Necessary Love

by Zurock

Chapter 29: Bells

Author's Note:

I have waited a long, long, long time to be able to write this particular chapter. Please, I hope you enjoy it.

More than once Prism scratched her hoof idly upon the carpet, clearing off dirt real or imagined. Her magic pulled the violet clips out of her mane and reset them, fixing up her hair only so that she might do the same thing again a minute later (her manestyle never actually changing from what it had been in the very beginning). She even, just once, pulled out all the ties in her tail and rebraided it; a job she rushed, in case the door before her were to have opened unexpectedly.

'Don't get overeager,' Vesuvius had said.

But she had arrived a few minutes early.

'Don't jump the gun.'

Every hesitating twitch was done solely to prevent herself from knocking ahead of schedule.

'I'll do exactly as you want me to,' she had promised. Her same promise to everypony.

And so she had wound up standing there outside of James' door, diverting her eagerness into constant fidgeting and all the while praying for the door to open on its own and relieve her happy nervousness.

Minutes passed as hours, and finally the official time to gather the guests arrived. No longer chained by her word, and without wasting a moment more (except to straighten up the bracelets on her legs), the mare stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Immediately from behind it came loud, racing steps, and quickly the man pried it open.

"Hel–lo," Prism greeted him, a sudden jump of interest spiking at the end. The rapt squeak was not without cause: James had completely changed his clothes!

No longer was he dressed in that unsightly summer outfit. Gone was the frilly, loose top and the baggy, short pants; that experimental work of art with its slapdash mix of design and awkward fit over such a strong form. He wore now instead something the pony had never seen before, but the man himself clearly was quite comfortable and familiar with it:

His autumn clothes.

It was a wonderful surprise for the mare. Though it was true that just about anything would have looked better than his prior outfit, how charming and impressive the new uniform was left her flustered with delight. He wore it so finely! That double-breasted vest, a tight green upon his chest; his body highlighted by lines of gold! Covered over by sleeves and leggings, his smooth and tempting limbs were now only available to her eager imagination! And the sapphire pinned right at the center of his waist: a glittering jewel placed like a mark upon a treasure map!

Mmm...

Perhaps her next bracelet should have been green and studded with sapphires?

"Hey Prism," James welcomed her without the slightest pause. He was changed; something had been taken out of him. His shower hadn't only cleaned up his body but also his confidence.

"That is... a nice piece!" the pony marveled. Yet again she looked him up and down, more closely than ever. She didn't even back off to take him in all at once but moved nearer to absorb him section by section, almost reaching out to touch him with her nose.

And the man did nothing to discourage her, instead opening himself up so that she could get a good look.

He beamed, "Yeah! See: Rarity CAN put together something nice when she ACTUALLY sets her mind to it."

Prism chuckled brightly, "That other outfit was quite awful, wasn't it?"

"Heh, it sure as heck was! Never worn anything so ugly in my life! God, I can't believe I had that trash on for so long, haha!"

He wiped some sweat from his brow. The moisture was the fault of only the late afternoon heat exacerbated by his warmer clothes, not the result of any shaky self-assurance. In fact he felt more emboldened than ever, and the more Prism inspected him the more she seemed to take upon herself his former bashfulness. A timid red took over her snout, her eyes could only rise to his in short and dreamy jumps, and just the captivated look of her had him feeling like quite the man again.

"Well, it's time right?" James tilted in a gentlemanly bow and gestured down the hall. "Shall we go?"

"!! Yes!"

Very nearly she shouted, leaping up before she was barely able to compose herself. The evening ahead seemed clear and free. No smoky cloud of black smog obscured the prosperous stars twinkling forever into the night.

At least, no cloud which she cared to pay attention to.

She stood back, eager to let him come out of the doorway and walk alongside her.

"Let's!"

Their stroll was lamentably short. The man's second floor room was closest to the lobby of all the guests, and in no time they found themselves descending the grand stairway.

The only other guest already there was Applejack, of course accompanied by Till. Their chitchat was minimal, quiet, but friendly. Both were casually committed to their promise of saving any significant dialogue until the party later.

The two island masters also were present, but they seemed less absorbed in each other than usual. Venus and Vesuvius were too distracted by the respective grimaces of pity and frustration they had for the most awkward of the servants in their employ.

Humble Herd stood aside in the lobby, far away from the other ponies, appearing as uncomfortable as ever. The assault of unsatisfied, regret-filled looks from his superiors did nothing to help him, and he would have been invisible if their stares hadn't highlighted him so strongly.

It was telling that Fluttershy was not also in the lobby.

But the yellow pegasus was the next to arrive, coming by herself.

She burst into the room at first, very fraught and with her worried wings beating frantically. Absent any guiding pony she had assumed that she was late, but discovering that she was earlier than most of her friends whipped her to the other extreme end of embarrassment. Rushed and anxious flipped to cowardly and shy, lamenting the fuss she had made for herself and the scene she had created by exploding into the lobby. She landed as discreetly as she could before she made her walk of shame down the stairway.

James noticed immediately that she wore her necklace with the sapphire heart, and he was pleased to see it again after it had been absent all day. As she descended he made sure to quietly get her attention and, with a secret throw of his eyes towards her jewelry, he gave her a knowing grin.

At the same time he sunk one hand into his pocket, feeling about inside for his own necklace. He still carried the trinket on him of course, to keep dear Poppy close, but he had declined to actually wear it since it didn't much match with his autumn clothes and couldn't have otherwise been hidden underneath his vest without creating a strange and unsightly lump. When close to him the crystal flower constantly glowed with darkness because of his innate magical dearth, and that hardly made it the most appealing accessory.

Hard to imagine anypony would have found such a thing attractive at all!

Fluttershy spotted the unvoiced doubts swirling about the man, but because she was already feeling under the spotlight she assumed his hidden thoughts were all unimpressed judgments of her. She looked down at her own necklace and with her hoof gave the blue crystal an insecure tap as all the ugly colors of humiliation flooded into her downturned nose.

Instantly James withdrew his medallion to show it to her; to show her that he had been thinking only about his own little piece of jewelry. Then, hesitating through one last second of doubt, he tossed it over his neck and winked at her.

If anypony dares to question you about why you're wearing it... then you can just point at me, flip your mane, and scoff, “Well if he gets to wear that then why can't I wear mine?”

The simple gesture cured all of Fluttershy's fears and nervous ills, and she smiled broadly in appreciation.

James couldn't resist returning a smile, and a helpless chuckle sprung out of him. He strained to bury the well of gladness that came bubbling up. Without thinking he turned to share some of the excess joy with Prism who stood next to him, but there was an unusual, imprecise air about her which caught him off guard.

The mare was an odd painting. Like a landscape, she was a vibrant shower of colors. Her lines were perfectly drawn and her face was perfectly bright. Each stroke of her was pleasant to look at, refined and masterfully done, and when taken in from afar all the layers merged to make a gorgeous scene. Yet even so beautifully rendered, something was still off about her. Like a immaculate painting that had been hung off-center, crooked with suspicion.

She didn't catch his glimpse as she was too busy observing Fluttershy.

The pegasus came right up to James to deliver a tender 'thank you,' virtually inaudible as it was because of how reserved, polite, and gracious she chose to be. But her earnest and heartfelt feelings were unmaskable even by her very withdrawn demeanor. She glowed.

"You're welcome," the man whispered, breaking from his momentary distraction.

Fluttershy treasured the warm feelings of friendship for a moment longer, but then suddenly she too underwent an unusual change. Her fonder spirit she put on hold, casting over herself a seriousness which wasn't outside of her kind character. She evaluated him; studied him; took attentive mental notes as she might have done with any of her injured animal friends. Something behind her, hidden in shadows, tugged at her like shackling weights sinking into tar.

Wary of Prism, only for reasons of good social manners, she used no signal from mouth, hoof, wing, tail, or any other movable part of her to bid him to come an inch closer. Their exchange needed to be a little more private.

Confused by but receptive to his admired friend, he leaned in.

Genuine concern swelled in her, betraying her calm look with just how badly it unsettled her, and she asked him, "Have you been alright? Has everything been well? I mean, not just here but over the past few weeks?"

"... Yeah?" he mostly failed to grasp her fear. Still, he replied with as much honesty as he knew. "Things have been pretty good. I'm feeling pretty great, actually."

"Oh. That's good."

But her face didn't reflect at all what she had said. No relief came upon her; just deeper thoughts. Not that she was being untrue with him either.

"Is... something wrong?" he asked.

Her eyes danced to her low, pensive hum, but then she shook her head.

"No. It's nothing for right now."

Whatever was bothering her she set aside in an instant, lifting away the weights and restoring her lighter side. Her eager smile returned. Excitement filled her, soft as ever despite how powerful it was, and with her mighty voice she cried a tiny whisper of delight.

"Oh, I can't believe we're finally about to see the bell moths! I've been looking forward to it since they first mentioned them at dinner last night!"

It was a subject which so enthralled the usually timid pony that she didn't even know where to begin in sharing with her friends about the astounding insects. But they hardly had the time anyway. She hadn't gotten a word out before the other guests began to appear very quickly.

Rainbow Dash showed up first, escorted by Nosedive; or rather Nosedive was led to the lobby by an impatient Rainbow Dash. She walked in front, practically galloping, full of anticipation for rejoining her friends and scantly aware of the dismal pony tailing her.

Then before long came Twilight, quite verbally engaged with Gallowayo. They came side by side, chatting with each other in library voices even as they stepped down the stairway.

The stallion strangely looked he was recovering from some exhausting exercise. His body was tinted still with an energetic color, there was a wet glistening about him from sweat having been too soon swept off, and his mane was tangled more than usual. His voice, however, was strong and heated; he had a difficult time keeping his volume down. An entire afternoon of rehearsal had left it strong and ready.

Those two had scarcely hit the bottom of the stairs when Pinkie Pie appeared with Hulahoof. Yet while some might have expected their entrance to have come with all the pop of a surprise party, it was nothing such. They used standard trots instead of flying gallops, and indoor voices instead of loudspeaker cheers. The pink pony had an earnest smile but it was worn down and tired, and consequently her impaired state had a diminishing effect on the blue pony. He was much more reluctant to explode in a bright display of fireworks as was his usual way, and a certain assumed guilt followed his every step.

Once they were at the base of the stairs Fluttershy didn't wait to give Pinkie Pie a hug, friendly and compassionate. Then Twilight did so as well, then Rainbow Dash, and then even Applejack (not to be left out of whatever the hay was going on; she didn't know)! However, not one of the ponies spoke a word aloud regarding why they were being so supportive. James kept his silent distance next to Prism, watching uncomfortably.

Hulahoof, witnessing how the support his chosen pony was getting put a fresh shine upon her (even if it was still dull compared to her ideal self), was suddenly whipped into shape by courage. A wobbly indecision inside him had made the trek down to the lobby a slippery journey, but now he felt strong and safe enough to make a choice he had been weighing.

"I hope you enjoy the bell moths; Humble Herd always says that they're really flashy-dazzling," he floated into the group of friends and said to Pinkie Pie, "but I'm super-sorry that I won't see them with you. There's more preparation for the party that I want to do. I know I've been working on it all afternoon, but I want to make one-hundred percent sure that it'll be awesome-fun-you-can't-outrun."

Pinkie smiled, "Sounds great!"

"Okay! See you later!"

A jolt of happiness shocked the blue stallion, and he whirled about to head out the front door. He had only a slight pause first where he looked to Venus and Vesuvius for belated permission to excuse himself, which they granted with small nods, and then he zipped away.

Last to arrive were Rarity and Spike, escorted like always by both Sweet Nothing and Summer Wind. They showed up several minutes after Pinkie Pie; a delay that had started to bring a rumbling impatience out of Vesuvius, though Hulahoof had meekly assured him again and again that there was sufficient time. It was a lateness which Rarity would have immediately apologized for if it hadn't have been so intentionally fashionable.

She was dressed to the nines in one of the gowns Sweet Nothing had gifted her, and she knew full well the kind of entrance she was making. Blue as the night heavens glowing with far-off light, the folds of her dress swished as she weaved down the staircase in display of herself. A shimmering like bursting stars was about her, the flashes waltzing off the dress with each turn she made in her promenade. She had washed something into her mane which loaned it a similar shine, making it glitter. Across her muzzle was draped a thin, silky veil, and above it she had highlighted her eyes with extra shadow, vastly deepening their beautiful blue.

Nopony else there was remotely clothed in as much class as she was; not even Venus in one of her gorgeous lava-lavas. Rarity was the princess of the ball; the queen of the court; the diamond crowning the golden spangled band. And she reveled in every moment of it.

As she led, behind her Spike and Sweet Nothing followed her down.

The dragon's tongue was loose and hanging low enough to be licking his chest, and he wore over his eyes spectacles shaped like hearts. All the world was blotted out from his sight save for the most lovely mare in existence and the perfect way she swaggered before him. If he hadn't been floating down the steps he would have tripped over his own tail.

Likewise, something was going on with Sweet Nothing's tongue and eyes, though it was much harder to perceive. Just barely he licked his lips. Nothing could be seen in his gaze since he was looking inwards, reflecting on all that he would possess.

Summer Wind hardly bothered with the show. Now that their quartet had reached the lobby and joined up with everypony else, her vigilance was unnecessary. Free to relax, she quietly floated herself down to the lower floor somewhere away from the stairway, avoiding the notice of the distracted crowd. Her landing incidentally surprised Humble Herd since she had all but spontaneously appeared next to him. As usual he jumped in shock only to be immediately relieved by who it was, but he was startled again when she suddenly hugged him.

"Thank you."

"Oh, ah... y-you're welcome. Um, f-for what?"

"Heh. You silly pony." Lightly she batted his blushing nose.

Rarity's arrival at the bottom of the stairway stirred up a hubbub as all her friends gathered around in excited worship. Sweet Nothing perhaps would have been bothered by having been pushed aside, except that every word of praise and every awed question her friends heaped upon Rarity gave her another reminder of just who had made her so beautiful. Between her indulgent basking in the attention and her explanation of where the dress had come from, she had many blushing glances for the dark stallion. Fortunately most of her friends weren't terribly upset that they hadn't also been quite so doted upon by their respective guides. (And that was especially true of Fluttershy, who was relieved more than anything that Rarity's attire had stolen away any possible attention her sapphire necklace might have earned her.)

In the midst of all the commotion James, with his usual friendly amusement, lauded Rarity, "That's quite the dress! You sure that's what you want to wear for trudging out through the jungle to see some bugs?"

"Oh, I'll be quite careful. Besides, Mr. Nothing has promised to thoroughly wash-... ? James? You've... changed clothes."

His swap of attire had only just registered for her when she had finally looked upon him directly. The same was true for all of their friends in fact; each suddenly marveled at the obvious change which they had all missed. Then again, they were all accustomed to his autumn outfit, having rarely seen him in anything else for all the months they had known him. He really looked more proper in it anyway, especially compared to his truly bizarre summer clothes. Not that any of them mentioned such thoughts aloud in Rarity's presence.

"I, uh-," the man fumbled his answer, "... yeah. You know. I figured... heading out to see the moths and everything. That jungle, you know. And anyway, night's coming up, so... something a little warmer. Yeah."

"We're in a tropical climate now," Twilight said. "Even late into the night it isn't going to cool down."

Rarity worried, "My gracious, aren't you baking in that?"

He patted his forehead with his sleeve, mopping up the sticky sweat.

"N-Nah, I'm fine."

"Mm... yes...," Rarity clearly doubted him. Given the public space she didn't want to take up any time or create any sort of scene over what might have simply been silly fears. She leaned towards the man and, awash with concern that twinkled more distinctly than her gown, she hurried out a whisper, "Was... there a problem with your other clothes? I brought along some materials; I certainly wouldn't mind making some alterations later if-"

"N-No, t-they're great," he hoarsely coughed. "J-Just great. They're f-fine; really great; love'em. Don't worry about it. Um, t-thank you."

The unicorn relented, nodding, but the trouble in her eyes lingered until she finally turned away to face again the excited praises from her other friends.

James had to wipe his brow once more, and he tugged at his neckline to let some air in. One step back he took, just to be a little more out of the way of everypony, but he nearly collided with Prism when he moved. They both steadied themselves out, neither harmed by the near miss, but when he went to ask if she was alright he noticed that the pony squinted oddly between him and Rarity. The strange look, however, quickly faded under a quiet brand of amusement, and he felt her rub his leg supportively with her hoof.

SHE had no grief for his choice of clothing.

---

The guests were ushered out the back of the Passion's Embrace again, this time on a trail going swiftly up into the coastal hills. The path was not as broad or welcoming as those they had taken to the orchard valley and the Pleasure Gardens earlier that day. Besides being much thinner – shrubs pushed their leaves rudely in the way, and everypony nearly had to march single file – uncivil rocks and roots left themselves all over the trail, extruding from the ground wherever they felt like or even cutting across the way such that they had to be stepped over. The fading sun and growing twilight likewise didn't help navigation any either, and there were occasional stumbles from both the guests and island ponies.

Yet Humble Herd knew the way blindfolded, and he forged himself a comfortable lead trotting fast up the trail (lest anypony approach him and ask him questions). Aside from the few things that had already been divulged to the guests he hadn't discussed with them anything about what they were on their way to see.

Vesuvius naturally hadn't been quite as quiet. It was he who had pushed everypony out soon after Rarity had arrived, but he had not done so without first having built up their excitement for the bell moths. This was going to be his and his beloved's second experience of the event, and both island masters had praised it as a magical and inspiring phenomenon, though they likewise had held back on specific details.

Given the density of the vegetation along the trail and the mind-bending way it sometimes twisted around, most of the guests lost track of where they were rather quickly. Only on occasion could they look back and spy the Passion's Embrace between the branches and leaves, the resort glowing gray in the falling sun. It never disappeared behind another hill; they were climbing one of the highest on the island. The only other hint of where they were was the ever-present sound of the ocean harassing the high cliffs nearby.

Before all too long they made their destination.

It was a clearing, but only when compared to the thick web of plants they had been pushing through for the past fifteen minutes. The bushes were like walls around them, herding the crowd into a fairly tight space, and what trees were nearby lurched over the glade and half-concealed the sky with their branches. No sunlight dripped in, but that was solely the fault of the evening; above and beyond the leaves everything glowed like molten metal cooling to a steely blue as night came.

Everypony looked about while they piled in, dusting the dirt off themselves from their trek, but the space seemed entirely empty except for themselves and the oppressive chirping of crickets. The unseen, noisy chorus only grew more lively as the last warm colors slipped away from the world.

It was Fluttershy who pointed out to everypony just how crowded the space really was. There were far more than crickets there, and in much, much greater numbers.

She zipped around like a filly in an amusement park – from bush to bush, tree to tree, high to the branches, low to the roots – and she pointed out the many moths quietly gathering around the glade. They weren't flitting about like she was; rather they slowly and gently crawled into place one at a time. They clung to the plants in the area, never taking to the air at all, and they waited patiently alone on twigs, or in small groups nested in the bushes, or even in great crowds on some of the trees. One particular tree with an exceptionally thick trunk had such a vast coat of them that it looked like the tree was breathing when they silently wiggled about to make more room for the continuous stream of moths arriving. There were hundreds of them!

What made them so hard to spot was that they didn't have the wings most first imagined of moths, all white and pure as freshly laundered linen. Their wings were a dark and dirty gold, well-camouflaged in the advancing night. Nor were they terribly large insects, being the kind of bugs that could secretly hitch a ride on a pony's back and escape notice most of the evening.

But each and every single one of them was a treasure for Fluttershy, and she got lost while rambling about encouraging whispers to each of them:

"Soon, soon! ... Oh, I bet you're all so excited! ... I'm so, so happy for you! ... Isn't this what you've been waiting for all your life?"

She didn't nearly have the time to get to them all. Vesuvius called for everypony's attention and then immediately turned the show over to Humble Herd.

But under the pressure to perform again, the pony couldn't speak up. When he was more forcefully prodded by Vesuvius he did manage to open his mouth, but the mumblings which came out were barely above inaudible. The grouchy Vesuvius had no interest in acting as a megaphone and he delivered a punishing stare as harsher encouragement, but it only worsened the pony's stage fright. Paralyzed, under attack from every side by the stares of the waiting guests, and nearly on the verge of tears, he was about to pass out.

"Well, Humble Herd? Tell us about the bell moths."

Summer Wind came and stood next to him, spouting nothing but support.

"I've been really looking forward to seeing this ever since you first told me about it. You made it sound very special."

She nudged herself closer and laid a comfortable wing on top of his back.

"Come on... Tell us."

His throat opened and a gasp of air spilled in. Somewhere inside himself he found a small reserve of strength; enough to double his effort.

Not that twice his low confidence amounted to much... but it was enough.

"R-R-R-Right... S-S-So, e-everyp-pony, if-, if... I could j-just, um.... sp-speak to you all f-f-for just a m-moment."

They were the politest crowd in existence, paying attention like they had been raised and trained to do so since birth.

Yet he still cringed as if they were a firing squad.

"A-Ahh, um... s-so... t-this pl-place is the ga-gathering spot for the b-bell moths, ah, f-for their m-m-mating season. It'll s-start in a f-few minutes, once the s-sun has com-completely gone d-down. Y-You-, ah, you d-don't have to w-worry about b-being in their way; t-they're v-very friendly and l-loving little in-insects and w-won't be b-bothered by o-our presence. J-Just, um, p-pl-please don't del-liberately interf-f-fere, ah, with them. Th-that w-wouldn't be, um, n-nice. A-And t-this is a very sp-special and im-im-important time in their l-life cycle, so, ah, um... I h-hope you un-underst-stand."

He did it! He had climbed the mountain! And he was drained in breath and color just as if he had literally done so.

Summer Wind rubbed his back and smiled at him like the champion he was.

"Excuse me?" Twilight raised her hoof with a question.

Her lifted leg looked more like a ready sword to Humble Herd. When he didn't immediately call on her she gazed about to see if somepony else had beat her to the punch, but she was alone in having something to ask. She wiggled and waved her hoof with increasing ferocity until she finally realized that the only acknowledgment she was going to get was his wide-eyed, frightened smile. So she threw out her question regardless.

"What exactly IS a bell moth?"

"O-O-O-Oh, w-w-w-well... um... t-t-they're... v-v-very r-rare, uh, in-insects. T-Their r-r-range, um..., is-, is-, is-, ah..."

His blathering degraded by the second, and the loudness in his voice only went up in an utter failure to compensate, making him look like more of a fool.

It wasn't really even fair, either! This was such a favored topic of his! They were unbelievably fascinating little bugs, and he had befriended so, so many of them! In private, to ponies like Summer Wind, he had gone on and on and on and on and on about them until he had literally been unable to speak anymore. And this whole event they had all gathered here to witness was the MOST special thing of all about bell moths! It was going to be so beautiful, and anypony would be blessed to see it!

He WANTED somepony to share this magic with!

But with so many eyes leering on him he couldn't even share a single coherent sentence, let alone a feeling so important to him.

...

And what did it matter? Even if he had the composure to speak then they probably would have just laughed at how excited he was over a few bugs. Really, they all might have had a better and more magical experience if hadn't come out there with them at all...

But though he lost his willpower and faded, Vesuvius had lost nothing except his patience. The island master unleashed a highly disfavorable stare upon Humble Herd, a thousand times worse than all of the guests combined.

Humble Herd made a sudden, desperate last effort, but it came out more like the final screams of a poor soul being devoured by a ravenous beast.

"T-T-T-T-T-There's o-o-o-o-onl-l-ly a f-f-f-f-few... pl-places in-in-in Eq-Eq-Equestr-tria... w-w-w-w-where b-b-b-bell m-m-m-m-m-"

"Bell moths are a very, very special kind of insect found in only a few rare places all around the world," Fluttershy said.

The pegasus spoke so freely – so in awe, so unrestrained – as if nopony else in the world were there with her and her voice alone controlled access to the mysteries of the universe. Out in front of the others she wandered, heedless of who saw her or what they thought of how she marveled so openly over the little insects, but certainly she hoped with all her bright hope that they were listening, if only so that they could share all the joy she was feeling.

She came before the biggest tree and looked up at it and all the countless bell moths biding their time in its branches or on its trunk. Whenever she saw one of their wings flex or flutter her own wings buzzed reciprocally, and whenever she saw one carefully creep to a new resting spot her own hooves tapped a few steps over and back.

There was a miracle in the air that only she seemed to feel, but she was the gateway for everypony to begin to feel the tingles of it too. She was ready for it; so, so ready for the miracle to show itself. This was why she lived.

"What makes them so unique is their amazing life cycle. It's very unlike other creatures. They're born in very large groups as caterpillars, but right away they wander off from each other until they are all alone, and they feed up on leaves by themselves until they find a safe place to cocoon. Then they spend a long, long time in their cold cocoons, without anypony to keep them company, growing up into new adult bell moths; little, humble, shy, lonely, beautiful bell moths. But after that is when the magic happens!"

Even though she was sharing her knowledge with the others she had an absolute need to gaze upon the army of bell moths as she did so. Her eyes twinkled; no matter where she turned she saw them in the branches and bushes. And around her neck the sapphire heart caught every last bit of dimming sunlight and shined it back brightly.

"For their mating season they instinctively return to special places like this one, gathering together again with other bell moths for the first time since their birth. And when it starts, always at night after the sun has first gone down, each moth begins to fly about slowly... and play their lightsong."

"Lightsong?" Twilight didn't recognize the term.

"Yes. There's a tiny little magic in the wings of each bell moth; a LOVE magic. When they fly, adult bell moths can use their wings to play their lightsong: a musical light whose sound and melody is uniquely theirs. No two bell moths share the same lightsong. The reason they gather together again to play their lightsongs is because somewhere in the crowd is another bell moth whose lightsong is a perfect match for theirs! They play, and they listen, and they play, and they listen, searching and searching and searching... always hoping so much that they're being searched for. And they search and search until they hear the amazing, beautiful, wonderful lightsong which speaks to them in a way no other can; the one that is in perfect harmony with their own."

Her heart cried from pure happiness.

"And those two bell moths who have found each other... they come together, playing their matching music for each other. They were MADE for one another. They were ALWAYS meant to be. They find their true love forever.

"And all they needed to do was be themselves."

It felt like she hadn't taken a single breath the whole time she had been speaking. When she finally exhaled, the air from her lungs glittered like flecks of stunning crystals swept up in a breeze. Finally she faced her friends again, and she entreated them all to be as enamored as she was.

"Isn't it so wonderful? They start alone, having to struggle by themselves until they at last come out of their lonesome little cocoons, but they do it all because they know that magic will bring them together with their one true love in the end. And that is how the next generation of bell moths comes to be so that the cycle can continue."

And everypony agreed. Even those who were typically least swayed by such romantic fantasies found her enthusiasm inescapable. In that moment they all were Fluttershy.

Certainly though some of them were a little more moved than others.

Rarity felt tingles for the story, imagining the brightest and most beautiful of dresses flying out from her sewing machine while they sang so loudly that they summoned to her boutique a long trail of suitors: princes with palaces, artists after inspiring muses, heirs with endless fortunes, poets with pure souls, actors ample with astounding looks, statesponies stunning in speech and scholarship, adventurers after unassessable treasure, lovers luscious and irresistible, and every manner of pleasing pony under the sun and moon. Each imagined pony was a marvel of a vision; one she could picture in a million perfect wedding photos.

The only interruption to her indulgent thoughts was a little mistaken touch against her leg.

Without meaning to Spike had let his tail drift into her while it had been wiggling about, driven by romantic dreams of its own. When the unicorn looked down at the dragon she caught sight of how intently he watched the sittings moths, with a wish planted firmly in his heart and an adoring warmth burning in his cheeks. For just a moment he looked back at her while she still gazed down at him, the worshiper waiting without demand or disdain.

Quietly she shuffled herself an inch or two closer to him.

Humble Herd too had found Fluttershy's speech very stirring. It had contained everything he would have said, only spoken more clearly and with more heart. She had captured in word and soul absolutely everything that moved him about these little insects.

The shy stallion was sturdier now that all the attention had been lifted off his shoulders, but it seemed like at any moment he might have fallen forward onto his face. The magnetism of Fluttershy's beautiful confidence and chaste bliss was pulling him in, dragging his nose ahead while his cold hooves stayed anchored behind. The lopsided way he tilted forward, eyes stuck upon her, was like an awestruck bow being taken before a holy altar.

The counterweight of Summer Wind's wing held him back, so tenderly pressing on his spine to keep him upright. When her soft touch finally became enough for him to consciously notice it he looked at her.

She gave him a smile which wouldn't have found her anywhere else in the world.

Fluttershy all but took over as presenter, answering the questions of the excited crowd, guest and islander alike. They all instinctively spoke in hushed voices, sensing the inherent quiet of the world as every last faint ember of sun slowly drained out of the sky. The darkness which descended into the glade only encouraged them to whisper more, even as it became harder and harder for them to see each other in the tight space.

It only took a few more minutes for the very last blip of day to disappear. Both Humble Herd and Fluttershy seemed to detect the moment at exactly the same time, though naturally it was only the yellow pegasus who called for everypony's attention. Now on the very cusp of an exhilarating ride, she pleaded with everypony to hold still and watch. She herself held her breath.

The glade froze.

Even the crickets seemed to calm, canceling their performance for the sake of their buggy brethren.

Not a single light was there, and the blackness of night was thick between the trees. All was shadow, though the ponies, dragon, and man fared a little better with picking out details since their eyes had been given a long time to adjust. They all silently scanned for signs of the bell moths.

Some of the bushes jiggled as the insects crawled between the branches. The bark on the trees appeared to ruffle, still covered over with waiting moths roaming around. But not one moth had taken to the air.

Everypony waited, their breathing becoming fainter than the farthest wind tiptoeing across the other side of the ocean.

On a little bent sprig sticking up awkwardly from one of the bushes, a single bell moth sat alert. He didn't need to turn his head about to look around the glade; his crystal eyes saw each and every one of his fellow moths waiting nervously like he was. Surely they all felt it too? That pulse in their wings; that energy; that need to dance and sing and cry and laugh, and live and love.

Maybe they were all just a little afraid; he was too. Or maybe he was simply the courageous spark of a waiting fire.

Up and down he flexed his wings, three times, and then with a jump he bounced off the sprig.

Nopony saw the lone little bell moth at first; not in that darkness. He weaved about, fluttering around in the way that moths often do, his wings pumping out the tiniest hurricane. He only finally drew notice when, little by little, his magic began to activate.

"There!" Fluttershy quietly gasped.

They all saw it, though it didn't seem much. A new color appeared in the night, barely lit against the sea of black and flitting about slowly. It hardly even glowed, being more dim than the faintest flicker of a firefly; something like only the memory of a golden flash lingering long after one has closed their eyes. Everypony had to strain to keep track of it, but there it was.

And then the first lightsong played.

As the bell moth hit the peak of one of his high arcs, a tiny droplet of light fell from his wings.

It was like a candle flame, shimmering shyly in a dance. All alone in the dark its many rays stretched out far beyond itself, stabbing into the night and bouncing off leaf, dirt, tree, and pony. The tiny glow drifted almost weightlessly, a lazy snowflake of pure light tenderly dropping towards the ground.

But most spectacular of all was the sound it made:

Bells.

Ringing bells, as if echoing in from some distance.

The little light pulsed constantly, and with each flash and jitter it made a unique noise like a bell calling out a soft tune, seeking earnestly for someone to listen. From nowhere the musical light rang its melody, pure and distinct as a flawless crystal, and only after the twinkling speck of dust finally hit the ground did its sparkle and music start to gradually die away, fading like a record trailing off.

But once it had gone the small bell moth simply threw himself up through another arc and cast out another spark of lightsong, singing out for his one true love to come and find him.

And from the bushes, from the trees, from above and from below; more little dim golden blurs suddenly started to dance out into the darkness, just a few at a time. When the lead bell moth released his third droplet of lightsong several of them swarmed around it, circling it as it wandered down towards the earth, their tiny shapes becoming visible to everypony as they swam in the musical light. They followed it down, listening and studying the lightsong so closely.

But it wasn't theirs. It didn't call to them.

Yet two of them became so emboldened that they suddenly broke off, soared up towards the highest tree branches, and dropped their own glimmering sparks of lightsong. Again like snowflakes, the new lights were unique in their own small ways: being different sizes, flashing in different ways; the patterns to their glints so incomparable to each other. And certainly their music was all their own: bells of different tones and depths, rung in entirely different ways from the first lightsong. There wasn't an obvious harmony between the three, but they came together regardless with a pleasant sound.

The new songs called in more bell moths from the fringes of the glade. With each sinking drop of light, ever more came. Soon many bell moths were swooping around the falling sparks of music; searching; seeking out the song most beloved to them. And ever more of them became confident enough play their own lightsongs, adding to the flurry of dazzlings lights that began to fly all about the glade.

The bell moths filled the air just below the branches, an entire army marching about in no formation whatsoever except one conducted by the baton of magical romance. Together all their lightsongs were a slow snowstorm of melodic brilliance falling from heaven. The brightness which so illuminated the glade banished all the bleakness of night, creating a stark world of only two colors: glittering gold and distant black.

Though the ponies, and dragon, and man, were all there together in the glade they were also all so far away; elsewhere in time and space; beyond the moon and between the stars. In those timeless moments they scarcely breathed more than whispers to each other, afraid that anything louder might have broken the spell. Quietly they wandered about through the music, looking up with awe into the twinkling sea of lights.

Twilight was intrigued and captivated by the whole event. Fluttershy had always been a fantastic friend for information on animals, and certainly Fluttershy had zealously dragged her to a fair share of interesting, but sometimes less-than-interesting, occurrences of the natural world. (Wearing a clothespin on her nose and bearing witness to the hatching of the Great Stinkbug Herd wasn't really one of her fonder memories. Admittedly it had been a very educational experience, though.)

But seeing this event here...

What a reminder. It slipped her mind easily whenever she was engrossed in her studies, but what a reminder:

Magic really was such a miracle.

She looked between her friends and caught sight of Gallowayo, the mesmerized stallion wandering and weaving between the innumerable drops of lightsong, occasionally picking one or two to follow intently until they hit the ground and withered. He was recording every second of the experience.

She even heard a thrilled murmur from him, "Ooooh, I am going to have so much to write about this!"

"I wish I had brought a notepad," Twilight came besides him and said.

"Oh, not notes, no," he acknowledged her for just a moment, barely breaking from the falling bells. Very clearly he needed more time to invent the right words for what he was seeing; his lips trembled while he spoke nothing. But when it finally hit him that it was Twilight next to him – his fellow student – he got a sudden idea.

He reached out and tipped her chin up while he pointed into the air and invited her, "Look. Look! Look at it. Now... tell me: what do you FEEL?"

"Curious," she immediately answered.

But she absorbed the scene as instructed, soaking in the light and sound.

"... Happy," she chose to add.

In the lower reaches of her vision she saw her many friends gently roaming around, all painted golden and with so many indescribable emotions written on their faces.

"... Blessed."

"Yeah... Yeah...," whispered Gallowayo. He himself looked again over the field of chiming lights and, though he didn't directly name his own feelings, he said, "We can feel so many amazing things, Twilight. PONIES can feel so many extraordinary things. Things we can't even imagine when we're in our normal minds."

She extrapolated, "Things that sometimes take going to a special place, no matter how near or far. Or having a special experience, no matter how grand or small. Or seeing a special display, bright or quiet."

Again she looked at the many friends she was so lucky to have.

"Sometimes we just need a special key to unlock those rare, magical feelings."

The stallion positively adored her impromptu bout of poetry.

"Yes! Yes, exactly! If only we could find the words to understand those feelings fully; to communicate them completely! Then we could take them to anypony, anywhere!"

His mind, firing on all cylinders, turned again to the magical spectacle before him. He saw not just all the lights and heard not just all the bells. Something else he began to overlay on top of the scene.

He uttered not a word of his innermost thoughts until he mistakenly mumbled aloud, "I wonder what it would be like here? It's a shame this event is so rare; this would be the perfect place for it!"

"For what?" asked Twilight.

"For-!"

He awoke, deeply red.

"Uh... for-... for-, um... for singing." The answer had no grime or filth on it, but it likewise came out with no weight. "To come together and... sing... with somepony."

"Like... how the bell moths play their lightsongs for each other?" the other unicorn took a befuddled stab in the dark.

Galloway didn't confirm her guess. He only instead nervously returned his attention to the moths.

Though his lack of a response was somewhat frustrating (James would have had a response ready for sure), it merely forced Twilight to dwell on his final remark. Turning it over and over again in her head as she watched the concert of lights, she eventually decided that there was a bit of beautiful poetry in what he had said.

The magical music might as well have unwound some of the years in Spike. Like a dragon whelp chasing fireflies in a field for fun or practice, he rushed about in fits and starts, catching some of the falling lights in his claws. Each one he snagged he'd cup his claws over to mask out the glow of the other lightsongs so that he could observe specifically his catch's unique twinkling. What's more, he time and again brought them back to Rarity like gifts, presenting them to her before they faded.

"What do you think of this one, Rarity? ... And this one? ... This one's pretty great! ... Oh, I really like the sound of this one! ... Hey, take a look at how this one flickers! ... Do you like this one, Rarity?"

"Hmhmhmhm," she swallowed her amusement. "My goodness, Spike. You seem to be quite absorbed in this."

The sudden embarrassment weakened him, and he dropped his latest catch with limp turns of his wrists.

"I-... I think it's kind of cool...," he almost didn't have the will to admit.

But the well-dressed mare didn't want there to be any confusion. She spun him about so that she could stand just behind him and look upon the dazzling display with him.

"Oh, indeed it is!" she agreed. "And magnificent! And marvelous! Why, it makes me think of... having a wedding far out amongst the stars."

The heavenly thought snuck deep into her and for a moment all the flashing lights and ringing bells went inside her. Lost in that beautiful cosmos, romantic in spirit and breathless in body, the hoof she held on her dragon gave him a caressing touch, and she blushed (though, quite helpfully, her veil hid it).

To free herself she lightheartedly commented, "I suppose, even if I might be just a tad too old for it now, I would be running around catching some of them too if it weren't such a risk to my dress."

"Do you... want me to catch some more for you?" the ruby-cheeked dragon offered.

"By all means. Don't let me stop you." There was a sharp glint in her eyes. "I think this spectacle is giving me inspiration for a whole new line of dresses!"

That was all Spike needed, and out again he went. He played amidst the ringing lights but aways faithfully came back to present the mare with the prizes he thought she'd love the best or be further inspired by. Rarity waited and watched in joy, dressed like the night but shining like the sun under the color of the lightsongs.

"Adorable little presents he brings you," Sweet Nothing said, approaching from behind her. "Like a puppy."

"It is quite charming," Rarity giggled, thinking nothing negative of the comment. Her attention stayed focused forward.

The stallion, dark still even under the glowing lights, looked at her gown before he remarked carefully, "It's a shame his little gifts wither so quickly and don't last."

"They don't need to," the mare still watched the dragon. "This is the kind of moment that doesn't need to last for more than now..." The color hadn't yet drained from her face.

Fiery, frustrated wind ran into Sweet Nothing's nostrils. He straightened his muscular legs; he put out his broad chest. Into his voice he wove the sound of harps, complementing the bells in the air.

"Madam Rarity. If you would allow, tonight I would be honored to treat you to something special. Your beauty has captivated-"

"Yes, yes," she quickly pushed him away, too busy with Spike, "but if you'll please pardon me, Mr. Nothing. I'm trying to enjoy this moment."

She didn't hear a single terrible sound from the dark stallion as he slunk away silently outraged.

James stood stiff until the merging minutes became meaningless. Every amazing light that fell to the ground and shriveled away was replaced by two more, all of them sparkling and chiming gloriously, and in looking through the glowing sea of shining stars he felt eternity reach out a soft and inviting hand to him.

One drop of lightsong he gazed at was tiny but its flashes were electric, popping like an unpredictable blaze. The sound it made was like a chain of jingling Christmas bells being merrily whipped.

Another blob of light was fat and thick, and its pulses were long seconds apart. Each flash was identical; the drop shrinking for just an instant before it burst with light and made a loud, deep gong.

Still another swayed as it drifted, like chimes rolling back and forth. It sounded like church bells, welcoming and proud.

The spellbound man reached a hand out and after a few moments one of the lights from the downpour landed in it. There was no sensation of weight to the magical spark, but through his skin he felt the happy shaking of its bells as it ringed again and again. He brought it up in front of his nose, nearly crossing his eyes to stare deep into it. The rays of light split apart from some point only inches before him but yet also infinitely far away, and in their spinning and pulsing he thought he saw the vastness of the universe appear; colors and shapes from beyond the realms of time, space, and understanding; cosmic manifestations of ungraspably enormous proportions like would be found beyond the farthest galaxies, but brought down into the palm of his hand like an existence which folded in on itself in scaling repetition.

The bells faded, the light shrunk, he pulled his hand ever closer to his eyes to keep up with its retreat into microscopic infinity, and then it was gone; melted into his flesh.

On blind instinct his hand slowly dropped onto the medallion hanging from his neck, holding it like he was feeling for the beat of his heart...

... And he cried.

Not with any pain. Not with any sorrow. The tears flooding his eyes only made the lights more beautiful by their shimmering distortions.

He thought about the stunning vista over Canterlot seen from the castle windows; the ordinary homeliness but spectacular wonder of a library carved from a tree; the cold, living rain put together with intent and purpose; the race of wind on his face as the lands of Equestria passed by and the train whistle roared; the mighty Pearl Peaks; the gorgeous bloom of light under the lake at Heartwood during the night; Poppy's energetic smile; Star Glitter and P.V. sharing a simple but so special kiss in the streets of Ponyville; and the new friendships he had felt, pure in the hearts of ponies.

This, here in the glade, was one of those magical experiences he had come to Equestria for.

There was a nudge against his other hand, and he looked down. Too bleary-eyed to see all that clearly, he had to wipe himself before he could pick out Prism's colorful bracelets.

She was lightly pressing her hoof into his hand.

Up at him she gave a smile, though he had a hard time seeing it through his still-smeared vision. He also thought he saw the golden lights gleaming off of some soulful tears of her own.

James took and held her offered hoof.

Even though it wasn't the first time Humble Herd had personally witnessed the bell moths' ritual, it wasn't any less of a miracle to him. He watched with all the pride of a father, all the wonder of a foal, all the bated breath of a mystery's big reveal, and all the humility of a true believer before a divine power. Their light was one that shined through any of his nights; their songs an orchestra that rang clear through any of his storms.

He was interrupted again by the sensation of a great wing tenderly laying upon his back. Only this time Summer Wind went further, pressing her hoof against his; nearly picking his up and holding it in her own.

"Humble Herd...," she couldn't take her eyes off the dazzling display, "... this really is just as beautiful as you made it out to be..."

A cold shake entered his hoof, and he looked aside to hide the ashamed gloss that came over his eyes.

"I wasn't trying to undersell it or anything...," he said.

"Oh, you."

Softly she laid her neck against his, resting against him in such perfect peace.

"The only thing you undersell is yourself, Humble Herd."

There was another cold shake that passed through him, but then he carefully tightened his hoof against hers.

"Summer Wind..."

"Hm?"

"Summer Wind, I-... I-..."

He went cold and loose again.

Though not entirely unhappy.

"... I'm really glad you're here with me for this."

She offered no fast response. Her wing twitched, easing off him and hesitating to come back down. The muscles in her neck tensed, becoming abrasive against him, and were likewise reluctant to soften. Out of her nose silently whistled small regrets which she piled up to bury the largest regret of them all.

She tried to smile for him, producing a hollow-ringing answer, "... What else are friends for?"

They held close together for the rest of the ritual, saying nothing more to each other until after the last lightsong had faded.

Every animal was special, from the largest leviathan in the sea down to the tiniest mite. Even if some were a little less-than-savory to deal with, every animal was special.

But stuck in that blissful moment Fluttershy strongly considered declaring bell moths the most special of all.

There was so much she had read about them – had known about them – but she had never had the opportunity come to have gone and seen them up close. They were such a rarity the world over. But to witness them had always been a fantasy in her heart, such that when they had been first mentioned at dinner last night she had many times doubted the opportunity had been real. For years on some nights her dreams had been filled with flurries of the bell moths' falling lightsongs, but now they were here, and real, and more breathtaking than anything her ambitious dreams had ever conjured.

Of all the ponies in the glade she moved around the most. Every angle had to be taken in, every drop of lightsong had to be memorized, and the face of every moth had to be learned. It was all so hard to do when her tranquil ecstasy kept her from breathing. Her wings stayed permanently spread from the electric energy flowing through her, and so many twinkles of lightsong got caught in her mane that it looked like the sea in a pale sunset, warm and pink but bright and shining with the reflections of stars.

Above, Fluttershy caught sight of a falling drop of light which had a particularly happy bell moth blitzing about it. The little lady was in love with the sound; it drove her batty, as it were. The light sank and sank and she followed it down, swimming around it and taking in every ring with her tiny insect body.

Fluttershy sat down nearly under the drop, and she held out the sapphire heart which rested at the end of her necklace. The falling light drifted down onto the blue heart, landing square in the center of the upturned jewel. Its still-pulsing light spread into the crystal, splitting deep into it and warming it with the color of a simmering, golden fire.

The little bell moth followed, still dancing about the light in glee until it finally faded away. But once it did she blasted up towards the branches and released three of her own lightsong drops, singing out loudly and joyfully for whomever had sounded the bells she had fallen in love with.

And right away he heard, and right away he came. Like a swallow diving he soared down to one of the lights, enamored; he spun around it and moved on to the next, and then the third. And there he released another of his lightsong drops next to hers, and their falling music mixed together in perfect harmony. The joined pearls of light landed on the sapphire heart, again moved into place by Fluttershy.

The two bell moths came down on top of the crystal, staring into each others large eyes as their bells continued to ring away. Their legs reached out for each other, their antennae kissed again and again, and they beat their wings with the golden promise of love forever and ever. Tiny sparks of miniature lightsongs came falling out of them both, splashing all over the sapphire and making it glow, and when they were finished they held together and danced away into the darkened trees.

Fluttershy whispered her most jubilant wishes for them, profoundly happy to have been there and witnessed their blessed union, but then she turned her eyes to her necklace still held up in her hoof. Little sparkles of lightsong were caught in it, fading fast, and its new color was diminishing to that of cooling embers.

She took the gem, turned it, and pressed it against her own heart, even rubbing it against her chest. Tight she held it against herself, spreading whatever magic was left on it to her, until all the glow finally faded and she had a blue heart again.

If only she had been born a bell moth.

Comments

[Jack Kellar]

I was hoping for the warning kind of bells. Oh well, I see a few cracks in the facade that won't take long to trigger those.

At least we got some scenery porn. Really, all romantic sappiness aside, this could really use some fan art!

[Zurock]

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It what would probably not surprise very many, I actually have a genuine affection for sappy romance. (I don't go to see many films in theaters, but one I did was You've Got Mail: an AOL-themed romcom about a colossal asshole who discovers he can woo a girl by pretending not to be a colossal asshole.)

If I had delved further into learning the visual arts to be able to produce anything greater than what is already there then this scene is what the story's cover image would have been of.

[Danger Noodle]

I enjoyed the scenery here. Well done on this chapter.

[Truthseeker]

That was... beautiful. I don't honestly know how else to say it.

[Moonblaze]

This chapter was a triumph
I'm leaving a comment; HUGE SUCCESS
It's hard to overstate my sense of wonder

[KvAT]

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Aperture Science
We do what we must
Because we can