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Gallop
By MidnightDancer
When you look back, you will believe it was only the purest of chance that you happened to look down at just the moment he was looking up. Perhaps it was; the machinations of chance, chaotic as they are, are beyond even my ken. Still, you did, and hesitant hooves, knowing only the cold springiness of the clouded sky until then, set down gently on the warm earth.
When did you feel it, my children? When did the call pull at your breast, pulling you closer to this strange pony? Did you sense a line, a thread connecting you and pulling you inexorably closer?
She is shy, too shy. All glistening eyes and a voice that cracks as she bids you hello. Your own voice is not as strong, as confident, as it normally is, hard hooves pawing the ground with an uncharacteristic nervousness as you bob your head back to her. Both sets of eyes roam the frontier town you call home even as her wings twitch, the instinct to fly, to flee rising up within her until it's either fly or scream...
...and the moment is broken when your roaming eyes finally fall upon each other in a perfect beat of sky meeting earth, the feelings of tension, of nervousness, of fear draining out of both of you in a moment of pure understanding. Sparks exist in all of us, my children, not just the magically gifted; and in that beautiful moment, your sparks danced between you.
Your hesitation is understandable, even commendable. Not every pony is willing or able to go out, put themselves out there, and show their open and honest face to a stranger. That tingle, that tickle at the back of the minds of those that haven't been hurt before is amazing, exhilarating, and makes one crave more. In the minds of yourselves, my children, it caused those internal walls to fly up even as you made your way cautiously into town. And in that moment, hip to hip, at least one wall crumbled scarcely before it was built.
Fly, my son of earth, and ground the daughter of the sky. Her wings that pull her relentlessly upwards and onwards serve also to remove her so far from everything. The higher she flies, the colder it becomes; chill winds threaten to turn the dampness on her wings to ice. She will push ever onwards, until she topples from the night sky, unable to beat those fragile wings any longer. Send up your words flying upwards in a joyous shout and give the pegasus pause.
Run, daughter of the sky. Land your four hooves solidly on the living earth and feel the inhale and exhale of the planet itself. Breathe deeply of the green, taste the dust left in the wake of a solid day's work. Pull his nose up from the ground and urge him ever onward, show him the beauty of looking up instead of down. Gallop with him across plains and streams, get him moving lest he grow into the earth itself and remain for the rest of his days, unmoving and silent until the light of creation in his eyes is extinguished.
Show her, my son, what it means to fly with another pony instead of from another pony. Teach her the simple joy of an apple fresh from the tree, how it refreshes one so well after a day under the blazing sun. Lay with her beneath the shade of the tree and let her see the value of slowing down--an appreciation of the dance of light and shadow on the earth, your love of the smooth grass beneath your hooves as you simply lay and be.
And when you can lie still no longer, my daughter, and you feel the energy of the wind and sky moving through your very veins again--stand with him. Be your own playful self, and let the currents of air and life guide you as you wrestle gently with him. Roll over and over in the grass and down the hill, and feel the sun-drenched earth warm your bodies. Marry the earth and sky as you show him that even earth ponies can fly, and even pegasi can run.
Enjoy your time, my dearest children, and let those walls tumble down. If only for a short time, open yourselves once again to another pony, and allow the never-ending current of life and love to flow between you. Chase your tails through the grassy plains, let the sun beat down against your shining coats as you catch each others eyes playfully--and catch each others lips the same way. Ignore the coming inevitability, and lose yourselves in each other.
Appreciate the sight of him standing above you, my daughter, his strong forelegs the perfect size to wrap your slender frame in the warmest embrace. Rest your head in the hollow of his neck and breathe deeply of his scent; commit it to memory, my dear child, for who knows when you may experience it next. Trace his strong jaw with one hoof, memorize the contours of his face and body so that you may never forget this pony that siphoned off your fear and replaced it with love.
Do not forget her laying beneath you, my son, wings splayed across the warm and ticklish grass even as she catches your eyes once more. See her mussed mane, stuck with grasses and flowers from your romp, a thin sheen of sweat across her coat as her body heaves after the exertion. Remember how she pulled the impossible trick of bringing the sky to the earth so that you may revel in it, and see its beauty for yourself.
And both of you, my dearest kin, do not forget the nights you laid together beneath Luna's stars. Fore and hind legs wrapped around each other, tails twined together as the most intimate act of love was freely given by both, filling your bodies and minds with a warmth that can't be matched. Clutch each other tightly, and let your tears fall on that moonless night--the bittersweet tears of a love fulfilled for at least a brief time, mingling together and baptizing each other with an unspoken promise.
Time will pass. You will fuss with each other, even fight with each other. My daughter will spend nights weeping into her pillow, clutching a heartfelt letter asking the impossible that carried over many miles to her. My son will throw himself angrily into his work, bucking trees with a viciousness born of love and an inability to understand why she cannot be there. But my children, those words that feel like arrows only hurt so badly because you care. And when you meet again, you can show it, and it will be as though no time at all has passed.
Honesty will be paramount, and even over the miles and through the sadness, I can hear it.
I can hear your hearts sing across the distance.
And it is beautiful.