She could have dealt with those easily in the same way Celestia herself did: give them to the palace staff to sort out. There were quite a number of letters from the human authorities. Run of the mill stuff at first, but then sounding increasingly agitated and demanding when there were no replies. The last few were a bit scary with all the threats if she didn't respond immediately. She was nearly done, but then Celestia came to a different one. It didn't look official, just a simple, white envelope with an inexpertly folded bit of paper. It was hoof-written and it looked like the person's - well, hand, the alicorn decided - must have been shaking a little.

'Please, I beg of you, at least tell me what has happened to Shawn! Why are you not answering my letters???'
'It's been three weeks!! Where is my husband???'

There was no signature, but Celestia didn't need any. She swallowed a lump and opened another.

'Dir Sir or Madam, I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Rita Bennett and I am writing to ask you about my husband, Shawn Bennett. He has not been in touch with me for over two weeks and I am starting to worry.'
'The embassy assures me that he is merely held up for an important negotiation, but I would feel a lot better if I had confirmation from you as well.'
'Please remind Shawn that he should write and let me know when he is coming home. Thank you in advance. Sincerely, Rita Bennett'

That was probably her first letter, Celestia decided. She didn't open the others. It was easy to guess what they would contain. With a heavy heart, the mare stood up from her desk and went to look for the ambassador. It was late afternoon - shortly after court, but not yet time for dinner - so she headed for the royal wing. Bennett was usually in his room at this time. She knocked on his door and waited for the man to speak up before entering, as was polite.

"What is it?" he asked and tugged a little on the sleeves of his shirt. Celestia saw that he had just changed it, probably with the one on his bed.

"I will send a maid to get that and wash it, Mr. Bennett."

"Sure. Thanks. What was it you wanted?"

The mare blushed a little and silently levitated the papers to the human. He picked them out of the air and read the top one. In moments his brow furrowed and his lips pressed together in a thin line, but the ambassador didn't say anything. He opened the other envelopes and examined those letters, too.

Celestia shuffled a little on her hooves, but she didn't leave. It was best to face Mr. Bennett's anger head on.

"My wife told me she wrote these. I was wondering where they ended up," the man said quietly. He walked to his desk and dropped the stack in a drawer. The torn envelopes he crumpled up and tossed into the paper bin.

"I have only now gotten through the stack of paperwork my sister left for me. I wished to apologize again, Mr. Bennett. I had not realized you were married." Celestia decided to break the news she had been keeping as a surprise for the human. "I know it will not repay what you have suffered, but Luna and I would like to invite you to a little picnic. You may also invite your wife, if you would like."

The man leaned his head to the side and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Picnic? Why?"

Celestia kept her smile in place. "I have invited a famous griffin cook, who will prepare - I believe it's called 'barbecue'. You mentioned once that you miss it while you are in Equestria?"

Celestia was amused at how wide his eyes bulged and how the man opened and shut his mouth a few times in shock. "Barbecue?!" he managed, at last. "Don't you know what that is?"

The mare just nodded. She summoned all her powers of acting to keep her face smooth. "Yes. Bits of meat, burned on a grill - usually charcoal. The cook assured me he would bring some... 'prime cuts'?" That hit its mark. Celestia was watching Mr. Bennett's face closely and his tongue touched his lips at the mention of 'prime cuts'. She didn't like the sound of the word 'cut' in there, but Luna had insisted. That mare really wanted to get closer to the ambassador. Oh, but he was married! How had she not thought about that before? Celestia mentally berated herself. Of course he was indifferent to her sister! Even if he would be willing to consider ponies - in that way - he still had a wife! Luna would have to look for her 'interesting experience' someplace else.

"Okay, fine. I'll come, and I already squared it away with the missus, so it's fine," Bennett said, waking Celestia up from her thoughts.

"Oh. Of course." Se was about to leave, but paused for another thought. "I will arrange a nice bouquet of flowers for you to take to Mrs. Bennett. Along with a note of personal apology."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Mr. Ambassador?"

He had been getting thoughtful at the mention of flowers for his wife, but now the man looked up at Celestia again. "Yes?"

"I did not expect you to forgive your treatment that quickly. N-not that I am ungrateful! I was just curious."

He sighed. "I told you. Looks bad in front of my bosses if I let myself get thrown in a slammer!"

"There is more than that."

The man simply stood and looked at her for a while. It didn't seem like he would say anything more and Celestia turned to leave. Just before she was out of the door, he spoke up: "It's because of this place."

Celestia froze and looked back. Her tail swished and her muzzle scrunched up. "This place?"

The man spread his arms apart and sighed. "This country. Your country! Everyone is nice. It's refreshing after some of the places I've been."

After seeing Earth first-hoof, Celestia could believe it. "I see."

Now that he had started to explain, Bennett went on in a hurry: "I mean- anywhere else I'd never believe Luna's apology, but coming from a pony it really meant something. I was going to tell my boss everything and to hell with you all, but I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Celestia came back inside, a faint smile on her muzzle. "I am very grateful you did, Mr. Bennett."

"Despite that... the prison- I'd still rather work with you than some of the rulers on Earth."

The mare closed her eyes and inclined her head in a small bow. When she looked up again the, man was fidgeting. His fingers seemed to play with one another and he bit his lip a little.

"When is this barbecue?" he asked.

"The day after Winter wrap-up. This weekend. Consider it a little celebration of spring!"

Celestia was on her way to the dining hall. She was looking for her sister to tell her the bad news. There would be no getting in Mr. Bennett's bed, unfortunately, but she was not to worry. There were more humans on Earth, many of whom would be happy to meet a pony princess. She was thinking though the - admittedly short - list of human males she knew, when a guard stopped her.

"Forgive me, Princess," he said with a small bow. "There is a visitor to see you. A human."

She immediately guessed Mr. Plain and all thought of Luna and the Ambassador fled from her mind. "Where?"

The stallion - a navy blue pegasus - extended a wing. "The small meeting room. I've already asked for refreshments."

The Princess inclined her head. "Good work. What is your name?"

He was one of the new recruits and seemed a little shy around royalty, but he answered in a crisp, clear voice. "Glory Tail, ma'am. From Baltimare."

"Thank you for bringing me this news, Glory Tail from Baltimare." She didn't wait to hear the reply. Whatever news Mr. Plain had brought was too important to her. It took some effort not to gallop, but Celestia kept her pace at a brisk trot. She passed a few ponies in the halls, but none of them commented. These days, the Princess was often in a hurry.

She burst into the room with the question already on her lips: "Plain! Any news from my friends?!"

The man already had a tray with a pot of his preferred tea. He was sipping from a cup and looking out the window at Canterlot. Whoever had brought the refreshment had been kind enough to include another cup for the princess. Despite her impatience there was protocol to follow. She poured for herself and joined Mr. Plain in admiring the view. The sun was fat and orange, low on the horizon and made the streets into a tapestry of gold and black. Her people were finishing up their business and many of them were gathering before the palace to see the Sisters' ceremony. She had very little time, so the mare hurried things along.

"Well?"

The man pointed to his open briefcase. There were several envelopes and Celestia felt her heart jump for joy. Her friends! Rawsthorne and Miriam and Glitter Dust. Hopefully, there was one from Glowbug and one from Silent Brook. And yes, even Heavy Hoof. She had been wondering how he and Belle Hop were doing. The one from Rawsthorne was the most important, so she opened that one first. She could read the others later.

Seeing that she would be occupied for a while, Mr. Plain turned back to the window and raised his cup to his lips again. As Celestia opened the folded paper her heart felt like it was going crazy. She murmured impatiently to herself.

"Please, let it be good news, please!"

Her eyes took in the lines of text.

'My dearest Celestia,' Rawsthorne had written,
'with Miriam's help I have managed to keep Rock Lichen with me. To facilitate this, I had to repay his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, his full price which, along with the fine for our soirée at the border puts me in an uncomfortable position financially.'

The mare inhaled sharply at the news, but she kept reading.

'No matter. I am in the process of selling the house and concluding my affairs at work. Miriam is working on release papers for Rock Lichen, so if all goes well, we will both join you in about a month.'

Now Celestia knew she had a dopey smile on her face, but she didn't care. One month! Already? She had prepared herself to wait alone for a year, at least, but now it was barely turning spring and Rawsthorne was already on his way. She felt a pang of regret that he had to uproot his life so quickly, but she would ensure he was welcome in her castle to make up for it. Very welcome.

"Good news?" Mr. Plain asked. He had turned around and was looking at her expression.

Celestia smiled wider. "Yes! They are coming here, soon!"

The auctioneer shrugged. "Good for you. I never would have thought it possible. Not Rawsthorne."

She didn't reply, because the mare wanted to finish the letter.

'See you soon. Much love, Rawsthorne.'

Simple, yet heartfelt. Celestia thought of Lake Frond. How happy would the mare be to hear this news? She had gone to live with her parents and Celestia hadn't seen her in a while. She remembered the guard. Glory Tail from Baltimare. Yes, he would deliver her letter! With luck, Lake Frond would come to Canterlot to wait for her husband and they could catch up.

Right now, however, she was nearly late. Celestia grinned at the auctioneer. "Please, make yourself at home. I will have a room arranged for you and I will have letters for you to take back in the morning."

The man lifted up his cup, as if in a salute, but Celestia was already leaving. She gave her instructions to the first guardspony she saw in the hall. Mr. Plain would be taken care of and Glory Tail would be at her door first thing in the morning. Things were looking up. So excited was the mare that she completely forgot about Luna and Bennett. Besides, there was the sun to lower and dinner to have after that, and yes, she would of course invite Mr. Plain to dine with them!

Chapter 59

Celestia nearly pranced through the hallways toward her room. She had read the other letters from her friends after a hurried meal and very much liked what they had to say. It was mostly good news all around. Belle Hop and Heavy Hoof were seeing each other nearly every day. The mare surreptitiously forgot to mention how the stallion's owners were taking their relationship, but she made it clear that she, at least, was very happy. Peter and Deborah were probably supportive, otherwise they would not have let him see his pony sweetheart. Glowbug still hadn't told her friends the truth, but promised she would do so before long. Celestia wrote her back, offering to prepare a little speech for her to make it easier. After all, she had first-hoof experience in that area. As for Glitter Dust... she was being herself. The poorly-written letter, full of spelling errors and crossed-out words, rambled a little about how Maggie was getting her a new computer as a thank you for doing a good job at the store. The pegasus finished with an excited scribble that Douglas Wilder would be in town for something called 'the spring break' and she was looking forward to seeing him. Without her occasional visits with Heavy Hoof, the mare sounded pent up and eager. Celestia hoped she would take it easy on her human coltfriend.

The one from Miriam said essentially the same thing as Rawsthorne, with an extra question if her offer of a spa day still stood. Celestia wrote her back with a promise and then prepared a second, much colder letter to give Bennett as a formal invitation. The woman's work on pony-related issues was reason enough to justify Celestia wanting to meet with her. Only Silent Brook hadn't replied yet, but Mr. Plain assured her the stallion was alright and she would hear from him soon. With all the replies finished and sealed, Celestia was in very good spirits. She went out to the balcony, ignoring the slight chill which still lingered in the air. The landscape was waking up. Early flowers were blooming and there was a definitive smell of spring in the air. What little snow remained would be melted by magic in the next few days. The few lingering clouds would be broken up and pushed aside by the weather teams.

All was well in her world. Spring would come on schedule. It made Celestia smile. She stepped outside and inhaled, letting the last remnants of ice and snow fill her nose. As she had told Silent Brook, these moments of natural change were to be enjoyed. Chill would give way to warmth. White to green. Overcast skies to boundless blue. Many of her subjects thought that summer was her favourite season, but it was not so. In fact, it was spring, because everything changed in spring. Sluggish blood began flowing faster. Hearts began beating stronger. Plants and creatures woke up and brought forth new life. Everything bloomed.

Rawsthorne was coming!

Celestia spotted a shadow at the railing and approached. Luna didn't greet her as she joined her at the edge. The younger sister glanced at Celestia for a moment, then focused her eyes on the distant horizon again. They stood, side by side, in silence for a minute.

"I saw that Mr. Plain had arrived," Luna commented in a near whisper.

"Yes. It was good news. Soon my friends will be able to come here." There was no reply and Celestia didn't dig for one. She knew her sister well enough to recognize her mood. Shoulders slightly slumped. Head held a little lower. Eyes unfocused and staring into the distance.

"What is on your mind, Sister?"

Luna drew a deep breath, then slowly let it out. She looked at Celestia and her eyes glimmered in the faint moonlight. It almost looked as if...

"Why are you crying?"

The younger sister blinked her eyes and shook her head, as if to dislodge the tears, but she remained silent. Celestia wanted to hug her and tell her it would be alright, but first she had to find out what was wrong. She made her voice as gentle as she could.

"Tell me."

"Sister..." Luna began. "Sister, am I ugly?"

Celestia didn't know how to answer for a second, but she quickly rallied. "Of course not! Whatever gives you that idea?"

Again, the younger alicorn sighed. She lowered her gaze to the floor and muttered: "I have been unsuccessful. The human spurns my advances. I am not as good looking as you, Sister. Nor as cute to humans!"

Memory rushed back and Celestia nearly giggled. It would have been disastrous, however funny Luna's misunderstanding was. "Oh, I can answer that bit, Sister."

Luna looked up, frowning and scrunching her muzzle when she saw Celestia's expression. "Do!" she said with a disdainful, imperious glare.

"The ambassador is married. Shawn Bennett already has a wife and possibly children."

All Luna could do for the moment was blink in confusion. Then she averted her eyes and swished her tail this way and that. Her ears went down and she scowled at the floor. "I see," she said in a low growl.

For a moment Celestia was afraid her sister would grow angry and try to do something stupid. She had spent a lot of time and effort to get into the ambassador's good graces. From her point of view Celestia thought it was working. The man had forgiven her for the whole 'jail' incident and even began speaking with Luna again. He was even polite, but he probably wouldn't give her what she sought.

"Why do you want this so much, Sister?"

She wasn't expecting an answer, but Luna sighed and gave it anyway, as if admitting defeat. "We-" she began, but quickly corrected. "I want what you have. I have looked into Lake Frond's dream of her husband and into Rock Lichen's dream of his mare. I looked into your dreams of Rawsthorne." When she looked back up at her sister, Luna's eyes were brimming with tears. "I wish to taste love again."

Celestia couldn't help herself. She embraced her sister with both her hooves and her wings, and nuzzled her. Luna gave a single sob, then brought herself under control again with a shuddering sigh. She was trembling a little.

"I will help you, Sister. Of course. Do you have your heart set on a human?"

She pulled her face away to inspect her sister's face. It was very hard to tell, but Luna was blushing so strongly when she nodded, that Celestia practically felt the heat on her face. "Your dreams..." Luna whispered. "Are they real? Can humans... go-" she began but had to swallow before she could finish the sentence. "Go so many times in a night? For so long?!"

Celestia had long since given up admonishing her sister to stay out of her dreams at night. Now she merely tolerated it. After all, the siblings shared nearly everything else. Why not dreams? Well, she certainly wouldn't share Rawsthorne, that much Celestia knew, but she couldn't begrudge her sister an occasional peek.

"Yes. It really is... that good." Now Celestia was also blushing, except that on her muzzle it was that much more visible, even in the dim light.

"Then yes," Luna said and hesitated for a second. "A human, please. At least once."

Celestia jabbed her side with a wing and smirked. "A big one?"

Her sister shook her head. "No! I want a good one! A kind one! One who would listen!"

It just made Celestia giggle harder. It was a way to relieve the awkwardness of what they were discussing. She couldn't resist another joke. "Of course. One with a generous..."

"Heart!" Luna finished, trying to get the word out before her sister could complete the thought, but it was too late. She had always been too late.

"... prick."

The night-blue alicorn growled under her breath and rolled her eyes. "You are impossible! I am going to bed!" She stood up and began walking away, placing her hooves down firmly, with finality. It could almost be called 'stomping'.

"Do not worry! I will find you a human to keep you company, soon!" Celestia almost regretted it. Perhaps she had gone a tad too far, but she saw her sister turn her head and stick out her tongue. It left her smiling. Until she began thinking about the request.

She knew a grand total of nine human males and most of them were married or otherwise taken. Oh, and there were two of Sally's friends, but they were mere colts. Entirely unsuitable for a good few years yet. Celestia remembered William White - or 'Will', as his young friends called him - and his comment about how pretty she was. She had met him at young Sally's birthday party. She wonderd if Luna had a picture of him somewhere, together with all the photos Mr. Plain had gotten her. Even now Celestia hadn't been allowed to see them. It boded toward more teasing by her sister. Yes, young William White seemed to like ponies. What would he think if he saw Luna in all her glory? Outlined against a sky full of stars, with her mane floating on the slightest breeze. Her soft, Cyan eyes would be almost glowing with starlight and her muzzle would hold a gentle smile.

Who could resist that?! If young William White met her sister before his heart hardened on Earth, he would make a doting and generous husband. Mr. Bennett had unwittingly confirmed it! Equestria changed humans for the better! Maybe she should pick someone - a temporary human - to keep Luna amused for a few years, until that young one came of age. Now there was a thought. She wondered what his parents might say if they knew what she was scheming. No matter. She would consider it in the morning. Surely Rawsthorne would help her decide on a proper mate for her sister. He probably had many friends, right? Acquaintances, at least. Celestia turned back to the sleeping city and let her body and mind relax. She breathed in the night air of Equestria. She had missed it so. It had been a good day and she was looking forward to her bed. Her thought, that soon it might not be so empty anymore, made it even better!

Chapter 60

The Sun's light slowly ebbed from her mind as Celestia floated gently down to the courtyard. The Raising of the Sun ceremony always left her feeling bittersweet when it ended. The rush of power as it began was a counterpoint to the remorse as it left her again. On her left, Luna hung in the sky, motionless from her perspective, even though the sisters were gently descending. They smiled at one another. As usual, their ceremony had been flawlessly executed. It took a lot less power than anypony imagined, if done properly, because the two worked together in perfect harmony.

The moon, as it slid down the sky, shed its energy, which Luna captured and sent her way. It was the magic of the night, starry skies and a blanket of darkness. Stillness and a gentle, cool breeze. It even smelled of her sister - or maybe Luna smelled of it. The scent always put Celestia in mind of lilies. She smoothly caught the energy and sent it to the sun. It rose and took the moon's place on the sky. After this initial push, the orb would follow its path to the west and then Celestia would lower it the rest of the way in the evening, again feeding the same power to her sister so she could lift up the moon. It was all about balance, which was what the ceremony really represented. It did ponies good to see their alicorns so synchronized, so in tune. Their hooves touched the ground at the same time and the sisters folded up their wings almost in unison.

The crowd cheered. They cheered every time, but it was still incredibly rewarding to soak up their admiration and love. Celestia had missed this on Earth. Almost as much as she had missed Luna. There was a slight commotion at the edge of their raised platform and Luna waved to the guards over there. Celestia didn't immediately understand what was happening. Two unicorns were pushing a black wheelchair up the steps. Glancing at her sister, Celestia stepped forward to greet them. It was obviously very important, whoever they were, if Luna herself had invited them up.

She looked in the chair, where a thin, frail filly stared back at her with wonder in her large, shining eyes. She was bundled up in cloth against the morning chill, but she pulled the hood away to watch the Princess in awe. Her condition nearly broke Celestia's heart. The poor filly had no mane and large patches of her fur were missing. There was a plastic tube attached to her thin foreleg, leading up to a clear bag of some fluid, which was hooked on the side of the chair. It was human medicine, which in itself was an unusual sight, even in Canterlot. The wheelchair stopped before her, with the parents standing nervously to either side. Luna stepped to the side so she could look both at the child and at her sister, then extended her wings.

"Sister," she said gently, "of course you remember Morning Breeze?"

"Oh! Of course!" How could she not? The filly who had needed human medicine! Her contract with Mr. Plain! Young Morning Breeze with her devastating illness which even magic couldn't cure and her dam, Cobalt Shard. When they first met, the mare had been distraught. Now she was smiling. The husband, too, looked as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His name was Salt Lick, the Princes remembered. It took her less than a second to put names to faces, but then Celestia looked in anguish at the poor, ill child. She glanced at her sister, who gave her a slight smile and a nod. That, together with the expressions on the parents' faces was all she needed to know. Relieved, Celestia sat on her haunches and leaned down.

"Hey, sweetie!"

The little thing smiled up at her beatifically and lifted a hoof. Celestia came closer so the filly could touch her face.

"I, uh, we don't k-know how to thank you, Princess," the mother said quietly, her voice, husky with emotion, breaking a little.

When Celestia looked at her, she saw that tears were running freely down her muzzle. "It has worked? The human treatment?"

Both parents nodded. The mare went on: "The doctor says she will make a full recovery! They only let us take her home yesterday. We came to show you right away!" The mother was overwhelmed by relief and gratitude and almost collapsed forward to grasp at the Princess. Celestia caught her in a hug. She could feel the silence of the crowd as they drank all of this in. A few cameras clicked, bathing the group in bright flashes of light.
Cobalt Shard in her hooves was weeping openly now and the stallion looked close to tears himself, but they were tears of joy. Luna, showing remarkable empathy, came to take the grateful pony from Celestia's hooves, even if it meant that the mare clung to her instead. This left her free to look at the little unicorn filly who was watching her mother uneasily.

"Don't worry. Your mother is just happy you are well. How do you feel?"

The filly gave this due consideration. "It still hurts," she admitted in her tiny voice. Her ears went down at the memory. Then she brightened up and smiled. "It's not as bad as before! The nice man in the hospital said I am going to be okay!"

Celestia matched her smile. She sat on her haunches, reached her hooves into the wheelchair and lifted the too-light pony out. Her magic carefully unhooked the clear bag and kept it nearby, so the tube wouldn't pull out of her leg. She brought the filly to her chest for a hug. Celestia knew she was grinning like an idiot, but she didn't much care. This, perhaps more than everything else she had achieved, made it worthwhile. All the trouble, all the fear. Even the heartbreak if Rawsthorne couldn't join her. Here was all the justification she needed.

"Mommy said you made it so I could go to the hospital," the child whispered. "I didn't like it there."

"I am sorry."

"They poked me with needles all the time and I was sick a lot," the pony complained, but then she nuzzled the Royal Chest Fluff and sighed happily. "I didn't really mind! The doctor brought me a lollipop every day and said I was a brave pony!"

Her own tear slid down Celestia's muzzle and fell to the floor, unheeded. The bundle in her hooves shivered in the morning breeze and she quickly wrapped her back up in the blankets. As she was carefully laying her back in the wheelchair the Princess whispered: "Come, I will see if I can find you something sweet inside." She gave the child a conspiratorial wink. "There may even be some cake left!"

The poor thing needed to gain back a lot of her weight. Celestia didn't know what the human treatment for this disease involved, but she looked too thin by half after it! The Princess looked to the father, who was just watching his daughter closely and smiling. His and the mother's reactions told her that the news was good. The humans were confident the child would live and they even dismissed her from the hospital. Poor thing must have been in there almost from the day Celestia went to Earth. She deserved a bit of spoiling. No, a whole lot of spoiling!

Luna had managed to disentangle herself from the grateful mare, so Celestia now addressed both parents. "Cobalt Shard. Salt Lick. All three of you are most welcome to have breakfast with Luna and me."

The ponies looked at each other, then nodded and bowed deeply. Before they could begin pushing the wheelchair away, Celestia levitated it to give the child a smoother ride. She walked to the castle and the crowd parted before her. Happy, joyous pony faces stared from every direction. A lot of the mares and quite a number of stallions had tears in their eyes.

Celestia made a decision. She didn't know yet how she would do it, but she swore to herself she would find a way. She turned to address the crowd and lifted the wheelchair so she could put her wing around the filly. "My ponies. Thanks to the humans, Morning Breeze will make a full recovery. They can cure some things even magic cannot! Already my sister Luna and I are working to make these wonders available to all, but now we shall try harder! Soon this hope will be granted, freely, to all ponies!"

There was a cheer, but Celestia didn't wait it out. She led her guests inside, to the private dining room, barely aware of her steps. Her mind was already buzzing. Ponies in human schools and hospitals, learning from the humans, and vice-versa, of course. There were some things magic could do that humans could not. It would be a fair trade, between equal nations. The key was, Celestia realized now, not bringing all her ponies home, but putting more ponies on Earth! Not as slaves, or prisoners, but as valued friends and colleagues. In order to establish the worth of Equestria in human eyes, she would have to let her people go and prove themselves.

Of course they would have to be protected under law. She needed Miriam! The woman would know where to begin. How to even lay down the groundwork for the legislature. Yes it would take a while, Celestia realized that minds could not be changed this quickly, but Morning Breeze gave her new drive to make it happen. New conviction. New energy. Morning Breeze was an inspiration to the Princess.

When she looked at the filly Celestia saw she had dozed off. She tucked the blankets more tightly around her small form. Luckily they were nearly there. She carefully slid the chair up to the table so the parents could check on their filly. Cobalt Shard fussed a little with the blankets and nuzzled Morning Breeze a little, before sitting down. They were both a little self-conscious with Princesses, so Celestia broke the ice:

"Might I offer you some tea while you wait? I will have the pancakes ready in a few minutes!"

Two muzzles fell open in shock as the Princess levitated up a couple of pans and laid them on the stove. "Y-you will c-cook?!" the mare squeaked.

"Of course! I always make breakfast for myself and Luna. I would love to cook for all of us today!"

The couple looked at one another in shock, but they didn't comment. They took their seats around the filly and tried to wait as patiently as they could. The stallion fidgeted a little, until Luna spoke up: "Salt Lick! You hath spent time in the human place, on Earth?"

The pony gave a nervous nod.

"Describe it to Us," the Princess demanded.

The stallion stumbled over his description of the hotel room they had been given and the hospital where Morning Breeze had been treated.

Celestia kept her ears trained on the discussion as she worked the stove and the pans. "Excuse me. You said the doctors had you sign waivers before they would treat Morning Breeze. Do you perhaps have copies of those forms still?"

Cobalt bobbed her head up and down. "Yes! At home! I'll go get them straight away!"

She had already stood up, but Celestia stepped closer and laid a calming wing on the mare's withers. "Oh, there is no rush. I will be grateful to see them later."

She sat back down a little hesitantly. There was a quiet squeak from the wheelchair and the filly looked around with curiosity. Celestia leaned closer and extended a wing toward the nearby shelves. They were loaded with all colors of jars.

"What flavor jam is your favorite, Morning Breeze?"

It was delightful to see the child's look of wonder as she took in rows upon rows of sweet toppings. Morning Breeze turned her gaze on Celestia, then blushed a little and looked down at her hooves.

"Can I t-try them all?" she whispered.

Her mother opened her mouth to admonish, but Celestia shook her head slightly and Cobalt Shard fell silent. The Princess expertly levitated all the jars and brought them to the table to stack them up before the filly.

"Of course, sweetie. A spoonful of each!"

There were far too many even if the spoon was exceedingly small, but Celestia wouldn't mind seeing the filly attempt it. Perhaps it was rather a lot of sugar, but it would do her good. She leaned closer and lowered her voice, as if to keep their conversation a secret from her parents. "Afterwards you tell me which one is the best and you can take it home to have every day!" The Princess grinned widely and winked. In moments the child smiled back. She licked her lips expectantly.

Just in time. The first pancake was ready and Celestia expertly flipped it onto a plate, which she laid gently on the table before the filly. She also brought a small spoon, a knife and a fork, which she passed to Cobalt Shard. Then the Princess went back to the oven.

Luna, watching all of this with a slight smile, faced the stallion again. "The humans treated you with respect, then? As they would another human?"

Celestia focused on their conversation again as she poured fresh batter into the pan.

Chapter 61

"You want what again?" Mr. Bennett asked, staring at Celestia, as if he hadn't only just read it on the paper.

She tried very hard to keep her tone neutral. She needed the ambassador's approval on her latest request. "I need an assistant."

The man gave her a deadpan stare. "Really. It just has to be a human, has it? You don't have ponies in the castle to handle it?"

Celestia smiled and ran with the joke. "My ponies do not have hands, Mr. Bennett." He stared at her for a few seconds, during which she endeavoured to keep her face straight, but then they both chuckled at the same time. Celestia recovered first. "Yes, I could fill the position with a pony, but I would like to extend the offer to a human. Tighten the diplomatic relationships, so to speak."

"Why this, all of a sudden?" Bennett asked with just a touch of a frown. He was inspecting her face closely, suspicious of her motives, but at least he didn't reject the idea outright.

"To foster understanding and goodwill between our two peoples. To reduce the chance of such a misunderstanding as has happened to you. I also wish to learn more about human politics and diplomacy and I do not wish to burden you with silly questions. Perhaps someone just out of school?"

Bennett snapped his fingers. "Like an intern or something?" he suggested.

It would be perfect. A younger human, preferably male, who had dedicated themselves to school, so they would be less likely to be married. "Exactly. As young as possible, so that they do not have preconceptions about ponies. In part, I also wish to see a human's reaction to us."

That seemed to explain away Mr. Bennett's doubts. He shrugged. "Well, if you want, I'm sure something could be arranged. What do you need from me exactly?"

It was decided and Celestia smiled a little. With any luck, Luna would meet a human for her little adventure. Plus, an extra pair of hands would come in... handy. Especially hands trained in diplomacy. "I would appreciate your signature on this proposal and I would like to ask you to take it to your superiors for approval on my behalf."

Now the ambassador shrugged. "Sure, I can do that," he confirmed and took the paper from the air. Her levitation spell winked out so that Bennett could put the request down on his table and sign it.

"As soon as possible, if you could? Today?"

His pen froze just above the paper and the man turned his head to look at her. "Why so impatient?"

Celestia had an excuse ready. It wasn't a lie, because it was, in fact, true. It just wasn't the main reason. "There is so much to do after my sister's... negligence. I have solved the critical problems and I think these remaining, minor details would be an excellent learning opportunity."

"Yeah, I mean, okay," Bennett said and absentmindedly signed the form, "but... today?"

Celestia wanted the new human in the castle as soon as she could get one. That would give her the maximum amount of time to coach her sister through wooing a human, before Rawsthorne came and began asking uncomfortable questions. Luna and her human had to be solved before that! "Please, Mr. Bennett? I have our fastest coach all ready and it will be waiting for you at the border tomorrow. I have also wrapped up some muffins for the journey. Still warm. I was hoping you could take a few to Mrs. Bennett, along with my apologies for your absence."

That was usually a sure-fire way to convince the ambassador of nearly anything. She could see his mouth pucker up at the prospect of warm muffins. He was practically drooling just at the mention! Quite unlike Rawsthorne, and so very easy to manipulate! Sometimes she wished Rawsthorne would be this malleable with sweets. That would probably have made him less fun. No, Celestia decided, she appreciated the man just as he was. Besides, teaching him the joy of pastries would be exciting, especially now that he wouldn't be able escape her anymore! She waited for Mr. Bennett to convince himself into going. After a minute of indecision, she floated up the basket she had been holding out of sight in the hallway, and lifted the napkin from it.

The smell wafted and did its insidious job. "Fine, okay. Yes, I'll do it right away, if you insist!" Bennett said as he picked out one of her special chocolate chip muffins with redcurrant filling. They were especially delightful and Celestia made a mental note to send a thank you to the little fruit shop. The earth mare there knew they were among her favorite delicacies and she made sure to send plenty of samples to the castle each spring, as soon as her greenhouse produced results. The way Mr. Bennett closed his eyes and moaned a little proved that he enjoyed them just as much as the Princess.

"Make sure you save at least one for your wife, Mr. Bennett!"

In a small way, Celestia envied her sister. Luna was sprawled across the comfortable divan, while she herself sat at the large desk in her office. She would rather they switched places, but the mare wanted to get over the paperwork. Luna had been improving, but her attention span still couldn't be entirely relied upon.

"Please, Sister, tell me that is all!" the younger alicorn moaned, leaning so far back over the leg rest that her head was upside down.

Celestia decided not to torture her anymore. "It is. We have seen to the important issues. I will finish up while you go and get ready for the picnic."

This was very welcome news and Luna quickly stood, lest her sister change her mind. "Thank you! I think I shall shower beforehoof," she proclaimed.

"Oh, by the way. That new human arrives today, Luna. You might wish to be fashionably late."

The younger sister didn't quite follow. She leaned her head sideways and narrowed her eyes. "Why?" she asked.

"That way I will introduce him to everypony else beforehoof. Your introduction will therefore stand out as unique. More memorable. You can make a better impression."

Her sister smiled. "Good idea! I shall do so!"

As Luna cleared out of the room, Celestia went back to the letter she had received that morning. The new human would arrive shortly before lunch. The Princess glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly eleven. Not much longer now. She bent back down to her paperwork.

There was a quiet knock which Celestia, even with pony hearing, nearly missed. She called out absentmindedly and glanced up to see who it was. Her breath caught as she locked eyes with a stranger. A human stranger! He stepped inside and conscientiously closed the door behind him. Celestia put the document she had been holding to the side and examined the young man before her. She made an educated guess.

"Mr. Eli Grant?"

He hesitated for a while before bowing. He was unaccustomed to the gesture, so it was a little shaky and stiff. "Yes, Your Highness," he mumbled.

"Oh, none of that, please. Celestia will do. Ma'am, if you must."

He straightened up, but didn't quite meet her gaze. "Yes, uh, ma'am. Sorry."

Celestia decided some direct action was required. This boy seemed almost afraid of her. Perhaps it was whatever they had told him before sending him out, or maybe he was overawed by the fact that she was a Princess. The mare stood up and sidestepped the desk. Eli leaned out of the way and shuffled his feet backward, as if to give her room, but Celestia simply walked around the lad to inspect him from all sides. No ring, she noticed. It human terms that usually meant he was not married. That was good.

"Please, relax. Would you like some tea?"

He had to clear his throat before he could make his voice work. It was a little squeaky, but the answer was clear and understandable: "No, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

The pony rolled her eyes a little and grinned while she was still behind him, where he couldn't see. Luna might enjoy the reverent servility, but it wasn't what she needed. Passing around his other side, Celestia paused for a moment to inspect Eli Grant's face. She was somewhat familiar with human features after her time on Earth, after all. He certainly wasn't ugly. Maybe he was not exactly 'handsome' with his nose slightly too large for the rest of his features, but he wasn't bad-looking. The eyes, in particular drew her in. Startlingly green, which was quite unusual among humans. He watched her very closely, nervous but interested. He was very intelligent, but lacked confidence. Perhaps Luna could help with that. They might even help each other grow. Other than that, Celestia couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Clean shaven, well groomed, and a black mane - hair, she corrected herself - with a tidy, short haircut.

Under her scrutiny, Eli swallowed and gripped his clothes with his hands, as if wanting to pull the jacket more tightly around himself. Long fingers, the mare noted. Perfect for belly rubs and ear scratches. She very nearly blushed at the thought. It was too long since she had seen Rawsthorne! She was starting to have improper thoughts!

Putting it out of her mind, Celestia came full circle and stood before Eli Grant. "Do not be afraid, your work here will not be onerous. Not in the slightest!" Celestia wondered what the young man would think if he knew her plans for him. Well, not so much plans as hopes. Of course she would never force him. "The note said you finished a Ph.D. in Politics at a school called Princeton?"

He nodded, but then quickly cleared his throat to confirm: "Yes, ma'am! I majored in International Relations."

"Very good. How did you join the pony embassy? Or, rather, why?"

The response sounded practiced. It had undoubtedly been a part of his briefing, but they hadn't had much time and it showed in his delivery of it. "I, uh, wanna foster improved relations between us and, um, ponies."

Celestia giggled at the formulaic answer. She sat on her haunches and extended a hoof. "I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Grant. Would you like to know about your duties? It can wait until after the picnic."

That was firmer ground and Eli nodded as he shook. His grip was weak, but it was there. He wasn't too squeamish about touching her, at least. "Yes, please. Uh, picnic, ma'am?"

Celestia levitated a few papers she had prepared as an example. She noted that Eli Grant watched the softly glowing aura with particular interest and awe. Of course he had been told about magic, but had apparently never seen it first-hoof.

"Take a look at these. They are petitions which arrived from my subjects. We get a lot of them on a daily basis and they have somewhat... piled up lately."

He quickly scanned a few lines on each message. The first was a request for funds, the second was a small town's report on the amount of produce in storage and the third was a personal appeal from overeager parents for their pony to be accepted in the Canterlot city guard. When she saw that he had finished, Celestia explained. "I wish for my sister, Luna, to become more familiar with the day-to-day running of the country. Perhaps you heard about my recent absence and the trouble it has caused?"

He undoubtedly had, but the youth was somewhat unwilling to admit it. He was really worried about insulting her. "Uh, yes, there was something, ma'am..."

"So, I would like for you and Luna to work through the backlog of these. You will help her decide how to respond to each one. Consider it as furthering your practical education, hmm?"

"B-but, ma'am, I don't know much about your internal affairs, or, or-"

Celestia stood up again and went to the young man's side. She wrapped a wing around his midriff and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Hush. Relax, Eli Grant. I have already looked through them and taken care of all the urgent and problematic ones. These are run-of-the-mill requests which I normally let my staff resolve on their own."

He froze at her touch, but didn't try to wriggle free. Celestia wasn't looking at his face, but she imagined a slightly puzzled expression and probably a blush. "Then why-" he began to ask, but the mare smoothly took up the answer before he could finish his sentence.

"They are meant to be a learning experience for both Luna and you, Eli Grant."

"O-Oh."

"Furthermore, I specifically asked for someone right out of school. Do you wish to know why?"

He actually began to tremble a little! Celestia worried what kind of stories he has heard. She hadn't meant to frighten him, so she released her wing-hold and pulled back a little, showing the human her disarming, soft smile. "Do not worry, Eli Grant. It is nothing nefarious. My sister and I would just like to pick your brain a little. We are very interested in what is being taught as Political Science on Earth and were hoping you could... take us through it."

That didn't seem to help much. The lad still stood stiffly and watched her with a wide-eyed, confused expression.

Celestia decided to move it along and return to the request at some later date. She went to the door. "Come, let me show you to your room. The castle staff had taken your luggage there, so you can freshen up. The picnic will begin in a few hours and I will introduce you to Luna there."

Eli turned rigidly to follow her, but Celestia stopped purposefully in the door.

"Please, come this way."

Her request got him to squeeze past her and she noted how he endeavoured not to touch her, even after her previous affection, which should have showed him it was alright. Her sister would have her work cut out for her. Luckily, Celestia was there to help. Something in Eli Grant's attitude reminded her strongly of Rawsthorne. She knew she could make the boy loosen up a little and begin to appreciate ponies on an entirely new level.

"Mr. Bennett will be there to answer any questions you might have about protocol, and you can always come to me for help, okay?"

"Uh-huh," the lad said and nodded. He waited for Celestia to take the lead then fell in step beside her.

"Tell me about yourself, Eli Grant. Where do you live? How are your parents? What do you think of Canterlot and the castle?"

The picnic was an instant hit! Celestia's choice of cook went over very well with the humans. Apparently the griffin knew all about meat and had indeed brought a very good selection. To her it all looked the same. Bits of flesh which he charred in heat, much like she had done occasionally for Rawsthorne. The cook was doing something complicated right now, which apparently included red wine and a lot of sizzling. Whatever the procedure was called, the two humans were practically fawning over it. Celestia couldn't help feeling a tiny bit jealous. She decided to ask the griffin for a few pointers, but before she could say anything the mare spotted a late arrival.

Finally, Luna! Celestia had told her sister to be 'fashionably late', but she had begun to worry. Now she hurried to intercept her. "Come, I will introduce you!"

The younger mare examined the scene. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she caught the cloud of smoke which was now rolling from the grill, but she didn't comment upon it. She took in the new arrival and her mouth quirked up in a little smile. "He will do nicely. Thank you, Sister," she complimented and Celestia barely caught the tremor in her voice. Luna was less sure of herself than she was pretending.

Celestia lead her closer and smoothly stepped to the side, so that Eli Grant would have an unobstructed view of the young, dark, alicorn Princess. "Mr. Grant - I would like you to meet my sister Luna."

The mare in question drew herself up haughtily and her leg shot out with a speed which made the humans flinch. "We are pleased to meet you!" she said, rather too loudly.

Celestia leaned closer to her and murmured: "Less forceful, Sister, and try without the royal voice."

Luna blushed a little, but the humans didn't seem to notice it on the night-blue fuzz around her muzzle. Her ears lowered partway and she managed a small smile. "Uh, forgive Us- I mean me! Forgive me."

Eli looked at Mr. Bennett, who shrugged slightly, then took the proffered hoof in his hand. "Eli Grant," he said, "and the pleasure is mine."

Celestia could see how stiffly her sister was standing and leaned toward her again. She whispered another instruction: "Offer him a beverage!"

Luna's ears went further down as she blindly obeyed her older siling. She pulled her leg away and kept the grin frozen across her muzzle. "Might We-" she began, but her eyes darted to Celestia and she corrected herself: "Uh, may I offer you a drink?"

"Oh, no, thanks, I'm fine..." Eli began and turned around to look at the nearby table with refreshments. It seemed like he would go and fetch it himself, so Celestia jumped in: "One for me as well, if you would be so kind, Sister?"

"Of course. It is no trouble, Mr. G-Grant," Luna insisted. She also looked at the other man. "You, Mr. Bennett?"

The ambassador lifted up his hand, which already had a glass with a fair bit of wine left in it. Luna inclined her head politely and went to the table with the drinks. She busied herself with inexpertly pouring some wine in glasses. The two diplomats watched her and Mr. Bennett leaned to his younger colleague. He probably thought he was being quiet, but he forgot how sensitive pony ears were. He also failed to notice Celestia approaching to stand right beside them.

"Careful of that one," he murmured to Eli, "she's quite sharp when she gets impatient and it doesn't take much. Take it from me."

Celestia rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. Her sister was already coming back with three glasses floating beside her. She held one out to the young human, the other to her sister, then raised her own.

It had taken some tutoring, but Luna recited her toast flawlessly: "To shared future and new experiences!"

All four of them lifted up their drinks and the glasses tinged as they met. The ice was broken. It was up to Luna now to take it from there. Celestia relaxed and wandered over to see what the griffin was doing. She was pleased to see that he had a few slices of bread with tomatoes on the fire for the ponies and he was also frying up several hay-patties. Celestia made a mental note to tip him handsomely afterward.

"Sister, if you would?" Luna said suddenly right behind her and motioned with her head away from the humans a few times.

Celestia followed her until they were out of earshot. "What is wrong?"

Luna looked furtively around to make sure nopony was listening, then gave her sister a wide-eyed, pleading look. "What do I say?!" she whispered urgently, glancing at the two men who seemed to be engaged in deep discussion.

Celestia smiled at her sister and laid a wing around her withers. It seemed Luna would need more coaching. "Ask about him, or about Earth. Are there no things you wish to know, Sister?"

Luna gave this due thought. "I was wondering about that magical picture box you sometimes dream of..."

"It is called a 'TV'. Yes, ask about that. Offer to show him around the castle after the picnic, or invite him to ice cream in Canterlot. No, wait. That last one might be too soon. Give it a few days."

"Oh. Okay. Yes, that's good," Luna confirmed with a relieved grin. "Thank you, Sister!"

"He is not dangerous, Sister. Speak to him as you would speak to me. I will distract Mr. Bennett."

The younger mare nodded. She looked over to the humans again and swallowed. Then she lifted her hoof to go back.

Celestia held a wing in her way. "Oh, and Luna? Please stay out of my dreams."

Luna lowered her ears and nodded. "Of course, Sister," she lied, as she had so many times before.

Celestia just grinned to herself. She had long since given up on that part of their relationship. Her sister worked very hard each night to keep the dreams of Equestria tranquil. She deserved some leniency. Besides, Luna's courtship would be very interesting, and she would probably need quite a bit of help from her older sister. In a way, it was almost like looking into her dreams for a change!

Celestia was running late. She had had to entertain the minotaur negotiator far longer than she had hoped. That... cow would simply not take the hint to go to bed! The mare shook her head angrily as she hurried to the balcony. Perhaps it was time to have her sister and the new human sit in on one of the negotiations. Merely to learn, of course. After all, Eli Grant did say that his specialty at the school had been International Relations. He could explain to Luna what was happening. Yes, Celestia decided. The two had had ample time to get acquainted over the past few days. Now it was time to learn something practical, too!

Celestia met her sister out on the balcony in the chilly spring air. The two mares stood at the railing and looked over the quiet city. That was how late it was, Celestia thought. Everypony had already gone to sleep! Longing for her own bed, Celestia spoke first.

"How did it go?"

Luna heaved a sigh. "It is no use, Sister. We speak for but a moment, then all is silent. I think he fears me."

Her head drooped low and Celestia stepped closer to wrap a wing around her sister's barrel. She thought back on her own exploits with Rawsthorne. "Have you tried offering a dinner together? Someplace out of the castle? A less formal setting?"

Luna paused, then shook her head. "Not yet. Do you think it is time for that?"

"Perhaps. Take him to that place - whatever it is called now..." The shops and restaurants seemed to change so rapidly over the years that Celestia couldn't decide which name was the latest. "You know. The Saddle Arabian one?"

"Yes, I know of it," Luna confirmed, "Hummus Kitchen, I believe."

"That is it."

Her sister stepped closer and gave Celestia a brief nuzzle. She was smiling again. "Thank you for all your advice, Sister."

After a moment of closeness, the two Princesses went back to watching over the sleeping city. Celestia debated her other idea for a while before speaking it out loud. "There is another thing you might try. Take a bath."

Luna stepped away and looked at her older sister with a frown barely visible in the moonlight. "What will that achieve? Do I smell?!" She lifted a wing and sniffed her flank, but didn't detect anything out of the ordinary.

"No no, not that, Sister! I will send him to bring you some documents to read. He will enter the room where you are bathing."

Luna still didn't understand. "What will that achieve?" she asked again.

"Humans are... squeamish about such things. He will see you in a different way. Perhaps more as a mare, and less as a Princess." Well, it had taken a few tries until Rawsthorne got over his embarrassment, but for Eli Grant embarrassment would be an improvement. The lad was too reverential by half!

Like her sister had said: it was impossible to speak with him. Even Celestia didn't have much luck. "When he tries to excuse himself and leave, keep the door closed with your magic. Order him to bring the papers to you. Pretend like you don't notice anything wrong, but make sure he comes right up close."

Luna smiled a little and her eyes were nearly glowing now. Her tail swished around in excitement. "Yes, yes! I will do it!" Her grin faded and she looked into the distance. "Perhaps a few days after our restaurant. If things do not improve."

"Good. If you do, you must tell me how red in the face he gets!"

Celestia was walking toward her room with one of her pony clerks, going over some boring figures from the castle treasury. She was late to bed, yet again, but she wanted to have her urgent work concluded before Rawsthorne arrived. Once the man was there, she wanted to have time for him. Too bad Luna and Eli hadn't made all that much progress, she thought. It would have been enjoyable to see them come together, but Celestia knew she would focus on Rawsthorne first and foremost. She realized her clerk had stopped talking and looked up from the carpet just in time to see Eli Grant walking toward her, as if the thought had summoned him. The young man passed them and kept his rapid pace. It wasn't quite a run, but it didn't seem far from it. Both mares turned to look after him and Celestia even considered calling, but Eli Grant seemed in a hurry, so she let it pass. Instead, she excused herself, sent the clerk away, and went to see what had made the human rush so.

She turned a corner and immediately understood. Luna's door was open. Celestia knocked on the wooden door frame and entered in the same moment, closing the door behind her. Luna was curled up on her bed.

"It did not go well?" She needn't have asked, especially after her sister pierced her with a furious glare. There were papers strewn around the bed.

"We hath done exactly as you suggested, Sister!" Luna exclaimed. "All We achieved was to drive the human away!"

Celestia climbed up on the sheets, completely ignoring the papers she crumpled, and tried to hug her sister. Luna batted her hooves away. "Tell me what happened."

The younger mare growled in frustration, but she obliged. "We asked the human to teach us this 'Political Science', just as you suggested!" Luna spat. Then her shoulders slumped and she averted her muzzle. There was a touch of red on her cheeks. Her voice went quiet and gentle. "I opened my wings - nonchalantly, as you said, so that he could look! It did nothing! As if I was not even here! As if he was not in the royal bedchamber with me!"

Celestia tried the hug again and this time her sister accepted it. The distraught mare heaved a sigh and spoke into the Royal Chest Fluff. "I laid on my side - just like you said - and I gave him the Look!"

"What happened?"

After a brief hesitation, Luna replied: "He asked what was wrong. I pouted - like you said - and asked if he would keep me company."

"And?"

Luna pulled herself away and thumped the bed with a hoof, hard. "Nothing! He went red in the face and ran away with scarcely a goodbye! I think he knows what I want from him, yet he refuses to admit." Her royal accent was back. "We are going about it too fast! You, Sister, are pushing Us too fast!"

Celestia felt guilty. It was true that she had been urging Luna toward the young man. Was she really this impatient to see them both happy? After all, Rawsthorne had taken several months to grow close to her and they had spent many evenings simply sitting on the couch and idly talking. The TV had provided an excellent distraction, something Luna didn't have at her disposal.

Celestia folded her ears down in shame and lowered her head. "Perhaps you are right, Sister. I am sorry."

Luna glared for a moment longer, then her expression softened. She looked helplessly at the ceiling. "It is forgiven. What do We do now?"

Celestia bopped her nose to her sister's and gently admonished her. "Accent."

"Sorry. What do I do now?" Luna corrected.

The older Princess examined the papers they were sitting on. Distraction, that had been the key with Rawsthorne. Give the human something to focus his mind on, then talk idly with him. It had brought a feeling of closeness. It got them to know each other quite well.

"Focus on the work, and on what he is teaching you. Give both your minds something useful, interesting to do. Talking will come naturally, then."

Luna levitated up a few papers, making her sister stand up and shuffle her hooves to free every page. She stacked them neatly on her desk.

There was one more question Celestia had, an important one. "Sister, do you like him?"

Luna turned her face away, but then nodded. "Yes. He is smart and dedicated. He is much better looking than the ambassador. His teaching intrigues me." The next came out as barely a whisper: "I wish to know him more."

It made Celestia smile. "Good. Then it should be easy. Follow that wish and the rest will come in time. I promise. I am sorry for pushing you."

"Patience," Luna said and focused on her hooves. Then she looked up with a slight smile. "Yes, I can do that. I can wait for something beautiful."

Celestia gave her another hug, heart swelling with pride. This game of chasing the man was helping Luna in ways she did not even perceive, yet. A couple of months ago, her sister would have demanded everything, instantly. Now, she was happy to wait. Patience was an important skill in the political game. They sat in silence for a minute, then Celestia jumped from the bed and walked to the door. She paused before opening it.

Game... That gave her an idea. "Patience. Yes, Luna. Try to see it as a game, not a competition."

She was nearly out in the hallway when Luna called after her: "Celestia? When did you become a matchmaker?"

It just made Celestia giggle. "I learned many things on Earth." She closed the door and went to her own room. It was true that Luna hadn't made too much progress with Eli Grant, but they were getting along and spending a lot of time together. Something was bound to blossom forth eventually. Not to mention how much her sister was learning about politics. The young man was a good teacher and Luna a good student, even while she pursued other things than knowledge. Celestia was considering asking the pair to look over the new griffin treaties and give her their opinion, and she would definitely have them sit in on all future negotiations. Not only was Luna able to follow the discussion, she had even began making little comments and suggestions of her own. Her sister was beginning to see how a nation was made!

Now that Celestia thought back, Eli Grant had looked immensely proud at Luna's contributions. Of course he had to know just how far she had come under his tutelage. That was bound to raise his self-esteem! It really was just a matter of patience now. Celestia crawled in her bed and pressed a pillow against her belly. Slightly longer than a week. That was how much longer she would have to sleep alone. It brought a smile to her lips.

The Princesses insisted that Eli Grant joined them for breakfast each day. Of course that meant they had to open the invitation to his mentor, Mr. Bennett as well, but luckily the old diplomat was a late sleeper and rarely came. Celestia decided to break the good news that day. The great, incredible, happy news!

"Mr. Grant. We will be getting a few more hands around the castle shortly. I have invited a certain Mr. Rawsthorne as a legal adviser. I do hope you will help him with any questions he might have about policy and treaties with our neighbors."

Eli gave a nod. "Of course, ma'am."

The title still made Luna giggle and she prodded him in the ribs with a wing. "Ma'am?" she asked with a grin. "Why so formal? Have we not shown you every hospitality?"

The young man looked at her and became still. He had been doing that lately, Celestia had noted. Getting lost in Luna's eyes. She started to wonder if that meant it was working, but then he snapped out of it. "It... just doesn't feel right, ma'am."

Luna pushed him with a wing again, threatening to tip his chair over. The poor guy had to grab the table with his hands to remain upright.

"I told you before! Luna! Understand? Say it with me: Luu- naaah!"

Celestia barely suppressed a laugh at her sister's antics, but it seemed to be working. The lad looked at the dark alicorn and repeated the name: "Luna. Yes, sorry."

She liked the way he blushed and looked away. Yes, it was definitely working! Some more patience and her sister would have her human friend. Whether they would fall in love remained to be seen, but they would surely have a bit of fun if nothing else. That reminded her. Celestia made a mental note to clear this with her sister again. Luna had to know what this was. Some fun, some fooling around, a few crazy nights. Hopefully a lot of crazy nights. It might never become more than that, though. The younger Princess shouldn't get her hopes up. You couldn't force love. Celestia hoped it would happen anyway, once Eli Grant finally overcame his hurdle of seeing them as Princesses and simply saw them as... females. The species thing was probably slowing him down, too.

Bringing the full plates to the table, Celestia laid them before the two and sat down with her own stack. "Enjoy!"

Eli murmured a thank you, but didn't touch his food. He had gone rather thoughtful once more. It was the perfect opportunity. Celestia stared straight at Luna until she caught her eye, then inclined her head to the human in wordless suggestion. Her sister understood and levitated up a fork and knife. She quickly cut a little piece, making sure there was a bit of cream and a slice of pineapple, and floated it to Eli's face.

"Here," she trilled, "you must try this. It is a special recipe."

Of course the lad had eaten it all before, but he still obediently opened his mouth and let Luna feed him. Only then did he realize what he had just done, but it was too late. "Mmm," he mumbled and swallowed quickly. "Yes, very good."

"Thank you, Mr. Grant!" Celestia, as the cook, replied.

Luna didn't miss her opportunity. "Here, try some more!" she said, lifting up another forkful.

Celestia decided to make a tactful retreat. "Please excuse me. I feel like eating in the sun today. Canterlot in springtime is especially beautiful." She took her plate out to the balcony, focusing all her might to suppress a giggle. The two were adorable together. Celestia wondered if she and Rawsthorne also acted that way. What about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen? That reminded her. The mare was arriving with her parents later in the day. The Princess had to make sure their rooms were ready. Separate rooms for the mare and her parents, of course. She was probably missing Rock Lichen as much as Celestia herself was missing Rawsthorne. They would need some privacy that night, Celestia thought as she chewed her pancake. She considered giving the sun a little nudge to make it go up faster, except that would sow confusion among her subjects and achieve little else. It wouldn't make Lake Frond arrive any sooner. Nor Rawsthorne and Rock Lichen.

One more day. She could get through one more day!

Chapter 62

The big day finally came. Celestia hadn't gotten too much sleep, but she didn't mind that in the slightest. She felt full of energy and often found herself smiling for no particular reason.

Even Luna remarked on it at breakfast: "You seem happy, Sister."

She obviously knew whom Celestia was expecting that day and just wanted to tease a little, but it didn't work. "Mm-hmm!"

When Celestia said nothing more, her sister simply let it drop. The ambassador - Eli Grant - watched the two mares for a while, then chose to ignore it, too.

"When?" Luna asked after a while.

"Afternoon."

Now the young diplomat posed his question: "Um, excuse me. What is happening this afternoon?"

Luna was the one to answer: "My Sister will see her coltfriend again."

"Oh!" the lad said and blushed a little. He didn't press the issue, but his embarrassment did make Luna chuckle.

Celestia paid them no heed. She floated their rudimentary meals before the pair and took hers out to the balcony again. It was just eggs and toast, but it would do. She wasn't hungry anyway, but the mare forced herself to eat. If Rawsthorne missed her at least half as much as she missed him, it would be a very busy night. She would need her strength. While she ate, the Princess looked down at the castle courtyard. It seemed quite peaceful, except for a group of guard trainees out marching. It was quite hard work, what with the large bags of sand strapped to each pony's back. Endurance training, Celestia thought. Once upon a time she had enjoyed looking at the muscular, sweat-soaked flanks. It was a little guilty pleasure of hers, even if she would never have admitted it to anypony.

Now, with his imminent return, all Celestia could think of was Rawsthorne and his sweaty flanks. The pony idly wondered if she would keep picking humans to keep her company over the centuries ahead. Or maybe she would mix and match? Perhaps she would finally work up the nerve to try dragon? From the stories she had heard, that was rough.

All such inappropriate thoughts flew from her mind as Celestia spotted a group of three ponies making their way to the castle gate. She recognized Lake Frond! She had sent word that they would be late, but at least they arrived before Rawsthorne and Rock Lichen. The Princess rushed back into the small kitchen and put her plate on the table. Her sister had been whispering something in Eli Grant's ear and fell silent at the sudden intrusion.

Neither of them spoke, so Celestia hurriedly explained before rushing off. "Lake Frond arrived. I'll go see to the rooms!"

The mare whom Celestia led to a guest bedroom was an entirely different one from a few months ago. She reminded her strongly of the Lake Frond she had first met in the pony meeting group on Earth, with her constant, slightly mischievous smile and sparkling eyes and ready laugh. If Celestia didn't know the truth, she would have guessed that her friend had put on some extra weight. She bulged, just a tiny bit. Even without that, the way Lake Frond kept stroking her belly with her hooves would have been a definite clue.

"So, how are you feeling?"

The mare kept grinning and considered her answer for a while. "Happy," she said at last. "I'm good. They are really coming today? Already?"

"Yes!" Celestia barely contained her excitement, but Lake Frond had no reason to suppress her joy. The mare pranced a few steps and twirled around in an impromptu dance in front of Celestia.

"Anyway, the doctor says I'm doing fine! The little one is okay!" Lake Frond explained, hopping backward on three legs for a few paces so she could feel her belly again.

"I am very happy to hear that, Lake Frond."

They arrived to the door. "Uh, thanks for letting us all stay here, Princess," Lake Frond said.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all! And it is 'Celestia', remember?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks. Letting Mom and Dad tour the castle was very nice of you."

Celestia inclined her head in lieu of an answer. "Come, I will ask for some tea to be brought and we can catch up. I have an hour before the court begins." The Princess turned to look for somepony to take her message, but one of the guards stationed in that corridor was already saluting. He dashed off before she could even say thank you.

"Wow," Lake Frond commented. "Uh, I'm sorry if it's a rude question, but why are there so many guards in the castle?"

It wasn't one Celestia got very often. She ushered her friend inside and closed the door.

"Are you afraid of attacks?" the mare followed up.

"No, it is not that, Lake Frond. Well, that is a small concern, but not the reason."

Her friend sat on the carpet so she could spread her forelegs helplessly. "Then what?!" she asked.

"In truth? Mainly it is to let them feel useful. For some it is also training in discipline. Another part is helping ponies who wander in and get lost."

"Oh," Lake Frond said, deflating a little. It didn't seem very noble or chivalrous and the mare understood why Celestia didn't want the guards to overhear.

"Don't worry! Most guards move on after a time, and having served in the Canterlot castle looks quite impressive on a résumé. They get good postings anywhere in Equestria they like."

"Oh! I understand," her friend confirmed. "It's like - nothing usually happens, but then there are these stories. When the changelings attacked or Discord, or Tirek! Makes the guards look like heroes!"

"Well, I think standing still in a boring, empty hallway for hours on end is just as heroic, Lake Frond."

The mares laughed a little and Lake jumped up on the bed to make herself more comfortable. Almost immediately she sprawled on her belly. She watched the Princess for a few seconds, then laid her head down on the pillow. "Thanks, by the way. For sending me those letters from Rock Lichen. I was so relieved he was with Rawsthorne, rather than Mary and Andrew."

"Yes, they were quite upset, I gather."

Lake Frond's tail swished up and thumped on the sheets. "Oh, like you wouldn't believe. I think if they got their hands on him, they would have belted him. Or worse." Her voice went quiet as the mare imagined horrors the Williamses might inflict on her beloved.

"Hush. He is safe. There is no point in dwelling on such things. You know Gregory makes sure he is well."

"Yeah," the pony replied, cheering up. "How did he manage that, by the way?"

Celestia was a little loath to say it, but she did anyway. "He paid the Williamses a lot of money."

Lake Frond was silent for a few seconds. "Oh," she said, her ears folding down and her voice flat. "I don't think I can ever repay something like that, but I'll try! We both will, I promise, Prin- uh, Celestia! We'll get jobs and- and-"

"Lake Frond." Celestia said the words in a soft, gentle voice, but it stopped the mare in her tracks. "Please do not concern yourself with it. Gregory will lack for nothing in Canterlot and if he ever wishes to return to Earth, I will help him. Besides, he is not as obsessed with money as most humans." There was silence, which Celestia tried to change into something more pleasant. "Enough about Earth. Tell me of yourself and your foal. Do you know already if it will be a filly or a colt?"

"Yes!" Lake Frond said. She raised up her head and smiled at the Princess.

"Well?"

"I'm not telling!"

Now Celestia was really curious. "Why not?!"

Her grin widened and Lake Frond lowered her voice. "I'll tell Rock, first! You can listen in, if you want, but I want him to be the first to know! Well, beside the doctor..."

It was a very reasonable and sweet wish, so Celestia just nodded. "Of course. I will listen in, but-" the Princess bit her lip a little as she failed to contain her burning curiosity, "-perhaps just a hint?"

Lake Frond rolled her eyes in exasperation. "How can I give you a hint without outright telling you?!"

"Try?"

It took her some time to think it over, but then the mischievous grin was back. "All right," Lake Frond said quietly. "It's what we've both always wanted!"

That was no help at all, but the reply was quite clever. Celestia finally mastered her nosy nature and let the matter slide. She laughed gently. "Clever answer."

Before she could try and dig any further, Lake Frond changed the topic: "So, what have I missed around here?"

"Well, I have managed to get the kingdom back in working order. We haven't started any wars with our neighbors, which is good. Oh, and Luna has a new human coltfriend!"

"Oh, that's- wait, what?!" Lake Frond exclaimed. If she had had her tea already, she would have spit it out. "Human? From where?!"

Celestia laughed at her expression. "I asked for one to help with the clerical work. He is... like an assistant. Officially, he is here to improve human relations." Celestia realized she might have said too much. "Oh, please tell nopony this. I do not think the young human even knows yet! Luna has been very patient and careful with him."

Lake Frond stared for a while longer, but then a grin slowly spread across her muzzle. She winked conspiratorially. "My lips are sealed, Princess. It sounds cute! Can I meet him?"

They fell silent as somepony knocked on the door. "Ah, that will be the tea! Have you had breakfast? I can ask for something."

Lake Frond licked her lips while Celestia went to let in the maid with the tray. "M-maybe something small? We got up pretty early," the mare suggested tentatively, as if she didn't wish to impose.

Celestia murmured a few words to the maid, who nodded, bowed and left. Then she went to pour two cups. "It will be a few more minutes. Tell me - what did your parents say when they learned about... your condition and Rock Lichen?"

The court that day was endless. It took every ounce of willpower for Celestia not to yell at her subjects to hurry it along, but there were just more and more of them! She wondered for a moment if maybe they had somehow heard, or intuited, that she was expecting an important visitor, and were conspiring to keep her busy. Then, suddenly, it didn't matter anymore. The mare found herself looking up at the large door to the court room as they opened.

Right into his eyes.

How had he sneaked in so stealthily? Celestia had to sit because her hind legs didn't seem to be obeying her anymore. The pony before her - she had already forgotten her grievance - stopped talking and followed her gaze. There was a lull in conversation as everypony in the room watched the new human. Even the guards, misreading her expression, moved in on Rawsthorne.

"No, w-wait." All faces turned to look at her. But she had the Duty. A few more minutes... Rawsthorne would understand.

Luna placed a wing around her withers and put her muzzle right by her ear. "Go to him, Sister," the younger mare said. "I will conclude the court." Celestia turned disbelieving eyes on her sister, who just smiled back and winked. "Go," she repeated.

Everypony was watching with deep interest now. Celestia made her unsteady way down the dais and toward the man. He was nervous, too. Meeting her was just as big for him, Celestia realized. For some reason that warmed her heart and a dopey little smile crept on her muzzle. She didn't care who saw. Belatedly she spotted a very happy-looking Rock Lichen next to Rawsthorne, but that also didn't matter.

Celestia stopped before the man. He stepped closer. Almost without her conscious control, her wings wrapped around and she pressed her muzzle against his cheek.

She was dimly aware of the murmuring in the hall, until Luna raised her voice. "Attention!" her sister bellowed in her Canterlot Royal Voice. She pointed a hoof at the mare on the steps, who had been complaining to Celestia not a minute earlier. "Thou! Proceed!"

The poor pony squeaked in alarm and huddled down. She began stammering an apology, but Celestia was no longer listening. There were still eyes on her, but she pushed the feeling aside. Once before she had avoided kissing Rawsthorne because of appearances and she had come to deeply regret it.

Not this time.

Neither of them had spoken yet. Their lips met. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it didn't have to be. For now it was enough that they had found each other again.

"Sister!" Luna's voice broke through the haze in Celestia's mind. "Sister!" the younger alicorn shouted again. "Please depart this room! Thou art causing a scene!"

Celestia glanced to the throne and found Luna smiling gently. Many other faces also held grins. Her subjects understood. They weren't judging. They were happy to see her joy. Not to mention they were incredibly curious. These were ponies, not humans. Love was not taboo, whatever its form. She had to remember this. Luna was right, however. While she was there, court was being disrupted.

Celestia smiled at Rawsthorne and whispered. "Come, let us get out of here."

He was only too happy to oblige, being even less comfortable than she was under all that scrutiny. She kept one wing around Rawsthorne, as if afraid of losing him again, and led him out to the hall. Of course some of the nosier ponies tried to follow, but her guards, with unspoken agreement, contained the crowd in the court room. One of them saluted, grinning, as he pushed the door closed.

Only then did Celestia remember to look for Rock Lichen. He had a reunion of his own. He had followed them out and the stallion looked far calmer and more patient than she imagined he felt. When he saw her looking, Rock Lichen grinned. "Afternoon, Princess," he said politely.

There was a shout from the other end of the hall and Celestia looked just in time to see a white streak. Somepony had gone to tell Lake Frond, that was good. Now the mare ran for her husband and simply... leapt. Rock Lichen caught her, but both of them went tumbling to the floor. The mare ended up on top and simply began licking him. Her eyes were closed, ears flat and she was making short, whimpering noises in her throat. Her tail was swooshing around madly. She had no words, just her tongue, and Rock Lichen didn't mind in the slightest. He just held his wife and let her do whatever she wanted, smiling all the while. It almost felt wrong to watch, but Celestia did so anyway. Their joy complemented hers. She sat beside Rawsthorne, leaned her head on his shoulder and deeply inhaled his scent. She had missed that, too.

"Hey, Celly. Missed me?" the man whispered.

"You smell nice." It was no kind of answer, but Rawsthorne accepted it and brushed her cheek with his hand. It made the mare sigh and close her eyes for a moment.

At long last, Lake Frond got a hold of herself. She lifted her head to look at her husband, and, with her tongue still poking out, smiled.

"Hey beautiful!" Rock Lichen said. He returned a lick, then grunted. "Urk- you're squeezing, love!"

Both Celestia and Rawsthorne chuckled at that. Lake Frond went a little red in the face and relaxed her grip. "I missed you so much!" the mare whined. "I'm not letting go!"

The stallion didn't seem interested in standing up either. Celestia wondered if she would have to send for ponies with a stretcher to get the two in their room. She decided to give them some more time. At least until the crowd of onlookers got unbearably large. For now, the few guards who had followed her out of the court room had the situation in hoof.

"How are you? How is the foal?" Rock Lichen asked, a question he had probably been thinking for a while.

The mare grinned, then looked up at the Princess. She winked. "We're both fine," she told her husband. "And I have something to tell you!"

"Oh?" Rock Lichen asked, staring in her eyes as if mesmerised.

"Yes!" Lake Frond squeaked. She bumped her nose against his and flicked her tail around. "Rock Lichen, we're going to have a filly!"

The two just clasped one another and Celestia felt her own eyes fill with happy tears. After a moment they kissed. She followed their example and gave Rawsthorne a light peck on his cheek, too. At least that was how she started. He moved to intercept her and turned it into a proper kiss. It simply went on for ages. When Celestia surfaced again, Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were upright and watching her with big grins.

She sought for words. "Come, let us go someplace more comfortable." She looked around for a guard and spotted the perfect candidate. "You, Glory Tail from Baltimare. Please ask the kitchens to send tea and muffins to the roof terrace." He bowed and flew away at speed. She looked to the other guards. "Please see to it that we are not disturbed. Only Princess Luna is allowed to come."

They all saluted and formed up behind the group. She needn't have ordered it. The crowd of passers-by didn't follow. They understood it would be intruding.

Before Celestia could move, Rock Lichen took a step away from his mare. "Hold on, let me look at you," he said when the mare tried to follow. He stared for a while, then went and gently felt her barrel and belly with a hoof. He seemed overawed by the slight bump.

"What?!" the mare demanded with a puzzled grin. She shifted her hooves and flicked her tail, suddenly self-conscious.

"Just- you're beautiful, Lake Frond!"

"Aww," she exclaimed and grabbed him again. At least this time they didn't fall over. They nuzzled for a moment, then Lake sighed. "Come on, we're holding up the hallway."

Celestia stood up and - still keeping a wing on Rawsthorne - led them away. There was such a lot she wanted to ask and even more she wanted to say, and from the looks of him, the man was also bursting with questions. She remembered a crucial detail and glanced back at the guards, who were following at a respectable distance.

"Oh, if Lake Frond's parents come-" Celestia didn't know how to finish that thought, so she glanced expectantly at the mare.

"Kindly send them away and tell them I'll see them in a few hours," Lake Frond finished. She giggled a little at that, but neither Rock Lichen, nor Celestia, nor Rawsthorne minded her decision. The four of them shared a special bond. They all wanted to catch up without outside intrusion, at least for a while. There would be time for others later.

"Oh! I just realized!" Rock Lichen said suddenly and stopped. They all looked, Lake Frond raising an ear and focusing it on him. "We need to get married - I hope your parents won't-" he mumbled to a stop when the mare laid a hoof on his muzzle.

"Sweetie. We are married, remember?" she reminded him.

His ears went down and Rock looked at the carpet. "Well, yes, but that was just us. It wasn't official or anything..."

Lake Frond laughed gently and sat on her haunches. She put both hooves on his face so she could turn it to face her. "Love, us is what matters."

"Well, yes, but-"

This time it was Celestia who interrupted him. "Rock Lichen, you two are more married than any couple I've met over the centuries, but if it makes you feel any better - I pronounce you husband and wife. There, now it's official."

The three of them laughed and after a moment even Rock Lichen joined in. "Don't you have to hear our vows first?" the stallion persisted.

Celestia let Rawsthorne go for just a moment, so she could brush the feathers through Rock Lichen's mane. "No, I do not have to, because it is obvious to me you two care deeply about each other." She stopped and leaned her head to the side. "However, if it is a wedding party you want - then I agree. You may organize a little something. You should, in fact. I will bake the wedding cake!"

"That's settled then," Lake Frond said and pulled her husband upright. "Now let's go, or I won't tell you what color fur your filly will have!"

The stallion gasped sharply. "You know? How?!"

The mare just grinned. "They have magic for that now. The doctor said it was inspired by some human invention. It was complicated, but yes - I know."

"Tell me tell me tell me!"

Shortly after they had finished the muffins Celestia became aware of Rawsthorne's stare. She idly brushed her muzzle with a hoof, afraid something might be on it. "What?"

"It's just-" he began and waved a hand to indicate her appearance. "All this!"

Celestia frowned a little. She had looked in a mirror before court. She looked like she always looked. "What do you mean?"

"This," he waved again. "The way you walk, the way you command. The crown, the golden vest, everything!"

Celestia smiled a little. "You sound shocked. Did you not believe it before?"

"I have, I have," Rawsthorne said, "but maybe in some way I didn't quite know what it meant?" He had answered just a tad too quickly. She would have to tease him about it a little, later on. Right now, Celestia was still in the soft, warm glow of having him by her side again. When she didn't reply, Rawsthorne continued: "Guess you really are the Princess!"

"Ahem!" came a voice which made them all look. Luna was striding to them, grinning. "There are two Princesses in Canterlot, I will have you know!" She hardly ever used the Royal Voice lately, Celestia had noticed, even with strangers. All the practice with Eli Grant was paying off.

"Oh! Of course, I didn't mean- I'm sorry if I-" Rawsthorne began apologizing, but Luna just laughed and held up a wing.

"No need, Mr. Rawsthorne. We- uh, I am pleased to meet you."

Celestia shuffled on the bench until she had her back pressed against Rawsthorne, so that Luna could sit. She didn't mind the arrangement and neither did he. One arm came around her withers to pat her barrel and the mare brushed it with her muzzle. On the other side of the table, Lake Frond and Rock Lichen glanced up at the Princess, bowed their heads, but then went straight back to whispering to each other. It reminded Celestia of what she had been telling Rawsthorne before he started lavishing praise on her.

"Oh, I am extremely sorry about the house, Greg. Any way I can repay you, you have but to ask!"

Before he could answer, Luna jumped it. "Half the treasury is mine, Sister. Keep that in mind, please." She looked the human up and down and very obviously licked her lips. "But perhaps we could come to some arrangement..."

"Luna!" Her indignant whisper quickly made the younger alicorn lower her ears in embarrassment. Celestia looked to see if Rawsthorne wasn't too offended, but he was just grinning. When their gazes met, he burst out laughing.

"Sorry, Princess," he told Luna, "but I am a one-pony man."

Just for that Celestia gave his face a lick. He was as pleasantly salty as she remembered. The mare couldn't help herself and licked again, this time lower, on his neck.

"Uh, perhaps we should order some food?" Rawsthorne suggested. "Or whatever we do here?"

Celestia colored a little, but quickly collected her wits. "I will go and send for something. Any wishes?"

Shrugging, Rawsthorne pointed a finger at her. "Whatever you're having."

"Good. Hay stew it is." She slipped from under his arm and tried very hard not to laugh at his expression. "Do not worry. It is vegetable stew and fresh bread and fried broccoli. I'll have your hay fries, if you do not want them. Then there is marzipan cake for dessert."

"Delicious," Rawsthorne commented.

Celestia realized she would probably have to arrange for a supply of meat, just so she could offer Rawsthorne some variety. Of course she would! He had already given up so much in such a short time that the mare decided he would not have to give up absolutely everything! It was be the least she could do. Besides, the griffin cook had given her a few recipes she wanted to try, however gross they sounded.

As Celestia walked to the entrance, she heard Rawsthorne say: "Celly spoke a lot about you, you know? She really missed you."

She nearly smacked a hoof against her face. 'Celly'. She had forgotten to mention to Rawsthorne to keep his pet name for her to himself. Even now, Luna began giggling at it. "Oh, did she? I didn't know - ahem - 'Celly' felt that way!"

Oh no, even Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were chuckling!

Celestia sighed and let it drop. She had wanted to become more approachable to her subjects. This would undoubtedly help, as would her earlier display in the court room. Perhaps, next winter, she might even get to join the fun in the snow! Yes, she would forgive 'Celly' in exchange for that! She quickly sent a guard to the kitchens and returned to the table. Of course Luna had that same smirk she had each time she learned an embarrassing detail about her older sister.

"Hey, Celly," the younger alicorn said.

Rawsthorne quickly caught on and patted Celestia on the flank. "Sorry," he whispered.

"I do not mind. It's much shorter than 'Princess Celestia'. I like it." That took the fun right out of it and Luna pouted a little. Celestia pushed it a bit further, just for the fun of it: "We shall have to think up a similar name for you, Sister. What does Eli Grant call you when you are alone?"

Now her younger sister squeaked in alarm and looked away. So there was something! Celestia looked forward to finding out.

She would find out! Celestia squeezed herself back on the bench between her sister and Rawsthorne and leaned her back against the man again. His arm found its way around her neck and down. The fingers slid under the peytral. They played idly with the Royal Chest Fluff and Celestia groaned in comfort. The jealous look her sister gave her took the sting right out of 'Celly'.

"Do not worry, Sister. Soon, you too."

Luna nodded, but didn't comment. She stopped frowning, however.

"After dinner, you have to attend the evening ceremony, Gregory. If you did not believe me being a Princess, then you also didn't believe I can move the sun and moon. I will prove it to you."

"Hey!" he protested and tapped her nose with a finger. It made her scrunch up her muzzle and go cross eyed for a moment. "I believed you, I was just a little... unprepared."

"I shall enjoy seeing your face when you are 'unprepared' for the ceremony!"

He sighed in mock-exasperation and went to bop her nose again, but Celestia just licked his finger and smiled. "Love you."

The nose bop changed to a cheek-brushing and Rawsthorne whispered back: "Love you too."

At long last! Celestia had Rawsthorne in her bed chambers. No more cold, empty bed! No more waking up in the middle of the night from a wonderful dream and feeling around with hooves for the warm body which wasn't there. Not to forget - finally some relief for the fire in her belly. She was a long way from her next heat, but she wanted it badly. She had missed it!

When the year turned and it became her time in the cycle again, Rawsthorne would be in for a ride of his life! Celestia couldn't get her mind off such things. She felt a little guilty. The man had been back less than a day and already she was focusing almost exclusively on what was in his pants.

Was that good? Was it bad? She would decide later. At the moment, Celestia was lounging on her bed, waiting for Rawsthorne to finish his evening ablutions. The Lowering of the Sun ceremony had been a big success. However much Rawsthorne had vowed he was ready to see it, he still couldn't keep that slack-jawed, open-mouthed, overawed look from his face. Even now, it still made Celestia chuckle a little every now and then. She supposed that seeing it done for the first time would be impressive, especially if you had grown up in a world with no magic whatsoever.

When it was done Rawshorne had cheered just as loudly as her subjects, and clapped his hands. At both of them. Even Luna was quite flattered by his enthusiasm, while the other two men watched Rawsthorne with a slightly bemused expression. Their meeting had gone well, Celestia thought. The ambassador seemed to respect Rawsthorne's vast knowledge of the law and Rawsthorne likewise expressed his appreciation to have Mr. Bennett's skills to call upon when his new position might require them. Everyone seemed to be hitting it off.

Even if they didn't, Celestia would still keep Rawsthorne in the castle. She would put her hoof down, if she had to! After all, she was the Princess!

The man in question came from the bathroom attached to the royal suite. He was wearing the bathrobe he had brought from Earth, much to the mare's dismay. She quickly brightened up. It was more exciting to wait! The reveal would come later.

"Hey," she greeted.

He sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her hoof. "So, here we are. New rooms, new country. New world, even." He seemed sombre. Celestia tried to imagine what it would be like to leave everything behind and go someplace she had not even seen. For love.

She nuzzled him. "I really appreciate you joining me here, Greg. Please understand that." His grip tightened. "You will lack for nothing. Whatever you wish, simply say and I will make it happen, and-" Her throat seized up and Celestia had to force herself to exhale before she could continue. "If you ever wish to return to Earth, I will help you however I can. Pony money has no value in your world, but the crown does have some bargaining power." A tear slid down her face at the thought that Rawsthorne might grow bored with her and Equestria. He saw it and brushed it away with his thumb.

"Hey, I only just got here. Let me see your kingdom before I decide I don't like it, okay?"

She smiled and crawled forward to put her head in his lap. Then Celestia closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. The hand patted her neck, then travelled down, brushing her withers and stopping in that precise spot between her wings. It applied a gentle pressure and the mare moaned. She remembered her burning need.

"Greg?"

"Hmm?" he asked absentmindedly, concentrating on his hand which was travelling lower. It brushed her cutie mark and traced a warm line down her hind leg to the ankle. Celestia rolled a little to give her human better access. The wonderful touch came back up on the inside of her leg. She fought to remember what she wanted to ask.

"How.. h-how many times-" The mare was already breathing heavily. "-can you go... tonight?" She absolutely didn't want to make the night end too soon!

Rawsthorne chuckled a little. "As many times as you make me, sweetie. You're the Princess, remember?" Celestia could stand it no longer. Her lips sought out his and she moaned again as the fingers finished their journey of exploration.

Then she froze at a sudden memory. She pulled her face away and smiled apologetically. "J-Just a second..." She clambered out of the bed and examined the wall beside it. She frowned in silent calculation and turned around.

Rawsthorne just watched her curiously.

Then Celestia leaned on her forehooves and bucked the wall with all her might. She wasn't as used to the motion as an earth pony, but it was still a powerful blow. It left the plaster cracked and two deep indents of her hooves imprinted in the wall. Rawsthorne flinched and leaned away. At the same time, there came a muffled yelp from the other side of the wall, followed shortly by the sound of smashing glass.

"What the-" Rawsthorne began, but Celestia hushed him. He fell silent and they listened as the neighboring door slammed open, followed by stomping hooves in the hallway. There was a very irate-sounding knocking and Celestia magicked the door open to admit a red-faced Luna.

"What was the meaning of that?!" the younger alicorn demanded. "Why did you do that, Sister?! You made me smash my glass!"

Celestia smiled pleasantly. "Was this the glass you had been holding up to the wall and listening through, Sister?"

Luna opened and shut her mouth a few times, then looked away. The red of annoyance in her cheeks was quickly replaced by a deeper crimson of embarrassment. She didn't need to admit it. Celestia knew and Luna knew she knew. "How?" was all she asked.

"I had a dream, once. Also, I know you quite well, Luna. Now, will I have to erect a soundless spell each night?"

The younger alicorn looked at the floor with her ears folded all the way down. "No, Sister," she said in a quiet, defeated voice.

"Promise?"

"Yes, Sister."

Celestia didn't quite believe it. Luna had seemed contrite and sincere before and then had gone and 'forgotten' her promises mere weeks later. This time, it only had to last until she started having Eli Grant in her room for the nights. She was only curious, that was all. Celestia couldn't stay mad at her sister. "Good night, Luna."

"Yes. Uh- good night." The door closed a lot more gently than it had opened. The hoof steps went to the other room.

Celestia heard the gentle tinkle of glass as Luna swept it up with her magic. "Sorry about that."

Rawsthorne just waved it away with his hand. "You two are quite close?" he asked as the mare returned to her bed, limping a little. Perhaps she had bucked a tad too hard.

"She is my sister. You must understand, Greg - everypony around us grows old and fades away. In the end, all we have is each other."

"Aren't there four of you alicorns?"

Celestia nodded a little and lay on her side. "That is a recent thing. For the longest time, there was just myself and Luna, and then only myself for a while, until Luna returned." She groaned a little.

"What is it?" the human asked with concern.

"Hoof. Kicked too hard."

He shuffled away, taking his warm lap which Celestia had been using as a pillow. She tried to follow, but a gentle hand held her still. "Hold on," he told her and the mare went limp.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to try something."

His hand picked up one of her hind legs and carefully pulled it closer. The fingers gently pressed into the frog. Celestia gasped, then exhaled the air in a moan. The pressure intensified and all she could do was whimper as her mind started to dissolve in pleasure.

"Gold and riches and..." She had to focus hard to keep talking. "Luxuries a-and, and, gold."

"Hmm?" Rawsthorne asked and stopped rubbing. It allowed Celestia to get out a coherent thought.

"That's how I'll reward you for this! Please don't stop!"

He chuckled and went right back to it. The mare closed her eyes with a small groan. Her head flopped back down and she whispered: "I love you, Greg."

The End

Epilogue: Nightmare Night

"Celly, I really don't think this is a good-"

"Shut up."

At first it had been touching that Rawsthorne was concerned for her, but it went on and on and Celestia was fed up with it. She knew her capabilities, how strong she was. She had told him it was okay. He obviously had a problem with listening to her. Or maybe with believing her.

Celestia pierced him with the coldest stare she could use on her lover. "Get on."

His arms twitched, as if he was about to raise them, but Rawsthorne took one look at her expression and shut his mouth. Then he moved the chair closer, just like she'd asked, and stepped on it. She positioned herself just perfectly and braced her legs to accept the weight.

"Are you-" he tried, the last-ditch effort which she quickly snubbed.

"YES!"

There were a few seconds of silence, then Rawsthorne's leg came over her back. Even now he was trying to spare her and didn't settle his rump fully on her. The sneaky human was using the chair to keep his weight mostly off her. Celestia rolled her eyes and flared a brief burst of magic to knock the offending piece of furniture from under Rawsthorne. As she had predicted he nearly fell, but she steadied him with simple levitation. He really was heavy. It was a strain to hold him, but the mare persevered. She had told Rawsthorne she could carry him and she wasn't about to go back on her word.

"But your wings-" the man opened his mouth.

"Not here. Changeling magic, remember? Like the time with my horn." She turned her head to check that Rawsthorne was sitting well. "Lean forward. Grip with your legs."

Celestia wasn't at all sure if the instructions she had given Rawsthorne were any good, but she was the Princess and had to sound authoritative, even on matters she didn't know anything about. Earth horses carried humans on their backs, that was about the extent of her knowledge. Oh, and they used saddles, but she didn't need one. Not for this. The mare tried a hesitant step forward. It took some balancing and she nearly tipped the human over, but she recovered in time. Another hoof, and another. It was getting slightly easier.

"Are you okay? I should get down. I'm gonna get down," Rawsthorne said and was already sliding to the side.

She growled at him through gritted teeth. "Keep still! We're done when I say we're done!"

That put him back in his place and Celestia concentrated on her legs again. It wasn't too hard, though she was quite unaccustomed to the burden. She could manage. Yes, how could she call herself 'alicorn' and not manage? She set her jaw and walked a few more paces. They were a little easier because of the practice. She'd have to work hard, but it would be worth it. Just to see the expressions on all those high-society ponies when she trotted past them with a rider.

It would be a scandal!

She grinned to herself. "Okay, I think that's enough for today." The occasion was still a week off, so she had time to practice some more. "We'll try again tonight. Is your costume ready?"

Possibly Rawsthorne was even more grateful to get off her than she was to have him off. He quickly came around to look at her face. "You okay?" he asked.

She was breathing heavily, but proud. Smiling. "Yes. I only have to manage the length of the hallway, remember?"

He looked doubtful, but it seemed Rawsthorne didn't want to argue anymore. Instead he glanced around at the bed, where gray cloth was spread out. "I think it's all there. The robe, the staff, the hat. By the way, how did you get an exact replica made?"

She went to inspect it all again. Whomever Mr. Bennett had found, they did a superb job with the costume. It had to be a human tailor, because this would be a surprise to all her subjects. She did not trust any pony not to blab. Not about something like this.

"Put it on."

The man shrugged and then obediently pulled the robe around his shoulders. He placed the pointy hat on his head and gripped the staff. Celestia examined the result with a critical eye.

"Good, but you will not wear other clothes underneath. They are showing at the collar and wrists."

Rawsthorne rolled his eyes a little, but nodded in acquiescence. "Fine. How about you? The rainbow mane doesn't fit."

She smiled at him and said: "I will adapt the change spell. For now, it only removes my wings so we can try riding. The real spell will also make my mane and tail white."

Rawsthorne's brow furrowed as he tried to imagine it. "Cute. And you're already white, so that works perfectly."

Sudden excitement overtook her and Celestia hugged the man. "It will be the best Nightmare Night masked gala ever!"

Rawsthorne returned the embrace in kind and planted a kiss on her muzzle. He had been instantly on board with her idea, it was only the riding which was giving him trouble.

"Oh, that reminds me. Your fake beard arrives tomorrow. I made sure the package will be delivered to you unopened."

The man grinned and shook his head in wonder. "I still don't know where you've come up with 'Gandalf and Shadowfax'. That was a stallion, you know that, right?"

Celestia stuck her tongue at the human before answering. "I can change the story a little! I actually liked the movie, once I got past all the killing and evil. It was touching."

His hand found her ear and scratched there. Celestia didn't know how, but Rawsthorne seemed to be getting even better at ear-scratchies! She closed her eyes and sighed in comfort. An idea occurred, which made her smile widen. "You know, I still have thirty minutes before the court. Remove your pants."

She didn't have to ask twice. Rawsthorne began shrugging out of his robe, but she placed a hoof on his shoulder to stop him. "No, leave the robe. I haven't had a human wizard, yet." She winked at the man, but then had to giggle when she saw his expression. It was so easy to make his face go completely red.

As she had predicted, when the time came Rawsthorne's nerves gave out. They were in her room but it didn't look as if they would be leaving it for some time.

"Do relax, Rawsthorne." Celestia tried to calm him. "The ponies have come to like and respect you. They will understand it is merely a part of the disguise."

He paced to the door, turned and came back. He had been doing it for a while. Celestia checked to see if there was a groove in the floor. "Yeah, but think how it will look! I'll be riding you. I know they know - about us - but I don't want to rub it right in their faces!"

When next he came back, the mare caught him with a careful wing around his shoulders. "You did not have issue with this when I proposed the idea to you."

He didn't have an answer for that. After she had first told him her plan, Rawsthorne had agreed. He even grinned when she explained just how many feathers the sight of them - rider and mare - would ruffle. It was probably stage fright. After all, most of the Canterlot elite would be watching them.

The human needed reassuring.

Celestia pulled him close and nuzzled his neck. "Trust me. I know my subjects. They will understand it is a costume only. Those who matter, anyway."

It didn't seem to work. "Yes, but those will be royalty and nobles and influentials. I'm worried what this might do to your image, Celestia!"

She let him go and leaned her head to the side. "My image?"

"Yeah, what will they think of you? It might look like a symbol that you've surrendered to the humans!"

"I have surrendered to one human."

They both blushed a little at that, but Rawsthorne got over it first. "That's not the point."

She understood very well what her human was trying to say. The mare sighed and sat on her haunches. "I understand you, Greg, but I have often complained that I wish I could indulge in some whimsy from time to time, in public. This is a step toward that."

He looked like he needed more reassuring, so she hugged him again. That usually helped. "Do not worry, I know these ponies. They will understand." She paused for a moment to think about just how much she had lied. "Eventually they will understand," she admitted.

Rawsthorne sighed. "Fine. Okay. I guess you're right. Let's just get it over with."

The mare smiled at her small victory. "Good. Get changed. I shall do the same." She kept looking as Rawsthorne removed nearly all his clothes and pulled on the wizard's gray robe and hat. It wasn't too complicated and he did not need makeup, at least.

"Now the beard." She hadn't gotten the idea soon enough for Rawsthorne to grow a real beard - how long did that even take for humans? She'd have to ask. Meanwhile there was the prop Mr. Bennett had acquired for her. Gandalf in the movie had gray hair also, but Celestia didn't press for Rawsthorne to wear a wig. The hat would cover it, anyhow.

Rawsthorne turned away while he fitted the beard to his face and Celestia tried to steal a glance around his shoulder.

She didn't like it. "Oh, that is really bad." The wires which attached it to his ears were visible and the hairs were far too thick. It wouldn't do.

"What now?"

The Princess searched her memory. "I think I know a spell. Stay still."

Rawsthorne was no longer squeamish about letting her use magic on him, but he was still a bit wary. She concentrated and used a very light illusion. Simple, but effective.

"Better."

He touched it, searching for the wire with his fingers but not finding it, while the mare floated a small mirror to show him. It was a proper wizarding beard and she had also changed the color of his hair while she was at it. If he could get a bit more wrinkled, Rawsthorne would be a spitting image of Gandalf from the movie.

Now that the transformation was complete, she couldn't help teasing him just a little. "My, what a handsome wizard you make! Very distinguished, certainly worthy of a steed like me!"

At least he didn't blush at simple compliments and jokes anymore, Celestia thought.

"Okay, what about you?" he asked.

It was the work of a moment to cast the spell and change herself into a pretty good image of Shadowfax. If he were a mare, that is. Celestia had nailed down a very good likeness, if she did say so herself. The mane was cropped shorter than hers, her muzzle was darker and her tail stopped waving in the ethereal wind. Her chosen character fit, too. In the movie, Shadowfax was called 'the lord of all horses'. Well, she didn't think of herself as 'Queen', but it was pretty accurate if you replaced 'horse' with 'pony'.

"Good. We are ready. Come on." She ushered the man out of her room and turned to the grand hall. The door was open and groups of ponies stood here and there, talking quietly. Inside, she could spot a few of Canterlot's finest already mingling. She was pleased to see that no costume could match hers, a fact which made Celestia smile proudly. Poor, boring aristocrats, all they could think of was Equestrian history. The more imaginative among them had dressed as famous griffins and there was even one dragon, drawing admiring glances for the detailed scales embroidered on the costume.

"Come on, mount up!" She had made Rawsthorne practice, so he could climb on her back without the chair. That would looked undignified, she had thought. Still, the human hesitated.

"Go on!"

Ponies were already looking at them. A few muzzles scrunched up in confusion, but then they recognized her and their eyes widened. There were one or two gasps and the conversation gradually died down.

Celestia smiled at her subjects while Rawsthorne smoothly jumped and sat on her back, aided only a little with her magic. The shock on their faces was priceless! Celestia walked carefully at first, but then relaxed. Rawsthorne was still heavy, but she knew she could carry him at least the length of the hall.

As she entered, all the ponies quietened and a hush spread over the staring crowd. A few moments later the musicians failed and joined in the group shock. Rawsthorne was the center of attention and seemed to be having serious stage fright. She turned her head to look at him, smiled and whispered: "Just like we practiced!"

"Oh! Yes!" He cleared his throat and delivered the line, only slightly shakily: "Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day. At dawn look to the east!"

The ponies glanced at one another and a few murmured questions to their friends. Of course they wouldn't understand the reference, but Celestia had insisted on doing it correctly. She sought out the other humans in the crowd. They, at least, should understand her costume and, with luck, would spread the word around.

Making her way to the ambassador and his assistant, Celestia smiled pleasantly at both while the party resumed around her. Ponies were still staring at her, but the music picked up again and the staff began to rush with their trays of drinks.

"Mr. Bennett. Eli Grant," she greeted.

The ambassador, who had a simple, black mask over her eyes, glared at her rider. "You're not even being subtle anymore, Rawsthorne, are you?"

Celestia answered instead, before there could be another argument. "The costumes were my idea, Mr. Bennett. They are quite authentic, aren't they?"

He had to give her that. "Yeah, but I mean-"

"Thank you."

At least the diplomat knew when he was being snubbed. He shrugged to himself and went to search for more food while Celestia posed a little for Eli Grant's inquisitive stare.

"It's good. Magic?" the younger human asked while Rawsthorne dismounted. Their act was done and Celestia couldn't help but be a tiny bit grateful that the weight was off her back.

She thought about how to answer Eli's question, but she didn't want to get into details about changeling spells, so she just nodded. "A simple illusion."

"Very good. Yeah, just like in the movie," Eli said and the mare beamed at his praise. His own costume looked very detailed, too. He had a wide-rimmed hat and some sort of leather jacket with bits of string dangling from his shoulders. He had a red scarf around his neck and blue pants.

"Your costume isn't bad either. Cowboy, correct?" Following his questioning gaze, the mare grinned knowingly. "I have seen a few Earth movies, Eli Grant. I know what cowboys look like."

He returned her smile. "Yes, I've spent a few summers on my uncle's ranch, down in Texas. If you want, I'll show you a few rope tricks."

"Oh, that would be delightful!"

"Here, let me grab my rope," the man said and rushed off to one of the tables. There was a backpack stashed under it and Eli brought out a long, thick piece of rope. A few of the nearby ponies noticed something was up and quickly gathered in a circle, eager for some entertainment. In particular, Celestia noticed, Twilight Sparkle's friend, Applejack, was paying very close attention to what the human was doing.

He strode into the circle of expectant faces and unwound the rope. "Now, I'm a bit rusty so don't laugh too hard, okay?" he said with a friendly grin. A few of the ponies giggled. Without any stalling, Eli made a loop of rope and tossed it out. He twiddled the bit in his hand somehow and the loop turned nearly horizontally in the air. While it spun, he moved it up and down, then tilted it sideways. A few of the more impressionable mares 'ooh-ed' and 'aah-ed', but Celestia was watching Applejack, who didn't seem too impressed just yet.

Eli, concentrating furiously, pulled the loop toward him and jumped, so he could pass through it. That earned him a few clops of applause, especially when he did it a few more times in rapid succession. The effect was only slightly spoiled when he misjudged his last jump and got his legs tangled in the rope. He didn't fall, but the mishap made a few of the observers laugh. Even Celestia herself giggled a little.

The young diplomat rallied well and launched into more tricks, but Celestia stopped paying attention. She sidled up to Twilight Sparkle, instead. "Have you seen Princess Luna?"

The purple mare shoot her head. "Sorry. I don't think she's here yet. I wonder what her costume would be!" Twilight herself was wearing her trademark Star Swirl costume, along with the obviously fake beard. Celestia felt a touch of pride that she had done a better job with Rawsthorne.

"Oh, by the way, Gregory is dressed as one of Earth's prominent wizards," she hinted, barely hiding a mischievous smile. Rawsthorne gave her a blank look, but she winked at him and he nodded, almost imperceptibly.

The news got Twilight instantly excited and she pulled the human to a quiet corner, probably to bombard him with questions. Celestia suppressed a giggle, looking forward to the funny story that would undoubtedly ensue. Meanwhile Eli Grant was finishing with his routine, much admired by the large crowd which had gathered to watch him.

Applejack shrugged and looked up at Celestia. "Pretty good, although he did fumble that jump. Ah reckon it's the best he can do with them fingers."

The Princess just nodded distractedly. She was increasingly curious about Luna's absence. She considered going to her room and seeing what had delayed her, but decided against it. There was a group of aristocrats nearby who were looking at her pointedly and Celestia headed over to greet them. It wasn't as formal an affair as the Grand Galloping Gala, but it paid to maintain these social bonds, especially with powerful ponies.

Celestia became aware that something was wrong when the din of conversation around her faded. The instruments failed again, the second time that night. When she looked around, her blood ran cold.

Nightmare Moon.

A glass smashed as the unicorn holding it fumbled his grip. There were a few gasps in the crowd when the tall, impossibly black creature walked forward. Even her gait was different. Nightmare Moon walked more smoothly, almost sinuously. She was self-possessed and confident. A slight smirk played on her muzzle, displaying her fangs. They looked sharp.

Surely it was a joke!

Celestia left Twilight and her friends staring in shock and put herself in Nightmare Moon's path. "This is in very poor taste, Sister."

The blast of magic that threw her aside came from nowhere. It broke her concentration and the disguise spell vanished, leaving Celestia her old self.

That was not Princess Luna! Nightmare Moon was back! Even as chilly realization made her blood run cold, Celestia was already jumping to her hooves to attack the creature.

She hesitated. "Luna, please don't do this. Not again!"

"Silence!" the shadow roared, her concentration breaking for just a moment. "Do not call me that!"

The guests were pushing out the hall as fast as they could, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to draw attention to themselves. Several mares were whimpering and there were screams of panic coming from outside as the fleeing ponies lost their nerve. The two alicorns stood in the middle of a rapidly widening circle, staring at each other, weighing up their opponent.

"Why?"

"You did not think I watched you?!" Nightmare Moon demanded. "How easily you put everything in order after my blunders? How they all laughed at me!" Her eyes swept across the room, causing a stir in those ponies who were too brave, or stupid to run. "Again I am pushed into your shadow! Again you are the favorite, the beloved of the people, the powerful!"

"It's not like that! We were doing it together!" Celestia cried desperately. "Please, Luna."

The blast would have thrown her against the wall again, but Celestia blocked it just in time.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Nightmare Moon roared, enraged beyond reason. She seemed to calm down in an instant, however, and sneered again. "I should have done this a long time ago, Sister. I will never be free of your presumption until you are dead!"

Celestia was about to argue some more. She did not want to hurt Luna, nor banish her again. In fact, she could not do that without the Elements. Twilight was there and so were her friends, but not all of them. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were someplace else!

She had to get everypony to safety. If they dueled, the castle would likely be destroyed in the crossfire. "Twilight, take everyone outside. Protect them." She cast a meaningful glance at Rawsthorne, who was staring, open-mouthed at the apparition.

Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon followed her gaze. "Ah, and that too!" she growled. "You flaunt your human before me. You cry out each night with him. You smugly rub him in my face!"

"Luna, that's foolishness! Besides, you have Eli Grant!"

The nightmare mare spat in derision. "Pathetic!" she yelled. "I want the best, and you will not stand in my way!" Luckily she did not take offense at being called 'Luna' again, Celestia thought. It had slipped from her tongue out of habit.

"Please, be reasonable. We can talk about everything." Her voice was pleading, which just made Nightmare Moon laugh harder.

"I am done talking," she shrieked and spread her wings.

Celestia prepared for an attack, but instead the creature turned to shadow, wrapped itself around Rawsthorne and vanished in a brilliant flash of white. Evil laughter and running hooves faded into distance.

"No! Greg!" Celestia would have run after them, but Twilight Sparkle stepped in her way.

"You can't Princess," the purple mare said urgently.

She would have pushed past her, but Twilight's friends joined her and made a wall of ponies. Rainbow Dash floated above them, ready to tackle Celestia, should she try to simply jump over them.

"Stop and listen, please!" her once-student begged.

Nightmare Moon was getting away, but Celestia forced herself to stillness. If Twilight felt it was necessary to stop her, then it was probably important. "Hurry!" she ordered.

"We'll go after her. We can't let you risk yourself, Princess. We are the Elements of Harmony, we can stop her."

Celestia pointed out a flaw. "You are not all here!"

"It will be enough, I'm sure of it," Twilight exclaimed. "The ponies are panicking, they need their leader."

It made no sense, but Celestia was befuddled and confused and hurt. She would not have thought possible that Luna would revert to Nightmare Moon. She hadn't seen any of the signs! It was her failure as a sister, as well as a leader, to have let that happen. Maybe it really was better to let Twilight take over before she fumbled it even more. The purple Princess was keeping a much cooler head, it seemed. Celestia decided to trust her.

"Please bring them back, both of them. Unharmed. She is still my sister. We can still save her!"

Eli Grant stepped up. "I'll go too," he declared.

Twilight Sparkle twirled around to argue. "No, Mr. Grant. It's far too dangerous, you should wait here."

The human leaned down and jabbed a finger at Twilight. "Hey, I don't understand what's going on here, but that's my Luna. I know I can talk to her!"

Twilight glanced at her friends, who shrugged. Then she sighed. "Fine, but please be careful!"

He patted the rope, which was now coiled over his shoulder and the group set off.

It had all been over so quickly. Celestia sat on her haunches and hung her head. It had gotten out of her hooves. She didn't understand how it was possible. The Elements should have completely destroyed Nightmare Moon's influence on Luna the last time they met. She should not have been able to creep back!

And yet there she was.

Celestia heard shouting outside as the guards tried to keep order. She took a deep breath and straightened up. Her ponies needed her. "Please bring them back safely," she said to the empty room.

The panic outbreak was contained. The result was better than Celestia had feared. A mare had sprained her ankle when she tried to run in pretty, but clumsy, hoofguards. A few other ponies got bruised in the shoving against the walls. No serious injuries, which was good, but there was a broken door and a few trampled flowerbeds.

Celestia paced up and down the throne room, wondering if she should have gone with the Elements after all. Then again, without her swift action and leadership, there might have been more injuries, perhaps even deaths. No, Twilight Sparkle had been right. Nightmare Moon didn't attack the city, so Celestia did far more good preventing the city from attacking itself. She just hoped they would catch her, unharmed.

The door opened and the Princess twirled around to see. Her heart stopped for a moment when she saw Nightmare Moon, but then she took in the whole scene and relaxed. The creature was trussed and gagged. Even from her distance, Celestia could hear it growling angrily. She wondered why Nightmare Moon didn't simply escape, but then spotted the ring on her horn. Twilight must have ran past the Royal Treasury and grabbed it. That was good thinking.

Only then did Celestia take in the group, afraid to see if any were missing. She almost sagged with relief when she noted they were all there, if a little battered. Rawsthorne was fine too, though his robe was torn in places and he had lost his hat and staff. The mare rushed forward to embrace him.

"Thank goodness you are okay! All of you!"

Applejack spat out the rope. Celestia realized they had simply dragged Nightmare Moon along the floor. True - it was no more than the thing deserved, but Luna was in there too!

"Mighty fine rope work, if ah do say so myself!" Applejack complimented and slapped a hoof on Eli's leg.

"You did this?"

"Eyup. Tossed the lasso right 'round her neck, first try, while Twilight here was keepin' her busy with some fancy magic!"

"Ahem," announced Rainbow Dash pointedly.

Twilight grinned. "Oh, of course we couldn't have done it without you, Rainbow. No way we could have found Nightmare Moon in time!"

They all high-hooved each other proudly.

Celestia wasn't quite as happy, though. The mere fact that Nightmare Moon had returned troubled her deeply. She had thought Luna was safe from her grasp! "Why, Sister? Why?" She was nearly in tears.

Eli went and untied the rope around the creature's head so he could remove her gag. Nightmare Moon just began to laugh, a deep, throaty, evil sound which sent a shiver down Celestia's spine. It went on and on. She thought about gagging her again, but then the laugh changed. The evil undertone vanished, the echo stopped and it sounded exactly like Luna. Nightmare Moon was briefly enveloped in a green glow and the next thing Celestia saw was her sister, standing up, ropes falling away from her. The ring from her horn was nowhere to be seen.

She tensed, ready to fight again, but the other ponies started to laugh, too. As did Eli Grant. Celestia hesitated. "W-Wha-"

"We got you!" Luna proclaimed. "We got everypony!" She and Eli high-hooved and embraced.

Celestia looked blankly at Rawsthorne, who seemed just as befuddled.

Twilight Sparkle stepped up to explain. "It was all an act, Princess. We were all in on it."

It took a while for Celestia to process this. "ACT?!"

"A trick! It is funny!" Luna said, then roared with laughter again. "The look on your face, Sister! I shall treasure it always."

Celestia was furious. "Luna! Ponies could have gotten hurt! What were you thinking? You started a panic!"

The night-blue mare just shrugged. "It was worth it!"

At least Twilight Sparkle squirmed when Celestia pierced her with a glare. "You knew of this and went along?!"

The purple mare was examining the flagstones, her ears flat in contrition. "Yeah, I swear it sounded a lot funnier when Princess Luna first asked for my help..."

Celestia couldn't believe it. She snorted in annoyance and turned to stomp out, but her sister stepped in her way. "Lighten up, Sister," Luna said. "T'was a prank which will be remembered forever. Come, let us go and tell everypony."

That part, at least, Celestia agreed with. They had to tell everyone it had all been a joke. She sighed and hung her head. "Luna, sometimes you try me so..."

The younger alicorn just chuckled. "You said you wished more whimsy in your life."

Celestia just shook her head.

"Come on. Admit we fooled you. You really thought Nightmare Moon was back! T'was a good act," Luna insisted, a bit more quietly.

Again, the older sister was forced to agree. "Yes, you did." She could hardly imagine to what lengths Luna must have gone to plan this. The magic illusions themselves had seemed very complex. Not to mention Eli Grant's rope thing - how long had he practiced just for this? It certainly put her Gandalf and Shadowfax thing to shame.

Now that the fear was gone and the adrenaline was leaving her body, Celestia began to relax a little. It was still inexcusable, but masterfully executed nonetheless.

"If you ever pull something like that on me again, I will lock you up, Luna. And it will not just be the moon this time!"

The younger sister understood she was off the hook and giggled some more. Everypony cheered up.

"By the way, Mr. Grant," Rarity spoke up for the first time since the came back, "the way you tied up Princess Luna... have you two had much practice?"

The man blushed a vivid red and so did Luna.

'Aha!' Celestia thought. Perhaps a small payback. "Oh, most certainly, Rarity. Some of the things I hear from their room at night..."

The unicorn giggled a little, but Luna was quickly pushing them all along. "Come on, Sister. We have to speak to the ponies!" she urged. The others fell in step behind them, but Celestia heard Rarity sidle up to Eli and whisper something. The mare giggled a little and the human nearly choked on his tongue. She didn't hear his response, because Luna leaned closer and bumped her muzzle against her sister's neck. "I really am sorry for frightening you, Sister," the younger Princess said, "but I am not sorry for the prank. It was very funny."

Celestia couldn't stay mad. Nopony had gotten hurt, after all. Now that it was over, she could admire the mastery of her sister's deception. It had fooled her completely! Luna was scary good at acting it seemed!

Still, Celestia would get her revenge in due time. "I will get you back, just wait, Luna!"

Luna went on laughing.

Prologue

Metal clinked against stone in a steady, if somewhat irregular rhythm. Celestia mused on this as she subconsciously tried to match strides with her shorter sister. It took some effort, but it was the easy kind of effort. No pony lives depended on her success.

"Do not implement this plan, Sister," Luna said in as commanding a voice as she could muster with her older sibling. "Nothing is to be gained from this venture!"

There was no answer, but it did not deter the fierce alicorn in the slightest. "We- I am certain we can find another way! These apes can not be trusted!"

Luna's efforts were in vain. Celestia was implacable. She had thought long about what she was about to do and it was indeed the only way. Humans were often greedy and untrustworthy, true, but they were not brutes. They understood the languages of diplomacy and negotiation. They understood money. Before the two worlds had collided, the ruling Princess of Equestria had considered the exact same plan, only with minotaurs or griffins in place of humans. She had always found the prospect too dangerous.

"We have been over this, Luna. Wherever I go, however well I hide, ponies find me. There is always another problem, another crisis. It has been a thousand years since I had a vacation."

She had stopped and tilted her younger sister's chin up with a primary feather. Yes, she was afraid. Of course she was nervous. In spite of those, Celestia was pleased to note, the wing was perfectly steady.

"Griffins, minotaurs, dogs - even the distant nations will not do. I am too well known on our world. But this new Earth; that has possibilities. The humans do not know me. I can be just another pony to them."

Luna was unconvinced. "But this is madness, Sister! Surely the tasks are not so onerous that they require escape? Surely I could take some of thy burden instead?"

The older sister grinned wryly. What the younger alicorn didn't notice was that ancient forms crept into her speech when she was flustered, or when she was lying. "We tried that too, remember? Once you came back I hoped - I really did - that you could take the throne sometimes. How long was it before a 'disaster' needed my attention?" Celestia signed the quotes around the word with her wings. It made Luna look away in embarrassment, but she answered nevertheless: "An hour."

"Forty-seven minutes, Sister. I had barely gotten into my bath before you were knocking on my door, panicking."

Now the night-blue alicorn blushed in recollection. "Thy insight is valuable, Sister." She looked up with new determination. "I shall try again! You can have your vacation whilst I handle the court! Give me another chance."

Her earnest plea made Celestia laugh pleasantly. She didn't blame her sister for the failures. She wasn't mad at Luna. If anything, her deference to her older sibling was flattering.

"The second time - correct me if I'm wrong - I was barely out of the throne room when you galloped after me."

Luna had remembered this, too, but the pony had been hoping that her sister had forgotten. She didn't have a reply, so she changed track again. "Surely, with your experience, ruling is not such a chore?" The smaller pony had placed herself physically in Celestia's path.

"My decisions save lives, Luna. Or destroy them. Even something as simple as breakfast has consequences."

This took Luna by surprise. "Surely breakfast is immaterial? What lives could be affected by the choice between toast and eggs?"

Now Celestia sighed sadly. It should not matter, but it did. When she had found out, the Princess opted to prepare her breakfast by herself from then on. "Different cooks prepare each. If I pick one over the other, one pony is happy, but the other miserable. Such heartbreak over such a simple choice. And each day is filled with them, Luna. I need to get away from it all, at least for a while."

Finally, the dark-blue alicorn saw there was no winning this argument. "How long," she asked flatly.

"Only a few months. A year at the most."

"And what shall I do in thy absence?"

"Rule. Make decisions. Tend to the sun and the moon. I have complete confidence in your abilities, Sister. You will chose correctly if the temptation to consult me is removed."

What Celestia didn't add was that perhaps, after a year of Luna's blunders, some ponies would finally come to respect just how much knowledge, effort and sheer gut feeling went into leading the pony nation. She had not lied - the alicorn believed Luna quite capable of handling all the 'disasters' her subjects usually brought before her. Perhaps she would even lose her patience a few times. Maybe it would reduce the amount of frivolous requests. If anything really big happened, Twilight and the Elements of Harmony would handle it, as they always have. Plus, they did not call Luna the 'Warrior Princess' for nothing. Even if every other pony in Equestria didn't agree, Celestia knew that day-to-day ruling wasn't quite that essential.

"Come, Sister. The human is waiting for us."

Slowly, grudgingly, the smaller alicorn stepped out of the way. She still didn't like the idea, but she would go along with the plan.

Chapter 4

A faint, blaring noise from Rawsthorne's room made her jerk up. It was still dark, but there was a hint of pink on the horizon to the left. Celestia didn't remember falling asleep, but her entire body was sore from the awkward position. She had slipped from the chair and ended up sleeping wedged between the chair and the windowsill.

She stretched, painfully, and got to unsteady hooves. She levitated up her vest and hoofguards, but then remembered her decision from the previous night. Feeling a bit embarrassed and very naughty, the mare dropped them, walked outside, and went to the human's room. She heard him moving about and pushed the door open. "Rawsthorne, I-"

She didn't get much further before the door almost slammed back into her face. She blinked in shock. There had been so much pink flesh. When she realized that the human was dressing himself, Celestia couldn't help blushing a vivid red. It was far too close to her own discomfort at not wearing her own clothes!

"Sorry!"

"Knock next time!" the man commanded.

"Of course! I forgot! Please forgive me?"

There was a grunt which she chose to understand as affirmative. She waited in the hallway for her owner to come out. He had his pants and a basic shirt, which wasn't even buttoned up all the way. The man had obviously hurried for her sake.

"I'm very sorry, Mas- Gregory. I completely forgot! It will not happen again!"

He just waved it away. "It's fine, it's fine! Just startled me, that's all," he said, then blinked and stared at her. "But I can't help noticing that you also neglected to wear your own... things."

Her blush deepened. Now that she was being called out on it, going without her vest and hoofguards seemed like a bad idea. "Oh, I thought- I decided I don't need them. Most ponies wear nothing at all, I hope that's alright?"

He raised a question she could see miles away: "Why did you, then?"

Luckily, Celestia thought fast. "I had to meet with foreign diplomats very often. It was a formal thing and I guess I had just gotten used to it. I can put them on, if you'd like?"

The human looked her up and down in a way that made her feel even more naked, somehow. But then he shrugged. "It's fine. I don't mind either way."

The mare relaxed a little when her owner left for the bathroom. It occurred to her that Rawsthorne had forgotten to ask why she was bothering him this early in the first place. It was time to fix this bad impression. She scurried to the kitchen and got started on breakfast. There was no time to waste!

When Rawsthorne came down, he was fully dressed and cleanly shaven. The mare had also been busy and the table was set with everything she could find. There was toast with hard boiled eggs. She had peeled them, too. There was a plate of cheese slices. And, having found a box of milk, Celestia even made pancakes. She didn't have fresh fruit and cream for the topping, so she simply used jam from a glass jar.

Most importantly, there was a steaming cup of tea. That was the first thing the human took, before casting an impressed gaze over the rest.

"I didn't even know I had most of this stuff in the house," he commented.

The pony laughed pleasantly. She was happy the man didn't bring up their incident.
"You did. Breakfast is the most important meal. I have put together a small list with the essentials we will need for tonight and tomorrow morning. It is Thursday, correct?"

The man nodded. "Yes, tomorrow is Friday."

"Good. If you would be so kind as to buy these items, we will be stocked until Saturday. We are still going to the market, right?"

Another nod. "Yes, of course."

And just like that, Celestia realized, she had control over the household. True, the man was her owner, on paper. But he would defer to her decisions regarding food and shopping for groceries. She slid the yellow paper rectangle forward. She had done her best to keep it short, but the paper was filled with her neat script. The human inspected it briefly.

"Shouldn't be a problem. I will pick these up on my way home."

"Very good, sir. Now, what do you want me to do while you are gone? My duties?"

It reminded him and Rawsthorne became more sure of himself. "Ah, of course. There's cleaning and tidying up, of course. You are to keep the house in order. I don't have time now, but I will show you how to operate the washing machine and the dishwasher tonight. For now, just do the dishes the old-fashioned way and drop the laundry in the basket downstairs."

It sounded simple enough and Celestia gave a curt nod. "Of course."

There was more, but the man looked at her before asking: "I would also like you to maintain the outside. The hedge needs trimming and perhaps there is some work in the flower beds. I normally call a gardener once a month and he tells me what needs doing to keep the house looking presentable. Can you handle that?"

The mare grinned. "Of course. Gardening is something of a hobby. I will inspect the outside and come up with some suggestions by tonight."

The human looked happier. "Very versatile, aren't you?"

"I do my best, sir."

Then the man shrugged. "That's about it, for now, really. The rest of the day is your own. Do you want me to show you how to operate the television?"

Celestia remembered the magic window in the living room. She was curious about it, but the human was starting to fidget as if he was in a hurry. If it came down to a choice between showing her a new trick and eating breakfast, she would insist on the latter.

"That is fine, sir. If you just tell me where you keep your books, I will read a little. The 'tele-vision' can wait."

He told her where to look for the small library, then tried to get up to leave for work. He had finished his tea, but hadn't touched the food. Her magic gently, but firmly, held him down.

"Your breakfast, Gregory?"

He waved a hand. "I probably forgot to mention - I don't eat breakfast, usually. Just a cup of tea is enough." He attempted to rise again, but the pony easily kept him sitting. "You needn't have bothered, I'm sorry."

"Please, I must insist. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am sorry if you are late - I will make sure I wake up earlier tomorrow to get it all ready sooner."

The man sighed. He knew he wouldn't get away until he ate something. If he commanded it, the mare would let him up. They both knew that. But he apparently decided to follow her advice, because Rawsthorne hurriedly took a piece of toast and an egg.

She watched him eat in silence. To her surprise, the man even took one of the pancakes and washed it down with more tea.

"Very good, sir. Have a lovely day at work!"

Her magic vanished and the human got up. He gave her a look she couldn't quite identify. "Will I need to get one of those magic-suppressing rings from the auction? I didn't order one because Mr. Plain assured me you would behave."

She gave a polite smile. "Of course, sir. Except when it comes to breakfast."

His smile returned, if a bit hesitantly. "Well, be careful. Because I will order one if you abuse the privilege!"

Then he hurried out and Celestia was left alone, heart hammering. She shook her head and concentrated on her breathing. This had been quite a gamble and she hadn't even been with the human a whole day! Perhaps she was too used to command? The mare suddenly realized that Rawsthorne would be entirely within his rights to belt her. True, she could easily prevent it but then she would have to leave. She wasn't relinquishing control, Celestia thought to herself, she was acquiring it. It would not do.

From now on, the alicorn promised herself, Gregory's word would be law. She was going to do the whole servitude thing properly, just like she had imagined it. Her gaze fell on what was left of her breakfast. Rawsthorne might not be a fan of eating in the morning, but the mare couldn't think of another way to start her day. Pretty soon, she had devoured everything she had prepared.

It was time to go to work. Together with last night's dinner, she had accrued a sizable pile of dishes to wash. There was also the matter of cleaning the house. The pony realized that Rawsthorne had forgotten to show her any brooms, brushes, mops or supplies. No matter, she had enough time to explore the house and find all that. There was bound to be a broom cupboard or something.

She had feared that these parts of servitude would be markedly less fun. But there was something relaxing about the mindless work. For one, she knew exactly when it would be finished. And for another, the job wouldn't change partway through. The sponge wouldn't try to manipulate her. The plates and cups wouldn't lie to gain some political advantage.

The dishes were the most immediate, so she did that first. She quickly found soap, sponge and cloth. Once they were washed and dried, she pulled open cupboards and drawers until she found where everything fit. For good measure, she also wiped down the smooth stove surface and the inside of the oven.

When she was done with the kitchen, the pony went to explore her new home. She knew some of the rooms already and for most others she could guess their purpose. There were two more bedrooms, though barely furnished, and yet another bathroom on the first floor. It was attached to Rawsthorne's bedroom, for convenience, she thought. She saw a few clothes on the floor and remembered the instructions about the laundry. She went to look for it.

She found something like a machine room in the basement. The multitude of pipes and blocky metal objects looked ominous and scary. The mare watched the contraption warily, waiting to see if it would do something. Unfortunately, she spotted the laundry basket through a small door, right next to the machinery. She laughed at herself for being silly - no human contraption could threaten her, after all - but the feeling of unease didn't go away. She would have to walk past the arrangement of gleaming metal parts. The gloom didn't help at all!

She took a few hesitant steps, then froze. Her breath caught. From this angle, two of the softly glowing red lights almost became eyes, peering at her from a dark corner. The pony gulped and took another step. The image went away.

"Silly, silly! It's just pipes and things!" She chided herself, even forced a little laugh, but it didn't help. The thing seemed to be staring at her, waiting to pounce. Perhaps if she explored it a little? The pony turned toward a large block with a smaller, protruding part on the front side. She leaned her head closer to smell it.

There was suddenly a loud click somewhere in the mess of wires. Her head whirled to look at a little green light which had lit up. Before Celestia could discover what it meant, a slow rumble began deep in the machine. She knew her eyes were as big as saucers and she felt her knees tremble a little.

Then the monster roared. In the quiet, which had been punctuated only by the hammering of her own heart, it sounded worse than any dragon she had met.

The mare gave a loud, frightened squeak and ran for it. She didn't stop until she was under her own bedcovers. Only then did she start to feel stupid. It was a machine. It had a function. She didn't understand it, but that didn't make it dangerous. Or else Rawsthorne would surely have mentioned it when he told her to go down there.

In the safety of her own room, the alicorn could laugh at herself. She realized that she had wound herself up so tightly that a slightest noise from the metal contraption would seem monstrous to her.

Then she remembered that she still had to get past it, to take laundry to the basket. Her smile faded and Celestia gulped. Perhaps it would be wise to play it safe. She would ask Rawsthorne about it when he came home. Until then, she would simply put all the laundry in the empty wardrobe in her room, so it would be ready for her to take down there.

Just in case she still waited another half hour, listening to the distant hum of the terrible machine. Only when it stopped did Celestia finally come out of her room. It was easier to disregard the thing when it was quiet. She firmly shook her head and went to explore some more.

She found the room for Rawsthorne's car. It was unmistakable due to the smell. The floor was a lot dirtier than the rest of the house and she'd need days to clean it all up. Maybe she didn't have to - considering that no one had bothered to tidy up in the past. She resolved to ignore it for now and ask the human.

The living room she already knew, but there was a curious spiral staircase leading up from it. She hadn't even spotted it in the gloom the previous night, but Rawsthorne had told her to look for the library up there. She went to explore, even if it was a tight turn for her.

Up above was indeed a room with bookshelves. The pony took a few minutes to pull out a number of books and read their titles. They were mostly on politics or law. Dry stuff, but she was used to such. A shelf to the side had more interesting tomes - cookery, gardening, even a few volumes on various machines. The mare made a mental note to look through those. If she understood the monster in the cellar, she wouldn't be afraid of it anymore, she repeated to herself.

Luckily, the library also had a door to the first floor hallway, so she didn't have to go back down the narrow staircase. She walked past the master bedroom and found a spacious study. There were more shelves of books here, as well as a large writing table with unfamiliar objects. At first glance it looked like a smaller 'tele-vision', but that surely wasn't right.

The human wouldn't want to be distracted by that while he was working, would he? Rawsthorne also had a board with little squares, next to the TV-like-thing. Each of them had a letter or a number. Did the human need it to remember what shapes the letters were? Surely he could read and write without assistance? The pony shook her head and added it to the mental list of things she wanted to ask about.

There was a lot of paper on the desk and the carpet around it. She scanned through a few of the documents, but didn't try to decipher the legal language. Most of the papers were crumpled up and she felt safe enough throwing them into the basket. The others, she stacked neatly on the table.

One final door waited on the first floor, but it opened to reveal a small space with no windows. She saw brooms, brushes, mops, buckets and colorful bottles with a strong chemical smell around them. She had found her supplies. With some relief the mare saw that all the cleaning bottles had labels with precise descriptions and instructions for their use. It was a clever idea and she stored it away for later. It would undoubtedly save time when training new staff for the palace!

One more room was left on the ground floor. When she pushed the door open, Celestia couldn't hold back a small sigh. It was a dream come true! In the middle of the tiled room was a big bathtub! Against one of the walls, stood what seemed like a small wooden house. One specific word on the glass window caught her attention: 'Sauna'. It felt like coming home. Showers would have been fine, if the water was hot enough, but this was icing on the cake!

The mare went to examine this room in minute detail, a dopey smile plastered across her face. If Rawsthorne asked for her hoof in marriage right then, she would have said yes. Not even the Canterlot Castle had its own steam room!

Unfortunately now the idea was lodged in her head...

There would be changes when she got home, Celesta was sure of that! For now, she had a job to do. She dragged herself away, her heart aching. An unwelcome little thought said that she should probably ask Rawsthorne if she may use these facilities. It didn't sound very 'slave-like' to just fill up the tub and have a relaxing bath.

The house finished, Celestia went outside to see the flowerbeds Gregory had mentioned. It wasn't much of a garden- very few of the plants were edible, but she had to admit that they looked nice. The gardener hadn't bothered too much with the winter just over the horizon, but the pony saw a few jobs that could be done. Mr. Rawsthorne had been right - it looked like it was time to trim the hedge and, possibly, cut the grass.

She walked around the house to see it from other angles. It was just as blocky and ugly from all directions and Celestia made a face at the unappealing structure. No amount of flowers would help there, she felt. Luckily, the surrounding area wasn't bad. Autumn was in full swing, which meant that most trees were getting ready to shed their leaves. To one side of the house there was an entire hillside, the one she had watched in the night. It was covered with a forest and her hooves itched to explore it, but she decided against it. Another day, after she had Rawsthorne's permission. Perhaps he would even allow her to join the Running of the Leaves.

To the other side, there were fields of grass, punctuated by roads. She saw quite a number of cars driving around and briefly wondered if one of them had Rawsthorne. Of course not, she thought to herself and grinned. He had left for work hours ago. He wouldn't live so far from his job that it took him hours and hours to get there, right? It stood to reason.

One of the vehicles rushed past the house and the pony caught a brief glimpse of a surprised face, staring out at her. She chuckled a little to herself - she must have seemed quite the oddity in this world of humans, especially judging from the last night's incident.

She put it out of her mind and stared into the distance. The land sloped downward and she saw a big city in the valley. It put any place in Equestria to shame and for a moment Celestia wanted to fly down there and take a closer look. This urge was easier to resist. The metropolis seemed gray and lifeless, wrapped as it was in a thin fog. Perhaps she would visit it when the weather was nicer.

Her survey complete, the mare thought about what to do next. There was plenty for her to clean. The alicorn decided it would be a good idea to thoroughly tidy the entire house, partly so she would impress Rawsthorne and partly for her own peace of mind. She hadn't seen a way to remove the carpets yet, so that seemed like an interesting challenge with which to start. Taking the tough fabric out and beating it free of dust would be a snap with her magic. After that, she decided, she would wash the floors and the bathrooms. And then she would gather up any clothing or sheets that needed laundering, and put them- away.

Her ears fell flat against her head and Celestia did her best to put the mechanical monster out of her mind. The human had promised to show her how to use the washing machine. It seemed like a neat idea - a device that did all the washing for you. It would benefit the Canterlot Palace immensely and the staff would be most grateful if their Princess brought something like that home. The important bit, however, was that Rawsthorne would go down there with her. Somehow, that made her feel better.

The carpet proved to be a problem. She couldn't find an edge - as if the fabric was stuck under the walls themselves! In her frustration, Celestia thought about simply ripping it up, but then she paused to think. Humans had no magic. How did they clean the carpets if they couldn't easily take them out? There had to be more to it, but she couldn't see it at the moment.

Lacking any good options, the mare had to improvise with a complicated spell until she learned the human trick for cleaning carpets. Her spell was meant as a quick solution for a filthy dress, and it lifted particles of dirt right out of the fabric. It was quite an effort to cast it on a large enough scale to clean a room, but she had had thousands of years to perfect her magic.

With some strain and concentration, and with her horn blazing brightly, the mare lifted all the dust and tiny particles of dirt out of the entire floor in a room. She then bunched it all together into a small, disgusting ball. She levitated it carefully out the front door and threw it as far as she could. Then she did it again and again, until there were no more rooms with carpeting.

It was hard work and she was breathing heavily and sweating by the end. But she couldn't rest just yet. She picked up one of the colorful buckets and a mop and went to wipe all the floors without carpets. Luckily, that included only the kitchen, hallways, bathrooms an the dining room. Rawsthorne, it seemed, was quite a fan of carpets.

Only then did the pony relax. Her stomach told her it was time to eat something - in fact, it had been growling for a while now, but Celestia hadn't wanted to stop until she was finished.

A quick lunch, she decided, then a shower. Not to mention, a bath later that evening, if Rawsthorne said yes. Or, if he said no, probably a wrestling match until he said yes. The pony was fairly certain she could take the man.

She went to browse the pantry and ended up with a can of sweet corn and some leftover bread from the previous night. It wasn't much and she was looking forward to dinner.

The mare took her meagre lunch to the living room and sprawled in the couch. She looked at the dark and silent 'tele-vision'. Now that she had a moment, Celestia was curious. Rawsthorne had controlled it by means of a smaller black rectangle. She spotted it on the low coffee table and brought it closer to her face.

The buttons had strange symbols, numbers and letters. She didn't know what to make of it. She poked 'A' - for 'Activate', but all it did was make a red light on the 'tele-vision' blink green for a moment. She tried another button, and it did the same. Each letter only caused a flicker. Luckily this device had buttons that yielded to pressure and she could use them with her levitating spell. None of that finger-touch-button nonsense, she was happy to see.

She still didn't have any success with the infernal contraption.

"Show me the pictures!"

The command didn't work, of course. Out of desperation, Celestia picked a number - four - and pushed that button. Finally there was a click and the black window sprang to life.

"Four?! Why in Equestria..."

The pony had started to mutter to herself, but it died on her lips as she looked at the magic window. It was something like the cars - she was sure of it. Only they were strange. They only seemed to have one human in them and they were painted with garish colors. There wasn't any roof to keep out the rain, either! They drove in a cluster while a human voice kept talking about names and numbers. She also caught words like 'race', and 'championship' and what she guessed were names.

After a few minutes she realized it was a competition. A race. It didn't seem very exciting - the runners just used those cars to drive around the track. She considered it cheating, but she guessed it was fair if everyone was doing it. She watched a few minutes, then looked at the remote again. This time she pressed the button marked five.

The window flickered and now there were two humans in comfortable chairs having a discussion. She listened in, but it was mostly about politics, taxes and money. She'd had enough of such at home, so she tried 'six'. This was a lot more interesting. She watched the humans dancing and singing to catchy music for a while. After a bit she opened her canned corn and began to eat.

She paused briefly when she heard the faint hum of the monster in the basement. Her muzzle scrunched up in thought. Had it always done that? The mare couldn't remember hearing the noise before. Perhaps it had been in the background and she hadn't really noticed? Whatever it was, now that she was aware of it, the metal monster sent a shiver down her spine and she felt her ears flatten again. The pony focused firmly on the tele-vision and her meal. Besides, the couch was feeling decidedly warmer and more comfortable. She decided to postpone her shower and watch the singing for a little while.

That was where Rawsthorne found her when he returned. Sprawled over the couch, asleep and with MTV blaring in the background. The empty can was between her forehooves. The man cleared his throat to wake her and Celestia scurried to her hooves.

"Gregory! Welcome home. I have done the tasks you assigned me. Did you go to the market? I will begin preparing dinner immediately." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was six, which stunned her. Somehow, with the insidious magic of the television box lulling her, she had slept three hours! It was sheer luck that she had done her work before becoming entrapped by the curious device.

"A fan of music?" Rawsthorne asked.

"No, not particularly. The first thing had a race, then there was talking about politics and then this. It seemed... fun, so I watched for a while." She grinned in embarrassment. "Very unusual songs. Some of them are quite rude, if you don't mind me saying."

It made the human laugh. "Yeah, music today is like that. The groceries are in the car. Please fetch them out and put them in the pantry and refrigerator.

The mare quickly gave her assent and went about the task. All it took was simple levitation and it was done in minutes. Then she took stock of the goodies. Her owner had found everything she had written down, so Celestia began working immediately. The human came to check on her after a few minutes and stared in awe at the sight.

She was chopping several vegetables at the same time, filling a pot of water and stacking items she wouldn't need into the pantry, all without even looking at it. The pony stood in the middle of all that activity with her nose in a cookbook. She spotted the man and smiled pleasantly.

"I am making rice medley, Rawsthorne. I hope that will suffice?"

He tore his eyes from the whirlwind of motion. "Oh. Of course. Yes, that's fine."

She kept her smile in place, but he kept staring.

"Anything else? I will look through this book and prepare a shopping list for tomorrow. Any preferences?"

Now he shook his head, but his eyes strayed to the pot, which floated over to the stove, and the cutting boards which delivered the initial set of vegetables. Her touch-stick set the heat without the mare even glancing in the direction.

"N-no. Whatever you decide," Rawsthorne said, more than a little distracted.

"Very good, sir. I will come find you when I'm done. It shouldn't be more than an hour." It worked and Rawsthorne left, albeit hesitantly. Celestia went back to her book while she waited for the water to boil.

The dinner was, once again, a success. Her medley earned moderate praise and her skill at magically setting the table some unspoken admiration. But then something unthinkable happened. Rawsthorne did not touch the chocolate pudding she had made. It was still warm, too! It was all Celestia could do to keep herself from staring.

Unsweetened tea was one thing, but this was a personal affront! Perhaps he hadn't noticed? She tried prodding a little: "Dessert, Gregory?"

"Oh, thank you, no. I tend to stay away from oversweet food," the man blasphemed. "You needn't have given yourself this much work."

Somehow, she kept the growl out of her voice, but it was still strained. "I like to bake."

Luckily, Gregory didn't seem to notice her tone. He was already someplace else, mentally. The pony knew that expression all too well. "After you've cleaned up, take the evening off. You've done a very satisfactory job today."

He even had the audacity to push the cup with his dessert toward her! She would eat it, of course, but it was tantamount to insult! She slid it back over, slowly but firmly, her eyes never leaving Gregory's face.

"Please," she said through gritted teeth, "at least taste it."

The cup came back. "Oh, thank you very much, Celestia, but no. I'm quite full." He didn't notice her glare because Rawsthorne had taken his phone out of a pocket and was reading something off it.

Fuming, the Princess let it go. Despite the loss, she resolved to keep baking. Ever more wonderful, delicious treats. She would get Rawsthorne to appreciate her skill, or else! It was now a Quest for her. She accepted the challenge. The man wasn't really averse to sweets - the pancakes that morning proved it. But perhaps that had been the exception. Maybe the shock of her using magic on him had caused him to do something he normally wouldn't have. For a minute, the mare considered doing it again. It would be trivial to bind the human and force feed him the pudding.

But what then? Rawsthorne would undoubtedly send for one of those rings. Or worse - send her back to the auction. Despite these minor hiccups, the mare was enjoying herself immensely. She didn't want her vacation to end after one day! And she didn't think Plain would agree to sell her again. According to their contract, he would just return her to Equestria and collect his pay.

Fine! The pony nearly growled in frustration. The human had won this round. But she would find ways to make him eat her desserts. And not only eat - enjoy them, too! She swore it to herself. Tonight... tonight she would graciously settle for the second prize.

"One more question, Gregory..."

"Hmm?" he didn't even look up. The fact that the man wasn't even aware of their struggle really irked, but the alicorn kept her voice pleasant.

"I couldn't help noticing you have a large bathtub and a sauna. I hope it is not inappropriate of me to ask-"

He cut her off with an absentminded wave of his hand. "Oh, I got those because an old friend kept insisting I should. But I hardly ever use them, it's too much work. Please feel free, if you enjoy that sort of thing."

Her jaw fell down. No sweets and no hot baths? And no steams? Was the human even alive?! She closed her mouth with a snap. At least she had his permission, so that was something. But should she extend her Quest to getting Rawsthorne to enjoy a steam? Would it be too weird? The pony decided to think on it later. There was another concern.

"Will there be enough hot water? I would have stoked the furnace, but I did not find it. If you show me, I will light a fire for my bath."

Now the man finally stopped fiddling with his phone and looked up in wonderment. "Wait- fire? Furnace? I have central heating, which works on oil, no need to stoke a furnace. Hot water isn't a problem."

Infinite hot water and the man didn't enjoy baths?! Now, more than anytime before Celestia felt an alien. What kind of world had she dropped into? Luckily nothing prevented her from taking some pampering, that was the important part.

"So, I assume the steam also doesn't need fire?"

"It's electric. There's an on button on the side and a dial to set it-" the human began explaining, but then shrugged and put his phone back into a pocket. "Actually, I'll show you in a bit. You can operate the bath?"

The mare gave a nod. She had seen the tap during her exploration earlier and understood how to use it.

"Okay. Do that. I have to review an important case right now. I'll be done in about an hour and I'll come show you how to use the sauna, okay?"

She bobbed her head again, which helped hide her smile of giddy anticipation. "Thank you, Rawsthorne." It was almost enough to make her forget about his dessert. Almost. She pulled the cup to herself and dunked her muzzle into the warm, sweet, delicious goop. She didn't notice the human leave.

About a minute later, she came back to her senses and cleared the table. On her way to the kitchen, Celestia realized that she had forgotten to ask Rawsthorne her questions, mainly about the 'dish washer', he had mentioned, but also about cleaning the carpets, the laundry and - her breath caught at the thought - the mechanical monster in the basement.

All of that could wait until the next morning. She simply washed the dishes with her magic. It was a snap, as was drying them and putting them back. There was some medley left and she saved it for her lunch the next day. The remaining pudding would wait for Rawsthorne's breakfast. For round two of their little contest!

The mare almost giggled in excitement. It was a battle of wits, just as much as any trade negotiation or peace treaty she had brokered. Except this was infinitely more fun! Not to mention, she couldn't help thinking, much less stressful. Even if her opponent didn't even know they were competing. In truth, he didn't have to know.

She'd still win.

Celestia finished cleaning the kitchen, then hurried over to the best room in the house. A glance revealed that her tail was indeed unmentionable. And the mane was a filthy, tangled mess. It was sheer luck that Rawsthorne hadn't commented upon it. A man like him would undoubtedly expect his servants to be presentable. A dirty, neglected slave reflected badly upon her master.

A quick rummage of the various cupboards revealed a bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath. She gratefully squirted a generous portion into the tub. She plugged it with the black cork before any of it could escape. Then she opened the tap and pushed it all the way to the right, toward the little red circle. She had discovered that meant hot water.

The blue one on the other side was for cold water. Leaving it somewhere in the middle gave her a mixture and allowed her to set the absolutely perfect temperature. It was clever and much easier than two separate taps. Another invention to take home, perhaps?

The water filled slowly and the mare used that time to inspect herself in the mirror. She blushed slightly when she remembered that she didn't have her vest, but the human hadn't remarked upon that either. Not after the morning, at least. She was still herself, though. A little disheveled, perhaps. Her fur and mane in a state they'd never be acceptable back home. But it was a vacation, Celestia reminded herself. She could afford to be a little lazy.

In the court, anything less than absolute perfection was unthinkable. In that regard, Rawsthorne was already much more comfortable to be around. A very naughty thought occurred and the pony covered her mouth with a hoof to keep from bursting into laughter. The face looking back from the mirror could have belonged to a child in that moment, what with the gleam in her eyes and the pink cheeks. The very idea almost made her feel like a foal!

What would happen, she wondered, if she went out and rolled in the dirt a little? How many thousands of years had it been since she had done something like that? Had she ever let herself go that completely, even when young?

She had to try it!

But not tonight. For now, she went to examine the wooden box. She found the buttons and dials on the side, but didn't touch them. Rawsthorne would come show her how it all worked. Inside, there was a wooden bench, a metal trough with some rocks and a wooden bucket with a ladle. She couldn't see any pipes for steam. 'Electric', Rawsthorne had called it. She was faintly aware of the term. She knew some of her subjects were researching it, but with her magic able to do everything for her, Celestia had never truly interested herself in machinery.

Maybe it was time? The humans, having no magic at all, made their science work for them. It was a curious thought - one she would examine more closely when she was back home. Some things Earthlings could do with machines went even beyond what was achievable by the best unicorns.

Celestia stared at the inside of the little house and tried to figure it out. The buckets and the ladle started to make sense. She remembered the oven, back in the kitchen. There was no fire, but it still got hot. The sauna must work in the same way! It would be dry heat, though, so she was probably supposed to put water in the bucket and pour it over stones with the ladle to get her steam! It was simple, really!

Celestia felt immensely proud of herself. At this rate, even the monster in the basement would soon yield to her intellect! The thought recalled her and she moved her ears around. Yes, now that she was aware of it, she could hear the hum of the beast, just above the splashing of the water. It was roaring again and the mare looked uneasily at the floor beneath her hooves.

The most reassuring fact, however, was that Rawsthorne didn't seem concerned. The machine was probably doing what it was supposed to, the mare decided. It wasn't scary at all, she told herself. She almost believed it, too.

Besides, her water was ready!

It seemed to Celestia like mere moments had passed before Gregory was already knocking on the door. Come to think of it, the water had turned lukewarm rather quickly, too! Maybe Earth's water couldn't retain the heat as well as in Equestria?

"Come in!"

There was a pause. Then the human asked uncertainly: "Are you decent?"

The mare's eyes shot open and her muzzle scrunched up in surprise. She didn't know how to answer at first.

"Rawsthorne - I am wearing exactly the same amount of clothes I have worn all day."

"Oh. Right. Of course," the human said quickly and entered. Celestia noted that he still kept his eyes averted, as if looking at her would be somehow inappropriate. She held back an amused giggle as she stood up and climbed, dripping, out of the tub. She walked right up to the human and sat on her haunches. The floor was quickly covered with soapy water, but neither of them paid it any mind.

"Show me how this works."

A concrete goal, a distraction. That broke the ice well enough and Gregory brightened up. He pointed at the little gray panel with buttons and switches and dials.

"Here's what you do..." he began.

It turned out to be rather simple. The switch with a circular symbol would turn it on. Then one of the dials would set the temperature inside. Both were easy to use with her magic.

After his hurried explanation, the human began backing out. He still hadn't even looked at her. And now, the pony worried, he might get it into his head that she was naked all the time. It was technically true, but it would make dealing with the human very awkward. Nigh unbearable, in fact. She was not going to start wearing clothes!

The situation had to be resolved!

"Rawsthorne. I wonder if I could ask another favour."

His hand, which had been reaching for the door handle, stopped. "Yes?" he asked.

Celestia returned to her bath. Lukewarm or not, after a few minutes outside, the water felt soothingly warm again.

"Wash my back?"

Again she had to suppress a laugh as the human nearly jumped. "What?!" he said, "can't you do it yourself?"

"Well, yes. With magic, easily. But ponies are social creatures. We find things like this soothing. My sister used to do this for me, in fact."

The mare didn't add '...until I banished her to the moon.' Rawsthorne was hesitating, which Celestia took as a good sign. She floated up a sponge and gave him a hopeful look.

It worked! The human moved a little jerkily, almost mechanically, but he came to her. After a moment, he pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and took the sponge. She smiled encouragingly and turned to the side, to get herself in easy reach. After a few seconds, she felt the ginger touch on her back.

"Don't worry, I'm quite sturdy. And - before you ask - no, this isn't weird."

The alicorn was lying. Soaked and sitting in a bathtub with this alien creature pawing at her back made the mare feel very vulnerable. It was nothing like sharing a bath with a pony she trusted! Still, she was determined to make it right. Controlling her expression came easily after millenia of practice.

"Feels... inappropriate," the man commented. But he didn't stop.

"Why?" Celestia thought she understood. It was like the difference between seeing a mare walking around about her business, and seeing her in the bathroom, doing her... well, 'business'.

Some things were done strictly in private. She was beginning to discover that bathing was one such thing for humans. It almost made a kind of sense. They wore their clothes all the time and didn't like to be seen without. She had experienced that when she walked in on the unclad human by accident. It was logical that these, private activities extended to everything which included removing their clothes.

Luckily, there was a simple way to verify her theory. "So, you're uncomfortable with me in the bath because you're imagining me as a human woman? I can see how seeing one of them naked might be uncomfortable."

"Yes! Exactly!" the human quickly affirmed. His pitiful attempts at washing her back stopped. "It just doesn't seem... proper!"

Celestia was a little flattered. She had chided the man to see her more as a person and less as an animal. It had, apparently, worked. Maybe even too well.

"Well, my culture is different, but I understand. It will be alright once I'm out of the bath?"

He hesitated for just a second, but the mare had been watching for that. "Y-yes," Rawsthorne said uncertainly. "I suppose so."

"Then, let's simply not think about it. I'm me, and you're you. Everything else is just labels, hmm?"

She saw him nod.

"Maybe it will help if you give me some orders. I've cleaned most of the house. Tomorrow I will wash the windows and sweep the dust on the furniture. Would you like me to get started on the garden?"

This was firmer ground and she felt that the human was more sure of himself. "That sounds good. Yes, do that, please."

'Please', Celestia thought to herself. Quite polite, even to a slave. She approved. "Very good, Gregory. Thank you for your help here. I will try out the steam chamber tomorrow, when I am alone, if that's alright?"

"Yes, sure. Whenever you like," he agreed. Then he let the sponge fall into the water and took a few steps back, to the door. "Listen, I will finish up my work and retire for the night. I shan't be needing breakfast tomorrow, so you may sleep in."

The pony tsked and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, but I can't obey that order, Master."

He understood her calling him that was just the mare being contrite, so he didn't correct her, but he raised up his hands as if in defense. "No, it really isn't necessary."

Celestia allowed herself to glare a little. "I will hold you down with magic and feed you, if I have to!"

The threat, however jokingly she might have made it, made the human scowl. "I will order the ring!" he countered.

Now she let her mouth spread in a nasty smile. "Try it and see what happens!"

They glared at each other fiercely for a moment, but then the human chuckled a little. A moment later, a much relieved Celestia joined in. "You really won't budge on this, will you?" Rawsthorne asked.

The pony shook her head. It had been another gamble. She hadn't been entirely sure the man was joking. But she had listened to her instincts, honed by thousands of diplomatic encounters of all kinds. She could spot bluffing when she saw it.

"I will not. We will be eating breakfast every morning. I suggest you plan your schedule accordingly."

Rawsthorne spread his arms helplessly, then let them fall back. "Fine. But you're not really acting like a slave, you know that? Baths and saunas and TV. Not to mention ordering her owner around..."

She poked her tongue out at him. "You're not acting like a slaver, either!"

He gave this a bit of thought. "You'd prefer chains and collars and the belt when you misbehave?"

Now Celestia quickly shook her head. Then she lowered her gaze and let her ears fold down in what, she hoped, looked like abject misery. "No, Master."

There was a strange look in his eye. The mare could just see his face in the corner of her vision.

"I swear to God, I don't know what to make of you, Celestia. Are you sure you're a regular pony?"

For a moment she worried that he was getting close to uncovering her secret. The earlier remark about her not acting like a slave, and now this! She had to divert his train of thought, fast.

"Do you have garden shears and a mower, Gregory? I will get started on the lawn tomorrow. And we might need some supplies, which we can pick up the next day."

"Oh yes," he said, "the shears are in the garage. And you'll have to check if there's enough gas in the mower."

He spotted her blank stare and shrugged. "Let's leave it until Saturday. I'll show you. And then in the afternoon, I'll take to you to the market for produce and groceries and then to the garden center for anything you need."

The pony couldn't wrap her head around the idea that there should be a gas in the mower. It didn't run on steam, did it? She imagined that would be quite unwieldy. Yet another mechanical wonder, the mare guessed. She was looking forward to it.

"Anything else?" the human asked. She shook her head and he bid her good night and ducked out. Only then did Celestia remember about the monster in the basement.

It could wait another day, she decided, and sank back down. But the water was rapidly losing its heat, so she sighed and decided to get out. At least she felt sleepy this time. The day had been filled with strange adventure, and she hadn't gotten enough sleep the previous night. The nap on the couch had barely taken the edge off her exhaustion.

Celestia quickly dried herself off, pulled the plug on the bathtub and went to leave the room. At the last second she remembered that she should clean up after herself, but aside from a bit of soapy water, there wasn't a big mess. Plus, the mare was certain Rawsthorne wouldn't need the room.

She would clean it up tomorrow, the alicorn decided. It could wait. Happy with her reasoning, the mare made a slight detour through the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She drank it quickly and went to her room.

She paused in the hallway and focused her ears, but there was no sound coming from the master bedroom. It looked like Rawsthorne was already asleep. There were no clocks upstairs, so the pony didn't know how late it was. Out of habit, she reached out to the sun to see how low under the horizon it was. But with the world between her and the shining orb, she could barely feel it.

Too far for any kind of accuracy. Celestia shrugged to herself and sat on her bed. Her vest and hoofguards caught her eye. How quickly she had gotten used to being without them, the mare mused. But they reminded her of Luna and she hugged the fabric to her chest.

"Have a peaceful night, Sister."

She put the items under her bed and pulled the blanket over herself and was asleep in seconds.

Chapter 19

It wasn't too bad, Celestia decided during her noon break. Especially if her new jailer, Denis, kept having business lunches with clients. She was chewing on a hay-and-cheese sandwich in Rawsthorne's office and sipping an 'iced tea' Wendy had made her. It was quite good, actually. Her owner was also gone - in fact - the whole floor was mostly empty. It gave her the peace and quiet she needed to really get into the books.

As she and Rawsthorne had discussed in the car, the alicorn would take the first week simply to read and absorb the material she would have to work with. He had gotten her some office supplies and the pony dutifully jotted down important-looking bits and questions. She didn't absolutely need to do that, but it helped.

To his credit and her surprise, Denis was entirely professional and courteous while they were working. Maybe it was just in his free time that he was a jerk? It suited the mare just fine if she never found out for sure. She could definitely work with this. It might even be enjoyable. She was feeling charitable toward Denis, because he had not once mentioned her bruised plot. Of course Rawsthorne had told his colleague why she was suddenly working for him, but Denis just ignored it. She was very grateful for that.

Her sandwich and her drink were gone, but she hardly noticed. Even when her owner came back Celestia barely glanced at him. He came around the desk and looked at what she was reading. Then his hand in her mane made her lose her place, but she didn't mind in the slightest.

"When does Denis usually come back?" She would have kept reading in his office, but the man wanted to lock it when he was away. Very mistrustful, Celestia thought. "I need the Customs Code next. You don't have it, I checked."

The human glanced at his wristwatch. "Should be soon," he said. "Why don't you take a break? You're doing a fine job, don't run yourself ragged."

Celestia considered this. After a moment she nodded and pushed the book away. Then she stretched out her wings luxuriously and drew a deep breath. She froze in shock when she felt Rawsthorne's hands right there! He had carefully grabbed the leading edge and was tracing a finger down a primary feather. It instantly drove all thoughts of Denis and her work from her mind. She also blushed a vivid red - a fact that the human didn't seem to notice just yet.

If he didn't let go soon, he would have a mess on his chair!

He couldn't have known, could he? The pony used her wings 'socially' quite often. She even hugged the human with them, or sometimes offered a feather in lieu of a hoofshake. But it was all casual, a passing gesture.

This, on the other hoof, was something else entirely. Holding her wing like that, touching the sensitive feathers right there. So gently, caressingly. Almost like he was preening them.

Without asking first!

For one thing, it was incredibly inappropriate. For another, strangely exhilarating.

"Uh, Greg?" Her voice was too breathy by half and a little high-pitched. It made the human look and release the wing. It snapped back to her side.

She was immensely relieved that he had let go.

She was very disappointed that he had let go.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" her owner asked, voice full of concern. "Something in your sandwich?" Apparently he mistook her expression for nausea.

She shook her head, closed her eyes and took a deep breath to relax. "I might have forgotten to mention, but wings on a pony are an intensely... 'private' matter. Do you understand?"

The human blinked and looked at his fingers. "What do you mean 'private'?" he asked carefully.

"Something... lovers do."

Now his face was starting to match hers in color. "Oh! OH! Sorry! I swear, Celestia, I didn't know! I was just curious!"

She had guessed as much, but it was still a relief to hear it. "It's okay. You didn't know. Now you do."

Then the lawyer in him raised a point she knew he would: "But you have touched me with your wings before. Hugged, even."

"Yes, but that is different. Imagine the difference between licking your face and kissing you. Both involve approximately the same gestures and... parts. But they have quite different connotations."

His blush grew worse. When she realized what she just said, so did hers.

"Yeah, I think I understand the difference. Please accept my apology. It won't happen again."

Now she was sad. She hadn't meant to sound so negative! "Well now, I know you're curious. I could... show you a bit more. W-When we are home. In private."

It didn't have the intended effect. The human looked away in embarrassment and quickly went to shuffle some papers around. "Well, yes. Maybe. We'll see."

She had an idea. Rawsthorne was clearly uncomfortable about the thoughts of her... in that way. Perhaps she could have some fun that evening. Tease him a little. It would be exciting and he would make the funniest faces, if the current one was any indication. A fitting revenge for making her sit outside the bathroom and listen to him taking a bath!

For now, she needed to concentrate on work. She really did not want to 'leak' as she walked. Also, even the humans would be bound to notice the smell. She carefully stood up and focused. She felt... damp, but nothing was oozing. That was good. Just in case, she kept the tail firmly clamped against her.

"I'll just... uh, I'll use the bathroom."

The human gave a nod and she left his office. The mare headed straight for the ladies' room, barely acknowledging Denis as she passed him in the hallway. Once safely inside, the alicorn heaved a sigh and then started to giggle. As if she was fifteen! She forced herself to stop and spoke to her reflection in the mirror.

"Stop this, Celestia! Act your age! Besides, he's a different species!" Just to be sure, she squeezed into a stall and wiped herself dry. As she left, the mare in the mirror seemed to be giving her a speculative and rather 'smirky' look.

"Not now! And certainly not here!"

The alicorn made herself look away and schooled her face to stillness. It was time to work! She made her way to Denis' office and took the chair at the smaller desk he had arranged for her. At least the human would take her mind from these inappropriate matters.

"Hello. Progress? Need any help?" he offered, straight to he point.

She remembered her questions. "Actually, yes. There are a few points, let me see..." Her notes and her book were still in the other office. "Oh, just a second."

She stepped out across the hallway and pushed her owner's door open. It looked like he was fiercely concentrating on his computer, but he looked up.

"Just need my notes."

He gave a nod and the pony floated them over. But just as she was about to leave, Rawsthorne cleared his throat. "We'll talk tonight."

It made her heart nearly skip a beat. She tried to guess what he meant, but his expression said nothing. Would the talk be a chiding for letting herself - and him - get this flustered at work? Or would he want to inspect her wings some more?

She had to bite her lip to stop herself going down that path of thought again. She hurried out without answering. Denis was looking at her strangely. She went back to her desk as nonchalantly as she could. When she glanced back at the human, he had a very insolent smirk. She very much did not like it.

"What?!"

He steepled his fingers and inspected her for a short while before answering: "You hitch your tail way up when you talk to Rawsthorne. Did you know that? I wonder what that means on a pony."

Her breath caught. She hadn't even been aware of it! Worse, Celestia realized: this jerk had had a wonderful view of her plot! Now he probably thought he had guessed what Rawsthorne and she were doing. It made him laugh and the sound sent cold shivers down her spine.

"Nothing to be ashamed about, dear. We all have our little... secrets."

The insolent, meaningful way he winked at her nearly made the mare hoof Denis right in the face.

"It is none of your business! Besides, nothing is happening if that's what you're implying!" Too late Celestia remembered that she shouldn't have engaged the man at all. His grin just widened.

Incredibly, he believed her. "Ah, but you're hoping something would?" She remained silent and let her muzzle scrunch up in disgust, but it just seemed to make the man laugh harder. At long last he stopped and sighed happily. "Well, if your uptight master says no, you come to me. I wouldn't mind giving that a try."

Her mouth fell open at the ludicrous proposition and the tone he said it in! Not to mention the sultry wink! She remembered what her owner had said. "One more word, Denis, and we'll slap you with sexual harassment. I'm warning you!"

It didn't have quite the effect she had hoped for, but the human shrugged and raised up his hands, palms toward her. "Okay, okay. Sorry. I'm just joking, you know?"

She very much doubted that, but she didn't want to argue anymore. There was still the job to do, and Denis was still a superb attorney, and - the mare remembered - when he was working, this human was a lot more professional.

"Okay. Just so long as you know. Now let's go through my questions..."

Chapter 46

It finally worked. Celestia found the seam between the realities that night and slipped smoothly into Silent Brook's dream. Perhaps what had helped the stallion most of all, was a good rest with April's calming presence, or maybe Celestia was getting back into practice. The very next day after April had slept over, Celestia joined her friend again in his bed, and this time it worked! She found herself inside the dream.

"Hello? Is anypony there?" called Silent Brook somewhere in the distance. There was a tremor of fear in his voice, clear despite it being muffled.

Celestia hid herself. It never paid to be too hasty in these things, Luna had been very insistent on that fact. Observe first, act later. Now that she felt the dreamscape around her once again, the alicorn quickly remembered the long-unused skills. It was easy to be invisible in a dream. Once she was convinced that she was well hidden, Celestia went in search of her friend. It wasn't a particularly big place and the style reminded her more of Canterlot than anywhere on Earth. It was a villa, richly decorated with tapestries, intricate carpets and paintings. The air was dry and warm, and it smelled of a desert. The furniture was old, polished wood. Mahogany, if the alicorn had to guess. Here and there were touches of the modern human world: a television, a phone. Speakers. Electric lamps and switches, skillfully hidden or made to blend with the environment. She looked around, but didn't linger. Silent Brook was elsewhere.

The mare concentrated for a moment and felt for her friend. In moments she found him and twirled around to look at a particular door. Compared with the other furnishings, it was out of place. Where the rest of the house followed a particlar style, this door stood out with its metal surface and an impressive-looking lock. She opened it and looked down a dark, stone stairway. It reminded her too strongly of an open grave. Celestia blinked and forced her mind back to stillness. Her own careless thoughts could manifest in this place. She had to keep them under control. Silent Brook's would be hard enough to deal with, without adding some ancient alicorn nightmares to the mix. She descended into the cellars. The rich carpets gave way to bare stone floors, wall hangings to spider webs. The furniture was no longer beautiful.

There, in a small room, under a solitary electric bulb - Silent Brook. His legs were chained together and a heavy, metal collar linked him to the wall. There was a bucket in the corner. It was probably how he had been held, Celestia thought and her heart went out to her subject, her friend. Despite his miserable condition, she still didn't reveal herself. Something told her that the real nightmare hadn't started yet. She walked to the pony and stood protectively before him, even if he couldn't see her. It wouldn't be very long. Silent Brook was whimpering quietly and staring at the wooden rectangle of the door. Celestia had just walked through it, but now it was closed. She didn't even bat an eye. Things in the dream world were always a little ephemeral.

The alicorn jumped a little as it burst open. There was hideous laughter and slow, deliberate footsteps. The stallion shuffled into the corner, as far out of the circle of dim light as he could. The chain rattled as he trembled, pressed against the walls.

"Wakey, wakey, plaything," the voice purred. "It's time for you to sing."

Celestia tried to see through the gloom, but the darkness was absolute. She looked back to Silent Brook, who had his eyes closed and was shaking his head. Maybe it was time to end it?

If she did, the nightmare would be back the next night. She could not guard the stallion all the time. She had to give him the key, but the moment was not quite there yet. The nightmare wasn't ready. The mare let her eyes slide shut and focused inward. She was a part of the dream, which meant that the dream was also a part of her. She should be able to see how it went and there had to be a place where she could insert a hoof and nudge it in another direction. No grand gestures, however much she wanted. No bursting into flame and making the monster blow away like dust. No vengeful goddess, shielding her subject with her wings made of light.

Something smaller...

Suddenly Celestia saw it, the place where she could change things. She blinked her eyes open and went to stand beside Silent Brook. The monster emerged from the shadow with a mad cackle. It was human, but not entirely so. It walked on hind legs and held a gleaming knife in a twisted parody of a hand. The features were mostly human, but the teeth were not. Absolutely nothing should have teeth that pointy, the mare thought. Or eyes that yellow and slitted! There was a dark hole, oozing something unidentifiable, where its chest should have been. The thing should not have been alive with a wound like that. She could see why Silent Brook was caught again and again by the same nightmare. It shuffled forward with a limp and the alicorn noted that. Perhaps a slight premonition? She had to remember - everything was controlled, given life, by the stallion. The monster was only in his imagination. He said he broke his tormentor's leg and kicked the other one...

Ah! Of course. He had joined both of his tormentors into a single creature. The mare smiled. Even as terrified as he was, the stallion was giving himself hints. The creature was already defeated. It had the injuries to prove it. Maybe, with more time, he would have realized that it was only a dream, but she could speed things along. She was still invisible when she leaned down to put her muzzle next to his ear. She spoke the words, but they made no sound. They arrived in Silent Brook's mind like thoughts, without the intervention of his ears.

"I kicked him and broke his leg. Kicked the other in the stomach."

She watched her pony closely. His expression froze for an instant as the message settled into the forefront of his mind. His lips twitched as if he was repeating it silently to himself, but he was looking at the monster with the knife and his eyes quickly filled with new fear.

Then she whispered to Silent Brook again: "I beat him and escaped! I'm not here!"

Her friend had averted his gaze away from the monster, but now he looked at it again, in confusion. It froze uncertainly, mid-stride, while it was advancing on the pony.

Once more, Celestia spoke, this time lifting her head to stare defiantly at the creature. "I'm home with Saul and April! This is a dream!"

Of course Silent Brook didn't hear her, but the monster did. It lowered its foot and took a hesitant step back. Silent Brook straightened up. "This isn't real!" he said suddenly. "This is a dream!"

Everything went black.

Celestia woke up when Silent Brook sat bolt upright in the bed. Her wing, laid carefully across his flank slipped off. The alicorn stretched a little and smiled to herself. She really was good at it, once she found her way into the dream! Luna would undoubtedly be proud of her. She looked at Silent Brook, who was breathing heavily and staring into the distance.

"Feeling better?"

His incredulous stare turned to her. "W-what happened?" he asked plaintively.

Celestia pushed herself partly upright and laid a gentle hoof on his. "I succeeded."

"But," the stallion mumbled, "b-but you weren't there! It was just the nightmare all over again, but then I suddenly realized it was a dream and woke up!"

There was faint light coming in from the street lamp and the Princess smiled happily, certain that he could see her. "I beat him and escaped. This is a dream. I am home with April," she said.

His eyes went even wider. "That's exactly what I-" he began, the his hooves flew to his mouth. "How did you-?!"

The mare chuckled happily. "Not everything we do is flashy, Silent Brook. Sometimes a Princess must use a gentle hoof." He was still confused, so she explained. "I simply helped you realize what was already there in your mind, Silent Brook. You knew it was a dream, but terror kept you from remembering. I merely whispered a few words to you in your dream. A name."

"April," the stallion sighed.

"Yes. Undoubtedly you would have remembered in time. Friendship can be a powerful link."

He sighed and his shoulders sagged. "So this is it? No more nightmares?"

Here, the mare had some bad news. "Unfortunately it is not that easy, Silent Brook. You will not be free from this fear. The nightmare will return, but you will remember on your own, in time. It will be easier each night. It will happen more and more often, until you defeat it completely."

The pony nodded. "Thank you, P-princess."

For once, Celestia didn't mind the honorific. The authority and power the title carried might help the stallion defeat his demons next time, when he was alone again.

"You know," he went on, a little uncertainly, "I thought I'd see you in the dream. Or something."

Celestia shook her head. "That would have worked for tonight, but it would not have lasted when I left. Your thoughts must find their way out for themselves. Now that I have shown you a path, it will be easier to walk the next time."

She wasn't sure he understood, but Silent Brook didn't ask more questions about what had happened. He yawned and lay back on the bed. "W-will you go back to the sleeping bag now?"

The mare considered it. Then she shook her head and settled back down. "There is still some time until morning and the nights are chilly, Silent Brook. You do not mind?"

"No, of c-course not," he replied.

"Good night, Silent Brook."

The stallion shuffled into a comfortable position. Maybe he ended up a fraction of an inch closer to the alicorn, or maybe it was just her imagination. She hadn't lied. The warmth would be welcome and the sleeping foam on the floor was hard on her bones. Silent Brook only had a mattress, but it was infinitely more comfortable.

"Good night, Princess," he whispered back. "And thank you."

She put her wing on his flank again, more out of habit at this point than anything else. She missed her 'Rawsthorne-pillow' and in the dark, one warm body was pretty much like another.

"P-princess?" the stallion asked a little uncertainly.

"Just in case."

He paused. "Oh. T-thank you."