Young Hearts Gallop Free.
I love her.
What else can I say?
Hi imaginary diary, it’s me once again. And yes, this is yet another entry about you-know-who.
Getting kind of boring, aren’t I? Not to mention predictable. You’d think by now I’d have moved onto to something else.
In another life, maybe that would’ve been possible. I used to have other plans, alternate interests, a whole different future mapped out…
That all feels like a lifetime ago now, though. Ever since I saw her, sitting on that throne, looking all regal and important and special and wonderful in all her supreme magnificence…
Yes, I am currently consulting a thesaurus to compose my thoughts and feelings towards this… particular individual, even though mere words couldn’t do justice…
Oh heck, what’s the point in keeping their identity a secret? Everypony’s gonna find out her name anyway when I ask her to marry me later.
In public, naturally. I get the feeling she’d appreciate that, being somepony who’s quite used to taking risks herself.
I am of course, talking about the perfect, the flawless, the stupendously amazing alicorn of my dreams who is none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle. As if you didn’t know already.
Why? Who else did you think I was talking about? Luna and Celestia are far too old for me, Cadence is already a taken mare, and Flurry Heart…
Eeeewwww, don’t even go there.
Anyway, I know what you’re all thinking… ‘You’ve never even met her, let only exchanged two words’. ‘You’re far too immature, grow up.’ and of course my personal favourite ‘What could she see in a runt like…’
Stop sounding like my parents and friends! Well, my former friends, if they carry on cruelly mocking me the way they’ve been lately. Can’t they see, this is destiny in the making? Written in the stars? A match made in paradise?
Regardless, I don’t care what any of the haters say… this is now my entire life’s mission. To turn the head of this beauteous lady and make her mine forever.
And, by a funny coincidence, ‘forever’ is how long she’ll live. I may not be around for eternity myself, but our mad, passionate love will echo through the ages as if this were the case. I know this to be true, because I dreamt it.
For four nights in a row. So it’s bound to happen. So there.
‘What the…’ you may naively ask, ‘it’s all very well having feelings for the Pony Princess who lights up every day with her pretty purple and lavender lustre and voluptuous visage, but if she doesn’t even know you exist, how will you become her chosen stallion?’
Well, to that I say… HA, you doubting doubters, HA. I’m travelling down to Canterlot Palace right now with a group of my closest… ‘colleagues’ to meet her face-to-face, muzzle-to-muzzle. How’d you like them apples?
This is it. This is really it, you guys. I’ve been practising my proposal speech in front of the mirror all morning. I’ve combed my short, frizzy mane for the first time in what feels like months. I’ve put on my best black shirt with the collar; I even managed to get all those chocolate stains out. At least I think it was chocolate…
In any case, I’m ready and raring to go! I only wish I could’ve saved enough bits in my now smashed-beyond-repair piggy bank to get her some flowers, but that two-for-one sale on Candy Grass at Barnyard Bargains was too good to ignore. I’ll just have to start saving to get her some nice blooms later…
Well, that and a wedding ring of course. Nothing fancy naturally; she strikes me as a grounded mare who appreciates the thought and care put towards something rather than the cost.
Works for me. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind paying for our honeymoon either…
My mind wanders slightly as me and the others are shown around the castle by some old pony with a cough; won’t they be surprised when they see me trotting up the aisle with the heroine and saviour of Equestria? That’s if I decided to invite them, of course.
After the disgraceful way everypony else has been treating me in the build-up to this trip, that is very much an open-ended question. Perhaps I’ll let them attend anyway to rub my success in their faces, rather than any newfound generosity on my part. Tee-hee, you are wicked, Tr…
Hey, wait just a second! What do you mean ‘we’re all leaving soon, and we should pack up our things’?! I’ve heard this geezer ramble on about boring stuff for the last half-hour, the least he can do is introduce me to my future bride! This… is so not fair! This… is a complete outrage! This… is not going to happen!!
Gripped by an impromptu feeling of rebellion, I separate from the main party whilst the geriatric guide is rabbiting on about some ancient suit of armour. Like, who cares? The only protection I require is to be found within the bosom of my soon-to-be-wife…
…If I can ever find her, that is. This place is a lot bigger than it appears on the outside. Which direction shall I go, down the dark corridor with loads of fancy-looking artwork on the walls, or the plush hallway which extends as far as the eye can see? I pick…
Oops, bad move. I suddenly find myself with two, no four, no six guards all in hot pursuit. I was never the fastest runner, even in my prime… but I’m lucky enough that their heavy standard-issue gear is weighing them down. Even so, they appear to be catching up…
No, I will not ‘slow down and surrender’, you unbelievers! You don’t understand us at all, do you? I will find the love of my life, and sweep her away… you ponies with no romance in your hollow souls can’t stop us. It was meant to be!
It does feel as if my lungs are about to explode, though. I will need to stop soon, before my chest… hello, what’s this?
I aspy a very large pair of ornate double-doors which fortunately seem to be slightly ajar. Just as well really, because I could never hope to push open such a huge structure by myself. I just manage to squeeze in through the gap as the incompetent idiots gallop past me, and then…
Reader, if you could see my heart right now… it just stopped, For a good two seconds, I’d say.
This was it. The famous throne room. Red carpet on the floor. Statues of illustrious ponies everywhere. A trickling water fountain in the centre. And between two stone pillars at the far end of the chamber…
There she sat in all her heavenly glory. Giant wings fully unfurled, as if she meant business. Untamed mane pulled back, just the way I like it. That quizzical look on her cute face, resembling the humble librarian she used to be.
Hey, what can I say? I’ve done my research… and I’m clearly a sucker for a good rags-to-riches story. Or in this case, books-to-crowns I guess.
I glare with jealousy briefly at the undersized dragon sat loyally next to her, Spike; her new chief advisor. He gets to spend every waking moment of his life with her, and has done since the day he was first hatched.
I guess It’s not his fault I envy him so much, he seems like a pretty stand-up dude otherwise. If he behaves himself, I may even let him be Best Drake at our ceremony. Won’t that be nice?
My legs began turning to jelly as I approached my intended, and the room seemed to take on a life of its own; shifting, spinning and tilting off its very axis. Even though I’d planned for this pivotal moment all evening, now it was actually happening in reality, everything felt… different.
Perhaps if I’d actually gotten some proper sleep last night, maybe I wouldn’t be such a nervous wreck right now. It’s true what they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Or not-so-wonderful, if it’s about to ruin your chances of perpetual happiness and lots and lots of grandchildren.
There was no turning back now, though. I’d never get a chance like this again. I neared my target with absolute determination, nerves of steel and a sinking feeling in the pit of my empty tummy.
She looked up as I approached, an expression of surprise quickly becoming one of obvious amusement as she smiled one of those lovely, glorious, beaming smiles I’d only ever seen on the front cover of the sort of magazines my mum usually buys.
“Oh hello there, my fine fellow! What can I do for you today?”
This is it. This is really happening. “I-I-I lov…”
“Hmm? Sorry, you’ll have to speak up. I only heard the first part there.”
I know exactly what I want to say. I know exactly what I have to do. I had a picture in my head all night about how this would go, so why can’t I even… “I-I-I…”
“I apologise, I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me. Just take a d-e-e-p breath, collect your thoughts and see if that helps.”
Okay, let’s try that. I will tell her how I feel, even if it kills… “I…”
“Yes, I do believe I got that part.”
“L-Love…”
“You see? You’re making more sense already!”
“Y…Y…Yo…”
“Yoga? Yo-yos? Yodelling?! Am I close yet?”
…*Yawn*. Finally my tiredness from the chase before, and the unbearable pressure of the occasion caused me to collapse into a big brown heap on the throne room floor, as I dreamed once more about kissing my beloved on our wedding day, the cheering crowds that would line the streets for miles around as we passed, the feeling of the ground vanishing beneath us and other ponies becoming ants as she whisked us both off into the sunset together…
It may not have happened for me today, but one fine day in the not-too-distant future she will be mine.
Oh yes, she’ll be mine.
Now, I wonder what’s for dinner?
**********************
Puff pant “Sorry, Princess Twilight. We tried catching this straggler from Miss Cheerilee’s school group which was visiting today, but he just gave us the slip at the last minute. He’s a lot faster than he looks, that’s for sure. I hope he didn’t disturb you too much…”
“Not at all. It was actually kind of fun, and reminded me of my all-too-brief career as an educator for some other young friends of mine. I wonder what his name is?”
“His name tag says ‘Truffle’, Your Highness. What do you want us to do with him?”
“Take him down to the castle kitchen before he leaves. I think he deserves a treat for finding me, at least. And remember: you don’t have to call me ‘Your Highness’. Just ‘Princess Twilight’ will do fine.”
“S-Sorry, Your… I-I mean, Princess Twilight. What do you want us to give him when he wakes up, then?”
“Well, he didn’t have much to say for himself before he drifted off, but I got the distinct impression he loves ‘Yogurt’...”
Author's Note
Hi, I'm back! My first new fic of 2024. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
I received some bad news recently about a family member's health which has kept me from returning earlier, but I'm back now and raring to go.
Hope you like this cute little fic I wrote to get back into the swing of things, and to improve my mood which to be honest has been a bit down of late.
Have a great day! 
