Tobis
Monsters, Chapter one: Tobis
I found him nearly four years ago, whilst returning from my centennial sabbatical to the east. He was lost, cold, hungry, and wandering around on a beach near Manehattan. I had never seen anything like him before. He stood on two legs, had no fur on his body, a short muzzle, and odd-looking claws on his forelegs. I had to help him. When I landed in front of him, his immediate response was fear. He stumbled backwards, onto his plot, and scooted backwards away from me. He begged me not to hurt him… in Equestrian. I was surprised, to say the least. The most I had expected were grunts and growls. I know, I should have known better, seeing as even diamond dogs have a basic understanding of our language. This creature fascinated me. I knew he wouldn’t let me get close enough without running away, so I… oh, I wish there were a better word for this. I manipulated him into a corner, between two very large boulders further away from the water.
I never said a word, in case it frightened him even more. But as I drew closer to where he was pinned, I saw something silver flash in front of him. He shouted at me to stay back. Then, he called me a beast. I grimaced, and he cringed at my expression. That cringe quickly turned to terror as I gripped his rather large knife in my magic and yanked it free of his grasp.
With a sigh, I laid down in front of him, neatly tucking my forelegs in front of me. I introduced myself. His reaction was almost comical, to tell the truth. I would swear, were I not forced to refrain from doing so, that his eyes grew to be the size of dragon eggs, before he fainted.
I carried him back to the castle, having tethered him to my back with some seaweed I found. What? Seaweed is very useful in many different ways. Of course, I gathered his knife, and now carried it in my mouth. Once I determined he was no threat, I would return it to him. Luna will demand I execute him for drawing the thing against me in the first place. I would argue that that is not the way things are done anymore. Yes, they once were, when Equestria was in her youth. We had to make it known that we were not to be trifled with.
I briefly thought about the consequences of returning with a strange creature tied to my back and a knife in my mouth. I had an idea. I would need tend to him myself. I drew close to the castle now. Sighing around the creature’s knife, I teleported into my chambers, surprising one of the servants, who nearly screamed at the sight of my new charge. I spit the knife onto my bed and shushed her. “Assist me,” I told her, indicating the seaweed ties. Trembling, she bit into the knot, and tore the aquatic plant away, leaving the creature to slide slowly towards the floor, until I caught him, and levitated him onto my bed, just beside the knife, which was promptly moved away.
I noticed that his clothes were soaked with ocean water, and his skin was extremely pale. I summoned a pair of ethereal scissors, and used them to snip away at his garb, until it could be easily removed without disturbing his slumber. His skin was also drenched, so I cast a quick drying spell, then turned to the servant, who had calmed down significantly. “What is you name?” I asked her gently, giving a kind smile.
“I am… I am Blue Lily, Your Majesty,” she replied quietly, and pawed at the floor.
“Well, Miss Lily, would you please fetch me several thick blankets? I believe our guest is in danger of becoming sick,” I said sweetly, ushering her towards the door. “And, please, try to keep him a secret, will you?”
“O-Of course, Your Majesty,” she said, and scurried away to fulfill my order.
I decided to take the opportunity to more closely examine the creature in my bed… which sounds considerably less decent than I would prefer.
He was intriguing, I will admit. My original assumption that he had no fur was proven to be incorrect, as I could see he had some on his forelimbs, in the crook of his forelimbs, some along his barrel, a generous amount on his hind legs, and some around his genitalia. There was a bit on his muzzle, but it looked as though it were growing back in after being shaved. Perhaps that was a custom among his kind? It was an odd one, to be sure, but I would be respectful of him. His body was somewhat muscular, but not beefy; he had the physique of one who performed manual labor for a living. I mused briefly that he might be considered attractive by the females of his species.
“Your Majesty? I brought the blankets you requested,” Blue Lily announced, creeping through my door with a mass of fabric on her back.
“Thank you, Miss Lily,” I replied, and levitated them off of her back. As I brought them over to the bedside, I noticed that Lily had not left. “You are relieved, Miss Lily,” I told her, without turning back to look at her, then set to work unfurling the four blankets the mare had brought.
“I… I was just curious, Your Majesty, what is he?” she asked hesitantly, before taking a few trepid steps closer.
I sighed, and finished laying the last blanket out. “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out,” I answered, sitting down beside my bed to wait for his awakening. I noticed that the servant was leaving. “One last thing, Miss Lily.”
Lily froze. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Inform my sister, the guards, nobles and vassals that I have returned, and am not to be disturbed until I have recovered from my trip,” I ordered, then decided I might as well lie down. I heard the door behind me shut and I let my eyes drift close. Yes, I am aware that it was a poor decision. But I was tired from my flight, and I wished to rest.
Some hours later, I was awoken by the sound of grunting and blankets being pushed aside. I quickly rose to my hooves to see the creature struggling to sit up in the bed. “I see. Man, I was really hoping it was a dream,” he mumbled, and shivered, before turning to me. “It’s Celeste, right? You said your name was Princess Celeste?”
I chuckled, and allowed myself to sit back down, and said to him with a smile, “You’re close, to be certain. My name is Celestia, one of four Princesses of Equestria, and the Warden of Sol.”
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty. My name is Tobis McCarran. I’m a cargo pilot for a privately owned company,” he said, giving as good of a bow as he could whilst having his lower body cover by blankets. “I hate to ask, but what happened to my clothes?”
“They were soaked with ocean water, so I disposed of them. I will craft you some new ones, if you’d like, Mister McCarran,” I offered, pointing to a pile of wet cloth on a table nearby.
“I would appreciate that, Your Majesty.” he said, before making his way towards the edge of the bed to stand up.
“Will you answer some questions in exchange?” I asked, as I stood, then strode over to the pale white curtains, with their gold accents. Yes, they would do nicely. I quickly pulled them down using magic, and walked back over to Tobis.
“I’d answer them anyway. I’m not sure if I’m a prisoner, or a guest, so it would be pretty foolish not to cooperate,” he answered, standing and holding out his arms. He seemed to have done this before.
“Alright,” I said, as I summoned the same ethereal scissors from before, and began trimming the fabric into an acceptable shape. “My first question, Mister McCarran, what are you?”
“You can call me Tobis, Your Majesty. And I can only assume you’re asking what species I am. I’m human,” he said calmly, as the curtain wrapped around his waist, and over one of his shoulders, to form a makeshift tunic.
“Where are you from, Tobis?” I asked, and levitated some thread out of a dresser across the room. I was no professional, but sewing did make for an amusing hobby, and after doing it for millennia… well, I guess I was a professional. I promptly began running the thread through a needle, and quickly started sewing Tobis’s new clothes together.
“Well, I’m not sure if this is another world, or universe, or what, but I’m from a planet called Earth, and a country called The United States of America.” he answered, wincing as I accidentally poked him with the needle.
“Apologies. How did you get here?” I asked, correcting an erroneous stitch.
He turned his gaze down, and pursed his lips. “You know,” he said, “I’m not exactly sure, Princess. I was flying over the… oh.”
“Oh, what?” I asked, cutting my eyes.
“There’s a place where I’m from, called the Bermuda Triangle. It’s a mysterious place, where all kinds of things go missing, cargo, ships, people, you name it, it’s vanished there,” he explained, letting out a sigh of relief as I finished sewing his robe. “I can only imagine that it sent me here. Say, this looks pretty good, thank you!”
“You are welcome, Tobis. Now, I think this is the last question.” I said, letting my face turn a bit red.
“Yes?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What happened to the fur on your face?” I winced as he burst out laughing.
“Oh, I’m- ahem- sorry, Your Majesty. That’s just something we do in my world, either for style, or comfort,” he explained, whilst bowing in apology.
“Please, you don’t need to bow. Come, let me tell you of my world, and we can get something to eat,” I said, pointing a hoof at the door, and then I had a thought. His teeth would surely be suited for it… “Tobis, do you eat meat?”
“Yes, Sorry. I realize you probably don’t, is that correct?” he asked, twisting his muzzle into a grimace.
“No, we don’t. if you’d like I can have so-”
“Don’t worry, I can eat greens. Just something I’ll have to get used to, I guess,” he said, shrugging.
“I’m sorry, Tobis,” I said, casting my gaze downward. “You are a guest, and yet, I can’t accommodate your diet.”
“Like I said, it’s not a big deal. Veggies are cool with me,” he said with a kind smile, which I returned. I think I was already starting to like this ‘Human’ named Tobis.
~{(M)}~
“So, you raise the sun every morning, and your sister raises the moon every night?” Tobis asked, as we strode down the halls of Canterlot Castle, with our bellies full and our minds hungry for knowledge about one another.
Many of the staff and guards panicked at the site of Tobis, but I assured them that he was my guest.
“Yes, and I’m surprised that your people have developed a machine that can fly without the aid of a balloon!” I exclaimed, catching even more stares from the surrounding Ponies. Tobis was odd, but to see me excited about anything was unusual to say the least. After living for so long, I tended to find many things to be boring and tedious.
“Well, we don’t have Pegasi or Unicorns, or any magic at all, really. We had to use our ingenuity to adapt and survive,” he explained, giving a bit of a frown. “Sometimes that ingenuity if put to use to hurt people.”
“As it always is. But come, Tobis, you must meet my sister!” I said, grabbing Tobis’s hand in my magical grip, and pulling him away towards the royal tea room.
~{(M)}~
It has been three months since Tobis came to Equestria, and he did not seem too keen on leaving. Nor did we- nor did I really want him to go. Tobis quickly became my best friend, and we cherished each other’s company greatly. It came to a point where we were only seen apart whilst I did my duties, and when we went to sleep. Other than that, we spent almost every hour of the day together. He was kind, compassionate, and gentle towards any he met. The citizens of Canterlot came to accept his presence as well, even calling out to him when they would pass him in the street. He adapted well to the lifestyle we practiced, although, he did need some protein in his diet… a fish every few meals served him well enough. I was thankful that he avoided meat as much as possible, and tried to maintain a vegetarian diet.
Often times, I would find Tobis gazing out over a balcony watching the horizon, especially at sunset. He really liked sunset. That was where he found me that night. It was the night that changed everything between us.
“Tobis? Come to see me set the sun again?” I asked playfully as I heard footsteps behind me. I stood on the balcony connected to my roof, which had been built on expressly for this purpose. Tobis like this balcony, as it had a railing around it he could lean against, without kneeling.
“No, just came to see you,” he answered sweetly, coming up behind me. A hand danced across my lower spine and traced its way up and along my neck. It stopped at my ear and scratched lightly, causing me to squeak in surprise. “Huh,” he said, “I didn’t think it’d have that effect.”
“Oh hush. You’re such a tease, Tobis,” I scolded, and began the process of coaxing the sun down below the horizon. I glanced sideways, and noticed a bundle in Tobis’s hand. “What’s that?” I asked, already having a bit of an idea, but I was curious as to why he had it.
“It’s my knife. I’m taking it down to market tomorrow to sell,” he said quietly.
I blinked at him. That was his knife. His only possession from Earth. “Why?” I asked simply.
“It’s just not something I want to hold on to anymore. This thing’s seen a lot of hunting trips, by my fathers side. I… Celestia, I met a cow today. Do you know what I was reminded of?” he explained, getting really quiet at the end. I really didn’t like where this was going. “I thought about leather, and how it kept me warm in the skies. And steak, I remembered how it tasted in my mouth, and how it felt to sink my teeth into it. But then, when I imagined myself eating that steak, I saw a bloodthirsty monster tearing savagely into a piece of meat. I saw that cow screaming at me to stop… I hated myself for ever eating meat.”
“Tobis, you are not a monster. It’s in your nature to eat meat.” I said, trying to reassure him. It wouldn’t work. Tobis was far too sensitive for his own good. How he could have ever flown through the fabled Thunder Rush of 06, I’ll never be able to fathom. That was a story I was fond of hearing him tell the foals in the market.
“Not anymore,” he said with a bright smile. “When the supply of fish runs out, I won’t ever eat meat again.”
“Tobis, while I respect your decision, you need prote-” I was silenced as he reached into his robe and pulled out a small white pellet. I hesitated to ask, but I did anyways. “What is that?”
He smiled sweetly at me, and popped the little thing into his mouth, and swallowed. “It’s a protein supplement. The head alchemist made it for me. Now, I don’t have to burden the cooks, or anypony joining us for dinner. And I don’t have to see myself as a monster.”
“Tobis…” I started, but trailed off as I saw a tear roll down his cheek. Whatever I was going to say was lost as I trotted forward and nuzzled his cheek, soaking the tear into my coat. I felt his arms close around my neck, and his fingers entwined themselves into my mane. The last light of my charge faded across the horizon, and Luna’s moon came rising on the other side of the tower, casting a beautiful night shadow over the two of us. “Tobis, I’m so glad you came to Equestria.” I whispered to him.
“Me too, Celestia. Me too.” he mumble back to me, tightening his hug.
~{(M)}~
Two more moths passed, and Tobis and I grew even closer, if that was possible. Whenever we walked together, his hand typically rested on my withers, and sometimes he would scratch me in places that nopony could manage. It took a human’s- it took Tobis’s touch to make those spots feel good. My affections towards Tobis grew steadily, and I found myself unable to stop thinking of him. I found him squirming his way into my thoughts during meetings, and he and I would often giggle at one another for no absolute reason whatsoever. I do not know if we were in love, but… I liked to think we were at that time.
His hair had gotten very long, and I had finally convinced him to get it cut, instead of keeping it pulled back in that absurdly long tail. In reality, it looked ridiculous coupled with his beard, which I had also convinced him to dispose of. I remember walking back to the castle, a little uncomfortable with the absence of his hand from my withers.
“Eh, it feels weird,” he said as he rubbed his now bare chin, and stroked his shortened blond hair. It now only reached down to his shoulders, instead of the middle of his back. He sighed, and conceded to place his hand on my withers, saying, “Was it really necessary to cut my hair?”
“Tobis, it got caught in a door last week. Of course it was necessary,” I said bluntly, smiling at the memory of him struggling to get the someone to unlock the door. They had all teased him, in good fun, but I had been more than slightly annoyed by the guards’ actions. I had not punished him, but I had scolded them, somewhat playfully. But they knew I was still a little serious.
Tobis and I rounded a corner, and bumped into a mare levitating a bottle of red wine in front of her. Tobis fell over her, and she lost her focus, causing the bottle to drop beside Tobis’s head and splash wine all over his robe, permanently staining it.
“Oh my gosh! I am so sorry Mister Tobis, let me get that!” the mare shouted, removing her jacket to dab at Tobis’s chest. I couldn’t help but giggle, even as Tobis laughed hardily at the vain attempts.
“Don’t worry, ma’am, I was planning on getting a red robe anyways!” he said playfully, causing the mare to look up at him in confusion.
“But…” She trailed off as her eyes started to tear up. “It must have been expensive…”
I chose this moment to cut in and give her a bit of insight. “Miss, that robe was made from my bedroom curtains. It’s probably cheaper than that jacket you’ve got there,” I said kindly, putting a hoof to her shoulder.
“O-Oh… well, I’m still sorry,” she said defiantly, puffing out her cheeks.
“Well, you could always go get more wine and finish dying my robe,” Tobis said, grimacing when the mare stood and turned to run back to the shop she had exited. “Hey, I was kidding! Oh my gosh she’s actually going to dye my robe red with wine.”
“That’s rather amusing, I think. Should we depart before she returns?” I asked in earnest, laughing when he stood up, and the wine poured from wherever it had pooled in the folds of his robe, and stained even more of the fabric red. That was when I noticed his hair.
It had also been stained by the wine, though in a direct opposite of his robe, his hair was red from the ends, halfway up, and stopped a little unevenly. But… I was stirred from my thoughts when he spoke. “Yes, Celestia, I think that would be a grand idea,” he said, pulling his robe over his shoulder so that his torso was bare, and his legs covered. It…
“That’s a good look for you, Tobis,” I said, and enveloped us both in a teleportation field, then reappeared in his chambers.
By now, I’m sure he was used to me whisking him away so suddenly, but it still caused him to lose his balance a bit. It amused me. Once he regained his bearings, he turned to me and put his hand on his flank. “Think so?” he asked nonchalantly, and began to remove his robe. I would look away, but I’ve seen it already. It was understood that in his world, it was rude to stare at someone whilst they were nude, but that, well, wasn’t really an issue in Equestria… the reasons were obvious.
“Yes, I certainly do. It makes you look a little more… powerful,” a said, earning a confused look from my best friend.
“Because that’s certainly the impression I want to give off when I meet your subjects. Speaking of which, I’ve met Luna and Cadence, but when do I get to meet this former student of yours?” he asked, fishing one of his kilts out of a drawer.
“In time Tobis. Twilight is young, and… eager,” I explained, not really wanting to go into details.
“Well, Celestia, that makes two of us,” he replied, wrapping the white article of clothing around his waist. “I’m extremely eager to meet her.”
“Twilight is a scientist.” The sentence made the human freeze, and look to me with a bit of fear in his eyes. It was a look I had not seen since we met, when I had… corralled! I corralled him into that corner. I’m sure he understood the implications of that statement.
He swallowed hard, and said, “I see. That might not… that might not be a pleasant experience.”
“I do not think she would harm you, but she may be a little zealous in her excitement to study you,” I explained, walking over to help Tobis with his kilt. They were notoriously hard to fasten.
“Thanks. I trust you, Celestia, so I’ll only go when you think I’m ready,” he said, stopping to eye himself in the mirror. “Wow, this herbivore’s diet is really affecting my body.”
He was right, it was. I widened my eyes lightly at the realization that he now had absolutely no body fat on him, whatsoever. Tobis looked very good with his barrel uncovered. That is not to say I was attracted to him… but he looked good…
“I think it’s time you had some new clothes made, that suit your new physique,” I said calmly. I had a few ideas as to what would look good on him, and I couldn’t wait to see him in them.
~{(M)}~
Three weeks have passed since Tobis asked about visiting Twilight, and I became increasingly worried whenever I could not find him. I know, I was being a little overbearing, but Tobis was unlike anything ponykind had ever seen. I cared about for him, and I wanted to be sure he was always safe. It was for this reason… to my great shame… I tasked one of my guards, specializing in stealth, to follow him whenever he went into Canterlot’s city districts.
I’m sure Tobis would have been furious if he’d ever found out. I constantly thank the Great Writer that he never did.
Tobis was fond of visiting the children that often played on Bridle Street, and telling them stories of the world he came from. It was during one of these visits that I noticed the first hostile intent towards my human friend. I sat on the bench, watching as Tobis and a young filly unicorn, just out of foalhood, played with a large pink ball, bouncing it between each other, wearing smiles as big as Luna’s crescent moon. I smiled too, as Tobis bounced the ball high into the air, causing the filly to stumble backwards claiming ‘she got it.’ Oh, she got it too, right on top of her rather sharp horn, causing the thing to deflate on contact.
She started crying, and Tobis ran over to her to make sure she was okay. Such a sweet… what was a human stallion called? A man. Such a sweet man.
“Hey, heeey, don’t cry Twinkle, it’s okay, we’ll get you a new ball,” he said, and stroked the filly’s head, calming her down. Her mother didn’t see that.
“GET AWAY FROM HER!!!” a voice screamed, and Tobis was tackled from the side, and sent flying several feet away, by the filly’s mother, whom I recognized as a member of the advisory council, named Shifty. An adequate name, as she never did anything without a motive, unless she were protecting her children.
Which she now thought she was doing.
“Calm down Shifty.” I said from where I sat, before slowly standing.
“I will not calm down, Princess! Your pet MONSTER was trying to hurt my daughter!” she screamed, standing over the filly in question.
Tobis’s eyes got wide. “Pet?”
“Tobis is neither my pet, nor a monster! You would do well to remember who you speak to,” I said harshly, causing the mare to flinch as though my tongue were a whip. “Now, I was watching, Tobis and Twinkle Dust were merely playing, and her ball popped. Tobis was trying to comfort her.”
“I… Sir Tobis, I apologize… it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions,” Shifty said, stepping forward and bowing to Tobis.
“Oh, don’t worry, no harm done. Well, maybe a bruise, but nothing too serious,” the human said back to her, smiling. He was far too nice… Shifty could have killed him if I weren’t here. But then, I would always be there, through my silent guard.
“Tobis, why don’t we head back. I believe our dinner will be ready soon,” I suggested, hoping to get my friend back into the safety of the castle walls as soon as possible.
“That late already? Alright, let’s got then.” Tobis stood, his new robe flowing gently around his legs. I smiled. This new garment, which could be worn with the top half draped down around his waist, or over his shoulders like a sleeveless kimono, suited him well. If I were to ring my own bell, ding ding, I was quite proud of my skill in crafting it.
Soon, Tobis and I were climbing the steep hill up to the castle, and I will admit, I wished I were a biped like him. His body was very much suited for steep inclines. It was admirable. I vaguely realized he had stopped walking.
“Celestia.”
“Yes?” I asked, knowing very well where this was going.
“I’m not… a pet, am I?” he asked, his eyes cast to the ground.
An idea crossed my mind. “Tobis!” I shouted, trotting over to him. I put a hoof under his chin, and pushed his head up. “Where is your collar?”
“What? I-”
“And why are you not in your cage?” I asked, cutting my eyes at him.
“I don’t have either of those!” he shouted back at me, pushing my hoof away.
“Then you are not a pet. You are free to come and go as you please. You are my friend, and I care a great deal for you. If you ever say such a ridiculous thing again, I’ll send you to the moon,” I scolded, my sly grin turning into a dark scowl.
“You wouldn’t,” he deadpanned, cutting his eyes at me.
“For a few hours, at the most, but I certainly would.” I said, returning my scowl to it previous state as a smile.
“Well, I know not to question you again,” he said, then smiled at me. “I’m sorry, I just… what that mare said bothered me a little bit.”
“Don’t let it.” I stepped back up to him, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Now come, you know how the cooks hate us being late.”
As I let Tobis take the lead, my smile once again faded in to a scowl
As much as I hated it, I had been treating Tobis like a pet. It tore at my heart to realize that.
~{(M)}~
I sat in my room, wearing an elegant silk gown, just because I felt like it, staring out into the night sky, when he came to me.
“Your majesty.” I turned to see a guard in solar armor creep into the room, his dark coat blending well with the darkness.
“Hello Night Feather. I have new orders for you,” I told him simply. He looked at me with stoic eyes that had seen many unpleasant things in their time… I’m ashamed to say, I was the one who put those things in front of his eyes. He was my watcher at night, one who surveyed that which others could not. His wings fluffed in response.
“And what of my duty in guarding Master Tobis?” he asked, coming closer to me.
“That is what these new orders concern. I wish you to cease guarding Tobis, and instead, return to castle surveillance,” I said, turning back towards the window.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He turned to leave, but I stopped him.
“Before you go, tell me, what do you think my relationship with Tobis is?” I asked, letting the curiosity that was burning a hole in my skull release itself.
“Are you not lovers?” he questioned, his wings shuffling a bit in discomfort at the question.
“Thank you Night Feather, that will be all.” The guard turned to leave, and as his hoof beats echoed off into the distance, I pondered that one question, and the many that followed in its wake.
Are we not lovers? Could we even be lovers? Would he want to be lovers?
~{(M)}~
We stood on the Sunrise Balcony, looking out over the horizon, thoroughly enjoying the view, when I approached the most tender subject of his leaving.
“Two months,” I said, and turned to meet his confused gaze. “In two months, I will send you to Ponyville, and you will meet my former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”
“You think I’m ready?” was his reply, and that alone flooded my decision with doubt, yet I would not yield.
“I do not know, my friend, but I can’t keep you locked away in the city, now can I?”
“I suppose not,” he said, and sat on the balcony’s edge. “Hey, Celestia?”
“Yes, Tobis?”
“Before I leave, will you take me into the sky? It’s been a long time since I’ve flown,” he said, brushing a bit of red and blonde hair out of his face. He’d taken to dying it regularly, to maintain his phoenix-like appearance.
“I might, if you will answer one question.”
“And that is?”
“You seem very happy here. Do you not miss you family? Your friends?” I asked, watching his face darken as I continued.
“I didn’t have any of those. My parents died in a house fire when I was young, and I was never really good at making friends.” He stopped for a moment and gave a deep sigh. “And my job kept me pretty isolated, so I never really bothered trying. In short, save for my love of flying, I don’t have anything tying me back to Earth.”
“I-I’m sorry. I did not re-”
“Celestia, it’s fine. As much as you mean to me, it would be wrong to keep it from you,” he said, flashing me an incredible sweet smile.
“I mean that much to you?”
“You are my best friend, aren’t you?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
I laughed, in an attempt to hide the pang of hurt in my chest. “Yes, I suppose so, Though some of my guards have begun to think us more than that!” I told him, thoroughly intending to tease.
“Would it be so bad?”
My head snapped towards him, as my eyes grew steadily wider. He stood facing the horizon, with his hair blowing in the wind, and a frown adorning his face. His eyes were cut, to endure the harsh red rays of my sunset, and all of these things gave him a demeanor than made even myself feel a bit intimidated.
“No, Tobis, it would not. Would you have me?”
“I would,” he said, and those two words caused my face to shatter into a grin wider than one worn by the Element of Laughter. He turned to me, meeting with my lips, as I gently kissed him. His eyes fluttered closed, and his hands found their way up to my muzzle, and gently caressed my cheeks.
It was a while before we parted, and only because we were intruded upon.
“Well, Sister, I say it was high time you two confessed to one another,” Luna said, gliding down to land gently beside us.
“Luna! Um… how did you know?” Tobis asked, his face turning bright red.
“It is simple, my friend, I DO bear the title, ‘Princess of Dreams,’ do I not?” she said haughtily, before trotting off into the castle. “Oh, Dear Sister, Twilight has asked me to inform you that she will be absent in the near future, as she is going to attend Trixie’s performance in Las Pegasus. I am considering attending myself.”
“Trixie… Isn’t she the one who took over Ponyville?”
“Yes Tobis, but as I’ve told you, it is the pony way to offer forgiveness instead of condemnation,” I told him, pulling back out of the embrace. “Why don’t we go get something to eat? Afterwards, I can take you flying.” I wasn’t actually hungry, but I rather wanted Luna to be absent from our presence.
“Sounds good to me. I could eat a whole shrub!” my lover said with a big smile, and pat his stomach.
I laughed, as we went into the tower, and Luna remained to raise her moon.
~{(M)}~
Those two months passed far too quickly, and it was not long before I stood with Tobis on the airship docks, sharing a farewell kiss.
The pilot cleared his throat from his position on deck, and we separated, blushing a bit. Though, I do suspect that at that time, it was mostly from a lack of oxygen, rather than embarrassment.
“I’ll write as soon as I land, my love,” Tobis said, before trotting onto the deck of the airship.
“Be careful, and have fun!” I called after him, as the vessel slowly floated away from the docks.
I had no way of knowing what nightmare I was truly sending my lover into.