Title:           Ephemeral (Mothpony Story) PART 3
Author:          AngryWino
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/DDqBYMA3
First Edit:      Friday 29th of January 2016 02:45:35 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Thursday 7th of April 2016 12:16:31 PM CDT

"Look."
>She looks, and her jaw drops in amazement.
>"This is what you wanted to show me?"
>The sun is rising over the Everfree Forest, its golden light illuminating the tops of the trees.
"What do you think?"
>"It's so beautiful!"
>Yeah, it really is.
>She steps forward, and you find yourself admiring the way the sunlight interacts with her coat and mane.
>"Thank you for showing me this!"
>She plows into you, knocking you down, and covers your face with kisses.
 
>Izzy's scent fills your nostrils, and in combination with her amorous attentions, certain undeniable physiological reactions occur.
>Izzy quickly notices your condition, and pauses.
>"I don't think I would ever have seen that if it weren't for you."
>She kisses you again, then swings a hind leg over your barrel, straddling you.
>She's still full of energy, apparently, and fixed on one particular outcome.
>Her fluffy chest presses into yours, producing a tickling sensation.
>At the same time, you notice her scent getting stronger.
>She places her lips next to your ear, her feathery antennae tickling your face.
>"A deal's a deal, right?"
"Yes."
>"Whatever I want to do, right?"
>Deep breath. This is it.
"Yes."
>And without any further preamble, she takes what she's been after.
>Her wild, instinctual lovemaking leaves you breathless.
>"I'm sorry... if that seemed... abrupt" she tells you between breaths.
>"But... as I said... I don't have a lot... of time."
>You're not so much savoring the afterglow as you are trying to process what has happened to you this morning.
>It wasn't exactly unpleasant, after all, but you do feel kinda... used.
"Yeah, wow... how much time... do you mean?"
>She nestles into you.
>"Enough time for a few more rounds...."
>She nibbles lightly on your ear.
 
>And that's your morning, basically.
>Four more times, as the sun climbs higher in the sky, in fact.
>In the part of your mind that can still think about such things, under the circumstances, you reason that the need to reproduce is her dominant instinct at this stage.
>You guess she fixated on you because, well, you did take care of her.
>Even if it was just to stop her eating your garden.
>You had meant to find out all you could about her, as an interesting specimen, possibly worthy of publication.
>Now you had gotten to know her, as a mare.
>This has been a surprising day.
>"Can we go home, now?"
>You are mildly surprised at this, feeling spent as you do.
>But her energy seems inexhaustible.
>Thanks in part to that nectar you fed her.
>You can take her home, and the more you think about it, where else would this strange pony be at home, other than with you?
>She certainly seems to need you, and you have to admit, she had filled certain of your needs you hadn't thought about in a while.
"Yeah, sure we can."
>You leave the cloud together, you keeping a careful eye on her as she flutters down to an altitude she's more comfortable with.
>Your cloud hadn't drifted far, it was fairly easy to get back to your cottage.
>When you land out front, she seems tired, but satisfied.
>She hugs you and gives you a kiss.
"What was that for now?"
>She nestles into you.
>"For showing me the sun, and making my day amazing."
"Well, you're welcome. Would it be alright with you if I wrote about you in my journal?"
>She smiles at you, giving you another squeeze and a kiss.
>"As you wish."
>Yeah, this could be the start of something new and amazing for you.
>A whole new chapter in your life.
>As you take pencil in hand and begin to write about the day's experiences, you see Izzy watching you through the window, a soft smile on her lips.
>You don't notice the passage of time while you're writing.
>But you do notice the sudden crash from your garden shed.
 
>You run outside, and see Izzy lying in front of your shed.
>Immediately you run to her and gather her into your forelegs.
"Izzy!"
>She opens her eyes, and smiles weakly at you.
>"I told you I didn't have a lot of time, Anonymous."
>She shivers, as though cold.
>It's getting late in the day, you need to get her warm.
"Hang on Izzy..."
>She clings to you as you lift her form, bringing her inside and setting her gently down on the only bed.
>You get up to get the other jar of nectar, that was almost empty, but she clutches your arm.
>"Anonymous, don't go. Stay with me."
>You sit down beside her.
"Alright Izzy, I'll stay here with you if you'll stay here with me."
>She smiles again, weakly.
>"I was hoping you would say that."
"What's the matter, Izzy? How do I... How do I fix this?"
>"You can't, unless you can stop time. That's all I have left now."
/No!/
>How can life be so goddam unfair?
>Just when you thought...
>"Anonymous? I've left something for you, in your shed. They're very important to me, so please take care of them, alright?"
>You close your eyes, wanting to shut everything out.
>Hot tears sting your eyelids.
>You were no entomologist, but you were a naturalist.
>How could you not have seen this coming?
"It's not fair!"
>Izzy covers your hoof with one f her own.
>"No, it's not, but it's just life. It's my life, and I'm glad that I had you in it."
"But that's all you get? One day? What the hell?"
>"I'm afraid so." She closes her eyes and smiles dreamily.
>"But what a day it was."
>"Stay with me, won't you?"
>You hate this whole situation,
>But you would not dare deny Izzy's request.
>So you slide onto the bed beside her, wrapping your wings protectively around her.
>She sighs in contentment, nestling into you.
"Izzy?"
>"Hmm?"
"Just tell me one thing... was it a good life?"
>She kisses you, softly.
>"It was the best life."
>And you hold her, as she quietly cuddles you.
>And you hold her, as the sun goes down.
>And you tell her good-bye.
 
>When you first met her, she was a pest.
>Later, she was a very interesting specimen, of a new, undocumented life.
>Then she had become so much more.
>And now she was gone.
>The academy can analyze something else.
>You take Izzy into the Everfre Forest, and you bury her in a clearing, by the moonlight.
>The next week passes in a haze.
>In the shed you find twenty-six small, neat white cases stuck to one wall, each about the size of your hoof.
>You think about the life they have to look forward to.
>You read over the notes and journal entries you made about Izzy, but they don't really describe the beautiful, loving, and ultimately ephemeral being she was.
>They didn't describe the feelings you felt.
>You needed to find something new to do with those feelings.
>You need to buy seeds, you're going to need a bigger garden.
>So it's a trip into town, then.
>You realize that you forgot your film.
>But even that seems unimportant.
>After buying the seeds, you head to the bakery, out of habit.
>That pink mare trots over to you, concern written on her features.
>"Are you okay, Nonny?"
"Not today. I've just lost someone close to me."
>"Oh, I'm sorry. Listen, if you'd rather be alone..."
>You interrupt her, your response surprising you.
"No. I don't want to be alone anymore."
>"Well, what are you doing tonight?"
>You can't help but chuckle.
"Let me guess, a party?"
>"Really low-key one, just some friends, and if you don't want to be alone..."
>She watches your face hopefully.
"Okay."
>"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
>"Great!"
"What's your name?"
>She hesitates. "It's Pinkie Pie."
>Then she wraps her forelegs around your neck and plants a big wet smacker on your cheek.
"What was that for?"
>"I talk to you every time you come here, and that's the first time you asked me my name!"
>She bounces away.
>"Hey, homework assignment! Bring somepony with you!"
/Really? Where am I supposed to find.../
>The answer comes, unbidden, to your mind.
 
>You walk to the film store.
>Deep breath, and let yourself in.
>The filly behind the counter looks up, and smiles.
>"More pictures for us to develop, Anonymous?"
"Not today, no."
>"Oh. So do you need any film or other supplies then, cutie-pie?"
"Not today. Today, I need your name."
>You see that this surprises her.
>"What?"
"I know you told me, but I'm awful bad with names, so could you please remind me?"
>A blush creeps into her cheeks, and a slow, shy smile follows soon thereafter.
>"It's Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth. That's a nice name."
>She giggles, self-consciously hiding her smile behind one hoof.
"So tell me, Elizabeth, are you doing anything tonight?"
>Her eyes and smile both widen.
>"Not especially, why?"
 
END
 
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