Chapters Lonely Love was done beating around the bush. Today was finally the day that she'd find love. She'd been spending years studying mind altering magic after being rejected a total of one hundred and twelve times. Now the number was closer to a hundred and seventy nine. No, it was exactly one hundred and seventy nine.
The pale green unicorn trotted throughout town to a very particular destination. A little coffee shop in the cheaper part of Canterlot.
She took a breath as she trotted in, the scent of coffee and pastries filled her breathe and she couldn’t help but smile. Not only at the wonderful smell but at the sight of the coffee colored stallion that worked behind the counter. She urged herself not to cast a spell on him, it failed severely last time and she didn’t want to take any chances.
“I’m taking my break,” he announced to the mare who worked beside him just after he finished with his last customer. The mare nodded with a small smile and stepped over to the counter so she could take the following orders.
Lonely trotted up to the mare, though she had to force herself from staring at the stallion she knew it would be rude to go up to him without ordering anything first, “A small latte with a pump of vanilla.” She smiled through gritted teeth.
After having paid the two bits for the drink, she levitated it and adjusted the pink scarf she wore around her neck before trotting over to the stallion.
“Um, Coffee Bean?” She felt her face flush a little.
“Oh, Lonely! What’s up?” he responded friendly enough.
She swayed in place, “I was wondering if you had a moment, we could talk?.. In private?” she tried to take a sip out of her paper cup but wasn’t able to get any into her mouth. Her heart was beating to fast to even fathom the idea of drinking in front of this pony.
After a silent note, he nodded, “Sure.” and lead her just outside of the establishment.
She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, though it was a familiar feeling and she knew her likelihood of being rejected but it was still liberating to confess.
“So, what is it that you need to talk about?” He asked in his charming sort of way.
She grinned as she took a deep breath, “I like you,” she explained, “I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?” She held her breath unconsciously, awaiting the response.
“I’m sorry, but I barely know you.” He said.
She tilted her head, attempting to redeem the situation, “We could get to know each other better.”
“No.. I..” He looked to the side, “Already have somepony I like.”
Her ears flopped back as her eyes focused on his for a moment, she sighed in defeat, silently cursing herself for deciding to not use mind control on this one, “We both know that's not true.” He tried to open his mouth to defend himself but she cut him off with a weak smile, “It’s okay, you don’t need to lie for my feeling’s sake.”
He stood awkwardly, she turned away to trot back to her home. She paused with a sigh, “Go talk to Bittersweet.” she said begrudgingly.
“What?”
“That’s the name of the mare you work with, right? She’s got a big crush on you.” She said, turning back to him.
He looked to the shop like he was trying to spot his coworker, when in reality it was a wall, and then turned back to Lonely, then to the wall, then to Lonely, “How would you know that?”
She smiled sadly, “It’s obvious in the way she looks at you. I’ve seen her look at you like that since the first time I ever got coffee here,” she laughed a little at herself for still trying anyway and moved to make her flank visible, showing off the split heart with a small ‘x’ in the middle, “It’s a talent.” She said simply, turning to take her leave and trotting out into the distance without even looking back.
~~~
Lonely Love wordlessly swung the door to her apartment open and jumped face first onto the couch.
“How’d it go?”
Lonely’s only response to her roommate was an incoherent mumble into the couch’s cushion.
“Well, my day was wonderful!” Lonely turned her head to see her roommate sitting on a desk. The azure coated mare was full of joy.
“Sky Beam,” She said in a monotone voice, “Do you have to rub your success in?”
“What?” Her voice went up an octave as she pressed a hoof against her chest, “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“Was it about Suit Tie?”
Sky Beam looked away with a blushy grin, “Nooo...”
Lonely raised an eyebrow.
“Ugh fine! Yes! We’re going on a date!” She spread her wings and bounced around in a circle, “But!” she stopped suddenly, “You shouldn’t use your talent on other ponies without permission!”
“That wasn’t my talent,” she sighed, “A blind pig could tell what you were thinking.”
She gasped and brushed her white mane out of her face, “Nuh uh!”
“Yuh uh.” Lonely mocked.
A beat passed, “So.. How’d it go with you..?” she gave an awkward smile.
“Wonderfully. We’re getting married next week- How do you think it went!?” she exclaimed before flopping back onto her face, “I’m doomed.”
“Oh don’t say that! Someday that extra special somepony will want to become your special somepony and will whisk you away to live a life of romantic luxury.”
Lonely blinked, “Were you actually raised in a fairy tale?”
“Well, I’m gonna head out now.” Sky Beam said, completely oblivious to Lonely, “How do I look?” She did a little twirl to show off her summer green dress that matched her emerald eyes.
Lonely sat up and looked at her roommate up and down. She huffed out a smile, “You look great.”
“Squee!!!” She grinned, “Okay! I’m gonna go now! Bye~!” She bounced to the door and opened it.
“See ya.” Lonely got out before the pegasus slammed the door behind her.
She scoffed at herself, sitting on the couch and wallowing in her own pity wouldn’t get her anywhere in life. She forced herself to her hooves and trotted over to the bookshelf. She levitated a few hefty books from the bottom shelf including such titles as, “The Magic of Love,” “Dark Magic and Why It’s Illegal,” and “Ancient Ponish For Dummies.”
She sat at her kitchen table. She opened the first, ‘Magic of Love,’ and started at the chapter she last left off. It was a pretty boring book, she didn’t actually see anything interesting until reached a passage that was about halfway through the chapter.
Of course, there are other types of spells related to love but aren’t necessarily considered romantic unless applied in the right way. There is the ever famous dark spell, ‘Want it, need it.’ It causes anypony who looks at a particular item to want that item, to love it either platonically or romantically. There have been some fascinating tales of a mare falling in love with a turnip or the stallion who fell in love with his own reflection that were presumed to be caused by this spell. In theory, somepony could use the dark spell just to have ponies falling in love with them at a blink of an eye, the only ponies being immune are alicorns and the spell caster naturally. However, due to it’s immoral nature, it has been banned from Equestria. Until somepony is able to come up with a safe way of studying the spell, we won’t know for certain how it works.
Lonely blinked. She read about that before. She shoved the book away from her and hungrily grabbed the book on dark magic. “Want it, need it.. Want it need it..” She mumbled to herself whilst flipping through the pages, “There! Want it need it!” She announced.
Though the book was modern, all of the spells were still in old ponish as to deter anypony from actually casting it. Lonely levitated the book, “Ancient Ponish For Dummies,” and started cross referencing it frantically.
Her horn begged to allow her to cast the spell but she bit her lip. She had to hold back, she was alone, she couldn’t even test to see if it would work. She sighed, “It’s not exactly a secret spell..” she spoke to herself, “If I were to use it and someone realized what I was doing I’d be in jail for life.” She leaned back in her chair and moaned, “I’ll never find love.”
Nonetheless, she might have possibly memorized the spell in her spare time. Not that she was actually going use it, she’d never. Studying magic was just her hobby. She wasn’t going to use it.
Author's Note
oof I love romance so here's a short story. I came up with this idea and just needed to write it down so i stopped alll my other work to write this. There are only three chapters and I'll post the next one tomorrow.
She wasn’t going to use it. Not at all. She made it through an entire week without using it.
She sighed at herself from her spot on the train. She shouldn’t keep thinking about a spell she wasn’t going to use.
She was heading to Ponyville, her job as a journalist demanded it. Now you might think that being a journalist would be fun, going on adventures, solving cases, you know, the works. But you're thinking of the wrong type of journalist. She was the ‘try to possibly get an interview with one of the ponies that go to the friendship school, don’t even try to go for one of the staff members or the princess, why would they want to talk to you?’ kind of journalist.
She adjusted her seating and looked around the train. She saw a cute looking stallion, she would’ve gone after him but he was definitely sitting there with his marefriend. She looked again, there were a couple other attractive ponies, one who was flirting with another, one who sat looking out the window with love in his eyes.
“Ugh.” She complained quietly as the train stopped and she began to take her leave. Why’d she have to be cursed with this talent? She could see love in ponies’ eyes’ and hear it in their voice. It only takes one glance to find out whether they’re single or not. And yet nopony ever showed that love when looking at her, she could never hear the fondness in their voice when they mentioned her name. She figured it was because she couldn’t tell if ponies were interested in her like it was a flaw in her talent, but now she was starting to think that nopony really found her attractive at all.
She trotted off the train and looked around again. As she walked through town she spotted a big stallion with a red coat and an apple cutie mark. He was rugged, handsome and probably had some southern charm and was walking through town with a little pink unicorn by his side. Taken. She found a cyan unicorn with a stringed instrument on her flank, she looked to have a cutesy way of talking. Not that Lonely even got close enough to hear her before she realized that the mare was definitely on a date with the pink and blue maned earth pony next to her. Taken.
A blue maned, white unicorn with sunglasses; taken by a gray earth mare.
A brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark; taken by a ditzy blonde pegasus.
A pathetic unicorn with a cursed talent; SINGLE.
She stomped a hoof on the ground. That's it. Ponyville seemed to have more couples that Canterlot, despite its population. She wasn’t going to use the spell… but she did first decide that before going to a place overpopulated with romance.. She was going to use the spell.
She closed her eyes and allowed her horn to spark with power. In a magenta flash, it was casted. She looked down to her hooves, glanced at her flank and checked her mane but to her dismay, nothing seemed to change.
She trotted on with her head hung low until she walked directly into a pony. A pink mare with a green mane stood right in front of her, “She touched me!” she screeched too loud with a big grin on her face. To the shock of Lonely, she saw something she’d never seen before. No, she’s seen it before, but never directed at her. She could see the love in her eyes. She turned to see that she was surrounded by adoring ponies, their voices filled with love.
“Your hair is pretty!”
"Her coat is my new favorite color!”
“Her eyes are so beautiful.”
“Oh um, thank you.” she tried to keep up with the number of ponies, a griffon and a changeling had even joined her group, “You’re too kind.” she swung her head around to look at another pony.
“She’s so cool.” a colt said.
“Her voice is like silk~!” A mare cooed.
“I want her to be my big sister!” a filly stated, “She’ll compete in the sisterhooves social with me!”
“Nuh uh!” another filly cut in, “She’ll do it with me.”
“No me!” yet another squeaked. The group started rolling over themselves in a full on hoof fight.
Lonely pushed her way towards the group, “Oh- no- please stop!”
At once the three turned to her.
She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in, she was only shocked to see that none of the three had any love in their eyes. She shrugged, it was probably because they were to young, she didn’t really want foals to be in love with her anyway. She tilted her head, they listened to her commands at a moment. “Please don’t fight with each other.” she commanded softly, testing the water.
There was a pause, the dazed fillies looked to each other, then back to her. “ Okay. We won’t!” The one chirped and the others nodded furiously beside her.
“Thank you.” she spoke before turning.
“She thanked us!” one squealed as she went to trot away, only to realize that there were too many ponies for her to even walk an inch.
“Um..” she swayed as she looked at her ever growing audience, “I would love it if you could all give me a little space..”
At once everypony stepped a few steps back, giving Lonely just enough breathing room.
She took a deep breath and looked to her adoring group, a smile crept onto her face. All her dreams had just come true.
~~~
Two hours had passed. She had eaten a lovely dinner, gotten desert free of charge from a place called ‘Sugar Cube Corner’ and now walked with an entourage of ponies praising her every move. This was the life she never knew she wanted. She knew she wanted love, yes, but this level? So many ponies who graveled at her hooves just for her attention? It was amazing.
“Oh that’s so nice of you to say.” she responded to a stallion who stood by her side.
She giggled a flirtatious joke a mare said to her and blushed at a stallion’s attempt to kiss her. She sighed a little, relishing in her bliss, only to be knocked out of it with the feeling of claws on her leg. They weren’t painful or malicious but caring. She looked down to see a small purple dragon, “Pretty...” She raised a hoof up to giggle into in response. Her life was finally perfect.
And then it all came crashing down. “Spike! Spike? What in Equestria?!”
Lonely froze at the voice. She shoved her way through her group to see where the sound was coming from which she soon discovered to be a very bad idea as she was now staring into the eyes of the princess of friendship. Didn’t the book say something on it not working with alicorns? “Oh no.”
“Want it Need it, huh?” she cocked an eyebrow, Princess Twilight Sparkle’s horn flashed with magenta light and with a second all of the love that surrounded the unicorn was gone.
She stood in shock and fear as one by one, the ponies snapped back to reality and started to leave her side. “Wait!” She called, “No! Come back! I--” she was caught off guard by the tears that stained her cheeks. She rubbed her eye with a hoof and turned back to the princess.
“You’re under arrest.” she said sternly, “Spike.”
“Huh wha?” the little dragon responded.
“We’re going back to the castle.” she turned and signaled for Lonely to follow, “Don’t even think of trying anything.”
Lonely opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, instead she let her head hang as she dragged her hooves toward the princess.
Author's Note
wow look at all those ships I acknowledge. Plus its new years day. Happy New Year! See ya tomorrow~
“Why are you crying?” The dragon asked finally. It was a silent trek to the castle and they were about to enter. Lonely could only pray that there were no other ponies inside who’d judge her mistakes.
It was dumb really, how’d she think that she could get away with using dark magic? She sniffed and used a hoof to wipe away the tears on her cheek. “All my dreams just came true and then were immediately ripped from my grasp,” she said bitterly, “I think this is a natural reaction.”
“Having mind controlled worshippers was ‘all your dreams?’” Princess Twilight Sparkle asked skeptically as she opened the door to her grand crystal castle. Lonely didn’t respond, how could she? She just looked at the ground and followed the princess inside. “Well,” the princess said, “You’re not the first.”
The trio trotted inside and down a long hallway. Lonely’s tears had eventually stopped. Crying wouldn’t get her out of this mess… maybe being a suck up would? “Your castle is beautiful.” She said simply.
“Thank you.” Princess Twilight Sparkle responded.
Lonely winced, was that all? “Um..” she started, “Not to be weird or anything.. But may I ask what the um- punishment for using dark magic is..?”
No response.
Lonely sighed and continued to follow the Princess. They eventually reached an area that must’ve been the throne room. A strange table sat in the center, surrounded by seven chairs. Sitting in one was a purple unicorn.
“Oh, I didn’t know we were getting company.” The unicorn trotted over, “I’m Starlight Glimmer.” She reached out a hoof to shake.
A small smile reached Lonely’s face. She shook Starlight’s hoof and attempted to make her voice not shake, “Lonely Love, nice to meet you.”
“Um..” Starlight awkwardly glanced toward the princess and tried to speak without Lonely hearing, though of course she did hear, she was only an arm’s reach away, “Why is she crying..?”
“She was using want it need it outside.” The princess explained, “She’s under arrest.”
“Oooh..” Starlight responded, “That’s not good, what’d she use it on?”
Lonely tried to hide behind her mane from embarrassment. Ugh she was so stupid! Why’d she even consider using that spell? “My..self..” she said slowly, “I uh, used it on myself.”
Starlight stared in shock but then quickly tried to hide it.
“Okay I can’t be the first pony who used the spell on myself.” Lonely raised a hoof only to drop it to the floor again.
Twilight had a thoughtful frown on her face, it was only her for a moment before she trotted to the seat with her cutie mark on it and sat. “Please, sit down.” she said.
Lonely sat in place.
“... I meant in a chair...” she stated.
Lonely blushed, of course, how stupid could she get? She trotted over to a seat that had three apples on it. It must’ve belonged to one of the Elements of Harmony. She paused for a moment and then awkwardly sat on the throne.
The air around them was stiff and suffocating, nopony said anything until the princess, regal as ever, opened her mouth, “Why did you do it? if you don’t mind me asking.”
What is tartarus did she mean ‘if you don’t mind me asking?!’ Lonely was going to jail anyway right? Might as well lose some dignity to lighten the sentence. Her hoof traced a circle into the seat, “I um.. It’s my talents fault.” she said quickly, placing blame on her cutie mark? Yeah okay, she was pretty dumb today.
“And what is your talent?” the princess asked skeptically.
She breathed, “I can see..” what’s the quickest way to describe her talent? Her mind was drawing a blank under the pressure, “I can see love..?” she said finally and held her breath for a response.
“What does that mean?” Starlight tilted her head.
Lonely turned her attention to the unicorn for a moment but quickly looked back to the princess, would it be disrespectful to look away from her? She didn’t know. “When somepony- er any creature really.” she said as she glanced to the dragon, “Is thinking about someone they love romantically.. It’s like, something appears in their eyes and voice.” she shrugged.
“So..” the princess started, “You did it so you could see more love?”
“That’s the thing!” Lonely exclaimed, temporarily forgetting that she was in the presence of an alicorn, “Nopony has ever looked at me like that! I never heard it in their voice when they mentioned my name- nothing! I used to think it was because I couldn’t see when somepony loved me specifically but the spell just proved that theory wrong.” she sighed, “I’m destined to be alone.” she hung her head before laughing a little, “Maybe I’ll find somepony special in prison?” she joked and then immediately cut herself off, not the time for jokes. Definitely not the time for jokes. Tears stung her eyes yet again.
“Hey calm down.” Starlight cooed. Lonely didn’t even realize that she was breathing quicker than normal. “It’s not that big of a deal, I mean I enslaved a whole town and now I live in a castle.” she shrunk away as the princess swung her head around to stare daggers into the pony.
Lonely hardly notices the princess’ reaction, “Really?”
“Yeah, plus Twilight used that spell before and got off scot free.” Spike clearly didn’t see the alicorn’s reaction either.
Lonely gasped, “Really!?” she repeated.
Twilight scoffed at the two, “I was trying to be intimidating.”
Spike and Starlight laughed awkwardly in unison. “Sorry about that...” the unicorn said.
Lonely looked from the two back to the princess, the mood seemed to have lightened. She allowed herself to take a deep, albeit shaky, breath.
“So you can tell when somepony’s in love?” Starlight asked, Lonely nodded her reply, “Okay, try me!” Starlight grinned, then she laughed awkwardly again, “If that’s okay..” she glanced to the princess who just sighed in response.
“Um.. Then...” Lonely stated, “Think about somepony you’re close to.”
“Hmm okay.”
Lonely paused, “There’s nothing.”
“Alright- what about...” Starlight mumbled.
“Still nothing.” Lonely shrugged.
Starlight raised an eyebrow. Within a moment a mischievous grin appeared on her face. “Try it on Twilight!”
“What!?” the princess responded.
“I don’t see anything,” Lonely stated.
“What about that Flash guy?” the dragon asked.
“Spike!” Twilight blushed mildly to yell at him.
Lonely blinked, “Nothing- it could be only a crush though.” she explained, “Finding someone attractive and being in love are completely different.”
“Yes! That’s it.” The princess blushed further, “I met him once .” she said sternly.
The dragon laughed, “I’m just teasing you, Twi.”
“Okay! Well try Spike.” the princess was suddenly bent on revenge.
Lonely stared at the dragon, he shrugged and grinned, “I’m unreadable-”
“Rarity.” the alicorn stated.
“He-hey that’s not fair!”
“Yeah, he’s in love.” Lonely giggled, “Though I don’t think you need my talent to see that.”
Twilight and Starlight laughed at their friend and Lonely finally felt completely relaxed. She used both hooves to rubbed the tears off her face, “You really scared me you know, I thought I was going to Tartarus.” she laughed a little.
Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof, “Well you’re still under arrest.”
Lonely shrunk back into her chair.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” Starlight ignored the princess, “Where are you from?”
“Canterlot.” she said, “I came here for my job- I’m a reporter.” she laughed a little, “My boss told me not to even try to talk to the princess as she probably wouldn’t want to talk to me.” she looked to Twilight, “I guess breaking the law is a pretty quick way to get an interview, though I think you guys are the interviewers now.”
The group spoke for a while, joking about one thing or another. Lonely eventually had told her whole life story and explained how she got her cutie mark. One day, while she was a filly, she confessed to a colt, he turned her down and so she set him up with her friend. Since that day, she’d been cursed with that mark on her flank. Starlight also told the story about her revenge on cutie marks that lead to the enslavement of a town and world altering time travel.
“You know,” Lonely said as Spike just got done talking about the first time he met this Rarity pony, “I could tell you if she loved you back, I’d just have to meet her.”
“Really?” a big smile grew on his face.
“Not so fast,” Twilight laughed a little, “I have a question.”
Lonely nodded, “Ask me anything.”
“How’d you know the spell?” she asked.
Lonely paused and then chuckled awkwardly, “I’m what you would call desperate . After my hundred and twelfth confession I started studying love related magic. At first it was to use some brain washing stuff but then it became my hobby.” She shrugged, “It’s more interesting to study that stuff than being a lowly reporter.” she giggled.
A small smile appeared on Twilight’s face, “Then I know what your sentence is.”
Lonely swallowed, she’d forgotten about that.
“Lonely Love, I sentence you…” Lonely bit her hoof, “to be my new personal student!”
“What!?!?” Three voices said in unison.
Twilight just smiled and nodded, “Starlight was my first student and after she graduated I made my school but that’s all for teaching friendship and I think you’re fine in that department.” she explained, “I’d like to teach magic, only if you want to of course.”
Lonely sat stunned, “Want to?! Why wouldn’t I?!” she exclaimed rhetorically, “Thank you thank you thank you!” She cheered and went to hug Twilight. She only stopped herself in the last second, “Err.. May I?”
Twilight hid her giggle with a hoof, “Of course.” They locked eyes and for a moment, just a split second, Lonely could’ve sworn she saw something in Twilight’s eyes. The two new friends hugged, spike and Starlight were quick to join. Though blissful in the group hug, Lonely couldn’t help but think about that strange glimmer in Twilight’s eyes.
Could Twilight be..? No. That’s just silly. Lonely stifled a sigh. This had just been the best day of her life, she should be grateful for that and not find the need to look into something that was probably just a trick of the light... Right?
Author's Note
eh buck it, I'll post the last chapter today, I was gonna wait till tomorrow but I don't wanna. I kind of want to make a sequel to this? IDK. If y'all like it I'll make another. also take a shot every time lonely calls herself dumb/stupid, you'll be drunk in minutes
