The Grand Masquerade

Nyx smiled as he finished putting his suit on, an straightened his bow tie. Tonight had to be perfect, and it would be no matter what. He smiled a bit as he moved is phantom of the opera style mask onto his face. He had a bit of time before Quick would arrive, and the guards had been instructed to tell him if Quick arrived early...it was hard it'd been 17 years...

Quick looked over his costume, adjusting the cape his aunt loaned him that belonged to his uncle when he was Zorro one year for Nightmare Night. He huffed and fumbled with the mask, jumping slightly when the mask was taken by a white magic aura and tied itself around his face. He looked back to see his aunt smiling at him.

"Well don't you look handsome," Prima said, looking him over.

"Thanks auntie and thank uncle Just when you see him?" Quick asked.

"Of course, I'm glad everything fit okay, you're a little... bulkier than your uncle," She said then shooed him out. "Go. Have fun!"

Quick chuckled and left, arriving at the castle about 15 minutes later than the invitation said and looked around for the mystery sender.

Nyx smiled as his eyes found that beautiful stallion's form, he'd never forget it. He slowly walked up behind Quick, but had to stop for a second as he was over taken by astonishment, Quick was still bulkier than him, but it seemed he'd grown quite a bit taller than the older stallion in his time away. He smiled to himself as he once more approached Quick, using his magic to change his features so he was just barely unrecognizable, and spoke in a light and elegant prench accent "Hello, Sir Quick Stitch."

Quick looked around around and smiled at the handsome stallion that walked up, a little surprised he was so tall, not many could look him in the eye let alone actually look down at him. "Well hello there stranger," He said in his deep, baritone voice.

Nyx smiled and lifted one of Quick's forehooves with his own, placing a gentle kiss on it "May I have this dance?" As he did this, Ny thought to himself 'Quick always did like the cliche romantic gestures, though I was too young to make sense of it all at the time.'

Quick smiled to the stallion as his hoof was kissed. "You certainly may," He said. "You know, you seem really familiar, have we met before?"

As Nyx lead Quick to the ballroom floor, he dropped the illusions hiding his features. He hoped it'd still take a bit of time before Quick recognized him, and his prench accent would help a bit. "Perhaps we have, once upon a time in a dream." he spun Quick around, leading him in a slow waltz like dance.

(On another not, this kinda fits perfectly: )

Quick chuckled softly at his new friend as they started their dance. "Seriously though, were you at one of my fashion shows? Did we meet in a club? You are just too familiar to be a random stranger," He said

Nyx just smiled and quickened the pace of their dance, moving closer to Quick. "It's because I'm not a stranger at all, Quick." As he spoke, his hair turned from grey to silver, and his horn went back to it's natural curved form

Quick watched the transformation with big eyes, the realization dawning on him. "N-Nyx? Is that really you?" He asked. Well, this was certainly a surprise, who knew that his younger cousin would grow up to be such a handsome stallion... On another note it was a good thing they weren't blood relatives...

Nyx then dipped Quick, and looked into his eyes as he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Quick's. He'd waited seventeen years to do this, and it was just as perfect as his dreams.

Quick's eyes widened as he was dipped and kissed, eyes slipping shut and kissing back. "Wow..." He said softly.

Nyx slowly pull back, opening his eyes. He spoke gently, and quietly "I've done nothing but think of you for the past 17 years Quick...I...I love you." Nyx relaxed slightly, it'd felt good to finally get it off his chest.

Quick looked at Nyx, suddenly very serious as he pulled away. "This isn't the place to talk about things like this. Come with me," He said, heading to a deserted hall near the ballroom.

Nyx raised an eyebrow and followed Quick slightly confused. Perhaps things were different here in Equestria...

Once they were away from the party, Quick turned to Nyx and sighed. "Okay, now that we have some privacy... Nyx, you've only just gotten back from... whatever it is you were doing after school, you went off when I still knew you as just a little colt that followed me everywhere, it's kinda how I still see you but you're not so little anymore and you kissed me and while you may have thought about me for the last 17 years, I honestly haven't. At least not the way you thought about me, sorry kiddo, but I can't say that I love you," Quick said.

As Quick spoke, Nyx's world was crumbling around him. He felt a pit forming in his stomach, a void filling his heart. His father had warned him about this feeling and what it might bring, but those warnings were now unheard by deaf ears. Seventeen years of blood, sweat, and spine shattering work all seemingly undone by a few words. Nyx tried to block it out, but a little voice began whispering in the back of his mind 'They'll all leave you, just like him. He ever thinks of you as a foal! You'll never be anything to him, or the rest of him. You're nothing...but I can make you something, I can make into something. I can make him love you.' Nyx shook his head, and backed away from Quick 'N-No! It's his choice!...I shouldn't have left Prance, the life I wanted here is just a dream...' Tears began to race down his face "I-I understand..." In a flash he'd gone to the only safe place besides his castle he could think of; His mother's house. He materialized outside the house, and in the rain.

Quick opened his mouth to say something else but Nyx had already teleported away. He sighed and looked to where he heard the music from the party, not really feeling like dancing anymore. He stood there for a moment longer then turned to leave and head home.

Bella had run out to the market for some last minute things for dinner and was just on her way back home when she saw a tall dark figure standing in the rain. "H-Hello? Can I help you?" She asked.

Nyx smiled weakly and turned around, making a magical shield over Prima to keep the rain away. "I-I'm home mom....i-it's me." He took a hesitant step towards her. It'd been so long since he'd last seen her...

"N-Nyx?" Bella asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. The bag of groceries Bella had been holding in her magic suddenly dropped and she rushed forward, hugging her son tightly and letting out a choked sob. "You're finally home!"

"Il est maman d'accord, je suis à la maison maintenant..." He hugged her close to him, and gently nuzzled her cheek.

(It's okay mama, I'm home now...)

Bella sniffled and buried her face into his neck before pulling back as the door to the house opened, a tall, young mare stepping out onto the porch. "Mom? What are you doing out in the rain? You're going to get sick! Wait, who's that?" The mare asked.

Nyx looked up "A-Andromeda..? Is that you...?" She was barely half his size then, and was a little over that now. He'd have a lot of catching up to do...

Andromeda narrowed her eyes at the stranger, getting an umbrella and trotting out. "How in Tartarus do you know my name?" She demanded. "Andy, that's enough. It's your brother Nyx," Bella said.

Andromeda looked between her mother and Nyx before turning to head straight back into the house where a door could be heard slamming shut.

"I can not blame her...I've been gone for seventeen years...." He looked down, wishing he could change everything. He wished he could have stayed at home instead of going to Prance, but it was too late to change the past.