"Quiet Sunsets 4 (AiE, Celestia)"
By Fizzles_Anon (https://pastebin.com/u/Fizzles_Anon)

URL: https://pastebin.com/VKnKQH0b
Created on: Thursday 31st of October 2013 02:36:28 AM CDT
Retrieved on: Saturday 31 of October 2020 09:47:18 PM UTC


>You don't remember falling asleep
>You were up all night with the white pony princess
>Telling her anecdotes from your past
>While you both indulged on a cherry pie
>Mostly she did, you leaned your head on her body and relaxed
>She kept you warm with her wing
>You only had to keep talking, that's all she wanted
>But after hours of this, she excused herself to raise the sun
>Next thing you remember is waking in a bed a lot larger than your own
>In a room twice the size of your entire apartment
>Groggily, you try to get out of bed
>You have to roll over a few times to find the edge of the thing
>Sheesh
>On the night table there is a silver platter
>A few pieces of fruit, a plate with toast and jam, and a note
>You grab an apple and read the note while you read

"Anon, I hope you don't mind but I had you brought to a guest suite.  When I returned from my morning duties I found you asleep on my platform.   I would have been a terrible host if I had left you there, I will be busy till sundown, as always, but I am free for dinner if you'd be kind enough to join me.  I had a wonderful time last night and would love to enjoy your company again. Same time and place as yesterday.  If you have other arrangements, please leave me a note with one of the guards, they'll be sure to get it to me.   Thank you for your kindness. 

~ Celestia

PS: I took the liberty of having your uniform cleaned and pressed, you'll find it in the wardrobe 

>You didn't notice before, but you're in silk pajamas
>Like something from a 50s TV show, complete with a nightcap you quickly remove from your head
>Does that mean Princess Celestia....undressed you?
>Then again you've seen her and practically every pony you've ever met naked
>They don't really get the modesty thing
>So it might not have been an invasion of privacy in her mind, just a simple act of kindness
>And that's assuming she even did it, it may have very well been the maid
>She was a unicorn too, right?
>Besides, the really weird thing wasn't being naked
>It's that Princess Celestia had perfectly tailored pajamas for you
>...maybe the tailor made them for her using your uniform measurements
>Yea that's all, she figured you'd be sleeping over eventually
>She's been around so long she probably thinks really far ahead
>So making you some pajamas was just an afterthought
>...right?
>You finish the apple and start munching on a peach while you spread some jam on a piece of toast
>The room is eerily quiet while you eat
>Every sound echos in this massive bedchamber
>You look at the platter the simple breakfast is on
>You're no expert but you're pretty sure its real silver
>Along with crystal plates and serving bowls for the jam
>You start taking in the entire room
>Ceilings were painted with intricate patterns and laced with gold
>The walls had paintings on them from who knows where and the wardrobe she mentioned looked so ornate it might be older than the castle itself
>The castle you woke up in
>In a room you could get lost in
>In a bed that your entire kitchen could fit in
>You suddenly felt very insecure
>You were a nobody back home and really wasn't much of anything here
>Yet the most powerful and influential woman in the entire world has the hots for you
>She even made you silk PJs that felt like they were worth more than all the clothes you owned put together
>You finish the rest of your breakfast in a hurry and change back into your uniform
>After a few minutes of consideration, you opt to leave the pajamas behind
>You leave the massive guest room only to find a pegasus guard waiting on the other side of the door
>"Morning, sir!"
"Good morning...."
>You eye him for a moment, it's too early to try and match a voice to an armored body
>Not that he gives you a chance to confuse him with someone else
>"Princess Celestia wished to know that your accommodations were satisfactory and that you enjoyed your breakfast?"
"I...yea, of course, they were fine.."
>Deep down you wanted to tell him that a cot and a McMuffin would have been enough for you
>But he looks like the type who'd repeat that, word for word, with a smile on his face
>"I'll let her know immediately! Oh, and the main exit is that way"
>He thrusts a hoof down the hall, then flies off in the opposite direction
>You shrug and head toward the exit
>Along the way every single pony you see either looks at you in wonder
>Or approaches you with a bright smile and introduces themselves
>You met more ponies on your walk out than you did your first week in Equestria
>And the guards keep saluting you and smiling when you return the gesture
>What the heck is going on?
>How long were you asleep?
>Why is everyone acting you you're some kind of....
>...oh christ...
>You break into a sprint, nearly topping over a larger stallion in a tuxedo before bolting out the door
>You needed to get home now
>Despite the castle being a bizarro world of itself
>The rest of Canterlot is normal
>News of your private audience with the Princess hasn't left the castle yet
>That's good, you're not ready for this
>You make it back to your apartment
>Let yourself in and slam the door behind you
>Fumble with the only lock you had, a deadbolt you insisted be installed 
>Panting from your run through town and the castle, you put your back to the door and slump to the floor
>What have you gotten yourself into, Anon?
>Is this how it's going to be now?
>Is it really that terrible?
>You needed to have some alone time to think
>You had the day off, thanks to Celestia
>So you had a chance to shower, cool off and assess the situation 
>Ponies are happy creatures
>They are especially happy when Celestia is nice to them 
>So once they find out she likes you...
>They're going to be happy and nice to you to make Celestia happier
>That isn't terrible news but its just weird
>Especially the guards, you're used to humans
>Humans would have gotten angry that you were trying to brown nose or something
>Not been eager to make a good impression
>Why get upset that the world here is all nice and cheery?
>Heck, the only reason you had the deadbolt installed is because ponies kept inviting themselves over to check on you
>It was cute at first but you liked your privacy and ponies didn't quite understand that
>But really they were just being friendly and wanted to keep you company
>...maybe you're the one who's in the wrong here, Anon?
>Shrug and start getting ready for dinner
>You figure the 'something comfortable' suggestion from last night was still valid
>But you don't wanna go TOO casual 
>And you don't have many choices now that you look in your closet
>Actually, save the robe you were given after you arrived, and a few various sets of uniforms and workout clothes, all you have is the jeans and t-shirt you arrived in the world in
>So you decide to stick with your uniform
>You feel a little more comfortable in it anyhow
>You know she likes it for one
>Plus, you hate to admit it but you look pretty damned good in it
>It was designed to emulate the pegasus guard's general color scheme
>Mostly white, with gold thread 
>The trademark blue star on your shoulders
>It made you stand out in a good way
>And if the ponies are going to be eager to make you happy, might as well look official
>Even they might have problems saluting and introducing themselves to a guy dressed sloppily
>Though you get the feeling Celestia won't care either way
>She just wants a friend
>Well, more than a friend
>Even so, uniform it is, and you leave your apartment and start the walk over
>It'll take about a half hour for you to--
>There's a chariot parked outside
>And a unicorn guard waiting for you
>You seriously consider turning around and locking yourself in your apartment for the rest of the night
>"Mr. Anonymous?"
>You nod slowly
>"Princess Celestia mentioned your dinner arrangements this evening.  Her aides took the liberty of securing your transportation"
>The two royal pegasus guards attached to the thing both salute and smile
>The unicorn leads you to the chariot and uses his magic to open the door for you
>You climb in, he shouts to the pegasi and follows you in, securing the door
>He has the biggest grin imaginable
>"I hope this made your night easier, sir"
>This couldn't be more uncomfortable
>But you thank him anyhow 
>At least you won't have to walk
>The chariot brings you to one of the many "flat docks" adjacent to the castle towers
>"This is the closest we can let you off, Anon.  You will have to enter through the royal kitchen but Princess Celestia's private dining room is beyond them.  If you'd rather we--"
"No, it's OK, thank you!"
>You practically have to shove him out of the way to get off the thing
>He waves and the chariot takes off to go back to the garage or hangar
>It depends on who you ask
>Earth Ponies and Pegasi tend to bicker about that a lot
>You shake your head and push open the double doors leading to the kitchen
>This is a service entrance but he's right, it goes right into a storeroom that feeds directly to the kitchen
>You've been here once before, when you were training with Storm Dancer on a dual species exercise
>They grouped you with the Earth Ponies and he was to drop you off and---
>The kitchen, the one you expected to be full of ponies hurrying about making dinner, is completely empty
>All except one large, white alicorn
>Her back is to you, a cookbook floating to her left, a pot with a spoon spinning in it on the stove
>She's humming softly to herself
"Princess....Celestia?"
>She freezes, every spell she had cast simultaneously stopping at the sound of your voice
>The cookbook lands on the counter
>"Anon?!"
>She turns around
>She looks shocked and slightly embarrassed 
>"How did you...where did you come from?"
>You explain how the guards picked up you and had you come in through the service entrance
>"Oh...oh that makes some sense, yes."
>She smiles
>But you could tell something was up
>Because she kept eyeing her pot of something
"Where're your chefs?"
>"I sent them home, I figured after that feast they made yesterday, it would be only fair they received a day off for their trouble"
>You nod and walk to her side
>You look at the cookbook
>The recipe is for a tomato bisque
>But whatever is in her pot is more like ketchup
>"I must admit, preparing a meal is not as easy as I remember it"
"When was the last time you made dinner, your highness?"
>It takes her a few seconds to answer you
>But to her credit, she was legitimately thinking about it
>"I believe it was during the great famine, as a show of good will I opened the royal food stores and helped bake bread."
>That doesn't really answer your question 
>Your face gives away your puzzlement
>"Anon, how old are you?"
>You tell her
>"Before you were born, let us simply leave it at that"
>You blink a few times
>She winks and chuckles
>You laugh and shake your head
"Forget I asked, do you want some help?"
>"You can cook, Anon?"
"Well...no, but I saw a bunch of stuff that would look good between sliced bread."
>She smiles and levitates the pot off the stove and dumps the contents in the sink
>"I believe I can settle for a few sandwiches tonight."
>You grin and agree to do that while she cleans up 
>The kitchen itself is large enough where you and her don't run into each other again
>But you catch her watching you every so often when you look up
>Always wearing that soft, happy smile
>You give her a small wave when you catch her observing you and she blushes and goes back to what she was doing
>It so strange seeing her like that
>But you can think about that later, you haven't eaten since breakfast and you're standing in a pantry with more food than you can imagine
>Grabbing a loaf of bread, you get to work
>Everything has to be done by hand, including slicing the bread and cheese
>Takes a lot longer than you thought
>You end up making a bunch of different sandwiches with whatever you find
>Few different cheeses, some PB&J
>You pile them on a plate and bring them to the dining room
>It's not lost on you that this food should be beneath her
>"They look delicious!"
>But she doesn't seem to mind
>While she's admiring the bunch of sandwiches you prepared, she levitates a pie from a nearby oven
>Smells like pecan this time
>"I had the baker stay a little longer, I know better than to meddle with dessert"
>She winks again and you follow her to her table
>Your turn to blush
>She had turned away so she doesn't see
>Your eyes wander and you blush a little more
>But you try not to lag behind
>Or stumble, that wouldn't be good
>The table had been set but other than the sandwiches and the pie, it looked bare by comparison to last night
>Despite that, Celestia looks like she's happier than she's ever been
>Is it the simple meal, you wonder?
>Or just that she's sharing it with you?
>"So, how was your day off?"
>She asks while retrieving one of the cheese sandwiches and taking a bite
"Well..."
>You take a bite of a sandwich to buy you a little time before you tell her about how surreal everything was
>From the ponies being super nice, to the guards treating you like a VIP
>Down to waking up in the guest suite in different clothes
>She must have sensed your uneasiness and addressed the last part
>"Oh, don't fret, Anon. The maids were responsible for your change of clothes. I wouldn't have violated your privacy."
>You nod
>She levitates a second sandwich from the pile
>You wait for her to take a bite before you address something that's been bugging you all day
"Why did you have pajamas for me?"
>She stops chewing for a second and swallows
>"Oh...I felt they would be necessary someday so I had the tailor make them."
>You don't say anything
>Your eyes tell her you'd like a little more information
>She looks toward the ceiling and actually rubs the back of her head with her hoof
>"I put the order in before you joined the guard, I wasn't sure what your intentions were but I wrongly assumed you would have spent more time in the castle. They would have been a gift"
"You give all your guests pajamas?"
>"Only the ones who make a habit of sleeping over"
>She winks for the third time now
>You feel your face redden slightly
>She must have noticed because she giggles a bit
>"I understand if it was a little unsettling but they just happened to come in handy"
>You take a drink of water to cool your face a little
"I'm sorry, I'm not used to someone being this nice to me"
>That's one way to put it
>If it wasn't an immortal sun goddess sitting across from you, you would have been creeped out
>But because of who she is, you feel more honored than anything else
>That she'd give your comfort a second thought, or even have time to
>"These sandwiches taste as good as they look, Anon"
>You nod in agreement, realizing she's on her third
>She sure can eat
>Must be all that magic to raise and lower the sun
>"I appreciate you rescuing us from my cooking. Anyone else would have choked down that mess I was making and told me how delicious it was."
>You laughed 
"Your secret is safe with me, Princess"
>"Good. For if word spread across the Kingdom that their Princess could not cook, we'd have a revolt on our hands!"
>You both laugh a little louder, exchanging silly stories about the fate of the realm resting on her ability to prepare food
>All the uneasiness of the day seemed to melt away as you two laughed and joked
>That always happened when you were alone with her
>All the other stuff didn't matter
"Maybe next time we can go out somewhere?"
>It was a pretty simple suggestion
>That seems to bring the good mood to an end
>She sighed and the utensils to cut the pie levitated into view
>She offered you a slice
>You decline and ask again about maybe going somewhere for your next dinner together
>"Oh we...could but...it would be quite problematic"
"How so?"
>She sighs
>"You saw how they were just to you, Anon. How uncomfortable that made you feel? Can you imagine if I was with you? We wouldn't get a moment's peace"
>You sigh, she was right
>You've seen how the ponies wait on her every whim
>Plus she always enjoys your talks more than anything else
>Without that, you two might as well dine alone
>"It was a nice thought, Anon. Believe me when I say, I felt more joy from the request than sadness that we could not make your offer a reality"
>She was smiling again
>You could set your watch to how quickly she could cover her emotions and return to her normal state
>But you're not discouraged just yet
"Couldn't you...magic up a disguise or something?"
>She chuckles and shakes her head
>"Anon it's not that simple..."
"Why not?"
>It seemed like she didn't expect that
>Because the fork with a big chunk of pie stopped mid-air
>"I...honestly do not know. I've never attempted it. But the guards and the staff would be rattled if I were to just vanish!"
"You're technically 'vanished' right now. They don't need to know you left your chambers"
>Her eyes darted around the room a little and she quickly shoved pie into her mouth
>To avoid talking
>This is unexpected
>She's genuinely flustered
>You wait silently, a small grin on your face as she takes forever to chew the pie
>It was tough to decide what was really going through her head
>Was she excited at the thought or nervous to leave the castle without an escort?
>Or maybe overwhelmed that she'd actually go on a date for the first time in...
>Age is just a number, Anon, don't think about it
>She's beautiful, intelligent and a whole list of other things
>Don't get hung up on her age
>Or that she's a different species
>"I would...have to ponder this, Anon.  There would be more to do than just 'magic up a disguise' as you said"
>You nod and help yourself to a slice of pie
>That makes her smile a bit
>Simple things always did
>"It may take awhile to discover the right set of spells and magic, would you be OK with our current arrangement till then?"
"Of course, I'm having a great time with you"
>"I'm...very glad.  I was worried the beginning of your day may have soured how you felt about...with me"
"It was a little weird but I'll get used to it.  You're worth all the hospitality, soft beds and happy ponies I'll have to deal with from now on"
>You smirk and she blushes, giggling softly
>You love these tiny moments you two keep having
>Its like you're chipping away at the wall around her heart and genuinely liking what you find
>Even if you only get small, quick glimpses of it
>"Care to join me on my balcony again?"
>You shake your head
>She seems a little upset but you quickly follow up
"Take me for a tour of the castle instead.  I feel like I've been here forever and don't know a thing about the place.  There must be a story behind every brick"
>Her smile, her real smile, quickly returns and she gets to her feet
>"That's a wonderful idea"
>The castle is pretty deserted at night
>Guards see the two of you, stop and salute
>She nods in respect, you salute back
>But for the most part, you're largely allowed to wander without any real interruptions
>And for once she's doing most of the talking
>Explaining how certain decorations were acquired or who painted which painting and what inspired them
>Even the architecture had a story behind it
>Especially how they managed to build a castle in the side of a mountain
>And no matter what, she had a way of explaining things in a way that never flew too far over your head
>It was a welcome change and you enjoyed every minute of it
>If she had hands you would have been holding one long ago
>But the castle was massive, and despite how much time you spent touring it, you only covered maybe a few floors
>She seemed to notice you getting more and more tired because before you knew it
>"And this...is the the Apollo Guest Suite.  I believe you've been here before."
>She opened the door with her magic and led you inside
>The bed had been made, the tray of food long gone, and...
>"Your pajamas were placed in the wardrobe, I guessed you may have stayed another night."
"I take it I'm off tomorrow too?"
>"That is a safe assumption"
>You both chuckled, you shaking your head
"You always think of everything, Celestia?"
>"Not always...I cannot think of how to end this tour properly."
>You turn to her
>Her features are shining, a smile across her face
>Her mane is blowing gently as always
>And her eyes lock with yours, those soft purple windows to her soul
>You step closer, placing a hand gently on her neck
>She wraps a wing around your back
>The space between your faces slowly diminishes, her warm breath caressing your skin
>And just as both your eyes begin to close, your lips nearing each other
>She pulls you to her body with her wing, her head resting on your shoulder
>You wrap your other arm around her and give her a tender squeeze
>Neither of you say a word
>She whispers something, while you didn't quite catch what she said, you understand and stroke her back slowly
>The hug lasts longer than any single embrace you've ever had 
>With her or anyone really
>She feels so soft and warm, you hardly care that this wasn't exactly what you wanted
>All the while you feel her heart trembling in her chest
>Giving away how nervous she actually was
>It was still hard to believe little old you could make her feel like that
>Eventually, she backs away, withdrawing her wing and looking you in the eyes again
>"Thank you, Anon"
>You nod and smile
>She does the same
>She sighs happily and her horn glows, the door to the room opening
>"I think I'm going to retire for the evening. I'll need to raise the sun soon."
>You walk with her back to the door
>Stopping only when she reaches the hallway
>"This evening has been a pleasure. Perhaps tomorrow night we can explore the library together? I believe there are a few spell books I need for our future endeavors"
"Of course, Celestia, sounds like fun"
>She doesn't leave right away
>You both stand there, studying each other, enjoying the moment together
>She has a slight blush on her cheeks the more you look at her
>Accentuated more by her beautiful smile
>She pulls you in for another hug
>A much quicker one than before, but it still felt wonderful
>You parted again, and it took a lot of willpower not to try and kiss her again
>There would be plenty of chances in the future
>"Goodnight, Anon"
>She smiled and bowed her head
"Goodnight, Celestia"
>You give her mane one final stroke before she takes her leave
>You kept watching till she disappeared down the hall
>Your heart racing with every quiet hoof step