I looked at the books on the table. These could hold the key to a life with Celestia.
I decided not to open them. Something so valuable shouldn't be given to me. I felt like I could break them just by looking at them.
I unzipped my hoodie and picked up the books. I put them inside my coat and zipped it back up. With my umbrella in hand, I went back out to the car.
I was excited. I haven't felt this excited since Celestia came back to me. I cradled the books in my coat with more care than I would a child. I gently set them on the seat next to me. As I did, I remembered the woman who had just used this seat.
I remembered what happened in the house. I remembered what she said to me. I remembered... that she was lonely.
I felt sorry for her. Her personality pushes people away. She's manipulative. She only likes others because they serve a purpose. It must be so hard for her to find someone.
I shook my head. If Chrysalis wanted a partner, she can get one herself. It's not my concern. Just like Sarah. And Red. They are not my concern.
Did I really love Chrysalis as much as she said? I loved her in the friend sort of way... and... I loved her in the sexual sort of way... but I felt that way about every woman. I feel that way about Red and Sarah and Luna, too. It wasn't any different from how I felt about my other female friends. I certainly didn't love her enough to choose her over Celestia.
Was she really willing to take me as her King? Or was it just another one of her tricks...
I started the car. No matter what, I had the books.
I had a smile on my face as I drove home. I couldn't wait to see Celestia again...
When I got home, I packaged up the books again and rushed inside.
Red glanced away from the TV she had been using, pausing the game.
Celestia looked to me with a smile. "What's in your shirt? Did Chrysalis give you something again?"
"It's a gift. For all of us." I pulled the books from my shirt and lined them up on the table.
Celestia and Red read the covers of the books.
"Wait a moment... Aren't these... Luna?"
"These are some of the books I've been searching for." I heard from beyond our world. Luna was back with us.
"What? What's going on? What's with the books?" asked Red.
"Chrysalis sent her men home already." I said to her.
They looked to me again.
"Really?" asked Red.
"She went home herself right in front of me."
"Our answers lie within these books, sister." said Luna.
"She... She gave these to you?" asked Celestia, her voice surprised.
"Yeah. She... brought me inside her home and got them for me. Then... we said our goodbyes and she left."
"She's back in Equestria?" asked Luna.
"As far as I know." I said.
"Hmm..."
Celestia stood up and picked up one of the books, opening it in her hands.
"This will not be easy to decipher." she said to herself, flipping through a few pages.
"Interesting." I heard Luna say.
"This is... difficult to read..." mumbled Celestia, "Hoofwritten..." She kept mumbling to herself, describing the makeup of the book in her hands.
"I believe this book is a journal, sister." said Luna, "The size and binding are consistent with personal journals I've seen years ago."
"Hmm..." She set the book down and opened another book. "Oh, this is a spellbook... There are notes along the sides of the pages. Hard to read..."
"If Chrysalis was able to travel between worlds, we should be able to find the way in these books." said Celestia.
"So, I can go home sooner?" asked Red.
Celestia nodded. "I believe so. These books are likely the ones we have been looking for, but that doesn't mean for sure that they contain the answers. But, unless Chrysalis kept more information from us, these will give us our answers."
"Answers? Like what?"
"We needed a way to travel at will. Luna has been searching for a solution to that issue while I've been here. Our..." She looked to me. "Our next goal was to bring Phil to Equestria."
I smiled at her.
"I... wanted to keep it a surprise... but... you don't seem too surprised."
"Chrysalis told me. She knew you were looking."
"S-So... If we... If we find a way... would you?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah."
She smiled at me, then set the book down. "Phil..." She stepped towards me.
Her arms spread out. She fell against my body, clinging onto me. I held her against me, looking down at her.
She looked up at my face with a smile. It was her special smile, again.
We held each other tightly.
"Oh, Phil..."
Her eyes were teary.
I gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Come on, we gotta find that spell."
She stepped back and wiped her eyes. "Right..."
Red looked embarrassed right now.
"She... Chrysalis did say that there was no promise that we would find a way to bring me to your world. So... if that happens..."
"Phil, we haven't even started looking. Don't lose hope, yet."
"If it happens, Celestia..." I said to her, "Then we both know how we can see each other."
She glanced away, then looked back at me. "I could still travel home and back on my own." she said, "So I can see you more often."
"That's always good." I moved my face closer and rubbed my nose against hers. She giggled and pulled away from me.
"But... We'll need to search the books."
I looked to them.
"I'm impressed that Chrysalis managed to learn from these." said Luna.
"What's so hard about the books?" I asked.
Celestia picked one up and opened it to me. "Look at that. Can you read that?"
I scanned a few lines from the book. Did I say lines? They were more like haphazard scribbles. "Not... really..."
"No, you can't. Whoever wrote this had no regard for future readers." Celestia sighed. "It's not going to be easy."
"What a dumb reason." said Red.
"Hmm?"
"You really can't read these things because the writer isn't legible?"
"Look at this, Red." said Celestia, holding it out for Red to see.
"Wh... I can't read any of this!"
Celestia turned the book around and started reading. "Where should we even start with this?"
"From the beginning, I imagine." said Luna, "Sister, check the center book."
Celestia opened the book in the center of the table."
"Sister, this is readable." Luna let out.
Celestia picked up the book and examined it. I looked over her shoulder. This book was in print. It looked newer than the other two.
"I believe that they're all from the same pony." said Luna.
"Who is he?" asked Red, "Is it Star Swirl the Bearded? He was good with magic, right."
"He was great with magic." said Celestia, "No, this isn't his. It seems more modern..."
"The name should be written in one of the books..." said Luna.
Celestia checked the front cover again. It was blank. The spine was blank as well. She checked the first few pages.
"Oh, here... Let's see... Star Song. Star Song? Luna, have you heard of him?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Was it really a guy?" asked Red.
"There's no way to tell." said Celestia, "Our names aren't exactly indicators of our gender."
"I suppose. Maybe it wasn't a pony." suggested Red.
"It's possible. It may have been a changeling. That would explain Chrysalis's desire for the books."
"Well, she might've just wanted to go home." I said.
"So do you think you can read those ones?" I asked, pointing at the handwritten books... Hoofwritten.
"With time, yes." said Celestia, turning the page of her book.
She slowly walked around the table and sat next to Red. She set the book on the table in front of her and traced a few lines with a finger.
"This was printed years after the others." she said.
"Chrysalis said that she took these from your libraries." I said to them.
"I don't recognize these books." said Luna, "Not the contents, at least."
"Neither do I." said Celestia.
She kept reading. It was the thinnest of the three books, but it was still rather thick.
Red had leaned forward and was looking at the book.
"This doesn't seem to be a spellbook." she said, "It doesn't look like any of the ones I've stolen, at least."
Celestia shot her a glance.
She let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry. So... what is this?"
"It was printed for a reason." said Luna.
"It... seems... to be... a draft. A draft for a... Hmm... Almost a..."
"Celestia, what is it?" Red asked again.
"I... have no idea. These... are notes. These are just notes." She flipped through the pages of the book. Her eyes widened. "It's all research notes..."
"All of it?" asked Luna.
She flipped through the pages again. "Yes."
"What was he researching?"
"Spells, it seems." She went back to the beginning of the book and examined the first few pages again. "It... seems that this was going to be presented to... somepony."
"Does it say?"
"It... It doesn't, actually. The first line, here... 'Esteemed members of the board.' What board? Was he presenting this to somepony? There's no date, from what I can tell..."
"This gives us a theory." said Luna.
"I'm interested in this pony. A brilliant scientist such as this slipping through the cracks of history..."
"Tragic." agreed Luna.
Celestia looked to me and Red again. "It's not going to be an easy task, but my sister and I should be able to isolate the spell we need to move to and from this world."
"How long do you think it will take?" she asked.
"I couldn't say. It would make sense that the spell to return us home would be in this draft, given its use." She looked at me. "The other spell may be buried in his notes."
"Can we help?" I asked.
"I don't know. Given that there's only one legible book, it would be difficult for you to look through it as we did. And without any knowledge of how magic works or even what it is, you would have a hard time helping at all."
"Aw... Oh well."
She gave me a small smile. "If there's a way, we'll find it..." she said.
I gave her a smile of my own.
"So... you'd really come to Equestria?" Red asked me.
"Yeah. I'll get to stay with Celestia." I said to her.
Red looked to Celestia, who seemed a little curious about her question.
"I still get to stay out of jail, right?" she asked.
Celestia chuckled. "Yes, Red. But I need you to promise not to steal anything else. If I find out that you have been stealing again, you're not going to avoid your sentence."
"I'm done with stealing." she said.
"Very good."
Celestia looked to the book again.
"It would be easier on you if I had the books." said Luna.
"How long is it until the end of the... cycle?" asked Red.
"It's the fifteenth right now." I said, having gone back and counted the days in my story.
"So, around fifteen more days, then." said Celestia, "It lasts for three days, then the cycle is repeated."
"I thought it was later in the month."
I shrugged. "I kinda felt the same. Then again, I'm at work every day..."
"I was just wondering if I'd go home before you even finished researching."
"We should have it done before then." she replied.
"So... you're gonna be busy until then?" I asked.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't be so busy that I wouldn't have time for you."
I smiled at her. "Good."
"Why? Was there something you wanted to do?" she asked.
"No, no. Nothing specific."
"Alright."
"It is getting late, though." I said.
"I suppose."
I looked at the clock on my phone. "It's 10:45." I said, rounding down the actual time.
"Mmm... And you have to get up early." said Celestia."
"Don't you have like an hour left?" asked Red.
"I gotta clean the dishes and put everything away." I said.
Celestia gave me a small smile. "Let me take care of that."
"You've got work to do." I said.
"Oh, I can read these books any time."
I had no reason to argue with her. I just smiled and said, "Well, thank you."
"Well, if you're not gonna go to bed straight away, you wanna play a game?" asked Red.
"Yeah, alright." I said.
"Oh, can I play?" Celestia excitedly asked.
"I thought you said you were doing dishes." said Red.
She shrugged. "They can wait."
"I'm soaking the pan." I said, picking up the completely empty pan and filling it with hot water.
"I'll go start a game for us." said Red.
She walked away. Celestia stood next to me as I waited for the pan to fill.
To my surprise, she kissed me on the cheek. I turned my head to look at her. She had a cute smile.
"You smell like her." she said, "A farewell hug?"
"Yeah."
"You're so popular with the ladies." she said. She was still smiling. She seemed sincere. I didn't really understand what she was getting at right now.
"I guess I am."
"What's with that look? I'm being honest."
"I dunno." I said, shrugging.
She kept smiling. "Thank you, Phil. For everything you've done these past few days. For returning the changelings to Equestria, for setting up the meeting with Chrysalis..."
"I just did what felt right." I said, "I mean, it didn't actually feel right in my gut and I thought it would be the end of our relationship, but it felt like it was the right thing to do."
"I'm sorry that you were put through that on your own."
"I wasn't alone the whole time. Luna caught me and helped me out."
"I didn't help you." she replied.
"Well, your words encouraged me. Whether you wanna take credit, it doesn't really matter."
"It wasn't all me." said Luna, "You had a plan of your own ever since meeting Chrysalis."
"A plan?" asked Celestia.
"He's thought ahead quite a bit. He planned the meeting since the first time he met her."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Geez, Luna..."
"Is it not true?" she asked.
"It's true. I just... You know, I didn't expect it all to happen this way. But... Yeah... I planned for you two to meet."
"How did you expect it to happen?" asked Celestia.
"Well, what I wanted was to get the bear from Red and give it to her to convince her to meet with you. She told me later that she was willing to make a deal with Red, which would get them on better terms before you spoke to her. A favor for a favor, you know?"
"That certainly isn't what happened." she said.
"Yeah... I didn't expect to get in a fight to take any changelings home."
"Hmm... Speaking of, how's your injury?" she asked.
"Stings a bit, but it's healing."
"We should probably bandage you again. It fell off last night."
"Fell off? How'd that happen?" asked Red.
Celestia and I looked to each other. We both knew exactly how it happened...
"I dunno. Maybe she didn't secure." I said.
"Well, it's been a while since I've bandaged anyone." she said to me. She looked like she was holding in a laugh.
"We don't have to clean it again, do we?" I asked.
"We should apply more ointment to it before it's bandaged."
I grumbled. "Fine."
"It won't get better if you don't take care of it."
"Yeah, yeah."
"I'll get the bandages. Wait in the room for me."
"Alright, then."
I went into the room, then got out my phone. I pulled off my shirt, then looked over my shoulder to my back. It didn't look very good.
Celestia came into the room after I had opened my phone. I set it aside, not able to use it.
She walked to my back and set the bandage on the bed.
"Are you excited?" she asked me. I felt her rub the ointment on my back.
I sighed. It hurt. "Yeah, I'm excited."
She set it down, then picked up the bandage wrap. "I'm excited, too." she said, starting to wrap me up again. "This is good news.
I lifted my arms as she wrapped it around my body. "Think you'll actually be able to find that spell in his notes?"
"Yes."
"You seem pretty sure about that."
"I'm sure they're in there. They have to be. They have to..."
"I want them to be." I said.
"I want them to be, too..."
"What would we do if I went to Equestria?" I asked her.
"Whatever you want. I'm the Princess. You can do what you wish while you're in Equestria. Within reason, of course."
"But what would we do?"
"Well... cuddle, I guess. When I'm not busy. You're smart, maybe you could help me with my work." She chuckled. "I don't know, Phil. The same thing we do when we're here. That's what I want. We'll... We'll spend time with each other. That's everything I've ever wanted, Phil."
She secured my bandage, pausing for a few moments. She wrapped her arms around me from behind. I placed my hands over hers.
"I don't know if I would be able to travel between worlds as often as I want. I don't know what effects it would have. All I know is that I love you... And whenever we're apart... my heart aches... I miss you every day when you go to work. When you get home, I'm so happy to see you again. When you come to Equestria, you'll never have to work again. You could stay with me all day."
"What about when you're working?"
"All day, Phil. Nothing can prevent it."
"That sounds nice."
She let go of me. I turned to face her.
"Ready to play Mario Kart?" I asked her.
She snickered, then nodded.
I grabbed my shirt and put it back on as Celestia cleaned up what she brought into the room. We walked back out. The two of us went into the bathroom. Celestia put away her items as I started brushing my teeth. She washed her hands in the sink.
When we came back out, I sat down on the couch on the opposite side as Red and picked up a controller. Celestia sat between us.
Red had the first controller, which I did not like.
She started us a race in a 150cc cup.
"I haven't played these races before." said Celestia.
"They're exciting." I said.
"Yeah, that's a word for it." said Red.
"I remember that you got two games." said Celestia, "Why haven't we played the other one?"
"'Cause I forgot about it." I said, smirking.
Red started the race.
The three of us played the game for a while. Red aggressively went after me because she knew I would be the biggest issue to her winning. I was surprised to see Celestia keeping up with us. She even won a race in first place, which led to a small celebration between us. Red didn't get first place once and was very salty about it.
Red grumbled.
Celestia looked to her. "Oh, it's alright, Red. You'll do better next time."
Red did not appreciate her words of encouragement. "Shouldn't you be going to bed?" she shot at me.
"Yeah, probably." I said. I looked to Celestia. "Coming to bed, too?"
"No, I'm sorry. I want to study these books."
"Alright, then." I briefly kissed her lips before standing up. "Goodnight, Celestia."
She smiled brightly at me. "Goodnight, Phil."
"Night, Red. You're not getting a bedtime kiss."
"Don't be weird." she replied.
Celestia giggled.
I walked into my bedroom and went to bed. A small while later, I heard glass clunking around. Celestia must be doing the dishes. How nice of her...
She didn't come to bed. I guess she must really be stuck on that book.
I heard Red argue with the game later on. She must really be frustrated. I understand, Red... I understand.
I fell asleep a bit later than I intended to. Fortunately though, when I woke up, I was rather rested. Celestia still wasn't in the bed. Where in the world was she?
I sat up and yawned, blindly reaching for my phone to turn off the alarm. I got dressed and left the room. I was hungry.
I heard snoring in the front room. I looked to the couch. Celestia was laying on it.
The weird thing though... Red was also on the couch.
Celestia's legs were lying over Red's legs. Red was just sitting on the couch, her head leaned back against the couch. She was asleep as well. They were both softly snoring away. It was really cute...
Why did Celestia fall asleep like this? Was Red comfortable sleeping in that position?
Whatever...
Celestia probably did it as a joke and forgot to move before falling asleep. Red was probably just too polite to move her.
I went to go get something to eat in the kitchen. Good old fashioned bowl of cereal. Frosted Flakes today.
They were still asleep when I came back out. I went downstairs and got onto my computer for a short while before I had to go to work.
Still asleep when I got back up. Knowing them, they were both up late. Celestia was studying and Red had her game.
I had to leave...
Should I do something about this mess of ladies on the couch? I could move Celestia into the room and lay Red down on the couch properly. Red probably wouldn't appreciate it if I moved her... Whatever...
I went back downstairs and got a blanket. I covered Celestia's body with it, making sure it covered a bit of Red while avoiding touching her.
I gave Celestia a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving. I swear, I saw a smile.
Right... What do I have to do today? I need to talk to Sarah and set up a time to meet. It doesn't matter when. Today is a good time. Maybe... Three days from now sounds nice if she's fine with it. And then... after I get home from work, I don't think I have anything else. I can snuggle with Celestia again. Maybe I can teach them how to play Smash Bros. 4. Red is going to be super pissed at me when I beat her at that game.
Speaking of Smash Bros., I should update Dolphin again.
Sarah was happy to see me when I got to work, which didn't happen often. We kept our conversation until lunchtime.
"I told my parents that you're able to meet with them." she said, "They wanted to meet soon."
"I'm free when I'm off work." I said, "Any time is good."
"Phil... I... Th-This is... Y-You need to wear nice clothing."
I grumbled. "Like a suit?"
"Not... It doesn't have to be especially formal, but... my father... He's very..."
"I got it, I got it... Yeah..."
"Alright... S-So... is... t-tomorrow alright?"
"Yeah, tomorrow should be fine."
"S-Seven o'clock?"
I nodded. "Fine by me."
"Good... Th-Thank you."
"Don't thank me, yet." I said, "We're not out of the woods, yet. How do we break this off? What'll it take to convince your parents that we're no longer together?"
"I... I don't know."
"Hey, maybe I just act like an ass while I'm there."
"No, don't do that."
"Yeah, alright. We gotta think of something, though."
"Just... not over dinner. Please?"
"Alright, fine."
"My father isn't mean." she said, "N-Not to me. I... I know you were thinking he was. But he's not. He loves my mother and I more than anything in the world."
"Not my business, Sarah." I said.
"Y... Yeah... Yes, you're right..."
"I'll make myself presentable. Don't worry about that. Worry about what you'll tell them afterwards when we 'break up,'"
"Y-Yes..."
"You alright?" I asked her.
"I'm... nervous."
I shrugged. "Happens to the best of us. It'll work out, Sarah. You got nothin' to worry about."
"Yeah, I... I guess you're right. T-Tomorrow will be an interesting day."
"Yeah..."
"Well... It... might not actually be tomorrow. I need to... to confirm it with my... parents, and... I'll... I'll call you tonight. After I've spoken to them."
I nodded. "Sounds good. So other than that, how've you been?"
"I've been... good... It was nice meeting your... f-fiancée yesterday. I'm... I'm sorry again for barging in."
"No worries. She liked you. You two really hit it off."
"Y-Yeah... Is... Is your house always that full?"
"No, no... Until recently, it was just me. Then it was just me and Celestia."
She seemed irked that I just used improper grammar.
"Then Red showed up. She's been staying there recently. Chrysalis was just visiting. She went back home, she's not here anymore."
"S-So... wh-where was she from?" she asked, "Chrysalis, I mean."
I shrugged. "I dunno."
"O-Oh... Is... Is she always that... sc-scary?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Do you have a lot of f-friends like her?"
"Nah, just her. She's pretty unique. Celestia and Red, too. They're all pretty unique.
"I noticed that Celestia's eyes were purple. And... And Red's eyes were... red. D-Do they always have those contacts in?"
"For the most part, yeah. They're... different. They're pretty different. Celestia, Red, Chrysalis, they're all weird."
She let out a small chuckle. "Yeah..."
We spoke idly until the break ended, then both got back to work.
The rest of the day was calm and peaceful. It was nice. I was thinking about the dinner at Sarah's house. I had no idea what it would involve, but I knew I had to wear good clothes. Not a lot of information to go on.
I had to at least give her family the appearance that I cared. To me, this wasn't much more than free food. Sarah was my buddy, so I'm always happy to help, but I just didn't like the idea of going into someone else's house. I always felt out of place. It wasn't a big deal, but still...
I almost waited for Chrysalis on my way home. She was gone. I might see her again if I go to Equestria, but she's not coming back to this world. Oh well. She was nice. Nice-ish. A little manipulative, but nice... ish. It was nice having her around. No, that's not believable, either. She... had a nice butt. There, that's believable.
Hell, maybe she's still around, watching... waiting for a chance to strike...
I went home as I did every day of my life. Work wasn't hard, even with all my duties. I know I don't exactly describe my work, but I do have work to do every day. I don't just stand around all day. But none of it was difficult. I had a nice crew, the building ran smoothly, we had a solid profit... It wasn't hard, but going every day of the week, especially with Celestia around... It can be tiring.
I took in a deep breath. The air smelled nice. It was a brisk November day. There were leaves on the ground, the sky was getting dark, and I was warm inside my sweater. It was a nice walk home. These walks were going to start losing their pleasantness. When it starts snowing, I'm going to start driving to work...
When it starts snowing...
Will I... still be here when it starts snowing?
I stopped. I've thought about this before, but... going to Equestria... Nothing will be the same. Nothing will ever be the same. I'll lose my job, my house, my car... My computer, my possessions.
My friends... My family...
And if I came back, I'd have nothing. Nothing...
My sisters, my brothers... My grandparents... My dad... Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews...
My dream...
All gone...
I shook my head. It was worth it. I would give up everything for my Princess...
But... If I really can go with her... If I really can just leave with Celestia... I'd have to prepare. And I don't mean just packing a suitcase...
I wanna call my dad...
I got out my phone and called his number. No answer. He might be at work... Even at 55 years old, he's still working the same job since before I was born.
I opened my door and walked in. I received a friendly greeting from the women on the couch.
Red was still playing Mario Kart. She seemed to be doing well.
"Sarah said we'd meet up tomorrow around seven." I said, "She said she'd get to me with more details."
Celestia looked back to me. "That's good."
"I gotta wear a suit though..."
"A suit?"
"Yeah, I got one around here, somewhere. I think..."
"There's a suit in the dresser." said Celestia.
"Ah, that's good."
"There's a tie, as well. Is this a formal dinner?"
"I dunno. Maybe, I wanna pretend I care while I'm there. Sarah told me not to make a scene while I'm there."
"Oh? Why not?"
"I dunno. It's rude and not something I'd normally do. Tomorrow at seven is when I'm supposed to meet. It took like... Ten minutes to get over there... I think... Man, I'm not good with distances... I'll probably leave at like 6:45... ish. Until then though, I'm home."
"So you're... like... going on a pretend date?" asked Red, not looking away from her game.
"Basically, yeah."
"What'll you do if she tries to kiss you?"
"No, she wouldn't do that, I told her I'd kill her." said Celestia.
"Probably just leave." I said, "Celestia don't kill people, it's not nice."
"It's not nice?" she asked.
"Just waterboard her or something, it doesn't leave any evidence."
She laughed. "I'm going to Equestria anyways, it won't matter if I'm caught."
"Speaking of, have you made any progress?"
She shook her head. "These books contain fascinating information, but with the penmanship as it is, I'm still having trouble."
"His penmanship is even worse than mine is." I said.
"The spellbook is one I recall reading before. It's rather advanced, but it's not unique. There weren't too many ponies of his time that focused on magic, so I'm having trouble placing him."
"Sure it's a guy?" asked Red.
"No, we have no idea." said Celestia.
"Bet it's a girl."
"Why's that?"
"Star Song sounds like a girl's name."
"Perhaps it is... The penmanship makes me believe it's a man."
"Men can't write?" asked Red.
"They can write, it just... usually looks worse than women's writing. That's why there were a lot of mares in copying and printing professions."
"There were a lot of mares in those positions because we're almost all mares."
Celestia chuckled. "I suppose you have a point." She looked to me. "There are more women than men in Equestria." she explained.
Red shrugged. "Didn't you have another game?" she asked me.
"Yeah, you wanna try it out?"
She nodded. "Let's see it."
I went over to the TV stand where I set everything and opened my new copy of Smash Bros. 4. Red's game was already over. She was waiting on the main menu screen.
I ejected Mario Kart and pushed in the second disk. Red selected the game when it popped up on the Wii menu. A loud fanfare played, announcing to the entire city block that we were playing Smash Brothers.
"Hold on a minute." I said, "I gotta get something."
I went downstairs and retrieved my GameCube adapter and some controllers. I forgot to update Dolphin... I can do it later.
I went back up and plugged the GameCube controllers into the console.
"Are these new controllers?" asked Red as I handed them out.
"Yep. The most comfortable gaming controller in the world. And the best controller for this game."
"Well... I guess it does feel pretty comfy in my hands..."
Celestia was experimenting a bit with the controller.
"This game is totally different from the last one." I said, "It's a fighting game on a two dimensional plane. This game I am also good at. You can attack each other with items and the like. It's real fun. Here, I'll start up a game for us."
I brought us to the character select screen. I picked Ike because he's my favorite and probably my best character.
"I recognize some of these characters from the other game." said Celestia.
"They're made by the same company." I said, "This game is like a mash-up of sorts from different game series. Each of these characters has different abilities, so you're gonna wanna test a few of them out. Hold on a second..."
I changed some of the settings. Fox only, no items, final destination. No... I made it a stock battle because timed battles suck. Items were on.
"It doesn't really matter what you pick." I said, "They all have their flaws and advantages."
"Some of these are very regal." said Celestia, navigating through the characters, "Are there more rulers like Peach?"
"Yep. There's... uh... Princess Zelda, Lady Palutena, Prince Marth, King Dedede..."
She snickered. "What a funny name..."
"You know, Palutena's kinda like you, Celestia."
"Hmm?" she turned her head to me.
"Oh hey, you can change their colors!" Red let out, interrupting our not so private conversation.
Celestia looked right back to the screen. "Really? How?"
"You use these buttons." said Red, showing her.
I waited for them to choose their characters. Celestia chose Peach again. Red picked Link.
I picked a stage for us at random, choosing the option to remove stage events.
I held up my controller and taught them the basics. I showed them how to attack, use special attacks, use smash attacks, block, grab, dodge... Those sorts of things.
They moved around a bit, learning the controls.
I moved my character to the side of the stage. "Alright, try fighting against each other." I said.
"What, just us?" asked Red.
"If I join in, it won't be as fun." I said.
"I feel like you're challenging us."
Celestia chuckled.
"Fine, go ahead." I said.
They both advanced on me.
I let out a small laugh to myself.
There was quite obviously no contest between us.
Celestia laughed. "Oh, you beat us so easily."
"Well, you've played a total of about two minutes combined, it's not like you were gonna win."
"We were attacking each other during that, it wasn't fair." said Red.
"Alright, I'll make it a team battle." I said, "With an extra handicap."
"We don't need a handicap." said Red.
Celestia laughed. "Yes we do."
I gave them a level nine computer to fight against me. Since they were still learning how to move around, I won again.
"This ain't my first rodeo, little ladies." I said to them with a Texan drawl.
"That fighter you gave us was so good..." Red said in awe.
I smiled at them. "I think it'll be easier if it's just you two." I said, removing myself.
"Aw, you won't play?" asked Celestia.
"How are you gonna learn how to play if I keep beating you?"
She smiled.
I set them up a game on their own.
They made a bit of progress since before. They just about understood basic movement.
It was a lot like watching them play Mario Kart. They both learned fairly quickly. Red won the first match between them. Celestia won the second.
"I want to try a different character." said Red, looking over them again.
"I'll do the same."
This time, Red picked Ike. Celestia picked Palutena.
"So, what were you saying about this character before?" Celestia asked me.
They started their next match.
"Oh, right. Well, all of these characters have different stories from their own game series. Say, Link is a great hero who vanquishes evil with his swordsmanship skills, and Ike is a rebel leader who overthrew an evil king. Palutena is the Goddess of Light and guardian of the human race."
Celestia chuckled. "I don't envy her. It's hard enough protecting my little ponies."
"Do you have a favorite from these fighters?" asked Red.
"That'd probably be Ike." I said.
"Why so?"
"He fights for his friends." I said, "I've played a game with him in it. It's a very strategic game, I really liked it. Link comes in at a close second though. I've played games with Link all my life, since I was four. Link is... an incredible character, really."
"What's so special about him?"
"He's the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. You don't know what that means, but it basically means that amongst all those in his land of Hyrule, he's the most courageous. He's skilled in the use of many, many different weapons, and he's very smart, able to quickly solve any puzzles he encounters."
"He sounds impressive."
"Oh, all of those guys are impressive." I said, "If you play the classic mode, you get trophies that tell you what makes all of these characters great."
"So it's something else I can stay up all night doing?" asked Red.
"I mean... If you want, yeah."
Celestia gave off another chuckle. "Sorry I trapped you on the couch this morning." she let out.
"Don't worry about it. Your legs were warm. I saw that we had a blanket on us. Was that you, Phil?" she asked.
"Yep."
She kept looking at the screen. "Alright then."
"It's starting to get cold in the house." said Celestia.
"Thermostat's right there." I said, pointing to it. It was just on the wall.
"No, no, it's alright. I don't want to use up any more power than we already are."
"It's fine to me." I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Just don't go above 75, I don't like when it's warm in the house."
"Alright. Well... it's fine right now."
"I'm starting to really like this game." said Red.
"You're getting better pretty fast." I said, "Maybe one of these days you'll be able to take one of my stocks."
Celestia burst out laughing. Red gave me a very violent stare, as if I had just punched her.
"Now Phil, be nice to her." said Celestia, "She's still a beginner."
"You're not any better!" Red snapped at her.
"No, perhaps not. Would you like to play again?"
Red grumbled. "Fine."
"There's all sorts of stuff you can do in this game." I said, "The classic mode even has co-operative play so you can play together."
"That sounds fun." said Celestia.
"I guess." said Red.
They had already started another game against each other. It was interesting watching them improve so quickly. Celestia was better than Red right now, but by tomorrow, Red's skills would improve much further.
"And Red, you'll like this..." I said, "There are a lot of challenges in this game. There's like... beating the game with every character, beating the game on the hardest difficulty..."
"Why do you assume I would like that?"
"I dunno. You got all those stars in Mario Kart."
"Beating the game with every character seems like a chore."
I shrugged. "Whatever, don't matter."
"It sounds great." said Red.
"See, there you go."
"Phil, you should join us." said Celestia.
"Yeah, stop being a chicken." said Red.
I picked my controller back up. "Alright, so what are we..." I watched as the game was changed into a team battle against me. "Alright, then."
Celestia was smiling.
Another win for me. They put up more of a fight this time. Maybe they were studying my very predictable play style. My little brother did the same thing to me. It became difficult to win against him.
The three of us played the game for a while longer, until Celestia got hungry. She gave me her puppy dog eyes until I got up and brought her something.
Celestia's diet typically consisted of Twinkies and Cosmic Brownies. There were rare times where she would consume real food.
She was very happy to see me return with a few sandwiches for her.
"Thank you." she said to me, taking them.
"Celestia and I have been talking a bit." said Red, "She told me about that computer downstairs and what it's used for."
Celestia made a muffled noise in the affirmative.
"You wanna use my computer?" I asked.
"Yeah. Some time. Not right now, we have this game to play."
"You can go ahead and get on it if you want." I said, "There's not a whole lot you can do to it. The games on it you'd play on your own. You can play with other people online, but you can't join each other here. Without modding the... I mean... Um... I'd have to change the games a bit myself to do that and it's a lot of work. Actually, I... might... Anyways..."
I was just thinking, one of my games would work. I found a way to join myself in Borderlands 2. I used it to get more loot, but it could be used to allow these two to play with each other. I wonder if they'd like it... It might be a bit graphic for them.
I do have a decent laptop... I could make a new steam account and get the same games... Maybe some other time, it'd be a waste if Red leaves when I get it running.
We kept playing for a long time. Their skills improved so much during the course of the evening. Not enough to beat me, but still, they were doing well.
I got a phone call.
"Who is it?" asked Celestia.
"It's... oh, it's Sarah." I answered it. "Hello."
"Hello, Phil. M-My parents said that they were fine with tomorrow at 7:30. Is that alright with you?"
"Yep, that's fine. I'll be there at 7:25."
"G-Good. Thank you."
"Yep, thanks for the call. See ya."
"B-Bye."
I hung up.
"What'd she say?" asked Celestia.
"She said dinner's at 7:30." I replied.
"Alright."
"How long have we been playing?" asked Red.
"Twelve minutes." I erroneously replied.
"What? No, that's not right."
"Phil, don't trick the poor girl." said Celestia.
"How long has it been?" Red asked again.
"It's been about four and a half hours." said Celestia.
"Wow, really?" asked Red, "Doesn't feel like it."
I shrugged. "Time flies when you're having fun."
"I guess."
"You have stuff to do tomorrow, Phil." said Celestia, "You don't want to be tired for your big date."
"I guess..."
"I have a bad feeling about that." said Red.
We looked to her.
"What do you mean?" asked Celestia.
"I don't know. It's just... I don't like it."
"It'll be fine." said Celestia, "We may not know Sarah's family, but Sarah seems nice enough."
"Yeah, I suppose. You're right."
"It shouldn't be too much of an issue." I said, "I hope it's not awkward, though. I know that dads are supposed to hate their daughter's boyfriends."
Celestia chuckled. "My father was very protective when it came to men in my life."
"I... wouldn't know." said Red.
"Yeah, my dad never liked my sister's boyfriends." I said, "Then again, he never really liked anyone."
"Anyone?" asked Celestia.
I shrugged. "He wasn't the nicest guy in the world. Very tyrannical as a dad and very cynical as a person."
"T-Tyrannical?" asked Celestia.
I shrugged. "He had temper tantrums and shouted at us when he didn't get his way."
"He wasn't... physical, was he?"
"Well, when we were younger, we got spanked. The boys did, at least. We might've deserved it a few times. I dunno. Can't really remember. Then we got older and he just yelled. So we basically grew up scared of him."
"This sounds... very personal." said Red.
"Guess it is. Don't worry Celestia, I'm not gonna be my dad when I grow up. I've learned from his mistakes."
"That's... uh... good, I suppose..."
"Long story short, my dad's a dick." I said, "So, mood ruined?"
"Uh... Yeah..." Red let out.
"Ah, you don't gotta worry about it. So anyways..."
"Yes, anyways..." repeated Red, a nervous chuckle following.
"Red, what do you want to eat?" I asked her.
"Uh... A sandwich, I guess."
"Me, too!" Celestia excitedly let out, the thought of food pushing away all of the negativity.
I gave her a look, then stood up. I went into the kitchen to prepare our little group a meal.
I joined them with the game for another half hour before I started getting ready for bed. Celestia was right, I didn't want to be tired.
Celestia elected to stay awake to read her book. Red was staying awake because she always did.
I gave Celestia a brief kiss on the lips before I went to bed. She smiled at me.
"You two are gross." said Red.
"Grow up." replied Celestia, not caring much.
I laughed at this. Red grumbled.
With that, I retreated into my bedroom.
My bed was comfy... It was kinda weird sleeping without Celestia in the bed. Oh well. The books are much more important.
If I really go to Equestria...
When I woke up the next morning, I heard rain. It didn't sound too bad. Maybe it was just starting. Or just ending. That means it's gonna be freezing outside, which made getting out of bed sound much worse.
I sat up. No Celestia. Was she asleep on Red again?
I put on some clothes and left the room. Red was still awake playing the game. Celestia was indeed laying on her again.
"Hey, Red." I said to her.
"Hey."
I stood near my door for a few moments staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Are you... alright with that?" I asked her.
"Hmm? This? It's fine. She's just sleeping, I'm fine with it. I've, uh... I've never been this close to the Princess before."
"Surprising?"
"Yeah." Red looked to Celestia. "She's different from who I thought she was."
"Yeah... Moving past."
She watched me as I walked past her screen. After I passed it, she unpaused the game and continued playing.
I got myself a bowl of cereal to eat, same as every day.
After I was finished eating, I went back to the front room. Red was just still playing.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" she asked me.
"You got Celestia laying on you." I replied.
"That it?"
"It's cute."
"Cute?" She sighed. "Alright."
"Do you need anything, Red?" I asked her.
"Hmm? What?"
"Well, you're here all the time. Do you need anything?"
"I... I don't think so... Um... Actually... Depending on how long we're staying here... Uh..."
"Huh?"
"I'll... I'll ask tomorrow, you're busy today." she said.
"Oh. Well, alright. Yeah, I am pretty busy."
"I'll find you nice clothes, just make sure to shower." I heard Celestia let out. She turned her head towards me.
"You were awake?"
"Not really."
I smiled at her. She smiled back.
She pulled her legs off of Red and sat up in the middle of the couch. She patted the cushion next to her.
I gave her a look, then sat down next to her. She laid against me.
"Are you tired?" I asked her.
She nodded, looking up at me. "Mmm-hmm..."
"You were up until 5:30, no wonder you're tired." said Red.
"If you were tired, you could've just kept laying down."
She didn't seem to care about what I was saying right now. She reached for one of the controllers on the table and quietly said, "Play."
I gave her a small smile as I took the controller. "Alright."
She looked forward to the screen as Red and I chose our characters. Red picked Sheik. I picked Ganondorf. Ganondorf wasn't in our roster before...
Celestia fell back asleep mid match. She had no intention of hiding it.
I won that round. Red and I played a few more games. I won each one. Red didn't seem too bothered, which was a bit worrisome. I think she was studying my play style.
Eventually, it became time for me to go.
"I'm gonna put Celestia to sleep." I said to Red.
Red made a noise to let me know she heard me.
I stood up and picked up Celestia. I held her in my arms as I brought her into my room. I could see another smile on that cute face of hers.
I set her on the bed, covered her with the blanket, and gave her another kiss on the forehead.
With that, I left for work. I made sure to pick up a warm hat on the way out. It was still raining and very cold.
Today would be interesting...
Sarah and I spoke a bit about the dinner at her house tonight when we saw each other. She reminded me that it was a more formal dinner, and that I needed to behave myself.
Felt a little demeaning, really. I was older than her and she was telling me how to act.
"I'm not gonna go and ruin the dinner." I said to her.
"Y-Yeah... I just... I just... I want it to go well. We can... have a f-fake break up from our f-fake relationship after."
"I'll just be happy that this is over." I said.
"Um... Ph-Phil?"
"What's up?"
"Wh-When this is over... Will... Will we still be friends?"
"Yeah, we'll be friends."
She smiled. "Thank you. For... helping."
"Yeah. Come on, let's get to work. We can put this whole mess behind us soon enough."
"R-Right..."
Sarah was so nice... How nice...
Work was as normal as it always is. We had another complaint today, but I solved it with some good old fashioned free food. This person were much nicer than the last complainer.
We've been doing pretty good on getting orders right, though. Best in the city, I've heard.
After work, I went straight home. It was raining all day, but it seems like it was letting up.
I had an hour and a half before I had to be there. I'll be fine. As long as... I can remember where she lives... I should be fine.
"Hey, Celestia." I let out, walking into the house.
"Hello." she cheerfully replied.
"Hey." said Red.
"How you been?" I asked them.
"Fine."
"Yeah, fine."
"What about you, Phil?" asked Celestia.
"I've been alright. I talked to Sarah again."
Celestia chuckled. "I imagined you would."
"I'm just glad you two are gonna stop complaining about her." said Red.
"Yeah, it's been pretty dumb." I said, "I'm gonna take a shower."
"I'll bring some clothes into the bathroom for you." said Celestia.
"Oh. Thank you."
I started walking past the screen.
"Hey, watch it!" Red let out, moving her head to look past me.
"Red, you have an addiction." I said to her.
"You have an addiction!" she wittily retorted.
"Got that right."
I went into the bathroom and took my shower. The warm water was a nice change of pace from the rain.
A short while later, I heard a knock on the door.
"It's just me. I have your clothes." said Celestia.
"Come in!" I called out.
I heard the door open. She set the clothes down and stood in front of the curtain.
"It's just dinner, right?" she asked me.
"Yeah, as far as I know." I replied, "Dinner, talking, that sort of thing. Then I get to go home, I guess."
"Are you nervous?" she asked.
"Eh, not really. A little, maybe."
"A little?"
"Yeah, I guess. Heading to someone's house like this... Someone I don't know... It's kinda weird. I always feel like I'm gonna break something."
Celestia laughed. "Yes, I suppose that is a reason to be nervous. Is that the only reason?"
"Well... I could say or do something offensive. I have a habit of that."
"You can act proper if you choose." she said, "I've seen you behave:"
"Yeah, but I don't really maintain it."
"No, I suppose not."
"Is there... something I should be nervous about?" I asked her.
"No, no... You're fully capable of dealing with this issue. It's just come as a bit of a shock to me, I suppose. This isn't a common experience for me."
"Yeah, same here. When I get home, the three of us are gonna watch a movie."
"A movie?" She sounded excited.
"Yeah. I mean... not, like... going out to see one. We could, though... It's a really cute, funny, kid movie. I have it on my computer so I can play it on the TV."
"That sounds nice."
"Quality of the movie won't be the best, but it's still good. I'll show you when I get home. It'll be nice."
"Maybe we could go out for a movie one of these days, as well."
"Yeah, that sounds good. There's this one I've been wanting to see, too. It's not out yet, though."
"Uh... Phil? Can I... join you?" she asked.
"Join me?" She was asking me if she could shower with me. But this was a little more complicated than that. The two of us showering together usually led to something dirty. Since she's actually asking, she knew there was a chance. Red would know immediately since Celestia wouldn't return.
I've been caring less and less about what Red thought of us...
"Yeah, that's fine." I answered, "Red's gonna get suspicious."
I saw her silhouette start to remove its clothing through the shower curtain.
"She can suspect all she wants." said Celestia, "I've missed you."
She pulled the curtain back and stepped into the shower with me. We shared the warm water.
"You miss me? We sleep together every night."
"I miss your affection." she said, hugging me.
"Yeah, I feel the same." I gently let out, holding her.
She sighed. "How long did we have?" she asked.
"I have no idea." I said.
"I think you still have an hour before you need to go."
"Yeah, something like that."
We just showered together today. It was nice. Refreshing. I'm sure Celestia thought the same. The shower took longer than it would have if I were alone, but it was very nice.
We had an hour in total, so we would be fine.
When I was ready to get out, I asked Celestia, "Did you need me to get you a set of clothes?"
"No, no, I brought in clothes for myself."
"That's good."
"Are you getting out?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She gave me a small smile. "I'll get out too, then."
I turned off the shower and squeezed the water from my hair. It's gotten rather long.
Celestia watched me for a few moments, then did the same with her hair. She bundled it up and twisted it. The braid I put in her hair was long gone.
I touched her shoulder and pulled a bit. She turned her back towards me. I grabbed her hair and wrung out the water. There was still so much of it in her hair.
I smiled slyly, then raised my hand towards her head. I grabbed tightly onto the hair close to her head and pulled back. She let out a surprised gasp.
I wrapped my hand around her stomach and bit down on her collar. Another surprised noise.
"Ph-Phil... Mmm..."
I was gently holding her as I nibbled on her skin. She was breathing slowly.
I let go of her and lifted my head. She turned hers back. We met with a short, but powerful kiss.
"Y-You're a jerk." she said to me, staring back at me.
"A jerk? What'd I do?"
"You're just going to leave me turned on when you go. That's so rude..."
"Oh, you'll be fine. A woman as... powerful as you shouldn't be worrying about such dirty things."
"We've already risked it once. You should've taken me in the shower."
I let go of her and stepped out of the tub. I noticed her glancing downwards.
I threw a towel at her, which seemed to surprise her. I picked up another towel and started drying myself.
She let out a disappointed sigh and did the same.
I looked at the clothes Celestia had picked out.
"Will those do?" she asked me.
"Yeah, these are fine." I said, starting to dress myself.
Celestia waited for me to finish dressing before going for her own clothes.
She smiled at me as she clothed herself. "You're staring."
"Can't help it." I replied with a smile of my own, "Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty?"
She chuckled. "Yes, I believe I've heard it before."
"Well, you're pretty."
She was smiling brightly.
"I gotta get a snack, I'm hungry."
"Oh, get something for me, too!" she happily let out. The thought of food immediately brightened her day.
"Alrighty then."
I left the bathroom and got some small snacks from the kitchen. I was hungry, but since I was about to go eat a dinner, I didn't need much. Speaking of... I still have time before I have to go. It was almost seven. I'd leave at 7:15.
There was a beautiful woman waiting for me on the couch. Red was there, too. I'm sure if I said this, she would hit me.
I gave Celestia the snack I had picked out for her and opened my own. I sat down on the couch next to my lady friend. She laid against me.
Red sat on the left side, I was on the right, and Celestia was always in the middle. We always sat like this. How strange...
I played a single game with Celestia and Red before watching them play on their own.
"It's about time for you to go." said Celestia.
I got out my phone and looked at the clock. "Yeah. Yeah, I gotta go." I stood up, then turned and bent over to kiss Celestia. "I'll be back in a few hours. Don't burn the place down while I'm gone."
"I'll wait until you get back." said Red.
Celestia giggled. "We won't burn your house. We promise."
"I make no such promise."
I shrugged. "Well, make sure you don't use any accelerants, I won't get any insurance money if it looks like I did it."
"You'll be at Sarah's house, you'll have an alibi." said Red.
"Oh, that's right." I stepped to the front door. "Alright. Love you, Celestia."
"I love you, too." she replied with a smile.
"I'll call when I'm coming home. Bye, you two."
"Goodbye."
"Yep, see ya."
With that, I left my home. I got in my car and left towards Sarah's house. This was going to be an interesting night, for sure.