Celestia drops in

Another week had past and Celestia and I were enjoying a nice gallop around the farm. But today was different than the other times. Normally I would be riding one of my horses and she would gallop or canter alongside me, but today was different – today I was riding her.

At our usual time when I exercise or turn out the horses, I had gone out to the stable to find Celestia already out there, with her magic hiding her features as usual. But then I noticed that she was wearing one of the saddles, and was levitating over a bridle and reins. As she was putting on the bridle, she explained that she wanted to thank me by giving me a ride around the farm.

Initially I had argued against her idea as it just didn't feel right to ride the Princess. But she argued back that she wanted to do this for me, having no other way to thank me, and she was more then powerful enough thanks to me helping her heal. The argument took a little time, as neither of us wanted to back down. I eventually relented, knowing from our other arguments and discussions that if she had made her mind up on something, the mare was not for turning. She then finished putting on the bridle without a bit, and then beckoned to me to climb on.

Getting onto her was an unnerving experience. She looked so much more slender than a normal horse, and I was worried that I would hurt her. But having slowly mounted she was surprised how light us humans were compared to our sizes.

The trip around the farm was fairly magical. She was much faster and bouncier than the normal horses which made for a fun ride, and we chatted as the rode. Whilst I always spoke to my horses, they never seemed to speak back and you could never be sure how much they understood. This was the way to go riding, with somebody to talk to!

As we was reaching the end of the usual route, Celestia sped up a little more. “I’ve got a extra special treat for you” she said, undoing the magic hiding her wings, horn and mane, allowing her hair to flow all around me.

“Wait Princess, somebody may see you!” I nervously declared, looking around to see if anyone was looking.

“I’ve made us both invisible” She laughed back.

“Why?”

“You’ll see…hold on”

As soon as she said that her wings flared out and we sped up a little more. Then I noticed that the ride became very smooth, like she had stopped moving. It was then I realised that she had taken flight and we were airborn!

“Wooooo” Celestia whooped as she gained altitude “It’s been so long since I’ve flown for fun. And I don't mean just being here, I never get to do this anymore!”

I was speechless as we sped upwards and forwards, gaining more and more speed. I could see a faint aura around me, which I guessed was Celestia’s magic helping me stay on. Afterall, whilst I'm a confident rider, there wasn't much I would have  been able to do with the wind rushing over me at what must have been very fast.

We sped over the neighbouring town, swooping down to follow the valley and then started sweeping around the farms neighbouring fields. Her mane and tail swished around in the wind, and she seemed to really enjoy the freedom of flying. Of course whilst I had been on an airplane before, and even done a skydive, nothing could have prepared for the feeling of soaring like a real bird. With the magic aura also making my skin tingle, I had the ride the like no other human had probably had before.

After a couple of hours of flying over the countryside, we approached my farm, and landed softly in the middle of the courtyard. Checking no-one was around, Celestia removed the invisibility magic and I dismounted from her back. I helped her untack all the equipment from her, as it just seemed to be the thing to do for any horse.

“Thank you so much for today” I wept as I gave Celestia a hug

She put a wing round me “I have a confession. Tonight I will be going home. I didn’t know how to tell you, or to thank you for everything you had done, but this seemed the most appropriate thing I could actually offer you".

*****

Our final day seemed to pass all too quickly. We spent all day together, and I made the final meal as special as possible, making her favourite salad with chips again. It had been a lovely day, but the fact we were shortly to never see each other again filled our hearts with sadness.

As darkness fell, we went outside back to the copse where I found her. We didn’t know how to say goodbye to each other, as we knew that once she left there was no chance of ever seeing each other again. It had been a little over two weeks, but we had grown to be good friends. Some of that was no doubt down to the fact we had spent a lot of time together, but I think we had both found something unusual in each other. The Princess had found a kind samartain who treated her as an equal, rather than royalty. And I had found a mystical beast who seemed as down to earth as anybody else.

She stood there, and she looked up at the moon. I looked up and seemed to notice a faint horse head appear – this was a sign from her sister Luna and would help Celestia navigate her way home. Her horn started to glow, and soon we were both bathed in a light as bright as the sun. She spread her wings and started slowly lifting up for the ground, stretched out with her horn up and her wings fully spread. Suddenly, she and the light disappeared, leaving me in darkness, alone…

*****

The day after Celestia left I woke up to find myself with an empty home for the first time in a while. I didn't really see the point in getting up, and just wanted to wallow in my bed. However, life had to go on. I went downstairs to fix myself, just myself, a breakfast but to my surprise I found an old fashioned looking Scroll on the breakfast table. I approached it slowly, as scared of it as if it was a bomb or something.

Having eventually picked up the scroll and unfurling it, an object fell out and looking down there was a heart shaped ruby on the table. Ignoring the gem for now, I started to read the old fashioned style scroll

Dear Faithful Tom

I have made it safely back to my homeland. Although I am happy to be back with my Sister and my subjects, I left you with a heavy heart. Without your kindness and generosity I am not sure I would have been able to survive, and you put my interests above your own.

You also took time to keep me happy and laughing which greatly helped my healing, as well as looking after me by hand without any magic to assist you. This is the action of an honest and loyal being, one I would be proud to call a friend.

Since my return, I have made sure that you have been honoured and will continue to do so. I have renamed the defence magic wing at the Magic University after you, and there is also now an annual celebration on the day I was sent into your care. Of course only a few ponies know who you actually are, the majority cannot be told about Humans. But you will be recorded as a hero of our kingdom throughout the ages.

The temporal vertex (as my student has called it, she's big on the science and is looking forwards to experiment with the electricity thing) is closing, and this will be the only letter I will be able to send. I enclose a small gem as repayment of your kindness – unfortunately I cannot send anything bigger but I hope this small gesture shows how grateful I truly aim.

Please put this gem under your pillow tonight…

In your debt forever, Princess Celestia

I stood their choking back the tears, so glad she had been able to make it back home. I picked up the ruby and studied it. The cut heart-shaped gem must have been worth a lot of money - based on it’s size, colour and flawless interior, I would probably have guessed many millions. And if this was classified a small gem in her world, I wonder what the large ones were worth. She had mentioned that dragons ate gems, and I wondered just how much value her students dragon friend consumed on a daily basis.

But the memories and friendship it represented was priceless to me. I put the gem pride of place on the sideboard, and went to muck out the stables…

*****

I settled down for a good nights sleep after a busy day. I had decided to take more animals back onto the farm and had started sorting out everything, which was very tiring. I remember at the last minute to put the gem under my pillow as Celestia had written, which I presumed was simply some Equestria tradition. I wasn't sad like the previous night, but having re-read the letter before bed just made me miss Celestia even more.

After a while, I realised that I had fallen asleep and was in fact dreaming. I didn’t usually remember my dreams, so I was surprised to realise that I was having a lucid dream. Looking around, I realised I was in some sort of walled garden, with immaculate flowers and statutes. However, only when I looked closely at the statutes I realised they were of various ponies, some with wings and others with horns. There was also a weird creature with all sorts of body parts, looking like he was frozen solid in fear.

Suddenly an Alicorn seemed to appear, very similar to Celestia's shape but was smaller, and very differently coloured. She had dark fur, a dark mane and wore a dark blue crown, light blue hoof shoes and a dark blue necklace. Realising who this was, I decided to bow.

The alicorn started to speak “Hello, My name is…”

“Why Princess Luna, it is a pleasure to finally meet you!” I interrupted

The unicorn seemed taken back, but then started to laugh “Ah, I must have the correct pony. My sister warned me you were a bit of a joker”

“My reputation seems to have preceded me”

“As did mine obviously” the Princess retorted with a smile “I’m so glad you got our little gift. It took a great spell to send it to you, but this way we will be able to keep in touch via dreams. Not every night, it takes a lot of magic to get into a creatures dream trans-dimensionally.”

“I bet!” I laughed back “So, glad to get your sister back?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, with her out of the way you must have had the palace to yourself, as well as being the only Princess left in the kingdom, with Cadence in the crystal empire”

She laughed, realising I was joking rather than making a Nightmare Moon reference. We talked for a while, before Luna explained she had to go as she was getting tired from the spell. She explained she would connect whenever she could to keep in touch, although it was likely to be weeks between dreams due to the amount of power it took. But that I should keep the gem with me every night so we never missed each other.

*****

A few years had passed since Celestia dropped into my life, and a lot had changed. I had just woken up from Luna’s latest update, with a smile on my face. Princess Cadence and Shining Armour were expecting their first foal, and Celestia had declared she would make an excellent foalsitter. Cadence, who was the most experienced out of the Princesses in this area, had challenged Celestia to prove how foalsiting wasn’t easy.

Celestia had accepted her nieces challenge and had just spent the day foalsitting a young pair of twins called Pound and Pumpkin Cake, with hilarious flour based results. But everypony was surprised on how patient she could be with the youngsters, until she reminded them of the patience she endured of spending weeks stuck without magic or wings.

I lay in bed thinking over the discussions I had had with Celestia regarding foals, and hoped that she would someday find the special somepony of her own and have her foals that I’m sure she wanted, or had until this run in with the mischievous twins.

I looked over at my sleeping wife, and gently rested my hand on her swollen stomach. We were expecting our first child in the next few months, life having moved on quickly after Celestia left. I had become much more social, and soon fell in love with a fellow animal lover, who was just as shy as I was. I gave her the nickname Fluttershy, although she had no idea why.

We have fallen in love quickly; as it was clear she wasn’t interested in my money. We bonded, married within the year and had decided to start a family. I looked back at my time of loneliness without regret, as otherwise I wouldn't have met Celestia, but was glad I had moved on.

My wife was obviously awake, as she linked her hand with mine on her belly.

“You had that dream again, didn’t you?”

“What dream?” I asked surprised

“I’m not sure, but every few weeks you have a dream where you mumble in your sleep and always wake up happy”

“Can you hear what I say?” I gently asked

“No, it’s not like a language it’s just soft sounds. Can you tell me what it is?”

“I’m not really sure” I lied

“Is it related to that stone you keep under the bed?”

I thought about my response carefully “Maybe, it reminds me of one of the few happy times before I met you”

My wife sniggered a little “What, you were happy before me?”

“Once” I laughed back “And not as happy as I am now”

“So, who gave you that heart?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you...”