//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: Off Duty 
// by awf 
//------------------------------//

Celestia had spent some time planning her move. It was nearly time now and she finished her preparations. She cast a critical eye over everything. Saddlebags, loaded with a few sandwiches and water bottles. Check. Two large glasses of yogurt and mashed fruit to get them started. Check. Collar, within easy reach near the garage door. Check.

Facial expression...

She walked to the bathroom and peered into the mirror for a quick, last-minute practice. Big eyes, as glossy as she could make them. Ears slightly lowered. Mane hanging down to accentuate the misery. Head held low, but turned up hopefully.

Something was missing. Aha! The mare floated over her collar and held it in her mouth so that it hung from either side.

It was perfect.

Perhaps all the preparation was unnecessary, but Celestia had a feeling Rawsthorne would try and weasel out of their agreement. He hadn't actually promised, after all. It was best to make sure.

Besides, it was fun to play the role of a neglected and lonely slave who is hoping for nothing more than some attention by her master. While she was working to suppress the giggle, Celestia heard the car pull up. The grinding, metallic noise of the garage door confirmed it. Rawsthorne was home. It was show time!

She neatly levitated the yogurt drinks to the only flat surface in the hall - a low shoe cabinet - and dropped her packed saddlebags at the side. She took the collar in her mouth again, sat before the garage door and waited, heart racing.

The door opened. Her human looked at her. The face - tired, of course - relaxed into a grin.

It worked. "Oh, alright, I get the hint," the human said. Celestia sensed he had meant to sound cross, but she knew the image she had created was simply too cute to resist. Of course he couldn't be mad!

She floated him his drink and gulped down her own. The collar was instantly around her neck and the bags on her back. Then the mare stepped nervously from hoof to hoof while she waited on Rawsthorne.

He put the glass down on the cabinet and looked at her. It was only half-empty, but she was willing to overlook that little insult. Rawsthorne raised up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'll just have to find some less-expensive pants, okay?"

"Already laid out on your bed. Hurry!"

"Sheesh, what's gotten into you?"

It was a valid question and it made the pony a pause in surprise. Impatience was uncharacteristic for her. Not to mention cajoling her owner like that? Unthinkable to the 'old Celestia'.

The truth wasn't difficult to guess. She had spent the day alone. She had watched the TV until it bored her. Then she swept all the floors, made the beds and went out to trim the hedge some more.

She had, very carefully, abstained from eating the sweet foliage. That is, eating it off the bush itself. No one saw her stick her muzzle in the bag once she had gotten it behind the house. After that, she read up on some human recipes. She was well into the meat section and couldn't stand more than a couple at a time. After a few pages she was forced to put the book away to quell her uneasy stomach.

She considered another bath or steam, but the alicorn knew such indulgence would spoil her irreversibly, so the rest of her afternoon was spent standing on the roof and trying to peer through the thinning, multicolored forest for trails she would like to explore. She had quite a few in her sights.

Too bad it was already getting dark and she would only have an hour, two at the most. The trip would have to be repeated on a Saturday! Even if she had to carry the human on her back!

And there it was: She had been hyping herself up for the walk throughout the afternoon. No wonder she was so impatient to get going. She stilled her hooves and schooled her expression back to the one she internally called 'diplomatic patience', but she couldn't keep her ears from seeking out the tiniest sounds which told her how Rawsthorne was doing with his clothes.

The silken rustle as his fine shirt slid off. Followed by the metallic tinkle of the belt buckle. An occasional grunt as pants came down and were shaken off. Then, to her slight disappointment, the sound of the human fiddling with the clothes wardrobe. She had hoped he would leave the suit on the bed or floor for her to tidy up later. It would have saved him seconds!

Then came the coarser sounds of his 'jeans'. That was what the label said, at least. He had worn these to the market a few days ago, the mare vividly remembered their washed-out blue color. She could pinpoint the moment he had finished pulling them on. Then the zipper. The belt. Finally some more rustling as he began with his shirt and sweater.

The mare firmly stifled her desire to get up and pace. Instead, she sat on her haunches and examined the paintings in the entrance hall. She looked, but didn't see a single one - in her mind, she was watching the human fiddle with his clothes some more, then stand up and walk out of the room and down the stairs.

Her owner found her apparently engrossed with a painting of sunflowers. "Van Gogh," he said, "you like it?"

She focused her eyes. It was quite a pleasant painting. A bit simplistic at first glance, but as she examined it for a few seconds, more and more details sprang to life. The painter, Celestia decided, was a genius, but it would have to wait for later.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go. Let's go!"

She was on her hooves and out the door in an instant. The human followed slowly and fiddled with the door. Then he put the keys in his pocket and looked up toward the hill. "So, where do you want to go?"

"This way! Come on. While there's some light left!"

That reminded Rawsthorne. "Oh, that's right! We should bring a flashlight, just in case. I don't want be stuck in the hills with no light."

The mare stared at him in shock as he pulled the keys back from his pocket, but then she remembered that Rawsthorne hadn't seen her do much else than simple levitation. "It's fine, I got it!" To demonstrate, she made her horn glow a brilliant yellow-white light, very much like the sun.

The human stared in awe. "Impressive," he managed.

The mare sighed, let the spell go and switched to levitation to tug his hand forward. It finally worked and Rawsthorne started moving.


As soon as they entered the forest, all impatience was gone from Celestia. She walked easily, if rather slowly, beside the human and tried to see everything. She had never taken a particular interest in the woods before. Even gardening had been an old, second-rate hobby. Now, everything seemed fresh and foreign and it wasn't only the fact that she was on an alien world - after all, the plants and trees looked much the same as the ones in Equestria.

Somehow, it was still novel and exciting. She found herself enjoying even the smallest detail. The touch of wind on her withers. The scents of wood and moss and mud. The crunch - or, in some places, squelch - of leaves underhoof. They passed a small fir tree and she carefully nibbled on a few green tips. They were bitter and unpalatable, but it was important that she tasted it!

After a few minutes, she tried to strike up a conversation with Rawsthorne. "So, do you ever participate in the Running of the Leaves?"

"The running of what?" came the reply. The pony figured it must have a different name on Earth.

"Well, in late autumn, when the leaves are starting to fall from trees, there is a run through the woods to shake the last branches clear before winter. It is a very popular event in Equestria. Nearly every pony joins it."

His question shocked her: "Why?"

The mare opened her mouth to tell the human it had been that way for countless generations. But then she tried to remember why the tradition had started. It took some digging. "At first, it was only earth ponies for their fruit trees. If there were no leaves left on branches, the trees stood the winter a little better. I guess that was reason enough, for some families."

She leaned closer as if confiding a big secret. "Some ponies care very much for their trees and other plants. I have heard of a family who covered theirs with cloth on particularly cold nights."

She wrenched her mind back to her story. "In any case, running is fun. Most ponies enjoy running, so over the years, more and more joined the tradition. Eventually, it spread also to pegasi and unicorns. Now, the entire kingdom does it every fall."

Rawsthorne took it all in and thought it over. "Fascinating place," he said, once again. Only this time, Celestia wasn't sure if it was derogatory or sincere. "Some humans run for recreation, or reasons of health. And yes, there are races - marathons - organized sometimes. But they mostly take place in cities, I think."

"Could I join one?"

The man looked her up and down. "I don't think it'd be allowed, not seriously. You do have a few unfair advantages."

She felt her ears droop down and her owner quickly stepped closer and scratched her head. "Look, I'll check the Internet and see. If there are any upcoming marathons, I'll call the organizers and ask if you could participate, even if you're not eligible to win, okay?"

She grinned, disappointment forgotten in an instant. "Thank you, Gregory!"

The human was thoughtful. "You know, you're an awful lot of work. I'm pretty sure the idea was that you'd reduce the amount of stuff I had to do."

She poked her tongue out at the human, before countering his complaint. "I do all the tedious stuff around the house. We can switch if you want!"

They both laughed and the pony went on, earnestly. "Besides, it'll do you good to go out and meet people. I think that's the real reason you got me, even if you won't admit it to yourself."

"So you're a shrink, too?"

"A what?"

"Psychiatrist. Head doctor."

The mare shook her head firmly. "Nothing of the sort. I just know how to read people. It comes with the job."

They walked in silence for a while, until they came across a tiny stream of water, running along the path. Celestia watched it for a moment, then grinned to herself.

Of course she had to try it!

She waited until there was a puddle large enough for her muzzle. Then she sucked up a mouthful. It tasted of mud, and wood and leaves, and left some grit on her tongue, but it was still delicious!

She saw Rawsthorne make a face. "Ugh, that's gross. I thought you were civilized!"

"Sometimes it's fun to let loose."

The human didn't seem convinced. He was looking at the mare strangely. "So, the first day, with you all proper and professional. That had been an act? Were you trying to impress me or something?"

Celestia froze. She quickly ran through the past few days in her mind. She really was acting very differently than what she had expected! She needed an explanation!

"Well, no. Not really. That is who I was. Call it a 'remnant of my past life'." She was careful not to allude to the fact that she would be returning to it. "But doing these jobs, for you. It is quite relaxing."

"Working the house is relaxing? Cooking? Cleaning?"

"Yes!" It was difficult to explain. Even Mr. Plain hadn't understood. Celestia wasn't entirely sure she herself knew why it was so, but she tried anyway.

"I don't know how or why, but this job is very relaxing. You must remember I had to decide important matters of state. I had to negotiate - which means 'deceive' most of the time. I had spent so long acting like a diplomat, that I forgot who I really was underneath. Do you understand?"

Her owner was staring into the distance, with his brow furrowed in thought. But slowly, he nodded. "I think I get it. You were a politician. You had to act a certain way, but now, you don't need that anymore."

"Exactly! It's liberating!"

That one made him laugh for a bit. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone use that particular word to describe servitude!"

"Well, it's true! Washing dishes is fun! Cleaning floors is fun! Because it is not complicated. You know when you're done. The dish doesn't pretend it's clean. The floor doesn't try to convince you that you owe it money. I like cooking, housework, and I like being relaxed."

When the human didn't answer her for a while, Celestia searched his face for any sign that she might have overstepped some bounds. Just in case, she added:

"Just - let me know if I relax too much, please? Before you decide to send me back to the auction?"

"I saw you finished the hedge today. Not a bad job. And the house is looking good," Rawsthorne said slowly. Celestia didn't immediately connect this with what they had just been discussing. So she simply took the compliment.

"Thank you?"

The man wasn't done yet. "Your cooking is good. Maybe you should try a meat dish or two, sometimes, but it's good, overall."

"Uh, sure? I've been reading up on it, and-"

Only now did the alicorn realize Rawsthorne wasn't quite listening. He simply went on, interrupting her: "So, as long as the quality of your work doesn't change, I don't mind you a bit more relaxed. I'm glad you enjoy the work. Also, goofy horse is funny horse, and that's a very welcome, if unexpected, bonus."

She felt her mouth slowly spread in a smile. "So, you're happy with my service?"

The man nodded, finally able to hear her again, it seemed. "Extremely. Just don't go too crazy, okay? If you do, I might belt you again, but I don't think I'll send you back."

Her punishment came back to mind and the mare lowered her ears. It was more a sign of shame, than fear. "Good. Then we are agreed," she said.

She held out her hoof for him to shake. It was a little muddy, but the man could grab her ankle, which was nice and clean. He didn't though.

"One more thing, I've been thinking about."

"Yes?"

"You are not to use the sauna whenever you please, alright? Maybe I've been too lenient. We'll save that for a special reward when you've been good. The same goes for bath. You can take showers, instead."

Celestia blinked in surprise and her hoof dropped to the ground. It was a loss and it stung quite a bit, but the human was right, she realized. Over the days she had gotten too relaxed. She had forgotten her role in their story. Her owner was absolutely within his right to put her in her proper place. Plus, the mare realized, he hadn't said anything about baking or TV.

"H-how will I earn them?"

The human went to pat her head. It really helped ease the sting. "Well, you've earned one bath and sauna with that contract you checked. My colleague who deals with international trade has been going over it for the past two days. Apparently, most of your suggestions are 'brilliant' and the few that aren't, are good starting points."

The pony felt herself beam with pride. She even stood a bit taller.

There was more. Rawsthorne went on: "And, despite my misgivings, it seems you hardly missed a thing. A few minor, esoteric points, but he's had twenty years of experience and specializes in that field. You've only read the law books once. It's damned impressive, Celestia!"

Almost without her conscious controls, her hooves did a little prance and the mare hugged her owner with her wings. "Thank you! I was happy to help!"

After extricating himself from her affection, Rawsthorne spoke again. "You saved him a couple days of work, so don't be surprised if he offers to buy you lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to see what he says when he sees you!" Whatever Rawsthorne was imagining, it made him chuckle, but he wouldn't explain what he meant, even after Celestia asked.

They resumed their walk. She really wanted to reach the top of the smaller hill. There was a clearing where they could watch the stars come out and eat their sandwiches. Then, she'd use her magic to light their way home. She was still a bit shaken about the sudden discipline. She had been getting quite comfortable around her Master. He was very easygoing, despite appearances, but she understood his concern. If her demeanor changed this much in a few short days, where might it end up?

The 'diplomat' in her fully endorsed Rawsthorne's decision to limit her fun and keep her reined in, but the 'Celestia' part of her couldn't help but fume a little at the loss. She'd have to find a small, funny and - above all - harmless way to get back at him one of these days. She wouldn't hurt the man, in any way. Or even inconvenience him, but she needed to plot a little. It helped her put the incident fully behind her.

Besides, she had one bath and sauna, and she planned to enjoy them later tonight. The water would feel nice after their walk.