Sunset Romance

I laughed lightly to myself as I finished another letter sent from my former student, Twilight Sparkle. It's been two years after the Tirek event, and Twilight thought it wasn't the same without sending me a letter or two every couple weeks. She wanted to remain as my student, claiming that it was something for both of us to enjoy. Frankly, I couldn't agree less. There was quite a difference in her mood after Tirek, so I agreed once more to her offer, just so she can feel better.

She maybe a princess, but it doesn't mean that I can't care about her. She is like a daughter to me, and often I wondered what it would've been like to her student. Sometimes, I learn new things. I maybe close to two thousand years old, but it doesn't mean I can't learn new things.

I rested the parchment in a magical bookshelf that miniaturized each parchment down to the size of a dustmite, and when I ever want to re-read one, I would think about it. Then it would regrow to it's normal size until I place it back. I watched it shrink as I heard a familiar knock.

"Yes Luna?" I asked, as I opened the door. Luna had the look of a great idea in her eyes. I smiled, and allowed her in. I set a barrier around every inch of my room. So much infact my fire that was lighting my room went out. I laughed to myself as Luna sits on my other large pillow that I often used as a bed. Smiling I too sit down, ready to hear my sister's new plan.

"So what's the plan you got in your head Lulu?" I smile softly.

Luna clears her throat, which I also took joy in hearing. This gave me a clear indication she thought it through. "You know how you ruled the kingdom for a thousand years in my absence?"

My eyes open wide, where was she going with this? "I do, it was rough stabilizing Equestria for the first two hundred years. After that it was law-by-law passing until things settled down. The courts where long..." I trailed off, but Luna clears her throat again, setting me back on track. "Anyways, I do, why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if I could do the same. Rule over both night and day." I kept my mouth shut, and continued to listen to my little sister. "Not for a thousand years of course, but maybe for one. A year where I raise and lower the sun!"

"Luna-" I started.

"Please Tia!" She said my nickname. I closed my mouth. "Just for one year, and I know how to convince the ponies without telling them the entire truth!"

I sighed, pulling a bottle of liquor from my end table. I drank it when I was ready to rest, or relax after a stressful day, one that would be a day full of ponies griping over their misfortunes only to ask me to help make it better in anyway. "Alright, but this does not mean yes." I say. "I want to know what you'll say to our little ponies." I drink straight from the bottle, only taking a small sip or two from it.

Luna's ears perked up. "It is not what I will say, but what you will say." She continued. "How have you been as of late?"

I thought for a moment. "Where are you getting at this Luna?" I ask, I wanted to get to the point, as swiftly as possible. But I suppose I should answer her question. "A bit under the weather I suppose. Might be stress from today. A dragon burned a large portion of a farmer's crop a couple days ago, and I just returned from solving the problem."

"My plan to is to make up a little fib, so you can take a good break, and I can get what I want! She smiled. "Tell them you're coming down with a rare sickness that'll put you do your death bed."

I spit my liquor out of my mouth off to the side. "Are you crazy Luna!?" I shouted. "I cannot fake my own death!"

"But you can Tia!" She used it again. "It is the only way!"

I sigh, as I became deep in thought. My sister was right. I had been working harder than I have in a while, and it's been effecting my performance as a diarch. While faking my own death would be easy, but how would I 'come back to life'? "So how would I return from beyond the grave?" I chuckle slightly as I wave my forhooves like a ghost.

Luna rolled her eyes. "You know I lead the restless souls to the Doors of Judgement right?" She asked, and I reply with a silent nod. "I made a deal with Death, and brought you back to life for my grand services as a reaper!"

I actually felt proud for my sister. Not only had she used my condition as a semi-truth/lie, but she too also used her position as a reaper of lost souls as a semi-truth/lie. I smiled at her. "You actually thought it through this time haven't you?" I ask. "But one last question. How would I be able to relax without ponies knowing of this?"

Luna stood up, and flashed her horn. When I could ooen my eyes after a bright flash, I had realized what she ment. Standing infront of me was my sister's disguised form, New Moon. "You can become Eclipse!" She jumped into the air.

I laughed as I placed my bottle of liquor down back on my end table. I stood up as my sister changed back. "One year, no crazy things?" I ask.

"I swear Tia!" Dammit! She used it again! "One year! Then everything will return to normal!" She held her hoof out with a grand smile.

"Alright..." We shook hooves, smiling at each other. I playfully fait. "Oh dear...I think I'm ill!"

Luna laughed. "Oh no sister!"

Seven days went by and news of my mysterious illness spread like wildfire. In that time I taught my sister how to raise the sun, and set it. At first it shifted around in the sky like how Twilight managed to turn night to day, but soon it was as good as I had moved the moon.

However not many ponies alive get to say they went to their own funeral. I had teleported out of my coffin and swiftly turned into Eclipse. Ponies around stood in silence as my coffin was carried in a gilded white carriage. Roses were thrown in respects as Luna had acted quite nicely in pretending to be mourning my 'death'. I too acted as though as I was sad, I shed a few tears to make as though I was a normal unicorn.

As I watched my coffin lower into the ground, I saw a unicorn next to me smile. I felt angry until he grabbed a white rose from his saddle bags, and used his magic to place it on top of the coffin. My anger subsided, and I felt like my kingdom loved me more than I had thought. They stood in silence as a old stallion spoke the royal words that sent me off to the other side in peace.

"And may our glorious ruler rest in peace..." The stallion lowered his head, and everyone else followed. There was a total silence that even I felt the honor. Then something unexpected happened. Auras started to show, and pulled from everpony, including me. I watched as the auras mixed together, and shot down into the grave, covering it in a blanket of protective magic that would protect against even the largest explosion.

Then hours went by, and I remained, standing infront of the grave. I heard somepony approach me from behind, and I turned to see it was the unicorn from before, smiling still. Confused I decided to confront him.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked, not trying to sound rude. "Aren't you sad I-, Princess Celestia is dead?"

The stallion continued to walk up to the grave, and placed another white flower over the gravestone. He sat down and bowed his head, paying his respects.

"I loved her..." He finally said, his voice sounded heavy, like he ment it. He chuckled. "You think I'm crazy huh?" He asked.

"Everypony loved her, wouldn't that make everyone crazy too?" I asked, trying to be funny. Clearly it worked because I heard a laugh escape his mouth.

"Nah...I'm not like most ponies." He said. "I loved her. I would watch her raise the sun everyday at 6:30 in the morning. She would fly into the sky like a majestic bucking eagle." I hadn't heard that phrase before. "I would look at the sunrise from my small home in Ponyville, and pray that it would be a good day. A day where the sun shone on everything, giving me clarity wherever I was."

My heart jumped. "You really felt that way?" I asked. "Tell me, what is your name?"

He sighed. "It doesn't matter. I mean you live here right?" He asked, I nodded. "Then why would a rich pony like you care what my name is." He huffed, then took a long inhale. "You'd most likely forget it when I left."

"Not at all!" I protested.

"Alright..." He said. "My name is Comet."

"Well Comet, my name is C-...Eclipse....My name is Eclipse." I almost blew my cover on the first day. Maybe I should practice saying my name.

"Well Eclipse, why are you here?"

"I...I too wanted to repay my respects." I replied. "S-She was my teacher for a couple of years." I thought about it more. "She took me up when her previous student became a princess."

Comet smiled. "Then you too loved her, like I did?" He asked.

"She was like a mother to me..." I began to cry, although I didn't know why. Why was I getting worked up over a tiny little lie? Or, what is more than a tiny little lie, was it bigger? Was it a sin to tell such a lie? My act was so well, I was starting to fall for it.

He frowned, the first time I saw him to. "It's alright." He said. "She's watching us now." His voice was soft, as if he had truly loved the princess, or well, me.

I heard the clock ring from the royal towers, and we both look into it's direction. His frown went away with a more or less expressionless face. "It was nice meeting you Eclipse. Maybe our paths will cross again." Comet started to walk off as I stood infront of my grave. There was something about that stallion that made me want to continue talking to him. However as much as I wanted to talk to him, I couldn't move for whatever reason, and he was already out of sight.

I sighed heavily as I sit down, staring at my grave. I had not known why though. Comet had a present light blue coat with yellow mane that looked as though it was the sun with small stripes of red hidden under the yellow. His eyes were a pure orange that made my heart flutter. His voice, whether it was with a smile, or without one, it was like smooth molasses on a summer Sunday. One could fall faint under his happy expressions, and want to cuddle with him. Oh! What am I thinking! He is a pony from Ponyville! How would a princess like me fall for a lower class like him? He isn't even a prince either! Not to mention that I am around guards everyday. So what made him so much different?

Once I could stand up, I start to make my way to a inn with my bits I received from my sister to last me a few nights until she could speak to me again. Surely with my death, monarchs from other kingdoms come to visit my grave to pay their respects. She would be flooded with letters from other kingdoms in regarding my death by illness that had so suddenly stricken me to the point of death, and in each letter they would say how sorry they were for Luna because she lost her only living family. It would only be a year from tomorrow when she would act out her final plan to resurrect me because she couldn't handle being alone.

I approach the inn that was a short walk to the train station. There I saw what may have been Comet boarding the train with, what didn't surprise me, a smile on his face. I was about to pay for my room, when I swiped the bits back up and sprinted to the train as the conductor called for the train to be leaving soon. I paid for my ticket to Ponyville, and ran to the caboose where I sat in the very last seat. Comet was four cars infront of me, and would be easy to get around. Maybe, just maybe I should follow him until I get a good idea what it is to work hard.

I was jumped backward as the train pulled forward down the tracks. I watch as the train pushes forward, and I look at the castle. I quickly send my sister a message saying my unicorn form would be leaving Canterlot to the small town of Ponyville to investigate what it is like to truly work had. Working hard from what I was used to was sitting on my flank all day waiting for a pony to come up and complain.

I felt a tear run down my face, and then I knew why I was crying. I was crying not becuase I haven't done anything wrong, it was becuase I had felt a real emotion. Not one I would mask my pain in. At last over a thousand years, I have truly felt what it is like to be happy. Losing my sister, I had to keep a smile up so my kingdom would reflect it back to me. The speed of light isn't really as fast as ponies made it out to be. It is rather slow.

I laugh to myself as Canterlot vanished as we went through the mountain tunnel, finally exiting the capitol of Equestria. "Now the question is..." I say to myself. "What in the name of Luna," I laugh again. "what am I going to do?" The train makes a few whistles, which weren't really that loud from where I sat at the back of the train.

"Dammit!" I said to myself while I sat on the train. The whistle blew, and I covered my ears. "Why did I sit in the front!?" Just then a mare walked up next to me with a cart as she pushed it.

"Would you like a snack sir?" She asked in a soft voice?

"Yeah, sure, uh....one chocolate bar, and a bottle of ParaSprite."

"That'll be six bits." She started to pull out my order. "Two for the chocolate bar, and four the ParaSprite."

I gave her my bits, and she moved along asking any other pony if they wanted a snack. Fillies ran around in the compartment, and I started to get annoyed. I ate my chocolate bar swiftly before a filly or colt took it from me. Then I washed it down with a small sip of my ParaSprite.

Then I started to think. That mare from earlier, her name was Eclipse. She had light pink mane with a alabaster white coat. Her eyes were brilliantly light purple, and she was a unicorn. A good looking one at that. Her long legs made her the size I was, six-three, which was only four inches under Celestia's height. Then my thoughts were broken when a small colt bumped into me.

"Fuck! Watch it kid!" I said trying to make sure none of my ParaSprite was spilt.

"Button! Stop running around, and sit down! This no place to roughhouse in!"

"Okay...sorry Mister." The colt jumped over to where his mother was. She looked alone, but I decide to move from my car. It was too loud, maybe going to caboose would make things quieter.

I had ordered a bottle of wine from the mare what offered me a drink. I gave twenty for the whole bottle, and tipped her an extra ten so she wouldn't tell anypony. As I sipped from it a few times, trying to relax, when somepony came though the car door. I looked up, and instantly hid behind the seat that was infront of me

It was Comet, but why was he walking closer? Did he know I was here!? Then he saw me, so I gave up hiding. He smiled and sped over to where I was sitting. When he sat down he saw my bottle of wine and frowned.

"Why do you have that?" He asked, trying to take it away from me. I pulled it away. "You aren't a alcoholic are you?"

I scoffed. "Me? A alcoholic?" I began to laugh. "No, I just love the taste of red wine, and it makes you feel any better this will last Mr a week if I really tried." The bottle wasn't that big to begin with, and was already three-quarters full when I bought it.

"Oh..." He said. "Sorry then for assuming. My dad was one, so I try to help ponies get out of that kind of thing."

"That your tallent?" I asked nicely. "To help ponies out?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, I actually make the star maps for Ponyville. I told my client she would need to wait an extra day because of this little break I took to see Celestia's funeral." He stopped from a moment. "So why is a rich, good looking mare like you heading to a hick town like Ponyville?" He laughed. "Sorry, but there's some crazy shit that goes on down there."

I blushed, and held my hoof to my mouth. "I don't quite know really." I said, and this time it was the truth. "I guess to see what actually working hard for what I want is like. I've always had everything I ever wanted, ever since I was a filly. Just a wave with my hoof and ponies would line up infront of me with heartless gifts." I took another sip of my wine straight from the bottle.

He sighed. "Ain't easy as ya thank Eclipse." He said, drinking from a bottle of ParaSprite. "What do you think working hard is like?"

I thought for a moment. "Doing my best at whatever I end up doing I guess." Comet began laughing, so hard infact he started to grab his stomach. Then I started to get mad. "What's so funny Comet!?"

He stopped laughing, and actually looked surprised. "Y-you remembered my name?" He asked. "Holy shit! You remembered my name!" He started laughing again. "But to answer you question as to why I am laughing, is because of that lame idea." He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Working hard isn't just what you need to do Eclipse. You gotta put your heart into whatever you do. You need to learn from mistakes, and build off of them so you can build a stronger foundation."

I sighed. "I see...." I frowned, and took a larger sip of my wine.

"You weren't wrong though, but working hard isn't just it." He said, most likely to cheer me up. I saw him kick his hooves back and forth. "So...you got any family?"

I shook my head. "Nope, all alone." I gave a fake smile. "I was a only child for a while, then my little sister was born, but she disappeared after our parents died. I sometimes wonder if she's dead or alive."

I heard him scold himself, and I chuckled lightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask anything personal."

"Not at all." I smiled. "I've got what I need."

"And what's that?" He asked.

"Somepony to show me around a hick town." I laughed. "I'll pay if need be."

He thought for a moment. "Alright, you don't need to pay, so seem cool enough anyways, and I don't want to work you broke."

I began to laugh. "Oh, I will never go broke Comet. I got bits in places that might surprise you." I gave  a playful wink. "Thanks by the way."

"It's not a big deal really. I'll show you around once I finnish up my latest star map for Princess Twilight."

"You know her?" I asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah, asks me ever month for a new star map. She started before she became a princess, we go back a few years." He explained. "She's the client I said earlier. Gives me a hardy pay that gets me though the month a little bit to spare."

"So drawing maps of the night sky is all you do?"

"Not exactly. I spend the weekends helping out in the old folks home. Plenty of nice mares there that love playing games and pulling a prank or two. Once this old mare named Mini, she placed sneezing powder in Bingo's nose with a little magic. So imagine a pony saying 'Now calling Ahchoo!'!" The stallion began to laugh, and I joined in. "Then one time this sweet mare made a apple pie, and put laxatives in it. Then she gave it to the stallion who runs the place, and let me tell you he ain't nice. Once he yelled at a old mare, and caused her to have a panic attack. Kept screaming for six hours until I managed to somehow calm her down."

"Sounds like fun." I laughed. "You drink?" I offered my bottle to him. He pushed it away, and I had realized why. It was about his father. "Sorry I asked."

He shook his head. "No, its alright." He said with a smile. "I do drink, but not wine. I like the heavier stuff. Although I only drink on Saterdays when I don't visit the old folks home, and I'm not working on anything." He looked out the window and grinned. "Look, there's Ponyville. Population two thousand, and a Pinkie Pie. We'll be arriving in a couple of minutes."

"Great...." I said, smiling out the window. The sun was setting, casting Canterlot's shadow over the small town, and I could feel warmer, just getting near the town, I felt it's warm aura, unlike Canterlot which had a darker feel. I didn't know why, but it seemed as though friendships in Canterlot lot where made so ponies could be rich, or richer. Any hoof, Comet helped me up.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" His smile grew. "Why don't you see what I can do eh? You'll like it."

I laughed. "This isn't a date is it? We only just met."

Comet chuckled as he shook his head. "No, but everypony is coming out to see the Palisades Meteor Shower. Thought you might want to see it too."

"Alright, but is it really August the thirteenth already?" I asked aloud, mostly to myself.

"Yep, and tonight I think there's going to be more shooting stars becuase the gods are crying."

I frowned. "Why would they be crying?"

"Celestia's death..." He frowned.

Something told me he was one to trust during my time. The only question now is to tell him the truth...