Author's Note

This chapter was a bit fun to write. You'll find out as you read.

Nope, nothing wrong with the title of the chapter. You're reading it right.

Chasing Love ▲ ߥ≈▲∩ÐΣ┌

Chasing Love

Moonfire laid down in the shade of the chimney, his attention almost completely monopolized by his thoughts. Maybe I could just use Rumble for my morning disguise... No, I almost always bump into him. Scootaloo is out for obvious reasons, as well as her friends, Moonfire scanned the street in front of him. How about- no no, definitely not Snips or Snails. I wouldn’t be able to act clueless enough for that.

The grey colt sighed and noticed two fillies backing a white colt with brown splotches into a corner. Hmmm... maybe I should go help him.

“... Eeh... Why not?” Moonfire stood up and walked towards a wire running across the street, not taking his eyes off of the pink filly. Wait... That’s Diamond Tiara! He looked at the other filly, and... Silver Spoon. But who’s that colt?

As he trotted across the wire, all the names of the foals he knew ran through his head. Then he realised there were a few who had their names practically printed on their flanks, something he was quite thankful for.

Spots? No, he doesn’t have a cutie mark. He stepped down onto the roof on the other side. Let’s see...blank flanks...Featherweight I saw this morning, Rumble’s off somewhere, those fillies are blowing something up somewhere, which one’s this?

He gritted his teeth in concentration as he closed the gap.

Argh! Stuff it, if I can’t remember this pipsqueak’s name-

He nearly slapped himself in the face as the bit dropped.

Pipsqueak. Not printed on his flank, but close enough.

The girls were so busy calling some inanity or other to the small colt that they didn’t even notice Moonfire walking up to them. What was it sensei always said about breaking up a fight?

***

“Always go for a quick shock and hope you have the element of surprise,” Garuda Sensei said as he let go of Moonfire’s tail.

Moonfire yelped and landed on his head in the middle of the ring.

“Now, let’s begin again. And this time, don’t underestimate your opponents.”

***

Why? Why is he happy when he has only a mother? Diamond Tiara thought as she and Silver backed their latest prey into a corner. How come he’s happier than me when he has only one parent?

“You’re just a lousy bl- hey!” Diamond said as she felt her tiara slip from her head into the teeth of a grey unicorn colt.

“Give me my tiara back!” She shouted as the colt landed on the box behind Pipsqueak.

“No, I don’t think I will,” The grey foal said with a Trottingham accent as he sat down.

“Give me my tiara!”

He flipped the tiara onto his head, “Yes, yes- do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Well, that tiara doesn't match your eyes, for one thing.” Silver Spoon said as she rolled her eyes.

“Well, it's getting pretty girls to look at me, so I'd say it's a good match.”

“Okay, who are you, and why won’t you give me my tiara back?” the tiara-less filly asked.

The colt smirked. “I am the Grey Ensis! I’ve studied under Master Garuda, sailed the two seas with Captain Squall, stood in the crow's nest of the Aerith. I accomplished all this and more, and I did it all before me fifteenth birthday.”

“Y-you actually met Captain Squall?!” Pipsqueak stammered.

“Met him? I dined with him every night while I was there.”

“Sure, and I’ll bet the old Captain would love to see you prettying yourself up like that. Now, give it back! What do you want with it, anyway?” the pink filly said. Oh, what do I do, if he keeps my tiara, Sliver’s bound to notice them! Maybe I can pin him before he tries to get away?

“Actually, he would. But he wouldn’t like that I stole it from a lovely filly such as yourself,” Grey Ensis said with a roguish smile, “So tell you what: I'll give it back, if you can catch me."

“What?” Silver Spoon started, “We’re not gonna chase you. We’re telling Miss Cheerilee on you, right, Diamond Tiara?”

He’s making a game out of this? Wait, I chase him it gets me away from Silver, which means it’s less likely that she’s going to notice them... Diamond gritted her teeth and locked her eyes on that tiara on top of the taunting colt’s head.

“Give...it...back!” she shouted as she leaped up at him.

The colt leaped to the left and looked back. “Oh, so you like what you see?” He shook his tail and said, “Cap’n always said me tail would get me into trouble.”

Diamond growled towards the offending posterior. He jumped right over me, again!

“Come on, princess. Don’t tell me you’ve never tried a good chase before? It’s fun, watch,” Grey taunted as he galloped off.

The filly let loose a frustrated scream before bolting after him.

"Mum was right. Ponyville is a pretty interesting place to live," Pipsqueak said as he stared in the direction they went.

“Tell me about it,” Silver Spoon said before trotting down the street.

Diamond no-Tiara kept pace with the grey colt. Okay, now all I have to do is catch him. A few paces in front of her, the monochromatic colt took a corner without slowing down. The filly rounded the corner only to find a box clearly marked ‘soap’ right in her path. Shit! She tried to jump over the box but clipped it and flipped, luckily landing on her hooves.

“Dumb soap!” she shouted, then picked up a bit more speed.

Ahead of her, the thief chuckled and said, “You’re supposed to avoid the obstacles, lass, not go through them!”

Oh, and you cleared that box?

She watched as he slid under a momentarily unoccupied market stand, keeping one hoof on his prize so it didn’t fall off. He probably means to jump the next one, so- ah, there we go. Right next to the stand she saw an upside down bucket and used it to jump on top of the stand, putting her in the perfect position to tackle him as he jumped up and over a wagon going by. By the time she saw him glance back, she could see the surprise in his eyes, her forelegs around his waist, sending them tumbling.

Damn that hurt, Diamond thought when they stopped. By chance, she had him pinned - as well as she could pin him that is. The filly saw him begin to smirk, but it died when he looked into her eyes.

She sniffled. “Now give me my tiara back, you jerk!”

Wordlessly, Grey picked up her tiara from where it had fallen with his magic and dusted it off. As he set it down on her head, she saw his eyes go to her hair.

He tried to look in the girl’s eyes but she turned away and lept off of him. He saw them!

“Look, I’m sorry. I saw you ganging up on Pipsqueak there and I thought I’d have a little fun. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He said as he stood up.

The filly snorted. And I’m the queen of Saddle Arabia. Who is he anyways? I've never seen him around before now.

“Come on, I wasn’t trying to make you get upset,” he tried, reaching out a hoof to try to comfort her.

She spun around and slapped at it.

“What are you trying to do? Who are you, really? I’ve never seen you anywhere near Ponyville before.”

He shrugged at that. “Like I said, I’m the Grey Ensis. And I guess you wouldn’t see me around, unless you really looked.”

The filly turned again and started walking away, “Yeah, like I’m going to do that.”

She heard him trot after her and say, “Lass.”

Diamond Tiara stopped and half turned towards him before he kissed her cheek, lost his accent, and said, “I really am sorry.”

He just- but- I- Huh?

He smiled sympathetically at the girl, and her angry expression turned to a mere pout.

“Yeah, well... just don’t do that again, Grey,” she started, blushing a little. I don’t even know him, yet he kissed me.... Why am I okay with that?

“...Moonfire,” The colt said.

“What?”

“Grey Ensis is my title. My name is Moonfire.”

Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes. “Your voice changed. And why tell me your name?”

“Eh... I like to change the way I speak every now and then,” Moonfire turned around, “And... I hate making young mares cry. It’s a principle thing.”

The colt walked away down the street.

“Hey!”

He looked back at Diamond trotting up to him. Did he see anything, or was it my imagination?

“Um... you didn’t see anything on my head, did you?”

There was a small pause before the colt said, “Yes?”

“You know, it’s rude to look at the things a lady’s trying to hide.”

“I only caught a glimpse, and I thought it was my imagination. Look, I’m sorry, okay? Could I do something to make it up to you?”

I have to make sure he won’t tell anyone about them. What- there. That’ll keep him quiet. Done with her brainstorming, she said, “You could meet me outside Sugar Cube Corner, Friday after school.”

There was a long pause as the colt visibly processed what she said. Finally, he said, “Okay, but, I have a... job that has weird hours and I might have to run and do... something.”

She huffed. He has a job? Just what is this captain Squall making him do?

The colt grew apprehensive,“Well... I could let you come along if I have to go. Might not be... um... right for you... but it’s very important and can’t be ignored.”

Diamond gave the colt a smirk, "Can't be that important if you're doing it. Bet I can do it, too, then."

“Don’t worry, you won’t have to do anything and it isn’t anything that could get us in trouble.” Moonfire suddenly looked off into the distance and said, “have to go, see you friday.”

Diamond watched as he galloped to the next corner and took it, almost crashing into Applebloom.

“Whoa!” the filly called as the grey colt dodged her, “hey, wait a second, aren’t you-”

“Can’t talk, planet needs me, bye!” the boy half-shouted as he ran.

Great, now I have to deal with that apple filly....

==========================

“Thanks for saving me, Featherweight,” Berry Pinch said.

“You’re welcome... I’m still sorry about having to throw you, though,” Moonfire said. I guess Fate decided to let me have a good week.

“It isn’t your fault, I mean, who leaves a pile of scrap in an alley?”

“And what’s with that bird stealing anything shiny?” He looked up at the bird’s nest resting near the edge of the building.

“It’s a magpie.”

Moonfire glanced back at the filly. For a moment, he had forgotten why he’d ever taken her shape to begin with.

Oh yeah, she’s smarter than everypony thinks and she doesn’t realize she’s in somepony’s space until it’s too late.

“Miss Cheerilee told us they take shiny things to make their nest, remember? Were you sleeping in class that day?” Berry tried.

Yep, definitely smarter than ponies give her credit for.

“N-no, I wasn’t asleep.” He blushed and looked towards the clocktower. “Uh-oh, I have to go. See you tomorrow, Berry.”

“See you tomorrow,” she replied, “and try not to fly off a corner like you did last time?”

The remark was lost on the impersonator, but not before making a mental note that at least this form had an excuse for being a bit clumsy at high speeds.

Moonfire clambered into the belfry four minutes after the clock struck seven. Stupid hour chimes. Stupid sticking hour hand.

He walked over to his corner and shed his disguise. At least tomorrow I’ll have something other than saving foals to do. He glanced at his right wing and winced as a dull background ache turned to a sudden stabbing pain. Why did I do that idiotic dare back in Manehattan? I don’t even like pears. And why hasn't this thing healed up yet? Stupid bone, or membrane... what is this made of anyways? He laid down. I’ll need to be alert tomorrow. No telling what might happen.

==========================

Three months - THREE - to recover this time. I must be getting old. At least this time I searched for him while I was recovering. His father’s becoming more and more impatient as his expedition marches closer with time. Started sending more assassins after him, even sent some after me. Cal shook his head. That second one almost actually snuck up on me, she would’ve made a good nominee for the next Caligantis Sicarius.

The black stallion sat at a table in front of a café, an espresso sitting before him as he watched the colt run past his table, unaware that he was watching him. It’s a good thing he doesn’t know my after work disguise. He frowned, and it’s a good thing I don’t want to kill him, personally.

He sighed and thought back to all the times he escaped, a small smile forming. He’s a good colt, he’ll make a fine husband to whomever he marries - if he would just let somepony in.

The black earth pony finished off his drink and stood. Well, almost time to put my plan into motion. I’m certain that this town, no matter its quirks, will be perfect for him.