The crystal chandelier spilled candlelight over the mahogany chairs and tables which were arranged in orderly rows around the red carpet of the restauraunt. Celestia, Luna and Twilight trotted through the door, the cool of the night air giving way to warmth. Luna bounded ahead. "Twilight, you've never met Akbear, have you? He is such a gentlecolt!"
"No, I never have." Twilight trailed after her, hurrying to keep up with Luna's longer stride. Celestia took a few steps and was instantly next to Luna. Twilight stopped to take in several breaths so Celestia paused. Luna kept her regal march towards the seat where her coltfriend sat.
A jet black mane ran down his white shoulders. A formal, purple bridal covered his face in a network of leather straps, though there was no bit to inhibit him from speaking. Wearing the bridle was an old Arabian custom whose origins were long lost and had been explained as a sign of humility or a remnant of a time when Arabians had been slaves. The bridle had been only for slaves in Ancient Equestria and the foreigner did get some strange looks. He was tall, nearly towering over the small table. Rather than sit, he stood. Unlike their Pony cousins, the Arabian Horse had never developed bipedalism, save for occasionally rearing as a display of excitement.
He smiled at Luna and she dipped under his chin for a long nuzzle. It was so long in fact that Celestia and Twilight had already sat down and ordered bread sticks by the time Luna and Akbear stopped nuzzling. Luna's cheeks colored and she sat down across from him. Akbear remained standing. Twilight took the seat next to Luna. "So, how has Equestria been treating you, Ustaaz Akbear?"
Akbear nodded. "Ah, you know my language. Just call me Akbear, please."
"Of course, Akbear."
Akbear knelt to Celestia. "It is nice of you to join us this lovely night."
"The pleasure is all ours."
The waitress, a scurrying little grey Unicorn adolescent filly, skittered over to them, holding a silver plate of bread sticks on her back. She took them in her magic and deposited them on the green-checkered patterned table cloth. Akbear picked one up and hoofed it to Luna who took it in her blue aura and nibbled on it. "Thank you." She picked one up herself and poked at Akbear's lips. Akbear gratefully took the offered morsel. "Equestria is a fine place. I wasn't sure about it at first. So different from my own land. How strange to actually miss blistering heat and sand rivers. Homesickness is a strange thing, yes? Strange is the word? There are giant scorpions in my country. They jump out at unweary travelers and, well, such things are improper to talk about at dinner time. I even missed them at my worst."
Luna shifted in her seat. "I've been homesick in my own country. So much changes in one-thousand years. I was astonished to find such beautiful, new music when I went to a concert hall. Imagine my shock when I discovered that such music was three centuries old."
Akbear stroked her mane. "But I find your Equestria has much to offer and not just your pleasant weather. You have such varied diet. So many cultures joined as one. An example for us. And I find this Unicorn seafood to be delightful. I had never tasted fish up until now. The sea is far from my country."
"The stallion loves his crab."
Twilight nibbled on a bread stick. "They have the best crab cakes here. And as far as sand scorpions, we have ursa minors, ursa majors, manticores, hyrdras, rocs, gremlins and I probably missed a few."
Luna sighed. "Ursas are not so bad. They are misunderstood creatures, my star bears."
Twilight looked over at her. "You made them?"
"Indeed I did."
"I had no idea, I didn't mean to insult them."
Luna waved her hoof. "It's alright. I understand your less than good experience with them."
Akbear, relaxing, lowered onto his belly to sit across from his lady. "I misunderstood much before coming here. Luna has taught me so many things. We have gazed at the night sky together and I have learned that the stars are just as lovely as the sun."
"Just as lovely? You told me they were lovelier."
He rose to kiss her. "I was referring to your eyes."
Luna returned the kiss, the scent of him intoxicating to her, washing over her senses.
"Ahem."
Luna broke away for air. "Sister?"
"The waitress would like to know what you're ordering."
The waitress almost pranced on the floor. "Y-Yes, Your Highness, Ma'am."
"Grilled oatcakes."
The waitress wrote it down. Akbear ordered crab cakes, Twilight fried hay casserole and Celestia ordered a carrot pate. She wandered away to bring the orders to the kitchen. Celestia settled in her chair. "I understand you wrote a song for my sister? I'd love to hear it."
Luna glared. "It is the sort of song a stallion sings for his mare and no one else."
"Right, right. Boundaries."
Akbear frowned. "Would it bother you so much if I sang it to another?"
"Yes."
"I understand." He sipped some of the water on the table. "What about the poetry I send to you?"
Twilight's ears perked up. "You're a poet?"
"Yes, yes I am."
Luna shuffled her hoof. "Well, if you wanted to publish them, that'd be alright. Yes, he is a poet."
"I love poetry!" Twilight clapped her hooves together. "Would it be alright, I mean, if it was okay with Luna, maybe you could share some?"
A most peculiar thing suddenly happened. Akbear's ears drooped downward. "Do you like Arabian poetry?"
"It's not my preferred genre, but I have read some of it."
"Al-Saddleari? Have you read him?"
"I love him."
Akbear chewed on his lip. "I need to go to the bathroom."
Luna watched him as he went. "Strange. He is not normally so shy."
Celestia and Twilight shared a glance. A few moments passed before Akbear returned. He wiped away what looked like sweat before returning to the table.
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Beloved. Where are those crab cakes?"
"We haven't ordered that long ago. Patience."
"Of course, of course."
Akbear shuffled. "You like poetry, Twilight?"
"Yes. I thought you were going to share some with us?"
Luna poked his side. "Honestly, I don't mind."
"But sharing the song bothers you? I do not want to bother you."
Luna's poke turned into a caress. "So modest this one."
Akbear chuckled. "Yes, yes. Modest. Twilight, might I speak with you outside? In private?"
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Akbear, what do you have to say to Twilight that can not be said to me?"
Celestia paused, bread roll halfway to her lips. "I would also like to know."
At this point, the stallion was sweating. "It's important."
"I'm not sure I like you going off with other mares and not telling me why."
"Princess...Luna, I would not be comfortable doing that either. Nor would I do anything that would even give the illusion of impropriety." Twilight spoke while staring directly at Akbear.
Akbear ran a hoof through his mane. "I would never...Luna, we should work on our relationship if that makes you suspicious."
"I didn't think my jealousy issues were a secret." She ripped into a bread stick, chomping on it.
All the air went out of him, his gaze drifting to his hooves. "My apologies. I mean that."
"What is it you need to talk to me about?" Twilight leaned across the table. "There's no reason that it can't be said in front of Luna, is there?"
Akbear ruffled his mane so hard Twilight wondered if he was going to give himself a bald spot."There is a reason and I wish I could explain."
"Then explain it."
Luna and Celestia silently watched the exchange between their lovers.
Akbear chewed on his lip. Twilight stared. Luna tweaked Celestia's ear. "Tia, perhaps we should talk while Akbear and Twilight discuss whatever it is they're discussing."
Celestia was just nearly dragged from her seat by a firm application of Luna's magic. She struggled to keep up with the smaller mare who had, mercifully, cut off the flow of magic which had pulled Celestia beside her. She soon caught up with Luna's stride. Luna knocked the gold inlaid wooden door open and whirled around to face her sister.
Cool night air wafted over both. Celestia stepped forward. "If we are going to do this, let's not do it in the middle of the street."
Luna snorted. "What do you think we're going to do? Engage in hooficuffs?"
"I assume it might involve raised voices."
"The last time we fought-truly fought-a city died. Let's try to be calm." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. Then she looked around. Crowds were swarming the street, but nopony had noticed them specifically. She cast a spell and a blue Pegasus stood in her face.
A pink-maned, white Unicorn stood across from her. They strode away from the facade of the restaurant, stopping near a ring of juniper bushes that were only a mass in the darkness, parts dappled by the silvery moonlight. For all intents and purposes, a Pegasus was quarreling with her Unicorn companion. Nopony would see that it was, in fact, two Princesses of Equestria.
Celestia sighed. "Alright, lay into me. I've heard it all before."
"What is wrong with you?"
"Even I don't know."
Luna stomped her hoof. "Why did you even bring this up? I told you that song is special to me."
Celestia studied the cobblestone. It was rather uneven. Somepony could do something about that. She scratched it. Yes, this was good, solid stone.
"I'm talking to you!" A second, louder clop on the stone brought Celestia out of her reverie. Curls of steam emanated from Luna's nostrils. "You're making him uncomfortable. Twilight just likes poetry, although if they share more than poetry-" She stiffened, stopped that train of though with what was apparently an act of will. "Why? Sister, just tell me why!"
"Because I'm worried about you." Celestia took a cautious step towards her. "I don't want to fight."
Luna stepped back. "Why are you worried about me? Akbear is a good stallion-and I'm certain your spies have verified that."
"They have."
"I can't even feign surprise."
Celestia's shoulder's slumped. "Can you trust me? Just trust me?"
"You have to give me a reason to." She shot a glance back at the restauraunt. "What could they be talking about?"
"I'm not sure, but he's hiding something. He's going too fast."
Luna broke into a laugh. "Forgive me if me and Akbear don't dance around each other to the point that one of us is nearly dead before we admit our feelings."
Celestia's glare could have melted steel. Luna shrunk back. "Alright. That was too far."
"I hate to go back to that place again and again..." Celestia steadied herself. "And I shouldn't have asked about that song. I shouldn't have. It was none of my business."
"Don't. Don't go back to that place." Luna shook her head. "We have to put that event behind us. Move forward."
"I won't then. Just understand, I haven't had you back that long. I won't let someone break your heart."
Luna growled. "What makes you think he's going to break my heart?"
"Luna, remember that love letter you showed me? I didn't know how to tell you, but..." She trailed off.
"But what? What are you trying to tell me?"
...
"What do you mean, you've been sending her quotes from Al-Saddleri and telling her that you wrote them?" Twilight slammed her hooves down on the table so hard that Akbear was nearly thrown back from the sheer force. He trotted away a few paces. "That sort of dishonesty has no place in a relationship! Also, have you ever heard of plagiarism?"
Akbear hung his head. "It was an accident at first."
Twilight sat back in her chair, calmed herself. "Explain."
Akbear looked up. "It is a custom in my country to send poetry. Everypony knows you didn't really write it. But Luna came back with a letter about what a brilliant poet I was. I meant to tell her, but that sort of thing really feeds the ego."
Twilight softly clapped her hoof against her head. "How long were you expecting to keep this up?"
"Yes, Akbear, how long?"
Akbear's head snapped up. Luna's march was slow, controlled. Tension rippled over every part of her body from her shivering tail to her rod straight ears. Her back was like steel. "How long did you intend to keep lying to me?" Her wings were the most alarming part. They were jutted straight out, feathers trembling with suppressed tension.
Akbear gulped. "Some of it was mine."
Luna's legs tensed up. She refrained from reducing the floor beneath her hooves to pieces. "How can I trust that that isn't also a lie?"
Akbear reached out, touched her cheek. "Please, listen. I never meant to hurt you."
She didn't move away, only grasped his hoof. "What did you intend?"
"Remember when you first met me? I was angry, tempestuous. That's who I really am." He closed his eyes. "Who I am isn't the best stallion. So, I put on a mask when I negotiate. I really am good at it."
Luna waited for him to go on, saying nothing. The touch on her cheek turned to a caress. The tension still hadn't left her body, but she forced her wings to go back to her sides.
"Please don't be angry with me."
He could feel her hoof trembling in his grip, the vibration of it running down his foreleg.
"I'm not angry. Disappointed. Hurt. Scared. But I'm not angry."
Little by little, the tension left her body. Her legs slowly stopped trembling before becoming still. She released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, a cloud of steam exhaling from her nostrils. A sharp pain in her chest entered her awareness and she realized just how tight her barrel felt. Her tail still slashed at the air behind her, but she stopped.
He kneaded her face, the warm keratin of his hooves soothing against her fur. "What scares you, my oasis?"
She leaned into him, breathed against him, taking in that scent of sweat and sand that clung to him no matter how many baths he took. "That you might not have meant those things you told me. Those beautiful things you told me. Even if they were the words of another, did you at least mean them?"
The shy waitress tip-hooved over, deposited the silver platters and cantered off. Steam wafted from the freshly prepared meal.
"Of course I meant them." He brushed away a lock of her hair.
Celestia put a wing over Twilight's shoulder and led her away, towards the bathroom. Luna looked up at Akbear. "Then tell me why you would lie to me. Why not simply tell me the truth?"
"I was afraid, my oasis."
Luna cocked her head. "Afraid of what?"
Akbear finally looked into her eyes. "You are beautiful and unique. How could I possibly express myself to you? Express all the words I wanted to say to you?"
She lifted her hoof from the floor, pressed it to his heart, felt how it fluttered and trembled against his powerful rib cage. Then she placed her hoof down. "Akbear..."
...
Celestia lit her horn and thrust the door open. Twilight nearly stumbled in after her and Celestia caught her before she could fall. Twilight could only watch, and try not to get knocked down, as Celestia paced back and forth before finally resting her face in her forelegs.
Twilight patted her shoulders. "Hey, are you alright?"
Celestia looked up at her face. "Twilight, I just did a very stupid and selfish thing."
"I don't understand. You just asked about that song."
"I wanted to know...needed to know..." She stopped, took in one shuddering breath.
Twilight rubbed circles in her back. "What did you need to know?"
"I knew he was sending Al-Saddleri's poetry. I thought if I brought up the song, you'd want to hear it."
"And I did." She narrowed her eyes. "I took the bait."
"Twilight, please, Luna's going to yell at me enough as is."
The younger mare rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to yell at you." She'd never voice it, but privately she wondered how much stress Celestia could really take. The more she knew her, the more fragile she seemed. The battering misfortunes of centuries had struck against her, wearing away her endurance like a rock eroded by sea salt and wind.
Yet, she stood, the rock on which an empire supported itself, on which her loved ones could always find comfort and understanding no matter how much suffering she was going through. Twilight continued her own efforts at giving Celestia comfort. "Why did you bring it up? I know you. You don't do anything without a good reason."
Celestia shuffled towards Twilight's warmth, laid her great head against Twilight's neck. "I'm a mess, aren't I?"
Twilight nuzzled against her cheek. "No, you aren't. Besides, I have no room to talk. Two words, Smarty Pants."
Celestia cracked a grin. "Alright, alright. You're not the best judge of sanity."
Twilight tried to look stern, but then burst out laughing. "That's fair enough."
"You know what happened with you and the earls? Imagine having to deal with those sorts of plots and schemes day in and day out, all alone, for one-thousand years."
Twilight closed her eyes and tried. She couldn't. One-thousand years was longer than she could even comprehend, longer than her family line could even be traced. What was that like? How would one not descend into madness? "I can't imagine. I really can't."
"The Saddle Arabians were not always our friends, Twilight. I was there when Coltstantinople burned, when the Arabian armies pillaged their way through the jewel of Equestria's eastern shore-well, what was our shore." She closed her eyes as if she could hear the clash of swords that had since stopped ringing several lifetimes ago. "I tried not to let my fear rule, but I was suspicious of Akbear. 'Never turn you back on an Arabian', the saying goes."
"If he could lie about the poetry, what else could he be lying about?"
"Exactly. I have to be sure, Twilight." She lifted her chin. "Even if Luna ends up hating me, I have to be sure this isn't a plot. My sister's heart is not a pawn to be played with."
Twilight broke away from Celestia. "I understand. If it helps, I don't think you did anything wrong."
...
Luna stepped away from Akbear. "There is something I need to know."
Akbear inched closer, but Luna held out her hoof, keeping him at a distance. "No, you will not distract me with affection. I am no weak-willed houri to be coddled and appeased. I am a strong mare, Akbear. I will be spoken to honestly or not at all."
He nodded. "Ask me whatever is on your heart. Tell me if there is any way to soothe your fears."
"That song you wrote me, which I hold dear to my soul, it was about me, was it not?"
"You know it was. What Arabian before me has praised the moon or compared their lover's beauty to the beauty of the stars?"
She turned away. "I want to believe you."
He reached for her, she pushed against his broad shoulder. He was surprised to find himself held in place by her, though she didn't seem to be using even a fraction of her strength. "I'll test you."
"Anything to prove myself to you." Struggling against her was futile. She placed her foreleg back on the ground, trotted away towards the bathroom. Celestia and Twilight jerked up from where they had been sharing a nuzzle when they heard the bathroom door creak open. Celestia was first to go to her. "How is everything?"
Luna shook her head. "Twilight, I want you to listen to Akbear's song. Tell me if he really wrote it."
Celestia flinched at being ignored by her, as if she'd been physically struck. Twilight scratched her chin. "There's a lot of Arabian poets I've never read."
Luna snorted. "Could you please just listen?"
"Alright."
They followed her back into the restauraunt, seated themselves around the table. Celestia levitated up her carrot pate, took a few light nibbles. Twilight dug into her fried hay with her usual abandon, Luna going more slowly and taking small bites from her oat cakes. Akbear sliced apart his crab cakes. The steam rising from the freshly cooked meal rose in little puffs of mist.
Twilight put down her fork. "Luna says she wants you to sing that song."
Akbear glanced at Luna for confirmation. Luna wiped at her mouth with a tablecloth. "I need to know."
"I don't have my guitar."
"Your voice is lovely, with or without instrumental accompaniment. Sing for us."
Akbear closed his eyes, hummed to himself. Then, a song broke from his lips. It was a raspy song, filled with the softly undulating syllables of his native accent, a deep song with a slow melody that fell as gently as rain on the plains of the desert and filled with as much tender longing.
"You are my moon
to guide my way on darkest nights,
splitting through the clouds
of my once bitter loneliness.
Stir my soul,
awaken my senses,
with the light of your love,
the light in the darkness.
You are the stars,
whose beauty is incomprehensible,
delighting my soul
with just one touch.
Stir my soul,
awaken my senses,
with the light of your love,
the light in the darkness.
I long for you, my moon,
oh, how I desire you my stars,
you inflame me with passion,
fill me with such bitter desire.
Stir my soul,
awaken my senses
with the light of your love,
the light in the darkness.
Your beauty is as the full moon
ringed by the diamond stars of heaven,
your love as the water of the oasis
is to the weary traveler.
Stir my soul,
awaken my sensesm
with the light of your love,
the light in the darkness.
Twilight listened closely throughout Akbear's rendition of the song. Luna looked over at her when the song came to an end. "Well?"
Twilight stared at Akbear. "That was beautiful."
The stallion's cheeks colored. "Thank you."
Luna looked from Twilight, then to Akbear. "He wrote it then?"
"Absolutely. I've never heard any Arabian poetry using night based imagery."
Akbear nosed her ear. "I told you, Beloved. Though I lied about many things before, I did not lie about that."
She curled into him, planted a firm kiss onto his lips. He embraced her lips with his own and, only after several seconds, did she part from him to take a gulp of air before wrapping her forelegs around his neck. "When you can write such beautiful things, why lie and claim another's work?"
He shrugged. "That was the only poem I've ever written in my entire life. Before I met you, I never even thought of writing poetry."
She stroked his cheek. "You should try to write more. But, you know it is not a requirement. You don't need to woo me. My heart already belongs to you."
He leaned so close to her muzzle that they were sharing their breath. "I want to keep it."
"Can we not go back to the way we were? Remember when we first met and we spoke so freely to each other?"
With each exhalation from his nostrils, she breathed in his breath as he breathed in hers. "Do you want to go back to the way it was?"
"Yes. When it was easy. Don't you dare stop sending me chocolates though!"
His loud laugh rang out through the eatery. "I promise, beloved."
...
Ebony and ivory wings cut through the velvet curtain of the night. Celestia and Luna came within sight of the palace, the flags of the empire flapping in a cool breeze that aided the flight of the diarchs. They landed with their customary grace. Luna strode ahead, but stopped at a touch from her sister's feathers which grazed her side.
Luna turned. "Goodnight, Tia."
"Wait." Celestia lowered her wing. "Is everything alright between us?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because I put my muzzle where it didn't belong."
She jerked when Luna reached for her, then relaxed when Luna brought her in against her chest. Celestia embraced her. Luna drew back. "Actually, I should be thanking you."
Celestia cocked her head. "Why?"
"Thanks to you, my relationship to Akbear is far stronger. Had I, by chance, come across those lines of verse in some book and learned thusly that he had deceived me..." She shuddered. "The results would not have been good for anyone."
"And now?"
"Now, honesty has deepened our relationship. And I have you to be grateful for. He is an insecure stallion, but they all are to some degree."
"Perhaps not, to ordinary mares. I've accepted the fact that we are simply intimidating."
"Yes, very much. But, he did not intend to hurt me so I have forgiven him and this hurdle in our courting has gone over much more smoothly with your help."
"You're sure you're not mad?"
Luna shrugged. "In truth, I am not. Perhaps I've grown up?"
"I'm proud of you."
"As I am of you. Now, I need attend to my duties."
They embraced once more before they parted, Celestia off to pleasant dreams and Luna to prepare those dreams.