Petrichor

Roseluck and Time Turner strolled abreast through WhiteTail Woods. The autumn hues of amber gold and orange vermillion were a lovely sight, and the walk was doing wonders for the stallion’s posture. His latest commissioned timepiece was quite intricate and required absolute precision. Unfortunately, he had a tendency to tense up during such maneuvers, which would be killer for his spine were it not for the delightful massages from his marefriend.

Still, it was nice to be out and about with his gorgeous marefriend in the crisp autumn air on such a fine fall day, even if it was slightly cloudy. Only wearing his signature green bowtie around his neck, Time Turner was a bit chilly with just his light mocha fur. He would be less chilly if the stallion were allowed his wool scarf, but it had been confiscated by the irresistible cerise-maned mare by his side, citing some nonsense about ‘ladies come first.’

Like Tartarus they do, if last night was any indication.

Looking to his right, Time Turner let himself drink in Roseluck’s appearance. Her raspberry mane and chartreuse green eyes were wonderfully accented by his scarf's maroon, gold, and copper stripes. His bold, azure eyes traced her delicate curves from her fluffy ears along her light caramel-colored fur before settling on her cutie mark, a beautiful red rose.

“Careful there, Timey,” Roseluck teased. “Stare any longer, and I may take your bowtie next.”

Time Turner scoffed, “Oh yes, similar to how you took my exquisite hoof-kitted muffler?” He rolled his eyes, barely concealing a smile.

“It’s not stealing if you plan on giving it back,” she retorted, giving him a smirk. “Besides, you know I wear it better,” she said with an exaggerated toss of her ruby locks.

The stallion tsked with a grin, “I suppose. However, if you mean to say that you are borrowing said article, that would imply that you had consent.”

“Don’t I always have your consent?” she quipped. Turning to look him in the eyes, she waggled her eyebrows salaciously.

Time Turner stammered, “I uh, buh…”

Roseluck’s lilting giggle was the stallion's only warning before being hip-checked into a pile of leaves.

Taken by surprise, he cried out, “Ack! Rose!” He landed headfirst; his brass hourglass cutie mark stuck out prominently from the aged browns of the fallen leaves. The scent of earthen decay filled his nostrils.

“Catch me if you can, lover-colt,” Roseluck taunted as she pranced away, her amaranth tail disappearing with a rustle into the bushes.

Resurfacing from the leafy ambush, Time Turner shook his head and called back, “The game is afoot then, is it? Ha HA!” He cracked a smile and lept from the debris in hot pursuit. He cackled as he dashed through the thicket, following the sound of her melodic giggles.

Breaking through the shrubs, the stallion looked around at the empty clearing surrounded by bushes and trees. Her vocal trail had gone cold.

Time Turner hummed in thought. “So then,” he announced, “hide and seek is your choice of sport? You forget I am an astute observer of minutiae.”

The only response was a playful giggle from his cheeky, hidden companion.

Glancing around the green shrubbery with an appraising eye, he spotted the bright copper end of his scarf poking out of a bush to his right. The stallion grinned.

His target acquired, he nonchalantly strolled to the bush. “Perhaps luck is not on your side, mademoiselle Roseluck.” Time Turner pretended to walk past when he abruptly wheeled around and yanked on the scarf in the foliage.

The stallion exclaimed in victory, “Avast! I have apprehended… you?” he trailed off. Time Turner’s eyebrows furrowed, realizing the scarf in his hoof was not attached to his wheat-furred earth pony target. “What in Tartarus?”

A rustle of leaves behind him pricked his ear.

“Agh! Oof!” Time Turner grunted as he hit the ground on his side, the smooth grass and soft earth cushioning his fall.

Roseluck straddled him from above with her head held high. Her boisterous laughter at his blunder echoed across the forest. As he looked up at her, the gold pendant on her collar cast an amber glow, giving her eyes a heart-stopping sparkle in the faint afternoon light. She gave him an impish grin before she leaned down within an inch of his muzzle. His pupils dilated and his olfactory senses went haywire from her cherry-vanilla perfume as she kissed him on the nose.

“It seems the tables have turned, monsieur Time Turner,” she whispered. The mischievous mare kissed him again, on the lips this time.

Unable to articulate a response, Time Turner’s only retort was, “Mmmh.” His mouth was unavailable to answer properly otherwise.

The subdued stallion could barely keep up with the passionate turn of events. Breaking the kiss, Time Turner attempted to speak. “Rose—” pant pant, “I love—” pant, “when you—” gulp,“speak Prench.”

“And I love—” Roseluck gave him a small peck on his brow, “—you. You great big dork.”

The smitten couple gazed into each other's eyes, entranced.

A bolt of lightning flashed, and a clap of thunder boomed overhead.

“Aieee!” Roseluck’s shriek pierced Turner’s eardrums. Her back arched like a spooked cat, eyes wide and hackles raised.

The earth-bound stallion sucked air through his teeth, his ears flattened in pain. “Ah well, It seems we have let the weather slip our minds.” Time Turner's ear perked back up, and his lips curled at the edges. “Fortunately, you are a remarkably attractive umbrella with your fur in a fluffy coiffure. If not a particularly effective one, however.”

“Aw, thank you,” —Roseluck stepped off of her stallion and cocked her head to the side— “I think?”

Time Turner lept to his hooves, “Regardless, we should depart before we are doused in precipitation!” The stallion wrapped the fallen scarf around his neck as he oriented himself back in the direction of town.

“I thought you didn’t mind getting a little wet,” she said with a sly smile.

Time Turner threw his head back in frustration, “Ach! Make haste, you scandalous miniature minx!” He galloped off to the south with Roseluck close behind.

“How small would a miniature minx even be?” the mare cheekly questioned as they raced back to Ponyville together.

The stallion felt his face slide into a deadpan glare as the first drops began to fall, “Assess it as a compliment. Allons-y!”

Huddled under a blanket, two damp ponies sat back on their haunches in front of the fireplace in Time Turner’s carpeted study. He had filled the bookcases with his library, which he had collected over the years. All the shelves were wholly stuffed with heavy reference books, large volumes of scientific literature, and even a selection of classical records for use during his less intense study sessions. Behind them sat a currently unoccupied, generously plush loveseat, easily capable of seating three ponies if one didn’t mind getting cozy.

Roseluck hummed in pleasure, her head reclined with a peaceful smile and closed eyes as Time Turner made long, gentle strokes with a brush through her mane. The vermillion light from the warming fire highlighted her stunning figure. The rain had washed away her exotic perfume, and the heat of the fire was filling the room with the ambrosia scent of her natural floral essence and his more heady, earthen musk.

The stallion’s mocha-colored ears pricked forward to the crackling of the fire as he spoke. “You preposterous pony,” he chided, “how did you let the schedule of Ponyville’s weather circumvent your consciousness?”

“Who says I forgot?” she quipped, eyes still closed. “I simply had ‘impending auxiliary imperatives,’ as you might say.” the promiscuous mare said as she wiggled her hips slightly from his satisfying touch.

The stallion sighed, a content smile upon his muzzle, “Yes indeed, I have a propensity to make verbose statements. Perhaps not as obnoxious as that, but I digress.” He earned a brief sideways smirk from the ‘preposterous pony’ in question for his remark.

“Too bad we were interrupted. I thought we had more time,” she mused. “Still,” Roseluck chirped, leaning back upside-down to look him in the eyes, “a little rain is as good an excuse as any to get you under the covers, Timey.” She gave him one of her trademark eyebrow waves.

Turner chuckled at her antics and gave her a quick kiss, “You have been particularly provocative this evening, Rose.” He put down the brush and returned her gaze. “Is there anything you wish to discuss?”

“I…” Roseluck hesitated, in rare form, and broke eye contact from his brilliant blue irises. She righted her posture and turned around to face him. Her ears folded back, and her face was in an uncertain grimace.

“I’ve had something on my mind for a while, actually,” she admitted as she pawed the carpet pensively.

The stallion was shocked by her sudden shift in demeanor. He took her hoof into his and gazed directly into her emerald eyes, “What is troubling you? Are you ill? Is your family in distress?”

“No, no. Nothing like that,” she laughed, but the joy did not reach her eyes. “I actually have a question for you,” she stated seriously.

Time Turner was getting nervous; but nonetheless, he asked, “What would you like answered?”

“Would…” she paused. Her eyes began to shimmer, and her previously dried cheeks suddenly became wet again as their eyes met. “Would you like to spend the rest of your life here?”

The stallion cocked an eyebrow. “You mean to reside in Ponyville?”

“No, I mean…” She shook with anxiety, and she brought her hoof to gently rest on his cheek. “Would you like to spend the rest of your time on this planet? Here, with me?”

Time Turner furrowed his brow in confusion. “I have no motive nor mode to depart Equus anytime soon, my Rosa Rubiginosa.”

“No, you great big doofus!” Roseluck threw her head back with an exasperated sigh as she dropped her hoof.

“What I’m trying to say is…” She looked back up into his big, dumb, clueless eyes.

“Time Turner,” she asked.

“...Will you marry me?”

Finally, comprehension filled the stallion’s eyes, and he gasped in sudden understanding of the monumental proposition she had just made.

Time Turner’s eyes watered as tears formed little dots on the carpet below him. “Oh, my sweet Luna. Roseluck, Yes! A thousand times, Yes! Absolutely!” He took her into a crushing hug and rested his chin between her ears, her tears soaking his fur as the stallion cradled her head in the crook of his neck.

“OhthankCelestia,” she blurted as she let loose the air from her lungs along with the anxiety within.

They held each other close, crying as their emotions overwhelmed them, and they relaxed into each other’s embrace. The rain softly pattered on the roof as the storm outside carried on, providing soothing background noise to the occasional sniffles of joy from the newly engaged couple.