Chapter 1 - Even The Night Has A Little Light.
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Chapter 1 - Even The Night Has A Little Light.
Despite the fall of the sun into the horizon, Luna found peace as she welcomed the cold dusk of the night sky. The gentle breezes soon shifted from warmth to coolness as the sun sank and the moon rose. A scattering of stars flowed from her carriage as she whisked through the air, sparkling like polished diamonds. It was like she was an artist, using her talent and sense of vivid imagery to paint a sterling picture on the world's canvas. Despite being a Princess whose subjects always slept through her reign, she at least found joy in her duties.
"We are done here, guards," Luna called out to the group of her personal Pegasi guards pulling the carriage. "We shall return to Canterlot." Their silent acknowledgment shown, the carriage turned back towards the castle, dashing over the city below before landing on one of the outside balconies.
Luna swiftly stepped from her seat onto the polished marble floor, the moonlight leaving a silver shine on its surface. She made her way to the entrance to the castle but stopped abruptly, rearing her head back and letting as a gasp as she noticed herself in the floor's reflection. Her mane a little untidy, she brushed a hoof through it and swirled her head glamorously, letting her mane flow with grace. With another close look, she smiled with acceptance of her appearance -- she was royalty, after all.
"Sister," Luna's voiced echoed through the grand halls of the castle, "I have returned. Now, what was it that you wished to speak to me about?"
Princess Celestia stood regally by the bottom of the stairs among the hall, a smile on her face as she gazed at the approaching Princess. "Of course," she responded softly. "Now, Luna, I'm aware that you are not completely happy with your duties of having to watch over your sleeping… "subjects"."
"D-don't be absurd, sister!" retorted Luna, her eyes widened. "What could possibly give you such an idea?"
Celestia raised her eyebrow with a straight face. "That was the reason you became Nightmare Moon, was it not?"
Luna gulped and shifted her eyes away, embarrassed. "Well, yes. But that was a long time ago."
"In any case, I thought I would treat you with something: a day off… uh, rather, a night off."
"A night off? But what would I do? Where would I go? And how will you cope?"
Celestia giggled. "Well, it's still early in the evening, so there should still be activity in Canterlot. Go and mingle with your "subjects". Get to know them, go and make friends and such." Celestia's expression heightened after a brief pause. "Oh, I know! Why don't you go to Ponyville and say hello to Twilight and her friends? Maybe you can catch up with them from Nightmare Night?"
Luna gave a big smirk. "Do I get to eat any little foals while I'm there?"
A laugh escaped Celestia, her smile getting bigger. "Maybe next year, Luna. Maybe next year. So, does that mean you will take the night off?"
"I suppose so, sister. Are you sure you will be okay?"
The silent smile of Celestia was all that Luna needed for a reply. Slowly Celestia turned to head up the velvet steps, but stopped to turn her attention to Luna half-way. "Oh, and, of course I'll be alright -- I've been doing your job for the last thousand years, after all," she replied with a goading grin.
"O-oh… right. I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, Luna. Besides, I doubt that one evening will be the straw that breaks the pony's back." Celestia continued up the steps. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Sure thing, sister. See you soon." Luna tried to keep her smile but, with nothing left to do, her smile became sullen with a sigh. "Where do I even start? I guess I could pay Twilight a visit…"
The wind brushed against her cheeks and through her hair as she soared through the sky over the relaxed city of Canterlot below her -- clumsily, unfortunately. Her balanced swayed and swerved from one side to another as she tried to keep herself airborne. "This is ridiculous!" she muttered to herself, frustrated. "Who would think that taking a carriage everywhere would give you flight rust?"
Her concerns departed as her ears pricked up, hearing cries from below; the cries of what sounded like an elderly pony. Cautiously, trying her hardest to not plummet straight downward, Luna descended from the sky to the ground below. The cries became louder and clearer -- it was calling out to someone. As Luna got closer, the pony came into view -- an elderly pony with her greying hair done up in a bun, standing outside the Canterlot Orphanage.
"Wing! Where did you go, Wing?" the mare cried out frantically with cupped hooves around her mouth. Sighing, she looked down. "Always causing trouble…" she mumbled to herself.
Looking at the elderly pony with displeasure, Luna walked towards her. "Excuse me," Luna called gently, "is there something the matter?"
The mare turned around, but stumbled back with a widened expression as she took in the visage of the Princess, and even more so when she began talking to her. "Y-Your Majesty!" she stammered, clenching her chest. "Gosh, you almost gave me a heart attack! I mean, w-what can I do for you at this hour?"
"No, no, it is I who wants to know what I can do for you."
"O-oh, I see. Well-- " she sighed once more "--one of our boys, Wing, has ran off. Again…"
""Again"? You mean this has happened before?"
"Oh, many times. He has a habit of running off when he gets into trouble -- which is quite a lot, I'm afraid. With my bad hip, I can't keep chasing after him all the time, so I asked the guards to try and find him. They're pretty used to it nowadays."
"Are there no guards looking for him at the moment?"
"None. He's only ran off just now, so I haven't asked anypony yet. Princess, I know it's not my place to ask -- and I'm sure you're very busy with your duties and all -- but, if you can, could you look for him? He couldn't have gotten far."
Luna hesitated for a moment. In her pride, she was astounded that she would be asked such a task considering her standing -- she was no babysitter. However, Celestia's words began to ring in her head: make friends and get to know ponies better. What better way than to help her subjects?
"Of course," agreed Luna with a smile. "Do you know where he might have gone to?"
"Oh, thank you so much," the mare responded with a breath of relief. "The guards often say they found him near Sugar Street. That would be the best place to start."
"Okay then. I'll see what I can do." Luna swiftly galloped past her, making her way down the cobblestone streets.
"Thank you again!" the mare called after her.
Dust kicked up behind Luna as she sprinted through the paths and down the streets regardless of the ponies that got in her way -- her vision was tunnelled on finding Wing and nothing more. Even the clamouring voices and speculating eyes of the small crowds around her did not draw her attention as they could scarcely believe the Princess was among them, let alone the fact that she was galloping through Canterlot.
The Princess came to a screeching halt, her shoes grinding against the stone pathway, small sparks flickering from them. She turned her head town one of the pathways, a street labelled 'Sugar Street'.
Just as the name suggested, Sugar Street was composed almost entirely of two high walls of buildings almost exclusively candy stores. One store had a large, pink awning above the entrance with candy cane-like pillars holding it up, with jars of pebble-shaped sweets in jars in the windows and other types of hard candy. Another had a large, brown, decorative archway into a store that sold plentiful of chocolates from milk, dark, white, and even a multitude of colours from the royalty of blues to the dazzling of yellows and pinks.
It was understandable why a foal would choose this place as his hiding spot.
The day-dreaming Luna quickly shook her head before her glowing, widened eyes could fill her head with more imagery of a sugar-filled fantasy world, a bit of drool falling from her lower lip expressing her desire for one. "Bah, that's not what I'm here for," she muttered to herself, regaining her focus. "But there are so many places…"
Cautiously she sneaked a peek around the alleyways between each couple of stores, proceeding from one alleyway to the next -- but each one only had the same thing one after the other; small dumpsters and scattered black bin bags filled with trash. That's what it smelt like, anyway.
Luna tried to shift her head a bit more around the corner of the next alleyway, trying to peer around the dumpster that blocked her view, but couldn't get a good look around it. She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "This is hopeless. There's nothing here…" She turned to leave, her head hung low, trying to come up with some idea of where to look next.
Then a small rustle crept from the alleyway. It was subtle, yet audible, echoing down the alley.
"Hm?" Luna turned back around, gazing at the bin bags in front of the dumpster. "Did I just hear…? I wonder…" Her gentle hoofsteps rung softly in the alleyway, echoing off the walls. Another rustle sounded when she approached, one of the bags toppling slightly. Her hoof touched against its vinyl fabric, pressing on it gently, nudging it.
The bag nudged back sharply.
"What is this?" mumbled Luna to herself. As she pushed the bag out of the way, she gasped softly when she saw something nestled underneath. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed, holding her hoof to her mouth.
Under the bags lays a small colt with a long, white mane with three bangs that fell in front of his snout, huddled up under and around the bin bags. His dark charcoal coat blended him almost seamlessly with the darkness of the alleyway and the ebon bags, if not for his bright emerald-green eyes that gazed back up to the Princess -- eyes of fear.
"You must be "Wing", I assume?" the Princess asked with a discouraged face. "I've come to get you."
The young colt's eyes began to blear. His lip quivered.
"Ahhhhh!" the terrified pony cried out, bursting from his bag-built fortress, throwing them from his small body as he sprinted between Luna's legs, past her, and from the alleyway.
"W-wait!" cried Luna after him, but it fell only on deaf ears. Quickly she galloped after him, bursting from the alleyway and catching a glimpse of him out the corner of her eye as he sped onto the main street.
Luna had a better idea though. She had one big advantage over the foal: her wings. With a great beat of them, she bolted straight into the air, giving her a perfect view of the city below her. Easily enough, the little black and white pony could be seen hustling through the streets as fast as his little legs could take him.
The Princess drew a small yet almost sinister grin on her lips. "Got you now," she muttered to herself. Like a train, she sped towards him at great speeds, flying past the buildings and over the rooftops as she closed in on him. Before the foal knew what had hit him, Luna grasped him tightly around his waist with her foreleg as she came to a screeching halt along the stone-paved walkway.
It was a relief to her that no one was around to see her, otherwise they'd think she'd gone back to gobbling up little children. Not that she did any of that stuff, anyway.
"H-hey!" the child cried out, struggling against Luna's firm grip. "P-put me down! I haven't done anything wrong!"
"If I do, do you promise not to run from me?" asked Luna, her voice stern yet without hostility.
"Okay, okay!" Without hesitation, Luna loosened her grip as the pony hopped out from her leg and stood in front of her. His large, emerald-green eyes stared up at her. Stared in fear. His lips quivered lightly. "You're… you're not gonna eat me, are you, Miss?"
"Do not be absurd!" bellowed Luna in a strong voice, insulted that he would insinuate such a thing. Although, as she paused for a moment, a smirk spread upon her lips. "I've already had my fair share of little children like you," she retorted with a hint of callousness. "Although, if you keep causing me trouble" -- she slowly moved her head towards him -- "then I think I can find it within myself to fit one more."
The boy let out a small cry. "N-n-no!" he yelled out, wrapping his legs around hers. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Good. Now, release me." In a flash, the foal did so, reseating himself in front of the tall equine. "Now then, your name is "Wing"?"
A look of contempt filled his eyes before looking away from Luna, gazing off to the side. "I don't like being called that," he responded softly.
"So, it's not your real name?" Luna asked.
"I don't have a real name…"
"Then why do they call you "Wing"?"
The foal turned back to her with a sullen look. He let out a little sigh before extending the wing on the left side of his body, its small feathers unfolding as it spanned out sideward.
Luna raised an eyebrow. "… Because you're a Pegasus?" she questioned confusingly.
Wing, however, whimpered in discomfort. He lifted his hoof and wrapped it around the long, flowing white mane that draped over his right shoulder. Tugging it away, he revealed the right side of his body, much to the shock of Luna.
"You… you only have one wing!" exclaimed Luna, horrified by it. "Poor child, how did this happen? Did you have some sort of accident?"
"No," responded Wing, "I was just born this way. The other ponies kept calling me "Wing" because of it. So… y'know, that's why they call me it."
"Like a nickname?"
"More like just to make fun of me…"
Lune could feel her heart start to ache a little, knowing that this poor little child was being made fun of for his handicap. It left her feeling bitter, but she knew she couldn't do anything about it. "Is that why you keep running away?" she asked softly, not wanting to feel intrusive.
"No, it ain't that bad. I run away because…" Wing paused for a moment, sniffling a moment. "Because Matron keeps calling me a trouble maker." His eyes looked up to Luna's, glistening from being filled with tears. "But I'm not a troublemaker! I don't mean to cause trouble for everypony! Honest!"
Luna looked down at him with caring eyes. She wished she could do something, anything, to help him. She knew what she could do, but it wasn't something she felt she could make on her own. Or could she? She hoped that her sister would understand if she did.
"… Please… Don't take me back to the orphanage…" without anything other than a glimmer of hope and a breaking heart, Wing pressed his cheek against Luna's leg and held onto her tight.
"I…" It didn't matter to her anymore. It didn't matter what Celestia would say, or even what she herself thought. "You don't have to go back to the orphanage. You can stay with me."
A great smile like a crescent moon spread over the foal's face as he looked up to Luna with inspired eyes. "A-are you serious? Can I really come stay with you, Princess?"
"Yes, until we can find you a proper home and a proper person to take care of you."
Wing's eyes began to bawl, his pupils enlarged as he stares right up at Luna. "This is --" he gripped her leg even tighter "-- the best day of my life!"
"Y-yes. Quite. Now, could you let go of my leg? You're starting to cut off the circulation."
The sounds of both large and small steps rung through the halls softly as Luna and Wing stepped upon the long, red carpet. The foal could scarcely believe what he saw before his marvelling eyes. He had never seen anything as majestic, as beautiful, and not nearly as colourful in his life before. From the shining pearlescent marble pillars to the lilac walls and the shimmering, gem-like stained glass windows, it made the little Pegasus feel overwhelmed.
"W-w-wow!" wailed Wing, looking all around. "This is where you live, Miss? This is… where I'll be staying?"
"Do not get too comfortable," hinted Luna. "Tomorrow morning, we will be looking for a more appropriate home for you. You will only be staying here in the meantime."
"B-but can't I stay with you forever?" pleaded the Pegasus.
"Absolutely not! This is a royal castle, where royalty and other acquaintances of ours are permitted to stay -- and only they are only allowed for a duration. This isn't a day care for children."
"Oh… okay…" Wing looked down as he watched his hooves step one in front of the other, looking at his own reflection in the surface of the floor. Then he saw Luna's, looking down upon his.
"Look on the bright side, Wing," she comforted, "at least you're not going to be staying at the orphanage anymore. Don't worry, we'll find you a good family to take care of you."
a small smile spread upon the foal's lips as his eyes looked up to meet hers. "O-okay. Thanks, Miss."
"Just call me Luna, okay?"
"Um… Okay… Luna."
The two continued down the corridor into the main hall. The doorway was manned by two guards, both of whom looked only straight ahead, discipline carved into their body and faces -- until they caught sight of the foal alongside the Princess. Their eyes followed him, eyes of suspicion, as he walked alongside Luna.
"I-I don't like the way those ponies are looking at me," whimpered Wing.
"It's not every day they see me with anyone," responded Luna, "let alone with a foal."
"Oh, Luna," a voice in front of her called out. Celestia stood at the top of the landing before making her way down the carpeted steps. "That was quite a quick visit to Ponyville. How is Twilight --" The Princess paused, catching a glimpse of the little foal who began to inch behind Luna's leg. "Oh! You've made a new friend!" Her eyes softened, complimented with a caring smile as she looked down at Wing. "And what's your name, little one?"
But Wing was too shy and scared to reply. The foal hid his face behind his long, white mane as he inched more out of shot behind Luna.
"Aw, he must be shy." She turned to Luna. "So, what's his name?"
"His name is W --" Luna stopped herself from saying it. As she turned back to the child behind her, she saw that look in his eyes -- the same look he had when he first mentioned it. After a pause, Luna turned her attention back to her sister. "Uh, his name is… Midnight."
The foal looked up at Luna, a little smile spreading across his lips. For the first time in all his life he had felt whole. Complete. Now he had a real name to go by.
"Midnight," repeated Celestia. She looked back down to the foal, who was beginning to move out from behind Luna's hind legs into full view. She giggled softly. "Yes, I can see why, now, with that dark coat and shining, white hair, too."
"Uh… um… Thank you," squeaked Midnight, still holding his mane between his hooves in front of his face.
Celestia giggled again. "Oh, he can talk," she teased impishly. "So, what brings you to our home, Midnight? Did Luna invite you over? For dinner perhaps?"
With a gulp, Midnight gazed up to her, but she felt so imposing to him. Not only was she a Princess but she was so much taller than him -- than Luna, even. "U-um… L-Luna took me away from the orphanage… and said she'd find me a family…"
"Took you away?" exclaimed Celestia. She turned to her sister. "Luna, you can't just take children from the orphanage! Ponies will think that you really do eat little foals!"
The thought made Midnight shift uncomfortably.
"Sister, this was for a reason," retorted Luna with a raised voice. "The other children were making for of him for --" She felt Midnight press against her hind leg again. Her eyes shifted to him, watching him as he pressed the right side of his body against her, out of shot from Celestia. "… They were just making fun of him. So I've kind of adopted him for a while until we can find him a better home."
"I see…" Celestia sighed softly before turning to look back at the shying away Midnight. "Midnight, what were the other children making fun of you for? You can tell me. Okay?"
With courage, Midnight released his grip of Luna and shifted out from behind her. Again, with both hooves, he tugged at his mane from his side, revealing a bare body.
Celestia gasped. "Oh, my," she blurted out, holding a hoof to her mouth. "What happened to you? Did something bad happen?"
"N-no," responded Midnight. "I was just born like this…"
Celestia's expression turned sullen. "How horrible, being picked on for having only one wing." She paused for a moment before putting on a smile, cheerfully looking at Midnight as she spoke, "It's okay now, Midnight. We'll take care of you for as long as it takes. You can share Luna's room in the meantime."
"M-my room?" intervened Luna.
"Of course. You adopted him, after all."
"See," spoke Midnight with a grin, "I told you that you adopted me!"
"Shush, you. But, sister, where will he sleep?"
"In your bed, of course. I'm quite sure it's big enough for you and little Midnight."
Luna sighed. "Okay, okay. Come on, Midnight, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."
Chapter 2 - You Can Always Find Comfort In The Moon
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Chapter 2 - You Can Always Find Comfort In The Moon
With a huge smile on his face, Midnight bounced up and down on Luna's large four-poster bed, getting higher and higher with each spring-filled hop, even if it was only a small amount. The springs squeaked lightly as his hooves sunk into the soft mattress between each jump, lightly wrinkling the indigo covers.
"This. Is. So. Cool!" cried Midnight, his words separated with each escalation. "I get to sleep with you every night, right?"
With a roll of her eyes, Luna huffed. "Yes, Midnight," she replied. "You've asked me this five times already, and for the sixth time I'm telling you: yes, you'll sleep here every night until we find you somewhere to live."
The joyous foal let out a little squeak as his huge, grinning lips spread from one cheek to the other. "We're gonna have so much fun! I just know it!"
"You can start by not jumping on my bed, first and foremost."
With reluctance, Midnight settled his hooves upon the mattress, still bobbing up and down slightly as the springs came to rest. "I-I'm sorry, Luna," he muttered, his eyes drooping. "I've just never felt so… Um…"
"Free?"
"Happy."
Luna gazed at the discomforted foal, his head hanging low as he stared down at the silken bed sheets. "I'm sure you have had your fair share of good times at the orphanage, child?" she insisted.
"Well… I remember last week when Matron made us all chocolate pancakes," he replied with a huge grin. You could almost see a small bead of drool pour from the corner of his mouth. "They tasted so good with maple syrup, too!"
Even Luna was at a loss for words, if only because she was caught up in Midnight's pancake-saturated daydream, too. "Yes, well, speaking of food," she said as she snapped from her sickly-sweet trance, "why don't we go make ourselves comfortable in the dining hall? Dinner should be ready soon."
"But, Luna, it's nearly seven o'clock."
"And a great time to have dinner, it is. Do you not have dinner so late?"
"N-no. We eat dinner earlier. Matron always tells us to get an early night."
Luna gave a small chuckle. "I guess my idea of an "early night" is four o'clock in the morning," she jested. Even Midnight shared in the humour, tittering at Luna's never-often-seen playful side. "Have you ever stayed up late before, Midnight?"
"Um…" The little foal took his eyes from Luna, hiding behind the bangs of his mane. Holding one foreleg with another, he hesitated to answer.
"It is quite alright," spoke Luna. "I'm not going to scold you for staying up past your bedtime."
Slowly Midnight turned back to Luna, still hesitant in admitting it. "Yeah," he finally spoke, "once when the Wonderbolts were performing at the Grand Galloping Gala. It was so cool, though!"
"Oh, you watched that? I'm surprised you knew about it."
"I always keep up with the Wonderbolts! I just had to stay up and watch them… Though Matron said I wasn't allowed ice cream for a week…"
Luna couldn't help but smile a little -- for Midnight, it was probably worth the punishment. Probably. "I know, why don't I show you the kitchen?" she suggested. "Since it will be your first night here, maybe our head chef will make you something special -- if you ask nicely enough."
With wide eyes, Midnight gasped deeply with excitement. "Really!?" he cried out. His little legs began to patter on the bed as he thought of all the things that he's ever wanted to try. "Can he really make anything, Luna?"
"Of course. He is our top chef -- the best in all of Canterlot."
"This is so awesome!" The little foal broke out into small hops again, lightly bouncing up and down on the mattress. "Could he… could he…" once more in thought, Midnight stuck his tongue out, pressing it against his upper lip. "… Could he make me chocolate spread sandwiches?"
For a moment, Luna thought that he was joking. The awkward silence she let pass by, waiting for him to say something, confirmed that he was serious. "Well… yes," she responded, "he can do that."
"This. Is. Awesome!" Midnight cried out with a huge, open smile on his face, his voice cracking as he cried out the last word. With a final bounce he hopped off the bed, landing just a foot away from the Princess. "Can we go now, Luna?"
"Of course." With the little Pegasus behind her, Luna made her way out into the hallway. "Sandwiches… Even I could make that," she muttered to herself quietly.
If it weren't for the many windows, the heat culminating in the kitchen could have made the whole place into a walk-in sauna with cooking appliances. Several stainless steel pots and pans boiled, bubbled and sizzled away on huge cooking stoves lined in rows across the entire expanse of the kitchen. Overhead units loomed above these stretches of stoves and worktop counters, holding frying pans and kitchen utensils on small hooks.
As soon as Luna and Midnight stepped through the swinging doors into the kitchen, their senses were assaulted by a myriad of mouth-watering scents; Bay leaf and carrot stew, caramelised red onion, chocolate fudge truffles, blueberry sponge cake and mascarpone -- so many sweet and savoury aromas that would make one think they were sitting in a five star restaurant.
Well, that was what Luna was doing, at least. The thought alone made her tummy grumble.
Midnight's eyes widened and his jaw hung open as his head waved from left to right, taking in the grandeur of such a large kitchen. "Woah," his lips softly relieved as he watched everypony at work, all cooking so many things at the same time. To him, it was like watching a culinary circus. "I've never seen so much… stuff."
"I imagine it must all be quite overwhelming for you," assumed Luna with a smile. Midnight followed close by her hind legs as she made her way across the length of the kitchen, sporadically greeted by the ponies who worked here; "Good evening, Princess," one would call out; "Welcome, Your Majesty," another would curtsy while carrying a pile of freshly washed cutlery and crockery. Contrary to what many would likely think, Luna greeted each one back with a smile and a nod instead of just not paying them any attention.
But there was one pony who Luna needed to see specifically.
"Oui, trés bien," the voice of a stallion spoke from the far side of the room with a very thick, almost whimsical accent. A light yellow pony with a curly orange mane, he was covered head to hoof in bright white chef garments, complete with the huge chef hat that pressed against the kitchen units above the counters. "Remember: a little dab will do, d'accord?"
"Y-yes, Chef," the pony replied as he squirted a fine, twisting spiral of vanilla cream on top of a two-tiered sponge cake, "thank you, Chef."
With a smile the chef turned to head back down the aisle of steel, only to be smothered by Luna's flowing mane. Hurriedly he batted the cloud of sparkling hair from his face before being met by the Princess' piercing eyes. "O-oh! M-Madame Luna," he cried out. He tugged on the collar of his jacket as his cheeks began to flush. "Excusez-moi! I did not realize it was you."
"It is quite alright, Mr. Anglaise," pardoned Luna. "I suppose my mane has gotten quite long."
"Not to mention being a fire hazard, Madame…"
"Oh! I never thought of that. In any case, Mr. Anglaise, how goes the preparations for tonight's dinner?"
"Les préparatifs se passent trés bien," enthused Anglaise with a big smile. "Ever since we hired our two new cooks, things have become plus rapide, plus efficace!"
"That is very good to hear." Her eyes shifted down to the little foal nestled against her hind leg. "Oh, I had almost forgotten. Mr. Anglaise, this is Midnight," she introduced, "he will be staying with us for a while. Midnight, this is Mr. Anglaise, our head chef here in the castle."
Shyly, Midnight poked his head from behind his curtain-like mane, gazing up at the lanky stallion. "H-hello," he squeaked softly with a smile.
"Bonjour, mon petit poney," replied Anglaise with a wide, cheery smile. "s'il vous plaît, call me "Chef"."
"Okay, Chef." Despite Midnight being perfectly fine with it, Luna couldn't help but roll her eyes at the stallion's obvious, although subtle, command of authority.
"I don't suppose you have seen my sister, have you, Anglaise?" asked Luna. "I did not see her on my way here."
"Oui, she said she was going to be out for a while; said not to worry about rushing with tonight's dinner."
"Did she say where she was going?"
The chef shook his head. "Non, Je suis désolé. It sounded trés important. I dared not pry."
Luna paused for a moment. 'Where would she go at this hour?' she thought to herself. 'And without letting me know? I wonder what she's doing…' She blinked a few times as her mind snapped back to reality, noticing Anglaise giving her a look of concern. "O-oh, I see. Nevermind," she responded, waving off whatever concern she was displaying. "By the way, Midnight wanted to request something from you?"
"Oh? Une requête?" He drew his attention back to Midnight, who was now a bit more open with the chef. "What will it be, mon petit poney? Une grande chocolate sundae? Chocolate fudge cheesecake? You name it; I make it!"
"… Um… Chocolate spread sandwiches?" asked Midnight, embarrassed that he would ask of something so simple after the list of better desserts put in front of him.
But not as much as Anglaise was unimpressed, almost bordering on offended. His smile dropped like a lead weight before raising an eyebrow. "… Une chocolat sandwich…?" he repeated dourly.
"Is it too difficult for you, Mr. Anglaise?" teased Luna.
The stallion huffed. "Nothing is too difficult for Créme Anglaise!" he exclaimed, not afraid to display what great pride and confidence he had in his own skill. Turning away, he strode down the aisle of the kitchen. "Chocolate sandwiches," he muttered under his breath. "Je peux faire cela avec un sabot attachées derrière mon dos…"
"I shouldn't be too far off," Celestia spoke to herself as her hooves rang upon the cobblestone streets.
It wasn't often that Celestia would visit the streets of Canterlot, especially outside of her morning domain, though she would do so on certain occasions. Special occasions. Occasions where she felt that she needed to dig her nose to find out what's going on. Like now.
Just down the end of the street corner was the building she was looking for. It was fairly large, too, especially when compared to the smaller shops and houses that flanked it on the streets to either side of it. Celestia looked up to read the sign engraved on a detailed plaque of hard oak wood: "Canterlot Orphanage". This was definitely the place.
Casually she strode up the few steps of the porch before ratting her hoof on the door a couple of times. A moment of silence filled the air before Celestia slightly cocked her head to the side; no answer? She knocked once more, a bit harder this time, letting out a loud clanging sound from her shoe.
Slowly the door handle swivelled down, the lock on the door making a sudden *click* sound before creaking open. In the doorway stood an elderly pony with a peach-coloured coat and grey hair. Her eyes looked tired, sagging and drooping. Then again, her whole body looked tired, too. Slowly her eyes opened, looking up to see who was at the door. Her eyes shot open and her pupils dilated as soon as she recognized who it was.
"P-P-Princess Celestia!" the elderly mare shrieked, her head recoiling. "W-what can I do for you at this time of the night?"
"I'm terribly sorry to intrude on you this late, ma'am," apologized Celestia, trying to keep her voice quiet. "I was hoping you could tell me something about one of the children you had staying here?"
But before the mare could respond, a tiny rumble grew closer to them from inside the orphanage. Within a second, a whole crowd of little foals -- Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth ponies -- gathered in the man hallway. Their big eyes grew even bigger as they saw Her Majesty grace them with her presence.
"I-it's Princess Celestia!" a filly cried out with a huge smile spread along her muzzle.
"Heyyyyy, Pwincess Cewestia!" a colt followed, waving his tiny little hoof in the air.
"Is she gonna read us a bedtime story?" A little white Pegasus asked from the back.
"Now what're you all doing up this late?" the elderly pony exclaimed as she turned around. "Now all of you get back to bed this instance, or they'll be no cake for you tomorrow!"
"D'awwww!" the foals cried in unison, but with a threat like that, they had no choice but to mosey on back to their beds.
The mare gave a small sigh coupled with a smile. "Kids. Never get tired of seeing their joyous little faces… Oh, I'm sorry, Princess; you said you wanted to talk about someone?"
"Yes. A little colt named Midnight."
"… Um… Midnight, you say? Can't say I've looked after any kid by that name."
Celestia paused for a moment. Was this old pony just forgetting something? "He said he used to live here," said Celestia. "Dark charcoal Pegasus pony; long white mane; only has one wing."
"Ohhhh, you must mean Wing!"
Celestia immediately made the connection. It made her stomach churn a little. "He's called Wing?" she repeated, her voice showing a little discontent.
"That's right. Or, uh, that's what the other kids call him. He never had a name. But I'm really happy that he's got a name to go by now."
"You can thank Luna for that," Celestia replied with a more cheerful manner, more content with knowing the story behind the naming controversy. But, she had to ask what she came here to ask. Her expression became sullen. "Was Wing… I mean, Midnight… happy here?"
Even the elderly pony's expression shifted as soon as Celestia asked that question. For the Princess to see that, it was a heavy blow to her already decrepit heart. "… It's a real long story, Princess. You had best come in if you want to hear the whole thing."
"Thank you, Matron…"
"Ooooh! What's cooking over there?" exclaimed Midnight as he rushed over to one of the ovens by the west wall.
"Zat is going to be one of our sponge cakes in just a few teensy moments, mon petit poney," explained Anglaise, bending down and peering through the opaque glass door. "After it is cooked, it will be sliced, filled with blueberry jam, and smothered in blueberry butter cream."
Just the thought alone made Midnight drool from the corner of his mouth -- something Anglaise was quick to notice, wiping the foal's lips with the sleeve of his jacket. "That sounds so yummy!" Midnight spoke softly, still in a half-dream state of mind.
"It will be even more délicieux when you sink your teeth into it. D'accord, some with me; I'll show you the chocolate I will be using for your... sandwiches…"
Luna never took her eyes off of the little Pegasus for the while that they had been here. She recalled how Midnight had commented that he had never been so happy, and that cute little smile on his face was all she wanted to see, all she needed to see. And his smile became hers, her smile stretching from one cheek to another as she watched him hop and prance around the floor, looking in and up at every oven and pot and pan that worked their magic.
"E-Excuse me? Princess?" a small voice called out. Luna's ears pricked up as she caught wind of her name, turning to see who called out for her -- the new cook that Anglaise was praising earlier. "Could you have a taste of this strawberry sauce? I'm not sure if it's sweet enough…"
"Certainly," obliged Luna.
As Luna went to try out the cook's flavours, Midnight stood by Anglaise as the master chef worked his chocolatier magic. Despite not being able to see much, the little pony was fascinated, entranced even, at seeing Anglaise at work. A grin spread across his face as the chef rose a foreleg, on the end an egg whisk used to lightly stir the rich milk chocolate. A stream of chocolate flowed from the end of it back into the saucepan like a stream of pure temptation, and tempting it was for Midnight to leap up and try and take a slurp of it.
"Ah, zis is coming along trés bien," praised Anglaise, stirring the sweet liquid with the whisk. His eyes caught glimpse of the dazzled foal as he looked down to him. With a sweet smile, Anglaise lifted the whisk once more. "Care to try some, mon petit poney?"
"Can I?" exclaimed Midnight with a wide open smile. Quickly his one little charcoal wing sprouted from behind his mane and flapped clumsily to a slow rhythm, pushing himself off the kitchen floor and slowly ascending. Anglaise was inwardly shocked, his eyes widening as he saw Midnight's single wing, though he only kept the smile on his face despite watching the little foal struggle to keep his balance.
With his other hoof, Anglaise held up a small teaspoon and let the chocolate flow from the whisk onto it until it was filled to the brim. Meeting it at last, Midnight edged his head forwards. "Careful, now," warned Anglaise, "la chocolat est encore--"
Midnight's lips voraciously clamped around the head of the spoon, slurping the chocolate with a single movement of his tongue. His eyes shot open.
"--H-H-HOT!" the Pegasus yelled, sticking his tongue out of his mouth. The coupling pain and shock of the sweet magma-like confectionary caused him to shake and flail in the air -- especially his single, flimsy wing. Quickly and violently Midnight lost his balance, his wing flapping in all different directions, causing him to weave and jolt in the air unpredictably.
Out of control, the Pegasus slammed into everything around him; his back hit against the kitchen units that hung from the upper walls, his head hit against the hanging frying pans, and even his rear end butted into the snouts of the bewildered cooks around him. Overhanging pots and pans fell from their hooks, smashing into the counters and stoves below -- some of them falling against the handles of already used pans, flinging them and their boiling contents across the kitchen. One of the cooks cried out loudly as they were splashed by little splashes of hot oil.
A horrible chain reaction, one event lead to another -- pots were knocked over; boiling water flooded the floors; even sharp kitchen knives were accidentally being knocked over or flung from their places by panicking cooks or from being knocked by falling equipment. Créme Anglaise was paralysed with inaction, doing nothing but watching as his staff and his kitchen fell apart around him. It was like Tartaros' own kitchen gone wild.
But things quickly got worse. The spluttering oil popped and struck upon the open flames of the still-lit stoves, creating huge gouts of flames. The flames kicked upwards and outwards, spreading their wrath upon anything else nearby that was covered or soaked in oil. Even one of the cooks were not spared its burning embrace as his tail caught fire. Within short moments, half an aisle was partially caught aflame.
And then suddenly everything came to a sudden halt.
"CEASE AND DECIST!" screamed Luna, her voice booming and echoing through the kitchen and even further through the castle.
A bright indigo glow surrounded the entire kitchen. The boiling water and oil ceased to flow and run along the floors and gaps in the tiles, the falling, flung, and rolling crockery and utensils stopped in mid-air or in mid-movement, and the flames froze like statues before shrinking, eventually dissipating entirely. The only things that remained mobile were the workers, chef Anglaise, and poor Midnight, who had finally come to a grounded halt.
Luna marched through the aisles, her hooves patting against the fluids on the floor, but made no splashes of any kind. She scowled at the scenery ahead of her, almost with a twitch in her left eye. Everything was a mess here; broken crockery, spilled contents, and smouldering burn marks were all she could immediately see -- not to mention all of the equipment littered on the floor and the worktops.
"Explain yourselves!" she hurled at Anglaise and Midnight as she turned to them. But as she turned to Midnight she took a slow, deep breath.
The little foal sat against one of the kitchen units near the end of the room, shaking and gripping his mane as tight as he could. His coat and hair was soaked with water from the pots, and even patches of his skin stood out with dark red sores against his dark fur -- burn marks from the boiling oil and water, no doubt; even a bit of his face under his left eye flushed the same colour.
Lune exhaled, and her brow softened. "What happened here?" she added, her voice a little bit calmer than before. The glow around everything quickly shrunk away as though returning to Luna.
Silence fell upon all. No one would speak a word. Anglaise was still in tremendous shock. Midnight was still trembling in horror.
"… I…" forced yet quiet words poured from the foal's quivering lips. His eyes peered out from the top of his mane, which was still gripped and held tightly against his body. "I-I didn't mean to… The chocolate was hot and… I lost my balance, and… I didn't--"
"You have destroyed my kitchen!" screamed the anger-hulking chef as he flung his front legs into the air. His head violently turned to Midnight, his face distorted and twisted with a corrupt scowl. Midnight pushed away from him with his hind legs, scooting across the floor. "You have single-hoofedly destroyed one-sixth of my kitchen!" bellowed Anglaise, moving his head closer and closer to the cowering foal, who was trying so hard to hide behind his mane again.
Every word, every look, and every movement burned and scarred deep into the petrified Pegasus -- even more so than the splashes of oil had done to him. But Anglaise would not relent with his verbal assault upon the little guy. There was not a shred of empathy in the chef at this point, even as his brought the foal close to tears.
As the other staff continued to clean up what tremendous mess there was, not a single one of them could draw their attention away from what was happening now. Some of the workers tried to turn their gaze away entirely, while some couldn't help but stop and watch what was unfolding in front of them. But all of them felt so sorry, so horrible, for the poor little pony who was huddled by the counters. One of the mares mopping up the spilled fluids couldn't help but let a tear trickle down her face as her boss was unrelentingly bullying a frightened child.
And Luna stood idle, watching as the chef callously bombarded the poor child with his spear-sharp words and burning gaze. But what could she do, she thought. She knew that Midnight was the reason all of this happened. He had to be punished. And this was his punishment.
"You're a little monster is what you are!" assaulted Anglaise still. "Un monstre destructif!"
little dark patches began to spread in the foal's snow white hair as little beads of tears soaked through from behind. "I-I'm not a monster," Midnight sobbed slightly. A small hiccup escaped him as his nuzzled his mane more. "I'm not…"
"Oui, vous petit monstre! I want you out of my kitchen -- now!"
"That is enough!" a voiced boomed from behind all of them, followed by a soft flow of light.
Instantly the kitchen lit up even more so than it already was, nearly blinding some of the workers as the light reflected off the steel surfaces of the workstations. As everyone turned to the doorway, all eyes gazed upon Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. Immediately, everyone stopped, including the still-angered Anglaise.
Celestia made her way through the crowd of vigilant yet awe-inspired staff and down the aisle. Despite her neutral appearance, her heart jumped and her stomach began to turn and churn as she looked down upon Midnight. "… I am incredibly appalled with you… Chef Anglaise," she blurted out, scowling at the very surprised and very shocked pony.
"Excusez-moi, Your Majesty?" he retorted. "Pour quoi faire?"
"Do you honestly think it necessary to… bully this little child?" she snapped, her voice demanding his immediate justification.
"This little brat ruined my kitchen and our work!" he retaliated, flinging a foreleg towards Midnight, pointing at him with a shaking hoof. "He is lucky I do not put him in the pot with the other vegetables!"
Again, Celestia turned her attention to Midnight. The little colt was still trembling and clinging to his mane like a security blanket, letting out small hiccups and tiny bouts of soft sobbing. "Luna," she spoke, "go and take little Midnight to get cleaned up. I'm going to have words with the chef…"
Luna remained still for a moment. So many thoughts and so many questions rushed through her mind; was Anglaise too hard? Perhaps he really was bullying the poor colt. But why didn't she step in then? Was it because she felt it necessary? Or was it because she was petrified with horror? Her lip quivered lightly.
'Never again,' she silently declared in her mind.
"Of course, sister," agreed Luna. Her hardened gaze met with Anglaise's as she softly approached Midnight. Placing a hoof on one of the colt's, she slowly moved his legs away from his face as he loosened his grip from his mane. His teary eyes looked up to her gaze, sniffing softly. "It's okay now, Midnight," she cooed. "Let us go and get you cleaned up."
The poor foal never spoke a word, only standing up and quickly huddling to Luna's foreleg, holding his body close to her. Slowly Luna made her way to the kitchen doors, ever wary and ever watchful of her little Pegasus.
"Never again," she muttered to herself.
Author's Note
My expertise of French isn't exactly great. Some parts might be grammatically incorrect. =/
