Bliss in Darkness

Vicarious

“I don’t understand Luna… Why push him away? You should never turn down romance… You are so lucky to have found somepony...er... someone that you won’t outlive.”

“Did you not hear what I said? He thinks of me as an animal.”

“Oh, come now. Surely he didn’t say that.” Celestia sighed as they departed the royal chariot. Luna was always one to make quick decisions and not ask others for advice. She could tell there was something going on between her and Charlie and she was not going to let anything get in the way of her little sister's happiness.

“No, but he pulled away from me and said that he thought it was wrong. That all ponies are animals.”

“All ponies are animals? He surely does not think that if he saved our lives…” Celestia reasoned. Charlie may not have been the best person, but risking one’s life to save another is the most selfless act one can commit, short of willingly giving your life.

“Well where he comes from they are. It seems no matter where I go somepony is afraid of me…”

“He is no pony… here Luna. I’ll take a peek into his mind again and we will see what he is thinking.” The princess of the sun reassured her sister. Telepathy was considered very rude, but she was sure that this was a just cause of using her power.

***

“Man it’s a nice night… Sure wish I had someone to share it with…” I whispered as I set my eyes to the path ahead of me.  I remembered thinking it funny, I had been awake for more than twenty four hours, and here I was walking about the town in the middle of the night. The strength I naturally get at night, coupled with the energy I was absorbing from the plants and animals of the world enabled me to feel just fine after receiving no sleep.

‘I wonder how long I could keep this up without sleeping…’

‘Well assuming we have an unlimited supply of things to feed from, I’d say quite a while.’

‘But not forever?’

‘Well time is relative to the mind, but I’m sure the body will become physically tired after extended strenuous activity.’

‘English please?’

‘Do you need to ask that to your own mind? After a while, the microscopic tears in your muscles will need to heal. Sleep is necessary for all things to survive. It’s not only for energy, but also to heal. You can only get one of those from other sources. Your mind can’t work forever without rest either, or you will go completely insane.’

‘Good to know.’

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar yet elusive presence entering my mind. I couldn’t place a finger on it quite then, but I knew I had felt it before. The once peaceful night was suddenly making me nervous, as I felt I was not only being watched but also listened to. I hurried down the path, humming as inconspicuously as possible. Once I reached the path that led to Fluttershy’s I stopped jogging. It was silly, nopony would follow me out here at night. I reached out to the world around me, and felt no presence, but it was still there. Something inside my own mind.

Under normal circumstances, I would have gone to see Twilight, or even princess Celestia, But it was late at night and I had some business to take care of. I couldn’t shake the notion that Fluttershy had grown to have feelings for me. She had been far too excited when I asked her if I could live next door. It was the most excited I have ever seen the small meek pegasus. I just had to investigate.

I arrived at Fluttershy’s right as the moon had completed half its journey across the night sky. I hesitated before knocking, but why? I knew she was awake, I could see lights on. I was scared of what I might do in there. I was afraid that I would hurt Fluttershy. She was not my type at all, but she had a certain quiet charm I had come to enjoy. Maybe if Luna wouldn’t take me back…

I made my back up plan, and thought about the night’s activities. I would have to let Fluttershy down, but also leave the door open if things didn’t work out with the dear princess. Yet again, love had become a game. I would also have to find a place to sleep, as I would not be sharing a house with the pony whose heart I was planning on breaking.

Knock…Knock…

I knocked as quietly as I could while still making it audible. I didn’t want her to relapse into tree mode.

“Hello… OH! Charlie… what um… what’s up?”

‘Did she just say what’s up? I hope my Earth-lingo isn’t wearing off around here.’

“Not much Fluttershy. I just finished talking with Twilight. Did you ever find Pinkie and AJ?” I had taken to calling all of the girls by their nicknames. All except dashie. Only Pinkie Pie was allowed to use the hallowed ‘dashie.’ Then again, I was the only one who could get away with Sparkly Flanks, so I was happy.

“Oh... um… yeah we did. They made something up and left together. We just decided to leave them be and deal with it tomorrow… if that’s ok... Oh I hope it is… I’ll go get them right now!”

“No, no, no stay here. I actually just wanted to talk to you right now, the others can wait till tomorrow.”

“Oh… just… just you and me?” She said. I could feel her perking up, and I feared all the while that my suspicions were true. She did have a thing for me… as awkward as that sounds. I could feel it.

“Yes, Fluttershy, just us. I just wanted to…” I froze. I couldn’t do it… not like that. Her eyes were opening wider and wider and I couldn’t just shut them down like that. She pulled on my heartstrings like a puppeteer, and I could do nothing but stand by and gawk at how foolish I had become in her presence.

“…I just wanted to ask you how you were feeling. All of us are under stress, and time is running out. I wanted to make sure all the elements are in tip top shape for tomorrow!”

‘Nice going, dumb ass…’

‘Shut up!’

“Oh… um… I’m doing just fine. I was just going to go to sleep… We have been doing a lot lately… where are you staying Charlie? I noticed you and Twilight weren’t exactly… getting along earlier…”

“Oh I see… I was just going to curl up somewhere out here where my future house would be…”

“Oh no, no no no! You can sleep in here!” She exclaimed much louder than I thought possible for her. She positioned herself behind me and forced me inside her house. I had been inside before, but that night was extra… peaceful. She had lit a few lanterns and cleaned up the place considerably. All her animals were sleeping peacefully, and the nocturnal ones were eyeing me cautiously. Apart from the hooting of owls, the entire place was silent. All I could sense was peace, and a pair of large eyes staring a hole in the back of my head. A beautiful teal pair of eyes…

‘The longer you delay, the harder it is going to be to give her up.’

‘At this point… I’m not sure if I care.’

‘Oh, so we care when it’s Luna, but Fluttershy isn’t an animal… you should have no issue getting intimate with her…’

‘Well I’ve had more time to take in the whole pony thing…’

‘Then break it off with Yellow girl and get with the goddess!’

‘Fuck… why does this have to be so hard?’

“Fluttershy I'm not sure if this is a good idea…”

“What? Oh I'm so sorry… I just… are you not comfortable here?”

“No it’s not that it’s just… There’s something I have to tell you.” I said. Several seconds passed before anyone, or anypony spoke.

“I…” My heart stopped and formed a large lump in the base of my chest. My throat felt like it was closing up and I could feel myself start to sweat. I was lost in her gaze, the tidal wave of emotions running through me. I couldn’t do it. No matter how hard I tried. She was too sweet and caring.

‘God damn you Charlie! Just say it!’

‘I can’t. Look at her face.’

‘Man… those eyes. That… that stare…’

“I… Thank you for being such a good friend, Fluttershy.” It was a lame thing to say, but I was choked for time. I couldn’t sit there and stare at her any longer, nor could I bring about my feelings that were rapidly changing in the presence of this mare. I wasn’t sure if I was under the influence love, or if she was capable of mind control. Probably both.

“Don’t mention it Charlie. You can have the couch.”

A small white bunny then crawled out from behind Fluttershy. It took me a moment, but then I recognized the creature as Fluttershy’s pet bunny, Angel. He was looking at me with a face of disapproval, as he always does. He was pointing a carrot at me as if to say ‘I'm watching you’.

“Is he going to ambush me in my sleep?” I asked pointing him out to his owner. Upon noticing her pet’s angry display, she replied.

“Oh no… Angel, he is a friend. Its ok, I promise. Charlie, could you come here for a second?”

Uh oh. Now I was in trouble. Fluttershy was giving me that look again. That look that beckoned me forth into her presence.  Her normal passive expression turned into a mischievous smile. She had plans, and her puppet was to carry them out without question. I could only hope she would not lead me to her bedroom…

Much to my relief, and somewhat disappointment, she lead me into the kitchen instead. There, she opened the fridge and took a few carrots into her mouth. Her teeth… her tongue…

“Herr. Tek deez.” She said muffled through the carrots. I gripped them and pulled them from her tongue’s grasp. I could have sworn she winked at me, although I could not say for certain. For such a shy girl, she really knew how to appeal to me.  If it weren’t for the battle taking place in my heart, I would have been begging Fluttershy to invite me to her bedroom.

“Give one to Angel now, and save the rest for later. If he does anything uncalled for, just feed one to him. He is very nice… you just have to offer him something in return for his acceptance.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. This little guy was like the King of Spain. Here he lived in his palace of carrots, with the world’s sweetest mare taking care of his every whim. If he misbehaved, carrots. If he was a good little bunny, carrots. Hell, he probably just got carrots for not shitting on the floor.

“Ok… although I must say, you are spoiling him quite a bit…” I whispered so he could not hear me say it.

She led me back into the main room, my eyes bouncing from her tail, to her cutie marks, and back. Cutie marks were interesting things, indeed. Hers were a trio of butterflies, which suited her name and profession perfectly. It made me wonder what my cutie mark would look like if humans had the capability of getting them. I then dismissed the thought, my mind now adorned with my potential ass-markings.

“Say, Fluttershy. If I had a cutie mark, what do you think it would be?” I said, trying to take the awkwardness out of the night with a little friendly conversation. I bent down and fed a carrot to the King of Fluttershy’s castle, and he promptly curled up and fell asleep. She was right. It was cute.

“Oh… I don’t know. You are pretty good at talking to others. Maybe a megaphone?” I she replied. We shared a good laugh, as I envisioned megaphone shaped tattoos on my ass.

“So humans don’t get cutie marks? How do humans know what to do after school?” She asked.

“That is a very good question Fluttershy. I never got to graduate high school, but even if I had, I don’t think I knew what I wanted to do. Earth life is… a lot more complicated than it is here.”

“Oh I see. What’s high school?”

‘It’s a bunch of bullshit is what it is…’

‘Quiet you.’

“On Earth, human children are made to go to school, as I'm sure little ponies do here. We go to preschool, then kindergarten where we learn the basics of going to school. Then we get our primary education for eight years. Once we pass our eighth grade, we go to high school.”

“That sounds complicated…”

“Well that’s not even how it is all over the world. Some kids don’t even go to school at all in other parts of my planet.”

“Oh…” She said as her mane deflated slightly. This conversation of school was boring me, and obviously bothering her, so I dropped it.

“So… Fluttershy…” I started, but didn’t finish. I had no idea what to say, and the tension in the room rose substantially. I knew she wouldn’t start any kind of conversation, so I had to do it.

Seconds turned into minutes and there wasn’t a word said between the two of us. I just stared at her face and mane, and she pretended to stare at the room around us. I say pretended because I frequently caught her eyeing my face, but when our eyes locked she looked away. She is just how I was when I was younger.

“I'm sorry I'm so weird..” We both said in unison. I don’t know if it was fate, or luck, but I thought it hilarious that we both worked up the courage to say that at the exact same time.

“Heh. Its fine. We really should be getting to sleep though…”

“Oh, that’s right. Umm.. here..” She said as she jumped to attention and walked across the

room. She ascended the stairs, giving me a few seconds to think to myself.

‘What do we do…’

‘I say we stick to the original plan. Put her on the back burner until we know what to do about the Princess.’

‘That seems so… dishonest.’

‘Since when were you the honest one?’

‘Since I made the decision to become a good person not too long ago.’

‘Well we can be nice, but lets play the cards under the table for a while, at least until we know what we really want.’

‘Ok fine. Sounds like a plan.’

After an awkward eternity alone in Fluttershy’s living room, the mare of the house finally returned to me with a large stack of blankets and pillows on her back. It seemed excessive, especially since it was the middle of a very hot Equestrian summer.

“Fluttershy, humans are a warm blooded species…”

“I know, I just… I didn’t know what you liked in a blanket and… You might be allergic to wool or.. you might like a hard pillow and all I have is soft and… here, this is my favorite one…”

“Fluttershy… its fine. Just give me this one and…. This one.” I cut her off as I picked the top pillow and blanket off the stack. I chuckled inside as I realized she must have gathered all the blankets in the whole house just to ensure my comfort. She was indeed the element of kindness.

“Oh, ok. I’ll put them back on my bed.”

“You were going to give me your sheets?!” I exclaimed in disbelief. Element of kindness my ass, she must have mistaken her identity as the element of selflessness.

“Well they are the best, and I only give my friends the best…”

“Well keep them, honestly. Unless you’d like to share them…”

‘Way to stick with the plan, asshat.’

“Oh um.. well.. I.. uh… just…. EEP!” She said as she blushed furiously and hid her face behind her mane. If it wasn’t apparent that she had feelings for me before, it sure was now. I laughed and reassured her.

“I'm kidding Fluttershy. Here, I’ll come tuck you in.”

I led Fluttershy to her own bedroom, which was odd because it was not my house and I had no idea where it was. Somehow, I guessed correctly and we spent about ten minutes re-laying her blankets correctly. I could practically feel her jealousy as I used my fingers and hands to spread the sheets and blankets evenly. I wondered how hard life would be with hooves instead of hands, and silently gave thanks that I was a human and not a pony.

Once the blankets were in order, I fluffed her pillows. A luxury I'm sure she was unaware of, given her lack of hands. Once again, jealousy became apparent on her face.

“I’ve seen you eyeing my hands Fluttershy. In case you are wondering, yes, they are very helpful.”

“Oh… Yes… I um… I'm just a bit jealous…”

I laughed at her honesty and got ready to go back downstairs to sleep.

“If you ever need them for anything, just ask. They can perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to, pushing, grabbing, lifting and… massaging…” I said the last word playfully, obviously insinuating something to her. Her face turned red, and I laughed, again ensuring her it was just a playful joke. Whether or not it meant something else was yet to be determined.

“Goodnight, Fluttershy. And thank you again for letting me sleep here.”

“No… no problem Charlie. Make yourself comfortable downstairs. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

***

“See Tia? He is okay with Fluttershy being a pony… He lied to me.”

“I… Luna, I'm sorry…” Celestia comforted her little sister.

“It seems I will never be anypony’s friend. I tried so hard…”

“Just give it time Luna. Charlie is a sensible person, you should just talk to him. It isn’t fair to spy on him like this and not get his true side. Perhaps he was just scared to hurt Fluttershy?”

“Perhaps… yes. You are right. I will travel to Ponyville immediately!” Luna exclaimed as she took off into her night sky.

“Charlie better watch out…” Celestia smiled and said to herself. Luna certainly seemed normal, but she couldn’t let her guard down just yet. Nightmare was a part of her now, but then again, she always was. Celestia always remembered the other side of Luna’s personality from their time as fillies. Luna always had a jealous streak, and would often stop at nothing to get what she desired. Those must have been the traits she used to forge Nightmare Moon.

Celestia sighed as she retreated to her chambers. It had been a long and very stressful day. She chuckled to herself as she remembered the vigor her sister had used when she took off to go find Charlie.

“I hope Twilight doesn’t send me a very angry letter for unleashing my sister on her unsuspecting friend…”

***

After my run-in with Fluttershy, I retreated back down to the living room. The night was pulsing through my veins, and my eyes glowed in the natural darkness. I could see everything as plain as day, although it was tinted slightly blue.  I marveled at my power, and again pondered its limits. Could I drain the entire population of a planet? No wonder the government wanted to keep me contained…

‘If they wanted us under lockdown, they could have always tried gentler means.’

‘Agreed. Torture is never a reliable method. It’s like parents who honestly think they can control a

teenager through force.’

‘Remember that time… under the tree that night? With Claire?’

‘Heh… I'm still surprised we never got caught…’

‘We are lucky bastards is what we are…’

I reminisced for quite some time before I managed to make myself tired. Being nocturnal has its advantages, but it was inconvenient when one wished to sleep like all the normal creatures of the world. ‘Luna must have this problem too…’ I thought as I rolled over on the tiny couch, trying to comfort myself.

‘Don’t start thinking about her…’

‘I can’t help it. I love them both for entirely different reasons.’

‘Well I doubt everypony would be ok with a polygamist relationship between Goddess of the Night, an element of harmony, and a creature from another dimension.’

‘I’ll have to choose eventually… ‘

‘We should choose Luna. She will live forever with us. What would we do when Fluttershy is no longer around?’

‘…’

I didn’t have an answer for that one. It was true, I would outlive every single living creature in this world. I felt for Celestia, she would never know love without death. Luna and I had a very unique opportunity, one that I couldn’t just pass up. I finally knew what I had to do.

I scribbled a rough note for Fluttershy, in case she awoke before I had returned. I did not know how long it would take me to run to Canterlot, but I assumed it would take longer than the rest of the moon’s journey across the sky. I folded the blankets, and fluffed Fluttershy's pillow. I cast a glance at the sleeping Angel, and placed a breakfast carrot beside him for when he woke up. He may be an asshole, but he is a cute one.

I departed Fluttershy’s with the newfound vigor that stemmed from the decision I had finally made. Luna was the mare for me, and although it felt weird to say it, I didn’t care. Mare, woman, what’s the difference? She was more than the perfect person for me, who cared what form her body took? Once again, the urge to sing took hold of me as I set down the path from Fluttershy’s into Ponyville. I succumbed to the urge and decided to let my heart pour out through song.

“Eye on the T.V.

‘Cause tragedy thrills me,

Whatever flavor

It happens to be.”

My eyes scanned the skies, reveling in the joyous night; the countless stars and galaxies twinkling and glowing brightly with all the colors of the peaceful darkness. Azure, amber, gold, deep blue, and black encompassed the sky, dancing to the symphony, directed by Luna.

“Wife, Killed by the husband.

Drowned by the ocean,

Shot by his own son

She used the poison in his tea

And kissed him goodbye.

That’s my kind of story…”

“It’s no fun till someone dies.” I sang, as I entered Ponyville. I briefly pondered if anypony was awake to hear me. I chuckled to myself as I sang the next verse, knowing how scared and confused they would be if they heard me sing it.

“Don’t look at me like

I am a monster.

Frown out your one face,

But with the other

Stare like a junkie

Into the T.V.

Stare like a zombie,”

I scanned the surrounding area around the center of Ponyville square, briefly pausing before beginning the next verse.

“While the mother holds her child,

And watches him die.

Hands to the sky, crying

Why oh why?”

I laughed as I heard a window slam somewhere in the distance.

“Cause I need to watch things die!

From a distance,

Vicariously I live while the whole world dies,

You all need it too, don’t lie.”

I continued my walk through the streets of Ponyville, humming and whistling the tune of the song.  I never realized it, but this song fit my life very well. ‘I wish I had my CD here with me, I would kill to actually listen to it right now.’ I thought as I exited the outskirts of Ponyville.

“Why can’t we just admit it?

Why can’t we just admit it…?

We won’t give pause until the blood is flowing,

Neither the brave nor bold.

The writers of stories sold,

We won’t give pause until the blood is flowing.

I need to watch things die!

From a good safe distance,

Vicariously I live while the whole world dies.

We all feel the same so…”

“Why can’t we just admit it?” I yelled as I came to the border of the Everfree. I was now in hostile territory, and I had to keep my guard up, lest I be ambushed by hostile creatures or other undesirables. I scorned myself briefly, knowing I should be in there fixing the problem instead of fixing my personal relationships. The anger passed, as I prepared to sing the next verse.

“Blood like rain come down

Drawn on grave and ground.

Part vampire,

Part warrior

Carnivore, and voyeur

Stare at the transmittal,

Sing to the death rattle.”

“La la la la la la la-lie…” I half sang, half hummed as I ran down the path in perfect synchronization with the beat; my natural nocturnal energy giving me the strength to run at this pace while still having the strength to sing properly.

“Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.

Pull your head out of your hippy haze and give a listen,

I shouldn’t have to say it all again.

The universe is hostile, so impersonal.

Devour to survive,

So it is, so it’s always been.”

I took a deep breath and paused for a moment. I thought I saw something big and dark flying in the sky above me. It was roughly the shape of a pony and… it was Luna. I knew it. I could feel her presence searching for me.

“We all feed

On tragedy.

It’s like blood to a vampire.

Vicariously I live while the whole world dies.”

“Much better you, than I.” I said to the bewildered Princess Luna as she landed right in front of me. She looked at me first in anger, and then in frustration as she tried to comprehend what I just said to her. I decided to end her contemplation early as I walked up within inches of her face.

Then I kissed her.

It was not long, it was not deep, but it did give me satisfaction. I felt no need to pull away, nor did I feel any guilt for what I had just done. Bestiality was romance between a human and an animal, and she was no animal. I smiled and she raised a hoof and stuck me across the face.

As I recovered from the blow, I saw her staring at me. She was obviously not as entranced by me as I was by her. My mind struggled to find words, but no epic speech came to mind. Not even a clever musing.

“It’s a nice night we have here..."

Authors Notes: Will Charlie ever get Luna's forgiveness? Will the humans ever attack Equestria? Will Fluttershy ever learn to fluff her own pillows?! Will Angel Bunny receive even more carrots!?! Find out next time. Also, I've gone nuts trying to post these chapters with barely any WiFi access. Pic related, it's me grabbing some nuts.