In Pieces

by Krickis


8 – Goodbyes and Beginnings

Chapter Eight
Goodbyes and Beginnings


‘I love you, too.’

The words hadn’t left Luna’s head in the days that followed Amber saying them. It wasn’t exactly surprising – she had long since known Amber’s feelings towards her, and Luna had pushed her into an emotional wall. In hindsight, the statement was perfectly fitting.

So why had she been so surprised at the time? And more to the point, why was she still so caught up on it? It wasn’t complicated; she would just have to sit down with Amber, explain that she was sorry for sending the wrong message, but that she did not, in fact, love her in any way other than as a friend. In truth, Luna was simply stating why she would not love Amber. She would be perfectly happy spending an eternity with her, but she would be happy spending an eternity with anypony, provided it wasn’t herself.

It wasn’t complicated. It would not the first time she would need to have a conversation like that with somepony.

She was almost at Fillydelphia, and it was complicated. It wouldn’t have been when Luna knew herself, but that was over a thousand years ago. The old Luna would never have found herself in a problem like this, because the old Luna knew how to separate herself and do what she needed to. But the old Luna did not know Amber Glow. Something about Amber always made Luna do things she didn’t expect herself to do.

Well, there was only one thing to do now. In a time when she barely knew herself, she couldn’t very well keep interacting with somepony who made her less sure. And so, as her carriage flew over Fillydelphia, she had every intention of helping Amber with this one final thing, then waiting for the right moment to end their friendship once and for all.

And yet, as she landed and spotted Amber in the crowd, she knew that some intentions would never be fulfilled. Amber had already written to tell her that she had her mane cut short again, but actually seeing her was another matter. It wasn’t that Luna preferred her mane short, but rather that Amber did. As she smiled and approached the carriage, she looked happier than she had in years, and Luna felt that happiness spread to herself as well.

“Luna!” Amber greeted her enthusiastically. Luna did so love to see her happy.

Luna’s smile was friendly and welcoming, but did nothing to betray her mutual joy at seeing Amber. “Greetings, Amber. I must say I admire the new – or rather, the old – look.”

Amber grinned as she ran a hoof through her mane. “Yeah, it’s nice not having to worry about all that hair. I don’t know how you put up with it.”

“Oh?” Luna smiled and took a step closer. “And would you prefer me to shorten mine as well?”

“Hmm…” Amber tapped her chin in contemplation for a moment, then smiled and stepped forward to wrap a foreleg around Luna’s neck, burying her face into the much larger mare’s chest. “Nah, you’re perfect already.”

Luna returned the hug then bent down to tease Amber about how it had only been a few days since they’d seen one another, and had been writing regularly the whole time. “I missed you, too,” were the words that came out, however.

When they pulled apart, Amber was wearing a content smile. She turned and led the way towards her house, and Luna followed. Along the way, Amber caught her up with what the situation was like with her family, although it had mostly remained unchanged from what she had described in the journal. Her parents had been shocked when they saw her mane, as was expected, although she managed to mitigate some of the reaction by tearfully telling them that she and Caramel Macchiato had broken up. Of course, that sympathy went out the window once she admitted that she had been the one to end things. She hadn’t dared to tell them about the proposal.

“And you’re sure they’re suspicious?” Luna asked.

“Yeah. They haven’t said anything, but I can tell.” Amber chuckled, but Luna could tell she was anything but amused. “And if they aren’t yet, they will be once news hits about the wedding and they realize the date matches up with my trip.”

Luna nodded at a pony who was bowing to her. “Well, Fluttershy did say they could announce the wedding was on a different date, but I suppose that hardly matters if your mind is truly made up.”

Not only did she not reply, but Amber had stopped in her tracks. Luna turned to her, and found she was staring at the stallion who had been bowing. Luna took a better look at him and realized who he was.

“Princess Luna,” he said, not rising from the bow, “it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Please, rise,” Luna said, adopting a polite smile. “It is good to meet you, Caramel Macchiato.”

Caramel jerked upright, shocked that Luna knew who he was. “I, uh…”

Although Luna was amused by his reaction, she did nothing to show it. “You are not here to see me, however.” She turned to Amber. “Would you like me to give the two of you some time to talk?”

Amber glanced between Luna and somewhere in Caramel’s general direction, before deciding to instead stare at the ground. “I, uh, I’m sure he’d rather not talk to me, anyway.”

“That’s not true,” Caramel said, taking a step closer to them. “Your dad told me you went to the station, so I came here to find you, actually.”

Amber kept facing away, but her ears swivelled towards Caramel. Since she didn’t seem too likely to speak up herself, Luna did so for her. “And what did you wish to speak with her about?”

Caramel seemed apprehensive about talking openly in front of Luna, but her concern lay with Amber. If she requested time alone, Luna would oblige, but otherwise she hoped to help smooth over the conversation, and would be ready to take Amber’s side in the event of an argument.

Realizing he wasn’t going to get any privacy, Caramel took a deep breath and addressed Amber directly. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I sort of see where you were coming from. Considering your parents’ attitudes, I can understand why you felt the need to keep it secret from them, and why you agreed to date me to help with that, but… three years? I don’t understand why you had to keep it up for so long.”

Luna moved so her body was pressed against Amber, leaned in close to her, and spoke quietly. “I could try and explain if you wish, but I think it would mean more coming from you.”

Amber took a deep breath and looked up to face him. Although he did not look angry, she still pressed herself closer to Luna for support. “I’m sorry. I know I was horrible and selfish, but I just didn’t know what to do. It just… it really sold them, and, well, I did always really like you as a friend. We really did have a lot of good times together, and it felt like if it wasn’t you then it’d be someone else. Who knows if I’d ever find another stallion who was as great as you? I always thought, you know, nopony would actually agree with the ‘no premarital sex’ thing, but you just… never questioned it.”

Caramel thought about what she said for a moment, then nodded. “I wish… you would have told me sooner. Things could have been different.”

“I guess… I was afraid that if you knew, you’d tell my parents.”

“I would never.” Caramel frowned and walked closer, so they were face to face. Amber turned away. “Surely you don’t think that I would date somepony so opinionated for so long without also agreeing with her opinions?”

Amber lifted her head a little. “But… you were the one who kept wanting to play nice at those stupid VES meetings.”

“Well, maybe I’m not as liberal as you, or as vocal about my opinions. And of course I didn’t want to do anything that would upset your parents. But I do support you, and I want you to be happy.”

“You…” Amber shook her head and looked up at Caramel, suddenly full of determination. “You’re too bucking nice! You’re gonna just let the next mare walk all over you.”

Caramel smiled a bit, and Luna had no doubt she knew how he felt. Even if things wouldn’t work out for them, there was something about Amber’s fire that never ceased to amaze. “I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”

“It better not!” Amber stomped a hoof. “I swear, if your next marefriend is as much of a bitch as I was, she’ll have to answer to me!”

“That so?” Caramel kept smiling, but it looked strained. Luna recognized that expression as well – he was seeing everything he was forced to give up.

“Sure is.” Amber seemed to not notice the subtlety of his expressions, or else she just didn’t know how to address it. “And if that’s not enough of a threat to keep her in line, then I could probably get Loony to make her miserable.”

Luna frowned. “I am not sure what you intend to do with my power, but I do not like the sound of it.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “I dunno, get her taxes audited, like, every year or something. And by the most anal accountant you can find.”

“You are a truly evil mare,” Luna said, although she liked the idea well enough.

Caramel blinked and looked between the two of them, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Luna couldn’t help but smile as the realization struck him. “When you said there was… somepony else…”

Amber blushed and looked away. Unsure of exactly how to explain their relationship to him, Luna just smiled and covered Amber with her wing.

Caramel put a hoof to his temple and stared. “Well… I can certainly see what made you decide to come out with this now.”

Amber leaned her head against Luna. “It’s… complicated. But uh, yeah, I was talking about Luna the other day.”

Caramel chuckled. “Well then, I suppose it is only fair to offer you the same courtesy.” He turned to face Luna, a nervous expression on his face. “Princess Luna, if you mistreat Amber, you’ll have to answer to me.”

Amber laughed, while Luna just widened her smile. “In that case, I assure you I will be on my best behavior. There is no need for concern.” She bent down to nuzzle Amber’s head. “Amber is very dear to me.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Caramel said. Luna pulled her wing back and stepped away to give them some room, and they bumped hooves. “I’m glad we had a chance to talk. Take care of yourself.”

“You too.” Amber looked torn between hugging him or leaving it at the hoof bump. Before she could make up her mind, he gave one last wave, then walked away.

Luna let him walk a few steps before interrupting him. “Caramel Macchiato?”

“Yes?”

“I have been told that you have your own coffee shop,” she said.

The topic seemed to confuse Caramel. “Yes, that’s right.”

“You have been having trouble keeping up with the payments on the property, however,” Luna said. It was not a question, but Caramel confirmed it anyway. “It has occurred to me that you might have had more free time over the past three years to invest into your business, but instead you were taking care of Amber.”

Caramel smiled. “Oh, I’m not worried about it. I’ll find some way of turning it around.”

Luna smiled back. “No, you will not.” She allowed herself the guilty pleasure of watching his expression shift to puzzlement, tinged with some concern, before she continued. “There is no need. I happen to know that a very wealthy private investor has transferred a rather large sum of money into your account.”

And in an instant, the expression changed – disbelief, but with the intense desire to believe. “You… Princess, I couldn’t possibly –”

“I assure you that you could possibly, and that you will. In fact, the matter has been taken care of for some hours now. And in any event, whatever you may think I am implying, you ought to know there is far too much red tape for me to involve myself in such a matter. Should you check your records, and I very much think you should, you will find it was not I, but one ‘Moonlight Glow’ who is responsible.”

“I, you…” Caramel took a moment to compose himself, then bowed again. This time he didn’t wait for her to tell him to rise, and when he did it was with an excited grin on his face. For the moment, it seemed, this would prove enough of a distraction. “Thank you, Princess, and it was an honor meeting you.”

Luna simply smiled and nodded as he left. Once he was gone, Amber nudged her. “That was really sweet. Nice name.”

“I’m sure I do not know what you are talking about,” Luna answered. “And in any case, we have another matter on our hooves.”

Amber sighed. “Right. That.”

Luna gently nudged her with a wing, and smiled when Amber turned to face her. “You are sure this is what you want to do?” she asked, although she was confident in the answer already.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Amber smiled back, then continued leading the way to her house.

It had surprised even Luna when she had offered Amber her assistance. She had explained that she was ready to come out to her parents once more, but that she was scared to do so. Before she could think better of it, Luna had offered to go with her and lend her counselling skills to the discussion. Had she thought about it, she was sure she wouldn’t have. On a professional level, Fillydelphia was a long flight from Canterlot, and she’d need to make a return trip as well. On a personal level, she was still unsure if she should even continue her friendship with Amber, and was not interested at all in meeting with her parents. The feeling would very likely be mutual, since they did not acknowledge her as worthy of her title, and would certainly not be in favor of her being so close with their daughter.

However, whether or not she should have come was unimportant. She did come, and now she would see it through. But there was still a matter that was sure to come up, which they needed to discuss. “When we meet your parents, what do you intend to tell them about us?”

Amber was walking ahead of Luna, so she couldn’t see her expression, but she did note the way her ears suddenly pointed upwards. “I, uh, I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.”

No, but Luna had. She did too many things with Amber without thinking them through, but she had thought this through quite a bit. She had reached two possible conclusions, both hinging on the same fact – she was not happy with the nature of their friendship any longer. The first option was to wait for a more tactful time, then tell Amber that she was sorry, but they would no longer be in regular contact. But she could see now that there was no way that was going to happen, which left her with the second option.

“The choice is ultimately yours, and I will go along with whatever you choose to do.” Luna watched the way Amber’s ears fell, ever so slightly, as she was disappointed in receiving another noncommittal answer. All she could do was smile. “But you should know that I would be honored if you introduced me as your marefriend.”

Amber stopped walking completely, causing Luna to bump into her. She turned with a bewildered expression on her face. “Are you serious?”

“I usually am.”

Luna anticipated Amber would be excited, but instead she just looked down at their hooves. “But… why me? You could be with anypony.”

“Yes, I could be with a great number of ponies, if I were to so choose.” Luna gently lifted Amber’s head. “I do not.”

“But I’m just… I mean…” She gently pushed Luna’s hoof away, and leaned her head into Luna’s chest. “I’m so confused lately.”

Luna chuckled and shook her head. “It is not that complicated, Amber. Although I would be content resuming the nature of our friendship three years ago, or with continuing it unchanged from how it has been in more recent times, I would prefer to enter a genuine relationship with you, should you wish the same.”

“No, not that…” Amber was staring off to the side, so Luna followed her gaze to find it pointed at a shop window. It seemed she wasn’t looking through it, however, but was instead examining her reflection. “I’d really like that, but… you deserve somepony who knows themself better. Somepony who doesn’t wonder who or what they are all the time.”

In the reflection, Luna saw both of them wearing the same expression. Somepony who knew themself? How could she fault somepony for that, when Luna herself barely knew who she was anymore? She turned away from the reflection and Amber did the same, so Luna was looking directly into her brilliant golden eyes. “Perhaps the best thing we could do is find out together.”

Amber placed her forelegs on Luna’s shoulders to prop herself up. Smiling, Luna closed her eyes as they kissed. She willed herself to not worry about her decisions, and instead just lose herself in this one perfect moment.

When Amber’s tongue slipped into her mouth, Luna pulled away grinning. By that point Amber had fully wrapped her forelegs around Luna’s neck, and looked more than willing to find a room right then. Seeing her disappointed look was almost enough to make Luna feel bad for her, but she had every intention of making the wait worthwhile. She leaned in close, putting her mouth right next to Amber’s ear, and seductively whispered, “Later.”

Although she continued looking reluctant, Amber pulled away. “Fine. But I’ll hold you to that.”

“Patience, Amber,” Luna said as they resumed walking, “I promise you, my word is not the only thing you may hold me to by the time the night is out.”

Amber laughed and resumed walking. Luna caught up to her, and draped a wing over her, keeping it there as they walked. Along the way, it seemed that much of Amber’s worry was dispelled; that is, until they neared the house.

“Well… we’re here.” Amber held back uncertainly.

Luna nudged her. “Everything will be alright. I am here with you.”

“Yeah.” Amber nodded, and led them through the door.

Luna took a good look around, knowing this was likely to be the only time she would get the chance to see Amber’s foalhood home. The house was as she expected – a nice suburban home, it was kept clean without feeling sterile, and was a comfortable size for a family of four. And like many family homes, the walls were filled with pictures in frames. She quickly recognized which ponies were Amber’s parents, as most of the pictures showed one or more of four ponies, with a few other relatives. There were pictures from every time in the family’s life, from what seemed to be Dusty Quartz and Wisteria Mist’s wedding day, to sometime after Amber had moved back to Fillydelphia. She was admiring a photo of Amber as a filly with her newborn brother when they were noticed.

“Amber, sweetie, is that you?” a voice that must have been her mother called as her hoofsteps approached from another room. “Did you get to meet with your fri– sweet Celestia!”

Wisteria Mist stood in a doorway, mouth hanging open as she gaped at the sight of Luna, who smiled as if nothing was amiss. “I am afraid not, although I have been told the family resemblance is striking.”

“Luna, this is my mom, Wisteria Mist,” Amber explained, if only to try and divert the awkwardness. “Mom, this is Luna, my, uh… is Dad around?”

Holding in her laughter at Amber almost getting ahead of herself, Luna looked around the room, as if expecting to find somepony hiding away. “I would also enjoy seeing Fox Glove, if he is home.”

Wisteria just continued to stare. Smiling nervously, Amber approached her. “Everything’s okay, Mom. Come on, let’s take a seat.”

Amber gently guided her mother into another room, with Luna following behind. She sat on a couch, while Wisteria sat across from them. “I’ll, uh, be right back,” Amber said, looking between the two mares nervously before walking out.

Examining the room revealed more pictures. “You have a lovely home,” Luna said.

Wisteria didn’t respond.

“I suppose an apology for my impromptu appearance is in order. It may comfort you to know that contrary to what I have heard some ponies believe, I have never personally visited a private residence because the ponies who lived there were in some sort of legal trouble. Truly, this is more of a social call.”

Thankfully for both of them, Fox Glove entered the room before his mother could continue to not address Luna’s attempts at conversation. “Princess Luna!”

The little colt ran up and sat down beside her, smiling excitedly. Luna suspected Amber had sent him to rescue her, and was thankful. “Greetings, Fox Glove. It is nice to see you again. Tell me, did that botanical project at school go well?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, enthusiastic that Luna had remembered. “I got an A!”

“Not surprising, considering you are such a bright colt,” Luna said, causing him to swell with pride. He did not share his sister’s gift for conversation, but Luna didn’t mind. “Your parents must be very proud of you.”

As she thought, that got Wisteria to finally speak up. “Yes, we’re both so proud of our little Foxy.”

Fox Glove seemed embarrassed by the affection, and maybe by the nickname, but Luna was satisfied to have found something that would get her to talk. “You are interested in botany, correct?”

“I guess,” he said, with all the disinterest that came from his age.

“ ‘Tis only natural, considering your mother’s work.” Luna turned to Wisteria, and asked a question she already knew the answer to. “Does Fox Glove often help you around your shop?”

She smiled and looked somewhat sheepish. “Oh, I don’t think flower arranging would be very interesting for a colt his age.”

“Really? I had thought you two may have similar passions. A florist and a botanist may hold largely different jobs, but surely they both stem from a love of nature.” She smiled at Fox Glove. “What do you think? Would you be interested in learning a bit about your mother’s profession?”

“Oh, uh, sure,” Fox Glove said. “That could be cool.”

Hopefully his interest would last after they were gone, and would be enough to encourage his mom to involve him in her work, despite his gender.

“Okay,” Amber said as she walked into the room, her father in tow, “Luna, meet my dad, Dusty Quartz.”

Luna nodded at stallion, whose reaction was similar to his wife’s. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Amber guided her dad to a seat beside Wisteria. “Dad, well, you already know who she is, but allow me to introduce Luna –” she walked over and took a seat beside Luna, and took  hold of her hoof “– my marefriend.”

Judging by the way nopony moved, one could have believed they were posing for another family photo. Luna draped a wing over Amber to emphasize her announcement. And, admittedly, because she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being able to use her wing to shield the smaller mare from the world around them.

“Your marefriend!?” Fox Glove asked, surprising Luna by being the first one to speak as well as with his tone.

Amber didn’t seem worried about that, as she just showed him a cocky grin. “Yeah, that’s what I said, and I don’t mean she’s a mare who is my friend.” She looked around as if making sure the coast was clear, before holding a hoof to her mouth and ‘whispering’ loud enough for everypony to hear her, “Score!”

For reasons Luna didn’t seem to be privy to, Fox Glove blushed as he looked on in disbelief. “You needn’t worry,” she told him, “I will take good care of your sister.”

Amber seemed to find that amusing, while Fox Glove just blushed more, and Luna was confused by both reactions. She instead turned her focus to the parents, who both seemed to be moving past the worst of their shock.

“Foxy,” Wisteria said, “why don’t you run along for now? I think we need to have a talk with Amber and Princess Luna in private.”

It was amusing how she was suddenly a princess when they met face to face. “Please, I think just Luna will be fine, under the circumstances.”

Both parents looked unsure of how to take that, and Fox Glove showed no signs of leaving. “Is it the crown?” Luna asked, hoping to at least prompt somepony to say something so she would know how to proceed. “Because if so, then by all means.” Her horn lit as a blue aura surrounded her crown, lifting it off of her head, and placing it on Fox Glove’s.

The surprise of being adorned by the princess’s regalia seemed to snap Fox Glove out of his stupor, but his dad beat him to being the next to speak. “Foxy, listen to your mother.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Fox Glove said defensively, remaining in his seat. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

Looks of concern passed between both parents. It was clear they weren’t going to talk openly with Flox Glove in the room, and a look towards Amber confirmed that she realized too. “Foxy, we’ll be alright.”

“You should listen to your parents,” Luna added.

He looked at them as if they had deliberately shunned his help, which Luna supposed was a fair way to look at the situation. Dejected, he stood up, but didn’t immediately walk to the door. Instead he walked over to Amber, and hugged her. “No matter what, I still love you.”

“Thanks, Foxy. I love you, too.”

As he pulled away from her, Luna held open a foreleg in invitation. Fox Glove accepted the hug and blushed again, and Luna was beginning to think she understood what all the blushing was about.

Wisteria and Dusty glared all the while, but didn’t say anything. Even when Fox Glove left the room, they remained silent for a moment, but eventually Dusty spoke up. “I thought you were done with all this.”

Amber looked to the ground. “I know I said that, but I was lying.” Luna placed her hoof atop Amber’s, and she seemed to find comfort in it. She looked up to meet her parents eyes. “Mom, Dad, I’m a lesbian. I can’t change that. I could date a stallion, I could even marry one, but that wouldn’t make me straight.”

“But what about Caramel?” Wisteria asked. “That poor stallion’s crazy about you, and I don’t believe you never felt the same way for him.”

“But I didn’t.” Amber’s ears fell at the reminder of Caramel, but she didn’t look away. “Caramel was great, the best coltfriend I could have asked for, and I still couldn’t love him.”

“Speaking of Caramel, we ran into him on the way here,” Luna added. “He gave us his support, and things were able to conclude on a positive note.”

“So that’s it then?” Dusty asked. “This is just the way it is?”

Amber hesitated for a moment, but turned to look at Luna and found her resolve. “Yes. I’m gay, and I always will be.”

“I understand you have reservations about this,” Luna said, trying to finally guide them towards a real discussion. “I assure you nothing has changed about your daughter. She is still the same pony you have always loved.”

“What do you plan on doing now?” Dusty asked. It was just as Amber had predicted; her mom would rather grasp at straws to try and make her daughter fit into her ideals, while her dad wouldn’t hear anything that wasn’t a cut and dry fact.

Amber seemed uninterested in obliging either of them. “You know, it was really hard to come back and pretend that everything had been some stupid phase I was going through. Hiding everything for three years, it… it really hurt. But I did it anyway, because… I love you. I don’t want to lose you two, or Foxy. I want to keep my family.”

There was some hope that the sentimentality would reach Wisteria, and to some extent, it seemed that it did. She was averting her eyes, unable to look at her daughter when she knew how much pain their actions had caused her in the past. Still, she did not speak up. It was clear that if they were going to come to terms with their daughter’s sexual orientation, it would not be in a single meeting.

“I believe the question at hoof is not what Amber intends to do, but what your own decision on the matter is.” If she wanted to, Luna probably could have guided them to allow Amber to still live in their house. She did not believe they actually wanted to kick their daughter out, after all. But unless they reached that decision on their own, Luna feared living together would create unnecessary tension, preventing them from coming to understand their daughter better. As well, she worried about the pressure they would surely place on her to conform to what they wanted of her.

The answer could have come from either of them, and it would have been the same. But it seemed only one parent had the will to actually break the news. “Amber,” Dusty said, his voice sounding uncharacteristically soft, “you know we both love you, and we always will. And we do want you to be happy, but… we have to think of Fox Glove here.”

“But Fox Glove doesn’t care!” Amber pointed out desperately.

Proceeding much more calmly, Luna asked, “What effect do you believe our relationship will have on your son?”

Dusty fidgeted in his seat while he fumbled with his words.

“Please, speak your mind candidly,” Luna requested. “I assure you that I did not come to cause problems for my marefriend’s parents. You have no cause for concern, no matter what it is you have to say.”

Dusty looked at her uncertainly, no doubt wondering if her word held merit, then cleared his throat and nodded. “We believe in traditional families. Mares date stallions, and stallions date mares. Anything else is against the natural order of things, and is not the type of relationship we want to expose Fox Glove to at such a young age.”

“He is thirteen,” Luna reminded them, before Amber could react. “His school has a gay-straight alliance. He has seen the news surrounding Princesses Twilight, Fluttershy, and Sunset. Whether you want him to be or not, he is exposed to this type of thing. All you are doing is robbing him of a sister, and yourselves of a daughter.”

“It’s one thing to see it, and another for it to be so close to home,” Dusty said adamantly.

Before she could retort, Amber wrapped her forelegs around Luna. She looked down to see Amber had tears in her eyes. “I’ll pack my things,” she said weakly.

Luna held her close and turned back to her parents. “It is not unreasonable to expect your children to find their own way. Even if I do not agree with your reasoning, Amber is twenty-four now, and is capable of taking care of herself, as she has proven in the past. It would be unreasonable to remove her from her brother’s life entirely. Will you permit visitations?”

The question was almost more of a test than anything. Luna had her own plans concerning the face-to-face meetings of Amber and Fox Glove, and she had little concern of their parent’s wishes in the matter. Still, their answer was important.

They looked at each other uncertainly, before Dusty answered. “Yes. Amber can visit him.”

It didn’t escape Luna’s attention that ‘Amber’ did not include herself. Still, it was hopeful. “Very good. Then I suppose we ought to prepare for our departure.”

Although she suspected they probably didn’t want Luna accompanying Amber as she said her goodbyes to Fox Glove, she also knew they would be too afraid to push their luck. She rose, and gently guided Amber to do the same. They walked to the door, and Luna paused in front of it to remind Amber that everything would be alright, and to give Fox Glove a chance to scurry away and pretend he wasn’t listening in.

He was still waiting in the hallway when they entered it, but at least he’d managed to not be right by the door. Rather than say anything to each other, Amber just walked up to him and pulled him into a tight hug, which he returned.

“Amber, I…”

Amber pulled away, smiling as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m gonna be moving out, but I’ll come back and visit. Come on, you can help me pack.”

Luna collected her crown from Fox Glove, and Amber led the way to her room, which was just down a short hallway. The room itself was in line with the rest of the house; it was an average size, with decent quality furnishings. Unlike the rest of the house, it did not feature pictures covering the walls. Instead, there was one picture, sitting atop a dresser: Amber and Fox Glove, each with a foreleg around the other’s neck.

The picture got tucked away in a suitcase. It seemed that at least one of her habits from her days spent travelling had stuck around, since in three years she hadn’t accumulated many possessions.

“What clothes do you want?” Fox Glove asked.

Amber took one look at the assortment of dresses she’d come to own. “You can have them.”

“Oh, that’d be great!” Fox Glove held one up to himself. “It’d give Mom and Dad a heart attack!”

“Perhaps we should donate them,” Luna suggested. “As amusing as it may seem to rebel against your parents in such a way, you would only be validating their fear that Amber has somehow confused your sense of identity.”

He sighed and set the dress aside. “Yeah, you’re right Pr– uh, Luna.”

Luna smiled. “So tell me then, Fox Glove; does dating your sister entitle me to use the name Foxy?”

Whether from the question or the intensity with which she looked into his eyes, Fox Glove blushed again. “I, uh, I guess…”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Luna said. She levitated all the dresses into a pile, with the intention of donating them along the way back to her carriage. Noting that his parents weren’t as nosy as he was – likely they were still talking about the development amongst themselves – she sat down next to him. “Foxy, how do you think your parents would feel about you joining an after-school club?”

“Uh, I guess they’d be okay with it.”

“As it happens, I intend to make arrangements to pay your school a visit. Specifically, I would like to meet with the gay-straight alliance, and offer them my encouragement. I have not asked her yet, but I intend to see if Amber may wish to accompany me.”

They both looked at Amber expectantly. “I’ll have to check my calendar.”

Fox Glove smiled momentarily, but then turned away looking dejected. “But I, uhm, I think my parents probably wouldn’t like me joining the GSA.”

“Express your concern with the teacher who oversees the group. I am sure it is nothing new to them, and that they will have a solution in mind.” Luna rested her foreleg on his shoulder, and he smiled. “And when I visit, I will have a gift for you: a journal not adorned with a cutie mark, but still connected with your sister.”

“Okay, I’ll definitely find a way to join then,” Fox Glove said excitedly.

“Well, I guess that’s everything,” Amber said as she closed the suitcase. “I thought there’d be more…”

She stood up and Fox Glove moved immediately to her side. Luna took her other side, and the three walked out of the room, stopping only for a moment while Amber took one final look, before she closed the door behind them.

Their parents were waiting at the front door. Fox Glove glared with all the malice he could muster, but Amber didn’t show any signs of ill will.

“You… do have somewhere to go, right?” Wisteria asked.

Amber smirked, but her voice was strained. “Mom, my marefriend is a princess. I don’t think I’m gonna wind up on the streets.”

“Yes, of course,” Wisteria said. She made her way over to them almost cautiously, before suddenly throwing her forelegs around Amber.

Amber took a deep breath, and blinked away her tears. “Hey, it’s okay, Mom. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you around, right?”

“Oh, sweetie, I… I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.” Amber smiled as they pulled apart, while Wisteria was clearly moments away from crying.

Luna levitated Amber’s suitcase behind them, but they could not make it out the door before another abrupt hug, this time from Dusty. “You take care of yourself.”

Amber grinned. “Of course. What, do you think the daughter of Dusty Quartz is gonna take any shit from anyone?”

Dusty smiled at that. “No, I suppose not.”

Amber looked away as they pulled apart, only to turn back to face him a moment later. “I love you, Dad.”

“Love you, too.”

She nodded, then walked outside. She turned to wave, but Fox Glove ran out the door with them. She grinned and poked his nose. “Remember what I said: If you don’t graduate, so help me, I will hunt you down. Don’t think you get to slack off just ‘cause I’m not around.”

Fox Glove matched her grin. “Sure, but if I don’t see you causing some sort of scandal in the news by the end of the week, I’m disowning you.”

Amber ruffled his hair, and he didn’t even try to get away. “Take care, Foxy. I love you.”

“Yeah yeah, love you too and all that.” They hugged one last time, then he stood outside waving as they departed.

Luna draped a wing over Amber as they walked, noting how Amber’s posture drooped as they distanced themselves from the house. “I am sorry things had to turn out like this.”

Amber sighed and leaned into Luna. “They love me, but they don’t accept me.”

“Family can be complicated.”

“Yeah. Love’s a bitch.”

Since she suspected Amber needed time to think, and would speak up if something was on her mind, Luna remained quiet as they walked. They passed the suburban houses, and entered the business district. Luna watched their reflections in the windows of the stores they passed, noting what an odd couple they made.

“Thanks for being there with me,” Amber said after a while. “And I’m sorry I made it sound like you’re gonna put me up or something. I have a friend who I got back in touch with yesterday, and I caught her up on the situation. She said I can stay with her if I need to. Funny thing is, I moved in with her last time I got kicked out.”

“Oh?” Luna asked, realizing whom she was talking about. “Honestly, Amber, did you not think how I would feel about you living with your ex-marefriend?”

“My totally straight, married with a foal ex-marefriend? Yeah, I think you’ll be alright.”

“No, no. This will not do. We will have to come to another arrangement.”

Amber grinned and nudged Luna with her head. “Uh-oh, don’t tell me all the stories of Princess Luna’s jealousy are true.”

Luna chuckled. “Well, some of them are. Truthfully, I have no problem with you staying with Summer Song, if that is what you wish. Being close to Fillydelphia would make it easier to see your brother, after all. But you do have other options that you ought to consider. I got in touch with Twilight, and she has offered her castle if you wish to stay in Ponyville. Alternatively I could rent you a house in any city you chose.” She looked back at their reflection. If she was going to do something, she might as well do it all the way. She dropped all trace of playfulness out of her voice as she continued. “Or you could come live with me.”

In the windows, Luna saw Amber’s reflection smirk. “Aww, do I get my own room and everything?”

Luna turned away from the reflected Amber to look at the real one beside her, and she definitely prefered the view. “If you wish, but I was thinking we could share mine.”

Amber smiled at the offer. “Geez, do you even know how to move slowly in a relationship? Barely a week ago I was getting proposed to by somepony else, and now you want me to move in with you?”

“I always thought I knew how to properly progress a relationship, but then this wonderful little pegasus came along, and I have been sure of nothing since.”

Amber shrugged. “Well, I guess I should face the facts: you’re hopeless without me. I suppose I could come live with you.”

“Thank you,” Luna said, playful once again. “I would be truly lost without you.”

“Okay, but we’re getting you some bucking clothes.”

Luna laughed. “To tell you the truth, I followed up on your suggestion to try wearing something from a time period I am more familiar with.”

“Really?” Amber turned to her hopefully. “You’re so mean, I want to see! You’ve gotta model something for me!”

“It was a worthwhile idea, but I did not like the results,” Luna said, much to Amber’s disappointment. “Initially, I thought I would enjoy it, but it still felt wrong. Closer, perhaps, but not quite in line with who I am today. I also made the mistake of informing my sister, who insisted that I was making a fuss over nothing, as they were just clothes.”

“Tch, please. Pretty sure Celestia just never has to worry about not being comfortable in her own skin.”

“Yes, I believe you’re right.”

Amber grinned, and swatted at Luna with her tail. “But hey, you have me now! And like you said, we’ll figure out all that stuff together.”

“Yes, I suppose we shall.” Luna smiled at Amber as they walked. It may only be temporary, but the camaraderie she felt with the pony beside her lifted her spirits. For a time, at least, it seemed she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.