The wind whistled through the barren streets of Ponyville, rustling the dying leaves of dormant trees with a cherubic playfulness that starkly contrasted with the otherwise solemn silence of the night. There wasn't a single light that dared to disturb the darkness, for the township's inhabitants had long gone off to bed to dream their dreams of hope, love and the opportunities that tomorrow may bring. Fantasies of muffins, magic and never ending parties filled the slumbering minds of the ponies, life-rafts which never failed to steer their owners towards a brand new day.
However, not everyone was asleep. For the fourth night in a row, a lonely heart stood at the window of one of Ponyville's homes, one sculpted from clouds. Staring into the dark room unblinkingly, she desperately tried to steal a glimpse of the creature that was the object of her heart's desire. Tentatively she cast a spell, dimly illuminating the room she was struggling to see into, and bit her bottom lip as her heart skipped a beat.
He's not here either.
With a pained sigh she withdrew her head from the window and extinguished the light, hoping that she still remained undiscovered - she knew that below her the township was well and truly asleep, but feelings of trepidation still gnawed at the back of her mind. After a momentary surveillance of her surroundings she felt satisfied that her venture remained unexposed and with the powerful upward thrust of her alicorn wings she ascended towards the next window, hopeful that this next room may hold the object of her heart's desire. She found herself holding her breath as her horn illuminated the room, staring into the cave of dancing shadows before her as her mind wandered.
This... this can't be right...
Her heart spoke otherwise.
He's not even a pony!
Her heart knew no such objections.
She hung her head down, staring helplessly at her hooves as she inwardly wept, conflicting thoughts racing through her mind before retracing their steps, taking her back to the day she met him. Quietly seating herself down on her haunches, memories flooded back and obscured the night before her like a veil.
Twilight had always insisted that she come to one of their pet playdates, she recalled, but running her kingdom left her with little time for such things, no matter how much the idea of a picnic out in the idyllic hills of Ponyville's outskirts with her pupil and her friends made her smile. But after considerable coaxing on the part of Twilight, she managed to fudge her schedule around enough to afford her one day off to spend with the ponies that she treasured so much. After raising the sun on the day of the playdate she quickly made arrangements to have any business that might come up during the day heard by Princess Luna - the Princess of the Night having begrudgingly agreed after considerable 'nagging' - and bundled a few blankets, some of Canterlot's finest hoof-food and Philomena into her carriage before setting off.
A soft smile graced her lips.
The flight to Ponyville was as cathartic as could have been expected for a Princess as busy as her, and her eyes blissfully followed the autumn landscape passing below her as her carriage continued along its path. The skies were unblemished by clouds - the pegasi around here were amongst the finest in Equestria at what they do, and she wondered somewhat whether the ponies who live around here might take that for granted - and the air was crisp, with the soft smell of rural life accentuated by a hint of the apples this region of Equestria is known for. Eventually the carriage drew close to its destination and the pegasi pulling it descended, touching down on the crest of one of the many rolling green hills.
"We finally arrived," she whispered to nobody in particular, "and it was beautiful."
Indeed it was. The land seemed to stretch on forever in a sea of green, peppered by a sparse population of trees. And before her was Twilight Sparkle, accompanied by her friends and their companions. Fluttershy was sitting with her rabbit, who was later revealed to be 'Angel'; a peculiar name, given that it was beating her over the head with a carrot in protest of something. Pinkie Pie was dancing wildly with an absent-minded looking alligator called Gummy. Twilight Sparkle was lecturing her owl, Owlowicious, on some important magical matter. Whether the owl understood any of it is anyone's guess, though. Rarity was desperately trying to get her cat, Opalescence, out of a nearby tree, while Applejack's dog, Winona, was barking energetically at it as her owner tried to encourage the excited pup to show a little restraint with panicked words.
The alicorn suddenly looked up, the moonlight illuminating her timeless features as the wind cheekily tugged at her mane.
"Then..."
Then there was him. A stolid creature, unassuming in appearance but with a soul burning as brightly as the sun she raised each morning. A rock to lean on. A shoulder to cry on. His piercing, roguish eyes washed away millennia of loneliness imposed by royal duty, exposing a naked, crying filly looking for something so simple, yet so intangible and indescribable - love. And she knew that this creature knew love; that it knew that it was to be totally devoted to another - a feeling which was merely cemented when Rainbow Dash told the tale of how the tortoise - who Rainbow identified as Tank - had saved her life down in the bowels of the earth itself. The alicorn had approached the tortoise with a trembling hoof, gently stroking the creature's head as she found herself holding her breath for what seemed like eternity. Tank had flicked up his radical little aviator goggles and returned her gaze; she felt herself blush as those eyes stripped away layer after layer, finding his way deep into her mind and packing up all her problems and insecurities away like a child's set of blocks, if only for that single moment.
She blushed, just like she did in that endless moment echoing once again in her mind.
She knew that she was his, as he was hers. Closing her eyes softly she leant down, pressing her lips--
"Princess Celestia! What're you doing here? This is the fourth time this week!" cried out a voice, the time of night definitely having made a considerable contribution to its strained, frustrated tone.
"R-Rainbow Dash? I'm s-so sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you!"
"Look, Celestia. You can't have my turtle-"
"Tortoise."
"Whatever. You really creeped everyone out last week, you know? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but maybe you should seek some help. Like, real soon. Twilight had to wipe her own memory after the things you did."
A window slammed shut, and Celestia let out a soft, exasperated sigh. Her train of thought shattered, she looked to the endless expanse above as an expression of incomprehensible sadness became the only distinguishable feature on the ghostly visage cast by the moonlight.
"Someday, somewhere, I will have you, my love."