//------------------------------// // A Second Chance // Story: Chance of Love // by Wolfsalvo //------------------------------// Standing straight up and looking to the castle, I felt the sweat running down my forehead as I brought a hand up and scratched the side of my face softly, feeling sweat and grim collecting under my finger nails as I searched the spires and balconies for the either of the Princesses. Neither of them were in sight, yet that didn’t sway my resolve in the slightest, as it was still early in the day, and there was much to do... much more than I wanted to think about. I have been in this fair land of Equestria for only a few days, and each day was sleepless and busy, as were the nights as I did my best to help these poor forsaken ponies to better their lives. I was met at first with fear by the ponies and by a bit of hostility from the princesses, but after an hour, they decided that they would trust me; though I didn’t doubt they were watching me. By now however, I must’ve earned their trust enough as they no longer tended to shy away from me, and despite the pain in my body from the work I had done and the countless sleepless hours I had already endured, I continued on; if only to distract me from my heavy heart. Turning back to the task at hand, I kneeled down and began to plant seeds again, reflecting on the days prior to my arrival... I was dead, or I was as good as dead after I had slipped and taken a fall off a cliff towards what would’ve been certain doom, but Fate had intervened before I had reached my end. Fate had other plans, but wouldn’t divulge a single detail to me, only that to win the one I loves heart, I would need to wait for her affections to come to me first, and only then would I truly win her heart. Before I even got to question how Fate was a real thing that decided what happens in life, or how it could communicate with me, I found myself in a land I thought only fictional, but during a time period I had no knowledge about. It was a dream come true, except for the fact that when I saw her... I couldn’t even begin to shower her with affection how I had dreamed of for so long. She didn’t know me... I didn’t know her... And at the time, she had very little trust in me. The only thing she knew about me, was I was a danger to those she was in charge of, a possible threat to their way of life, and the worst thing of all, as it had come straight from her muzzle... an unknown beast. Despite her harsh label, I felt my heart melt when her voice had reached my ears for the first time that wasn’t artificial, and I had to keep my composure in front of all as I struggled to explain myself under the glare of two of the most powerful beings in existence. Shaking my head briefly, I stood back up while wiping my hands clean on my shorts, but as I did so, I felt a wave of sickness pass over me, before everything began to dim as whiteness claimed my vision. This wasn’t the first time this happened, and I knew what was wrong, but I needed to prove myself in the eyes of the one I love, and in order to do so, I needed to work; unceasingly. While I worked, I thought, and while I thought, I did nothing else but try to determine how one would gain the affection of those out of reach, yet constantly on mind. My work never went unnoticed, as I did everything and anything that was needed or asked of me, save for the occasional instruction to get some rest, and every time I was told as such, I would simply shake my head and say, ‘There is too much to do for me to rest’ and such. As the whiteness in my vision passed I saw the stallion that I was helping was looking towards me with a bit of concern, and I knew it was because of my close call with fainting again. I usually leaned up against whatever I was near to prevent the possibility of me falling face first into whatever was around me, but this time, I can simply fallen into a kneeling position. I felt the heat in my cheeks as I stood up, and the stallion made his way over to me with a frown over his muzzle. When he reached me, it wasn’t a question on whether I was alright or if I was feeling ill, it was more of a statement that went unsaid. But I made sure to not give him the opportunity to show his concern over my well-being as I spoke softly, “The last of the seeds have been planted. Is there anything else you need help with?” He shook his head, before he let out a sigh and said gently, “No... I know you won’t listen if I tell you to go rest... but please eat something... there are apples in the bin over there, at least take a few... you won’t be able to help if you have no energy.” “I will eat when I have time. I need to go help some more p-” “Blasted... you need to eat something! Please... just eat something...” I felt a bit hesitant to answer, as I did note the concern in his voice, but I needed to work. If I didn’t help the ponies here, then I would never gain the love of my love, and that was my true and ultimate goal. “There are others that will need food more than me; I can wait until work has been done.” The stallion looked up at me for a moment, before he dropped his head, and I heard him utter a curse beneath his breath, before he said almost too quietly even for me to hear, “As stubborn as an old mule...” Before I was able to make a move, I was a bit surprised as he looked back up and made his way closer to me, before he raised a hoof and wrapped it around me and forced me towards said bins with him... (Princess Luna’s P.O.V.) I leaned a bit more towards the edge of the roofing as I watched Fertile Dirt force the human into motion, and I felt myself prepare for flight if the human turned aggressive. I knew deep down that he wouldn’t harm a pony, but I still felt the need to be ready in case I proved to be wrong, and it was luckily for naught as it was instead the pony that proved the aggressor. I watched in mild amusement as each attempt to leave the elder ponies grip was met with a firm tug, yet when the human did indeed escape, I felt a smile tug at my lips when Fertile merely clamped his teeth down on the humans shirt sleeve. Sister was busy, dreadfully so, and I took it as a personal task to ensure the safety of our little ponies that were around the human so that if he went back on his promise of not harming anypony, then I would honor him with swift retribution. After a few more moments, I wasn’t surprised to see an apple thrust into the humans’ hands. It has been days since his arrival, but I hadn’t once witnessed him ever eat a single morsel offered to him, but would in turn offer his morsel to another. He seemed noble, but his nobility came with a price that even I was witnessing day in and day out, and it extended even throughout the entire night and well within the upcoming day. I watched as bit by bit his strength left him, and that was proof as he no longer aided in the heavy lifting that he had helped with during his first few days here, and I had even seen him nearly collapse during one of the home repairs. It took my sense of secrecy of my self-proclaimed task to not rush in and check if he was alright, and I knew I was the only one to have witnessed that. Yet while his strength faltered, his mind became duller. He had been able to perform most difficult tasks when he put his mind to it, but as I had witnessed earlier in this day before the sun shone on the land, he had seemed almost... lost. The task he had taken up was cleaning the city, but by the time he entered the fifteenth street, he had stopped, and just store straight up at the moon. He had made like he was going to continue his task, only to stop and look around. This had repeated a few times before he had simply turned, and walked straight out of sight, before I went and discovered him preparing the sight for another home... I had to duck down behind the roof as the human walked below me in the street. My thoughts had distracted me to such a degree that I had forgotten to pay attention to his whereabouts, and as I turned to watch, I saw him stop. Nopony was around, yet he stopped and looked towards the alleyway. From within the shadows came a small colt, and I found myself leaning forward in anticipation for what the human would do... he had never been in contact with foals so far... ~Street Level~ My hunger was apparent, I was ready to eat as I made my way towards where I knew was another task, but then I heard it; a small growl of a stomach from the alley. When the little pony child emerged from the shadows, I knew instantly in my heart I couldn’t allow him to go hungry. I would willingly put my own needs second, especially when it came to the needs of something as innocent as a child, human or not. Kneeling down as the colt stepped out onto the street, I saw him eye me warily, before he asked in a tired voice, “D-Do you have any food to spare mister...?” His body looked so frail and weak, and his eyes had an exhaustion that should’ve had energy instead. I nodded, before I stood up and slowly made my way closer to him. His eyes widened briefly, and I saw him twitch as if he was ready to run, but I did my best to sooth his worries, “It is ok, I won’t harm you...” Kneeling down in front of him, I eased myself to my knees, before I brought my hand forward and offered him the apple. He looked at it for a few seconds, before I added softly, “Take it... you need it more than me.” He looked back up at me, but it wasn’t long before he eased forward and grabbed the apple with his teeth, before he backed away and proceeded to devour it. I felt a soft and tired smile touch my lips, before I stood up and walked away silently. I had more work to do... I always had work to do... The past few days I felt my energy waning dangerously. I had finally caved in and ate, but I kept it brief. When offered a sandwich after repairing a home of an elderly mare, I had finally eaten for the first time in nearly a week. Yet while I had eaten, I had moved towards my next task, and that had been where my first injury took place, and it was bothering me even today. I had been cut, and deeply. I had been helping rebuild the royal families’ wall when I had stumbled over a loose stone, and fallen onto a pair of garden sheers. I may have wounded my arm and lost some blood, but it wasn’t enough to keep me down for long. My shirt sleeve was nearly cut off, so I proceeded to rip the rest of it off and tie my cut off so that no more blood would seep out. I had foolishly refused help and continued to work. Looking towards the sky, I would’ve reached a hand up to block the sunlight from my eyes, but I didn’t. I couldn’t... Slowly lowering my gaze, I saw that there weren’t any more ponies around in any direction I looked, and I didn’t know where to go anymore. I couldn’t help on the farm work, as Fertile Dirt, the pony in charge of that entire area, made sure that I wouldn’t help before resting. I couldn’t help with heavy lifting as I was tired and hurt, and I had repaired all the homes of those willing to let me help. The trash was mostly picked up, and I couldn’t pick up anymore without nearly losing my balance. I was at the end of my rope... and it was all for nothing. I hadn’t seen my love since that first day, and my hopes for my good deeds getting noticed and passed along all the way to her, were crushed. Fate may have saved my life, but it had dealt me a cruel pair of cards. On one hand I had the card of waiting for her to notice my deeds, and the other I could go straight to her and have it possibly ruined. Then there were wild cards of all kinds that I knew made it impossible for me to even receive her affections, and it took until now to see them for what they were and come to the conclusion of our love never being possible... It just wasn’t fair... (Princess Celestia’s P.O.V.) Reading over the multitude of reports and letters I had received from staff, guards, and even the townsfolk, I felt my distress growing worse and worse. The human that had arrived a week ago was the cause of my worry. He had gone above and beyond what I had hoped for, and what he said he would do, and he has accomplished so much more than even I have in these past days. Yet he was killing himself doing so. Of all the reports I received, none were complaints about him, rather they were requests for an intervention. Even Lulu reported what I was reading. There were requests that I step in and order him to eat and sleep, and even consume liquids. He was running himself ragged, and not a single pony knew why, other than they all said the same thing. When confronted and asked to eat even something as small as an apple, he would refuse, or in a case that Lulu reported, give it to others. Yet when he was ordered to rest by the firmer ponies, or even pleaded with on a few occasions, he would meet them with how he needed to continue working. Looking over one more letter, I stood up and quickly trotted towards the doors. This was enough... Opening the door quickly, I saw a startled Lulu looking at me with tired eyes that suggested she was heading towards her chambers, but when she got over her surprise, I said firmly, “We need to go talk with him...” The sleep in her eyes evaporated instantly, before she nodded as she asked, “What troubles thee?” “Him.” I answered back, and as I turned and made my way towards the far end of the hallway, Lulu easily kept pace with me before I added, “His gestures of peace were truthful, and he has been so generous, but as of late, it has come to my attention that if we do not intervene, he may very well cause himself more harm than he knows of. He has no reason to do this to himself, yet he continues on as if he is trying to prove something to everypony, yet from what you say, he is running himself into the ground...” Taking in a deep breath as my sister and I quickly departed the castle; I heard the clanking of armor as a few guards made their way alongside us. I looked over and saw Lulu nod her head, before she spoke in a curious and concerned tone, “While tis true, what should we do? He dost listen to orders of rest... shall I force him to sleep...?” I felt my worry intensify as the prospect that he wouldn’t listen to us seemed likely, but I felt more fear of the repercussions if we did indeed resort to force; as he had yet to show any form of hostility or resentment. I knew my little ponies were tired of fighting, and I didn’t want to put such a kind soul in the dungeons when we only meant good instead of harm. Shaking my head, I looked over and said, “We will resort to force only if reason doesn’t work.” Lulu nodded softly, and as we left the gates, I saw the human in fact standing in the middle of the road and looking towards the open fields. His figure was all alone, and as we approached, I made sure to slow our pace down so that we wouldn’t spook and worry him. From our distance I could see his clothing appeared dirty, his shoulders were hunched forward, and he also seemed to be favoring his one leg over the other. As we approached though, I noticed something else that was even more peculiar... he seemed to be softly swaying in the wind, as if it was deciding where his body tilted to. His hand clenched and opened slowly a few times as his movements began to slow down until they were nonexistent. Then I saw his hand flare out as if to catch himself, but he merely began to bob up and down a bit. I felt my steps starting to falter as he slowly began to move downwards until he was on his knees, and his palm was pressed firmly against the ground. “Sister...?” Before I even thought of anything to say to Lulu, I watched in stunned silence as the human we were making our way towards collapsed sideways... (Princess Luna’s P.O.V.) As soon as his body hit the ground, I knew something was wrong, and I instantly took flight to give myself more speed. When I neared his body, I folded my wings back at my sides and used my magic to softly roll him over onto his back, yet as soon as my magic touched him, I felt myself freeze as I saw him dreaming. His dream however... it felt, different than most ponies’ dreams would, yet before I thought too much on it, I heard his dream self say something softly. Closing my eyes as I focused more magic onto his dream, I didn’t enter it, but I heard and saw his dream... ~Dream Realm~ He was surrounded by darkness darker than the deepest black shade of the night sky. Yet it was what he was saying that brought confusion to my mind, and he kept repeating it softly every few minutes, “It isn’t fair...” From my spot seeing into his dream, I saw one of his hands was covering his eyes, and as he kept murmuring over and over, I watched as shiny sleek tears slid down his cheeks, before they would drip from his chin and into the blackness. Then suddenly, his hand clenched into a fist, before he threw his hand down at his side and shouted out in anguish and pain, “WHY CAN’T IT BE FAIR!?” I jerked back, and I felt my physical body do just that, though I remained firmly in his dream as I wanted to know exactly what he meant, and possibly whom he was calling out to. His eyes were down cast as tears continued to fall, but after a few minutes, I saw the muscles in his jaw working, before his gaze rose and he called into the darkness, “Why can’t I be allowed to love Luna...?” That caused my ears to snap forward as I was unsure of what I had just heard, but instead of confirming what he said, he said something else that seemed to shock my entire body, “Why couldn’t I earn her love...? How do I earn her love...? How can she show me her affection when she has none for me?” My throat suddenly felt tight, and it was for reasons unknown that he continued, but nonetheless in a depressed tone, “What would she see in me anyways? I'm no stallion... how would I even gain her attention? It isn’t like she can or ever will love me, to her and her sister; I am nothing more than a lost soul with an infinite amount of kindness.” I watched in stunned silence as he raised a fist, before he said softly, “What would her subjects think? Would they hate her...? Would they hate me...? Would they rebel...? All these questions, yet not a single answer...” His fist slowly lowered, before he asked, “Why won’t you answer me Fate? You brought me here to live a new life before my old one ended, but you never told me how to gain my loves affection.” H... He loves me...? But... when... how...? Letting my magic cease flow, I was brought back to my body as I opened my eyes, before I looked up at my sister, who looked back at me with a bit of concern, and I answered her unasked question, “Tis alright... he is merely sleeping.” Clearing my throat, I looked at the guards before saying, “Please take him to my chambers, I will look over him until he awakens.” They nodded as they eased him up onto one of their backs, before they took off at a slow pace towards the castle, and I looked towards my sister to see her concern morph into one of confusion and questioning... ~Princess Luna’s Room~ When my mind was finally capable of coherent thought, I realized that instead of a bench or maybe even the ground, I woke up in the comfort of a bed. All the pain I had felt from my sore feet to my aching shoulders were gone, and I was able to enjoy the feeling of the soft and plush blanket that covered my recovering body. The pillow beneath my head felt like it could’ve been made of clouds and stuffed into a pillowcase, yet still warm to the touch. Taking a deep breath, I felt a familiar scent waft into my nose, but I wasn’t able to quite place it as I slowly opened my eyes. The scent was sweet and succulent, yet it was nowhere near overpowering, and it reminded me somewhat of a perfume. I pushed myself into a sitting position, and as I looked around, I saw a few dresses and even a few incomplete paintings littering the entire room. Where am I...? The sound of a latch clicking reached my ears, and I looked over to see a heavy looking door swing open with almost no sound, but even if there had been sound, I wouldn’t have heard it as I felt my heart nearly burst when framed in the doorway stood Luna. She looked just as beautiful and regal as the first day I had seen her and seemed to stand tall and proud as she made her way into the room. When the door eased closed, along with her horn no longer radiating magic, she seemed to lose a bit of her regal stance, yet her eyes remained locked on my own as she slowly made her way closer to where I was sitting. Her gorgeous cobalt eyes which were full of knowledge and power also seemed to be holding a burning desire. While her eyes held strength, her steps seemed to lose their firmness the closer she got, and her eyes started to waver a bit as they soon shifted side to side. I expected her to stop when she got close to the mattress, but to my surprise; she showed no sign of stopping. Her hooves carried her up and onto the mattress as she came even closer, yet the closer she got, the stronger the desire in her eyes blazed, though what it was I couldn’t safely say. I wanted to enjoy this feeling of closeness, but something held me back as she lowered herself onto the blanket. I know she felt it as much as I did when she placed her fore hooves atop the covers and over my legs, but she didn’t show any sign of withdrawing away from me as her eyes locked onto my own, almost as if she herself wanted to feel the same closeness I was as well. My heart was beating a bit faster than normal, and I felt as if it was melting from within my chest as the one I held a love for so much literally looked into my eyes with a burning passion as strong as my own. Her passion though didn’t seem to be love as my own most likely showed, but I knew deep down that if I was to gain her affections, then I must at least get to know her better. I wasn’t sure how, but I just knew I needed to move before I began to literally melt beneath her gaze, and so I spoke automatically as I had the past few days or so. “S-Sorry Princess, but I need to go do w-work.” I went to pull my legs free, but I suddenly felt her apply a bit more weight to the tops of them as she answered me back immediately, “You shan’t go anywhere until you have completed your current task of earning my affection my dear little human...” After she finished speaking, I felt a wave of shock chill my body to my very core as I stopped trying to free my legs, but while I did that, Luna slowly crawled her way further on top of my legs until I felt her neck regalia pressing against my knees. While I felt my cheeks beginning to burn, I wanted nothing more than to reach forward and pull her into a deep and longing kiss, but I didn’t want to ruin my only chance for something as simple as a kiss. Instead I was forced to lean back as I took in a deep breath and in doing so I took in the scent of whatever perfume she must’ve been wearing. I held my breath a bit as I tried to enjoy the smell of my love, but I soon exhaled as she asked with a bit of nervousness, “Thou aren’t upset that I looked into your dreams... are thee?” I quickly shook my head, before I answered softly, “No, I'm flattered... but what did you see?” Her eyes didn’t waver from my own as she lowered her head and said just as softly, “Everything that has been troubling thee...” Swallowing a bit as I brought a hand up and rubbed the back of my neck, I turned my head and broke eye contact as I let out an exhausted sigh. Glancing over, I saw Luna giving me a curious gaze before I asked, “I assume you want to know why I love you then...?” Her cheeks instantly changed a shade darker as a bit of red became visible, before she asked in a bit higher pitched voice, “N-Nay... I... I felt thy love in thy dream and in thy gaze. I wish to know thee, so I may perhaps learn to love thee just as much.” My heart fluttered at what was possibly an admission that she wanted to share my love as well, but as she said, she wanted to know me first. Feeling a smile slowly beginning to spread across my lips, I nodded slowly, before I said, “Well, I believe it would only be fair that you be the first pony I tell my name to.” Her eyes brightened as she leaned closer, and I felt my face heating up by a small margin more as I said, “My name is Alexander, Alexander Ramosa. If you want, you can just call me Alex or Alexander...” The smile that spread over her muzzle was enough to become infectious as my own grew, and she said softly, “Alexander... I wish to know the meaning of thy name if thee wouldn’t mind.” Chuckling softly, I looked down at my hands before I said a bit proudly, “It means Defender of Men.” I looked back up to see Luna beaming widely, before she said, “Tis a pleasure to finally know your name. Tis a befitting one for such a selfless soul as thyself.” When she finished, I felt my heart flare a bit with pride as I complemented whether or not I should say something else, and it wasn’t long before I felt my courage blossom a bit. Looking up and away from my hands, I tried to steady my beating heart as I said in the softest tone I could instead of nervous how I was feeling, “The pleasure is all mine.” This time it was Princess Luna that looked down with a large smile. I saw her eyes look up and into my own briefly, but that brief glance nearly gave me a heart attack from the sure beauty I was subjected to. Yet as she soon looked up and said in a more of statement than question, “I noticed you always watch the night sky...” I smiled warmly as I felt my heart thudding strongly within my chest, before I said back softly, if not a bit hesitantly, “I always did love the night.” My remark caused her to blush brightly as she looked back down, but I knew I hadn’t overstepped any boundaries as she seemed to force a near silent giggle down. She didn’t look up as she crawled her way further onto my body, and she stopped once she was entirely over my legs, though when she looked up, the blush on her cheeks remained just as prominent before. Her muzzle was a mere foot or two from my own lips, and as I gazed into her eyes, I felt my heart suddenly slowing down as I found myself wanting nothing more than to lean forward and claim her lips with my own. It was almost to the point where it seemed so inviting of an idea that I threw all of my regard out the window and tentatively raised a hand and held the side of her neck. It was small, but I noticed the tiny shiver that ran through her body as her wings trembled briefly. I would’ve instantly pulled away had it not been for her seeming to lean into my touch. Nothing ventured... nothing gained... Leaning towards Luna a bit, I saw her eyes twinkle brightly in the candle light, but she herself didn’t move at all, so I leaned closer just a bit more, hoping with everything that I had that I didn’t ruin my one and possibly only chance at finally gaining the love of the one and only princess for my heart. As I continued to lean forward and tilt my head to the side, I felt heat rushing to my face as the only thing I could hear was a dull pounding in my ears. Every muscle in my body felt tense and dangerously close to tearing in anticipation. I felt my breaths coming in long puffs filled with the rich fragrance of perfume that came from the one I loved dearly. Yet the thing I cherished most, as I could lose everything in this one moment, was the feeling of her warm and ever so soft fur as it pressed against my palm. I closed my eyes just as Luna’s seemed to be as well, and when I felt her lips touch my own, I did my best to slowly deepen the kiss while it felt like my heart was trying to hammer its way out of my chest. Everything felt all right and everything seemed perfect as I felt Luna’s soft lips pressing against my own. I felt her breath wash over my face as she exhaled slowly, and as I rubbed my thumb over her silky fur, I felt one of her hooves snake around my body before I was pulled closer. The world seemed to finally brighten and grow warmer... until it was shattered by a loud knocking on the door, and then everything chilled when the door creaked open. The voice that soon followed after would only seem to chill my body even further as I felt even Luna shudder from her place on top of me. “Oh Lulu, I brought- LUNA!?” Princess Celestia’s warm and happy sing song tune took a turn for the worse as it came to a screech of surprise. I opened my eyes only to see Luna’s own were squeezed tightly shut, and I felt her lips slowly pulling away from my own, before I felt her breath washing over me as she spoke up, “T-Tia... this isn’t what it looks like...” “I... I...” I looked over and saw Princess Celestia close her eyes as a breath left her muzzle, before she took in another one and spoke once again, “I came to see how our guest was doing, but I hadn’t been expecting to witness this particular act of romance just yet.” Just yet...? Did she know that we would eventually kiss? It was then that I realized her eyes shifted a bit to the side, and she was soon speaking to me as she gazed into my eyes curiously, “How are you feeling? You didn’t hurt yourself when you fell, did you?” After a moment of hesitation, I slowly nodded, before I spoke in a somewhat dry voice from being caught kissing her sister, “I’m alright, just... tired.” Luna discretely pulled me closer before Celestia asked, “Ah yes, it was most interesting when all the reports I was receiving noted that you were neither eating nor sleeping. Does your species really need so little to survive?” I felt my lips curl into a smile as I shook my head, before I said, “No, I believe I’m just lucky my body didn’t give out on me sooner. Some people are trained to go without sleep, food, or water for days at a time, but I am not.” “Then why were thou harming thy body by taking such a course of action?” Looking back to Luna, I saw true concern and confusion within her sapphire eyes, and I shifted my gaze back to Celestia to see her approaching with just as much as a curiosity. Turning back to Luna, I shrugged before answered back, “I was hoping to gain the attention of someone important to me.” There was silence for a bit as the two princesses looked at me, and I felt Luna move a bit, and I looked over and saw her muzzle open, yet it was Celestia that spoke instead, “It was my sister? You hoped to gain Luna’s attention, didn’t you?” Looking back to Celestia, I saw her eyes were glued to my own while she seemed to already know my answer, but I still felt my cheeks burn as her question was more of a statement that I knew was more than the truth. “Indeed... even though I did so in a way I hadn’t hoped.” I let out a short chuckle, before it was cut off when I was squeezed tightly by Luna. Looking over, I saw Luna push her face closer to my own before she nuzzled alongside my cheek. I heard her make an unhappy noise in the back of her throat, but she kept her head alongside my own. With a bit of hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her neck and shoulders, fully aware that Celestia was less than a dozen feet away and most likely watching everything going on. Luna pulled away suddenly, before she looked towards Celestia and said, “Sister, would thee mind having the maids prepare a bath? It would seem that my little human is in dire need of one.” This caused Celestia to laugh a bit as I closed my eyes and brought my hands up to my burning face, and as I heard the sound of hooves on marble, Luna asked, “And please have thy chefs prepare a meal... tis certain my Alexander is famished...” Celestia stopped walking, before I heard her ask, “Alexander?” Peeking from behind my hands, I saw Luna smiling widely as she looked towards me, though she did scoot back a bit before saying, “Yes... his name is Alexander Ramosa... tis a strange name, but tis just as fitting for him.” Heh... I guess every romance does have its awkward moments... ... Standing beside the bath as it continued to steam, I felt a bit of breath leaving me, though it wasn’t from the warmth originating from the water’s surface that stole my breath. The water rippled gently as a single dark blue hoof slid into its warm embrace in the slowest fashion possible, and I felt myself swallowing thickly as Luna asked softly, “Are thou going to get in or not?” I felt myself swallow thickly once again as I watched the one I loved walk further into the bath until only half her neck was exposed. Her sapphire gaze looked towards me expectantly, and I had to swallow again as I prepared myself to answer back, but I stopped when I felt a bit of my hormones starting to act up at the worst possible time. Shaking my head a bit as I felt my blush only intensify, I looked away, before I said, “I will just w-wait until you are done.” When a giggle reached my ears, I looked back towards Luna as she shook her head, “Nay, thy will get in regardless if I am finished or not.” I felt a lump form in my throat, before she added something that I hadn’t been expecting, “Thy wishes to truly earn my love, then I will expect thee to bath alongside me. It thou are worried I will judge thy physique, then rest assured that thy won’t have anything to fear...” Even though I wanted to bathe with Luna, there were a few details that I knew would make it a bit awkward no matter what. And well here we go... Averting my gaze from her own, I first grabbed and lifted my shirt until I took it off, and as I walked over, I set it down near Luna’s stuff as well. While I kneeled down and started to undo my shoelaces, I couldn’t help but mule over the meager ‘clothing’ that Luna had to take off. There goes my shoes and shirt, compared to Luna’s hoof guards, crown, and regalia... And there goes my pants... All that remained was my boxers, yet I knew as soon as those came off, Luna was going to see exactly why my face felt so flushed... “Uh... L-Luna, would you mind closing your eyes until I'm in the bath?” “Nay... dost thou require assistance with thy last item of clothing?” I felt my heart flutter at her immediate response, but it leaped into my throat as I felt the waist bands move on their own in a downwards fashion. Immediately grabbing the tops of my underwear, I looked over my shoulder to see Luna’s horn glowing faintly as she giggled, “Thou are taking too much time undressing...” The glow left her horn, and I felt a breath leave my lips that I hadn’t known I had been holding. She smiled sweetly as she set her fore hooves on the edge of the bath and watched me intensely. Turning a bit to the side, I quickly discarded my boxers, before I felt my face burn even more. “Oh... thou seems... excited.” As her eyes trailed up my body, I noticed the water shifted around a bit, until her wings slowly stood up and out of the water. Water slowly dripped down her feathers as a small smile began to spread over her muzzle, and her eyes seemed to dazzle a bit before her gaze returned to my crotch region... Covering myself to keep some decency, I made my way to the bath and quickly got in, and as soon as I did, the warm water eased most of my stress away almost instantly, yet while I ignored the fact that I was bathing with my the one I love, I didn’t notice the feeling of water moving towards me until I felt a body pressing up alongside my own. Cracking open an eye, I saw Luna gazing towards me with a happy smile, before she asked in a sultry tone, “Dost thy see yet?” “See what?” I asked after a moment where she didn’t continue speaking. She smiled a bit more widely, before she batted her eyes and said silkily, “That thy bath will be much more... pleasurable with me?” I opened my mouth to say something, but just as I did, I felt her hoof brush over my lap slowly and firmly. A pleasurable shiver ran up my spine, but I quickly pushed her hoof away when she began to linger around my crotch for a bit longer. I felt a gasp leave my lips as I looked over at her, both eyes wide open, before I asked, “Shouldn’t we wait until w-we know each other better?” She pulled away a bit as she looked towards me with a very deep scarlet color over her cheeks, before she smiled and said sheepishly, “T-Thou suggestion dost make sense... I am very sorry if I overstepped any boundaries...” I felt a small smile touch my lips, before I said softly, “It isn’t you that should be worried about overstepping any boundaries.” Letting out a soft sigh as I brought a hand up, I gently scratched the base of her neck and along the leading edges of her wing before adding, “It’s not that I don’t want to get involved like that yet... I'm just not comfortable with getting intimate yet.” When I finished speaking, I carefully rubbed the area where her wing met her body, thus causing her wings to flutter a bit. I ceased the ministrations as she leaned against me with a soft sigh, but as I did so, I felt something wet and warm rub softly over my neck. I didn’t even have to move to see what it was as it trailed down and around until it ran across my chest, and when I looked down, I saw it was a big yellow bath sponge. “Thy point is solid, but I shall administer a thorough cleansing whether thou gives me thy consent or not...” ... Our bathing session was thorough and filled with plenty of frisky moments where Luna would either rub against me in a suggestive manner, or we would exchange certain... remarks. She had washed my entire body, and it had taken a bit to realize no matter how much I argued that she was truly going to wash every inch of my body, and in turn she had expected me to wash every inch of her body in the same way. Least to say, once it was my turn to wash her, there had been much hesitation, and then much more shudders and gasps from Luna as I touched her in places nobody else has ever dared. Now though, I sat beside Luna as we ate from a single plate, and I found I was enjoying myself much more than I thought I would with how weak my body was feeling. Luna wouldn’t let me feed myself, so I had in turn started to try and feed her, something she seemed to enjoy. Chuckling a bit as I pulled my hand away as she ate the rest of the sandwich, I reached over to the napkin, but I was stopped when by Luna, “Wait... bring your hand here.” Looking towards her, I saw her smiling as she used her hoof to reach over and pull my arm closer to her. She looked up at me as she brought my hand closer to her muzzle, yet the next moment her gaze turned to one of pure seduction as she stuck her tongue out and dragged it slowly across the top of my finger, before she closed her mouth and dragged her warm and wet tongue up the bottom of my finger. I felt a chill run up my spine as she closed her eyes and lit her horn, yet when I went to pull away from her sultry act, I found I couldn’t, and when I looked down, I saw her magic encompassed my entire arm. Another chill ran down my spine as she shifted to sliding her tongue over all my fingers at once, before she would slowly and firmly run her finger underneath a single digit. I felt my face heating up as I couldn’t help but imagine this in a certain other spot, and that in turn forced me to close my eyes, before I asked in a shaky tone, “L-Luna... please s-stop.” Opening my eyes to see Luna do so as well, but slowly and in a way that sent my blood racing, she halted her tongue on my ring finger as she looked up at me with an innocent gaze that contradicted so badly with what she had just done. I felt my heart slamming against my chest with each rapid beat, and as I collected my thoughts, she hummed softly; which brought a strange feeling of my fingers vibrating. She smiled warmly, before she stopped using her magic, and I felt her lips slide over my fingers slowly, her tongue doing the same the entire time. When my hand was free, I couldn’t help but look at my clean if somewhat moist hand, before shifting my gaze to one of surprise at Luna. Her cheeks were flushed as she gazed towards me happily, and I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit more. By far, the strangest thing I have ever partaken in... well, second only to that bath earlier. Leaning forward, I kissed her gently on the top of her nose, before I leaned back and said, “Thanks for that interesting experience Luna.” My mind went blank as Luna gave me a soft kiss as well, but when she separated from the kiss she didn’t back away; she in fact chose to slide her head past my own before whispering softly in a way that seemed to promise many things. “Maybe thou can return the favor then.” Turning my head a bit, I looked into her eyes as she looked back at me, but as I thought it over, I had to voice my concern. “You want me to lick your hooves clean?” Luna instantly snorted loudly as she brought a hoof up to cover her muzzle as her eyes closed tightly before giggling loudly. Her head shook briefly, and the amount of giggling that came again caused me to feel a bit uncertainty now as I felt my face flushing from embarrassment. After a few more minutes of Luna fighting her giggles, a sapphire eye peered at me, I could clearly see the mirth in her gaze, before she spoke once more, “As tempting as thy offer is, I must decline.” She gave me a wink, before she smiled playfully and asked, “How dost thy think of partaking in a night of rest within my own bed with me?” At the mere mention of sleep, I felt a yawn escape my lips before I looked towards the chambers massive doors, “That sounds like a delightful idea... but wouldn’t Celestia disagree with something like that?” There was a pause before Luna kissed me gently, “I’m a grown mare... besides, Tia saw thee kissing me in my bed.” “T-That was your bed?” “Indeed, it was.” Luna said with a wide smile and a brief nod, “Now... I believe tis the time for peaceful dreaming.” ... Running a hand over Luna’s neck as she held me tightly within her hooves, I felt her wing that was covering us tighten around my back a tad as she let out a quiet sigh. Bringing my hand back up and gently scratching the back of her head, I heard her give a soft giggle before she used her magic to pull the blankets tighter around us. “Alexander...?” Opening my eyes, I saw her sapphire eyes gazing at me. They shined in the dark room with the only illumination coming from the moon, yet that only seemed to add to the beauty of her eyes. “Yes Luna?” Through the dark I could see her outline lean closer as her eyes closed, and as soon as her lips pressed against my own, I felt like nothing more than a happy puddle of human. Leaning into the kiss, I ceased scratching the back of her head to simply pulling her closer, but the kiss was kept short as she pulled away. It was a short, but extremely sweet kiss. “Thou have warmed my heart like no other in such a short amount of time, Alex.” Her eyes started to peek out at me again, before I felt her hoof press against my chest, “I’m certain that I love thee... even in this short amount of time.” A smile of my own formed on my lips, and I couldn’t help but happily squeeze Luna closer to me, before I felt a yawn leave my lips. This earned me a giggle from my love as she said, “The truth is tiring at times... hehe...” She closed her eyes one last time before she added with a yawn of her own, “Tis time for us to slumber my little human. I promise to award thou with that much for your love...” Closing my own eyes as I once more ran a hand down Luna’s neck and then body, I leaned forward and whispered softly, “Pleasant dreams to you as well... you lovely mare.” Luna giggled, before we both ceased talking to in turn sleep. As Luna and I laid there, cuddled up together beneath her blankets and in her bed, and within each other’s grips, we slowly but surely began to fall asleep.