[FLUTTERRAPE] Eventually


                                            >A man and a mare walked together down a moonlit path.

                                            >They had done so many times before, always staying close, but never so close as to imply anything.

                                            >An odd pair; she was a bookish unicorn, and he was an extra-terrestrial twice her height; her head only came to his hip.

                                            >They tended to walk in silence, the tranquillity only broken by the pony commenting on passing objects of interest, and the human attempting to make a joke out of it.

                                            >The joke would fail - a preordained thing - but the mare would laugh regardless, happy that the human considered her worthy of the effort.

                                            >After one such comedic failure, the pony turned her gaze to the human and smiled.

                                            >"Hey, you're getting better, at least."

                                            "I like to think I'm refining my material." He replied.

                                            >"A ways to go yet. Thank you for walking me home again, Anon."

                                            "It's no problem, Twi. I'd be happy to. I -am- happy to, sorry."

                                            >Twilight Sparkle was bemused by her companion's floundering. In general, she was bemused by most things that he did.

                                            >The pair had at last reached her house, though 'dwelling' might be a better word; a large, squat tree with a heavy wooden door set into it.

                                            >It was a cosy abode, full of warmth and nice smells; the smell of old paper, candle-wax, and hot chocolate. The smell of a home well-lived and well-loved.

                                            >Anonymous peered up at one of the many windows erratically pointing out from the trunk of the tree, noting a faint orange glow in one of them.

                                            "Spike's still up." He remarked, to which Twilight frowned in annoyance.

                                            >"I'll have to have a word with him."

                                            "Don't go too hard on him, alright?"

                                            >"He knows he's not supposed to be up this late."

                                            "You hardly set a good example for him, Twi."

                                            >Twilight could only mumble at that; her all-night studying sessions and book marathons were renowned.

                                            >Instead of retort, she shuffled closer and peered up at Anon's face with a softened look.

                                            >"I'll let him off easy then. So-oo, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

                                            "Uh, yes. Well, unless you're busy."

                                            >"No no, I won't be busy, but I was just wondering in case you were free--"

                                            "I'm not doing anything, but if you're fine with it we can hang out--"

                                            >"I-I don't want to impose."

                                            "Right, me neither, sorry."

                                            >"Right, yeah; right..."

                                            >The pair looked away, each inwardly cursing their respective faux pas.

                                            >After an agonising few heartbeats, they softly chuckled in tandem.

                                            >Twilight raised a hoof to one side, beckoning for a hug that was graciously accepted; the man kneeling down and lightly putting his arms around the little pony.

                                            >She was delicate and soft, and smelt of lavender.

                                            >He was firm but warm, and smelt of oranges.

                                            >The pair found comfort in spite of the chilly night air.

                                            >Each drew away - as always, a moment too soon - and Anonymous nodded, gesturing away from the scene.

                                            "Well, I'll just be going, then. Say hi to Spike for me?"

                                            >"I will. Good night, Anon, it was great seeing you again."

                                            "Yeah; yeah, you too."

                                            >As they had done so many times in the past, they blankly stared at one another rather than move.

                                            >Eventually, Twilight swallowed and flashed a toothy grin, then retreated inside, gingerly shutting the door behind her.

                                            >Anonymous watched where she had been for a pause longer than he ought to have done before he turned to leave. He found it difficult not to smile.


                                            >The human traversed the gloomy streets of Ponyville, sporadic street-lamps offering the only light to guide him home, save the moon on high.

                                            >His thoughts, as they often did, turned to the following day. Of his job in the morning, of errands he had to run, of the afternoon and evening he would spend with Twilight.

                                            >Or not, if she was too busy. He didn't want to impose, after all.

                                            >He remained impelled to distraction even as the lamps leading him home flickered and darkened.

                                            >A wicked breeze whipped around him, prompting him to shudder and pull his thin jacket tighter around himself.

                                            >He cast his eyes skyward to the stars. He regretted it at once.

                                            >"Beautiful, are they not?"

                                            >The human did not scream; that would be girlish. It was more of a squawk, like an agitated pigeon.

                                            >He leapt away from the figure stood beside him. Where she had come from was beyond him, though it was certainly not the first time she had done so.

                                            >"A majestic cry indeed, Anonymous! It calls to mind the death-rattle of a griffon hoplite; most blood-curdling!"

                                            >Princess Luna stood proudly beside the human, her starlit mane covering one eye with the other keenly focused on him.

                                            >The human recovered, and unlike what one would expect from a subject of the Princess, scowled at her.

                                            "Luna. I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that."

                                            >"It would be remiss of me not to check your readiness, Anonymous. A servant of Equestria must ever be ready for war."

                                            "-Are- we at war?"

                                            >"Not currently."

                                            "Are we -going- to be in a war?"

                                            >"It is unlikely."

                                            "Then why scare the hell out of me?"

                                            >"If you would prefer your hell to remain internal, then I shall cease. Now, what brings you here at this time of night?"

                                            >The human's scowl deepened.

                                            "I live here, Luna. In Ponyville. You know I do."

                                            >"Ah, so I recall. Well, you do for now, yes."

                                            "No, not for now, forever. I don't live in the palace anymore; we talked about this."

                                            >"I thought it was a jest, do you mean to tell me that you prefer to live amongst dirt, rather than the gleaming spires of the capital?"

                                            >The Princess frowned at Anonymous, her imperial gaze judging him.

                                            >"I thought better of you."

                                            >The man took two steps toward her and folded his arms, his eyebrows knitted together. Though Luna stood a head taller than most ponies, she was still shorter than Anonymous, with her pronounced horn just meeting his neck. She had to lean her head back to look him in the face.

                                            "There's nothing wrong with Ponyville. I have friends here, and a job. More than could be said for Canterlot."

                                            >"Was living in the lap of luxury not enough for you?"

                                            "It was a gilded prison, not a home."

                                            >The Princess rolled her eyes at his dramatics, then blinked as he grunted and turned to leave.

                                            >"Anonymous?"

                                            >She watched after him, her indignation apparent and voice raised.

                                            >"Do not walk away from me, we were not finished!

                                            >The pony came to his side, and the two continued together, the mood as cold as the night.

                                            >"You are rude, Anonymous."

                                            "I have reasons to be."

                                            >"Those reasons being?"

                                            "Canterlot might have been bearable had I not been getting pestered so often."

                                            >"Ah, so you had a rascal keeping you on your hooves? You ought to have mentioned it, dear Anonymous. Tell me who it was and I shall remove them at once!"

                                            "Oh okay, since you asked--"

                                            >Luna smiled, happy that she could be of use.

                                            "--It was you."

                                            >Luna glared, livid that she could be so insulted.

                                            >"The nerve! I graciously took it upon myself to see to your every need during your stay!"

                                            "Yes, Luna. My -every- need. On more than one occasion you insisted on brushing my teeth for me."

                                            >"You must understand that I did not trust you to do so without magic; those hands of yours, whilst enticing, are ill-suited to delicate tasks like holding a toothbrush. Your dental health is precious to me, as it should be to you."

                                            >Anonymous did not rise to it. He had done so in the past, and quickly found that both he and Luna could go for many hours labouring a single point.

                                            >Instead, he sighed heavily and strode faster, the Princess easily keeping pace.

                                            >"If that is really all you were worried about you needed only tell me sooner. I shall keep my distance, I promise."

                                            "Your promises are empty."

                                            >"You dare!"

                                            "I -do- dare. You've broken every promise you've made to me so far. You promised not to tuck me into bed at night, you promised not to try and feed me breakfast, you promised not to guard me whilst I slept, you promised not to intimidate any ponies I tried to talk to other than you and Celestia."

                                            >He paused with a frown.

                                            "How... is she, by the way?"

                                            >"She is doing very well. She sends her love."

                                            "Please give her mine; I do miss her."

                                            >"You could give it in person; simply return to the castle and stop pretending that you want to live down here instead of with us where you belong. With me."

                                            "And that brings me to the final promise. You promised not to get weird whenever Celestia and I spoke privately."

                                            >The Princess averts her eyes and looks distractedly off to the side.

                                            >"I don't know what you're talking about."

                                            "You know damn well what I'm talking about. If I ever found myself alone with Celestia you would find some excuse to insert yourself into the conversation. At one point you went as far as to start a fire in the library just so you could tell us we needed to evacuate."

                                            >"No one knows how that fire started; all we have are rumours and hearsay."

                                            "I spoke to the librarian and he told me you just walked in, set fire to the first shelf you saw, then walked out."

                                            >"He is an old stallion and has poor vision, it could have been any pony."

                                            "How many ponies look like you, Luna?"

                                            >"Celestia and I are both alicorns, for one."

                                            "Are you implying Celestia started the fire?"

                                            >"She may have done."

                                            "Whilst she was talking to me?"

                                            >"She works in mysterious ways."

                                            "You're infuriating."

                                            >"And -you- are stubborn! It was a joy to have you living with us, Anonymous. Sister and I both miss you, but mostly I, so stop wallowing around in filth and return to Canterlot. I promise I won't make you uncomfortable."

                                            "Hollow words, Luna. Now go away, I need to get to sleep. I have work tomorrow."

                                            >The pair found themselves at Anonymous' house, and Luna was quick to judge it in her typically harsh manner.

                                            >"This shack is truly where you live now?"

                                            "This comfortable two-story house graciously given to me by the Mayor's office along with a workable mortgage is where I live, yes. So don't go blowing it up, I've still got a year's worth of payments left."

                                            >"And why, pray-tell, would I 'blow it up'?"

                                            "You blow everything up. It's your answer to just about anything that scares or offends you."

                                            >Luna snorted, mumbling something indecipherable and likely crass in an ancient tongue.

                                            "Watch it. I don't know what you just said, but Tia used to hit you with a newspaper whenever you said things like that."

                                            >"Tia isn't around."

                                            "One of these days she will be, and then you'll be sorry."

                                            >With that, Anonymous pushed open his front door and entered his home, pivoting to give a final scowl to the Princess of the Night.

                                            "I hope you'll have the decency to not try and break in, at least."

                                            >"I am not some common thug, Anonymous."

                                            "Could'a fooled me."

                                            >With the door slammed shut, the Princess returned to Canterlot to sulk.


                                            >The following afternoon, Anonymous entered his home and stretched, feeling his joints pop.

                                            >His job was tiring, but rewarding. Shifting furniture around a showroom and managing inventory at Quills and Sofas wasn't always easy, but it paid well.

                                            >He scratched absently at his five o'clock shadow and considered what to do next.

                                            >Inevitably, his thoughts drifted to Twilight. He found it difficult to keep his mind off her even at work.

                                            >The human paused before heading back out to see her however, as he had noticed a letter on his living room table.

                                            >It bore a royal seal, though not one he was fond of seeing. He knew that ignoring it was delaying the inevitable, so - with reluctance - he retrieved it.

                                            >He broke the dark blue wax and unfurled the letter to read; his expression having soured before even seeing the first word.

                                            >' Dear Anonymous, '

                                            >' Please find enclosed one (1) Lost Pendant of Glowmane the Everlasting. I hope you find it satisfactory. '

                                            >' Always yours, Luna. '

                                            >' P.S. Celestia sends her love and says that she misses you too. I miss you more. '

                                            >Within the lower curl of the parchment, a weighty gold octagonal pendant on a thick bronze chain was found.

                                            >Set with innumerable multi-hued and fractional gemstones, a veritable kaleidoscope glistened in the light, further enhanced by the sunbeam steaming in through the window beside him.

                                            >Such a treasure was, in his uneducated opinion, either priceless or at least long-sought by interested scholars the world over.

                                            >With this in mind, Anonymous took it upstairs and added it to the growing pile of priceless Equestrian artifacts he had accumulated over the past month, which he kept in a shoebox under his bed.

                                            >All of them generously donated to his clandestine hoard by Princess Luna.

                                            >He had in the past told her not to keep sending him things she was likely stealing from the Canterlot Vaults, but his dismissal only caused her to seek out ever more valuable trinkets.

                                            >Thankfully, for now, it was -just- trinkets. Anonymous had resolved to take the box with him the next time he went to Canterlot and give them back to Princess Celestia personally for safekeeping.

                                            >He would also advise her to place more powerful enchantments on the vault door to prevent her sister from breaking in, though he also conceded that Luna could interpret that as a challenge and become emboldened.


                                            >"So are you still getting visits from, you know..."

                                            "Princess Luna?"

                                            >"Uh huh."

                                            "Yeah. Came by last night after I dropped you off."

                                            >Anonymous and Twilight were sat at their favourite café. It was out of the way from the busier streets of Ponyville, offered moreish food and drink at a fair price, and sported little mushroom tables that Anonymous found delightful; as such, it had become a regular stop.

                                            >Twilight didn't mind coming here repeatedly. The food was nice, but more importantly it had become 'theirs', so she tended to associate it with her affable companion.

                                            >The human's shoulders slumped forward, and he grunted.

                                            "She still won't take a hint, or even an explicit instruction."

                                            >"You're definitely not receptive to her? Not that I'm saying you should be, but she's a princess so..." Twilight fidgeted.

                                            "Relax, Twi; no, she was the reason I left Canterlot in the first place, I'm not going to throw myself at her hooves now, not when I've gotten set up here nicely." He waited until his friend had raised her teacup to her lips, "Besides, she smells like old people."

                                            >That caught her off guard and she snorted on her drink, specks of it on the table.

                                            >"Y-you did that on purpose," she said with a guilty smile.

                                            "Laughing at royalty? For shame, Twilight."

                                            >"Well you're clearly a bad influence on me. I shall write to Celestia today and get her to drag you back to Canterlot. Then you can be with your beloved!"

                                            "I'd rather stay here with you, thanks." He rolled his eyes and sampled his own drink as Twilight's ears flattened against her head, the pony hiding a blush.

                                            >"Glad to hear it."

                                            >A moment of quiet passed between them, each simply enjoying the warmth of the sun and the pleasant ambience of the village around them. Anonymous broke the silence.

                                            "Found another pendant when I got home from work today as well."

                                            >"Oh? Who did this one belong to?"

                                            "'Glowmane the Everlasting'. Heard of her?"

                                            >Twilight hummed. "According to the books I've read, she was an Earth Pony that lived to be three centuries old. Celestia thought she was immortal; well, until she keeled over one day."

                                            "What got her in the end?"

                                            >"Hiccups, allegedly."

                                            "Brutal. Any chance you'll be able to zap this one back to Canterlot?"

                                            >"If it's anything like the others, no. They're protected by a seal only an alicorn can break, and, you know..." She shrugs helplessly, "No wings over here."

                                            "None yet."

                                            >"Think I'll grow a pair overnight?"

                                            "If anyone around here is likely to tamper with polymorphic spells, it's you."

                                            >"Pfft, in my dreams, maybe."

                                            "Aww, here I thought you only dreamt about me." Anonymous grinned at her sudden look of abashment.

                                            >"M-mind if I take a look at it? I'd be interested to see if it matches the descriptions I've read. It was said to be inlaid with a thousand gemstones!"

                                            "Sounds about right. Yeah, you can pick it up whenever you'd like."

                                            >"So-oo..." Twilight trailed off, a cheeky smile developing, "today?"

                                            "Miss Sparkle, are you inviting yourself over to my house?"

                                            >"Would you be so roguish as to turn me away, Mister Anonymous?"

                                            "Why, I wouldn't dream of it, fair lady."

                                            >With a giggle, and a swift payment to the waiter, the pair left for Anonymous' house, staying close together and laughing freely as they walked and shared quips.

                                            >They always drew eyes, but never comments. Most observers tended to simply shake their heads and sigh. "Eventually" seemed to be the going sentiment.


                                            >Anonymous wasn't sure what awoke him, only that he felt uneasy.

                                            >His hand fumbled in the dark, looking for the chain switch on his bedside lamp.

                                            >He arose and found his way across his bedroom and downstairs as he pulled on a dressing gown.

                                            >When another set of lights in his living room flickered to life and revealed someone, his brow furrowed, his mind hastening to fully wake up.

                                            >"This does look rather suspicious, but I assure you it is not." Princess Luna said.

                                            >Unsurprisingly, Anonymous was less concerned with the alicorn caught red-hoofed in his house in the dead of night, and more with the throbbing, glistening, black mass floating beside her head.

                                            "And uh--" he gestured a finger at the horror, "--that is?"

                                            >"This would be the heart of a dragon." she said as casually as if she was reciting the name of a book.

                                            "It's still beating." The organ pumped once, a resonant 'bu-dum' heard.

                                            >"Dragon hearts will continue to beat for up to two days after the dragon is killed, so you will be able to enjoy its palpitations for a good while longer."

                                            >With a cheerful smile, she rescinded her magic, and the heart dropped onto the table beside her with a meaty slap.

                                            >Speckles of blood were generously dotted around the room, including on the Princess and the human.

                                            >Anonymous noted the faint stinging he felt as it touched his bare skin.

                                            "Am I to assume this is yet another gift?"

                                            >"Quite so! I thought it would be a fine companion piece to the pendant you will have received earlier today. Did you find it to your liking?"

                                            "No, but Twilight thinks it's great."

                                            >"Twilight?" Luna cocked her head in puzzlement, "Twilight Sparkle? Celestia's pupil?"

                                            "The same."

                                            >"Why would she have it? I intended it for you. Did she -steal- it?" Her fur bristled, and her tone gained an edge Anonymous wasn't a fan of.

                                            "Uh, no no; no theft, I gave it to her. She's interested in all kinds of magical artifacts and phenomena."

                                            >Anonymous stepped forward to regard the bloodied organ more closely.

                                            "We're not getting past this, by the way," he nodded at the heart, "where did you get this?"

                                            >"From a dragon-- why did you give Twilight the pendant...?"

                                            "Yes but was the dragon alive when you took it from him? Also it's none of your business what I do with my stuff."

                                            >"Of course he wasn't alive, I had killed him a minute prior; but the pendant was my gift to you! Did I do something wrong?"

                                            "Luna, are you telling me you actually -killed- a dragon to get this? Also everything you do is wrong in some way, again, it's not your business."

                                            >"I challenged the beast to mortal combat, it was a sacred duel sanctioned by the Dragon Lords, and I should think it -is- my business! What is Twilight to you? What have you been doing here that I do not know about?"

                                            "I don't give a damn if the duel was official, if I killed a living creature then gave its heart to Celestia she'd have conniptions! Also Twilight's just a friend, stop getting upset."

                                            >"Celestia would appreciate the gesture! She and I are of the old world, and we still respect the ancient customs; and I'm not getting upset, I just want to know why I'm going through all this trouble to court you when you won't even respect the gifts I impart!"

                                            "That's a god damned lie and you know it, Celestia would defenestrate me if I gave her a dragon's heart; and I've rebuked you enough times that any sane person would get that I'm not interested, if you're too dumb to understand that, it's your problem."

                                            >"So my gifts have been waste of time, is that it? All my efforts for naught?"

                                            "...Wait is this about the heart thing or the Twilight thing?"

                                            >"Both!"

                                            "Then yes, it's a waste of time, Luna. I'll also remark that you've broken -yet another- promise to me."

                                            >"Lies!"

                                            "You said you weren't going to break into my house."

                                            >"First of all, I didn't promise that; I said that I wasn't a common thug."

                                            "But you then proceeded to enter my home anyway - like a common thug."

                                            >"Ah, but I didn't break in! I teleported. Your house remains unbroken, Anonymous."

                                            "Oh that's cheap--"

                                            >"I came here tonight hoping to show you how much you mean to me, and instead you have trodden upon my heart!" A pause. "Not the one on the table, of course," she quickly adds. "I should have you dragged off in chains!"

                                            "Celestia would free me the moment she found out."

                                            >"Sister wouldn't know."

                                            "Sister always bloody knows, she knows everything. And like I said, sooner or later she's going to step in and deal with you."

                                            >"Then I shall have to court you in good time, before sister interferes. Very well, Anonymous, I shall reflect on this meeting and return to Canterlot. I hope you feel guilt for having spurned me so."

                                            "Well, since you're leaving so soon--"

                                            >Anonymous briskly grabbed the dragon heart with both hands and thrust it at her; her eyes bulged in shock.

                                            "Take this with you and-- ho-oly Christ this hurts to hold--" Tears built up in his eyes and agony coursed through him, prompting Luna to hastily drag it from his burning palms with her magic.

                                            >"Yes, please don't pick it up without magic, Anonymous! Dragon blood is highly unstable, are you alright?" She had a nervous air as the human flailed his hands about and blew on them, colourful expletives abound.

                                            "I'll be fine," he says with a baleful look in her direction, "but what's that stuff going to do to my--"

                                            >The two shot a glance at his table, which cracked and warped under a bubbling viscous pool shortly before collapsing in on itself a sizzling wreck. It smelt of charcoal.

                                            >Anonymous glared at the Princess.

                                            "Since you're so keen on gift-giving, maybe replace my table?"

                                            >Luna's eyes darted between Anonymous and his table before stepping back.

                                            >"I-I shall commission only the finest table, we shall meet again soon!"

                                            >The pony disappeared with the heart in a flash before he could retort, leaving him alone in his living room with a broken table, the stench of blood, and palms of searing pain.

                                            >On consideration, this wasn't the worst visit from Luna he'd had.


                                            >The proceeding days proved to be tiresome.

                                            >Though his mornings and afternoons were peaceful, Anonymous had come to dread the night; more specifically, sleep.

                                            >After crawling into bed, the human stayed awake reading for as long as he could by lamplight, refusing to succumb to fatigue until he could stand it no longer and fell into unconsciousness.

                                            >He would, as had become a recurrence, awaken on an island.

                                            >It was a lovely setting, he had to admit.

                                            >A serene place, lit by the soft magenta luminescence of otherworldly plant life. It was nestled amidst a lake of gently rippling deep blue, the surface only disturbed by a nearby waterfall. Despite the torrent of water, sound was muffled. The whole landscape had a dreamlike element to it, which would make sense, given that it was a dream.

                                            >Anonymous sighed and waited, counting down the seconds until a burst of light deposited Luna farther down the island hill.

                                            >Once again, she seemed upset.

                                            "Nice to see you again, Luna, really," he remarked dryly.

                                            >"Don't employ sarcasm against me, Anonymous," she strode angrily up the slope to face him.

                                            "Something the matter?"

                                            >"Yes! I had hoped that by now you would have at least altered your dream-patterns, but still you persist in mocking me!"

                                            "How so? Are my dreams not to your liking? As far as I can remember after I wake up, I'm only ever here on this island."

                                            >"Only because I have to drag your conscious mind here! Your other dreams are... offensive!"

                                            "That bad, huh? I always thought I had mundane dreams, like being in a shop and spending hours trying to find the cashier."

                                            >"You still have those dreams, but they're all wrong!"

                                            "Why?"

                                            >"You're -supposed- to be dreaming about ME!" She slams her front hooves against the floor as she shouts, the tranquillity of the dream disrupted; the very landscape seems to skew slightly, and the full moon hanging above the scene darkens, transitioning to a crescent.

                                            >"Night after night I have come to you and tried to indulge you! If not those dreams about shopping centres and the strange monolithic buildings full of other humans doing paperwork, you continue to insult me by dreaming about Twilight Sparkle!" The name is spat.

                                            >She jabbed a metal-clad hoof against his stomach, and he could almost feel it.

                                            >"Why are you doing this? What else do I have to do? Must we consummate our relationship? Must I take you by force?"

                                            "If you did, Celestia would be the first to know."

                                            >"But why? Why do you not share my fondness? Why do you continue to fawn over a mere unicorn when you could have a goddess?"

                                            "I don't -fawn- over her, Luna," he shifted his posture uncomfortably, "she's just a friend."

                                            >"A friend that you have dreamt about at least once a night for the last week."

                                            "...Really? I honestly don't remember anything about my dreams other than you barging in."

                                            >"I came into your dreams to try and learn more about you, but all I have found is that I mean so little to you that I have to resort to inserting myself into them. Even Sister appears more than I."

                                            >The Princess looked out over the water searchingly, quiet for a moment.

                                            >"You truly care nothing for me, don't you?" her voice trembles.

                                            "Cut the crocodile tears, Luna. You set yourself up for this when you became so obsessive whilst I was in Canterlot. Celestia never did any of this, she was always a gracious host and a damned pleasant person to be around. If you want me to like you, back off and let me live my life the way I want to live it with the people I want to be around."

                                            >Luna's ears flicked, and she looked sullen. Then, she turned to leave, dragging her hooves as she walked away from Anonymous.

                                            >"Very well, Anonymous. I shall leave your dreams to you, but I shall endeavour to know you better in time; I promise."

                                            "You and promises have a poor track record."

                                            >She hesitated, then offered a wounded smile.

                                            >"I shall have to try harder, then."


                                            >The clock behind Twilight softly chimed, and she looked up from her book.

                                            >Anonymous' own head lifted, his eyebrow cocked as he read the timepiece.

                                            "Eight already?"

                                            >Twilight's face creased, but she nodded and set her book down.

                                            >"I suppose time flies when you're having fun, right?"

                                            >To most, reading in silence for three hours might not seem like fun. To Twilight and Anonymous, these hours were cherished.

                                            >The pony rose from her cushion and stretched, the human taking care not to let his eyes linger on her for longer than was necessary, though it could be argued that she needn't stretch for quite as long as she did to begin with.

                                            >He set his own book down and climbed to his feet, looking out the window at the deepening shadows.

                                            "I should head back then. Thanks for having me over, Twi, I'll see you tomorrow?"

                                            >The mare tilted her head to one side, a ponderous look about her.

                                            >"You don't... -have- to go, do you? You could get to work from here, right?"

                                            "Maybe, but I also like to have a shower in the morning."

                                            >"We have a shower here!"

                                            "A very small shower for a very small pony."

                                            >"You're just making excuses, aren't you?"

                                            >Each regarded the other warmly, the unicorn's smile merciless in its erosion of the human's will.

                                            "I suppose I could slip out early and head home to get ready..."

                                            >Twilight's hooves clopped excitedly and she leapt into action, quickly revealing a check-list of activities that she wanted to do. The human internally wondered why she had such a check-list prepared ahead of time, but didn't mention it.


                                            >"Are you focusing on it?"

                                            "Trying..."

                                            >Anonymous' fingers carefully adjusted the focal length on Twilight's telescope, then shifted the other dial to centre the moon in his view, further tweaks bringing it into focus.

                                            >It was a cold night again, and the blankets draped around both he and his friend did a fine job of keeping out the autumn chill as they lay on the high balcony hanging off the side of the library.

                                            >He peered through the finder at the moon. In Equestria it appeared larger than it did on Earth, lunar events notwithstanding.

                                            >Twilight gauged from his creeping smile that he had done it, and found herself staring more at her companion than at the night sky she'd dragged him up here to watch.

                                            >As the man muttered under his breath, fingers tracing over the telescopes dials to enhance his view, she took his distraction as an opportunity to study him.

                                            >Her gaze traced his ear, jaw, lips; all committed to memory. She ran a hoof over her mane and quickly panted on her fetlock, sniffing it and deeming it satisfactory.

                                            >She then shuffled closer to him, so that her haunch lightly pressed against his knee from his cross-legged position.

                                            >He drew back, satisfied, and beamed at her. With the silver light shining down on him, illuminating one side of his face, her mouth dropped open a touch, and once more the two found themselves dumbly regarding each other.

                                            >Twilight spoke first, her words light, as though speaking too loudly would ruin the moment.

                                            >"Pretty, isn't it?"

                                            >Anonymous beheld her violet eyes in a trance, and could only speak in his own muted tones.

                                            "Yeah, she is."

                                            >Before either of them could talk further, Anonymous caught something in the corner of his vision, and he had to tear his eyes away from Twilight, much to her disapproval.

                                            >Peering into the dark, he saw a shape moving; growing larger as it approached.

                                            "Oh hell," he said.

                                            >Twilight was about to query him, but a figure dropped from the night onto the balcony with a shuddering slam, the whole edifice complaining under her weight.

                                            >Princess Luna regarded the pair with a steady expression, her eyes flitting between the human and the unicorn, both huddled against each other beneath a blanket and staring at her with shocked expressions.

                                            >The Princess wet her lips carefully and spoke in a diplomatic tone.

                                            >"Good evening, Twilight Sparkle; Anonymous."

                                            "What is it now, Luna." He was already annoyed.

                                            >"I have come to... apologise," she says tentatively.

                                            >Twilight is too star struck by the presence of the elusive night princess to offer a comment.

                                            "What for, specifically?"

                                            >"A great many things. I spoke with Sister and she advised that I make amends with you, at the very least to put your mind at ease."

                                            >Anonymous did not offer any words, so she carried on.

                                            >"It was wrong of me to assert myself so boldly, Anonymous. I should not have intruded upon you in the manner that I did. Please understand that I was curious, and eager to both accommodate and befriend you after you first arrived. I did not understand at the time that doing so was nurturing a seed of hollow, one-sided affection. As I doted over you, you showed no signs of reciprocity, and I ought to have taken that as a sign that I should stop my obsession before it ran away from me. As it stands, I did not, and I have troubled you ever since. I am... sorry."

                                            >As she finished, Anonymous and Twilight were speechless.

                                            >Eventually, the human cleared his throat, his hardened look warmed.

                                            "Well that was... damn, that was a full-on apology." He smiled at her. "I appreciate that, Luna; it takes balls to admit when you're in the wrong. Apology accepted; I hope we can put all this behind us."

                                            >Luna breathed a sigh of relief and grinned goofily at him.

                                            >"I am most pleased to hear that we are cordial with one-another once more, Anonymous."

                                            >She looks to Twilight.

                                            >"Twilight Sparkle? Please vacate the landing and lock the door behind you. Anonymous and I shall need the full balcony for our post-apology lovemaking--"

                                            >"Oh blessed Mother, Luna!"

                                            >From within the depths of the tree's canopy, a great white figure burst forth and landed beside Luna, her expression one of profound irritation.

                                            >Twilight could only gape, not only at Luna's words, but at the sudden arrival of her beloved teacher from within her tree.

                                            >Anonymous was bewildered by the leaves floating around in her aurora mane.

                                            >"That was a perfectly good apology and you just had to ruin it!" Princess Celestia cried. Her magic gripped one of Luna's ears and twisted it, causing the younger sister to squawk in protest.

                                            >"Sister please!--"

                                            >"Sister nothing, I thought you understood what you were supposed to do! We practiced it eight times!" Celestia turned to the blanketed pair with an embarrassed look. "I do apologise for this, both of you; Luna and I shall have to speak further on the nature of apologies and building bridges, and on not digging her already considerable pit even deeper!"

                                            >The elder mare smiled warmly at Twilight. "Though it was lovely to see you again, Twilight. I hope you've been keeping well here in Ponyville since we last met, and are treating all of your new friends with as much kindness as Anonymous. And Anon?"

                                            "Y-yeah, Tia?" he blurted.

                                            >"I do hope you'll come and visit me soon; I miss speaking with you over tea. Why, you could even bring Twilight! I'll ask the kitchens to provide those scones you like so much."

                                            "We'll, uh, we'll make a date of it."

                                            >"See that you do!" With a final polite gesture, Celestia unfurled her wings and launched herself into the sky, dragging her wailing younger sister with her as she went, the latter's cries echoing into the night.

                                            >After a minutes silence, Twilight shakily looked away from the retreating figures and stared bug-eyed at Anonymous.

                                            >"What in the hay was -that-?!"


                                            >The waiter set the pitcher of lemon-water down between Twilight and Anonymous, giving both of them a quick, inquisitive look before retreating.

                                            >Sat at their favourite spot at their favourite café, the two each shared a cool glass and a pastry together.

                                            >Twilight broke the silence.

                                            >"So, um, have you had any more visits from Princess Luna?"

                                            "None. It's been quiet for two weeks now."

                                            >He smiled.

                                            "I think it might finally be over."

                                            >"And that's a good thing, right?"

                                            "Of course; means I've got nothing distracting me from the things I care about."

                                            >"Great!" she smiled hesitantly and played with a napkin as she continued, "What things might those be?"

                                            "O-oh, you know..."

                                            >His normal bravado escaped him just then, and he found himself quite unable to answer.

                                            >Unbeknownst to both he and she, the patrons sat at the other tables were listening intently.

                                            >Anonymous swallowed.

                                            "I mean like, uh, my job. My house, too, gotta fix the place up a bit more. Still got some bloodstains on the floorboards, and..."

                                            >He caught her gaze, and once again they were incapable of looking away as a single second stretched to a dozen.

                                            "And you."

                                            >Her eyes widened, and she fidgeted even more with her napkin, unconsciously twisting it this way and that between her hooves.

                                            >"You care about me?" Her voice was soft.

                                            "I... I do."

                                            >"I-I care about you as well. A lot."

                                            "Really?"

                                            >"Yeah." she all but whispers.

                                            >Finally, and with great courage on his part, Anonymous sucked in a deep breath and reached a hand over the table to take Twilight's hoof.

                                            "Do you... think we could be more than frien--"

                                            >"Yes." she interrupted before he could finish.

                                            "...Right. Good. Glad to hear it."

                                            >"Okay then," she nodded.

                                            "So... what now?"

                                            >He looked at her, and she looked at him.

                                            >The waiter and head chef watched them both, as did all the patrons, and all the ponies currently passing by.

                                            >Roseluck stopped cleaning her top-floor window across the street to observe.

                                            >The mailmare paused on her route overhead and hovered, staring.

                                            >Bon Bon chewed the edge of her hoof as she held her breath, leaning forward on a bench along with Lyra.

                                            >Big Macintosh briefly stopped arguing with his sister and nudged her, gesturing at the two at the table.

                                            >The Mayor watched them both through a pair of binoculars from her office across town, muttering "come on" under her breath.

                                            >And so, at last, after a long, long time - "eventually", as the going sentiment was - Anonymous and Twilight leaned forward and lightly pecked each other on the lips.

                                            >Every single person in a hundred-foot radius collectively let out a cathartic groan.

                                            >"Oh gods, finally!"

                                            >"Stars above it took you long enough."

                                            >"Woo hoo!"

                                            >"The pair of you are as bad as each other!"

                                            >"By Tartarus could you have taken any -longer-?"

                                            >"I've seen Snails move faster!"

                                            >"Go on Twi! Slip him the tongue!"


                                            >The new couple found this all terribly confusing.


                                            The End.