//------------------------------//
// Chapter 21. Conversations with Twilight 
// Story: A New Teacher 
// by Sparky Brony 
//------------------------------//

I've always hated the line, we need to talk. This time I welcome it. I glance at Derpy.

"I think I'll get going, see ya Nick." Her head is down along with her ears. I move over to Derpy and give her a hug.

"Derpy, no matter what, we are friends, understand?" I whisper in her ear. She nods and moves to the door. I close the door slowly behind Derpy then turn to Twilight.

"Tea?" I am trying to cover my terror by trying to act somewhat normal. My body is cold, I must have gone completely pale, if that is possible being a brown furred pony.

She smiles tremulously, she seems as nervous about this as I am. She nods.

I bring another cup in from the kitchen while she heats the water with her magic. In moments we are sipping our tea.

"So…" she begins.

"Twilight…" I say at the same time.

"You go first…" she says,

"No, Twilight, I think you should go first."

She blushes and puts down her tea cup. She sighs. "Nick… I need to know something."

"Umm, what is that, Twilight?"

"Why did you freak out when you found out that Luna caused you to crash, and bring you here to Equestria?"

I sigh. "Is that why you moved to the door and you heard what she said to me?"

She nods slowly. "I heard you yelling, and I wanted to see if I could help."

I look down. "Twilight. I had a life back at home. I had an absolutely awesome job, flying fighter jets off of carriers. I had friends on board ship. It wasn't the best, but for the most part, I was happy. And having it all taken away from me because Luna wanted me for a mission. I flipped out, and for hurting your feelings. I apologize."

She rears back a bit. "So, you weren't freaking out about being with me?"

"Oh, no, Twilight. I wasn't lying when I told you I love you."

She looks at me seriously. "But you think I'm an animal, a beast, like horses are in your world. You said yourself, you couldn't see yourself spending the rest of your life with a…" her voice got really small, "horse." I see tears spring up in her eyes.

"So, you think I freaked out with Luna because I found out she brought me here to fall in love with an animal?"

She looks down and nods slowly.

I scoot a bit closer to her, and put a hoof on her cheek. She surprises me by leaning into my hoof and nuzzling it. "Twilight, when I first got here, I was confused, but I learned very quickly that you ponies are nothing like the equines of my world. Not even close." I sigh and look at her. "I can only think of you one way, Twilight. As an amazingly beautiful young woman." I smile at the beautiful face in front of me. "The fact that you are a pony is irrelevant to me. I love you for the beauty inside you." I use a hoof to indicate myself. "I'm a pony myself, and it looks like it's permanent." I sigh, remembering how angry I was, "I am a little bitter at that, I was taken without consent, and I am still angry at Luna for that."

"Why do you call Luna Moonbutt?"

This question from Twilight really gets my attention. "Say what now?" I know I haven't referred to Luna that way in front of Twilight. I look at her quizzically.

"I was there when Luna pulled you out of the dream, I saw it was you and made myself invisible while you talked to her."
I cower down, just kill me now. I put my hooves over my eyes.

After a few moments I feel a wing enfold me. "Nick, I only have one question regarding that."

I'm trembling now, I did not expect my private conversation with Luna to be watched by Twilight.

"Princess Luna asked you why you fell in love with me. You refused to answer her, I'm asking you for the answer."

I look at her, my mind going a thousand miles per hour. How do you explain your emotions? I've never been good at that, and now she wants an exactly that. I suppress a sigh. "Twilight, the more time I spent with you, I found I wanted to spend even more time with you. I wanted to be the reason you smile, the reason you laugh. And for some time, I had convinced myself that I was doing it because Luna wanted me to. I had convinced myself that I was doing a mission, and that I was successful. But, I realized I truly liked you. The pony that you are. Then you showed up at my door with Rainbow's little plan to spend a romantic weekend together. Everything came down to a point right there. And then I was looking at myself in the mirror in that train car bathroom. I was thinking about you, how I felt. What I felt."

I stop for a moment to contemplate my words. Putting feelings into words can sometimes be very difficult. "Twilight, I realized there that I was falling in love with you. That the brightness of my day came from me seeing you. And on days that I didn't see you, despite being a bright sunny day, it felt grey to me. You occupied my thoughts." I stop and smile sadly. "You even occupy my dreams. I think some of my best dreams have been you flying with me."

I'm interrupted, once again, by lips on mine. I don't react for a moment out of sheer shock. Then I realize that Twilight is forgiving me. I enthusiastically return her kiss. After several long moments, she pulls back.

"Nick, I love you. You need to understand that you freaking out at Princess Luna scared me. I thought that you regretted being brought here."

I smile at Twilight. "I'm angry that I was brought here by her under false pretenses. But no, I don't regret meeting you and falling in love with you."

I get an idea and trot quickly to my bedroom, a quick pull, causing a bit of pain. Then I grab some of high quality twine and I'm back in the living room.

"Twilight. I've done some reading, and I've learned a lot about ponies and how we live. I've figured since this change is permanent, I need to get caught up on all of the customs of my new home. One chapter I found interesting was about pegasi."

She nods and smiles.

"It is traditional for a pegasus to give a flower when courting, but that tradition is relatively new. It came about when inter-tribal dating became more and more common. For the longest time after the founding of Equestria, it was not exactly taboo, but certainly frowned upon for a pony to court outside their tribe. But that all changed, now it's common for a pegasus and an earth pony, or a unicorn and a pegasus, or any number of combinations to happen. But before they gave flowers, they gave a flight feather, specifically one of the longer primaries. And I know that it's traditional for a mare to give the gift to the stallion."

She nods. "Yes, it's nearly unheard of for a stallion to present a courting gift to a mare."

"Well, I've never been one for traditions. So, I am giving you my number one primary, off of my right wing, which is believed traditionally to be the closest to the heart." I extend the twine that is holding the big brown feather to Twilight. Now it's time for me to be nervous, she can reject it, or she can accept. Everything in my heart is waiting to see her response.

She stares at me, "Nick, you know what that means to pegasi, don't you? This is far more than just courting."

I nod. "Yes, Twilight. Pegasi of old believe that the giving of this specific feather is akin to giving a piece of the soul to the one they love."

Tears once again start to form in her eyes. I nervously shift a bit, waiting for her answer. Finally, her horn lights up and the twine lifts from my hoof and around her neck. She lifts the feather with her hooves and looks at it a long time. My heart is leaping with joy at her acceptance. "Nick, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything Twilight."

She looks seriously at me. "So, you actually love me? You want to get back together?"

I nod enthusiastically. "More than anything, Twilight. These last few months have been torture."

Her smile turns sly. "Even with all the mares throwing themselves at you? You stayed around when most of the unattached stallions that don't want to get hitched are bugging out. To the ponies here, that's you practically advertising yourself as being on the market."

"Ummm, Twilight, I was unaware of the smell, my nose was seriously stopped up, I can't smell to save my life. And more importantly, no pony told me that this time of year was coming up, back home, equines usually hit estrous in the warm months, not the dead of winter."

She laughs again, God, I've missed hearing that laugh. "Nick, we aren't equines from your world, and the estrous cycle comes a few times a year, and yes, it does happen in the winter. And about your nose…"

Her horn lights up and all of a sudden I can breathe easily through my nose. I inhale deeply and then I notice it. It's pretty weak, but there is an all pervasive musky smell that wasn't in Ponyville before. I feel it causing stirrings in me that make my wings flutter. I look at Twilight, "Are you suffering from the same… affliction… as most of the mares in Ponyville?"

She looks down. "My cycle came and ended about three months ago. It probably won't be back for over a year."

I do the mental math in my head, three months ago… no!

"So, you are saying when we…"

She nods.

"You were."

She nods again.

"And you knew?"

She shook her head. "No, a few days later I was told by Rarity that I was, I didn't believe her. She asked me when I started feeling intense feelings that way. I told her, and I assumed it was because of me spending time with you, Nick."

"So, you were doing that with me because of your biological urges?"

She jerked her head up. "No, Nick. That first night, that time was all me wanting you, in fact, I think it triggered my cycle somehow. The next day, I was insatiable."

I smiled at the memory. "Yes, you were. That was fun."

"Well, normally if a mare doesn't want foals she's got two options, staying away from stallions and using a cooler is one option."

"A cooler?"

She shudders. "Trust me, you don't want to know." I do want to know, but I can find that out later.

"And the second option, Twilight?"

"The no foals spell, cast on a mare in estrous. She can satisfy those urges and not have a foal in the process."

"And, you didn't know that you were starting your cycle when we…" I look down and my face flushes.

"No."

"So now you are?"

"Yes, Nick, I am."

"So, I'm going to be a father? In about eight months?"

She nods, she looks sad, or maybe scared.

I bowl her over in a hug, after flipping a few times I end up on my back, wings spread, with her on top of me looking shocked, I grab her cheeks and kiss the pure hell out of her. After a few seconds she returns my kiss enthusiastically.

After several minutes she pulls away. "So, you aren't upset?"

"Twilight, I am in love with you, if you have a foal, I will love it too, because it's part you." I stop for a moment to think. "And it's part me as well."

"And you won't have a problem when I'm heavy and about to give birth?"

I have to laugh. "Twilight, I'll find you beautiful no matter what. Don't you worry about that."

She collapses onto me and hugs me hard. She definitely has that earth pony strength.

"You are going to be a wonderful mother, Twilight," I whisper into her ear.