About a month had passed, I had been working for Rarity helping her make accessories to go with her outfits from the gemstones I gathered while enriching the gardens and even the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. I had gotten good enough that using my simple spells hardly even had me winded unless I was casting them in rapid succession. I was even lucky enough to still get nighttime visits from Luna at least once a week.
However, today was a big day. I'd managed to save up enough bits that I bought about a quarter of an acre on the outskirts of Ponyville that I could now call my own near Fluttershy's treehouse. I had taken the day off to get started on building my new and first home. I started by forcing the ground in front of me to crest up like a bubble forming under the soil. Once I got it to about twelve feet tall at the crest, I set a hole in the shape of a seven foot tall door and a few small holes for windows as I had special ordered these things which Applejack and Rarity were nice enough to be bringing from Ponyville to me later that day. I packed the dirt nice and tight bending stone to my will to form an inner concret-like shell about three inches thick. I crafted a fireplace for heating from the same stone and set up a raised platform of stone about two feet tall off to the side as about the dimensions I remembered to the extra long twin bed I had in my old apartment. My new home wasn't much larger than a studio apartment, but It was all I figured I needed since I was living alone.
After finishing a few more important interior designs, I was beat from using so much magic and sat down outside enjoying the late Spring breeze I'm sure courtesy of some weather worker as I heard the sound of hoofsteps and opened my eyes not sure who'd be here as Applejack and Rarity wouldn't be by until later. I was quite surprised to look up and then have to look higher as standing in front of me was Luna. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming and it seemed I was finally meeting Luna in the flesh for the first time, the excitement of which had me up on my hooves and giving Luna a hug.
"Luna! It's wonderful to meet you in the realm of the waking. Wait, what brings you here to Ponyville?"
"Well, somepony sure is friendly with my sister. No titles or anything. Won't you introduce me to your interesting friend then, Sister?" I let Luna go and saw Princess Celestia standing beside her.
"Oh, right. This is Onyxian, he's from outside Equestria. I've met with him a number of times in the dream realm over the course of the last month." I took a knee and lowered my head politely.
"Your Highness, your reputation as the ruler of Equestria precedes you." I swore I heard her giggle at me.
"He certainly has a handsome quality to him. I can see why you had wanted to come alone, Luna." I was sure I was blushing as I saw the shocked look on Luna's face as she then flared her cheeks and nostrils at Celestia.
"Why would you say that!" Celestia gave her little sister's indignation a dismissive wave of her hoof.
"Now, now, I’m just teasing my little sister. Frankly, I'm rather happy you let somepony new into your life, especially one that draws you away from your princessly duties, too" That coy grin on Celestia's muzzle had me wanting to smack her, but she hardly seemed malicious in her teasing. It was just like a big sister happy with her little one but still giving her a bit of a hard time.
"If Princess Celestia would like a hug, she has but simply to ask it of me." I spoke matter of factly as I gave Luna another hug, still very surprised and doing my best to conceal the shock that I was getting a royal visit out of the blue. She leaned into my shoulder and I felt Luna's foreleg on my back. Celestia gave a playful huff.
"Hmp, I might just hold you to that someday, Onyxian. I shall take my leave for now lest Twilight find me and end up believing that my unannounced visit is the delivery of dire news." Celestia launched into the air with a mighty flap of her huge wings and flew off into the sky as I gently stroked Luna's mane and noticed her ear twitched cutely when my thumb brushed against it. I couldn't hold back my curiosity, gently catching her ear between my index finger and thumb and began to rub it softly between both fingers enjoying the feel of the soft fuzzy fur as they began to twitch about in my gentle grip.
"Ah! Onyxian, what are you doing?" I moved my other hand doing the same to her other ear at the same time as she wiggled about still leaning against me as her wings flared open on her back in the classic "wing boner" position. "Ahhh...Onyxian, please stop." I let her ears go as she pulled away on slightly shaky legs shaking her head and managed with great effort to force her wings back down to resting on her back. "That was quite brazen of you. Even if we are friends." I blushed not thinking as to why she had been making those kinds of sounds just then.
"Uh sorry, they were just so cute." Luna flared her nose at me.
"Playing with my ears...You're lucky nopony saw you doing that. I'd have never heard the end of my sister's teasing if she had or learns about it." I wasn't sure so I figured I'd just play dumb and asked.
"So was that like an erogenous zone for you?" Luna blushed and nodded her head.
"Yes, it is a sensitive part of pony anatomy that feels rather good when handled gently. Also playing with somepony else's ears is a show of deep affection for that pony." I kinda gave her a lopsided smirk.
"Ah, got yah I'll make note of that. Next time I'll make sure and ask." Luna blushed again and nudged my shoulder with her forehoof.
"Now that is a brazen statement 'Next time' So presumptuous. Not that I'm not flattered by you saying that you feel such feelings for me." I gave her a rather hurt look.
"I haven't overstepped myself by thinking in my blind adoration that you might share my feelings, have I?" I turned and gestured to the hollowed out hill I was making my home. "I'd invite you inside if I had much of one to invite you to. How about a date? I'll court you like I should such a lovely mare. Face to face." Luna smiled and offered her hoof to me which I took.'
"That sounds wonderful, I look forward to it."
"So where would you like to go and do?" We both climbed to the top of my hill and sat down looking up to the early evening sky as I then my eyes fixed on the night sky waving in Luna's locks.
"I'm not sure, I’ve seen a bit of this 'dating' you speak of many nights around Canterlot and the rest of Equestria. Maybe a night out on the town in Canterlot, dinner, perhaps music or a movie could be fun as well."
"Sounds like fun, sadly I'm a bit busy for the next few weeks, helping Rarity with some accessories to go with the clothing line she is going to show off in Manehattan. Now that I think about it, we could meet up there. I'm not likely to be needed for the show, so we could enjoy a day and night out on the town." Luna perked up and nodded her head emphatically.
"Yes, that sounds wonderful and gives us ample time to prepare. I've heard a bit about the growing popularity of musical plays in Manehattan and have been wanting to attend one." I heard a gasp as I looked to see Applejack and Rarity with the door and windows.
"What in tha hay? Since when did you know Princess Luna, Onyxian?" Applejack was helped out of the yolk to the wagon she had been pulling.
"Indeed when did you two meet? You do know she is a princess, right?"
"So? Being a princess hasn't stopped you from being friends with Twilight."
"Well naw, but is dis really tha same?" Rarity got between me and Applejack as I walked down at Applejack's question.
"Now, now, Darling. Applejack wasn't implying you were befriending Princess Luna for personal gain. Just how did you two come to meet?"
"We met on the first night he'd ended up in the Everfree Forest. In his dreams. I sensed him there, by his mind in the dreamscape. We got along well. We've met in his dreams on several other nights since his stay in Ponyville." Luna stood up and walked to stand beside me. looking at both of them. "Onyxian and I have arranged to meet up for a date on your trip to Manehattan. I hope that doesn't cause any conflict." Rarity looked flabbergasted, her jaw dropping open at hearing what Luna had to say.
"A d-date!! That's wonderful. This calls for a full suite for you, Onyxian. With the help you've been giving me in the boutique, I should have more than enough time for your suite. Isn't it wonderful Applejack? Our newest friend has a special somepony!" Applejack herself seemed rather shocked as well at the revelation. Rarity appeared to be full of excitement at getting in the gossip first. "This really is wonderful, Onyxian is a good worker and so passionate when something gets his attention. A bit rough around the edges on his manners, but certainly as caring and gentle as he can be." Luna smiled as it seemed to be my turn to be embarrassed.
"Thank you, Rarity. You're certainly being generous with your compliments." Luna's hoof gently pushed on my back.
"Nonsense, Rarity is quite accurately listing many of your good qualities, Onyxian. Humility, like anything else, can be bad in excess."
"I don't think I'm that humble." Applejack had managed to recover her wits and join back into the conversation.
"Sometimes yer annoyingly humble an' won't even take a compliment that ya rightly earn, but enough of dat Rarity, we came ta help get these doors an' windows in place not pry into Onyxian's private life." I silently mouthed "thank you" to Applejack as she gave me a wink. Rarity luckily seemed to miss our exchange as the four of us installed the frames in each hole, then the door, and finished with the windows. By the time we were done, Luna had to raise the moon as we watched at a lake close to my home.
"Well Onyxian, Applejack, Rarity, I bid you goodnight. I should get going back to Canterlot before the Night Guard is scrambled to find me." She took to the sky with a slow beating of her wings drifting gracefully up into the air before flying off into the night sky with the three of us waving her off. Applejack then gave my back a nudge.
"Yer quite the lucky stud there, lovercolt."
"Yeah, I really am." I turned to face her with a big smile on my face.
"Ready fer Applebucking?" I nodded my head.
"Sure am, just point me to my part of that orchard tomorrow and I'll give them a nice shake up. Can't wait to give your Fall crop a try." With that, I waved Applejack and Rarity goodbye and headed back to my new home to rest for the busy day to come in the morning.