>11th April. >Greetings, diary. >Current mood: Contemplative. >It has been a most unusual morning. >I am currently sat in the very house I personally paid for in order to grant Anonymous a home here in Ponyville. >Amusing to think that I had not seen the interior before I carried through the transaction. >Anonymous lies next to me in his bed, still wrapped in gauze. >His patches of dried blood distress me more than I would like to admit. >This whole scenario is troubling for another reason. >Why do I care for him so much? >No matter how hard I try to come to terms with my feelings, they dance just out of my reach, taunting me with their evasiveness. >Must I resign to knowing that I do not know? >These past 2 months have been some of the most infuriating yet captivating of my life. >Looking at his face, I feel my stomach twist. >My ears pick up his every soft breath, and my eyes catch his every slight twitch. >I have considered talking to sister about this, but I am afraid of what she might say. >I shall keep it a secret in the meantime. >Someone is downstairs. >I think it might be Twilight Sparkle. >She visited in the hospital earlier today. >She kissed him on the cheek before she left. >This action alone sent my mind reeling. >Are they an item? Why did he not tell me? >Why does it cause me such discomfort to think about? >I need more time to think on this. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >11th April. >Greetings, diary. >Technically it is still the 11th, though there are mere minutes to go until a new day arrives. >Once more I sit by Anonymous' side. >Once more I gaze at his features and struggle to put my thoughts to words. >I have not eaten in 3 days. >Or slept. >Tiredness never affected me as harshly as other ponies. >Perhaps it is a perk of being an alicorn. >I have been thinking about just that today. >Being an alicorn. >I am immortal. Is Anonymous? >My thoughts turn to things I would rather not confront, but the fact that my thoughts are even occupied by such concepts confuses me. >I have been alive for thousands of years. >Anonymous is not the first I have grown affectionate of. >But why does it feel like he is? >In the past, I was more concerned with finding a suitor that would reflect my regal nature. >Foreign princes and stallions almost as tall as I. >I was attracted to power. >They were darker times. >Times I would not wish to return to. >Yet centuries later I find myself falling for an alien being. >Strange how fickle the heart can be in the face of love. >Love. >Is that what this is? >That explains a lot. I have spoken to Cadence of love. >She is wise on the topic. >Is it possible to love something so different? >I doubt that it is love. It would not make sense. Nor would it be acceptable for a pony of my standing to even consider the thought of consorting with one such as he. >My eyes are finally giving in. I must rest. But I shall not be gone for long. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.         >12th April. >Greetings, diary. >Anonymous has risen. >The thought crossed my mind to call Twilight Sparkle, but I decided that Anonymous might not want to be crowded. >Was it wrong of me to do so? >Perhaps. But he appears to be much better, and has recovered from his trauma. >He even cracked a joke at me. >"Damn, Luna. Why so serious?" >The comedic nature of this joke is obviously that I must appear serious, and that he is drawing attention to my blatant worry for him. >Come to think of it, it might not have been a joke. >I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror today. >My eyes are bloodshot, my mane frenzied. >It seems that his condition has affected me more than I would care to admit. >He hugged me. >I was careful not to hurt him when I wrapped my own hooves around him. >It was odd, being embraced by such a large being. But comforting. >More comforting than Celestia's hugs. >I counted how long we stayed like that. And I was wishing that it would never end. >A foalish, novel idea. To stay embraced forever and always to someone you care for. >But I entertained the notion longer than I would have liked. >I chastise myself more and more each passing day. >Why must my thoughts betray me? Why must my mind be solely occupied by a single entity? >It angers me. >Yet I don't want it to stop. >I felt myself growing more anxious as the day went on, so I went for a run through Ponyville. >The townsfolk were shocked to see me galloping about, but the wind in my face and the feeling of my blood coursing through me was invigorating. >I cared not for their responses. >Twilight Sparkle visited later on, and immediately hugged him. >(He hugged me for longer. I timed it.) >She also kissed him again. >Though to my pleasant surprise, he seemed unnerved by it. >Perhaps things are not as they appear? >I shall press him for answers when I feel he is ready. >I don't want to hurt my Anonymous. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.         >13th April. >Greetings, diary. >I located the dragon whelp Twilight Sparkle keeps close. >Spike. >I instructed him to compose a letter to my sister telling her of my whereabouts, and he proved to be an accurate and precise writer. >He seemed practised, as though poised to write at any time. >I hope sister is not worried for me. I can look after myself. >Anonymous is walking about. >His bandages are still fastened to him, and I observe him from a safe distance, ready to catch him if he falls. >He seems thankful for my company. >It makes this entire charade seem worth it. >Twilight Sparkle continues to visit and pester Anonymous. >She seems somewhat desperate for his attention. >He gives it to her, but I can see it in her body language, she yearns for more. >Or maybe I am merely seeing things that are not there. She is his friend. It is only right that she show concern for him. >Anonymous spoke a great deal to me today. >He got my letter, and laughed when I asked him to respond at the end of it. >I am not sure why. It was a simple request. >Regardless, we spoke about everything that had happened to each other. >I told him of my brief encounter with Discord. >He was far more interested in the paper town than the beast himself. >For the first time in a while, I found myself smiling. >It felt pleasant to smile. >Like a great storm had finally passed. >Anonymous was hellbent on escorting me to a cafeteria he had grown fond of. >He ate a bland looking sweet, and I acquired a moon pie. >I am -very- fond of moon pies. >I also felt that this was the right time to interrogate him about Twilight Sparkle. >He seemed disappointed that our conversation had taken a turn, but I pushed on. >Twilight Sparkle is in very much the same situation I am, it seems. >She puts herself in Anonymous' path every chance she can get. >But the attraction is not mutual. >I made a concious effort not to smile at this. >Such a simple piece of information, but to me it means the world. >The rest of the day was spent talking. Just like we used to. >I missed it so much. >Satisfied that Anonymous had recovered, I took my leave and returned here, to Canterlot. >(But not before getting one last hug. It was the longest one yet.) >(1 minute 56 seconds!) >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >16th April. >Greetings, diary. >Once more I have abandoned you, once more I apologise. >Celestia asked me to test a piece of experimental magic. >It ended up sending me to the other side of Equestria in the blink of an eye. >I had to spend 2 days dragging myself back to civilisation. >Though I met a merry band of travelling Diamond Dogs on the way. >They let me ride in their cart, and we sang songs from ages past. >One of them gave me this locket with a large white gem socketed within. >I am running my hoof over it now. I don't get gifts often. If ever. >I shall cherish it for a long time, and keep it somewhere safe. >From this experience I would say that the trip was worth it. >Celestia would -not- stop saying sorry to me. >I had to endure several minutes of hugs and fawning over me. >How I wish she wouldn't do it in front of the entire court. >Countless enemies have been cut down by my magic, I am not a foal to be 'cuddled'. No matter how much I secretly enjoy it. >Much to my shock, I was greeted with a letter. >From Anonymous, no less! >Such a marvellous thing to return to. >I shall transcribe it, as always. (I do enjoy sharing my letters with you, diary.) >"Heya, Luna." >'Heya'. I suppose Anonymous is the only being in the land I would allow to greet me as such. >"How're things? I can't thank you enough for being there for me. When I thanked the doctor for his help today he told me that you had been by my side for two straight days. Are you nuts?" >How he gushes his thanks! It is a most welcome thing. I stayed by his side because I had to. I was not about to desert him in his hour of need. >And why in Equestria is he asking me if I have transformed into walnuts? Another strange term. I shall have the linguists look into it. >"I've taken out a few books from the library, your stories got me interested in reading up on something. Write back soon. - Anonymous." >He reads? I read! I read all the time! We are quickly developing so many things in common, Anonymous and I. And he even wants me to write back. >Current mood: Thrilled. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >17th April. >Greetings, diary. >I have composed a letter to Anonymous. It goes as follows: >"Hello, Anonymous." >I felt a much more casual and relaxed tone was appropriate for this letter. >"Your letter was nice. I also read. We should read together. I am not a walnut." >"Please respond.  -Luna." >Once more, I addressed his points in a precise manner, but by saying "hello" I made it seem much more casual. And I have decided to repeat my "please respond" phrase since it apparently made him laugh. Jokes are an important part of social communications. >I daresay I am the greatest letter writer Equestria has ever seen. >Such boasting cannot be good for my ego. >I shall be careful not to get ahead of myself. >A guard bumped into me today. >He spent 32 seconds trying to find the words to apologise. >It was amusing. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >18th April. >Greetings, diary. >I feel I have made a terrible mistake. >Casting aside my thoughts that it might not be the wisest of decisions, I looked into the dreams of Twilight Sparkle last night. >I saw things that I feel are too inappropriate to tell you. >Celestia needs to be much more careful of those she takes under her wing. >That unicorn has a revolting mind. >I have spent the day thinking about it. >Even while a chancellor was lecturing me on the dangers of using machines to assist in agriculture I imagined Twilight Sparkle and Anonymous together. >Such vile thoughts shall be purged from my mind. >Tomorrow I shall find that old haemomancy tome I found that I used to cast a seal on this very diary, and see if I can't find a spell to forcibly remove memories. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >18th April. >Greetings, diary. >I am concerned that I might be suffering from some sort of narcolepsy. >There appears to be an entry from today written on the opposite page, but I don't recall writing it. >I awoke with a start with my face resting on that old haemomancy tome I found that I used to cast a seal on this very diary. I must have fallen asleep while reading. >This cannot be allowed to happen again. I must become more active. >(Note to self: 300 laps around the castle grounds.) >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >19th April. >Greetings, diary. >A reply from Anonymous arrived! >I should like for this trend to continue. The letter is as follows: >"Luna." >He didn't even bother with saying hello. It must be urgent. I hope he hasn't landed himself in trouble. >"Come to Ponyville. I have a surprise for you. I know it's short notice, but I think you'll like it. -Anonymous." >A request for my presence? A surprise? >I feel apprehensive. >And the nature of this letter is a blatant disregard for mail etiquette. >Subjects cannot simply "command" a princess to show themselves! >I shall not attend. I have been lenient enough with Anonymous and I feel that I must draw a line in the sand so that he respects his boundaries. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >19th April. >Going to Ponyville. > -Luna.       >20th April. >Greetings, diary. >I am sat by candlelight. >It is night time. >And I cannot stop smiling. >Anonymous' gift was an origami moonflower. >I dare not touch it with my hooves, and I am using such little magic to hold it afloat. >This gift is more precious than I can put to words. >He was so proud of it, and said that he never once forgot what I had said about the moon. >I was quick to remind him that he told me there were no such things as moonflowers. >He just laughed at me. >But this gift is something of utmost beauty. >I shall store it in a solid titanium box and keep it locked with the most powerful enchantments I can find. >None must harm my flower. His flower. Our flower. >I wish you could see it, diary. I wish I could show you its beauty. Its perfect edges, its pristine white surfaces. Its intricate folds. >I cannot imagine how much time he must have put into this. But regardless of if it was an hour or a week, it is precious to me. >My first gift from Anonymous. >Do I have to grant him something in return? >The thought didn't cross my mind. >Perhaps it is a human custom to give a gift in return. It is something we did not speak about, so I am unsure. It is custom among ponies. Would he be offended if I gave him a gift? >I shall write him a letter. >For now I shall attempt to sleep. >Celestia will want to see my flower. >I hope she doesn't harm it. >Farewell, diary. > ~Luna.       >21st April. >Greetings, diary. >Celestia was captivated by my flower. >She said it was one of the best pieces of origami she had ever seen. >And that means a lot, since she invented the concept. >Celestia has had a great deal of time to accomplish many things. It is almost unfair. >But I know her flaws. >She might seem perfect, but she is scared of bats. And cannot drink soup without slurping. >It shall be her downfall. >As for my flower, she dared not touch it. I sensed that she could appreciate the effort that had gone into it. >When I said it was from Anonymous, she gave me a very queer look. >A mix between a smile and smirk. >I cannot find a better way to describe it. >She left me with the words "good luck". >What did she mean? The flower? >My sister can be enigmatic at times. And I have learnt not to bother trying to see past her mask. >Even I do not know how her mind operates. >I composed a letter to Anonymous, thanking him again for the flower: >"Hello, Anonymous." >I felt he was deserving of another casual greeting. >"Thank you for the flower. -Luna." >Once more, I astound myself. >Oh dear, I am boasting again. >I need to stop doing this to myself. >Also, I have been wondering about what Twilight Sparkle dreams of, since she is so attached to Anonymous. >But every time I consider it, the back of my skull begins to hurt. >I shall consult the royal physician on it. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >22nd April. >Greetings, diary. >Today has been rather dull. >The physician did not find any problems, and suggested that I should exercise more. >This solution was clearly the most obvious. So I have increased my castle laps to 325. >I find that I can lift the entire garrison quite easily nowadays. >They have also stopped screaming in terror as I do so, no doubt becoming used to surprise psychic assaults. >The fruits of my labour are always a welcome sight. >Celestia's bird caught fire again. >It never fails to startle me. >Such a curious creature, it is. >I have been considering acquiring a pet of my own. >Perhaps a bat. >Then again, Celestia does not care for the things. >(Note to self: Tame a Northern Nightreaver Vampire Bat) >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >23rd April. >Greetings, diary. >No letters from Anonymous. I am half-tempted to visit Ponyville to check on him. >Though that seems overly-possessive. >And I'm not that kind of mare. (hopefully) >The moon is looking beautiful tonight. And my stars seem to be shining brighter. >I have often wondered if they merely appear brighter, or if my mood reflects their glow. >Cadence has her Crystal Heart that projects the feelings of her people into the most spectacular auroras. >Celestia's sun is ever radiant, and it is hard to tell if it ever gets less difficult to look at. >The fact that I can't tell how she is feeling makes matters more difficult. >Perhaps my musings are simply that. Just a passing thought. >But I cannot complain if my night sky is beautiful. It is a part of me. And seeing it in all it's splendour makes even the darkest of days seem that much brighter. >Ironic, given the nature of the night. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >24th April. >Greetings, diary. >A busy day indeed. >Two ponies started fighting in court. >Celestia was unamused. >I relished the opportunity to get "stuck in" (as the guards say) and throw a few punches. >Needless to say I broke up the fight as effectively as I broke Mr Fletlock's ribs. >Following that battle, I found a moon pie left unattended in the royal kitchens. >I felt that it was my civic duty to rid the wretched thing from the world. >Though I wish they weren't so fragile. >I am covering your pages with crumbs. >A letter from Anonymous also came through. >I practically skipped back to my chambers to read it. >The guard outside my door seemed very confused by my behaviour. >It matters not, here is the letter: >"Hey, Loony." >Such insolence. Were he a peasant I would have him executed at once. >It seems that even within the confines of my own diary I am a terrible liar. >"So happy to see you liked the flower. I was told by Twilight that it is your birthday tomorrow." >He is right. Though I care little for birthdays. I stopped celebrating them since I've had so many, and the years tend to merge together as an immortal. >"I'm coming to visit." >I just had to reread that. >Does that mean he's coming to the castle? Or just to Canterlot? >Do I have to wear anything? >I was not prepared for this rapid escalation of events. >I must inform sister. >The cooks. >The guards. >Do we have meat in stock? >Do I have a dress prepared? >Why am I writing this down instead of planning? >There is too much to be done and I only have hours to prepare! >Farewell, dairy! > -Luna.       >25th April. (My birthday.) >Greetings, diary. >I did not sleep. In fact I spent all night giving the guards their orders and whipping the cooks into shape. I had to pay them overtime, and the royal treasury might have suffered for it, but it was all worth it. >Anonymous arrived by train, and I knew that Canterlot would not be kind to him, so I organised an escort. >I think he was slightly unnerved at the idea of being escorted through the streets by 50 of the best soldiers I spent the night hoof-picking from our ranks. >But I desired safety, so safety is what I organised. >The citizens reacted as I expected. >Shocked that the creature they had feared for so long was now walking by my side. >I cared not. >With Anonymous by my side I felt invincible. >Now I wonder, was the escort to make Anonymous feel safer, or me? >The feast was perfect, and I managed to procure some meat from a black-market vendor in the more questionable areas of Canterlot. >The royal kitchens did not have any meat, unfortunately. But they were happy to cook it. >Come to think of it, I don't think their faces of discomfort were 'happy'. But at least they were civil about it. >When the feast was over, Anonymous followed me to my chambers, and there we spoke for the rest of the day. He even brought me a moon pie as a present. >I am in his debt. Again. >He told me of Twilight Sparkle, and her increasingly more desperate attempts to get his attention. >Apparently she has taken to knocking on his door each and every morning. >An amusing concept, but it sounds as though it would get dull rather fast. >Anonymous was not distressed by this though, because he knew he could look forward to my letters to make him laugh. >I am not sure why he finds them so funny. They are serious transcripts detailing important issues. >He still spoke with a smile, and I found myself getting lost in his voice. >It is something I would not mind listening to every day. >He leaves for Ponyville tomorrow morning. >So he was to stay the night in the castle. >More specifically, my chambers. >He is asleep, as it is quite late. But I can't bring myself to lie alongside him, despite it being my own bed. >It seems too disrespectful. I shall respect his wishes to occupy my bed and sleep on the floor. >I shall consider it repayment for his gifts. >Birthdays are not a thing I make a habit of caring for, and I normally remember them as I would any other day, save for the realisation that I am yet another year older. >But this one in particular gave me something to celebrate. >Today has been a good day. >I did not wish it to end. >Alas, it did. And in my selfishness I yearn for more. >But the arrow of time is a harsh mistress. And she marches ever onwards. >(Now I have no doubt that Celestia's poetry is influencing me.) >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.       >26th April. >Greetings, diary. >Anonymous is now gone. >He said that the overreaction to his visit was cute, but unnecessary. >I disagreed. >He disagreed to me disagreeing. >Then we hugged. >I can't help but think that perhaps I saw a look of muted disappointment when he woke up in the morning. >As I promised myself, I slept on the floor beside the bed. >It was not uncomfortable. But Anonymous seemed somewhat annoyed. >I do not know what I did to elicit such a response. >Celestia acted in a manner much unlike her as well. >Rather than maintaining the ordinary serene look, she seemed somewhat playful at breakfast. >She winked at me when I entered and asked "how did it go?". >So I told her what had happened: We spoke, and I let Anonymous occupy my bed. >Then Celestia covered her face with a hoof and sighed. >This was followed by a thorough shaking of the head. >And the phrase "How are you so oblivious." >What proceeded was a turbulent day of pondering, and pestering Celestia to tell me what I did incorrectly. I have taken out several romantic novellas from Celestia's personal collection with her eager permission and shall begin reading them tomorrow. >It should be a unique experience. I tend to stay away from fiction. >I can't for the life of me imagine what I did wrong. >Did I offend him? >I keep thinking back to my suitors in days of yore, and all I can recall are the nights of passionless talking, followed by gift exchanging. >I have been doing the same with Anonymous. Is that not how you attract a mate? >What have I done wrong? >Even the guards appear confused by it. >I overheard one of them talking to another as I passed the barracks saying "I didn't hear a peep from her all night." >This sudden change of events is aggravating. I shall get to the bottom of this mystery one way or another, then I shall win Anonymous' heart. >Until then, I must go. >Farewell, diary. > -Luna.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUXHp0U-QVg End Part 3