To Ne'er Come Down Again

Standing at the head of the classroom, Chrysalis surveyed the assembled students. “Yes, I am the Queen Chrysalis.”

Anon stood by the door, silently watching the impending exchange and readying himself to intervene should things go off the rails. He’d damn near done a spit-take when the Matriarch had agreed with their clamoring hoard of young to visit the schoolhouse for parents day and, as such, he’d been on high-alert since that morning. Since her patience with grown ponies almost always seemed precariously strained, he could only assume her tolerance for dealing with colts and fillies was even more tenuous.

“Um…” a colt began, timidly raising his hoof, “is it true that you’re still a villain?”

The Queen’s harlequin eyes honed in on the inquisitive youth and a toothy grin played across her muzzle. “Why, yes, I am still a villain. Soon enough -”

“HmmHMMM,” Anon loudly cleared his throat, drawing her attention and affixing her with a small scowl.

He’d made her promise to be on her best behavior and to refrain from any nefarious theatrics on their visit - hell, he’d gone so far as to promise her a reward if she didn’t make a scene and/or terrify the class. Considering she’d made it less than a minute into her introduction before going into full bad guy mode, he was left to presume his morning was going to be a major headache. Slowly, glowering over at him, the petulant bug-horse turned back towards the class.

“I’m contractually obligated to say that I’m still technically a villain, since I’ve yet to sign a peace treaty with Princess Twilight Sparkle,” she spat, as if the name itself tasted bitter. “I can say that I’m setting a new personal record for not attempting to topple an empire or committing acts of kidnapping. Are there any other questions?”

“Mauve told me that all her brothers and sisters have the same birthday, is that true?” a particularly intrepid filly inquired.

“Indeed,” Chrysalis hummed, smirking as her eyes swept over the young ponies. “My hyu-man and I produced all ten of our wonderful children in one fell swoop. The day of their birth was glorious. The depths of our cavern resonated with my howls of unabashed -”

“Ooooo-kay! Yeah, all of them have the same birthday!” Anon hastily intervened, jumping in before his lover’s story took a bawdy turn. Stepping to her side and affectionately placing his hand on her shoulder, he forced a smile. “As you can probably guess, I’m Anon. Chrysalis and I are the terrific ten’s parents!”

“Dad!” Frost groused, rolling his eyes and burying his face in his hooves. “You said you wouldn’t be lame!”

“Your father is hardly lame,” Chrysalis shot back. “While the terrific ten isn’t nearly as imposing as the terrible ten, he insisted that we not refer to you as such,” she continued, scrunching her snout at their son’s outburst. Cowed into submission, even more embarrassed than before, the colt pursed his lips and rested his head on the desk. “Continue, Dearest…”

“Sooooooo, yeah, I work at the bowling alley and Chrysalis here guards our hive. If you all have any questions, I’ve got some spare time on my hands,” the man quipped, drawing a pained groan from their offspring. As silly as it may have sounded, he’d grown increasingly fond of using bad jokes and terrible puns around the kids, if only as an endearing way to torment them.

“Mr. Anon,” a little kirin called, waving his hoof, “how did a human have foals with a changeling?”

Out of all the shit he’d hoped he wouldn’t be asked, that was probably at the top of the list. Not only did the query court biological processes he did not want to touch, but he didn’t fully understand it himself. Rubbing the back of his head, trying to think of a kid-friendly response, he knit his brow.

“You see, when a mare and a stallio-MPH!” whatever Chrysalis had been about to say was cut off, as he jammed his hand over her snout.

Though there was a very, very slim chance that she wouldn’t have gone into the visceral details of copulation, Anon didn’t want to hedge his bets. “Listen, I really don’t know. When two creatures love each other very much, sometimes they have kids. It’s just magic,” he replied. Praying the tyke wouldn’t pry further, and hoping to mollify the mother of his children, he leaned over and kissed the irate changeling’s cheek. “I love Chrysalis with all my heart.”

“Gee - with ten foals, you don’t say,” a girlish voice muttered, drawing a few giggles from the class.

“Child,” Chrysalis purred, shaking free from the man’s grasp and strutting over to a hippogriff filly in the second row, “you would consider yourself fortunate to find a mate half as stalwart and paternal as Anonymous.”

Anon couldn’t really say whether or not the kid was actually the perpetrator of the snide comment, since he hadn’t seen who had spoken, but he prayed his paramour wasn’t accosting the filly for nothing. All things considered, he’d still rather she run a temper than start waxing poetic about their carnal affairs.

“Any other questions,” the Queen growled, reluctantly drawing her baleful gaze from the stricken hippogriff.

Waiving a hoof in her direction, a cerise unicorn with streaked, honey colored hair fought to get the former ne'er-do-well’s attention. “So is Mr. Anonymous a villain too?”

Upon hearing the foal, Chrysalis burst into laughter. “Heavens no. Anon is far too softhearted to be evil. For crying out loud, I don’t think he has an evil bone in his body!”

The small pony tilted her head in confusion. “If he’s not bad, how did you two meet?”

“Twilight set us up on a date,” Anon blurted.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Chrysalis snickered, casting a hungry look in his direction. “But yes, the Princess of Friendship introduced us. Though we’ve never gotten an explicit explanation for it, we presume she did so with the expectation that it would help me - Ugh - reform. She clearly failed, as you can all see, which proves once and for all that I am beyond her schemes.”

“Then why are your fillies and colts all reformed?” a quiet voice called out, drawing thoughtful hums and hushed whispers through the room.

“I blame that on their father. If he wasn’t always coddling and spoiling them, they may have matured to be as beauteous as yours truly,” the Matriarch mused, pressing a porous hoof to her chest.

“We love you too, Mom!” Amber whooped.

Scrunching her snout, Ebon rolled her eyes. “I’m almost the same color as you, Mom.”

“Stop showing off, Mom! You’re worse than Dad!” Frost chimed in, draping a book over his face for further cover.

“Well then, if there aren’t any more questions for these two, would everycreature give them a round of applause?” Mrs. Cheerilee announced, putting an end to the interrogation before it spiraled even further out of control. The class immediately fell silent and clapped their hooves together, although a few of the pupils still eyed the odd couple with curiosity.

“If any of you ever want to ask us anything, feel free to pop on by! I promise,” Anon chuckled, walking over and wrapping an arm around Chrysalis’ neck. “she probably won’t eat you!”

Playing the part flawlessly, he hoped, the Matriarch’s horn flared with eldritch light. “I wouldn’t worry too much - that is, unless you’re a bad little filly or colt…”

A few foals snickered, others gulped and shifted uncomfortably, but each and every one of their children fought back laughter. Anon still wasn’t sure if their kids had inherited some sadistic sense of humor from their mother, though they all relished whenever she’d lightheartedly threaten or berate others. While it was a slightly alarming development, he’d be sure it didn’t progress to anything beyond playful teasing.

“Thanks for having us! I hope none of the other parents strike out!” Anon hollered. The students groaned and he stifled a laugh, as he turned and strolled towards the exit. He didn’t have to look to tell his mate was close behind, judging from the sound of her hooffalls, as he moved out of the classroom and into the open air.

Moving up beside the man, as he slowed and waited for her, Chrysalis flipped the mane from her face. “You didn’t have to cut me off twice,” she huffed, trotting past him.

“We’ve been over this. How can the kids have their friends over if their classmates are terrified of you? Also, for the record, I’d really rather you didn’t regale foals with tales of our intimacy,” he groaned.

“Why should I not? Though they may not understand it now, I’m sure they will all eventually learn to appreciate a capable lover,” she shot back, eyeing him from over her shoulder.

Catching up with her and matching her stride, the man eyed her with suspicion. “And you mentioned that you were always candid with your foals about - uh - adult affairs?”

Chrysalis nodded and peered down the dusty road ahead. “Of course. Fillies and colts will eventually learn about sex and reproduction, regardless of what their parents think. Would it not make more sense to have them properly educated on the matter?”

“I…Ok, fair point,” Anon conceded.

While he was torn on the matter of openly discussing adult-oriented material with their foals, there was no denying his mate’s logic - that being said, it wasn’t something he felt all that comfortable talking about with their kids. “So when do you think we should…?” he trailed off, letting the question hang.

“I’ve already given our young a concise rundown of procreation. Since you’re clearly squeamish on the matter, I thought it best to take matters into my own hooves,” the Queen smoothly responded.

With a pit forming in his stomach, Anon froze in his tracks. “You already had the sex talk with them?”

“A rather brief and selective one, yes,” Chrysalis replied, slowing and turning to face him. Noting the aghast expression on his face, she rolled her eyes. “I abstained from going into exorbitant detail, but they got the gist of it. Stallion and mare, love, eggs, blah blah blah,” she blithely recited, waving a forehoof before herself. “When they get a bit older, should Mrs. Cheerilee fail to adequately explain the process, I’ll teach them myself.”

His paramour’s cool and matter-of-fact approach to the topic wasn’t all that surprising, but he found himself immeasurably thankful for it. Given her experience and success with rearing foals, he’d be happy enough to leave the matter of awkward talks to her capable hooves. It wasn’t like he couldn’t handle it himself, but if she was willing and able…

“Thanks,” he muttered. Stepping to her, he leaned in and kissed her snout. “You really are an amazing mother and the kids are lucky to have you.”

“The same could be said for yourself,” she countered. Angling her head up and locking lips with him, she sorcerously squeezed his ass. “You pamper and nourish them with your love, I’ll mold them into the ultimate weapons to dominate Equestria - honestly, it’s a win-win,” she snickered, flicking her tongue out to tickle his nose.

Megalomaniacal threat aside, Anon grinned. “Yes, of course, the goofy little foals we’ve made are world-ending weapons of mass destruction.”

“They could be,” Chrysalis rebuked, stepping in and draping her head over his shoulder. “Although we may need to breed some additional reinforcements for them.”

His hand wandered over her back and down her flank, before he issued a playful smack. “I’m sure Twilight would like to be present for that.”

Rearing back and locking eyes with her mate, the Queen licked her lips. “Only if she’s bound to a chair with a negation ring on her horn. I’d hate for the Princess of friendship to enjoy herself too much for a purely academic affair.”

“Oh that’s just mean,” Anon whispered, his smile broadening.

Wheeling around and trotting away, taking care to flag her tail and expose herself, the majestic changeling put her wetted marehood on full display. “Your erection doesn’t seem to think it’s that cruel,” she clucked, without looking back at him.

Peering down his chest in disbelief, Anon hadn’t even realized he’d popped wood. It was hardly the first and it definitely wasn’t the last time she’d flawlessly gotten him worked up so smoothly, yet it never lost its magic. She just had a magical combination of sass, cunning, and pride that somehow commanded his attention and never failed to get his motor running. Jogging up to her side, he clapped her ass and resumed his pace.

“If you don’t watch it, I think we’ll both end up educating Ponyville on changeling reproduction,” she teased.

Keeping her eyes forward, moving steadily through the town, the faintest glow surrounded her horn. Trying and failing to figure out what she was up to, something softly began rubbing against his crotch. Even through his pants and underwear, her magical touch gently stroked his hardening manhood. He grimaced, knowing there was no way for him to clandestinely reciprocate.

“You know that’s not fair,” he grumbled, attempting to ignore the teasing.

“Is it?” she quipped. Stopping in her tracks, redoubling the force on his loins, she thoughtfully cocked her head. “If you wanted, there’s nothing stopping you from dragging me into an alley and ravishing me like some common whore,” she purred. “What would somepony think of such a depraved sight?”

Staring into her eyes, virtually tasting the lust around her, Anon stiffened in several ways. Having walked their kids to the school house, which laid on the opposite side of town from their home, they’d have to go right through Ponyville on their return trip. They’d already had breakfast that morning, so neither were hungry, and he still had several hours until his shift at work began. With little else to do, there was nothing stopping them from…

“Nope,” he groused, definitely crossing his arms over his chest. As fun as the notion was, getting locked up for public indecency wasn’t on his itinerary. “Being walked in on is one thing, but doing it out in the open is courting disaster.”

“As if you wouldn’t like being caught,” she hummed, continuing to rub at his bulge. “The thought of being watched, of someone seeing you breed me, drives you wild; don’t act like it doesn’t.”

“B..but…” he gulped, as his resolve started to wither, “if we get caught -”

Her pupils contracted and a single bead of drool crept past her lips, although her magical torment didn’t slow in the slightest. “Then we’ll have an audience who will envy us,” she hissed.

The moment he took a single step towards her, with his composure on the brink of collapse, she turned away and halted her cruel treatment. Her all too sudden departure wasn’t surprising in the slightest, since it wasn’t uncommon for her to harass him throughout the day, although that wasn’t what piqued his interest. Instead of continuing down the road and towards their home, she made a hard left and cantered towards a small backstreet.

It didn’t take a genius to tell the trap she was trying to lay for him. Fortunately, after having been subjected to such temptation more times than he could fathom, Anon knew straight away what she was up to. Slowing to a halt, tracking her with his eyes, he patiently waited for her to look in his direction. The moment she turned her head and peeked back at him, he waved her back.

“Wanting to do it in the middle of the street like a pair of wild animals, are we?” she giggled, sauntering over to him.

“Can you make yourself lighter?” he asked, keeping his expression and tone as unreadable as he could.

Quirking a brow, the Queen literally started to luminesce with a chartreuse light. “Like this?”

“Ha ha ha,” he dully laughed. “You know what I meant…”

With an impish smirk and a brilliant flash, the changeling metamorphosed to roughly half her natural size. “Would this suffice?”

“Only one way to find out,” he sternly noted, rolling up his sleeves. Stepping over and resting one hand on her diminished rump, he squatted down and hauled her off her hooves. She wasn’t all that heavy normally, though her reduced mass made the affair far easier to pull off. As he cradled her to his chest and secured his grip, he smiled down at her. “Comfy?”

If the blush in her cheeks and awestruck sparkle in her eyes hadn’t been telling enough, she slowly nodded up at him. He’d never really been one to request she change her form, barring the rare practical exception, but this was the first time he’d asked her to do so in public. Shifting her a bit and finding his balance, he strode onward.

It took the shrunken Matriarch a minute to find her voice, though she eventually snuggled against him and hummed contentedly. “May I ask why you’re trundling me about like some lame peasant?”

“Because I wanted to,” he responded, keeping his eyes ahead. “And because I want everyone to know that my Queen has the best ride in town.”

Stroking her face on his chest, being careful not to stab him with her horn, Chrysalis tittered in his grip. “Just mind where you’re holding. If you keep up the flattery, I may just start leaking.”

Even if she did end up dampening his shirt and/or arm, he wouldn’t be terribly bothered. The pair’s rather scandalous and rowdy erotic affairs were one of the worst kept secrets in all of Ponyville. There weren’t many who hadn’t heard the gossip about their shenanigans at the clinic or whispered about the strange howls which emanate from their cavernous domicile - regardless, what little shame he had about bedding the shapeshifting scoundrel had died ages ago.

Had she pressed him, he really would have snuck away into an alley or behind a hedge for some borderline exhibitionistic hankey pankey, but her little performance had reminded him of something more pressing. Though they’d only been together for just over a year, he’d done things with her he would have never imagined. She’d punched his interspecies v-card, they’d gotten a house together, and they’d started a family. There wasn’t much they hadn’t done, although there was one thing he’d become increasingly hellbent on doing with her.

As he strolled through the quiet little village, lovingly caressing her mane and nodding good morning to the townsfolk he passed, he remained quiet and focused. If Chrysalis took note of his unnaturally stoic disposition, she gave no sign - no, if anything, she appeared happy enough to enjoy the return trip in his arms. Minutes ticked by, the passing buildings thinned into the overgrowth and treeline of the forest, as they approached their home.

Turning her head and spying the entryway of their subterranean lair, the ferried Queen evoked her power and opened the front door for them. “I believe I’ll go and fetch the young this afternoon, if only to further impress my greatness against the more common parents the class will have met today.”

“Just so long as you aren’t too menacing around the other foals. The students don’t know how amazing you are and I’d hate for them to end up disliking you,” Anon murmured, walking his way down the twisting path into the cavern. Though he’d fully anticipated some chiding or smarmy comeback, she remained silent. Glancing downwards, seeing a melancholic look on her face, he slowed. “You ok?”

“I’m not sure if it’s funny or sad - years ago, before I’d ever met you, I would have laughed at such a notion. The great and terrible Queen Chrysalis, reduced to being a well behaved mother and lover,” she solemnly mused, gazing up at the ceiling. “How the mighty have fallen…”

Choosing his words carefully, only continuing his walk into their home, he took a metered breath. “Are you any weaker than you used to be?”

Twisting her head and peering up at him, she frowned. “Of course I’m not - if anything, I’m more powerful now than I ever was before. With you and my children by my side, I could crush even Celestia.”

“If that’s the case, how would that imply you’ve fallen?” he pressed, steadily weaving through the living room and towards the back of the grotto.

“Because I used to have ambitions - goals! I was going to be the ruler of Equestria!” she softly snarled, curling her lip in disdain.

“So you’d rather have a life of constant conquest than this? I’m sure you would have eventually toppled all the Princesses, with enough time, but that doesn’t mean there’d ever be an end to the strife. Creatures would always oppose you, and you’d have to keep your guard up constantly. I’m not sure about what your thoughts are about that, but it sounds pretty awful to me,” Anon remarked.

It was true, he had little doubt that she could have overthrown the Princesses and toppled pony society eventually. Out of all the threats Equestria had faced, she was one of the few who was tenacious and cunning enough to keep coming back. Even after she’d lost her hive and been reduced to a vagabond, she’d never given up on plotting her revenge - hell, she’d even gone so far as to ally herself with Tirek and Cozy Glow in a near apocalyptic league of evil.

“Is there a point to this diatribe?” she groused.

Anon nodded and pressed onward, spying the door to their chamber. “There is, but I have one more question to tie it all together. Can you get the door.”

Glaring at the door and flinging it open, Chrysalis sourly did as asked. The carefree expression on her face had grown taut, the muscles in her back were tight, and her brow was set. He’d known that the discussion wasn’t going to leave her pleased with him, but he was almost happy it had come up. There was something he’d been pensively sitting on for months, unsure of when or how to present it, so the situation was as good of a time as any.

Carrying her to the bed and gingerly setting her on the mattress, he leaned in and pecked her cheek. “Ok, I’m going to ask you to do three things.”

“Spread my legs, begin ovulating, and be ready to launder our very sullied sheets,” she flatly stated, flopping onto her back and splaying her hind legs. “Already done.”

Doing his level best not to smile too widely, or to get another erection, Anon pinched the bridge of his nose. “We can do that after, I Pinkie promise. Just turn back to normal, get comfortable, and close your eyes - that’s all.”

Shifting back to her natural state, in the blink of an eye, she rolled onto her side and eyed him with suspicion. “What or whom does this surprise involve?”

“It doesn’t involve anyone but you. Now are you going to close your eyes or not?” he huffed, impatiently placing his hands on his hips.

“Fine,” she groaned, rolling and closing her eyes. “I won’t peek either - that being said, if you’re planning on surprising me with that magnificent manhood of yours, your Queen would request the chance to wrap her lips around it before we begin in earnest.”

As tempting as the offer was, his machinations eclipsed any sort of debauchery he could imagine. Leaning forward and waving his hands before her face, ensuring she wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on him, he grinned. Straightening back up, his eyes drifted over to his dresser.

Walking over to the piece of furniture, as quietly as he was able, he opened his underwear drawer and rooted around for a moment. As his fingers brushed a small, wooden box, he closed his eyes and took a breath to steady himself. He’d had the item for several weeks, having spent a small fortune of his savings on the blasted thing, yet it caused him as much dread as it did happiness. There really was no point in drawing out the moment any further, since they had the house to themselves, so it was as good a time as any to drop the hammer.

“They still closed?” he inquired, peering over his shoulder at her.

“If you want me to blindly fumble around for you, I will. Just don’t blame me if I unintentionally impale you with my horn,” she halfheartedly griped, with her ears swiveled in his direction.

Withdrawing the item and hiding it behind his back, he turned and stepped back over to the bedside. Slowly, carefully, he knelt to the floor and brought his face to hers. Though her eyes remained shut, she blindly angled her muzzle towards him. He couldn’t say if she’d ever trusted anyone as much as him, but he found himself immeasurably fortunate to have earned her confidence.

“You can open your eyes now,” he breathed. Affixed by her harlequin gaze, his heart skipped a beat. It was time to do or die, there was no going back. “Now then, back to my other question. Are you happy?”

“Given the circumstances, I suppose I’m as happy as I can possibly be. I have a peerless mate, our brood are extraordinarily healthy and bright, and we’ve procured what will be the foundation for a new hive - why do you ask?” she inquired, leering down at him.

Hanging his head and screwing his eyes closed, he brought his hand before himself. He really wasn’t sure of what to say or how to say it, so he let the presentation speak for itself. Feeling the box shift in his palm, likely manipulated by her sorcery, his anxiety soared to unimaginable heights. With the situation out of his hands, he silently awaited her acknowledgement.

“What...What is this?” she softly asked.

Gathering every ounce of courage he could, Anon peeked up at her. A ring, a simple gold band with an inset emerald, levitated between them. While the piece of jewelry was easily the most expensive thing he’d ever purchased in Equestria, the true meaning behind it was beyond priceless. As their eyes met, his breath hitched in his throat.

“I...I wanted to make it official,” he sighed, averting his gaze. “Chrysalis, I really do love you with all my heart and I never want to leave you. Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me and, if I had a choice of losing my home world, I would gladly give it all up to be with you…”

His voice quavered, his hands began to tremble, and his thoughts ran rampant. Despite all the time they’d spent together, bonding and growing closer with every passing day, the dread of rejection sank its teeth into his soul. Though some part of him knew it was illogical and that at worst she may politely decline his offer, he’d never been more fearful in his entire life.

As the box was pressed back into his palm, with the faint sound of the wooden lid closing, ice ran through his veins. He turned his head and peered up at her, wondering exactly what had happened, and froze. Her jaw was set and her face was turned to the side, refusing to look at him.

“Foolish, foolish man, you know not what you ask,” she uttered. Pushing herself up and hopping from the bed, she trotted towards the door.

Panic, terror, sorrow, and anger exploded within him, leaving him more vulnerable than he’d ever been and compromising his better judgement. Shooting to his feet, with the ring box in his white-knuckled grip, he wheeled around to face her. All of his worry of rejection leading up to that moment was but a single drop in the endless sea of despair.

“Why?” he quietly demanded, railing against the urge to let his emotions take over. “Just tell me why...Please…”

Pausing by the doorway, she somberly looked out upon their home. “Because I couldn’t bear to lose you afterwards…”

Anon’s thoughts raced, trying desperately to determine what she meant. Marriage wasn’t an ending - if anything, it would cement them as a couple for the rest of their days. Taking a step forward, unsure of what to do, he reached for her. “I...I don’t understand.”

Chrysalis languidly turned her head to face him, bereft of the slightest bit of anger or contempt. The look upon her face was one of melancholic loss and regret, and it magnified his concern beyond comprehension. As she wistfully gazed down at the floor, a shuddering breath escaped her.

“I’ve lost so much already - my home, my hive, my pride - knowing that I would be without you some day is hard enough as it is, but losing a husband would break me…” she somberly murmured.

Then the cold realization hit him. Chrysalis was one of the oldest living creatures in all of Equestria, rivaling the Princesses in age, and she was still in her prime. She would outlive him, of that there was no doubt, though he’d never given much thought about the fact until that moment. Her rebuff struck deeper than the implications of his mortality, causing him to sink to the floor.

“I just wanted to make you happy, to give you hope for a future you deserve,” he whimpered, feeling something hot roll down his cheek.

“You have,” she softly responded, steadily moving towards him. “Hope and happiness are the cruelest weapons mortals have to wield; they can fulfill you like nothing else, yet crush your very soul,” she continued, drawing a hoof under his chin. “Anon, I care for you like none other, you are my bane and my boon, and I’d likely be imprisoned for eternity without you…”

“Then stay with me,” he pleaded, reaching up to cup her cheek. “I swear on everything I hold dear, I’ll be by your side until my dying breath. You’re my reason for being and I can’t imagine living without you. I...” he gulped, shaking his head and fending off his inhibitions, “I need you.”

Her doleful eyes never wavered from his face, as the tears began to form. “And I you…”

“Then let's be together. Even if I go before you, know that I’d wait an eternity for you on the other side,” he breathed, his composure fracturing.

Wrapping one foreleg around his neck, pulling him to her bosom, she sighed. “When that day does come to pass, I fear you wouldn’t have to wait for long.”

Wordlessly embracing her, sharing his warmth, he shook his head. “Don’t say that.”

“Then don’t say you’ll be there for me,” she tenderly intoned, pushing him away to look into his eyes, “because I already know.”

A hush fell upon them, as they shared a tender kiss and hugged one another. In a sense, it was cathartic and reflected their lives until that point. The highest highs, the lowest lows, loss and joy, all culminated with that fateful juncture. They’d given each other something special, something neither realized their lives were lacking, and they were both more complete because of it.

Their lips parted and Chrysalis retracted her head, lovingly stroking his cheek. “I’m sure you’ll insist on Twilight being there, but I demand she be relegated to one of the back rows,” she huffed, falteringly smiling down at him.

As he wiped a tear from her face, it took Anon a second to comprehend what she’d said. “Wait. So…”

“Even if I was doing to deny your request, you don’t strike me as the type who’d accept no for an answer,” she hummed.

In that fleeting moment, it was like the sun itself shone on upon him. His passion soared and the emotional dam broke, as he leapt forward and nearly tackled her to the floor. All of his doubts and worries evaporated in an instant, knowing she would have him.

Stumbling back and getting her footing, she patted his head. “And here I thought the mare was supposed to lose her cool on - sniff - such occasions,” she weakly joked, attempting to mask just how overcome she really was.

“What can I say,” Anon laughed, rocking back to his haunches, “I just really, really wanted to see you in a wedding dress.”

“I swear by all the stars in the sky, if this is some elaborate joke, they’ll never find your body,” she chuckled. Prizing the small box from his grasp and levitating it over to herself, she gave the ring a closer inspection. “By the way, from whom did you procure this?”

Getting to his feet and brushing himself off, he stepped over and plucked the band from the air. “I ordered it from a jeweler in Canterlot. If I had gotten it from anywhere in town, I’m sure folks would already be talking about it.”

“Clever,” she noted, eyeing the bauble, “but does it fit?”

Giving a small shrug, he steadily extended his arm. “Only one way to find out,” he noted, creeping closer. Slipping the ring over her gnarled horn, he gingerly seated the golden loop around the base of the bony protrusion.

“Before we go any further, I need you to know that I am not entirely pleased with this incident,” she grumbled, prodding his chest. “This entire ordeal is going to be such a headache. The dress, planning the event itself, finding a ring for you. With my royal coffers having been stolen from me years ago, I have perilously few resources to draw from.”

Anon couldn’t help but beam, seeing her return to her naturally surly self. “As far as I’m concerned, none of that matters. All I care about is that you show up, I’ll figure out the rest.”

“And leave the details to you? Perish the thought!” she scoffed. “Your tastes have always been lacking and would surely result in an event unbefitting of a Queen. So help me, it will make Shining and Cadance’s ceremony look utterly pedestrian.”

“Hmmmm,” he thoughtfully hummed, shrewdly rubbing his chin. “Maybe we should invite them - you know, so they can see how it’s really done.”

Snickering to herself, with a devilish glint in her eye, Chrysalis mirrored his playful sentiment. “Indeed. I don’t believe Cadance, being the Princess of love, could deny the request to bless the couple at such a momentous occasion - that and I’m sure Shining would appreciate a reminder of what he could have had.”

“I’m thinking lots of black and green to go with it, and I bet Pinkie would be happy as hell to make the cake for us,” Anon added, ruminating aloud.

“So long as it’s not - ugh - cheesecake or harboring an artillery piece, I’ll permit her to be the royal baker,” she groaned. “I have no doubt the children will be thrilled with the news, though minding them throughout the nuptials will be a trial.”

“Nah, they’ll be fine. We’ve got plenty of time to get them ready for it,” he dismissively stated, waving a hand to dispel her concern. “But really though, you have no idea how stressed I was over this. It took me weeks to work up the courage to ask you.”

Shaking her head, she softly tsking to herself. “I can’t quite blame you, it’s not everyday that a commoner ask a royal for her hoof in marriage.”

“Hey - I’m the least common commoner this world has,” he laughed. “Speaking of which, would this make me a King or something?”

“Given that I hold no kingdom, I doubt it - that being said, it’s not important anyways,” she noted. Walking over and placing her forehooves on his shoulders, she brought her muzzle to his face. “The only thing that matters is that you’re my King.”

“And you’re my Queen,” he breathed. Leaning in, brushing a strand of mane from her face, he locked lips with his lover.

All joking aside, there would be plenty of time to organize the event. Between invitations, settling on a theme, getting a suit for himself, finding a dress for her, and figuring out how many creatures and ponies they’d have to be catering for, there was plenty of work ahead of him - still, it could wait. He’d cleared the biggest hurdle in his life, having his paramour accept his proposal, and he couldn’t be happier. Regardless of how and when they’d be wed, she’d made him the happiest man or stallion in Equestria and, despite her pithy comebacks and glib joking, something told him she felt the same way as him...