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// Love Never Dies 
// Story: Once Upon Another Time 
// by Undome Tinwe 
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This trip to Manehattan had been most peculiar for Radiant Hope.

They had arrived in the city in the afternoon, and instead of checking out the library first, Sombra had insisted that they see the sights, and had thoroughly exhausted her hitting as many tourist attractions as they could before taking her to dinner and then to their hotel room.

Then, he had disappeared, which he almost never did. Sombra had always been the one to want to stay in, while Hope's discomfort usually led her to make excuses to take a nighttime walk away from him.

A couple of hours later, he had returned, smelling faintly of alcohol, though she smelled none of it on his breath. He had also been in a nostalgic mood, and they'd talked late into the night about all the wonderful adventures they'd had, both as children and in the past year. Looking back on their journey, Hope had been forced to admit that she'd grown comfortable with Sombra when he wasn't trying to push her about their future or their relationship.

He made her laugh, and humoured her diversions while they were travelling, and he could be as studious as any academic in the library, providing her with valuable insights into finding the shards. They worked well together, and he made her happy, and by the end of the night, Hope found herself peacefully drifting off in his embrace, knowing he would keep her safe from harm.

And then she'd met Luna in her dreams.

Her heart ached with guilt over lying to Sombra, but she still couldn't explain her attraction to the Lunar Princess in words. Their shared dream had been exciting and passionate and filled with wonders beyond imagination created by both of them, in a symphony of blended art on a canvas that no mortal had ever been blessed with painting on before.

Luna made her heart beat wildly and her spirits soar with excitement, and Hope couldn't wait for their next meeting. And yet, there had been a weight to her oneiric lover tonight.

There were always moments when Luna's age shone through in her eyes and voice, but today those flashes of time had seemed much more common, and when they'd rest their voices from singing to talk, she'd brought up their past as well, reflecting on the times they'd shared with a certain finality that scared Hope.

Something was up, and she was going to get the bottom of it, Hope decided. After finishing the breakfast in bed that Sombra had kindly ordered for her, of course.

"Thank you," she said warmly as she ate the last piece of toast, washing it down with a nice glass of orange juice. "That was wonderful."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Nervousness was obvious in Sombra's expression as he forced a smile for her, and Hope's unease grew. "I hope I'll have the chance to do this for you again and again, for the rest of your life."

"O-Okay?" Hope tilted her head in confusion. "Sombra, is there something you wish to tell me?"

"Yes," Sombra replied. "But not yet. I'm waiting on somepony first." As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. "Ah, there she is."

Even more confused, Hope quickly got up and freshened herself up with a spell as Sombra walked over to the entrance. She made sure she was presentable right before it opened to reveal—

"Luna?" Was she still dreaming? Hope did a quick magical scan of herself to confirm that she was standing in the waking world. What was she doing here? Why had Sombra been expecting her to show up at their hotel room?

"Hello, Sombra, Hope." Luna gave both of them a polite nod before stepping inside. "I trust I am not too early?"

"Too early for what?" Panic began to claw at Hope. How much did Sombra know?

"For us to share the good news," Sombra cut in, and there was an uncurrent of anger in his voice that smothered the room in tension. "I've discovered the location of the last two shards of Princess Amore."

Hope smiled cautiously. "That's wonderful!" she said, still trying to puzzle out the reason for Luna's presence. "And what does that have to do with the princess?"

"I met her last night while I was out," Sombra explained. "Princess Luna has generously offered to track down one of the shards while I search for the other." His words were careful and measured, and Hope knew without a doubt that he had used "I" instead of "we" on purpose.

It wasn't hard to put the rest of the pieces together. "How long have you known?" she asked flatly. To her surprise, she mostly felt relieved at having her deception revealed.

"Since the City of Stone," Sombra replied.

"And you hid that knowledge from me for weeks?" Hope demanded, indignant at having suffered for so long unnecessarily.

Sombra raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to call me out for lying to you?"

At that, Hope sighed, deflating. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. There's no excuse for what I did."

"I forgive you," Sombra replied without hesitation, and Hope glanced at him in surprise.

"Really, just like that?"

Sombra smiled. "Compared to the sins you've forgiven me for, this seems like the least I could do in return. You're a good pony, Hope, and I just want you to be happy. With me."

"I too desire to grant you a happy and fulfilling life with myself," Luna added, stepping forwards until she was standing beside Sombra. "Come with me, and let us live out all of our dreams together."

Hope rubbed the space between her eyes with her hoof, feeling a headache begin to form. "What in the hay happened last night?"

The pair glanced between one another before Luna spoke. "Sombra found me in a bar, and confronted me about our affair. We agreed that it would be best if we stopped trying to tear your heart into twain, for we both knew how much it pained you."

"Whichever one of us you choose, we'll respect your decision, and you won't have to worry about the other trying to tempt you anymore." Sombra's smile held the same finality that Hope had seen in Luna last night, and now the oddness of the past day made much more sense.

Hope's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly does that mean?" she asked, knowing both ponies well enough to hazard a dark guess.

"The one you do not choose will not trouble you after today," Luna cut in smoothly. "In time, the love you held for them will die, and you can live a happy life with your true love."

Laughter bubbled up in Hope's chest, and when she let it out, it bordered on hysteria as she stared at the two ponies who possessed her heart. "T-That's not how love works," she gasped out as best she could, shaking her head. "Y-You can't just leave and expect me to just forget about one of you."

She took a moment to compose herself before continuing. "Love never dies," she explained. "You two should know that as well as anypony. You can try to deny it, to protest the hold it has on your heart, but love never lets you go once you've been possessed."

With a heart filled with love, Hope stepped forward and cupped Sombra's chin with a hoof. "Who knows where love begins? For us, it was like one day it was simply there. We were such good friends that love simply slipped into our souls, bringing us even closer together as our simple childhood games became something more."

Releasing her oldest friend and first love, she turned to caress the muzzle of her second. "My love for you took me completely by surprise, and when it did, it seized full control of my thoughts. I submitted to it, surrendered myself to you, and love forced me to feel more joy than I could bear. Yet, I wouldn't have had it any other way."

She stepped back, drinking both of them in with her eyes. "Love endures, through despair and pain. Through broken hearts and betrayal. It lives on in all of us, and we cannot deny it so easily. Not that I would want us to. Both of you have made me so happy."

"What do you propose, then?" Luna asked, tears welling in her eyes. Beside her, Hope could see Sombra with the same reaction, and felt her own eyes begin to water as well.

"Love never dies," Hope said, "but it can change. My love for both of you didn't start like this, and it doesn't need to end like this either. I've hurt all of us by trying to hold on to my passion for you both, and you're right that this has to stop.

"But no matter what my decision is, I want to reach a place where I can love both of you in different ways, and that won't happen if someone decides to do the noble sacrificing thing that you both love so much."

"That sounds nice," Sombra said. "Truth be told, Luna seems like a fun mare to hang out with, her habit of seducing my marefriend aside."

"And you understand me better than most ponies," Luna replied. "I would not be unhappy if we were to all become friends eventually."

The sight of her two lovers getting along warmed Hope's heart. "I'm so glad to hear that. I love you both, and I've waited a thousand years to be able to embrace that part of me and live the life I've always wanted. Now it's time for me to commit fully to my happiness."

Hope looked at the two most important ponies in her life. Her childhood friend, who had stood by her side and helped her grow into the mare she was now, whom she has waited a thousand years to be with, but who had changed — or perhaps it was she who had changed? Still, he was kind, and loyal, and he made her happy, and Hope could see their future as clear as crystal, living out the rest of their days in quiet solitude and peaceful happiness. The kind of happily ever after that most ponies could only dream of.

And then there was Luna, who promised her a dark passion beyond anything that could be dreamt of or imagined, a fire that would consume her soul and lead her to an uncertain future, yet one filled with so much promise that her very soul salivated at the temptations being offered to her.

It was an impossible choice, but Hope had done the impossible before, and now, she would do it again. When she searched her heart, she knew which song called out louder, and she allowed herself to be seduced by it, just as she had so many years ago.

With love filling her heart, Hope made her choice.