Live A Life, or Forge It

At my awakening, I said quite loudly:

“Vaffanculo ! Se torni qui, giuro che di te ritroveranno solo lo zoccolo destro. Masticato. ”

The phrase woke up Bernarda, who asked coyly from under the sheets:

“W-w-hat I-I h-h-ha-a-ave d-d-d-done ?”

Noticing that she worried if I caused me to snap, I said with a softer voice:

“You aren't the problem. The problem is Princess Luna: she entered in my dreams, and as soon she  discovered that, in fact, I am a human and not a colt, she went nuts, and said that she was going to take me next night. Naturally, since her sister knows about humans, and likey don't want us there, she will send me peacefully back on Earth... in my brother's hands. Basically, to certain death.”

Bernarda went near me, and, in a moment of tenderness, hugged me, and stroke my mane, saying:

“Oh dear. Come over here: you will find a way out”

I was going to kick her back, since I didn't liked much the hug for reasons that I explained before, but, since she was trying to give me some moral support when she was powerless, I let her doing so.

When, finally, Bernarda deattached from me, I went downstairs, and prepared the breakfast as my usual; sure that, after the breakfast, another day of working in the fields was bond to going on.

And it was.

As it was for the subseguent three days

But the fouth day after the visti of Luna, it wasn't my usual work day in fields.

As soon I bond two bucktes on my back, and prepared myself for pick up the fallen apples, I was reached by a confused Applejack saying:

“There is a letter for you, Venicio !”

A letter ?

From who ?

I mean, the only letters that concerned me were only garbage mail and medical notifications  from the ASL, and both types weren't  usually announced, why this time was different ?

Curiousity guided my legs, when I reached Applejack.

Then I saw what was written on the envelope.

The address, and the name of the sender were, respectively, “Solar Square 1” and “Majesty Princess Luna”.

Oh God no.

Luna had found another way than kidnap me in the middle of the night.

She chose “Your son interests us for a special program” path.

Fine, maybe it's even better.

But the basic idea, namely, take me to Canterlot, and be her “pet”, was still no good for me.

The reasons ?

First of all, my brothers and my sister would have half of their job cut, since the part “Seek Venicio” was cut down by restricting the choice to “Canterlot; Royal Palace; Luna's Wing”.

Second, even if I hated Fate, I still wanted to comply the destiny that the Damn Toddler gave to me, since it was very positive.

That could be done if no one knew.

But, once pigs and dogs knew my identity, what mare would breed with me ?

No one.

Third. Living in some luxury ? Fine.

Living in the purple, submerged by the pure burecracy everyplace you go ? No thanks, since I am, and was, used to a simplier life.

But I was still curious about how Luna covered her true intentions about me.

I asked to Applejack to give me the letter: after a minute of silence, she handled it to me.

I started to read:

“Esquire Madam. We are happy to inform You that  Your son, Venicio Apple, is invited to join the Royal Early Burecrats School in Canterlot. Please, send back a reply of agreement in his join, or of disagreement.

Best Wishes.

The Principal”

“Namely Luna”, I thought deadpanning: it's impossible that Luna had such an idiotic idea for get me in her court.

And it was even more unlikely that Applejack was going to belive her.

And yet Applejack belived to the farse.

In fact, as soon I averted my eyes from the letter, she said smiling:

“Well, it seems that your capabilities have been noticed, thought I wonder how, since you exited rarely form this walls. But, ok, it seems a good offer for your future.

So, where or not you want to go here, get some luggages, and fill them of everything necessary.”

I stared Applejack bewilded: really ?

That orange pony was so dumb to not only belive to a cut-and-dry scam, but was determinied to send me there “sine mora” ?

Without asking to THE FUCKING KID INVOLVED ?

I mean, she could always send me there no matter what, but, hey, at least give a fake sense of discussion and democracy !

Nope.

No discussion: just do it up.

But at least I was going to avoid that daily, wearing, run in the fields for take some apples that could just get left there, and fill with said apples some compost tanks that weren't used.

No: a more intelectual thing to do every morning; some study, and it was all done.

That was a credit to the idea.

There was fact that, finally, I was going to have a more variated  lunch and dinner, once there.

The fact that, since Luna knew my true age, I had finally the possibility of talk with somebody quite freely.

And, best of all, if all went decently, I was going to have a guard system, and a combat training against my brothers in no time, and done with the best of the best, for avoid the attack of my brothers.

Overall, a fair trade: live with a sword of Damocles over your head, but studying instead of working , and having, in the future, a more suitable job.

I nodded, and said that in the afternoon, I was going to pack up my things.

And, while I was doing my tasks in the fields, I started to thougth about what I was leaving behind, with my forced moving to Canterlot: the family that hosted me for five years.

But I lacked of a deep bound of them, apart from the deserved ξενία bound that I had with them, that forced me to host them and give them something in exchange for the past generosity in giving me a roof.

The town. Buuut... who cared about that. Ponyville wasn't my town of birth, so no feelings about going away from it.

Some external people out the family. Again, my lack of emphaty with the inhabitants mad difficult feel pity for leave them.

And, finally, Bernarda. Well, we weren't going to be separated for long. After all, she was a human too, and her tendency to have nightmares and don't lock the mind door made her prone to be detected by Princess Luna. And, as I experienced, Luna LOVES humans.

Anyway, the rest of the day passed quite normally, and without accidents.

Well... the day. But not the night...

It was all set: the Night Court was briefily ran by two clerks; her absence was calculated to the minute for avoid problems; and she covered the picking of Venicio legally, by saying that, techinically, Venicio was invited to come into Canterlot. How he was going to reach the city wasn't explained, meaning that taking Venicio in the middle of the night for a night flight was a perfectly legal way for transport him.

Luna landed, after a long flight from her balcony in Canterlot, into a meadow full of red and purple flowers barely visible thanks to the weak light coming from the Moon.

Luna watched around her, looking for the target's building, until she saw on the top of a hill a house, whose style was recognizable, even if the light was scarce.

A building with a rural style, and some symbols of apples.

It was the house of the Apple Family in Ponyville, no doubt.

After determinating that she was near her target, the princess of the night flied up, looking in the windows for find Venicio's room.

But the seeking of Venicio's bedroom wasn't long: the first window that looked upon the meadow was the unorthodox entry for the bedroom containing the human colt.

And so Luna flied into the dark room, and started to looking for Venicio.

But that wasn't so easy.

As soon Luna moved a hoof in front of her, a squeaking noise, similar to the one of a rubber duck, was heard by the princess, causing Luna to look around her surrondings, and see if somepony was awakened.

But nopony did.

So Luna moved again by three steps, and, this time, a more strong noise, a crack was heard.

After the cracking noise, a small whimper coming from Luna's left was heard.

The whimper inspired fear in the heart of Princess Luna: if the source of the whimper noticed the blue alicorn, then the latter would be in BIG trouble, since she was, techinically, kidnapping a subject...

Luckily, the one that whimpered didn't caused any lod noise, and, insted, kept whimping: the soft whimpering, similar to the one of a small, scared, foal, was almost melting Luna's heart; and, on a more pratical viewpoint, could turn in anymoment into a loud cry.

So the blue alicorn moved carefully towards the source of the small cry, hoping to avoid anymore noise that could wake up Venicio.

Again, Luna wasn't so lucky.

This time, she accidentally hit a bookcase with her nuzzle, making it shake violently, and causing a little swear to come out from Luna's mouth.

But the light pain on Luna's muzzle wasn't the problem: the trouble was that the books fell down, along with a shelve, causing a loud thump that could wake up the dead, if amplified a bit.

But Venicio didn't come out from his sleep: he stood still, only grunting a bit, hinting that Venicio was more an heavy sleeper than somepony would tell.

But the thump was followed by an “Eeep” coming from the whimper source.

Since Luna didn't knew if the foal was going to cause even more noise than she already created, and would feel guilty in leaving said foal weep, the alicorn controller of the night reached the foal, and said with a low tone of the voice:

“Sssh, little one. Don't worry, don't worry. I am not herefor attack you: I'm here for your brother”

The foal exited from the blankets, and stared bewilded to her.

Luna giggled: the foal's face was so cute to see, that she would take her too, if she wasn't there just for take Venicio.

And so she simply smiled to the foal, and went to pick up a sleeping Venicio: the blue alicorn put aside slowly the blankets, lifted with the magic Venicio, put him on her back; tied him; took the suitcases lying near the bed; then she flied away, towards Canterlor, sure tha she was going to be at the Palace before dawn.

And so it was: after two hours of flight, Luna reached the balcony of her room, where, for the first night, Venicio was going to sleep.

After landing on the parapet made of stone and smmothed obsidan, Luna opened the window, entered in the room, and left Venicio on the end of her bed.

Then the princess of night returned to her duties.

I was awakened by a muffled speech, and hoofsteps: common sound for me, if I woke up late.

Since I needed to hurry, if I wanted to get to work without begin late, I springed on my hooves, and opened my eyes...

What was around me stated clearly that I wasn't in my room in Apple's house: first of all the room was dark.

Very dark, since the walls were painted with black paint, and only occasionally, some recess cointaing candles made the  room brighter.

In front of me, a fire was crackling, and, over it, there were a suspended pot of unknow fuction.

And, finally, there bed where I was in was round, and pretty large: I guessed that the owner was quite big.

Clearly: Princess Luna, in attack of fangirling, just kidnapped me, what I should expect ?

Then the door opened, revealing the dark shape of Luna.

I said to her with an acid tone:

“Well, now you have upsetted four ponies, and one of them is one of the bearers of your most powerful weapon. Said bearer considers me like a true son. I hope you are happy”

Luna smiled widely, again, and said, clearly not picking up my tone, or ignoring it:

“Oh yes, I am happy of it: I have you now. Don't worry about the food and everything: I gave instructions to the guards about your presence; the only one that isn't aware of you is my sister, and the visitors. For the rest, you are free to roam around, as long you don't damage anything”

I rolled my eyes: “Well, maybe you didn't undestood me: you have just took me in the sleep from my adoptive family. Said family is aware that I was going to leave, but not this way. Two members see me like a member of the family, the younger knows that I am a human, and she is worried for my safety; while the older sees me as her son. Both of them won't stop in front of anything for take me back, unless they recieve a proper explaination. That rests my case, your excellence.”

Luna giggled, and started to stroke my mane: “No need to call me with titles: just call me with my first name”.

Somehow, I was both amused, and creeped out by Luna's behaviour.

After that little scene, I asked to Luna where I could find something to eat: she said that I could sneak up in the kitchens in the Gray Hallways, and see what I could rack up in terms of food for me, for that day.

Since it was the only way to get something to eat, I decided to move: I jumped down my bed, opened the door, looked around me for see if anyone was patrolling the area, and started my skeaky journey from Luna's room to the kitchens.

It might seem impressive, but it isn't: it was just a repeated used of stautes found in the hallways, and a clever use of my mane and the shadows for hiding.

After a long trip, I reached my goal: the kitchens, recognizable by the strong flavour of burned mola (again... that smell haunted me) and grass; and the wooden swing door of pompous look that made possible to see the hooves of the cookers frantically going around doing tasks.

I was dubious if it was the right moment to enter... or if enter at all: after all, in a royal palace, no matter how big it is, NO strangers go around in the most private parts without a reason !

Why this, if the blue alicorn just told me that I was know to eveyrpony, Celestia excluded ?

Luna didn't seemed very trustable: telling that she told to everypony present in the palace about my presence, and, yet, don't inform Celestia (who is the Head of Staff, for clear reasons) seemed just the perfect recipe for pure chaos ensueing.

And I wasn't prone to that, not at least in the first hours of morning.

And so I waited, and waited, until I had enoguht of that, and decided to tempt the luck, and enter in the kitchens.

Well, thankfully, Luna wasn't lying, when she said that they were going to give me something to eat, nor they seemed surprised by me: they just blinked few seconds, asking if I was the “special secret guest” of Princess Luna, for then move along, and say that Luna had her reasons, no matter how weird they were.

I could not agree more, about the weird reasons.