[ANON IN EQUESTRIA] Luna's Anonymous - Epilogue

Something so very long overdue.

Happy 1000th thread, AiE. Here's to another thousand.

God help anyone who's still here by thread 2000.

Lots of love, Nebulus.
xoxo

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>A soft breeze gently pushes aside the balcony curtains.
>Above the sparkling tranquillity of a late-night Canterlot, two figures silently take in the view from their high point.
>One of them looks to the other and smiles, extending a hand and lightly rubbing behind her ear.
"Beautiful night as always, Luna."
>The princess swells with pride and leans into her partner's hand.
>"I am glad to spend it with you, Anonymous."
>They both turn back to the view, but stand closer together.
>Though the night is pleasant, the air is chilly, and the pair huddle closer to each other to stay warmer.
>Luna smiles and looks toward her companion again.
>"Anonymous, did you remember to buy a present for Celestia?"
"Well yes, did you?"
>The princess seems aghast.
>"Of course! I would not forget my sister's birthday!"
"...Luna."
>"..."
>The human gives her a flat look, causing her to blush.
>She hopes that the darkness covers most of it.
>"I never know what to grant her. She hardly ever remembers it anyway."
"Still, it's a nice gesture."
>The human rubs his hands together and breathes into them in an effort to warm them.
>"So what did you get her?"
>He takes a moment to reply, rubbing his hands together thoughtfully.
"...I got her a bottle of gin."
>Luna blinks several times, a look of confusion washing over her.
>"Sister does not drink. ...Does she?"
"Probably not. But it's always what I used to get my family members."
>"Ah, I see."
>The two are quiet for a moment longer.
>"Anonymous?"
>He looks at his partner.
"Yes?"
>"Have you..."
>She trails off, then finds the words to say.
>"Have you enjoyed your time with us? With... Me?"
>The human frowns.
"Sure I have. What's wrong?"
>Luna gazes at him, her eyes carefully drinking in his features the same way she had done many times before.
>"I sometimes worry that you're not, ah, happy."
>His brow furrows slightly.

1/?

"I'm always happy to be around you, Luna. How long have you been thinking about this?"
>"For a few months. You just seem to be... Quieter, in recent times."
>Anonymous lets out a low chuckle.
"It's been over a decade, I think I'm allowed to slow down a bit."
>He steps closer and drapes his arms around her neck, pulling her into an embrace.
"You worry too much, Luna."
>"I have always worried."
"You need to stop it."
>"I do not wish to do so; you are my partner and I have to ensure your happiness."
>The human sighs and squeezes her.
"So long as I'm here with you, you needn't worry about me being happy, alright?"
>His arms let go of her, but one hand stays on her back.
>It reassures her.
>She relaxes at his touch as she always has, and turns her head back to the city below.
>"I cannot stop thinking back to the days before us, though. I almost lost you."
>The human rolls his eyes.
"This again? Luna, look at me."
>She peers up at him in the dark, the light of the moon the only thing between them.
"It's been too long. Relax and enjoy life; these last years have been everything I could ask for, and I can't have you wallowing around in past regrets."
>"But--"
>He holds up a hand.
"Promise me you'll let this go. It'll only bring you pain."
>"...I can't stop thinking about the past though, as well as the future."
>The human pauses.
>It is a topic he knows he will have to confront one day, but there never seems to be an opportune moment to discuss it.
>So he reaches forward and embraces his wife once more.
"Luna. You and I both know that what's coming is inevitable. All we can do is enjoy each other as much as we can in that time."
>He pulls his head back and gently touches his lips to hers.
>She barely moves as he does so.
"Life goes on, and if we dwell too much on what is to come we'll forget to enjoy what we have now."
>Luna presses her face into his chest and shudders.
>"But what am I to do once that day comes?"

2/?

"Deal with it."
>She pulls back and gives him a flat look.
>He chuckles.
"I meant deal with it the same way you deal with everything. With careful consideration and rationale."
>The alicorn sighs.
"Luna."
>She forces herself to look at him again.
"Promise me you won't fall into despair once I... you know."
>Luna, despite her current sorrow, can't help but smirk.
>" 'Fall into despair'... You would not have said that a decade ago."
>Anonymous grins back.
"You've rubbed off on me, silly horse."
>Luna scrunches her face up and buries her face in his chest again, tilting her head slightly so as not to stab him with her horn.
>The pair hold one another for a long time, neither saying anything more.
>Anonymous looks back through the balcony curtains into their bedchambers, and a thought suddenly occurs to him.
"Say..."
>Her ears perk up.
"Whatever happened to that old diary of yours?"
>After a brief moment, Luna steps back, a thoughtful look on her face.
>"I am not sure. Why do you ask?"
"I'm just wondering. How long has it been since you looked at it?"
>"Again, I do not know. Time has gone by like a blur in recent years."
>She purses her lips and gazes at her bedside cabinet on her side of the bed.
>"I wonder..."
>She trots back into the chambers, and Anonymous follows.
>Carefully opening her cabinet drawer, she pulls a dusty old box from a compartment that was covered by a small wooden board.
>Levitating it in her magic, she brings it to the balcony again so that she can see better.
>A shape in the darkness of her chambers has stirred, and an old, great bat with huge leathery wings drifts down from his perch, resting upon her head and lazily looking at the box before the three of them.
>She absent-mindedly strokes him with a hoof before sitting down and fumbling with the lock.
>Luna exhales sharply from her nose and smiles.
>"I put far too many enchantments on this box."
>Anonymous sits across from her and leans forward.

3/?

"Can you remember the unlocking spells?"
>She waves a dismissive hoof and scoffs.
>"I am not -that- old, Anonymous."
>The mare ponders the box for a moment, searching her mind for the correct spell.
>"Ah."
>With a quick flash of magic the box opens, its hinges acting silently as though they were freshly oiled.
>Within the box lie 4 items.
>Anon shuffles over next to his partner and studies its contents.
>A small paper flower, a locket, a stack of carefully folded papers, and a diary; all equally fresh-looking.
>The enchantment did its job in keeping out everything.
>Luna lifts out the flower and gazes at it.
>Anonymous gently plucks it from her magical aura and brings it close to his face.
"Well now; I never imagined I'd see this again."
>His partner hums to herself, a distant smile on her face.
>"Your first gift to me."
>Anonymous studies it for a little while longer before gently placing it back in the box.
>The papers are retrieved next, and the pair quietly sort through them.
>"Your old letters... Ah, some of your poetry--"
>Anonymous hastily swipes the papers from her and places them back in the box.
"N-not that important, love."
>Luna laughs softly and turns her attention to the locket.
"Who is that from?"
>She raises it up and frowns.
>"I am not sure..."
>The mare glances past it at the diary.
>"Perhaps the answer is in there."
>Putting the locket back in its place, Luna pulls out the old diary, treating it like a fragile glass trinket.
>Anonymous takes it with careful hands and attempts to open it.
>When he struggles to pry its pages apart, he grunts.
>Luna plucks the diary from him and smiles.
>"I certainly was a fool."
>She reaches up and taps the large bat on her head.
>He bares his fangs and lightly pricks her hoof.
>Holding it over the diary, Anonynous and Luna watch as a single drop of blood hits the cover of the diary.
>The book glows a faint red for a brief second before opening to the front page.

4/?

>Anonymous raises an eyebrow at this.
"Something you're not telling me, Luna?"
>She laughs quietly and gives him the book.
>He licks his lips and angles the text towards the moonlight.
>Then, begins to read.
"Fourteenth of January. Greetings, fair diary. My name is Princess Luna - Nightwarden and co-ruler of Equestria..."
>As he reads, Luna finds herself lost in her memories.
>His voice becomes somewhat muted as she gazes up at the night sky, at the same moon that watched her frolic about all those years ago.
"...Celestia has encouraged me to continue making notes after I told her..."
>Luna rests her head against him and gets comfortable, the bat on her head draping his wings over the sides of her face, equally as content as his mistress.
>Her smile never leaves her face as she listens to her lover read to her.
>A soft sigh leaves her lips, interrupting Anonymous.
"Something wrong?"
>"No, not at all."
>She gazes wistfully at moon as Anonymous returns to his reading.
"...Once more I am confronted with the issue on what to write..."
>Luna closes her eyes and lets her mind wander.
>At this moment, there is not a single place she would rather be.
>She will do what is asked of her, and cherish the present.
>Something she is more than happy to do.
>For it is a most wonderful of nights.

The End.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zm91n76dfA