Exchange - A Day in Winter

IMPORTANT NOTE:
This is an extra chapter to "Exchange". If you haven't read the entire story (including the epilogue chapter), it's highly recommended that you do so before reading this one.

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||- A Day in Winter -||
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"Ngggh..."
>It's that familiar moment again.
>You know the one. You're fast asleep, completely at rest, and then some thought or urge slowly creeps into your subconscious, pulling you from whatever pleasant dream or dreamless state you were in.
>And then, just like that, you're awake, and you realize that your refusal to open your eyes is only a last, pitiful attempt to cling to sleep, and from that point forward there's no turning back.
>You sit up in bed and look to the nearby window. The dark of night is fading oh-so-slightly; the hallmark of the last hour before dawn.
>To think that only a month ago you would've been able to shut your eyes again and turn over in bed at the sight. After all, no one in their right mind should be up at this hour...
>But you've learned since that fateful day that there's no point in trying anymore, so instead you grumble and slide out of bed. Like a zombie, you stand on tired, unsteady legs and dress yourself in an old dirty pair of jeans and a warm, comfortable shirt found amid the pile of clothes spilling out from the open suitcase in the corner of the room.
>A yawn escapes as the shirt goes over your head. Though the odds are high that you've managed to put it on backwards in the darkness, you just can't bring yourself to care. Already your hand is reaching toward the door handle, your sock-covered feet adjusting to the cool hardwood beneath them.
>Your time here has taught you which boards creak the loudest, and you make a conscious effort to avoid them as you move down the hallway and past the other bedrooms. You're a guest here, and it wouldn't be polite to wake any of your hosts. Even if some of them would claim otherwise, you're certain that no creature in this world would willingly want to subject themselves to rising at this ungodly hour, with the possible exception of the eccentric and somewhat annoying Night Princess.

>But as you make your way down the stairs, the gently dancing light of a firefly lamp shining from the kitchen reveals that you aren't alone in your misery. You round the corner, your curiosity urging you to discover just who else in the house is suffering from insomnia, though you have a fairly strong hunch already. The sight that greets you causes you to chuckle under your breath and shake your head.
>Man, you wish you had a camera right now. This is prime blackmail material!
>A red stallion is slumped in his chair in the dining room, his head and one of his forelegs draped across the table. Surrounding him on all sides are open books-- reference manuals, textbooks, training guides, and even some history volumes, all dealing with airship engineering and maintenance. Baritone snores drown out the silence as a small puddle of drool forms on the tablecloth underneath him.
>Pausing for a bit to commit the funny sight to memory, you sneak past him to reach the counter where the coffee maker sits idle to get started on the most important part of your morning ritual.
>Eventually, the sound of the magically-powered appliance stirs the sleeping stallion. He snorts once before opening his tired eyes. After a few blinks and a yawn, he shifts his gaze toward the source of the sound to find you leaning against the nearby counter as you stare out the kitchen window toward the distant orchards of the Acres.
>"...What time is it?"
>The final groan of the coffee maker signals the end of its task, and you fill two cups from the pot before taking your own seat at the table and placing one in front of the weary pony.
"No idea. Somehow, I think if I did know, it'd probably feel worse to be up right now."
>This pulls a slight smile from him, and a subtle nod of agreement follows. Without another word, you both begin to down the first of what'll no doubt be several necessary cups of coffee.

>The minutes pass in silence. You stand to go for a refill and flash Mac a questioning glance. He responds by nudging his cup toward you with a hoof, and you take it over to the counter with you to fill it for him before returning to the table. While blowing on the still piping hot liquid to cool it, you turn your attention back to the window and what you can see of the horizon outside despite the flickering of the kitchen's firefly lamp.
>The silence lingers on as your mind wanders from fleeting thought to fleeting thought, and for a moment you're suddenly struck with the realization of how much you've enjoyed these quiet mornings with Mac. This hasn't been the first time you've caught him here in the stillness of the twilight hours, his nose buried in his books. Even then, the two of you would hardly speak to one another beyond what was necessary. It's the kind of pleasant silence that only two guys can appreciate; a wordless bond of kindred spirits, where nothing is said but everything is shared.
>Come to think of it, your life since being brought here for some inexplicable reason has been filled with the constant chatter of excited mares and fillies and the relentless antics of a few princesses in particular. You haven't really made any male friends since your arrival, with the possible but fleeting exception of Pyre the constantly overeager pegasus guard, and it's likely that you've grown to unconsciously miss that aspect of your old life.
>Mac, too, with his responsibilities on the farm and to his two precocious little sisters, doesn't seem like the type to have a lot of close friends. Though you'll never mention it to one another, you can tell that he enjoys these moments just as much as you do. And really, considering everything you went through together, how could you not call him a friend at this point? At the very least he's a comrade-in-arms. Or is it hooves?

>Eh, whatever. It's a question to be pondered for another time. You can already see the band of light begin to appear and you can feel it pulling at you from somewhere within that you can't quite place. You stand from your chair and let out one final yawn, breaking the silence once more.
>"Headin' out ta say good mornin', Captain?"
>You chuckle as you move to retrieve your coat from its hanger near the door.
"I'm not a captain anymore, Chief Engineer. I'm just a freeloader living off the kindness of others now."
>Mac sighs as he begins to carefully insert a series of bookmarks in the many open volumes spread across the table.
>"And ah ain't an engineer. Ah'm just a farmer, just like ah always was..." he glances down to neatly place the books within his saddlebags at the table's edge before focusing back on you. Even in the darkness, you can see his emerald eyes shine with resolve.
>"But Anon, ah intend ta change that. What about you?"
>You move toward the front door as you place your warm winter hat snugly upon your head and zip up your jacket.
"I guess we'll have to see. But after everything that's happened, for me to act like something's impossible, well... it'd be kind of ridiculous, wouldn't it?"
>The stallion smiles. "Eeyup."
>He places the book-laden saddlebags across his back and begins a slow trot up the creaky stairs toward his room while you open the front door and step into the chilly air of another winter morning.

~~~~~~~~~

>The snow crunches underneath your boots as you trudge through the eastern orchards. The sky is light enough now that it's easy to make out the shapes of the bare trees. They surround you on all sides, their many branches spread out like fingers reaching toward the sky as if they were trying to pluck the very stars from the heavens. It's an ambitious goal to be sure, but you have a feeling that a certain alicorn would surely have something to say about it, and at an obscenely inappropriate volume to boot!
>At last, you reach the orchard's edge and ascend the hill there where the chair you placed is waiting. A brush of your hand clears the freshly fallen snow from the seat and you plop down with a sigh, your breath visible in the air for a moment before quickly wafting away in the dawn breeze. The feeling inside you is surging now, and you know it's almost time.
>Ever since that day... that morning you made together, this has been your ritual. Whatever her magic did to you as you both lifted the sun to once again shine upon Equestria during the final battle with Twilight has lingered, and now you can sense when it's about to rise. It's a feeling within you, a surge of emotion that pulls you from your sleep without fail and compels you to come here and witness it firsthand day after day.
>You watch as the familiar band of light begins to stretch across the horizon, and you smile.
>Yeah, it's a pain to do this every day. You're far from a morning person. But it's yet one more thing that you share with her, and in that way it's precious. The great celestial orb makes its appearance in the sky, the soft light of dawn painting the clouds overhead and the snow that stretches before you brilliant shades of orange and yellow, and your voice rises with it above the wind:
"Good morning, Cel."

>You don't know if she can hear you. You've never really asked. But somehow, as the magic of dawn surges from deep within, you feel that she can. The strange stirring travels from your heart to your lips, and a warm sensation like a gentle kiss drives the lingering cold from them for just an instant before fading away.
>You chuckle. She's given you her answer, and at once you're reminded yet again of the many reasons why you love her from the bottom of your heart.
>You turn your gaze from the sun, which still fails to blind you even now, to the spires of Canterlot shining in the distance. There's no denying that it's been tough since then, and you've missed her dearly, but this was all expected. You spoke about it at great length in the aftermath of all that happened, and you both agreed it would be for the best.
>You love that silly horse to death, and you're certain that'll never change. But right now, in this time since the whole ordeal, there's one who needs her even more than you do.
>As you stand from your chair to start the trek back to the farmhouse, you wonder how the little purple alicorn is doing. They say time heals all wounds, but it still must be hard for her to adjust to being without her magic...
>You shake your head. You're sure she's doing fine if the letters you've received from Cel are any indication. She's taken Twilight under her wing as a student yet again, this time to properly prepare her for the role she'll one day come to inherit. You both decided, as you sat there together in the medical tent waiting for Twilight to regain consciousness, that your presence during these first critical few months of her adjustment would be detrimental to the process-- an unnecessary distraction for them both-- which is why you're still here in Ponyville, bunking with the ever gracious Apple Family.

>And yeah, to be separated from her has been difficult, but you can bear it because you also recognize the importance of this time that they're sharing together as teacher and student. Cel has wounds that need to heal too as she comes to terms with her own admitted failures in her role as Twilight's teacher. You're certain that this month they've had to talk, listen to, and learn from one another has done them both a world of good.
>And still, despite the distance between you, she's managed to find little ways to show that she cares, like the heartfelt letters she's sent, or the little gifts that've appeared from time to time like some simple clothes from Canterlot tailored to your measurements to replace the ones you lost. And of course the more direct signs like that kiss of sunlight just now...
>...Or the far more obvious and somewhat embarrassing -actual starscape- she no doubt had Luna paint for her which featured a conspicuously new constellation of a human and alicorn standing together in the night sky surrounded by hearts. In your case, it brought back memories of the little doodles the girls in your grade school classes would make in their notebooks as they'd fantasize about their latest crushes, and considering Cel it may have very well been an exact copy of something she absentmindedly doodled herself during one of her lessons with Twilight...
>Your laughter pierces the silence of the early morning. Yeah, be it a grand tapestry in the sky, or the perfectly fitted hat currently keeping your head warm, all these little gestures make you anticipate the moment of your eventual reunion more and more. And each dawn brings that reunion another day closer...
>The lights are on in the windows of the farmhouse as it comes into view and your stomach starts to growl on instinct, a reminder that, in many ways, spending your days out here instead of in the distant castle perched on the mountainside isn't really that bad at all.

~~~~~~~~~

>Another day means three more wonderful meals at the Apple Family homestead.
>Between Applejack and her kindly old grandmother, you're treated to culinary delight after culinary delight. That, along with the genuine hospitality and courtesy the family shows you day after day, has made your time away from your special somepony its own type of joy. Instead of constantly pining for your silly horse like a lovesick puppy, you find yourself instead occupied with helping your gracious hosts as often as you're able.
>Considering the fact that you're no longer working for the Cakes and winter isn't really a good season for your usual outdoor activities, you often find yourself lounging around the house with time to kill. Plus, it's just the right thing to do since you're staying for free.
>You volunteer for dish duty after breakfast. It's amazing what a set of hands will do to speed a task normally performed with mouths and hooves. This is a job you can do on your own, freeing the Apple siblings and their matriarch to go about their other daily tasks.
>And speaking of the matriarch, you find the old mare approaching as you set the last cleaned dish aside to dry. You turn to acknowledge her while you remove your gloves and allow the dishwater to empty from the sink.
"Something I can help you with, Mrs. Apple?"
>She smiles at you in a way that only a grandparent can; a smile that reflects the simple joy of watching her grandchildren as they scurry about the house, taking care of their own morning chores.
>"...Just wanted ta say thank ya."
>You raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? For what? If anything, I should be thanking you guys for putting up with me for so long."

>She shakes her head.
>"Oh, pshaw. That ain't nothin'. We always cook too much food anyways," she says with a hint of pride as she turns back to you. "Ah wanted ta thank ya fer takin' those three with ya on yer trip a while back. Ah don't quite understand what all went on, cause Celestia knows when Applejack and Applebloom get excited about somethin' it's tough ta make heads or tails of what they're goin' on about. But whatever it was, it did 'em good... all three of 'em. Trust me, ah can tell... they seem closer now and less prone ta fightin' an' carryin' on than they were before."
>The two of you look to the living room, where Mac and AJ are sorting through some old boxes of tools and spare parts, looking for the supplies needed to fix the leaky upstairs bathroom sink while Applebloom watches on.
>"But Macintosh 'specially... he came back with that spark in his eyes, just like his Daddy... my boy... used ta have. Ah dunno what caused it, but ah thank ya, Anon. Yer the nicest, scrawniest young'un of a minotaur ah ever did meet. Ya can stay with us as long as ya like, cause Celestia knows ya need ta get some good food in ya. Compared ta the other minotaurs ah've seen ya ain't nothin' but skin n' bones!"
>You laugh.
"Thanks Mrs. Apple. That means a lot to me. And don't worry; if you keep cooking it I'll keep eating it."
>"Good on ya. That's what ah like ta hear."
>With a nod of satisfaction, she makes her way toward the other ponies to help them find what they're looking for. You'd offer to fix the sink for them, but you've found that beyond the help they directly ask for, these ponies prefer to do what they can themselves. Sometimes it's a struggle just to get them to relinquish a simple task to you.
>An unexpected knock at the front door catches everyone's attention. Applejack looks up from her box of parts, then leaps to her hooves.
>"Ah've got it, y'all."

>She opens the door to find two fillies standing on the porch, each one wearing what you'd wager is a hoof-made scarf sewn by a certain well-renowned local fashionista.
>"Um... can Applebloom come out and play?" a familiar-sounding voice squeaks out, cracking at its highest pitch like usual.
>"Yeah, it's been a month, so she's not grounded anymore, right?" a brasher voice adds.
>Applejack rolls her eyes. "What, were you two countin' down the days or somethin'?"
>"Sort of..." the unicorn filly replies, blushing a bit.
>"Sweetie! Scoots!"
>Little Applebloom rushes over to greet her friends. They smile at each other through Applejack's legs as she stands between them at the door.
>"Well," the farm mare begins, "yer right. Applebloom's not grounded anymore, so ah suppose it's okay for her ta go out ta play with ya, so long as ya promise not ta get inta any of yer usual shenanigans until at least after lunch..."
>"We promise!" all three fillies cheer as halos appear over their heads.
>"...and so long as Applebloom's finished all her mornin' chores."
>"I have, Applejack, really!"
>"Even brushin' yer teeth?"
>"Eeyup!" she smiles, showing off her pearly whites.
>Applejack chuckles. "All right then, it's fine by me. Stay outta trouble, ya hear?"
>The three Crusaders squeal with delight and bolt out the door just as soon as the little earth pony grabs her own matching winter scarf. The door slams behind her with a loud bang, which causes the farmpony to cringe. She turns to you and flashes a tired grin.
>"Ta be honest... ah'm a bit relieved ta finally have her out of the house fer a spell."
>You smile back.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
>There's a knock at the door again and Applejack lets out an exasperated sigh as she moves to open it.
>"...Applebloom, fer cryin' out loud, what did ya forget this ti--"
>"Hello there. Can Anon come out and play?"

>Your breathing stops, and you close your eyes and open them again just to make sure what you're seeing isn't some kind of weird hallucination...
>There she stands, on the farmhouse's simple porch, the light of morning dancing upon her pure white coat. Her gently waving multicolored mane and tail shine with their own light, their colors reflecting ever so slightly upon the snowy ground nearby. Two magenta eyes, and a gentle but somewhat mischievous smile, capture you completely, just like they always have...
>You want to say that you ran to her, pulled her into your arms, and passionately kissed her in front of everyone, Casablanca-style.
>But what really ended up happening was that the two of you rushed toward each other in the moment your eyes met like two lovestruck idiots, clumsily smashing your noses together and staggering back at the impact. A wing reaches out to support you as you stumble, while an arm reaches out to her withers to steady her, and the two of you share a glance as you hold one another, flush with embarrassment, and Applejack falls to the floor in riotous laughter.
>You can hear Mac's chuckling in the background, as well as a giggle and another stallion's laugh that you can't quite place. But as you watch the rosy blush start to fade from her white cheeks, you can't bring yourself to care about anything else.
>Slowly, she brings her muzzle forward and touches your noses together, much more gently this time, and the two of you share a breath.
>"Hello, my precious human."
"Hey there, pretty pony."
>You turn your heads and kiss, and the laughter of the others falls away.
>After savoring the moment, you both pull back, though your hand never leaves her mane, your fingers dancing through the ethereal strands in a familiar pattern that's comforting to you both.
>"I hope I'm not interrupting any plans you had today."

>You shake your head.
"Of course you're not. But you sure surprised me... from the sound of your letters I wasn't expecting to see you again for another month at least."
>"Yes, and that was my intention. But..." her ears fold back and she turns away.
>You ruffle her mane a bit, right between her ears.
"Couldn't wait, huh?"
>She grins. "That I could not. May we come in for a bit?"
>Applejack hops back up, her trance from watching your kiss broken. "Well, a'course!"
>Cel steps inside the farmhouse, and two ponies who you didn't notice before follow her.
>The first is a petite white unicorn mare wearing what you would describe as hilariously oversized reading glasses and carrying some sort of notebook and quill in her magical grip. Her dark brown mane and tail are both done up in buns, and she moves with cheery, if somewhat hesitant steps.
>The second is a pegasus guard stallion sporting the typical pure white coat and golden armor of the Solar Guard. But there's something about his forest green eyes that seems familiar to you, and you note that he too moves with cheery but hesitant steps as he enters.
>The group moves to the living room, where Mac and Granny Smith are waiting. After the customary bowing, which Celestia insists is unnecessary given all that's happened, you all take your seats as Granny Smith brings by some refreshments consisting of apple tarts and juice for their unexpected guests, which despite their protests she insists are necessary based on family tradition.
>"I believe introductions are in order," Celestia begins as she sips from her juicebox and munches on her apple tart in a manner so cute that it defies description. She gestures to the unicorn mare at her side as she dabs some crumbs away from her muzzle with a napkin.

>"Everypony, this is Raven, my personal aide. Raven, this is Applejack, her brother Big Macintosh, and their grandmother Granny Smith..." she turns to you with a wink. "And of course, Anonymous the Human, though I'm certain you've gathered that already."
>The mare folds her ears and blushes a bit at the attention. "It's nice to meet you all, especially you Lady Applejack and Sir Anonymous. I've reviewed so many reports about the exploits of the Element Bearers and of a certain human in Ponyville that it's nice to finally be able to put faces to the names, so-to-speak. And it's a real honor to finally meet the Element of Honesty in pony."
>Applejack's own ears fold in embarrassment. "Aw, shucks."
>"And this," Celestia gestures to the pegasus stallion currently munching on his own apple tart, "is Empyrean Blaze of the Solar Guard. Though I keep insisting that it's not necessary, the Council is very adamant that I bring at least one guard with me when I leave the castle now that I've assumed the mantle of Princess once again."
>'Empyrean Blaze'... why does that name sound so...?
>Your eyes widen as it hits you.
"Pyre! I knew you looked kinda familiar! How've you been?"
>Now it's his turn to blush at the attention.
>"I've been well, My-- erm, Sir Anonymous. I hope the same can be said for yourself?"
"Yeah, I think so. I've been eating great food like that tart you just inhaled every day for the past month, so it's tough for me to have any complaints."
>"I... I see..." The stallion glances down at his crumb-covered hoof with a look of longing, and with a chuckle Granny Smith stands from her seat to go bring him another one from the kitchen.
>"So tell me, Princess... how's Twi doin?" Applejack asks, genuine curiosity in her voice. "We've been sendin' letters back an' forth an' all, but ah'd like ta hear it from the horse's mouth if ya catch my meanin'."

>Celestia closes her eyes, a serene smile on her face.
>"Yes, of course. I'm happy to report that she's doing well. Her adjustment to the new realities she must face in light of all that happened is progressing even faster than I imagined it would, but then again, such exceptionalism is typical of her, wouldn't you say?"
>AJ nods. "Eeyup. That's definitely Twi."
>"And while she still tries to fall back on her magic sometimes out of habit, I'd say she's mostly adapted to living without it at this point. In fact, I'd dare say her penmanship writing with her mouth nearly rivals my own! And I'm also very happy to report that she's already completed 150 of her 1,000,000 assigned hours of community service by teaching as an adjunct professor of history at the University, which she seems to greatly enjoy."
>Celestia shifts her gaze to you, her ears folding back a bit.
>"As far as her broken heart is concerned, all I can say is that it's slowly mending. I don't think she's ready to see you yet, Anon, but I'm certain that day will come soon."
>You look down in thought.
"Yeah. I know it must be rough for her, but if there's one thing that can be said about Twilight, it's that she's tougher than she looks. I'm sure she'll be fine."
>Celestia nods in agreement. "As am I. As for our own relationship, things are going well. I don't think I truly realized how much I missed having her nearby in Canterlot until I sent her away to Ponyville that fateful Sun Celebration's Eve. Though many mistakes followed, and though my guidance of her wavered, the many experiences she had since then have truly transformed her into a better pony than I alone could have led her to be..."
>She looks over to Applejack. "...And for that, I thank you all. Though I hope you'll put up with my selfishness as I monopolize her time with my lessons and talks for just a few more weeks."

>The farmpony smiles. "It's all right. We understand it's fer the best."
>"Thank you," Celestia replies, turning her attention back to you. "Now then, my human, I have a bit of a surprise for you. Raven, if you would?"
>The unicorn flips through the pages of her levitated notebook. "Ahem. Yes, Sir Anonymous, I'm pleased to report that your insurance company has opted to honor your claim and has provided compensation for the house in Ponyville you lost last month. They've elected to pay you the home's full value, plus some added compensation for additional damages."
>She levitates over a check which you pull from the air. And sure enough, what she said is true. Your jaw drops a bit at the amount.
"But... the letter I got from them last week said my policy didn't cover losses due to 'Acts of Princesses'! They denied me even a single damn bit because of it!"
>Celestia beams. "Well, it appears they've changed their minds! Anon, I want you to have a home here in Ponyville, and it's not right that the one you worked so hard for was lost. With this, you should be able to buy and furnish a new one with some money left to spare. I would've purchased one for you sooner after reclaiming the throne, but the Kingdom has been facing a bit of a budget shortfall as a result of the staggering cost of replacing so many valuable military assets and paying out restitution to those whose property was damaged by the battle above Canterlot..."
>You notice her flutter her wings a bit with happiness. "But with the insurance company covering things, you'll have a new home and it won't cost the Kingdom a bit! Isn't that wonderful?"
>Raven coughs. "With all due respect, Majesty, that's not entirely true. You did agree to pay for the insurance adjuster's psychiatric counseling after your visit to their offices this morning..."
>Wait, what? You flash a questioning glance to the alicorn and she returns that familiar look of shame you've seen so often in the past when she's misbehaved.

>Your eyes begin to narrow.
"What did you do?"
>"Nothing."
"Cel..."
>You give her your own version of the stare, and after a few moments of silence she relents.
>"I... I merely paid a personal visit to the company's headquarters in Manehatten earlier this morning to make an inquiry as to the details of why your claim was rejected."
"And?"
>Her ears fold back. "And... and when they explained the situation, I may have made a tiny, completely inconsequential off-the-hoof comment that if they didn't opt to pay the claim I'd show them what a true 'Act of a Princess' is like..."
>You facepalm and rub your eyes.
"Cel, that's extortion."
>She turns up her nose in the air. "Believe what you want, Anon, but you weren't there so you don't know."
"That's the same excuse you used when I came home from work one day and guacamole was spilling out from the upstairs windows!"
>She gives you a deadpan stare. "And I can still neither confirm nor deny that I was involved in that incident in any way."
>You cross your arms.
"Whatever. This time there're witnesses. I'll just ask Pyre what happened."
>You turn to the pegasus, but it seems the death glare Cel's shooting him has reached him first considering his already white coat seems several shades whiter. With a sigh, you realize it's a lost cause and hold up your hands in defeat.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."
>"That's right," Celestia says as she nods sagely, a slight hint of satisfaction in her voice. "Sometimes it's best not to question your good fortune. Now, I think it's time we get going. As much as I'd like to stay here and snack on these yummy treats, we need to make the best use of the remaining daylight hours we still have."

>She stands, with Raven and Pyre following suit, addressing the Apples as she stretches her legs.
>"Thank you so much for the hospitality you've shown us today, as well as the hospitality you've shown Anon throughout the past month. I promise you, it is appreciated, and it won't go unrewarded."
"Wait, you're leaving already?"
>She turns back and smiles.
>"Well, you're coming too. After all, this is as much your decision as it is mine."
>You follow them to the front door, your confusion evident in your expression.
"And... where is it we're going?"
>A golden aura captures your hat and jacket, pulling them from the hanger near the door and neatly placing them on your body.
>"To look at houses, obviously! I've had Raven compile a list of possible candidates from Ponyville's real estate listings that match your budget. C'mon, it'll be fun!"
>House hunting with Cel, huh? You don't know if fun would be the right term, but at the very least it'll be a nice change of pace. And you suppose being shown around by your special somepony instead of the typical sleazy realtor is an added bonus...
>You glance back to Applejack as you prepare to leave.
"I guess I won't be back for lunch, so don't bother saving anything for me."
>The orange farmpony just shakes her head, looking first to Cel, then to you.
>"Have fun, y'all. Ah'd tell ya ta keep outta trouble, but with the two'a ya together..."
>"At the very least, we'll make an effort," the alicorn replies, suppressing a giggle. "Thank you once again."
>Everyone says their goodbyes, and once more you step outside into the cold February air.
>But this time, you have a very special, very silly horse nearby to keep the cold at bay, and it makes all the difference in the world.
>You walk beside her, placing your hand upon a folded wing and leaning in only slightly.
>The wing tenses a bit as she leans back, a reminder of a promise still unbroken, and you both smile.

~~~~~~~~~

>The four of you move from room to room of the first house on the list, considering the various pros and cons of the dwelling.
"The floorplan's nice. It's kinda similar to my old one."
>"Yes," Celestia replies, tapping her hoof in thought. "But come to think of it, your old house was a bit small. I had to sleep on the couch for those three months since you didn't have a guest room. Plus, I think it's too far away from Sugarcube Corner."
>Raven levitates her notebook and quill and starts jotting down what you assume to be shorthand of your discussion, while Pyre watches on from the side, fidgeting slightly.
"Well, I don't work at Sugarcube Corner anymore so I don't think that's a problem, nor is the lack of a guest room. To be completely honest, I don't see the need for me to even buy a house in town considering I'll be moving to Canterlot in a few months."
>The alicorn grins and trots by you, lightly brushing against your side as she moves. "Oh? Moving to Canterlot, Anon? And where were you planning on staying?"
>You lean against the room's doorframe.
"Somewhere in the castle, I guess, like we talked about."
>She gasps and places a hoof upon her chest in mock surprise.
>"Anon! I'm a princess! To... to have a... a 'suitor' staying with me at the castle would be improper! Though, I suppose if you really wanted to, you could avoid the scandal entirely by simply marrying me..."
>You chuckle at her antics.
"Cute. Maybe if I didn't know you as well as I do that would've worked. But seriously, what're you aiming for with this? You don't usually do this kind of stuff without an end goal in mind, so cut to the chase and spill it."

>She pouts for a bit at the fact that you didn't choose to play her game, which is cute in its own way. But then she completely surprises everyone present by suddenly curling up in the middle of the empty room's floor. Pyre and Raven glance at one another in confusion, while you just cross your arms and wait to see what comes next.
>Two magenta eyes met yours, and you detect a palpable seriousness in the tone of her voice.
>"So... you're adamant about this?"
"Yeah, it directly involves me, so I kinda am."
>"Very well. Raven, Empyrean Blaze, I'm afraid this matter is not for your ears, so I'd like for the two of you to wait outside of the house, please. We'll return to you shortly."
>The unicorn bows. "Yes, Majesty."
>The pegasus salutes. "As you command, Your Highness."
>With another nervous glance between one another, the two make their exit, and you hear the click of the door as it closes behind them.
>"Now then..." Celestia begins, the tone of her voice still bearing the weight of what's to come. To be honest, it's starting to make you a little nervous.
>Once more, your eyes meet...
>...
>...
>...
>"Bellyrubs."
>She rolls over on her back, her mane spilling out around her smiling face.
"What."
>"Bellyrubs," she repeats matter-of-factly. "If you wish to know my secrets, my human, this is my price."
>She kicks her forehooves in the air a bit for emphasis and you burst out laughing. For the second time today, you really, really wish you had a camera.
"That's a steep price. But I guess I have no choice, huh?"
>You move to the center of the room and take a seat on the floor alongside her. You gaze at her for a bit, admiring the expectant look in her eyes, before gently placing a hand upon her stomach and trailing your fingers back and forth. She coos and closes her eyes as you apply the slightest pressure with your motions and her smile widens.

>And in that moment she becomes irresistible, and you lean down to share a kiss, your hand never leaving her.
>"I've missed this," she whispers as you part. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too. But you know what they say, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'."
>She opens her beautiful magenta eyes again.
>"And 'they' are right."
>You sit there in silence for a while, the daylight streaming through the empty house's curtain-less windows.
>"I want a home in Ponyville for us, Anon. Nothing elaborate. Nothing fancy. A happy, simple home."
"But what about the castle? What about Canterlot?"
>"The castle will always be there. But due to the way things have worked out, the importance of this little town can't be understated. Twilight's friends are here, and she needs them. At the same time, many of her new responsibilities, as well as her ongoing lessons with me, will require her presence in Canterlot, which in turn will pull her away from her friends and their stabilizing influence."
"Ah, I see where this is going."
>She nods. "Yes. In order to minimize the amount of back-and-forth for her in these critical first few years, I'll be dividing my time between Ponyville and Canterlot. My lessons to her will be given here, with her friends close by. For long term functions in Canterlot, accommodations will be made for them, with the ultimate goal being as little disruption of their normal lives as is possible, even if my own life will become far more hectic as a result."

>She extends all four of her legs into the air and arches her back, stretching and sighing as you continue your massage.
>"But if you consider that I'm partly to blame for all of this, I suppose it's a small price to pay, and I'm more than willing to do so. I won't ask you to follow me back and forth constantly, Anon, but since I feel I'll be spending more time in Ponyville than in Canterlot for the time being, I think you should be here. That's all."
>You smile at her.
"That's fine. But keep in mind that I'm always willing to go wherever my trusty navigator points me. If you need something, just say it."
>You remove your hand, and she rolls back over on her stomach, then shakes her head until her mane frames her face in the perfect way that you're used to.
>"I'll keep that in mind, my captain."
>She nuzzles you as the two of you stand, and you make your way outside to rejoin the others and continue on to the next house on your list.

~~~~~~~~~

>"No, Anon, I don't like it."
"What? Why? It has the extra bedroom you wanted."
>"Yes, that's true, but I like the floorplan of the cloud mansion we looked at earlier a bit better."
>You shudder.
"Look, I told you, walking on clouds makes me nervous. I don't care how long you said this spell you cast on me lasts, the idea that I might fall to my death at any random moment isn't very appealing. Seriously, what's so bad about this one?"
>Celestia rolls her eyes as the four of you step outside onto the house's front porch, the edge of Ponyville's market visible in the distance.
>"Oh, I'm sure you'd grow accustomed to it in time. And as far as what I dislike, aside from the layout I feel it's a little too close to the town center. I'd like us to be a bit more out of the way so we can have more privacy. Plus, it's not far enough from Sugarcube Corner."
>You smack your face and groan.
"...One of your complaints about one of the last ones was that it was too far away."
>"Yes, and this one's too close."
"And that's a problem because...?"
>"Well, for one, we're well within 'her' sphere of awareness here..."
>"Ooooh! Sounds serious~!"
>Celestia nods gravely. "Trust me, it-- AAAAAAH!"
>The four of you scream and jump backwards at the sound of the strange voice. Celestia clings to you with her forehooves and Raven and Pyre latch on to one another in fear as a certain party pony with a poofy pink mane peeks her head over the porch awning.
"...Pinkie?!"
>"Heya, Non-non! Hey Celly! Long time no-- whoa!"

>She promptly loses her hoofhold and tumbles from the awning to the soft grass of the home's front lawn with a crash. Before you can move to do anything or even peel the frightened alicorn off of you, she pops back up and bounds up the porch steps, her sapphire eyes shining with excitement. The plucky party pony zeroes in on Celestia, who still seems a bit startled at her sudden appearance.
>"What're you doing today? Looking at houses? Are you gonna follow your own advice to Twilight and permanently move to Ponyville and make lots of friends and have adventures on a weekly basis and learn simple yet valuable life lessons through a series of crazy yet heartfelt situations and/or wacky hi--"
>Your hand reaches forward and clamps down on the pink pony's muzzle.
"Pinkie, what're you doing here?"
>She pulls back and pouts.
>"What kinda question is that, Non-non? I got a twitch that said if I went 'up' I'd get to say hi to old friends today! So, I've sorta been climbing and hopping between houses all morning. You know, like Spider-Mare! Thwip!"
>She rears up and holds her hoof out to perform the classic web-slinging gesture, which naturally causes you to nearly let a barely-stifled laugh escape. You want to be annoyed at her, but sometimes she makes it really, really difficult.
>Celestia giggles as she releases you.
>"Well, while I can't say that what you just described is my intention, Pinkie Pie, I suppose that considering nopony knows what the future holds, I can't exactly rule it out, either." She gives you a knowing glance, which your promptly return with a smile of your own.
>Pinkie beams. "That's the spirit! Ponyville is a really nice town, Celly, but you know that already. And hey! You should come and work with me at Sugarcube Corner! We'd love to have you! Especially since Non-non's being a fuddy-duddy and refusing to take his old job back..."

>Uh oh, there's the familiar Pinkie Pie glare of disapproval. You hold up your hands in defense.
"Whoa, whoa. Look, I figured I'd be moving to Canterlot in a few months so I didn't think it'd be fair to the Cakes for me to come back to work only to leave again so soon. But it sounds like my plans might be changing, so maybe I'll go have a talk with them later."
>The glare melts away, replaced by a smile, and Pinkie bounds over to the two other ponies in your group, who're still huddled together nearby.
>"I knew I'd be meeting old friends today, but I didn't think I'd meet new ones too! Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! What're your names?"
>The pegasus and unicorn nervously look at each other, still locked in their fear-prompted mutual embrace. You turn to them just in time to witness that awkward moment when they suddenly realize it and quickly move away from one another, cheeks blazing with embarrassment.
>Damn it, you're just gonna have to start carrying a camera with you at all times...
>The pegasus coughs. "Empyrean Blaze, of the Solar Guard."
>"R-Raven, aide to Princess Celestia," the unicorn manages to stutter out.
>"Hmmmm..." The pink earth pony squints her eyes, examining them both closely. She turns from the frightened mare, to the nervous stallion, to the mare again, and then the stallion once more before stepping back and nodding with satisfaction.
>"Yep."
>'Yep'? What could that mean? Celestia gives you a questioning look and you shrug your shoulders back at her.

>Pinkie smiles, shaking hooves with the two ponies in her typical over-enthusiastic manner.
>"Nice to meet you! You're both from Canterlot, right? I'm sure you're gonna -love- Ponyville, it's really fun! Perfect for a honeymoon too! You should come by Sugarcube Corner later, we're baking carrot cupcakes today! They're really good! And speaking of Sugarcube Corner my break was over a long time ago and I'm really, really late for work now so I gotta go, but keep what I said in mind, okay?"
>And just like that, she bounds away from the four of you down the street toward the market, turning back to wave before she's out of earshot.
>"Bye Non-non, bye Celly, bye Emmy, bye Raven! I'll see you later! And good luck looking for houses!"
>You all wave back at her as she disappears into the distance.
"...What was that all about?"
>Celestia shakes her head in confusion. "I have no idea. She said something about a honeymoon... was she talking about us?"
"No clue. But now I get what you mean by this place being way too close to Sugarcube Corner..."
>"Yes," the alicorn replies, her eyes never leaving the spot where Pinkie vanished. "Let's cross this one off the list and move on to the next home, shall we?"

>You both start down the road, the guardspony and assistant trotting beside you in silence, their hearts beating a little bit faster for reasons they can't quite grasp just yet.
>Though if the simple, somewhat hesitant smile they share with one another that you happen to catch out of the corner of your eye is any indication, they may be well on their way to solving the mystery.
>You chuckle as the pieces all fall into place. That pink pony... she's way more clever and observant than you really give her credit for sometimes. You wouldn't even have noticed had you not experienced something similar in your own life only several months ago.
>"Something amusing on your mind, Anon?" your alicorn asks as you move a hand to drum your fingers on her withers.
"Yeah, I'll tell you later. I think you'll get a chuckle out of it too."
>She swishes her tail a bit with excitement.
>"I'll be looking forward to it."

~~~~~~~~~

>After looking at (and promptly eliminating) two more candidate houses, the four of you decide to break for lunch. You head over to a small restaurant that you and Celestia liked to frequent back when she was living with you as your roommate, and the waiter there shows you to your favorite booth.
>You suppose that one of the positive side effects of the whole ordeal with her giving up her crown and living together with you for so long is that the vast majority of the ponies of Ponyville are completely used to her presence by now. Even though she's wearing her crown once again, along with the rest of her usual regalia, they treat her no differently than before. She doesn't get surrounded by admirers, bombarded with gifts or requests, or anything like that.
>Oh, they still bow to her out of respect when she addresses them directly, and they still stare and take notice when she enters a room, but otherwise she's treated as just another citizen of Ponyville, and you can tell it makes her happy along with putting her mind at ease.
>As a result, you can eat together in public places like this without worry, which is nice. When you think about it, it's not surprising that she's looking forward to spending more of her time here.
>You lean back a bit into the booth's comfortable cushioning. A good meal in a quiet place with no distractions is just what you need to prepare for an afternoon of more house hunting...
>"Your Highness, I believe that pegasus across the room is waving at us."
>Pyre's voice pulls you from your thoughts.
>"Ah, so she is," Celestia says as she sips on her water. You turn your attention to where she's looking and your heart sinks.

>An overly enthusiastic cyan pegasus is leaning out of her seat and waving her hoof off at you, the look on her face practically screaming 'Help Me!' even if her actual voice doesn't. On the other end of her booth you can spot a perfectly primped purple mane and white horn rising above the back of the seat, with a flowing pink mane placed beside it.
>Ah, the Goon Squad Trio. These three mares, aside from Twilight herself, were a gigantic pain in the ass to deal with during the whole 'Twilight trying to kidnap you to force you to marry her' thing. While they've since apologized for their behavior and you have technically forgiven them, you're not too keen on having them interrupt the nice, quiet lunch with your marefriend you were hoping to enjoy...
"Just ignore 'em, Pyre."
>"I recognize that pegasus," Raven states as she adjusts her glasses. "That's Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. And the two others with her must be Rarity of Generosity and Fluttershy of Kindness. It seems Lady Dash is in need of some sort of assistance from us... is it really wise to ignore her?"
"Yes, it's wise. It's totally wise. Don't make eye contact and maybe--"
>"Hey Anon! Hey Princess!"
>You hang your head and sigh.
"--Maybe she'll think we didn't see her."
>Celestia places a comforting wing around your shoulder.
>"It seems it was too much to hope for, my human."
>"Anonymous and Celestia are -here-?! Together?!" you hear Rarity exclaim from the other side of the room.
"Yeah... but it was worth a shot anyway."
>You slump in your seat a bit and resign yourself to your fate as the three mares approach your booth. They each give a slight bow to Celestia before Rarity begins yapping.

>"Oh, I can't believe it... could it be... a date between Equestria's most talked about and elusive couple?! And in Ponyville no less! How quaint! How romantic! And who are these other two ponies; I don't believe we've met! Is this a... a double-date? Is it your first true date together? There haven't been any sightings of the two of you reported in the Foal Free Press... oh, wait until Aloe and Lotus hear about this~!"
>The unicorn rears up and squees, poor Pyre and Raven turn redder than a freshly picked apple from the Acres at the attention, and you sigh and roll your eyes while Celestia tries to get a single word in amidst Rarity's celebrity romance spergfest. This doesn't sound like it's gonna stop anytime soon.
>A cyan hoof nudges you in the side and you turn to see Rainbow Dash hovering nearby. She leans down a bit to whisper in your ear.
>"(Hey dude, thanks for the save. Rarity and Fluttershy dragged me into lunch here when we ran into each other on the street and they were boring my flanks off talking about dresses and stuff. If you guys hadn't shown up I don't know what I would've done, so I guess I owe you one.)"
>You attempt to rub away your building migraine.
"Yeah... I think you kinda do."
>"I hate to disappoint you, my little ponies," Celestia finally manages to interject, "but I wouldn't call this an official date. We're merely having lunch together with my aide here and one of the guards while running some errands in town."
>"Oh, I see." The unicorn deflates a little, which causes Celestia to chuckle.
>"Though," the alicorn continues, turning toward you, "I'd very much like it if he were to take me out on a nice date sometime. Unfortunately, since Anon isn't really the type to make spontaneous romantic gestures, I've found that I sometimes need to prod him a bit to get what I want." She ends her statement by placing a quick kiss on your cheek.

>Rarity sighs and smiles. "Stallions are all the same in certain respects, aren't they? Forgive me, Princess, I lost myself for a bit there. I'm afraid one of my weaknesses is an inability to ignore juicy gossip, and tidbits of romance are -so- rare among the Royals that I simply couldn't help myself."
>Celestia smiles back at her. "It's quite alright. One of the things I find most appealing about Ponyville is the fact that the paparazzi here mostly consists of elementary-aged foals, so when school is in session there's little to worry about."
>Rarity stifles a laugh. "That is true, Princess, though I'd be careful not to underestimate them. But please, if we're bothering you I humbly apologize, but do you happen to have another moment to tell us how Twilight is doing?"
>"Yeah!" Rainbow adds, landing near her friends. "You're with her every day, right? How is she?"
>"You needn't worry," Celestia replies in her usual gentle tone. "She's doing well, and she'll be returning to Ponyville before you know it. The letters you all send each evening truly mean the world to her."
>The three ponies seem to visibly brighten at the news.
>"That's reassuring to hear," Rarity says as she turns to the others. "But we've taken up enough your time, so I believe we should be going now, isn't that right darlings?"
>Rainbow flares her wings and stretches. "Yeah, I've gotta get back to weather patrol. Those clouds aren't gonna kick themselves. I'll catch you guys later! Good to you see you again, Anon, Princess, say hi to Twilight for me!"
>She zooms off, leaving a rainbow trail behind.
>"Yes, and I'm afraid I'm already behind on several orders so I need to be going as well. Once again, Princess, I apologize if--"
>Celestia holds up a hoof. "It's alright, Rarity. Really."
>With a relieved smile, she turns and trots away.

>Only Fluttershy, who oddly hasn't said a word so far, remains. She scuffs a hoof on the ground, bashfully looking around, before meeping a bit when she realizes she's been left alone. Slowly, she lifts her head to speak.
>"Um... Princess Celestia, may I ask you something?"
>The alicorn nods. "Of course, Fluttershy."
>"Um... well... I was wondering if... uh... if you could... _____________"
>The last part was way too quiet to hear.
>"...Come again?"
>"I was wondering if you could... um... dosomethingaboutyoursister?"
>Celestia ponders a bit. "My sister...? Is something the matter with Luna?"
>Fluttershy cowers again. "Well... she... lately, she's been coming into my dreams a lot to talk about... things... and it's starting to get a little uncomfortable for me."
>That seems to pique the alicorn's curiosity, and she leans closer.
>"And what sorts of things is talking about with you? You don't need to tell us the details if it bothers you, but I'm sure anything you can tell me about the situation will help when I speak to her."
>The pegasus blushes. "Oh, you know, this and that. Um... last night she read me a rough draft of a... um... f-fanfiction she wrote for the novel 'The Lusty Human Butler'."
>Raven taps a hoof on the table in thought. "I'm unfamiliar with that work, Lady Fluttershy. It's a book about humans, you say?"
>Celestia nods. "Something like that. It's a story written by the very popular romance novel author Mistress Notfluutershai, and it was critically acclaimed in certain circles for its very elaborately detailed descriptions of--"
>Out of the corner of her eye, the alicorn catches your gaze, and the glare of death which radiates from it. She swallows hard before continuing.

>"You know, I feel I should probably stop talking about this, and there's no need for you to look into it any further, Raven. Let's just say that certain ponies really liked it. It's interesting that Luna was among them, and writing fanfiction about it no less. But what I don't understand is why she's showing her work to you, Fluttershy. I take it you're also a fan of the author?"
>The pegasus trembles a bit. "S-Something like that. But Luna's, um, a really big fan. REALLY big... of the author, I mean. And it's kind of getting weird for me, especially since she keeps talking about all these story ideas she has and--"
>"Say no more. I think I understand what's going on here. Rest assured, I'll speak with her on your behalf when I return to Canterlot."
>The shy pegasus perks up a bit. "Oh, thank you, Princess. It means a lot to me. Um, I need to be going now, if that's okay. Enjoy your lunch..."
>And with that, she timidly slinks away, leaving the four of you in peace. As soon as she's gone, the regal alicorn at your side starts to giggle, a somewhat crooked smile on her face.
>"Oh, this is good! I -need- to find a copy of that draft Luna wrote! I bet it's absolutely hilar--"
"Cel."
>Her laughter dies in her throat at the sound of your voice.
"Can you explain to me just why you happen to be so familiar with the contents of all these pony / human stories? Every time they get brought up it sounds like you've read every damn one."
>You see a few beads of sweat form on her brow.
>"I... fear answering that question might incriminate me, so I'm choosing to remain silent."
>You place your elbows on the table and start drumming your fingers together, your gaze never leaving her.
"You're only making this harder on yourself. You know I have ways of making you talk."

>Her eyes shift to your fingers as they tap together in a steady rhythm and her wings twitch slightly.
>"You... you wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't?"
>She blushes and turns away.
>"...all I'll say right now is that I really missed you over the past month and leave it at that."
>You raise an eyebrow.
"What? That doesn't explain anythi-- oh."
>Oh.
>Her poor cheeks are on fire now, just as the waiter arrives with your food, and what follows is a lunch eaten in awkward, soul-crushing silence.
>Like, really awkward.
>Like, you silently pray for the sweet embrace of death but it never comes awkward.
>Thankfully, both Raven and Pyre seem to have completely missed the subtext of your conversation (or are just overly polite), and as the time passes your mutual embarrassment transitions to amusement as you're eventually able to laugh at yourselves after the fact.
>As you leave the restaurant, you allow the other ponies to go ahead of you while you stay back and whisper an apology in your alicorn's ear.
"Sorry... that was my fault for pressing you."
>"You're forgiven, but I expect you to make it up to me," she quietly replies as she places her head upon your shoulder and the two of you walk into the sunlight together.
"Don't worry, it's a promise."
>You reach back for an apologetic ear scratch, much to her delight.

~~~~~~~~~

"It's perfect. I can't believe it."
>The pretty white alicorn by your side nods in agreement.
>"Yes, it truly is."
>Finally, after an entire afternoon of looking at houses, weighing options, and arguing back and forth about their merits, you both stand in the empty living room of what you believe to be the ideal little home.
>It's nothing grand, and to be honest it could use a little fixing up. The interior needs a new coat of paint, and the yard's a complete disaster, but it's nothing the two of you can't handle, especially if you work together.
>It's a cottage located in a quiet, out of the way place at the edge of town, but it isn't too far away as to be inconvenient. And it goes without saying that it has the extra bedroom she kept insisting on.
>Celestia excitedly nudges you with her nose toward one of the nearby windows.
>"Look, Anon! That path leads to the Whitetail Woods. With the leaves on the trees it should be a bit secluded, so in the spring we could--"
>Her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper.
>"We could go -riding- together!"
>Her cheerful, yet slightly embarrassed tone causes you to smile and whisper back to her as you slowly trail your fingers down the space between her wings.
"...why wait until spring?"
>Her eyes widen and you swear you could see the spark of an epiphany shine within them for a fraction of a second. Before you can say anything else, the alicorn adopts a look of unrestrained joy and she begins to circle you, prancing all the while.
>"Raven~!"
>She's practically singing her words now, and you can tell that her unusually giddy behavior has her stalwart aide somewhat on tilt.
>"Erm, yes, Majesty?"
>"I'd like for you to head over to town hall to take care of all the purchasing paperwork. There should still be enough time to complete it before they close for the evening. Empyrean Blaze, please escort her."

>Pyre takes a hesitant step back. "Your Highness, my assigned duty is to act as your guard. If I were to stray so far from your side, I'd be betraying my--"
>She doesn't even pay attention to him as she continues to almost dance with joy.
>"That's~ an~ order~!"
>A soft golden aura encompasses both the little ponies and they yelp in surprise as they're gently pushed toward the door by her magic.
>"Don't worry, by the time you're finished we'll be there to meet you. Isn't that right, Anon?"
>You rub the back of your neck while wearing an apologetic smile.
"I'll try to keep her out of trouble. You two have fun together, alright?"
>Raven blinks. "Fun? I... I mean no disrespect, Sir Anonymous, but filling out purchasing paperwork and land ownership transfer forms is not really within my definition of 'fun'."
>"Perhaps not," Celestia hums, "but remember that you're not facing this arduous task alone, my little pony."
>Gently, yet gracefully, she approaches you from behind and places her head on your shoulder once again, and on instinct your arm reaches back toward those irresistibly scratchable white ears.
"Yeah, that's right. No matter how much of a pain you think it's gonna be, you guys'll find a way to make it fun if you put your minds to it. Trust me, we're both speaking from experience here."
>Both of the ponies look to one another again; a questioning glance that turns into a soft smile shared between them for a brief moment before they move toward the door together.
>"By your leave, Majesty."
>"I shall do my best to watch over her as you command, Your Highness."
>They stand side by side to offer a polite bow to both you and Celestia before trotting outside together, Raven's magical aura gently closing the door behind them.

>Celestia rubs her cheek against your own as you watch them walk down the road to Ponyville from the nearby window.
"I almost feel a little guilty."
>"Hmmm?" she asks, still savoring the attention of your fingers.
"It feels like we sent the kids away so we could have fun for ourselves."
>She steps away from you, back to the center of the room, her movements still light and full of barely restrained enthusiasm.
>"Like an old married couple, you mean?" She giggles. "It is a funny thought, isn't it? And there's certainly some truth to be found there..."
>Her horn glows with its familiar golden light, and her crown and torc lift from her head and neck, the magic gently depositing them in the room's corner.
>"Because, we are indeed..."
>She stalks toward you, kicking off a single golden horseshoe with each step.
>"Going to have..."
>She stands bare before you, and her natural beauty almost takes your breath away.
>"Fun~!"
>And with that last word, she delivers a quick, playful peck on your lips before curling up on the floor in front of you and presenting her back.
>Those magenta eyes find your own as her tail swishes to and fro with nervous excitement, her expression rendering any words between you unnecessary.
>And with an almost herculean effort of willpower, you resist the urge to straddle that back for only a minute more, and instead kneel beside her to gently take her muzzle in your hands and guide her to you to reclaim the kiss she stole but a moment before.
"I love you, my pretty pony."
>"And I you, my precious human. Now, and forever."

>In that moment, you're reunited; a bond only possible between the two of you alone. She stands to her hooves, your familiar, comforting weight upon her back, and you gently take those stands of her ethereal mane in your hands once again. She carries you outside the cottage, through the snow, down the seldom-used trail the two of you saw from the window. Your breathing is visible in the cold winter air as she canters along down the path, head held high, overcome with a joy that can only be captured like this.
>You came to realize it later, but to her, to ride together means freedom. Not the freedom she selfishly sought by relinquishing the crown to Twilight to chase her past, but a freedom found in the moment. Just as you described to her about how you were able to capture the feeling of being unfettered by the weight of the world at the mountain's summit, you recognize that riding is the same for her. Here and now, she can shed the burdens of Princess Celestia for a moment to lose herself in the euphoric sensation of the run, and of carrying you wherever you choose to direct her, all without question, without second thoughts, without doubts, without regrets, without trepidation, without fear...
>She wants to carry you, and you want to be carried. That's the exchange, and through it her joy becomes yours, your joy becomes hers, and the two of you become one.
>The trail leading through the woods loops around, and soon you find yourselves standing in front of the little cottage once again. A tug on her mane slows her to a stop some distance away to allow the two of you to admire it in the light of the late afternoon sun.
>A hand reaches up to scratch between her ears, and she leans into your touch...

>And as a great column of fire from the heavens rains down to consume the home that the two of you were to share, you begin to wonder whether or not you're dreaming...
>All at once, a wave of heat rushes by you and you shield your eyes for a moment in response. Celestia reacts immediately, horn shining with magic in an attempt to extinguish the blaze and save what's left of the little cottage...
>But it's no use. The fire continues to burn despite her spell and she jumps back, a beat of her wings putting more distance between the two of you and the blaze.
>"Eternal flame..."
>The alicorn mutters the words just above a whisper, and you can't tell if her tone belies the same utter shock you feel, or some grim realization she's just made. You want to ask what's going on, but you just can't find the words as you watch the cottage collapse in on itself and any indication that it was once a home and not some hastily-built bonfire is lost forever.
>And surprisingly, even as the next fiery column begins to rain down, this time directly on top of the two of you, your first response is to laugh.
>It's almost comical at this point. Your first house: erased by a screaming clone of Rarity. Your second, the airship she built for you: ruined in order to overcome a monstrous weapon from a forgotten age. And now, what was to be the third: lost because fire suddenly decided to fall on this chilly winter afternoon instead of snow...
>It's almost like the universe doesn't want you to have a home.
>Celestia's horn shines again, and she teleports you both out of the new flame column's path. As soon as you reappear, she spreads her white wings and rockets into the air, carrying you high into the sky, and you turn to see the fire erase all of the barren trees near the head of little trail where you once stood.

>"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Celestia screams into the empty air. "If you have words for me, speak them clearly! If you have a grievance, state it openly! There's no need for this senseless destruction!!"
>At first, there's only silence.
>Then, you hear a rumbling from somewhere above. It's steady but strong, like the roar of a volcano before an eruption takes place. Soon, the tone begins to have a discernable, steady cadence, and you realize that it's really... laughter?
>Celestia ascends even higher as she flies above the large stormfront that hangs near the edge of the boundary where the Whitetail Woods meet the Everfree Forest, and upon the top of the great cloud bank is perched a creature that defies imagining...
>Sure, you knew they existed here. You've met all sorts of mythological beasts since being brought to this strange world. Hell, you've even met one of them before, though to be honest he was just a baby, so maybe it didn't really sink in...
>But there's no doubt. This is a -DRAGON-, and its presence leaves you in awe.
>The great beast is curled atop the clouds, wings closed and tail wrapped around its body, so it's difficult to get an estimation of its full size. But even from here, it's easy to tell that one of the creature's gargantuan claws could crush both you and Celestia in a single swipe. The dull red scales and spikes that cover its body look to be absolutely impenetrable by any weapon you can imagine, and the flames that escape from between the countless fangs of its open maw seem like they could melt steel.
>Celestia lands on a smaller cloud nearby and gazes up at the massive creature.
>"Agamemnon..."
>And two serpentine eyes consider her coldly as it speaks:
>"Vile Herald of the Sun... how disappointing that you weren't there to greet me and explain yourself when I awoke. You forced me to come find you, and I am not pleased."

>Each word rumbles from the depths of the dragon's belly like an earthquake, spoken slowly and deliberately. You can tell, from his tone and his body language, that he holds no fear of the powerful alicorn now before him. Worse still, the slight tremors you can feel running down Celestia's body as her eyes meet his own are a clue that the same can't be said for her, and you find yourself clutching her mane tighter in response.
>You try to restart your fried brain as Celestia considers her reply. 'Agamemnon'... there's something about that name that sounds sort of familiar, but you can't quite place it...
>Wait. Wait a minute. Wasn't that the name of...?
>"My apologies, Great Watcher. I wasn't expecting you to wake so early, and I--"
>"LIAR!" the dragon bellows back, fire escaping into the clear winter sky with each breath. "Liar and thief! Each word that rolls off of your contemptuous tongue is poison! I am no fool; you knew well that your pathetic magic could not hold me beyond the rising of a third new moon..."
>The beast's eyes narrow as he sneers at Celestia.
>"To be awoken from the Sleep of Ages by one of the damnable successors; to have my hoard stolen, and a curse of dreamless sleep placed upon me before my flame could fully rekindle... you will explain yourself, and you will return what is mine, along with a tribute to atone for this insult, vile Herald of the Sun! If you refuse," his gaze shifts to Ponyville in the distance, "I will lay waste to your works until I am satisfied."
>You feel Celestia let out a deep, cleansing breath. She closes her eyes, squares her shoulders, and meets the dragon's gaze.
>"I already offered you an explanation at the time, but you would not hear it. I was in dire need of only a fraction of your wealth; a debt which I fully intended to repay, yet you refused to part with even a single coin. What happened after was... regrettable."

>The dragon growls. "Regrettable... but you hold no remorse."
>She shakes her head. "I do not. I cannot."
>Agamemnon chuckles; a sound that for a moment you mistake for thunder.
>"Very well. Tell me, vile Herald of the Sun. On what did you spend my meager fortune? What is this thing you coveted so much as to risk my ire?"
>She smiles.
>"A gift for the one upon my back. And though it was eventually lost, the value it held to the both of us was immeasurable. I don't think I can properly describe why, but if anything, you should understand my intentions well."
>The dragon leans closer, drawing deep of the air as he considers you coldly.
>"Hmmm... a strange little thing. Its scent is not of this world. All this... all this for a tribute to some conjured familiar? Is this some sort of joke?"
>"Not a familiar," Celestia states with confidence. "A friend. A dear, precious friend. And no, it isn't any sort of joke, I assure you."
>The great dragon rears back and laughs, the deep echoes from his throat scattering the birds from their perches within the Everfree.
>"Precious, you say? As precious as your trickster god of a brother whom you turned to stone? As precious as the one you called sister whom you banished from this earth? Vile Herald of the Sun, that which you call precious is as ephemeral to you as the dew upon a rose's thorn. It's beautiful in your eyes for a time, but then forgotten by the morning's end. You dare speak to me about what is treasure... about what is valuable? You know nothing! This is nothing more than a further insult!"
>The red dragon rears up and flares his wings, and for the first time you're able to estimate his true size. He's easily twice as big as an airship or more, and between his size and the fire that constantly spills from his mouth, you have no doubt that his threat to destroy Ponyville was no empty boast.

>"Enough of this! I care not for your petty reasons or misguided intentions. Return what was once mine, along with a suitable tribute, and I will ignore your brazen insolence. Otherwise..."
>"I fully intend to! But you must give me time! Equestria's coffers have been drained by a recent event, and we need time to recover from--"
>"No!" the dragon's voice booms. "You will pay your debts immediately. There is no negotiation, little pony. If you don't possess it, then take the wealth from your pitiful subjects like the thief you are, or from among the other pathetic races you abhor; the source is no concern of mine."
>Celestia shakes her head. "I will not. I will not allow my little ponies, nor any other innocents, nor even those who claim to be the enemies of my Kingdom to suffer for my own mistakes. I swear upon my crown that I will repay you when I am able, Agamemnon. Not a moment sooner, not a moment later."
>The dragon flashes her a wicked fang-filled grin.
>"Hmmm... so this village means nothing to you? Of course it wouldn't! You, who knows nothing of what truly holds value..."
>And then his eyes shift to you, and suddenly you feel really, really nervous.
>"Ah... but there is something you claimed to be 'precious' here, isn't there? What if I were to claim it... would that sway you, I wonder?"
>The gargantuan beast begins to move toward the edge of the stormfront and you feel a lump forming in your throat. Celestia shudders underneath you once again as she takes a hesitant step back.
>"Stop this! There's no need to involve him, nor anypony else!"
>"Ah..." the dragon growls, "So there is something there after all..."
>He spreads his wings and takes to the air, Celestia responds in kind, and the chase is on.

> [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0DE5zyRI6U ]

>She tears through the skies above the vast Everfree Forest with you upon her back and the great dragon hot on her heels. He moves with incredible speed despite his size, and she banks to avoid the occasional fireball as she attempts to lead the beast further and further from civilization. All you can really do at this point is hold on for dear life.
>A fireball nearly clips her wing as it sails past you into the distance, close enough for you to feel the radiating heat on your skin for a brief moment as it passes. You bring up one hand to check and make sure your eyebrows haven't been singed off while the other continues to cling to Celestia's ethereal mane as she flies. Thankfully, both your eyebrows are still there, and several moments without the appearance of any further fireballs give you a bit of hope that maybe this situation isn't really as dire as it seems. After all, Celestia has her full power at her disposal this time, so how bad could this possibly get?
>You risk a cautious glance back, which reveals several things:
>1) The dragon is still there.
>2) He's now breathing an unbroken stream of fire, similar to a goddamn military flamethrower, and is using said stream like a lance to try to swat the two of you from the sky at a distance.
>You quickly begin smacking Sun Horse's withers in a panic in order to succinctly express your thoughts regarding this matter.
"A FRIENDLY REMINDER: WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY A DRAGON YOU CRAZY FUCKING HORSE!! USE THE BEAM SPELL! USE THE BEAM SPE--"
>"It won't work, Anon!" Celestia yells back as she corkscrews downward to avoid the line of flames. "Agamemnon is an ancient dragon of immense power. When the flame within him is fully kindled, normal magic won't have any effect at all! We need to lead him into the wilderness where nopony will be inadvertently hurt by this tirade until I can figure out a way to talk him down!"

"Wait a minute... are you saying he's invincible or something?!"
>"Technically, no, but in our current situation he might as well be! We need to find a way to buy time somehow and--"
>From out of nowhere, the line of flame reappears, and it's nearly on top of you. Celestia barely manages to react fast enough to teleport away before it connects, but the sudden action disorients you both after you reappear and she ends up faltering in her flight.
>"H-Hold on, Anon, I'm...!"
>You grip her mane as tightly as you can as the two of you collide with the tree canopy, countless branches snapping as they buckle under your combined weight. You land with a crash on the forest floor, having been thrown from her back at the last second, and you tumble for a bit before coming to a stop, bruised, battered, but thankfully still in one piece.
"Cel!"
>As soon as you get your head to stop spinning, you struggle to your feet and run over to the grounded alicorn. She lets out a pained groan as she opens her eyes in response to your touch.
"C'mon, we have to keep moving! We're not safe here!"
>A roar in the distance only serves to punctuate that statement.
>"You think to run into the untamed lands? It will not save you, vile Herald of the Sun. I will burn this forest to ashes and smoke you out of hiding..."
>True to his word, a column of flame descends from the sky and immolates an ancient tree several hundred feet away from you. Celestia's eyes snap to attention, her survival instincts overriding any sense of pain or confusion, and she quickly jumps to her hooves, her magic violently lifting you to place you upon her back once again. She gallops off just as the next flame column descends, this time obliterating the tree you were resting under mere moments ago.

>She runs. She casts everything else aside and runs. The great forest is eerily quiet now; the animals and insects having long since fled the chaos that's enveloped this place. The daylight breaks through the canopy in places, painting patterns of shadows on the ground in the areas not yet illuminated by fire. You keep a sharp eye open for any wayward branches that might endanger you as the pony beneath you deftly weaves through the gnarled trees and the brilliant columns of destruction that rain from the heavens.
>Another nearby tree explodes into flames, and she leaps to the side to avoid the burning debris. You should be utterly terrified now, and you are. Anyone would be when faced with a situation like this. But strangely, you find that it's not the great dragon, the burning forest, or even the columns of fire that scare you...
>No, it's Cel. You can feel her fear in her gait, in her every movement. You can feel it as she runs. Not even during the bleakest moments of the Trials of Equus or the battle over Canterlot did she feel such fear; fear which now becomes your own as you ride. It strikes utter terror in your heart, and you're at a loss as to what to do to silence it...
>But silence it you must. It's become all too clear now. If the two of you hold any hope of getting out of this, you both need to overcome this fear. She just needs a little time, a little reprieve, like she said earlier. You fight back the sense of terror and truly focus your eyes on the surroundings. There has to be something, -anything- that'll buy you a few precious moments...

"There, Cel! A cave!"
>And it appears. Your boots nudge her sides as you point out the cave mouth in the distance, and at once you feel something shift. You hold a ray of hope now, and it travels through you to her, rider to steed, and you come to understand how the link of emotion you share when riding really works. Your confidence is hers now, just as her fear was once yours, and the change is instantly recognizable as her stride shifts and her head lowers with determined focus.
>The forest is burning. Walls of flame begin to appear in your path as the fire spreads, but she leaps them with ease as she swiftly gallops toward the cave entrance. It's close now, just a little further...
>A column of fire blasts the tree directly in front of you into a series of burning splinters, but you don't turn away at the sight. Instead, you focus on your goal as her horn shines and she teleports the both of you past the burning tree and into the safety of the earth.
>Your back rests against the damp cave wall as the two of you pant for breath and try to calm down. You're close enough to the entrance to still see one another in the darkness, yet far enough to be relatively safe from the raging dragon outside. Your hand finds its way around her withers to offer a comforting touch, and you pull her close.
"Looks like we made it."
>The tired alicorn turns and offers you a weak smile in the darkness.
>"Yes, for the time being."
>She leans back and closes her eyes and you allow the silence between you to linger for a few moments as you listen to the sound of the burning forest outside along with the occasional roaring from above. But like always during times like these, the many questions swirling in your head eventually force you to speak, even if you sometimes don't want to know the answers.

"So that's the dragon you stole all that treasure from, huh? Couldn't you have picked a, I dunno, a smaller, less unimaginably ragey one?"
>She chuckles and shakes her head. "No, Anon. I explained this to you before; Agamemnon is a special case among dragons. As the only living dragon without clan ties, he was the only one I could approach without risking a war."
"Yeah... I remember. So what's changed between now and then? Why are you so afraid of him, Cel? You beat him before, right?"
>The alicorn leans back against the cave wall and lets out a deep, tired sigh before curling further into your side and placing her head on your shoulder.
>"Yes, I did, but the situation is far more complicated than that. Dragons are... dragons are eternal, Anon. Much like ponies like me who've ascended, they live forever, because immortality is their birthright. Death is not a natural process for them, and given that fact, one would imagine that our world would be overrun with dragonkind, but that's not the case. In reality, very few new dragons are born each year, and most of them don't live beyond five to seven centuries."
>You shift yourself a little so you can support her more comfortably as you trail your fingers through her mane.
"They're immortal, but they only live for 500 to 700 years? Why? Is it because of war? Disease?"
>"No. While those things do happen, they only affect a small portion of dragonkind. Most of them... the vast majority, really, simply tire of living after a certain point. They lull themselves into a deep sleep, and over the centuries their bodies turn to stone as the flame within them is slowly extinguished while they dream. Few know this, but the northern mountains of Equestria, where most dragons reside, are not made of the stone of the earth..."
"No way... are you serious?"

>She nods, rubbing her muzzle into your shoulder in the process.
>"Yes. Agamemnon is very special among dragonkind. That he is without a clan is unique in itself, but what truly differentiates him is the fact that he's chosen to keep living. He's perhaps the oldest creature in this world, far older than even myself or Luna, and so old it's possible even the Progenitors themselves knew him, yet despite this we've never really spoken to one another outside of a few occasions. He's very reclusive and tends to keep to himself, spending most of his days in a light slumber. Nopony, nor dragon, knows exactly why he continues to persist when all others have not, but we've taken to calling him the Great Watcher. There's even a legend that states that when he stands upon the roof of the world and breathes in the air that collects there, he can hear the voices of all living creatures, though I can't say if it's true..."
"You were talking like he was invincible or something back there. Is it because he's so old?"
>Her magenta eyes turn toward the flickering light of the fire dancing near the cave entrance.
>"Dragons are powerful creatures of magic, though they don't express it in the way ponies do. A dragon's magic is the flame that burns within. This is the source of their fiery breath, as well as the wellspring that allows them to live forever. As they age, the flame burns brighter, and its warmth keeps external sources of magic at bay. As whelps, they hold a small amount of magic resistance. In their adolescence the resistance grows. As adults, they become resistant to all but the strongest of spells... and those who live further... ancient dragons such as Agamemnon... are effectively immune to all magic. To put it into perspective, Equus Island rejects the magic of an alicorn but allows normal ponies passage. Similarly, the island would permit a dragon whelp but prevent an adult or strong adolescent from entering because already their flame would burn too brightly."

>She sighs again.
>"When you combine that fact with their great strength, flight, and resistance to physical harm, there are very few things in this world that could hope to stand against an ancient dragon's fury."
>You swallow hard. She's not exactly painting an optimistic picture here...
"But... but you put him to sleep before, right? He can't be -completely- immune to magic..."
>She pulls away from you and shakes her head.
>"I did so just as he was waking from a hundred year sleep in response to my intrusion into his lair. At that point his flame was at its weakest and the spell was able to take hold, but now there's no chance that it would work. To be perfectly honest, I thought we'd have at least another few weeks before he'd be up and about, but I suppose I underestimated him a bit..."
>Great. Just gr-- wait a minute.
"...you told me the day I came home from Canterlot it'd be 200 years before this'd become a problem. I distinctly remember that."
>The alicorn's ears fold back and she turns away in shame, retreating slightly into the shadows of the cave.
>"I didn't want you to worry, Anon. What good would it have done if you'd known? I didn't want you to spend your days in fear of the future..."
"Yeah, instead I'm spending right now in a cave surrounded by a burning forest wondering whether or not I'm gonna die. Fighting and stealing from an angry, magic immune, overpowered dragon... god, Cel, did you think any of this through at all?!"
>"Of course I did!" she yells back, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. "When the time came, I fully intended to return to him to make the necessary tribute, or have Luna handle it in my stead! Had it gone as I intended, things would've been resolved without any need for you to be involved!"

>Her words echo in the cavern before eventually fading away, and you hear a sniffle from the darkness as they disappear.
>"Do you... do you regret what I've done, Anon? Should I have left things as they were back when you took your trip to Canterlot? Should I have just gone away when the money ran out so I wouldn't be a burden to you any longer? Please, tell me!"
>The unmistakable patter of her tears falling upon the stone of the cave floor reaches your ears, and you immediately reach out to pull her to you.
"No... of course I don't regret it. Like I told you that first morning on the Dawn Star, I just want you be honest with me so that we can face these things together. That's all."
>You can feel a smile form on her face as you hug her, and her forehooves encircle your back to return the gesture.
>"I will. I promise."
>Another roar echoes from overhead as you part.
"I'm worried about Ponyville. This forest is one thing, but what's stopping him from going back there and torching the town when he can't find us?"
>The alicorn stands in the darkness and stretches her limbs as she shakes the last of her tears away.
>"He won't do that. Not now. There's a common misconception held by most other creatures about dragons and their greed, Anon. Most believe that they desire gold and gems because they're shiny or a source of food, but that's not really the case..."
>She begins moving toward the cave's entrance and you stand and follow.
>"They desire these things because they hold great value to others. And thus, Agamemnon now desires you because you hold great value to me. Ponyville is the furthest thing from his mind right now."

>She curls up near the cave's mouth and gestures to her back.
>"...But I will not allow him to have you, my precious human. He can have this kingdom's meager wealth, even if I have to dig the gold and gems from the ground with my own hooves, but he can never have you. And if he doesn't understand that now, I will make him understand. He may not be swayed by my magic, and he may be as immovable as a mountain, but even still I will make him understand."
>You straddle your pretty pony's back, and as she rises you can feel the determination flowing through her. As you take the strands of mane in your hands, you pat one side of her neck and whisper in her ear:
"I trust you, I believe in you, and I'm here with you."
>"I know, and I am thankful."
>She takes a deep breath, gallops into the burning forest, and spreads her wings.

~~~~~~~~~

>The ancient dragon hovers in the sky, kept aloft by the beating of his great wings. His serpentine eyes scan the carnage below for any signs of movement, and he smiles when he catches sight of your approach.
>"Hmmm... so you finally choose to show yourself. This is good, as even my patience was beginning to wear thin."
>With a powerful beat of his wings, he sends a vast quantity of cold winter air directly toward the earth, and the many fires consuming the forest are extinguished as easily as a candle left near an open window would be on a breezy night. You try to keep your mouth from hanging open in shock as you survey the sight below.
>"Now then," the dragon breathes in his slow, rumbling tone. "I will have my tribute. Either pay what you owe in treasure or relinquish that familiar to me."
>Celestia takes a deep breath and begins to speak.
>"I will do neither this day, Agamemnon. Again, you'll receive your tribute, but only when I'm able to provide it. I will not be moved in this matter."

>The dragon sneers. "Perhaps you have forgotten, but the only reason ponies are allowed to roam free across this world is because I permit it. You do not dictate terms to me."
>"And you," Celestia shouts back, the strength in her voice unwavering, "will not treat a sovereign creature as just another trinket to be won for your collection, nor will you harm innocents not involved with our dispute! I have wronged you, and I will make it right, but not at others' expense!"
>He scoffs. "Empty words. A dragon's honor demands he return everything in kind, vile Herald of the Sun. You lack the strength to stop me, so your wishes and platitudes are irrelevant. I will take what I want from you because you are weak, just as you took what you wanted from me when I was at my weakest."
>You can feel her muscles tense beneath you.
>"I will not allow it."
>"We shall see..."
>And all at once the chase is on again.
>Celestia's horn shines, and her familiar invisible barrier spell is cast as she soars into the sky, higher and higher.
"Well, now what do we do?"
>"It went about as well as I expected. He'll accept nothing less than the riches we don't have right now or you, so I suppose we have to fight."
>Again, she begins to weave back and forth in her flight as fireballs start to sail past.
"Wait, you knew talking wouldn't work from the start? I'm guessing you had a plan all along, right?"
>She closes her eyes, and you feel her confidence slightly waver.
>"Not until our conversation in the cave. I was reluctant to do this, but I've realized that right now, you are far more important to me than any reservations I might have or any old fear that tries to hold sway over my heart."

>You chuckle.
"I appreciate the thought, Cel, but isn't that exactly the type of thinking that got us into this mess in the first place?"
>"Indeed it is," she replies, a giggle of her own escaping over the wind. "But these 'messes' we so often find ourselves in are a bit fun in their own way, don't you think? Applejack was very kind to warn us to stay out of trouble this morning, but it appears that when we're together, trouble will find us regardless."
"So we're like some kind of magnet for disasters, huh?"
>"Or a walking catastrophe!" she sings, suppressing another laugh. "But my human, as long as you're with me, I welcome whatever may come."
>With a powerful beat of her wings, she loops around to avoid the line of flame that once more tries to slice into you from afar and dives, confusing the dragon just long enough for her to change course.
>"Damn," she curses under her breath as she levels out.  "There are none here either... those troublesome wings of his have scattered all the clouds away."
"Clouds?"
>"Yes, I need a cloud in order for this to have any hope of working, and I need to conserve my magic, so finding a natural one would be best."
>You turn your attention away from the pursuing dragon to the sky itself. It's true, most of the clouds have been either burned away by fire or completely dispersed by Agamemnon's chaotic path through the air. The stormfront he once rested upon is completely broken apart now, little remnants of it scattered far into the distance.
>You tap Celestia's neck with your palm and adjust your position on her back.
"Just focus on avoiding him for now. I'll find us one."
>With a flick of her ears to acknowledge your offer, she redoubles her efforts to escape the pursuing dragon, pouring on all the speed she can muster now that she no longer has to slow herself to search the skies.

>You can feel your heart beat faster as your grip on her mane tightens. Hell, you even crack a smile as, for a brief moment, that ever-familiar thrill of flight finds you once again. You may not have the Dawn Star any longer, but here you are, soaring through the sky and once more experiencing her gift.
>And she's given you so much, hasn't she? The many small presents and little gestures of affection, the hardships that led to yet more joy, and all the love she's shared... it's nearly unending, and it's often overwhelming.
>You sometimes wish you could give more back. Even though she seems to relish the time and the affection you share with her, you still wish you could give her more. As a Princess, there's little she doesn't already have, and you're just a poor stranger to this world, so there's little you can do and so much you don't understand.
>But there are still ways you can help. Whether it be as a shoulder to lean on, an attentive ear to hear her troubles, or a provider of much-requested and cherished bellyrubs...
>And though there may be no way you could ever directly take on a dragon, if the love of your life wants a cloud right now, then goddamn it, you're gonna find her one!
>You turn back to see a blazing orb of fire rocketing directly toward you, burning almost as brightly as the sun itself.
>Almost.
>And that's why you don't turn away. You don't even flinch. No flame this dragon can manage to breathe will ever be able to match the radiance of her sun. You ignore the fireball, instead searching the sky behind it, where you manage to spot exactly what you're looking for.
"I've got one! Seven o'clock, slightly above and almost directly behind him!"
>The pretty alicorn beneath you immediately changes her course, switching to a rapid ascent.
>"I'm going to dive on it as fast as I can, Anon. Be ready to grab it!"

>Er... what?
"Whoa, whoa, wait a second, what do you mean by gr--URK!"
>She pulls her wings close and dives, and immediately the act of clinging to that multicolored mane for dear life becomes far more important than asking a stupid question.
>The first thing you notice is the fact that you can barely see the white little ball of fluff from this altitude. You have to really focus, but it's definitely still there, framed against the gray and brown of the partially-burned forest below.
>The second thing you notice is the gigantic, very angry, shrieking dragon that's flying up to meet you, flames dripping from his open maw like saliva normally would from some rabid animal.
>A huge claw, talons gleaming from the sunlight above, reaches out to capture the both of you as you near each other, but still you focus only on the little cloud in the distance...
>And at the last possible moment, Celestia alters her course with a displacement roll, and the claw finds empty air as she travels just beyond the dragon's reach.
>You're flying upside down now, and somehow, against your better judgment and all rational thought, you peel one of your hands away from her mane and hold it out. You have no goddamn clue what she's planning, but she said 'grab it', so you reach out...
>...and fucking...
>Grab it!
>The alicorn rights herself and levels off from her dive, and you find yourself holding a small cloud in your arm while simultaneously wondering how the hell you're doing it.
"I... I... wh-what?"
>The alicorn giggles. "Was house hunting with me really so traumatic that you've repressed the memories already? I cast the cloud walking spell on you earlier so we could look at that cloud mansion, so of course you'd be able to hold one."

>You blink.
"Oh. Right. Well, we got you a cloud... now what?"
>"Now, my human," she solemnly states as an oddly-colored magical aura begins to envelop her horn, "we dearly hope that this works. Whatever you do, do -not- allow that cloud to touch any part of my body once I start casting or else this will likely be the end of us."
>You clutch the cloud close to your chest and pat her neck once more in response.
"Got it."
>Again, she begins to climb into the bright blue sky, and with each beat of her wings she chants a word from a strange language which you can't identify. The teal light radiating from her horn doesn't have the usual soft aura you've grown accustomed to when she normally casts a spell, and combined with the odd chanting it begins to fill you with a certain sense of dread. Small jolts of lightning arc across the horn's surface and disappear into the air as the cloud in your arm transitions from a pure white color to the deep black of a starless night sky.
>The cloud continues to undulate and coalesce in your grip until it takes a smaller, more tightly defined spherical shape, wispy tendrils of dark mist trailing behind it as the two of you continue to fly. There's something about this... something familiar, and yet...
>A tremor of fear runs down your body as the realization hits you. You're now holding, in your very hand, a miniature Progenitor storm torpedo, just like the ones Twilight launched at you almost continuously during the final battle over Canterlot!
"Cel... this is..."
>"Do..." she gasps out while continuing to channel ancient magic into the weapon, "Do you honestly believe that in those darkest days, long after my brother was sealed away by my own hooves, when my beloved sister began to turn away... do you honestly believe that I didn't exhaust every avenue... every possibility that I could to soothe the tumult in her heart and bring her back to me...?"

>There's a surge of energy as the form of the torpedo starts to shift. Instead of remaining as a compact sphere, it begins to stretch until it resembles a javelin or spear composed entirely of black mist. You hold the weapon over your shoulder, well away from her body, as the spell completes and she gasps and pants with exhaustion.
>"I... I tried everything, Anon! Everything to regain my little sister! Even when I already knew of the dangers it posed, and even when I knew that there was little hope that it would help, I still peered into the Shard of the Dark Star that Balios left behind to search for answers! And though what I saw there ultimately could not free Luna from her Nightmare, that terrible, forbidden knowledge remains with me, even now!"
>She moves to make a mid-air turn, and suddenly Agamemnon is there, right before the two of you, mouth open and a great swell of fire threatening to erupt from the depths of his throat. Your breathing stops as the shock of his sudden appearance causes you to temporarily freeze in place, but Celestia reacts without hesitation. The aura of the Progenitors' magic around her horn washes away, instead replaced by that comforting golden hue, and you experience the familiar sensation of submerging and then taking a fresh breath of air as she teleports the both of you to the charred and bare section of ruined forest directly below.
>As soon as her hooves touch the ground once again, she nearly stumbles from fatigue but regains control at the last moment to curl up upon the burnt forest floor, panting and breathless.
>"I'm... afraid I can no longer carry you, Anon. Not as long as you hold that weapon. Even being this close to it is almost too much to bear..."
>You quickly dismount, careful not to let any portion of the strange spear touch her, and put a bit of distance between the two of you.
"What is this thing...?"

>The pretty alicorn struggles to her hooves, blowing a few strands of ethereal mane from her eyes in the process as some of her strength begins to return.
>"The Progenitors studied the effects of storms with great interest, and they found that by enchanting clouds in a certain way, those clouds could be used to steal the latent magic of anything they came to touch, be it the enchanted engines of an airship, or directly from a living creature. You likely already suspect this, but the torpedoes Twilight's stone fortress made use of worked on the same basic principle."
>She turns her magenta eyes to the dragon in the distant sky, his own golden irises meeting her gaze as he spots the two of you and adjusts his course.
>"My magic may not be able to touch an ancient dragon. But theirs... the weapon you now hold... can quench the flame."
>Yeah... you think you understand what she's getting at now, and you hold the spear a little more tightly as the realization sets in.
>She giggles. "You know, due to your lack of innate magic, you're likely the only creature in this world who could hold such a thing without succumbing to its effects. Equestria is counting on your efforts, my human. I doubt I have the strength to make another, so may your aim be true."
>With a laugh, you shake your head.
"Yeah... no pressure, right?"
>You gaze up at the approaching dragon just in time to see him breathe another line of flame as he draws near. You dive for cover, still holding the mystical spear close, and crouch low to maintain your balance as the dragon's nearby landing uproots trees and sends tremors through the earth.
>The great creature looms over the section of ruined forest, from this perspective more like a skyscraper than a beast, and you come to realize that the wall of fire he created was meant to separate you and Celestia. You're trapped on one side, her on the other, with a sneering Agamemnon between you.

>"Hmm hmm hmm," the dragon's throat rumbles as he focuses his attention on the alicorn. "It feels good to stretch my limbs and move around like this again. We could easily keep up this chase for another age, could we not, vile Herald of the Sun?"
>He cranes his neck downward to lock eyes with her.
>"But your 'precious' little thing wouldn't last that long, would he? And it seems you've given up and abandoned him here. Have you finally come to realize the futility of all this, or is this yet another desperate ploy you've managed to concoct?"
>Celestia lets out a sigh and turns away, wings drooping.
>"You are right. We can't escape you, and if I can't appease you in any other way then I have no choice but to relinquish him to your care."
>Another rumbling laugh echoes over the sound of the fire nearby.
>"Is that so? How prudent... but I don't believe you!"
>Without warning, and with a speed that should be completely impossible for a monster of his size, the great dragon suddenly pivots and slams his tail into the nearby ground, right where Celestia was standing. The impact causes a minor earthquake, nearly knocking you off your feet and uprooting yet more dead trees.
>In the exact same motion, the beast's left arm strikes out with similar speed, aiming to capture you. It's a flawlessly planned and executed maneuver, intended to both distract and occupy Celestia while claiming his prize, all in the space of a second or less. There's no chance for you to run, and there's no chance for her to save you, even with the aid of her magic.
>But you never intended to run from the start. Instead, you hold firm, maintaining your balance despite the tremors running through the earth, and you wait for the great claw to approach.
>And at the last possible second, as the talons gleam in the nearby light of the fire, you thrust the spear of dark magic into the dragon's open palm with all your might!

>The magical weapon easily pierces the scales which looked to be so impenetrable before.
>And then, with a deafening surge of energy, it explodes like a bomb, sending teal-colored concentric rings of forbidden magic into the surroundings and blasting you several hundred feet backwards, where you manage to come to a stop with a painful thump against the trunk of a half-burned tree.
>Agamemnon releases a pained roar that can likely be heard even from Canterlot as he clutches his wounded claw and staggers back, barely maintaining his balance.
>"What... how?!"
>He coughs several times as he fights to remain upright, but instead of the usual flames, only black smoke emerges. And for the first time since this all began, you recognize the telltale sign of fear in his eyes as he desperately searches the surroundings for Celestia.
>"My flame diminishes?! What have you done, you miserable wretch?!"
>The ground shudders yet again as he collapses, smothering the nearby fire, wisps of black smoke spiraling from his nostrils and mouth as he pants for breath. Even though he can no longer move, his eyes continue to frantically search for Celestia, who emerges from a nearby mass of fallen trees, her white coat muddy and feathers in disarray from the dragon's earlier surprise attack.
>"Forgive me for my deception, Great Watcher, but there was no other way. I must ask that you sleep for a while longer. I'm sorry it can't be in the comfort of your lair, but I give you my word that no harm will come to you here, and I also swear that the necessary tribute will be prepared when you next awake."

>Her horn shines with its usual golden aura as she closes her eyes to focus on a spell to put the now weakened dragon to sleep. You stagger to your feet and let out a relieved sigh as you start to move toward her. It looks like, against all odds, the two of you have managed to get through yet another crisis more or less intact.
>"So, you used their magic through him. I should've expected as much from one of the successors..."
>You freeze in your tracks.
>Something's wrong. There's no fear in his voice. There's no fear in his eyes...
>"But you've made a fatal miscalculation, little pony."
"CEL! WATCH OUT!"
>It happens like lightning the moment you cry out. The great beast's arm thrusts forward to capture the white alicorn in his grip. Her utter shock, combined with the pain of being bound, causes the spell she's channeling to break, and the aura around her horn fades away.
>The great dragon weakly rises from the ground, holding the struggling alicorn directly to his face as he sneers in triumph.
>"You should never approach a wounded dragon! You may have weakened my flame, and you may have made me subject to your accursed magic, but my strength remains, and it will be your end!"
>She cries out as his grip tightens, the pain preventing her from focusing enough to channel any magic. You try to run toward her, but a shooting pain in your left leg causes you to stumble and fall. Shit... it must've been fractured in the blast earlier!
"Cel...! Cel!"
>You grit your teeth and attempt to struggle past the pain in order to stand, but your injured leg fails you and you collapse once again.
>"I could've forgiven these other acts of defiance," the dragon growls, "but this insult will not stand. Have you any words before the toll is paid?"

>The alicorn's magenta eyes open, and she turns them to you as you struggle on the ground, now clawing your way toward her since you can no longer walk.
>Your eyes meet, and within her expression you see it all.
>What she intends. What will come to be.
"No..."
>Your tears fall upon the scorched earth, and she turns to face Agamemnon once again.
>"It's not... equivalent..."
>"Hmmm?" the great dragon hums with curiosity.
>"This life you are about to take... is worth more to this world than the riches that were stolen, and worth more than what has happened here. You know this... to be true."
>Agamemnon laughs. "Ah... begging for your life by appealing to my sense of honor and desire for balance. Pathetic, but appropriate. Tell me, how am I to properly conduct this exchange? In case you've forgotten, I have no riches left as a result of your thievery. Do you mean to say that I should spare you until I can properly compensate this puny nation of ponies for the loss of its ruler?"
>She closes her eyes, several tears running down her muzzle, before addressing the dragon once again.
>"Swear to me, Agamemnon the Clanless, on your blood, the blood of your kin, and the honor you hold, that when this is done, you will leave this land forever."
>He smiles as she continues.
>"And swear to me, on your blood, the blood of your kin, and the honor you hold, that you shall never touch this human, that you shall not interfere with his life here, that he shall live free from you until the end of his days, that he should be a treasure which you shall never come to possess!"

>A great laugh rings out into the late afternoon sky.
>"Truly, your greed humbles even one such as I! In the face of the end of your days, you continue to covet him. I commend you, but you think too narrowly. What is the purpose of a treasure when you will not live to enjoy it?"
>She closes her eyes and smiles back as she answers.
>"And what is the purpose of love if you're not willing to sacrifice everything for it? Because I love my ponies, I devote my last act to help ensure that they will live on in peace. Because I love my brother, I imprisoned him in stone until the day comes when I find a way to pull him from his madness and bring him back to us. Because I love my sister, I banished her from the earth until such a time when she could be redeemed. And because I love my human, I want to give him the opportunity to continue to know love in his life, even if that love can no longer come from me!"
>The dragon's smile remains unbroken as he continues to consider the pony held tightly in his claw. And though her tears continue to fall, her own smile continues to shine forth.
>"Agamemnon, these things are my treasures. Were I not willing to do this for them, I could not call them such."
>The ancient dragon closes his eyes and breathes out, jets of black smoke escaping into the air. With a nod of his head, and a fang-filled grin, he chuckles once more.
>"Well said."
>Slowly and gently, he places the pony upon the ground and releases her, much to her utter surprise as well as your own.
>"I've misjudged you. You truly do understand that which is precious, and I see now that my decision to respond to those voices heard on the wind in that age long past was not a mistake."

>The dragon breathes out again as Celestia falls to her haunches, her shock palpable.
>"I consider the debt paid. It seems my meager fortune was well spent. I'll dig out more riches from the earth to replace it. It will be something to occupy me as I've slept far too long lately, and this age... it appears will offer some interesting things for my tired eyes to behold."
>He turns his back and spreads his wings, rising into the air with a few unsteady beats.
>Celestia, who's since rushed to your side, calls out as he ascends.
>"Are... you certain of this? I can still properly repay our debt given time."
>The dragon laughs again as he turns back for a brief moment.
>"It was worth it to finally truly meet you, Celestia, Herald of the Sun, Secondborn of Those Who Came Before. If you wish to do more, then come visit me with your brother and sister in the future, and we'll reminisce about the old days. You can bring your odd-looking familiar too, if you like."
>Celestia nods. "Yes, when we've all been brought together again, I shall. Consider it a promise, Great Watcher."
>"Then let your word be your bond. Farewell."
>You watch the great beast disappear into the distance as the warmth of your alicorn's healing magic begins to flow through your injured leg and your hand travels through her mane out of habit.
"What just happened here?"
>She raises her head, her job finished, and watches the retreating silhouette along with you.
>"A question I long held was answered. Beyond that... all I can think to call it is a miracle."
>With a quick nuzzle, she turns away, curling up again on the muddy, scorched ground.
>"Come, my treasured one. Let's return, as I'm certain that by now we're dearly missed."
>You straddle her back, the pain in your leg no longer present, and together the two of you leave the burnt forest behind.

~~~~~~~~~

>The flight back to town is not without its issues. Halfway there, one of her wings buckles, sending the two of you crashing into the soft snow below. Thankfully, it's not a long fall, so you're quick to recover and help Celestia dig herself out.
"Are you alright?"
>"Yes," she replies, a slight blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. "But perhaps flying back wasn't the best idea."
>The alicorn raises a mud and snow-caked wing, its feathers sticking out in nearly every direction.
>"It appears I need a bath and some serious preening before attempting to fly again."
>You examine your own clothes, finding that you aren't in much better shape.
"Yeah... we got pretty roughed up back there. House hunting's tougher than you'd think."
>She giggles. "That it is. Between my finicky demands and attacks from ancient dragons, I sometimes wonder how it is you're able to put up with me, my human."
>You smile back.
"The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. But I will say that you're lucky you're such a pretty pony."
>She rolls her eyes. "Why is it that every time you compliment my appearance, it's when I'm looking my absolute worst? I'm beginning to wonder if you're being honest with me."
"I guess I'm about as honest as someone who's completely in love with you can be. You can interpret that however you like."
>A swat from her multicolored ethereal tail is her reply, which pulls yet more laughter from you both before she suddenly perks back up.
>"Oh, that's right! I nearly forgot!"
>Her horn shines, and the distant sun begins its path below the horizon, the moon rising to replace it.
>"I'd never hear the end of it from Lulu had I missed the sunset..."

>You reach out offer up some apologetic scratches to those perky ears.
"Well, at least something went right today, huh?"
>Some of the cheer leaves her face as she turns toward the setting sun.
>"Yes... at least we can take comfort in that. Come, we should continue on our way."
>She moves to trot away from you, but you remain where you are.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong."
>Her ears fold back as she looks away. "It's nothing to worry ab--"
"Enough, Cel. We talked about this twice already. There's no need for any secrets. There's no need to try to spare my feelings. If there's something wrong, I want to know so I can help you! Don't you understand that?"
>"Don't you understand that I nearly lost you today?!" she shouts back, fresh tears glimmering in the light of dusk. "I nearly lost you, Anon, and there was nothing I could do about it! If it weren't for Agamemnon's mercy, I--"
"We nearly lost each other. But we -DIDN'T-, Cel! We're fine! We're standing here talking to one another right now, aren't we?"
>"And who's to say what will happen the next time? Who's to say this won't continue? Ever since I stepped into your life, nearly from the moment we met, I've placed you in danger! I sent you to Equus Island alone, I set Twilight after you as a result of my foolish actions, there was that whole ordeal with returning to the Trials... even the airship I gave you as a gift faced constant attack until it too was destroyed! And now today... don't you see, it's never going to stop!"
>She collapses, sobbing, upon the snowy ground as you stand silently by.

>"It's never going to stop. Those who call themselves my enemies... and the multitude of mistakes I've made in the past, along with the mistakes I continue to make... they'll all, at some point, return. And you, by virtue of being close to me, will be placed into the path of danger, just as you were today, and inevitably, as we've just seen, there'll come a time when I won't be able to protect you!"
>You cross your arms as you gaze upon the trembling alicorn, the shadows of the surrounding trees growing longer as the sun continues its descent.
"So, what? You want to give up on this because you're afraid?"
>Her head snaps up, mouth slightly open as she stutters.
>"G-Give up... Anon, what would you have me do?! The thought of losing you... I can't bear it! Even if nothing I've said comes to pass, there's still--"
>You step over to her and kneel, and as gently as you can, you take the crying alicorn's muzzle into your hands and tilt her head until her eyes meet yours.
"What would I have you do...? Isn't it obvious? Marry me."
>Her eyes widen as a slight hiccup escapes.
>"W-What?"
>You smile at her.
"Marry me, Cel."
>She blinks her tears away, too taken aback by your proposal to shed any more.
>"Have... have you lost your mind?!"
>You shrug.
"Maybe? I'm asking a pretty pony princess for her hoof in marriage, so this is about as bizarre as it gets for me. But stop trying to change the subject; are you gonna do it or not?"

>She laughs. "This? This is how you choose to propose? Has nothing I've said over the past several minutes meant anything to you? Anon, if I marry you, your life will be thrown into the unending turmoil that follows me. I can't-- OUCH! Anon!"
>You reach out and flick one of her ears with your finger before she can get going.
"You're the one who hasn't been listening. None of that stuff matters to me. You even said it best today... 'as long as you're with me, I welcome whatever may come'."
>She turns away. "Anon..."
"Don't pretend like that wasn't exactly what you said. Those were the words of the pony who remembers what I told her on the Dawn Star. Those were the words of the pony who remembers what it feels like when we ride together. Those were the words of the pony I fell in love with..."
>You gently stroke her muzzle, calming her and pulling her tears away.
"I know it's been a rough day, and I know you're shaken. But Cel, when you're afraid, I'll be strong for you. Just like when I'm afraid, you're strong for me. Remember our promise?"
>She nods into your touch.
"That's why you don't need to feel burdened by the past. That's why you should put your fear of the future aside. I'm here with you, and you're here with me, right now, at this very moment!"
>You stand and step back, offering her a hand.
"It's as simple as that. Now, are you gonna answer me, or am I gonna have to keep standing here looking like an idiot?"

>A proposal is a pretty simple yes or no question when you get down to it. You honestly expected her to answer however she felt, take your hand, and the two of you would go from there.
>What you didn't expect was for the alicorn to leap from the snow and tackle you, sending the two of you rolling down a hillside.
>You come to a stop under the shadow of a bare tree, both panting for breath. Somehow, you ended up on top of her, her mane spilling around her head as she stares up at you with those beautiful magenta eyes.
>"Of course I will, my precious human... my treasure. But this proposal... what were you thinking? Why now? I honestly expected a bit better from you."
>You chuckle.
"Yeah, it's sudden I know, but don't you recognize where we are right now?"
>She glances around. "All these apple trees... an orchard within Sweet Apple Acres?"
"That's right. I know it looks a little different being winter and all, but this is where it all started. This is where you stole my heart as you ran from me that day. Looking back on it, there was something I should've done then that I've always regretted."
>She turns back to you, smiling in the light of dusk.
>"Oh? And what would that be?"
>Your lips meet, and you give her your answer.
>The two of you lose yourselves to the moment once again, content in the fact that you can advance through this life alongside one another in the time that you are given.
>Another day in winter ends, but you know that soon you'll feel the pull of the sun beyond the horizon to welcome the next as time flows ever onward.
>A new day, the next of many you'll greet as you ride together with her...
>...Welcomed without question, without second thoughts, without doubts, without regrets, without trepidation, and without fear.

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||- The End -||
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