//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Off Duty // by awf //------------------------------// A faint, blaring noise from Rawsthorne's room made her jerk up. It was still dark, but there was a hint of pink on the horizon to the left. Celestia didn't remember falling asleep, but her entire body was sore from the awkward position. She had slipped from the chair and ended up sleeping wedged between the chair and the windowsill. She stretched, painfully, and got to unsteady hooves. She levitated up her vest and hoofguards, but then remembered her decision from the previous night. Feeling a bit embarrassed and very naughty, the mare dropped them, walked outside, and went to the human's room. She heard him moving about and pushed the door open. "Rawsthorne, I-" She didn't get much further before the door almost slammed back into her face. She blinked in shock. There had been so much pink flesh. When she realized that the human was dressing himself, Celestia couldn't help blushing a vivid red. It was far too close to her own discomfort at not wearing her own clothes! "Sorry!" "Knock next time!" the man commanded. "Of course! I forgot! Please forgive me?" There was a grunt which she chose to understand as affirmative. She waited in the hallway for her owner to come out. He had his pants and a basic shirt, which wasn't even buttoned up all the way. The man had obviously hurried for her sake. "I'm very sorry, Mas- Gregory. I completely forgot! It will not happen again!" He just waved it away. "It's fine, it's fine! Just startled me, that's all," he said, then blinked and stared at her. "But I can't help noticing that you also neglected to wear your own... things." Her blush deepened. Now that she was being called out on it, going without her vest and hoofguards seemed like a bad idea. "Oh, I thought- I decided I don't need them. Most ponies wear nothing at all, I hope that's alright?" He raised a question she could see miles away: "Why did you, then?" Luckily, Celestia thought fast. "I had to meet with foreign diplomats very often. It was a formal thing and I guess I had just gotten used to it. I can put them on, if you'd like?" The human looked her up and down in a way that made her feel even more naked, somehow. But then he shrugged. "It's fine. I don't mind either way." The mare relaxed a little when her owner left for the bathroom. It occurred to her that Rawsthorne had forgotten to ask why she was bothering him this early in the first place. It was time to fix this bad impression. She scurried to the kitchen and got started on breakfast. There was no time to waste! When Rawsthorne came down, he was fully dressed and cleanly shaven. The mare had also been busy and the table was set with everything she could find. There was toast with hard boiled eggs. She had peeled them, too. There was a plate of cheese slices. And, having found a box of milk, Celestia even made pancakes. She didn't have fresh fruit and cream for the topping, so she simply used jam from a glass jar. Most importantly, there was a steaming cup of tea. That was the first thing the human took, before casting an impressed gaze over the rest. "I didn't even know I had most of this stuff in the house," he commented. The pony laughed pleasantly. She was happy the man didn't bring up their incident. "You did. Breakfast is the most important meal. I have put together a small list with the essentials we will need for tonight and tomorrow morning. It is Thursday, correct?" The man nodded. "Yes, tomorrow is Friday." "Good. If you would be so kind as to buy these items, we will be stocked until Saturday. We are still going to the market, right?" Another nod. "Yes, of course." And just like that, Celestia realized, she had control over the household. True, the man was her owner, on paper. But he would defer to her decisions regarding food and shopping for groceries. She slid the yellow paper rectangle forward. She had done her best to keep it short, but the paper was filled with her neat script. The human inspected it briefly. "Shouldn't be a problem. I will pick these up on my way home." "Very good, sir. Now, what do you want me to do while you are gone? My duties?" It reminded him and Rawsthorne became more sure of himself. "Ah, of course. There's cleaning and tidying up, of course. You are to keep the house in order. I don't have time now, but I will show you how to operate the washing machine and the dishwasher tonight. For now, just do the dishes the old-fashioned way and drop the laundry in the basket downstairs." It sounded simple enough and Celestia gave a curt nod. "Of course." There was more, but the man looked at her before asking: "I would also like you to maintain the outside. The hedge needs trimming and perhaps there is some work in the flower beds. I normally call a gardener once a month and he tells me what needs doing to keep the house looking presentable. Can you handle that?" The mare grinned. "Of course. Gardening is something of a hobby. I will inspect the outside and come up with some suggestions by tonight." The human looked happier. "Very versatile, aren't you?" "I do my best, sir." Then the man shrugged. "That's about it, for now, really. The rest of the day is your own. Do you want me to show you how to operate the television?" Celestia remembered the magic window in the living room. She was curious about it, but the human was starting to fidget as if he was in a hurry. If it came down to a choice between showing her a new trick and eating breakfast, she would insist on the latter. "That is fine, sir. If you just tell me where you keep your books, I will read a little. The 'tele-vision' can wait." He told her where to look for the small library, then tried to get up to leave for work. He had finished his tea, but hadn't touched the food. Her magic gently, but firmly, held him down. "Your breakfast, Gregory?" He waved a hand. "I probably forgot to mention - I don't eat breakfast, usually. Just a cup of tea is enough." He attempted to rise again, but the pony easily kept him sitting. "You needn't have bothered, I'm sorry." "Please, I must insist. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I am sorry if you are late - I will make sure I wake up earlier tomorrow to get it all ready sooner." The man sighed. He knew he wouldn't get away until he ate something. If he commanded it, the mare would let him up. They both knew that. But he apparently decided to follow her advice, because Rawsthorne hurriedly took a piece of toast and an egg. She watched him eat in silence. To her surprise, the man even took one of the pancakes and washed it down with more tea. "Very good, sir. Have a lovely day at work!" Her magic vanished and the human got up. He gave her a look she couldn't quite identify. "Will I need to get one of those magic-suppressing rings from the auction? I didn't order one because Mr. Plain assured me you would behave." She gave a polite smile. "Of course, sir. Except when it comes to breakfast." His smile returned, if a bit hesitantly. "Well, be careful. Because I will order one if you abuse the privilege!" Then he hurried out and Celestia was left alone, heart hammering. She shook her head and concentrated on her breathing. This had been quite a gamble and she hadn't even been with the human a whole day! Perhaps she was too used to command? The mare suddenly realized that Rawsthorne would be entirely within his rights to belt her. True, she could easily prevent it but then she would have to leave. She wasn't relinquishing control, Celestia thought to herself, she was acquiring it. It would not do. From now on, the alicorn promised herself, Gregory's word would be law. She was going to do the whole servitude thing properly, just like she had imagined it. Her gaze fell on what was left of her breakfast. Rawsthorne might not be a fan of eating in the morning, but the mare couldn't think of another way to start her day. Pretty soon, she had devoured everything she had prepared. It was time to go to work. Together with last night's dinner, she had accrued a sizable pile of dishes to wash. There was also the matter of cleaning the house. The pony realized that Rawsthorne had forgotten to show her any brooms, brushes, mops or supplies. No matter, she had enough time to explore the house and find all that. There was bound to be a broom cupboard or something. She had feared that these parts of servitude would be markedly less fun. But there was something relaxing about the mindless work. For one, she knew exactly when it would be finished. And for another, the job wouldn't change partway through. The sponge wouldn't try to manipulate her. The plates and cups wouldn't lie to gain some political advantage. The dishes were the most immediate, so she did that first. She quickly found soap, sponge and cloth. Once they were washed and dried, she pulled open cupboards and drawers until she found where everything fit. For good measure, she also wiped down the smooth stove surface and the inside of the oven. When she was done with the kitchen, the pony went to explore her new home. She knew some of the rooms already and for most others she could guess their purpose. There were two more bedrooms, though barely furnished, and yet another bathroom on the first floor. It was attached to Rawsthorne's bedroom, for convenience, she thought. She saw a few clothes on the floor and remembered the instructions about the laundry. She went to look for it. She found something like a machine room in the basement. The multitude of pipes and blocky metal objects looked ominous and scary. The mare watched the contraption warily, waiting to see if it would do something. Unfortunately, she spotted the laundry basket through a small door, right next to the machinery. She laughed at herself for being silly - no human contraption could threaten her, after all - but the feeling of unease didn't go away. She would have to walk past the arrangement of gleaming metal parts. The gloom didn't help at all! She took a few hesitant steps, then froze. Her breath caught. From this angle, two of the softly glowing red lights almost became eyes, peering at her from a dark corner. The pony gulped and took another step. The image went away. "Silly, silly! It's just pipes and things!" She chided herself, even forced a little laugh, but it didn't help. The thing seemed to be staring at her, waiting to pounce. Perhaps if she explored it a little? The pony turned toward a large block with a smaller, protruding part on the front side. She leaned her head closer to smell it. There was suddenly a loud click somewhere in the mess of wires. Her head whirled to look at a little green light which had lit up. Before Celestia could discover what it meant, a slow rumble began deep in the machine. She knew her eyes were as big as saucers and she felt her knees tremble a little. Then the monster roared. In the quiet, which had been punctuated only by the hammering of her own heart, it sounded worse than any dragon she had met. The mare gave a loud, frightened squeak and ran for it. She didn't stop until she was under her own bedcovers. Only then did she start to feel stupid. It was a machine. It had a function. She didn't understand it, but that didn't make it dangerous. Or else Rawsthorne would surely have mentioned it when he told her to go down there. In the safety of her own room, the alicorn could laugh at herself. She realized that she had wound herself up so tightly that a slightest noise from the metal contraption would seem monstrous to her. Then she remembered that she still had to get past it, to take laundry to the basket. Her smile faded and Celestia gulped. Perhaps it would be wise to play it safe. She would ask Rawsthorne about it when he came home. Until then, she would simply put all the laundry in the empty wardrobe in her room, so it would be ready for her to take down there. Just in case she still waited another half hour, listening to the distant hum of the terrible machine. Only when it stopped did Celestia finally come out of her room. It was easier to disregard the thing when it was quiet. She firmly shook her head and went to explore some more. She found the room for Rawsthorne's car. It was unmistakable due to the smell. The floor was a lot dirtier than the rest of the house and she'd need days to clean it all up. Maybe she didn't have to - considering that no one had bothered to tidy up in the past. She resolved to ignore it for now and ask the human. The living room she already knew, but there was a curious spiral staircase leading up from it. She hadn't even spotted it in the gloom the previous night, but Rawsthorne had told her to look for the library up there. She went to explore, even if it was a tight turn for her. Up above was indeed a room with bookshelves. The pony took a few minutes to pull out a number of books and read their titles. They were mostly on politics or law. Dry stuff, but she was used to such. A shelf to the side had more interesting tomes - cookery, gardening, even a few volumes on various machines. The mare made a mental note to look through those. If she understood the monster in the cellar, she wouldn't be afraid of it anymore, she repeated to herself. Luckily, the library also had a door to the first floor hallway, so she didn't have to go back down the narrow staircase. She walked past the master bedroom and found a spacious study. There were more shelves of books here, as well as a large writing table with unfamiliar objects. At first glance it looked like a smaller 'tele-vision', but that surely wasn't right. The human wouldn't want to be distracted by that while he was working, would he? Rawsthorne also had a board with little squares, next to the TV-like-thing. Each of them had a letter or a number. Did the human need it to remember what shapes the letters were? Surely he could read and write without assistance? The pony shook her head and added it to the mental list of things she wanted to ask about. There was a lot of paper on the desk and the carpet around it. She scanned through a few of the documents, but didn't try to decipher the legal language. Most of the papers were crumpled up and she felt safe enough throwing them into the basket. The others, she stacked neatly on the table. One final door waited on the first floor, but it opened to reveal a small space with no windows. She saw brooms, brushes, mops, buckets and colorful bottles with a strong chemical smell around them. She had found her supplies. With some relief the mare saw that all the cleaning bottles had labels with precise descriptions and instructions for their use. It was a clever idea and she stored it away for later. It would undoubtedly save time when training new staff for the palace! One more room was left on the ground floor. When she pushed the door open, Celestia couldn't hold back a small sigh. It was a dream come true! In the middle of the tiled room was a big bathtub! Against one of the walls, stood what seemed like a small wooden house. One specific word on the glass window caught her attention: 'Sauna'. It felt like coming home. Showers would have been fine, if the water was hot enough, but this was icing on the cake! The mare went to examine this room in minute detail, a dopey smile plastered across her face. If Rawsthorne asked for her hoof in marriage right then, she would have said yes. Not even the Canterlot Castle had its own steam room! Unfortunately now the idea was lodged in her head... There would be changes when she got home, Celesta was sure of that! For now, she had a job to do. She dragged herself away, her heart aching. An unwelcome little thought said that she should probably ask Rawsthorne if she may use these facilities. It didn't sound very 'slave-like' to just fill up the tub and have a relaxing bath. The house finished, Celestia went outside to see the flowerbeds Gregory had mentioned. It wasn't much of a garden- very few of the plants were edible, but she had to admit that they looked nice. The gardener hadn't bothered too much with the winter just over the horizon, but the pony saw a few jobs that could be done. Mr. Rawsthorne had been right - it looked like it was time to trim the hedge and, possibly, cut the grass. She walked around the house to see it from other angles. It was just as blocky and ugly from all directions and Celestia made a face at the unappealing structure. No amount of flowers would help there, she felt. Luckily, the surrounding area wasn't bad. Autumn was in full swing, which meant that most trees were getting ready to shed their leaves. To one side of the house there was an entire hillside, the one she had watched in the night. It was covered with a forest and her hooves itched to explore it, but she decided against it. Another day, after she had Rawsthorne's permission. Perhaps he would even allow her to join the Running of the Leaves. To the other side, there were fields of grass, punctuated by roads. She saw quite a number of cars driving around and briefly wondered if one of them had Rawsthorne. Of course not, she thought to herself and grinned. He had left for work hours ago. He wouldn't live so far from his job that it took him hours and hours to get there, right? It stood to reason. One of the vehicles rushed past the house and the pony caught a brief glimpse of a surprised face, staring out at her. She chuckled a little to herself - she must have seemed quite the oddity in this world of humans, especially judging from the last night's incident. She put it out of her mind and stared into the distance. The land sloped downward and she saw a big city in the valley. It put any place in Equestria to shame and for a moment Celestia wanted to fly down there and take a closer look. This urge was easier to resist. The metropolis seemed gray and lifeless, wrapped as it was in a thin fog. Perhaps she would visit it when the weather was nicer. Her survey complete, the mare thought about what to do next. There was plenty for her to clean. The alicorn decided it would be a good idea to thoroughly tidy the entire house, partly so she would impress Rawsthorne and partly for her own peace of mind. She hadn't seen a way to remove the carpets yet, so that seemed like an interesting challenge with which to start. Taking the tough fabric out and beating it free of dust would be a snap with her magic. After that, she decided, she would wash the floors and the bathrooms. And then she would gather up any clothing or sheets that needed laundering, and put them- away. Her ears fell flat against her head and Celestia did her best to put the mechanical monster out of her mind. The human had promised to show her how to use the washing machine. It seemed like a neat idea - a device that did all the washing for you. It would benefit the Canterlot Palace immensely and the staff would be most grateful if their Princess brought something like that home. The important bit, however, was that Rawsthorne would go down there with her. Somehow, that made her feel better. The carpet proved to be a problem. She couldn't find an edge - as if the fabric was stuck under the walls themselves! In her frustration, Celestia thought about simply ripping it up, but then she paused to think. Humans had no magic. How did they clean the carpets if they couldn't easily take them out? There had to be more to it, but she couldn't see it at the moment. Lacking any good options, the mare had to improvise with a complicated spell until she learned the human trick for cleaning carpets. Her spell was meant as a quick solution for a filthy dress, and it lifted particles of dirt right out of the fabric. It was quite an effort to cast it on a large enough scale to clean a room, but she had had thousands of years to perfect her magic. With some strain and concentration, and with her horn blazing brightly, the mare lifted all the dust and tiny particles of dirt out of the entire floor in a room. She then bunched it all together into a small, disgusting ball. She levitated it carefully out the front door and threw it as far as she could. Then she did it again and again, until there were no more rooms with carpeting. It was hard work and she was breathing heavily and sweating by the end. But she couldn't rest just yet. She picked up one of the colorful buckets and a mop and went to wipe all the floors without carpets. Luckily, that included only the kitchen, hallways, bathrooms an the dining room. Rawsthorne, it seemed, was quite a fan of carpets. Only then did the pony relax. Her stomach told her it was time to eat something - in fact, it had been growling for a while now, but Celestia hadn't wanted to stop until she was finished. A quick lunch, she decided, then a shower. Not to mention, a bath later that evening, if Rawsthorne said yes. Or, if he said no, probably a wrestling match until he said yes. The pony was fairly certain she could take the man. She went to browse the pantry and ended up with a can of sweet corn and some leftover bread from the previous night. It wasn't much and she was looking forward to dinner. The mare took her meagre lunch to the living room and sprawled in the couch. She looked at the dark and silent 'tele-vision'. Now that she had a moment, Celestia was curious. Rawsthorne had controlled it by means of a smaller black rectangle. She spotted it on the low coffee table and brought it closer to her face. The buttons had strange symbols, numbers and letters. She didn't know what to make of it. She poked 'A' - for 'Activate', but all it did was make a red light on the 'tele-vision' blink green for a moment. She tried another button, and it did the same. Each letter only caused a flicker. Luckily this device had buttons that yielded to pressure and she could use them with her levitating spell. None of that finger-touch-button nonsense, she was happy to see. She still didn't have any success with the infernal contraption. "Show me the pictures!" The command didn't work, of course. Out of desperation, Celestia picked a number - four - and pushed that button. Finally there was a click and the black window sprang to life. "Four?! Why in Equestria..." The pony had started to mutter to herself, but it died on her lips as she looked at the magic window. It was something like the cars - she was sure of it. Only they were strange. They only seemed to have one human in them and they were painted with garish colors. There wasn't any roof to keep out the rain, either! They drove in a cluster while a human voice kept talking about names and numbers. She also caught words like 'race', and 'championship' and what she guessed were names. After a few minutes she realized it was a competition. A race. It didn't seem very exciting - the runners just used those cars to drive around the track. She considered it cheating, but she guessed it was fair if everyone was doing it. She watched a few minutes, then looked at the remote again. This time she pressed the button marked five. The window flickered and now there were two humans in comfortable chairs having a discussion. She listened in, but it was mostly about politics, taxes and money. She'd had enough of such at home, so she tried 'six'. This was a lot more interesting. She watched the humans dancing and singing to catchy music for a while. After a bit she opened her canned corn and began to eat. She paused briefly when she heard the faint hum of the monster in the basement. Her muzzle scrunched up in thought. Had it always done that? The mare couldn't remember hearing the noise before. Perhaps it had been in the background and she hadn't really noticed? Whatever it was, now that she was aware of it, the metal monster sent a shiver down her spine and she felt her ears flatten again. The pony focused firmly on the tele-vision and her meal. Besides, the couch was feeling decidedly warmer and more comfortable. She decided to postpone her shower and watch the singing for a little while. That was where Rawsthorne found her when he returned. Sprawled over the couch, asleep and with MTV blaring in the background. The empty can was between her forehooves. The man cleared his throat to wake her and Celestia scurried to her hooves. "Gregory! Welcome home. I have done the tasks you assigned me. Did you go to the market? I will begin preparing dinner immediately." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was six, which stunned her. Somehow, with the insidious magic of the television box lulling her, she had slept three hours! It was sheer luck that she had done her work before becoming entrapped by the curious device. "A fan of music?" Rawsthorne asked. "No, not particularly. The first thing had a race, then there was talking about politics and then this. It seemed... fun, so I watched for a while." She grinned in embarrassment. "Very unusual songs. Some of them are quite rude, if you don't mind me saying." It made the human laugh. "Yeah, music today is like that. The groceries are in the car. Please fetch them out and put them in the pantry and refrigerator. The mare quickly gave her assent and went about the task. All it took was simple levitation and it was done in minutes. Then she took stock of the goodies. Her owner had found everything she had written down, so Celestia began working immediately. The human came to check on her after a few minutes and stared in awe at the sight. She was chopping several vegetables at the same time, filling a pot of water and stacking items she wouldn't need into the pantry, all without even looking at it. The pony stood in the middle of all that activity with her nose in a cookbook. She spotted the man and smiled pleasantly. "I am making rice medley, Rawsthorne. I hope that will suffice?" He tore his eyes from the whirlwind of motion. "Oh. Of course. Yes, that's fine." She kept her smile in place, but he kept staring. "Anything else? I will look through this book and prepare a shopping list for tomorrow. Any preferences?" Now he shook his head, but his eyes strayed to the pot, which floated over to the stove, and the cutting boards which delivered the initial set of vegetables. Her touch-stick set the heat without the mare even glancing in the direction. "N-no. Whatever you decide," Rawsthorne said, more than a little distracted. "Very good, sir. I will come find you when I'm done. It shouldn't be more than an hour." It worked and Rawsthorne left, albeit hesitantly. Celestia went back to her book while she waited for the water to boil. The dinner was, once again, a success. Her medley earned moderate praise and her skill at magically setting the table some unspoken admiration. But then something unthinkable happened. Rawsthorne did not touch the chocolate pudding she had made. It was still warm, too! It was all Celestia could do to keep herself from staring. Unsweetened tea was one thing, but this was a personal affront! Perhaps he hadn't noticed? She tried prodding a little: "Dessert, Gregory?" "Oh, thank you, no. I tend to stay away from oversweet food," the man blasphemed. "You needn't have given yourself this much work." Somehow, she kept the growl out of her voice, but it was still strained. "I like to bake." Luckily, Gregory didn't seem to notice her tone. He was already someplace else, mentally. The pony knew that expression all too well. "After you've cleaned up, take the evening off. You've done a very satisfactory job today." He even had the audacity to push the cup with his dessert toward her! She would eat it, of course, but it was tantamount to insult! She slid it back over, slowly but firmly, her eyes never leaving Gregory's face. "Please," she said through gritted teeth, "at least taste it." The cup came back. "Oh, thank you very much, Celestia, but no. I'm quite full." He didn't notice her glare because Rawsthorne had taken his phone out of a pocket and was reading something off it. Fuming, the Princess let it go. Despite the loss, she resolved to keep baking. Ever more wonderful, delicious treats. She would get Rawsthorne to appreciate her skill, or else! It was now a Quest for her. She accepted the challenge. The man wasn't really averse to sweets - the pancakes that morning proved it. But perhaps that had been the exception. Maybe the shock of her using magic on him had caused him to do something he normally wouldn't have. For a minute, the mare considered doing it again. It would be trivial to bind the human and force feed him the pudding. But what then? Rawsthorne would undoubtedly send for one of those rings. Or worse - send her back to the auction. Despite these minor hiccups, the mare was enjoying herself immensely. She didn't want her vacation to end after one day! And she didn't think Plain would agree to sell her again. According to their contract, he would just return her to Equestria and collect his pay. Fine! The pony nearly growled in frustration. The human had won this round. But she would find ways to make him eat her desserts. And not only eat - enjoy them, too! She swore it to herself. Tonight... tonight she would graciously settle for the second prize. "One more question, Gregory..." "Hmm?" he didn't even look up. The fact that the man wasn't even aware of their struggle really irked, but the alicorn kept her voice pleasant. "I couldn't help noticing you have a large bathtub and a sauna. I hope it is not inappropriate of me to ask-" He cut her off with an absentminded wave of his hand. "Oh, I got those because an old friend kept insisting I should. But I hardly ever use them, it's too much work. Please feel free, if you enjoy that sort of thing." Her jaw fell down. No sweets and no hot baths? And no steams? Was the human even alive?! She closed her mouth with a snap. At least she had his permission, so that was something. But should she extend her Quest to getting Rawsthorne to enjoy a steam? Would it be too weird? The pony decided to think on it later. There was another concern. "Will there be enough hot water? I would have stoked the furnace, but I did not find it. If you show me, I will light a fire for my bath." Now the man finally stopped fiddling with his phone and looked up in wonderment. "Wait- fire? Furnace? I have central heating, which works on oil, no need to stoke a furnace. Hot water isn't a problem." Infinite hot water and the man didn't enjoy baths?! Now, more than anytime before Celestia felt an alien. What kind of world had she dropped into? Luckily nothing prevented her from taking some pampering, that was the important part. "So, I assume the steam also doesn't need fire?" "It's electric. There's an on button on the side and a dial to set it-" the human began explaining, but then shrugged and put his phone back into a pocket. "Actually, I'll show you in a bit. You can operate the bath?" The mare gave a nod. She had seen the tap during her exploration earlier and understood how to use it. "Okay. Do that. I have to review an important case right now. I'll be done in about an hour and I'll come show you how to use the sauna, okay?" She bobbed her head again, which helped hide her smile of giddy anticipation. "Thank you, Rawsthorne." It was almost enough to make her forget about his dessert. Almost. She pulled the cup to herself and dunked her muzzle into the warm, sweet, delicious goop. She didn't notice the human leave. About a minute later, she came back to her senses and cleared the table. On her way to the kitchen, Celestia realized that she had forgotten to ask Rawsthorne her questions, mainly about the 'dish washer', he had mentioned, but also about cleaning the carpets, the laundry and - her breath caught at the thought - the mechanical monster in the basement. All of that could wait until the next morning. She simply washed the dishes with her magic. It was a snap, as was drying them and putting them back. There was some medley left and she saved it for her lunch the next day. The remaining pudding would wait for Rawsthorne's breakfast. For round two of their little contest! The mare almost giggled in excitement. It was a battle of wits, just as much as any trade negotiation or peace treaty she had brokered. Except this was infinitely more fun! Not to mention, she couldn't help thinking, much less stressful. Even if her opponent didn't even know they were competing. In truth, he didn't have to know. She'd still win. Celestia finished cleaning the kitchen, then hurried over to the best room in the house. A glance revealed that her tail was indeed unmentionable. And the mane was a filthy, tangled mess. It was sheer luck that Rawsthorne hadn't commented upon it. A man like him would undoubtedly expect his servants to be presentable. A dirty, neglected slave reflected badly upon her master. A quick rummage of the various cupboards revealed a bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath. She gratefully squirted a generous portion into the tub. She plugged it with the black cork before any of it could escape. Then she opened the tap and pushed it all the way to the right, toward the little red circle. She had discovered that meant hot water. The blue one on the other side was for cold water. Leaving it somewhere in the middle gave her a mixture and allowed her to set the absolutely perfect temperature. It was clever and much easier than two separate taps. Another invention to take home, perhaps? The water filled slowly and the mare used that time to inspect herself in the mirror. She blushed slightly when she remembered that she didn't have her vest, but the human hadn't remarked upon that either. Not after the morning, at least. She was still herself, though. A little disheveled, perhaps. Her fur and mane in a state they'd never be acceptable back home. But it was a vacation, Celestia reminded herself. She could afford to be a little lazy. In the court, anything less than absolute perfection was unthinkable. In that regard, Rawsthorne was already much more comfortable to be around. A very naughty thought occurred and the pony covered her mouth with a hoof to keep from bursting into laughter. The face looking back from the mirror could have belonged to a child in that moment, what with the gleam in her eyes and the pink cheeks. The very idea almost made her feel like a foal! What would happen, she wondered, if she went out and rolled in the dirt a little? How many thousands of years had it been since she had done something like that? Had she ever let herself go that completely, even when young? She had to try it! But not tonight. For now, she went to examine the wooden box. She found the buttons and dials on the side, but didn't touch them. Rawsthorne would come show her how it all worked. Inside, there was a wooden bench, a metal trough with some rocks and a wooden bucket with a ladle. She couldn't see any pipes for steam. 'Electric', Rawsthorne had called it. She was faintly aware of the term. She knew some of her subjects were researching it, but with her magic able to do everything for her, Celestia had never truly interested herself in machinery. Maybe it was time? The humans, having no magic at all, made their science work for them. It was a curious thought - one she would examine more closely when she was back home. Some things Earthlings could do with machines went even beyond what was achievable by the best unicorns. Celestia stared at the inside of the little house and tried to figure it out. The buckets and the ladle started to make sense. She remembered the oven, back in the kitchen. There was no fire, but it still got hot. The sauna must work in the same way! It would be dry heat, though, so she was probably supposed to put water in the bucket and pour it over stones with the ladle to get her steam! It was simple, really! Celestia felt immensely proud of herself. At this rate, even the monster in the basement would soon yield to her intellect! The thought recalled her and she moved her ears around. Yes, now that she was aware of it, she could hear the hum of the beast, just above the splashing of the water. It was roaring again and the mare looked uneasily at the floor beneath her hooves. The most reassuring fact, however, was that Rawsthorne didn't seem concerned. The machine was probably doing what it was supposed to, the mare decided. It wasn't scary at all, she told herself. She almost believed it, too. Besides, her water was ready! It seemed to Celestia like mere moments had passed before Gregory was already knocking on the door. Come to think of it, the water had turned lukewarm rather quickly, too! Maybe Earth's water couldn't retain the heat as well as in Equestria? "Come in!" There was a pause. Then the human asked uncertainly: "Are you decent?" The mare's eyes shot open and her muzzle scrunched up in surprise. She didn't know how to answer at first. "Rawsthorne - I am wearing exactly the same amount of clothes I have worn all day." "Oh. Right. Of course," the human said quickly and entered. Celestia noted that he still kept his eyes averted, as if looking at her would be somehow inappropriate. She held back an amused giggle as she stood up and climbed, dripping, out of the tub. She walked right up to the human and sat on her haunches. The floor was quickly covered with soapy water, but neither of them paid it any mind. "Show me how this works." A concrete goal, a distraction. That broke the ice well enough and Gregory brightened up. He pointed at the little gray panel with buttons and switches and dials. "Here's what you do..." he began. It turned out to be rather simple. The switch with a circular symbol would turn it on. Then one of the dials would set the temperature inside. Both were easy to use with her magic. After his hurried explanation, the human began backing out. He still hadn't even looked at her. And now, the pony worried, he might get it into his head that she was naked all the time. It was technically true, but it would make dealing with the human very awkward. Nigh unbearable, in fact. She was not going to start wearing clothes! The situation had to be resolved! "Rawsthorne. I wonder if I could ask another favour." His hand, which had been reaching for the door handle, stopped. "Yes?" he asked. Celestia returned to her bath. Lukewarm or not, after a few minutes outside, the water felt soothingly warm again. "Wash my back?" Again she had to suppress a laugh as the human nearly jumped. "What?!" he said, "can't you do it yourself?" "Well, yes. With magic, easily. But ponies are social creatures. We find things like this soothing. My sister used to do this for me, in fact." The mare didn't add '...until I banished her to the moon.' Rawsthorne was hesitating, which Celestia took as a good sign. She floated up a sponge and gave him a hopeful look. It worked! The human moved a little jerkily, almost mechanically, but he came to her. After a moment, he pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and took the sponge. She smiled encouragingly and turned to the side, to get herself in easy reach. After a few seconds, she felt the ginger touch on her back. "Don't worry, I'm quite sturdy. And - before you ask - no, this isn't weird." The alicorn was lying. Soaked and sitting in a bathtub with this alien creature pawing at her back made the mare feel very vulnerable. It was nothing like sharing a bath with a pony she trusted! Still, she was determined to make it right. Controlling her expression came easily after millenia of practice. "Feels... inappropriate," the man commented. But he didn't stop. "Why?" Celestia thought she understood. It was like the difference between seeing a mare walking around about her business, and seeing her in the bathroom, doing her... well, 'business'. Some things were done strictly in private. She was beginning to discover that bathing was one such thing for humans. It almost made a kind of sense. They wore their clothes all the time and didn't like to be seen without. She had experienced that when she walked in on the unclad human by accident. It was logical that these, private activities extended to everything which included removing their clothes. Luckily, there was a simple way to verify her theory. "So, you're uncomfortable with me in the bath because you're imagining me as a human woman? I can see how seeing one of them naked might be uncomfortable." "Yes! Exactly!" the human quickly affirmed. His pitiful attempts at washing her back stopped. "It just doesn't seem... proper!" Celestia was a little flattered. She had chided the man to see her more as a person and less as an animal. It had, apparently, worked. Maybe even too well. "Well, my culture is different, but I understand. It will be alright once I'm out of the bath?" He hesitated for just a second, but the mare had been watching for that. "Y-yes," Rawsthorne said uncertainly. "I suppose so." "Then, let's simply not think about it. I'm me, and you're you. Everything else is just labels, hmm?" She saw him nod. "Maybe it will help if you give me some orders. I've cleaned most of the house. Tomorrow I will wash the windows and sweep the dust on the furniture. Would you like me to get started on the garden?" This was firmer ground and she felt that the human was more sure of himself. "That sounds good. Yes, do that, please." 'Please', Celestia thought to herself. Quite polite, even to a slave. She approved. "Very good, Gregory. Thank you for your help here. I will try out the steam chamber tomorrow, when I am alone, if that's alright?" "Yes, sure. Whenever you like," he agreed. Then he let the sponge fall into the water and took a few steps back, to the door. "Listen, I will finish up my work and retire for the night. I shan't be needing breakfast tomorrow, so you may sleep in." The pony tsked and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, but I can't obey that order, Master." He understood her calling him that was just the mare being contrite, so he didn't correct her, but he raised up his hands as if in defense. "No, it really isn't necessary." Celestia allowed herself to glare a little. "I will hold you down with magic and feed you, if I have to!" The threat, however jokingly she might have made it, made the human scowl. "I will order the ring!" he countered. Now she let her mouth spread in a nasty smile. "Try it and see what happens!" They glared at each other fiercely for a moment, but then the human chuckled a little. A moment later, a much relieved Celestia joined in. "You really won't budge on this, will you?" Rawsthorne asked. The pony shook her head. It had been another gamble. She hadn't been entirely sure the man was joking. But she had listened to her instincts, honed by thousands of diplomatic encounters of all kinds. She could spot bluffing when she saw it. "I will not. We will be eating breakfast every morning. I suggest you plan your schedule accordingly." Rawsthorne spread his arms helplessly, then let them fall back. "Fine. But you're not really acting like a slave, you know that? Baths and saunas and TV. Not to mention ordering her owner around..." She poked her tongue out at him. "You're not acting like a slaver, either!" He gave this a bit of thought. "You'd prefer chains and collars and the belt when you misbehave?" Now Celestia quickly shook her head. Then she lowered her gaze and let her ears fold down in what, she hoped, looked like abject misery. "No, Master." There was a strange look in his eye. The mare could just see his face in the corner of her vision. "I swear to God, I don't know what to make of you, Celestia. Are you sure you're a regular pony?" For a moment she worried that he was getting close to uncovering her secret. The earlier remark about her not acting like a slave, and now this! She had to divert his train of thought, fast. "Do you have garden shears and a mower, Gregory? I will get started on the lawn tomorrow. And we might need some supplies, which we can pick up the next day." "Oh yes," he said, "the shears are in the garage. And you'll have to check if there's enough gas in the mower." He spotted her blank stare and shrugged. "Let's leave it until Saturday. I'll show you. And then in the afternoon, I'll take to you to the market for produce and groceries and then to the garden center for anything you need." The pony couldn't wrap her head around the idea that there should be a gas in the mower. It didn't run on steam, did it? She imagined that would be quite unwieldy. Yet another mechanical wonder, the mare guessed. She was looking forward to it. "Anything else?" the human asked. She shook her head and he bid her good night and ducked out. Only then did Celestia remember about the monster in the basement. It could wait another day, she decided, and sank back down. But the water was rapidly losing its heat, so she sighed and decided to get out. At least she felt sleepy this time. The day had been filled with strange adventure, and she hadn't gotten enough sleep the previous night. The nap on the couch had barely taken the edge off her exhaustion. Celestia quickly dried herself off, pulled the plug on the bathtub and went to leave the room. At the last second she remembered that she should clean up after herself, but aside from a bit of soapy water, there wasn't a big mess. Plus, the mare was certain Rawsthorne wouldn't need the room. She would clean it up tomorrow, the alicorn decided. It could wait. Happy with her reasoning, the mare made a slight detour through the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She drank it quickly and went to her room. She paused in the hallway and focused her ears, but there was no sound coming from the master bedroom. It looked like Rawsthorne was already asleep. There were no clocks upstairs, so the pony didn't know how late it was. Out of habit, she reached out to the sun to see how low under the horizon it was. But with the world between her and the shining orb, she could barely feel it. Too far for any kind of accuracy. Celestia shrugged to herself and sat on her bed. Her vest and hoofguards caught her eye. How quickly she had gotten used to being without them, the mare mused. But they reminded her of Luna and she hugged the fabric to her chest. "Have a peaceful night, Sister." She put the items under her bed and pulled the blanket over herself and was asleep in seconds.