Well, I think the interview went pretty well. I didn't stand out so I wouldn't get into more trouble. I told everything that happened to me. And everything went well… No, I forgot to mention my personal situation!

I have to find Raven to tell her that I'm not from this world and to send me home! She took the whole confetti kingdom thing pretty well, I wanted to tell her about my situation at the end when she was more acclimated to the madness but I completely forgot about it in my epic tale!

I turn around to where the interview hallway was and knock on the door quickly. After a minute of not answering I realized she was already gone.

I rush down the hallway to find her, but when I turn around, I'm faced with an empty hallway. “Arthur don't panic, you just missed what may be the only chance for someone to send you back home, it's not that big of a deal…” I try to tell myself to calm down, which fails “Of course it's important!”

I pick the first address that comes to mind in hopes of finding her.

I basically run aimlessly through the castle, my hooves clicking on the marble floor. How could I have forgotten? That's the first thing I should have mentioned! “Hey Raven, by the way, I'm not from this world, help me get home!” It was so simple… so obvious. But no. I had to get lost in the stories of rock and mayhem, forgetting the essential.

“Raven!” I shouted, even though I realized she probably wouldn't hear me. The place was pretty quiet, and the worst thing is that I didn't even know where to go.

I just have to find her and she can pass the message on to one of the princesses. According to what I read in the library, there are five princesses, but there are two in Canterlot. However, yesterday I managed to see one of them who was here, Princess Twilight, I'm not sure at this moment if she was one of the two who were here or not. Anyway, each alicorn according to what I researched, are quite powerful and also based on my experience when facing Pinkie Pie, I don't doubt it. However, Twilight was also an element of harmony so she could solve my problem doubly.

As I turned a corner, I almost crashed into a figure that was walking calmly. I stopped suddenly, sliding a little on the flagstones of the floor. Looking up, I saw a mare, slightly taller than me, with impeccable white fur and a pastel pink mane, which fell straight to one side of her face.

"Excuse me," I said quickly. "Have you seen a pony named Raven? Dark hair, with a face that's always two seconds away from losing her temper..."

The mare looked at me with a calm expression, and at that moment, something in her gaze made me stop. There was a serenity... as if the chaos around me didn't affect her in the slightest.

"Raven, you say?" she asked in a soft, but firm voice. "I'm afraid I haven't seen her recently."

I let out a sigh, frustrated. "Well, that complicates things, although it seems to be the norm."

"You seem to be in quite a hurry. Are you looking for something important?" The mare looked at me with that calm, as if nothing worried her. If only she knew the chaos I carry within me...

I scratched my head with a hoof, searching for an answer that wouldn't give everything away at once. "Well, yeah, sort of. Let's just say I have a... problem, but it's not something that can be solved by just anyone. Maybe it would be best to find one of the princesses, you know? I've heard that they're the ones who might have the power to help me."

The mare looked at me with interest, but not surprise. "The princesses? Why them, in particular?"

I let out a small, nervous laugh, not realizing that I was about to blurt out more than I wanted to. "Well, you see, my situation is... complicated. I'm not exactly... from here." I paused, watching her gaze, trying to read if she was taking me seriously or if she thought I was just another crazy person. "I'm not just talking about this castle. I mean, I'm not from this world at all."

She blinked, but didn't say anything, which was even more unsettling. I crossed my arms... or well, as close as a pony can get to crossing their arms. "The thing is, I have a big secret, one that only someone really important could understand. Someone with influence, power... maybe a princess." Seeing that she remained calm, I let out a sigh. "Look, this sounds ridiculous, but I'm not from this pony world. I'm from another one, and... well, you see the mess I'm in. So I need help, but not from just anyone."

As I spoke, I saw something in her gaze change, as if she was more interested than I expected. But before I could react, she looked back quickly, as if she had seen something.

"What's behind you?" she said, her tone serious.

I turned around instinctively, my heart pounding. "Where? What?" I looked back and saw nothing. I turned around again, somewhat embarrassed. "Uh... there was nothing."

The mare smiled with an eerie calmness. "Oops, I was wrong, there was nothing at all."

I shook my head, trying to get the conversation going again. "Well, like I was saying, it's an important secret. And if you know any princesses or see Raven, maybe they could help me. But if not..." I shrugged. "I guess I'll have to keep looking."

"What if I told you I could help you?" she replied with complete calm.

I looked at her a little skeptically. "You?" I looked her up and down again, as if trying to find something I hadn't noticed before, by the looks of it, she's just a unicorn. "Well, no offense, but you don't exactly look like an alicorn or anything like that... you know, from what I've seen, princesses tend to be quite... alicorn-like."

She smiled again, keeping that serene state that, frankly, was making me a little nervous. “Oh, sure, I’m not an alicorn. But I can offer my help, if you trust me.”

Something in her tone gave me a chill. I didn’t know if I should trust this strange pony, but I couldn’t deny that there was something about her that intrigued me. Finally, I sighed. “Well, since I’m here… I guess I can’t lose anything by trying.”

She extended a hoof, as if she were formalizing some kind of deal. “My name is Celestia.”

I looked at her, processing the name. “Celestia?” I repeated it, a little bell ringing in my head, but I still didn’t connect the dots. “Nice to meet you. I’m Arthur… Arthur Green.”

We shook hands, though the feeling that I was missing something important still lingered in my head.

As we walked through the castle, still with that uneasy feeling in my head, I noticed that Celestia kept a relaxed pace, as if there was no real rush to find the princess we were looking for.

"So, Celestia, do you have any idea where we could start looking?" I asked, looking around. The walls were adorned with tapestries and portraits of important ponies, all in heroic or royal poses. But every time I tried to take a closer look at one, Celestia would gently get in my way, pushing me in another direction.

"Oh, don't worry, Arthur. I'm sure the princesses are busy with their royal business. In the meantime, why don't we take a little tour of the castle? You could get used to everything." Her voice was so soft and convincing that I couldn't help but nod.

"Yeah, sure, a tour... but wait, that doesn't sound like finding a princess." I tried to pull away to look at a huge portrait that, for some reason, seemed to have a sticker on it in the shape of a crown. But Celestia diverted my attention again.

“Oh, look! Here we have the stained glass room. Each stained glass window represents an important victory in Equestria’s history!” she said excitedly, pointing to one where, if I wasn’t mistaken, a pony was defeating a group of bug ponies?

“That’s cool and all, but I wonder if we could find—” I started to say, but before I could finish, Celestia gave me a gentle push towards another stained glass window. “This one shows the moment Twilight Sparkle became a princess. A monumental event.”

I looked at her suspiciously, but it was hard not to get lost in the details of the stained glass. “Yeah, okay, but—”

“Ah, look! An empty royal dining room, how about we take a little break here to plan our next move?” He said, leading me down another hallway before I could object. My stomach growled slightly, which seemed to give him the perfect excuse to continue.

As we walked through the castle, I kept trying to focus on my search for the princess, but Celestia, with her endless patience, always seemed to find a way to divert my efforts. Every time I headed toward a portrait, a tapestry, or a room that might give me some clue, she would point out something more interesting, something that captured my attention just long enough for me to forget what I was doing.

Eventually, I gave in to the strange dynamic. “Maybe the princess really isn’t here right now,” I thought, “so at least I’ll get to know a little more of the castle.” But I still had that uneasy feeling in my head, that nagging feeling that something didn’t quite add up.

Suddenly, as we walked through a hallway adorned with statues of ancient rulers, Celestia made a quick turn to the side and pushed me toward a small door I hadn’t noticed before.

At the sight of her face, she looked startled, as if she had dodged a bullet.

"Oh, well," she said quickly, looking around as if searching for a new distraction, "I needed to do some normal pony stuff, and since you're here, I thought you could join me."

"Normal pony stuff?" I repeated, incredulous.

"Yeah, simple stuff like... watering the plants in the royal garden!" Out of nowhere, two watering cans appeared in front of us. "Come, Arthur, let's go help the castle flowers stay fresh."

I stood with the watering can in my mouth, staring at her, not sure if she was being serious or if this was some kind of test. "Really? Plants?"

Celestia was already watering with a serene smile. "That's right. Don't you find it relaxing? Plus, we can search for the princess afterwards."

"I'm not sure if this is a quest or if you're making me do your work…" I muttered, but grabbed the watering can anyway. I watered a couple of plants, all while trying not to lose my patience.

After that, we went to... set the table in the royal dining room? "It's a very important tradition that the table is always set, just in case the princesses decide to make an appearance." Celestia handed me a stack of plates.

"This can't be happening," I said, as I placed the plates one by one, with Celestia adjusting them right after I set them down on the table.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of "normal pony stuff," I stopped, exasperated. "Hey, are we really looking for the princess, or are you just taking me on your to-do list?"

Celestia laughed softly, tilting her head. "Oh, Arthur, the princesses are really busy. But since we're here, why not relax a bit and enjoy the castle?"

I sighed, dropping the stack of plates. "Okay, but I feel like you're hiding something big from me."

She smiled mysteriously. "Me? Never."

But there was something about that smile that told me the joke was definitely on me.

After a while

As we wandered through the endless hallways of the castle, I found it increasingly difficult to remember why I was running around in the first place. At first, I kept reminding myself that I had a mission: to find the princess. But Celestia's company, her serenity and pleasant chatter, slowly made me let my guard down.

We found ourselves passing through a wing of the castle I hadn't seen before: an area dedicated to guards. Suits of armor gleamed in a row, perfectly aligned, as guards moved about their daily routine of patrols and breaks. Something about that scene caught my attention.

"Wait a minute," I said to Celestia, stopping in front of a royal guard's armor. "Can you imagine being one of them? Standing around all day, straight-faced, keeping watch… It must be exhausting."

"It's an important job," Celestia said with a small smile. "But it can also be… a bit monotonous, I suppose."

"Well, since we're here, I'm going to try something," I said, a spark of mischief in my eyes. Before Celestia could say anything, I put on one of the guards' helmets, somewhat too large for my head, and assumed an exaggeratedly rigid stance, staring blankly ahead.

After all, who hasn't wanted to dress like a knight at some point in their life? This is my chance to impersonate one. Medieval fantasy world, magic, castles, of course I'm going to do this.

"I'm guard Arthur," I said in a serious, formal tone, imitating the deep voice of one of the guards as best I could. "Nothing escapes my watch. No confetti cake enters my realm without my permission."

Celestia let out a soft laugh, something I hadn't expected. It was as if my little silliness had completely taken her out of her own bubble.

"Not bad," she commented, with an amused smile. "Although I would say that being a guard involves more than just confetti."

“What? Never! Confetti is the number one threat these days, you’d know that if you were in the business of surviving the confetti kingdom.” I turned to a passing royal guard and, without losing my pose, greeted him as if I were his superior. “Sergeant, everything is in order here. No confetti has crossed the border.”

The guard looked at me, perplexed, but said nothing. Celestia tried to hold back another laugh, but it was useless. She laughed softly, as if enjoying this small respite from her usual serious life.

As we continued our tour of the guard area, I slipped into other costumes and even improvised a little action scene. I pretended to draw an imaginary sword to face an invisible enemy. “To arms! The kingdom is in danger!” I shouted dramatically, thrusting into the air, then falling to the ground, exaggerating my fall with a clumsy twist.

Celestia watched me with a mix of surprise and amusement. Seeing a pony behave like that inside the castle probably wasn't something that happened often. "Are you always like this?" she asked with a gentle smile.

"So how?" I asked from the ground, where I had fallen dramatically after my "battle."

"So... full of life, even when things seem difficult."

I stood up, taking off my helmet. "I don't know. I guess it's my way of dealing with all this. When things get serious, I just try to... keep it light and take it like I don't care. You know, it's not like I want to be a hero or anything." I paused and looked at her, a little more serious now. "But sometimes, it's like I have no other choice."

Celestia nodded slowly, as if she understood more than she was saying. "It's a way of looking at life, Arthur. Facing difficult times with a smile. It may not be the solution to everything, but it helps keep hope."

We continued walking and somehow, our conversations became deeper. We talked about life, about what it means to be stuck somewhere you don't really belong. I told her a little about my life on Earth, how I felt like I was always waiting for something big that never came, how I escaped by stargazing. I was surprised at how easy she was to talk to, how understanding she was.

Celestia, for her part, spoke to me about the burden of ruling, which puzzled me a bit. "Sometimes, all I want is to have a normal day," she admitted, "A day where I can do everyday things, laugh, and not think about the responsibilities I have."

That left me a bit thoughtful. How could a normal pony, a servant perhaps, speak so familiarly about being royalty and ruling? I scratched my head, but before I could ask anything, she smiled and changed the subject, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Well, then today is your lucky day," I said with a smile, "because right now, we're just two ponies doing silly things in a castle. No royalty, no responsibilities."

She smiled back at me with palpable gratitude, and for a moment, something in her eyes made me see that maybe, just for that day, Celestia really did want to feel like just another pony, without titles or expectations. So I just went with the flow.

We were so immersed in our little ones that I somehow completely forgot what I was doing. I laughed at my own clumsiness as I improvised comedic scenes to make her laugh, Celestia, to my surprise, let out a genuine laugh, something I hadn't expected from someone who was supposedly just a normal pony.

As we continued walking, we stumbled upon a room adorned with old portraits. It was then that something started to click in my head. On the wall was a huge painting of a white alicorn, with a long horn and majestic wings. My eyes narrowed as I saw the name beneath the portrait: Princess Celestia.

I froze, my brain processing at full speed.
"You know," I said, as I looked at the portrait, "I read some of the history of Equestria before I came here. There was a princess named... Celestia."
Celestia, who was beside me, also looked at the portrait, completely calm. "Oh, yes," she said with a smile, "she is a princess. Although... we share the same name. Coincidence, I suppose."

I'm not familiar with this world so it could be true. Although I still have suspicions, there's something off about the image.

My gaze once again went to the large portrait of an alicorn with a flowing mane of blue, green, and pink hair that looked too much like... "Wait a second. That looks a bit like you..."

Celestia quickly interrupted. “Ah, but look closely! This alicorn has a magical mane and huge wings, while I, as you can see,” she waved a hoof at her back, “have no wings, no flowing magical mane. I’m just a humble unicorn pony who shares a name.”

I stared at her for a moment. Though in that instant, her normal pony appearance (well, a bit larger than the others) made her seem much more… earthly. No wings, no flowing magical mane. Just… a normal Celestia. It couldn’t be the same one, right?

“Coincidence?” I repeated, scratching my chin as I tried to process what I was hearing. “Well, I guess that makes sense. You don’t have wings, so you can’t be the princess. Plus, you’re… well, you’re too normal.”

Celestia let out a soft laugh, almost as if she was relieved. “Too normal, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Yeah, no offense, but… a little normal for an alicorn princess. Which is fine, huh? We don’t all have to be heroes or royalty.”

Celestia looked at me with a warmth that disarmed me. We continued walking, chatting, and the day became more relaxed. Slowly, I felt less anxious, more… present. We had spent the day doing simple tasks and enjoying deep conversations, as if time didn’t exist.

But then, like a bolt of lightning, something clicked in my mind. The princess! My mission!

I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at Celestia with wide eyes. “Wait a second! We’re supposed to be looking for the princess! How the hell did I let myself get so distracted?!”

Celestia looked at me, clearly enjoying the situation. “Sometimes, Arthur,” she said with an enigmatic smile, “important moments happen when you least expect them.”

“Yeah, right,” I replied, half sighing. "But I'm supposed to be... oh, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore." I put a hoof to my forehead, trying to compose myself. "How did you manage to distract me so much?"

She just looked at me with a calm look, as if she knew something I didn't.

After our talk, I was so bewildered that I began to stumble between my mission to find the princess and how much I had gotten carried away with the day. Something didn't add up, but at the same time, I had no idea what to do. It was in the midst of this whirlwind of thoughts that Celestia, who was clearly enjoying my confusion, made a suggestion.

"You know, Arthur," she said, in that soft, calm voice, "the princess might not be in the castle today. Why don't we take the opportunity to explore Canterlot a bit? You could relax, clear your head, and who knows... maybe you'll find something to help you with your search."

I raised an eyebrow, thinking it was an excuse to go on a meaningless walk, but, well... if the princess wasn't there, why not go out for some fresh air? I hadn't entirely given up hope of finding her, but a little rest couldn't hurt. Besides, I'd already spent much of the day distracting myself anyway.

“Going out to explore Canterlot, huh? Sounds… good. Maybe I can find something interesting,” I said, as if trying to convince myself more than her.

Celestia smiled at me in such a relaxed way that I almost envied her. Before I knew it, I was already walking next to her, through the massive castle doors.

“How did you manage to get us out so easily and without questions?” I asked, as we made our way out of the castle without the guards even blinking.

“Oh, I have my ways,” she said with a giggle. “Sometimes, you just need to know how to ask.”

I didn’t question it any further, because… well, I was already out, wasn’t I? Why complicate things?

The next thing I know, we were strolling through the streets of Canterlot. Between the majestic architecture and elegant shops, I found myself walking next to Celestia as if we were two lifelong friends. My quest to find the princess faded to the back of my mind with each new distraction that appeared.

First, we went to a famous bakery. Celestia insisted that I try some sweet buns that she claimed were “the best in all of Equestria.” I’ll admit they were pretty good, but what caught my attention the most was that the owner of the place, an older pony, greeted her with a slight bow. Nothing over the top, but… odd.

“Do they know you everywhere or something?” I asked, my mouth full of bun.

Celestia just smiled and shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m… a regular customer.”

Afterwards, we ended up in a huge park, where we sat by a marble fountain. We spent hours talking, about life, fate, and how sometimes one just needed a break from it all. Eventually, the conversation took a turn toward what it meant to be normal.

“Have you ever felt out of place?” I asked, stretching my legs. “Like you don’t fit in anywhere.”

Celestia looked at me with those deep eyes that seemed to see beyond words. “All the time,” she said softly. “And sometimes, that’s okay. Finding where you fit in isn’t always so simple.”

“I guess so…” I said, feeling unexpected relief at hearing that. Maybe I wasn’t the only one having an existential crisis in this pastel-colored world.

The day went by, and even though every time I looked at the sun going down over the mountains I felt a tug in my stomach—the feeling that I was wasting my time—for some reason, it didn’t bother me as much as it used to. Celestia and I had walked all over Canterlot, stopped at shops, talked to street vendors, and even ended up playing rock toss in a lake, seeing who could do the most jumps.

I realized I was laughing, really laughing, like I hadn’t in a long time.

As the sky began to darken, Celestia and I found ourselves back in front of the castle. Somehow, the day had passed in the blink of an eye.

"I guess it was a good day after all," I said, looking towards the castle gates.

"It was," Celestia replied, with a calm smile.

I scratched my head. "Although... I didn't find the princess. I think I'll try again tomorrow. Maybe she'll be here then."

Celestia nodded, almost as if she knew something I didn't. "Yeah, maybe you'll have better luck tomorrow."

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. "Thank you for the day... even if you've completely distracted me from my mission."

"You're welcome, Arthur," she said, with a small laugh. "Sometimes, one needs a break from their mission in order to move forward."

"Yeah, I guess..." I muttered, somewhat confused, but too tired to think too much about it.

With a final smile, Celestia said goodbye to me as I headed off to the refugee tents for the night. As I walked, I couldn't help but wonder why, in some way, that day had been so special. But then, I remembered that I still had a mission to accomplish.

"Well, tomorrow is another day," I said quietly to myself as I entered the castle.

Once she had said her goodbyes and made sure her friend didn't see her, Celestia broke the illusion spell she had put on her wings. It worked better than she had expected, of course it didn't work to fool the castle staff and a few ponies in Canterlot but it worked great for one pony in particular.

Celestia walked through the halls to her room, reflecting on the day she had spent. Since the incident that had fragmented Equestria a week ago, her life had changed drastically. The event had weakened her powers, enough that, after performing her duties as a princess—raising and setting the sun—she had no energy left for anything else. On the advice of her butler and her faithful assistant, Raven, she had spent most of her time in bed, trying to recover. But the inactivity weighed on her more than she had expected.

It had been exhausting to simply rest all day, without being able to do anything useful. It was not to her liking. Today, however, had been different. Today, she had decided to stretch her legs and take a walk, albeit discreetly. She wanted to take a look at her kingdom, to observe her little ponies without them noticing her current state. What would they think if they saw their princess weakened at such a critical moment? She didn't want to worry them. Equestria was already fractured; the last thing they needed was a princess on the verge of exhaustion.

Celestia stopped in front of a window, looking out at the moonlit city of Canterlot. She knew that hiding behind the image of royalty was a way to protect her people, but deep down, she also felt a deep sadness. All she wanted sometimes was to be a normal pony. To be able to enjoy everyday life, without the responsibilities that came with being the ruler of an entire nation. She remembered bitterly the time she decided to eat as much cake as she wanted, only to be the gossip of the front pages for weeks. Sometimes, she wished people would see her as more than just a dignified, majestic being, who had the freedom to get into mischief without it making headlines.

Sometimes, she just wanted others to treat her like a normal pony instead of a powerful, elegant, serious being, someone who had to be careful with how she addressed her, her manners, and other etiquette.

Sometimes, she wanted to meet someone who just didn't know her. Unfortunately, being a princess who rules all of Equestria isn't something that's particularly discreet for someone in this world to not know her.

So when she met Arthur, everything changed. He wasn't a pony of this world (although she didn't know whether to believe it or not), she didn't know his title, and that was... refreshing. She remembered how they passed each other on one of their discreet walks through the castle. He didn't recognize her, which, for her, was a relief. It was the first time in a long time that someone didn't treat her like the princess of the sun, but like just another pony. And, strangely, that little interaction had filled her with joy. She could chat, laugh, and behave in a more natural way. Arthur, with his clumsiness and sarcasm, had made her feel alive in a way she hadn't experienced in years.

For a brief moment, she didn't care what others thought. She was able to have fun and despite her current appearance, she was encouraged to leave the castle and have a good time with another pony who treated her as an equal. Today had been a perfect day.

Celestia was about to enter her room and lie down on her bed, when she heard a soft knock on the door. It was Raven, her faithful assistant. “Princess Celestia, may I come in?” she asked in her usual professional tone.

“Come in, Raven,” Celestia said with a smile as she settled into her chair.

Raven entered, adjusting her glasses and checking a small scroll. “I’ve been looking for you for quite a while, your highness. No one knew where you were.”

Celestia let out a small playful laugh. “Oh, you know, I just took a walk with… a friend,” she said, not mentioning Arthur’s name. “Afterwards, I thought I’d explore outside the castle a bit, to stretch my legs. Don’t worry, I used an illusion spell.”

Raven raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised. “A walk? Well, fortunately she didn’t cause a fuss this time. But I must inform you that she has an important meeting.” There is something crucial that has come up."

Celestia stopped smiling and nodded. She knew duty called her again. "What is it?"

"Interviews with refugees from the affected territories have uncovered new information about the event that fragmented Equestria," Raven replied, her tone grave. "It might change our plan of action."

Celestia slowly stood up, her face serious. The day of fun was over. "Very well, Raven. Let's get to the meeting. Time to see what we've learned."

Author's Note

Arthur spends the day with a very normal pony named Celestia.

Thanks for reading.