Flying towards Lunar Lake, I have to admit I was growing more and more curious with every mile. Down the mountain out of Canterlot, and then over the main road and out across a forest. It was a mundane flight in many ways, but I still drank in every detail. At some point as the town came into sight, Dusky pointed a hoof down to direct me down to ground level.
We set down and walked for the final stretch to enter the town. It had a look wholly unlike Ponyville or Canterlot. The buildings were surprisingly plain, almost as if they were trying to avoid the flair and design choices which made the buildings in other cities stand out. Everything was trying to be… old, or to seem uncared for, but a second glance revealed that the lack of care was all a very, very carefully crafted deception.
It was all a front. A town trying to appear old, and certainly parts of it were old, but there was a lot of care in making sure it still looked old. I only had to look at their weather work to see just how much they were keeping things up to date. The sky was well maintained, with wholly up-to-date placement and patterns. I began to suspect that if I could just look a layer beneath all the appearance, the town was a lot more than it appeared.
“Well, it, um, certainly looks old?” The streets were filled with ponies with cameras, bearing colorful shirts and large hats that clearly painted them as non-natives.
Giving me a knowing look, Dusky giggled. “That’s part of the experience.”
“It does feel like a really big museum.” I started to see the charm, though it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting after how much it had been talked up by Ruby. “Is that why you find Lunar Lake special?”
“Kind of. But this is more of a prelude to the real show.” Dusky grinned wickedly, preempting my next question. “And no, I’m not telling.”
I glanced at one of the houses, an old time shop which had even gone so far as to set-up a hoof carved sign listing out their wares. “Well, I look forward to the surprise.”
She shook her head. “Sorry to say you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The show isn’t until tonight. Besides, we still have to check into the hotel.”
“That’s fine.” I smiled to myself, thinking of the time in Canterlot, just snuggled up with Dusky in the hotel. “More time, with, um, a beautiful mare for me.”
She tilted her head towards me and smirked. “Flatterer.”
The Lunar Lake Inn was an impressive sight, for such a humble sounding name. It sat at the end of the main road, only two stories high, it made up for its lack of height by stretching out down the street.
In front of the entrance were several carriages with the hotel’s moon logo etched on the door. Ponies in uniform stood at the ready to load up any luggage for visitors. I glanced at the nearby sign. “Cross-grounds taxis?”
Dusky giggled. “Tourism is big here. But, due to their authenticity rule, they can’t build up. So, they decided to build sideways, which has led to this rather unique situation.”
She lifted her hoof, tracing down the length of the hotel, but then motioned further beyond that to next building, and the next. She shifted weight to point to the buildings on the other side from the central building as well.
“W-wow.” At least five buildings, two on either side of the main building, and if they needed taxis to reach the rest, then there might be more than that. All for this one hotel.
“We shouldn’t need it though. I booked us in early enough that they should give us a room in the main building.” She motioned forward and started to head in.
“Oh.” I spent a moment more looking at the carriages. Something about the moon icon seemed familiar in a curious way. I almost regretted the chance to ride in one, just for the experience.
As predicted, we checked in and found ourselves on the second floor of the main building with a view facing out over the street. The room was as rustic looking as the town itself. The beds looked like they were just fashioned from old wood, though still smooth enough not to actually disturb a pony’s rest, it seemed. On the wall were old fashioned oil paintings, the kind we’d just recently seen in the Canterlot Museum of Art and History, dated back a few hundred years.
Dusky came alongside me. “So, what do you think?”
I glanced around the room, taking it all in again. “They’re really serious about this, aren’t they?”
She nodded. “Of course. Tourism is their livelihood and quaint is what sells.”
I considered, looking out the window. “They, um, need to work on their clouds, then.”
She glanced up towards the pegasi moving through the sky. “Oh?”
I nodded, thinking back to my first impressions of the town. “Too many weather workers. They should drift freely.”
With another giggle, she leaned in closer to me. “You can take it up with management the next time we go down.”
---
To say that the blindfold caught me off guard would be an understatement. Dusky lifted up a strip of cloth and grinned sheepishly. "I just want you to get the full experience. Part of that is the surprise."
I nodded, shifting forward as she reached forward to tie the blindfold. I closed the eyes as she brought the cloth across my face, and when I opened them again, it remained dark.
She didn't wrap it too tightly, and once she had it secured I heard her voice next to me, still as lovely as ever. "You'll have to let me guide you there."
"Easy enough." I grinned as she came closer alongside me. "You know I trust you."
She giggled a little. "Good. Now, just step forward, and follow my lead." Her wing wrapped around my body, and with a gentle nudge, we began to walk.
I'd never quite had an experience like this. There were times, tackling storm clouds for work, when they could block out everything, completely dominating my sight. In those cases, it was like the storm clouds swallowed me whole, and it was the only thing in my perception. Instead, the blindfold just cut off my sense of sight, rather than overshadowing it. There was darkness, with vague hints of light around the edges, but not enough of anything for me to make out where I was, or where we were going.
The nearby sounds gave hints, however. The ambient noise of the hotel were first, hooves on the floor and the wheels of luggage being dragged behind ponies as they checked in to the sound of a ringing bell at the front desk. We pushed through the revolving door carefully, and back out onto the streets of Lunar Lake.
Once we’d stepped out of the hotel, the crowd noises increased. It wasn’t the standard city sounds I’d have expected after coming from Canterlot. Rather than the sounds of carriages and the din of hundreds of ponies all going about their own business, Lunar Lake had a strange tranquility to it. There were hoofsteps and quiet talking, and the occasional sound of one of the cross-grounds taxis. Maybe it was only because of the blindfold, but there was a sense of peace all around.
Dusky pulled in closer, and I could hear the excitement in her voice. “Just a little further.”
As she said that, I began to notice the city sounds were fading out, and my ears twitched at the sound of nearby water. The cobblestone beneath my hooves switched to wood, and all around me was a gentle hum that almost sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
I continued forward down what I assumed was a dock out over the town’s titular lake.
Dusky signalled for a halt. When I stopped, her wing lifted off my back and she continued forward. I could hear her hooves stop before she turned in place in front of me. “Okay, you can take it off now.”
Excitement rose in me as I brought up a hoof to my head, raising the cloth off of my eyes.
The first thing I saw was Dusky, a wide grin upon her face that melted my heart. Behind her was a small table, with two cushions set side by side. On top of the table there was a small reservation card with our names on it, surrounded by bowls of snacks, along with glasses of water and a pitcher, and two menus. A romantic dinner out upon the lake, sitting next to Dusky in the midst of this peaceful town was more than I could have imagined. I looked back at Dusky, but she only smirked, and arced her eyes upward.
I followed her gaze upwards and froze. The moon loomed, seemingly bigger than I’d ever seen it, even when I’d flown up into the atmosphere to be closer to it. Warmer too, tinted yellow like a giant paper lantern hanging overhead. As I tried to take it in, I saw the movement around us. I spun, trying to see it all. With the moon directly overhead, the whole lake glowed in reflection, as if we sat in the midst of a sea of gold. Motes of light flickered up from the water, tracing ribbons through the air, fading slowly before being replaced by new designs moments later.
All I could do was laugh, swept up in the show. “It… it’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Dusky giggled, nudging me forward towards the cushions with her wing.
I vacantly moved forward, unable to pull my eyes away from the beauty all around me.. “I… do. I absolutely do. I had no idea there was a place like this in Equestria. I had no idea there was a place like this anywhere!”
Dusky nodded, pointing her forehoof out to trace one of the colored strands of light. “This only happens when a full moon touches the water. No one has been able to explain why, but some of the older legends claim it was a gift from Princess Luna herself. One thing I do know is that out of all the times I’ve been here, the lights have never been the same twice.”
“Amazing… just… amazing.” I lowered my eyes back to Dusky as she leaned in to steal a kiss. I met her lips, holding the moment there amidst the lake, and all the wonder and power of the lake faded into the background in comparison. When she pulled back, I blushed. “But it still doesn’t compare…”
Dusky took a seat on one of the cushions, and raised an eyebrow. “Compare to what?”
I followed, settling in on the cushion next to her. “To you.”
She blinked once, then blushed as she stared back at me. “You really believe that?”
“Of course I do… you’re beautiful. Your coat, your wings, your mane… your smile. Your eyes…” I stared into them, the reflections of the dancing moonlight reflected in their depths.
Dusky laughed awkwardly, shifting in her seat. “To be honest, you talk me up so much, sometimes I wonder if I’m the mare you think I am.”
With a frown, I slumped slightly. “A-am I coming across too hard? I mean… I don’t mean to embarrass you.... I mean, I used to think you were perfect… and that’s a bit too far. But… you really are beautiful… the good and the bad.”
She leaned forward to nuzzle against my neck. “Well, that’s good. I’m not perfect. I think that you can see that is a good sign of how far we’ve come. Even if you get carried away by your romantic side.”
I chuckled in return. “Well, I’m far from perfect, too, after all. When we started dating, you… you would say things about me that I didn’t think were true. I guess it’s that same feeling… just… ‘how can she see me in that way?’”
Dusky glanced up. “You didn’t put enough stock in yourself.”
“I didn’t… but I guess, it feels like you don’t put enough in yourself either. I… it may seem silly but… I’m…” I felt my face growing red, feeling extremely uncomfortable, even though I knew the words were truth. “I’m very attracted to you… I mean… ph-physically. You’re so beautiful.”
She stared a moment, then wrapped her forehooves around me. “I… thank you, Night. I feel the same way about you.”
I took a deep breath and hugged back. “That’s almost too good to believe. No matter what you look like, Dusky, once I got to know you, I fell in love with you for you. And you’re so beautiful to me because I love you.”
She smiled, slowly letting go of the hug. “That’s more than I could hope for. I love you too, Night Light.”
It struck me like lightning. This was the moment. This had to be the moment! The perfect moment, between the moon and the golden lake, surrounded by light and love. I reached back with a wing and froze. My packs were back in the hotel. Dusky had blindfolded me to come here, then guided me out. Everything was still there, engagement stone included. My face fell.
“Everything alright?”
I blinked back to the moment. “Yeah… yeah. Just… thinking of something else. Sorry.”
She nuzzled my cheek, then glanced towards the table. “Well, handsome, we’re missing a one-of-a-kind show, and haven’t even touched our food.”
I smiled guiltily, “I… suppose I can watch you any time, but I can never see this show again, can I?”
Dusky nodded and turned back to look out over the lake. “You’ll never see another show like it.”
Shifting on my cushion I turned towards the moon, watching the lights dance across the water. I let out a peaceful sigh, simply marveling at the sight. Yet still, every so often that night I would sneak a look at Dusky. Surrounded by the most unique spectacle in Equestria, it could still not compare to the joy in the eyes of the mare I loved.