//------------------------------// // Her Smile: Chapter 7 (The Finale) // Story: Her Smile // by Criticul //------------------------------//         Nightmare Moon flew through the night, her mind swarming with questions. Though she would never admit it, Luna and her shared a connection on an emotional level. While this helped Nightmare manipulate Luna into allowing her to return, it also meant that they shared feelings. In this case, to be more specific, Luna’s love for Fluttershy. In truth the little pegasus intrigued Nightmare more than any other pony had before. For the entire night, she had been battling herself over these feelings. Nightmare Moon wanted, more than anything, to reign over all in eternal night; but something was drawing her to Fluttershy’s cottage.         “There must be a way I can be rid of these idiotic emotions. Perhaps I can just...dispose of her.” Nightmare Moon felt a knot form in her stomach at the thought of harming Fluttershy. “I am a powerful goddess! I shall not be defied by my own body!” Nightmare Moon’s voiced roared through the night sky. Luckily for her, most everypony was already asleep, and her little outburst went unnoticed.         “I used to be a powerful goddess. I have been reduced to this whimpering pile of... of...mush.” Nightmare Moon sighed and continued to fly through the chilly sky towards Fluttershy’s home. “I am not sure what I am going to do when I arrive...but for me to succeed this time, something must be done about this inconvenience.”         She spent the rest of the flight fighting off the barrage of thoughts that continuously bombarded her brain, the majority of them belonging to Luna. Just like Nightmare Moon, even when her personality was suppressed she could still communicate with the host, much to Nightmare Moon’s despair.         “I should have known you were tricking me... I should have learned my lesson from last time! You used my love for Fluttershy against me! I can’t believe you did this!”  The voice of Luna rang through Nightmare’s head, causing her to chuckle at Luna’s innocence. She honestly believed that Nightmare could change.         “Why not? You act as if this should be a shock to you. We both know what my true intentions have always been. I care for you Luna, but you are too soft to handle anything by yourself. With my help you can be something truly great; now please...let me handle this. I am going to pay that pegasus a visit, and afterwards, we will be able to rule Equestria in eternal darkness...just like we have always wanted!”         “What!? What do you intend to do to Fluttershy!?” Luna’s voice cracked. She knew exactly what Nightmare Moon intended to do, as their minds are connected. Part of her still hoped she was wrong though.         Nightmare Moon replied with a slight chuckle and said, “I intend to do what I usually do in these situations...” Luna stayed silent. If she had a body, she would be crying. For now all she could was think about was that she had failed not only herself, but also Fluttershy. She had let Nightmare win, for no reason other than that Fluttershy had left a little early. Luna had not felt as ashamed since Nightmare Moon was first defeated by the Elements of Harmony, and she understood the gravity of her actions. It was slowly tearing her apart.         “Do not fret, dear Luna. Everything will be righted soon enough. We are going to be so happy...you and I.” Nightmare Moon’s voice had lost it’s usual intensity and was now saturated with what Luna could only assume was sadness. She had no idea what Nightmare Moon was planning anymore; but her plan was obviously eating at her as well.         The cottage was now coming into view. Soon this entire debacle would come to an end, one way or another. Nightmare Moon examined the area surrounding the small hut, and concluded that it would be safe to land anywhere within a 100 meter radius. Fluttershy had chosen a very isolated spot to live, presumably to remain close to the animals she cared for.         Nightmare Moon came in fast and landed hard, a few meters behind the chicken shed, startling a few of it’s occupants that hadn’t fallen asleep yet. The roosters crowed loudly in fear and retreated to the ‘safety’ of the hen house. Nightmare Moon growled but decided not to pursue the loud birds.         Inside her house Fluttershy had woken up. She had long succeeded in training herself to be woken by any strange sounds coming from the animals, in case something happened to them while she was asleep. “Oh dear, I wonder what has the roosters in an uproar...” Fluttershy slowly lifted herself out of bed, as to avoid waking Angel Bunny from his slumber.         She timidly made her way to the door, but something made her stop just before pulling it open. “...wait a minute.” She looked around the room, and her eyes came to rest over a table. Their was a small folded up letter laid out across it. “Oh Celestia! I forgot to mail it! Oh, I hope Luna won’t be too upset...”         Fluttershy turned away from the letter and exited her home. The first thing she noticed was that tonight was especially cold, almost below freezing; and in the middle of spring. She exhaled and watched her breath condensate before her. “It’s so cold tonight. I should probably make the poor little chickens a fire...” Fluttershy walked over to a stack of firewood and loaded a couple of pieces onto her back.         Fluttershy then carefully trotted into her backyard and placed the firewood next to a post. “Don’t worry dears, I’ll have this fire going soon enou-” Fluttershy froze as she heard a soft rustling from behind her.         “U-um...who’s there” Fluttershy cautiously wandered over in the direction of the mysterious sounds. “M-Mr. Owl...?”         A shrill chuckle could be heard emanating from behind some shrubbery. Fluttershy squealed and galloped towards the chicken coupe. She jumped, head first, into one of hen houses. She was too large to fully fit, so her rear end was sticking out.         Nightmare Moon emerged from behind the brush, a look of confusion on her face. “She can’t really be that cowardly? I haven’t even shown myself yet...”                 “Nightmare Moon demands that you come out of hiding, and face me!” Nightmare Moon’s voiced boomed through the night. It demanded the attention of all the all creatures in the area.         Fluttershy continued to wiggle, trying to force herself farther into the coupe. After a few seconds of struggling she realized her attempts were useless so she pulled herself out. Fluttershy turned to see the tall, slender form of Nightmare Moon standing in front of her. “Wh-where’s Luna?! Why is Nightmare Moon here!? I don’t know what to do... I could just faint!”         Fluttershy began to rock back and forth, mumbling incoherent bits of speech. Slowly she began to lean in one direction until she ended up passing out and slumping over the side of the chicken coupe. Nightmare Moon grinned as she saw this. This was her chance, the perfect chance; all she had to do was fire one spell, and all her troubles would be washed away. Killing Fluttershy would be a win-win for Nightmare. She would be rid of these pesky feelings, and with one less Element of Harmony, the remaining five were powerless.         Nightmare Moon charged a dark purple aura on her horn, ready to issue a killing blow to Fluttershy. “Finally, after so many years...nothing will be able to stop me!” Nightmare Moon laughed victoriously, staring at Fluttershy as she lay on the ground. Suddenly images of the previous night began to rush through her mind.         Nightmare Moon could see Fluttershy passing out and slumping on Luna’s side, she could see Luna tucking Fluttershy in, and she could feel the happiness Luna experienced as she held Fluttershy. The spell Nightmare was gathering dissipated as she stood there in awe.         “L-Luna was...happy? With somepony as worthless as...as Fluttershy?” There are only two ponies Nightmare Moon actually cares about, herself and...Luna. “I...I knew she had feelings for her...but that was true happiness...I think, anyway. I cannot honestly say I know the feeling...” Nightmare Moon continued to stare at Fluttershy, watching as her chest slowly rose and fell with her breathing. “I do not understand...Fluttershy offers nothing. No wealth, no power, she wouldn’t even be able to give you heirs. What purpose would she serve?” Luna, who had remained quiet in Nightmare’s subconscious, decided now would be the appropriate moment to speak. “Don’t you understand yet? I’m not interested in those things...I’ve always desired something only I can find...something you can’t give me.”   Nightmare scoffed. “Explain. What can she give you that I cannot?” “Fluttershy loves me for who I am. She truly cares about me, even though we’ve only known each other for a short time. You know what else? She adores our sky!” “You lie. Nopony cares about you like I do. Also, I highly doubt she enjoys our night. In a thousand years all I have seen these selfish ponies do, is sleep through it...” Nightmare’s voice showed signs of pain. Not physical pain, but the emotional distress caused by years of isolation. “I know...I used to think the same. But you saw it for yourself Nightmare...they even have entire festivals dedicated to it now. Things aren’t like they used to be...why can’t you just accept the fact Fluttershy genuinely makes me happy?”  Nightmare Moon almost agreed, then caught herself, chuckling softly. “Oh Luna...you’ve been close to me too long. My manipulative prowess is beginning to rub off on you.” Luna replied with a slight chuckle of her own. “Do you understand now? I...I love her.” Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. “Is... is this what I’ve been feeling when I look at her? L-Love?”         “I think so Nightmare...” Nightmare Moon remained silent for several moments, simply observing Fluttershy some more. She lowered her head and she began to weep silently.         “I know what I have to do Luna. Just know that I’ve always cared about you...and everything I’ve done has always been for you.” Nightmare started to slowly trot towards Fluttershy. Once in range, she levitated the limp pegasus off the ground and onto her back.                  “Let’s get you indoors...” Nightmare Moon sighed as she carried Fluttershy towards the cottage.  She pushed open the door and carelessly walked inside.         “So this is the house of a common pony... pitiful.” Nightmare found the nearest place to set Fluttershy down, which happened to be the couch in her living room. She levitated Fluttershy to the couch and laid her down on it, taking care not to disturb the frail pegasus.         She turned away and headed in the direction of the kitchen. Once there she grabbed a cloth, running cool water through it, and proceeded to return to Fluttershy.         “This is ridiculous. I am caring for a peasant....” Nightmare Moon placed the cloth over Fluttershy’s forehead and laid down on the floor beside the couch. She shut her eyes tight, but did not fall asleep. All she could do was wait for Fluttershy to wake up.         After the best part of an hour of gentle stirring and soft snoring, Fluttershy finally started to come to. Nightmare rose from the floor and took a seat on the couch next to her.         Fluttershy rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Huh...how did I get on the couch?” She asked, intended for nopony in particular.         “I brought you here...” Fluttershy shifted her gaze to the right to see THE Nightmare Moon sitting next to her.         “Eep! Wha- Who -When!? Pl-please don’t hurt me!” Fluttershy pleaded for her own safety which caused Nightmare to chuckle a little. Unfortunately this did nothing to soothe the pegasus’ nerves. As she looked into Nightmares eyes her thoughts began to shift to her lover, Luna.         “Wh-what did you do with Luna!?” Fluttershy had a sudden rush of courage when it came to the mare she loved.                  “Calm down foal. I simply wish to speak with you...” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. In all honesty, she was relieved. She knew she stood no chance in a fight against Nightmare Moon.         “What about...?”         “Well...about Luna.” Nightmare Moon sighed and closed her eyes. “She has brought it to my attention that she...well...loves you.” Fluttershy gasped loudly and hid her face behind her hooves.         Nightmare raised an eyebrow. “Do you not feel the same then...?”         “Nonono, I do...it’s just...I’m afraid, is all.” Nightmare raised a brow and spoke lightly. “What would you have to fear from Luna?” Fluttershy hung her head and turned away from Nightmare. “I’m not afraid of Luna...I’m afraid...to love somepony else.” Fluttershy has had trouble being close to anypony in more than a friendly way since she witnessed her father kill her mother. Every time she even begins to think of such things her mind is overrun with the images of that day. “Because of your father...correct?” Nightmare Moon spoke with a cold emptiness that caused Fluttershy to cringe at every word. “Y-yes...how do you kn-know about that...?” Nightmare chuckled and stood up, and began stretching her wings. “There is only one more thing I want to ask before I make my decision...could you love Luna? Could you overcome your fear and be with her...?” Fluttershy was taken aback by the question. Why would the infamous Nightmare Moon care about anything such as love? “I-I....I think so...I really care about her...” stated Fluttershy in a gentle whisper. Nightmare sat in silence with her eyes closed. After several minutes Fluttershy started to become extremely nervous, fearing the worst. “U-um...N-Nightmare...what are you trying to decide...?” Nightmare opened her eyes and stared at the shy pegasus looking back at her. “I have decided...grab my hoof.” Nightmare extended a hoof whilst remaining emotionless. Fluttershy began to panic, still clueless as to what Nightmare’s intentions really were. She decided to take Nightmare’s hoof anyway, as defying her would lead to no better results. Once Fluttershy had a firm grip on Nightmare Moon’s hoof a magical aura enveloped the two. Fluttershy gasped, but did not let go. There was a large flash of light and the two vanished from Fluttershy’s living room. Fluttershy could feel herself being pulled, though it was like she didn’t have a body. She felt like she had somehow turned into a wisp and was flying through time. Just before it became too much to bear Fluttershy felt herself come crashing down on a wet patch of grass. “Ugh...wh-where am I...?” Fluttershy thought while examining the surrounding area in an attempt to discover her current location. As if by reading her mind, Nightmare Moon answered her question. “This is where I was born... the place where everything I am came to be.”         Fluttershy looked around, noting that they were in a large open prairie. Due to her dealings with animals, she knew most landscapes around Ponyville, yet this one was foreign to her. “Where is this place...? I’ve never seen anything like it.”         “This is where Luna would go to think when she was a filly. It was during one of these excursions that I came to be...” Nightmare Moon’s voice cracked and showed signs of sorrow. Whatever she was planning was obviously troubling her.         “H-how did it happen...? If...if I can ask...that is.” Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and a single tear broke over her face. ~Flashback~         Luna was skipping through a field, stopping every once in awhile to take in the sweet scent of a lily or rose. She often dreamed of soaring through the sky and admiring the beauty of the spring flowers from above, though her wings were not yet strong enough to support her in flight. Today had been horrible, but for now, nothing else mattered. All Luna cared about was enjoying the wonderful scenery that now surrounded her. She loved the feeling of the grass tickling her belly as she ran, and she loved the way the petals of the flowers tickled her snout as she smelled them. There was nothing that could compare to how Luna felt when she was in the fields just outside the Everfree Forest, on the opposite side of Ponyville.         She would often escape here to be rid of the sadness that plagued her after a heavy fight with her sister. The two sisters disagreed on almost everything. Today was especially bad for the young equine. Celestia had blown up and called her an ‘ignorant little filly’ just because she thought that Equestria should try and make peace with the Zebra nation. She told Luna that she was too little to understand the intricacies involved in pony politics, and should leave it to the grown up ponies. Luna screamed back that she was a grown pony; to which Celestia just laughed. Luna ran out of the castle to retreat to her safe haven, and here she was now, galloping through the fields without a care in Equestria.         After hours of frolicking through the fields Luna grew drowsy and decided to lay in the shade of the singular oak tree that grew in the center of the prairie. She lay on her back and made herself comfortable on a soft, plush section of grass.         It was now dusk and the orange glow of the setting sun washed over Luna as it slowly let way for the moon to rise; Luna’s moon. The moon was one of the few things she could take pride in, yet Celestia never gave her any recognition for it. To Celestia the moon was just a duty, and nothing to awe over. Luna saw it as so much more, to her it was an art form and it deserved to be appreciated as such. The more Luna pondered the subject, the more she began to realize that Celestia never recognized anything she did as important.         Luna rolled over in the grass and placed her muzzle in her hooves. “Stupid Tia..” Her joy began to fade as thoughts of her sister intruded on her mind. Soon sleep overcame Luna and she drifted into a heavy slumber.                  Luna’s dreams were usually filled with pleasant images, such as the field she so enjoyed, but tonight did not bring such peace. As she slept on the open prairie, her mind began to conjure up images of hate, and distrust.         Luna found herself in an empty, dark room, with a single set of glowing, cerulean eyes. Slowly they grew in size as they came closer and closer. Soon, she was able to make out the form of the creature whom the eyes belonged to. It was another filly that looked a lot like Luna. Though she had a darker coat, and slits for pupils, yet the resemblance was obvious.         “Who are you...?” The other filly said nothing, but continued to walk towards Luna. “Errr...hello? I’m talking to you.” The creature vanished and reappeared muzzle to muzzle with Luna. “Gah! Don’t do that!” “S-sorry...” The other filly looked down at her hooves. The sadness in her voice tugged at Luna’s heart. “Hey now...don’t worry about it. Say, whats your name...?” Luna smiled at the filly, which seemed to make her a little more confident. “I...I honestly don’t know. But...um...you can call me Nightmare Moon, if you’d like.” Luna smirked, and started to giggle. “Nightmare Moon...that’s such a silly name! Where did you come up with that!?” “You gave it to me...” Nightmare said plainly. Luna’s giggling abruptly halted. “What do you mean I gave it to you? I’ve never met you before now...” It was Nightmare Moon’s turn to giggle now. “Oh...but you did. You see, you and I are a lot closer than you think...” Luna stared at Nightmare Moon with rapt attention, curious as to what this filly could be talking about. “Your mind gave birth to me. I was formed from the hate you feel when Celestia mocks you.” Luna burst out in laughter, and literally began to roll on the floor clutching her sides. “So you’re not real than?!” Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes and kicked her hooves. “Oh...oh no, I’m very much real. Your mind has split into two separate personalities. It may not seem like it now, but I can help you become stronger. I’m the part of you that has remained locked away for so long.” “Huh? What do you mean? Why would I need to become stronger?”         “So you can prove to your sister how strong you really are...” A grin grew across Nightmare Moon’s face. “With my help, you can become what you were always destined to be!”         Luna frowned. “You know, I liked you better when you were shy. Anyway, what do you mean what I was destined to be...?”         “The sole ruler of Equestria, of course.” Luna gasped and backed away from Nightmare Moon.         “But what about Celestia? I could never rule without her...she’s done so much for Equestria, I couldn’t just push her away.”         “And why not? She’s pushed you away for years! You don’t need her... you have me now.”                  “Why would I choose you over my own sister?”         Nightmare Moon got real close to Luna and began to rub her muzzle on Luna’s. “Because...unlike her, I’ll always love you. I’ll never betray you...I’ll always make you happy.”          ~Flashback End~                  “You see, I’ve been with Luna since the beginning. I’ve cared for her when nopony else would. I was there on the days she felt like giving up, I was the one who comforted her. I care for Luna, more than I do myself...” Tears were now openly flowing over Nightmare Moon’s face. Fluttershy, who had silently listened through the entire story, was left utterly speechless. Nothing she had ever heard depicted Nightmare Moon as anything more than a vicious tyrant. As she watched the dark alicorn cry, Fluttershy began to feel a deep empathy for her.         “S-so...this is the field Luna found solace in all those years ago?”                  “Yes...it’s where I was created...and where my existence will end...” Fluttershy gasped and clasped her hoof over her mouth in astonishment.         “Wh-what do you mean...? Is something going to happen to you...? You may not have gone about things the correct way...but I know in your heart you’re a good pony...”         Nightmare Moon smiled and shook her head. “No Fluttershy, I’m not. I’ve always strived for Luna’s happiness, yet all I ever accomplish is causing her suffering. She doesn’t need me anymore...I’m not sure she ever did.”         Fluttershy began to cry as well, the somber atmosphere was almost palpable. “D-don’t say that...I know she needed you. You helped her through so much...”         “It is...good to hear you say that, though I can not say I believe it.”         Fluttershy continued to sob while staring at her hooves. Despite being next to the possibly the most infamous villain in Equestrian history, it still pained her to hear Nightmare Moon talk like this.         “Fluttershy.” Nightmare Moon said boldly, causing Fluttershy to look up at her. Though her face was still soaked with tears, there was an distinct smile lingering on Nightmare Moon’s lips. “Take good care of Luna, will you?”                  “I- … I will. But please, tell me; what you are planning to do...?”         “Follow me, I wish to return to the tree under which I was born.” Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement. Nightmare Moon returned the nod, and led the way to the huge oak tree in the center of the prairie.         Once under it Nightmare Moon turned to face Fluttershy. “The fact that this tree still stands is a miracle in itself. It has been over one thousand years since that day...”                  Fluttershy stared up at the massive tree that loomed over her. She knew much about trees, and understood the magnitude of the tree’s longevity.         “Fluttershy...please, take a seat over there. I’m about to bring Luna back...for good, this time.” (Some More Music To Set The Mood.)         Nightmare Moon closed her eyes tight and began to conjure images of the mare she had vowed to protect for so many years. It would be the last she would ever get to see her. “Luna... I love you...I always will. But I want you to be happy...and that means I can’t be here anymore. You’ve grown into a wonderful pony, and I’m proud to have been a part of your life.”         “I love you too...Nightmare.” Nightmare opened her eyes only to find herself back in the same dark room where she and Luna first met.         “L-Luna... I...I-” Luna lightly placed her hoof over Nightmare’s mouth.         “I know Nightmare...I know. Please, you don’t have to do this...I don’t know if I can bear the thought of not having you around. You were my first, and for the longest time, only friend. We can live together...like we always have!”         Nightmare Moon removed Luna’s hoof from her mouth and smiled. “No we can not, Luna. You deserve happiness...and I am not the one who can give it to you. I’ll always love you, but you must go on without me. You have a wonderful mare out there who loves you, and I mean genuinely loves you. You know I speak the truth. She’ll get you through this...”         Luna sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye. “B-but...I’ll miss you. I know that you’ve gone against my wishes at times..but I still care about you.”         Nightmare Moon rested her head on Luna’s shoulder and nuzzled her face on her. “I’ll miss you too, Lulu.” Luna began to sob, and buried her face into Nightmare’s neck. “Soon, we’ll be one again...” Nightmare Moon began to glow a bright silver. Luna wrapped her hooves around her in a final embrace. As their closing moments slipped by, the two held each other for the final time. Nightmare’s body turned to bright, silver sparkles, which were whisked away on an invisible breeze.         Luna was left standing in the expanse of her mind. For the first time in many years, her mind was completely hers, to be shared with nopony else.         On the outside, Fluttershy was left in awe as she witnessed Nightmare Moon transform back into Luna in a dazzling show of lights and glimmers. As the final stages of the transformation waned Fluttershy fell back on her haunches in wonderment.         The first thing Luna felt was the cool breeze blowing through her mane, and the soft scent of lilies. “Wh-what...? I’m back in my body...?” Luna turned to see Fluttershy standing by the tree, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.         “Oh Fluttershy... I’m so sorry. I was... so weak. I caused all of this...”         Fluttershy casually ambled over to Luna but paused a few hooves short -- staring intensely into her opal eyes, mouth slightly agape. Only their own breaths and heartbeats were audible to the two mares; their eyes remained completely fixated on one another. The yellow pegasus drew a gasp of air and lunged her muzzle into a lock with Luna’s. For the few seconds that it lasted, the kiss drove a surge of ecstasy through the blue alicorn. Any doubts she had about Fluttershy quickly washed away as their soft lips parted.         “Luna...you shouldn’t blame yourself” Fluttershy said sweetly while caressing Luna’s cheek.         Luna placed her hoof on Fluttershy’s and smiled gently. “Thank you Fluttershy...it means a lot to hear you say that...”         Fluttershy stroked Luna’s mane away from her face and softly brushed her lips against her forehead. “Something else is bothering you...” Luna frowned and buried her in head Fluttershy’s chest.         “It’s Nightmare Moon...I’m going to miss her. Despite everything she’s done, she was still the best friend I’ve ever had.”         “I understand Luna...it’s not easy to deal with the loss of someone you love...but...I’m here for you this time. I don’t know if I’ll be as good at helping you through this as Nightmare Moon would, but I-...I want to try, for you.”         Luna smiled and pressed her muzzle against Fluttershy’s in a passionate kiss. As the two lovers parted they noticed dark leaves were falling all around them. The two mares both looked up to see the leaves of the tree had turned a sickly black and were slowly drifting to the ground.         Fluttershy gasped and started to panic. “Oh no! What can we do, the poor tree is dying! I-...I’ve never seen anything like this before.” She looked to Luna for answers and noticed the alicorn was now crying silently. “Oh my, don’t cry Luna...we can still save it!”         Luna started to chuckle, though tears were streaming from her eyes. “No Fluttershy, we can’t stop this. It’s just...the passing of time.” Luna placed a hoof to her chest and continued to watch the leaves fall. Without shifting her gaze she spoke again. “Do you know what I’ll remember most about Nightmare Moon...?”         Fluttershy looked deep into Luna’s eyes, though Luna was still focusing on the leaves. “What...?”         “Her smile...she hardly ever smiled, but when she did...it was so beautiful. I used to joke with her that she was hiding a treasure from the world by being so angry all the time...” Luna shifted her gaze to meet Fluttershy’s. “It reminds me of yours...soft, and innocent...yet so full of hurt.”         “I...I honestly don’t know what to say Luna...”         Luna smiled and giggled slightly. “Say nothing then.” Luna advanced towards the base of three and laid down beside it. “Lay with me under the stars. Let this be the first of many wonderful nights between you and I....”         Fluttershy blushed furiously. The prospect of being with Luna for the rest of her life frightened her, but she loved it at the same time. No other pony had ever made Fluttershy feel the way Luna does. She approached Luna and laid down, snuggling up tight against Luna. Luna responded by wrapping her wing around the blushing pegasus. An ancient poem, written in the tongue of dragons, crossed Luna’s mind as she lay with her love. In darkness lie turmoil and strife, But out’f it comes a greater life. For with thine eyes thou cannot find Thy jubilance; true love is blind. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Editors: Runrun395 & The Meta Authors Note: Thanks to the two editors, this story wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is without them. If you haven’t already you should go check out Runrun395’s page and read his fic, Slip 'n' Shy; it’s wonderful. As for the ending of this story, I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you’ll check back in for the sequel I plan to write. Thanks for reading everypony, it’s been fun writing it!