Snap’s blood ran cold as he entered the lobby to his employer’s office. Cold eyes looked back as the light brown mare from so long ago stared at him from across the room. He slowly started to walk over and gently leaned against the counter. “Um, Mr. Rag sent me a letter requesting my presence.”

“So he did.”

“And, well, um, seeing as this is only my second time being here and it has been so long, would you be so kind as to point me in the right–”

“No.”

He stood back up and sighed. “I… I understand. Have a nice day miss.” He swallowed hard and took off down the nearest corridor while trying to keep his face from turning bright crimsonWhy do I get the idea that Smut planned that?

Meanwhile, Smut sat in his office, pouring himself a drink while trying to smile to himself as he imagined the awkward reunion between Snap and his secretary. He took a short sip of the brandy and held the strong taste in his mouth. Once it was gone though, he found himself scowling. “Damn it.”

The older stallion stood up and walked to a full length mirror. The glass shimmered in the light and brought a smile to his face. The material was specially blown glass from Saddle Arabia, with a design he himself had come up with. Only the carefully trained eye could see past the edges and waves and view the pair of breasts that Smut took great pride in having managed to sneak into the textures, but even that failed to bring his spirits up. “Oh well. The colt should be here soon, and my mind can be put to rest.

And so he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, eye twitching and three cups of brandy in him, the door to his penthouse office could be heard outside. Smut’s hand flew to his cane and he smacked himself at the top of his scalp so his purple mane would hide any possible bruise and any amount of buzz he had gained would be fought off. He then stood up and watched the door intently.

Snap finally opened the door to the room and swore at his voice cracking under pressure. “I’m sorry sir, but this building is very large and your secretary–Oof!” He doubled over as Smut’s cane slammed into his stomach.

“That was for being so unbelievably late, and this,” His cane flicked up again between the young stallion’s legs, causing Snap to let out a small yelp before collapsing to the ground in the fetal position, “is for that sorry excuse of a letter I read today from you.”

He looked up as his hands stayed firmly planted between his legs. “Wha-what letter?”

Smut let out a sigh and resisted the urge to strike down the massive fool. “An associate of mine found you trying to make the biggest mistake a gentleman could. Hence why I am going to fix this mess, whether you like it or not..”

One of Snap’s hands fell onto the mahogany desk, only to then have his fingers crushed underneath Smut’s hoof as he sat down and put his legs up. “You did that on purpose!”

“Yes, yes I did.”

Snap stopped cold. There was no playful edge to his tone, nothing to make him think this was just some sick joke. No, instead there was only the cold and dismissal that came with years of telling people they were fired. “Sir, what did I do?”

“Maud, I regret to be sending this letter, but there is something I must tell you.” Smut watched as Snap’s eyes widened He scowled and stood up, his voice rising with him. “You were going to try to do something so soul crushingly painful through a letter? I honestly thought you better than that.” He watched as the young stallion looked away and dropped his volume to a slight growl. “I will give you one chance to fix your mistake, understood?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, how do you think this should be done?”

Snap was quiet for a few moments before looking back up. “If you would allow; I need a salary advance so as to make sure she does not lose any money due to being away from her farm by coming to Canterlot. I promise from there I will make sure she can see that I cared for her before I… fulfill on my letter.”

Smut let the suggestion hang in the air as he looked back into the glass, though his gaze was actually on Snap. He could see sweat pour down his companion’s forehead and made sure not to let his sympathy show. Or his glee. “I suppose that will have to do to begin with. Then again, I shouldn’t expect too much more from someone who probably has little experience in this field.” He smirked slightly at the blush across Snap’s face. “Now go; I have a letter to write.”

“To-to whom if I may ask?”

“You already botched it the first time, so I am making sure that this letter is done right. Now leave. I suspect Maud will be here in a few days and you may need the time to plan. And Snap,” Smut paused as the younger stallion turned, “fail on proving you can do this to me and our relationship will go south very quickly.”

“Ye-yes sir.” Snap fled after a small gesture from his boss.

Smut sighed after the door closed. He pulled out a piece of parchment from his drawer and started to reexamine the letter he had prepared earlier that morning.

“I still think you should try to make it a little saucier. Something to get her excited.”

He smiled and shook his head before his gaze fell upon his colleague in madness. “As I said before Discord, this is from a gentleman to a lady. Besides, one mistake and so much could be revealed. Simple and sweet is much better for such dangerous times if one asks me.”

Discord huffed. “Now is that really anyway to repay your friend who gave you an opportunity to fix this?

“How about instead you take some of my Nineteen Eighty Two Chorblaunch as repayment? It has warmed my belly for many a celebration, and for this, I believe you deserve it.”

Discord teleported to within the cabinet and started to attempt to pull the bottle’s stopper off. “Do you think he can do it?”

Smut frowned. “I don’t know, but I can only control the colt so much.” He paused for a few moments before leaning back and smiling to himself. “Though, if their love be true, it should come almost as second nature for him.” With that, Smut tuned out the draconequus, and got back to reviewing his letter.

======+++++======

Maud stood as the whistle of the train screamed in the air and the conductor let the passengers know they would soon be arriving in Canterlot. She felt herself tense slightly at the sound of the name. She had spent some time in Ponyville, gotten her degree in Detrot, but she had still never been to Canterlot or any truly large city like it. Of course, anypony else on the train would have thought she was bored to tears by the idea of traveling to such a place.

She glanced at the letter one more time and pursed her lips. She soon bat her eyes and the worries flittered away. Maud wasn’t one to let herself be too worried by what may happen, but instead normally focused on what was happening now. But what if that is why I am here today? Because I didn’t worry enough. She clenched her left hand for only a moment as she forced the rogue thoughts away and let her heartbeat lower.

The doors slowly opened and Snap smiled at her from the other side of them before holding up a rose. He was then promptly trampled by Canterlot business ponies back from their various trips. Maud smiled slightly as she stepped out and picked him off of the ground. “Hi.”

Snap coughed slightly. “Hi.”

“You have wings you know.”

He stumbled a bit as Maud let him go. “Yes, yes I do.” He blushed a bit and smiled a little. “I guess my mind was elsewhere.” Snap scratched his head slightly before extending the hand to her. “Would you care to see where it was?”

She put her fingers around his hand and gently squeezed it. “Yes.”

He clasped his around her tight. “Then I suppose we should get going then!”

Maud nodded and hugged his arm, noting that he had still not met her eyes. “How have you been?” Her eyelids lowered slightly as he tensed.

“I guess I can’t complain. Work has kept me busy, but stressful as you may have imagined.” Snap tried a slight chuckle before looking to the ground. “Um, how have you and the farm been?”

“It has been good. I’m also doing okay, though I am a bit nervous about being here. Not used to being in such a large town.” She bit slightly into her lower lip, but the gesture disappeared before Snap could dare see any sort of weakness from her.

Snap took in a deep breath and picked up the pace as he put one finger into the air. “Well then, this will be an adventure!”

“Do you mind?”

Snap stepped away from the classy stallion, cursing his own button up shirt and slacks for not quite being up to the trends of upper Canterlot. Maud shook her head. “Most aren’t so loud in public.”

“Your sister would b–” He tensed and Maud looked up at him.

“Problem?”

“Nope! Just, um, thought of what Pinkie would be like here. Bit of an odd thought, right?”

Maud felt her stomach flutter as the large buildings only seemed to close in more with the weird acts from him. “Yeah, I guess.” Why hasn’t he noticed? He was good at reading me before.

Snap’s eyes were away from her again as he held a hand for a cab. A grungy, dark blue stallion screeched to a halt in front of them, promptly causing the business pony in his taxi to start cursing as he climbed out. “Hey Curb. Think you can get me to somewhere we can be a little more comfortable at? Like Top’s cart?”

The cabby looked over the gray mare and her fairly stern expression and wished she was smiling instead of seeming to gaze into his soul. “Sure can; though can I know where you got such a mare?”

Snap helped Maud into the cart behind him. “Um, work related accident. Happy accident of course!” He tried to smile at Maud and jerked back as the cart got to moving. “I would keep a tight grip on the side rails.”

“Why?”

“Oh come on, I don’t do that any–” The two ponies in his cab jumped up as the right wheel popped over the sidewalk. “Damnit!”

Maud’s grip was now attempting to splinter the wood as she tried to keep calm in the odd vehicle. “Why are we trusting this if you know he isn’t good?”

“Hey!”

Snap put out a wing and held onto Maud with it, partially so if they took off he would at least go with her, and partially to comfort her. “He may be a little chaotic, but you know you’ll make good time and he is a good friend of mine. Besides,” he paused as another sidewalk attempted to impede their progress and walkers started to curse, “you haven’t experienced the real Canterlot unless you’ve almost died, and I thought this was the most surefire way to do it.”

“I am right here!”

Maud smiled, feeling the tension in her date leaving. No longer a solid sedimentary, but a softer igneous or limestone now. The sentiment was quickly gone as the cart jumped from a vicious bump in the road.

‘Can you calm down at least a bit, Killer?”

“Hey, that wasn’t a curb, so it doesn’t count!”

Finally the ride from hell came to an end and Snap took a few uncertain steps onto the rough cobblestone. The moment Maud came down, seemingly unaffected by the previous events, Curb took off to find his next patron. “That was… interesting.”

Snap put on a wide grin and spread his arms. “That is only the beginning, I promise. Before the end of today, I hope to show you all of my home.”

She took in the smaller buildings, tight streets, back alleys, and rough cobblestone in a few moments. Her brows twitched toward each other. “This… isn’t Canterlot, is it?”

He nodded. “This is what I call the real Canterlot, though most just call it lower Canterlot as we’re closer to the cliffs here. I’ve been coming here since I was fifteen and trust me, much better than anything we’ll find in the stuffy upper crust parts of the town.” Snap took in a deep breath and sighed as he looked down the twisting roads.

“You gonna order a dog or something?”

Maud’s eyes widened slightly as all she could see was a food cart behind Snap and a yellow unicorn with a red mane leaning against it. Snap smacked his face and turned to the vendor. “Please don’t say something like that. It can be mistaken too easily.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed away from the cart. “Sorry, but it’s been a slow day and I’m kind of insulted you would come to my cart and then just ignore me.”

Snap scratched his head before sighing. “Fine, point goes to you. Two please.” He then turned to Maud and smirked. “Don’t worry, Top Dog here isn’t using real dogs, but tofu. How she preps it though is the best.”

“Damn straight.”

Maud kept her expression blank as she took in the mare and listened to Snap and her talk for a little bit about the order. So calm, so willing to be open with her, and yet he [b[still won’t look me in the eyes. Her fist clenched for a moment, but she quickly forced the anger away. “No ketchup on mine.”

Top nodded, noticing the relaxing fingers. “So, you gonna introduce us?”

Snap tensed for a moment before smacking himself. “Yes. Top, this is Maud. Maud, this is Top.”

Maud put her hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

“Same he[i[aaar!” She pulled her hand away while shaking the fingers. “That is one heck of a grip you got there.” For a moment her attention was pulled away to flipping the white dogs, but her eyes soon were back up and examining the cute mare. “So, what caused you to be forced down here with this lovable loser?”

“Hey!”

Maud took a step towards Snap. “I’m on a date with him.”

Top splashed some ketchup on one of the dogs before promptly chucking the empty bottle at Snap. “And you brought her to this dump? I thought I you would have learned something about mares after how long we’ve known each other.

Snap picked up the bottle and massaged his forehead. “Mainly only that every last one seems to be out to cause me as much bodily harm as possible.” He took a hold of the hot dogs and attempted to slip her two bits. Those too were promptly thrown at him.

“Least I can do for an old friend. Now shoo, before you annoy your date any further.”

“What?”

“Do I need to throw something at you again?”

“No?” Snap turned away while handing Maud her food. A small crease came over his head, but his eyes stayed on his food. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Maud gave him nothing more for a few more moments as they walked down the street and started to eat their dogs. She couldn’t keep silent this time though, but she still didn’t plan to acknowledge what had happened before. “The food is good.”

“Tastes better after two days of wandering around lost.” Snap smirked at Maud and waved away the incoming question. “When I first came down here, it was on accident and if you don’t know where you’re going, you can get lost, fast.” He took a sharp turn and they almost were hugging each other as they walked. “I ended up begging for a dog from her when I couldn’t take it anymore and lost my vest for it. However, she did end up helping me find Curb, who got me out of this area. How they acted though intrigued me, so I started coming back. They call me a pain in the ass, but I know we’re friends.”

Maud smiled slightly at that and nodded, her mind calming a bit. “So you aren’t from down here?”

Snap looked away and bit into his dog. For a few long moments he let chewing avoid the question, but Maud’s intent gaze was almost oppressive on him, just as it had been the rest of the day. And here I thought I could relax if we came down here. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear about my upbringing. For the most part, it was pretty boring.”

“I lived on a rock farm. Other than the odd boulder spider, I don’t think my filly days were exciting either, so please, do go on.”

Snap sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I lived up in higher Canterlot with my parents, went to some fancy parties that I learned to behave for, but for the most part, they left me to my own devices, so long as I stuck to their plan.”

She smiled slightly. “Sounds like they wouldn’t approve of how we met then.”

He stopped for a moment as they reached the end of the corridor and came out upon a large town square, full of different vendors and booths. It had an odd beauty to it as one could easily see wares ranging from literal trash to glass from beer bottles set up as elaborate wind chimes. All sorts of ponies trudged through the grungy bazaar, talking, flying, and even two performing a magic duel for the crowds entertainment. He immediately took advantage of it and put his hands on Maud’s shoulders. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

She nodded slightly and took a step forward. “It reminds me of a flea market.”

“Well, with how many fleas Pour, our resident gryphon, has normally, one could probably call it that.”

Maud glanced at Snap as he charged ahead of her. She had seen through this act a hundred times with Pinkie when she was trying to hide something, usually about stealing cookies. She should confront him, make him tell her, just like she had done with Pinkie so many times. But if he is hiding something from you, do you really want to know?

She paused to look at the ground for only a moment, but it was already long enough so that when she looked up, he was gone. Maud’s heart immediately doubled in pace as she looked around her at all of the unfamiliar ponies. She stumbled slightly as a large stallion bumped into her shoulder and sent her towards a stall. The two stallions glanced up and smiled at her. “Hi there, pretty thing.”

“What brings you here?”

She stepped back from them and looked down to the stall. In front of her were simple rocks and pebbles, none of which held special properties not when judged against others she had put under her expert gaze. “Just got lost.”

The first one stood, his dark green coat mattered with grime. “Come now, you aren’t simply going to pass up our fine gifts of the Earth, are you? We spend hours every day rummaging through the grime of the sewers in order to find these precious diamonds in the rough.”

Maud’s eyes narrowed slightly. “They are simple sedimentary rocks, just like any under my hooves. If you push me, I will report you to a guard for such practices.”

The word guard almost seemed to charge the air as some of the passerbys started to slow to a crawl in order to watch the interloper. The second stallion stood and beckoned her closer. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Perhaps I can show you something you might be interested in so that you change your mind?”

She hesitantly took a step forward before feeling a pull on the collar of her dress. “Honey, what are you doing here?”

She looked up at Snap and felt her brow furrow further slightly more. “You brought me.”

“You did?”

He looked to the two of them and opened his mouth to say something when the glint of steel from below the counter caught his eyes and he saw the scowl on their faces. “Run!”

The two took off through the crowd, Snap’s hand firmly curled around Maud’s as he slipped through the various stalls and routes. Maud’s own grip on him was as strong as iron, but he doubted it was from how fast he was running. She’s a smart enough mare,, so she probably realized just a bit too late what had been about to happen, so heart shut up! He glanced back only once and got his thoughts confirmed and his heart stabbed by looking into her eyes and the slight downward curl of her lips.

Even once they were out of the plaza, they continued to run. At least, until Maud stopped dead and almost wrenched Snap’s arm out of its socket. “Why did you take me there?”

He opened his mouth before giving out a heavy sigh and rubbing his forehead. “I… I honestly don’t know. It seemed like an okay idea at the time.” He looked back over to her and felt a tear sting his own eyes. “I’m sorry, I swear.”

Maud bit into her lip and walked closer, gripping onto his arm. “You’re okay.”

Snap curled one of his own hands around her and snuggled the top of her head. “Don’t worry, you could have taken both of them, easily.”

Maud smiled as they started to go down more alleys in silence, simply because she had no idea what to say to him. The screwup only made the rest of Snap’s guilt pile higher upon him and he still couldn’t tell a damn thing about what the other mare was thinking. The silence only aided to giving Maud to think about the now and how her nervousness for the future was seemingly being justified more and more with every moment.

Finally, they reached a cliff. Snap stepped behind Maud and whispered low into her ear, “I know I don’t entirely deserve it at this point, but will you put your trust in me?”

Maud glanced back at him and saw him glance away. He loves you Maud. He said he wouldn’t forget you, remember? She snuggled tight against his chest and nodded.

He wrapped her in a tight hug before stepping off the cliff with her. His wings immediately spread out and attempted to slow their descent, beating like mad as the trees and plains below came into view. Every muscle in Maud tensed and it pushed him further to steady their travel. Finally, they simply hovered and started to turn around. “Maud, open your eyes.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I don’t trust you.”

Snap's heart froze for a moment and he swallowed hard. “I… I don’t blame you.”

She looked up and forced their eyes to meet. His breath caught as he saw the tear forming at the edge of her eye. “Maud…”

“Can I get a compliment? Like the ones from before?”

He saw the fear and turmoil lying in her eyes and felt his chest tighten and his breathing became labored. It took all he had to keep them hovering in place as he nodded. “You are still the strongest, kindest mare I know. Heck, even when confronted by a new situation, you still stuck to what you thought was right, no matter the danger. And you look wonderful today Maud, and I apologize for not having not told you that before now, just as…” He looked away, his guilt putting a firm clamp on his tongue and causing a solid crack in his heart. “Will you look now Maud? I promise you’ll like it.”

She stared at his shut eyes for a few more moments before twisting her neck around. Her worries vanished for a moment as the crags and stalactites that hung from the city stared back. Hidden between the spires were veins of glinting silver, amethyst, and emerald, known to only a select few. Maud couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “It… It’s beautiful.”

Snap tilted his head forward. “I’m sorry Maud. I’m so sorry.” He started beating harder and they slowly ascended. Maud tried to talk to him, but the jolts of movement and lack of ground caused her to focus more on keeping a solid hold of him. Once on the ground, Snap started to grip his fingers. ‘Maud, we need to talk. You see–”

“Excuse me, but are you Snap Shot and Maud Pie?”

They both turned to a short mare in a messenger’s outfit. “A Mr. Rag requests you come to the royal gardens in fifteen minutes, or else.”

Snap shook his head. “Tell him to wait, please.”

“He gave a response to something like that. Something along the lines of, ‘Do you want to give me even more time to think? More time to plan?’”

He froze for a moment and silently cursed his boss. “Maud, we’ll see what he wants and then I need to talk to you, okay?”

She felt ice run through her veins and forced her expression to be nothing more then a slight curling downward of her lips. “Alright.”

The two rushed through the streets until Curb almost ran them over. A rather traumatic trip later and Snap found himself almost falling as he rushed into the Canterlot Gardens. “Just in time.”

Smut stood from the table that was set up with twin, unlit candles. “Quite. However, I do believe I forgot my gift for you. Think you can go back to the office and get the bottle of wine from my desk?”

Snap looked at him and his eye twitched. He stood and put a hand on Smut’s shoulder. “I was just about to end the date. Please don’t force this to be any longer then it has to be. For me?”

The older stallion bit into his left cheek in thought before nodding. “I do believe that bottle is indeed on my desk. Now shoo shoo.”

“I can say no.”

Smut stepped forward and got uncomfortably close as his his face became oddly intense again. “Can you?”

Snap stood there for a few moments before mumbling a curse as Maud caught up to them. She glanced at him before turning to Smut. “Where is he going?”

“Back to my office so I have time to talk to you. And trust me, I need to talk to you.”

She glanced down. “I would rather simply talk to Snap. He seems to have something important to tell me.”

He shook his head. “So you’ve already started to piece it together?”

“N-no. At least, I hope not.”

Smut looked back to her and stepped forward to hold her shoulder. “I have some unpleasant things I need to tell you. Are you ready?”

She looked up at him and watched as his gaze stayed right on hers, something she couldn’t boast about Snap, at least not for that day. She shook her head, breaking eye contact with him and stepped away. Maud then looked into the sky and took in a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Snap has slept with two different mares since you and him got together and seen three in absolutely nothing.” He watched as the mare hung her head low. “From what I understand though, you did somewhat understand before now that this was going to happen, correct?”

Maud tried to stop the tears as the ice in her started to spread. “Yes, but I always hoped to be wrong.”

“And because of how this job has gone, tonight he is going to break up with you.” His chest tightened as Maud slowly sat down and her body shook once. “I ask that you don’t let him.”

She stayed there for a second before turning around and knocking the chair to the ground. “Why?” Tears streamed down her face and for one of the only times in her life, she simply couldn’t hold back any of it. The fear, sadness and anger were there for all to see.

Smut set his jaw. “Because he loves you. Because the idiot thinks that by doing this he will protect you and he can’t or I can’t let him.”

Maud’s eyes burned as she tried to rub at them and process what he was saying. “D-don’t lie to me!”

He shook his head. “I’m not!” He stared back, letting the echo reverberate against the trees. “After every shoot, successful or not, he kept you in mind. You tortured him and made him doubt every choice he made. He tried to hide it, but I’m not an idiot. You made him happy, and if you leave, he’ll end up alone, unable to love, and somehow telling himself that that is okay as he dies a little inside with each mare he finds!”

She stood there, watching him pant and cough, and could only look away. “It won’t work. He won’t let it and if he doesn’t want it, then I can’t make him.”

“He wants it, I promise, and he doesn’t simply do this to be free to do as he pleases. Snap is too good of a guy to do that.”

Maud finally managed to stop the tears and grabbed a napkin to dry her face. Her mind went to the cliff where he couldn’t finish it. He seemed to want to keep complimenting her, keep singing her praises, but couldn’t. Ma-maybe he isn’t lying. She turned to him. “I still don’t know how I would stop him, or even if I want to.”

“Simply don’t let him, please. I’ll even help and make sure he comes by every two weeks to see you. That way you two at least have some sort of chance, okay?”

She stayed quiet for a few moments and slowly nodded. “I…” She became quiet. As much as she wanted to hate him, she had accepted the state of their relationship all that time ago and the thought of leaving him hurt a hundred times more than simply thinking he had been with another mare. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you.” Smut stepped away and bowed. “I must go though, so you two may be alone.”

Maud sat there, simply staring into the glass in front of her while she waited. The silence loomed over her and her frozen chest. Her mind still fought with itself, trying desperately to decide who to hate more. Snap for what he had done, Mr. Rag for having made her meet him in the first place, or herself for attempting to hate either of them.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door to the garden open and Snap walked into the clearing. He tried smiling at her, but soon put his eyes to the ground as he presented her the wine. Maud grabbed the bottle from him. “Shall we open this?”

Snap shook his head. “No. I need to do this now.” He looked her straight in the eyes and felt his chest tighten. “Maud, we need to stop seeing each other. We…we need to break up.”

Maud’s mind went blank at actually hearing it and she blurted out the first words that came to mind. “I don’t accept.”

“What?”

Maud blinked a few times before setting her mind to the task. “I don’t accept it.”

“You can’t not accept it!”

“Do I get a say in it?”

“No!”

“Then I don’t accept it.” It was at this point that a waiter came around and put down two fresh salads in front of them. “Dinner looks nice. Please thank your boss for me when you can.”

Snap sat back while his right eye twitched. “Ah, um, no?”

“No to what?”

“To you not accepting this!”

She looked at him with a flat gaze. “How about when you give me a reason I can accept I will let you?”

He shouted, “I’ve cheated on you! With your sister even!”

She almost bit through her fork at that tidbit and reminded herself to choke out Pinkie next time they met, but kept her outward expressions calm. “I know, but I want to give this a chance, because when I was with you on the rock farm that day, I lost my heart, and I don’t want to get it back just yet. Partially, because I thought you had given me yours.”

Snap opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Maud stood and stepped over to him. “Just tell me you don’t love me and I will go.”

He stared into her light blue eyes and saw the fear in them. The expected pain that he should put her through. The fear of exactly what he had planned to say. Instead though, all he could do was stand and take her into his arms.

Their kiss lasted for minutes as they found themselves in warm, comforting territory again. There was no pretense of being on a date or trying to impress the other or find out how they felt. Simply the two of them in their own spot in time. Snap came away and smiled slightly. “If today wasn’t proof enough, I’m terrible at all of this.”

Maud squeezed him tighter and let her eyelids close half way. “I know, but I am too.”

Snap smiled wider and a tear fell down his face. “I… I want you to know that I do love you. You have never left my mind and I doubt you ever will, and though it makes me hate myself, and makes me scared, I wouldn’t have it any other way, at least, if you’ll let me. So yes, I love you.”

A tear came down Maud’s face as she nuzzled against him. “I love you too.”

Author's Note

First off, for artists, draw any of the big moments, such as under Canterlot, at the table, Maud crying, or even on the cab and I’ll make sure to get you linked in the next author’s note after you send me a link. This is of course, because no pictures were taken.

Also, as some of you may have noticed, come this chapter, I decided the romance tag was appropriate and smacked it on. If you disagree, let me know. And sorry for the long wait, but I really wanted that cover art for this chapter specifically as it fit too damn well. Besides, doesn't Maud look so sexy?

Finally, for the comments, Smut has his cameraman back and desires a pegasus. Go!