Celestia could hardly wait for the car to stop. She hadn't really had time to see any of her friends in the week leading up to the holidays, so this time with Glitter Dust would be most welcome. Rawsthorne kept his word and drove her over on Saturday. She hadn't yet been to where the pegasus lived, so the alicorn looked at the apartment building with some interest. She only got a brief glance before her gaze was drawn closer. Her friend was already standing outside on the street, waiting with a huge smile on her face.
Of course Celestia went in disguise. Perhaps it was a little belated, but the mare now knew she shouldn't show her alicorn self in public. She cheated with her camouflage a little when she used her magic to open the car door, but there was almost no glow so it was probably fine. She barely remembered to wave goodbye to Rawsthorne.
"Bye! I will have Maggie call you when I'm ready to go home!"
Celestia didn't want Rawsthorne to be bored while he waited the whole day, so he would return home and come pick her up in the evening, unless she decided to sleep over. Glitter Dust insisted it would be fine, but the alicorn wanted to hear Maggie confirm it first. The pegasus came to her and waved with a wing as Rawsthorne turned the car and drove away.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Glitter Dust said and began giggling with excitement. "Come on, let's go say hi to Maggie and Sam, then I'll introduce you to Doug!"
"Doug?" Celestia didn't know the name, which made her pegasus friend pause and lean her head to the side quizzically.
"Doug, you know! I told you about him, remember?"
The alicorn tried, but there was nothing. "You never mentioned a name. Is this your... friend?"
There was a hint of a blush there, but Glitter Dust nodded and jumped from hoof to hoof. "Yeah, yeahyeah, him! He came from college yesterday!"
The mare was suspiciously happy. Seeing old friends was fun, but Celestia had a nagging suspicion. "You are not making him cheat on his fillyfriend, are you?"
Even in her Supple Branch guise the alicorn still had her piercing stare. It worked all too well on Glitter Dust. There was the telltale red in her face, the nervous eyes which wouldn't meet hers. The pause.
"N-no! Why should I be responsible for what he does?!" the pegasus demanded.
"So you and him are... uh, you know?"
Now the mare grinned again. She took a step closer and spoke quietly. "Yes, but don't tell anyone, okay? Besides, his girlfriend broke up with him, so it's all fine!"
That had the sound of truth and besides, Glitter Dust seemed happy, so Celestia shrugged to herself. Who was she to judge anyway, with all the things she and Rawsthorne got up to lately?
"Good for you."
Her friend just nodded and ran a few steps again. "Yeah, come on!" she called. Her steps faltered and the pegasus frowned a little. "You hungry? Maggie said she could make us omelettes!"
It sounded delightful. Unfortunately, Celestia had already eaten. "I made a huge breakfast for Gregory and myself."
"So you still cook for him? Despite the fact that now he knows...?" Glitter Dust asked, a little puzzled.
The alicorn just shrugged. "Of course. Why not? I am still living in his house."
Her friend shook her head. "No, I mean - he doesn't mind that he has the literal Princess of Equestria making him meals?!"
Celestia just stared for a few moments. "Should he?"
Finally the pegasus shrugged. "Guess not. It's just weird. Listen, are you going to stay like that for the whole day?" she asked and indicated Supple Branch with a hoof.
"While we are in public, at least, but a whole day would be tiring. I will change back when we are alone. That is alright, isn't it?"
Glitter Dust just smiled. "Of course. It'll just be a bit weird, but I'm okay with it."
She hadn't expected that particular word, so Celestia asked about it. "Why weird?"
A hoof came up to wave at her disguise again and the pegasus tried to explain. "Well, it's weird. It's like 'Supple Branch' and 'Princess Celestia' are two different ponies. It's weird thinking of them as one and the same!"
It was a bit silly, now that she came to think of. Expecting that she could keep her friendships exactly the way they had been. Of course ponies would treat her differently. This was exactly what Celestia hadn't wanted when she came to Earth. She sighed and her head slumped a little.
"I'll try to make it not weird. Please don't be sad," Glitter Dust said quickly. She walked back and put a wing around her friend. "Now let's get the buck out of the cold already!"
This was promising. Their relationships would change, but maybe it didn't have to change too much? Celestia found a small smile. "I thought pegasi didn't feel cold?"
Glitter Dust poked her tongue out, which just made the alicorn chuckle.
She followed her friend into the building and up the stairs. Her ears caught the sounds of people living their lives. Mostly TV noises, a few pots cooking, some quiet conversation. It felt very homey. The alicorn lifted up her nose and sniffed. One of them was making a meat dish, but the other, she felt, was some kind of pasta. It was hard to tell in the mixture of scents. They went up and up, all the way to the top floor. Lucky for Glitter, Celestia thought. Many pegasi didn't feel right living on the ground. They came to a dark brown, wooden door. It had a handle, rather than a knob. All the other apartments had knobs, so the alicorn suspected the change was made to make Glitter Dust's life easier. It was very encouraging and the mare warmed up to Maggie and Sam. No wonder the pegasus wanted to stay with them!
"Hey! We're here!" Glitter called out and after a moment the familiar lady came through an open doorway.
"Oh, hello, Supple!" she said and gave her a friendly smile. "Would you like some breakfast? Or a coffee?"
The alicorn wished she could, but any more food would be the straw that broke the alicorn's back. The other thing sounded good, though. "Oh, some coffee please! Thank you!"
The woman nodded and pointed out a door. "Through there. Show her to the table, Glitter. Oh, and you haven't met Sam yet, have you? Glitter will introduce you."
"Not yet. I am very much looking forward to meeting your husband, Maggie."
The way her eyes bulged out and her hand came up to cover her mouth gave Celestia pause. Had she said something wrong? She was about to apologize, when the pegasus beside her burst out laughing.
The alicorn looked from the woman to her friend. "Glitter Dust?"
Now even Maggie was chuckling. "Oh my," she said, wheezing a little as she tried to keep from full laughter. "That's a first! You better show her, Glitter."
"Show me what?!" The Princess was getting really worried now. Glitter Dust was actually on the floor, holding her belly and flopping around weakly as she guffawed.
Celestia rolled her eyes. Whatever she had said wrong, it couldn't have been that funny, but she waited patiently until her friend got a grip on herself and stood up on shaky legs. There were tears in her eyes and the face was red. She was still grinning. "Dammit, Supple, that one was a classic. Just wait 'till the guys hear about this!"
Celestia didn't entirely like the idea, but she didn't mind too much. Maybe, whatever the mistake, it would prove to the ponies that she was, after all, just a mare. She followed the pegasus through the door into a small living room with a dining table. It was obviously used for both purposes. She looked at the human sitting at the table and froze.
There was an instant blush on her face.
Glitter Dust walked right up to Sam and giggled a little. "You heard?"
Sam nodded. She was also smiling at the joke.
"I am so sorry! I had no idea!" How do you apologize for something like that?! Celestia took a step closer and inclined her head. "Please! Accept my humble apologies. It was an honest mistake and I meant nothing bad by it."
The woman laughed easily. She didn't seem mad. "Yeah, 'Sam' is short for 'Samantha'. I guess Glitter Dust never even mentioned me?"
It wasn't a reprimand, because the lady reached out her hand and the pegasus easily slid her head under it to get a scratch. "I did! I totally did! I just never remembered to use the full name!"
Coming to her friend's defense, Celestia quickly confirmed the story. "That is true, ma'am, and I never asked to make sure. I simply assumed."
Sam gave a single nod. "You know what they say. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." To her relief, it didn't look like Sam held any sort of a grudge.
"Quite true. No hard feelings?" The alicorn walked forward so the lady didn't have to twist her neck to see her.
"No hard feelings," Sam repeated. "Come, take a seat. Have a pretzel!"
There was a bowl on the table. Despite her overfull stomach, Celestia was curious. She jumped up on the chair and inspected the offering. She was tempted, but if she indulged, the pony felt she would just fall asleep in an hour, coffee or not.
"Thank you. Perhaps a bit later."
"So, what will you two do today?" the woman asked idly to pass the time. The alicorn looked at her friend for an answer.
"We'll go hang out with Doug, maybe play a few games on his console. That reminds me, can I have some pizza money?" Glitter Dust asked and made a very good attempt at the Look. The girl was a natural! With a bit of training, she could become a master of the Look.
It worked! Sam reached into a pocket and brought out a wallet before realizing what she was doing. "Wait," she said slowly and paused. "What happened to your money? Are you playing one of those games again?"
The pegasus blushed and looked away. "N-no," she said quickly, if a little nervously. "Not for money, I'm not!"
The human sighed and Celestia nearly echoed it. "Glitter," Sam said tiredly, "you know how you always fall for these things. I don't wanna have to take your iPad away to make sure. We can't have you scamming one of your friends again!"
She watched the pony, but Glitter Dust didn't look up. "I swear I'm not spending any money on a game, Sam! Why won't you believe me?" the mare said petulantly.
Celestia looked at the miserable pony. She needed a friend right then, so she jumped down and went to hug the distraught pegasus. Then she addressed Sam. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I believe her." Then she faced the mare and smiled gently. "Glitter, swear to me that you will keep it in moderation and not fall into that trap again, no matter how tempting it is." It seemed she was getting through to Glitter Dust, so Celestia drove it home: "We both know what the really important things are, right? These games are not it, they are merely a slight distraction."
The human considered this. Two pony faces were practically a force of nature. Of course she couldn't resist! "Okay, fine, but I'll be checking! Just tell me what happened to your money."
Her ears flopped down and the pegasus looked at the floor again. "I'm saving it," she said quietly.
Both Sam and Celestia turned their gaze on the mare in surprise. "What for?" the woman beat her to the question.
Judging by the way Glitter was starting to blush, it was something really strange. "... gonna buy hang gliding lessons next summer," the pony mumbled. Celestia looked up at Sam, who was just as stunned as her.
"But why?! You're a pegasus, you can fly!"
"I knew you wouldn't understand," Glitter Dust said sadly.
Celestia put her hooves around her friend again and smiled. "Then tell us. You must have a good reason, right?"
Sam just nodded quietly. Maggie came with a small tray and four cups of coffee and joined her... wife? At least that's how Celestia would put it. Of course they could just be marefriends living together and not actually married. It wasn't uncommon in Equestria, where there was always a shortage of stallions.
"What are we talking about?" Maggie asked quietly. Sam murmured an explanation while Glitter Dust was gathering up her courage. After hearing it, Maggie also watched the pony in expectant, curious silence.
Finally, the pegasus took a deep breath. "Look, I know I can fly, right? But I saw hang gliding on YouTube and it looked interesting. I wanna know what it feels like to fly around without using your wings!"
It sounded like a very curious idea. Better than throwing money away on silly games and robbing her friends to fuel the addiction, at least. The humans decided the same thing, because they both smiled proudly. Sam put her hand back in Glitter's mane and sought out her ears with her fingers. "Well, I support that. If it means you won't piss money away on the iPad, I'm right behind it. Tell you what - if you keep at it, I'll kick in a hundred bucks for your birthday." The woman, still holding her wallet, opened it and pulled out a few notes. "And the pizza is on me."
Both Celestia and Glitter Dust smiled. "Thanks!" the pegasus said sweetly. Then she nudged her friend back toward the chair. "Come on, coffee, then we'll go meet Doug."
The alicorn liked the idea and the aroma of the beverage hung tantalizingly in the air. She also smelled cream on the table. A truly masterfully served refreshment!
The two mares made their way to the 'Den', as Glitter Dust had called it. It was in a similar looking apartment building a few streets away. They entered and Celestia couldn't quite shake the feeling like they were somehow trespassing, but Glitter Dust seemed right at home. She headed down the main staircase without missing a hoofstep and led Celestia to the beaten-up door with peeling paint.
Before they entered, however, the pegasus looked behind. "You said it's uncomfortable to stay in disguise too long?" she asked, reminding Celestia of the problem. Luckily, according to the mare, Doug could be trusted with the secret.
"Yes, I'd rather not. Should I change now, so I do not confuse your friend?"
"No, no! Stay a bit longer, it's gonna be awesome! I'll give you the signal!" her friend urged with a mischievous smile. After a moment, the alicorn also grinned in anticipation. It seemed like Glitter Dust had a plan for a joke. She straightened her face and reared up to open the door. It was the knob kind, so it took a bit of effort. When she entered, Celestia inspected the room. Just like her friend had explained, it did look very comfortable. The walls were a little bare, but there was a thick carpet on the floor and a couch of second-hand appearance. Celestia sniffed the air carefully. There was an edge of something unfamiliar. She recognized tobacco smoke and stale food. A bit of damp and the distinct smell which the mare associated with concrete.
The new thing was none of those. Celestia tentatively concluded that it was probably that weed Glitter Dust said she and the human liked to smoke. Her eye - trained in the subtle arts of housekeeping over the past few months - cast critically around the small room. The place needed a good cleaning in her opinion, but she had to admit it was homely. Even the occasional chips bag or empty can just served to enhance the feeling of it being lived-in. Strange, because the human had only arrived the previous day, Celestia remembered. It didn't add up, but the mare filed the question away for later. Right now, the young man on the couch waved and grinned at them.
The alicorn supposed he was handsome enough for a human. She didn't have too much experience to go by, but there were no obvious, glaring flaws. He was a little underweight for her taste - the mare would go as far as to say 'lanky', but apparently that seemed attractive to most humans. He had dark hair, longer than she was used to seeing on human males.
"Hey Glit. Brought a friend?" he asked.
The pegasus kicked the door closed behind her alicorn friend and ran forward to give the young man a hug. "Yes!" She made herself quite comfortable right in Doug's lap and extended a wing. "Doug, that's Celestia. Celestia, Doug."
The Princess stepped closer and reached out a hoof for a shake. The man inspected her quickly, then shrugged a little and focused rather on the mare in his lap. "Earth pony, eh? Well, she's welcome here. Mi casa es su casa, right?"
Glitter Dust looked like she was about to explode. "Wrong! Not an earth pony! Watch this, it's awesome!" she explained and pointed a hoof toward her friend.
It was the signal, Celestia decided. She let the disguise go and a flash of light left her standing at her full height and majesty. She liked to imagine that her mere presence made the room brighter. She smiled at the gobsmacked human. His mouth had fallen open and he was staring. Glitter Dust had been right - it was a good joke and the mare was having a blast laughing.
Unfortunately, Doug dislodged her onto the couch and got up to come stare at Celestia from closer. "Damnit, that's impressive! Nice trick!" he complimented. The alicorn stood still as he walked around to inspect her from all angles. "Love the hair. Like a rainbow," he murmured. Then Doug seemed to spot something and grunted. "Wait, wings and a horn? What do you call that? A pega-corn?"
Her friend was useless for any kind of explanation, so Celestia did it herself. "No, it is called 'alicorn'." She didn't bring up her station, of course, and she hoped Glitter Dust wouldn't either. According to the pegasus, this human could be trusted, but the Princess wasn't about to take chances if she didn't need to.
"Sweet. Well, have a seat," the young man invited and went back to plop his rump next to Glitter again. His arm went around her shoulders, which made the mare smile beautifully. There was a little something there, Celestia decided. Perhaps, if they saw each other more often, it could blossom.
"Yes please, beer for me!" the pegasus said, completely unfazed by the fact that her human now had to get up. He went to a small refrigerator in the corner and took out a can. Then he looked at the alicorn. "You?"
Celestia shook her head. "Thank you. Perhaps a bit later."
Doug shrugged and brought two cans. He handed one to Glitter and opened the other. Then they swapped. Of course, the pegasus couldn't open this human style can without a tool. The way Doug unthinkingly helped her spoke volumes of how comfortable the two were around each other. It was a nice thing to see and Celestia relaxed. Perhaps that was why the place seemed like a home, rather than some dark room in a basement. She went and sat on the couch. There was a small TV in a corner with a white box before it. Cables ran from the box to the screen. The game console she had heard so much about. There should be other bits of plastic around - controllers. Her pegasus friend had spent some time explaining all this. The smaller ones were for humans. In fact, Doug had one on the armrest of the couch. There was a larger controller on the carpet by the TV. That one had bigger buttons and levers, so that a pony might be able to operate it.
There was only one - just for Glitter Dust, no doubt - but the alicorn could easily use a human controller with her magic. In truth, she was looking forward to some of the games she had heard about, but first, it seemed, it was time for the pair beside her to sip beer and tell each other about their lives. Two friends, catching up after being apart for months. It was a nice sight to see and the alicorn was looking forward to listening to the stories they would share. She just hoped Glitter Dust skipped some of the more embarrassing ones about the Princess herself!
Time passed quickly. Celestia could see how Glitter Dust managed to lose herself in video games. These ones were great fun, especially when played with friends. She wasn't much good at it, but both the pegasus and her human friend were good sports when they won. At most, the pegasus poked gentle fun at the alicorn.
"Come on, Celly!" Glitter gasped out amid gales of laughter, "you've got magic! These things are awkward as hell for hooves and I'm still beating you!"
It was true. The alicorn had tried the larger controller which was made specifically for ponies and found it even worse than the usual kind. There were just too many buttons and sticks to think of, in addition to paying attention to the cars racing along on the street. On top of that, she kept forgetting which of the squares on the screen was hers. More often than not, her lack of skill resulted in a spectacular crash. It was a good thing no one got hurt. Other than Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder, who held their sides and guffawed after each misfortune.
"It is only because you have had such a lot of practice, Glitter Dust." It didn't sound right, even to her. Celestia couldn't see herself improving much, even if she played the thing regularly each week.
"Nuh-huh! I was a natural the second I picked it up! Tell her, Doug!" her friend replied.
The human was concentrating on the screen, because the pegasus was winning. Celestia stopped trying and just watched the other two finish the race. It was a close thing, but Glitter Dust managed to keep her slim lead. As soon as she passed the finish line, the pegasus threw her hooves up and whooped!
"YEAH! Still got it! Pony master race!" she cheered.
Celestia thought it was a little rude, but Doug didn't seem to mind. At least not that part. He just pointed an accusing finger. "You cheated!"
"Did not!" countered her friend. Celestia looked at the two. She hadn't been aware of any foul play. Glitter Dust seemed genuinely offended by the accusation.
The human put the controller down and tapped his finger on the mare's nose. "Yeah you did! You tickled me with a wing! That's why I didn't shift up out of that final turn, otherwise I would have gotten you!"
"Lies!" Glitter Dust spat, but she was blushing a little.
The alicorn recognized the signs and gasped. "It's true! You did cheat!"
Now Glitter was really getting red in the face. "Well, maybe, but you were distracting me!"
Doug didn't accept the explanation. "Revenge!" he yelled out and put his hands on the pony. The way Glitter Dust squealed made Celestia afraid the human was hurting her, but she quickly saw it was only tickling. Her mouth split apart in a grin. Compared to the severity of her crime, the punishment seemed quite fitting. The pegasus flapped her wings sporadically, flailed her limbs and twisted around to get away. She would have escaped, but the alicorn came to Doug's help and grabbed the mare to hold her still.
"HEY! NO FAIR!" Glitter cried, but now she was trapped. She tried to argue some more, but the words were subsumed under peals of laughter. "STOP!" she managed to squeak, but it wasn't over that fast. The torture went on for about a minute before Celestia put a stop to it. She pulled her friend away from the vengeful human and placed a wing between them.
"That is enough, I think."
Doug was also laughing and now he just shrugged. After a few moments he got his breath back. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Glit."
The pegasus had tears in her eyes. She was sweating a little and her legs were quivering. "I'll get you both for this!" she said between panting. "Just you wait!"
It was an idle threat and they all knew it. Despite that, Celestia kept a hold on the pegasus for a few more seconds. In return, Glitter Dust nuzzled back into the soft, white fluff on her chest. Doug sighed again and got up. He walked to the little refrigerator and took a small box from behind it. He brought it to the couch and placed it in his lap when he sat back down. The alicorn craned her head to look at it. It seemed important, especially the way Glitter Dust straightened up to watch it closely.
When he opened it, Celestia saw the contents. Bits of thin paper, a colorful plastic bag, metal cylinders. Very confusing, but she noticed the smell. Tobacco and that unusual thing she sensed earlier.
She made a deduction and her stomach sank. "You are going to smoke, aren't you?"
The human paused with the bag in his hand and looked at her. "Is that a problem?" he asked. Then his eyes shifted to Glitter, who pushed herself away from the Princess.
"No, Celly is cool, right?"
It was a difficult choice. The stuff was illegal, so Rawsthorne had told her. Her owner didn't have a reason to lie. He had also expressly forbidden her to do this, but the mare liked Douglas Wilder, and she knew Glitter Dust thought the world of him. Maybe there was some kind of love there, even. Was it really her place to enforce human laws? Just how bad was this drug? The pony wished she had more information, that she had taken the time to research it a little on the Internet.
Swallowing, Celestia asked a little uncertainly: "W-what does it do?"
Douglas shrugged and picked up one of the metal cylinders. He split it apart to reveal lots of small teeth in both parts. "Nothing much. You feel funny for a while and it relaxes you. Some places allow it for medical use, even."
It sounded reassuring and the alicorn looked to her pegasus friend. Glitter Dust nodded.
"I will not have any, but I also will not give you away."
Glitter relaxed and smiled. "Your loss," she said and leaned back in the couch. Then she lowered her voice and gave the Princess a nod. "Thanks."
Despite her doubts, Celestia kept a close eye on the human. He reached into a pocket in his pants and pulled out a small plastic bag with something green inside it. The mare looked at the contents of the box. She frowned a little in confusion.
"Wait, what is that?"
"You don't expect me to leave illegal drugs here, do you? That's just tobacco," Doug said and tapped the larger, colorful bag. "The real stuff is here." He held it up for her to see.
The smell became more pronounced and her nose wrinkled a little as Celestia caught a whiff. It made sense. People presumably knew who used this room, so if anyone happened to find the drug by chance, it would probably end poorly for Douglas Wilder. In addition, he was away most of the year, so it didn't make much sense for him to leave it behind. He tipped the bag into the cylinder, then placed the two halves together and twisted them. It was slightly like a grinder, the alicorn guessed. After a minute or two of that, Doug stopped and opened it. Indeed the substance was now chopped up into small pieces.
Glitter Dust licked her lips in anticipation and fiddled with her hooves. The alicorn guessed that she was looking forward to a rare experience. "Too bad I can't roll with hooves," she said and chuckled. "Not to mention there's no way for me to buy it."
It was a good thing. With the way Glitter was prone to addicting games, she would undoubtedly overindulge on this 'weed'. Whatever they said, Celestia knew it was banned for a reason. Too much of it was very likely detrimental.
"How often do you smoke this?" She asked the human directly. He was fiddling with the piece of paper and didn't stop even when he shrugged and answered: "Oh, I dunno. Maybe once a month? It's more of a social thing, when friends come over."
He placed some tobacco on the paper and rolled it around a little. "Not during exams, this stuff makes it hard to study."
The alicorn approved of what she was hearing. She watched the human dribble a bit of the green stuff into the tobacco and close the paper around it. It turned into a stick. Then he licked the edge. Celestia was about to ask, but she saw that the paper became sticky. That way Douglas was able to make it into a cylinder.
"There we go," he proclaimed and held it out.
Glitter scooched closer and nuzzled her friend affectionately. "Me first, me first!" she clamored. "How strong did you make it?"
"Not too strong," the human said. "Let's start out easy, right?"
They were about to do it, Celestia realized. There was no more avoiding it. If she stayed, the mare would be complicit in a crime.
She was suddenly very unsure about the scene. "Uh, maybe I shouldn't be here for this." Her voice was uneasy and she tensed up, getting ready to stand and leave, but she felt a hoof on her leg and Glitter Dust smiled at her.
"No, it's fine, Celestia. Really! Nothing bad is going to happen, we'll just giggle a lot and say stupid things."
Doug also seemed to agree. He held the cigarette in the air for the pegasus to put her mouth around it, then fished out a lighter from his pocket. "Yeah, don't worry, Celly. This isn't one of those hardcore drugs, it's just a bit of harmless weed."
She relaxed a little, but the alicorn was still apprehensive. The smell would be the biggest giveaway, she knew. There would be no avoiding a shower before Rawsthorne came to pick her up. Maybe she could sleep over. Celestia looked out the window and felt for the sun. It was certainly getting late, a fact which her stomach confirmed.
"Should we arrange for some more food before you two..." She pointed a hoof at Glitter Dust's mouth, which was sucking greedily at the cigarette while the human was lighting it. The tip glowed orange and the pegasus inhaled. Celestia waited expectantly to see what would happen. After a few seconds, the mare coughed and exhaled a cloud of smoke. She closed her eyes and sighed again, while Doug also took a drag. There was no significant change. The alicorn didn't know what to expect, but surely it would be something?
Glitter Dust opened her eyes and saw her expression. "Relax, Celly. It's fine. See? Nothing bad about it." Once the human had had a lungful, he offered the smoke to the pegasus again and she puffed on it gratefully. "Dammit I missed this. Don't go away again, okay Doug? We should do this every week."
He barked a laugh. "You want us to become addicts? Should I drop out of college and move in here, so we can get high every day and play games?"
Celestia switched her gaze to the pegasus. She was wondering the same thing. Did Glitter not understand the realities of the world? "Yeah," the mare said easily. "That all sounds perfect!"
They both burst out laughing and the alicorn joined in. It was obviously a discussion they occasionally repeated, but there was more. Glitter Dust took a long puff on the proffered cigarette, held it for a while, then blew it toward the ceiling. "Seriously, though, the moment you finish college, you get a nice job, mister! Understand?"
"What?" Celestia asked. She didn't understand why Glitter Dust would worry about something like that. Surely it was Doug's affair?
The pegasus shot out a wing and hugged the human closer to her. She nearly made him lose his balance and Doug had to juggle the lit cigarette so it wouldn't fall on the pony and burn her. He would have succeeded, but Glitter pulled him closer and drew him into a very passionate kiss. At the last possible moment, Celestia caught the dangerous thing in her magic and held it up before it became a fire hazard.
"Careful you two! Don't burn the building down!"
They didn't seem aware of her. The mare was whispering urgently to the human: "You get a good job and buy me, understand? I don't care if you take a loan, just take me away!"
The pair stared at each other and the human nodded. It made the mare smile beautifully.
"Promise?" she asked.
"I promise," came the reply, barely above a whisper. Then they were kissing again.
Maybe it was the effect of the drug, or simply the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a long while. She knew they had been together last night, but the alicorn knew first-hoof how insatiable humans were. Some mares, too. She blushed at memory of herself with Rawsthorne. The way Glitter Dust was moaning slightly as Doug kissed her neck was all too familiar. It was wrong to watch and she turned her gaze away. Celestia suddenly felt like a fifth hoof. She glanced at the TV and the console and thought about amusing herself, but it wouldn't work. Even if she kept her face strictly averted, she would hear and smell everything. The alicorn risked another glance and almost gave a small squeak.
Glitter Dust was already tugging the human's pants down with a hind hoof! She had to intervene right now! "Uh, guys? I don't think this is really appropriate."
Two sets of eyes turned toward her and blinked in surprise. They had obviously forgotten she was there. Doug hurriedly pulled his pants back and sat back down. He remembered their cigarette and looked around, a little panicky.
It floated down before his face, suspended on a little cushion of magic. "You're welcome."
He took it and moved it to an ashtray on the armrest. Meanwhile, Glitter Dust was blushing heavily and refused to meet Celestia's gaze at first. It took her a bit of time before she worked up the courage to twist around and look bashfully at the alicorn. It helped that her back was pressed against the human's chest. It gave her courage, it seemed.
"Sorry," the mare squeaked.
The Princess was not entirely heartless. "You two could use some time alone. Some more, I mean. I will go and see Maggie and Samantha. They can call Gregory to come fetch me."
Shaking her head, the pegasus laid a hoof in hers. "No, wait! I thought you'll stay for a sleepover?" Her voice was sincere and plaintive, but Celestia saw how Doug's hand reached around Glitter's barrel and grabbed the fur of her belly.
She firmly shook her head. "No, I will go tonight. You two need to... catch up some more, and I do not wish to disturb that. I will visit another time for our sleepover, alright?"
There was indescribable gratitude in her eyes as the pegasus nodded. She had been afraid that Celestia would make her choose between her human lover and her friend. The pony shot forward, breaking Doug's grasp on her, and hugged the alicorn. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.
Celestia smiled back. "You are very welcome. Call me on Skype the instant you get home, okay?" Being there and seeing it happen would be too much, but having the pegasus describe her experience later would just be harmless gossip. Besides, Glitter Dust owed her. She had gleefully told the others all about her heat, and the toys and even the encounters with Heavy Hoof, which Celestia had vouchsafed to her friend in confidence! It was time to turn the tables a little.
"I promise," the mare said.
Celestia stood up and held out a hoof to the human. He shook it a little uncertainly. "Thank you for the hospitality, Douglas Wilder. Video games really do go well with pizza - I shall remember this. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening!" He didn't know how to reply to that, so the mare just stepped away, reached for her magic and changed into Supple Branch again. "Bye!"
They both waved at her and the alicorn went outside. She closed the door behind her with magic - feeling like she was cheating again, but there was no one around to see. Even Douglas and Glitter Dust weren't looking anymore. In the instant before the door hid them from sight, Celestia saw their lips lock yet again, and now came the urgent breathing and the sound of fabric sliding down legs. It looked like they wouldn't wait even a second! If she were mean, Celestia could have pretended she had forgotten something and gone back. Their embarrassment would be delicious.
Instead she just smiled to herself and hurriedly ascended the stairs. Even listening in on Glitter Dust's soft, needy moans seemed too much like intrusion at that point. Hopefully no one else would walk in on them. If someone did, then Glitter's story would be even more deliciously awkward, but - and this was the important bit - not Celestia's fault. The alicorn chuckled to herself as she exited the building.
It turned out that Maggie and Samantha really were sweet humans. They didn't mind in the slightest that the alicorn returned by herself. Perhaps they knew something was happening between Glitter Dust and her human friend, but they didn't mention it. At least they weren't trying to stop it.
While Maggie was calling Rawsthorne, Celestia went and joined Sam in the living room. The woman was sitting on the couch and solving a crossword puzzle and the mare took the chair at the table so she wouldn't disturb. Too late - Sam looked up and frowned a little. "Have you been smoking?" she asked sharply.
The alicorn didn't want to get her friends in trouble, but there was no point in denying it. In either case, no mention of drugs, of course. "Douglas Wilder smokes tobacco. I know I stink of it. I will need a bath when I get home."
Samantha watched her for a moment, then shrugged a little to herself and went back to the crossword. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. It was good news. The tobacco smell apparently masked the weed smell for humans. Rawsthorne would understand that some people smoke tobacco. A few of their colleagues at the firm did, and the smell hung around them like a cloud. The man probably knew how it stuck to clothes. As if thinking about him had summoned her, Maggie came in the room just as she was putting the phone back in her pocket. "Mr. Rawsthorne is on his way, Supple. He will be here in about thirty minutes."
"I understand. Thank you."
"Coffee or tea while you wait?" she offered. It sounded lovely. Outside was cold and Celestia liked the idea of something hot in her belly.
"Oh! Coffee, please! If it isn't a bother."
Her hostess smiled and left for the kitchen. "It'll just be a moment!" she said, but Celestia jumped from her chair and joined Maggie. The least she could do in return was keep the woman company. She sat down in the middle of the kitchen, hoping at least she wouldn't be in the way.
"Had a good time today?"
Maggie was facing away, but Celestia nodded anyway. "Oh yes. Video games and pizza."
The woman was silent while she poured the water and set it on the stove. Then she turned around and leaned against the counter. "So, I'm guessing you left when those two became too... friendly?"
Her smile said that Maggie didn't mind, but it was still quite a shock. Celestia gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof. "H-how- how did you know?!"
That made the woman laugh pleasantly. "Oh, come on. You think I don't see the signs? I was young once. Besides, I see the way Glitter walks when she comes home from visiting Doug."
The mare was a little incredulous. "And you don't mind? A human and a pony?" She tried to hide her own trepidation. For some reason, she wanted Maggie to approve of Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder and therefore indirectly of Celestia and Rawsthorne.
Maggie frowned a little in thought and pursed her lips. Then she shook her head slightly. "No, I don't think so. There was a time, not too long ago when what me and Sam have would be considered wrong. Who am I to judge?" She rubbed her chin with her fingers. "Nah, I just want Glitter to be happy."
"But you are her owners. You are keeping Glitter Dust as your slave."
That didn't sit too well with Maggie, but Celestia wasn't sorry. "Maybe on paper! But I've always thought about her more like a daughter."
The alicorn thought quickly. "Then, if Glitter Dust had a way to return home, you would let her?"
Now Maggie tapped her lips with a finger. The water started to boil, so the woman turned and added a few spoonfuls of ground coffee to the mix. She stirred it a little and Celestia waited patiently for an answer.
"Yes," it finally came. "If that would make Glitter happy, then I suppose I would. I'd expect her to visit, though. Or at least write."
It gave Celestia a warm feeling in her chest. She knew that despite this news, the pegasus wouldn't want to leave the couple, nor her friends. That made it doubly important for the Princess to make sure ponies got the rights they deserved on Earth!
That was enough of that heavy talk. The coffee was ready and the alicorn was looking forward to its invigorating effect. Especially when she saw that the woman was kindly adding bowls of sugar and cream on the tray as well. There was only one thing missing.
"I will make sure to bake some cake the next time I visit, Maggie. As a little thank you. I have this perfect chocolate mocha recipe that goes very well with coffee."
The woman laughed at the promise while she dug three cups out of the cupboard. "You don't have to do that, but thank you if you do." She led the way back to the living room. "Come on."
While Celestia was climbing back on the chair, Maggie poured and took a cup to Sam. Her partner thanked her absentmindedly, then the two kissed briefly. It was sweet and made the mare smile a little. Soon, her host was back at the table.
"So. Are you staying out of trouble yourself?" Maggie asked.
"Why do you ask?"
Grinning, the lady took a sip before answering. "Glitter mentioned something about a spanking. What did you do?"
The alicorn blushed a little and looked down in her coffee. "I lied to Gregory about... something. I took my punishment and now it is in the past."
Of course Maggie realized that Celestia didn't want to say it. Luckily, she didn't pressure her. "Oh. That's good, then."
"Yes." She didn't feel comfortable with questions like that, so the alicorn looked for some other topic. "How is the store doing? Why did you choose that particular business?"
It worked and Maggie shrugged a little. "Always had a knack for machines. I helped my dad fix that old tractor of his when I was young. I could do a better job than him by the time I was seven."
The mare had tried sipping her coffee slowly, but as soon as it was cool enough not to scorch, she couldn't help it and simply poured it down her throat. Luckily, there was more in the pot.
She had another question. Celestia looked at the woman on the couch, still working on her crossword. A small smile formed on her muzzle. "How did you two end up... together? If you don't mind me asking."
Sam looked up and Maggie chuckled at the question. "Ho boy, now that's a long story. Let's hope we have time before Mr. Rawsthorne comes for you."
In an instant the mare echoed her smile and settled back in the chair to listen. "If not, we can continue next time. With the cake."
It had all been going very well. The mare had finished her coffee, thanked her hosts and walked out to get some fresh air before Rawsthorne came to pick her up. She fluffed her mane around a little and flicked her tail a few times. The air was cold, but it would clear up the last of the tobacco smoke. For a moment she considered using her dusting spell on her coat, but decided against it. Besides, even if she retained a bit of the smell, her human wouldn't hold it against her.
Or so she thought. The moment they were back in their living room Rawsthorne faced her with his hands on his hips. "Well?" he asked.
Celestia decided to play the innocent card. "Hmm? It was fun, if that's what you are asking."
It wasn't, really, and she knew it from his expression. How he might have smelled anything the alicorn didn't know. Even she couldn't detect it anymore and human noses were a lot worse than pony ones.
Rawsthorne was implacable. "You smoked it with them, didn't you?"
Her ears folded down at the accusation. The mare stared at the human with a steady gaze. "Did not and I resent the way you asked that!"
"Do not lie to me, Celestia. I know what weed smells like!" the man exclaimed. Despite herself, the mare turned her head and sniffed. It was still there, but very faint. When she turned back, Rawsthorne looked triumphant. "I knew it," he said with finality. "Celestia, you really can't afford stuff like this, not now! There are such things as random drug tests, you know?"
She hadn't, but it was a moot point anyway. She hadn't done it. "I did not smoke it, Greg. Listen to me!"
He paused and watched her face for a long while. Then his hands left his hips and the human crossed his arms before him. "Okay, then explain," he demanded.
For a moment the mare considered stomping out angrily. The lack of trust really stung. As did his discourtesy. The human had spoken to her as he would to a teenager, but a temper tantrum would just prove him right.
"Yes, Douglas Wilder and Glitter Dust smoked a little. I made a judgement call. He is a responsible kid, much more so than Glitter Dust. I did not prevent them having their fun, but I did not participate!"
He was at a loss for words, Celestia saw that. She had gotten adept at reading human faces - his in particular. Rawsthorne made a rash judgement and was now regretting it. Now all he had to do was admit it and offer up a sincere apology to the Princess. Well, technically she really had gone against his wishes, but that was no excuse! If he had just asked like an adult, she would have explained. There was no need for childish accusations and anger.
"I left when they started!"
Finally Rawsthorne found words: "Okay. But it was still irresponsible. I don't want to have to spank you again!"
The pony gasped in indignation. How dare he! "You did not just speak to me as if I was a filly!"
His arms lifted up in a hopeless gesture before Rawsthorne let them fall. He didn't reply with words, though.
"I would have hoped you'd trust my discretion. I saw no harm in my friends having a bit of fun, even if it isn't entirely by the rules. I don't appreciate your tone, Gregory, I must say!"
Now the man was on the defensive. His arms shot up again, but this time as if to ward her off. "Well, I was just worried about your case, you know?"
She snorted, but there was no amusement behind it. "I am also worried about my case. This is the future of my ponies on Earth. Of course I would not risk all that!" The mare looked down and spoke more quietly: "Nor would I risk us. What we have."
"Good," he answered. "Let's have dinner and go to bed."
Celestia shook her had sadly. "First you say that you are sorry."
"What?! Why?"
She rolled her eyes a little. How could a human be so smart as Rawsthorne, but not understand that he had fouled up?! "Apologize for attacking me like that! Like I was a teenager. You are acting far too much like my father when it comes to drugs!"
If he had said it then, the mare would have forgiven everything. She did like Rawsthorne. Probably - although it was still a little early to tell - she even loved him. It felt like it, anyway.
Unfortunately he decided to make it difficult. "Well, you needed quite a bit of discipline in your time here, remember?"
The alicorn walked right up to him, so that she was staring at Rawsthorne's face from an inch away. Her horn was just above his forehead. A slight downward nod and she could bonk him. He would deserve it, too!
"I am a thousand years old. Pretending is fun. Yes, my disguise was ill-thought-out, but I understand illegal. I wrote most of my country's laws, remember?"
Refusing to back away, her human spread his arms. "Sometimes I wonder..."
Celestia blinked in shock. He had not just impugned her ability to rule her people, had he? She quickly thought over possible punishments. "You're sleeping alone until you apologize." She was determined to storm out, so that he would have to stew a little in his misery. Celestia strode firmly away, although 'stomped' would have been a better word. Plus - Celestia grinned evilly when she was facing away - she would make him breakfast in bed the next morning for that extra guilt! It meant she would need to sleep in her own bed, which would be cold and lonely, but sacrifices needed to be made for the sake of the future. Rawsthorne had to understand that there was a line. The alicorn wasn't above taking punishment where it was deserved, but questioning her judgement when the lives and welfare of her ponies were at stake? Impossible! Worse - treating her like she was a teenager herself?
He had no right! However she acted. Of course memories surfaced right at the wrong moment. Frolicking around in the snow. The fright over the central heating. Being escorted home by policemen like a filly in trouble. Sneaking into his bed and refusing to leave. Perhaps she had sent him mixed signals on that front. Slightly mixed, but she had explained it all! Rawsthorne should have understood the difference between innocent, carefree, joyful play, and taking drugs! It was a good thing he could not see her blush!
"Celestia - wait," the human called after her.
Cursing her weak, generous heart, the mare did so. She stopped in the doorway, but didn't look back.
"I didn't mean to treat you like a child, but you have to understand why I thought that way."
Maybe she couldn't really be mad at Rawsthorne, and perhaps his arguments made sense, but the initial shock at the accusation and - above all - his insolent tone made it hard to find much pity right then. One night, she decided. Punishment for her because she hadn't asked Rawsthorne for details or went to read up on this drug, and also his punishment for how he treated her. Like a little filly who doesn't know better! A filly from whom he had to drag out the truth! If he had asked directly, like a reasonable adult, she would have told him exactly what happened.
Yes she had promised Douglas Wilder and Glitter Dust that she wouldn't give them away, but it did not count with Rawsthorne. She could trust Rawsthorne. Despite this evening, she still could.
"I'm still sleeping in my own bed tonight." He opened his mouth to object, or ask why, but the mare walked back and placed a wing feather on his lips. She smiled a little. "I forgive you. Ask me directly next time - you don't need to trick the truth out of me, Greg."
The alicorn made a silent promise to herself to always tell her human the truth from now on, even when she would rather hide it. "I'm a little sore anyway. A night without sex will let me heal."
The man blushed and her smile widened. Rawsthorne was cute when he was flustered like that. She gave him a gentle kiss. "I will see you for breakfast tomorrow."
All he could do was nod.
A quick shower and a brushing of teeth later, and Celestia was lying on her bed. Her large, hard, cold, empty bed. She floated over the iPad and looked at the Skype list. Glitter Dust should at least know that she had caused trouble between the alicorn and her human, but the pegasus was not online. The only two of her friends with a green icon right then were Lake Frond and Heavy Hoof. She didn't feel like speaking to the stallion, so she picked the couple. They were usually both on the computer at the same time.
"Hey you two still up?"
It took a minute for the answer to appear. Typing with a stylus in your mouth was slow going, so Celestia was patient. Finally it came: "Hey whats up?"
She didn't want to spend the next four hours to exchange seven sentences with the two. "Can we video?"
Instead of writing out their answer, her iPad began to ring gently as Lake Frond called. She answered. Celestia panicked for a split second, when she saw her image in the top right corner. Then she remembered that they knew her now.
"Princess?" the mare said. She turned her head around. "Rock, come here. It's the Princess!"
The stallion joined her in the picture and they both smiled. "Hello, Princess Celestia!" Rock Lichen echoed.
The poor alicorn rolled her eyes slightly. "Please, I keep saying this - just 'Celestia'. I hope we're friends by this point."
The two still blushed whenever she brought it up. Fortunately, they quickly shook it off and the stallion asked: "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"I wanted to talk for a bit." It was a little annoying how the two looked at each other, before Lake Frond answered: "Of course. Anything in particular?"
Celestia bit her lip as she debated whether to tell them anything or not, but she decided to go for it - after all, Glitter Dust had no qualms about telling the entire group about 'Supple Branch' and her heat, and what she had done with Heavy Hoof. Well, not the entire group. The pegasus had told everypony except Heavy Hoof - who obviously already knew - and Silent Brook, who wasn't on Skype. She had told Silent Brook the very next day when he came into her store for a chat, though.
"It's Glitter Dust. I was just visiting with her and her friend - Douglas Wilder."
Lake Frond put a hoof on her muzzle and giggled, while the stallion tried very hard not to. "Her coltfriend, you mean?" the mare asked when she could speak again.
"So you know?"
They both nodded happily. "Oh, sure. She talks about him sometimes. How he'll save up some money and buy her contract from Maggie and Sam and how she'll convince him to go to Equestria with her, where they could get married."
It was all news to Celestia - juicy news. She grinned as she imagined how she could tease the pegasus a little with this information. Just a small payback, nothing really mean, of course. Perhaps she would mention that, as an alicorn, she could officiate the ceremony.
"That sounds quite romantic." Celestia also liked the way Lake Frond had said 'buy her contract'. It was slightly nicer than just saying 'buy her'.
"Mhm!" Lake Frond nodded. "Doug was Glitter Dust's first. The first is always a special pony- uh, or human."
She didn't immediately understand, so the alicorn leaned her head to the side in question. "Her first? You mean her first human?"
Now that she thought about it, Glitter Dust had said something along those lines, once. Similar to her and Rawsthorne, then, Celestia thought. But both Lake Frond and Rock Lichen were shaking their heads. "No, her first," the mare explained again. "You know- first anything."
It made the alicorn gasp in shock. "Wait - how old even is Glitter Dust?"
The two thought for a moment, then the stallion ventured: "Around... twenty two? I know she was nineteen when she first met Doug and that was about three years ago. He was just starting college."
Then it would make sense. It would mean - a thought which made Celestia quite sad - that the pegasus had been taken from her home while she was still technically a filly. If she found happiness like this on Earth, maybe it wasn't absolutely terrible. Celestia also began to understand why the pony didn't particularly want to go home. Her experiences on Earth hadn't been the worst, and with a special somepony - somehuman - she would naturally want to stay with him.
"How did Heavy Hoof keep away from her, then? It must have driven him mad."
Again, Rock Lichen shook his head. "No, Heavy Hoof didn't move near here until a year after that. By that time, Douglas Wilder was in college and with a human fillyfriend, so Glitter Dust was heartbroken. Maybe that's why she said yes."
So many tragic stories. It was a mark of her ponies' spirits that they turned into such beautiful individuals despite them, but the alicorn was realizing that she didn't know nearly as much about Lake Frond and Rock Lichen's circumstances.
"How about you two? How did you come to Earth? Where did you meet?"
The two blinked in shock at the sudden change in direction. The mare placed a hoof on her chest. "Me, P-princess?!"
"Celestia, please, and yes, you. We haven't had a chance to really talk. I would like to know."
Again the couple looked at each other. "Well," Lake Frond began slowly, "I was from Baltimare and Rock was originally from Los Pegasus. As far apart as you can imagine. I don't think we would ever have met without Earth, so that's one blessing." She was already smiling as she remembered. "It was completely by chance, too. The Williamses had Rock, first. Andrew got him so he could help at the factory. He'd heard how strong earth ponies are, so it seemed like a good idea."
"Yeah! At first I was devastated because I was supposed to be a miner. I mean, what else with a cutie mark shaped like a mining pick? I always had a knack for finding rare ores and gems, but they were making me sit and watch an assembly line, or pull around trolleys of stuff, or load trucks and so on. Turns out, it wasn't so bad. Master and I talked a lot and I guess we kinda clicked."
"I'm glad it wasn't too onerous. Did he ever beat you to force you to work?" It was tasteless and too direct by far, but Celestia was really interested and a bit too tired to try and kick around the bush.
If the stallion felt the question in poor taste, he didn't show it. "No, nothing like that. I heard what happened to some ponies, so I made sure to do a decent job."
Lake Frond had been nodding to the story happily, but now she hoofed her husband on his shoulder. "Shut up! You did a fantastic job. That's why they decided to save up and get me also, so I could keep Mistress Mary company and help around the house while you two were at work."
The way they spoke, Celestia wasn't entirely sure she liked it. "They make you call them 'Master' and 'Mistress'?"
"No," the mare said, "but they did at start. I'm thinking about that time, so it kinda slips out." She giggled. "We just call them Andrew and Mary now. They aren't too bad, except..."
Celestia saw that both ponies became sad, but she couldn't tell why. She didn't wish to interrupt the story, so she just put it aside it for a follow up question.
After a few moments the mare went on: "Anyway, when they brought me home, it was love at first sight. I guess it was a stroke of luck, for us two and for the Williamses."
"Oh, how so?"
Rock Lichen answered that one. He put a hoof around his wife and nuzzled her a little. "We didn't want to take the slightest chance of getting split up, so we were very good ponies indeed!"
They both laughed and Celestia joined in. "Lovely." She was wondering one more thing. "So Heavy Hoof came in a bit later. You can't tell me he didn't try to... you know. With you, Lake Frond?"
They nodded and Rock Lichen grinned widely. "He tried, yes. I had to kick him a few times to get him to stop."
Ah! So the brown stallion didn't always meet with success. Maybe that was why he was trying so hard with the Princess. She would make up for any number of failures.
"I don't know why he is like that," Lake Frond explained, then shook her head. "Well, I know why he is like that. It's a sad story, but he's making himself miserable, and he's making Glitter Dust miserable, because that filly always goes back to Douglas whenever he is in town. She thinks it's cheating and it breaks her heart. Despite Doug always telling her it's fine."
Rock Lichen added. "Don't forget Belle Hop. She's also miserable because of Heavy Hoof."
"Belle Hop? Why? Does she also have somepony? Or some human, and he makes her cheat too?"
The mare sighed. "I wasn't supposed to tell, but I don't think she would mind. She has the biggest crush on Heavy Hoof. She really wishes for him to propose to her and settle down. He keeps coming back to her when he isn't having luck with Glitter Dust or Glowbug, and Belle Hop always says yes, and then she's miserable when he moves on like it was nothing."
Unfortunately, it was a story Celestia had heard more than once. Earth wasn't entirely to blame - such a thing also happened in Equestria. "Has she ever told him?"
The ponies shrugged. "Dunno. Probably," the stallion said slowly. "We didn't poke in too much. We just provide a shoulder for crying when Belle Hops needs one. Sometimes I think I should smack Heavy Hoof around a bit more until he sees reason."
The alicorn was thinking exactly the same thing. Perhaps she should think about making it happen. It would certainly be a good deed. Heavy Hoof might stop searching so desperately for love and acceptance, if he found something real. The Princess decided she would speak with Belle Hop privately to see just how deep the feeling went. There was another thing she wished to know about the two ponies before her, though. And it was a hard one.
"Okay, one more thing. You don't have to answer. How did you two come to be on Earth?" In other words, how did they become captured? There was a chance either or both of them had sold themselv- their contracts, but those generally had a limited duration, so Celestia didn't think that was the case. Perhaps the way they were taken had something to do with the sadness she had seen a few minutes ago.
The court case was one thing - a very important, high-profile way for her to help all her subjects on Earth, but these smaller touches - Heavy Hoof and Belle Hop and Lake Frond and Rock Lichen - they were also meaningful.
It was in her oath as a Princess: '... from the smallest cause, to the largest...'
She noticed that the two had been silent for a while. "You don't have to say," the alicorn repeated, "but I would be very grateful. I wish to know my ponies."
Again the pair looked at one another. It was quite obvious they were reluctant. But they didn't want to say no to their Princess. At long last, Rock Lichen sighed. "Okay, I'll go first," he said. The pony thought for a while to organize his thoughts, while his wife leaned against his shoulder in a show of support. Then, Rock Lichen spoke up. "We used to live on the outskirts of Los Pegasus. Dad had a sawmill right on the edge of the forest and he supplied a lot of the wood for construction in the city. You know - hard work, but honest and respectable. Mom was a bit of an artist, but didn't get much in the way of recognition."
He was smiling slightly, so Celestia guessed that despite her lack of success, the mare had been happy enough. They were obviously pleasant memories and helped the stallion gather courage to continue. "Anyway, after I got my cutie mark, I started to explore south, down in the rocky parts of the desert. I found the occasional gem or a bit of this ore or that. Usually I could dig them out by myself and turn them in for a few bits at the surveyor's office."
Lake Frond giggled a little at that and winked at the alicorn. "Don't let his modesty fool you, Princess. Rock is really good. I wish Andrew would consider looking for a better job." She sighed sadly again, but then shook her head and nuzzled the stallion to continue.
"Well, it wasn't a glamorous life, but I liked it. I enjoyed the quiet and I wasn't afraid of work. I just knew I'd find a big seam of something and then maybe get a loan and open my own mining company."
"Very industrious." Another dream curtailed by Earth. Still, Rock Lichen didn't seem too sad, not with Lake Frond by his side. The two really did love each other, that much was obvious.
"Yeah, exactly! So, I guess I was out in the desert when the portals first opened. I didn't know anything about it. I used to spend weeks, sometimes, with my cart and tools. As long as the supplies lasted."
He was coming up to the less happy time and Celestia mentally prepared herself for a sad story. She made sure to keep smiling at the stallion.
He sighed again, but the mare was right there with a gentle lick, which helped a lot. "The first time I saw humans I didn't know what they were. I was curious, so I went to check. I heard them talking, so I got very excited. Here was an entirely new type of creature to be friends with!" Rock Lichen barked a mirthless laugh. "Shows how much I knew! They were a group of hunters for one of the auctions. I'm glad those are illegal now, but back then they stalked near trade routes and roads and foal-napped incautious ponies." He shook his head a little and looked down. "Such as myself."
"No, it was in no way your fault, Rock Lichen. If anything, it was mine. We should have reacted the moment we heard about ponies being taken, rather than seek diplomatic solutions." Celestia was also a little ashamed at the memory. "In fact, Princess Luna wanted to go on the offensive right away. I talked her out of it."
Shaking his head, Rock Lichen looked at the alicorn through the camera. "No, no, Princess. A fight would have caused a war. It would have ended badly. You did the best possible thing." It was very kind of him to say so. Celestia wondered if the stallion had ever thought about the chance of meeting one of the royal sisters, however unlikely that would have seemed. Had he prepared the words in advance? The pony drew a breath and plunged on. "They weren't too mean, now that I look back. They tied me up and kept a watch, but they didn't beat me or starve me for no reason. They took my cart and the supplies and used them to waylay a few others, to increase their profit." He shrugged a little. "Not much more to tell about that, Princess. They dragged me to Earth and put me up for auction."
There was a chunk missing from the story, so Celestia waited if there would be more. In the end, Lake Frond nudged the stallion with a hoof to try and make him continue. It was a relief that she didn't have to remind him, but she had a question. "You did not fight them?"
"At first," Rock explained. "Kicked a few humans at the camp and they whipped me once or twice. Then, at the auction, they put me in a cell with an older pony..." The stallion frowned a little with concentration as he tried to remember the name. "Pumpkin something-" he mumbled, embarrassed. "I can't believe I've forgotten his name!"
Right on cue Lake Frond gave her husband a hug and murmured something comforting in his ear.
Rock Lichen sighed and shook his head a little. "Pumpkin... Patch? I think, at least. He told me how bad life could get among humans. Scared me quite a lot, actually. I decided to cooperate pretty quickly after that." The pony looked a little guilty of how fast he had succumbed to the humans, but Celestia knew what his fate would have been had he not.
"Do not be ashamed, Rock Lichen. You had no means of resistance. Nopony would blame you for giving in."
It earned her a grateful nod, before he went on: "I didn't see Pumpkin a lot. Just that day or two, before he was sold and then I soon followed."
"That was when Andrew Williams... got your contract?" Such an innocent-sounding phrase.
Her guess was wrong and both the mare and the stallion shook their heads. "No, at first I got sold to a football club. As a mascot, of all things!" Even Rock chuckled a little has he said it and Lake Frond also put a hoof before her muzzle to hide the grin.
"Mascot?!" On the one hoof, it sounded very demeaning, but on the other maybe it wasn't a bad life. "What did they expect you to do?"
Rock Lichen waved a dismissive leg. "Nothing much. I'd wear the official uniform - made for a pony - and strut around during the game. There were also some photo shoots and some commercials. Didn't last long, though."
"Why not?"
"Pretty soon the animal rights groups started making noise about ponies," he explained, a quirk of his mouth giving away how belittling it must have felt. "Pretty soon, it was considered bad taste to have a pony as a mascot, so they sent me to another auction. There was where I met Andrew."
"You were not beaten? Molested?"
It was the wrong thing to say and Celestia was sorry immediately when she saw how Rock Lichen's ears flattened. He shook his head and answered, but didn't meet her gaze. "No, just kept me chained up and away from my family and friends," he explained quietly.
It nearly broke her heart and Celestia lowered her gaze in shame. "Sorry."
"No, please! I didn't mean to sound like that, Princess! It wasn't too bad and I met this beauty on Earth, so I guess it all evens out?" The stallion grasped his wife and hugged her tightly.
It looked like she was about to melt. "Aww, that's so sweet," Lake Frond murmured.
Celestia thought the same thing, but didn't say it. She did, however, begin to think that Rock Lichen might be inclined to leave Earth, especially if Lake Frond felt the same. If at all possible, she would make it happen!
Her eyes rested on the mare, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. "You do not have to tell me your story, Lake Frond."
It seemed that Lake Frond didn't like disappointing a Princess. Her ears went down and she closed her eyes, as if mentally preparing herself for a painful ordeal. Her husband nuzzled her and whispered something, to which she nodded.
"I'll tell it," Rock Lichen said while the mare buried her face in his chest. He looked at the alicorn and began the second story: "Her sister joined the guard groups. It was supposed to be a month, but she didn't come back."
However long in the past, the memories were still vivid for Lake Frond. The mare pressed herself deeper into Rock Lichen's comforting embrace.
Celestia remembered the incidents. After news of foal-napping had spread, some ponies had taken it upon themselves to protect their people. Unsanctioned groups of self-proclaimed guards. When she and Luna had heard of it, the alicorns quickly sent out most of the royal guard to find the ponies and get them in hoof before they inadvertently started an international incident. It was one of the more unpopular decisions she had ever had to make. Celestia also hated it, but provoking a full-out war would have ended up much worse, for both sides. The lack of good options had spurred her to pester the human diplomats day and night until she achieved success. Hunting and enslaving ponies became illegal. After that Luna had quickly organized her own guard to protect the roads and outlying villages, only this time they were police, rather than some form of guerrilla fighters.
"What h-happened?" the Princess asked fearfully.
It was difficult for Rock Lichen to speak of it, and even harder for Lake Frond to hear, but the Princess had to know! "Nopony knew. Seaspray - that was her name - just vanished. Lake went from group to group to try and find her, or anypony who knew what happened to her, but..."
The mare sobbed a little and looked at the Princess. "I was stupid and went alone. Humans caught me while I slept. I never knew they could move that silently..."
"No shame in that, Lake Frond. I'm sorry. Did you ever find your sister?"
The mare shook her head. "No. Glitter Dust helped me search on the Internet, but there's no word," she replied quietly. It didn't sound good and the mare obviously feared the worst.
Celestia sought for a way to calm her friend and give her hope. "Perhaps she was already returned to Equestria. I will look into it, you have my word on this, Lake Frond."
That drew out a small smile. "Thank you, Princess!"
The alicorn sighed in exasperation and tried once more: "Please, just Celestia!"
The couple both blushed, but at least they didn't cringe and apologize like the last few times. Celestia was about to excuse herself, lest she dredge up more unpleasant memories, but a little square appeared and told her that Glitter Dust was now online. She couldn't wait to hear the story! And the happy pegasus might cheer up the sombre mood which had arisen.
"Oh! Look, Glitter Dust just came!" she exclaimed, but Lake Frond was faster.
Eager for any distraction from her tragic story, the mare already had the stylus in her mouth and tapped at the screen. Moments later, the pegasus came up before the Princess.
She was obviously right out of the shower, with her mane all frazzled and wet, and her fur sticking out in places. There was a towel around her neck and tucked under her wings. There was another towel under the mare as she lay on the bed with the iPad propped up against a pillow.
"Hey, guys! Miss me?" Glitter Dust sang with a big smile.
Lake Frond's hooves twitched - she wanted to give the pegasus a hug, but of course couldn't over Skype. Meeting ponies in person was still best, the alicorn thought.
"Sooo, how'd it go? Is he going to buy your contract soon?" the stallion asked, but Glitter Dust didn't have a chance to answer because Lake Frond spoke up right after her husband.
"Did he learn any new tricks?" the mare asked.
It made both Celestia and Glitter Dust blush crimson. But the pegasus still replied: "M-maybe..." She was looking away from the camera, but the grin said it more loudly than her words. The pegasus had fun. Then her face grew serious and she looked at the camera imploringly. "Please nopony tell Heavy Hoof, okay? He gets weird after he hears about Doug."
"Weird? How?" Celestia asked.
It was Lake Frond who explained, while the pegasus looked down at her hooves. "He's jealous. He goes all focused and intense until he gets with Glitter again, and then he struts around like he owns the world for a day or two."
Celestia sighed at the news. It sounded like an endless circle in which these ponies were caught. "I will have a word with Belle Hop and then him. Perhaps he will take advice from a Princess?"
For that reason, it was okay to use the honorific. The title was a tool to help her subjects, not just to lap up their admiration and respect.
"Maybe," Lake Frond said thoughtfully. "Yeah, that might work. Thank you, P- uh. Celestia."
Feeling quite proud of her to have remembered in time, the alicorn then focused on the pegasus. With her so quiet, the picture had become small and scooched over in the corner. "Were Maggie and Samantha upset that you stayed out this late?" She glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight already!
"Well," the pegasus said and her picture filled the screen again. It was just in time for Celestia to see the mare shrug a little with her wings, but she wasn't meeting her gaze. "Actually-" Glitter Dust tried again and managed a small grin. "Maggie's gonna spank me in the morning."
"What?! Why?!" It sounded unreasonable! "Just for being out a little later? This is quite unfair - I'll go and ask Gregory to-"
"Please don't!" the mare squeaked hurriedly. She was staring into the camera with deep pleading in her eyes. "Please."
It was unlike the mare to accept punishment this readily. It was highly suspicious and Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Why?" Her voice was cautious and quiet. "What are you not telling me?"
Again the pegasus looked away, shame-faced. "I- uh. It's not the when I came home. It's the... h-how."
She wanted it dragged out of her bit by bit. The alicorn could certainly oblige. "Okay. How did you come home?"
Smiling ruefully at the camera, Glitter Dust admitted it: "Uh, sweaty and tired and... uh, smifofeed." The last bit was mumbled beyond recognition.
"What? Speak up, filly!" Lake Frond called out. She and Rock Lichen filled the screen for a moment and they both had disapproving frowns on their faces.
The pegasus exhaled, as if fed up by all the questioning. "I came home stinking of weed, okay?! We smoked a little, and then- well. You know. And then we smoked some more to relax after."
All three of her friends shook their heads in unison and Celestia tsked in disappointment. Not that she had expected anything else. Since the human colt visited so rarely, the alicorn was inclined to look the other way. Apparently, Maggie had no such qualms. "Well, she isn't wrong! Even I stank of it. Gregory spotted it immediately."
The married couple gasped in surprise. "What did he do?" Lake Frond asked, wide-eyed with fear.
Even Glitter Dust was staring with concern. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble as well, C-celestia," the pegasus mumbled.
"You didn't. I did not appreciate the way Gregory accused me. We had words. That is why I am here now - he will be sleeping alone tonight."
Rock Lichen looked horrified, while his wife nodded approvingly. "That's right," she said, "Princess- oops, sorry. Celestia. It's good you don't let any human push you around!" Her voice was fiercely determined as Lake Frond said that. The other two soon nodded.
"Well, it's one smell humans can really pick up, for some reason," Glitter Dust explained. "I can never hide it from Maggie. Usually she just tells me how disappointed she is. Dunno why tonight is different."
Celestia had an idea and felt herself blush in embarrassment. "I know. It's because they smelled it on me, but they didn't say anything to me, so I guess they're punishing you for being a bad influence."
"Yeah, that'd be it then. I don't mind. It's been an awesome day! I just hope they don't ground me while Doug is in town..." That was a far greater concern for the pegasus than the spanking and Celestia knew that her humans realized it. She also felt they wouldn't do it. Strict, yes - especially since Glitter Dust so richly needed some discipline at times - but not unreasonable. Not cruel. Maggie and Sam really were more like parents than owners to the pegasus, who - grown mare or not - acted like a teen often enough to warrant it.
"I think you and Douglas Wilder will be fine."
The mare relaxed somewhat and smiled at the mention of her human coltfriend.
"Well, it's getting kinda late, but I'll expect to hear all about Doug when we see each other, Glitter. I could use some fresh ideas for this stallion here. He's starting to get a bit boring in bed!" Lake Frond tapped her husband on his chest with a hoof as she spoke. Both she and the pegasus laughed while the stallion in question blushed a vivid red. After a few moments Celestia also giggled, but mainly at his expression. "Anyhow, we should get off the computer. The battery is getting low," the mare went on.
Glitter Dust kept laughing. "Yeah, that's why the rest of us have iPads!"
All she got in return was a stuck out tongue from Lake Frond. "Okay, think of Doug when they're belting you, Glitter. Stay strong!"
They were still giggling when their picture went out, leaving the Princess alone with the pegasus.
"I should probably get off, before I get something extra. I'm not supposed to be on the Internet this late," Glitter Dust admitted. Really, she was a teenager at heart and it looked like she would always remain so.
Celestia wished the pony would never change. There was something lighthearted and fun about Glitter and everyone around her, humans included, felt it. "Alright, Glitter Dust. Be safe. Try to smoke a bit less. If Maggie turns your rump purple, you will not be able to enjoy Doug, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah," the mare answered, a tiny bit annoyed at the admonition. "Good night, Celestia. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
The alicorn gave a nod. "Of course." The iPad went silent and she levitated it to the bedside table. Then she laid her head down on the pillow and sighed.
Foalnapped while she was looking for her sister, and it obviously still stung, she could see it clearly in Lake Frond's face. If Glitter Dust hadn't come online and distracted her, the mare might have started to cry. Blushing a little with the guilt, Celestia reached out with her magic and pulled out the hoofguards and royal vest from under the bed. She watched the sun emblem and her thoughts turned its twin, back in Canterlot Castle.
How was Luna dealing with the duties? Did she miss her? The alicorn wiped away a solitary tear as she thought of her sister. Steadfast, fiercely loyal, and so energetic when she was happy. The reunion would be almost as sweet as after her imprisonment on the moon. The mare smiled a little as she imagined throwing open the doors to the throne room. That night-blue head would look up, the ethereal night mane whipping around. Her cyan eyes would widen. She would grin and rush for her, probably pushing away a petitioning pony or two and then they would embrace, briefly. There would be so much to speak about. So many stories, for both of them! Celestia giggled a little as she imagined how she would broach the subject of Rawsthorne.
'By the way, Sister - this human will come and live with us for a while.'
Luna's expression would be priceless.
"Very soon, Sister. I must do my duty by our ponies on Earth, but then I will come back to you." The alicorn kissed the sun emblem and gently folded it up and returned it under her bed. Maybe a night away from Rawsthorne and the constant sex was a good thing. It would allow her to reconnect with the other things that mattered. With the symbol under her bed and with the memory of her sister. Celestia wrapped herself in the blanket and closed her eyes.
"Good night, my Sister."