“Hmmmmnnyes….right there….right on...yeah...like that….W-w-w-wait….left...more to the right...yeah….”
Celestia and the three guards looked at each other as the changeling continued to talk in his sleep. It’s only been a couple minutes and they were still having a tough time getting the changeling to wake up. “I don’t get it.” The private said. “When me and the captain were trying to capture him, we hit him like….four times with a frying pan, and even still he didn’t pass out.”
Celestia gasped. “You hit him with a frying pan?!” She walked up to the private. “Why would you do that?”
Private almost yelped like a colt as Celestia looked down at him with an expression of pure seriousness. “Um….we...uh...the captain and I just...couldn’t find any other way to...detain him. So we just...you know.” The more he talked, the more he sunk to the ground.
Celestia sighed. “What is it with this pony? He’s as scared as that changeling was.” She shook her head. “It’s fine.” Celestia looked back at the changeling. “What was he doing?”
The private started shaking. “He...We found him in the kitchen, me and the captain thought that...he was stealing food or something...h-he even has something he took from the kitchen in his hooves.” The private pointed at the changeling’s hoof.
Celestia turned and saw that the bug was carrying a bottle of wine in of the holes in his hoof. She raised and eye and looked back at the other guards. “And what is your story on the matter?”
The red and white guards looked at each other and shrugged. “We just saw the private charging down the hall and crashing into my partner here.” The red one said.
“And after that,” The white one said. “this changeling comes at us with a broom in his hooves and eyes that were red.”
“Red eyes?” Celestia as surprised to hear that. Changelings only have light blue eyes, or were they regular blue, or aqua...aqua marine?
“So...uh...what do we do with him?” The private asked, with his still quivering body on the floor.
Celestia looked back at the changeling, he was sprawled on her bed with his tongue lazily hanging out with a bit of drool,and his arm resting on his chest with the wine bottle still in his grasp.
The princess smiled. “I will talk to him, you three go back to your posts.”
“But I don’t have a-”
The white guard nudged the private out the door. “Just do as she says private.”
And with a slam of the door, the princess was left alone with the changeling, all to herself. She gave a final sigh and placed her hooves next to him. “Oh changeling...Time to wake up..” She whispered.
“But maaaaawwwm...It’s satur...day?” Stan slowly opened his eyes. Which then turned into very wide eyes once he saw….her~
“So, now that you’re awake, do you mind telling me-”
Celestia was interrupted by Stan immediately jumping in the air and flying above her. “YES! Finally I have arrived, my quest can finally be complete!”
He continued to fly in circles while Celestia backed away from him. “Changeling?” She asked. “What are you-”
Stan came face to face with her and held his hooves to his chest “Madam, you see. I am bursting with love, so much that my chest could explode at any moment.”
“What?!” Celestia wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not, could a changeling take too much love and die from it?
“Yes, for you see, Miss Sunny, I have been watching many things from afar, most of them being only a few hooves away from me, but the one thing that I was able to see farther than that was…” He grabbed the sides of her face. “You…” He leaned in and planted his lips firmly on her’s.
Celestia reacted with wide eyes and wings that immediately flung open. She then pushed him away with her magic, sending him flying across the room and hitting a book shelf, making it fall on top of him.
The princess spit on the ground and wiped her face off with her hoof. “*cough* bleh..wha? Why did you just-”
Stan popped his head out of the pile of books and yelled, “The first kiss of many!” He ran at her full speed.
Celestia yelped and stepped out of the way in time for Stan to faceplant on the wall. “Changeling, control yourself!”
Stan turned around and gave her bedroom eyes. “Can we just snuggle this out in matters of the smexual kind?”
Celestia tired her best to take this situation calmly, she knew this changeling was drunk, she could taste the liquor when he kissed her, but the more he talked, the more she wanted to throw this insect out the window. “Changeling, may we start from the beginning?”
“Beginning?...Okay, hello, my name is Stan, and my wings are tired.”
“Stan!...As in, the changeling who delivered the treaty?” Celestia couldn't understand any of this, last time she remembered, this changeling was afraid of her, so why was he acting like he...loved her.
Stan scratched his head for a moment. “Um...I think so, I remember delivering mail at one point in my life, and also eating some weird sandwich too.” He smacked his lips and stared off into the distance. “Very tasty…”
Celestia took hold of him by her magic. “Stan, I don’t understand, what are you doing here, and more importantly, why did you kiss me?” Celestia didn’t mind the kiss, she had worse one's a long time ago.
Stan shook his head out of the thoughts of sandwiches and looked back at her with dreamy eyes. “Hey princess, did I ever tell you how my eyes are in no way related to yours, since mine are like...blue and stuff.”
“Actually Stan, your eyes are slightly green right now, is that because you’re drunk?” Celestia was starting to put the pieces together.
“Drunk? What is with others telling me I play basketball, I play football, and rugby if I’m bored.”
“No Stan, Drunk, have you been drinking tonight?” She hopped that he had enough common sense to answer correctly.
“Drinking?” Stan had to think about that for a millisecond. “Why yes I have, and we are gonna drink more with the surprise I got you.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a wine bottle that was still stuck in the hole of his hoof. “Tada! Can we do it now?”
Celestia pulled the wine bottle out and inspected it. “Wine? Why did you grab this?”
Stan shrugged. “Well, where else was I supposed to get it, bits are overrated, I still don’t understand how ponies have that system stuff.”
Celestia sighed and set Stan down. “Listen, Stan, you need to go home.”
“Home? But you are my home, why would I need to go anywhere else.” Stan grinned and climbed on her bed. “And the night is still full of time, so we have a lot of it to muck around with.”
Celestia shook her head. “There’s a time and a place for mucking around Stan, but not right now.”
“But I don’t wanna muck. I wanna do stuff that involve using that bottle for drinking.” Stan ran up to her and snatched the bottle out of her grip. “Don’t you wanna do the same?”
Celestia gazed at the bottle of wine, she couldn’t remember the last time she had a drink. “Stan, I’m sorry, but I haven’t had a drink like this in a long time.”
“So then now would be the perfect time to do so...right?” Stan smiled at her and tilted his head.
“Listen to me Stan, the princess of Equestria can’t drink, she has many duties that she must do, and if she went back to drinking then-”
“So you have done drinks before, when was the last time?” Stan started pulling on the cork of the bottle while Celestia was starting to reminisce of the old times
“Long before you were born, I’m sure.”
“So then...why...not..grrr….what is with this bottle?” He grunted and continued trying to pull on it, destined to get the liquid out.
Celestia smiled at the sight “I’m afraid it will take a lot more than-”
*POP*
“Got it!”
The cork darted around the room before hitting Celestia in the back of the head. She yelped again and rubbed where the cork had hit. “Stan, you need to be more careful.”
Stan ignored what she said and hoisted the bottle in the air. “A piece of bread for the newly found couple.” He was about to take a sip, but Celestia quickly stopped him.
“You can’t just drink straight from the bottle Stan, in fact, you shouldn’t drink any of this, this is...is…” She held the bottle close to her nose once she got a scent for the wine. It started with a couple sniffs, which then turned into a big inhale. She sighed happily. “Good old number forty nine…”
Stan scratched his head. “Is forty nine a letter or something?”
Celestia stopped inhaling and blushed. “Oh...um...I-It’s nothing Stan, I was just...remembering.” She looked back at the still open bottle.
Stan appeared right behind her and glanced around her shoulder. “Remember what? Where the bottle was? It was in the fridge Miss Sunziez.”
Celestia chuckled. “No changeling, was longer than that...I’m remembering...very...calm and...relaxing...memories…” She smiled at the bottle. She was almost tempted to drink from it, but she knew she couldn’t.
“Well…” Stan took the bottle again. “If you wanna have more remembers and stuff, take one of those swings. I would do it, but you know what they say, the females are always the first to go skinny dipping.”
Celestia started intently at the bottle and bit her bottom lip. This Changeling had broken into her room and kissed her, and now he wanted her to go back to drinking? She was tempted to bring the guards back inside, but the scent from the bottle... It reminded her too much of the good old days.
She put on her best poker face and looked back at the changeling. “Stan.”
“Yes?” He asked dreamily.
Celestia shifted her eyes and whispered, “Wait here.” Within seconds her whole body disappeared.
Stan gasped and looked around in bewilderment, he spun around a couple times until he saw her again with a pair of wine glasses. “Celly! You came back for me…”
Celestia grabbed the bottle. “Stan, listen, what I’m going to do right now is something no one else should know about, especially my sister. She’ll kill me if she finds out about this.”
“That seems pretty harsh.” Stan grimaced. “Wait, what am I secreting again?”
Celestia poured the wine into a glass, she went wide eyed once she finally saw the dark purple liquid swarm around it. “This…” She pressed her lips against the side and took a sip, which turned into a gulp, which then turned into a chug.
Stan dropped his jaw as the princess held her head back and finished the rest of the wine. “Um...princess?”
Celestia finished the rest of it and flung her head back down. She breathed for a bit and closed her eyes. “That is the taste I remember…”
“Didn’t you already remember a bunch of stuff?” Stan reeled his head back as Celestia gave him the wine glass.
“Stan, I’d like to thank you for this.” She poured another glass and continued drinking.
“Um...thanks for what?” Stan’s drunk mind was starting to burn out and his eyes were starting to turn more blue.
“Oh...this takes me back, from all those times at the ball.” She took another swig and finished her drink again.
“Ball?” Stan rubbed his head and closed his eyes. “What...what ball?”
“Back when I was young, had so many things ahead of life…” Stan opened his eyes again and saw that she was still drinking.
“Um...princess...I...I think that...um...oh, man what happened…” Stan rubbed his head. memories of what happened hours ago were starting to go away.
“Back when all the stress was lost, and replaced with pleasure.” She dropped the glass on the floor and started drinking from the bottle instead.
“Lost it...lost...losing...ugh...what?” Stan shook his head and looked back up at Celestia, he head was now hung back and the bottle was almost out of wine.
After a few seconds she hung her head down and dropped the bottle. “If only I could experience that life again…”
“Where...where am I?” Stan finally came to his senses and took a look around.
“Maybe...maybe you can help me.” Celestia looked up at him and smiled.
“Help? Princess, what are you doing in my...wait...this is your room.” Stan spun around a few times, still trying to figure out what was happening.
Celestia stopped him from spinning and made him face here. “I’ve never told many this...but princess’s could call on royal guards for certain...things.” She smiled and wrapped an arm around Stan.
“Thing...thingamajigs?” Stan was more confused then ever, why was he with the princess, and what happened last...wait, was it still night time.
“I’m sure you can play guard tonight...right?” Celestia asked, now in a fully drunk tone.
“Play...I..I can’t do plays…I’m I’ not a very good...good...” Stan was starting to drift off. One half of his mind was telling him that now would be a good time to sleep, but another half was telling him to stay awake, but why?
He was immediately answered by three words uttered by the princess.
“Let’s do it.”