Shield's mind was frantic. Friday evening had come, and immediately after getting off his shift he had realized that he had never asked where Luna was going to meet him! He refrained from bashing his head into the metal part of his bunk only because he had just combed his mane. Instead, he simply paced around his room, unsure of what he should do. Moreover, he couldn't help but feel absolutely foolish that he hadn't even thought of this, even after all of his planning.

The only thing he could think of was to follow her advice-- treat it as if he was planning as if she were just another mare. Right then! With a determined look on his face, he resolved that he would just have to prance up to the door of her bedchambers and request her presence. All he would have to do was just...

Knock knock knock.

Shield's eyes shot open, and, after frantically checking the dinky mirror on his guards-chamber wall, he rushed to the door. Taking a deep breath slapping on a practiced smile, he opened the door slowly.

He blinked in confusion. Before him stood a short, evening-blue unicorn who was smiling sweetly. Her icy-blue hair had been enchanted to fall in spirals down the sides of her face, and she was wearing a sleek dark red dress. She was absolutely breathtaking, looking like a mare who had just spent hours preparing for...

His eyes fell across a pair of crescent-moons that adorned her ears.

"Lu...na?" he whispered, leaning closer and smiling slightly in amazement. Her smile grew to a grin that only a certain mischievous princess of the night could conjure.

"Wonderful! You recognized me," she praised, prancing about and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Though thankfully, not many other ponies did if the whistles I got coming down this hallway were any indication..." she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry about the other guards... they'll keep it to themselves when they see you leaving with me," Shield commented, slightly lifting his chin. "But that's besides the point... how did you..." he bumbled.

"This is how I would look if all the magic were somehow drained from me. Thankfully, that makes transforming into it with a spell very simple, because it's still just a natural form of mine," She explained, stepping back to allow Shield to walk out of his room. "Though, that does mean I've got to wear this dress on account of having wings," she added, turning and letting Shield examine the bulge in the side of the metallic fabric.

He was impressed at how well her wings were hidden, considering the other parts of the dress were so tight-fitting. Even in a different body, Luna had a figure that could fuel his dreams for years.

"You know, staring is impolite," Luna scolded with a pout, sending Shield blushing and stammering out of his stupor.

"A-Ah, of course, I'm s--"

Pushed up against the door he had just closed, he felt Luna's lips pressing into his to silence him. She kissed him for only an instant, before sending a shiver-inducing look into his eyes and whispering "If I wanted a prim and proper stallion, Shield, I would have had a much happier 600 years," with a devilish smile. "Now, relax. I want to know you, Shield. The real you; the you that compelled you to chase after a mare everypony else seemed to forget."

Shield stood awestruck and blinking at the mare before him, before nodding slowly. "Sorry... I'm just a bit thrown off is all?"

"Thrown off? By what; how I look?" She said with a concerned frown.

"Absolutely not: you look fantastic! I just didn't really think it could get any better, and you keep proving me wrong!"

Luna cocked her head and blushed slightly before assaulting Shield with another kiss. "You know, we're not going to get anywhere if you keep making me do this,"

"I really wouldn't mind," Shield said with a grin. "Except for the fact that you'd miss seeing all the things I've got planned for tonight!"

Luna raised her eyebrow in playful skepticism. "And because I'd be messing up my mane without getting to bring it anywhere..." she teased.

Shield paused, cocking his head. "Messing up your mane?"

Luna's eyes shifted to the door behind Shield, before returning to his a moment later.

Shield's eyes widened as the message hit home coughing and laughing awkwardly in response.

"Oh, wow, you're giggling like a schoolfilly!" Luna exclaimed, laughing and rolling her eyes.

Shield stuffed a hoof in his mouth and took a moment to compose himself, Luna looking on in amusement. "All right, all right. Shall we go, then?" he said with a smile, beginning to walk down the hallway.

"I thought you'd never ask," Luna replied, returning his smile and trotting up to walk alongside him.

After walking and conversing for about twenty minutes, Luna looked to the part of town they had brought themselves to. Around were cottages, some glowing dimly from firelight inside, but that was about it.

"Not to burst any surprises that you might have for me early, but where are we, Shield?" Luna asked, confused as to their surroundings.

"Oh, couldn't you tell? We're in the western housing district of Everfree," Shield replied with a smile. Luna only blinked.

"Okay, then, why are we are in a housing district? You live in the castle, don't you?"

"Yep! We're not here to see where I live, though. At least, not anymore. The first place we're going is the one most special to me: where my mother lives," Shield explained with a smile.

Luna blinked, giving him a skeptical look. "You know, I'm not certain, but I don't think most stallions bring their first dates to meet their mothers."

"You're right! Only, I figured... I already know some things about you simply because you're the princess. It's only fair to learn those things about me. Besides, I think you'll really enjoy this," Shield said, smiling.

With a worried glance, Luna nodded, following Shield to a small cottage with smoke billowing slowly out of it's chimney. Confidently, Shield strode forward and knocked on the door, before turning and giving Luna a reassuring smile, which she halfheartedly reciprocated.

After what seemed like almost a minute, the door to the cottage opened, and a green mare stood before them. "Shield, is that you?" the mare said, squinting and leaning her head forward.

"Yep, its me!" Shield said, taking a step forward and hugging the mare. "Sorry I couldn't come out to see you until now; I had to pull extra shifts to get this time off tonight!" He said with a smile.

"Oh? Why tonight?"

Shield smiled, looking worriedly at Luna. "This mare right here!"

"Mare?" She said, turning her head back to the door, squinting and leaning forward once more. "Oh, my! Oh, please do forgive me! My eyesight is nearly gone, and you just blend right into the night," she said with a humble smile.

Luna looked worriedly at the mare, before stepping forward. "No, don't apologize! You can scold your son later for not pointing me out," she said with a smile "It's a pleasure to meet you, mrs..."

"Duskblossom. Please, the pleasure is all mine. And your name is?"

"Lulu," Luna replied softly, a wry smile shooting Shield's way.

Duskblossom gave a warm smile. "What a beautiful name. Well, come inside! There's so much I'd like to ask you!"

Luna stepped into the warm cottage and surveyed her surroundings. The walls were completely covered by bookshelves and drawers filled to the brim with musky artifacts. A fire on the far left side of the room provided the only light and warmth. One shelf had been entirely re-purposed into a small garden under a tiny window, and had flowers growing wildly out of the soil. Dusty books shared shelves with porcelain animals and piles of sewing equipment, shelf after shelf common only in the absolute lack of organization. The floor, however, was completely pristine, aside from a large circular rug in the room. The only exits to other parts of the house were a staircase leading upwards and a wooden swinging door that led out to a backyard. The entire first floor of the cottage was comprised of this room alone connected to a tiny kitchen that looked like it had been built into a closet.

"Ah, where are my manners. Let me light some candles for you; you must not be able to see anything in this dismal shack!" Duskblossom said, shuffling over to a drawer by the back door and rustling around inside.

"Actually, I rather prefer the comfortable lighting your home provides. I've always preferred the dark, you see..." Luna said, shooting a smile to Shield bearer.

"You don't say? I feel the exact same way, though explaining that to anyone else seems to be the chore of the century. They say it's the reason my sight is so bad, but... Shield and I know better," Duskblossom mentioned, smiling a comforting smile in her son's direction.

Luna tilted her head slightly, a curious look coming over her face for a moment, before simply smiling politely.

"Actually, mom, one of the reasons I brought Lulu here is because she wanted to hear more about my life! You see, she's been very open with me thus far, and I knew there was no one better to explain everything than you!"

"Never bring a mare home just to visit, do you? Of course you come here with some motive behind your actions. Ah, well. I always did love a good story. But are you sure this one is absolutely proper for..." Duskblossom replied with a worried smile.

"Yeah. All of it. It was you who kept yelling at me as a foal to be honest, right? Well, I figure that doesn't mean just when it's comfortable," Shield said, smiling to Luna and placing a hoof on his mother's shoulder.

"All right, all right. Just let me run upstairs for a moment. Wouldn't feel right without some pictures, you know," Duskblossom said with a wicked grin. Shield's eyes went wide.

"Y-You know, mom, I don't know if we really need--"

"Oh, yes we do! Sit tight!" Duskblossom cackled playfully as she trotted up the stairs and out of sight. Shield Bearer sighed and walked over to Luna, motioning for her to follow him over to the living room. The two sat next to one another in front of the fire, though Luna's gaze rested firmly on her own hooves.

"Calm down, Luna," Shield said with a playful nudge. "I know you're a curious little pony. I'm the one who'll be suffering baby pictures!"

Luna's cocked her eyebrow with a grin. "Little pony?"

Shield leaned over and kissed her forehead quickly. "Yes. Right now you're my little pony, and I intend to take advantage of it while I can."

Luna fought the urge to tackle Shield, instead pouting and punching his shoulder with her hoof. After a moment, she took a deep breath and turned her gaze to the fire. "This is just all... I can't help but comprehend how nice each moment is, no matter how much of an introvert that makes me seem. I've never been... well..." she smiled up at Shield, the fire reflecting off her eyes. "Nopony's ever really treated me 'normally' before."

Shield nodded understandingly, his response cut short by the sound of hooves coming down the narrow wooden staircase. "Here they are, right where I left them! You know, the funny thing about losing your sight is that things like pictures get even more important to you! I've been keeping this book for Celestia knows how long, and I haven't been able to see any of the pictures in years! Showing other people just means more to me, I guess," Duskblossom said, smiling wisely whilst somehow giggling.

Duskblossom sat in front of the two, her back to the fire, and placed an enormous wooden-backed journal between them all. "Now," she said with a cheerful smile. "Let me tell you a story of love." She opened up to the first page, showing pictures of her as an awfully young mare, her blue eyes wide open in the old photograph.

"More than any condition, love blinds us absolutely. I haven't felt more vulnerable to the world since I graduated school, readying myself to go to university here in Everfree. In the summer between, I met the stallion of my dreams: he was a pegasus, handsome and brave, who could woo better than any of the most learned poets. He was a pegasus with ambition: he wanted to gather the best fliers around the country and assemble them as an ace acrobatics team, the likes of which Equestria had never seen! Of course, he did: what we all know as the Wonderbolts," Duskblossom said with a fond smile.

Luna gasped. "The Wonderbolts? They're the royally sponsored team!"

Duskblossom nodded. "Indeed. Their formation was the work of my Wing Dancer. He was a stallion every mare's hooves wanted to be on, and yet he was mine. In light of his incredibly successful career, I dropped out of University and married him the moment he asked. Shield came soon after, and my life soon revolved around raising our wonderful child," Duskblossom said with a loving smile, turning the page of the photobook. Plastered all over the page were pictures of the wedding, huge and dreamlike, held within the walls of the castle themselves. Luna gasped to see her sister presiding over the ceremony. The next page was filled with photos of Shield as a foal, eliciting an obligatory groan from himself. While his own faces were varied throughout, in every picture Duskblossom had a smile so wide it rivaled that of Celestia herself. Luna couldn't help but find herself smiling, finding the photographed smile wickedly infectious.

"You look like the happiest mare in Equestria," Luna commented, smiling warmly as she looked at her host.

"I was the happiest mare in Equestria. I had everything I ever wanted. Good things, however, can never last forever. Wing Dancer was getting on in age; not old, but not heroically fit like he used to be. Unfortunately for him, his own standards were that of legends. The Wonderbolts told him it was time to retire just about when Shield was ten. Being a father, and their founder, they gave him more bits than he would ever need to live on for the rest of his life-- on top of his already impressive fortune. Still, I quickly found out that he had been married to his career this whole time. Even at home, he could not be a father. Depression within him grew, and depression turned to bitter anger. Each time I tried to comfort him, he would find a scapegoat. Often, that scapegoat would be me," Duskblossom said, her smile fading. Her gaze turned to the ground, and her eyes closed completely.

Duskblossom turned the page, and before them lay a few pictures, Duskblossom's smile forced and Wing Dancer bitter and angry. The rest of the page was empty.

"He told me I was the reason his career ended. I was holding him back. They let him go because of me and Shield. None of it was true, but my love for him was blinding, despite the obvious signs. Eventually, he began to take out his angers on me. He never was a drinker, until that night. He beat me until I was unconscious, but couldn't stop there. When I woke up my head hurt more than my heart, and Wing Dancer was gone. Too scared to admit what had happened to me, I didn't go to the hospital until I fell down the stairs because I was unable to see or walk straight. They told me I had suffered a concussion and had never recovered. The trip down the stairs made the effects permanent."

Dusk flipped the page, pictures of her alone on a Hospital bed, her face spattered with tears. The last picture, however, showed Shield curled asleep next to her on her bed, her smiling sweetly down at her little baby.

"Shield never cried. He had no idea what was going on, but when my husband would beat me he would scream at him to stop through our locked bedroom door. The weeks between him leaving and my trip to the hospital, I thought I had nothing to live for anymore. This little colt, though..." Duskblossom said, moving her hoof over to rustle Shield's combed mane. He only worriedly smiled at her in return, unable to bring himself to care about his mane any longer. "Shield taught me not to regret it, whether he tried to or not. No matter what I went through in the later years of my relationships, I always knew I had Shield to show for it. I would do it all over again for him."

Luna felt tears trickling down her face, leaning back from the photo album as to not smudge the pictures with her tears. "Mrs. Duskblossom, thats... that's amazing..."

Duskblossom smiled warmly back at Luna. "It's not amazing. It's what he deserved. The story, however, is not over quite yet." She flipped the page of the photo album once more, all the pictures now showing Shield as he was growing up. Some from schooldays, some with other stallions as they played around what Luna recognized as this room, and finally to his graduation. Dusk stood next to her child with that same infectious smile returned, Shield grinning a bashful grin with his hoof over his mother's shoulder.

"I took a couple menial jobs, and bought this place. It's been our home ever sense. Since I couldn't be around anymore when Shield got home, I started sending him off to my friend Shaky's place. At first, Shaky let him hang around the bar and watched over him for me, but eventually Shield picked up a job there as well," Duskblossom explained, nudging Shield. "Why don't you take over this part, Shield?"

"Not much to tell, really. Shaky and I became great friends, despite the age difference. Never really had someone to look up to like that, my real dad being working all the time before he left. I started getting to know the regulars of the bar, and Shaky thought it fit to give me a job seeing as I knew the place better than any of his other employees," Shield explained, looking over at the doodad covered walls.

"Why don't you tell her about your job, Shield?" Duskblossom said with a playful smile. Shield glared at his mother for a moment. "Oh come on, now. You're the one who pranced in here explaining the importance of honesty!" Shield sighed and groaned slightly, turning his gaze to his hooves.

"Well, like I said, I got to know the regulars. Only, most of the regulars were the live musicians that Shaky hired to come in and play. They were stars to me! Of course, being an impressionable foal, I pranced around the bar all day annoying the customers by singing the songs over and over..."

"Annoyed?" Duskblossom said, nudging her soon with a hoof.

"Fine. Some of them said my voice was pretty good for a kid. After a while some of the regulars started chanting my name when the singers would go up... you know, just to help my own ego. I was a kid, so they supported me. Thing is, so did the musicians. So they started letting me sing sometimes, and Shaky decided he'd pay me for it once I got old enough," Shield finished, his gaze still on the floor.

"You... you were a singer?" Luna asked, grinning. "I can hardly believe it! The pony sitting before me, in a staring contest with his own hooves, sang up on a stage?"

Shield nodded and sighed. "Look, I was a kid, it was more for the fun of it, but once I started getting paid I jus--"

"Hehehe. Look at how red he is," Luna giggled and nudged Duskblossom with a hoof, who stifled her own giggle. Shield buried his head in how own hooves. "Oh, come on Shield. I honestly don't know what you're so embarrassed about! I'm sure you were great at singing!"

Shield grumbled. "Anyways," he continued. "With the money from that, mom was able to drop one of her jobs. Eventually, I graduated school and went on to join the Royal Guard. Paid a lot better-- and provided housing. So now mom can afford this place without working." Shield now turned a page in the album, showing him as a young Stallion in training, his helmet nearly too big for his skull.

Duskblossom frowned slightly. "Thank Celestia, too. My eyesight is so bad, I can't really work anymore at all. If I could do anything else, I wouldn't have him pay for--"

"I'm sure Shield is proud to help such a wonderful mother, Mrs. Duskblossom," Luna said, smiling widely at Shield, who grinned bashfully in return.

"Even so, I do what I can. Because of Shield I was finally able to follow my own dreams, and started gardening again."

"Gardening?" Luna asked with a tilt of her head.

"Yes, if I had gone to University I would have studied floral design. Gardening has always been my passion, and even with horrible eyesight the colors and arrangements of flowers still comes naturally to me," Duskblossom replied, standing up. "Which is one of the reasons this room is so small-- so we could make room for the garden out back. Would you like to come see it?" Duskblossom said with a proud smile.

"I'd love to!" Luna replied.

"Wonderful! Shield, could you bring this photo album back upstairs while we head outside?" Duskblossom requested politely as she stood up. Shield nodded, picking up the book and heading up the stairs.

Luna rose and followed Duskblossom to the wooden door. Duskblossom opened the door with her snout, and immediately the inside of the house was lit with a soft white glow. Luna blinked in surprise and stepped out of the door.

Luna's eyes went wide and her mouth went slightly agape as she stepped into the garden. In front of her was a sea of glowing petals that lit the humble garden path around to where a river flowed naturally through the small enclosure. Many of the flowers she recognized: tulips, roses, chrysanthemums-- but she had never in all her years seen the glowing flowers before. Each flower had four white petals that curved before ending in a point directed away from the center, spaced evenly from one another. In the center, though, was a glowing phosphorescent bulb with no defined edges, as if it were a star suspended freely above the flower.

Duskblossom stood smiling off to the side. "I take it you're surprised by the Moonglow, aren't you?" Luna blinked, slowly turning her gaze to the gardener.

"Moon...glow? Forgive me, but I've never heard of such a flower before!" Luna said, her awe shifting from the garden to the gardener.

"Nopony has. I named them myself for that very reason. I came across them on the edge of the Everfree forest walking home from work one night. They caught my eye immediately with the way they put off actual light of their own. I found a patch of perhaps a dozen growing next to a large field of what I found out was poison joke. My personal theory is that these flowers were once tulips before the weedlike Poison Joke invaded their growing place," Duskblossom explained, leading Luna along the tiny path that led to the river.

"The joke, I guess, is that they only bloom at night, yet all creatures that would pollinate them only move around during the day," Duskblossom said, fondly picking one of the flowers and hoofing it to Luna. "Thankfully, I brought a few home and noticed this the following night. I knew plenty about flowers from my days of gardening while Wing Dancer was out of the house-- enough to pollinate these using a cuetip. Unfortunately, they'll never grow outside my garden here because of their peculiar nature."

"How tragic... these are the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen!" Luna admired, turning the flower over with her magic. It continued to glow even though it had been picked.

"I agree. I've always loved watching them bloom each evening, and even though my sight has all but left me, I can still see the beauty these flowers radiate. I feel as if Luna herself has blessed me with them," she said with a caring smile.

Luna's eyes widened. "You know... I don't think Luna had any part in creating these flowers," Luna said, sighing and returning the flower to the ground.

Duskblossom's retained her complacent smile. "Yes, I guess it's silly to feel as if a goddess was looking out for solely me,"

"I am here for you, Duskblossom. I am here for all my subjects," Luna said, a glow of pale blue from her horn returning her form to her.

"Luna?" Duskblossom gasped, her eyes widening before immediately dropping her snout to the ground and bowing.

"Please, Mrs. Duskblossom. Do not bow to me," Luna pleaded, craning her neck over to comfort Duskblossom as she rose. "Your garden is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, Duskblossom."

Duskblossom smiled widely and a tear streamed down her cheek. "Oh, Princess, that means the world to me. Thank you so much," she said, tears continuing to form around her eyes.

Luna twitched before sighing and looking down upon the mare. "Please, Duskblossom. Call me Luna. I am not here as your Princess, I am here as your son's--"

"Lulu?" Shield called as he stepped out the door. Immediately his eyes widened in shock. "Uhm... Lulu, are you aware that--"

"Oh Shield, my honest little stallion," Duskblossom said, turning with a grin. "You have some explaining to do."

"That explanation can come later, Duskblossom. For the moment, I'd like to propose an offer to you," Luna said, smiling benevolently. "As I'm sure you know, Celestia practically covers the castle with gardens. I've come to realize that I don't have any gardens of my own-- for good reason. Grandeur certainly is more Celestia's game than my own. However, this..." Luna swung her hoof along, gesturing to the garden before them. "This is wonderful. Small, intimate, and a unique and beautiful gem."

Duskblossom blushed and smiled in pride.

"Which is why I'd like to ask you to tend my personal garden in the palace, Duskblossom. Do you think you would like that?" Luna asked with a smile.

Duskblossom gasped, her behind hitting the dirt of the pathway in shock. "M-Me?" she bumbled. "A... A royal gardener? Oh my... that would be the most wonderful thing in the world, Princess! It's all I've ever dreamed of!" Duskblossom ran to Luna, embracing her in joy spouting her thanks over and over.

Luna could only smile at the mare's joy. "Every pony should have the chance to follow their dreams, Duskblossom. For a time, you gave your own up so Shield could have a better life. For that, let me thank you, Duskblossom."

Luna bowed her own head to the ground, a tear trickling down her smiling face and onto the dirt floor below.

Author's Note

This took far too long, and I sincerely apologize for that. I am but a hobbyist writer, and recently my free time has turned predominantly to College, Music, and Programming.

I don't know when I will write more, or if I will. Thank you for all your kind words.