The effervescent infatuation between Anon and Flurry increased exponentially in just the following day. Their impulsive commitment to one another put them in a strange relationship stage. They were engaged while barely having hugged and never once exchanging I love yous.
They did frolic together to the breakfast table where Shining and the other two princesses were gathered for what would surely be an awkward meal.
“Oh, Flurry, I put out a royal declaration about your engagement in the wee hours,” began Cadance, pausing her fork in mid stab of an omelet chunk.
“Wonderful,” celebrated Flurry, scooting into the table. “This is so exciting.”
Shining cringed over his oatmeal. There was no getting out of this gracefully now. Publicly legitimizing what would be the biggest engagement since the empire's return meant they had to make it work now lest it become a humiliating spectacle. The whole empire would know within hours and soon after, all of Equestria would as well.
“Cadance, I thought we agreed we were going to slow things down,” he growled through the corner of his mouth.
“We are. Just because you're engaged doesn't mean you're getting married soon.”
“Yeah but announcing it to the world just two days after they met kind of paints us into a corner and attracts a lot of nosy questions.”
“Oh, it'll be fine,” she grunted dismissively, finally lifting the omlet to her mouth.
“So we should go ring shopping today,” began Anon as a general announcement. “Just so everyone's on the same page and all the mares stop harassing me for dates.”
Twilight silently rolled her eyes as she chewed her food.
“Unfortunately I'm probably gonna need something custom because humans wear rings on their fingers which are smaller than horns. Any um… recommendations?”
“Go to Jade and Crystal,” Cadance answered. “They service the throne and are regarded as the best in the Empire.”
“That might be a little pricey for Anon,” countered Shining.
“I’m probably good for it,” Anon was quick to retort. “I've been saving up without any real overhead costs for years now. Uh, Twilight, can you spot me if we find something today and I'll pay you back?”
“Sure,” she sighed, not really knowing how to feel about any of this. - - -
“I wish I could convince both of your parents that we're for real,” mused Anon. He walked alongside Flurry down the gallery hall with a hand on her back.
“Oh don't worry about it so much. My dad is that way with everything new. It's just a waiting game more than anything. You'll see; this'll all be ironed out before the wedding.”
“I hope so,” he sighed. His eyes flicked up to the wall just in time to see an impressionist oil painting of Princess Celestia flying over a snow capped mountain range.
He smiled to himself as the romantic image reawakened an unrequited yearning in his soul. He stopped suddenly in his tracks and scratched the back of his neck as he struggled to put the words together in his head. “Hey, Flurry?”
She turned to look back at him quizzically. “Huh?”
“I've been thinking a lot about something and forgive me if it sounds forward but… can I… ride you?”
Flurry blushed in surprise at his request, one which she'd never received from anyone before. “But- but we're not married yet,” she stammered coyly.
Anon jawed at her. “Wait, no, not like that. I mean like I sit on your back and you fly around in the sky with me. See, I've had a dream about doing this since I was seven and Twilight wouldn't… let me.”
Flurry bit her lip apprehensively and looked around the room. “Well I've- I've never-” Soaring through the air with him did sound really fun.
“You know,” he backpedaled. “It's okay, you don't have-”
A twisted smile spread across her face and she squinted back at him shrewdly. “May- maybe just a little quick one.”
“Really?” he gasped.
She wriggled with irreverent giddiness. “Yeah, come on. Get on.”
Anon held back a squeal of joy as his fiancée crouched slightly to make it easier for him to hop on. He raced to her side and braced his hands on her back. Trembling with excitement, he lifted a leg over her and scooted up on top.
He shifted around awkwardly to find a good position. “Okay, do I go after the wings or- No, that feels like I'm gonna fall off,” he quickly decided, carefully sliding his legs one after the other over her folded wings and onto her upper back.
Now it felt a little too close like he was going to slump forward into her neck but he wasn't about to say anything. He wrapped his arms high around her withers and buried his face in her fluffy mane. “Oh, this feels nice.”
“Ready?” she asked with coiled excitement.
“Yeah!”
“Hold on tight!*
A flash of magic took them outside and high above the castle. There came an immediate rush of wind as gravity pulled them back to earth. Anon let out a yelp of surprise before Flurry Heart's graceful wings unfurled and gave a heavy beat to send them swooping back skyward.
Anon gasped as his stomach did flips. His grip on her tightened but he forced his eyes open and looked down with one ear braced against her neck. Below them was the miniaturized Crystal Empire drifting slowly by as Flurry leveled off in a glide.
“This is amazing,” he shouted over the ruffling wind. He slowly pushed himself into an upright position despite the drag and his lingering uneasiness. He turned his head as far around as he could, watching her stiffly outstretched wing and the distant icy mountains flashing in and out of view as they broke through a wispy, low flying cloud.
“Woohoo!” He raised his fists to the sky and then screamed in terror as he wobbled in his seat. He quickly collapsed to the prone position and clamped his arms back around Flurry's neck, faceplanting in the security of her tricolored mane.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he yelled into her whipping hair.
“Are you ready to do some loops?”
“No. Maybe not quite yet.”
Flurry laughed as they sank a bit lower over the city. She banked into a wide u-turn and headed back toward the castle.”
“I can fly a little slower if it's too much,” suggested Flurry as she began to coast. Anon opened his eyes again to see little figures walking and pulling carts through the veins of the empire. This was better than looking out the window when taking off on an airplane but also significantly more exhilarating and scary.
He sat back up again, comfortable with the new slower speed. Flurry rolled playfully side to side, feeling the grip of his legs around her sides, a sensation she'd never felt before.
Just above the castle, she came to an idle. They appeared back inside where she set down on the floor.
Anon exhaled, sliding off of her to the floor. His heart drummed in his chest.
“That was incredible.”
“Yes, we should do that again sometime,” agreed Flurry.
“I should wear a tie clip next time… and also goggles… and perhaps a jaunty little scarf. But not a hat; a hat would definitely fly right off.” - - -
Flurry grinned in the little store mirror as she ran her hoof over the brand new engagement ring on her horn. It was so weird to see it every time she saw her reflection. It was just a white gold hoop with a braided pattern and evenly spaced diamonds between the strands but she felt like a different pony wearing it.
She glanced over at her fiancé who was now in the process of getting sized for his own ring.
The jeweler squinted down at Anon's five flesh sticks splayed out on the counter and hummed. “The empire is inhabited largely by Crystal Ponies but we have clientele from all over the world and we pride ourselves in being able to make custom jewelry for anypony and any creature. Horns, even unicorn horns, actually come in all shapes and sizes including some the size of your… fingers, as you call them.”
“It's this one,” clarified Anon, pointing to his left ring finger. “We wear engagement rings and wedding rings on this one specifically, l think. I don't know why… But I guess if no one else here knows, I can just make up my own rules,” he laughed.
“Try this on.” The pony pushed a plain sizing ring toward him, quite small by pony standards.
Anon picked it up and squeezed it over his knuckle. “That feels right,” he muttered, flipping his hand over back and forth. “I mean, I've never done this before but it's not falling off or cutting off the circulation so it's probably good.”
“Looks like you're a size one,” nodded the stallion. “They only go down to zero. You're still within the convention of the unicorn size chart so this shouldn't be too difficult at all.”
“It's like you're a little unicorn colt getting married,” giggled Flurry.
“Yes. It's like I'm a little underage groom,” he agreed.
The two shared a laugh in front of the bewildered stallion.
Satisfied, Anon pinched the simple band and gave it a strong tug but lost his grip so he tried again. “Doesn't come off very easily,” he grunted.
“Well you typically don't take your wedding ring off very often,” shrugged the jeweler.
“Right. But I do need this one to come off.”
“Hmm… Likely a quirk of the slight conical shape on your more cylindrical form. We will make sure to address that and I'll just get you some horn grease for that.”
“No, it's okay. I think I'm getting it.” Anon wiggled the ring back and forth. Then he spun it around in circles, the flesh on his knuckle bunching up painfully to lock it in place and thwart his efforts.
Flurry and the jeweler watched him struggle fruitlessly for several more seconds.
“Almost… got it,” he muttered, twisting his wrist in vain. He continued contorting his finger with no actual progress for quite some time. “Ow.” He set his hands back on the counter. “Okay, I'm ready for the grease now,” he sighed in defeat. - - -
Anon cautiously moved forward, taking little steps, something between walking and shuffling. With his eyes shut, his instinct was to stretch out his hands to protect his body and probe the environment but he held back knowing it would just increasing the risk of losing the game.
The toe of his shoe bumped into the base of a small tree which gave a soft rustle, bringing his run to an end.
“Aw, nuts,” he grunted, opening his eyes.
Flurry Heart giggled. “Not bad for a first try. Okay, it's my turn now. I'll show you how it's done.”
Shining stood at the balcony rail with Cadance, watching the unaware couple play their daughter's weird game in the cloister garden below.
“Look at them,” he scoffed.
“It's cute,” said Cadance.
“I guess… You think he's enjoying this?”
“I think he at least enjoys Flurry. Why do you dislike Anon so much?”
“I don't dislike him,” he sulked. “I just felt blindsided by this whole thing. “Hey Flurry, why don't you show Anon around?” he parroted. “And now they're engaged. It's totally irresponsible.”
“Oh, it's a new record,” laughed Anon. “My turn.”
“Alright, but before you go this time, stop and look at your environment first and try to memorize it.” Her eyes darted back and forth. “Locate your obstacles, estimate how many steps apart they are and plot a trajectory.”
Anon nodded slowly. He took a deep breath and focused on the sandy, winding path ahead and its natural rhythm. There were trees at the bends that he'd hit again if he didn't navigate it well. He closed his eyes and stepped forward with a measured number of strides before he jogged carefully to the right. He cleared the first turn without much trouble but was unsure if he was now skewed to the path.
“Ooo, that was close,” laughed Flurry.”
Though the sand still crunched under his steps, he began to suspect he was drifting toward the edge. Anon slowed as he came to a bend in the path. Suddenly Flurry teleported a few paces in front of him and stood without a word.
“What was that?” asked Anon, hearing the teleportation zap but still shuffling forward awkwardly. “Flurry?”
Flurry put a hoof over her mouth to keep herself from laughing and giving away her position.
“What is she doing now?” muttered Shining. “I thought that was considered cheating.”
Anon cluelessly inched closer. Flurry swallowed nervously but stood her ground. She craned her neck slightly as his face closed in with hers. At the last moment she shut her eyes. Their lips met softly. Anon's eyes shot open in surprise. He recoiled slightly without knowing what had happened but Flurry leaned in to close the distance immediately. He shut his eyes again as her lips wrapped around his with a sigh.
Shining grimaced. “Ugh.”
“Do you think this is their first kiss?” gasped Cadance.
The two fumbled around amateurishly, mashing their lips together, smearing saliva on each other's faces and enjoying every second of it.
“First with each other or first ever? Because yes to both.”
Cadance cringed. “This is kind of hard to watch.”
“I don't think we're supposed to watch,” grumbled Shining, turning back to the double doors.
Anon broke Their kiss with a gasp and pulled away. “Hold on,” he panted. “I need a breather. Your lips are large and overwhelming.”
“Are you breathing through your nose?” asked Flurry.”
“Oh… No. That's a good idea though,” he nodded. “I'll try that.” - - -
The betrothed sat beneath a shady pergola on the poolside patio, brainstorming ideas for their probably not too soon wedding.
“It's traditional to have big royal weddings in castles but I'm not really traditional,” said Flurry, tapping her pen on her notebook. “I like the privacy of the castle but I think I want to do an outdoor wedding more.”
“I love that idea,” chimed Anon enthusiastically. “What about the Mystery Spot?”
“It's too small and doesn't really have a good front,” groaned Flurry disappointedly, clearly having already given it consideration. “We don't have to stress about this now though. “We've got plenty of time.”
Just then, Cadance aparated beside her.
“Flurry, can we speak with you for a moment in the den?” she cocked her head curtly to the doors.
“Uh… okay?” she answered warily, trying to deduce what this could possibly be about. Her mother vanished in a flash. She shrugged at Anon and followed suit to meet her casually concerned parents in the den.
“What’s going on?” asked Flurry, still mystified by the impromptu meeting.
Cadance cleared her throat. “Well, first of all, you're both adults,” she began. “Have been for a while now. We don't care what you do behind closed doors.”
Flurry blinked. “Is this about the kissing?” she asked bewildered.
Cadance and Shining exchanged odd looks.
“No,” replied Cadance flatly. Then she produced a thin, four page copy of the Mirror, floating it up in front of her daughter. On the front was a full page photo of a winged airborne object in the sky, the image taken looking up from the ground. Then there was a grainy vignette blowup of it which clearly showed Anon riding through the air atop her. The headline read Extra: Alien Spotted Riding Princess Flurry Heart.
Flurry gasped as her face heated up in embarrassment. “I- I can explain,” cried Flurry. “We really wanted to do it and I didn't think anyone would see.”
“It says you flew over the city,” argued Shining dryly.
“Dad, don't read it,” she chided angrily.
“Just do it somewhere else next time,” offered her mother constructively. “For instance, when I used to take your father out on rides back before we-”
“Eew, mom, I do not need to know this.”
“Okay, but just maybe use a little more discretion when engaging in these sorts of… activities in the future is all we're saying.”
Mortified, Flurry dropped to her haunches and hid her face in her hooves. “How am I supposed to govern the empire if I'm so embarrassing all the time?” she moaned.
“It's just the Mirror, honey,” sighed Shining. “No one actually takes them seriously… You have been keeping them afloat financially for over a decade though.”
“Not helpful, Shining.”