Daedalus' New World

Some time later, Daedalus became aware of Starfall shifting on him as she let out an unhappy noise. After a moment of procrastination, she slowly rose and stretched as she arched her back and let out a happy little coo. As she stretched, Daedalus couldn't help it as his eyes roamed over her form, taking in the sight despite her shiny armor. Even without being a pony, he knew she was attractive. Tall among ponies, she easily matched the height of Twilight and came just up to his chest when they were both standing. Her silver coat gleamed in the sunlight and, as he knew from the experience, was carefully cared for and incredibly soft to the touch. Her midnight mane framed her head in a short, simple curls that kept it out of her face when it was in her helmet. She opened her eyes and caught him blatantly staring with a small smile on his face as her eyes met his own. A deep care glimmered in those gentle portals, not yet love but not far from it either.

He could see it on her face, she had considered teasing him for staring for a second before she changed her mind. Instead, she leaned in close and planted a soft kiss on his cheek as he reached up and gently cupped her muzzle, his thumb caressing her own cheek in return. "I thought you had fallen asleep."

"I wasn't far from it, Star. You're comfortable." Daedalus said truthfully. It had been very tempting to just fall asleep as he had held her.

"Pot to the kettle." She retorted as she smiled happily at him. "You're surprisingly warm for somepony with no coat. I could sleep all day if I'm not careful, even if you are a little hard to lay on."

"Could make it a day just for us." Daedalus offered as her face lit up in excitement.

"That sounds wonderful. It'll have to be another day, though. I've got to check back in with my corporal and then get back on my patrol."

Glancing up at the sky, Daedalus saw the sun was about halfway between noon and setting. "You won't be off until after dark, will you?"

"No, I won't. Then I've gotta polish my armor and clean my bunk for inspection tomorrow. Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked as her eyes drifted shut. She leaned into the hand that cupped her cheek with a content little smile.

"I'd like that. Today's Friday, right? When's your next day off?"

"Sunday." Starfall answered an quickly gave him a gentle boop before she stepped back. "I've really gotta go back. If I don't, I'll stay here with you all day and get fired."

"I know. I would too. Have fun, Star." Daedalus said, giving her a playful smile.

She snorted and returned his smile. "Fun, sure. Walking through the halls for another six hours before heading back to clean a room I share with eleven other mares. I'd prefer to stay with you but I rather like being able to buy food and take you out sometimes~"

She levitated her helmet back up to her head as the illusion quickly took hold. Her colors changed back to the pure white coat and lighter blue mane that was standard for the guards. Giving him one last smile, she turned around and exited the courtyard as she returned to her duties. Letting out a contented sigh, Daedalus let his head rest back on the grass. He really had been on the edge of falling asleep with her. Despite not needing sleep and having nigh-infinite stamina, he felt tired. Not physically of course, but more mentally from the busy day. He had met his sect of the Tartarian Hunters then had a several hour long talk with Cadence. While he truly did appreciate all of it, her lessons had shifted from pony love to pony sex far quicker than he had anticipated and it had been pretty embarrassing when she got to heat. Not to mention, laying there for what was probably nearly an hour with a warm feeling in his chest hadn't helped his tiredness at all.

"Somepony's been busy~" Daedalus heard a familiar voice call out teasingly. Opening his eyes again, he looked toward the entrance to see Celestia entering. Giving her a small smile, he beckoned her over to him. Walking over with a serene smile, she took a seat next to him. "First you get introduced to the Hunters. Then you have the talk with Cadence, probably learning more than you ever wanted to this quickly. And finally, I find you out here snuggled up with one of my Guards who's acting like a filly with a crush~"

"Things are happening far too fast." Daedalus answered honestly as he stretched. Celestia paused, having expected him to tease back like he did before. Celestia instead wrapped her wings around him and gently pulled him into her. When her large wings wrapped around him, he chuckled softly. "Though not in a bad way. It's just hard to keep up with all that's happened today and yesterday."

She giggled softly and gently nuzzled her soft muzzle into his cheek. "Talk to me, Jay. It doesn't need to make sense, just air out some of those silly thoughts in your head for me."

"I've only been here three days now." Daedalus explained as he leaned his head side. "I think I'm adapting well and Cadence helped a lot in that regard as she taught how important physical affection is for ponies. She calmed a lot of my fears with Starfall but, still. Everything is happening so quick. Then there's my emotions."

"Your emotions?" Celestia asked curiously.

"I'm a virus. I don't have natural emotions. Everything I felt was because I decided I wanted to feel it. But after a dream I had last night, I can't control my emotions. I'm not unhappy with that change, but it's something I'm having to adjust to." Daedalus explained.

"Pink gel flowing into you?" The white alicorn asked as her muzzle softly brushed through his hair as she nuzzled the top of his head again.

"Yeah. I didn't tell Cadence about it but she mentioned it as part of her 'talk.' I know it's the ambient magic in Equestria connecting my emotions to my soul." As he nodded, she squeezed him tighter with her wings before pulling back. A hoof touched his cheek, turning his head to look at her.

Her magenta eyes met his light blue ones and he felt her aura surround him. As the sense of belonging overcame him, he found him wild emotions calming as she continued to look into his eyes. She gave him a moment as she watched the stress in his eyes fade before she spoke. "Oh, you sweet, silly man. You have nothing to worry about. Yes, things are progressing quickly, but can you look me in the eyes and say it's bad?"

"No, I really can't. Starfall... I like her. I definitely do. Being part of the Hunters will be good, too. I'll be able to help a lot of ponies and save lives." Daedalus explained. The white alicorn smiled softly and gave him a third nuzzle as her nose gently rubbed against his own.

"Then don't worry about it, Jay. If the changes aren't bad, let them come. Take them in stride, trust your friends, and enjoy life. After all, I don't see why you wouldn't be happy with a pretty mare crushing on you and an attractive goddess hugging you~" Celestia said, ending with a teasing smile as mirth twinkled in her eyes. Reaching up and cupping her muzzle, he gently caressed the short fur with his thumb.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were flirting with me, Celestia." He said with a small smile.

"Who said I'm not~?" She cooed with a light pink blush on her muzzle, closing her eyes and leaning into his hand. Feeling him freeze for a second, her smile widened as she giggled. "Don't worry, Jay, I'm not going to make things harder on you. Once you're comfortable with Starfall, though, I make no promises~"

"A-ah." Daedalus said, not quite sure what to say to that. It didn't help when she gave him a knowing smile, winking playfully. "You're horrible."

"I make things fun." She said confidently. Pushing him back onto his back, she followed him soon after and folded her legs under her, resting part of her upper body on him. "Half teasing aside, how do you feel about Equestria now that you've met some other ponies?"

"Half teasing?" He asked her and only received an innocent look in return. "Anyway, I like Equestria. I've already told you that I think I could come to see this place as home and that's completely true. More than that though, I enjoy the ponies here too. All the physical affection isn't something I'm used to, but it's nice."

"I bet it is." Celestia smirked, leaning further onto him. "Especially when you're surrounded by pretty mares~"

"Hush, Celestia." Daedalus said with a chuckle and reached up to run his hand through her hair. Despite the magical appearance of her mane, it only really felt like tingly, soft hair.

"Nah, I know you enjoy it." She giggled softly. "I know I would."

Falling into a comfortable silence, Celestia hummed happily at his attention. With her soft fur brushing against his skin and a pair of warm wings draped over his body, Daedalus couldn't help but think how lucky he was. Of all the worlds he could have been brought to, this was the one. It could have been a corrupt nation, a place of greed, or horrors even worse than the Evolved. Instead, he got very snuggly ponies.

"So about that flirting." Daedalus said after a moment as he looked down at the alabaster alicorn.

Looking back up at him from where her head was resting on his chest, she gave a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if I bothered you with that, but it wasn't just a tease."

Letting his head fall back to the grass, he sighed softly before he started to slowly chuckle. He felt her muzzle maneuver its way into the crook of his neck as she continued. "The life of an immortal is lonely, Jay. There aren't a lot of male immortals on Equis and none of them are not what I would call 'friendly'. The only one I could name is Discord and I shudder to think of a relationship with him. Then you come along. Calling it a rocky start would put it lightly, but the Elements resolved the issue, and then you came here to Canterlot. You show my sister and I complete trust by telling us what you are and what your past is, quickly cementing yourself as a friend. You befriended my sister almost instantly and get along with her well. Despite the fact that you could literally do nothing for eternity since you don't need food, you instead decided to join the Hunters to help ponies. You could argue that it was Luna's boon, but you could have easily had it considered unfair since you'd be risking your life."

"Then you meet Starfall and she becomes interested in you. Instead of rejecting her, you go out of your way to learn how courting works in our society. Then when you learn how much ponies rely on physical affection, you immediately start showing it and making those close to you feel more cared for. Even in a completely strange world out of your element in a hundred ways and with your entire life changing overnight, you focus on fitting in with those around you. I can't help but find you attractive." Celestia said honestly, reaching up and pressing her hoof against his cheek. Her pink eyes shone with something he couldn't quite identify, simultaneously looking so confident yet so vulnerable. "Truth be told, I probably shouldn't have said anything. You have enough on your mind with Starfall and learning how to show love like a pony and you don't need to worry about anything else. But I had already stuck my hoof in my mouth and I wasn't going to back down. For now, just focus on Starfall, Jay. Once you're settled with her for better or for worse, then we'll talk."

Reaching up and gently grasping her hoof, he stroked the silky fur as he met her eyes, the same powerful calm helping him keep his head on straight. "Truth be told, it's not as bad as you might think. If I had been a normal human, I think I'd be struggling a lot more than I am now. Celestia, I was a slave to a genocidal god who used a mutant zombie apocalyptic virus to try to destroy the world. Going to a world where ponies are very open about what they're looking for is a cakewalk. I had years to adapt to what I had become, what my world had become, and having it change again is nothing strange to me. Especially since it changed for the better. My virus ensured my emotional state never changed because I didn't have an emotional state."

Resting his forehead against hers and minding the large horn, he closed his eyes and sigh. "Mentally, I'm a Greater Evolved. Emotionally, though, I'm still a human. That comes together into a complicated mix of 'I don't know what I'm feeling.' Side by side, I simultaneously have no issue with dating a pony but I'm scared of the idea of polygamy. Like you said, a part of me is okay with it. After all, the idea of having two attractive mares interested in me sounds nice. Another part of me finds it terrifying. I could screw up twice and hurt two people I care about, not just one."

Nodding in understanding, Celestia leaned in and gently nuzzled her nose to his own. "Then don't worry about it. Maybe in a year you'll have no issue with it and think you're being silly now. In my opinion, just focusing on yourself and Starfall is the best thing you can do for now. Okay?"

Giving her an appreciative smile, he nodded. "Okay. I'll try not to keep you waiting, though."

"I've waited two thousand years for a good stallion. Even a hundred more is nothing in the grand scope of my life." Celestia said with an honest smile. "For now, just get comfortable and keep brushing my mane. I'm still free for the next twenty minutes."

Laughing, Daedalus nodded as he brought his hand back up to her mane. "Alright, Celestia."

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Celestia was startled as the door to her bedroom was suddenly flung open as Luna entered with a happy smile on her muzzle. Gently closing the door behind her, she hurried over to Celestia's bed and climbed in, the plush mattress easily able to handle their combined weight. She scooted closer to Celestia until their sides were touching and gave her older sister a hopeful look. With an understanding smile, Celestia draped a large white wing over the midnight blue alicorn and softly nuzzled her. "Why, hello there my little Moon~"

"Fancy meeting you here~" Luna responded playfully, snuggling deeper into her sister's embrace as she rested her head on Celestia's outstretched hooves. "How was thine day?"

"It was a good day. I caught up on about a tenth of my paperwork and released a statement on Jay, so hopefully he won't receive as much staring next time he goes into Canterlot now that ponies know about him. Although, I did buck up." Celestia said, giving Luna a sheepish look as the smaller alicorn looked up at her, eyes narrowed. "I maaay have mentioned that I was attracted to him and considering pursuing him."

"Sister." Luna gave an exasperated sigh but couldn't hold it against her, instead leaning in to nuzzle Celestia's neck. "Why did you do that? You know we were going to wait to avoid overwhelming him, especially after Starfall beat us to it."

Celestia gave an embarrassed whine, a pink dusting on her muzzle betraying her feelings. "I know, little Moon, but we were talking in one of the courtyards and he was confiding in me and we were holding each other and then a tease just slipped out. I already stuck one hoof in my mouth and I didn't want to try to play it off in case I made him think I was incredibly not interested in him, so I just told him the truth and explained it, and promised that I wouldn't pursue him until he was comfortable with Starfall."

"Did you tell him about us?" Luna asked, giving her sister a look. "We agreed we'd both be there for that."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I didn't want to give him even more to think about. We had a heart to heart, though, and he's not as overwhelmed as we thought he was. The ambient magic of Equestria has already touched him and his emotions are far stronger than before, but he said he's happy with the change."

Luna glanced down, a small smile coming to her muzzle even as it tinted red. "I imagine he'll be quite happy when he finds out he has both of us pining after him."

Celestia giggled, nodding her head. "Well, once he's gotten used to the idea of a herd. He was raised to be strictly monogamous and, though a lot of who he was has changed, he's still emotionally the same as he was before he became what he is."

Nodding her head, Luna sighed. "I suppose that is going to be hard to adjust to. Do you think Starfall could do it?"

"Absolutely. That mare has always wanted a big herd. She's a force to be reckoned with when it comes to getting what she wants. And she'll have us helping her." Celestia giggled, thinking about the Solar Guard. "He won't stand a chance."

"What do you mean, sister?" Luna asked, looking up at her sister with confused, innocent eyes.

Celestia gave her sister an alluring smile, making Luna blush heavily as she realized what her sister was getting at. Celestia leaned in and gently nibbled on the tip of Luna's ear and gained a small squeak before whispering softly. "With the three of us teasing him, no male could ever resist us for long~ By the end of the year we'll have Jay between the three of us."

Blushing hard, Luna turned her muzzle to catch Celestia's, turning the little tease into a gentle kiss.