//------------------------------// // Dinner Among Friends // Story: Luna's Week Off // by Wolfsalvo //------------------------------// (Mark’s P.O.V.) The first thing I noticed when I entered the fairly large dining hall wasn’t the wonderfully tasteful décor or even how huge it seemed, rather I first saw six mares I didn’t know seated around the long table, before a pink blur filled my vision, causing me to flinch back a bit. She either didn’t notice, or didn’t care about personal space as she bounced all around me and exclaimed loudly, “OOOH! So this is Luna’s coltfriend! I thought he would be taller!” Back stepping until I was at Luna’s side, I wanted to just laugh off the invasion of personal space, but I couldn’t help but ask as politely, if questioningly, “Who are you?” “I'm the bestest friend anypony can ever have! My name is Pinkie Pie!” She then proceeded to give me the widest, and largest smile I knew I would ever see on anyone’s face. Yet as I finished processing what she said, I remembered something she had said, so I asked, “Er, what is a, ‘coltfriend’?” From behind Pinkie Pie I heard the sound of clopping hooves drawing nearer, and as I looked over, the purple Alicorn said, “I believe the human term is boyfriend... My name is Twilight Sparkle, and it is interesting to finally meet the sta... man that Luna has spoken so highly of.” Glancing over at Luna, I saw she wouldn’t meet my gaze, though I did see the blush over the top of her muzzle as she kept her eyes averted from my own. Smirking a bit, I looked back at the little purple Alicorn and held out my hand as I said, “Name’s Mark Graves.” She reached her hoof up as soon as she was close enough with a smile, and she let my hand grip her hoof with a gentle shake, and as soon as I let go of her hoof, she placed it back on the ground and I leaned forward and asked, “Pray tell, what has Luna here said about me?” Yet before she could answer, she snapped her jaw closed as a loud voice called over, “C’mon Twi! We want to talk to him too!” Looking up, I saw a blue mare with a very unique mane coloration staring our way with a large smirk. She gestured towards me with her hoof as soon as I was looking, and she called out, “Well c’mon, I don’t got all day!” “I say, do calm down Rainbow Dash. It is unbecoming of a lady to act so brutish.” Every mares smile was directed towards myself or the mare named Rainbow Dash, and as I looked around, I saw there was actually seven mares, a green and purple lizard that resembled a dragon, and two guards standing at the far end of the room. Celestia smiled over at Luna and I as we slowly walked in as Twilight and Pinkie returned to their seats, though the former it seemed to be reluctantly. Taking a seat next to Luna, I looked beside me at the little green and purple guy and pointed at him, before asking, “Dragon?” He smiled widely, before he threw his arms in the air and exclaimed loudly, “Finally! You’re the first human to not call me a lizard or snake with legs!” he chuckled happily and asked, “How did you know? Was it the smooth head spikes?” Smiling as I held back a chuckle, I said, “Actually, it was more of a guess. I have read about dragons, but they were depicted as being human sized and lanky, or huge and cumbersome. When I saw you, well, you reminded me of a smaller version of a dragon I had seen a picture of with different color schemes.” “Actually, Spike is smaller than most dragons as he is still a baby dragon. I hatched him as a magical test when I was younger.” I looked up to see Twilight nodding towards the little dragon, before a white unicorn spoke up as well, “And isn’t he just the cutest little thing you have ever seen?” Er... that is rhetorical, right? Smiling as I glanced between the now blushing dragon and the white unicorn, I was saved from particularly answering that embarrassing question by Rainbow Dash as spoke up, “So, Twi says Luna says you say you’re a writer! Do you write anything like Daring Do?” Smiling, I shook my head as I reclined in my seat and said, “I wish I could write stuff like her, but unfortunately I don’t write how she does. I write poetry, information articles for National Geographic, and occasionally short stories.” “What is National Geographic?” Out of everything, I expected ponies to appreciate the work put into Nat Geo. Looking Rainbow Dash directly in the eyes; I saw she really didn’t know what it was, so I was more than happy to enlighten her, “National Geographic is an organization that brings stories from all around the world to the homes of many people. There are magazines of extreme weather, societies from other countries, and many stories on the ecosystems of many different...” I trailed off as the questioning eyes had turned blank, and I could easily see the disinterest in her eyes. The confused expression she wore was enough to make me forget about continuing, and luckily, I didn’t need to, as Twilight spoke up this time, “It’s a book you wouldn’t like Rainbow Dash.” “Oh, then never mind!” I was able to look towards Luna before one of the other mares coughed, and when I looked over, I saw a white mare looking towards me, before she asked, “Mr. Graves, it is a pleasure to meet you in person, my name is Rarity. But what I really wanted to ask is as a professional fashion-pony, what style of clothing were you wearing when you caught Luna’s eye?” Glancing over towards Luna briefly and catching her eye, I turned back to Rarity and said, “I think it was more of the fact that I caught her that caught her eye. I wasn’t wearing anything special, b-” “Excuse me; did you say you caught Princess Luna?” Rarity was looking between Luna and I, and I smiled as I nodded, and this earned a small amount of giggling from the mares around the table, before Rarity said, “Oh, I didn’t know your coltfriend was so chivalrous...” Looking to my side once more, I saw Luna smiling whilst sporting a very faint red hue over her cheeks. She nodded towards Rarity as she said, “Yes, well, he is quite the amazing gentlecolt...” All the mares were smiling when I looked back towards Rarity, and I felt my cheeks warm up a bit as I saw Rarity wink towards me, “My my Mr. Graves... I don’t believe Princess Luna has ever complimented somepony before. Are there any other human stallions like you?” I felt myself chuckle a bit as I shook my head, “Not that I'm aware of...” Rarity nodded her head a bit with a remorseful smile, before another mare spoke up, “Now that Rare’s is finished, I believe it is my turn for mah questions.” The orange colored mare smiled widely, before she asked, “Now, in yer opinion, what is the best kind ah apple product you would eat?” Hmm... Apple based products? There are so many out there... “That is a hard one actually. I usually only eat apples plain, but my all-time favorite would be an apple pie fresh from the oven.” My answer seemed to be something of importance, as the orange mare smiled widely, but didn’t say anything else as a disgruntled Rainbow Dash slid over a small stack of bits to the orange mare, “You’re lucky you chose to bet on one human Applejack...” Ok, so the orange mare is named Applejack... Looking around and making sure I had no more questions needing to be answered, I saw almost every mare was satisfied... well, if you included Pinkie Pie who was practically vibrating in her seat as she seemed to be waiting patiently. Glancing around at the mares, I saw the majority were now in their own conversations, except for Pinkie and the little yellow mare sitting beside me. Before I could ask the yellow one a question, Pinkie burst out with a loud gasp, before asking loudly, “What were you doing when you met Luna and what kinda party were you two at!?” Smiling as I looked towards Pinkie, her odd and loud ways were starting to become expected... albeit annoyingly, and I said, “I was celebrating my birthday when I met Luna, and it was at a popular nightclub rather than a party.” “OH! I should throw you both a ‘happy meeting each other’s special someponies on your birthdays’ party then!” She was smiling widely when she finished, and she looked excited at the prospect of having a party that she planned herself. I almost didn’t want to decline her offer, but even though I understood the importance of accepting her equivalence of a gift, I knew that there would be even more spontaneousness from her if I accepted. Yet before I could even make a decision, Rainbow Dash chuckled, and Applejack said jovially, “Sugercube... you won’t regret ever having a party with Pinkie... I heard humans like them just as much as ponies.” Finding myself overruled unless I wanted to seem ungrateful, I offered a smile and said, “Alright, so when should we expect this party?” “I can’t tell you that!” She sat back down as she closed her eyes, a wide smile across her muzzle, “It’s a surprise.” Shrugging as I felt a chuckle leave my throat, I reclined in my seat while I looked to Luna. She was smiling as she seemed to be continuously gazing at me, but when she leaned in, she whispered softly into my ear, “I believe Fluttershy still has yet to ask a question.” Looking to my side and to the only mare that hadn’t asked me a question yet, I saw her smiling towards her friends as she seemed to hide a bit behind the edge of the table. Smiling a bit as I followed her gaze, I noticed Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed to be sharing a boasting competition on something about who could drink more apple cider. Shaking my head as I looked towards Fluttershy, I cleared my throat quietly enough to get her attention, and then I asked, “I believe you had a question for me?” She did seem to shy away a bit when she had looked at me, but she didn’t take too long to nod in confirmation that she had heard me. She looked down a bit before she asked, “I was wondering, if you don’t mind me asking, but what kind of pet do you have?” I shrugged my shoulders as I said, “I don’t have any pets right now, but I used to have a golden retriever when I was younger.” “Oh? Well... why don’t you have a pet right now?” She asked as she looked up and away from the table to speak directly towards me. “Don’t really want one right now. If I got anything, I would want another dog, but they would be stuck at home while I would be out at work.” It was true that I would happily take a dog into my home, but I didn’t want to leave them at home while I would leave for work, as I didn’t always return home right away; and I knew I was out for over twelve hours some days. In a way, if would make it unfair to any pet I got right now to leave them to their own activities for that long. Fluttershy tilted her head to the side for a bit, before she nodded her head as she said, “I understand. I feel bad every time I leave home and I'm away from my animal friends...” When she finished speaking, she smiled towards me, before her attention was dragged away by Rainbow Dash as she called out her name. Turning away as I knew the chances of the conversation continuing would be after a wait now; I looked towards Luna and saw she was speaking with her sister. Choosing not to eavesdrop, I took this time to actually look around the dining hall, and I felt myself feeling impressed by the appearance of everything. The windows were crystal clear, devoid of even a single flaw or blemish that betrayed the glass of its presence. The walls were covered in nothing but beautiful alabaster white, with a few tapestries hanging here and there. The vaulted ceiling even made everything seem so much more spacious, but I wasn’t able to tell if it was made that way for possible flight or not. Then as I lowered my gaze, I saw something quite literally peal itself away from the stained glass windows, and as the dragon like head turned and looked towards me, I saw a smile spread over the things lips, before it gave me a wink, and disappeared in a puff of grey smoke. What did I just see...? Looking towards Luna, I saw her look away from me and towards where I had been looking myself, but before I could get her attention, I heard something speak right beside my ear, “Oh, that was a close one if old moon butt almost saw me.” Turning and looking over my shoulder towards Fluttershy, I saw her sitting there, but whoever the male voice had belonged to wasn’t in sight. “Uh...” Fluttershy turned and looked towards me, and when she did, I couldn’t help but ask, “Did you hear that?” The smile that had been across her muzzle vanished and she shook her head and said quietly, “I don’t believe I heard anything.” As she finished, I heard the voice again, but in my right ear this time, “Oh come now, I'm not invisible... or am I?” Looking over my right shoulder and behind me, I saw not a stallion or human in sight. Giving Luna a quick glance, I saw her giving me a concerned look, and then the voice spoke up again, “Well, I guess when I'm behind your ear it seems like I'm invisible.” Just as the voice started to speak, I felt a tickling sensation behind my ear and near my hairline, and with a brief shiver and a violent swipe of my hand; I threw whatever it was that had been touching me onto the table. What I saw was the same thing that had pulled itself from the stained glass, and as it landed on the table with a comical ‘oof’, it soon gave out a sigh, and then it was floating up and away from the table as it turned and gave me an unhappy smile before saying, “That is no way to greet someone with good intentions...” “Discord...” Looking over, I saw Luna looking towards the small little... mixed up creature, and I could hear the animosity hidden in her tone, and I could understand how she felt for it... or him. I had started to feel like I was going a little insane with hearing voices and seeing things. “What were you doing behind my ear?” Reaching behind my ear, I felt the need to swipe the back of my ear a few times to make sure there wasn’t anything else lurking where I couldn’t see. As he pushed himself up and onto his feet, he turned and regarded me with a curious expression as he said, “I was hiding... was it really not that obvious?” Lowering my hand back to the table, I saw he turned and smiled towards Fluttershy and said happily, “Nice to see you again Fluttershy.” A hat popped onto his head, before he lifted it off and flourished it in front of his serpentine body. From the corner of my eye, I saw Fluttershy smile as she said, “Hello Discord, nice to see you again.” Yet from across the table, I saw varying expressions from the other mares. From what I could tell, most of those present didn’t like this Discord guy, and while I wasn’t sure for what reasons, I couldn’t blame them as my own first experience had just been less than ideal. He was soon, luckily for me, engaging himself in an animate conversation with Fluttershy. Looking over, I saw Luna was still regarding him with a cold frown, but when her gaze landed on my own, she gave me an apologetic smile as she leaned over and whispered into my ear, “Discord is a... chaotic creature. I hadn’t known he would be attending, so I am sorry for any discomfort he may have caused thee.” When she pulled away, I saw she looked over with a glare towards Discord, but I simply reached up and scratched the area on her back between her wings as I said, “You didn’t know, and it was his actions that were annoying, so I see no reason that you should apologize.” Looking over my shoulder, I saw him entertaining Fluttershy with dancing teacups, and I looked back at Luna and smirked as I said; “Besides, if he wasn’t friends with Fluttershy, I think a flick from my finger might have been enough payback. He is the size of twig...” Luna’s smile said it all, yet when she leaned in to say something, the doors near the back of the room opened up loudly, and Luna withdrew with a smile. Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw a mix of humans and ponies, though more of the latter, pushing carts loaded with trays towards the table. Many of them wore smiles as they reached the table, and when they began to set the platters on the table, I saw Discord explode in a cloud of smoke, before he appeared across the table in a chair beside Twilight... although now he was larger than a small cup this time. She seemed to shrink away from him, yet he either didn’t care of notice as he reached an arm around her back and pulled her close, and then said loudly, “Oh dear, I wonder what Celestia has ordered tonight! I hope she had the chefs make pasta again!” I saw one of the chefs... a tall tan man flinch, and he looked over to Celestia briefly before he set the platter down. When he pulled the top of the platter off, I saw it was in a bowl like form, and it would seem Discord would get his wish... Turning away from the pasta, I saw many of the other dishes looked just as appetizing, though I did notice the lack of meat; though I had expected as much too. There was the pasta that Discord wanted, salad, soup, pizza, pies, a platter of sandwiches... and cupcakes... While it all looked good, I knew the pasta was off limits if Discord had a history with that type of food, so I would most likely go with some pizza and salad. Yet I wouldn’t be the first one to reach out and grab food... I was in the presence of royalty, and I wasn’t sure if that held a rule for serving order or not. Yet even if it did, I heard Discord say gleefully, “Anypony want pasta?” When I looked over at him, I saw a mischievous glint in his eyes, yet none of the mares or Spike said anything to say they wanted some. I held my tongue as I wasn’t sure of what the outcomes would be, and after a few more moments, he smiled widely... and then snapped his fingers. Then the most peculiar thing happened... The pasta sprung to life, as if it had just grown a mind of its own, and I saw a few strands stand up, then flop out of the bowl. I had read up on magic before, and its application and uses, yet this wasn’t anything like I had read about before. The noodles, after working their way under the bowl of pasta, lifted it up and then made a beeline for Discord... while the noodles in the bowl seemed to be cheering them on in a weird kind of way. I could only shake my head as I whispered to myself, “That would be so funny if it wasn’t so god damn weird...” While I hadn’t intended for it to be heard, Luna leaned in beside me and whispered, “That is... until he makes a mess.” Looking over, I saw her looking over the selection of food as everyone began to help themselves. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, and she whispered again, “Discord is the god of chaos... yet these days he tends to be... to put it bluntly, a headache.” Nodding my head in agreement, I looked in front of me and reached forward to grab some pizza, yet I saw the platter lift up and float closer to me. Glancing over at Luna, I saw her smirking as her horn was glowing. Smiling myself, I took a slice from the platter, and she levitated it back to its prior position. I felt a chuckle leave my throat, and I placed the pizza on my plate. Looking over at Luna, I felt my smile widen as I asked, “Luna, would you please levitate the salad bowl closer when you can?” She gave me a wink as she levitated the salad bowl over to me, and when she offered it to me, I took it and served myself some salad. When I finished, I was going to give it back to Luna, but I felt a tug on my sleeve, and I looked to my other side and saw Fluttershy looking as meek as ever. She let go of my sleeve, and I felt a bit embarrassed that I had forgotten about her. Her plate was still empty, and I realized just like me she couldn’t reach any of the food. Bringing the salad bowl to her, I asked, “Sorry Fluttershy, did you want some salad as well?” She smiled timidly as she said, “Yes please... and may I have a sunflower sandwich too?” Holding the salad bowl for Fluttershy to serve herself with ease, I gave her a kind smile and nod as I looked over my shoulder to a smiling Luna. I felt a chuckle leave my throat as I asked, “Can you pass me a sandwich for Fluttershy here?” Luna looked the other way, and I saw a sandwich from the platter further down the table lift into the air and come floating in our direction. I looked back in front of me as I heard the clatter of wood on wood, and it seemed Fluttershy was finished with the salad. Leaning back as a sandwich floated by and settled on the plate, I saw the timid mare smile some more, before she looked towards Luna and I and said, “Thank you both...” I nodded my head, and I looked back to Luna, who looked back at me... and I held the salad bowl out to her and asked, “Want some salad?” Walking with my arm draped over Luna’s back as we made our way back to her room, I was full, happy, and even better was the fact I was with Luna. While we walked, I ran my fingers over her fur as I couldn’t get over the feeling of how soft it felt, and she too seemed to enjoy the miniscule ministration as she leaned into the touch of my hand. She was humming softly enough that I was able to hear it, yet the pleasant sound didn’t carry too far away while we made our way through the empty halls. When we made a turn around a corner, Luna leaned against my body as she asked, “What did thou think of dinner?” Looking over to Luna a she resumed her humming, I smiled a bit more as I shrugged before saying, “Honestly, it was great... though Discord was a bit... eccentric. I'm not sure if I can look at spaghetti the same way after his display...” Luna cringed as her humming stopped, and I could share the sentiment as she said, “Yes... he was quite... disgusting...” Shaking my head to rid the less than appetizing image of food I was getting from my recent memory, I knew I wouldn’t be eating any kind of pasta for a while, not just spaghetti. Discord, in all his chaos and glory, ate one of the animated strands of pasta... only for it to appear and crawl from one of his nostrils. He had then sneezed, and the noodle flew halfway across the table, and his head had popped off... Pulling Luna closer, I rubbed her shoulder as I asked, “Anyways... what was it that you wanted to show me?” Ever since we had left the dining hall, she refused to tell me what I wanted to know, instead, she would either hum louder, or shake her head with a smile. So when she turned and looked towards me with a smile, I felt my hopes rise, and even more so when her muzzle opened. “It is a surprise, and a surprise I hope thee will enjoy my dear Mark.” And then she teased me like that... I felt a chuckle leave my throat as I resumed the light scratching on her shoulder, yet as I did, she hummed a bit louder this time as we made our way through the halls. The melody was welcoming, and I couldn’t complain as I was left to my thoughts. They were mainly thoughts about dinner and the mares I had met, along with how they seemed to be as ponies. They were all interesting... eccentric in their own ways, but only one of them I felt a bit wary of... Pinkie Pie. She had literally appeared out of thin air right in front of me like she had been prepared for my arrival for that exact moment. Wait... I felt a smirk spreading across my lips as I thought about something she had said, and it was then that I looked over at Luna again, this time a different question in mind. She seemed to sense my imminent question, so she looked back at me with her own smirk, and I knew my question was going to be unexpected for the ever knowing Luna. When I cleared my throat, Luna’s humming ceased, and I asked, “So, if I'm your coltfriend, does that make you my marefriend?” The confident and teasing smirk on her muzzle vanished to only be replaced by her embarrassed grin and reddening cheeks. Her gaze went to floor as she pulled away from me a bit, but I only pulled her closer as I said, “We kissed... does that make you my marefriend?” Her cheeks reddened even more, and I leaned against her as she giggled nervously. Her head inclined to my own, and she asked, “You’re not upset... are you?” I felt a laugh escape me as I pulled her even closer and rubbed her shoulder furiously, and I did the pony equivalent of nuzzling her head. After I pulled away, she giggled quietly as she turned and looked towards me, but I chose that time to answer her question, “Upset for what? It would be one thing if I said I was dating you... but since you said you’re dating me... well I can’t complain now can I?” When royalty is happy to say they are dating nonroyalty... I'm flattered... Luna smiled widely, yet she didn’t say anything as she pressed her side against my hip. Her eyes closed as I kept our path straight, and as we went along, I couldn’t help but wonder what it meant for down the road if I was going to be known as the human that was dating the princess of the night. If I was allowed to consider her my girlfriend, and I her boyfriend, then I would need to find a way to be able to visit her in Equestria... So many questions... so little answers. I guess I can see what we can do about it when it comes up... ... Stepping into Luna’s room during the daylight hours held a strange sense of de-ja-vú to it, but it was a pleasantry nonetheless as this time she didn’t need to leave right away. While the diming sunlight illuminated enough of the room to see the various pieces of art, I was also able to see the scrolls and books on a desk near the far side of the room. I was also able to see the poem I had given Luna during her brief visit to my home, and I saw how it was resting upon all the scrolls she had on her desk. Before I had a chance to go look at it again however, I felt Luna wrap a wing around my back and pull me alongside her. I felt a chuckle leave my throat as she apparently knew what I had been thinking, yet I saw her dragging me towards her balcony. “What are we doing Luna?” As I draped an arm over her back, I felt the feathers of her other wing brush against my fingers. While I didn’t think much about it, I wrapped my fingers around one of the thicker feathers and ran my fingers along the edges of the feather softly as to not damage it. Her humming jumped an octave, and I saw her muzzle snap towards me as I looked towards her. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked astonished... so I asked, “Did I hurt your wing?” When I pulled my hand away from her wing hesitantly, I saw her cheeks brighten a bit more, and her wings ruffled as she shook her head quickly. She licked her lips as she leaned in close, and I felt her breath wash over my lips as she looked deeply into my eyes. She made us stop our motion as she faced me entirely, and I heard her wings rustle, along with feeling it with the wing she had wrapped around my back. As her breaths came in shallow puffs, she asked, “Do you really want to...?” Feeling a bit concerned as I wasn’t sure why she was suddenly behaving different, I couldn’t really pull away as her wing held me still, but I asked with a bit of apprehension, “Want to what Luna?” Her behavior was getting to unusual for me, yet as she leaned away from me a bit, her scarlet cheeks puffed up in confusion as her head tilted to the side in an adorable fashion. Yet then she leaned forward as she said quietly in a confused tone, “Thou pulled on my primary feather... I thought thou knew...” I felt my brow crease in confusion as I did my best to think of what she meant, but I still shook my head while saying, “I don’t know what you mean... I thought I was just doing the same as scratching your back.” Her eyes widened a bit, and I asked, “Why... what does it mean?” Her cheeks puffed a bit more as her blush brightened a bit more, and although she seemed disappointed for some reason; she let out a relieved sigh. She leaned closer as she licked her lips again, and while she did, she spoke softly in an embarrassed tone, “When thou pulled on my primary flight feather... thy action said you wanted to become,” she cleared her throat as she looked away from my eyes, “intimate.” This time I felt my cheeks starting to burn, and I pulled my hand away from her side so that I wouldn’t make that mistake again, and I felt a weak chuckle escape my lips as I said just as weakly, “Heh Heh... maybe in time I will intend for that to be my message... but I didn’t mean that Luna... er, it’s too early for us to get, well, that close...” My cheeks felt hotter than fire, and she agreed with a single firm nod, though I did hear her breathing hitch when I had hinted towards us getting intimate later on. Yet as she looked away, she said, “W-Well... we will ignore that misunderstanding for now.” She turned and began pulling me towards the balcony again. Yet as we walked, I realized if that piece of information was misunderstood, then I didn’t know what else he had told me that was false. Yet here at my side I had an understanding mare that was willing to let my mistake be just that... so perhaps she would be able to answer another question for me. Reaching over, I tapped her shoulder as I asked, “Luna... is there any additional meaning if I were to massage the base of your horn?” “Mark...?” Luna looked over at me with a confused if not somewhat mischievous grin, and then asked, “Who told thee to touch these spots...?” “Er... a friend?” Her tone and that expression were making me reconsider ever going to Bob for advice again. Looking into her eyes, she smiled as I asked, “Why... what does it mean?” Luna’s cheeks had lost some of the red glow to them, but she seemed to think something over as she tilted her head closer to my own as she opened the doors to the balcony with her magic. She glanced at me briefly before she said, “Try that Mark... and I will just show thou instead... for now, I have something I want to show thee something not many humans get to witness.” She looked towards the sky, and I followed her gaze and saw the sky was dark; as the sun had set, yet the moon had yet to rise. Yet when her horn began to glow, I glanced back at her as she closed her eyes for some reason, and I saw her mane take on a darker glow as her horns magic only intensified. Yet then I saw something from the corner of my eye, and I looked over to see the moon peaking over the distant horizon. I felt my eyes widen, and I looked back at Luna to see her eyes snap open, and then I felt my blood run cold as I saw that her eyes were entirely white, and glowing. As she used her magic to raise the moon, I felt a somewhat strong breeze flowing around us, and I looked towards the night sky and saw a beautiful sight. As the moon continued to rise, stars began to dot the night sky, with the ones that were appearing sparkling brighter, before they dimmed and blended in with the other stars. I watched as a wave of stars slowly appeared, and the moon began to slow its ascent as well. The longer I watched, the more I felt stunned to be witnessing what was happening. I had read about the princesses of Equestria having the ability to move the celestial bodies, and while I hadn’t believed it at first, it was an interesting thought to think about. Yet here I was, witnessing the act in front of me, with the Princess of the Night at my side, allowing me to be here as she performed this duty. It was a magnificent thing to watch, and as I looked back towards Luna, I saw her eyes slowly closing, and the breeze that had been blowing around us began to die down. The glow around her horn began to dim darker, until it winked into nonexistence, and she opened her eyes and seemed to grow confused. She wobbled slightly on her feet, as if unsteady, and I moved closer to her side just as she stumbled a bit. I caught her before she fell, but as I held her in my arms, she leaned against my hold as she shook her head. When she seemed to be feeling better, I lessened the grip I had around her so that she could stand up unhindered, yet I kept an arm around her just in case. Her wings flexed open, and she twisted her head a bit as she seemed to stretch. While she did that however, I felt a smile spread across my lips, and I rubbed the base of her neck as I said, “Luna, that was truly magnificent.” She looked over at me as I said that, and I saw the embarrassed yet delighted smile spreading across her muzzle, but I added, “It was as beautiful as the mare that did it.” This time her smile came with a slightly reddening of her cheeks, and she giggled quietly as she leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek as she leaned further against my body. She pulled away soon afterwards and said happily, “I'm glad that thy think so... thank you for being there as well.” I felt her muzzle press against my cheek as she nuzzled me happily while letting out a quiet sigh, before she said, “I usually sleep during the day... so I am just a little more tired today that yesterday.” I felt my smile drop a bit before I asked, “I'm not upsetting your sleep schedule, am I Luna?” She stopped nuzzling against me for a brief moment, and she seemed to think about my question before answering, “No. I would rather alter my sleeping cycle to spend as much time with you as possible... but now, we get to sleep.” My smile returned, and I sheepishly said, “Yes, well I believe I need the young beautiful mare to walk me back to my room... I'm not sure I can find the way by myself.” Luna giggled as she seemed to blush a bit more, and while we made our way back into her room, she shook her head as she said, “That isn’t necessary... thou... you will be sleeping here tonight, in my room.” When she said that, I felt my cheeks warm up again, but bothered not to question it. I had effectively flirted with her all day today, along with her having done the same with me. We had kissed, shared a meal at a restaurant, and even, although I'm ashamed to think about it; pranked her sister together. Although a strange, somewhat awkward day, it had panned out almost like a date, yet I was sure we weren’t about to hit fourth base just yet, so sleeping in her bed with her shouldn’t be that much of a big deal. Especially considering she had slept in my bed the first night I was here. Feeling a light chuckle leave my throat, I looked over and saw Luna looking towards me as she was already lying on her bed. She smiled widely as she looked over at me, before she asked curiously, “Are you going to sleep in what you are wearing?” Making my way towards her bedside, I shook my head as I said, “N-No... sorry, I was just thinking about our day today.” Stopping at the end of the bed, I kicked my shoes off, and I slipped my dress shirt up and over my head. My socks followed soon afterwards, but took me a bit longer as I used my toes to get them off. While I normally wouldn’t sleep in jeans... I wasn’t about to hop into the bed of a princess with only boxers on. She smirked as I stepped around the bed, her eyes never leaving my own, yet when I sat on her bed hesitantly, she giggled and said, “I won’t bite...” Her choice of words was of little comfort, yet when I went to lie down, her hooves instantly wrapped around my chest as she pulled me closer to her, and she said quietly, “...much.” Just as she said that, I looked over, only to have her lean in and nuzzle my cheek. I felt myself chuckle as I reached a hand up and rubbed the top of her hoof slowly and I asked, “So you won’t bite...?” Her nuzzle stopped, and she pulled away from my cheek enough to look into my eyes, before I saw a mischievous smirk spreading across her muzzle. She leaned in closer to my ear as she whispered, “Unless thy steals another kiss from mine lips.” ...And then she bit the top of my shoulder firmly enough to make me feel it. I felt my cheeks burn as I thought about her request, and as I did, I felt her nuzzling closer to my neck. An electric tingle sensation ran across my skin where her muzzle was touching, yet as I thought about it, the more I knew how... well, embarrassed I was feeling. The kiss I had ‘stolen’ earlier had been, I thought, caused from the gift I had given her. Yet now, she wanted one before we slept... ... And I knew it would need to be soon as her gentle bite on my neck had been a bit firmer than on my shoulder. Her breath washing over my skin was also starting to become... distracting. Bringing my hands up, I pushed my palm under the bottom of her muzzle as she was about to bite my jaw, and I felt her move with my hand, but she didn’t do anything else than stare into my eyes when her muzzle was over my lips. The feeling of her hoof sliding over my chest as she leaned on me and hovered above me was also just as comforting, yet as her eyes closed, I found my cheeks starting to burn even more. Now or never... As I leaned forward and caught her lips in my own, I felt butterflies erupt in my body as the memory of our earlier kiss came to mind. She had anticipated it then, and she had hinted towards wanting a kiss after our meeting with my friend... and she wanted a kiss now. Feeling my eyes close as I wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her closer, I felt her muzzle twist into a smile while she leaned a bit more into the kiss. While bob had given less than honorable advice, something I had done earlier came back to mind, so as we twisted out heads in opposite directions, I reached a hand up and slid it over the back of her ear; an action that caused her to pause. Yet once I wrapped the tip of her ear around my fingers, I felt her muzzle open a bit more as she shuddered in anticipation. My smile widened, and when I gave her ears tip a gentle yet slow rub, she let out a delicate sounding gasp as she pulled away from the kiss. She seemed to hum happily while I rubbed the tip of her ear, and as she lied atop of me, she groaned in ecstasy. As I continued my ministration, she said happily, “Do not stop thy action this time... ahh...” I felt a smile stretch across my lips, and as I thought about it, I knew she was enjoying this more than our kissing, and I could only surmise that like any other animal, she enjoyed an ear rub. So I brought my other hand up to her other ear. I swear to god, tomorrow, I will see if she is more cat or dog... a belly rub should easily answer that question...