Return To The Havenby Sweet TaleChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4SequelChapter 1"I am exhausted." My legs gave way as I flopped down onto the sofa; my briefcase thumping onto the wooden floor. Today had been particularly busy as Dave had instructed me to take minutes in the manager's meeting. Trying to fully listen to what everyone is saying and then writing it down, whilst listening to what they're saying next was hard as hell. As soon as that meeting was over, I was out of there faster than a kid was to sugar. "Aww...come here honey." I raised my gaze to see the eyes of my wife, Sarah. I don't know how she did it - she works all day, harder than I do, and still comes home looking like she did when she left in the morning - beautiful. I sat up and patted the spot next to me which Sarah sat in, leaning onto my chest. I stretched my arms out and wrapped them around her front, feeling her body heat next to mine. "I'm so glad it's Friday." I said. "Me and you both. Although my day isn't finished yet." "Hmm, how come?" Sarah looked up at me and tutted. "Don't you remember? I'm going up to Gretna to visit Mum and Dad." "Oh yeah, of course. Spending time with a woman who complains about everything that graces her vision." I said with a laugh. "You going for the night?" "For the weekend. I imagine most of it will be what you just said. Once the wine's open, it becomes a slag-fest for everyone who's wronged her.' I snorted and laughed. "She can't be that bad...right?" Sarah met my gaze with one that said 'Oh really?'. We both shared a laugh leant back on the sofa. "So, what time are you off?" "In a few minutes. Got a taxi to take me to Penrith so I can get the train. You'll be alright by yourself, yeah?" she asked, looking up at me. I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling the lucious silkiness of it. "Eeyup. Got a bit of a session later on TF2. Hopefully this new friend of mine will be on as well. I tell ya, he's good at the Soldier." *BEEP BEEP* Sarah got up from her human mattress and pulled me up with her. "Well, I better be off. I should be back on Sunday afternoon. We'll go try that new Italian place in Keswick in the evening." She planted her lips on mine and held them there. She broke the kiss and opened her eyes slightly at me. "How's that sound?" "Divine. I'll give them a ring and see if--" *BEEEEEP* "Hold on." I walked to the front door and opened it up to see th taxi waiting there. "YEAH, ALRIGHT MATE. CALM DOWN!" I bellowed out to the obnoxious driver. Sarah walked up to me and gave me a strong hug. "Have a good time yeah?" She began to walk towards to the taxi. "OH! And er...tell Marie I send her my hugs and kisses." Sarah scoffed and laughed. "Yeah alright. She'll love that..." She climbed into the taxi which took off down the pathway and out of sight. I closed the front door and made my way to the shower, discarding my crappy online-bought suit into the wash basket. Turning on the shower, I waited for the water to heat up enough then entered the warm embrace of mother nature's refreshing liquid. In Canterlot - 9AM Princess Celestia was sitting at her maple wood dining table, enjoying some oats and milk for breakfast. Savouring the sweet taste, she 'mmm'd as it was swallowed. "I don't know what it is but these oats are--" "How about now?" ".......No Luna." "OK................now?" Celestia held a hoof to her head as her younger sister continued her tyrade. Ever since Celestia told Luna she could not come with her to Earth, Luna had commenced a barrage of requests at her older sister. At first it didn't affect her but now, her patience was starting to wear thin. "Luna, for the last time. You are not going to Earth." she said in a stern voice. Luna took a seat next to Celestia and looked up at her. "But why? All of those marvellous things you told me about the human, all of the inventions that have been made. Why won't you allow me to see this world?" she asked, hanging her head at the end. Celestia sighed and turned to her sister. "Luna my dear. It isn't your fault that you cannot go. The knowledge of Equestria needs to be kept away from Earth as I fear what could happen should they find out about us. In their world, we are fiction, a story. Creations from the minds of various humans. Jason is the only one who knows that we truly exist and I wish to keep it that way. With the two of us going, it could provide more opportunites for other humans to find out. I am only going back so that I do not seem rude. Forgive me Luna but I'm sorry, you cannot come with me." Luna rose from her chair and walked away. "Fine. But I'll tell you this." Celestia stood and turned to see the biggest smirk on her sister. "I'll change your mind. You just wait and see." Luna walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Celesita chuckled to herself and started to sit back down. "That sister of mine. She does sometimes say the weirdest--" *PFBBBT!* "AHH!" she screamed. Standing back up and looking back at her chair, she levitated the offending object and glared at it. "A whoopee cushion?" "That's right." sounded Luna's voice from behind the door. "And that's just one thing. You've brought this upon yourself." Celestia gulped and looked around nervously. She had known that Luna had become one for playing pranks on other ponies, herself included. She cautiously walked out of the dining hall and along the corridor towards the throne room. The walk was silent, save for the sound of her own hoofsteps. Approaching the throne room, the guards opened the door for her. "Thank you guards. A good day to--" *POOMF* A flash of white clouded her vision and also clogged her throat. Once the smoke had cleared, the reason was found. A large amount of flour suspended above the door. "L-LU-NA!" Celestia shouted through coughs. "Yes? Can I come now?" asked Luna, in an innocent voice, who appeared out of nowhere. Pinkie Pie's logic was strong with this one. Celestia growled and wiped her face with her hoof, giving Luna an angry glare. "Clean this up." she asked the guards. They quickly saluted and went off to find some cleaning supplies. "Luna, I am not taking you. That's that." "OK!" Luna happily agreed before running off, out of sight. Celestia was befuddled but she shook off Luna's reaction along with most of the flour that now coated her...coat. She walked up to her throne and placed herself down on it. "Day Court is now in session." she stated out loud. *2 Hours Later* "LUNA, THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!" A break is all she wanted. A bit of time to grab a drink, maybe a light snack but no. Luna had other ideas - like spiking her fruit juice with a liquid that shrinks your vocal chords. Luna was in fits of laughter at how her older sister sounded. (Think of that dog from Up.) "Ah-ha! HAHAHA! Oh Celestia, you sound hilarious!" Luna shouted out between laughs. Celestia walked up to her and glared at her again. "In the past two hours, you have given me a scroll which was laced with itching powder, you turned my guards into sheep, you stole my crown and ran away with it and NOW you laced my drink! When is this going to end?!" she shouted at her. Luna couldn't take her seriously, not with that high voice. "Ahahaha...aha...when you...*snigger*...allow me to come with you." Celestia couldn't take it anymore. She stomped her hoof as hard as she could - that caught Luna's attention. Her horn glowed and she coughed a few times. "Luna." Her voice was back to normal. "I do not want to see you for the rest of the day. Do you understand? I am NOT pleased." Luna knew what this was. Celestia was miffed, seriously angry. She hung her head and walked away. "Yes sister." she said sadly before the kitchen door shut behind her. Celestia sighed and teleported herself back to the throne room. Everything was back to normal. "Day Court may resume." *6PM* It was nearly time to leave. The sun was soon to be set and the power of Equestria was to handed over to Luna for a whole weekend. To say Celestia was nervous was an understatement, she had never given Luna this much responsibility before. "Sister?" Celestia turned her head left to the source of the meek voice. Standing there was Luna, looking downtrodden, a facial expression Celestia knew she couldn't ignore. "You know I hate it when you do that." she said, smiling slightly. Luna stepped closer to her before looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry." she apologised. "Well you did." Celestia retorted a bit loudly. She then rested her hoof on Luna's cheek. "But I forgive you...as long as there are no more pranks." "I promise." They both nuzzled each other with sibling affection. "So when are you leaving?" Luna asked quietly. "Immediately. Follow me onto the balcony." They both made their way onto the balcony outside of the throne room. They cast their horns alight and heaved the Solar and Lunar lights respectively, turning a shining world into one of darkness. Finishing their tasks, Celestia cleared her throat to get Luna's attention. "I leave control of Equestria in your hooves sister. I pray that you won't lose it." she said with a wink. Luna playfully nudged her sister. "Leave it to me." "Very well. I'll see you in a few days." Celestia's horn glowed brighter and brighter. Luna could feel the massive amount of raw energy being used for this spell. The amount got higher and higher and then...nothing. Celestia disappeared with a flash of light. Luna's mouth turned into a smirk and she chuckled to herself. "Gotcha." Earth - Jason's Home This always felt good after work. It just washes the day away and relieves stress. I seriously considered buying one of those shower chairs so I could just sit in here all day...but I never did. I thought it would make me look lazy. After about twenty minutes, I turned the shower off, stepped out and picked up the...the..."Bugger." I remember putting some towels out to dry on the clothes airer last night so I walked out of the bathroom and towards the front room. Now that my wife wasn't around, I could reward my house with the sound of my singing voice...OK, torture. "Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive! And the wor--" Oh. My. God. "Hello again." Both of us were looking at my uncovered nether regions. I looked back up in shock. "H...Hi." Chapter 2A brisk wind blew through the living room as the staredown continued. I hadn't gathered the balls to say anything as my package was in full view...in front of a goddess. I raised my arm and motioned to behind the Princess to where a clothes airer was stood. "Um...towels are over there...if you excuse me..." I slowly walked past the shining white alicorn, refusing to look her in the eye out of sheer embarrassment. Picking up a rather large towel, I quickly wrapped it around my waist and secured it tight. Taking a deep breath, I turned back around to see Celestia still showing that smile of hers. "You need not to feel embarrassed dear Jason. To be fair, I didn't exactly give you any warning." Celestia offered. "Well um...I shouldn't have been parading in the nude, singing terribly." I replied with a chuckle. I stared into those huge purple eyes and slowly approached her. Standing in front of her, I raised my hand and put it on her side, feeling the wonderful plushness of her fur. "It's good to see you again." She replied with a bigger smile before opening her wings, putting them around me and pulling me close. "It is good to see you again as well." Releasing me, she then bowed her head slightly. "I apologise for the long wait. Six months is a long time but my royal duties restrained me from visiting." "Hey, don't worry about it. You told me that the ponies are trying to recover from the changeling invasion. How is it going by the way?" I ask. "Better now. When I returned, the number of visitors doubled but they were calm. Now though, everything is back to normal and the event seems to have been forgotten by most." She glanced over to my mantlepiece, where a variety of pictures were situated. "Is this your wife...Sarah, I think?" "Yeah, that's her." The picture was of us on our wedding day. "Seems so long ago now. Two years ago next week actually." I placed my hand on the photo. "What a day that was..." Celestia quickly placed the photo back down and turned her gaze to all over my living room. "Is she here? Your wife?" she asks with worry. "Nah. She's gone to visit her parents in Scotland. I'm home alone until Sunday morning." I looked down to see I was still in a towel. "Um...give me a few minutes. I'm just gonna go and get dressed." Celestia nodded and I quickly retreated to my bedroom. I threw on a blue football shirt (NOT GOING TO SAY WHICH TEAM I SUPPORT) and some tracksuit bottoms before returning to the living room. Celestia was standing there, waiting. "You can sit down you know." I joked. She did so and sat on the sofa. I sat down in my armchair and sighed contently. "So why didn't you go to visit your in-laws?" Celestia asked. "Many reasons. Many...many reasons." I leant forward and brought my hands together. "Her Mum likes to complain about everything that she sees. Seriously...anything. Her Dad's a nice guy but he's not really a sociable man." *Grumble* "But I tell ya who is sociable." I said, pointing to my stomach. "Are you hungry? I would have stocked up if I was certain you were coming so I've got the bare minimum." "A meal would be splendid. Do you have anything that would suit a pony?" "Well I...hold on." I went to the fridge and rummaged through it. Some chicken breasts, some ham, a bit of cheese in a bottle...oh wait, that's milk...or what's left of it.. Fantastic. I poked my head from around the corner. "Err...not really." I glanced at the kitchen counter and noticed a solution. "We'll order something instead." I planted myself next to Celestia and opened up a menu for her. "Do you like spicy food?" She nodded. "Well, I'll introduce you to Indian cuisine. Have a look through that and try and find something that appeases you. Just err...stay away from the meat." I said sheepishly. Celestia went through the menu, asking what certain words meant. I hadn't a clue. Certain one's like 'aloo' and 'paneer' were easy as I had them before. But stuff like 'Ceylon' and 'Pathia'? No chance. "This sounds good. Dopiaza - a blend of various spices, garnished with plenty of onion and a dash of lemon." "I've had that before, that's a good one." I picked up the phone. "Can you read out that number on the front for me?" "That was delightful." "Yeah, it was pretty good." Two empty plates and plenty of empty containers later, me and Celestia were stuffed. Although, bloated would be the correct term. Curry, rice, bhaji, naan bread...but it was soooo good. Before and during the meal, we discussed how our lives had gone after our initial visit. I told her about work and how much I was hating it now. I mentioned something I had done soon after she visited the first time. Knowing where my great-grandfather was buried, I visited him and talked for a while. I thanked him for giving the world something amazing to see. When I asked about Celestia's life, she didn't have much to say. The ponies were going back to their normal lives, more defenses were being put up around the city and she talked about her sister. That's right, Princess Luna. Hearing many stories about Luna's antics and shenanigans was quite funny to hear. Especially about the helium drink - I nearly bust a gut laughing about it! After I tidied up the mess we made, we both returned to the sofa and let our food go down. "So...what do you wanna do now?" I asked. Celestia shook her hoof. "It's not my decision, it is yours. I am happy either way." We eventually decided on watching a movie. Something friendly. Something that everyone could watch. We discussed what types of films there were before I figured out the perfect one. My most favourite animated film - The Iron Giant. I slipped the DVD into the player and turned on the TV. "So, what is this film about?" Celestia asked. "It's set in the late 1950's, during the Cold War. A giant robot crashes on Earth and this little kid befriends him. I won't say anymore because it might..." A light from the drive caught my attention. I went to the window and peeked out of the curtain. "Huh...a car's pulling up. Strange - I'm not expecting anyone." "Do you recognise the car?" Celestia asked. "No...no it's...wait...it's a taxi. Hang on, someone's getting out." A woman exited the taxi. A woman I know VERY well. "It's Sarah! She's come back!" I shouted in panic. "I thought you said that she was gone for the weekend." Celestia retorted. "I did! She's...she's got her bags as well!" I closed the curtain and looked at Celestia. "You've gotta go, now! You can't let her see you!" "Jason, please. From what you've told me about your wife, she seems like a wonderful person. I think one more human knowing about me won't hurt." "Not this woman! She's a gossiper! She'll spill the secret faster than it takes Rainbow Dash to think about flying!" I replied. The sound of her bags wheeling across the path was getting louder. "She's..." Keys were jingling. "SHE'S..." The key entered the lock. "SHE'S LIKE RARITY!" I shouted in whisper. Celestia's eyes widened and she bolted upright. Her horn immediately cast ablaze and my vision was lost in a blinding flash of light. Sarah entered her home, dragging her heavy bags in behind her. "Jason honey, I'm back! There were problems on the railway so I couldn't get there. Jason?" She dumped her bags on the floor and looked at the scene in front of her. TV on, DVD playing and no husband to be seen. "Jason! What did I say about leaving the TV on when you're not using it?" She searched every room but Jason was nowhere to be seen. "Now where the hell have you--" *FLASH* "AAH! WHAT?!" A blinding flash of light eminated from the centre of the living room. A distinct buzzing noise sounded and pulsed as the light grew brighter and brighter. Then, as quickly as it started, the light and buzzing ceased. Sarah regained her vision and looked where the light once was...and froze. There, standing in the middle of her living room, was a creature. A tall creature on four legs. The creature looked around at it's surroundings and smelt the air. Then, it spoke. "Celestia, I'm here!" Chapter 3"Ugh...oh man..." It felt like I had just spent an hour on one of those spinning rides you find at the fair. You know the ones when they just spin and you go up the wall? Yeah those. "Jason? Are you alright?" Celestia's worried voice rung through my head as I tried to pick myself up from the cold, hard floor. Gradually getting into a seated position, my head decided to have another spinning episode and I started to wobble. "I'm...I not so good. I'm...uh-oh." My stomach was sending me a warning. The stomach express was about to lift off. "Sorry about this." "About what?" I leant forward and heaved, coughing ferociously. "OH! Oh no! Oh Jason..." Celestia said sympathetically. Finishing my internal evacuation, I opened my eyes slowly and caught a glimpse of Celestia looking down at me. "Sorry." I groaned and rubbed my eyes so they could focus. "What happened?" "Your wife was returning home and you asked me to leave. But...I panicked." Celestia sheepishly replied. "You panicked? Wait...SARAH!" I shot my head up and looked around. "Quick, you need to...need to...huh?" I wasn't in my home. I was in a giant room, enormous in size. "Where am I?" I looked up at Celestia. "What did you do?" She broke her gaze with me and looked away. My temper was rising but I tried to keep my cool. "Celestia, what did you do?" I asked sternly. "I...I teleported back to Canterlot...but...you came with me." "I...you...wha..." I was speechless. I slowly got to my feet and looked around properly. Then it hit me - this room. I now recognised where I was. "This is...this is the throne room." I noticed the giant throne and slowly approached it, walking up the red rug. Raising my hand slowly, I touched the golden seat and felt the smooth texture of the edge of it. "This is...I'm really...oh my god." "Jason I...are you OK?" Celestia asked from behind me. "I er...I..." I turned around to face the solar princess. "I'm really here aren't I?" I asked, a small smile creeping onto my face. Celestia slowly nodded but her face remained sullen. "So what really happened? I remember telling you that Sarah's a gossiper like Rarity, then you got up quickly and everything went white." Celestia hung her head and closed her eyes. "Your wife was nearly entering your home. I cast my teleportation spell to take me back but I overpowered it. In essence, the area of the spell grew and took you along with it. I do hope you can forgive me Jason." "..." "Jason?" "Huh? Over here, I'm just...wow, these are beautiful." I was observing the stain glass windows, depicting events in Equestria's history. I was standing under the one which showed the Mane 6 sealing Discord in stone again. The sun was just at the right angle and the light shone through the colourful display of glass, reflecting a plethora of colours onto the floor below it. "Sorry, what did you say?" Celestia shook her head. "I said I hope you can forgive me for taking you to Equestria without asking." "Are you kidding?! I'm not mad at all! Do you know how long I've wanted to come here? How long I've dreamed of coming here?" I turned and observed the rest of the throne room. "This is incredible. Astonishing." I then noticed a puddle of something rotten. "Sorry about puking though..." Celestia chuckled. "That is quite alright. I will have somepony clear it up." "Speaking of which, where are your guards? Shouldn't they be here protecting you from the new and mysterious creature?" I said with a laugh. "They have already seen you." My eyes widened in shock. "Do not fear, I dismissed the guards before they could question me further. All they know is that you are a creature in need of some help. When we arrived back here, you were unconscious and the guards were all alert at the appearance of you. A simple explanation from me sufficed." Celestia explained. "And they bought it?" "I'm the Princess. They should do." We both laughed at that. "But I do feel terrible about something." "Hmm? What's that?" I asked. "We left your wife alone in your home and left it in a mess." I slapped my head in frustration. "Ohhh nooo. Sarah's gonna go barmy. I left the TV on, the 360, the lights, everything! She always moans at me about keeping the cost of electricity down." I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "Alright so...what happens now?" "I can return you to Earth immediately. This will cut our time short I am afraid for which I apologise." Celestia said. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. But still..." I gestured to where we were. "Look where you've brought me. There are thousands of people who can only dream of visiting a place like this. For what it's worth, even though our time was short, you've made it amazing and for that I thank you." A yellow glow enveloped my body as I was levitated towards Celestia, who put her wings around me. "You are most welcome. Shall I send you back now?" "Yeah, OK...just let me leave viewing the throne room. I can't believe how beautiful it is..." I ask. Celestia releases me and turns me around. I wait as I hear Celestia's horn charge. I take one last look around the throne room, marvelling in the medieval-esque decor and the elegant designs. The stain-glass window depicting Celestia and Luna...wait..."Wait, stop a second!" I turn around to see Celestia's horn deplete it's magic. "What is the problem?" she asks. "You came to my home to visit me right? So no-one would be here during the day right?" "Oh of course not! My sister, Luna, will be taking over for a few days." Celestia explained. "Right. So if she is supposed to be here during the day then...where is she?" I said, gesturing towards the empty throne. "Well she..." Celestia froze as she realised what I meant. "But...she should be here. Where could she...Jason, do you trust me?" "Uhh...I...yeah of course." I replied hesitantly. "I need to explore the castle in search of my younger sibling. Which means you will remain here. But I will disguise you. Please remain still." Celestia's horn glowed and shot a beam of light at me. Shutting my eyes and waiting for the pain, I felt none. "There you are." I opened my eyes to see...that nothing changed. "What was that for?" "I have cast an invisibility spell on you. Only you and I can see your body." "Holy..." I couldn't believe what she did. I was invisible! "Sure this will work?" "Positive. Now, please remain here. I will return shortly." With a flash, Celestia disappeared. I stood there, thinking about what I should do now. *15 MINUTES LATER* With another flash, Celestia returned to the throne room. Spotting me, she cast another spell on me. "You are back to normal...but we have a problem." "Can't find her?" I reply. "She is not in the castle..." Celestia narrowed her eyes. "But I know where she has gone..." she finished coldly. "And if my assumptions are correct...then your wife may have a visitor." "Sarah?" My brain cogs spun and I realised what she meant. "You mean...she's gone to Earth?!" I asked with worry. "I'm almost certain. I was searching the castle and picked up a strong magical residue from where I teleported from earlier this evening. At first I thought it was mine but...the magic was different. It had a different feel...a feel that I recognise all too much." I put my hands to my face and dragged them down. "Ohhh...this is bloody fantastic...so what we do?" "The only thing we can do." Celestia's horn began charging again. "We will return to Earth and locate my sister." "And what if you're wrong?" I ask. Celestia glared at me but said nothing. Her horn kept charging and charging. Another yellow glow surrounded us both as her spell was nearly ready to use. "I just hope that Sarah hasn't seen Princess Luna...that's gonna be tough if she has." "Princess Celestia!" I knew that voice. I turned my head to the throne room door to see a pony which made me fanboy scream inside. "I haven't seen you in...er, Princess?" "Not now Twilight! Another time!" Celestia shouted before my vision was lost once again in a flash of white. Landing with a thump, my eyes quickly regain their vision. We were back in my house. I looked around to see that neither Sarah or Luna were here. "Are you OK?" Celestia asked. "Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Wasn't as bad as last time." I realised that the TV and the 360 were switched off. "This is different. She's been back but...she's not here now. Can you sense Princess Luna at all?" "I...I sense something but..." *CLINK CLINK* A tea cup. She WAS here. "Uhh...Sarah? Honey?" I slowly approached the kitchen. Before I could enter, my wife walked out and gave me and Celestia glares. "You have some explaining to do." she ordered coldly. "OK, alright. Look, I can explain everything." I started. "Oh I know most of it!" She stared at Celestia. "One of YOUR friends told me!" she stated loudly. "Does that mean--" "Greetings dear Sister!" My mouth hung open in shock. As if going to Equestria wasn't the highlight of my day, this certainly was. Princess Luna, in all of her glory, slowly entered the room, smiling at Celestia. I walked backwards and fell into my armchair, sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fan...tastic..." Chapter 4This was just bloody brilliant. A secret, this was meant to be. A secret! Now, another human is aware of the existence of Equestria, Sarah's probably going to rant and rave about it and everything will just go to pot. Oh...and even Twilight saw me. I bet Celestia's really looking forward to explaining that! "Well?" I craned my head back up to see my wife still giving me the 'stare'. Yeah, I named it after a certain pegasus' actions. I knew Sarah was just waiting for me to try and explain so she can shove it back in my face and vent her anger. "Well what? You know most of it already, what do you need to hear from me?" I asked. "What I want to know..." she started saying, approaching with each spoken word. "...is why you kept this a secret from me." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "You know we don't keep stuff from each other, that's how we work." I placed my hand over hers and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, I really am but..." I looked over to the Solar Princess who was glaring at her younger sibling. "But she told me I couldn't tell anyone. Only three people have ever known they existed before I did and that was my great-grandad, great-grandmother and grandma. You know...Celestia help me out here please." I pleaded to the sun goddess. "I knew you were up to something." Celestia coldly said. "What? What did I do?" I asked incredulously. "Not you." Celestia replied, staring at me. She slowly turned back around to face Luna. "You. How could you do this Luna?" "I told you I would come here eventually. You should have brought me along with you. I don't see anything dangerous here at all." Luna replied, smiling. Celestia shook her head and groaned. "But I ordered you not to! I told you about this place in good faith that you would just accept it! Not become jealous!" she retorted, her anger seeping in every word. "Jealous?" Luna said quietly. "You're right! Do you not know how jealous you made me when you first mentioned him?" Luna said with a hint of anger. I looked over at her, seeing that she looked fit to burst. "Everything you told me about him, everything you did..." She approached her elder sister and got right in her face. "Do you not realise how much I yearn for such a thing? To be sociable again?!" she shouted. Tears were starting to form in Luna's eyes. "I have tried sister, I tried. Nightmare Night was a success but it only happens once a year. To be surrounded by those that like you, that want to spend time with you." She looked over to me again. "I thought I could find that here..." Observing Celestia, I could see that she was trying remain neutral with all of her power. But she couldn't hold it - she approached her younger sibling and held her close with one of her wings. Sarah grasped my hand which got my attention. "I guess she was telling the truth." she whispered. "How do you mean?" I replied at the same volume. Best not to break the goddess' embrace. "She said she was lonely and that she just wanted to find someone to be friends with. I have to say though, she did surprise me." How did I not pick up on that sooner? "Hey, yeah that's right. How come you're not freaking out at the sight of her? I was sure you'd either pass out or try and attack her but...you seem calm and happy." "At first I was afraid, then I was petrified." I snorted in laughter. "At first I tried to hide but she found me and started talking. To be honest, I was close to passing out but she mentioned your name and...I don't know, I just calmed down." I gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Celestia and Luna had released each other and were both smiling. "You err...you girls alright now?" I asked. They both looked at me and nodded. "We are fine dear human. Celestia has understood my reasoning and forgiven me for coming here." Celestia cleared her throat and stared at Luna. "And...I am sorry to you both for intruding in your home unannounced." "It's alright. It was a bit of a shock but it turned alright didn't it?" Sarah replied. She looked up at Celestia, then back at me. "So, can we do introductions again? And maybe you can tell me a few things?" Celestia was currently in a conversation with Sarah about my great-grandfather and how she came here in the first place. I had asked if anyone wanted tea to which all three of them agreed to. Out in the kitchen, I set the kettle on the boil and waited patiently. "It's a wonderful home you have here." "Hmm?" I turned to see that Luna had followed me into the kitchen. "Oh...um, yeah it's lovely." One thing couldn't get out of my mind so I had to voice it. "Princess, can I ask you a question?" She nodded and approached me. "Those things you said about feeling jealous and alone...do you really feel that way?" Luna's smile slowly drooped and she sighed quietly. "It is true. Every day since my return, I have felt alone." "Is this because your subjects still think you're Nightmare Moon?" She looked surprised that I knew such a thing. "Celestia told me." "I see. Most ponies still think I am what I used to be. Except the citizens of Ponyville. They all accepted me at Nightmare Night last year." Luna explained. "I heard that the Elements became great friends with you. But I can see why you are still alone. No-one's awake at night, right?" Luna nodded slowly, closing her eyes. I was trying to come up with a solution for her problems. Anything that can make her feel better, knowing that her future will be more sociable. Alas, I could not think of a thing. But there was something I could say. I slowly rested my hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at me. "There's something I don't get. You said you were struggling to be sociable, right?" Luna nodded. "Well, when you came here and found my wife, she told me you instantly spoke to her in a friendly way, like you'd been friends for years. And she even told me that she felt calm around you. From that, I can't see any sociable issues here." "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying that maybe this is it. The start of something. You willingly spoke to my wife, who you'd never seen before, and became friendly with her like that." I said, snapping my fingers. "If you can do THAT then you should be able to do it back home. You just need to...throw yourself in the deep end. Just get stuck in and get out there and make some new friends." I could see that Luna was listening to every word that I was saying. "I...you're right. I can--" "Jason! Where's the tea?" Sarah called. "Just a minute honey." I poured the boiling kettle into the four mugs and stirred the teabags. I was about to pick up the mugs when I felt something touch my cheek...Luna's lips to be precise. "Thank you." Luna walked out of the kitchen, levitating two of the mugs of tea. I froze. Did a once-thought fictional pony princess just kiss me on the cheek?! I chuckled softly and picked up the remaining mugs of tea. "Crazy day...crazy day." I mumbled under my breath. I walked out into the living room to see that Sarah and Celestia were finishing up their conversation. "So...what information were you two divulging into?" I asked, passing a mug to my wife. "Sarah was telling me about how you met and I was telling her about your great-grandfather." Celestia replied. "I can't believe your great-grandad is responsible for this giant following." Sarah added. "Neither can I." I said, putting my arm around Sarah. "So...what's the plan now? Will you two stay for a while?" Celestia and Luna shared glances and grinned. "Maybe you should show Luna that wonderful game you showed me." Celestia said. Oh my god, a rather large MLP meme was about to become reality. Gamer Luna was about to be born. I giggled to myself and switched the 360 on. "Ah, might have a slight problem." I help up two objects. "If we all want to play, we can't Only got two controllers." "Sister? Please take one of them and follow my lead." Celestia instructed. She levitated one controller and held it near her horn with Luna doing the same. In a quick flash of light, one controller became two. She bloody duplicated it! Luna smiled and did the same procedure. "I believe you're problem is resolved, yes?" Sarah's jaw hung open at this powerful display of magic. Even I was stunned. The controllers were shared out between the four of us and the eagerly-anticipated game was about to be loaded. "Wait a second. I've got a better game we can play." The three of them all waited for me to choose the game we were to play. I scrolled over to the game and got a nod of approvement from Sarah. Loading it up, I turned to the two princesses and said one thing. "Ladies. Welcome to Castle Crashers." An hour or so in and we were intensely enjoying every second of it. We chose to be the main four knights - I was Green, Sarah was Orange, Celestia was Red and Luna was Blue - and we were powering through the game. After the Luna's initial shock as to how this technology works, she turned. She turned into Gamer Luna and I could not believe it. All of the pictures people have made, all of the stories people have created and I'm seeing it happen for real. Part of me wanted to gloat all over the internet but who the hell would believe me? And I'm not supposed to anyway. We had just reached the Corn boss and as always, this one was a nightmare to kill. We had Celestia and Sarah using magic as me and Luna went in and whacked the giant, growling ear of corn. "He's spinning. Block!" I shouted. "Got it!" Luna replied. Before long, we completed the level. "Not long to go now. Just another four or five screens and we'll be at the finish." Sarah said with a smile. "Yeah we..." I let out a huge yawn. "We'll be done in no time..." I said, rubbing my eyes. Always happens when I look at a screen too long. "My friends, are you tired?" Luna asked. I glanced at the clock and I was surprised when I saw what time it was. "Well, it is 11PM." I let out another yawn. "Maybe we should stop for the night." "I think that will be for the best." Celestia added. She and Luna got to their hooves and approached me and Sarah. "Thank you both for making our stay most enjoyable." "Oh that's alri...are you leaving?" I asked. "I am afraid so. What with both of the royal sisters being absent from Canterlot, our subjects and the royal guard are probably wracked with worry." Celestia explained. Luna approached me and Celestia approached Sarah. At the same time, they unfurled their wings and put them around mine and Sarah's shoulders, pulling us close. "Thank you for the lovely evening. And sorry for causing all the trouble earlier." Luna said to me. "It's quite alright." I replied, putting my arms around her azure neck. "Just remember what I told you." I whispered in her ear. She nodded and pulled away. "It was a pleasure to meet you both." Sarah said. "Likewise. Come now Luna, we shall return." Celestia turned to me and smiled. "Once again Jason, you welcomed me into your home and treated us like true friends. I thank you." Her's and Luna's horn started to glow. "Goodbye friends." Me and Sarah joined hands as we watched the sisters begin to charge their spell. The electrics in the house flickered as the raw magical energy caused the power to go haywire. I took a glance out of my back window and saw something which gave me an idea. "Wait! Stop!" Both of the princesses' horns stoped glowing as I shouted at them. "What's the matter, honey?" Sarah asked. I quickly went on my laptop and opened up the internet. As I searched for what I wanted, the three of them started to approach. "Ah-ah! No peeking!" I commanded. I quickly found what I was looking for and fortunately, my instincts were correct. I walked to the back door and opened it up. "Follow me, all of you." Sarah caught up to me as I began to walk through the back garden. "What are you doing?" "Something memorable." Celestia and Luna soon caught up. "What is the meaning of this?" Luna asked. "Just something I want to show you before you leave." The warm Indian Summer air of October blew against us as we walked out of the garden and into a wide open field. To the left was a hill, which we began to ascend. "Now, you know we live quite high up? Sometimes, if the light is right and the sky is clear, you get a treat." We reached the top of the hill and looked out. "Take a look." "Oh my..." "That's beautiful." The sisters were staring in awe at the sight before them. The rolling hills of the Lake District, the small villages and towns illuminated by a full moon's glow. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. The constellations were easily identifiable. "I thought as you leave, you can leave with a look over the hidden beauty of this world." Sarah leaned into me and kissed me. "And you couldn't have done better." "Yeah..." I turned to the sisters who were still gazing out. "So...I guess this is goodbye for now." "Indeed my dear human. But I must thank you again for showing me and Luna this magnificent sight. If this is only a fraction of your world, then I can only dream of what else lies hidden here." Celestia said. "And I ask you now Sarah to follow in Jason's footsteps and keep our existence a secret?" "No problem. I'll never tell." "Thank you." Her horn began to glow, as did Luna's. "Not going to interrupt us this time?" she asked with a smirk. "Not on your life." We watched as the glow began to increase. "Oh! Say sorry to Twilight for me!" Celestia laughed as I said that. "I will. And please remember, we will see each other again." With that, they both disappeared with a flash of golden and blue light. Sarah and I began our trek back down the hill. Overall, the day had been pretty good. I saw Celestia, met Luna, unexpectedly met Twilight Sparkle and I went to Equestria! I'll be thinking about this for weeks to come. Eventually, we reached our home and entered it's warm embrace. The day ahd taken a toll on us both and we quickly reitred to the bedroom. I thought now would be a chance to explain something. I opened up the drawer and pulled out my notepad and the enchanted quill. "Babe, this is how I kep in contact with Celestia. I write a letter, roll it up, tap it with the quill and it gets sent to her." "Wow...almost like magic." I gave her a look. "OK, it is magic." she said, laughing. I handed the quill to her. "Why don't you try it?" She gingerly took the quill and the notepad and then thought about what to write. Before long, she was scribbling something down. Finishing up, she handed the note to me so I could read it. It read... Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, If someone had told me that in the future, I would be friends with two Princesses who were ponies, who could perform magic and could fly, I would have said they were crazy. As would anybody else. But after today, I take that back. Meeting Princess Luna in the middle of my home was frightening at first but it soon became clear that she meant good. She meant not to scare me. And then you showed up with my husband. I was so close to losing my rag and screaming at him but I felt calm around you two. And I want to thank you both for explaining what happened before and what your lives are like. Equestria sounds like fun! You know...except from the dragons and the hydra's and...you know. I better wrap this up before I waffle on. It was a pleasure meeting you both and I had a great time spending the evening with you! I would love to see you in the future and I am pretty sure that Jason would as well! Best Wishes Sarah I leant over and gave my wife a kiss. "That's beautiful, it really is. Now, roll this letter up, like a scroll." She did so. "And tap it twice with the quill." She did that with an eager smile and her mouth hung open as the scroll was engulfed in a magic aura and dissapated into thin air. "There you go. She'll read that any minute." "Thanks honey. Now come on...let's get some sleep." She snuggled down next to me as I lowered myself into the covers. To think that I'd want to sleep after a day like today. There was nothing that could spoil my mood now. "Oh, and if you leave the house, leaving everything turned on again? I'll hide the 360 from you." OK...maybe that. SequelThe sequel is now up! Click here.
Chapter 1"I am exhausted." My legs gave way as I flopped down onto the sofa; my briefcase thumping onto the wooden floor. Today had been particularly busy as Dave had instructed me to take minutes in the manager's meeting. Trying to fully listen to what everyone is saying and then writing it down, whilst listening to what they're saying next was hard as hell. As soon as that meeting was over, I was out of there faster than a kid was to sugar. "Aww...come here honey." I raised my gaze to see the eyes of my wife, Sarah. I don't know how she did it - she works all day, harder than I do, and still comes home looking like she did when she left in the morning - beautiful. I sat up and patted the spot next to me which Sarah sat in, leaning onto my chest. I stretched my arms out and wrapped them around her front, feeling her body heat next to mine. "I'm so glad it's Friday." I said. "Me and you both. Although my day isn't finished yet." "Hmm, how come?" Sarah looked up at me and tutted. "Don't you remember? I'm going up to Gretna to visit Mum and Dad." "Oh yeah, of course. Spending time with a woman who complains about everything that graces her vision." I said with a laugh. "You going for the night?" "For the weekend. I imagine most of it will be what you just said. Once the wine's open, it becomes a slag-fest for everyone who's wronged her.' I snorted and laughed. "She can't be that bad...right?" Sarah met my gaze with one that said 'Oh really?'. We both shared a laugh leant back on the sofa. "So, what time are you off?" "In a few minutes. Got a taxi to take me to Penrith so I can get the train. You'll be alright by yourself, yeah?" she asked, looking up at me. I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling the lucious silkiness of it. "Eeyup. Got a bit of a session later on TF2. Hopefully this new friend of mine will be on as well. I tell ya, he's good at the Soldier." *BEEP BEEP* Sarah got up from her human mattress and pulled me up with her. "Well, I better be off. I should be back on Sunday afternoon. We'll go try that new Italian place in Keswick in the evening." She planted her lips on mine and held them there. She broke the kiss and opened her eyes slightly at me. "How's that sound?" "Divine. I'll give them a ring and see if--" *BEEEEEP* "Hold on." I walked to the front door and opened it up to see th taxi waiting there. "YEAH, ALRIGHT MATE. CALM DOWN!" I bellowed out to the obnoxious driver. Sarah walked up to me and gave me a strong hug. "Have a good time yeah?" She began to walk towards to the taxi. "OH! And er...tell Marie I send her my hugs and kisses." Sarah scoffed and laughed. "Yeah alright. She'll love that..." She climbed into the taxi which took off down the pathway and out of sight. I closed the front door and made my way to the shower, discarding my crappy online-bought suit into the wash basket. Turning on the shower, I waited for the water to heat up enough then entered the warm embrace of mother nature's refreshing liquid. In Canterlot - 9AM Princess Celestia was sitting at her maple wood dining table, enjoying some oats and milk for breakfast. Savouring the sweet taste, she 'mmm'd as it was swallowed. "I don't know what it is but these oats are--" "How about now?" ".......No Luna." "OK................now?" Celestia held a hoof to her head as her younger sister continued her tyrade. Ever since Celestia told Luna she could not come with her to Earth, Luna had commenced a barrage of requests at her older sister. At first it didn't affect her but now, her patience was starting to wear thin. "Luna, for the last time. You are not going to Earth." she said in a stern voice. Luna took a seat next to Celestia and looked up at her. "But why? All of those marvellous things you told me about the human, all of the inventions that have been made. Why won't you allow me to see this world?" she asked, hanging her head at the end. Celestia sighed and turned to her sister. "Luna my dear. It isn't your fault that you cannot go. The knowledge of Equestria needs to be kept away from Earth as I fear what could happen should they find out about us. In their world, we are fiction, a story. Creations from the minds of various humans. Jason is the only one who knows that we truly exist and I wish to keep it that way. With the two of us going, it could provide more opportunites for other humans to find out. I am only going back so that I do not seem rude. Forgive me Luna but I'm sorry, you cannot come with me." Luna rose from her chair and walked away. "Fine. But I'll tell you this." Celestia stood and turned to see the biggest smirk on her sister. "I'll change your mind. You just wait and see." Luna walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Celesita chuckled to herself and started to sit back down. "That sister of mine. She does sometimes say the weirdest--" *PFBBBT!* "AHH!" she screamed. Standing back up and looking back at her chair, she levitated the offending object and glared at it. "A whoopee cushion?" "That's right." sounded Luna's voice from behind the door. "And that's just one thing. You've brought this upon yourself." Celestia gulped and looked around nervously. She had known that Luna had become one for playing pranks on other ponies, herself included. She cautiously walked out of the dining hall and along the corridor towards the throne room. The walk was silent, save for the sound of her own hoofsteps. Approaching the throne room, the guards opened the door for her. "Thank you guards. A good day to--" *POOMF* A flash of white clouded her vision and also clogged her throat. Once the smoke had cleared, the reason was found. A large amount of flour suspended above the door. "L-LU-NA!" Celestia shouted through coughs. "Yes? Can I come now?" asked Luna, in an innocent voice, who appeared out of nowhere. Pinkie Pie's logic was strong with this one. Celestia growled and wiped her face with her hoof, giving Luna an angry glare. "Clean this up." she asked the guards. They quickly saluted and went off to find some cleaning supplies. "Luna, I am not taking you. That's that." "OK!" Luna happily agreed before running off, out of sight. Celestia was befuddled but she shook off Luna's reaction along with most of the flour that now coated her...coat. She walked up to her throne and placed herself down on it. "Day Court is now in session." she stated out loud. *2 Hours Later* "LUNA, THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!" A break is all she wanted. A bit of time to grab a drink, maybe a light snack but no. Luna had other ideas - like spiking her fruit juice with a liquid that shrinks your vocal chords. Luna was in fits of laughter at how her older sister sounded. (Think of that dog from Up.) "Ah-ha! HAHAHA! Oh Celestia, you sound hilarious!" Luna shouted out between laughs. Celestia walked up to her and glared at her again. "In the past two hours, you have given me a scroll which was laced with itching powder, you turned my guards into sheep, you stole my crown and ran away with it and NOW you laced my drink! When is this going to end?!" she shouted at her. Luna couldn't take her seriously, not with that high voice. "Ahahaha...aha...when you...*snigger*...allow me to come with you." Celestia couldn't take it anymore. She stomped her hoof as hard as she could - that caught Luna's attention. Her horn glowed and she coughed a few times. "Luna." Her voice was back to normal. "I do not want to see you for the rest of the day. Do you understand? I am NOT pleased." Luna knew what this was. Celestia was miffed, seriously angry. She hung her head and walked away. "Yes sister." she said sadly before the kitchen door shut behind her. Celestia sighed and teleported herself back to the throne room. Everything was back to normal. "Day Court may resume." *6PM* It was nearly time to leave. The sun was soon to be set and the power of Equestria was to handed over to Luna for a whole weekend. To say Celestia was nervous was an understatement, she had never given Luna this much responsibility before. "Sister?" Celestia turned her head left to the source of the meek voice. Standing there was Luna, looking downtrodden, a facial expression Celestia knew she couldn't ignore. "You know I hate it when you do that." she said, smiling slightly. Luna stepped closer to her before looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry." she apologised. "Well you did." Celestia retorted a bit loudly. She then rested her hoof on Luna's cheek. "But I forgive you...as long as there are no more pranks." "I promise." They both nuzzled each other with sibling affection. "So when are you leaving?" Luna asked quietly. "Immediately. Follow me onto the balcony." They both made their way onto the balcony outside of the throne room. They cast their horns alight and heaved the Solar and Lunar lights respectively, turning a shining world into one of darkness. Finishing their tasks, Celestia cleared her throat to get Luna's attention. "I leave control of Equestria in your hooves sister. I pray that you won't lose it." she said with a wink. Luna playfully nudged her sister. "Leave it to me." "Very well. I'll see you in a few days." Celestia's horn glowed brighter and brighter. Luna could feel the massive amount of raw energy being used for this spell. The amount got higher and higher and then...nothing. Celestia disappeared with a flash of light. Luna's mouth turned into a smirk and she chuckled to herself. "Gotcha." Earth - Jason's Home This always felt good after work. It just washes the day away and relieves stress. I seriously considered buying one of those shower chairs so I could just sit in here all day...but I never did. I thought it would make me look lazy. After about twenty minutes, I turned the shower off, stepped out and picked up the...the..."Bugger." I remember putting some towels out to dry on the clothes airer last night so I walked out of the bathroom and towards the front room. Now that my wife wasn't around, I could reward my house with the sound of my singing voice...OK, torture. "Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alive! And the wor--" Oh. My. God. "Hello again." Both of us were looking at my uncovered nether regions. I looked back up in shock. "H...Hi."
Chapter 2A brisk wind blew through the living room as the staredown continued. I hadn't gathered the balls to say anything as my package was in full view...in front of a goddess. I raised my arm and motioned to behind the Princess to where a clothes airer was stood. "Um...towels are over there...if you excuse me..." I slowly walked past the shining white alicorn, refusing to look her in the eye out of sheer embarrassment. Picking up a rather large towel, I quickly wrapped it around my waist and secured it tight. Taking a deep breath, I turned back around to see Celestia still showing that smile of hers. "You need not to feel embarrassed dear Jason. To be fair, I didn't exactly give you any warning." Celestia offered. "Well um...I shouldn't have been parading in the nude, singing terribly." I replied with a chuckle. I stared into those huge purple eyes and slowly approached her. Standing in front of her, I raised my hand and put it on her side, feeling the wonderful plushness of her fur. "It's good to see you again." She replied with a bigger smile before opening her wings, putting them around me and pulling me close. "It is good to see you again as well." Releasing me, she then bowed her head slightly. "I apologise for the long wait. Six months is a long time but my royal duties restrained me from visiting." "Hey, don't worry about it. You told me that the ponies are trying to recover from the changeling invasion. How is it going by the way?" I ask. "Better now. When I returned, the number of visitors doubled but they were calm. Now though, everything is back to normal and the event seems to have been forgotten by most." She glanced over to my mantlepiece, where a variety of pictures were situated. "Is this your wife...Sarah, I think?" "Yeah, that's her." The picture was of us on our wedding day. "Seems so long ago now. Two years ago next week actually." I placed my hand on the photo. "What a day that was..." Celestia quickly placed the photo back down and turned her gaze to all over my living room. "Is she here? Your wife?" she asks with worry. "Nah. She's gone to visit her parents in Scotland. I'm home alone until Sunday morning." I looked down to see I was still in a towel. "Um...give me a few minutes. I'm just gonna go and get dressed." Celestia nodded and I quickly retreated to my bedroom. I threw on a blue football shirt (NOT GOING TO SAY WHICH TEAM I SUPPORT) and some tracksuit bottoms before returning to the living room. Celestia was standing there, waiting. "You can sit down you know." I joked. She did so and sat on the sofa. I sat down in my armchair and sighed contently. "So why didn't you go to visit your in-laws?" Celestia asked. "Many reasons. Many...many reasons." I leant forward and brought my hands together. "Her Mum likes to complain about everything that she sees. Seriously...anything. Her Dad's a nice guy but he's not really a sociable man." *Grumble* "But I tell ya who is sociable." I said, pointing to my stomach. "Are you hungry? I would have stocked up if I was certain you were coming so I've got the bare minimum." "A meal would be splendid. Do you have anything that would suit a pony?" "Well I...hold on." I went to the fridge and rummaged through it. Some chicken breasts, some ham, a bit of cheese in a bottle...oh wait, that's milk...or what's left of it.. Fantastic. I poked my head from around the corner. "Err...not really." I glanced at the kitchen counter and noticed a solution. "We'll order something instead." I planted myself next to Celestia and opened up a menu for her. "Do you like spicy food?" She nodded. "Well, I'll introduce you to Indian cuisine. Have a look through that and try and find something that appeases you. Just err...stay away from the meat." I said sheepishly. Celestia went through the menu, asking what certain words meant. I hadn't a clue. Certain one's like 'aloo' and 'paneer' were easy as I had them before. But stuff like 'Ceylon' and 'Pathia'? No chance. "This sounds good. Dopiaza - a blend of various spices, garnished with plenty of onion and a dash of lemon." "I've had that before, that's a good one." I picked up the phone. "Can you read out that number on the front for me?" "That was delightful." "Yeah, it was pretty good." Two empty plates and plenty of empty containers later, me and Celestia were stuffed. Although, bloated would be the correct term. Curry, rice, bhaji, naan bread...but it was soooo good. Before and during the meal, we discussed how our lives had gone after our initial visit. I told her about work and how much I was hating it now. I mentioned something I had done soon after she visited the first time. Knowing where my great-grandfather was buried, I visited him and talked for a while. I thanked him for giving the world something amazing to see. When I asked about Celestia's life, she didn't have much to say. The ponies were going back to their normal lives, more defenses were being put up around the city and she talked about her sister. That's right, Princess Luna. Hearing many stories about Luna's antics and shenanigans was quite funny to hear. Especially about the helium drink - I nearly bust a gut laughing about it! After I tidied up the mess we made, we both returned to the sofa and let our food go down. "So...what do you wanna do now?" I asked. Celestia shook her hoof. "It's not my decision, it is yours. I am happy either way." We eventually decided on watching a movie. Something friendly. Something that everyone could watch. We discussed what types of films there were before I figured out the perfect one. My most favourite animated film - The Iron Giant. I slipped the DVD into the player and turned on the TV. "So, what is this film about?" Celestia asked. "It's set in the late 1950's, during the Cold War. A giant robot crashes on Earth and this little kid befriends him. I won't say anymore because it might..." A light from the drive caught my attention. I went to the window and peeked out of the curtain. "Huh...a car's pulling up. Strange - I'm not expecting anyone." "Do you recognise the car?" Celestia asked. "No...no it's...wait...it's a taxi. Hang on, someone's getting out." A woman exited the taxi. A woman I know VERY well. "It's Sarah! She's come back!" I shouted in panic. "I thought you said that she was gone for the weekend." Celestia retorted. "I did! She's...she's got her bags as well!" I closed the curtain and looked at Celestia. "You've gotta go, now! You can't let her see you!" "Jason, please. From what you've told me about your wife, she seems like a wonderful person. I think one more human knowing about me won't hurt." "Not this woman! She's a gossiper! She'll spill the secret faster than it takes Rainbow Dash to think about flying!" I replied. The sound of her bags wheeling across the path was getting louder. "She's..." Keys were jingling. "SHE'S..." The key entered the lock. "SHE'S LIKE RARITY!" I shouted in whisper. Celestia's eyes widened and she bolted upright. Her horn immediately cast ablaze and my vision was lost in a blinding flash of light. Sarah entered her home, dragging her heavy bags in behind her. "Jason honey, I'm back! There were problems on the railway so I couldn't get there. Jason?" She dumped her bags on the floor and looked at the scene in front of her. TV on, DVD playing and no husband to be seen. "Jason! What did I say about leaving the TV on when you're not using it?" She searched every room but Jason was nowhere to be seen. "Now where the hell have you--" *FLASH* "AAH! WHAT?!" A blinding flash of light eminated from the centre of the living room. A distinct buzzing noise sounded and pulsed as the light grew brighter and brighter. Then, as quickly as it started, the light and buzzing ceased. Sarah regained her vision and looked where the light once was...and froze. There, standing in the middle of her living room, was a creature. A tall creature on four legs. The creature looked around at it's surroundings and smelt the air. Then, it spoke. "Celestia, I'm here!"
Chapter 3"Ugh...oh man..." It felt like I had just spent an hour on one of those spinning rides you find at the fair. You know the ones when they just spin and you go up the wall? Yeah those. "Jason? Are you alright?" Celestia's worried voice rung through my head as I tried to pick myself up from the cold, hard floor. Gradually getting into a seated position, my head decided to have another spinning episode and I started to wobble. "I'm...I not so good. I'm...uh-oh." My stomach was sending me a warning. The stomach express was about to lift off. "Sorry about this." "About what?" I leant forward and heaved, coughing ferociously. "OH! Oh no! Oh Jason..." Celestia said sympathetically. Finishing my internal evacuation, I opened my eyes slowly and caught a glimpse of Celestia looking down at me. "Sorry." I groaned and rubbed my eyes so they could focus. "What happened?" "Your wife was returning home and you asked me to leave. But...I panicked." Celestia sheepishly replied. "You panicked? Wait...SARAH!" I shot my head up and looked around. "Quick, you need to...need to...huh?" I wasn't in my home. I was in a giant room, enormous in size. "Where am I?" I looked up at Celestia. "What did you do?" She broke her gaze with me and looked away. My temper was rising but I tried to keep my cool. "Celestia, what did you do?" I asked sternly. "I...I teleported back to Canterlot...but...you came with me." "I...you...wha..." I was speechless. I slowly got to my feet and looked around properly. Then it hit me - this room. I now recognised where I was. "This is...this is the throne room." I noticed the giant throne and slowly approached it, walking up the red rug. Raising my hand slowly, I touched the golden seat and felt the smooth texture of the edge of it. "This is...I'm really...oh my god." "Jason I...are you OK?" Celestia asked from behind me. "I er...I..." I turned around to face the solar princess. "I'm really here aren't I?" I asked, a small smile creeping onto my face. Celestia slowly nodded but her face remained sullen. "So what really happened? I remember telling you that Sarah's a gossiper like Rarity, then you got up quickly and everything went white." Celestia hung her head and closed her eyes. "Your wife was nearly entering your home. I cast my teleportation spell to take me back but I overpowered it. In essence, the area of the spell grew and took you along with it. I do hope you can forgive me Jason." "..." "Jason?" "Huh? Over here, I'm just...wow, these are beautiful." I was observing the stain glass windows, depicting events in Equestria's history. I was standing under the one which showed the Mane 6 sealing Discord in stone again. The sun was just at the right angle and the light shone through the colourful display of glass, reflecting a plethora of colours onto the floor below it. "Sorry, what did you say?" Celestia shook her head. "I said I hope you can forgive me for taking you to Equestria without asking." "Are you kidding?! I'm not mad at all! Do you know how long I've wanted to come here? How long I've dreamed of coming here?" I turned and observed the rest of the throne room. "This is incredible. Astonishing." I then noticed a puddle of something rotten. "Sorry about puking though..." Celestia chuckled. "That is quite alright. I will have somepony clear it up." "Speaking of which, where are your guards? Shouldn't they be here protecting you from the new and mysterious creature?" I said with a laugh. "They have already seen you." My eyes widened in shock. "Do not fear, I dismissed the guards before they could question me further. All they know is that you are a creature in need of some help. When we arrived back here, you were unconscious and the guards were all alert at the appearance of you. A simple explanation from me sufficed." Celestia explained. "And they bought it?" "I'm the Princess. They should do." We both laughed at that. "But I do feel terrible about something." "Hmm? What's that?" I asked. "We left your wife alone in your home and left it in a mess." I slapped my head in frustration. "Ohhh nooo. Sarah's gonna go barmy. I left the TV on, the 360, the lights, everything! She always moans at me about keeping the cost of electricity down." I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "Alright so...what happens now?" "I can return you to Earth immediately. This will cut our time short I am afraid for which I apologise." Celestia said. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. But still..." I gestured to where we were. "Look where you've brought me. There are thousands of people who can only dream of visiting a place like this. For what it's worth, even though our time was short, you've made it amazing and for that I thank you." A yellow glow enveloped my body as I was levitated towards Celestia, who put her wings around me. "You are most welcome. Shall I send you back now?" "Yeah, OK...just let me leave viewing the throne room. I can't believe how beautiful it is..." I ask. Celestia releases me and turns me around. I wait as I hear Celestia's horn charge. I take one last look around the throne room, marvelling in the medieval-esque decor and the elegant designs. The stain-glass window depicting Celestia and Luna...wait..."Wait, stop a second!" I turn around to see Celestia's horn deplete it's magic. "What is the problem?" she asks. "You came to my home to visit me right? So no-one would be here during the day right?" "Oh of course not! My sister, Luna, will be taking over for a few days." Celestia explained. "Right. So if she is supposed to be here during the day then...where is she?" I said, gesturing towards the empty throne. "Well she..." Celestia froze as she realised what I meant. "But...she should be here. Where could she...Jason, do you trust me?" "Uhh...I...yeah of course." I replied hesitantly. "I need to explore the castle in search of my younger sibling. Which means you will remain here. But I will disguise you. Please remain still." Celestia's horn glowed and shot a beam of light at me. Shutting my eyes and waiting for the pain, I felt none. "There you are." I opened my eyes to see...that nothing changed. "What was that for?" "I have cast an invisibility spell on you. Only you and I can see your body." "Holy..." I couldn't believe what she did. I was invisible! "Sure this will work?" "Positive. Now, please remain here. I will return shortly." With a flash, Celestia disappeared. I stood there, thinking about what I should do now. *15 MINUTES LATER* With another flash, Celestia returned to the throne room. Spotting me, she cast another spell on me. "You are back to normal...but we have a problem." "Can't find her?" I reply. "She is not in the castle..." Celestia narrowed her eyes. "But I know where she has gone..." she finished coldly. "And if my assumptions are correct...then your wife may have a visitor." "Sarah?" My brain cogs spun and I realised what she meant. "You mean...she's gone to Earth?!" I asked with worry. "I'm almost certain. I was searching the castle and picked up a strong magical residue from where I teleported from earlier this evening. At first I thought it was mine but...the magic was different. It had a different feel...a feel that I recognise all too much." I put my hands to my face and dragged them down. "Ohhh...this is bloody fantastic...so what we do?" "The only thing we can do." Celestia's horn began charging again. "We will return to Earth and locate my sister." "And what if you're wrong?" I ask. Celestia glared at me but said nothing. Her horn kept charging and charging. Another yellow glow surrounded us both as her spell was nearly ready to use. "I just hope that Sarah hasn't seen Princess Luna...that's gonna be tough if she has." "Princess Celestia!" I knew that voice. I turned my head to the throne room door to see a pony which made me fanboy scream inside. "I haven't seen you in...er, Princess?" "Not now Twilight! Another time!" Celestia shouted before my vision was lost once again in a flash of white. Landing with a thump, my eyes quickly regain their vision. We were back in my house. I looked around to see that neither Sarah or Luna were here. "Are you OK?" Celestia asked. "Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Wasn't as bad as last time." I realised that the TV and the 360 were switched off. "This is different. She's been back but...she's not here now. Can you sense Princess Luna at all?" "I...I sense something but..." *CLINK CLINK* A tea cup. She WAS here. "Uhh...Sarah? Honey?" I slowly approached the kitchen. Before I could enter, my wife walked out and gave me and Celestia glares. "You have some explaining to do." she ordered coldly. "OK, alright. Look, I can explain everything." I started. "Oh I know most of it!" She stared at Celestia. "One of YOUR friends told me!" she stated loudly. "Does that mean--" "Greetings dear Sister!" My mouth hung open in shock. As if going to Equestria wasn't the highlight of my day, this certainly was. Princess Luna, in all of her glory, slowly entered the room, smiling at Celestia. I walked backwards and fell into my armchair, sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fan...tastic..."
Chapter 4This was just bloody brilliant. A secret, this was meant to be. A secret! Now, another human is aware of the existence of Equestria, Sarah's probably going to rant and rave about it and everything will just go to pot. Oh...and even Twilight saw me. I bet Celestia's really looking forward to explaining that! "Well?" I craned my head back up to see my wife still giving me the 'stare'. Yeah, I named it after a certain pegasus' actions. I knew Sarah was just waiting for me to try and explain so she can shove it back in my face and vent her anger. "Well what? You know most of it already, what do you need to hear from me?" I asked. "What I want to know..." she started saying, approaching with each spoken word. "...is why you kept this a secret from me." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "You know we don't keep stuff from each other, that's how we work." I placed my hand over hers and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, I really am but..." I looked over to the Solar Princess who was glaring at her younger sibling. "But she told me I couldn't tell anyone. Only three people have ever known they existed before I did and that was my great-grandad, great-grandmother and grandma. You know...Celestia help me out here please." I pleaded to the sun goddess. "I knew you were up to something." Celestia coldly said. "What? What did I do?" I asked incredulously. "Not you." Celestia replied, staring at me. She slowly turned back around to face Luna. "You. How could you do this Luna?" "I told you I would come here eventually. You should have brought me along with you. I don't see anything dangerous here at all." Luna replied, smiling. Celestia shook her head and groaned. "But I ordered you not to! I told you about this place in good faith that you would just accept it! Not become jealous!" she retorted, her anger seeping in every word. "Jealous?" Luna said quietly. "You're right! Do you not know how jealous you made me when you first mentioned him?" Luna said with a hint of anger. I looked over at her, seeing that she looked fit to burst. "Everything you told me about him, everything you did..." She approached her elder sister and got right in her face. "Do you not realise how much I yearn for such a thing? To be sociable again?!" she shouted. Tears were starting to form in Luna's eyes. "I have tried sister, I tried. Nightmare Night was a success but it only happens once a year. To be surrounded by those that like you, that want to spend time with you." She looked over to me again. "I thought I could find that here..." Observing Celestia, I could see that she was trying remain neutral with all of her power. But she couldn't hold it - she approached her younger sibling and held her close with one of her wings. Sarah grasped my hand which got my attention. "I guess she was telling the truth." she whispered. "How do you mean?" I replied at the same volume. Best not to break the goddess' embrace. "She said she was lonely and that she just wanted to find someone to be friends with. I have to say though, she did surprise me." How did I not pick up on that sooner? "Hey, yeah that's right. How come you're not freaking out at the sight of her? I was sure you'd either pass out or try and attack her but...you seem calm and happy." "At first I was afraid, then I was petrified." I snorted in laughter. "At first I tried to hide but she found me and started talking. To be honest, I was close to passing out but she mentioned your name and...I don't know, I just calmed down." I gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Celestia and Luna had released each other and were both smiling. "You err...you girls alright now?" I asked. They both looked at me and nodded. "We are fine dear human. Celestia has understood my reasoning and forgiven me for coming here." Celestia cleared her throat and stared at Luna. "And...I am sorry to you both for intruding in your home unannounced." "It's alright. It was a bit of a shock but it turned alright didn't it?" Sarah replied. She looked up at Celestia, then back at me. "So, can we do introductions again? And maybe you can tell me a few things?" Celestia was currently in a conversation with Sarah about my great-grandfather and how she came here in the first place. I had asked if anyone wanted tea to which all three of them agreed to. Out in the kitchen, I set the kettle on the boil and waited patiently. "It's a wonderful home you have here." "Hmm?" I turned to see that Luna had followed me into the kitchen. "Oh...um, yeah it's lovely." One thing couldn't get out of my mind so I had to voice it. "Princess, can I ask you a question?" She nodded and approached me. "Those things you said about feeling jealous and alone...do you really feel that way?" Luna's smile slowly drooped and she sighed quietly. "It is true. Every day since my return, I have felt alone." "Is this because your subjects still think you're Nightmare Moon?" She looked surprised that I knew such a thing. "Celestia told me." "I see. Most ponies still think I am what I used to be. Except the citizens of Ponyville. They all accepted me at Nightmare Night last year." Luna explained. "I heard that the Elements became great friends with you. But I can see why you are still alone. No-one's awake at night, right?" Luna nodded slowly, closing her eyes. I was trying to come up with a solution for her problems. Anything that can make her feel better, knowing that her future will be more sociable. Alas, I could not think of a thing. But there was something I could say. I slowly rested my hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at me. "There's something I don't get. You said you were struggling to be sociable, right?" Luna nodded. "Well, when you came here and found my wife, she told me you instantly spoke to her in a friendly way, like you'd been friends for years. And she even told me that she felt calm around you. From that, I can't see any sociable issues here." "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying that maybe this is it. The start of something. You willingly spoke to my wife, who you'd never seen before, and became friendly with her like that." I said, snapping my fingers. "If you can do THAT then you should be able to do it back home. You just need to...throw yourself in the deep end. Just get stuck in and get out there and make some new friends." I could see that Luna was listening to every word that I was saying. "I...you're right. I can--" "Jason! Where's the tea?" Sarah called. "Just a minute honey." I poured the boiling kettle into the four mugs and stirred the teabags. I was about to pick up the mugs when I felt something touch my cheek...Luna's lips to be precise. "Thank you." Luna walked out of the kitchen, levitating two of the mugs of tea. I froze. Did a once-thought fictional pony princess just kiss me on the cheek?! I chuckled softly and picked up the remaining mugs of tea. "Crazy day...crazy day." I mumbled under my breath. I walked out into the living room to see that Sarah and Celestia were finishing up their conversation. "So...what information were you two divulging into?" I asked, passing a mug to my wife. "Sarah was telling me about how you met and I was telling her about your great-grandfather." Celestia replied. "I can't believe your great-grandad is responsible for this giant following." Sarah added. "Neither can I." I said, putting my arm around Sarah. "So...what's the plan now? Will you two stay for a while?" Celestia and Luna shared glances and grinned. "Maybe you should show Luna that wonderful game you showed me." Celestia said. Oh my god, a rather large MLP meme was about to become reality. Gamer Luna was about to be born. I giggled to myself and switched the 360 on. "Ah, might have a slight problem." I help up two objects. "If we all want to play, we can't Only got two controllers." "Sister? Please take one of them and follow my lead." Celestia instructed. She levitated one controller and held it near her horn with Luna doing the same. In a quick flash of light, one controller became two. She bloody duplicated it! Luna smiled and did the same procedure. "I believe you're problem is resolved, yes?" Sarah's jaw hung open at this powerful display of magic. Even I was stunned. The controllers were shared out between the four of us and the eagerly-anticipated game was about to be loaded. "Wait a second. I've got a better game we can play." The three of them all waited for me to choose the game we were to play. I scrolled over to the game and got a nod of approvement from Sarah. Loading it up, I turned to the two princesses and said one thing. "Ladies. Welcome to Castle Crashers." An hour or so in and we were intensely enjoying every second of it. We chose to be the main four knights - I was Green, Sarah was Orange, Celestia was Red and Luna was Blue - and we were powering through the game. After the Luna's initial shock as to how this technology works, she turned. She turned into Gamer Luna and I could not believe it. All of the pictures people have made, all of the stories people have created and I'm seeing it happen for real. Part of me wanted to gloat all over the internet but who the hell would believe me? And I'm not supposed to anyway. We had just reached the Corn boss and as always, this one was a nightmare to kill. We had Celestia and Sarah using magic as me and Luna went in and whacked the giant, growling ear of corn. "He's spinning. Block!" I shouted. "Got it!" Luna replied. Before long, we completed the level. "Not long to go now. Just another four or five screens and we'll be at the finish." Sarah said with a smile. "Yeah we..." I let out a huge yawn. "We'll be done in no time..." I said, rubbing my eyes. Always happens when I look at a screen too long. "My friends, are you tired?" Luna asked. I glanced at the clock and I was surprised when I saw what time it was. "Well, it is 11PM." I let out another yawn. "Maybe we should stop for the night." "I think that will be for the best." Celestia added. She and Luna got to their hooves and approached me and Sarah. "Thank you both for making our stay most enjoyable." "Oh that's alri...are you leaving?" I asked. "I am afraid so. What with both of the royal sisters being absent from Canterlot, our subjects and the royal guard are probably wracked with worry." Celestia explained. Luna approached me and Celestia approached Sarah. At the same time, they unfurled their wings and put them around mine and Sarah's shoulders, pulling us close. "Thank you for the lovely evening. And sorry for causing all the trouble earlier." Luna said to me. "It's quite alright." I replied, putting my arms around her azure neck. "Just remember what I told you." I whispered in her ear. She nodded and pulled away. "It was a pleasure to meet you both." Sarah said. "Likewise. Come now Luna, we shall return." Celestia turned to me and smiled. "Once again Jason, you welcomed me into your home and treated us like true friends. I thank you." Her's and Luna's horn started to glow. "Goodbye friends." Me and Sarah joined hands as we watched the sisters begin to charge their spell. The electrics in the house flickered as the raw magical energy caused the power to go haywire. I took a glance out of my back window and saw something which gave me an idea. "Wait! Stop!" Both of the princesses' horns stoped glowing as I shouted at them. "What's the matter, honey?" Sarah asked. I quickly went on my laptop and opened up the internet. As I searched for what I wanted, the three of them started to approach. "Ah-ah! No peeking!" I commanded. I quickly found what I was looking for and fortunately, my instincts were correct. I walked to the back door and opened it up. "Follow me, all of you." Sarah caught up to me as I began to walk through the back garden. "What are you doing?" "Something memorable." Celestia and Luna soon caught up. "What is the meaning of this?" Luna asked. "Just something I want to show you before you leave." The warm Indian Summer air of October blew against us as we walked out of the garden and into a wide open field. To the left was a hill, which we began to ascend. "Now, you know we live quite high up? Sometimes, if the light is right and the sky is clear, you get a treat." We reached the top of the hill and looked out. "Take a look." "Oh my..." "That's beautiful." The sisters were staring in awe at the sight before them. The rolling hills of the Lake District, the small villages and towns illuminated by a full moon's glow. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. The constellations were easily identifiable. "I thought as you leave, you can leave with a look over the hidden beauty of this world." Sarah leaned into me and kissed me. "And you couldn't have done better." "Yeah..." I turned to the sisters who were still gazing out. "So...I guess this is goodbye for now." "Indeed my dear human. But I must thank you again for showing me and Luna this magnificent sight. If this is only a fraction of your world, then I can only dream of what else lies hidden here." Celestia said. "And I ask you now Sarah to follow in Jason's footsteps and keep our existence a secret?" "No problem. I'll never tell." "Thank you." Her horn began to glow, as did Luna's. "Not going to interrupt us this time?" she asked with a smirk. "Not on your life." We watched as the glow began to increase. "Oh! Say sorry to Twilight for me!" Celestia laughed as I said that. "I will. And please remember, we will see each other again." With that, they both disappeared with a flash of golden and blue light. Sarah and I began our trek back down the hill. Overall, the day had been pretty good. I saw Celestia, met Luna, unexpectedly met Twilight Sparkle and I went to Equestria! I'll be thinking about this for weeks to come. Eventually, we reached our home and entered it's warm embrace. The day ahd taken a toll on us both and we quickly reitred to the bedroom. I thought now would be a chance to explain something. I opened up the drawer and pulled out my notepad and the enchanted quill. "Babe, this is how I kep in contact with Celestia. I write a letter, roll it up, tap it with the quill and it gets sent to her." "Wow...almost like magic." I gave her a look. "OK, it is magic." she said, laughing. I handed the quill to her. "Why don't you try it?" She gingerly took the quill and the notepad and then thought about what to write. Before long, she was scribbling something down. Finishing up, she handed the note to me so I could read it. It read... Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, If someone had told me that in the future, I would be friends with two Princesses who were ponies, who could perform magic and could fly, I would have said they were crazy. As would anybody else. But after today, I take that back. Meeting Princess Luna in the middle of my home was frightening at first but it soon became clear that she meant good. She meant not to scare me. And then you showed up with my husband. I was so close to losing my rag and screaming at him but I felt calm around you two. And I want to thank you both for explaining what happened before and what your lives are like. Equestria sounds like fun! You know...except from the dragons and the hydra's and...you know. I better wrap this up before I waffle on. It was a pleasure meeting you both and I had a great time spending the evening with you! I would love to see you in the future and I am pretty sure that Jason would as well! Best Wishes Sarah I leant over and gave my wife a kiss. "That's beautiful, it really is. Now, roll this letter up, like a scroll." She did so. "And tap it twice with the quill." She did that with an eager smile and her mouth hung open as the scroll was engulfed in a magic aura and dissapated into thin air. "There you go. She'll read that any minute." "Thanks honey. Now come on...let's get some sleep." She snuggled down next to me as I lowered myself into the covers. To think that I'd want to sleep after a day like today. There was nothing that could spoil my mood now. "Oh, and if you leave the house, leaving everything turned on again? I'll hide the 360 from you." OK...maybe that.
