Chapter 13
You dashed from the Student Center, taking care not to miss Moonflower in the sea of students. You knew that the best would be to stop and wait in case she appeared, but you had only an hour to spare before you had to attend your class. You knew that there were moments after this class that you could hunt for Moonflower, but the longer that you waited for her, the more this agonizing desire to see her and tell her how he felt. Finding no sign of Moonflower in the student center, you made your way out to the greenway knowing that you search would only get harder as you had such a large area to cover. You only set forth along the path running the one length of the main campus when you saw there, among the various ponies and griffons milling about, Moonflower looking very odd. Gone was the confident almost majestic pose that you saw the day before. Her clothes looked wrinkled and her mane and tail a mess. It was as if she just rolled out of bed and paid little attention towards how she looked. What really troubled you was she appeared to be walking around like a fog, unaware of everypony around her.
“Moonflower!” you called out towards her, but she said nothing in response, not even turning her head. Instead she kept walking, coming ever close towards you which reminded you to the first time you met. Still she paid no attention to your appearance, almost as if you were invisible.
“Moon, it’s me.”
She finally did stop as if your words connected with her mind. It took her a moment for her to register who was speaking to her, but when she did it was a mixture of surprise and dread, something you never saw registering on her face before. You wondered if your presence there dredged up moments of the night before or if there was something else in her life causing such panic. For a moment she just stood there as if contemplating what to say or do next.
“Uh…hi…” was all that she could finally say. To you it sounded cold and uncertain.
“Hi,” you said realizing that you had no plan in your head as what to say when you were to meet her before coming up with something quick.
“How are you?”
“Fine,” she said although from the look on her face the memories of the last night made things anything not fine at all. “How are you?”
“I’m ok,” you said to her before you shook your head as if to dislodge the previous saying. “No, wait, I’m not fine. Listen, Moon, I want to apologize for what happened last night at the club. I didn’t know that it would upset you so much.”
“It’s ok,” she said. “You didn’t know that it would upset me like that. The club, or the theme of it, just brought up some bad memories.”
“But, it’s not ok,” you said perhaps a little louder than you wanted it to be. “How am I to help you and get to know you better if I’m not even sure what will upset you?”
Moonflower looked at you for a while as if stunned by the way you spoke to her. For a moment you were worried that the pony that you just met and yet felt so connected to would now leave you for good, never to speak with you again. Then the mare’s shocked expression suddenly changed to sadness and frustration. It felt like it wasn’t something directed towards you, but instead something deep within Moonflower’s mind and heart.
“I’m sorry that I’m causing you so much trouble with my secret, but you have to understand that having them is not just because I feel like it. There are much more things at stake than just revealing something personal or embarrassing. My secret affect many others, my sister included. You have to understand something else; I’m not simply keeping this secret from you. You are a wonderful pony, and you’ve showed me so much kindness and affection despite only knowing me for a few days. If there was anypony that I would want to tell my secret to, it would be you. But I have to keep this secret from everypony I know! The only pony that knows my secret is my sister, and unfortunately it has to stay that way. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you the whole truth, but for now I can’t. I hope you can understand this and respect this and we can get to know each other more despite not telling you.”
After Moonflower ended, you waited in silence for what to say. What took you by surprise was the fact that the mare didn’t have several secrets that she kept locked away but one big secret. Whatever it was, she was not going to relinquish it anytime soon, and pressing the matter would only strain an already awkward bond.
“Moon, you know that I care about you, and the last thing I want to do is let a secret get in the way of our relationship. I would hope that I will get to know all of your secrets one day, if you want to reveal them, but for now I’m just happy that you haven’t decided to leave me.”
“Leave you? Why would you think that?”
“You know, after last night at the club,” you said regretting even bringing up the moment again.
“Oh, that. I knew you weren’t being spiteful towards me. You don’t seem to be like that all. In fact you’re one of the kindest ponies I’ve met!
That night it wasn’t you, and believe me I’ve heard the cliché of a pony saying that. But all I can say to you is that my secret involves … her… and that is why I was so afraid last night.”
You breathed a sigh of relief at the confirmation that you were not in the wrong taking her to a club. It was like a weight lifted from your mind and a door you thought once closed now opened wide once more.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“I suppose so,” Moonflower said.
“Is there anything else that I should know about you that scares you so that I don’t make you upset?”
“I’m not a pony that easily gets frightened,” she said, “so don’t worry. Nightmare Moon is just the one fluke that I have. You don’t have to walk on eggshells with me fearing that I’ll get upset. Can you ask you something now?”
“Sure,” you said as one question deserved another.
“Are we still friends?” Moonflower said with an uncertain and even worried look.
“You know I was going to ask the same thing. Of course we are, Moon. I want to get to know you more and hang out with you whenever we can!”
“I’m so happy to hear that,” Moon said as she gave you a hug. In that moment you felt the softness and warmth of her body close you yours, and her beautiful eyes staring back. In that moment all thoughts of doubting your relationship or of uncovering her secret melted away. Nothing mattered now as long as you were with her.
“Now, I’d love to talk to you more, but I have to go to class. Are you free during lunchtime?”
“Of course!”
“Great I want to try a place some other ponies said they liked to eat. Not that the cafeteria is bad, but I want something different. Sound good to you?”
“I’d love to go with you,” you said without hesitation. Sure your friends would miss you, but you would see them again.
“Great, then it’s a date,” she said with a smile, “see you right here later on!”
With that Moonflower turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving your both happy and a little surprised.
“A date?” you said as the words ran from your mouth as if they were some foreign language, “She wants to go out with me on a date?”