The Night Bird

by MisterEdd

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 5804

A bringer of misfortune and the only one of her kind...what's an owl-pony to do?

For as long as she could remember, Strix has lived in the depths of the infamous Everfree Forest, the lone owl-pony resident of its shade and gloom. As an omen of ill fortune, as well as her unique appearance, she's since become an myth that parents tell to their foals to get them to behave, something that Strix is not overly fond of. Tired of being alone, she ventures to Ponyville to find acceptance, and hopefully, a partner that will love her for who she is.

Written for the 1st Monster Mare Story Competition (Unpopular Monsters) Contest

Published 2019-05-19 02:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2019-05-19 02:30:02 UTC

All By Myself

The chirping of crickets permeated the night air, the first in a nocturnal symphony that performed each and every night to an imaginary audience. They were soon joined by bats, Timberwolves, owls and many other strange and dark denizens of the Everfree Forest, each one of them awakening from their slumber to revel in celebration of the night. Everypony knew not to venture into the Everfree, especially not at night, where the untold terrors of the ancient woods held dominion. Out of all of the legends that circulated about the forest, there was one that rang one hundred-percent true and the twilight hour was her time.

Large yellow eyes shot open as the owl-pony found herself roused by the cacophony of nighttime music, her acute vision peering through the darkness of her arboreal lair to confirm the lack of daylight. Swiveling her neck around, she planted her forelegs on the wooden floor of the tree and took several tentative steps towards the entrance, her ears flicking at every sound that they picked up on. Just because she was a predator, that didn't mean that she was safe. In the Everfree, there is no such thing as "safe," only "temporarily sound." The owl-pony, who was named Strix, took this lesson to heart. After all, why else was she the last of her kind?

Unfurling her wings, Strix soundlessly took off into the air, her head pivoting as her keen eyes searched for sustenance, ideally something tiny and hairy. While she could live off of insects, she preferred small mammals, such as chipmunks or rabbits, which had more meat to them and generally tasted better. There was a time when she would've aided her mother in hunting but that time was long past, so long in fact, that she could no longer remember when that last was. Decades? A century? Long enough to where Strix could only recall herself.

That'll do. Strix thought to herself, spotting a plump squirrel hopping about between tree branches. Carefully landing on an adjacent tree, she watched the squirrel scurrying down the trunk of a nearby oak, its little nose flaring and its body skittishly alert. Leaping from the trunk, the squirrel continued its path nimbly across the tree branches and the owl-pony took this opportunity to strike. A wave of barely perceivable of blue violet energy echoed off of Strix's body and passed over the next branch that the squirrel landed on, causing the wood to snap and sending the rodent plummeting to the ground below. Wasting no time, Strix dive-bombed downward and came to stop upon a tree stump, surveying her recent kill.

As to be expected, the squirrel had perished on impact, its neck and spine broken from the fall. Reaching a hindleg out, Strix snatched the body up in her talons and flapped away, eager to return to her lair with breakfast. She had been fortunate enough to have not been accosted during her journey and she dug vigorously into the squirrel as if she hadn't eaten in days. The owl-ponies had a rather curious talent: their bodies could radiate a unique form of probability energy that allowed them to, in lay pony's terms, cause bad luck to occur by manipulating the world around them. If, for example, a deer was running through the forest, Strix could make the deer trip by "forcing" a nearby stone to slid beneath its hooves or clock it in the head with a falling rotten tree branch. Owl-ponies couldn't just make things happen out of thin air; they merely increased the odds of unfortunate events to happen.

Unsurprisingly, this made them extremely unpopular with the sentient races, particularly ponies, who blamed them for every disaster or tragedy, whether the equine/avian creatures were around or not. They eventually fled deep into the forests to escape persecution and it wasn't long until they faded into legend, becoming relegated to mythological omens of ill fortune or hideous creatures of the night that snatched foals from their beds to drink their blood. Strix sighed and pushed her meat to the side, having found her appetite ruined by the lingering thoughts of isolation. She gazed around her nest, her heart heavy with sorrow at the distinct lack of a mate or chicks. With a talon, she wistfully scratched a tally mark into the wall, adding another figure to the seemingly endless sea of marks that had accumulated over the years.

Why don't you go see HIM?

Strix idly swatted at a dust bunny, hoping to distract herself from the question. She sat across from a large mirror shard that she'd collected a while back and stuck it haphazardly to the wall with honey. After a while, the female owl-pony that stared back at Strix began to take on a life of her own and the two engaged in what at times appeared to be rather one-sided conversations.

You know you want to.

"Because I don't see the point!" Strix snapped before miserably staring at the floor. "All it does is remind me of what I want but can never have. Who I can never have."

So you're going to just sit there and sulk? The other owl-pony asked testily. When Strix didn't reply, she grumbled and rubbed her muzzle. At least you can go see if he's okay. Wouldn't that cheer you up at least a little bit?

Strix's cheeks heated up at the suggestion. "Well, I-I suppose one little peek wouldn't hurt."

There you go! The night's still young and you could use a good flight.

"You're right!" Strix stood up and dusted off her wings.

Of course I am! When haven't I been right?

Strix curled an eyebrow. "That time you thought it was a good idea to drop that bee's nest on that manticore's head?"

The other owl-pony crossed her forelegs. Okay, I'll admit, it wasn't one of my brightest ideas. Never mind that. Now get out there and go see your stallion!

"Right!" Without any further provocation, Strix took a running start and dove out of her tree, allowing her wings to unfurl and catch the breeze. "Next stop: Ponyville!"

Author's Note

Strix is based off of the mythological creature of the same name and basically resembles a mix between a pony and a Eurasian scops owl.

Falling Hard

Terror buried itself deep inside Strix's bosom but it was quickly overpowered by desire, the desire to see her secret crush, to see him. It'd been a week since she last visited Ponyville and her travels to that town always frightened her but to catch even a fleeting glimpse of Red Cross was worth it. Gracefully soaring through the air, she nimbly landed on top of a thick tree branch and gazed longingly into the three-story window, her heart beating so hard that it hurt. A light flicked on and a unicorn stallion stepped into view, dropping his apparently heavy saddle bags on the floor and Strix momentarily lost her breath. There he is!

Red Cross possessed a turquoise blue coat and had a wavy mane of navy blue hair. Even without looking at him, Strix could see his eye color: jade green, like fresh leaves in the glowing candle light. True to his name, the stallion had a red, equal-armed cross inside of a heart as his cutie mark. The first time Strix saw him was during a casual flight and she just happened to have spotted him as he walked out of Ponyville General, where he worked as something called a "residential physician." After that, she would visit him at his house and simply watch him as he went about his business, even sometimes leaving him gifts such as a flower or a wood carving.

Because he often worked long into the night, the nocturnal Strix was able to visit him though she usually stuck to his house as there were was less of a chance of her being caught by prying eyes. Stretching his back out, Red Cross hopped onto his bed and flicked on the television, channel surfing until he came across a nature documentary on birds of prey. What always puzzled Strix was why such a handsome and successful stallion like Red Cross was single. He was straight and was of the right breeding age yet she hardly ever saw him go anywhere. Digging through his trash turned up no indications that he'd had any recent contact with mares, only dirty magazines and take-out menus.

Perhaps, she blushed to herself. He's waiting for the right female to swoop him up.

So what are you waiting for? Despite the lack of a mirror, the other owl-pony often followed Strix around, talking to her and giving her advice that was, for the most part, actually quite sound.

Strix shook her head. I've already told you that-

Creee-eee-ack! The branch that Strix was perched on snapped and she was sent hurtling into another branch, knocking the wind out of her as it struck her back. Toppling head-over-talons, she plummeted to the earth and bit back a scream as something snapped underneath her. "Ow...ow-ow-ow." She winced and slowly pulled her wing out from under her. "It's not s-supposed to look like that..." The upper half of her wing was bent in an unnatural shape, the feathers either torn out or mangled and twisted around. "I-I have to get out...get out of here before-..."

"Hello? Who's out there?"

------------------------------------------------------------------*-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another long night at the grind. Red Cross sighed and switched his TV on, hoping to find something that peaked his interest. While he enjoyed his work at the hospital, finding it incredibly fulfilling to help ponies, it was pretty much all that he had going on in his life. He saw less and less of his friends, who were either married and had children, were getting married or in the process of starting a family and he wasn't in the mood to start looking for friends at work. As a consummate professional, he kept his personal and private lives separate to avoid being distracted from aiding his patients. And then, there was the question of his love life.

Sure, there were many eligible bachelorettes living in Ponyville but none of them were really right for him. Derpy the mailmare was nice enough but her clumsiness was a cute novelty and he found her a bit off. Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ-Pon3, was a little too boisterous for his tastes and Pinkie Pie, while a selfless and happy-go-lucky mare, was hyperactive and randomly odd. Red Cross wanted to find The One, a mare that he could have a real connection with and see himself sharing a future. His search for the perfect mate didn't get his mother off his back, who insisted that he should get married like his older brother and having foals and yadda yadda yadda.

And then there was the mystery mare that left him gifts at his doorstep. After an exhaustive search, he'd yet to discover her identity and was curious as to who she could possibly be. He believed her to be a shy, lonely soul that was too bashful to talk to him directly but still wanted to ensure that he was aware of her interest, hence the traditional courting gift of flowers. Clicking the button on the remote, Red Cross came across an educational program on birds of prey and instantly set his remote down. I wonder if my mystery mare likes birds too? One of the few hobbies he had was bird-watching and was interested in ornithology, particularly of raptors like falcons and owls. There was just something majestic about the way they soared through the air, chasing their prey or simply drifting on the breeze.

"And here we see the snowy owl, or bubo scandiacus, stalking her prey, a nearby duck. Notice how she employs the 'sit and wait' method, patiently searching for the right time to catch the duck unawares before striking. She silently rushes the duck and tackles him, seizing him with her powerful talons..."

Red Cross was so thoroughly engrossed by his program that he physically jumped at the sound of breaking wood, followed by a thud and a soft moan. He leaned over and gazed out the window, finding a pony-shaped mass lying in his backyard, a pegasus by the look of it. What is a pegasus doing in my backyard this late at night? A part of him screamed to remain inside but the medical specialist part ultimately won out and he found himself trotting downstairs and opening the back door. After all, even if it was a burglar, they still had a right to first aid like everypony else.

"Hello? Who's out there?" Red Cross asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. The light from the back porch illuminated the backyard and he watched as the figure slowly rose, appearing to shy away from the light as it cradled its wing. "Um, please don't attack me. I'm a resident and I thought you might need medical attention-..." The words died in his throat. While the figure was a pony, it wasn't like any he'd ever seen before.

The figure was slightly taller than your average pony and was covered in midnight-blue feathers, its belly and underneath its wings were black dotted with white feathers giving it the appearance of being a piece of the night sky. While its forelegs ended in hooves, its hindlegs possessed scaly, three-toed feet with hooked talons. A large pair of unblinking yellow eyes peered out from its uninjured wing. The head was that of a mare but covered in feathers and dominated by equine ears whose ear tufts gave her the appearance of owning a set of horns. It was an owl-pony!

"Please don't look at me." The voice was a little on the deep side but still undeniably feminine, carrying with it a sort of silky cadence. "I'm-I'm sorry about your tree. I should go!"

"Wait!" The owl-pony froze. "You...you're injured. Come inside and I'll fix you up." Red Cross gestured towards the inside of the house and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. I just want to help."

The owl-pony nodded but didn't move. "Could you t-turn the lights off? They hurt my eyes."

"Sure thing. By the way, I'm Red Cross."

"Strix," the owl-pony stated and Red Cross could've sworn he noticed a blush on her exposed cheek. "It's so nice to meet you...Red Cross."

TLC

True to his word, Red Cross cut the lights off, instead lighting a few candles, which Strix didn't mind as it was large amounts of light that stung her eyes. Oh goodness, I'm actually inside his house! While slightly messy, with thin layers of dust covering the coffee table and the wall-hung pictures, as well as discarded fast food wrappers, the house's interior was rather nice if a little too solitary. The owl-pony shifted uncomfortably on the dark green sofa, internally panicking on what to say or not to say. She hadn't intended on falling from the tree and meeting the stallion of her dreams face-to-face but here she was. The problem with her bad luck power was that for every instance that she employed it, an equal moment of misfortune would befall her sooner or later, acting as a sort of karmic balance.

Would you calm down already? The other owl-pony huffed. He saw what you looked like and rather than run away screaming, he invited you into his home and is taking care of you. This is a win!

Is it? I don't know what I'm supposed to say to him! If you haven't noticed, I'm freaking out over here!

A hoof swiftly smacked her across the face. Calm down! Breath in...and breath out. Strix did just that, already feeling much more relaxed. Very good. Now, unless he addresses you first, don't say anything. Keep your answers short and brief and thank him for his hospitality.

Some hoofsteps informed her that her host was returning from the kitchen and Strix immediately tensed up. Red Cross levitated a first aid kit onto the coffee table along with a towel, a bowl of water and some rubbing alcohol. He reached over and tentatively took ahold of Strix's injured wing, drawing a sharp hiss out of her. Dabbing the towel with the water, he gently began washing the appendage, pulling away loose feathers and scrubbing the dirt out. Strix blocked out the pain by gazing into Red Cross's eyes, becoming lost in the tenderness of those green orbs.

Pouring rubbing alcohol onto the towel, Red Cross said softly, "This is going to sting a little," before carefully applying it to Strix's forewing. A piercing screech erupted in the living room and Red Cross had to clasp his ears with his hooves in order to shut the painful sound out. Strix embarrassingly clamped her muzzle shut, ashamed by her display and furious with herself for hurting the stallion that was just trying to help her. Way to go, stupid!

"I-I'm so sorry, Red Cross! I didn't mean to..."

She expected anger or disgust but instead, Red Cross smiled at her. "It's okay. By the looks of it, you've broken your metacarpus and your ulna and possibly the basal phalanx. I'd be screaming too."

Well? Aren't you going to say anything? "Thank you. Still, I'm sorry I hurt you."

Red Cross dug through the first aid kit and pulled out a roll of bandages, carefully unrolling it so that Strix could see it. "It's fine, really. Now Strix, I'm going to need you to curl up your wing, please."

With a sharp intake of air, Strix slammed her jaws together and furled up her injured wing, muffling a shriek while Red Cross slowly began the painstaking process of wrapping the appendage up. All the while, Strix stayed silent as she watched the unicorn work, knocking some lesser and secondary convert feathers to the floor to help the process go by faster. No amount of flying or hunting could ever make the owl pony's heart thunder like it did while Red Cross was in such close proximity to her. She caught a whiff of his cologne, a divine mix of grapefruit and mint citrus that, combined with his natural mandarin-scented musk, left her breathless and longing for his touch. Don't sniff, don't sniff, please don't sniff...

Thankfully, Strix managed to control herself as Red Cross levitated a pair of bandage scissors and, using them to cut the end of the bandage, then employed a safety pin to keep it in place. Regrettably, he stepped back to look over his work. "There! We're all done. How does it feel?"

Strix observed her wing, gently lifting it for inspection. "It feels good. Thank you."

"Now tell him how good he smells."

"I'm not saying that."

She then noticed Red Cross just standing there with a notable blush. "Right, well, um, I'm going to get you some blankets so-so just sit tight. I'll...I'll be right back." The wind whipped around him as he dashed out the room and rushed upstairs leaving behind a very puzzled Strix.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------*------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, that was weird," Red Cross mumbled to himself, digging through his closet for some spare blankets for his unusual houseguest. The owl-pony was actually talking to herself! And she apparently thought that he smelled good? Yeah, she was no doubt a bizarre individual but seemed harmless enough. As a colt, Red Cross grew up hearing tales of the owl-ponies from his grandmother, who painted them as bloodthirsty omens of death. So why didn't Strix attack him when she had the chance? A little thing like a wing injury shouldn't deter a predator.

He thought back to how skittish she was when he tended to her injuries. Poor thing must've been all alone for Celestia knows how long. No wonder she talks to herself! He found a thick cotton blanket and an old quilt, both of which were large enough to encompass Strix's body and made his way downstairs, finding Strix sitting exactly where he last left her, a little more at ease than before. She rotated her head to look at him and a funny thing happened: he stopped and gazed at her as if seeing her for the first time.

Her eyes were a bright yellow with flecks of gold and appeared to glow in the dim candlelight. Her pony-esque body was completely covered in feathers which adorned a sleek but toned form, one belonging to a female athlete that doubled as a model. Powerful hindlegs were supported on a pair of clawed feet whose talons could easily rend the unicorn to shreds but could also possibly caress him in a moment of tenderness. Unlike the longer, more eagle-like wings of a pegasus, Strix's were shorter but broader, built for stealth and ambushes and with their mix of blacks, whites and midnight-blues, it was akin to staring at the night sky. In short, she was beautiful.

"Red Cross? Are you alright?"

The unicorn snapped back to reality. "I'm fine. Everything's fine...here...now. How are you?"

Strix turned away but smiled broadly. "I'm alright thanks to you. So, where am I sleeping?"

"Just follow me upstairs and I'll show you!"

After closing the blinds and shutting the curtains, Red Cross made sure Strix was comfortably tucked into his bed, being extra mindful of her bandaged wing. "Right, I'll be downstairs if you need anything," he assured her and blew out the candles. "Good night, Strix."

"Wait!" Red Cross froze in the doorway and looked back at a pair of glowing eyes. From the sound of Strix's voice, it was as though she was frightened of something. After a brief pause, she stammered, "Could-could you...m-maybe stick around until I f-fall asleep. Please?" Although Red Cross couldn't see her face, the desperation and fear were evident.

"Okay." Red Cross sat on the edge of the bed's right side, being careful not to sit on Strix's good wing.

"Maybe a little closer?"

Hesitantly, he scooted onto the bed and felt something heavy press against his chest. Upon reaching over, he confirmed that it was indeed Strix's head and began to smooth over the feathers of her scalp, marveling at their softness. He was ready to stop but then a happy chirp told him that it was okay and continued his ministrations. I'm in bed massaging a female owl-pony that's got the hots for me. My life is weird. He then smiled. And I'm strangely okay with that.

"Goodnight, Strix."

A sigh of contentment answered him. "Goodnight, Red Cross."

Two Night Owls

Beep-ba-ba-beep! Beep-ba-ba-beep! Beep-ba-ba-beep! Beep-ba-ba-beep!

Groaning, Red Cross internally uttered some choice swear words and blindly smacked the air, hoping to hit the irksome noise that dared to disturb his slumber. His hoof finally connected with the top of his alarm clock, silencing the bothersome racket and allowing his mind to clear without irritating sounds. He stretched and emitted a moaning war cry, cracking and popping some muscles as he fully awoke and almost jumped when he felt something soft and warm laying next to him. In the dimness of his bedroom, he could make out a quasi-avian shape, one that whimpered and muttered something incoherently. He then remembered the events of last night and felt his heart swell with affection.

"Morning Strix," he smiled and caressed one of her ears, which flicked at him and he chuckled. Being as how owl-ponies were nocturnal, Red Cross wasn't expecting her to answer him back and instead gave her sleeping form a once-over before getting ready for work. One quick shower and hastily-eaten breakfast later, the unicorn changed into his scrubs and ensured that his saddlebags included his patient files and packed lunch, glossing over everything to double-check that he had everything he needed. Sandwich? Check. Coffee? Check. Hospital ID? Check. Ready and rearing to go!

Closing and locking the front door, Red Cross paused to slide his hoof down the door's surface. For the first time, it really felt like a home. Since he'd been living there, it was just a house like any other, just one that he happened to sleep in and habitually chill out in. Now knowing that he had someone waiting for him when he left work made him feel...complete. With a stride in his step, he made a beeline for the hospital, whistling a happy little tune that he hadn't heard in a very long time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------*------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts and images swirled around before the owl-pony's vision, almost blinding her with their multitudinous brilliance and she believed that she was about ready to go mad from the onslaught. Whether they were conjurations of her sub-conscious mind or long-forgotten memories of a bygone era, Strix couldn't tell and she wasn't entirely certain that she wanted to. A flurry of writhing owl-ponies rushed up to meet her like a wave, their faces contorted into permanent masks of agony, their wails flooding her ears and sending her sprawling into the darkness of the forest. Scarlet drops poured from the starry, clear blue sky, creating a bloody sea that threatened to drown Strix in its vicious depths. She tried to fly but one of her wings hung limply at her side, forcing her to furiously flap and swing at the blood in order to stay afloat.

All around her, the owl-ponies dropped from the air like stones, hitting the sea and sinking beneath its depths. She caught glimpse of what could've been her siblings and parents but she couldn't completely tell. A red wave rose fifty stories above her head, eclipsing Strix in its shadow and showering her in blood like war paint. The wave then howled and nickered as it formed itself into the shape of a gigantic pony, its eyeless head somehow pointing downward and looking right at her. With a mighty roar, it slammed down on top of Strix, drowning her and plunging her into oblivion.

Eyes now wide open, Strix kicked and flailed on top of the bed, gasping for air to replenish her supply from her nightmarish submersion. She stopped and found herself inside of a familiar bedroom, allowing her rapidly beating heart a moment's respite from the excitement just a moment ago. Thankfully, she lacked sweat glands otherwise the blankets and bedsheets would be drenched in it. Instead, she panted and laid still, letting her body relax and sink into the comforting embrace of the mattress. She hadn't had a nightmare like that in a long time and was thankful to be in a place of comfort rather than alone in her tree back in the Everfree Forest.

Are you alright, Strix?

"I think so. It was nothing." Although frightening, she refused to acknowledge the nightmare and instead focused on her waking life. Her internal clock told her that the sun had gone down and rather than stay in bed, Strix rose and, in the habit of a predator, crept downstairs, her head swiveling from side to side. Nearing the kitchen, she came across a hoof-written note with a note pointing towards the refrigerator:

Strix,

I picked up some squirrel meat for you in case you got hungry. It's in a brown paper bag inside of the fridge. I will be home as soon as I get off from work. We have a lot to talk about. I hope to see you soon!

Red Cross

"He...he picked up food for me?"

Aw, that's so sweet! He's definitely a keeper!

With her nictitating membranes, Strix blinked back tears as she opened the refrigerator door and spied the aforementioned brown paper back. It's even got my name on it! Seizing the bag in her hooves, she crushed it to her muzzle and inhaled its gamey scent, reveling in its odor and noticing that it smelled better than any squirrel she'd killed before. She shredded the bag with her talons and gleefully tore the meat apart, savoring its juicy flavor and humming in delight at its mode of arrival.

The owl-pony courtship ritual consisted of a pair calling to one another and was followed up by the male either doing a special flight or bringing the female food to prove that he can provide for her. Although Red Cross was surely unaware of the meaning of this gesture, Strix nonetheless accepted it wholeheartedly. In her heart, she knew she'd already found her mate and would spend the rest of her life guarding him. Even though he didn't care for her like that, she would fight tooth and nail to earn his love. To an owl-pony, nothing was more important than their mate and children.

----------------------------------------------------------------------*-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a little after ten when Red Cross stumbled through the door to his house, having spent the last few hours tending to an elderly patient suffering from a severe case of gout in her hocks and ankles. After the wholly unpleasant experience of having to actually bathe her, he silently prayed to Celestia to either erase the memory from his mind or invent eye bleach and slammed the door behind him. He paused and noticed that the carpet, which had accumulated a trail of dirt, had recently been vacuumed. The living room had been dusted and all loose bits of trash thrown away, leaving it looking brand new. "What the hay?"

"Hi Red Cross," Strix softly greeted, slowly emerging from the kitchen, her hooves anxiously wringing each other. "I thought I'd clean up a little. That's okay, right?"

"It's more than okay. This was...just...thank you. You didn't have to." The unicorn was left speechless by his houseguest's selfless act. He had to grin to himself at the sight of Strix turning her head and blushing, an action that made her look absolutely adorable.

Strix smiled, "It was the least I could do. After all, you did fix my wing and give me a place to sleep. You didn't have to do that either so I guess we're even." She took a seat on the sofa and it was then that Red Cross noticed the vase of flowers sitting on the kitchen counter. It wouldn't have been that incredible except that they looked like the wild flowers that he sometimes found outside his door-

"Hey Strix? Where did you get those flowers?"

The owl-pony stiffened. "F-from the Everfree. Why, don't you like them?"

You are so cute; I just want to eat you! Red Cross took a seat next to Strix and gingerly patted her left shoulder. "I don't like them. I love them." Strix's grin grew to mammoth proportions. "Why didn't you tell me that you were my secret admirer?"

Her smile now gone, Strix exhaled loudly and turned her head away. "Because of what I am. You...you're young and handsome and I'm...well, you know. It could never work between us. For all their talk of acceptance, ponies could never allow me to stay here, nor would they look kindly at such a pairing." She turned her head back to look at Red Cross, her eyes swimming with tears. "I've been alone for so long and you made me look forward to waking up every night. For the first time in a long time, I...I didn't feel so alone."

Red Cross said nothing, letting Strix's words sink in as he took in the sight of the beautiful creature pouring her heart out to him. Ever since starting his residency, he felt as though nothing else mattered but his work, his focus single-mindedly directed at advancing his career and making his mother proud of him. Receiving the flowers and wood carvings from his secret admirer not only did wonders for his self-esteem but also gave him the contentment of knowing that somepony out there cared for him and he looked forward to the nights he'd find a gift waiting for him on his doorstep. And while he couldn't completely sympathize with the owl-pony's plight, he too knew how it felt to be alone, doomed to follow the same cycle over and over again. Now that he had a break from that cycle, he wasn't going to let it go.

Gently wiping away the tears on Strix's cheeks, Red Cross smiled warmly at her and rose from his spot. "Follow me upstairs," he gestured and made it halfway up the steps before the bewildered owl-pony followed. Entering his bedroom, he magically lifted a chest from out underneath his bed and opened it up, revealing the various wood carvings he'd received over the past few months. "Every time I got one of these, I put them in this chest and place it under my bed so that they could be close to me whenever I slept. Just having them near me gave me good dreams."

Strix's mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Red Cross continued, "Strix, I don't care about your looks or what anypony says." He stepped closer to her and stared up into her eyes. "I've felt lonely too and I'm willing to give this a try if you are. Will you be my special somepony?"

A large wing seized ahold of the unicorn and yanked him into a wide-mouthed kiss. While the feathers were a bit distracting, the kiss itself was passionate but tender, like smooching a long-lost lover. His hooves caressed the ring of feathers that adorned Strix's neck and he shuddered at how fluffy and soft they were compared to the rest of her. Strix moaned into his mouth, evidently pleased by his touch and this excited him to no end. Finally, Strix let him back down until his hooves once more touched the floor and both parties were left gasping for air.

"W-wow. That was a bit much...but nice."

Strix giggled, "Sorry, I was just so happy."

"It's-wow-okay. Could we maybe just take it slow? Maybe get to know each other first?"

Strix sighed happily. "For you, I'd wait a century."

----------------------------------------------------------------*----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the new couple snuggled beneath the covers, Strix stayed awake to watch her mate sleep, taking solace in the steady rise and fall of his chest and his light snoring. The nights, while beautiful in their own right, often filled her with a sense of tedium as she spent the long hours hunting or talking to the other owl-pony in the mirror. She caressed Red Cross' neck and placed her wing so that it covered his torso. No matter what came her way, Strix was secure in the knowledge that she now had somepony to share her life with, a partner to be at her side in the long nights ahead. Finally, she closed her eyes and dreamt not of death and despair but of hope and new life, for her and her mate.