Dark Angel of Night That Fell From the Sky

Chapters

Prologue: Total Eclipse
Chapter 1: First Impressions
Chapter 2: Some Improvement
Chapter 3: The Outburst
Chapter 5: Lucine
Chapter 6: Not Alone Anymore
Chapter 7: Another day
Chapter 8: Feelings
Chapter 9: Idea
Chapter 10: For The Better
Chapter 11: Time For Fun
Chapter 4: Realization

Prologue: Total Eclipse

A man crept through the woods, trying to be as quiet as he can. He left deep marks on the white blanket of snow, destroying the ethereal feeling of emptiness that reigned in the taiga. No sounds but his breath sounded, his heart pounded in anticipation. His gloved hands held a rifle tightly as if it was man's only possession.

That man was a hunter. He lived all alone in the woods somewhere in the northern Russia, away from the civilization. His house was rather big and had everything he needed to live: a garden under the roof, always warm even in the most freezing of times, electricity, TV, and internet. The man had been working hard to get what he now has, and thankfully for him his giant work helped him a lot since he settled down there.

So, the winter of year 2015 was rather harsh for him. There, in the deep taiga, it was very hard to get meat. The man always could, of course, move to the city, but he preferred the soothing and comforting silence of nature of the north to the bustling buzz of any city.

So, the man crept through the woods. He had already spotted paw marks of a bunny, and he was going to get it. He hasn't eaten any meat in weeks, and it started getting to him. While meat wasn't exactly necessary for him, he liked the taste and the thrill of the hunt.

The man himself was dressed in a warm pale-gray coat that was lined with fur, winter camouflaged pants, and a pair of warm high boots with small belts that helped to adjust them around the leg. The face of the man was hidden behind the scarf that was wrapped around his head, only allowing the two differently colored eyes to be seen: one was sky-blue, and the other one was dark-green. The eyes were narrowed, scanning the surroundings for prey. Small clouds of vapor were breathed out, quickly becoming snow on his scarf.

Suddenly, everything became much darker. The man looked up at the darkened skies, and saw one thing he hasn't expected to see — a total eclipse. The moon has completely hidden the sun behind itself, not allowing a single beam of winter-cold light to pass. The man frowned as something on the moon caught his eye. Some strange shape as if the moon wasn't the one he sees every night.

Suddenly, a boom echoed through the taiga, scaring away all animals. The man almost made a shot in surprise, so tightly he held his rifle.

Then, the skies became brighter and brighter. The man looked up in awe, seeing a small meteor falling from the sky. He could almost see the strange, somehow humanoid shape of it.

Yelling something surely not ethical, the man hid behind the tree as the meteor fell. A loud boom of the impact sounded, shaking the ground and the trees, making some snow fall from the branches on the head of the man. Wiping away the snow, the man looked at where the meteor landed. It was about a hundred meters away from his current position, and he was eager to find out what landed, even if it was just a piece of rock.

He carefully stood up as if he was afraid the earth will split in half. By the time he started moving through the snow to the meteor, the eclipse had ended, seemingly abruptly. The silence retook its throne, and everything became as silent as if nothing has happened just a few moments ago.

The man moved through the snowy terrain to the small trail of smoke that has risen behind the recently snow-covered trees. For a moment, the man stopped. He thought of various dangers that could await him there: biological danger or radiation. He has read that there might be life in the vast cosmic space, especially deadly bacterias. And the radiation that was in the cosmos was a danger to the man as well. However, there is only one chance to see what happened or the meteor will be soon covered by the snow, unable to be seen until summer. Witnessing the fall of the meteor is one of the rarest things, being close to the impact is even more rare. A chance in a lifetime to see the end of the meteor fully and not on the TV.

However, when the man found what he thought was just a piece of rock, he was stunned and shocked by what he saw. In a rather large crater, a humanoid figure lied. It was clad in steel armor that was slightly blue in color. The humanoid had what appeared to be black fur. The legs were that of hind legs of equine, and the face was unlike human. It was like a muzzle of a horse but shorter and flatter. A pair of equine ears grew on the head of the humanoid. The eyes were rather big, yet they remained closed. The humanoid was female, judging by its chest. It rose and fell as the human-equine breather lightly.

However, what surprised the man was that she had a horn and a pair of big raven wings, as well as the mane and tail that looked like they were made of cosmos itself.

Seeing the human-equine so weak and defenseless, the man decided to help. Turning off his brain that would have exploded from the information and thoughts it received, the man put his rifle behind his back and walked closer to the human-equine.

The man rubbed his eyes, not yet believing in what was happening right in front of his eyes. An extraterrestrial being was there, lying before him on the cold ground.

Picking her up, the man found out that she was lighter than he expected. Moving carefully, he started walking back towards his home.

He thought of the surprise chance the fate has given him, and he took it without thinking. His life will take a different turn from then on.

Chapter 1: First Impressions

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Chapter 2: Some Improvement

James was sitting idly in the kitchen, watching the blizzard through the window. His nose stopped bleeding, but that didn't make anything better for him. Nightmare Moon was still in his house, and he wasn't ready to face her just yet.

"Ugh... if that 'falling star' fulfilled one of my wishes, I would have wished for a frickin' Death Star to destroy the whole Earth. At least that wish would've liven to my expectations." he muttered to himself, tapping his chin. During years of loneliness, it became a habit James wasn't very proud of. "Okay, I've met an alien... Now what? What do I do with her and myself?"

Then, his eyes fell on the rifle that was placed near the exit. The rifle was the famous SVD, albeit without a stereotypical PSO scope that is associated with the rifle.

"No, I don't want to kill her..." he turned his gaze away from the rifle. "Not because she's a woman, not because she's an alien... She is sapient, and I can try to reason with her before doing that. Fight is the last resort, not the first... Also, I need to stop talking to myself." he stood up from the chair and stretched. "Loneliness does that to a man... Now, I'm not lonely, but I wish I was. This Nightmare Moon lady is creeping the hell out of me— Wait! What am I, a doormat? I must face her, I must tell her who is the boss in the house! She's not nice, so why must I wear this mask? She has yet to find out who I really am!"

Nightmare Moon was in James's bedroom. Its colors were rather nice to her: dark-blue for the walls and lighter blue for the ceiling. She found it is to her liking, and the only thing she didn't like about it was minimalistic design. There was a large bed, a table with a chair, a large wardrobe that took one of the walls completely, a soft, white carpet on the floor, and a computer on the table, but Nightmare Moon didn't know yet what the last thing was. There were also four paintings on the wall. All of them depicted the same place from the same point of view, only the seasons were different. She assumed that the paintings were drawn when the artist was looking out of the bedroom's only window, which wasn't really big. Nightmare Moon was stunned by the four pictures, they were very detailed and looked perfect. She wondered who have made them.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Her ears perked up and she turned to the door that led to the stairs. The door opened and James entered.

"Thou again." Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Canst not thou leave me alone?"

"This room is my bedroom." James scowled at the mare.

"And?" she mocked him in return.

"I am okay with sharing it with you, but I am not okay with giving it to you completely." James crossed his arms on his chest. "Look, I don't want us to be enemies."

"Then thou art failing." Nightmare Moon chuckled. "Thou art who imprisoned me here with no way to go back to Equestria."

"I did not do that!" James groaned, facepalming. "I don't even know who you are!"

The mare glared at him. "Why am I here, then?"

"I have no fucking idea!" he yelled, snapping. "If I had, I would've told you already! Get it into your stubborn mind, I never asked for this!"

Nightmare Moon was taken aback by what he did — he dared to yell at her. She blinked, processing what he had said. She was certain he hadn't lied.

"Alright..." she spoke, then cleared her throat. "But I still don't trust thee."

"I didn't expect you to." James rolled his eyes. "Just... We are all grown-ups, we can reason."

"I have lived for thousands of years, fool!" Nightmare Moon snorted. "Thou'rt not even comparable to me, 'grown-up'."

"Oh." James blinked. "Alright... So, you are an ancient anthropomorphic horse."

"I am a pony!" Nightmare Moon shook her head. "And who dost thou call "ancient"? I am considered the ideal of beauty!"

"Okay, you're a... pony." James knew better than try to argue about things he knew nothing about. "Do all... ponies live this long?"

"Art thou interrogating me now?" the mare scowled.

"You may stay silent if you want." James shrugged. "Just, I've never seen anyone like you. In fact, I am certain you are the only one of your kind on the Earth."

"I think sating thy curiosity won't hurt." Nightmare Moon sat on his bed. "Thou mayest ask me."

"Okay..." James said nervously, sitting on a chair that he's left in his bedroom some time ago. "So, will you answer my first question?"

"That one is about age, correct?" the human nodded to her question. "Well, the answer is no, most ponies live about a hundred years, give or take a few decades, depending on their race."

"Race? You mean that not all ponies have wings and a horn?" James was intrigued by what the mare has said.

"Those who do are called alicorns. There are only two that I know: myself and my... sister." she spat out the last word. "There are another three races: earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns."

"I think I have an idea of how they look..." James spoke. "But, can all of them use that magic as you?"

"Of course not." Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "Only unicorns can control magic directly, creating spells, bending almost anything to their will. Pegasi control the weather, and earth ponies grow food for all four of us. Alicorns can do anything, basically, because they are all the races combined.

"I answered some of thy questions, now it is time for me to ask. My first question will be pretty simple: what exactly art thou?"

"A human." James answered. "Humans evolved from primates, if it tells you anything."

"What is this place?"

"My house, obviously." James replied, deadpanning. "Well, more specifically: the planet Earth, continent Eurasia, country Russia, northern region. I think I'd told you that al—"

"What should I do here?" she cut him short.

"I don't honestly know." James shrugged. "Don't try to kill me or destroy the house, and we'll be on at least neutral terms. In turn, I promise that I won't hurt you. Well, you are free to do almost anything."

"Then, I would very like to take a bath." Nightmare Moon stood up. "If thou hast one, of course."

"A white door on the first floor." James told her the path to the bathroom. "If you need help, just call me."

"A mare can take a bath by herself, thanks." the mare snorted irritably. She headed downstairs and to the bathroom. As the door to his bedroom closed, James sighed in relief. He didn't expect everything to go so smooth with Nightmare Moon, especially considering his still pained nose.

"Wait," he muttered. "I need to take a bath as well... If Nightmare Moon takes it as long as other women do, I'm doomed to smell like shit for a few more hours."

Suddenly, Nightmare Moon called him from downstairs, "James! I require thy assistance!"

"Of course, 'a mare can take a bath by herself'." James rolled his eyes, stood up from the chair, and headed to the bathroom. "I hope she doesn't want me to rub her back... That would be very embarrassing."

The door was not locked but slightly opened, and Nightmare Moon was standing near the bath.

"Yeah?" James entered. Then, he realized that the mare was completely nude. His cheeks flushed a little, yet he kept his calm. It wasn't the first time he sees a nude female, after all.

"This vile bath get'th warmer by itself!" Nightmare Moon turned to the human, her arms crossed on her chest, a scowl on her face. "I cannot adjust the temperature with my magic!"

"You should just turn the handle—" he gestured at it. "—until the temperature is right." James replied, staring at the nude mare in front of him. "For an alien, she looks rather good." he thought. "All curves are in right places, her breasts are perfectly sized... Well, if she was a woman, she would certainly be the most beautiful one."

"Art thou staring at me right now?" the mare glared at him.

"Honestly, yes." his reply was shameless.

"Stare all thou like'st, thou wilt get none of me." Nightmare Moon huffed, turning away from him. He was puzzled by her statement, he expected her to slap him rather hard. Nightmare Moon turned the handle, adjusting the temperature, and then sighed in relaxation, getting into the bath and lying on her back, her wings unfolded and resting by her sides, taking the most room of the rather large bath.

"Just like that? I can stay here?" James asked, unsure of what she meant by what she'd said earlier.

"I don't care." was her simple and a little annoyed reply. However, James decided to leave her alone. He didn't really want to watch her bathing. He knew a concept of a personal space and alone time, after all.

Making one last glance at her, he left.

James didn't have to wait long, and no later than in fifteen minutes Nightmare Moon exited the bathroom, wrapped in a big white towel.

"My clothes are rather smelly right now, so I left them there." she told the human as he prepared to bathe.

"I can wash them if you want." James replied. He also noticed her upper garment and undergarment lying on the floor near the bath. He took it and placed into the washer, as well as his old ones from the laundry. Nightmare Moon watched his actions, considering them strange. When all dirty clothes were loaded, James started the washer. Its sound was too sudden for the mare, she almost jumped in startled surprise.

"What is it?" she asked, pointing at the washer, which started buzzing quietly.

"A machine that washes clothes without anyone to do it by themselves. It is much more efficient, too." James explained.

"Fascinating..." Nightmare Moon couldn't resist but walk closer and stare into the window of the washer, watching the process.

James unclothed himself right in front of the alicorn.

"And what dost thou think thou'rt doing?" Nightmare Moon asked, her cheeks a little red. "No one must get nude in front of the queen unless both are ready for love-making."

James grinned mischievously, knowing how to answer that. He said: "Well, that can easily be fixed."

"How dare thee!" the mare exclaimed, her cheeks burning. "Thou must not behave like this!"

"You're not my queen and I'm not your subject. Your rules do not apply in my house, nor in the country overall." James lied on his back in the bath as he finished unclothing. His bare chest and back were covered in many straight and narrow scars, both nipples were completely absent, only smooth skin was in their places. Nightmare Moon nearly gasped when she saw the scars.

"What hath happened to thee?" she asked, shock in her voice. She has never seen so many scars at once.

"This?" he gestured at his chest. "Bad things can happen to anyone, I am no exception." he replied grimly.

She shook her head, trying to clear the image of his scarred chest from her mind.

James adjusted the temperature of the water and let it flow freely into the bath, filling it with nice and warm water. He undid his ponytail, letting his long hair hang freely below his shoulders.

Nightmare Moon huffed and left, her cheeks were a little red.

"Well," the man sighed. "Not a very bad beginning... She isn't threatening me now. And she doesn't want to cut my dick off for staring at her. I bet royalty from the Medieval would do that... Things improved a little, huh."

Author's Note

Just so you understand: James doesn't give a shit about being nude in his house. It is his own house, after all, and he does everything he wants in it, not caring even if someone's there.

Chapter 3: The Outburst

After James took a rather relaxing bath, he went upstairs to get some sleep after all the stress he had. Thankfully, Nightmare Moon stayed downstairs, doing something that James didn't really care about.

He was trying to fall asleep, yet he couldn't. He was in a state when thoughts rushed in his head, darting around like flies that make annoying buzz. He was still confused about everything that happens around him. Truthfully, he was rather uncomfortable with the fact that someone is in his house. He got used to living alone, after all.

"Uh, FUCK!" James yelled suddenly. "Why can't I sleep?"

He got,up from his bed and sighed. He knew he couldn't get sleep that night. It was far past midnight, about two in the morning.

"Better go see what the mare is doing..." James muttered and yawned. "I hope she hasn't found my old porn magazines yet. Why do I keep them downstairs anyway?"

Combing his messy hair back using his hand, he descended downstairs. There, he heard rustling in the kitchen. He warily walked to the door that led to his kitchen, and opened it. In the dim light from inside the freezer, Nightmare Moon searched for food, chewing an apple. She was still wrapped in a towel. Her ears were turned backwards, and she heard James entering. She turned around. James just stared at her.

"Wha?" she mumbled with a mouthful of apple.

"You eat apples?" James asked.

"Uh-huh." she nodded, then swallowed the chewed apple. "This machine that hath cold inside itself hath plenty of food to offer me."

"I thought that with those teeth you have you were carnivore."

"Uh?!" she almost choked on the remains of apple. "What art thou saying? I am a herbivore!"

"Excuse me, queen, I had no idea that herbivores have pointed teeth." James rolled his eyes.

"I have molars, if that is what thou'rt asking." the mare replied, getting a piece of cheese from the fridge. "Besides, sharps teeth thou see'st are illusions, mostly."

Her horn glowed, and her teeth became that of a herbivore, save for the two fangs that remained in her mouth.

"Fucking magic..." James muttered as Nightmare Moon started chewing cheese. "And hey, that cheese might be older than you. I might've left it there since the house was built."

The mare spat what she's taken into her mouth, and made gagging sounds, trying desperately to clean her mouth.

"Damn fuck!" James facepalmed. He was now partly covered in half-chewed cheese. The floor became dirty as well. "You know, the floor's in need of cleaning now, because of you!"

"Thou could'st have warned me of this cheese!" she fetched a glass of water and quickly cleared her mouth off the cheese. "Disgusting!"

"Well, you could've asked me about eating my food." James crossed his arms on his chest. "You could've eaten something really bad."

"As if thou care'st." she scowled. "Bleh! I hate this cursed cheese..."

"Honestly, I do care a little." James sighed. "This is my house, and you are my guest. Well, kind of..." he scratched the back of his head. "And, obviously, I don't want my guests dead."

"Point taken." the mare nodded, her face softened a little. "Alright, but where can I find clothes? This—" she tugged the towel she was wrapped in. "—is very uncomfortable. It doth not have a hole for the tail! My wings aren't quite comfortable as well."

"I doubt I have anything suitable for you." James replied. "Well, I have no wings nor tail, so my clothes will not suffice. I can try to modify them for you, but I am very bad at sewing, so..."

"I have to walk around in this towel, is it what thou imply'st?" Nightmare Moon huffed.

"You just have to wait until your clothes are washed in the washer. After I dry them, they will be ready to be worn. I can't sleep, so I will dry them as soon as the washing is finished, and that will be..." he tapped his chin. "In about ten minutes, I suppose. But before I do that..."

He walked to the freezer and looked behind it. There was a broom and a dustpan, and he fetched them.

"Well," he turned to the mare. "You made a mess, now you clean it." he offered her the two cleaning instruments.

"What?!" Nightmare Moon exclaimed.

"God fucking..." James facepalmed. "Don't tell me you had maids licking your butt clean!"

"Nopony touches the royal backside!" the mare crossed her arms on her chest. "But the maidmares do clean everything in the castle."

"Do you see a castle, miss Royal Backside?" James deadpanned. "Now, clean. You have to do at least something useful."

"Why, nay!" she rejected. "And why do I have to do something for thee?"

"Because you've just eaten my food, obviously. Really, is it so difficult for you to clean after yourself?" the man sighed, then muttered: "I'm going to fucking die of insanitation... or insanity, if the former doesn't kill me before the later kicks in."

"Ugh, fine, I shall clean it!" Nightmare Moon groaned in irritation. "Just stop with this muttering!"

"Uh, sorry for that, it's kind of a bat habit, I suppose." James scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Thou hast bad habits?" the mare asked while swiping the floor with the broom, pushing every piece of food to the dustpan. "Dost thou have any addictions? Like strong brew, for example."

"Alcohol is a very bad thing." James shook his head. "I know it firsthand, and that means that there is no alcohol in the house at all."

"What in Tartarus is alcohol?" she raised a brow. "I am talking about salt-containing beverages."

"Does salt make you drunk?" he asked with curiosity.

"Even a small amount of salt in the beverage can make a pony quite dizzy." the mare replied. "And if the salt is in its pure state... The consequences of consuming it are quite unpleasant to look at."

"Huh, it seems salt to you is like alcohol to humans." James mused. "Alright, I do add salt to some food, but it never makes me dizzy. I guess that is because we are different in some ways, actually."

"Thou'rt obviously not a pony, James." Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "It is a good thing that thou art not an addict, anyway."

"Never was and never will." he replied. "Anyway, why don't you sleep?"

"Sleep at night, the most beautiful time?" she raised a brow. "Art thou joking?"

"Well, everybody sleeps at night." James shrugged. "That is a way things go."

"Another sun-lover, that is what thou art!" the mare suddenly yelled, glaring at the human, dumping the collected trash into the trash bin she spotted. "No different from those who ignore'th what I create!" she dropped the cleaning instruments on the floor. "Thou art..." she sobbed. "Thou art as ignorant as others are!" she marched past him and upstairs, her eyes teared up.

James stared at her as she passed him, hitting his shoulder with her wing.

"What has just happened?" he blinked. "How did I upset her? It seems I fucked up big time, and I don't even know how I've done it! Smooth, James, really smooth..." he facepalmed. "I think it's better to stay away from her for a while, at least until I find out the reason for her sudden outburst."

Chapter 5: Lucine

A full week has passed since James and Nightmare Moon had their last conversation.

During that week, James pretended that the mare didn't even exist. He completely ignored her, and just did what he used to doing before Nightmare Moon appeared in his life. The man, however, didn't even yell at her when she would bother him. He let her touch anything in his house as long as she doesn't break anything. That allowance was the last thing James had said to her before stopping talking to her altogether.

James would often seemingly disappear from the house, even during the night. But he always came back, sometimes covered in snow. Nightmare Moon, even if she wanted, couldn't follow him outside as it was still too cold for her, so it remained a mystery for her as to why would James go alone into the wilds like this.

James rarely muttered anything to himself, especially when in presence of Nightmare Moon. He did everything silently, and that scared her. Sometimes she caught him looking at her with something that she defined as irritation or anger in his eyes. She could wear she heard him talking about kicking her out of his house for good, but that never came. Instead, James started disappear from the house more frequently than before. Dark rings appeared under his eyes, and his overall look just screamed of tiredness. Nightmare Moon guessed that it must be because of lack of sleep he might be getting.

Nightmare Moon slept during the day more than at night, and she could see and hear James just walking circles downstairs, muttering something incoherently to himself. The mare had some fear in her heart as she didn't understand what James was doing to himself.

And she wanted to make it up to him somehow because she understood what a burden she's been since she appeared on the Earth. She understood that he welcomed her with kindness, warm house to stay in, plenty of food and water, and a bath to clean herself. What else could the mare ask of a stranger? And she understood her stupidity and arrogance only when the damage was dealt. James was fed up with her, and she now must find a way to fix everything.

Her night is cold and dark, but her heart is not.

***

On one particular day, Nightmare Moon decided to follow James into the wilds. She found an old but warm coat, and went outside. The wind hit her hard, but the coat protected her well. It was past midday, and the sun was shining bright, even through the obstructive grey clouds.

She followed the trace of James. Her legs were cold as they weren't very well protected, and it didn't help her that she would often stumble in the snow. Her legs just weren't made for walking through the snow, especially if taking into consideration the big amount of snow that reached her past her knees.

The mare thought she walked hours before getting to a small clearing, where she found James.

A lone tree stood in the center of he clearing. Its base was covered in cuts, and an axe stuck out of the tree's trunk. James was sitting in the snow, panting heavily.

"...FUUUUUCK!" he yelled suddenly, grabbing the axe and delivering hits on the trunk. He did at least five hits before the axe fell from his shaking hands. "Why can't this nightmare end?! She's still here, the nightmares in my sleep just won't end! And I can't even tell her to get the fuck out of my own house! How pathetic I am..." he sighed. "Why wouldn't fate gift me with someone who is not so fucking vile to me?! Why, oh why does it have to be an over-fucking-arrogant pony-human hybrid?!"

Nightmare Moon stared wide-eyed at the human. Just hearing what he yelled made her feel bad. She rarely apologized for her behavior, and she even rarer was being nice to anyone.

"And I can't even bring it to an end!" James continued. "I... I... I can't! Why can't I? I don't know! Why am I put to do this kind of decisions?! Why can't I just live my life here? No, the fate decided that it would be perfect to give me someone who doesn't like me because I don't lick her... hooves!"

He growled, then lowered his hands. With a sigh, he muttered something to himself.

"James?" Nightmare Moon called him. He quickly turned around, facing her.

"Why did you come here?" he snarled. "To watch me suffer? I know it is all you wanted from the beginning!"

"No, I... I came to apologize." the mare admitted, taking a step towards the human. She was very nervous about the situation, as she could see the burning hate in his heterochromical eyes.

"Another trick!" he replied with anger in his voice. "Who else could have sent nightmares while I sleep? Who else but you?! And now you dare say sorry as if you aren't the cause of all this insanity!"

"No, I didn't send thee nightmares! I am truly sorry for what I've done to thee before!" Nightmare Moon said, taking another step forward. She didn't notice how James's eyes darted from the axe to her and back.

"I am sure you are fooling me! You have been nothing but a demanding and arrogant bitch!" James yelled, sweat rolling down his forehead, all of his body shaking. "You... I... I had been living alone for five years! A-and then you appeared out of the blue!" he grabbed his axe. The mare's eyes widened in horror as she expected him to chase her and beat her to death with that. But, with a growl, James threw the axe away. "I thought... I thought you'll be someone to enjoy being around, but... but all you do to me! It is pain you bring, not comfort! I was such a fool to even think that you might be the one... Such a fool I am! And now... Now I'm going insane from everything!"

James fell on his knees, tears streaming down his face and falling onto the snow, freezing quickly. He shut his eyes tight.

"I just..." he muttered weakly. "I... I admit I want someone to be in my life! Someone to care for! This loneliness destroys me from the inside!

"And maybe you'd like to know why am I so alone? Let me tell you, make you see!

"So, I... I... I was at my father's back then. He is... He trains horses for competitions. I always helped him when he needed it. But one day... One phobia I earned... For the rest of my life! Nngh..." he coughed heavily a few times, then continued. "I was riding a horse, just making sure it's alright. And then, a loud sound of a car's horn appeared out of nowhere! The horse got scared, dropped me, and galloped away from me. I was already hurt, broke my arm on the landing. But then... A car just... It..." he inhaled deeply. "It drove over me!" he yelled. "Then... It crashed into a tree! And that tree... It fell on me, nearly completely shattering my rib cage! Can you even imagine the pain?!" he inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Those scars you've seen... They appeared there because of that...

"And fortunately for me, my father found me quickly. I don't remember much from there, but doctors could barely get my rib cage into one piece again. Since then... I am afraid of loud noises of cars... I fear the cars! I could no longer live in the city, so I moved here. And... The silence and loneliness was comforting for a while, but... I found that I miss someone special in my life... Someone who wouldn't mind being with me! But I couldn't move to any town, city, or even a village! Cars, cars are everywhere! And I am forced to live here for the rest of my life... alone."

James ended his speach, then sighed.

"I doubt you care anyway." he added quietly. Then he stood up and started walking towards his house. He passed the stunned and shocked Nightmare Moon, but didn't even glance her way. He just muttered: "I shouldn't have told you any of this..."

James entered his house, Nightmare Moon followed him. He dropped all the warm clothes he had and went upstairs.

"Leave me alone..." he told the mare, but was stopped by her when she grabbed his arm.

"No, James. I... I must say sorry. I am sorry. It is all my fault that thou art in so much pain." Nightmare Moon said, holding him tightly. When James was about to reply, she hugged him. "I am so sorry..."

James was stunned by her action. He blinked. More tears streamed down his face as he hugged her back, melting into he comfort he didn't feel for years. He could feel the warmth of her fur against him, her arms behind his back. He didn't know if it was right or wrong, but he understood he needed that.

After a while, they parted. Heavy blush was on the mare's face. James was still a bit surprised, but no blush could be seen on his face. He smiled a little.

"We'll have to talk." he said. "I think... I need to know you better."

"And I need to know three better as well." Nightmare Moon nodded. "Let's start everything from the blank page."

"You are right." he nodded. "I... Thanks for listening to me back there. I needed to tell someone about it."

***

James and Nightmare Moon took a seat opposite of each other at the table in the kitchen. Sighing heavily, the mare told him her story of who she was, what she wanted, what was done to her, and why she thought she appeared on the Earth. James was really confused and surprised about what she's said, but he didn't question her, as he had a feeling all of that was genuine truth.

In turn, James told a little about himself. He told her of his uneventful and straight common childhood, his time in school, his teen years. All of that came to that fateful moment when James left for a better life away from what scared him, into the depths of the north.

He also told her about his rifle and how it is used, as he promised to do it a week ago. He has shown Nightmare Moon how to properly dissemble and assemble the SVD, how to load and fire it. He took her outside and taught her how to shoot. She was very interested in the rifle, as she was always fascinated by complex weaponry.

Overall, the two had a very great time together that day, and the memories of dull and silent week just disappeared from their heads, replaced by joy they earned through activities and talk they shared.

"...and there is one last question I want to ask thee." Nightmare Moon said. "Why hast thou never called me by my name?"

"You've just told me that your real name is Luna." James replied. "Besides, I didn't feel it was right to call you like that."

"I... I don't think I'm Luna anymore." the mare admitted. "Nor do I want to be Nightmare Moon."

"Well, then you can choose your name." James smiled. "My father once told me that the only true name a man has is the one he calls himself by. I don't think it's any different for women, or mares in this case."

"Then I want to be... I want to be Lucine." the mare smiled. "My name is Lucine."

"A very beautiful name." James smiled in return, earning a slight blush from her. "Nice to meet you... Lucine."

And the alicorn of night understood that a new life begins for her. A new life that she welcomes with open arms. A new life that can help her forget her fears and be herself once again. A life that is her own.

And no more is she connected to the dark of loneliness. She understood that James can be the one she sought for so long. The one she might love someday. The one that will bring her joy and happiness. The one that will help her in her time of need. The one she might want spend her entire life with.

And a new name... A name that shatters her bitterness and arrogance. A beautiful name... Lucine.

Author's Note

I hope I did it right and not too fast.

Also, what do you, dear readers, think of Nightmare Moon's new name?

Chapter 6: Not Alone Anymore

It was late evening. The sun has already set below the snowy horizon, and the forest has darkened significantly. All the wildlife that roamed the forest during the day disappeared, going into hiding from the night-time predators, such as wolves. Their howls could be heard even from the inside of James's house. However, none of its habitants thought of what was happening outside.

James was having supper along with Lucine. He had a salad made of cucumbers, ball pepper, and onion. The mare had the same, albeit without any salt or onion. Both had some orange juice to sate their thirst.

"So," James spoke after a while of silent eating. "I've noticed that you've been sleeping on the armchair. Is it comfortable for you?"

"Not exactly," Lucine replied. "Well, it is soft and rather comfortable when I sit on it, but when I wake up my whole body feel'th like I've slept on a hard stone."

"Well, that can be fixed." James nodded. "You can share a bed with me."

Lucine nearly spat everything she had in her mouth, her eyes widened, and she blushed.

"Sleep with thee?!" she asked loudly.

"Oh, come on," James rolled his eyes, putting down his fork. "It's not like we're going to do anything intimate there."

"In Equestria, inviting somepony of opposite gender to thy bed is a straight invitation to make love." Lucine replied, then cleared her throat, her blush intensified.

"Well, it's almost the same here, but I simply don't care." James shrugged. "But if it makes you uncomfortable, I will sleep on the armchair. Makes no difference to me."

"I'll think about it." the mare replied nervously. It was the first time she's ever received such a careless invitation.

"Yeah..." James said, and an awkward silence fell. "So..." he started again. "You'd asked me about the things in my bedroom a week ago. I can show what they are, finally. And I promise it will be very fun."

"I'd like to!" the mare happily exclaimed.

***

James and Lucine went upstairs, where the man turned on his computer, the most interesting thing he had to show to her.

"I turned it on once, what is it?" she asked, watching as the Windows logo appeared.

"A complicated machine that was designed to quickly make different and complicated calculations. A computer, in one word." James replied. "But it is used mainly for entertainment by me. There are many different games I can play."

"And what are those games?" Lucine asked. "How can one play games using this metal box?"

"Well, how to explain that..." James scratched his chin. "Hm... Do you know what a board game is?"

"I do, and I like them very much!" the mare replied. "Dost thou say this box is full of board games?"

"In a sense, yes." James nodded. "But it will take a lot to explain how they work. Well, what game would you like to play? Just say a theme, and I'll find one."

"Hmm..." Lucine mused. "I don't know what to choose... Well, is there anything simple? I don't think I'm ready for anything with a complex plot."

"Hmm..." James tapped his chin. "There are some old games that are pretty simple... There is one, actuall. A shooter." James asked. "It is fairly simple game."

"A what now?" Lucine asked. "A... shooter? Do I have to use a crossbow or just a bow? Spear-throwing? What is it?"

"No, it's a game when you shoot with weapons like my rifle." James explained, then moved the mouse cursor to the icon of Doom. "So, the game's really old, as it was released almost twenty years ago. There's new one coming in the spring, and I'll show that one when it comes out."

He clicked the icon twice, and main menu of DooM appeared, music started playing.

"Is that music?" Lucine asked, turning her head to the small loudspeakers. "And is that playing... Out of that thing?" she touched one. "It vibrate'th slightly.

"Yeah, that's music. It sounds through those things, which are loudspeakers." James explained. "The music's is in midi format, by the way."

"It sound'th like... I don't even know what to compare it with. And it hath strange name.... Midi."

"Well, let me show you the game itself." James pressed the START GAME, and chose Ultraviolence difficulty. "Well, that is a second part of the game, and it's better in my opinion than the first one. And you don't have to play the first part to enjoy the second 'cause the plot is very simple, almost non-existent. Do you want a short summary?"

Lucine nodded.

"Well, there is a guy that served in military on another planet." James started to explain. "Something went wrong, and many monsters teleported there, killing everyone but him. So, he was forced to fight his way to home."

"Doth he have a name?" Lucine asked.

"Well, he is called Doom Marine, or Doom Guy."

"That's a rather odd name." the mare replied.

"That's more a nickname than an actual name." James shrugged. "Anyway, he fought his way through that planet, then through its satellite, and then through Hell. When he finally got home, he discovered that monsters invaded it, and he had to fight them again to save everyone still alive."

"That sounds pretty interesting." Lucine said, leaning closer. "And what are those?" she narrowed her eyes at the screen. "Are those humans made of... squares?"

"Well, these squares are pixels. Monsters are made of them. Well, the graphics here is very old, so it doesn't look very realistic." James replied. "So, do you want to play it?"

"I'd love to!"

***

After James taught Lucine how to use the mouse and keyboard, the mare began ripping and tearing monsters apart. She wasn't even disturbed by the blood and gore of the game. In fact, she found killing monsters really enjoyable and stress-relieving. She had passed five levels by the midnight. After that, James told her that playing too much isn't very good for the health. Lucine agreed with him and both went to sleep, cleaning their dishes first.

But before they went to bed, James took a shower, and Lucine took it after him. By the time she ended washing herself, the human was already asleep on his bed. Lucine wasn't too comfortable about sleeping with him, especially considering that all ponies sleep nude, but she barely had any choice. She didn't want to wake him up. She just felt it would be wrong.

Lucine silently entered the bedroom, and closed the door behind her. Thankfully for her, the human was sleeping in his underwear. She carefully took a place at the edge of the bed, trying not to touch James in any way. Unfortunately, her wings brushed against his nose, making him sneeze loudly.

"...what?" he muttered, opening his eyes. He saw Lucine lying by his side, looking at him with an embarrassed blush on her face. Her wings were wrapped around her, hiding her nude body from his gaze. "What?"

"Um, it seems my feathers made thee sneeze." Lucine replied. "Sorry for waking thee up."

"Nah, don't worry, it's fine." he waved his hand, then yawned. "Uh, so you're fine with us sleeping together?"

"Kind of..." she rubbed her shoulder.

"If you're not, I can go sleep downstairs." he replied.

"No, 'tis alright." Lucine said. "Sleep."

"Well, g'night." with that being said, James put his head back on the pillow. A few moments later he was already snorting softly in his sleep.

Lucine, however, couldn't fall asleep as easy as he did. Still occupying little place, she didn't find it comfortable to lie there. She just couldn't figure out how to place her wings so that both she and James will be comfortable. So, the only option she had is to cover James with one of her wings, unfolding it completely.

"Damn my giant wings." Lucine thought, finally getting comfortable enough to go to sleep.

James groggily opened his eyes. But instead of sunlight shining into his eyes, all he saw were black feather. He blinked in confusion, then moved the feathers away.

"Oh, it's Lucine in the bed with the." he realized as he saw her lying at his side, still sleeping soundly. He also noticed that she was completely nude. "And she told me that I'm strange."

He blinked in confusion, then rubbed his eyes. But he was sure he saw her mane and tail moving ethereally, like a wave. Enchanted by the view, James ran his fingers through Lucine's mane.

"Wow..." he said in awe, feeling the silky texture of the mane that swirled around his fingers like a starlit sky of night. James couldn't resist but run his hand through the mane again and again.

However, the hold that the enchanting mane had on him weakened when Lucine stirred in her sleep. James quickly put his hands away from her mane, afraid of what its owner would say if she catches him doing that.

He stood from the bed and went to do his morning routine, keeping in mind the feeling of that silky mane he's just touched.

***

Lucine woke up. She yawned groggily, but decided to stay in the comfortable bed for some time. She noticed that James wasn't in the bed but his place was still warm. And sunlight shined through the window, making Lucine not very comfortable. Using her magic, she covered the window, making the room significantly darker. Satisfied with the result, she allowed herself to relax again.

However, sleep didn't return to her. She thought of James. While he was one of the strangest persons Lucine has ever seen in her life, she took a liking to him. He wasn't afraid of her, and he has shown hospitality even when Lucine was nothing but a demanding and arrogant, ahem, bitch. She still was trying to figure out why did James wait so long before telling her how he felt about the whole situation. And that opened her eyes, finally, made her see what she's done to someone as kind as James. Lucine knew just a few persons who would welcome a stranger into their homes. And that made her heart heavy. She still didn't know how to make everything up to the human. He, of course, became somewhat happier when Lucine realized her mistakes, but it still seemed to her like something was still off.

In her sleep, Lucine didn't find a way to see what James has been dreaming of. She would like to know what kind of nightmares did he have, and what could be done to destroy them, to bring his mind at peace. She was still shocked that he spent many years all alone, even if she herself spent a millennium without any kind of entertainment or even a chance to speak to anyone but herself.

She also still didn't completely understand why James forgave her this quick.

"Good morning." he broke her line of thoughts, entering the bedroom.

"Good morning." Lucine replied with a smile, finally getting up from the comfortable and warm bed. She stretched herself, making the blood flow through her body, waking it up. Unconsciously, she showed her nude body to James in its full glory.

Blinking at her display but then shaking his head, he said: "So, how do you feel? I suppose my... freakout was a really bad display..." he scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry I shouted at you."

"I think I deserved that." Lucine admitted. "In my blindness, I didn't realize that thou art a person, just like me... until now. Something inside my mind just... clicked together, showing me the full picture. So, it is I who must say sorry for behavior."

"Alright..." James muttered, then added louder: "So... no hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings." Lucine nodded with a smile. "Past is the past, it cannot be changed. However, it is the future we must look forward to.

"So, about that... Since I now live here with thee and there is no way back to Equestria... What should I do so I won't just be a burden?"

"Well, I won't make you do anything more than cleaning stuff after yourself. Once in a while I'll ask you for help, and you can do the same. Sounds fair?"

"Fair enough." Lucine nodded. "So... I wanted to ask thee one thing."

"What is it?"

"Why didst thou accept my apology so quickly?" Lucine asked. "Thou wast very sad and broken when I saw thee in the forest... And only an hour later, thou looked'st... happy."

"Well," James sighed. "The truth is, I don't hold a grudge against anyone for long. I just can't do that. What's the point of that when I received an honest apology? Lucine, I don't hate you and never did. I just..." he sighed again, then took a seat on his bed. "It just filled me up to a boiling point. It's been so long since I had anyone being this close to me. That is, I don't want you to just go. You're my company I haven't had in years. Someone I may even call a friend... I don't know just what to say, it's been so long since I had any kind of relationship with anyone."

"Thou... dost not want me to go?" Lucine blinked. "Doth it mean I'm welcome here?"

"I know you may think otherwise, but it is so." James nodded. "You're indeed welcome. It feels good to have someone nearby..."

"I know." Lucine nodded. "A thousand years on the moon..."

"It was certainly very hard for you." James placed his hand on her shoulder, looking into the aqua eyes of hers. "Even with the five years spent here, I cannot even begin to imagine how it was to you when you had to spend centuries after centuries completely alone and even without any chance of seeing anyone or talking to anyone..."

"Yes, that was hard." she nodded. "But bygones are bygones, right? We cannot change the past, but who said we can't change the future? We aren't alone now, we have each other."

"I guess we do." James nodded. "Indeed we do."

Chapter 7: Another day

Two days later.

Lucine has completed both games of DooM, slaying countless monsters. She also found all the secrets in every map.

It was the middle of the day when she finished DooM 2.

"James," she called the human. "I finally made it!"

"Congratulations!" he smiled at her. "Did you like it?"

"There wasn't much plot in this game of yours, but I certainly did like slaying these awful monsters." she replied. "Do you have anything else?"

"I have a lot." he took a seat near her. "What genre would you like to play next?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Lucine scratched her chin. "Hm... Maybe... Maybe something where I have a choice of whom to be."

"I have something." James nodded. "What about a roleplaying game? The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim."

"What is it about?" she asked. "Sounds... strange."

"Well, you, and I mean you is just someone who crossed the border of one country." James explained. "That country is divided into some provinces, one of which is Skyrim, the northern one. Proud warriors nords live there, and they believe in Talos — a man who became a god.

"That country had a war with another — Altmeri Dominion. The Empire lost, and signed the White Gold Concordat — an agreement, in which one of the terms stated that the Empire must ban the worship of Talos. It did, but some nords — who think of themselves as true nords — went against that, raising a rebellion in Skyrim, and they call themselves the Stormcloaks.

"So, you've crossed the border. You were caught and sent with a few other prisoners to a town. That is where your story begins, and it will go as you choose it. There aren't too many options, and yet you can become almost anyone you want — a roud warrior, a wise mage, a tricky thief, or a professional assassin. There are some other options, but these are ones I remember."

"It sound'th interesting." Lucine eagerly nodded. "Whom can I play as? In terms of races."

"Human, elf, kajit, and argonian." James answered. "Humans are divided into a few other look alike races with different abilities."

"I can't play as a pony?" Lucine frowned.

"Well, I used to make add-ons for this game..." James scratched his chin. "I can try to add ponies there. I doubt there'll be any ponies but you, though."

"I'll be grateful if you do that." Lucine nodded. "How long will it take?"

"Maybe a few hours, maybe much more." James answered. "Will you wait?"

"For a good result, I will." she nodded. "Do you need any help?"

"Hm... maybe." James looked at her. "I'll let you know. Call me if you need anything."

***

Some time later.

"What art thou doing?" Lucine asked. James was using a program to make an appropriate model, as well as to align textures with it.

"Model and animations." James replied. "Hm... I know how arms move, but how do your legs move? Can you show me, without the pants on? I want to see the muscles and the bending."

"Well, if thou need'st it." Lucine blushed a little, but took off her pants nevertheless, showing her legs to James. "I can also explain their structure."

"Go on." he nodded.

"Well, um, the leg of a pony has four sections: a thigh, a gaskin, a cannon, and a hoof." Lucine started to explain. "They are placed in a reversed and angled z-shape, if it help'th."

"Like a stylized lightning, maybe?" he auggested

"Yes, like that." the mare nodded. "I always hated associations..."

"I see." James chuckled, and asked: "Can you show me how they move?"

"Yes, of course." Lucine nodded, and then bended her legs, sitting down. "We have two knees: one smaller that connects a thigh and a gaskin, and one bigger that connects a gaskin and a cannon. The knees bend in only one way. They can't rotare. Only where the thigh connects to the pelvis can the leg move more freely. With proper training, the maximum angle between the legs can be one hundred eighty. With professional training, even more."

"You know a lot." James noted. "Did you want to become a doctor?"

"No, but a princess should know as much as possible, they said." Lucime chuckled. "It seem'th they were right. The knowledge I got did help me, after all."

***

Some more hours passed. Lucine helped James a lot — he was told what colors ponies could have (All possible, in fact), what they could and couldn't do according to their sub-races. Unicorns were good with magic, pegasi could fly and change the weather, and earth ponies were just strong.

When the evening came James has finally done everything and added a new race with four sub-races to the game.

"Well," he yawned. "All's done, you can now play the game as a pony."

"Finally!" Lucine sat at the table and placed her left hand on the WASD of the keyboard and her right hand on the computer mouse. "Let's do it!"

Lucine spent a lot of time playing Skyrim, she didn't even go to bed when James did. She realized it was time to stop when it was one in the morning.

Carefully, she saved the game. She knew it was vital to save the gaming process, otherwise she'll have to do everything again from the beginning.

After taking a quick shower, Lucine went to sleep. She lied down next to James, who was sleeping soundly. He was a heavy sleeper, nothing could awake him. He lied on his back, hands placed at his sides.

When Lucine got comfortable enough, she looked at the human. The scars that covered his chest still scared her. She knew he'd been through a lot of pain just to survive a terrible accident, after which he condemned himself to living alone in the middle of nowhere.

Lucine understood that he could just throw her out of his house or just not bring her there in the first place. She was glad he brought her in, otherwise she would've frozen out there even before taking a new name. A name that was nicer and sounded better than the previous one. It was completely hers and only hers.

She thought of that, and realized she has a lot to thanks James for. For saving her life, for making her realize her mistakes, for the new name she was happy to bear, for even the smallest, unimportant things he did for her, and for the new life he's given to her.

To James, it wasn't much. He thought that everyone would do what he did if they were him. In truth, not many would do as much as he did to a stranger from another world. Many would just run away, some would throw the mare out, some would even hurt her.

James has proven to Lucine that he's a good man with a kind heart.

Thinking of that, Lucine came to a conclusion that she still barely repaid him.

She moved her muzzle closer to him, and kissed his cheek, blessing him with good dreams for the rest of his life. A smile appeared on his face.

On hers, too.

Author's Note

I'm sorry for the wait, but the inspiration I've finally caught didn't touch this story until this moment.

So, I tried to explain the leg's anatomy. In my mind, that is a way anthro ponies with hooves walk. A two-knee-d leg that resembles a horse's hind leg is what I had in mind.

Also, I planned a major timeskip, but decided against it when the chapter was already ready. It is bigger than this one, but lacks the development of romance, and the romance is what this story is.

So, you'll have to wait until it unfolds.

Chapter 8: Feelings

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 9: Idea

James and Lucine were lying on the bed. The wide-screen monitor of man's computer was turned towards them, and a very famous film was being shown. James wanted to show how great films are compared to theatre plays, he chose one film that definitely shocked Lucine by the amount and quality of special effects, likes of which she's never seem before. The film was Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The opening scene was playing at that moment.

"Why are we starting from the fourth episode?" Lucine asked with curiosity."

"It is much more interesting this way." James replied. "You'll later see why." he grinned. "And, besides, the first three episodes aren't as good in quality as the later three."

Some time passed as the two watched the film. Darth Vader made his first appearance as he stepped through the door onto the rebel spaceship.

"Wow, he look'th... Powerful." Lucine commented. "He remind'th me of myself in some way. For example, being all black. Hell, I would like to have that suit!" she made a small laugh. "He instill'th fear on his enemies, that is what I can clearly see.

"This film of thine is certainly interesting, even if a bit confusing. Airships in space? They are made of metal, how can they fly, let alone take off?"

"Well," James paused the film so that the mare won't miss anything as he explains. "We have planes. Airships indeed were used a long time ago, though. And planes are basically metal objects flying through air at high speeds. They kinda look like birds but their wings are always unfolded, and there are two smaller wings on the tail and another... wing that is perpendicular to those two. Um, it's a bit complicated for me to explain. Actually, I don't know much about planes." he admitted. "But the fact is, they fly, and they fly pretty fast. Up to..." he tapped his chin. "Well, at least to two thousand kilometers per hour. Those are the fastest."

"I can't even imagine that speed!" Lucine's eyes widened. "The technology you humans have is amazing! But can planes fly in space?"

"Some can, and they're called spaceships. Though, there's a lot of fuel needed to power them and the control is limited but yeah, they can. Though, not as good as those in the movie. I doubt we'll come to such technologies during this century.

"Anyway, it seems we've been talking for too long. It's time to continue, don't you think?"

Lucine nodded, and the two resumed watching the film. A few minutes later, it was Tatooine and Luke was first shown.

"How can a planet have two suns? That is certainly interesting." Lucine commented.

The two watched the film. Soon, the lightsaber was first shown by Ben Kenobi. Luke ignited it and started swinging around, amazed by the elegant weapon of a more civilized age.

"That is a weapon that could use some improvement." the mare made another comment. "As elegant as it is, it need'th a guard to protect the hands. Not to mention that swinging it around is foolish. And holding it? That is certainly not a long handle to efficiently handle this weapon."

James smirked, knowing too well about that problem in Star Wars universe. If there were a guard on every lightsaber, would the films happen as they did?

***

The film came to a moment in the Mos Eisley Cantina. A lot of alien creatures were shown.

"Are those creatures real?" Lucine asked. "They certainly look so."

"No, all of them are dressed humans. For example," James paused the film and pointed at one of the aliens. "That one alien has a British gas mask for a face."

"What is a gas mask? And what is british?

"Gas mask is a type of headgear that protects from various toxins in the air." James replied. "That's not really important, however. The thing is, all aliens here were either made as costumed humans or puppets or as big costumes with more than one human in it or... Well, something else. There are no real aliens. The only one I know is you."

"Good to know that I am the one and only." Lucine made a small laugh, and then the two continued watching the film.

***

It was more than halfway into the film, and Darth Vader was dueling Ben Kenobi.

"This fight is rather badly choreographed. It's rather slow." Lucine commented. "Obi-Wan made that spin around himself, why? Vader could've ended it there and then!"

"Both of them are rather old by that moment in the timeline, not to mention that neither have met the other in a long. But that spin was definitely stupid, yeah." James nodded.

Obi-Wan raised his saber and was killed by Vader. In the distance, Luke shouted, alerting everyone to his presence. A violent shootout ensued, and yet Luke was unhurt as stormtroopers kept missing him.

"Why are they missing?" Lucine asked. "He's standing there, not even moving!"

"Did you miss it? They need him alive so that the Empire may find the rebel base." James replied. "A lot of people miss that. They're worse than the stormtroopers here." he chuckled.

"Oh, it seem'th I did forget that part." Lucine facepalmed. "Why was the Death Star built anyway? It looks like a great waste of money. Increasing the fleet would be better — it's easier to spread it out across the galaxy."

***

The end credits were playing, and the two were sitting on the bed, discussing the film.

"Everything was fantastic!" Lucine said. "It was something I've never seen before, and I like it very much now. The one who made it possible, who had rich imagination to get ideas from must be a legendary person! The one who invented films must be a great person, too! Thou should'st show me more films, James. You humans do know how to entertain, that is what I am sure about."

A pause ensued in the discussion.

"Though... I admit I was distracted during the film." she nervously stated. "I... I, um, think what I've told thee before the film may not be that accurate..." she had trouble finding the right words. "I was too quick to make a confession. It might not be love, but I thought it was, and... I've been lonely for so long, I guess I wasn't thinking straight back then." she said awkwardly. "Truth be spoken, I need company, and the only one I know is thine. And... I think I grew attached to thee. This... everything is hard for me now. On the inside, I am confused, and I hope thou understand'st what I'm, um, trying to say."

"Feeling are confusing, yes." James nodded. "But you shouldn't fill your mind up with them. Everything will work out and we will find our true feelings. As I've already said, we should wait to find out who we are to one another."

"Yes, maybe thou'rt right..." she looked at the floor. "Though, the need for someone to love me is still here and it burns like fire." she laid her hand on her chest right where the heart is and looked at the human. "It might sound silly, but..." she cleared her throat, her cheeks became slightly pink. And then, she said in the softest voice, "Mayst thou hug me?"

James didn't say anything in reply and simply hugged her. The way how she asked him was irresistible for the man.

"We all need comfort and affection, dear Lucine." he whispered in her ear. "Even an immortal pony alien like you or a simple human like me."

"I am so glad thou art here with me." she replied with a smile on her face. "Frankly, thou art the most enjoyable company I've ever had a pleasure to have in my entire life."

"T-thank you." he stuttered, surprised by her words. "I... I am really happy to know that!"

"Happiness is a thing everyone should live for." Lucine replied softly. "I am glad I gave it some of it to thee." and then, she silently added, "And I hope happiness will be ours to share someday."

"So, what do you want to do now?" James asked, letting her go. The two parted.

"I... Well, I don't know." Lucine admitted. "I feel a bit tired. Maybe we should eat something?"

"Not a bad idea." the human nodded. "Let me cook something for both of us, and then we'll do whatever comes to mind, alright?"

"Sound'th good to me." the mare nodded, and the two proceeded to the kitchen.

There, the human began to work on the salad. The same one he's cooked before, albeit with some lettuce in it.

"Where dost thou get everything?" Lucine asked with curiosity. "Those look fresh."

"Because they are." James replied. "I keep a... farm, if you can call it that. It works through the year constantly, producing fresh vegetables, fruits, and what not. I even have a couple of pineapples. Technology to allow me to do that cost a lot."

"Why haven't I seen thou go anywhere?" the alicorn asked. "That farm must take a lot of space, not to mention time."

"I don't need to look at it constantly. My farm doesn't require my presence much. I have to manually collect everything, yes, and respond to errors if those occur. It is a complicated system, of course, but I collected enough money to afford it. My father greatly helped, too.

"Each summer, I would fly to the nearest city and sell vegetables and fruits there. I still fear cars, and that is why I always sell stuff on the walk-only streets. That helps me save money, as well as provide people with more or less fresh food. Sometimes, people are more willing to buy that from someone like me rather than big stores."

"How dost thou fly there, exactly?" Lucine asked him with interest.

"On a helicopter." James replied. "It is a complicated aircraft that... hmm, how do I explain it? Ah, I better show you a video."

He stood up and went to his bedroom. There, he picked up a tablet, and then returned to the kitchen.

"Look at this." he said, handing the device to the mare. He touched "Play" and a video of helicopter started.

"This sure look'th interesting." Lucine nodded, watching as it took off. "Pegasi can fly using their wings, but I am truly amazed by the technology you humans have. It is marvelous! I doubt we'll discover how to build that in a thousand years."

"Humans took a lot of time to develop to that point." James explained. "I'm no historian, but it took us thousands if not millions of years to develop from primitive to advanced. Besides, you can never reach the top. There is always a lot to improve! We just don't know it yet."

"We have something like that in our world, too." Lucine said. "Minotaurs think a lot like you humans. They don't have magic, they put all their effort into developing their technology. But they're not nearly as good as humans.

"As for the technology, how dost thou grow food in climate this cold and uncontrollable?"

"I have a special building nearby. It's mostly underground." James replied. "Using some special technology, I am able to grow a lot of food in a small area. Adding some genetically-modified stuff, the 'harvest' grows in number and doesn't succumb to any illnesses.

"My father is really a great man. Not only does he have a horse factory, he also invested his money into agriculture. He's also a farmer, he knows a lot about fruits, vegetables, all that stuff that I don't really know much about." he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've learned a bit of that, though I'm not nearly as good as him." adding some final touches to the meal, he placed a plate on the table in front of Lucine. "However, I love cooking. I'd maybe settle in some restaurant business, but I don't think I want to move to the city." he admitted. "Someday, maybe..." he sighed.

As Lucine ate the salad, she pondered how she could help James with overcoming his fears. Finding his food really good, she agreed with his idea of running a restaurant. She'd love to see him cooking for more people and getting out of his shell.

Thus, she decided that no matter what, she'll find a way to help him.

Author's Note

It has been nearly a year since I started writing this. I am very sorry for the lack of updates. It was almost a 'side-story' of mine that I write when I want to rest from other stories I have.

Though, I plan on working it more frequently. Hopefully, the updates will become more frequent, and not just about once in a month.

Chapter 10: For The Better

It was late evening. James was already asleep, snorting quietly in his sleep while lying on his back. To his side, Lucine was lying. She wasn't sleeping, though. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. She found no rest for she was deep in thought, thinking about herself.

She thought about her feelings towards the human. During her time on the moon, she was the loneliest, feeling so much despair and sorrow over what was done by her, and fear took hold on her — she was afraid she'll stay there forever.

Now, when she's not so alone anymore, Lucine feels conflicted. She doesn't know whether her feelings to James are genuine or just a compulsive desire that was formed of her loneliness. She was afraid she was too forceful, too unthoughtful of her own decisions, fearing that it will push her only friend away.

She sat on the bed, sighing heavily. She glanced at the sleeping human, and then stared through the window. Snow was falling down, barely seen in the pale moonlight that shone through the gray clouds above. Elaborate icy ornaments on the window sparkled in the light of the moon, captivating anyone who dares to watch it.

Lucine stood up and walked to the window. Leaning onto the window-sill, she propped her head with her palms, letting her eyes wander across the snowy, dimly-lit landscape. She creaked open the window, letting the cold air in. Not too much of it, just enough to refreshen the room of its rather stale air. Feeling the cool air brush against her naked body, she allowed herself to relax.

Gazing at the outside, Lucine pondered about her own life, trying to decide on how to continue it, how to move forward. She knew she couldn't stay in that house forever, and she hoped that James would follow her and come out of his shell to re-embrace the world he isolated himself from. While she didn't know much about the world itself, she was sure that it could be so much more for the human if he returned to it, especially after so many years of self-isolation he brought upon himself. His five years paled in comparison to her thousand, and yet she understood that it's no better. She was sure he wasn't bored due to all those games and films he had to play and watch, but there is nothing that can replace a conversation with a living being.

The cool air couldn't extinguish her fiery desire to be with someone who appreciates her as a person, someone who can love her, someone who can carry her in the arms. After her own isolation, she was desperate to find her special someone.

Turning to James, Lucine sighed. Her feelings were confusing even to herself. But she knew for certain that she needed someone there and then. So, she decided to make a go at it and see where it would lead. The finest prize is for those who dares to achieve it.

She closed the window, stopping the flow of air. Then, she returned to the bed and sat on it. She put her palm on James' damaged chest, and felt how it rose and fell as he breathed. Her hand moved to his face and cupped his cheek. Then, it travelled to his long hair, and started stroking it. Lucine found it to be very relaxing. It had been him who stroke her mane in her sleep, and now the roles have switched. She chuckled to the irony of the situation.

And thus, she spent the most of the night that way. However, feeling the desire inside her grow as it engulfed her very soul, she found her hand in between her legs. Quietly moaning, biting her lower lip to contain the sounds that erupted from within, she pleased herself while lying next to James, thinking about him. Fortunately, he didn't wake up during her little outburst of fiery passion.

She made up her mind.

In the morning, James woke up with a good feeling. He opened his eyes, looked around, and didn't see Lucine in the close vicinity. Yawning, he rolled on the bed. Suddenly, he felt something moist and sticky against his palm. Raising his hand, he saw that there was a wet spot on the bed. Out of curiosity, he sniffed his hand. The scent that he found brought a slight blush to his face as he realized what that wet spot is and it's connection to Lucine. Out of even more curiosity, he licked his palm. Not ashamed of his naughty action in the slightest, he chuckled to himself.

He stood up, put on the sweat pants and a t-shirt, picked up the dirty sheet, and went downstairs. On his way, he saw Lucine preparing herself breakfast. Passing her, he entered the bathroom and put the sheet into the half-empty laundry basket.

***

After completing his morning routine of exercises, he joined Lucine. They exchanged greetings, and James started preparing himself a meal. Meanwhile, the mare was finishing her own meal — a salad made the same way as James'.

"James," Lucine put down the fork. "I want to talk to thee."

"What is it?" he replied casually while cutting some cucumber.

"Well, I..." the mare rubbed the back of her head. "I think that we shouldn't stay here."

"Why? Is there something wrong with this place?" James replied in surprise, putting down the knife and turning to Lucine.

"Don't take me wrong, but... It's very lonely here." Lucine said. "I understand why thou live'st here, but it can't go on for long. There is much more to this world than this house in the middle of nowhere, and I've not even seen the rest of the world. But from what thou hast told me, thy world is a place worth living for. And here? I don't think thou shouldst keep this isolation.

"Look, I... I just think thou shouldst give this world another chance, James." she walked to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, consider this."

For a few moments, James just looked away from her, staring sideways. Thoughts circled in his head, confusing him. Then, he sighed.

"I don't know..." he replied, looking into her eyes. "I... I don't think I can just return. What will I do?"

"Thou toldst me thou hast a dream of becoming a restaurant owner, to cook food." Lucine said. "Maybe it's what thou wantst to do? I can help thee, too."

"But... How will people react to you? I don't know if I can just let you go around. No offense, but... You're out of this world. You will get a lot of attention if anyone sees you. And not just good attention, too."

"I understand." Lucine nodded. "They'll have to get used to me. I can stand up for myself as well. Together," she squeezed his shoulder. "We shall overcome whatever stands against us and our dreams."

James pondered for a few seconds before answering.

"But... why do you want to go with me?" he finally said.

"Last night, I came to an understanding." Lucine said. "The two of us can't stay here forever. Thou'st been living here for a long time, completely alone. I don't think that those games and films gave thee true satisfaction. And when I came here... A lot of things changed. Both thou and I... we changed. But we can't just stay here, living day after day until the end of us.

"I understand why thou camest here. Because of fear. But should that fear control thee? Should it dictate thy life? There are people that might want to become thy friends.

"After my time on the moon, and even before that, I was alone. All of that resulted in a catastrophy. I understood that my self-isolation led to that, not the misdoings of others. My own fear... And I don't want thee to go through this.

"While I don't know thee much, I see that thou went through a lot of things. I know that thou didst not tell me everything about thyself, and I understand that. The car accident was a catalyst for thy decision of self-isolation, was it not?" she more stated than asked. Seeing how James looked at her, she understood that she was right. "I see it in thy eyes... Thou art unsure. The fear still controls thee.

"Come out of it, James. Let me help thee get over thy fears, to take thy life back." she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, putting her other hand on his chest. "Trust me... And now, I am completely sure about one thing. I love thee." she closed her eyes and kissed the human on his lips. His eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, James thought that he should pull away. But in the end, he understood just how right Lucine was about him. He needed to go out of his shell, to see the world again. So, he kissed back, hoping that their union would stand against all odds.

She was not that different from him, after all. While not too much has passed since her arrival, James came to conclusion that something must be changed. The days he spent with her in his lonely house made him realize just how lonely he truly was. He told himself over and over again that he was fine alone, only to realize that he was not.

He could stand living there no longer. With someone as Lucine, he was sure he would overcome everything in his way to achieve happiness.

On that day, James made a decision to finally return to the world.

Author's Note

I know that this chapter may feel rushed, but there is an explanation, a reasonable one.

A human is a social being, meaning that one needs a society to survive (most humans do). Doing one thing for years and years becomes boring one day, doing the same routine again and again. I'd imagine five years of that would put quite a strain on most of humans.

Thus, it's time for James to move forward. You didn't really expect everything to happen in that house, did you? If that was true, the story would be pretty boring and repetitive.

Even if you have a lot of games, they eat through time fast if you're alone. Eventually, you'll run out of things to do, and everything will become boring again. Fighting against boredom for five years is pretty impressive, but all stress must have an end.

So, what city will the two move to and how will they live their lives? Feel free to guess.

Chapter 11: Time For Fun

Author's Note

It's what many of you hoped for. Clop.

Finally, these two recognize how they care about each-other and decide to have some proper fun.

And Lucine has a couple of surprises up her metaphorical sleeves.

Chapter 11: Time For Fun

Both Lucine and James blushed after they parted from their kiss of love. And yet, they looked each-other in the eyes, not afraid and not ashamed. Lucine's serpentine teal-colored eyes were filled with happiness and love, as were James' mismatched sky-blue and dark-green ones.

"I always found thy eyes extremely attractive, for some reason." Lucine admitted, saying it rather awkwardly, trying her best to be romantic in her little compliment.

"I find yours just as attractive." James smiled in return, gazing into her aqua serpentine eyes. They were as beautiful as exotic. "Not just your eyes, but your mane, too. It always captivates me when I look at it..." he complimented, making the mare feel much better.

"Thy words are the most kind." Lucine blushed, finding her more sensitive side overtaking her. "And now I think," her eyelids lowered slightly. An idea formed in her mind. "Thou needst to be properly thanked for them, dear James."

Without any warning, she leaned in and kissed him deeply. The human kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist. Lucine followed, locking her arms behind his neck, pulling him closer to herself. Then, surprising James, she prodded her tongue against his lips. They parted, allowing her entrance. Her broad tongue brushed past his lips and started exploring the insides of his mouth. He didn't resist, just rubbing his own tongue against hers. They shared their saliva, and the two moaned, feeling the love between them. Surprisingly for the human, Lucine seemed to be inexperienced as she hesitated slightly, moving her tongue with uncertainty as if she feared she was doing it wrong.

The two separated, panting. Lucine was madly blushing, and James had nothing but a light pink tint on his cheeks.

"Now, I think we need a more comfortable place for what is to come." Lucine licked her lips, and then her horn glowed. In a blink, the two were teleported into James' bedroom. The human blinked in surprise, only to be tackled by the mare and pushed roughly onto the bed.

Lucine quickly took off whatever clothes she had and threw them away, following with taking off James' clothes as well, leaving him only in his boxers. There was a noticeable bulge that grew as moments passed. The mare crawled on top of the human and locked her lips with him once again, one of her hands cradling his cheek and another pressing on his chest slightly. As her weight shifted, the human winced in pain, feeling an uncomfortable sensation of her hand on his scarred chest.

"Art thou alright?" Lucine asked worriedly, abruptly ending the kiss.

"Just... don't press on my chest too hard." James replied, and then used his hand to bring Lucine's head closer again. His other hand found its place on her back in between her wings' bases. He pressed slightly, and elicited a loud moan from the alicorn. Not wasting the opportunity, he started scratching there, and the wings started to quiver, unfolding as Lucine moaned in pleasure. Soon, her wings were fully unfolded.

Not stopping there, he decided to test how her horn would react to stimuli. He used his other hand to grasp it, and then pressed his thumb on the tip. That elicited a slight glow of a soft blue color appearing around her horn. Lucine moaned even louder.

"Thou seem'st... proficient with pony body." she said, giving a sloppy kiss on his cheek and then neck, moaning passionately.

"I'm a fast learner." he grinned.

Then, he moved his head up, released the horn from his grasp, and planted a kiss on it. That action elicited brighter glow, making the mare quiver even more, her legs weakening as she felt her love juices dripping down from her nethers. James didn't waste the opportunity and grabbed one of her butt cheeks, and that made Lucine almost jump in place as she yelped in surprise. James frowned slightly, and then opened his mouth to say something.

"Lucine," he addressed the mare. "Are you a virgin?"

A deep shade of crimson appeared on mare's cheeks, followed by her eyes looking downwards and her ears folding. She nodded embarrassingly.

"Please, don't laugh..." she said meekly.

"I would never." James shook his head slightly. "I'm surprised, that's all. From what I know, you are rather old. Have you never had anyone before?"

"I... I loved a stallion a long time ago." Lucine replied. "He was my childhood friend, and, um, I developed a crush on him. But when I became a princess, he became obsessed with trying to please me. He developed a very unhealthy obsession, one I could not stand. He became more of a servant than somepony I could love. Thus, my love for him faded." she sighed.

"Other stallions... Well, I've never meet anypony that would want me because of who I am, not of what I am. Even if somepony loved me with pure love, I didn't know that. Perhaps they couldn't find the courage to at least try dating me. Maybe they thought I already had a lover. I should also mention that many ponies feared me...

"So, I have never bed a stallion in my life. Unlike my sister, I wanted a lover to share my bed, not just a random stallion with a huge male equipment that could only sate my sexual needs. I needed someone like thee." she smiled, placing a kiss on James' lips.

"Let me show you something, then." James said, and rolled, pinning the mare under him.

She gasped in surprise, but was quickly silenced by a deep kiss. Then, James travelled down her body in a series of kisses, starting from her jawline, down the neck, a kiss to each her nipples, a kiss on her stomach. Thankfully, the bed was big enough for him to stay on it while also sitting at her hooves.

"What art thou doing?" Lucine asked, looking at him with curiosity and excitement.

Without replying, James gently lifted her legs and placed them on
his shoulders. Then, he leaned in, and his mouth came to her needy cunt, just a few centimeters away from the blaze that raged in her nethers. Lucine whimpered as James inhaled her rich scent. It was sweet, but not overly so. He looked at her vagina, and found it to be a combination of woman and mare privates. It winked, dripping some juice. And he found it extremely arousing. He gladly made a long link on her folds, eliciting a loud moan of lust from the alicorn.

"Oh~" she gasped, feeling him working where no one has been working ever before.

He lapped on her juice, tasting it, swallowing it. He went deeper, using his fingers to part the pussy slightly, letting his tongue explore her deeper and more thoroughly, hitting her sweet spots, making her shiver as he licked her. Locking her legs around his head, Lucine pulled him, burying his mouth into her nethers. However, he was still able to breathe, but her scent was so intoxicating he was sure he wasn't thinking straight. He did what he could, and that was licking her off with vigor and passion, giving into his desires.

Suddenly, Lucine screamed, pulling his head even more, using her hands for additional strength, and she came into and onto his mouth, coating his lips in her mare cum. Her legs quivered and fell, releasing him from her grip. She opened her mouth, tongue lolling out of it. She was weakened by her orgasm, the one she would've never reached by herself. She moaned as her orgasm died down, looking at James with half-lidded eyes full of love and lust.

"Oh, James~" she half-sung half-whispered. "Thou art amazing, my love..."

He smiled at her, licking his lips clean of her juices, and then leaned in to kiss her, making her taste herself. It was alright to her since she always licked her own fingers after mastrubation, and she kissed the human back, letting him guide her. The two lied there for some time, making out rather slowly and lovingly.

"Ah~" Lucine moaned, separating from him, a thin trail of saliva connecting their mouthes. "I think I should repay thee for what thou'st done for me, dear James~"

She grabbed James and rolled over, coming on top of him once again. She slid down his body, her muzzle soon aligning with a huge bulge on his boxers, her eyes displaying interest and craving. She edged the rubber band with her fingers, and then moved his boxers down, revealing a huge dick of at least twenty centimeters in length. It flopped out of its prison, standing at attention, its tip almost touching her muzzle.

"Wow..." Lucine muttered. "It is... huge! No stallion can be compared to this..."

"I've never thought I'd surprise you with that." James chuckled, his dick twitching in anticipation.

"Oh, please!" she rolled her eyes playfully. "Most stallions barely reach my chest in height, and their penises are certainly not as long as thine."

"I thought you're a virgin." James raised a brow.

"That didn't stop me from... peeking at stallion from time to time." she laughed softly, her breath brushing against his rod, making him shiver. "Now, enough of that... We are here for action, are we not?" and with that said, she kissed the tip of his penis, and he groaned, letting his hair fall back. "Thou hast... quite a shape. One I've never seen before." she licked his head. "Oh my, such a taste... I thought it is supposed to be salty, not sweet."

"There is one secret." James grinned. "Eat pineapples."

"Very interesting." Lucine remarked, giggling.

She encompassed his head with her mouth, and then started bobbing her head up and down, eliciting grunts of pleasure from her lover. After one third of his shaft went into her mouth, she pulled back, and then came back again. James grasped the sheets, moaning as she worked with her mouth. All that time her eyes were opened and looking at James, and that turned him on, seeing as she sucked his cock, seeing her muzzle hungrily taking in his man meat.

"You're good at this..." he said, grasping her horn firmly. "Though, I think you can and should go deeper." with that said, he pushed down slightly. Meeting no resistance, he made her take more of his long cock into her mouth, slowly going down his shaft. He enjoyed the pleasure, giving into his lust. He didn't rush, intending to feel every bit of pleasure he could get from the lovely mare.

Suddenly, Lucine slammed herself down his shaft, her lips coming in contact with the base of his dick. It surprised James since she didn't even gag once. She opened her mouth wider, and her broad tongue emerged and began to lick his ballsack. James groaned, bucking his hips, reaching his edge.

"Lucine, I'm going to..." he said, only for her to silence him by pressing her finger against his lips. Then, she started going up and down very quickly, slurping at his cock as she went along its whole length. James couldn't speak but only groan and moan in intense pleasure as he felt his end growing closer with each moment.

As he felt himself on the edge, he used one of his hands to grab Lucine by her horn, and the other hand pressed against the back of her head. He forced her down, all of his throbbing length going deep into her mouth and throat, and he came hard, almost yelling in pleasure as he filled her throat and mouth with sticky cum. Riding out his orgasm, he didn't let go of her until he sent all of his seed inside her. Lucine pulled herself up, releasing the dick with a wet pop.

"Thou lasted'st pretty long." Lucine commented, licking her lips, swallowing the remains of cum, not letting a drop escape.

"I could've done better if not for the fact that... I haven't had sex for a long time." James replied. "Not to mention that I didn't masturbate all that time you were here."

"Oh my, saving for me?" she giggled.

"Could say so." he chuckled. "So... I'll be ready for round two in a few minutes. You?"

"Thou canst go twice?" her eyes widened. "If so, I'm looking forward to it~"

James leaned in and kissed her on the lips, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back. The two made out, preparing for the second round. Lucine still felt the heat in her lower body, begging to be sated and relieved of. James felt his softened shaft becoming stiff again, still coated in Lucine's saliva and a bit of his own cum. Pretty soon, he was ready for action again, his dick standing at attention, ready to be put to use again.

"I'm surprised you're so... skilled." James said. "You seem pretty confident when it comes to sex."

"When a mare is left alone for a thousand of years, she hath to find herself something to do." Lucine winked. "Also... compare mares to wine. We get better with time, and I had plenty of it. Even if I've never bed anyone, it doesn't mean I can't do anything at all. I trained myself, believe me~" she licked her lips. "And I am the worthy prize for one who is able to get me."

"I'm very honored." James chuckled.

"Less talk, more work." Lucine laughed softly, and then sat upright, catching his dick under her vagina with her hand. "Time for a ride~"

She raised herself, adjusted the cock for it to press against her opening, and then slowly slid down, moaning as James' length disappeared inside her. Suddenly, his cock pressed against something, and Lucine gasped.

"It might be a bit uncomfortable at first. You ready?" James asked. Lucine nodded slowly, bracing herself for the loss of the virginity.

He penetrated her slowly, making sure she was more or less comfortable as her inner walls adjusted to his girth. Soon, his tip pressed against something.

"Now, it might hurt a bit." James warned, and then pushed in one motion, tearing her hymen. Lucine groaned in slight discomfort and a bit of pain, and soon found her lips in contact with his.

"It's alright, Lucine." he said. He knew how to comfort someone who has just went through the loss of virginity. "You'll feel better in a few moments."

"Yeah..." she sighed, feeling the uncomfortable sensation going away. "It's not very pleasant... Though, I trust thee." she smiled at him. "I... I have never thought it would be like this. I suppose it is because I kept myself this way for so long."

James nodded in turn, and then went deeper inside her, slowly as not to cause her any more pain, helping her adjust to his length. She moaned as pleasure replaced pain and uncomfortableness, and then kissed her lover with passion and love. Soon, there was nothing but pleasure Lucine felt, and she surrendered to it completely, enjoying the new sensation.

Slowly, Lucine started to establish the rhythm by rising and lowering, taking the lead. James soon followed, holding her butt cheeks with his hands. Soon, the two were in perfect synchronization, moaning as their flesh slapped together, the room filling with sounds of passionate love-making. A major part of his length slid in and out of her easily with each thrust the man made. He found his edge approaching quicker than before.

"I'm close..." Lucine murmured.

"Let's come together, then." James replied, subduing his urge to cum. He quickened his pace slightly as to bring her to her orgasm faster.

Lucine's moans became louder and louder, and she eventually shuddered hard, her walls clenching against his dick, milking it. James grunted, letting his seed flow, and Lucine yelled as her orgasm hit her fully. As it died down, she collapsed on top of James, breathing heavily.

And the two lied there, resting after their activities, content with what they've just done. James put his arm over Lucine and hugged her close to him, breathing calmly. A smile formed on his face.

Chapter 4: Realization

James decided to stay downstairs for a while, considering the circumstances. Nightmare Moon was rather angry at him for some kind of reason he couldn't figure out.

However, he had some work to do. First, he put the washed clothes to dry, then he cleaned the lone plate and put it back where it belongs, and only after cleaning his teeth he allowed himself to call it a night.

So, the man sat on the rather comfortable armchair, spending what's left of night there. It was rather unusual for him, yet he slept like a baby.

He awoke at one in the evening. Despite being winter, the sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly through the windows of the dining room.

James stretched himself. He did his usual routine, even if he wasn't really awake. He did morning exercise, then had a shower, cleaned his teeth, and he finished everything with a light breakfast, consisting of some apples, orange juice, and a bowl full of buckwheat porrige.

After finishing his morning routine, James realized that the mare was still in his house, and he hasn't returned her clothes to her yet. He went to the bathroom and took her clothes. He quietly went upstairs and looked into his bedroom. The windows were covered by curtains, and only dim light illuminated the room. The set of armor was placed neatly near the bed. On the bed, Nightmare Moon was lying on her back, sleeping rather peacefully and completely nude.

"What's with all that nudity?" James muttered to himself. And at that moment he could fully inspect her with his eyes. He had no shame about it, he never considered looking at the opposite gender rude even if they're nude. After all, it should be considered a compliment because it is good if there's something that can be stared at without disgust.

So, he looked at the body of the mare. Her black fur covered everything, including the intimate areas. Her nipples had no fur, however, and were slightly lighter in shade than the fur. The mane and tail were still looking like a night sky, but they were moving on their own a little, almost unnoticeable. James also noticed a mark on the mare's flank — a crescent moon in a purple blot.

"Maybe that has something to do with what she's said earlier." James muttered quietly. "Maybe she isn't tolerant to the sun, it hurts her... Maybe that's why she didn't like my statement about the night.

"I think I would be staying awake during the night, but it's really cold outside at that time, not even taking in the fact that nothing can be seen without a flashlight or night-vision goggles. That is not the city with street lights, for sure...

"Wait, why did I come here in the first place?" he asked himself, scratching his chin. "Oh, right! I came to place her clothes somewhere."

James silently moved through the room and placed Nightmare Moon's clothes somewhere where she will be able to see them. Unbeknownst to the human, she was listening to him since he came into the room. She also watched him when he didn't look her way.

"Job's done!" he told himself. "Now, I need to get out of here before she wakes up..."

Slowly, he sneaked out of the room, stepping slowly and carefully. Thankfully, all floors of his house were covered by soft carpets, which muffled all footsteps. But it made no difference at that moment because Nightmare Moon was already awake.

"I thought he was nocturnal." she thought. "Perhaps I was wrong... But he had the signs! He was awake during the night, he hath pale skin! What is wrong with him?"

James was putting on his clothes to go outside. He was going to catch that hare he wanted to eat. He had some canned meat stored somewhere, of course, but nothing is better than fresh meat.

He picked up his rifle, then he felt that someone was behind him. He turned around and faced Nightmare Moon. She was dressed in her clothes this time.

"Where art thou going, James?" she asked in even voice.

"Good morning to you as well." the man grumbled in reply, loading the mag into the SVD. "I'm on for a hunt."

"I thought thou'rt a herbivore." Nightmare Moon raised her brow.

"I am an omnivore. I can eat practically anything, including meat." he replied, putting on his scarf.

"And what is that?" the mare pointed at the rifle. "Some kind of spear?"

"No, it's a rifle."

"And what, pray tell, is this "rifle"?"

"It will take some time to explain how it works." James shrugged. "I need to hunt, and that means I have no time right now."

"But I want the answer." Nightmare Moon scowled. "Now."

"You can demand all you want, I will give you answers only when I return." he frowned. "Until then." he nodded, then exited his house.

Finally, Nightmare Moon was sure she was all alone in the house. She decided to explore it a little before James comes back. She wasn't fine with him refusing to answer her, but she decided to wait.

First, she looked around at the first floor. The mare decided to go to the kitchen first and see what is stored in the cupboards. The first one contained some plates, spoons, knives, and forks. The second one had some cups and glasses, as well as cleaning supplies. The third one stored salt, sugar, pepper, some other spices as well, and a few magazines Nightmare Moon almost left unnoticed.

"Hmm, some sort of a newspaper?" she thought, taking one of them in her hands. "No, it... hm, why do James store'th images that seem to depict nude human females?" she chuckled. "Huh, I remember when I found an art of me in the guard's hall. Some talented artist had too much imagination, he drew me in nude, taking his another art as a base... I still remember how red his face was when I discovered that."

She decided to go through the magazine. It had some information about the depicted women, nothing of particular interest to Nightmare Moon. The mare put the magazine back where she found it, and closed the cupboard.

She decided to go to the dining room. However, she found nothing interesting there.

Finally, Nightmare Moon went upstairs to James's bedroom. She decided to look into the large wardrobe that occupied one of the walls. She opened the first section and saw an electric guitar, amplifier, a set of drums, and a synthesizer.

"What is that?" she thought, taking the synthesizer in her hands, looking at it from different sides. "Why doth he keep a keyboard instead of a whole piano, harpsichord or whatever else he might be playing?"

She noticed a cord coming out from one of the corners, and some buttons on the face of the synthesizer.

"Hm, what doth that big button labeled ON do?" she thought, then pushed the button. An electric click sounded, and some diodes started glowing, as well as the ON button.

Carefully and softly, Nightmare Moon pushed one of the keys. She elicited a nice sound of a piano.

"Wondorous!" she grinned. "A whole piano in this small rectangular device!"

She also noticed a few other buttons. Piano 1, Piano 2, Organ 1, Organ 2, Strings, and Harpsichord. She eagerly pushed the Organ button, and then pushed one of the keys. The accurate sound of organ sounded from the synthesizer.

"Excellent!" she said aloud, almost squee'ing in delight. "A whole orchestra in one small keyboard! The organ isn't accurate, as there is only one row of keys and no pedals, but that shall suffice, for I have never seen such a device with so many functions!"

She decided that she would definitely play the synthesizer later. She carefully put it back where she found it, and took an electric guitar in her hands.

"Why is its shape so strange?" the mare thought. She played a chord, eliciting rather low sounds from the guitar. Not really satisfied with the result, she put the guitar back, then closed the wardrobe.

Nightmare Moon walked to the table she's been sitting at recently. She noticed a big black rectangle, and something she thought was a very dark mirror. Both rectangular devices had ON buttons. In her curiosity, she pushed both.

The black rectangular started humming rather loudly. An image of INTEL appeared on the screen suddenly. The mare jumped in surprise, shielding her eyes from rather bright light coming from the screen.

A few seconds later the computer was ready, Windows 7 desktop appeared.

"What in Tartarus is this?" the mare asked loudly. Warily, she looked closer at the screen. The background was a misty forest, and there were about thirty different icons on the desktop, their titles were: My Computer, Trash, Steam, Skype, Witcher 3, Fallout 3, Fallout NW, Fallout 4, TES 5: Skyrim, Doom, and a lot of other games and software. The mouse cursor was visible in the center of the screen.

Warily, Nightmare Moon touched the screen. However, it didn't react to her touch. She tried to move the cursor, yet there was no reaction again. Accidentally, she brushed against the computer mouse with her elbow. The cursor moved, and she noticed that. Tentatively, she slightly grasped the mouse and moved it on the table. The cursor followed the same course as her hand.

"Some kind of magic I'm not aware of..." she muttered. She let go of the mouse. "No, I should wait until James comes back. Maybe he hath the knowledge of this strange machine."

James was silently moving through the dense and snowy forest. The weather was freezing, his scarf and eyelashes were rimed. He tightly held his SVD, his eyes were searching for prey. He was following a slightly visible trail of a hare. He was hoping he'll be able to catch it.

However, he didn't think about the hare. His thoughts were of Nightmare Moon. He was afraid she'd already done damage to his house or found something personal he wouldn't like anyone to find. But he didn't think about it as much as about the mare herself. Not even a day has passed since she appeared in his life, but he was already tired and even irritated and annoyed. He is unsure of how his life goes on now. He didn't know what will happen, he didn't know what place will Nightmare Moon take in his life. Overall, he was very confused. His usual flow of life turned somewhere he could have never expected.

Suddenly, he noticed a hare in the distance. His line of thoughts ended, replaced by cold calculations. He raised his rifle and aimed at the hare. It was perfectly still, seemingly in its own thoughts. James held his breath and pulled the trigger slowly. A loud shot of rifle sounded, echoing through the forest. The hare was killed instantly, being hit in the head by the 7.62x54 bullet.

"Finally, some fresh meat." he sighed, putting his rifle behind his back. He will think of his life later.

Nightmare Moon's ears perked up as she heard a muffled sound of a rifle shot. She raced to the nearest window to see what is going on outside. However, all she could see were traces of James, they went deeper into the forest.

She had been watching the trail for about half an hour before James came back. He had a bloodied body of a hare in his right hand.

***

James sighed as he closed the door behind him, cutting the cold out, not letting it go further into his house. He was half-expecting Nightmare Moon to actually greet him at least in some way. Instead, she just stared at the dead animal in his hands.

James carried it to the kitchen where he placed it on the table.

"Hey," he spoke, gaining attention of the mare. "I'm going to skin it, and then separate the meat from the rest of the body. It isn't the most pleasant sight to see."

"Eck!" she gagged. "Ugh, I better be off somewhere away from this!"

"Alright, then."

***

After James did everything with the hare and cleaned the blood from the table and his hands, he put the meat to fry. He was going to enjoy the taste of fresh meat.

Nightmare Moon had gone upstairs a while before the cooking began, so James decided to go see what she was doing there. When he entered the room, he saw that his wardrobe was slightly opened, his computer was running.

"Well, it seems you didn't waste your time here by not touching anything without my permission." he scolded her, then sighed. "Fine..." he walked to the computer and turned it off, and then went to the wardrobe and looked inside. Everything he remembered seeing there before was there. "You should ask permission before you touch anything that is mine. You wouldn't like your stuff being touched, would you?"

"Thou art scolding me like a mother scolds her foal." Nightmare Moon huffed.

"Not my fault, you're acting like one." James snorted. "Why are you so demanding? Listen, you can always ask nicely, and it is likely that I'll fulfill such request. We're civilized people, right?"

"I still don't trust thee." the mare replied. "Thou hast many devices I have never seen before, thou act'st strange, thou look'st strange! How can I trust thee?"

"You don't have to trust me." James rolled his eyes irritably. "But I never even once raised my hand to hit you, even after you hit me with that plate. You act like you must be treated like some world empress. I don't know why you do that, but please, stop! Do you understand that you make the situation worse for both of us? I'm still trying to figure out what must be done so that I won't go insane from everything that happens around me! I just want us to be, I dunno, some kind of friends, but not enemies!

"Sure, you can continue acting like you do. Maybe you have a reason for this, maybe it's something else. I just..." he sighed. "I don't know what to do with you. You,re an alien! Well..." he sighed again. "Nevermind, I don't think you're even listening to me." with that being said, he went downstairs. Nightmare Moon stared at him as he went. She was never told any of those things before.

A few hours later.

James and Nightmare Moon haven't spoken to each other since he spoke to her last. After that, he tried his best to pretend that everything is normal and that the mare isn't there at all.

Under the stare of the mare, he has eaten the hare, then cleaned his rifle thoroughly, then put it into a case. But the man wasn't in the best of moods at that moment, refusing to talk to Nightmare Moon. She called him a few times, but decided that it would be best to let him be because he was obviously very close to getting angry at her. For some weird reason, she didn't want that.

Nightmare Moon was thinking of everything that happened recently. She sat on a comfortable armchair in the dining room, watching the scenery through the window. She remembered her life when she was Luna. She remembered how hard she tried to be nice to everyone, but most just wanted her for the power she held, and others feared her for her connection to the night. Of course, Nightmare Moon wasn't completely Luna, nor will she ever be, but she is a part of the lunar princess, at least in some sense.

She remembered the day of her last defeat clearly. When the beam of the Elements hit her, she felt like she was ripped away from Luna, and transformed into another living being with memories of Celestia's sister but with the attitude and appearance of Nightmare Moon. She knew she had no way back to Equestria, and she didn't really want that. But the desire inside her grew. The same desire Luna had when the resentment and bitterness were poisoning her loving and caring heart.

Desire to be loved.

So, Nightmare Moon came to a realization that something must be changed. And when you want to change something, look at yourself. Maybe it is you who needs change.

And she knew it.

Author's Note

Some would say that it is too early for the two to develop romance. Don't you worry, there's plenty of story ahead!