Author's Note
Short little thing I wrote today. I hope you like it!
The style of this story, in addition to part of its setting, was inspired by an author named BradyBunch, whose page can be found here:
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/308684/BradyBunch
With that said, and without further adieu, here is the story!
The Real You
…
Hey, Anon! I’m back from Evening Court! You wouldn’t believe some of the things that got said today, it’s almost as if --
...Oh! Shoot! You’re asleep! Did I wake you?
…
Phew… how you can sleep that hard, I will never understand.
Hmm. Spike is off with the Crusaders, Starlight is in Fillydelphia at a conference, Sunset is visiting the Griffonian Empire…
...We’re alone?
Oh my goodness. Ha ha! I can finally say what I’ve wanted to for so long that I haven’t mustered the courage to for years! Did I just say that out loud?
Well, that isn’t any matter, ‘cause we’re alone! Wow, that sounded weird…
Anyways. *Ahem.* Anon, I just wanted to tell you…
...Well, I guess I just wanted to say…
...What I’m TRYING to articulate is…
Grrr! This is harder than I thought, even with you asleep!
Alright. C’mon. Focus, Twi.
Anon… over these last couple of years, you have taught me quite a bit about the concept of love.
That sounds too scholarly, doesn’t it?
Shoot. Well, how about like this: “Anon, I just wanted to say I love you with all of my being and would like to court you from now until the end of time.”
No… waaaay too forward.
Oh, Celestia, why is this so hard? Why is it so hard for me to tell you that you’ve been such a great friend to me? Why is it so hard for me to tell you that every time I look at you now, my breath catches in my throat? Why is it so difficult for me to express to you that it breaks my heart when I see you being so hard on yourself for things you don’t need to be hard on yourself for? Why can’t I just tell you that?
...Oh, heh. I guess I just kind of did.
*Sigh.* Anon… I love you. I truly do, from the bottom of my heart. You are one of the kindest, sweetest, most loving individuals I have ever met. You’re funny, smart, hoofsome, and just so great to be around.
...But my oh my how much of a hard time you give yourself.
I took a peak in your journal. Yeah, I know… bad Twilight. I just couldn’t help myself after seeing how... different you had been acting lately.
Some parts were funny, I won’t lie. But, there was this one section…
...Wow, this is hard.
There was this one section where you wrote that you felt like you didn’t deserve me. You wrote that you felt like you were the lowliest creature in the land, undeserving of love or attention of any sort. You started confessing to what I can only guess is everything you’ve done wrong in your entire life, and… it brought a tear to my eye to see a tear-stain on the paper.
Anon… you mean so much to me. When it comes to how I feel about you, do you think I care that you haven’t accomplished the same things academically that I have? Do you think I care that you have made mistakes in your life?
I don’t, Anon! Because that is not what defines you! The you I know is the one who clapped and cheered and encouraged a singer who didn’t do too well the other day at the local Karaoke club! The you I know is the one who strives to become better every single day! The you I know is the one who offered to drop everything he had on his plate for the week to help Bon Bon out in the candy shop when one of her workers quit and she had a seemingly insurmountable number of orders to fill! The you I know gave the last twenty bits he had to an old traveler who didn’t have a place to stay for the night, and then bought him dinner! The you I know, Anon, is so much different than the you you seem to know…
...And the you I know, Anon, is so great. So loved. So precious. So cherished.
I love you, Anon. I love you so very much. I’ll tell you that when you’re awake some day…
Know that you are more beautiful than you know. Know that you are stronger than you let on. Know that you are courageous, wonderful, and oh-so wanted.
I don’t care that you didn’t get the same grades as me in school. I don’t care that you’ve made mistakes -- who doesn’t? I don’t care that you aren’t some superhero who has everything together and his life under complete control. I care about you, Anon. More than you’ll ever know.
Because you are my superhero. I remember quite fondly the day when I had forgotten my speech transcript back here when we were in Ponyville. I panicked, not really knowing what on Equus to do, but then you stood up and took the podium. Right there, you started a mini-speech of your own, right off the cuff with no preparation. You waved me on behind your back to go back to the castle and get the transcript, and that I did. By the time I returned, it had been fifteen minutes. For fifteen minutes did you give this speech about--whatever it was, I didn’t really catch it, but that’s not the point--so that I wouldn’t look the fool. You put yourself in the hole I dug so I wouldn’t have to. You saved me from a situation that I had created by taking the punishment that should have been mine. If that doesn’t spell “hero,” nothing will.
You’ve done this and so much else for me, Anon… please stop beating up my hero. Please… you mean too much to me.
Well, I guess it’s getting kind of late. Good night, my Prince. Yes, you are the Prince of my heart. You will be Prince over more in due time, my hero.
...But for now, we both must rest.
Good night, Anon. Sleep well.
...I love you.
