Moonflower

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Moonflower
By Lux

Chapter 1

You stood in the middle of the grassy quadrangle, taking in the sights and sounds of college life. A year was a very eye-opening time adjusting to being a freshman at Canterlot University. It was the first time that you were truly on your own, away from your familiar home and town of Ponyville. You knew that it was just a short train ride away from the city, and your parents even explained that you could stay at home and commute, but you felt that doing so would only give you half the campus experience. It was tricky having to take care of everything from setting up your dorm room to mundane tasks like awaking at the right time and doing all the laundry, but through trial and error you succeeded. Now with that first year under your belt, you were armed with new knowledge and ready for the new college year.

You loved college life, learning new things and preparing for a bright future. You knew that this time was just a short moment in your life, but you wished that college could last forever. You weren’t entirely sure what you wanted to do with your life after college, but you knew that your talent was all about the studying the stars! Ever since you were a colt you would look up at the night sky and wonder at the twinkling display. It wasn’t until you did a science fair project in school complete with star maps you made that your cutie mark appeared: a telescope with several stars around it. Still, you wondered what you could do with your talent. Maybe you could work at a planetarium in a museum when you graduate, or at an observatory! There was time to think of that later, for now you were too busy enjoy your time here.

It was a load off your mind that you already had your dorm room selected and set up to your liking earlier in the day, a project rivaling most of the ones that you would encounter in class no doubt. Now you scanned the campus landscape hoping to find any of your friends so you could meet up with them for dinner. You were in touch with them during the summer, even having some of them over at your home in Ponyville, but there was nothing like seeing them all in the same place and sharing each other’s stories and a good laugh! But as you searched for them among the sea of students moving across campus, you saw her.

She was like a living dream walking down the path towards you. The unicorn mare’s body looked like one a celebrity had, tall and thin, with ample curves in the places that counted. She had an indigo coat of hair, a soft tone that accentuated her exotic frame perfectly. She had a long full light blue mane that stopped just above her hips and cascaded down her shoulders, blending almost seamlessly with her equally long and billowing tail. She was dressed in a black halter top with an image of some kind of white flower on it and a purple pleated skirt, both of which showed off her body even more. But what mesmerized you even more were her eyes, those big aqua blue eyes accented with blue eye shadow that seemed to stare into your very heart. As she passed down the pathway, many stallions and mares stopped and turned their heads to gaze upon her beauty, parting around her like she was royalty. She knew the attention she was receiving, but acted like it was no big deal as she said hello to those who stopped to see her. It was at that moment that you realized that she was coming towards you! You struggled to find how to introduce yourself to her, knowing that there was no use trying to disappear into the crowd or otherwise disappear since she saw you. Not that you wanted to leave, in fact you wanted, no, needed, to know who this enchanting unicorn was!

“Hi,” was the only thing you could think to say, hoping that this mare didn’t think you were weird with your lame comment.

“Hello,” the mare said with a sweet sophisticated voice that set your heart fluttering, “I’m Moonflower, what’s your name?”

You were shocked that she would even be interested in talking to you! She was a perfect ten, and you could only fantasize meeting girls like her. But somehow you managed to give her your name adding, “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she said before adding, “Actually, can you help me with something?”

“Uh… sure,” you replied not willing to waste the opportunity talking to Moonflower.

“Well, I’m not really used to where everything is on campus as I just transferred here. I got a tour and all, but it was hard to take everything in. I managed to find my dorm room in Sunflower Hall, so at least I know where I’m sleeping tonight.”

“Wait, you’re in Sunflower hall?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because I’m there too, on the third floor.”

“Wow, I’m on the same floor as you are! Anyway, can you help me with showing me where to go, just for the first few days? I promise I won’t bug you much.”

“Oh you can bug me all you want,” you said to yourself, maybe a little too loud as Moonflower gave you a strange look. Carefully you change your tone saying, “I mean no problem. I’m a sophomore, so I’ve been here last year.”

“I’m a sophomore here too!” Moonflower said, “Hey, what classes do you have this semester?”

“Well, I still have to remember my schedule, but I have Medieval History of Equestria, Intermediate Magical Theory, a math class that I don’t remember the full name, Astronomy…”

“Wait, I think I have Astronomy this semester too. You know what this means?”

“Uh…we’re classmates?”

“Better that that, we can be study partners! But, I don’t want to put too much pressure on you since I already asked you to give me a tour.”
“No, that’s fine,” you replied, “I’d be happy to help you study. In fact Astronomy is what my talent is.”

“Cool! I’m into astronomy as well, well, maybe not as much as you, but enough.”

“I guess you were born with that love,” you said.

“Really?” Moonflower said as she almost looked nervous, “How so?”

“Your name, Moonflower?”

“Oh, right,” she said recovering quickly, “Well, my mom named me that because she loves flowers. A Moonflower only blooms at night, so I guess that was her way of saying I’m special to her.”

“Is that what that is?” you said motioning towards her shirt while somehow feeling uncomfortable pointing to it directly, “You know, on your shirt?”

“Yep, that’s my cutie mark as well, but I can’t go around showing that to everypony, now can I?” she said with a laugh as you felt your face get hot as just for a moment you imagined that flower on each of her glorious hips.

“So, where do you want to start?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“With the tour. The campus isn’t big, but we’re in the middle of it, so do you want to go this way or the other way?”

“Oh, wherever you want to go,” she said taking you hand in her soft yet strong hand, “Lead me on sir!”

The two of you walked hand and hand down the path as you felt that this was to be the start of a beautiful friendship, perhaps if you played your cards right even something more.

Author's Note

Welcome to my new fanfic, starring "You!"

Chapter 2

Your tour through the campus could have easily taken a mere fifteen minutes to show every important building that a new student needed to know to successfully navigate college life. With Moonflower, the time stretched out to an hour as the two of you walked slowly around the greenway, pausing at each building to talk about what classes were inside and the professors who taught there. It didn’t matter to you as it felt like time and anything else happening around you meant nothing as long as you were with her. Her very presence, voice, and smile pulled you away from the world and beckoned you to stay with her. Moonflower certainly didn’t seem to mind being with you either as she listened to what you had to say.

There was something strange about your companion the more time you spent showing her the campus. It was as if she seemed to know more about the college that she was letting on. Perhaps she saw the campus before while on one of the many Open House times where new and transferring students visited. Maybe this request to see the campus was just her way to meet somepony. You could understand this as you remembered your first semester at college, how although you were still in the same city you grew up in you felt alone sometimes. That was until you met and made several friends. Still this felt like something different from the time that you met your friends, although you couldn’t tell why.

“Uh…are you ok?” Moonflower’s sweet voice could be heard, “You went silent all of a sudden and were standing there kind of weird.”
“Oh… sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“About what?”

“Do you ever get the feeling when seeing a pony that you were meant to meet them?”

“Like love at first sight?”

“Kind of, but instead of love it’s like you were meant to meet them.”

“Oh I get it I think. You mean that somepony was meant to meet another pony, like as friends, right?”

“Right.”

“And that’s what you think happened just now, you saw me and I met you and now were walking around campus together?”

“Uh…yeah.”

“Well, actually, I was kind of looking for somepony to meet, but up until meeting you I didn’t have much. Oh several ponies said hello to me and all but everypony was so busy moving in and saying hello to their other friends. The truth is, I haven’t had much luck with making friends.”
“Oh I’m sure you have some friends, right?”

“Well, I have my older sister who’s out of college, but that doesn’t count I guess.”

“Yeah, I meant like non-family friends. Surely you have those.”

She didn’t need to say anything as Moonflower head dropped to look away, her pale blue cheeks red with embarrassment. All signs point to the painful truth: she was alone here, and aside from her sister maybe even alone in the world.

“Moonflower, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to make you upset like that.”

“No, you’re ok. No need to apologize. I did have friends in Manehattan once in school, but only a few. After high school they just moved away and that was the last I heard from them. As for making new friends, it just…never worked out for me.”

Again there was something that she wasn’t telling you about her life, like there was a reason for not having friends beyond it “not working out.” You dared not probe further into her life, especially as she looked like on the brink of crying.

“I don’t want to upset you. It’s just I’m surprised that’s all.”

“Why?”

“You’re smart, kind, funny, and beautiful. I’d think that ponies would love to be your friend!”

“Y…you think I’m beautiful?” she said looking up at you and blushing.

“Well… uh… yeah,” you said fumbling the right thing to say. It was true she was like a dream walking, and saying anything but that would be a lie. Still you didn’t want to make it sound like you met her just to hit on her. You didn’t think of her as a marefriend, right?

“It’s ok,” Moonflower said noticing how you tripped over your words, “I know you meant that to make me feel better, and I thank you for that.”

“Sure, what are friends for?”

“Really?” she said surprised, “You want to be my friend even though you only met me a few hours ago?”

“Of course I do!”

“Oh thank you,” she said as she hugged you, almost tackling you in the process. It felt somehow right her embracing you like this, like you could get used to this. Your thoughts though lingered even after she let go, but were suddenly broken by a loud growl coming not from you, but Moonflower.

“Oops…” she said blushing again, “Guess I’m ore hungry than I thought. How about we take a tour of the cafeteria?”

“Sound great, I could use some food myself.”

“Alright then, lead me there sir!” she said with a giggle as she bowed to you like you were a prince before the two of you journeyed towards the student center glowing in the distance from its lights in the large windows.

Author's Note

Finally got around to updating this. Trying to keep the story light with the growing mystery surrounding Moonflower. Like her namesake, the truth will bloom slowly until it's revealed.

Chapter 3

It was not a long journey from the greenway to the towering student center. It was arguably the center of all life in the campus, a massive three story horseshoe shaped brick building with plenty of windows to let in the natural sunlight. Even though you’ve been to this place too many times to count during the past years as a student, the sheer size of the place always amazed you. From the look on Moonflower’s face it amazed her too as the two of you drew close.

“This place is amazing,” she said looking at every detail of the place, “Is this just the dining hall?”

“Well, that’s on the third floor,” you said pointing to the upper part where the two of you could vaguely see from the ground level several tables and chairs, “but there’s more here than that! This is where you go to get your mail, ask questions at the information desk, hang out with others in the lounges, even get your books at the bookstore. I’m surprised that you haven’t been here before Moonflower. Didn’t they show you this on the campus tour?”

Moon stopped to think for a moment, surprisingly longer for such a simple question. You remembered your first time on campus and the tour you took, and the student center was certainly a highlight that the guide touched upon. In fact you recalled how perspective students and their families met at the center to depart on the tour, and once it was over they would be brought back to the center. It was ideal to do so since the other side of the student center opened up right into the streets of Canterlot, making it easy to explore the city. To have her not remember the place was very strange.

“Oh, well, yes, I do remember the place from the tours, but I guess I had my mind on something else to not remember everything here.”

“Oh, well, that I can understand that, I felt like that as well when first coming here. So where would you like to go for your first dinner here, the cafes on the first floor or the dining hall?”

“Well, where do you like best?” Moonflower asked, “After all, you know more about this place than I.”

You thought for a moment about the choices. It was a simple decision to make and yet when you were around her it seemed so monumental. After all, first impressions were lasting ones, and the last thing you wanted was to leave a bad first impression on such a beautiful and smart mare that you saw as one who had taken an interest with you. Finally a thought came to mind, an interesting but wonderful idea.

“Why not we get our food from the one café, but we don’t eat there?”

“Oh?” Moonflower, “You mean we eat somewhere else?”

“Yeah, and I have the perfect place.”

“Alright, I trust you. Let’s take things one step at a time with ordering, then you can show me this mysterious place. Oh, and I’m paying, my treat for you being so nice in showing me around.”

“Oh no. I can’t let you pay for both of us,” you said thinking about how when you were in school for his first year he could barely afford to pay for your own meals let alone others.

“I insist,” she said with an inflection that sounded direct, almost royal. It was clear that she was not going to back down from her decision.

“Alright, let’s order then,” you said as the two of you entered the café. It was a small place split into two different restaurants. One served sandwiches and salads while the other sold grilled and fried things. To your surprise Moonflower made a beeline towards the grill area, and after spending a few seconds getting acclimated to the menu picked a hay burger and hay fries with cheese. She didn’t strike you as somepony interested in that type of food, maybe salads or a sandwich instead. You guessed it was because of her thin frame that you thought that hay fries, especially ones drenched in cheese, would be out of the question. There were many surprises to this new mare on campus, like she was a pile of presents on Hearth’s Warming Day, each one when opened revealing something new about her. You ordered your meal and made your way to the checkout where Moonflower paid without a second thought to the total. Maybe she had a rich family or one that at least covered certain things like food for her.

“So, where to?” she said as her meal bobbed in the air with her magic.

“Follow me,” you replied as you both exited the loud student center packed with ponies mingling about and back out into the greenway. It was a relief getting away from the crowds on the first day back, and from the look of it Moonflower wanted to spend some time alone too. You made your way down the sidewalks and suddenly entered the Life Sciences building. The mare beside you questioned your reasoning but followed you past the classroom, all of which were dark and silent in anticipation of what would come then next day when classes began. At last you opened a door that led back outside, not to the greenway but a small courtyard in the center. There were no students there and the place looked empty but was still well maintained.

“What is this place?” Moonflower asked.

“It’s a courtyard. The pony who donated the funds insisted on it being built because he wanted students to remember nature being at the heart of life sciences. Now it’s kind of been forgotten by many students, or they just use it to cross from one part of the science center to the next.”

“You’re a wealth of knowledge,” Moonflower said as you showed her to a bench, “Ever thought about teaching?”

“Actually that’s what I’m going for,” you said as you sat down, “Although I’m not sure how well I’ll do to get a foal’s attention.”

“I’d say the best way is to keep them interested by starting with an interesting fact, like what you did with me.”

“I’ll consider that,” you said taking a bit of your sandwich, “Thanks for the advice.”

“Of course,” she said with a smile as the two of you ate and conversed about your lives together. For such a messy meal, Moonflower ate with such grace you’d swear she went to some preppy finishing school. The thought of her walking across a hall with a book on her head with other ponies almost made you laugh! Time dragged on, but you didn’t seem to notice until you happened to look up at the sky.

“Hey, the sun’s about to set. We can watch the moon rise if you want,”

“Oh my gosh!” Moon said almost dropping her fries, “What time is it?”

“Uh…seven?” you said looking at your watch.

“Sorry for having to cut this short, but I have to get going. I have…plans with my sister tonight. She came in and wanted to wish me good luck.”

“I understand,” you said a little sad to see her go and hoping it really was her sister she wanted to see rather than it being some excuse.

“Don’t worry, we will see each other soon,” she said with a smile, “Maybe I can meet your friends next time.”

“Definitely,” you said with a smile.

“Alright then, see you soon!” she said as she got up, deposited her garbage and left. She almost was about to depart when she stopped and turning around gave you a reassuring smile before leaving you. Maybe it was the assurance that you just made a friend with her. One thing was for certain as you watched her move across the courtyard; you hated to see her go, but you loved watching her leave with her glorious plot and tail moving with each hurried step. But did you see her merely as a friend or something else? It was too early to tell.

“Such a strange beautiful mare,” you said finishing your meal before leaving the courtyard and the memory of a good time with Moonflower.

That night you happened to look up at the clear night sky, illuminated by thousands of stars and the massive moon overhead that was so close to earth you’d swear you could reach up and touch it. Suddenly a shadow passed by the moon, taking the form of a pony in flight. Although you weren’t quite sure, you could have sworn the silhouette paused for a moment as if staring at you among the thousands of ponies in the city before disappearing into the night.

Chapter 4

That night as you slept in your dorm room, you had a strange dream. You found yourself descending down a stone spiral staircase, the kind you would find inside an ancient castle. Your hooves echoed off the stones like thunder as darkness enfolded you, cut only by torches that illuminated your path. You had no idea where you were going or how you got there, only that you had to move on. At last the steps ended where a large wooden door stood in your way, the name Moonflower curiously carved on it. You are about to reach for the handle when you hear a voice echo from everywhere around you, although you cannot tell who said it.

“Secrets are strange things, are they not? Everypony has them, some of them are deeper than others, but all of them are closely guarded. Have you wondered what hers is?”

You knew exactly who the clearly female disembodied voice was talking about: Moonflower.

“Moonflower doesn’t have any secrets,” you said without hesitation.

“Oh?” the female voice said, “And how are you so certain? Do you think you know her in one day?”

You were surprised that this voice knew when you met Moonflower, although this was your dream. Still if it was your dream, where did the voice come from? Maybe it was your own conscious, that little voice telling you when to go for something or when to wait or avoid at all. That didn’t take into account the fact that this voice was female and not like the ponies you met in town. This voice seemed ancient, almost all-knowing.

“No, but she seems like an open book,” you said.

“Even books have their twists,” the voice said dismissively, “Do you think that Moonflower is so perfect that she is without her faults or secrets?”

“I never said she was perfect,” you snapped.

“Oh, but you think that, especially with how you stare at her body.”

“Well she certainly doesn’t look like the pony with a dark secret,” you said trying to not admit the fact that the way she looked did play a role in your belief of who Moonflower is.

“Perhaps you should get to know her more before you make that assumption.”

“All right then,” you said, “since you seem to be in my head and know everything, what is Moonflower’s oh so earth shaking secret?”

“Temper, temper,” the voice said, “I did not come here to chide you. I came to show you another way of thinking. Perhaps you should consider first whether you can handle somepony keeping a secret from you. If you accept that and accept the Moon no matter what secrets she may have then perhaps there’s a chance. As to giving you the secret, that would violate the secret, now wouldn’t it?”

“Well, I’m going to find out eventually,” you said having enough of this voice as you put your hand on the door.

“It won’t do you any good trying to find out what’s behind the door, but you’re free to try.”

You open the door to find yourself in a long stone hallway illuminated by torches. As you step in the door closes behind you with a thunderous boom, making you turn around. As you turn back once again to the hallway before you, you see standing in the distance Moonflower. You start to run, eager to meet her in this dream and hopefully learn about her secret. No matter how fast your ran, however, Moonflower was still the same distance away from you.

“You cannot force her to tell you her secret,” the voice said. “Get to know the pony before the secret can be revealed.”

You still continued to run, but now Moonflower was farther and farther away until she was a mere speck of blue down the hall. Soon from that speck came a blinding light that engulfed you and the hallway before disappearing into the relative blackness of your dorm room as you awoke with a start. For a moment you looked around, unsure where you were. Satisfied that is was all a dream you settled back into sleep. Even as your mind was at rest you couldn’t help but remember that voice and the thought that maybe Moonflower wasn’t as she seemed.

Author's Note

Short chapter I know, but this was meant as an interlude to the next part of chapters.

Chapter 5

The blaring noise of the alarm clock broke through the peace of your sleep. You could have easily spent a few more hours in bed as your night was anything but peaceful. Maybe it was because you had to get used to the bed in the dorm room once more, although you knew it was likely something else. It was that dream, or more like a nightmare to you. Despite many of your dreams vanishing into sleep that you believe you had in your lifetime, this one stuck in your mind. It was certainly a strange dream, even though you know that dreams had no constraints to how real or unreal they should be. The most disturbing thing was that it was so personal, just you and Moonflower. Then there was that seemingly all-knowing voice who although not malicious certainly wasn’t helping you by filling your mind with questions about your budding friendship with Moonflower.

“Maybe that was my conscious,” you said as you struggled getting awake. “But why does my conscious sound like a mare?”

Perhaps it was your worry that somehow what you felt was the start of a great friendship would end suddenly, that something would happen to her that would split you apart or worse something you would do to snuff out the spark of friendship before it ever caught fire. There was one thing certain from your dream, you weren’t going to let your doubt or anypony else derail your chance to start something great. With a renewed sense of purpose in your social life, your mind shifting from Moonflower to your new classes as you got ready, making sure all your books and supplies were ready.

“Here we go,” you said as you left the comfort of your dorm room and off to the student center for breakfast. To your surprise you didn’t see Moonflower anywhere in the crowds of students there to grab something to eat or talk with friends before starting their classes. It was a big campus after all and with it many students, so trying to find the blue manned mare was like finding a flower in a field full of them. It was then that you heard a familiar voice in the crowd.

“There you are,” a male griffon said to you. “Welcome back!”

“Welcome back to you too Snowy,” you said to him. “The way you say that it sounds like we haven’t seen each other in years!”

“Well, it feels like that, and you know how I hate it when you call me Snowy. It’s Snowbeak. Sheesh, if my friends heard what you call me here back in Griffonstone, I’d never live it down!”

You met Snowbeak on accident during your first semester in school. The two of you were assigned to a group project, something you dreaded as any group projects you were involved in ended in failure due to your partners not willing to work. Added to this dread was working with a Griffon who you have never met before and frankly was uncertain of. To your knowledge Griffons were aggressive and wary of anyone’s opinions other than their own. But upon meeting this Griffon you were surprised to learn that he was anything but that and the two of you quickly became first good partners in the project and then good friends.

“So how was your summer in Griffonstone?”

“Boring, as usual,” Snowbeak said rolling his eyes as he waved his hand like trying to swat away the memory of the summer like a fly. “How was yours here in Canterlot?”

“It was fine but short.”

“Yeah tell me about it! It feels like we left here just a week ago and now we’re back. Sorry I couldn’t come visit as much as I wanted.”
“That’s ok, I know that it’s not like you live close. Hey, maybe next break I can visit your town.”

“Oh trust me, you’ll be bored the moment you set you hooves in Griffonstone! Anyway, let’s get up to the dining hall. Spearmint is saving us a seat.”

You followed Snowbeak up to the topmost floor of the student center after getting your breakfast scanned over the scene of the eating area, hoping to find your other friend. It didn’t take long as the green and white mare spotted you first and standing up began to start waving her arms like directing a Pegasus trying to land. Spearmint was a pony that unlike meeting your Griffon friend she met you. She was homesick having left Appleoosa and needed somepony to help show her around Cantelot as she never visited a big city before. What attracted you to her was her energetic personality and willingness to lend a hand to those in need.

“Well howdy there,” Spearmint said wasting no time giving you a hug. “Long time no see, huh?”

“Nice to see you again, Spearmint. How’s things?”

“Oh you know, things are always lookin’ up for me! Had a great time at the Appleoosa Harvest Festival before comin’ here. How have you been?”

“I’m fine,” you said taking a seat and starting on your breakfast. “Glad I got to visit you in Appleoosa during the summer.”

“Well you were so nice to show me around your big city I wanted to repay the favor. You have to come by my corner of Equestria someday soon too, Snow.”

“Definitely,” Snow said to her before turning towards you saying, “So, anything you want to tell us?”

“What do you mean?” you said poking at a pancake.

“Oh I think that you do,” Spearmint said leaning over while resting her head in her hands, “Something a little birdy said about a pony you were hanging around with last night.”

Snowbeak shot Spearmint a look as the mare playfully stuck her tongue out before turning to you as they waited for an answer. Your mind searched for who it was that Snow saw you with the day before when suddenly it dawned on you. It was Moonflower, and somehow while meeting her, your feathered friend caught a glimpse and the squawked to Spearmint. Now they waited on baited breath for you to spill who the mysterious mare was.

“Fine,” you said with a sigh, “Guess I can’t put anything past you two. The mare you saw is named Moonflower. She transferred here from a school in Manehattan and was kind of lost on campus. She just came up to me and asked for my help, so I gave her the tour and we had dinner together.”

“That’s it?” Spearmint said not looking convinced.

“Yeah surely there has to be more,” Snowbeak said.

“Well, it was getting dark, and she said she had to leave, but she promised she’d see me again as we have Astronomy class tonight.”

“Well it sounds like you have quite a catch,” Spearmint said with a smile as wide as her plate.

“Oh come on, I just met her.”

“Not from what I saw,” Snow said. “You two looked perfect, and I have to say you found quite a pretty special somepony. She’s hot!”
“She’s not my special somepony!” you insisted.

“Not yet,” Spearmint said, “but I have a feeling soon enough you’ll be doing more with her that having dinner.”
“Whatever,” you said trying to redirect the conversation.”

“Well, are you going to introduce her to us?” Speamint said.

“Fine, soon I’ll try to have her meet you. Just don’t do or say anything stupid when you do meet her, ok?”

“Can’t promise anything,” Snowbeak said with a sly grin to which you ignored. As you finished breakfast you thought about Moonflower and hoped that somewhere in the midst of your busy academic live you could meet her once again. You wondered though how this friendship would progress and what new things you would learn of this new pony in your life.

Chapter 6

After breakfast and catching up with friends, you made your way for the first class of your semester. You knew this week was the easiest week of the semester as in most cases professors were just introducing students like you to the class and setting expectations. There were no tests or big projects to worry about, allowing you to get used to the routine of the school week, and maybe getting to know Moonflower more. You didn’t know why she occupied so much of your thoughts, especially after you spent only a brief few hours with her. But in those moments it felt like you knew much about her, as if you spoke with her for months. Of course her sexy bombshell appearance help solidify her spot in your mind. Still, the way you thought about her was the way that others talked about the way they felt about their special somepony. You weren’t the type of pony to believe in love at first sight, especially due to not doing well on the long-term side of relationships. But there was no denying how you felt about Moonflower. Taking things one step at a time was your only choice.

Your first class of Classical Literature went well. It was a seemingly easy course for the morning. Then it was time for your second class: Medieval History of Equestria. While you liked History, most of the things you studied in you free time was current events as well as the pre-Classical era before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon and was banished. It was an exciting class to attend to fill in the gap of information, but something happened that would change your experience forever. As the class prepared for the professor to arrive, you happened to notice that right next to you was an empty desk. Maybe somepony was late or there was no pony to occupy it for this class. Just then the professor entered, a light brown stallion approaching retirement in a few years or so with a wild unkempt mane and tail once blonde but now greyed.

“Good morning class,” the stallion said, “I’m Professor Traveler, and welcome to The History of Medieval Equestria. For those of you who came here thinking this was some other class, I’m afraid that I can’t help you with that.”

With that the class erupted in a wave of chuckles as a hapless Freshman left the class in embarrassment. There was always one that got lost, and you remember the first time you came to the wrong class. The professor continued saying, “but for those who signed up for this class, we will be talking about the time period from after Equestria became a monarchy following Nightmare Moon’s banishment and continuing up to the last century.”

Professor Traveler barely got finished when a familiar face came running into class: Moonflower. She looked like she ran a great distance to get to class. She didn’t even seem to notice you in her haste, her attention focused on the professor, and trying to cover up her embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry for being here late. I got lost from my dorm to here. I hope I didn’t miss anything.”

“No, It’s alright,” the professor said, “this is the first day after all. You are supposed to be in The History of Medieval Equestria, right?’
Moonflower nodded as several ponies snickered and whispered about the new classmate.

“Then you’ve found the right place. Why don’t you take a seat right over there? Oh, and try to arrive on time in the future, ok?”
Moonflower nodded as she turned and noticed the empty desk and more importantly you. Her reddened face quickly returned to its bluish hue as she saw a familiar face in the crowd. She took a seat and flashed her cute smile at you before the class resumed and the professor began to go over the syllabus. No sooner had the class started it was over and the two of you found yourselves exiting the room together.
“Nice entrance,” you said to Moonflower.

“Hey, you know where things are,” Moon said playfully sticking her tongue out at you. “Besides, I kind of…slept in.”
“Slept in huh?” you said, “Let me guess, you were out clubbing with you sister.”

“Clubbing?” she said looking at you as if you were talking in another language.

“You know, going out to a nightclub to drink and dance?” you said hoping she understood now.

“I’ve never been out to a club,” she said honestly, “Guess I sound kind of not fun, huh?’

Not fun wasn’t one of the many words or phrases to describe her. Maybe the best new way to describe her was “careful” or even “unexperienced.” You wondered if she never been to a nightclub before what else she never did. Was she that sheltered and protected that she didn’t have much fun or let her mane down. Well, it was time that you changed things.

“Well, I’ll take you to a club one night,” you said.

“Really?” Moonflower said.

“Yeah, you’d like to go to one, right?”

“Sure, it sounds like a great time, and I’m always up for new things.”

With that she gave one of her playful winks at you, sending a jolt through your body. You knew that she was flirting with you and she was good at it! Maybe she wasn’t as safe as you thought.

“Well, keep that in mind, maybe this weekend,” you said with a grin, “Anyway its lunchtime, and I’m starving. Maybe my friends will be there. They’ve been wanting to meet you.”

“Oh they have now, have they?” Moonflower said, “Well if your friends are fun like you, I’d be happy to meet you. Alright let’s go!”

The two of you made your way to the now familiar student center, making a trip up to the dining hall. It was an eye-opening experience watching Moonflower stack on her tray as many plates of different food as she could try. She looked like she never ate much beyond maybe a salad, or maybe whatever fat she did eat went straight to the parts that counted. At least, that was your idea. It was like she never ate in her life before seeing how much she accrued, but thankfully the dining hall was all you can eat. When she finally selected all that she could carry you looked for your friends which sure enough were at their same table as you saw them just a few hours again. It was as if they never left and you never separated from their company. They were in the midst of talking about some movie coming up, but the moment they saw Moonflower the two went silent.

“Um…hi there?” Moonflower said waving and looking over to you as if for some cue.

“Snowbeak, Spearmint, I’d like you to meet Moonflower. Moon, these are my friends.”

The two finally got over the beauty that was before them and welcomed her with open arms.

“So, is it true that this is your first time in Canterlot?” Spearmint asked.

“Uh…yeah, well, I’ve been here a few times before but not as long as I’ll be here now.”

“Well, I have to show around, especially shopping,” Spearmint said.

“I’ll look forward to that,” Moon said.

“So, I’m sure I’m asking for Spearmint as well, but how did you end up with this crazy pony here?” Snowbeak chimed in pointing at you.
“Well, to be honest he was looking at me as I was looking at him. So we sort of connected at the right time. I was totally lost on campus, but her helped show me around and made me feel a little more relaxed. I have to ask though, how did you know about me? Did you tell them?”
She looked over at you for that question as you munched on a slice of pizza, to which you said, “No, I was about to, but this Griffon here decided to spy on us last night.”

“Oh really?” Moon said with a grin, “and why’s that?”

“Because…you know, I was watching out for my friend here,” Snow said as he shuffled nervously in his chair, something the unicorn mare easily picked up on.

“Were you really doing that, or were you checking me out?”

“i…uh…” Snow began.

“Do you find me attractive?” Moon said leaning closer to the hapless Griffon.

“Uh…uh…”

“Let me give you a little advice,” Moon said, “If you want to meet a mare, it’s best to talk with them, not stare at them, ok?”
Snowbeak said nothing, as if Moon broke him. Then the mare started laughing.

“W…what’s so funny?”

“I’m just kidding with you silly!”

With that the whole table erupted in laughter, even Snow who realize that she used her charms to prank him.

“You know, I think she’ll fit right into our group of friends,” Spearmint said between laughing.

“Yeah,” you replied, “I think she will.”

Author's Note

Short chapter this time. I plan to pick things up soon with Moonflower and "You."

Edit: Doh! Uploaded the wrong one before! Fixed it!

Chapter 7

The rest of the afternoon passed without much attention as you only had one class before the much awaited Astronomy class in the evening. As you sat in class, you couldn’t help but think about Moonflower. It was strange how one pony could have such an impact on you mind, making everything happening around you seem so insignificant. Of course you had your friends and family, and you often thought about how they were doing and what they were involved in at a given moment. This was different when you thought of her. There was an element of concern and caring when it came to your thoughts of the blue unicorn as you wondered how she liked her first day of classes at the school. It wasn’t that you saw her as a shrinking violet, far from it! But any new experience cold be a challenge to even the toughest of ponies!

There was something else about those times thinking of her beyond just knowing how she was. It was a deeper feeling of wanting to be there wherever she went, to comfort her when she needed to be consoled, and to share in the great times together. You wanted to know everything about her life and for her to know about you. Of course you were on the right track of being good friends right from the first day meeting her, but you wanted something more than friends. The trouble was you didn’t know what that could be.

“Why am I feeling this way about somepony I met just the day before?” you said to nopony in particular as you sat on a bench under a shady tree. “I mean she’s nice and smart and has a sexy body, but we’re just friends now, right?”

You paused as if waiting for an answer, but none came. It was like a riddle: what is somepony you care about if they’re not your friend or relative? Deep down you knew the answer, especially as you saw examples of this very relationship day in and day out while walking the quadrangle or in the student center. But, was it really that your feelings towards Moonflower was love?

“No it couldn’t be,” you said with a laugh, “That’s not how things work. I’m supposed to find somepony and after getting to know her as a friend then I can decide if she’s the one. This is all backwards! Besides, I just met her. There’s a lot that I don’t know about her, like what she enjoys, what she’s afraid of, and not to mention if she thinks of me the same way! Oh, what am I going to do?”

“You know, you could talk to her, like a normal pony would do,” a familiar female voice could be heard behind you making you almost jump out of your seat! You turned to see Spearmint standing there with a coy grin on her face, like she saw, or heard, something amazing.

“Oh hi, Spearmint. I was just talking to myself.”

“Yes, I could hear you, especially something about love and Moonflower?”

“Wait, how much did you hear me say?”

“Oh enough,” she said running her fingers through her mane in a playful manner, “and by enough I mean all of it. So, you have the hots for the new student, huh? Snowbeak was right then! I have to say, you picked a winner! Even I was impressed how pretty and smart she was.”

“Yeah, but there’s a few problems,” you said with a sigh. “I don’t know much about her for one. We just met and I know a few things she likes and that she has an older sister, but that’s about it. Plus there’s the big thing of not being sure she even likes me like that!”

“Yeah, those are problems, but not major problems you know. They both can be solved by talking with her, which you seem to have no problem doing. Let me give you some advice, from a mare to a stallion: mares like when you pay attention to them. You ask them how they are, what they’re doing, and what they like and they will do the same. Also, be sure to treat her by taking time out of your life to be with her. It doesn’t have to be a date, just going to the movies with her, heading to a café, or even going shopping. As long as you give her attention and affection, she will respond in kind. Sound like a plan?”

“Yeah, it does.”

“Great. Don’t worry about doing anything special just yet, just be yourself. Oh, and while you are already thinking of her being your one and only, keep it to yourself. If you confess your undying love for her and she’s not into that, you’ll lose her maybe for good. It’s great that you like her like that, but keep that as like a secret weapon when the moment is right, alright?”

“I’ll try,” you said realizing that keeping your feelings bottled up was worse than simply talking to Moonflower.

“Great! Try to keep me in the loop as to how things are going, and I’ll do what I can. Oh, and I’ll try to not let Snowbeak know as he’ll blab it all over the campus.”

“I appreciate that,” you replied.

“Anyway, I have a class to get to, but I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Have fun lover stallion!”

With that your friend dashed away towards the science building as you reflected upon the tips she gave you. Now you felt ready to continue getting to know Moonflower, and hopefully you would know in time how she felt about you.

Chapter 8

That evening you waited in the dining hall with your friends for Moonflower to appear. The minutes ticked by as you conversed with your friends about everything from movies you’ve seen to your first classes. Yet your new friend’s absence was what occupied you mind the most. It wasn’t that you thought she was in trouble. After all Moonflower looked smart and confident enough to handle herself in Canterlot. The worry of her being in any way hurt or in trouble made your stress level rise, more than the times you were concerned for your friends gathered at the table. If this was truly inklings of love you felt for the blue unicorn, you were beginning to realize that it wasn’t just happy feelings that you’d have but worry.

“What’s wrong with you?” Snowbeak said interrupting your thoughts. “You barely touched your dinner.”

“Oh, nothing,” you said, “Just tired that’s all with getting back into the class schedule.”

“Alright then,” he said with a shrug. “Just want to make sure that you’re not getting sick or anything like that.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine.”

“Hey, where’s Moonflower?” Spearmint said making you worry.

“I don’t know,” you said giving her a little look as if to question why she was bringing up her name, “I haven’t seen her since lunch. Maybe she had plans for dinner tonight.”

“Could be,” Spearmint said, “You’ll be seeing her again tonight, right?”

“Yeah, we have an Astronomy class tonight. Should be fun.”

“Yeah, fun,” Snowbeak said rolling his eyes. “Staring up at the sky for an hour. You have a funny idea of fun. Or maybe you’ll have a way to occupy your time but staring at something else, or somepony if you get what I mean.”

“Snowbeak,” Spearmint said in disgust.

“Come on, you saw her Spearmint. She’s a knockout! I’m sure you were amazed seeing her, especially her big…”

“First of all, I’m not into mares like that. Secondly, you met her like just a few hours ago and you look like you want her like that piece of fish on your plate!”

“Come on Spear, us guys can admire the scenery, right?” Snow said turning towards you, “I mean it’s not like we have a chance with a pony like that. She probably has some stallion friend already.”

“Yeah, sure,” you said as a scary truth came to light. What if Moonflower wasn’t interested in you like you were to her? What if she already had a stallion waiting for her in Manehattan? There was no use dwelling about that now, for doing so would just eat you up inside for the rest of the day, maybe longer. Still those were questions that you hoped to answer while getting to know her.

With dinner over and the moon already high in the sky, it was time to go to Astronomy class. The class was held in one of the many lecture halls in the Science Building, and thanks to your knowledge of its layout you made it to the room with time to spare. To your surprise you weren’t the first pony to be there, as there stood Moonflower, looking pensively out the window at the greenway and the rest of the city.
“Hi Moonflower,” you said trying not to spook her.

“Oh, hi there. Sorry, I was just in a daze there. How are you doing?”

“Great. How were your afternoon classes?”

“They were ok I guess. I had an interesting literature class and then I had an introduction computer class which was a little tricky.”

“Really? Introduction to Computers was probably the easiest class I had starting here.”

“Guess I’m not the best with computers. Maybe I’m a little old fashioned. I like to talk to ponies face to face rather than use a computer. Still I think I did fine for my first day.”

“Well I’m glad your day is going fine. I’m the same way with talking to ponies, like you and I are doing now.”

“Well you are certainly somepony who I enjoy meeting,” she said with a smile as the other students began filing in and taking their seats. You followed suit and took a seat next to Moonflower. No soon had you done so in walked a Pegasus pony with a wild looking white mane and tail. To you he looked a little like Santa Hooves during Hearth’s Warming which you tried not giggling like a mad pony. Looking over to Moonflower, the spitting image of the professor was not lost on the mare as she mouthed a little jolly “ho, ho, ho” to you which almost made you lose it.

“Good evening class,” the elderly pony said. “I am Professor Nebula and this is Introduction to Astronomy. Now normally on a first class like this I would be beginning my lecture on the universe, but tonight is special. Can anypony tell me why?”

“It’s the annual Perseid Meteor shower,” Moonflower said before adding as an afterthought, “I saw it in the newspaper.”

“Correct Miss…” he said as his voice trailed off, trying to remember her name.

“Moonflower.”

“Right, you have to forgive an old stallion like me. I’m sometimes horrible with names. But yes, tonight is the Perseid meteor shower and from the weather report, tonight is a perfect clear night to see them. So, if you will all follow me to the roof, we will take this opportunity to see such an event.”

With the excitement of the impending meteor shower, you walked up the stairs with Moonflower. She let you lead the way slightly while sticking close to your side. After what felt like an eternity ascending the flights of stairs, Professor Nebula opened the door into the nighttime scene of Canterlot. Even though you spent many nights looking around the city, you were amazed by the view. The city was filled with hundreds of lights from the houses and businesses below as if you were staring at a galaxy of stars around you. Looking over at Moonflower you could see that she was taking in the view.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” she said to you. “I’ve seen Canterlot at night before, but not like this.”

“Yes, you are beautiful,” you said before realizing what you said.

“What did you say?” Moonflower said turning towards you with a look of surprise.

“I said the night is beautiful,” you said trying to cover up your error.

“I could have sworn that you just called me beautiful,” she said with a coy smile on her face. “Come on, be honest. Did you call me that?”

“Yeah, I did,” you said as you braced for what you thought would be the inevitable rejection by her a day after meeting the most wonderful pony you ever known.

“Awww! That’s so sweet!” she said to you with a grin, “Thank you for being so nice. You’re not so bad yourself. Just don’t let it get to your head, ok?”

“Got it,” you said with a smile as the rest of the group gathered on the roof.

“Now watch the sky closely everyone,” Professor Nebula said, “and you’ll be in for a treat!”

No sooner had he said this, the night sky lit up with several meteors lighting up the sky. The two of you stared in amazement at the wonders. But just when you thought this night couldn’t get any more wondrous, you felt somepony taking hold of your hand. You turned for the brief moment to see Moonflower standing there with a smile on her face before returning to the spectacle above. Although your fears weren’t entirely gone, something told you that things were only going to get better.

Author's Note

All caught up!

Chapter 9

The night seemed to drag on as Professor Nebula allowed the class to simply watch the wonders of the meteor shower lighting up the sky. You couldn’t focus on the sky, however, with Moonflower sitting next to you. You stare at her like somepony else would look at some priceless art, her body illuminated by the moonlight overhead and the occasional flashes of the meteors passing by. She seemed not to notice you staring intently at her. Instead she merely stared fixed at the sky, although there was something else with her expression. It was as if she had seen nightly displays like this before, as if stargazing was a common routine for the mare.

“Alright class, I’ve kept you here long enough,” Professor Nebula finally said breaking you out of your own gazing, “Class is dismissed for tonight. Next time we will go into the origins of the universe. If you wish to stay and watch the meteor shower, feel free to do so. I will make sure that the door stays unlocked for some time.”

With that the rest of the class and Professor gone from the roof, you waited by the door to see if Moonflower wanted to leave the roof or stay. You glanced at her shilouette as she sat unaware that you had since gotten up. She was looking up at the moon with a longing as if the satellite meant more than just something to study. As you drew closer towards the mare you noticed that tears were welling up in her eyes, each drop like a bright star falling.

“Moonflower, are you ok?” you said trying not to upset her further.

“Oh…” she said looking around as if not knowing where she was until her eyes met yours, “Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You were crying,” you said.

“I wasn’t crying,” she said as her blue cheeks suddenly filled with a tinge of red. “There was… something in my eye.”

“Moon, come on. I know you were crying. You don’t have to hide that from me. It’s ok to cry.”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh, “I was crying, ok? Before you ask, I don’t want to share why. It’s too painful.”

“Ok, no asking you why,” you said even though you wished you knew, “May I ask you something though?”

“I guess so.”

“I can tell that something about the moon made you upset. So why…”

“Why do I attend an Astronomy class that I know will mean me looking up at the night sky?”

“Yeah,” you said honestly.

“You have to understand, I do love the night, the moon included. What you saw, my crying, it doesn’t happen all the time. It’s only certain moments when there aren’t many ponies around that I look up and cry. Please don’t ask me anymore about this. I’m not ready to talk about it to you or others. I only feel I can talk to my sister about this.”

“Moon, I care about you, and if asking you about this makes you upset then I won’t bring it up. I will say though that, at least for me, talking about things helps me to at least clear my mind rather than having all my thoughts and feelings bottled up inside.”
“I will take that into consideration. Perhaps one day I will tell you and others, but not right now.”

“Got it,” you said with a smile.

“Can I ask you a question?” Moonflower asked.

“Uh…sure.”

“Why do you want to be a friend to me?”

“Well, everypony deserves to have a friend,” you said although you were thinking that you perhaps even wanted more than just friendship with her.

“I’m not asking why I should have a friend. I’m asking why you want to be my friend. You’re nice and smart and funny. You can be friends with anypony here in college or even all of Canterlot if you wanted. So why me?”

“The truth is… I don’t know why,” you said in the most honest or replies, “But when I saw you walking there it was like I was meant to talk to you, and it seemed you were meant to meet me. I don’t know if I believe in fate, like we were meant to meet certain ponies in our lives or do certain things, but it seemed like that.”

“Soulmates,” Moonflower said softly as if meant to be for her ears only, although you clearly heard it on the empty rooftop.

“Soulmates?”

“Yes, soulmates. It’s not fate but the belief that certain ponies knew each other from the past or are otherwise drawn to others. I’m not saying it has to be romantically although someponies like to believe that is the case. It can be siblings or friends too. So, maybe we’re soul mates, meant to find each other because we share some inner spark, like the way magnets are drawn to each other.”

“Hmm, maybe,” you said not knowing what else it is, “I don’t know much about soulmates, but I do know that this feels right being with you.”
“Yes, it does feel nice. I like spending time with you when I can.”

“Yes, I like you,” you said before realizing what you said.

“What did you say?’ she said staring at you.

“I said that I like it too?”

“You’re a horrible liar,” she said leaning forward, “Now, come on and fess up. What did you say before?”

“That…I like you Moonflower.”

“Really,” she said with a smirk, “You know, I’ve heard ponies say that around here often. Some I hear say they like a certain part of another. So tell me, what part of me do you like?”

“Well, your eyes and the way they seem to glow at night. Then there’s your mane and tail, how long and full they look.”

“Funny, because all the time you were saying what you liked, you were not looking at my face,” she said gesturing to her chest before crossing her arms in front of them, “What do you have to say about that?”

“Uh…they’re nice too?” you said sheepishly.

“Well, if you think you’re going to see any more than now, keep dreaming. Still, it is nice to think that you see me as pretty. Anyway, you said something about this night club we can go to?”

“Oh, right, it’s just a block from here, do you want to go tonight Moon Flower?”

“I believe tonight is the perfect night,” Moon said as she opened the door to the stairwell with her magic, “Lead the way, soulmate.”

Chapter 10

You walked hand in hand with Moonflower as you made your way over to the next block where all the stores, restaurants, and bars stood welcoming the college students for the year. You watched as the mare next to you looked amazed at the nightly activities the town had to offer, although something told you that she knew that if Manehattan had a night life so too would Canterlot. You remember the first time you came to this part of town and how you wanted to try everything you could. Now it was your turn to share the lovely unicorn.

“So, where is this club you’re talking about?” Moon said as she scanned the street filled with ponies milling from place to place.

“Uh…I’m not sure where exactly,” you said looking around.

“Not sure?” the mare said giving you a confused look. “Then how do you know it’s on this street or even in business?”

“Well, I don’t, but I know when I’ll see it. It’s a really interesting looking club and has a neat name.”

“Oh? What is it called?”

“Nightmare,” you said simply but noticed that Moonflower looked shocked. “Why, have you heard of it?”

“No,” she said suddenly before seeing your face. “I mean, I didn’t really check out the club scene here in the city yet. You said it was themed.

What is the theme?”

“Oh, well it’s kind of hard to explain. Have you ever heard of the story of Nightmare Moon?”

At the moment you said the dark Alicorn’s name you saw Moonflower frozen as if the evil creature stood before her.
“Moon, are you ok?” you said.

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. It’s like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“No, it’s just Nightmare Moon scares me.”

“Are you really that scared of a story like Nightmare Moon?” you said with a giggle.

“Yes, I do get creeped out,” she said with a frown at your teasing, “and for your information, Nightmare Moon isn’t some pony’s tale. She is real. Don’t you remember when she came back during the Summer Sun Celebrarion and then several ponies helped free me… I mean Princess Luna from the darkness?”

Your mind spun a little as Moonflower mentioned that event in nearby Ponyville. Still it didn’t account for such a strange reaction by the mare. Even stranger was how she said “me” rather than “Luna,” although she did correct it quickly. Perhaps in her flurry of trying to explain she slipped up her sentence.

“Oh, yeah, I do remember that. She wanted to bring about endless night but was stopped by the… what were they called? Oh, the Elements of Harmony. Guess I made a mistake calling it a story. But why are you scared of Nightmare Moon. She’s gone, right?”

“Yeah, she is,” Moon said although her voice revealed that she was wary.

“Then were you there to see Nightmare Moon appear that night?”

“You could say that,” she said shaking her head.

“Moonflower, if going to this club will make you upset, we can choose another one if you want.”

“No, I shouldn’t be afraid of a simple themed club,” she said trying to steel herself, “Show me this club.”

“Alright,” you replied as you continued looking for this place until your eyes settled on a certain building painted to look like a creepy castle with an illuminated sign that spelled out in smoky looking letters: Nightmare. As you approached the club you heard the music already radiating from it and saw the lights through the tinted windows. You were about to step in when you saw Moonflower hesitate. Before you could say anything though, she followed you inside the club.

The place was designed to look like the throne room of the one in Canterlot, but instead of it being bright and cheery like the one it was based off of, this one was dark and creepy. The walls and columns were painted black with accents of dark blue and silver. Banners hung from the ceiling displaying Nightmare Moon’s cutie mark and framed pictures depicted the dark Alicorn in all her glory. All of this was bathed in a wash of eerie green and blue lights as the DJ played upon a raised platform that looked like a dais complete with a twisted mockery of Celestia’s throne.

“So, what do you think of it?” you asked.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Moonflower said as her eyes darted around the room.

“Yeah it was shocked at it too. Anyway, want to dance?”

“Sure,” Moon said, “but I kind of have to tell you something first.”

“What’s that?”

“I haven’t really dance before, not like this,” she said waving a hand over the area.

“That’s ok, just do what the others are doing.”

The two of you hit the dance floor as you began to move to the music. The mare at first didn’t know what to do, and you were worried she’s feel embarrassed and want to cut the night short. Soon though she began to move as the other ponies did and a smile ran across her face while doing so. Although you wouldn’t admit it to her, you loved the was that she moved her body, like she knew how to flaunt what she had.
“See, you’re a natural Moonflower!”

“Thanks!” she said as she continued dancing through the remainder of the song.

“Alright,” the DJ said as the song ended, “I hope you liked that song. Next one is going to be a slow one for all you couples out there, so enjoy!”
The song started as several ponies departed the dance floor. You and Moonflower stood as if wondering if you either should stay or leave the floor.

“Want to try this?” you asked. “It’ll be fun. I’ll show you how to slow dance.”

“It’s worth a try,” she said.

“Alright,” you said approaching her, “first you put your arms around my back.”

“Ok,” Moon said as she followed your command, “What’s next?”

“Well, I put my arms around your waist,” you said as you did, “and now for one more thing. We need to get a little closer for this to work.”
“Like this?” Moon said as she pulled you near. You felt your body up against hers, especially her large chest which was like a soft cushion.
“Perfect,” you replied, “and now we dance in a circle.”

The two of you swayed and moved in a circle to the music, both oblivious to what was happening around you. For all you cared, it could have been you dancing outside in the moonlight with Moon. What mattered was she was with you and the joy you felt being so close. You were so relaxed that without thinking your hand drifted past her waist, brushing her butt.

“Hey there, let’s not get too touchy, ok?” Moon said giving you a wink knowing what you were doing. At last the dance ended, but the two of you remained in an embrace as if you didn’t want to let go. Finally you separated as the DJ made his announcement.

“Yeah, I can feel the love in the air,” he said as if directing his words toward you and Moonflower, “Now before we get to the next song I want to introduce a certain pony who inspired this club.”

“What does he mean?” Moon asked you with a confused look.

“You’ll see,” you said with a smile. Suddenly the lights overhead flickered off, plunging the room in complete darkness. Soon a spotlight turned on over the throne and another on a balcony above the dais.

“Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last.” a very familiar voice boomed throughout the club, “…”
Suddenly the balcony flooded with smoke as an image of Nightmare Moon appeared saying, “From this moment forth, the night will last forever!”

The crowd erupted in a cheer over the show, but as you turned towards Moonflower you could see she was anything but happy. Tears were flowing down her face as her body shook like she saw the dark Alicorn in front of her.
“Moon, what’s wrong?”

“It’s her, Nightmare Moon,” she said as if out of breath.

“It’s only a show. They do this every night.”

“I can’t… I just can’t.”

“Moon, are you ok?”

“I have to go…” she said and without saying anything else she fled the club. You desperately tried to follow her and called out her name, but when you reached the street she was nowhere to be found.

“Moonflower!” you shouted. “I’m sorry! Come back!”

All your attempts meant nothing as she was nowhere to be found. Dejected by her loss and knowing that your mistake could have cost you this precious friendship and possible relationship, you headed back to your dorm room, no longer in the mood for fun that the night offered.

Author's Note

This chapter should be entitled "Protagonist gets hit by a dumb stick."

You'll get to see the consequences of this night in the next chapter.

Chapter 11

That night that went so from good to bad you dreamt you were in an amusement park like the one you’ve visited in the summertime. This one, however, wasn’t the cheery place filled with laughter and thrills. Most of the games and food stalls were shuttered up and the rides sat motionless. Even stranger was the fact that there were no ponies enjoying the night scene of the park. Still the colorful lights still gleamed like they did as you remembered them. It was like that you had the park all to yourself after the season was opened, but much as you would cherish this moment there was a feeling of unease as you walked the place.

Suddenly you saw in the distance a familiar silhouette, her form outlined by an aura of carnival lights. It was Moonflower. You walked quickly towards her, glad to see a familiar face in this place, but as she came into view you noticed something troubling. Moonflower was crying.
“Moon, what’s the matter?” you said as you approached, hoping to offer some consolation to her.

“I…can’t…” she said through her crying, “I… just can’t. I’m so…. Sorry.”

“Moon what…” you began, but before you could finish your sentence she suddenly turned and walked quickly away without saying anything else.

“Moon, wait!” you shouted as you ran down the midway, no longer interested in the thrills and wonders around you. No matter how fast you ran it always seemed like you were always too slow for her as she weaved past stalls and rides. Even so, she wasn’t so far away that you would lose her, making your quest to catch up with her still obtainable. As you pursued her through the abandoned park, you couldn’t help but think why she was running away from you in the first place. You know you messed up taking her to that club, but her running away like this was something more than that one event. It was like Moonflower was hiding something big that you couldn’t tell. This was the second time that you were chasing her, although this was a much friendlier place than the eerie castle of the dream before.

“Moon, stop, I’m sorry that I took you to the club” you shouted, but Moon said nothing or made no indication that she heard you. Instead she jumped over a fence and into a carousel with dozens of carved animals like lions, swans, and even an elephant! The moment you approached the carousel, the ride started with a fanfare of calliope music as the animals started their parade. You caught a glimpse of Moonflower deep among the wooden animals as the ride made its first revolution staring at you with a sad look. You wasted no time to hop the fence and jump on as the ride spun faster with each second. You fought the motion of the ride as you made your way around the ride, hoping to find the mare. At last you were within a few feet from her, but just when you were about to move forward, you felt your legs collapse as you tumbled to the carousel’s platform. The last thing you saw was not Moonflower’s beautiful yet saddened face, but the wooden claws of a lion coming down upon you. Then the world turned to black as you found yourself sitting up in bed, panting heavily.

“Dear Luna, why are you showing me these dreams?” you said to the absent Moon Princess, “I made a mistake, ok? I didn’t know she was going to be scared of that club or Nightmare Moon. It feels like every time I try to get to know her something happens and we’re still apart! If that was you in the dream before telling me I needed to get to know her, I tried, but I feel that she doesn’t want to know me. How can I show her that… I love her?”

You were shocked by the confession that escaped your lips, but it felt so wonderful admitting what your heart felt. There was no mystery on your part, no denial or other possibility. You loved Moonflower, flaws and all. As the euphoria of you uttering the confession subsided, you were left with the realization that maybe she didn’t feel that way. As you turned to look out the window at the night sky, a reminder of the bond you shared with Moonflower, you couldn’t help but notice a large shadow passing by your window, the same one that you saw passing overhead the night before. It was like whoever was that figure, it was as if he or she was listening in to your pleas.

“Who was that pony?” you said when a thought crossed your mind, “Was that you, Princess Luna?”

Author's Note

More mysteries and truths revealed.

Chapter 12

That morning you reluctantly got ready for the day’s classes, feeling weighed down by the events of the night before and that strange dream. You’d rather simply lock yourself away in your dorm room, but that would only make your mood worse with nopony to talk to. Another thought crossed your mind, one of spending the day trying to find Moonflower, but there was no telling where to start. The more you thought about that idea, the more you realized that there was very little of that mare that you were certain of. You didn’t know which dorm she was in or what classes she took today as they shifted every other day. Even if you did found her, there wasn’t even a chance that she’d want to see you then or ever after your blunder that night.

“Guess I’ll just go through the day,” you said as you stepped out the door, admitting that this bond that you had with Moonflower might be a fleeting one. You trudged across the greenway, feeling like your book bag weighed ten times what it was, as you made your way to the student center. After getting your food, you saw your friends sitting at the same familiar table. Although it was a welcoming sight, it was also depressing as you noticed the empty seat where Moonflower once sat, a painful reminder of what was once lost. Steeling yourself, you took a seat at the table where your friends were already deep in a debate.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Snowbeak said, “I take it you survived your first day of classes.”

“I guess so,” you said while picking at your scrambled eggs.

“Where’s Moonflower?” Spearmint said looking over at the seat reserved for the absent guest.

“I don’t know,” you said hoping it was enough to end the topic, but you knew that talks like missing friends didn’t stay silent.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Snowbeak said, “You two have been stuck together every time I’ve seen you. You did have class with her last night, right?”

“Hey, I’m not that close to her. Besides that, she does have her own life with doing stuff. And yes, I had Astronomy class with her, but that was it.”

“If you say so,” Snow said with a shrug, “All I’m saying is that you’d think that she’d be here for breakfast.”

“She was ok after your class, right?” Spearmint asked.

“Yeah, she was fine like normal,” you said not having the heart to explain what happened after class.

“So you just said goodbye to her after class and that was it?” Snowbeak said, “I don’t buy it.”

“What do you mean?” Spearmint said interjecting with the same question you were about to ask.

“Come on, Spearmint! Moonflower is a total knockout! Why wouldn’t he do something… like take her out to a bar, or you know.”

“Eew! Really? You expect every cute pony to want to join you in your dorm room for some fun? You obviously have lots to learn Snowbeak. Really you think our friend is that shallow to do something like that? I mean maybe you would Snow, but him?”

“Hey, I’m not saying going right to that, but a pony like that Moonflower doesn’t come by every moment, or do they stick around as I can see here. All I’m saying is if you want something or someone, you have to go and get it. You understand, right?”

“You know, you’re right,” you said.

“I am?” Snow said surprised that you agreed.

“Yes, if I want to keep her as my friend, I need to tell her how I feel about her. Thanks, Snowbeak.”

“Err…you’re welcome?”

“I have to get going,” you said quickly picking up your tray, “I have one hour to find her before my next class starts.”

Without another word to your friends and confused looks on their face, you made your way out of the dining hall, hoping to find Moonflower and rekindle your friendship with her.

Author's Note

Short chapter I know, but the next one will be larger and more in depth.

Chapter 13

You dashed from the Student Center, taking care not to miss Moonflower in the sea of students. You knew that the best would be to stop and wait in case she appeared, but you had only an hour to spare before you had to attend your class. You knew that there were moments after this class that you could hunt for Moonflower, but the longer that you waited for her, the more this agonizing desire to see her and tell her how he felt. Finding no sign of Moonflower in the student center, you made your way out to the greenway knowing that you search would only get harder as you had such a large area to cover. You only set forth along the path running the one length of the main campus when you saw there, among the various ponies and griffons milling about, Moonflower looking very odd. Gone was the confident almost majestic pose that you saw the day before. Her clothes looked wrinkled and her mane and tail a mess. It was as if she just rolled out of bed and paid little attention towards how she looked. What really troubled you was she appeared to be walking around like a fog, unaware of everypony around her.

“Moonflower!” you called out towards her, but she said nothing in response, not even turning her head. Instead she kept walking, coming ever close towards you which reminded you to the first time you met. Still she paid no attention to your appearance, almost as if you were invisible.

“Moon, it’s me.”

She finally did stop as if your words connected with her mind. It took her a moment for her to register who was speaking to her, but when she did it was a mixture of surprise and dread, something you never saw registering on her face before. You wondered if your presence there dredged up moments of the night before or if there was something else in her life causing such panic. For a moment she just stood there as if contemplating what to say or do next.

“Uh…hi…” was all that she could finally say. To you it sounded cold and uncertain.

“Hi,” you said realizing that you had no plan in your head as what to say when you were to meet her before coming up with something quick.

“How are you?”

“Fine,” she said although from the look on her face the memories of the last night made things anything not fine at all. “How are you?”

“I’m ok,” you said to her before you shook your head as if to dislodge the previous saying. “No, wait, I’m not fine. Listen, Moon, I want to apologize for what happened last night at the club. I didn’t know that it would upset you so much.”

“It’s ok,” she said. “You didn’t know that it would upset me like that. The club, or the theme of it, just brought up some bad memories.”

“But, it’s not ok,” you said perhaps a little louder than you wanted it to be. “How am I to help you and get to know you better if I’m not even sure what will upset you?”

Moonflower looked at you for a while as if stunned by the way you spoke to her. For a moment you were worried that the pony that you just met and yet felt so connected to would now leave you for good, never to speak with you again. Then the mare’s shocked expression suddenly changed to sadness and frustration. It felt like it wasn’t something directed towards you, but instead something deep within Moonflower’s mind and heart.

“I’m sorry that I’m causing you so much trouble with my secret, but you have to understand that having them is not just because I feel like it. There are much more things at stake than just revealing something personal or embarrassing. My secret affect many others, my sister included. You have to understand something else; I’m not simply keeping this secret from you. You are a wonderful pony, and you’ve showed me so much kindness and affection despite only knowing me for a few days. If there was anypony that I would want to tell my secret to, it would be you. But I have to keep this secret from everypony I know! The only pony that knows my secret is my sister, and unfortunately it has to stay that way. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you the whole truth, but for now I can’t. I hope you can understand this and respect this and we can get to know each other more despite not telling you.”

After Moonflower ended, you waited in silence for what to say. What took you by surprise was the fact that the mare didn’t have several secrets that she kept locked away but one big secret. Whatever it was, she was not going to relinquish it anytime soon, and pressing the matter would only strain an already awkward bond.

“Moon, you know that I care about you, and the last thing I want to do is let a secret get in the way of our relationship. I would hope that I will get to know all of your secrets one day, if you want to reveal them, but for now I’m just happy that you haven’t decided to leave me.”

“Leave you? Why would you think that?”

“You know, after last night at the club,” you said regretting even bringing up the moment again.

“Oh, that. I knew you weren’t being spiteful towards me. You don’t seem to be like that all. In fact you’re one of the kindest ponies I’ve met!

That night it wasn’t you, and believe me I’ve heard the cliché of a pony saying that. But all I can say to you is that my secret involves … her… and that is why I was so afraid last night.”

You breathed a sigh of relief at the confirmation that you were not in the wrong taking her to a club. It was like a weight lifted from your mind and a door you thought once closed now opened wide once more.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I suppose so,” Moonflower said.

“Is there anything else that I should know about you that scares you so that I don’t make you upset?”

“I’m not a pony that easily gets frightened,” she said, “so don’t worry. Nightmare Moon is just the one fluke that I have. You don’t have to walk on eggshells with me fearing that I’ll get upset. Can you ask you something now?”

“Sure,” you said as one question deserved another.

“Are we still friends?” Moonflower said with an uncertain and even worried look.

“You know I was going to ask the same thing. Of course we are, Moon. I want to get to know you more and hang out with you whenever we can!”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Moon said as she gave you a hug. In that moment you felt the softness and warmth of her body close you yours, and her beautiful eyes staring back. In that moment all thoughts of doubting your relationship or of uncovering her secret melted away. Nothing mattered now as long as you were with her.

“Now, I’d love to talk to you more, but I have to go to class. Are you free during lunchtime?”

“Of course!”

“Great I want to try a place some other ponies said they liked to eat. Not that the cafeteria is bad, but I want something different. Sound good to you?”

“I’d love to go with you,” you said without hesitation. Sure your friends would miss you, but you would see them again.

“Great, then it’s a date,” she said with a smile, “see you right here later on!”

With that Moonflower turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving your both happy and a little surprised.

“A date?” you said as the words ran from your mouth as if they were some foreign language, “She wants to go out with me on a date?”

Author's Note

Phew! Finally got a chance to finish this chapter!

No by now I know there are many readers who know who Moonflower is, but this story is not just about her identity but how secrets and identities affect relationships. How will "You" find out the truth? What will be the consequences? Will the two get a happy resolution? These I will answer in the coming chapters.

Chapter 14

The rest of the week passed by blissfully uneventful after reconciling with Moonflower. The more you thought about it, the more that you realized that it was a mere misunderstanding, one that you were glad would not derail your relationship with her. She seemed to be more forgiving than you gave her credit before. Maybe it was your initial thoughts that you were incapable of being forgiven after hurting such a wonderful mare’s heart. But she never said anything more about the event after that, and when it seemed that you were about to do so, she would change the subject by doing a cute thing of putting a finger to your mouth and making a “Shhh” sound while giving a cute smile.

To your dismay, the “date” at the restaurant was anything but the romantic time you hoped it to be. Instead it was merely another friendly moment of the two of you sharing interests over lunch. You did not dwell on the expectation of the day being lowered as you enjoyed the time with Moonflower nonetheless. It was a wonderful time learning about the beautiful unicorn sitting across from you, how she enjoyed history and loved explore new places and trying new things. She loved the night as well, not just gazing the stars but walking through the park or even sitting on a bench and taking in the city alive with activity at night. The more the two of you spoke, the more you realized how the two of you shared much in common. You could see her also loosening up more on the reluctance to speak with you before.

There was still this awkwardness though that you felt between the two of you. It wasn’t that she was lying, but there was still that ever-present feeling like she needed to ponder the questions you asked her, as if weighing them in her mind whether they were acceptable to be answered. You still didn’t know what major secret she was hiding. Your mind fluctuated between wanting to find out in an attempt to help her and leaving things as they were. It was like a battle going on in your mind, not sure which path to take that could pull you closer to her and not upset her wishes.

There was also another moment that brought back that night when things went wrong. You were in History class with Moonflower as the Professor discussed about the events of Nightmare Moon and her subsequent banishment. You could see Moonflower tensing up with each detail of the battle between the self-proclaimed Queen of the Night and Princess Celestia and the after effects of the banishment. It was as if Moonflower appeared both angry and sad at the words that the Professor said, going as far as to excuse herself to the bathroom. You knew that she needed to get away, but when asking her if she was ok, she replied stoically, “I’m fine. Let’s not talk about it, ok?”

You decided not to press the matter further and offered to give her a copy of her notes. She thanked you for them, but almost seemed that she for some reason didn’t need them. Perhaps it was because she loved history that she knew about the events of Nightmare Moon, but deep down it seemed that this was something personal as if she was there when it happened. It was a silly thought as you knew the events of Nightmare Moon’s appearance and banishment happened over a thousand years ago. Perhaps Moonflower witnessed Nightmare Moon’s return at Ponyville during the Summer Sun Celebration and it traumatized her. All your thoughts, however, you kept to yourself, as you preferred to leave Moon in peace.

Saturday night had finally appeared as you found yourself with Moonflower once again. This time the two of you spent a wonderful dinner together followed by a movie. To you it felt like this should be this way every moment, as you felt so comfortable being with her. Happily you could see that Moonflower enjoyed herself.

“I had a great time,” Moon said to her as she held your hand.

“Yeah, me too,” you replied, “but you know the best thing about tonight?”

“What?”

“Being with you,” you said simply, “It just feels… nice having you here.”

“I agree, and I hope we can do this again soon,” she said as she glanced at her watch, “but unfortunately I have to get going.”

“I wish that I could spend some more time with you,” you said with a sigh.

“So do I, and if I could I would stay with you as long as you wanted, but I can’t.”

“So, where do you go at night?”

“What do you mean?’ Moon said giving you a strange look.

“Well, you said it yourself you had something to do, and I don’t think that something has to do with you getting some sleep. Otherwise, you’d just tell me that. So where do you go? Is it a late night job or something?”

“Yeah, something like that,” she said. “and before you ask, I can’t say anything else about it.”

“Oh it’s that kind of a night job?” you said giving her a wink.

“Eww,” she said pretending to gag. “Really? You think that’s how I pay for college, doing… that in my spare time? Alright, if you must know, I work as a page in the castle.”

“You mean the Canterlot Castle, like where…”

“…Princess Celestia and Luna are?” she finished saying what was on your mind. “Yep, that’s the place. I haven’t met the Princesses yet, just doing simple tasks like organizing papers, delivering important things to different ponies in the castle, stuff like that.”

“There, was that so bad telling me?”

“I guess not,” Moon said as she seemed a little upset saying where she worked. It wasn’t some big secret or something to be ashamed of, but it was as if she regretted telling you this.

“Sure you don’t want me to walk you there?”

“You so sweet, but no, I’ll walk there myself. Anyway, I’m going to be late if I don’t get going. See you later.”

Before you could ask anything else she gave you a hug and quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd. You couldn’t help but notice as you walked away that she had a worried look on her face as if there was more to her job and life after seeing you. There was something that tugged on your heart, that still small voice that called out to you the day you met her telling you that there was more to her than what she was telling you. Now that voice was telling you something new, “Follow her.”

You reluctantly weighed your options, debating whether your instinct to follow her to her job was sound enough to protect her or if this could be the end to your relationship.

“I can’t let her go, not when I think something is going to happen. I have to find her, but I have to do so secretly,” you said to yourself, the word “secretly” lodged in your throat worse than a piece of not properly chewed food. You then made your way in the direction of where Moonflower walked off to, hoping you could make it to the castle without being seen.

Author's Note

Just a few more chapters to go until the end of this story.

Chapter 15

You wandered the darkened streets of Canterlot, trying to desperately keep up with Moonflower while in a sense of irony trying not to get too close to be seen. What worked in your favor was that there were only a few ponies that occasionally blocked your path, making the trip easy. The more you perused her, the more you felt the sense of dread at what you were doing. You knew there was the choice of just abandoning this whole plan and returning back to the college. That was the safe way, living happily with her while ignoring the secret she had. But something still pulled you forward, not only out of mere curiosity but of concern of your friend’s well-being. What if this secret was something that was dangerous to Moonflower if it ever got out?

“I have to know,” you said softly as the castle grew bigger upon your approach. Finally after walking several blocks from campus, you watched as Moonflower approached the castle’s now gates. For a moment she just stood there as if contemplating what to do next, although what she was thinking was only your guess, but you wondered why she didn’t simply walk into the castle if she worked there. Before you could think more about it, Moonflower let out an audible sigh before turning away from the gates and walking alongside the fencing toward some unknown destination. You quickly sped up your pace as she made her way along the perimeter, hoping not to catch her attention or the guards. You soon found yourself making a turn down the one side of the castle proper where several buildings lined the street. You wondered if any of these were where she stayed, although why she chose to live off campus was only your guess. Perhaps her sister lived in one of the buildings or nearby. Then something odd happened as you followed her. Moonflower made a sudden turn, not into one of the many buildings but a darkened alleyway. You carefully made your way towards the alleyway taking care not to rush in in case Moonflower should make a sudden exit. You paused as you reached the corner of the building and peered around the corner into the unknown. The alleyway was a dead end, blocked by a brick wall, and dimly lit by the moon above. Aside from Moonflower, there was nopony else nor was there anything in the alley with her save for some trash cans.

Suddenly the mare turned towards the entry, causing you to pull away. You waited several tense seconds, wondering if she saw you, before peering around the corner. Before you could react, you saw Moonflower’s horn glow brighter than any unicorn that you have met, casting a blinding light that filled the alleyway as bright as the sun. You turned away from the alleyway as you shielded your eyes, not sure what sort of spell that your friend was casting. You wanted to look to see, but the light was too intense and you couldn’t risk still getting seen or worse caught in the blast of the spell. No sooner had you began to debate in your mind what was going on, the light from the spell began to fade away, plunging the alleyway slowly into blackness. Once again you turned towards the opening between the two buildings, but what, or who you saw, surprised you. Standing there wasn’t the familiar face of Moonflower, but none other than Princess Luna.

You stood transfixed at the sight of the Princess who looked like she was recovering from the spell, wondering what it meant that Luna was there in place of Moonflower. Your friend couldn’t have left without your notice unless she teleported. You knew also that she worked for as a page, but that didn’t explain why she needed to be in an alleyway or again why Luna was there. It was like you were running in circles trying to find the truth, but then something else came to mind. At first it sounded silly or even wrong, but the more you stared at the recovering Princess, you came to a surprising truth.

“Moonflower?” you said perhaps a little too loudly as the Princess’s ears perked up.

“Who’s there?” Luna said half demanding but also with a hint of surprise and dread in her tone. “Show yourself!”

There was no use running away or trying to hide. You were done with that and wanted to know the truth. You stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlit alleyway as the Princess stared at you with a blank expression.

“Why have you come to see me?” Luna said as if trying to disregard what you saw.

“I was going to ask the same thing, Princess Luna,” you said with a surge of confidence and even a little defiance, “or should I say,
Moonflower?”

The Princess stood in shock at your boldness although her expression deceived her stoic demeanor, revealing shock.

“I…don’t know who this Moonflower you are talking about, for I am Princess Luna, Guardian of the Night and Protector of Dreams.”

“Please,” you said raising a hand to halt the Princess’s explanation of her titles. “If you care about me, you will tell me the truth.”

The Princess stood silent for a moment as if to ponder what to say or do next. Finally her stoic form melted as her body slumped like a balloon deflated.

“Fine… I’m Princess Luna, but I’m also Moonflower,” she said frustrated but surprisingly calm. “Are you happy now?”

“No, I’m not,” you replied, “How…Why?”

“Why I took the form of Moonflower?” Luna said. “Well, I assume you knew who I was long ago, right?”

“Yes, Nightmare Moon,” you said regretting saying that name but also realizing why now Moonflower was upset going to that club.
“Have you considered what it would be like leaving the world you know for a thousand years, or even a year?” Luna said, “You regret what you have lost, not just the big things like friends and family, but everything! You recall losing the world you knew, but as time passes while you remember the major thing you’ve lost, you lose sense of time and history. But what happens when you return just like I did after being away? You long for friendship and family of course, but the world doesn’t stand still. It changes, and for a thousand years there is much history lost. So I decided to come to this college, not only to learn the history that I lost but to learn about ponies. I couldn’t just show up as who I really am, because ponies would treat me differently. Instead I took the form of Moonflower to blend in.”

“But why did you choose me?’ you replied as your tone dripped with venom, “Was I some kind of test pony for getting to know other.”

“That’s not fair,” Luna said. “Remember what I said before about you when we met first time? I said you have a good heart. That is why when I saw you I chose you. But something wonderful happened, I met a friend.”

“When were you going to tell me, or were you going to keep this a secret?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know when, only that I was waiting for the right time. I guess I was waiting to see if you’d understand and if you could keep a secret. I can now see that in keeping this from you I’ve upset you, but please understand that I was the same pony as Moonflower as I was now.”

After she finished speaking, you stood in silence wondering what to say until finally you replied, “So, where does this leave us now?”

“That is for you to decide,” Luna said, “but I still wish to get to know you, and I think that you desire to get to know me.”

“Why’s that?”

“When I left so quickly from the club, I sort of followed you home by tracking your dream.”

“So does that mean that…” your voice trailed off remembering what you said.

“Yes, you said you thought you were in love with me, a very flattering statement considering you knew only a little about me. I must say I am fond of you, too. Do you still wish to get to know me more?”

“Yes, I am,” you finally said as you relaxed. “I know that you weren’t trying to hurt me by being Moonflower, and I still care about you even as Princess Luna.”

“Very well, then I will still be your friend,” the Princess said, “and as for what you said in your dreams…”

With that she embraced you and gave you a long kiss that was the best you ever had.

“Let’s take it one step at a time,” she said finally as she let you go, “but I must say you’re off to a good start. Will you promise me one thing?”

“Sure.”

“Will you keep my secret? I’d like to reveal who I am on my own terms if you don’t mind.”

“Certainly, Princess Luna.”

“Please, call me Luna. Now, you’ve come all the way to my home. Would you like to come inside and stay for a while, friend?”

“I would be happy to,” you said, “Lead the way!”

The End!

Author's Note

Thanks for reading my fan fiction.

I must say I'm pretty pleased about how it turned out despite my bouts with creative burnout.
Will there be a sequel chronicling the growing relationship? Perhaps, but I'll decide that soon.

Thanks again!