It was five fifty, three minutes until Sunrise, and standing the top of the Arch-Library's tallest tower, a sage green unicorn with a gray mane and tail, and a cutie mark of a quill dipped in an ink bottle with a scroll beside it patiently waited for his pocket watch to read five fifty three. As the seconds ticked by, the unicorn, dubbed Iscariat Faust, took the few remaining minutes to gaze off at the vision laid before him, still bathed under the soothing curtain of night, Equestria and its citizens slept peacefully, as they have for eight hundred years. Not one of them knew what it was like to live in constant unrest, they all slept without a care in the world, breathing in deeply the sweet aroma of flowers and cool spring water unhindered, and that was fine for Iscariat. If he had the power he would go out of his way to shield all from the pleasantries of life, but he also knew that that would be just as hurtful as allowing them to experience the pains that shadow life, for to truly live then one must take the good with the bad. Such was the lesson Iscariat learned over the last eight hundred years, but while he could accept it, what he could not abide was the price it tolled, and as the clock finally read five fifty three, Iscariat took one final glance at the Moon and wished Princess Luna good morning.
Putting his pocket watch away in his black vest's left pocket, Iscariat splayed his fore hooves, bit down on his lip, and focused on both the Moon and the hidden Sun. Blazing to life in a gray magic aura, Iscariat's horn conjured forth two gray glowing spheres, one the size of a tennis ball whilst the other the size of a basketball, and both rested parallel to the other with the smaller one above the bigger one. Focusing hard on the two spheres, Iscariat gently had them spin clockwise to each other, and as he did the Moon slowly inched its way down towards the horizon to the west, while at the same time to the east the faint light of the Sun could be seen melting away the thin veneer of night. Iscariat took in shallow breaths, grinning his teeth and making the occasional grunt as he moved the two celestial bodies to their proper place, inch by inch. Eventually, with a great deal of effort, Iscariat had at last risen the Sun, and lowered the Moon, another day had begun, though for him it would hardly be routine, because today he would be on a date with his marefriend.
Taking out his pocket watch once more, Iscariat smiled that he was right on schedule; "Seems all that practice is paying off," Iscariat said happily aloud, as he proceed down the tower stairs, and into the library proper. Traversing through the, sometimes, confusing halls and corridors, Iscariat reached his bed chamber door, and with a gentle nudge he pushed the door open. A subtle creek littered the air due to the aging hinges, but it was thankfully not loud enough to disturb the sleeping mare on Iscariat's bed, and as he tip toed over to the bed he paused for a moment to simply admire the sight before him. Wrapped snugly in his thick, gray wool covers, her head resting on a pillow where he himself previously occupied, was the Princess of the Sun herself, Princess Celestia. Iscariat always found it amusing how Celestia showed no shame when they slept together, she always snuggled close, her head resting against his, and her fore hooves wrapped around him in a soft, but tight embrace; going to the bathroom was a nightmare sometimes, as her vice grip made it nearly impossible.
Soaking in the serenity of the moment, Iscariat quietly approached Celestia, and with the softest touch, he shook her shoulder. At first nothing happened, she just continued to sleep, oblivious to the world around her, but the second Iscariat let his guard down, placing his face inches from Celestia's, her eyes shot open, and she pounced on him like a Bengal tiger, with the strength to match. Crashing down onto the floor together in a heap, Princess Celestia wasted no time in applying her prodigious strength, clamping Iscariat betwixt her fore hooves, and completely at her mercy; just the way she liked it.
"Um, your highness, tis it not too early for such...um carnal actions?" Iscariat asked, his face all a flustered, and his heart's pace quickening.
"We rarely get moments such as these," Princess Celestia replied, as she leaned in close and pecked him on the lips. "So I will take them wherever, and whenever I can."
Iscariat knew that arguing with her was like drawing water from a stone, so instead he chose to play along, and planted a few kisses of his own, starting at Celestia's neck and working his way up. For ten minutes they lounged upon one another before, at last, Celestia loosened her grip, and then rose to her feet while still locked in passionate kiss with Iscariat.
"So, what is on the itinerary today?" Princess Celestia asked, as she levitated her yellow bath robe towards her, as well as her yellow towel, and scrub brush.
"Well I already raised the Sun, woke you up, made out with you...which wasn't on the schedule by the way," Iscariat said, as he referenced from a small black book he pulled out of his right pocket.
"I didn't see you complaining," Princess Celestia snickered, and then stuck out her tongue.
"That being said, can we please just follow my schedule today, please," Iscariat said, as he then put his book back in his pocket, and then proceeded to tidy up his bed.
"Fine, I'll just take a quick shower," Princess Celestia said, as she walked out of the room, purposely dragging her tail along Iscariat's right side, causing him to shiver uncontrollably, and Celestia to snicker fiendishly.
"And I'll get breakfast ready," Iscariat said, as he shook off his shivering, and regained his composure.
Due to the Arch-Library containing a vast collection of one of a kind pieces, from art work to unique artifacts, as well as uncountable amount of books, archaic and contemporary alike, the kitchen had to be annexed from the main building, and as a further precaution it had an enchantment placed on it that could instantly drain all oxygen from the room, while at the same time teleport anypony still trapped inside to safety. The kitchen had seen little use during Iscariat's term as Curator, not because he couldn't cook, but because he never saw the need to, especially when he could go weeks without eating anyway, so long as he had a cup a water every two days to keep himself hydrated. In any event, despite its relative lack of usage, Iscariat kept the kitchen well stocked, and above all kept it clean for fear of fires or the like. Now, due to Iscariat's more rustic taste, the kitchen wasn't the most modern for its time, featuring wood for all of its construction, iron wood to be exact, stained to a gray finish, but while dull it did sport a stone fireplace on the far end of the room, in respect to the entrance, and on the two adjacent walls were two pairs of cabinets, a top set for china and eating utensils, and a bottom set for cooking instruments such as pots and pans. On the left side there was a pantry housing all kinds of foods and spices, both exotic and common, some of them weren't even from Equestria, while on the right there was an ice chest for all the various types of seafood Iscariat has taken a liking to since his last trip abroad, for a sink he had a raised stone basin, atop an iron wood pedestal with a steel water pump beside it, and next to that was his island counter top boasting a solid granite top.
Donning his white apron, Iscariat immediately got to work, first he lite the fireplace with a simple spell, next he took out a cast iron pan with a three foot handle, and placed it upon the roaring flame. As the pan heated up he shuffled into the pantry and came out with four eggs, a loaf of bread, some red onions, a stick of butter, pepper, salt, parsley, and just before the pan reached optimal heat, Iscariat extracted from the ice chest two slices of king salmon. With all the ingredients gathered Iscariat used his skill in the culinary arts to whip up a delectable dish of poached eggs, roasted onions, and grilled salmon with a sprinkle of parsley for added flavor. After quickly cleaning all the dishes he dirtied, Iscariat levitated the two plates, along with a bottle of cider and two cups, and traversed through a single corridor to the dining room, situated between the main building and the kitchen. The dining room was small and cozy, a silver chandelier loomed over the adjustable red wood table in the center, the floor was solid oak stained to a maple brown finish, and upon the walls were exquisite, satin tapestries stitched by Clover the Clever herself, each one depicting an important moment in her life.
Resting the plates on the table, one on the left and the other on the right respectively, each with a silver dish cover to contain the heat, Iscariat took a step back to view his handy work, making sure the plates were centered before he began to lay down the silverware and glasses. Once the plates and utensils were all placed perfectly, and the cider was chilling in an ice bucket, Iscariat as ready to undergo the hardest task of all, folding the napkins to the proper shape, size, and length. Napkin folding was such a meticulous task, and required all of Iscariat's attention, so much so that he failed to notice Celestia sneaking up behind him, and then almost shocking him to death when she rested her hoof upon his shoulder. Princess Celestia laughed her flank off as Iscariat screamed out in terror, ripping the napkin he was folding in the process, and causing his blood pressure to shoot through the roof as his heart kicked it into overdrive. A tad upset at Celestia's immaturity, Iscariat sharply turned around, but the moment he did he lost his train of thought, and instead merely said, "Why?"
Standing before him was a still soaked Celestia, her entire body from horn to tail was dripping wet, leaving puddles upon his wooden floor, and who knows how many halls and corridors would now need a mopping to prevent any rug staining or wood rot.
"Your highness, why are you soaking wet?" Iscariat asked in disbelief.
"Oh, am I?" Princess Celestia retorted haphazardly, as she tossed back her mane with a flip, inadvertently sprinkling large clumps of water onto the precious tapestries, and causing Iscariat's heart to skip a beat or two.
"Yes, yes you are," Iscariat said, as he rubbed his temples ferociously.
"Guess I failed to notice," Princess Celestia replied, as she innocently played around with her drooping mane. "Perhaps you can help me to dry off."
"Your highness...This isn't on the schedule either!" Iscariat blurted out, taking out his black book to emphasis his point.
"Oh you know you want to," Princess Celestia teased, as she materialized her yellow towel beside Iscariat.
"That's not the point, you promised we would follow my schedule today," Iscariat said, as the yellow towel danced around him, begging him to grab it.
"I had my hooves crossed," Princess Celestia said with a sly smirk.
"That doesn't even make sense," Iscariat said, brushing the towel aside as he rubbed his temples again.
"Oh don't groan, look we are spending the day together, aren't we?" Princess Celestia retorted, as she took hold of Iscariat's black book, and tossed it out the dining room door. "Why plan everything to the finest detail, let's just have fun, and the rest will sort itself out."
"But...but...but I worked really, really hard on this. I wanted it to be perfect," Iscariat said, his voice slightly cracked, and his eyes threatening to spill over.
"It already is," Princess Celestia whispered sensually, as she walked over to Iscariat, swaying her hips in perfect rhythm to the movement of her feet.
"Your highness?" Iscariat said, as Celestia embraced him whole heartily, her wet mane draping over him, its sweet aroma soothing his spirit, and awaking his inner passion.
"I love you, Iscariat Faust. I love spending time with you, schedule or no schedule. All that matters is that I'm with you, and you with me," Princess Celestia spoke into Iscariat's ear, as she then proceeded to gnaw on said ear.
"Ah...your highness," Iscariat grunted out, as his breathing grew shaky, and his nerves rang with pleasure.
"Shh, you don't need to speak. Let's just have some fun now," Princess Celestia said, as she ran her right hoof along Iscariat's back, and then gently forced him down onto his back.
Iscariat and Celestia stayed in the dining room for two hours, after that they both took another shower, and while Celestia chose to remain in the buff, Iscariat, on the other hand, adorned another vest, a brown one this time. In spite of all the setbacks Iscariat and Celestia were at last ready to go out on their date, however due to the nature of their respective positions they couldn't just go waltzing across Equestria, and not expect some kind of blow back, political or otherwise. Fortunately there was a solution, and it was one they have been employing ever since they started dating months ago. In the center of the main Library chamber there was a grandfather clock, the Great Grandfather clock, which towered above all the bookshelves, and inside this antique time piece was a one of a kind device designed by the First Curator, the Omni Porter. Inside the clock, at its very peak, situated right below the clock's windup gear was a small, rectangular locker of sorts, and inside that was one tiny, crystal clear opal in the center of a hexagon array, shining brightly like a lone candle in a sea of darkness.
Very carefully Iscariat levitated the opal out of its socket, then gingerly rested it in a velvet lined jewelry box, and from that same box he levitated another opal, this one light pink, and placed it in the vacated socket. The light pink opal immediately started to glow, an as it did the array around it redesigned itself from a hexagon into a rhombus, and with that simple alteration Iscariat was satisfied and promptly shut the door on the opal. After he climbed down from the clock's gear room, he quickly secured the jewelry box inside his desk, then while holding hooves, he and Celestia walked towards the Arch-Library's main entrance, and finally got their date under way. As they stepped outside into the warm light of the afternoon Sun, Celestia's eyes were instantly captivated by the colorful foliage, the beautiful melodies sung by the birds, and the aroma of salty ocean air mixing with the numerous flowers scattered across the landscape. Lost in the moment, Celestia dashed on ahead towards a flower bed of daises and soaked in their wonderful aroma, but that was only the beginning, for as she went farther down the path she came across a ledge that boasted a spectacular vista.
From her vantage point, Celestia saw a landscape unlike any she has ever seen before, the ocean could be seen to the far right, its crashing waves and powerful breeze could be heard for miles, to the left there were dense jungles skirting around massive mountains that seemed to breech the heavens themselves, and in the center meadows and fields with flora and fauna mixed together in perfect harmony. The amount of vitality these lands possessed was a sight to behold, Celestia's horn and body both radiated in the presence of all this magic, it nearly made her pass out from shear overload, but thankfully Iscariat was there to keep her grounded.
"Impressed?" Iscariat asked, as he took his place at Celestia's side.
"Very, where are we?" Princess Celestia retorted, her eyes still gorging on the vista before her.
"This is the Far East, one of the Nine Realms that make up our Universe, and on a personal note, my favorite realm of the bunch," Iscariat replied with a smiling grin.
"I can see why," Princess Celestia said, as she leaned in close, and rested her head against Iscariat's.
"Don't get me wrong it has its quirks, but all in all it is a nice place to visit, and who knows, maybe live too," Iscariat said with a laugh, but Celestia quickly shot her head up at that last remark.
"Live? You mean as in permanent residency? As in not living in Equestria? As in not being able to see each other anymore?" Princess Celestia inquired, her face expressing deep concern.
"Well not right now, but maybe when I retire I might just choose to build a home here," Iscariat said, but upon hearing that Celestia firmly took hold of him, a few tears running down her face as the very notion of Iscariat leaving Equestria cut deep into her heart.
"I don't want you to," Princess Celestia blurted out, her voice shaky, devoid of all the mirth it once irradiated. "Please, don't leave me alone."
"Your highness..." Iscariat softly spoke, as he wrapped his hooves around in a soothing embrace. "I know you miss her too, but she will return, and when she does you can be a family again. Until that time I will be by your side, just as you have always been by mine. I'm not going anywhere, promise."
Hearing those words raised Celestia's spirits, and brought a smile to her face once again. Seeing no reason to rush things, they both held each other tight for quite some time, the warmth of their love bringing great joy to their hearts, as well as dismissing any dark thoughts the other might have had. Eventually they parted, but as soon as they did, Celestia with a devious smirk pushed Iscariat away before then leaping off the edge of the cliff they stood on, and took flight.
"What was that for!?" Iscariat wailed hot headily.
"Come on slowpoke, catch me if you can!" Princess Celestia shouted with a giggle, as she flew towards a nearby field of flowers.
"No fair, you can fly, and have a head start!" Iscariat said with a groan.
"All is fair in love and war!" Princess Celestia replied, as she performed a few barrel rolls for fun.
"But we are already in love, and this isn't war!" Iscariat retorted, once again rubbing his temples.
"Don't over think it! Just dive in!" Princess Celestia said, as she then flew out of ear shot.
Sighing deeply, Iscariat brushed off his frustration, brandished a smiling smirk, and then took off after Celestia. Showing no fear, Iscariat leaped off the ledge they were viewing from, he plummeted several feet per second, the air rushed around him, the wind roared in his ear the faster he went, and just as he reached the ground he caught hold of a tree limb then another, and another until at last he landed safely. Without losing a beat Iscariat darted off down the path before him, using his magic to further invigorate his stamina, to anyone catching sight of Iscariat all they saw was just a green blur, and it wasn't long till he was right on Celestia's heels, much to her surprise. Not one to just roll over, Celestia copied Iscariat's little invigoration trick, and was once more opening the divide between them, however, Iscariat wasn't a one trick pony. To her surprise Iscariat came to an abrupt halt, Celestia merely snickered, confident in her victory, but her assumption wasn't just premature it was flat out wrong, for just as she was about to fly off over the horizon she immediately stopped, while still in midair.
Perplexed by this impossible phenomena, Celestia try everything she could to resume her momentum, but nothing she did worked, and then it dawned on her. Conjuring a mirror she looked behind her, and instantly confirmed her suspicions, for in the reflection she saw Iscariat, his horn enshrouded in his normal gray aura, and in front of him was a small gray construct in the likeness of Celestia.
"Oh you sneaky little...That is grand scale cheating Iscariat! Using gravity magic to catch me is like swatting a fly with a sledge hammer," Princess Celestia whined, but only because she was on the receiving end.
"Please, you would have done it first if I hadn't beaten you to it," Iscariat retorted with a chuckle, as he then pulled Celestia towards him.
"You may have me, but I lose only on my terms," Princess Celestia replied with a fiendish smile, as her horn began to ignite in its trademark yellow aura.
"Hmm, what are you..." Iscariat began to say, but before he could finish he felt himself being inexorably pulled towards Celestia at high speed.
Crashing into each other, Iscariat and Celestia rolled uncontrollably downhill into a large patch of blue morning glories, while all the while laughing up a storm like a couple of school fillies. Even after all that they were still far from spent, an the moment they regained their footing Celestia pounced on Iscariat, peaked him on the cheek, and then rushed off through the flower patch, Iscariat not far behind. Dodging and weaving randomly, Celestia easily made circles around Iscariat, while at the same time tripping him up every so often so as to steal a kiss. For half an hour they frolicked in the flowers, Iscariat giving chance and Celestia setting him up ”clever" traps, and through it all not once did they stop laughing. Eventually they both were too exhausted to continue, and with one final pounce, Celestia and Iscariat fell into each others arms, and there they both laid, staring deeply into one an others eyes, nothing else mattering to them.
"It's getting late," Princess Celestia said, as she noticed the Sun slowly creeping towards the West. "We best be getting back home soon."
"Not really, in fact, I doubt that much time has passed back home," Iscariat said with a slight smirk.
"What do you mean?" Princess Celestia asked with a perplexed expression.
"Simply put, one week in the Far East is one day back in Equestria. The two realms have different temporal densities," Iscariat explained, causing Celestia to adopt a sly grin.
"Well..." Princess Celestia said, as she leaned closer to Iscariat, resting her head upon his chest. "I guess there is no need to rush."
"Was it not you who said, let's just have fun, and the rest will sort itself out?" Iscariat replied with a grin.
"Indeed I did," Princess Celestia said sluggishly, her eyes nodding off to the soothing rhythm of Iscariat's heartbeat.
"Considered it sorted out," Iscariat softly spoke into Celestia's ear, as they both slipped into peaceful slumber.