Enchantè

                                                            Confirmation

Lorewise sat back and lit his pipe. As the wildberry and hickory scented tobacco wafted through the air of his private train cabin, he looked down at the letter from his son once again.

He could not understand where he’d gone wrong. He had never missed an opportunity to impart the great history and noble lineage of the Unicorns to his son. He had made sure he been accepted into the most prestigious college, to study with the premier professors in the capitol city. As much as he could, he had guided his son in the direction of a future life any Unicorn would be glad to have.

But now this.

He knew, he knew his son being sent to Ponyville was a bad idea and some sort of punishment. There had to have been some official at that Academy whose bad side his son had gotten on; something he did or said that made them want to take his dreams and trod them under hoof. And judging from this letter, his son was still too naïve to realize he had been set up for failure.

All this talk of “happiness” and “harmony.” “Ignorance” and “gullibility” more like! ‘The goal of life isn’t to be happy’, his own father had told him, ‘but to make sure your family is provided for at any cost. Take care of your OWN.’ These were the wise words he had lived by, how he had made his fortune, and what he thought he had taught his only son.

Lorewise put down the crumpled letter and stared out the window at the passing scenery. They’d be in Ponyville in a few hours. Maybe there was still time to talk sense into his son. He had to make him understand that (1) you cannot fall in love with somepony at first sight and (2) being involved with a pegasus was something our Family just did NOT do.

He looked down at his wife sleeping on the soft cushion beside him. Her head had shifted onto on his shoulder once he sat back, and every once in a while she made that little snort in her sleep that he always found so endearing. She had been and was still everything he desired.

He had met Willow when they were both quite young, and just like every decision he made in his life, he had decided soon after meeting her she would be his wife. Even as a young Unicorn he had known what he wanted and he knew he would have to put out effort to get it. But falling in love with her had been a long process, as any sensible pony knew. Her mane had a few grey hairs in it now, her face had a few more lines, but she was even more beautiful than when he’d first laid eyes on her. Her presence always put him at peace, and he would need every ounce of it when he confronted his son. His arguments with Pawise had always gotten heated whenever they faced each other alone, but never so much when his Mother was present. So she was his not-so secret weapon.

Even so, she’d not reacted the way he thought she should have when she had read the last part of this letter. She didn’t seem to mind their SON was interested in a pegasus. Not for the first time, he wondered if her coming with him might be a mistake. He knew though, there was never a question about it, for Willow was the one pony he could never refuse anything she wanted. Still, he held onto the hope she’d support him in his efforts to make their son see reason, for all this talk of “harmony” and “happiness” may be fine for such rustics as the residents of a sleepy town like Ponyville, but it had no place in the cutthroat dealings of the world in which he had not only survived but prospered. In a few hours he would find out.

Pawise, completely ignorant of the coming storm, was spending the day with Fluttershy and Zecora at her hut. Every day he became more and more fascinated with Fluttershy and her abilities. At times he forgot to take notes on his studies, for even though he’d lost his focus for anything but her, he was still on a fact-finding mission from the Academy about the creatures here and needed to make regular reports. When he got too far behind, Zecora helped him out. Also, as well as she could, she made sure they did not encounter animals that were too dangerous, for she knew until Pawise became a little less dreamy, he would probably not be up to the challenge.

Fluttershy had brought her pet she called Angel Bunny with her, but so far he and Pawise were at odds. Pawise had tried to win him over progressively, without using his Talent, but the little leporidae was having none of it. Pawise loved animals, and while his Talent projected that love onto creatures, and usually caused them to return it, this bunny obviously saw him as a threat and a competition for Fluttershy’s affections, so it probably would not work on him. Besides, Pawise thought to himself, he's a bit of a jerk. Right now, he was sitting up and staring at Pawise with his forelegs crossed and tapping one hind foot. He ignored the carrots Fluttershy had tried to get him to eat, making Pawise the entire focus of his “bunny Mojo.”

Oh well, Pawise sighed,‘faint heart ne’er won fair pony’ as the saying goes, so if I could withstand a confrontation with somepony like Rainbow Dash I should be able to make peace with a small rabbit. She’s worth every effort.

He was watching and listening to Fluttershy as she spoke about some of the more exotic creatures she’d encountered in the Forest. While he heard every word she said, and responded appropriately when required, he was also watching the play of the evening sunlight on her mane, and the way her eyes lit up as she spoke about her passion. She was now speaking of her earlier encounter with a dragon, and the effort it took for her to conquer her fears in order to save her friends.

“I don’t blame you, Fluttershy, for being afraid of a dragon,” Pawise said, “but isn’t there a dragon living here? I seem to recall seeing one walking about town.”

“Yes, but Spike is a baby dragon, and I’ve known him for years. He’s Twilight’s assistant, and a good friend,” she said.

“What will you all do when he reaches his full size? I don’t suppose he’ll still be able to live in Ponyville when that happens.”

“He actually DID reach his full size once, when one part of his dragon nature took over and he started grabbing everything he could, including Rarity!”

“Rarity? That’s the unicorn that runs the Carousel Boutique, right? Why’d he grab her?”

Fluttershy blushed a little as she said, “It’s an open secret, but Spike has a crush on Rarity. Love makes ponies, and dragons it seems, do strange things.” Here she met his eyes briefly and cast her eyes downward, blushing even more.

Pawise smiled. “A dragon and a unicorn. Just when I think nothing else can surprise me in this town, I get proven wrong once again. So how did he shrink back down?”

“He returned to his original size once he realized he’d put Rarity in danger. I believe he’d do anything for Rarity, but I’m not sure how she feels about him.”

Unrequited love. Pawise had never before met a dragon, nor ever expected to, but now he felt an odd connection to a kindred spirit, even one as strange and foreign as a dragon. Although from the way Fluttershy reacted towards himself, he thought his feelings for her might be mutual. He had yet to declare himself to her, for fear of freaking her out, but for now he saw signs from her that he hoped indicated she would not be adverse to his affections. Even though he had no prior experience in love, he instinctively knew he had to be patient, for she was worth the wait.

The Sun was beginning to set as Zecora cleared her throat and said,  “Soon Moon will rise, the Sun must sleep, and pony folk should do the same. We’ll meet back in the Forest deep, when Sun fills sky at dawn again.”

Pawise and Fluttershy looked out the hut windows, surprised at how much time had passed. They both got to their feet, with Angel Bunny making a point to stand between Pawise and Fluttershy.

“You’re right, Zecora, we should be going.” Pawise turned to Fluttershy. “May I walk you to your cottage?”

Even though Angel frantically shook his head ‘no’, Fluttershy quietly replied, “That would be nice.”

They both waved goodbye to Zecora as they left her hut. She for her part watched the dance of their emotions with not a small measure of wistfulness on her own. It had been many years since she’d been home, and she wondered to herself if that special friend of hers was still waiting. With an effort, she pushed thoughts of him aside, and gave her attention back to her mission. If she succeeded, she would benefit not only her own faraway home but all of Equestria as well. For now, though, she was content to bask in the glow of these two lovers, even if it meant not much work was getting done.

The walk back to Fluttershy’s cottage was uneventful, even though Pawise had to watch his step as Angel Bunny kept trying to trip him.

When they reached her door, the bunny made such a nuisance of himself hopping up and down between them that Fluttershy finally said, “It’s alright, Angel, I’ll be just a moment. Go inside.” When he stubbornly refused, she actually had to pick him up, place him inside and close the door. He could be heard banging objects and slamming cabinet doors, so Fluttershy was embarrassed and said, “I’m sorry about Angel! He really does like you, he just needs some time.”

Pawise’s heart skipped a beat as he said, “And you? Do…do you like me?”

Fluttershy stood there for a few moments, blushing fiercely, when all of a sudden she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Then, as quick as she could, she turned and ran back into her cottage and shut the door.

Even though he wasn’t a pegasus, it seemed as though Pawise’s feet never touched the ground as he made his way back to town. His euphoria lasted right up until the moment he looked and saw his parents waiting for him at the door of his home.