Wow so apparently chapter 19 was the new version of chapter 20. That's just horrible on my part, and I thank the person who caught that. I can't believe I missed it. As such, three chapters this time.
November 19
Right... Work... Sarah... I had to go to work and talk to Sarah. Alright...
And I had to go to the store, too. I can't forget that.
I gave Celestia a loving farewell and Red a not-so-personal farewell before leaving. Red was playing Smash Brothers. She looked... just awful right now. She must've been up all night again.
On my way to work, I thought about what I would say to Sarah. The decision to leave your home isn't a small one. Even so, Ben is an insufferable jerk. I understand Sarah's decision.
As was the case with every other time, I was at work first. I greeted the previous shift as I walked into the building. They were a pleasant bunch.
Not long after I had arrived, Sarah showed up. I was a bit surprised to see her this early.
She immediately walked over to me. From what I could see, she was completely composed. As composed as she normally was, at least. So this situation wouldn't affect her work efficiency... Who cares...
I was sitting at a table right now, drinking a soda. I really needed something sweet right now. I was tired. She sat down across from me.
"How's your dad?" I asked.
"Angry. He's very angry. Phil, I'm worried. My father is a powerful man. What if he tries to do something?"
I shrugged. "I'm not worried about me. I'm prepared for whatever happens. What does powerful even mean, though? What was he talking about?"
"I don't know. He was saying it after you left."
"Whatever. Look, I'm more worried about you. You said you were gonna move out."
"I am. I have to. I can't live with my father anymore, not after this."
"When are you planning on moving out?"
"I don't know. Soon. I've been looking at some apartments nearby. It's expensive, but I can afford it. I have some money saved away."
"How about my place?" I asked, "Would you be interested in staying with us for a little while?"
She was surprised by my offer. She shook her head, eyes wide. "No, I couldn't do that to you."
"I'm pretty sure you don't have a lot of money, Sarah. You won't have any options, soon. Now, you don't have to stay with us. In all honesty, I don't want you staying with us. Don't get me wrong, I like you, but we already have Red. And even if she was gone, Celestia and I like our privacy. But it's available, Sarah. I just want you to know that. The choice is there if you need it. Celestia agreed to let you stay if you needed it. So if you can't find a place, or if you can't handle it on your own, you're always welcome in our home."
She smiled at me, then gave me a nod. "Thank you, Phil... That means a lot to me. You're... You're the only one I have here. You and my mother."
"How is she?" I asked.
"She's well. Are you worried about her?"
I nodded.
"My... My father may not be a kind man, but he's not a bad father. He's not a bad husband to my mother either, as far as I know. He's... He's not there often, but he's never unkind to us."
"I just... I just want to know you're fine, you know? You're my friend, I care about you. Celestia and I both care about you."
"Thank you... Thank you so much, Phil... You don't know how much this all means to me... I... I'm sorry my father acted the way he did."
"I know, Sarah."
"If... I should have known something like this would happen, I should've..."
"Sarah, it's not your fault. Come on. You're gonna have a lot on your plate soon, Sarah. You have enough to worry about, this isn't something that should be on the list."
"Y-You're right... Yeah, you're right."
"God, I thought he was supposed to be Christian. What happened to 'love thy neighbor'?"
"He... I was raised Christian, it's just how it's always been. I don't know why he's like this..."
I sighed. "Sorry. Ready to get to work, Sarah?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Good. It's showtime. Look busy, the boss might be watching. Hey, wait a minute, I'm the boss."
She gave off a small chuckle. "Y-Yeah."
I think a few of the others were a little suspicious of me and Sarah. We didn't talk loud enough for them to hear us and they didn't move close enough to catch what we were saying, so they still had no idea why we were so friendly. Unfortunately, this rumor might still end up in the ears of my superiors.
As we were getting up, I stopped Sarah and asked, "We're done, right? Our fake relationship is over, right?"
She nodded. "Y-Yeah..."
"Oh good... Good... This whole thing was a little worrisome, you know? But it's behind us now, so that's good."
"Yeah... We should get to work."
"Right, sorry."
Well, I had to talk to Sarah, and talk I have. I had a bad feeling about all this, but it passed after lunch, so I was probably just hungry.
I got a phone call about an hour after lunch. It said Celestia, but it could be either Celestia or Red.
I stepped aside and answered it. "What up?"
"Hello, Phil." I heard Celestia say.
"What's up?" I asked again, my mood slightly improved.
"I wanted to show Red the movie we watched yesterday. How do I do that?"
"Oh. You at the computer?"
"I am."
"Alright..." I led her to the movies folder from the desktop.
"Thank you!" she happily let out.
"Yeah, there are a few movies there. You remember what it was called, right?"
"I do, don't worry. Can we watch some of these other movies when you get home?"
"Of course we can. Don't you have something to do, though? Not to say you can't watch movies, but those books are still pretty important."
"It's not an issue. I'm taking a small break."
"Well... Yeah, you're right, it's not an issue."
"Oh, I wish you were here. With pizza. I'm hungry."
"Wh... Feed yourself! I'm at work, I can't come home and feed you!"
She laughed into the phone. "I'll see you when you get home! I love you!"
"Alright then. Love you, too."
I closed the call. When I returned to my job, I was given some strange looks.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Who was that?"
"Girlfriend." I replied.
"I... thought you were with Sarah." said Timmy.
I shook my head. "I can't date employees, fuckwit. Sarah's nice, but I already have a girlfriend."
"Oh... So... you're over Celestia, then?"
I shrugged. "I wouldn't say 'over'. More like, 'she came back, so everything's good now'."
"Whoa, what? She's back? Holy shit, that's awesome! How come you haven't told us?"
"Yeah Phil, she was really nice." added another worker.
I shrugged. "It's not a professional thing to bring up."
"Phil, we flip burgers for a living, there's nothing professional about this." said Timmy.
"Yeah, maybe for you." I said, "I gotta keep a professional appearance. It sucks ass. And not the good kind of ass, either. Also, I hate you all, so I didn't want to talk to you."
"Oh shut up, you love us."
"Depends on how much you're offering."
"Well, I guess that would explain why you've been in a good mood recently." said Timmy.
"Come on guys, back to work." I said to them.
Even though it was work time, I was peppered with questions about my relationship. Everyone seemed to remember the beautiful woman that showed up here one day. Everyone was curious about her.
Why did today have to be a slow day...
I tried to give them as little information as I could, even speaking from the standpoint that Celestia was human. Timmy knew the truth, and thankfully, he kept it to himself.
"You are not very forthcoming about her." noticed one of my co-workers.
"You are supposed to be working." I replied to him.
"Yeah, c-come on, let's get back to work, guys." Sarah let out, joining us.
Some of them looked to her. She immediately became shy again. She looked to me for support.
"Hey Sarah, what happened between you two?" asked one of them.
"Yeah, we thought you were dating."
"Uh... We... We weren't..."
I stepped forward and said, "We were kinda, for a short while, but it just didn't feel right." I said. We needed to cover all angles, here. If word gets back to Sarah's dad that we were never actually together, something is bound to happen.
Sarah gave me a surprised look.
"Is that true, Sarah?" asked one of them.
"Uh... Y-Yeah! Yeah, it's true. W-We... We went... I... It d-didn't..." She was... struggling.
"Come on everyone, back to work." I said again, "Remember, until you leave here today, I own you all."
They grumbled amongst themselves as they returned to their stations.
Sarah walked up to me. "Thank you."
"Yep." I explained why I had told them we had dated.
"Oh..." She nodded. "Alright."
"Alright, you got something to do."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
I smiled at her. She smiled back.
As the day progressed towards the end of work, I found myself thinking of Celestia again. I was cheerfully in thought. I wasn't thinking of anything in particular, just of her. I missed her... All I wanted to do was go home and cuddle away the rest of the day with her.
Since I was anticipating something at the end of the work day, it dragged on. It didn't help that the work day wasn't very exciting.
I saw the manager for the next shift show up, which meant it was about time to go. I got excited at the thought of leaving, not because the work was awful, but because something better was waiting for me at home.
I gave Sarah a short goodbye before leaving.
On my way home, I remembered that I had some shopping to do. Idea! I could bring Celestia!
"Celestia!" I happily let out as I walked inside.
I looked to the couch and was surprised to see that it was empty. Where is she? Oh right, the basement.
I opened the door and walked down. I heard a movie playing.
Celestia looked to me as I entered the room. She smiled at me, then placed a finger over her lips to tell me to be quiet.
Red was asleep on the couch. Her head was in Celestia's lap. Celestia was gently stroking her hair as she watched the movie.
I went to the speakers and turned them down. I gave Celestia a smile. "Have you been mothering Red?" I asked her.
She sheepishly smiled. "A little..."
"You wanna go shopping?" I asked her.
Her face lit up. She nodded excitedly.
She gently lifted Red's head, then got up, setting Red down onto the couch.
Celestia stood up and walked to me. She had a pleasant smile on her face. "What are we getting?" she asked.
"Anything you want. Come on."
She eagerly followed me back up the stairs.
"I gotta change first, then we'll go." I said to her.
She smiled. "I'll get ready as well." She paused, then gave me a strange look. "You're staring at me."
"You have such a pretty smile." I said to her.
She smiled again.
"I'll be back." I said.
It didn't take me long to get ready. I needed to change out of my work clothes, but that was it. I didn't actually know what Celestia needed to do, but it must not have been very big because she was ready when I was.
"You need a coat." I realized as I grabbed mine. I gave my hoodie to her and said, "Here, I have another around here somewhere."
She put it on and zipped it up. She smiled at me, then grabbed the fabric near the zipper and brought it up to her face. "It smells like you." she said.
"Gonna smell you in a second here, you keep this up." I playfully threatened her.
She laughed.
I went into my room to look for my second coat. Actually... I had no idea where it was.
I let out a confused, "Huh..."
"Is everything alright?" she asked me.
"Yeah, it's just... I lost my other sweater."
"Oh! I washed it. It's in your dresser."
"Oh... Well, thank you."
She smiled. "You're welcome."
I retrieved the sweater from my dresser and put it on as I walked out of the room.
"You're still doing my chores, huh?"
She nodded. "That's right. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"I appreciate it." I said to her, giving her a pleasant smile.
I didn't really want her to do anything for me. I did it all myself before she got here and I will continue to do so after she leaves. It makes her happy to do the things a wife would do for her husband, at least in her own view of the world. If it makes her happy, there's no reason to ask her to stop.
The two of us left the house. Celestia told me that she left her phone for Red again on the way out. We were talking to each other all the way to the store.
"We'll be getting groceries for the house again. And Red needs tampons. And... for that matter, pads."
"Red's on her period?"
"She said she would be soon." I said.
Celestia sighed. "I wonder if I'll actually get a period before you get me pregnant..."
"Maybe. Speaking of, we should get you some pregnancy tests."
She giggled. "And more Twinkies."
"God, is the box gone already?"
"Maybe it is..." she let out with another laugh.
"Celestia, you have an addiction."
"Perhaps you're right."
I drove us to Woodman's. The two of us got out of the car. She was smiling brightly as we walked into the store together.
"You're home more often that I am, what do we need?" I asked her.
"Ooohh... Those..." she let out, not really paying attention. She was staring at the bakery section of the store near the door we walked in. Inside a clear plastic door, freshly baked doughnuts rested, blissfully ignorant that the bringer of their apocalypse stood just a few feet away.
"You can get some on our way out, we can't eat them before we pay."
She turned to me and gave me a powerful puppy dog eyed gaze.
"God, you're like a five year old. Get one and meet me by the register. Just one."
"Yay!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek before prancing over to the case.
"And don't eat it before it's paid for!" I called after her.
"I won't!"
I walked over to one of the nearby registers and waited for her. She walked over to me after a short while and I paid for it. By the time I turned around, the doughnut was completely gone.
"Can I get some more?" she asked me, her mouth full of food.
"Celestia, you are 27 years old, act your age."
She snorted, then started laughing.
"You can have more later. We gotta get the shopping done first. You're gonna run out of food if you keep eating the way you do."
"Phil!" she gave me a playful shove.
"Come on." I said to her, walking towards the carts.
Since Celestia knew more about the food situation at home, I allowed her to pick what she thought we needed. I quickly realized that this was a mistake. I clearly gave her too much freedom.
I made sure to pick up Red's feminine products as well.
"Hey, Phil." said Celestia. Her voice was a little more serious than before.
I looked to her. She was holding a small box in her hand. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a box of condoms. It was a bit hidden in her hand so others wouldn't see it and feel awkward.
"You know, just in case." she said, a somewhat nervous smile on her face.
"You're really stuck on that, aren't you..."
She just kept smiling.
I shrugged. "Nothing to lose by having them around." I said.
She placed them into the cart.
"Is that... everything?" I asked her.
"I think so." she replied.
"Now for your favorite part."
She smiled again. "Doughnuts!"
The two of us went back to the bakery. We picked out some doughnuts for ourselves that looked good. There were quite a few different types. Celestia had a much more varied selection than I did.
The second I had paid, Celestia started eating her doughnuts. I just smiled at her.
As we were packing our groceries into the car, I grabbed my own bag of doughnuts. I took one out and looked at it.
"Hey Celestia, remind you of something?" I asked her, holding it up and pointing at the center.
She laughed. "Phil, you're disgusting!"
I looked to her, then to the food in my hand. I smiled, then slowly ran my tongue along the middle of the doughnut, making sure she could see what I was doing.
She slowly stopped laughing. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me.
"Me next." she quietly let out, surprised by my lewd gesture.
I just smirked, then continued to put groceries away, eating the doughnut as I did.
She grumbled, then got into the car in a huff. When I was finished, I joined her.
I saw that her arms were crossed. She was looking away from me.
"Come on, you can't stay mad forever." I said to her as I left the parking lot.
She made an exaggerated gesture of looking away by turning her body.
I lowered my hand to her knee and gently rubbed it.
"You wanna stop at that motel and do something dirty?" I asked her in a tone one would use on a child, pointing to an older motel that was visible as you left the street leading to Woodman's.
She let out a small laugh. "No, no, I'm just kidding. It's alright."
"You're silly... Right... Now, Woodman's doesn't carry pregnancy tests, but they do." I said, gesturing to a pharmacy down the road.
"Will we really need a pregnancy test? I'm fine if it's a surprise."
"I don't know. Up to you."
"Well... Alright, let's get some. Red has been preventing us from trying to get pregnant anyways, it's not like it matters much."
"Oh, Red hasn't been stopping us. Besides, who knows, you might already be pregnant and you're just not showing, yet."
She smiled and looked down to her stomach, gently rubbing it with a hand. "You're gonna make me cry again."
"We've talked about this. You're too happy, Celestia." I stopped in the parking lot. "Coming in or staying here?" I asked.
"I'll come in."
"Alright, then."
We got out of the car and went inside. After a short while of searching, we managed to find what we needed.
Celestia looked at the test we were buying.
"You know, I've never... actually used one of these." she said.
"You pee on it."
"I know, I know... This is a rather new invention for us ponies, at least in my lifetime. I haven't had a need for it."
"Huh... Well, I haven't used it either."
She snickered. "You're a man."
"Oh, yeah."
"Oh yeah? What, did you forget?"
"No, I would never. Never... No... Forget... That. Come on."
We had enough tests for a while, provided we were going to test more than the one time. When we went to purchase them, the cashier gave us a friendly smile.
"I see someone's preparing for something." she said to us, scanning the products.
Celestia looked to me, then looked to the lady, a cute smile on her face.
"Something like that." she replied, "We're trying."
"Well, good luck to you."
"Thank you."
After we left the store, I said, "You know, I think it's kinda weird that lady now knows we're having sex."
"Well... it's not a secret."
"I know. It's just a weird subject to bring up. Everyone says being pregnant is such a wonderful thing, but they seem to skip the part where the expecting parents were busy making it happen."
"Nobody wants to think about that."
"Yeah, I know."
"But there is going to be a lot of 'making it happen' in our future."
"You dirty birdie. Hey, how long do you think it will take for you to get through those books? I think I already asked this..."
"I couldn't say for sure. It's not easy. It may take quite a long time. I might leave before I find my answers."
"How long do you think it took Chrysalis to master traveling between worlds?"
"There's no way of knowing. If she took the books just before entering this world, it took her less than a month. If she had the books before then, it could've been much longer."
"I kinda wish she stayed. It would've been helpful if she taught you."
"I understand her reasons."
"Good, 'cause I sure don't."
"She may be our friend, but she still has her subjects to look after. She knows I have the capability to learn these spells. Even so, these books contain other important knowledge. They contain information regarding..." She sighed. "Magic. You still have no idea what I'm talking about."
"Got that right."
"Hmm... The issue remains on how we would transport you. A being from a non-magical world would be nearly impossible to transport."
"Hmm..."
"I have doubts that the books were ever in our libraries. I have no idea where she could've gotten them."
"Think she lied?"
"She's done it before."
Celestia and I returned home before Red woke up. She told me that Red fell asleep recently, so she'd probably be out until the middle of the night.
Celestia disappeared into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later. "It was negative." she told me upon returning.
I shrugged. "Guess we gotta keep trying, then."
"Do you want to try right now?" she asked me with a smile.
"I dunno. It was hard enough keeping you quiet last time we did, even with my hand over your mouth."
"I still think that's hot."
"I know you do. I'm getting hungry, though."
"I'm hungry, too. What's for supper?"
With Red asleep, Celestia and I could spend time together privately. We took this chance to make supper together.
Today's meal was ramen. I put in a lot of extra spices and some chopped up onions, but it was still just ramen. Celestia liked it.
I didn't like that she didn't eat meat. It made it difficult to cook for her. *It also makes it difficult to pick unique meals.*
"Phil." Celestia let out as we ate.
I looked to her.
"I don't think I will be able to decipher these spellbooks before I return home. There's too much work for my sister and I in Equestria. We won't be able to complete our research as quick as I had hoped. I... am starting to dislike Star Song. Anyways... When I return to Equestria, I am going to introduce these books to my former student, Twilight Sparkle. I believe that she is the most capable pony for this task."
I nodded. "You gotta go soon."
She sighed. "Yes... And... I can't promise I'll be back the next month, either."
"Shouldn't Twilight be done by then?"
"I can't be sure about that." she replied, "She is an incredibly gifted pony. If any of us can decipher them, she can."
"Sure would've been useful if Chrysalis stayed with us for this part." I said, complaining a little.
"There's no use in bringing up the past. So... with this in mind, I have a question for you. Would you think my former student would appreciate a chance to study this world?"
"Are... you saying that you want to invite Twilight Sparkle here?"
She nodded. "It's not necessary, of course. I could take the books to my world and give them to her for her to study. I wanted your thoughts. I know that she would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your world, but do you think it would be a good idea to bring her here?"
"I... I dunno... What do you think?"
"Well, I don't think that it would be a bad idea. Although... Now that I'm thinking it over again, the thought of letting a beautiful, impressionable, young woman stay in your home alone with you fills me with a deep anger." she said with a smile.
"I don't know how I feel about anybody staying in my home."
"I understand. What do you think she would look like as a human?"
"I dunno. Pretty?"
"Think you'd wanna..." She leaned forward and gave me a sly smile.
"Wanna..."
"You know..."
"I, uh... believe that you're thinking something inappropriate again."
"You know me so well..." She laughed. "Although... Now that Twilight Sparkle is legally a part of my family... Hmm... Perhaps not Twilight, I don't know."
"Celestia, would you stop it with that?!" I yelled at her.
She let out a loud laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Back to before, though..." She took in a breath. "I think she would find it very interesting to stay here."
"I feel like you're kinda pushing this on me, to be honest."
"I... My goodness, no. I'm sorry. It was just meant to be a suggestion."
"It's not a bad idea. You're just... being kinda pushy." I said.
"I know... I'm just a bit excited at the thought of you finally meeting one of my friends. And..." She gave me a smile. "It's a little fun picking on Twilight. I know I shouldn't. It's very irresponsible of me... but..." She giggled.
"She could learn a lot here." I said, "She could learn a lot of information she can use in Equestria if she goes on the internet. And if she finishes the research while she's here, she could teleport right back whenever she wants. It's just... there's no actual reason we should invite her here, you know?"
"I understand that. Twilight has no reason to come here, of course. I just thought that it may have proven interesting."
"So... why do you want to invite Twilight here?" I asked her.
"I want to see her reactions. I want to know more about my former student. I want to watch her learn and improve."
"So you send her here and spy on her?"
"When you put it that way, it does sound strange, doesn't it..." She giggled nervously.
"Do you not have any reason other than 'it sounds fun'?"
"Uh... N-No. No, I don't."
I smiled at her. "I think it sounds pretty fun, too."
"Unfortunately, I don't know if I really want Twilight living alone with you. You are very... charismatic."
"It's the Stockholm syndrome." I said, "People who live here get attached to their captor."
She let out a short laugh. "We're not exactly allowed to leave, are we..."
"Well, Red isn't."
Another laugh. "I don't know how she would react to you as a person. I have no reason to doubt that you will be fast friends. You're both intellectuals, after all."
"Intellectual? Me? Celestia, I can't even spell intellectual." *I really can't, I had to look it up.*
"Stop belittling yourself, you're very bright."
"Whatever."
"Perhaps you could teach her what you know about computers."
"One step at a time here, alright Celestia? Alright, it's fine with me if Twilight stays a month in my home. I don't have a big issue with that. But you have some problems with that."
She nodded. "Yes. They're... complicated."
"Right, go. Name them."
"What?"
"Name the problems, go. Don't think about it, just talk. Go!"
"I don't want you touching her." she said.
"Understood. Next."
"I don't want her touching you."
"Are all of these problems related to sex?"
"S-Some of them are. I won't be here, I just want to make sure."
"Celestia, I am hurt. I mean, not really. Like, I understand what you're saying, but you get what I mean, right?"
She nodded. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I still love you."
"I love you, too."
I pointed at her with both hands. "Problems, go."
She took in a breath. "If Twilight were to come here, it would split up the Elements of Harmony. My sister and I are powerful as it is, but we're not invincible. Equestria would have a month long vulnerability."
"That's an issue."
Celestia nodded. "Another issue, if you can't become friends, she would be trapped with someone she dislikes, which would be awful."
"I can't see that happening."
"I can't either. Twilight is very friendly, you should have no problems becoming her friend."
I nodded.
"She holds some influence in Ponyville, even before she became a Princess. They should be fine without her, but it's still one of my concerns."
"Hmm..."
"Those are... the biggest issues, I believe. The issues I felt were the largest were all personal issues, to be honest."
I shrugged. "That just proves that you love me."
"It proves that I don't trust you." she said, her voice quiet.
"Celestia, come on..." I gently let out.
"What would you do if I did something like that?" she asked me.
"Hmm? If you did what?"
"If I was... unfaithful... If I cheated on you."
I gave her a surprised look. "I... didn't expect that question."
"Well?"
"I'd break up with you. Immediately. I wouldn't have to do anything else because I know how bad that would be for you. And I already know you won't do it anyways. It's honestly never been an issue to me."
"Wh... Why is... that?" she asked, curious.
"You haven't had a boyfriend in a few hundred years. You're not gonna ruin what you won't have again for hundreds of years just for ten seconds of shame."
"I..."
"How about you? What would you do if I was unfaithful?"
"I... I don't know." Her voice got quiet. "It's... It's not something I've ever had to deal with..."
"That so?"
She nodded. "No sane pony would ever become unfaithful to me."
I chuckled. "So... what if I was?"
"I... I don't know..."
"It'd probably be something you'd decide in the heat of the moment."
"I... I might... I might kill you." she said quietly.
"Ah... Alright then."
"A-Alright then? I... I just threatened your life and you respond with 'alright'?!"
"I mean, it's not gonna happen, so I'll be fine. Simple as that."
"S-Simple?"
"Celestia, you are really disappointing me right now." I said in a serious tone, "And I'm not kidding, either. I'm very disappointed in you right now."
She was shocked that I said this. A few moments later, a look of sorrow covered her face. She looked down, away from my eyes. "I... I'm sorry..."
"I'm sure you wouldn't like it if I was implying that you were going to do something like that."
"I... I wasn't... I... I'm sorry... I have no excuse..."
"You see Celestia, our relationship is perfect. No matter how much we might bicker at each other throughout the day, we'll always end up together in bed, cuddling the night away. Neither of us wants any more or any less from each other, and neither of us will ever want any more or any less. You might be wondering how I know this. I know me pretty well, so that's half of the question. The other half is you, Celestia." I pointed at her.
She looked up, curious.
"You're thousands of years old. Your personality is already set in stone. Your needs and your wants, Celestia... They're not going to change. So that's the second half of the question. Now, the third half of the question... Bear with me... Is our relationship as a whole. We've fought before, already. But we've gotten through it. And it's not like something worse is gonna come up. Not anytime soon, at least. And we'll get through that, too. Now... Are you gonna stop implying that I'm gonna lure Twilight to my bed while you're not here?"
"I..." She nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry..."
"I forgive you, Celestia... Come on, wipe your tears and cheer up. Take a deep breath."
She looked up in surprise, then quickly wiped her eyes. "I... I didn't realize I was crying... I'm sorry."
"Celestia, stop apologizing."
"Right, I'm s... I did it again..."
I laughed. She laughed with me.
"Hey..." I started, "You wanna skip the books for tonight and just go straight to bed?"
"Right now? Isn't it a bit early?"
"Well, you know... We can spend the whole night just cuddling away..."
She smiled at me once more. Her beautiful smile... "I'd like that... I... I don't think a boyfriend has ever made me cry this much before... Tears of joy, tears of sorrow... Tears when I make mistakes..."
"Tears of orgasmic ecstasy." I said, continuing her list.
She chuckled nervously. "Yes... Here, give me your dishes." She stood up.
I piled my dishes together and handed them to her. She collected what was on the table and brought everything to the sink. I stood up and walked up next to her.
"I love you." I said to her, looking at the sink.
"I love you, too. There are still some things I need to take care of before I can meet you in bed."
"Take care of?"
She nodded. "The dishes... I like when the sink is clear for the morning."
I moved my hand behind her and rested it on her far hip. I held her close to me. "You're beautiful when you're working, you know that?"
"It's almost like I'm a real housewife..." she said, her voice somewhat quiet.
"It'll be real soon, Celestia. I promise."
She leaned against me. "Stop making me so happy, I'll start crying again..." She chuckled quietly.
I rubbed her side. "We'll go to Equestria, get married, and have a kid. How's that sound?"
She sighed. "Perfect." she quietly let out.
After a short while, we pulled apart. I let go of Celestia. She started doing the dishes. Since Celestia was going to do the chores regardless, I cleaned off the table.
The two of us tidied up the kitchen together, quietly enjoying each other's presence. When we were done, we went into the bathroom to brush our teeth together. We were doing a lot of things together today, it seemed.
The two of us went to the bedroom at the same time. Celestia told me that she wanted to vacuum, but Red was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake her. I replied by telling her that she was cute, which made her smile.
After the two of us had finally settled into bed together, Celestia gave off a sigh. We were lying together, her back snuggled up against my chest. I was comfortable. She was comfortable.
"I never want you to let go, Phil." she whispered to me.
"You're mine forever, Celestia." I whispered back.
November 20
In the morning, I woke to the sound of my alarm. Before I had even moved to turn it off, it stopped. That's not a good sign... Did the battery die? Or...
"Did you do that?" I asked Celestia.
"Yes... Stay in bed with me."
"Alright... Hey... Can you give me my phone?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"I'll tell you in a minute."
I felt my phone enter the hand of the arm that laid above her. I brought it back to my face and called my boss.
After the standard semi-formal greeting, I asked him, "Would it be alright if I stayed home today?"
"I suppose so. Depends on the reason."
"Phil, I told you not to stay home because of me!" Celestia let out.
"My fiancée is sick, so I wanted to stay home and take care of her."
"I'm not sick, don't believe him!"
I pulled the phone away. "Celestia, shush."
"Your... Your fucking WHAT?! Fiancée?!" I could hear his voice even when the phone was away from my ear. Needless to say, he was surprised.
"Yeah, fiancée. So anyways, that's the reason."
"I... Yeah, that's fine. You didn't even tell me you had a girlfriend Phil, where's this fiancée talk coming from?"
"I have a life outside work, you know."
"No, you don't."
"Well, I do now, and her name's Celestia. I'll be there tomorrow, probably."
"Don't make a habit of it."
"Yep. See ya."
"Goodbye."
I set the phone down and draped my arm back over Celestia.
She gave off a grumble. "You're lucky you told him I was your fiancée or I'd be really mad at you for skipping work."
"I'm not just skipping work. I'm skipping work to spend time with my future wife."
She sighed. "You're lucky you're cute."
"I'm lucky to have such a perfect woman in my life." I said to her.
I squeezed my arms around her. She giggled.
"Let's have a fun day to ourselves." I said to her, "We could go out and get something to eat or something."
"That sounds great. What about Red, though?"
"I dunno. We can invite her to join in. Or we could just leave her here, I don't care."
"Oh, let's invite her. She's been cooped up in this home since she got here. It's not good for her."
"Sounds good. But... let's save it for later..."
She let out a pleasant noise. "Of course. Later."
I held her in my arms and pushed my body against hers. She sighed a pleasant sigh.
Right now, I felt somewhat well rested. I was very comfortable right now with Celestia in my arms. She was so warm.
I could feel her heartbeat. It was faster than normal. She was excited by something. It could be for any number of reasons.
We laid there in silence for a very long time. The second alarm went off. We turned it off immediately. Not too long after, there was a knock on the door.
"Is that Red?" I asked Celestia.
"We should see what she wants."
"What's up?" I called.
"Don't you gotta go to work?" she asked through the door.
"I'm taking the day off." I replied.
"Oh... Well... Ok."
Celestia chuckled. "How thoughtful of her."
"Thank you, by the way!" she called back through the door.
Celestia let out a cute noise as she stretched her body out. She sighed.
The two of us laid in bed for a while longer. I was enjoying it. It was relaxing. I'm sure Celestia felt the same way.
After a while, she grabbed my hand. I gently squeezed her body.
"Should we start the day?" she asked me.
"Seems as good a time as any."
We didn't move for a while, even after saying we would. After that while, the two of us slowly started getting out of bed.
I yawned. Celestia yawned right after. We looked to each other as we sat on the bed. We both had warm smiles on our faces.
"Well, since you're taking the day off, what are we doing today?" Celestia asked me.
I shrugged. "I dunno."
She chuckled. "Make sure to tell me when you figure it out."
"I have some ideas."
I was staring at her right now, not really moving.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You... are pretty."
She smiled. "Well, thank you. Hey, come here."
"Hmm?"
"Come here."
I moved closer to her. She smiled at me.
"What's up?" I asked her.
She placed a hand onto my shoulder and moved her mouth towards my ear. "You know what doesn't make any noise at all?" She pulled back and smiled at me again. This smile was a little more mischievous than the last. "Yeah... You know..."
[Scene missing]
"Which do you want?" I asked Celestia, "The Frosted Flakes are almost gone, you won't get a second bowl of it."
We were in the kitchen getting some breakfast right now. Red was still playing her game in the front room. We gave her a pleasant greeting as we walked past.
"Is there enough for one bowl?"
"Uhh... No... Doesn't look like it."
"I'll have Lucky Charms, then."
I got it out and made us both bowls of it.
"Red, have you eaten?" I called out to the front room.
"I ate earlier, yeah."
I brought the bowls to the table and sat down. Celestia gave me a smile and thanked me. She started eating.
I joined her in the fun. Both of our bowls were emptied soon enough. She went for the bag again to get another bowl, but I stopped her.
"It's still early, so we're gonna go get some food before we start the day. Don't fill up on cereal."
"Alright." She smiled. "So we're eating out, then?"
"I am, you'll be on the receiving end."
She snickered. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
She poured herself a second bowl, but stopped after two, the thought of going out to eat still in her head.
"So, are we really inviting Red?" I asked her.
"If you want. I just thought it would be nice."
I shrugged. "I don't know. If it's just you and me, it would be a date. If Red was with us, it would be... a gathering. I guess, I don't... It wouldn't be as romantic, but it's fine by me either way. Two's company, but three's high society."
"You're fine with either?"
"Yep."
"Oh Red, would you come here for a moment?" Celestia called into the front room.
"Alright, one minute!" she called back. A short while later, she said, "Coming!" She walked through the kitchen door. "What's up?"
"Would you like to spend the day with us?" asked Celestia.
"Er... What?"
"Since Phil took a day off, we were planning on going out. I wanted to know if you would join us."
"Oh... Going out seems more like a two person thing."
"Well, I am inviting you." said Celestia.
"What are you doing?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. Shopping, eating, movies... Just fun stuff. If you think of anything, let us know. We have the whole day."
"That... sounds kinda nice, actually. It'd be a nice change of pace from sitting in this house all day."
"That's the spirit!" Celestia said with a smile.
"So, what... When is this happening?"
"Soon. Soon-ish." I said.
"How soon-ish?"
"I dunno. Soon-ish. So finish up in there."
"Alright. No problem."
"Should I get ready after I finish eating?" asked Celestia.
"Couldn't hurt."
"Well, I'm ready." said Red.
We both looked at her. She had a very messy appearance.
"Wouldn't you like to shower beforehand?" asked Celestia.
"Maybe. I don't smell, do I?"
"It's obvious that you haven't showered in a while. Your hair is very greasy, Red."
"Alright mom, I'll go shower." she sarcastically said to her. She laughed. "Sorry. I'll be back."
Celestia sighed a pleasant sigh.
"Like being called mom?" I asked her.
"Yeah... She's a good kid. I've been considering your idea of inviting her to the castle to study under my care. Do you think she'd accept?"
"Maybe. Couldn't hurt to ask."
"I'll bring it up with my sister later."
We heard the water running in the bathroom.
It was a little while before we spoke again. Celestia started the conversation back up. "Hey, if we were to ask Chrysalis, do you think you'd want to do it as a pony or a human?" she asked me.
"Probably as a human."
"I feel the same." She looked to her hand. "Having sex with this new human body is absolutely fucking incredible."
"Language."
"Oh, shush. Do you think she'd actually accept, though? I don't know how changelings view sex given their innate characteristics. Given her age, she may have a similar viewpoint to mine. Then again, the very idea of it could offend her."
"I dunno. It's not exactly the most important thing in the world right now, though."
"I know. I wish she had stayed in this world. I would've asked her."
"You would've?"
"Well... maybe not. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself... Asking may prove to be a mistake. I don't know. Like you said, it's not important. Can we fool around again while Red's still in the shower? The water will stop her from hearing me."
"Stop turning yourself on."
"Well, if you'd get me pregnant, we wouldn't have this issue."
"Yes we would!"
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do. In fact, having sex while pregnant can make it feel even better for the woman. It can make both your breasts and your vagina feel more sensitive."
She stared at me, eyes wide. "Are... Are you joking with me?" She looked down to her chest. "They'll get bigger and more sensitive?"
"I looked it up. I'm surprised you haven't. I mean, if you got pregnant while you were human. If you were a pony, I don't know. You're... You're thinking about it right now, aren't you..."
"Shut up and get in the bedroom." she said, standing up. She started undoing her pants as she walked away.
[Scene missing]
"We're gonna keep having sex after you have a kid, aren't we..." I asked her.
"You know we are."
"That's a lot of condoms..."
"I'll need birth control, too. I don't want an army of children running around the castle."
"Yeah..."
"One is enough, Phil. One is enough for me."
"I don't think I could survive having sex that often. There's something wrong with us, I swear."
"If we're wrong, I don't want to be right."
The two of us got out of bed again and dressed ourselves back up.
"Well... are you ready to go?" I asked her.
"In a little. I'll meet you outside."
"Think Red heard you?"
She sighed. "I don't care."
We walked out of the room. Red was playing her game on the couch again. Her hair was wrapped in a towel.
"There you two are. I was wondering where you went."
"I'm gonna go start the car. Grab a coat and meet me outside in a few minutes." I said.
Celestia wandered off as I talked to Red.
"Coat? Where from?" asked Red.
"Uh... Near the washer downstairs, there should be some cold weather gear." I said to her.
"Alright."
"Make sure to turn off the game." I said.
"Yeah, yeah."
I got my keys, then went outside and started my car. I had everything I needed right now. Coat, wallet, phone, umbrella... There was another umbrella in the trunk of the car if we needed it. I don't think we would.
I checked on my phone to make sure that my plans wouldn't be ruined.
Red showed up outside just after I opened the door to start the car.
"It's kinda cold out here." she told me.
"You can get another coat."
"No, I think I'm fine. It's just colder than I imagined it would be."
"You haven't been outside since you got here, have you?"
"You took me out shopping with the Princess before."
"Oh yeah... Well anyways, welcome back to the outside world. Try not to run off."
"Who knows, maybe I'll just get lost in the crowds."
"Do we have to hold your hand when we're outside the house?"
"Er... No..."
"Car's gonna be cold for a minute or two. Did you think of anywhere we could go?"
"Maybe. It depends how the day goes. I would like to shop a bit, though."
"What are you buyin'? Well, what am I buying you?"
"Mmm... Clothes?"
"Just like a woman. I don't know about that. You got ten days left here, you won't need any clothes."
"I guess..."
"I mean, maybe. It's just with ten days left, you probably shouldn't buy anything like that."
"I get it. Has Celestia made any progress on those books of hers?"
"I don't think so. She told me that when she returns to Equestria, she's going to invite Twilight Sparkle here so she can study the books herself. Celestia and Luna don't have enough time to study them."
"Twilight Sparkle? The Princess?"
I nodded.
"Well... alright then. Think that's a good idea?"
I shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."
"I guess."
The door opened again. Celestia walked out. She smiled at me.
"Are we ready?" she asked, walking to us.
"I think we are. Red?"
"I'm ready."
"Alright. Any place you have in mind for today?"
Red shook her head.
"Surprise me!" said Celestia.
I smiled. "Well... Good thing I wasn't relying on you two. So... How does bowling sound?"
Celestia gave me a wide smile. "That sounds great."
"Red?"
"I've never actually bowled before. Like... not even in Equestria."
"Well, you're in for a treat." I said, "However... Right now, it's pretty early. So, we're gonna go get some food while we wait for them to open."
"I like food." said Celestia.
The three of us got into the car. As we left, we continued talking.
"There's a nice little diner over by Woodman's." I said, "They have pancakes."
"I like pancakes." said Celestia.
"They also serve meat." I said, "Just a warning to you. I'll tell you what on the menu has meat in it if you ask, but I say stick with pancakes and hash browns. Ponies eat eggs, right?"
"We do." said Celestia.
"Well, they have that, too. And chocolate milk."
"What... kind of meat?" asked Red.
"Um... Pig. And I think cow."
"Huh... Is it... good?"
"Are you curious?" asked Celestia.
"No! No, no, I... I'm not... No, Princess..."
"If you're curious Red, you may try it. I've tried meat myself, recently."
"You have?"
"It was... strange. The taste was rather good, but the feeling was very strange. If you want, you are free to try."
"I... I kinda do, to be honest... So... what did it taste like?"
"It had a somewhat sweet flavor and had a rather moist texture. Like I said, it wasn't bad."
"Yeah, I eat something like that all the time." I said.
Celestia gave me a look. She smirked at me.
"We'll see how it goes when we get there." I said.
"Yeah..."
"I'd say 'good for you' for trying new things, but I don't know if it's something you should be proud of." I said, "If nothing else, you'll still have pancakes."
I parked the car outside the building and we all walked inside. Immediately upon entering, there was a warm feeling in the air, and it was more than just the heater. The pleasant smell of the food, the friendly atmosphere, and the homely decorations gave me a very welcome feeling.
As I directed our party to a table, I looked to Celestia. She was looking around, a curious look on her face. Red was a little less intrigued.
The dining area was rather full because of the day. I sat us at an empty table towards the center. There were four seats at the table, but we only needed three. It was a smaller table, but that wasn't an issue. Celestia sat next to me and Red sat on the opposite side of her.
A short while after we sat down, a friendly waitress came by and welcomed us to the restaurant. She gave us menus and asked if we would like a drink to start us off with.
"The back of the menus." I told the two of them, looking at the drinks, "Chocolate milk for me."
Celestia gasped. "Chocolate milk!"
"I... I guess chocolate milk." said Red, smiling politely.
"Three chocolate milks, coming right up." she said to us, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, thank you." I said.
She smiled, then turned and left.
"I know what I want." I said, briefly skimming the menu.
This restaurant was open in the mornings until midday, and as such served mainly breakfast food, but it also served burgers.
"What is it?" asked Celestia.
I pointed to it in the menu. "Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns." I replied.
"That sounds good! I want that."
"I guess we're all just gonna get the same thing." said Red.
"Minus the bacon." I said, "That's the meat part."
"Well... I'll try it, but..."
"Bathroom's over there." I said, pointing to it, "Don't throw up at the table."
"I... wasn't planning on it."
"Well, guess we're ready then." I said.
Celestia nodded.
"Yeah, ready." said Red.
When the waitress returned, I told her that we were ready to order, and got us three of the meal I had found on the menu. She wrote our order down and took our menus.
Celestia was already drinking her chocolate milk. I was, too. At least Red had some common sense. That's how they get you... They give you the drink first so you finish it and have to get more when your meal comes. It was really good, though.
"I haven't been here in years." I said to them, "Last time I was here, my sister was the one who wanted to go, and since I was the only one that could drive, I drove her here."
"This is yummy." said Celestia, her ever present smile on her face.
"I never expected that the Princess of Equestria would say 'yummy'." said Red.
Celestia laughed. "You've been learning quite a bit about me.
"Yeah, like I never expected the Princess to be a fat slob."
"Hey! Alright, you've got me there."
"Don't worry, Celestia." I said to her, "You're not... a slob."
"You're saying I'm fat?" she asked, feigning offense.
"Yes. We've been through this, Celestia."
"You're fat!" she defensively rebutted.
"Yes. Yes I am."
"Oh..." She paused, then giggled.
A few minutes later, our food arrived. Celestia had to get another glass of chocolate milk.
I immediately took Celestia's bacon from her plate with my fork.
"So... this is the meat part?" Red asked me, poking at it with her own fork.
I nodded. "You don't gotta eat it all. Or at all, for that matter."
She cut off a small piece with her fork and poked at it, picking it up. I tasted the bacon on my own plate.
"Is it good?" she asked me.
"Yeah, it's pretty good. Crispy. I prefer chewy, myself."
She stared at it, examining it much like Celestia did when she first tried meat for herself.
She opened her mouth and ate what was on the fork. She chewed a few times, then swallowed.
"Huh..."
"Good?" I asked her.
"Actually, yeah."
Celestia tilted her head and looked at her. "Really?"
She nodded. "I'm kinda surprised."
"Well, they're not gonna serve something if it's bad."
She picked up the strip with her fingers and looked over it. She took a larger bite of it.
"This is pretty good." she said.
I saw Celestia's fork go towards my plate. Before I knew what was happening, she stole back one of her strips.
"Oh, you're gonna give it a try?" I asked her.
She nodded. "If Red likes it, I can give it another try."
"You just like the idea of more food." I said to her.
She took a bite of it, then paused. She chewed and swallowed it.
"This is... really good." she let out, staring at the rest of it.
"Gonna set it down like the last time?" I asked.
"I don't know. It just doesn't... feel wrong."
She brought it closer to her face and smelled it, then took another bite.
"This is pretty weird." said Red, finishing off her last strip, "Shame we're such good friends with our animals, ey Princess?" She laughed. "I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding."
Celestia finished off her strip as well.
"In our world, our animals are considered citizens same as ponies. Many are perfectly sapient. There will be no eating of our animals by any pony." She smirked. "Then again, here we're not technically ponies. Perhaps I was wrong to say that meat was taboo as a human. I can't believe I've missed out on something so good while I was here."
"You're a total psychopath." said Red, "I like it. Can we get some of this at home?"
I shrugged. "Uh... Yeah, sure. You have other food on your plates, you know."
They both looked down to their plates.
"Right..."
We enjoyed a pleasant meal at a friendly diner. Celestia's plate was clear well before the rest of us were finished. She also finished off what Red couldn't eat. She tried taking my food, but I growled at her, which made her laugh. When the waitress returned, she ordered another of the same meal and more chocolate milk.
With a wave of my plastic and a flick of my hand, to sign the receipt, the meal was paid for, and we were out the door. I checked the time before we left in the car. Looks like it was just about time to go bowling.