Flurry's mind buzzed all night long with reveries of what tomorrow would hold. First when she laid awake. Then when she slept and dreamed of it.
In the morning she met up with an excited Anon after breakfast. Since he was completely new to the city, she took it upon herself to outline their whole day together.
“Surprise me,” he said, when she asked if he wanted a rundown.
She kicked off her first real date ever by taking Anon to a permanent outdoor art installation, a sculpture garden.
The two meandered around a brick courtyard lined with immaculately trimmed hedge partitions. Life sized abstract works of metal and granite sprang up from the ground, large pieces they could walk through or hide behind like a weird, beautiful playground.
Anon kept his camera out to take pictures of the fountains and sculptures as well as each other when artistic vision called for it.
He snapped a photo of Flurry peeking through an oblong hole in a warped metal panel that looked like a standing slice of swiss cheese. She came back around to rejoin him as they headed for what looked like a clutch of giant concrete eggs, some of which appeared to be cracked open and empty as if they'd just hatched.
“We don't have any humans at all here except for you,” she mused. “Do they have ponies where you used to live?”
“Yeah, we had ponies, but only earth ponies, and they didn't talk or… build entire civilizations. They were more like… dogs, I guess?”
“Dogs?”
“Yeah smarter than a lot of other animals and could be domesticated but you can't have a conversation or go with them to a restaurant without getting kicked out.”
Flurry scratched her chin in wonder at the thought of a world where ponies could be wild beasts and not legitimate citizens at all. Seemed like something out of a sci-fi book, then again, everything about this seemed like something out of a sci-fi book.
They managed to visit every piece despite their erratic walking pattern.
“This place is great,” said Anon, putting his camera away. “Can't believe it's free; I'd pay to get in here.”
“Wealthy contributions keep it that way,” chimed Flurry. She eyed the little café in the corner and licked her lips. “Want to get a snack before we go?”
“I always want to get a snack,” he answered in a deathly serious tone.
“Me too. Let's check the little restaurant over there.”
They ambled past the umbrellaed tables and over to the glass case, which served as the counte. There they began to browse their scant options for fare. It was all uncannily plain and simple, almost fake looking but at exorbitant prices.
“Fifteen bits for a bottle of water,” balked Anon.
Flurry put her hooves on the case and squinted inside at a line of well plated but paltry sized foods that wouldn't even qualify as a snack by her standards. “What even are these? They look like tiny bars of bird seed. I forgot how fussy and weird museum food is.”
“That’s really interesting,” noted Anon. “Museum food is overpriced and tasteless in my country too. You're a princess, are you not one for fancy cuisine?”
Flurry scrunched up her nose. “Sometimes. But honestly I like junk food more. I wouldn't call this fancy anyway. It's more… spooky? Like someone who's shiny and prim on the outside but is secretly a serial killer but in food form. Let's just go back to the street vendors,” she suggested excitedly.”
Anon rubbed his hands together. “Lead the way.”
Flurry teleported them back to the street fair they'd visited the previous day. They both got soft pretzels.
“Pretzel toast,” declared Anon.
She bumped her pretzel with his, knocking off some of the overabundant rock salt. Then she began to stuff her face, giving little thought about being a princess in public. Her eyes fell on the nearby magazine display owned by the adjacent snack bar.
There on the rack was the everpresent gossip tabloid, The Mirror, sporting a brand new cover. It was a candid photo from yesterday of her walking down the street beside Anon as they ate their corn cobs on sticks. The bold face headline across the top read: Princess Flurry Heart Dating Alien?
Flurry chuckled smugly through a mouthful of pretzel.
“I can't wait to see what's next,” mumbled Anon, forgetting to swallow first.
Flurry laughed with maniacal anticipation. “Get ready ‘cuz it's gonna blow your mind.” - - -
“It's going up the ramp,” gasped Anon in exuberant delight. He crouched down and watched with bated breath as the dinged up billiard ball appeared to defy gravity and roll up the ramp instead of down. He braced his head in his hands, mouth hanging open. “How does it do that?”
“It's the magnetic vortex,” squealed Flurry like she hadn't already seen this a hundred times.
Anon reset the ball at the bottom and took a photo of the phenomenon as it slowly crawled back up again but quickly realized that a still photo kind of failed to capture what was remarkable about it. He took a photo of Flurry standing on the wall of the warped shack before they exited to go browse the gift shop.
The Crystal Mystery Spot was a campy tourist trap just outside the city, supposedly built on a leyline and steeped in strange legends dating back centuries. Flurry had been obsessed with it since kindergarten.
“I'm definitely getting a souvenir,” began Anon. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“No problem; I’m just glad I could finally share this place with someone,” answered Flurry. “I used to beg my parents to take me here and they always hated it. They'd fight and tell each other, it's your turn to go; I did it last time. But now that I'm an adult I can just come here whenever I want but it's not as much fun coming here alone. I've never gone here with someone who actually likes it. That makes it extra fun.”
The two wandered around the little gift shop, laughing and playing with the strange and kitschy merchandise.
Anon got a blue hat with a big question mark graphic. Underneath it read Crystal Mystery Spot. Then they flashed back into the city.
Going places was so easy when your date was an alicorn. They were able to pack two days of fun into just one. When it came time for dinner, Flurry took Anon to a slightly upscale café. They sat at a table outside on the sidewalk beneath a canopy of crisscrossing strings of lights that had just been illuminated for sunset. The place had a dreamy sort of ambiance, especially at this time of day.
“Ooh, they have salmon, just printed right there on the menu,” growled Anon, tapping his menu in disbelief. “I've only ever been to like one place that serves meat or fish since I got stranded here.”
“That's why we're here,” replied Flurry thoughtfully. “It’s international cuisine. They have a little bit of everything so it's really popular when meeting up with other creatures from abroad.” She gestured around them where yaks, dragons, griffons, and ponies could all be seen mingling over dinner.
“So you eat meat? You probably miss it a lot, living in a place where everything is geared for herbivores.”
“Yeah,” he breathed. “It's definitely up there on the list.”
Flurry closed her menu. “I can't even imagine what it must be like to just getting stuck in some completely new world all alone... I'd miss everyone.”
Anon's expression darkened. “There are some back there that I definitely miss. Others, not so much. I think the worst thing though is all the stuff I have left unsaid up here.” He pointed to his head. “That still really bothers me. Even if I can't ever go back, I just wish I could send a message and at least say I'm okay, don’t worry about me or I'm sorry. I hope my family has moved on and they're happy but becoming a ghost to them also kind of hurts to think about.”
Flurry's face sagged in dismay. “Are you still trying to get home?”
“Not really,” he shrugged. “I mean, I can't actually do anything myself to get back ‘cuz I'm totally clueless about magic. Princess Twilight is the only one who could maybe help me out but she's already exhausted every idea. Every time she thinks she's found a lead, it comes to a dead end. I don't get my hopes up anymore and she's kind of stopped keeping me in the loop about what, if anything, she does because I think she understands it's just emotional torture for me. For my own sanity I've basically come to terms with the reality of living here forever but I'm not really sure where my place is in this world. I try to look on the bright side though. I always felt like a fish out of water on Earth but at least here I have an excuse.”
Flurry placed a hoof on her heart. “That's exactly how I feel. It's like most ponies I meet are just tolerating me at best even when I try to be nice. It makes looking for a significant other really… hard.”
“That’s a travesty. I know what you mean too. Unfortunately it's no easier for me here than it was at home. We're so unappreciated.”
“So, you’ve… been looking?”
Anon scratched his chin. “Yeah… for a while, actually. I’m ready to settle down with a mare but no one seems to be able to get over my weird appearance. I've made a few friends but that's about as far as I can get while looking like an alien… or acting like an alien… or literally being an alien. And what I really don't get is that I've seen interspecies couples around and everyone seems cool with that. I understand I’m not very handsome by pony standards but just so we're clear, I am actually the most handsome human on my home planet and no one here can say otherwise.”
Flurry let out a weak laugh before a glorious idea suddenly crashed into her brain.
Flurry gasped. “You want to get married? I want to get married too. We should get married together. Will you marry me?”
Anon laughed. “Okay. Sure. Sounds awesome,” he replied flippantly in what he thought was like facetiousness. Then he lifted his glass.
Flurry suddenly felt light headed as an indescribable euphoria hit her. “Great!” She shook in her seat with excitement. “Oh, I can't believe this is finally happening! I can't wait to brag to everyone! And we have so much to plan too!”
Anon slowly sipped his drink with a concerned expression.
“This is the best date I've ever had,” she squealed. - - -
Flurry took them straight back to the castle after dinner. They flashed through rooms in rapid succession until she finally found her parents talking in the private dining room, seated at a table that was empty except for drinks.
“Oh, you're back,” chimed Cadance. “How was your-”
“Mom, dad, we have huge news,” blurted Flurry. Anon and I are engaged to be married!” She drew the man close in one foreleg and smiled ecstatically.
Her parents’ mouths dropped open in tandem.
Anon reciprocated, putting an arm around her withers, his mouth warped into an uncomfortable grin as the only thought he could nail down was how they hadn't even kissed yet.
“You're… not joking this time, aren't you?” asked Cadance, wide-eyed.
“No! Isn't it great?”
“Don't you think you're moving a little fast?” began Cadance.
“No. I mean we both like each other and we’re both lonely and misunderstood. We're plenty old enough.”
Cadance rubbed her head. “I understand that but I just don't want you to rush into such a big commitment like this just because of social pressure or royal decorum. You've never felt the feeling of falling in love before and it's very overwhelming and even intoxicating. You should really take a step back and give this some time.
“Mom, I thought you wanted me to be happy; this makes me happy. And you're talking to me like I'm a little filly.”
“I'm just telling you exactly what every single veteran married pony would tell you. Add on the fact that I'm your mother and only want the best for you. I'm not saying no or withholding my blessing because I disapprove out of principle; I'm saying slow your asses down.”
Shining reached across the table to tap his wife on the shoulder, a strained expression wearing on his face like a fracturing dam about to crumble. “Cadance, can you and I talk about this upstairs right now?” he whispered
“Uh, okay?”
He turned to the newly engaged couple. “Can you please wait here for us?” Shining teleported his wife with him to their bedroom.
“This is not okay,” he exploded. “That guy is so weird and they just met. What the hell are they doing?”
“Flurry is weird too,” shrugged Cadance. “Who did you expect her to go for? Someone boring? And she's an adult. We can't stop her.”
Shining raised an eyebrow. “We can actually.”
Various fantastical scenes of ensuing trauma, drama, imprisonment, murder, running away and their family otherwise being torn apart at the seams, flashed through her brain. “Is this worth becoming a villain over? Anon has a good heart. I can envision them working well together despite such a short run up. We can get them to drag out the engagement a little just to make sure.”
Shining paced in a small, frantic circle. “This is absolutely nuts,” he scoffed in disbelief.
“Shining, this is the moment we've all been waiting for, remember? I thought you wanted to retire and go see the world.”
“And I thought you were hellbent on grandfoals,” he shot back.
Cadance’s forehead wrinkled. “Well we don't necessarily know that they can't give us grandfoals; this is a completely unprecedented coupling.”
Shining batted his eyes. “How are we going to enjoy traveling if we're leaving them at the levers of power? Anon has, what, five years of experience living in our dimension and now suddenly he's going to be Flurry's royal consort?”
Cadance dropped to her haunches and sighed. “You know that Flurry is capable when she has to be and not everything has to be a diarchy just because there are two of them. Back in the olden days they used to have interspecies political marriages between countries all the time. Creatures would ascend to the throne of a country and they'd have no leadership experience and had spent even less time there in the culture than Anon. At least in this instance they like each other.”
“They may like each other but do they love each other?”
She knew what he meant by that. Love, by its nature, didn't happen overnight. It was a process. There was no such thing as real love at first sight as much as Flurry might argue in her inebriated state.
Cadance frowned. “That's why we should slow them down. But in all my interactions with Anon, I haven't found any reason to distrust him and your sister has lived with him for years now. The worst she's ever said about him is that he's a dork... But she's a dork too."
“I'm going to go talk to that guy,” he declared adamantly before disappearing in a crackle of magic.
“Shining,” she groaned before following him back. When she got there, her husband was already addressing the two with vigorous consternation.
“So I think your father and I are at least in agreement that you should take it slower and let the natural process of falling in love breathe a little bit,” Cadance blurted over him, bringing the dialogue to a halt.
Flurry and Anon looked at each other warily.
“Uh, okay?”
“Can I talk to you in private, Anon?” Shining asked sternly.
“Ye-”
Before he could utter the second half of his syllable, he'd already been teleported to Shining's office.
Shining, having appeared in his own chair, gestured across the desk. “Please have a seat.”
Anon looked behind himself to find a pair of empty chairs. He sat down woodenly, placing his hands penitently in his lap like he'd just been called into the principal's office after getting caught hiding in the girl's locker room.
“Did you ask my daughter to marry you?” began Shining bluntly.
“No,” he shook his head. “She asked me.”
“And you said yes?” he hissed.
“Yes… Well we were talking about our mutual love problems and she just floated marriage as a solution out of thin air and I thought she was just joking at first because like, why would a princess ask me to marry her, so I joked back but my jokes don't land a lot of times and-”
“So this is just a misunderstanding?” he bristled ominously. “You'd better straighten all of this out with her right now.”
Anon raised a finger. “Maybe that's what it was for the first minute but here's the thing: I've never connected with or felt this way about anyone I've ever met before. When I talk to her it feels like I've known her for years instead of hours. I wouldn't be sitting here right now if this was all just a misunderstanding because I wouldn't let it get this far.”
“You two are like little kids lost in the woods,” groaned Shining. “It sounds like what we have here is puppy love.”
“Well, maybe so, but it has to start somewhere.”
“You said you'd marry her! After meeting her yesterday!”
“Yeah, but after I actually considered the reality of it, it sounded great. Like, why would I not want to marry her? It sounds like a dream come true.”
Shining facehooved. “That's what dating is supposed to be for, finding reasons to not marry someone and vetting them to see if you can stand being with them for the rest of your life. You can't just skip over that part or you might be finding the red flags afterwards. And of course you'd want to marry a rich princess. Who wouldn't?”
“Apparently a lot of ponies,” shrugged Anon.
Shining glared back at him.
“Those are her words. Not mine. I think she's wonderful. But that's why this seems so right to me. We were meant for only each other.”
“Have you ever been in love before?” asked the frustrated stallion.
“No,” answered Anon after giving it very little thought.
“Have you ever been in a romantic relationship?”
“Not… really.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're just infatuated with the first creature to accept you in such a way?”
Anon shook his head. “No. I really think it's more than that.”
Shining's lips tightened. “Have you noticed that unicorns and alicorns wear wedding bands?” He pointed impatiently to his own horn.
“Yes. Yes, I had noticed that,” nodded Anon emphatically. “Uh, humans do that too. I should probably have that discussion with her at some point.”
“It's going to take more than a ring to prove to everyone that you're serious about all of this,” growled Shining.