"Y-You wanted to, um, see me, princess?"
You take your timid steps through the halls as every guard you pass suddenly feels a wave of terror flow down their spine. Tapping on the large oak door with a hoof, you look down to avoid the gaze of the ponies around you, even if they couldn’t detect anything but the fear your presence emanates.
After a few moments, you hear her call out, “Come in.”
The guards are oblivious to you opening the door and letting yourself into the room. The carpet is pink with blue decorative walls. She sits on a purple rug in front of the fireplace. Closing the door as gently as possible, your view still points to the floor, now a luxuriously soft plush carpet, as you advance slowly towards your next client.
Your muscles tend to tense during your meetings. Legs shaking as you force them to move forward, you still can’t bring yourself to look up.
You can feel the air of the room start to chill now that you are here. The brightness around seems to dull, even the small flames in the fireplace somehow starts to darken.
All the bleak changes surround the white alicorn who is calmly sipping her tea as she looks over the writing on a scroll.
“Has it been that long already?” she asks, her tone even and steady.
“O-Once a year, ma’am. Miss. Cele- Princess. Celestia. Or, uh, your highness,” you stammer out.
“Hmm,” is all she says as the scroll rolls itself up in her magic. “Have you visited any other pony tonight?” she inquires as she sets both the paper and tea cup down on the ground.
Something is wrong. Normally, she’s much friendlier than this. You can see a slow sadness rolling off her features, mixing with your own aura. A cold musk begins to fill your nostrils as you stand.
“Cadan-, I mean, Princess Mi Amor Cadenza,” you reply.
Her magic envelops the teapot and slowly brings it over to refill her cup. “And how is she?”
“Fine... Better when I left,” you answer. “She’s, uh, still not used to me, though. She did ask some questions.”
“Oh?” the princess asks. “What sort of questions?”
“The… The usual sort. What happens, if there’s, uh, anything to it, and, um, more like that.” You shake your head. “All questions I-I can’t… answer…” Your head sinks down lower. “I’m sorry…”
“That’s alright. She’ll learn that you don’t mean any harm.” She floats up her cup and takes a sip. There’s some slight hesitation.
“Is something wrong?” you ask.
“It’s gone cold,” she explains as she sets it back down. “I wonder how that happened.”
Ah, a joke! It shows she’s still in good spirits despite her demeanor. Still, you’re going to have to get to the point you’ve been dreading. Just on the off chance that it all means nothing.
“So, um, Princess Celestia,” you mumble, trying to start off your introduction to the question you’ve been tasked to come around with every so often.
“I do not require your services tonight,” she says.
Those words cause a wave of relief to wash over you. You know that it’d be a cold day in the Badlands when she needed you, but there was always that slim chance that she might…
Finally, you have the courage to look up and meet the gaze of the pony in front of you. She wears a small smile as her magenta eyes are slightly obscured by her flowing pastel hair.
“Thank you,” you say, not knowing what else you could add.
However, the small smile on her lips falls. A sudden chill works its way into your stomach as you see that something is troubling her. Something that might involve you.
“My sister has been asking about you,” she states.
An icy grip forms around your heart. No. No no no, please, no.
“M-Me?” you stutter.
She nods. “I understand that you had some contact with her before now?”
“I-I, um…” You rub your hoof nervously on the carpet. “I have a duty and she was there…” you explain, your voice gradually getting quieter.
“I see. I’ll be honest, I was surprised to learn that you could find her.” She taps her own hoof on the ground as she lets out a sigh. “I’ve talked to her about it. I do not think it should be any trouble,” she says, her voice not showing any sign of distress that might be accustomed to ponies talking about siblings in such a way. “Although, am I to understand that you might have bent the rules for her during that period?”
She raises an eyebrow that causes you to start shaking. “I-I-I didn’t! I didn’t break any rules!” you protest. “She asked me to… but I didn’t. I couldn’t…”
There’s a moment of silence between the two of you. “Can you tell me what happened?” the princess asks.
You hesitate for a moment. It’s in the past, right? Her sister could tell her everything, right? She must have, right?
Your head is almost spinning in panic and confusion. You need to sit on your haunches before the vortex of chaos in your skull spreads to your legs and makes you topple over.
“You do not have to tell me what she asked,” the princess clarifies. “I would just like as basic details as possible.”
“H-Has she not said anything?” you ask.
“She was afraid of offending you,” she points out. “We both know how seriously you take your job.”
You nod, thankful for the circumstances. Secrets were being kept, but for reasons that had nothing to do with anything besides the unwritten rules of your job. Thankfully, you could give her at least the bare minimum explanation because nothing would change. They’d talk about it more, probably, but since they’re not talking because of you, all bets are off. Well, maybe not off, but definitely not as on as they were before.
Although, the fact that she’d take your feelings into account is slightly odd.
“I found her after a while of searching,” you explain. “I asked her the question. She would give me her usual answer and I’d come back at the designated time.”
The princess turns fully toward you for your explanation. You're a little uncomfortable with this much attention.
“A-After a while, I’d come to ask her, but… she wouldn’t answer,” you continue with a shrug.
“What did you do?” she asks.
“I, um… I waited.” You shift around on your hooves. “I waited with her until she told me what she wanted.”
“How long until she told you?”
You shake your head. “She never did. Eventually, she, uh, started asking me questions. A-About Equestria.” You have to clear your throat for a pause. Meetings usually never take this long and you have one more pony to see who you look forward to visiting less and less as time goes on.
“Like what?” the princess questions.
“Like, um… the land. The ponies. You,” you list off.
“Me?” she asks surprised.
“E-Especially you.” You can’t keep looking at her eyes. A mental weight forces your head down and to the side.
“And?” she presses.
Unfortunately, you don’t know how much more you can answer. This is going into forbidden territory as you have no idea how much you could give away. Instead, you just stay silent.
The princess waits for a reply, but shifts around as she sees she’s not going to get one.
“Alright. Do you mind if I asked what you told her?” she changes her question.
This might be okay. It’s about you, but it’s a question you actually have the legitimate answer to. Very rarely do these sorts of inquiries come about.
“I told her that, um… Equestria was fine. Everypony was fine. And that you love her very much,” you say.
She says nothing again. Eventually, burning curiosity makes you give a glance at her face, which is in a mix of quizzical and surprised. It morphs quickly into a larger smile than before as she is forced to look away as well.
“Okay. She’ll be okay,” she states.
All you can do is nod. She says that, but she doesn’t know. Neither do you. That itty bitty chance of an unexpected answer always made your chest feel tight.
Still, if her word has any merit, then the burden on your shoulders has been lifted slightly.
“You should go see her,” the princess remarks. “She won’t be where you found her so many times before. She’ll be passed the other large door down the end of the hall. She’s the last pony you have to visit, right?”
You nod to confirm. “I hope you’re right…”
She just gives a nod before turning away again. The scroll unraveling and traveling back in front of her eyes. “It is almost time for me to raise the sun. Would you like to watch?”
“S-Sorry, but, um, no thank you,” you reply. You’ve seen it before. Many times. Right now, your stomach is telling you to get out of here so you can have some peace until the next time you are needed. “Goodbye…” you whisper before slowly walking toward the door.
“See you next time,” she says. A little poof of light emanates from behind you for just a moment. Probably a small flash-fire spell for her tea. She often has to rewarm it when you come by.
Stepping out into the hallway, you close the door between the two stationed guards, still unaware of you besides the inexplicable growing terror that follows wherever you go. Looking down the hall, you can feel the next pony to visit is in that direction. As much as you’d like to run, you have a duty and force yourself forward despite the knots in your stomach.
‘My sister has been asking about you.’
Those words still buzz in your ears like angry hornets. Very seldom does somepony would ever actually want to see you. Most of the time, they were dignified and calm. They were simply ready and understood what they were doing. To them, that is why you exist. But sometimes it would turn into an ugly affair. Begging to change their minds, not realizing that there’s no going back after a certain point. Every sobbing plead replays in your mind as you approach the door.
The part that really makes your eyes water is that you cannot talk them out of it. That’s against the rules. You are simply to be there when they deem themselves ready, however ill-prepared they actually may be.
The guards here are different than the ones by the other door. They are dark with leathery wings instead of feathers. As you approach, you don’t see fear glaze over their eyes, but instead determination. Not a response you see very often, but a very respectable one. It raises your spirits somewhat to see ponies ready to strive as you approach.
The door in front of you is also very different. Black, cold stone instead of the inviting light wood of Princess Celestia’s. Knocking gently, you wait to be let in. However, nopony answers or calls to invite you in. You still have all of the hesitance to enter, but you see the guards next to you actually start to sweat. It’d be best to get away from them. Slowly opening the door, you sneak in when there’s just enough space to let you through.
As you make it through, a sudden light from the window makes you shield your eyes. You have to look away as you close the door. Princess Celestia did say it was time for the sun to rise, so you don’t know why you weren’t expecting it. Too caught up in your thoughts, probably.
“Y-You wanted to, um, see me, princess? Y-Your highness?” you ask. You haven’t looked up to see the room, so you’re not sure if the sister princess is even there in front of you.
Suddenly, the blinding light goes away. It seems to be scooted aside the curtain in front of the window is drawn. A strange curtain. Little bits of light are able to shine through, projecting dots onto the dark carpet and walls.
Muffled hoofsteps walk toward you. You keep your gaze directed downward until the slender blue legs enter your vision.
“Hello,” she says in a friendly voice. A tone you had not heard her speak in for a very long time. “I’m glad that you could be here.”
You swallow nervously. “I-I heard… you were waiting for me?” you squeak out.
“I was,” is all she replies with.
Oh dear, please don’t let this be what you’re afraid it might be. Please don’t be one more wailing regret to ring in your mind.
“Then, um… I need to ask…” you start shakily. Your throat stays dry no matter how many times you swallow. Your legs are shaking worse than ever to the point that you can barely keep yourself up. You have to drop your head down more to make sure you can’t see any part of her.
There’s a reason you have all this bubbling fear. It’s because for the last several times you visited to do your duty, she didn’t respond. All you could do was wait with her. She’d ask you several questions, but then just remain silent as you sat next to her.
You might finally get an answer tonight.
‘Please, don’t be what I think it is…’
Taking a final breath, you prepare to ask your question.
“A-Are you ready, um, t-to…” Every word runs shivers down your spine and ice through your veins. “R-Ready to…” You feel sour tears begin to form in your eyes. “...c-come with me?” you finish out in a squeak.
You hear her walk closer towards you. Sitting right in front of you, she puts her legs into your vision again. You shut your eyes as tightly as you can, fearing the worst and preparing yourself to guide her should she want.
Every second of silence drags on, making a thumping in your chest resonate in your head as bile builds in the back of your throat. Your mind tells you to run, but your legs aren’t cooperating and glue you to the spot.
Eventually and finally…
“No.”
You breathe out a sigh of relief, all muscles in your body suddenly relaxing and causing you to almost fall forward. All the worry falls off of you, making your head feel a little dizzy. Still, you’re glad that your fears meant nothing, after all this time.
Suddenly, you feel something drape over your shoulders. Surprise makes you look up into the soft features of Princess Luna. A smile adorns her lips. Not just one of courtesy, but one of genuine happiness for you. Her blue fur softly glows in the dark as her ethereal mane seems to sway around you, keeping you from backing away.
Looking into her soft turquoise eyes, you have so many questions. Why did she want to see you? Why is she doing this? What’s going on?
Without warning, she pulls you forward, into her chest. You can feel a soft thumping in her chest, much like the one you feel every time you come around. This is a different kind, though. It’s not full of fear or confusion as you know it. It feels nice. It feels… warm.
The warmth seems to intensify and flushes into your face. This is not a sensation you are familiar with. It feels as though a desert wind of sand is blowing across your fur.
“P-Princess…” you eek out in the swirl of confusing feelings.
Instead of answering, she starts stroking your back with her hoof. Up and down, seemingly in time with her own breathing. You feel a little squished, both forces of her hoof and chest pushing on either side of you.
“W-What’s happening…” you breathe out, mind lost in all the new stimulations.
“I wanted to thank you,” she replies, whispering softly into your ear.
“Thank me?” you ask. What would anypony ever thank you for?
She nods, causing her cheek to rub up against yours. The brushing of fur feels so soft and makes the warmth in your face stand out even more.
“What did I do?” you wonder aloud. Very few cases have ever thanked you for anything.
“For being with me,” she says. “When I was all alone. I had you. You still came for me.” She suddenly drags her muzzle down into the crook of your neck, sending tingles through your whole body.
“I-It’s my job…” you moan out. “My duty…”
“It was more than that,” she explains, mouth a little muffled by being in your own fur. Her breath blows over your neck as she talks. “You did more than what was required of you.” She starts rocking from side to side, taking you with her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“It was just my job,” you protest again. “I only do what’s…” You can’t even complete your statement. The rocking motion is strangely soothing, but all of these feelings drain your ability to talk more. You want to run, hide, your duty now done, but she holds you where you are with no hope of escape.
“Was it your job to talk with me?” she asks. “To stay with me and answer what you could for me?” Her voice shakes a little as she continues. “To put my fears to rest while I was away?”
You can’t speak anymore. Confusion meets unknown pleasure as all the warmth starts to sap your strength as well. You begin to lean on her as she rocks. Somehow, her voice brings up a new emotion inside of you. It tingles in the back of your neck as you suddenly feel very light in the chest and head.
“Did you have to do all that for me?” she asks again.
You can’t see her, but you feel her turn her head towards you. Before you get a chance to hope that she’s letting go, you feel something against your cheek besides her own. Something soft, a little moist, and the warmest of all you’ve experienced.
Her muzzle rests on the spot the mysterious contact was made. Turning to look with just your eyes, you can see her looking at you with still a very wide grin.
“I did… because you didn’t answer me,” you explain.
Her smile falters. “Oh?”
“I-I stayed with you…” you stammer as a beginning. The warmth spreading through your body makes it hard to speak or think. “B-Because I needed an answer… And you, um, n-never gave me one…”
She closes her eyes and gives a small nod. “I thought that would be the case,” she admits. “But I still very much appreciate you taking the time to be there with me.”
“Y-You what?” you ask. There was something about her words. Something about what she said, flying in your ear, into your mind that slowly works the chill back into your body.
“I thought as much,” she repeats. “I figured you’d leave once I gave an answer, so I didn’t in hopes that you would stay.” She pulls a little harder, squeezing you a bit that gives the warmth an attempt to fight back the chill. However, the words make your head feel frosty and cold waves spread into your chest.
“W-Why?” you ask, a bit of volume to your voice now.
She notices this and actually loosens her hold on you. Leaning back to look into your eyes, you see surprise in her features.
“I thought I explained,” she says. “What more do you need me to say?”
“S-So you intentionally didn’t answer me?” you repeat, almost unable to believe it. It just seems so wrong. How could she have done this? “That’s why?”
“Is that… wrong?” she asks, worry seeping into her voice.
No, technically it wasn’t. According to your duty, she could have as much time as she wanted to think. However, she wasn’t thinking. She knew what she wanted and didn’t say. But still, you couldn’t have known, so it was fine.
“N-No…” you answer. “There w-was nothing wrong…”
Your head sinks down again. A feeling was building up inside of you. It almost feels like the one that you thought you got to avoid tonight. It’s the feeling of ponies yelling at you for doing your job. Requesting you then wanting to go back on it.
It seems somehow worse. It’s almost like seeing it from the other end, almost.
“There is something wrong.” The words make you look up for a moment to see the princess’ now somber face. “Please tell me what is bothering you.”
Bothering you? Nothing bothers you. Nothing is supposed to, anyway. That’s how you worked.
“You didn’t break any rules…” you say, your shaky voice betraying the message you’re trying to give. “Everything is f-fine.”
Princess Luna pauses for a moment. “How do you feel about it, then?”
“How do I feel?” you repeat. “It doesn’t, um, matter.”
“It does.” She moves herself around to be in front of you again. You feel your chin being tilted upward by her hoof until you look into her eyes. “Nevermind the rules. Tell me how you feel.”
You think and try to find the words to explain it. “I feel… bad.”
“Bad. In what way?” she presses.
“Like… bad at you,” you answer, closing your eyes as her hoof keeps you from looking away.
“So you are upset with me,” she murmurs. “Is it because I didn’t answer you?”
“Y-You didn’t break any rules,” you say, silently pleading that she’ll let you go.
“That is not what I asked,” she states. Thankfully, she takes away the hoof holding your chin allowing you to look downward away from her. However, you feel it on the back of your head, stroking through the hairs on your mane. Running down the back of your neck, you feel a bit of the warmth try to creep back in.
“Are you upset with me because I didn’t answer all those times?”
You don’t respond. You know the answer, and it’s the scariest word you’ve ever come to know. It’s a word you never want to hear and you know the princess doesn’t want to either.
So for a while, she just strokes your mane. It does start to bring warmth back into your mind. Somehow, it starts to fight back the bad feelings and you feel yourself slowly becoming calmer. More at peace.
“Why are you upset with me for not answering?” she asks.
So she knew the answer. She actually wants to know.
“Because I had to, um, wait…” you stammer.
“Was it bad to wait?” Her voice fills with worry again. “Did you not like staying with me?”
“Staying with you was…” You think back to that time you spent with her. Just talking. She was ignoring your duty, but it weighed on your mind greatly. The talking had made you wonder more what she would end up deciding on.
Then again, it was different for a while. It wasn’t just wandering around until it was time to come back. To stay with her gave something new. To talk was nice, but it was all ruined by the fact that…
“I w-was afraid,” you admit.
You can’t tell what she’s doing or what expression she has. The stroking of your mane stops and the other hoof around you feels like it slowly starts to grip tighter onto you. She’s not saying anything at the moment and the urge to leave is greater than before. You think there’s a chance you might have done something wrong.
“Afraid that… I might have answered you.” she states. Her voice contains nothing. No happiness. No worry. “Answered in a way you might not have liked.”
You begin to tremble in her grasp as she vocally puts the pieces together. You wonder what she’s going to do now. This fear gives you the strength to raise up a hoof and put it on her shoulder. A chance to push away and run.
As soon as you do, she wraps a wing around your back. The soft appendage seems to carry a source of warmth in every individual feather, trapping you. It closes in, pressing you against the princess once again.
“I’m sorry…” she whispers. “I had no idea.”
“You don’t need to, um…” you stammer, half-lost in the blanket of alicorn down surrounding you.
“I do. I do need to apologize.” She brings her other wing around you and the warmth seems to intensify. “I made you worry so much.”
“I-It’s…”
“It is not okay,” she interrupts before you can say otherwise. “And it is not because I didn’t technically violate the terms of your duty.”
“B-But that’s all I am.” Your eyes open to the fur of the princess’ shoulder.
“You can be more than your duty.” She takes a hoof away to bring your gaze up to hers again, this time cupping your cheek instead of your chin. “You have feelings and I hurt them.”
“I’m not supposed to have feelings…” you argue while trying to look away.
“But you do. Let me tell you a story.” Her wings seem to back off of you, but still surround you enough to make escape impossible. She takes her hoof away, but her gaze is one of intensity that makes it hard to look away.
“Long ago, I thought I was simply my duty. I was the night.” She gestures with her other hoof. Her horn alights and in the spot her hoof was drawing, a small picture of a tiny blue alicorn comes into focus. It stands proudly.
“I thought that, because of my position, because of my duty, I was to be respected,” she explains. Her hoof waves again, showing her raising the moon over the horizon. “I felt the citizens should gaze upon the work I did for them in awe. My beautiful night I provided.”
“Princess?” you eek out, wondering where all of this is going.
“Shh…” she hushes, bringing the hoof momentarily to your chest. The small contact also has its own bit of warmth. Her hoof shows her small image of herself, surrounded by ponies but eventually leaving one by one until she was alone. “I did my duty, but they did not love me as I thought they should have. Do you know who they loved instead?”
“Your, um, sister,” you answer. While you were afraid of what this little statement could provoke, it was the obvious solution.
Her hoof swirls the image into that of a taller white alicorn with crowds of ponies around her. “That is correct.” Her hoof swirled and brought back the image of herself. “I could not fathom why there was so much love for my sister and not for me. That confusion led to…” The image of herself morphs into a twisted, blackened figure of its former self. “One of my greatest regrets.” Before the transformation was complete, she waves the image away.
She looks at you somberly. Her shoulders slouched and her wings return to her sides. There’s a chance you could get away now, but curiosity holds you to your spot instead of warmth.
You don’t know what to say, though. “Your highness…?”
A small smile forms on her lips. “Please, do not call me that.” Her posture rises up a bit. “And do not call me princess, either. Call me Luna.”
“Luna?” you repeat and she nods her head. “Why?”
“Because I am a pony. I am more than my title or duty, as you had taught me,” she explains.
“I taught you?”
“While I was away, I had some time to think.” She pauses and looks away. “A lot of time to think, in fact. And in that time, I always wondered. Why her? Why not me?” Her gaze settles back onto you. “But then you came.”
“You were a little hard to find,” you say.
She giggles at your statement. The giggle spreads the warmth into your ears. “But you found me. You stayed with me. I would ask you questions that would help me piece together the answer I was ultimately looking for.”
“How did I do that?”
“You told me about what happened in Equestria with my sister.” Her eyes drift past you as she recalls. “She held festivals for her subjects. She opened schools for foals. Founded towns for better living and more.” Luna shakes her head. “She was so much more involved in the population’s lives than just raising the sun. And despite what happened, she always had faith in me to do the same. You told me that.” She looks back at you with a smile again. “And I wanted the chance to try myself. If… I ever got the chance.”
Her smiles falls. “But I didn’t realize I was worrying you so much. I didn’t want you to go away, so I never answered you.” The two of you look into each other’s eyes. “Would you have stayed if I had answered you?” she asks.
You don’t know what to say. Fear of the unknown had ruled your mind during that time, much like it seemingly did hers. Somehow, the warmth in the chest builds again hearing that you helped her, but it is still tough to say. You never really did like to stay for long, but this warmth for staying is starting to feel… not altogether too bad.
“Would you stay with me now?” she asks instead.
Again, you don’t know. Every time she’s given you a chance, you want to run, but the warmth keeps you in place. What’s worse is the answer she’s looking for is the one you never want to hear.
“Would it be my duty to stay?” you ask. It comes out very weakly. All the warmth around and within you is still stealing your energy.
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”
You pause to think. Your warmth-addled mind is beginning to fuzz over. It’s getting hard to think of a reason to leave. It feels so easy to just stay and surrender to the warmth. Your limbs feel almost worthless as you find yourself nearly leaning against Luna again.
“...Yes.”
Her smile grows back, wider than ever. She pulls you close again, wings folding around you and all. Her muzzle rubs around in your mane poking you before feeling the warmest warmth from before pierce the side of your head again; making you cry out a little in surprise.
Her grip loosens. “Do you not like when I kiss you?” she asks.
A kiss. Such warmth from a kiss.
“I-It’s fine,” you respond.
She takes in a breath and breathes it out slowly. “Do you rest at all?”
“Not really,” you admit.
Her arms and wings leave your body, except for one hoof that travels down to pick yours up. “Come with me. If you are to stay, then I invite you to relax with me.”
Without Luna so close, you are finally able to look around the room. Many shades of blue swirl around via curtains, banners, or otherwise. In the darkened room, the hues blend together seamlessly. The dots from the light in the window little the walls, making it look like you’re almost floating through the night sky.
She leads you forward to the base of her black bed. With a flap of her wings, she lands on top of it. She reaches down towards you to help you up.
You’re free. This is your chance to leave now that she’s completely let go of you. One last urge to run as fast as you can goes through your body.
Instead, you reach up to take her hoof.
It’s an awfully big step, but you manage to get on top with little trouble thanks to her grip. You sink down into the soft mattress, its cool sheets feeling a bit more to what you’re accustomed to. You have a feeling that won’t last long, though.
Luna’s hoof meets your shoulder as she gently pulls you toward the other end with pillows. Again, you simply do as she wishes, following her as she rests her head down. With another tug, she brings you down onto the pillow as well. Looking at her face, she no longer smiles. For some reason, this feels worse than when you saw her smiling to begin with.
“I am truly sorry I scared you before,” she says, rubbing your shoulder.
“That’s okay,” you say. The amount of reprieve brought out since you entered this room makes your words genuine. You were really worried for her and now you are actually happy she’s okay. Now, you’ll stay with her because she wants you to.
So many bizarre feelings.
She scoots closer to you, pulling you in like before. She tilts up to rest her chin on the top of your head as you settle in against her chest.
A light from her horn causes another large, folded up piece of fabric to float over and cover the both of you. Underneath, you can feel warmth building again. You really can’t deny it, the tingles across your fur from the feeling is actually pretty nice.
“I think I owe you some answers. After all this time,” she states.
Owe you answers? But you thought she already gave her answer.
“How many times did you ask and I never responded?” she suddenly asks.
“I-I don’t know,” you reply, still half lost in Luna’s soft, fluffy chest. “It’s been so long and, um, so many times…”
“Then I shall keep going until we know it’s enough,” she explains.
The point of ultimate warmth comes again, or rather another kiss, comes down to a spot on top of your head. “No…” you hear right after, the breath blowing over where she had just kissed.
She does it again in a spot right beside the other one. A shiver runs down your spine having not fully recovered from the first. You feel the warmth taking your energy again.
“No…”
“This isn’t necessary,” you try to plead, but it doesn’t stop her from kissing you again.
“But it is,” she argues. “I want to make up for all the times I selfishly refused your question.”
“Y-You don’t…ah~!” you begin, but are cut off by another kiss on top of your head.
“No.”
“L-Luna…” you gasp out during another kiss.
“...No.”
You say nothing as she kisses again. The warmth is too much. You can no longer move, no longer speak, no longer do anything but let Luna give you what she feels she has to.
*kiss* “No.”
It’s a very strange sensation. A word carrying years of relief followed by this new pleasure.
*kiss* “No…”
*kiss* “...No.”
*kiss* “No…”
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Is the protagonist Death? Because if so it's one of the most unique takes on that character that I've seen.
i don't know how to feel about this. there are so many questions! my main question though is "what is this even about?"
This story, I like it.
Im glad more mystery ideas are being created, definitely is making me thinking on what the duty is. Definitely like Stars Over Manehattan.
I'm not gonna go and say MOAR!! But i'd definitely like to see another part :P
4995944
Sorry, fixed. Uploading at three hours before I normally wake up makes me make mistakes.
Beautiful.
really good story
4995945
I just reread the story after reading your comment and the story got about fifty times more interesting. And sad, but whatever.
4996901
I'm glad to know I enhanced your reading experience.
4995945 I do not think that, I believe the protagonist is a changeling, that has been given to the Equestrian world as a peace treaty.
4996947 But, I could be wrong. ^^
I really liked this.
4995945 I agree completly
few times has it been done so well.
This is rather interesting, but I'm left confused when the explanation of who/what he is isn't given. While I understand the basic concept, it's impact is lessened by no knowing what, exactly, is going on, and what the impact of her answering yes might've been. Good none-the-less. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
4995945 holy shit that was one of the things i thought of, it made sense with how people were afraid of him.
im still confused who is the main character? is he the royal consort? Death? a noble seeking her hoof? a royal guard ? a therapist? who is He?
A presence that is neither seen by mortal eyes, nor heard by ponies ears. One who is never known, but felt. Whose presence is assumed to be their duty, and vice versa. Whose existence chills the very air surrounding them. Some May plea to come with you, but are scared when their wishes come true. A part of every ponies lives that they wish would disappear, that they try to desperately ignore, but in the end will always come. For some, you are summoned by choice, for others you come because you must. But for a chosen few, (those granted with "eternity") you respond to their whim. You have visited the princesses many times, so many that you have all lost count. Those that are new to their extended longevity are anything but accustomed to you. You are feared and hated. Though the world cannot see you, they have formed an image. An empty shell, they picture you, devoid of body, mind, and soul. They imagine you perched atop the earth, ready to, at any moment, swing your blade across the land and reap the souls of the living. No one would think that you are but a timid being, scared of those around you. You are no different than the ponies, save for your simple duty. It wasn't more than a few hundred years ago ponies called you "Time". But as their fear and resentment has grown,you have gained a new name. You are now known as "Death".
*frantically shakes head*
Whoa... Sorry about that.
I actually happened to be reading this on a cold afternoon...outdoors...in silence. Jeez, way to simultaneously warm my heart and freeze my spine.
I...I don't even know what to say about this story, though I can see why you'd be hesitant to upload this, considering the rather...not morbid, not controversial, what's the word? "Cold"' I guess? The rather cold subject. Great work as always Mr. Gears, can't wait to see more from you in the future.
I'm gonna go stare at the wall and think about life and death now.
And upon reading other ponies comments: I see that I am nowhere near the first pony to guess this, and therefore did that long, drawn out speech for no reason whatsoever. Eh, I'm not getting rid of it, I'm still proud that I just sort of wrote that without thinking.
This is like a prequel to mort takes a holiday, like the story of how the sisters became friends with mort!
...and how could anyone miss the pony being death? I mean, c'mon.... read some Neil Gaiman.
Yeah, noticed it was Mort like 1/5 of the way in. I say Mort specifically and not death since the character seems to be written as such.
(At the risk of sounding like a girl)
That was soooo romantic!
img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/my-little-pony-%D1%84%D1%8D%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%8B-mlp-art-royal-574160.png
An easy favorite for me. Thank you for publishing it.
If you like non-pony fantasy, I recommend Come Lady Death, a short story by Peter S. Beagle (author of The Last Unicorn, in case you're familiar). There are a lot of parallels between Please Don't Say Yes and his work, and I think you both did a fantastic job.
.... honestly, I could have a better grasp on what I think of the story if I actually had any idea on what was going on.
The best I can weasel out is that it's a Death-type pony and that the question he freaks about is to either kill her, or have him kill someone.
*shrugs*
Other than that, the near-constant stuttering was physically painful to read.
4998677 I belive it is that is something along the lines of, they are immortal so they can't die, so this death like figure comes around and asks them if they are ready to die and he/she/it hopes they always say no so he never has to take them
4998639 ... now the storry makes sense, and peter s. beagle.. i love his work
It's not just 'Death', it is death incarnate in a pony, a fairly specific pony. Has anyone else noticed the clues?
I'm going to guess this mysterious person is not actually Death. Or the Grim Reaper. Or anything like that.
It's supposed to be a mystery, right? And just reading it without actually thinking about the mystery led me to thinking he was Death.
Like Sandman said, the stuttering was a bit overdone, and served to interrupt the story more than characterize our mystery narrator.
However, this is one of the better uses of second-person that I've seen. Though, as always, I suspect it would have been just as strong, if not stronger, written in first-person.
Anyway, I thought it a bit obvious that the pony was Death. But then, I'm used to the Discworld incarnation of that concept, and the two seemed a bit similar, though this one definitely more emotional.
[youtube=hYDSMlaeeaY]
you know I just got the strangest theory what if Fluttershys immortal and has the task of taking care of all the animals and reformation of villains? I mean it could explain her fear of everything she's seen so much she made some sort of mental defence aka her fear and the fact that she got tasked with reforming discord.
That was fucking beautiful.
4998677
Long time, no see, Sandman!
Thanks for the honesty.
4998924 he's my favorite published author!
4999485 i don't have a favorite... but for manga, Kazuki Takahashi (Creator of yu-gi-oh)
comics... alan moore
but not books
but he's in the list
This was well written, but it was vague to the point of tedium. I'm a patient guy, and I still found myself skipping around after the halfway point, looking to build some context. I had no idea if this character's duties were his choice or not, if his interest in Luna was somehow irresponsible in light of his position, why he feared Celestia, if people liked him or hated him, if there was done reason he couldn't live a different life, etc.
Without context, an encounter like this could mean too many things to mean anything at all.
Still! The writing itself was solid, so I won't upvote or downvote.
Okay, so this works great as a one shot, and it's truly a fantastic story, and I get that it should probably stay a one shot.
But OH GOD do I wish it wasn't. It just left me wanting to read more despite the fact that i worked so well as it was...
I'm going to assume it was Mort.
It certainly seemed like it was that adorkable little Shade.
It can't be Mort as written, because A) Mort's character in "Mort Takes a Holiday" is decidedly not all makey-outy with Luna and vice versa, and B) Mort would not be permitted to stay, given his boss. But it's very, very similar.
huzzah, your the first author/story i read on fimfiction. I read "Number One" and its a great story. So i know who the mystery character is It makes sense since you kindly wrote the clues there and i liked the story very much, you are a gifted writer!
PS those emoticons are hilarious. 
Hah, I see you post this fic just before I go to bed, then wake up later to find it on the Featured Box! No great surprise mind, seeing how great this fic is.
Hrm.
Problem is, you wrote it the worst possible choice of POV.
This is not me. There is absolutely no way this could be me. I would never talk like this. So, apparently, the main character of the story is someone named "you" who acts nothing like me. Making readers feel as though they aren't the character is immersion-breaking for second-person. This should have been written in first-person, honestly. You would still be able to pull of the ambiguous narrator just fine—even better, actually. But in first person, it would have been "him" telling me the story, rather than you trying to tell me I would act like that.
Also, the nonexistent backstory was slightly confusing. I would have liked to see a bit more of what had previously happened between them. It felt to me like you skipped the first, second, third, four, fifth, and sixth "dates," then said, "Oh, by the way, you're here with your relationship." Basically, Luna and this pony who acts nothing like me but who you keep telling me is me are in a relationship on the seventh date. But I don't even know if I like her. This pony who you keep insisting is me likes her for reasons unknown to me. Okay, why should I like her? This story is about me. Why don't I know why I like her? We talked; so what?
Overall, the story felt rather botched, to me.
Disliked, and happy writing.
5000269
Realistically, you are never going to find a 2nd Person story that defines "you". Unless you write one yourself, of course.
5000299
. . . Which is why second-person is oft regarded as weaker and/or less useful than first or third.
5000310
I wouldn't say that. It's great for involving the reader in the story; sure it may not match the readers personality, but the reader could alter their perspective to fit the role. Not all second person will fit a single reader, but when a reader that does fit comes along it will increase their enjoyment of the story compared to first/third person view (unless they don't particularly like the 2nd person perspective in the first place).
And on another note: If you find 2nd Person Perspective to be lacking then why would you read this In the first place?
5000360
I'm not completely opposed to it. If done well, I can enjoy it.
5000386
Fair enough.
5000269
I don't think you'll like me, then. I write 'you' characters to specifically do things and act in ways a normal person wouldn't.
To me, someone would read a 2nd POV story in the same way they'd roleplay, immerse themselves in a videogame, or anything of that sort. It's to get the chance to be someone different. Let their own beliefs off coulda-woulda-shoulda fall off and look through the eyes and mind of someone else.
5000269 I can agree that 2nd person perspective is jarring when it doesn't jive with the reader. It's basically a big gamble and narrows the potential target audience. That said, it totally jives with me, and I loved putting myself in the narrator's horseshoes.
For the previous relationship between "you" and Luna, I think it was handled well, really, considering this is a one-shot. The author does go into detail with what their previous meetings were like, and it's not as though "you" start off at all comfortable with the affection she shows "you." I can't see how you'd think it was botched, honestly. I can see how you might be biased against it because of the incompatible p.o.v., though. Basically, readers like you are excluded by it.
I caught what the main character's purpose was after merely skimming the first page's worth of text, but maybe my experience with previous literature made that easier for me. I admit, I think more readers would find it interesting if it were clear off the bat who "you're" supposed to be (i.e. death), but at the same time I really like that "you" and "your" mission go unnamed. Maybe it could be made clear in the description or title who "you're" supposed to be, but it seems the author's intention of making it a mystery would be spoiled then.
Simply put, a lot of readers want to know what they're getting themselves into, and, especially with a 2nd person narrator, if they can't figure out who they're supposed to be really quickly, it takes that much longer before they can become absorbed in the story, and that puts a big damper on things.
5000670 well put, Mr. Gears
5000269 and, if you read the description of the story (which you should do more often, rather than just clicking featured stories and just reading through them willy-nilly) you'll see that the "lack" of backstory is 100% intentional. The point is for the readers to try and fill in the blanks left by the narrator.
And furthermore, I don't like how you dismissed 2nd POV as the "weakest". While I will admit it is less effective than the other two, I don't believe that this is because of it's nature. I believe that 2nd POV's problems simply come from it's lack of existence. So much literature exists in the first and third person, that some people learn that that is all that exists and then when they stumble upon a second person, they are simply unprepared on how to read it.
To read second-person stories is a skill that they don't teach in school, so most people really just can't, and because they can't understand it, they judge it by the rules of first and second fics, and then it appears bad. 2nd POV's weakness is not it's own fault, simply the fault of those unwilling to try and understand.
I would love to see an epilogue or a sequel for this story !
... I don't get it...