Cinnamon

by Zamairiac

The Five Stages

"I don't think you even realize what you stole from me Luna!" I yelled furiously. "Do you even care...no, no enough. I've had enough, we're through Luna. We're over."

Luna's expression was already quite upset. But at hearing those words come out of my mouth, whatever composure she had left rapidly began to fall apart.

"Beloved please calm down and think this through!" she pleaded, horrified tears streaking down her muzzle upon hearing me declare our separation. "We are sorry, we should hath told thee beforehoof...but we thought this a gift. To be with us forever, to never worry about leaving us through your fleeting mortal life. We thought thee wanted this too!"

"I would have Luna!" I replied scathingly. "But you forced this on me without my consent! And now I will have to watch as any friend I make passes on, knowing that I can never join them. This is not a gift Luna, this is a curse and you forced it on me!"

She dashed over to me as I turned around, my intention to leave not just her but also Canterlot obvious in my expression. Celestia just stood there, a sad expression adorning her face.

For me?

For Luna?

I didn't know...

"Steven we beg of thee, don't leave us alone." Luna pleaded inconsolably. "Thou art ours and I need thee!"

There it was...that possessiveness.

It was cute at the start I suppose, but eventually I began to feel more like her property then her lover. She rarely let me out of her sight and God help anypony who touched me in a way she didn't like.

I'd heard that various mares had been suffering from atrocious nightmares...and even if they didn't know why, I did.

"We're through Luna. Just...leave me be."

"No...beloved please..."

I felt her wing trying to gently turn me around by my shoulder, but after a mere moment of consideration I shrugged it off, picked up my backpack and made my way out of Canterlot Castle.

The train journey to Ponyville took a while. It was about one in the morning when I left and around twelve o'clock the next day by the time I got there. I didn't really have much of a plan, I just wanted to keep walking and see where the road took me.

…And so I did.

I walked and walked and walked. Ponyville wasn't enough of an attraction to stop me, and besides it was far too close to…anyway.

The road was stretched ahead of me, trees, grass and the scent of fresh air tantalizing me onwards.

Yup, just me, my backpack and a bit bag that only I could use.

The bit bag itself wasn't something you could buy in a shop either. It was actually a mix of both my idea and…her magical ability. Thus if anyone was foolish enough to try and steal from it, they would be zapped with one ruthless mother of a tickling charm.

Although…why I'm thinking of something so mundane compared to…

The road stretched on…and I walked it. I walked it for so long, never stopping, never needing to stop in all actuality. It was something I discovered later on, but my need for food, water and sleep was far less than it was before.

And really, I knew why.

...

I cracked open my weary eyes and awoke to the scent of cinnamon.

To my dismay and pain the morning sun shined bright and right into my eyes, causing me to squint and curse out of habit. I groaned and turned away from the crack in the curtains, ignoring the squeak of a rented bed far too small for my size. When I turned however, it was only to find my nose pressing up against a curtain of silky, almost water like hair.

I blinked twice at the hair, my barely awake mind taking its time to recognize the fact of somepony being in my bed.

"The fuck?" I mumbled, reaching out and brushing the hair to one side, revealing a dark blue coat beneath. "What the…? Luna, how'd you, why are you-"

She broke up my…well, broken questions with a light snort, before yanking the already tiny covers off of me with a rather strong tug.

"Tis too early beloved," she complained, shimmying back against me. "Let us be silent and enjoy this moment of peace, no?"

"What? No, what are you doing here?" I asked. "How did you find me?"

Luna sighed tiredly at my demanding tone, but turned around nonetheless and regarded me somewhat sadly.

"Why?" she asked, confusing me slightly.

"Why what?"

"Why don't you know?" she asked again.

"Know what?"

I beginning to get a little irritated at her bizarre questions. And the way she was staring at me wasn't helping either, it just made me feel…weird.

She smiled a small, sad smile and nuzzled me quickly, before moving her muzzle to my ear and whispering…

"That I'm not really here."

"Wha-"

I stopped talking the moment I blinked…because the moment I blinked, she was gone. The space in which she had laid was unshaped, merely ruffled from my probable tossing and turning. Even the smell of cinnamon has vanished, leaving nothing but the scent of my own sweat to keep me company.

What…the…fuck?

I think I preferred the cinnamon.

...

It was a little after seven in a windy evening when it happened again. I wasn't really doing much of anything, just wandering close to a short safety wall, said wall parting me weakly from the sea. It was close to a still bustling market. I could hear the sound of other's talking, laughing, bargaining. All while enjoying the mixed scents of salt and cooked fish.

The sea itself was marvellous, glistening beneath the beautiful night sky. There were lights in the distance, from lanterns and lit torches no doubt. But still…it was something that I wasn't likely to ever forget.

What's…hmm, cinnamon.

"Tis quite a sight is it not?"

The all too familiar voice snapped me out of my revere, forcing it to instead focus on a…just as beautiful sight.

Luna wasn't looking at me, but rather into the distance as she laid her forehooves lazily on the short wall. Her mane was strangely natural, yet as it flowed gently in the breeze I could not find a word to say…not a one.

My silence was what made her look at me, her small smile twisting into a smug grin as she did so.

"Something on thy mind, Steven?" she asked mirthfully, flicking her mane to one side perfectly. "Hast something caught onto thy tongue?"

I kept up my goldfish impression a few moments longer, but eventually closed my mouth shut and regarded her warily.

"What part of 'We're through' don't you understand Luna?"

She tilted her head in a perfect imitation of confusion, her eyes staring at me all the while…an emotion I knew not within them.

"We don't understand the question?" she said slowly, as if testing each word. "If we are indeed 'through' then why are we here?"

…Okay now I was really confused.

"What do you mean 'then why are we here?'," I mocked angrily. "You're following me!"

Apparently my indignation was amusing to her, because she starting laughing her head off pretty quickly…and loudly. It was a wonder no one heard her.

"Following thee?" she chuckled. "Oh how merry, following thee indeed!"

Maybe it was because she'd broken the beautiful trance I'd found myself in. Maybe it was because of how much time had passed since the breakup. I didn't know.

Or maybe it was simply because of how much it hurt to be this close to her.

Whatever it was, it made me snap pretty damn quickly.

"Shut up!" I screamed, her laughter vanishing. "Why the fuck are you here, Luna? We broke up, I BROKE up with you. I WALKED as far from YOU as I could because I can't STAND to be anywhere near YOU!"

I probably should have stopped ranting…but I couldn't. The pain was still too fresh, too real, too…painful.

"Don't you get what that means?" I continued harshly. "It means that I want you to stay the FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE! FOREVER!"

I closed my eyes and took a moment to catch my breath, only to open them and…flinch back at how close Luna had gotten to me. She was no longer on the wall but rather a few inches away from my face, her wings flapping so as to keep her steady and…in front of my face.

And her eyes...so wide, so hurt and lonely as they looked at mine. Tears were clinging onto the corners, as though desperate not to fall.

"T-Then why…" she swallowed, her voice taught. "Why are we here?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, all previous emotion swept aside…and all because of her eyes.

Her eyes always got to me.

Luna sniffled and landed on the ground, pressing her right cheek against my stomach…just like she used to whenever she was upset.

She said it made her feel warm, even while her tears soaked my shirt.

"If thou dost not w-want us anymore," she said suddenly, mournfully. "Then w-why are we still here?"

"Luna…I-"

She was gone. The pressure against my stomach had vanished, along with her familiar scent. Strangely enough though…my shirt was still wet.

The sea maybe?

"Luna?" I called, looking around for any sign of her. "Luna?"

Nothing…

What the hell was going on?

...

I didn't see her again for a while. In fact it was nearly two months before I did so.

And in a shady tavern of all places, not the nicest smelling one either.

I was sitting in one of the corner booths, still trying to get comfortable on a bale of hay. And trust me when I say that doing so as a human is down near impossible.

I was so preoccupied with my predicament that I failed to notice the barmare swaying over to me.

"Hey there big guy," she drawled, her cowgirl-like accent grabbing my attention quickly.

"Oh, hey," I said, still struggling to get comfortable on the-fuckingpileofhay-seat. "Just give me a minute please."

She chuckled at my eventual, and very clumsy pose, before flicking her wild rose coloured mane to one side and grinning widely.

"So what can I get for ya monkey?" she teased, sticking her tongue out a touch and biting it suggestively.

"Monkey?" I echoed, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well ya look a little like one," she giggled. "Specially with the way ya'll were flailing your arms about."

Cheeky little…

"Oh really?" I inquired. "Well you look like…uhh."

A small talking pony the colour of amber?

Like a viper preparing for a quick kill, the barmare leaned back, turned her flank a little in my direction and gave me a toothy grin.

"Like what, monkey?" she asked flirtatiously. "Just what do I look like?"

Despite struggling for an answer worth a damn, I suddenly found myself gasping as a pair of dark blue hooves slowly slid around my chest. The familiar scent of cinnamon was still so…there despite the unwelcome odour of stale piss and vomit.

"Personally we think thou looks like a little whorse in need of a desperate rutting, but perhaps tis just us, no?"

"What's the matter monkey?" the barmare asked, flicking her tongue in what I think was a suggestive manner. "Cat got your tongue?"

The hooves left my chest at the question, only for their owner to jump off the bale of hay and walk behind the other mare.

Completely unnoticed.

"Monkey?"

"Oh sorry," I chirped quickly. "Um, you look...nice."

The barmare stopped posing at this point and stared at me in shock.

I flinched slightly as Luna laughed boisterously and rolled her eyes, before sticking her tongue out and biting it lightly, said eyes clearly mocking the barmare as she circled her slowly.

"Oh Steven," she laughed. "Why not just slap the wench and be done with it. T'will be far less insulting, we assure thee."

It took me a few moments to realize that her expression, minus the eyes, was mimicking that of the other mare.

Why can't she see her?

"Just nice?" the barmare asked, her voice slightly incredulous if not insulted. "Sweetheart, I know at least seven other stallions who'd eat their own dicks before they settled with calling me nice."

"We suspect that you've already done that for them," Luna mocked, looking at me and winking secretively. "What dost thou think Steven?"

I trying to think of a spell that can make it so that no one can fucking see you. I knew I should have paid more attention when you were talking about this voodoo shite.

"I'm sorry, can I just order a drink please?" I really need one.

The barmare with the name I couldn't be arsed to ask scowled before lighting her horn and floating a small notepad in front of her.

"You don't need that," I said, purposefully ignoring Luna and the faces overly suggestive expressions she was giving the barmare. "I'll have a bourbon on the rocks please."

With a loud sigh and a tiny nod, the mare closed her notepad and wandered off to the bar, leaving me…sort of alone.

"Okay, how come she couldn't see you?" I hissed at Luna, who was still making kissy faces in the direction the mare walked. In any case she stopped and gave me an innocent look.

"We have no idea beloved," she replied…loudly and with a definite side of mockery this time. "Perhaps the upstanding mare was simply so enraptured by thy well spoken words that she failed to notice us."

Before I could retort, the upstanding mare in question returned, handed me my drink and left. Though not before giving me a sly wink, all grievances apparently now forgotten.

"Or perhaps the unruly tart was merely unable to keep her mind away from the thought of riding upon thy monkey cock." Luna sniped sourly.

Maybe it was the choice of word, or merely the fact that Luna was the one who'd said it. But whatever the case it made me spit any drink was still in my mouth all over the floor.

"L-Luna what-I-what?" I spluttered eloquently.

She giggled at my broken question and smiled at me, a somewhat victorious expression creeping onto her face.

"We made thee laugh," she said happily, eyes almost sparkling with cheer. "We have not managed to do such a thing for some time."

"Well I wasn't exactly happy even before we broke up you know."

Her smile faded away at that, replaced instead by a clearly upset frown.

"We tried to make thee happy…but thou kept pushing us away."

"It's not like you don't know why," I snorted derisively. "You practically kept me on a leash. You followed me everywhere and had your guards do it for you when you couldn't. Fuck, I couldn't so much as go to the loo without you somehow knowing the force and velocity of my piss…It was too much Luna…you were too much."

I scowled as I quickly remembered the other half of her faults, taking an angry swig of my drink before continuing.

"And then you cursed me with immortality. You chained me to you, to your life for the rest of mine. It's because of you that I can never truly bond with another, what would be the point? They'd die in what to you must be a couple of blinks."

I glared at her as I continued…as I said…

"And you didn't even have the decency to tell me when you could have"

No…no tears, not here, not for her.

"I will forever be the outsider to them," I whispered, closing my eyes painfully. "Outsider…outside of time, of life and death. Generations will pass me by and I'd barely have even noticed…and it scares me Luna. It frightens me so much that I'll have to do that alone…"

I let go of my drink and watched in a blurry daze at the glass shattered, droplets of bourbon splattering all over the floor.

But I didn't even care…I couldn't muster up the effort to do so.

"I just want everything to be normal again…"

I heard the hoofsteps yet refused to look, refused to do anything other than pray silently for it all to fade away…for me to wake up and find it all a dream.

"Thou shalt never be truly alone, my love," Luna spoke sadly. "Even if it take us a thousand years, we…we'll never leave thee to suffer alone. But thy wish for normality is something we both know is not ever going to happen…and we are so sorry for that."

I felt something soft press against my forehead, the tantalizing scent of her caressing my senses.

But then the scent was gone…and I didn't need to open my eyes to know that she was gone too.

...

"Pass the ball…pass the bucking ball you dick!"

"Shut up…" I muttered, not that he heard me over his shouting.

"Cross it over, cross it OVER!"

"Shut up…"

"Oh you all bucking suck at this!"

"Fucking shut up…"

It was yet another swelteringly hot day, and I was unfortunately slap bang in the middle of it. To tell the truth I didn't quite know where I was, there wasn't any sign to indicate as such. But from what I'd gathered I was in one of the last few towns before the Equestrian border.

"Yes! That's how you score a bucking goal!"

Oh yeah, and I was also having to put up with one of the most annoying stallions I'd ever met. He was beige coloured with a short spikey mane and brown eyes…and one of the most nasally voices I have ever heard on a guy. Having had enough of his shouting a few minutes later, I turned to him and asked-

"Are you their manager or something?"

"Nope," he shook his head, his eyes glued to the game. "I just felt like passing by and having a go."

"Seriously?"

"Yep, everypony has an outlet dude. This is mine."

Shaking my head at the random pony, I turned my head back to the game before deciding to promptly collapse on the lush grass beneath me. There was always something special about Equestria's grass. Earth's really doesn't have anything on it.

"Not everypony," I mumbled quietly, not that he heard me over the next bout of shouting that escaped his muzzle.

"Why not?"

Sighing and closing my eyes for a moment, I gradually reopened them and turned to look into a pair of curious turquoise orbs.

"Why not what?" I asked.

"The loud stallion said that everypony has an outlet," she explained, gesturing towards him with an amused smirk. "You disagreed…why?"

"Because not everyone does, Luna," I sighed. "Others can sometimes prefer doing nothing…it's peaceful you know?"

"Others?" she asked, her eyes if not her tone already displaying her understanding. "Let us not be foalish here Steven, we both know that thou is talking about thyself."

"Wow, you saw through my carefully constructed plan," I chuckled dryly. "Well done, you must be really proud."

Silence was all that followed my retort for a while. Not that Luna vanished like she usually did. She just...didn't say anything or do anything, save looking at the hoofball game.

"Why don't you join in?"

Blinking at the random query, I cocked an eyebrow and looked at her confusedly.

"What are talking about?" I asked curiously.

"The game those stallions are playing," she clarified quickly, waving a hoof in their direction. "Why haven't you asked to join in. We know how much thee loves the game."

I scoffed at the question and shook my head. Didn't she hear a word I said the last time we spoke?

"I like playing football, not whatever this jumped up version is. And besides I don't particularly want to join in."

Luna stared at me stoically, silently, her eyes narrowed and disbelieving.

"Liar," she eventually said.

"Excuse me?"

"Liar," she repeated, raising her snout slightly in a blatant show of aggression. "Thou art lying to us Steven. Thou knows how much we detest liars."

Of all the jumped up little…

"Oh yeah?" I laughed, not caring where or not the shouting stallion heard me anymore. "Well I hate hypocrites. It's a small world."

"We didn't lie to thee Steven Bloom," she snarled, evidently angry. It surprised me really, though it shouldn't have. Her emotional state had always been all over the place, from weepy to amused to angry and then back again. "We failed to inform thee of the consequences from our lovemaking, but we never lied. Do not accuse us of such!"

We glared at each other for a moment…maybe even two, I don't know. I was too preoccupied with how close to my face her muzzle was, not to mention the angry breath that kept hitting it over and over.

I forgot how sexy Luna looks when she's mad.

Before I could do anything stupid however, I reined in my self control and went back to observing the game. Luna thankfully took the hint and backed off, though I could still feel her glaring at me.

As the game dragged on I was faintly amused by the obvious worry of one stallion, who was wearing a blue top way too big for him, as he was slid into again and again by a rather ugly looking fuck wearing a tight fitting red top. The tackles were quite brutal, but seeing as he got the ball first it wasn't technically an illegal move.

"We apologize…" Luna spoke suddenly, causing me to jump slightly. "We did not mean to yell at thee, we just wanted to make thee smile for once. Hoofball seemed like a grand idea at the time."

"It was a good idea," I muttered. "I just don't see the point."

"Because thou has a chance to bond with these stallions in friendship?" she asked curiously. "That is truly why, no?"

I didn't answer.

"Beloved," she crooned warmly, my eyes closing, breath becoming steadily ragged as her breath re-warmed my cheek…a loving nuzzle following quickly…and slowly. "Being an outsider does not mean that they will never invite thee in. Holding thyself back from true enjoyment in life will do naught but make thee a cold, bitter shell…and that is not the human I fell so deeply in love with."

My eyes opened and I turned to look at her without hesitation, her words so comforting, so tender that an old instinct bade me kiss her lips.

But I didn't…I couldn't.

"Who are you?"

She smiled warmly…mirthfully at the question.

"We are Princess Luna, sister of Celestia and co ruler of Equestria," she replied, her kind expression leaving nothing to doubt. "Beyond that we are also thy friend. A friend that wants nothing more than to help thee move on…If you doubt anything, please do not doubt that."

I didn't…And although I said nothing, her expression was evident enough to say she already knew.

"YOU CHEEKY BUCKER!"

The both of us jolted out of our revere and stared at the commentator, who at that moment had a rather red face and bulging eyes.

"Well that's attractive," Luna sniggered, my quick grin agreeing without question.

Out of curiosity I looked over towards the game and found myself faintly amused at the previously worried stallion moaning and rolling around in pain.

"You'd think he'd just been shot," I whispered, Luna nodding in agreement…surprisingly. I couldn't remember ever telling her what a gun was.

Maybe she's thinking of an arrow.

"Ask to join in!" she exclaimed, nudging my side in some sort of effort to make me sit up.

"Do you ever listen?" I asked, though without any of my usual bite...actually I think I sounded kind of amused.

"Not really," she grinned, getting to her hooves and reaching for my collar. "We're rarely wrong most of the time, so what's the point?"

She bit my collar and to my shock, managed to yank me to my feet and pull me halfway across the field in record time, grinning all the while.

"Now get in there and have some fun!" she commanded authoritatively, smirking smugly as the injured stallion limped over in my direction.

"Hey buddy!" he greeted…a little too cheerfully for a supposedly hurt pony. "Thanks for pitching in, Hardball's your problem now."

"What, no I wasn't-"

With my vision suddenly obscured by a sweaty smelling top and my hearing just as suddenly killed with what sounded like an earthquake and lots of cheering, I sighed half-heartedly and replaced my dark blue shirt.

I jogged over to my new teammates and smiled unsurely at their hopeful expressions.

"Good on ya mate," said a very red stallion, his long grey mane nearly obscuring his vision. "I was worried we'd be crushed and end up buying the pints tonight. Oh, the name's Socket Wrench by the way."

"I'm not sure how good I am at this game," I admitted sheepishly. "It's been a while since I've played anything like it."

"Don't worry about it bud," he dismissed, "It'll be a laugh either way."

I glanced over at where I was previously lying down and was forced to disguise a choke with a cough at the sight of Luna not only wearing a large blue top, but also the words 'Professional Ball Handler' that were printed across it.

Oh and the way she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"You alright mate?" Socket asked.

"Y-yeah, fine," I cleared my throat loudly before smiling. "It was just a random cough, happens sometimes you know?"

He nodded at my explanation and put the round ball down at his hooves, looking over at the opposing team and smirking at their restlessness.

"Then let's play hoofball!"

…

The game had been going on for a good twenty minutes and I was panting for breath. Panting, but thoroughly happy. More so than I'd been in a long time.

The score was four all, with five being the pint winning goal. Currently the ball was in my possession, but that was quickly changed as I passed it over to Cornetto Cone and ran into the box.

Luna was using a fair amount of the royal Canterlot voice as she cheered for me, not the team, just me.

It was nice…and a little embarrassing when she wasn't quite cheering, but rather yelling at my teammates to play 'correctly'.

And when her comments mixed in with the shouting stallion from before…well.

"CROSS IT IN THY IMBECILE!"

"CROSS THE BUCKING BALL IN!"

"NAY! FOR THE LOVE OF FAUST, THY COULDN'T KICK A BALL TO SAVE THY LIFE!"

"BUCK MAN, I'M SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!"

Yeah.

The ball was suddenly kicked rather high and heading right in my direction, crossing into the box without fault for the first time since I'd joined the match.

Then it happened.

I don't quite know what happened exactly, but as it neared me time seemed to slow to a crawl, and my body reacted completely on its own.

I twisted around and with pinpoint precision smashed my left foot against the ball. The moment I did so time quickly caught up and said ball flew, flew, flew…past the goalkeeper's outstretched hooves and into the top left-hand corner.

Holy fuck…I did it!

Time seemed to freeze once more…before I was suddenly crushed by a number of sweaty blue tops. I couldn't stop the laughter that escape me as they all began to scream and yell madly, some hooves stamping on the ground in celebration.

"Thou played brilliantly Steven."

Blinking in surprise at the voice I somehow heard over the overwhelming yelling, I just about managed to crane my neck to the left and spot Luna, now top free smiling at me joyfully.

"Luna!" I laughed, wrenching my left arm from the pile up of ponies and reaching for her. Her smile widened and she walked a little closer, before kissing the palm of my hand and nuzzling it lovingly.

"Hey Steven!" Socket called cheerfully, causing me to glance at him curiously. "You coming for a pint with the lads? Red team are buying!"

I grinned and looked back at Luna happily…only to realize that my hand was touching nothing now.

"Steven, you alright mate?"

I lowered my arm and swallowed the sudden pangs of sadness that'd enveloped me, before gradually forcing a grin onto my face and nodding enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

...

"Well…here we are then," I uttered warily. "Manehattan, the city of lust and lies."

"They also do fantastic cinnamon buns!" Luna chimed in, giggling as I pouted in annoyance. "Oh, our apologies. Did we ruin thy movie phrase?"

"Mercilessly," I said dryly, before shaking my head and wandering further into the bustling city. "Why did you want me to come here anyway, you never said."

She smiled at my question and tapped her flank against my hips playfully, sticking her tongue out as if to encourage her teasing.

"Tis the sixth time thou hast asked us this question, Steven," she tutted spiritedly. "Reward comes to those who wait, so be patient."

I grumbled at her 'wise words of wisdom' but complied anyway and carried on walking. It'd been a little under two days since the hoofball game…and a little over a year since I walked away from Canterlot.

Time just passes you by when you don't pay it any attention.

It was only as we walked into what appeared to be the city square that I realized why I was here. It was a voice, a filly's…and what she said.

"Mom look, the Princesses are here!"

I snapped out of my daze and easily looked over the mass of ponies towards what appeared to be a wide, elevated platform.

But it was who were standing on the platform that got my attention.

"Thank you all for the wonderful welcome," Celestia called, the familiar maternal tone pacifying the crowd effortlessly. "And to start off the beginning of a new celebration, my sister will now greet you all."

…

It was her, I could feel the familiar pull of so long ago tugging at my mind. I quickly quelled it before she could realize anything however.

My time alone wasn't completely spent on my arse after all.

"Good evening my wonderful subjects!" Luna greeted warmly, smiling widely for a reason I could not tell. "And welcome to the first ever Star Sign Celebration. I would first like to thank you all for attending, as well as the most wonderful welcome my sister and I received."

She's not speaking in the old tongue anymore?

Whatever Luna said next passed me by in a daze. I could barely believe that I was looking at the REAL Luna. Emotions that I had long thought buried were quickly fighting their way to the surface, strong emotions…emotions I never thought I'd feel around her again.

"…and that is why the title of my newly created constellation shall be known as Bloom!"

The loud stamping and applause snapped me out of my funk just in time for me to witness a bright pattern of stars flash into being, linking together to form…me.

It was brief and ended far too soon, but I still saw the clear image of myself in the night sky.

"She still has that photo of you," the phantom Luna spoke, gazing up at me sadly. "She looks at it every morning before she sleeps and every night when she wakes up."

I knew the photo she was talking about. It was a simple thing, so simple that I'd forgotten about it.

Just Luna and I together as we were back then, holding the other. Luna was licking my neck when it was taken, and I was laughing so hard that I was crying.

Such a simple thing…but not to her apparently.

"She still looks at it?" I asked dejectedly.

"She holds it as she sleeps," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving me for a second. "Sometimes she wakes up, sees your face in it and becomes so happy, believing you to be by her side again. But then she remembers that it's only a memory and you're gone...and that you hate her."

"I don't hate her," I whispered, my eyes watering as the image of Luna crying into the photo flashed in my mind. "I was angry and scared, I felt betrayed and hurt…but I never hated her."

At that precise moment I felt something akin to a weight floating away, as if I had just rid myself of something heavy. It was also at that moment that the other Luna suddenly became quite translucent.

"At long last, my love," she crooned contently. "Acceptance."

She looked past me and smiled, tilting her head to one side as if in complete satisfaction. I followed suit and noticed the real Luna glancing over in my direction, yet apparently unable to see me as she had no sudden reaction.

"She'll see you only when you want her too," the not-Luna explained, a tiny smile on her muzzle as she looked up at me. "You wanted to disappear so magic made it happen. And nopony would remember who you really were, because you did not want to be discovered."

"And you?" I asked, accepting her answers because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were true…I just did. "Who are you, really?"

The phantom Luna chuckled quietly at my question and widened her smile to such a beautiful expression.

"I suppose that's the question…but it doesn't really matter, not now. You don't need me to help you anymore."

And with one long, final gaze of utter love…she vanished completely.

Strangely…I'm actually okay with it.

"Steven?"

I blinked at the calling of my name and looked over at its recipient, a smile forming on my face as I looked into those sad eyes.

Sad became hopeful. And as the crowd parted for her to walk down and I touched her muzzle, hopeful became happy.

"Hey Luna, fancy a cinnamon bun?"