Moving On

by Manitive

Chapter Thirty-Six - ? (Canterlot Part 3)

Author's Note:

Heyo guys, it's back. For now. Just took me two and a half years or so.
Excuse any kind of mistakes, grammar or otherwise. It's 3am and I just got done writing this and just skimmed the pages real quick, so no real editing done.
Hopefully you guys liked this chapter anyways. Had a recent streak of boredom so I thought I'd try to finish this chapter. Kind of worked out, I suppose?
For how long it took me to write, I'm definitely not content with how it turned out, but oh well. I'll try to improve my writing again to the point where I feel comfortable enough to write longer chapters again.
There's also a chapter that my good buddy GeorgeFleurParty wrote a while back that's been sitting unpublished for god-knows how long. Hopefully I'll be able to release it after the next chapter, but that depends on how long I wanna draw out this Canterlot special.
Anyways, he's been starting to write again, so go check him out. He's way better than I am at writing!

"Hello and welcome to Starbucks, princess." A white-coated mare with a black mane, clothed in a matching black tuxedo, standing in front of our little round table greeted, taking a split second to give Celestia a sincere smile. "A pleasure to welcome you back. How are you?"

Celestia smiled genuinely at the white mare. "Oh hello, Serene. I'm good, thank you. How are the little ones?"

The mare gave a small chuckle at that, waving her hoof dismissively. "Same old, same old. Just being their usual exhausting selves."

"If you ever need a bit of time for yourself, do remember that I definitely could make up some time to watch them." Celestia said with a gentle smile, although her worry for the mare was clearly evident.

"I appreciate it, but please, we both know that you have too much to do to watch the little rascals." Serene said. In an obvious attempt to change the topic real quick, she gave me a pointed look. "Anyways, who might your lovely companion here be?"

"Oh sorry, how rude of me." Celestia said with a small laugh. "Serene, let me introduce you to William. William, Serene White."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. William." Serene White said, giving me a pleasant smile.

I was taken aback for a second. She actually seemed friendly, and sincerely at that. Sure, that might've been because I was in Celestia's company, but it actually seemed completely sincere.

"It's nice to meet you too, Serene White. And please, just call me Will." I said with a smile.

"In that case, call me Serene too."

"Anyways, enough talking. You two must be starving." Fishing out a pen and a piece of paper out of one of her sidepockets, she asked, "What might it be for today?"

Celestia gave me a look that asked if I wanted to go first, but since I didn't even have any time to take a look at one of the menu cards, I just gave her a shrug. "Yes, I would like to have a coffee and a piece of the vanilla cake, please."

"And for you, Will?"

"I'll just have the same, please."

Quickly scribbling down our order, she gave us a small smile, "I'll get it to you in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Serene." Celestia said with a small smile.

She gave Celestia a nod before leaving us to ourselves again.

"She is nice." I said, leaning onto my elbows and nodding my head at the retreating mare. "How do you know her?"

"She was one of my guards a while ago." Celestia answered, leaning back in her chair to make herself more comfortable. "She was really good too. One of the best personal guards I've ever had."

"A guard, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The small, middle-aged mare didn't look like someone you'd imagine wearing armor. She might not have had the body of a guard, but there was in fact something about the white mare that made me believe Celestia. "Why did she quit?"

Celestia looked sadly at the mare who was busy scribbling down another order for a couple at the other end of the café. "Her husband passed away shortly after her two foals were born. She had to quit to care for them."

"I...god. That is rough..." I replied, leaning back into my seat again. "She must be a strong mare to be a single parent and work at a café." I gave a little laugh. "I'm already overwhelmed with just being a single parent."

"Will, from what I've seen so far you're doing a great job." She assured me. "Just know that if you ever need any kind of help or advice, do let me know."

"Thank you, Celestia."

We lapsed into a bit of silence after that, both of us just enjoying the café cozy, homey vibe. As I was looking around the room, I took notice of some of the patrons stares that were directed at the two of us, but at that point, I didn't care about them anymore. I was fine with being started at. What I was afraid of were ponies trying to confront me, but being with Celestia all day has taught me that even if they stared at us, none of them would dare to actually bother us. The perks of having a princess with you.

After just a few minutes, our two orders arrived, brought to us again by Serene. After thanking her and finishing up the delicious cake and what was probably the best coffee I've had in years, we left a hefty tip each for Serene and went on our way again.

****

"So, what do you want to do now?" I asked Celestia, looking around the busy market street. We wandered into the market district by pure chance, after just strolling around and chatting to each other for what felt like just minutes but was probably more around an hour or two.

Celestia stood still and hummed in response, her eyes wandering around the narrow but busy street. There were several stalls run by ponies, but also one or two run by griffons and yaks. Some of them sold things from their respective countries, like exotic fruits and even furniture, others sold vegetables or clothes. It reminded me of weekend markets back on earth, just a lot busier and more diverse.

Suddenly, her ears perked up in that oh-so-adorable way I've come to love from these ponies and she pointed a hoof at a stall excitedly. "What do you think?" She asked me as I followed her hoof.

"Oh hell no."

She plumped down on the ground, pouting up at me, her eyes suddenly bigger than they have any right to be and glistening slightly. "Pwease?" She asked, her lips quivering slightly and her hoof pointing insistingly at the stall.

"Don't you pull that on me." I said with a huff of annoyance. "I have a daughter, it doesn't work on me!"

Her eyes got a little bit wetter and she inched a bit closer. "Pweaaaaase?"

Looking around, I realized that fortunately, everyone else seemed to be minding their own and didn't pay much mind to the princess of their country sitting before me like some puppy, begging for treats. Or maybe they did and just didn't dare to pay us any mind. Anyways, this was getting more awkward the more time went one.

There was a long moment of silence, before I finally sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine..."

She clasped her hooves together excitedly like Scootaloo sometimes did when she was allowed to take a cookie out of the cookie jar at my home. She stood up suddenly and motioned me to follow her with a big, triumphant smile on her face.

"Follow me, dear William!"

I sighed again, grumbling the sign above the stall she was heading to under my breath. "Griffon's best Hooficure and Taloncure - Get Your Limbs Beautied Up!" With a shake of my head, I asked myself, "Why is that even a thing?"

Following after that white devil to the counter of the stall, which was run by a lean, female-looking griffon, I saw them already chatting with each other. It was a rather small stall, with only a counter with a register on it, a chair behind it on which the griffon sat and two more seats with trays mounted to them in the back of the stall. She did make most out of the space she had, some small shelves placed next to the counter, filled with various oils and tools that looked pretty expensive. The two wooden chairs where the griffon probably worked her magic looked like the ones you'd find at a dentist back home, only a lot smaller and jankier. I'd be surprised if the chairs actually managed to not collapse under mine or Celestia's weight.

"-nice suprise to see you here, my princess!" I heard the griffon say in a high-pitched tone as I finally stood beside Celestia. Her eyes wandered over to me, and a questioning look plastered across her face. She looked me up and down, before she smiled at me cheekily and ruffled her large, brown wings. The tone in her voice dropped a few notches. "And who you might be, stunning fella?"

With the weird look she was giving me, I was feeling a different kind of uncomfortable. "Uh, William's the name." I said unsurely, not knowing how to deal with the griffoness' weird behaviour.

She extended her talon over the counter, offering me it. "I'm Helena. Nice to meet you William dear." Her tongue darted out, almost like she was licking her beak. "Never seen anything quite like you 'round here."

I extended my hand and took her clawed-one, feeling the tips of her sharp, rough talons poking into my hand a bit. She gave my hand a firm squeeze before letting go and giving me one last look. I smiled uneasily in response. She then looked back over to Celestia, that smile from before she laid eyes on me back on her face. "What may I help you two with today?"

Celestia's smile brightened, pulling me closer to her with one hoof. "We would like to try out your services. I believe William here could definitely get those claws of his prettied up." She unhooked her hoof from me and presented it to Helena. "And mine do need some care too, if you wouldn't mind?"

I pointed a finger up. "Do I get a say in this?"

"No." Both Helena and Celestia said simultaneously, although the griffoness now had an almost predatory look on her face.

I deflated. "Fuck me..."

****

You know, I would've never believed before that I was going to get a manicure ever in my life. But it happened.

Was I happy about it?

No, definitely not.

Was it relaxing?

No, definitely not. Especially not with how the griffon was working, filing my nails like they were some piece of stone that needed to be smoothed out. Additionally, the chair was so small, it felt like I was going to have a cramp any second.

Was it worth seeing Celestia happy?

Unfortunately, yes.

She looked so content, just sitting here in that small chair of hers, a big, almost dopey smile on her face as Helena was working her magic on her hooves, rubbing them with some kind of oil to make them shine and glisten in the faint sun.

Fortunately, I talked myself out of having to paint my nails too, even though Celestia insisted on me getting the full program. 'yellow would go great with your hair' she said...
To be fair, I wouldn't have minded walking around with painted nails that much. What I did mind was Rainbow making fun of me - and she would've had a blast!

At least I did get pretty smooth fingernails out of what felt like torture to me, so there's that. The griffon definitely did a great job.

"Alright princess, we'll just let the oil soak in a bit and then I'll be back to do the last step." The griffoness said, gently covering the last bit of Celestia's front left hoof in that shiny oil. She put away the paintbrush she's been using to apply the oil back into a bucket and grabbed the bucket with her taloned hand, "I'll check back in shortly."

Celestia leaned her head back in the chair, a hum of content leaving her, "Yes, that'll be fine. Thank you."

Helene gave us another smile before turning around and heading back to the stall's front, rummaging around in the various shelves and stowing away the tools she been using on us.

"So, are you happy now?" I asked Celestia, looking back at her relaxed form sitting beside me.

"Yes, that I am." She said, closing her eyes, faint smile never leaving her face.

I raised an eyebrow at the display. "Didn't know that getting your hooves done feels that good."

"It's just not that it feels good, dear William." She started explaining, opening her eyes and turning her head to look over at me. "It's knowing that I have a bit of peace in between my week. A bit of time I can devote to myself, to make myself feel good. It is sadly not something I get to do often these days."

"You know, I always thought you looked like you could use a bit of calm." I said with a small smile. "And from what the girls always tell me, you and Luna are too busy for your own good."

She smiled, the genuine warm smile almost melting my heart. Even though she's millenniums older than me and an experienced ruler, she was one of those ponies you just wanted to hug to death sometimes. She was too cute for her own good sometimes. "William, I'm glad you chose to accompany me. Thank you, really. I can see why Rainbow adores you so much."

"It's no problem, really. I really enjoy spending time with you, Celestia." I rubbed the back of my head. "And Rainbow's been such a good friend too, even though she can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes."

"Yes, she does seem a bit brazen." She stopped, looking back over to the now less-busy market street, almost as if in thought. She was silent for a while, just looking over at her subjects going about their day. Parents with their foals, carrying grocery bags over their backs, stall owners smiling at their customers, handing over their wares and waving them goodbye. I picked up the sound of laughter and conversation, ponies chatting to each other about this and that. A charming place for sure, made all the better by the openness and friendliness of ponykind.

In that moment, I was so glad I decided to take Celestia up on her offer. When I said I enjoy spending time with her, I really meant it. She was such a pleasant, funny and friendly pony.

After another few seconds of silence, she broke it with a sigh. "William, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"What do you think of Rainbow?"

Blinking, I looked over at her. Her face was still glued to the street before us, although I could still hear the tone she was using. It sounded more serious, more... like her princess self. She went from completely relaxed to serious in all but twelve words.

Nonetheless, I rubbed the back of my head, thinking her question through for just a moment. What surprised me was how long it took me to finally come up with an answer, my mind trying to find the right words in that sudden maze I was finding myself in. "I... Honestly, she's the best friend I have and probably ever had." Another pause, trying to look for the right words that expressed my gratitude for the pegasus. "I'll never be able to repay her for everything she did to help me and Scoots."

Celestia hummed again, a hum I've come to know from her. She was digesting what I said, mulling it through. She looked back at me, our eyes meeting. For once, I didn't know what that look on her face was. It wasn't a smile, it wasn't a frown. It was neutral, unreadable.

"William, have you ever wondered why Rainbow clings to you? Why she is always there for you?"

Clings? I didn't like that word. She didn't cling to me, she just enjoyed mine and Scoots company a lot. I knew her, even if she would never admit it to me.

"Because we're friends, of course." I answered, not correcting her on her choice of words. "That's what friends do, as stupid as it sounds. I would be always there for you, Luna, Twilight or any of the others."

"Yes, that is true. I would do the same in a heartbeat." Celestia said, looking down at her front hoof. "But have you never really wondered why she is always close to you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"When you're as old as I am, you tend to see the subtle things in ponies' behavior more. It is a curse and a blessing, really."

After another short silence, I sighed. "I mean, sure, she is always close by, but so is Scoots. Where Scoots is, there is Rainbow. If it wasn't for the age and coat difference, they could be twins sometimes."

Another round of silence is what followed, Celestia seemingly trying to think of something. "But did you ever notice anything special about her behavior towards you especially? Even if it is just small things?"

At this point, I had no idea what she was on about. She was honestly confusing me more and more. Was she just interested in knowing how close we were? It was no secret, really. She let on as much. Nonetheless, I played along with her little questioning. "You promise not to tell her?"

"I solemnly swear." Celestia promised, moving to put a hoof to her chest before fortunately realizing it would've only ended messily for her. Instead, she let it hover over her chest, which was close enough for me.

"Good, because she'll strangle me when she hears I told you of all people about this." I gave a little chuckle, one matched by Celestia. "She does seem to like to cuddle up a lot to me and Scoots. But that's pretty normal, considering you ponies seem to be a whole lot more affectionate towards each other than we humans are."

Celestia gave me a look, encouraging me to tell her more.

"...It was a bit weird at first, quite frankly. I got used to it quickly though." I shrugged my shoulders. "It's a lot like cuddling with a big, breathing teddy bear. Although teddy bears don't shed quite as much fur as Rainbow does." I shuddered. "Waking up with a mouthful of fur really isn't pleasant, I assure you."

I gave another shrug. "But apart from that, I can't really tell you anything else. She acts a bit weird sometimes, but that's just her being her. Even though she may act all tough and strong, she really is just a big cutie under that blue fur of hers."

Celestia sighed, shaking her head slowly, almost as if disappointed. "William, take no offense, but you're as dense as a changeling drone concerning this."

I was off-put for a moment, not knowing how to respond. Did the princess of Equestria seriously just call me stupid? Besides that, I didn't even know what a changeling looked like or how stupid they were, but I imagine if she said it like that, it wasn't something to be taken lightly.

What puzzled me more was the reason why she was suddenly calling me dense. "What do you mean?"

"William, I really should not be the one to tell you." She said, giving me a small smile. "If I were you, I would talk to Rainbow about how she feels towards you."

It clicked, but it didn't make sense. My heart sped up a bit. She couldn't be..."Are you implying what I think you're impl-"

"That, my dear friend, is for you to find out." She said, cutting me off. "I am merely suggesting you talk to Rainbow about certain behavioral patterns."

I blinked. She couldn't mean what I think she was talking about. No way. Rainbow was a really good friend, the best one I ever had. But more than that?

"Do you mean-"

She shushed me, her expression telling me to drop it. But how could I? She just dropped that ball on me, and expected me not to ask questions?

Telling me things like Rainbow actually liking me more than just a friend?

Was that why she always was so close to me? Is that why when she was around me, she seemed like a different pony sometimes? If she was human, I would've said yes immediately. It would've been the only logical reasoning.
But she wasn't human. She was a pony. It's normal for ponies to show more affection, even to the extent of cuddling with their friends. That's what Twilight told me, didn't she?

Did she? I can't remember. What if she didn't say that and I've been missing hints for the whole time?

It was obvious, but then again, it wasn't. Sometimes, we overthink things. Maybe that's what Celestia was doing too. Overthinking.

I felt nauseous. It wasn't that I was disgusted, sad or angry. I was confused more than anything, but why did my heart feel like it was trying its best to burst every single vein in my body? I only ever felt this kind of anxiety when I was in danger.

Maybe it was the thought of talking to Rainbow about what I was just indirectly told - or not told.
I knew she wouldn't be appreciative of starting conversations like this. No one really is. They're weird and they make everyone involved uncomfortable. Rainbow though? She never was the kind of pony to talk to anyone about her feelings. Twilight, Applejack and even Pinkie told me as much.

Maybe talking to her would even ruin my friendship with her.

And then there's the whole little detail with her being another, completely different species. Was there even a way to that we could be attracted to each other? Sure, ponies were cute - almost like little puppies. But to see them as more than that?

I felt like the quite delicious cake I had earlier was trying to escape my stomach the wrong way.

I gulped. My heart started beating faster.

Celestia, even though it may not have been her intention, might have just created something really bad. Something I didn't know how to handle. But that wasn't her fault, it was mine for not knowing how to handle it.

But deep down, somewhere in my gut, there was a feeling. It was what was making me feel nauseous.

"Sorry to disturb you-" Helene, the griffoness, started, giving us both a warm smile as she apparently appeared out of thin air. I was too far away from this world to even notice her coming back over. "-but I will have to clean the rest of the oil off so it doesn't stain your hooves, princess."

Celestia, almost as if sensing my general unease, gave me one last reassuring, motherly smile before turning to look at Helene. "Yes, of course. Wouldn't want that."

While Helene was cleaning off the residue of hoof oil, I was mulling everything over. Every little interaction with Rainbow, every subtle sign I could remember - just like Celestia asked me to.

"Celestia, would you mind if we went back to the castle after we're done here?"

Comments

[DoctorWhoooves]

Great, it's been to long now I gotta re-read the WHOLE story. Damn you, take a like!

[Hein des Nisseroi]

Suddenly, her ears perked up in that oh-so-adorable I've come to love

oh-so-adorable what?

everyone else seemed to be minding there own

their

It sounded more serious, more...like her princess self.

"I...Honestly, she's the best friend I have

I think a space is missing.

Also, it is kind of funny how I thought of this story a few days ago, and here it finally is.

[Manitive]

10121108
I'm sorry mate. Hopefully you'll survive the hell hole that were the earlier chapters, haha.

10121470
Fuck me, I'm dying. xD
I agree though, I had a horrid taste in movies when I was younger.

10121502
Glad to see you're still around to help me out, mate. Appreciate it. :)

[23 KM To Nerdiness]

soloquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Motivational-Quotes-Stay-Amazing.jpg

[Hein des Nisseroi]

I had trouble finding this again for a while.
I was almost worried that it got removed.