"Everypony up!"
I felt a sharp jab to his ribs as the company commander started to painfully rouse the ponies from their sleep. I looked up from my resting place through a crack in the barracks ceiling and confirmed that it was in fact the dead of night. This was how it is supposed to be forever now, but some of us still had time coping with the change. I glanced over at the commander, who continued kicking at sleeping ponies in an effort to wake them up, occasionally kicking twice at those who were too stubborn. There weren't many. Tonight was the big night.
The night we finished our training.
The night we received our blessings from our rightful Queen, Nightmare Moon.
As a pegasus, I had spent the last few weeks training in the Everfree Forset, at a small camp that had been dug out of the overgrowth. I had been working to become an aerial commander in Nightmare Moon's army, where I would then work to battle Princess Celestia's Royal Guard and keep law and order during Nightmare Moon's following reign of eternal night. It was a dangerous place. Many times, monsters had attacked our hollow. I had already mastered advanced combat technique due to the danger, and was currently awaiting the blessing that would dictate my specialized training.
I quickly got to my feet and shook my dark grey coat, trying to dislodge the vestiges of our rough night spent sleeping on the dirt from my black mane. Around me, other recruits were doing the same.
Not long after I finished, I heard the booming voice of our company commander behind me. "All of you, bathe. You'll want to look thine best for Queen Nightmare, lest you deign to feel her wrath."
I was all too happy to comply. We all knew about Nightmare Moon's temperament. Some of the others had experienced the pain of not pleasing her, and nopony who witnessed it wanted to go through that once, let alone a second time. Many of the other recruits weren't going to receive her blessing, and would be lucky to end the night with their lives. Me? I had never had to be disciplined. I was called her "Star Pupil" and was the best aerial specialist in the entire encampment. Rumors between the training officers are that I was to be granted a special blessing from the Queen. I was in no mood to disappoint her on the day of my graduation into my next level of training, and hurriedly went in the direction of the shower complex.
As I stepped out of the thermal pool we had set up as a bath, I saw a humorous sight in front of the mirrors. Many of the other colts were attempting to trim their coats, and a few even looked like they were applying varying types of cologne in a desperate - and useless - attempt to make a good impression in the hopes of attaining some form of mercy from our sovereign Queen. I knew better, and only groomed my self as much as necessary. The proper way to make a good impression is to show the person what they're going to get, not what you try to show them on the one day it matters.
Despite my best efforts at hiding in the crowd of ponies, my furtive presence drew a few glares of animosity. Many of these ponies knew of my favor with our superiors, and resented me for it. I tried to ignore them. No need to start a fight on the most important day of my training. Sadly, most of these pegasi weren't going to be accepted into future training, and they knew it. These ponies had no qualms about starting a fight tonight, and I think some of them would relish the chance to put me in disfavor with Nightmare today. The ringleader of the group gave a sharp whistle, and most of the ponies in the room left in varying forms of disarray, leaving me alone with him and four other pegasi, who moved to surround me.
"Look at this little wus!" A brown coated pegasus nearly a head taller than me snapped, and then proceeded to spit at my face. He then turned to a slightly smaller, yellow coated pegasus with a white mane. "What'ya say we preen 'is wings a little? Won't be flying so pretty for Nightmare tonight after that, will he?"
I wiped the saliva off my cheek, and turned to face him. "I'm in no mood for this, DustWind. And if any of the commanders catch us fighting, it'll mean our heads." I took this time to survey my opponents. DustWind, one of the camps bullies, wasn't that bright and tended to push his way through anypony or anything that got in his way. I didn't remember the name of the yellow-coat, but I did recall from the practice drills that he was fond of of overstretching his limits and coming up short when it came to high speed or distance flying. So far, it looked like my best chance at winning with all my teeth intact was to take flight. To their left was a black coated and blacker maned pagasus I recognized as BlackRider. She was an ace pilot, but useless when it came to ground combat. If I wanted any chance at winning this fight in the air, I had to incapacitate her here. I didn't get a chance to look behind me at the other two.
DustWind scoffed. "Our heads? You mean your head. Many of the commanders are just dyin' for a reason to see you in trouble. If we do get caught, we got three witnesses sayin' you started the fight." Dustwind lowered his head and grinned as they started to converge on me.
I started to back toward a wall, but was jumped from behind by one of their cohorts. My arms and wings were pinned to my sides as yellow-coat took at swing at my face. I took it, letting my head snap into the jaw of the attacker behind me. I planted both of my back hooves into DustWind's chest and pushed with all my might, slamming the already dazed pegasus behind me into the wall, and wrangled myself free.
When I looked up, DustWind had already recovered, and was swinging his arm with all his strength, his face was contorted into a mask of rage. I ducked his blow, letting it slide over my head and into the second pony behind me, who was lining up a shot at the base of my skull. I heard him fall to a crumpled heap behind me.
Down one.
BlackRider bent her head and charged me. I sidestepped out of her way, and, clasping my arms around her neck, directed her into the stomach of the pony who had grabbed me from behind. He jackknifed as the wind was knocked out of him, and ended up collapsing on top of BlackRider, gasping to refill his abused lungs.
Blackrider made an attempt at untangling herself from the pegasus, but I took this opportunity to deliver a single kick across both their faces. They fell to the ground.
Down two, down three.
I caught a hoof to the gut, and felt the air leave my lungs as another one followed. I hit the ground panting, and received a blow to the back of my head and a kick to the chest. I blocked the followup with my left wing, spread my right, and shot out from under my assailants. I made a dash for the door, and felt the glorious sensation of the air as it rushed through my mane. Now we can finish this, I thought as I directed myself toward a nearby treeline.
I looked back to see my attackers taking flight themselves, and also saw a number of gawkers. I returned my attention ahead of me and narrowly missed planting my face in a leafless, dying oak tree. My pursuers were not as lucky. Yellow-mane either failed to see the same danger in time, or was overconfident in his abilities. His left wing clipped the tree at the end. He started to spiral out of control, but corrected himself. The tip of his wing was in an obviously broken mass, and it clearly pained him to fly. I wouldn't have much of a problem with him now.
That's when DustWind hit me. He locked his brown arms around my legs, and tried to pull me to the ground. I flapped my wings faster, dodging trees left and right, then finally exerted myself upward, making for the dark clouds above us. His wing movements reversed, and I started to lose altitude. I looked down, and saw yellow-coat laboriously gaining altitude. If he were to grab me, the dead weight alone would force me to ground.
And then I smiled. There was no way yellow-coat could reach these altitudes. Not in the way he was overexerting himself, and definitely not with the branches protruding from seeping holes in his wing. I planted a back hoof into DustWind's face, and pushed off, using the momentum to both dislodge him and propel me forward. At this time, I could hear shouting coming from below, and it was getting closer. I looked down, and sure enough, there was a number of pegasus officers in shining black armor climbing towards us. I also saw yellow-coat falter, succumb to his wounds, and tumble into the trees below.
I didn't get long to look though, as DustWind latched his hooves across my chest, squeezing the air out of me. I retaliated with a headbutt, and tried to free myself from his grasp. Instead of escaping, though, I was ripped from his grip by a pair of officers. They forced us down and proceeded to beat us with batons. My last image before blacking out is of a discorporeal shape, black as the night itself and speckled with what looked like stars, moving closer to me as I seeped into unconsciousness.
The world outside mine eyelids was one of red. I shut them even tighter to block the unwelcome light, and became aware of a dull pain radiating from, well, everywhere. I would be in the infirmary now, and I probably looked terrible, judging by how I feel. But that wasn't important. What was important was that I was still alive. Well, there's no hiding from my fate.
I opened my eyes, and waited until they had adjusted to the sudden influx of pale light. Upon completing this feat, I looked around to find myself alone. As I examined my surrounding, I noticed that I was not in the camp infirmary as I had first suspected. The bedding on my cot was black, speckled with white. The unworn walls were an even darker shade of ebony, and my heart jumped to my throat as I realized where I was. The tower ward of Nightmare Moon's castle.
Now I've done it, I thought as I glanced at the doorway, and felt a pit form in the center of my stomach. My ears folded to the back of my head as I pondered my fate. On the final day of this dreadful camp, I managed to injure four Pegasi, and possibly kill a fifth. I doubted I would get any leniency with the Queen.
As thoughts of my looming mortality floated through my mind, I heard a rush of air and noticed the purple curtain fold in on itself, seeping through the door. It opened and the doors hit the walls with a loud crack, snapping a few timbres. One of the unicorn officers stepped in, pulling a baton from a loop in his saddlebag. He was followed by an Alicorn twice my size and black as darkness itself. The officer pinned me to the opposite wall with his magic, and proceeded to beat me relentlessly. The air was devoid of any sound, except for the sounds of the impacts on my skin and my sputters or gasps that punctuated through my clenched teeth. This abuse continued until the Alicorn pulled him away with her magic.
"Enough!" Her authoritative voice cut through the air. I dropped to the floor and offered a silent thank you. My muscles were in agony, and I suspected the unicorn had been backing up the physical blows with magic. Nightmare walked over to me, and I instantly felt the pain dissolve from my limbs. I looked up and saw her scrutinizing me closely with her eyes.
I bowed. "My Queen," my voice was hardly above a whisper, "If I have offended in any way, I accept responsibility for my actions. But I wish to say that I had no intention to cause a..."
Nightmare Moon cut me off with her magic. "I am not displeased." Her turquoise eyes watched me. "In fact, I am quite the opposite. DustWind was a foal to believe I wouldn't know what goes on in my Kingdom. I saw the way the fight started, and I was most satisfied with how thou hast conducted thyself." We walked out of the infirmary, and made our way to her throne room. "Thou understoodst that an altercation might prove too costly on a day like today. But once it started, thou didstn't hold back. The fight resulted in the death of one of thy peers." She allowed herself a small smile. "Sadly, even I can not watch everywhere at once. I need agents. Especially agents with as clear a head as thine."
I kept my head bowed to her, and smiled. Such high praise, coming from her, was something to be savored. She continued. "I have kept thee sedated for the past week. Preparing thy body for the blessing, wherewith I will bestow thee."
I was surprised, and tilted my head up. "Begging your pardon, your Highness, but if I may ask, wherefore? What do you mean 'preparing?' What kind of power could require changes to my body?"
As we passed under the arch leading to her throne, I was expecting harsh words thrown at me for my [mine] interruption, but instead saw her smile. "I understand thy confusion, but it is unnecessary." She began to walk around me. "If thou art to become my agent, thou must trust my every word to be true, and follow even those that are not. These small changes I have made are to thy mind. I have changed thy brain chemistry to resemble more closely that of a unicorn."
She closed the door behind us, and must have read the worry on my down-turned face, because she began to chuckle. "Fret not. They are harmless, and necessary for what I am about to do." I heard voices outside, mixed with heavy hooffalls and the distinctive noises made by various magical blasts. I glanced at the door. The cacophony was getting progressively louder with each passing moment. I then looked upon my Queen's face. She had turned to the window, and appeared crestfallen. "I must admit to thee, my sister has found this refuge. Time is short, and we mustn't tarry. Thy combat ability, mixed with thy clear head and ability to process information have led me to choose thee for this privilege."
The ground started to shake. The voices had stopped, but the hooffalls were almost on top of us. They didn't sound like those of the soldiers in Nightmare Moons army. These sounded too clean, too precise, to be anything but Princess Celestia's warriors.
Nightmare Moon turned to me, and her eyes flashed with violet. "This is the gift I impart to thee. I give thee and all of thy descendants a portion of my magic. Whether I reside on this plane or another, you may wield this power in my name."
She looked to the door, her translucent mane floating towards it, encompassing the wooden beams in a dark purple. But a bit of it floated to me, and hovered in front of my face. I stood this way for about a minute, reveling in my Queen's infinite power. I would have continued to bask in this glory, but the door started to warp and rattle.
The purple aura floating in front of my nose flew up my nostrils, filling my mind with sensations I never dreamed of. Was this the power a normal unicorn lived with, every day of their lives? I felt a rush of blood go to my head, and my vision started to waver.
As my eyesight returned to it's former pristine state I noticed that cracks had begun forming between the wooden planks in the door. They were quickly patched by the magic surrounding it. The timbres stopped shuddering for a moment, but then started again with renewed vigor. "Thou must leave." I turned to find Nightmare looking at me sternly. "Should my sister find thee, thou wilt surely be put to death, and all of my plans will be for naught. But before thou goest, thou must receive thine assignment."
My mind was filled with images of what I was to do. Images of bribery and corruption. Images of murder and theft. I turned back to Nightmare Moon. "Do ye not wish me to aid you in the fight with my new powers?" I inquired, feeling quite puzzled. "I believe I would best serve on the front lines."
My head began to throb with sharply unimaginable pain. "Dare not question my commands!" she barked. "I intend not to win this war tonight. I have glimpsed into Celestia's mind, and have grasped what she plans for me. I have set things in motion which will allow me to bide my time and strike later. Thou art one of them." The pain stopped, and was replaced by a heavy sense of foreboding.
Nightmare Moon continued. "Thou art to live thy life. Forget about thy past. Look only to thy future. Every chance thou mayst find, spread mine influence across all of Equestria. But also, do not forget thy bloodline. Marry, and procreate. But ensure that thy descendants are loyal to me. Thy children and thy children's children will become mine agents, and follow in thy hoofsteps. Thou, and all yon who follow thee, shall be known as Nocturnal"
I replied to her with "Your will be done." I turned around, and thought about the new life ahead of me. One of subterfuge, and sabotage. Of death, and despair. Yet also one of possibilities. But there was one thing that still worried me. "How will I escape?" I rotated my attention to the door, which was showing more and more stress as the pulsing neared its climax. "How will you keep me from being detected by Princess Celestia's magicians?"
"Like this," was all I heard before the purple around the door moved to clothe me in night. I no longer felt the cold stones beneath my hooves, or the cold air flowing through my mane. I was only aware of a loud crashing sound coming from everywhere and nowhere. One thought entered my mind. "Think, and my power will serve thee. But do not use this liberally. Thy greatest asset is thine anonymity, and their greatest mistake will be to underestimate thee. Go, Nocturnal. But never forget thy mission."
And with that final message from my Queen, the darkness overcame me.
Flim woke with a start to find a very serious looking elderly mare in front of him. Blushing, he wiped the drool from his chin and shyly closed the book he had fallen asleep on. The Earth Pony grabbed the book from him, and with a huff, pointed him to the exit of the Manehatten Public Library.
The yellow Unicorn shook his brother and they left the building, both of them pondering where to go next. They had no house and now no source of income. Flam decided the nearest bar would do for the night. Maybe he and his brother could drink themselves into unconsciousness before being kicked out by the staff.
As the brothers entered the Stallion's Kick Bar, Flim ruffled his coat and pushed his long, unkempt red mane from over his eyes. The bar was relatively drab for a city the size and stature of Manehatten, but it was all they could afford after their business died. Flam made his way to the washroom, and Flim scanned the crowd, looking for anypony who might take mercy on his pitiful position. Seeing none, he then turned his gaze to the bar. Having three bits on hand, he sat on a stool, dropping his saddlebag to the floor. He ordered a Cider, and it was served to him a moment later.
Flim looked to his left side to find a solemn looking dark grey Pegasus with a deep crimson mane and the cutie mark of a dark splotch of some sort staring into a mug.
"Any luck?"
Shadow Star looked up from his drink at the speaker, and sized him up. It was a Unicorn of a light yellow coat and red mane. He was wearing a black and white striped shirt and a peculiar straw hat was perched on his head. "What are you talking about?" Shadow Star said while trying to feign a look of disinterest at the seemingly lavish attire.
The Unicorn took a long swig from his own mug and scooted to a seat next to Shadow Star. He looked up and smiled, showing a perfect set of pearl colored teeth. "I've done enough traveling in my time to notice somepony else who's traveling. I also can't help but notice when somepony's looking for something. So I'm going to ask you this. What are you looking for, and will it turn a profit?" The pony winked at Shadow Star, and leaned back in his stool.
Regarding this pony suspiciously, Shadow Star replied with a shake of his head. "Why should I tell you? I don't even know you!" He hopped off the stool, paid the barkeep, and started for the door, flinging his saddlebag across his shoulders.
The cream Unicorn followed. "Ah! Where are my manners?" He gave an exasperated sigh, and leapt in front of Shadow Star, extending his right hoof. "My name's Flim. My brother and I used to run a Cider Business, and now are saving up to start a traveling salespony cart, selling various items to ponies who can afford them."
Shadow Star didn't take the hoof. Instead he inquired, "What happened to your business?"
Flim's eyes looked a bit angry, but quickly went back to the smiling tone they were before. "Nothing," he said. "Just ran into a bad patch that led to near bankruptcy. We had to give it up. But we're not talking about me. We're talking about you! What are you looking for?"
Shadow Star's eyes turned sad. "Myself," he stated quietly. "I'm afraid my searching is of purely sentimental value. I was orphaned, you see. I'm looking for my family." He shot an angered look at the black mark on his flank. "Hell, I don't even know what this thing is supposed to mean! I have no idea where I'm supposed to go, or what I'm supposed to do." Shadow Star looked up at Flim. "I'm not entirely sure you could help."
Flim stroked his chin in contemplation, muttering, "I see, I see. My, that is quite the predicament." His stance changed suddenly, and Flim's face shot up to meet Shadow Star's. "I have an idea! Tell me, how much money do you have? Go on, be quick about it!"
Shadow Star looked at the saddlebag draped across his back. He had two bits left "None of your business." He began to worry about how this conversation was going. The Unicorn felt like the unsavory sort, and Shadow Star considered making a rush for the door.
Flim went back to the bar, and picked up his own saddlebag from it's place at the foot of his first seat. He rummaged around the contents and pulled out a small coin purse. "I have with me thirty bits. That should get you around. To the Canterlot area, maybe. There you can either find work, or continue your search. Either way, I wish you the best of luck!"
Dumbfounded by this act of generosity, Shadow Star walked to Flim and gingerly took the coin purse, tucking it into his saddlebag. "I don't know what to say. I doubt a simple 'Thank You' will suffice.
"Think nothing of it!" But then Flim added with a smile and a wink, "But if you come into any inheritance or a position of power, it might do well to remember this night." He started to walk back to the bar. "The names Flim, but you would probably find me better by finding my older brother. His name is Flam. Can you remember that?"
Shadow Star stopped at the door and pulled a battered notebook and a dull pencil out of his saddlebag. "Flim and Flam," he muttered to himself as he rubbed the pencil head against the weathered paper. "It has a nice ring to it. You guys should put on a show. You any good with that?" Shadow Star pointed to the horn protruding from under Flim's hat.
Flim chuckled. "Not nearly good enough," he said. "Besides, magic shows are getting harder to compare to. There's tell of a mare who runs a fabulous show, and nopony will pay to see anypony but her. No, I'm not cut out for magic tricks, or much other work."
"Look, if you're in financial trouble..." was as far as Shadow Star got before Flim stopped him.
"Don't think of this as a gift. This is an investment." Flim looked down and inspected his hoof. "I'm simply deciding to hinge my bets on you instead of a casino. I expect a big payoff from this one." He looked at his brother, who upon exiting the bathroom was engaged in trying to con a few bits out of other patrons in the bar. "Hopefully, my brother will understand, though I'm not hopeful."
Shadow Star headed back towards the door. He stopped, turned around, and said, "Well, thank you, again. Rest assured, I won't forget this."
"You might try Ponyville." Flim said. "It's near Canterlot, and a friend of mine says that the houses there are cheap, the neighbors are neighborly, and it's a quiet little town." Flim then added with a smile, "It also has quite the library I hear. Good place for research."
As Flim watched the Pegasus exit the door, he felt a warm feeling in his chest. Good deeds feel nice, he thought. Flim turned around and spotted his brother walking toward him. The warm feeling was quickly replaced with fear.
This was going to end badly for him.
As Flam neared, he said, "Alright, Flim. There's no money to be gotten here. It's time to break open the discretionary funds and hit Las Pegasus. Where's the coin?"
Flim gulped. "Well, y-you see..." he stuttered, "The strangest thing happened. There was this Pegasus, and he seemed to be pretty down on his luck, so I, uh, gave him the betting money." Flim gave a sheepish smile as his brother started bearing down on him. "It was an investment!" Flim stammered.
"You gave him the betting money..." A deep purple vein started to show in Flam's neck. "You gave him the betting money, and called it an investment!? I hope you invested in a company that makes false teeth too, because you're going to be needing them for the rest of your life!" Flam drove his hoof into his brother's jaw, sending him flying onto a heavily occupied table. A number of patrons stood automatically, a murderous intent in their eyes as they were angered over their spilled drinks.
Shadow Star put the bit in his mouth and crunched down. It didn't bend, warp, or tarnish in any way. So it was real then. That was good. It wasn't that he didn't trust the odd pony in the bar who had put him in this position of new-found prosperity, it was that he didn't trust Anypony. If life had taught him anything, it was that any random acts of kindness should be accepted, but scrutinized in private later for falsehoods.
Shadow Star had bought a map at a store near the bar, and had opted for walking/flying to Canterlot instead of traveling by train. This way, he could also stop by Ponyville on the way. Shadow Star had found this Inn on an abandoned stretch of road, and decided to stay the night. As he examined his surroundings, he sighed. It was a happy sigh, free of exasperation. The hotel room he was currently in could have been the Ritz compared to some of his previous sleeping arrangements. Though by no means was it costly, it had the most lavish bed he had slept in for years. He flopped down on the coverings and scrutinized the boring white ceilings or the red paisley walls.
He enjoyed it. Every moment of looking at the absurd walls made him feel happy. The sky made him happy. The old creaky floorboards made him happy. The only thing making him even remotely unhappy was the loud couple in the next room.
But he could do something about that. He left his room and walked down the stairs to the main reception and dining hall, even though it was little more than a counter with a register perched on top. In the middle of the room was also an old oak table and matching chairs.
"Supper's in a few minutes, hun."
Shadow Star turned around to find the owner of the quaint establishment looking at him from over the counter. "It's dumpling night tonight. You're in for a treat." The elderly, white coated mare smiled at him.
"Ah," Shadow Star said. "How much will that cost me?"
The mare chuckled. "Food's free. Not just for anypony paying for a room. It's free for all. But I do tend to give the paying ponies first dibs on seconds." She gave him a wink, and flipped a sign on top of the table. Letters were painted on it so that it read 'Holler if you need service.' The old mare walked into the kitchen, were the sound of trays and various other cooking supplies could be heard.
Shadow Star went to the inn's library too look for something to pass the time. A particular title caught his attention, and he pulled the book out of the shelf, careful not to disturb the books around it. The book he had chosen was labeled Nocturnal: Mare's Tale, or Truth? He sat on a nearby couch and turned on the reading lamp. As he cracked open the book to the first page, he couldn't help but notice the lack of any dust on the book. By no means was it new, but it had obviously been read recently. He started reading the first lines.
There is much speculation as to the existence of the figure, Nocturnal. This figure was supposedly Nightmare Moon's greatest asset, and is rumored to have a portion of her personal magic imbued within him/her, causing him/her to live almost indefinitely. Whether this pony really existed is not the topic of this book. This book was written to tell you the facts and allow you, the reader, to draw your own conclusions on the authenticity of the character.
Fact 1. There have been hundreds of reports of ponies, all matching the description of the character in several speculative books written over the past millennium. From Saddle Arabia to the Griffon Nations, Nocturnal has been sighted countless times, always wearing his/her traditional armor that was supposedly created in the same fashion as Nightmare Moon's herself, though much less regal. None of these reports seem to be able to agree on what Nocturnal was, though. Some claim he/she was an Earth Pony, while others claim this figure to be a Pegasus, and yet others called him/her a Unicorn.
Fact 2. At each of these Nocturnal sightings, an item of magical importance was reportedly stolen. In some events, it was an amulet enchanted by a pony such as StarScroll the Bearded and had been used in the war by either side. In others, it was magical vestiges of Nightmare Moon's Empire. The last Nocturnal sighting was in the Royal Castle at Canterlot. Supposedly, the 'mythical' figure was caught stealing the Elements of Harmony from their resting place in the vault at the center of the castle. Before capture, Nocturnal is said to have committed suicide by magic, despite being portrayed as an Earth Pony. Nocturnal's features were scarred beyond recognition or identification, and the body was burnt by Princess Celestia's court wizard.
"Dumplings are ready. Get them while they're hot."
Shadow Star closed the book and walked to the table where the mare was dishing soup into bowls and placing dumplings on plates next to them. Shadow Star took a seat and looked up to see the young unicorn couple from the room next to his come down. Both looked rather bedraggled and flustered, constantly casting awkward glances in each others direction. Shadow Star turned his attention back to the mare serving food, who mouthed the word Honeymooners at him and smiled. Shadow Star returned her smile and looked at his food.
It looked absolutely appetizing. It was a potato stew with carrots and celery, and dumplings on the side for dipping. There was a bowl of cheese with tongs sticking from the edge for serving. As Shadow Star savored the heavenly smell emanating from his food, a glass of milk was passed in front of him. He looked up and saw that the mare was doing the same for everyone. Shadow Star picked up the tongs and gave his stew a slight coating of cheese.
The food was delicious, and after the plates were cleared Shadow Star went up to the counter where the mare was packing up the cash register. "May I borrow this for the night?" he asked, holding up the copy of Nocturnal: Mare's Tale, or Truth for her to see. "It's really rather interesting, and I'd like to read more before bed."
The mare looked up and chuckled. "That one. Sure. People are allowed to take whatever they want out of the library all they want, as long as they don't check out with books checked out. This one's been real popular lately. They say Nightmare's due to return this year at the Summer Sun Celebration. Philosophers keep claimin' all sorts of crazy stuff though, so I pay them no attention." She closed the register and started to turn out the lights. Before she went to her room, she called out behind her, "Sleep well."
Shadow Star cantered up the steps and entered his rooms doorway. "Goodnight to you, too," he called back. He closed the door, turned on the bedside lamp, and delved deeper into the speculative book.