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// The Cave 
// Story: A Beautiful Night 
// by bakersong 
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	She could not believe how much time had passed since they had first met, for it only seemed like a few days ago. Then one night during their usual meet up, he had brought her a present and said that it was for what he called a monththiversary, when she asked what it was he explained that ponies now a days celebrated their relationships after one month. Though he had also told her that it was usually a couple's thing, but he just wanted to thank her for being his friend for a month, when she had heard that she felt embarrassed and mad at herself for not learning this new custom.

She did try to apologist for not getting him anything he just told her that it was fine and he understood that she didn't know about it. When she opened the present she let out a gasp, for inside the wrapped box was a beautiful gem necklace and she was speechless. He told her that she didn't need to worry about how much it cost him, all that he cared about was if she liked it or not. In response she grabbed him and embrace him in a hug with tears of pure happiness, she had wanted to at least give him his money back but he refused and said that the only thing he wanted in return was to see her be happy, and she let him put it on her.

The next night she did bring him a present though, at first he just said that seeing her smile was the only thing he needed making her blush. But she had told him that it would make her happy if he accepted the gift, and when he opened the gift he gave her a shocked expression that was mixed with happiness. She had gotten him something that he had said he always wanted, a special cook book that could only be accessed by the students of her sisters school for gifted unicorns. He told her that he was going to enroll but he didn't pass the entrance exam, which she didn't understand because she saw what he could do with magic.

The reason why the cook book could only be accessed by the students though was because it contained powerful cooking spells, which she had to piratically begged her sister to let her give the book to him. She told her sister that he was talented at cooking magic, and he even tried once to enroll into her school but he didn't have the right kind of magic, and she eventually had to use a guilt trick on her sister. It was nothing to big, she showed the necklace to her sister and had said that if she didn't give him a present in return he might not want to be her friend, and gave her what they now call the puppy dog stare. Celestia broke after that, and she walked away proudly but also with a little bit of guilt.

He had used the cook book to make some of the most delicious food that she had ever tasted. She made sure she always wore the necklace, and she still had to admire its beauty. It was made of gold, and the gems that was used were very rare, they were called night gems. The reason for the name was because they could only be found at night, and they were the same color as the night sky and each had a different constellation in them. When she finally got him to admit how he paid for it he told her all he had to pay for was the setting, the gems he had found in the cave and they were the only ones he found even though he did search. He even learned a gem finding spell and could only find common gems.

But she could not believe that a month had passed so fast, and when she was talking to her sister about it Celestia had told her that's what friendship can do to a pony. Though her sister was happy to see her so happy for once she could still tell that her sister was still hiding something from her. She knew that at one point her sister had saved him from jumping off the cliff, but she could tell that what her sister was hiding had something to do with him.

She tried not to dwell on it, but it was always nagging at the back of her mind. For she wanted to just enjoy the time she was spend with him simply because just seeing him put a smile on her face. Even though its only been a month she had the time of her life, even if all they ever did was talk to each other and on occasion a nice little picnic that Song had made for them. Like she had said she was having the time of her life until one night before she left she had heard a conversation that she wished she never heard.

"Mam, are you sure you don't want to tell your sister about the cave?" A what looked liked a captain of the royal guard. "I mean you know how dangerous those caves are, and as for the one called Song you know more than i do of why he stays around them."

"Yes i do know of the dangers and you don't have to remind me about something i figured out two hundred years ago. As for Song he only stays by the caves in order to protect everypony from them, and he been doing so since that day." Celestia stopped and looked at the door realizing that somepony was eavesdropping. "Oh no, Luna please let me explain." Was all she heard her sister say while running out of the palace.

What had she heard? What was her sister saying about Song only staying by the caves to protect everypony from them? What connection did he have with the caves? She knew that he accidentally discovered them when he was a little colt, and thus found their spot, but why were the caves dangerous and why did he have to protect them from? So many questions but no one to answer them all, she thought about asking Song about it but in her current state she couldn't face him, and she didn't want to see her sister right now. But these questions had to be answered.

She eventually decided to go somewhere else so she could regain herself, but during her panicked and confused state she hadn't realized she had been followed. For after she got to a place where she thought she could find privacy to calm down her sister glided down. They just stared at each other, neither of them not sure what to say or do.

"Tell me what is the connection between Song and the caves?" She asked.

"Let me start by saying you shouldn't blame him, for it was my fault for what happened." Her sister said. "The cave on the perch was discovered by the unicorns when they first came here, but they were quickly abandoned for a reasons unknown and were covered up, until a young colt discovered them two hundred years ago." Her sister looked at her, but when she didn't put two and two together she continued. "This young colt had a pretty rough life even though he didn't think that. When he discovered the cave he decided to explore it, but he eventually got lost. He found his way out by marking the paths that he had taken, but when he thought he had found his way out it turned out to be that perch." Celestia stopped again.

She slowly understood what her big sister was telling her. He was over two hundred years old. She thought that was impossible for a normal unicorn, how could he be that old. He seemed so young, seemed to act like how most of the modern day ponies acted. Her sister had put a comforting hoof on her and gave her a sadden look.

"When he had started to make his way back to the entrance that he originally entered he was attacked, he barley escaped with his life. When he got out it had been a few days, and well i know he probably told you most of what happened. What he probably didn't tell you was that he told everypony about the caves and about how a mysterious creature had attacked him, but no one believed him. Soon after his adopted father decided to go and investigate, and what he found wasn't pretty. He managed to navigate through the marks left by Song to the place where he had been attacked, and there he was confronted by the creature. When he came out he was very badly wounded, and when asked what happened he requested audience with me." Her sister drifted back in her memories.

This gave her time to let all what her sister had so far told her sink in. A creature in the cave that had almost killed him and his adopted father, why did he go back in then? Why was he still hanging around the caves? She looked at her big sister for more of an answer.

"You see the creature had given him a message. It wanted Song, for when he first got attacked by the creature it wasn't trying to fuse with him. It had spared Song's father to let him pass on the message, but it had given him a terminal disease as i'm sure Song told you. But despite of the danger that he knew he would put Song in, he wanted to take him back to the caves. He had told me that if he didn't Song would die, and he explained that the creature had stolen something from Song that was vital. Though he knew that the monster would just try to fuse with Song and feed off of him he did not want his son to die." Luna was now crying, how could what seemed like a good guy turn the one he raised as a son in to a monster. "The reason why is because if he didn't the monster would have made him watch as it slowly killed his son right in front of him, knowing that he couldn't do anything to save him. When he told Song this, Song naturally felt betrayed but he understood why. When he went to met the monster he told it that if he let himself be taken it had to release his father from the disease. Songs father knew what he would do, so he waited until he only had a day left before telling him. By the time Song had reached the cave his father was already on his death bed, and by the time the monster showed itself his father had already passed but Song didn't know that. So he made an agreement that if he let the monster use his body it would have to take away the disease, but the monster had made it to were if it was to late it still could feed off of Song, and because of that agreement Song and the monster became connected and he gained immortallity."This time when Celestia stopped it was to let Luna absorb the information.

It was hard to believe, but at the same time she could believe it. For she had spent enough time with him to know what he would probably do. Though giving himself to the creature that took his only family, to save him. She was know shaking and sobbing at what she heard, poor Song. But why did her sister tell her that she was to blame.

"I should have sealed off the entrance, should have tried to protect my citizens but i failed in my duties as a princess." Celestia now wore a mask of shame. "The creature, the monster tricked him. Even though it cant fully posses him it still can feed on him. It made him immortal to torment him, and the only way out was if he killed himself which as i'm sure you again know he was planning to. But i just couldn't let him, i reminded him of what his father had given up and even told him to always use the spot for his happy place and to look at the night sky for comfort, for his father had a passion about the stars and the moon. I made him vow to protect the cave and not to let anypony enter, for the monster is still searching for a body and as long as he is alive and is hiding the cave the monster won't win. I could tell that i had got through to him and he agreed, of course he told me that from then on he was going to be a night pony and i agreed to open night time stores, restaurants, and other things. You may be wondering why doesn't the monster just kill him, or why Song still uses the caves? Well both of these question have simple answer, the monster needs somepony to feed off of and Song has been looking for a way to defeat it." Her big sister now also had tears running down her face. "Please do not hate him for not telling you, i don't care if you hate me even more than what you already do, but Song has had a terrible life so far and think that when you and him became friends it gave him even more strength. That and i know that he gets his happiness by making other ponies happy." Celestia said looking at the necklace that she was wearing. Without thinking she found herself hugging her sister.

"No i don't blame you or Song for not telling me, It was probably better for me not to know, but now that i do know i don't care." She said still hugging her sister. Though she knew her sister was shocked by this she eventually returned her embrace.

"I can't believe how much you've grown, not only have you overcame your dark feelings but you now know what i was trying to tell you all of those years ago." Celestia said hugging her little sister tighter. 

"Its actually thanks to Song." Luna said in between tears.Then she realized that with all that happened she forgot all about their meeting.

"Go, show him that you will always be there for him, that you will help him anyway you can." Her big sister told her. She started to take off when Celestia called out. "You should also tell him your true feelings, that your starting to fall for him." Though she didn't know what her sister meant she didn't care, for she wanted to see him and comfort him about what actually happened. Now that she knew the entire truth, she felt like she was closer to him. 

She could feel the feelings inside of her grow stronger, though she still had no idea what these feelings are she didn't think about it. But she figured that what her sister told her had something to do with them, but what does that mean? It couldn't possibly mean what she thought it meant, but again she put it at the back of her mind so she could concentrate on finding him.

She did not have to look for very long for he was still at their spot, and when he saw her she could see him brighten up like somepony had lit a light. When she landed he tried to say something but he was quickly cut off by him getting tackled in a hug. She didn't mean to run into him that hard but just seeing him she couldn't help it. The feelings in her were now overwhelming, and she now knew for certain what they were. 

Once he gathered the situation he returned her embrace. She was crying and he didn't know why, or why she had been so late to their met up. All he knew was that he couldn't stand anypony crying, especially his one and true friend.

"Its going to be alrig..." He was trying to comfort her but was interrupted when her lips met his own. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, but what must of been only a few minutes. After the kiss was done they got up and stared into each others eyes, which told each other all they needed to know for know.