Celestia...
I have no words. At least none that I could offer her. I didn't want to stay silent, but at the same time, I felt that if I said anything, I'd make things worse.
The morning after our little chat, I noticed that she was acting different. She was quieter and seemed apprehensive about a lot of things. She barely left the room she slept in, and when she did, it wasn't to see Red or me, it was to go to the bathroom or get something to eat.
Even that was off. Her appetite seemed diminished.
I can't particularly blame her, though. She went through a lot last night. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but it was more than I went through. I didn't feel the same way she did. I never had. That's just one thing that's different about us.
I assumed too much about her.
I wanted to do something to cheer her up, but nothing really came to mind. It was cold out, as well. She doesn't seem to like the cold all that much.
Maybe all she needed was a little space. A little time to herself.
Red noticed something was off. She noticed it last night when I carried Celestia inside after she had fallen asleep. It seemed like she had questions, but she didn't say anything to us last night.
Speaking of, this might be a good time to start on Chrysalis's request. Where was Red?
I was in the kitchen right now and she wasn't there. The bathroom door was open, the front room was clear, she had no reason to be in my room... Basement?
I walked downstairs. Sure enough, she was down there. She was laying on the couch, a bored expression on her face. She looked to me as I entered the basement.
"What's up?" she asked me.
"I dunno."
"You guys came home pretty late last night. What took you?"
"We took a walk."
"That must've been cold."
I shrugged. "It was alright. I need to get Celestia a thicker sweater. She doesn't like the cold."
"That so?"
"Maybe she could..." I started mumbling. "Wear my... coat... Not like I ever wear it."
"What's wrong with Celestia? And you. You've been kinda bummed out, too." She sat up and faced me.
"We... Talked a lot last night. Celestia misjudged how much she could drink and she got really emotional."
"You let her drink alcohol?"
"She's a big girl, she can make her own bad decisions."
Red laughed. "So what'd she get emotional about? Was she running out of Twinkies?"
"I don't... really know if I should say."
"Come on, you can trust me."
"Yeah, I remember the last time I thought that."
"Hey, you forgave me for that..."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"So you don't wanna say, huh? Can you give me a hint?"
"Well... It has to do with our relationship, alright?"
"That's not much of a hint."
"Wasn't supposed to be."
"Come on, a little more than that. Please?"
"Red." I briefly thought about asking for the bear in return for it, but that's probably worth a lot more to her than what I have to say.
"Alright, if you won't tell me, I'll get Celestia to tell me."
"Red, don't. I mean, like... Not now, at least. She needs space. At least, I think she needs space. I wanna go in and sit with her, but I don't know if that's a good idea."
"How bad do you think it will be?"
"I don't know. Just... I don't know."
"Well... try it."
"Hmm..."
"So... what's wrong? Did you have a fight?" she asked me, a caring tone in her voice.
"I don't know if I should say." I replied to her.
"So was it a fight, or..."
I shook my head. "Actually, I think our relationship improved."
"Doesn't seem like it."
"Maybe not. We talked while we were away. Talked about relationship stuff. While we were coming home, we stopped at a park for a walk, and Celestia ended up getting drunk. She told me stuff about herself that I didn't know."
"Like what?"
"Red."
"Oh, come on. Why not?"
"Kinda defeats the purpose of not saying anything if I told you."
"Come on, tell me."
"Red, no."
"Can I guess?"
"No."
"Hmm... You went to visit your family yesterday. Does it have something to do with that?"
"Are you ignoring me?"
"Alright... Does it... have something to do with family in general?"
"Red, come on."
"Yes! So, a family thing. Is it... her sister?"
I just stared at her with an irritated expression.
"Ok, so no, it's not her sister. Is it her..."
She was better at reading people than I thought. I'd give it away if I kept talking to her.
I turned away from her and sat at my computer desk.
She leaned in next to me. "Is it her nephew? Niece? No... So... Is it the new Princess? She's related to her, right?"
I put on my headphones and ignored her.
She pulled one of the earcups away from my head. "Is it you?"
I jerked away from her. No matter who it was, I felt uncomfortable with anybody touching my headphones. "Red, would you stop?"
"It's you, it's it?" She grumbled. "I'm back where I started. Come on, what'd you do?"
"Red, don't be mean."
"I'm not being mean, I just wanna know what happened."
I sighed. I really wasn't in the mood to do anything on the computer. I turned back to her.
"Gonna tell me?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No, Red."
"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
"What are you, twelve?
"Hey, it works when Celestia does it."
"Celestia's my girlfriend."
"Nyeh, don't say that. It's gross."
"What? Girlfriend?"
"Eww."
"Oh, get a boyfriend, you freeloader."
"Hey, that was uncalled for."
"What?"
"Do you know how hard it is to maintain a relationship when you're the best thief in Equestria?"
"What? Wait, what? Alright... So... you tried?"
"Well..." She looked away. "Yeah. You thought I didn't?"
"Didn't care enough to think about it."
"Gee, thanks."
"What, you want me to think about your love life?"
"I... No. I just... You didn't care?"
"Your life isn't exactly my business."
"Well, I guess not. I still expected you to be a little curious."
"Alright, then tell me."
"What?"
"If I'm supposed to be curious, then tell me."
"That's too easy."
"Mmm-hmm..."
She had a disappointed look on her face. "Ask me something."
"What?"
"Ask me."
"Seriously?"
"Come on, it's boring here."
"Alright, alright... Ok... How old are you?"
"22."
"Geez, you're younger than I am."
"I know."
I gave her a questioning look. Did I say it around her?
She shrugged. "I looked at your ID when I took your wallet."
"How did you... So, what's your real name?"
"My real name? Ehh..." Looked like she didn't want to say.
"Red Shadow, huh? Is your coat red as well?"
"Yeah. A lighter red, but red. I gotta wear special suits to cover it up. I stand out during the night."
"Special suits?"
"You know, like burglar suits. You have that here, right?"
"Yeah, something like that. We just put on a black outfit and stick on a ski mask when we want to steal stuff."
"Pfff... Amateur."
"Well, duh. So, you took on the castle, huh?"
She smiled. "That's right. Pilfered the treasure room right from under Celestia's nose."
"How'd you even manage that?"
"Trade secret."
"Fair enough."
"All I'm gonna say is that it wasn't easy."
"Kinda figured that. Your group ran in again and went down, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "They were a bunch of greedy idiots. We had a good thing going, too. Now they think I sold them out. That's one of the reasons I don't wanna go to prison. You know, other than it being a prison. I'd have to deal with them in there."
I shrugged. "Talk to Celestia some more."
"Why can't you do it? I mean, I know why, but why?"
"It's just simply not something that I can promise you. Just because Princess Celestia and I are all buddy-buddy doesn't mean she can bend rules for me. I think I'd also have to convince Luna and she's just... I really don't think that'll happen. If you want any sort of special treatment, you gotta start kissing ass."
"Uh... What?"
"What? You don't have that phrase in Equestria?"
She looked creeped out right now.
"Just make her happy."
"Kissing her butt makes her happy?"
"Isn't that how it is for all women?"
"Ohh... You made it weird again."
"I made it weird? You've been messing with me the whole time, haven't you?"
She smiled. "You know me too well."
"Would you quit that?"
"Sorry, it's a... defense mechanism. Although, she does have a nice butt."
"Red, you touch her butt, I'm locking you in the garage."
"Hey, I'm straighter than a board, here. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not that bad."
"Spaghetti's straight until it gets hot."
"You're worse than I am!"
"Oh, shut up."
She grumbled. "Fine. Anything else you want to know?"
"Don't get snippy, you're the one who wanted me to ask you stuff."
"Yeah, alright. Sorry."
"Why do you want me to ask you stuff anyways?"
"I'm boooored!"
"Whatever... Is there anything specific you want me to ask?"
She didn't answer.
"Is there something that you wanted to say to me?"
No answer again. She looked down. There was a pause between us before she said, "What if... You helped me with something?"
"Hmm?"
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"I told you I can't talk to Celestia for you."
"Not that! It's... kind of strange, so don't laugh... But, when I get back to Equestria... and I get sent to prison... I want you to visit me."
"Visit you?"
She nodded. "I'd like to have someone on the outside to talk to. Someone who's not related to me or associated with me. I don't have many friends... or really... any at all. Thieves hate each other and I don't exactly have a good reputation amongst everyone else."
"Well... Red... I can't."
"What? Why?"
"Red, I'm not going to Equestria. I can't."
"Oh... Really?"
"I nodded."
"But... what about Celestia? She's not staying here, is she?"
"No, she's heading back at the end of the month. You are too, if we can't find any way to get you there any sooner."
"So... Is she coming back... Or are you like... How does that work?"
"When she comes here, she stays for a month, then she goes home for a month. After that month has passed, she either comes back, or stays home for another month. She can't keep coming here for months at a time, though. I imagine that there'll be a few months in between her visits at some point. It's just... something that we have to deal with."
"That's... actually kinda sad. You really seem to love each other. I'm sorry about your weird situation."
"Yeah, thanks."
"So you really can't go to Equestria, huh?"
"No. Not as far as I know. I'd like to, though."
"Maybe sometime in the future, someone will find a way for you to go to Equestria. Then you can visit me, right?"
"Yeah, I'll visit you. You're my friend."
She smiled at me.
"So... what else have you stolen?" I asked her, changing my line of questioning. This was a good chance to finally help out Chrysalis.
Red's mood brightened once more. "Aside from gold? Well, you know what ponies pay big money for? Magical items."
"That so?"
"I managed to get my hands on a few things that would buy your house five times over."
"Impressive."
"I even managed to get my hands on..." She leaned in close to me. "Queen Chrysalis's teddy bear." she whispered.
Surprise, surprise. "Seriously? Why would you steal something like that?"
"To see if I could. Unfortunately, I got cornered before I could show it off and had to escape here. Still have it, you know." She held her hand out and a red bubble appeared in it. Inside the bubble, I could see the bear. It looked completely normal to me. Just a cute little bear. She closed her hand and the bear and bubble disappeared along with the bear.
"Man, bet she wants that back."
She smirked. "Fat chance."
I crossed my arms. Red was a lot smarter than I was. She'd figure out that Chrysalis talked to me if I pursued it. "You know, it's funny..."
"Huh?"
"You trust me enough to show me that."
She shrugged. "You seem like a trustworthy guy. Not even the guys watching us saw that thing."
"You know we're being watched?"
She shrugged again. "I had a feeling. She's the only one who knows about it. Like I said, I didn't get the chance to gloat."
"Bet it'd be real embarrassing to have something like that revealed to the public."
"I know, it's gonna be great."
"You know, I had a little stuffed dog when I was a kid. Called him Ralphie. I still have him, actually. Somewhere around here."
"We all had stuffed animals as kids. I had a stuffed bunny I called Hopkins."
"I love it."
She smiled. "In truth, I'd really rather not go offend Queen Chrysalis directly. I can hide myself well, but she may eventually find me. It's a risk I'm aware of. I wanted to gloat, but that'd just make her angrier. I don't think it'll stop me though, to be honest. I have enough magical items to protect myself."
"You seem conflicted."
"Well, it's either bragging rights or the wrath of Queen Chrysalis. Actually now that I say it like that, it's a little scarier."
"Maybe you could sell it back to her."
"I thought about that, too."
I just laughed. She laughed with me.
"Man, I hope Celestia's not listening in on this." I said, "She's been hearing things she's not supposed to hear recently."
"Like what?"
I hesitated for a small while. "Alright, I guess I can tell you this." I waved her over to me and leaned in closely to her ear. "She heard me tell Luna that I might want to marry her."
Red pulled back. She had a look of utter shock on her face. "Seriously?"
I nodded.
"Awwwww... That's... sooooo cuuuute..." She had a very happy smile on her face.
"Cute?"
"I never thought Princess Celestia would get married. This is just... sooooooo... cuuuuuuute!"
"Keep it down, would you? I don't want her to hear you."
"So... was that what's been upsetting Celestia?"
"No, Red." I said, irritated again.
"What kind of wedding do you think she'd want?"
"I don't... know. I know what kind of wedding she deserves, though. Something huge. Something extravagant. Something that'll be heard around the world."
"D-do you... Do you think I could participate?"
"You'd want to?"
She nodded excitedly.
"Well... I can't really say anything for Celestia, but I'd love it if you showed up."
She smiled a giddy smile.
"You know what, though? The kind of wedding I'd plan for her... It wouldn't be filled with fanfare or cheering people or ponies, or anything like that... It'd be something nice and small, in a nice place with our family and friends. Somewhere in the middle, you know?"
"Man, I wish I had a guy like you."
"What?"
"You're really sweet, you know that?"
"I've... been told."
"The way you treat Celestia and the way she treats you... I wish I could have this kind of relationship with someone."
I shrugged. "It's nice."
"Too bad you're already taken, huh?"
"Red."
"Sorry. So... So you and Celestia... sleep together? Like... often?"
"Yeah. We're not much different from a normal couple, Red."
"Do you... mind if I ask... Do you... like..." She rubbed the back of her neck with a hand. "Do you have sex?"
I crossed my arms. Celestia answered this question yesterday at my grandmother's house. I doubt she'll mind if Red knew as well. "Yes, we do."
"Huh... This is... so weird. I mean, you never think about these things, but... the Princess has sex? Sorry, that was kinda... I... I think I've heard enough about this, sorry."
"Well, what do you wanna talk about?"
"I dunno. Well, what... um... Did... Did you have a nice time? At your grandma's?"
"It was alright. We raked some leaves, ate some food, Celestia and I talked about our feelings... You know. Actually..."
I turned around again and got onto my computer. I plugged my phone into it.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing important." I replied, "Well, maybe a little."
I copied over the photo I snapped of Celestia yesterday.
"Cute photo." said Red.
I looked back to her. "You must like carrots." I said. I hadn't enlarged the photo. It was just a thumbnail, yet she saw it.
She smiled brightly. "I've always had good eyes."
"What other kind of skills do you have, exactly?" I asked her.
"Well, I can pick locks, I have great hearing, I'm quick on my feet, I'm pretty good in a fight, I'm a competent magician..." She stopped listing her skills. She seemed distraught. "Magic is a lot harder to cast in this world."
"Well, there's no magic here."
"Celestia was still able to use such powerful magic. I couldn't defend myself from her. She's in a whole other league. It's no wonder how she can move the sun on her own."
Is that really magic? I've never discovered a scientific explanation for that. Celestia's power must be titanic for her to affect a star... I need a real explanation for that so badly. I don't even have any sort of headcanon for how ponies can literally stop the rise of the sun.
"Celestia hides her powerful side around me."
"I know, it's weird. I never expected her to be this way with a boyfriend."
"Hey, uh... When you... get back... do you mind keeping this to yourself? You know, Celestia being..."
"Maybe... Or maybe I can use it as blackmail..." she said. I glared at her. She laughed a bit. "Sorry. Alright, I won't tell... maybe."
"Good enough."
"Really puts things into perspective, though. She sounds like a woman in her mid-forties who's desperate for a boyfriend."
"Well... The mid-forties part is a bit off." I said.
"Yeah... Has she told you how old she was?"
"Few thousand years, she said. Nothing specific."
"Really... It's crazy to think about her like that. She's not all sunshine and rainbows, is she?"
"Celestia's weird. We're all weird."
"You're weird. I'm perfect."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"I've never really thought about Princess Celestia as someone who would be down in the dumps like this. It must've been something really important for it to affect her like this. Wait a minute... Important thing that has to do with your relationship... Phil, is Celestia pregnant?"
"No she's not pregnant."
"I mean, good for her if she is, but I'm just curious."
"She's not, Red."
"Alright, just asking... just asking..."
"It's just... It's definitely important to her. I... should go see her."
"Good luck. Bring me back a souvenir." She laid back down and stared at the ceiling.
I went back upstairs. Celestia was in the room. The door was closed. I gave it a small knock and said, "Coming in."
She was laying on her side on the bed, under the covers. She looked at me as I walked in. I could see a few snack wrappers next to her.
"Are you alright, Celestia?"
"I'm alright. I'll... be fine. I've dealt with this before." Her voice was depressed. I knew it all too well.
"You don't have to deal with it alone like this, Celestia." I said to her.
"I... I don't tell this to a lot of people... I don't want to tell them. I don't want them to feel... the same way I do. You couldn't understand how much this means to me."
"Celestia..."
"You could've met some other woman some other time and had a family of your own... But instead you chose me and I led you to believe that... that I..." It sounded like she was breaking down again.
I walked over to her and sat on the bed next to her. I placed my hand over hers.
"What a strange family we would make..." she said. She looked up to me. Her eyes were sad.
"I don't... I don't have anything to say to you, Celestia. Nothing that would pull you out of this rut, at least. But I want you to know that I'll be there for you. I 'll always want to be with you. I want to be with you now and I'll want to be with you later. I want to be with you when you're sad and when you're happy, and every other time in between."
She let out a small chuckle. "It almost sounds like you're proposing to me right now."
I wasn't... right? "Sounds like it..."
"Y-you're not, are you?" She sounded incredibly shaken up.
"No, no... Not... Not right now..."
"Not... r-right... N-NOW?"
"Don't do that."
She had a nervous smile on her face. "You're starting to scare me a little with all this."
"That so?"
She gave a quick nod.
"You already said you would, Celestia."
"I... I what?"
"Don't you remember?"
"I... N-no! I don't... What?!" She sat up suddenly. She seemed so shocked. Maybe she didn't remember that part. Or... maybe I misinterpreted it.
"You said you'd marry me if I ever manage to get you pregnant." I said.
"I... I said that..." She slumped down against the bed frame, defeated. "That's right... I did say that... That's... That's right..."
"So did you mean it, Princess?"
"I..." She nodded again. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I meant it... Of course I did..." She paused and looked away. "I really did..."
I smiled at her again. "Good."
She chuckled. "I don't suppose there are any... human-only methods you've been saving up for this..."
"Not... really, no."
"That's what I thought." she said, a small smile on her face.
I really didn't know what to say about all this. I didn't know what to make of it.
We gazed at each other. We did this a lot. Was it normal for people in relationships to just look at each other like this? I hope so.
Celestia wiped her eyes.
"Hey Celestia..."
"Hmm?"
"Would you want me to stay home with you the next few days? I could take a few days off of work."
She smiled. "Phil..."
"I'll be able to keep you company."
"That sounds nice, but no. Please don't. I'll be fine. You know me. You've done more than enough for me."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Of course. I always have Red to talk to."
"You and Red haven't been making any plans, have you?"
"Perhaps. Have you been making plans with her?"
"Not a lot."
"You know, I know when you're talking to her."
"Well... I can talk to her, can't I?"
"Of course, of course... I can't very well say you can't when I talk to her as much as I do."
"You've been getting along well with her, recently."
"I suppose. You know... there aren't that many criminals in Equestria. Every so often... I'm in a position where I would speak with them, but... I haven't spent this much time with someone I wished to incarcerate before. It's a strange feeling. I've been the friend of criminals before, but many of them hid it from me. I became her friend knowing she was a criminal."
"I know you're not really having an easy time with it. The world's not all black and white."
"If becoming her friend was a mistake, then I don't want to be right. I have to, though. For my kingdom. She has to be an example, not an exception. I already asked you what you thought about this, but..."
"I don't have anything to say, really."
"This is so... disappointing. The answer is obvious. Luna would agree. There's nothing at all preventing us from capturing her upon arrival. She's certainly no match for my guards." She sighed. "This is the same as having guards watch us. It's worse, actually."
"We'll get some alone time together one of these days."
"Hopefully soon."
The two of us went silent for a long time. I just sat next to her as she laid on my bed.
"Hey, Phil?" she said to me, breaking the silence.
"Hmm?"
"Would you... Would you really want to become the father of my children?"
"I... Celestia?"
"Would you, Phil? Would you... truly want that?"
"I... Yeah... Of course, Celestia. If you're still doubting these things at this point..." I paused. I don't know if I should say what I was thinking. "Then... Then... Look when I said that I loved you, I meant it. Whatever you think that includes, that's what I want. I'll admit, the thought of us getting married, turning into a family... I really like that thought. But you know what, Celestia? I already consider us a family."
"Y-you do?"
"Celestia... I want to ask something important. What is marriage to you?"
"What is... Wh-What is... Oh my gosh... Oh no... No-no-no... Y-you're not... Are you?"
"Celestia. Please."
She swallowed, then gave me a quick nod. "R-right. W-well... t-to me... marriage is... marriage... is... Wh-What are you... asking for?"
"What is it to you?" She's getting some funny ideas, but I can't stop now.
"M-Marriage... It's... It's when two people who love each other become... become..." She got quiet. "A real family..."
I stared at her. "Celestia... What does it mean to you."
"To me?"
I nodded at her.
"To me... Marriage is the most sacred of vows. It's the most powerful commitment one could make. It's a promise to love one another until the end of time. But... It's even more than that." Her voice got softer. "It's... It's when a husband and wife wake up next to each other with a smile each morning. When their hands touch, their hearts beat in sync. When they look into each other's eyes, they fall in love all over again. When they're with each other, they know that everything will be alright, no matter how bad it gets." She sniffed, then wiped her eyes with her arm. "Sorry..."
I reached for her face and placed my hand on her cheek. She lightly grabbed my wrist and smiled at me.
"Keep going, Celestia."
I took my hand back. She held onto it as I lowered it to the bed. She looked down. "Marriage is... It's been a dream of mine for so long now. Ever since I was a child. I've wanted to get married to someone for as long as I can remember. Then... you came along and... We became lovers. And now you're talking about it like everything else we talk about... as if it was normal. It's... almost scaring me."
"You'd really want to start a family with me? Me... Celestia?"
She nodded. "When I heard you tell Luna that you might... ask me to be yours... I felt so happy. I found myself crying at the thought of it. I'm... I'm truly sorry for eavesdropping. I... I just... I was curious. If you... If you want to punish me for it, I'd understand." Usually when I heard her say that word, it had an entirely different meaning. She was being serious right now.
"Oh, what am I gonna do, send you to your room?"
She smiled nervously.
"I don't care that you listened in, I just didn't expect you to. The only thing that you heard was me telling your sister that marrying you was a possibility. And yeah, the way things have been going, it kinda is. I love you, Celestia. More than... More than I've loved anyone else before. More than I love myself... You're my sun. My little sunflower... So... yeah... I want to marry you."
She smiled. Her eyes started to water. "I... I feel the same..."
We stared at each other for a while. Celestia still seemed ready to cry at a moment's notice, but at this point, they might've been tears of joy. She looked beautiful right now. More beautiful than before. Was it because of her expression, or was it something more?
Something suddenly struck her. She gave me a fearful look. "Was... Was THAT... your proposal? D-does this... mean that... we... we're... engaged?"
"Engaged? N-no... No, it... We're getting there, Celestia. We're getting there."
"S-so... when?"
"That's not something that I can just answer, you know. It's not something I can plan for, at least not right now. Especially with our situation. But... What you said... It got me interested in it."
"If... If I got..." She lowered her voice. "Pregnant?"
I nodded. "But... If not then... Then I'd want to wait until... at least until we know when we can see each other. Right now, I don't even know when I'll get to see you again."
She nodded in disappointment. "Our... situation is... complicated."
"How would we even raise a child, Celestia? With you being a Princess and all... we couldn't be together all the time."
She suddenly became very serious. "If I had a child, I would resign as Princess of Equestria."
"Wh-What?"
"You may not think it, but I've given this a lot of thought. At the very least, our situation would require it. I would resign my position and raise our child here with you."
"Man... That's heavy..." I rubbed my head. "Are you sure that would be the best course of action?"
"Of course not. This is something that only I would want. I want to be a mother above all else. If that means abandoning my duties, then so be it."
"You'd be willing to give all of that up?"
She nodded. "I wouldn't hesitate. What about you?"
"Me? Well... truth be told... I'd want our child to be raised in Equestria."
She tilted her head in genuine confusion. "Why?"
"It'd be safer for them there. It's dangerous here."
"Equestria is dangerous as well."
"Equestria is a scented candle to a house fire."
"But... where would that leave you?"
I shook my head. "I don't know."
"It'd be your child too, you know. If she were raised in Equestria, you'd barely get to see her..."
"I... This... might sound heartless... but even knowing that, I'd still prefer it."
"I understand."
"You... do?"
She nodded. She had a thinking look on her face. "If I delivered a child in this human world, would they be able to come to Equestria?"
"That's a... good question..."
"I... I wouldn't want to... deliver her without you with me." She seemed close to panicking again. "I don't want to prevent her from coming home with me, but I..." She ran her hands through her hair.
"Her?"
"I want a daughter..." she said solemnly.
"This is all crazy complicated. But... You know, Celestia... I feel like a lot of this is just normal."
"Normal?"
"Yeah. A lot of what you're going through... It's normal. Well, me included. We're thinking about the future, we're scared we might do something wrong, and... I imagine, at least... we're both scared of the thought of actually becoming parents."
"I..." She nodded. A small smile was on her face. "Yeah... I'm scared."
"You might not be from around here, but you're as human as they come. Look, we might not know everything right now, but who does? It's normal to be scared. It's just... We're scared about things that aren't very normal. You and me both, Celestia. I don't want you to think you're alone when you feel these things, alright?"
She nodded.
"Getting married... having children, living together. It's what normal couples do. And... while we may not be the most normal couple there is, I like to think that we are."
She smiled warmly. The tears that had formed in her eyes had vanished. After a small while, she spoke again. "What would you do? If I were to move in with you. If we were to become... parents?"
"I'd... Well, I'd get a new home."
"New home?"
I nodded. "Someplace bigger. Someplace where we'd have room. If you and I really... had a kid... I'd want a better life. I'd want to give you a better life, even before myself. A life where you wouldn't have to do nothing all day. I want that now, even. I don't like leaving you here with nothing to entertain yourself with."
"Phil, it's fine. I'm alright here by myself. You don't have to worry about me."
"I don't have to, but I want to."
"It's not boring here. It never is."
"Really?"
"Yes, of course."
"How is that not boring? How is... How is this not boring?"
"Well... When you're here, I'm never really bored. When we're together, we talk, we... cuddle, we... we have sex..." She smiled at me. "And when you're gone, I get a chance to relax and learn more about this world, just as my sister did."
"Really? Are you... sure?"
She nodded at me. "Of course I'm sure."
I sighed. I didn't really believe her, but she probably just didn't want me to worry. "Alright. I guess."
"If this is how it will be when we get married, then I wouldn't want it any other way."
"You deserve better."
"It's alright, I promise..."
"It's not alright to me. I want to give you something better. I couldn't possibly provide for you the way I want."
"I don't need a life of luxury. I need you."
I gave her a smile.
"Phil... you have no idea how much I want this."
"I know, Celestia. I want it, too..."
I crawled over to her on the bed and sat next to her. Our backs were resting against the headboard. I looked to her, smiling.
She sighed and leaned against me.
"You're... You're really good at calming me down." she said.
I wrapped my arm around her waist. "You and I are gonna be a real family, Celestia. I promise."
"Promise?"
"Yeah. Promise." I'm not one to make promises easily. She probably realized that by now. I only did when I knew I could do something. Right now, I believed in my words.
She turned to me. Her face got closer to mine. A moment later, our lips were together.
She pulled back, smiling her warm smile.
We kissed again. Our eyes had closed. She grabbed my hand and lowered it from her waist to her bottom. She became more forceful with me. Her tongue pushed into my mouth. I did my best to follow her movements.
I felt her grasp for my other hand, which was near her lap. She pulled on it until my palm was pressing against her soft breast. She gasped and let go of me.
This really shouldn't continue. Not right now, at least.
I pulled my hand away from my chest, then pulled my lips from hers. She opened her eyes. A confused look was on her face. She looked down. "I'm sorry." Her voice was full of shame.
"Celestia..."
I wrapped my arms around her. She laid her head against my chest, returning my embrace.
"I want her to go."
"I know, Celestia."
"I want to be more than just a Princess. I want to be normal. I'm still a woman... I have needs, too."
"Being normal means more to you than being a Princess, Celestia?"
"Yes..."
"Then I'll be normal with you, Celestia. For as long as I can."
She sighed.
Were we done today? Things seemed to go well. She was in my arms and I was in hers. We both said a lot.
We held each other for a long time. It was nice. Peaceful.
"Your sister never braided my hair."
"Oh right. Want me to?"
"I'm... sorry?"
"'Cause I can. If you want."
"You..." She stifled a laugh. "Know how to braid hair?"
"I grew up with my sister. Of course I know how to braid."
"Well... by all means, then..." she said to me, a wide smile on her face.
"Here, scoot." I said, moving myself away a bit.
She slid forward on the bed. I sat behind her, taking her long, soft hair into my hands.
There were four distinct colors in her hair and it was so long. I ran my hands down its entirety and let it slip through my fingers. She sighed. "This is gonna take a while."
She chuckled, then looked back at me. "Need me to help?"
"Yeah, I need you to..." I took her hair again and separated off the two outer colors, then draped them over her shoulders. "Just hold those for now."
"Sounds simple enough."
I split the remaining two colors and held them in my hands. How was this done again? Hmm... Katie usually had three strands... Screw this. Bet she'd look prettier with her hair mixed together anyways.
Well... whatever.
Using what I already knew about braiding hair, I started the deed.
It wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be, there was just a lot of moving around. I kept tossing her hair over her shoulders and pulling it back.
I was right, though. It was very, very pretty mixed together.
This took a very long time to do this. Even with the occasional assistance, my arms were getting sore. Celestia had to keep moving away from me so I could continue as I lowered down her hair.
I tried to make it a somewhat looser braid so her hair would be fluffier. It worked for the most part, but sometimes my progress would just disappear. Acceptable losses.
Throughout the whole thing, there was one thing I knew for sure. She liked when I played with her hair.
It had to have taken at least an hour before I was done with her hair. Or more. Or less, I'm not that good with time. For all I knew, it was like twenty minutes.
I ran my hand down the hair I had just styled. I pulled back the hair that hung over her front for this so I could see her beautiful face.
"Is it done?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's done. Looks nice." I draped her hair over her shoulder.
She looked at it, then smiled at me. She touched her hair with a hand. "I love it."
I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her. "I love you."
She lowered her hands to my arms. "I love you, too."
We sat there and snuggled with each other for a while. This was just something we did when we were alone.
"We should get Red a room at a hotel somewhere." she said.
"Hmm? Why?"
"I'm hoooorny..." she complained.
"Celestia, come on."
"Is it so wrong to want a physical relationship?"
"We both agreed on this. Kinda. We gotta wait until we're alone. Celestia, we probably gave Shining and Soulfire PTSD with what we did in this bedroom."
She gave me a long laugh. "Oh my goodness..."
"You know what we didn't do though, Celestia... We never got any Drumsticks."
She giggled. "No we didn't."
"You wanna go get some?"
She nodded. "Mmm-hmm."
I patted her side. "Alright. I'm gonna go start the car. Come out when you're ready. And make sure Red has the phone, alright?"
She gave me a cheery, "Ok."
I let go of her and got off the bed. I looked back at her before heading out the door. She looked cute right now. She always looks cute.
Keys, wallet, hoodie. Simple, simple. Phone, umbrella... I picked up what I needed from around the house. Most of it was on or by the coffee table.
I saw Celestia come out of the room. She had her coat on already. It was just a hoodie, but it was better than mine. My zipper was broken and always unzipped itself.
She smiled at me then went downstairs as I walked out the door.
"Hello, Phil!" a cheery voice said. One I recognized.
"Well, there goes my good mood." I said to her. Queen Chrysalis. Again. She had taken her original form again. Well, original for me.
"Oh, don't be like that. We're best friends, aren't we?"
"Chrysalis, do you even believe that?"
"More or less, I suppose. What's with that look? Did you expect me to say I didn't like you at all?"
"I don't know what I expected."
"Well, we are friends, aren't we?"
"That's subjective."
"Come on, yes or no." she said to me, her cheery attitude diminished.
"Well, then yes... I guess."
"Good. Since we're friends, I have another favor to ask."
"Oh great, a catch."
"Call it what you will, but I need something else done."
"Fine. What?"
"Something important. You'll see."
"What?"
"However, this time I will give you your reward beforehand."
She held out a clenched hand to me.
"What? Why?"
"I have my reasons."
I looked at her hand for a small while before moving my hand under hers. She dropped something heavy into my hand.
I looked at what it was.
"Uh... What is this?" I asked her in disbelief. A coin. Small, heavy, yellow... It was gold. A gold coin...
"I don't know exactly how much you'd want for this. I don't know what your money is worth. Gold, however... Gold is always a good incentive."
"This is like... How much is this?"
"Two ounces." she said, her voice telling me that she didn't care at all about it.
"This is like... $2500... Are... Are you serious?" I looked back up at her in disbelief. I've never held this much money in my life. Well, maybe once.
"Enjoy your trip. I'll give you more details later."
"Wh-What? No, you gotta tell me now!"
"Phil, I thought you said you were going to start the car!" I heard Celestia call from the doorway.
I quickly looked back at her, then back where Chrysalis was standing. Gone. What is this Batman shit?
"Everything... alright?" she asked me, walking outside and closing the door.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Forgot what I was doing."
"Oh. Well, ok. Come on, let's go!"
"You're excited today."
"I'm just... happy."
I smiled at her.
The two of us got into the car and took off to the store.
The trip there was normal. It was a bit dull, but that's normal too. At least I got Celestia out of the house.
It was hard to get over the $2500 coin in my pocket. It felt especially heavy right now. It worried me, though. What does she want in return? I can't use this coin without doing what she asked.
I could take Celestia on a real vacation with this thing. I could take her to Florida and we could stay at a hotel by the ocean.
My first thought wasn't that I could pay bills or buy myself any more computer parts... It was that I could take Celestia on an expensive trip. Not just that, though... It was that I could take my girlfriend on an expensive trip. Right now... I felt really proud of myself for that.
Celestia giggled. "What's with that smile?" she asked.
"I looooooooooove you." I said, smiling wider.
She laughed. "What's gotten into you?"
"Love you."
"I love you, too."
Even out of the corner of my eye, I could see her warm smile.
"I love you." I said, continuing on with my cheery tone.
"What's this all about? Are we really going to get Drumsticks?"
"Love you."
"I... love you too." she said, giggling.
I laughed with her. This is what our relationship should be. Just the two of us laughing at nothing at all.
I took in a deep breath. "I'm not going to ask you now, Celestia. I won't ask you in a month. I doubt I'll ask you after that month, either. But one day, Celestia... I'll ask. And that's the day I want to hear you say it, Celestia."
I heard her speak. It was a faint whisper, but I heard her. "I do..."
"Until then, Celestia... We just love each other. You think you can do that for me?"
"Y-yes! Of course!"
"I'm just as scared as you are, Celestia..." I said, my cheerful demeanor never slipping, "I'll never say I'm not scared. But if it takes me a few months to get my nerve up, Celestia... I hope you'll be patient enough to wait for me."
"I'll be patient! I'll... be patient. I've waited this long. I can... I can wait a little longer."
"You're my little sunflower, Celestia. Don't you forget that, alright?"
"Of course. I know, Phil... I know... what I mean to you. And... you know what you mean to me."
"I know, Celestia. I know."
"What's with you, Phil? You're acting strange."
"Is it strange to love you the way I do, Celestia?"
"N-no... Of course not. I... I... I love you, too..."
With my little speech gone, we had finally arrived at the store. It was just Woodman's. We didn't need to go across town for ice cream. I hope.
The two of us got out of the car. Celestia's braid swayed back and forth as she walked. I really liked how it turned out. A bit of hair on top with a single braid down her back.
We walked into the store together. Celestia walked near me at all times for one reason or another. I think she liked me or something.
"Hey, you know, this might be a good time to just pick up some groceries." I said, walking over to the carts.
"Grocery shopping? Sounds fun."
"Fun? Well, alright then. What do we need, though..." I muttered.
"Snacks! Lots of snacks."
"Alright. Snacks. Snacks, bread, peanut butter, milk... Uh... Need more toothbrushes. Toilet paper. Uh... The Drumsticks... Pizza... Hmm..."
"Juice."
"Right, juice. Apples, then. And bananas."
"Pickles?"
I glared at her.
"What? I'm being serious! I like pickles."
"Oh. You never mentioned this before."
"It never really came up."
"Think Red might want somethin'?"
She shrugged.
"You have been letting her eat, haven't you?"
"What? Of course I have! I don't eat that much."
"Oh, veggies too." I said, "We can get some carrots and... salad, maybe. And potatoes."
"Potatoes aren't really vegetables. They're tubers."
"Gonna give you a tube, you don't watch it."
She snorted, then covered her mouth with a hand.
"Strawberries?"
"Yeah, alright."
The two of us walked through the store, collecting what we had listed off.
I let Celestia pick out the pickles she wanted. Little sweet pickles. Alright then. I mean, I like pickles too, but it's not like I buy them all the time. Why pickles above all other foods she likes, though? Stop looking at me like that. It's not weird that she likes pickles. It's just weird when I talk about it, that's all.
While we were walking through an aisle, Celestia suddenly stopped.
"Find something you like?" I asked her, "Oh..." She was standing in front of the whipped cream.
"Can I?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Can I get two?"
"If you want."
She smiled, then retrieved two cans from the rack and put them into the cart.
"One for eating..." She closed in on me and whispered, "One for playing."
"Celestia, don't be gross."
She giggled. "I'll probably eat them both anyways."
"Yeah, whatever."
Our list was fairly straightforward, but it wasn't really a list when she added anything she wanted to the cart.
I remembered to get Celestia's ice cream. I got a few, actually. I liked them, too. And Red might want a few.
Throughout the whole thing, I found myself fondling the coin I had received. I didn't want to tarnish it, but I just couldn't help myself. What does she want? Is it just the bear? Does she want it that badly?
Celestia convinced me to use the self-bagging aisle at the checkout. I didn't really want to, but if she asks, she gets. Simple as that.
She was the one who scanned all the food we got. I was the one who bagged it. Lucky her.
I saw people staring at her. I didn't like it, but I had to accept it. Not just now, though. I noticed people glance her way all throughout the store. I didn't like sharing...
"That's everything!" she said to me.
"Alright then."
I walked back to the front of the aisle to pay. She traded places with me and finished up the bagging.
It was quite a bit more than I wanted to spend. Acceptable losses. I swiped my card through the reader.
I looked to Celestia. She had an unexpected enthusiasm. She was really happy today. I made her really happy...
We walked back outside with the cart and the two of us loaded the bags into my trunk. I returned the cart, then we took off back home.
She was beaming the whole ride home. Celestia loved everything about this.
When we got home, it was a simple matter to unload the food. As I opened the door, I called for Red.
"What's up?" she called back.
"We're back, get up here and help us with groceries!"
"Are you crazy?"
"You don't help, you don't eat. Them's the rules."
"What? You've never had that rule!"
"I've never helped you with your food, yet I've eaten so much. Does that mean I have to put away more?" said Celestia.
"It means you have a pretty face." I said.
Red walked into the kitchen with us. "What, and I don't have a... What in the world happened to your hair?"
Celestia smiled proudly. "You like it? Phil did it for me."
"Yeah, it..." She stifled a giggle. "Looks great... Really... Really nailed it there, buddy." She snorted, then started to laugh.
"I don't think she likes it."
Celestia's smile changed to that of smugness. "Don't worry. She's just jealous that she doesn't have a boyfriend to braid her hair for her."
Red stopped laughing. "For your information, I've had plenty of guys that wanted to be my boyfriend!" she angrily stated.
Celestia laughed. "Sorry. I was joking."
"Celestia, be nice to Red. She's allowed to be jealous if she wants to." I took off my hoodie and tossed it at Red so she could keep warm outside. "C'mon, there's not that much."
"I am not jealous!"
Despite her protests, Red helped us just as I had asked. I wouldn't really take her food away if she didn't help. I don't really think she believed I would, either.
When all the bags were inside, I went back out and closed the trunk. It was getting more and more chilly out these days.
Did Luna know about Chrysalis's reward? Pre-reward. Preward. Did she know what Chrysalis wanted me to do? Celestia said it took a lot of effort just to talk to someone on the other side. I didn't want to bother her if I didn't have to.
I'll probably end up telling Celestia about this, to be honest. Just not now, I don't think.
Red escaped back downstairs while I was outside. Oh well. I think she still had my coat, though. Oh well.
Celestia and I put the food away. We took the food out of the bags and folded them up, putting them off to the side.
I noticed that there was already a missing box of Twinkies. Red probably took it. Or... Celestia. Or me. Maybe not that last one.
Wait, Celestia was still here. How could she have...
"Want one?" she asked me, food in her mouth, holding a Twinkie in her hand. She held the box out to me.
I took one from the box. "I didn't even see you take this."
She shrugged and took another bite.
As I unwrapped it, I thought about the coin in my pocket again. Two ounces of gold... If she was trying to convince me to help her, she was doing a very good job. Does she even have any idea how much this is worth here? Does she have any more?
What if she wants something that would strain my relationship with Celestia? I'd hate to have to give this back. What if it's dangerous? Maybe not. I really doubt she'd do something like that. Heard she's a real bitch in the comics, though. I really gotta get around to reading those...
I would do a lot to keep this little coin. As long as she doesn't make a retarded request, I guess.
Twinkies are delicious...
Maybe I should start ring shopping...