Of Twilights and True Love

by DivineRoyalty

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Other, Romance
Length: 5922

When Twilight’s human friend must leave once again on an expedition, she must either come to terms with her feelings for him, or watch them fester inside herself forevermore.

When Twilight’s human friend must leave once again on an expedition, she must either come to terms with her feelings for him, or watch them fester inside herself forevermore. The only thing is, either option is far harder to choose than she thinks. Will she boldly place her friendship with this creature on the line, or will she sit and suffer quietly as he goes far and away once again?

Published 2019-08-26 05:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-08-26 05:10:01 UTC

Of Twilights and True Love

Author's Note

Just an idea that I had today that I decided to put to words. I hope you enjoy!

EDIT 08/30/2019: Made a few aesthetic changes with regard to grammar and word repetition.

Of Twilights and True Love

Princess Twilight Sparkle’s day had been something less than enjoyable. Princess duties were never light, and today had been no exception. Haughty Nobles complaining about the most insignificant things, foreign ambassadors that had been nothing but pompous and rude, endless papers to sift through and sign… just a normal day in the life of an Alicorn.

Of course, Twilight could not complain about her new life. She had food the likes of which most ponies would never truly know in their lives, and numerous chefs to prepare it to boot. She lived in a splendorful castle, built of the finest cut stone and the most beautiful marble and gold. She possessed a warm, spacious, and fluffy bed on which to sleep when Princess Luna would raise the moon. To many ponies far and wide, hers was a life to envy, not to regret.

And yet, Twilight could not feel at peace with it. Indeed had she spread the magic of friendship far and wide throughout Equestria; indeed had she vanquished (or assisted in vanquishing) many horribly dangerous creatures that would seek to threaten the existence of her homeland. Indeed had she made groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in both science and magic, and indeed had she lived up in every way to the expectations and dreams of her mentor, Princess Celestia. So why was it that she could not find solace in her work? Why could she not find even some modicum of rest in her day to day duties and actions?

She did not know, nor did she think she ever would. But now, she was just finishing meeting with a rather annoying charcoal-colored Noble. He claimed that it was an insult to Noble families everywhere that the “common-folk” and “peasantry” of Equestria were now designing and giving to themselves coats of arms and family titles, even if they were purely decorative and served only a symbolic purpose. She had promised to him to look into the issue (even though “looking into” the issue would consist solely of browsing the most well-designed ones for personal pleasure), but despite that, he still felt the need to ramble on about the “encroaching” and “ungrateful” nature of those supposedly “underneath” the higher-ups of both Equestrian society and government.

“...And you would not believe their ignorance with food! They would not know how to eat a meal properly if they had been educated on it for centuries! And they frown upon us for our ‘idiotic’ properness! Can you believe it?”

“It is surely of great interest, Lord Hoofington. I am so sorry to cut our time short, but I have another meeting that was supposed to begin five minutes ago.”

“Oh! My sincerest apologies. I just, cannot… STAND those annoying little peasants! Oh dear me… anyways, thank you for listening. I know the problem is in your capable hooves, dear Princess! Goodbye to you!” He called as he walked out of the hall.

Twilight breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she slumped down into a decidedly unprincess-like posture. “Celestia, will I never miss seeing him…” She muttered bitterly to herself.

“Uh, Twilight? Your five o’clock is here,” a voice called from the end of the hall.

“Go ahead and bring them in, Spike,” Twilight answered regretfully, mentally steeling herself for another long encounter.

The voice chuckled. “I think you’ll like this one, Twilight.”

Twilight’s ears perked up slightly when she heard her young dragon assistant speak those words. Rarely would he make comments about anypony during court hours (mostly out of fear of them hearing), and when he did, he usually did not speak of them as unprofessionally as he just had. “Well, who is it?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Oh, just your resident trouble-maker,” a new voice announced.

Twilight’s heart shot skyward as she heard that voice. “Lawrence? Is that you?”

Lawrence stepped briskly into view as if he had been cued. “The one and only!”

Twilight leapt forth from her throne and wrapped her friend in a large, tight hug. “It is so nice to see you!” She gushed as she nuzzled her head against his chest.

“And how wonderful it is to see you!” Lawrence returned the hug as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her partially up and onto two legs.

Lawrence was, for all intents and purposes, quite the anomaly in Equestria. He was a human: a creature thought only to exist in folklore and pony-tales that walked atop only two legs and towered over everything and everyone with his immense height. How he had come to Equestria was a mystery, even despite the best attempts to discover just that by many of the most bright and skilled minds in the whole of the land, including Twilight Sparkle herself. But it was not how he had come that made him significant or meaningful in the eyes of the populace anymore. No, it was what he was doing in Equestria that made his name known across most of Equus. Lawrence was an archaeologist and an author, and was one of the individuals responsible for the discovery of the Invictus Totalus: an ancient tome of spells thought to have been one of the texts that set the cosmos in motion. Lawrence had become a star all across the land almost overnight, beginning work on important archaeological commissions and reporting his findings directly to Princess Twilight herself; something that she enjoyed very much.

The two had become friends rather quickly upon Lawrence’s arrival. They shared many hobbies, many dreams, and many views and ideas, but perhaps the strongest link between them was their mutual thirst for knowledge. Indeed, every time they would find the other during down time, it was true perhaps ninety percent of the time that they would be reading a book, writing a report, or conducting research of some kind, and via some way. The two became each other’s confidants in all things history, science, literature, mathematics, and more, and neither of them would have it any other way.

When the embrace between the two friends inevitably came to an end, Twilight released any notions of princess-like composure and, with the joy and giddiness of a school-filly on caffeine, asked, “So? What have you found?”

“Interesting that you assume I’ve found anything at all,” Lawrence attempted to raise an eyebrow in a look of mock confusion, but the facade soon fell through with a burst of good-natured laughter. “Oh my goodness Twilight, I may have found what we’ve been searching for all this time!”

Twilight’s grin, once presumed to not be able to go any wider, defied all expectations and logic by doing exactly that. “You mean… you mean you’ve found-”

“The Unicornae Codex! The last link to the lost city of Magisthae!” Lawrence practically bounced as he beat Twilight to the punch of saying the words no explorer thought anyone would ever say in the history of time. “We may finally find it, Twilight! We may finally discover what was once thought to be a myth!”

Twilight, practically unable to contain herself, leapt forward once again to hug her friend. The two exchanged happy groans as they swayed back and forth in each other’s tight arms, happy as happy could be.

Twilight loved it when they did this; to say it brightened her day every time would be a vast understatement. All of the irritating Nobles, all of the complaining citizens of Canterlot, all of the frustrated farmers and miners and disgruntled shop owners… none of it mattered right now. All that mattered to Twilight in that moment, was Lawrence.

He had similar reactions with her when she had made discoveries on the same level of the one he had just announced. Twilight remembered with great fondness the time she had discovered the cure for a strain of the North Flu that had practically swept across the whole of the Crystal Empire. Even though she had been tired, disheveled, unbathed, and smelled… well, we just will not mention that… Lawrence had done the same to her as she was doing to him now. He had picked her up and into the air and spun her around, congratulating her incessantly on her wonderful and life-saving finding. He had accompanied her as the guest of honor to the Researcher’s Banquet that followed, and had smiled from ear to ear as she gave her speech to the assembled congregation.

The second embrace, although wonderful, also saw its end. The two released each simultaneously and almost begrudgingly, not wanting to let the moment end between them. With a happy sigh, the two flopped down onto a set of chairs that had been laid out normally for visitors. “I still cannot believe it,” Lawrence mused as he stared off into nowhere. “Everyone said it didn’t exist…”

“Well you sure proved them wrong!” Twilight lightly elbowed him in his arm, provoking a chuckle from her friend.

“I guess I did, didn’t I?”

“For certain!”

A silence then briefly overtook the hall as both of them relished in Lawrence’s achievement. Twilight knew that soon after he published his findings, the Codex would almost certainly be whisked away to some prestigious University for closer examination. The confirmation would then come forth from said university that Lawrence had, indeed, found the real thing and not some elaborately planted fake, and he would be showered with congratulations and praise from the archaeologist community before hosting some kind of gathering where he would deliver a speech on it. He would speak of hard work and perseverance, duty and commitment, and most certainly of scholarship and the meaning of knowledge, and he would be showered with applause as he raised a toast to all of the aforementioned values. He would then be offered some other commission by some other famed archaeological group or organization, and he would accept it before heading off once again for many months at a time to Celestia-knows-where.

The last part of Twilight’s thinking left a pang of sadness in her heart. Of course she was happy for Lawrence, why wouldn’t she be? But still… the idea of him leaving again left her in a slightly depressive state.

Why could there not be more discoveries or sites of antiquity closer to Canterlot or Ponyville? Why did they all exist so far away from home -- so far away from her? Yes, it is true that they would write letters back and forth every time Lawrence would head out on an expedition, but that was not the same. To have to wait so long just to read the handwriting and not even hear the voice of her dear friend was heartbreaking, and to have to wait even longer before she could feel his body pressed up against hers once again in a warm, impassioned embrace once again… the thought dared to bring a tear to her eye.

Why could he not finally retire from archaeology? Well, no, that would not be fair at all. For him to have to give up something he loved doing more than anything else in the world just so she could see him more often was downright selfish, and Twilight shuddered at the thought of having that conversation with him.

Well… could he finally take up one of the offers of one of the many universities in Canterlot who had offered him a professorship there? He would not have to give up what he loved, nor would he have to move very far. He would get to teach a whole new generation of young and aspiring minds year after year, and the experience would surely be rewarding. But… it would mean he would not be able to travel as much, or to as many places, something that he adored doing.

Dear Celestia! Was there anything that he could do? Was there anything she could do? Twilight desperately searched her mind for something, anything, that would mean he could stay here with her and still do what he loved. However, she could find nothing. Her brain, known all throughout the land for being one of the most hardworking and intelligent perhaps in the entire universe, drew a blank.

“Twilight… are you okay?” Lawrence’s words startled the violet princess, causing her to sit stick-straight for a moment before eventually relaxing again.

“Oh! Oh, I was just… I was just thinking, is all,” Twilight feigned a giggle as she fought back tears with the might of a lion.

“...Okay,” Lawrence sat back in his seat, still looking concerned as his eyes remained fixated on hers. “Is there… anything that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?”

“Oh no, really, I’m fine!” Twilight lied through her teeth. “I was simply thinking about the next couple of days, is all. You’ll host the banquet, give your speech, and then head off again to go find Magisthae!” Twilight slightly paused when she reached the part about him leaving again, so painful it was for her to recount.

“Yes… that is likely what will occur,” Lawrence’s voice was soft as he spoke. It was not deep, but it was not high either. It was a perfect mix between the two, accentuated by that cute little accent he had. “Is… something about that troubling?”

“Nope! Not one bit!” Twilight was now faking a smile remarkably well, even though her insides were bawling. “I can see it now… ‘Thomas Lawrence, discoverer of the impossible, defier of the incomprehensible!”

Lawrence then relaxed a little, seemingly satisfied with Twilight’s answer, and chuckled. “Sure Twilight. I’m certain that’s how they’ll know me.”

“Oh, just you wait and see!”

…

The day of the banquet came. In a splendorous dining hall, platters of sparkling gold shone brilliantly all across the long oaken table, vintage wine and champagne were elegantly held in crystal-like wine glasses, and many of the most esteemed and respected archaeologists, historians, and other figures of Equestrian society sat expectantly as the man of the hour arose from his seat at the head of the table. He was dressed in a beautiful white suit with accents of gold, and tied around him was a necktie of brilliant violet with the seal of the House of Harmony upon it. Pinned to his chest was a medal depicting the sun, representing the highest honor that could be bestowed upon anyone in the whole of the Nation of Equestria.

He raised his glass high into the air, and lightly tapped it with a spoon. A ring sounded through the talkative atmosphere of the dining hall, and nearly immediately did it quiet. Within seconds, all the eyes of some of Equestria’s finest minds rested upon the human. With a smile, he regarded them kindly, standing with the posture of a soldier, and the grace of royalty.

“Friends! I would firstly like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being in attendance today! I am certain that you know how much this means to me, and also how much your continued support, advice, recommendations, and service has made me into the person I am today! It is true that I would be nothing without all of you, nay, less than nothing. However, if a creature is judged by the company they keep, I am certain that my sentence will be as illustrious as all of you gathered here today!”

A round of applause roared through the hall at Lawrence’s words. Twilight giggled slightly under all the noise, because she knew that most of that statement was mere flattery. Still, it was amusing to see all of the gentlecolts stand so proudly as if Lawrence’s achievement had been their own, and all of the honorable ladies blush as they raised hooves to their mouths.

“Indeed! I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued help and support of my archaeological team. I should like to think that the discovery that was made was not, in fact, made by myself, but was in fact made by everyone! For who can claim that they and they alone are the sole, driving force, of anything, save for perhaps Harmony above? No, I say, my discovery is not truly my discovery, but is all of our’s discovery! It could not have been done without the continuous hard work, dedication, scholarship, and devotion to knowledge of everypony here, and so, it is to you that I credit both this discovery, and every discovery to come!”

Lawrence continued on for some minutes about exactly what Twilight had predicted he would. It was almost scary, really, the level of accuracy with which she had predicted his words. Perhaps if one could search the inner machinations of her mind, they would conclude that she could read exactly what he had been thinking.

That was of little matter, however. All that mattered to her in that moment, was the man standing before her. She had been his guest of honor, much like he had been hers previously. She sat in a regal seat that looked much like a wooden rendition of her throne, and she was dressed in a fine, silken, scarlet-colored dress that fit her form as perfectly as was realistically possible. Rarity had truly outdone herself in her work on both Twilight and Lawrence’s attire, something that Twilight made a note to herself to thank her for.

“...And so, my dear comrades, I do believe it is time that I stop talking,” a laugh emerged from most of the ponies present. “You laugh now, but I know most of you are thinking to yourselves, ‘finally!’”

Lawrence gave his closing remarks and then elegantly sat down, being careful to ease himself into his seat as gracefully as possible. Food was then served by the many waiters and waitresses who had been standing mostly in the shadows, waiting for their cue to begin ushering in the massive feast.

The food was delicious, as was to be expected. Pleasant conversation filled the air as Twilight and her friend chatted vividly in between mouthfuls of gourmet salmon and buttered rice, occasionally stopping to take a sip from their respective glasses or allow a server to refill their plates. They spoke to each other with great jolly and joy as the night began to pass by, leaving both of them feeling satisfied and content.

There did come a time, however, when the feast came to an end. After the last desserts had been finished, and the last sips of wine or champagne had been taken, everyone began to arise from their seats, sometimes accompanied by others, and head out the door and back to their homes. Everyone made certain to give Lawrence one last congratulations and farewell before departing, and it was not long at all before the hall stood empty, save for Lawrence, Twilight, and the servers.

“That was delicious,” Lawrence remarked as he slumped back into his seat after making certain everyone had left.

Twilight giggled at his unprofessional posture as he spoke. “Indeed it was, mister man!”

“Oh, stop it! You know I don’t like it when you call me that, miss alicorn!” He quipped back with a chuckle.

Twilight returned the laughter as she rested her head upon his shoulder. Lawrence soon returned the gesture, leaning into her soft body, and wrapping an arm gently around her. Twilight hummed at the contact, and soon unfurled a wing to do the same. For a time, they simply sat there, eyes closed, and hearts open.

Twilight suddenly remembered what was about to happen next. She had been so caught up in the activities of the evening, that she had forgotten entirely that he was soon due to leave for the site where Magisthae was written to exist by the Codex. It struck her like a ton of bricks, and, as if the former occurrence had actually happened, she began to find it quite difficult to breathe. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she pressed her face into his shoulder tighter, and her muscles began to tense as she hugged him as if her life depended on it.

“Whoa! Twilight… I… can’t breathe…” Lawrence gasped at the sudden burst of strength from the violet alicorn.

“Oh my goodness!” Twilight immediately relaxed her grip. “I’m so sorry! I… I kind of forgot my own strength.”

“That’s okay,” Lawrence said as he regained his breath. Twilight quickly cast a spell as he was looking away to clear the tears from her face and restore her previously immaculate mascara. “Whoo… what was that about, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“What was what about?” Twilight innocently spoke with large eyes as her mind desperately searched for some false explanation.

“That… death grip of a hug!” Lawrence giggled as he looked her in the eyes amusedly.

“Oh! That! That was… I’m just so happy for you that I can’t contain myself!” Twilight did her best to smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace.

“Are you sure? It sounded a bit like you were crying,” Lawrence eyed her concernedly, bringing his glass of champagne to his lips for a drink.

“No no! I was… just… laughing! Yes! I was laughing at a funny joke that one of the ponies next to me told,” Twilight began to fake light laughter. “Ah… you should have heard it. It was great!”

Lawrence looked at the seat beside her. “Uh… I’ve never really known Dusty Pages to tell jokes before, but I suppose maybe he does,” Lawrence looked off and down the table. “I’ve always known him to be dead-serious about most everything.”

“Well… I guess… maybe… you don’t hear him when he says them…” Twilight spoke with pauses between nearly every word as her eyes darted this way and that.

“Twilight,” Lawrence turned to his friend. “Are you sure everything is alright? You’re acting… odd.”

“I’m not acting odd!” Twilight protested. “It’s probably just all this wine! It’s making my head spin!”

“Mmm-hmm,” Lawrence hummed as he looked at her seriously. “Well… if you say so…”

“Yes, I do say so!” Twilight said a little forcefully. “I assure you, nothing, absolutely nothing at all, is even remotely amiss!”

“Twilight, you’re scaring me,” Lawrence responded, his eyes beginning to show fright.

“Am not! I’m just telling you what is and what isn’t! And what is, right now, is that nothing is wrong! Nothing!”

Twilight mentally berated herself for continuing the conversation further than comment on wine, but that hardly mattered anymore. The damage had been done -- she had dug herself a hole that was only going to get deeper if she kept going.

But keep going she did. “I’m perfectly fine! Nothing is wrong, nothing is even slightly amiss! I’m as good as good can be! I’m… I’m…” Her voice began to crack as her words faltered.

The floodgates then broke loose. With what could almost be considered a wail, she burst forth crying harder than she had in ages. Tear after tear escaped her eyes, and sob after sob escaped her lips. With great power, she wrapped her wings around Lawrence’s mid-section, and pulled him tightly to her, burying her face into his chest. Such was the scene that even the servers, trained to at least look ignorant of whatever was happening around them, began to turn their gazes to the crying princess.

Twilight expected Lawrence to recoil back and demand an explanation, something that she thought he had every right to do. After all, she had just lied several times over and over the course of several days to one of the best friends she had ever had. She waited with tensed muscles and eyes squeezed shut for the inevitable reaction, and the inevitable yelling...

...But it never happened. Although he sat still for a few moments, she soon felt his arms wrap around her in the most loving way. He began to run one of his hands up and down her back, gently massaging her tired muscles as he did. He took a deep breath of her scent as he buried his face into her shoulder, and then peacefully exhaled as he lightly scratched her ears with his other free hand. This only caused her to bawl harder, for his reaction of kindness in the place of anger was too much for her to comprehend. He had every right to be absolutely furious at her, but instead, he was gentle, kind, and oh-so loving. It was a beauty like no other.

“Twilight…” Lawrence eventually whispered. “I have no idea what the matter is, but I plead with you… you must tell me. I cannot bear to see my best friend like this.”

With a shaky sigh and the remnants of a whimper, Twilight looked at Lawrence through her bloodshot and tear-stained eyes. “I… I just… I just am having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you’re leaving again.”

A deathly silence overtook the air as the realization of those words struck the archaeologist. He looked as though someone had just told him that grass was actually red instead of green before collecting his thoughts enough to reply. “My going away bothers you this much?”

“I know! I know… it shouldn’t! I mean, I hardly even feel the slightest bit of sorrow when somepony like Rarity or Applejack or Rainbow Dash heads off for extended periods… but… with you, I just… I just cannot take it, it seems! Every time you leave Canterlot, I feel an overwhelming depression come over me that is only lifted when you return! And so it’s… just… hard to know that even though you’re going to be going off again to complete great things… it means that I have to be without you while you’re doing it,” Twilight breathed a heavy sigh as she lifted part of the weight off her chest.

“...Twilight… I had no idea…”

“And it doesn’t even make sense!” Twilight interrupted him as she raised her hooves into the air. “Me missing you more would naturally entail that I’m better friends with you than I am my other friends, which isn’t true, but also is! And I know why it is, but I’ve been far too afraid to express it to anypony for at least two years now! And because of that, I’ve needlessly put myself through all kinds of emotional torture that doesn’t end until you return to Canterlot with the next Equus-shattering discovery! And then I wait because I worry that you don’t share what I’m thinking, and then this thing happens, and then you’re off again, and then-”

“Wait a moment, please?” Lawrence interrupted Twilight back. Twilight immediately stopped mid-sentence and looked to him with large and almost pleading eyes. “What do you mean that you worry that I don’t share what you think?”

Once again, Twilight began to instinctively look for a way around the question, looking this way and that as her mind raced furiously to answer his question in a way that would both satisfy him and keep her dignity intact.

But she soon came to the conclusion that she had run away from that question for long enough. If there was ever a time to tell him, it was now.

“I mean that… I worry that you… what I’m trying to say is, I... “ Twilight stuttered fiercely as she attempted to find a way to word it. “Oh buck it. I love you, Thomas Lawrence!”

Lawrence was shocked. “Twilight, I…”

“And now there it is! There it is. All of what has kept my heart in binds for the past two years. I suppose now I’ll just have to run away. Run away and tell Princess Celestia that the burdens of Princess-ship are too much for my shoulders, and relinquish everything that I’ve become because Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, prodigy of Princess Celestia, heroine of Harmony, couldn’t keep her feelings to herself!”

“Twilight.”

“I mean, look at me! I’m a mess! I’ve made a complete fool out of myself when all it might have taken was just a simple, ‘Hey Lawrence! I think you’re a pretty cool stallion! Could we maybe go to dinner sometime?’ But nOOooo, I just had to go and ruin it for everypony!”

“Twilight!”

“Who else would do what I did in my situation? Nopony! Nopony at all! Rarity? Pssh, she would ask you out with the grace of a phoenix! Rainbow Dash? She’d be smoother than ice! Pinkie? She’d just flat out and say it, not hold it in forever like some ignorant schmuck! Applejack too! And Fluttershy, and Lyra, and…”

“TWILIGHT!” Lawrence yelled for the very first time since Twilight had met him. She immediately went silent, and hung her head in shame.

“Y-yes?” She asked weakly.”

“Did you ever consider that I may love you too?”

A pin dropped in the distance. “Oh, deary me. What is that, the fifteenth time tonight?” A server muttered in the distance.

“Y-you d-do?”

“Only since the day we first met!” Lawrence exasperatedly laughed. “Remember that day? The day that I made an absolute bloody fool of myself when I couldn’t even say hello without throwing up on my own words? The day that you took me in without reservation, and gave me a home? A life? The day we went out to lunch at that sandwich place, and I ordered one that was probably longer than my arm? That’s the day I fell for you!”

“W-what?”

“Your utterly gorgeous eyes, your bright smile, your beautiful voice, your intoxicating scent, your kind and yet scholarly demeanor… Twilight, I fell for all of that!” Lawrence continued on. “You are not the only one who has been afraid to express your feelings! Goodness, my legs quivered underneath me the day you asked me to be your friend!”

“L-Lawrence…” Twilight whispered as her body trembled. “D-do you mean what you’re saying?”

“Every word,” Lawrence placed a hand lovingly on her cheek. “Every word. I love you, Twilight Sparkle. I love you so very much.”

Twilight threw her arms around him as a new wave of tears streamed down her face. Except this time, the tears were not ones of pain, of suffering, or of torment. No. These were tears of joy.

The two professed lovers held each other in a deep embrace for many minutes, not a care in the world, not a trouble in the universe, before Twilight’s horn began to faintly glow. Suddenly, the two found themselves in a room that Twilight knew well, but that was new to Lawrence.

“What the?!” Lawrence quickly looked this way and that, surprised at the sudden change in surroundings.

“Relax, I only teleported us,” Twilight giggled tiredly.

“Right… only teleported us…” Lawrence attempted to catch his composure. “That’s like saying that you only discovered a new cure…”

This time, Twilight laughed. She laughed heartily, and soon, Lawrence began to as well. The two laughed until their sides hurt, indulging in the very best medicine that had been much needed for both of them. They laughed until their laughs became silent, only occasional wheezes leaving their mouths. They laughed until tears ran down their faces and they were clutching at their hips. They laughed until they simply could not laugh anymore.

“Oh my…” Lawrence was the first to speak after they had calmed down. “I don’t know why that was so funny, but it was!”

“Yeah…” Twilight said between deep breaths. “So, Lawrence. Now that we don’t have anything to hide regarding our feelings, would it be okay if we… you know… kis- UMPH!”

Lawrence knew what she was going to say even before she had said it. He pressed his lips to hers with great emotion, firmly and yet also gently pushing and pulling against hers. Twilight soon returned the kiss with even more passion than he had expected, pushing her body tightly up against his until almost no space existed between them. She savored the softness of his mouth, the gentle purrs that he would emit from time to time, and also the sheer feeling between them. She did not have to hide her emotions anymore. She did not have to run.

The kiss ended with the pleasant sound that most kisses do. When Lawrence once again opened his eyes, he swore that he could see Twilight’s pupils begin to take on the shape of a heart. “Lawrence…” Twilight asked quietly. “Would you mind staying with me tonight?”

Lawrence needed hardly any time at all to answer. “Of course, my love.”

The two slept more peacefully than they ever had before, that night. When the morning did eventually come, and Celestia’s sun rose high into the air, the two remained firmly planted underneath the soft, velvety sheets of Twilight’s bed. They remained that way for as long as both of them were able, occasionally kissing, occasionally talking, occasionally cuddling. But no matter what they were doing, one thing is for certain: they were always loving one another.

Lawrence canceled his expedition to Magisthae later that week, and took up a job in the very school Twilight had been a pupil of: The Equestrian School for Gifted Unicorns. Twilight reciprocated by shortening her court sessions and making more time in her day for other activities. Lawrence still did travel from time to time, and he still did archaeology. But never again did Twilight feel the loneliness of the past. Never again did she feel the bite of her decidedly unkind mind, and never again did she feel like she had the weight of the world upon her chest.

About three years later, the two once again lay in bed on a moonlit night. The air was crisp and fresh, and the covers were nice and soft. The two were wrapped around each other -- wings, arms, legs, tail -- all of it, so complete was their embrace.

“Hey Lawrence,” Twilight broke the silence.

“Yes, love?” He answered, turning his head to look at her.

“Do you think we’ll be together forever?” She asked her question with both certainty and not, a slight but yet unnerving feeling running through her as she did.

“Oh, my love,” Lawrence kissed her lightly before delivering his answer. “I will remain by your side for as long as you want. Through good times and bad, through sickness and health, and through struggle and joy. I will love you with everything I am, for as long as I am able.”

Twilight giggled as a blush formed across her face. “And I you, my Prince.”

“Although, I must say, there is one thing I could ask of you,” Lawrence looked off into the sky as he made his statement, a smile beginning to form on his lips.

“And what would that be?” Twilight asked attentively, not expecting him to say what he did.

Lawrence could no longer contain his grin. He smiled from ear to ear as he shot up from the bed and stood tall. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, prodigy of Princess Celestia, and heroine of Harmony…”

Twilight looked into his eyes with abounding hope.

Lawrence removed a container from his pocket as he knelt down onto the floor. He popped the latch, and then there was revealed a ring. “Will you marry me?”