This is What True Love is...

“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.”

Chapter 1, A bump in the street...

Shimmering Honor was walking along the marble streets of Canterlot, the blue Pegasus’s mind was wondering as to what to do while on leave. His short, red striped, spiky, deep blue mane blew gently in the breeze. His Stetson hat rested on his head as he rounded a corner, and walked into somepony with a ‘bump!’

“I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going.” Shimmering was rubbing the side of his head when he heard a mare talking, and looked down. On the floor was one of the most beautiful mares he had ever seen. She was midnight black with a scarlet mane and a tail with white streaks.

"I do apologise." He held his hoof out to help her up, instead, she just flapped her wings and stood back up

“It's no problem, really. It's my fault,” she replied.

' what a Pegasus'... Shimmering stared at the mare, his eyes almost glazing over. He shook his head.

"I do insist it was my fault." He bowed his head, crossed a hoof over his chest, and spread his wings to add effect. She chuckled, and a small smile formed on her muzzle.

“Such a gentlecolt, fine it's your fault, you should be ashamed.” She smiled and giggled. Shimmering couldn't help but laugh.

"No need to be ashamed, accidents happen. May I introduce myself? I am Shimmering Honor at your service my lady." Again, he bowed for effect.

“Midnight Winds and let's get this straight. I am no lady.”

"Oh?" Shimmering was a little confused.

"You are a mare, are you not? You live in Canterlot so you must have some prestige to your name, and as a duty, the Royal Guard are here to serve all in this fine city. So in my view you are a Lady."

“Only by the loosest sense am I a lady.” Midnight gave him a wry smile. “It doesn't matter. Please excuse me. I must get home.”

"Okay then, I hope to see you around." Shimmering Honor reluctantly headed off towards the markets.

That night he couldn't get the mare out of his mind. There was something about her, something special, and he wanted to hold her, to preen her. He couldn't explain it. He headed out into the nightclubs to try and distract himself.

He wasn't the only one. After that crazy meetup, Midnight went home thinking about that stallion. He was pretty cute admittedly. When she stepped through her door she collapsed onto the couch, thinking. She just couldn't get him out of her head, and a few hours later went to a club to distract herself.

Shimmering Honor ended up at a club run by a pony called Vinyl Scratch. He was an old friend of hers and was able to get into the VIP section easily. He never really liked the heavy base kind of music, or nightclubs in general, but it seemed the best place to meet mares, or so he hoped. After one or two drinks, Shimmering was on the dance floor making a fool of himself with really bad dancing. A certain mare, Midnight Black walked up to him

"Come with me. You need help” Shimmering was shocked... here she was again, what was her name...Midnight something.... The alcohol in his system repressing the memory…..Midnight Winds, that’s it, it must be.

She said something about him needing help, so he followed her off the dance floor to a corner of the club.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Just having some fun. Then I saw you making a fool out of yourself. I had to rescue you." She giggled slightly bringing her hoof to her mouth to suppress it. She looked at Shimmerings’ drunken form. "You do this often?"

"Eenope" Shimmering answered, a red haze coming to his cheeks. "I was actually out to distract myself from...err....from....." He couldn't finish the sentence. Hearing the hesitation and thinking of her own distraction Midnight took a chance.

"From me?"

"Err...well...hehe....yes." Shimmering answered, the red haze on his cheeks growing ever more visible. "So do you come out often?" He asked, not knowing why he did.

"Actually yeah I do. My friend works here," her own blush started to appear on her cheeks.

"Oh, who’s your friend?" Shimmering asked, noticing the blush appearing on Midnights cheeks.

"His name is Frostbite. despite popular belief he is a sweet stallion".

"Frostbite? Never heard of him. Well I have a friend who works here too." Shimmering said smugly, now was a time to see if he could impress her, unfortunately, the alcohol was taking effect.

"Oh who is it?" Her interest was peaked by this. Shimmering simply points to the DJ. Midnights’ eyes widen in shock.

"No way. You know Vinyl Scratch? I don’t believe it."

Shimmering nodded his head and got up, he headed towards the stage.. he turned around and motioned for Midnight to follow. Midnight got up reluctantly and went with Shimmering to the stage.

"How do you know her?"

"School, we were best mates at school and stayed in contact ever since." He got to the DJ stand.

"HAY, VINYL!! got a minute?" Shimmering shouted, The Unicorn mare looked around, her iconic glasses covering her eyes.

"SHIMMY!" She shouts back with a big grin on her face.

"Shimmy? Really?" Midnight giggles once more.

"Cute."

The look on Shimmering's face could have killed somepony.

"Scratchy, I told you not to call me that anymore!" he replied, ignoring Midnight's laughter.

"Oh boo hoo Shimmy, who's your marefriend anyway?" she asks, Shimmering's face went as red as the sun. Hearing this Midnights laughter stopped and was replaced with a huge red blush across her whole face.

"I am not his marefriend"

"Well you could be..." Muttered Shimmering, trying his hardest to stop his wings spreading out.

"What was that... Shimmy?!" Her laughter returned as fast as it fled. He lost his will, his wings shot out, his face turned the brightest red ever and started to smoulder with embarrassment. he saw one option....FLY!

Shimmering Honor shot out of the nightclub, leaving a blue and red trail behind.

The moment his wings were spread Midnight knew what was coming. The moment Shimmering got out the doors Midnight had tackled him to the ground holding him down so they were looking in each other's eyes. Her chest pressed into his.

"Where do you think you're going mister?"

"I....err....I...errr, well, you see, awkward situations and me don't mix, throw in a few ciders and a few Sonic Shots and you have one stupid, nervous, unable to control his mouth Pegasus that can never get a marefriend..." He said, small tears started to form in his eyes.

"Can never get a…. is that what this whole thing is about? You can’t get a marefriend? Big deal. I haven’t a good stallion in years. Hell the last one left me for my freaking brother. Good terms sure but not one for me. I’m not complaining though."

" AND there you go... alcohol add a nervous Pegasus equals I CAN'T CONTROL MY BUCKING MOUTH!" He somehow manages to wiggle out of Midnight's grip and shoots straight up..

"Why Shimmering Honor? why? there you have a cute mare and you blow it YET ABUCKINGGAIN!!!" he screams as he flies away. Just as he starts moving he gets tackled into a cloud.

"Stop running. I am faster than you. Just explain things."

"I am a royal guard sergeant...how the...but...I went through training...I...n..n...no!" Shimmering stutters and takes up a defensive position on the cloud.

"I'm the daughter of a Wonderbolt. My cutie mark literally represents my speed at night. I am fast in the day but i’m faster when the sun goes down. Now tell me what the problem is cutie, okay?" Shimmering was shocked. Cutie, did she just call me bucking cutie.

"Wonderbolt daughter....My family has a history with the Trottingham branch" He said, trying to steer the conversation away.

"Fleetfoot is my mother. Now stop avoiding the question. What's the problem?”

"Fine then...." Shimmering's ears drop and he lies against the cloud. "I have never had a marefriend, I was bullied as a foal for being flightless and so decided to jump off the tallest tower in the city, fortunately, and a somewhat cruel twist of fate, a Unicorn foal fell out of a window two floors below me, I then jumped to save her life. That's when I started to fly. That Unicorn was Vinyl Scratch, that's when I also got my cutie mark of a shield to signal I was a protector. I joined the Royal Guard and  here I am now, an unqualified, dyslexic and dyscalculia sergeant who protects ponies." He finally said.

"I have had so much bucking bad luck in my life, I often wonder why I carry on.." Tears rolling down his cheeks. "I get drunk once a month and find a thunderstorm to beat up... I can never show my true emotions to anyone... and I always end up saying something I regret not two seconds later... like what I muttered in the club...I am a useless Pony and deserve all the bad luck I get...maybe then somepony will get my share of good luck."

Shimmering was a ball of tears by this point, he had curled up into a ball and was covering himself with his wings... and now she will fly away, not wanting anything to do with pussy pony like me, they always do. He thought to himself....he waited for the inevitable sound of a pony taking off from the clouds. Midnight stayed silent a moment before she turned his head to face her and kissed him, Shimmering's eyes shot wide with shock.

"Why? why kiss me? why not fly off like the rest of them?" he asked.

“Because...." tears filling her own eyes. "I know what it's like"

"What?" was all he could say.

"I know how you feel.... I won’t go into detail but.... I know your pain in a different way" She kisses him again as she chokes back sobs. Shimmering Honor’s wings slowly uncurl and shot back out...

"Thanks, I am sorry for running away..." he apologized.

"Don't be sorry. I get it.... well.... I’ll be your marefriend Shimmy" She smiles slightly with tears running down her cheeks.

Shimmering Honor goes into a state of shock... his wings go as hard as stone, while the rest of his body goes limp…

Midnight Winds presses herself into Shimmering’s coat nuzzling his chest and breathing in his furs scent "Is that alright?"

Shimmering stares blankly at the sky....after a few seconds "yes" he replies. Midnight sequels happily as she presses herself closer. Shimmering giggles as a wide smile appeared on his muzzle.

"I know what you mean" he looks at the mare and kisses her… they soon drifted off to sleep.