A Total Eclipse of Their Hearts

“A Total Eclipse of Their Hearts”

Chapter 6:
“The Reception – Part 2”

The sound of excited hooves beating along the street filled the air. Lyra and her two friends Bonbon and Colgate were galloping toward Ponyville town square. They eagerly awaited their arrival at the reception. While her two companions didn’t share the same level of enthusiasm as Lyra did for humans, they were quite curious about meeting one just the same. The town hall came into view. It stood proudly at the center of town as it always had. The three friends slowed down to a light trot. Their eyes gazed upon the nicely set up tables and decorations as well as a freshly hung banner marking the sight of the reception. The mint green unicorn grinned with delight.

Twilight Sparkle caught sight of the three new arrivals. She eagerly waved a friendly hoof at them signaling them to come on over. The trio made their way to the lavender unicorn. “Hi Twilight!” called Lyra.

“Why hello Lyra! I’m glad you, Bonbon and Colgate could make it!” She expressed closing her eyes and smiling.

“Are you kidding, we wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Exclaimed Lyra. The unicorn’s two friends didn’t say anything, but they nodded with due enthusiasm. “So is everything ready for our guest of honor?”

“Just about. I was going over the last of the preparations when I saw you three arrive,” replied Twilight. “For now why not mingle with the other ponies. Once I’ve taken care of the last minute preparations, we can all await our guests together.”

“Sounds great!” Declared Lyra, but her excitement dropped a tad. Looking around she didn’t see as nearly large a crowd as she had anticipated. She rubbed her hoof along her head. “Twilight…where is everypony? There’s barely three dozen ponies here,” noted the puzzled Lyra.

“Yes well, Princess Luna told me not to make too big of a deal of their arrival. Plus most of the ponies didn’t seem interested in coming. They were happy to hear that the princess was safe and sound. My guess is the others are still worn out from all the searching they did. You have to admit nearly everypony in Ponyville joined Canterlot in searching for Luna,” Twilight explained.

“Oh…okay,” replied her fellow unicorn. The answer fit the bill, yet somehow it left Lyra less than ecstatic. However…that’s when it dawned on her. If there were a low turn out at the reception, then she would have a greater chance at some one on one time with the human. With that in mind she and her two friends went to socialize with the ponies that were in attendance.

Twilight smiled and then returned to her duty of double checking the preparations. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked up to their friend. The feisty pegasus grinned. “Well Twilight, how do you like the banner?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I hope it’s to your liking,” added Fluttershy in an optimistic voice.

The unicorn glanced up at the banner and nodded in approval. It read: Welcome Princess Luna & David! “It looks very nice you two. The message is short and sweet and should make our two guests feel welcomed! You have my thanks,” remarked Twilight.

The blue flier was curious about one thing. She looked at Twilight. “I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. What’s the big deal about having a…human was it…come to town anyway?” Rainbow Dash inquired tossing up a confused hoof.

It was then that Applejack trotted up behind them. She was pulling a small cart filled with freshly baked apple goodies brought all the way from Sweet Apple Acres. “Are you still furrowin’ your brow over this here event Rainbow?” Asked the orange earth pony.

“No…I mean yes…look it doesn’t matter. I just don’t see why it’s a big deal? So this David’s kind hasn’t set foot on Equestrian soil in over 2,000 years! How’s that so special?”

Applejack untied the straps of her cart and let it come to rest on the two short struts along its front. She looked over at Twilight then she looked back at the pegasus. “Come on now Rainbow Dash. Surly you know this is a big deal here to Twilight. And there are other ponies sharing in her excitement. Plus have y’all forgotten that we’re also celebrating the safe return of Princess Luna too?” Applejack asked, while she began setting the various apple-baked goods on an empty table.

“Oh yeah, the princess. Sorry about that, I guess I was speaking without thinking,” she replied nervously.

Twilight helped Applejack place the last of her items on the table. “It’s all right Rainbow. I can’t expect you all to be as enthused as I am. Besides, we are all entitled to our own opinion,” remarked the lavender unicorn.

Rarity proudly trotted up to three of them. She greeted them all with a warm smile. “Speaking of opinions…what do you think of the décor?” she asked waving a white hoof at the assorted decorations.

Twilight looked around the immediate area. Rarity had done a splendid job. There were various floral arrangements tastefully set up on and around the tables. Trees, poles and nearby buildings were brightly decorated with glitter, ribbons and bows. The colors weren’t too pushy either. The overall appearance was both comforting and inviting. Once again Twilight nodded in approval. “The place looks wonderful Rarity! Thank you,” she responded.

“I’m glad it meets your approval!” Declared a content Rarity.

Two more ponies had just arrived on the scene. It was Mr. and Mrs. Cake. The couple had arrived pulling carts filled with freshly prepared food items. “We aren’t late are we?” asked Mr. Cake.

“Nope, you two are just in time. Our guests should be here in about fifteen to twenty minutes,” answered Twilight.

Mr. Cake sighed with relief. “That’s great. Give us a moment and we’ll have a fancy spread ready to go! Right sugar?”

Mrs. Cake snickered and replied, “That’s right. We’ve gathered some items you’re all just going to love.” The two went to work setting the largest table with the various food items they had prepared.

******

Meanwhile, the chariot was only about fifteen minutes from Ponyville. It soared passed a group of puffy white clouds. David marveled at the beauty of Equestria sprawling out before him. The land seemed vast and without end. There were massive grassy planes, streams, creeks and rivers, forests, and in the distance majestic mountains. It was truly a picturesque visage to behold.

It was then that he turned his eyes over to Luna. The alicorn seemed to be mired in thought. For a moment it seemed like she was literally miles away. He lightly placed a hand on the back of her head. “Luna,” he said tenderly.

“Huh?” She blinked as she came out of her train of thought. Turning her head she glanced over at him. “David,” she uttered.

“Are you okay? You seemed lost in thought just now,” he remarked, voicing his concern.

“Yes I’m fine. I was just thinking about the past few days. I know we’ve spent plenty of time together, but I’d relish spending more time…just the two of us,” she said sighing dreamily.

David smiled at her and lightly caressed her mane. “Don’t worry Luna, we will, we will. Now that we’re in Equestria, I want to learn about your world. There’s bound to be a ton of fun things we can do here together,” he declared happily.

She looked over at him and smiled and replied, “I’d love that.” The alicorn looked up ahead and noticed Ponyville was just coming into view. In a few moments they arrived circling the town. Luna saw a small gathering of ponies and a series of decorations by the town hall. She pointed a hoof in the direction of the commotion. “Set us down there good sirs,” she called out to the two pegasai. The team pulled the chariot preparing to land.

On the ground Twilight Sparkle had cast her eyes aloft. She caught sight of them. Pointing a hoof she called out, “There they are!” The other ponies waved and cheered as the aerial vehicle came in for a gentle landing. The princess and the human stepped out of the chariot. The lavender unicorn trotted up gleefully and greeted them. “Princess Luna, David, welcome to Ponyville!”

The other ponies stood nearby and all said their own salutations to the honored guests. Princess Luna smiled and waved her right hoof at the small crowd. “Thank you all for the warm welcome!” Announced the bluish purple alicorn.

David looked around at all the others ponies, and at the nicely set up and decorated tables. His eyes turned to Twilight as he said, “I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”

Twilight waved a dismissing hoof and replied, “No, this was the least we can do. We’re celebrating Princess Luna’s safe return…and you David are the first human to visit Equestria in over two millennia! I think we have cause to celebrate!”

He smiled at the enthusiastic pony. “It would certainly seem that you do,” David remarked.

An overjoyed smile encompassed the unicorn’s face. She looked at the human and said, “I’d like to introduce you to my best friends and another pony who has really been looking forward to meeting a human.” Twilight turned giving her friends a chance to introduce themselves to him.

Applejack was the first to trot proudly up to the human. She tipped back her hat and gave him a good long look from head to toe. Then a smile formed on her face. She reached out a hoof and said, “Pleased to make your acquaintance…uh David was it?” He nodded. “My name is Applejack! It’s real swell havin’ ya here today!”

David reached out his left hand and firmly gripped her hoof. The two shook their limbs, but then the orange earth pony began vigorously shaking his hand. He smiled at her friendly enthusiasm. “I’m pleased to meet you Applejack. And I want to thank you for the kind welcome,” he expressed politely.

The pony let go of his hand and lightly waved her hoof. “Aww shucks, y’all are welcome! I hope ya enjoy your visit here. Oh and if ya ever want, feel free to stop by my family’s orchard, Sweet Apple Acres. We have the best apples in all of Equestria!” Applejack remarked with a wink.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” he replied with a smile. She stepped back and allowed the next pony to step up. A pink earth pony lightly bounced up to him. Her soft blue eyes glanced at him much like Applejack had. Then she gave him a big friendly grin. He smiled back at her. “And who do we have here?” David asked.

“The name’s Pinkie Pie! But my friends call me Pinkie! So you’re a human, huh?” She asked. He lightly nodded his head. “Wow. Twilight told me quite a bit about you. I don’t know much about humans, but just the same it sure is nice meeting you!”

“Why thank you Pinkie Pie. It’s really nice to meet you too!” David declared.

“Oh, I hope you enjoy this little party we set up for you. Normally I like to throw way bigger parties…but this is all I had time to come up with…even so I hope you have FUN!” She rambled on ecstatically.

He lightly chucked amused by her friendliness and seemingly boundless energy. “Thanks again. I’m sure I’ll have a great time at your party.” She grinned again and then closed her eyes as she bounced away.

Rainbow Dash slowly walked up to him. At first she looked at him cautiously. She didn’t really know much about humans or even what they really looked like. Her school studies in Cloudsdale never really involved humans. Her classes focused mostly on flying and how the pegasai were stewards of the weather. Finally she placed a hoof on her chin and stared at him one more time. “So in addition to Princess Luna’s safe return…you’re what all the fuss has been about,” she remarked. David didn’t speak, he merely looked at her wondering if she was going to introduce herself or not. There was definitely something interesting about him. The blue pegasus couldn’t put her hoof on it, but she knew it meant a lot to the others. Rainbow Dash smiled and said, “Welcome to Ponyville David. The name’s Rainbow Dash.”

David returned her smile and said, “Thank you Rainbow Dash. Honestly I don’t think I’m worth having much of a fuss made over me. But I do appreciate all you ponies have done to make Luna and me feel welcome!”

Rainbow Dash felt her smile become less forced. His modesty was refreshing. At first she though based on all the commotion surrounding him that he was going to be rather arrogant. She was glad to discover he wasn’t. The pegasus lightly chuckled and said, “If you ever get bored…I can always put on a little aerial show for ya! I’m the fastest pegasus you’ll ever see! They don’t call me Dash for nothing!”

He smiled and gave her a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind Rainbow Dash, but somehow I doubt I will have much time to get bored around here,” he said looking first at Luna and then at the other ponies. The blue pony trotted away giving the next one chance to introduce herself. “And who do we have here…” David gasped as he froze in mid sentence. His eyes caught sight of a beautiful white unicorn. This pony was hardly as lovely as Princess Luna was, but she had managed to momentarily capture his eye.

Rarity trotted over to him in a very lady-like fashion. Her long purple mane bounced lightly with each step she took. The unicorn came to a halt a few feet before the human. There she gazed upon him. David was unlike any creature she had ever seen. To her surprise for another species his appearance wasn’t remotely grotesque to her. In fact the pony immediately noticed his attire. It wasn’t quite the style of Ponyville, but that hardly was a problem. She smiled at him. “Well hello there…David. I am Rarity and fashion is my game,” she spoke politely. The unicorn lightly held up her hoof. She wondered for a moment if he understood the gesture she was making.

David looked at her raised hoof and scratched the back of his head for a moment. What was she getting at? Then he realized just what she was doing. He smiled at her warmly. Then reaching out, he ever so gently took hold of her hoof in his left hand. The human leaned out and gently kissed her hoof. He remembered back in the older days of Earth and among certain people of nobility, kissing a lady’s hand, or in this case a lady pony’s hoof denoted a sign of respect. David was an upholder of the finer virtues of chivalry, primarily the aspects pertaining to politeness towards woman. “Pleased to meet you…Rarity,” he said lightly bowing his head. Then he released her hoof and returned to his normal stance.

Rarity blushed lightly as she retracted her hoof. “My, my we have a gentlecolt among us,” she replied smiling at him. “Oh, David…could I ask you something?”

He blinked at her curiously and replied, “Okay.”

“I couldn’t help but notice your…unique wardrobe. You wouldn’t be interested in stopping by my boutique sometime? I’d love to make a pattern of you and challenge myself to create some human fashions. I’m sure I could come up with something you’d just love,” she explained with confidence.

David closed his eyes and smiled. “Well now that sounds interesting Rarity. As soon as I figure out my schedule, I’ll see about dropping by. Depending on how long I stay here…I will most likely be in need of more clothing,” he noted placing a hand on his chin.

“Well then I’d be happy to create some outfits for you,” she said smiling contently. Then like the others before her, Rarity moved on and made way for the next pony.

Fluttershy was next in line. She swallowed nervously as she cast her eyes upon the human. Her blue almost teal eyes studied him closely. David was considerably different from most creatures she had met. Still there was something about him that left her feeling calm. Normally when she’d meet new ponies, her fist reaction would be to run. This time wasn’t the case. Fluttershy blinked as she noticed the natural brown color of his eyes. She politely smiled as she moved closer to him. Unable to totally combat her demure ways, the butter yellow pegasus swallowed nervously one more time. Then she softly spoke, “Um…hello there…David right?”

He could tell she was quite nervous and behaving in a very shy manner. David smiled at her hoping to ease her anxiety. “Yes that’s my name. And who are you?” He asked taking in the sight of the cute pink hair pegasus.

“Oh…my name is Fluttershy…it’s nice to meet you,” she replied still speaking somewhat quietly. “I’ve never met a human before…and I don’t know much about your race. Oh, but I was wondering…do humans like to grow gardens? And are you fond of woodland creatures like bunnies?”

David continued to smile at her as he answered, “I can’t speak for all humans Fluttershy, but I personally enjoy gardens. Though I haven’t really tended many in my life. As for woodland creatures…well I consider myself an animal lover…so you could say I am fond of them.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes lightly and felt a momentary rush of excitement. She always enjoyed meeting others who liked gardening and woodland creatures. Though aside from her friends, there weren’t many others who spent much time with her. “Wow that’s great to hear. Gee…you should stop by my garden sometime…I’ll show you my flowers and my favorite sapling. Oh and I could introduce you to my little animal friends,” she gleefully responded. For a moment she had forgotten herself, her expression shifted to a slightly more reserved one as she added, “oh…that is if you want to stop by sometime. You don’t have to.”

Her coy demeanor was both charming and somewhat amusing to him. David couldn’t help but chuckle softly at her. “There’s no need to back pedal Fluttershy. I’d be happy to stop by your garden some time. And I’d also enjoy meeting your animal friends,” he expressed with a genuine voice.

Again the butter yellow pegasus smiled. “That’d be great. I hope you enjoy your visit to Ponyville,” she remarked. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she trotted off. There was still one more pony that wanted to personally introduce herself.

Twilight returned to David, but she wasn’t alone. He saw a mint green unicorn standing beside her. His eyes scanned the new mare with intrigue. Green was his favorite color, so her look was most welcoming to his eyes, much like the green mixed in Luna’s teal eyes. “Twilight, who is this? Is this the other pony you mentioned? The one who wanted to meet a human?” He asked.

The lavender unicorn smiled and nodded. “Why yes. David this is Lyra. She’s a even bigger enthusiast of humans than I am,” answered Twilight. She took a few steps back and said, “Go on Lyra.”

Lyra stood there for a moment. She stared at David intently. Her eyes took in a nice long gawk at him. His clothing didn’t match the illustrations from the books she read, but that didn’t really matter to her. The mare studied his various features, his hair, his face, the eyes, then she noticed…his hands. Lyra’s mouth hung open in awe. Hands had always been of great interest to her. Slowly she walked over to him. Her mouth remained open as she timidly reached out her right hoof. David focused his gaze at her. He watched her with intrigue and noticed her outstretched hoof. The youthful man wasn’t sure why, but he began reaching out his left hand. They drew closer and closer to each other until her hoof came into contact with his hand. He gently gripped her hoof. The unicorn’s face lit up with amazement. Lyra gasped in awe, and then her mouth closed and was replaced by a happy grin. “Wow,” she uttered withdrawing her hoof. She took one final long look at him. “I’m Lyra!” she said full of excitement. “This is incredible! I’ve always wanted to meet a human! David…it’s a pleasure!”

He smiled at Lyra. At least his arrival in Ponyville seemed to be met with a warm welcome. “It’s nice meeting you Lyra. I’m glad you like many of the others are happy to have me here. I wasn’t sure how welcome a human would be here,” David admitted.

“You’re more than welcomed here!” Lyra declared with a happy grin. The pony had dozens of questions she wanted to ask him, but suddenly they all began to overlap and meshed together. The unicorn placed her hooves on her head and shook it. “Darn it,” she groused. “I have a bunch of questions I’d like to ask you, but I can’t seem to sort them out at the moment.”

David chuckled at her kindly and merely replied, “That’s okay. I’m going to be in town for a while yet. Right now I’m going to enjoy this party. Feel free to stop on by and ask me a few once you get them straightened out.”

She looked at him and smiled. At least she still had a chance. “Okay that sounds great. Well enjoy the party then!” Lyra giggled as she departed hoping to better organize her thoughts.

Following Lyra’s departure, Twilight took the liberty of introducing David to her assistant Spike. David marveled when the unicorn told him that her helper was a baby dragon. Though Spike didn’t seem overly enthused to meet David, rather he seemed more interested in the food and the party. Twilight apologized for her friend, but David assured her he hadn’t taken any offense. The human didn’t expect everyone to welcome him.

Princess Luna had just stood back while the small cavalcade of ponies had taken turns introducing themselves. Lyra and Spike were the last…at least for now anyway. The alicorn was pleased that David was being warmly welcomed. She prepared to walk over to her human companion, but was cut off. Twilight had returned to David following the somewhat lengthy introductions. She smiled at him and asked, “So what do you think of my friends?”

David returned her smile. “I like them. They certainly are a unique bunch,” he admitted.

“Well I’m glad. Oh would you care for any refreshments?” Twilight asked pointing a hoof over in the direction of the food tables.

“Not right now. I’m too excited to eat at the moment. Perhaps later,” he replied.

“Oh, okay,” replied the unicorn. “Well then why don’t we have a little chat. I’ve got plenty of questions, I’d like to ask you.”

All right,” he uttered back. The two walked around the area of the party and had their conversation. Twilight went on to ask him quite a few questions. For instance she asked him what he like to eat, what his home world was like, and some other personal questions relating to hobbies and personal opinions on a variety of subjects. It wasn’t long afterward that Lyra joined them. She took turns with Twilight asking David a slew of questions.

Princess Luna stood by herself lightly kicking her hoof along the street. It seemed she would have to wait her turn to speak with David. It was somewhat annoying to her, but not entirely unexpected. She had a feeling this was going to happen. Occasionally a pony or two would walk up to Luna and ask her how she was doing, but sadly they seemed more interested in either partying or asking the human questions. Despite the growing number of ponies conversing off and on with David, Luna kept a close vigil on him. She could tell form the expression on his face that the questions were starting to take their toll on him. It was clear he was no longer enjoying himself. This began troubling the princess. She lightly nodded her head deciding to take action. Luna swiftly trotted over to him. After signaling him to hop on her back, she spread her wings and took to the air.

They soared over Ponyville as Luna kept an eye on the small crowd. Her sudden action seemed to have left them all in shock. The princess scanned around looking for a spot they might be free of the inquisitive mob. Shaking her head, the mare concluded that anywhere close to town wouldn’t work. The ponies could easily track her descent and then make their way over to them. She placed a hoof on her chin as she tried to think.

It was then that the sound of another pair of flapping wings caught their attention. For a moment Luna feared one of the attending pegasai had decided to pursue them. The flapping drew closer until a single pony came into view. It was only Fluttershy. Luna and David both let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness…it’s just you Fluttershy,” David remarked.

She looked at them curiously and asked, “What’s the matter? Are you trying to get away from the others?”

Luna lightly nodded her head. “Yes we are. They keep assaulting David with a bunch of endless questions. And every time I try to talk to him, somepony cuts me off,” the alicorn explained in a frustrated voice.

Fluttershy smiled as a great idea came to her. “Well then, why don’t you follow me to my place,” suggested the butter yellow pegasus.

“That sounds okay, right Luna?” asked David.

The princess nodded. Then she replied, “That should work. But let’s ensure our safety with a little magic.” Her horn lit up with a soft blue glow. A burst of sparkling magic showered over them. In moments it had rendered the three of them invisible. “There now they won’t be able to track us.”

David lightly patted Luna’s head. “Brilliant thinking my dear,” he remarked.

Luna smiled as Fluttershy led them to her secluded cottage at the far southern end of town. The three landed and Luna deactivated her invisibility spell. Fluttershy smiled politely at her guests and said, “Make yourselves at home. The front door is open if you want to go inside. I have to check on my garden and my little animal friends, but if you need anything, just give me a call.”

They smiled at her. David waved a hand at her and replied, “Thank you Fluttershy. You’re sweet.” The pegasus blushed and turned her face trying to hide her rosy cheeks. She then lightly trotted off heading for her garden.

David signaled for Luna to follow him. The two walked over to a large shady oak tree. There the couple sat down on the soft grass along the tree’s base. She moved close to him and he responded by placing his right arm around her. The alicorn moved closer still, allowing him to embrace her tighter. Luna’s companion lightly sighed and said, “I hope they won’t be too upset with us for leaving the party so soon.”

Luna gave him a funny look and said, “We were there for at least two hours. Besides they kept asking you all of those endless questions.”

“Yeah, it was starting to get tiring. They barely gave me time to think let alone properly answer. When it was just Twilight and Lyra talking to me, it wasn’t so bad. But once the others showed up…it just went downhill from there,” he remarked.

She softly giggled at his words. Luna lightly lifted her left hoof toward him. He smiled at her and gently gripped it with his left hand. The princess smiled at him. “I’m glad we got away from the others. I enjoy parties as much at the next pony…and this may sound odd coming from a princess, but…I’ve never been big on crowds,” she admitted.

David sighed lovingly and replied, “You’re a pony after my own heart Luna. I’m not big on crowds either. A nice gathering of friends for a party is fine, but too many is just a little unnerving.”

Luna didn’t say anything, merely she sighed feeling the love she had for him continue to blossom in her heart. Smiling playfully at him, she flung her tail over him. To her surprise he didn’t push it way. Instead he held it in his hands and lightly nuzzled its soft texture along his cheek. She blushed, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps his actions took her a little by surprise…either way she continued to smile as she lightly withdrew her tail. His eyes moved to meet hers. Tenderly he placed his hand on her chin. David spied the area and saw no signs of anypony. His eyes closed and he lightly kissed his beloved mare. She felt his lips join with hers and slowly she closed her eyes. Luna moved so she could properly embrace him. After savoring their kiss, the two laid on the grass. They nestled close enjoying the serenity of the moment. Luna placed her hooves around his belly and held him close.

Leaning back David lightly rested his cheek against her soft mane. Another happy sigh escaped Luna’s mouth. Her affectionate exhale generated a soothing effect throughout his body. It prompted him to say, “I know we’ve spent a good deal of time together…but I don’t think I can honestly get enough of you Luna. Being with you like this…it’s…it’s always wonderful.”

His words touched her deeply only adding to her smile. “Oh David,” she gasped lovingly. “I feel the same way.” Luna rubbed her velvety soft fur coated cheek against his cheek. They wished the moment could last forever.

Fluttershy had concluded her business in her garden and with her animal friends. She returned to the path leading to her cottage. She happened to spy David and Luna under the shady oak. The pegasus lightly blushed and smiled at them. The two certainly seemed to make a cute couple. Fluttershy deferred to her politeness and decided to leave them be. That was until her eyes caught sight of two approaching unicorns. She ceased her movement and remained there. The pony figured she might need to come to the aid of her friends, depending on what the other two ponies wanted.

David and Luna had closed their eyes as they continued to soak up the peaceful tranquility that surrounded them. It was unfortunately shattered by the sounds of approaching hoof beats. Then they heard a familiar voice say, “There you are!” The couple opened their eyes and saw Twilight Sparkle and Lyra swiftly approaching them.

“Oh boy,” muttered David to Luna. She lightly gritted her teeth together. How did they find them already?

The human and alicorn had stood up in time to be met by the two unicorns. Twilight smiled happy that she found the guests of honor. She looked at them curiously and asked, “What are you doing here? The others were starting to worry.”

Luna wasn’t sure what to say. Her reasons for taking David from the reception might be construed as being selfish. That would hardly seem appropriate behavior for a princess. Her human companion on the other hand was hardly at a lack for words. He shook his head disapprovingly at them. “I’ll be honest with you two. We needed to get away for a bit. It was all of those questions. In the beginning when I was talking to you Twilight, it wasn’t too bad. The same was true about you Lyra…but then all those other ponies came along and started badgering me with a seemingly endless array of questions,” he explained at length.

Lyra hung her head in an apologetic fashion. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I may be partly to blame for that. Everypony knows I’m a nut when it comes to humans. And once they saw how easygoing you were talking to Twilight and me, it probably made them all curious as well,” remarked Lyra hoping he wasn’t too upset with her.

He tilted his head and gave her a smile. “Well thankfully there was no harm done. But please don’t think ill of Luna,” David remarked patting the alicorn on the back. “She was just looking out for me.”

Twilight gave the princess an approving nod. Lyra smiled boldly and said, “Awww that’s sweet…but what were you two doing laying on the ground together?” The mint green unicorn looked at them curiously.

Luna felt her cheeks burn with an embarrassing warmth. Her jaw tensed up even more preventing her from speaking. David looked at his nervous pony and ran his hand along her back. The motion of his hand soothed her, but did little to loosen her jaw.

He gazed back at Lyra and smiled. “Well Luna and I were just spending some time together. How do I explain this to you?” David questioned placing a hand on his chin. Then he snapped his fingers together figuring it out. “While I nursed Luna back to health, she and I spent a lot of time together. During that time we grew very close to each other. And well I hope I don’t need to draw you a map to explain the rest.”

A subtle grin formed on Lyra’s face as she nodded her head. “Oh I get it. You two are each other’s special somepony,” she declared.

David looked at the human enthusiast oddly. “Special somepony?” He said quizzically.

Twilight giggled softly and explained, “That’s right. It’s the expression we use to describe two ponies that really like or love each other.”

“Oh, I see. Well then that certainly fits the bill,” David remarked.

Luna remained quiet, but her jaw was no longer tense. Her silence had now been triggered by the mention of those two words “special somepony”. It was after hearing Lyra say those words that she realized…she had a special somepony…or a rather special someone. Her eyes moved to focus on David. The princess’s cheeks turned rosy as she gazed dreamily at him. She always wondered what it would be like to have a special somepony…now she finally knew, and it felt wonderful!

David froze as he could almost sense her eyes on him. Turning his head, his gaze met hers. A tender smile formed on his face caused by the soft rosy glow on her cheeks. Her eyes kept staring at him as she dreamily said, “I have a special somepony.” After uttering those words, the princess realized they weren’t alone.

Before she could think of covering her mouth, she heard the collective “Awww” come from both Twilight and Lyra. It certainly took her by surprise. The alicorn rather thought they’d have reacted differently. This was a most welcomed development. She let out a relieved sigh on the inside.

Twilight broke the newly formed silence and suggested, “Why don’t we head back to the party. We don’t want to worry the others.”

“Good point,” added David. “Luna, let’s go.”

“Of course,” she finally spoke with a smile.

Fluttershy was still standing on the path to her cottage. She smiled from the fact the encounter with the two unicorns had a favorable conclusion. The pegasus sighed as she decided whether or not to join them. She took a step back unaware of how close she was getting to a nearby bush. The plant was just a few feet from her. Along the bush was some varying shrubbery and a few outlying trees bordering the nearby forest. Three pairs of glowing yellow eyes were fixed on the pony as she stood there. A pair of claws slowly emerged from the mesh of leaves and branches preparing to snag Fluttershy.

Their action was halted as they heard a voice call out, “Hey Fluttershy, do you want to come with us?” The claws quickly and silently retreated back into the bush.

Fluttershy looked over at the others and waved a hoof. “Okay, I’m coming!” She called back flapping her wings and leaving the ground. She flew over hovering a few feet off the ground.

A soft snarl came from the bush after she departed. “Drats! There are other ponies around! And we were so close!” Growled an annoyed voice.

Additional rustling came from the same bush. “So why don’t we just grab them all!” A dopey voice suggested.

A sharp smacking sound filled the air within the shrubbery. The first figure facepalmed. “Idiot! There are too many just to simply grab them all! And hey…what’s that thing with them!” The apparent leader inquired pointing at the distant pony group. He was specifically singling out the human.

“Uh I don’t know,” answered the stupid voice.

Then a third figure joined the other two. A shrill voice said, “That creature looks strange.”

“No kidding you moron,” growled the leader. “We’d best report back to the boss. This may effect his plans.”

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” replied the taller dopey figure. “But won’t he be mad that we didn’t bring back any ponies?”

Again the smacking sound of an audible facepalm filled the air. “Enough! I just said the reason we need to head back. Do you even listen to a word I say?” Whined the leader shaking his head in disbelief.

“No, I mean yes…yes,” added the stupid shadow.

“Fine, fine. Now let’s head back to the tunnel. The boss must be informed about this creature! We can always capture some ponies later!” barked the leader.

The third shorter shadow looked at the human. He turned to the leader and said in his shrill voice, “Do you think that thing has anything to do with the visitor the swirling mist was talking about?”

“It just might. Now come on let’s go!” Declared the leader and he and his two cohorts quietly slipped away heading for their tunnel.

Fluttershy had joined the others. Together the group made their way back to Ponyville in order to rejoin the reception.

******

Twilight and Lyra had returned to the reception accompanied by the guests of honor and Fluttershy. The attending ponies warmly greeted them. Several of the ones who had been speaking with David, prior to his abrupt departure, now stood before him. He gazed at them nervously hoping he hadn’t offended them. To his amazement, the opposite seemed to be the case. The ponies were the ones wearing apologetic faces. Still David wanted to do what felt right. Giving the adorable mares a good long look, he finally said, “I’m sorry for up and leaving like I did. It’s just that bombardment of questions began overwhelming me. I hope you aren’t too angry with me.” The human lowered his head in deference hoping to convey his sincerity.

Keeping her good friend Lyra in mind, Bonbon decided to speak for the group. The pale yellow mare stepped out from the group, her gaze meeting that of David’s. “It’s we who must apologize to you. We got carried away with Lyra in the excitement of meeting you. You must understand we never meant to be a bother,” said Bonbon.

David smiled warmly at her. “Don’t worry. I’m not upset with any of you. And if you can forgive me, I can easily forgive all of you. All I ask is the next time you want to ask me some questions, take turns and give me some time to answer,” he requested in a calm voice.

Bonbon and the others nodded in agreement. Then she said, “No problem. And we ponies don’t usually make a habit out of holding grudges. So we’re cool.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” replied David. “If any of you have additional questions for me, just make sure I’m not in the middle of something and please give me time to properly answer. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to sample some of the refreshments Twilight told me about earlier.”

Bonbon and the others smiled and nodded their heads. With the air now having been cleared they dispersed and went on to enjoy the party. For the time being they gave David some space. They didn’t want to risk a repeat of earlier.

Twilight continued to follow David and Luna as they made their way to the food tables. The couple first arrived at Applejack’s table. She was presiding over the assorted apple treats she had prepared and brought to the reception. The orange earth pony tipped her hat, smiled and said, “Why hello there Princess Luna and uh…David was it?”

He smiled and nodded. “That’s right…Applejack was it?” he asked.

Applejack nodded and gave him a slight grin. “Eeyup that’s me. Now can I interest ya in some tasty apples or apple treats? The apples are grown local at my family’s orchard just over yonder,” she remarked pointing a hoof in the orchard’s direction. “Sweet Apple Acres, and like I said before it’s home to the finest apples in all of Equestria. Now what’ll ya have?” Applejack lightly waved a hoof along the vast array of apples and treats neatly placed along the table.

“Hmmm let’s see,” David uttered studying the contents of the table. Luna joined him in carefully scanning the treats displayed before them. There was a basket with red delicious and golden delicious apples, a few apple pies, some candy apples, a few tarts, and a pan of apple crisp. After giving the selection some thought, David finally responded, “Well Luna, I’m not sure about you, but I think I’ll come back here later to pick something for dessert. Right now I’d like something a little less sweet I believe.”

The princess closed her eyes and smiled. Giving him a nod she replied, “Sounds good to me.”

“We’ll be back Applejack. Don’t worry,” he replied. She merely gave an approved wave of her hoof and continued to smile at them.

The next table they arrived at was not much different than Applejack’s. It was covered with an assortment of pies, cakes and pastries. David turned to Twilight – she was still following them. “Twilight is there anything to eat other than sweets? Like for instance anything nutritious?” he asked dubiously.

The lavender unicorn softly giggled. “Why yes, we have other things. Follow me,” she said waving a hoof. David and Luna followed her to yet another table. This one was loaded with much more appealing items. “Here, this table may be more to you liking,” Twilight spoke hospitably.

The alicorn and human examined the table’s contents carefully. There was indeed a much healthier array of foods to chose from. For the most part the food looked fairly comparable to food from Earth. Though as David perused some of the items, he lightly hesitated. He noticed a pile of sandwiches that appeared to contain flowers, specifically daffodils and daisies. Luna looked over and managed to catch a glimpse of his puzzled expression. “Is something wrong with the food David?” she asked lightly blinking her eyes.

“Well these sandwiches have flowers in them. Now I’m sure they’re normal to you ponies, but I can’t recall ever having eating anything like them on Earth,” he explained.

Luna smiled thoughtfully at him. “Those are somewhat of a delicacy. They aren’t for everypony. Now perhaps you might like one of my favorite sandwiches,” replied Luna proposing an alternative. She pointed her hoof at a neighboring platter. “These are tomato and lettuce sandwiches. And if you’re like me, you might enjoy putting mayonnaise on these sandwiches. Now there should be some…” She strained a moment as she spied a jar of mayo at the far end of the table. “…Aha. There’s some over there. Not everypony likes condiments on their food, so at parties we usually leave it optional. I know that’s how we do it at the royal palace,” she told him.

He smiled and was rather taken by her appealing suggestion. A tomato and lettuce sandwich had much more appeal. Though he did feel somewhat curious as to what a daffodil and daisy sandwich would taste like. Still he didn’t feel brave enough to try one at that moment. An odd thought crossed his mind. For the most part David was a man who enjoyed his meat, but since meeting Luna, he noticed he had consumed less and less. Then on the day before their departure, he hadn’t eaten any at all. In fact he had grinned at the idea of eating the ponies’ version of a BLT minus the bacon. The concept of skipping the bacon never occurred to him before. Now he had an ideal chance to partake in something simple yet new.

Remaining considerate to his mare, David picked up two paper plates and placed a sandwich upon each. After hearing Luna’s declaration in regards to mayonnaise, he walked over to the jar. He located a knife and went to work spreading the white creamy condiment on the inside of the bread slices for each sandwich. Before replacing the bread, he asked, “Is that enough mayo for you Luna?”

She placed a hoof on his shoulder, still smiling at him. “Yes that should do nicely,” Luna replied, trying not to drool at the sight of the succulent sandwich resting on the table.

After capping the two sandwiches, David turned to face Twilight. He hadn’t forgotten that she was still there. He smiled at her and asked, “Did you want one too Twilight?”

She shook her head and answered, “No, I’d rather have one of these.” The unicorn grabbed a plate and with her magic, placed a daffodil and daisy sandwich upon it. David merely smiled back at her as he presented Luna with her sandwich. The princess gripped the plate and its contents with her magic. The three walked over to a nearby shade tree. There they sat and enjoyed their food.

After finishing their sandwiches, the trio returned to Applejack’s table and sampled some of her tasty apple treats. Then for the remainder of the afternoon, David spent some time chatting with the other ponies continuing to break the ice. He made sure they let him properly answer their questions. In addition he made sure that Luna wasn’t getting snubbed either. He knew that like him, she wanted to stay close.

The couple enjoyed the rest of their time at the reception. David was introduced to the mayor of Ponyville. They shared some brief pleasantries then he returned to speak with Twilight and her friends. Rarity was sure to remind him that she wanted him to stop by her boutique, so she could make some patterns in order to fashion him some clothes. She still reveled at the challenge making human attire would bring. Applejack was sure to extend him another invitation to visit her orchard. Fluttershy told him he was welcome at her place anytime and that she would still enjoy having him see her garden. Rainbow Dash had already shown off some of her flying techniques to David, but she said she’d be happy to entertain him with more of her moves next time he came to town. Pinkie Pie offered to throw him another party next time he visits, but he politely declined. He told the pink earth pony that he wasn’t big on parties, but he said he’d enjoy taking Pinkie up on her offer to visit her at Sugar Cube Corner. David confessed to having somewhat of a sweet tooth. Lastly Twilight told him to feel free to stop by her library. She expressed an interest in chatting again as well as sharing some of her favorite books with him.

David told them he wasn’t sure when he’d next visit Ponyville, only that he was more than happy to take them up on their kind offers in the near future. He still needed to figure out how life was going to be for him. In the meantime, at least he knew he had a place in Canterlot.

Following a cheerful farewell, David and Luna boarded their chariot and started their trip back to the royal castle. Evening was slowly approaching. The sun had begun descending toward the horizon. Before long, the princess would need to perform her task of raising the moon.