>You heard of this holiday
>Heck you lived through Valentines Day enough back on Earth, it's the same thing
>Hearts and Hooves Day
>You already expected to spend it mostly alone
>For the first time it didn't bother you much
>You were a castle guard and one of the few who didn't complain about working on that day
>You didn't have a special some-anything, why steal the day from someone who did?
>So you stood watch, spear in hand
>Seeing the ponies be loving to each other and downright adorable
>It was a welcome distraction from the empty room you were headed back to
>And come on they're colorful ponies being cute, you had to smile
>You sneak a peak at a clock tower
>Almost time for the guard change
>Thank god, your legs are killing you and you're starving
>The bells begin to ring and your replacement shows up
>He has an envelope in his mouth with a heart sticker for a seal
>"Letter for you"
>He says as the letter falls from his mouth to the ground
"I....didn't know you felt that way, Stonehoof"
>He snorts and gives you a dirty look
>"Not from me, dolt. But I am not to say from who"
"Why not?"
>He takes his position, rights his spear and goes silent
>You won't get a word from him for awhile
>You chuckle and take the note, tearing it open
>Well....this is unexpected....
>It was a very elegant love note
>It went into great detail about how much they were pining for you, how they watch you at your post everyday and hope you happen to glance their way, etc etc
>It even got a little..intimate regarding how you looked in your custom uniform
>Whomever wrote it neglected to leave a name
>Just that if you wished to have a special somepony this Hearts and Hooves...
>To meet them on the west observation balcony after your shift
>You flipped the paper over, looking for any more information but there was nothing else
>You're more curious than anything else, trying to deduce who might have done this
>The handwriting was far too neat to be anything but a unicorn
>Sadly, that doesn't narrow things down much in Canterlot....
>There were some aides you ran into on a more regular basis
>None of them seemed all that impressed with you
>The tailor was a nice mare but she was pretty old....and joked far too much during your uniform fitting to feel this strongly
>It very well could be a prank, between that serpent thing coming to the palace and the guards messing with each other from time to time...
>You fold the letter and tuck it into your pocket
>You have two more rotations to think about it.
>Right now you were starving, and you only had a half hour to take care of that
>You eat and go back to standing watch
>The rest of the day goes by pretty uneventfully
>You get to watch more ponies be romantic in the square, all the while contemplating who gave you that note
>By the time your last shift ends, you're pretty convinced it's a prank
>Stonehoof would have never brought a letter to you from any mare, even one of the higher ranking nobles
>In fact, especially from them, he sooner would have eaten it
>The bells chime as the sun sets, the day coming to an end
>Your replacement arrives, you turn over your post and consider going straight home
>You really didn't feel like getting a pie to the face or a bucket of water dumped on your head
>But then again, it might end with you getting the heck out of here and having a few cold ones with those guys
>They were the closest things you had to friends, after all, they weren't trying to be mean
>Just playful before dragging you kicking and screaming to the pub
>Shrugging, you make your way to the west balcony
>Still in your uniform, you see some ponies there
>All of them are couples, ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the city at night
>You smile and enjoy the view yourself, while looking around for any unicorns who might be alone
>Or any off duty guard ponies trying to hide a grin
>You find neither and sit down on a bench
>Maybe this wasn't a prank and the pony got cold fee....hooves?
>You lean back on the bench
>The sun had set a few minutes ago, but the sky was still painted with pink and purple
>The moon slowly shining through
>You inhale the crisp night air and relax
>If anything, whoever wrote that note gave you an excuse to enjoy the scenery
>You owe them for that
>You hear the faint sound of hooves on marble, and out of the corner of your eye you see ponies look surprised and begin to bow
>That could only mean one of three ponies was making their way to the balcony
>You try to gauge who from just the hoofsteps
>Not Luna, she didn't walk that slow
>Not Cadence either, she was a lot heavier on her hooves
>That only left....
>You quickly stand and turn around
>A few feet from the bench, Princess Celestia is trotting slowly toward the balcony ledge
>She sees you and smiles, her warm, pleasant features causing you to smile back
>You begin to kneel but she shakes her head
>"No need for that, Anon, I know you've had a long day."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia"
>You still respectfully lower your head and take a few steps back, offering the bench if she wanted it
>She continues to the railing, looking over the city.
>It is coming alive with lights as the sky darkens to night
>With her standing before it, its quiet beautiful
>"What brings you here by yourself, Anon?"
>She asks, her tone in no way mocking or snide considering the day, but a genuine question
>You decide to join her at the railing, looking over the city
>The view is breathtaking, and you wonder why you never came here before
"I was supposed to meet someone, but they never showed up"
>"Oh?"
>She looks to you, still smiling warmly, but with a hint of concern in her eyes
>You chuckle a little and would have stopped right there
>But something about her presence makes you keep talking
"I got this note this afternoon. It was from some secret admirer who wanted me to meet them here. They haven't shown up yet. Starting to think they're not going to"
>You leave out that you think this was a joke and the only reason you don't have a pie on your head is because the Princess is next to you
>"But if you don't know whom they are, how would you know they didn't show up?"
>She makes a good point but, as you look around the balcony another time...
"All the ponies here are couples, your Majesty."
>She looks herself, then turns her attention back to the city
>Her hair is blowing in its usual fashion, matching the colors of the sky from a moment ago
>Her white coat and regalia shining brightly against the night
>And as always, she smilied, as if the sun was still bathing her in a warm light
>You can't believe it, but up till that moment, you never noticed how magnificent she was
>"I believe you're right, Anon. We're the only ones here by ourselves this evening"
>She doesn't turn to face you, but continues to look toward the city below
>You follow her gaze down to the town square
>It's hard to make out but there were two ponies under a lamppost
>They were hugging or kissing or something like that, you were too far away to tell
>For the first time that day you actually feel a little lonely
"She probably changed her mind...or maybe some stallion asked her out before she could get here."
>You force a chuckle and look back to the night sky
>She could have very well been that mare down by the lamppost, for all you know
>Wouldn't that have been a coincidence
>"Perhaps she did, but may I offer a different explaination, Anon?"
>You nod, turning back to the Princess of the Sun
>She is still watching the couple down below
>"Perhaps she has not felt this way for a very long time and is slightly worried about opening her heart again?"
>You rub your chin
>It was a slightly more comforting theory, you'll give her that
>But before you could reply, Celestia continued
>"And maybe when she arrived, she realized she wasn't quite ready yet. That she needed more time to work up the courage to follow through with her feelings"
>Hard to argue with that
"Yea....I guess you're right. Wish I knew who it was though."
>"With luck, she saw you here, waiting, and knows she can approach you when she's ready. That you're not the type to ignore someone who has feelings for you"
>Celestia finally turns back to you
>Her eyes are shining in the moonlight
>For a moment, loneliness, thoughts of home, and every other negative feeling you had that day melted away
>Her gaze, her demeanor, her smile, they warmed your heart like her sun warmed the earth
>This wasn't the first time she comforted you
>Your first night in Equestria, she had insisted on talking to you throughout the night, never once leaving you alone
>It was a great help, you remember how much you thanked her when it dawned on you how important that was for you
>No small surprise you wanted to join her guard when it came time to make a living for yourself
>How far you've come since
>And here you were, talking to her about something so trivial by comparison
>She had the same peaceful expression as that night, as if your problems now were just as important
>The world seemed so quiet, as if it was just the two of you
>You and the Princess, enjoying a cute fantasy about this mystery mare
>It was almost ridiculous to imagine she'd entertain so much of this
>But this must have been a welcome break for her too, from all the royal duties and other responsibilities she has day to day
>Just to hear a very simple problem
>One with a simple, reassuring answer
"Thank you, Princess Celestia. I feel a lot better now."
>She nods and continues to smile at you
>But before long she turns back to the castle
>"I must take my leave now, Anon. It has been a pleasure taking to you"
>You nod and say the same
>She begins to trot back to the entrance
>You watch her go, chuckling quietly as the small crowd of ponies she drew parts like a colorful sea
>But before she gets far, she stops and turns back to you
>"Anon?"
"Yes, Princess Celestia?"
>You tilt your head slightly
>You swear her normal calm, composed demeanor is different
>Its very subtle but
>While she's still standing tall and majestic as always
>Her eyes are slightly averted from yours
>And she always makes eye contact when she speaks
>"Perhaps tomorrow, if you care to meet me here again, we might chat about something more amiable"
>You smile, slightly flattered she would ask you to meet her again
>But at least the circumstances will be a little more enjoyable
"Of course, Princess."
>Her eyes meet yours again, restoring her usual poise
>"Till tomorrow then, have a pleasant evening, Anon"
"You too, Princess Celestia"
>You see that warm smile of hers one final time before she returns to the castle
>As she walks away, she exhales, as if she was holding her breath