"Your highness shall be with you shortly," Marks told Strawberry. He lead the white unicorn into the hallway and then towards another room. The attendant pony paused, straining to find the right words. "I... uh... suggest you use this time wisely to freshen up. And to... to... prepare yourself, uh... mentally."

"Thanks," Strawberry squeaked. He couldn't seem to put his thoughts together into coherent speech. "So, then, what, uh, would you say since you know... your highness well... if it's not too, uh, imposing for me to ask?"

"Don't," Marks began. He then stopped and stood silently for a painful twenty seconds. "Don't... blow it."

"Right," Strawberry muttered. He watched as the attendant nodded and then scurried away. Strawberry moved himself back and forth, still feeling in a daze.

It had gotten far beyond the point that Strawberry had to smack himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He stepped into the royal bathroom, and he gently nudged the door shut behind him. He hurled his head down onto the fluffy rug.

Nope... maybe just one more time to be sure... He didn't want to spoil his 'date'-- the soft, seductive way Nightmare Moon said the very word kept bouncing about in his brain-- by getting a bad headache. Still, just to be sure. Blasted sure. He knocked himself done one more time. His glasses bounced off and fumbled over somewhere by the sink.

Strawberry wiggled himself along the ground like a snake, and then he rubbed up against his glasses. He floated them to his head with his magic. He then popped himself back on his hooves and leaned over the sink.

"Just call me Smoothberry," he told his reflection. He smiled even wider than before, and it went so wide that he could almost see all of his teeth. "Because, I'm the berry with the... the... uh..." That pun sucked. He went back to a flat expression. And the way that you look sort of... sucks... Especially for somepony so bold to try catch a princess... He leaned forward and inspected himself.

"Looking rather... frizzy," the reflection said to him. He picked up a brush with his magic and held it up for a moment. I guess... Well, it's the guest bathroom. I suppose it's fine for me to use everything here. He held it up and attempted to wrestle with his poofy mane-- looking ruffled even worse than usual.

Strawberry waved the brush around to no avail. He pressed it deeper into his hair, and then he concentrated. The brush had gotten pretty stuck. He strained, and his horn glowed brightly. *Snap* The brush then cracked in two.

"Well, that's an... excellent omen," he mouthed off to himself. He looked back into the mirror. His mind fluttered through everything that he had picked up from talking with Rarity. He recalled how she applied everything from little dabbles of cream to little clips from the eyebrows to bathing his glasses with industrial strength cleaning chemicals.

That had been, of course, hours upon hours ago-- before she went off like an underworld spy or something. He didn't pay much attention to Ponyville gossip in the best of times. With Celestia out of the picture and everything in chaos, he couldn't tell what pony was doing what.

As he ripped out the remains of the brush, he tried to keep from crying. I can't even... pretend to think that I know what I'm doing. What was I thinking? What AM I thinking? He straightened his hair best he could, and then he rubbed off his glasses once more. He found some kind of spray with a very generic smelling scent-- indefinable yet still easy on the nose-- and he showered himself with it. He explored some more of the bathroom drawers. After a moment of trying various more items on himself, he figured that he looked as good as he ever would.

He shot one last glance at the mirror. He smiled and tried to make an aggressively masculine pose with his front hooves. "Oh... oh, my," he said, and then he squished the sides of his face. He turned that smile totally upside down. "I... I can't believe it. What's wrong with me? How did I think she'd ever be, what, in my league? She's not even in my-- my-- my blasted sport!"

He stepped away from the mirror, recoiling at the awkward young unicorn he saw. "Strawberry, Strawberry you dork," he said. He looked down, and then he noticed his satchel that he had left over at the side of the bathroom. He lifted it over with his magic. It'll be... okay. He thought about what he had planned, and then he got back up. He tried his best to build up some confidence.

"It will be okay," he declared to his reflection. His reflection showed him a determined face-- exactly that he had hoped to see. "It was love at first sight. That's what it was. That's what it was. It was meant... I know it. I feel it. Mythologically in love."

He spun around at a knock at the door. Marks' familiar voice stated, "It's time to go, sir."

"'Sir' nothing! Please, just call me Strawberry," the unicorn said as the two of them headed back into the ballroom. Marks shrugged and mouthed an incoherent response. Strawberry had the thought creep into the back of his mind that Marks wanted to stay emotionally detached just... in case... things didn't go so well.

The unicorn shoved those thoughts-- banishment, torture, or worse-- into the furthest corner of his mind. It's her: Nightmare Moon. The most beautiful creature in all of Equestria. Nothing compares to her grace, her poise, her wonderful charms.... not Rarity, not Twilight, not even Celestia... Nopony! Strawberry took a gulp, and then he found himself walking back into the ballroom.

His jaw dropped as the door opened back. Moon had kept on her armor. Yet the alicorn had dressed herself up even further in way that blew Strawberry's mind. The military-style boots had elegant tassels and diamond studded cloths decorating them. A beautiful grey and black tiara with sparkling sapphires sat atop her helmet. Something like a bridal veil flowed back from her helmet onto her body.

Strawberry's heart fluttered the most at her dress. Waves of soft blue, stark black, reflective sliver, and other colors of the night stretched across her beautiful body. He had never seen so many diamonds in his entire life. The stallion's eyes drank on every inch of the new ruler of Equestria. He then paused, and his mind put everything together. He felt so tense. It looks... so much like a bridal outfit. Like she's looking for her... her... PRINCE.

Moon stepped down from the throne over to where Strawberry stood. Their eyes met. She remained locked in that same dull, flat scowl that she had from the moment Strawberry first saw her. She said nothing.

Strawberry moved forward. I'm going to break that scowl. I'm going to see the beauty inside that matches the beauty outside. I can. I will. I know it. "I'm... so honored to see you again, your highness," the unicorn said, "I... am truly speechless. I can't believe that I'm here to see this. Every part of you is simply radiant. You look so beautiful that mere words can't describe it." Moon lifted up her right front hoof, and Strawberry hesitated.

"Will I... get to... kiss it..." he said out loud, completely by accident. The alicorn softly nodded. Strawberry leaned over and pressed his lips against her boot. He immediately felt his face and body being flooded with this mysterious sensation. In one sense, it seemed painful. This overlay of weeping, gnashing of teeth, fear, abandonment, and other horrible thoughts shot into him. It felt so much worse than a static shock; he sensed it in his very heart.

Yet, at the same time, he had a much more powerful sensation flowing into him under all of that. He couldn't really put it into words. That blueness, that calmness, and that softness rubbed all over his body. The soothing comfort of night in pony form... Strawberry realized that he had locked lips with her boot for a rather long time, and he nerviously shot back upwards. He smiled at her again.

"Strawberry," the alicorn said in a neutral tone, "We look forward to our upcoming..." She paused, and she clearly seemed to wonder what exact word to use. "Date." She looked like she didn't care about beating around the bush anymore.

"Yes, of course," Strawberry said. He decided to step closer. He felt like he should be walking hoof in hoof with her. Although, they barely knew each other. He also was a little too... short for that. "So, I... I thought that we could begin by taking a... walk back into Ponyville out of Everfree Forest and into the main park, where the pets and the foals play. We could have a nice, long talk. It would offer numerous ways to admire your glorious night."

The alicorn nodded at him, and then they walked out the ballroom. They sauntered down towards the main entrance of Moon's new castle. She had more or less willed it into being in an impressive display of magic. Strawberry recalled how he had first seen her-- heading through Everfree to pick up those enchanted seeds Roseluck had begged him for. He had heard some horrible commotion. Ponies had screamed their lungs out. He had felt so afraid, yet he also couldn't keep down his curiosity.

Moon had looked possessed with pure rage. She had then beamed with joy upon having defeated some kind of great enemy or coalition of enemies... or something. He didn't pay much attention to that part. He had zoned out completely as he had gazed at her.

She had danced this victory jig-- shifting her flowing, pretty mane around her body and leaping about as if gravity meant nothing. She had flashed a smile. Strawberry knew that had to be the moment. The smile. The joy. Seeing the smile of real, geunine happiness once again-- even if it was only once-- would mean such unimaginable pleasure.

The alicorn and the unicorn soon found themselves in a little patch amidst a torrent of trees. Layer after layer of jagged branches stretched out over them. Strawberry felt afraid for a moment. He imagined a cursed oak just leaning over, grabing him, and them hurling him back into nothingness. He then mentally kicked himself for being so silly. He had Moon by his side. He had nothing to fear.

The two of them walked down the familiar path towards Ponyville. They locked themselves in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Strawberry stayed a few feet away at first. He took a deep breath, and then he moved closer inch by inch. Soon, their paths had converged. He felt so honored to just be side by side with her.

Moon seemed to have had enough of the silence, and she halted. They had came to a sort of clearing with various trunks set around a grassy knoll. A tiny lake protruded off nearby. Strawberry rubbed his mane nervously. Come on, now. Let's really get started.

"You know," Strawberry began, "I can't tell you how different it's felt to live in this eternal night. I can't tell you what it's meant to me." He nervously moved over beside a large stump. "Of course, your highness, I'd love to try."

Moon walked over besides him. She sat down on an opposing stump. "Please, go on. We would love to hear it."

"I've had this problem," he said, and he pulled off his glasses with magic. He squinted. "It's been a huge problem since childhood. Migraines. All of the time. They seemed to be triggered by nothing, totally random at first. Pretty soon, my parents and I realized that I just happened to be abnormally... What's the term Nurse Redheart used? Ah, yes, 'light sensitive'."

"An unusual affliction," Moon muttered. She looked pretty bored.

Come on then, there has to be a point to this... Get to the point with her! "So, I never had anything happen to me at night. Daytime... Daytime was a horrible gamble that I made every sunrise. I couldn't wait to have the..." Strawberry gazed at Moon, and then he flung his head up at the stars. "The night. The sunrise meant another possibility of that horrible attack, that pain like stabbing knives into my eyes, that sensation of losing control... loss of vision... I lived in such fear. Other ponies suffered every other week or so, but I had problems every other DAY. But then night came. And I couldn't wait. Night was always my friend."

"Oh," the alicorn replied. She had morphed to more of a blank expression.

"That wonderful embrace. So cold, so soft, so tender. I knew that I was safe. Every moon rise, my heart would lift right up with it," the unicorn said. He rubbed his hooves against his chest, and he swooned his head around. He saw that Moon picked up his sincerity-- that he didn't exaggerate a single word. "My whole life has been in the shadow of the night."

"An odd fit, with that cutie mark and that name of yours..." Moon said. She seemed to have her interest a bit piqued. "For goodness sakes, Strawberry Dawn? Dawn?"

"That's not the worst part," he replied. He picked up his satchel and pulled out a huge set of wrap around sunglasses. They looked more like the goggles that a professional chemist would wear. "I had to deal with these babies, all through my foalhood. Not exactly the sort of thing that drew friends."

"It reminds me of..." Moon said, and then she tapped her face. She clearly seemed to be trying to remember something long past-- something from a while before her thousand year banishment. "A-ha, one of these comical 'hard rock' showponies. The Canterlot set used to love him."

Strawberry put the ridiculous glasses back on, and then he jumped off of the trunk. He bucked himself up and then waved his front hooves in the air. He gyrated his hips. "Are you ready to rock and roll!"

He didn't get a real smile out of her. He did get some kind of... light chuckle. Something like that flashed over her face. Although it passed as easy as a breeze through his bakery window, Strawberry's heart fluttered.

He sat back down on his trunk, and then he put his normal-looking glasses back on. "So, your highness, I..." He found his eyes moving back and forth across her wonderful, long mane. "I... feel in my heart as if you did it for me. The eternal night, for me. I know you didn't, really... but, still... And even if it doesn't work out, or if other ponies talk differently... I want to say... I know it sounds weird, but... " He met with her eye to eye. "Thank you."