The ancient dragon hovers in the sky, kept aloft by the beating of his great wings. His serpentine eyes scan the carnage below for any signs of movement, and he smiles when he catches sight of your approach.

“Hmmm... so you finally choose to show yourself. This is good, as even my patience was beginning to wear thin.”

With a powerful beat of his wings, he sends a vast quantity of cold winter air directly toward the earth, and the many fires consuming the forest are extinguished as easily as a candle left near an open window would be on a breezy night. You try to keep your mouth from hanging open in shock as you survey the sight below.

“Now then,” the dragon breathes in his slow, rumbling tone. “I will have my tribute. Either pay what you owe in treasure or relinquish that familiar to me.”

Celestia takes a deep breath as she begins to speak.

“I will do neither this day, Agamemnon. Again, you’ll receive your tribute, but only when I’m able to provide it. I will not be moved in this matter.”

The dragon sneers. “Perhaps you have forgotten, but the only reason ponies are allowed to roam free across this world is because I permit it. You do not dictate terms to me.”

“And you,” Celestia shouts back, the strength in her voice unwavering, “will not treat a sovereign creature as just another trinket to be won for your collection, nor will you harm innocents not involved with our dispute! I have wronged you, and I will make it right, but not at others’ expense!”

“Empty words,” he scoffs. “A dragon’s honor demands he return everything in kind, vile Herald of the Sun. You lack the strength to stop me, so your wishes and platitudes are irrelevant. I will take what I want from you because you are weak, just as you took what you wanted from me when I was at my weakest.”

“I will not allow it,” she says firmly, her muscles tensing beneath you.

“We shall see...”

And all at once, the chase is on again.

Celestia’s horn shines and her familiar invisible barrier spell is cast as she soars into the sky, higher and higher.

“Well, now what do we do?” you ask, clutching her mane for dear life.

“It went about as well as I expected. He’ll accept nothing less than the riches we don’t have right now or you, so I suppose we have to fight.”

Again, she begins to weave back and forth in her flight as fireballs start to sail past.

“Wait, you knew talking wouldn’t work from the start? I’m guessing you had a plan all along, right?”

She closes her eyes, and you feel her confidence slightly waver as she replies, “Not until our conversation in the cave. I was reluctant to do this, but I’ve realized that right now, you are far more important to me than any reservations I might have or any old fear that tries to hold sway over my heart.”

You chuckle. “I appreciate the thought, Cel, but isn’t that exactly the type of thinking that got us into this mess in the first place?”

“Indeed it is,” she answers back, a giggle of her own escaping over the wind. “But these ‘messes’ we so often find ourselves in are a bit fun in their own way, don’t you think? Applejack was very kind to warn us to stay out of trouble this morning, but it appears that when we’re together, trouble will find us regardless.”

“So we’re like some kind of magnet for disasters, huh?”

“Or a walking catastrophe!” she sings, suppressing another laugh. “But my human, as long as you’re with me, I welcome whatever may come.”

With a powerful beat of her wings, she loops around to avoid the line of flame that once more tries to slice into you from afar and dives, confusing the dragon just long enough for her to change course.

“Damn,” she curses under her breath as she levels out.“There are none here either... those troublesome wings of his have scattered all the clouds away.”

“Clouds?”

“Yes, I need a cloud in order for this to have any hope of working, and I need to conserve my magic, so finding a natural one would be best.”

You turn your attention away from the pursuing dragon to the sky itself. It’s true; most of the clouds have been either burned away by fire or completely dispersed by Agamemnon’s chaotic path through the air. The storm front he once rested upon is completely broken apart now, little remnants of it scattered far into the distance.

You tap Celestia’s neck with your palm and adjust your position on her back. “Just focus on avoiding him for now. I’ll find us one.”

With a flick of her ears to acknowledge your offer, she redoubles her efforts to escape the pursuing dragon, pouring on all the speed she can muster now that she no longer has to slow herself to search the skies.

You can feel your heart beat faster as your grip on her mane tightens. Hell, you even crack a smile as, for a brief moment, that ever-familiar thrill of flight finds you once again. You may not have the Dawn Star any longer, but here you are, soaring through the sky and once more experiencing her gift.

And she’s given you so much, hasn’t she? The many small presents and little gestures of affection, the hardships that led to yet more joy, and all the love she’s shared... it’s nearly unending, and it’s often overwhelming. You sometimes wish you could give more back. Even though she seems to relish the time and the affection you share with her, you still wish you could give her more. As a Princess, there’s little she doesn’t already have, and you’re just a poor stranger to this world, so there’s little you can do and so much you don’t understand.

But there are still ways you can help. Whether it be as a shoulder to lean on, an attentive ear to hear her troubles, or a provider of much-requested and cherished bellyrubs...

And though there may be no way you could ever directly take on a dragon, if the love of your life wants a cloud right now, then goddamn it, you’re gonna find her one!

You turn back to see a blazing orb of fire coming directly toward you, burning almost as brightly as the sun itself.

Almost.

And that’s why you don’t turn away. You don’t even flinch. No flame this dragon can manage to breathe will ever be able to match the radiance of her sun. You ignore the fireball, instead searching the sky behind it, where you manage to spot exactly what you’re looking for.

“I’ve got one! Seven o’clock, slightly above and almost directly behind him!” you shout.

The pretty alicorn beneath you immediately changes her course, switching to a rapid ascent.

“I’m going to dive on it as fast as I can, Anon. Be ready to grab it!”

Er... what?

“Whoa, whoa, wait a second, what do you mean by gr—URK!”

She pulls her wings close and dives, and immediately the act of once again clinging to that multicolored mane for dear life becomes far more important than asking a stupid question.

The first thing you notice is the fact that you can barely see the white little ball of fluff from this altitude. You have to really focus, but it’s definitely still there, framed against the gray and brown of the partially-burned forest below.

The second thing you notice is the gigantic, very angry, shrieking dragon that’s flying up to meet you, flames dripping from his open maw like saliva normally would from some rabid animal. A huge claw, talons gleaming from the sunlight above, reaches out to capture the both of you as you near each other, but still you focus only on the little cloud in the distance...

And at the last possible moment, Celestia alters her course with a displacement roll, and the claw finds empty air as she travels just beyond the dragon’s reach. You’re flying upside down now, and somehow, against your better judgment and all rational thought, you peel one of your hands away from her mane and hold it out. You have no goddamn clue what she’s planning, but she said ‘grab it’, so you reach out...

The alicorn rights herself and levels off from her dive, and you find yourself holding a small cloud in your arm while simultaneously wondering how in the hell you’re doing it.

“I... I... wh-what?” you stammer.

Celestia giggles. “Was house hunting with me really so traumatic that you’ve repressed the memories already? I cast the cloud walking spell on you earlier so we could look at that cloud mansion, so of course you’d be able to hold one.”

You blink. “Oh. Right. Well, we got you a cloud... now what?”

“Now, my human,” she solemnly states as an oddly-colored magical aura envelops her horn, “we dearly hope that this works. Whatever you do, do not allow that cloud to touch any part of my body once I start casting or else this will likely be the end of us.”

You clutch the cloud close to your chest and pat her neck once more in response. “Got it.”

Again, she begins to climb into the bright blue sky, and with each beat of her wings she chants a word from a strange language which you can’t identify. The teal light radiating from her horn doesn’t have the usual soft aura you’ve grown accustomed to when she normally casts a spell, and combined with the odd chanting it fills you with a certain sense of dread. Small jolts of lightning arc across the horn’s surface and disappear into the air as the cloud in your arm transitions from a pure white color to the deep black of a starless night sky. It continues to undulate and coalesce in your grip until it takes a smaller, more tightly defined spherical shape, wispy tendrils of dark mist trailing behind it as the two of you fly. There’s something about this... something familiar, and yet...

A tremor of fear runs down your body as the realization hits you. You’re now holding, in your very hand, a miniature Progenitor storm torpedo, just like the ones Twilight launched at you almost continuously during the final battle over Canterlot!

“Cel... this is...”

“Do...” she gasps out while continuing to channel ancient magic into the weapon, “Do you honestly believe that in those darkest days, long after my brother was sealed away by my own hooves, when my beloved sister began to turn away... do you honestly believe that I didn’t exhaust every avenue... every possibility that I could to soothe the tumult in her heart and bring her back to me...?”

There’s a surge of energy as the form of the torpedo starts to shift. Instead of remaining as a compact sphere, it begins to stretch until it resembles a javelin or spear composed entirely of black mist. You hold the weapon over your shoulder, well away from her body, as the spell completes and she gasps and pants with exhaustion.

“I... I tried everything, Anon! Everything to regain my little sister! Even when I already knew of the dangers it posed, and even when I knew that there was little hope that it would help, I still peered into the Shard of the Dark Star that Balios left behind to search for answers! And though what I saw there ultimately could not free Luna from her Nightmare, that terrible, forbidden knowledge remains with me, even now!”

She moves to make a mid-air turn, and suddenly Agamemnon is there, right before the two of you, mouth open and a great swell of fire threatening to erupt from the depths of his throat. Your breathing stops as the shock of his sudden appearance causes you to temporarily freeze in place, but Celestia reacts without hesitation. The aura of the Progenitors’ magic around her horn washes away, instead replaced by that comforting golden hue, and you experience the familiar sensation of submerging and then taking a fresh breath of air as she teleports the both of you to the charred and bare section of ruined forest directly below.

As soon as her hooves touch the ground once again, she nearly stumbles from fatigue but regains control at the last moment to curl up upon the burnt forest floor, panting and breathless.

“I’m... afraid I can no longer carry you, Anon. Not as long as you hold that weapon. Even being this close to it is almost too much to bear...”

You quickly dismount, careful not to let any portion of the strange spear touch her, and put a bit of distance between the two of you.

“What is this thing...?” you ask, staring at the strange weapon in your hand with wonder.

The pretty alicorn struggles to her hooves, blowing a few strands of ethereal mane from her eyes in the process as some of her strength begins to return.

“The Progenitors studied the effects of storms with great interest, and they found that by enchanting clouds in a certain way, those clouds could be used to steal the latent magic of anything they came to touch, be it the enchanted engines of an airship, or directly from a living creature. You likely already suspect this, but the torpedoes Twilight’s stone fortress made use of worked on the same basic principle.”

She turns her magenta eyes to the dragon in the distant sky, his own golden irises meeting her gaze as he spots the two of you and adjusts his course.

“My magic may not be able to touch an ancient dragon. But theirs... the weapon you now hold... can quench the flame.”

Yeah... you think you understand what she’s getting at now, and you hold the spear a little more tightly as the realization sets in.

She giggles. “You know, due to your lack of innate magic, you’re likely the only creature in this world who could hold such a thing without succumbing to its effects. Equestria is counting on your efforts, my human. I doubt I have the strength to make another, so may your aim be true.”

With a laugh, you shake your head. “Yeah... no pressure, right?”

You gaze up at the approaching dragon just in time to see him breathe another line of flame as he draws near. You dive for cover, still holding the mystical spear close, and crouch low to maintain your balance as the dragon’s nearby landing uproots trees and sends tremors through the earth.

The great creature looms over the section of ruined forest, from this perspective more like a skyscraper than a beast, and you come to realize that the wall of fire he created was meant to separate you and Celestia. You’re trapped on one side, her on the other, with a sneering Agamemnon between you.

“Hmm hmm hmm,” the dragon’s throat rumbles as he focuses his attention on the alicorn. “It feels good to stretch my limbs and move around like this again. We could easily keep up this chase for another age, could we not, vile Herald of the Sun?”

He cranes his neck downward to lock eyes with her.

“But your ‘precious’ little thing wouldn’t last that long, would he? And it seems you’ve given up and abandoned him here. Have you finally come to realize the futility of all this, or is this yet another desperate ploy you’ve managed to concoct?”

Celestia lets out a sigh and turns away, wings drooping.

“You are right. We can’t escape you, and if I can’t appease you in any other way then I have no choice but to relinquish him to your care.”

Another rumbling laugh echoes over the sound of the fire nearby.

“Is that so? How prudent... but I don’t believe you!”

Without warning, and with a speed that should be completely impossible for a monster of his size, the great dragon suddenly pivots and slams his tail into the nearby ground, right where Celestia was standing. The impact causes a minor earthquake, nearly knocking you off your feet and uprooting yet more dead trees. In the exact same motion, the beast’s left arm strikes out with similar speed, aiming to capture you. It’s a flawlessly planned and executed maneuver, intended to both distract and occupy Celestia while claiming his prize, all in the space of a second or less. There’s no chance for you to run, and there’s no chance for her to save you, even with the aid of her magic.

But you never intended to run from the start. Instead, you hold firm, maintaining your balance despite the tremors running through the earth, and you wait for the great claw to approach.

And at the last possible second, as the talons gleam in the nearby light of the fire, you thrust the spear of dark magic into the dragon’s open palm with all your might!

The magical weapon easily pierces the scales which looked to be so impenetrable before, and with a deafening surge of energy, it explodes like a bomb, sending teal-colored concentric rings of forbidden magic into the surroundings and blasting you several hundred feet backwards, where you manage to come to a stop with a painful thump against the trunk of a half-burned tree.

Agamemnon releases a pained roar that can likely be heard even from Canterlot as he clutches his wounded claw and staggers back, barely maintaining his balance.

“What... how?!”

He coughs several times as he fights to remain upright, but instead of the usual flames, only black smoke emerges. And for the first time since this all began, you recognize the telltale sign of fear in his eyes as he desperately searches the surroundings for Celestia.

“My flame diminishes?! What have you done, you miserable wretch?!”

The ground shudders yet again as he collapses, smothering the nearby fire, wisps of black smoke spiraling from his nostrils and mouth as he pants for breath. Even though he can no longer move, his eyes continue to frantically search for Celestia, who emerges from a nearby mass of fallen trees, her white coat muddy and feathers in disarray from the dragon’s earlier surprise attack.

“Forgive me for my deception, Great Watcher, but there was no other way. I must ask that you sleep for a while longer. I’m sorry it can’t be in the comfort of your lair, but I give you my word that no harm will come to you here, and I also swear that the necessary tribute will be prepared when you next awake.”

Her horn shines with its usual golden aura as she closes her eyes to focus on a spell to put the now weakened dragon to sleep. You stagger to your feet and let out a relieved sigh as you start to move toward her. It looks like, against all odds, the two of you have managed to get through yet another crisis more or less intact.

“So, you used their magic through him. I should’ve expected as much from one of the successors...”

You freeze in your tracks. Something’s wrong. There’s no fear in his voice. There’s no fear in his eyes...

“But you’ve made a fatal miscalculation, little pony…”

“CEL! WATCH OUT!”

It happens like lightning the moment you cry out. The great beast’s arm thrusts forward to capture Celestia in his grip. Her utter shock, combined with the pain of being bound, causes the spell she’s channeling to break, and the aura around her horn fades away.

The great dragon weakly rises from the ground, holding the struggling pony directly to his face as he sneers in triumph.

“You should never approach a wounded dragon! You may have weakened my flame, and you may have made me subject to your accursed magic, but my strength remains, and it will be your end!”

She cries out as his grip tightens, the pain preventing her from focusing enough to channel any magic. You try to run toward her, but a shooting pain in your left leg causes you to stumble and fall. Shit... it must’ve been fractured in the blast earlier!

“Cel...! Cel!” You grit your teeth and attempt to struggle past the pain in order to stand, but your injured leg fails you and you collapse once again.

“I could’ve forgiven these other acts of defiance,” the dragon growls, “but this insult will not stand. Have you any words before the toll is paid?”

The alicorn’s magenta eyes open and she turns them to you as you struggle on the ground, now clawing your way toward her since you can no longer walk.

Your eyes meet, and within her expression you see it all— what she intends, and what will come to be.

“No...” you cry out, your tears falling upon the scorched earth, as she turns to face Agamemnon once again.

“It’s not... equivalent...” she begins.

“Hmmm?” the great dragon hums with curiosity.

“This life you are about to take... is worth more to this world than the riches that were stolen, and worth more than what has happened here. You know this... to be true.”

Agamemnon laughs. “Ah... begging for your life by appealing to my sense of honor and desire for balance. Pathetic, but appropriate. Tell me, how am I to properly conduct this exchange? In case you’ve forgotten, I have no riches left as a result of your thievery. Do you mean to say that I should spare you until I can properly compensate this puny nation of ponies for the loss of its ruler?”

She closes her eyes, several tears running down her muzzle, before addressing the dragon once again.

“Swear to me, Agamemnon the Clanless, on your blood, the blood of your kin, and the honor you hold, that when this is done, you will leave this land forever.”

He smiles as she continues.

“And swear to me, on your blood, the blood of your kin, and the honor you hold, that you shall never touch this human, that you shall not interfere with his life here, that he shall live free from you until the end of his days, that he should be a treasure which you shall never come to possess!”

A great laugh rings out into the late afternoon sky.

“Truly, your greed humbles even one such as I! In the face of the end of your days, you continue to covet him. I commend you, but you think too narrowly. What is the purpose of a treasure when you will not live to enjoy it?”

She closes her eyes and smiles back as she answers, “And what is the purpose of love if you’re not willing to sacrifice everything for it? Because I love my ponies, I devote my last act to help ensure that they will live on in peace. Because I love my brother, I imprisoned him in stone until the day comes when I find a way to pull him from his madness and bring him back to us. Because I love my sister, I banished her from the earth until such a time when she could be redeemed. And because I love my human, I want to give him the opportunity to continue to know love in his life, even if that love can no longer come from me!”

The dragon’s smile remains unbroken as he continues to consider the pony held tightly in his claw. And though her tears continue to fall, Celestia’s own smile still shines forth.

“Agamemnon, these things are my treasures. Were I not willing to do this for them, I could not call them such.”

The ancient dragon closes his eyes and breathes out, jets of black smoke escaping into the air. With a nod of his head, and a fang-filled grin, he chuckles once more.

“Well said.”

Slowly and gently, he places the pony upon the ground and releases her, much to her utter surprise as well as your own.

“I’ve misjudged you. You truly do understand that which is precious, and I see now that my decision to respond to those voices heard on the wind in that age long past was not a mistake.”

The dragon breathes out again as Celestia falls to her haunches, her shock palpable.

“I consider the debt paid,” he declares. “It seems my meager fortune was well spent. I’ll dig out more riches from the earth to replace it. It will be something to occupy me as I’ve slept far too long lately, and this age... it appears will offer some interesting things for my tired eyes to behold.”

He turns his back and spreads his wings, rising into the air with a few unsteady beats.

Celestia, who’s since rushed to your side, calls out as he ascends, “Are... you certain of this? I can still properly repay our debt given time!”

The dragon laughs again as he turns back for a brief moment.

“It was worth it to finally truly meet you, Celestia, Herald of the Sun, Secondborn of Those Who Came Before. If you wish to do more, then come visit me with your brother and sister in the future, and we’ll reminisce about the old days. You can bring your odd-looking familiar too, if you like.”

“Yes,” Celestia replies, several fresh tears falling to the scorched earth. “When we’ve all been brought together again, I shall. Consider it a promise, Great Watcher.”

“Then let your word be your bond. Farewell.”

You watch the great dragon disappear into the distance as the warmth of your alicorn’s healing magic begins to flow through your injured leg and your hand travels through her mane out of habit.

“What just happened here?” you ask her.

She raises her head, her job finished, and watches the retreating silhouette along with you.

“A question I long held was answered. Beyond that... all I can think to call it is a miracle.” With a quick nuzzle, she turns away, curling up again on the muddy, scorched ground. “Come, my treasured one. Let’s return, as I’m certain that by now we’re dearly missed.”

You straddle her back, the pain in your leg no longer present, and together the two of you leave the burnt forest behind.

The flight back to town is not without its issues. Halfway there, one of her wings buckles, sending the two of you crashing into the soft snow below. Thankfully, it’s not a long fall, so you’re quick to recover and help Celestia dig herself out.

“Are you alright?” you ask, helping her to her hooves.

“Yes,” she replies, a slight blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. “But perhaps flying back wasn’t the best idea.” The alicorn raises a mud and snow-caked wing, its feathers sticking out in nearly every direction. “It appears I need a bath and some serious preening before attempting to fly again.”

“Yeah... we got pretty roughed up back there. House hunting’s tougher than you’d think,” you say as you examine your singed and muddied clothes, finding that you aren’t in much better shape.

She giggles. “That it is. Between my finicky demands and attacks from ancient dragons, I sometimes wonder how it is you’re able to put up with me, my human.”

“The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. But I will say that you’re lucky you’re such a pretty pony,” you reply with a smile.

She rolls her eyes. “Why is it that every time you compliment my appearance, it’s when I’m looking my absolute worst? I’m beginning to wonder if you’re being honest with me.”

“I guess I’m about as honest as someone who’s madly in love with you can be. You can interpret that however you like.”

A swat from her multicolored ethereal tail is her reply, which pulls yet more laughter from you both before she suddenly perks back up.

“Oh, that’s right! I nearly forgot!” Her horn shines, and the distant sun starts on its path below the horizon, the moon rising to replace it. “I’d never hear the end of it from Lulu had I missed the sunset...”

“Well, at least something went right today, huh?” you say, reaching out to offer up some apologetic scratches to those perky ears. But to your surprise, you can feel her slightly shy away from your touch, and you notice the cheer leave her face as she turns toward the setting sun.

“Yes... at least we can take comfort in that. Come, we should continue on our way.”

She moves to trot away from you, but you remain where you are.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

Her ears fold back as she looks away. “It’s nothing to worry ab—”

“Enough, Cel. We talked about this twice already. There’s no need for any secrets. There’s no need to try to spare my feelings. If there’s something wrong, I want to know so I can help you! Don’t you understand that?”

You hear her hiccup once as her mask slips and she falls back on her haunches upon the soft snow.

“Don’t you understand that I nearly lost you today?!” she shouts, fresh tears glimmering in the light of dusk. “I nearly lost you, Anon, and there was nothing I could do about it! If it weren’t for Agamemnon’s mercy, I—”

“We nearly lost each other. But we DIDN’T, Cel! We’re fine! We’re standing here talking to one another right now, aren’t we?”

“And who’s to say what will happen the next time?” she cries. “Who’s to say this won’t continue? Ever since I stepped into your life, nearly from the moment we met, I’ve placed you in danger! I sent you to Equus Island alone, I set Twilight after you as a result of my foolish actions, there was that whole ordeal with returning to the Trials... even the airship I gave you as a gift faced constant attack until it too was destroyed! And now today... don’t you see? It’s never going to stop!”

She turns away from the sunset, sobbing as you stand silently by.

“It’s never going to stop. Those who call themselves my enemies... and the multitude of mistakes I’ve made in the past, along with the mistakes I continue to make... they’ll all, at some point, return. And you, by virtue of being close to me, will be placed into the path of danger, just as you were today. And inevitably, as we’ve just seen, there’ll come a time when I won’t be able to protect you!”

You cross your arms as you gaze upon the trembling alicorn, the shadows of the surrounding trees growing longer as the sun continues its descent.

“So, what?” you ask after a few moments. “You want to give up on this because you’re afraid?”

Her head snaps up, mouth slightly open as she stutters, “G-Give up... Anon, what would you have me do?! The thought of losing you... I can’t bear it! Even if nothing I’ve said comes to pass, there’s still—”

You step over to her and kneel, and as gently as you can, you take the crying alicorn’s muzzle into your hands and tilt her head until her eyes meet yours.

“What would I have you do...? Isn’t it obvious? Marry me.”

“W-What?” Her eyes widen as another hiccup escapes.

You smile at her. “Marry me, Cel.”

She blinks her tears away, too taken aback by your proposal to shed any more. “Have... have you lost your mind?!”

“Maybe?” you answer with a shrug. “I’m asking a pretty pony princess for her hoof in marriage, so this is about as bizarre as it gets for me. But stop trying to change the subject; are you gonna do it or not?”

She laughs. “This? This is how you choose to propose? Has nothing I’ve said over the past several minutes meant anything to you? Anon, if I marry you, your life will be thrown into the unending turmoil that follows me. I can’t— OUCH! Anon!”

You reach out and flick one of her ears with your finger before she can get going.

“You’re the one who hasn’t been listening. None of that stuff matters to me. You even said it best today... ’as long as you’re with me, I welcome whatever may come’.”

“Anon...” she whispers as she turns away again.

“Don’t pretend like that wasn’t exactly what you said. Those were the words of the pony who remembers what I told her on the Dawn Star. Those were the words of the pony who remembers what it feels like when we ride together. Those were the words of the pony I fell in love with...”

You gently stroke her muzzle, calming her and pulling her tears away.

“I know it’s been a rough day, and I know you’re shaken. But Cel, when you’re afraid, I’ll be strong for you. Just like when I’m afraid, you’re strong for me. Remember our promise?”

She nods into your touch.

“That’s why you don’t need to feel burdened by the past. That’s why you should put your fear of the future aside. I’m here with you, and you’re here with me, right now, at this very moment!”

You stand and step back, offering her a hand.

“It’s as simple as that. Now, are you gonna answer me, or am I gonna have to keep standing here looking like an idiot?”

A proposal is a pretty simple yes or no question when you get down to it. You honestly expected her to answer however she felt, take your hand, and the two of you would go from there.

What you didn’t expect was for the alicorn to leap from the snow and tackle you, sending the two of you rolling down the hillside. You come to a stop under the shadow of a bare tree, both panting for breath. Somehow, you ended up on top of her, her mane spilling around her head as she stares up at you with those beautiful magenta eyes.

“Of course I will, my precious human... my treasure. But this proposal... what were you thinking? Why now? I honestly expected a bit better from you.”

You chuckle. “Yeah, it’s sudden I know, but don’t you recognize where we are right now?”

“All these apple trees...” she murmurs as she glances around. “An orchard within Sweet Apple Acres?”

“That’s right. I know it looks a little different being winter and all, but this is where it all started. This is where you stole my heart as you ran from me that day. Looking back on it, there was something I should’ve done then that I’ve always regretted.”

She turns back to you, smiling in the light of dusk.

“Oh? And what would that be?”

Your lips meet, and you give her your answer.

The two of you lose yourselves to the moment once again, content in the fact that you can advance through this life alongside one another in the time that you are given.

Another day in winter ends, but you know that soon you’ll feel the pull of the sun beyond the horizon to welcome the next as time flows ever onward.

A new day, the next of many you’ll greet as you ride together with her...

...Welcomed without question, without second thoughts, without doubts, without regrets, without trepidation, and without fear.