When morning came, Marble only had questions. “Is this a good idea? I mean, nothing against you, Celestia, but you are an immortal alicorn. I don’t know if I can take living with a mare that won’t die.”
“I’ve only been immortal so far,” she replied. “I don’t know how long alicorns are supposed to live. Nopony really does. Personally, I think it’s tied to several factors. But as I was telling Twilight a month ago, there’s a very good chance I can die of natural causes tomorrow.”
“I don’t know if that helps?” he said.
Celestia smirked. “Life’s an adventure, and you never know what tomorrow will hold, even if it’s death waiting for you after leaving you alone for three thousand years.”
“No, this is definitely not helping,” Marble replied.
Celestia smiled. “It’s no different than with anypony else. Not really. We can only live one day at a time.”
They hovered down to the ground, drifting on the currents of the evening sun. “Though I need to ask which way you want to get back to Equestria,” Celestia asked. “I can try teleporting us to Canterlot if you want, but that’s a long way to go after all that teleporting I did yesterday.”
“Would we not arrive?” Marble asked.
“No, we’d get there,” Celestia said. “The question is, where in Canterlot? At this range, with the energy and control I still have, we might arrive at the palace or appear in the middle of Canterlot Train Station. On the tracks.”
“Great, what are the other options?”
“We could take a walk and then make a jump to Silver Shoals. That’s where I live.”
“Okay, why are we going to take a walk?” Marble asked as Celestia picked up the steel ball with the cloak inside.
“I figured you had more questions,” she said with a smile. “I promise you I’ll answer every question as best as I can.”
Marble sighed but followed. “Okay, I guess I can start with if you plan to keep going on your vacation or not?”
“I don’t think I will,” she replied. “I’ve saved the world again. I can give it a rest for a bit. Besides, Sunny’s been outed. That takes most of the fun out of it.”
“Alright, and what are you going to do with Dusk?”
“I’ll talk to Twilight about it, but she’s the Princess, so she’s in charge.”
“Was anything about Sunny true?”
This gave Celestia a pause. “In a way. The stories I told were true, but I wasn’t involved like I said I was. The old archeologist wasn't my mentor but he was a friend, and I let him know that his theories were correct. He was a brilliant stallion. I couldn’t let him die thinking he spent his life being wrong.”
“So you told him?”
“I did,” she said softly. “I told Professor Bristle the truth.”
“And you don’t tell everypony?”
“It kills curiosity. Ponies don’t try to learn on their own when we give them the answers. I stopped telling ponies what happened years ago, but every now and then, I try to tell somepony something and plant a seed.”
“Like the fact that the giant totem of skulls is a monument?”
Celestia smiled. “Now, where did you get an idea like that?” she said. “It’d certainly be fascinating if that were true.”
Marble shook his head and sighed.
Celestia smiled. “You looked like you could use the information and take it somewhere, but then you decided to be incredibly rude about it.”
“In my defense,” he replied. “You were a random pony that just showed up and said something crazy. You know that, right?”
“That didn’t mean you needed to be so rude.”
Marble rolled his eyes as they walked a little further. “Alright, one last question.”
“Only one?”
“The rest we can answer as we go.”
“Okay, what’s your question?”
“Were you always this short? You looked taller in the newspaper.”
Celestia paused before she took a breath through her nose. “I think that’s enough walking,” she said. “Come here.”
---☼---
Celestia appeared in the middle of her Library. She figured it’d be the room Luna was spending the most time in. It’d make introductions easy and—
There were six ponies in this room.
Celestia blinked.
“Tia!” Luna called, standing up and leaving a table of dice, plastic, and paper. “Thou art back! Thou hast even brought someone with thee, I see.”
“Luna,” Celestia greeted. “Who are all these ponies?”
“My new friends,” Luna said with a smile. “And thine new employees!”
“My what?”
“Thou were the one who said that thou were bored. I have decided that—thou specifically—shall hire them for items around the house.”
“And you decided this when?”
“Several weeks ago.”
“And I’m the one hiring them because—?”
“It means that I can maintain a friendly relationship with them as peers,” the younger replied with a smile.
Celestia sighed. “At least you thought this out well enough. How am I hiring them?”
“Entertainment specialists,” Luna said. “Though Sundance is a masterful cook as well, and Caramel makes wonderful coffee.”
Celestia glanced over at the table, where one unicorn looked especially shocked by the idea. “Entertainment specialists?”
“My entertainment, yes.”
“Are you telling me I’m hiring these ponies to be your friends?”
Luna started. “That is not fair! They were my friends first. I’m having thee hire them so they won’t leave!”
Celestia gave Luna a very smug smile.
“I’m not having thee hold them hostage either!” Luna cried.
“No, of course, you’re not Luna,” Celestia began before Luna interrupted her, changing the subject.
“What of this pony you brought in? Tell me, good stallion, what brings thee to our household?”
“Um,” Marble began, “I guess I’m Celestia’s new coltfriend?”
Celestia winced.
“Oh, art thou?” Luna said with a smile that Celestia could hear. “Well, it has been a while, Tia.”
“Luna, please,” she replied.
“Did she tell thee about the last one? Gold Jackpot?” She turned to the solar sister, “I will say, Celestia, that at least you managed to keep this one long enough to bring him home.”
“Luna, I swear.”
“Swear as thou would wish, but I have been waiting for two thousand years for thou to bring a stallion home that I might embarrass thee utterly.”
“Wait,” Marble said. “I’m the first pony she brought home in two thousand years?”
“Oh, Celestia has terrible luck when it comes to love. How many times have thee tried now, Tia?”
“I’m ignoring that comment,” she replied before heading back to the table with the other ponies. “So let’s get some proper introductions. Who are all of you?”
“Um, we’re Luna’s Ogres and Oubliettes group,” an earth pony said. “I’m Sundance. I’m the cook that Luna was talking about, a pleasure to meet you, Lady Celestia.”
“Just Celestia will be fine.”
“I’m Ivory Sunlight,” the unicorn mare said, introducing herself. “I’m actually an accountant, but I do love to garden if you’re willing to pay a living age.”
“There are a few things I can do,” Celestia replied with a smirk.
“I’m Platinum Dare, I’m a weather pony, but I will clean your toilets if you’re offering. The weather team here sucks.”
“I’m Caramel,” the unicorn said. “I do make a good coffee, but—Yeah, I’m good at coffee.”
“And I’m Rolling Ivory,” the last said. “I’m the Game Master and leader of this little pack of crazed ponies. I’m sure you can find something for me to do, but I’m not going to make you worry about it right now.”
“I'd appreciate that very much,” Celestia said.
“Now tell me, Mr. Marble,” Luna said behind them. “What did thou do to get dear Tia to look thine way? Did thou happen to rush to her rescue as though she were a defenseless maiden? She does love that. Falls for it every time.”
Someone coughed loud enough to clear their throat, and all eyes went to a figure standing in the corner.
“Did he come with you two?” Sundance asked, pointing at him.
“No, no, I did not,” the shadowy unicorn replied. “Congratulations are in order, I suppose, Lady Celestia.”
Celestia smiled. “Night Silk. I’m glad to find you alive. Last I heard, Twilight was still trying to dredge up the entire river trying to find you.”
“Too bad I can swim,” he replied with a smirk as he stepped out of the corner. “Now, I hate to interrupt your game night, but I have a question for the both of you. Have either of you heard of an Intellect Crystal?”