//------------------------------// // What If: They Met Earlier? // Story: The Champion of Harmony: What If? // by Voxum //------------------------------// Emerald wasn't completely sure what was going on. The strange white pony, who introduced herself as Celestia, had brought him to a funny little room, that had a large fireplace with big pointy metal sticks next to it. It also had dark, violet coloured walls, a big red carpet with a massive gold sun in the center, which contrasted the dark brown of the ceiling. There was even a small podium nearby. Celestia had asked him to sit on one of the comfy purple pillows, while she left through the door they'd entered in. He'd been scared of the bigger pony at first, but she seemed really nice. She'd even been nice enough to take him to his family, who all seemed really happy too! It was nice, seeing them all smile like that. They had even been making that strange sound again! Laughter, he believed Celestia had called it. He honestly hadn't thought it was possible at this point! She told him that she had talked to a lot of the ponies around, and that in no time at all, everyone would be back home! The thought made Emerald a little sad, but he kept pushing it aside. They'd get to go home, after all! See their real families again. They'd finally have another reason to keep on going! Not like Emerald, who still felt empty from the earlier realization. They were free, but it had come at the cost of a lost purpose. His purpose. He faintly recalled his Father saying something about everyone needing a purpose to live. Did that mean that, without his own, he should just die? He was broken from his thoughts when Celestia came back in, a soft smile on her face. "Hello again, Emerald," she said, before stepping to the side, revealing a nervous looking purple unicorn, "This is Twilight Sparkle, she's a student of mine, and she'll be the one helping you from now on." Emerald blinked, and stared at the unicorn. She had a pretty purple coat, what he thought was a very dark blue mane with a purple and pink stripe, where a purple horn poked out, and wide purple eyes. She also had this funny looking star as a... cutie mark, just barely peeking out from behind a pair of strange brown bags. She was... small. Shorter than he was, and only slightly less thin. She seemed to be shaking the slightest bit the more he stared at her. Obviously a little younger, if not the same age as him. Immediately his 'Big Brother Tendencies', as Trixie and Spitfire called them, came to life. Was she being hurt too?! Was she not eating enough?! She was much, much too thin! Why was she like this? He thought Celestia had been super nice! "Well, I'm afraid I have some things to tend to," Celestia said, and turned to Twilight, "Be patient with him, Twilight. He might not be as quick a learner as you were," she added, before leaving once more. The room was silent, with him and Twilight just staring at each other, before one of them broke the silence. "U-umm... h-hello?" Twilight asked timidly, shocking Emerald out of his thoughts, "U-uh... He-Hel-lo?" he said, remembering the few lessons he'd had in their language. He wasn't very good at speaking it, but he knew plenty of words by now. Huh... now that they were free... maybe he could spend time learning even more? And maybe even learning to speak better too! "Umm... I-I'm Twilight Sparkle. The Princess asked me to t-tutor you from now on. I-is that okay?" she asked. Emerald blinked, already a little confused. "T-two-door?" he asked. She nodded, looking less nervous suddenly, "Y-yeah! I'll be teaching you how to read and speak Equish!" she said excitedly, "It's going to be so much fun! I-I haven't had a student before!" she said, before she suddenly looked sheepish, "O-oh! I'm sorry, wh-what's your name?" Name? Oh! He knew that word! "Emerald Skies!" he responded automatically, before flinching. That was the wrong language. "Smarald-cherule?" she asked, looking very confused. Emerald shook his head, "S-sor-ry. Name is... Emerald Skies!" he corrected. Twilight perked up, "Oh! Emerald Skies...?" she said to herself, before smiling at him, "That's a nice name! Well then, Emerald, let's get started!" she said, her horn lighting up, causing a few strange looking objects to fly out of the bags at her side. He grabbed one of them, gently since he probably didn't want to ruin them, and looked up at her, "What are-Wh-at these?" he asked. "'What are these'," she corrected, seemingly without thinking, before she blinked and stared at him, "Y-you don't know what... You don't know what books are?!" she practically yelled. Emerald yelped, dropped the book and started to back away, scanning the area for a weapon of some kind. "W-wait!" Twilight said, looking stunned, "I-I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to yell, I was just... I was just surprised is all," she said, looking ashamed of herself. Emerald stared at her for a moment, before relaxing. She had turned her gaze to the ground, and was valiantly trying not to look back at him. Her ears twitched every now and then, and a fierce red haze was colouring her cheeks. Emerald's heart practically melted at the sight. She was adorable! "I-it okay," he said, walking forward and gently patting her shoulder, "W-we... teach now?" he asked. Twilight looked up, before smiling and giving him a nod, "Okay! I'll have you speaking proper Equish in no time!" - - A year had passed since his and Twilight's first meeting and his progress had, frankly, stunned Twilight. Apparently, being able to learn to speak, read, and write nearly perfect Equish within only two months was an impressive feat, considering they only put in a few hours of work a day, every day. Emerald simply believed it was because he had a good teacher, something that still turned the mare into a blushing mess whenever he told her. Another interesting development that had taken place was the issue of where he'd be staying during that time. Celestia, or Princess Celestia as Twilight constantly implored him, had been more than happy to make the offer to let him stay at the castle, since he had refused to return to Nocturne. In a surprising display, Twilight had also offered him a place at her own home within the Canterlot Public Library. Considering how much the teen valued her independence, it spoke volumes about how close the two had become for her to even offer, though he had declined, having seen how small the space was when he'd gone over during their lessons. Still, with how often Emerald went over in the mornings, and how long he tended to stay over, he might as well have agreed. However, there were still plenty of days in which he and Twilight spent back at the castle, and today just so happened to be one of them. "Agh!" the lavender teen groaned, nearly slamming her quill down onto the table, and very nearly scattering ink over her latest assignment. Emerald, who had become distracted looking out the window, started, and turned to look at her, "Everything alright, Twi?" he asked. Twilight sighed, and returned his gaze, "Yes, everything is fine, it's just..." she groaned, "Minuette was being annoying this morning, and I can't concentrate because of it," she admitted. Emerald scoffed, "Isn't she always?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Twilight frowned, "I guess," she agreed, before shaking her head, "but she usually doesn't bother me that much." Emerald hummed, "So, what was she doing this time?" Twilight shook her head once more, "She came over this morning and tried to convince me to go with her, Twinkle, Lemon, and Dancer to some... party over in the lower district. I said no, since I have a lot of studying I need to do, and she just kept arguing with me!" she snapped, her horn irritatingly snatching up her work and carefully reorganizing it. "You'd think she'd have learned by now," Emerald said, glancing back outside, "Yeah, you would," Twilight agreed, almost sullenly, before scoffing, "Whatever, I don't need any other friends," she said, "I know the Princess keeps saying so, and even my family agrees, but why should I?" she asked, though Emerald didn't think he was meant to answer, "Everypony always made fun of me growing up, and nopony ever seemed to like me!" she nearly snarled, the sound of a scratching quill hidden beneath the vitriol, "I've got you, Emerald, so why do I need anybody else?!" Emerald didn't say anything, but he did get up and walk over to her, gently wrapping a wing around her as he lay beside her. "I don't know, Twi," he said gently, eyes scanning over her work. Something about comets and their chemical make-up that went over his head. Twilight had always been remarkably intelligent, even if she could be a bit of an idiot at times, "But I'm glad you think I'm all you need." Twilight froze for a moment, before scoffing and looking away from him, her face beet red, "I-I didn't say that..." she muttered. Emerald only smiled, and gently nuzzled his cheek against hers, further causing the younger teen to sputter. Ah, his Twilight was just too cute sometimes!~ "Big Bro!" Speaking of cute, a familiar blue and silver filly ran into the room, her bright orange eyes looking up at him happily from behind her glasses, "Hey Wisp!" he called, smiling as his baby sister ran up to him, "Whatcha need?" "I just got back with Miss Rosemary!" she said excitedly, smiling widely, "She told me about these fun things called 'plays'! D'you think we can go see one someday?" she asked, tilting her head cutely. Emerald blinked, "'Plays'?" he asked, frowning, "What in the world are those?" "They're these performances that ponies do," Twilight explained, "They usually tell a story of some kind, and can often feature music as well," she paused, then fidgeted, "they're... pretty nice, I suppose." Emerald nodded at her explanation, "Hmm... alright, we can go see one soon. It might be fun," he said, smiling at Wisp's happy little cheer, he glanced at Twilight, "Would you like to come see it with us, Twi?" he asked. Twilight froze once more, then turned red, but gave him a smile, "Y-yeah... I think I'd like that." - - Twilight sighed, the eighteen-year-old drinking in the morning air almost greedily, and smiled. Life was nice, she mused as she strolled through the Canterlot Garden, especially the last two years of it. She'd been surprised that Princess Celestia had asked her to tutor some colt about her age nearly three years ago. She had very nearly declined, not wanting to spend any of her precious studying time on some slacking, thick-headed fool. She was further surprised when she found that the colt wasn't some muscle-head, but a foreigner who needed help learning their language and culture. After learning that, she'd been ecstatic to teach him everything she could! The idea of learning from him had been her initial reasoning for agreeing, but, after some time, she found that he didn't have much to offer her in return. She was, once more, surprised when she didn't mind in the slightest. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She might not have learned anything about his culture, beyond the basics he could recall, but she learned quite a lot about the thestral known as Emerald Skies. For starters, he was a tad shy, but very sweet and thoughtful once he opened up. He was also fiercely protective of those close to him, as she discovered when she'd been cornered by a pair of jocks who hadn't taken kindly to her dismissal of them. They'd been put in the hospital within seconds of Emerald finding them, and Twilight had found herself slowly growing more fond of him after that day. Another thing she learned was that he had a nasty habit of being blunt, and was quickly developing a sarcastic streak a mile-wide, though it shrank noticeably around her or Wisp. He was also a tad clingy. The Princess had noticed his strength and offered him a place in some agency dedicated to fighting monsters, and he'd declined, stating that it would take him away from her and Wisp too much to be worth it. In return, he'd happily joined the Guard, since it gave him an excuse to be around her during her lessons. Twilight found that she liked that thought quite a bit. One thing she didn't quite like about Emerald was how much he enjoyed teasing her. Like her old school bullies, Emerald seemed to take pleasure in teasing her near constantly, but, unlike her old bullies, he did it through compliments and affectionate gestures, instead of scorn and derision. Twilight honestly wasn't sure which she preferred. But even through all his faults, his good points tended to shine through, often brighter because of them. There were times where Twilight honestly didn't think she deserved such a loyal, dedicated friend. He often went out of his way to help her or make her feel comfortable whenever they were together, even if it was at his own expense. Most of these times came when she was in school, away from Emerald for the majority of the day, and while she was spending time with her other 'friends'. In those situations, she remained the same she'd always been. Quiet, reserved, and stuck in her books. Nearly everypony, even those so-called 'friends' of hers, reacted the same way, telling her to drop her musty books and interact with the world and ponies around her. Weren't friends supposed to support each other, no matter what? With that in mind, what did she offer in return? He'd learned everything she could teach him, and then he stuck around for her. She had almost nothing left to offer him for his friendship, yet he never asked for anything. Sometimes, she wished she knew how to repay him for everything he'd done for her, even if he didn't know about it. During those times, she'd reflect on her 'friendship' with Moon Dancer, Minuette, Twinkle Shine, and Lemon Hearts, and compare it to her friendship with Emerald, and found the girls lacking in nearly every conceivable way. He listened whenever she had a problem, didn't push her to attend every party he was invited to, shared quite a few of her interests, didn't mock her for her intelligence, had a dry sense of humor she found funny, was perfectly willing to leave her alone for a few hours so she could work in peace, and, most importantly, didn't use her for her intelligence to pass his tests even once. Then again, maybe that was just how ponies in Canterlot acted? Her BBBFF often told her how strangely friendly ponies outside of the capital were whenever he and his squad were sent out. But, then again, he was in the Guard. She doubted even the most stuck up nobles would snub the Captain of the Royal Guard. To his face, at least. Speaking of the Guard, her walk through the Gardens had taken her near their training ground, and, from the sounds of grunts and the thudding of metal against wood, there was at least one out there training right now. Should she swing by and check it out? If she was lucky, she just might run into either Emerald or Shining Armor. She paused for a moment, before nodding to herself, and adjusting her course. Within the next minute, Twilight found herself just at the edge of the training grounds. Like she thought, there were a few guards out and about, though she didn't recognize a single one of them. It wasn't until her gaze had lingered for a bit longer, that she managed to spot a certain thestral hacking away at a training dummy with his sword. She moved closer and, for a moment, she let herself get lost in the way Emerald moved. She could see the way his muscles coiled and moved with every motion. There was a slight sheen of sweat coating his body at this point, but he lacked the laboured breathing that most individuals would have had by now. Eventually, she managed to knock herself out of those thoughts, and approached. "Good morning, Emerald!" she called. The thestral's ears perked up at her voice, and he turned, his eyes meeting her own with a smile, "Mornin' Twi, what brings you 'round here?" he asked, carefully planting his sword in the dirt and leaning against it slightly. She shrugged, "Oh I was just taking a walk through the gardens. Doing some thinking, and decided to visit," she said, nodding thoughtfully. Emerald smirked, his fangs glinting in the light, "Thinking, eh? That can be pretty dangerous, you know?" he pointed out, reaching out to poke her chest, "Last time you really got lost in thought, I had to pry you out of the Archives so you could eat. And here I thought that that was Spike's job," he teased. Twilight scoffed and shook her head, "I'm not that bad," she defended herself, smiling, "What are you up to?" she asked instead. Emerald just shrugged, "Just my morning exercises. Maybe you could join me, sometime?" he asked, smirking at her, "You could stand to up your workout a little, you know?" Twilight shook her head, exasperated, "I'm perfectly fine with our nightly runs, thank you very much!" she said firmly, "Not only are they easier with less ponies around, but I can get to bed right after!" Honestly, she didn't truly understand this stallion's desire to keep training! He might not be the stereotypical muscle-head, but he was definitely more active than even above-average ponies, and that had only gotten worse after he joined the Guard. But it certainly paid off. Her brother, Shining Armor, had worked for nearly ten years, having joined the Guard when she was six, before he was named Captain of the Royal Guard three years ago, a few months before Emerald's arrival, actually. Emerald, however, had joined about a year ago and he'd already risen to one of the highest Ranks in Equestria, and was set to challenge Equestria's current Champion for their Title within the month. Then again, maybe she shouldn't be surprised he'd advanced so absurdly quick? His special talent was all about making the most of any situation, so his ever increasing abilities shouldn't be too stunning. Still... "Sure, whatever you say, Twi," he said, breaking her from her thoughts, before glancing up into the sky, "Though, I suppose it's time I finished up anyways. Wanna get some breakfast together?" he asked, tearing the sword free and placing it back on the communal rack. Twilight stiffened at the offer, then forcibly calmed herself, "S-sure! I'd love to," she managed to force out, hoping he hadn't noticed. His amused grin proved her wrong, however, but at least he didn't comment on it. After that, the two of them headed back inside, making their way over to the dining hall, passing by some nobles, who likely were waiting for Day Court. They mostly just kept to idle chatter, comments about the weather, and even made a few plans for later in the day, when she heard it. "Is that her?" "The Princess's prized pupil, I heard." "What is that thing she's walking with?" "Ugh, I can't believe the Princess would let an animal like that walk around us civilized ponies." "Filthy creature." "A mare of her station shouldn't be consorting with the lower-class." "You don't think she's being forced, do you?" "I wouldn't put it passed the creature." White hot fury practically burst through her chest, and she would have absolutely started screaming and cursing those awful ponies, were it not for Emerald's completely unbothered expression. She could only just hear the whispers, but if she could hear them, then they might as well have been screaming for someone with Emerald's hearing. Yet, despite that, he didn't seem to care. In fact, if Twilight wasn't distinctly aware of his hearing, she would've thought he'd completely missed what the ponies around them were saying. Twilight buried the rage for now. If Emerald didn't let it bother him, then she shouldn't either. Even so, this was one of the few times she wished he'd accepted that glamour bracelet from the Princess. - - Twilight watched with bated breath. Every strike, every motion, every single heart-stopping second of the fight in front of her. Oh sweet Celestia, she wasn't even the one fighting and her heart was going to burst! Despite her worries, the fight ended seconds later, with Emerald, as expected, sending his opponent flying into the nearest column, knocking the orange pegasus out deceptively easily. He wasn't even winded! Twilight let out a weary breath, slumping back in her seat. It had been a year since he'd become the Champion, and, for some reason or another, the number of ponies challenging him had only increased. They weren't after his Title, none of them were high enough Ranks to ask for that, but the fact they thought they could fight the Champion was just... astonishing. Still, the challenges weren't as astonishing as the fact that Emerald kept accepting. If they had been Ghosts, Hunters, or Battlemasters with experience in the third Class, then that was one thing, but none of them even made it to the Third Rank! They were all Second or First Ranks, and yet he accepted... She wondered if he was just killing time, or if he thought that beating them so easily would disabuse them of the notion of their invincibility, something that, according to Shining, often happened in newly instated/promoted guards. Her curiosity actually grew over time, until she asked him later that night. "Why do you keep accepting those challenges?" "Hmm? Oh, I just like showing off for you is all." "Wh-what?!" "Is that a problem?" - - Emerald nervously tapped his hooves against the ground, the twenty-year-old not entirely certain if he could book it before his companion noticed. A quick glance at Twilight's excited expression killed the thought rather brutally, causing him to sigh. Even if he could, which he was sure was possible, he could never do something like that to his Twilight. That just wasn't the kind of thestral he was. Still, he mused as he glanced up at the large, purple-white house with dark blue roofing, the idea of meeting Twilight's family was pushing his limits. He didn't know why it had taken them four years to think of it, but if the stress he was going through was any indication, he was glad it had. He assumed it had to do with how close the two of them had grown, to the point that, at some point, it had completely slipped their minds. "I can't wait to finally introduce you!" Twilight gushed, practically bouncing in place. She'd become a lot more outgoing over the years, but she was still his cute little introvert at heart. Even so, seeing her like this, all excited and happy, did wonders for reducing his anxiety. "Though, I wish Spike was around as well," she added, frowning suddenly. "He has his tutoring, Twi," Emerald responded, without thinking, "I know," Twilight said, glancing off to the side, "I hope he's doing alright. I don't know why I couldn't tutor him myself," she muttered, "I was teaching him just fine for the first few years." "From what he told me, you kept getting distracted and wanted to practice spells." "I was eight!" "And already practicing advanced magic." "I was eight!" Emerald couldn't help but laugh at that, though his laughter was, unfortunately, short lived when the door in front of them opened, and Emerald was nearly struck dumb. An older mare with a soft gray coat, a straight, striped white and purple mane and tail, with a set of light sky blue eyes, and a cutie mark of three purples stars poked her head out. She was beautiful, yes, but Emerald was more surprised at just how similar the mare looked to Twilight. If Emerald didn't know any better, he'd say this mare was Twilight's elder sister! But no, he knew for a fact that she was- "Mom!" Twilight cheered, practically leaping forward to embrace the older mare. Twilight Velvet, mother of Twilight Sparkle, gasped in delight, a bright, beaming smile lighting up her face, "Twily!" she gushed, eagerly wrapping her hooves around her daughter, "Oooh! It's so great to see you again!" Velvet said, letting go of Twilight, then cupped her cheeks, "Oh, look at you! So grown up!" she added, before a flicker of the eye brought him to her attention, "Ooh! Who's this?" she asked, her eyes quickly roaming over his form. There was a sudden spark in her eyes, and they quickly began jumping between him and Twilight. "This is my friend, Emerald Skies," Twilight said, sounding oddly nervous as she presented him, "U-um, I think I've told you about him, before." "Oooohh! This is Emerald?" Velvet asked, then held out a hoof. Emerald, not wanting to be rude, reached out to shake it, only for Velvet to pull him in for a particularly strong hug, "Twily's told us so much about you! It's so nice to finally meet one of my daughter's friends!" she gushed, giving him one last squeeze, before letting go, "Well, come in then! I just started making lunch, and I'm sure I can fit you two into the plan!" she said, happily striding back into the house, leaving the door wide open behind her. Emerald and Twilight shared a look, before heading inside. It was a nice house, with simple enough furniture. A table here, a couch and a sofa over there, a single recliner right between. It was nice and homey, though it was still obviously a tad stuffy, since it was Canterlot. As relaxed as Twilight's family might be, they were still technically a noble family, and they tended to frequent the higher end stores in Canterlot. Though, stuffy or not, the many, many pictures lining the walls, all depicting a genuinely happy, smiling family certainly tore apart any notions one might have of a 'traditional' noble house. However, ignoring the furniture, there was another stallion in the house. He was a fairly tall stallion with a dark blue coat and his darker blue mane, and a set of copper eyes, with a cutie mark of two opposing moons. He was sitting on the recliner reading a book, whose title was unfamiliar to him. He had looked up when the door shut behind him, just in time to spot Twilight walking inside. "Twilight!" the stallion, whose name he knew was Night Light, called, hopping off the chair and approaching, "I must say, this is quite the surprise!" he said, gently bringing the smaller mare into a one legged hug, "What brings my precious little filly home so suddenly?" he asked, raising an eyebrow down at her. Twilight shook her head, "It's nice to see you too, Dad," she said, smiling, before she turned and gestured to Emerald, "I wanted to come by and introduce my friend, Emerald! Spike has lessons, so he couldn't come along," she added, slightly sadly. Night Light eyed Emerald for a moment, before smiling and holding out a hoof, which he ended up taking, "Well it's nice to finally meet you!" Night said, "Twilight's talked about you quite a lot during our visits," he added, smirking when Twilight sputtered, "You've done a lot for my little filly, and for that I thank you," he added, a lot more sincerely, even pressing his other hoof against his heart. Emerald looked away, feeling rather uncomfortable at the thanks, finally breaking the hoofshake in the process, "I-it wasn't any trouble. She means a lot to me, so I couldn't mind if I tried," he said. Night Light chuckled, "Oh, is that so?" he asked, smirking, before nodding, "Well, I'm glad to hear it!" "Dad!" - - """"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!"""" Twilight giggled slightly as she hoofed out the candy to the group of foals at her door. It wasn't often that foals went out for Nightmare Night, not in Canterlot, at least, but it was always a treat when it happened. She bid goodbye to the sugar-addicted rascals, and closed the door, setting the nearly full bowl back onto the ground next to the door. She sighed softly, fondly recalling the times when even she would go out for Nightmare Night, usually with Shining Armor, but occasionally with her parents or even Cadence, her old foalsitter. She always enjoyed dressing up in little costumes, usually of famous scientists or historical figures. Though she always did get a tad irritated when nobody knew who she was dressed as! Still, those old days were behind her, and she doubted she'd ever go out for Nightmare Night again, and not entirely because she was a bit old for candy hunting. She let out a nervous breath, eyeing each of the little decorations she put up for tonight. Tonight was special, not because it was Nightmare Night, but because it was also the birthday of somebody special. Of course, that somebody was Emerald. He never did anything for his birthday these past few years, partially because he was used to his birthday taking place on a Nocturnian holiday and tended to forget that Equestria's holidays were different, but it was mostly because he'd never actually told anyone his birthday until Twilight had nearly forced it out of him the previous year. But now he was getting a proper celebration! Well, as proper as one she could give him. Which, considering that it would only be him and her attending, wasn't actually that much. She'd tried contacting his family, but they were either too far away to arrive on such short notice, or had prior engagements at this time. Not even Wisp would be joining, since she had promised Spike she'd go out candy hunting with him before she learned that Emerald's birthday was also tonight. But still! She was sure he'd enjoy the festivities! She made sure to make/order some of his favourite foods, namely apple flavoured desserts and even gone out of her way to get some fish, meat, and even some gems for him as well! Sure the scent of cooked meat made her a tad sick, but Emerald was an omnivore, and he'd always enjoyed the food that griffon ambassadors tended to bring to the occasional meetings. Now she just had to wait for him to come by once his shift wa- *KNOCK KNOCK* Oh! Right on time! She spun right about back around and opened the door, finding the very stallion she was waiting for, "Happy Nightmare Night, Twi," he greeted, causing Twilight to giggle, before she let him slip by, "And Happy Birthday, Emerald!" she responded, closing the door behind her, smiling when she found the thestral frozen right behind her, staring in awe at the decorations. "Y-you..." he stammered, turning to glance at her, a very confused expression on his face, "you... threw me a birthday party?" Twilight nodded, "Of course!" she chirped, practically skipping past him, using her magic to bring over the moving cart, where an apple pie-since he wasn't the biggest fan of cake-sat with a large candle sat on top, "C'mon, blow out the candle and make a wish!" she urged, feeling perhaps a little too giddy as she sat down. But she just couldn't help it! Emerald's first birthday party since coming to Equestria! It was perhaps the most special occasion there could be, and she'd be damned if she wasn't happy during the whole thing! He just stared for a moment, before he started chuckling, "Y-you sure are a strange mare, Twi," he said, smiling at her, "why would you do this?" he asked. Twilight scoffed, "What do you mean 'Why?'?!" she asked, placing her hooves on her hips, "You're important to me! Why wouldn't I want to do something like this for you?" Emerald kept staring for, perhaps, another minute, before he relented, and, with an amused huff, blew out his candle. "So, what'd you wish for?" she asked curiously. He simply smirked at her, "Isn't there a rule saying if I tell you, it won't come true?" Twilight scoffed once more, "Oh come on, that's just a myth!" "Don't all myths and legends have basis in reality?" he asked in return, smirking teasingly. Twilight just groaned, "Fine, be that way!" she said, using her magic to divide the pie, bringing out plates and utensils as she did so, "Let's just have some pie and sit by the fireplace," she suggested, "Maybe after we eat we can read together! I've got some new Daring Do books!" Emerald chuckled, "You and those Daring Do books. I don't see what you find so entertaining about them," he remarked, accepting the plated pie she levitated over to him, "They seem a tad unrealistic, don't you think? An archeologist without any training whatsoever doing all of that, by herself? The least Yearling could do was give her a partner of some sort, don't you think?" Twilight rounded on him, spinning in place from her seat by the fire, "She was not by herself!" she defended hotly, face heating up, though it might just be from the fireplace, "She had a whole team of archeologists and even a few guards with her!" "Pfft, like they do anything to help," Emerald joked, settling down next to her. Twilight huffed, taking a bite of the pie, inwardly praising herself for buying it rather than making it. It was a good pie. "Well, if you don't want to read my Daring Do books, what do you want to read?" she asked, "Tonight's your night, and we'll be spending it together, so at least pick something we'd both enjoy," she remarked. Emerald chuckled, "We'll be spending it together, eh?" he asked, "So, just you and me, together all night, huh?" he chuckled again, looking at her from the corner of his eye, "I must say, I like the sound of that," he teased, getting Twilight to sputter, "I don't mind reading your Daring Do books with you, Twi, even if I personally find them dull." Twilight hummed to herself, thoughtfully chewing her latest bite, "... Are you sure?" she asked, "I'm not kidding when I say that tonight's about you," she said, turning to look at him, "We don't have to do something you don't like just to make me happy, you know?" Emerald smirked, and laughed, "Making you happy, makes me happy, Twi," he said, gently nudging her with a hoof, "so I'll have to disagree with that statement." Twilight turned crimson and jerked her head away, looking at anything in the room other than him. But even she couldn't stop the almost painful smile from blossoming on her face. He really was somebody special, wasn't he? - - Emerald let out a pleasant sigh, carefully looking out over Canterlot from the Astronomy Tower's balcony. He watched as the clouds coated the city in a gentle blanket of snow. He felt the cold air rush over his face, reveling in the feeling of frigid Winter air. It was times like this that Canterlot felt like home. The frozen air reminded him of life back in Nocturne, the ever distant fields of white snow brought back plenty of old, faded, but happy memories as well. He let his gaze flicker across the night sky, which, despite the cloud cover over the city, still remained perfectly visible just above the castle, where there was naught but empty sky. Star after star littered the sky, and Emerald automatically found himself tracing constellations, both Equestrian and Nocturnian ones. And there, the moon hung in the sky, the picture of the Mare in the Moon looming over Equestria, like a silent reminder of a time long passed. Still, as nice as the air and sky were, they weren't the reason he was sitting out, alone, on the highest balcony in the castle. The reason was down at the celebration going on at the castle's ground floor. Hearth's Warming Eve was a truly wonderful time of the year, which was something that Emerald, over time, had come to honestly believe. But Canterlot wasn't exactly the place you really wanted to spent a family holiday like this one. Even from here, he could see the myriad ponies roaming through the streets, the annual Hearth's Warming Play having only recently finished it's performance, and the after-party was currently underway. Even after all this time, he didn't really enjoy spending time in large crowds of individuals he neither knew nor cared to know. Perhaps it was a shallow reason, perhaps he shouldn't let that keep him from enjoying himself during the, admittedly grand, festivities. As far as he was concerned, he didn't care if that was true. He found the first opportunity to escape, and escape he did. "So this is where you were hiding." It was almost a shame, then, that there was a pony in attendance who knew him almost better than he did. Unfortunately, that pony was the reason he wasn't down at the celebration. He turned around, finding Twilight Sparkle, wearing a very simple, but still beautiful, dark purple dress that clung to her coat, with only a single, but still conservative, slit running down her back legs. A single, bright red rose in her mane, which had been done up in curls, tied the image together. "What are you doing here, Twi?" he asked, his eyes lingering for a tad too long, before he tore them away, "I started worrying when I couldn't find you downstairs, so I went looking for you, of course," was her response. Emerald twitched, "Oh? What happened to that friend of yours?" he asked, unintentionally growling out that word. "You mean... Flash?" Twilight asked, before scoffing, beginning to approach him, "He's not my friend. He just asked for a dance and I didn't see a reason to say no." Emerald grimaced. Of course he wasn't. Of course he wasn't. He should've known that wasn't the case, but... Just that one moment, that single instant where he'd seen Twilight in the hooves of someone else had very nearly got him seeing red. He didn't know why seeing her spend time with someone else had angered him so, either, but he hoped it was just a one time thing. "So, what are you doing here, Emerald?" she asked, sitting down, with some minor difficulty. Emerald swallowed, tugging slightly at the collar of his tux, "Just... getting some fresh air, is all." "Really?" Twilight asked, her tone suggesting that she didn't believe him in the slightest. He sighed, "I... got angry, and came out here to clear my head." She blinked, and regarded him with a surprised glance, "Really?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious, before she snorted slightly, "What could have gotten you that angry?" "Seeing you with someone else," he said honestly. Twilight went silent, and, after a few moments of her not saying anything, he turned to look at her. Her entire face had gone, perhaps, the darkest red he'd ever seen it. Not only that, but her eyes had dilated and her jaw hung loose, and she was just staring at him. "R-really?!" she gasped after a minute, "Y-y-y-you were angry that I was with someone else?" she asked, completely stunned. Emerald fidgeted, and felt his own face heat up, "Y-yes," he admitted, almost shamefully. Things were quiet between them for awhile. Not that Emerald minded, as the company was quite nice. They just stat in a maybe-not-quite-comfortable silence, but, after some time they began relaxing once more, though they still didn't look at each other. There was a sudden lurch of motion behind him, and Emerald almost turned to find out what it was, when Twilight spoke. "Do you remember, a few months ago during my birthday, when we were at that nice candy shop?" she asked suddenly. Emerald turned to her, all thoughts of the movement behind them forgotten, "You mean... when I was buying you those chocolates?" "Mhmm." "Yes, I remember, what about it?" he asked. Twilight licked her lips, "Do you remember the mare at the counter?" "Yeess?" he said, not sure what her point was, "She was quite helpful, and you enjoyed the chocolate she helped me pick out." Twilight nodded, "Yeah, she was pretty helpful, wasn't she?" she asked, then finally glanced at him once more, "She was flirting with you that whole time, you know?" Emerald blinked, "She was?" he asked, surprised. Twilight chuckled, "Yeah... in hindsight it was funny watching her try and fail to get you to look at her. I watched her while she was trying. She kept getting close to you, tried touching your hooves. She even tried getting you to stare at her flank a few times by bending over when she 'dropped' something," she said, chuckling a few times while she talked, "But... I was furious that whole time," she admitted suddenly, causing Emerald's gaze to whip over to her. "You were?" Twilight nodded, "Yeah. I just... I hated watching some mare neither of us knew fawn over you like that. I hated watching her, with that smug grin on her face. She even had the nerve to stick her tongue out at me a few times!" Twilight snapped, "But most of all, I hated watching you let her do all that," she said, taking a heavy breath, "It wasn't until you brushed her off after you got the chocolate that I realized you didn't notice, but, at the time I was absolutely livid with you," she suddenly laughed, holding a hoof up to her mouth to stifle it, "I didn't realize you could be so dense, either!" "Wha-I'm not dense!" Emerald defended hotly, before turning red and looking away, "I had more important things on my mind at the time." "Really? Like what?" "You." Twilight went silent again, but it didn't last nearly as long as it had before. "Am I... am I really that important to you?" she asked, her voice quiet. Emerald scoffed, "Of course you are. That you feel like you have to ask is almost insulting, you know?" Twilight chuckled, wiping at her eye, "Y-yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?" she muttered, taking a shuddering breath, "You're-... you're important to me, too, Emerald. I-... I honestly don't think I can imagine my life without you in it," she admitted. Emerald bit his lip, "... Neither can I," he whispered, though it was clearly still heard, if the way Twilight suddenly reached out and grabbed his hoof meant anything. She didn't pull him closer, or anything. She just... held his hoof for a minute, not saying or doing anything else. It was nice. He didn't know how long they had stayed like that, but, eventually, something broke the silence. The soft sound of twinkling magic caught their attention, and they both glanced upward, immediately turning red at the sight of the mistletoe hanging above them. A faint memory of movement bid Emerald to turn around, but he found no one in the area other than himself and Twilight. He frowned, a tad uncomfortable with the idea that someone was prowling around without him realizing, and he turned back to Twilight, ready to warn her, only to freeze. She was staring straight at him, her face a hazy red, and her eyes sparkling in the starlight. "T-twi...?" he tried to say, only for her to shake her head, cutting him off. "Just... just kiss me. I-it's tradition, you know?" And so he did. Unbeknownst to either of them, a pair of mares faded into sight just outside the Astronomy Tower door. Twilight Velvet and Princess Celestia giggled to themselves, and high hoofed each other in celebration. Good luck you two!