To Ne'er Come Down Again

“Bye Mom! By Dad!” Mauve shouted, waving over her shoulder. Shepherding her septet of offspring along, trotting beside her husband, she only eventually looked away from her parents.

Anon lingered in his doorway, watching his daughter depart, with his hand resting on his wife’s shoulder. Steadily turning, he smiled at his lover and softly ran his fingers through her mane. He knew what she was going to say, even before she said it; the only question was when she was going to mention…

“We should have another clutch,” she muttered, idly turning and moving into their home.

And there it was. Even after decades with her, having sired nearly half a dozen broods of healthy, happy young, her inherent desire to proliferate with him never seemed to fail. Visits with the kids almost always tended to rekindle the spark, reminding her of their expansive and seemingly ever growing family, yet she always maintained a subtle want for more children.

Pulling the door closed behind himself, following her down the winding path into their cavernous abode, he stretched his arms over his head. “Still wanting to make it an even fifty, eh?” he playfully asked.

She slowed, peering back at him and waiting for him to catch up. For the last few years, they’d often joked about attempting to round out the number of their progeny to an even half-hundred, although that would be nearly impossible to pull off. While his mate was more than capable of inducing estrus, they had no control over the size of a clutch.

“Are you still intent on going out this evening?” she inquired, matching his pace as they moved into the living room.

“If you wanted to stay in, I could always make something,” he offered.

They had briefly discussed going out for dinner, after seeing Mauve off, although that was simply one of many options. He could easily whip them up something to eat or, if she was so inclined, they could get some takeout for themselves. With the house to themselves, without any additional mouths to feed, meals were much simpler than they had been in the past.

Easing herself onto their sofa, Chrysalis shrugged. “We could always go out to the Hayburger, get something for ourselves, then lounge at the park -” she remarked, cuddling up to the man as he seated himself beside her, “that is, if you don’t feel like cooking.”

Truth be told, he really wouldn’t mind making dinner for them, although the prospect of having a picnic was far more charming. He still adored his home, but things had gradually changed; after rearing dozens of foals, the place felt empty and nearly lifeless, without the sounds of scampering hooves and cheerful little voices. There was nothing wrong with spending an evening alone with his betrothed, yet he adored going out to spend time with her.

Leaning against her, he rubbed his cheek against her crown. “We can do that, sure.”

Relaxing at her side, sharing his warmth with her, his eyes quietly played over the room. Various photos of their children and grandchildren lay neatly arranged on the bookshelf and coffee table, serving as a constant reminder to the multitudinous bundles of joy they’d brought into the world. Each and every one of the little ones was a treasure, even if they weren’t so little anymore, and he wouldn’t change a single thing about any of them.

Their first brood had been just that - the first brood - and it felt like a lifetime ago that they’d graduated from school, gotten jobs for themselves, and struck out into the world to start their own lives. They still came to visit, bringing the families they’d founded with themselves, although some lived closer than others. It was bitter sweet, only occasionally getting to see them, but that made their time together all the more precious.

It wasn’t a year after the last of their original crop had moved out that he and his lover had conceived their second crop, rearing them with all the love and care that they had their foremost clutch. Like their older brothers and sisters, the hatchlings had been remarkably healthy in body and mind, following in their siblings hoofsteps and growing into wonderful changelings.

Anon and his wife had taken a bit of a break before having a third clutch, giving themselves time to travel the globe and visit the far corners of Equestria. Money hadn’t been much of a concern, since he’d retired from his job around that time - still, in spite of not needing to work, he did enjoy keeping himself busy with part-time employment at the bowling alley. With their finances secured, bolstered by periodic support from their offspring, they’d spent the better part of a year wandering the world.

Out of all the strange and miraculous things he’d seen and experienced in his life, there was one thing he’d never gotten an answer to. For whatever reason, he’d maintained his youthful exuberance far, far longer than he should have. He still aged, as far as he could tell, yet it was like the process had slowed to a snail’s pace.

He had no doubt that Twilight and others had noticed, likely wondering if all humans had some preternatural lifespan, though he’d never been pressed on the issue. As far as he knew, the only creatures who were privy to the bizarre development were himself and the love of his life. Shifting in place, he twisted his head and softly kissed his mate on the lips.

“You want to get a pizza and watch the sunset?” he quietly asked.

She nodded, closing her eyes and reciprocating his affection, before gently pulling away. “You and your sentimentalities. If I didn’t know any better, you’ll be dragging me to evening outings for centuries.”

He chuckled, pressing his lips to hers a second time. “Don’t act like you don’t like it.”

Of all the gifts she’d given him, there was one for which he could never repay her. He couldn’t explain how or why it had happened, nor if it had been intentional, but it was as though the very essence of their lives had become entwined. Somehow, through some cosmic grace, she’d managed to share her ageless grace with him. Through some higher power, twist of fate, or her determination not to lose him, their senescence had synchronized.

They never talked about it, silently acknowledging the implications of the mysterious happening. Both fully realized the inevitability of the mysterious and wondrous development, allowing them to cherish one another until the day came that they moved on together. The awe of it, knowing he’d be able to grow old with her, was as profound as it was moving.

Each day they had together was an opportunity for him to cherish and love her, and he did just that. The future was no longer something to fear - instead, it was something to look forward to. With her beside him, he felt sure they’d be able to overcome any challenge, scale any mountain, or weather any storm the universe threw at them. Times of adversity did periodically strike, through their own doing or because of elements wholly out of their control, yet they managed to see themselves through them all.

Twisting her head, she stroked his shoulder with a forehoof. “Might we get a dessert for ourselves?”

“Why?” he asked, nonplussed. Wrapping his arms around her, lovingly holding her to his chest, his fingers danced up her back. “I already have the sweetest thing in all of Equestria right here,” he mused. Her filly-like giggle was just as magical as it had ever been, warming the depths of his heart and breathing life into him.

“You never do stop, do you?” she snickered, pulling him onto her lap.

“Considering you haven’t run off with some young buck after all these years, can you blame me?” he countered.

Incredulously raising one brow, she pursed her lips. “As if some young buck could ever dream of being as perfect as my little hyu-man.”

Sighing contentedly, he shuffled to the side and eased his head onto her thighs. He couldn’t fathom what he’d done to earn her, let alone keep her, but he wasn’t about to complain. His existence would have been markedly shorter and less enjoyable, without her in his life, making him all the more grateful that they’d met. Turning his head slightly, he peeked up at her.

“I guess we could swing by Sugarcube Corner,” he whispered, “but only because you asked so nicely.” As his gaze met hers, a familiar, peculiar flicker of light flashed over her eyes. “How’d I get lucky enough to meet you…”

“I ask myself the same thing about you from time to time,” she murmured, smirking to herself, “even if you still haven’t taken to my, as you call it, neck thing.” The moment she finished speaking, she torqued her head to a very unnatural angle.

Although the sight was as disconcerting as it ever was, the smile never left Anon’s face. “I really do love you…”

There really wasn’t a thing he’d change about her; from her sharp tongue and acrimonious temperament to her porous legs and delicate mane, she was as marvelous as she’d ever been. Compared to her, he was as ordinary as anybody - well, besides the fact that he was the sole human on the face of the planet. He just thanked his lucky stars that he’d somehow won her heart.

Leaning forward, she softly pecked his forehead. “I love you too…”